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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has asked ActionSA Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip and his party to immediately apologise to uMngeni Mayor Chris Pappas and uMngeni residents for what the party calls "unwarranted and illogical claims" made about the water crisis in eThekwini, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

This after ActionSA accused the DA-run uMngeni municipality of mismanaging sewage systems.

ActionSA's Trollip pointed to an "apparent failure" by the municipality to maintain critical wastewater treatment infrastructure, which he claims has directly contributed to the water crisis in KZN.

A discovery of algae in State bulk water provider uMngeni-UThukela Water's Durban Heights Water Treatment Works in August resulted in a reduced flow of water to municipalities, leaving many areas without supply while the algae is treated.

Trollip acknowledged that while the shutdown by uMngeni-UThukela Water resulted in a lack of water to residents, he claimed that the underlying cause was the DA-run municipality's failure to maintain wastewater treatment pump stations.

ActionSA wants an urgent investigation into the water crisis, also urging the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Environmental Affairs to take immediate action in holding the responsible parties to account and to ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future.

Meanwhile, DA KZN chairperson Dean Macpherson hit back at Trollip's claims and said ActionSA's "made-up reality", had brought ActionSA to the conclusion that the local municipality was responsible for sewage and water, when it was the responsibility of the African National Congress-run district municipality.

This information was readily available through Google, he said, and added that for someone who had been a mayor himself, Trollip should have known this.

Macpherson stated that ActionSA's "desperate attempt" to deflect from the growing anger across the country to "their newfound coalition with the Economic Freedom Fighters is now visible for all to see, and no one will be fooled by it, except ActionSA".

President Cyril Ramaphosa noted on Monday that relations between South Africa and China has entered "a new era of opportunity", following his visit to China, which he said has strengthened trade and investment ties and cemented shared commitment to economy growth and job creation for the advancement of citizens in both countries.

Last week, Ramaphosa and some Cabinet Ministers attended the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) in Beijing, which brought together heads of State and government from across the continent.

The summit was preceded by the President's second State visit to China where he was hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Ramaphosa said government was encouraged at the potential for greater cooperation, investment and trade between South Africa and China with emphasis on low-carbon, climate-resilient economic growth.

He revealed there was significant interest from Chinese private commercial firms, State-owned enterprises and banks to invest in South Africa's infrastructure build programme.

This, he said aligned with the South African government's plans to modernise the country's infrastructure by investing in the expansion of ports, rail and road networks.

"Investment does not only flow in one direction. I also met with South African companies operating in China. They have found that South African and Chinese companies can complement each other well and have both benefited from an exchange of expertise and technology," he said.

He added that the value of such cooperation extended beyond the two countries.

Ramaphosa pointed out that during his State visit, China and South Africa agreed to upgrade their relationship to an "All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in a New Era".

At a time when African economies were growing closer together, China's technological capabilities could support Africa's industrialisation and enable the continent to export more than just raw commodities, he emphasised.

Ramaphosa pointed out that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will provide access to a market of over 1.3-billion people, provided an even greater incentive for investment by China and other countries in Africa's manufacturing capacity.

"This was underlined during the Focac summit attended by more than 50 African countries, where President Xi announced ten partnership actions that China would take together with African countries to support the modernisation of their economies. These actions cover areas like trade, industrial development, agriculture, health and infrastructure," he said.

MUCH INVESTMENT AND JOBS

Meanwhile, during his State visit to China, Ramaphosa said he had an opportunity to meet several Chinese companies currently operating in South Africa or looking at opportunities in the country, particularly in energy, infrastructure, technology and advanced manufacturing.

He pointed out that just over 10 years ago, Hisense established a R350-million manufacturing plant in Atlantis Industrial Park in the Western Cape.

Having grown into a prominent brand in the South African market, Hisense is now exporting some of its products to other African countries and to the UK from its Atlantis plant, he noted.

The company reports that it has created over 1 000 direct and over 5 000 indirect jobs in Atlantis, provides on-the-job skills training to its workforce and has a skills transfer programme between China and South Africa for technicians and engineers.

Rampahosa said the Hisense story showed the great potential that existed for investment in advanced manufacturing in South Africa and the reach this had into the broader continental market.

"It is also a good example of job creation, skills development and technology transfer. Hisense is just one of a growing number of Chinese companies that are expanding their footprint in South Africa, bringing much-needed investment and jobs," he said.

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said on Monday the ANC National Working Committee (NWC) believes that the multi-party government must take into consider strengthening of the work of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) as it affects voter moral in terms of eagerness and willingness to participate in the democratic process of elections.

Mbalula was addressing the media on the the ANC NWC meeting with the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in Boksburg, where he pointed out that the party's structures did not complain about the IEC's freeness and fairness during the elections, however, he said there "were things" that regions were not happy about that they had raised with the NWC.

The ANC's NWC and PEC discussed its performance in the May elections, where the ANC secured 40.18% - a huge drop from the 57.5% it took in the previous election in 2019.

The ANC lost its majority in Gauteng, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In Mpumalanga the party's support dropped from 78% to 50%.

Mbalula said the NWC will head to Mpumalanga over the weekend.

He said governance topped the list of issues that members believe led to the party losing its outright majority in the elections, also noting issues relating to electricity and infrastructure vandalism.

"…to a certain extent, the water crisis in certain areas has also been an issue. [As well as] the question of abandoned buildings, which are becoming a manifesto of crime and illegal immigrants, especially around Johannesburg," he added.

The NWC met on Sunday with six Gauteng regions to understand what led to the loss in support and to discuss what needs to be done to change this. The NWC discusses the "real state of the organisation" and how it should be consolidated post-elections.

"…what are important areas of intervention that we need to make. We also reflected on the state of governance in different metros and feedback and reports were received from regions in the province," Mbalula said.

He said the NWC will consolidate and receive reports from meetings with structures, to ensure that the ANC retains its majority, especially in the coming local government elections.

Mbalula believes there are positive examples of good ANC leadership in local government, and he urged the party to emulate those examples on the ground and create a barometer to hold public representative and councillors accountable.

"In Johannesburg's Ward 133, there is a councillor there called Teboho Marumo, he is an exceptional example of how a public representative must conduct themselves," he said.

He acknowledged that intra-party organisational challenges, ANC squabbles, and factionalism were also problematic, noting that the party "did not push through as a unit", in terms of targets the party has set.

He added that the structures have also raised concerns about ANC members who have joined the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and claimed that some of these members were working for the MKP whilst they were still with the ANC.

In his quest to ensure public safety in South Africa and to strength cooperation in tackling transnational crime and cybercrime, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is heading to China to attend the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum and host a bilateral meeting with Chinese Minister of Public Safety Wang Xiaohong.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Ministry said Mchunu, and other international leaders, will be in China to attend the forum between September 8 and 11.

The Minister will attend with a delegation from the South African Police Service (Saps), which will take part in various sub-forums relating to public security governance, allowing the delegation to share experiences with and learn from its international colleagues.

Mchunu will also attend the Public Safety and Security Technology Expo, which will highlight the latest technology in public safety.

"This visit will allow the Minister to explore new technologies and innovations that could enhance the Saps' capacity to ensure public safety in South Africa," the Police Ministry said.

During his visit with his Chinese counterpart Xiaohong, Mchunu will further engage on policing technologies and innovative strategies for crime prevention.

University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) School of Governance head and whistleblower Themba Maseko said he is not confident that newly appointed Minister of Justice Thembi Simelane will be able to move forward with former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo's proposal on strengthening the protection of whistleblowers, mostly as she is implicated in a scandal of corruption.

Simelane met with the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development on Friday, following allegations levelled against her, relating to a VBS Mutual Bank loan.

Early this month, media reports revealed that while serving as the mayor of Polokwane in 2016, Simelane took a "commercial loan" of R575 600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company that brokered "unlawful" investments of R349-million into VBS Bank on behalf of the Polokwane municipality, amongst others.

Maseko noted Zondo's "positive move" in supporting the protection of whistleblowers.

"The only unfortunate thing now is that the Minister [Ronald Lamola] who was supposed to do this, is now the Minister of International Affairs. I am not sure if the new Minister [Simelane] will be able to move forward with that proposal, largely as you may know, she is appearing in Parliament today to account for benefiting from the VBS deal or corruption that took place in Limpopo," he said.

Zondo, in his State Capture Inquiry, made recommendations for the establishment of an anti-corruption agency, that should house a division for whistleblowers to provide legal protection, social-psychological and health resources.

In 2019 Maseko appeared before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry where he detailed his refusal to comply with the Guptas' wishes that he divert government's entire advertising budget to The New Age newspaper.

Maseko was removed from his position shortly after.

He noted that exposing corruption, or elicit conduct in general, is every citizen's moral and legal duty and stressed that it is the right thing to do.

"…because if we found out or get to know about wrongdoing in workplaces, be it public or private and in society, if we do not speak out and expose that wrongdoing, we are also complicit," he highlighted.

He said whistleblowing is not only about exposing politicians, and he stressed that this needs to be demystified as much unethical behaviour is also practiced by senior civil servants who are in positions of authority and power in all three spheres of government.

He said whistleblowing is an important part of the fight against corruption, and therefore, the country has a duty and responsibility to ensure whistleblowers are supported.

"…but in the end, you will have to know that acting with integrity is a very lonely journey. It can be financially crippling and often dangerous, however, it is a necessary duty for those who care about themselves, their fellow citizens, their country and the world," he stated.

He said despite Ramaphosa's commitment that the State will protect them, many whistleblowers are killed, live in object poverty, feel unsafe and marginalised.

He believes that the State is uncaring, as nothing has been done to date to ensure whistleblower protection.

Following Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Thembi Simelane's appearance at the Justice Portfolio Committee meeting on Friday, her department revealed that she is scheduled to meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa, relating to her alleged involvement with a VBS Mutual Bank loan.

The date of the meeting was not confirmed.

It is alleged that that while serving as the mayor of Polokwane in 2016, Simelane took a loan of R575 600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company that brokered "unlawful" investments of R349-million into VBS Bank on behalf of the Polokwane municipality, amongst others.

Ramaphosa has previously requested a detailed report and briefing from her on the matter.

Simelane appeared before the Portfolio Committee to answer questions on the matter, where she denied any allegations of wrongdoing and said is committed to cooperating fully with all inquiries.

She also pointed out that despite questions surrounding conflicts of interest, she is not involved in prosecutorial decisions made by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

"The Minister highlighted her proactive measures, including instructing the withdrawal of municipal funds from VBS two months prior to the National Treasury's advisory on investment irregularities. She also noted that the services of Gundo Wealth Solutions, used in this process, were provided at no cost to the municipality. No payments were made to Gundo Wealth Solutions, and Minister Simelane asserts that she received no improper benefits, with no conflict of interest involved," the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said in a statement.

Further, Simelane has said she has repaid the capital investment in three instalments from her personal Bank account, including interest of over R250 000.

The Department assured of the Minister's commitment to accountability, ethical governance and transparency, noting she has not shied away from public scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) wants Simelane to step aside as Minister while her alleged involvement in the matter is investigated, explaining that she is in "an untenable conflict of interest".

"Despite whether Simelane has repaid the loan from Gundo Wealth Solutions or not, the fact remains that the money involved is tainted. The loan's apparent exorbitant interest rate raises serious concerns, as it is highly questionable why the Minister chose to engage with an entity not registered as a financial service provider, Gundo Wealth Solutions, who in turn received the money from VBS bank. It's unclear why the minister did not approach an ordinary commercial bank," said DA Justice and Constitutional Development spokesperson advocate Glynnis Breytenbach.

Despite Simelane's assertions that NPA investigations are independent, the DA said as she oversees the NPA, Simelane's role as Minister creates public distrust and compromises the integrity of her department.

"She must step aside to allow for a thorough and unbiased investigation into these matters," Breytenbach said.

ActionSA said it was not convinced that Simelane adequately answered questions during the Justice Portfolio Committee meeting, calling it a "talk shop".

ActionSA Parliamentary Leader Athol Trollip said her appearance has reinforced the party's call for her to answer questions on the matter in a court of law, or by an independent investigation by the Public Protector.

"It is well-established that the said investment brokerage was not a registered financial service provider, making it implausible that the supposed 'loan' of R575 600 to the Minister was above board, which she now claims to have repaid with an additional staggering R274 399 in interest above the capital loan amount loan amount. This exorbitant 47% interest above the principal 'loan' over a relatively short term raises further suspicion and demands more intense scrutiny, as no credible financial advisor should ever propose such a punitive transaction to a 'client', which is why we have r...

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is challenging impeached judge John Hlophe's designation to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), in the Western Cape High Court, noting that the party's legal action underscores a fundamental concern for the integrity and independence of South Africa's judiciary.

Hlophe is the first judge to be removed from office by the National Assembly (NA), after the JSC found him guilty of dishonesty and gross misconduct. His conviction resulted from his attempts to unlawfully influence two judges of the Constitutional Court, Judges Bess Nkabinde and Chris Jafta, in 2008, to rule in favour of Jacob Zuma in cases before them.

In July, Hlophe was nominated by the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) to serve on the JSC, which is responsible for nominating judges for appointment, and for disciplining judges.

DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille said the core issue was whether someone with a history of misconduct should be allowed to participate in the selection of judges, a role, she said demanded unimpeachable standards.

"Our challenge is not just a legal battle; it is a stand for the values of our constitutional democracy, ensuring that those who hold power within our judiciary are beyond reproach," she said.

The DA approached the Western Cape High Court, in July, to have the NA's decision to appoint Hlophe as a parliamentary representative to the JSC reviewed and set aside and have him interdicted from serving until a decision is made.

"This designation presents a profound conflict of interest. John Hlophe's impeachment, after a prolonged 16-year battle, was a stark reflection of his conduct, and it is inconceivable that such a compromised individual should have a say in the selection of future judges," Zille argued.

While the DA acknowledges the right of political parties to nominate representatives to the JSC, it believes the appointment of somebody with a "tarnished" record to this critical role is a "blatant disregard for the standards of integrity and propriety" that the country's judicial system demands.

Zille said this also exacerbated the public's distrust in political processes.

The DA pointed out that alongside its partners - Freedom Under Law and the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution - they were defending a principle that affected every South African.

Zille said the outcome of this case would impact all those who had ever appeared before a court, or who may do so in the future.

Civil rights organisation AfriForum has also applied to the Constitutional Court asking it to declare Hlophe's appointment as "irrational, unlawful and in conflict" with the NA's constitutional duty.

South Africa's current account deficit narrowed in the second quarter, to 0.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) from 1.5% of GDP in the first quarter, central bank data showed on Thursday.

In rand terms the current account deficit narrowed to R64.6-billion in April to June, from R106.9-billion in the previous three-month period.

The trade surplus widened further to R187.4-billion in the second quarter from R165.8-billion in the first quarter.

"The increase in the value of exports of goods and services in the second quarter of 2024 reflected higher prices while the increase in imports of goods and services reflected both higher volumes and prices," the South African Reserve Bank said in a statement.

South Africa's economy grew 0.4% in the second quarter, statistics agency data showed on Tuesday, supported by higher consumer spending and power availability, but output declines in agriculture, mining and transport meant growth was slightly weaker than expected.

President Cyril Rampahosa said on Thursday if African countries and China are to build a future that is people-centred, development-orientated and inclusive, they will need to work in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.

Ramaphosa was delivering the opening address during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) Summit, where he pointed out China's long history of friendship and solidarity with Africa.

In this spirit, the fourth Focac Summit reflected the cooperative, comprehensive and intentional nature of African countries and China's cooperation, also reflecting a shared desire for modernisation, development and progress on the African continent, Ramaphosa said.

He added that since this relationship was institutionalised through Focac in 2000, ties between China and Africa had continued to grow and deepen, driven by a desire to achieve shared prosperity while recognising individual developmental aspirations.

"If we are to realise a sustainable future for Africa and China - and indeed the entire world - we must acknowledge the reality of the interdependence among our community of nations," he said.

Ramaphosa believes that Focac can play an important role as Africa works to build an integrated network of linkages between countries, within regions and across the continent.

He sees Focac as a valuable forum to support the implementation of the African Union's Agenda 2063, highlighting that Focac takes place as the world experiences many challenges, such as war and conflict and climate change.

"The global contestation for critical minerals is fuelling geopolitical rivalry. These challenges affect all nations but are often most severely felt in Africa. Yet, amid these challenges, there is hope and opportunity," Ramaphosa said.

He welcomed the proposal by Chinese President Xi Jinping to elevate China's bilateral relations with African countries, advancing diplomatic ties with China to the level of strategic relations.

"We believe that this shared desire is reflected in the ten partnership actions on modernisation to be taken by China and Africa, as announced by President Xi," he explained.

Through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, Ramaphosa said the economies of Africa were being drawn closer together.

Public information entity Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said on Wednesday South Africa's economic growth in the second quarter shows that the economy is on a solid path to recovery, highlighting government's commitment to implementing policies to sustain and accelerate growth.

Statistics South Africa released data recently indicating the country's GDP increased by 0.4% in the second quarter of 2024, following 0.0% growth in the first quarter.

On expenditure, real GDP rose by 0.5% in the second quarter, an improvement from the 0.1% decrease in the first quarter of 2024.

Government attributed this to the "effectiveness of the measures that have been implemented to support recovery and growth", also noting that a lack of loadshedding had played a crucial role in revitalising key sectors, such as electricity, gas, and water.

The GCIS noted that household consumption was the largest positive contributor to overall growth, which it said demonstrated the renewed confidence and spending power of South African households.

"From a production perspective, the finance, real estate, and business services industry played a pivotal role, contributing 0.3% to the overall GDP growth. Other notable contributors include the manufacturing sector, trade, and the electricity, gas, and water supply industry, which saw a remarkable growth of 3.1%, driven by increased electricity generation and water distribution," it said.

Government acknowledged challenges in agriculture, mining, and forestry and fishing, but assured the public of work to restore growth in these sectors.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance noted that while the Government of National Unity (GNU) had made strides in improving investor outlook, it believed that the country's economy remained in crisis.

The party called on the GNU to expedite efforts to reform the country's ports, which it said ranked among the least efficient globally; it also wanted improvements of freight rail and logistics systems to enhance export capabilities.

The party said the GNU must strengthen local governments, which it said were the frontline for business operations; and it wanted a reduction in crime.