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Johannesburg, billed as Africa's richest city because of its concentration of businesses and millionaires, needs R221-billion to catch up on maintenance and overdue upgrades across its collapsing road, power and water networks.

The city council discussed the shortfall late last month and detailed it in documents seen by Bloomberg. It comes at a time when regular power outages - the result of distribution-network breakdowns - hit large swathes of Johannesburg. Officials leave potholes unattended for months and parts of the city had no water for as long as 11 days in March.

The work pileup "highlights significant risks to public safety, economic safety and the environment if not addressed," the city said of the road network in the documents. "Ignoring the backlog could lead to deteriorating roads, unsafe bridges, flooding and increased accidents."

Financial and political turmoil in recent years has beset the city of about 5 million people that's had eight mayors since 2019 due to constantly shifting coalitions. While the African National Congress and Economic Freedom Fighters are the largest parties in the ruling coalition with 119 seats between them, they have installed a mayor from the Al-Jama-ah party, which has just three seats. There are 270 councilors in total.

That's in contrast to the national government where the ANC, which lost its majority in May elections for the first time in three decades, has allied with the Democratic Alliance and a number of other parties to run the country. The EFF is in opposition.

Last month, Johannesburg's council imposed above-inflation increases for utilities and rates and forced through a R2.5-billion loan from the Agence Francaise de Developpement despite initial objections from opposition parties.

The City of Johannesburg didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.

The documents show that the city has missed its annual target for water-infrastructure investment every year since at least 2008 and that its electricity utility, City Power, has "urgent needs for upgrades and replacement to ensure network reliability and safety."

A separate document, dated March 6, shows that the city is struggling with revenue collection from large customers, including government departments and companies, with R6.1-billion of payments more than 90 days overdue.

African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) member and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on Tuesday acknowledged that while crime was not under control in the country, the media must allow police the space to work.

Mchunu gave an address during day three of the ANC NEC's Lekgotla, where he urged the media to give the South African Police Service (Saps) space to investigate crimes and "do their work, without being victimised".

He referred to a recent news report, in which he said the journalist used a phrase that victimised officers for defending themselves.

He was referring to an attempted cash-in-transit heist in Khayelitsha on Monday, where police, being part of a multidisciplinary team, intercepted a gang, before they were shot at. Police returned fire, resulting in the death of eight suspects and the arrest of five.

Mchunu stated that in a democratic country "different opinions are accepted", however, he said the media "must give Saps space to work".

"We cannot be complaining about everything; you complain about high rising levels of crimes, and we condemn police for not acting, and when they get prevented from acting via shootings at them, and when they protect themselves, defend themselves, and you all [media] are the ones that come forward immediately," he said.

He said it was "unfair and wrong" that the police were victimised for protecting themselves against criminals, stressing the need for officers to defend themselves.

He said the Saps welcomed what the officers did in Khayelitsha.

"Police officers had to defend themselves by firing back, and in doing so this has left a number of people dead. It is important that I must mention that five AK47s were found there, this is a very high calibre weapon and is related to war. There was also an R4 [rifle] and other sorts of weapons," he said.

He noted that the Saps was also "strongly worried" about the availability of various drugs in the country, noting that murder and drugs were priorities, while pointing out that kidnappings and extortions were also on the rise.

PASTOR MBORO

Meanwhile, Mchunu said he strongly condemned the incidents at Matsediso Primary School in Katlehong, where religious leader Paseka "Pastor Mboro" Motsoeneng was seen in a tense stand-off with a group of teachers, waving a machete and threatening staff.

Motsoeneng is said to have gone to the school demanding to fetch two children he allegedly did not have custody of.

"It's something we condemn when a community leader or a citizen carries what appears to be firearms and a bush knife to an institution like education for whatever reasons and brandish such things like a panga and causes commotion because it causes anxiety among children," said Mchunu.

He said four people related to the incident had been arrested so far, with Saps hoping for more arrests.

ActionSA also condemned the incident, calling for enhanced security measures in schools, especially in high-risk communities.

"Consequently, there is an urgent need for law enforcement to ensure that incidents like the one that transpired yesterday are never repeated. ActionSA calls for immediate action to bring the perpetrators to justice and restore safety at the Matsediso Primary School," said ActionSA national spokesperson Lerato Ngobeni.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, which is being separated into the Department of Electricity and Energy and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, has announced decreases in fuel prices for August.

Petrol 93 and 95 will both decrease by 15c/ℓ, respectively, while diesel 0.05% sulphur will decrease by 28c/ℓ and diesel 0.005% by 17c/ℓ.

Wholesale illuminating paraffin will decrease by 22c/ℓ and liquefied petroleum gas by 14c/kg.

The latest downward adjustment of fuel prices follows the appreciation of the rand against the dollar between June 28 and August 1 to R18.23, compared with R18.44 in the previous review period.

This led to a lower contribution to the basic fuel prices on petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin.

Non-governmental organisation My Vote Counts (MVC) noted that while there are several elements of the Coalitions Bill that it supports, it strongly rejects amendments that will diminish political rights and mechanisms that provide accountability and undermine democracy.

Last week the MVC made a submission on the Bill, which was introduced to deal with the "instability and dysfunction" that has, to some degree "unfairly," been associated with local coalitions, and specifically several metros.

The Bill proposes changing municipalities with a mayoral executive system, in which no party obtained a majority of seats, to a collective executive system within a prescribed period.

It also proposes providing for the election or removal from office of municipal office-bearers to be by a show of hands. The MVC says voting by show of hands will deepen transparency and accountability and limit corruption and the potential for votes to be bought.

The organisation agrees that there is a need for some legislation to provide a structure in which coalition governments can operate more effectively.

"However, this process cannot be used as an opportunity by dominant political parties to cement their power at the expense of voters," says MVC.

The Bill also proposes binding coalition agreements.

But MVC rejects this proposal saying they are not legally enforceable contracts.

The MVC says the introduction of a 1% electoral threshold will exclude smaller parties from representation in local councils, thus limiting political choice, produce more wasted votes, and diminish the rights of voters.

It noted the limiting of motions of no confidence and processes to remove key positions in a council, namely the speaker, whip, members of the executive, mayor and deputy mayor to once every two years, saying despite a mechanism to allow for such motions under certain circumstances it will remove a key check and balance of accountability.

"The development of legislation to assist coalitions should not be an opportunity for those in power to consolidate and shrink political competition, under the guise of wanting stability. We must ensure that whatever changes are made are in the best interests of democracy, service delivery, and our political rights," says MVC.

Meanwhile, the organisation says it supports the requirement for coalition governments to develop and make public coalition agreements.

It explains that these agreements will help the public understand how parties intend to co-govern and what compromises they have made on policy and will serve as a tool for the public to hold the government to account.

It also pointed out that changing the legal status of municipalities that need to form a coalition from the mayoral executive system to the collective executive system can provide greater transparency and accountability and greater stability in a coalition.

President Cyril Ramaphosa noted on Monday that beyond the trauma and instability that crime causes in communities, it is also an impediment to economic growth and development.

Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to the nation that crime and violence have become so common in South Africa, that many citizens often despair of government ever stopping it.

However, he said the fight against crime was gaining momentum, pointing out that if government, business, labour and civil society continued working together, safety and security could be restored, which he said was critical to economic activity and the creation of jobs.

He noted a recent update by the South African Police Service (Saps) on Operation Shanela, highlighting that this should give government encouragement that the fight against crime was gaining momentum.

Operation Shanela, which was launched last year, is a high-density initiative to enhance visible policing and to find wanted suspects, particularly those accused of murder and sex crimes.

He said the successes of Operation Shanela had shown the benefits of multi-sectoral collaboration and the value of specialised task teams.

Ramaphosa said the update delivered by the Saps last week noted that police work over the past year had resulted in more than 700 000 arrests for various crimes, including murder, cash-in-transit robberies, vehicle hijacking and sexual offences.

He added that over the past two years more than 20 000 firearms have been seized, including several homemade guns and rifles.

More than 3 000 firearms were seized in the Western Cape, where gun violence amongst warring gangs was particularly rife, Ramaphosa said.

He pointed out that the Saps had been working closely with the banking sector around the bombing of cash machines, arresting a number of suspects in Gauteng and in the Free State.

He highlighted that during the sixth administration, government established specialised task teams to deal with economic sabotage such as cable theft, the vandalism of power installations and railway lines, illicit mining and extortion in the construction industry.

Meanwhile, Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson Ian Cameron noted concerns about the rise in the number of people shot and killed by police recently, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, urging an increased budget for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).

Cameron said his committee was of the view that strong checks and balances provided for by the IPID could allay concerns of extrajudicial killings.

He said his committee would also continue to advocate for more resources when the adjustment appropriation was considered.

"…the police operate in a precarious and dangerous environment that often necessitates the use of force. In this context, police should be enabled to use reasonable force necessary in self-defence. The legislated checks and balances should be a counterbalance to the concerns raised by many," he explained.

He pointed out that the adoption of technology such as body cameras for police would lead to greater accountability and would provide the necessary evidence of attacks on police.

Cameron also called on the Saps management to strengthen measures to curb the prevalence of illegal firearms in communities as the removal of these firearms would lead to fewer violent crimes.

The Office of the Chief Justice on Friday dismissed reports of friction between Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, saying there has never been any tension between them.

The office noted media reports which indicated that ahead of the February 2022 Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interview for the position of Chief Justice, there was tension between them.

Both of them were candidates nominated for the position.

"The Chief Justice and Justice Madlanga wish to set the record straight in this regard and point out that over the past 11 years during which they have been members of the Constitutional Court, there has never been any tension between them. On the contrary they have always worked very well together," the office said.

The Chief Justice's office said that like all other Justices of the Constitutional Court, Madlanga had given Zondo his "absolute support and cooperation" when he was acting Chief Justice and after he had been appointed as Chief Justice.

"…and since Justice Madlanga is the most senior Justice after Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice, his views are sometimes sought by the Chief Justice. That has been the case from the time the Chief Justice was acting," the office added.

Zondo, who deputised for former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, took over the reins and acted in the role before he was officially appointed to the position of Chief Justice by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The office further highlighted that Zondo appointed Madlanga to head the Committee dealing with the relationship between the Constitutional Court and other apex courts in the world, and advises Zondo.

Madlanga also said any possible suggestion that he may have been part of any plot that related to the candidacy for the position of Chief Justice was untrue.

Non-governmental organisation the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) said on Friday that government, particularly the Department of Education, must ensure that it recognises that racist events that occurred at Pretoria Girls' High School and Pinelands High School are not isolated incidents, but rather manifestations of a larger systemic problem.

Twelve Pretoria Girls High School learners have been suspended for alleged racial utterances, micro-aggressions and complaints about African pupils, which were shared through a WhatsApp group consisting of only white pupils.

In the Western Cape, an incident occurred at Pinelands High School with a video posted on social media that seemed to show African learners placed in a cage and "sold on auction".

The organisation noted that the recent events are indicative of a larger societal problem that cannot be ignored.

"It is not enough to sanction the children and expect them to change. Besides punitive measures, we also need to follow restorative processes to allow perpetrators to understand the impact of their actions and for victims to be heard and given the opportunity to heal," said the IJR.

The IJR wants diversity training to be introduced in schools, working with teachers and parents and to allow for differences to ensure that the dignity of all learners is respected and upheld.

It noted that the advent of a democratic government did not erase 400 years of slavery, colonialism and apartheid.

"The expectation that the 'Born Free' generation would be free from the stains of the past was unrealistic, given the wounds inflicted on our society. In addition, we have not dismantled the institutions and systems of oppression (neither racism nor patriarchy) that are embedded in them. The failure to do this means that we are replicating the very system from which we are trying to move away," IJR explained.

It pointed out that in society, much more needed to be done at the individual, family and community levels to create a non-racial society.

Children mimic what they hear and see in their environment, and more needs to be done to ensure that we do not tolerate intolerance and bigotry, the IJR said.

"…this starts at the individual level (becoming aware of our unconscious biases and prejudices) and moves to the family and communal levels (not tolerating racism in our private spaces). We need to hold educational institutions and parents to account for the behaviour of their children," added the IJR.

Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) CEO Sy Mamabolo welcomed the commission's and Political Party Funding system's fourth consecutive clean audit reports.

The Auditor-General has concluded the external audit procedures on the 2023/24 financial statements of the Commission as well as Party Funding.

"These clean audit opinions speak to financial probity as well as the strength of internal controls which remain of the highest standards. Thus, adherence to prescripts in the form of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and its corresponding regulations remains the highest priority for all levels of the organisation," he said.

Mamabolo commended IEC staff for working tirelessly to ensure that accountability, proficiency and transparency are always at the centre of the organisation's business practices.

"…throughout the years we have implemented internal controls to manage performance of the organisation. We strive to maintain this standard going forward, even during busy election periods," he explained.

He highlighted that the commission is not only committed to delivering reputable elections but also to ensuring that business practices are of the highest standard through the consistent implementation of internal controls.

The audit report together with the annual report will be presented to the seventh iteration of the National Assembly in line with the provisions of the Electoral Commission Act and the PFMA.

The African National Congress (ANC) confirmed on Thursday that its legal team is appearing in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal, to stop the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP) from any further "unlawful use" of the ANC's trademarks, symbols and heritage.

The ANC pointed out that MKP leader Jacob Zuma and his collaborators are committing what the ANC considers to be a gross violation of the Trade Marks Act - registering a political party appropriating the uMkhonto we Sizwe logo and related symbols unlawfully.

The ANC has requested the High Court to interdict and restrain the MKP from passing itself off as "being connected with the ANC" by the use of the name uMkhonto weSizwe and the related logo, or any other trademark, and to remove ANC intellectual property from any of the party's websites, social media accounts, banners, t-shirts, signs, labels, promotional and advertising material, packaging, stationery, and other printed matter.

In April the Durban High Court ruled against the ANC and in favour of the MKP.

The ANC is determined to petition for a court order that stops the MKP from any further unlawful use of the ANC's trademarks, with it believing there are reasonable prospects of success in the appeal.

The party noted that in section 34(1)(c) of the Trade Marks Act, 194 of 1993, the court, in its judgment, found that the mark used by the MKP was similar to that registered in the name of the ANC.

"This is all that section 34(1)(c) requires on this issue. The section does not require any further deception or confusion. Yet, this appears to be the primary basis upon which the cause of action was dismissed," the ANC said.

Law-enforcement agencies have made major progress in tackling South Africa's crime scourge, busting a number of gangs and seizing thousands of illegal weapons and large quantities of drugs, the nation's police chief said.

"We are responding decisively to the war declared by criminals," Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said at a briefing in Pretoria on Thursday. "We remain resolute in our efforts to fight crime and anyone who threatens the safety and security of law-abiding citizens."

Africa's most-industrialised economy has one of the world's highest per-capita murder rates, and surging crime levels have been cited as a major deterrent to investment. Efforts to tackle the problem have gained fresh impetus since a new coalition government took office after elections on May 29, when the African National Congress lost its national majority for the first time in 30 years, and President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Senzo Mchunu as his new police minister.

Increasing the size and visibility of the police force has been a top priority, with 20 000 new officers recruited over the past two years, according to Masemola. Another focus has been to reduce the number of firearms in circulation - more than 260 000 have been seized or surrendered to the police over the past five years and destroyed, he said.

The police force has also beefed up its efforts to stop cash-in-transit heists, arresting a number of suspects and killing several more over the past month.

While the police have faced criticism for using lethal force against criminals following the recent shooting of a number of suspects, including nine in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province last week, Masemola defended their actions. Dozens of other people have died in similar incidents in the region since April.

"Our mandate as the South African Police Service is to bring perpetrators to justice by arresting them, but quite often in pursuit of arresting these often dangerous and heavily armed criminals, our police officers are more than often met with heavy gunfire," he said. "That leaves our officers with no option but to defend themselves and the communities that they serve."