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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Oudtshoorn expressed disappointment that the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) "placed their party interest above the residents of the Karoo town" after the FF Plus's Johannes Allers was elected mayor and the African National Congress's (ANC's) Jongilizwe Tyatya was elected deputy mayor during a special council meeting on Thursday.

This after the FF+ joined the ANC's motion of no confidence against Mayor Chris Macpherson.

"In a move that's propelled by unfiltered retribution and ambition, the FF+ now sits at the head of a new dodgy coalition with former Speaker Johannes Allers elected as the new mayor," said DA Constituency Head for Oudtshoorn Mark Burke.

He described the FF+ as climbing "into bed with the ANC, at an unspeakable cost" to the residents of Oudtshoorn.

"All of this will only result in one thing - the further demise of the historic town of Oudtshoorn. Residents will be faced with a lack of service delivery and constant instability," he said.

He added that one of the threats emanating from Oudtshoorn was that this was the prelude for more "punishment" of other functional DA-run municipalities.

All while the FF+ campaigned for the last year on being a "reliable partner" to the DA, he noted.

Burke said the DA would continue to fight for the wellbeing of Oudtshoorn residents and would hold the new "shameless" FF+-led coalition to account.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it is urgently assessing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Councillor Obakeng Ramabodu's matter in line with its complaints handling procedure.

The Democratic Alliance in Tshwane filed a case against Ramabodu, accusing him of hate speech and racism, following a council meeting last week, in which Ramabodu said: "I would be happy to moer a Boer, that would be nice… an Afrikaner blood. I want the blood of an Afrikaner, bring the blood of an Afrikaner."

Ramabodu has since apologised unconditionally.

The SAHRC also noted with serious concern allegations of racism in Gauteng and the Western Cape, saying it was disturbing that these incidences continued to occur 30 years into democracy.

"…it is more distressing to see that three of these incidents are alleged to have taken place in schools," it said.

The SAHRC pointed out that 12 Pretoria Girls High 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.

It is allowing the investigative process to be undertaken by the Gauteng Department of Education and will monitor the process and the outcome with the view to intervene.

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".

In another incident in the Western Cape, it is reported that a teacher at Table View High School allegedly uttered the K-word during a grade 12 history lesson, the SAHRC explained.

The Commission said it had begun investigations at the Pinelands High School and Table View High School.

The Commission also noted concerns raised by members of the public and human rights defenders over issues of racism and the need to address them proactively and holistically.

The SAHRC informed the public that in April it established the National Question and Anti-Racism Expert Advisory Committee made up of researchers, community activists, diversity experts, youth leaders and faith-based leaders to regularly advise the Commission on systemic anti-racist measures and policies that could be adopted to counter institutionalised and structural racism and discriminatory attitudes.

It added that the Commission's Social Harmony National Effort initiatives continue to hold dialogues in various communities to assist with addressing the high level of disharmony in the country and to forge a common national vision as envisaged in the preamble of the country's Constitution.

The Commission encouraged members of the public experiencing racism to lodge complaints with the SAHRC.

South Africa recorded a trade surplus of R24.23-billion in June, revenue service figures showed on Wednesday.

The African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday rejected a news report which claimed that senior ANC members have complained that Democratic Alliance (DA) ministers in the Government of National Unity (GNU) are making the ANC "look bad" as DA Ministers supposedly outperform them.

The ANC said the report is completely without basis in fact nor is it even a narrative for the ANC national working committee (NWC) meeting.

"Several DA ministers, as well as Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie of the Patriotic Alliance, have been mopping the floor with the ANC, making its ministers appear "incompetent," the report stated.

It further claimed that concerns were raised at a recent ANC NWC meeting in which party leaders heard some Ministers were fearful of engaging with the media.

The ANC explained that there was no such discussion about anybody outperforming the ANC in government.

"There was no such a discussion precisely because there is no such outperformance of the ANC by anybody," the ANC noted.

All the initiatives announced by various departments in the past month are a continuation of the sixth administration policy programme, the party stated.

The ANC said it rejected the claims as "fabrications and a veiled attempt by the journalist, the so-called 'insider' and possibly the newspaper" itself to promote "falsehoods that cast another political party in better light."

The ANC explained that the NWC worked only to prepare reports for the upcoming regular National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for August 1 to 3.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane said on Tuesday it has filed a case with the South African Police Service (Saps) against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Tshwane Councillor Obakeng Ramabodu for his alleged racist remarks during July's Ordinary Council Meeting.

The party has also submitted a complaint to the Human Rights Commission to investigate him for hate speech and incitement of violence.

A council meeting, which included a Motion of No Confidence against Executive Mayor Cilliers Brink, quickly descended into chaos when the African National Congress (ANC) and EFF realised they lacked sufficient votes to remove the mayor.

DA Tshwane spokesperson Kwena Moloto explained that both parties chose to disrupt the meeting through violence and intimidation.

Moloto pointed out that during these disruptions, Ramabodu stated, "I would be happy to moer a boere. I want the blood of an Afrikaner."

Ramabodu has since apologised unconditionally.

"These appalling words constitute hate speech, and the DA condemns these racist remarks by the EFF leader. Councillors are leaders of society, and such irresponsible remarks by Councillor Ramabodu can have serious real-world consequences," he said.

Moloto added that racism had no place in Tshwane.

He said the party had referred Ramabodu to the Rules & Ethics Committee and requested that the Chief Whip refer Ramabodu to the Gauteng Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC.

Moloto pointed out that this was not the first time the party had had to open cases against the EFF in Tshwane.

In September 2023, cases were filed against EFF councillors for the assault of DA councillors in Chambers.

Moloto explained that under the leadership of Ramabodu, the EFF had "proven to be a divisive and destabilising force in Tshwane".

"There is no place for racism in our politics or our society. The DA will continue to fight against hate, violence, and division, ensuring that Tshwane is a city where all are respected and valued," he said.

Parliament welcomed the High Court's dismissal of the Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF's) legal challenge, saying the latest ruling upheld the decisions taken by the Presiding Officers and affirmed the processes followed by Parliament in maintaining order and decorum within the legislative body.

The case relates to incidents during the February 2023 State of the Nation Address, where members of the EFF, including Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Marshall Dlamini, Vuyani Pambo, and Sinawo Tambo raised points of order and engaged in disruptive behaviour.

Parliament noted that despite the Speaker ordering them to cease their conduct and leave the Chamber, the members persisted, leading to their removal by the Serjeant at Arms and the Parliamentary Protection Services.

They were then charged with contempt of Parliament for their actions which were deemed "seriously detrimental to the dignity and orderly procedure of the House". The EFF challenged this.

Parliament explained that in its judgment, the court "meticulously" examined the events and the corresponding actions taken by Parliament, and found that the disciplinary measures imposed were consistent with the parliamentary rules and were necessary to preserve the integrity and functionality of Parliament.

In dismissing the EFF members' case, the court affirmed the correctness of the procedures and decisions implemented by the Presiding Officers, it added.

Parliament said it remained committed to upholding principles and ensuring that the parliamentary processes were not disrupted by "unparliamentary behaviour".

"The judgment serves as a reminder of the necessity for all Members of Parliament to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their roles and to contribute positively to the democratic process," Parliament added.

South Africa's trade minister said on Tuesday he is confident his country will maintain preferential trade status with the US despite concerns in Washington over its foreign policy including a strong pro-Palestinian stance.

Parks Tau was in Washington last week to lobby for renewal of the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) and South Africa's continued participation in the programme, which provides duty-free access to the US.

South Africa has come under fire by some US lawmakers for its relationship with Russia and its criticism of Israel in the Gaza conflict. It could lose eligibility for Agoa if it were determined to be undermining US foreign policy interests.

"I am confident that Agoa will continue and that South Africa will stay in Agoa," Tau told a press briefing.

"We will keep a close eye on the process and will continue to lobby," he said, adding that further engagements were needed even though they had received a "relatively warm reception".

US trade officials said on Monday that they had positive discussions with the South African delegation.

"I think it was clear that our partners in South Africa have heard the concerns that were raised and there has been close engagement on multiple levels," said the US State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Joy Basu.

Agoa is due to expire next year and President Joe Biden supports its renewal, but the US election in November and possibility of a Donald Trump presidency introduces uncertainty.

Tau said that ideally the legislation would be renewed before the vote though US officials have said that is unlikely. An annual review of each country's eligibility is underway.

Separately, the US House of Representatives last month voted in favour of a bill that would require a full review of the US relationship with South Africa, citing concerns about ties to Russia and China and accusing it of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The bill would still need to pass the Senate and be signed by the president to become law.

South Africa says that supporting Palestinians does not equate to supporting Hamas.

Western nations are also unhappy with South Africa for failing to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has sought to position itself as a neutral mediator.

With the passing of the Public Procurement Act into law last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa is confident that the State will now get the best value from public procurement.

The Act aims to create a single framework for the procurement of goods and services by all organs of State in a manner that facilitates preferential procurement and reduces the risk of corruption.

The Public Procurement Act will be administered by the Minister of Finance and applies to departments, constitutional institutions, municipalities, municipal entities, and public entities.

Ramaphosa said the State Capture Commission of Inquiry revealed the weaknesses in the country's public procurement system, with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo describing it as "the centrepiece of State capture".

"He consequently made a number of recommendations on how to prevent corruption in the procurement of goods and services by government. We are now fixing the problems the Commission identified and are making public procurement a more effective instrument for social and economic change," Ramaphosa said.

He said the Act formed part of government's commitment to prevent corruption and leave State capture in the past, while eliminating fragmentation in procurement laws, which was identified as a concern by Zondo.

"No government official may be directed, either verbally or in writing, to violate the required procurement processes. And no official can be victimised or suffer 'occupational detriment' for reporting any unlawful instruction. This is an important provision because many of the abuses that took place during the State capture era involved political office bearers, business people and others putting pressure on managers to flout procurement regulations," Ramaphosa stated.

A debarment order will ensure that anybody found guilty of influencing tender bids will be prevented from taking part in procurement processes for a period, while the law becomes much stricter on government officials submitting bids to the State, by barring them from doing so.

Ramaphosa highlighted that the Act ensures that procurement is more transparent with the use of technology to disclose information.

"Public procurement is about getting the best value for the State. It is also an opportunity to promote transformation of the economy and society. The new law therefore provides for set-asides in the allocation of contracts to advance companies owned by people historically disadvantaged by unfair discrimination. These include black South Africans, women, youth, persons with disabilities and military veterans," Ramaphosa noted.

The Act also aims to promote local procurement of goods and services and to create jobs.

"As we intensify our collective efforts to build an inclusive economy that creates jobs, the Public Procurement Act allows us to make best use of public funds to support transformation and local development. At the same time, by implementing measures to prevent the abuse of public procurement, the Act will help to ensure that public funds are put to the uses for which they are intended," said Ramaphosa.

Former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) on Monday accused the African National Congress (ANC) of using apartheid-era tactics following his expulsion from the former ruling party over the weekend.

The MKP hit back against a supposed leaked ruling from the ANC's National Disciplinary Committee that the former ANC leader had been expelled as a party member following his hearing last week.

Zuma founded the MKP in December 2023, while still a member of the ANC. The former ruling party then charged Zuma, ahead of the 2024 elections, for his support of the MKP, in violation of the party's constitution.

The MKP said, on behalf of Zuma, it was shocked and dismayed to learn from the media of Zuma's expulsion. It claimed the alleged leak of the ANC's report was a deliberate attempt by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa to undermine Zuma.

"Alarmingly, neither President Zuma nor his designated representative, Comrade Tony Yengeni, were informed of this ruling - a stark violation of both the ANC Constitution and the Constitution of South Africa. It is a foundational legal principle that no individual, not even those accused of serious crimes, should be punished or sentenced in their absence. This principle is designed to protect against miscarriages of justice, which sadly, this scenario closely mirrors, resembling a trial conducted through the media," the MKP said in a statement.

It said the ANC's disciplinary process was flawed and that the party exhibited "contradictory behaviour".

It accused ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula of intimidating Yengeni, which it said tainted the procedural integrity of the disciplinary process.

"This leak is not an isolated incident but the climax of a series of repressive actions that disturbingly echo tactics once used during apartheid - an era from which the current ANC leadership under Ramaphosa and its coalition partners, the [Democratic Alliance], seem to have drawn inspiration," the MKP said.

According to the party, Zuma will consult with his lawyers on a way forward.

Former South African president Jacob Zuma has been expelled from the African National Congress (ANC) after backing a rival party in May's parliamentary election, the party said on Monday.

Zuma was suspended from his long-time party in January after announcing he would support the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in the general election. He later became the leader and face of MK.

MK did better than expected in the poll and won about 15% of the vote, a major factor in the ANC's loss of its majority for the first time since the apartheid era.

"Former President Jacob Zuma has actively impugned the integrity of the ANC and campaigned to dislodge the ANC from power, while claiming that he had not severed his membership," ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula told the media.

"This conduct is irreconcilable with the spirit of organisational discipline and letter of the ANC Constitution."

The ANC won 40.18% of the vote in the election, down from 57.50% it gathered in 2019, forcing it into a coalition government for the first time since it took power at the end of white minority rule in 1994. MK is now the official opposition.

MK responded to media reports that Zuma had been expelled in a statement earlier on Monday, criticizing the ANC's process and condemning "grave injustices" against Zuma.

"President Zuma will engage his legal team to urgently determine the course of action," it said.

Zuma will have 21 days to appeal the decision, the ANC said.

Zuma, whose nine years in office from 2009 were marked by corruption scandals and sluggish economic growth, has been at odds with the ANC's leadership since he was forced to quit as party leader in 2018. He has repeatedly lashed out against his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa.