The Democratic Alliance (DA) has followed through on its promise to take African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to task over his failure to hand over complete records relating to the ANC's cadre deployment committee.

The DA contends that the ANC is in contempt of the Constitutional Court order, which required the ANC to hand over complete records of its national cadre deployment committee dating back to January 1, 2013, when ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa was chairperson.

The DA claimed that the ANC had deliberately failed to hand over some records and redacted some information, and that there was overwhelming evidence that the ANC also had active provincial and regional cadre deployment committees in ANC-controlled provincial and municipal governments which subverted legal appointment processes.

"As the DA articulates in our urgent application, the ANC's failure to comply with the court order amounts to an assault on the judiciary and the rule of law. By refusing to be bound by an order upheld by the Constitutional Court, the ANC risks triggering a full-blown constitutional crisis. The only way to avert this urgent risk to our constitutional order on the eve of a general election, is for the DA's application to succeed and for the ANC's secretary-general and officials involved in the destruction of information to be held personally accountable," said DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Leon Schreiber.

The DA's court action against the ruling party will also ask for the laptop and hardrive from which the cadre deployment records were removed. The DA wants the hardware handed over to an independent IT expert.

The DA is adamant that the ANC is hiding information relating to Ramaphosa's role in cadre deployment, which was supposedly used to facilitate State capture.

"We will use every single tool at our disposal to force the ANC to respect the rule of law and comply with the court order for it to expose all of its dirty cadre secrets, so that the people of South Africa can see with their own eyes how the root cause of State capture, of corruption and of collapsing service delivery, including loadshedding and water-shedding, is the African National Congress," Schreiber said.

Israel on Thursday accused South Africa of exploiting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help the Islamist militant group Hamas by again petitioning the World Court to take measures against Israel.

"South Africa continues to act as the legal arm of Hamas in an attempt to undermine Israel's inherent right to defend itself and its citizens, and to release all of the hostages," Israel's foreign ministry said.

"The repeated requests for provisional measures made by South Africa in order to assist Hamas are yet another cynical exploitation of the International Court of Justice in the Hague, which has already twice rejected the baseless attempts to deny Israel its right and obligation of self-defense," it said.

Officials in South Africa did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

South Africa in January asked the World Court to declare that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and to order Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza. The court instead issued a more general order that Israel must make sure it prevents acts of genocide.

South Africa is now asking the top UN court to order further steps against Israel, which it said was breaching measures already in place. It said those in Gaza were facing starvation and asked the court to order that all parties cease hostilities and release all hostages and detainees.

"Israel acts and will continue to act in accordance with international law, including by facilitating humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, regardless of any legal proceedings," the Israeli ministry said. "We call on the ICJ to reject outright the new request of the representatives of Hamas."

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1 200 people, mostly civilians, and included the seizure of 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 30 000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.

Israel has pledged to continue its offensive until it eliminates Hamas, which rules Gaza and is sworn to Israel's destruction, and secures the release of more than 130 Israeli hostages still in Gaza.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have assured that the Eskom intelligence report and the National Skills Fund matters will be flagged for consideration in the seventh administration, following the dissolution of the sixth Parliament in May.

The SIU and Scopa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), on Wednesday, to strengthen its cooperation in investigating and reporting matters relating to public funds.

"More importantly, however, the signing of the MoU assists in the formal referral of certain pressing matters from Scopa to the SIU, as the SIU does not identify specific matters to investigate. Matters referred by Scopa to the SIU for investigation or for the motivation for a proclamation include the Eskom intelligence report and the National Skills Fund [matters]. Scopa believes that the SIU will continue to prioritise these matters, even after the dissolution of the sixth Parliament. In fact, the SIU will ensure that in its handover report to Scopa in the seventh Parliament, these matters are flagged for consideration," both entities said in a statement.

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter had commissioned a controversial investigation into corruption at the power utility, the report from which alleged widespread corruption involving politicians and criminal networks.

Meanwhile, a 2019/20 audit of the National Skills Fund revealed that R5-billion could not be accounted for by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. A forensic investigation into the matter revealed that service providers had failed to deliver on services they were paid for.

The SIU has been updating Scopa on high levels of corruption at State institutions and delays on prosecutions, that have left the State unable to recover monies owed to it.

The SIU has also briefed Scopa on State capture cases and noted that there is a lack of consequence management in State institutions, which came as referrals from the SIU.

"Scopa intervened by requesting the Presidency to devise a mechanism to ensure that all SIU referrals are implemented. This led to the Presidency establishing a monitoring and tracking tool that ensures every referral from the SIU is implemented for disciplinary action intervention. This has resulted in Eskom and Transnet restricting suppliers implicated in SIU investigations on their own suppliers' databases," the entities said.

They note that the MoU will enhance collaboration to prevent and monitor matters relating to the wasteful expenditure of public funds.

"Both parties acknowledge the importance of consultation, mutual support and cooperation on aspects such as disclosure of information, reporting and mutual cooperation and assistance to ensure effective financial oversight and accountability of State institutions, thereby combatting maladministration, malpractice and corruption of State resources, money and assets," they said.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has assured that by the end of the current administration's term, all priority legislation will have gone through parliamentary processes and passed constitutional master to become laws, after the President has approved the Bills.

Mashatile, in his capacity as Leader of Government Business in Parliament, said he welcomed the significant progress government is making in the enactment of key legislation.

"The significance of the legislative programme is that it is a linear and revolving responsibility to both enact legislation and fine-tune existing laws," he explained.

The Public Administration Management Amendment Bill, the Public Service Amendment Bill, the Statistics Amendment Bill, the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill and the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill have been finalised.

The public service Bills have been referred to the National Council of Provinces for consideration, while the other Bills have been referred to specific parliamentary portfolio committees for processing.

By the end of February, a total of 16 Bills had been sent to the President for assent.

"This represents significant progress which we welcome. It takes us another step closer in the fulfilment of the mandate of the sixth democratic administration," he said.

African National Congress (ANC) national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri has opined that through the party's election manifesto, the ANC is working to secure a renewed mandate from South Africans to accelerate the country's economic growth and job creation efforts.

She said it was only through a sustained period of economic growth that the party would be able to transform the country's economy, reduce unemployment and ensure a better life for all.

The ANC noted the latest Statistics South Africa report which indicated that the South African economy grew by 0.6% in 2023. This compared with 1.9% growth in the previous year.

Bhengu-Motsiri praised "the ongoing economic programme of the ANC-led government" following the release of the Statistics South Africa report, and said the party's programmes prioritised interventions to promote growth.

She said investment in South Africa's present and future was key to unlocking higher levels of economic growth and job creation.

The party believes that through structural reforms, investment conferences, and close, ongoing work with business and labour constituencies, "investment levels are steadily being raised".

"Sectors that contributed to growth during 2023 were finance, real estate, and business services; transport, storage and communication; personal services and manufacturing," Bhengu-Motsiri said.

She acknowledged the negative effects of loadshedding on South Africans and the economy, and said through the "determined implementation" of the country's Energy Action Plan, the ANC aimed to bring an end to the era of loadshedding.

"The ANC is determined to turn this situation around and restore the energy security that is required to grow our economy and accelerate employment creation, especially for young people," she said.

Bhengu-Motsiri explained that the ANC would also expedite the implementation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap to ensure the improved performance of the rail and ports logistics sectors, weak performance of which contributed to the slow growth in the economy last year.

ActionSA on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the US government to lift sanctions against the Zimbabwean people, but welcomed the sanctions on Zanu-PF leaders, including those close to Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The US imposed sanctions on Mnangagwa for corruption and human rights abuses and the order also affects other senior leaders in the country - blocking their assets in the US and barring them from unofficial travel there.

The new sanctions replace a broader programme that was introduced two decades ago.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the move would bring relief to Zimbabweans and reduce the pressure faced by South Africa owing to its close proximity.

Mashaba said the Zimbabwean people had suffered for too long under the "cruel leadership" of the Zanu-PF.

"The move by the US furthermore highlights how South Africa's ruling party is partly to blame for the situation in Zimbabwe, having openly supported Zanu-PF leaders including Robert Mugabe and Mnangagwa," he added.

He explained that South Africa's support for the "cruel Zanu-PF", and refusal to condemn the hundreds of political killings that have taken in Zimbabwe, have contributed to thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to South Africa, which added additional pressure on the country's already struggling economy.

ActionSA maintained that the Zimbabwean people had "the right to go home and live in peace" under a government that prioritised their wellbeing and security.

"We will continue to work towards that goal, but the only way to see it implemented is if South Africans take action on the 29th of May to remove the ruling party from power," he said.

Mashaba said that at the launch of his party in 2020, it was openly expressed that the people of Zimbabwe should not be punished because of the human rights abuses and corruption of dictatorial leaders.

At ActionSA's inaugural policy conference in September, over 600 delegates from across the country adopted ActionSA's foreign policy, which stipulates that when ActionSA enters government, the party will champion human rights in the region and globally.

Mashaba explained that an ActionSA government would furthermore use South Africa's foreign policy to improve the lives of the South African people by strengthening relationships with key trading partners and improving cross-border trade.

South Africa's economy escaped a technical recession in the fourth quarter as fewer rotational power cuts helped energy-intensive industries including mining and manufacturing rebound.

Gross domestic product expanded 0.1% in the three months through December, compared with a contraction of 0.2% in the prior quarter, Statistics South Africa said in a report released in the capital, Pretoria, on Tuesday. That undershot the 0.2% median estimate of 12 economists in a Bloomberg survey.

Growth for the full year was 0.6%, compared with 1.9% in 2022.

Other sectors that contributed to growth in the fourth quarter included finance and transportation.

The figures are likely to be used by opposition parties to attack the ruling African National Congress (ANC) handling of the economy before a general election on May 29. Opinion polls show support for the ANC dipping below 50% for the first time since it came to power in 1994.

The economy's lackluster performance last year was partly caused by logistical challenges at state-owned port and rail operator Transnet that hobbled exports and held up materials and goods needed for production. The number of ships waiting to berth at the Port of Durban, which handles the largest volume of sea-going traffic of any port in Southern Africa, stood at more than 60 vessels in mid-November before being reduced to just 12 by the end of January.

The logistical constraints and almost daily power cuts will likely continue to weigh on economic growth in the near term. The National Treasury expects the economy to grow 1.3% this year - insufficient to address rampant unemployment and poverty.

Household spending, which comprises about two-thirds of GDP, rose 0.2% in the quarter, after declining a revised 0.2% in the prior period.

While the Democratic Alliance (DA) has much to consider before and after the 2024 national elections, its leader, John Steenhuisen stressed that his focus for the next 85 days, is to get the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) over the line, come May 29.

Speaking exclusively with Polity, he said two questions were going to be fundamental to voters in this election: Does the party they are voting for have a path to victory and does it have a track record of delivery?

He said with the MPC, for the first time in 30 years, there is now a path to victory.

"It's not an easy path and it's not a certain thing and it's not a guarantee, which is why I called it a Moonshot Pact originally, but it is a path. And voters need to look at the parties and the charter and know that these are parties that have a clear path to victory," he said.

He doesn't believe it is "healthy" for the country's democracy, economy, or socio-economic fabric to have a party in government for more than 30 years.

"I do think the ANC [African National Congress] would do well to spend some time in the opposition benches, where they can reinvent themselves," he said.

Steenhuisen sat down with Polity to unpack the DA's manifesto ahead of what has been described as the most crucial election since democracy.

When asked about whether the DA would consider entering into a coalition with the ANC, Steenhuisen replied, "it's not that simple".

"…because who am I going to be sitting across the table from after the election. If the ANC falls below 50%, there's a very high likelihood that Mr Ramaphosa will have to fall on his sword and go, he won't survive being the first ANC president to lose the ANC their majority. So who am I going to be sitting across the table from? Is it Paul Mashatile, who's now embroiled in this huge corruption scandal and seems to be involved in graft and the like of epic proportions. Is it Fikile Mbalula, who's very hard to take seriously or is it some other radical faction? So we have to assess after the election, what the next move would be," he said.

The DA would also have to consult with "our friends in the Multi-Party Charter" and Steenhuisen said he would also have to consult his own party and voters.

He warned that any combination of an ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) or MK coalition would be a "disaster" and prophesied overnight disinvestment and overnight loss of confidence in the economy, if that were to happen.

"I think you would see a huge problem of capital flight out of South Africa as people panic that we're heading down the Venezuela or Zimbabwe route and you'd want to avoid that at all costs. And so we may be forced, after the elections, to look at what are the least worst options and that may include entering into talks with various people," he suggested.

STABLE COALITIONS

When asked about how the DA would ensure stable coalitions at a national or provincial level, in light of the many failed agreements in metros, Steenhuisen pointed out that early coalitions didn't have enough time to put in solid agreements, concrete plans or dispute resolution mechanisms.

He said as a result of that, he announced the Moonshot Pact last year, to give a "runway of a year" to iron out problems.

"When we do end up with a result on the 29th of May, the Multi-Party Charter can move quickly to sign a coalition agreement because we've frontloaded a lot of the hard work that had to be done," he assured.

He pointed out that it was easy to look at coalitions through the lens of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.

"… and I think that would be an unfair analysis of coalitions. We're involved in over 25 coalitions around the country. They bring good, clean accountable, stable government to places as diverse as Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal and Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape. You don't hear about them in the media, they don't make a lot of noise, because they're getting on with the business of running a good, clean accountable government," he said.

He cautioned ...

President Cyril Ramaphosa noted on Monday that to improve accountability and tackle corruption, an inter-departmental task team has developed a central register to track all dismissals and resignations with disciplinary cases pending in national and provincial government.

Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to nation that earlier this week, the National Assembly passed the Public Administration Management Amendment Bill and the Public Service Amendment Bill, which will now go to the National Council of Provinces for consideration.

He said the two important pieces of legislation will improve the functioning of public service, strengthen accountability and increase efficiency.

Also this week, the Department of Public Service and Administration published a new directive to guide departments in implementing the framework for the professionalisation of the public service.

He said this directive, together with the draft legislation, will have a far-reaching impact on the functioning of the public service.

They give effect to some of the country's most important tasks, he added.

He explained that these reforms will help ensure that the best people are appointed to the public service and that they are given support to perform effectively, adding that the reforms contained in the draft legislation will significantly reduce the potential for undue political interference in the administration of government.

Ramaphosa said that these reforms will improve coordination and accountability and also strengthen the fight against corruption.

He explained that the register currently has over 12 000 records and that work is underway to include information from local government and public entities.

"This will prevent public servants with disciplinary records being appointed in another part of the State. All of these reforms will contribute to building a more effective and efficient State that is responsive and accountability," he said.

He highlighted that the reforms will enable public servants to do their work without interference and with the necessary support.

"And they will provide impetus to our collective efforts to build a capable State that is better equipped to fundamentally transform and develop our society," he added.

He highlighted that as part of the draft legislation, public servants who leave government may not, within 12 months of leaving, accept employment or appointment to the board of a service provider to which they were involved in awarding a contract.

"They may not perform any paid work or receive any other payment. Service providers or employees who contravene this provision would have committed a crime and could be fined up to R1-million," said Ramaphosa.

He said that another important part of the most recent directive, is that the requirement of work experience has been waived for entry level posts in the public service.

"This must be accompanied by in-service training and support such as coaching and mentoring. Departments are also instructed to establish graduate recruitment schemes to attract young people leaving higher education institutions into the public service," he explained.

Ramaphosa noted that another important change proposed in the legislation is to prohibit a head of department or an employee directly reporting to them from holding political office. This he said is to strengthen the distinction between political and administrative roles.

RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi on Monday revealed that a meeting with leaders of former banker Roger Jardine's Change Starts Now (CSN) party will take place, following CSN's dropping out in the runup to the 2024 national and provincial election.

Last week, Jardine confirmed his party will not contest the general elections, citing the decision by the Constitutional Court to decline to urgently hear the matter of signature requirements for unrepresented political parties.

In an exclusive interview with Polity, Zibi said RISE Mzansi was opposed to the signature requirements set out by the Independent Electoral Commission for parties to contest the elections, calling it an "arbitrary system". He said the requirement had been a big distraction for the party, although the party managed to meet the requirements.

Zibi said it was not a fair system for political parties, and "bad for South Africa that somebody like Roger is not able to contest because the country needs to change the face of South African politics".

He said he was gutted that Jardine was not able to contest the elections, as "South Africa is in need of a different politician, a role model, somebody who has done well professionally, who decided to serve the public".

Zibi said this week RISE Mzansi would start talks with prominent figures of the CSN party to gauge interest in whether they would want to join RISE Mzansi's campaign. He said RISE Mzansi and the leadership of the CSN party got along very well.

"And now that they are not campaigning it is really possible that some of the people that would have been helping their campaign, might also help our campaign. Because at the value levels, there is a match. These are people we are friendly with and from this week we are going to start talking to see who is interested in joining our campaigns," Zibi said.

Meanwhile, RISE Mzansi has criticised government's move to add R200-million towards political party funding, as laid out in the Budget, saying the money "will end up in the bank accounts of major political parties". Zibi said the move was a scam.

GOOD AND QUALITY LEADERSHIP

Meanwhile, he said South Africa's obstacles were bad leadership and the quality of political and policy decision-making.

"…how State capital is allocated to the different priorities; that's our problem essentially right now. Unless we solve that problem, no other policy solution is going to work, no matter how good," he said.

RISE Mzansi aims to make the public procurement system transparent, and Zibi said the party proposed the use of technology, such as blockchain, to "bulletproof the process".

RISE Mzansi proposes that the appointment of directors general be public and transparent.

"In other words, there is shortlist, eventually a candidate is selected and once the candidate is selected, there must be a public interview process, the same way it is done with judges. Thieves will not want journalists to know ahead of time that they have been running for a particular position," he said.

Meanwhile, he gave assurances of the party's commitment to contest the 2024 election by aiming for all metros, in particular Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and those in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces.

Zibi told Polity that his party was now able to run 400 campaigns a day, which he said showed the party's footprint and the strength of its organising forces on the ground.