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As preparations for the second voter registration weekend get underway ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections, new political party RISE Mzansi is encouraging South Africans to use the weekend to register to vote in what it calls a "major" election.

The party accused African National Congress (ANC) leader Cyril Ramaphosa and secretary-general Fikile Mbalula of lying about an alleged programme of regime change targeting the ruling party, and instilling fear in the electorate by claiming that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and the South African Social Security Agency grants would end if the ANC loses power.

"While some might laugh these comments off as being the ramblings of the corrupt and desperate, they are designed to instil fear, create confusion and cultivate an environment ripe for chaos. This script is no different to that employed by [other] failed liberation movements and governments that lose legitimacy among the people. Ramaphosa, Mbalula and their cohort simply do not have ways to handle political competition in a maturing democracy," RISE Mzansi said.

It said voters changing which parties they support in this year's elections did not amount to unconstitutional regime change but rather a deepening of democracy, particularly as the country celebrates 30 years of democracy in April.

The party also warned of political intolerance, voter suppression and intimidation and revealed that its election volunteers and organisers had been threatened and that the party's election posters had been destroyed.

"This is a major election. The future of the country and its people are at stake, hence our assertion that 2024 is our 1991, a message that has also found fertile ground in other political parties. We encourage South Africans who have yet to register to vote to use this final voter registration weekend to empower themselves to bring about the kind of change that is committed to a happy and dignified life for all South Africans," RISE Mzansi said.

The GOOD party has announced the suspension of Drakenstein Councillor Peter de Villiers, following a complaint of sexual misconduct from a party member.

GOOD secretary-general and MP Brett Herron said its party's constitution is unambiguous on gender relations and gender-based violence and that it applies to all members, regardless of position, Herron said.

The party clarified that the former Springbok coach's suspension from the party was not a finding of guilt.

"… it reflects the seriousness of the allegations," Herron said.

The party said it would implement disciplinary processes to determine if the provisions of its constitution had been breached.

De Villiers was sworn in as a GOOD member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in May 2023.

The party said it would, for now, not make further comment owing to the sensitive nature of the allegations.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) noted that should President Cyril Ramaphosa fail to announce the removal of Deputy President Paul Mashatile from his Cabinet in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA), it will use collated information to lay criminal charges against Mashatile.

The DA, on Friday, handed over a dossier with an accompanying letter detailing damning allegations of corruption levelled against Mashatile, to Ramaphosa's office at the Union Buildings.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said that South Africa cannot be presided over by a Deputy President against whom corruption allegations are "piling up by the day".

Steenhuisen noted that over the past few months, a series of explosive exposés had been published by numerous investigative journalists outlining the extent to which Mashatile is allegedly engaged in a web of corruption and State capture spanning almost two decades - behaviour that Steenhuisen says has become commonplace under the African National Congress (ANC).

"These would constitute clear violations of the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act, the Public Finance Management Act, and the Executive Members' Ethics Act. With this dossier now in hand, President Ramaphosa can no longer claim ignorance that his 'Number Two' is heading a State capture scheme the likes of which was last seen under Jacob Zuma," he said.

Steenhuisen noted that the DA would also file an Executive Members' Ethics Act complaint against Mashatile for his violation of the Executive Ethics Code.

He said that in all of the party's submissions to law enforcement, it would highlight the fact that Ramaphosa was now personally in possession of the dossier against Mashatile, and that his failure to act potentially implicated him in the corruption racket.

"This set of actions represents but the start of what will be a sustained campaign to hold both Ramaphosa and Mashatile accountable. The DA will continue to fight this corruption using every channel at our disposal," Steenhuisen added.

He said had Ramaphosa carried out the lifestyle audits of his executive, as promised in his first SoNA at the beginning of his term, all of these alleged corrupt dealings would have come to light.

Steenhuisen alleges that five years later, the South African national executive is still comprised of numerous Ministers facing severe allegations of corruption.

"Yet another broken promise from a bystander President for which there have been no consequences," the DA leader said,

Meanwhile, Steenhuisen highlighted that South Africa plummeted to its lowest-ever ranking on the global Corruption Perceptions Index, confirming that corruption was even worse under Ramaphosa than it was under Zuma.

He said it was "precisely Ramaphosa's paralysis" regarding the illegal actions of his Cabinet members and ANC cadres that continued to hollow out South Africa's public service and chip away at investor and public confidence in government.

"If a fish rots from the head down, then President Ramaphosa clearly sees it fit to preside over a corrupt government with a rotten Deputy. South Africans have learnt from painful experience that Ramaphosa lacks the courage to do the right thing. That is why the DA will now step up to lead by intensifying our campaign for Mashatile to be held accountable via other avenues," he said.

Household consumption in South Africa is expected to pick up slightly in 2024 after likely growing at its weakest pace in three decades last year, outside of the global financial crisis and Covid-19 lockdown, according to a HSBC Global Research study.

Growth in consumer spending is expected to be below trend at 1.1% this year, compared with 0.7% estimated for 2023, analysts led by David Faulkner said in the report.

"The outlook for the consumer remains challenging, but having struggled so much last year we think there is room for stronger household finances as 2024 progresses," the analysts wrote.

Household consumption has been constrained by sticky inflation, elevated interest rates, and a fragile labour market recovery, amid weak economic growth, they said.

Policymakers at the South African Reserve Bank have been reluctant to cut rates that they held at 8.25% at their meeting last week and said they won't act until they see convincing evidence price pressures are heading sustainably to target.

The HSBC analysts don't expect this scenario to change anytime soon. They forecast inflation to average 5.3% this year, compared with 5.9% in 2023 and 5.1% in 2025, and poorer households again facing higher price growth due to food.

"Against this backdrop of sticky price growth and elevated inflation expectations, we see little scope for significant policy easing this year, with the SARB likely to remain cautious until there is a sustainable trend of disinflation towards the preferred 4.5% midpoint of the target range," they said. "This will limit the relief for debt service costs, which increased to an annualised R400-billion in the third quarter, equal to 9% of disposable income" and could rise by about R30-billion this year.

Due to these pressures, the analysts anticipate that the central bank will start cutting its benchmark policy rate only in September.

Still, they expect a recent extension of a monthly R350 stipend for poorer households, which was introduced during the coronavirus pandemic and will now run until March 2025, continuing "to support household spending at the bottom end of the income distribution, with the possibility that it is made more generous ahead of national elections."

South Africa holds elections this year and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will be closely watched for signs of pre-voting generosity when he delivers the annual budget statement in Cape Town on February 21.

He has said the nation needs to live within its means, but faces pressure from other parts of the government to loosen the public purse at time when polls show the ruling African Nation Congress at risk of losing its majority for the first time since the end of minority-White rule in 1994.

"Election related uncertainties may also curb the scope for stronger sentiment as consumers weigh political risks," the analysts cautioned.

The decision by US auction house Guernsey's to suspend the auction of former President Nelson Mandela's personal items was welcomed by Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa.

Following public outcry against the auction, and court action brought by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), the online auction set for February 24 was abruptly suspended, according to a short announcement on the auctioneer's website.

The SAHRA held meetings with Guernsey's and Mandela's eldest daughter Makaziwe Mandela, who had put up some of the items for auction.

"I welcome cooperation between the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Guernsey's Auction House which sees the suspension of the auction of items associated with former President Nelson Mandela. This development allows the ongoing legal proceedings on the matter to be finalised," Kodwa said.

The SAHRA is appealing an earlier court decision to allow the sale of the former Statesman's personal items such as his ID book, sunglasses, clothing and letters.

"SAHRA, with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and Robben Island Museum, will continue to appeal the High Court judgment relating to the unpermitted export for exhibition or sale on auction of items associated with former President Nelson Mandela," Kodwa added.

He urged the preservation and protection of Mandela's legacy and South Africa's cultural heritage.

The 11 parties to the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) for South Africa warned on Thursday that an opportunity to bring in a new government to get South Africa moving forward may not come again in the 2029 elections.

Parties held a joint registration event in Johannesburg, to encourage all eligible voters to use the February 3 and 4 registration weekend to register and vote for change in the 2024 general election later this year.

The MPC claimed that it was "unlikely" that the African National Congress (ANC) would respect the rules of democracy once they were no longer assured of winning elections.

"Much like Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe, the ANC will find ways to steal the vote to stay in power, just like they have stolen so many other things from South Africa. So, 2024 is the nation's golden opportunity to install a new government and get rid of the ANC," the MPC said.

The MPC appealed particularly to young people to register this weekend to vote for "a better future for themselves".

It noted that this year's election was the one time that power lay in the hands of the people rather than in the hands of politicians.

"2024 is the one time that ordinary South Africans can bring the change they want to see - peacefully at the ballot box. But they can only bring that change if they are registered to vote. The future is literally in your hands. 2024 is without doubt a critical moment in South Africa's history," it said.

The MPC highlighted that for the first time since 1994, there was a "realistic, credible pathway to power" for an alternative government to replace the ANC.

The MPC explained that under President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration, South Africa's decline has accelerated, with every measure of socioeconomic wellbeing moving decisively in the wrong direction. Unemployment, crime, poverty, suffering, and the cost of living are all increasing, the parties said, and warned that "things can still get a lot worse".

African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) president Kenneth Meshoe accused the ANC of destroying the country, saying the charter was preparing to undo the damage caused by the ANC.

He added that the MPC was also ready to make South Africa one of the best countries in the world.

He said the ACDP wouldnever stand with the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters, saying it disagreed with the 'kill the boer' chant, for example.

"The song kill the boer, kill the farmer is hate speech, that is the position of the ACDP. We will never agree with the song, it does not matter what any courts say that claims it is not hate speech or the Human Rights Commission says it is not hate speech. ACDP says it is hate speech. We disagree with them," said Meshoe.

Inkatha Freedom Party president Velenkosini Hlabisa noted that the MPC believed that South Africa could secure change for the better.

"And we believe it can be done now. 2024 is the moment for South Africans to fundamentally change the trajectory of our country, by unseating a failed government and empowering a new leadership," he said.

GOVERNMENT WITH VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

Hlabisa noted that for the first time in 30 years, since the 1994 elections, the ANC was likely to lose the majority, saying if that happened, a coalition of opposition parties stood ready to form a new government.

"We have not linked up randomly, but have carefully chosen the people we will work with, ensuring that the government we form is underpinned by values, principles and solutions that the IFP champions. It goes without saying that we all want change," he said.

Hlabisa pointed out that the youth were suffering the most with a failing education system that barred them from developing their potential.

He added that a failing economy kept youth from finding work.

"Quite clearly, change is needed. But not every party contesting this election can bring change. The power behind each of the parties in the Multi-Party Charter is the fact that, together, we can form a government. Instead of just talking on the sidelines,...

The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced its readiness to hold the second voter registration this weekend, ahead of the 2024 elections, lauding a voter registration roll that has surpassed the 27-million mark.

IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo briefed the media on Wednesday on preparations and noted that the online registration platform has proved to be the mainstay of the registrations in between the general registrations weekends.

The commission recorded just under 200 000 new registrations since the registration weekend in November last year. Overall registration activities in the period stood at 298 000.

"In the 2019 national and provincial elections the certified voters roll stood at 26.7-million. We are encouraged that we have reached this milestone of 27-million people on the voters roll ahead of the second registration weekend scheduled for this weekend," he said.

Mamabolo highlighted that Gauteng saw 6.3-million registrations; KwaZulu-Natal has 5.5-million; Eastern Cape with 3.3-million; Western Cape with 3.2-million; Mpumalanga with 1.9-milllion; North West has 1.7-million registrations; Free State with 1.4-million and Northern Cape with 637 000 registrations.

He said the gender demography remained the same with 55% of persons on the voters roll being female and 44% being male.

He highlighted that the biggest age group on the voters roll is between 30 and 39 at 6.7-million registrations, followed by the 40 to 49 age group at 5.9-million. He added that person aged 50 to 59 accounts for 4.5-million voters and young persons between the ages of 20 and 29 nine make up 4.1-million voters.

Mamabolo urged South Africa to make use of this voter registration weekend to register for the elections, urging eligible voters to visit registration stations to inspect or update their registration details or to do so online.

He noted that the voter registration weekend will have over 69 000 staff members who have been recruited and trained, with more than 53 000 being female and over 16 000 being male.

The IEC said its collective goal is to ensure that every eligible person in South Africa is registered to vote in the national and provincial elections.

"It is, therefore, appropriate that ahead of the second voter registration weekend, we remind voters of the general rule in elections. That is, a person votes at a voting station where they are registered. The only exception to the general rule is that a voter may vote outside of the voting district of registration only if they have first notified the Commission by the date which will be regulated by the election timetable," said Mamabolo.

He added that the need for this prior notification is new and comes about as a result of the changes to the law.

OUT OF COUNTRY VOTER REGISTRATION

The IEC highlighted that the international segment of the voters' roll for out of country registrations stood at about 18 000 South Africans ahead of the registration weekend outside of South Africa.

Following the registration weekend for out of country citizens, this segment of the roll now stands at 29 318 voters. The UK has 9 373 voters; Netherlands has 285; Ireland has 1 306; United Arab Emirates has 1 090 and Australia has 1 075 voters.

All states have an obligation to stop funding and facilitating Israel's military actions in Gaza after the World Court indicated that those actions could plausibly be genocidal, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor said on Wednesday.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa.

South Africa has for decades been a strong advocate for the Palestinian cause, comparing the plight of Palestinians to that of Black South Africans under apartheid. Israel has strongly denied allegations of genocide and rejects the comparison to the apartheid era.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that the start of preferential trade will create great opportunities for growth and development for South Africa and many other African countries.

Speaking at the launch of preferential trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in Durban, Ramaphosa noted that the modalities for trade in goods has moved faster than for services.

Therefore, he said, there is a need for more effort in building African champions in finance, retail and telecommunications, and in expanding tourism between African countries.

"That is the only way in which our economies will grow faster and sustainably," said Ramaphosa.

AfCFTA was initially set to launch in 2020 and was delayed for various reasons including Covid lockdowns.

Initially the agreement only applies to physical goods, including manufactured goods - such as farming equipment and processed foods - but is expected to expand to the services economy, tourism, e-commerce and logistics.

Preferential trade will not only benefit the country's producers, but it will also see a huge increase in traffic through the ports, airports and land-based border posts, the President noted.

African trade ministers have been finalising rules of origin of what constitutes an African product. So far, 92% of the products that nations trade with each other have been finalised.

"The products made in Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Free State, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape will flow through these ports to markets beyond our borders. That is why, as the South African government, we are focused on implementing our Freight Logistics Roadmap to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the country's rail lines and ports," Ramaphosa said.

Amid concern for Transnet's dismal operations, he highlighted that government is working closely with industry to fix State rail and port operations in the immediate term and to ensure greater investment in this infrastructure into the future.

He said the levels of intra-African trade have been growing in recent years, but remain small by global standards.

Intra-Africa exports are reported to stand at around 16% of Africa's total exports, compared with 55% in Asia, 49% in North America and 63% in the European Union.

Ramaphosa noted that as the world moves towards green industrialisation, Africa is well positioned to use South Africa's critical minerals to leverage industrialisation on the continent.

The opportunities are vast in food and beverages, in cars and trucks, in clothing and textiles, he said. He added that South Africa has the capacity to produce more of its own pharmaceutical products and medical equipment.

Investment can flow to the production of chemicals, machinery and equipment, household goods and many, many more he explained.

He highlighted that the continental market can help the country promote agricultural development and food security.

"I thank the AfCFTA Council of Ministers and Minister Ebrahim Patel and his team, for their hard work negotiating the AfCFTA Agreement and its Protocols. This has made it possible for us to witness the start of preferential trading. Last but not least, I wish to express my appreciation to the exporters who have embraced this opportunity and have worked with us to be part of the first shipment of products under the African Continental Free Trade Area. From this quayside, and from ports, airports and border posts across the continent, a new era of growth and prosperity is being born. A great future awaits our continent and its people," Ramaphosa stated.

Patel noted that African countries are mainly trading with the outside world through selling rocks and oil or raw materials and importing finished goods and capital goods.

"This has left us poor, it has left us vulnerable and left us dependent. Today represents the moment when we pivot away from that model to trading with neighbours, trading with food, manufactured products with services and digital products. It is a...

If the 2024 elections do not see a "reset, recharge and reboot", KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) risks becoming a failed province.

This is according to Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) KZN chairperson Thami Ntuli, who has accepted the nomination as the party's Premier candidate in the province.

Ntuli, who was also mayor of the King Cetshwayo district municipality, said KZN stood at the brink of "an abyss".

"It is painful to see the province of KwaZulu-Natal crumble because of corruption, poor management and unethical leadership. We have seen deepening levels of poverty, despair, joblessness, lawlessness and many social ills. The very economic center of this province - eThekwini - has collapsed before our very own eyes. That shall come to an end," he promised.

While Ntuli assured that the party's plans ahead of the elections would be announced at the IFP's manifesto launch in March, he outlined the IFP's current standing in KZN as the opposition party, as well as its growth in the province owing to "people who are fed up with the current government".

Ntuli expressed the IFP's support for traditional leadership alongside self-help and self-care and added, "We shall make KwaZulu-Natal great again."

Outlining his own credentials, Ntuli noted that as mayor of the King Cetshwayo district municipality and as former mayor of Nkandla, his focus had been on development, infrastructure and basic services, while prioritising issues relating to women and children and indigent households.

"I always put people first. The IFP has a track record known to anyone in this province. I am a person that believes in hard work. As the IFP's Premier, I will leave no one behind. I will make sure that every citizen's interests are taken care of," he stated.

He urged voters in KZN to register at the upcoming voter registration weekend.

"I am proud to say that the IFP is the future. We are the party you can trust. We work for you. We will deliver on the revival, the recharge, the rescue, the hope that this province so desperately wants and needs. I pledge myself to be your humble servant as we start the process of rebuilding this province. We will do so to secure the future of our children, and to honour the legacy of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi."

YOUTH ENDORSEMENT FOR NTULI

The IFP's Youth Brigade national executive committee (IFPYB NEC) gave its support for Ntuli's nomination, calling his leadership instrumental in "leading the province's structures to a successful election campaign".

"The suffering and hardship endured by the people of KwaZulu-Natal cannot be ignored. It is for this reason that the IFPYB NEC will lend our full support to all the KZN Youth Brigade structures in the province, including our new Premier candidate, Cllr Ntuli, to offer meaningful alternatives to the challenges faced under the ANC administration," the IFPYB NEC said.