A staggering 81% of Grade 4 pupils in South Africa can't read for meaning, the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) has revealed.

It means roughly eight out of 10 children need help locating and retrieving explicitly stated information in simple and easy text.

The Department of Basic Education released the findings that relate to South Africa on Tuesday morning.

The study is an assessment of reading achievement and is conducted every five years in around 40 countries.

The 2016 study found that 78% of South African children in Grade 4 could not read for meaning in any language. All 11 official languages were used in the assessment.

South Africa has participated in four PIRLS assessments since 2006.

The current figures show a regression of reading literacy levels among Grade 4 pupils to levels last seen in 2011.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed that South African army chief Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha is in Moscow for a bilateral meeting between the two military establishments.

The SANDF stated that the engagement was a long-standing arrangement and added that South Africa receives numerous military delegations into the country and sends its own to other countries.

Mbatha’s visit takes place as the South African government stands accused of providing Russia with weapons and ammunition when the Russian vessel, Lady R, docked at the Simon's Town naval base in Cape Town last year.

US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety made the claims last week prompting a meeting with Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to speak with Foreign Minister Pandor this evening and correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks. In our conversation, I re-affirmed the strong partnership between our two countries and the important agenda our Presidents have given us,” he said in a tweet following the meeting.

The Presidency announced an inquiry, to be led by a retired judge, as questions surrounding the contents of the Russian ship remain.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has said that the party is planning to engage Brigety on the arms allegations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy had agreed to meet a group of African leaders to discuss a potential peace plan for the conflict.

Details of the plan have not been publicly divulged, although Ukraine's stated position for any peace deal is that all Russian troops must withdraw from its territory.

"My discussions with the two leaders demonstrated that they are both ready to receive the African leaders and to have discussion on how this conflict can be brought to an end," Ramaphosa told a joint press briefing with the Singaporean prime minister in Cape Town.

"Whether that will succeed or not is going to depend on the discussions that will be held," he said.

Putin and Zelenskiy had agreed to receive the mission in their respective capitals Moscow and Kyiv, a South African Presidency statement said.

The peace plan is also backed by African leaders of Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.

Ramaphosa said the United States and Britain had expressed "cautious" support for the plan and the UN Secretary General had also been briefed about the initiative.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year but the war has largely stalemated, although Ukraine is expected to start a counteroffensive soon to try to take back land occupied by Russia.

Considered one of Moscow's closest allies on the continent, South Africa says it is impartial and has abstained from voting on UN resolutions on the war.

Last week, it rejected claims by US ambassador to South Africa that weapons were loaded onto a Russian vessel from a naval base in Cape Town in December.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) accused Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi of using the newly launched clean-up and waste programme to mobilise African National Congress (ANC) volunteers in a "desperate" attempt to gain votes ahead of the 2024 elections.

On Sunday, Lesufi and Social Development MEC Mbali Hlophe launched the Gauteng Waste Management and Food Security Expanded Public Works Programme.

The programme has deployed 6 000 people to keep communities clean - and it comes a month after Lesufi announced the deployment of 4 000 crime prevention wardens throughout the province.

The EFF's Gauteng provincial chairperson, Nkululeko Dunga, in a statement on Sunday, alleged that the premier did not follow the correct recruitment procedures and used state resources to deploy 1 600 "ANC recruits" to the Ekurhuleni municipality. He said it was a "complete disregard of the human resource process and procedures of the municipality".

Dunga labelled the project a "publicity stunt" by the ANC to maintain support and avoid the "inevitable" at the general elections.

He said: "The use of state resources for electioneering is symptomatic of a liberation movement which has reached its expiry date."

The party criticised the government for creating "unsustainable" jobs, which Dunga said only revealed how "little" the government valued black people.

He said the youth was "desperate" for skills and sustainable jobs, adding that communities knew how to care for their environment and required "effective and sustainable refuse collection services".

Dunga said the ANC could no longer "abuse" citizens, and urged South Africans to vote for the EFF, which would "lead them out of this misery".

"There is no amount of manipulation of the systems that will help them return to govern the people they have abused for many years. The ANC has been found out," he said.

In response, Lesufi told News24: "Ask them to give you the evidence. Ask them to give you the evidence. The ones who accused us must give us the evidence,"

He said the EFF should present proof of the allegations.

During the launch of the programme at Dobsonville stadium, Lesufi said he would add an additional six months if those who took part decided to further their studies.

In a video on Twitter, the premier said: "We want those who are ready to serve our country. We want those who are ready to serve our province. We want those who are ready to serve our townships, informal settlements and hostels. If you are ready, I am going to make you beautiful."

The new recruits will be situated in various municipalities throughout the province.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said his country had resolved a dispute with the US over allegations that Pretoria supplied weapons to Russia, and South Africa is unlikely to face US repercussions, Bloomberg News reported Godongwana said in an interview on Sunday.

"A number of actions were taken in order to ensure that our relationship with the US remains and that relationship should be normal and cordial," the minister told Bloomberg in an interview in Cape Town on Sunday. "The Americans are not likely to respond with any anger tomorrow."

US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said last week he was confident that a Russian ship had picked up weapons in South Africa in December, in a possible breach of Pretoria's declared neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.

South Africa's government denied the claims. After a meeting between Brigety and South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor on Friday, the ambassador "admitted that he crossed the line and apologised unreservedly," a South African government statement said on Friday.

A finance ministry statement on Saturday said, "Action was taken long ago once this matter was brought to the attention of South African officials” when US Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen met with Godongwana in February.

When asked for comment, the US State Department referred to a tweet by Brigety on Friday that said he had corrected "any misimpressions left by my public remarks."

South Africa's Finance Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Seeing as how the country’s economy has been damaged by loadshedding and crime, Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso noted on Monday that a concerted effort to restore positive relations with the US is needed.

Mavuso wrote in her weekly letter that a loss of critical trading relationships would further set back the effort to create a conducive environment to growing businesses and the economy.

“It could be the final straw that breaks the back of our fragile economy,” said Mavuso.

Last week the US ambassador made serious allegations that arms destined for Russia were loaded onto a Russian ship in Simon’s Town, in Cape Town.

Last week the Presidency announced an inquiry into the matter, which will be headed by a retired judge.

Following the news, BLSA urged government to make clear whether an export permit had been granted to supply arms to Russia. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said that the National Conventional Arms Control Committee has “no record” of an approved arms sale to Russia.

Mavuso said if arms were loaded it was done so illegally and pointed out that the relevant legislation allows for a fine and imprisonment of up to 25 years for exporting arms without a permit.

BLSA wants government to take a clear position on arms trades with Russia, as other non-aligned countries like China have done (it will supply to neither Russia or Ukraine).

Mavuso said supplying arms to Russia will leave the country afoul of the US’s Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.

“It probably wouldn’t stop there – we also have a free trade agreement with the European Union that could be at risk and trade relations would also be affected with the United Kingdom,” she added.

Mavuso highlighted that the Simon’s Town episode needs an explanation.

Even if arms were not loaded onto the ship, the fact that it docked at all, particularly in a military facility with its transponder turned off, was ill advised, she said.

She went on to say that it is now imperative that government clears up the mess.

“We need a clear explanation of who authorised the docking and what was offloaded and loaded. We need to understand the full chain of command. If laws were broken, there should be arrests and prosecutions. This needs to happen immediately, before irreversible damage is done, and not months down the line when an enquiry concludes,” she added.

GLOBAL POWERS

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that South Africa has not been, and will not be, drawn into a contest between global powers.

He said the experience of reaching out across political divides and building relations with very different countries has helped to shape the country’s foreign policy. This has been coupled with a firm belief in the value of an inclusive multilateral world order and the peaceful resolution of conflict through dialogue, he added.

“That does not mean that we do not have a position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Consistent with our stance on conflicts in other parts of the world, South Africa’s view is that the international community needs to work together to urgently achieve a cessation of hostilities and to prevent further loss of life and displacement of civilians in Ukraine. It needs to support meaningful dialogue towards a lasting peace, which ensures the security and stability of all nations,” Ramaphosa explained.

He said South Africa supported that members refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of other states, adding that South Africa’s position seeks to contribute to the creation of conditions that make the achievement of a durable resolution of the conflict possible.

The reality is that the Russia-Ukraine conflict – and the tensions that underline it – will not be resolved through military means., it needs to be resolved politically, Ramaphosa noted.

“We do not accept that our non-aligned position favours Russia above other countries. Nor do we accept that it shou...

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is set to meet captains of industry amid an energy crisis that’s stifling economic growth and souring investor sentiment.

Mashatile will meet with the country’s top CEOs in a closed dinner hosted by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on May 19, according to an invitation seen by Bloomberg.

Attendees will have an opportunity to put questions to Mashatile regarding the state of South Africa’s economy as well as, “the key deliverables of his portfolio, policy reforms and actions to build investor confidence,” the invite read.

Mashatile, 61, took over as deputy president in March after being elected in the same position at the ruling African National Congress’ (ANC's) elective conference in December.

Investor confidence has waned as State-owned Eskom rations electricity for as long as 12 hours a day to prevent the grid from total collapse as it works to maintain an aging fleet of coal-fired plans prone to breakdowns.

Africa’s most developed economy has been battling to keep up with its emerging market peers as it struggles to resolve worsening power cuts, high unemployment and inequality.

The rand weakened to a record low, falling below 19 per dollar on Thursday, undermined by the domestic challenges and reports that the US accused South Africa of giving arms to Russia. An index of South African banking stocks tumbled by the most this year as the local currency extended its losses.

South African companies are spending billions of rands to keep businesses running as the power crisis deepens and impacts earnings.

Mashatile will seek to restore business and investor confidence at the meeting, as the country prepares for general elections next year.

An increasing number of executives including Daniel Mminele, chairperson-designate of Nedbank Group and MTN’s CEO Ralph Mupita have called for urgency in resolving domestic hindrances to economic growth and warned the country is at risk of becoming a ‘failed State’.

The government’s inability to resolve pressing domestic challenges has reduced the popularity of the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa. Last month, he pledged to attract R2-trillion of investment by 2028.

Business Unity South Africa (Busa) expressed dissatisfaction with government’s response to the allegations that South Africa supplied arms to Russia, warning that these claims introduced uncertainty that citizens simply cannot afford.

On Thursday US ambassador Reuben Brigety claimed that South Africa had provided Russia with weapons and ammunition when a Russian vessel, Lady R, docked at the Simon's Town naval base in Cape Town late last year.

Government has hit back at the US for undermining “the spirit of cooperation and partnership”.

The Presidency has announced an inquiry into the matter, which will be headed by a retired judge.

Busa pointed out that the immediate market reaction to the accusation was the dramatic fall of the rand against the dollar, which indicated how seriously the markets consider the allegations.

“Our economy is already buckling under the severe impact of loadshedding which is expected to shave off as much as 2% from the gross domestic product growth forecast for 2023, and any further negative developments will sink us even deeper,” said Busa CEO Cas Coovadia.

If proven true, he believes the allegations will jeopardise South Africa’s trade relations, specifically the continued access to US markets created under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) which South Africa desperately needs.

Coovadia stressed that as a beneficiary of Agoa, South Africa would soon be up for review, and warned that this development threatened the country’s ongoing participation in this critical trade agreement.

Busa noted the inquiry to investigate the claims against South Africa but it appealed to Ramaphosa to provide urgent clarity and certainty on the allegations.

Coovadia said the market response made South Africa less attractive to investors.

“Ordinarily, we do not concern ourselves with geo-political issues and South Africa's position on its foreign relations. However, we are concerned that the current foreign policy stance of the South African government is having a negative impact on the economy and inhibits our ability, as a country, to address the socioeconomic crises we face,” he explained.

A South African minister responsible for arms control said on Friday the government had not approved any weapons shipments to Russia late last year - a move that could have been a possible breach of Pretoria's declared neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.

The US ambassador to South Africa said on Thursday he was confident that a Russian ship had picked up weapons at a South African port in December.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said an inquiry led by a retired judge would look into the allegation.

On Friday, Communications Minister Mondli Gungubele, who chaired the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) when the alleged arms shipment to Russia took place, said that if weapons were loaded onto a vessel bound for Russia from South Africa that was illegal and inappropriate.

"We didn't approve any arms to Russia, ... it wasn't sanctioned or approved by us," 702 radio host Clement Manyathela quoted Gungubele as saying in a Twitter post.

Clayson Monyela, a spokesperson for South Africa's department of international relations and cooperation (DIRCO), also wrote on Twitter that the NCACC "has no record of an approved arms sale by the state to Russia related to the period/incident in question".

Neither of them said whether or not an unapproved shipment had left South Africa.

Monyela said his department would speak to US ambassador Reuben Brigety over his remarks and that Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor would talk to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later in the day.

Brigety had told local journalists that Washington was confident a Russian vessel had uploaded weapons and ammunition from South Africa in December, although he offered no evidence.

He said the arming of Russia by South Africa was "fundamentally unacceptable" and that senior US officials had "profound concerns" about South Africa not respecting its professed policy of neutrality over Russia's war in Ukraine.

The ambassador's assertion saw the rand and South African government bonds sell-off as currency traders said they were worried South Africa could face Western sanctions.

South Africa is one of Russia's most important allies on a continent divided over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but says it is impartial on the conflict and has abstained from voting on UN resolutions on the war.

Washington has repeatedly warned countries against providing material support to Russia, cautioning that those who do may be denied access to US markets.

During a briefing on Thursday, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel did not repeat the allegation that arms had been loaded onto the vessel.

He said Washington had serious concerns about the docking of the ship at a South African naval port and had raised those concerns directly with South African officials.

South Africa's presidency said the issue had already been discussed with US officials who had agreed to let an investigation run its course, and that no evidence had yet been provided by Washington.

The rand crashed to its previous record low on Thursday, losing more than 30c of its value against the dollar in minutes after the US ambassador accused South Africa of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia.

News24 reported that US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said the weapons and ammunition were loaded onto a Russian ship that docked at the Simon's Town naval base in Cape Town in December last year.

The rand hit R19.36 - its previous record low, reached in 2020 - following the news. It also came close to hitting a record low against the pound, and was last trading at above R24 on Thursday.

The report triggered fears that the US will take economic action against South Africa, perhaps by scrapping the duty-free export benefits it receives thanks to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).

"For many, the fortunes of the rand are becoming more overtly entwined with the political prospects of the African National Congress," Robert Hoodless, an analyst at InTouch Capital Markets, told Bloomberg earlier on Thursday. "President Cyril Ramaphosa seems nowhere to be seen. Perhaps this is because of yet another calamitous diplomatic decision over relations with Russia."

The currency has already been under pressure, breaching the R19/$ level earlier on Thursday amid a toxic cocktail of loadshedding and a deepening economic crisis, as well as interest rate concerns.

"The rand is in a fragile state, with local factors, in particular loadshedding, weighing on the local economy and currency. Rand weakness is expected to continue in the short term," said Bianca Botes, director at Citadel Global.

Earlier this week, SA Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago warned in a speech at the University of Johannesburg that loadshedding will reduce economic growth by 2% this year. The Reserve Bank economy now forecasts growth of 0.2% this year, and to average 1.0% in the following two years. "[This] is barely an expansion," he noted.

Aggressive hikes in interest rates have also hurt the economy. While the Reserve Bank has insisted that this should help to tame inflation, the reality is also that South African interest rates need to remain competitive to protect the rand.

Investors are used to South Africa offering much higher interest rates than developed markets like the US, which has made rand investments attractive and kept global money flowing to local markets, supporting the rand.

But following aggressive US rate hikes, that differential between the US and local rates has now shrunk, and South African rates are not that attractive anymore – which is compounded with the increased risk about the country's economic outlook.

Kganyago highlighted that the rand has been one of the worst-performing emerging market currencies over the past year.

"Idiosyncratic factors such as persistent loadshedding and the recent greylisting of the country by the Financial Action Task Force have kept investors wary."

He warned that rand weakness could worsen South Africa's worrying inflation situation, as imports like fuel will keep prices high.

All of this has left the Reserve Bank in an impossible situation: interest rate hikes are harming a stricken economy, but it also has to fight inflation and protect the rand's appeal.

"Fighting inflation is much harder when the economy is already underperforming, as tighter financial conditions have the effect of cooling economic activity more broadly. Yet, if allowed to persist, high inflation will either fatally undermine the economy’s growth potential or raise the nearer-term costs of eventually bringing inflation back to target," Kganyago said, possibly indicating that another rate hike will be implemented at the end of month. The market has already priced in a hike of more than 25 basis points.

But Momentum economist Johann van Tonder believes further rate hikes won't bolster the rand.

"The rand is experiencing many setbacks: S&P's downgrade of the country's credit rating outlook, greylisting, weak an...