In his weekly letter to the nation on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the time for “half measures” in transformation is over.

Responding to the recent reports of racism at Stellenbosch University, he called out people who were holding on to ideas of white superiority.

However, he added that to end racism the conditions that separate black and white South Africans needed to change, along with attitudes.

He said the sooner that racism was acknowledged as a feature still within societies, the sooner it could change.

“It cannot be that the onus must rest with the formerly oppressed as the main victims of racism to advance reconciliation,” Ramaphosa said.

Meanwhile, he commended young South Africans taking the lead to end racism but expressed concern that such incidents were occurring at schools and places of higher learning, where a number of the people involved were born after the end of apartheid.

“We know that racism, here and around the world, is driven by feelings of superiority on the part of those who perpetuate it. And although racism can be directed against anyone, it is black people who bear the brunt, both in the past and in the present. As the Black Lives Matter movement has so strongly asserted, we need to systematically dismantle and eradicate attitudes of white superiority,” he said.

He compared the new generation of young South Africans to the youth of 1976, as they challenged society to grapple with racism, its causes and its effects.

Ramaphosa said there was a need for frank and honest dialogue between people of different races on the experiences of black people in South Africa 28 years into democracy.

He suggested that discussions be part of the life orientation curriculum in schools and urged the arts and culture community to produce content and programming that fully reflected the diversity of the country and the lived experiences of people of all races.

“It is our wish and expectation that the student population and the broader Stellenbosch University community, both black and white, find each other and rally together to confront racism honestly with courage and truthfulness. They must roundly reject what has happened and express their determination to achieve a learning environment free of bigotry, racism and chauvinism and embrace a non-racial future for Stellenbosch University. By so doing they will set the standard for us all,” Ramaphosa said.

Petrol prices may surge by more than R3.50 a litre in the first week of June, with Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, saying that the general fuel levy cut will fall away at the end of May.

The levy was cut by R1.50 a litre for April and May as government sought to relieve the economic stress of surging fuel prices.

But when Fin24 asked Mantashe on Thursday whether the levy cut would be extended beyond May, he said it would not – although his department still needed to consult with National Treasury.

The funds that can be raised from the sale of the strategic reserves are only enough to fund the reduced levy for two months, Mantashe said.

"[At the end of May] we have to meet Treasury to [see] if there can be anything more that we can do," Mantashe said.

Government finances are extremely constrained, which the loss of the income from the levy would worsen.

Over the past financial year, government debt reached R4.3-trillion. On average, 20 cents of every rand collected in government revenue is now being spent on debt repayments, which is crowding out spending on health and basic education.

At the same time, South Africans are facing their own financial strain: food and fuel prices have rocketed over recent months, with more pain to come.

According to the latest data from the Central Energy Fund, petrol prices must be adjusted by more than R2.20 a litre in June to compensate for oil prices and a weaker rand. Combined with the fuel levy of R1.50, this would push the petrol price by more than R3.70 from current levels. Diesel prices could rise by around R2.80 a litre.

These prices must still be adjusted as the rand and oil prices change before month-end. Local fuel prices are determined by international oil prices, as well as the dollar-rand value, as South Africa buys oil in dollars.

If the petrol levy cut isn’t maintained beyond May, inflation may reach 6.8% to 7% in June, says chief economist of Old Mutual Investment Group, Johann Els. This is well above the SA Reserve Bank’s maximum target of 6%.

Inflation hit 5.9% for the third time in five months in April.

With consumer inflation around 7%, and with the combined effect of higher interest rates, workers won’t be happy with salary hikes of 5%, said Johann van Tonder, economist at Momentum Investments.

"If the petrol levy cut is not maintained beyond May, this will fuel even larger wage demands than what are currently seen, leading to more strikes in the end," Van Tonder said.

Government previously said that it wanted to review the composition of the petrol price, and one solution would be to remove the Road Accident Fund levy, he added.

"It doesn’t make any sense to have such a levy as part of the fuel price – you may as well add a health or education levy to petrol, given that you use transport to get to school or hospitals."

The Road Accident Fund – which has liabilities of around R300-billion - will then have to be added to the expenditure side of national budget, says Van Tonder. "This will necessitate government to cut state spending to make room for it, or it may also have to think about new tax revenue to finance the RAF."

Removing the RAF would immediately lower the petrol price by R2.20, he added.

But on Thursday Mantashe said that his department had reconsidered the fuel price formula and that the current proposed revisions wouldn't save more than 13c per litre.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says elections have become so highly contested that intra and inter-party rivalries are increasingly playing out in the electoral process.

On Friday, IEC deputy CEO Masego Sheburi briefed Parliament on the successes and challenges of the November 2021 municipal elections.

At the time, the IEC had to plan the elections amid a surge in Covid-19 infections.

Last year's polls also saw the lowest voter turnout, and several councils across the country were left hung after no single party could obtain an outright majority.

But Sheburi told MPs the level of contestation had drastically increased.

"Recently, elections have become highly contested, with increased intra and inter-party rivalries that play out in the electoral process. The cutthroat nature of contestation increases the risk of contestants not accepting the results and not resorting to established electoral justice mechanisms for recourse."

Sheburi said there had been an increase in instances of disinformation and outright misinformation.

Added to that, he said, electoral events were accompanied by community protests, which at times turned violent.

Sheburi highlighted the low rate of participation in elections, especially by young people.

While voter turnout was relatively low, there was no shortage of politicians vying for positions.

"In the lead up to 2021 elections, a total of 508 political parties were registered on the party register. However, only 323 political parties contested the elections.

"Of the total contesting parties, 175 parties were registered nationally and, thus, could contest any municipality in the country. 148 parties had municipal registration and were, therefore, eligible to contest only in the respective municipality of registration," he added.

Sheburi added that a record number of 95 440 candidates had contested the municipal elections.

"There were 34 321 proportional representation and 59 570 ward candidates, as well as 1 549 independents. This represented an increase of 31 884 candidates (50% increase) when compared with 63 556 candidates that contested the 2016 municipal elections.

"A record of 99 139 candidates initially submitted to contest the 2021 municipal elections. Of those submitted, 3 699 candidates were disqualified for various reasons."

In September last year, the Constitutional Court dismissed the IEC's application to postpone the elections.

The apex court ruled that elections had to take place between 27 October and 1 November 2021 following calls by the IEC to postpone them amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The majority judgment held that the IEC's constitutional duty was to conduct the elections within the 90-day period, "making them as free and fair as circumstances reasonably permitted and that our courts do not, save in rare and exceptional circumstances, have the power to relieve the commission of this duty".

African National Congress (ANC) head of policy Jeff Radebe said on Friday that organisational renewal is important for the survival of the party as it released its policy discussion papers ahead of the much-awaited policy conference scheduled to take place between July 28 and 31.

The ANC will take discussions to its branches and other forums, which will convene between the end of June and July 23.

Addressing the media at the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg, Radebe acknowledged that the ANC had been discussing renewal for a long time. He said it would continue as it was important in taking the party forward.

The ANC dipped below 50% at the polls in a number of metros and municipalities in the 2021 local government elections.

“This is a huge warning signal for the coming 2024 national elections,” said Radebe.

Radebe said the ANC would continue to ensure that the behaviour of party members and leadership was ethical and that several elements would be removed from the party’s ranks.

He added that recent unsavoury factors such as lower levels of community trust, corruption, poor service delivery and a “distant, out-of-touch, inward-looking ANC” that was unable to be an effective agent of change and connect with communities, had resulted in the ANC losing support including in the local government elections.

ECONOMIC POLICY

On its vision for the country’s economy, the ANC policy document says the party is guided by the Freedom Charter.

The ANC laid out its strategy for economic growth with a focus on:

structural reforms of network industries for expanded investment, particularly in electricity, telecommunications, water, rail and road infrastructure

strengthened industrial policy interventions

better management of expenditure and taxation, and a balanced monetary policy

a mixed economy with the private and public elements to boost job creation

expanded regional trade in Africa.

“The new policy frameworks must be underpinned by a comprehensive social compact of government, business, labour and civil society as the President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated during the State of the Nation Address,” Radebe said.

He acknowledged that, as a precondition, an ethical and capable State with broad support was essential for the programme to succeed.

He warned those involved in corrupt activities that damage to the country’s growth potential and infrastructure was tantamount to economic sabotage adding that it had no place in the ANC.

Radebe said it was important that the criminal justice system and crime intelligence, as well as the South African Police Service, were strengthened.

“The attainment of democracy in 1994 fundamentally shifted the strategic balance of forces in South Africa in favour of the forces of national liberation and social transformation. Indeed, a major concern in the current period pertains to weaknesses and even reversals, especially at municipal level, and the capacity of the State in general,” he said.

He added that the State Capture Commission has been a vital tool in assisting government to eradicate corruption.

Find the documents here

The death toll from the KwaZulu-Natal floods stands at 448 people, with another 88 still missing more than a month after the disaster, Premier Sihle Ziklalala said on Thursday.

Zikalala said a final baseline report confirmed the figures, which included 6 895 homeless people and 50 injured.

He added that 27 069 houses were affected, with 8 584 of these totally destroyed.

"All homeless are in 91 shelters currently, all will be provided with houses."

The cost of the flood damage to public infrastructure was officially estimated at R25-billion, with losses mainly from roads, rail and bridges, housing, water, sanitation, electricity and agriculture and manufacturing.

"We still have the water service system still out of operation in areas such as Tongaat as they were seriously compromised by the floods," the premier said.

Zikalala said the provincial government was working hard at trying to rehouse those in shelters into temporary housing units.

"Yes, they will receive houses in [the] form of temporary residential unit[s]. It is good quality and guaranteed for three to five years. They will be integrated in the forthcoming project for housing, so they get permanent housing."

Billion-rand funding

Addressing the R1-billion funding from the national government, Zikalala said it would come in the form of grants and services.

"The R1-billion comes in separate grants in the form of humanitarian support, emergency services such as water and others. It is based on applications made by municipalities and provincial departments.

"Ours is to consolidate a comprehensive budget based on damage incurred and submitted that to national disaster management - they will take that to Treasury and discuss at a national level," he said.

He said the province was still trying to source funds to direct them toward those in need.

"We are trying to source other funds, but we want that money to go directly to those in need. The gaming industry in KZN, for example, came on board to donate. We said do not give us money, go and fix schools.

"So now the education department will say these are... the schools and then direct the gaming industry to repair those schools."

Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said the final pronouncement on the funding model of e-tolls is imminent.

Mbalula tabled his budget vote for the Department of Transport in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon. This comes amid uncertainty around South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) electronic tolling system to pay for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, which has been met with public resistance.

Mbalula said he was working with Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to help Cabinet arrive at a final determination on the funding of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.

He said that a decision on the matter was "imminent", although it has taken a long time.

"We are alive to the adverse impact the delay in making the final decision on e-tolls has on the [Sanral] balance sheet and its ability to raise capital for its catalytic projects," said Mbalula.

In his budget vote, Mbalula detailed the billions in financial support that are committed to fund programmes and stabilise Sanral and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).

Prasa has been rocked by challenges, including the theft, vandalism and destruction of its rail infrastructure and instability at a leadership level. Former CEO Zolani Matthews has successfully challenged his dismissal, which has been ruled invalid by the courts.

Mbalula said Sanral would continue to get support from the Department of Transport in the medium-term to help it extend its national road development programme.

"An allocation of R76.4-billion goes to the South African National Roads Agency. Transfers to Sanral account for 33.5% of the department's budget over the medium term and 65.5% of the budget of the road transport programme," said Mbalula.

Mbalula said Prase would also receive significant financial support in the medium-term for capital, operational and refurbishing purposes.

"In recognising the centrality of providing affordable, safe and reliable public transport services, capital transfers to the Prasa will increase from R12.6-billion in 2022/23 to R13.5-billion in 2024/25," he said.

Mbalula said the capital transfers would go towards refurbishing coaches, Prasa's rolling stock fleet renewal programme, signalling and other capital projects, which include security of the rail infrastructure.

"Operational transfers to Prasa are expected to increase from R7.2-billion in 2022/23 to R7.8-billion in 2024/25," said Mbalula.

He said R45.3-billion, or 59.3% of the allocation to Sanral, is budgeted to upgrade, strengthen and refurbish the national non-toll roads network, while R2.8-billion is allocated for Moloto Road.

"A budget of R3.7-billion is allocated for the N2 Wild Coast project and R2.1-billion allocated to fund reduced tariffs for the Gauteng freeway improvement project," the minister said.

Mbalula said since January, the department has produced 1 026 674 driving licence cards, with a backlog of 526 841 cards as of 16 May.

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said Cabinet approved the 100m flagpole at Freedom Park in Pretoria in February as a project that would "bring South Africans together".

"It was not meant to tear us apart," the minister told News24 after the arts and culture department announced it would review the project, following public outrage.

When Cabinet approved the project, there was no determination on the cost of it, Gungubele said.

"The financial issues were to be separate. Cabinet was not involved with that," he added.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has since "directed his department to review the process related to the monumental flag in its totality", a department statement indicated.

Gungubele said they appreciate the minister's commitment to address public concerns.

He added, "We will await the minister's explanation."

Meanwhile, Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Sports said the department reported that R1.7-million was spent on geotechnical studies so far.

"The committee was briefed on the concept on Tuesday, when the project was punted for its contribution [to] job creation and diversifying the South African heritage landscape; things which the committee noted," chairperson Beauty Dlulane said.

Dlulane added that the committee did not have an issue with the intention and motivation behind the concept and that figures were still to be presented in more detail to it.

"But the committee is happy that the department has listened to the public sentiment and thus committed to rethink the concept and the figures involved."

President Cyril Ramaphosa tabled the fourth part of the State Capture Inquiry's report with Parliament on Tuesday - and, in a turnaround from the African National Congress's (ANC's) previous stance, affected committees will deal with the published parts of the report.

"Parliament confirms receipt of Part 4 of the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture from the President of the Republic today. Previously, the President submitted Part 3 of the Commission's Report, which Parliament is in the process of implementing," reads a statement from Parliament's spokesperson Moloto Mothapo.

"Part 4 of the Report comes at the time Parliament is finalising the process of establishing appropriate systems and mechanisms, consistent with its constitutional function, to oversee the implementation of the report. The report will be published in the Announcements Tablings and Committees (ATC) of Parliament for the attention of Members.

"The Rules Committee, on the other hand, will at the appropriate time determine how best to process the report and the accompanying implementation plan once they are submitted on or before August by the President."

Mothapo said, "In the interim, committees of Parliament will engage with the publicly available reports in their ordinary course of business."

News24 reported on Monday that influential ANC MP, chair of chairs Cedric Frolick, and ANC MP in National Council of Provinces, Winnie Ngwenya, have been referred to Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests for their part in the Bosasa-scandal.

This was after a legal opinion from Parliament's legal services sat on Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's desk for almost two months.

Democratic Alliance deputy chief whip Siviwe Gwarube's attempts to get Parliament to deal with the published reports, as it pertains to Parliament, were stonewalled by senior ANC MPs on the National Assembly Programming Committee.

The ANC alleged Parliament could only deal with the full report after Ramaphosa tabled it, with an implementation plan four months after its completion. This meant that Parliament would only look at it in mid-October.

The legal opinion did not advise this, and neither did Ramaphosa when he tabled part three of the report in March.

In another statement, Mothapo confirmed that Parliament is in "the process of establishing appropriate systems, consistent with its constitutional function, to process and oversee the implementation of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture Report".

He also confirmed the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests "has been requested to investigate possible contraventions of the Code of Ethical Conduct and Disclosure of Members' Interest for Assembly and Parliament Council Members".

"This applies only to current members who were serving in Parliament when any alleged transgressions took place."

He didn't name Frolick and Ngwenya.

Frolick has recently been elected as co-chair of the ad hoc committee that will exercise oversight over the state of disaster after the floods in KwaZulu-Natal, despite the Zondo cloud over his head.

Mothapo said that, while the official submission of the reports is awaited, Parliament has already started working on systems based on publicly available copies of the reports.

"Parliament's research department is currently processing the reports, summarising them into, among others, action plans to improve Parliament's execution of its constitutional mandate consistent with the corrective measures contained in the reports.

"Parliament's Legal Services department has conducted an analysis of the reports and has generated a legal opinion, proposing a process Parliament should follow in dealing with the reports once officially submitted."

He said Parliament had an obligation to implement corrective measures from the commission's reports, with regard to areas where Parliament had a role to play.

"Similarly, Parliament has a responsibility to...

A Western Cape High Court judge asked Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's lawyer whether she was alleging that Chief Justice Raymond Zondo lied.

The court is hearing Mkhwebane's application for an interdict to prohibit Parliament's Section 194 Committee from continuing with her impeachment proceedings and to prevent President Cyril Ramaphosa from suspending her.

This comes after the committee decided to forge ahead, despite Mkhwebane's initial application to the Constitutional Court for a rescission of its decision, which effectively gave Parliament the green light to continue.

The matter was suspended on 26 April after it emerged that self-described legal analyst Ismail Abramjee sent an SMS to Parliament's counsel, advocate Andrew Breitenbach, SC.

It read, "Hello Adv Breytenbach (sic). Re: The Public Protector case tomorrow. I have it on very good authority that the ConCourt has declined to hear the Public Protector's rescission application. The decision will be made known sometime this coming week but not later than Friday. I thought I'd just share this with you on a strictly confidential basis. Thanks."

On Wednesday, Mkhwebane's advocate, Dali Mpofu, SC, described the SMS as "the biggest scandal to ever hit our courts".

As it turned out, the Constitutional Court announced that it would not hear Mkhwebane's rescission application a week later than Abramjee predicted.

Mkhwebane has since applied for the initial rescission decision to be rescinded.

Mpofu argued, "The mere fact that the judgment is delated by a week, cannot by any stretch of the imagination be read to mean that what Mr Abramjee was saying was not going to happen on the 29th if it had not been outed. So let's just stop there."

He said Zondo gave an interview to the SABC on 28 April.

"He said he was asked three times: 'Has the decision been made?' He gave three different answers.

Mpofu said the first time after the question was asked, Zondo said the matter was pending and the Constitutional Court would announce the decision when ready.

"Let's pause there, he doesn't say decision isn't made," Mpofu said.

The second time, Zondo said the Constitutional Court would announce when a decision is taken.

Judge Nathan Erasmus said Mpofu was, by implication, saying Zondo was lying.

"No. No, no, no, no," Mpofu responded.

"How else must I read it?" Erasmus said.

Mpofu said, "Well I don't know [Judge] Erasmus."

Mpofu added that Zondo didn't give a "clear and unambiguous answer" and that Mkhwebane, owing to her confusion, instructed her attorneys to write a letter to the Constitutional Court to gain clarity.

"This is as clear as mud," Mpofu said.

He said the letter Mkhwebane's attorneys sent was a "nice letter".

He added that the answer they got was that the court didn't want to engage. This came on the same day as the court's rescission decision.

"It's not a fighting letter."

"What should concern you is a situation where there is a possibly - I wouldn't put it higher than that - there is a possibility that someone on the Constitutional Court leaked a judgment to influence you - this court."

The matter will continue on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday has also been set aside for it.

Erasmus is hearing the matter with Judges Mokgoatji Dolamo and Derek Wille.

After surviving a fresh fight for her to be forced to resign following her election as African National Congress (ANC) eThekwini chair, Zandile Gumede believes the ANC's contentious step-aside rule should be debated and finalised at the party's policy conference in July.

The step-aside rule continues to cause intense debate in the ANC, especially after the party fine-tuned the rule. Gumede has a keen interest in how the party decides to cement the step-aside rule as it could decide her political future.

The latest debate on the step-aside rule took place at the ANC's national working committee meeting on Monday, where calls were made for newly elected ANC leaders Gumede and ANC Mpumalanga provincial treasurer Mandla Msibi to be forced to vacate their positions.

The two were elected before the party's national executive committee (NEC) decided that criminally affected members should be barred from contesting leadership positions.

The original "step-aside" guideline had only recommended that implicated members step aside.

Still, with the ANC's elective year gaining steam, the party had moved to address the issue of criminally accused members being elected to powerful positions.

There were questions and discussions on whether Gumede and Msibi should resign, considering they were elected after the amended step-aside guidelines.

News24 understands that both politicians survived efforts to have them removed from the positions.

The ANC was expected to hold a national executive committee meeting in June.

The recommendation on criminally charged members not being allowed to stand for elective positions would likely be further debated.

The matter was also expected to be a discussion topic at the ANC policy conference in July, where members were expected to finalise the party's position on it.

Speaking to News24 on Wednesday, Gumede said she believed the step-aside rule should be settled at the ANC's policy discussion at the July conference.

Gumede declined to comment on the push to force her resignation.

She faces corruption charges in a drawn out case involving a R320-million solid waste tender.

Meanwhile, Msibi faces attempted murder charges linked to an August 2021 shooting in Mbombela.

While he had previously denied any involvement in the shooting, Msibi declined to be drawn on discussions that he too should resign on Wednesday.

Gwen Ramokgopa, the coordinator in the office of the secretary-general of the ANC, described Msibi's election by branches, despite the criminal charges he faced, as "unfortunate".