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Between October and December 2021, 11 political parties received a total of R46 036 589.97 in party funding, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in its quarterly disclosure report.

The African National Congress (ANC) received the largest donation – R22 803 969. The party also received the single largest donation of R15-million from the Batho Batho Trust.

For the first time since the Political Party Funding Act was implemented in April 2021, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have declared donations, totalling R3 148 176.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA have both declared donations from foreign sources.

The DA declared donations totalling R12 519 623.47.

Of that, R840 191.47 is a foreign donation from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, in Germany.

ActionSA, which is not represented in Parliament, declared a total of R5 072 348.50 in donations. German political party foundation the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung donated R530 000 to the party.

ActionSA also received R4 922 348.50 of in-kind donations, R4 212 340.50 of which was made in the form of personal protective equipment.

Other disclosures include R787 588 donated to the Inkatha Freedom Party, R484 438 to the Freedom Front Plus, R340 447 to the GOOD party and R200 000 to the African Transformation Movement.

Donations to parties not represented in Parliament included donations of R430 000 to the Patriotic Alliance, R150 000 to the Shosholoza Progressive Party and R100 000 to the Abantu Integrity Movement.

The IEC noted that 11 declarations in the third quarter is a marked uptick from the three and six made respectively in the first and second quarters.

It further noted that the ANC, DA and ActionSA have been the most consistent in declaring since the Act was instituted.

“The number of declarations has shown a noticeable increase in the third quarter. The Commission believes that this is partly a reflection of an improved understanding and wider acceptance of the Act and the need for greater transparency with regard to political party funding. While the Commission would like to see this trend continuing, it is important to recognise that this period coincided with an election period, i.e. the 2021 local government elections. There seems to be a positive correlation between the number and size of donations on one hand, and the election period on the other,” the IEC said.

It stressed that should it receive credible information of nondisclosure of donations from any party, it will investigate.

The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape has disbanded the Dullah Omar Region.

The ANC held its interim provincial committee (IPC) meeting on Sunday.

The party's provincial convener, Lerumo Kalako, said during a media briefing on Monday that the decision was made during the IPC meeting.

"The IPC has noted the slow progress in the Dullah Omar Region, which could not meet the required outcomes of the process as outlined in the December meeting," he said.

Kalako said the IPC, having assessed the performance of the region, is not convinced that, in its current state, it would meet the deadline for holding a regional conference.

"As such, the IPC has taken a decision to dissolve the Dullah Omar Region and mandated the interim provincial working committee (IPWC) to look into ensuring that the region is assisted in preparing for its conference.

"The IPWC will outline a process to be followed in order to strengthen the work of the region in due course. All regions are scheduled to hold their regional conferences by end of March," he said.

Last year, the ANC's Dullah Omar Region was marred by internal squabbles among members of the branch.

The ANC leadership had, in December last year, instructed the region to get its house in order, to ensure that it was ready to hold its regional conference in March.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura faced heckling during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) while trying to sell a message that his provincial government had answers to the province's economic problems.

Opposition political parties, particularly the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), mocked Makhura during parts of his address, signalling their displeasure at his message.

The SOPA was held on Monday in Johannesburg.

Makhura's focus on the Township Economic Development Bill, which was meant to be passed by the Gauteng legislature in 2021, garnered the most significant noise from opposition political parties.

The premier has been criticised for corruption in government and unimaginative solutions to the battered provincial economy.

The EFF said Makhura had failed to deliver on his promises.

The Township Economic Development Bill was intended to make it easier for small businesses to operate better by cutting the red tape that has often been a barrier for entrepreneurs.

Makhura said this Bill was still subject to public hearings and should be passed in 2022. But the EFF did not buy this message.

EFF members of the provincial legislature heckled Makhura on the matter.

Makhura said while the Bill remained in limbo, the provincial government had done some work investing in township economies.

He said over R20-billion had been spent on these economies. A breakdown of the spending was R5.6-billion on women-owned enterprises, R5.6-billion on youth-owned businesses, and R420-million on businesses owned by people living with disabilities.

Makhura said all this spending took place between 2014 and 2019. The premier's speech also focused considerably on the importance of economic recovery.

He said unemployment, and a struggling economy, remained the emergencies that would take over focus as the Covid-19 pandemic subsided.

Gauteng has an unemployment rate of 37%.

War-room progress

Makhura said a war-room he had assembled to tackle service delivery and economic recovery was working.

He said part of its success was in the tourism, food, and beverage industries.

Makhura also emphasised the use of cannabis and ongoing engagements with cannabis industry leaders. The benefits of cannabis were also highlighted by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the State of the Nation Address.

"This year, we will dedicate a special unit within the provincial government to work with the industry and national government to address the regulatory and licensing issues, attract investment and facilitate black participation in this new sector," Makhura said.

Infrastructure

Makhura has also lamented a lack of focus on infrastructure investment and maintenance in the province. He said several vital projects faced delays for no reason.

The sector has the capabilities to provide much-needed jobs, Makhura said.

He said this remained his biggest concern, and another war-room would be created to deal with backlog and problems.

"Between 2014 and 2019, we invested R53-billion in social and economic infrastructure, which contributed to the creation of 120 000 jobs. Our track record on maintenance has been dismal, and costing projects are issues of concern," Makhura said.

Police Minister Bheki Cele said he received information on the identities of the 12 instigators of the July unrest from a member of the public.

On Monday, Cele told the South African Human Rights Commission's hearing into the July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng that he usually received information from members of the public because his contact number was available on the internet.

"I have a phone number that is on the internet. It irritates, but it helps because you really do get things that you wouldn't if your number wasn't known. Somebody came to brief me, especially on the people who were pushing this on the internet," Cele said.

Some of the alleged social media accounts included Twitter user "Sphithiphithi Evaluator", who has since been unmasked in court as Zamaswazi Majozi.

She was arrested last year and charged with incitement to commit violence.

"I was briefed and given correspondence [from social media]. I tried to verify with authentic structures . unfortunately, it could not be verified even after I requested it. The question of 12 instigators comes from that briefing. And, most of those people have been arrested now."

Cele said 19 people had been arrested for allegedly instigating the unrest. Two of the cases were withdrawn and the others were still before the courts.

Asked whether he shared the information with national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole, Cele said: "No, it was not shared with the national commissioner. It was definitely shared with the Hawks to look into the information and the individuals.

"Maybe one reason is that in those days one was working more with the deputies rather than the national commissioner."

Earlier in the day, Cele told the commission he had been shut out of Crime Intelligence briefings.

He told the commission he had only received the intelligence report warning of possible violence on 3 December. This was after he first appeared at the commission and five months after the unrest had happened.

Cele said he had also received advice from a member of the public to not go to former president Jacob Zuma's home in Nkandla.

"The person said, 'Don't dare go there because of the number of people over there who were armed'. He said they would be very happy to make me their trophy, and I did not go, but the provincial commissioner [Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi] did go.

"There was free shooting. People were carrying big guns. I realised that it would have been very dangerous to have gone there. That information came from an ordinary South African," Cele said.

He said if Mkhwanazi had not gone to Nkandla, things would have gotten out of control.

"There were pockets of excellence with the SAPS. Mkhwanazi on the ground in Nkandla. If he was not there, the situation was going to be bad. For him being there and taking decisions on the ground. I guess if many top management [members] had been present, it would have eased some situations."

Cele said Sitole was "nowhere to be seen" during the unrest. He said while he had visited several areas that had been affected by the violence, Sitole never had.

"I can authoritatively say those engagements work, especially in KZN. Working from the office would not have helped to. try and enhance the work of the police, to engage the communities. I take it from the 4th [of July], which was one of the toughest days in the movement of people from other provinces to Nkandla," he added.

Cele said he called Sitole on 7 July and had asked that they work together from the KwaZulu-Natal police headquarters, but he never did.

Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo says she has the sole prerogative to determine wage increases for senior government officials - not labour unions.

Dlodlo has taken issue with the Public Servants Association of SA's public statement that it "vigorously pursued" salary increases for senior management members (SMS) in the government.

Dlodlo's office announced that senior government employees would receive a salary increase. This part of the workforce was not included in the wage negotiations for the 2021/2022 financial year.

The salary increase is 1.5%. A cash incentive will also be paid, backdated to 1 April.

The minister said that unlike public servants in lower band levels one to 12, she would determine the salary increases of senior managers – levels 13 to 16 - in consultation with the finance minister.

She said labour unions only interacted in a negotiation process at the Public Sector Bargaining Council for workers on levels one to 12.

Dlodlo said labour unions were entitled to engage with her office on behalf of senior members. However, the engagement was simply consultative and did not amount to a negotiation process.

"It is worth emphasising that labour unions do not negotiate salary increases for SMS members. What should also be taken into consideration is that SMS members have not received cost-of-living adjustments for a few years, which would negatively impact their pensions. The current cost-of-living adjustment also entails contributions to the pension of employees," she said.

"What the labour unions are entitled to do on behalf of their members, and rightfully so, is to regularly make enquiries with the Minister for the Public Service and Administration on the progress relating to salary increases of SMS members. As an open and transparent government, feedback is provided to the labour unions... until a determination has been made," she added.

The size of the public sector wage bill has been flagged as an issue in the government's struggle to manage its finances.

Dlodlo said that in determining pay upgrades, the government was walking tight rope in managing the wage bill and rising costs of living.

She said senior officials had not received a wage increase in years, which was likely to impact their pensions.

"Overall, the objective should be to manage the cost of employment and cost of delivery of services while ensuring that the wage bill is commensurate with affordability considerations over time. The dwindling fiscus has necessitated that government reviews how it can operate with the bare resources at its disposal. At all times, the government has to strike a balance between the needs of the public servants on the one hand and the broader socio-economic challenges facing the state," Dlodlo said.

According to the latest data from the Central Energy Fund, the petrol price is currently set for a hike of around R1.25 a litre, while diesel could be increased by R1.29.

Given the current outlook, 95 octane petrol in Gauteng could cost around a record high R21.39/l from the first week in March, with 93 octane petrol increasing to R21.13/l, the Automobile Association (AA) said in a statement.

The coastal price of 95 octane will also breach the R20/l mark for the first time, rising to R20.67/l, based on the current data. Diesel and illuminating paraffin will also increase to record levels.

Local fuel prices are determined by international oil prices - as well as the dollar-rand value, as South Africa buys oil in dollar.

The rand has been strengthening in recent times, breaking below R15/$ for the first time since November this week. However, the oil price continues to increase, with Brent oil now trading above $90 a barrel – from around $60 a year ago.

There is strong demand for oil as economies recovery from the pandemic, but at the same time, supply is constrained due to logistical and production problems.

"The rand is currently trading in a more positive band than it has for some weeks, with the local currency shaving around 17 cents off oil’s negative movement. Without this, the expected increases could have been between R1.40/l and R1.47/l for fuels across the board," the AA notes.

If the price of 95 octane petrol inland is hiked to R21.39 in March, that will be 31% higher than a year ago. The cost of diesel could rise from R14.12 in March 2021 to R19.33 in 2022 – a 37% hike.

The biggest increase, though, is in illuminating paraffin, the AA notes. "Considering the expected increase of R1.22/l for this fuel, the price in March 2022 could reach R13.19/l (off its current price of R11.97/l), which would represent a whopping 56% increase year-on-year."

"Naturally we are concerned about these expected increases which will undoubtedly put more pressure on already stretched consumers," Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt says. "These hefty increases also reaffirm our belief that a review of the fuel price is necessary to establish if there are any components within the current pricing model that can be revised to mitigate against rising costs."

The AA called on the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana not to increase the General Fuel and Road Accident Fund levies in his budget speech next week. "Any relief – even in the form of non-increases – would be welcome to a consumer base already reeling from economic hardship."

More than 900 women were murdered from October to December 2021.

This emerged when police presented crime statistics for October to December 2021 – the third quarter of the current financial year – to the Portfolio Committee on Police on Friday morning. Police Minister Bheki Cele was seated next to national police commissioner Khehla Sitole.

While there was an increase in murders, overall contact crimes decreased by 4%, compared to the same period the year before.

Major General Thulare Sekhukhune said the 6 859 murders in the third quarter were 562 more than in the same period the year before. This is an increase of 8.9%.

Attempted murders also increased by 3.5%.

However, sexual offences decreased by 9%, compared to the same quarter the previous year.

There were decreases in cases of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (7.2%), common assault (1.7%), common robbery (11%), and robbery with aggravating circumstances (1.3%).

A reported 902 women were murdered, and there were 1 240 attempted murders of women, as well as 15 692 assaults with intent to do grievous bodily harm involving women.

In the third quarter, 352 children – up to the age of 17 – were murdered; 394 were victims of attempted murder and 2 048 were victims of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.

In their presentation, the police did not compare the statistics to the previous quarter, only to that of the same quarter of the previous financial year.

However, when the previous quarter's statistics were compared to those presented, the murder figure also increased.

There were 6 163 murders from July to September last year.

There were also more women murdered compared to the previous quarter in which 897 women were murdered.

There were more child murders in the third quarter. In the previous quarter, 287 children were murdered.

While rapes decreased in the third quarter compared to the previous year's third quarter, they increased quarter-on-quarter.

There were 9 556 rapes from July to September 2021, and 11 315 from October to December.

This also didn't escape committee chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson, who said the police could not say rapes decreased.

She said there were, on average, about 123 rapes a day.

"One is too much; 123 a day is completely unacceptable," she said.

National Freedom Party MP Munzoor Shaik-Emam described the rape statistics as "very frightening".

Democratic Alliance MP Ockert Terblanche said he was not very happy. He said, on average, 74.5 people are murdered every day, and five years ago, it was about 68 a day.

"I really think that is appalling," he said.

"Women and children still remain incredibly vulnerable."

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said he was concerned about mob justice, which showed that people were losing trust in the police.

"Three hundred and fifty-seven murders [related to vigilantism] in only three months is really a serious concern about what is happening in South Africa," Groenewald said.

He also said there were still too many instances where women tried to report attempted murder or assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, but were turned away.

Cele said: "Society will has to play a much broader role with murder."

He said incidents happened where people should be safe.

"Rapes are even worse, where people are raped by people known to them – boyfriends and fathers," he said.

He is also concerned about friends and family members who persuade victims to withdraw cases.

"The families are playing a big role in not supporting the victims."

Some members complained about corruption among police officers.

"Every family has a black sheep," Cele said.

He added that they are cut off from the police family once found.

The High Court in Makhanda has dismissed Shell and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe's application for leave to appeal a ruling that temporarily halted a seismic survey off the Wild Coast.

The interim interdict remains in place.

Judge Gerald Bloem made the ruling on Thursday. The application was dismissed with costs.

Shell and the Minister had applied for leave to appeal Bloem's December ruling, which blocked the seismic survey, pending a hearing - set down for 30 May - that will challenge the oil company's environmental authorisation. Wild Coast communities had launched the main application last year and they seek to have Shell's exploration right to be reviewed and set aside.

Shell's environmental management programme indicates that the window to conduct the survey is between 1 December and 31 May every year, until 10 August 2023.

The court was informed that Shell would not undertake the seismic survey before 31 May 2022, if it is allowed to do so. The company instead would carry out the survey between December 2022 to May 2023, provided it is allowed to do so.

Bloem was of the view that refusing leave to appeal would not have an effect on Shell's plans - given that the survey wouldn't be conducted before November 2022:

It means that, even if leave to appeal be granted and the main application be dismissed, Shell will not conduct a seismic survey before the end of November 2022, approximately 10 months away. The refusal of the application for leave to appeal will accordingly not have any effect on Shell until the end of November 2022.

The judgment on the main application would be delivered "long before" the end of November 2022, even if the hearing is to be postponed from 30 May, Bloem noted.

"In the circumstances, an appeal against the interim judgment will have no practical effect, certainly not before 1 December 2022. The application for leave to appeal should be dismissed on that ground alone," the judgment read.

Given the arguments brought before him, Bloem said that he is of the view an appeal would have no reasonable prospects for success.

"[T]here is no compelling reason why the appeal should be heard. In all the circumstances, it would not be in the interests of justice to grant leave to appeal against the interim judgment," he added.

The committee handling Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's impeachment will resume its work on Tuesday after a six-month hiatus due to court processes.

Two weeks ago, the Constitutional Court effectively gave Parliament the green light to continue with the impeachment.

Mkhwebane must now be allowed legal representation when the hearings take place.

The process does not have to start from scratch because the court found nothing unconstitutional had taken place in the process so far.

At the National Assembly Programming Committee's meeting on Thursday, Democratic Alliance (DA) deputy chief whip Siviwe Gwarube enquired about the committee, which is called a Section 194 committee after the section of the Constitution dealing with the removal of the head of a Chapter 9 institution.

House chairperson, or chair of chairs as he's known in Parliament, Cedric Frolick, said he signed off on the committee meeting on Tuesday.

He said the committee would then determine its programme.

In August last year, after a ruling by the Western Cape High Court put the brakes on the proceedings, the Section 194 committee had already been constituted, with African National Congress MP Richard Dyantyi elected as its chairperson, but it hadn't started with the inquiry.

In line with the court's ruling, which the Constitutional Court upheld, Mkhwebane will be entitled to have a legal representative during the hearings.

In December 2019, days after the National Assembly adopted rules for removing a Chapter 9 head, like the Public Protector, DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone brought a motion for Mkhwebane's removal to former National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise.

However, in February 2020, Mazzone withdrew the motion and lodged another, with what Mazzone considered evidence for Mkhwebane's removal.

The process then stalled as Parliament was seized with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Modise appointed Justice Bess Nkabinde, advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC and advocate Johan de Waal SC in November last year to an independent panel, which had to determine whether there was a prima facie case for Mkhwebane's removal.

The panel reported to Modise in February 2021, with the finding that there was a prima facie case to institute removal proceedings against Mkhwebane.

On 16 March 2021, the National Assembly decided to impeach Mkhwebane - the first Chapter 9 head to suffer this fate.

The Section 194 committee must report back to the National Assembly with a recommendation on whether or not Mkhwebane should be removed.

A two-thirds majority vote is required to remove the Public Protector.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will "resist" further delays in the long-awaited corruption trial of Jacob Zuma and French arms company Thales – and stressed that "despite any appeals, the matter must proceed".

The NPA expressed this a day after Judge Piet Koen in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg dismissed all six applications Zuma launched to challenge the legitimacy of his corruption prosecution – and ordered that the case against him and Thales should proceed on 11 April 2022.

In a 61-page ruling, Koen reiterated what the NPA previously argued, that Zuma did not have the legal right to appeal the dismissal of his "special plea" challenge to State advocate Billy Downer's title to prosecute him now. After citing multiple court rulings, Koen said it was clear that such an appeal could happen only if and when Zuma was convicted of the arms deal corruption he is accused of.

"On the peculiar facts relating to this matter," Koen said, "an appeal against the dismissal of the special plea, if successful, would not lead to a 'just and prompt resolution of the real issues between the parties' before this court, in this instance Mr Zuma's guilt or innocence."

"In the absence of a prompt resolution of that real issue between the parties, there is no scope for an appeal prior to conviction, based on S 17(1)(c) of the Superior Courts Act."

He added that, even if it was heard at this stage, Zuma's appeal had "no prospects of success".

In a statement released on Thursday morning, the NPA said it "noted" Koen's ruling that the "interests of justice require that the matter now proceeds to trial in respect of the not guilty pleas of the two accused (Zuma and French arms company Thales) – and his order that the case against the two proceed on 11 April.

"The NPA will be fully prepared to proceed on 11 April 2022, and it will do all that it can to ensure that the trial continues, despite whatever further steps there may be to delay the trial by yet further applications to appeal," said NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga.

The NPA has typically put trials on hold to allow for the hearing of legal challenges to prosecutions and subsequent appeals – so its decision to push for the case against Zuma to go ahead regardless of any appeal he may lodge, could set an important future precedent.

"No appeal should be an impediment to the resumption of trial, given that the appeal itself should have been lodged after the conclusion of the trial. Hence, the prosecutors will be opposing any postponement of the trial when it resumes on 11 April," Mhaga said.

"We are on solid legal ground here."

Zuma stands accused of corruption in relation to allegations that he was kept on a corrupt retainer by his former financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, in exchange for his using his position to further Shaik's business interests.

It is the State's case that Zuma also accepted a R500 000-a-year-bribe – facilitated by Shaik – to protect Thales from any potential investigation into South Africa's multibillion rand arms deal.