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DA takes CoJ, mayor, JHB Water to court over water rights

The Democratic Alliance's (DA's) mayoral candidate for Johannesburg Helen Zille has filed court papers in the South Gauteng High Court arguing that the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and Johannesburg Water failed to implement the Water Turnaround Strategy, resulting in a possible violation of constitutional rights.

The DA's court papers, also directed at CoJ Mayor Dada Morero, give the respondents 10 days to respond to what the DA says is a worsening water crisis.

"This legal action follows years of accelerated infrastructure collapse, lack of maintenance, chronic water outages, and the failure of the ANC-led administration to act with the urgency required to protect residents and businesses. The court application makes it clear that the crisis facing Johannesburg is not the result of an unavoidable disaster, but rather the direct consequence of political failure, poor governance, and deliberate inaction by the mayor and his mayoral committee and the administration," Zille said.

She argued that the Water Turnaround Strategy, which was adopted by Council in 2023, could have stabilised and rehabilitated the city's water infrastructure, as it identified crucial interventions and had the support of Treasury.

She blamed Morero's administration for delaying the implementation of the strategy and the party's court papers claimed that the municipality and Johannesburg Water did not fulfil their constitutional and legal obligations to Johannesburg residents.

"The DA is determined to ensure that those responsible for this crisis are held accountable and that urgent action is taken to fix Johannesburg's broken water system before even greater damage is done," Zille said.

Speaker initiates establishment of impeachment committee after Phala Phala court ruling

In response to the Constitutional Court's judgment on the Phala Phala vote, Parliament has announced that National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza will initiate the process to establish an Impeachment Committee.

This comes after the apex court declared that the previous parliamentary process used to shield President Cyril Ramaphosa was unconstitutional.

The Constitutional Court on Friday, delivered a crushing indictment of Parliament's previous handling of the Phala Phala saga. The apex court declared Rule 129I of the National Assembly unconstitutional and set aside the December 2022 vote that halted an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa.

The court found that the previous parliamentary vote, which relied on a simple majority to shut down the process, violated the National Assembly's constitutional obligations under Section 89 of the Constitution.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said that in compliance with the Constitutional Court judgment, Didiza would initiate the process to establish an Impeachment Committee in terms of Rules 129J to 129O of the Rules of the National Assembly.

This committee will consider the Section 89 inquiry process regarding the allegations against the President, specifically the findings of the Independent Panel Report, which found prima facie evidence of potential violations by the President.

Mothapo noted that the Independent Panel Report will be formally referred to the newly constituted Impeachment Committee, and that Didiza will refer the Constitutional Court judgment to the National Assembly Subcommittee on the Review of Rules to ensure they align with the Court's findings.

Didiza will formally inform National Assembly of the Independent Panel Report by tabling it through the appropriate journals of Parliament and will provide Ramaphosa with a copy of the report.

Although Ramaphosa has stated his respect for the court's decision and affirmed his commitment to the Constitution, opposition parties are demanding immediate action.

The EFF, which brought the case, has demanded that the process be finalised within 48 hours.

No one is above the law – Ramaphosa

Responding to Friday's Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling, which opens the way for impeachment proceedings against him, President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the court's judgment should be respected.

The ConCourt ruled that the decision of the National Assembly not to refer the report of the Independent Panel on whether Ramaphosa should be impeached or not, to a Parliamentary impeachment committee, to be invalid.

The ConCourt ruled that the National Assembly must refer the Section 89 Independent Panel report to an impeachment committee. The case was brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters.

The Presidency said it had noted the judgment and said Ramaphosa "respects the Constitutional Court's judgment and reaffirms his commitment to the Constitution, the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law".

It added that the President had been "consistent" in cooperating with enquiries into the matter.

"President Ramaphosa maintains that no person is above the law and that any allegations should be subjected to due process without fear, favour or prejudice," the Presidency said.

Opposition parties demand immediate impeachment process against Ramaphosa after ConCourt ruling

Opposition parties have reacted strongly to Friday's Constitutional Court judgment on an impeachment inquiry over the Phala Phala scandal, with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) demanding an immediate impeachment committee, while ActionSA called the ruling a victory for accountability, as opposition parties prepare to test the parameters of the Seventh Parliament.

On Friday, the Constitutional court ruled that the decision of the National Assembly not to refer the report of the Independent Panel on whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should be impeached or not, to a Parliamentary impeachment committee, to be invalid.

The ConCourt ruled that the National Assembly must refer the Section 89 Independent Panel report to an impeachment committee, opening the way for impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa.

EFF national chairperson and parliamentary chief whip Nontando Nolutshungu wrote to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza after the judgment demanding clear timelines to establish an impeachment committee.

The party argued that the previous decision by the National Assembly to block the investigation was "unconstitutional" and that the report must be processed, noting that any further delay was an "abrogation of Parliament's duties".

The EFF, which brought the case, said the judgment was a decisive victory for constitutional accountability and said it confirmed what the party had maintained from the onset of the scandal: "that the institutions of the State, including Parliament, were manipulated to protect Cyril Ramaphosa from scrutiny and accountability for conduct that would have destroyed the political career of any ordinary citizen."

"We, therefore, declare this a significant victory for us, the people of South Africa and our democracy. We now call for the immediate implementation of the Constitutional Court judgment and the reinstatement of all constitutional accountability processes against President Cyril Ramaphosa," the party said.

The EFF stated that despite alleged attempts by the African National Congress (ANC), Parliament, and State institutions to bury the scandal, constitutional accountability had prevailed.

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont welcomed the judgment, also declaring it a "victory" for South Africans.

Beaumont noted that with the ANC no longer holding an absolute majority, Parliament could now hold Ramaphosa accountable.

ActionSA called on members of the Government of National Unity (GNU) who had previously remained silent on the issue to now demonstrate commitment to accountability.

GNU partner, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it would "participate fully and constructively" in the impeachment committee, vowing that it would not shield wrongdoing.

"… we will never be party to protecting misconduct, covering up corruption, or weakening accountability for political convenience.

"Those who hold the highest offices in the land must be held to the highest standards of honesty, transparency and accountability," said new DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Hill-Lewis said the judgment also drew a clear line between the DA and the ANC.

"For too long, the ANC has presided over a political culture in which accountability is delayed, diluted or avoided when it becomes inconvenient," he stated.

He added that this was a "grave moment for Parliament, for the Presidency, and for South Africa's constitutional democracy".

He said Ramaphosa must have the opportunity to account fully to the committee.

Hill-Lewis noted that Parliament must have the opportunity to establish the facts, and that South Africans must have confidence that their institutions were acting without fear, favour or prejudice.

"This judgment has implications beyond any one President. It will shape how Parliament holds all future Presidents accountable. That is why the DA will approach this process with the seriousness, discipline and constitutio...

ConCourt revives impeachment process against Ramaphosa

South Africa's highest court on Friday revived impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over a scandal in which a large amount of foreign currency was stolen from inside a sofa in his farmhouse in 2020.

In 2022 Ramaphosa's political party blocked an impeachment committee from being set up to further investigate the incident, which raised questions about how Ramaphosa acquired so much physical cash, whether he declared it and why he stuffed it in furniture instead of depositing it at a bank.

Ramaphosa, in power since 2018, has always denied wrongdoing over the scandal, dubbed "Farmgate" by local media, and has said the money was proceeds from the sale of some buffaloes on his game ranch.

A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE ANY IMPEACHMENT VOTE

The court said the move to block the impeachment process was inconsistent with the constitution and the committee should now be established.

Ramaphosa said in a statement that he respected the court's judgment.

Political analysts said there was still a long way to go in the impeachment process and Ramaphosa was likely to survive if the matter was put to a vote in the lower house of parliament.

An impeachment vote requires a two-thirds majority to pass, and even though Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) party lost its majority in a 2024 election, it still has well over one-third of the seats in the National Assembly.

Farmgate broke when a former intelligence official walked into a police station and alleged Ramaphosa had tried to cover up the theft of about $4-million in foreign currency stashed at his Phala Phala game farm.

Ramaphosa, a wealthy businessman before he became president, admitted there had been a break-in but said the thieves only stole $580 000.

RAMAPHOSA STILL HAS SUPPORT IN ANC AND COALITION

An independent panel of experts in 2022 found preliminary evidence Ramaphosa may have committed misconduct, which led some opponents to call for his resignation.

Lawson Naidoo, executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, said the impeachment committee's work would be more detailed, likely taking several months.

The opposition party that brought the case to the constitutional court, the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), wrote to the speaker of the National Assembly on Friday asking her to set up the impeachment committee immediately.

"I don't think the (panel's) report is going ... any further (towards) impeachment," political analyst Oscar van Heerden said.

"Ramaphosa still (enjoys) majority support (in his party), and they are not going to want to upset things by (taking) this to its logical conclusion," he said, adding that neither would the ANC's key coalition partners like the Democratic Alliance.

DA demands national intervention in Joburg, Ekurhuleni

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has renewed its push for national intervention in the City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni municipalities, citing a collapse in service delivery driven by severe financial mismanagement.

Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga has formally requested that President Cyril Ramaphosa place the City of Johannesburg under financial administration.

Msimanga highlighted that despite previous warnings and a proposed "rescue plan" sent to the President, the situation in Johannesburg has continued to deteriorate.

The DA's call follows a recent letter by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, which warned of possible violations of the Municipal Finance Management Act.

Godongwana's letter highlighted unfunded budgets and illegal financial practices and a failure to maintain infrastructure, leading to a decline in services.

The City of Johannesburg is reportedly facing a severe financial crisis, with recent reports indicating it is technically bankrupt, owing creditors roughly R25.2-billion while holding only R3.9-billion in cash.

While a Presidential working group was mentioned previously to fix infrastructure issues ahead of the G20 summit, the DA argues that the intervention has failed to yield results, with water, electricity, and road services collapsing.

The DA has alleged that R4-billion was diverted from Johannesburg Water to cover operating costs and salaries, contributing to a widespread water crisis.

Msimanga stated that placing the City of Johannesburg under administration was essential to conduct a proper forensic assessment, identify financial gaps, and redirect funds toward critical service delivery.

"If this is not done immediately, the residents in the City of Johannesburg will continue to experience a decline in service delivery in the province," Msimanga said.

EKURHULENI

Simultaneously, the DA in Gauteng has raised alarm over the state of Ekurhuleni, alleging that the metro is in a full-blown crisis with billions owed to service providers.

DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane laid a complaint with Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka, calling for an urgent investigation into corruption allegations in the City of Ekurhuleni.

In its submission, the party set out allegations that officials within the City of Ekurhuleni may have influenced City Council votes in exchange for directing funding to the political parties of certain councillors.

The DA believes there are clear grounds for an investigation within the Public Protector's jurisdiction, including possible contraventions of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and the Political Party Funding Act.

Rasilingwane noted that the complaint further centres on allegations that the city manager Kagiso Lerutla abused his position as group chief financial officer to direct millions of rands in public funds to African National Congress-aligned proxy parties as a so-called "protection fee" in exchange for political favours.

"… if proven true, this would represent a deliberate and coordinated looting of public resources at the highest levels of the municipality," she said.

Moody's sees South Africa debt stabilising as reforms boost outlook

South Africa's improving fiscal performance and reform momentum should help government debt stabilise this year before gradually declining, Moody's Ratings said in a report dated Wednesday.

Moody's said stronger revenue, spending restraint and improving funding costs supported the credit-positive shift, though debt above 80% of GDP continued to limit the government's ability to absorb shocks. Moody's rates South Africa at Ba2 with a stable outlook.

Moody's forecast South Africa's general government deficit would narrow to 4.3% of GDP in 2026 and 3.8% in 2027, from 4.5% in 2025.

Primary surplus is expected to rise to 1.8% of GDP in 2027, above its estimated 1.5% level needed to stabilise debt.

General government debt is estimated to have peaked at 86.8% of GDP in 2025 and is forecast to decline gradually to 84.9% by 2028, Moody's said.

Interest payments accounted for 18.8% of general government revenue in 2025, which Moody's said was weaker than many similarly rated peers.

Moody's said South Africa's shift to a lower inflation target of 3%, with a 1 percentage point tolerance band, should help lower risk premia and funding costs.

The ratings agency expects real GDP growth to rise gradually to around 2% by 2028 from 0.5% in 2024, supported by higher investment and resilient consumption.

It said sustained reforms in electricity, logistics and water sectors could lift medium-term growth potential above 2% and help attract private investment.

The ratings agency said the 2027-2029 electoral cycle would test reform durability, but the risk of a sharp policy reversal was limited.

Moody's said its baseline was for the Government of National Unity to hold through its term, with the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance wanting to preserve stability before the 2029 general election.

African countries warn citizens of xenophobic attacks in South Africa

African countries including Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have warned migrants in South Africa to be cautious and remain indoors due to attacks targeting foreigners, and Ghana has lobbied the African Union regional bloc for action.

South Africa has seen a wave of protests against illegal immigration which have been accompanied by instances of violence against migrants from other sub-Saharan African countries in South Africa, which has the largest economy on the continent.

Migrant rights groups say they are being scapegoated by South Africans who blame them for the country's economic problems, namely high unemployment which hovers at over 30% and disproportionately affects the Black population.

Ghana said on Wednesday it had facilitated the safe return of a citizen who was seen being targeted in a video that went viral while Nigeria also said it was repatriating at least 130 citizens after the deaths of two Nigerians.

Ghana's statement did not identify the incident it was referring to, but one video circulating on social media showed a Ghanaian man being harassed by a crowd of people who demanded to see his papers and then questioned their authenticity. "We don't want you here," one woman says.

Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo met South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday and called for calm, while Ghana's government wrote to the African Union asking it to take up the issue.

The other countries issued their warnings in statements to their citizens.

Xenophobic attacks in South Africa have flared up periodically. The vigilante group Operation Dudula has led campaigns against undocumented migrants, including at times blocking them from entering public health facilities.

The government has condemned the violence while also expressing sympathy for its citizens' frustration over illegal immigration.

"South Africans are within their right to protest against the spiralling illegal immigration challenge, but violence linked to those protests ... is not acceptable and law enforcement must deal with the instigators of such violence," a cabinet statement said on Thursday.

South Africa's immigrant population has seen a steady rise over the past few decades, increasing from 2% of the total population in 1996 to 4% in 2022, according to a report from the national statistics agency Stats SA. Most of them are from the Southern African Development Community region, it said.

ActionSA demands stability, DA vows accountability over CoJ 'financial crisis'

Following what ActionSA says is National Treasury's confirmation of a financial crisis in the City of Johannesburg, the party wants the municipality, the Gauteng Provincial Government, and all relevant stakeholders to urgently act to stabilise the City, while the Democratic Alliance (DA) has vowed accountability.

Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has officially declared that the City of Johannesburg is in a state of severe financial distress.

In a letter dated April 23, addressed to City of Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero, Godongwana stated that the City has become a "mark of severe financial distress," unable to meet its obligations.

The letter, which has been leaked, highlights a massive R10.3-billion wage deal with the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), which ActionSA said was unlawful and was unaffordable for the city, describing it as the core of the immediate crisis.

The City owes creditors a staggering R25.2-billion and Godongwana has directly instructed the City to halt the R10.3-billion wage deal.

ActionSA Gauteng Legislature caucus leader Funzi Ngobeni said his party recognised the concerns of municipal workers and supported efforts to address long-standing wage disparities.

"At the same time, we repeatedly warned that any commitments made to workers had to be lawful, properly authorised, financially sustainable, and capable of being honoured over time.

"Our position has always been simple: Workers must be protected, but false promises that place both workers and the City at risk cannot be defended," he said.

Ngobeni expressed concerns that, while National Treasury is raising the alarm about severe financial distress and possible Municipal Finance Management Act transgressions, the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs recently told the Provincial Legislature that "the matter is resolved".

The reality is now undeniable: the crisis is not resolved, he said.

Meanwhile, the DA said it will seek to hold all councillors who supported the wage decisions in council, personally responsible for the crisis in the municipality.

The party said it has warned of this crisis, consistently arguing in Council that the decisions leading to this point were illegal.

DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille said according to Godongwana's letter, the financial situation in Johannesburg has reached a critical juncture, noting that the City is labelled functionally bankrupt owing to its inability to cover short-term liabilities.

Zille pointed out that this has translated into a collapse of basic services across Johannesburg, with the City unable to repair or maintain infrastructure, leading to persistent, long-term water and power outages.

Godongwana has issued a formal notice that if the City does not immediately "remedy this situation," the National Treasury will invoke Section 216 (2) of the Constitution.

This action would involve withholding over R8-billion in allocations under the Division of Revenue Act, which the DA warns would be "the final nail in Johannesburg's coffin."

DA defends decision to take on NHI in ConCourt

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis argued on Wednesday that South Africa cannot build a sustainable healthcare system by centralising "enormous power, money, and decision-making" in a State that has repeatedly failed its current mandates.

Hill-Lewis' remarks come as the Western Cape government takes its fight against the National Health Insurance (NHI) to the Constitutional Court.

The provincial government is seeking to defend the principle that superior healthcare is a product of good governance rather than centralised control, arguing that major reforms like the NHI cannot be pushed through Parliament as a "box-ticking exercise".

The Constitutional Court is hearing two major challenges to the NHI Act between Tuesday and Thursday, focusing on an allegedly flawed parliamentary public participation process.

In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that he would not promulgate any provisions of the NHI Act prior to the Constitutional Court handing down judgment on these public participation challenges, and that he would not enforce any part of the Act until he was requested to do so by the Minister of Health.

Hill-Lewis highlighted that State capture had shown, through failing hospitals, broken procurement systems and collapsing public services, that concentration of power without competence does not produce better health outcomes.

"It simply produces failure at a larger scale. In the DA-governed Western Cape life expectancy is 67.6 years for men and 72.2 years for women, above the national figures of 64.0 and 69.6 respectively.

"In the Free State, life expectancy falls to 57.3 years for men and 64.2 years for women. A ten-year life expectancy gap is the clearest possible proof that healthcare is ultimately a governance and accountability issue," he stated.

He defended the good government argument against the NHI, stating that government needed to prove that it could manage the public health system it already controlled, before spending on a new healthcare fund.

"… that means running hospitals properly, keeping clinics stocked with medicine, appointing competent managers, paying suppliers on time, preventing corruption, and treating patients with dignity," he said.

He claimed the NHI Act was threatening the security of millions of working and middle-class South Africans.

"These are not wealthy elites. They are teachers, nurses, police officers, small business owners, young professionals, pensioners and working parents who already pay tax, VAT, school fees, security costs and, in many cases, private healthcare because the State has failed to provide reliable services," he said.

Hill-Lewis said government could not make promises that healthcare would improve if it had failed to fix current public healthcare.

"South Africans deserve healthcare reform that is practical, lawful, affordable and grounded in good governance. Healthcare is too important to be built on wishful thinking," he said.