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Trump poised to expand refugee programme for white South Africans

President Donald Trump's administration is considering more than doubling an annual refugee limit to bring more white South Africans into the US, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Trump, a Republican, paused refugee admissions from around the world when he took office in January 2025. Weeks later, he issued an executive order prioritising the resettlement of European-descended Afrikaners, saying they faced race-based persecution in majority-Black South Africa. South Africa's government vehemently denies the claims.

The US Refugee Admissions Program was formally established in 1980 after hundreds of thousands of people fled wars in Vietnam and Cambodia. The programme expanded to provide safe haven to persecuted people around the globe. Trump has used it almost exclusively to bring white South Africans into the US, part of a broader upending of norms around humanitarian protection.

In recent weeks, US officials have discussed expanding the 7 500-person refugee cap by 10 000 to allow more South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity to obtain refugee status, said people familiar with internal planning, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share non-public government discussions.

The White House referred questions to the US State Department. A State Department spokesperson did not confirm or deny the discussions around expanding the refugee admissions ceiling.

"If the president decides to raise the FY 2026 refugee admissions cap, he will do so at the appropriate time, and any numbers discussed at this point are only speculation," the spokesperson said.

During the apartheid era, which ended with the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa maintained a racially segregated society with separate schools, neighbourhoods and public facilities for people classified as Black, coloured, white or Asian.

Blacks make up 81% of South Africa's population, according to 2022 census data. Afrikaners and other white South Africans constitute 7% of the population.

The US admitted about 4 500 South Africans as refugees through the first six months of the fiscal year, State Department figures show, on pace to exceed Trump's existing limits for the programme. The only refugees other than white South Africans to enter this fiscal year were three Afghans, according to State Department statistics.

Trump set the record-low refugee ceiling of 7 500 for fiscal year 2026, which began October 1, 2025, down from a ceiling of 125 000 a year under former President Joe Biden.

The Trump administration is also discussing bringing in refugees of other nationalities, one of the people familiar with planning said.

US officials are weighing whether religious minorities from Iran and countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union could be included under what's known as the "Lautenberg" programme, the person said. The programme stems from a 1989 budget amendment introduced by then-US Senator Frank Lautenberg that aimed to make it easier for Jewish refugees to resettle in the US.

SOME SOUTH AFRICANS IN THE US DECIDE TO GO BACK HOME

Even as Trump looks to further ramp up the entry of South Africans, an internal US government email reviewed by Reuters showed that at least four refugees already in the US have returned to South Africa.

One South African who arrived in Minneapolis in late January departed the US less than a month later, the email showed. Case notes said that plans for his daughter and grandchildren to join him "fell through" so he returned to his home country.

A pair of South Africans who arrived in Twin Falls, Idaho, in late January via the refugee programme turned around a week later, saying a parent was ill in South Africa, the email showed.

Another South African resettled in Moline, Illinois, in mid-March returned home weeks later, the email said.

"Resettlement occurred quickly, she had not thoroughly thought through the process, and her family in South Africa...

SACP tells members to ignore ANC dual membership ultimatum

The South African Communist Party (SACP) on Thursday strongly rejected recent directives from the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) requiring dual members to essentially choose sides ahead of the upcoming 2026 local government elections.

The SACP has decided to contest the elections as an independent party, which ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said was a conflict of interest.

The ANC told members with dual ANC-SACP membership to declare within 10-days, which party they will campaign for.

Describing the ANC's directive as a serious anti-communist act, SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila warned that the ultimatum threatens to fundamentally alter the character of the long-standing Tripartite Alliance.

He said that while the SACP has "never considered the ANC an enemy" and has historically supported them, the new ANC directives have transformed "a tactical disagreement" into an administrative ultimatum.

"This seeks to reduce a historic strategic relationship, forged in a bitter struggle for national liberation with shared blood, sacrifice and shared battles, into a one-sided demand for subordination and permanent support from an ally while n ever considering reciprocating the same support for a single moment or, literally, a single second of time measurement.

"Our decision to contest the 2026 local government elections directly under our own banner is not a retreat from the national democratic revolution, but a struggle over its class direction and future," he said.

The party has ordered its members to disregard the ANC's 10-days ultimatum, calling it an attempt to disenfranchise members and erode the basis of the alliance.

Mapaila said a genuine alliance cannot be based on coercion by one partner.

"Our decision to contest the 2026 local government elections directly under our own banner shall continue. We will implement it without fear," he said.

He explained that the decision was made in response to the "deteriorating state" of local government and the alleged marginalisation of working-class solutions in the ANC-led government

"Our independent contestation is not a retreat from the struggle for Alliance reconfiguration. It is part of that struggle. It is not a retreat from the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). It is a struggle over its class direction, its organisational content and its future," Mapaila said.

The party has directed all provincial, district, and branch structures to urgently convene meetings to discuss this development and report through SACP channels on the situation in their areas.

Mapaila highlighted that the secretariat will deploy Central Committee members to districts.

"Every structure must compile, within the shortest possible time, a clear assessment of comrades who may be affected by the ANC directive and the type of support they require.

"Provincial and district leaderships must establish reporting lines so that any incident of pressure, exclusion, intimidation, or threatened disciplinary action is immediately communicated upward and collectively handled," he said.

SAHRC recommends N Cape state of disaster as report exposes systemic infrastructure failure

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has recommended that Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul declare a provincial state of disaster in the Sol Plaatje local municipality, citing an escalating crisis of sewage spillages and sanitation failures.

The recommendation, made under Section 41 of the Disaster Management Act, stems from an inquiry highlighting severe, systemic failures in the municipality.

The SAHRC on Wednesday released its inquiry report into the state of service delivery at the local government level in the Northern Cape, painting a grim picture of systemic failure, identifying a "recurring pattern" of stop-gap measures that prioritise short-term fixes over sustainable infrastructure.

The inquiry, spearheaded by the SAHRC's Northern Cape Provincial Office, followed a surge of community complaints across the province regarding service delivery challenges across several municipalities.

The SAHRC said the report details a "landscape of blighted" municipalities struggling with poor financial governance, acute skills shortages, and a near-total lack of environmental rehabilitation.

The commission said one of the most damning sections of the report criticises the financial choices made by local leadership.

The Commission found that many municipalities have abandoned the maintenance of permanent infrastructure in favour of expensive, temporary solutions.

"For instance, several municipalities have relied on water tankering as a substitute for functional water infrastructure at exorbitant costs. The report also highlights that despite being strategic actors, district municipalities in the Northern Cape constitute an under-utilised institutional layer within the system of local government," the SAHRC said.

The report also takes aim at the provincial and district levels of government, with the commission noting that provincial oversight has been "insufficient" to halt the downward spiral of municipal dysfunction.

It stated that district municipalities, which should act as strategic anchors for local government, were found to be an "under-utilised institutional layer," failing to provide the necessary support to smaller, struggling local councils.

The report documents a consistent failure by municipalities to communicate meaningfully with the residents they serve.

"This 'meaningful engagement' gap has directly contributed to rising community frustration and a sense of abandonment among Northern Cape residents," it explained.

The SAHRC has recommended the need for all local municipalities in the Northern Cape to urgently address the acute skills shortages through rigorous capacity-building and transparent hiring.

It urged for infrastructure overhaul, calling on the provincial government to move away from "stop-gap" expenditure, such as water tanks, toward the rehabilitation and expansion of permanent water and sanitation systems.

The SAHRC has also called on provincial governments and national departments to take a more proactive, interventionist role when municipalities fail to meet basic service delivery benchmarks.

Meanwhile, the commission has expressed profound concern regarding the deteriorating state of local government across the country, highlighting that severe service delivery constraints are actively hindering the attainment of fundamental human rights.

Following a series of damning reports in multiple provinces, including Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, and North West, the commission has signalled a shift toward more robust, punitive monitoring of municipal performance.

Full report attached.

South African inflation picks up to 3.1% y/y in March, as expected

South Africa's headline consumer inflation edged up as expected last month, but analysts said the increase would be far larger in April when fuel price hikes triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran have filtered through into consumer prices.

Headline consumer inflation accelerated to 3.1% from a year earlier in March from 3.0% in February, matching a Reuters poll, statistics agency data showed on Wednesday.

Inflation is set to accelerate to about 4% in April, when domestic fuel prices surged despite the government temporarily reducing a fuel levy to try to mitigate the impact of the Middle East conflict.

South Africa imports most of its petroleum products, leaving it highly exposed to swings in global energy prices.

Nedbank economist Johannes Khosa said electricity tariffs also went up by more than 8% in April, which will add further upward pressure on prices.

Khosa said the risk of an interest rate hike at one of the South African Reserve Bank's (Sarb) next two policy meetings in May and July had increased materially.

The central bank left its policy rate unchanged at 6.75% at its last meeting in late March.

It targets inflation of 3% with a 1-percentage-point tolerance band on either side.

"What will be impacting the Sarb's decision is the next release, for April, as the fuel price spike will then reflect and will be telling," independent economist Elize Kruger said.

ConCourt rules SAHRC can't issue legally binding directives

A Constitutional Court ruling has affirmed that the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) does not have the authority to issue legally binding directives.

The judgment in the matter of SAHRC v Agro Data CC and FC, brought to an end a long-standing battle regarding the scope of powers held by Chapter 9 institutions.

The dispute originated from a 2018 complaint by Tubatsi Mosotho and other occupiers of De Doorn Hock Farm in Mpumalanga. They alleged that the farm owner, Francois Gerhardus Boshoff, and Agro Data CC had unilaterally restricted their access to borehole water.

Following an investigation, the SAHRC concluded that the respondents violated the occupiers' constitutional rights to water and dignity and issued directives requiring Agro Data to restore the water supply within seven days and to engage in good faith discussions regarding water management.

When the respondents failed to comply, the SAHRC approached the High Court to have its directives declared binding and enforceable.

The Constitutional Court, upholding previous rulings from the Mpumalanga High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal, found that while the SAHRC is mandated to protect human rights, it lacks the statutory authority to issue directives that are binding in nature, similar to those of a court order.

The civil rights organisation AfriForum on Wednesday welcomed the ruling with Campaign Officer Louis Boshoff hailing the decision as a "victory for a well-balanced distribution of power within a constitutional framework".

Boshoff said the ruling sets a vital precedent for how the Commission must operate moving forward.

"No politically or ideologically driven finding of the Human Rights Commission can henceforth be imposed on citizens. The SAHRC was reminded of this today," he said.

AfriForum, which was a friend of the court in this case, has frequently criticised the SAHRC over the last two decades, alleging that many of its findings have been influenced by political or racial bias.

The organisation maintained that the court ruling serves as a "necessary check" to ensure the commission does not overstep its constitutionally mandated role.

Boshoff pointed out that AgroData did not oppose the SAHRC's appeal and as such did not present arguments in court.

"The fact that the appeal was heard unopposed drew extraordinary attention to AfriForum's role as friend of the court. Ultimately, there is agreement between AfriForum's argument and the ruling delivered today," he said.

DA declares local govt 'engine' of SA's future as it unveils W Cape mayoral candidates

Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chairperson Solly Msimanga on Tuesday said a functional South Africa depends on successful local government, describing municipalities as the "engines of governance" that require "experienced, vetted captains to succeed".

Speaking at the announcement of the party's Western Cape mayoral candidates, Msimanga warned that the upcoming local government elections were essential to preventing provincial and national decline.

Msimanga emphasised a "local upward strategy", arguing that the "failure of municipal engines" inevitably leads to the collapse of provinces and the country at large.

"Therefore, it is important that when we are lubricating and getting these engines to run, we do that with an understanding that when they fail, then provinces fail. When provinces fail, South Africa fails. And when South Africa fails, they are saying Africa fails.

"We need to then make sure that we are able to then get it right from the local level upward. And this is why today is so important, because we understand that we now need captains of these engines at a local level to be able to then drive the kind of change that we would want to then see happening," he said.

Msimanga assured that the DA was committed to a strict vetting process for its candidates, who would be subjected to rigorous assessment by the public and within the party structures.

"… and this is why the Democratic Alliance is the only political party that will, a year or months in advance, be able to then say, this is what we're putting forward. We are putting our people forward. You can test, you can go and assess who they are, what they are all about," he said.

In February, the party unveiled its first tranche of mayoral candidates for key areas, including the Cape Winelands District, Beaufort West, and Knysna, signalling its campaign to bring "hope and delivery" to more communities.

Eleven mayoral candidates were announced on Tuesday: Mario Wessels for Bergriver; Clinton Lerm for Overstrand; Raymond Ross for Cape Agulhas; Richard van Huyssteen for Matzikama; Harold Cleophas for Swartland; Jeremy Fasser for Stellenbosch; Jessica Kamkam for Bitou; Marais Kruger for Garden Route; Trevor Abrahams for Witzenberg; Brown Johnson for George and Stephen Korabie for Drankenstein.

DA Western Cape provincial leader Tertius Simmers highlighted that local government is the most intimate sphere of politics, where policy directly translates into personal experiences.

He pointed out that in the Western Cape, this was where DA-led leadership is focusing its efforts ahead of the local government elections, positioning itself as the party that ensures service delivery is maintained.

"Our candidates are not being chosen just to make speeches. They are being chosen to fix what still needs to be fixed, to maintain what needs to be maintained but we are also preparing, yes, the Western Cape, for the future," he stated.

Despite month-on-month decline, business confidence still higher than a year ago

Business organisation the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (Sacci's) Business Confidence Index (BCI) declined by 3.3 index points month-on-month to 131.3 points in March.

The BCI was, however, 7.8 index points higher than in March 2025.

The index also averaged 132.4 points in the first quarter of this year compared with the average of 123.1 in the first quarter of 2025.

The BCI declined by 1.8 index points to 131.4 in January and improved somewhat to 134.6 in February, before declining again in March.

The month-on-month decline between February and March was mainly owing to a more volatile and weaker rand exchange rate, lower share prices on the JSE, the lower global price of precious metals and decreased volumes of merchandise imports.

These declines were mainly owing to exogenous developments related to the war in the Middle East, Sacci points out.

Increased new-vehicles sales, more overseas tourists, higher precious metal prices and JSE all-share prices, and lower inflation had a notable positive impact on business confidence in March, the business chamber adds.

However, businesses were worried about decreased volumes of foreign merchandise trade, restrained retail trade volumes, the higher cost of energy, subdued manufacturing output and the lower real value of building plans passed, Sacci says.

During March, the global economy was impaired by the effect of the war in the Middle East and subsequent economic effects. It notably had a severe impact on the supply and price of crude oil.

In rand terms, the effect on the South African economy has been moderate owing to the high price of precious metals and the relatively stronger rand exchange rate.

Further, challenging trade conditions were confirmed by Sacci's Trade Conditions Survey, which stood at 45 index points in February, which is below the benchmark of 50 for unchanged conditions.

Of special concern are weak sales volumes and the continued increase in input prices, although about 63% of respondents are positive about conditions in the coming six months, the chamber says.

Over the short term, or month-on-month, the broad financial climate has become more uncertain, while real economic activity remains subdued.

Over the medium term, or year-on-year, the subindices on the financial environment indicated an improved business climate, while subindices on real economic activity remained balanced, albeit oriented towards positive developments.

The ongoing war in the Middle East and its effect on crude oil prices and supply pose questions over whether the country has the crude oil supply and refinery capacity to manage short-term challenges of fuel supply, the chamber states.

Meanwhile, the exceptional increase in business confidence towards year-end in 2025 and up to the first quarter of this year is an important opportunity to convert positive business sentiment into real economic activity.

There also appears to be general consensus among businesses and the Government of National Unity that South Africa should provide an economic and investment environment and policy regime that underpins the expectations of foreign and local investors for the longer term.

DA demands immediate suspension of SAPS Commissioner

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has called for the immediate precautionary suspension of National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola following his court appearance regarding an allegedly irregular R360-million South African Police Service (SAPS) health and wellness tender.

Masemola appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, facing four counts of violating the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). The charges relate to his role as the SAPS accounting officer regarding a contract awarded to Medicare24, a company linked to businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala.

Masemola was served with a warrant last month to secure his appearance in court. He is set to join 12 other senior police officials, who have already been charged with fraud and corruption, in the dock when the matter resumes on May 13.

Concerned, Hill-Lewis said this event highlighted a "troubling pattern" of instability and serious allegations at the highest levels of the SAPS.

He argued that such accusations weakened public confidence in the police force.

Hill-Lewis wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to suspend Masemola and appoint an Acting National Commissioner.

The DA also wants Ramaphosa to appoint a board of inquiry into Masemola's fitness to hold office, in terms of section 9 of the SAPS Act.

"There is ample precedent for this course. Presidents have previously used section 9 of the SAPS Act to appoint boards of inquiry into the conduct and fitness of National Commissioners. Ramaphosa should do so again now," Hill-Lewis said.

"At a time when violent crime continues to terrorise communities, when organised criminal networks are deeply entrenched, and when public confidence in policing is fragile, the office of the National Commissioner must be beyond reproach," he stated.

Amnesty International accuses Trump, Putin, Netanyahu of advancing human rights abuses

Amnesty International South Africa has demanded urgent systemic reform, enhanced international solidarity and robust accountability measures to counter a "predatory" geopolitical order that it says is eroding human rights protection nationwide.

Launching the organisation's annual report "The State of the World's Human Rights 2025/26", Amnesty International warned that global human rights are under severe threat, with 2025 acting as a "watershed year" that saw the rise of international lawlessness, conflict and "cowardice" by States.

Speaking during the report's launch, Amnesty International secretary general Dr Agnès Callamard described 2025 as the year of a "predatory" international order, where powerful actors act with impunity.

"… instead, we are reporting the advent of what we foresaw. For here we are, with voracious predators stalking across our global commons. Plundering unjust atrocities, assaulting the very foundations of universal human rights and the multilateral system, serial breaches of their obligation for the sake of control, profit, and impunity," she stated

The report notes a global backlash against human rights, with authoritarian laws, policies, and practices targeting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly becoming increasingly common.

Callamard accused countries, particularly in Europe, of complacency and "cowardice" in the face of widespread abuses, arguing that the multilateral system is under assault but not yet dead.

She described the spiralling conflict in the Middle East as a direct product of this descent into lawlessness, characterising it as open warfare against civilians.

"It started with the unlawful US and Israeli attack in violation of the UN Charter," Callamard said, adding that arguments of self-defence cannot be invoked to justify the current scale of violence.

She noted that Iran's actions constituted "disproportionate, indiscriminate retaliation", while Israel has intensified attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, resulting in widespread civilian harm and danger to millions.

She said the conflict is endangering the lives and health of millions of people across the region, exacerbating already catastrophic suffering.

Callamard accused US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of accelerating a worldwide surge in human rights abuses, fuelling an "unprecedented breakdown of international law".

She described a deliberate effort by these leaders to turn international justice into a battleground and pointed to the US and Russia attacking the International Court (ICC) to evade accountability.

She noted that the US has imposed sanctions against ICC judges and prosecutors simply for "doing their job," while also using its veto power to protect allies.

Predatory leaders have, she claimed, "paralysed" the United Nations Security Council through the "unconscionable abuse of their veto power"

She argued that a "new predatory system" is emerging, where powerful States not only commit grave violations but also work to dismantle the international mechanisms meant to hold them accountable.

DA calls for immediate suspension of arrested Ekurhuleni municipal manager

Ahead of the court appearance of Ekurhuleni municipal manager Kagiso Lerutla, the Democratic Alliance (DA) wants Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza to immediately suspend Lerutla pending further investigation into the charges laid against him.

Lerutla was arrested on Sunday on charges related to fraud, corruption and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

He is expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Monday alongside suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi.

DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane said the city cannot be led by someone who is potentially implicated in criminal activity.

"He must be suspended immediately," she stated, calling on law enforcement to seek out others working for the City who were involved in crimes.

She said despite warnings from the DA about Lerutla's performance in his previous position as Group CFO, where he was responsible for the city's financial performance, the African National Congress and the Economic Freedom Fighters coalition placed him in one of the City's most senior positions.

Before his arrest, Lerutla was focused on the "fixing the frontline" programme, launched earlier this year, aimed at restoring service delivery efficiency and professionalism at municipal depots.

"While some claim there was an active attempt to 'fix the frontline', our ongoing mayoral tour has revealed the true state of Ekurhuleni to be a city in dire straits. Residents should not have to pay the price for instability, mismanagement, and corruption," said Rasilingwane.