Polity.org.za Audio Articles

South African trade surplus at R15bn in October

South Africa recorded a trade surplus of R15.58-billion in October, revenue service figures showed on Friday.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a surplus of R20-billion.

Zuma's daughter quits as MP over Russia recruitment allegations

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has resigned from Parliament amid allegations that she lured 17 men to fight for Russia in Ukraine, her party said on Friday.

Zuma-Sambudla was a lawmaker in the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) opposition party led by her father. MK officials said she resigned voluntarily and that her departure from the National Assembly and all other public roles was effective immediately.

Nathi Nhleko, MK party national organiser, told reporters MK was not involved in luring the men to Russia and that Zuma-Sambudla's resignation was not an admission of guilt, but added that MK would help support the men's families.

"The national officials have accepted comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's decision to resign and support her efforts to ensure that these young South Africans are brought back safely to their families," he said.

Zuma-Sambudla was present at the press conference but did not speak, and has not publicly responded to the accusations from her half-sister.

South Africa's government said this month that 17 of its citizens were stuck in Ukraine's Donbas region after being tricked into fighting for mercenary forces under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts. It said it was working to bring them home and investigating how they got there.

On Sunday, police said they would investigate Zuma-Sambudla after her half-sister made a formal request for the probe into her and two other people, accusing them of being involved.

More than 1 400 citizens from three dozen African countries are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Kyiv's foreign minister said this month, urging countries to warn their citizens about recruitment.

Cachalia notes decline in most crime categories, confident in Madlanga Commission

Releasing the long-delayed crime statistics on Friday, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said tackling organised crime and its associated corruption must be a national priority, expressing confidence in the ongoing Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, the Ad Hoc Commission, and the parliamentary enquiry.

Cachalia released the crime statistics for the first two quarters of the year, reflecting on crimes that occurred between April 2025 and June 2025; and July 2025 and September 2025.

During this period, he noted a decline in murders, with a 6.5% drop in the first quarter and an 11.5% drop in the second quarter.

Also during this period, 413 583 suspects were arrested, and 3 442 firearms were seized.

Cachalia highlighted the need for focused specialist capabilities with closer collaboration between the police, prosecutors, financial regulators, the South African Revenue Service, and the private sector.

"…we must follow the money and hit the criminals where it hurts in their pockets. We need fast, effective prosecutions and strong witness protection to turn investigations into convictions," he stated.

Cachalia noted the importance of the Madlanga Commission and the parliamentary ad hoc enquiry for the future of criminal justice in the country.

"They are currently looking into allegations of criminal networks influencing elected political leaders along with the top ranks of the South African police service and their networks. We have seen the damage that State capture has done to our country and its institutions, and we now know that capture continues in different forms.

"An example is the large-scale theft of funds from the Gauteng Health Department affecting the Tembisa Hospital, and I worry that this may be the pattern elsewhere. These are the kinds of crimes that do not necessarily show up in the crime statistics," Cachalia said.

He urged fast, effective prosecutions and strong witness protection to turn investigations into convictions.

He stressed that his focus was to professionalise the police service.

"…it speaks to the concerns we have in our society about political interference, about the abuse of political power, which has had a harmful effect on the functioning of the police service in this country," he highlighted.

He also pointed to the need for whistleblower protection as part of the Saps' focus going forward.

"I'm positive that both the Madlanga Commission, the Ad Hoc Commission, and the parliamentary enquiry, are going to help us establish a public record, a consensus in our society about what needs to be done going forward," he said.

He assured that Saps would be strengthened internally, and that it was now partnering with the private sector.

IMPROVEMENTS

Meanwhile, he noted that the crime statistics show some improvement, highlighting a significant decline in most crime categories.

"Now, I know that given our concerns about crime, that result may come as a surprise, but I can indicate that the way in which stats are compiled in the South African Police Service meets the highest standards for statistical accuracy," he said.

He noted a significant reduction in serious and violent crime, albeit remaining at high levels.

"Significantly, murder has started to decrease significantly, particularly in the last two years, and that is often a very good indicator of crime trends. If you track the murder rate, it does tell a story about violent crime in general. So, there was a period, I believe, in the first 15 years or so of our democratic transition, where the murder rate dramatic decreased," he noted.

He expressed hope at the latest statistics, also pointing to double-digit reductions in most forms of robbery.

However, he acknowledged that there were categories that have remained stubbornly high.

Sexual offences and gender-based violence (GBV), and commercial crime, are continuing to record increases, a trend over the last five years, Cac...

High Court judge placed on special leave amid corruption scandal

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya announced on Thursday that Gauteng High Court judge Portia Phahlane has been placed on special leave with immediate effect, with her suspension being considered, pending the finalisation of criminal proceedings against her.

The South African Police Service (Saps) confirmed on Tuesday that a Gauteng High Court judge was arrested alongside three others and will appear before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on allegations of corruption and money laundering.

This case relates to the adjudication of a church succession matter in the North West, in which Phahlane is reported to have taken bribes.

Maya noted Phahlane's arrest and said the incident took place at a time when public confidence in the country's courts was already under strain.

She pointed to recent statistics, which indicated a decline in the public's perception of the judiciary, which she said wa deeply worrisome.

"However, it is in moments of crisis that institutions are tested and must demonstrate their resilience. The unprecedented arrest of a judge, while deeply disquieting, also demonstrates that the country's law enforcement apparatus and mechanisms of accountability are in motion. It signals that no individual, regardless of their position, is above the law or beyond its reach," she stated.

However, she said Phahlane was entitled to the presumption of innocence and a fair process in a court of law.

"…thus, we must allow the independent legal process to run its course without prejudice or preconceived judgment," Maya said.

Maya assured that the judiciary would cooperate fully with the relevant law enforcement and prosecuting authorities in this matter and respect the independence of those processes.

She said measures would be instituted to ensure that Phahlane's cases assigned for adjudication were not disrupted.

She also said reforms to the judicial conduct mechanism were underway to ensure that complaints against judicial officers were investigated impartially and expeditiously.

"The judiciary implores the nation to have faith in the resilience of the country's constitutional order," Maya said.

Meanwhile, African National Congress (ANC) national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said while the case raised public concern, the integrity of the bench must not be stereotyped.

The ANC stated that many judicial officers continued to uphold high standards of ethics and professionalism, and that isolated cases should not delegitimise the judiciary.

"…it must continue to administer justice in a manner that commands public confidence and reflects the values of our Constitution," she said.

DA lays criminal charges against Zuma-Sambudla

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday laid criminal charges against uMkhonto we Sizwe Party MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, for her alleged role in recruiting and trafficking South African men into the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

The charges include human trafficking, contraventions of South Africa's anti-mercenary legislation and additional offences that the South African Police Service (Saps) must now investigate.

DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans Chris Hattingh said the charges came from new evidence received by the party, including about 100 WhatsApp messages from a group allegedly administered by Zuma-Sambudla.

"These messages show clear coordination in luring at least 22 men to Russia under the guise of 'personal development', 'security training', and even promises of Russian or Canadian citizenship.

"Families of the men have independently provided consistent testimonies confirming the same pattern of deception. One mother said her son was 'excited for a new life' and believed he would return with foreign citizenship - only to find himself trapped in a warzone," Hattingh revealed.

He highlighted that of the 22 men who initially travelled, 19 remain in Russia - including 17 South Africans - now reportedly deployed in a "red zone" in North Donetsk as part of Russian forces.

Three were returned early owing to family connections to former President Nelson Mandela.

On Monday, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that 17 South Africans remain stranded in the Donbas area after allegedly being lured there under false pretences.

Hattingh stated that according to information gathered, once the men arrived in Russia, their passports and clothing were burned, their phones confiscated, and communication with families gradually cut off until it ceased entirely.

"This directly contradicts every promise made to them and constitutes clear indicators of trafficking and coercion," he pointed out.

Hattingh said South Africa has strict prohibitions on mercenary recruitment, yet Defence Intelligence and Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) remained silent, despite apparent indications that the Presidency and former President Jacob Zuma were aware of the situation.

He highlighted that while Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga had now confirmed that the State Security Agency (SSA) was liaising with the Russian government, Dirco continued to offer no explanation for its "absence" from the crisis.

"Their silence can only be interpreted as tacit support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This dangerous foreign policy ambiguity is already straining relations with South Africa's major trading partners, who increasingly view the African National Congress's political proximity to Russia as a growing security risk," Hattingh said.

Meanwhile the DA said it would pursue an urgent joint committee meeting to determine what Dirco, Defence Intelligence and the SSA knew, and what actions they took.

"We will also escalate pressure on government to immediately begin the process of repatriating the 17 South Africans still trapped in an active Russian warzone. Above all, the DA will ensure that every individual responsible for the recruitment, deception and trafficking of these men is held fully accountable under South African law," Hattingh said.

Trump says South Africa won't get 2026 G20 invite, South Africa calls it punitive

Donald Trump said South Africa will not be invited to take part in next year's G20 summit in Florida after Washington boycotted the leaders' summit in Johannesburg last week, which the African nation called a "punitive" measure against it.

The Group of 20 leaders adopted a declaration on Saturday to address the climate crisis and other global challenges despite US objections, prompting the White House to accuse South Africa of weaponising its leadership of the group this year.

"At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our US Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.

"Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year."

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's office called Trump's post "regrettable." Ramaphosa said that since the US delegation was not present at the summit last week, "instruments of the G20 Presidency were duly handover to a US Embassy official at the Headquarters of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation."

TRUMP HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF SOUTH AFRICA

Since taking office for a second time in January, Trump has been critical of the South African government's domestic and foreign policies.

"It is regrettable that despite the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the US, President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country," Ramaphosa's office said.

Trump has repeatedly alleged that South Africa's Black-majority government persecutes its white minority, and that there was a genocide of white farmers in the country, claims that have been widely discredited. In a White House meeting in May, Trump confronted South Africa's leader with false claims of white genocide.

Trump said on Wednesday that his administration was "going to stop all payments and subsidies" to South Africa, effective immediately. Trump signed an executive order in February to cut financial assistance for South Africa, citing disapproval of its land policy and of its genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Washington's ally, Israel.

Ramaphosa to attend fourth BNC in Mozambique

President Cyril Ramaphosa will next week attend the fourth South Africa-Mozambique Bi-National Commission (BNC), with the aims of enhancing economic cooperation and exploring new trade and investment opportunities.

Ramaphosa will lead the South African delegation in the BNC on Tuesday, in the capital city of Maputo.

Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the fourth BNC will also assess the progress made in the implementation of decisions and commitments made at the third session of the BNC, while views on regional, continental and global issues of mutual interest will also be exchanged.

He explained that the relationship between South Africa and Mozambique was coordinated through a framework of a BNC, which is co-chaired by the two Presidents.

Magwenya highlighted that South Africa and Mozambique had strategic and fraternal relations developed during the fight against colonialism and apartheid.

He noted that the BNC would be preceded by the Senior Officials Meeting scheduled to be held from Sunday to Monday and the Council of Ministers Meeting will take place on Tuesday.

A Business Forum will be held on the margins of the BNC, on Tuesday.

Ramaphosa will also attend and participate in the official launch of the Sasol Hydrocarbons Processing Integrated Infrastructure in Inhassoro Town, in Inhambane province, on Wednesday.

Rate cuts positive turn for South Africa households, however financial strain remains

Despite some interest rate relief for South African households during the first half of 2025, financial pressures remain.

While the Altron FinTech Household Resilience Index (AFHRI) for the second quarter of 2025 shows a healthy year-on-year improvement of 2.3%, a recovery assisted by modest declines in the prime rate, the average yearly increase in the financial resilience of households since the Monetary Policy Committee's interest rate hiking cycle started is "barely above zero".

"With an average annual population growth rate of 1.4% since 2014, it is clear that the average financial disposition of South African households has continued to decline. This unfortunate development is mainly owing to the highest interest rates in 15 years, which led to a sharp increase in the debt-servicing costs of households," said economist Dr Roelof Botha, who compiles the index on behalf of Altron FinTech.

"The unduly restrictive monetary policy, in the absence of any sign of demand inflation, actually represents a self-inflicted suppression of economic activity."

This has resulted in two successive years of GDP growth of below one per cent.

Compared with the last comparable quarter before the Covid-19 pandemic, the financial disposition of South African households has improved at an average yearly real rate of 0.5%, which is marginally lower than the average yearly real rate of GDP growth over the past six years.

The average yearly increase in the AFHRI of 1.1% since the inception of the index in the first quarter of 2014 is on par with the increase in the GDP, but households have fared significantly worse than the total economy over the past three-and-a-half years.

"While the year-on-year improvement is encouraging, the reality remains sobering - household financial resilience has improved by barely 0.2% a year since the interest-rate-hiking cycle began," added Altron FinTech MD Johan Gellatly.

"The May rate cut to 10.75% has provided welcome relief, as shown by 15 of our 20 indicators showing positive trends, but this is merely a first step."

With GDP growth forecast to remain below 1.3% for 2025, further aggressive monetary policy easing is essential to restore genuine household financial stability and create the conditions for meaningful employment growth.

The impact of the two-pot system, which generated R13-billion in tax revenue, has artificially inflated household incomes and masked what would have been an even weaker recovery.

The impact of the two-pot system has been visible in the AFHRI, with the indicator for lump-sum pension fund withdrawals during the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 recording year-on-year increases of 35% and 40%, respectively.

In the absence of these unnatural increases in household incomes, the average yearly improvement in the AFHRI since the start of the interest rate hiking cycle would have been even closer to zero.

An encouraging feature of the latest AFHRI is the stability that has crept in for the average index value over the past four quarters.

The four-quarter average index eliminates seasonal influences, especially with regard to the agriculture sector and also the retail spending spree that boosts economic activity during the fourth quarter of each year.

The latest AFHRI reading of 113.7, on the basis of a four-quarter average, is slightly higher than the value for the first quarter of 2025, but the year-on-year increase is considerably more impressive at 2.6%.

The prime rate cut to 10.75% in May predictably led to a further strengthening of the AFHRI during the second quarter, with 15 of the 20 indicators comprising the index recording positive year-on-year trends and 12 of them also posting quarter-on-quarter growth.

Both the employment levels and the salaries in the private sector of the economy improved during the second quarter of the year, albeit only marginally, at 0.5% and 0.7% res...

Call for High Court Judge to step down amid corruption allegations

Civil society organisation Judges Matter on Wednesday called for Gauteng High Court Judge Portia Phahlane to step down from her judicial duties and also called for her immediate suspension.

This after the South African Police Service (Saps) confirmed on Tuesday that a Gauteng High Court judge was arrested alongside three others and will appear before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on allegations of corruption and money laundering.

This case relates to the adjudication of a church succession matter in the North West, where Phahlane is reported to have rejected a recusal application in 2023.

"It is alleged that the judge received gratification to influence a civil case that the judge is currently presiding over in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria," the organisation said.

Judges Matter expressed shock and concern at the allegations, noting that while the judge is innocent until proven guilty by criminal law standards, the extreme seriousness of the allegations requires the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to place the judge on immediate suspension.

"…any delay would cause irreparable damage to the reputation of the judiciary.

"Judges Matter believes that the extreme seriousness of the allegations against the judge requires the JSC to use the extraordinary route for the first time in its history and recommend the appointment of a Judicial Conduct Tribunal while simultaneously advising the President to suspend the judge immediately," said Judges Matter co-ordinator Alison Tilley.

FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development chairperson Xola Nqola urged South African judges to focus on administering the law fairly, honestly and transparently, with no conflict of interest.

The committee expressed shock at Phahlane's arrest, saying it had the potential to erode South African citizens' trust in the judiciary.

"The most troubling aspect of the arrest is the alleged use of money in the administration of justice.

"In a corruption-infested society such as ours, it would be too slippery a road if judges started accepting brown envelopes on matters that are before courts awaiting adjudication," stated Nqola.

He said the matter was of keen interest to the committee, urging citizens not to let this taint their view of all judges.

"It is the nature of litigation that others will be aggrieved, and this development may open up the judiciary to unfair and unjustified criticism from those who lose in courts," he stated.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) called for the urgent reinforcement of the Judicial Conduct Committee and "unwavering action" against any judge who breached the trust of the public.

"This is not a small matter. Judges hold extraordinary power, and South Africans must be able to believe that those powers are exercised honestly. The idea that a sitting judge could sell justice to the highest bidder is an insult to every citizen who turns to the courts for fairness," said DA spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development advocate Glynnis Breytenbach.

She said this case was part of a deeper problem, noting that judiciary annual reports released this week showed more than 132 complaints were filed against judges in the last financial year and over 350 in the past three years.

"These range from endless judgment delays to incompetence and allegations of misconduct. Yet the body responsible for investigating these complaints, the Judicial Conduct Committee, is running on fumes. It does not have the staff or resources needed to deal with the volume of cases coming its way, and the backlog is growing," she said.

While the Chief Justice had begun tackling some of the pressure points, including Constitutional Court delays, she noted that the broader system was still under strain.

South Africa's ruling alliance unlikely to last, DA's Zille says

South Africa's ruling alliance is unlikely to see out its current five-year term, with internal party dynamics set to test its cohesion, a senior politician who helped negotiate the coalition's operating framework has warned.

The African National Congress (ANC) teamed up with the Democratic Alliance (DA), its biggest rival, and eight smaller parties last year after losing the parliamentary majority it had held for three decades. The so-called government of national unity has weathered a series of crises, with its main members sparring over tax policy and the adoption of contentious land-expropriation, health insurance and education legislation.

"I'm not confident that it will last until 2029," Helen Zille, the chairperson of the DA's federal council, said of the GNU. "There has got to be a change of ANC leadership before then, in 2027, and there are a whole lot of people in the ANC who don't want it to last," she said in an interview in Bloomberg's Johannesburg office.

One of South Africa's most seasoned and outspoken politicians, Zille was part of a DA team that helped hammer out the broad terms under which the multi-party administration should function. She previously served as the mayor of Cape Town and premier of the surrounding Western Cape province, and is running for mayor of Johannesburg in municipal elections that must be held by January 2027.

The ANC led the fight against apartheid rule and took power in the country's first multiracial elections in 1994. Its support plummeted during President Jacob Zuma's nine-year tenure, which was marred by a series of corruption scandals, and he was eventually forced from office in 2018.

Incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa has struggled to turn the ANC's fortunes around, although it remains the country's largest political party.

The current frontrunners to replace him as ANC leader are his deputy Paul Mashatile and Fikile Mbalula, the party's secretary-general. Neither have declared their candidacy - or specified whether they will remain committed to the GNU, which has prioritised growing the economy and creating jobs.

The ANC's new leader - if they decide against staying in the GNU - could opt to tie up with Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe Party or Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters, both of which want mines and banks to be nationalised.

That prospect would spook investors and likely derail a surge in South African assets that has seen the rand strengthen 9% against the dollar this year and local-currency bond yields fall to record lows. While the gains have been helped by the dollar weakening - and are part of a broader emerging market rally - they are also down to investors viewing the GNU as broadly stable, at least for now.

Zille dismissed the notion that it will be a struggle for a White person to be elected mayor of Johannesburg, the country's economic capital and which has a predominantly Black population. Dogged by years of mismanagement, the city of more than 5-million people has a huge infrastructure backlog and residents have to contend with regular water and electricity cuts, potholed roads and broken traffic lights.

"Yes, the elites are very stuck on race, but actually ordinary people want water and ordinary people want electricity at affordable prices and they want to be able to put a vehicle on the roads without destroying it," she said.

True to her combative form, Zille lambasted the ANC, saying corruption had been institutionalised under its watch.

"They are morally bankrupt and morally bereft, and more the world can see that the better," she said. "It's rotten from top to bottom and corrupt."

Ramaphosa concedes that graft is a major problem, but says his administration is tackling the issue head-on.

Zille also accused the government of mishandling its relationship with US President Donald Trump, who has falsely accused South African authorities of subjecting White farmers to a genocide and seizin...