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ANC says it couldn't observe Tanzanian elections

The African National Congress (ANC) said its delegation led by deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane was unable to observe any aspect of the Tanzanian elections.

The party confirmed on Friday that a delegation led by Mokonyane undertook a visit to Tanzania at the invitation of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said in a statement that the purpose of the visit had been to observe the electoral process, under established practices of political exchange and solidarity.

She said a "breakdown in communication" occurred between the party's delegation led by Mokonyane and the CCM party.

On Wednesday, Tanzania held its elections to elect the President, members of the National Assembly and ward councillors.

Media reports said protests erupted on Wednesday over anger about the exclusion of President Samia Suluhu Hassan's two biggest opponents and what government critics describe as widespread repression.

Bhengu said the delegation did participate in the final pre-election rallies, underscoring its long-standing sisterly bonds.

"However, for reasons that are currently unknown, a breakdown in communication occurred," she added.

Bhengu said Mokonyane arrived back in South Africa and will brief the office bearers on the matter.

"We place our confidence in the regional bodies that are mandated to observe the overall integrity of the process and look forward to the comprehensive assessments of the accredited international observer missions," Bhengu said.

She said the ANC valued its relationship with Tanzanians and iwas committed to constructive collaboration across Africa, to advance the "decolonial aspirations of the liberation struggle".

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) had earlier this week described the Tanzanian elections as not free or fair as the State muzzled opposition leaders and controlled democratic processes.

The party said the elections were held against the backdrop of what it described as rapidly intensifying repression and the exclusion of opposition candidates.

The DA condemned what it called the unlawful imprisonment of Tanzania's opposition leader Tundu Lissu of the Party for Democracy and Progress on trumped-up charges of treason by the Tanzanian government.

South Africa to start R2.5bn fund to tackle unemployment

South Africa will on Friday start offering loans from a R2.5-billion Youth Fund aimed at supporting small businesses, part of a push by the government to tackle one of the world's highest unemployment rates.

Nearly half of South Africans between 15 years to 34 years are unemployed, according to Statistics South Africa. The fund aims to address this by supporting high-potential small and medium enterprises, National Youth Development Agency Deputy Chairperson Bonga Makhanya said in an interview.

The initiative, spearheaded by the NYDA and set to be announced by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, is designed to shift the agency's model from offering small grants toward making larger, equity-based and loan investments in enterprises owned by young people.

"For the longest time, the Youth Fund existed in legislation but was never operationalised," said Makhanya. "We're now repositioning the agency away from micro-grants and toward investing in youth-owned companies that are growing and showing real potential."

Unlike previous NYDA programs that offered grants of as much as R250 000, the new fund will invest between R750 000 and R2-million, depending on the business case. Financing will consist of a mix of loans and equity stakes.

"We want to invest in youth-owned SMEs that can grow into sustainable enterprises - the kind that could one day list on the JSE," Makhanya said.

The NYDA is capitalising the fund with R1.2-billion of its own reserves and provincial contributions, including commitments from KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

It's also courting partnerships with the Industrial Development Corp., Development Bank of Southern Africa, Public Investment Corp., and several mining companies that have expressed interest in co-funding youth ventures as part of their enterprise development programmes.

The fund will target sectors including renewable energy, mining, agriculture, industrial manufacturing and processing.

"In the past we've funded many informal businesses in retail and micro trade," Makhanya said. "Now we're deliberately moving into strategic sectors that drive growth and industrialisation, the spaces where young people need that extra push to break in."

Deputy Police Minister says he was not informed about disbandment of Political Killings Task Team

The Parliamentary Ad Hoc committee investigating allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi will on Tuesday start its oral hearings with Deputy Police Minister Dr Polly Boshielo as it wraps up oral hearings with the other Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale.

Parliament established the committee after Mkhwanazi claimed corruption, political interference and malfeasance within the South African Police Service.

The committee has until November 28 to complete its mandate.

Earlier this month, the committee also concluded its oral hearings with National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.

Committee chairperson Molapi Lekganyane said the committee heard that Mathale had not been informed or consulted about the directive to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) prior to now-suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu issuing the note to that effect.

Mathale told the committee that he was concerned about the part specifying "immediately" with reference to the closure.

"He could not dispute the effectiveness of the task team; however, he supported the winding down of the PKTT to ensure police resources were evenly deployed to investigate serious crime like murder and robbery," said Lekganyane.

The committee members also raised concerns that one year into Mchunu's tenure in the seventh administration, the two Deputy Ministers of Police had not been given delegated responsibilities.

Mathale explained that Mchunu was still learning the environment before assigning tasks and responsibilities to his deputies.

He also rejected earlier evidence that most officials in the ministry or department had engaged with or had contact with murder accused Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala or known criminals.

"[Mathale] indicated that he did not have any contact number for such individuals as he was deployed to a ministry whose mandate was to fight crime. It would therefore not be appropriate to engage on a social level with questionable individuals," Lekganyane pointed out.

Tuesday saw Advocate Norman Arendse lead evidence on what Mathale would have said in his sworn statement to the committee.

The afternoon and evening were spent with committee members engaging on the evidence before it.

ANC welcomes court ruling recognising Luthuli as victim of state-sanctioned murder

The African National Congress (ANC) has welcomed the court ruling establishing that Chief Albert Luthuli was brutally beaten to death by the apartheid police in 1967.

Luthuli, a teacher, traditional leader and freedom fighter, served as President-General of the ANC from 1952 until his passing in 1967.

He led the ANC during the Defiance Campaign, the drafting of the Freedom Charter, and the banning of the ANC.

The inquest into Luthuli's death was reopened earlier this year.

The ANC said the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruling corrected a "long-standing distortion of history" by overturning the apartheid-era inquest that claimed Luthuli died after being struck by a goods train.

"The Court, presided over by Judge Nompumelelo Hadebe, affirmed that both oral and documentary evidence presented in the reopened inquest do not support those discredited findings," ANC National Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu.

Bhengu said the ruling brings justice, truth and dignity to Luthuli's memory and to all those who suffered under apartheid brutality.

She further stated that the judgment reaffirmed what the party, the liberation movement, and the oppressed people of South Africa have always known; that Luthuli was a victim of State-sanctioned murder.

"…it is a moral victory not only for his family but for all martyrs of our struggle whose lives were cut short by the cruelty of apartheid," she stated.

Luthuli became the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his non-violent resistance against apartheid.

"Under his leadership, the ANC deepened its commitment to unity, democracy and the vision of a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa. He stood firmly for the principle that 'the road to freedom is via the cross', reminding generations of activists that the struggle for liberation demands sacrifice and integrity," she said.

The ANC commended the efforts of all those who fought to reopen this inquest; historians, human rights lawyers, the Luthuli family, and the Department of Justice.

"The ruling restores historical integrity and strengthens our nation's collective memory… His spirit continues to guide our journey of national renewal and social transformation.

"The ANC calls on all South Africans to reflect on this moment as a reminder of the sacrifices made for our democracy, and to rededicate ourselves to the ongoing task of building a just, united, and prosperous South Africa," said Bhengu.

ANC reconfigures W Cape leadership, announces Task Team

The African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) has decided to reconfigure the party's Western Cape provincial structures and establish a Provincial Task Team (PTT) to guide the rebuilding process, stabilise organisational structures and lead preparations for future electoral contests.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and other ANC NEC members deployed to the Western Cape met with provincial leadership as part of the party's efforts to evaluate and reinforce the strength of the movement in the province.

The party said Western Cape occupies a "unique place in South Africa's history as the seat of colonial power, the launchpad of apartheid, and the home of the nation's Parliament".

The intervention comes as the party's overall national electoral performance was impacted by a decline in key provinces, including the Western Cape, which saw a 9% drop in results.

"This makes both Gauteng and the Western Cape central to the ANC's broader strategy of renewal, rebuilding, and recovery," it said.

The NEC announced Ebrahim Rasool as the province's convener; Linda Moss as the 1st Deputy convener; Vuyiso Tyhalisisu as 2nd Deputy convener; Thandi Manikivana Makasi as coordinator; Melanie Tembo as 1st Deputy coordinator; Phlisa Makeleni as 2nd Deputy coordinator and Richard Dyantyi as fundraiser.

"The leadership collective being put in place integrates members of the outgoing PEC with seasoned leaders, cadres, and veterans, combining experience with renewed energy to strengthen unity, discipline, and community connection," said the NEC.

The reconfiguration will prioritise ethical leadership, discipline, and the fight against corruption, including confronting the scourges of crime, extortion, and gang-related violence, the party said.

The ANC will also intensify its work on gender equality, social inclusion and deepening economic transformation.

The NEC said the reconfiguration is not a punitive measure against the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) but a "proactive and corrective step" to enhance the ANC's effectiveness in one of the most "strategically important provinces".

The NEC has urged the ANC to strengthen its political and organisational presence in the province to advance transformation and "confront the Democratic Alliance's anti-poor and anti- transformation agenda".

The NEC pointed out that preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections will be a central focus, with the goal of reclaiming lost ground and positioning the ANC at the centre of governance in the province.

The NEC said the immediate task in the Western Cape is to rebuild ANC branches, leagues, and regional structures.

Three candidates approved to fill IEC commissioner vacancies

The National Assembly has approved a motion to recommend Dhaya Pillay, Mosotho Moepya and Joyce Pitso to serve as commissioners in the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Last week, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs recommended the three candidates to the National Assembly, ahead of the three vacancies that will arise on November 4, when the term of office expires for IEC chairperson Moepya, IEC commissioner Pillay and IEC commissioner Dr Nomsa Masuku.

If appointed by the President, the three nominees will fill the vacancies.

"This recommendation to the President is made in accordance with Section 6(2)(d) of the Electoral Commission Act and follows a selection process presided over by the Chief Justice as mandated by Section 6(3) of the Act," explained Parliament.

Parliament pointed out that the appointment process for IEC Commissioners was designed to ensure transparency and integrity.

"When a vacancy arises on the Commission, the Judicial Services Commission, under the leadership of the Chief Justice, publicly calls for nominations. An independent panel, chaired by the Chief Justice and comprising representatives from the Human Rights Commission, the Commission for Gender Equality and the Public Protector, considers all applications received," it said.

It added that the panel was responsible for shortlisting, interviewing and submitting a list of no fewer than eight suitable candidates to the National Assembly.

Parliament highlighted that the National Assembly, through the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, then conducted its own deliberations on the shortlist before the National Assembly approved the final nominees to be recommended to the President for appointment.

"This multi-faceted and consultative process underscores Parliament's commitment to appointing individuals of the highest calibre, ensuring the continued independence, competence and public trust in the Electoral Commission and the integrity of South Africa's democracy," it said.

DA wants amendments to NHI, takes aim at Motsoaledi

The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to introduce an amendment to withdraw what it termed a "disastrous" law on the National Health Insurance (NHI) and said proper public consultations on achieving universal health care must follow.

The party said on Wednesday while it supports universal health care and universal access to health care, it did not believe that the NHI would succeed in rooting out mismanagement and corruption in the health department.

"…certainly not in the hands of officials who will face no consequences when they facilitate corruption," said DA spokesperson on Health Michéle Clarke.

Clarke accused Motsoaledi of failing to present a detailed costing for the NHI, and for insisting that he plans to fund the NHI through "currently unsanctioned taxes".

She said according to Motsoaledi the only way to fix the public healthcare system was to change its funding model, which meant implementing the NHI.

She explained that the NHI's funds would come from shifting funds from national government departments and agencies and the provincial equitable share; the reallocation of medical scheme tax credits; payroll taxes; and surcharges on personal income tax.

Clarke said Motsoaledi failed to answer the DA's question as to whether he had consulted National Treasury on his tax plan, and what Treasury's view of new taxes was.

She explained that the NHI could not be funded without a Money Bill, which only Treasury could introduce.

"He also did not explain how scrapping medical aid subsidies paid to civil servants will work, despite this being a significant source of funding for his plan.

"Minister Motsoaledi further failed, yet again, to take accountability for the lack of consequences for mismanagement and corruption which has hollowed out hospitals like Tembisa Hospital and continues to cripple provincial departments. The Minister seems completely unable to consider how this problem would not disappear under the NHI," she highlighted.

She pointed to new revelations in the oxygen plant tender issue, which revealed that Motsoaledi failed to remove the entire Pressure Swing Adsorption tender from the Independent Development Trust (IDT) and place it under the Development Bank of Southern Africa as promised.

"The R152-million contract awarded to Maziya On-Site Gas Systems to install 10 oxygen plants is still being managed by the IDT. Furthermore, the IDT failed to present a forensic report on the tender to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure this morning as requested," explained Clarke.

She said Motsoaledi's recent failure to publicly do as promised, and his "continuous failure" to implement consequence management, were indications that an NHI Fund would be compromised.

African development banks set to expand lending as capital buffers rise, S&P says

S&P Global Ratings said African regional development creditors are poised to expand lending to fill national financing gaps, as capital buffers strengthen and new frameworks increase their borrowing headroom.

The ratings agency said Africa's supranational lenders are increasingly central to plugging investment shortfalls and stabilising economies as external financing tightens.

With climate and infrastructure funding dominating their pipelines, S&P expects regional creditors to take on a larger role through 2025.

In its October release of the Supranationals 2025 Special Edition, S&P said updates to its multilateral lending institution framework could lift risk-adjusted capital ratios by about 10%, potentially unlocking $600-$800-billion in additional sovereign lending capacity by development banks.

S&P uses the measure to judge how much more an issuer can safely lend without weakening its credit profile. A higher ratio means a stronger ability to absorb losses.

S&P identified the African Development Bank (AfDB), East African Development Bank, African Trade & Investment Development Insurance, and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) as key players.

The AfDB has kept its AAA rating with "extremely strong" capital adequacy, expanding its portfolio to $27.3-billion in 2024 and signalling plans to scale up both sovereign and private-sector lending in coming years, the report said.

BADEA also lifted its exposure to $3.8-billion and aims to disburse roughly $18-billion between 2025 and 2029.

S&P cited hybrid capital issuance and exposure-exchange agreements - where lenders swap parts of their loan portfolios to spread risk - as tools that bolster resilience amid higher global rates.

Overall lending by multilaterals rose 4% between 2021 and 2024, with Africa accounting for 19% of the total.

Ramaphosa undertakes State visit to Switzerland

Fresh off of his State trip to Southeast Asia, President Cyril Ramaphosa will next meet with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, at her invitation, between October 29 and 30.

Ramaphosa will travel to the Swiss capital of Bern with a delegation that includes International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Professor Blade Nzimande; Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela, and Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi.

The aim of the visit, according to the Presidency, will be to strengthen ties in trade, investment, skills development and science and innovation.

Switzerland is a key partner in science, research and technology and so a key focus for the South African delegation will be on youth training and capacity building.

"The relationship between the two countries is long-standing, marked by strong economic ties, constructive political dialogue, and collaboration in multilateral forums," the Presidency said.

Switzerland is South Africa's sixth largest trading partner.

"Switzerland remains one of South Africa's key European trading partners. Total trade volume amounted to R18.2-billion in 2024 (exports R5.7-billion and imports R12.5-billion - Sars), which places Switzerland as the thirtieth largest export market for South Africa and Switzerland as the thirty-fifth largest source of imports. However, Swiss statistics include South Africa's gold exports and these show that total trade had reached R159.5-billion (exports R85.4-billion and imports R74.1-billion)," the Presidency revealed.

Both countries have signed 22 bilateral agreements that include bilateral air services, double taxation, development cooperation, science and technology and a visa agreement.

The visit will also see the signing of two cooperation agreements on Arts, Culture and Heritage and Letter of Intent on Cooperation in Peace Mediation and Democracy Resilience.

"The agreements will strengthen cultural ties, explore new cooperation initiatives under domestic law and promote joint efforts in peace-making and mediation within multilateral organisations.The South African Government will also receive a number of heritage artefacts of the Nkuna Royal Family from the Government of Switzerland," the Presidency said.

DA takes aim at ANC with BEE billboard

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has hit out against its Government of National Unity partner the African National Congress (ANC), in a new billboard that blames the yellow party for failed broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) policy.

The billboard, which reads "BEE made ANC elites rich, and left SA poor. Choose real opportunities for all! Vote DA," was launched on Tuesday, on the N1 highway in Johannesburg.

DA head of policy Mat Cuthbert said the advertisement was telling the truth about what many South Africans already supposedly know, that BEE had failed under the ANC.

"It has made a handful of politically connected individuals wealthy, while the rest of the country has been left behind. For three decades, this policy has been sold as empowerment, but it has delivered the opposite. Millions remain locked out of the economy, with 12-million South Africans unable to find work and 44-million struggling just to afford their next meal. While a few benefit from inflated contracts and state tenders, the majority continue to pay the price for corruption and greed," he said.

The DA wants the policy replaced with its Economic Inclusion for All Bill, which it launched last week, urging the ANC to support it.

The party's Economic Inclusion for All Bill seeks to amend the Public Procurement Amendment Act of 2024, to repeal all race-based preferential procurement provisions and replace them with an empowerment system that targets poverty as the proxy for disadvantage instead of race.

The Bill aims to create a public procurement system that encourages economic empowerment by offering incentives for developmental outcomes such as job creation, poverty reduction, skills enhancement and environmentally sustainable practices.

"We aim to reform South Africa's public procurement framework by aligning it with Section 217 of the Constitution, which governs public procurement, requiring that all State organs must contract for goods and services in a system that is fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, and cost-effective," explained Cuthbert at the time of the launch.

He further highlighted that the DA's Bill removed provisions for set-asides, prequalification criteria, subcontracting conditions and local content designations, replacing these measures with an outcomes-driven system centred on inclusive development and value-for-money procurement.

The transitional measures in the Bill included the winding down of the BEE Commission over 12 months and the systematic removal of references to BEE across legislation.

"Unlike the ANC's system that encourages fronting and patronage, the DA's approach focuses on need, fairness, and tangible empowerment. It supports small businesses, removes red tape, and builds local economies where opportunity is earned, not given to the well-connected," Cuthbert said on Tuesday.

The DA is urging support for its proposed Bill from businesses, civil society and South Africans through its online portal at EndPoverty.da.org.za

The ANC in Gauteng posted on X that the party rejects the DA's "Anti-Transformation Bill".

It described it as seeking "to undermine the hard-won progress made in advancing Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and redressing the injustices of apartheid. The ANC remains resolute in its commitment to economic transformation, equity, and inclusive growth," the party said.