Ingonyama Trust responds to an interview we did yesterday with the Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso saying he is the only authority empowered to suspend members of the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) and that AmaZulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini acted beyond his powers when he did so. 

Guest: Vela Mngwengwe – Ingonyama Trust CEO 

 

Afrika Update Report  

2 January 2024  

1. Mozambique- Maputo  

Mozambique’s Outgoing President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi has advocated for dialogue without “schemes, arrangements, and interests” amid post-election tensions, yet opposition leader Venancio Mondlane calls for “reuniting the nation” and promises new protests dubbed the spearhead 

 

2. Sudan- Khartoum 

Sudan's leader rules out pre-war reconciliation with RSF and calls for civilian protection 

Sudan's Sovereign Council leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has declared that a return to the pre-conflict status with the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is off the table. Speaking on the country's 69th independence anniversary, al-Burhan called the RSF "murderers and criminals" and ruled out any reintegration of the group into Sudanese society. 

 

3. Ivory Coast- France  

Ivory Coast has announced the withdrawal of French troops, marking the end of a decades-long military presence in the country.  

President Alassane Ouattara confirmed that the process will begin in January 2025, with the Port Bouët military base handed over to Ivorian forces.  

"We have decided on a coordinated and organized withdrawal of French forces," Ouattara said. France currently has up to 600 soldiers stationed in the country. 

 

4. Kenya- Nairobi  

President William Ruto has for the first time publicly acknowledged the abuse of power by Kenya's security forces, following a wave of controversial kidnappings that have sparked widespread protests. 

In a statement during his New Year’s address on Tuesday, Ruto admitted that there had been “instances of excessive and extrajudicial actions” by security personnel but did not provide specifics. 

 

5. In our historical archives, it was on this day 2 January 1666 when the construction of the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest surviving building in South Africa, began with the laying of its four cornerstones.  

The structure was completed by 1679 in Cape Town and is a significant historical landmark and a testament to the country’s early colonial architecture.  

 

Guest: Lucia Masuka (Executive Director, Amnesty International Zimbabwe) 

THE South African government has strongly criticized illegal miners, known as zama zamas, following their voluntary emergence from abandoned mines in Stilfontein, North West. This wave of miners emerging comes after a major police operation, “Vala Umgodi”, was launched to address the ongoing illegal mining issues in the area. 

 

Guest: Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, NATJOINTS Chairperson 

 

 

1 January 2025 

1. Forecasting Afrika’s 2025: Sound of change echoes Fela’s rebellion and Masekela’s vision 

As Africa closes the chapter on 2024, the year emerges as one of both resistance and collaboration. It has been a year that could be described as the offspring of two powerful cultural anthems: Fela Kuti’s Kalakuta Show and Hugh Masekela’s Marketplace.  

 

2. Consider South Africa’s assumption of the G20 presidency in December 2024 — a momentous responsibility that casts a spotlight on the continent. 

 A position that will see South Africa host pivotal events, including the Financial Track in Cape Town and the summit in Johannesburg. 

 

3. As 2025 approaches, Africa’s future will be shaped by the leadership decisions of today and many elections in the Sahel and coastal regions in Afrika. 

While the continent faces mounting problems, there is a glimmer of hope in the rise of youthful leaders — such as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and Botswana’s election of Duma Boko. 

 

4. Burkina Faso approves amnesty for 2015 coup plotters  

Burkina Faso is taking steps to confront its turbulent past. The country's transitional parliament has passed a law granting amnesty to soldiers accused of a coup attempt in 2015. 

 

1. In our historical archives, it was on this day 1 January 1956 when the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan became independent as the Republic of Sudan. Sudan’s first prime minister was Ismail al-Azhari of the pro-Egyptian National Unionist Party. 

 

 

Guest: Mike Muller - Civil Engineer And Visiting Adjunct Professor in the University of the Witwatersrand Graduate School of Governance 

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has called for the criminalisation of racism after a viral video of a white couple allegedly calling two black women “baboons” at a Food Lover's Market store in Fourways over the weekend. 

 

Guest: Zama Ntshona  - ATM Spokesperson 

 

 

Guest: Roland Henwood - Political Scientist And Commentator At University of Pretoria 

 

 

Guest: Bianca van Aswegen, a criminologist and national coordinator for Missing Children South Africa 

South Africa's agricultural exports were at US$4,12 billion in the third quarter, a 5% increase relative to the same period in 2023. This reflects an uptick in the volume of various agricultural exports and the price surge in some products, writes Wandile Sihlobo 

 

Guest: Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and Senior Lecturer Extraordinary at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University.