ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the poor will be most affected by the EFF’s planned national shutdown on Monday, March 20. The ANC is not against any march, he says, but frowns on shutting down economic activity and lawlessness.  This after the EFF warned businesses to close their doors or risk being looted.  He was briefing media on Wednesday about the ANC’s Tshwane people’s march planned for March 17.

DA leader John Steenhuisen wants the EFF to withdraw threats “sent” to businesses to accommodate their shutdown next week.

The DA says it will approach courts to interdict the red berets against illegal actions they may embark on during the shutdown.

The EFF is planning to take it to the streets next Monday calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign and for an end to load-shedding. When party president Julius Malema announced the shutdown he said: “We are not threatened by security and if they want to violate our rights they will find us ready.”

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela says police are “prepared” and will “be on the ground” during the planned national shutdown.

Water and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu says the government is delivering practical plans to address Gauteng's water-shortage crisis.  He was briefing the media on Tuesday on outcomes of his meetings with Gauteng municipalities and executive mayors on water services in the province.

Among interventions implemented to address the crisis is increasing Rand Water's bulk water-supply system, which commenced in February 2023.

Residents including schoolchildren and the elderly are calling on law enforcement to take action and hear their pleas to tackle issues plaguing the gang-ridden area. Residents were speaking at the Westbury recreational hall on Tuesday during the ministerial crime-prevention imbizo on gangster violence in and around the Sophiatown policing area.  Among those in attendance were Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi, police minister Bheki Cele and MEC for community safety Faith Mazibuko.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced changes to the national executive on Monday which saw him appoint ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile as his second in command and former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso "Sputla" Ramokgopa as electricity minister.

Advocate Dali Mpofu had a hard time with former public protector Thuli Madonsela at the section 194 inquiry into suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.

Mpofu was uncomfortable with Madonsela changing her affidavit statements, saying some pages were not signed by the commissioner of oaths. Madonsela said her first statement had typos, that she had to amend it and make corrections and was alone with no commissioner of oaths when she made the amendments.

The committee said Mpofu must prove if it’s law that each page should be signed by a commissioner of oaths in which he referenced.

Madonsela said Mpofu fabricated lies about the affidavits.

Syndicates are brazenly touting licences for sale on social media despite several arrests at driving licensing testing centres in Gauteng last year. In this audio, a man tells an undercover reporter that he will write the test of behalf of his son. Full story in the Sunday Times.

EFF leader Julius Malema says President Cyril Ramaphosa “will never take responsibility” for the failures of Eskom because he is being controlled by a faction of the ANC. This comes after Ramaphosa appeared to distance himself and the government from the responsibility of supplying citizens with power after a constitutional challenge on the load-shedding crisis. 

Malema added the party was now distancing itself from the failed entity after corruption allegations by former CEO Andre de Ruyter, who called the power utility a “feeding trough” for the ANC.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says citizens can register for the 2024 national and provincial elections.

IEC senior manager for electoral matters and acting deputy chief electoral officer for electoral operations Granville Abrahams said there is concern about decreasing voter participation.

Abrahams said instead of citizens resorting to social media or protests to raise their voices, voting is the most important platform to decide who will represent the country. It is an opportunity that comes every five years.

Speaking about the credibility of the elections, Abrahams said South Africa “probably” has the most transparent electoral system in the world and explained the transparency process that will take place in the elections next year.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the party will take legal action against  former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter for allegations he made about corruption in the  troubled power utility at the hands of the ANC. 

Mbalula called on De Ruyter to prove his allegations, adding that De Ruyter, who resigned with immediate effect soon after the explosive interview, was using the party as a “scapegoat” for his “failures” as CEO of the power utility.