The newly elected Mayor of Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality, Tumelo Thebe, has wasted no time in setting the tone for his administration, unveiling an ambitious plan to restore dignity, improve service delivery, and rebuild public confidence in a municipality that has struggled with governance and infr...
JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg said it was approached by "anonymous" political parties who have pledged their support in its bid to remove Mayor Dada Morero and his executive.
On Thursday, the DA Johannesburg council's programming committee accepted the DA's motions of no confidence in Morero and council chief whip, Sithembiso Zungu.
Extraordinary council meetings have been set down for next week, Monday and Tuesday, when the motions will be voted on.
The African National Congress (ANC)-led governing coalition currently has more numbers in council, however, the DA's caucus leader, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, said many parties were unhappy with the deteriorating state of the city.
"It's very interesting that people assume that everybody is comfortable with the status quo in terms of status delivery. When we raised the concern that we are putting the motion of no confidence, we were approached by parties who told us they would like to remain anonymous and that would support the motion."
A third motion of no confidence in the council Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu, filed by Al Jama-ah, will also be put to a vote between Monday and Tuesday.
Al Jama-ah caucus leader, Thapelo Amad, said that the ActionSA councillor and her party had consistently undermined the governing coalition.
"They have never voted for one adjustment budget, they voted against the adjustment budget. Two, they have never voted for the actual budget, they voted against it. Three, they never voted for the loan to empower the executive so they can fulfil their mandate in terms of operationalisation of that budget."
*This article was first published by Eye Witness News
The Pietermaritzburg High Court has set a date for the trial of two men accused of the killing former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) secretary-general and Umzimkhulu councillor, Sindiso Magaqa.
Magaqa was killed in an ambush in 2017.
The trial is set for the 6th to the 30th of October.
The two accused, Sbonela Myeza and Mbulelo Mpofana, have been served with new indictments after their co-accused, Sibusiso Ncengwa – pleaded guilty earlier this month.
Ncengwa’s case has been separated from the other accused, and he will be sentenced on the 30th of this month.
In his plea explanation he mentioned the role of various people in the murder plot.
The Magaqa family says the are happy with the progress made in the matter.
Magaqa’s brother, Lwazi, comments on the latest developments: “As the fourth accused has pleaded guilty, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Because all along since 2017, we have been in the dark, but now as names have been mentioned we are hoping that justice is going to take its course. We are hoping that everything is going to go well.”
Three suspects were arrested during a police raid in the quarters of Welkom Gold Mine on Thursday.
Commander of Operation Vala Umgodi, Colonel Nonthando Ndzotyana said a team consisting of the Tactical Response Unit, Department of Home Affairs, and SSG Security Company raided the Kopanang Gold Plant employees quarters in Virginia, Free State, following a tip-off.
They were searching for trespassers with the aim of rooting out illegal activities taking place in the male quarters, including alleged trafficking of foreign national women.
“We were tipped off by our sources that females were seen at the males’ quarters. Bear in mind that no females should be found within the quarters, nor should anyone be found inside without a valid permit,” said Ndzotyana.
According to Ndzotyana, two females (foreign nationals) were found trespassing in the mine’s male quarters, as well as a male suspect found in possession of an unlicensed firearm, dagga, and a presumed stolen SANDF uniform.
The suspects are expected to appear before the local magistrate court soon.
“I have not resigned from uMkhonto weSizwe and I will never resign from uMkhonto weSizwe,” declared former Secretary-General of the MK Party, Floyd Shivambu, during a media briefing at Mhulu Hotel in Midrand on Thursday.
Drawing from the political playbook of MK leader Jacob Zuma, Shivambu asserted that despite announcing a nationwide consultation process, he remains a committed member of the MK party. The consultations, he said, will engage citizens, businesses, academics, and religious organisations on whether South Africa needs a new political formation. Quoting the MK party constitution, Shivambu explained: “The constitution of uMkhonto weSizwe says that members are not allowed to participate in the activities and programs of political parties whose aims and objectives are opposed to the objectives of uMkhonto weSizwe.” He added pointedly, “If uMkhonto weSizwe believes that going to listen to the people violates the constitution, it will tell me that.”
Shivambu’s remarks come amid growing tensions within the MK Party. In July 2024, the African National Congress (ANC) expelled Jacob Zuma after he publicly endorsed the MK Party ahead of the May 29 national elections. Despite leading MK, Zuma later wrote to the ANC requesting reinstatement of his membership.
On 3 June, Shivambu was removed from his role as Secretary-General and told he would be redeployed to Parliament. He claims the demotion was based on a fabricated intelligence report accusing him of plotting to oust Zuma. Initially instructed not to disclose the reasons for his removal, Shivambu said recent statements from other MK leaders had compelled him to speak out.
Although party officials blamed his demotion on his controversial trip to Malawi to meet self-proclaimed prophet and fugitive Shepherd Bushiri, Shivambu dismissed this as a smokescreen. According to him, internal party battles and financial mismanagement were the real issues.
“One of the reasons cited was that I wanted to use Parliament to take over the party,” Shivambu said. “The president of uMkhonto weSizwe, whom I dearly respect, is surrounded by political scoundrels who opportunistically exploit his kindness—and sometimes his gullibility, which comes with age—using fake intelligence reports to mislead him. Their goal is to steal from the MK Party, and they are doing so right now.”
He accused unnamed individuals of looting party funds, stating that at least R7 million is being withdrawn monthly from MK coffers without accountability. “Anyone who raises concerns about this theft is removed,” he said. “There’s no treasury general who resigned—they were removed.” Shivambu announced the formation of a committee to guide consultations and assess whether a new political party should be established. “We are not rushing. We are going to listen to the people.” His political trajectory has been anything but quiet. In August 2024, he resigned from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)—a party he co-founded in 2013 alongside Julius Malema—to join MK as national organiser and Secretary-General. While his split from Malema was highly publicised, Shivambu insists he has no regrets about leaving the EFF. “I have tremendous respect for President Jacob Zuma. I’ve learned more about politics in the past six months than I did in 10 years as the deputy president of the EFF,” he told journalists.
Shivambu’s fall from grace within MK became evident when Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma, publicly criticised his leadership on X (formerly Twitter). Responding to the criticism, Shivambu quipped, “We will speak against people who take drugs and tweet at night.” He rejected the notion of a political party being run as a personal or family enterprise. “A political party is not a family project or a tool for self-enrichment,” he said. He also addressed claims that he was difficult to work with, saying his refusal to attend private meetings was often misinterpreted. “Comrades want private meetings so they can be protected when they do wrong,” he said.
Responding to allegations that he had secured funding from Malawi to finance a new political venture, Shivambu was unequivocal: “There is no funding from Malawi.” Despite all the internal strife, Shivambu maintained his admiration for Zuma and criticised Judge Raymond Zondo for the former president’s incarceration following the Zondo Commission’s state capture inquiry.
As Floyd Shivambu embarks on what may be the early stages of a new political project, his path reflects the turbulent and deeply personal nature of South African politics, one where loyalty, ambition, and ideology often clash in the public arena.
Some economists are optimistic that consumer price inflation (CPI) in South Africa will remain low despite uncertainties surrounding global developments.
Stats SA says inflation held steady at 2.8% in May after rising marginally in April up from 2.7% the previous month.
The food and non-alcoholic beverages category was the only one contributing to the 0.2% monthly increase to the CPI.
Economist Dawie Roodt notes that the overall inflation print has been low for some months now, contributing to a fall in inflation expectations.
“But more importantly perhaps is that inflation has been around 3% for quite a long period of time now. Now is perhaps the time for the Minister of Finance to reduce the inflation targets and move away from the 3 to 6% band.”
“And don’t even set the inflation target at 4%, but set it at 3%. Now it’s an absolute one. It’s a wonderful opportunity to change the inflation targets, to change it to 3% in line with what the SA Reserve Bank would like to see inflation targets to be,” adds Roodt.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned the United Kingdom’s decision to deny its leader, Julius Malema, a visa, calling the move a blatant act of political censorship and “cowardice.”
In a statement, the party said it was “not surprised” by the UK Home Office’s confirmation that Malema’s visa application was denied due to his political views, particularly his support for Palestine and his stance on racial inequality in South Africa.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the UK had “effectively banned the President of the EFF due to his position about the genocide of the Palestinian people, his expressed support for the resistance movement fighting against the genocidal Israeli regime, as well as his and the EFF’s stance on racial inequality in South Africa.”
The party said Malema was initially invited to speak at Cambridge University in May 2025 but was barred from entry.
Thambo added that the UK “has suggested that all further applications by our President are likely to be denied unless he changes his posture on the issues which characterise him as a revolutionary.”
He further said: “The UK has declared the Commander in Chief and President of the EFF an ‘extremist’ whose presence in the UK would not be conducive to the public good.
''This country, which has a long history of imperialism and still has the blood of Africans dripping from its hands, as its wealth was built on the backs of African people, has suggested that all further applications by our President are likely to be denied unless he changes his posture on the issues which characterise him as a revolutionary.”
“This is not only cowardice by the UK but also a stifling of democratic debate and a pathetic expression of intolerance toward those who hold views different from the UK administration, including its monarchy,” Thambo said.
As previously reported by IOL, the UK formally denied Malema a visa on Wednesday, June 17, 2025. In the letter, the Home Office stated that his future visa applications are also unlikely to succeed unless he alters his stance.
Citing concerns over “conduct, character and associations,” the UK government said Malema’s presence in Britain is “not conducive to the public good.”
Key reasons included Malema’s support for Hamas,an organisation banned in the UK under terrorism laws, as well as his past remarks seen as inciting racial division.
Notably, the letter referenced Malema’s controversial 2016 statement: “We are not calling for the slaughter of white people, at least for now,” and his 2022 courtroom remark: “I can’t guarantee I won’t say it. I am not a prophet.”
In addition, the UK cited the EFF’s official support for “the armed struggle of Hamas and Hezbollah,” and Malema’s own televised assertion that the October 7, 2023 attacks were “a legitimate act of resistance.”
However, the EFF accused the UK of distorting South African legal proceedings and undermining judicial rulings. The party further criticised the UK’s references to South African legal proceedings, calling them a distortion of facts and a smear against South Africa’s judiciary.
