By Lerato Mutlanyane
Hailing from Bloemfontein, the City of Roses, Palesa “Lisa S” Sentso is stepping into her own spotlight — and bringing a sound that refuses to be boxed in. First known as part of the duo Harmonic Squared, which made waves on the Bloem music scene in 2018, Lisa S has since evol...
Despite an assurance by ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula on Sunday that unpaid salaries for ANC employees have been resolved, the start of the ANC's 5th National General Council (NGC) got off to a disruptive start.
This comes as a small group of unpaid ANC employees picketed outside the Birchwood Hotel on Monday over unpaid salaries for November, with some reports indicating that this is the fourth time this year that the party has failed to pay its staffers.
One of the protesters reflected the pain of having to work without being paid their salaries, suspended medical aid and unpaid pension contributions.
Nombuso Mthembu, one of the affected workers holding placards airing their grievances said they were on duty at the National General Council (NGC) despite not being paid.
"We have decided to just start off here despite of our frustrations amid the delays in our salary payments. The salaries are not the only issue; some of us have outstanding pension fund payments and medical aid. We have members here with chronic medical illnesses, whose medical aid has been suspended," she said.
The group also enjoyed support from the ANC Youth League and the National Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU), who stood in solidarity with the affected employees.
Reacting to the cries of the unpaid employees, ANC Youth League leader Collen Malatji saying those 'responsible for the mess must be held accountable'.
"We’re going to hold everyone accountable because the workers have families to take care of. They must buy clothes, and they must prepare for December. We cannot be eating while ANC workers and their children go hungry,'' he said.
NEHAWU deputy secretary at the Luthuli House branch, Dan Semenya, said it was important for the union to show its support to unpaid ANC workers.
"This matter of unpaid salaries is not limited to November, as it has been a recurring issue. I can remind you that in 2022, during the policy conference, picketing was on the basis of the same issue. We are here today, three years later, and we are still dealing with the same issues,” he stated.
On Sunday, during his pre-NGC press briefing, Mbalula said the issue has been resolved, with top management being the only group that has not been paid their November salaries.
Mbalula said he was aware of intended protests but said the salary matter for junior staff had been resolved, with only payments to senior managers, including himself, outstanding.
"The component of staff not paid is management, starting with me, the Secretary-General. All our staff below that level have been attended to in terms of salaries. We are working on resolving the issue through rigorous fundraising efforts to ensure our staff bill is settled," he said.
A Nigerian man who wanted to be granted permanent residency had his application dismissed by the Cape Town High Court after it was revealed that his methods to remain in the country were riddled with inconsistencies and illegal conduct.
Peter Sunday Akinsanya took the department of home affairs in the Western Cape to court after it had rejected his appeal for a permanent resident application. He first applied for permanent residence in February 2019.
Akinsanya initially arrived in South Africa in November 2014 under a visitor’s visa that allowed him a 10-day stay. However, following the expiration of his visa, he overstayed his welcome and attempted to convert his visitor's status into a work visa—a move that is prohibited under South African immigration laws.
He claimed he applied for the work visa after using the services of an agent only known as Sam who he met at Gautrain station and paid him R23,000. He said he was already eyeing a job at a company called Mortu Mortu (Pty) Ltd.
Moreover, he wanted to be allowed to live as a permanent resident because he owns property in the country and has a valid driver’s license which for him, was compelling enough to have his application considered.
In response, home affairs said that when Akinsanya applied for permanent residence, it was discovered that prior to his 2014 visitor's visa, there was a work visa issued in December 2013 for employment in the same company he had applied for when he first came to the country. The visa expired in 2018.
However, no clarification was provided by Akinsanya regarding how this prior work visa predated his visitor’s visa. In court, he denied having knowledge of the 2013 work visa.
In 2021, he attempted to change his status once more by applying to be declared a non-prohibited person and amongst other things, he supplied a fraudulent police clearance certificate.
As expected, home affairs rejected his application and also considered the fact that he had overstayed his visitor’s visa, and he had attempted to change his status from a visitor status to work status, which is not allowed. Additionally, the discovery of two fraudulent work visas further tarnished his case.
Despite the setback, he filed another application in February 2024, and this application was subsequently rejected in September 2024 on the grounds of dishonesty. Following this rejection, he applied for reconsideration in October 2024, specifically challenging the stated reasons for the denial, but his application was unsuccessful once more.
He sought relief in the Western Cape High Court where acting judge Sungaree Pather presided over the matter and remarked that the events surrounding the application could only be characterised as a "calamity of illegal conduct" by Akinsanya, noting that he had made an error "almost at every turn" in his attempts to remain in the country.
Analysing the evidence, Judge Pather said she was certain that Akinsanya was in possession of two fraudulent work visas and she rejected his reasons that he didn't know the person who issued the visas.
"The applicant (Akinsanya) met the agent, he was told that the agent can assist. He knew that the agent was not an employee of Home Affairs, or else he would not have met him at the Gauteng train station. He paid him R23,000 in cash for the work that was to be done. This is suspicious and clearly was a contact being used to short-circuit the process and bypass the systems, rules and regulations that were in place," said the judge.
Moreover, the judge said there was overwhelming evidence showing that Akinsanya came to the country with a visitor's visa but had no intention to leave the country and was willing to use illegal means to stay.
"He started off with his visitor’s visa, then he attempted to seek asylum. He is told the process is long and he should rather apply for a work visa. At that point, he knew that he wanted to short-circuit the legal systems that were in place.
"He then applies for a work visa, then he finds out there was an existing work visa application in 2013, then he applies for a student visa. The application for a student visa is riddled with further queries. According to his permanent residency application is a Software Engineer, yet in his student visa application, he wants to enrol to study to be an IT Software Developer," said the judge.
Judge Panther said Akinsanya was a disingenuous applicant and it was also concerning how he acquired the property.
"No proper information was put up of the transfer, but rather a letter from the conveyancer. There are strict compliance requirements to transfer immovable property and none of these documents were put up. I am concerned that the acquisition of the property could have been done so fraudulently or irregularly," she said.
Having considered all the evidence, Judge Panther said there was no other conclusion to reach other than supporting home affair's decision in refusing Akinsanya permanent residency.
Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday that Israel was responsible for nearly half of all journalists killed this year worldwide, with 29 Palestinian reporters slain by its forces in Gaza.
In its annual report, the Paris-based media freedom group said the total number of journalists killed reached 67 globally this year, slightly up from the 66 killed in 2024. However, data encompassing all media workers, compiled by CPJ, brings that tally up to 122.
Israeli forces accounted for 43 percent of the total, making them "the worst enemy of journalists", RSF said in its report, which documented deaths over 12 months from December 2024.
The most deadly single attack was a so-called "double-tap" strike on a hospital in south Gaza on August 25, which killed five journalists, including two contributors to international news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press.
In total, since the start of hostilities in Gaza in October 2023, nearly 220 journalists have died, making Israel the biggest killer of journalists worldwide for three years running, RSF data shows.
Foreign reporters are still unable to travel to Gaza - unless they are in tightly controlled tours organised by the Israeli military - despite calls from media groups and press freedom organisations for access.
Elsewhere in the RSF annual report, the group said that 2025 was the deadliest year in Mexico in at least three years, with nine journalists killed there, despite pledges from left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum to help protect them.
War-wracked Ukraine (three journalists killed) and Sudan (four journalists killed) are the other most dangerous countries for reporters in the world, according to RSF.
The overall number of deaths last year is far down from the peak of 142 journalists killed in 2012, linked largely to the Syrian civil war, and is below the average since 2003 of around 80 killed per year.
The RSF annual report also counts the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide for their work, with China (121), Russia (48) and Myanmar (47) the most repressive countries, RSF figures showed.
As of December 1, 2025, 503 journalists were detained in 47 countries across the world, the report said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the growing international claims suggesting that white Afrikaners are being persecuted in South Africa are dangerous and a direct threat to the country’s unity and sovereignty.
Speaking at the ANC’s National General Council (NGC) in Boksburg on Monday, Ramaphosa said the country’s democratic project is being undermined by both domestic groups invested in racial privilege and international actors willing to legitimise disinformation for political gain.
“The sense of shared nationhood is well established among South Africans of all races,” he said.
“However, some in our society still adhere to notions of racial superiority and seek to maintain racial privilege.
“Their vehement opposition to transformation aligns conveniently with wider notions of white victimhood, fed by false claims of persecution of white Afrikaners.”
Ramaphosa said these narratives, amplified abroad by lobby groups and foreign politicians, were not merely ideological disputes, but active threats to national stability.
“The propagation of these false claims has real implications for our sovereignty, international relations and national security,” he warned.
“It is essential that we counter this narrative through frank engagement and broad social mobilisation for a vision of non-racialism, reconciliation and transformation.”
The president’s remarks come as relations between Pretoria and Washington reach their lowest point in decades.
Since beginning his second term in January, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that South Africa’s government was forcibly taking land and encouraging violence against white farmers, especially Afrikaners.
His claims echo presentations made in the US by civil society groups including AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement, which allege systematic targeting of white citizens.
Diplomatic tensions escalated further last month when the US boycotted the G20 leaders' summit hosted in Johannesburg, arguing that no consensus could be reached without its participation.
South Africa went ahead, producing a final communique prioritising climate action and gender equality, themes the Trump administration has openly rejected.
In a rare diplomatic snub, Washington has since invited Poland, not South Africa, to the opening meetings of its 2026 G20 presidency.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the shift, accusing Pretoria of harbouring “an appetite for racism” and tolerating violence against Afrikaners — claims South Africa dismisses as baseless.
With uncertainty now looming over South Africa’s participation in the 2026 G20 cycle, Ramaphosa said the country must confront disinformation head-on.
In the vibrant yet vulnerable landscape of South Africa, nearly 10 million adolescents grapple with the weight of survival amid systemic neglect. A new study from the University of Pretoria’s Department of Psychology lays bare the harsh truths of adolescent girls navigating poverty, food insecurity, and the life-altering consequences of transactional relationships. As these young women seek to fill their stomachs, they are often compelled to trade their safety for fleeting sustenance.
Across communities where resources are minimal, the pressures faced by adolescent girls become unbearable. pressures faced by adolescent girls become unbearable. Professor Eugene Lee Davids sheds light on the pervasive issue, stating, “Food insecurity doesn’t just mean going to bed hungry – it reverberates through every aspect of life, especially for girls in impoverished areas.” Within these confines, access to education, healthcare, and safe environments is alarmingly low, creating a terrifying cycle of vulnerability.
The repercussions of structural deprivation manifest in a tragic compromise: a full stomach borne from risky sexual favours.
Professor Davids explained how these dire circumstances breed desperation, leading to “transactional relationships with older men” that are highlighted by the prevalence of alcohol-fuelled underage gatherings in local taverns. Here, underage drinking is rampant, and alcohol becomes a currency, drawing adolescent girls into a world of risky behaviours that often leads to addiction, early pregnancy, and an increased risk of HIV infection.
“The implications are enormous,” warned Professor Davids. “If the root causes of these behaviours, such as food insecurity, aren’t addressed, the country risks squandering the potential of an entire generation.”
Despite existing frameworks and laws designed to protect adolescents, enforcement remains weak, and community inaction renders such policies largely ineffective. Unfortunately, laws like the Sexual Offences Act and the National Liquor Act frequently falter in their intent, allowing these young women to remain vulnerable.
"It is quite clear that addressing adolescent risk behaviours cannot be done in isolation," stressed Professor Davids. The consequences of ignoring this pressing societal crisis demand urgent collective action. Piecemeal solutions will not suffice; a comprehensive, community-based approach is essential.
School and community-based nutrition programmes aimed at alleviating food insecurity;
Strengthened enforcement of existing legal protections for adolescents;
Tougher regulations and oversight on alcohol sales, particularly in vulnerable communities;
Policy designs that reflect the realities faced by these communities, ensuring awareness and active participation of local members.
"South Africa, and indeed the broader African continent, stands at a crucial juncture, with projections estimating an unprecedented population of adolescents by the year 2100. The need for immediate action cannot be overstated. Behaviours, beliefs, and outcomes formed during adolescence will shape the trajectory of individuals and, by extension, the future of our country,” said Professor Davids.
"Now is the time to confront these challenges head-on and safeguard the future of a generation."
Is South Africa enters its final initiation season of the year, teachers, parents and communities are preparing for the month-long rite of passage that ushers young boys into manhood and young girls into womanhood. In the North West, authorities say they have strengthened systems to ensure a safer and more compliant season, following challenges experienced during the winter initiation period. According to Thebeetsile Keameditse, spokesperson for the North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee (PICC) has tightened screening processes and ensured that all practitioners involved in this season are properly certified. “All applications for initiation schools and practitioners — including principals, traditional surgeons, caregivers and traditional health practitioners — were verified in line with the Customary Initiation Act No. 2 of 2021. PICC also ran extensive capacity-building workshops from August to September 2025 across all districts,” said Keameditse. These workshops focused on compliance, safety standards, age restrictions, consent procedures and proper registration requirements. Traditional Councils also screened practitioners at community level before applications reached the PICC. To strengthen health and safety measures, the Department of Health trained traditional surgeons on 14 November 2025 in preparation for the summer season. “Taken together, these steps give confidence to the PICC that the 446 approved initiation schools meet the criteria set out in the CIA and are adequately prepared for a safe and compliant season,” Keameditse added. He said monitoring teams from the PICC, Traditional Councils and local initiation committees will conduct frequent site visits throughout the period. One of the biggest challenges for the department remains the emergence of illegal initiation schools, many of which operate under unsafe conditions. These contributed to the six deaths recorded in the province during the winter season. “The PICC approaches customary initiation with profound respect for its sacredness. Our responsibility is to ensure that every initiate emerges healthy, protected and respected,” he said. “We believe this can be achieved through partnership, education and enforcement.” To address illegal schools, the PICC and law-enforcement agencies have run awareness campaigns, school outreach programmes and media messaging to encourage parents to choose legally registered schools and to understand the importance of consent and medical screening. “Culture thrives when it is protected, not when it is exploited,” Keameditse said, expressing hope for a safe and incident-free season. “The PICC’s goal is clear: no family should lose a child in the name of culture. By strengthening preparedness, health measures and enforcement, the province is better positioned to prevent tragedies and ensure a dignified, safe initiation season.” Keameditse emphasised that anyone wishing to host an initiation school must register at least three months before the season begins. Applications must be submitted to the PICC, and written approval is required from the relevant Traditional Council or, if conducted on private land, from the landowner or occupier.
