Tshediso Mangope
Yesterday I attended the Branch Biennial General Meeting in my branch. I was expecting politics, but what I found instead was unapologetic vulgarity. At some point, decency packed its bags and divorced the chamber.
A woman stood up and announced, with tall confidence, that...
EFF leader Julius Malema will return to the East London Magistrate's Court on Friday for a pre-sentencing hearing following his conviction on multiple firearms-related charges.
These include unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, firing a gun in public, and reckless endangerment.
Some of these offences carry a minimum sentence of up to 15 years.
Legal expert Ulrich Roux says the court will weigh aggravating and mitigating factors before deciding on an appropriate sentence.
"The three main factors that the court will consider are the personal circumstances of the accused. Then, secondly, the severity of the offence. And then, thirdly, the message that is sent out to society.
"Is a strong message sent out to deter people from committing similar offences in future, or is the court going to send out a message that it is lenient, that he has shown remorse?
"One can expect Julius Malema to present what we refer to as a pre-sentence report that is submitted by either a social worker in private practice or a person from the Department of Correctional Services to try and convince the court that he should not be sent to a custodial sentence. In other words, he should not serve jail time for these offences that he has committed.
"So, certainly a lot of evidence that will still be led before a sentence is finally handed down in this matter."
The outcome could have major political consequences.
Any MP sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine loses their seat in Parliament.
Roux says Malema’s willingness to show remorse may be key, warning that continued claims of political persecution could count against him at sentencing.
"If he does show remorse, it's going to play a big role. But if he refuses to accept responsibility and he shows no remorse, then he could very well be receiving more than 12 months imprisonment in my view."
*This article was first published by Eye Witness News
The DA's former Federal Finance Chairperson and former Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has accused Helen Zille of making false allegations against him, that include irregular staff appointments to his ministerial office and inflated salaries at public expense.
George said the party had never brought these charges against him, describing it as a smear campaign after he announce his resignation from the DA.
George announced his resignation last week following the report of the DA’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC), which cleared the party’s leader, John Steenhuisen, of allegations regarding the misappropriation of DA funds via a party-issued credit card.
George had pushed the party to investigate Steenhuisen and he claims that this led to his recall as a Minister and the party issuing charges against him.
In the statement issued shortly after George resigned, the DA’s federal Council Chairperson, Zille, described his resignation as “unfortunate”, adding that he left before the internal disciplinary processes against him could conclude.
Zille said the allegations faced by George included irregular staff appointments to his ministerial office and inflated salaries at public expense.
He also faced accusations that staff in his ministry sought departmental information to pursue internal party political matters, bringing the party into disrepute through the media, Zille said.
Zille said it would have been preferable for George to go through the Federal Legal Commission (FLC) process to test the veracity of these allegations.
The statement was released on January 15, shortly after George’s announcement that he was leaving the DA.
However, in his response to the DA through his lawyers, Gittins Attorneys INC, George said 'there was never a disciplinary, ethical, or investigatory process initiated in accordance with the DA’s own rules, the principles of natural justice, or constitutional standards of fairness, as alluded to by Zille in this regard'.
The current Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFF), Willie Aucamp, in December 2025, lodged a complaint with the Public Protector against George, alleging that he misused state resources to investigate his private business affairs, including links to the lion breeding industry, after he took office.
The party also accused George of leaking internal financial information and airing internal grievances through the media.
His attorneys said these allegations have never been formally put to George in writing, to date.
“And the who, what, where, and when intricacies of the various smear campaigns against our client’s character have never been justified,” read the statement released on Monday.
DA spokesperson Jan de Villiers insisted that the FLC investigation found a number of grounds to charge George in terms of the DA constitution and established FLC practices.
“Unfortunately, Dr George decided to leave the party rather than face disciplinary proceedings, where he or his attorneys would have had all the opportunity to state his case,” he said.
George was fired as minister in November after Steenhuisen’s request to President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove him from his position, citing poor performance.
George claimed he was targeted because, as the DA's Federal Finance Chairperson, he had blocked Steenhuisen’s party credit card due to “serious financial irregularities” and “unreconciled personal expenses”, such as Uber Eats and family household expenses.
He claimed that he was "purged" for refusing to favour the captive lion breeding and hunting industry. He claimed Steenhuisen replaced him with Aucamp, an ally of the wildlife-ranching lobby, to protect specific commercial interests.
He claimed that Aucamp failed to disclose personal commercial interests and potential conflicts of interest, as he and his family have direct ties to the lion breeding and hunting industry.
He also characterised his removal as a "purge" of independent voices within the DA who opposed to Steenhuisen's leadership style and his perceived "capture" by the ANC.
George's legal team said that while the allegations (against George) require formal notice, an opportunity to respond and present evidence, none of this has been pursued by the DA.
The law firm added that the DA has also adopted the stance that 'these wild, unsubstantiated allegations can be pursued by the party, without formal notice, without documentation and without affording our client a right to reply'.
The lawyers added that George has systematically been denied information and documentation, including the “secret part report” conveniently exonerating Steenhuisen from the abuse of the party’s credit card.
“The latter is no trivial matter; the implications are that Minister Steenhuisen has viewed the funds from donors as his own, open to personal abuse. Again, in a corporate setting this would attract sanction, not a whitewash,” said the attorneys, adding that George’s resignation from Parliament and from the DA was a principled decision taken to remove political distractions and does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing."
In his resignation letter, George said the report was his final straw.
He dismissed the report as a “whitewash” and accused the party of "cooking the books" to protect its leader.
EFF leader Julius Malema will not participate in Parliament’s ad hoc committee proceedings this week as he prepares to return to the East London Magistrate’s Court on Friday for a pre-sentencing hearing.
Malema was convicted in 2025 on five charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public space, reckless endangerment and failure to take reasonable precautions.
The convictions stem from a July 2018 incident during the EFF’s fifth anniversary celebrations in Mdantsane, where Malema was filmed firing a rifle into the air.
The upcoming hearing will determine Malema’s sentence, with the possibility of direct imprisonment.
Under the Constitution, any member of Parliament sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine is disqualified from holding office for five years.
The EFF confirmed on Monday that Malema would be absent from the ad hoc committee’s work this week.
In a statement, the party dismissed the court’s ruling as politically motivated and irrational, maintaining that the case was driven by hostility toward the organisation rather than evidence.
The party urged the public to closely observe the legal proceedings and cautioned against speculation regarding Malema’s absence from parliamentary activities.
EFF Deputy Secretary-General Leigh-Ann Mathys will represent the party in committee engagements for the remainder of the week.
Meanwhile, Parliament’s ad hoc committee met on Monday to finalise its programme through February.
The committee is expected to hear testimony this week from former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) head Robert McBride and suspended EMPD chief Julius Mkhwanazi.
Members of Parliament (MPs) have also called for forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan to appear before the committee, warning that failure to comply could result in serious consequences.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has recorded a historic pass rate of 94.4% in the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, with inmates across the country producing strong academic results despite the challenges of incarceration.
Correctional Services Minister Dr Pieter Groenewald announced the results on Monday at Goodwood Correctional Centre in the Western Cape. He described the achievement as one of the department’s proudest moments.
A total of 180 inmates from 18 DCS schools nationwide sat for the 2025 matric examinations, alongside thousands of learners across South Africa. Fifteen DCS schools achieved a 100% pass rate, while inmates collectively earned 132 distinctions.
“This is a celebration of resilience, discipline and educational excellence,” Groenewald said. “These results affirm that rehabilitation through education is yielding positive outcomes and giving offenders a meaningful opportunity to rebuild their lives.”
The minister stressed that education is an important part of DCS’s rehabilitation mandate, noting that academic achievement plays a key role in breaking cycles of crime and contributing to safer communities.
However, Groenewald raised concerns about a growing preference among learners for Mathematical Literacy over Mathematics, warning that this trend could limit future educational and career opportunities.
Usethubeni Youth School at Westville Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal produced the highest number of distinctions, with 58, followed by Baviaanspoort Youth School in Gauteng with 56 distinctions. The KwaZulu-Natal region also registered the highest number of learners and the most Bachelor passes.
Top-performing learner Nkosinathi Jabulani Gumede from Usethubeni Youth School achieved an overall average of 85.5%, while Jooste Tyrique from Baviaanspoort Youth School, who is currently on parole, placed second with 84.4%.
Groenewald praised DCS educators, officials and management for their commitment to offender rehabilitation, and encouraged inmates to draw inspiration from former offender Lubabalo Fongoqa.
Fongoqa, who entered prison with only a Grade 9 qualification and served 18 years in correctional facilities, now holds an LLB degree from the University of South Africa. He is the director of Songo Legal Consultants, a motivational speaker and deputy chairperson of the Black Lawyers Association Student Chapter in the Western Cape.
“Do not allow incarceration to limit you or let these opportunities slip through your fingers,” Groenewald told inmates. “One day, we hope you will go out into society and make us proud.”
Fongoqa echoed the minister’s message, saying prison walls do not define or limit dreams, and credited perseverance and access to education for transforming his life.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has dismissed claims circulating on social media that its Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant policy has been amended to allow foreign nationals broader access to the grant, warning that the information is false and misleading.
Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said the agency was concerned about growing public confusion sparked by online claims suggesting that asylum seekers and special permit holders were receiving South African taxpayers' money through newly amended regulations.
"This information is incorrect, misleading and may cause unnecessary confusion to social grant beneficiaries and the public at large," Letsatsi said.
He stressed that no changes had been made to the SRD grant framework.
"Sassa wishes to categorically state and put it on record that no policies or regulations have been amended regarding the Covid-19 SRD," Letsatsi said.
According to Sassa, any policy shifts related to social assistance fall under the authority of National Treasury and the Department of Social Development, neither of which announced changes during the recent budget processes.
"No such amendments were announced either by the Minister of Finance during his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement and Minister of Social Development, Sisisi Nokuzola Tolashe during her Budget Vote Speech," Letsatsi said.
He added that should any changes be introduced in future, the public would be formally informed.
"Should there be any changes in our regulations, that will be announced by the Minister of Social Development, and the amended regulations will thus be published," Letsatsi said.
Sassa reiterated that eligibility for the Covid-19 SRD grant remains governed by regulations published in 2022.
These allow temporary assistance for persons with insufficient means who are South African citizens, permanent residents, refugees, valid asylum seekers, or holders of specific special permits, provided they meet age, residency and income requirements.
As of January 1, the agency received 14,135 Covid-19 SRD applications from permanent residents, refugees and special permit holders, of which 8,368 were approved and 2,690 paid.
Letsatsi urged the public to exercise caution when sharing information related to social grants.
"Members of the public need to verify information through official Sassa and government channels before circulation," he said.
The World Bank has given South Africa a modest vote of confidence, saying the economy is growing again but warning that the recovery remains weak.
According to the latest World Bank Global Economic Prospects report, South Africa’s economy expanded by an estimated 1.3% in 2025, supported by a more reliable electricity supply, a strong agricultural harvest and improving business confidence.
"In South Africa, growth strengthened in 2025 to 1.3%, supported by more reliable electricity supply, a bumper agricultural harvest, and a pickup in business confidence toward year-end. Fiscal consolidation efforts and a lower inflation target further bolstered investor sentiment," the report noted.
The World Bank predicts that growth will edge up only slightly over the next two years, reaching about 1.5% by 2027.
"Growth in South Africa is projected to increase to 1.4% in 2026 and 1.5% in 2027. Continued reform momentum — particularly in energy and logistics — alongside rising public investment is expected to crowd in private investment and support medium-term growth prospects," the report stated.
"Private consumption and investment will remain the main growth drivers, aided by efforts to improve public-expenditure efficiency and ease supply-side constraints."
However, the report cautions that these gains remain modest, both for South Africa and across Sub-Saharan Africa, adding that growth at these levels remains well below what is needed to absorb new entrants into the labour market, reduce unemployment or ease widespread poverty.
"Despite modest gains, growth rates remain too low to generate enough jobs or significantly reduce poverty, leaving the economy vulnerable to external shocks and domestic constraints."
The report also notes that South Africa and other African economies face external trade risks, including the expiration of the United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in late 2025, unless it is extended.
IOL previously reported that the US House of Representatives has approved a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and South Africa has welcomed the decision.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Park Tau said the renewal “provides the necessary relief to companies in the context of the tariffs implemented by the United States” and ensures “certainty and predictability for African and American businesses that rely on the programme”.
However, while Tau has welcomed the extension, there’s still uncertainty around South Africa’s participation in the programme, because the bill now goes to the US Senate for approval, and some lawmakers have raised concerns about the country's foreign policy and diplomatic relationship with Washington.
