After failing to defend a claim for outstanding payments, the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison has paid a service provider more than R90 million, including interests. Makanyoga General, a security company previously contracted by the department to render services at government sites, obtained a default judgement in 2023 after taking the government to court over a R75 million payment dispute. This is according to the department’s reply to a parliamentary question by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Mpumalanga…

North West ANC Deputy Secretary and Education MEC Viola Motsumi has applied for an interdict against ward councillor Obakeng Kgonare and businessman Godfrey Moleko Mooketsi, alleging they defamed and threatened her political career.  In court papers filed before the Mahikeng High Court last week, Motsumi denies threatening to castrate Kgonare and resurrect his mother, saying he fabricated stories about her after she turned down his demands for government tenders.  She has applied for a declaratory order stating that Kgonare and…

China’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, recently unveiled a raft of measures to boost economic growth. At the same time, China’s central bank, top securities regulators and financial regulator also announced a raft of monetary stimuli, property market supports and capital market strengthening measures to be implemented in the near future to boost the country’s high-quality economic development. These policy measures include a reserve requirement ratio reduction for banks and a mortgage rate reduction for existing…

A senior North West ANC politician is in hot water for allegedly threatening to break a local councillor’s private parts, castrate him and resurrect his dead mother.  Provincial Deputy Secretary and Education MEC Viola Ntsetsao Motsumi allegedly insulted Mahikeng Ward 10 councillor Obakeng Kgonare and accused him of spreading false rumours about her.  Kgonare opened a crimen injuria case against Motsumi at the Mmabatho Police Station on Wednesday, November 20. The ward councillor confirmed to African Times that he laid…

The South African government has reasserted its authority over illegal miners and vowed to escalate its crackdown, saying they are criminal elements who took over and used abandoned mines to perpetrate crime.  President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has refused to back down on its demands that hundreds of illegal miners holed up in a disused mine in Stilfontein near Klerksdorp in the West resurface and surrender themselves or face starvation underground.  On Thursday, national police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe insisted that…

The Ressano Garcia border, the largest Mozambican land crossing between Mozambique and South Africa, recorded a revenue loss of 400 million Meticais (€5.8 million) during its closure due to post-election protests challenging the election results. The border was anticipated to handle goods worth 1,700 million Meticais (€24.8 million) in November alone. However, according to Mozambique Tax Authority spokesperson Fernando Tinga, last week’s closure resulted in “around 400 million Meticais (€5.8 million)” in losses, leading to a “shortage” of some goods,…

Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged to open the country’s huge market further to share more growth opportunities with the rest of the world on Tuesday as the seventh edition of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened in Shanghai. The business exhibition of the world’s first national-level exposition dedicated to imports has attracted about 3,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions this year. Notably, a record high of 297 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders are attending the six-day expo.…

Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader John Steenhuisen’s claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa represented himself when he described Russian Leader Vladimir Putin as South Africa’s “valuable ally” are “silly” and show that the party is still pursuing the apartheid government’s foreign policy. According to Andre Thomashausen, a Professor Emeritus of International and Comparative Law at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the former Head of the university’s Department of Public, Constitutional and International Law, Steenhuisen’s assertions also proved that South Africa’s…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a “valuable ally and a friend” who supported him when South Africa entered uncharted waters after the May general elections. He told Putin he had formed the Government of National Unity (GNU) with several opposition parties to stabilise South Africa politically after the governing African National Congress received 40% of the national vote. Putin was widely expected to use the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, to show the world…

The Forum of Limpopo Entrepreneurs (Fole) has slammed Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure MEC Ernest Rachoene’s decision to appeal a high court order reinstating Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) CEO Gabriel Maluleke and the agency’s board.  Siviko Mabunda, a Fole secretary, said the move proved that Rachoene and Premier Phophi Ramathuba wanted to “milk RAL through the back door”.  Last week, the Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane ordered Rachoene to reinstate Maluleke and the RAL board following their…