A Limpopo municipal manager has denied claims that the council has suspended him, saying he is still in office because he has received no suspension letter.  Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality’s accounting officer, Dr Kgoshi Lucas Pilusa, says he will take legal action should he be suspended illegally and for dubious reasons. Speaking to African Times on Tuesday after the Democratic Alliance released a statement welcoming “the precautionary suspension of the Municipal Manager, Dr Pilusa”, Dr Pilusa dismissed his alleged suspension as prosperous. …

Early in the morning of September 17th, two simultaneous attacks shook Bamako, Mali’s capital. Terrorists targeted the gendarmerie school in Faladié and the military camp in Sénou, near the international airport. These assaults, claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, have left the city in chaos. Explosions, gunfire, and a thick cloud of smoke over the airport have raised concerns about the country’s security. According to the Malian Armed Forces…

The Nigerian High Commission in South Africa has called for an improved regulatory framework and a visa regime to “scale up” trade and other relations between the two countries and their citizens.  Ambassador Alexander Temitope Ajayi, the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, has urged the business community and ordinary people in both countries to collaborate, exchange knowledge and explore mutually beneficial opportunities.  Ambassador Ajayi has insisted that Africa would benefit greatly from stronger economic ties between its two…

We should not wish for the downfall of the EFF, as this could diminish the diversity and liveliness of South African politics. We live in a society marked by significant disparities in opportunities, wealth, and treatment, often influenced by racial divides. The EFF has played a significant role in raising important issues and challenging the existing state of affairs. The party’s focus on economic inequality, land reform, and social justice has resonated with many South Africans who feel marginalized by…

Former EFF Deputy President Floyd Shivambu is expected to build Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) structures and craft policies as part of preparations for him to occupy a senior leadership role, said MK party insiders.  They said Julius Malema’s former right-hand-man was recruited to also attract the youth and black professionals, as MK President Jacob Zuma prepared a leadership core that would appeal to different constituencies and be a viable alternative to the ANC before the next elections.   Moreover, they believed…

Many people already predicted the EFF’s failure when the news surfaced that its deputy president Floyd Shivambu was going to leave the party. It was widely reported that he had decided not to renew his membership and had stepped down from all his roles in the party. On Thursday, 15 August, the EFF called a media conference where Shivambu tendered his ‘resignation’ from the party. Floyd Shivambu has decided to hitch his wagon to the MK party. Suddenly, there is…

The recent resignation of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu is a cause for concern, sparking worries about the party’s future and its potential impact on African unity and Pan-Africanism in South Africa.  My concern is that Shivambu’s departure may not only weaken the EFF but also hinder efforts toward unity at a crucial time for the country and the continent. This country cannot afford to have a destabilized EFF. The party’s presence and participation in the political…

Academic Mary de Haas of UKZN has long studied the prevalence of violence and its intersectionalities in Natal. She examines the complex relationships between violence and other social, political, and economic factors within the provincial context. The Moerane Commission later confirmed that Glebelands, townships, municipalities and taxi ranks are killing fields. Although the Moerane Report has been widely criticised for not being implemented effectively, it remains crucial for understanding the root causes of political violence in the province. Many reports…

SOME ANC branches and leaders in Limpopo have vowed to block Norman Mashabane (Mopani) regional chairperson Pule Shayi’s quest for a third term, saying it would divide the party and destabilize service delivery in the district municipality.  Instead, they said they wanted regional secretary Goodman Mitileni to take over because he was the best person to take Mopani to greater heights and solve the ongoing water crisis and other service delivery challenges.  Speaking to African Times after the Giyani Sub-regional…

LIMPOPO Premier Phophi Ramathuba has been accused of making unrealistic promises and trying to distance herself from the failures of predecessor Stan Mathabatha’s government of which she was part for a decade.  According to opposition parties and some ANC leaders, Ramathuba’s official opening of the Limpopo Legislature speech was “out of touch with reality” and an attempt to present herself as a saviour who was out to clean up the previous administration’s mess.   On Friday, the premier officially opened the…