Less than two months into the top job, Dr Thanti Mthanti has resigned as the Treasurer General of the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party with immediate effect. The party’s leader, former President Jacob Zuma accepted Dr Mthanthi’s departure, according to a statement released by the ANC splinter party on Friday (January 17).  Mthanti, an academic and senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town, was appointed to the position in December last year, replacing Menzi Magubane.  The MKP confirmed Dr Mthanthi’s…

The Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party has finally filled the several vacant leadership positions in the Mpumalanga province, bringing in seven provincial heavyweights to work with Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, the convener. The party announced the bolstering of the province’s leadership on Thursday (January 16), saying the decision has been sanctioned by the party’s leader, former President Jacob Zuma, based on its constitution. “The MK Party has expressed its full confidence in all the new appointees. We wish the Mpumalanga Detachment well…

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has defended his decision to use a private yacht belonging to a Cape Town businessman who has scored lucrative state tenders. He says he did not use the luxury yacht to galavant but for party work since he had a busy schedule during his trip to Robben Island.  Mbalula claims his decision to use the yacht was neither a gift nor evidence that he is somewhat linked to corruption.  The embattled head of the governing party’s…

After months of speculation about his future, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has finally resigned as the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Member of Parliament (MP). In a statement, the EFF said the move was “voluntary” and his departure was processed together with that of another Fighter, Yazini Tetyana. “These voluntary requests to be released from the deployment, which were sent to the Secretary-General of the EFF consecutively and within days of each other, expressed gratitude to the EFF for thr opportunity to…

Former President Jacob Zuma has reignited his fight to claw back his ANC membership, giving the party an ultimatum to reinstate him or face legal action. In a letter of demand issued on Wednesday, January 8 and addressed to ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, Zuma’s lawyers say his expulsion is illegal and he must be allowed back to his former political home before the end of this month. The ANC expelled Zuma late last year for founding and leading the…

The ANC in Mpumalanga province has made a dramatic U-turn on its earlier decision barring members from attending the governing party’s January 8 rally in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, this weekend.  This was after an earlier communique said branches should not travel to the Mother City as the chosen venue is too small to accommodate everyone. In the communique dated 6 January 2025 and signed by Muzi Chirwa, the provincial secretary, branches were told to focus on planning for the upcoming…

ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s foray into Khayelitsha township in Cape Town turned into a political disaster when a resident tried to eject him and his party’s delegation conducting a door to door campaign ahead of the January 8 rally. The embarrassing spectacle was beamed live on Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday, January 7, as the 24-hour news channel was tailing Mashatile and his ANC delegation in the area. The governing party is set to hold a rally at the Nelson…

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has mandated a panel of elders to engage with the Mozambican government and opposition leaders to solve the country’s political and security challenges. The body also directed its Inter-State Defence and Security Committee to propose measures to protect regional trade routes, humanitarian corridors, and energy supplies while working toward solutions to Mozambique’s post-election crisis. SADC held a virtual Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organ Troika on January 5, 2025,…

US President-elect Donald Trump is set to ignite new trade wars with some other countries, including China. His announcement on social media on 25 November 2024 that he would impose additional tariffs on goods from China, Canada, and Mexico came as no surprise.  The Republican Party leader, elected in November last year following his victory in the US presidential election, declared he would impose an additional 10 or 25 percent tariff on imports from these countries, pushing the global economy…

South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary Solly Mapaila has defended the party’s decision to dump the ANC and contest elections independently, saying they sought to protect the revolution rather than act as observers when the Democratic Alliance (DA) has more influence in government than the communist party. He says the SACP wants to “tackle capital directly”, improve the lives of South Africans and strengthen the ANC-led alliance rather than weaken it, as critics claim. Mapaila spoke at the Avalon…