The uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MK Party) has tabled a controversial Private Member’s Bill seeking to reserve ownership of spaza shops exclusively for South African citizens, intensifying a heated national debate over township economies, immigration and safety. The proposal comes in the wake of the high-profile kidnapping of Vosloorus businessman Mazwi Kubheka, 27, whose month-long disappearance and dramatic recovery have reignited tensions around alleged turf wars in the informal retail sector. Kubheka, who had been missing since 2 April, was…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for urgent, coordinated action to fix failing municipalities and address South Africa’s deepening water crisis, warning that poor service delivery continues to place an increasing burden on citizens. Delivering the opening address at the Extended President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) meeting at Birchwood Hotel on Thursday, Ramaphosa described the gathering as a “historic get-together” that, for the first time, included all mayors and municipal managers alongside national and provincial leaders. He said the expanded format marked…

The legal representatives of Julius Malema have issued a formal demand to media personality Ngizwe Mchunu, accusing him of making defamatory statements during a widely circulated interview on 28 April 2026. According to the letter from England Slabbert Attorneys Inc., acting on behalf of Malema, the comments were made during an interview with “King Zoso” outside the Union Buildings and later spread across platforms, including X and TikTok. In the interview, Mchunu allegedly claimed that Malema had received R60 million…

A prominent businessman has accused the Greater Giyani Municipality (GGM) Mayor of corruption after allegedly instructing him to inflate a transportation quotation by more than the initial quoted amount for personal use. This follows after Howard Mashaba accused GGM Mayor Thandi Zitha of corruption after she allegedly instructed him to increase the 2024 transportation quotation by R250,000. On Saturday, April 11, 2026, the ANC held a provincial rally at the Giyani Stadium in Limpopo to start the party’s councillor candidate…

A war of words has erupted between the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the African National Congress (ANC), highlighting growing tensions within the governing alliance ahead of the 2026 local government elections. The dispute unfolded on Thursday, when SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila addressed the media, followed later by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, each outlining sharply contrasting positions on the future of the alliance and the SACP’s decision to contest elections independently. Mapaila struck a defiant tone, rejecting what…

The African National Congress (ANC) in Ekurhuleni has publicly thrown its support behind Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, praising what it describes as “firm and decisive leadership” amid a growing scandal that has rocked the municipality and placed senior officials under intense scrutiny. In a statement issued by ANC Ekurhuleni regional secretary Jongizizwe Dlabathi, the party welcomed the mayor’s swift intervention following developments linked to City Manager Kagiso Lerutla. The ANC says the mayor acted decisively to “safeguard the integrity of…

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has directed some of its structures to swiftly conclude their internal elections and shift their focus to preparing for the upcoming local government elections, where it is expected to face off with the MK Party. In a statement issued after a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), the party said all outstanding branch inaugurations must be finalised by 31 May 2026. It said it has deployed leaders to districts to support, guide, and…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has strongly condemned threats made against a prosecutor involved in the case of Julius Malema, warning that intimidation of legal officials undermines the rule of law and poses serious safety risks. On Friday, the NPA said it had noted with concern the circulation of content on social media platform X, allegedly linked to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which contains what it described as “serious threats” directed at a prosecutor handling a matter before the…

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has been granted leave to appeal his five-year prison sentence by the East London Magistrates’ Court, offering temporary relief to his supporters after a tense day of legal proceedings and political drama. The decision came shortly after a brief adjournment, when Magistrate Twanet Olivier returned to the bench to deliver her ruling on Malema’s application. While Olivier firmly stood by her original judgment to convict the EFF leader on multiple firearm-related charges, she…

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment by the East London Magistrates’ Court for discharging a firearm during a political rally in 2018. The sentence was handed down on Thursday by Magistrate Twanet Olivier at the Regional Court in East London, following Malema’s conviction last October on multiple firearm-related charges. The court found him guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharging a firearm in a public place,…