ACTIONSA President Herman Mashaba has denounced President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), saying his party would never join it because it would mean working with a “criminal ANC”, and a “dishonest and arrogant” Democratic Alliance (DA) which pays lip service to the fight against corruption.   The former Joburg mayor said the DA joined forces with the governing party because it wanted power, positions and “to control the ANC” rather than serve the people of South Africa.  In a…

Following the ANC’s underwhelming election performance, South Africa is currently embroiled in a gruesome process of coalition-building. Although this is not necessarily a new problem as it is often portrayed, there was ample time to develop rules and guidelines seeing huge problems the coalition created at the local government level. However, the primary concern now is how political parties are approaching the task of forging working relationships, whether they term them as coalitions or as a ‘government of national unity’…

After a two-week delay marred by frosty talks between his governing ANC and opposition parties, President Cyril Ramaphosa finally unveiled his grand coalition cabinet, allocating several cabinet posts to the Democratic Alliance (DA) and eight other opposition parties. In a televised address to the nation, Ramaphosa appointed six DA ministers, including party leader John Steenhuisen, who took over the Department of Agriculture, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) president Velenkosi Hlabisa, Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) president…

African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has been inaugurated as head of the Republic of South Africa, which enables him to officially kick-off his second term at the helm of the nation. Ramaphosa took his oath of office at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Gauteng, witnessed by South Africans from all walks of life, as well as dignitaries from various countries across the continent and beyond. The event marked a significant milestone in the country’s democracy following the elections…

In public discourse, there is a tendency to incorrectly equate fundamentally dissimilar entities in nature and purpose. The governments of national unity (GNU) established in 1910, the 1990s and 2024 only share a name but are vastly different in context and outcome. Some commentators’ insistence on justifying this ‘sameness’ is intellectually dishonest and misleading.  It is akin to comparing Newcastle in Natal with Newcastle in the UK; they share a name but are distinctly separate places. In mainstream political literature,…

African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that the governing party has listened to ordinary South Africans’ issues and will deliver on the mandate after securing a decisive vote on Wednesday. Ramaphosa spoke over the weekend at the ANC’s Siyanqoba rally at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, Gauteng. This was the ANC leader’s final pre-election campaign rally before the country’s hotly contested elections since democratic rule in 1994.  Ahead of the May 29 polls, various surveys have indicated that…

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema took a public oath days before the May 29 general elections, declaring his allegiance to the South African Constitution, promising to eradicate poverty and toning down on his immigration policy to allay the fears of concerned voters. Malema’s oath was taken at the party’s final pre-election rally, known as “Tshela Thupa”, at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, over the weekend. Tshela Thupa rally, a victory lap event that loosely means “whip…

In a major blow to the ANC, the Electoral Court of South Africa has ruled in favour of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party, paving the way for former president Jacob Zuma’s party to participate in the upcoming national elections on May 29, 2024. This decision comes after weeks of uncertainty surrounding the party’s future, following attempts by the governing party to challenge the MKP’s registration in the court, which sat in Bloemfontein, Free State. The ANC’s objections centered on…

The Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party has accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of selective prosecution and weaponising the judicial system. It also claims President Cyril Ramaphosa is using the NPA to fight his political battles and prevent the party from challenging the African National Congress (ANC) in the general elections on May 29. The Electoral Court sitting in Bloemfontein is expected to deliver a verdict in the case between the ANC and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). The governing…

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa has responded decisively to address concerns about the security of its systems after the leak of sensitive information from the lists of candidates of the African National Congress (ANC) and Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) political parties. An official from the country’s independent elections management body has been identified through a preliminary investigation, according to the IEC’s chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo. Mamabolo was addressing the media at the IEC offices in Pretoria on…