In an unprecedented move since the dawn of democracy in 1994, the South African government has cancelled Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2024/2025 budget speech due to policy disputes within President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Government of National Unity (GNU). The governing African National Congress (ANC) and its grand coalition main partner, the Democratic Alliance (DA), could not agree on the proposed 2% increase in the Value-Added Tax (VAT) from the current 15% to 17%.  The postponement, announced during a Parliamentary sitting in…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has criticized members of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) Cabinet for allegedly lacking executive accountability, claiming they have failed to adequately respond to parliamentary questions. Julius Malema’s party said Cabinet ministers had failed to respond to half of the questions within the stipulated time. In some instances, they did not even bother entertaining written questions from Members of Parliament.  In a statement released on Tuesday, November 05th, the EFF accused GNU Ministers…

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…

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…

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,…

Mpumalanga ANC chairperson Mandla Ndlovu has been elected premier, marking a new era for the province after the 2024 general elections. He replaces embattled former Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, who was forced to relinquish the top job after ANC top brass confirmed Ndlovu’s candidacy in a statement released on Thursday, June 13. The Mpumalanga Legislature elected Ndlovu at its first sitting on Friday.  His election came hours after it emerged that the ANC and the Democratic Alliance had agreed to…

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has denied the widely publicized allegations of personally benefiting from military tenders during her time as South Africa’s Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. According to the Sunday Times on Sunday, a whistleblower identified Mapisa-Nqakula as one of the beneficiaries in an affidavit to the Independent Directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). It added that businesswoman Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu had decided to testify against South Africa’s legislative branch leader, who served as…

It’s official! South African voters will be heading to the much-anticipated 2024 polls on May 29, which will be a Wednesday. President Cyril Ramaphosa officially set the date for the country’s upcoming general elections on Tuesday night, February 20, 2024, marking a crucial moment in South Africa’s democratic journey. The announcement follows mounting pressure from opposition parties and citizens alike, eager to exercise their right to vote. This year’s elections coincide with the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s liberation from…

The Jacob G Zuma Foundation has characterised former President Jacob Zuma’s recent release on remission as a strategic instrument to bolster President Cyril Ramaphosa’a’s chances of securing reelection in the upcoming year. Zuma was one of the first 32 individuals released from prison through the presidential special remission on Friday, as part of a nationwide initiative to alleviate overcrowding in correctional facilities. Over 1 500 of the 9 488 non-violent offenders granted remission were released into community correction this past…

The release of former President Jacob Zuma from prison, as part of a nationwide remission of non-violent offenders to ease the overcrowding of correctional facilities across the country, has been met with mixed reactions. While the Democratic Alliance (DA) has labelled President Cyril Ramaphosa a “spineless” leader who moved towards a political solution to save Zuma from another stay in prison, former Public Protector Professor Thuli Madonsela has given thumbs up to the executive decision. “I support the remission of…