The GOOD Party has sharply criticised the Democratic Alliance (DA)-led Western Cape government for failing to rebuild the GF Jooste Hospital in Manenberg, accusing it of neglecting poor and predominantly black communities on the Cape Flats. On Monday, GOOD Secretary-General and Western Cape Member of Parliament Brett Herron said the DA had failed to honour a promise made more than a decade ago to replace the facility. He pointed out that in 2012, then Western Cape Health MEC Theuns Botha…

The GOOD Party has accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of political “spin” and delaying justice after a motion to rename PW Botha Boulevard was referred to the municipal administration during a heated council meeting this week. In a statement issued on Friday, GOOD George councillor Chantelle Kyd criticised the DA’s handling of the motion, saying the party had misrepresented its position to the public while effectively supporting the same principles behind the proposal. The motion, which sought to initiate a…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has strongly condemned the arrest of Zimbabwean opposition leader Tendai Biti, calling on the South African government to intervene diplomatically. In a statement released on Monday, DA spokesperson on international relations Ryan Smith said Biti was arrested by state police on 21 March 2026 in the eastern Zimbabwean town of Mutare. Biti, who leads the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF), was detained alongside several party members and a local journalist. Authorities have not disclosed the charges he…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has vowed it will not support an ANC candidate to chair Parliament’s newly established Committee on the Presidency, setting the stage for a political contest within the Government of National Unity (GNU). The committee is expected to elect its chairperson on Wednesday morning at Parliament, in what is being described as a key test of oversight over President Cyril Ramaphosa and his office. DA Chief Whip George Michalakis said the party would field its own candidate,…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tembisa South has called on the City of Ekurhuleni to urgently accelerate bulk sewerage upgrade projects in the area, saying years of persistent sewer overflows have stripped residents of their dignity and exposed them to serious health risks. The call follows confirmation by the metro that two major bulk sewer projects are currently underway in Tembisa as part of a multi-year infrastructure programme scheduled to run until 2028. DA Political Head for Tembisa South, Refiloe…

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) was seemingly pressured by its longtime coalition partner, the DA, to urgently meet with the National Freedom Party to iron out their differences and save the KwaZulu-Natal government of provincial unity (GPU) from collapsing. This was deduced from a confidential letter dated 4 February 2026, seen by the African Times, which was addressed to the IFP’s Provincial Chairperson, Thami Ntuli. In the letter, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal raised concerns that the IFP was the only…

The National Leader of the DA, John Steenhuisen, has confirmed that he will not seek re-election to lead the liberal party for the third time, stating that he was doing so with a clean heart. Speaking at a media briefing in Durban on Wednesday, Steenhuisen said he will now focus fully on his role as Minister of Agriculture, particularly on combating the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak affecting the country. He said it would not be ideal for him to split his…

A political war of words has erupted between the Gauteng Provincial Government and the Democratic Alliance (DA) over the declaration of Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, known as Amapanyaza, as Peace Officers — with accusations of opportunism, illegality and political grandstanding flying across the aisle. The row follows a joint announcement by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Ministry of Police and the Gauteng Provincial Government confirming that qualifying traffic wardens had been declared Peace Officers after what the…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday delivered a Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), calling for collective discipline to stabilise public finances while ensuring the protection of South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens. The Minister said that after years of fiscal strain, South Africa’s debt will finally stabilise at 77.9% of GDP this year and begin to decline over the medium term. The deficit, he said, was smaller than forecast earlier in the year, showing progress in government’s commitment to restore credibility…

The financially crippled Emfuleni Local Municipality has once again come under fierce criticism, this time for allegedly spending almost R12 million on grave-digging contracts between 2022 and 2025, despite having municipal staff capable of doing the job. According to a written response by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, Emfuleni appointed four private companies, Busines Eneriso, Luselo and Seithuto JV, and Downtown Spares, to provide grave-digging services. The total cost of the contracts amounted to…