ActionSA, the kingmaker party that helped the ANC to pass the 2025-2026 budget without the support of its coalition partner the DA, says it would withhold its support if the VAT increase proposal is implemented from 1 May 2025.  The party’s parliamentary leader,  Athol Trollip, says they still have the cards to block the move. He was briefing the media today, April 3,  following yesterday’s heated budget sitting where it appears that the ANC dribbled ActionSA by promising not to…

The contentious budget for the 2025-2026 period has been passed with 194 votes against 182 while its legality is still in question. After it was passed ANC MPs were heard shouting “Abahambe” (they must leave), meaning the DA should leave the government of national unity (GNU) after opposing VAT increase. The DA led the opposition to the budget together with the MK Party, the EFF, FF+, ATM and the ACDP. Among the parties that voted yes to the budget are…

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has unveiled top regional leaders it has poached from the EFF, African Transformation Movement and the DA. The unveiling of the members took place in Durban today, 28 March 2025 and it was presided over by Thami Ntuli, the chairperson of the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal. Ntuli is also the Premier of the province in the government of provincial unity involving the IFP, ANC, DA and the National Freedom Party. The IFP was also supposed to…

A forensic investigation by Blitz Forensics has revealed that the cash-strapped Uthukela District Municipality, which is under administration, was forced to pay R11 million to repair water pumps that were never broken in the first place. This is contained in a report that was tabled behind closed during a council sitting last week. African Times was eventually able to obtain a copy of the 40-page report which lays bare how two officials flouted all municipal procurement rules to award the…

The findings of the forensic investigation into allegations of corruption in the procurement of the Zakheni Water Station pumps in July 2023 will be tabled by the UThukela District Municipality on Thursday. The pipes were removed and replaced even though they were not damaged, sparking allegations of corruption and self enrichment against some officials.  Officials from the municipality claimed that the pumps were damaged during the April 2022 floods and had to be replaced at a huge cost to the…

The forensic investigation commissioned by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) into allegations of brazen looting and corruption during the replacement of water pumps at Zakheni water station in Ladysmith has been concluded. As a result, CoGTA MEC, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi has instructed the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) led Uthukela District Municipality to take “corrective” measures as outlined in the report into the 2023 procurement process. The investigation was initiated after the DA, a coalition partner…

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has instituted forensic investigations into three of the province’s troubled municipalities – Nongoma, KwaDukuza and Msunduzi in the Midlands. This was announced today, 13 March 2025 by the MEC for the department, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi in Durban. Buthelezi also announced measures to turn around municipalities in the province after it was revealed in the latest Auditor General’s (AG) report for the 2023-2024 financial year that municipalities across the province raked…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) returned from its US visit emboldened, declaring itself a “steadfast and credible advocate for South Africa’s national interests on the international stage” despite its junior role in the Government of National Unity (GNU). The ANC asserted that foreign policy remains the “preserve of the executive,” exposing the fragility of South Africa’s fragmented governance system, which internal divisions and global right-wing shifts strain. DA MP Willie Aucamp’s demand for ANC concessions on foreign policy, suggesting that the…

In recent months, a growing controversy has surrounded South Africa’s defense sector, driven by reports of questionable industrial deals and political maneuvering that raise concerns about transparency and oversight. At the center of this discussion is the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM), with speculations emerging about their roles in the broader defense industry landscape. Recently, DA representatives were reportedly denied access to the arms control directorate, an event some sources suggest may be linked to ongoing debates…

DA Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille, in her latest desperate bid to remain relevant in South Africa’s political discourse, has once again thrown baseless and reckless allegations into the public domain—this time accusing South Africa of acting as a proxy for Iran. Without a shred of concrete evidence, she implies that the ANC’s stance at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israeli genocide is somehow dictated by foreign interests. Her irresponsible remarks are not only inflammatory but are designed…