A fresh controversy has erupted within South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), after the Department of Basic Education (DBE) awarded a R1.6 billion textbook tender to a little-known Cape Town company with no proven track record. The company, Lighthouse Publishers (Pty) Ltd, is understood to have secured the lucrative contract to supply foundation phase textbooks, sparking widespread concern about possible procurement irregularities and oversight failures. The GNU, formed after the 2024 general elections when no single party secured an…

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday deliver his 10th State of the Nation Address (SONA) to a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces at Cape Town City Hall, against a backdrop of deepening socio-economic strain and intensifying political scrutiny. Presidency said SONA 2026 would outline the government’s programme of action for the coming financial year, reflect on progress made and confront persistent challenges. “The State of the Nation Address is an annual overview delivered…

ActionSA has raised alarm over what it describes as excessive spending by South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), revealing that more than R3.7 billion was spent on VIP and static protection services during the 2024/25 financial year, with costs projected to rise above R4 billion in the coming years. The Government of National Unity was formed after the 2024 national elections, in which no single party secured an outright majority. It brought together multiple political parties — led by…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have rejected the adoption of the 2025 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), accusing the Government of National Unity (GNU) of advancing a fiscally conservative agenda that fails to address South Africa’s deepening socio-economic crisis. The MTBPS, adopted by the National Assembly on Wednesday alongside the Special Appropriations Bill and the 2025 Adjustment Appropriations Bill, outlines the government’s medium-term fiscal framework, with a focus on debt stabilisation, expenditure control and structural reforms aimed at supporting modest…

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has shaken up the political landscape by confirming its intention to withdraw from all coalition agreements with immediate effect, and to begin the process of pulling out of the National Government of Unity (GNU). PA leader Gayton McKenzie said the decision stems from a lack of respect for his party in coalition arrangements and in national governance. “We are not considering it. We are withdrawing from our relationship in coalitions, and immediately after that, we are…

In the heart of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, where the hum of factories once promised progress and prosperity, silence now reigns. On August 16, 2025, Goodyear announced the closure of its tyre manufacturing plant in Gqeberha, condemning over 900 workers to unemployment in a province already staggering under a 49% jobless rate. This is no isolated tragedy; it is a symptom of a far deeper malaise—the deliberate de-industrialisation of our nation. As a fighter for economic justice and a member…

Former President Jacob Zuma has launched a scathing attack on the Government of National Unity (GNU), accusing it of betrayal, incompetence, and economic sabotage. Delivering a fiery media statement on Friday in Durban, Zuma, now leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), outlined an ambitious vision for what he calls “the final phase of South Africa’s liberation.” Zuma was addressing the nation following a two-day meeting of MK’s national officials, held between 28 and 29 July 2025. The statement,…

In a dramatic turn of events within South Africa’s security and governance landscape, Firoz Cachalia was officially sworn in as Acting Minister of Police on Friday following the suspension of Minister Senzo Mchunu, who is now on full pay leave pending the outcome of a damning inquiry into alleged corruption in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Cachalia, a former MP and academic, takes over the crucial portfolio at a time of heightened public concern over violent crime, deep institutional…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has broken his silence following the United States’ announcement of sweeping 30% tariffs on South African goods, stating that the government is engaging with Washington and has submitted a Framework Deal to avoid further economic damage. In a statement issued on Friday by Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, Ramaphosa described the reciprocal tariffs as “concerning,” noting that South Africa is among several countries affected by the new U.S. trade regime under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).…

South Africa’s century-long tradition of elite pact-making began with the 1910 Union, which forged white unity through excluding black South Africans from political life. In response, black elites—mostly Christianised African professionals and chiefs, collectively known as amazemtiti or ‘Black Englishmen’—formed the ANC in 1912, hoping to counter this settler compact through petitions and appeals to imperial justice. “Tell England that we are not the barbarians they think we are.”—Sol Plaatje, 1914 formal protest letter to King George V against the…