Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police has welcomed the suspension of five additional senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officers linked to the controversial Medicare24 tender, describing the move as an important step towards accountability in one of the biggest corruption scandals to engulf the police service in recent years. The suspensions, announced by SAPS on Monday night, form part of ongoing investigations into the awarding of the Medicare24 contract, which has already resulted in criminal charges, arrests and disciplinary action…

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) says it has been vindicated after the Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an advisory note warning public servants against participating in political party study groups and other informal political engagements linked to government business. The advisory note, issued on 5 June 2026, follows complaints and requests for investigation submitted to the PSC regarding the involvement of public servants in study groups associated with political party caucuses and parliamentary programmes. The PSC’s findings have now reignited…

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has defended South Africa’s continued investment in oil, gas and mining development, warning Parliament that global instability and energy insecurity posed a direct threat to the country’s economic recovery. Tabling Budget Vote 34 for the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) in Parliament on Tuesday, Mantashe announced that the department had been allocated R2.86 billion for the 2026/27 financial year to support mining regulation, exploration, rehabilitation projects and petroleum development initiatives. Addressing…

The National Assembly is moving to re-establish the impeachment inquiry process into President Cyril Ramaphosa following last week’s landmark Constitutional Court ruling on the handling of the Phala Phala matter. In a statement issued on Monday, Parliament confirmed that Speaker Thoko Didiza has determined the process the National Assembly will follow after the Constitutional Court declared Rule 129I unconstitutional and invalid. The judgment, delivered on Friday in the matter brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and another applicant, ATM,…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of attempting to use the courts to avoid accountability over the Phala Phala scandal, following reports that he is considering reviving a legal challenge against the Section 89 Independent Panel report. In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, the EFF said Ramaphosa’s reported intention to seek a judicial review of the report comes after the Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally when it blocked an impeachment…

The Presidency and Parliament have both pledged to study and respect Friday’s landmark Constitutional Court judgment that revived the Section 89 impeachment process linked to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Phala Phala scandal. In separate statements issued hours after the ruling, the Presidency and Parliament struck a cautious tone, emphasising respect for the judiciary and constitutional processes following the court’s decision in favour of the Economic Freedom Fighters. The Constitutional Court ruled that the National Assembly acted inconsistently with the…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has formally written to Parliament demanding the immediate establishment of an impeachment committee against President Cyril Ramaphosa following Friday’s landmark Constitutional Court ruling on the Phala Phala scandal. In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the National Assembly, EFF National Chairperson and Parliamentary Chief Whip Nontando Nolutshungu called on Parliament to urgently implement the apex court’s judgment, which declared Parliament’s 2022 decision to block the impeachment process unconstitutional and invalid. “We write to you…

The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) is set to appear before the Constitutional Court of South Africa on Wednesday, challenging the constitutionality of the parliamentary process that led to the adoption of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act in 2023. In its application, the BHF argues that Parliament failed to meet its constitutional obligation to facilitate meaningful public participation before passing the legislation, and is seeking to have the Act declared invalid and set aside. The organisation stressed that its…

A South African social media commentator, researcher, and geopolitics analyst, popularly known as [Evaluator @_AfricanSoil], has formally escalated allegations of serious human rights violations against the South African Office of the Presidency, multiple state institutions, and media houses. The matter has been reported to both domestic and international authorities in pursuit of justice. African Times has seen the letter. According to a detailed complaint submitted to oversight bodies, the geopolitics commentator alleges they were subjected to unlawful targeting, surveillance, and…

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi returned to Parliament on Wednesday for a dramatic re-examination before the Ad Hoc Committee, delivering fresh allegations, clarifications and politically charged claims as the inquiry nears its conclusion. Mkhwanazi, the Committee’s final witness, took the oath and faced questioning in what is expected to be one of the most consequential sessions before the committee wraps up its work at the end of March. Political parties are expected to submit their closing remarks later on…