The Balobedu Traditional leaders, backing Prince Lekukela Hex Modjadji, have marched against the recognition of Queen Masalanabo by the government, as the next heir to the Modjadji dynasty. They took their displeasure to the Union Buildings in the capital Pretoria on Thursday, March 13 as Prince Lekukela filed court papers to challenge the South African government’s decision. Last year December, President Cyril Ramaphosa officially recognised Queen Masanalabo as a legitimate successor to her mother Makobo Modjadi VI, who died in…

Despite opposition from many quarters, including most opposition parties within the government of National Unity (GNU), the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana has announced a value-added tax (VAT) increase of 0.5 percentage point.  Godongwana announced the increase a short while ago while delivering the 2025-2026 budget in Cape Town today, March 12. He said there are several persistent spending pressures in health, education, transport and security. According to the South African finance minister, these have to do with the government…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa opened a meeting of finance ministers and heads of central banks (CBs) of the Group of Twenty (G20) states in Cape Town on 26 February. This is reported by the website of the South African Government. In his speech, the Head of State recalled that one of the key priorities of the South African presidency of the G20 is the adoption of measures to strengthen resilience to natural disasters. “The global community – including international…

Mphaphuli Consulting’s efforts to prevent the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) from recovering R76 million from a Limpopo municipality overpaid for electricity services have been dealt a severe blow.   The Constitutional Court has refused the engineering company direct access to apply for the reviewing and setting aside of the SIU report, which found Mphaphuli Consulting had overcharged the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality when it electrified Sekhukhune villages in 2013 as part of a transversal contract. The Apex Court’s ruling essentially prevents…

The G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting kicked off in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 20 February. Fifteen Foreign Ministers and four Deputy Foreign Ministers arrived for the meeting. The event was opened by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He emphasised that the G20 leaders’ summit will be held in Africa for the first time, which stresses the growing importance of the continent in global economic, political, and environmental discussions. The South African leader noted that countries need to achieve the UN Sustainable…

The G20 foreign ministers will meet in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 20-21 February. This is a landmark event not only for South Africa, but also for the entire African continent, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing. She noted that South Africa would be hosting a G20 event for the first time. According to the diplomat, the Russian delegation will be headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is scheduled to have a number of contacts with…

This year’s opening of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has been plunged into doubt after King Misuzulu KaZwelithini raised concerns about the newly chosen venue, saying it poses security challenges to him and other guests. The chosen venue is Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg after the provincial legislature dumped the Pietermaritzburg Royal Show Grounds which has hosted the official opening by two Zulu Kings for decades.  It is not known why the legislature decided to ditch the showgrounds for the opening billed for…

The Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been plagued by conflict for decades, leading to immense human suffering and widespread instability in the region. The situation has only worsened in recent years, with militia groups and external forces continuing to vie for control over the region’s wealth of natural resources.  The DRC’s North and South Kivu provinces have borne the brunt of this violence, resulting in displacement, human rights abuses, and a fragile security environment. As the conflict…

A few days after President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe two dubious tenders awarded by the Kokstad Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, another whistleblower has made damning allegations of corruption against the same entity. The whistleblower alleges that the municipality bought a farm known as Waaifontein to build RDP houses for the needy, but the farm allegedly ended up housing cattle belonging to a top ANC leader in the province. African Times has decided to withhold…

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he won’t attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg this year, accusing South Africa of “doing very bad things” and “anti-Americanism”. The new US top diplomat repeated President Donald Trump’s false claim that Pretoria was confiscating private property and violating human rights, indicating deteriorating relations between South Africa and the US over various foreign and domestic policy disagreements. South Africa’s policies on China, Russia, Ukraine and Israel are at the centre of the tension.The…