South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has bestowed the prestigious Order of South Africa on Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço during his State Visit to South Africa on Thursday, December 12, 2024. The Order is the highest honour that South Africa bestows on its citizens and distinguished foreign nationals. During the state visit, the two leaders engaged in extensive discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral agreements and enhancing diplomatic relations between their nations. President Ramaphosa congratulated President Lourenço on his re-election…

Following an online backlash, the South African Presidency has come out to clarify the comment by President Cyril Ramaphosa that visa regulations for Nigerian tourists coming to the country would be eased.  The clarification has eased the pressure on Ramaphosa who was already facing an online backlash for suggesting that in order to ease the flow of people between South Africa and Nigeria, the process would be simplified.  “We want to see Nigerian products on the shelves of South African…

The president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), Joseph Mathunjwa has lambasted former president Jacob Zuma, saying he should have done the things he is now promising the people while he was in power for nine years between 2009 and 2018. Mathunjwa said this on Friday while campaigning for the AMCU funded Labour Party in Thabazimbi, Limpopo, ahead of Wednesday’s by-elections. “He (Zuma) reduced this country into a squalor, to be a dustbin. Then you turn around…

South Africa has officially assumed the G20 Presidency, launching its term under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.” At a press conference held in Cape Town on December 03, President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined the priorities of this historic presidency, which is the first time an African nation will lead the G20. Ramaphosa emphasised the need for solidarity to address global challenges, highlighting their impact on all nations. He called for dismantling economic and social inequalities, which he described as unjust…

The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in Limpopo says it’s all systems go for the by-election in the Thabazimbi Local Municipality on Wednesday, 4 December 2024. The Provincial Electoral Officer, Nkaro Mateta, says the commission is ready to receive the over 51,000 registered voters expected to cast their ballots. Addressing the media on Saturday, she reiterated that 21 political parties and five independent candidates will compete for control of the troubled council in the Waterberg region.  The Umkhonto…

In what appears to be a push back ahead of Monday’s “compulsory” meeting with the ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC), the provincial secretary of the party in KwaZulu-Natal has said top leaders must also account for the May 29 electoral drubbing. Bheki Mtolo says it is fair that all party members, from branches to the national leadership, account for the ANC’s electoral decline, which saw the governing party losing its outright majority for the first time since 1994.  He was…

The proposal by the DA that the G20 Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) – which includes DA Ministers John Steenhuisen, Siviwe Gwarube, Solly Malatsi, and Dion George –  must become South Africa’s GNU foreign policy engine room has been met with harsh criticism from the presidency. This is after Ryan Smith, the DA’s International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) expert, wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the proposal. In his letter, Smith said his party advocates for a foreign policy that is both…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has been authorised to probe security and VIP protection tenders in the eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The investigation, approved by President Cyril Ramaphosa, will scrutinise tenders awarded between January 2004 and November 2024. The SIU investigation seeks to determine whether the process to award these tenders was conducted fairly and transparently and if the service providers delivered according to the tender specifications. Moreover, the investigation will ascertain if there was any unlawful or improper conduct…

Angry residents of KwaMashu township in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal have flipped the script, saying the 21 days the government gave them to register their spaza shops is the same period within which foreign nationals must leave the country. The residents said this earlier on Thursday, November 21, during a march across the township against foreign nationals.  Conducted under the watchful eyes of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Durban metro police, the group of protestors carried placards reading “Enough…

Former ANC Treasurer-General Dr Mathews Phosa has shared some intricate details regarding the events leading to Jacob Zuma’s recall as president in February 2018. Phosa said Zuma was so aggrieved by the ANC’s decision to recall him that he wanted to challenge the vote of no confidence against him in court. Phosa revealed the mooted court application in an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Thursday, discussing his book, Witness to Power, with host Aldrin Sampear. The vote of no confidence route…