Author: Kgaogelo Magolego
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has denied having any kind of relations with businessman Mthunzi Mdwaba who has accused the former minister and several serving ministers of soliciting a bribe of half a billion rand from him in turn for seeing through a R5 billion rand contract with the department of employment. Mbalula on Thursday laid criminal charges against Mdwaba and at the Sandton Police station. He admits knowing Mdwaba but is adamant their ties were casual. “I know Mthunzi Mdwaba I won’t deny I know him. He’s not my friend, he’s not my business friend,he knows me. I’ve never…
Traffic came to a standstill in Johannesburg and Soweto as thousands filled the streets to join the national rugby team Springboks on their trophy tour after defeating New Zealand to lift the Webb Ellis cup in France. The tour kicked off at the Union Buildings in Pretoria where President Cyril Ramaphosa and Sports Minister Zizi Godwa congratulated the team. In Johannesburg, South Africans of all races gathered (mostly wearing green) and sang for hours waiting for the Boks who were an hour and half late for the scheduled 14:00 start of the Joburg leg of the tour. “My kids are…
Political parties have expressed mixed feelings ahead of the 2024 general elections. The IEC on Tuesday launched the elections in Midrand announcing it was now waiting for President Cyril Ramaphosa to proclaim a date. The term of the sixth parliament is coming to an end in May and the constitution allows for a 90 day window before an election is held. While the likes of DA, Action SA, Al Jamah and Patriotic Alliance welcomed the announcement by the IEC, the EFF and the African Transformation Movement had serious misgivings. EFF Secretary General Marshall Dlamini is convinced President Cyril Ramaphosa will…
The EFF wants the Israeli embassy in Pretoria removed as in yesterday. Just after picketing at the embassy the party announced that it had written to parliament proposing formally that the Israel ambassador be expelled and the embassy closed. The letter penned by the party’s deputy president and parliamentary chief whip Floyd Shivambu also requested for the debate on the proposed resolution to be held urgently. “Given the sensitivity and nature of the proposed draft resolution, we respectfully request that the Speaker, in the capacity of Chairperson of the National Assembly Programming Committee (NAPC), convene an urgent meeting to ensure…
As pressure mounts on Israel to end its bombardment of Palestine along with the continued occupation, the EFF has set its sights on Israel’s commercial interests in South Africa. The party marched on the Israel embassy on Monday and called for complete isolation of the Zionist state including products it produces. Party leader Julius Malema singled out McDonalds and Woolworths to distance themselves from “apartheid Israel” or face confrontation, “McDonalds is giving the soldiers of Israel food in Israel. We want McDonalds South Africa to distance itself from what is happening in Israel. They have until the end of this…
The Africa for Palestine movement says there’s no hope of a negotiated settlement of the conflict without Israel largely because of the latter’s continued indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip where more than three thousand civilians have already been killed and over a million displaced. Shehryar Khan, an activist for the interest group said on the sidelines of a picket outside the Israeli embassy in Pretoria that pressure should be applied on the Zionist state to abandon what he says is a plot to massacre Palestinians so as to make way for more Israeli settlements. “ They have only one…
South Africans of voting age who have never cast a vote have become primary targets as political parties prepare to battle it out in the 2024 national and provincial elections. 20 million or so stayed away in previous elections with more than half of them not even bothering to register. Opposition parties believe the participation of these people, may tip the scales against the ANC which has been in power since the dawn of democracy in 1994. The EFF is hoping to benefit from this number. The party went on a drive and succeeded in recruiting a million signed up…
Hundreds have reportedly been killed after an Israeli Defence Force targeted and hit the Baptist Hospital in Gaza. According to the Palestinian health ministry, victims include healthcare professionals and people who were being treated after sustaining injuries in prior bombings. While initial reports were that up to 500 people died in attack, authorities have so far confirmed 300 deaths including those of already wounded people. The strike on the facility comes on the back of a desperate plea by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The bombing also comes an hour after US President Joe Biden announced he was headed for…
The ANC says it is satisfied that South Africa is nowhere near being broke. President Cyril Ramaphosa says the ruling party’s National Executive Committee received a convincing report from the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on the fiscal situation or position of the country. “The NEC is reassured that South Africa is not running out of money”, said Ramaphosa in his closing address to the NEC meeting on Monday evening. Ramaphosa suggested the party’s youth wing as well as alliance partners Cosatu and SACP don’t know what austerity means. The three have criticised Godongwana accusing him of undermining the ANC’s developmental…
Busisiwe Mkhwebane who fought to the bitter end until her removal through a parliamentary vote announced her decision during a press conference held in Mpumalanga on Monday. The party also unveiled former Director General and Jacob Zuma spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi who has since been sworn in as a member of parliament. Most recently the red berets welcomed former ANC Youth League National Coordinator Magasela Mzobe. “Advocate Mkhwebane has been servant of the people of the people of South Africa for the last seven years, and has been a thorn in the side of the establishment and those who abuse their…