Author: newsnote correspondent

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday downplayed reports of US pressure behind France’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s invitation to the upcoming G7 leaders’ summit, insisting there had been no sustained influence from Washington and that the move should not be viewed as a snub. The controversy erupted earlier on Thursday when the South African Presidency told Agence France-Presse that France had withdrawn the invitation — originally extended personally by President Emmanuel Macron during the G20 summit in Johannesburg last year — due to “sustained pressure” from the United States, including an alleged threat by Washington to boycott the summit if…

In a historic moment for the Anglican Church, former nurse and midwife Sarah Mullally, 63, was officially enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world’s 85 million-strong Anglican community. The enthronement ceremony took place at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England, attended by approximately 2,000 people, including Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. Following tradition, Mullally knocked three times with a staff on the cathedral’s west door to request admission, before being greeted by local schoolchildren. She responded: “I am sent as archbishop to serve you, to…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has formally acknowledged the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision to charge Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola in connection with the irregular awarding of a multi-million-rand tender to Medicare 24, a company owned by controversial businessman Vusumuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, who is already facing criminal charges. Masemola is expected to appear in court soon, becoming the most senior police official implicated in the scandal. The investigation into the tender irregularities began in 2024 and has so far led to the arrest of 16 police officials. Of these, 15 appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and were granted bail…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on its Government of National Unity (GNU) partner, the African National Congress (ANC), to consider a 50% reduction in both the general fuel levy and the Road Accident Fund (RAF) levy. The proposal aims to soften the impact of upcoming fuel price increases, which are partly attributed to the US-Israel-Iran conflict. The DA says the plan could save motorists around R3 per litre. Party spokesperson Mark Burke suggested funding the cut using surpluses from the Compensation Fund, SETAs, and by auditing ghost workers and reviewing state spending. While the DA supports the national budget,…

The African National Congress (ANC) has reaffirmed its full confidence in Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula following the release of a dossier by AfriForum containing allegations of fraud, corruption, and money laundering linked to a 2016 Dubai holiday. AfriForum claims the “Mbalula Dossier” raises serious concerns requiring accountability through South Africa’s legal processes. In response, the ANC dismissed the dossier as a politically motivated smear campaign, intended to discredit both Mbalula and the party’s leadership. The party also accused AfriForum of spreading misinformation and undermining efforts toward transformation. AfriForum, however, insists that the dossier is a legitimate attempt to hold Mbalula accountable.…

Twelve individuals—most of them police officers—appeared before a court in Pretoria following their arrest in the capital. The group was detained in connection with a R360 million police tender awarded to Medicare 24, a company owned by alleged criminal mastermind Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala. The contract has since been cancelled. In a statement, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed the arrests:“The NPA’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption has arrested 12 senior police officers and a company director in relation to the irregular awarding of a tender to Medicare 24.” An employee of Medicare 24 is also among the accused, who are…

United States President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he had postponed for five days planned attacks on Iranian power plants and claimed that the US was in talks with Tehran to end hostilities in the Middle East. However, Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, expected to represent Iran in negotiations, stated on social media that no talks had taken place. Despite this, financial markets responded positively to the prospect of diplomacy. Brent crude oil fell about 8% to around $103 a barrel, and US stocks rose more than 2%. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical…

The passing of Chuck Norris closes the chapter on more than a career—it closes the door on a cultural era when heroes were not conflicted, irony had not yet swallowed sincerity, and the line between good and evil was drawn in permanent ink. Norris did not invent the action hero. But he refined a specific version of it—one that was less about spectacle than about presence. Where Arnold Schwarzenegger brought operatic scale and Sylvester Stallone brought bruised vulnerability, Norris brought something quieter and, in its own way, more rigid: moral certainty. He was not there to wrestle with doubt. He…

The Madlanga Commission has revealed how Police Sergeant Fannie Nkosi sent an internal draft tender document from the City of Tshwane to a man identified only as Mr Mampane, reportedly the right-hand man of the late taxi tycoon Mswazi Msibi. Evidence presented at the Commission shows that Nkosi received the document from Tshwane Metro deputy police chief Umashi Dlamini before forwarding it to Tshwane CFO Gareth Mnisi. When questioned by evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson about why Dlamini sent him the document, Nkosi said he was unsure. “Why did the General send it to you? Had you asked for it?”…

The Activists and Citizens Forum has called for an immediate investigation into potential corruption at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, demanding the suspension of a senior official accused of granting preferential treatment to high-profile awaiting-trial prisoner Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. The demands follow testimony from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of criminal infiltration, corruption, and political interference in the justice system. General Mkhwanazi revealed that Matlala, while detained in the facility’s C-Max section, enjoyed unusual privileges—including access to a cellphone—and maintained a suspiciously close relationship with the head of the…