Author: newsnote correspondent

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma and a prominent Member of Parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, has resigned from the National Assembly and all party structures with immediate effect, following explosive allegations that she orchestrated the recruitment of 17 young South African men to fight on Russia’s frontlines in the Ukraine war. The resignation was announced by MK Party national chairperson Nathi Nhleko during a tense press briefing in Durban on Friday, where party officials sought to distance themselves from the controversy. “Comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has tendered her resignation from the National Assembly and all public…

Dramatic scenes unfolded in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial on Thursday when Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng lost patience with warring legal teams, bluntly ordering defence advocate Charles Mnisi to “shut up” during a heated clash over evidence disclosure. The outburst came after defence lawyers accused state prosecutor Advocate George Baloyi of failing to properly share a Primrose police station cell register before introducing it as evidence. Baloyi insisted the document had been shown and the defence showed no interest – a claim the defence vehemently disputed. “I am shocked at the behaviour of advocates. They are behaving like children,” an exasperated…

The South African rand extended its recent rally against a faltering US dollar on Thursday, buoyed by disappointing American economic indicators that have heightened expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December. The local currency, often a barometer for emerging market risk appetite, strengthened as investors digested softer-than-expected US data, including a mixed September jobs report that revealed a slowdown in hiring alongside rising unemployment. This has tipped the scales toward monetary easing by the Fed, with market-implied odds of a 25-basis-point cut now hovering near 85%, up sharply from 30% just a week ago. At 4:09 PM…

The Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria was the scene of high political drama on Thursday morning as the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party launched its third legal challenge against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on “special leave” and appoint constitutional law expert Professor Firoz Cachalia as acting minister. The case, argued before a full bench, follows two earlier unsuccessful attempts: an urgent application dismissed by the Constitutional Court in July for lack of urgency, and a second bid struck off the roll by the same High Court in September on technical grounds. Leading…

Severe flooding triggered by an unusually intense monsoon season—exacerbated by a rare alignment of La Niña and the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)—has gripped much of Southeast Asia, causing over 150 deaths, displacing millions, and inflicting billions in damages. The crisis began intensifying in late October and peaked this week, with record-breaking rainfall in areas like Thailand’s Hat Yai (13.2 inches in a single day, the heaviest in 300 years). Heavy rains are forecast to continue into early December, particularly in the Malay Peninsula, Maritime Continent (including Indonesia and the Philippines), and southeastern mainland regions. This year’s event surpasses typical annual monsoons…

US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that South Africa will not receive an invitation to next year’s Group of 20 summit in Miami, citing alleged human rights abuses against white Afrikaner farmers and a perceived snub to U.S. representatives at this year’s gathering in Johannesburg. In a post on Truth Social, Trump reiterated his decision to boycott the 2025 summit, which concluded Sunday at Johannesburg’s Nasrec Expo Centre, claiming the South African government “refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific Human Rights abuses endured by Afrikaners and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers.” He described the situation bluntly…

Military officers in Guinea-Bissau declared they have “total control” of the coup-prone West African nation on Wednesday, three days after general elections, closing borders and suspending the electoral process. Military sources confirmed that President Umaro Sissoco Embalo had been arrested. The announcement followed heavy gunfire near the presidential palace, with armed soldiers taking control of the main road leading to the building. In a televised statement, General Denis N’Canha, head of the presidential military office, said a command “composed of all branches of the armed forces is taking over the leadership of the country until further notice.” He made the…

A tense legal standoff between the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality in the Criminal Justice System and KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major-General Lesetja Senona erupted into public view on Wednesday, after weeks of behind-the-scenes wrangling. The confrontation reached its climax when Senona was due to take the stand at the commission’s Pretoria hearings, only for his legal team to secure a last-minute postponement following negotiations with the commission’s evidence leaders. The drama traces back to 29 September 2025, when Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo dropped a bombshell during sworn testimony, directly implicating Senona in allegedly sharing sensitive state information…

South Africa etched their name into cricket folklore on Wednesday, completing a stunning 2-0 Test series whitewash over India with a crushing 408-run victory in the second Test at Barsapara Cricket Stadium. The result marks South Africa’s first Test series triumph on Indian soil since the 1999/2000 tour and ends a 25-year drought that had seen the Proteas win only two of 22 Tests in the country before this series. Chasing an improbable 549 for victory after South Africa declared their second innings at 260 for 5, India were bundled out for a paltry 140 in just 47 overs shortly…

South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has expressed confidence that the expired African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will be renewed for at least one year, citing bipartisan support in the United States Congress and backing from the White House. Briefing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition on Tuesday, Deputy Director-General for Trade Policy, Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter, said the renewal is expected to be a “straight rollover” of the current programme, meaning South Africa and other qualifying countries would retain duty-free access to the US market without immediate changes to eligibility criteria. “There’s still bipartisan support…