Author: newsnote correspondent

LUANDA, Angola – European and African leaders concluded a two-day EU-African Union Summit on Tuesday with a joint commitment to expand trade, secure access to critical minerals, create jobs on the African continent and step up cooperation on irregular migration. Held in the Angolan capital Luanda to mark 25 years of formal EU-AU relations, the summit produced a wide-ranging 10-page declaration that addressed both continents’ strategic priorities at a time of intensifying global competition for resources. “Africa is rich in natural resources that are essential for the dual energy and digital transition,” European Council President António Costa said in his…

Lawyers representing Vusimuzi Matlala, a key figure in the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into allegations made by Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, have launched an eleventh-hour bid to postpone their client’s scheduled appearance before the Ad Hoc Committee, citing “impossible” preparation deadlines and the severe impact of his detention in C-Max prison. In a strongly worded letter addressed to Evidence Leader Advocate Norman Arendse SC and Committee Chairperson Hon Soviet Lekganyane, attorneys Abrams Madira Inc demanded that tomorrow’s (26 November) proceedings be postponed indefinitely to allow adequate legal consultation and preparation. The firm argued that the sheer volume of documents and affidavits disclosed…

South Africa has officially transferred the G20 presidency to the United States in a low-key ceremony held on Tuesday morning, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed. The handover took place two days after the conclusion of the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg and marks the end of South Africa’s historic tenure as the first African nation to hold the rotating presidency. DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor, who also served as South Africa’s G20 sherpa, described the event as a brief administrative exchange between senior officials of the two countries. No photographs or public statements were issued immediately…

A bitter family feud in the Zuma household exploded into the public domain on Monday when Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a sitting MP for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, filed a sworn affidavit denying she masterminded the recruitment of more than a dozen South African men to fight as mercenaries in Russia. In a dramatic reversal, Zuma-Sambudla told police she was the first victim of an elaborate WhatsApp scam and had unwittingly passed on fraudulent information to relatives and party contacts. The affidavit, submitted at Sandton Police Station on 24 November 2025, directly contradicts claims made 24 hours earlier by her half-sister,…

Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande, the two brothers extradited from Eswatini for their alleged role in the February 2023 murders of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, are set to appear in the Durban Magistrates’ Court this morning. The pair, who were brought back to South Africa on 11 November after withdrawing their final appeal in Eswatini, face multiple charges including two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and illegal possession of firearms linked to the high-profile Florida Road assassination. Prosecutor Advocate Lawrence Gcaba has already signalled that the State will strongly oppose bail, labelling the brothers…

Towering left-arm paceman Marco Jansen produced a spell of fire and fury with 6-48 to bowl India out for 201 on the third day of the second Test, leaving South Africa needing just one more strong session to seal their first Test series victory in India since 2000.Resuming at 34-3 after South Africa’s mammoth first-innings 489, India never recovered as Jansen unleashed a calculated barrage of short-pitched deliveries on a surface offering consistent bounce. The 25-year-old, standing 6ft 8in, claimed four of his six wickets with bouncers that hurried onto the batsmen and exposed technical frailties against the rising ball.Dhruv…

President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in Angola’s capital on Monday morning to attend the 7th African Union (AU)–European Union (EU) Summit, a two-day gathering marking the 25th anniversary of the landmark partnership between the continents. Hosted by Angolan President João Lourenço, who chairs the AU, the summit is co-chaired by Lourenço and European Council President António Costa. It follows the successful G20 Summit in Johannesburg—the first on African soil—under Ramaphosa’s leadership, and builds on the May 2025 EU-AU ministerial meeting in Brussels. Leaders will engage in two plenary sessions: one on Peace, Security, Governance, and Multilateralism; the other on Prosperity, People,…

Nigeria announced on Monday a strengthened security partnership with the United States, including expedited defence equipment and potential excess military supplies, days after rejecting accusations of Christian genocide. The deal was sealed after a high-level delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu held talks in Washington with senior Trump administration officials. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the US had committed to deeper intelligence cooperation to combat Boko Haram jihadists in the northeast and armed “bandit” gangs in the northwest. Nigeria firmly denied claims of systematic persecution of Christians, telling US counterparts that violence “affects families and communities across religious…

National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi has accused suspended Johannesburg DPP Andrew Chauke of attempting to force a senior KwaZulu-Natal prosecutor to sign an indictment in the controversial Cato Manor “death squad” case without first reviewing the evidence docket. Testifying at the Nkabinde Inquiry into Chauke’s fitness to hold office, Batohi told the panel that Chauke allegedly instructed the prosecutor to “just sign” the document, claiming the evidence had already been checked by his Johannesburg team. The allegation formed part of Batohi’s evidence that Chauke unlawfully bypassed and undermined the authority of then acting KwaZulu-Natal DPP, Advocate Cyril Mlotshwa,…

Search and rescue teams recovered the body of one woman after flash floods swept through an informal settlement in New Hanover, in the uMshwathi Local Municipality, overnight. Two other people remain missing after being washed away by raging floodwaters. The settlement, built on a flood plain, was inundated following heavy rainfall that lashed parts of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Saturday night into Sunday morning. More than 100 residents have been left homeless and are now being provided with temporary shelter. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Siboniso Duma, said the department is fast-tracking the deployment of Temporary Residential…