Author: newsnote correspondent

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have been crowned Hollywood Super League champions for a sixth consecutive season after an outstanding campaign that saw them dominate the league with consistency and style. Banyana Ba Style secured the title with two matches to spare and were officially crowned champions following a commanding 4–0 victory over TS Galaxy Queens in their final league fixture. After 28 matches, Sundowns finished top of the table with 74 points, recording 24 wins and suffering only two defeats. Their closest challengers, TS Galaxy Queens, ended the season eight points behind on 66. Head coach Godfrey Sapula praised the team’s…

South Africa has cleared the final regulatory hurdle blocking Elon Musk’s Starlink, with Communications Minister Solly Malatsi issuing a landmark policy directive that effectively ends the controversial 30% black ownership requirement for international telecoms operators. The directive, published in the Government Gazette on Friday 12 December 2025, orders the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to immediately recognise Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs) as an alternative to selling 30% of local equity to historically disadvantaged groups. For years, the strict 30% B-BBEE equity rule prevented Starlink from entering the market, as parent company SpaceX has a global policy of…

South Africans have once again propelled the hashtag #VoetsekANC—a blunt Afrikaans-English phrase meaning “Get lost, ANC”—to the forefront of social media, with over 8,000 posts in the last 24 hours. The resurgence coincides with the African National Congress’s (ANC) National General Council (NGC) in Boksburg, where President Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks praising corrupt members for “stepping aside” have ignited accusations of hypocrisy and elite protectionism. The hashtag first gained traction in 2020 during the COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) scandals, and has since become a rallying cry against perceived governance failures, from state capture to crumbling infrastructure. This week’s spike, peaking…

As of December 12, 2025, the City of Ekurhuleni has placed its Head of Human Resources, Linda Gxasheka, on precautionary suspension with immediate effect. This action follows her implication in the ongoing Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into the municipality’s administrative and governance failures. Gxasheka is accused of failing to implement recommendations from a 2023 Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) report, which called for disciplinary proceedings against Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi. The suspension is described by the municipality as an administrative measure to safeguard internal processes and stability, not a determination of guilt. Background on the…

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has lodged a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, accusing him of making racially and sexually offensive remarks during a team press briefing this week. The complaint stems from comments Broos made about Orlando Pirates defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi and his agent, Basia Michaels, after the 20‑year‑old arrived late to the national team’s training camp ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025. At the press conference, Broos was quoted saying he would speak to Mbokazi behind closed doors and that “he’s a black…

South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, is gearing up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, which runs from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. The team received an official send-off at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Thursday, attended by legends from the 1996 AFCON-winning squad, including former captain Shaun Bartlett. Despite recent controversy surrounding head coach Hugo Broos, Bartlett remains optimistic about the team’s prospects. He believes Bafana can surpass their bronze medal from the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast (held in early 2024). “They have learned a lot… Hugo Broos and the squad…

Senior ANC leaders insist that the organisation must return to its traditional, ground-level mobilisation methods, emphasising that there is “no alternative” to intensive door-to-door campaigning ahead of upcoming elections. They argue that the ANC’s historical success—dating back to the 1994 democratic breakthrough—has always relied on direct voter engagement and structured reporting systems that ensured every community was reached. “The door-to-door process has worked since 1994. Throughout successive elections, we built strong support because we focused on visiting households and using our street sheets to track how effectively our comrades engaged with voters. Our network was rich, effective, and proven—and we…

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla should face legal consequences if allegations that she helped lure 17 South African men into fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war are proven true. Zuma-Sambudla recently resigned as a Member of Parliament after serious claims emerged that she recruited the men under false pretences. According to reports, the group was allegedly told they were travelling to Russia for bodyguard training linked to her father’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party — not for deployment to an active war zone. Her own sister has reportedly opened a case against her, but Zuma-Sambudla has not…

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has criticised FIFA for what he calls “disrespectful” treatment of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), saying it is unacceptable that overseas-based players can only join their national teams on 15 January — just six days before the tournament kicks off in Morocco. Broos expressed frustration after only 21 players reported for Bafana’s final training camp at the High-Performance Centre in Pretoria. Four overseas-based players — Lyle Foster, Sphephelo Sithole, Shandre Campbell and Siyabonga Ngezana — are only expected next week. “I don’t know what FIFA thinks about this competition,” Broos said, questioning how countries…

One year after the formation of South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) following the 2024 elections, public confidence in political leadership and institutions remains stubbornly low, according to the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation’s (IJR) 2025 South African Reconciliation Barometer (SARB). The survey, the longest-running public opinion poll on reconciliation in the world since 2003, involved face-to-face interviews with 2,006 nationally representative respondents between July and August 2025. Stagnant or Worsening Perceptions Despite the “dramatic shift” to multi-party coalition governance, the SARB paints a picture of continuity in distrust, doubt, and division—mirroring 2023 trends with some indicators declining further.…