Author: Silver Sibiya

Residents gathered outside the Constitutional Court on Monday, demanding an end to what they allege is the manipulation of the rand and calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down. The protest, which began byvyoung people as a social media campaign, highlights a long-running case in which the Competition Commission claims that credit ratings agencies colluded with banks to manipulate South Africa’s currency. The case has been in and out of court for nearly a decade, raising public concerns about transparency, accountability, and economic fairness. Lunga Ngubane, a resident from the West Rand, told Newsnote that the alleged manipulation disproportionately…

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has survived a motion of no confidence in the provincial legislature, with 24 votes in favor and 54 against. The motion was tabled by the Democratic Alliance (DA) following findings by the Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, that the Amapanyaza programme, an initiative championed by Lesufi, was not legally constituted. Earlier, the DA had attempted to force a secret ballot on the motion but failed to secure enough support. The results of the vote were announced by Gauteng Speaker Morakane Mosupyoe. “One member abstained and there is no one who absent and there is one member…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says US President Donald Trump will be the “biggest loser” for choosing not to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg next weekend. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Kliptown Cleanup Campaign in Soweto today, Ramaphosa reacted to Trump’s announcement that neither he nor any senior US official will participate in the summit — a decision analysts warn could further isolate Washington at a time of heightened global economic uncertainty. Ramaphosa insisted the G20 gathering will proceed successfully without Trump. “If you boycott an event or process, you are the biggest loser,” he said.…

Police have opened a case of attempted murder after three people including a one-year-old child were shot and injured in Westbury on Thursday night. The shooting happened at around 20:30 on 13 November 2025.According to police, two suspects were chasing a man who fled into a house in the area. The gunmen followed him and opened fire inside the home. Three people in the house were hit by stray bullets, while the man being pursued managed to escape. The victims were rushed to nearby medical facilities and are reported to be in serious but stable condition. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel…

President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto, this morning to participate in the CEO-City Clean-Up Partnership Programme.He is currently in a closed meeting with private-sector CEOs, government officials, and civil-society leaders to develop sustainable solutions to Johannesburg’s urban decay.The initiative, launched earlier this week by Mayor Dada Morero, aims to restore dignity and functionality to the city’s neglected areas.Ramaphosa will later conduct a walkabout at the historic square and plant a tree before briefing the media.Gauteng Premier’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said: “We want to lead from the front in showing our people what to do.”

A banner declaring South Africa the “most race-regulated country in the world” has sparked a legal showdown between the trade union Solidarity and the City of Johannesburg, highlighting tensions between freedom of expression and government authority just weeks before the G20 Leaders’ Summit. City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero condemned the banner, accusing Solidarity of deliberately stirring racial tensions. “Our country’s laws are inclusive and aimed at protecting all citizens, regardless of race,” Morero said, defending the transformation policies underpinning employment equity and Black Economic Empowerment. Solidarity, however, argues that the city overstepped its authority by removing the banner from…

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has called on South Africans to unite in condemning US President Donald Trump’s “false and dangerous” claims of a white, Afrikaner genocide in South Africa, warning that the remarks threaten to inflame racial tensions and distort the country’s image internationally. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform this week, alleged that white Afrikaners are being “killed and slaughtered” and that their farms are being “illegally confiscated.” The Foundation said the comments echo long-debunked conspiracy theories propagated by far-right groups and serve a political purpose within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. “This rhetoric…

Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has defended the municipality’s delay in suspending Metro Police Deputy Chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi, following explosive allegations revealed by the Madlanga Commission. The Commission heard that Mkhwanazi allegedly called his own SWAT team to clean up a murder scene in Brakpan and approved the installation of blue lights on private vehicles belonging to businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala. Speaking during the unveiling of new vehicles for the city’s Festive Season Safety Campaign on Wednesday in Kempton Park, Xhakaza said the City acted as soon as credible information became available. “I’m not making excuses, but there have been…

ActionSA says its call for greater funding for the South African Revenue Service (SARS) — instead of increasing Value Added Tax (VAT) has been vindicated. The party’s proposal to strengthen SARS’s capacity has paid off after the agency received an additional R4 billion earlier this year. According to the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, SARS is now expected to collect about R19.7 billion more in revenue for the 2025/26 financial year than what was initially projected in the February Budget. ActionSA says it has long argued that South Africa’s revenue problems stem not from insufficient…

The City of Johannesburg will on Wednesday launch a landmark CEO–City Cleanup Programme, aimed at restoring the city’s infrastructure, improving service delivery, and reviving civic pride. Mayor Dada Morero says the initiative marks a “moment of truth” for Johannesburg, bringing together government, business leaders, and communities in a collective effort to reverse years of urban decay and service backlogs. “This is more than a campaign — it’s a partnership to restore Johannesburg’s glory,” Morero said. “Leadership is not about position; it’s about participation.” The programme will begin with cleanup and revitalisation work in the Inner City, Braamfontein, Hillbrow, Berea, Yeoville,…