Polity Audio Articles

Inflation expectations rise before South Africa rate decision South Africa's two-year inflation expectations climbed,complicating the central bank's efforts to anchor expectations around its 3% target. Average inflation expectations two years ahead, the measure the central bank closely watches when setting interest rates, rose to 3.9% in the second quarter from 3.6% previously, according to a survey published by the Stellenbosch-based Bureau for Economic Research on Tuesday. The survey was conducted between May 18 and June 4, before the US-Iran 60-day ceasefire deal reopened the Strait of Hormuz, sending global energy costs lower and triggering a decline in local fuel prices, which should see inflation ease in coming months. Between survey rounds, annual inflation accelerated to 4.5% from 3% and gasoline prices hit a record. South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago recently warned that policymakers would need to act on rising inflation expectations to prevent the impact of the oil shock from fanning broader price pressures. "We now have inflation expectations, and expectations have drifted away from target," he told broadcaster CNBC Africa. "And what we have seen is that all price setters are expecting inflation higher, and that is what the central bank has got to act on, reining in those expectations." Policymakers, who raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 7% at their last meeting, will deliver their next policy decision on July 23.

Broken system inflaming xenophobic tensions – Amnesty International Ahead of the planned nationwide June 30 protests against illegal immigration, Amnesty International South Africa has accused government of inflaming tensions between South Africans and other African citizens residing in the country. The human rights organisation said there is a need for broader systemic reform to ensure that migrants are lawfully documented and processed to live in South Africa. "In persisting with a broken system that leaves those trying to claim asylum undocumented and in limbo, some for up to 19 years, the government is causing a divide and inflaming tensions between South African citizens and fellow Africans living in the country," the organisation stated. Amnesty International South Africa executive director Shenilla Mohamed warned against using asylum seekers, refugees and migrants as excuses for unemployment, inequality and an overburdened public service, calling it wrong and dangerous. "It distracts from the State's responsibility to deliver for all who live in South Africa and address the root causes. Violence and vigilantism will never fix these problems, they only destroy lives and deepen division," she added. Thousands of African migrants began the process of leaving South Africa for their various home countries as protest group March and March proceeds with plans for nationwide protests on Tuesday: the organisation's unofficial deadline for undocumented persons to leave the country. Fears of vandalism and violence, reminiscent of the 2008 xenophobic violence and the 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, have put South Africans and migrants on tenterhooks ahead of Tuesday. Mohamed said while Amnesty International supports South Africans' right to protest, it must be done without violence or intimidation, warning against vigilantism and citizens taking the enforcement of immigration laws into their own hands. "History has shown us where this path leads and how quickly things can turn deadly. Anyone taking the law into their own hands is breaking it. Impunity for xenophobic crimes has contributed to the continued discriminatory rhetoric and violence. The violation of people's rights to safety, security, dignity and life must not be allowed to continue," she cautioned.

ANC, ActionSA call for investigation into Steenhuisen's allegations against Tony Leon The ANC and ActionSA on Monday issued separate statements calling for an investigation into the allegations made recently by former DA leader John Steenhuisen after he was removed as Minister of Agriculture. The ANC stated that after years of the DA associating corruption with a black-led government, a former DA leader was making allegations against those in his own party, while ActionSA likened Steenhuisen's allegations to State capture. Over the weekend, Steenhuisen alleged that former DA leader Tony Leon and former DA CEO Paul Boughey's communications firm Resolve Communications drove a negative narrative around the foot-and-mouth disease vaccination campaign against him. Additionally, he claimed that the firm had used its proximity to the party to get DA Ministers to meet with its clients, which Steenhuisen said he had raised as an issue internally in the DA. "These allegations raise important questions about ethical governance, accountability and the assault on the integrity of democratic institutions. These are matters that deserve to be addressed openly and transparently in the interests of maintaining public confidence in government," the ANC said. ActionSA, meanwhile, urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute investigations into Steenhuisen's allegations, refer the matter to the Public Service Commission to determine whether standards of ethical governance and executive administration were compromised, and request that the Public Protector investigate whether any GNU Ministers breached the Executive Ethics Code. "Reeking of textbook State capture, these allegations raise serious questions about the integrity of the Executive and whether politically connected commercial interests were afforded privileged access to [Government of National Unity] Ministers entrusted with exercising public power solely in the national interest. To that end, the President cannot remain silent," the party said. It added that if the allegations are not true, they should be publicly disproved. "Lobbying is not inherently improper. Businesses, civil society organisations and industry bodies engage and lobby government every day. However, where lobbying is undertaken by firms led by former senior political office-bearers with close personal and political relationships to serving Ministers, transparency is not optional, it is indispensable to preserving public confidence in the integrity of government," ActionSA said. Meanwhile, the ANC also took aim at the DA for projecting administrations under its control as inherently more ethical and accountable, describing it as a "selective political narrative". The ANC also called for an independent investigation into Steenhuisen's allegations, saying there cannot be separate standards for black-led organisations and another for the DA.

Ramaphosa warns against vandalism, violence ahead of June 30 protests As South Africa gears up for national protests against illegal immigration, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday stressed that while the right to protest is enshrined in the country's Constitution, intimidation, vandalism or violence will not be tolerated. Thousands of African migrants began the process of leaving South Africa for their various home countries as protest group March and March proceeds with plans for nationwide protests on Tuesday. Fears of vandalism and violence, reminiscent of the 2008 xenophobic violence and 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, have put South Africans and migrants on tenterhooks ahead of Tuesday. Ramaphosa acknowledged the concerns from South Africans on illegal immigration and said the right to protest came with responsibility. "The right to protest is one of the defining freedoms of our democracy, but every right carries corresponding responsibilities. Those who intend to protest should do so peacefully, lawfully and with respect for the rights, dignity and safety of others. Where there is criminal conduct, those responsible will be held accountable and the law will take its course. We must reject the idea that acts of violence or intimidation are justified on the basis of a grievance, for political reasons, or because those who commit such acts claim they were somehow provoked," he stated. He added that there were many foreign nationals living in South Africa legally and who were also protected by the country's Constitution. Ramaphosa further cautioned the protest organisers that they would be held to their assurances that their protestors would not descend into violence. The President further acknowledged the pressure that illegal immigration placed on border control, criminality and the burden on public services and accepted that the immigration system needed "substantial" reform. "We are strengthening border management, increasing enforcement against undocumented immigration, improving the integrity of the asylum and visa systems, and taking action against corruption that has weakened immigration control. We also recognise that where our systems have failed, they must be corrected. Where corruption has enabled illegal immigration, those responsible must be held accountable. Where enforcement has been inadequate, it must improve," he said. However, he urged South Africans to work together to address the issues around illegal immigration, noting recent meetings with monarchs and other traditional leaders, trade union and business leaders, and those in the religious community. He stated that these parts of society have lent their support for respect for the law during Tuesday's protests and warned against citizens taking over law enforcement tasks such as asking for identification and enforcing immigration laws. He described these actions as vigilantism under the guise of patriotism. "The painful history of the pass laws reminds us why the authority to demand identification and enforce immigration laws belongs to government law-enforcement officers acting within the Constitution—not to private individuals. Whatever the motivation, taking the law into one's own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy. "We must never allow ourselves to return to that painful chapter of our history where people were stopped on the street, had their physical identities scrutinised, and their right to move freely in the country hindered by suspicion and humiliation," Ramaphosa said. He assured that police officials were prepared to defend the law on Tuesday should any acts of violence or vandalism occur. Ramaphosa urged dialogue in dealing with illegal immigration, while protecting the country's Constitution.

SA govt intensifies mass migration repatriations, crackdown on vigilantism The South African government is accelerating its five-point migration strategy, marking significant milestones in the deportation, verification, and repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals across multiple provinces. Established by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration is overseeing a strict enforcement mandate, with a focus to crackdown on legal violations, border security technology upgrades (including drones and satellite monitoring), legislative reforms, and strategic diplomatic partnerships across the African continent. Thousands of migrants are queuing in major cities for processing, ahead of the nationwide anti-immigration protests set for Tuesday. Fears of violence against foreign nationals are heightened as police and private security coordinate ahead of Tuesday's planned protests. While standard deportations continue through the Lindela Repatriation Centre, a growing number of African nations have actively requested the voluntary repatriation of their citizens. Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have all engaged with South African authorities to facilitate this process. To date, 15,162 Malawian nationals have been processed for repatriation, with more currently undergoing verification. To expedite this high volume, the government has extended the jurisdiction of the Musina Refugee Reception Office in Limpopo to handle verifications. Logistics are currently being activated to transition operations to a new Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre (TRPC) outside Musina. Once fully operational, the Ethekwini facility will close, and remaining Malawian nationals will transfer to Musina. This decentralised approach aims to relieve pressure on Lindela and fast-track clearances through the Beitbridge Port of Entry. The expansion is supported by international and local stakeholders, including the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Red Cross, and Save the Children. The IMC issued a stern directive declaring June 30 a normal working day, explicitly warning civilian groups against taking the law into their own hands. The committee reiterated that no unauthorised individual has the right to demand identification or proof of nationality from anyone. Furthermore, authorities emphasised that blocking anyone from accessing clinics, hospitals, schools, or public services is a prosecutable offence and that violence, intimidation, or targeting individuals based on nationality is criminal and will face the full force of the law. The committee warned businesses hiring and exploiting undocumented migrants to bypass labour laws will be prosecuted under the Immigration Act. This warning follows recent anti-immigration protests in the Free State earlier this month, which were accompanied by the looting of shops. The South African Police Service (SAPS) has since opened criminal cases and enacted arrests linked to these incidents. Multi-disciplinary, intelligence-led operations spearheaded by the Deputy Ministers of Home Affairs, Police, and Employment and Labour are intensifying nationwide. The IMC stated that while continental migration presents deep complexities, South Africa's path forward must remain anchored in the Constitution, human rights, and the rule of law. The State remains resolute that it will not tolerate the circumvention of its immigration systems, nor will it permit acts of lawlessness against foreign nationals.

Families, survivors of apartheid crimes fight Zuma, Mbeki's court bid A crucial legal battle is set for the Constitutional Court on June 29, when 25 families and survivors of apartheid-era crimes, alongside the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), will formally oppose an application lodged by former Presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki. The high-stakes hearing marks the latest hurdle in a decades-long struggle for truth and accountability. In March, the Gauteng High Court dismissed the application brought by Zuma and Mbeki to withdraw retired Justice Sisi Khampepe as chairperson of the Commission investigating alleged political interference in the prosecution of apartheid era crimes, known as the TRC Cases Inquiry. Zuma and Mbeki are seeking direct leave to appeal the majority judgment. The High Court originally threw out the former Presidents' review applications because they failed to get prior consent to sue a sitting or retired judge, a strict requirement under Section 47(1) of the Superior Courts Act. In response, Mbeki and Zuma bypassed regular appellate channels to file an urgent application directly with the Constitutional Court, alongside conditional applications in the Supreme Court of Appeal. The families and the FHR will ask the apex court to dismiss the former leaders' applications, arguing that they failed to establish a genuine basis for an urgent hearing, and that their case does not meet the strict legal criteria required for direct appeal or direct access to the Constitutional Court. The families say the merits of both the appeals and the underlying recusal review lack legal substance, noting that granting further delays deeply harms a process that has already been stalled for generations. The TRC Cases Inquiry was established after landmark Constitutional damages litigation launched by apartheid-era victims' families and the FHR in January 2025. The families argued that their constitutional rights were actively violated because the State failed to investigate and prosecute apartheid-era crimes. They alleged that successive administrations used political interference to unlawfully suppress the work of the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks. A partial settlement in that lawsuit led President Cyril Ramaphosa to officially establish the Commission on May 29, 2025. While the families respect the constitutional right of any citizen to approach the courts, they warn that strategic litigation is actively harming aging survivors and relatives. For these families, this is not an abstract academic exercise or a political chess match, they said, but a painful process concerning the State-sanctioned deaths, disappearances, torture, and systemic suffering of their loved ones. The families emphasise that the Commission has already lost significant momentum owing to ongoing court battles.

Johannesburg collapse risk spurs call for State to run city South Africa's government may soon need to make the politically fraught decision to take control of Johannesburg to avert the city's financial collapse, according to a consultant appointed by two of the country's leading business groups. While such a move would be difficult for the ANC before crucial local elections in November, it may have little choice but to act, Lael Bethlehem, a partner at Genesis Analytics, said during the presentation of a study commissioned by Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) and Business For South Africa. "The City of Johannesburg is essentially bankrupt," Bethlehem said Thursday. "We may have a situation where they may not be able to limp on until November and the government will have to implement" a takeover plan, she said. Her presentation came a day before a Friday deadline set by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana for the city to explain how it will address financial shortcomings or lose R8-billion in annual State funding, or about a 10th of its budget, a letter seen by Bloomberg showed. Mayor Dada Morero will respond next week, his spokesperson, Khathu Mulaudzi, said. Run by an ANC-led alliance, Johannesburg has descended deeper into dysfunction in recent months and is expected to be among the fiercest battlegrounds in the Nov. 4 municipal vote. The DA, a partner of the ANC in the national coalition government, has nominated former party leader and Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille as its mayoral candidate. The city owes hundreds of millions of dollars to state-owned power and water utilities and has been threatened with power cuts. It has also run out of fuel for vehicles used to provide essential services, such as road repairs. Godongwana, in an earlier warning letter, instructed Morero to cancel what he called an "illegal" wage deal to pay city workers an additional R10.3 billion over the next two years. Even so, Johannesburg plans to increase its workforce by about 1 700 people this financial year to more than 40 000, a review of its budget documents by Bloomberg showed. The deterioration in Johannesburg's finances has alarmed business and the government because the city of 4.8-million people is the economic hub of South Africa, contributing about 16% of gross domestic product. A financial collapse would reverberate across the national economy, impacting growth and tax revenue. "The state of the city has become a matter of national importance," BLSA Chief Executive Officer Busi Mavuso said as she introduced the presentation. Afterward, she said it had left her "with a profound sense of disbelief and sadness. How did we get here?" Bethlehem's analysis showed that despite spending more per resident than South Africa's seven other major metropolitan areas, Johannesburg lags almost all of them on most measures of financial health and performance. Johannesburg has 8.5 employees for every 1 000 inhabitants, compared with a national metropolitan average of 6.4. It loses 45% of its water to leaks and theft compared with about a quarter in Cape Town. Almost a third of its power is stolen or wasted versus 11% in Cape Town and it's adding housing units at less than half the rate of its coastal rival. Over the past decade, the city has added 108 000 jobs while its working-age population has grown by 850 000. That's a third of the number added in Cape Town, which has had lower overall population growth. Operating expenditure has almost doubled since 2010, while capital investment has fallen 13%. "The City of Johannesburg has a large budget. Lots of money is being spent, it is just being spent wrongly," Bethlehem said. "You cannot run a city by spending all of your income on operating expenditure and so little on capital." The city's decline has also weighed on property values. Adjusted for inflation, property prices in Johannesburg have fallen by a fifth since 2010, compared with a 34% rise in Cape Town. The options for the government should ...

SAPS urges taxi industry to use influence to prevent disruption ahead of June 30 march The South African Police Service (SAPS) has called on the country's taxi industry to reject any attempts to destabilise South Africa or disrupt economic activity ahead of a planned nationwide protest against undocumented immigration on June 30. Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane made the appeal during high-level engagements with South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) president Abner Tsebe and his leadership team. The meeting was prompted by the upcoming march demanding that undocumented foreigners leave the country. Highlighting the massive influence of the taxi industry, Dimpane urged operators to stand firmly with law enforcement and the public. "The taxi industry is the backbone of public transport in South Africa. Every day, millions of people rely on taxis to get to work, school, hospitals and places of business. It is for this reason that we are appealing to every taxi association, every taxi owner, every operator and every driver across the country to ensure that June 30 remains business as usual," she said. SAPS has specifically requested that taxi operators maintain normal transportation routes for all commuters; reject any calls to block national, provincial, or local roads; and to prevent criminal elements from "hijacking the industry for unlawful gains". The SAPS urged the taxi industry to actively oppose any form of passenger or driver intimidation. Dimpane expressed optimism following the engagement, noting that Santaco's leadership responded positively to the security briefing. "Our economy must continue to function. Our people must continue to go to work," Dimpane added, thanking Santaco for adding its voice to calls for peace and respect for the rule of law. She assured citizens that nationwide security deployments are finalised. While the SAPS will protect the constitutional right to peaceful and lawful protest, a zero-tolerance policy will be enforced against lawlessness, she stressed. Security forces remain on high alert to handle any attempts at infrastructure damage, public transport blockades, or violence.

South Africa producer inflation accelerates to 7.8% y/y in May South Africa's producer inflation quickened to 7.8% year on year in May, up from 4.8% in April, statistics agency data showed on Thursday. The Producer Price Index increased 2.6% month on month in May, Statistics South Africa said.

Pretoria pushes back against US criticism on diplomatic engagements South Africa has issued a formal rebuke following critical remarks made by U S Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III regarding the African nation's foreign policy alignments. On Thursday, the country's Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) delivered a firm message clarifying its sovereign stance and the strategic distinction between non-alignment and passive neutrality. The friction escalated after Bozell III took to social media to criticise South Africa's active diplomatic engagements with China and Iran. "The Government of South Africa rolls out the red carpet for Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, while Deputy President Paul Mashatile is in Beijing deepening ties with China. Pretoria calls this 'non-alignment'. We call it what it is: a choice. The South African people deserve an honest conversation about who their government is choosing to stand with. #NotSoNonAligned" he posted on X. International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola's Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said while government purposefully avoids public disputes with resident envoys, the ambassador's remarks required an immediate reaffirmation of the country's foundational foreign policy. "As a sovereign nation, South Africa pursues an independent foreign policy firmly anchored in the principle of non-alignment," Phiri said. Pretoria explicitly challenged the premise of the American critique by drawing a sharp line between being non-aligned and being neutral, saying it refuses to be drawn into contemporary superpower contestations or be forced to choose sides. The State prioritises inclusive, global dialogue, international peace, and its own national interests above external strategic agendas, Phiri said. Pretoria pointed out that it reserves the right to cultivate and maintain bilateral relations across the entire global spectrum without external validation. A central pillar of South Africa's pushback was pointing out what it terms an inherent contradiction in US foreign policy communication. The Ministry noted the irony of South Africa being publicly scrutinised by Washington for engaging with Beijing and Tehran, when the U S government maintains highly active, direct interactions and formal channels with China and Iran. Last week, Lamola had publicly welcomed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding signed directly between the United States and Iran aimed at fostering regional stability, highlighting Washington's own pragmatic engagements with the nations it critiques others for hosting. The diplomatic rift underscores a broader, ongoing tension between Pretoria and Washington, which has faced multiple structural strains over international legal disputes, trade terms, and differing global alliances. Moving forward, the South African government reiterated its unwavering commitment to using established, formal diplomatic channels to engage with the U S. The Ministry called for mutual respect, expressing trust that proper diplomatic protocols will be strictly upheld by resident envoys in the future.

DA leader reflects on party's inspiring heritage, leadership push in new coalition era As the DA marks its twenty-sixth birthday, now under the leadership of newly elected federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis, he says the occasion serves as a reflection of the party's historic roots and a forward-looking commitment to its future in South African governance. Hill-Lewis noted that the party's story was intertwined with the South African liberal tradition, noting the formation of the Progressive Party in 1959 and Helen Suzman being the party's only Member of Parliament in 1961. He said this foundation established a "lasting inheritance for the DA". "Now we stand on the brink of a new era, one in which the DA will strive to take the final step to become the largest party in South Africa, which will then be able to lead governing coalitions. We can afford to set ourselves such ambitious targets only because of the immense efforts of the great South Africans who went before us. Becoming the largest party will be as hard a task as we have ever undertaken," Hill-Lewis said. He believes that voters are looking for a reversal of decline and further believes that the DA has established an exceptional governance record to ensure this happens. As the party celebrates its milestone, Hill-Lewis emphasises that its overarching mission is to continue taking the necessary steps to eventually become the largest party in South Africa. "On the DA's birthday, we honour those who built this party: those who stood alone, those who fought for democracy, those who governed well, and those who kept believing when hope was hard to find. Now it is our responsibility. South Africa can work — for everyone. And together, we are proving it," he declared.

Outa warns of entrenched S African municipal crisis, as no metro achieves clean audit Not a single metropolitan municipality in South Africa achieved a clean audit for the 2024/25 financial year, according to the latest Auditor-General (AG) reports, with the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) warning that this failure points to an entrenched crisis in local government. Metros represent 54% of total local government expenditure and serve millions of citizens, therefore, Outa says their financial regression directly threatens both community service delivery and the national economy. While 61% of municipalities achieved unqualified audits, severe underlying issues persist. Outa highlights a "toxic combination" of over-reliance on external consultants, poor budget execution, and a systemic lack of consequence management. The AG's report reveals a severe lack of financial and performance discipline across the country. Only 39 out of 257 municipalities achieved a clean audit status, 17 municipalities received unqualified opinions with findings, leading to complacency rather than improvement and 225 municipalities spent a combined R1.61-billion on financial reporting consultants. The report also highlighted major flaws in compliance and performance reporting. Outa executive Julius Kleynhans notes that the AG report exposes problems far deeper than poor financial administration. The steady erosion of institutional capability explains why service delivery deteriorates despite rising municipal budgets, he says. Municipalities routinely bypass internal capacity in favour of expensive private contractors. Spending R1.61-billion on financial consultants highlights a failure to build internal skills. This practice creates a cycle of dependency without fixing underlying accounting errors, Kleynhans says. He points to a weakening culture of transparency and institutional integrity that plagues local leadership and allows compliance failures to go unpunished. He adds that without automatic consequence management for officials who ignore laws or lose public money, financial drift remains the norm. Further, many local governments fail to implement credible, funded, and service-delivery-based budgets and traditional budgeting structures allow bloated historical costs and wasteful contracts to be rolled over annually without review, Kleynhans notes. SOLUTIONS To make clean audits the standard rather than the exception, Outa advocates for immediate review of all expenditure categories and existing contracts from scratch to eliminate waste. Outa wants to mandate immediate legal and disciplinary action against officials and contractors who abuse procurement systems, and to fill critical vacancies with qualified professionals to eliminate dependency on external financial consultants. The organisation wants the urgent deployment of sustained provincial and national intervention teams to monitor metropolitan expenditure. Without rebuilding basic institutional capability and enforcing strict discipline, any future audit improvements will remain entirely superficial, it warns.

Ramaphosa taps former Treasury Budget Chief as economic adviser President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed former National Treasury budget chief Michael Sachs as his economic adviser, bringing a respected fiscal policy technocrat back into the government as the country seeks to accelerate growth and deepen economic reforms. Sachs, who headed the Treasury's budget office between 2015 and 2017, is expected to assume the role in the coming weeks, presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said by phone on Wednesday. Sachs confirmed his appointment when contacted by phone. The appointment fills a vacancy left by Trudi Makhaya, who served as Ramaphosa's economic adviser from 2018 until 2023, and places a former senior Treasury official at the center of economic policy-making as the president seeks to lift growth in Africa's most industrialised economy. While the government has made progress in restoring electricity supply, improving public finances and advancing reforms in the energy and logistics sectors, economic growth remains too weak to significantly reduce unemployment, poverty and inequality. The South African economy has expanded by an average of less than 1% over the past decade. Sachs played a key role in shaping South Africa's budgets during a turbulent period for public finances under former President Jacob Zuma. He left government in 2017 and has since worked in academia. His return reinforces the influence of Treasury-trained policymakers within Ramaphosa's administration at a time when the government is attempting to translate improving macroeconomic indicators into stronger economic growth. South Africa expects public debt to stabilise this fiscal year after years of rapid increases, while recent credit-ratings actions have reflected an improving fiscal outlook. Even so, the economy has struggled to achieve sustained growth above 2%, limiting the government's ability to tackle one of the world's highest unemployment rates.

Surge in registrations for S Africa's 2026 local elections The Electoral Commission of South Africa recorded 2.9-million new registrations during the first voter registration weekend on June 20 to 21. This drive increased the national voters' roll to 28.5-million citizens ahead of the local government elections on November 4. However, political parties balanced optimism over youth turnout with deep alarm over localised violence and procedural integrity. ActionSA expressed dismay over the targeted killings of political figures during the registration drive. Cape Town mayoral candidate Dereleen James noted that five councillors and candidates lost their lives across the country over the weekend. The reported casualties included two political candidates killed in Cape Town, another two on the West Rand and the murder of a ward councillor in Gqeberha. James emphasised that political violence threatens active citizen participation and undermines constitutional democracy. The party called on the South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies to prioritise these investigations swiftly. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs raised urgent concerns regarding electoral integrity. A social media video surfaced showing an IEC official allegedly holding multiple identity documents at the Okela Primary School registration station. Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane warned that such incidents risk undermining election credibility. The committee directed the IEC to urgently investigate the station, submit a formal report outlining remedial actions, and deliver a comprehensive review of lessons learned from the weekend. SURGE IN YOUTH REGISTRATION Meanwhile, both the ANC and the IFP found encouragement in the high turnout of young citizens. Registrants between the ages of 16 and 29 accounted for 785 078 of the total transactions. IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa stated the numbers show a growing awareness among youth. He urged party structures to intensify mobilisation before the second voter registration weekend on August 1 and 2. The ruling party called the weekend a victory for democratic resilience. The ANC congratulated the IEC staff and volunteers, while reaffirming its focus on strengthening service delivery at municipal level.

Ekurhuleni budget passed after major ANC concessions The DA used its voting leverage to force major budgetary concessions from the ANC in Ekurhuleni after three failed budget votes threatened a provincial administration takeover. Key budget concessions secured by the DA include increased property rates to be capped at just 1.5%, legal protection for infrastructure funding for roads, electricity, water, and sanitation and a new specialised unit to be established to fight illegal connections and power theft. A monthly service delivery tracking dashboard will be published for public transparency, non-essential luxury spending will be frozen to prioritise basic services and stricter financial oversight and consequence management protocols are now mandatory. The City of Ekurhuleni's proposed R71-billion budget for the 2026/27 financial year was in limbo following repeated deadlocks in the municipal council. Opposition parties, including the DA, EFF, and ActionSA, had continuously voted down the budget owing to concerns over aggressive tariff hikes and unrealistic financial assumption. DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga stated the intervention prevents a provincial administration takeover, which would have handed metro control to a Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC from the EFF. The DA maintains this is a victory for residents rather than the ANC, proving the opposition can enforce fiscal discipline and protect South Africa's fourth-largest metro from financial collapse.

Family of Zambia's ex-leader should choose his burial site, South Africa court says A South African appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu should decide where he is buried, overturning a lower court's order that Zambia's government could repatriate Lungu's body for a state funeral. Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa a year ago while undergoing medical treatment. His body has remained in South Africa since, as his family and the Zambian government have wrangled over whether he should be buried at a site designated for Zambia's former presidents in the capital Lusaka, or privately in South Africa as his family prefers. Lungu and his successor, current President Hakainde Hichilema, were longstanding political rivals, and his family says Lungu would not have wanted Hichilema to be present at his funeral. In its judgment on Tuesday, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal said the Zambian government had failed to show it had a legal right under South African law to override the family's wishes on where and how Lungu should be buried. It also rejected Zambia's argument that a binding agreement had been reached with the family over the funeral, saying that evidence pointed to ongoing negotiations rather than a final deal. Zambia's Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha did not answer a phone call seeking comment on Tuesday's ruling. South Africa's government has said it has an obligation to respect the wishes of Lungu's family, but it also said it felt a state burial in Zambia would be the most fitting outcome for the former leader. Lungu drove Zambia deeply into debt during his roughly six years in power. The country defaulted on its international debt in 2020, precipitating his election loss. Hichilema will seek re-election for a second five-year term at an election in August.

Salga demands intervention in political attacks ahead of local elections The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has issued an urgent call for stronger measures to curb political violence and killings following a bloody weekend that left four politically affiliated individuals dead across three provinces. The attacks come as the country prepares for the 2026 local government elections, raising alarm bells over the safety of democratic processes. The latest wave of violence struck communities in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng. In Cape Town a by-election candidate was targeted and shot dead, in Gqeberha a ward councillor was gunned down, and in the West Rand two men affiliated with a political party were killed. Salga has extended its condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in these attacks, condemning them as callous acts of violence and warning that these deadly incidents are not isolated occurrences but part of a deeply concerning, cyclical pattern of violence that historically intensifies around election periods. Data from Salga's Municipal Violence Incident Reporting system reveals hundreds of incidents, ranging from threats and intimidation to assassinations, recorded in the local government sphere from 2000 to date. The organisation emphasises that political violence directly undermines the foundations of South Africa's democracy and discourages competent citizens from serving in public office, while it erodes the integrity of electoral processes. In response to the escalating crisis, Salga is demanding that political killings be treated as priority crimes. The association called on law enforcement agencies to launch urgent, decisive probes into the weekend's assassinations to apprehend those behind them. It also wants law enforcement to deploy heightened police presence and security forces in identified violence hotspots and fast-track cases through the courts. Salga notes that the consequences for these crimes must be visible enough to send an "unequivocal message that violence has absolutely no place in democratic contestation". Beyond police intervention, Salga places a heavy responsibility on political organisations, candidates, and local communities to uphold the values of peaceful democratic contestation. The association states that political parties must act decisively against internal intimidation, inflammatory conduct, and factional violence. As the 2026 local government elections draw closer, Salga states it remains committed to working alongside the government, law enforcement agencies, and all relevant stakeholders to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming polls and ensure the safety of both councillors and communities.

Police deployed as anti-migrant deadline looms South Africa will deploy more police this week to deter possible violence before a June 30 deadline set by xenophobic protest groups for foreigners to leave the country. "There has been mobilisation around this issue over a period of time and we expect it to continue after June 30, so we have plans in place," Firoz Cachalia, the acting police minister, said in an interview with State-owned broadcaster SAfm on Monday. Vigilantes have in recent weeks carried out attacks on foreign nationals in several parts of the country, prompting Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to help more than 3 000 of their citizens to return home. More protests by anti-immigrants groups are planned in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province on Monday. The demonstrations have stoked fears of a recurrence of violence in KwaZulu-Natal and the commercial hub of Gauteng in July 2021 that followed the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma. The week of deadly riots marked the worst civil unrest in South Africa since the end of White-minority rule in 1994, leaving more than 300 people dead and thousands of businesses looted or burned down. "We don't want a repeat of that, so we're not going to take any chances," Cachalia said. "We have good information about the levels of mobilisation and the places of mobilisation around this issue." Xenophobic attacks are a regular occurrence in South Africa, with foreigners being blamed for unemployment, crime and pressure on public services. Gross domestic product in the continent's largest economy expanded by an average of less than 1% annually over the past decade, and the country's jobless rate is among the highest in the world. In addition to deploying officers to potential hotspots, police ministry officials will meet with provincial and city leaders, private security companies and community policing forums to ensure that "the political leadership and the leadership in civil society is prepared for any eventuality," Cachalia said.

Ramaphosa urges African health sovereignty, self-reliance in wake of Ebola outbreak President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the critical need for African nations to establish self-reliance during health emergencies. Stressing that health security is deeply tied to economic development, Ramaphosa believes Africa can no longer afford to be at the "back of the global queue" for vital medical supplies, as witnessed during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Writing in his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, Ramaphosa urged the continent to build the capacity to protect itself before the next global crisis strikes. He outlined a comprehensive strategy to fortify domestic health systems, emphasising that preparation cannot wait until an outbreak occurs. He suggested the establishment of public health institutes in every African country and that every community health worker must be empowered with proper resources, alongside the deployment of early tracking systems to detect new diseases, and the manufacturing of local diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines. He also urged for the strengthening of the African Medicines Agency to standardise regulation and the creation of centralised procurement systems to guarantee steady demand for local producers. He highlighted that African nations are already shifting from passive recipients of aid to active managers of their own crises, noting that continental leaders have officially agreed to establish the African Epidemics Fund and that African nations are actively self-funding responses to recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. South Africa has pledged $13.5-million to the Africa CDC to treat and limit the spread of Ebola. Ramaphosa warned that the spread of dangerous diseases severely disrupts economies, arguing that health security is directly linked to continental development, safety, and economic stability. As the appointed African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, Ramaphosa stated that South Africa will continue to demand a fair global pandemic agreement built on equal partnership rather than charity. He urged governments not to let their guard down, despite other pressing domestic challenges such as unemployment, poverty, crime, and corruption.

Home Affairs extends hours for voter registration weekend The Department of Home Affairs will extend its operating hours nationwide this weekend to support the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC's) Voter Registration Weekend. All Home Affairs offices across the country will open on Saturday and Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00. Citizens are urged to visit their nearest branch to apply for a new card or collect their ready documents. More than 370 000 Smart ID cards currently sit uncollected at Home Affairs offices. Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber emphasised that this initiative aligns with the department's long-term "Home Affairs @ home" vision to make services more accessible. "By extending operating hours nationwide during Voter Registration Weekend, Home Affairs is making it easier for citizens to obtain the Smart ID Cards they need to register and participate in our democracy. We are bringing services closer to the people while advancing our commitment to delivering dignity for all," Schreiber said. The Electoral Commission has confirmed total readiness across all 23 706 voting stations nationwide, with 22 718 permanent stations, 960 temporary stations and 28 mobile stations for remote communities. The national voters' roll has grown to 28-million registered voters, up from 27.7-million during the 2024 general elections. While online registration remains a vital growth driver, physical registration is crucial for the upcoming local government elections. In local government elections, voters must vote at the specific voting district where they are registered. There is no legal mechanism to vote outside your registered district. The IEC urges all citizens to use this weekend to update their address details, and ensure they are placed in the correct ward segment.

ANC hails 'milestone' as Post Office applies to exit business rescue The ANC has welcomed the South African Post Office's (SAPO) application to exit business rescue, hailing the move as a critical turning point in restoring the State-owned entity to operational health. The decision marks a significant step in a broader turnaround strategy designed to ensure SAPO can fully discharge its national postal and digital mandates. Central to this milestone has been a major R381-million government investment injection. The ANC emphasised that this financial support played a pivotal role in maintaining continuous daily operations, safeguarding jobs, and providing relief to 5 956 employees who faced severe economic uncertainty. According to the ruling party, the structural progress achieved during the rescue process is aimed at transforming SAPO into a "highly viable, service-oriented institution". Beyond fixing internal operations, the party explained that this stabilisation is a key component of a larger national agenda, intended to rebuild public trust in key national institutions while restoring confidence in government's overall capacity to manage State-owned enterprises. Ultimately, a revitalised Post Office is expected to contribute meaningfully to local economic development, job creation, and broader economic transformation, the party said. Reaffirming its position on State-owned infrastructure, the ANC believes that the Post Office remains one of South Africa's most vital strategic entities. The formal application to exit business rescue is seen as a development that instils long-term hope, stability, and commercial credibility back into the institution, the party said.

Dean Macpherson urges police to find xenophobic agitators Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson called on law enforcement agencies to act against those responsible for violence against migrants, warning that the attacks are tarnishing the country's international reputation. "We have duty and responsibility to protect the vulnerable, we have a duty and a responsibility to enforce our immigration laws," Macpherson told reporters at a Foreign Correspondents' Association of Southern Africa event at Bloomberg's office in Johannesburg on Friday. "But we also have a duty and responsibility to find those that are agitating for violence and hatred, and of course, international perception is important." South Africa's cabinet is due to discuss the matter on Friday as a June 30 deadline set by anti-immigration protesters for foreigners to leave approaches. The tensions have prompted Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to assist more than 3 000 of their citizens to return home. The unrest reflects a broader rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, with foreigners increasingly blamed for unemployment, crime and pressure on public services. At 32.7%, South Africa has one of the highest jobless rates in the world. The demonstrations have stoked fears of violence on a scale that erupted in South Africa in 2008, when 62 people died and more than 50 000 others were forced to flee their homes in a wave of xenophobic attacks. It has also sparked anger across the continent and calls for retaliation against South African businesses. "We've seen some statements, fairly or unfairly against South Africa, but you know we have to deal with that, and we also have to protect the image of the country" Macpherson said. President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 7 announced plans to clamp down on illegal immigration. Over the past month at least 7 400 undocumented migrants have been arrested for contravening immigration laws. "We have to allow the law enforcement authorities to drive law enforcement and not individual citizens of the country," Neville Matjie, Brand South Africa chief executive officer, said at the same event.

Floods inflict record R9bn damage on Cape Recent flooding in South Africa's Western Cape province, which includes the tourist hub of Cape Town, caused more than R9-billion of damage, a total that's expected to rise once final assessments are completed. "Our infrastructure budget for this year is 10 billion rand and the cost of the storm damage means that the whole provincial budget will have to be re-prioritised," Deidré Baartman, the region's finance minister, told reporters in Cape Town on Thursday. Torrential rains that lashed the province last month inundated a number of informal settlements and at least 12 people lost their lives. At least 231 000 people were directly impacted by the inclement weather, and some 3 690 required temporary shelter, according to the provincial disaster management agency. The Western Cape government will approach the national cabinet to free up at least R100-million in disaster funding that can be used to repair infrastructure, according to Premier Alan Winde. "Never before, have we had such a cost caused by storm damage," he said. South Africa is facing increasingly intense and frequent storms as climate change amplifies extreme weather, raising the risk of flooding, infrastructure damage and economic disruption. Earlier this year, the Kruger National Park in the northeast of the country, was forced to shut after the worst flooding since at least 2000 inundated large parts of the wildlife reserve.

ANC slams DA's proposed GNU reshuffle as 'populist, contradictory' The ANC on Thursday launched a scathing attack on its coalition partner the DA, claiming its recent Cabinet reshuffle proposals expose "deep political contradictions and a selective respect" for South Africa's Constitution. The political friction erupted following a request by DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis for President Cyril Ramaphosa to execute a reshuffle of the DA's team within the Government of National Unity (GNU). On Wednesday Hill-Lewis asked Ramaphosa to remove John Steenhuisen as Minister of Agriculture and replace him with Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp. Hill-Lewis requested that Ramaphosa move Steenhuisen to the role of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic); David Maynier to the position of Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment; and Alexandra Abrahams to Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy. Hill-Lewis also wants Yusuf Cassim to be appointed as Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, and Jack Bloom to take up the position of Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation. The ANC countered the DA's public announcement, reminding it that appointing and removing members of the national executive is the sole constitutional prerogative of the President. The party stated that executive deployments are not subject to the directives of opposition parties, lobby groups, or coalition partners. According to the ANC, by framing these internal deployment decisions as a direct expectation for presidential action, the DA is showing a "selective and opportunistic respect" for the Constitution. This public reshuffle has raised serious questions within the ANC regarding the DA's genuine commitment to the GNU's foundational Statement of Intent, the party warned. The ANC emphasised that all parties entering the GNU agreed to respect the country's constitutional architecture. It argued that the DA cannot claim to commit to the GNU while ignoring the authority and responsibilities of the President. The ANC expressed deep concern over the DA's willingness to use vital economic portfolios to settle internal party friction. Specifically, the ANC criticised the proposal to move Steenhuisen to the dtic, explaining that the dtic is a critical engine for industrialisation, job creation, investment, and economic transformation, and it should not be treated as a "convenient dumping ground for political under-performers or factional opponents". Moreover, the ANC took the opportunity to stress that government's foremost responsibility is "true equal opportunity", which cannot exist without dismantling the structural barriers left behind by centuries of colonialism and apartheid. It slammed the DA's ongoing opposition to broad-based black economic empowerment and other transformation frameworks, accusing the party of actively trying to reverse South Africa's progress toward a non-racial and inclusive society. While Ramaphosa reflects on these proposed adjustments, the ANC maintains that it remains committed to engaging parliamentary parties to ensure national stability, growth, and nation-building.

Impeachment committee opposes Ramaphosa's interdict Parliament's Section 89 Impeachment Committee has resolved to formally oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa's urgent court application to halt its inquiry. Following a crucial legal briefing, the committee confirmed it will file a notice to oppose the interdict ahead of the Friday deadline. The decision sets up a high-stakes constitutional showdown in the Western Cape High Court, scheduled for July 15 and 16. In a bid to present a unified legislative front, the committee has requested that National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza join them in defending Parliament's constitutional mandate. Ramaphosa launched his urgent application last week, aiming to block the committee from proceeding with the impeachment process tied to the Phala Phala scandal. Committee members emphasise that they remain legally bound by the Constitutional Court's directives until a competent court orders otherwise. The committee's legal strategy will focus on explaining its constitutional obligations clearly to the court, protecting its institutional capacity to function independently and resisting any form of executive interference. The committee will meet on Wednesday to consider its draft terms of reference and outline the process for appointing independent evidence leaders. ActionSA said the committee's decision followed a formal letter it sent to Didiza and Impeachment Committee chairperson Makashule Gana, which urged Parliament to resist any attempts to frustrate the implementation of the Constitutional Court's judgment on the Phala Phala matter. ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip hailed the committee's decision as a victory for constitutional accountability and parliamentary independence. "Parliament has a constitutional duty to hold the executive accountable, to exercise oversight over the conduct of public office bearers, and to ensure that no person, regardless of their office, is placed beyond scrutiny," Trollip stated. "The Section 89 Committee exists precisely to determine whether the conduct of the President warrants the serious constitutional consequences contemplated by Section 89 of the Constitution. That process must be allowed to proceed without interference, delay, or political shielding." Trollip also aimed sharp criticism at certain political parties within the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU). He accused them of "prevarication" and "speaking out of both sides of their mouths" by professing support for accountability while avoiding a clear position on the President's attempt to halt the inquiry. ActionSA has called on Didiza to ensure that the National Assembly robustly defends its constitutional powers by reflecting the committee's opposition to the interdict. Warning against legislative complacency, Trollip reminded the Speaker that the apex court had already found Parliament failed South Africans once in its handling of the Phala Phala matter, adding that Parliament must not place itself on the wrong side of the Constitution a second time.

Labour unions urge workers to shun anti-migrant protests South Africa's biggest labour unions on Wednesday urged workers not to participate in anti-immigrant protests that have seized the country, and said they could face consequences if they skip work to attend. South Africa is on edge ahead of a June 30 deadline which anti-immigrant groups have given for all undocumented foreigners to leave the country. Protests and potential civil unrest are expected, after weeks of sometimes violent xenophobic attacks. Four major unions including the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), which represents around 2-million people, said in a statement that workers would not be protected if they do not go to work on June 30. "We urge workers to report for duty and not place their employment at risk," they said. The unions echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa's call on Tuesday not to scapegoat migrants for South Africa's problems. "Removing foreign nationals from workplaces, communities or public spaces will not reopen factories, repair municipalities, strengthen public healthcare or create sustainable jobs," said the unions COSATU, FEDUSA, SAFTU and NACTU. Africa's largest economy has more job opportunities than many other African countries and has long attracted large numbers of foreign workers. Some politicians have seized on the issue in recent months to blame such migrants for widespread poverty and crime. South African media outlets reported on Wednesday that clashes had erupted between police and thousands of Malawians awaiting repatriation in the coastal city of Durban. Police fired stun grenades and teargas after a crowd became agitated, said News24. Malawi said earlier in the week that 10 000 of its nationals were in distress and hoping to return from South Africa. While the country has been organising buses to bring them home, it put out a public call for donations to assist with the effort. "Government is resolute in its commitment to bring home every Malawian who wishes to return from South Africa," the government said. "However... the scale and urgency of the operation have created unprecedented financial, logistical, and humanitarian demands." Other countries including Ghana, Nigeria and Mozambique have also repatriated citizens due to safety concerns.

South African inflation rises less than expected in May South African inflation rose by less than expected in May, which analysts said reduced the likelihood of another central bank interest rate hike next month. Headline consumer inflation quickened to 4.5% year on year from 4.0% in April. That was the highest reading since July 2024. Economists polled by Reuters had expected 4.7%. The rise was mainly driven by fuel price increases linked to the Iran war. Annual core inflation, which strips out volatile items like food and energy, was 3.8% in May, in line with forecasts. Standard Bank economist Elna Moolman said the downside surprise largely emanated from food prices, which were flat in month-on-month terms in May. "This data, alongside the decline in oil prices in response to the imminent signing of an interim peace deal between the US and Iran, means that the upside risk to the inflation trajectory has subsided," Moolman added. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) targets inflation of 3%, with a 1 percentage point tolerance band either side. At its last monetary policy meeting in May it raised rates for the first time in three years and is next scheduled to review its policy stance on July 23. Independent economist Elize Kruger said the data showed no clear indication of second-round inflation impacts and with the US-Iran peace deal "there is a growing probability that the SARB could steer away from another interest rate hike in July".

DA reshuffles GNU team: Aucamp replaces Steenhuisen as Agriculture Minister DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has officially requested that President Cyril Ramaphosa remove John Steenhuisen as Minister of Agriculture, in a reshuffling of the party's Government of National Unity (GNU) team, with Willie Aucamp proposed to take over Steenhuisen's role. Aucamp moves from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to become the Minister of Agriculture. Hill-Lewis said his immediate focus would be to resolve ongoing legal proceedings relating to Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and accelerate market expansion for agricultural exports. Steenhuisen will assume the role of Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. Meanwhile, David Maynier will take up the position of Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, stepping in to fill the vacancy left by Aucamp. Alexandra Abrahams moves from Trade, Industry and Competition to take up a key position as Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy. Yusuf Cassim is appointed as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, bringing his extensive background in student politics to the post, while Jack Bloom, a veteran of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, will take up the position of Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation. In his formal correspondence to Ramaphosa, Hill-Lewis emphasised that these structural adjustments followed a careful assessment of the DA's executive team performance. "It is my judgement that the renewed team announced today will strengthen the DA's contribution to government and give better effect to the mandate received from 3.5-million voters," Hill-Lewis explained. He added that public office required high performance, absolute integrity, and responsiveness to create an open, opportunity-filled society for all South Africans.

Fitch upgrades Eskom to B+, in line with South Africa's credit rating Credit rating agency Fitch Ratings has upgraded State-owned Eskom's credit rating to B+ with a stable outlook, up from a B rating, in line with the recent improvement in South Africa's sovereign credit rating. Specifically, Fitch upgraded Eskom's long-term Issuer default ratings to B+ with a stable outlook; its senior unsecured debt to B+ with its recovery rating of RR4 unchanged; and Eskom's guaranteed senior unsecured debt to BB from BB-. Eskom continues to stabilise its operations and strengthen financial management under its ongoing turnaround plan, the utility says. The relationship between Eskom and the South African government is strong across key support factors, including oversight, policy role, and the precedent of support, with Eskom's rating positioned below the sovereign in line with this framework. Eskom views the upgrade as a positive signal of improving macroeconomic conditions and continued recognition of the utility's central role in South Africa's energy system. The utility remains focused on strengthening operational performance, improving liquidity and access to funding, and delivering on its turnaround plan in support of long-term financial sustainability, it says. It also focuses on how rating agencies view its risk profile, owing to its need to access the capital markets. "Our focus remains on execution. We continue to implement our turnaround strategy at pace to restore operational and financial stability, maintain energy security and position Eskom for sustainable long-term growth that supports the economy," says Eskom Group CE Dan Marokane. "Eskom, and South Africa, now has a stable electricity platform to operate and grow from, which has advanced grid stability, market liberalisation and the integration of renewable energy," he says.

Xenophobic attacks are hurting South Africa's image abroad, says minister A surge in attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa is damaging the country's global image and fuelling a backlash against businesses and artists, the justice minister has warned. Speaking at a briefing on Sunday, Mmamoloko Kubayi called for South Africans to reject vigilantism and let the government handle illegal immigration through the proper channels. South Africa has in recent weeks seen a wave of protests and attacks against other African nationals, some of whom are in the country legally, as anti-immigrant groups blame them for high unemployment and crime. "A majority of South African artists perform on the continent, and many of them are seeing their gigs being cancelled," Kubayi said, without naming specific artists. She also said the government was offering support to South African companies abroad that have been affected by the backlash. "We do believe that it can not only hurt the brand, but can hurt our social cohesion," she said, noting that even some South African citizens had been targeted by anti-immigrant groups because of how they looked or spoke. Xenophobic sentiment is a recurring issue in South Africa, and has been amplified by politicians seeking support ahead of local elections in November. Several countries, including Ghana, Malawi and Mozambique, have repatriated nationals over safety concerns. Malawi said on Monday it was bringing hundreds more citizens home by bus from the city of Durban. "It is profoundly heartbreaking to witness another surge of xenophobic violence in #SouthAfrica," wrote World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X, calling it a "tragic betrayal" of the African nations that supported South Africa during the struggle against apartheid. He said that five Ethiopians and five Mozambicans had been killed in attacks. South Africa's foreign ministry disputed that account, saying that the deaths of the Ethiopians were due to organised crime, not xenophobic violence. The deaths of the Mozambicans are under investigation, it said. "We deeply regret the tragic loss of life in these recent incidents, as one life lost is simply one too many," said foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.

Traders cut South Africa rate-hike bets after Iran peace deal Traders have scaled back bets on additional South African interest-rate hikes after a US-Iran peace deal sent oil prices tumbling, potentially reducing inflationary pressures. Forward-rate agreements are now pricing in 15 basis points of tightening at the South African Reserve Bank's July 23 policy meeting, down from 30 basis points a week ago. The contracts are pricing in a total of 32 basis points of rate hikes this year, compared with 70 basis points a week ago. Policymakers last month raised borrowing costs by 25 basis points to 7%, delivering their first increase in three years as inflationary pressures intensified because of the Iran war. They also signalled that further tightening may be warranted if the conflict drags on. Inflation in Africa's biggest economy probably quickened to 4.7% in May from 4% a month earlier, according to the median estimate of 18 economists in a Bloomberg survey. The central bank targets inflation at 3%.

Ramaphosa declares special funeral for amaNdebele King President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Category 1 Special Official Funeral for the amaNdebele King Makhosoke II, Enock Makhosoke Mabhena. The monarch passed away on Tuesday at the age of 65, concluding a historic 40-year reign on the throne. The traditional leader of the amaNdebele akwaManala will be laid to rest on Sunday, with the funeral service taking place at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga, in Mpumalanga. As part of the Category 1 status, the South African National Defence Force will provide full military honours during the ceremony. Additionally, Ramaphosa has directed that the National Flag be flown at half-mast across the country from Saturday morning until Sunday evening. Ramaphosa extended his deepest condolences to the Royal Household, Queen Sekhothali, the amaNdebele people, and the Basotho nation, from whom the Queen is descended. Government and traditional leaders are expected to gather alongside thousands of mourners to pay their final respects to the long-serving leader.

Treasury says upgrades show path to investment grade South Africa's recent credit-rating upgrades are a strong endorsement of government policy and show the nation can restore its coveted investment-grade status if it stays on track, said the National Treasury chief. "This is a clear change of direction in our ratings trajectory after more than a decade of negative ratings news," Duncan Pieterse wrote in an op-ed published on News24 Thursday. "It could ultimately see South Africa regain its investment grade status — if it continues to do the right things on fiscal and economic policy." Fitch Ratings raised its credit assessment of South Africa on June 5 to BB, two notches below investment grade, delivering the upgrade before putting the rating on a positive outlook as it often does before taking such a step. The move brought it in line with Moody's Ratings and S&P Global Ratings, which also have the nation on a positive outlook — a significant marker of confidence against the backdrop of dimming global growth prospects and heightened inflation risks due to the Iran war. "South Africa is only the second Group of 20 country to be upgraded by Fitch this year," Pieterse said. "It is one of only two G20 countries on positive outlook at S&P and the only one at Moody's." After years of weak economic growth, rising debt and deepening concern over crime, mismanagement and corruption — which saw South Africa's credit rating downgraded to junk by all three agencies between 2017 and 2020 — investors have taken note. While the rand has weakened slightly since the Middle East conflict began in late February, it remains about 9% stronger against the dollar versus a year ago. The yield on the benchmark 10-year South African government bond are roughly 148 basis points lower. In addition to improving public finances, South African assets have also benefited from the country's removal from a dirty-money watch list and the adoption of a 3% inflation target by the central bank last year, whose announcement delivered a sharp drop in government bond yields. Pieterse said that being two notches below investment grade means there is still a way to go, "but the momentum is now positive" and the government is committed to lifting economic growth and continuing to lower public debt. South Africa's coalition government, formed after the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 elections for the first time since 1994, has made economic growth a core goal under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa. Still, the future of the nation's reform agenda, which has numerous critics in a country still blighted by inequality 30 years after the end of White-minority rule, will face questions in coming years. South Africa next holds national elections in 2029. But a municipal ballot in November could deliver further voter setbacks for the ANC that weakens Ramaphosa's position at the head of the party — a post which he must relinquish anyway at the end of next year. The development could weaken his influence over the succession process, raising questions about the durability of his reforms and even his ability to remain as president of the nation. The ANC has forced its last two leaders to step aside as the head of state after relinquishing the party leadership position.

Foundation condemns 'reckless' national shutdown calls, warns of xenophobic anarchy The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) has strongly condemned recent calls for a "national shutdown", labelling it "reckless" and warning of the risk of it descending into anarchy and xenophobic violence. Calls for a shutdown follow a June 30 deadline issued by the anti-illegal immigration group March & March, which is demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave South Africa. The AKF urged government to fast-track its immigration and employment plans to maintain public confidence, and wants the immediate rollout of promised workplace inspectors to crack down on unscrupulous employers, and the execution of labour laws to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable workers. The foundation urged citizens to reject the shutdown and use constructive dialogue to deal with the issue. The foundation noted a "cautious optimism" following President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent address on border security and migration. Major federations such as COSATU, FEDUSA, and SAFTU welcome the enforcement of immigration laws, and organised business, faith-based organisations, and political parties support the human-rights-based approach. The AKF noted that previous State inaction directly fuelled community frustrations and vigilantism. The AKF said law enforcement must act firmly against lawlessness, calling on the South African Police Service and Border Management Authority to proactively stop vigilantism. "Security forces must prevent any economic or transport blockades. The State must relentlessly pursue internal corruption within the immigration system and political parties must resist using migration for populist electioneering and xenophobic rhetoric," it said. The foundation pledged to closely monitor the government's migration plan to ensure order is restored while strictly respecting human dignity. Meanwhile, more than 2 400 foreign nationals have been processed and repatriated from South Africa. Countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe have initiated government-funded emergency evacuations and voluntary repatriation flights. The Home Affairs Department confirmed the processing of 586 Nigerian nationals for repatriation after they were found to be residing in the country illegally. The first repatriation flight left on Thursday morning, carrying 268 passengers back to Nigeria. The remaining individuals from the processed group are scheduled to leave on a second flight on Monday.

ActionSA labels GNU's tenure a 'failure' ActionSA has launched a scathing assessment of the Government of National Unity (GNU), declaring its two-year tenure a failure that has yielded a bloated executive, record unemployment, and widespread institutional decay. Speaking on Thursday, ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip revealed the party's "GNU Performance Tracker", which gives government's overall performance an F rating, citing a severe lack of urgency, accountability, and results. Trollip heavily criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to expand the Cabinet rather than streamline State expenditure. The executive has grown to 32 Ministers and 43 Deputy Ministers. According to ActionSA, this "bloated executive" costs taxpayers R6-billion a year, with R600-million going to salaries for Ministers, Deputy Ministers and support staff; R350-million going to travel and accommodation expenses; and R4.5-billion for VIP protection services. Trollip argues that this massive financial investment has yielded zero returns, pointing to a string of recent ministerial scandals. He highlights a suspended Police Minister linked to institutional infiltration, a Higher Education Minister who lied to Parliament, and a Social Development Minister who concealed luxury SUV gifts. ActionSA also awarded the GNU an F for Ethical Leadership and Public Service. The party painted a grim picture of the country's economic trajectory, noting that the expanded unemployment rate has climbed to an historic 43.7%. The economic indicators highlight a deep-seated crisis, with 345 000 jobs lost in the first quarter of 2026 alone, 12-million total South Africans currently unemployed and 0.5% GDP growth in Q1 2026, following weak growth of 0.6% in 2024 and 1.1% in 2025. "These are not growth figures; these are stagnation figures," Trollip states, emphasising that South Africa requires sustained growth of 3% to 4% to curb joblessness. The category of Economic Growth received an F from ActionSA. While the party acknowledges isolated improvements, it rates Infrastructure for Trade and Transport a D. Trollip notes that the Cape Town and Durban ports remain among the worst-performing container hubs globally, and freight rail volumes sit well below State targets. He does, however, concede that Eskom's energy availability factor has improved, marking one year without loadshedding. "But we do not congratulate a fish for swimming," Trollip remarks. "We ask why it nearly drowned in the first place." Law and Order received an E grade. While the national murder rate has seen a slight decline, an average of 58 people are still killed every day, and gender-based violence remains a national crisis, Trollip says. He raises major concerns over recent revelations from the Madlanga Commission and Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee, saying both probes exposed how deeply criminal syndicates have penetrated the top tiers of South African law-enforcement institutions.

SARB sees financial system staying resilient despite Iran war South Africa's central bank said on Wednesday the country's financial system was likely to remain resilient despite tighter financial conditions and monetary policy stemming from the Iran war. Africa's biggest economy started to pick up pace last year and investor sentiment brightened on signs of fiscal discipline, but the Iran war has dampened the near-term outlook as it has rippled through oil markets, capital flows and household finances. "The oil price shock is expected to continue to exert inflationary pressure, potentially prompting tighter monetary policy than before the conflict," the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said in its Financial Stability Review, a biannual checkup on the health of the financial system. The SARB's quarterly projection model now suggests another interest rate increase in 2026 after a 25-basis-point hike at its policy meeting on May 28. "Relief for interest rate-sensitive households is unlikely to materialise as expected at the beginning of the year," it said in the report. It noted that beyond the immediate impact of the Middle East conflict, advances in frontier AI, notably Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview, also posed financial stability risks. "Cyber risk has shifted from episodic and largely manageable events to continuous and compounding," it added. Other risks mentioned in the review included capital outflows amid heightened market uncertainty, unsustainable fiscal dynamics and increased financial distress in households. "Despite these risks, the South African financial system remains resilient overall," said the central bank. South Africa's foreign exchange reserves have grown to over 16% of gross domestic product, the highest recorded level since the early 1960s, and the country meets all major reserve-adequacy metrics, the bank continued.

South Africa posts largest current-account surplus since 2022 South Africa posted its largest current-account surplus in four years in the first quarter as the value of gold exports surged and imports dropped. The balance on the current account — the broadest measure of trade in goods and services — widened to a surplus of 2.4% of gross domestic product, or R190.7-billion, from 0.6% in the previous quarter, the South African Reserve Bank said in a report on Thursday. That beat the median estimate of nine economists surveyed by Bloomberg, who forecast a positive balance of 1.1% of GDP. The quarterly surplus was the second in a row and the biggest since the third quarter of 2021, the central bank data showed. As a percentage of GDP, it was the highest since the first quarter of 2022. The better-than-expected outcome may boost the rand, which is little changed against the dollar since December after a rally at the start of the year was erased by the US-Israeli war in Iran that erupted on February 28. South Africa's trade surplus jumped to R437.9-billion in the first quarter from R282.2-billion "as the value of merchandise and net gold exports increased while that of merchandise imports decreased," the Reserve Bank said. The value of exported goods and services rose by R78.3-billion, reflecting higher prices and volumes, while the value of imports of goods and services dropped R96.8-billion as prices and volumes decreased. The deficit on the services, income and current transfer account was wider at R247.2-billion, compared with R232.1-billion during the prior three months, or 3.1% of GDP from 3% previously. "The wider deficit emanated from larger deficits on the primary income and current transfer accounts, while the shortfall on the services account narrowed," the central bank said.

'State capture never ended': Hill-Lewis backs Rasilingwane to clean up Ekurhuleni The DA has launched its Election Pledges to the people of Ekurhuleni, declaring it a definitive promise that the city will be rescued from crippling institutional corruption and structural collapse. Speaking at the party's campaign launch alongside the DA's mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni Khathu Rasilingwane, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis pulled no punches about the scale of the crisis he said was facing the municipality. Hill-Lewis claimed that "State capture never truly ended in Ekurhuleni". Instead, he argued, the metro had "mutated into the epicentre of a Gangster State" where he stated political corruption was enforced through fear. "Every contract, every service, everything is corrupted, so that politicians and senior officials can steal millions and millions out of the city. And their corruption is protected by gangsters who will murder to keep it quiet," he said. According to the DA, the everyday struggles of Ekurhuleni residents were a result of a deeply entrenched criminal network. The DA is positioning Rasilingwane as the "strong medicine" needed to deal with corruption. The party highlighted its governance track record in Cape Town, the Western Cape, Midvaal, and Umgeni as proof that "clean, transparent" governance is possible in South Africa. Hill-Lewis highlighted that the party's campaign outlined a choice between two visions for the residents of Ekurhuleni - one the failed vision of the ANC, EFF and MK, which he said was more "State control, more corruption, more cadre deployment, more racial division, more reckless spending, more hostility to business, and more empty promises". On the other side was the DA's vision of "growing economy, honest government, safe communities, quality services, infrastructure that works, and a State that helps people to build their own future", he said. The rescue plan targets urgent revitalisation across Tembisa, Katlehong, Benoni, Boksburg, Kempton Park, Germiston, and Edenvale. The primary objectives focus on fixing potholes, securing electricity grids, stabilising water supply, and building a professional, responsive municipal administration that actively welcomed job-creating investment.

SACP blames capitalism, exploitative employers for immigration crisis, condemns vigilantism The SACP said while it agrees that South Africa cannot tolerate illegal immigration or corruption in its immigration system, the root of the crisis is not migrant workers, but rather capitalism, accusing some employers of deliberately exploiting the status of undocumented migrants to pay them low wages and undermine labour rights. The party believes that undocumented migration is inextricably linked to labour exploitation, adding that it strongly supports proposed labour inspections to penalise employers who break immigration and labour laws. The party welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa's national address on migration, affirming that immigration enforcement remains strictly the duty of the State. While acknowledging legitimate public concerns about systemic issues, the SACP issued a strong warning against vigilantism, xenophobia, and the scapegoating of foreign nationals. The SACP said it supported the President's stance that immigration laws must only be enforced by authorised State institutions. The party strongly condemned mob vigilantism, street intimidation, and individuals demanding identity documents under the guise of "community concern". The SACP said such lawlessness endangers communities and undermines the rule of law. The party cautioned against narrowing the migration issue down to a security or policing problem. Echoing Ramaphosa's sentiment, they noted that illegal immigration is not the sole cause of South Africa's economic challenges. Instead, the SACP directed the focus to structural causes, mass unemployment and poverty, deindustrialisation and weak local production and the ongoing domination of the economy by monopoly capital. To address the challenges faced by poor, working-class communities, the SACP insists that migration must be part of a broader socioeconomic transformation programme. The party wants robust working-class solidarity to confront what it says are systemic failures, rather than turning documented and undocumented workers against each other. The SACP suggests the building of democratic, community-owned, and worker-controlled economic alternatives, such as cooperatives, buying clubs, and local procurement systems, and the expansion of public employment, land and agrarian transformation, and developing local manufacturing. Ties must be strengthened with the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to address the root causes of forced migration, the party adds. The SACP also wants government to ensure the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration collaborates with civil society, organised labour, and legitimate community structures.

Parly committees want answers after Joburg writes off R13.2bn in unlawful expenditure Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) and the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs have demanded an exhaustive breakdown of the more than R13.2-billion in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure that the City of Johannesburg wrote off or regularised during the 2024/25 financial year. During a joint parliamentary briefing regarding the metro's recent audit outcomes, the committees demanded explicit details on the R13.278-billion balance reduction, which fell from R23.614-billion in 2023/24. The committees stressed that regularising or writing off unlawful expenditure does not make it legal, and does not absolve the embattled municipality of the obligation to hold responsible individuals accountable. The committees requested an itemised, factual, and legal breakdown of each contravention, the exact financial loss and whether any value was received, as well as the current status of disciplinary action, money recovered, and criminal referrals. The Auditor-General previously cautioned Scopa that the City of Johannesburg is operating on "false assurances" regarding its true financial health. This is owing to deep-rooted problems with internal controls and reliance on an unfunded budget. Committee members, including Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi and Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize, made it clear that accountability will not be measured by the metro's public relations efforts, but by completed investigations, sanctions against responsible officials, and the recovery of lost funds. Committee members said a crucial distinction must be drawn between "administrative procurement breaches" where necessary services were actually delivered, and cases involving deliberate financial loss, waste, inflated pricing, or criminal conduct. The committees expressed concern over the delayed disciplinary processes within the municipality. Currently, historical cases still languish before the disciplinary board while 34 related matters remain under active investigation. The metro has blamed these lags on missing documentation, a backlog spanning over a decade, and implicated ex-employees leaving the municipality. DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY However, the two committees dismissed these factors as justifications for indefinite delays. In response, they demanded strict, finalised deadlines for all outstanding investigations. They also want to be provided with a clear outline of actions that will be taken against senior managers and heads of department who fail to provide the information. Meanwhile, parliamentary committees also pressed the City of Johannesburg Metro regarding accountability and governance issues across its 13 municipal entities. Members demanded strict adherence to the Municipal Finance Management Act's (MFMA's) financial misconduct frameworks, full transparency on executive remuneration, and concrete consequences for ongoing service delivery and financial failures. Committee members said they were concerned that previous disciplinary actions were handled merely through routine labour relations, rather than the stricter financial misconduct framework mandated by the MFMA. "This approach raised potential double-jeopardy issues, prompting members to demand a legal and factual explanation of each affected matter and the intended actions by the metro," the committees noted. They highlighted that the metro's accountability issues are exacerbated by a highly fragmented structure consisting of a core administration and 13 municipal entities, each with separate management, boards, and audit structures. Committees questioned if political and administrative leadership could properly control these entities, noting that recurring issues include unreliable performance information, procurement failures, unpaid creditors, and financ...

ActionSA wants three economic Ministers fired over Q1 job losses ActionSA has intensified its pressure on the Government of National Unity (GNU) to immediately fire three key economic Ministers following the latest GDP and employment data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Tuesday. ActionSA called the statistics a "devastating double blow" of "microscopic" economic growth and "massive" job losses for the first quarter of 2026. According to Stats SA, South Africa's economy expanded by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2026, slightly up from the 0.4% recorded in the final quarter of 2025. But the country shed 345 000 jobs during the same three-month period. As a result, ActionSA wants the Ministers of Employment and Labour; Trade, Industry and Competition; and Small Business Development on the chopping block. ActionSA MP Alan Beesley says the figures prove that the GNU is failing to address South Africa's crises of economic stagnation and growing unemployment. "These figures should surprise nobody. South Africa remains trapped in a cycle of low growth, declining investment, and persistently high unemployment because government lacks both urgency and a credible plan to reverse these trends," Beesley says. He pits South Africa against comparable emerging market economies, which he says consistently post annual growth rates between 3% and 4%. By contrast, South Africa managed just 0.6% growth in 2024 and 1.1% in 2025. ActionSA says it rejects attempts by government to blame international headwinds for the country's financial woes. "The GNU cannot continue blaming external factors such as global trade uncertainty or commodity prices for an economic crisis that is overwhelmingly the result of domestic policy failures and decades of government corruption and inaction," Beesley asserts. While Stats SA reported some positive movement – driven primarily by a 0.9% boost in the finance, real estate, and business services industry – ActionSA believes that the broader economic foundation is crumbling, citing the "accelerating deindustrialisation" of the country. The manufacturing sector contracted by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2026, compounding a 0.6% shrinkage at the end of 2025. This decline is matched by a decimated construction industry, which plummeted by 5.4% in 2024 and another 4.4% in 2025. Beesley acknowledges that the government's recently adopted Revised Industrial Development Strategy correctly identifies the need for affordable electricity, efficient ports, functioning rail networks, and modern telecommunications. However, he notes that listing problems is not the same as solving them. "The reality is that South Africa's deindustrialisation is no longer merely continuing; it is accelerating under the GNU," Beesley warns, adding that current growth levels cannot absorb new school leavers and graduates into the market and deal with the unemployment rate.

ActionSA threatens legal action over 'SAPS secrecy' on Phala Phala records ActionSA has launched an internal appeal against the South African Police Service (SAPS) after the law enforcement agency rejected its Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application for material relating to the Phala Phala farm robbery. The party filed the appeal on Tuesday, warning that it will escalate the matter to the Information Regulator and the High Court if SAPS continues to withhold investigation documents. ActionSA originally submitted its PAIA request in April, seeking access to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) report on the theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa's Limpopo farm. ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the blocked request targets Ramaphosa's official statement detailing the exact amount of cash stolen from his property and a National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) audit revealing R15-million in financial transactions linked to just one of the three accused suspects following the heist. ActionSA argued that the NPA's financial analysis directly contradicts Ramaphosa's public version of how much money was stolen. Beaumont stated that under-declaring a serious financial crime violates the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act, while falsifying information to police constitutes fraud and perjury. Beaumont said SAPS blocked the application by citing legal provisions that exclude documentation meant for ongoing civil or criminal proceedings. He dismissed this reasoning, noting that ActionSA is not seeking the data for litigation. The political standoff intensified during a recent parliamentary question-and-answer session with the security cluster. Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale, representing Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, refused to commit to releasing the PAIA documents. Instead, Mathale reportedly re-read a generic response meant for an unrelated question. ActionSA cited this interaction as proof that the Government of National Unity (GNU) is actively shielding the President. Meanwhile, Ramaphosa approached the Western Cape High Court to review and set aside the 2022 Section 89 Independent Panel report on the Phala Phala scandal, with the legal challenge scheduled to be heard from September. Ramaphosa revived this legal action after a Landmark Constitutional Court ruling declared that Parliament's previous 2022 vote to reject the report was unconstitutional and invalid.

GDP increased by 0.5% in the first quarter – Stats SA South Africa's GDP increased by 0.5% in the first quarter, following an increase of 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reports. Its data shows that the finance, real estate and business services industry increased by 0.9%, contributing 0.2 of a percentage point. Increased economic activities were reported for financial intermediation and auxiliary activities. The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry increased by 3.9%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point, primarily owing to increased economic activities reported for field crops and horticulture products. The trade, catering and accommodation industry increased by 0.7%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point. Increased economic activities were reported for wholesale trade, motor trade, food and beverages and accommodation. The transport, storage and communication industry increased by 0.7%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point, with increased economic activities reported for land transport, air transport and transport support services. The manufacturing industry, however, decreased by 0.8%, contributing -0.1 of a percentage point. Stats SA points out that five of the ten manufacturing divisions reported negative growth rates. The largest negative contributions were reported for the petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products; basic iron and steel, nonferrous metal products, metal products and machinery; and wood and wood products, paper, publishing and printing divisions. Meanwhile, expenditure on real GDP increased by 0.5% in the first quarter. This follows the increase of 0.3% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025. Household final consumption expenditure (HFCE) increased by 0.1%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point to the total growth. Positive growth rates were reported for durable, non-durable and semi-durable goods. The main positive contributors to the increase in HFCE were expenditures on transport (0.8% and contributing 0.1 of a percentage point) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (0.9% and contributing 0.1 of a percentage point). The negative contributors were expenditures on 'other'; restaurants and hotels; food and non-alcoholic beverages; and alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics. Final consumption expenditure by general government increased by 0.6%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point to the total growth. This was mainly driven by increases in purchases of goods and services and compensation of employees. Further, gross fixed capital formation decreased by 1.1%, contributing -0.2 of a percentage point to the total growth. The negative contributors to the decrease were machinery and other equipment (-3.4% and contributing -1.4 percentage points), residential buildings (-7.2% and contributing -0.7 of a percentage point) and other assets (-1.8% and contributing -0.2 of a percentage point). Stats SA reports that there was a R22.4-billion drawdown of inventories (seasonally adjusted and annualised), mainly driven by two industries – manufacturing and trade. Net exports contributed positively (0.9 of a percentage point) to expenditure on GDP. Exports of goods and services increased by 0.5%, largely influenced by increased trade in mineral products; vegetable products; and prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco. Imports of goods and services decreased by 2.6%, largely influenced by decreased trade in pearls, precious and semi-precious stones and precious metals; mineral products; machinery and electrical equipment; textiles and textile articles; and animal and vegetable fats and oils.

Nigeria plans five repatriation flights from South Africa Nigeria will begin repatriating its citizens from South Africa this week, after anti-immigrant attacks and protests in the continent's biggest economy. The Nigerian government has scheduled the first flight from South Africa on Wednesday, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, said in a text message. More than 500 people have "been screened and cleared" for the flights, Ebienfa said. South Africa has seen a surge in xenophobic protests in recent months, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the nation on Sunday and outline steps his administration plans to take to address the issue. About 60 people died and 50 000 were displaced in a spate of attacks directed against migrants in 2008, and fears are mounting of renewed and intensified violence. Nigerian carrier Air Peace will manage the repatriation flights, with the first one transporting 270 passengers. At least 1 094 Nigerians have indicated their interest in leaving South Africa, Reuters reported on June 5, citing the foreign ministry. The South African authorities have agreed to waive penalties for visa violations such as overstays, though individuals facing criminal charges won't be eligible to leave, the news agency said. Separately, Ghana repatriated 654 of its citizens from South Africa at the weekend, the Border Management Authority said in a statement on Monday.

S Africa's Treasury welcomes Fitch upgrade to BB with stable outlook The National Treasury has welcomed credit rating agency Fitch's decision to upgrade South Africa's long-term foreign and local currency credit ratings to 'BB' from 'BB-' and to maintain its stable outlook. The upgrade reflects South Africa's record of prudent fiscal management and its progress on fiscal consolidation, despite weak economic growth and domestic and external shocks. This, together with GDP revisions, leaves the government debt-to-GDP ratio well below levels anticipated at the time of the rating downgrade to 'BB-' in 2020. This is Fitch's first rating upgrade on South Africa in almost 21 years. South Africa is the second Group of 20 country to be upgraded by Fitch this year, Treasury notes. According to Fitch, South Africa has transitioned from primary fiscal deficits to consistent and widening primary surpluses, alongside signs that government debt is stabilising amid improved revenue collection and disciplined expenditure management. The long average-maturity of total government debt, at more than ten years, and low share of foreign-currency-denominated debt support the sovereign rating, it adds. Fitch also points to ongoing reforms in the energy and logistics sectors that are expected to support economic growth in coming years as reason for the upgrade, says Treasury. Credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings upgraded South Africa's rating by one notch in November 2025 and credit rating agency Moody's put the country's rating on a positive outlook. All three major rating agencies now have South Africa on 'BB' or 'Ba2', which is two levels below investment grade. Moody's and S&P have the sovereign on a positive outlook, which indicates they could upgrade their ratings within 12 to 18 months. Government remains committed to sound public finances and to implementing structural reforms that will support higher and more inclusive economic growth and underpin investor confidence, says Treasury director-general Dr Duncan Pieterse. "Improved sovereign credit ratings help to lower borrowing costs for government, businesses and households and have tangible benefits for ordinary people. "South Africa still has some way to go to regain its investment-grade credit rating but, for the first time in more than a decade, we are seeing a clear turnaround in the downward ratings trend. The turnaround is especially notable because it comes at a time when the global sovereign credit trend is overwhelmingly negative," he says. "Fiscal policy continues to focus on achieving its twin objectives of stabilising and then reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio, by running a growing primary budget surplus where revenue exceeds nonexpenditure by an ever-wider margin. This will put government's debt level on a more sustainable path. "We will embed this principle in a fiscal anchor, which we expect will be announced in the 2026 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement," Pieterse says.

Ramaphosa pledges illegal immigration crackdown, promises economic growth push Following his Sunday night announcement that government is taking decisive action to tackle illegal immigration, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday this will happen simultaneously with government's plan to address the country's core economic challenges. In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa added that government is balancing strict border enforcement with a revitalised economic strategy, by driving faster and inclusive economic growth, infrastructure development, industrial expansion and the creation of new jobs. Following the adoption of the Comprehensive Approach for Migration Management by Cabinet, the State is intensifying its legislative enforcement, he pointed out. Ramaphosa acknowledged growing community anxieties regarding national security and the rule of law, and he directly addressed the social and economic friction points raised by citizens. He noted that some companies illegally employ and exploit undocumented foreign nationals and that public perception suggests foreign-owned spaza shops are crowding out local traders. Sector-specific employment quotas for foreign nationals will be introduced, and informal businesses will have to be registered, Ramaphosa laid out. He explained that while citizens fear that public infrastructure is overwhelmed, official statistics show foreign nationals account for a very small proportion of clinic, hospital, and school users. Ramaphosa said organised syndicates do exploit migration weaknesses for drug trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion. However, the majority of foreign nationals are not involved in criminal activity. Ramaphosa cautioned citizens against taking the law into their own hands, emphasising that only authorised State officials may enforce immigration laws. He linked local frustrations to broader systemic issues of poverty and unemployment, which often cause communities to target perceived competitors. To solve the root causes of mass migration, South Africa is working with regional and continental partners to address the conflict, instability, and economic hardships driving people from their homes. The President reminded citizens that South Africa was built on migration, urging the public to reject xenophobia, afrophobia, and violence, while remaining true to the country's Constitution. MIXED REACTIONS Meanwhile, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis also echoed Ramaphosa's sentiments for South Africans to reject xenophobia and uphold the country's constitutional values. The DA said it will support every lawful effort by the Government of National Unity (GNU) to restore order, secure borders, and fix the broken systems that have allowed illegal migration to become a source of fear and frustration. "… that is why the work being done by Minister Leon Schreiber at Home Affairs to strengthen lawful immigration control, improve documentation, and secure the border must be welcomed," Hill-Lewis stated. He stressed that people must be in South Africa legally, and the law must be enforced by the State and not by mobs, vigilantes, or politicians who stoke hatred for votes. "Anyone who incites violence against foreign nationals, including political leaders, must be arrested and prosecuted, and every South African must abide by the Constitution we share," he said. He acknowledged that the deeper answer to the migrant crisis is jobs, growth and a capable State. He wants the GNU to quickly implement the economic reforms needed to attract investment, unlock opportunity, cut red tape, fix infrastructure, and create the environment for South Africans to find work. ActionSA president Herman Mashaba expressed disappointment with what he termed Ramaphosa's "weak and reactionary address", which he believes does nothing to address the immigration crisis that he claims was created by the ANC and perpetuated by the GNU government. Mashaba pointed out that rather than presenting a clear shift in app...

My Vote Counts warns Rise Mzansi's R30m donation exposes flaws in Party Funding Act Civil society group My Vote Counts (MVC) argues that Rise Mzansi's R30-million loan conversion highlights major flaws in the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA), saying it allows wealthy donors to obscure their identities and potentially exert undue influence. In its latest quarterly disclosure report, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) notes that Rise Mzansi declared a R30-million donation. This came from an entity called "We are the People", which has apparently converted a previous loan into a donation. MVC points out that it is the first time a loan has been converted into a donation, and that it is the first R30-million donation disclosed since President Cyril Ramaphosa raised the annual maximum donation limit from R15-million to R30-million in August 2025. MVC argues said the primary issue is that there is no information about the actual donors under We are the People. There is no website, no registered directors, and no formal registration on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) database, MVC revealed, describing this as a loophole in the PPFA, which is meant to promote transparency. MVC said while the PPFA uses a dual disclosure mechanism, requiring both the receiving party and the donor to submit forms indicating their identity, registration, or trust numbers, the public is frequently left in the dark about who the true donor is. MVC intends to submit a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to uncover information about unidentified donors and is exploring legal avenues to make the IEC's quarterly reports more detailed and transparent. The IEC's latest quarterly report reveals that political parties collectively disclosed just under R100-million in private funding. The lion's share of disclosed private funding went to the DA, which led recent declarations with R57-million, followed by Rise Mzansi's R30-million, and ActionSA with R9.9-million. The total value of private donations above the disclosure threshold has now exceeded R1-billion. Many of these donors represent powerful economic sectors, such as mining and finance. Notable past declarations include Patrice Motsepe's Botho Botho (R10-million) to the ANC, Betway billionaire Martin Moshal (R5-million) to ActionSA, and Main Street 1564 (R10-million) and Harry Oppenheimer's daughter Mary Slack (R10-million) to the DA. Despite the strides made under the PPFA, MVC warns that the system is far from perfect. The recent decision to double donation limits and increase the disclosure threshold increases secrecy in political funding, granting donors a greater ability to influence South African politics. The landscape is also plagued by noncompliance, MVC says. Most notably, the ANC failed to report two donations disclosed by their respective donors. One of these undisclosed donations, worth nearly R500 000, came from Valumax, a company that has received billions in tenders from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements. The MVC says for the transparency regime to work, the IEC must be adequately funded and empowered. Watchdogs have warned that a projected decrease in the IEC's budget for its Party Funding programme will severely limit its ability to investigate and enforce the law. Ultimately, late, incomplete, or opaque disclosures deny voters the information needed to make informed democratic choices, MVC says. It says it is involved with ongoing litigation to strengthen the PPFA, to ensure it achieves its stated objectives of absolute transparency and accountability.

S Africa launches 'historic' HIV prevention injection Lenacapavir Describing it as an "historic turning point in South Africa's national healthcare", President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday officially launched the long-acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir, in Secunda. He revealed that 360 public health facilities across six provinces and 24 high-burden districts were fully prepared to administer the groundbreaking intervention. He described Lenacapavir as more than just a medication, calling it one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs since the introduction of antiretroviral treatment (ART). "To us, Lenacapavir is not just a medicine or a drug; to us it represents a major turning point in South Africa's national story," Ramaphosa said. "It represents the triumph of science over despair. It represents the power of innovation to save lives. And above all, it represents hope." The revolutionary treatment requires only a single injection administered twice a year, providing powerful protection against HIV infection. Ramaphosa explained that this practical intervention would transform lives by dramatically reducing the barrier of daily adherence associated with traditional oral medication. South Africa has set targets for the rollout of the injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The government aims to reach close to one-million people by the end of 2027, with a broader goal of reaching three-million citizens over the next three years. "It is a nation-building target. Every HIV infection prevented is a life protected. A family preserved. A future secured," he said. To ensure the injection is accessible to all, government has partnered with the Global Fund and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). Together with State funding, this investment will contribute R1.3-billion toward the national rollout. The President reiterated South Africa's stance that lifesaving medicines must not be reserved for the wealthy. He affirmed the country's commitment to expanding access through affordable generic medicines, technology transfer, and local manufacturing. This strategy aligns with the African Union's broader goal to produce 60% of the continent's health products locally by 2040. Ramaphosa noted that health security was inherently linked to economic development, stating that local manufacturing capacity was essential to national sovereignty, resilience, and prosperity. While celebrating the breakthrough, Ramaphosa cautioned that Lenacapavir was not a silver bullet, but rather a powerful addition to the country's existing arsenal in the fight against HIV. The injection is designed to complement existing strategies, including regular HIV testing, Oral PrEP and treatment as prevention, condom distribution, voluntary male medical circumcision, and behavioural interventions. Ramaphosa stressed that final success still depended on continuous public education, personal responsibility, and ending the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV. While he acknowledged the effect of the HIV epidemic on South African society, he praised the resilience that allowed the country to build the largest HIV treatment programme in the world. "South Africa has never been a passive observer in the global HIV response. We have been leaders. We have been innovators. We have been advocates for justice and equity. Today, we lead once again," Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa to address nation on migration action plan President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation on the country's approach to managing migration, according to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. The cabinet received and approved a comprehensive approach to migration that was developed by an inter-ministerial committee and has also approved the national action plan country report on migration in South Africa, Ntshavheni said at a media briefing on Friday. She did not say when Ramaphosa will speak on the matter. The announcement comes after a recent wave of anti-immigrant demonstrations has revived concerns about xenophobic violence in South Africa, where migrants are targeted in a climate of high unemployment and overstretched basic services.

Business leaders demand national govt step in to rescue Joburg from economic collapse The South African business sector has issued an urgent call to political parties and national government to immediately stabilise the City of Johannesburg's fiscal and governance crisis. Ahead of the upcoming local government elections, business leaders demand specific, costed recovery plans, consequence management for corruption, and active national intervention to prevent an economic emergency. Johannesburg is the commercial capital of South Africa, accounting for about 16% of the national GDP and is the central hub where a disproportionate share of domestic and foreign investment decisions are made. While the broader South African economic trajectory is showing signs of recovery – highlighted by energy stability and positive sovereign credit rating momentum – the visible decline of the City of Johannesburg threatens to undermine the country's growth story, business warns. Leaders from the Business Unity South Africa, Business Leadership South Africa and the Business for South Africa steering committee emphasise that this is not a localised political dispute, but a critical national economic emergency. They note that City of Johannesburg's challenges have escalated to a tipping point owing to several alarming indicators, that includes an unfunded adjustment budget, prompting National Treasury to place the metro on formal notice, with the July 2026 equitable share allocation currently at risk. State utility Eskom has also warned it may suspend or throttle electricity supply to the city over mounting bulk electricity debt. Capital expenditure has dropped to 6% of the City's budget, with maintenance spending standing at 0.5% of asset value, roughly one-eighteenth of the metro average. And, the Auditor-General estimated yearly losses of about R12-billion owing to unauthorised, irregular, and wasteful expenditure. Business notes that fragile coalitions have resulted in a constantly changing administration, producing ten mayors in the last decade. The business leaders say while business remains non-partisan, it will not be passive. Business leaders want immediate, tangible changes rather than empty promises, urging political parties to stabilise the City's finances now and not after the next election. They want the elimination of irregular expenditure and clear, transparent reporting against specific service delivery indicators, and "consistent and exceptionless" enforcement of accountability for corruption and maladministration. All parties contesting the elections must provide specific, costed commitments on how they plan to address the fiscal crisis, restore infrastructure, and re-establish functional governance, they says. Because these structural and financial crises have exceeded the capabilities of current city-level leadership, business leaders are urging President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Government of National Unity to step in. The national government is being urged to use available powers to drive structural reforms, assist with financial stabilisation, and ensure consequence management is enforced where governance standards fail. Further, drawing on the successes of the national government-business partnership, which yielded measurable progress in energy and freight logistics, the private sector says it is ready to lend its expertise, execution capability, and resources. However, they add that this is on condition of a "capable, scrupulous counterparty" that can be held to account.