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Polity.org.za offers a unique take on news, with a focus on political, legal, economic and social issues in South Africa and Africa, as well as international affairs. Now you can listen to the top three articles on Polity at the end of each day.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Ramaphosa declares ‘end to patronage’, sets new vision for metros

    Ramaphosa declares 'end to patronage', sets new vision for metros Declaring that the era of patronage, factional politics, and municipal looting is over, President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the renewal of South Africa's local government, emphasising its role as the essential engine of national development. Speaking during the closing session of the National Council of Provinces's (NCOP's) 'Taking Parliament to the People' programme in Stilfontein, on Friday, Ramaphosa urged citizens to actively participate in the consultation process for the reviewed draft White Paper on Local Government, currently underway. "Local government is critical in ensuring that people have water and sanitation, electricity, roads, clinics and community services," Ramaphosa said. "Our task is to make it work for the people. Not for vested interests." Following the official gazetting of the reviewed draft White Paper by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, the Presidency is pushing for massive structural reforms. The review, which began in 2025, aims to modernise municipalities, fight corruption, and improve service delivery. Ramaphosa warned against political leaders colluding with "corrupt" businesspeople to destroy infrastructure for private gain, particularly in water provision. He said the review draft paper aimed to address "decades of confusion" between district and local municipalities, explaining that the new framework aimed to eliminate duplicate functions and clarify roles to stop municipalities from "blaming each other" for failures. Intergovernmental coordination would become legally binding, in line with the Constitution, forcing different spheres of government to work together in solving local problems instead of operating in silos, he added. Ramaphosa explained that the White Paper proposed a total overhaul of municipal billing and revenue collection, holding leaders to stricter account regarding expenditure. He noted that the new reforms would also prioritise the professionalisation of municipal appointments and tackle the "treasonous" tendency of underspending allocated budgets. "We are going to be focusing on digitisation and strengthening data systems that are able to facilitate and monitor service delivery," Ramaphosa promised. He said municipal infrastructure could not be allowed to be deliberately ruined so that preferred private companies could take over critical functions such as providing water. "For too long municipalities have gotten away with saying that they are committed to public participation because they placed an ad in a newspaper, had a public hearing or because they have a complaints line," Ramaphosa said. He sees meaningful public participation in local government as a structured partnership. "We are going to be looking at the different ways in which all of society can play a more direct role in shaping how local government is administered. Our country has entered a new era of hope and promise. Our economy is recovering. Investors are increasingly seeing South Africa as a favourable place in which to do business," he said. ECONOMIC AXIS Meanwhile, he declared that local government would serve as the critical enabler of the most ambitious infrastructure build programme in South Africa's history. Ramaphosa confirmed that over the next three years, government will be investing R1-trillion to build energy, water, transportation, logistics, IT and essential other infrastructure. He emphasised that for South Africa to successfully attract investment and create jobs, its municipalities must be "functional, reliable, and secure". He noted that investors were not only interested in national policy, but in whether they could bring their investments to areas with functioning basic services. "Local government doesn't just support development. It is the axis on which our entire economy turns," Ramaphosa said, acknowledging that the current state of many municipalities was a direct...

    4 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    DA announces Impeachment Committee team

    DA announces Impeachment Committee team Following the recent Constitutional Court judgment and the subsequent move to establish a Section 89 Impeachment Committee, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has formally submitted the names of those who will represent the party on the committee. The names of five of its members in the National Assembly have been sent to Speaker Thoko Didiza. The members will represent the party on the committee, which is tasked with investigating the 2020 Phala Phala farm incident and determining whether President Cyril Ramaphosa committed an impeachable offence. Last week, the Constitutional Court ruled that the National Assembly acted unconstitutionally and invalidly in December 2022 when it blocked impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala farm scandal. It ordered that the independent panel's report be officially referred to a parliamentary impeachment committee. The DA has maintained that where there is a finding of wrongdoing against the President, it will hold him accountable, mirroring the action taken against various members of his cabinet. "We respect the rule of law and have a constitutional duty to hold the executive accountable in a constructive manner, in the best interest of all South Africans," the party stated. The party has appointed Parliamentary leader George Michalakis; Deputy Chief Whip Bax Nodada; advocate Glynnis Breytenbach; National Spokesperson Karabo Khakhau and DA Spokesperson on Social Development Nazley Sharif. The DA said its selected team brings "significant" experience in parliamentary oversight, particularly in holding the executive accountable. It highlighted that Khakhau gained prominence after exposing the scandal involving the appointments of African National Congress-linked chairpersons to Sector Education and Training Authority boards, which ultimately led to the removal of former Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, while Sharif recently spearheaded the accountability campaign against former Minister of Social Development Sisisi Tolashe. Ramaphosa fired Tolashe on Thursday. The 31-member impeachment committee will begin its work following the submission of names by all political parties, which were required to be submitted by Friday.

    2 min

  3. 1 DAY AGO

    ANC rallies behind Ramaphosa, backs High Court review of Phala Phala report

    ANC rallies behind Ramaphosa, backs High Court review of Phala Phala report The African National Congress (ANC) has moved to shut down speculation regarding President Cyril Ramaphosa's future, with secretary-general Fikile Mbalula clarifying on Friday that the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) did not consider, nor was it asked to consider, a recall of the President. Addressing the media at Luthuli House following a special NEC meeting in Cape Town, Mbalula stated that Ramaphosa's resignation was not on the table. "The National Executive Committee reaffirmed, in clear and unambiguous terms, its full and continuing support for the President of the African National Congress, Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, as the leader of this movement and, in that capacity, as the leader of the Government of National Unity," Mbalula said. The special NEC meeting was convened following last week's Constitutional Court judgment, which revived the Phala Phala saga. The court declared that the previous parliamentary process used to shield the President was unconstitutional and ordered Parliament to establish an impeachment committee. Despite this, the NEC has thrown its weight behind Ramaphosa. Mbalula addressed the judgment with high praise for the judiciary, noting that Chief Justice Mandisa Maya delivered the May 8th judgment with "an even tone and an admirable, teachable temperament that this country can and must learn from." "Hers is the leadership of a stateswoman of the law. Hers is the example to which every officer of our courts, every Member of Parliament, every public servant, and indeed every cadre of our movement can aspire," he added. Mbalula clarified that Ramaphosa, as a citizen, had the right to a fair hearing and the right to seek a judicial review of the independent Section 89 panel report, a move the President has indicated he will take. Mbalula dismissed calls for the President to step aside, emphasising that the party will not vote to impeach its own President. Mbalula stated that after receiving and carefully considering the counsel's opinion, the party's national officials have recorded their full support for Ramaphosa's legal strategy. "The [Constitutional] Court did not find the President guilty of anything. The Court did not direct that Ramaphosa be removed from office," Mbalula said, clarifying the party's position on the ruling. "The judgment... is concerned with the procedural conduct of the National Assembly and the rules under which it acted. It is not, in any respect, a finding on the merits of the matter," he explained. Mbalula reaffirmed that Ramaphosa would continue to perform his duties as head of State, noting that the Constitutional Court judgment did not interrupt the work of the government. "The parliamentary process that the judgment has activated will run its course," Mbalula said, while stressing that the ANC respected the constitutional independence of National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and the programming of the House. He committed the party to participating constructively in the process. Didiza confirmed that Parliament would fully comply with the apex court's ruling and was initiating the process of establishing an impeachment committee. She said the Independent Panel report, which suggested the President may have a case to answer, would be formally referred to this new committee, and a copy would be provided to Ramaphosa to allow him to exercise his legal rights. The committee is expected to consist of 31 members drawn from all political parties represented in the National Assembly, with the ANC securing nine seats, followed by the Democratic Alliance, MK Party, and Economic Freedom Fighters. While the ANC maintains its support for the President, the parliamentary process mandated by the Constitutional Court will proceed independently. The ANC indicated that the "impeachment committee is expected to continue its work unless the Section 89 panel report is set aside by the courts".

    3 min

  4. 2 DAYS AGO

    Goldman now sees two 2026 South Africa rate hikes because of war

    Goldman now sees two 2026 South Africa rate hikes because of war Goldman Sachs expects South Africa to raise interest rates twice this year after previously seeing a series of cuts, as the Iran war fans inflation risks around the world. The bank forecasts quarter-point increases at the central bank's meetings in May and July, after raising its oil-price and inflation assumptions in response to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Goldman economist Andrew Matheny said in an interview. "We have shifted to a baseline for two rate hikes," Matheny said, adding that the likelihood of larger half-point increases remained "quite low." "Prior to the Iran war, we had been forecasting rate cuts at alternating meetings down to a 5% terminal rate," he said, implying 75 basis points of easing in 2026. Goldman still sees the central bank lowering the policy rate to 5% — arriving there in 2029 — but now has "50 basis points of hikes before returning to a structural cutting cycle." South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago and his colleagues held interest rates at 6.75% at the last monetary policy committee meeting in March, while warning that the risks to price pressures had risen since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. The MPC will deliver its next policy decision on May 28. Matheny now expects South African inflation to average 4% this year, before slowing to 3.4% in 2027, with price growth likely to hover between 4% and 4.5% over the coming quarters. That could bring added pressure to bear on the SARB to tighten as policymakers seek to guide inflation down to the 3% target they adopted last year, potentially making them more sensitive to supply-driven price shocks. The longer the Iran conflict drags on, the greater the risk that higher diesel and fertiliser costs spill into broader food inflation, Matheny said. While he described the case for tightening as "borderline," he said persistent inflation risks now tilt the balance toward additional hikes. The more hawkish monetary policy outlook comes even as Goldman maintains a constructive view on South Africa's sovereign credit trajectory and broader economy. "The positive fiscal story is still intact," he said. Goldman estimates South Africa's budget deficit narrowed to 4.3% of gross domestic product in the fiscal year through March, outperforming the National Treasury's February projection of 4.5%, while the country posted a primary surplus for a third consecutive year. That fiscal out-performance may support sovereign credit-rating upgrades over the coming months, according to Matheny. Matheny said Moody's Ratings may revise South Africa's outlook to positive at its review expected next week, while S&P Global Ratings could ultimately raise the country's rating to BB+ — one notch below investment grade — if the global economy avoids a deeper slowdown linked to the Iran conflict. Goldman's baseline view is that disruptions to oil flows ease by the end of June, allowing crude prices to moderate to about $90 a barrel by year-end. But the bank warned risks remain skewed upward, with more adverse scenarios placing oil between $100 and $115 a barrel. Even so, it doesn't currently see the Iran war triggering a global recession and recently lowered its probability for a US downturn. Provided the global economy remains intact, Matheny said markets may still be underpricing South Africa's improving ratings momentum.

    3 min

  5. 2 DAYS AGO

    Impeachment or GNU: Hill-Lewis says no trade-off for accountability in government

    Impeachment or GNU: Hill-Lewis says no trade-off for accountability in government Despite being in a crucial coalition alliance with President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis is clear that there will be no trade-off for accountability or integrity in government under his leadership. Speaking exclusively with Polity about the DA's policies and political developments in South Africa ahead of the 2026 municipal elections, Hill-Lewis said there was no balance being sought between his party's commitment to accountable governance and its role as a Government of National Unity (GNU) partner. This as Ramaphosa faces the possibility of impeachment as the National Assembly initiates a process to establish an Impeachment Committee after the Constitutional Court found that the previous parliamentary vote, which halted an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa, violated the National Assembly's constitutional obligations under Section 89 of the Constitution. When asked about the DA's position on the matter, Hill-Lewis said his party's vision of building a successful country was much bigger than government. "[It] isn't just about me. It's not about the President. It's not about this government. It's bigger than all of us. And so we have to stand very firmly for some of the principles on which successful societies are built. And one of them is accountability and integrity in the State. "And so that's not something that we will trade off, not for political convenience, not ever. And so if it comes to that, you know, I've made it clear that we will participate fully in the Impeachment Committee, but we will not be part of turning a blind eye to wrongdoing," he said firmly. And the way in which Hill-Lewis plans to execute his party's vision for a successful South Africa is through his position in government. He reiterated his plan to stay on as Cape Town mayor, while heading up the country's second largest political party, a dual role that he believes he can successfully pull off by being "deliberate and intentional" with his time, splitting off his weekdays in the mayoral office and campaigning for his party on the weekends. "And I look forward to trying to do both," he said, noting that as his party grows, those who grew with it would face the same responsibilities. NOT A 'WHITE PARTY' In his dual role as DA leader and Cape Town mayor, Hill-Lewis further aims to leverage his position in government to grow the DA's voter base, with a focus on those who have previously not voted for the party, owing to what he describes as "literally two decades or more of propaganda about what the DA will do when we get into government and who we will govern for…" He acknowledged that expanding the DA voter base was the party's biggest challenge, and one that he had committed himself to working on over the next few years. "…the most important leverage is your position in government, actually. So, you know, that's one of the reasons I thought it was important to stay [as mayor], because I can show very practically on a day-to-day basis that we are governing, I'm governing for everyone, that everyone benefits when the basics work, where cities function and succeed. And in fact, the people that benefit the most are the poorest because they rely on functional public services more than the wealthy," he rationalised. He punted the DA's biggest strength as its track record in governance, while stressing that the DA's focus was not solely on Cape Town, with the party's sights firmly set on Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni to prove to South African voters that the DA would work for the benefit of everybody and not just one race. "Then you start to chip away. You take a 10 pound hammer to that label that, you know, that perception. Similarly with the Government of National Unity. So in the portfolios that we are responsible for, we're not responsible for the whole government, but we are responsib...

    5 min

  6. 2 DAYS AGO

    Ramaphosa fires Social Development Minister

    Ramaphosa fires Social Development Minister President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday dismissed Sisisi Tolashe as Minister of Social Development, after widespread calls for her removal. Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga will take on the role of acting Minister, pending a full-time appointment, the Presidency said. Tolashe is accused of not declaring two luxury vehicles received for the African National Congress Women's League, which she heads up. Last month, ActionSA opened a criminal case against Tolashe for corruption, submitted a complaint to the Public Protector for breaches of the Executive Members' Ethics Act, and laid a formal complaint with Parliament's Ethics Committee for breaches of the Code of Conduct and Disclosure of Members' Interests. The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed Tolashe's removal, describing her position in the Cabinet as "untenable". It noted Chikunga's interim appointment but said an appointment must be made urgently. "South Africans deserve a competent and credible Minister who can lead this critical department with integrity, stability and a clear focus on serving vulnerable people who depend on its support," DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said. The African National Congress said Ramaphosa's decision to remove Tolashe showed the party and President's seriousness in tackling corruption. Ramaphosa, himself faces the possibility of impeachment as the National Assembly initiates a process to establish an Impeachment Committee after the Constitutional Court found that the previous parliamentary vote, which halted an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa related to the Phala Phala matter, violated the National Assembly's constitutional obligations under Section 89 of the Constitution. "Under President Ramaphosa's leadership, the fight against corruption has moved beyond rhetoric into concrete action through strengthened law enforcement institutions, the signing of numerous SIU proclamations, support for independent investigations, and the implementation of organisational renewal processes aimed at building a capable, ethical and developmental state. The President continues to lead from the front in ensuring accountability, transparency and consequence management across government," the party said in a statement through spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu.

    2 min

  7. 3 DAYS AGO

    Ramaphosa signals ‘definitive’ economic turnaround from sustained growth

    Ramaphosa signals 'definitive' economic turnaround from sustained growth President Cyril Ramaphosa declared on Wednesday that South Africa's economy is entering a "definitive period of recovery", citing four consecutive quarters of economic growth, extending into early 2026. Speaking at the BlackRock Infrastructure Investment Conference in Cape Town, Ramaphosa acknowledged severe factors that previously constrained national growth such as State capture, an energy crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and ongoing global economic volatility. Despite these challenges, Ramaphosa emphasised that an intensive eight-year government strategy to revive critical network industries and restore institutional stability was finally yielding tangible results. He highlighted several major milestones indicating a structural turnaround for the nation's financial standing, noting that South Africa's sovereign credit rating had been officially upgraded by international rating agencies. He pointed out that the country successfully secured its removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list last year and that the national fiscal position was on track to record its third consecutive primary budget surplus. He said government was steadily stabilising the sovereign debt burden with a path toward sustainable long-term debt levels. While celebrating the consecutive quarters of GDP growth, Ramaphosa remained pragmatic about the domestic labour market, noting that the country had "yet to see this translate into a meaningful rise in employment". Statistics South Africa announced on Tuesday that in the first quarter of 2026 the country's unemployment rate rose to 32.7%, up from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, to counter persistent global risks, Ramaphosa said government was "actively maintaining a unified front" with the South African Reserve Bank, affirming a strict alignment on containing inflation, which faces renewed pressure from escalating geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. Moving forward, the State's economic strategy would focus heavily on optimising public spending efficiency, he said. This aims to free up vital resources for aggressive infrastructure investment while securely sustaining the country's social wage. Ramaphosa said South Africa had entered a phase of immense economic potential as its structural reform agenda gathered pace and he believed that these changes were solidifying the nation's reputation as a "premier destination for capital within emerging markets". GROWTH AND SOVEREIGN UPGRADES The President attributed the renewed economic momentum to the 2018 Investment Conference investment drive, which secured R1.5-trillion in commitments across sectors such as energy and manufacturing. Building on that foundation, South Africa recently achieved a record R890-billion in pledges at its sixth Investment Conference. With this upward trajectory, the government had set an ambitious new target to attract R3-trillion over the next five years, earmarked for job creation, infrastructure development, and rolling renewable energy projects. According to Ramaphosa, the national strategy focused intensely on high-growth sectors such as green industrialisation and digital infrastructure, with a special emphasis on leveraging the country's rich reserves of critical minerals to drive local economic growth. "We aim to double fixed investment to over 30% of GDP, bridging the gap between positive sentiment and active capital deployment to drive sustainable growth," Ramaphosa explained. Over the next three years, government had planned more than R1-trillion in public sector investment for modernising ports, upgrading freight rail networks, and improving key road corridors. "Furthermore, we are tackling the energy crisis by reforming Eskom, expanding generation capacity, enhancing the grid, and positioning the country as a leader in renewable energy and green hydrogen. "To ensure long-term development over the next decade, the State...

    5 min

  8. 3 DAYS AGO

    S&P says it is watching South Africa coalition, Middle East conflict risks for wider Africa

    S&P says it is watching South Africa coalition, Middle East conflict risks for wider Africa South Africa faces a double blow from domestic political uncertainty and external headwinds, S&P Global Ratings said, adding that it is monitoring whether the country's coalition government can hold together and sustain the reforms behind last year's credit rating upgrade. South Africa's Constitutional Court cleared the path on Friday for an impeachment hearing into President Cyril Ramaphosa's conduct in the Phala Phala scandal, after a panel report found he had a case to answer over the theft of $580 000 in cash hidden in a sofa at his farm. The development puts fresh scrutiny on the coalition government as rising oil prices and borrowing costs add to the pressure on the economy from the Middle East conflict. S&P's Samira Mensah, head of analytics and research for Africa, told Reuters S&P is watching "the strength of that coalition, the stability of the coalition to be able to carry on reforms and support the momentum." S&P lifted South Africa's credit rating for the first time in two decades in November, citing the nation's improving growth and fiscal trajectory. S&P's outlook for African sovereign credit was positive at the start of 2026 after two years of ratings improvements, though the Middle East conflict now poses a risk, Mensah said. More than three-quarters of rated African sovereigns are net importers of fuel and fertiliser, leaving countries such as Egypt, Mozambique and Rwanda most exposed to war-driven price rises, while exporters like Nigeria and Angola are better insulated. African sovereigns spend on average around 17% of revenues on interest payments, compared to a global median of around 5.5%, leaving little fiscal space to cushion external shocks. Mensah warned that governments that have recently removed fuel subsidies face political pressure to reverse those reforms the longer the conflict continues.

    2 min
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Polity.org.za offers a unique take on news, with a focus on political, legal, economic and social issues in South Africa and Africa, as well as international affairs. Now you can listen to the top three articles on Polity at the end of each day.

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