On 28 October, one of Europe’s leading autograph and manuscript auction houses will be selling a piece of South African heritage that should be in South Africa’s governmental archives. A handwritten letter by Black Consciousness Movement founder Steve Biko on 29 October 1973 is listed in UK auction house International Autograph Auctions’ (IAA) catalogue. The..
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Steve Biko’s letter and the sale of SA’s heritage to the highest bidder
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Gigaba’s first test: Can he ace the mid-term budget?
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Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba is in an unenviable position. In his maiden budget – today’s medium-term budget policy statement – he must confront, among other things, low economic growth, a tax revenue hole big enough to fly a plane through and the budgetary consequences of struggling state-owned enterprises. These issues are some of the chief..
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Ramaphosa leads Gauteng nominations in the presidential race
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ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the Gauteng presidential race following this weekend’s round of nominations by branches in the province. But, it’s early days, insiders say. According to them, nominations are yet to meet the halfway mark, which will give a more clear indication of Ramaphosa’s performance in the race. Outcomes of branch..
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Mbalula delivers crime stats, vows to crack down on ‘lazy’ police efforts
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Police Minister Fikile Mbalula on Tuesday announced a general 1.8% decrease in crime but remained scathing of efforts to curb violence. The crime statistics released in Parliament show that robberies are the highest they have been in a decade at 6% and are the cause of most aggravated contact crimes. Although the “most policeable crime”,..
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SA Human rights lawyers arrested in Tanzania for ‘promoting homosexuality’
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The arrest in Tanzania last week of 13 people accused of the “promotion of homosexuality” has been called “a terrible human rights violation”. Two of those arrested are from South Africa and include well-known human rights lawyer, Sibongile Ndashe, executive director of the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (Isla). The arrests took place in..
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Jacob Zuma’s criminal status key for ANC rules
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If corruption charges against Jacob Zuma were to be re-enrolled, a fraught responsibility would fall on ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe. Under the ANC’s constitution, the party’s secretary general “may suspend” a member or office bearer indicted to appear in a court if that seems necessary — “on the authority of” the party’s national executive..
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Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma ‘links’ to illicit Gupta cash flows an attempt to block her presidency
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Presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s backers have labelled reported links between her and alleged illicit flows of funds by the Gupta family as a “clear” attempt to block her from ascending to the party’s top post. Dlamini-Zuma was flagged, along with 27 other people, as individuals that UK financial institutions should review as possibly being involved..
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NPA gives Zuma until November 30 to explain why corruption case must be dropped
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The National Prosecuting Authority has given Jacob Zuma until November 30 to make representations on why the corruption case against him should be dropped. In a statement issued on Friday, the NPA said the National Director of Public Prosecutions “is of the view that in light of the judgment of the SCA, it appears that..
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Restore hope to SA’s democracy
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In his book The Price of Inequality, Joseph Stiglitz writes: “Countries around the world provide frightening examples of what happens to societies when they reach the level of inequality toward which we are moving. It is not a pretty picture: countries where the rich live in gated communities, waited upon by hordes of low-income workers;..
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JZ nukes protocol for his own agenda
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Amid the long series of Gupta emails that show the family’s trail through the corridors of “state capture”, it can be easy to lose sight of the other instance of “state capture” — or even “country capture” — that is afoot. Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet reshuffle earlier this week, his 11th in the eight years he..
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Politicians stifle murder investigations
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The investigation into the murder of former ANC Youth League secretary general Sindiso Magaqa has stalled and may never yield results, say highly placed intelligence sources, with one explaining that politicians have issued instructions to stop the inquiry. “The people who were involved are known and there is little police can do about it. We..
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Maimane: Our struggle is to fight the oppression of colonialism and apartheid
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Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane went into the heart of human rights abuses when he laid a wreath in the Sharpeville Human Rights Precinct in honour of the 69 people shot by police on March 21 1960. He was joined by DA Gauteng provincial leader John Moodey, Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga, Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba,..
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State vs ANC: Sylvia Lucas could face disciplinary action over reshuffle
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Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas is digging in her heels in defence of her provincial Cabinet reshuffle as the newly elected ANC leadership considers disciplinary action against her. National officials are urging the warring factions to settle their dispute. The tension between the Lucas faction, aligned to ANC president Jacob Zuma, and the Zamani Saul..
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Banks go on the offensive to parry political attacks
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South Africa’s banks have gone on the offensive after being criticised by some politicians over their lending practices and records in addressing racial inequality. Attacks on the lenders have been led by Jacob Zuma, who’s accused them of monopolising the financial services industry, and questioned whether they colluded when closing accounts belonging to members of..
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Business Leadership South Africa suspends Eskom and Transnet
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Business Leadership South Africa on Thursday booted out state-owned entities Eskom and Transnet for their involvement in corruption and state capture with immediate effect. The announcement comes as BLSA launched its #BusinessBelieves campaign in Cape Town, where it signed a “contract” with South Africa, pledging to do even more to create jobs and grow and..
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