South Africa News
The stories moving South Africa — politics, the economy, energy, communities and culture, from the Union Buildings to the coasts.
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National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams is challenging National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi's decision to withdraw charges against suspended National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola. The move adds another layer to the turmoil at the top of the police service as multiple senior officers face scrutiny. Listen for what the challenge means for prosecutorial independence and the embattled police leadership.
The Madlanga Commission enters a critical phase as former Crime Intelligence deputy head Feroz Khan faces criminal contempt charges and a closed-door testimony regarding a two hundred and eighty million rand tender. We examine the allegations of kickbacks, the leak of classified SAPS documents to taxi boss Oupa Sindane, and the tension between national security and public accountability.
A three hundred and seventy-page internal forensic report has recommended criminal prosecution for former Police Minister Bheki Cele. The investigation details a pattern of luxury penthouse stays and cash withdrawals linked to Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, whose firm secured a massive police health contract despite lacking basic qualifications. This episode breaks down the financial trail, the collapsed plea deals, and what this means for accountability at the highest levels of South African law enforcement.
Since its revival in May after a Constitutional Court ruling, the impeachment inquiry has been hobbled by interdicts, failed appeals, and disputes over personnel and terms of reference. With the high court review, the evidence leader decision, and the two-thirds removal threshold all in play, the process faces a pivotal week. Listen for a clear map of how South Africa reached this point and what could finally break the deadlock.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Didiza has survived an EFF-led motion of no confidence after MPs voted overwhelmingly against her removal, following accusations she failed to hold the executive accountable in the Phala Phala impeachment process. The vote matters because it exposes how far the opposition will go to force the inquiry forward and how the ANC and its allies protect Parliament's leadership. Listen for what the vote margins reveal about the balance of power in the National Assembly and the EFF's next moves.
A deep dive into the legal and political stakes of President Cyril Ramaphosa's challenge to the Section 89 panel report at the Western Cape High Court, exploring the potential outcomes for the presidency and the Government of National Unity.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has written to Parliament's Section 89 impeachment committee objecting to Advocate Thandazani Madonsela SC as its evidence leader, citing a real or perceived conflict of interest, while opposition parties accuse him of delaying tactics to avoid accountability. With public hearings already frozen pending his review of the Phala Phala panel report, this fight over who runs the evidence process shapes whether the inquiry ever gets teeth. Listen for what the committee's decision to seek a legal opinion means and how the September review hearing could override all of it.
The Constitutional Court has dismissed the ATM's bid to overturn a Western Cape High Court interdict that halted public hearings in President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala impeachment inquiry, leaving the matter to run through the pending high court review. The ANC caucus has welcomed the ruling as proof that political pressure cannot override due process, while the impeachment committee prepares to finalise its terms of reference. This shapes whether and when the country's president will face a parliamentary reckoning over the farm dollar scandal. Listen for what the ruling means for the timeline and the political stakes for opposition parties who pushed the appeal.
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