Freedom Front Plus visits Washington to mend SA-US relations
to fly the South African flag high.
The FF-Plus is in Washington DC, for what it says is a genuine concern for the country's future.
Dr Murder says President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation's visit to the White House was not a success, and therefore, through their visit to Washington, hope to fix South Africa's relationship with the United States.
The party with some business representatives and farming groups believe some preconditions need to be met before ties are restored. These preconditions include prioritising farm murders and exempting US companies from BEE.
Freedom Front Plus leader, Dr Corne Mulder had a discussion with eNCA's Gareth Edwards about their trip to the US.
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Eyewitness News
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SACP defends SANDF chief Maphwanya over his Iran comments
JOHANNESBURG - The South African Communist Party(SACP) has hit back at critics of defence force chief, Rudzani Maphwanya, for his remarks during a recent visit in Iran. Maphwanya was at the centre of a diplomatic storm last week, when Iranian media reported that he appeared to publicly co-sign South Africa to stronger political and military ties with Tehran. It's understood that he said that Iran's military had significant capabilities that could be used in cooperation with the South African armed forces to serve mutual national interests and enhance regional and international security. READ: Presidency says action will be taken against SANDF's Maphwanya over his Iran comments Despite mounting pressure to account for his comments, the SACP has come to out in defence of Maphwanya. A few months ahead of his retirement, South African National Defence Force chief, Maphwanya, is now facing calls to step down over his comments. The SACP has since come out batting for him in what the party labelled as anti-Iran hysteria and geopolitical hypocrisy. In a statement released at the weekend, the SACP said that South Africa's ties with Iran were not out of the ordinary. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) distanced itself from Maphwanya's comments, saying they did not reflect South Africa's foreign policy. President Cyril Ramaphosa called Maphwanya's comments ill-advised. The SACP said thats government's muddled response was concerning, accusing government of scapegoating the SANDF chief. It said that giving into the whims of Iran's foes to appease other countries sets a bad precedent.
The Citizen
an hour ago
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City says debt relief working, critics warn of looming crisis
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'The plan offers ratepayers a 70% discount on outstanding municipal bills if they pay the balance in full, and was introduced to address a historic R30-billion debtor's ledger.' Mashigo dismissed claims of a 600% spike in new defaults as 'factually incorrect'. 'Nevertheless, the city remains committed to addressing all arrear accounts, particularly those that are 30 days and more in arrears.' He said intensified credit control measures are being implemented to reduce the debtors' book and to improve the overall payment levels. 'These measures include stricter enforcement of credit control policies, targeted customer engagement, and proactive monitoring of payment patterns to prevent accounts from falling into longer-term arrears.' Mashigo stressed that the metro maintains a structured payment arrangement with Eskom, honoured in full and on time. 'We have never defaulted on our commitments to Eskom and disciplined financial management has kept essential services running.' Despite the metro's reassurances, opposition parties remain unconvinced. Freedom Front Plus Councillor Mark Surgeon warned that outstanding debt climbed by more than R700-million in the past financial year, even with the debt relief scheme in place. He accused the ANC-led coalition of using the policy as a quick political fix rather than a long-term financial strategy. 'The FF Plus has always maintained that general debt write-offs foster a culture of non-payment,' said Surgeon. Surgeon also cited a R2.28-billion increase in the city's own debt in 2024/25 and a 43% rise in what it owes Eskom, warning of looming fiscal collapse. He said underspending on projects further erodes public trust, calling the budget a 'political wish list' rather than a binding service delivery plan. Surgeon argued that without structural reforms, the debt crisis will only deepen, worsening service delivery and public confidence in municipal governance. The DA shared similar concerns. Former MMC for Finance Jacqui Uys said the policy benefits residents who can pay but choose not to, while doing little for struggling households or for restoring payment discipline. 'The processes followed by the coalition do not ensure the inclusion of defaulting ratepayers back into the payment net,' she said. Uys said the DA had proposed alternative repayment models to help those who want to pay but cannot, but these were rejected. 'The debtors' book might even be closer to R28-billion,' said DA caucus leader in Tshwane Cilliers Brink. Brink said it is clear that there hasn't been an uptake by residents of the incentive scheme of the city. 'The DA warned that the scheme is inadequate, but the bigger problem is that credit control is not happening.' He said other measures, such as rolling out smart meters to indigent residents, are also not happening. 'Instead of collecting what is already due to the city, the ANC coalition has sought to introduce a new tax, the so-called city cleansing levy. Now that the High Court has set the levy aside, it means that there is about R500-million shortfall on top of the R850-million shortfall from the financial year ending in June,' said Brink. Mashigo insists that the metro's approach, combined with stronger credit control and targeted revenue collection campaigns, will stabilise its finances and support long-term service delivery. He said the underspending experienced in the 2024/25 financial year can largely be attributed to delays in project implementation, procurement processes, and the finalisation of contractor appointments. 'In some cases, unforeseen technical challenges and compliance requirements also contributed to slower capital expenditure. 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Mashigo said the metro has adopted an approved service delivery budgetary implementation plan that outlines clear performance targets for each department. 'This plan is supported by a funding plan aimed at ensuring financial viability, achieving strategic financial objectives, and strengthening the city's liquidity position. By enhancing revenue collection and optimising expenditure, the city can sustainably deliver essential services to communities, thereby restoring public trust and reinforcing confidence in its financial stability.' He denied that the debt relief programme has fostered a culture of non-payment, saying on the contrary, it has provided much-needed financial reprieve to residents across the city, enabling them to settle arrears and remain in good standing. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
The Citizen
an hour ago
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Pull the plug and start dialogue over
It's time to pull the plug on this whole thing… and start again. While the National Dialogue saga seems destined to generate little more than more hot air – as if we don't have enough already from our verbose politicians – it does provide some fascinating material for pondering our parlous political situation. First, the foundations associated with the elders of recent South African history – those who negotiated the way towards ending apartheid – have pulled out of the process. What the National Dialogue should've been One of the prominent critics of the dialogue process is former president Thabo Mbeki. He was the man who set in motion this idea of a national dialogue, and, in his own words, it should have been civil society in the driving seat, not President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC. That would seem, at first glance, to be noble and wise, as befitting Mbeki's status as an elder statesman. However, what if Mbeki realised that his own legacy – despite the collapse which followed after he left office – was going to be less than shining? Even ignoring the Aids debacle, where an estimated 250 000 people died while he dithered about antiretroviral medications, Mbeki is regarded by many critics as having moved the country onto a neocolonial, capitalist-friendly course, failing to deal with critical issues like land restitution. Perhaps he needs the dialogue to rebuild his legacy into one of 'the man who saved South Africa'. Yet, whatever his motive may be, Mbeki is correct – and so are the others who withdrew – that this dialogue should not be steered by Ramaphosa and the ANC. People, not political parties, should air their views on the future. That is why it is concerning that organisations like the DA and Freedom Front Plus, which represent many in the white community, have also chosen to stay away. It's time to pull the plug on this whole thing… and start again. READ NEXT: Mazibuko reaffirms that the National Dialogue will be in the hands of South Africans
