Trump says five African nations unlikely to face US tariffs
Trump, meeting with the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal at the White House, added that he did not think those countries at the gathering were likely to see any US tariffs.
Reuters
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Mail & Guardian
2 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
MPs recommend an ad hoc parliament committee to investigate Mkhwanazi's allegations
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Parliament's justice and police committees have recommended the formation of an ad hoc committee to consider allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General During a joint sitting on Wednesday, committee members agreed that this was the most appropriate mechanism to consider Mkhwanazi's allegations that Mchunu pressured him to disband a unit investigating organised crime in KwaZulu-Natal. ActionSA MP 'This work must be wrapped up before the end of the year,' he said. National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza had tasked the committees with determining how to handle Mkhwanazi's allegations earlier this month that political interference in police operations led to direct instructions to shut down investigations into high-level criminal activity in KwaZulu-Natal. Last year, Mkhwanzi told the Mail & Guardian that political interference remained one of the During Wednesday's joint sitting of the committees, parliament's legal team warned MPs that a full-scale inquiry by the legislature would probably replicate the work of the Legal adviser Andile Tetyana said parliament still had a constitutional obligation to exercise oversight but should do so through a streamlined, time-bound mechanism. He recommended the formation of an ad hoc committee under rule 253 of the National Assembly, which allows for temporary committees with a defined scope and duration. 'This is about accountability and improving police governance,' Tetyana told MPs. He said the ad hoc committee could look into several specific issues raised by Mkhwanazi, including the disbanding of the political killings task team, the alleged removal of 121 case dockets by the minister, leadership instability in crime intelligence and the overlap in roles of the South African Police Service and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). 'Parliament's control over the executive means influence, not direct power. It remains advice, not command; criticism, not obstruction,' Tetyana said. The committees considered three options: a full parliamentary inquiry; invoking rule 169 to allow committees to confer; or establishing a new ad hoc committee. The latter was favoured as the least likely to cause jurisdictional overlap and the fact that it could conclude its work within a specific timeframe. MPs also proposed that any interim reports produced by the presidential commission be made available to parliament to ensure coordination and oversight without interference. The committees are expected to meet again next week to finalise the draft terms of reference and reporting timelines for the ad hoc committee. A formal recommendation is expected to be tabled in the National Assembly next Wednesday. This comes as the police service grapples with the continued fallout from Mkhwanazi's allegations. On Tuesday, national police commissioner Fannie Masemola confirmed that deputy commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya had been Both Mchunu and Sibiya have denied any wrongdoing. If the National Assembly approves the recommendation, the ad hoc committee will be empowered to summon witnesses, gather evidence, and deliver a report to parliament.
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
South Africa's mining production sees slight increase despite US tariffs on other goods
Manganese ore recorded the largest negative contribution to the overall performance, followed by coal. Copper also declined over the period and platinum group metals gained a marginal 2.1%. Image: Pixabay South Africa's mining production increased by a mere 0.2% in May year-on-year, according to Statistics South Africa's mining production and Sales report. Manganese ore recorded the largest negative contribution to the overall performance, followed by coal. Copper also declined over the period and platinum group metals gained a marginal 2.1%. Some commodities recorded increases. Gold output rose year-on-year, while iron ore and chromium ore also showed gains. These improvements were not sufficient to offset the declines in other key sectors. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump slapped South Africa with 30% tariffs on goods exported to America, based on an alleged trade imbalance, excluding precious metals. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are used in high-technology and electronics manufacturing and are found in components such as processors, circuit boards, connectors, and memory systems. In the context of artificial intelligence (AI), demand for advanced computing hardware has increased, and these metals play a role in the performance and reliability of AI-related infrastructure. AI chips, servers, and related technologies often rely on materials that include these metals. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Trump has expressed support for expanding the US's AI capabilities, including investment in domestic semiconductor production and research. He has also advocated limiting access by geopolitical rivals to advanced US-developed AI technology. Domestically, South Africa's mining sector continues to be affected by infrastructure and operational constraints. Investec economist Lara Hodes said that 'bulk mineral exports continue to be impacted by the country's logistical challenges, including port and rail inefficiencies, leading to billions of rands in lost revenue'. Creating a world-class logistics system to drive export growth remains a key priority of government, said Hodes. 'Dealing with the other challenges that impede the country's competitive position remains imperative,' she adds. The Minerals Council South Africa has stated that the mining industry continues to play a central role in job creation, foreign exchange earnings and industrial development. IOL
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Russia attacks Ukraine with hundreds of drones, energy infrastructure hit
Russia attacked cities across Ukraine overnight with hundreds of drones and a missile strike, hitting energy infrastructure and wounding at least 15 people, authorities said on Wednesday. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 400 drones and one ballistic missile, primarily targeting Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and Vinnytsia, three cities in different parts of Ukraine. The large-scale long-range attacks targeted energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X. Power was cut for 80,000 families in Kryvyi Rih and other locations in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK said on the Telegram app. The air force said it had shot down most of the drones, but 12 targets were hit by 57 drones and the missile. Russia has stepped up attacks on cities across Ukraine this summer, regularly sending several hundred drones accompanied by ballistic missiles. The attacks were cited by US President Donald Trump this week as a reason for his decision to approve more weapons for Ukraine, including air defences.
