Battle for northern areas support
Premium
By Andisa Bonani - 15 July 2025
The battle for the northern areas begins on Wednesday, as residents of Ward 34 head to the polls for a by-election widely viewed as a litmus test ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
It will also be a test for the Patriotic Alliance (PA), which has been making inroads in coloured wards across SA...
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
2 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Steenhuisen: DA will support Appropriation Bill
CAPE TOWN - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader and agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, said that his party would support the Appropriation Bill on Wednesday as the National Assembly looks to finally put the national budget to bed. This follows the firing of African National Congress (ANC) MP, Nobuhle Nkabane, as higher education minister on Monday night. The party had previously said it would reject the budget votes of departments presided over by compromised ministers after President Cyril Ramaphosa axed MP, Andrew Whitfield, for travelling to the United States without his permission. ALSO READ: • Report on Appropriation Bill finalised for presentation to National Assembly • Parliament preps for possibility & implications of national budget not being passed Meanwhile, ANC chief whip, Mdumiseni Ntuli, said the timing of Nkabane's firing had nothing to do with appeasing the DA. After five months of unprecedented budget wrangling, the Government of National Unity (GNU) is expected to rally together on Wednesday to get the last piece of budget legislation over the line. Steenhuisen told EWN that it's enough for his party that Nkabane was removed from her job over corruption allegations related to the appointment of boards for the Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) for the budget to get his party's backing. He said his party would vote in favour of all budget votes, including that of Human Settlements Minister Thembisile Simelane, whom the party also wants to see axed. On Sunday, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the party was still engaged in crunch talks for the necessary support to approve the national budget. Meanwhile, Ntuli said that the firing of Nkabane is unrelated to the budget impasse with the DA. "It has much to do with whether the president has come to the conclusion whether this minister would be suitable to remain in that responsibility in the interest of that sector, of course the overall interest of the people of South Africa." The GNU is still expected to face opposition to passing the budget from the MK and EFF, both of whom have indicated they will reject it.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Joburg urged to scrap fixed electricity surcharge after Ekurhuleni decision
Masabata Mkwananzi | Published 2 hours ago ActionSA has thrown down the gauntlet to the City of Joburg and all Gauteng municipalities, after the Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, suspended the controversial fixed electricity surcharge. Calling the Ekurhuleni decision a wake-up call to municipalities, the party's Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni, said: 'It is no longer acceptable to balance municipal budgets by squeezing the most vulnerable residents while protecting bloated expenditure and inefficiencies in city administrations.'' This comes in the wake of public outrage and violent protests in Tembisa, where police resorted to firing rubber bullets to disperse crowds. The unrest was sparked by the City of Ekurhuleni's implementation of new electricity tariffs, which came into effect on July 1 for the 2025/26 financial year. ActionSA said the latest development reaffirms its long-standing position that the electricity surcharges are unjust, anti-poor, and were imposed without proper public consultation. The party said that the halted surcharge in Ekurhuleni is similar to the R230 monthly fixed fee levied on prepaid electricity users in Johannesburg. "These fees disproportionately affect poor and working-class households who are already battling rising food prices, unemployment, and service failures." He further stated that ActionSA plans to write to the Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to request public hearings on the implementation of fixed electricity charges across municipalities. He stressed that Gauteng residents deserve to be heard, not punished, adding that the violent protests in Tembisa were both unfortunate and could have been avoided with proper public engagement. "Leadership should never wait for protest before acting; it should act on principle and in defence of the people." Ngubeni stressed that the ANC-EFF coalition in Johannesburg must urgently scrap the fixed electricity surcharge, which has fuelled growing frustration among residents. In contrast, he pointed out that in Tshwane, under a coalition led by ActionSA, no such surcharge has been introduced, demonstrating that there are better, more people-centred alternatives. Earlier this week, Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa admitted that electricity prices have become unbearably high, placing a heavy burden on households who are now faced with the difficult choice between putting food on the table or keeping the lights on. The Democratic Alliance's Ekurhuleni caucus leader, Brandon Pretorius, said the DA firmly opposed the implementation of the surcharge from the outset, warning that it would place already struggling residents in a dire position, forcing them to choose between heating their homes or putting food on the table. The DA also stated that they have written to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, urging the regulator to investigate what they described as flawed calculations in justifying the controversial surcharge figures. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has expressed their solidarity with the people of Tembisa who embarked on an electricity surcharge protest on Monday morning. The EFF has described this service charge as unreasonable because of widespread poverty and concerning unemployment figures in the region. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Joburg urged to scrap fixed electricity surcharge after Ekurhuleni decision
Protesters block roads in Tembisa with rocks as protest turns ugly over the newly implemented electricity tariffs by the City of Ekurhuleni. Image: Supplied/EMPD ActionSA has thrown down the gauntlet to the City of Joburg and all Gauteng municipalities, after the Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, suspended the controversial fixed electricity surcharge. Calling the Ekurhuleni decision a wake-up call to municipalities, the party's Gauteng Provincial Chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni, said: 'It is no longer acceptable to balance municipal budgets by squeezing the most vulnerable residents while protecting bloated expenditure and inefficiencies in city administrations.'' This comes in the wake of public outrage and violent protests in Tembisa, where police resorted to firing rubber bullets to disperse crowds. The unrest was sparked by the City of Ekurhuleni's implementation of new electricity tariffs, which came into effect on July 1 for the 2025/26 financial year. ActionSA said the latest development reaffirms its long-standing position that the electricity surcharges are unjust, anti-poor, and were imposed without proper public consultation. The party said that the halted surcharge in Ekurhuleni is similar to the R230 monthly fixed fee levied on prepaid electricity users in Johannesburg. "These fees disproportionately affect poor and working-class households who are already battling rising food prices, unemployment, and service failures." He further stated that ActionSA plans to write to the Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to request public hearings on the implementation of fixed electricity charges across municipalities. He stressed that Gauteng residents deserve to be heard, not punished, adding that the violent protests in Tembisa were both unfortunate and could have been avoided with proper public engagement. "Leadership should never wait for protest before acting; it should act on principle and in defence of the people." Ngubeni stressed that the ANC-EFF coalition in Johannesburg must urgently scrap the fixed electricity surcharge, which has fuelled growing frustration among residents. In contrast, he pointed out that in Tshwane, under a coalition led by ActionSA, no such surcharge has been introduced, demonstrating that there are better, more people-centred alternatives. Earlier this week, Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa admitted that electricity prices have become unbearably high, placing a heavy burden on households who are now faced with the difficult choice between putting food on the table or keeping the lights on. The Democratic Alliance's Ekurhuleni caucus leader, Brandon Pretorius, said the DA firmly opposed the implementation of the surcharge from the outset, warning that it would place already struggling residents in a dire position, forcing them to choose between heating their homes or putting food on the table. The DA also stated that they have written to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, urging the regulator to investigate what they described as flawed calculations in justifying the controversial surcharge figures. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has expressed their solidarity with the people of Tembisa who embarked on an electricity surcharge protest on Monday morning. The EFF has described this service charge as unreasonable because of widespread poverty and concerning unemployment figures in the region. The Star [email protected]
