South Africa Warned ICJ of Gaza Famine Over A Year Ago
From the case the South African government brought before the International Court Of Justice to the trip some South African MPs took to Tel Aviv recently, let's dive in to the complicated position South Africa finds itself in around the Israel-Palestine conflict.
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The South African
6 hours ago
- The South African
Did Elon Musk snub handshake to Ramaphosa?
A clip of Elon Musk seemingly snubbing a handshake from President Cyril Ramaphosa has gone viral. But is it all it seems for the Pretoria-born billionaire who has accused the South African government of promoting 'openly racist laws'? On the X app, a short clip of President Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to the White House resurfaced. In May, the president visited the Oval Office alongside a delegation, where he met with US President Donald Trump. In the video, Ramaphosa shakes the hands of US officials, whilst Elon Musk laughs and looks on. 'Elon Musk doesn't touch k******. This is embarrassing 💔', read a X post. However, a community note quickly corrected the fake news by posting the full clip of Elon shaking the president's hand. Last year, the two men met to discuss the potential operation of Elon Musk's internet satellite service, Starlink, in the country. In images posted by the president, Musk was seen smiling while shaking his hand. South Africa is one of a few African countries that has not granted Elon Musk's internet satellite service, Starlink, a licence to operate. According to the world's richest man, this is a result of 'racist laws', which require his company to adhere to a 30% local ownership mandate. The Pretoria-born billionaire is referring to the transformative legislation, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), which he has reportedly rejected. According to reports, Starlink, which falls under SpaceX, could effectively bypass the law with its plans to invest over R2 billion in the country. Business Day reports that the company would finance infrastructure to support the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is made up of 16 countries. Could Starlink operate in South Africa without adehering to transformative legislation? Images via X: @starlink In May, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi gazetted a policy direction for his department on Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs), which are considered 'alternatives' to transformative legislation. Without mentioning Starlink or Elon Musk, the minister claimed that the policy would 'attract investment,' specifically in operating licensing. The minister revealed that current legislation for foreign investments 'did not allow companies to contribute to transformation goals in ways other than traditional ownership'. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Eyewitness News
7 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Palestinian Authority slams Israel's escalation in Gaza
RAMALLAH - The Palestinian Authority on Saturday lambasted the Israeli government's decision to expand its military operations in Gaza, calling on the international community to push for the entry of more aid into the Strip. According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the Israeli government's moves were "an unprecedented challenge and provocation to the international will to achieve peace and stability". He went on to urge the "international community, led by the UN Security Council, to urgently compel the occupying state to cease its aggression, allow the entry of aid, and work diligently to enable the State of Palestine to assume its full responsibilities in the Gaza Strip". The PA - conceived as a first step towards a Palestinian state - exercises limited administration over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The territory is home to about three million Palestinians, as well as around half a million Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law. The PA, however, does not have a presence in Gaza, which has been governed by Hamas for nearly two decades. Early Friday, the Israeli security cabinet approved plans for a major operation to seize Gaza City, triggering a wave of criticism across the globe. Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained defiant over the decision. In a post on social media late Friday, Netanyahu said "we are not going to occupy Gaza - we are going to free Gaza from Hamas". The prime minister faces mounting pressure to secure a ceasefire to bring Gaza's more than two million people back from the brink of famine and free the hostages held by Palestinian militants. A statement issued on Saturday by the foreign ministers of Italy, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom took aim at the decision to occupy Gaza City. "This will exacerbate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of hostages, and increase the risk of a mass exodus of civilians," they said. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry, figures the UN says are reliable. Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel - which triggered the war - resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
IOL News
11 hours ago
- IOL News
South African banks face scrutiny over political account closures
SA's big banks' trade policies in the spotlight Image: IOL Regulators have been warned against approaching complaints about South African banks in the same way as US president Donald Trump, who this week issued an executive order after accusing financial institutions of unacceptably restricting law-abiding individuals and businesses' access to banking services based on political or religious beliefs. Mametlwe Sebei, president of the General Industries Workers Union of SA (Giwusa), an affiliate of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), said Giwusa would not support merely implementing moves similar to Trump's as the situation required the same interventions but for different reasons. Sebei said moves against the banks for being reactionary and assaulting human rights must be supported. "We also know that banks are not accountable in this country, there are political parties, trade unions, community organisations whose bank accounts were closed without an adequate explanation," he said. Sebei described banks as untransformed and that there is not much to look into as far as the banking industry and its conduct are concerned as many South Africans have suffered a lot. He said even Giwusa recently had a dispute with one of the country's major banks, which gave some members access to the union's accounts without authorisation and there were no adequate explanations. According to Sebei, companies perceived to be close to certain public figures have had their bank accounts closed without explanation. "When they close bank accounts, they are effectively condemning workers in those companies to unemployment, retrenchments and job losses. You cannot destroy a company to punish the owners," he said. Sebei said the idea that private banking institutions can take political decisions is extremely dangerous and that is why this should be strongly regulated. In addition, he said the law already provides for instances where there is suspicion of misuse of banking facilities by a client that is able to be reported to the authorities as provided for in the Financial Intelligence Commission Act. Sebei added that the current laws can be implemented without jeopardising jobs and the livelihoods of workers. "Financial services are a lubricant by which the economy is working, it has enormous power in society and in the economy that can destroy not only individuals but also companies and whole industries. These people are wielding enormous public power that has been privatised into institutions that are guided by profiteering and nothing else and want to exercise this power without transparency, accountability and even pass political judgment and that for me is deeply troubling," he said.
