Why did you not arrest that man?
JOHANNESBURG - Plenty of talking points coming out of yesterdays historic meeting between president Cyril Ramaphosa and US president Donald Trump.
One of the issues, as predicted was the claims of 'White Genocide' taking place in South Africa.
Ramaphosa and his delegation that included businessman Johann Rupert and golfer Ernie Els all responded to the issue, saying it's not only white farmers being killed, but all races of people.
Trump played the video of EFF Leader Julius Malema singing the 'Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer.
The Constitutional Court has dismissed Afriforum's attempts to have the song banned.
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Daily Maverick
44 minutes ago
- Daily Maverick
How Floyd Shivambu caused his own MK party downfall
Floyd Shivambu's refusal to back down on his visit to fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri led to his sacking as MK party secretary-general. But he had faced criticism since his arrival from the EFF. Floyd Shivambu's Easter Weekend visit to fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri's church in Malawi marked the beginning of the end of his tenure as uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party secretary-general, but his refusal to back down on the matter sealed his fate. Shivambu's visit drew backlash, including from Justice Minister Mmamaloko Kubayi, who said it was 'a blatant act of disrespect toward South Africa's legal system' that would 'embolden those who believe they can escape accountability'. The MK party said he undertook the visit in his personal capacity, without the mandate or knowledge of the party. Shivambu could have apologised. Instead, he doubled down. In an interview on SABC last week, he claimed his visit was sanctioned by MK party leader Jacob Zuma. Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela suggested he was lying and said the party stood by its criticism. Instead of retracting his comments or apologising, Shivambu went further, telling Newzroom Afrika last week, 'One thing I will never apologise for is when I went to see prophet Shepherd Bushiri.' In the same interview, he said joining the MK party was the best political decision he'd ever taken. Troubled from the start Shivambu's sacking as secretary-general was announced by the party on Tuesday, 3 June, just over nine months after he left his position as deputy president of the EFF, the party he formed with Julius Malema, to join MK. When Shivambu was announced as the latest member of the MK party in Sandton in August 2024, Zuma sang his praises, saying he met him while he was a young man in the ANC Youth League. 'I have known him from when he was very young. In the Youth League, that is when I picked up that he is a real politician. His politics, I define as scientific politics. He is an honest politician, clear politically, he takes decisions at the right time, for good reasons…' Shivambu was expelled from the ANC under Zuma's leadership. His position within the MK party faced opposition from the start. Within weeks after he joined, he was parachuted into the roles of national organiser and eventually secretary-general. Discontent quickly surfaced in the party's leadership ranks. Among those who opposed his appointment were senior party members who pointed out that just three months earlier, during the May 2024 general elections, he had actively campaigned against the very party he now represented. In September 2024, Shivambu led the party's municipal campaign in Ward 33 in eThekwini, which was his first as a national organiser. It should have been a shoo-in for the MK party in an area where the DA was failing and the ANC was basically dead. The MK party had won over 45% of the vote in the province, but Shivambu's efforts fell flat as the party's vote share dropped significantly in the by-election. The MK party improved in several other by-elections, but it has struggled to maintain the momentum of the 2024 general elections. Shivambu was appointed as secretary-general in November 2024 as the MK party prepared to mark its first anniversary in December. During this period, concerns surfaced over his alleged attempts to centralise financial control of the party, with claims that he sought sole authority over its funds. The MK party's first anniversary celebrations in Durban were far from seamless. Despite securing more than 600,000 votes in eThekwini and more than four million nationally in the May elections, the party struggled to fill the 56,000-seat Moses Mabhida Stadium. To some extent, the blame fell on Shivambu. At the party's anniversary gala dinner, traditional leaders boycotted the function after they had been denied entry to the first-anniversary event at Moses Mabhida Stadium. They were not the only ones who faced difficulties, as hundreds of supporters were unable to attend due to the party's failure to arrange transport. Shivambu apologised to those affected and made a commitment to visit their branches before the end of 2024. Tensions continued to brew. In February 2025, Duduzile Zuma went on a rant on X, making negative remarks and insulting Shivambu with comments that he was 'the worst thing that happened to MK', 'useless', and calling him 'Mafikizolo', which loosely translates to 'newcomer'. Zuma's office instructed her to apologise or face expulsion from the party – she apologised. But the criticism continued. In March, Daily Maverick reported that Mxolisi Mthethwa, the party's Zululand coordinator, had raised concerns about Shivambu's leadership, citing poor decision-making, lack of consultation and abuse of power. This came after he and others accused Shivambu of appointing people of his choice into crucial positions. In the same month, Shivambu was again unpopular for introducing strict controls over access to Zuma. 'All public representatives of the MK party are strictly forbidden from seeking direct meetings with the president before consultation with all the officials of the organisation, ie deputy president, secretary-general, national organiser, national chairperson, deputy national chairperson, and treasurer-general.' Shivambu defended the decision and told members, 'If there is an issue you want to raise before you reach the president, please raise that issue with the internal structures instead of taking a bus from Limpopo and going to KwaDakwa Dunuse [Zuma's Nkandla home].' 'No other option' Following his sacking as secretary-general, Shivambu has been redeployed to Parliament, where he will serve as an ordinary MP, where the party is led by chief whip Colleen Makhubele and party deputy president John Hlophe. On Tuesday, the party's national chairperson, Nkosinathi Nhleko, explained that Shivambu had been demoted because of his Bushiri visit. 'Based on the deliberations by the national officials, it was reaffirmed that the trip was not an officially sanctioned programme of the organisation or the president, which therefore goes against the constitution of the party…' 'Due to the serious nature of this matter and its implications for the party, its image, values and principles, the president and the national officials were left with no other option but to act swiftly in addressing this matter. 'Consequently, as a responsible organisation accountable to its electorate and the broader society, the national officials have come to a decision to redeploy commander Floyd Shivambu as the secretary-general of the party, and redeploy him to the National Assembly.' Speaking at the same media briefing, Shivambu apologised and accepted his demotion. 'I want to confirm that the national officials have taken a decision which I fully accept as a disciplined member of uMkhonto Wesizwe.' Zuma, who, according to the party's constitution, has the prerogative to hire and fire leaders at will, is now applying his mind to who he will appoint as the party's fifth secretary-general in fewer than 18 months. Zuma said it was important to set the record straight, as many complaints had been raised about the party's relationship with Bushiri. 'We thought it was important to clarify what has happened, and why we took this decision, but also respect the people that we say we stand for and therefore take the decision that we took, and I think that closes the matter. There is no problem.' DM
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
Mixed news at the pump: fuel levy rises while prices drop
The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the EFF's urgent bid to block a controversial fuel levy hike—just as fuel prices dip. From midnight, levies rise by 16c (petrol) and 15c (diesel), despite constitutional questions. It's a pump paradox: taxpayers pay more, but pump prices briefly fall. In a ruling handed down yesterday, Judge Nathan Erasmus found that the EFF's application lacked urgency and did not meet the legal threshold for interim relief. The court did not engage with the broader constitutional challenge itself, which the EFF had previously framed in its initial filing as a possible Part B of its legal strategy. A tax fight rooted in Budget 3.0 The levy increase was announced in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's revised Budget 3.0, tabled in May following the political fallout and eventual withdrawal of VAT hikes in earlier budget versions. Treasury estimates the fuel levy will raise about R4-billion in the 2025/26 fiscal year. The EFF has argued that the use of Section 48(1) of the Customs and Excise Act to implement the fuel levy increase amounts to an unconstitutional bypassing of Parliament. Section 77 of the Constitution requires that all new taxes be passed via a money Bill through the National Assembly. Arguments on constitutional compliance Representing the EFF, Advocate Mfesane Ka-Siboto told the court: 'The fact that this has happened before does not make it lawful. Past practice is not a substitute for constitutional compliance.' He described the move as a case of 'taxation without representation.' The Treasury, represented by Advocate Kameel Premhid, countered that Section 48(1) had long been used lawfully to adjust fuel levy schedules. He argued the measure was an administrative amendment within an existing framework, not the introduction of a new tax requiring legislative approval. What this means for you For consumers, the fuel levy increase translates into higher petrol and diesel prices at the pump, effective immediately. This could lead to broader knock-on effects on transport costs, food prices and inflation, particularly for lower-income households who spend a greater share of their income on fuel-linked expenses. Treasury maintains the hike is necessary to address fiscal gaps left by the abandoned VAT proposal. The fuel levy increase will be offset by a decrease in fuel prices – which also kicks in on Wednesday, 4 June. The Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) announced the following price decreases yesterday: Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP): ⬇️5cents/litre. Petrol 95 (ULP & LRP): ⬇️5 cents/litre. Diesel (0.05% sulphur): ⬇️ 36.9 cents/litre. Diesel (0.005% sulphur): ⬇️36.9 cents/litre. Commenting on the changes, the DMPR noted that over the last month, there has been a decrease in the average Brent Crude oil price from US$66.40 to US$63.95, largely on the back of continued global trade uncertainty, Parliament distances itself from the damage Parliament, which was cited in the court papers, but not the target of any relief, issued a brief statement after the judgment: 'Although cited in the application, no relief was sought against Parliament. Parliament's position throughout the proceedings was to abide by the outcome of the court process. Accordingly, Parliament will comply with the court's ruling.' Oversight loophole or legal mechanism? In its legal representations, Treasury has argued that Section 48(6) of the Act ensures Parliamentary oversight by requiring the amended tariff to be tabled after the fact. The EFF, however, contends this form of post-implementation tabling falls short of the constitutional threshold for public finance legislation. EFF's Part B remains unclear In a short statement on X after the ruling, the EFF said: 'We are committed to fighting the fuel levy increase in court and in Parliament.' However, the party did not explicitly confirm that it would pursue the Part B constitutional review. Whether the EFF returns to court or not, the broader legal and political debate over fiscal authority, oversight and the democratic control of taxation is likely to persist. DM
eNCA
4 hours ago
- eNCA
Trump to attend NATO summit in The Hague
THE HAGUE - US President Donald Trump will attend a NATO summit in The Hague later in June, where his demands to ramp up defense spending will dominate the agenda, the White House said Tuesday. Trump has long criticized NATO partners for not paying their fair share and had not previously confirmed he would attend the meeting, his first with the transatlantic alliance since his return to power. "I can confirm he will be going to the NATO summit, yes," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing when asked by AFP if Trump would attend. Ukraine's war with Russia will also be on the agenda, with President Volodymyr Zelensky confirming on Tuesday that his country has been invited. Zelensky and Trump had a major Oval Office row in February. Republican Trump threatened to withdraw altogether from NATO during his first term, and has since threatened to defend only those allies that he thinks are spending enough on defense. His administration has also raised the prospect that it could look to shift forces away from Europe to focus on threats elsewhere like China -- while causing tensions with allies Canada and Denmark by threatening their territory. His core demand is for NATO members to spend five percent of GDP on defense, claiming that Washington is bearing most of the burden for their defense. None of NATO's 32 members -- including the United States -- currently hit that level. To make him happy, alliance chief and former Dutch premier Mark Rutte has floated a proposal for 3.5 percent of GDP on direct defense spending by 2032, and 1.5 percent of broader security-related expenditures. Such a deal could let Trump claim a win by reaching his headline figure even if not all of it is new spending.
