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IOL News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
10, 9, 8 . . . South Africa's slide into decline
THABO Mbeki endured eight days in September, a turbulent period in 2008 that led to his ousting as President of the Republic. With Jacob Zuma, it was the so-called nine wasted years, a presidency characterised by state capture and economic decline. For President Cyril Ramaphosa it was a case of ten minutes of shame, and it happened on the world stage. The meeting between Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump started well. It should have been a sign. When it is too good to be true, it probably isn't. Ramaphosa must have been nervous but, for the first 20 minutes, he came across as relaxed, in control and, at times, even jovial. He had clearly learnt from the ill-fated encounter Volodymyr Zelenskyy had with Trump. In contrast to the Ukraine president, Ramaphosa, went out of his way to thank Trump and praise him. And then, about 20 minutes into the meeting, Trump asked for the lights to be dimmed. What followed was a video of Julius Malema addressing supporters. In a voice that is now familiar to most South Africans, he chanted 'Kill the Boer, kill the farmer' and spoke about expropriating land of white farmers without compensation. The mood in the room changed. The chant was now exposed to a global audience. There was no context and, as a result, it came across as crude. Inciteful. Shameful. Ramaphosa wiped his face. He was probably hot in his suit and tie. There were also bright camera lights, and the room was packed with people. But those who study body language claim it could also be a sign of anxiety – perhaps a desire to wipe away a problem or stress. But this problem was not going away. The chant was first uttered by Peter Mokaba, a former president of the ANC Youth League. He did so while addressing a rally following the murder of Chris Hani by right-wing whites. The chant has always been contentious. But the Equality Court found it did not constitute hate speech and should be protected as freedom of speech. Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum did approach the Constitutional Court to appeal the matter, but the court found the application had no reasonable prospect of success. As a result, Malema cannot be arrested for singing the song, as suggested by Trump. Ramaphosa did point out that official government policy was completely against what Malema said. But what Ramaphosa didn't say was that neither he nor others in the ANC have done enough to distance themselves from the chant. After the voice of Julius Malema, came another voice well known to most South Africans – Jacob Zuma. These days, he is the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party. But not too long ago he was the leader of the ANC and President of the Republic. In the recordings played, he too had a go at white farmers. When the video ended, US Vice President JD Vance handed his president a thick stack of pages that reportedly depicted the brutality of the attacks on white farmers. The DA's John Steenhuisen, in his role as agriculture minister in Ramaphosa's executive, put up a spirited defence: 'They are both leaders of opposition minority parties,' he said. 'The reason my party, the DA, chose to join hands with Mr Ramaphosa's party was precisely to keep those people out of power. We cannot have these people sitting in the Union Buildings making decisions.' But by then the world had realised that not all was well in South Africa. At best we are a violent bunch. At worst we are a racist nation. In those ten minutes, South Africa had been exposed. In his own unique rhetoric, Trump summed it up: 'There are many bad things happening in many countries, but this is very bad – very, very bad!' It didn't matter whether Trump had the full facts or not. He had enough to paint a picture, and it wasn't a rosy one. Anyone wanting to visit the country or invest in it would have been forced to reconsider. Trump then invited three men he knew and clearly admired to say a few words. They were businessman Johann Rupert and golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. It was ironic that it took an American president to invite the men to speak because it was a courtesy their own government had not offered them – certainly not in recent years and not in public. Yet these were no ordinary men. Rupert is a celebrated businessman who is one of the richest people in South Africa. Els and Goosen are both masters at the game of golf. The second irony was that while the voices of Malema and Zuma have become so well known, the voices of Rupert, Els and Goosen have rarely been heard in South Africa. Yet, they are the kind of people whose opinion should be sought and whose success we should emulate. It speaks to the society we have become. It is one where those who seek to antagonise and break apart become popular, while those who seek to build are ignored. It is a society that places credibility on those who shout the loudest and avoids those with integrity. In this society, mediocrity is celebrated and merit shunned. It is no wonder then that South Africa finds itself in an economic mess. The economy is barely growing and certainly not at levels that will create meaningful jobs. For more than a decade and half the country has been sliding into economic decline. The projections for the coming year are dismal. Economic growth is projected at 1.4% with slight increases in 2026 and 2027 but nowhere near enough to create meaningful jobs for a growing population. The solution to the problem emerged in the White House get together. 'We need more foreign investment in our country,' urged Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi. "If the South African economy does not grow, the culture of lawlessness and dependency will grow,' said Rupert, mirroring the sentiments of organised labour. It means that if our president wants to change the trajectory of economic growth, it cannot be more of the same. There are a few realities that must be acknowledged. No one will invest in a place where they must give away a chunk of a business they have nurtured. No one will invest in a country where they can't hire the best talent for the job. No one will put their money where the government can take away their land for nil compensation. And no one will invest in a place they don't feel safe in. If the South African government is to change the fortunes of this country, it needs to ditch broad based black economic empowerment. People need to be hired on the basis on merit and not skin colour. Land expropriation without compensation needs to be reconsidered. Above all, South Africa needs to make investors feel safe. But the clock is ticking. This Government of National Unity is at the end of their first year of a five-year term in office. As Steenhuisen warned: 'This government, working together, needs the support of our allies around the world, to grow our economy and shut the door forever on that rabble.' That 'rabble' is the EFF and MK. Combined they got one out of every four votes cast in the last general elections. If this government cannot improve the fortunes of ordinary South Africans, support for the so-called rabble will rise and Constitutional Democracy may be done for. Then, what Donald Trump thinks South Africa is, will become our reality.10, 9, 8, 7, 6 5, 4 …..
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
In Gujarat, pregnant Covid patient delivers preterm baby at 7 months, newborn tests positive for infection
A 20-year-old pregnant woman, admitted to GMERS Sola Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on May 13 after a week of respiratory distress, was diagnosed with Covid-19 on May 21. During treatment, she went into labour in the seventh month of her pregnancy and delivered a child on May 27. On Friday, the preterm newborn, already in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), was diagnosed with Covid-19 while his mother tested negative for the infection. This three-day-old child is among 265 active Covid patients in Gujarat, according to a bulletin by the Health department – the first such official statement from the state government during the current lot of cases being reported across several states in India. The new mother, said doctors, had not been availing of regular Ante Natal Care (ANC). She had arrived at the hospital on May 13 with decreased foetal movement and complained of 'on and off fever' and had a cough since the past fortnight, they added. Initial medical tests showed that she was suffering from oligo-hydramnios, which is decreased levels of amniotic fluid. She was placed under medical management. But suddenly, after three days, she developed severe breathlessness along with the fever, they said. Doctors said they conducted several tests, including Electrocardiography (ECH), Echocardiogram, X-rays and so on but didn't find the cause of her breathlessness. However, since Covid cases had started being reported from several parts of India by that time, doctors decided to test her for the same. On May 21, she tested positive for Covid-19 and was immediately placed on the Non-Rebreather Mask (NRBM) receiving concentrated oxygen support, and moved to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) of the hospital. The woman does not have Covid vaccination history. While her medical condition was not critical, it was not 'very good either', said doctors, adding that she was in the care of a multi-speciality team including Obstetricians and Pulmonologists. On May 27, she went into early labour in just the 34th week of her pregnancy. The baby was delivered normally. When asked if the labour had been induced by some other cause, the Obstetrician said, 'Any viral infection can cause preterm labour.' The 'early pre-term' child had a birth weight of 1.7 kg and had no developmental issues, said doctors. The child was placed in the NICU and his nasopharyngeal swab was also taken when his mother's second test was conducted on Thursday. On Friday, the mother tested negative while the newborn was positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the result of his whole genome sequencing (WGS) is still awaited, said the hospital administration. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old mother is still on BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure), a type of non-invasive ventilation, as she is not able to maintain blood oxygen saturation levels. However, she is awake and is feeding the child, said doctors. It is suspected that the child got infected during this period. So far, 291 cases of the infection have been reported in Gujarat. Of the 265 active cases, 11 patients, including the child, are admitted to hospitals while the other 254 patients are in home isolation. There have not been any officially reported deaths so far. According to the health department, Omicron sub-variants of Covid, including LF.7.9 and XFG Recombinant, are predominant in Gujarat. The government has advised taking precautionary measures and not panicking since the rising trend of cases is being monitored for the last 6-8 months.
Eyewitness News
a day ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Parties in GNU have all agreed to support the budget
JOHANNESBURG - Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) had all agreed to back Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's budget. The fiscal framework will be subject to Parliament's scrutiny in June, as MPs are set to vote for its adoption. This is going to be the second time the fiscal framework is voted on, as the previous one was set aside by the courts. ALSO READ: • Mashatile not worried by EFF's decision to challenge fuel levy increase in court • Mashatile: Many govt challenges a result of political leaders & administrative leadership not pulling together • Mashatile leads governance discussion, says corruption hinders service delivery Mashatile spoke to journalists about the budget on the sidelines of a government event at the presidential guesthouse in Pretoria on Friday. It's been an unprecedented time in South African politics, as for the first time, the African National Congress (ANC) has struggled to get the budget over the line. Despite leading a ten-party coalition government, the ANC had to lobby opposition parties to secure support for the fiscal framework. The deputy president was optimistic that this situation would not arise again, saying that budget 3.0 aligned well with the interests of all GNU members. "In the Government of National Unity, we have all agreed to support the budget. So there won't be a problem. The budget will go through as presented." The Western Cape High Court nullified the adoption of the previous fiscal framework, ruling that it had been passed unlawfully.
Zawya
a day ago
- General
- Zawya
President mourns passing of the Rev Dr Tshenuwani Simon Farisani
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of theologian, former Member of Parliament and former Speaker of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature, Dr Tshenuwani Simon Farisani, who has passed away at the age of 76. President Ramaphosa offers his condolences to the family, friends and comrades of Dr Farisani who was a co-founder, alongside the President and the late Tshifhiwa Isaac Muofhe, of the Black Evangelic Youth Organisation in the early 1970s. Rev Farisani was a Lutheran minister who fought apartheid from the pulpit and was arrested for his activism in the Black Consciousness movement and the Black People's Convention, where he was a close associate of Steve Bantu Biko. After the end of apartheid, Dr Farisani represented the African National Congress in the National Assembly and later served as a Member of the Limpopo Provincial Executive, following which he served as Speaker of the Limpopo legislature. President Ramaphosa said: 'Dr Farisani has left us as part of a succession of stalwarts who have passed on recently and whose dedication to our freedom and national development demands both our mourning and reflection. TS Farisani preached the gospel of humanity and liberation in ways that energised our struggle and shook the apartheid regime into targeting him and depriving him of his personal freedom. From the pulpit of his congregations in Venda and the then Transvaal, to the podiums of Parliament and the Speaker's chair in Limpopo, Dr Farisani's commanding baritone oratory conveyed his love for humanity and his fearless, sacrificial fight for our freedom. May his soul rest in peace.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
‘You have not abandoned me,' Maphisa-Nqakula tells uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association
Former parliamentary speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Thursday thanked the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) for allowing her to speak at a public ANC event for the first time since her arrest last year. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images) Former parliamentary speaker By being criminally charged, Mapisa-Nqakula was subjected to the ANC's She is facing 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering for receiving R2.5 million from December 2016 to July 2019 from a former She was speaking in Gauteng at the memorial lecture of Mapisa-Nqakula said: 'I want to thank you for that because you have not abandoned me, and at least you haven't judged me.' She also expressed her disappointment at some ANC leaders who left the party to join the Mapisa-Nqakula said she was 'very sad' to see that some of her comrades had decided to join the MK party, including one of her commanders in uMkhoto weSizwe, the military wing of the ANC during apartheid. 'I'm concerned; my view is that comrades, not everybody is there because they want to be there,' she said. 'There are generals there; don't give up on the many comrades who have gone to the MK party because they don't belong there; uMkhonto is here in the ANC.' Despite her problems in the ANC, she vowed to remain a member until her death. 'Even in my house, they know, Comrade SG [party secretary general 'Whatever I may be, my coffin must be draped in green, black and gold. I fought for this country, and I fought because I believe in what the ANC stands for.' Mbalula warned ANC members not to focus on those who have left the party and joined the MK party, accusing them of being people who 'don't exist and who stole our thing'. The MK party takes its name from the now-disbanded armed wing of the ANC, which had also accused the MK party of copyright infringement. Last year in March, the ANC failed in a legal bid to stop the MK party from contesting the 24 May elections after it argued that Zuma's party had not met the official registration criteria. This was dismissed by the electoral court but the ANC was granted an appeal. Mbalula said the more the ANC speaks about the MK party, the more they build it. 'Let's talk about what we do; uMkhonto weSizwe is not dead; it's still alive; let it show that it's alive. We must fix what needs to be fixed for war veterans of our uMkhonto weSizwe.' He said those people who had left the ANC to join the MK party would soon regret their decision. 'Let it be clear that we are leading the government, and we are not being led. Let it be clear that we are leading to improve the lives of our war veterans.' The ANC received 16.99% of the votes in KwaZulu-Natal in the 2024 elections, down from 54.22% in the 2019 general elections. Because of Zuma's popularity and support from traditional ANC voters, the MK party scored 45.35% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal. ANC Veterans League deputy president 'That quantity moved across to form this thing, Zuma's party. Why did we allow this thing to be formed?', stating also that the MK name should not be associated with the likes of Zuma. The veterans league and MKMVA are separate organisations. ANC Women's League president 'Today we have to bear with liars, people who are not thankful, and today we are being insulted and called names because there are people who thought this movement was for them and their children.'
