Latest news with #JohannRupert
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- Mail & Guardian
DA renews bid to control policing in Western Cape
Raid: South African Police Service members patrol the streets on the Cape Flats (above). The Democratic Alliance wants the Western Cape to take over policing responsibility from the national government. The party has bristled at billionaire Johann Rupert's remarks that the Cape Flats are the epicentre of South Africa's violent crime problem This content is restricted to subscribers only . Join the M&G Community Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently. Subscription enables: - M&G community membership - independent journalism - access to all premium articles & features - a digital version of the weekly newspaper - invites to subscriber-only events - the opportunity to test new online features first Already a subscriber?
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Editorial: The fault in our Starlink narratives
Elon Musk. (AFP) Addressing the nascent computer industry in 1990, information theorist Neil Postman questioned the unspoken assumption that the capacity to process information is at the heart of society's ills. 'If children die of starvation in Ethiopia, does it occur because of a lack of information?' he asked. 'Does racism in South Africa exist because of a lack of information? If criminals roam the streets of New York City, do they do so because of a lack of information?' Postman's prophetic words are important to remember in the aftermath of last week's Oval Office sitdown between President Donald Trump and President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation. In that infamous meeting, South Africa's richest man Johann Rupert pleaded the case that the country's police stations are in desperate need of Starlink — the communication technology controlled by the world's richest man, Elon Musk. Rupert has rightly received acclaim for his articulation of the fact that crime is devastating to the whole nation, and not one group in particular. But this particular point is worth considering. Crime and its causes in this country are many, varied and nuanced. To his great credit once more, Rupert used the Western Cape as an example of its complexity. So often seen by outsiders as an oasis in a broader swamp, the province's neighbourhoods endure some of South Africa's most brutal, seemingly interminable violence. Such crime is not going to be solved overnight with a satellite. But would the use of Starlink — presumably as a surveillance tool — have a measurable effect? Lacking further evidence, we are not going to dispute the possibility. What we will caution against, however, is reducing our motivations to simple narratives. The Starlink discussion is turning all shades of ugly and threatens to be the latest issue to tear at the perpetually shaky unity of our government. Black economic empowerment has emerged as central to the debate. Resentment towards the policy has always existed but it has bubbled closer and closer to the surface as the economy falters, and the government endures sustained attack from a superpower using propaganda to cast redress as racial persecution. As a democracy, it is incumbent on us to continually revisit the effectiveness of our practices, but it must be done for the right reasons. The state should consider the unintended consequences that have flowed from its policies. The country might consider that in the Oval Office, the world witnessed not only our weaknesses but our peculiar, imperfect oneness as a people and ask where we are willing to compromise and for what real gain.
The South African
6 days ago
- Business
- The South African
How rich are South Africa's 7 richest men?
It's comparatively 'easy' to make money – when you have money. Compound interest really is the eighth wonder of the world! As they say, the rich get richer, while the poor stay, well, poor. Money makes money – and these seven South Africans have made a lot of it over the years. And by a lot, we mean a LOT ! According to Forbes' real-time tracking of billionaires, Johann Rupert and his family are the richest in South Africa, with a net worth of $14.6 billion. The Ruperts are followed by diamond magnate Nicky Oppenheimer, who boasts a net worth of $10.5 billion. They are followed by Koos Bekker, Patrice Motsepe, Michiel Le Roux, Jannie Mouton and Christo Wiese. South Africa's seven dollar billionaires all made their money in different ways – from luxury goods, diamonds, mining, media, banking and retail. In the last week alone, Oppenheimer, Motsepe and Mouton all added $100 million (R1.8 billion) to their net worths. Cumulatively, South Africa's seven dollar billionaires are worth $37.7 billion (R674 billion). Meanwhile, in terms of the overall world list, South Africa-born Elon Musk remains the world's richest person with a reported $418.7 billion. Below, the list of the top seven richest South Africans in the world as of 27 May 2025. Rank Name Last week This week Source 163 Johann Rupert & family $14.6bn $14.6bn Luxury goods 267 Nicky Oppenheimer & family $10.4bn $10.5bn Diamonds 1 074 Koos Bekker $3.5bn $3.5bn Media, investments 1 184 Patrice Motsepe $3.1bn $3.2bn Mining 1 501 Michiel Le Roux $2.5bn $2.5bn Banking 2 038 Jannie Mouton & family $1.7bn $1.8bn Retail 2 152 Christo Wiese $1.6bn $1.6bn Financial services TOTAL $37.4bn $37.7bn 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
6 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Law enforcement fighting tooth and nail to rid Cape Town of crime stigma
CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Anroux Marais says law enforcement agencies in the province are doing all they can to reverse the perception of Cape Town as the country's murder capital. She was responding to billionaire businessman Johann Rupert's comments at the White House last week. Rupert mentioned the Cape Flats as a place with the highest murder rate, adding that it was experiencing gang warfare. Despite seeing a drop in murders between January and March this year, the Western Cape is still one of the four provinces with the highest number of murders reported. The Western Cape crime statistics released on Monday show a decrease of 44 murders for the period under review compared to the same period last year. Murders went from 1,112 from January to March 2024, to 1,068 during the same period in 2025. Marais said law enforcement agencies were trying their best to take the numbers even lower. "We do have our Anti-Gang Unit and a strategy that we are looking at. Our LEAP [Law Enforcement Advancement Plan] officers really did fantastic work with SAPS [South African Police Service], and there was a decrease in the crime rate, specifically in some areas." Gang violence has been identified as the number two reason for the high number of murders in the province.
Mail & Guardian
7 days ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Oval Office: Johann Rupert proved himself a stand-up man
South African billionaire Johann Rupert The White House press briefing with US President Donald Trump and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa on 21 May was revealing. It led me to gain respect and appreciation for a man I have never met, but who is often talked about in the media, and South Africa's political circles. To some, he is the bogeyman — the man who owns politicians, the man who has made lots of money off the backs of the masses of poor, black South Africans. But, in the Oval Office in Washington, Johann Rupert displayed nothing but patriotism, love for South Africa — a stand-up man. But before we speak well of Rupert regarding his statesman-like demeanor in front of the condescending US president, it must be acknowledged that Ramaphosa also did a great job. It is not surprising that Ramaphosa was very tactful from the onset in handling Trump. It was as if he had studied Trump's methods of making deals and using bullying tactics to get what he wants. In his opening remarks, Ramaphosa set the tone for the meeting and used his body language effectively to control the narrative. He was prepared, even when Trump threw him a curve ball with videos of Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema and former president and uMkhonto weSizwe party head Jacob Zuma singing Kill the Boer . Notice that Ramaphosa's voice projection did not change, his body language stayed the same and he was calm — as he usually is. Ramaphosa is a skillful negotiator. As the seasoned politician that he is, he understands the ways of Washington. The man knows that Washington DC is run by lobbyists and special interest groups and this is why he brought certain specific people along with him as part of his delegation. To speak the language that Washington understands, Ramaphosa took with him to the likes of Rupert. A man who knows Trump on a personal level. A man who lived in New York, where Trump comes from, in the Seventies. Also, Rupert is a billionaire with a net worth significantly higher than that of the US president. It is reported that he is worth roughly $15 billion while Trump has about $5 billion. Ramaphosa recognises what Malcolm X once said: 'The only thing that power respects is power.' The truth is that Johann Rupert was honest and sincere. He told the US president that his charge of white genocide in South Africa was incorrect and that farm killings are indiscriminate. He called out South Africa's agriculture minister, and leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen, who was at the Oval Office meeting. Rupert told Trump that, yes, there is criminality in South Africa — among the worst areas for crime is the Cape Flats, in the DA-run Western Cape, where the high murder rate is attributed to gang violence. That revelation alone is an indictment on the false narrative of white genocide. Rupert, a rich white South African, made the point that he does not agree with the white genocide narrative. He went on to explain South Africa's problems and suggested possible solutions. He spoke of the need for investment and job opportunities. He pointed out that, when people do not have jobs, despair and desperation leads them to commit crimes. This is true, even in the US itself. Rupert did not mince his words. His remarks cannot be ignored. He clearly chose to face the facts in the hope that a real solution could be found. I would be honored to meet Johann Rupert, just to shake his hand, and praise him for his class act in Washington, as he stood up for South Africa. Towards the end of that press briefing, when Trump was asked whether he is still convinced that there is genocide in South Africa against white farmers his answer was: 'I don't know.' I believe Trump was primarily influenced by the sentiments of people like Rupert. Clearly, this charge of white genocide in South Africa against white farmers is nothing but retaliation by those close to President Trump for South Africa's role at the international court of Justice with regards to Israel's war crimes against Palestine. There is no doubt that the Israeli lobby in Washington, is very unhappy with South Africa, since the court ruled that Israel is committing =genocide against the Palestinian people. And people like Rupert understand the genesis of this issue, which is why he was quick to mention, 'I have always been against apartheid my whole life,' in reference to the history of South Africa. For what it is worth, Johann Rupert must be recognised for doing the right thing in the United States of America. Aaron Ng'ambi is a prospective politician in Zambia, a geopolitical analyst and newspaper columnist.
