Latest news with #MikeMabuyakhulu
IOL News
a day ago
- Business
- IOL News
Mike Mabuyakhulu: South Africa stands ready for US sanctions amid Palestine support
Senior ANC KwaZulu-Natal leader, Mike Mabuyakhulu, says South Africa is ready for US sanctions. Image: Tumi Pakkies / Independent Newspapers While the United States mulls sanctions against South Africa, senior ANC KwaZulu-Natal leader, Mike Mabuyakhulu, says South Africa is ready for it. "When we decided to take Israel to the International Court of Justice we knew what was going to follow - that friends of the Israeli apartheid state would isolate us and that is what's happening now. Yes we will suffer the consequences but we are prepared because we are standing up for a just cause," Mabuyakhulu told a gathering in Durban on Monday evening. Attendees turned up to welcome a senior Palestinian delegation to the city. They included members of Fatah, the second largest party in the Palestinian Legislature and Fatah Secretary General, Jibril Rajoub. KZN ANC convener Jeff Radebe and Fatah Secretary-General, Major General Jibril Rajoub. Image: Tumi Pakkies / Independent Newspapers Mabuyakhulu's comments comes amid the passing of a bill by the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill is aimed at reviewing its relationship between the US and South Africa and possible sanctions against South Africa for policies which the US disagrees with. These include South Africa's position on the Israel/Gaza war and South Africa's expropriation bill. The Trump administration has misinterpreted the bill as allowing the seizure of white owned, Afrikaner agricultural land without compensation. As a further consequence, South Africa also faces the wrath of Trump's tariff war on the world - with a potential 30% tariff on goods to the US, bar a few exceptions like key South African minerals like gold, platinum, coal, manganese and chrome. KZN ANC provincial coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu, KZN ANC Provincial convener Jeff Radebe, Fatah secretary-general Major General Jibril Rajoub, advisor to Palestinian President Salman Elherfi, and Deputy Convener Weziwe Thusi. Image: Tumi Pakkies / Independent Newspapers The bill will still need to go through further legal hoops and a vote in the house of Representatives before it could become law and binding. There's mixed predictions so far on what the outcome will be, with most political analysts predicting it will not muster enough votes to succeed. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted with calm to the looming threat, saying he is 'hopeful' of a solution to avert a crisis. But, Mabuyakhulu is less diplomatic, saying the ANC, and South Africa, did not fear the consequences of standing with Palestine. "We do not fear because we stand for the right cause. We stand tall as a nation proud of its own freedoms. In the words of tata Madiba our friends are our friends and your enemies cannot be our enemies. We shall stand with Palestine at all times, through thick and thin," he said. IOL
News24
4 days ago
- Politics
- News24
KZN Jazz Festival corruption case: Supreme Court to give State an ear
The SCA has instructed that the State's application for special leave to appeal the dismissal of the controversial KZN Jazz Festival corruption case be reconsidered. The case involves former ANC provincial deputy chairperson Mike Mabuyakhulu and 15 others, who faced charges related to irregular payments and kickbacks from a failed R28.5 million festival in 2012. In May 2023, Judge Mahendra Chetty found that the State failed in leading evidence of financial transactions. The State then applied for special leave to appeal before the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, but it was dismissed. The Supreme Court of Appeal has ordered that the decision of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, dismissing the State's application for special leave to appeal the acquittal of prominent politicians and officials implicated in the controversial KZN Jazz Festival corruption case, be referred to it for reconsideration. The case centres on allegations of irregular payments and kickbacks tied to the failed North Sea Jazz Festival of 2012, involving former ANC provincial deputy chairperson Mike Mabuyakhulu and 15 others who were acquitted earlier in 2023 due to insufficient evidence. The State alleged at the time, that service providers were irregularly paid while the politicians and government officials involved received kickbacks. Mabuyakhulu was KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs at the time. In May 2023, Judge Mahendra Chetty found that the State failed in leading evidence of financial transactions. The State then applied for special leave to appeal before the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, but it was dismissed. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the SCA on 11 July 2025 instructed that the matter be reconsidered and that arguments, including on the merits of the case, be heard if required. 'The NPA welcomes the opportunity to argue its case before the SCA that the honourable Judge Mahendra Chetty erred in law in discharging the accused, that there are reasonable prospects of success on appeal, and that there are compelling reasons for the appeal to be heard by the SCA,' said NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara. 'Prosecutors will continue to vigorously challenge any decision considered to be wrong in law using available legal remedies.'
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ANC warns against the weaponisation of governance in KwaZulu-Natal
ANC KZN PTT Co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu says decisive action is needed to end instability in municipalities, tackle corruption, and rebuild public trust in local government through clean governance and accountability. The summit focused on the state of local government. Party leader Mike Mabuyakhulu stated during a media briefing on Tuesday, 'The delegates noted that there appears to be a very focused campaign to selectively target ANC-led municipalities when addressing allegations of maladministration or challenges in leadership, to the exclusion of municipalities led by ANC political competitors.' The ANC emphasised that while accountability is essential, the application of the law must be consistent across all municipalities. The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has raised concerns over the perceived targeting of its municipalities by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) . The issue was highlighted during the alliance summit meeting held this past weekend. Mabuyakhulu expressed that the posture of the KwaZulu-Natal Cogta is perceived as overtly partisan, with its executive authority leading the charge. He reaffirmed the party's commitment to clean governance at the local government level, stating that those found acting in contravention of the law should be dealt with decisively, irrespective of political affiliations. 'The summit further resolved that this selective and partisan approach in overseeing municipalities must be addressed as a matter of urgency,' he added. Mabuyakhulu acknowledged that the MEC of Cogta and the department have a legal responsibility entrusted to them by law. He urged them to execute their authority without fear or favour, but also stressed the need for consistency in the application of the law. 'Our concern is not about the application of the law; it is about the inconsistency in its application. We insist that no ANC-led municipalities should be deliberately targeted, as this undermines the consistent application of the law. We have raised this issue and will continue to do so in the GPU (Government of Provincial Unity),' he concluded. KZN Cogta was contacted but had not responded by the time of publication. THE MERCURY
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
'No corruption, no nepotism': Mike Mabuyakhulu outlines ANC's local government rescue plan
ANC KZN PTT Co-ordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu says decisive action is needed to end instability in municipalities, tackle corruption, and rebuild public trust in local government through clean governance and accountability. African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal Coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu says the provincial branch, together with its alliance partners, traditional leaders, activists, and progressive formations, emerged from a weekend summit in Durban 'united, determined, and inspired to restore the dignity of the local government sphere across the province.' Addressing the media on Tuesday, Mabuyakhulu said over 500 delegates from all 54 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal attended the event, which acknowledged the urgent crises facing local government. 'The summit recognised that deep-seated political and administrative challenges have weakened service delivery, undermined public trust and delayed the advancement of the communities,' he said. Mabuyakhulu highlighted serious concerns about mismanagement and corruption, citing a case in which a district municipality sold water tankers at an auction, later acquired by a local mayor who now supplies the same district. 'In that regard, this new owner, supposed owner, is now a supplier of water tankers to the same district,' he said. He criticised what the ANC views as selective targeting of ANC-led municipalities by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), arguing that its executive leadership is 'hugely and overtly partisan.'
IOL News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ANC leadership shake-up: Disbandment of regional committees in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal ANC coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu and convener Jeff Radebe are under pressure from Luthuli to revive the party in the province. Image: Supplied After reconfiguring the provincial executive committee four months ago to rebuild structures following last year's humiliating defeat, the KwaZulu-Natal ANC has disbanded regional executive committees, which will be replaced with task teams. The decision was made recently, and the process was expected to kick off in KwaDukuza, where the party's national leadership was expected to announce that members would form the regional task team on Monday. The ANC provincial spokesperson Fanle Sibisi confirmed that the party has decided to disband the regions, adding that most of them, if not all, have had their terms lapsed. 'Yes, the process will affect all the regions, and we hope by the end of the month, we will have finished the process,' said Sibisi. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He said the party has not decided whether it will allow the regions to go to their elective conferences before next year's local government elections or hold conferences after. Sources within the party said the decision was prompted by branch audit outcomes, which the reconfigured provincial task team undertook after it was established. The sources said the audit outcomes revealed that many branch executive committee members were sympathetic to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, and the ANC felt it should disband regional executive committees as they appeared to have lost control of the branches. According to the sources, the party's focus will be in eThekwini and KwaDukuza. Although the ANC did not perform badly in KwaDukuza, the municipality with a budget of R3.2 billion rand is seen as one of the strategic municipalities that the party wanted to keep at all costs. The eThekwini, which is the only metro and one of the largest regions in the country, with a voting population of close to two million, is the party's main strategic point. The region, which has been the party's stronghold for decades, fell to former president Jacob Zuma's MKP in last year's elections, which relegated the ANC to third place. The region is expected to be a battleground between the ANC and the MKP. The eThekwini regional executive committee's term expired in April. It has been under former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, who has been a 'ceremonial' chairperson after she was forced to step aside soon after she was elected in 2022 because of corruption charges she was facing. Gumede is still on trial for the R320 million Durban Solid Waste tender scandal.
