Latest news with #non-ANC
The Citizen
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Francisco accuses DA of overstepping in Ward 108 fire aid
ANC councillor Deborah Francisco said she welcomes political activity in her ward, provided it respects protocol and her role as the elected representative. Her comments follow a dispute with DA members distributing blankets to residents in Ward 108, which she claims bypassed her authority. As part of their 25th birthday blanket donation drive on July 25, the DA set eyes on Alexandra, hoping to provide relief and support to residents who lost everything after a huge blaze gutted their houses on Mandela Day. The DA's parliamentarian, Bridget Masango, said their donation drive was disrupted when Francisco confronted the team, insisting that no one can come to her ward without telling her. Also read: DA's fire relief donation ruffles ANC councillor's feathers But, according to Francisco, the issue was about the DA respecting ward boundaries and her role as a councillor in the area. 'This is councillor Francisco's ward. It was won by the ANC. So, what I was disputing is the way the DA is working—undermining me in my ward,' she shared. 'They must ask for permission. When you get into somebody's yard, you ask for permission. You don't just get in how you like.' She said even the council speaker, a non-ANC member, had followed protocol by notifying her before distributing items to fire victims, ensuring Francisco's presence as the ward's representative. 'The speaker informed me, and I was there. Even when Johannesburg Water comes to bring projects here in the ward, they talk to the councillor first.' She emphasised that the DA should have let her know about their plans in her ward. But her views were challenged by Masango. She said she found Francisco's actions 'somewhat blind to the destitute'. Also read: City Power drives free basic electricity registration in Alexandra on Mandela Day 'I am a constituency head of the area and should not be blocked while doing political work that even the Constitution allows,' Masango shared. Francisco insisted she had no problem with other parties' political work, but it should not interfere with her governance of the ward. 'When it comes to campaigning for members, they have every right to set up tables and campaign. I have no issue with their political work, but governance belongs to me. I don't interfere with their wards,' she concluded. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
The Citizen
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Limpopo ANC conference rocked by membership manipulation claims
Claims of manipulated membership packages and political patronage threaten to derail the ANC Limpopo elective conference this weekend. Trouble is brewing in Limpopo ahead of this weekend's crucial elective conference in the Peter Mokaba region of the ANC. This involves claims of political patronage, intolerance and attempts to manipulate the party's membership system. The conference begins today and runs until Sunday. Controversy clouds ANC Limpopo elective conference Delegates will elect top five officials and additional members to run the region for the next three years. The biggest contest will be between Polokwane municipality's mayor John Mpe and Capricorn district municipality mayor Mamedupi Teffo. Hundreds of people claiming to be ANC branch members marched to the party's offices at Frans Mohlala and Polokwane municipality council chamber to express their anger about the alleged bad conduct of some members during branch general meetings (BGMs). ALSO READ: Rigging claims stall ANC Youth League provincial elections Branch member Fistos Mothudi said the marchers came from all branches that had parallel BGMs and those who registered disputes with the Limpopo provincial dispute resolution committee and the national dispute resolution committee. 'We believe that our BGM packages were tampered with. This is so because we had our BGM on 1 April. We passed the audit and reached the 70% threshold,' he said. 'But when we went for preregistrstion this week, we found that our package had been tampered with and even the signature of the deployee on the package was forged.' 'Rented drunkards' Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, a senior politician at the Polokwane subregion alleged those who took part in the march were 'rented drunkards collected from shebeen and taxi ranks'. Spokesperson for the ANC regional task (RTT) team in the Peter Mokaba region, Adolf Rapetsoa, also slammed the marchers. 'The march to the ANC provincial office [Frans Mohlala House] and Polokwane council chamber was nothing but a cheap and desperate attempt to cause trouble for the region ahead of the elective conference,' said Rapetsoa. ALSO READ: Malema slams politicians exploiting 'blackness' to mask corruption and escape justice He said the mobilisation of non-ANC members for frivolous political aims was frowned upon by the RTT. 'The ANC will investigate this and those behind the march will face the full might of the organisation,' he said. Earlier this week, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was accused of having a hidden hand in manipulating the party's membership system to cook the regional and provincial outcomes to favour him or his faction. Mbalula accused of manipulating party's membership system This is contained in an anonymous document circulating on social media and WhatsApp groups, apparently penned by a disgruntled ANC staff member. But party headquarters Luthuli House said it had no knowledge of the document and declined to respond to it. According to the anonymous document, Mbalula's office allegedly manipulated the membership portal system in provinces with political divisions. NOW READ: 'ANC conference whispers will be suppressed to the moon and back' – Mbalula [Video]
CBS News
17-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump admin. expels South Africa envoy Ebrahim Rasool, calls him a "race-baiting politician who hates America"
Johannesburg — The Trump administration expelled South Africa's Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool on Friday, giving him 72 hours to leave the country. In a social media post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Rasool a "race-baiting politician who hates America" and President Trump. In a diplomatic notice, the Department of State said that it would no longer recognize Ambassador Rasool as a "member of the [South African] mission from today, March 17," adding that "his privileges and immunities will cease" and that he was "persona non grata" in the United States. The expulsion came after Rasool, during a webinar hosted by the South African Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, accused Mr. Trump of pursuing policies and practices that the diplomat characterized as "a white supremacist response to growing demographic diversity in the United States." Rasool was expelled just two months after he arrived in Washington to serve as his country's envoy. "Improving our relationship with the United States of America is a priority for us," South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa told journalists on Monday, calling the U.S. "our second largest trading partner after China." "We have noted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States, particularly about the remarks he made," Ramaphosa said, adding that he expected Rasool to return to Pretoria and " give me a full report." Ebrahim Rasool speaks onstage on March 18, 2013, in New York City. Donald Bowers/Getty/Shared Interest It's the latest in a string of incidents that have seen a marked deterioration of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and South Africa since Mr. Trump took office for his second term in January. Speaking on South African television on Saturday, the country's foreign minister said the decision by the U.S. to expel Rasool, who previously campaigned against the country's racist Apartheid regime, was "unprecedented and regrettable," before adding: "We need to find time to engage with each other behind closed doors, where the U.S. can raise their concerns with us, and we can also raise our concerns with them, because it is not helpful to engage in megaphone and Twitter diplomacy." A pro-Hamas, anti-Israel ambassador to the U.S.? Rasool's appointment to head the South African diplomatic mission in the U.S., by the ruling African National Congress party, was a contentious one even before he arrived in Washington, dividing opinions within the country's new Government of National Unity (GNU). The ANC had to build the coalition government to maintain power after failing to win a significant enough majority in the last elections to govern on its own. "Rasool's appointment was opposed by all of the other political parties in the GNU, and was the first large point of contention between the parties," Wiliam Gumede, a professor of public management at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, explained to CBS News. "Eventually, the non-ANC partners caved in," Gumede said, which led to Rasool getting the job. "He is perceived to be pro-Iran and Hamas, as well as strongly anti-Israel, which is largely why it was felt he was the wrong choice for the ambassador post," Gumede told CBS News. Rasool has long been a controversial figure in South African politics, having spoken favorably of the U.S.- and Israeli-designated terrorist organization Hamas, and even boasting of his ties with the group's leadership. He is a strong backer of the case South Africa filed with the United Nations' top court, accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Israel has vehemently rejected that accusation, arguing that its war in the Palestinian enclave has been a legitimate self-defense against Hamas following the group's Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack. Gumede said he believed the way for Ramaphosa to ease the tension with Washington was for the South African president to publicly label Rasool's comments "unacceptable," while also giving a detailed acknowledgement of how important relations and aid from the U.S. are to South Africa. The analyst said if such measures were not taken by Pretoria to smooth the relationship, the impasse could deepen, with significant implications for South Africa. "I fear the next step steps could be targeted economic sanctions against South Africa, which would mean we are in danger of losing 300,000 to 400,000 direct jobs in the country, as well as hundreds of thousands more jobs through indirect channels," he said. "It's not too late" Gumede added. "President Trump has a lot of South Africans in his inner circle. We need to engage them and put together a team of non-ANC partners from the Government of National Unity to travel to the U.S. and engage the Trump team. The relationship is simply too important not to." In: Marco Rubio Hamas Israel South Africa Donald Trump Sarah Carter Sarah Carter is an award-winning CBS News producer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been with CBS News since 1997, following freelance work for organizations including The New York Times, National Geographic, PBS Frontline and NPR.
