Latest news with #uMkhontoWeSizwe
Mail & Guardian
21-05-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
MK party targets Ramaphosa, Godongwana in motion of no confidence over budget ‘chaos'
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has tabled a motion of no censure against Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and a vote of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa, citing failed leadership and economic mismanagement. (Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images) The The party accused The party said in a statement on Wednesday that the minister's February budget failed to address South Africa's record-high unemployment, rising poverty and extreme inequality. 'Minister Godongwana presented yet another hollow and anti-poor budget, instead of meaningful relief, the most vulnerable were burdened through fuel levy increases and the removal of essential zero-rated VAT items.' The party described the minister's handling of the budget as 'chaotic,' pointing to the failed budget sittings, dubbed Budget 1.0 and Budget 2.0 which they say cost taxpayers R2.4 million. These sessions collapsed over differences between ANC and Democratic Alliance (DA) MPs, who are part of the government of national unity (GNU). 'Investor confidence and public trust were further eroded when the government made a sudden U-turn on the VAT hike,' the statement read. 'This came after businesses had already spent millions on adjustments.' The party accused Godongwana of failing to table a credible fiscal framework or implement a rescue plan for the poor. It also cited the auditor general's findings of more than R126 billion in fruitless and wasteful expenditure by public entities, which it says the treasury has failed to address. 'Budget 3.0 is nothing more than political theatre,' the MK party said. 'What South Africa needs is not more spin, but a complete break with the neoliberal consensus.' The party is calling for a 'people's budget' centred on hunger, landlessness and joblessness. Its demands include the nationalisation of mineral resources, accelerated land redistribution without compensation, the expansion of the VAT zero-rated basket, and the dismantling of economic policies it believes serve elites and multinational corporations. The party accuses Ramaphosa of abandoning the poor and capitulating to 'foreign right-wing interests'. The party says Ramaphosa's decision to include 'fringe' political groups in the GNU has delegitimised the administration and weakened its ability to govern effectively. 'While millions go hungry, Mr Ramaphosa has chosen to entertain fabricated narratives of white persecution pushed by fringe extremists now sitting alongside him in government,' the party said. 'This is a betrayal of his constitutional obligations.' The vote of no confidence, although unlikely to succeed in the National Assembly given the ANC's alliances, sends a signal of growing dissent in parliament. It also underscores the difficulty Ramaphosa faces in keeping the GNU stable. Early this month, Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema signalled the party would back a no-confidence motion if one is introduced, calling for Godongwana and treasury director-general Duncan Pieterse to immediately resign because they have 'proven themselves incapable of formulating a lawful, credible This move comes as tensions among GNU parties begin to ease, after months of internal discord sparked by opposition to the proposed two percentage point VAT increase. But the MK party, which has positioned itself as a radical alternative to the mainstream GNU alignment, continues to reject the current economic model and calls for an overhaul of governance priorities. The party's national spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, reiterated their position: 'We will not be silent while our people starve. We stand firmly for economic justice, accountability and a new path forward, one that places the people before profits.' Ramaphosa and Godongwana have not yet formally responded to the motion. Ramaphosa and DA leader John Steenhuisen are meeting the Trump administration in Washington in an attempt to repair South Africa's relationship with the US. But earlier this month, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said the ANC would support Godongwana through calls to have him removed from his position, arguing that the minister had not done anything wrong. The motions are expected to be debated when parliament reconvenes later this month.
IOL News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Charl Kleinhaus: Afrikaner 'refugee' in the US mingled with Jacob Zuma and headed mining company
Afrikaner 'refugee' Charl Kleinhaus, who is currently in asylum in the US recently opened up about how awful it was to leave behind his five-bedroom house and mother in South Africa while fleeing racial persecution. However, there may be cracks in his story as pictures have emerged of Kleinhaus rubbing shoulders with one of the most powerful people in the country, former president Jacob Zuma. It is unclear what the photo op with the uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK Party) leader was about but, the online rumour mill is spinning. Citizen sleuths dug into the refugee's past to uncover a life of wealth and comfort which contradicts Kleinhaus's claims. "I had to leave a five-bedroom house which I will lose now because I'm not going to pay for it. I also left my car behind, my dogs, and my mother. I didn't come here for fun. But my children are safe. If you're white, you're wrong in South Africa," Kleinhaus told BBC.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zuma's daughter to appear in court over South Africa riots, reports say
The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, will be charged for her alleged involvement in the 2021 riots that left over 300 dead, her father's party uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) says. Violence, chaos, and fear ripped through the port city of Durban, then spread to Gauteng, after Zuma's jailing sparked intense protests over four years ago. Zuma-Sambudla, a controversial figure in her own right, was accused of sharing incendiary social media posts that fuelled the civil unrest. MK, of which she is a senior member, said on X she would appear in a Durban court on Thursday and urged supporters to "mobilize all ground forces to attend in numbers." While she has not commented directly on the charges, Zuma-Sambudla shared a cryptic note on X that simply said: "We see you." This is not the first time her name has been brought up in connection to the 2021 riots, which are considered one of the bloodiest episodes in post-apartheid South Africa. The lingering scars of South Africa's deadly riots The inside story of South Africa's week of anarchy Zuma resigned as president in 2018 after nine years in office, plagued by corruption allegations, which he claimed were part of a political conspiracy. Three years later, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after refusing to testify before a panel investigating corruption under his presidency. Protests erupted after he surrendered to serve his sentence. During the unrest, Zuma-Sambudla was outspoken on X, frequently sharing images of the destruction and chaos, accompanied by the caption: "KZN, we see you." She used this phrase often throughout the violence. In a now deleted post, she shared a video of someone firing an automatic rifle at a poster of President Cyril Ramaphosa. In 2022, a spokesperson from the elite police unit, Hawks, Brig Thandi Mbambo told local media they were not directly investigating her, but she had been named in statements from sources. In response to this, Zuma-Sambudla said on X, "I have no fear! I will not be intimidated! I have beaten the dogs, now the masters are coming out! We see you!" At the same time, the Jacob Zuma Foundation, said in a statement the former president's children were being targeted. Last year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) released a report that said the riots were a "carefully orchestrated event". But it said it could find no direct link to Zuma's arrest. In 2023, a former security guard was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the deadly riots. He was the first person to be prosecuted for the riots. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who succeeded Jacob Zuma in 2018, described the violence as an "attempted insurrection". More than 200 shopping malls were looted and more than 150,000 jobs were estimated to have been lost during the unrest, which lasted for several days. Last year, Zuma's MK ran against his former party, the ANC, in elections, gaining 15% of the vote to become the country's third largest party. Behind the 'Zuma tsunami' in South Africa South Africa riots: Looting and shooting in Durban Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
29-01-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla: Jacob Zuma's daughter to face South Africa charges over July 2021 riots
The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, will be charged for her alleged involvement in the 2021 riots that left over 300 dead, prosecutors chaos, and fear ripped through the port city of Durban, then spread to Gauteng, after Zuma's jailing sparked intense protests over four years a controversial figure in her own right, was accused of sharing incendiary social media posts that fuelled the civil father's new party, uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK), of which she is a senior member, said on X she would appear in a Durban court on Thursday and urged supporters to "mobilize all ground forces to attend in numbers." While she has not commented directly on the charges, Zuma-Sambudla shared a cryptic note on X that simply said: "We see you."This is not the first time her name has been brought up in connection to the 2021 riots, which are considered one of the bloodiest episodes in post-apartheid South lingering scars of South Africa's deadly riotsThe inside story of South Africa's week of anarchyZuma resigned as president in 2018 after nine years in office, plagued by corruption allegations, which he claimed were part of a political conspiracy. Three years later, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after refusing to testify before a panel investigating corruption under his presidency. Protests erupted after he surrendered to serve his the unrest, Zuma-Sambudla was outspoken on X, frequently sharing images of the destruction and chaos, accompanied by the caption: "KZN, we see you."She used this phrase often throughout the violence. In a now deleted post, she shared a video of someone firing an automatic rifle at a poster of President Cyril 2022, a spokesperson from the elite police unit, Hawks, Brig Thandi Mbambo told local media they were not directly investigating her, but she had been named in statements from response to this, Zuma-Sambudla said on X, "I have no fear! I will not be intimidated! I have beaten the dogs, now the masters are coming out! We see you!"At the same time, the Jacob Zuma Foundation, said in a statement the former president's children were being targeted. Last year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) released a report that said the riots were a "carefully orchestrated event".But it said it could find no direct link to Zuma's arrest. In 2023, a former security guard was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the deadly riots. He was the first person to be prosecuted for the riots. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who succeeded Jacob Zuma in 2018, described the violence as an "attempted insurrection".More than 200 shopping malls were looted and more than 150,000 jobs were estimated to have been lost during the unrest, which lasted for several year, Zuma's MK ran against his former party, the ANC, in elections, gaining 15% of the vote to become the country's third largest party. You may also be interested in: Behind the 'Zuma tsunami' in South AfricaSouth Africa riots: Looting and shooting in Durban Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
