insert_link South Africa South Africa’s foreign policy under Ramaphosa has seen diplomatic tools being used to provide leadership as global power relations shift By Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, University of South Africa Leadership plays a critical role in diplomacy. What quality of leadership does South Africa need if it’s to secure its international interests? This is a question my colleagues and I have had the opportunity to reflect on in researching and writing about foreign policy since the late 1980s. Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki displayed assertive African and global south leadership. Their […] todayDecember 12, 2023 6
insert_link South Africa Solidarity is threatening legal action if the National Health Insurance Bill is signed into law SA's Solidarity says it will proceed with legal action if president Cyril Ramaphosa signs the National Health Insurance Bill into law. The National Council of Provinces adopted the bill yesterday, with eight of the nine provinces voting in favour of the legislation except for the Western Cape. Solidarity’s Theuns du Buisson says the NHI is not only unaffordable and unworkable but it is also unnecessary because South Africans already have […] todayDecember 7, 2023 10
insert_link South Africa Chief Justice Zondo says SA’s judiciary has not been captured SA's Chief Justice Raymond Zondo told the three-day Judges’ Conference in Sun City, North West that the judiciary has not been captured. The conference is held under the theme: Towards a single, effective, and fully independent Judiciary. Zondo highlighted that the event provides judges and magistrates with a platform to deliberate on key issues impacting the judiciary’s functioning including judicial independence, court system efficiency, resourcing and capacitation of the Judiciary, […] todayDecember 6, 2023 16
South Africa South Africa misses the Mandela ‘spirit’ 10 years after icon’s death With murals of his smiling face still covering many buildings, South Africans on Tuesday marked 10 years since the death of Nelson Mandela with a mixture of longing for his integrity and disappointment over what has happened since. While no official ceremonies were planned to recall South Africa's first black president, many spared a thought for the leader who emerged from prison in 1991 to end apartheid. Fellow Nobel Peace […] todayDecember 5, 2023 3
insert_link South Africa South Africans falling victim to deep-fake scams With fake images and videos of celebrities being used to try and build legitimacy for scams that try to steal people's money or personal data, South Africans in particular are currently falling victim to campaigns featuring the likenesses of Elon Musk and President Cyril Ramaphosa. News24 reports that one such deep-fake scam involving Musk purports to be an SABC broadcast of the Tesla CEO advertising an investment scheme which promises […] todayDecember 4, 2023 9
insert_link South Africa South Africa’s president urged to fulfill his promise to evacuate seven South African families in Israel The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Coalition South Africa urges president Cyril Ramaphosa to fulfill his promise to evacuate seven South African families trapped in the Gaza Strip. BDS SA claims it has been more than six weeks since Ramaphosa made the commitment. The coalition notes most foreign nationals have been evacuated by their governments, except the South Africans. They call for urgent government intervention to ensure the immediate release of […] todayDecember 4, 2023 3
insert_link South Africa High Court in Pretoria’s instructs the SA government to end load-shedding in public facilities SA's President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged the High Court in Pretoria’s ruling, instructing the government to end load-shedding in public facilities by the end of January 2024. This directive includes public hospitals, clinics, schools, and police stations. Speaking on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai, Ramaphosa stated that the judgement confirms the government’s commitment to its programme to end load-shedding. todayDecember 4, 2023 2
insert_link South Africa Former SA Chief Justice says president Ramaphosa should have declared who funded his CR17 campaign Former South Africa Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng says president Cyril Ramaphosa had a duty to disclose who funded the CR17 campaign. He delivered the SAFM inaugural lecture yesterday evening, under the theme Constitutionalism and Upholding the Rule of Law in South Africa. Mogoeng says Ramaphosa acted inconsistent with the Constitution when he sealed the CR17 bank statements and fought former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane legally for exposing the truth. todayNovember 30, 2023 5
insert_link South Africa SA investigates claim Ramaphosa’s speech written by chatbot The South African presidency is investigating whether parts of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech last week were written using the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. According to SA media, it follows claims online that a section of the speech delivered last week at an education forum by Ramaphosa did not come from the president or his speechwriters. However, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya denied the claims, saying they do not use AI tools […] todayNovember 28, 2023 7