🇿🇦South AfricaSouthern Africa
Helen Zille's Johannesburg Metro Centre entry sparks controversy
via The Citizen3 min read
Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille and other councillors accessed the Johannesburg Metro Centre, a building declared unfit for use almost three years ago. Zille stated her team entered the building to expose what she believes is waste within the current administration. The building is subject to redevelopment plans projected to cost R2 billion. Political opponents, including ActionSA, accused Zille and her team of violating city procedures and abusing their oversight roles, calling the conduct reckless and unlawful. ActionSA urged the city's speaker of council to pursue the matter and for City Manager Floyd Brink to lay criminal charges if laws were violated. Zille released a video showing her team gaining entry and stated her party is launching a Public Access to Information Application to view details of leases related to temporary offices. A progress report from March 19, 2026, indicates that the refurbishment project is in its early planning phases, with the feasibility study report expected to begin by the first quarter of 2027.
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The Congress of the People Cope continues to face internal leadership conflicts following the death of its founder, Mosiuoa Lekota. The party's Central National Committee CNC recently cancelled its elective congress, which was scheduled for this weekend, citing a need for provinces to hold their own congresses. This decision has caused discontent among some members, who believe a democratic congress is crucial for restoring the party's legitimacy after years of leadership battles and a decline in parliamentary seats since its formation in 2008. Jabu Tamme, a Cope member, has written an open letter accusing the interim leaders of prioritizing personal interests over the party's, describing them as having transitioned "from caretakers to tyrants." Tamme claims that members challenging the interim leadership have faced membership application rejections and suppression of their constitutional rights. He also alleges that previous congresses were cancelled and the current one was planned without proper funding schedules or verified voters' rolls, thereby frustrating legitimate mechanisms for constitutional change. Tamme has demanded the immediate resignation of the interim leadership and indicated that disgruntled members are considering legal action to compel the party to hold an elective congress. Earlier, Cope interim secretary-general Erick Mohlapamaswi had stated the congress would proceed, despite a lack of venue announcement or transport plans for delegates, noting that the
Must ReadMagistrate Peter Manthata has dismissed a Section 174 discharge application by Imanuwela David and siblings Froliana and Ndilinasho Joseph, the three individuals accused of stealing $580,000 from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. The ruling orders the trial to continue to the defense phase, stating that sufficient evidence exists for all three to answer the charges against them. The accused had sought to have the case dismissed after the state concluded its presentation, having called over 20 witnesses. The three are alleged to have broken into the Bela Bela farm in 2020. Separately, President Cyril Ramaphosa denied involvement in unauthorized investigations into the theft earlier in April. An Independent Police Investigative Directorate Ipid report indicated that Major General Wally Rhoode, head of Ramaphosa’s police security unit, concealed the theft. The Ipid report also noted that while Ramaphosa informed Rhoode about the break-in in 2020, a case was only registered with the police two years later, after former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser exposed the theft.
Must ReadSouth Africa's major metropolitan areas are not expected to return to outright majority rule in the 2026 local government elections, according to an analysis of past election cycles and current political trends. Data from the 2016 and 2021 local government elections, alongside the 2024 national and provincial outcomes, indicates a continued fragmentation of the political landscape, moving away from a dominant ANC versus DA contest towards a more dispersed multiparty environment. Netnographer and online analyst Carmen Murray and political analyst Professor Theo Neethling of the University of the Free State suggest that the era of single-party control in metros is effectively over, with coalitions becoming a permanent feature for the foreseeable future. Between 2016 and 2021, the ANC lost 118 seats and the DA lost 115 seats across eight key metros, with these losses absorbed by various competitors. ActionSA, a new entrant in 2021, secured 144 seats, particularly in Gauteng metros, while the EFF gained 17 seats and the Freedom Front Plus gained 21. Smaller parties also expanded their presence, adding 90 seats. Johannesburg exemplifies this shift, with the ANC's share of council seats dropping from 44.2% in 2016 to 33.2% in 2021, and the DA's from 38% to 25.9%, while ActionSA entered with 16.1%. Voter frustration over service delivery challenges, such as water outages and infrastructure issues, has contributed to this dissatisfaction without consolidating support behind a single
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has launched a competition to send 16 football fans, one from each Premier Soccer League team, to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The initiative was announced during a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, 23 April 2026. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. South Africa's Bafana Bafana will participate in the tournament for the first time since 2010. McKenzie stated that the all-expenses-paid trip to Mexico will cover flights, accommodation, ground transport, and daily allowances, sponsored by two companies, with the department assisting with visa facilitation and match ticket allocation. A panel of South African sports and entertainment figures, including Robert Marawa, Andile Ncube, and Vino Snap, will oversee the selection process. Fans can enter by submitting a 30-second video explaining why they are their club's biggest supporter. McKenzie emphasized that this open competition aims to provide a fair chance for all qualifying South Africans, moving away from a "super-fan culture." He also addressed a social media exchange with popular fan Mama Joy, stating that while he supports her, the new process ensures fairness for everyone. Additionally, McKenzie revealed that his department has arranged an international friendly match between Bafana Bafana legends from the 2010 World Cup squad and their Mexican counterparts in Pachuca, Mexico, on 8 June.