The right to rest: why South African women should get menstrual leave
via The Citizen4 min read
Bontle Moka, founder of the Heal Endo Movement, highlights that the current menstrual health debate in parliament extends beyond free pads. Moka emphasizes the need for the law to recognize that for many South Africans, menstruation is a debilitating, whole-body battle. The proposed Menstrual Health Rights Bill aims to ensure access to safe period products and workplace support for severe pain, including for women with endometriosis. Moka warns that if the Bill does not formally recognize chronic menstrual conditions, women may feel compelled to misrepresent their health. She states that taking a day off without pay individualizes a systemic health issue, forcing many to work through debilitating pain. Nokuzola Ndwandwe, founder of Team Free Sanitary Pads, shared her experience of working through severe period pain in a male-dominated workplace before her endometriosis diagnosis. Ndwandwe believes expecting women to bear both the cost of menstrual products and health consequences is a failure of economic justice. Moka envisions a Bill that includes workplace accommodations like heating pads and remote work options, and covers flare-ups and premenstrual dysphoric disorder episodes. She stresses that employees must be protected from discrimination due to their condition, viewing menstrual health as a human right. Moka advocates for specialized training for GPs in public clinics to enable early identification of endometriosis, and for the legislation to pivot from 'hygiene' to '
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed South Africa鈥檚 condolences following the death of former Qatari Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who passed away on Sunday, 12 July 2026, at 74 years old. Ramaphosa described Sheikh Hamad as a visionary leader whose "legacy of peace, prosperity and global influence continues to inspire the world." He extended sympathies to Qatar's Royal Family, government, and people, highlighting South Africa's close friendship with Qatar. Ramaphosa noted that Qatar, under Sheikh Hamad's leadership, became a model of peace, development, prosperity, and global influence. Sheikh Hamad's 18-year rule saw Qatar transform from an economy reliant on oil to the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, with one of the highest per capita incomes, achieved through strategic investment in productive assets, financial institutions, infrastructure, and human capital.
The Public Investment Corporation PIC Board has placed its Chief Executive, Patrick Dlamini, on precautionary suspension following a whistleblower report submitted last month. This decision, announced on Monday, comes after weeks of internal disagreements and allegations of impropriety. The PIC, which manages the pension savings of 1.3 million civil servants, has faced scrutiny over governance and financial losses from politically connected investments, with approximately R67 billion invested in nearly 150 unlisted entities since 2005, and at least 78 of these experiencing losses. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana reportedly clashed with PIC Chair David Masondo over the handling of a report commissioned by Dlamini and a subsequent whistleblower tip-off. PIC spokesperson Sipho Mofokeng stated that the suspension provides Dlamini space to respond to allegations and ensures a fair investigation, emphasizing it does not imply wrongdoing. Interim arrangements for an Acting CEO are being finalized. Additionally, the Board announced leadership changes in its investment division, with August Van Heerden ceasing to serve as Acting Chief Investment Officer. Leon Smit, Head for Fixed Income in Listed Investments, will be appointed as Acting CIO. Smit, who joined the PIC in 2000, has previously acted as CIO and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Economics from the University of Pretoria, along with advanced qualifications in Treasury Management, Financial Markets, and FAIS. The PIC
The uMkhonto weSizwe MK party has announced the appointment of former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede as its new member and deputy convener for KwaZulu-Natal. This announcement was made during a briefing on Monday, 13 July, where party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu welcomed Gumede, highlighting her political experience in the region and South Africa. Gumede, who was previously a member of the ANC, joins the MK party while facing a corruption case. She and 21 co-accused are charged with multiple offenses related to an irregular Durban Solid Waste tender exceeding R300 million. The charges include conspiracy to commit corruption, corruption, fraud, money laundering, racketeering, and contraventions of the Municipal Finance Management Act and Municipal Systems Act. During the briefing, the MK party also called for the dismissal of suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu and condemned the Legal Practice Council's application to have former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane struck from the roll of advocates. Additionally, Mahlangu addressed claims that the party was experiencing financial difficulties, refuting a Sunday World article that reported the closure of provincial offices due to unpaid rent, and labeling the journalist a "propagandist running an anti-MK campaign."