‘I know things': McKenzie says he'd testify in SAPS commission of inquiry
On Sunday, Ramaphosa announced the commission, chaired by acting deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, will be established to investigate allegations of political interference in the police service by senior law enforcement officials, including police minister Senzo Mchunu.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, McKenzie said he'd be willing to testify if asked.
'I'm going to testify at the commission because I know things,' he said.
'If they call me, I'm going. There are guns in the Western Cape that are killing our people.
'This one is not about getting your popcorn ready, it's about getting the popcorn factory ready because of the corruption that is going to come out of there. Every gang boss of every cartel in the world, you always hear they are arrested in South Africa, they are here. What are these people doing here?'
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Daily Maverick
2 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Patriotic Alliance crisis — McKenzie set to announce next move in Kunene saga
All eyes will be on the Patriotic Alliance as it seeks to clarify the next steps in the ongoing Kenny Kunene saga after his resignation from the City of Johannesburg council. On Monday, 28 July, Patriotic Alliance (PA) president Gayton McKenzie is expected to announce the party's new representative in the City of Johannesburg following the resignation of Kenny Kunene, the party's deputy president. Kunene resigned as councillor and as Johannesburg mayoral committee member (MMC) for transport on 25 July after he was found at the Sandton house of murder accused Katiso 'KT' Molefe earlier in the week when police were there to arrest Molefe. Party spokesperson Steve Motale told Daily Maverick that, as the party, 'we believe in the innocence' of Kunene. Kunene has been suspended from PA activities for 30 days while an internal investigation is under way. However, Motale said there was no replacement for Kunene and he 'remains the deputy president'. Kunene would return to work as soon as the investigation had been concluded. McKenzie is expected to issue an update on Kunene on Monday, in an address to party followers on Facebook. Kunene made headlines after he was seen at the home of Molefe, who was arrested in connection with the killing of Oupa Sefoka, popularly known as DJ Sumbody, in a 2022 drive-by shooting in Woodmead, Johannesburg. He died alongside his bodyguard after the vehicle they were travelling in was peppered with bullets. As Daily Maverick reported, Kunene claimed he was not friends with Molefe, but had visited the Sandton house in his capacity as owner of online publication African News Global. He had gone there with an unnamed individual who had arranged for Kunene's media company to conduct an exclusive interview with Molefe. Alongside Kunene was an unnamed journalist who would be conducting the interview. In a media blitz last week Kunene claimed to be in the process of removing himself from the publication owing to time constraints, and handing it over to young journalists. McKenzie described Kunene as his brother, and the two are godparents to each other's children. Kunene, McKenzie said, 'would never get involved with murders. That's not him. He's a good man.' Kunene's suspension and resignations On Friday, 25 July, McKenzie posted on X about his communication with party secretary-general Chinelle Stevens about Kunene's suspension as PA deputy president. In his letter, McKenzie said this came from engagements with Kunene 'regarding certain allegations that have arisen against him. These relate to a public perception that his provided reasons for being found at the home of an alleged member of a murder syndicate should be tested.' According to McKenzie, Kunene 'has agreed to cooperate with an investigation, which will be led by a competent legal team. Until such time as he is fully cleared, he has agreed to step aside from his political role in the PA, and he will therefore not act and work in any official capacity in the party while on suspension.' Kunene then also resigned as councillor and transport MMC, in letters addressed to Johannesburg council speaker Margarete Arnolds and mayor Dada Morero. This is the hardest letter I ever had to write in my entire life, for sake of full transparency I am putting it here. — Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) July 26, 2025 As Daily Maverick has reported, only Morero has the prerogative to remove or replace MMCs, which he can do at any time and without council approval, according to section 60 of the Municipal Systems Act. This crisis has engulfed the PA during a week in which it won another by-election – in the DA heartland of Drakenstein (Paarl, Wellington) – as the party steadily makes inroads across the country in terms of electoral support at local government level. It is also part of the Government of National Unity. The DA in Johannesburg said it noted Kunene's resignation. Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, the party's Johannesburg caucus leader, said in a statement that even though Kunene was no longer a councillor, the party still demanded an investigation of 'all contracts and procurement processes at the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA); full investigation into the contractors and procurement of the Lilian Ngoyi Street Repairs; full investigation into contracts, appointments and procurement processes at the Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC)'. Kunene, as transport MMC, had direct political oversight of these processes, organisations and projects. Daily Maverick's ongoing reporting in Johannesburg reveals potholes, unstable leadership and service delivery problems, from water to roads. Kayser-Echeozonjoku said: 'Should the Executive Mayor fail to respond to the DA within 7 days, the DA will use all avenues at our disposal, including approaching law enforcement with the information available to us, to hold the Executive Mayor as Shareholder representative himself responsible for the alleged irregularities at JRA and MTC.' Kunene's resignation from the mayoral committee comes as a reshuffle is due for Morero, since Arnolds is no longer the finance MMC after becoming speaker. Motale told Daily Maverick that the PA still had a seat on the mayoral committee and Morero would communicate the next steps soon. Good party councillor in Johannesburg, Matthew Cook, said that 'while questions remain regarding his relationship with murder-accused Katiso 'KT' Molefe, we acknowledge Kunene's decision to step aside as a responsible and necessary step in defence of public trust.' Cook, who is the party's national chairperson, said: 'Kunene's resignation, while not an admission of wrongdoing, demonstrates a degree of maturity often absent in local government. His departure allows space for due process, transparency and a fair resolution in the interest of all parties involved.' He continued: 'Johannesburg has no shortage of urgent issues demanding attention: collapsing infrastructure, growing commuter frustrations, service delivery backlogs and a need to overhaul the city's transport networks. These challenges require an MMC that is fully focused, credible and above reproach.' He said: 'Good remains committed to placing the interests of Johannesburg's residents above politics. We support all efforts to promote ethical governance, safeguard due process and reinforce a culture of accountability, transparency and dignity in local government.' DM
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Trump's Tariffs Must Sow the Seeds for a National Reawakening
Zamikhaya Maseti | Published 9 hours ago Zamikhaya Maseti On August 1, 2025 , South Africa will enter a zone of strategic economic pain, engineered not by global market fluctuations, but by the vengeful hands of conservative economic nationalism. The United States, under the reins of Donald J. Trump, will impose a 30 per cent tariff on all goods and products exported from South Africa to the American markets. This is not a policy of trade readjustment; it is a geoeconomic act of hostility. The justification, wrapped in the language of " reciprocity, " is in reality a strategic blow aimed at disciplining South Africa's geopolitical posture and diplomatic boldness. Trump's economic nationalism, which sits at the ideological centre of Conservative Republicanism, is not merely inward-looking. It is punitive, retaliatory, and profoundly regressive. It has shaken the global trade architecture, not to recalibrate it, but to bend it in favour of America's new mercantilist order. This doctrine does not merely target trade imbalances; it punishes defiance. South Africa is now paying the price for standing on principle, particularly for its posture on Palestine and its landmark case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. It is clear, painfully so, that South Africa is being economically strangled not for what it trades, but for what it believes. Some Western analysts, ever keen to defend the status quo, will dispute this. They will search for economic rationality in an act that is blatantly political. Let them continue their intellectual gymnastics. This moment calls for clarity, not politeness. The truth is that Trump's worldview is transactional and tribal, and in that logic, South Africa has become collateral. That South Africa is seen as an irritant in Washington's new world order is not coincidental; it is structural. And let it be said without fear, Trump's policy on South Africa is influenced not only by economic calculations but by the mythologies peddled by actors like AfriForum and Elon Musk, who have exported the lie of white genocide into America's political bloodstream. But this is not the time for victimhood, nor is it the moment for diplomatic lamentation. It is time for South Africa to do some difficult thinking and embrace a new, muscular pragmatism . Diplomatic efforts, however noble, are unlikely to change Trump's position. Minister Parks Tau and his diplomatic team may work tirelessly, but they are facing a political machine that does not respond to nuance. Trump's narrative is fixed , and in that narrative, South Africa is an unfriendly trading partner whose tariffs harm American interests. He argues, correctly or not, that South African import duties and market access protocols are unfavourable to US goods. That argument, however flawed, resonates with his domestic base, and therefore it will stand. The United States will not blink , and it will not backtrack . Thus, it is not sufficient for South Africa to hope against hope; it must respond. Minister Parks Tau, trade envoys, and industrial leaders must now do the hard intellectual and strategic labour of repositioning the country's economic posture. Nowhere is this urgency more pressing than in the automotive sector, a critical node of South Africa's manufacturing ecosystem. This sector is not only a source of direct jobs; it sustains a complex web of downstream industries, from component manufacturing and logistics to retail and after-market services. It is here that the 30 per cent tariff will hit hardest, and it is here that innovation, not inertia, must be summoned . The sector must accept that the American market , for the foreseeable future, has lost ground. The time has come for South Africa to pivot decisively toward other markets, especially those aligned with its economic diplomacy ambitions. The first option lies in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the single largest integrated market on the continent , and the largest globally by number of countries. With over 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding $3.4 trillion, the AfCFTA offers South Africa a natural and politically friendly trading space. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, presents high-value demand for affordable, durable automotive products, especially among its emerging middle classes and youthful populations. Research shows that more than 60 per cent of the region's population is under the age of 25, representing a long-term demand curve that is not speculative, but empirically grounded. Yet, South African companies have been slow to leverage this opportunity. There remains an unhealthy fog of Afro-pessimism and the lingering delusion of South African exceptionalism. These intellectual blindfolds must be cast aside . Africa is not a dumping ground; it is a destination for growt h. The automotive industry must shift from waiting for trade to come to it and instead begin creating strategic partnerships in East, West, and Central Africa. This includes setting up joint ventures, service hubs, and low-cost satellite assembly plants across regional economic communities. The second and equally strategic option lies in a new industrial partnership with China. The presence and popularity of Chinese-made vehicles in the South African domestic market has reached a saturation point. They are competitively priced, technologically competent, and now represent a serious challenge to traditional brands. But if left unmanaged, this trend could lead to the hollowing out of South Africa's manufacturing base. South Africa must use its BRICS membership as a strategic lever. China must be persuaded to localise the manufacturing of its automotive brands in South Africa. This is not a charity request; it is a strategic proposal. Chinese companies should be invited to co-invest in high-tech manufacturing and assembly infrastructure in Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal. This could take the form of co-assembled production alongside legacy OEMs like Mercedes-Benz SA, which now face looming layoffs. The South African government must incentivise this localisation through targeted industrial policy, special economic zones, and technology-sharing frameworks. In this regard, the principle of ' South Africa Inc ' must be revived with urgency. Under President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa Inc refers to the coordinated use of economic diplomacy, government strategy, and business networks to advance national economic interests abroad. Its objectives are to integrate South African companies into key markets, attract strategic investment, and drive regional industrialisation. In Southern Africa, this approach has already delivered notable success, such as increased South African corporate presence in Zambia, Namibia, and Mozambique, particularly in retail, finance, and energy sectors. Now is the time to bring the automotive sector under this umbrella. South African diplomatic missions across Africa and Asia must be tasked explicitly with facilitating market entry, assembling policy frameworks, and brokering industrial partnerships for local manufacturers. This is not merely export promotion; it is the safeguarding of South Africa's industrial sovereignty. In conclusion, the Trump tariffs should not be seen as the end of a trade relationship, but as the beginning of a deeper national reawakening. The South African government must retool its economic diplomacy, its industrial incentives, and its regional vision. The automotive sector, in particular, must abandon old comfort zones and rise to this moment with the courage of imagination and the rigour of strategy. What is at stake is more than exports; it is the future of South Africa's industrial identity. * Zamikhaya Maseti is a Political Economy Analyst with a Magister Philosophiae (M. PHIL) in South African Politics and Political Economy from the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), now known as the Nelson Mandela University (NMU). ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
The Herald
5 hours ago
- The Herald
Three nabbed after armed robbery and rhino killed at Paulpietersburg game reserve
'While busy with their criminal activity, they were distracted by the sound of an alarm which had been activated. They fled the scene, leaving behind the shotgun next to the rhino carcass,' said Magwaza. He said police were alerted to the incident and responded swiftly. 'Upon their arrival at the scene, the suspects had already fled the game reserve. Police members, together with private security personnel, worked tirelessly throughout the day looking for the suspects. With assistance from community members, the suspects were eventually arrested as they took refuge in the bush.' said Magwaza. Police seized an R5 rifle, a 303 rifle and a rhino horn. The suspects' vehicle was also seized. The suspects were charged with armed robbery, rhino poaching and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. They will appear at the Vryheid magistrate's court on Monday. TimesLIVE
