Tell us Mr President, how do you classify race and how are you helping Apartheid victims find closure?
Image: GCIS
What legislative laws does the South African government rely on when it classifies Coloured, Indian, whites, and the Khoi-San people as not being African?
And what has President Cyril Ramaphosa done to expedite the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations that attempts were made to prevent the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes?
These will be among the tough questions that Ramaphosa will answer when he appears before the National Assembly today.
The president is scheduled to appear at least once a quarter during Parliament's annual programme to respond in person to questions raised by members of parliament.
The question relating to racial classification was raised by Marlon Daniels, the Chief Whip of the Patriotic Alliance, while the leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party wants to know from Ramaphosa if the families of apartheid victims are being updated about his interventions to help them find closure and for him to specify what those interventions are.
Other questions to the head of state include what steps the government were taking to reform taxation related to renewable energy.
Mdumiseni Ntuli, the Chief Whip of the African National Congress will raise the question given that the global transition from green-house gas emissions to renewable energy is creating an unprecedented rising demand for metals and minerals.
Ntuli said this presents an opportunity for South Africa which is a mineral-rich country to better leverage its resources to finance development and infrastructure, diversify the economy, expand energy access and avoid instances where resource wealth fails to translate into broad development.
His question delves into whether the government will be implementing a resource rent tax to increase revenue and finance development infrastructure and economic diversification in line with the World Bank Report.
Ramaphosa will also respond to Cornelius Mulder, the Freedom Front's Chief Whip question on the new economic policies that he and his Cabinet has developed since being sworn into the Government of National Unity in July last year.
The ANC's Moleboheng Modise-Mpya will raise the issue of what engagements have been initiated with the Russian Federation with regard to ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This follows the recent official visit of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to South African, where he expressed concerns about the continuing conflict that has led to the loss of civilian lives, damage to critical infrastructure and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Zelenskyy had told Ramaphosa that peace can only be obtained through diplomacy, inclusive dialogue and a commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
29 minutes ago
- IOL News
Where does South Africa rank on fair holiday pay? A global look at worker protections
We take a look into how public holiday pay in South Africa compares to the rest of the world. Lawmakers are currently reviewing ambiguities in public holiday pay regulations under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), but how does the country stack up against international standards when it comes to compensating workers for time off? Under South African labour law, workers who agree to work on a public holiday are generally entitled to double their ordinary pay or their normal wage plus what they earn on the day, whichever is greater. However, recent debates in Parliament have revealed that this section of the law is not as crystal clear as it should be, potentially opening the door to underpayment. As Parliament seeks to resolve this ambiguity, it's worth asking: How fair is South Africa's public holiday pay compared to other countries?
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Eskom dismisses false claims of imminent load shedding in July
Siyabonga Sithole | Published 2 weeks ago Eskom has strongly rejected false claims circulating online about imminent stage 4 and stage 6 loadshedding from 6 July until 20 July with the power utility saying the country's power system remains stable with loadshedding suspended since 10pm 15 May 2025. " The Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. It indicates that loadshedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, loadshedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2. There are no planned outages of this scale. Misinformation causes unnecessary alarm. Stay informed—trust only official Eskom updates on our official platforms," the power utility said. This past week, electricity and energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said municipalities with a combined debt of over R100 billion have not been able to reduce the amounts they owe to Eskom. The minister added that the ongoing challenges could result in the total collapse of the South African electricity complex. The minister described Eskom's challenge of supplying electricity but being unable to collect revenue as an 'existential problem'. 'They are spending money they must collect from the bulk consumer, and where they are reticulating. They are finding it difficult to collect, so they're unable to reinvest back into their asset base. It's going to result in, if not managed, a total collapse of the electricity complex in the country," Ramokgopa said. On Friday, Eskom revealed that despite the high unplanned outages and severe weather conditions in parts of South Africa, the available generation capacity was enough to meet peak demand. The power utility also revealed that for the week of 20 to 26 June 2025, unplanned outages averaged 14 696MW, exceeding last year's figure by 2 815MW and the base case estimate of 13 000MW by 1 696MW. It said the increase was largely due to Medupi Unit 4, which has been offline since August 2021 and was scheduled to return on 30 May 2025. The delay in its return was factored into the unplanned outage calculations from 1 June 2025, adding 800MW. Year-to-date, average unplanned outages stand at 14 031MW. [email protected]
IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation Calls for President Ramaphosa to Step Down Over Corruption Inaction
n a statement, the Foundation's chairperson, Dr Allan Boesak, criticised what he described as the President's lack of decisive leadership in tackling corruption and protecting the integrity of public institutions. The Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation has issued a bold call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign, accusing him of failing to confront the deepening corruption crisis in the country. This comes in the wake of recent allegations involving top police officials and the President's decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave. The Foundation reacted strongly to Ramaphosa's move to establish a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate claims made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Commissioner Mkhwanazi has accused Minister Mchunu and several senior police figures of interfering in ongoing criminal investigations, raising serious concerns about political meddling in law enforcement. In a statement, the Foundation's chairperson, Dr Allan Boesak, criticised what he described as the President's lack of decisive leadership in tackling corruption and protecting the integrity of public institutions. 'We cannot pretend any longer that President Ramaphosa is serious about fighting corruption,' said Boesak. 'Since the time he took office, we would have hoped for bold and clear leadership. But time and again, he has failed to act when it mattered. His inaction sends a message that there are no real consequences for those who undermine justice.' Boesak said the President's response to the growing crisis in the police ranks shows weakness rather than commitment. 'Placing a minister on special leave and launching another inquiry are not signs of strong leadership. These are attempts to delay and deflect, not to resolve,' he added. The Foundation, which upholds the legacy of anti-apartheid leaders Walter and Albertina Sisulu, said the public deserves more than promises and commissions. According to Boesak, ordinary South Africans continue to suffer the consequences of corruption, including poor service delivery, rising crime, and growing inequality. The call for Ramaphosa's resignation marks a rare intervention by a respected civil society organisation rooted in the country's liberation history. It also reflects mounting frustration among citizens and civic leaders who feel that political accountability is being avoided under the guise of legal processes. The Presidency has not yet responded to the Foundation's statement. However, sources within government say the inquiry into the police interference claims will begin within the coming weeks, and the terms of reference are being finalised. Political analysts say the situation places renewed pressure on the President, who has long positioned himself as a reformer committed to cleaning up government. But with public trust in law enforcement and political leadership continuing to decline, critics argue that time is running out for Ramaphosa to prove that his administration is serious about change. For now, the Foundation is standing firm in its stance, insisting that only a fresh start under new leadership will restore public confidence and begin the difficult task of rebuilding institutions affected by years of political interference and corruption.
