Zim economy is stable and growing
"We say you can't quarrel with success. The president has delivered economic success, and it speaks for itself. That's a middle-class economy that we are creating,"
"It is why our economy is pumping, that is why there is political stability, because when you create a middle-class economy, you have also created stability in the economy," Mutsvangwa explained.
But former Finance Minister Tendai Biti says corruption has led to the total collapse of the country's economy.
"I reckon that we are losing as much as US$5 billion a year through smuggling. So whilst the economy is overheating and it's producing a lot of extractive commodities, there are not benefiting any individual, they are not benefiting the country, and they are not transforming lives. So when Zanu PF claims that this economy is growing, it's meaningless growth because it can't be seen and experienced by any Zimbabweans," argued Biti.
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The South African
3 hours ago
- The South African
Donald Trump hints at skipping G20 summit in South Africa
US President Donald Trump has hinted that he may not attend the G20 leaders' summit in South Africa this November, citing continued dissatisfaction with the country's domestic and international policies. 'I think maybe I'll send somebody else because I've had a lot of problems with South Africa. They have some very bad policies,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. The summit, scheduled to take place under South Africa's G20 presidency, is expected to be a key global diplomatic event. However, Trump's comments add fuel to already tense US-South Africa relations. Trump's criticism comes on the back of several contentious issues: South Africa's land reform policies : Trump has previously accused South Africa of land seizures and 'white genocide,' though these claims have been widely discredited. : Trump has previously accused South Africa of land seizures and 'white genocide,' though these claims have been widely discredited. International litigation : The US has opposed South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) , where Pretoria accused Israel of genocide over its actions in Gaza. : The US has opposed South Africa's case at the , where Pretoria accused over its actions in Gaza. Economic friction : In February, Trump signed an executive order slashing US financial aid to South Africa , criticising the country's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws as discriminatory. : In February, Trump signed an executive order slashing , criticising the country's laws as discriminatory. Diplomatic boycotts: Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted a G20 foreign ministers' meeting hosted in South Africa. The ongoing Gaza conflict – which has left tens of thousands dead, displaced millions, and led to accusations of war crimes – has further divided Washington and Pretoria. South Africa continues to press its genocide case against Israel, a close US ally. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed Trump's accusations, defending the country's land and economic policies as legitimate redress of historical injustices. He has urged Trump to attend the G20 summit, framing it as an opportunity for dialogue and diplomacy. If Trump follows through on skipping the summit, it would mark a major diplomatic snub, especially given South Africa's role as the current G20 chair. It remains to be seen who the US might send in his place. Analysts suggest Trump's decision could further deepen geopolitical divisions within the G20 and complicate discussions on global cooperation – particularly on issues of trade, security, and climate change. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Mail & Guardian
16 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
Don't eat alone — we also want to, whistleblowers allegedly told Polokwane municipal manager
Polokwane mayor John Mpe. (Polokwane Municipality) Polokwane mayor The 'fake' whistleblowers had contacted municipal manager Mail & Guardian . The mayor spoke after leaked documents surfaced on social media last week purporting to show that the Mpe alleged that one so-called whistleblower had called the city manager, saying: 'We are aware that it is your time to eat, we are just saying also allow us to eat.' 'Is that the language of a whistleblower and somebody who wants to fight corruption? If there's somebody who must benefit from our projects, it's our community,' Mpe said. 'You can see that this person might be even from the inside [the municipality]. This has made us realise that we are stopping the rot, hence they have been looking at what they can get from this person [Nemugumoni]. We need to fight corruption — not on the basis of who is benefiting.' Mpe said some former contractors with the municipality were angry that work previously done by them was now being insourced and were trying to create the impression of widespread corruption in the municipality as payback. He cited the example of the City of Polokwane taking over the maintenance of the Peter Mokaba Stadium, work which had been done by private contractors. The city had also cancelled contracts for fleet cards — credit cards used to manage expenses for municipal vehicles. 'Now it is our workers that are cleaning the stadium and the stadium is in good condition. We show tangible things that we have stopped. There were Polokwane fleet cards which were being managed by private contractors. The question is why would the municipality hire somebody to organise fleet cards for its own cars? Why can't they go to their banker?' 'The cards were from [one] bank while the municipality was banking with another bank. 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How will I know who is having a boyfriend? How will I manage that part? If they have got [tangible] information about such a relationship, which would be a conflict of interest between the accounting officer and that particular person, they need to bring that information to us,' he said. 'Going into the personal life of somebody means I must [summon] the city manager and say, 'Who is your new boyfriend and what is happening in your life?' from time to time.' He also disputed the allegation that the municipality has preferred Zimbabwean-owned companies over South African ones. 'They have mentioned eight companies out of more than 150 companies that are doing business with the municipality. If people have got permanent residency and IDs in South Africa, can you stop them from doing business in South Africa on the basis that they were born somewhere in Malawi? You can't do that.' The source who spoke to the M&G said Mpe was facing another corruption matter with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the This, according to the source, was in order to check that companies doing business with the municipality, including that of Nemugumoni's boyfriend, were not giving kickbacks to Mpe via the foundation. However, in an affidavit dated 24 July 2025, which the M&G has seen, the Hawks in Limpopo withdrew an urgent application meant to be heard at the 'Based on the new information on the issue of the municipal manager, the Hawks had to withdraw the case so they could amend their charge sheet. The foundation got a sum of R8 million and they can't account for where it came from,' the source said. On Monday, ActionSA chairperson in Limpopo Victor Mothemela opened a corruption case against Mpe and the municipal manager, citing allegations that also surfaced on social media that R750 million was irregularly paid to companies whose owners have close ties to both of them. Build One South Africa Limpopo provincial leader Ngako Setji has also approached the Special Investigating Unit for forensic probes into the allegations. On Monday, Hawks spokesperson 'We will have a meeting today with all the relevant people to find out where this thing is coming from and what is happening,' Mbambo said. She added that the Hawks had never brought an application to court and would meet with the people said to have deposed the affidavit. 'We just saw that we have agreed to pay the R1.2 million in legal fees for withdrawing the case, so that is why we are saying we have to meet up with everybody relevant to say who authorised the things that are being said,' Mbambo said. Mpe said the issue had been drummed up by his detractors within his 'This is orchestrated from within the organisation. There are people who are within the ANC [but] are no longer with the ANC by their conduct and their actions, you can see.' Mpe acknowledged the need to fix governance in the municipality, which he said had a culture of impunity for wrongdoers. 'If we had bad intentions, why would we appoint people who have credible qualifications to fix some of our challenges, to fix the internal control deficiencies that we have?' he said. 'So, they then say, 'What can we get from him [Mpe] so that he stops these administrative reforms?' If we were not doing our work in Polokwane, how did we improve the audit outcome in the 2022-23 financial year and maintain those improvements over the past three years?'
The Citizen
18 hours ago
- The Citizen
Citrus growers call on president to urgently intervene about 30% US tariff
While other industries can wait for government to negotiate the US tariff down, citrus growers could be stuck with boxes of rotten fruit. With mere days to go before Friday, when the US tariff of 30% on South African goods kicks in, the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on him to urgently intervene on behalf of rural communities in the Northern and Western Cape, where citrus exported to the US is grown and where livelihoods rely on the US-SA citrus trade. 'This week, with the tariff deadline on Friday, is one of great anxiety for the citrus growers in the Western and Northern Cape. These two provinces annually export about 7 million cartons of citrus to the US,' Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele, CEO of the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa (CGA), says. The association has asked Ramaphosa to urgently facilitate an extension of the current 10% US tariff beyond 1 August, which would allow for negotiations to reach a mutually beneficial trade agreement. The CGA also requested that, if a general extension of the deadline is not possible, an urgent request for a specific extension for seasonal fresh produce should be secured. 'Seasonal fresh produce is perishable and cannot be stored for extended periods like other trade products. We just passed the midpoint of the 2025 export season, which means that hundreds of thousands of cartons of citrus are ready in packhouses to be shipped to the US over the next few weeks. The implementation of a 30% tariff on 1 August will mean most of this fruit will be left unsold.' 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The social fabric of some rural towns in the Western and Northern Cape is threatened. 'Local growers also say a 30% tariff will not only stifle future growth but lead to the eventual destruction of between 500 and 1 000 ha of land that would simply become unprofitable.' ALSO READ: Trump tariffs implemented in same week SA citrus growers pack for US export Letter to the president about US tariff In the letter to the president, the CGA highlighted that, while much focus has been placed on market diversification in the past few weeks as a general answer to the trade turmoil, certain realities must be considered. 'Citrus is grown for designated markets, each with their own precise market and plant health specifications. Therefore, it is not easy to simply divert citrus from the US and find a new market. Should some citrus be diverted away from the US, the diversion could very well depress the price in these markets through oversupply, negatively impacting the entire Southern African citrus industry. 'The citrus industry has the potential to create 100 000 additional jobs by 2032 because of new plantings, but for this to be realised, we require the expansion of every market—including the US, China, India, the European Union, and others,' the CGA says in the letter. Ntshabele says while the CGA acknowledges measures of progress made in the US trade negotiations, it is of the opinion that more direct and active contact with the US is necessary before the 1 August deadline. ALSO READ: Devastating impact of US tariffs on SA automotive sector even before implementation US tariff much worse than losing Agoa status Arthur Kamp, chief economist at Sanlam Investments, says South Africa's direct trade exposure to the US is relatively modest but not insignificant. In 2024, goods exports to the US amounted to R156.8 billion (7.6% of total South African goods exports and 2.1% of GDP). The US announced a 30% tariff increase for South Africa. 'After taking the 25% US import tariff increases on aluminium, steel, and motor vehicles into account, while also adjusting for exclusions, we estimate the overall effective US tariff increase for South Africa is likely to be less than 20%.' However, he points out that this is still a large increase and is likely to cause a sharp decrease in South African exports to the US, including motor vehicles. 'We note that vehicle exports to the US were already significantly down last month, indicating manufacturers readjusting and finding new markets for finished goods, as total vehicle exports were up by 3%. 'While some exclusions may also be rescinded, it is important to understand that the impact will be far greater than losing our AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) status alone. 'Downward revisions to South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for 2025 should result, while combined with heightened geopolitical risk, the effect on business sentiment and investment could be more pronounced, particularly given South Africa's dependence on the US for foreign capital, especially portfolio capital, which is highly liquid.'
