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IOL News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Letters to the editor: We need a good attitude to work together and fix South Africa, no 'holier-than-thou' sentiments
We need a better attitude to fix SA The visit to America by Freedom Front+ leaders is an undermining of the authority of the President and his cabinet. As a sovereign state, South Africa has the right to make its own decisions and not be 'coerced' by American requests'. Being 'coerced' is the impression I got, because the implication is, if we don't meet their demands, our economy will suffer'. The President has already made himself clear on the denouncement of 'kill the Boer'. It should not be taken up literally, because if it were so, we would have already seen a real genocide. The small group of Afrikaners who exchanged their identity to become 'Amerikaners', is testimony to the fact that there is no genocide. The colonial conquest of South Africa included acts of genocide by a 'Christianing' Europe against the Khoi and San people. I speculate that descendants of these colonists (possibly AWB, FF+, their family and circle of friends) have probably shouted during apartheid 'slaan die hotnot' and 'skiet die k****' People of colour have lost more lives during the Struggle due to police brutality, than present day farm murders. As a product of 1976, other students and I had to run for our lives across a field when the police shot at us. Who can forget the brutal murders of Ashley Kriel, Robbie Waterwitch, Colleen Williams, the Cradock 4, Chris Hani, Steve Biko, Hector Pieterson, et al? If they (the FF+ and other colonialist descendants) are genuine in getting South Africa back on track, I would appeal to them not to fly to America, but to come forward on home soil to repent for the sins of their forefathers and start the process of restoration, reconciliation and restitution. This will lay the platform for the spiritual, social and economic revival to eradicate poverty, inequality and unemployment. Let's leave the holier-than-thou attitude behind and be humble enough to get our hands dirty in order to clean up the mess that the majority of South African find themselves in 'Helping Hands for A Better Future'. | Clive Solomon Goodwood Poultry vaccination a game changer The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal welcomes the announcement by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen that South Africa will begin its first-ever national poultry vaccination programme against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This is a decisive step in protecting the agricultural economy – and in KZN, it could be game-changing. KZN is home to a significant and growing poultry industry. From large-scale commercial operations to emerging black farmers and subsistence producers in rural municipalities, poultry farming remains the single most important source of both affordable protein and agricultural employment in the province. Recent outbreaks of avian influenza have devastated producers across the country. For KZN, where rural livelihoods are often centred around backyard poultry operations or smallholder commercial ventures, the economic risks of HPAI are immense. By proactively rolling out vaccinations, Minister Steenhuisen is not only protecting South African poultry – he is safeguarding food security, rural incomes, and economic stability in provinces like ours. We further call on the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to: ■ Ensure full alignment with the national rollout plan, with special emphasis on rural and small-scale poultry producers; ■ Deploy veterinary support and training teams to all districts to assist with safe vaccination and biosecurity awareness; ■ Prioritise emerging black farmers and cooperatives to prevent inequitable access -to disease control interventions. We are especially encouraged by this action as a signal of a more responsive, science-based agricultural policy environment under the new Government of National Unity. The DA, in its role in the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) in KZN, will continue to monitor implementation and provide oversight to ensure that this programme reaches every farmer – not just the biggest, but also the most vulnerable. | SAKHILE MNGADI, MPL DA KZN spokesperson on Agriculture AI being willfully misused in law As a practicing attorney and someone who has been at the side bar for almost 40 years, I'm seeing more and more attorneys using Artificial Intelligence for not only their research but also their letters. Fortunately, their letters are completely see through and one can pick up the stultified manner in which AI writes letters. In one particular case, acting Judge DJ Smit had the lawyer (advocate) admit that the citation emanated from AI. In a previous case lawyers have been referred to be disciplined at the Legal Practice Council. We are probably going to see more and more of this. However, what is becoming a real nightmare is that when you do see clients and they ask for an opinion on a legal issue or on the strength of their case, they come armed with AI advice to not only challenge you but also to second guess. The advice that they pick up is sometimes enormously problematic and wrong. I have had quite a few clients advising me that they are going to go rather with the AI advice because it suits them better. This has had enormously destructive consequences for the clients. I suspect that they don't even bother to go and get the advice checked out by a lawyer. | MICHAEL BAGRAIM Cape Town LETTERS
Daily Maverick
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
BEE — the beginning of a new phase in an old fight thanks to Trump and Ramaphosa
For reasons involving both the Trump administration and the inclusion of the DA and the FF+ in our national coalition, the issue of BEE is again becoming increasingly prominent. President Cyril Ramaphosa's robust defence of BEE suggests there could be an important political fight in the offing, while proposals from the Department of Mineral Resources suggest some in government will not retreat. On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa told Parliament he would not back down from the implementation of BEE, attacking those who oppose it. He said BEE was not holding back the economy, but rather that the concentrated nature of our economy was. He also defended using racial designations (that have their roots in apartheid and the National Party's Race Classification Act of 1950) as a means to do this (although he also said he does believe the day will come when this is no longer necessary). On the same day, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi (of the DA) was explaining to MPs why he would no longer require satellite services such as Starlink to give up some of their ownership for a license to operate here. At the same time, as previously mentioned, the political forces that oppose BEE have become much stronger in the past few months. That the DA is now in government (and has a deputy minister in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition) and US President Donald Trump's assault on race-based redress means this issue is becoming much more contested. In some ways, an attempt to redress the problems of our past, which have created our racialised inequality, is always going to be controversial. Considering that BEE includes measures that give preference to people of a particular race, it is almost surprising that we do not argue about it more. It goes to the heart of the South African project and is enshrined in our Constitution. For the moment, it seems that Ramaphosa, and others, may well be energised by this opposition. If you have benefited from a practice (as Ramaphosa and others have), you will defend it. There is plenty of evidence that people in the ANC, leaders both current and former, have benefited from BEE. This has become one of the strongest criticisms against it, that it is only because of their political links that some people have been made very wealthy. The DA has always been aware that much of its constituency opposes BEE. Even white people who agree with racial redress are allowed to feel frustrated when they are passed over for promotions, or their firms are ignored in certain deals, just because of their race. It may also create a situation where people, both white and black, feel they are not getting the deals or making the money they should, just because of their racial identity. While white people might blame BEE when their firms do not get deals, black people might well feel they are ignored because they are not part of the right network, or because decision-makers reward those who look the most like them. This can then allow everyone to blame factors other than their own competence or ability when they do not get what they aspire to. Those from the ANC who are in government also appear prepared to further extend the practice. Doubling down Recent proposed changes to the Mineral Resources Development Act, coming from the ministry headed by ANC chair Gwede Mantashe, go further than ever in demanding BEE – and some of its suggestions do not appear to make sense. For example, the draft suggests the mineral resources minister would have to be consulted before there is a change of ownership in a mining company. As mining lawyer Peter Leon told The Money Show on Tuesday evening, it would mean that companies listed on foreign exchanges, or owned by foreign nationals, would need permission to sell their companies, or stakes in them. Critics of the proposals (and there are many) suggest this has never happened anywhere. Also, it would insist that there be an empowerment partner just for a prospecting right. In other words, just for the right to see if a possible mineral deposit is economically viable to mine, a black person would have to be given a stake. This would increase the cost of prospecting and make it less likely that people will invest here. The Minerals Council also says that all its suggestions on the issue were ignored. If this is the case, why did the ministry bother speaking to the council at all? This might well indicate that the ministry, and perhaps the minister, do not care for the views of the industry, and that they intend to impose these changes. As our mining industry has shrunk, many people have made the point that among the reasons for this is simply government policy (and yet mining still matters. During the pandemic, it was royalties from the high price of our platinum that for a time helped to pay for the SRD grant). It may well be possible that some in the ANC would relish a fight with the DA on this issue. Like the National Health Insurance, it can be useful for both parties. It allows them to remind their constituencies why they should vote for them. Considering that the axis of our politics may be moving away from race in some ways, this could be very important for the ANC, which is looking for a reason to remind people to stay with the party. New opposition Meanwhile, it is clear that Ramaphosa is correct to remind us of the high levels of concentration in our economy. In 2021, the Competition Commission found that 'of the 144 sectors of the economy examined by the study, 69.5% were found to be highly concentrated, with 40.3% of sectors being highly concentrated with a presumptively dominant firm. Only 9.7% of sectors were found to have unconcentrated markets.' This is staggering, and a reminder of how little our economy has changed in some respects since 1994. It also confirms the thesis of those who believe our country is divided into 'insiders' and 'outsiders' and how difficult moving 'inside' the economy has become. While many things need to be done to grow our economy, finding ways to change this concentration might be one. In the meantime, the real political risk to BEE does not come from the DA or people who lose out from the practice. The opposition will come from people who stand to benefit from it. There may be a slow change under way that suggests more people are now beginning to oppose it. Professor William Gumede has recently outlined why he believes BEE is harming our economy, while others, such as ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba (and former chair of the Free Market Foundation), have always criticised it. Often, the main critique from these voices, and others, is that the same politically connected individuals have benefited again and again. The perception, created entirely by the ANC, that there can be some kind of link between BEE and cadre deployment, might well cause more damage to the perception of BEE than anything else. But to many millions of people in our country, the argument around BEE is almost meaningless. They do not ever hope to have ownership in any company, or even control over who does. They simply want a job, to create a sustainable income for themselves and their families. As the coalition keeps promising to create jobs, questions about whether BEE really does harm our economy will become more prominent for some time to come. DM
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
EFF accused of hypocrisy after Kleinfontein march
The Freedom Front Plus said the EFF's march to Kleinfontein 'was nothing but political theatrics'. Supporters of the EFF march to Kleinfontein, a Afrikaner-only settlement near Pretoria, 2 May 2025, to demonstrate its disapproval of what it described as a racist 'whites only enclave' in a democratic state. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen The EFF marched to the Afrikaner-only settlement in Kleinfontein on Friday demanding that its 'segregation' policies be abolished. EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said the party was against an area only wanting one race to live there. 'We can never allow an area to be a white-only area, where black people are only subjected to sweat and slavery but cannot reside in that area. There is no single area in South Africa or even the City of Tshwane that is a black-only area,' he said. 'Kleinfontein must fall, it must cease to exist,' he said. ALSO READ: Kleinfontein: EFF says police 'protecting insecurities of white people' (VIDEOS) WATCH: EFF marches to Kleinfontein EFF accused of political theatrics However, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) on Saturday said the EFF's march to Kleinfontein 'was nothing but political theatrics'. It accused the EFF of trying to turn attention away from the poor performance of the Tshwane government. The EFF is in a coalition with the ANC and ActionSA in Tshwane. Other parties in the coalition government are the ACDP, AIC, DOP, PA, PAC, ATM and GOOD. FF+ also accused the EFF of having a 'dangerously inflammatory and destructive culture'. It said a video of the EFF's MMC for Environmental Affairs in Tshwane, Obakeng Ramabodu, vandalising an AfriForum sign at Kleinfontein demonstrates this. [WATCH] Obakeng Ramabodu, the Environment MMC in Tshwane and EFF regional leader, attempts to destroy an Afriforum board in Kleinfontein – a Whites Only Community. Ramabodu is told to mind that he's a city official and 'ground forces' will be sent to take it down. @JusstAlpha — EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 2, 2025 EFF hypocrisy over Kleinfontein? The FF+ further said it was hypocritical of the red berets to accuse Kleinfontein residents of illegally occupying the land. 'The EFF, as a governing coalition partner in the Tshwane Metro, deliberately chose to target Kleinfontein, an Afrikaner cultural community, but tolerates over 500 illegal informal settlements in the metro and approximately 20 illegal developments functioning within the metro that do not meet formalisation requirements or pay taxes,' said Jaco Mulder, the party's provincial leader in Gauteng. 'In addition, the metro does not provide any services to the Kleinfontein community.' NOW READ: PICTURES: EFF march to Kleinfontein
IOL News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Tensions flare in Tshwane Council over controversial relocation plan
Pienaarspoort residents rebuild their shacks after they were vandalised by the Red Ants, in this file photo. The Tshwane Metro Council is once again embroiled in political controversy, with the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) strongly opposing a decision by the Department of Human Settlements to relocate more than 5 000 people to Pienaarspoort — land originally earmarked for just 575 Mamelodi flood victims. The latest move to resettle an additional 5 200 individuals from informal settlements comes after the City already relocated 811 residents from transitional camps to the same site, allegedly without proper authorisation. The initial relocation of the 575 flood-affected families in 2020 cost the Metro an estimated R286 million. The FF+ is now warning that the expanded plan could put unsustainable pressure on already strained resources. The Department has claimed that the upcoming phase of the relocation will not result in further financial burdens for the Metro. However, FF+ councillors have rejected this assertion, arguing that it fails to account for necessary infrastructure costs such as roads, sanitation, and water supply. According to the party, no funding has been earmarked for this expanded project in the 2025/26 municipal budget. "This plan is fiscally reckless and unfair to the original beneficiaries," said a senior FF+ representative in the council. "We demand an audit to ensure only verified flood victims benefit from the funding, not thousands more who were not part of the initial plan." The FF+ has submitted formal recommendations, including a detailed audit of the intended beneficiaries, strict adherence to the original funding mandate, and a transparent financial plan presented to the council before any further relocations occur. The matter has now escalated into a racial and political flashpoint. The FF+, EFF, and MK Party — already deeply divided along ideological and racial lines — are clashing on public platforms. While the FF+ accuses the ANC-led administration of mismanagement and financial opacity, the EFF and MKP have countered that the FF+ is opposing land access for the poor under the guise of budgetary concerns.
IOL News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
FF+ defends Kleinfontein's cultural community amid MKP's controversial visit
Jaco Mulder of the Fredom Front Plus defended Kleinfontein in Pretoria, saying it deserved recognition for its culture. Freedom Front Plus (FF+) stated that the MK Party's visit to Kleinfontein, an area exclusively inhabited by white Afrikaners, highlighted the importance of cultural communities and their right to exist in South Africa. MKP's delegation, led by the parliamentary chief whip, Mzwanele Manyi visited the area in Pretoria on Monday. The purpose of the fact-finding visit was to engage with local leaders and gain a deeper understanding of how Section 235 of the Constitution is interpreted. Manyi believes that settlements like Orania and Kleinfontein, which are predominantly inhabited by white Afrikaners, have distorted the intent of Section 235 to promote exclusionary agendas. In a statement, the FF+ said: 'Unfortunately, the visit took on a racial tone, with Manyi accusing the communities of Kleinfontein and Orania of racism and apartheid'. 'The existence of various cultural communities in a diverse South Africa is a reality and should be recognised in the spirit of the country's motto, !ke e: /xarra //ke (diverse people unite). 'Recognising cultural diversity is precisely what is needed to foster unity within diversity and national pride. 'Cultural communities, including Kleinfontein, Orania, the Zulu cultural community – where 2,8 million hectares in KwaZulu-Natal are regulated by the Ingonyama Trust Act – and many others, reflect South Africa's reality.' Last year, the Gauteng High Court declared that Kleinfontein was functioning illegally because it did not adhere to the Tshwane Municipality's zoning laws. However, the party said that for Kleinfontein to comply with legal requirements within the jurisdiction of the Tshwane Metro, the formalisation process should be fair and realistic. 'In light of the fact that more than 600 illegal informal settlements exist within the Tshwane Metro's jurisdiction and are tolerated without any environmental impact studies, land-use registrations or unreasonable tax increases and fines, the measures imposed on Kleinfontein seem unfair,' the party said. It said Tshwane was not providing any services to the Kleinfontein community, as the community has built and maintains its own roads as well as water and wastewater treatment systems. FF+ said it would continue to advocate, at the highest level, for the recognition of self-respecting communities, subsidiarity in South Africa. [email protected] IOL Politics
