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IOL News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
CYRIL DARES DA TO BOYCOTT NATIONAL DIALOGUE
DA MINISTERS intending to boycott the National Dialogue will have to provide President Cyril Ramaphosa with valid reasons for their non-attendance or their absence will be regarded as insubordination, says the Presidency. The Inter-Ministerial Committee(IMC) on the National Dialogue appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa includes DA leader John Steenhuisen as Agriculture Minister. Other members of the 12-member committee are its chair, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa (IFP), Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie (Patriotic Alliance) and Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso (PAC). 'Any member of Cabinet who wishes to no longer participate in the IMC will have to provide reasons to the President. Hopefully, they'll also think about the consequences of such insubordination. Because that's how the President will regard any non-participation as insubordination," said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said. The National Dialogue aims to address South Africa's ongoing challenges, such as poverty, crime, inequality and unemployment, which continue despite 30 years of democracy. The DA announced its withdrawal after Ramaphosa refused to reverse his decision to fire its member Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition for traveling abroad without permission. On Saturday, Steenhuisen described the National Dialogue as an electioneering ploy, at taxpayer expense, to gloss over the serious crises that the ANC has plunged South Africa into. 'The Dialogue also has no constitutional standing whatsoever to take or impose decisions. Frankly, the President cannot even dialogue meaningfully with his own coalition partners, so there is little point in pretending there is any substance to an ANC-run National Dialogue.' Magwenya said the DA's boycott of the National Dialogue was immaterial because the initiative was not a party political exercise. 'It's an initiative for all South Africans and the DA is not all South Africans. Ministers who have been appointed to the National Dialogue IMC are expected to participate fully in the IMC, anything to the contrary will have to be explained to the President and non participation in the IMC as the President has directed will certainly constitute insubordination,' Magwenya added. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The ANC has weighed in on the DA's latest move, saying: "This response speaks volumes about the DA's character, they are willing to undermine national interests in pursuit of their narrow partisan agenda. The ANC firmly believes that this dialogue is not merely an event, it is a critical process in pursuit of social compacting, unity, and national renewal. At this juncture, it is imperative for the DA to clarify its stance: is it a genuine and principled partner in the GNU, or is it positioning itself as a quasi-opposition within the executive.' The GOOD Party, a member of the GNU, said the DA's decision to withdraw from the National Dialogue 'reflects a deep unwillingness to prioritise South Africa's collective future over party posturing'. 'This latest tantrum, triggered by the President's refusal to yield to an artificial 48-hour ultimatum, is not a principled stand - it is political theatre. The DA's ultimatum was exposed as inconsequential and their frequent tantrums are quite frankly embarrassing. South Africa does not need parties walking away from dialogue. It needs leadership that can engage with complexity, manage disagreement maturely, and stay the course. The DA's decision to abandon the National Dialogue, while clinging to its GNU positions, exposes the contradiction in its stance,' said GOOD secretary-general, Brett Herron. AL JAMA-AH, another member of the coalition government, said: 'The GNU has a clearing house to deal with disputes and infringes of the "statement of intent'. The GNU also has a Leaders Forum which AL JAMA-AH President Honourable Ganief Hendricks serves on. The Leader's Forum agreed to have a breakaway. It is within this structure, whereby the responsibility to resolve the DA's disputes has to be addressed. This includes whether or not by withdrawing from the National Dialogue the DA, is declaring itself outside of government or not. Nevertheless the DA has insulted the integrity of the most respected thought leaders in the country, clearly stating that their counsel is not welcome.' University of the Free Political Studies and Governance lecturer Sanet Solomon said the DA's moves in the GNU could damage its supporter base. "The DAs decision to withdraw itself from the National Dialogue sends a message to its supporters that it is 'actively standing up' against the ANC and that it is not passively going along with all its decisions. This display of ' showmanship' is just a facade as the party cannot leave the GNU without damaging its support base. 'Post May-2024 it (the DA) tried convincing voters that allying with the GNU would result in better governance and a reduction in corruption. Should it leave the GNU now, its voting base might revert to the FF+, the Good Party, the Patriotic Alliance and others as they may believe that the DA cannot co-govern with others. Should the DA stay, it would be stuck trying to convince its supporters that it has influence in the GNU's decision-making. Either way, they are stuck in a catch-22," said Solomon. Cape Times
The South African
13-06-2025
- Health
- The South African
South Africa bans Halephirimi after Soweto food poisoning tragedy
The South African Cabinet has officially banned the importation and use of Halephirimi, commonly known by its chemical name, Terbufos, following the food poisoning deaths of children in Soweto last year. These deaths were linked to food contaminated with the toxic pesticide, which is classified as an organophosphate. The move also follows an investigation by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on food-borne illnesses, which focused heavily on the dangers of organophosphate pesticides. The food poisoning, which claimed the lives of several children, drew national outrage. The snacks they consumed were reportedly bought from a local spaza shop. Although the exact source of exposure remains unclear, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said at a media briefing in Cape Town, 'the possibility that the children consumed food contaminated with Terbufos purchased from a local spaza shop remains the most viable explanation.' Furthermore, in response to the food poisoning incident, President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered the registration of all spaza shops across the country to regulate informal food trade and reduce risks linked to unregulated products. Halephirimi, which farmers use widely to control pests, will now be phased out. The Department of Agriculture will lead a consultation process to identify and promote safer alternatives. 'The Department of Agriculture will lead the consultation process on the ban in line with its 2010 Plan to eradicate poisonous insecticides and pesticides over a period of time,' Ntshavheni explained. '[It will] also work on identifying safer alternatives to Terbufos.' Several other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, including Mozambique, Namibia, Angola, and Zambia, have already banned Halephirimi, reinforcing the urgency of South Africa's decision. 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.
IOL News
04-06-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Urgent action needed to address KZN's alarming rape statistics
NGO's say the deep-rooted issues that lead to gender-based violence need to be addressed. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives KwaZulu-Natal continues to report one of the highest rates of rape in South Africa, contributing 19.9% to the national total, according to the fourth quarter crime statistics released recently by the South African Police Service. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said that in the quarter under review, provinces such as the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, and the Western Cape recorded decreases in rape statistics. However, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal remained the biggest contributors, at 19.1% and 19.9% respectively. To address the crisis, Mchunu said the government had launched a 90-day Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV+F) blitz. 'This includes the revival of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBV+F, tasked with coordinating government interventions, resolving systemic bottlenecks, and ensuring measurable progress,' he said. But activists say the government's efforts are not addressing the deep-rooted and devastating reality facing women and children in the province. 'It's incredibly difficult to determine the true scale of sexual violence in South Africa because an estimated 95% of rape cases go unreported,' said Women For Change founder and executive director, Sabrina Walter. 'In the official crime statistics published by SAPS, we only see a fraction of the reality, silenced by fear, shame, and a broken justice system.' Walter said the persistent high rape figures in KZN were driven by 'entrenched patriarchy, poverty, and the lack of accessible, trauma-informed support services'. She added that the stats showing that most rapes were committed by individuals known to the victims, and often in private homes, further underscored the need for community-based prevention strategies, said Walter. 'This is exactly why prevention must begin at home, within families, relationships, and communities. It's also why we focus on empowering bystanders, friends, neighbours, and relatives to speak out, intervene safely, and support survivors instead of staying silent.' On the state's response to GBV, Walter said the justice system was failing. 'Every single day, we hear from survivors who were turned away by police, refused the right to open a case, or watched as officers failed to arrest perpetrators, even in clear cases where protection orders were breached.' She called for ongoing, trauma-informed, survivor-centred training for police and for GBV to be declared a National Disaster. 'Without this formal recognition, GBVF continues to be treated as a secondary issue, despite thousands of women and children being harmed or killed every year.' The TEARS Foundation echoed this view, saying it had seen no evidence of a real decrease in rape, especially not in KZN. 'At The TEARS Foundation, we are deeply concerned by the narrative suggesting a national decline in rape cases,' the organisation said in a statement. 'What we are seeing is an increase in survivors being turned away at police stations, more cases being closed without prosecution, and fewer formal reports being made. These are not signs of progress. They are signs of a system that survivors are losing faith in.'
Express Tribune
22-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Businessmen demand EFS restoration in original form
Listen to article Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Jawed Bilwani, while highlighting the crucial role played by the Export Finance Scheme (EFS) in sustaining Pakistan's exports, emphasised that the scheme must continue in its original status and position, which was before the presentation of federal budget for fiscal year 2024-25. In a statement, he called for allowing local purchases under Section 880 (1)(b) of SRO 957(I)/2021 (local input goods liable to sales tax to be supplied against zero-rated invoices) to ensure liquidity, competitiveness and formalisation across the entire value chain, as recommended by the Inter-Ministerial Committee. "The EFS is critical to ensuring continued export-led growth and trade balance improvement," he said. "Despite facing the highest regional costs of electricity, gas, water and interest rates, Pakistan's exports have shown remarkable resilience, a feat largely attributable to the support provided by the EFS. Preserving and expanding this scheme is essential for maintaining export competitiveness." Bilwani highlighted that the EFS was strategically developed by consolidating all previous schemes under one umbrella, which minimised documentation requirements and facilitated ease of doing business through a fully automated system integrated with Web-based One Customs (WeBOC) and the Pakistan Single Window (PSW). "Much of the quality yarn and fabric used by Pakistan's apparel exporters is not produced domestically and the local alternatives, where available, are often of lower quality and higher cost," he pointed out. "The imported yarn used by garment manufacturers is of superior quality, giving exporters a competitive edge in global markets." The value-added apparel sector makes up to 70% value addition to export goods and requires uninterrupted access to high-quality raw material. "Countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam are completely reliant on imported raw material for their export-oriented textile sectors and their success is a proof of effectiveness of such models when supported by robust facilitation mechanisms," he said. Bilwani warned that policy changes announced in the last federal budget, particularly the removal of zero-rating for local supplies, disrupted the balance between imported and local raw material. "Currently, while the imported raw material is exempt from taxes, local inputs are subject to 18% sales tax with delayed and costly refunds," he said. "This creates a structural imbalance, discouraging local sourcing and impacting SMEs across the value chain." In view of the IMF's reservations about fully restoring the zero-rating facility, he proposed a pragmatic middle path such as adopting a negative list to restrict high-risk imports under the EFS while preserving the broader scheme's facilitative framework.
