GroundUp reports on a march to Parliament on 4 June by farm women, in response to government’s decision not to phase out pesticides, though it had promised two years ago to do so. Instead the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has gazetted guidelines for exemptions on pesticide use. Stun grenades were thrown at the women outside Parliament when they breached the police line.
Banking giant’s role in Transnet locomotives deal may go public if legal action by Transnet materialises, while a Cabinet minister may be the latest senior public official to face the music over dubious favours allegedly paid for his influence in lucrative state contracts.
African governments are not doing nearly enough to act against the criminals within their own ranks, writes Susan Russell for Africa In Fact. A genuine commitment from African leaders is needed, to uphold the rule of law, promote transparency, and strengthen democratic institutions. “This means enacting and enforcing anti-corruption laws, ensuring judicial independence, and fostering accountability among public officials.”
Good Governance Africa’s 2024 Government Performance Index tracks and analyses the state of local governance within local, district, and metropolitan municipalities across the country. Through the index, says the organisation, it aims “to inspire South African citizens to play a greater role in the local governance process of their country”.
The Constitution and the principle of constitutionalism will continue to be politically contested territory, writes UCT’s Richard Calland. But so far it’s held, despite the challenges of the state capture era and various other attacks through the years.
South Africa’s democracy is under threat from politically motivated assassinations, which have increased significantly in recent times and particularly in election years. This is revealed in a new report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, whose South African crime observatory has recorded at least 10 politically-related murders between January and April 2024.
Regarding the ConCourt judgment handed down this week in the IEC/MK Party case, writes Moepeng Talane for CW Voices, politically some may find the solutions sought to deal with former president Jacob Zuma’s election controversies unnecessarily harsh and unbecoming, but in the juristic realm he is just one of us, the millions of South Africans who must play by the same rules every day, without fail. South Africa’s Constitution promotes equality before the law and makes some provisions to separate those who respect it from those who don’t.
Corruption Watch strongly refutes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s claim, made yesterday on 702, that corruption has gone down under his watch. Furthermore, we refute the president’s misleading statement that we said the same, and we object to being referenced in this way as part of an electioneering campaign.
The Constitutional Court yesterday handed down judgment in the IEC/MK Party case which contested former president Jacob Zuma’s eligibility to stand for election to the National Assembly as a member of the party. The court ruled that Zuma was ineligible for such an appointment in terms of Section 47(1)(e) of the Constitution, because of his 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court in 2021. Corruption Watch was one of four amici curiae supporting the IEC.
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