Cyril Ramaphosa

South Africa’s justice minister on Saturday defended the government’s witness protection programme after the assassination of a key anti-corruption commission witness, blaming media coverage and social media users for exposing the victim’s identity. Marius van der Merwe, 41, was shot dead with an automatic rifle outside his Brakpan home on Friday evening in front of […]

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday condemned the killing of a key witness in the country’s police corruption inquiry, vowing to strengthen protection for whistleblowers after the man was gunned down in front of his family. Marius van der Merwe, 41, a former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department officer who testified as “Witness D” at […]

Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, a witness who testified at South Africa’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, has been shot dead in Brakpan, police confirmed on Friday evening. Police confirmed that Van der Merwe was shot dead in Brenthurst, Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe told The Citizen that police management were en route to […]

South Africa has sharply criticised Washington after US officials announced that Pretoria would not be invited to participate in G20 events during the American presidency. The move, widely reported as a G20 ban, prompted firm pushback from senior South African leaders, who insisted the country remains a fully recognised and equal member of the global […]

Former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi on Tuesday claimed she was prejudiced during her testimony before South Africa’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, with her attorney requesting additional time to gather documents after commissioners challenged her failure to substantiate serious allegations. Mashazi’s attorney, Mr Moosa, addressed the commission in Pretoria on his client’s concerns following two […]

Suspended South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu will testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday afternoon to answer allegations he aligned himself with criminal networks and used his political influence to protect individuals under investigation. Mchunu’s testimony comes amid serious allegations that he may have aligned himself with criminal networks and used his […]

Lawyers for the MK Party have told the Pretoria High Court that there is no rational link between placing Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave and the outcomes of the Madlanga Commission. The party and its leader, former President Jacob Zuma, are challenging President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint Firoz Cachalia as acting police minister […]

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance laid criminal charges against uMkhonto weSizwe Party lawmaker Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla on Thursday over allegations she recruited young men to fight for Russian forces in Ukraine. The DA filed the charges at Cape Town Central police station, citing new evidence including around 100 WhatsApp messages from a group allegedly administered by Zuma-Sambudla. […]

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described as “regrettable” U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit, calling it a punitive measure based on misinformation. Trump said on Wednesday that South Africa would be excluded from next year’s G20 gathering in Miami, citing what he called the […]

South Africa’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party rejected the G20 Leaders’ Declaration on Saturday, denouncing the document as neocolonial despite its focus on African development priorities. The left-wing populist party, which serves as South Africa’s official opposition, issued a statement calling the 122-point declaration adopted at the Johannesburg summit a continuation of global power imbalances that undermine […]