politicslatest news & developments
A cellphone belonging to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who is on a leave of absence, was seized on Tuesday by police.
CRIME

Cellphone seizure from Minister Mchunu linked to fraud, defeating the ends of justice probe

Police seized a cellphone belonging to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu after serving a search-and-seizure warrant at his KwaZulu-Natal home.

  • Gcwalisile Khanyile
3 min read
Delegates at Cosatu's 15th National Congress. The conference collapsed after a quorum dispute linked to delegate credentials.
COSATU CONGRESS

Cosatu succession war: Why the historic Congress collapse matters

Cosatu’s 15th national congress collapse exposes leadership divisions and renewed tensions within the ANC-SACP alliance.

  • Rapula Moatshe
5 min read
Cosatu's 15th national congress collapsed before delegates could deliberate on workers' worsening conditions, amid claims that ANC and SACP factional battles had infiltrated the gathering to influence its leadership outcome ahead of the November municipal elections.
COSATU CONGRESS

Cosatu congress collapses amid political alliance factional battle

What we know about the collapse of Cosatu's 15th national congress.

  • Rapula Moatshe
5 min read
A year has passed since KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi held his explosive press briefing on July 6, 2025, alleging that a criminal syndicate had infiltrated South Africa's criminal justice system.
MADLANGA COMMISSION

One year on: Inside Madlanga Commission probe that shook law enforcement

Suspensions, arrests and cartel allegations have followed the commission’s evidence — but has it restored public trust?

  • Rapula Moatshe
9 min read
Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) leader Steve Biko on September 25, 1977, in King William’s Town. Biko was murdered by the apartheid regime’s security police. From his formative years as a founding intellectual of the BCM alongside his close friend Biko, Barney Pityana has consistently pushed the limits of the status quo, says the writer.
POLITICS

Steve Biko's leadership: Barney Pityana's warning to a drifting nation

Nearly 50 years after Steve Biko’s murder, Barney Pityana’s voice — forged in struggle, scholarship and conscience — remains a stark reminder of the leadership South Africa has…

  • Edwin Naidu
8 min read
Former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has told the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that she intervened after contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu complained about a withdrawn SANDF tender.
LEGAL

Mapisa-Nqakula takes stand in her defence after discharge bid fails

Former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has begun testifying in her corruption and money-laundering trial in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

  • The National Reporter
2 min read
Two expelled MK Party members are challenging party president Jacob Zuma’s power to remove members without a disciplinary hearing.
MKPARTY

MK Party heads for court showdown over Zuma’s expulsion powers

Two expelled MK Party members are asking the Western Cape High Court to rule on whether party president Jacob Zuma can remove members without a disciplinary hearing.

  • Willem Phungula
5 min read
Mosotho Moepya, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), said there will be 142,072 candidates contesting for over 10,500 council seats in the November 4 local government elections.
2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

2026 elections: IEC rejects grace period for 2,274 incomplete nominations

More than 142,000 candidates are gearing up for the November local elections.

  • Wendy Jasson Da Costa
5 min read
My Vote Counts says the R200,000 disclosure threshold and incomplete donor details make it harder for voters to trace political influence ahead of the November 4 local government election.
ELECTIONS

Who funds SA political parties? The push for full transparency

Political funding rules leave voters in the dark, says My Vote Counts.

  • Wendy Jasson Da Costa
4 min read
ANC veteran Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has said the use of money to influence voting must be addressed by the party ahead of the 2027 elective conference.
POLITICS

Dlamini Zuma: ANC must tackle vote buying before 2027 conference

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma alleges that money influenced the outcome of previous ANC's elective conferences.

  • Willem Phungula
4 min read
Cosatu has presented its strong support for the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting Terrorism Financing) Bill, highlighting its importance in combating crime and corruption in South Africa. This legislation aims to enhance the country's financial integrity and protect public resources.
LEGISLATION

Cosatu backs anti-corruption efforts: The General Laws Amendment bill explained

Cosatu has presented its strong support for the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting Terrorism Financing) Bill, highlighting its importance in combating crime and…

  • Zingiswa Losi
6 min read
The coalition bill is not likely to be passed before the November local government elections
2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Coalition Bill delay leaves voters to rein in political deal-making

With the Coalition Bill unlikely to pass before the local government elections, experts say voters need to hold political parties accountable.

  • Ntsikelelo Qoyo
4 min read
President Cyril Ramaphosa at a public lecture on the Southern African Development Community (SADC)at the UKZN Westville Campus in Durban.
SADC SUMMIT

Ramaphosa’s SADC challenge: build a region that trades together - and lives together

Can South Africa build an economy strong enough that regional integration creates more opportunities than it displaces? The president is speaking a SADC public lecture at the…

  • National Reporter
3 min read
KwaZulu-Natal election campaign trail, the DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said the eThekwini Metro needs billions of rand to fix failing infrastructure.
2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

LGE 2026: DA's private partnership plan to fix failing municipal infrastructure

The DA's Geordin Hill-Lewis outlines plans for public-private partnerships to resolve eThekwini's infrastructure issues, while also addressing the government's funding decisions…

  • Willem Phungula
3 min read
Recent studies reveal a dramatic decline in faith in South Africa's democracy, with only 36% of citizens expressing belief compared to 72% fifteen years ago. This article explores the implications of these findings through the lens of local governance and the Lehohla Ledger, urging readers to reflect on their role in shaping the future of their communities.
2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Metrics and governance: The realities of South African municipalities in the silly season

Recent studies reveal a dramatic decline in faith in South Africa's democracy, with only 36% of citizens expressing belief compared to 72% fifteen years ago. This article…

  • Dr Pali Lehohla
6 min read