The number of politicians, organisations and media calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down has mounted considerably since Thursday’s momentous court decision saying he had failed to defend or respect the constitution – although senior African National Party members have either dismissed the idea of his resignation or said it would only create more problems. Sunday Times […]

In late March 2016 struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada congratulated the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, on Facebook for “being vindicated by today’s findings at ‪#‎ConCourt‬”; and then penned a letter – that he says was “painful” to write – to the president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, calling on him to step down. The letter went […]

Political parties and politicians (and everyone with a Twitter account in South Africa) was quick to react to the Constitutional Court’s judgement against President Jacob Zuma and the National Assembly for failing to hold Zuma accountable, as well as the highest court’s insistence that the public protector was there to protect the constitution and the […]

The erstwhile Russian KGB called it dezinformatsiya and spent a large amount of energy and resources on it: the distribution of false information, malicious rumours, fabricated intelligence reports and forged documents, letters and photographs. The aim was to disrupt and discredit opponents, to deceive and obscure and to influence public opinion. Dezinformatsiya came straight from […]

A new investigative report has drawn together information that either directly or circumstantially connects the Gupta family to numerous key players in Eskom and Transnet. The Friday report by Amabhungane, the investigative arm of the Mail & Guardian, included an extensive chart that was republished on Twtter of the links that “are indisputable in some cases, and circumstantial […]

Musician/comedian Deep Fried Man has released a new  video called “Gupta Bling”, based on singer Drake’s mega-selling “Hotline Bling” and which riffs on the relationship between President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family. “You used to call me on my cell phone, To discuss that nuclear deal,” starts Deep Fried Man, rather than Drake’s “You used to call me […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the ANC to “do the honourable thing” this weekend at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting…and recall South African President Jacob Zuma. In a message today, federal leader of the DA Mmusi Maimane said that “following this week’s explosive revelations by senior ANC members pertaining to President Zuma’s […]

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela was on Friday approached by an order of Catholic priests and brothers to conduct a systemic investigation into the involvement of the Gupta family in state affairs and the award of contracts to companies linked to the family. Madonsela’s office also said Friday that following a complaint by the Democratic Alliance, her […]

Public Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela has confirmed that she was on Friday approached by the Dominican Order to conduct a systemic investigation into the involvement of the Gupta family in state affairs, and the award of contracts to companies linked to the family. According to a press statement on the Public Protector’s website the Dominican […]

Many on social media are commending South Africans for their sense of humour, especially when the proverbial kak is hitting the fan with the allegations by ANC MPs saying they were offered jobs by the Guptas. Out come the jokes – such as “The ANC is a five-letter word (curry)” – but most popular is #StateCaptureMovieTitles, referring to the capture […]

Reactions to the confirmation by Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas, that members of the Gupta family (who are renowned to have close ties with President Zuma) “offered me the position of Minister of Finance to replace then Minister Nene” have been met with outrage and – of course – humour in South Africa! Here are 15 of the top tweets: […]

The Gupta family has responded to today’s statement by Deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas in which he alleged that “Members of the Gupta family offered me the position of Minister of Finance to replace then Minister Nene. I rejected this out of hand”. The Gupta family claim the allegations are false and have challenged Minister Jonas to […]

President Jacob Zuma has – quite unusually – for the second time in less than 24 hours said that he does not know a senior former ANC MP who said the Guptas offered her a ministerial job, and insists that she did not accompany him to China in 2010, when news reports at the time […]

Nando’s South Africa has done it again. No sooner had President Jacob Zuma delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) Thursday evening, than the successful South African restaurant chain – famous for its chicken peri-peri – had posted an advert making fun of Speaker Baleka Mbete. “We see you Baleka. #SONA2016” the message says on Nando’s […]

Playing off of Facebook’s “Friends Day”, which was launched by the social media giant to celebrate its 12th birthday by giving users a 58-second video featuring images of friends and family, a tongue-in-cheek video of President Jacob Zuma’s “friends” has been launched by a South African news network. The friends included in the video the Guptas, the short-lived […]

JOHANNESBURG – Thousands of people joined the Democratic Alliance in the March for Jobs in Johannesburg on Wednesday, a horde of blue T-shirts crowding the streets into the city to bring attention to the estimated 8.4 million unemployed in the country. Addressing the crowd, DA leader Mmusi Maimane said the party wanted to make job creation […]

After achieving a consecutive five weeks with no loadshedding (otherwise known as power outages), parts of South Africa were plunged into darkness tonight as loadshedding kicked in again. Some welcomed the familiarity of loadshedding, re-igniting their relationship with candles…and joking that they had just begun to start experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Others were confused about which […]

It must be tremendously reassuring to the Department of Home Affairs that President Omar al-Bashir is over 18 years old. Otherwise they could never have let him leave. That is not without his full unabridged birth certificate and signed affidavits from his parents saying that he is allowed to travel. Thankfully, he is only wanted […]