Over the past few weeks the government departments financial results have been doing the rounds in Parliament and, amongst other findings, it was revealed that local goverment has spent R4,67 billion on food, entertainment and travel and accommodation.
The Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, has come out in defence of the department’s plans to spend R203 million upgrading President Jacob Zuma’s private homestead in Nkandla.
The provincial council of the ANC in the Western Cape are again pointing fingers at the DA, this time for not making use of its full capital budget. This is the same issue raised last year by the ANC, when the Western Cape only spent 75% of its budget.
Spotted by a 2oceansviber in Johannesburg, parked in a no-parking zone. The Mercedes-Benz E500 convertible is available for purchase at around R1 million. [thanks berminator]
According to a policy brief published by the SA Institute of Race Relations, the ANC’s power is in decline and the demise of the party is now “inevitable”. The observations are based on evidence that “points overwhelmingly in [that] direction.” Click through for the full scoop.
The ANC policy conference came to a close this weekend, and what better way to do it than with a good old-fashioned fist fight? A few members of the North West delegation of the ANC got into a bit of an altercation on the final day, and things kinda escalated from there.
A reduction in the number of provinces is something the ANC led government has often toyed with, but it appears this policy has gained increasing support among party delegates at the ANC policy conference in Midrand this year. The biggest change would see the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and some parts of Eastern Cape merge.
The Citizen reported over the weekend that Tokyo Sexwale is to be booted out of President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet in yet another cabinet reshuffle. The rumour comes from a “highly placed source” who told The Citizen that “Sexwale has been speaking against Zuma’s government lately. Zuma wants him out.”
The Film and Publication Board has just given The Spear painting a “16N” rating. This means that children under the age of 16 should not have access to the artwork because it displays nudity.
Holy backpedal, Batman! After a hell bent crusade against the Goodman Gallery, the ANC has decided to withdraw its case. This comes following the march on the gallery yesterday, where the gallery and the ruling party got together and reached an agreement. The announcement was made this morning in a media briefing at the gallery.
As the dust settles between the ANC and the Goodman Gallery, all that’s left is for the Film and Publications Board to render their decision on the classification of our dear leader’s “umthondo” after a fraught hearing yesterday, but the how do you classify as offensive something that is no longer visibly offensive? And, what is the connection to “political criticism” in South Africa?
A protest march is currently underway and heading towards the Goodman Gallery, with people having been bussed in from as far as Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Check out all the action, and protest signs, after the jump.
Beleaguered City Press editor Ferial Hafferjee has published a cathartic editorial explaining the publication’s decision to pull the controversial pre-vandalised image of Brett Murray’s The Spear of the Nation that they have had posted on their website for a few weeks now, less than a day after she declared she would not. What happened, Miss Hafferjee?
Remember Paul Molesiwa, the security guard we saw in the video of the two guys vandalising the Zuma penis painting? Louis Mabokela, one of the two vandals, laid a charge of assault against him after Molesiwa was shown on camera head-butting and flipping Mabokela to the floor. Molesiwa is expected in court today.
The ANC is outraged at the South African National Editor’s Forum’s reaction to its call to boycott the City Press newspaper, following its publication of Brett Murray’s painting. It has now gone a step further, issuing a statement calling advertisers to no longer advertise in the paper.
So far we’ve heard from everyone regarding the controversial Jacob Zuma painting, “The Spear”, apart from the actual artist himself. In an affidavit to the police leading to his court case, Brett Murray explains why he created this work. Read it inside.
Today the ANC is in court over the controversial painting of President Jacob Zuma and his penis. Some of his supporters have gathered outside the South Gauteng High Court, along with six of his children. The other 12 of his confirmed 18 kids were absent. See the first pics of all the excitement inside.
The ANC’s Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe, has thrown down the gauntlet to South Africa’s relations with so-called developed Western countries, including the USA and the Eurozone, in favour of cash-rich developing countries like China and India. Is South Africa banking on the East in spite of the West?
I was wondering how long this was going to take. The ANC is currently in preperations for its court date at the Johannesburg High Court tomorrow, to get the painting of JZ and his junk taken down. After today’s NEC meeting, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe had some choice words for the media.
The now infamous Zuma painting, Brett Murray’s The Spear, has blown up all over the social networks today. The ANC has instituted legal action against the Goodman Gallery, who received a letter from the ruling party’s lawyers this morning. The Spear will stay up – and City Press has also refused removal of an image of the painting.
Only one in five people support what Julius Malema says and does. A survey among 2 000 metropolitan adults, conducted in April 2012 (before the disgraced ANC Youth League leader was expelled from the ANC), revealed that overall, Juju’s backing from the public – particularly from young people – is nothing to write home about.
Divisive comments on same-sex relationships and homosexuality by ANC MP and Head of the Congress of Traditional Leaders, Patekile Holomisa have drawn criticism from defenders of same-sex equality and caused the ANC caucus in Parliament to issue a statement distancing itself from Holomisa’s words.
For a political party that prides itself on being squeaky clean, it was only a matter of time before something emerged. It’s not the Arms Deal, but having child p0rn on your office computer is probably not the smartest thing to do – especially if the p0rn involves kids.
Troubled former South African Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sicelo Shiceka, passed away in an Eastern Cape hospital this morning after a long illness, according to an ANC press release.
SABC Radio and The New Age newspaper have reported that Julius Malema’s expulsion from the ANC has been upheld. As from today, 24 April 2012, Julius Malema is no longer a card-carrying member of the ANC, and holds no office in the party, or any of it’s organs.
The ANC centenary motorcade, currently travelling through Kwa-Zulu Natal, features at least three vehicles with the same licence plate. Photos have emerged on Facebook showing multiple vehicles with identical plates – ‘ANC 100 – ZN’ – all honouring the ruling party’s jamboree year. The fact that this is probably totally illegal is not putting a dampener on anyone’s spirit.
The ANC National Disciplinary Committee have announced that Julius Malema has been summarily suspended from the party and all his responsibilities there, following comments he made last week at a lecture where he labelled President Zuma a “dictator”. Except isn’t he already suspended? Join us as we try untie this new craziness, after the jump!
Less than a week after Helen Zille’s latest Twitter-storm about comments she made about the state of education here in the Western Cape versus the same in our neighbours – she called students from the Eastern Cape who attend school here “refugees” – she has gotten all up in the ANC’s grille once more with fresh comments regarding the state of health here versus there.
Despite a lull in tension, all is still not well in sleepy Grabouw. Residents are still at each others throats over the apparent discrimination in the administration of local school facilities. So much so, that the Presidency has taken an unusual step to actually do something about it. More of this alleged good governance after the jump!
Despite his insistence that Pretoria’s name would be history by the end of this year, it seems Tshwane Metro’s mayor, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, has had to concede that while the city name “Pretoria” will stay, a handful of street names will be made over. Details after the jump!