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Tomorrow is one of the most important days in democratic South Africa, with a new government due to be sworn in. It’s pretty likely that Cyril Ramaphosa will remain president, but the real interest is in the arrangement between parties, none of whom won a majority in the recent election. We summarise the major issues plus the rest of the wild happenings in this mad and beautiful country of ours—from sporting glories to celebs talking nonsense about us. Plus, we unpack the international news that caught our interest this week.
So, let’s dive into your weekly update of empowering and easy-to-understand news, brought to you by Verashni Pillay and the explain.co.za team. 😄
Format:
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▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ 1. BIG STORY: Parliament’s First Sitting: Government of National Unity looks likely
Ever since Ramaphosa announced his government of national unity, the country has been on tenterhooks to see who will make up our new government. All will be revealed in tomorrow’s inaugural session of Parliament, which marks the beginning of the seventh administration following the country’s most contested elections in the 30 years since democracy.
The session kicks off at 10:00, and in the run-up, there have been loads of off-the-record news reports about where discussions are between the major players. Noting that nothing has been confirmed, here’s what we know so far:
🔹The African National Congress (ANC), which crashed to just 40% of the vote, seems to be leaning towards some sort of arrangement with the Democratic Alliance (DA), which snagged 21% of the vote, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), holding a modest 3.9%. This would place the three parties, which together enjoy 65.9% support in Parliament, in the fast lane to form the core of the ANC’s proposed government of national unity, with smaller parties perhaps joining too. This is more sellable politically than a straight coalition with the DA, which would have raised the ire of many ANC stakeholders but still gives the ANC cover in choosing the centrist, constitutionally-minded partners it wants.
🔹The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Patriotic Alliance (PA), and even the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party were mentioned in these coalition whispers, but the EFF and MK have rejected the proposition of a GNU, making Ramaphosa’s job easier as actively excluding these parties would have undermined the idea of the GNU.
🔹Kwa-Zulu Natal hangs in the balance, with the DA, ANC and IFP falling one seat short of governing the province. The kingmakers are the National Freedom Party, an IFP break-away party formed in 2011. Reports say they are still deciding about backing the MK Party.
So what can we expect at tomorrow’s sitting?
Technically, the proceedings just need to include the swearing-in of new Members of Parliament (MPs) and the election of the president, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. This means that the coalition agreement may have a bit more time afterwards to hammer out the details. Other countries in similar situations have had much more time to work out such an important arrangement. The DA and IFP could, for example, do a simple “confidence and supply” arrangement for now, voting with the ANC to just get the basics in place before the horse trading over ministerial posts begin – if the coalition partners want to be part of the cabinet.
But the sticking point is which party the speaker comes from – this will be key to coalition negotiations.
The clock is ticking, and this time tomorrow, South Africa (SA) will be in an entirely new era of politics. And the fact that we have done so with no wars or bloodshed is huge for this continent. Whatever happens, democracy wins. 🇿🇦
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ 2. OUR TAKE: BAFANA BAFANA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCHES REIGNITE INTEREST IN FOOTBALL
We are inching closer to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it’s looking good for SA’s chances of participating. Bafana Bafana secured a crucial 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday night at the buzzing Free State Stadium in front of an almost-capacity crowd of 46,000 fans. The enthusiastic crowd’s support undoubtedly fueled the team’s performance. “When you have a crowd like this, you go the extra mile,” said Coach Hugo Broos after the game.
This win propels SA to second place in Group C, level on seven points with Rwanda and Benin. Bafana Bafana need to top the qualifying group to automatically qualify for the World Cup. Finishing second might mean the chance to qualify via playoffs. (Of the remaining qualifying matches, the important fixtures are, therefore, against Rwanda and Benin. Win those and our chances of qualifying are almost guaranteed.)
SA had a commendable start to the year, bagging a bronze medal at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) played in Ivory Coast in February. The third-place finish – SA’s best in the tournament since 2000 – has reignited interest in the national men’s team. (The women are currently AFCON title holders.) According to Hugo, “after our performance at AFCON, suddenly everyone’s talking about South African football again”.
Bafana Bafana has graced the FIFA World Cup stage on three occasions—1998, 2002, and 2010. Our debut in 1998 and subsequent qualification in 2002 showcased our potential on the global stage. However, the team has failed to qualify since, with their 2010 appearance guaranteed as the host nation.
Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup would be a monumental achievement, signalling a resurgence in SA football and significantly boosting the players’ profiles. Here’s to hoping for more victories and a clear path to the World Cup.
Let’s go Bafana Bafana! 🙌🏾
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS
3. MK Party Stirring the Pot: Boycotts and a Legal Showdown
The MK Party, led by the ever-controversial Jacob Zuma, is wild.
A few hours to go till coalitions must be finalised, and they’re embroiled in more drama than your favourite soapie.
First, they have decided to boycott tomorrow’s parliament session where a new government is effectively put in place. The MK has even unsuccessfully asked the Constitutional Court for an urgent interdict to halt the swearing-in of new MPs and the election of the President. (The court was like, what? No. In layman’s terms, of course. 😆)
Zuma also hilariously misunderstood how quorum works in an interview with EWN, claiming parliament wouldn’t be able to function without the party’s 58 MPs – the party secured 14.5% of the vote. Parly only needs a third of its 400 members (which the ANC alone accounts for) to do normal business like tomorrow’s swearing-in, so… he’s wrong. If those specific MK MPs continue their boycott, they will ultimately lose their position. Still, in a fiery letter to Parliament, the MK party’s advocate, Nqobile Zungu, insisted that the National Assembly can’t lawfully conduct business without its MPs. Parliament’s chief financial adviser, Zuraya Adhikarie, had the best response, saying the sitting would go ahead… and that parliament would cancel travel arrangements for the MPs to avoid “fruitless and wasteful expenditure”. 😂
The party has alleged election fraud and rigging. But, get this, they told the court they had evidence of this but weren’t ready to reveal it “at this stage”. Right. As you know, the election was declared free and fair by literally everyone else.
Meanwhile, the party’s original founder, Jabulani Khumalo, lost his legal bid to get the Electoral Commission of South Africa to record him as the MK’s rightful leader over Zuma.
The court said yesterday that this was a legal non-starter because Khumalo was expelled from the party and did not challenge his expulsion.
The chaos! Any other party that did as well at their first election would be strategising and making plans to grow further. Thank goodness, then, for our constitution and democracy that the MK is this disorganised and woefully ignorant of the law!
4. Palestine-Israeli conflict: Cease-fire proposal finally on the table
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has drawn global attention since 7 October 2023, leading to widespread debates and protests. However, in recent days, a path towards peace has tentatively emerged.
On 31 May, US President Joe Biden introduced a cease-fire proposal aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza. The United Nations Security Council unanimously endorsed this plan, hoping to bring an end to the violence that has resulted in staggering deaths of innocent civilians, many of whom are children, and widespread destruction – the overall death toll in Gaza has surpassed 37,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Both Israel and the militant group Hamas have signalled their openness to the US-backed cease-fire proposal, but neither has formally accepted the plan yet.
The proposal outlines a three-phase plan:
- An immediate six-week ceasefire where Hamas would release some hostages, and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners. The goal is to stop the fighting temporarily and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need in Gaza.
- Permanent ceasefire negotiations, where both parties would negotiate a permanent end to hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
- Reconstruction and recovery, involving the return of the remains of deceased hostages and implementing a comprehensive reconstruction plan.
Israeli officials have indicated that the cease-fire proposal aligns with their war goals, which include dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and freeing all hostages in Gaza. However, Israel has not formally accepted the agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been cautious about committing to the plan, emphasising that Israel will continue its operations until all its objectives are met.
Hamas, on the other hand, has shown a positive response to the proposal but has not taken a clear public stance. Senior Hamas official Husam Badran criticised Netanyahu, suggesting that he is the primary obstacle to reaching an agreement.
For now, the fate of the cease-fire proposal hangs in the balance, with international leaders urging both sides to seize this opportunity to end the violence and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
5. Actor Rebel Wilson’s wild tales of her time in SA raise eyebrows
Australian actor Rebel Wilson may have starred in some of our favourite movies (Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids), but is she acting or telling the truth about her memories of our beloved SA?
Wilson published her memoir in April, and several chapters detail some WILD anecdotes about her time on a youth programme in Southern Africa in the late nineties.
Apparently, Wilson witnessed a crime and helped the police, was nearly caught in a shooting while in KwaZulu-Natal and was kidnapped returning from Mozambique to SA in what she thinks was an illegal smuggling operation. Oh, and she also lost a karate fight to a girl from Soweto and mentions taxi wars and seeing “dead bodies on the sides of roads”.
Wilson’s wild takes have been dissected on social media, especially TikTok. As one commenter put it, “I’ve lived in S.A. for my entire 55-year life… I’ve seen some violence but nothing like what she experienced in her short time here. The short time she spent in S.A. seemed rich in adventures and misadventures. Seems unlikely.”
We can’t help but agree. On the plus side, she apparently found her love for acting in SA while delirious and recovering from malaria and was wildly inspired by our very own Leon Schuster, whom she calls ahead of his time.
If nothing else, it all forms a great basis for a movie plot. Let’s just hope they remember to label it fiction this time. 😆
6. Parisians threaten ‘poo protest’ ahead of Olympic Games
With millions of eyes set to turn toward France for the Summer Olympics from 26 July to 11 August, you’d think Parisians would be breaking out the champagne in celebration. Mais non! Locals are rather miffed about the whole affair, and they’re showing it in a truly unique fashion: by threatening to unleash their fury in the form of faecal matter into the Seine River. In SA terms, Paris’s residents are planning to kak in the river.
The protest, aptly named ‘Je Chie Dans La Seine Le 23 Jui’n (“I sh*t in the Seine on June 23”), has taken social media by storm.
Now, you might wonder why on earth Parisians would resort to such drastic measures. It seems the Olympics have rubbed some locals the wrong way. Reports of increased construction, rising metro prices, and heightened security measures have left a sour taste in the mouths of many. And let’s not forget the less-than-charming news of authorities shooing away the homeless and cracking down on sex workers in preparation for the Games. Sacré bleu, indeed.
But it’s not just about sticking it to the man (or Macron, in this case). While the city has poured billions of euros into cleaning up the river, experts worry it might not be enough to wash away the traces of human waste. Swimming in the Seine has been illegal since 1923, and the question remains: Is it safe enough for Olympic athletes to take the plunge?
President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo have vowed to swim in the Seine before the Games as a show of confidence in its cleanliness. But with protesters poised to turn the river into a giant toilet bowl, one can’t help but wonder if they might want to invest in a hazmat suit instead of a swimsuit.
7. Gerda Steyn smashes records at 97th Comrades Marathon
On 9 June, in the predawn darkness of Durban, thousands of runners gathered to tackle the 97th Comrades Marathon. At 5:30, the ultimate human race began as participants set off from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
The star of the day was SA runner Gerda Steyn, who clinched her third Comrades title in a record-breaking performance. Steyn finished the gruelling 86-kilometre up-run in a stunning 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 46 seconds, shattering her own record set in 2019 by over nine minutes.
Steyn finished more than 15 minutes faster than Russian athlete Alexandra Morozova, who crossed the finish line in 6 hours, 5 minutes, and 12 seconds.
Steyn, who now holds the record for both the up and down runs, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from spectators. (The Comrades alternates yearly between the “up” run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and the “down” run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.)
“The energy and encouragement from start to finish were incredible,” Steyn said.
The men’s race saw a historic win as Piet Wiersma of the Netherlands crossed the finish line in 5 hours, 25 minutes, and 0 seconds. He narrowly missed breaking the 16-year men’s up-run record by just 11 seconds. SA runners performed well overall, but for the first time since 2011, the men’s title went to an international competitor.
The Comrades Marathon is more than just a race; the 86-kilometre trek is a showcase of human endurance. Over 24,000 runners participated in the event, with 5,000 volunteers and 75 doctors on standby. Despite some traffic snarls post-race, the event ran like a well-oiled machine (some may say it ran as well as Gerda Steyn 🤭).
8. Europe goes hard-right in recent elections
Europe is in something of a mess right now. The recent elections for the European Parliament resulted in significant gains for far-right parties across the continent. These weren’t elections for individual countries but the EU as a whole. But people do vote in their individual countries and results are added up to make up the EU results.
So what were the results like when broken down by country? In Europe’s two biggest economies, the EU election results were seismic. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished second, surpassing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party. In France, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally achieved its best-ever result, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the French parliament and call for snap elections. Why would the result of EU elections have an effect on an individual country’s politics? Well, because they’re a strong indication of where domestic politics are, and if you’re an incumbent party that suddenly loses a huge amount of ground in the EU elections, it’s a good indication you’ve lost the support of the people.
These results were unthinkable a mere 10 years ago when both Le Pen and the AfD were considered dangerous (and fringe) extremists. Now, they sit in the European Union’s parliamentary institution, with the power to decide law on a vast array of issues, including the EU budget and, of course, immigration policy. 😳
What does this mean for the rest of us? Well, for one thing, it likely means Europe will be less united in its opposition to the war in Ukraine. Nationalist interests may trump global cooperation, especially in the area of climate change. So expect Europe to start rowing back on its CO2 emissions commitments. Plus, it points to a larger issue: We are living through a global resurgence of the right wing across the world, as the centrist consensus of the 1990s and early 2000s is under attack following decades of slow economic growth. This includes SA, where the progressive politics of the Rainbow Nation are slowly being replaced by ethnic and nationalist parties, as shown by the rise of the xenophobic Patriotic Alliance and anti-constitution MK Party.
Not good, folks! Now more than ever, those who believe in sensible, inclusive politics must stand up and be counted.
9. Exclusive Books embroiled in Palestine book controversy
Exclusive Books, one of the country’s foremost book retailers, has found itself in hot water after temporarily pulling a children’s colouring book, From the River to the Sea, off its shelves. Created by Nathi Ngubane, this book isn’t your typical colouring adventure. It dives into the history of Palestine, aiming to teach kids about the struggles and culture of the region through illustrations.
Released in February this year, the book quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. Supporters hail it as a bold educational tool, while critics, especially pro-Israel groups, have cried foul, accusing it of bias and brainwashing young minds.
According to Ngubane, his intention was to create a “book that tries to foster empathy and sympathy, not just in Palestine but around the world.”
Exclusive Books has defended its actions, citing a need to review the book’s content amidst community feedback. “The moment we realised it was not offensive, the books were put back on the shelves,” stated Grattan Kirk, CEO of Exclusive Books.
This incident isn’t unique; globally, debates over book censorship have surfaced, notably in the United States, where controversies often arise over school curriculum materials deemed too sensitive or politically charged. In SA, however, the issue resonates deeply amidst ongoing global divisions over the Israel-Palestine conflict, igniting passionate responses from all sides. Banning a book elicited distasteful memories of our own painful past, where material considered to be against the apartheid government was routinely banned.
That’s it from us at The Wrap, an award-winning product of explain.co.za – simple news summaries for busy people. 💁🏾♀
The Wrap is sponsored by explain’s agency division. We specialise in content marketing for purpose-driven organisations, often with a pan-African reach. Mail info@explain.co.za for a quote.
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