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Just when we were impressed with our politicians’ recent maturity they go and put a disgraced former judge in charge of other judges. 🙄 They should take care; courts are increasingly harsh on political crimes, with two politicians likely to face homicide charges for their role in the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
While SA settles into its new political reality, there’s a lot going on internationally. We summarise the latest developments in France and the UK, our relationships with the US and Ireland, and why the Spanish are taking water guns to tourists and telling them to go home.
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. OUR TAKE: John Hlophe’s JSC appointment is wildly contradictory
Say what?? The disgraced former judge John Hlophe has been appointed to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), which selects potential judges and disciplines existing judges. The body did precisely this when it found him guilty of gross misconduct earlier this year, which led to his becoming one of two judges to be impeached by the National Assembly in democratic South Africa (the other was Nkola Motata, who made us all question the saying “as sober as a judge” after drunkenly reversing into a wall in 2007.)
So how on earth is Hlophe being put on the very body that removed him? That’s like making an expelled student principal of the school. 😱
Well, the MK Party brought Hlophe back from the political dead when they gave him their top job of parliament chief whip – shoving aside other people on their pre-election list to do so. Hlophe was impeached over influencing other judges in former President Jacob Zuma’s favour, so we’re not surprised he’s being rewarded by Zuma’s new party.
Parties in parliament nominate their members (MPs) to serve as their representatives on the JSC, and of course, the MK party put Hlophe forward. More surprisingly, however, was that the ANC backed Hlophe’s nomination, along with the EFF, UDM, ATM, Al-Jama-ah and UAT. It’s beyond bizarre that many of the same parties who voted to impeach Hlophe four months ago – a historic vote of 305 out of 400 MPs – now voted to put him on the JSC!
We would have thought the ANC would have agreed with its new coalition partners, the DA and FF+, that such a move was, frankly, insane. (The ACDP also opposed the move).
ANC MPs Molapi Lekganyane and Fasiha Hassan will serve on the six-member JSC with Hlophe along with the DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach, EFF president Julius Malema and ActionSA’s parliamentary leader Athol Trollip.
Freedom Under Law, an NGO, will be legally challenging Hlophe’s appointment. Here’s hope the courts bail out this political mess. Again.
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ 2. BIG STORY: Politicians could face homicide charges over Life Esidimeni
Two politicians could be held criminally liable for causing the deaths of citizens, and that’s a good thing!
Remember the Life Esidimeni scandal from about eight years ago? More than 1700 state mental patients were moved from the Life Esidimeni private psychiatric hospital units to unlicensed and under-resourced NGOs. After a rushed transfer, which families weren’t informed of, at least 141 died in horrifying circumstances – think lack of food, water and heat.
The Gauteng government wanted to cut the 30-year contracts with private healthcare to save costs and reintegrate patients into their communities—talk about fixing something that wasn’t broken. Multiple experts warned against the catastrophically bad decision, but officials went ahead. Now an investigation has found that former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and former director of mental health Makgoba Manamela could face criminal charges for their actions. Judge Mmonoa Teffo made the ruling yesterday following a three-year judicial inquest, a process used to determine the cause of death.
Other processes have been used over the years to ensure that those responsible pay, including a 2017 Health Ombuds report that saw Mahlangu resign and an alternative dispute resolution that ordered the state to pay claimants R1.2m each.
What happens next? Shortly after yesterday’s ruling, the National Prosecuting Authority responded that they would study the judgement and decide whether to prosecute the pair. NGO Section 27, which has long fought this battle, believes there is enough evidence to charge those responsible with culpable homicide. (Though they wanted additional individuals held responsible, including the NGO leaders who created “death traps” for patients.) The NPA will probably prosecute, given the weight of evidence and the public outcry. It’s a good day for justice.
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS
3. Weather woes: floods, winds, and even snow
The weather is actually worth talking – or perhaps, wailing – about this week.
🔹Over the past few days, the Western Cape has experienced a rollercoaster of wild weather that’s left communities drenched, windswept, and wondering if they somehow offended the weather gods.
🔹In Gauteng, temperatures dipped to a bone-chilling minus five degrees. Johannesburg residents are advised to prepare for icy weather throughout next week.
🔹In KwaZulu-Natal, severe wind warnings have residents in districts like uMgungundlovu and iLembe on edge. Wind speeds of up to 70 km/h pose a significant fire risk amidst dry conditions.
Quick explainer: The wild weather is primarily due to the arrival of multiple cold fronts from the South Atlantic. (Breaking news: It’s winter.) When cold air from the South Atlantic hits the warm air already here, it creates a lot of instability in the atmosphere. This means more clouds, more rain, and stronger winds. And while the mountains in the Western Cape are truly a spectacle to admire, they actually make the weather worse, causing even more intense precipitation, hence the flooding.
The Western Cape has been severely affected, with 15,000 impacted and up to 4,500 displaced.
Three weather stations across the Cape broke July rainfall records, with the village of Elim receiving its most rainfall in eight years, totalling 70.2mm— 20mm more than the previous record. SANParks closed various sections of Table Mountain Park due to flooding and actual snowfall, and schools across various districts were closed on Thursday.
Brace yourselves because the South African Weather Service is predicting more cold fronts across the country this weekend and heading into next week. Plus, a Level 8 weather warning (the highest is ten!) for disruptive rain leading to flooding and possible mudslides is still in place for the Western Cape. Stay safe out there. 🥶
4. US Republicans try to bully South Africa on foreign policy
The US Congress has decided that it is time to have “the talk” with South Africa about our relationship.
The House has passed legislation requiring a report-back on whether South Africa “has engaged in activities that undermine United States national security or foreign policy interests”.
The bill was prompted by growing concerns about South Africa cosying up to what Uncle Sam sees as the “wrong crowd”, including Palestine, China, and Russia.
If the bill passes, South Africa could face economic repercussions. It demands a thorough review of how the US and South Africa do business together, from trade deals to economic partnerships. That kind of uncertainty can rattle trade flows and investments between the two countries. South Africa is the largest beneficiary of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which grants duty-free access to the US market for thousands of goods.
In 2022, South Africa exported goods worth approximately R65 billion to the US, making it the largest US trade partner in Africa.
But we are not too worried, honestly. Despite the drama, it’s uncertain whether these amendments will become law. The Senate, which is controlled by the Democratic Party and tends to be more forgiving towards South Africa, might block them. And even if they pass, US President Joe Biden could veto them.
He should, as what this bill amounts to is a crude attempt to punish South Africa for its perceived drift out of the Western orbit at a time when Western power seems weaker than ever, especially in Africa.
This has been an ongoing issue pretty much since the end of apartheid. The bill’s chief proponent, Republication John James, has talked a big game, saying: “The ANC of today is no longer the party of Mandela.”
But Mandela was outspoken against US foreign policy and was roundly criticised in his time for his support for Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine, historically seen as “enemies” of the US hegemony.
The fact is that SA’s alignment with the growing BRICS group of nations is important to our future as the West’s hold slips globally. While SA should be held accountable for backing dodgy leaders, we can’t be punished for making other legitimate decisions that protect our interests in a rapidly-changing world.
Sanctioning South Africa would firmly drive it (and very likely even more African countries) into the arms of China, among others. It’s a lose-lose situation.
5. Is Eskom – and SA – finally seeing the light at the end of the loadshedding tunnel?
Eskom, South Africa’s beleaguered state-owned power utility, is in the news again, in a mixed bag of financial news and nuclear dreams.
The company, under new management since former CEO Andre De Ruyter’s departure in December 2022, has reduced its year-on-year losses. Yet the amount its bleeding is still significant: R15 billion for the 2024 financial year. That’s mostly thanks to a whopping R33 billion spent on diesel to keep the lights on. It may have given us 100 days without load shedding for the first time in three years, but it cost a pretty penny. 🥵
But it appears Eskom’s new strategy is yielding better results: The R15 billion loss is better than the R23.9 billion loss recorded the previous year, though we’d prefer no losses at all, tbh. So would CEO Dan Marokane, it seems, who is gunning for no losses at all – and actually making money instead! He believes that ending electricity blackouts could lead to profitability next year for the first time since 2016.
In an interview with the UK’s Financial Times last week, Marokane said: “We saw record use of diesel last year, hence record losses. But we’ve really cut down on diesel, so we should see a substantial financial improvement this year. If we maintain our trajectory, there’s no reason we shouldn’t even see a profit.”
Meanwhile, in an ambitious move to secure South Africa’s energy future, Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is also pursuing a new 2,500MW nuclear power plant. This project, which he aims to get approved by the Treasury next month, is part of a broader plan to ensure economic recovery. “There’s the latest [nuclear] technology that is very rapid to deploy, relatively cheaper, and more efficient,” Ramokgopa said.
If approved, the new nuclear plant would be larger than Koeberg, South Africa’s only existing nuclear facility, with Thyspunt near Jeffreys Bay being a potential site. This follows the collapse of the controversial R200 billion Karpowership deal, which faced numerous delays and legal challenges.
We’ve got to say it’s looking up for SA’s energy future… and it’s about time too!
6. Water Gun-wielding protesters tell Barcelona tourists to ‘go home’
Imagine this: It’s a lovely afternoon on your Barcelona vacay. You’re dining al fresco with a glass of cava when all of a sudden, you get a squirt of water to the face and are told to go home.
Thousands of Spanish protestors confronted tourists on Saturday, protesting against a housing shortage and high cost of living. Barcelona saw 12 million tourists in 2023 alone.
Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni announced plans in June to ban short-term rentals in the city from November 2028 in an effort to ease the city’s housing crisis. The move would see 10,000 apartments currently listed on platforms like Airbnb return to the housing market.
It’s a problem plaguing residents in some of the world’s most picturesque places, who want a problematic global tourism model addressed:
- In 2023, the city of Amsterdam released a whole ad asking men aged 18 to 35 from the United Kingdom to stay away!
- In April, 56,000 people protested in the Canary Islands against what they have called an “unsustainable tourism model”, backed by environmental groups including Greenpeace and WWF. In 2023, 13,9 million people visited the island, vastly outnumbering its population of 2,2 million people.
- Even residents of the party islands of Mallorca and Ibiza protested in May against the housing crisis. So no, Vengaboys, we’re not going to Ibiza.
Here in SA, tourism is rightly celebrated for job creation, but in places like the Western Cape, it can have a negative impact on tenants. “Vacancy rates for residential housing in the Western Cape hit a record low of 1.66% by the end of 2023, underscoring the immense control landlords wield over the housing market,” experts from the Ndifuna Ukwazi Law Centre have written. “Tenants are caught in a vicious cycle where affordable properties are transformed into higher-income ventures, like Airbnb, pricing out the majority of residents and fueling a cycle of eviction and displacement.”
So next time you plan your dream vacation, do a little research and see if the locals want you there. For every place where tourists are not welcome (rightly so), there are two others that will welcome you. 😉
7. Ireland drops visa-free travel for South Africans, and we have so many questions
Was it something we said after THAT rugby game? Ireland announced the end of visa-free travel for South Africa and Botswana on Tuesday, making it effective from the very next day. 😳
The Why Behind the Bye? The Republic of Ireland is one of only two European Union members that do not follow the Schengen system. South Africans need visas to enter any other Schengen area—29 borderless European countries. So Ireland may just be playing catch-up and not, in fact, exacting rugby-related revenge.
Besides the Schengen issue, Irish Ambassador to South Africa Austin Gormley also mentioned “effective immigration controls”. Translation: There have been more asylum applications from travellers with South African passports, including individuals from Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, than Ireland is comfortable with.
This year alone, Ireland has received 198 asylum applications from South African passport holders.
There are transitional arrangements in place for those who have already made travel arrangements. They have until 9 August 2024 to enjoy visa-free travel, after which they’ll need to join the queue.
With the sudden need for visas, Ireland has established a South Africa Desk in Dublin and will open three new visa processing centres in South Africa, managed by VFS Global.
Gormley was quick to clarify that this move wasn’t a snub. “Ireland enjoys very strong bonds with South Africa and friendship… please be assured that the warm Irish welcome will continue to be there,” he emphasised. So, while we might have to jump through more hoops to get to Ireland, at least the Guinness will still be waiting for us.
Meanwhile, in a GNU show of collaboration, South Africa’s International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola and his counterpart in home affairs, Leon Schreiber, are already tackling the issue with the Irish government.
Hopefully, we’ll get our payback on the rugby field this Saturday by beating Ireland again, just like we did last week!
8. Waiter… There’s a bug in my soup: Singapore approves 16 bugs for human consumption
Creepy crawlies are on the menu in Singapore! The Singapore Food Agency approved 16 species of insects in different stages of growth for human consumption. These include certain kinds of crickets, grasshoppers, moths and their larvae, silkworms and honeybees – at specific stages of growth.
Singaporean restaurants are already experimenting with bugs as food, garnishing sushi with silkworms and meatballs topped with worms. Yum, we guess?
But can entomophagy (the eating of insects) be the hero we need to save the world? The United Nations certainly thinks so. In 2013, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation made a compelling case for bug consumption to combat food insecurity. They also highlighted the role of entomophagy in promoting sustainable farming practices. “Insects feed on bio-waste, use significantly less water than livestock, and can be farmed more easily,” they said.
And while it may seem unappealing to some, bug consumption is a longstanding tradition in many cultures. Here in Mzansi, mopane worms, a type of caterpillar, are a delicacy that provides abundant, affordable, and nutritious protein for many in Limpopo, and in the summer months, flying ants are regularly collected and eaten in Kwa-Zulu Natal and other coastal areas. Edible stinkbugs have been a staple in the diets of people in South Africa, Malawi, and Zimbabwe for generations, serving as an essential source of protein, vitamins, and micro-elements.
Of course, like anything else in the world, politics have entered the fray. The Dutch, Polish, Italian, and even American far-right have objected to bug eating, spreading misinformation about mysterious “global elites” who will force the general populace to eat bugs. In Italy, a member of Italy’s ruling far-right Brothers of Italy party described bug eating as “bordering on madness”. Blah. People have been doing this for centuries, and it’s better for the planet! So, would you munch down on a mopane worm or have a mealworm pancake? 🤭
9. Elections: The UK and France go left. But one is not like the other
It’s time for an update on two important European elections:
🔹France:
We told you last week that it looked like the French electorate was ready to hand victory to the far-right after the first round of the National Assembly Elections. Well, we were wrong, and happily so! The second round revealed an unexpected surprise: a victory for the leftist New Popular Front.
- The NFP is in the lead with 182 seats
- Ensemble, Macron’s party is second with 168 seats
- RN is in third place with 143 seats
The NFP, launched in June 2024, is an electoral alliance between several left-leaning parties to thwart the rise of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN). The RN, which has threatened to keep Muslim people out of strategic state jobs, led in the first round of elections and is now in third place, below President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Ensemble, which is in second place, losing its majority.
Macron’s party lost control of parliament after he dissolved the national assembly and called for a snap election in June because of their massive loss to the RN in the European Parliament – a separate political system but one that illustrates local political trends. What Macron, a centrist, was not betting on, however, is how left the electorate would go to stop the rise of fascism in France when the first round revealed the rise of the right. We love to see it!
With no party securing a majority, a hung parliament is the result. What does this mean? The three dominant parties will have to engage in negotiations to form a government. (Sounds familiar? 😏)
The NFP is poised to lead the negotiations. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks.
🔹UK:
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has a new Prime Minister. Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party achieved a landslide victory in the 2024 General Elections, as expected. (We got that prediction right at least in last week’s wrap!) The outgoing Conservative Party, aka Tories, received their worst result in terms of seats in history. No wonder, given their terrible track record with five prime ministers in 14 years and a rising cost of living crisis.
Starmer has already set up his cabinet, which is made up of 22 Labour MPs.
In his first speech, Starmer thanked outgoing PM Rishi Sunak and said that his government would focus on rebuilding the UK, focusing on public servants.
“Nurses, builders, drivers, carers, people doing the right thing, working harder than ever, have been recognised at moments like this before. Yet, as soon as the cameras stop rolling, their lives are ignored. I want to say very clearly to those people – not this time,” he said.
While this might look like a shift to the left for the UK, it’s worth noting Starmer has been called “Tory-lite” so it’s probably more centrist. However Starmer has said that his government, unlike the Tories, would be “unburdened by doctrine” and guided only by a determination to serve the interests of the people of the UK.
President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated Starmer, and the two have expressed an interest in deepening relations between the two countries in several areas of cooperation. For now, we’re just glad the growing tide of toxic right-wing politics globally has been stemmed.
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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