Hi there 🙋🏾♀️
What a week. There’s seemingly a civil war in the police service, Caster Semenya has triumphed in her latest court battle, and US President Donald Trump has slapped, well, everyone, with tariffs. Again. We’re also looking at why activists are worried the upcoming National Dialogue won’t amount to much more than talk.
On the global front, Elon Musk wants to start his own political party, but it may remain just a trending Twitter… sorry, X 🙄post. We also check in on the devastation in Gaza, where there’s cautious hope for a ceasefire. And in Texas, deadly floods have some saying Trump’s government cuts may have made things much worse.
Also, a correction: Last week, we said the British Barbarians rugby team was French. Apologies!
Now, let’s dive into these stories and more in this week’s wrap, brought to you by Verashni Pillay and the explain.co.za team. 😄
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Format:
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▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS
NATIONAL
- Caster Semenya has won her latest legal battle! 🙌🏾 The European Court of Human Rights ruled today that Swiss Courts did not give the SA Olympian a fair trial over testosterone rules. Switzerland must pay her R1.6m, but this doesn’t overturn the World Athletics ban that’s kept her out of the 800m since 2018. Semenya, classed as having “differences in sexual development”, welcomed the ruling but called for better protection of athletes, saying: “The fight will never be over.”
- Malusi Gigaba lost his urgent bid to block ex-wife Norma Mngoma’s tell-all interview, with costs. Sorry, not sorry, Malusi! The episode, part of the Untied series on Showmax, dives into claims of infidelity, porn addiction, and misuse of public funds during their marriage. 😳 Gigaba said it could damage his already fragile reputation—but High Court Judge Julian Yende ruled yesterday the details were already in the public domain, and the issue wasn’t urgent.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pet project, the upcoming National Dialogue in August, is under fire. 👀 The DA has pulled out, dismissing it as “another expensive talk shop,” while critics across civil society slam the initiative for lacking grassroots input and tangible outcomes. Still, the ANC, SACP and former President Thabo Mbeki have come out swinging, with Mbeki calling the DA’s move “misplaced” and “against its own very direct interests.”
- The Proteas beat Zimbabwe in the Test series in Bulawayo this week! They wrapped up the match in just three days, winning by an innings, meaning they only had to bat once, and 236 runs, sealing a 2-0 series victory. We love this for us.😁 Man of the Match, Wiaan Mulder scored 367 runs and took three wickets. Next: A one-off T20 tournament against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in Harare next week.
- Former Deputy President David Mabuza will be laid to rest on Saturday, following a state funeral. Mabuza passed away last Thursday at age 64 after a short illness. The former Mpumalanga premier helped deliver crucial votes to Ramaphosa’s camp at the 2017 ANC general elections, helping to end a ruinous decade of state capture. But, alas, he will largely be remembered for the massive corruption he was allegedly at the centre of in Mpumalanga, where whistleblowers were assassinated. 😐
INTERNATIONAL
- Trump once called Lesotho a country “no one has heard of”🙄 —now his tariffs have pushed it to declare a national state of disaster. In effect until June 2027, the declaration is in response to sky-high youth unemployment and trade uncertainty. Though the 50% tariffs are paused, a 10% tax still applies, threatening 40,000 jobs if the AGOA deal isn’t renewed. The move enables emergency funds for job creation and economic recovery. More on the new tariffs later.
- On Saturday, Elon Musk claimed he’d formed the “America Party” to challenge the US’s two-party system. But… there’s little sign it exists beyond his X post. 😆 The party isn’t registered with the US equivalent of the IEC. While many Americans say they want a third option, experts warn that building a viable party is extremely costly and complex, raising doubts about whether Musk’s latest move is serious or just another headline-grabbing distraction.
- Over 100 are dead following devastating floods in Texas last Friday. 😔 Experts say climate change exacerbated the damage, as did poor planning. And, to no one’s surprise, Trump and Musk’s Doge cuts to various government services may have contributed to the death toll, The Guardian reports. Scrutiny is also growing around Camp Mystic, where 27 girls and staff died, after being cleared to camp on a known flood plain. A state investigation is pending.
- The destruction in Gaza continues, but a ceasefire is back on the table. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington for talks on a proposed Trump-backed 60-day truce, but critics say his plan to concentrate Palestinians in a “humanitarian city” in Rafah signals ongoing displacement, not peace. On Tuesday, Palestine’s Health Ministry said at least 57,575 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023.
- Christian Horner was axed as Red Bull Racing boss this week. His ousting follows a messy 18-month saga—sexual misconduct allegations, power struggles, poor car performance, and baffling driver decisions. With Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s star driver and four-time world champ, underperforming and possibly eyeing the exit, insiders say Red Bull finally “ran out of reasons to keep Horner.” 😬 It’s a stunning fall for one of F1’s most successful (and controversial) leaders after two decades at the helm.
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BIG STORIES
SAPS corruption scandal shakes South Africa
South Africans are still reeling from Sunday’s jaw-dropping press conference by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Dressed in combat-ready wear and flanked by rifle-wielding officers, he accused the very institution he serves—the South African Police Service (SAPS)—of being infiltrated by criminal syndicates. 😳
The rot, he said, isn’t confined to low-level corruption: Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is allegedly implicated.
Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu tried to disband the Political Killings Task Team, a unit set up by Ramaphosa in 2018 to investigate political assassinations in KZN.
He linked Mchunu to Pretoria businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who was arrested in May for the attempted murder of his ex, and exposed in a News24 investigation for his dodgy R360m tender deal with SAPS that has since been cancelled.
Mkhwanazi alleges the real reason Mchunu wanted to shut down the unit is because it was unmasking a syndicate operating within the state, with ties to politicians “currently serving in Parliament.”
Mchunu denies the claims, saying he doesn’t know Matlala and refers to another implicated figure and fixer, Oupa “Brown” Mogotsi, as “just a comrade”. Mkhwanazi said he has laid criminal charges against Mchunu and others involved.
The fallout has been massive. Parliament’s Speaker Thoko Didiza has tasked three committees to investigate, and the DA has filed its own charges against Mchunu for allegedly lying to Parliament about his relationship to Mogotsi.
Meanwhile, National Commissioner Fannie Masemola largely came out in Mkhwanazi’s corner. In a press briefing on Wednesday, he contradicted rumblings that Mkhwanazi was somehow in the wrong, saying he was aware that Mkhwanazi would be holding that briefing. He also reassured South Africans that the task team was still operational, as he had not signed a letter to disband the team. But this has led to further questions if he had indeed refused a directive from his boss, Mchunu, to disband the unit.
While the President is yet to act, calls are growing for him to fire Mchunu. Ramaphosa, who was attending the BRICS Summit at the time the allegations surfaced, has described it as a “matter of grave national security.”
Mkhwanazi’s bombshell has pulled back the curtain on how deep corruption runs in the criminal justice system. The public has rallied around him, with some even calling for him to take over as police minister or even start his own party.
Our take? Fix the structural rot in the system first. Read it here.
Trump’s tariff tantrum hits SA again
Just when we thought the storm had passed, Trump has again threatened a 30% tariff on South African exports to the US, effective 1 August.
This comes after a 90-day pause on tariffs first announced during his “Liberation Day” speech on 2 April, where Trump unveiled a plan to rebalance trade deficits with countries he claims are taking advantage of America. SA was initially hit with a 31% tariff, but key exports like platinum and gold were temporarily spared.
Now the gloves are off. In a near-copy-paste letter sent to 22 world leaders—including Ramaphosa—Trump said 30% isn’t nearly enough to close the trade gap. He warned that if SA retaliates with its own tariffs, the US will match them and then some.
South Africa had been scrambling to strike a deal in time. Back in May, Trade Minister Parks Tau proposed a framework offering the US access to SA markets—think natural gas, fracking tech, and seasonal fruit. But Washington rejected the plan, proposing instead a new “template” for all African countries. We still haven’t seen that template, by the way.
Ramaphosa hit back this week, saying the tariffs are based on dodgy data. He noted that 80% of US goods already enter SA tariff-free, and urged local exporters to diversify, stat.
Meanwhile, SA’s vehicle and steel exports to the US have already taken a knock since April, while US petroleum imports to SA have doubled.
Trump has also threatened a 10% penalty for aligning with BRICS.
Trump’s tariff rollout has been chaotic, to say the least. He promised to finalise trade deals with a dizzying number of countries in the 90-day pause earlier this year. But only two materialised: the UK and Vietnam. The rest? Letters, posted to social media, threatening tariffs from 20% to 50% on nearly two dozen countries. Trump has made key decisions publicly and off the cuff, noting recently that some African leaders he happened to be meeting with might be spared tariffs. He’s based tariff rates on what he calls “common sense” and even said a “letter means a deal.” With Trump, the only consistent thing is inconsistency.
There’s still hope—kinda. The US says deals could still be made at Trump’s discretion. (But… don’t hold your breath.)
BRICS is growing, but not everyone’s a fan
The 2025 BRICS Summit wrapped up in Rio de Janeiro this week, and it’s clear this club of emerging economies is aiming for serious global influence. The group started in 2009 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining a year later. Since then, BRICS has expanded—and this year’s summit confirmed just how much.
Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are now full members. Additionally, 10 new “partner countries” have been added, including Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Uganda, and Thailand. These partners aren’t full members, but get VIP access to trade, investment, and diplomatic perks. With more than 30 countries still queueing to join, BRICS is clearly appealing to those tired of Western dominance.
But not everyone was in the room. Russia’s Vladimir Putin stayed home due to that pesky ICC arrest warrant over Ukraine, while China’s Xi Jinping and Iran’s president also skipped. Still, leaders from Brazil, India, SA, and the new members showed up, with Indonesia attending its first summit as a full member.
Experts, however, have critiqued the group’s internal contradictions, which magnify as it grows. This includes tensions between India and China, and the group’s silence on Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. Others have noted the group faces flagging momentum, given “the bloat of its growing agenda, internal contradictions of its increasing membership, and lack of a robust normative bedrock,” as the Institute of Security Studies puts it.
Meanwhile, Trump, never one to miss a chance to stir the pot, threatened a 10% tariff on any BRICS nation that messes with the US dollar. But there are no real plans by the bloc to usurp the dollar. Still, Trump has previously accused the bloc of being anti-American and warned of even steeper penalties—up to 100%. Brazil’s President Lula da Silva clapped back, saying: “We don’t want an emperor,” and called for central banks to start trading in local currencies.
Despite the politics, the summit largely focused on deepening trade ties and building alternatives to traditional Western-led institutions. With the US slapping tariffs left and right, it’s no surprise that many countries are looking for new alliances.
SA’s role? Ramaphosa played host to key discussions, even as the US turns the heat up with new tariffs and BRICS nations face growing scrutiny. Let’s hope the bloc’s growing size translates into real economic power—and not just more photo ops.
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That’s it from us at The Wrap, an award-winning product of explain.co.za – simple news summaries for busy people. 💁🏾♀
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