Hi there 🙋🏾♀️
It’s been a hot minute since we had something to smile about in Mzansi, but things are finally looking up, at least on the financial front. We break down why it might be time to stress a little less about the economy.
Meanwhile, the courts have been BUSY. We’re talking alleged celeb killers, Zumas in the dock (yes, another one), and enough legal drama to rival a Netflix special – which we’re also covering in this edition. And while we’re on Zumas, the MK Party is still at war with itself, apparently.
Elsewhere in the world: Trump is taking swings at the BBC, Israel has (of course) not honoured the ceasefire, and the longest US shutdown in history is finally over.
So, 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. 😄
Format:
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS
NATIONAL
- AKA’s alleged killers have landed. 😮 After 18 months and plenty of courtroom drama, the extradited brothers Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande — accused of killing rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in Feb 2023 — landed in SA on Wednesday after a drawn-out legal battle in Eswatini. They’re among seven suspects facing murder, conspiracy and firearms charges. The duo appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, in a saga that has gripped the nation.
- Duduzile Zuma’s trial over the 2021 July unrest kicked off on Monday in Durban. Dudu’s lawyer, Dali Mpofu, got fraud examiner Sarah-Jane Trent to concede that two of the 32 videos she flagged showed no violence and that Dudu’s Gupta ties were irrelevant. The state’s case may look shaky, but only the prosecution’s witnesses have testified so far – meaning Mpofu has been given the stage to poke holes in the state’s argument. The case resumes Monday, and the tables may turn soon after.
- Senzo Mchunu has stepped aside from his ANC duties. He was suspended as police minister in September, pending investigations into explosive allegations of political interference. On Tuesday, the ANC granted his request to step aside from all party duties, reversing their earlier refusal. They noted he isn’t facing criminal charges, a prerequisite for their “step aside” rule. Mchunu voluntarily handed his gadgets to the Political Killings Task Team last Thursday, a gesture he says proves he has “nothing to hide”.
- Jacob Zuma suspended his MK party deputy, John Hlophe, last Wednesday. 👀 This follows allegations of harassment by MK chief whip Colleen Makhubele, echoing similar accusations by the party’s then Mpumalanga convenor, Mary Phadi, in January. While the party didn’t act then, it’s now investigating. Zuma also reinstated Makhubele, whom Hlophe gave the boot as Chief Whip, allegedly after she refused to spend personal time with him at his farm in Paarl, accusing her of being a “CIA agent”.
- Another local production made the global top 10 watched shows on Netflix this week! Bad Influencer, by Zimbabwean filmmaker Kudi Maradzika, was also the top show in SA, Nigeria, Kenya and even Jamaica. It follows a down-on-her-luck single mom who partners with an influencer to make counterfeit luxury handbags. Netflix spent R4bn on SA productions over the last four years. Previous local titles such as Blood & Water, Unseen and the steamy Fatal Seduction have made the top 10 chart. 🙌🏾
INTERNATIONAL
- Trump is gunning for the BBC. According to a leaked memo published last week, a 2024 Panorama documentary edited Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech to seem like he incited the Capitol riots. By Sunday, Trump threatened to sue the public broadcaster for $1 billion, and BBC top boss Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness both quit. The BBC admitted an “error of judgment” on Monday. Now, MPs are scrambling to defend the public broadcaster’s independence amid growing political fire.
- Hundreds of Tanzanians have been charged with treason. This follows last month’s violent post-election protests that reportedly left more than 1000 people dead. At least 240 now face charges that could carry the death penalty — the country’s first potential executions since 1995. President Samia Suluhu Hassan seemingly won 98% of the vote and maintains the election was free and fair. But main rivals were barred from running, and the AU said the polls failed to meet democratic standards, noting ballot stuffing.
- One month into the “ceasefire,” Gaza’s reality tells a different story. 💔 According to Al Jazeera, Israel has violated the truce at least 282 times since October 10 — killing 242 Palestinians and injuring more than 600. Airstrikes, shootings and raids have hit residential areas almost daily, despite US claims that the ceasefire still holds. On Wednesday, Israel reopened the Zikim crossing to allow limited aid into northern Gaza for the first time in months, after UN pressure.
- After six chaotic weeks, the US government’s longest shutdown is finally over. 🇺🇸 Republicans and Democrat Senators deadlocking over the country’s spending plans are common, but most subsequent shutdowns have lasted five days or fewer. Democrats leveraged the latest standoff to demand making health insurance cheaper. Republicans refused to budge, leaving major services in limbo. Ironically, members of Congress still got paid. 🙃 On Wednesday, Senate finally voted to end it after several Democrats broke ranks with their party.
- The mysterious ‘Louvre Detective’ was a 15-year-old passerby. An AP photo of cops on the heist scene went viral – thanks to a sharply dressed young man caught in the frame. “Never gonna crack it with a detective who wears an actual fedora unironically,” ran one tweet viewed more than six million times. Turns out he wasn’t in charge of the investigation but a snappily dressed teen, Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux, whose family were hoping to visit the museum on the day.🕴🏾
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BIG STORIES
1️⃣ #MTBPS2025: SA’s turning the corner – no, really!
South Africa may finally be clawing its way out of the economic doldrums. Business leader Adrian Enthoven said recently that we’ve “achieved the impossible” – turning around over a decade of decline – and this week’s mini budget backs him up.
“We have collectively achieved what was once considered impossible — reversing years of economic decline,” he said in a public lecture at the University of Stellenbosch last week. Enthoven helped set up Business for SA and co-leads Operation Vulindlela’s energy team.
Wednesday’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement suggests the same. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana revealed that, for the first time since the 2008 global financial crisis, public debt has stopped rising as a share of GDP. That’s huge. For years, debt ballooned due to bailouts, a bloated public sector, and weak growth. Now, after years of restraint, better tax collection, and investor confidence, the state is finally spending within its means – with a primary budget surplus for the third year in a row.
Godongwana said real GDP growth is forecast to double in 2025 and more beyond, albeit from a very low base of the 0.7 % that South Africa’s average annual GDP growth has hovered around over the past decade, leaving real GDP per capita roughly unchanged.
That may all sound like budget-speak, but it matters. Debt costs less now – R4.8bn less than in February – and credit rating agencies are taking note. SA hasn’t had a ratings upgrade since 2005. We clawed our way to investment grade post-apartheid, only to lose it under former president Jacob Zuma, whose state capture years triggered a cascade of downgrades. Since 2017, we’ve sat three notches deep in “junk” status. But now? There’s real hope that Friday’s S&P announcement could bring an upgrade – or at least a signal we’re headed that way.
Part of the reason? Load shedding, that ever-present reminder of SA’s dysfunction, has almost vanished. Since 26 March, the lights have (mostly) stayed on – the longest stretch in four years. It’s thanks to a major overhaul of Eskom leadership, smarter government planning, and a solar boom powered by deregulation. And now with Kusile Power Station’s final unit online, the national grid is back to near full capacity.
Of course, as with all things in Mzansi, challenges remain. Growth is slow, local governments are still failing, and organised crime is eating away at progress. Enthoven calls it the “new state capture” – a dire warning. And he’s clear: if the Government of National Unity collapses or populists gain ground, it could all unravel.
But for now, things are looking up. Inflation is down. Investment is flowing. The JSE is booming. Enthoven urges us to overcome our “declinism” – the South African habit of expecting the worst.
It’s not yet a miracle. But it’s starting to look like a proper recovery.
2️⃣ G20 lands in Joburg next weekend… brace yourselves
Buckle up, Jozi – the G20 Leaders’ Summit is touching down at Nasrec Expo Centre on 22-23 November, close to Soweto.
Quick explainer: The G20, founded in 1999, brings the leaders of key states and their financial top dogs together once a year. It has become the world’s main platform for international economic coordination, and it’s kind of a big deal that Africa is hosting it for the first time right here in SA.
The US is boycotting the event after a series of garbled messages from Trump. He confused South Africa with countries where people have fled communism during a speech last Wednesday. On Friday, he took to Truth Social to say no US official will attend, citing debunked claims of ‘white genocide’ and illegal land grabs in SA. 🙄
But SA is forging ahead under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, and the gathering promises historic African vibes, but for locals? Expect road closures and security lockdowns.
If you’re in Joburg, here’s what you need to know.
- This weekend, the Road Traffic Management Corporation will conduct a “dry run”. On Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm, this ‘rehearsal’ will temporarily affect major routes including the N1, N3, N12, R21, R24, R512 and Golden Highway, as well as roads around Sandton.
- Come summit week, it ramps up. Tight security cordons around Nasrec, extra cops at OR Tambo and Lanseria, and VIP motorcades carving lanes out of the M1 and N1.
But, is SA actually ready?
Premier Panyaza Lesufi insists there have been Gauteng-wide upgrades, including patched potholes across Joburg, fixed traffic lights, the installation of backup generators at hospitals and water plants, and sprucing up the JHB city centre. Lesufi vows the weekly coordination meetings will continue long after the delegates leave – turning the G20 into a blueprint for better service delivery in the crumbling province.
But civil society groups say the province is sprucing up for the cameras while basic services remain patchy. Opposition parties have accused provincial leaders of spending on optics instead of impact, warning that “G20-ready” doesn’t mean Joburg-ready for ordinary residents battling water cuts and power outages in Gauteng’s falling-apart capital.
For now, Gauteng is polishing up and holding its breath. Expect roadblocks, flashing blue lights, and a few selfie-hungry diplomats trying to squeeze in a Nelson Mandela Square shot between sessions.
3️⃣ Malusi Gigaba is not under arrest… Yet.
Malusi Gigaba has found himself back in the spotlight — again.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has stated that the former Public Enterprises Minister will be formally charged in connection with the corruption-tainted Transnet locomotive saga. But he’s not behind bars yet.
On Thursday, Gigaba met with the NPA’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) as part of the ongoing probe into Transnet’s infamous tender for 1,064 locomotives – the one that cost Transnet R54 billion and became a poster child for state capture, with accusations that Gupta-linked companies pocketed billions in kickbacks.
Cue the inevitable social-media meltdown and headlines screaming “Gigaba arrested!”.
IDAC quickly poured cold water on that take. Gigaba was never cuffed, detained or taken into custody — he simply met investigators and returned home by midday.
But the NPA has confirmed they will make formal charges, meaning a court date is imminent, even if the charges aren’t yet known. (These will only be made public once Gigaba is formally charged in court.)
The case dates back to his tenure as Public Enterprises Minister from 2010 to 2014, when Transnet executives allegedly manipulated procurement processes to benefit politically connected networks. The Zondo Commission found that both Transnet’s leadership and the ministry failed to prevent inflated costs and irregular spending. While Gigaba hasn’t been directly accused of pocketing bribes, he was flagged for enabling and defending those who did.
Earlier this year, several key figures, former CEO Brian Molefe, CFO Anoj Singh, former freight boss Siyabonga Gama and procurement head Thamsanqa Jiyane (the so-called ‘Big Four’), were arrested and are already out on R50,000 bail each.
Gigaba, ever the polished communicator, made a statement on Friday that his conscience is “clear” and that everything he did was “guided by policy, process and the value of accountability”. He even thanked South Africans for their support and promised full cooperation. Classic Malusi.
But let’s be real: Gigaba has long been one of South Africa’s most controversial politicians. From hobnobbing with the Guptas (whom the Zondo Commission accused him of having a suspiciously ‘close relationship’ with, despite his denials) to that infamous 2018 NSFW video leak, where a private clip supposedly meant for his wife went viral – he claims he was hacked. The scandals have dogged him for years, contributing to his resignation as Home Affairs Minister and endless headlines. Now his next scandal chapter is beginning.
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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