On 22 May, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, stated that South Africa has submitted a revised framework proposal to the United States (U.S.), focusing on expanding trade and investment relations between the two countries. The proposal includes purchasing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from the US, provisions related to the African Growth and…
read moreIntroduction On 21 May, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled an updated Budget that seeks to strike a delicate balance between economic growth and social stability. Positioned as a pragmatic response to South Africa’s intersecting crises – rising debt, stagnant growth, and widening inequality – Budget 3.0 offers targeted spending shifts rather than sweeping reforms. It…
read moreIn April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to South Africa marked a significant moment in global diplomacy, as it was the first time the Head of State of Ukraine visited South Africa in the 33 years the two countries established formal diplomatic relations. For President Zelenskyy, the visit formed part of his continued quest to…
read moreThe 12th to the 13th of May marked a significant point in the East African Community’s (EAC) journey to digitalisation, as members of the Regional Economic Community and invited stakeholders, including the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), met to discuss ways to position the region as a digital leader in the African continent and…
read moreIn April, the SA Police Service (SAPS) presented its annual performance plan for the 2025/26 financial year and strategic plan for 2025-2030. SAPS has seen its budget rise sharply over the past decade, reaching a record R120.8 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. However, public safety outcomes and operational effectiveness have not improved in proportion…
read moreThe African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng Provincial Task Team (PTT) held a two-day Lekgotla from 3 to 4 May. The Lekgotla was part of a strategic intervention aimed at confronting persistent governance failures, planning for the 2026 local elections, and reinforcing internal unity amid mounting political pressures and electoral decline in the province. This Lekgotla…
read moreIn the competitive and often volatile landscape of South African politics, perception is power. While delivery remains a crucial metric for measuring government effectiveness, the ability to communicate that delivery persuasively and consistently is what ultimately shapes political reputations. Dr. Nasiphi Moya, the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane and a member of ActionSA,…
read moreAt the beginning of April, the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP) held its first Plenary of the year. It reiterated its stance to contest the 2026 local government elections across the country, in line with the declaration and resolutions of the Party’s 15th National Congress held in 2022 and the Fifth…
read moreIn 1998, South Africa took a bold step toward building a democracy that worked from the ground up. The White Paper on Local Government (WPLG98) was a visionary attempt to realise the promise of a developmental state, where local municipalities would be the engines of service delivery, economic opportunity, and participatory democracy. Fast forward 27…
read moreIn March, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) hosted a three-day Electronic Voting Conference, bringing together experts to discuss the feasibility of electronic voting. This coincided with the IEC releasing its policy discussion paper, Exploring the Implementation of Electronic Voting in South Africa 2025, which outlined the legal, technical, and policy considerations around e-voting. A full…
read more









