The Wrap by /explain/

The Wrap by /explain/

6/11/2025, 1:35:24 PM

Helen Zille might be throwing her hat in the ring for Johannesburg mayor. Love her or loathe her, Zille remains one of SA’s most polarising political figures. So we’re asking: Would you support a Zille comeback as mayor?

The Wrap by /explain/

6/12/2025, 3:21:54 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ Hope you’re keeping warm after this week’s icy cold snap. Here’s what we’ve got for you. The president wants the country to start talking – literally – with plans for a national dialogue. Will our collective yapping bring us together? Meanwhile, backing Helen Zille for Joburg mayor might not be as wild as it sounds. Also in this week’s wrap: a shocking school shooting in Austria, Elon Musk’s apology tour, and a major vaccination drive to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Looks like John is hard at work. 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. 😄 _______ *Format:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/zille-for-jhb-mayor-its-not-the-worst-idea-12-june-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-BFBBF0E399E40F7A2540EF23F30FEDED *▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS* *NATIONAL* *1. President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a National Dialogue on Tuesday.* It’ll kick off in August to get South Africans talking about fixing the country’s crises. The dialogue will be guided by 31 high-profile South Africans from different fields - from rugby hero Siya Kolisi to ex-NP minister Roelf Meyer. It’s meant to mirror the Codesa talks of the ’90s. Critics worry it’s all talk. Organisers say it’s necessary with voter turnout at historic lows. *2. The DA wants parliament to ensure the likes of John Hlophe can’t serve again in public office.* The party’s Glynnis Breytenbach said this week they’re working on a bill, supported by NGO CASAC. A high court ruling last week barred the MK Party’s Hlophe from the JSC - the body that appoints judges. He was impeached as a judge last year over trying to sway ConCourt justices in favour of Jacob Zuma’s arms deal case. 😳 *3. After pushback, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has dropped a controversial clause from a draft mining law.* It would have required BEE partners for all exploration rights, even before companies strike it rich. A second tweak frees listed firms from needing his nod for control changes. Still, critics worry a remaining clause could strip companies of empowered status after black shareholders sell their stakes. *4. A vaccination drive kicked off this week for 900,000 animals to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.* This follows outbreaks in Gauteng, KZN and Mpumalanga, while China has banned SA meat imports. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen blamed the country’s crumbling state veterinary institution, Onderstepoort, which can no longer produce vaccines. His department is looking at public-private partnerships. *5. Mamelodi Sundowns are in the US for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, a club-based precursor to countries facing off next year.* It’s a weird time to be there for the African football giants. 👀 Trump’s travel ban that targets several African countries came into effect this week. Sundowns’ first match is at midnight SA time on Wednesday against Ulsan HD. Assistant coach Steve Komphela says the team is determined to represent all Africans. *INTERNATIONAL* *1. Elon Musk apologised on X yesterday for tweets aimed at Donald Trump, saying some went “too far”.* This reportedly follows a call between the two. Their public feud erupted last Thursday over Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which Musk called a “disgusting abomination”. Musk’s many jibes included an allegation that Trump appears in the Epstein files. Trump threatened to axe Musk’s government contracts. It was… a lot. *2. On Tuesday, a former student tragically killed 10 people in Austria’s deadliest postwar shooting.* The 21-year-old killed nine teenagers and a teacher at a high school before taking his own life in a bathroom. Armed with a legally-owned pistol and shotgun, he opened fire in classrooms, leaving 11 others injured, one critically. The tragedy has sparked a gun law debate in a country with high firearm ownership but rare violence. *3. TikTok superstar Khaby Lame was detained last week by immigration agents in Las Vegas.* The Italian-Senegalese influencer, considered the world’s biggest TikTok star, had allegedly overstayed his visa, but has since left without a deportation order.. The 25-year-old rose to international fame during the pandemic without ever saying a word in his videos, which would show him reacting to absurdly complicated “life hacks.” Will there be one about escaping ICE? 😅 *4. A cure for HIV could be a step closer.* Researchers at Melbourne’s Peter used mRNA tech, popularised during Covid, to deliver instructions to cells to reveal the virus. This exposes dormant HIV hiding in white blood cells, long seen as unreachable. Published in _Nature Communications_ last week, the findings are early-stage, with trials still years away. Still, it’s a game changer for 40 million people living with HIV globally. 🙌🏾 *5. The 2025 BET Awards, celebrating black entertainers, took place on Monday in LA amid protests.* More on this later. Kendrick Lamar snagged five awards while Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx, and Kirk Franklin received Ultimate Icon Awards. Over in New York, Sunday’s Tony Awards, which celebrate theatre, marked historic firsts with category wins for both an Asian American and a non-binary actor. *▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BIG STORIES* *Helen Zille for Joburg mayor? Say what now?* In a plot twist nobody had on their 2025 bingo card, DA heavyweight Helen Zille is mulling a run for Johannesburg mayor. Yep, _that_ Helen Zille — the former Western Cape premier, ex-Cape Town mayor, DA leader, and current Federal Council chair. She’s considering stepping in to fix Jozi’s crumbling infrastructure, R200bn backlog and all. The announcement sparked a minor social media meltdown with strong reactions for and against. Zille told _City Press_ that she’ll do anything to “save the city,” painting a bleak picture of cadre deployment, failing services and administrative chaos. And, to be fair, the bar _is_ in the Mariana Trench. Since 2016, Johannesburg has cycled through 10 mayors in nine years, with most coalitions lasting about as long as a TikTok trend. But is Zille really the solution — or a symbol of the DA’s nostalgia for its glory days? Analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast told _explain_ Zille has proven chops, but warns of three red flags: she's past her prime politically, coalition politics in Joburg are a nightmare, and DA infighting could tank her chances before the race even starts. It’s also a risky PR move. Zille has a history of, let’s say, controversial tweets and comments on race — not ideal for leading one of Africa’s most racially and economically complex cities. Some activists have already raised red flags, warning that her leadership style could inflame tensions rather than bridge them. That said, there’s no denying she turned Cape Town around in the 2000s. So maybe she could repeat the magic? But Joburg isn’t Cape Town. And this isn’t 2006. The city needs fresh solutions, not just familiar faces. Is Zille the comeback queen who’ll fix Jozi — or just another veteran overstaying their welcome? We’ll know soon. But one thing’s clear: the race for Joburg mayor just got very interesting. _Let us know what you think: vote in our poll above and drop us your thoughts at [email protected]. We’ll be reporting back as part of our new community engagement feature._ 🙂 🏏 *Our boys at Lord’s: Proteas chase cricketing glory* History is on the line for the Proteas this week as they take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final — a showdown being hyped as our most important Test match since rejoining international cricket post-apartheid. As writer Darrel Bristow-Bovey put it on X: “It's just occurred to me that if we win this, we'll be test champions in both cricket and rugby at the same time. Surely that will make us the greatest sporting nation that ever existed?” The match kicked off on Wednesday at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London — a far cry from the potholed streets of Langa, Cape Town, where captain Temba Bavuma once played informal cricket. Now, he’s leading South Africa’s charge on the real deal. Talk about a full-circle moment! The match is expected to finish on Sunday, but that all depends on how the teams perform. The Proteas opted to bowl first in bowler-friendly conditions, and boy, did Kagiso Rabada deliver. The fiery fast bowler took five wickets, rattling through the Aussie lineup to help dismiss them for 212. But SA’s batting got off to a rocky start, slumping to 43/4 by stumps. Day two has so far seen Bavuma and David Bedingham begin to rebuild the innings with a gritty 64-run stand before Bavuma fell for 36 — a blow, but one that had the SA fans at Lord’s and online still buzzing with pride. This isn’t just a match; it’s a moment. Winning this would be South Africa’s first ICC trophy in the longer format — and with $3.6 million (yes, million!) in prize money on the line, there’s a lot to play for beyond pride. Meanwhile, the fans have shown up massively — both in London and online. As Bavuma said, “To get over the line would be a massive feather in our cap, not just for these players but for Test cricket and for the whole country.” Let’s go, boys! 🇿🇦 *LA is burning – and Trump’s fanning the flames🔥* What started as protests against immigration raids in downtown LA has exploded into a national moment. It began last Friday, when ICE agents raided the city’s garment district, targeting undocumented workers. Protesters quickly gathered, chanting, throwing eggs, and clashing with police. By the weekend, demonstrations had spread to working-class areas like Paramount and Compton, and law enforcement responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Though many protests were peaceful, hundreds have been arrested, and police munitions have left demonstrators and journalists injured. By Sunday, Trump unilaterally and controversially deployed nearly 300 National Guard troops. The National Guard is a unique branch of the US military made up of part-time soldiers who usually live and work in their communities and serve both state (in this case, California) and federal governments (Trump). California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, who has emerged as a political contender to Trump after these events, opposed the move. On Monday, things escalated: officers used flash bangs, foam rounds and tear gas to push protesters from a federal building complex. President Trump on Tuesday doubled the National Guard presence to 4,000 and deployed 700 active-duty Marines, a move that seemed to provoke the Democratic state. That evening, LA Mayor Karen Bass imposed a 20:00 - 06:00 curfew after more violence and vandalism erupted. By Wednesday, the protests had entered their sixth straight day and spread nationwide — from New York to Chicago, Atlanta to Denver — with more actions planned in Seattle, St. Louis, and San Antonio. California is suing the federal government over what it calls an unconstitutional power grab. Critics say the deployment of active-duty troops on US soil is an unprecedented abuse of power. Trump has labelled the protesters “insurrectionists” and claims he’s acting to “liberate” LA. This isn’t just about raids anymore. It’s about what kind of country America wants to be — and whether a president can use the military to police its streets. With a military parade planned in DC this weekend, the stage is set for more tension — and possibly, more confrontation. *The ultimate human race, yet again 🇿🇦🏃‍♀️🏃* From elite champs to everyday heroes, the 2025 Comrades Marathon once again lived up to its title as the “Ultimate Human Race.” Over 22,000 runners braved the 89.9km down-run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Sunday — the biggest field in the race’s 98-year history. Two-time defending champ Tete Dijana made a triumphant return, crossing the finish in 5:25:27. The North West-born security guard-turned-running sensation had battled food poisoning last year, but came back strong to claim his third title. On the women’s side, Queen Gerda Steyn proved her dominance yet again, winning her fourth Comrades in 5:51:18. The Free State-born road warrior is based in Dubai and known for her speed, grace and infectious positivity — and is fast building a legacy as one of South Africa’s greatest athletes. Dijana pocketed R1.576 million, and Steyn took home R1.626 million, both a total for their wins across various categories. But the true spirit of Comrades lies with the masses. First-time runners described it as “forced meditation” and “an emotional cleansing.” For some, like Johannesburg novice Daniel Matusse, it was about remembering a late parent. Others, like newbie Fortunate Djokozela from Kimberley, ran to prove to himself that the impossible could be done — even when everything hurt. “I started cramping at 50 km, but pulling out was never an option, even if I had to walk here for the full 12 hours,” he told reporters. And history was made: Johannes Mosehla (83) became the oldest person ever to finish the Comrades — smashing his own record from last year. The retired teacher from Limpopo finished with minutes to spare, his steady stride a lesson in perseverance. Meanwhile, Louis Massyn, 74, crossed the line for a record 50th time, a feat unmatched in Comrades history. That’s half a century of ultra-marathoning — bonkers. It wasn’t perfect. One runner briefly went missing (she was found safe), and critics slammed the chaotic finish and botched gun start. “The race deserves better,” one column argued — pointing to Comrades’ growing pains ahead of its 100th edition in 2027. Still, no deaths were reported, and over R6 million was raised for charity. Not bad for a Sunday jog. ---------------------- 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 [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽

The Wrap by /explain/

6/19/2025, 3:51:29 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ You know what South Africa definitely doesn’t need? ANOTHER political party. Yet that’s exactly what Floyd Shivambu is offering South Africans after a dramatic press conference today. Meanwhile, his former chomi, Julius Malema, has been denied a visa to the UK. Yikes. In international news, you’ve heard Israel is locked in another bloody war, this time with Iran, but why now? We break down how Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival is linked to creating ongoing conflict. In our global briefs: Movie mogul Tyler Perry faces serious accusations, we take a look at the deadly Air India crash, why Will Smith’s new album doesn’t slap, and a promising HIV prevention shot that could change lives. 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. 😄 _______ *Format:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/someone-tell-floyd-shivambu-we-dont-need-another-political-party-19-june-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-8F0A766F6E1D5CB92540EF23F30FEDED *▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS* *NATIONAL* *1. SA’s cabinet spent over R200m on travel since July 2024.* 😲 ActionSA recently dropped this bombshell after months of using their allocated questions in parliament to hold ministers to account. Some didn’t even bother responding, and others like John Steenhuisen dragged their feet. ActionSA is proposing a bill to curb ministerial spending. We love that the fragmentation of political power is leading to this kind of accountability. 💪🏾 *2. Mamelodi Sundowns are on a roll at the FIFA Club World Cup.* They beat South Korea’s Ulsan HD 1-0 yesterday in Florida, topping Group F for now and pocketing R36m. The month-long Club Cup is a precursor to next year’s FIFA World Cup between nations. It’s been newly expanded to 32 top clubs from across the world. Next, Sundowns take on German giants Dortmund on Saturday. Cue: Nail biting. 🫣 *3. The death toll from the Eastern Cape floods has risen to 92.* Devastatingly, 31 were children. Heavy rains since last week have displaced thousands, and rescue teams are still at it while aid’s being rolled out. Government and NGOs are scrambling to help, but it’s a stark reminder, as we’ve written before, that we need better infrastructure to handle these disasters, or it’s just rinse and repeat. *4. SA is racing to finalise a trade deal with the US before 9 July.* That’s when Trump’s “Freedom Day” tariffs will kick in across the world. 🙄 SA tariffs are temporarily set at 10% and set to triple to the original 30%. This was announced before Trump backed down to give countries time to negotiate. Our proposed deal includes duty-free quotas for cars, steel and aluminium, plus a joint minerals fund and boosted liquid gas imports. *5. Julius Malema’s UK visa application was denied!* According to a leaked letter dated 17 June, he isn’t allowed into the country thanks to his “extremism”. This includes public support for Hamas and past remarks about “slaughtering whiteness.” The UK’s Home Office added in the letter that future attempts are likely to be refused, too, and there is no right of appeal. It must be a shock for Malema that words do, in fact, carry consequences. 🤭 *INTERNATIONAL* *1. Things are getting dramatic off-screen for Tyler Perry.* Actor Derek Dixon accused the Madea creator of sexual harassment and workplace abuse in a new lawsuit filed last Friday. Dixon alleges Perry made unwanted advances and retaliated when he didn’t respond. He’s asking for $260 million in damages. Perry’s lawyer slammed the suit as a shakedown and said that Dixon had “set up a scam.” The case includes alleged flirty messages from Perry. 👀 *2. Last Thursday, an Air India passenger plane tragically crashed after taking off in Ahmedabad, western India, killing 241 passengers and crew.* 😔 Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, was the sole survivor. At least 30 people were also killed on the ground as it crashed into a hostel. Tata Group, which owns Air India, said it will give around R2 million to the families of each person killed in the crash, both onboard and on the ground. An investigation is underway. *3. Critics aren’t impressed with Will Smith’s first full-length album in 20 years, _Based on a True Story_ .* _Pitchfork_ called it “corny”, while _Rolling Stone_ found it “cringey” and “clunky”. Smith says his infamous 2022 Oscars slap of host Chris Rock was a turning point. The backlash apparently led him to confront his addiction to approval and explore deeper truths. That inner work inspired the album, and maybe the reaction to it, too. 😆 *4. The anti-Trump demonstration in the US on Saturday could have made history.* An independent data journalist, G Elliott, said between four and six million people took part, potentially surpassing the 2017 Women’s March. The “No Kings” demonstrations were held in over 2,100 cities to coincide with Trump’s birthday, which itself happened to coincide with a military parade at his behest in Washington, DC. Is there any page he’s NOT taking out of the dictator playbook? *5. A game-changing HIV prevention shot got the green light in the US.* The injection, Lenacapavir, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. It only needs to be taken twice a year, but it costs a whopping $28,000 a year in the US. Researchers say that price can be lowered to just $25 per person per year. “If this game-changing medicine remains unaffordable, it will change nothing,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director. *▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BIG STORIES* *Floyd Shivambu’s solo mission* Floyd Shivambu wants to know if he should start a political party. That was the upshot of his dramatic press conference today, capping months of tumult for the politician formerly of the EFF, formerly of the ANC Youth League, and probably soon-to-be formerly of the MK Party. We told you a few weeks ago about Floyd Shivambu’s demotion from MK Party Secretary General to ordinary MP. MKP leader Jacob Zuma then slammed him without naming him at a Youth Day address on Monday. Things weren’t exactly easy before then, with reports of plenty of clashes with other people in the party, chief of which was MKP princess, aka Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. Now, just months after dramatically quitting the EFF, Shivambu is teasing the idea of starting his own political outfit. At the same time, he’s refusing to resign from the MKP. At a press conference at a Midrand hotel this afternoon, Shivambu said he’ll be going on a “listening tour” to consult ordinary South Africans—plus a few big names like Irvin Khoza and Patrice Motsepe—about whether the country needs a new political party. He insists it wouldn’t be a “personal project,” but a people-led initiative that avoids the traps he says plague today’s world. He was fired as MKP secretary-general ostensibly because of an unsanctioned visit to fugitive Shepherd Bushiri’s church in Malawi. At his conference, he linked his removal with false accusations that he was trying to oust Zuma and dabbling in, um, alleged witchcraft. As we said, it was dramatic. Shivambu now says he won’t go back to the EFF—calling it a “cult”—nor the ANC. Instead, he’s trying to carve out a new lane, claiming he’s learned more under Zuma than in a decade with Malema. Ouch. This latest pivot may be less about public demand and more about political survival. As we noted earlier this week, Shivambu has made a habit of burning bridges—and it’s unclear whether voters want another new party or just leaders who can get their act together. *Trump keeps the world guessing over Israel-Iran war* The Middle East is on fire—again. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a military offensive on Iran, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion”. The strikes have so far wiped out the top echelon of Iran's military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel, _Reuters_ reports. Today brought fresh news that Israel had bombed nuclear targets in Iran, and Iranian missiles hit an Israeli hospital overnight. So, why now? Officially, Israel says it’s trying to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran’s also been bankrolling groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, who’ve been thorns in Israel’s side forever. But critics aren’t convinced that’s the only reason. Netanyahu’s political survival has increasingly relied on whipping up security threats. He is facing multiple corruption charges that could lead to prison time, plus a reckoning with his own failings ahead of the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel. His ruling coalition is also extremely vulnerable, narrowly surviving a vote to dissolve parliament and trigger elections last week. Analysts say he’s used military campaigns before - like Gaza - to distract from legal troubles and rally support. Arab-Israelis and international observers have raised alarm, accusing Israel of violating international law and risking a wider war. The huge issue now is whether the US will be drawn into the conflict, dramatically raising the stakes and creating global repercussions. Trump seems to relish keeping the world guessing, saying yesterday, "nobody knows" what he will do. Previously, he went from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the war to suggesting the US might join it. On Tuesday, he mused on social media about killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, then demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. Asked yesterday whether the US was getting closer to striking Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump said: "I may do it. I may not do it." An _Economist/YouGov_ poll conducted over the weekend revealed that 53% of voters who backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election do not want the country to join in Israel’s strikes. Will Trump listen? *The Proteas have finally clinched Test glory! 🎉* SA’s men’s cricket team have finally gotten their mojo back, and once and for all shaken that pesky “chokers” label. Under sunny skies at Lord’s on Saturday, South Africa won the ICC World Test Championship for the first time, beating Australia by five wickets. Aiden Markram’s sublime 136 anchored the chase of 282, breaking a decades-long silverware drought. Social media erupted— Rassie Erasmus and former players led the cheerleading. This could finally be a glorious return to form after decades of letdown. “We’ve created history,” Captain Temba Bavuma said. “But as a group we’d like to emulate, if not do better than what Graeme (Smith) and his team did. They set the standard. I don’t think anyone has reached that standard as of yet.” Under Smith, South Africa twice lifted the Test Mace in 2012 and 2014 but did so before the WTC format was introduced in 2019, _News24_ reports. With a team of superstars that included Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, and Hashim Amla, Smith’s group established itself as the world’s premier red-ball outfit. Bavuma said his team has drawn inspiration from the Springboks, praising their ability to embrace “what being South African actually means.” He said the Proteas also want to offer the nation “a chance to rejoice... to kind of forget about our issues and really come together.” We’ll toast to that. While our sporting mantra, "No DNA, Just RSA", flooded social media after the win, the question is whether these wins are enough to keep uniting the nation. We wrote about that here if you're keen to ponder with us. *Nearly two-thirds of African countries face US travel bans* Over 60% of African countries are facing possible total or partial bans on entering the US. This follows a leaked memo showing the Trump administration is considering adding 36 more countries to the 12 they banned earlier this month. Seven more countries already face partial bans. The new and proposed lists are disproportionately aimed at Africa: 🔸Seven of the 12 countries that are currently fully banned are from Africa. 🔸Three of the seven countries that are currently partially banned are from Africa. 🔸This new possible list of 36 includes 24 from Africa. This brings the total number of African countries currently or possibly facing some sort of ban to 34 of the continent’s 54 countries. The new list bizarrely includes major powerhouses on the continent like Nigeria and Egypt. South Africa has been spared. But what are the bans? They’re basically a restriction on visas. 🔹 *Full Ban:* If your country’s on this list, you’re pretty much barred from getting any US visa—tourist, student, work, or immigrant. No entry, period, unless you’ve got a rare exemption (like being a diplomat, a US citizen’s immediate family, or serving some big US interest, like for the 2026 World Cup). If you’re already in the US with a valid visa, you’re safe for now; the ban doesn’t revoke those. But if you’re outside and applying? Tough luck, applications got tossed from 9 June, when the current ban kicked in. 🔹 *Partial Ban:* For these countries, it’s not a total shutdown but a squeeze. You can’t get permanent residency (green cards), tourist visas, or student visas, but some work visas might still be okay. Visas issued here are shorter, and companies hiring from these places are worried, especially in tech, healthcare, and universities. Note, the 36 new countries aren’t banned YET. They face potential full or partial bans if they don’t fix “vetting and screening” issues within 60 days. According to the leaked memo, the countries had received a deadline that passed yesterday to shape up or face restrictions. The memo’s cagey about specifics but flags problems like weak passport systems, high visa overstays, or not cooperating on deportations. This ban’s crafted to dodge court battles that tripped up Trump’s first-term bans, but immigration lawyers are gearing up for lawsuits anyway. Chad’s already retaliating by suspending US visas, and others might follow. ---------------------- 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 [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽

The Wrap by /explain/

6/5/2025, 3:02:59 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ The MK Party’s back in the headlines and, shocker, it’s not for winning any awards in good governance. This week, we also unpack Ukraine’s bold attack on Russia, how scientists are using AI to decode animal chit-chat, and the latest quiet exit of Afrikaners (no drama this time, just vibes). Oh, and a South African took on a UK right-wing panel and cooked. In our deeper dives, we look at political assassinations (yup, still a thing), the sneaky fuel levy hike, why Floyd Shivambu was always skating on thin ice with the MK Party, and how a controversial aide got fired on his actual birthday. Karma really said: “Surprise!” 🎁👋 Also, a HUGE thank you to everyone who filled in our survey last week! We love the direction and inspiration your input has provided. It seems the new format has won out over the previous format, but please keep the feedback coming. Mail [email protected] with your thoughts. 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. 😄 _______ *Format:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/jacob-zumas-mk-party-is-kinda-falling-apart-5-june-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-9F6B8F91B3B256DC2540EF23F30FEDED ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BRIEFS:* *NATIONAL* *1. The MK Party is still refusing to let the 2024 election go.* They’re claiming vote rigging despite zero evidence. After two failed court bids, it launched a third one last Friday… then paused it four days later, and is now demanding access to the IEC’s voting data. The court’s already dismissed one related application, but MKP wants to appeal. The party could be a force, but thankfully for our democracy, they’re a shambles. 😆 *2. Speaking of Jacob Zuma’s party and court… our former pres is still in his Stalingrad era, dodging judgment in the 25+ year arms deal case.* He’s once again trying (and failing) to get prosecutor Billy Downer removed, arguing last week that the court’s rulings were too short and Downer too biased. The courts say Zuma’s private prosecutions were abusive delays. Will he ever face justice? 🤷🏾‍♂️ *3. Broadcaster Dan Corder shut down Ernst Roets' misinformation.* Debating the former AfriForum deputy CEO on UK show _Piers Morgan Uncensored_ last week, Corder said SA’s redress laws promoted representation across race, gender, and disability, and didn’t exist to target white citizens. Social media blew up, with music producer Prince Kaybee saying Dan “cooked [Roets] on a two-plate stove.” Corder 1, Roets 0. 🎤🇿🇦 *4. A second, smaller group of “Afrikaner refugees” arrived in the US on Friday.* There’s going to be a steady trickle of these: 8,000 Afrikaners will be resettled within the next few months, according to trade union Solidarity. Meanwhile, African American televangelist Mark Burns, who is apparently an adviser to Trump, said the Orange One has been misled about “white genocide” in an interview this week during a visit to SA. *5. Higher Education Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane is under fire again.* Last month, she had to backtrack on a dodgy list of Seta chairs stacked with ANC-linked names, like Gwede Mantashe’s son. Cyril apparently read her the riot act. Now she’s been slammed for munching through a tense parliamentary grilling on the matter this week, offering surly replies while chewing. She says eating was allowed. The internet says: rude. *INTERNATIONAL:* *1. Elon Musk's drug use while working with Trump may explain a lot.* A _New York Times_ investigation last week, drawing on over a dozen insiders, alleges Musk took dissociative anaesthetic ketamine “sometimes daily,” causing bladder issues, plus ecstasy and mushrooms, and carried a 20-pill box including Adderall. Musk denied the report but has admitted to some ketamine use before. We’re still not excusing those Nazi salutes. *2. Ukraine’s latest move in the war? A drone strike inside Russia, targeting key airbases and damaging nuclear-capable bombers* . Sunday’s surprise operation, dubbed “Spider’s Web,” saw 117 drones smuggled into Russia in wooden sheds, then launched remotely, with some even guided by AI. 💥 Military experts are impressed, but Putin is livid, warning Trump he’ll respond and placing peace talks on shakier ground. *3. As the devastation in Gaza continues, we cannot look away.* And neither can Greta Thunberg. She’s aboard the aid ship Madleen, braving threats and drones to deliver food and medical supplies to Palestinians trapped under an inhumane blockade. This comes as at least 27 Palestinians were killed trying to access Israeli-backed aid sites. With Gaza’s death toll topping 54,000, calls for justice and accountability must grow louder. *4. South Korea and Poland just wrapped presidential elections.* In South Korea, liberal Lee Jae-myung comfortably beat a conservative candidate. The snap election was triggered by the former president’s impeachment after his martial law fiasco. This led to the highest voter turnout in decades - 79.4%. In Poland, conservative Karol Nawrocki, backed by Donald Trump, narrowly won over a centrist, making for an unhappy EU. *5. Scientists may be on the cusp of decoding animal languages.* Last month, Google released DolphinGemma, an AI programme to translate dolphins, trained on 40 years of data. In 2013, scientists discovered a pod of dolphins were using a new click they’d previously been taught to associate with sargassum seaweed – the first recorded instance of a word passing from one species into another’s native vocabulary. 🤯 ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BIG STORIES:* *1. MK Party drama: Shivambu demoted after Malawi church trip* The MK Party has “redeployed” Floyd Shivambu from his role as secretary general to… just another MP. A soft landing, considering MPs earn over R100k a month. Where do we sign up for this kind of demotion? So, what went down? Shivambu caused a stir in April when he visited fugitive pastor Shepherd Bushiri’s church in Malawi over Easter. The MK Party leadership wasn’t impressed, especially since Bushiri is still wanted in South Africa on fraud and money laundering charges. The party said the trip went against its constitution, specifically section 3 (J) of its “Offences” list, for international trips that clash with party values. Shivambu claimed party president Jacob Zuma had green-lit the visit. But the MK Party still gave him the boot from his top role. He took the demotion on the chin, saying he respected the decision “as a disciplined member. ” But sources told _News24_ the trip was just an excuse to get rid of Shivambu, and unhappiness had long been brewing. Critics said the party’s administration was a mess under Shivambu and that he was cold and distant. To be fair to Shivambu, the party has gone through five secretary generals and four treasury generals since it started in December 2023. There was also talk of missing millions from the party’s coffers back in January. So it seems they’re making a mess of their admin anyway. Shivambu also upset the boss’s daughter. He got into spats with Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who memorably went on a rant in February on Twitter, saying Shivambu was “the worst thing that happened to MK”, and described him as “useless”. She also posted “Fuck you Floyd”. Nice. She was later forced to apologise. Shivambu isn’t the first casualty of the MKP’s internal wars. Just last month, MKP chief whip Mzwanele Manyi was replaced by Colleen Makhubela, after clashing with deputy president John Hlophe. The feud was so intense that it reportedly got physical. For now, Shivambu’s back in Parliament, but don’t expect EFF-style chaos. With the MKP still mired in internal battles, he’ll likely be keeping a low profile. And with a party this messy, we don’t blame him. *2. Roman Cabanac finally gets the boot* You know that moment when the birthday cake comes out and someone hands you... a termination letter? That's what happened to Roman Cabanac, the now-former chief of staff to Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen. The controversial podcaster confirmed his sacking in a video on X yesterday, sarcastically thanking Steenhuisen for the “fantastic timing”. Cabanac was a lightning rod from the get-go. He came with a suitcase full of baggage: from defending apartheid-era policing to sneering at “poor Xhosas” and making homophobic jabs about Freddie Mercury’s death. Oh, and let’s not forget his love letters to the Kremlin and rants about NGOs being puppets of foreign powers. A further complication he may have faced, however, is a lack of security clearance: news reports earlier this year say the State Security Agency refused to grant Cabanac security clearance due to his dual French nationality. Despite this, he still made it through a six-week vetting process and landed one of the top jobs in Steenhuisen’s office. But that didn’t last long. Public pressure grew louder. Despite Cabanac trying to clean up his image, posting a semi-apology about how “2024 changed him”. Steenhuisen eventually asked him to resign last year. But Cabanac refused to relinquish the R1.4 m-a-year gig, dragging Steenhuisen through what must have been an arduous labour process (Cabanac has a legal background). Honestly, Steenhuisen and the DA only have themselves to blame. They’ve appointed too many woefully unqualified people like Cabanac and former MP Renaldo Gouws, both podcasting bros pushing the envelope on racism and bigotry without much else to offer. The DA has distanced itself from the Cabanac affair, however, saying ministerial appointments aren’t their business. Critics, including the EFF, called the hire “an insult to taxpayers”. Cabanac may go on to challenge his firing. But, what does this say about the DA’s judgment, Steenhuisen’s leadership, or just how broken our vetting processes are? That’s for voters to decide. But one thing’s for sure: if you’ve made a career criticising the ANC for not making “merit-based” appointments, maybe don’t start by hiring someone who needs to delete half his Twitter history just to get through the front door. *3. Petrol prices fall, but there’s a catch* Petrol prices are down. Yay! But don’t celebrate just yet – the dreaded fuel levy hike also kicked in yesterday, as promised by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s new budget. Quick explainer – our petrol prices are decided by: 🔹 International oil prices, 🔹The rand exchange rate and 🔹 The fixed fuel levy, which has just increased. So, despite the levy, the petrol price overall is actually a few cents cheaper thanks to a recently beefed-up rand. Recap: Government added 16c to every litre of leaded and unleaded and 15c to diesel in May’s budget (which passed after its third attempt). This is the first fuel tax increase in three years, and it’s meant to help fill a R3.5 billion gap in the contested national budget, which tried and failed to also introduce VAT increases. So you’re paying a little less at the pump this month, but it could have been even less if you weren’t paying a little more in taxes. Annoyed? You’re not alone. The EFF took the matter to court, arguing the fuel levy deepens inequality. They may have been counting on the same sort of success they enjoyed when they joined the DA in court to stop the VAT increase in April. But it was not to be. On Tuesday, the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town dismissed their bid to block the new fuel levy, ruling that the National Treasury acted within its legal rights to implement the increase. EFF leader Julius Malema response? "It was not the EFF that got rejected, it was the people of South Africa who lost because they’ve put an increase on fuel. Once you put an increase in fuel levy, everything else goes up". He’s not wrong, alas. Here’s what it looks like at the pump now: 🔹Inland: 95 unleaded is now R21.35 (down 5c), diesel’s around R18.55 (down 37c) 🔹Coastal: 95 unleaded is R20.52, diesel’s R17.81 So, where does this leave us? Slightly better off for now. But the relief may be short-lived, especially if the rand takes a knock or global oil prices spike again. For now, enjoy the small win and keep an eye on the road ahead. *4. Another political assassination. Are we just getting used to it?* This weekend, South Africa lost another politician to a bullet. Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Khethamabala Petros Sithole (68) was gunned down on Saturday night while attending a meeting at the Buyafuthi Hostel in Katlehong, Gauteng. Three unknown gunmen opened fire, killing him and injuring two others. One victim remains in the hospital. Earlier today, two arrests were made. Sithole, who’d been with the IFP since 1979, was the party’s deputy chief whip in Parliament and a respected figure. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, all condemning the attack and demanding justice. But will there be justice? South Africa has a long, bloody history of political assassinations from apartheid-era murders like Chris Hani and Ruth First to recent hits on whistleblowers like Babita Deokaran and activists from Abahlali baseMjondolo. In just four months in 2024, before the national elections, at least 10 politically linked killings were recorded. That's one every two weeks, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. KZN continues to be the epicentre, with 19 such killings in 2023 alone. Why? Experts say it’s a mix of factors: fights over tenders, attempts to silence whistleblowers, and eliminating rivals, especially around elections. And yes, municipal politics gets deadly too. So what’s being done? Not enough, it seems. A dedicated police unit once tasked with probing these killings was dissolved earlier this year, a move slammed by parties like the MKP. And with only 15% of all murder cases being solved nationally, justice often feels like a long shot. Sithole’s assassination is a reminder that standing up in South African politics can still mean risking your life. If the murder of a sitting MP doesn’t sound the alarm, what will? South Africa’s future depends not just on casting votes, but on protecting those who take office. ---------------------- 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 [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽

The Wrap by /explain/

5/29/2025, 2:27:58 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ We’re back with this week’s edition of The Wrap, and what a week it’s been. First up: the US says it’ll attend the upcoming G20 Summit. Wonder if they’ll still feel welcome after a former president defended that song Trump was fuming about last week. The latest stats say crime is down, but the brutal killing of Olorato Mongale has us asking: really? A new service provider is running the lottery, and we’re giving them the side-eye. We’re also raising eyebrows at Brigitte Macron’s “playful moment” with the French president in Vietnam. And finally, South Africa mourns the loss of two cultural figures who passed on Tuesday. We’d also love to know what you think of the new Wrap format. Do you like the new format of 10 super-short briefs and then four longer stories, or do you prefer the old version of eight stories of about 300 words each? *Vote in the poll below.* 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. 😄 _______ *Format:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/has-ramaphosa-won-trump-over-were-watching-29-may-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-CCA52A88781BC8DF2540EF23F30FEDED *▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS:* *1. The US will attend the G20 in South Africa.* According to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s weekly newsletter, US President Donald Trump agreed to this… we hope. 👀 In response to questions on this and BEE in Parliament on Tuesday, Ramaphosa noted all South Africans were equal, but race-based inequality persisted, which must be addressed. *2. Former president Thabo Mbeki defended the 'Kill the Boer' song.* Talk about spicy! In an interview this week, he said, “It’s a chant to motivate people. It was never taken literally.” Meanwhile, Julius Malema has vowed to keep singing it and believes the White House has boosted the EFF’s election hopes. No comment. 😶 *3. SA’s violent crime rates have shown a promising decline.* 🙌🏾 The release of the January-March 2025 statistics on Friday showed a 12.2% drop in murders and a 10.4% decrease in aggravated robberies. The Institute for Security Studies attributes the improvement to stronger governance. More of this, please. *4. Cameras captured the French President’s wife pushing him in the face as their plane doors opened.* Emmanuel Macron has dismissed the incident, insisting it was playful joking. Awkward. 🫣 The couple met when Macron was 15 and his wife, Brigitte, was his 40-year-old teacher, leading some to speculate about grooming. Mon dieu! *5. A politically exposed company won the bid to run SA’s lottery, and those who lost are NOT happy.* Trade Minister Parks Tau awarded the R90bn eight-year licence to Sizekhaya Holdings. The decision will likely be challenged in court. Separately, a high court effectively gave incumbent Ithuba five months to hand over to a new operator, which they say is not financially viable. Remind us why we need a lottery again? *6. Icasa is probing the illegal use of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite services in SA.* Meanwhile, government is mulling changes to BEE rules to let foreign firms like Starlink invest in local development instead of selling equity. Many Saffers aren’t happy, saying it's bending the rules for Musk; officials insist it's about boosting rural internet access. *7. Olorato Mongale was murdered on a first date.* The 30-year-old Wits University master’s student was killed on Sunday in Johannesburg despite informing a friend of her plans, sharing her location, and keeping her phone’s location services active. Loved ones frantically searched for her when they realised something was wrong, but it was too late. 💔 Police have intensified the manhunt for three suspects. *8. Two beloved South African figures passed away on Tuesday.* “Tsotsi” actor Presley Chweneyagae died, aged 40, due to “breathing complications”, according to his family. Radio DJ Darren Scott, aka Just Plain Darren, passed at 61 following a decades-long battle with skin cancer. Our thoughts are with their families. 😔 *9. Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn were sentenced to life imprisonment today.* This was for kidnapping and trafficking of then-six-year-old Joshlin Smith. In delivering his sentence, Judge Nathan Erasmus noted premeditation and the convicted showing no remorse for their crimes. Joshlin remains missing. *10. Kardashian “momager” Kris Jenner got a new facelift that has everyone talking.* She debuted her new face in Paris earlier this month, partly to attend Lauren Sánchez’s star-studded bachelorette party. Sánchez is due to marry Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos. It’s all giving Hunger Games if we’re honest. *▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BIG STORIES:* *1. SA–US trade ties get a reboot with billion-dollar gas deal on the table* South Africa and the United States appear to be turning the page on a rocky chapter, with President Cyril Ramaphosa hailing his recent Washington visit as a “turning point” for trade and diplomatic relations. At the heart of the renewed engagement is a proposed deal that would see South Africa purchase around $1 billion a year worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US annually for 10 years — a move aimed at averting steep tariffs and boosting bilateral trade. In exchange, South Africa would secure duty-free access for 40,000 vehicles, 385,000 tonnes of steel, and 132,000 tonnes of aluminium exports to the US during this time. This comes after a tense Oval Office meeting last week between Ramaphosa and Trump — a moment we previously told you about, where Trump aired a controversial video and raised concerns about crime in South Africa. The visit followed the US’s threat to impose 30% tariffs on South African exports, including cars and metals, part of global tariff threats. Trade Minister Parks Tau, who led technical talks with US officials, noted the urgency of the deal amid South Africa’s looming “gas cliff”. “Given our impending shortage on gas, the appetite to procure LNG from the US … was positively received,” he said. President Ramaphosa emphasised the broader objective: “Our visit came at a time when US–SA relations have come under increasing strain… it was critical for us to engage directly with the US administration to correct misinformation and provide a true account of the progress we have made as a democracy,” said Ramaphosa. The revised trade framework also touches on critical minerals, digital trade, and the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. With over 600 US companies already operating in SA and 148,000 locals employed through these ties, the stakes are high. As Ramaphosa put it, “Our two countries have everything to gain from working more closely together.” Let’s hope the momentum holds. *2. Reader poll: Why SA can’t strip Afrikaners of their citizenship* You’ve heard all about the Trump administration granting asylum to around 49 white Afrikaans South Africans under a controversial refugee programme. We asked our readers what they thought: should these Afrikaners, who claim persecution, be allowed to keep their South African citizenship? Most of the roughly 200 who responded said no. A recent poll across explain’s platforms found that: 🔹 66% support revoking the citizenship of Afrikaners who’ve accepted US asylum, 🔹29% support dual citizenship. But legally, it’s not that simple. In a separate case, the Constitutional Court ruled earlier this month that Section 6(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act was unconstitutional. This section allowed for the automatic loss of SA citizenship when acquiring another nationality without permission. The court found this violated the right to citizenship and due process. Citizenship, it ruled, can only be removed via a lawful, transparent process — or voluntary renunciation. The Afrikaners in the US still legally remain SA citizens unless they formally renounce it through the Department of Home Affairs. Whether they qualify as “refugees” is debatable. The UN Refugee Convention defines refugees as those with a “well-founded fear of being persecuted.” Experts argue these Afrikaners don’t meet that bar. Trump cited racial persecution and land expropriation, but observers, including global human rights groups, reject claims of systemic white persecution. Meanwhile, many Afrikaners say they are staying, not just because emigration is expensive or hard, but because SA is home. France Postumus, an elderly resident of East London, told _explain_: “I was born here. This is my father’s land.” Nicole Randall shared this sentiment: “Most of my friends are black… I would never leave.” Others say they don’t buy into the “white genocide” narrative and see more value in staying and adapting than fleeing. Of course, some did emigrate, like Charl Kleinhaus, who now lives in a budget hotel in Buffalo, New York, after getting refugee status. But experts warn that being labelled a “refugee” in the US can limit your opportunities and expose you to the same discrimination you’re supposedly escaping. *3. Keep our grants for those who really need them* More than 210,000 beneficiaries have been flagged and won’t receive their June social grant payouts. Why? Sassa suspects they might be earning extra income they didn’t declare. Most of the affected recipients — about 184,000 — are in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in areas like Chatsworth, Phoenix, and central eThekwini. The agency is working with credit bureaus to sniff out undisclosed income or bank accounts. Those flagged must visit a Sassa office within 30 days for a review or risk having their grants permanently stopped. This is part of Regulation 30 of the Social Assistance Act, which requires beneficiaries to report changes in their financial situation. New job or bank account? Tell Sassa. “This initiative aims to ensure beneficiaries confirm any changes in their financial circumstances and update their personal details,” said Sassa’s spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi. Treasury’s new rules mean grant recipients now face monthly income checks, and Sassa’s also rolling out biometric verification for those without a standard South African ID number. KZN’s Sassa head, Thamo Mzobe, put it bluntly: “This grant is meant for poor people … for people who don’t have income.” Even if someone hasn’t been flagged, Sassa is urging all beneficiaries to update their details and to upgrade from the old green barcoded ID to a smart ID card to prevent fraud. Sassa has also dismissed rumours of ‘double’ grant payments, calling the claims misinformation. With over 25 million people relying on grants and a budget of R284 billion for the year, Sassa says it’s under pressure to ensure support reaches those who need it most while keeping the system fair and fraud-free. For those with questions, Sassa has advised seeking information directly from official channels — not your cousin’s Facebook post. *4. Why the case of Cwecwe was dropped* As we told you, prosecutors announced they had dropped charges in the high-profile Matatiele rape case involving a seven-year-old girl, known publicly as Cwecwe, saying no foreign DNA was found on the child. The alleged rape happened at Bergview College in October 2024. Cwecwe’s mom accused the school principal, Jaco Pieterse, of refusing to do a DNA test, and the issue is still a hot point across social media. Why wouldn’t Pieterse provide a sample if he wasn’t guilty, as he said? But here’s the catch: Pieterse was never officially a suspect, so legally, police couldn’t force him to give a sample. Advising Pieterse was AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, who said their client was never a suspect and that DNA can only be taken with solid legal grounds. Speaking to _explain_, their spokesperson, Barry Bateman, confirmed that on 12 February 2025, the police asked Pieterse for a DNA sample. “As confirmed by the South African Police Service and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), no foreign DNA was found on the child, therefore the request for DNA samples from any person related to this case was irregular,” Bateman said. The NPA has now confirmed there just wasn’t enough evidence to move the case forward. Meanwhile, social justice organisations have criticised the NPA for deciding not to prosecute anyone in the case. They’re calling it a failure of justice and are now pushing for a full review of how the police handled the investigation. ---------------------- 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 [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽

The Wrap by /explain/

5/22/2025, 1:30:18 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ What _didn’t_ happen this week? Presidential ambushes at the White House, a “not austerity” budget that still bites, and of course, South Africa doing what we do best: winning gold 🥇 We also unpack why Diddy might be a free man if he were South African and what that says about our justice system, plus the deadly impact of Trump’s USAID cuts and what South Africa can do to stop the worst. 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:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/ramaphosa-vs-trump-went-better-than-expected-22-may-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-20D753AD5EF992192540EF23F30FEDED ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BRIEFS:* *1. Donald Trump ambushed Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday with videos in the White House* . He was trying to prove that white farmers are being targeted in South Africa. The South African delegation was able to turn things around in a largely impressive performance. More on this later. *2. VAT will remain at 15%* . Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s third budget speech yesterday went off successfully. The only effective tax increase is to the fuel levy, but debt continues to soar. More below. *3. Orlando Pirates made club history on Tuesday.* The Bucs marked their 19th win in a single PSL season. But they remain in second position on the log. Mamelodi Sundowns have already secured this year’s Premiership title, marking their eighth consecutive championship since the 2017/18 season. *4. Former US President Joe Biden, 82, announced last week he’s been diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.* There was an outpouring of support, but renewed scrutiny around cover-ups of his health when he attempted a second run for president last year, which proved disastrous for Democrats. *5. The NPA confirmed on Monday that they will not prosecute anyone in the Cwecwe case.* Cwecwe’s mother alleged her eight-year-old daughter had been sexually assaulted, sparking nationwide protests and a social media uproar. Authorities said there was insufficient evidence. *6. America is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in 30 years.* What began as a handful of cases in Texas in January has now surpassed 1,000 across 30 states. The _Economist_ reports falling vaccination rates and cuts to public health services could make the disease, which was previously eliminated, endemic in the US again. *7. Gazans are on the brink of starvation.* Israel is still blocking food, fuel and aid from reaching over 2 million people, despite pledging not to, drawing strong condemnation from Britain, France and Canada - and the new Pope. *8. A South African submission won a gold medal at the UK’s Chelsea Flower Show this week* . The two oceans-inspired floral garden also received the Lawrence Medal for the best display this calendar year at a Royal Horticultural Society show - a first for South Africa. *9. Celebrated South African jewellery designer Jenna Clifford passed away on Tuesday* . The 65-year-old was diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer earlier this year. Her business, established in 1992, attracted international clients like Celine Dion. *10. A pro-doping sports competition is set for May 2026.* The Enhanced Games encourages the use of performance-enhancing drugs and has already seen one swimmer break a world record. Critics, including the World Anti-Doping Agency, have slammed the games as dangerous, but organisers say these drugs are being used secretly anyway. ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BIG STORIES:* *1. Ramaphosa meets Trump: Golf, gripes, and a not-so-genocidal showdown* President Cyril Ramaphosa met with former US President Donald Trump in Washington yesterday, and let’s just say... it was more dramatic than a telenovela season finale. Trump kicked things off with a curveball: he dimmed the lights and rolled out a video montage of EFF leader Julius Malema singing “Kill the Boer” and crosses purporting to mark white farmer graves (but not really), pushing a long-debunked narrative of a “white genocide” in South Africa. Lekker welcome, right? But Ramaphosa kept his cool. With a powerhouse delegation in tow, including ministers, golfing legends Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and billionaire Johann Rupert, the message was clear: South Africa is here to trade, not throw punches. Also in the room? Elon Musk who’s been chirping about SA’s BEE laws online, but he remained silent. Ramaphosa stressed the strength of US-SA ties, reminded Trump that SA is a democracy, and pointed out that crime affects all citizens, not just white farmers. Steenhuisen, head of the DA and now minister of agriculture, added that most farmers want to stay in SA. Els made some controversial remarks but said he loves SA and wants it to thrive. Rupert, ever the businessman, suggested using Musk’s Starlink in every police station, and delivered possibly the best performance of the delegation, really seeming to get through to Trump. The real goal? Salvaging trade deals like AGOA, which Trump threatened to pull, and reviving US investment. While Trump didn’t budge on his claim that white people are being targeted, he and Ramaphosa found common ground on wanting peace in Ukraine. According to Ramaphosa, during the lunch that followed, Trump may end up attending the G20 in Joburg, despite not being sure in the televised meeting. Also discussed at this “pleasant” lunch: AGOA renewal is on the table and Musk put forward a pitch to bring Tesla to SA. South Africa’s international case against Israel was not discussed. Back home, some South Africans are unimpressed, accusing Ramaphosa of grovelling. But here’s the deal: diplomacy means talking to people you don’t always agree with. And if this awkward handshake stops Trump from throttling SA’s economy, it might just be worth it. *2. Budget 3.0 lands: VAT dodged, cuts made, and a fuel hike snuck in* Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana finally tabled South Africa’s revised national budget – Budget 3.0 – on Wednesday. The big headline? No VAT increase, despite Treasury’s earlier proposal. But that decision came at a cost. The lack of additional revenue “reduced our ability to fund additional government programmes and projects,” said Godongwana. So, where did Treasury tighten its belt? A total of R68 billion in planned funding has been shelved, mostly from “provisional allocations not yet assigned to votes”. That means, technically, no cuts to existing departments, but there’ll be less money to go around in future. Some sectors fared better than others. Departments like Health and Education still receive some support, but R10 billion less than previously allocated. PRASA’s budget drops from R19.2 billion to R12.3 billion – a R6.9 billion cut – likely delaying rail infrastructure upgrades. And Home Affairs? Their smart ID rollout takes a hit, with their expected funding of R3.2 billion over the medium term now down to R965 million. Godongwana insists this isn’t austerity. “It is a redistributive Budget... It directs 61 cents of every rand of consolidated, non-interest expenditure towards the social wage,” he said – that’s things like healthcare, education and grants. But the pot of money is down generally, with GDP growth now expected at just 1.4% in 2025. Our debt will climb even further: repayments cost R1.2 billion a day. The debt-to-GDP ratio will peak at 77.4% next year. This means government will spend 22 cents in each tax rand on debt service costs.” To raise revenue, the fuel levy is making a quiet comeback. From 4 June, petrol goes up by 16c/litre and diesel by 15c/litre – expected to raise around R4 billion. Not nearly as much as the R75 billion a VAT hike would’ve brought in, but every bit helps. Still, Godongwana ended on a hopeful note: “This budget supports economic activity while raising future economic prospects… so future generations are not burdened by the decisions we make today.” *3. Diddy’s on trial. In SA? He might not be* US rapper and mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is finally facing the music. He’s currently on trial for serious charges like racketeering, sex trafficking, kidnapping and essentially, the plot of a grim Netflix series. Prosecutors say he used his empire to run a criminal network, complete with drugs, coercion, blackmail, and those now-notorious “freak offs” (drug-fuelled sex parties involving victims and male sex workers, allegedly filmed without consent). The charges are so serious that Diddy could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted. We wondered: if this happened in South Africa, would it even make it to trial? Not likely, says legal academic Anathi Phela. “On paper, we say there’s equality. But that’s not the reality on the ground,” he told explain, discussing justice for the powerful. We’ve seen it before. In 2006, Fezekile Kuzwayo accused Jacob Zuma of rape. Fearing for her life that she had to leave the country. Zuma was acquitted and later became the president of the country. In 2016, rapper Okmalumkoolkat served time for sexual assault in Australia, yet when he came back home, he was welcomed with open arms. Just last year, rape and assault charges against rapper Jub Jub were dropped. This is despite SA having solid sexual violence laws and the power to impose life sentences. But the stats are bleak: between April 2022 and March 2023, only 410 rapists were arrested, and 68 life sentences were handed down out of over 53,000 reported cases in a year. What’s going wrong? Underfunded courts. Missing dockets. Survivors are too scared or ashamed to report. Our justice system keeps failing the non-powerful because of a variety of factors. And that has to change. *4. HIV care without a safety net: The consequence of US aid cuts* We were warned. When Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year cutting off a major stream of US HIV funding to South Africa, experts cautioned it could end in catastrophe. That future is now here. Thousands of healthcare workers have been let go, research centres are retrenching staff, and a modelling study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, warns that if the funding gap left by the US isn’t filled, South Africa could see 601,000 additional deaths and 565,000 new HIV infections by 2034. The programme in question? PEPFAR — the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It’s been a critical partner in South Africa’s HIV fight for over two decades, investing more than $8 billion since 2003. But earlier this year, USAID-managed PEPFAR projects were shut down overnight. CDC-run ones remain — for now. But that funding ends in September 2025, and there’s no guarantee of renewal. The Health Department says it needs R2.82 billion just to get through the rest of the financial year. Untreated HIV leads to serious, costly illnesses. The same study projects a R32 billion increase in healthcare spending over the next decade if funding isn’t restored. And while PEPFAR only covered 17% of the HIV budget in 2024, its role was pivotal — supporting mobile clinics, healthcare workers, and outreach in hard-to-reach communities. Dr Neil Martinson of WITS’s Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) told explain that the impact is already being felt in the research sphere. “Most of South Africa’s globally recognised HIV researchers have received research training in the US and then NIH research grants in South Africa,” he said. “We at PHRU are retrenching one third of our research staff at the end of May. PHRU is co-author on about 90 manuscripts per year. We think this will reduce by more than 30%.” Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi insists: “Under no circumstances will we allow this massive work... to collapse.” But Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was blunt: “Once the resources allow, we will deal with that matter.” South Africa’s HIV gains took 20 years to build. They could unravel in half that time. ---------------------- 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 [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽

The Wrap by /explain/

5/29/2025, 2:29:56 PM

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The Wrap by /explain/

2/13/2025, 3:11:25 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ Another week, another Wrap – and a lot has happened: political stunts, social media meltdowns, and meme-worthy moments🔥 🌍🚨 From Donald Trump’s latest stunt to spicy local politics, we’ve got you covered. 🌶️ Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s exit from the EFF has tongues wagging, while Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s Twitter tirade against Floyd Shivambu is exposing major cracks in the MK Party. And Ramaphosa’s SONA speech? Let’s just say everyone had a lot to say 👀 In sadder news, language-learning app mascot Duolingo has been declared dead after years of haunting users with aggressive notifications. "We told you to practise," the owl reportedly whispered before vanishing. Please also note we’ve slightly changed The Wrap structure, with The Big Story first, featuring the must-know story of the week, followed by something lighter to give us all a break. 😅 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:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/afrikaners-to-trump-nee-dankie-13-feb-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-69D1A63E4D3CB0562540EF23F30FEDED 🇳​🇪​🇼​🇸​ ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *1. BIG STORY: Trump’s South Africa refugee mayhem: A political stunt gone wrong.* You’ve probably heard bits of this news already, as it’s dominated the news cycle. Donald Trump’s latest move on South Africa has sparked global outrage. Last Friday, he signed an executive order freezing US aid to SA and prioritising Afrikaners—specifically white ones—for refugee resettlement. His reasoning? He claims they face “race-based discrimination” under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s land reform policies, plus he takes issue with SA’s International Court of Justice case against Israel. The order avoids the word “white”, but the racial undertones are clear. The White House statement refers to “ethnic minority Afrikaners” as victims of “race-based discrimination.” Afrikaners aren’t a monolithic racial group—many Afrikaans speakers are coloured. So, does Trump’s offer extend beyond those fitting a ‘white victimhood’ narrative? SA has firmly rejected Trump’s claims. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation called it “misinformation,” while Ramaphosa correctly noted that no land has been illegally seized. Even AfriForum, a major Afrikaner civil rights group whose misinformation campaign is partly responsible for Trump’s obsession with this issue, opposed mass emigration. CEO Kallie Kriel warned it would “sacrifice Afrikaners’ cultural identity.” This isn’t Trump’s first intervention in SA’s land debate. In 2018, he claimed white farmers faced “large-scale killings”—a claim debunked by crime data. The “white genocide” narrative has been widely discredited yet remains a far-right talking point, particularly in the US. The coalition government is united in its rejection. DA leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen warned of “grave consequences” if Trump’s misinformation spreads. While the DA opposes aspects of the Expropriation Act and is challenging it in court, Steenhuisen dismissed fears of mass land seizures as baseless. As for Trump’s resettlement offer? It looks like most Afrikaners are staying put. The only real mayhem here is Trump’s latest political spectacle. ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *2. ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: Meme Central* We admit it: we spend an unhealthy amount of time reading the news, so you don’t have to. That ALSO means we come across some of the most laugh-out-loud responses to said news as we peruse social media. Here are some of our favourites this week. 🔹 _“Elon Musk’s toddler son is putting up more of a fight against Trump than the Democratic Party.”_ - @blakeissweaty. A hilarious response to a video going viral of Elon Musk’s son joining his dad for a bizarre press conference in the Oval Office this week. A hot mic picked up the four-year-old whispering to Trump: “You’re not the President… go away” and “I want you to shush your mouth.” 🤣 🔹 _“Europeans heard Americans are trying to mess with their favourite holiday destination and said: ‘Not on my watch!’_ [GIF] - @JayFromVenda. While the US Embassy in South Africa has doubled down on Trump’s lunacy, issuing a “fact sheet” on farm murders, the ambassadors of France, Germany and Italy and the EU’s deputy ambassador to South Africa clapped back. They published a heartening video on Tuesday labelled “United in diversity”, noting they share South Africa’s values of “solidarity, equality and sustainability” - a dig at the US Secretary of State who previously tweeted he won’t attend the G20 later this year in Johannesburg because it promotes those values. 🙄 It’s great to have the EU in our corner in these crazy times! 🔹 _“Guys please date people that like to defrost first. This man just woke up and spoke about America wanting to take Gaza. It’s 06:00…I don’t have the required English 😭😭😭”_ - @ukalamula. No explanation required here! 😂 Trump is even ruining our love lives. ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BRIEFS* *3. SA’s political drama recap* If South African politics were a Netflix series, this week’s episode would be a spicy crossover special. Let's dive in. _Ndlozi: From EFF darling to political free agent_ After months of speculation, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has officially left the Economic Freedom Fighters – and, if his exit speech is to be believed, party politics altogether. The former EFF spokesperson says he’s stepping away to focus on academia and civil society, but let’s be real – no one in SA politics ever really retires. According to Ndlozi, his troubles with the EFF started when he refused to snitch on his old comrade Floyd Shivambu, who defected to the MK Party. This silence reportedly angered Julius Malema, leading to Ndlozi’s suspension right before the EFF’s December conference – conveniently sidelining him from a leadership position. The EFF’s official reason? Some mysterious “intelligence report” allegedly linking him to the MK Party. Ndlozi was quick to call the allegations nonsense, saying, “I think that whatever information they say they have was based largely on lies.” With the EFF struggling post-elections – dropping from 10.8% in 2019 to 9.5% in 2024 – and the MK Party still figuring out if it’s a political force or a family business, the question is: where will Ndlozi land next? He denies any ANC ambitions as has been rumoured, but we’re not convinced, given his glowing tweets featuring ANC stalwarts recently… _Meanwhile, over at the MK Party: The Dudu vs Floyd showdown_ If Ndlozi’s exit was a slow-burn drama, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s antics this week were a full-blown action thriller. In a furious X rant, Dudu unleashed hell on Floyd Shivambu, branding him “the worst thing that has happened to the MK Party” and throwing in a “F** you, Floyd” for good measure. If that wasn’t enough, she also accused him and his “minions” of ruining the party. The reason? Shivambu, the EFF’s former deputy president, was swiftly promoted to MK’s secretary-general after joining last year. This didn’t sit well with Dudu and other MK old guards, who claim Shivambu has been sidelining them while failing to pay constituency staff and party office rent. But before Dudu could claim victory, her father, Jacob Zuma, stepped in with a “sit down, young lady” moment. The MK Party issued a formal statement warning that she needed to apologise – or face expulsion. And just like that, the backtracking began. Dudu’s apology, however, was as lukewarm as they come. She said she regretted airing grievances publicly but never once mentioned Floyd by name or deleted the tweets. Translation? Sorry, not sorry. While the Dudu vs Floyd drama might seem like petty Twitter beef, it actually highlights a deeper struggle within the MK Party and extremist politics in SA in general. Together the EFF and MK Party represent a quarter of the vote, frightening stats for parties that hold such radical views. We’re watching closely. *4. Murder most fowl: Duolingo mascot murdered* Why do the (dubiously) good always die young? Condolences are in order after the language learning app Duolingo announced on Tuesday that their beloved (read: feared) mascot, the green owl Duo, had passed away. If you’re wondering how a digitally animated bird can die, same. 🤔 In a statement, the company revealed that Duo, real name, Duo Keyshauna Renee Lingo, had “probably died waiting for you to do your lesson” and said that it was investigating the owl’s cause of death, noting that “he had many enemies. The case took a turn on Wednesday when the company posted a video to social media asking for help identifying the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck that hit the owl mascot in a parking lot. Somehow, this case now involves Elon Musk—because of course it does. The late owl lived an eventful life: hating Drake, walking in Berlin Fashion Week, and famously thirsting after pop star Dua Lipa, who mourned his passing on X, writing, “Til death duo apart.” We’re not crying, you are. Before you panic, a Duolingo spokesperson confirmed that Duo’s demise is part of an elaborate marketing campaign. Classic. But it makes sense—Duolingo, founded in 2011, thrives on unhinged social media stunts, much like its 42 language offerings, which include High Valyrian (for Game of Thrones fans) and Klingon (Star Trek nerds, rise). The app and its late mascot are known for encouraging, nay, threatening users to do their daily language lessons. The big questions remain: Will Duo rise from the ashes like a (bilingual) phoenix? Was Drake behind the Cybertruck wheel? And most importantly, did this stunt finally make you open the app? Until the autopsy results come in, one thing is clear—do your language lessons. It’s what Duo would have wanted..😌 *5. A culture of corruption: It’s not just the politicians—it's all of us* The latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has landed. With a score of 41 out of 100, South Africa’s score remains the same, reinforcing its reputation as a "flawed democracy." We may have thought the days of state capture and dodgy tenders were behind us, but the real problem? Corruption is baked into everyday life. “It’s not just about big tenders,” says advocate Deborah Mutemwa, former Head of Legal and Investigations at Corruption Watch. “It’s the willingness of the man on the street to pay off a police officer. It’s an 18-year-old paying for a driver’s license rather than passing the test. Corruption is cultural. We’re all part of an ecosystem of justice that can fight corruption in small and big ways.” And that’s the issue—when bribery becomes a normal part of getting things done, it stops feeling like a crime. Politicians dodge accountability, so why should ordinary people play fair? Decades of political patronage, weak enforcement, and a disillusioned public have entrenched this mindset. The Zondo Commission exposed the rot, but many key players remain untouched. The government has talked a big game about strengthening anti-corruption institutions, but meaningful prosecutions are rare. Meanwhile, fresh scandals pop up like clockwork. The impact extends beyond our borders. Corruption is now an environmental issue globally, with the CPI report highlighting how corruption impacts countries’ efforts to combat the climate crisis. This is an important one to watch in South Africa too, beyond the traditional corruption red flags of government tenders. Mean annual temperatures in South Africa have increased by twice the global average (0.7°C). Heat waves are more frequent, and dry spells last longer. For many, corruption is less about greed and more about survival—paying a bribe just ensures they get services they should already be entitled to. But this normalisation is dangerous: it erodes democracy, weakens institutions, and makes voters disengage. So, can we fix it? Experts say yes—through transparency, accountability, and actual consequences. Citizens must demand better governance, and leaders must start leading by example. Until that happens, corruption isn’t just a problem in South Africa—it is the system. *6. Valentine’s Day in the time of swiping: How social media is changing umjolo* It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow! Once upon a time, finding love meant awkward chance encounters and actual conversations. Now? It’s all about swipes, likes, and the occasional TikTok thirst trap. In this Wrap brief, we’re talking about how social media hasn’t just changed dating—it’s completely rewritten the rules. _❤️ From Algorithms to ‘I Do’_ Online dating isn’t as recent as you’d think —believe it or not, the first computer-assisted matchmaking happened in the 1950s! By 1995, South Africa had its own digital dating scene with Yid.com, a Jewish dating service. But nothing revolutionised dating quite like Tinder, which gamified romance with a simple swipe. Today, 61% of South Africans say they’ve used the app. But dating has outgrown apps. A cheeky Instagram DM, a well-timed Twitter reply, or a flirty comment on TikTok can spark romance just as easily. Some even argue that social media is the new dating app—just without the bios full of “lover of life” and “fluent in sarcasm.” 😆 _❤️ The Social Media Dating Minefield_ While social media makes connecting easier, it’s also made relationships more complicated. Ghosting, breadcrumbing, orbiting—dating lingo now sounds like an episode of Survivor. Then there’s the pressure to showcase the perfect relationship. Between extravagant proposals and luxury-gift-giving partners, online love can look like a reality show. In reality? It’s just a highlight reel. _❤️ Blue Ticks, Red Flags_ A UKZN study found that for many young South Africans, social media is both a love language and a surveillance tool. Some partners expect constant location updates. Others demand a full purge of “suspicious” followers. WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Instagram have gone from fun to forensic, where a seen message can spark a full-blown argument. _❤️ Love in the Age of Likes_ So, has social media ruined dating? Not necessarily. While it’s changed how we connect, love is still about real human connection—whether that starts with a right swipe or a retweet. Just remember: curated Instagram love stories aren’t real. But mutual respect, trust, and maybe even a solid meme game? That’s timeless. 💕 *7. SONA 2025: Ramaphosa stands his ground amid political jabs* We hit ‘publish’ on last week’s Wrap just before President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). In case you missed it, the night was all about pushing back against diplomatic spats. “We are a resilient people. We will not be bullied,” he declared, responding to growing tensions with the US. Ramaphosa didn’t flinch, standing firm on diplomacy in global conflicts, from Ukraine to the Middle East. But did South Africans buy it? It seems so. Popular TV presenter and TikToker Dan Corder praised Ramaphosa’s speech in a video that garnered 1.7m views. “He did not back down on anything. No international pressure changed a single word of his speech,” he said, to much agreement from his followers. Even EFF leader Julius Malema—usually Ramaphosa’s biggest critic—agreed that SA shouldn’t be bullied. But he had one pressing question… what’s the actual plan? Meanwhile, the China Global Television Network also spotlighted Ramaphosa’s speech, sharing a snippet where he clapped back at Trump’s claim that SA was “confiscating” land. The online reaction? A wave of support in SA’s defence. Interesting, given China’s plans to step into the power vacuum the US is leaving on the global stage… Parliament’s opposition parties spent this week responding to the president’s address. The debates have gone as expected and can be summarised as: 🟢 ANC: "We got this." 🟡 MK Party: Zuma nostalgia central 🔴 EFF: Malema’s one-man show… given many of his most popular MPs have absconded 😆 🟠 FF Plus: ‘Ek is hier om te bly’. FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald kept it simple: Afrikaners are part of SA’s DNA. He dismissed land expropriation and said the government should focus on making SA a country people want to stay in, not run from. What’s next? Ramaphosa now responds… to the responses in the final SONA debate today. Stay tuned; we will keep you updated. *8. Sam Nujoma: The freedom fighter who built a nation* Namibia has lost a legend. Sam Nujoma, the man who led the country to independence and became its first president, has died at the age of 95. His passing on Saturday was met with an outpouring of tributes, with the Namibian presidency calling him “the most gallant son of our land.” It’s hard to overstate just how much Nujoma shaped modern Namibia. Born in 1929 in a village in northwestern Namibia, Nujoma grew up under the rule of apartheid South Africa, which controlled Namibia after World War I. By the 1950s, he had become a fierce opponent of the system, helping to found the Owamboland Peoples Organisation, the independence movement that was the precursor to the country’s liberation movement and the current governing party SWAPO - a bit like our ANC. Forced into exile in 1960, Nujoma travelled the world lobbying for Namibia’s freedom. He petitioned the United Nations and built alliances across Africa, securing support to launch SWAPO’s armed struggle and guerrilla campaign against apartheid South African rule in 1966. It took over two decades of conflict and international pressure before Namibia finally gained independence in 1990. SWAPO won the country’s first democratic elections, and Nujoma became its president, serving three terms until 2005. Nujoma was officially recognised as the “Founding Father of the Namibian Nation” in 2005—a testament to his role in shaping the country. He championed national unity under the slogan “One Namibia, One Nation” and prioritised reconciliation in a country still scarred by apartheid and German colonial rule. But his leadership wasn’t without controversy. His intolerance of media criticism and his government’s response to the 1999 Caprivi conflict cast a shadow over his legacy. He also faced backlash for his views on the LGBTQ+ community, which he denounced as a “foreign and corrupt ideology.” Despite this, many credit him for ensuring Namibia’s stability and laying the foundation for its democratic institutions. His death marks the end of an era, leaving behind a country that continues to build on the foundations he helped lay. —----------- 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 [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽

The Wrap by /explain/

2/27/2025, 3:08:50 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ 💰 Budget drama, surprise loadshedding, and SA leading the G20 – there’s been big moves in South Africa this week! While the numbers are tight, there’s hope for a smarter budget fix. Plus, Eskom’s keeping us on our toes, but long-term energy solutions are in play. And hey, SA is running the G20 – let’s make it count! 🇿🇦🌍 On the lighter side, beauty influencer Mihlali’s new veneers had social media talking, and the Oscars are set for a night of glitz, controversy, and maybe a surprise winner. 🎬✨ 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:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/how-sa-can-resolve-the-budget-impasse-27-feb-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-423EC9526FA8E3A82540EF23F30FEDED 🇳​🇪​🇼​🇸​ ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *1. BIG STORY: SA’s Budget – how it started vs how it’s going* After last week’s shock budget postponement, everyone is saying the same thing about Take Two scheduled for 12 March… increasing VAT by 2% is not an option. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's attempt at a second draft was reportedly rejected by the GNU cabinet again on Monday. The consensus seems to be that: 🔹SA’s current taxpayers, including corporates, are already squeezed and can’t be taxed further. 🔹 The government has a spending problem. 🔹But essential government services like health and education can’t be cut. Squeezing civil servant wages for nurses, police, and teachers is also not workable. 🔹Our repayments on debt are out of control. Of every rand we have to spend on the country, 22c must first go towards paying off our debt. That equals R1bn a day! 🔹SA’s debt-to-GDP ratio, set to reach 75%, is high, but the real problem is that all that loaned money hasn’t been used efficiently. Countries like China have a ratio of over 100% but that borrowed money was used to improve infrastructure and boost the economy. Shew. As ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula put it on Tuesday, Godongwana is stuck between a rock and a hard place. So what are the solutions? The DA put forward a great proposal this week, noting that the R60bn hole that the VAT increase hoped to plug could be found by cutting government advertising by 50% and catering and travel costs across departments by a third. On Wednesday at a G20 meeting, SARS commissioner Edward Kieswetter doubled down on his previous suggestion that we invest in the revenue service to improve tax collection. Improving collection, which is currently at about 64%, could bring in a further R800bn, he’s said, but some experts aren’t sure if that’s possible given it would need to be gathered from the informal sector mostly. What’s striking about the political pushback is the agreement across the political spectrum. Leftists like the SACP and Cosatu are making similar proposals to market-friendly organisations like the DA and Sars. This seems like a good thing. Meanwhile, the clock is counting down to March 12. ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *2. ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: What had social media buzzing this week* From Elon Musk’s latest main character moment to Mihlali’s glow-up and McDonald’s entering the school furniture business (yes, really), here’s what got people talking this week. 🗣️ “ _Elon Musk, who is wearing sunglasses indoors, wields a chainsaw to celebrate the tens of thousands of federal employees he’s fired indiscriminately and without explanation._ ” - @MAGALieTracker, 21 Feb. In the latest from the dystopia unfolding over in the US, Trump’s righthand billionaire Elon Musk rocked up at a conservative conference near Washington on Thursday wielding, wait for it, a chainsaw, a pitch for his Department of Government Efficiency. Musk, in a black MAGA cap, shades and possibly weeks-deep in some sort of ketamine-induced mania, declared it “the chainsaw for bureaucracy.” Was it politics? Performance art? A midlife crisis? Meanwhile, Musk is still continuing his assault on US democracy and governance, though there has been some pushback this week from some in Trump’s cabinet. 🗣️ “ _Mihlali is the final boss of body dysmorphia bc what was wrong with her teeth?_ 😭” @NubianSkywalker, 25 Feb. SA’s ultimate baddie, beauty YouTuber Mihlali Ndamase is sporting new blinding white veneers – and Twitter (X) had thoughts. The influencer recently took a sponsored trip to Turkey’s Prime Dental Clinic with her mom for a Hollywood-worthy smile upgrade. Of course, she documented the entire thing, dropping a before-and-after video this week that had fans referencing chiclets, US comedian Steve Harvey’s cartoonish dental work and even scary dolls. 😆 The consensus was that she didn’t need it, but still, her new pearly whites are shining – just like her career. 😁✨ 🗣️ _“They’re really taking pride in making 7-year-olds drag their own furniture to school. We are in hell.”_ – @PearlPillay, 25 Feb. In what might be the most Mzansi story of the week, McDonald’s donated foldable plastic desks to Grade 1 learners at a Cape Town school. Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube proudly announced the handover, but social media? Flames. The internet wasn’t impressed with the idea of fast-food-sponsored furniture or kids weighed down on their way to school. Yoh. Whether these desks are a creative solution or a giant red flag, one thing is certain: South Africans are not lovin’ it. 🍟🔥 ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BRIEFS:* *3. Loadshedding’s return: The economic cost of Stage 6 blackouts* It was a blissful 10 months. From 26 March 2024 to 31 January 2025, South Africans enjoyed an uninterrupted electricity supply after years of crippling loadshedding. The first resurgence lasted just a few days in early February. However, over the past week, rolling blackouts returned with a vengeance, reaching Stage 6 at their peak. And just as suddenly as it reappeared, Eskom announced it was over yesterday morning. Apparently, the main culprit was a transformer overload at Majuba, our second-largest power plant, according to Eskom. This created a domino effect, cutting power to several units. Then Camden unexpectedly lost four more units thanks to a hydraulic valve failure. The end result? Nearly 3,900MW of unplanned losses on top of over 7,000MW already offline for planned maintenance. SA has a total domestic electricity generation capacity of about 58,095MW. So losing nearly 11,000MW is a big deal. (FYI: Each MW can supply around 650 average homes.) In 2023, loadshedding shaved off about 1.8 percentage points of growth for the year. We need 1.5% to 2.0% per year to address unemployment and poverty, experts agree. Even with very little load-shedding last year, the country’s GDP is projected to have grown by just 1%. So, while businesses had started to regain confidence after months of stable supply, this fresh uncertainty could derail that momentum. But it’s worth remembering how we got to 300 days without loadshedding in the first place. Eskom’s 2023 Generation Recovery Plan, played a major role in stabilising the grid with improved maintenance, bringing more generating units online, and integrating independent power producers into the energy mix. The return of Medupi Unit 4 and Kusile Unit 6 in the coming months is expected to add much-needed ongoing capacity. Meanwhile, private sector energy initiatives, including rooftop solar, are growing rapidly. For now, the immediate crisis has passed, but the road to a fully stable energy system will require continued investment, policy certainty, and a commitment to long-term maintenance. If SA can sustain the improvements that kept the lights on for nearly a year, we can finally put loadshedding behind us permanently. *4. The 2025 Oscars: A packed and unpredictable year for Best Picture* Hollywood’s biggest night is nearly upon us. The 97th Oscars takes place on Sunday in Los Angeles. Unlike last year’s Oppenheimer sweep, this year’s Best Picture race is anyone’s game. Spanish crime musical _Emilia Pérez_ leads with a record-breaking 13 nominations, making history as the most-nominated non-English-language film. Hot on its heels is the Adrien Brody-led period drama The Brutalist and the fan-favourite witchy musical Wicked, each with 10 nods. Other contenders include comedy-drama _Anora_ , papal thriller _Conclave_ , Bob Dylan biopic _A Complete Unknown,_ space epic _Dune: Part Two_ , Brazilian political biopic _I’m Still Here_ , historical drama _Nickel Boys_ , and body horror _The Substance_ starring Demi Moore. Whew. Meanwhile, the Best Actress category is making history – and headlines. Karla Sofía Gascón is the first trans woman to be nominated in the category for playing Emilia Pérez. But controversy surrounds her nomination after past offensive tweets about Muslims, George Floyd, and Oscars diversity resurfaced. Netflix dropped her from its ad campaigns promoting the film. Gascón has since apologised. While she skipped other major award shows, her confirmed presence at the Oscars will be one of the most-watched moments of the night. In a shock move, the Academy scrapped the live performances of the Best Original Song nominees, drawing backlash from the music industry. But there will still be some big musical moments – Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are expected to perform together for the first time since filming _Wicked_ , and other acts include Queen Latifah, Blackpink’s Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye. For South Africans keen to catch the action: 📍 Live Ceremony – M-Net Movies 1 (DStv 104) on Monday, 3 March, at 02:00 SA time 📍 Prime-time Repeat – M-Net (DStv 101) at 22:00 SA time 📍 Streaming & Catch-Up – Available on DStv Stream and Catch-Up With a stacked nominee list, unexpected performances, and controversy in the mix, this year’s Oscars will be one of the most talked-about in years. Whether it sticks to its three-and-a-half-hour runtime is another story… 🎬✨ *5. South Africa takes the G20 hot seat – but will anyone show up?* South Africa is officially running the world – sort of. As of December 2024, we hold the presidency of the G20, the first African country to do so. The plan is to bring African and Global South issues to the front – think debt relief, climate change, and sustainable development. The Group of Twenty (G20) is an international forum of the world’s largest economies – 19 countries plus the European Union and, as of last year, the African Union. Together, they represent 85% of global GDP, over 75% of international trade, and about two-thirds of the world’s population. Originally created in 1999 to deal with global financial stability, it has expanded its focus to include climate change, energy security, trade, and sustainable development. Each year, a different country takes the lead, setting the agenda and hosting the annual G20 Summit, where world leaders gather to (hopefully) solve the world’s biggest problems. SA’s presidency will culminate in Johannesburg in November 2025. But the first major G20 event under SA’s leadership – the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Cape Town yesterday – wasn’t exactly a full house. Key figures, including US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato, _didn’t show up_ . And they’re not alone – finance ministers from India, China, and Canada also seem to have other plans. Why the cold shoulder? Analysts say growing geopolitical tensions and internal divisions within the G20 are making global economic coordination… well, not a _vibe_ , thanks to Donald Trump. Trump is generally not a fan of multilateral institutions. In his first presidency, he pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement, criticised global trade deals, and often skipped key global summits. While he hasn’t outright declared his intention to skip the summit in November, his administration’s recent behaviour suggests he might send a low-level official in his place – a diplomatic snub. But SA isn’t backing down. This week’s discussions are tackling issues critical for Africa’s future. The real test? Whether SA can get the world’s biggest economies to pay attention before we host the grand finale – the G20 Summit in Johannesburg this November. *6. Can SA boxing get off the ropes?* South African boxing used to be a heavy hitter, but these days, it's barely making weight. Once the pride of the nation, with legends like Baby Jake Matlala and Dingaan Thobela dominating the ring, the sport has faded into the background. Now, the 2025 National Boxing Convention hosted by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and Boxing South Africa (BSA), which _explain_ attended, aims to revive its former glory. But is it just another round of big talk? Boxing in Mzansi wasn’t just a sport; it was a movement. Even Nelson Mandela laced up his gloves, famously saying, "In the ring, rank, age, colour, and wealth are irrelevant." But fast forward to today, and local boxing is struggling to stay relevant. Veteran boxer Luvuyo Tyamzashe knows this all too well. His promising career was cut short by an injury in 1985, but he didn’t throw in the towel. Now wheelchair-bound, he’s training the next generation of fighters because, as Tyamzashe puts it, “today’s fighters lack the endurance of old-school boxers.” BSA spokesperson Luthando Zibeko states it plainly; "Boxing is on its knees." Back in the ‘90s, SA had a few world champions, including the legendary Corrie Sanders. Not to mention, boxing was a TV staple. But when broadcasters pulled the plug, sponsors disappeared, and with them, young talent lost a clear path to success. Another issue? Inclusivity for women and disabled athletes. The convention has proposed solutions, including: 💥 Bringing boxing back to TV 💥 Modernising the sport 💥 Including boxing in school sports But will it actually happen? Promoter Ntsikelelo Manyisane isn’t convinced; he points out that the last convention led to nothing. Zibeko, though, is hopeful. He believes a new boxing board could be the fresh start the sport needs. For now, young hopefuls will keep stepping into the ring, waiting for the investment and opportunities that could make SA boxing a champion once more. *7. Germany dodges the far-right bullet – for now* Germany’s elections this week were a political rollercoaster. While the country avoided a full shift to the far right, the warning signs are flashing. The centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), secured 29% of the vote, announced yesterday, making them the largest bloc. Typically, in Germany, no party wins an outright majority, and at this point, coalition talks would take place. The shocker this time? The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to 20.8%, nearly doubling its seats in parliament​. Traditionally, German mainstream parties have upheld a "firewall" against the AfD due to its extremist views – think of how South African parties blocked the MK Party from gaining power. The AfD has been shunned over: 🔹Historical revisionism – Some members have downplayed Nazi crimes, with one even calling himself the “friendly face of National Socialism”, a previous phrase for Nazism. 🔹Climate denialism – The party opposes green energy initiatives and questions climate change. 🔹Hardline anti-immigration policies – They want to scrap individual asylum hearings and set up foreign holding camps​. CDU leader Friedrich Merz is trying to form a government without the AfD. His best bet? A coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who secured 16.4% of the votes. The SPD has agreed to talks but aren’t making any promises. Merz hopes to finalise the deal by mid-April​. Meanwhile, in his victory speech, he declared that Germany must become more independent from the US, a not-so-subtle jab at Donald Trump’s foreign policy chaos and Elon Musk’s attempt to influence his country’s politics​. The Tesla CEO and tech billionaire backed the AfD during the campaign. He appeared via video at an AfD rally, urging Germans to “move beyond” their historical guilt – a controversial statement given the country's Nazi past. Plus, there was Musk’s gesture resembling a Nazi salute during President Trump's inauguration, which he later dismissed as an “awkward gesture.” This election is part of a broader European trend where far-right parties are gaining ground. For now, Germany has kept the AfD out of power – but if voter frustration continues, that firewall might not hold forever. *8. Pope Francis’ Health scare sparks reflection on his legacy* Pope Francis, the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church, has been hospitalised with pneumonia since 14 February. 😕 While he's showing signs of improvement, his condition remains serious. But even from his hospital bed, the pope is keeping busy, making calls and staying engaged in his work. His health struggles have sparked global reflection on his profound impact on the church. ✅ A champion for the poor – he called the homeless the "nobles of the street" and turned the Vatican into a sanctuary for those in need. Social justice has been at the core of his leadership. ✅ Breaking barriers for women – while sticking to the Church’s all-male priesthood, he appointed women to key leadership roles, including the first-ever female head of a Vatican office. Progress, but baby steps. ✅ A more inclusive church – he extended a hand to LGBTQ+ individuals, even meeting with transgender people and calling for a more open church. Not everyone approved, but he stood firm. ✅ Advocating for migrants – a vocal critic of harsh immigration policies, he reminded the world that Jesus himself was a refugee. But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. He also faced intense scrutiny over the church’s handling of sexual abuse scandals, financial transparency, and the ongoing tug-of-war between conservatives and liberals in the Vatican. Given his age and health, the question of succession is on people’s minds. Here’s how it works: 🔹 Who’s in charge in the meantime? Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the current camerlengo, would temporarily oversee Vatican affairs. 🔹 How is a new pope chosen? A papal conclave – basically a secret election happens about two weeks after a pope steps down or passes away. The cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel and vote until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. For now, the world watches and waits. Whether Pope Francis makes a full recovery or the Church prepares for a transition, one thing is clear – his legacy will be felt for generations to come. —----------- 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 [email protected] for a quote. 🇸​🇺​🇧​🇸​🇨​🇷​🇮​🇧​🇪​ Remember to share the love. 💫 Tell your friends to sign up: 📩 Email: http://explain.co.za/subscribe 📲 Our new WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vac06yM8kyyLmOulb80J _Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽

The Wrap by /explain/

2/6/2025, 4:15:35 PM

Hi there 🙋🏾‍♀️ What a week it’s been! Between Donald Trump’s latest meltdown over South Africa, the US Secretary of State clutching his pearls over basic human rights, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame throwing a fit online, Mzansi is clearly living rent-free in the world’s head. And why? Because we did the unthinkable—we stood up for what’s right. We held power to account. We played our part in global justice. But South Africans don’t just endure the drama; we dance through it. Our latest trick? Turning global outrage into a meme-fest. More on this later. In other news: a rare sighting in SA politics—actual compromise. The GNU has reached a deal on the NHI, showing that, shockingly, political maturity is possible, while the Grammys gave us some entertainment reprieve. 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:* 💬 WhatsApp msg: Keep scrolling 🔊 Voice note by Verashni: https://soundcloud.com/explain-za/trump-is-trying-to-trash-south-africa-but-he-wont-win-6-feb-25 📰 Newsletter with pics: https://createsend.com/t/d-8FB90D6FC6C2BB592540EF23F30FEDED 🇳​🇪​🇼​🇸​ ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *1. OUR TAKE: The GNU’s NHI compromise shows massive political maturity* While US politics is descending into some nightmare version of The Handmaid’s Tale, South Africa’s opposing political parties have managed to come together rather maturely. The Government of National Unity (GNU) has finally reached a breakthrough on the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) plan. After months of drama, the ANC and DA have reportedly agreed to tweak the NHI Act, specifically Section 33, which would have banned medical aids from covering treatments provided by the NHI. That clause was a major sticking point, with critics warning it would wipe out the private healthcare sector. DA leader John Steenhuisen confirmed the compromise, which was struck after behind-the-scenes talks between various ministers at last week’s Cabinet lekgotla. President Cyril Ramaphosa has reportedly backed the proposal. *What does this actually mean?* 🏥 *Medical aids stay* – They won’t be scrapped when the NHI kicks in. 🏥 *New advisory council* – A ministerial body will now figure out how private healthcare and the NHI can co-exist. The Department of Health will also iron out the finer details and integrate the changes into the government’s Medium-Term Development Plan. 🏥 *More funding options* – The government is open to discussing how the private sector can be involved in a way that makes sense. But not everyone’s convinced. The Solidarity trade union is going ahead with its legal battle, arguing that the NHI is unconstitutional and completely vague on how it will be funded. We hear the concerns, but we can’t help but side-eye Solidarity for their negativity, given that they’re linked to Afriforum, who caused the massive drama this week with Donald Trump’s hysteria over our land reform policy. Critics are correct to warn, however, that South Africa’s public healthcare system is already overloaded, and adding millions more patients could collapse it entirely. Still, we’re impressed at how our parties have worked out a compromise on this one. And, for now, medical aid members can breathe easy—but watch this space. ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *2. BIG STORY: South Africans laugh – and dance – their way through Trump’s insults* Ah South Africans… insult us and, sure, we’ll take it hard. But we’ll also create a meme and that meme will probably involve dancing. This week, US President Donald Trump took to social media to express concerns about South Africa, stating that "terrible things are happening there. The leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things." South Africans have a long-standing tradition of responding to political drama with humour, and this was no different. People took Trump's vague, ominous statement and turned it into a viral moment of joy. The overwhelming theme? Videos of White people getting down on the dance floor, often cheered on by their fellow black South Africans, with the caption: "There are horrible things happening in South Africa." Meanwhile: _cue awkward yet enthusiastic dance moves._ It makes sense. We are, after all, a country known for literally dancing (toyi-toying) as a form of protest. And honestly? If "terrible things" involve a dance floor filled with questionable footwork and unbothered South Africans of all colours living their best lives, then long may the horror continue. Not to be outdone by Trump, US Senator Marco Rubio also jumped on the “South Africa is doing bad things” bandwagon. In a now-viral post, Rubio dramatically announced: 🚨 “I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change.” 🚨 That’s right, folks. Rubio is furious that South Africa is out here promoting solidarity, equality, and sustainability—three things that, to the rest of the world, sound suspiciously like good governance. But according to Rubio, these are code words for “woke nonsense” (also known as basic human decency). The internet wasted no time in roasting this take, with political commentator David Moscrop dropping the perfect clapback: "Imagine saying you won’t go to South Africa because it’s not racist enough.” It's clear that while some leaders might see doom and gloom, South Africans will always find the silver lining—and probably make a joke about it. PS: More about the politics of this story later in this week’s Wrap. ▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ *BRIEFS* *3. Hello darkness, my old friend* Our ten months of uninterrupted electricity supply is no more. Following Eskom’s implementation of stage 3 loadshedding last weekend, EskomSePush developers may be happy with the traffic to their rebranded “More than a loadshedding” app. The rest of the country? More grumbling and annoyance as they dust off their generators. *What happened?* Last Friday, the power giant put out a high-risk alert statement for loadshedding at short notice, calling it a “potentially temporary setback”. Come 5 pm, and they made good on their promise. Stage 3 was implemented until its suspension earlier than expected on Sunday, making South Africans both sigh in relief and worry about the next bout of darkness. *Why did this happen?* Energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said a confluence of factors has led to the return of Mzansi’s shame, including a large number of generation units being offline for planned maintenance ahead of winter, the breakdown of six units forcing the use of diesel-burning open-cycle gas turbines to keep the lights on, and a subsequent depletion of emergency reserves. But another theory has been making the rounds. Eskom requested a 36% tariff increase for the current financial year from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa. They were given less than half of that - a 12.7% increase. Could this be why they’re now throwing their stage 3 toys out of the cot? *What now?* For now, Eskom says the grid is stable again, but South Africans know better than to trust a flickering lightbulb. With winter around the corner and maintenance still ongoing, further loadshedding is always on the table. So, what’s the plan? Perhaps tonight’s SONA will give us an idea. But in the meantime, stock up on candles, dust off the gas stove, and keep EskomSePush notifications on. *4. Beyoncé finally gets her flowers, Kendrick sweeps, and Drake takes an L – The 2025 Grammys had it all* With geopolitics dominating the news cycle, it was nice to escape into a night of music hosted by local homeboy Trevor Noah. The 2025 Grammys went down in LA on Sunday night (or stupid o’clock Monday for us in SA—shoutout to the sleep-deprived fans). At long last, the Recording Academy gave Beyoncé her overdue Album of the Year win for Cowboy Carter. 🐎Took them _three_ snubs, a record-breaking Grammy count, and probably some Cécred candle rituals (Iykyk). She’s also the first Black woman to win since Lauryn Hill in 1999—because the Grammys seem to run on a once-per-generation policy. Kendrick Lamar? Swept the night. Five nominations, five wins—including Record and Song of the Year—all for _Not Like Us_ , his scathing takedown of Drake. The entire industry was chanting its lyrics (yes, those ones) while Kendrick raked in trophies. Drake’s lawyers probably had a group crisis call. The Grammys have long fumbled diversity, but Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. notes they’ve been hard at work fixing it since 2019. Two-thirds of voters are now fresh recruits, 40% are people of colour, and they’ve added 3,000 women. Let’s just say we’re relieved we weren’t on that WhatsApp group before. 😝 Alicia Keys summed it up best while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award: "DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift." A not-so-subtle jab at Trump, who somehow blamed a devastating recent US plane crash on diversity hires (sir, _please_ ). Newcomers like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Doechii lit up the night, with Roan using her moment to highlight a serious issue—how new artists can’t afford healthcare. Winning a Grammy is cool, but _seeing a doctor_ ? Now, that’s clearly the dream in a country that just doesn’t seem to care enough for working-class people. All in all, the night had it all—history-making wins, industry shade, and a few long-overdue corrections. Here’s to more _justice_ , fewer snubs, and maybe—just _maybe_ —Drake surviving next year without an L. Until then, we’ll be replaying _Cowboy Carter_ and manifesting affordable healthcare for our faves. 🎤 *5. Trump is coming for SA—but don’t panic yet* US President Donald Trump and his right-wing bros have turned his attention to SA, and—surprise, surprise—he’s making a scene, and it’s ALL South Africans are talking about right now.😒 On Sunday, Trump ranted on Truth Social, accusing SA of “confiscating land” and treating “certain classes of people VERY BADLY.” He even threatened to cut US funding until a “full investigation” is done. Ramaphosa clapped back, reminding Trump that SA is a constitutional democracy and that the Expropriation Act is no land grab - facts. The DA also dismissed Trump’s claims, calling them “unfortunate”. Then, Elon Musk jumped in. The X owner—set to lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency—claimed SA has “racist ownership laws.” This might have nothing to do with his company, Starlink, being blocked in SA over BEE rules… or everything to do with it. Ramaphosa and Musk reportedly had a billionaire-to-billionaire (albeit rands to dollar) chat on Monday about “misinformation.” And where is Trump getting this misinformation? Enter AfriForum. The Afrikaans lobby group has long claimed a “White Genocide” is happening in SA—despite this being thoroughly debunked. They’ve now convinced Trump that the Expropriation Act will lead to “land grabs.” Ironically, after Trump threatened to cut aid, AfriForum backpedalled, urging him to target ANC leaders instead of all South Africans. *What’s really going on?* Some experts say this is bigger than land. Trump and his radical Republican base believe SA is on the “wrong side” of global issues like Ukraine and Gaza. SA-US relations were already tense thanks to BRICS ties and SA taking Israel to the International Court of Justice. Diplomatic expert Professor John Stremlau told _explain_ that SA’s best bet is a Democratic win in the 2026 US Senate elections. Meanwhile, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola is playing peacemaker, urging Trump’s team to take time to “properly understand” SA’s policies. The bigger question? How much influence Trump actually wields. As Stremlau puts it: “Americans need to get their act together and rein Trump in.” For now, keep calm and carry on—but stay tuned for the next episode of Trump vs. The World. *6. SONA 2025 is on tonight: Here’s what to expect* A year ago, the ANC ruled alone. Fast-forward to today, and we have a Government of National Unity (GNU)—a 10-party political experiment trying to keep the country afloat. Tonight at 19:00, Ramaphosa will deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) under this grand coalition at Cape Town City Hall. Expect road closures, VIP security, and MPs turning the red carpet into their own personal Met Gala. *What’s the big deal?* SONA isn’t just a fancy speech—it sets the government’s game plan for the year. It’s where the President flexes achievements, sugarcoats failures and makes promises we’ll be fact-checking for months. And since the GNU is still figuring out how to play nice, this year’s SONA could be extra spicy. *The key talking points:* 🔌 Loadshedding: Finally over? With power cuts easing, Ramaphosa will update us on the Energy Action Plan and whether the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act is the magic bullet we need. But as we’ve mentioned, last weekend’s stage 3 hiccup was a reminder: we’re not out of the dark yet. 🚰 Water woes ahead? Electricity may be improving, but SA’s next crisis is here—water shortages. Ramaphosa is expected to outline emergency measures to prevent a full-blown disaster. 💼 Jobs, jobs, jobs Unemployment dropped to 32.1% in late 2024, but youth joblessness is still a crisis. Will we get real solutions or more economic jargon? 🚔 Fighting crime Expect updates on Operation Shanela and Operation Vala Umgodi—two anti-crime drives. Plus, new plans to strengthen the police force. 🌍 SA on the global stage The G20 Summit is coming to SA in November. Ramaphosa will likely hype it up as a win for Africa’s global influence. 📺 Where to watch: DStv 408, Parliament’s website, or YouTube. Popcorn recommended. 🍿 Keep an eye on our site explain.co.za, where we will provide a full analysis of the speech once it’s done. *7. We’re on the right side of the fight against Rwanda’s Kagame…but we’re taking strain* Last week, as we were hitting publish on The Wrap, Rwandan President Paul Kagame threw down a spectacular tweet, effectively challenging South Africa to war. The situation has since heated up, so we thought we’d break it down for you further this week. As you may remember, 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent weeks—attacks linked to Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The situation is escalating so rapidly that Ramaphosa has warned that continued attacks could be seen as a "declaration of war." *Rwanda’s role: An open secret* South Africa has long been involved in peacekeeping in the DRC. But this latest deployment under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission turned into a full-blown battle. The eastern DRC has been a war zone for decades, but the biggest player in the chaos? The M23 rebel group. Largely made up of ethnic Tutsis, M23 first made global headlines in 2012 when it briefly took over Goma, a key city near Rwanda’s border. Though it was defeated, the group resurfaced in 2021, once again seizing territory. The UN, US, and France have accused Rwanda of backing M23 to maintain control over the mineral-rich region. Kagame, of course, denies everything. Kagame has since fallen out of favour in the international community, effectively running a dictatorship where elections are rigged and opponents are assassinated. In 2014, SA expelled Rwandan diplomats over the assassination of exiled Rwandan intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya in Joburg. Kagame didn’t exactly deny involvement, famously saying: “Treason brings consequences.” So South Africa is on the right side of this fight, but… can we handle the actual fight? SADC leaders recently met to reaffirm support for the DRC, but whether SA has the resources to continue fighting is a big question. Unlike Kagame, Ramaphosa has to answer to Parliament, opposition parties, and the public—many of whom are questioning the cost of this war. For now, M23 has announced a unilateral ceasefire, but whether this is a real pause or just a chance to regroup remains unclear. *8. We don’t take sexual harassment as seriously as assault. That should change.* If someone sends you unwanted, sexually explicit messages, you’d be right to feel like you’ve been violated. However, our legal system and society in general are unlikely to take that as seriously as it would a physical, sexual assault. We’ve told you before about Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge. Between 2021 and 2022, Mbenenge allegedly sent suggestive WhatsApp messages to his subordinate, judges’ secretary Andiswa Mengo. He made inappropriate comments and—brace yourself—pointed to his pants while making a crude remark. Gross. A tribunal is on the go to determine whether he breached the Judicial Code of Conduct. If found guilty, he could face serious consequences, including impeachment. The real issue here is how the legal system and society generally treat sexual harassment. Sexual harassment—while often linked to sexual violence and assault—is a different category, existing in what gender specialist Lisa Vetten calls a “blurry grey area.” “Sexual harassment is often overlooked and perceived as less serious,” Vetten told explain, “This perception leads to its deprioritisation both in legal processes and in media coverage.” SA has one of the world’s highest rates of sexual violence—42,569 rapes and 7,418 sexual assaults reported in the last year alone. Yet, sexual harassment—often brushed off as “not that serious”—rarely makes headlines. It’s defined as persistent, unwanted sexual advances—often exploiting workplace power dynamics. Victims face career setbacks, intimidation, and trauma, yet reporting often leads to retaliation or being labelled a troublemaker. Thankfully, there are systems in place to address the shortfall in some areas. The Employment Equity Act and the Code of Good Practice on the Handling of Sexual Harassment Cases in the Workplace aim to create safer working environments and ensure that victims receive proper support and justice. So, will Mbenenge’s case be different? Or will the system once again shield a powerful man at the expense of justice? As attorney and coordinator for Judges Matter, Alison Tilley told explain regarding sexual harassment in judiciary institutions, “It has happened, is happening, and needs to be dealt with.” We’re watching. 👀 —----------- 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. 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