“I look forward to continuing the close and mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations across all domains of our co-operation,” Ramaphosa wrote on X.

“In the global arena, we look forward to our Presidency of the G20 in 2025, where we will work closely with the US, which will succeed us in the G20 Presidency in 2026.”

Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in a fiercely contested election marks one of the most remarkable comebacks in modern US history, particularly considering an unprecedented criminal conviction, a near-assassination attempt, and warnings from a former chief of staff labelling him a “fascist”.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before,” Trump declared at a victory celebration in Florida. Trump, now the first US president in over a century to secure a non-consecutive second term, campaigned on an assertive platform that resonated with many voters despite its divisive tone.

Surrounded by his family and team on stage, Trump said “History has been made in America”.

“Frankly, this was I believe the greatest political movement of all time. There hasn’t been anything like this in this country and maybe beyond.

“Now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to help our country heal. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders and fix everything about our country.”

Vice President Harris, who joined the race in July following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal, ran a centrist campaign that sought to counter Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, emphasising his frequent use of openly racist and sexist tropes.

Nonetheless, Trump’s messaging proved influential with key voting blocs, leading him to victory.

The global response has been mixed, with leaders extending cautious congratulations while stressing the importance of co-operation.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “ready to work together as we have done for four years … with respect and ambition, for more peace and prosperity”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump “on history’s greatest comeback”.

Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, wrote on X:

“My congratulations to President Donald Trump on his electoral victory and return to the presidency of the United States. Democracy is the voice of the people and must always be respected.”

China conveyed a diplomatic response, expressing hopes for “peaceful coexistence” with the US.

“We will continue to approach and handle China-U.S. relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win co-operation,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a press briefing.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Trump to continue strengthening the transatlantic alliance, emphasising shared values and economic ties between Europe and the US “Together we can achieve much more than against each other,” Scholz said.

The EU and USA are two similarly large economic areas, linked by the closest economic relations in the world.

Scholz added, “Germany and the United States are bound together in a partnership of friendship that has grown over decades.

“Our people-to-people ties to the United States are closer than to any other country outside Europe. Millions of American citizens have German roots.”

Afghanistan’s Taliban government expressed hope for a fresh start in its relations with the US.

“The government hopes the future Trump administration will take realistic steps toward concrete progress in relations between the two countries and both nations will be able to open a new chapter of relations,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi on X.

• Additional reporting by AFP

He said that data collected from KZN municipalities since November 2021 shows that out of 40 councillors who died, 18 were assassinated.

Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, he said 17 councillors had died of natural causes while three died of car accidents and two from suicide.

“Nationally, in the past two years, 167 councillors have been replaced due to death.

In 2023 alone, seven councillors and three traditional leaders have been killed, with the most recent murder having been reported in the uMngeni Municipality in December.

Forty percent of those who died were ward councillors, and 60% were proportional representation (PR) councillors.

“KwaZulu-Natal is now at a tipping point and could very well descend into political violence and/or intra and interparty violence.

“The period of tension only needs a match for it to turn into open hostilities and the once-called ‘no-go areas’.

“What is encouraging is that most by-elections are peaceful. The use of government powers to undermine local leadership remains a real threat,” he said.

Ntuli said Salga observed that by-elections have become highstakes events that periodically bring a change of leadership.

“Provincial and national elections will further strain the coalition,” he said.

Ntuli said in some instances, damage to property and violence are used to intimidate the management and councillors into conceding to external demands.

On municipalities under administration, Ntuli said none of the municipalities under Section 139
intervention showed any meaningful improvement in their audit outcomes.

Ntuli said more funding support was needed where municipalities were said to be under Section 154 or Section 139 interventions.

“Currently, this legislative tool of intervention is primarily a political intervention.

“It is also, unfortunately, a method for cadre deployment for administrators with political interests while not being subjected to meaningful performance management of government administrators.

“This means that government support and intervention are only rhetorical,” he said.

In Ntuli’s view, in KZN none of the intervention measures have worked and there was evidence of a regression.

Salga chairperson says that out of 40 councillors that died in the last two years, 18 were assassinated

“The administrators brought by the provincial government are former administrators who have only two consistent traits about them — one, their track record is questionable; two, they are rotated frequently.” —The Witness

In the state’s application in opposition to the eased bail conditions, investigator Colonel Phillip Herbst said he did not think Panday had shared all the important information affecting the court’s decision on changing his bail conditions.

The application was set down for hearing on Monday in the Durban High Court but was adjourned, according to the Investigating Directorate (ID) spokesperson, Sindisiwe Seboka, for the state to peruse the state’s affidavit.

In his affidavit, Herbst said that Panday had purchased Ferraris worth millions and continued to run his former businesses, although they have been transferred to different ownership since he was charged with corruption.

Panday made the application in November.

According to advocate Jimmy Howse SC, acting for Panday, the businessman’s 25-year-old son was going to be paying for the trip since Panday’s assets had been seized by the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the Investigating Directorate (ID).

The criminal syndicate that Panday allegedly led, has been accused of acting in common purpose to deprive SAPS of over R47,3 million through acts of fraud, corruption, forgery, bribery and money laundering before and during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

According to Herbst’s affidavit, Panday’s son works at a bank and doesn’t earn enough to pay for an overseas trip for the entire family.

Herbst said the application did not reflect the cost of the trip. “The cheapest flight for six people-being the applicant, his former wife [also an accused in the case] and four children, will cost approximately R169 092. The most expensive will be approximately R364 002.”

Herbst’s affidavit also revealed that Panday had ordered a Ferrari, which was paid for by one of the companies he used to own. While under investigation and having his assets restrained by the state, he registered another company in October, which he changed ownership of in December, after he found out that the state knew about it. While the company was still in his name, he purchased a Ferrari for R7,9 million. According to the state he has ordered another Ferrari, which can cost up to R14 million.

Background to the state’s allegations

The state alleges that three former SAPS officials failed to follow the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act by, among other things, deliberately delaying applications for procurement authority from the national office for accommodation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

“They deliberately didn’t follow up on invitations they had sent to existing service providers [who charged reasonable rates]; thereby causing the need to procure accommodation for SAPS members for the 2010 World Cup on an urgent basis and at inflated rates, a mere couple of days before the event was due to start,” said Seboka.

She said said their intentional delay in procuring accommodation well in advance of the 2010 SWC, led to an urgent deviation from normal procurement processes, which had to be processed in haste by the national office.

“Goldcoast (of which Panday is the sole member) was awarded orders for accommodation for police members deployed within the KZN province during times of unrest from October 2009, at inflated rates. Goldcoast was awarded 80% of the accommodation order for the 2010 SWC, and charged SAPS rates which were much higher than other service providers,” said Seboka.

The five entities alleged to have been controlled by and associated with Panday, were paid over R47,3 million by SAPS between October 2009 and August 2010 (Goldcoast R39 336 283, Valotone R3 515 704, Bravosat R2 079 469, Kaseev Traders R1 552 019 and Unite Mzansi R863 122).

According to the NPA, Panday misrepresented that Goldcoast had secured block bookings in 2008 for the 2010 SWC, which was false. Panday then had to place police members in venues, paid them a low rate and claimed inflated rates from SAPS.

“In addition, Goldcoast and four other entities associated with him through family member ownership, received orders approved by [colonel Navin] Madhoe and [former police captain Aswin] Narainpershad for miscellaneous goods required by SAPS members for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, through fraud including cover quoting and forgery,” said Seboka.

The state has not previously opposed Panday’s travel applications, but during one of those trips, according to the state, Panday took a detour using a passport that he previously said he had lost.

An unedited version of this story was first published by The Witness.

The company attributed some of the reasons for the closures to the current energy crisis, the collapse of South Africa’s logistics and transport infrastructure, the ban on scrap metal exports and the 20% export levy.

The Association of South African Chambers (Asac) chairperson Melanie Veness, who is also the CEO of the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business, said current economic conditions in South Africa made it difficult for energy-intensive businesses to trade.

“It makes me sad to have to say it, but quite honestly, business closures should not come as a huge surprise to anyone, given the unfavourable environment in which businesses are forced to operate currently. You cannot make conditions impossible to trade in and then be surprised when businesses fail.”

Veness said the rate at which electricity prices have escalated over the past 10 years, coupled with the calamitous impact of load-shedding, a failing logistics system and poor economic growth was a recipe for economic disaster, especially for energy-intensive industries.

“We have reached the end of the road, there’ll be more business casualties if government doesn’t let the private sector in now to fix Eskom and Transnet, if our leadership don’t address safety and security issues, as well as service delivery failures at a local level, and rethink some of their anti-growth policies,” she said.

KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Siboniso Duma said one cannot underestimate the invaluable contribution made by ArcelorMittal South Africa to the local municipalities’ revenue base and creation of jobs for local residents.

“I have accordingly assigned the acting CEO of Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal Sihle Ngcamu to come closer to this matter. We have allocated resources as part of the implementation of our business retention and expansion strategy.

“Where necessary, efforts will be made to save some jobs at the steel company. We cannot afford to have 3 500 people added into the thousands of unemployed people who lost their jobs as a result of Covid-19, which destroyed our economy,” said Duma.

The MEC said the department understood that part of the challenges faced by ArcelorMittal was the decrease in the demand for steel. “This has been partly attributed to the cuts in infrastructure expenditure. Currently, only four million tons of steel are consumed in South Africa.

“In this regard, we continue as the department to work with all spheres of government to ensure the rollout of infrastructure,” he said.

In a statement, ArcelorMittal South Africa said shareholders have previously been advised of the efforts made to ensure the long-term viability of the Newcastle Works and the broader long steel products business (“Longs Business”). At the beginning of 2023, an optimisation programme commenced.

“Prior to this, over the past few years, the company implemented aggressive cost-saving initiatives, improved raw material cost savings, asset footprint adjustments and various other productivity initiatives. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, the initiatives implemented were not able to counter,” read the statement.

The winding down was due to many factors, including a slow economy and difficult trading environment.

“On the back of low GDP growth in South Africa, in the past seven years, the country’s apparent steel consumption (ASC) has reduced by 20%, reaching levels of around four million tons, reflecting low market demand in key steel-consuming sectors, limited infrastructure spend and project delays, resulting in overcapacity in the market and overall weaker business confidence.

“National constraints beyond the control of the company include high transport and logistics costs as well as energy prices, exacerbated by the well-publicised logistics failures and their resultant cost impact, and the prevailing electricity challenges which the country faces.”

“The introduction of a preferential pricing system for scrap, a 20% export duty, and more recently, a ban on scrap exports has allowed steel production through the electric arc furnaces route at an ‘artificial’ competitive advantage when compared with steel manufacturers beneficiating iron ore to produce steel,” outlined the company in the statement.

Kobus Verster, the CEO of ArcelorMittal South Africa, said that “the ArcelorMittal South Africa board and management have reached this point after having exhausted all possible options.

“As difficult as these circumstances are, we have a duty to ensure that the business remains sustainable in the long term, in the interests of the company and its stakeholders.

“The remaining business, after the wind down, will be on a more sustainable financial footing and be able to invest the appropriate capital in product development and available growth prospects.”

This article first appeared in The Witness.

The condition of the dozens of dilapidated and stripped buildings was highlighted after the floods of April 2022, which left thousands homeless. 

Opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have pushed for the provincial government to refurbish some of the buildings to house displaced families instead of putting them in community halls for long periods of time. 

The DA recently visited some of the houses and buildings. The party believes the buildings are not suitable for habitation and pose a danger to the public. 

On Wednesday, the DA’s public works representative Sello Seitlholo, provincial spokesperson on public works Marlaine Nair and Central Durban constituency head Dianne Kohler Barnard visited the Excelsior Court building in Durban and “Howick’s havens of vice” in uMngeni.

Excelsior Court, which was owned by the department of public works, was previously occupied by the South African Police Services. It is now being stripped and is allegedly illegally rented out. 

The DA said there have been many discussions with the department of public works in the past 10 years to address the matter, but to no avail.

Seitlholo said the building was in an appalling state, with everything of value — particularly steel — having been stripped out. 

“This building is not fit for human living. We found one person sleeping in one of the rooms, which was filled with human faeces.”

He said it was the DA’s duty to bring such issues to the department’s attention. 

“Buildings like this are everywhere in the country. It seems the department has no idea where all their immovable assets are, which is why they are not taken care of, and there is no political will to see that illegal occupants are [removed],” Seitlholo said.

Janus Horn, a member of the Mayville community policing forum (CPF), said Excelsior Court was a problem because at some point more than 200 people moved in at once and it was up to the forum and the local police to evict them.

“Whenever people are spotted in the building, the first thing residents do is call the police or CPF, and it’s impossible for us to be able to ensure that the building is not invaded as we don’t have the resources.”

Horn said a lot of illegal activity took place in the Berea building, including stripping of cars and slaughtering of animals. 

Seitlholo and Nair later went to Howick where they visited three public works properties with councillor Janis Holmes.

The three properties include a house on Bell Street, a piece of land in Mevana township that has been turned into an informal settlement, and a building opposite the Howick magistrate’s court.

The provincial public works department said these properties belong to the national government.

Holmes said the two properties had been a haven for crime until the department placed a security guard at the house in Bell Street and removed roofing from the one opposite the magistrate’s court.

“There have been a lot of muggings on the roads near these properties. The house in Bell Street used to have overgrown grass that criminals used as their hideout spot. Even the police asked us to do something about this property due to the amount of crime in the area.”

Holmes said the municipality has written to the department regarding the use of properties opposite the court to expand the Howick taxi rank.

“Most of these properties are in a better state because of uMngeni municipality,” said Holmes.

The KwaZulu-Natal department of public works failed to answer questions by the time of publication. 

This article first appeared in The Witness. 

Ngiba has been in jail for more than 11 months, accused of killing his predecessor, Siyabonga Mkhize. Mkhize had been on the ballot for the November 2021 election but was murdered at a rally just weeks before the polls opened. Ngiba then stood for the by-election and won.

In March, the DA in KZN called on the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance (Cogta), along with eThekwini City manager Musa Mbhele, to act in the best interests of Ward 101 residents and call a by-election.

During the ordinary council sitting on Wednesday, Speaker Thabani Nyawose said after the matter of Ngiba not attending council meetings was raised, he consulted the legal team to investigate his breach of the councillor’s code of conduct.

Ngiba had missed more than three consecutive meetings without submitting a leave of absence, which according to the code of conduct, meant he could be charged or dismissed.

Nyawose said all processes of the investigation had been followed and Ngiba had not provided a response.

“Ngiba was sent a letter from my office to give him an opportunity to respond to the allegations. He was unable to respond in the given time frame. The recommendation by the legal team was that Ngiba be removed as a councillor and as a council member in the eThekwini Municipality.”

Nyawose confirmed that Ngiba was still getting his allowance from council and his salary as a councillor.

Other political parties

After the speaker’s report on Ngiba, the DA and the ANC requested a caucus to go through the report. After the caucus discussions, the DA accused the speaker of deliberately delaying the process to remove Ngiba just for the sake of avoiding by-elections.

The report was welcomed by the EFF and IFP; however, the IFP said it was disappointed by the delays.

“It was wrong to waste ratepayers’ money in paying Ngiba all these months and we believe the speaker should be subjected to the ethics board as he failed to report Ngiba’s absence to Cogta,” said IFP eThekwini spokesperson Mdu Nkosi.

Councillors accepted the speaker’s recommendations to remove Ngiba.

This story first appeared in The Witness.

The hits in Tongaat were allegedly related to taxi violence and an attempt to “take out” a taxi boss.

According to De Haas, access to illegal firearms is a contributing factor to the increasing number of hits in KwaZulu-Natal.

She said the majority of the murders were carried out by hired hitmen who, in most cases, used stolen vehicles and firearms.

“It all boils down to crime — if you get away with it once you will continue to do it, and the criminals are much more organised than our police. The crime intelligence in the country is in shambles. There isn’t proper management and there are irregular appointments in the police,” she said.

IPSS Medical Rescue, which attended the scene in Tongaat, said two people were declared dead on scene while one person was stabilised and transported to a nearby facility.

According to Reaction Unit South Africa’s (Rusa) Tongaat Operations, which also attended both scenes in Tongaat, the first incident took place at the Golden Sun supermarket on Gopalall Hurbans Road.

There, reaction officers discovered a stationary white VW Polo at the intersection, which was riddled with bullet holes. 

Two men in the car sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were declared dead by paramedics.

“A female passenger was treated for an injury to her head,” according to Rusa spokesperson, Prem Balram.

Balram said they were believed to be victims of mistaken identity, but this has not been confirmed.

While busy treating the gunshot victim at the first scene, IPSS Medical Rescue received reports of another drive-by shooting approximately four kilometres away, on the R614.

When paramedics arrived at the scene they found three people with gunshot wounds in a car.

“One person from the second scene sustained serious injuries and another sustained critical injuries,” said IPSS spokesperson Samantha Meyrick.

According to Balram, the vehicle had been shot at multiple times using high-calibre weapons.

The three occupants were fatally injured. They were in possession of high-calibre weapons. It was confirmed that they were security officers.

According to Balram, while attending to the scene, a white Mercedes Benz arrived and the driver told Rusa officers that one of his passengers had been shot.

It was confirmed that a taxi boss was the target of the assassins. His passenger was a security officer tasked with his protection.

“They were travelling in a white Toyota Corolla when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle and his security escort. The taxi boss then abandoned his vehicle on the R614. The injured man was treated for a gunshot injury to his hand,” he said.

In the third shooting incident, a woman and a man were wounded in Amanzimtoti when the vehicle they were travelling in was shot at, reportedly by an unknown number of suspects who were travelling in two vehicles on the N2 Athlone Park off-ramp.

The suspects reportedly fled the scene after the shooting. The motive for the attack remains unknown.

The two victims were rushed to hospital for treatment. The man who was shot is believed to be the owner of a security company. 

The police are yet to comment on Thursday’s incidents. 

On Tuesday, two taxi bosses were gunned down in Berea.

Reports indicate that the two were seated inside a taxi when two gunmen, armed with a rifle and a pistol, fired shots at them.

“The motive for the shooting has not yet been confirmed, but taxi-related violence cannot be ruled out. The suspects are reported to have fled the scene in a silver Polo sedan,” said KZN police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda.

This article was first published in The Witness.

The ANC said it had agreed on the reconfiguration of the municipal committees in order to sharpen and strengthen its service delivery machinery.

The party’s regional secretary, Musa Nciki, said as the governing party, it was a priority to ensure cooperation of all political parties in the interests of service delivery.

Nciki said that ANC eThekwini deputy chairman Thembo Ntuli had been appointed as the chairperson of the economic development, planning and trading services committee.

The council whip position would be filled by Snenhlanhla Sishange, also of the ANC. Sishange is a known ally of corruption-accused former mayor Zandile Gumede. 

Nciki said that a new security and emergency services support committee would be established, which would be chaired by Myeni.

Miya, from the EFF, was appointed as the new chairperson of the human settlements and infrastructure committee, a position previously occupied by ousted deputy mayor Philani Mavundla. 

Nciki said the ANC had accepted the resignation of Ntokozo Sibiya as the chairperson of the ethics committee. “Processes” were underway to fill this vacancy, he said. 

“We further note that the Democratic Alliance has recommended Tino Pillay to be a member of the ethics committee,” he added.