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Fikile Mbalula holds 2027 ANC presidential cards close to chest
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has dismissed immediate bids for higher leadership, reserving such matters for 2027 after local elections.
After vanishing from view, two US-seized Venezuela oil tankers reappear near Puerto Rico
PONCE, Puerto Rico/HOUSTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Two oil tankers seized this month by the U.S. in its campaign against Venezuela were near Puerto Rico on Wednesday, a Reuters witness and Tankertrackers.com data said, the first sightings almost since their capture and a possible hint at their destination.
Heavy rains wreak havoc in New Zealand, several people missing in landslide
WELLINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) – Several people were missing following a landslide near a campsite in New Zealand’s North Island on Thursday, as heavy rains caused widespread damage, with homes being evacuated, thousands without power and roads closed.
House panel advances contempt measures against Clintons in Epstein probe
WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) – A Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives panel on Wednesday recommended former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton be found in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify about ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which could lead to criminal charges.

South Africans Abroad: Maseko, Singh and Mayambela face off in Cyprus Cup
It was a special night for the three South African players as they were all part of Wednesday’s Cyprus Cup match in Limassol.

South Africans Abroad: Campbell makes UEFA Champions League debut
Campbell has joined a long list of South African footballers to have played in the UEFA Champions League with his debut for Club Brugge.

FIFA World Cup: How many games will be staged in the US?
The US and its president Donald Trump continue to make headlines with less than five months before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
ANALYSIS: Does SA have a place in Mark Carney’s proposed middle power world?
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the world should stop appeasing Donald Trump. The South African government has railed against the post-war international order, but could the country have a role in a new order of middle powers?
ANALYSIS: The burning fires of internal political party tension — before the local elections
While the political headline of this year is likely to be the outcome of the local elections, there are now signs of significant turmoil inside some of the regional structures of various parties. Recent decisions by structures in the ANC and Action SA suggest that the next few months could see much internal disruption in at least two of our parties. This may turn out to have a big impact on the...
ANALYSIS: Department of Social Development’s underqualified chief of staff resigns without facing disciplinary hearing
Lesedi Mabiletja, appointed as chief of staff to the minister of social development at the age of 22 and without the necessary qualifications, has resigned.
THE READINESS REPORT: When power becomes paranoia: Redi Tlhabi on Trump and the weaponisation of the state
In this episode of the Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi traces a familiar and dangerous pattern in modern leadership: paranoia as power. From Silvio Berlusconi to Jacob Zuma to Donald Trump, she unpacks how leaders who see criticism as personal attack begin to govern through grievance, blurring the line between policy and vendetta, statecraft and self-image. Tlhabi argues that when leadership...
AD HOC HEARING: Zuma’s ‘security fire pool’ cost as much as a mansion — McBride dredges up past scandal
Former police watchdog head Robert McBride has spoken in Parliament about several political scandals, including how a former head of the Hawks was allegedly targeted for giving the thumbs-up to an investigation into renovations previously made at former president Jacob Zuma’s residence.
News24 | High inflation in Nigeria weighs heavily on everyday life
Nigerians are grappling with rising inflation, particularly in food prices, driven by subsidy cuts. President Bola Tinubu’s government hopes that such measures will improve the situation in the long term.
FINANCE: Prime interest rate may soon be phased out, says SA Reserve Bank governor
The 350 basis point gap between the repo or monetary policy rate and the prime rate has been fixed since 2001. Lenders use it as a baseline depending on the risks and the credit record of borrowers.
COUNTERING EXTREMISM OP-ED: Why Africa’s terrorism crisis is a governance crisis first
Countering violent extremism must be reframed as a governance renewal project — investing in accountable institutions, empowering civil society as an early warning system, institutionalising interfaith and intercultural dialogue, protecting media freedom and addressing structural exclusion.
TROUBLED WATERS: Inside SA’s fishing industry: Travis Daniels — at one with the sea
A conversation with a man proud to be a fisherman, but who is watching the profession slip away from his community, posing problems of survival.