Democratic South Africa’s biggest failings are rooted in the capture of its institutions, leadership structures and production chains by criminals. We have written extensively on the issue in this editorial space. At a national level in the form of state capture and the mismanagement of parastatals; at a local level in the hijacking of urban buildings and abandoned mines.
Water has been a separate but equally important topic. Our reporting has focused on the incompetence and petty criminality that contribute to the water crises we are perpetually faced with throughout the country. Shoddy, unmaintained infrastructure has not been treated with the urgency or creativity it demands from government structures.
But this week Sheree Bega’s story reveals that water, too, has been penetrated by organised crime. The evidence suggests that water mafias are in play.
Leveraging supply and turning the taps to their benefit. Or as Tracy-Lynn Field, the principal investigator of the South African Water Justice Tracker Project, puts it: “They have embedded themselves in the water value chain, sacrificing access to water, a public good, at the altar of personal economic gain.”
These revelations are disturbing. Water is our most basic human need. And it is a right this country’s Constitution promises to all. It is unconscionable that there are thugs who are affecting and influencing its distribution.
It is imperative that authorities investigate these findings with urgency. The favoured South African hobbies of commissions and inquiries will not suffice. The severity of the issue demands that officials get boots on the ground and swiftly deliver a plan that can be practically implemented to oust any syndicates operating in this space.
But plugging those leaks will only be the beginning.
Malfeasance of all kinds breeds in tepid, weak institutions. It is not coincidental that the same structures that have faltered on service delivery in recent years are now susceptible to organised crime networks. Until the national government does a top-down review of its water infrastructure, both physical and bureaucratic, the door will remain ajar.
As has so often been the case in all aspects of South African life over the last decade, we have civil society to thank for moving the conversation forward. The efforts of people on the ground and private organisations have been immense and it is terrifying to think where we would be without a powerful sense of civic duty.
It is only unfortunate that these are the shoulders on which the burden always falls.
*This article was first published by Mail & Guardian
EXCO ROUNDTABLE DIALOGUE LIVE ON LESEDI FM
“One Year of the 7th Administration”
Date: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Platform: Lesedi FM
Time: 12:00-15:00
US President Donald Trump officially signing an executive order reimposing sweeping tariffs on US imports from dozens of countries, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that South Africa would continue trade negotiations with Washington.
South Africa has been slapped with a 30% tariff on all goods imported from the country to the US.
Trump said the order was aimed at protecting American industries and reducing the trade deficit.
Speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday, Ramaphosa said he was still hopeful that a deal would be stuck with the country’s second-biggest trading partner.
The president said that a mutually beneficial trade package had been put on the table.
"We wanted a number of trade items to be exempted and we wanted to offer them the ability to invest in our economy, as well as South African companies to invest in the US. So that package is still to be fully negotiated."
*This article was first published by EWN NEWS
Operation Dudula's organisational leader, Zandile Dabula, has announced that the organisation will launch a campaign at the end of December 2025, continuing into the first week of January 2026, aimed at preventing foreign children, particularly those without legal documentation, from enrolling in public schools in South Africa.
But Equal Education (EE) and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) are pushing back calling the proposed campaign a violation of South Africa's Constitution and a precedent setting High Court ruling.
The issue of foreign nationals in South Africa, particularly undocumented migrants, has been contentious and ongoing, sparking public debates, protests, and policy discussions for years.
Concerns over access to limited resources such as housing, healthcare, and education have fueled tensions between local communities and foreign nationals.
According to Dabula, members of Operation Dudula will be stationed at schools to enforce the policy.
“No foreign child will be attending school in a public school,” she said. “They can rather take them to private schools, we don’t care, but public schools are going to be reserved for South African children only.”
When asked whether the campaign targets all foreign children or only those without legal documentation, Dabula said, “I’m talking about illegal foreigners who will definitely not be accepted, but those who claim to be legal.
We have Home Affairs, bogus Home Affairs, and we’ve seen a lot of them. You also know about these bogus Home Affairs.”
She emphasised that all foreign nationals would need to be thoroughly vetted, including the legal status of their parents.
“They must be checked, thoroughly checked, because how did they come to this country? Are their parents documented?”
Speaking to IOL News, Equal Education (EE) and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) sharply criticised Operation Dudula’s campaign as unlawful, unconstitutional, and deeply harmful to children.
“South Africa has a long history of dispossession, unequal resources for our communities, and unequal laws. Thirty years since the dawn of democracy, we remember this history because many of those living in South Africa still look forward to service delivery that gives our families access to basic resources such as health, education, and adequate housing. The poor access to these resources can mostly be attributed to poor government planning, corruption, wasteful expenditure, and poor political will.”
“Children should never be collateral damage of the failures of those in power.”
EE and EELC highlighted the protections guaranteed to all children, saying:
“The Constitution of South Africa, in Section 29(1)(a) and Section 9, gives everyone an equal right to basic education and prohibits discrimination against any child in accessing this right. No child may be excluded from attending a public school, regardless of their documentation status or nationality.
This was confirmed in the Department of Basic Education Circular 1 of 2020, a response to the judgment of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Centre for Child Law & Others v Minister of Basic Education and Others ,which restated the obligation of Provincial Education Departments and schools to admit all learners, and undocumented learners in particular.”
EE and EELC said denying any learner access to school perpetuates inequality and undermines democratic values. Denying children access to their right to education can be very traumatising.
“Any interference with the enjoyment of the right to equal education will constitute a grave constitutional violation and is condemned by Equal Education and the Equal Education Law Centre in the strongest terms.
''All learners in South Africa are entitled to an education, and we must make sure that this right is protected and upheld to build the equitable society envisioned by our democracy.”
Further condemning the campaign, Section27 said: “Operation Dudula’s campaign is unlawful and unconstitutional. Children must be protected, and all state departments and individuals have a constitutional obligation to act in the best interests of children.”
Section27 referenced Centre for Child Law v Minister of Basic Education (Phakamisa judgment), in which the court confirmed that all children, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to education under Section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution.
“Our courts have held that all children, despite their immigration status, are entitled to basic education,” Section27 said.
“The court in the Phakamisa judgment interrogated the constitutionality of a circular by the Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education, which provided that undocumented learners would not be enrolled at schools. The High Court found that such a circular infringed learners’ rights and was not in the best interests of the child.”
The South African Schools Act (SASA), as amended by the Basic Education Law Amendment Act 32 of 2024, now codifies this legal protection. Section 5(1A) of SASA mandates that undocumented learners must be allowed admission into schools and may provide an affidavit containing the learner's details.
In addition, Section 3(7) of SASA outlines legal consequences for those who interfere with schooling:
“If any person unlawfully or intentionally disrupts or hinders educational activities, they are guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to a fine or imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.”
“Operation Dudula’s campaign to prevent undocumented learners from being enrolled at schools or entering school grounds is intentional, and the disruption of school activities is an infringement of the right to basic education in terms of Section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution and the South African Schools Act,” said Section27.
*This article was first published by IOL NEWS
The shooting murder of a female public prosecutor in front of her child and partner has been described as an attack on the rule of law.
Tracy Brown, a regional court prosecutor, was shot and killed in front of her house at Lotton Street, Young Park in Gqeberha on Thursday after four men alighted from a white Polo vehicle and fired multiple shots at her vehicle.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga, said they condemned the killing, of which the motive is not yet known.
Mhaga said: “Tracy Brown was shot assassination-style by four armed men in front of her house in Gqeberha, in the presence of her partner and minor child. The motive for Brown’s senseless killing is unknown. Her murder is an attack on the rule of law and our tireless efforts to hold criminals accountable. The NPA, together with law enforcement, will spare no effort in ensuring that the perpetrators of this brutal murder are brought to justice.
“The recent killing of prosecutors, who put their lives on the line every day in the pursuit of justice, is deeply disturbing. This murder follows the merciless killing of another prosecutor, Elona Sombulula, from the Engcobo Magistrate's Court in April this year,” said Mhaga.
He added that prosecutors take on their duties with courage and a deep commitment to serving the people, “often at great personal risk”.
“To target those who dedicate their lives to upholding the law is to strike at the heart of our constitutional democracy. We will not be deterred in our resolve to deliver on our mandate to ensure justice for the people of our country. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Brown’s family, friends and colleagues at this sad and difficult time,” said Mhaga.
On Thursday, police appealed for the public to come forward with information relating to the brazen murder, which occurred in the Algoa Park policing precinct at 3.30pm.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said: “While still seated in her vehicle, a Toyota Etios, four unknown suspects wearing masks stopped with a white VW Polo in the street, they got out of the vehicle and multiple shots were fired at her vehicle. The deceased was rushed to the hospital with gunshot wounds but passed away upon arrival. The motive and the suspects are unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Any person who could assist police with information in the investigation can contact the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Errol Kleinhans, on 083 243 4567 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111. Anonymous tip-offs can also be communicated via the My SAPS App.
*This article was first published by IOL NEWS
