Crisis Chronology | South Africa

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SOUTH AFRICA

06/15/2024

Ramaphosa is reelected president.

06/14/2024

New government formed

The ANC and the Democratic Alliance agree to form a coalition government that will have a majority.

06/05/2024

ANC suggests forming a government of national unity.

06/04/2024

ANC loses its majority in the legislature for the first time, having about 40% of the vote. The Democratic Alliance (DA), the main opposition party, received the second-highest number of votes (21.8%) followed by Jacob Zuma’s MK (uMkhonto we Sizwe or Spear of the Nation) Party (14.6%) and EFF (9.52 percent).

05/29/2024

Contested election for the National Assembly for the first time in the post-Apartheid era. Fifty-two parties are taking part, including Jacob Zuma’s breakaway party. Though the ANC may lost its majority, it is not clear what coalition of other parties could take control. The country is suffering the highest sustained rate of unemployment in the world, rampant corruption, feeble economic growth, crippling power cuts and rising violent crime.

05/24/2024

Constitutional court bars Jacob Zuma from running for parliament in election to be held next week due to his prior conviction by the court. Zuma has threatened to withdraw his supporters from the ANC. In 12/23, Zuma denounced the ANC and formed a new political party, uMkhonto weSizwe (which means Spear of the Nation), named after the ANC's military wing.

02/21/2024

Government sets elections for 3/29. The ANC could lose its majority for the first time in the post-apartheid era. Opposition led by the Democratic Alliance, led by John Steenhuisen, is hoping to assemble a coalition to challenge the ANC’s rule. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has not allied itself with the Alliance but is hoping to again increase its representation.

01/12/2024

UN Court of Justice begins hearing on South Africa charge that Israel has committed genocide in Palestine.

12/12/2023

Court rules that Ramaphosa's recognition of Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the king of the country's 15 million-strong Zulu nation is unlawful.

11/09/2023

Government mobilizes military to crack down on illegal mining operations, which costs South Africa billions of dollars per year.

07/10/2023

First snowfall since 2012.

12/19/2022

Ramaphosa reelected leader of the ANC.

12/13/2022

Legislature rejects motion to being impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa.

12/05/2022

ANC rejects committee report that recommended impeachment of Ramaphosa for the theft from his farm.

11/21/2022

Court sends Zuma back to jail, ruling that his parole was unlawful, affirming a 12/20 ruling by a lower court.

11/10/2022

Public sector workers strike for higher wages.

10/04/2022

Transportation workers of the state-owned Transnet strike over wage dispute.

07/06/2022

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, in a report on the corruption scandals involving former president Zuma, calls for direct election of the president instead of the proportional representation election of legislators who then vote for president.

06/09/2022

Ramaphosa suspends Mkhwebane so that parliament can investigate her ability to carry out her duties. A parliamentary committee has recommended that she be removed from office. Mkhwebane is said to be a supporter of former President Jacob Zuma’s faction in the ANC. She denies this. She has been criticized for losing several cases in the supreme court. Ramaphosa will be questioned by the Integrity Committee of parliament today.

06/07/2022

Public Prosecutor Busisiwe Mkhwebane confirms that she will investigate President Ramaphosa for breaching the executive code of ethics in relation to the theft on Ramaphosa’s farm. Former head of state security Arthur Fraser has reported to the police that that thieves breaking into the farmhouse on 2/9/2020 found $4 million in cash hidden in furniture. He further alleged that Ramaphosa hid the theft from police and tax authorities and that Ramaphosa had the thieves kidnapped and bribed them to keep quiet about the money. Ramaphosa has said that the cash was the result of sale of livestock on the farm and was much less than Fraser alleges. He further says that he has done nothing illegal.

04/14/2022

After the heaviest rainfall in sixty years, more than 300 are killed by floods and the collapse of buildings and infrastructure.

01/12/2022

In a report to the Southern Africa Development Council, Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa, says that there has been significant progress in quelling militant insurgency in Mozambique.

12/13/2021

Government cancels a plan to deport 2000 Zimbabweans amid criticism of the plan as racist. The deportation only applied to Zimbabweans who entered the country before a 2009 agreement.

11/01/2021

Voting begins in local elections. It may indicate how far the ANC’s support has fallen.

09/06/2021

Zuma released from prison on medical parole.

07/20/2021

Zuma’s trial for arms agreement corruption is delayed until 8/10 after Zuma files for a postponement to appear in person. The government has largely restored order in the streets.

07/13/2021

After days of rioting protesting the jailing of Zuma, more than 70 have been killed and more than 1000 arrested. The police and the military are unable to control the protestors.

07/11/2021

Protests about the jailing of Zuma.

07/06/2021

Zuma refuses to turn himself in to prison, arguing that the sentence is effectively a death sentence.

06/29/2021

Zuma sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

06/28/2021

Government restricts movement and alcohol sales again as delta variant of COVID-19 cases rise.

04/21/2021

Zuma’s legal team has quit. He is due in court 5/17 on sixteen charges of corruption.

02/01/2021

Zuma refuses to appear before the judicial panel investigating corruption.

01/26/2021

Worst economic activity since 1998, largely due to COVID-19 pandemic. A new strain has arisen in South Africa. The economy contracted by 1%.

12/04/2020

No-confidence vote against Ramaphosa is delayed until 2/21. The vote was tabled by a small party that may be allied with Zuna. Ramaphose has been fighting charnges of campaign funding misuse.

05/11/2020

Government raises taxes and pledges to reduce production further to stabilize oil prices.

03/27/2020

South Africa imposes national stay-at-home order due to COVID-19.

02/04/2020

Court issues arrest warrant for Zuma on corruption charges, which he denies.

12/29/2019

Court rejects Zuma’s appeal in corruption case.

12/15/2019

Julius Malema re-elected head of EFF.

11/29/2019

Court rejects Zuma’s appeal in corruption case.

11/18/2019

Democratic Alliance elects interim head, John Steenhuisen. Permanent leaders will be elected in 2020.

10/28/2019

John Steenhuisen, former opposition whip, takes over as head of Democratic Alliance.

10/24/2019

Opposition leader Mmusi Maimane quits parliament and resigns from the Democratic Alliance (DA) party. DA party chair Athol Trollip also resigns from the party.

10/21/2019

Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba resigns from the Democratic Alliance.

10/20/2019

Helen Zille, a controversial figure due to her comments about colonialism providing a foundation for infrastructure and institutions of democracy, is elected federal chair of the Democratic Alliance after substantial losses in the May election. A long-time anti-apartheid activist, Zille later apologized for the comments, saying she was not defending colonialism.

10/10/2019

Zuma is denied a stay and will be prosecuted for sixteen charges of fraud, racketeering, and money laundering.

09/25/2019

South Africans urged to withdraw money ahead of an expected national banking strike. Some banks have already closed for restructuring and modernization of infrastructure.

09/25/2019

South Africans urged to withdraw money ahead of an expected national banking strike. Some banks have already closed for restructuring and modernization of infrastructure.

09/15/2019

South Africa apologizes to Nigeria for xenophobic attacks.

09/11/2019

Nigeria repatriates hundreds from South Africa.

09/04/2019

South Africa closes all its embassies in Nigeria. Nigeria leaves World Economic Forum meeting in Cape Town and recalls its high commissioner to South Africa amid the crisis, which complicates Ramaphosa’s efforts to increase investment in the country. He has condemned the attacks.

09/03/2019

Rioting in Johannesburg and Pretoria against foreigners kills at least five.

09/02/2019

South African businesses are attacked in reprisals for attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

09/01/2019

Attacks on foreign nationals, now rampant, become an international crisis. Many of them are Nigerians.

05/13/2019

ANC retains majority in parliament

ANC wins about 58% of the vote and 230 seats in parliament, a decrease of 19. The Democratic Alliance wins 21% and 84 seats, and the EFF 11% and 44 seats.

05/09/2019

ANC has 56% of the vote with 70% of ballots counted. The Democratic Alliance has about 22% and the Economic Freedom Forum just under 10%, respectable tally for a new party. Voter turnout is about 56%.

05/08/2019

Parliamentary elections in South Africa, seen as a referendum on the ANC’s rule.

05/05/2019

ANC says it will help the economy and deal with corruption. The Economic Freedom Fighters say they will fight corruption and work to promote racial equality in the economy. Unemployment is at 27%. Election is 5/9/19. Although the ANC is certain to maintain control of parliament, it has lost much support. The Democratic Alliance (DA) a center-right party will remain the second-largest party, but the EFF has gained a great deal of traction.

03/18/2019

High-ranking ANC politician Mluleki Ndobe, is arrested in connection with the assassination of critic Sindiso Magaqa in 2017 in KwaZulu-Natal province.

02/23/2019

Democratic Alliance promises to end corruption, a campaign issue for elections in May. The part is led by Mmusi Maimane, but is still seen as a party of white voices. The ANC has regained some of it support under Ramaphosa.

01/08/2019

Ramaphosa and Zuma celebrate anniversary of the founding of the ANC. Zuma retains power among factions of the ANC. Elections scheduled for 5/19.

11/13/2018

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba resigns after court rules that he lied under oath about his role in an application by the Oppenheimers to run an immigration service for important visitors.

10/08/2018

Finance minister Nhlanhla Nene resigns after her meetings with the Gupta brothers at the center of financial scandals are revealed.

10/06/2018

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube announces a stabilization program of austerity measures, including reductions in state employment.

08/04/2018

Reports that Deputy President David Mabuza mismanaged the school system while education minister and may have embezzled from it. Under ANC administration, many aspects of the government have performed poorly.

07/31/2018

South Africa says it will move to amend constitution to allow for land seizures without remuneration. There have been complaints about the slow pace of land reform.

06/07/2018

South African court delays Zuma corruption trial until 7/27.

01/20/2018

After years-long drought, Cape Town increasingly close to running out of water. If there is no change, the city would go dry (Day Zero) on 4/12. After that only some facilities would have running water and most citizens would have to go to distribution points to receive a daily ration of water.

01/20/2018

Reports that the ANC has decided that Zuma must quit, but no date has been fixed.

01/10/2018

Zuma appoints committee to investigate corruption, pursuant to a court order.

01/08/2018

Parliament to review rules for impeachment of Zuma.

12/28/2017

Constitutional court rules that parliament did not hold Zuma to account as required in the renovation of his home and orders the treasury department to determine how much Zuma owes and parliament to institute a mechanism by which the president could be removed.

12/18/2017

ANC elects Cyril Ramaphosa to be party president in a close vote with Dlamini-Zuma.

12/17/2017

Debates over credentials snarl election for ANC leader.

12/16/2017

ANC votes on new leadership for the party between lon-gtime stalwart Cyril Ramaphosa and Zuma ally Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Pres Zuma’s former wife, who has held many offices in government.