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Mnguni says even 15 seats in Joburg’s 270-seat council would be “making magic”.

The big question: can Rise Mzansi turn freshness into real governing power?

Read more: https://t.co/OskzsTqZTf

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Rise Mzansi’s Lukhona Mnguni says he is not worried about Helen Zille or Herman Mashaba in the Joburg mayoral race.

“They represent the past, I represent the future,” he told /explain/.

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His pitch: fresh leadership, no coalition baggage, and a break from Joburg’s revolving-door politics.

But Rise Mzansi is still a young party, with two seats in Parliament and one in the Gauteng legislature.

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So why do countries fight so hard for these seats?
Experts told /explain/ it’s about access, influence and prestige.

Non-permanent members can shape debates, build diplomatic networks and get closer to the big powers.

Read more: https://t.co/WIXbxRdjIe

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The UN Security Council just held one of global politics’ strangest popularity contests.

Austria, Portugal, Kyrgyzstan, Zimbabwe, and Trinidad and Tobago won temporary seats.
The catch? No veto power. Just two years at the table.

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Read more: https://t.co/6MQt2YBtWI

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Parliament’s Phala Phala committee finally has a chair.

Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana will lead the 31-member committee dealing with the Section 89 process into President Cyril Ramaphosa.

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Gana is not ANC, not EFF-aligned, and not Mmusi Maimane, who also wanted the post.

Analysts say his election may give the process some distance from the ANC. But the real test is whether Parliament delivers accountability or another political fight.

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Economists told /explain/ the recovery has been delayed, not derailed.

Higher oil prices are hurting, but positive ratings outlooks from Moody’s and S&P, plus work on electricity and rail, suggest SA’s growth story is not over.

Read more: https://t.co/jmBh8sqots

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SA’s economy is not collapsing, but it is definitely not cruising either.

Consumers are paying more for food, fuel and transport, while small businesses say rising costs and weaker spending are eating into profits.

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But with local elections less than six months away, voters are still waiting for the detailed plan behind the big ideas.

Can a former political commentator turn analysis into actual governance?

Read more:https://t.co/tcCD5XaJlf

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Political analyst Lukhona Mnguni has spent years explaining politics. Now he wants to run Johannesburg.

Rise Mzansi’s mayoral candidate says Joburg needs more than service delivery fixes; it needs a new economic identity.

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Globally, five miners were rescued alive from a flooded cave in Laos in a dramatic operation 👀 Angola keeps discovering new species like nature won’t stop surprising us, and AI is edging closer to doing real work straight from your laptop.

Full wrap 👉 https://t.co/bLi5AEM9Bp

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Happy Thursday, Wrap family!

Phala Phala is back in Parliament, a chair has finally been appointed to the inquiry, and things are about to heat up. Sisisi Tolashe is still holding onto the ANC Women’s League presidency, and a top exec lost his new job after his past resurfaced.

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Experts say many NPOs are doing work that should be supported by the government, from skills training to community services.

But without proper funding and recognition, their ability to help tackle unemployment is limited.

Read more: https://t.co/unFCH62hyw

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Read more: https://t.co/0LbqoT8UMO

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Bafana Bafana have arrived in Mexico ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but their trip was delayed by a visa blunder that forced a late departure.

It’s the latest in a series of Safa admin issues, from the Mokoena suspension saga to training camp problems.

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Behind every decision to stay or leave lies a story about safety, opportunity and belonging, and what these choices reveal about South Africa and the countries migrants call home.

Read more: https://t.co/DVfHhKemvm

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South Africa celebrates African unity. But what does pan-Africanism mean when African migrants live in fear of harassment, violence and exclusion?

The Ghana evacuation flight raises uncomfortable questions for the continent.

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Read more:https://t.co/CZwKpYBbI7

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When communities lose faith in the SAPS, who steps in?

The rise of Wanya Tsotsi in Warrenton reflects growing frustration with crime and slow police response.

But it also raises an important question: where does community protection end and vigilantism begin?

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Wanya Tsotsi says it's helping to keep Warrenton safe by patrolling the streets, recovering stolen goods, and working with police.

But experts warn that when communities take justice into their own hands, innocent people can get caught in the crossfire.