For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: DA accuses Dirco of hypocrisy in Venezuela invasion; Business activity declined sharply in December; And, Central African Republic President Touadera wins re-election, results show

DA accuses Dirco of hypocrisy in Venezuela invasion

After opposing the Department of International Relations and Cooperations’ appeal to the United Nations Security Council to urgently convene to discuss the capture and prosecution of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, by the US, the Democratic Alliance is claiming that Dirco is being “politicised” to pursue party political interests instead of pursuing foreign policy in the national interest.

On Saturday, the South African government called on the UN Security Council, to urgently convene to address the situation. The 15 members met on Monday.

The DA said the move “smacks of hypocrisy and contradiction”, pointing out that Dirco failed to take a similar stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

DA Spokesperson on Dirco Ryan Smith stated that this exposes the African National Congress’s politically selective and hypocritical means in which it conducts South Africa’s diplomatic relations on the international stage.

He said Dirco’s approach has rendered South Africa an “inconsistent, unreliable, and unserious” player on the international stage.

Business activity declined sharply in December

Financial information, analytics and market intelligence company S&P Global’s South Africa Purchasing Manager’s Index ended 2025 in its weakest position for the year.

The headline PMI dropped to 47.7 in December, from 49 in November, signalling a moderate and faster decline in operating conditions at South African companies.

Customers rowed back on spending, which led to a sharp reduction in business activity, while firms also curtailed their purchases and input stocks; however, employment edged higher and confidence towards the outlook remained strong.

Business activity decreased sharply over the course of December, with the contraction widespread across the monitored sectors and the most marked since January 2025.

Firms reporting to the survey noted that output had fallen amid challenging economic conditions and weaker client demand, S&P Global reports.

And, Central African Republic President Touadera wins re-election, results show

Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera has won a third term in office, securing an outright majority in the presidential election held on December 28, provisional results from the electoral commission showed yesterday.

The 68-year-old mathematician who took power a decade ago was seeking a third term after a constitutional referendum in 2023 scrapped the presidential term limit.

He campaigned on his security record in the chronically unstable nation after enlisting help from Russian mercenaries and Rwandan soldiers. He also signed peace deals with several rebel groups this year.

The results announced last night showed Touadera received 76.15% of the vote, while former prime minister Anicet-Georges Dologuele received 14.66% and former prime minister Henri-Marie Dondra received 3.19%.

Voter turnout was 52.42%.

The main opposition coalition, known by its French acronym BRDC, boycotted the election, saying it would not be fair.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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