For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Ramaphosa points to eThekwini’s ‘progress’ in improving local govt ahead of elections; Reserve Bank to redraft risk scenarios as Iran war boosts oil price; And, Guinea dissolves 40 political parties, opposition leader cries foul

Ramaphosa points to eThekwini’s ‘progress’ in improving local govt ahead of elections

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the progress being made in eThekwini to rebuild capacity and restore accountability shows how municipalities can achieve a turnaround with political will and the involvement of stakeholders and residents.

Ramaphosa met with stakeholders of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group, last week – which was created in 2024, following residents and businesses' concern about the state of the city – and he noted progress in stabilising the eThekwini municipality, which was plagued by a lack of service delivery, crumbling infrastructure and declining business and investor confidence.

He pointed out that the Durban Business Confidence Index is at its highest level since it was established. In the manufacturing sector, confidence has risen by nearly 16% quarter-on-quarter, a significant development for a city with a major port and a strong industrial base.

He said tourism has also rebounded strongly, with more than 1.2-million visitors to the metro during the recent festive season.

He said while there were still areas for improvement, eThekwini was a “viable model” showing that partnerships can be replicated in other metros to improve service delivery.

He pointed to the success of basing the turnaround on the District Development Model, as well as a Partnerships Framework, approved in 2025, and based on public-private cooperation on infrastructure and catalytic projects.

Ramaphosa said lessons from eThekwini were taken to Johannesburg, with the establishment of the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group. He also said the review of the White Paper on Local Government would result in a “far-reaching overhaul” of South Africa’s local government system.

Reserve Bank to redraft risk scenarios as Iran war boosts oil price

South Africa's central bank will redraft its risk scenarios for its next rate-setting policy meeting as the widening Middle East conflict pushes up oil prices, the country's central bank governor said.

The central bank is scheduled to decide on March 26 on interest rates after keeping its main lending rate unchanged at 6.75% in a split decision in late January, citing at the time that policy makers wanted to see inflation expectations fall further.

South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the adverse scenario had assumed the average oil price for the year would reach $75 per barrel and the rand would weaken to 18.50 to the dollar.

The Middle East crisis set off by Israel and Washington's bombing of Iran lifted Brent crude futures to more than $94 per barrel this week, while the rand weakened to 16.82 to the dollar.

Kganyago said a 10% move in the exchange rate would have a much stronger impact on inflation in South Africa than a similar jump in oil prices.

And, Guinea dissolves 40 political parties, opposition leader cries foul

Guinea's main opposition leader said "direct resistance" to the country's coup leader-turned-president was now the only way to bring about change after the government consolidated its position by dissolving 40 political parties.

President Mamady Doumbouya, a former special forces commander, seized power in 2021 and won a seven-year term as president in December in a result contested by his opponents. Legislative elections are expected in May in the West African nation, which is rich in bauxite and iron ore.

Guinea's Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation said in a decree late on Friday that 40 parties' headquarters and local offices would be closed and use of their logos, acronyms "and other distinctive signs" would be prohibited.

The decree said the parties had failed to meet legal obligations such as filing financial statements; several of the dissolved political parties have protested, maintaining they had fulfilled all legal requirements.

In a video statement published on social media yesterday, Guinea's main opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo said "war has been openly declared" on Doumbouya's challengers.

He called on Guineans to engage in "direct resistance", without specifying what exactly that should look like. And he said political change would not happen through dialogue or democratic processes.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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