“Bodies pile as DNA backlog exceeds 140 000 cases”

https://iol.co.za/capeargus/news/2025-03-14-bodies-pile-as-dna-backlog-exceeds-140-000-cases/

Published 2 months ago

The SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory is facing a critical DNA backlog exceeding 140 000 cases, causing delays in the justice system and concerns about the ability to prosecute criminals.

Mchunu’s office was responding to Ian Cameron, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police’s call for the Office of the Auditor General to conduct a full forensic audit into the police’s DNA processing and forensic laboratories as well as contract management within the division.

Cameron said there were a few police officers trained to take buccal samples and the delay meant more criminals were back on the streets, terrorizing already traumatised communities, deeming it a crisis and that forensic equipment had expired.

Irate community policing forums and court watchdogs said the backlog was the nail in the coffin for cases, which were often either struck off the court roll or provisionally withdrawn, referencing a murder and attempted murder case at the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate's Court, which has waited for 11 months for forensic evidence.

Bianca van Aswegen, a criminologist and national coordinator of Missing Children SA, said the backlog had a devastating impact on missing persons cases as unclaimed bodies piled up in mortuaries.

“There are many unidentified bodies that end up in mortuaries all over South Africa that might link to a missing person.

"We see that many of these unidentified bodies end up being pauper buried and get lost in the system.

https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/high-arrest-and-low-conviction-rate-condemned–com

24 May 2025

Mr Cameron emphasised that the current high arrest of the law breakers and the low translation of that into conviction is a direct threat of the objective of reducing the high levels of crime and to pushing back the frontiers of crime in South Africa in the end.

It is concerning that the conviction rate remains low yet there is a proliferation of illegal firearms that are used to pursue crime that continues to kill law abiding South Africans. The City of Cape Town Metro Police and Municipal Law Enforcement confiscated over 1670 firearms since 2021, but only 5% convictions were successfully secured out of the crimes that were perpetrated by those firearms. Clearly there is a leakage in the system of passing cases from members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), to forensic testing and to prosecution. A large number of fire arms that were successfully confiscated from those who illegally possessed them is confirmed to being returned to the hands of criminals in Cape Town although the City Police has a track record of confiscating illegal firearms again.

“Ramaphosa asks Constitutional Court to overturn NHI judgment”

https://www.msn.com/en-za/politics/government/ramaphosa-asks-constitutional-court-to-overturn-nhi-judgment/ar-AA1FVXF8

2025/06/02

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appealed to the Constitutional Court in a bid to overturn a recent Gauteng High Court ruling that challenged the legality of his decision to sign the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law.

The controversial bill, signed by Ramaphosa in May 2024, is a cornerstone of the government’s proposed overhaul of South Africa’s healthcare system, aiming to establish universal health coverage for all citizens.

However, the High Court in Pretoria ruled shortly afterwards that Ramaphosa’s assent to the bill could be subject to judicial review — a finding that raised constitutional and procedural concerns. The court also ordered the president to provide a full record of all documentation and deliberations that informed his decision to approve the legislation.

This move sparked criticism from legal and political commentators who viewed it as a significant intrusion into executive authority. Now, Ramaphosa is asking the Constitutional Court — South Africa’s highest legal authority on constitutional matters — to review and set aside the High Court’s judgment.

In his application, the president contends that the lower court may have overstepped its bounds, arguing that it infringed on the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers. According to court papers filed by Ramaphosa, the High Court ruling “undermines the functioning of the executive” and grants the judiciary undue influence over matters that, by design, fall within the president’s discretion.

He maintains that while all actions of public office bear scrutiny, the power to sign legislation into law lies squarely with the executive and must be exercised without judicial interference unless a direct constitutional violation is evident.

Legal experts say the outcome of Ramaphosa’s appeal could set an important precedent for the limits of presidential authority and the role of the judiciary in legislative processes. If the Constitutional Court agrees to hear the matter, its judgment will have significant consequences not only for the future of the NHI but also for the balance of power between branches of government.

https://iol.co.za/news/2024-05-16-leaving-no-one-behind-united-nations-applauds-south-africas-nhi-bill/

2024-05-16

The United Nations (UN) has come out in support of South Africa’s controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, following its signing into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 15.

The international political organisation described the NHI Bill as a significant milestone on the road towards universal healthcare that leaves no one behind.

"In line with our Cooperation Framework and advocacy interventions with Government, the UN believes that the implementation of the NHI law stands as a beacon, guiding us towards the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Nelson Muffuh, who is the UN’s Resident Coordinator in South Africa.

>>23141432

“Minsiter of Health Aaron Motsoaledi – NHI”

https://youtu.be/yEz3WcOYnhc

Jul 18, 2024

1:17 – “I went back into history to remind them that this concept started 96 years ago. There were commissions starting from 1928 on this issue of healthcare financing. The commission that followed thereafter, the biggest one then, Dr Henry [?] Commission of 1944 [When South Africa was still under British rule] which was thrown away when the National Party came into power… So it’s not as if we have got any choice… We just have to do it.”

“Motsoaledi commends plans to move NHI forward in 2025”

https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/motsoaledi-commends-plans-move-nhi-forward-2025

February 13, 2025

Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has praised President Cyril Ramaphosa for announcing that South Africa will continue its plans to establish the National Health Insurance (NHI) this year.

“Mr President, in your State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week, you confronted critics and doomsayers by saying something they believed shall never be said. If I may quote you, Mr President: ‘This year, we will proceed with the preparatory work for the establishment of [the] NHI,’” Motsoaledi said.

https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/811691/the-start-of-the-nhi-in-south-africa/

“The belief that countries implement NHI because they are rich, they’ve got a big tax base, is not true. NHI is now here. It is here to stay.”

He acknowledged that financial constraints would require the scheme to be rolled out gradually but stressed that this is the norm for universal healthcare adoption worldwide.

https://www.citizen.co.za/news/health-minister-defends-nearly-r10-million-legal-spend-on-nhi-court-battles/

28 May 2025 07:06 pm

The Department of Health has spent R9.7 million on legal fees defending the National Health Insurance (NHI) fund and the NHI Act.

Mostoaledi said there are overall seven cases against the controversial fund, which is designed to give all South Africans access to quality healthcare paid for by taxpayers.

Five of these cases involve the fund itself, and two involve the act.

“We are using the same team of lawyers, and so we might not be able to separate the two. So, we have hired a team that deals with them,” Motsoaledi said.

“I would like to ask the minister how he justifies paying such a large legal team, given that hospitals cannot afford food for patients or overtime for doctors, and given that even the president has a legal team of only about a third of the health minister,” Clarke asked Motsoaledi.

https://deepnewz.com/south-africa/health-department-spends-nearly-r10-million-defending-nhi-motsoaledi-vows-amid-592c3501

The South African Department of Health has incurred nearly R10 million in legal fees defending the National Health Insurance (NHI) legislation, prompting criticism from Members of Parliament over the use of public funds.

>>23141445

PMNCH: Hon. Dr Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi, Government of South Africa, Board Member, Governments and Inter-Governmental Organizations Biography

https://pmnch.who.int/about-pmnch/biography/pakishe-aaron-motsoaledi

Dr Motsoaledi was appointed as Minister of Health on 30 June 2024. He was the Minister of Home Affairs from 30 May 2019 and before that the Minister of Health from 26 May 2014. He is also a member of the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC).

Dr Motsoaledi holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Natal. Prior to his first appointment as Minister of Health of the Republic of South Africa, Dr Motsoaledi had served as Chairperson of the Sekhukhune Advice Office from 1986 to 1994; as Chairperson of Hlahlolanang Health and Nutrition Education Project in 1989; as a Deputy Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in the then Northern Transvaal from 1991 to 1992; as Head of the ANC Elections Commission for Limpopo in 1994; as Head of the ANC Economic and Infrastructure Desk and as Head of the ANC Research and Briefing of election Task Team in Limpopo in 1994.

Dr Motsoaledi has also served as a member of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature from 1994 to 2009; as a member of the Limpopo Provincial Executive Council (MEC) for Education from 1994 to 1997; MEC for Transport from 1998 to 1999 and MEC for Agriculture, Land and Environment in 1999.Member of Provincial Executive Committee of ANC in Limpopo Province 1991-2001.

Before unbanning of ANC in 1990 served in leadership positions in various mass democratic movement structures including in the NEC of the United Democratic Front MEC Education, Sports and Culture in Limpopo Province 1997-2000. First MEC for Health and Social Development in Limpopo Province from 1994-1997, Qualified as a Medical Practitioner MBChB 1983 University of Natal and practised in various hospitals in KZN, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo till April 1994.

>>23118682

>>23141432

>>23141445

>>23141456

About PMNCH: Hosted by WHO, Ties to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WEF

https://pmnch.who.int/about-pmnch

Established in 2005, PMNCH is the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being, with nearly 1,500 partner organizations working together through 6 constituency groups:

• Adolescents and Youth

• Governments and Intergovernmental Organizations

• Health-Care Professionals, Academic, and Research Institutions Constituency

• Non-Governmental Organizations

• Private Sector and Private Foundations

• United Nations Agencies and Global Financing Mechanisms

PMNCH is hosted by the World Health Organization, based in Geneva.

https://pmnch.who.int/about-pmnch/how-we-are-governed

PMNCH is hosted by the World Health Organization, as one of its four hosted Partnerships.

https://pmnch.who.int/about-pmnch/biography/chris-elias

Chris Elias, President, Global Development Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Dr. Chris Elias is the president of the Global Development Division, where he leads the foundation’s efforts in a diverse range of program areas aimed at finding creative new ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in poor countries who need them most. Focusing on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach hundreds of millions of people, Chris oversees Global Development’s portfolio in Emergency Response; Polio Eradication; Immunization, Primary Healthcare and Global Funds and Agencies, and oversees the foundation’s work in Africa and Southeast Asia. A common theme of these programs is innovative and integrated delivery and strengthening primary health care systems.

https://pmnch.who.int/about-pmnch/biography/shyam-bishen

Shyam Bishen, World Economic Forum, Board Member, Private Sector & Private Foundations

Dr. Shyam Bishen is a senior healthcare executive and board member with over 25 years of global experience in healthcare arena. He joined the World Economic Forum as head of health and healthcare in early 2022 from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle where he was a regional director for seven years and was responsible for partnering to harness advances in healthcare to save lives. He and his team worked with partners to develop and deliver healthcare solutions—including vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics—as well as to discover pathbreaking new healthcare tools that are affordable and reliable.

>>23141445

>"I went back into history to remind them that this concept started 96 years ago… So it’s not as if we have got any choice… We just have to do it."

>>23141468

>PMNCH is hosted by the World Health Organization, as one of its four hosted Partnerships.

WHO Hosted Partnerships

https://www.who.int/about/collaboration/partnerships/hosted-partnerships

In hosting a partnership, WHO lends its administrative, fiduciary and legal framework to the partnership secretariat. These partnerships derive their legal status from WHO and are subject to the Organization’s Rules and Regulations. They have a formal governance structure, separate from that of the WHO governing bodies. Their programmatic accountability frameworks are also independent from those of WHO.

In accordance with Executive Board decision EB132(10), the WHO Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the WHO Executive Board periodically reviews the arrangements for hosted health partnerships including their contributions to improved health outcomes, WHO’s interaction with individual hosted partnerships, and the harmonization of their work with the work of WHO.

WHO currently serves as the host organization for four formal partnerships which have not been established as legal entities:

Alliance for Health Policy and System Research (AHPSR); https://ahpsr.who.int/

European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies; https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/

Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH); https://pmnch.who.int/

Unitaid; https://unitaid.org/#en

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/partnerships/generic-hosting-terms.pdf?sfvrsn=14cd055a_2

WHO Hosted Partnerships (“Hosted Partnerships”) make significant contributions to the global health agenda and architecture by advancing global health priorities, maximizing outreach and advocacy, informing policy-making and facilitating broader stake holder engagement. In this regard, hosted partnerships have been particularly successful in raising the profile of certain critical public health issues on policy agendas through their communication and brand-building efforts. They also provide broader platforms that facilitate the participation and engagement of a variety of stakeholders including governments, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, civil society and the private sector. Furthermore, they have successfully mobilized funding commitments to public health initiatives and have galvanized indirect forms of support to WHO programmes. Through public‒private initiatives, hosted health partnerships have been a catalyst for product innovation and have promoted accountability for resources and results. In this regard, hosted partnerships have generated opportunities that have contributed to the success of many WHO initiatives.

“South Africa Under Ramaphosa: A Failed State in Plain Sight” Part 1

https://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/south-africa-under-ramaphosa-a-failed-state-in-plain-sight/

1 February 2025

The election of Cyril Ramaphosa as ANC president in 2017 and his subsequent takeover as the country’s president in 2018 were hailed by many as a watershed moment.

To those disillusioned by Jacob Zuma’s presidency, which was widely criticised as nine wasted years of state capture and cronyism—most infamously encapsulated by the Gupta family—Ramaphosa represented a fresh start.

Many believed that, despite serving as Zuma’s deputy throughout those so-called wasted years, Ramaphosa would be the saviour South Africa desperately needed.

His supporters selectively recalled his role in the CODESA negotiations that ended apartheid, painting him as a skilled negotiator.

Others lauded his business credentials, pointing to his post-politics wealth accumulation as proof of his competence. Here, they said, was the ideal leader—both a statesman and a businessman.

But the idea that Ramaphosa was ever a true businessman was always an illusion. His business career was not one of entrepreneurial grit or visionary leadership but rather a political beneficiary of South Africa’s first wave of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) deals.

These deals, structured in the name of economic transformation, saw established companies hand over massive equity stakes, often up to 25%, to politically connected individuals who became instant millionaires—Ramaphosa among them.

The so-called BEE partners, many of whom had never built or run companies, were suddenly granted the titles of business magnates and captains of industry. But it was always a mirage.

Ramaphosa’s presidency has only reinforced this illusion—that of a businessman at the helm of government, guiding South Africa to prosperity.

In reality, his approach has been profoundly anti-business, marked by indecisiveness, suffocating regulations, and policies that have discouraged investment and economic growth.

Instead of fostering local entrepreneurship and improving business confidence, he has spent his tenure organising international investment summits, hollow spectacles where empty promises are made while South African businesses struggle under his watch.

When the 2019 elections came around, the ANC’s support dipped below 60% for the first time, landing at 57.50%. It wasn’t the crushing defeat opposition parties had hoped for, but it was also far from a resounding endorsement.

Nevertheless, the ANC still held a majority, meaning Ramaphosa had the mandate to implement his vision without coalition constraints.

Yet, no grand turnaround materialised. Instead, South Africa began a slow, painful descent into deepening crisis. Load shedding, which had plagued the country intermittently, only worsened.

In 2019, South Africans endured 530 hours of power cuts. By 2023, that figure had skyrocketed to 6,950 hours—costing the economy billions.

Then came COVID-19 in 2020. The government’s response was chaotic and authoritarian—draconian lockdowns, arbitrary bans, and a crippled economy.

>>23166434

“South Africa Under Ramaphosa: A Failed State in Plain Sight” Part 2

https://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/south-africa-under-ramaphosa-a-failed-state-in-plain-sight/

1 February 2025

Instead of steady leadership and a proactive vision, South Africans were subjected to reactionary policies, a lack of capacity, and blatant corruption in pandemic relief funds. Load shedding persisted throughout, compounding the devastation.

In 2024, a glimmer of hope emerged: Eskom managed to keep the lights on for over a year. But this was an illusion, not a triumph of governance.

On 31 January 2025, the illusion crumbled. Eskom issued a cautionary statement and, within hours, announced the return of load shedding.

And so, South Africa is back where it started. The year without load shedding was not proof of progress but a brief respite before the inevitable return to failure.

The inability to provide a stable electricity supply is the most glaring hallmark of a failed state. A country that cannot power its homes, businesses, and industries cannot function, let alone thrive.

Electricity is fundamental—it keeps food preserved, homes warm in winter and cool in summer, and businesses operational. Without it, economic activity grinds to a halt.

Yet, the power crisis is only one symptom of the broader collapse. Crime and lawlessness have surged to unprecedented levels, with businesses being directly targeted while the government does little to address the crisis. Illegal migration is at its peak. Poverty and unemployment have deepened, and businesses are more depressed than ever.

Economic growth is stagnant, if not outright non-existent. Cities and towns, once vibrant, have decayed into shadows of their former selves, crumbling under the weight of mismanagement and corruption.

And when the ANC finally dropped below 50% in the 2024 elections, securing just 40.18% of the vote, Ramaphosa and his allies did not see this as a wake-up call.

It was not a last-ditch opportunity to change course, to salvage the country, or to reflect on the policies that had driven South Africa into the ground. Instead, it was business as usual.

Even with a coalition partner in the form of the DA (21.8%) and other minor parties—who were not even necessary for governance—the ANC pressed ahead with reckless policies, doubling down on ideological posturing rather than real reform.

>>23166434

>>23166437

“South Africa Under Ramaphosa: A Failed State in Plain Sight” Part 3

https://www.politicalanalysis.co.za/south-africa-under-ramaphosa-a-failed-state-in-plain-sight/

1 February 2025

Instead of prioritising solutions for load shedding, crime, and economic decline, Ramaphosa has pushed forward draconian legislation, including:

 The BELA Act, which strips School Governing Bodies of power and reduces parental choice in education.

 An update to the Expropriation Act of 1975, which broadens government powers for expropriation without compensation, despite existing legal mechanisms already allowing for expropriation under limited circumstances.

 The National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, signed into law in May 2024, in the dying days of Ramaphosa’s first term—a policy that, if implemented, will decimate the entire private healthcare sector.

These radical policy moves have been made in direct defiance of the DA, the ANC’s supposed main coalition partner.

So much for being a statesman. Instead of addressing South Africa’s immediate crises—load shedding, crime, unemployment, and corruption—Ramaphosa’s government has prioritised grandstanding with sweeping new legislation, completely ignoring the fact that the problem has never been a lack of laws, but a failure to properly and honestly implement them.

For 30 years, successive ANC governments have failed to enforce existing laws or manage the country’s infrastructure responsibly. Now, instead of restoring basic functionality, Ramaphosa’s administration has chosen ideological distractions over economic recovery.

Ramaphosa, once hailed as the statesman-businessman who would rescue South Africa, has instead presided over its accelerated decline. If Zuma’s presidency was defined by state capture, then what label does Ramaphosa’s tenure deserve? The “New Dawn” has become a dark age.

South Africa is not on the path to becoming a failed state—it already is one. The mirage has evaporated. The failure is real.

>>23166434

>But the idea that Ramaphosa was ever a true businessman was always an illusion. His business career was not one of entrepreneurial grit or visionary leadership but rather a political beneficiary of South Africa’s first wave of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) deals.

>The so-called BEE partners, many of whom had never built or run companies, were suddenly granted the titles of business magnates and captains of industry. But it was always a mirage.

>>23166437

>Cities and towns, once vibrant, have decayed into shadows of their former selves, crumbling under the weight of mismanagement and corruption.

>>23166440

>For 30 years, successive ANC governments have failed to enforce existing laws or manage the country’s infrastructure responsibly. Now, instead of restoring basic functionality, Ramaphosa’s administration has chosen ideological distractions

The World Bank continues to fund the above.

“World Bank Approves $1.5 Billion Loan for South Africa Amid Mixed Reactions”

https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/world-bank-approves-15-billion-loan-for-south-africa-amid-mixed-reactions/ar-AA1GtSUK

2025/06/11

The World Bank has approved a $1.5 billion loan to support structural reforms in South Africa, aiming to address persistent economic challenges, including sluggish growth and high unemployment. The funds are expected to ease critical infrastructure constraints in the energy and freight transport sectors, which have long stifled business activity and household livelihoods.

In a statement, the World Bank emphasized that the loan will back government efforts to modernize state-owned enterprises, introduce competition in energy and freight transport, and attract private investment. Key focus areas include improving energy security by expanding transmission infrastructure, increasing grid access, and enhancing municipal electricity distribution.

However, economist Redge Nkosi expressed skepticism about the loan’s benefits, arguing that it aligns with a foreign-driven agenda rather than domestic priorities. He criticized the government’s reliance on international financial institutions, citing past failures to meet growth targets.

“In 2019, projections suggested 3% growth by 2025, yet we’re barely at 1%,” Nkosi said. “This loan risks deepening inequality and compromising national sovereignty, as it pushes privatization of key sectors like Eskom and Transnet.”

Questions also linger about South Africa’s ability to repay the loan without imposing austerity measures or tax hikes. The country’s debt-to-GDP ratio stands at around 75%, raising fears of further fiscal strain.

The Treasury has defended the loan, stating it will accelerate much-needed reforms to stabilize the economy. The World Bank’s involvement is seen as a vote of confidence in South Africa’s reform agenda, though critics remain unconvinced.

“Elon Musk wants to launch rockets from a small town in South Africa” – Part 1

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/science/598349-elon-musk-wants-to-launch-rockets-from-a-small-town-in-south-africa.html

11.06.2025

South African born billionaire Elon Musk, who is currently feuding with US President Donald Trump, wants to launch SpaceX rockets and possibly Starlink low earth orbit satellites (LEOs) from South Africa.

In the closed door meeting at the White House after the explosive public clash between Trump and the South Africans, Musk raised two key interests in South Africa.

These were launching rockets from the Denel Overberg Test Range near Arniston, and the current shortage of magnets that require rare earths that China is restricting from being exported.

He did not mention Starlink, which has been in the news in South Africa lately, apparently because the South African government has already set up a process to review its BEE policy as it affects companies like Starlink. No outcome of that process is expected soon.

SpaceX is interested in the Overberg site to launch satellites that would cross the south pole, and for Starlink LEOs that provide access to broadband, two sources in the South African space sector said.

The site, the brainchild of the Aerospace Systems Research Institute (ASRI) led by Prof. Michael Brooks at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, was officially launched in May last year, and in December it launched two suborbital rockets.

The institute’s primary focus is on developing an indigenous commercial space launch capability for South Africa.

More than 30 significant space companies and start-ups are based in South Africa. They collaborate with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA).

Africa is currently experiencing a boom in the commercial space business, with more than 400 companies operating on the continent outside South Africa.

ASRI aims to launch payload carrying rockets capable of putting satellites in orbit by 2028. If an agreement is reached with SpaceX, it might be interested in investing to speed up construction of facilities to launch rockets into orbit sooner.

The December launches tested a newly commissioned, six storey high gantry, which performed flawlessly, according to several reports, as did the South African made rockets, reaching altitudes of 16,6 km and 11,9 km, respectively.

One payload successfully measured the Earth’s magnetic field and flights data during the flight, which lasted for approximately 400 seconds.

>>23166642

“Elon Musk wants to launch rockets from a small town in South Africa” – Part 2

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/science/598349-elon-musk-wants-to-launch-rockets-from-a-small-town-in-south-africa.html

11.06.2025

Road to Made in South Africa satellites

South Africa’s path to satellite development began at Stellenbosch University with the launch of SunSat in 1999.

In 2009, the microsatellite SumbandilaSat, also known as ZASAT-002, was launched for Earth observation, specifically for monitoring and managing disasters such as floods, oil spills, and wildfires in South Africa.

South Africa is currently working with international space sector partners in the US, Europe and China.

The US helped South Africa launch the SunSat satellite in 1999, and the partnership is currently expanding, including a project to build a new deep-space ground station in Matjiesfontein, in the Western Cape.

This facility will play a key role in supporting communications for future U.S. Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars.

South Africa is also strengthening its collaboration with China. In August 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed two agreements with South Africa on cooperation in space projects.

One focused on crewed spaceflight, while the other included South Africa in the team for the planned Chinese-Russian International Lunar Research Station.

South Africa is also working with the European Space Agency (ESA).

>>23166642

>Denel Overberg Test Range

“About Denel Overberg Test Range: A Global Defence Technology Company”

http://www.denelotr.co.za/about-us/company-profile

Denel Overberg Test Range is a versatile missile and aircraft test range specialising in in-flight systems performance measurements for the local and international aerospace industries. As a key player in the South African defence industry, the Test Range has by now also firmly established itself as a cost-effective test venue for international clients. Its suitability and convenience for a wide range of weapon system evaluations has been confirmed during various test campaigns conducted for local clients and international clients from Europe to the Far East. The Test Range prides itself on being able to provide a turnkey service to its clients throughout the year. In this way it not only plays a significant role in enabling the responsible testing of defence equipment, but also contributes to South Africa's foreign exchange earnings.

The Test Ranges holding company, Denel SOC Ltd is one of the largest manufacturers of defence equipment in South Africa and operates in the military aerospace and landward defence environment. Incorporated as a private company in 1992 in terms of the South African Companies Act (No 62 of 1973), Denel's sole shareholder is the South African Government. Operating as a commercial enterprise all Denel Overberg Test Range's revenue is earned from work performed for its domestic and international clients.

Vision and Values

Our Vision is to be the respected provider of flight test and space related services to the domestic market and the preferred supplier of flight tests services in the international arena. Hence we will, to the maximum benefit of all our stakeholders, develop niche markets for flight tests, qualification and certification of systems, telemetry launch support and other related services, and provide our clients with excellent services and products.

https://denel.co.za/

Denel SOC Ltd is a state-owned commercially-driven company and strategic partner for innovative defence, security and related technology solutions. It groups together several defence and aerospace divisions and associated companies.

Its defence capabilities date back more than 70 years when some of Denel's first manufacturing plants were established.

Denel also has a number of equity partnerships, joint ventures and cooperation agreements with renowned international players in the defence industry.

https://denel.co.za/about-us/corporate-governance

The board is committed to applying and enforcing applicable corporate governance principles.It recognises that sound corporate governance enhances the long-term sustainability of the company and provides assurance to its stakeholders that the company is well managed.Risk management and internal control systems in place are designed in accordance with best practice in compliance with the King Code of Governance Principles; as well as the King Report on Governance (King IV report) recommendations, the Public Finance Management Act, no. 1 of 1999 (PFMA); and the governance requirements of the Companies Act, no. 71 of 2008 (Companies Act), as amended.Following the launch of King IV, the company is in the process of implementing the principles of King IV, although the Board charter and Terms of References of the Board committees already reflect the King IV principles.

“Cyril Ramaphosa confirms SECOND meeting with Donald Trump”

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/politics/cyril-ramaphosa-confirms-second-meeting-with-donald-trump-g7-summit/

11-06-25 16:42

Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed he will meet with US President Donald Trump for a second time on the sidelines of this week’s G7 Summit.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to global diplomacy, describing the upcoming G7 Leaders’ Summit as a critical opportunity to strengthen international partnerships and promote the country’s leadership within the G20.

Speaking to members of the media during a visit to Sefako Makgatho Primary School in Saulsville, Pretoria, Ramaphosa confirmed that South Africa had been officially invited to attend the G7 by Canada, this year’s chair of the summit.

‘Key bilateral engagements’

“Yes, we are going to the G7. We’ve been invited by Canada, who are the conveners, who are the head of the G7 this time around. I’m hoping that when we meet the various leaders of the G7, we’ll be able to interact meaningfully with them,” President Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa outlined a number of key bilateral engagements scheduled on the sidelines of the summit, including meetings with the Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minister of Canada, and the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

“The G7 gives us an opportunity to go and propagate our message, the message about the presidency of South Africa’s G20 and how we want to see great outcomes of the G20. We’re going to use it as a platform to begin to consolidate what we want to have in November when the leaders’ summit takes place here,” Ramaphosa added..

Cyril Ramaphosa is set to jet off to Canada from 14-17 June.

Reflecting on the US working visit

Reflecting on his recent visit to the White House in Washington DC, President Ramaphosa dismissed criticism of the trip, saying it was a strategic move to reset relations with one of South Africa’s key trading partners.

“We do confirm that our visit to the White House in the United States was a moment where South Africa set out to reset the relationship with the United States, and I do believe that we have achieved that.

“Many people were very critical of our going there … and some were even suggesting that we were summoned. We were not summoned. In my telephone conversation with President Trump two weeks earlier, I said, I want to come and see you. And immediately conceded to that, and later they gave us a date. So that is not summoning, it is us taking the initiative that we want to go and see him,” Ramaphosa said.

He said there was engagement that was taking place between the Department of Trade and Industry and Competition and the Department of International Relations.

“So, we’ve opened the way for us to engage seriously with the United States. And on the other hand, we were also going to talk about trade matters, and that is now underway,” Cyril Ramaphosa said.

He added that the White House meeting was also used to underscore the importance of President Trump attending the upcoming G20 Summit, which South Africa will host in November.

The President added that President Trump had “immediately conceded” that the G20 is not fully effective without the participation of the United States.

“For us, it’s important as a nation to reposition ourselves in the very turbulent geopolitical architecture or situation that we have, and that is why it was important to go to the United States, as we will go to many other countries, both on our own continent, in the Middle East and in Asia and in Europe as well.

“We are a country that is exposed and has relations with many countries around the world, and where the challenges and problems, we should immediately take action to correct those,” Cyril Ramaphosa concluded.

>>23166642

>>23166646

>>23166956

“Germany's Rheinmetall to supply 155mm artillery shells to foreign customer amid global demand.”

https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2025/germanys-rheinmetall-to-supply-155mm-artillery-shells-to-foreign-customer-amid-global-demand

4 Jun, 2025 - 9:18

On June 3, 2025, Rheinmetall Denel Munition, the South African subsidiary of the German company Rheinmetall, announced it had received two contracts from an undisclosed international customer for the delivery of 155mm artillery ammunition, for a combined value described as being in the high double-digit million euro range. The orders include the supply of Extended Range Full Bore (ERFB) 155mm artillery projectiles, associated propellant charges, and fuzes. Rheinmetall Denel Munition will handle all aspects of manufacturing internally, encompassing both energetic and mechanical components. These new orders are part of a broader surge in demand driven by the deteriorating global security situation, which has sharply increased the consumption and procurement of 155mm artillery ammunition.

The global demand for 155mm ammunition has risen sharply since 2022, as both NATO and non-NATO countries seek to replenish stocks and supply partners involved in ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine.

In Europe, Rheinmetall remains at the center of production increases, aiming to reach an annual output of 1.1 million 155mm shells by 2027. In addition to its new €600 million site in Unterlüß, Germany, Rheinmetall is building new production sites in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, and Ukraine.

https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/company/subsidiaries/rheinmetall-denel-munition

Rheinmetall Denel Munition (Pty) Ltd. was established on September 1, 2008 when the Denel divisions comprising of Somchem (Somerset West and Wellington sites), Swartklip, Boksburg and Naschem became part of the Rheinmetall Group. The company became known as Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) with Rheinmetall being the majority shareholder, while Denel holds 49% of the shares.

>>23166642

>>23166646

>>23166956

>>23171110

“Arming the world: Rheinmetall’s secretive ammunition factory program” – Part 1

https://www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/arming-the-world-rheinmetalls-secretive-ammunition-factory-program

18 December 2024

Germany’s leading defence company is a major supplier to Ukraine and ‘friendly’ Nato countries. But Rheinmetall also has a parallel business, free from German export rules, selling machinery and factories to places rarely named in public. Investigate Europe went on the trail of the arms giant’s little-known global operations.

Two years earlier, in September 2022, a small delegation from the Rheinmetall Group arrived in India. Their goal: to finalise a deal with the provincial government together with SMPP. The trip was not supposed to make any big headlines. Only a few local newspapers took note of the guests. Along with their reports, they printed photos. They showed a cheerful Rheinmetall manager wearing a traditional hat, and presenting a bouquet of flowers to the government representative. The mission was a success. "These companies are going to set up a plant in Nalagarh for defence manufacturing," read a brief press release from the Himachal Pradesh government.

The framework agreement between the Rheinmetall Group and SMPP for the construction of the ammunition plant came into force last year. This October, SMPP entered into two further agreements with a Rheinmetall subsidiary for the "design, installation and commissioning" of facilities for testing and manufacturing ammunition at the site. This is stated in a document that SMPP recently submitted to the Securities and Exchange Board of India. In it, the company also states that a contract has already been signed with a "friendly foreign country" for the supply of 155-mm ammunition.

Press releases from the Rheinmetall Group make no mention of the Indian deal. Instead, in those weeks the company reported that it delivered new mobile air defence units to "renowned Nato customer" Denmark and is participating in a debt-for-debt swap in favour of Ukraine. The group confidently advertises itself with the motto ‘Taking Responsibility in a Changing World’.

The little-known deal with the Indian partner is not an isolated case. It is a part of a firmly calculated “internationalisation strategy”, a vision that Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger has implemented over the past decade. Over the last year, Investigate Europe spoke to dozens of insiders, former high-ranking Rheinmetall employees, analysts and politicians from affected countries. In addition, thousands of pages of public and confidential documents were obtained. Taken together, these conversations and documents paint a picture of a discreet export business where certain Rheinmetall customers stay in the shadows. Among the known clients are states that are linked to extensive human rights abuses and that supply ammunition to Russia.

Without the German government having the opportunity to take action against this, Rheinmetall is skilfully circumventing German arms export regulations thanks to a South African subsidiary.

Otfried Nassauer, a late German peace campaigner who spent years researching Rheinmetall's practices, noted back in 2016 that “the willingness of the group's management to supply ammunition even to warring nations, and states that blatantly disregard human rights, is an essential prerequisite for the economic success of Rheinmetall's ammunition business."

For Rheinmetall it is also a lucrative arrangement. When exporting factories to India or elsewhere, RDM includes an exclusivity clause obliging recipients to buy Rheinmetall products, which “lock the customers into their product range”, the former manager in South Africa explained. The group did not respond to a question about the existence of an exclusivity clause.

>>23171125

“Arming the world: Rheinmetall’s secretive ammunition factory program” – Part 2

https://www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/arming-the-world-rheinmetalls-secretive-ammunition-factory-program

18 December 2024

“India is striving to become a major arms exporter and maintains close relations with Russia, for example,” says Frank Slijper, who researches the arms trade for the Dutch peace organisation Pax. "Rheinmetall should therefore urgently clarify how it ensures that it is not complicit in supplying ammunition not only to Ukraine, but also to Russia.”

Not even the exports of Rheinmetall’s production machines from South Africa are controlled by European authorities.

Rheinmetall AG, 135 years old this year, was founded to supply ammunition to the German Empire. Not surprisingly, the two world wars were the most successful periods in the company's history.

Since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in spring 2022, the value of Rheinmetall shares has multiplied.

Campaigners have repeatedly raised concerns about consequences the company would rather remain silent about. Otfried Nassauer, the late German peace researcher, concluded in 2016 that among its global customers were countries “at war as well as those in crisis areas”. According to him, the group also supplied states “where the ‘security forces’ keep dictatorships and authoritarian governments in power."

Shortly after, journalists documented how Saudi Arabia dropped bombs on civilian targets in Yemen which were manufactured at Rheinmetall’s plant on the Italian island of Sardinia. At the time, Rheinmetall said its subsidiaries comply with the “strict legal framework” in their countries, adding: “For contractual reasons, we are not allowed to comment on customer relationships.”

RDM, the South African subsidiary, is also accused of supplying nations with questionable reputations. Critics argue that this is partly due to poorly enforced regulations. For years, Andrew Feinstein, a former member of the South African Parliament, has been a vocal critic of the country's arms exports. "I think there's so little control,” he says, “moral factors are virtually irrelevant.”

In his conversation with Investigate Europe, the former RDM manager admitted that export rules were rarely a concern for the company. “If a country was under UN embargo, South Africa would not export there but every other country was fine.”

And sometimes the South African government did not even know where RDM sent its products. Despite the state-owned Denel still holding 49 per cent, in 2016 RDM delivered a factory to Saudi Arabia seemingly without getting approval from its co-owner. When asked by parliamentarians, the Minister of Public Enterprises had to admit that the government had no say in the deal. Nor were they informed about where the Saudi-produced ammunition would end up. The minister simply said Denel was “not privy to the information”.

Another example of Rheinmetall not hesitating to do business with states accused of violating human rights was seen in Indonesia. There, RDM, together with the state-owned company PT Pindad, attempted to establish a munitions factory. In 2014, then PT Pindad CEO Sudirman Said wanted to cut costs. In order to avoid the shipping costs of importing explosives, he wanted to produce them domestically, Said recalled in a conversation with Investigate Europe.

The same year, the then RDM CEO travelled to Jakarta. At the luxury Shangri-La hotel, together with representatives for Said, they signed a memorandum of understanding to construct one of the largest ammunition production facilities in Southeast Asia.

>>23171125

>>23171129

“Arming the world: Rheinmetall’s secretive ammunition factory program” – Part 3

https://www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/arming-the-world-rheinmetalls-secretive-ammunition-factory-program

18 December 2024

In 2016, another memorandum of understanding was signed between Pindad and another South African Rheinmetall subsidiary to produce large-calibre munitions. However, both deals fell through, according to a former senior Pindad official, who spoke to Investigate Europe on the condition of anonymity. Indonesian law at the time made a proposed joint venture impossible. In 2020 the rules changed, allowing private companies to produce such weaponry.

Still, RDM continued to do business with PT Pindad. As trade documents show, in 2019 alone the company delivered multiple products for the manufacturing of ammunition. Among them, propellant powder, 40mm-calibre ammunition components, fuses and production machinery. PT Pindad did not respond to Investigate Europe’s request for comment. Rheinmetall also did not comment on the transactions.

What is striking is how openly the company communicates about its expansion in Europe, while its business deals in South Africa rarely feature publicly.

Asked about exports from RDM in South Africa, Rheinmetall said they were bound by “strict confidentiality”. A spokesperson added that its “growing global network” allows the group to “produce for our customers in line with demand – in particular for the Bundeswehr, partner countries from the EU and Nato, Ukraine and other friendly nations.”

The business with the munitions factories is booming. Therefore, Rheinmetall is now also expanding its business in South Africa. At the beginning of August 2024, the group announced that it was set to acquire a majority stake in Resonant Holdings. The South African company, which has around 150 employees, specialises in explosives production plants. In the future, the German company is likely to supply even more munitions factories around the world via South Africa. Or as Rheinmetall put it in a short press release: “The planned acquisition of Resonant Holdings underscores Rheinmetall's commitment to expanding its technological capabilities and offering its partners cutting-edge solutions.”

>>23166956

>Incorporated as a private company in 1992 in terms of the South African Companies Act (No 62 of 1973), Denel's sole shareholder is the South African Government.

>>23171125

>Without the German government having the opportunity to take action against this, Rheinmetall is skilfully circumventing German arms export regulations thanks to a South African subsidiary.

>>23171129

>"Rheinmetall should therefore urgently clarify how it ensures that it is not complicit in supplying ammunition not only to Ukraine, but also to Russia.”

>>23171132

>Asked about exports from RDM in South Africa, Rheinmetall said they were bound by “strict confidentiality”.

Then consider the Lady R

“#LadyRussiagate: Denel denies any involvement in supplying weapons to Russia”

https://www.news24.com/southafrica/news/ladyrussiagate-denel-denies-any-involvement-in-supplying-weapons-to-russia-20230512

12 May 2023

As South Africa scrambles to deal with a diplomatic crisis brought on by America’s claims that the country sold arms to Russia, Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has vehemently denied any involvement in supplying weapons to Vladimir Putin’s forces.

In a statement sent to News24 on Friday, the munition’s firm said: “RDM has not delivered any goods to the named ship and has no knowledge of the matter beyond what has so far been reported in the media and, therefore, cannot provide any comment.”

RDM was referring to the Lady R, the Russian ship which docked in the Simon’s Town naval base in December last year. At the time, eyewitnesses reported seeing goods off-loaded from the ship in the dead of night.

Three weeks after the Lady R docked in Simon’s Town, Defence Minister Thandi Modise seemed to suggest goods may have been loaded onto the vessel.

Modise said at the time: “What we do know is that whatever contents this vessel was getting were ordered long before Covid-19.”

>>23166642

>>23166646

>>23166956

>>23171110

>>23171125

>>23171129

>>23171132

>>23171154

“A Question of Transparency: Rheinmetall, South Africa and allegations of indirect arms transfers” - Part 1

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/a-question-of-transparency-rheinmetall-south-africa-and-allegations-of-indirect-arms-transfers/

20-11-24 10:04

Rheinmetall has a long-standing presence in South Africa, where it operates through Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM), a joint venture with South African state-owned Denel. Rheinmetall holds the majority share in RDM, effectively controlling the operations. This venture focuses on producing a range of defence products, including ammunition for artillery, infantry, and naval forces. Although Rheinmetall is headquartered in Germany and partially owned by the German government, its South African operations allow it to leverage local manufacturing capabilities to serve a broader international market.

OWNERSHIP, TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC CONCERNS

Rheinmetall’s ownership structure is significant in this context. The German government owns a considerable stake in the company, suggesting an intertwined interest between state policy and corporate operations. Despite this, public transparency around Rheinmetall’s government contracts, particularly those linked to sensitive geopolitical conflicts, remains limited. Rheinmetall is known to supply munitions to several NATO countries; however, specific public contracts in South Africa are notably absent. This lack of clarity on government contracts has led to questions about the nature of Rheinmetall’s relationships and obligations, especially in regions where arms exports are politically charged.

ALLEGATIONS AND PROTESTS: THE MEDIA’S ROLE AND PUBLIC RESPONSE

The initial wave of allegations against Rheinmetall came from South African media, specifically from IOL, which raised concerns about the potential supply of Rheinmetall munitions to Israel. According to IOL, Rheinmetall’s products might reach Israel through complex supply chains involving proxy companies and multiple intermediaries. However, concrete evidence supporting these claims remains elusive. The report relied heavily on conjecture, speculating that Rheinmetall’s network of global partnerships and subsidiaries could facilitate indirect arms transfers to conflict zones like Israel. This lack of hard evidence, however, has not prevented the story from gaining traction. Shortly after these accusations surfaced, unknown individuals vandalized Rheinmetall’s facilities in South Africa, painting graffiti as a form of protest against the alleged arms supplies to Israel. The graffiti has fueled public debate, symbolizing the growing frustration with corporate opacity in the arms industry.

GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

From a legal and regulatory perspective, there is no clear proof linking Rheinmetall to arms supplies for Israel. Still, for many critics, the possibility of Rheinmetall’s involvement is difficult to dismiss, given the company’s extensive global footprint in defence manufacturing and distribution. The lack of transparency in Rheinmetall’s supply chain raises questions about accountability, especially as South Africa’s foreign policy emphasizes support for Palestinian rights. Recently, in a move that reflects a heightened focus on arms regulation, President Cyril Ramaphosa restructured South Africa’s National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC). This committee, responsible for overseeing arms exports from South Africa, now includes ANC leaders, many of whom have strong ties to the government. Despite these recent changes, the NCACC has not made any public statements directly addressing the allegations against Rheinmetall, leaving an information gap for South African citizens who are calling for transparency.

>>23171172

“A Question of Transparency: Rheinmetall, South Africa and allegations of indirect arms transfers” - Part 2

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/a-question-of-transparency-rheinmetall-south-africa-and-allegations-of-indirect-arms-transfers/

20-11-24 10:04

BALANCING PROFITS, POLICY AND PUBLIC EXPECTATION

The timing of this controversy is also notable. Rheinmetall has operated in South Africa for years, and while previous incidents, such as an explosion at one of its plants, have drawn local attention, they did not escalate to the current level of international scrutiny. This renewed attention comes at a time when South Africa is publicly opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza and pursuing a genocide case against the state. In light of these developments, any potential connection between Rheinmetall’s South African operations and arms supplies to Israel raises concerns about the alignment of South Africa’s foreign policy with the actions of foreign corporations on its soil. The issue underscores the importance of ensuring that defence manufacturers operating in South Africa are held accountable to the country’s foreign policy objectives.

While the NCACC and Rheinmetall itself have remained silent on these specific allegations, Rheinmetall’s financial performance offers additional context. Amid escalating global conflicts, Rheinmetall has reported record profits, with recent reports suggesting that Germany has overtaken the United States as Israel’s largest arms supplier. This financial success reflects the high demand for military equipment worldwide, particularly as geopolitical tensions rise. However, the fact that Rheinmetall’s profits are surging as South Africa grapples with its stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict adds complexity to the situation. Rheinmetall’s financial gains, in this context, contribute to a perception that the company is benefiting from conflicts that South Africa’s government actively opposes.

The absence of a public statement from the NCACC or Rheinmetall leaves many questions unanswered. In the current environment of heightened international tensions, Rheinmetall’s role as a major arms manufacturer, coupled with South Africa’s involvement in the Israel-Palestine debate, underscores the need for rigorous oversight of arms exports and corporate accountability. As the media continues to scrutinize Rheinmetall’s activities, the public awaits a response from the NCACC and other regulatory bodies, hoping for clarity on whether South African policies are adequately aligned with the practices of foreign defence contractors operating within its borders.

In conclusion, Rheinmetall’s situation reflects broader challenges in regulating the global arms trade. While there is no definitive evidence of wrongdoing, the allegations have exposed the complexities of ensuring accountability in an industry where corporate interests often intersect with geopolitical conflicts. For South Africa, a country with a pronounced stance on human rights and international justice, the Rheinmetall case is a reminder of the importance of maintaining transparency in defence manufacturing and aligning corporate actions with national values.

>>23166956

> Incorporated as a private company in 1992 in terms of the South African Companies Act (No 62 of 1973), Denel's sole shareholder is the South African Government.

>>23171110

>>23171125

>>23171129

>>23171132

>>23171154

>"Rheinmetall should therefore urgently clarify how it ensures that it is not complicit in supplying ammunition not only to Ukraine, but also to Russia.”

>>23171172

>Recently, in a move that reflects a heightened focus on arms regulation, President Cyril Ramaphosa restructured South Africa’s National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC). This committee, responsible for overseeing arms exports from South Africa, now includes ANC leaders, many of whom have strong ties to the government.

>>23171178

>This renewed attention comes at a time when South Africa is publicly opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza and pursuing a genocide case against the state.

>Amid escalating global conflicts, Rheinmetall has reported record profits, with recent reports suggesting that Germany has overtaken the United States as Israel’s largest arms supplier.

>Rheinmetall’s role as a major arms manufacturer, coupled with South Africa’s involvement in the Israel-Palestine debate, underscores the need for rigorous oversight of arms exports and corporate accountability.

Predition: Rheinmetall’s profits will skyrocket even further.

“Israel is serving the entire world — taking huge risks to stop Iran from going nuclear”

https://nypost.com/2025/06/12/opinion/israel-is-serving-the-entire-world-taking-huge-risks-to-stop-iran-from-going-nuclear/

Published June 12, 2025, 11:57 p.m. ET

Late last night, the IDF began what it said would be several days of airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program and associated assets.

Good for Israel, acting as it has before (the 1967 war, the takedown of Saddam Hussein’s nuclear program in 1981 and strikes on Syria in 2007) to preempt a clear existential threat to its continued existence.

No serious player on the world stage can honestly deny that Tehran has been on its final run to gaining nuclear weapons, and while some will quibble about whether the regime intended to use nukes to destroy “the Little Satan” (as it has called Israel for five decades), Jerusalem could hardly afford to take the chance.

Iran state media report the deaths of multiple top nuclear scientists, as well as of Gen. Hossein Salami, chief of the Revolutionary Guards — the central force behind all Tehran’s expansionist ambitions.

Tehran will hit back hard, and the IDF can’t be remotely confident it will intercept every drone and missile as it has the last two times. Israel must expect to hurt, hoping that the pain is survivable and simply the necessary price for fending off extinction.

The rest of the Middle East, indeed the world, gets to free-ride on Israel’s bold self-defense: The IDF is moving to take out what would’ve been a menace to everyone else, including those foolish enough to think Iran is an ally.

Yet

https://www.theiranproject.com/en/article/407422/iran-south-africa-ink-agreement-ahead-of-brics-summit

Sunday 13 August 2023

The Iran Project - The cooperation deal signed between Iran and South Africa ahead of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg highlights Iran's efforts to join the influential group of developing economies.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202401020918

Jan 2, 2024, 09:13 GMT

Iran officially became a member of the China-led BRICS economic organization on Monday, as it seeks to overcome the impact of US sanctions and overcome it isolation.

In its policy of finding shelter under Chinese and Russian-dominated international organizations, Iran achieved full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in July 2022 and concurrently pursued entry into the BRICS group. Following an official invitation, Iran announced its acceptance into BRICS on August 24, 2023, with the official membership commencing on January 1, 2024.

>>23166956

>Incorporated as a private company in 1992 in terms of the South African Companies Act (No 62 of 1973), Denel's sole shareholder is the South African Government.

Republic of South Africa SEC Listing

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/932419/000104746919005419/0001047469-19-005419-index.htm

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA (Filer) CIK: 0000932419 (see all company filings)

EIN.: 000000000 | Fiscal Year End: 1231

Type: 424B5 | Act: 33 | File No.: 333-216978 | Film No.: 191110278

SIC: 8888 Foreign Governments

Business Address

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

3051 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, NW

WASHINGTON

DC

20008

021 464 6100

Mailing Address

NATIONAL TREASURY, 240 VERMEULEN STREET

PRETORIA

T3

0001

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/932419/000104746919005419/a2239762z424b5.htm

Joint Book-Running Managers

Citigroup Deutsche Bank/Nedbank Rand Merchant Bank Standard Bank

The date of this Prospectus Supplement is September 23, 2019.

This Prospectus Supplement supplements the accompanying Prospectus relating to the debt securities and warrants of the Government of the Republic of South Africa (the "National Government," the "South African Government," the "Republic" or "South Africa," unless references to the "Republic" or "South Africa," within any particular context, clearly indicate a reference to the sovereign state of the Republic of South Africa).

No dealer, salesperson or other person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this Prospectus Supplement and the accompanying Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Republic, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, Nedbank Limited, Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited (London Branch), or The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (the "Underwriters").

>>23172162

>Deutsche Bank

>>23171172

>Rheinmetall has a long-standing presence in South Africa, where it operates through Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM), a joint venture with South African state-owned Denel. Rheinmetall holds the majority share in RDM, effectively controlling the operations… Although Rheinmetall is headquartered in Germany and partially owned by the German government, its South African operations allow it to leverage local manufacturing capabilities to serve a broader international market.

“Deutsche Bank backs state guarantees for arms industry loans”

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/deutsche-bank-backs-state-guarantees-103220561.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFM8YQtw7Upp6XVQci4niHAwsTiAk8yue6-vmtSI82IbvRCkspnlRub5rqYWww2FLNvV7LHX8iaeR2UIO2MYssEswylS4M5k96eeP_A3fDay7hHxMmCN2SThVJxJzrwZdOMHVlDTSA2ijdZxq7zIGymz42IgWhP796-2ucrtwNb1

April 28, 2025

Deutsche Bank chief executive Christian Sewing has called for state-backed guarantees for bank loans to arms companies, arguing that public funds should be efficiently combined with private capital to finance an expansion of industrial capacity in defence.

In a guest commentary on Monday for the German business newspaper Handelsblatt, Sewing wrote that banks and investors are ready to support the defence sector, noting that Deutsche Bank's loan portfolio in the arms industry totals "a mid-double-digit billion euro amount."

Sewing highlighted the success of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in mobilizing significant investments during the coronavirus pandemic through the use of guarantees.

He called for similar mechanisms to be applied to the defence sector, adding that ideas being floated - such as a proposed EU Defence, Security and Resilience Bank - are promising.

Germany's defence spending alone increased by 28%, totalling $88.5 billion last year.

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/eu-lending-arm-triples-defence-loan-plan-3-billion-euros-2025-06-11/

June 11, 2025 2:10 PM EDT

LONDON/FRANKFURT, June 11 (Reuters) - The EU's lending arm, the European Investment Bank, has tripled a scheme to help fund the bloc's defence industry to 3 billion euros ($3.43 billion) and signed a deal with Germany's Deutsche Bank to start funnelling the money to the bloc's military firms.

https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2025/06/12/europes-banks-are-now-in-love-with-weapons-manufacturers/

Jun 12, 2025

In a striking reversal, major European banks are rushing to deepen ties with the defense industry, a sector once viewed with caution due to reputational risks but now seen as a cornerstone of economic and strategic stability, Bloomberg reports. Institutions like BNP Paribas SA, Deutsche Bank AG, Commerzbank AG, and Societe Generale SA are leading the charge, forming partnerships and launching initiatives to support Europe’s rapidly expanding military sector.

>>23172162

>>23172180

>European banks are rushing to deepen ties with the defense industry

>>23166956

>>23172162

>>23172180

>European banks are rushing to deepen ties with the defense industry

>>23171178

>Amid escalating global conflicts, Rheinmetall has reported record profits

Is history repeating on a global scale?

“Deutsche Bank Linked To Auschwitz Funding” and Rheinmetall; “Forced labor in the Nazi state”

https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/05/news/deutsche-bank-linked-to-auschwitz-funding.html

Feb. 5, 1999

FRANKFURT— Historians combing through Deutsche Bank AG archives have found evidence that the biggest German bank helped finance construction of the Auschwitz death camp, the chief historian of the bank said Thursday.

Manfred Pohl, director of the bank's historical institute, said it was the first time that Deutsche Bank had been linked to the financing of companies that built the Nazi death camp. Other recently unearthed documents showed that the bank serviced accounts for the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police, which deposited proceeds from auctions of property confiscated from deported Jews, he said.

Mr. Pohl said the bank's archivists had found detailed loan records to construction companies that built facilities for "Waffen-SS Auschwitz," the camp's security police. They also found records of loans by Deutsche Bank to companies for the construction of the IG Farben chemicals plant adjacent to Auschwitz.

The revelations follow heightened scrutiny in the United States of the Nazi-era past of Deutsche Bank after it announced plans last year to acquire Bankers Trust Corp., the eighth-largest U.S. bank.

https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/company/history/forced-labor-in-the-nazi-state

From 1924 to 1956, Rheinmetall-Borsig AG was majority-owned by the German state and came under the extensive control of the National Socialist regime during the Third Reich, which was at times expressed in its affiliation with the Hermann Göring Group.

From the early 1930s, Rheinmetall-Borsig AG was involved in the massive rearmament of the German armed forces. The German arms industry also contributed to the prolongation of the Second World War through the mass production of weapons and ammunition of all types and calibres, and their use on the various fronts in the east and West. Rheinmetall-Borsig was involved in the occupation policy in countries such as the Netherlands, France and Poland by taking over operating facilities.

This also included the mass use of forced laborers, both of deported people from the countries occupied by the Wehrmacht in Western and Eastern Europe and of prisoners of war, especially from the Soviet Union. German and foreign Jewish concentration camp inmates were also forced to work under degrading conditions at Rheinmetall-Borsig AG's plants, with many of them dying as a result.

>>23171125

>>23171129

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>>23171247

“Iran 'flirting', drone tech used in Ukraine, Sudan puts SA at sanctions risk”

https://youtu.be/HjzmUJcVaA8

Feb 19, 2025

2:34 – “The worst part about it, these drones have been used in global conflict, including Russia’s war on Ukraine and the Sudanese Civil War.”

“Ramaphosa’s Iran flirtation: How South African military technology and nuclear deals are courting Western sanctions”

https://nationalsecuritynews.com/2025/02/ramaphosas-iran-flirtation-how-south-african-military-technology-and-nuclear-deals-are-courting-western-sanctions/

Posted on February 20, 2025

South Africa’s increasing “flirtation with Iran” and the use of the country’s technology in Iranian drones in the wars in Ukraine and Sudan has put the country at risk of Western sanctions, according to an expert on Middle East terrorism

In an interview with National Security News, Tim Flack from the South African National Defence Union (SANDU) said that the Biden administration had effectively ignored the growing ties between Iran and the allegations of military technology transfer from South Africa to the Islamic republic.

However, he said that the new Trump administration is now aware of the situation, and the consequences for South Africa could be severe.

The US has taken steps to halt aid to South Africa, with President Donald Trump issuing a far-reaching executive order which included citing the country’s “reinvigorated relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements”.

Flack claimed that two drones used by Iran, the Shahed 316 and the Ababil-3, appear to be based on South African technology, specifically the ARD-10 LARC and the Denel Seeker drone.

“It is concerning when our technology is being used by Iran, as there are arms control measures in place to prevent it,” Flack said. He added that Iran appears to have a tight grip on South Africa. Iran is also believed to be behind the country’s decision to accuse Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice, he added.

The alleged military technology transfer between South Africa and Iran is said to have occurred in 2005, when South African telecommunications company MTN, with President Cyril Ramaphosa as chairman, seized the chance to expand its reach to Iran. It is alleged that MTN and its local partners won a lucrative license to launch a new Iranian mobile-phone carrier by bribing their way into Iran.

Turkcell, an Istanbul-based rival, filed a federal lawsuit against MTN, seeking $4.2 billion in damages. The case eventually ended up in South Africa, where Turkcell failed to convince a higher court that dismissed the litigation with costs. The battle between the two telecom giants may be far from over, as Turkcell may be petitioning South Africa’s Constitutional Court.

Flack said that court papers from the case indicate secret internal memos from 2007, which suggest that Iran pressured MTN to fulfil its arms deal promises. Iran also pressured South Africa to accuse Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip, which South Africa did, and even took this claim to the United Nations, according to Flack.

His warning comes as the country’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, said that South Africa is open to nuclear power project bids from Russia and Iran as it seeks 2,500 megawatts of new capacity to prevent power outages. “We cannot have a contract that says Iran or Russia must not bid, we cannot have that condition,” Mantashe told Reuters. “If they are the best in terms of the offer on the table, we will take any country.”