Baleka Mbete

latest news & developments
Former ANC chairperson and past speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete said former president Jacob Zuma “has gone crazy”.  (Photo by Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Baleka Mbete denies protecting Zuma during his presidency, calls him ‘crazy’

The former speaker of the National Assembly said she was doing her job at the time and, if needed, she would have protected FW de Klerk

Baleka Mbete Mbete headed the national task team mandated with preparing the ANCWL for the conference. (Oupa Nkosi, MG)

Bury the demon of factionalism, ANCWL’s Baleka Mbete tells conference delegates

A bottleneck in registering delegates delayed the conference proceedings

Photo: GCIS

Why it would be prudent to keep judges off Ramaphosa impeachment panel

The reputation of the judiciary could suffer in the political repercussions of the process

Women’s league heavyweights such as Bathable Dlamini might not have any leeway to exert power and influence in the election of the new ANC leadership

ANC women’s league unlikely to elect new leaders before party holds December national conference

Women’s league heavyweights such as Bathable Dlamini might not have any leeway to exert power and influence in the election of the new ANC leadership

Bathabile Dlamini (Oupa Nkosi)

Bathabile Dlamini reinstated in ANC Women’s League task team

The women in the NEC are said to have fought tooth and nail to have Dlamini brought back after she was pulled out by officials.

Baleka Mbete Mbete headed the national task team mandated with preparing the ANCWL for the conference. (Oupa Nkosi, MG)

ANC recommends Baleka Mbete as head of ANCWL task team

The NWC has recommended two other names to help Mbete as task team convenor, but Bathabile Dlamini failed to make the cut

Former president Jacob Zuma.  (MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images)

Where are all the (ex)president’s men and women?

Supporters have stood by Jacob Zuma through scandal after scandal. Some have stayed loyal to him and others have turned their backs

Parliament did not have the time, resources or capacity to investigate the early
“noise” and “rumours” about the coordinated and wholesale looting of South Africa’s public coffers, Baleka Mbete told the state capture commission on Tuesday night.

MPs didn’t have time to deal with ‘noise’ of state capture claims, Mbete tells Zondo

The Zondo commission wanted the speaker to explain why there was no parliamentary inquiry into evidence of state capture

Opportunity: Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula let an ANC delegation travel in a defence force plane to Harare. Photo: Spotlight Zimbabwe @revelatorspi

Citizens tired of being played for a fool

The use of a South African Air Force jet by ANC officials without the minister following the required procedures is one such case — and more questions arise on examination of…

President Emmerson Mnangagwa. (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

As opposition mounts, Zimbabwe’s president lashes out

Emmerson Mnangagwa has accused ‘dark forces’ of destabilising the country

What a mess: President Cyril Ramaphosa waits patiently for the chance to deliver his State of the Nation Address, but EFF disruptions
caused speaker Thandi Modise to suspend the joint sitting of Parliament.  (David Harrison/M&G)

A Sona to reflect troubled times

Ramaphosa and his role model Nelson Mandela became presidents of South Africa in very trying times

In his latest bid for the removal of Billy Downer from the arms deal trial, the former president claims the prosecutor fuelled the narrative that he wants to delay the case (Wikus de Wet/Pool/AFP)

Zuma lawyers confirm he will not be attending Sona

The former president’s lawyers say they do not know how where Parliament obtained the information about his attendance

National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete once famously said that South Africa now has a culture of ‘zero tolerance for no women in politics’ (David Harrison/M&G)

Show women that you care, Mr President

Ramaphosa has to demonstrate that achieving gender equality in SA is an important goal

Presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is unlikely to get the ANCWL’s endorsement.

Mkhwebane takes on Mboweni over treasury DG remarks

Earlier on Wednesday, Mboweni said he had full confidence in Mogajane, despite a remedial action by Mkhwebane to have Mogajane disciplined

Staying power: Baleka Mbete was the National Assembly’s speaker from 2004 to 2008, and again from 2014 to 2019. (David Harrison)

Point of order, Madam Speaker!

If there ever was an introduction to Baleka Mbete, it is the ritual during five stormy years in office