Top 10 stories of the day: Ramaphosa disputes 30% tariff claim | Ex-Cape Town mayor dies | MaMkhize lives it up

Here’s your daily news update for Tuesday, 8 July 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.

Picture: iStock / The Citizen / Cheryl Kahla

News today includes President Cyril Ramaphosa has contested the United States’ justification for imposing a 30% trade tariff on South African goods, describing the percentage as inaccurate and based on a flawed interpretation of trade data.

Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town has paid its condolences to its former mayor Theresa Solomon.

Furthermore, while luxury cars linked to her name are being auctioned off by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and her once-prized football club, Royal AM, slips from her grasp, Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize continues to live life in unapologetic opulence.

Weather tomorrow: 9 July 2025

Damaging winds are expected along the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal while extremely high fire danger conditions are forecast over parts of the Northern Cape. Most provinces can expect fine, cold to cool weather, with some wind and isolated rain in parts of the Western Cape. Full weather forecast here.

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Ramaphosa disputes Trump’s 30% tariff claim as ‘not accurate’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has contested the United States’ justification for imposing a 30% trade tariff on South African goods, describing the percentage as inaccurate and based on a flawed interpretation of trade data.

The dispute emerged after President Donald Trump announced the unilateral tariff imposition in correspondence received by South Africa on Monday.

South Africa was among several countries to receive similar communications from the US administration, signalling a broader shift in American trade policy.

CONTINUE READING: Ramaphosa disputes Trump’s 30% tariff claim as ‘not accurate’

Inmates busted using smuggled cellphones to run scams from prison

Prisoners at Baviaanspoort Correctional Centre were recently busted for using snuck in mobile phones to actively scam members of the public from within their cells.

The scams came to light after National Commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale led a specialised raid that revealed the criminal network operating in daytime.

The scamming operation relied on a system of hidden mobile phones that inmates had successfully smuggled into the facility.

CONTINUE READING: Inmates busted using smuggled cellphones to run scams from prison

Former Cape Town mayor dies

The City of Cape Town has paid its condolences to its former mayor Theresa Solomon.

Solomon died on Monday.

She was the mayor of Cape Town from 1996 to 1998.

CONTINUE READING: Former Cape Town mayor dies

Health minister weaponising racial bias report to push NHI, says IRR

The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has accused Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi of using a report into the racial bias of medical aid compliance standards to further his National Health Insurance (NHI) agenda.

The report, compiled by a panel chaired by Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, concluded that medical aid schemes were unfairly discriminating against black practitioners when investigating fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) claims.

To reach this conclusion, the independent panel relied on an equation devised by a mathematician with a PhD from the University of Cape Town.

CONTINUE READING: Health minister weaponising racial bias report to push NHI, says IRR

Fur, football and forfeits: MaMkhize lives it up as netizens link her to the Mkhwanazi saga

While luxury cars linked to her name are being auctioned off by the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and her once-prized football club, Royal AM, slips from her grasp, Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize continues to live life in unapologetic opulence.

From fur coats courtside at an NBA game to glam game-reserve getaways, the flamboyant businesswoman remains silent, despite growing scrutiny and public questions around her ties to figures named in a weekend briefing by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

The fall of Royal AM, once a rising force in South African football owned by MaMkhize, has sent shockwaves through the PSL.

CONTINUE READING: Fur, football and forfeits: MaMkhize lives it up as netizens link her to the Mkhwanazi saga

Here are five more stories of the day:

Yesterday’s News recap

READ HERE: Mkhwanazi vs Mchunu | Magaqa’s killer sentenced | Travis Scott tickets still available