Who pays for South Africa’s Agoa standoff?

South Africans are participating in highly contested local elections to choose leaders for nearly 300 municipalities responsible for services such as water, electricity, and refuse collection. The African National Congress (ANC) faces a potential loss of votes in these elections following a loss of its parliamentary majority in the last national election.

While support for the party has dropped from 70% in 2004 to 40% two decades later due to concerns over crime, unemployment, and corruption, President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied the party is in a downward spiral.

In a separate legal matter, a Botswana court granted Ndivhudzannyi Ralivhona, known as Makhadzi, permission to leave Botswana and return to South Africa. According to Clayson Monyela of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, a contractual dispute between the parties was resolved via an agreement on Wednesday, 4 November. Mmegi Online reported that the singer broke down in tears following the court appearance.

Regarding trade, the Mail and Guardian reports that the United States plans to terminate South Africa's Agoa eligibility by 2027. The outlet notes that the primary threat to businesses is the crippling uncertainty caused by prolonged negotiations rather than just the loss of trade preferences.

Brief written by urgent.news from Mail and Guardian, The Citizen, MyJoyOnline Ghana, IOL — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.