Category: News

Sentencing proceedings for a Mpumalanga businessman who attempted to bribe a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigator are expected to kick off at the Mbombela Magistrates’ Court this morning.

According to a joint statement by the SIU and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Sipho Mapala was arrested after attempting to bribe the investigator to make “a COVID-19 procurement investigation” against fellow business person, Gugu Bulunga.

“Mapalala was arrested in August 2021 during a joint operation with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the Hawks] when he was delivering a bribe of R50 000 to the SIU investigator,” the statement read.

According to the two agencies, Mapalala entered a guilty plea statement in which he acknowledged the wrongdoing.

“I knew it was wrong to provide money/payment to the investigator, as she was an official of the SIU. I gave this money to the SIU investigator to compensate the investigator and the other people the investigator referred to, to compensate them to crush the involvement of Gugu Bulunga.

“I wanted to help Gugu to get out of the mess which caused her severe anxiety and the threat to her life. I therefore admit that I corrupted the SIU investigator and that my actions were unlawful and punishable,” Mapalala said in the statement.

The case

According to the SIU and NPA, Mapalala and Bulunga’s troubles with the law began when the SIU launched an investigation into the affairs of the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads, and Transport which uncovered procurement irregularities.

“The SIU investigations revealed that the department contracted a service provider in the 2017/18 financial year for pest control services. However, when a National State of Disaster was declared, the Department varied the contract to include disinfection services in the Ehlanzeni District.

“The disinfection services were for buildings owned and managed by the Mpumalanga Provincial Government in the said District. After the disinfection, the service provider received multiple payments amounting to R4.8 million,” the statement read.

Immediately after the first payment of some R1.3 million, the service provider began to disburse the money to several entities and individuals.

“One of the entities that received money then made various payments which were traced to an Mpumalanga based law firm and two employees of the Department. The law firm bought a property to the value of R2.2 million and registered it in the name of a daughter of one of the two departmental officials.

“[During] August 2021, the SIU interviewed Bulunga … [who] was questioned about payments made to government officials and properties bought for government officials. Bulunga denied the allegations. Hours after the interview, Mapalala called an SIU investigator to declare that he is prepared to do anything to make the matter against Bulunga to go away,” the statement read.

There has been notable gradual improvements in Eskom’s power generation fleet.

“Over the past week, six coal-fired power stations achieved energy availability factor (EAF) of 70%, a milestone last achieved on 08 May 2022,” Eskom said in a statement on Thursday.

Three of these power stations, Camden, Duvha and Matla, have been on a sustained upward trend as a result of a reduction of plant breakdowns and the return to service of a number of units that were on unplanned breakdowns.

Lethabo, Matimba and Medupi have been experiencing continued good performance and remain among Eskom’s three best performing stations.

In addition, Lethabo was able to sustain performance after a quick recovery following a wet coal incident experienced last week, due to flooding after excessive rainfall.

“While this is still early progress, it shows a positive trajectory from actions taken to recover Eskom generation plants. This is consistent with Eskom’s target to achieve 70% EAF by the 2025 financial year,” said Eskom Acting Group Chief Executive Calib Cassim.

Eskom Board Chairperson Mpho Makwana said the marked improvement in performance at Camden, Duvha and Matla as well as the sustained commendable performance at Lethabo, Matimba and Medupi gives assurance that if the entity continues to apply an all-hands-on-deck-approach, it will continue to improve the energy availability.

“I specifically commend the various teams at these power stations for the great work and also applaud all the Eskom employees for their continued hard work and dedication,” Makwana said.

The organisation continues to pursue generation recovery programmes to recover operations and achieve sustained improvements in generation performance.

The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Sipho Hlomuka, has assured the public, especially those who will be going to work on Monday, 20 March, that their rights to work and commute will be protected during the planned national shutdown.

This follows the announcement by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) that they will be taking to the streets in a planned national shutdown on Monday and have called on all South Africans to participate.

Schools will not be affected by the shutdown, as learners will not be going to school on Monday and Tuesday due to the Human Rights Day holiday, which falls on Tuesday.

“We therefore appeal to all parents to make sure that their children do not participate in the planned protests. As part of our operational plan, we have additional deployment that will be dedicated to this protest action.

“This will augment the existing 18 000 South African Police Service (SAPS) members in the province. Deployments will be made in areas that are perceived to be more fragile and seen as hot spots, including national key points,” Hlomuka said during a media briefing in Durban.

As of Friday, all teams and deployments from all districts will be activated and have been placed on high alert.

“We have also activated the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (ProvJoints). This structure comprises all government departments, including the SAPS and the South African Defence Force. Equally, our intelligence operatives have been activated in all districts for early warning systems and for proactive interventions.

“Through the ProvJoints, we will be monitoring developments every minute and hour of the day until the protesters disengage. We will use the lessons from previous experiences to make sure that our citizens are safe,” the MEC said.

He said normal policing will continue at police stations, as members of the public will be serviced as usual.

As part of the deployment, members of the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), Public Transport Enforcement Services (PTES), eThekwini Metro and other municipal traffic officials will be managing all strategic points.

“Police management have also convened a meeting with Business Against Crime to engage them on increasing vigilance and security around their premises. This means the private security will be part of the machinery that will be monitoring the situation on the ground.

“The Department of Community Safety and Liaison will also be adding 1 400 volunteers in all districts to assist in monitoring the situation and feed the information to the police. Community Policing Forums and other community safety structures will be actively involved on the ground,” the MEC said.

Government will also be deploying resources such as helicopters, vehicles, inyalas, water cannons, and technology as part of monitoring the planned protests and securing the people.

Public order police will also be deployed in all districts, as they are trained in crowd management and control.

Public sector wage strike

Meanwhile, the provincial Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster has welcomed the decision by labour unions to suspend the public sector strike.

“This is important because as the province, we did experience some disruptions. This mostly affected hospitals and other critical sectors, including government buildings.

“This planned protest [on 20 March] will have no effect on the public service operations. Members of the public must be assured that they will receive maximum service, this includes licensing offices and social services offices.

“On the same note, we wish to commend the leadership of the unions for suspending their strike. This is progressive,” Hlomuka said.

The MEC appealed to members of the public to refrain from circulating unverified information on social media, as it causes unwarranted panic.

“We urge people to use social media responsibly during times like this. Stop circulating old videos. We also want to caution against the spreading of messages of fear, intimidation or inflammatory statements that could incite violence. This is a criminal offence.

“Law enforcement will not tolerate any lawlessness and any form of criminality. Therefore, it is important to note that anyone found contravening the law will be dealt with accordingly within the prescripts of the law,” he said.

Crime fighting efforts

The MEC said the planned protest on Monday will not disrupt the province’s crime fighting efforts.

“Strides are being made every day to stabilise the province and fight key categories of crime. As the JCPS cluster, we have a clear programme focusing on murder, illegal firearms, drugs and gender-based violence.

“Yesterday [Thursday] police made a breakthrough in Cato Manner when they arrested heavily armed criminals, who are believed to have been on their way to kill a businessman. Police proactively intercepted and recovered two AK 47s and stolen vehicles,” Hlomuka said.

During the month of February, more than 8 857 suspects were arrested for various crimes.

Of these, 152 were for murder and 150 for attempted murder. Police also recovered 309 firearms and 4 747 live ammunition.

“Ninety-two people were arrested for driving under the influence alcohol.  One-hundred-and-fifty-seven kilograms of various drugs were seized. As we intensify the fight against GBV, more than 157 arrests were made in crimes committed against women and children.

“This work will continue and we must applaud the efforts led by the police and all other law enforcement agencies,” the MEC said.

The Department of Health says it welcomes the judgement that interdicts with immediate effect the strike action by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members and employees who are employed in an essential service.

“We believe this judgement will bring some form of stability in health facilities across the country,” the statement read on Monday.

This comes after Nehawu has been on industrial action since 6 March 2023 due to the collapsed wage negotiations.

According to the union, the strike was also driven by the “continuous implementation of austerity measures and the aggressive attack on collective bargaining by the government”.

The workers are demanding a 10% salary increase, while government has offered 4.7%.

Last week, Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, confirmed that preliminary figures show that four people are believed to have lost their lives “in a manner that could be directly attributed to the strike”.

The Minister continues to observe the situation and the impact of the strike on healthcare services throughout the country.

In some hospitals, protesters closed the main entrance of the health facility with burning tyres, preventing patients and families from entering the establishment.

The department instituted a court interdict last week against Nehawu to stop their members from obstructing the rendering of health services to patients, which the union appealed.

“This is a victory for the innocent, vulnerable and un-unionised patients who have suffered the consequences of the disruptive and violent strike action,” said the department.

“We also believe Nehawu will implement the judgement and inform its members to return to work as soon as possible.”

The Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans confirmed over the weekend that Irene Mpolweni, the department’s Director-General, has been placed on precautionary suspension.

However, the Ministry said it was not in a position to disclose the nature of the allegations or charges at this stage, as it must respect employer-employee confidentiality.

“We will pronounce once the entire disciplinary process has ran its course.

“However, we wish to place on record that this suspension does not necessarily presume guilt on her part. It is intended to allow the employer to gather evidence and establish facts.”

The department said an acting Director-General will be appointed in due course.

Plans are underway to introduce new and improved government-subsidised homes with enhanced features, including rooftop solar panels and bugler proofing.

The houses will have water and sanitation systems that respond to water shortages affecting the country.

There is also a discussion that the size of a BNG [Breaking New Ground] house needs to be reviewed, from 40 square meters to 45 square meters.

These were some of the key items discussed at a meeting recently convened in Durban by the Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, together with Deputy Minister, Pam Tshwete. Members of the Executive Committees [MECs], Mayoral Committees responsible for Human Settlements, as well as representatives of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) who were among those at the meeting.

“The revised specifications of a fully subsidised government house are aimed at improving the quality of household life, while contributing to the economy,” said the Department of Human Settlements in a statement.

In his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa pronounced that government was forging ahead with the rollout of solar panels to address load shedding.

It is therefore expected that the new elements, such as solar panels, for BNG houses will result in economic opportunities, job creation and skills transfer – particularly, for youth, women, people with disabilities and military veterans.

To this end, the MINMEC [Ministers and Members of Executive Council] has directed officials to work with all affected structures, including the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), to finalise specifications, including detailed financial implications of the proposed changes. This will enable the implementation of improved housing units as soon as possible.

MINMEC also received progress reports on grants performance for the third quarter of the current financial year and considered the overall performance of the sector, with a commitment to urgently make the necessary interventions that would ensure all targets are met on time.

This includes a focus on “missing middle” interventions to enable affordable first-time home ownership, alongside emergency housing interventions for affected provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Western Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Prior to the MINMEC meeting, the Minister and the MECs visited several sites that are being used to accommodate flood victims.

They were informed that KwaZulu-Natal has assisted all 2022 flood victims through the construction of 1 755 temporary housing units, and the implementation of the Rental Assistance Scheme and Transitional Emergency Housing.

The province is also working on a permanent housing solution for the affected victims.

The housing project to accommodate flood victims is expected to commence in June 2023.

“Since last year, we have learned many lessons and we are seeing progress. We have accommodated affected households from dehumanising halls to better accommodation facilities. Families now enjoy privacy. We have since started focusing on long-term interventions,” said Kubayi.

She emphasised the importance of all spheres of government and all affected stakeholders working as a team to accelerate the delivery of sustainable human settlements.

She raised concerns about the resources that are often diverted to provide security, as opposed to building houses.

“I want to appeal to communities to understand that these projects belong to them and are meant to respond to their housing needs. Invasion of projects and stopping them does not help.

“This delays progress and ultimately prolongs the time of people living in temporary shelters to occupy the houses,” said Kubayi.

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the arrest of an immigration official with his police accomplice at the OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday.

The immigration official had been under observation for some time due to his suspicious behaviour and suspicious lifestyle.

The net closed in on him on Wednesday evening when he was caught red-handed stamping nine passports of nationals from different countries as if those people had departed the country in February 2023 and returned on Wednesday.

Initial investigations established that a runner brought the passports to the airport and handed them over to the policeman, who, using the fact that he was in uniform, went through security into the immigration area.

He then linked up with the immigration official who proceeded to stamp the passports.

An undercover police officer caught and arrested them. It is believed that the immigration officer charged R2 000 for each passport he stamped.

The arrested immigration official and the police official are expected to appear at the Kempton Park Magistrate Court on Monday.

The police are on the trail of the runner and the owners of the passports.

“We are indebted to the brave and patriotic law enforcement officers for the arrest of each rascal that cheapens the status of our country. I am extremely encouraged by these patriotic acts and I am even more determined to continue the fight against corruption in Home Affairs,” said Minister Motsoaledi.

“The act of stamping passports for departure and re-entry of people who remain in our country is extremely worrying.

“The owners of these passports can commit crimes in the country and claim that it could not have been them because ‘they were not in the country’ at the time of the commission of the crimes.

“They can use our departure and re-entry stamps on their passports to argue their cases in court. This is simply inexcusable. It makes foreign nationals with bad intensions believe that South Africa is up for the take,” Motsoaledi said.

Motsoaledi issued a stern warning to criminals operating out of OR Tambo International Airport and other Ports of Entry that they are being watched every single day and law enforcement will pounce on them at any moment.

The new members of the National Executive, who were sworn in on Tuesday evening, say they are ready to take on the mammoth task that lies ahead as South Africa works to stabilise the economy and advance its development agenda.

The new members were sworn in at a ceremony officiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo presided over the swearing-in of Deputy President Paul Mashatile and other new members of the National Executive at Tuynhuys in Cape Town.

Mashatile led seven Ministers and nine Deputy Ministers in taking their oath of office. The swearing-in comes after the much anticipated Cabinet reshuffle that took place on Monday.

Ministers who were sworn include the newly established Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

Speaking to media following his swearing-in, Ramokgopa said he is going to be a “hands on” Minister, who will focus on reducing the frequency and intensity of rolling blackouts.

“This is one of the few occasions you will find me wearing a suit. We are on the ground, project managers are on the ground. I don’t [only want the problem] explained [to me], I need to experience the problem.

“What will help is that I am an engineer and engineers are trained to resolve problems, so this is my forte… I am more than confident that we will resolve load shedding,” he said.

Ramokgopa said he will be working with the existing Energy Action Plan and deliver within the set timeframes.

New Cabinet 

The President on Monday made the following changes to his Cabinet:

– Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Mondli Gungubele, replaces Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
– Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembi Nkadimeng, replaces Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
– Minister of Public Service and Administration, Noxolo Kiviet, replaces acting Minister Thulas Nxesi.
– Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala, replacing Patricia de Lille.
– Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, replaces Nathi Mthethwa.
– Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, replaces Lindiwe Sisulu.
– Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, replaces Fikile Mbalula.

With respect to Deputy Ministers, the President made the following appointments:

– Deputy Ministers in the Presidency, Nomasonto Motaung and Kenneth Morolong.
– Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sisisi Tolashe.
– Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Pinky Kekana.
– There will be two Deputy Ministers for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Parks Tau and Zolile Burns-Ncamashe.
– There will be two Deputy Ministers for Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala.
– Deputy Minister of Public Works, Bernice Swarts.
– Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Dipuo Peters.
– Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises, Obed Bapela.
– Deputy Minister of Transport, Lisa Mangcu.

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, has set up a team to investigate a report on the R143 million drought relief project, which was meant to address water supply challenges in Moutse in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality, Limpopo.

In 2020, the Department of Water and Sanitation set aside a budget to address the water shortage in the area due to drought.

The funds administered by Lepelle Northern Water, as the implementing agent, were meant to supply and deliver water tankers and tanks in the villages of Moutse, and to develop and refurbish boreholes in order to ensure water security for the residents within the Sekhukhune District Municipality.

According to the report presented by Lepelle Northern Water during a recent community engagement hosted by Mchunu, 30 boreholes were drilled and refurbished, with 20 of them operational, as part of the drought relief programme.

A total of 1 800 water tanks were also installed, with 20 tankers procured to deliver water to communities.

However, members of the community disputed the report presented by Lepelle Northern Water and voiced a number of concerns ranging from corruption to non-functionality of the infrastructure that is meant to provide water to them.

Mchunu acknowledged the concerns and complaints raised by the community pertaining to the report, and later set up a team to follow-up and investigate the contents of the report.

The team will include the Chief of Staff from the Office of the Minister, Sikhumbuzo Zondo; Limpopo Provincial Head, Lucy Kobe, and the Mayors of Sekhukhune and Elias Motsoaledi.

Mchunu said he expects the team to keep him in the loop about the progress of investigation.

He also called on local leadership to ensure constant engagement with the communities they serve.

“It is clear to me that communities are not updated on the projects and programmes currently underway to address water supply challenges in their area. There is a need for frequent engagement with residents and they should be kept informed on what is being done to bring water to their area.

“We have noted with concern a feeling of resentment from community members in Moutse about the delivery of water, but we are hard at work, and we intend to provide the much-awaited water to the communities of Moutse,” Mchunu said.

The community engagement followed Mchunu’s visit together with Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and former Deputy Minister Dikeledi Magadzi to the Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply Project, a trans-boundary water project between Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces that is under construction along the Elias Motsoaledi and Thembisile Hani Local Municipalities.

The project is expected to abstract water from the Loskop Dam and supply water to 21 villages under Thembisile Hani Municipality in Mpumalanga, and eight villages in Moutse-East in Limpopo, upon its completion.

According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap Report, the globe is 132 years away from achieving gender equality.

This is while studies reveal that a woman dies every two minutes from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth complications. At the same time, they also have to contend with the high cost of living.

This is the reason why the World Economic Forum has prioritised closing the gender gap and empowering women, as the international non-governmental and lobbying organisation commemorates International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.

It offers an opportunity to take stock and to take action around the state of gender equality globally.

According to the World Economic Forum, the growing range of interconnected “polycrises” that are shaking the world are fuelling a cost of living crisis – which women are bearing the brunt of globally.

The Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the World Economic Forum, Silja Baller, said women have historically shouldered a disproportionate share of care responsibilities.

“What happened during and since the pandemic is that care infrastructure broke down globally, leaving many women unable to return to the workforce,” she added.

She said: “The International Women’s Day 2023 comes at a critical juncture for gender equality, where we risk falling even further behind unless concrete and concerted steps are taken across the world.”

Women’s health, according to studies, is still dramatically underfunded and under-researched, which fuels the already significant health, social and economic disparities across the world.

“For too long, women and their families have been left to deal with unmet health needs and the physical, economic and social consequences this has,” said Shyam Bishen, Head of Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum.

“Women’s health has been seen as their individual issue – and this needs to change.”

The forum’s Centre for the New Economy and Society (CNES) is complementing its annual Global Gender Gap Report with a growing portfolio of action initiatives and leadership communities.

For instance, the Gender Parity Accelerators – already present in 13 countries – aim to hardwire gender parity in the world of work and display the tremendous economic boon that parity could bring.

In 2023/2024, CNES will also host the Global Future Council on the Future of the Care Economy to explore models for investment and innovation in care systems, develop dialogues on access to STEM skills and careers, and aggregate insights on applying a gender lens to economic policymaking.

“Countries must invest in closing gender gaps,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum.

“With an increasingly uncertain economic outlook, unleashing the creativity and dynamism of a country’s entire human capital is critical to overcoming the current era of ‘polycrises’ and accelerating a sustainable recovery.”

In terms of health and healthcare, the forum has launched a flagship Initiative on Protecting Women’s and Girls’ Health that aims to provide a platform to accelerate and foster meaningful coalitions between critical actors to enhance women’s health.

“As the world grapples with converging crises, we must act swiftly and collectively to advance gender-inclusive partnerships, policy changes and innovations,” said Bishen.

“Investment in women’s health should not be seen as a cost but as an investment opportunity and a critical global priority that can positively shape the future for generations to come.”