Improving local government is key priority
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa says early successes under Operation Vulindlela are beginning to pave the way for meaningful economic growth.
This despite the economy continuing to be constrained by deep-rooted structural inefficiencies.
According to Rudi Dicks, Head of the Presidency's Project Management Office, the purpose of structural reform is to unlock inclusive growth.
It is always about determining what they can do within their control to unlock faster and larger growth.
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Eyewitness News
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- Eyewitness News
Ramaphosa believes democratic order in SA still in 'good health' despite various challenges
Babalo Ndenze 23 June 2025 | 9:56 Cyril Ramaphosa Constitutional Court Democracy President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Constitutional Court on 20 June 2025. Picture: @OCJ_RSA/X CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa believes the democratic order is still in "good health" in the country despite various challenges being faced. Ramaphosa said this year marks a bold new chapter in the country's journey from apartheid to a democracy, as it's been 30 years since the Constitutional Court convened for the first time. READ: Ramaphosa: The Constitution is a guardian watching over SA's legal health He was writing in his weekly newsletter, where he said the apex court's "humanistic" approach to law over the last three decades should be a source of pride. Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of the establishment of a specialised Constitutional Court, describing it as a key facet of the multiparty negotiations which preceded the country's transition to a fully-fledged democracy. He said that whilst some believed that existing structures, such as the Supreme Court, could perform this task, the African National Congress (ANC) advocated for a new court that was "untainted by the past". In the letter, he wrote that in March 2025, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council reflected on how the world was facing "a moment of profound instability", characterised by "conflict, democratic backsliding, right-wing populism with judicial independence being undermined". The council stressed the need for countries to strengthen democratic institutions "charged with safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms". Ramaphosa said South Africans can be proud that they continue to strive to live up to this obligation.
Eyewitness News
an hour ago
- Eyewitness News
A R700m National Dialogue limits the butterfly that SA is dying to become
South Africa is dying to become a butterfly. Mzansi has been locked in its chrysalis for far too long. This is evident in the social regression at the hands of leadership that continues to shoot in the dark. An adult butterfly goes through three stages before it can spread its wings and fly, namely the egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and adult. If the chrysalis represents transformation, let the adult butterfly take the place of social freedom since 1994, and it's clear that what could become an admirable creature is suffocating. It is still blood-curdling to think that for 31 years of democracy, the country is still grappling with inequality, high unemployment, of which the youth bear the brunt, rampant crime, gender-based violence (GBV), to name some of our stagnation thorns. President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Youth Month, announced a National Dialogue that will cost taxpayers R700 million. According to the Presidency, the National Dialogue seeks to afford all citizens the opportunity to thrash out the country's challenges and ways to remedy them. The first National Convention, the Presidency says, will play out as an all-inclusive process for citizens to partake as individuals or organised groups, the first of which will take place on 15 August, thus setting the agenda for the National Dialogue. It will be followed by nationwide discussions involving different 'sectors on issues that citizens feel deserve national attention', added the Presidency. Thereafter, the Presidency explains, a second National Convention will take place at the start of 2026 to consolidate the discussions into 'a common national vision and implementation programme'. HOW MANY TALK SHOPS DOES SOUTH AFRICA NEED? Are you telling me that at least R700 million is due to be spent on restructuring a society that bleeds absurd inequality? I believe the government is using the National Dialogue as a ruse to make citizens feel included and heard. But how long must we wait for tangible change? Time is running out for transformation and the reversal of our past injustices can be upended. What happened to the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030? (Another talk shop running out of time.) The 489-page NDP forward statement reads that it was devised "for the country to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030 through uniting South Africans, unleashing the energies of its citizens, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capability of the state and leaders working together to solve complex problems". Look around and see how far we are from the finish line. Advertise a vacancy and see the clout in terms of applicants because the official unemployment figure from Stats SA for the first quarter of 2025 is 32.9%. Moreover, the youth aged between 15 and 34 comprise 50.2% of the country's working-age citizens. There's also the invisible cohort that does not fit the youth bracket, who face being overlooked and disregarded, in an economy that has seen poor growth. To date, the economy saw growth of 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024, after a revised reduction in the previous year. Unemployed graduates, youth seeking any form of work and those who have given up on the toil of searching for a means to buy bread and butter it. They are in despair, they resort to all sorts of ways to honour their existence, and at times they choose destruction that takes many forms. Drugs, alcohol abuse, heavy depression, crime and leaning on nothing because there's no structure to fall back on. Many of the government's decisions are attacks on citizens. Go to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) on Harrisson Street at 5am and see the elderly queuing for the offices to open as they brave the chills because it's a few hours before the agency opens. This is due to a failure of the system of changing to Postbank black cards that was planned in the dark, and therefore renders beneficiaries hopeless. Sometimes, it's so dark that you don't realise that there are people until you see vapour escaping as they breathe or speak. Not far from there, there's the Department of Home Affairs, where the same scenario plays out. It's ineffable to observe this! In KwaZulu-Natal, Premier Thami Ntuli had no idea that schools were not properly financed before exams commenced. I could go on and on, but I doubt there's even a sense of urgency or pressure to see it materialise due to the snail's pace at which the nation is moving. SOME OF SOUTH AFRICA'S PILLARS OF DIALOGUE South Africa does have bodies whose agenda it is to remedy its social fabric and advancement in the current democratic dispensation through dialogue and outreach programmes. They include the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, all of which have since been represented in the National Dialogue after the Presidency cleared the air about media reports on their exclusion. "Media reports that certain foundations belonging to the stalwarts of the liberation struggle have been sidelined or overlooked are inaccurate," said the Presidency. How about channeling funds for youth empowerment initiatives, pragmatic ways of including the previously disenfranchised, and shortchanged by a system built to break them, in the mainstream economy, sorting out the mess that is the South African Social Security Agency, among others. SOUTH AFRICA IS WAITING TO SOAR Those elected to power really need to think hard about how citizens are overburdened by decision-makers, who are tone deaf, in a country that has so much potential for all to enjoy a decent existence free of suffering and despair. South Africa wants to merrily spread its wings and for its people to see and feel its beauty and enchantment. And this can only happen when the leadership makes honest assessments of blatant failures that are jolting to the transformation project and social justice.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
MKP joins escalating call for higher education Minister Nkabane to resign
Calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane have been escalated amid allegations of corruption at the Construction Sector Education and Training Authority (CETA) and claims that she misled Parliament. Image: GCIS The umKhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has joined the calls for the removal of Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, saying she is not fit to hold the position. The party was responding to the calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove Nkabane amid allegations of corruption at the Construction Sector Education and Training Authority (CETA) and claims that she misled Parliament. Nkabane is already under scrutiny for misleading the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education about the composition of the panel responsible for recommending appointments to the boards of Sector Education & Training Authorities (SETAs), which appointed ANC-aligned individuals. This week, fresh revelations emerged in reports that she ignored whistleblower reports detailing tender fraud and governance irregularities at CETA, which has a budget exceeding R20 billion. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The whistleblower, Tumiso Mphuthi, a suspended CETA senior manager, claimed that Nkabane repeatedly ignored her corruption complaints against CEO Malusi Shezi. Mphuthi alleged that Shezi rigged tenders awarding contracts to unqualified bidders, yet no investigation was launched despite her submitting evidence to multiple authorities. MKP MP, Mnqobi Msenzane, said these activities show that Nkabane was not fit for the office, adding that she has displayed a serious level of incompetence. He said the challenges at CETA were not an island, adding that they include other institutions such as the Services SETA, which date back prior to the arrival of the current CEO. Msenzane said Nkabane created chaos in all SETAs, including her attempt to appoint highly political, conflicted individuals to be board chairpersons of SETAs, and her closest friends who were board members of the Energy and Water SETA (EWSETA). 'Due to pressures exerted by MK Party MPs and other committee members, the Minister has since withdrawn the corrupt appointments. "As if nothing worse could have tragically visited the SETAs, the Minister proceeded by misleading the Portfolio Committee on the existence of the so-called Independent Panel, which the Minister must still come and answer to the Committee for her shocking transgressions.' He said Nkabane also delayed the appointments of the SETA board for two months, adding that this has placed the SETAs in disarray, there is a corporate governance breakdown that have seen Auditor General (AG) reports delayed. He said this would delay the strategic planning and directions of the SETAs, as well as mandatory grant approval. 'There will be high surpluses in revenues, spending will be less, leading to a hindrance to economic growth. Some stipends and bursaries will not be paid. As things stand, SETAs are similarly under administration currently,' he said. Nkabane's spokesperson, Camagwini Mavovana, said questions should be referred to Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, who did not respond. Meanwhile, the DA said it has also filed a complaint with the Public Protector, following the revelation that Nkabane misled Parliament. 'The DA also believes that the level of deceit and misleading of Parliament violates the Executive Members Ethics Code, for which the Public Protector has jurisdiction to investigate and make findings – and therefore the DA has reported Minister Nkabane to the Public Protector for investigation into the serious breach of the Executive Members Ethics Code in numerous counts of misleading Parliament,' the party said. Prominent academic Prof Malegapuru Makgoba has joined calls for her resignation. In an opinion piece published in the Sunday Times, former University of KwaZulu-Natal vice-chancellor and national health ombud, Makgoba said the only honourable course for Nkabane was to quit, adding that she had disgraced Ramaphosa and publicly embarrassed him, the higher education and her department. 'She brought this sector into disrepute and her continued presence in the position of Minister continues to damage this vulnerable sector, he said.
