
PICS: Sleeves rolled up for a cleaner Vaal
MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, MEC Jacob Mamabolo has mobilized comprehensive support for Emfuleni Local Municipality's '#OperationPhakamaVaal' , an initiative led by Executive Mayor Councillor Sipho Radebe aimed at cleaning up all illegal dumping sites across the region.
This impactful campaign is scheduled to run until 8 June 2025, with the goal of restoring dignity and cleanliness to the community.
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The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Action SA slams Emfuleni's service delivery failures
SEDIBENG. – On its own, it is impossible for the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) to deliver service to the community! ActionSA in Sedibeng said that the recently cleaning campaign partnership between the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in South Africa (COGTA) in Gauteng and the ELM indicates that the municipality is not capable of service delivery. Dubbed Operation Phakama Vaal, it was supported by the Gauteng provincial government, and its main focus is to bring back service delivery and confidence in the community. The Gauteng provincial government said that the operation also aimed, among others, to encourage communities to keep the environment clean. The Gauteng provincial government said that the initiative followed the recent Provincial Integrated Service Delivery Programme visit that seeks to address service delivery issues, including crime, infrastructure maintenance, and waste management, amongst other things. The operation focused on Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark, Evaton, and Vereeniging, mainly tackling illegal dumping, promoting recycling, and restoring neglected public space. Bongani Dhlamini, ActionSA's Regional Chair, said, 'This is a clear indication that Emfuleni on its own is no longer capable of handling service delivery for the residents of Emfuleni, thus the (our) call for placing Emfuleni under administration and we will take it up with the Gauteng Provincial Legislature,' he said. Meanwhile, the party launched branches for Wards 6 and 18 in preparation for the upcoming 2026 local government elections. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!


The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Eastern Cape floods will not be used as a get-rich-quick scheme, says acting premier
The damage of the floods is estimated to be around R4 billion. Eastern Cape Finance MEC and Acting Premier Mlungisi Mvoko has cautioned that funds allocated to assist victims of recent devastating floods should not be misused for personal gain. A memorial service was held in Decoligny village, Mthatha, on Thursday following the loss of more than 90 lives due to heavy rains that swept across the province last week. The floods, which struck the OR Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities, have left many families displaced. Temporary shelters have since been set up, and essential items such as meals, clothing and hygiene products are being distributed to affected communities. Eastern Cape floods: Government pledges support Speaking at Thursday's memorial, Mvoko reaffirmed government's commitment to supporting those impacted by the disaster. 'Premier Oscar Mabuyane said this day shouldn't be for long speeches, but he said I should leave words of hope and the government's commitment in helping the victims of the disaster,' he said. The MEC highlighted the severe impact the floods have had on infrastructure across the province. 'The relentless rain, roaring winds and floodwaters have taken their toll not just on our infrastructure, but also on our people, our communities and our collective sense of safety. ALSO READ: Eastern Cape floods: Police vow to 'wake morals' of looters 'The floods have tested us, but rest assured, we will rebuild the affected communities. 'More than 4 300 people have been affected by the recent disaster in our province. Households are destroyed. More than 4 200 households have been destroyed.' According to Mvoko, 1 963 households have suffered partial roof damage. Additionally, over 400 schools have been affected, with more than 1 500 classrooms damaged – impacting over 40 000 pupils. 'We have not listed damaged roads, bridges, hospitals and water infrastructure, but for now we estimate the damage to be around R4 billion.' Watch the memorial below: 'Get-rich-quick scheme' With the Eastern Cape officially declared a disaster zone, Mvoko condemned those attempting to exploit the tragedy for personal or financial gain – a possible reference to reports of 'water mafias' obstructing the work of humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers. 'We have observed acts of cruelty where individuals want to benefit from this disaster…. People want to take advantage of disaster zones. They want to be the ones who benefit.' He stressed that corruption in the disbursement of aid would not be tolerated. READ MORE: Eastern Cape floods: Police vow to 'wake morals' of looters 'This tragedy should not and will not be used as a get-rich-quick scheme, where there are people who want to see money from the disaster. 'Any funds dedicated to it will be used prudently to help our people rebuild their lives. 'We ask representatives of government that when the money is received, which is meant to help people, it should be used for what it is intended for.' Mvoko further urged individuals to refrain from misusing or hoarding relief supplies, emphasising that food parcels should not be taken for themselves. Eastern Cape floods death toll Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane described the disaster as 'unprecedented,' with the current death toll at 92. 'We are deeply saddened by the horrific human tragedy,' she said. 'We don't want to count more numbers of people who have departed, but we appreciate that it is important for families to find closure,' Simelane continued. The minister said that efforts to restore water and electricity services are ongoing in the affected parts of the Eastern Cape, excluding the areas still too wet for access. 'The Department of Home Affairs is still on site giving assistance to all community members who need their paperwork,' Simelane added. She further confirmed that some pupils had returned to school. Additionally, public infrastructure, such as bridges, are being rebuilt. NOW READ: 'This is a catastrophic disaster': Ramaphosa visits devastated families after deadly EC floods

IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
Julius Malema to honour fallen EFF members at mass funeral following tragic bus accident
Julius Malema is expected to return to KwaZulu-Natal for a mass funeral of party supporters who died in a bus and truck accident recently. Image: EFF EFF leader Julius Malema and the top leadership of the party are expected to return to KwaZulu-Natal to attend the mass funeral of the party members that died in a bus accident. Ten party supporters died and scores of others were injured when their bus collided with a long-haul truck near Vryheid, north of the province, on Monday night. They were returning from the party's Youth Day commemoration rally, which was held at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, south of Durban, on Monday. Malema's return to the province was confirmed by the party provincial secretary, Vukani Ndlovu, on Thursday. According to Ndlovu, the party's top leadership would attend the mass funeral over the weekend in remembrance of the fallen heroes and heroines. 'We are expecting our Commander-In-Chief, Julius Malema, and the top national leadership to come back to the province to honour the funeral of our tragically departed fighters.' He said the funeral will take place on Saturday in Vryheid, but the venue still needs to be confirmed, adding that the party is finalising the preparations, including securing a ground or an open space to erect marquees. The party will also carry all funeral costs. Ndlovu said 37 injured people have been discharged, except four who are still in the hospital. Provincial Transport MEC Siboniso Duma visited the scene with department officials, visiting the hospital to see the injured passengers as well as the families of the deceased. Although police are still investigating the cause of the accident, it is believed it was caused by poor visibility in the early hours of darkness, which may have led the bus driver to not be able to see the truck. The MEC said both the SAPS and Road Traffic Management Cooperation will conduct a comprehensive investigation to establish the cause of the accident; however, he received conflicting versions about what happened from the survivors. 'There are allegations that the bus driver tried to overtake. Other survivors have alleged that the bus driver fell asleep at the steering wheel. We do not want to speculate at this stage. We are confident that the investigation will shed light. Critically, we have in the past expressed our concerns about accidents involving trucks,' said Duma. The MEC said trucks are not supposed to be on this road in the first place and should be using the N2, adding that many innocent lives have been lost due to a huge number of trucks on the roads. The truck was believed to be headed to the Richards Bay port to offload coal for export. Over 303,000 trucks, or almost 6,000 trucks every week on average, used the Richards Bay port in the 2024 fiscal year, according to Transnet, Duma stated. He said it has been stated that the port's infrastructure was originally designed for a much smaller volume of trucks, approximately 200 per day. 'Working with the national government, we are doubling our efforts to ensure that we strengthen plans to move cargo from road to rail,' concludes Duma. [email protected]