Latest news with #DA
The Hindu
37 minutes ago
- Business
- The Hindu
3.5 lakh plantation workers still receive only ₹2 per day as DA
As many as 3.5 lakh permanent plantation workers in the State are not receiving adequate Dearness Allowance (DA), according to a Right to Information (RTI) response. The response was given to an RTI petition filed by Karim Ibrahim from Munnar, a plantation worker. According to the reply, there were 87 sections of workers included in the Minimum Wages Act, and only the plantation sector workers were receiving inadequate DA. The plantation workers are supposed to receive ₹87.40 per day as DA. 'However, now the plantation workers are receiving only ₹2 per day as DA whereas the average DA for the other 86 sectors is ₹87.40 per day,' said Mr. Ibrahim. 'For the past 50 years, the DA has not increased for the plantation sector,' he added. To President According to officials, the 3.5 lakh permanent workers from tea, coffee, cardamom, and rubber plantations are part of the plantation sector. 'We submitted a memorandum to the President of India demanding action to increase the DA, who then directed the State government to take steps for this. Based on the direction, the Labour Commissioner as well as the Minimum Wages Advisory Board recommended to raise the DA. However, the Plantation Labour Committee (PLC) meeting on May 15, 2024, decided against this,' he said. 'The PLC is not a statutory committee to make such a decision,' added Mr. Ibrahim. According to workers, the PLC is the final body to make a decision regarding the DA for the plantation sector. 'Representatives of government, Labour Commissioners, trade union leaders, and plantation owners were included in the PLC committee. However, even the trade unions did not advocate for DA raise for the plantation workers,' he said. Price index Sources said that the Economics and Statistics department calculates the DA for plantation workers using a price index. The documents secured from the State Statistics department showed that the basic point based on which the plantation workers' DA is calculated increased from 400 to 3,659 points in the past three decades. However, this was not reflected in the DA, according to sources. High Range Plantation Employees Union (INTUC) president Cyriac Thomas said that in every meeting, the INTUC demanded for a DA raise for the plantation workers in the State. 'We will continue the demand in the next PLC meeting as well,' said Mr. Thomas. The plantation workers are planning to move the Kerala High Court regarding the issue.
The Citizen
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Nkomazi Local Municipality CFO suspended
The CFO of the Nkomazi Local Municipality, Steven Thobela, has been put on suspension pending an investigation into his alleged financial misconduct. The municipality suspended Thobela with effect from last week Friday, June 13, following a council resolution that was taken at the KaMdladla Community Hall. 'The suspension stems from several allegations of financial misconduct against the CFO. The suspension will allow proper investigation to be undertaken and also allow the official to clear his name if the allegations are not true,' said the municipality's spokesperson, Mbuso Malale. Sipho Mathaba has been appointed as an acting CFO pending the finalisation of the investigations against Thobela. Malale refused to elaborate on the merits of the investigations saying it was sub-judice. Thobela's suspension comes just a month after the municipal manager (MM) Xolani Mabila resigned without giving reasons. ALSO READ: Nkomazi court sentences rapist to 12 years in jail According to Malale, the reasons for Mabila's resignation remained close to his own chest, but unconfirmed reports suggested it was related to alleged corruption within the municipality The suspension of the CFO and the resignation of the MM come in the midst of serious corruption allegations by the DA against the municipality. The DA councillor in the Nkomazi Local Municipality, Nhlonipho Dlamini, said the party urged the provincial Department of Co-operative Governance Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) to intervene in the alleged corruption within the municipality. The DA in Nkomazi will write to Coghsta to investigate municipal officials implicated in the delay of upgrading the Naas Water Treatment Works project. The project which aimed to alleviate water challenges for residents around Naas and neighbouring towns was initiated in September 2020. However, the project has cost the municipality over R39m to date and has been delayed by more than two years,' said Dlamini in a statement. 'It is understood that the project was supposed to be completed in different phases. However, according to the Auditor-General's 2023/24 Management Report, the municipality has poorly managed this project. These are some of the alarming findings that the AG flagged,' added Dlamini. 'These items include mechanical and electrical equipment to the value of R2m. The municipality stored some of the equipment to the value of R7m off-site while there is no written agreement with suppliers regarding warranty and insurance,' said Dlamini. ALSO READ: City of Mbombela sounds alarm on tender scam According to him, at some point, the contractor had halted the project due to cash flow problems and that the municipality had failed to impose penalties against the contractor. 'The municipality paid for equipment before it was procured by the contractor from the supplier (up to 15 months in advance). It was also revealed that at some point the municipality failed to efficiently dispatch water tankers to communities affected by the upgrading of the Naas water treatment works project,' Dlamini said. 'Coghsta must intervene and regulate the implementation of infrastructure projects. It cannot be business as usual while money meant for service delivery is misused,' added Dlamini At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- General
- The Citizen
Crèches are now ready to fight fires
Crèches are now ready to fight fires Tshwane has delivered fire safety equipment, including serviced and upgraded extinguishers, hose reels and hydrants, to nine early childhood development centres in regions 3 and 6. This comes after a routine inspection by the DA caucus's Section 79 Community and Social Development oversight committee, chaired by Phuti Kwenaite. 'Recently, we pointed out there are maintenance elements that have been neglected in Tshwane's ECDs.' She said the fire extinguisher problem was supposed to be addressed two years ago. Kwenaite highlighted the significant risk posed when fire extinguishers are neither present nor functional. 'It is a big risk for the extinguishers not to be there and functioning. 'This is why the fire department took some time for some of these ECDs to open.' MMC for Corporate and Shared Services Kholofelo Morodi confirmed that Tshwane has completed the servicing and upgrading of fire-fighting equipment, with a sharp focus on ECD centres. She said the initiative, executed by Group Property Management, ensures full compliance with national safety standards, specifically SANS 10400 Part T (fire safety) and SANS 1475 (fire extinguishers). Marodi added that these mandate the installation, maintenance and servicing of portable fire suppression equipment. 'It includes the maintenance of fire extinguishers, hose reels, and hydrants and forms part of the city's annual fire safety programme.' She said these maintenance efforts signal a broader shift in Tshwane's multiparty coalition prioritising the safety of employees, children and communities. Marodi added that maintaining a safe workplace supports an efficient municipality and reflects Tshwane's commitment to this principle. 'Reinforcing Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards remains pivotal to protecting employees and service users. 'This intervention forms part of an ongoing effort to strengthen internal systems, promote compliance, and safeguard infrastructure, all aimed at delivering reliable and dignified services to residents.' ALSO READ: Mamelodi youth punches back at crime through boxing Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
GMA Network
9 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DA, PNP boost anti-smuggling campaign
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is intensifying its anti-smuggling campaign after discovering the sale of suspected smuggled onions in Paco Market in Manila. On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA will partner with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the crackdown against smuggled agricultural products they discovered smuggled onions being sold in the market. The imported red onions are larger and cleaner than local varieties. It also surfaced in markets despite the absence of import permits, he added. 'We did not give any permits to anybody since early this year. Lahat ng imported onions sa lahat ng palengke ay smuggled iyan,' said Laurel Jr. 'It's the directive of President Bongbong Marcos to stop smuggling—that's why we now have this law,' he said. The DA will conduct lab testing of seized onions to ensure they are not a public health threat. Previous inspections found traces of E. coli and heavy metals in smuggled white onions. 'But of course, our target remains the so-called 'big fish.' We will raid warehouses with the help of the PNP,' said Tiu Laurel. Meanwhile, the DA said they are also eyeing to train police officers to distinguish between locally produced and imported agricultural products, including pork, as part of efforts to strengthen the government's anti-smuggling campaign. In October 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12022 into law, which repeals the 2016 Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act and introduces tougher, more comprehensive enforcement mechanisms.—VAL, GMA Integrated News
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Mpumalanga silent on 21 000 missing HIV patients
About 21 000 HIV patients have disappeared from Mpumalanga's treatment system, yet officials remain unclear or deny the extent of the crisis. The Mpumalanga department of health seems uninterested in addressing the problem of about 21 000 HIV/Aids patients who were on treatment disappearing without a trace. During a recent interview with SABC News, health MEC Sasekani Manzini conceded that some patients were missing and said she was optimistic the newly launched HIV campaign 'will help trace people who defaulted on their HIV treatment. 'In this number of 21 000 are those people who have taken treatment before and defaulted and those who have never taken treatment.' About 21 000 HIV patients disappeared from treatment system Surprisingly, yesterday, Mpumalanga department of health spokesperson Dumisani Malamule said: 'The department is not aware of any 21 000 HIV/Aids patients that have disappeared from our database. 'The MEC launched a campaign on 16 May, 2025, in collaboration with the Mpumalanga Provincial Aids Council (MPAC) and other stakeholders in the health sector as part of the province`s ongoing interventions to enhance uptake of life-saving HIV treatment to ensure 95% of people diagnosed with HIV receive and adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) to achieve viral suppression.' ALSO READ: South Africa's health advocacy groups: 'Health failing to shield kids from HIV' 'The HIV treatment campaign objective is to close the gap by putting an additional 1.1 million people nationally, while Mpumalanga's target is 134 000, who are living with HIV but are not on treatment by the end of December. All our quality HIV/ Aids treatment care services are continuing very well,' said Malamule. Last year, MPAC chair Sonto Nkosi conceded that the province was facing a problem of patients disappearing. She called on government to locate them and offer the necessary support. DA spokesperson on health in Mpumalanga Bosman Grobler said the party welcomed the fact that the department launched a provincial campaign to get an extra 150 000 people on ARV treatment, but expressed concern about the 21 000 people who are missing. Concern over missing patients He said they would be encouraging people to be on treatment and those who had stopped must also be located. 'We are concerned about the 21 000 Mpumalanga ARV patients that have vanished from the system. This is troubling because the viral load of these patients will increase and it will be easy for them to infect their partners with the virus.' ALSO READ: Over 8 000 SA healthcare jobs lost – and more could follow – after US Pepfar aid cuts 'The DA believes that if these patients are not found as soon as possible, it might reflect negatively on the province's viral load and derail the action of getting more people on ARV treatment. At present, Mpumalanga has the second-highest HIV viral load in South Africa.' Grobler urged the department to conduct door-to-door and radio campaigns to teach about adhering to ARV treatment. He said the department must try by all means necessary to get the 21 000 missing patients to come back to their facilities so that they can get their treatment. Mpumalanga has highest HIV prevalence of all provinces According to the South African HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey released in 2024, Mpumalanga has the highest HIV prevalence of all provinces (17.4%), meaning that the province has 890 000 people living with HIV. The Mpumalanga department of health has reported that of the 890 000 HIV-positive people in the province, 630 000 are currently on ARV treatment. ALSO READ: Inside SA government's confused response to the USAid funding crisis Statistics show that South Africa has 7.8 million people living with HIV/Aids and at least 5.9 million are on ARV treatment.
