Latest news with #R1-billion
IOL News
4 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
What you, the reader, have to say about the world at large: Letters to the Editor
Rise up young people for you are our future In a post-match interview after the test match triumph national cricket captain Temba Bavuma remarked that he is more than a black cricketer. To be recognised as more than a black cricketer is special. Temba Bavuma you are enough. Temba Bavuma you are beyond peoples imaginations and inferiority complexes. Temba Bavuma you are a special human being. The national youth commission act of 1996 defines young people in South Africa between the ages of 14 and 35. The youth of 1976 had to struggle and sacrifice for their rights and privileges. We honour their legacy, tenacity and vision. The right and dignity to learn in any language should forever be a platform for destiny and not a platform of destruction. History portrays the 1976 youth protesting for equality and freedom. As a young person Temba Bavuma had to similarly protest through his cricket ability for the God given right to shine. Despite the trappings and limitations bestowed upon him directly and indirectly by society and the racial legacy of apartheid, Bavuma stood tall with hope arising evermore. The truth, however, is that their are many Temba Bavuma's still fighting, protesting quietly waiting, working, dreaming for their moment. Let us not be the barriers that limits the potential of young people who are more than ready to shine under the African sun. History cannot repeat itself. The youth of 1976 fought for better. The youth of 1976 died so that freedom can not only be imagined but lived. Let us not be the gatekeepers of people's dreams and ideals, let us give young people especially an opportunity to rise up beyond our fears. The future and best of South Africa is here and lives amongst us. Young people we acknowledge you, we recognise you, we see you. Young people you are our champions. Rise up and be counted. Hope is rising! | Steven John Bam Southfield All talk and no action makes him a dull man Last Tuesday, the president unveiled a grand plan to rescue South Africa: A national dialogue with all role players to discuss the country's crisis and find solutions. A convention kicks off on August 15, led by 31 eminent figures from across society. It won't end there – the process will continue beyond the opening event. While some welcomed the Indaba, others were sceptical. The EFF dismissed it as another elite gathering. Analyst Siyabonga Ntombela called it more lip service – just talk to cover up the failings of a corrupt, inept, government. South Africa has been full of talk for decades – commissions, inquiries, conferences, committees. What came of the R1-billion Zondo Commission? Were any big fish jailed? Thousands of hours wasted in meetings. Now this 'dialogue' is budgeted at R700 million. After endless speeches and banquets, delegates will retreat to their mansions and chauffeurs – while the poor freeze in shacks. Will this change their lives? You're dreaming. Ramaphosa knows full well what's wrong – anyone on the street can tell him: ANC politics. He already has the tools to govern. What has his bloated GNU cabinet achieved? Ministers enjoy banquets and joy rides on the taxpayer's back – R202m in travel and accommodation since July. Deputy President Paul Mashatile alone spent millions on trips with his wife. The government may be ineffective, but it excels at making millionaires: 55 000 state employees have hit that mark. It echoes the royalty before the French Revolution. Ramaphosa lacks the courage, will and determination to fix the mess. The dialogue is a deflection. Forced into coalition, he now wants to look inclusive. But this is just another ploy – all talk, no action. | T Markandan Kloof Disappearance by design or death? It is my firm belief that Markus Jooste, former CEO of Steinhoff, never committed suicide. The alleged gunshot death on March 21, 2024 – just a day before his arrest warrant – was likely a calculated vanishing act, aided by corrupt police and complicit politicians. Recent revelations reported by the Daily News support this view: no post-mortem, no morgue number, and no evidence of the weapon used. Jooste, fined R475 million by the FSCA for looting state pension funds, simply disappeared. This echoes the mysterious death of Gavin Watson, CEO of Bosasa, who allegedly died in a car crash in 2019. His demise was steeped in doubt – a private pathologist even suggested he died before the accident. Jacob Zuma, speaking at the funeral, hinted at assassination. Watson was deeply entangled in state capture, securing R12 billion in tenders and funding ANC campaigns. Another example: Thabo Bester, the convicted murderer and rapist, who faked his own death in a prison fire and fled the country in 2022. He was later recaptured in Tanzania. And Brett Kebble, the mining magnate fatally shot in 2005 – seven bullets, but an 'assisted suicide.' Investigations revealed he orchestrated his own killing to escape financial collapse and criminal exposure. A disturbing pattern emerges: powerful, politically connected figures facing justice, who conveniently die, or vanish, under suspicious circumstances. These men lived by greed, corruption, and the pursuit of influence. As a nation, we must commit to the truth. For now, speculation thrives and fuels a growing public mistrust. Whether these were genuine deaths or choreographed disappearances, the signs are clear: South Africa's elite may be escaping justice – again. | Kevin Govender Umhlatuzana Israel doesn't give two hoots about peace Israel's unprovoked military assault on Iran, a sovereign country, violates international law and is a shameless act of imperialist violence that needs to be unequivocally condemned. African countries, Asian countries and Middle Eastern countries need to take a lesson from apartheid Israel's 'self-defence' and 'pre-emptive strike'. Most Western countries, including Israel, are not interested in negotiations and peaceful co-existence. Why will the US support a strike on Iran and at the same time coerce Iran to the negotiating table. China, North Korea, Russia are viewed as major hurdles to the goals of US imperialists around the globe, especially in the Middle East and its Arabian Gulf. The vast amount of oil and gas resources in that region and the important waterway for global trade is of significant geopolitical interest to the imperialist countries. Hence, Iran, a key ally to both Russia and China, needs to be tamed in order for America and its imperialist allies to achieve their objectives. It is time that the ordinary people in the Middle East to rise up against their regimes and bring about a life of dignity for all. The occupation of Palestine must end, the genocide in Gaza and these imperialists wars must be stopped. While the world is focused on Iran, the criminal and inhuman conditions of the lived realities in Gaza must not be forgotten. | MOHAMED SAEED Pietermaritzburg If DA is pro LGBTQ, why support them? In a recent letter by a DA MPL, his cries for support of this controversial initiative hints at how desperately the LGBTQ community wants to be seen as a normal facet of society, when, in reality, it's a very unusual group of people trying to act normal. Personally, I cannot accept it when, during these LGBTQ rallies, all sorts of sexual acts are performed and unusual behaviour of humans are tolerated for the sake of sympathising with these groups of people. One has to remember that our children are always watching, learning and taking it in and processing it as normal, when, in most homes, they are taught that there are only two genders. If anything, these highly offensive, in-your-face rallies cause more harm than raise awareness of so-called 'diversity and inclusion'. We have to be so careful what we put on display for our youth to witness and take away from such experiences. I won't encourage anyone who believes in biblical values to attend the June 28 march. That we are a predominantly Christian nation, should make us wonder if the DA still deserves our support, given it's ties with the LGBTQ agenda, as well as it's involvement with the World Economic Forum. How can we, as believers of Jesus the Christ, accept these atrocities? I call it an atrocity because the impact it is having on our youngsters is devastating and it only creates confusion and opens doors to unusual human behaviour. Regarding the DA's tolerance of Klaus Schwab's Orwellian tendencies and totalitarian tactics, I can only assume that we are in for a completely digitised future where everything we do will be under surveillance and we will literally be put in a digital cage, forfeiting most of our freedoms for an assumed 'more efficient home affairs'. I'd like to challenge the DA leadership to refocus and realign itself with the values that we as South Africans expect from a government who regard biblical principles very highly, or have we now sacrificed these principles at the altar of 'diversity and inclusion' to garner more support and pretend that we care about everyone and want to please every soul? Wake up DA. | L Oosthuizen Durban Keyboard politicos deserve no respect As we are fast approaching the 2026 Local Government Elections, we will see more people jumping political ships for their own selfish gains. Most political parties abandon their own hard-working activists and parachute careerists into positions of power, but these overnight keyboard politicians have no people's interests at heart but to advance their own personal interests Parties have attracted opportunists and careerists who would never have had the courage and devotion to principles and values that were required during the worst times. Though servant leadership requires members of the highest calibre, today's politics attract people who are contemptuous of all notions of patriotism and serving the people, who are driven by a value system characterised by the pursuit of personal wealth at all costs. They join with great ease that procedures permit with the sole aim of furthering their personal careers and using their access to state power to enrich themselves. Many see their membership as a means to advance their personal ambitions, to attain positions of power and access to resources for their own individual gratification .We have an inescapable responsibility to attend to these matters frankly and decisively, one of these negative features is the emergence of careerism in politics. | Thulani Dasa Khayelitsha DAILY NEWS
Eyewitness News
13-06-2025
- Eyewitness News
There are more than 20,000 unfinished RDP houses in the Free State
A couple in Bolata village in the eastern Free State have waited 14 years for their RDP home to be finished. Theirs is one of more than 20,000 Breaking New Ground (BNG, formerly known as RDP) houses in the province that are incomplete, says Zimasa Mbewu, spokesperson for the Free State Department of Human Settlements. These projects are 'blocked' mainly because contractors failed to complete the work they have been paid for. Toloko Mofokeng and his wife Monyaduwe Tshabalala were allocated an RDP house in 2011, to be built on a piece of land where they lived. A contractor arrived the same year but left without doing anything. A second contractor left after levelling the ground. A third contractor put in a concrete slab before also abandoning the project. Fourteen years later, the couple live in a shack next to the slab. The shack leaks when it rains and will need to be rebuilt soon. Mofokeng, tired of waiting, says he is considering building his own mud hut on the concrete foundation. Mbewu says the department has scrapped contractors who left work undone and 'blocked' housing projects, including Mofokeng's home, will be completed over the next two years. She declined to name the contractors responsible for Mofokeng's incomplete house, as disputes over payment were still taking place. LONG HISTORY OF HOUSING FAILURES The Zondo Commission found that between 2010 and 2011, under former Premier Ace Magashule, about R1-billion was spent on housing projects in the Free State, many of which were never completed. In 2014, the province entered into a R255-million corrupt tender for the removal of asbestos roofs. That trial is continuing. In 2021, the Auditor General wrote that for three years, the housing department had spent most of the grants received for housing but had delivered 'significantly fewer houses than the target', with no consequences for contractors who failed to meet their targets. In 2024, the Auditor General commended the department on improving internal controls, but the department only reported completing 50 Breaking New Ground houses against a target of 2,065. The Auditor General found there was insufficient evidence that even 50 houses had been built. 'I could not determine the actual achievement, but I estimated it to be materially less than reported,' the Auditor General wrote. This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
Daily Maverick
08-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
‘No problem,' says Joburg as R1bn tender goes to officials' families or friends
The City of Johannesburg defends the award of massive transport contracts to politically connected families, despite concerns from the Auditor-General and civic watchdogs A week after Auditor-General revealed that the City of Johannesburg had awarded R972-million in dodgy family-linked tenders, city spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane has confirmed that the metro government sees no problem and will not investigate. Six awards (or contracts) valued at almost R1-billion were made to the family of either a city official or councillor for the extension of the BRT/Rea Vaya bus system in 2023. The extension of the city transport service is eight years behind schedule, and a final deadline for the end of 2024 was also missed. 'There is no regulatory provision that prohibits the Municipality to award contracts to the category of people in question (spouse, child or parent of a person in service of state either actively or in the past twelve months). Therefore, the question whether the City failed in oversight and due diligence is misplaced,' said Modingoane. The Auditor-General has a different view. 'Although there is no legislation that prohibits municipalities from making awards to suppliers in which close family members or business associates of employees or councillors have an interest, such awards create conflicts of interest for these employees or councillors and/or their close family members or business associates. The possibility of undue influence cannot be discounted, especially if the person could have influenced the procurement processes for these awards, potentially creating opportunities for irregularities.' While Modingoane confirmed the awards were made for the BRT/Rea Vaya extension, he would not provide further details. He said the connected council official had not sat in on the award decision. Asked if the award would be rescinded or investigated, Modingoane said, 'To rescind such an award will be unlawful and the Municipality will be exposed to litigation risks as a result'. He said that the transactions had been disclosed in the city's annual financial statements as required by law, and no further investigation was necessary. BRT-Rea Vaya veers off track When cities commit to ending spatial inequality (which means that poor black people live on the outskirts while the middle and wealthy classes live in the city near opportunities and amenities), there are two ways to do so: provide transport for workers to get to economic opportunities or increase social housing near jobs. In Johannesburg, the rapid bus transport system was an innovative idea to mediate apartheid planning by making it cheap, easy and fast for workers living on the city's outskirts to go into town, to where they worked, or to get around. The city, which began as a gold mining town, was built along the ultimate apartheid master plan. Black people were housed in dormitory towns and suburbs far out of the white city in enclaves easily controlled by security forces if they resisted – the violent response to the 1976 student rebellion was the obvious example of how it worked. The BRT/Rea Vaya incorporates the taxi industry and co-owns two companies that run the system, PioTrans and Litsamaiso. The city pays BRT/Rea Vaya for trips made. The system has not been without conflict, especially with PioTrans. Its expansion to the north (the so-called Phase 1C) of the project has fallen prey to serial infrastructure and leadership weaknesses that beset local government, which Maluleke highlighted. The city has expanded north, and job opportunities are increasingly available in the new nodes. Phase 1C would almost double the number of buses and take people to where the opportunities are. But new stations lie dormant as delays have repeatedly impacted on roll-out. The weaknesses include corruption (as the R972-million contracts suggest), institutional capacity, effective project governance, ineffective planning, procurement and contract management weaknesses and a lack of accountability for poor performance. Maluleke's report lays bare all these factors. Phase 1C is eight years behind schedule, and the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) missed a pledge to get it running by the end of 2024. Daily Maverick regularly tracks the route to check, and progress is still far from complete. This detracts from the effort to end spatial inequality and get young people into jobs — Gauteng and Johannesburg have among the highest youth unemployment rates. Because it is subsidised, trips on the Rea Vaya are cheaper than other forms of public transport. Intervention delivers little Johannesburg is under soft intervention by the Presidency because of its rapidly collapsing infrastructure and services, but after 100 days, most residents say the impacts on the ground are imperceptible. In the past week, there have been multiday water cuts in the east of the city and power outages in the near west and across the inner city as underground fires roar through cabling. Last week, Mayor Dada Morero launched a 'bomb squad' to help him improve city management. MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene said, 'I have not heard anything about it (the R972-million dodgy tenders).' He said he would investigate and revealed that when he started his job in 2021, R23-million had been stolen from the BRT and officials had been suspended, but reinstated after the ANC intervened. He had ensured they exited as part of an anti-corruption plan, he told Daily Maverick. Failing management Johannesburg's audit outcome was unqualified with findings. (For context: the board of a private sector CEO of a company with a budget of R88-billion – Joburg's budget – would sack a CEO for this outcome.) The city lost R2.9-billion in water and R4.93 billion in electricity. Auditors ensured city finance officials reduced fruitless and wasteful expenditure to R1.48-million in 2023/24. Over the past three years, this figure stood at R354-million. The AG said the quality of its submitted statements was poor, but good on publication after remediation. The quality of its performance reports was poor. The overall status of its financial controls was poor. The BRT/Rea Vaya delays symbolise this failing management. The AG also found that 'The City of Johannesburg did not coordinate effectively with its entities. This was due to misalignment between the metro and its entities on expectations and plans, obligations, budgets and timelines for the successful delivery of key projects.' The DA has lodged a formal complaint with the Special Investigating Unit over the R1-billion in awards to companies that are linked to current and former councillors, said its head of caucus, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku. 'This shocking report paints a grim picture of a city where public money is seemingly treated as a personal piggy bank by those elected to serve it. At a time when Joburg's streets are crumbling, power outages are the norm and basic service delivery is in freefall, it is unacceptable that councillors may be benefiting from a broken procurement system.' Risk is that nothing will be done – Corruption Watch 'The worrying thing is that it is a sizeable amount – it may be six officials (or six awards to one official) or their relatives who cost Joburg residents just under R1-billion. 'The official response is quite disturbing. The biggest risk is that nothing will be done, and another big transport infrastructure is threatened. Metro governments are regressing in terms of their reports to the Auditor-General,' said Moepeng Talane of Corruption Watch, who assesses all AG reports for the organisation. 'It's worrying and urgently needs the intervention of the provincial governments,' she said. DM
Daily Maverick
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Nelson Mandela Bay councillors demand answers about spending of flood disaster grants
Councillors have accused Nelson Mandela Bay's acting city manager of dodging questions about the municipality's spending of flood disaster grants. In a rare moment of unity, councillors from across the political spectrum agreed that they were unable to get proper answers over Nelson Mandela Bay's use of two flood disaster grants to repair infrastructure in Kariega. On 1 June 2024, a cloudburst in Kariega led to flooding that caused the deaths of at least 10 people and destroyed two vital bridges and several roads, while more than 1,000 people were displaced. The metro received two tranches of disaster grants after the floods to start repairing infrastructure damage estimated at R1-billion. The first tranche was for R53-million and the second for R89-million. DA councillor Johnny Faltein, seconded by councillor Franay van de Linde, this week sought clarity over the state of repairs specifically for the two canals in Kariega that are supposed to function as flood mitigation measures, but which have fallen into disrepair. Both councillors said they were very worried as three days of heavy rain are predicted for Nelson Mandela Bay next week. The South African Weather Service has issued a Level 2 flood warning. Van de Linde said she was upset when she heard at a recent meeting of the Budget and Treasury Directorate that there was no money for the repair of the canals. The leader of the DA in Nelson Mandela Bay, Rano Kayser, accused acting city manager Ted Pillay of misleading the council and asked for answers. Kayser said that as the metro was now at the end of its financial year, there was a good chance that the city would lose the R53-million grant funding due to underspending. 'But are we at risk of losing the other R89-million funding as well? There are no contractors on site,' he said. The ANC's councillor Bongani Mani said they were hearing 'scary things' about the disaster funding. 'Acting City Manager, are you confident that this will not result in egg on our faces?' he asked. 'We want it on record.' He said he was tired of receiving the 'same boring answers' about the spending of the grants. Pillay said a decision had been made to reduce the four projects that were originally planned to two. 'Only two can be implemented. We have to find funding for the other two,' he said. This included the repair work on the canals. The R53-million for the repair of roads was awarded to different companies than those which had won a triennial contract for this work. 'This will result in irregular expenditure,' Pillay said, adding that the municipality's public accounts committee would have to sort it out. However, he insisted that work on the two bridges was progressing. Kayser countered that the information he had received from the city's Budget and Treasury Department was that the contractors had been appointed illegally, as the council had not supplied the correct supporting documentation with its decision. DM
Daily Maverick
06-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Maverick
NMU-led research uncovers effective rhino protection measures amidst poaching crisis in Kruger
We shouldn't have to dehorn rhinos to keep them safe. The ideal is to let rhinos live as they should — horns and all. That's the message from a Nelson Mandela University scientist who led a landmark seven-year study showing that while dehorning can significantly reduce poaching, it's not a long-term solution. To truly protect rhinos, he says, we must dismantle the criminal syndicates. A major study published on 5 June in the prestigious journal Science shows that dehorning rhinos — while controversial — is highly effective at reducing poaching in one of the most critical strongholds for these animals. The seven-year study, 'Dehorning reduces rhino poaching', was led by biodiversity scientist Dr Tim Kuiper of Nelson Mandela University, and tracked poaching incidents across 11 reserves in the Greater Kruger region between 2017 and 2023. 'We documented the poaching of 1,985 rhinos — about 6.5% of the population annually — across 11 Greater Kruger reserves over seven years. This landscape is a critical global stronghold that conserves about 25% of all Africa's rhinos,' said Kuiper. Poaching dropped significantly Over the course of the study, 2,284 rhinos were dehorned across eight of the reserves. The results were clear: poaching dropped by 78%, despite the fact that dehorning made up just 1.2% of the overall rhino protection budget. But it wasn't a silver bullet. Some poaching of dehorned rhinos still took place — and new data from 2024–2025 suggests that horn stumps and regrowth are becoming a new target. 'Dehorning may also shift the focus of poachers to horned populations elsewhere,' said Kuiper, who added that he was surprised that syndicates were still willing to kill rhinos for such a small stump of horn. But, he said, with prices ranging from about $30,000 for a kilogram, even the stumps could make the risk worth the reward. Combined with Kruger's vast two million-hectare landscape and evidence of insider information, the risk-reward ratio for poachers remained alarmingly viable, said Kuiper. R1-billion spent — but what worked? Reserves in the study spent R1-billion on anti-poaching interventions between 2017 and 2021 — including helicopters, rangers, tracking dogs, detection cameras and access controls. These efforts resulted in more than 700 arrests, but the data showed no significant statistical reduction in poaching. 'Finally, ineffective criminal justice systems mean that arrested offenders often escape punishment, with evidence from our study area of multiple repeat offenders,' said Kuiper. The study highlights the critical gap in enforcement: arrest without effective prosecution undermines conservation efforts. A human story behind the statistics While the study is rich in hard data, Kuiper said the reasons behind poaching were deeply rooted in inequality. He said the fact that many people living alongside the Kruger National Park were impoverished and unemployed, combined with poor service delivery, created the 'sort of conditions that allow crime to thrive. 'I wouldn't say people wake up in the morning and think, 'I don't have a job and I'm poor, so I'm going to walk into Kruger and kill a rhino.' I think it's more about the syndicates, these very sophisticated criminal networks that are able to thrive better in these contexts because they can more easily recruit and influence people.' Kuper said the syndicates would often go to local shebeens where they would flaunt their wealth, which would attract the attention of young men. He said he had even heard of syndicates offering loans to people who would then be threatened when they were unable to make good on the loan. 'If these young men had had better opportunities, I don't think they would choose to become involved; most of them wouldn't,' said Kuiper. A collaborative effort The project was spearheaded by GKEPF (Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation), a coalition of reserve managers who wanted hard evidence to guide their efforts. Sharon Haussmann, a trailblazer in the field of conservation and the CEO of the GKEPF, played a major role in bringing together scientists and conservationists, said Kuiper. Haussmann, who died earlier this month, believed that the true value of the innovative study, conceived by GKEPF operational managers, lay in its collective critical thinking. The collaboration included contributions from Nelson Mandela University, UCT, Stellenbosch University, Oxford, SANParks, WWF South Africa and the Rhino Recovery Fund. 'From a donor perspective, this study has given excellent insight into where conservation funding should go — and where not to spend,' said Dr Markus Hofmeyr of the Rhino Recovery Fund. Kuiper also paid his respects to rangers who are out in the field daily. 'Rangers are often seen as foot soldiers at the bottom of the hierarchy,' he said. 'They're told where to go and what to do. But we don't often ask them what they think.' He believes that their experience should be treated as critical conservation intelligence. 'Rangers have such a wealth of knowledge. They're out patrolling 24/7. They know the ins and outs of these reserves in ways the data alone can't capture,' said Kuiper. He added that rangers should be better paid and supported to ensure they didn't fall prey to syndicates. Speaking about the inside information that syndicates were fed, he said, 'I think if rangers were better funded, better supported and paid better, they might be less inclined to get involved with criminal syndicates.' An African-led study Beyond the numbers, Kuiper says the story was also one of African leadership in African conservation. 'This was an African team, led by African scientists and African managers, tackling an African crisis,' he said. 'That's still too rare in global science, and it's something I'm proud of.' As for what's next, Kuiper is clear in his beliefs. Dehorning is helping for now. But the endgame is dismantling the syndicates, investing in local communities, and getting to a place where rhinos can keep their horns. 'It should be seen as buying us time to address the bigger problems, which is dismantling these criminal networks, these transnational criminal organisations. There needs to be intelligence led investigations to disrupt those. 'We don't want to have to dehorn rhinos. The first prize is allowing rhinos to be rhinos — with their horns intact.' DM
