Latest news with #R8.2
IOL News
16 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
ANC KZN leaders criticise councillors over municipal failures
KwaZulu Natal ANC task team convener Jeff Radebe speaking at the ANC KZN Alliance Local Government and Service Delivery Summit held in Coastlands Hotel on Durban's South Beach on Sunday. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers The ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal has read the riot act to councillors regarding the state of municipalities in the province, warning that elected officials must take their oversight responsibilities seriously. Going forward, they will be held accountable for governance failures in councils, the leadership warned. ANC convener Jeff Radebe called on councillors to be well-informed about council matters. He stated that active participation is vital for transparency, efficient service delivery, and curbing corruption and mismanagement at the local level. Radebe made these remarks while delivering his address at the Alliance Local Government and Service Delivery Summit this weekend. 'The ANC must take stock of the state of governance in our municipal councils. The 2026 municipal elections are upon us. We have so little time and so much work to do,' Radebe said. 'We gather at a time when our municipalities are at a crossroads. Progress is evident, yes, but so too are the challenges that will test our collective resolve. As leadership, we share the responsibility of turning this situation around,' he continued. He detailed some of the challenges, noting that capital expenditure stood at R4.8 billion (31.9%) lower than the 50% target. Conditional grants to municipalities totalled R8.2 billion, with only R3.6 billion (36.7%) spent. The critical Municipal Infrastructure Grant of R3.6 billion had only been spent by 39.7%, while the Water Services Infrastructure Grant of R1.1 billion had only been spent by 44.1%. 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 ✕ 'These inordinate delays have robbed our people of essential services. This province is crying out for much-needed municipal infrastructure and water provision. These statistics are shocking. This is a sorry tale,' he continued. 'Urgent intervention is required in debt management, budget accuracy, and compliance with financial reporting requirements. Let us raise the critical oversight and monitoring responsibilities of Exco members and councils. Exco councillors are part of the political executive and are responsible for policy implementation and oversight of specific portfolios, similar to Ministers and MECs. 'Each Exco councillor oversees a specific department and is individually responsible for monitoring departmental performance and ensuring alignment with the Integrated Development Plan and Budget,' said Radebe. He emphasised that councillors are responsible for monitoring service delivery, ensuring that services are delivered efficiently and effectively in line with municipal policies. Mayors and councils must report regularly on departmental performance and intervene when targets are not met, he said. Councillors must take immediate action on remedial measures once they identify problems in service delivery or maladministration, Radebe stated emphasising that they represented the broader public and act as a bridge between communities and the municipality. 'Every ANC cadre who serves as a councillor must engage with residents to report service delivery issues. You must facilitate community meetings, report back, and channel community concerns into council processes through your ANC Caucus. You must ensure that these concerns are addressed by the municipality in which you serve,' he added.
The Citizen
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Collect your SASSA older person's grant today
SASSA has confirmed that Pretoria grant recipients can collect their payments from today, with June payout dates now officially announced. Below are the payment dates for Older Person's, Disability, and Children's grants in June: Older Person's Grant 3 June 2025 Disability Grant 4 June 2025 Children's Grant 5 June 2025 All social grants, barring the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, increased in April this year. During his presentation of the 2025 Budget Speech in Parliament earlier this year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana reported that the number of individuals receiving social grants—excluding recipients of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant—was projected to grow to roughly 19 million in the 2025/26 financial year, and to approximately 19.3 million by 2027/28. This increase is attributed to a rising elderly population. For the 2025/26 period, Godongwana confirmed that social grants were allocated a total of about R284.7 billion. 'As outlined by the President during the State of the Nation Address, the SRD grant is intended to serve as a foundation for developing a long-term income support mechanism for unemployed individuals. 'The future direction and structure of the SRD grant will be shaped by the findings of the ongoing review of active labour market policies, which is scheduled for completion by September 2025. 'In reality, South Africa has one of the most extensive social protection systems among developing nations. This demonstrates our dedication to reducing poverty and inequality, while maintaining responsible fiscal management,' he said. The following grant increases came into effect in April: Old age grant: increased from R2,185 to R2,315 War veterans grant: increased from R2,205 to R2,335 Disability grant: increased from R2,185 to R2,315 Foster care grant: increased from R1,180 to R1,250 Care dependency grant: increased from R2,185 to R2,315 Child support grant: increased from R530 to R560 Grant-in-aid: increased from R530 to R560 According to the National Treasury's Budget Review, an additional R8.2 billion was allocated to social grants over the medium term to help offset the rising cost of living. 'A total of R35.2 billion was set aside to continue the SRD grant at its current rate of R370 per month per recipient, inclusive of administrative expenses,' the department stated. Also read: Is there an outbreak of Staphylococcus in Pretoria? 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!
The Star
02-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
The Hangout: Dream a little dream of me
Let's do it for the dreamers. There are so many incredible organisations out there working tirelessly to make a difference—spreading hope, changing lives, and turning dreams into reality. It's not an easy job. I imagine it can be emotionally heavy at times. But what a meaningful way to live a life—giving others light in their darkest moments. Some people are simply born with that inner calling, and I often speak of them as angels with invisible wings. This time, those angels are the dedicated team at Reach For A Dream. The dreamers, the laughter heroes, the selfless souls who make magic happen for children facing life-threatening illnesses. Their work is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2024 alone, they fulfilled 2,289 dreams—that's around six dreams every single day. Just imagine the joy that brings. Their Laughter Heroes reached 16,307 children, bringing giggles, moments of escape, and bright sparks of joy. And this past year, they created 10 new Dream Rooms, bringing the total to 24 across hospitals nationwide and 46 in total since its inception in 2017—safe, imaginative spaces where kids can just be kids. These Dream Rooms aren't just cheerful play areas—they're powerful healing tools. As Professor Ashraf Coovadia, Head of Paediatrics at Rahima Moosa Hospital, says: 'The Dream Room helps reduce stress and foster creativity, bringing smiles and laughter to children who've been struggling. It's a vital part of our care, supporting emotional health alongside physical recovery.' And the feedback from parents is just as moving—after experiencing their dream day, children are more motivated to continue treatments, their confidence grows, and they show incredible resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges. It's awe-inspiring what love, kindness, and a little hope can do. Whether it's a trip somewhere special, owning something they've never had before, meeting their role models, or stepping into the shoes of who they dream of becoming one day—each child's wish is unique, and the Dream Team is always ready to make it come true. Reach For A Dream has been lighting up lives for 36 years, and they're only getting started. Just last year, Natalie Lazaris and her incredible fundraising team raised R8.2 million. That's thanks to 400,000 stickers sold, 1,000 schools getting involved, and over 400 companies stepping up to support. But why stop there? Imagine if we could push that number even higher this year—say, half a million stickers sold? It sounds big, but if just one person in every friend group, family, or office swapped a cappuccino or a Friday night beer for a sticker, we'd get there in no time. Every little action counts. I know times are tough, and not everyone is in a place to give financially. But support comes in many forms—share the campaign on your social media, start a conversation, or simply say a little prayer. Use #SlipperDay2025 and tag Reach For A Dream to help spread the word. Winter's around the corner, and that means it's time to dust off your slippers. Let's walk together for the dreamers, for the brave little superheroes fighting every day, and for the angels who walk beside them. Let's dream together—and let's do it for the dreamers. Slipper Day stickers are available at: Wimpy, Dis-Chem, Baby City, Pick n Pay, Toys R Us, The Crazy Store, and Krispy Kreme. Big love and thanks to campaign partners: Zapper, Ren-Form CC, Hirt & Carter, DPD Laser, and The Courier Guy. Thank you to the CEO from Reach For A Dream Sotriranakos, their chairman Peter Moyanga and every dream maker and laughter hero out there for changing lives and spreading the love.
IOL News
02-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
The Hangout: Dream a little dream of me
Let's do it for the dreamers. There are so many incredible organisations out there working tirelessly to make a difference—spreading hope, changing lives, and turning dreams into reality. It's not an easy job. I imagine it can be emotionally heavy at times. But what a meaningful way to live a life—giving others light in their darkest moments. Some people are simply born with that inner calling, and I often speak of them as angels with invisible wings. This time, those angels are the dedicated team at Reach For A Dream. The dreamers, the laughter heroes, the selfless souls who make magic happen for children facing life-threatening illnesses. Their work is nothing short of extraordinary. In 2024 alone, they fulfilled 2,289 dreams—that's around six dreams every single day. Just imagine the joy that brings. Their Laughter Heroes reached 16,307 children, bringing giggles, moments of escape, and bright sparks of joy. And this past year, they created 10 new Dream Rooms, bringing the total to 24 across hospitals nationwide and 46 in total since its inception in 2017—safe, imaginative spaces where kids can just be kids. These Dream Rooms aren't just cheerful play areas—they're powerful healing tools. As Professor Ashraf Coovadia, Head of Paediatrics at Rahima Moosa Hospital, says: 'The Dream Room helps reduce stress and foster creativity, bringing smiles and laughter to children who've been struggling. It's a vital part of our care, supporting emotional health alongside physical recovery.' And the feedback from parents is just as moving—after experiencing their dream day, children are more motivated to continue treatments, their confidence grows, and they show incredible resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges. It's awe-inspiring what love, kindness, and a little hope can do. Whether it's a trip somewhere special, owning something they've never had before, meeting their role models, or stepping into the shoes of who they dream of becoming one day—each child's wish is unique, and the Dream Team is always ready to make it come true. Reach For A Dream has been lighting up lives for 36 years, and they're only getting started. Just last year, Natalie Lazaris and her incredible fundraising team raised R8.2 million. That's thanks to 400,000 stickers sold, 1,000 schools getting involved, and over 400 companies stepping up to support. But why stop there? Imagine if we could push that number even higher this year—say, half a million stickers sold? It sounds big, but if just one person in every friend group, family, or office swapped a cappuccino or a Friday night beer for a sticker, we'd get there in no time. Every little action counts. I know times are tough, and not everyone is in a place to give financially. But support comes in many forms—share the campaign on your social media, start a conversation, or simply say a little prayer. Use #SlipperDay2025 and tag Reach For A Dream to help spread the word. Winter's around the corner, and that means it's time to dust off your slippers. Let's walk together for the dreamers, for the brave little superheroes fighting every day, and for the angels who walk beside them. Let's dream together—and let's do it for the dreamers. Slipper Day stickers are available at: Wimpy, Dis-Chem, Baby City, Pick n Pay, Toys R Us, The Crazy Store, and Krispy Kreme. Big love and thanks to campaign partners: Zapper, Ren-Form CC, Hirt & Carter, DPD Laser, and The Courier Guy. Thank you to the CEO from Reach For A Dream Sotriranakos, their chairman Peter Moyanga and every dream maker and laughter hero out there for changing lives and spreading the love.
