A senior South African Police Service official, Divisional Commissioner Molefe Fani, has conceded before a parliamentary committee that a 360 million rand medical services tender awarded to businessman Vusimuzi Matlala’s company, Medicare24, should have been disqualified. Fani, the head of police procurement, testified that the bid contained altered documents, which were grounds for automatic disqualification.
He further admitted that no criminal background check was conducted on Matlala, who has previous convictions and faces pending charges. Fani also acknowledged that the advertising period for the tender was improperly shortened. The contract was ultimately cancelled following an internal audit that identified these and other...
Minister Ronald Lamola has declared South Africa’s G20 Social Summit a success in amplifying the role of civil society within global governance. In his closing address, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation stated the nation fulfilled its promise to continue the inclusive tradition started by Brazil, ensuring grassroots perspectives were central to discussions.
Lamola emphasized that civil society organizations brought critical issues to the forefront, including warnings about a new era of mineral extraction and the disproportionate impact of debt crises on women and children. He asserted that their contributions would directly influence the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Declaration. The minister concluded that the summit...
A former Mpumalanga attorney, Jo-Anne Mantladi Mmela, has been sentenced to ten years of direct imprisonment for stealing nearly 3.5 million rand in Road Accident Fund payouts from her clients. The Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court convicted her on four counts of theft, which involved diverting settlements intended for accident victims, including a severely injured child.
Mmela had initially been arrested and released on bail, but subsequently absconded. A public manhunt led by the Hawks resulted in her re-arrest, after which further victims came forward. The court's sentence reflects the severity of the crimes, which constituted a profound breach of trust and exploited vulnerable individuals reliant on compensation.
The Economic Freedom Fighters has condemned the closure of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure head office in Pretoria, labeling it a national embarrassment. The party attributed the shutdown, ordered by the Department of Employment and Labour due to safety non-compliance, to the failure of Minister Dean Macpherson’s leadership.
The EFF accused the minister of prioritizing public relations and media engagements over his core responsibilities, including maintaining government buildings. It stated that the inability of the national property manager to ensure its own headquarters were safe demonstrates a profound dereliction of duty. The party demanded full transparency regarding the specific safety violations and called for...
A significant power outage impacted multiple northern suburbs of Pretoria following a fire at the Van Riebeeck substation. The incident caused the 132kV Bellom Line 2 to trip, cutting electricity to thousands of residents. City of Tshwane technical teams were dispatched to address the fault and restore supply.
Areas affected included Capital Park, Mayville, Pretoria North, Wonderboom, and Wolmer. By midday, power had been successfully restored to most locations, though work continued at the original substation site. Officials thanked residents for their patience and emphasized that safety remained the top priority during the repair operations. This event adds to recent electricity reliability challenges in the city.
The National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, has defended the National Prosecuting Authority's conduct regarding racketeering certificates previously authorized against former Hawks official Johan Booysen. Testifying at the Nkabinde Inquiry, she provided a detailed chronology of the case, from the initial certification under a prior NDPP to her own subsequent review of the matter. Batohi stated the inquiry's purpose is fact-finding to improve institutional integrity, not to target individuals.
She recounted that a court had earlier invalidated the initial certificates, citing arbitrary and unlawful decision-making. Upon her appointment, Batohi convened a panel to re-evaluate the case, which ultimately led the NPA to...
The Public Servants Association has endorsed a government proposal to extend the validity period for standard driving licences from five to eight years. The union views the change as a practical measure that would reduce administrative burdens for motorists and alleviate chronic backlogs at licensing centers.
While the union had advocated for a ten-year validity period, it considers the proposed eight-year extension a positive step. The initiative is intended to save drivers time and money while allowing the transport system to focus on other priorities. The proposal maintains the existing two-year renewal cycle for professional driving permits to ensure regular safety checks for commercial vehicle operators.
A recent colloquium at the University of the Free State, led by Professor Melanie Walker, convened scholars to examine how universities can advance social justice and human development. The event featured discussions on using narrative approaches and the concept of ubuntu to foster more inclusive and equitable academic environments.
Keynote speakers, including Dr. Precious Simba and Professor Siseko Kumalo, addressed topics such as pedagogical repair and the importance of African knowledge systems. A panel from the RAHEdA network emphasized the value of cross-border African research partnerships to counter global biases in scholarship. The gathering underscored the role of higher education in promoting human dignity and addressing...
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has secured a one billion rand investment from Visa to modernize South Africa's digital payment infrastructure over the next three years. The agreement, finalized during a B20 Summit side meeting, includes establishing a Visa-owned data center in Johannesburg, the first of its kind on the African continent. This facility is intended to process transactions domestically, which will increase payment speed and reliability for local users.
The investment is also designed to support small businesses and foster youth employment through associated training programs. Mashatile emphasized that the partnership aligns with national goals to stimulate inclusive economic growth and enhance financial inclusion. He...
