Tshwane loses 34% of its water, 22% of power supply through illegal connections at hijacked buildings
Modise spoke during a visit to some of the buildings in Pretoria West on Thursday, where city officials sought to ensure that residents who were instructed to evacuate had done so.
Thursday's efforts fell under Operation Reclaim the City, which was introduced in April during the State of the City Address by Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya.
The programme was introduced to address among others, by-law violations, regulation compliance and cleaning up the city.
Modise said: "In terms of water, its 34%, electcity and the major contributory is those ones that are occupying illegally, so what we were doing today is to assess buildings belonging to the city."
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The Citizen
6 hours ago
- The Citizen
Safety, seniors and services: Sele sets the tone
In Part Five of unpacking Mayor Lucky Sele's 2025 State of the City Address (SOCA), the focus is on Community Development Services and public safety. With increased infrastructure investment across the city, Sele said, ensuring safety and security is a top developmental priority. 'A safe city is a city that can grow, attract investors, and provide residents with a dignified quality of life,' he said. 'The Public Safety Division has shown unwavering commitment to maintaining law and order.' Sele noted that partnerships are crucial to safety efforts, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with provincial law enforcement agencies, allowing co-ordinated efforts across boundaries. Joint operations under Operation Shanela occur weekly in hotspots, while 24/7 patrols target cable theft, land invasions and transformer vandalism. • Also read: Bob and game reserve to be revived, Krugersdorp mayor says in SOCA To boost disaster response, the city established a Local Disaster Management Unit (LDMU). Technology upgrades include a warrant roadblock bus, new CCTV cameras, and speed and red-light cameras. In 2025/ 26, the city will procure 20 new traffic vehicles, a by-law enforcement truck, and a bakkie for the LDMU to increase reach and responsiveness. Sele celebrated the long-awaited launch of the Kagiso Elderly Centre, a 100-capacity facility offering daily care, wellness services, a gym, and therapeutic support. 'This marks a historic turning point in our commitment to community-based care for older persons,' he said. • Also read: Mayor maps out housing future for Mogale He added that the Social Upliftment Division is key to building an inclusive, developmental city. Their role in the 100 Days GBVF Challenge earned recognition from the South African Local Government Association, and Sele announced plans for a Safe House for Women and Children, set to launch in 2025/ 26. Regarding social protection, they launched a fully digitised Electronic Indigent Management System in October last year, streamlining applications, improving turnaround times, and enhancing verification protocols. 'To date, 3 429 applications were processed, and 6 107 households are currently supported. To ensure fairness and accuracy, we appointed 32 Indigent Verification Officers, including two persons with disabilities, who conducted physical door-to-door verification between January and June, creating local employment while ensuring resources reach those most in need.' 'We are also intensifying support for our youngest citizens. Two Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) are being prepared for full operationalisation. The Sinqobile ECDC will resume construction next month following structural assessments, while the Ga-Mogale ECDC has finalised a governing board and is on track to be registered as an NPO, unlocking new streams for compliance, funding, and long-term sustainability.' 'Our ongoing HIV/ Aids outreach remains a cornerstone of municipal health services. The Local HIV/ Aids Council, chaired by me, led outreach campaigns that reached over 126 000 households, supporting nearly 280 000 infected and affected individuals. This programme also created 94 employment opportunities through stipends for peer educators, injecting over R3.6m into community livelihoods while promoting health awareness and resilience,' Sele continued. He said their Sports Development Division has pursued meaningful partnerships to unlock access and expand participation. In March 2025, they collaborated with the Gauteng Lions on a targeted Cricket Development Programme, hosting clinics in rural areas as part of our drive to decentralise sporting opportunities. Mogale City is currently hosting the country's largest grassroots cricket tournament, the Jozi Cup 2025, with matches taking place across the Kagiso, Lusaka, and Azaadville cricket ovals. The two-month-long event concludes this month and has significantly bolstered local pride, talent discovery and township sporting economies. In July last year, Mogale launched the inaugural Mogale City Winter Games, an annual multi-code sporting showcase designed to encourage mass participation and unearth township talent across age groups and wards. 'We further deepened our support for grassroots sport by partnering with federations and youth-led bodies, including the Tarlton Youth Organisation, to successfully host the 2025 Youth Tournament, as well as the Gauteng Cross Country Championships at Kagiso Sport Complex last month.' The Mayor's Annual Easter Tournament, his flagship, remains one of Mogale's most powerful youth development platforms. Held over the Easter Weekend, this year's tournament ran from March 29 to 31 (preliminaries) and April 18 to 21 (finals), and featured soccer and netball matches across all wards and age categories. 'This inclusive programme is about far more than trophies, it is a celebration of township resilience, a space for positive youth engagement, and a feeder into formalised sports pathways.' • Also read: Pollution in the Cradle raises international eyebrows He said, in the past financial year, they hosted the Provincial Heritage Day Celebrations at Maropeng, which in turn hosted a Skills Development Workshop for local artists and convened the Arts and Culture Forum, ensuring governance and sustainability in the creative sector. 'Our libraries continue to be a critical part of our knowledge infrastructure.' In October last year, Lusaka Library was recognised as Public/ Community Library of the Year at the national LIASA Conference in Durban. From June, Mogale extended library hours at Desmond Tutu, Kagiso, Krugersdorp, and Magaliesburg Libraries, broadening access for learners, job seekers and researchers. 'In addition, our active MOU with Unisa has enabled improved academic resource access across our libraries, reaffirming their role as vital educational centres,' he said. Sele added, it is with immense pride that they celebrated the achievements of the Amajita U20 players, Thato Sibiya and Kgomotso Madiba, who rose from local development leagues in Mogale City to become part of South Africa's Afcon-winning squad. 'Their victory is not just a sporting milestone, it is a clarion call to invest further in grassroots sports, because when township dreams are nurtured, national heroes are born. In preserving the rich and sacred history of Mogale City, Sele proudly honour one of Mogale's most distinguished sons, the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu, who hails from the mighty 'Chip Town', in Munsieville. As part of their commitment to cultural heritage preservation and legacy-driven development, Mogale commenced discussions with the Desmond Tutu Foundation and the Anglican Church on the establishment of a dedicated tourism and heritage route in his memory. 'This visionary project aims to position Mogale as a site of reflection, pilgrimage, and education where future generations can walk in the footsteps of this global icon of peace, reconciliation, and justice,' Sele concluded. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
How strong leadership and coordination mitigate reputational risks during crises
Senior government communicators say strong leadership support and internal coordination are crucial for managing reputational risks during times of crisis. Image: Supplied Senior government communicators say strong leadership support and internal coordination are crucial for managing reputational risks during times of crisis. This was the key message from a panel discussion on crisis communication at the Social Media Summit for Government, the University of Johannesburg, on Tuesday. The panel included Major General Nonkululeko Phokane, Head of Communications and Liaison at SAPS, Albi Modise, Senior Executive for Communication and Marketing at Gautrain and Cleopatra Mosana, Head of Communication at National Treasury. The summit brought together senior communication officials from the public sector to explore how digital platforms and social media affect public trust and crisis management. Phokane explained how SAPS manages communication across more than 1,100 police stations, noting that digital spaces add complexity. Phokane explained how SAPS manages communication across more than 1,100 police stations, noting that digital spaces add complexity. Image: Supplied 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 ✕ Ad Loading "In the midst of your social media interaction, whenever incidents happen, remember that it is one space that is not even policed," Phokane said. "Social media space is one where every citizen becomes a journalist. And in investigations, it then becomes a call for us to be able to strike that balance from time to time". She pointed to the Stillfontein hostage situation, where 'at least every second hour, there was a communication update,' helping to manage public perception. Modise emphasised the importance of clear communication in protecting public confidence in services like Gautrain. "Look, I mean, I've said to those who care to listen that the success of communicating is largely dependent on the principles you have, "Modise said. "You can be the most erudite communicator, but if your principles don't buy into the communication area of work, you have a serious problem. When there's a crisis, we need to be clear about who handles the communication. If the principal passes on to you as a head of communications or spokesperson, half the battle is won" Mosana added that trust and respect between communicators and leadership are key. "We coordinate. If I have to reflect on what happened on February 19, when the nation didn't know that the budget was going to be postponed, that collaboration and coordination that we did with GCIS made a difference to everyone because of the speed with which we communicated," Mosana said. "And key to it is that I have a trust in the principles that I'm working in. So the relationship is open. It's a very respectful relationship. And it espouses the values of the National Treasury with its honesty and transparency". IOL
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Budget shortfall, not deficit – Modise slams DA claims
Tshwane's MMC for Finance Eugene Modise has reassured residents the city's financial stability and service delivery are top priorities. This assurance comes amid claims made by the DA of a growing budget deficit. Modise hit back at claims that the metro was spending beyond its means, asserting that the finances remained under control and its budget is funded. DA spokesperson for Finance Jacqui Uys expressed concern over what she described as a growing budget deficit under the current ANC/EFF/ActionSA coalition. Uys claimed that the deficit had grown by R859-million since the DA left office in September 2024. 'This, despite claims from Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise that the city's financial woes are over,' Uys said. She explained that in June 2024, the city adopted a funding plan to reduce a R3-billion deficit. 'By September 2024, our plan had boosted collections by R315-million. However, by the end of April 2025, that positive trend had reversed, with the city falling R859-million short of its collection target, a 19% deviation,' she said. Modise, however, clarified that the R859-million figure is not a deficit but rather a shortfall against the revenue collection target set in the city's funding plan. 'As of April 30, the city had collected R33.6-billion, just R859-million short of the R34.5-billion target, a variance of 2.5%,' he explained. He added that the shortfall is being managed through daily cash flow monitoring and is largely the result of customer non-payment. Despite the deviation from the funding plan, Modise emphasised that the city's actual revenue performance against the approved budget stands at nearly 100%, with a minimal variance of R26-million. He further noted that the National Treasury had independently confirmed that Tshwane's 2025/26 budget is funded. Responding to DA concerns over a decline in revenue collection since September 2024, Modise said the city's collection rate averaged 88%, with a current figure of 86% as of April. 'To improve collections, the city is enforcing its credit control and debt collection policies, and has rolled out campaigns such as the Festive Season Bonanza, Black Friday discounts, and the Incentive and Debt Relief Scheme to encourage customers to settle outstanding debts,' said Modise. On the reported R5.7-billion in outstanding debt, he confirmed that recovery efforts are ongoing under the Mayoral Charter on Revenue Enhancement and Financial Recovery, a framework adopted in June 2024 and still being implemented by the current administration. To curb spending and ensure financial stability, Modise said the city had adopted strict cost-containment measures. These include: – Postponing the filling of vacancies until July 1; – Reducing overtime to critical services only and halting Sunday overtime, except for emergencies; – Capping overtime to 40 hours per service; – Tighter management of acting allowances. 'These internal controls were approved during the February 2025 Technical Budget Steering session and are part of our strategy to manage expenditure responsibly,' Modise explained. He concluded by assuring residents and stakeholders that Tshwane remains financially stable and capable of meeting its obligations for the 2025/26 financial year. 'National Treasury has confirmed our budget is funded. We remain committed to improving our financial health and ensuring consistent service delivery,' he said. 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!
