Latest news with #CooperativeGovernance
News24
26-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Eastern Cape pledges financial accountability for R5bn flood fund
An amount of R5.18 billion is needed to repair flood-damaged infrastructure in the Eastern Cape. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams has committed to implementing internal controls to ensure transparent and accountable fund management. The death toll of the devastating floods remain at 101 as search operations continue 16 days after the floods. The Eastern Cape government has pledged to ensure proper management of funds allocated for flood victims amid recovery and reconstruction costs amounting to billions of rand. During a media briefing in Mthatha on Thursday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams said the provincial government would need R5.18 billion to repair infrastructure damaged by the floods. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana told the Portfolio Committee of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Tuesday that R5 billion was made available to assist the province. But Godongwana warned against the misuse of the funds. Said Williams: 'We have heard the call and/or concern from both ordinary citizens through social media platforms and commentators and journalists through mainstream media about our ability or a perceived lack of ability to ensure prudent financial management during this period.' I wish to assure the people of our province and South Africa that we are committed to ensuring financial accountability. It is our responsibility as the province's leadership collective, both at provincial and local government, to ensure transparency and accuracy in financial records and reporting. He added that as the province responded to the disaster, it would adhere to regulations, implement robust internal controls, and manage risks effectively. 'We will further ensure that we use the principles of the risk-adjusted strategy [which regulates financial management and procurement] to effectively and efficiently manage the expenditure of funds allocated to us,' Williams said. He added the death toll was still at 101 on Thursday afternoon. Search operations continue for missing people 16 days after the deadly floods. 'Some families have commenced with burials since last weekend. AVBOB pledged to store bodies and provide burial services and transportation of human remains,' said Williams. He added from Thursday, 31 victims would be buried across the province, including two pupils from Jumba Senior Secondary School in Ngqeleni, while Nomonde Ntlabathi, who was an enrolled nursing assistant at Bedford Orthopaedic Hospital in Mthatha, and her three grandchildren would be buried in Centane on Saturday. 'Additionally, through the [provincial] Department of Education and Sassa [the SA Social Security Agency], the government provided financial assistance to the families to help them prepare for the funerals. We remain grateful to our social partners who provided groceries to the families,' said Williams.
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Government takes action on Community Work Programme amid national minimum wage demands
The Department of Cooperative Governance says a review is under way in the Community Work Programme after participants demanded to be paid the national minimum wage. Image: Lerato Selepe The government is reviewing its public employment initiatives, such as the Community Work Programme (CWP), as employees are demanding to be paid in terms of the national minimum wage. This has emerged from communication sent by the Department of Cooperative Governance director-general Mbulelo Tshangana, earlier this month in response to demands for the national minimum wage to be implemented in the CWP. 'The department (Cooperative Governance) is part of discussions that are led by the Department of Employment and Labour about the future of public employment programmes, which are funded through the national fiscus. 'The issue of minimum wage forms part of that review and outcomes will be communicated once such processes have been concluded,' he told CWP management, staff at site, district and provincial level, participants and financial administrators in a circular dated May 9. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ After Tshangana approved adjustments of between 5% and 7% effective from last month, stipends for participants are set at R120 a day, while supervisors receive R144 daily. Site administrators, safety officers, district managers, financial administrators, and provincial managers can be paid between R315 and R1,500 a day. The national minimum wage is nearly double the stipend paid to each CWP participant at about R29 an hour (or R230 a day). According to the Department of Employment and Labour, workers employed in another public employment initiative, the Expanded Public Works Programme, are entitled to a minimum wage of just under R16 an hour. Delivering the Budget on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana allocated the CWP R10.3 billion, of which an estimated 70% (or R7.2bn) is set aside for participants' stipends and the remainder for items such as tools and materials, protective clothing, training, professional services, and programme overheads. The Department of Cooperative Governance plans to maintain the number of CWP participants in the programme at 178,860 over the next three financial years. The CWP was set up to foster social and economic inclusion by providing individuals with a source of income in targeted high-unemployment areas. It also offers participants valuable work experience, which the government hoped could significantly increase their access to broader career opportunities when they exit the programme. Earlier this year, participants aged 60 years and above were informed that their contracts were extended for a period of four months last month to the end of July and will not be renewed. 'The last payment will therefore be (on) August 25, 2025. All participants reaching an age of 60 years will be automatically exited from the programme as from August 1, 2025, in compliance with CWP implementation policy,' Tshangana reminded them.
