Latest news with #R11m
The Citizen
07-07-2025
- The Citizen
Cable theft: Crisis (not quite) averted
Witpoortjie and Grobler Park are currently the main cable theft hotspots in the southern suburbs of Roodepoort, according to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, who admits that the illicit copper trade still poses the single greatest threat to electricity stability. The Roodepoort Record reported in March last year that cable theft – and the resulting damage to electricity infrastructure – had cost City Power R52m in the preceding six months. 'Just this week, criminals stole more than 56 metres of cable in Witpoortjie alone, plunging parts of the suburb into darkness and highlighting the growing crisis facing City Power,' he says. Mangena says the situation is worsened by illegal mining, which is rife throughout the southern regions of Roodepoort, especially around Albertina Sisulu Drive. 'Zama zamas [illegal miners] actively vandalise electrical infrastructure to conduct their operations under the cover of darkness. In some cases, their actions also compromise electricity pylons, putting them at risk of collapse. 'These criminals not only steal our cables, but damage vital infrastructure, risking the safety of residents,' he says, adding that the entity is, in places, switching from using underground cables to overhead lines to make theft more difficult. The financial toll, though significantly down from last year, remains staggering. Between January and June this year, theft and vandalism cost the city over R11m, excluding labour and lost revenue. 'Witpoortjie and Grobler Park face repeated attacks on mini-substations, cables and distribution boards, leaving residents frustrated by prolonged blackouts and delayed repairs.' 'We are committed to working with residents' associations, block watches, and local security companies since we've seen great results where communities partner with us. 'We know gaps exist, but we are working to close them.' Mangena reports that over 170 arrests were made for copper theft and electricity infrastructure vandalism in Johannesburg this year. Additionally, there has been a 28% drop in infrastructure sabotage and a rise in convictions, with some criminals sentenced to up to 12 years. Mangena urges residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity as the city steps up efforts to protect Roodepoort's power network. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
02-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Minister wants foreign offenders to serve time in countries of origin
Foreign criminals sentenced to jail time should ideally be deported to their countries of origin to serve their terms, says correctional services minister Pieter Groenewald. He hopes the home affairs department can assist with deportations of foreign offenders granted parole. His department spends R11m a day on inmates from other countries, he told parliament's correctional services portfolio committee on Tuesday. 'The South African taxpayer foots the bill for more than 24,000 foreigners in correctional facilities. Calculated at R463 per day, this results in an expense of R11,112,000 per day. 'We are exploring various solutions, including diplomatic approaches.' Anna Molepo, the department's chief deputy commissioner of community corrections, previously told the committee the number of sentenced foreigners in South African prisons was 12,676 in January 2025, which was 12.4% of the sentenced inmate population. The committee was briefed in February on the challenges the department faced, including the legal issues that affect deportation orders and the processing of foreigners. The department said it was working to ensure the Immigration Act aligns with the relevant frameworks. On Tuesday, Dereleen James, an ActionSA MP, called for accelerated deportation policies. 'Prisoners live in relative comfort while our communities are being destroyed, broken, under-resourced and forgotten,' James said. The R463 daily cost per inmate could fund 555,600 loaves of bread, enough to feed 277,800 households with two loaves each.
The Citizen
05-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Emergency services warn households to be vigilant after Nellmapius shack fire
Emergency services warn households to be vigilant after Nellmapius shack fire Tshwane Emergency Services has warned households to be vigilant this winter. This comes after the service responded to a shack fire in Morongwa Street, Nellmapius Ext 2 on Monday morning. The fire was reported to the Emergency Communication Centre at 08:44, and firefighting resources were immediately dispatched from Silverton and Mamelodi fire stations to the scene. They brought a fire engine, water tanker, rapid intervention unit and bush pumper. Tshwane Emergency spokesperson Lindsay Zwelithini Mnguni said upon arrival, firefighters found that an RDP house and two shacks were on fire. Mnguni said the firefighters immediately began with firefighting operations and extinguished the fire. 'The two shacks were badly damaged while only the contents of the RDP house were affected by the fire,' said Mguni. One young patient was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation, and oxygen therapy was administered. 'Our disaster management officers were on the scene and assisted with the co-ordination of relief efforts for the affected family members,' Mnguni said. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Tshwane Emergency Services urges residents to follow these precautionary measures: – If there is any fire danger exposure to dwellings, like shacks or houses, vegetation or veld fires, dial the toll-free number 107 for emergencies. – Burning charcoal produces large amounts of carbon monoxide, so do not leave it burning in the house when sleeping. – Never use fuels not designed for your heating unit. – Unapproved controlled burning must never be carried out. – Never leave children unattended near a burning candle or fire. – Make sure all candles are placed in safe candleholders. – Never connect electricity illegally. – Never overload electrical plugs. – Never leave an imbawula or coal fire to burn overnight without supervision. – Extinguish paraffin fires with sand or a fire extinguisher. Report any fire or rescue incident by calling 107 toll-free or 012 358 6300/6400. When reporting an emergency, please remain calm, speak clearly, know where you are to give the correct address, and give your correct contact number to allow the operator to phone you back should they require to do so. ALSO READ: Former Tshwane metro director arrested in connection with R11m fraud 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! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Committee uncovers irregularities in stadium project in Leandra
The Select Committee on Public Participation, Petitions and Members' Legislative Proposals did a follow-up oversight visit to the Lebohang Stadium in Leandra on May 13. The visit followed a 2019 petition by the local sports council citing poor workmanship on the stadium, initially envisioned as a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility. Committee chairperson Siphosezwe Mahlangu opened the meeting by outlining the committee's constitutional mandate. All the stakeholders were invited to account for their roles in the project. The Govan Mbeki Municipality, represented by municipal manager Elliot Maseko, explained that R11m in funding was received through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) for phase one of the project in 2018/19. However, serious discrepancies in execution were identified, leading the municipality to allocate an additional R3m for remedial work and request R10m from the provincial Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR) for phase two. The DCSR withheld the funds due to unresolved concerns regarding misallocated spending in phase one. MEC Leah Mabuza praised the sports council's responsible actions and the legislature's oversight, committing to ensuring accountability. She emphasised the importance of quality service delivery in projects uplifting poor communities. The provincial and national Departments of Sports, Arts and Culture said several errors had plagued phase one. The provincial department denied early involvement in the project, a claim disputed by the national department and viewed as unsatisfactory by the committee. Songezo Phethelo, the director for infrastructure development at the national department, criticised the lack of ownership from provincial counterparts. This committee echoed this concern, demanding higher standards of accountability. Sports council chairperson Abednego Lukhele recounted the council's exclusion from the project's implementation, blaming it for the substandard outcome. He commended the legislature for its intervention and the community of Leandra for responding peacefully despite frustrations. The committee condemned the overall handling of the project and raised several unresolved questions, including: • Why was the provincial department not involved from the beginning? • What remedial actions have been taken? • Is the project's current state worth the R11m already spent? • Why was the sports council excluded from the project steering committee? • Why were payments approved for uncompleted work? The committee expressed concern over escalating costs now estimated at R24m and called for serious consequence management, which might include employee dismissals, arrests, repayment of public funds and blacklisting the implicated service providers. The matter was referred to the Select Committee on Public Accounts for further investigation, with a directive for all stakeholders to submit detailed reports and attend future hearings. ALSO READ: A day in the life of a Standerton midwife ALSO READ: Tshwane is making strides in tackling Bronkhorstspruit's water issues At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Increasing web searches for homes in Bryanston and Sandton
With the world at their fingertips, most buyers embarking on a search to find the home of their dreams, and within their budget, begin their journey by scouring the internet, viewing properties for sale. Says Dr Andrew Golding, chief executive of the Pam Golding Property group: 'A recent assessment of web searches on our website reveals some notable trends regarding locations attracting high interest. 'While Cape Town retains top spot for searches on the Pam Golding Properties website, Gauteng locations such as Bryanston and also Sandton overall account for an increasing number of web searches. 'In fact, for the six-month period August 2024 to January 2025, seven of the top 20 searches were for suburbs in Gauteng, with Bryanston and Sandton (as a whole) in second and third place behind Cape Town. Notably, Gauteng locations accounted for nearly a third of all the top 20 searches during this period.' Adds Dr Golding: 'This is compared with the first quarter of 2024, when Gauteng accounted for only five of the top 20 searches on our website, with Bryanston in fifth place and Sandton seventh.' Says Nelson Ferreira, regional head in Gauteng for Pam Golding Properties: 'Sandton's reputation as a premier business and luxury hub plays a significant role in the uptick in enquiries, particularly in the luxury market from R15m plus, where viewing interest has increased. This is not only among South African buyers and returning expats, but also international purchasers predominantly from African countries, and from Europe. There has also been a notable increase in offers submitted on properties priced around R11m to R15m. 'Due to its vibrant lifestyle, lucrative business opportunities and upscale living environment, this area has always appealed to international property buyers for various reasons. This includes those relocating permanently or with three-to-five-year contracts in the area, while other global investors are purchasing apartments to rent out and build a property portfolio in Southern Africa.' Meanwhile, says Ferreira, for savvy investors and local first-time buyers, the recently adjusted R1.21m threshold for transfer duty has significantly improved the time taken to sell properties pegged below this price point. A leafy green suburb within Sandton, Bryanston remains a sought-after address because of its central locality, top government and private schools, and close proximity to Sandton CBD just 8km away. It is also only some 17km to Midrand, and for commuters to Tshwane, offers easy access to the highway. Bryanston is dissected by Winnie Mandela Drive, one of Johannesburg's busiest arterial roads, which effectively separates east from west Bryanston. Says Ferreira: 'The suburb caters for every kind of buyer, from those entering the market to couples, families upscaling and high net worth purchasers seeking luxury living, as well as those relocating back to Johannesburg as a result of a return-to-office trend. 'Bryanston offers a wide range of residential properties, including full title homes priced between R3m and R40m, estates with residences in the price band between R3.5m and R30m, and sectional title townhouses ranging from R900 000 to R8m.' There are several distinct property segments in Bryanston – each in high demand, albeit currently with an oversupply. Development market Comments Ferreira: 'Reflecting the ongoing demand and desirability of the area, developers are actively acquiring freehold properties from 1 900sqm to 4 200sqm, resulting in a wide range of both estate-style clusters and sectional title developments being built. Developers are especially interested in stands that have been rezoned as they offer strong prospects for redevelopment, renovation and resale. Currently, the going rate for rezoned land – whether vacant or with an existing home – is approximately R1 000 per square metre. 'In addition, some individual purchasers are looking to acquire properties where there is potential to subdivide and sell a part of the land, as well as combining households, with a cottage or flatlet sought after for multi-generational living. As a result, many homeowners who are unable to realise the full value of their properties are opting to subdivide. A single stand can potentially be split into five stands, allowing for the construction of five modern cluster homes. Subdivision is driven either by existing homeowners unlocking value or developers aiming to build multiple homes or high-density apartments for resale.' Full title homes Typically set on large stands from approximately 1 900-4 300sqm, making them highly attractive to developers, full title homes are available in both Bryanston East and Bryanston West – with the East more developed with newer builds, while the West comprises mainly older or more existing, mature homes,' says Ferreira. 'In Bryanston West, entry-level pricing for full title homes starts at approximately R3m, which generally comprises a four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom house. Homes in this area range up to R15m, offering substantial opportunity for renovation. In the East, full title prices begin at around R5m and extend up to R40m, with a similar range of stand sizes creating significant potential for investors, particularly developers. Sectional Title units 'The sectional title segment of the market is extremely attractive to first-time buyers because of its affordability, security features, and the opportunity to live in one of Sandton's most sought-after suburbs. What makes this sector particularly competitive is that sellers of existing units must compete with these brand-new, sectional title developments with studios starting at around R900 000, two-bedroom apartments ranging from R1.2m to R1.7m, and three-bedroom apartments or townhouses priced between R3.3m and R4.7m.' Ferreira says buyer preferences in Bryanston East vary – some are seeking freehold properties of 2 000sqm or more, with a minimum of four bedrooms and within gated communities, while others typically prioritising a spacious yet secure lock-up-and-go lifestyle are looking for secure cluster homes on approximately 1 000sqm of land, with 400-600sqm under roof. Cluster and Gated Estates 'Another standout segment is the cluster and gated estate market, where buyers can enter from around R3m, while premium properties can exceed R20m. These estates offer excellent security, lower levies – especially compared to various sectional title units, and larger stand sizes ranging from 400-1 200sqm. Homes in this market segment tend to sell quickly due to strong demand and the appeal of estate living.' With excellent amenities, including top-tier shopping centres, green parks and the exclusive, limited-membership Bryanston Country Club, Bryanston is home to some of Sandton's most prestigious schools including Bryneven Primary, Bryanston High School, Brescia House, The British International Collega, St Stithians College, Michael Mount School and Brynandale Primary as well as close proximity to Redhill. Issued by: Gaye de Villiers on behalf of Pam Golding Properties
