Latest news with #R136
The South African
11-07-2025
- Business
- The South African
How poor are South Africans compared to the rest of the world?
South Africans are significantly poorer than the global average, and the gap continues to grow. According to BusinessTech and Investec Wealth & Investment International, the country's economic stagnation since 2010 has left its people trailing far behind the rest of the world. In 2023, South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), was $15 194. The global average was $22 850. That's a vast difference of over $7 656 per person. This means that, on average, South Africans are producing and earning far less than the average person globally, about $7 656 (+/-R136 000) less in 2023. The turning point came in 2010, when South Africa's GDP per capita started falling behind global trends. 'You can see a decoupling of South Africa's gross domestic product per capita from the rest of the world in 2010,' Osagyefo Mazwai, an investment strategist at Investec Wealth & Investment International, said as per BusinessTech . Since then, the economy has been bogged down by a toxic mix of rolling power blackouts, corruption, high crime rates, collapsing infrastructure, and questionable foreign policy choices. These factors have combined to drag growth down to a crawl. According to Investec's analysis, the economy is 37% smaller than it could have been if it had kept pace with its emerging-market peers. To close the gap with the global average in the next decade, South Africa would need to grow its GDP per capita by 8% per year, not something easily attained, Mazwai said. That's well above the 5.9% average growth rate for middle-income countries since 1991, and nearly double the global average growth rate of 4.4%. 'You need to be exceptional in your GDP growth outcomes, and even in that environment, you only get back to the global average,' Mazwai added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
BreakingNews.ie
10-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (43) jailed for leaving scene of a fatal accident after he knocked down an elderly woman
A man who left the scene after he had knocked down an elderly woman as she was crossing the road has been jailed for four years and three months for dangerous driving causing death. Philip Ormonde (43) had driven through a red light and was 18 km over the speed limit when he struck Kathleen Furlong on the R136 in Tallaght at the junction of Fortunestown Way and Cheeverstown Road around 11am on September 8th 2023. Advertisement Despite the efforts of various people - including an off-duty doctor who had been in traffic at the time - to assist Ms Furlong, she was pronounced dead at the scene. She had suffered severe head injuries and multiple fractures to her leg, hip and pelvis. Witnesses Witnesses to the collision described Ms Furlong as being flung up into the air. One person said she was knocked about 12 foot into the air and that her body rotated while in the air. Gardaí were told she hit the ground and remain stationary. One motorist thought 'a bag of rubbish' had been struck. Advertisement Ms Furlong's shoes were in two different places, her shopping, including a bottle of milk she had just bought was further down the road, with the milk cartoon smashed. A witness later told gardaí that they were 'pretty sure' Ormond had broken a red light. He was seen driving off after the collision, stopping for a moment, getting out of the car and driving off again. One man said he saw the driver after he stopped the car and said he had a 'look of panic' on his face. A victim impact statement, read to the court by Joe Mulrean BL, prosecuting, and prepared by Ms Furlong's children said Ormond had made 'a deliberate choice to drive dangerously and leave our Mam dying on the road'. Advertisement They said Ormond had shown 'a disregard for others' and described his driving as 'an act of recklessness that goes beyond negligence'. They said it was 'not an accident – it was a choice'. They said his behaviour demonstrated 'a reckless disregard for human life' and how he had mowed their mother down. 'He imposed a death penalty on our mother and a life sentence on us until our dying breath,' the statement said before they added that Ormond 'must be accountable for the life lost and the lives impacted'. Ms Furlong's children said that no words could fully capture the depth of their grief and they struggled to find the words to truly convey the impact of her death on them. Advertisement They said their mother was the only person in the world that truly understood each of them and said she was 'full of life and kindness'. They described Ms Furlong as 'a rock' and said she had 'an incredible way of bringing light and hope to any situation'. They said she gave 'the best hugs, best advice' and said in recent years when she had lost her ability to speak due to cancer she would knock on the table to get their attention. Heart of gold Ms Furlong was described by her family as 'a strong resilient woman who was never afraid to speak' and she was 'fiercely loving, proud woman' who was 'patient and understanding' with a 'heart of gold'. Advertisement They asked how they are supposed to live on without her adding that 'her life was taken just minutes from her home'. They spoke of how her grandson had walked by the accident minutes after it happened not knowing that his grandmother was lying on the road. 'Life is a blur, we are trying to move forward and it often feels like we can't breathe,' the victim impact said adding that their mother was 'cruelly mowed down' and 'our hearts will be forever broken'. 'Our mother's name was Kathleen Furlong. She was loved. She was the heart of our family,' the statement concluded before her children added that they will 'miss her no matter how many tomorrows' they have. The family said they hope 'justice will honour her memory'. Ormonde of Deerpark Place, Kiltipper Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing death to Ms Furlong on September 8th 2023. He also admitted to leaving the scene of a collision. Ormond's 53 previous convictions included 24 road traffic offences, including one for dangerous driving from 2002. While Ormond had an insurance policy on the car, it had lapsed due to non-payment of the premium. Judge Martin Nolan told Garret Baker SC defending on Wednesday, after evidence was heard, that as he sees it there are three aggravating factors in the case; the speed Ormond was travelling, the fact that he had adequate time to see the red light and yet he didn't respond and leaving the scene. The judge suggested to counsel that Ormond's motivation to leave the scene was because he knew he had broken a red light. Counsel replied that his instructions were that Ormond reacted in 'a blind panic'. Judge Nolan acknowledged that there was 'no doubt' that Ormond is remorseful but noted that all other road users that day saw the situation with the traffic lights and 'obeyed the situation'. 'Looking at the evidence he had a long period to see the light,' before the judge again suggested that Ormond 'knew he had done something wrong and that was his reason for moving from the scene'. Mr Baker asked the court to accept that Ormond's guilty plea was 'a mitigating factor' in the case while acknowledging that there was strong evidence against him. He said a letter from Senator Lynn Ruane was before the court because counsel said she feels the need to offer support to Ormond but she is at pains to sympathize with the Furlong family. Mr Baker asked the court to accept that there was no evidence of alcohol, drugs, phone use, a defective vehicle or dangerous driving over a sustained period. Judge Nolan adjourned the case overnight to consider it. Sentencing Omond on Thursday, Judge Nolan expressed the court's sympathies to Ms Furlong's family. He said it was clear she was 'beloved by her children, grandchildren, extended family and all the people who knew her', adding this was a 'particularly tragic end for a lady who lived a productive and meaningful life'. The judge said the speed Ormond was driving, his failure to obey the lights and failure to remain at the scene were aggravating factors in the case. He said the court considered from the evidence that there was 'ample opportunity' for Ormond to observe the red light and take action. Judge Nolan said the evidence was that Ormond 'took a chance'. 'Unfortunately for everyone, particularly Ms Furlong and her family, her death ensued due to this defendant taking that chance,' the judge added. He said the court had considered the mitigation, and accepted Ormond's remorse was genuine. After imposing a sentence of four years and three months, Judge Nolan disqualified Ormond from driving for six years. Garda Niall O'Rorke showed various CCTV footage to the court during the sentence hearing showing the collision and the movements of the Ford Focus Ormond was driving afterwards. The footage included footage from the Ring doorbell of Ormond's partner. He can be seen coming into the house with a woman who can be heard saying to another woman at the door 'he is after knocking down an old woman…. she is dead'. There was a conversation around whether he was insured and a question as to where the car was. Ormond can be seen leaving in different clothing. He had been wearing an Ireland jersey earlier. Gda O'Rourke told Mr Mulrean that the Ford Focus was later found parked up close to where Ormond's partner lived. The registration plates were covered in a black plastic bag. The vehicle was registered to Ormond and he was contacted by gardaí later that evening. He came to the station a number of hours later and made full admissions with a garda commenting to him during interview that he was 'being remarkably co-operative'. Ormond told gardaí in interview that Ms Furlong 'came straight out in front of him'. He said he hit her and she struck the windscreen before going up on the bonnet. He claimed that when he stopped, he called out at the people gathered and asked if the woman was breathing. 'I panicked and jumped back into the car. I thought she was okay'. 'I am still trying to take it all in,' Ormond told gardaí. He told officers that he believed he had a green light and that he would not have been driving at speed. 'I just panicked. That is my mistake. I cannot apologise enough,' he said. He said in his honest opinion he didn't see Ms Furlong after officers put it to him that as she was an elderly woman she would have been walking slowly and could not have just come out of nowhere. Ormond denied that he was on his phone or that anything was distracting him – 'I did not see her until the moment of impact', he said. He continued to deny that he went through a red light and insisted that it was green. Additional evidence Gda O'Rourke said collision experts found that Ormond was travelling at 78 km/hr at the time of impact, in a 60 km/hr zone. He had undertook other vehicles as he was coming through the junctions and it was also determined that he had broken a red light. The light had turned amber about three seconds before it turned red and the experts concluded that it turned amber when Ormond was over 100m from the traffic lights travelling towards the lights. Ms Furlong did not have a green pedestrian light to cross the road. Gda O'Rourke said 'fresh locked wheel marks' suggest that Ormond did not react until he impacted with Ms Furlong. The weather conditions were good and the car, including the brakes, were in good condition. A post-mortem concluded that Ms Furlong suffered fractures to her skull from her head impacting a hard surface. It was determined that 'death occurred due to multiple traumatic injuries including severe head injuries as a result of a collision'. Gda O'Rourke agreed with Mr Baker that while Ormond left the scene of the accident, Ms Furlong's treatment was not delayed by him leaving, due to the fact that there were other people, including the off duty doctor, nearby. Counsel acknowledged and said it was his client's instruction that it was absolutely the 'wrong decision to leave the scene'. Gda O'Rourke accepted that Ormond was 'aware of the gravity of the situation and the impact it had on Ms Furlong and her family'. He further accepted that on his arrival at the station Ormond had 'come to his senses and was dealing with the investigation in a responsible way', although Ormond did 'speculate' during interview as to how this could have happened. The garda accepted that Ormond became visibly upset at various points during the interview and he said Ormond claimed to have no idea why the registration plates of the vehicle were covered up with a plastic bag. Gda O'Rourke accepted that Ormond had been a heroin addict but was clean of drugs for a number of years which was reflected in 'the sizable gap' between his previous convictions. It was further accepted that while he had taken out insurance on the car the policy had lapsed because of 'lack of payments'. Mr Baker said his client's actions that day had 'rippled outwards' and 'impacted multiple lives'. He said Ormond had 'never intended the catastrophic end result' and 'earth shattering consequences' of his driving that day. He asked the court to accept that his client's actions were negligent and reckless rather than malicious. Mr Baker said his client offers 'an unreserved apology' for his behaviour but he fully appreciates that it is something that Ms Furlong's family may not want to hear. He said Ormond is a father of two children. Ormond started dabbling in drugs at the age of ten and was taking heroin by the time he was 14 years old, taking it intravenously by the time he was 16. Mr Baker said his client developed a 'full blown addiction' and his life spiralled out of control. He made several attempts to rehabilitate but only did so in 'a sustained and successful way' in 2009, leading to 'a tangible transformation in his life'. Counsel said his client has managed to maintain a drug-free life and has assisted others through a local programme for those addicted to drugs in his community. Mr Baker said his client is attending counselling for the trauma he has experienced which counsel said he acknowledges that he has brought on himself.
IOL News
21-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
R1. 4bn wasted: Sapo's epic failure
THE SA Post Office (Sapo) has been declared financially 'unsustainable' and riddled with systemic mismanagement. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives THE SA Post Office (Sapo) has been declared financially 'unsustainable' and riddled with systemic mismanagement after receiving its fourth consecutive failed audit opinion from the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), sparking outrage from MPs who demanded answers on why the failing institution keeps consuming public money. AGSA's damning report, presented to Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on June 11, exposed: R152 million lost to fruitless and irregular spending in 2023/24, with R136 million dismissed without repercussions. A dismal 13% achievement rate on performance targets, despite a R381m bailout from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) for staff salaries. R86 million paid to business rescue practitioners (BRPs) and advisors since 2023, with little progress to show. No stable leadership, severe staff shortages, and repeated violations of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). AGSA officials delivered a stark verdict: Sapo is being propped up by taxpayer funds. 'Costs keep outstripping income. Debts are mounting, and the organisation isn't earning enough to survive,' said AGSA's Makhai Motshekga. ActionSA's Alan Beesley was more blunt: 'It's time to pull the plug. Sapo cannot be saved.' The BRPs, brought in July 2023, have already burned through R86m, including payments to consultants, tax experts, and lawyers. The EFF's Ntombovuyo Mente-Nkuna demanded answers: 'Who are these advisors? What have they actually fixed? We can't keep throwing money at a sinking ship.' 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 ✕ AGSA's Nathan Lawnet said the BRPs — from firms SNG and Legae — were 'qualified' but admitted survival depends on 'new income sources and partnerships,' which still don't exist. MPs pressed AGSA on Sapo's unaccounted-for assets, with Mente-Nkuna noting rural branch closures force grant recipients to travel far. 'How many buildings does Sapo still control? Why aren't they helping our communities?' she asked. AGSA confirmed Sapo owns properties and old equipment, but said almost nothing has been upgraded in years. Postbank's separation from Sapo — required by banking laws — has created confusion. Though Postbank is now audited independently, it still depends on Sapo's failing systems. ANC's Gijimani Skosana warned: 'Postbank once helped fund Sapo. Now, both are drowning.' Wasteful spending continues unchecked, with R200m squandered since 2021. Mente-Nkuna slammed the impunity: 'R136 million just written off? Who checked this? Who was held responsible?' AGSA admitted probes were lacking, blaming write-offs on debt settlements, not internal crackdowns.
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
MTN and Cell C defend high data prices
Poor users pay 80 times more than the rich, and cellular companies' explanations are not really convincing … Some are paying around R136 per gigabyte, while others pay around R1.65. Picture: iStock An analysis of cellular companies' data prices shows that prepaid users buying small mobile data bundles pay around R136 per gigabyte (GB), but those who can afford monthly subscription contracts for huge bundles pay as little as R1.65 per GB. It is reasonable to assume that richer consumers are signing monthly contracts and poorer consumers are purchasing the small prepaid bundles – and paying in excess of 8 000% more than the rich. We asked Vodacom, MTN and Cell C if it costs more to 'produce' a small data bundle than a large bundle, even though we knew what the answer would be. The difference in prices charged for small bundles versus large contracts is huge. In the case of MTN, a prepaid customer will have to pay R30 for 220MB worth of data, equal to R136 per GB. A contract customer who can afford R329 per month will get 100GB worth of data, paying R3.29 per GB. ALSO READ: Fibre, cheaper data and weaver birds: Ramaphosa promises innovation Different factors MTN says it is committed to digital inclusion and continues to take active steps to make data more affordable and accessible for all South Africans. 'Our pricing structure reflects a combination of factors, including usage patterns, volume, duration of access, and commercial sustainability,' it says. 'MTN offers a wide range of products tailored to different customer segments, including both prepaid and contract options. Prepaid pricing is often influenced by the short-term nature and smaller volumes of purchases, whereas contract customers commit to higher volumes over longer periods, allowing for discounted rates through economies of scale.' A spokesperson for Cell C offered the same explanation: 'Larger bundles – whether prepaid or postpaid – benefit from economies of scale and lower per-GB costs due to predictable usage and network planning efficiencies. Prepaid products offer flexibility for users with varying needs, but smaller volumes do come with higher proportional costs and fixed costs (per bundle, per customer) increase price points on lower data bundle allocations.' But it's difficult to agree to their argument of economies of scale, because the major, if not only, production cost is the fixed cost of large computers and network equipment. ALSO READ: Data prices likely to remain high, says EFF after spectrum auction ends Is there really a difference in what economists term the marginal cost to produce another GB, whether for a small prepaid user or a wealthier client who signs a 24-month contract? MTN says it has made substantial reductions in prepaid data pricing over recent years and continues to introduce affordable bundles to meet the needs of all consumers. 'Prepaid pricing reflects the flexibility and convenience it offers to customers who need to stay in control of their spending. While prepaid users may be more price-sensitive, they also display a 'need-now' purchase pattern. This pattern caters for convenience offers such as hourly, daily, three days and weekly data bundle to match their immediate needs. Prepaid [has] a variety of offers that are personalised based on customer spend pattern and location.' It says the cost to produce 1GB of data is not a fixed figure. 'It depends on several dynamic factors, including network investments, spectrum availability, infrastructure maintenance and customer usage trends/utilisation. 'Importantly, MTN continues to invest heavily in expanding and upgrading its network to deliver high-quality and affordable connectivity to all customers. 'On the cost differences between prepaid and contract data distribution, the fundamental infrastructure used to deliver data remains the same, but serving smaller, short-term prepaid bundles versus larger contract packages presents different cost and operational dynamics. 'Larger-volume, long-term packages benefit from scale and predictable usage, which often enables more favourable pricing.' ALSO READ: Malatsi takes action to lower smart devices and phone costs in SA Cell C data is cheaper It is noticeable that Cell C's data packages are cheaper than those of MTN and Vodacom, and it admits that there are big differences in prices for small and large users. 'We recognise concerns about pricing differences between prepaid and contract data. While this reflects common industry pricing models globally, we understand the broader social implications in the South African context. 'We continue to explore ways to narrow this gap through targeted promotions, value bundles, and contextual offers to increase affordability without compromising network overhead. Through My Connecta Deals, we provide some of the most competitive, best-value offers on the market, open to all customers, including prepaid customers. 'We have a significant base of prepaid users with exceptionally high average revenue per user [ARPU]. In many cases, this is even higher than our postpaid customers,' says Cell C. 'Prepaid is not only a product for the poor; it's a preference for a payment method by the informed and empowered, offering flexibility, control and value without long-term commitments. 'Customers across income brackets increasingly choose prepaid for its convenience, transparency, and the ability to match spend with lifestyle and usage needs.' Cell C says the cost of delivering 1GB varies and is a function of network utilisation by region, network conditions and input costs like spectrum, site maintenance and international bandwidth. ALSO READ: Capitec aims to disrupt mobile market with data that doesn't expire 'While commercially sensitive, we can assure you that we operate in a highly competitive environment and our pricing reflects a balance between affordability and the substantial investment required by our partners to expand and maintain infrastructure. 'This is particularly in under-served and rural areas where the cost to serve is significantly higher,' it adds. 'There are material differences in cost to serve between larger bundle allocation consumers, who are typically contract customers, and smaller bundle allocation purchasers, who may be prepaid consumers. Prepaid data carries additional fixed per-customer-per-bundle overhead related to payment processing, usage cycles, and less predictable network load. 'These contribute to a net higher unit cost in delivering smaller data allocation bundles. Nonetheless, we are actively working with our network partners to reduce disparities through technology and infrastructure innovation and upgrades,' according to Cell C. ALSO READ: Unhappy with your cellphone service provider? Here's the steps you can take The digital inclusion objective Moneyweb specifically asked the cellular companies about the social and economic impact of affordable data packages, given the need for access to information, education, job advertisements and participation in the economy. 'We agree that data access is a gateway to opportunity, education, and economic participation,' said Cell C. 'Our zero-rated access to educational platforms, job portals and key government services is one way we help bridge this gap.' It said it also continues 'to introduce low-cost bundles and community-driven partnerships to support digital inclusion'. 'We remain committed to ongoing pricing reviews to better support vulnerable communities while ensuring long-term viability and quality service offers. Cell's C's localised deal platform offers regionally tailored packages that aim to bridge the affordability gap and connect more South Africans to digital opportunity, showcasing the best deals by geographic location.' ALSO READ: Your data bundles could soon last longer – if Icasa has its way MTN also says that it recognises that data access is essential for education, employment, and economic participation. 'Hence [our] Bonus Bonanza that offers customers double airtime every time they recharge with R5 and more. This value is available to [the] prepaid customer only. 'Additionally, MTN has embarked on location-based offers to give differential pricing based on location. 'A good example is MTN GigZone that gives prepaid customers uncapped prepaid data service at R5 valid for 24 hours for townships and informal settlements to ensure everyone enjoys the benefit of a modern connected life.' It also said that MTN continues to drive digital inclusion through ongoing price reductions, zero-rated platforms for learning and job-seeking and innovative products like MoMo (its Mobile Money fintech offering). 'We remain committed to connecting the unconnected and ensuring that all South Africans have the opportunity to benefit from the digital economy.' Vodacom did not respond to questions. This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
