Latest news with #R21
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Outa concerned about new higher education minister
Outa keeps an eye on the department, having completed a report on corruption at NSFAS, and is now calling for action at Setas. Civil action organisation Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) is urging the new Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela to take urgent action on corruption in the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas). Wayne Duvenage, CEO of Outa, said the new minister has a huge task ahead, as the Setas are mired in dysfunction, but Outa is concerned that he is too strongly linked to the old guard and the dysfunction and corruption in the department and its entities. 'While minister Manamela brings years of experience to the role, having served as a deputy minister in various portfolios since 2014, his long-standing presence within the higher education department raises serious concerns about continuity rather than change. 'Given his proximity to the dysfunction and corruption that plagued the department of higher education and its entities – particularly the Setas – for more than a decade, his appointment is not a welcome development for those demanding real reform and accountability.' ALSO READ: 'Emails' reveal Nkabane misled Parliament over Seta scandal – but insisted it wasn't intentional Outa on second deputy minister On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa also appointed Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube as deputy minister of higher education and training. Duvenage said Outa did not expect the president to appoint a second deputy minister, as Mimmy Gondwe is already in place as the deputy. 'Over several years, Outa, exposed deep-rooted maladministration, governance failures and corruption at multiple Setas and at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). While there have been some positive developments, such as the appointments of Dr Karen Stander as NSFAS chair and Waseem Carrim as CEO, the Setas remain mired in dysfunction, with little sign of meaningful intervention.' He pointed out that despite repeated adverse findings and qualified audits from the auditor-general, the leadership at entities like the Insurance Seta, Construction Education and Training Authority, Services Seta, Education, Training and Development Practices Seta and Media, Information and Communication Technologies Seta remained intact. 'Executives implicated in mismanagement continue to draw large salaries and bonuses, while the essential mission of developing skills and improving employability is undermined. The Setas cost business taxpayers R21 billion a year, but do not deliver value for money. 'Outa urges minister Manamela to demonstrate a break from the past by acting swiftly and decisively to restore integrity and oversight across the Seta environment. This must begin with the urgent appointment of new Seta board chairs who are ethical, independent and free from political interference to ensure that executive management is properly held to account.' He said Outa will write to Manamela to request an urgent meeting to share the substantial evidence and insights Outa gathered over the years on systemic corruption within the Setas. ALSO READ: Nzimande pulls knives out as Outa stands by report claims Outa wins against former NSFAS chair Meanwhile the high court found last week that Outa did not have to give the former National Student Financial Aid Scheme chair a right of reply to the organisation's report on corruption at the entity. The Johannesburg High Court backed Outa over publication of its NSFAS report, ruling that former NSFAS chair Ernest Khosa did not have a right to pre-publication comment before Outa published a report implicating him in corruption. 'A person implicated in acts of corruption in a report published by a private actor does not have the right to a hearing prior to publication,' the court said. The dispute revolved around a report and statement Outa published about NSFAS and Khosa in early 2024, implicating him in corruption with NSFAS suppliers. Khosa resigned a few months later. Advocate Stefanie Fick, executive director at Outa's accountability division, said Khosa wanted the court to order Outa to remove the report from its website and order that he be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations, that the report only be republished once this was completed to his satisfaction and that the republished report contain an accurate record of his responses to each allegation. However, Outa refused to remove the report, but offered to hear Khosa's version and update the report accordingly, but Khosa declined. Khosa argued that he had a right to respond to the allegations before Outa released the report but the court found that no such legal obligation exists, especially for private actors acting in the public interest. ALSO READ: Higher education minister Nkabane announces new NSFAS board to drive reform Judgment means organisations like Outa can expose wrongdoing without right of reply Fick said the legal significance of this judgment lies in its clarification of the rights and obligations of private actors, such as Outa, when publishing reports implicating individuals in alleged wrongdoing. 'This judgment reaffirms our constitutional right to expose maladministration and corruption without facing undue procedural barriers. Khosa's attempt to silence public interest reporting under the guise of procedural fairness was rightly dismissed by the court.' Acting Judge GA Fourie found: Khosa had no right to a pre-publication notice because there is no requirement in law for Outa to notify individuals before publishing allegations in a public interest report; Outa, as a private entity, does not exercise public powers or perform public functions. Its investigations and publications are not binding and do not carry statutory authority. This distinction is critical in determining the scope of procedural obligations owed by private entities; The right to dignity and reputation does not override the constitutional protection of free speech, especially when allegations serve the public good; The appropriate legal avenue for challenging potentially defamatory content is through defamation proceedings, not through pre-publication interdicts; and Constitutional rights do not extend horizontally to impose obligations on private entities like Outa in the way Khosa claimed. ALSO READ: Don't let Andile Nongogo near public money – Outa Judgment protects civil society organisations to expose corruption Fick said this judgment reinforces the principle that private actors are not bound by the same procedural obligations as public entities. 'It also protects the ability of civil society organisations to expose corruption without undue interference, while preserving the common-law remedies available to individuals who feel aggrieved by such publications. 'Khosa did not complain that the Outa report was defamatory or deal with the veracity of the allegations against him. He did not even include the report in his founding papers. This gives rise to concerns that the intention was to prevent or delay publication of the report, or distort it, which should be avoided. 'The judge said 'the impact on the ability of whistle-blowers and other private actors to expose corruption would be significant'. The court dismissed the application with costs, noting that although the matter raised novel legal questions, there was no basis for granting the relief Khosa sought.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Study models how malaria vaccines can help mitigate climate-driven breaks in disease control
New Delhi: A study conducted in Madagascar's households has found that new malaria vaccines -- offering protection up to 10 months -- could help mitigate disruptions to disease control measures because of extreme weather events. Malaria -- a mosquito-borne infectious disease -- is a serious public health concern, with climate change-driven temperatures and rainfall creating conditions more conducive for mosquitoes to thrive and spread disease, especially in tropical countries. Researchers from the US and Madagascar in Africa said that extreme weather events, such as tropical cyclones, can hit public health infrastructure and limit people's access to malaria prevention and treatment -- this can increase infection risk, especially in high-burden regions where continuity of care and disease control is critical. However, despite concerns, data on how climate-related disruptions affect malaria control remain scarce, they said. The study, published in the journal Science, analysed 20,718 observations of malaria infection -- collected from 500 households in the African country -- before and after cyclones Batsirai (2022) and Freddy (2023) to understand how well various malaria interventions performed under the strain of extreme weather events. "In the aftermath, infection rates by the mosquito-vectored parasite increased to 10 per cent for school-aged children within three months as mosquito and malaria control activities were interrupted," the authors wrote. Brief, under-a-month-long breaks in malaria control activities, such as use of preventive medications, resulted in "rapid rebounds in infection" -- up to half of school children and over a third of younger ones were infected in high-transmission areas, the team said. Modelling strategies that may mitigate these effects in the aftermath of cyclones, the authors found that the recently introduced, WHO-recommended malaria vaccines -- 'RTS,S' and 'R21' -- could significantly reduce infection rates and help in sustaining disease control measures during breaks caused by extreme weather conditions. A vaccine coverage of 70 per cent in the population was related with a 42-52 per cent reduction in infections, the models showed. Given the figures reported by the country for routine childhood immunisation programmes, 70 per cent coverage in the population is plausible, the authors said. They wrote, "When 70 per cent of the targeted population has completed the full course for a vaccine with effectiveness of 61 to 74 per cent (reported for the R21 vaccine in phase 3 trials) before the disruptive event, a 42.7 to 51.8 per cent reduction in the expected proportion of symptomatic infections is expected." However, the team also noted that vaccines alone are not enough to arrest disease spread and that layered strategies "combining vaccines, drug-based prevention, and traditional tools like bed nets are essential, especially in high-transmission areas where malaria remains persistent".
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Urgent financial recovery needed for Endumeni Municipality amid audit concerns
The Endumeni Local Municipality briefed the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature's Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Portfolio Committee on the key challenges and potential implications of financial management. Image: Facebook/Endumeni Local Municipality The Endumeni Local Municipality's financial status is dire, with insufficient cash flow to sustain its operations, hindering sustainable service delivery. The municipality briefed the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature's Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Portfolio (COGTA) Committee on the key challenges and potential implications of financial management. The municipality received a disclaimer audit opinion due to a lack of supporting documentation to support the financial information presented on their annual statements. The COGTA committee held the hearing to address concerns about financial mismanagement, project delays, and lack of accountability raised by the Auditor General (AG). Marlaine Nair, the KZN COGTA Portfolio Committee chairperson, said they held meetings with the worst-performing municipalities, which received adverse audits, disclaimer audits, and qualified audit reports from the Auditor General in the last financial year. Nair said this is an important part of their work in ensuring financial accountability, good governance, and service delivery. The Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) 2023-2024 Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) audit outcomes for the financial year ended 30 June 2024, stated that minimal progress has been made to address prior year findings, with only four out of 26 previously reported findings successfully resolved. The AGSA stated that the lack of appropriate oversight and monitoring by leadership over the control environment resulted in non-compliances with legislation with the municipality having repeated non-compliance findings. The AGSA also found that there were weaknesses in procurement and contract management and also lack of accountability and consequences. 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 ✕ Irregular expenditure was reported at R21 million while unauthorised expenditure (UIF&W) incurred R70 million. The AGSA recommended: officials should be held accountable for the non-implementation of the audit action plan. mandating investigations into all instances of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful (UIF&W) expenditure, and taking appropriate disciplinary or legal action based on the outcomes. Ensure that management implements a financial recovery plan to restore financial health, focusing on revenue enhancement, expenditure controls, and cash flow management. Strengthen oversight by ensuring that the budget reviewed and approved is credible and funded- supported by realistic revenue projections and cash flow forecasts. The municipality also stated in its report to the committee that the total debt for the municipality is approximately R228 million. The highest debt is owed by households with debt amounting to R157 million. The municipality stated that commercial debt is R51 million while organs of state owe R20 million. The municipality stated that the highest debt is owed by Provincial Works, which COGTA has facilitated an engagement with to get this debt paid. The municipality reported that quarterly government debt engagements are held to resolve all the disputes between government departments and municipalities. Nair described the meeting as a resounding success, adding that members of the legislature were able to fully understand what drove long-standing problems and what was being done to resolve them. 'The legislators were also able to recommend practical solutions and clear follow-up steps for this committee and for the provincial government,' she said. The municipality falls within the Umzinyathi District Municipality and covers towns such as Glencoe and Dundee.
TimesLIVE
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Volvo books $1bn impairment charge due to tariffs, launch delays
Sweden-based Volvo Cars is booking a impairment charge of 11.4bn crowns (R21,418,740,000) in the second quarter related to its ES90 and upcoming EX90 models, due to tariffs and launch delays, it said on Monday. The group, controlled by China's Geely Holding, said it is unable to profitably sell its Volvo ES90, which is built in China, in the US due to import tariffs, while profit margins for the same model are under pressure in Europe for the same reason. "The charge primarily reflects adjustments in expected volumes and planned lifecycle profitability associated with the platform for the EX90 and ES90 cars," it said. The impairment charge also reflects significant launch delays in the past and subsequent additional development costs, it said. Out of the total amount, 4.0bn crowns (R7,433,900,000) is estimated to impact cost of sales and most of the remaining amount affects the R&D line in the financial reporting. Volvo Cars, due to publish second-quarter results on July 17, said the effect on net income in the period will be 9.0bn crowns (R16,712,982,000).
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Endumeni resident challenges municipality over pothole damage claim
Glencoe resident James McCarthy is calling for transparency and accountability from the Endumeni Municipality after his R21,000 pothole damage claim was formally denied. The claim relates to two separate incidents on Transmission Lane, where McCarthy says dangerous road conditions have plagued motorists for years. In a detailed letter to the Courier, McCarthy expressed his frustration with how the municipality handled the matter. 'From the beginning, the process was flawed,' he said, alleging delays, miscommunication, and a lack of proper documentation. The municipality reportedly justified the claim rejection by stating that damage could not have occurred at the road's 40km/h speed limit. McCarthy, however, disputes this. 'There is no signage to indicate a 40km/h limit. By national default, urban roads are set at 60km/h unless otherwise stated,' he explained. He added that most drivers travel below 15km/h on Transmission Lane due to its deteriorated state. 'There are at least 15 major potholes – some classified as severity level five. Yet, the municipality refers vaguely to one pothole, claiming it is too shallow to cause damage,' he said. McCarthy has formally requested: Proof of the claimed 40km/h limit Evidence that he exceeded it Documentation showing negligence on his part The full pothole inspection report used in the claim decision He also alleges administrative failure, noting that internal processes were said to be completed by 5 June, but email records show the claim was still being processed on June 13 – the day it expired. Despite a meeting on June 20 where it was reportedly agreed that both his 2023 and 2025 claims would be reviewed, the denial letter did not acknowledge the earlier case. 'We were promised that potholes would be repaired before the end of June. That deadline has passed, and nothing has changed,' McCarthy added. The resident has also raised concerns about missing documents in the insurance process, stating that no signed or complete forms were submitted, and personal details were omitted. 'The system failed us,' he concluded. 'This goes beyond a burst tyre – it's about the integrity of the process.' The Courier contacted the municipality, which stated that the Finance Department is addressing the matter. In another development, McCarthy was later told that the insurer had closed the claim as it falls within the client's excess and was advised to take up the issue directly with the municipality. HAVE YOUR SAY: Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram or email us at [email protected]. Add us on WhatsApp 071 277 1394. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
