Latest news with #R394
TimesLIVE
02-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Raids reveal scale of gangs and corruption in correctional facilities
Correctional services minister Dr Pieter Groenewald says the department will intensify raids and crack down on corrupt officials as part of efforts to restore discipline and strengthen prisons as secure state assets. Addressing parliament during the department's budget vote in Cape Town on Tuesday, after his first year in the position, Groenewald said unannounced visits and raids were central to exposing the true extent of crime inside facilities. 'Wicked problems can be resolved once we remove the Band-Aid to inspect the wound properly, and we can only address our problems if we recognise their true extent,' he said. Groenewald said in the past year 466 raids were conducted, three in the past week. 'I have also conducted many unannounced visits at facilities. 'Unannounced visits and raids will increase in the year ahead. We are cleaning our correctional facilities and those aiding smuggling know their days are numbered.' Since July 2024, officials confiscated 33,874 cellphones, 20,577 sharpened objects, 232kg of drugs, cash totalling R394,450 and 122,407 items linked to alcohol and other substances. Groenewald said in 2024, 515 correctional officials received final written warnings, 181 were suspended without pay and 146 dismissed for wrongdoing.
IOL News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Over 33,000 phones, 232kg of drugs seized in SA prisons – Groenewald declares war on corruption
Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald addresses Parliament in Cape Town, vowing to intensify raids and root out corruption inside South Africa's prisons. Image: File In a determined move to reclaim South Africa's correctional facilities from criminal networks, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald has vowed to intensify raids and root out corruption within prisons. Delivering his Department's Budget Vote speech before the National Assembly on Tuesday, Groenewald revealed alarming figures from ongoing unannounced raids and outlined a zero-tolerance approach to illicit activities behind bars. Minister Groenewald disclosed that in the past year alone, 466 raids were conducted in correctional centres across the country, resulting in massive confiscations. 'Since July 3, 2024, various smuggled items have been found and confiscated. These include 33,874 cell phones, 20,577 sharpened objects, and a total of 122,407 items related to alcohol and other substances, 232.16 kg of drugs and R394,450.40 worth of money,' he said. Highlighting the threat posed by crime syndicates operating from inside prisons, Groenewald stressed that communities suffer when crimes are orchestrated behind bars. 'It is an evil that members of our communities, including the most vulnerable, suffer under horrendous crimes that are organised and committed from within our correctional facilities,' he said. The Minister underscored the critical importance of removing illegal items such as cellphones from prisons to prevent further crimes from being coordinated externally. 'It is therefore important that we get illegal objects, such as cellphones, out of our facilities and prevent them from landing there,' he emphasised. Raids, unannounced inspections, and disciplinary action against corrupt officials form part of Groenewald's strategy to restore order and integrity in the system. Over the past year, he reported, 515 officials received final written warnings, 181 were suspended without pay, and 146 were dismissed. 'When we fail to act against the few who betray their duty, we expose the many who serve with honour amidst grave danger,' Groenewald said. The Minister also highlighted the courage of honest officials who refuse to cooperate with gangs, often becoming targets themselves. He assured them that the Department remains committed to protecting staff who uphold the law and to 'swiftly and decisively' remove corrupt elements. Groenewald reminded Parliament and the nation of the collective mission. 'Together, we will continue to strengthen our department, affirm our constitutional commitments, and ensure that justice prevails in South Africa. Every day, we are newly afforded the opportunity to restore and build; to fix what is broken; and to render hope for a safe, peaceful and prosperous future.' As prison raids intensify, Groenewald's uncompromising stance sends a clear message. South Africa's correctional facilities will not remain safe havens for crime syndicates. Instead, they are to become true centres of rehabilitation and public safety, supporting the broader fight for a safer country. IOL News
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Estate residents outraged after being charged for waste removal they don't use
Estate residents outraged after being charged for waste removal they don't use The metro has urged residents and estates in Ward 101 in the east of Pretoria to formally lodge complaints over their city waste removal charges. This follows mounting frustration from estates being billed for services they do not receive from the municipality. 'Suddenly, all estates in my ward are being charged waste fees in excess of R394 excluding VAT,' said Ward 101 councillor Malcolm de Klerk. 'It started with one estate a couple of months ago, now all of a sudden all the estates are getting charged for waste removal even though they use private removal,' he explained. De Klerk said they are being billed despite no Tshwane collection, while also being charged for private removal. 'It is worrying because there's been a decade-long agreement in some cases with Tshwane that these estates will collect their own waste via private contractors and not be charged by the city.' He said they were being doubly taxed, and residents were furious. 'The residents demand that Tshwane remove the charges immediately, and I support them on this call. They're charging the residents illegally and unfairly for something not agreed to or services rendered. It's stealing from overburdened taxpayers,' he said. DA spokesperson for Finance, Jacqui Uys, said the metro had added bin removal charges to accounts that do not use the city's bin removal services. 'It seems as if all complexes and estates that have previously cancelled and do not use the city's waste removal services now have these services added on to their account again,' she explained. Uys said these properties must individually log a query to have it removed again. A resident in Silverlakes Golf Estate, Jacques Viljoen, said for the past 13 years he has never been charged for waste removal by Tshwane until recently. 'What is the waste management charge because Tshwane does not provide this service in Silver Lakes? First, Tshwane make us pay for our own road maintenance, and now they charge us for a service they do not provide. It makes no sense at all. 'Tshwane has now decided to raise a charge of R450 per month, per household, for a service they don't provide.' Lenell Lee, Cormallen Hill Residential Estate manager, said to the best of their knowledge, residents have not received notice from the municipality that refuse removal services would commence in the area. 'No attempt has been made by the municipality to deliver waste bins, and no service schedule has been communicated, meaning they are charging residents for what they do not deliver.' Lee said residents currently have an agreement with a private service provider, authorised by the municipality to collect, recycle and dispose of their refuse in a compliant and responsible manner. 'It appears that residents are still required to make use of private service providers as the municipality has shown no intent to actually provide a municipal service for the waste management tariff charged, in some instances, since December last year.' She said although the municipality recently proposed the introduction of a city cleaning fee of R185 per month for residents who make use of private service providers in the 2025-2026 budget, residents are charged for waste management. No service is rendered by the municipality for the tariff charged, she added. 'The purpose of the city cleaning fee remains to be seen, as the private service provider is already paying a fee for using the municipality's dumping sites. Attempts to have accounts rectified and queries raised had no results.' Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the reported recent incidents of the city charging estates, which did not historically have waste charged on their municipal accounts, might be in error. 'However, each case would have to be investigated to confirm the correctness of the claims. The city takes cognisance of these claims and will treat this matter with the urgency it deserves,' said Mashigo. He said the city, in terms of its waste management by-law, has a provision to recognise and permit private service providers to deliver waste removal services. 'In cases where a private service provider, duly authorised by the city, is providing a waste removal service, the city would therefore not knowingly charge an estate for the same service of removing waste from the premises. This would be double billing,' explained Mashigo. Mashigo said the city urged the affected estates to engage the city's processes of logging complaints and queries for this to be amicably resolved. Ways to log queries: – The city has customer care walk-in centres strategically placed in all regions; customers can therefore visit these centres for assistance with municipal service-related complaints and queries. – Alternatively, customers can send an email to CustomerS@ or call 012 358 9999. – In reference to this matter about incorrect waste billing, customers may also direct their queries to WasteManagement@ Mashigo said the city's billing system has effective data integrity and accuracy control measures. 'In addition to the effective controls on our systems, the city periodically runs verification exercises. As an example, the city recently concluded a waste billing data physical verification exercise, wherein agents were visiting households (including estates) to confirm that waste infrastructure (bins) on the ground is consistent with what is on our electronic billing system.' Mashigo added that as part of this exercise, the city was also in communication with estates, confirming areas serviced by private waste service providers. 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!
