Latest news with #R56
IOL News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
KZN Department of Education rebuilding schools damaged by natural disasters
Ngaqa Primary School in Mtubatuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal was ravaged by a storm that swept through Zululand and uMkhanyakude districts in 2023. Image: Supplied In a bid to transform the educational landscape of KwaZulu-Natal, MEC Sipho Hlomuka committed to focusing on schools affected by natural disasters in his R66 billion budget for the 2025/26 fiscal year. Although faced with a substantial allocation for salaries, the department is also committed to addressing infrastructure deficits that have long plagued schools in the region. Hlomuka allocated R2,8 billion for infrastructure development, saying the department is actively working to repair schools that have been damaged by natural disasters such as storms, floods, and tornadoes. '... We have successfully repaired a number of schools, among which are Nqobile Primary School in uThukela District, which is now 100% completed, Gloeckner Combined School, and Qhozo High School, also in uThukela District and 100% complete,' Hlomuka said. 'In Zululand District, we have successfully completed the Zombode Primary School, Ngoza Primary School and Philibana Primary School, whilst Mhlabanisa Secondary School is at 80% construction. 'In uMzinyathi District, we are at 76% construction at the Mkhonjane Primary School, whilst at Echwebeni Primary School in uMkhanyakude, the construction is currently at 95%.' The department is also constructing 21 new schools. 'In some instances, we have had to replace makeshift schools that were not conducive to teaching and learning. Some of the new schools that we are building are Vimbukhalo Primary School in uThukela District, which is now 96% complete, Cliffdale Secondary School in Pinetown District at 65%, Umzokhanyayo Secondary School in Harry Gwala at 45%, Sidingulwazi Primary in uThukela District at 56% and Zizamele Primary School in Harry Gwala District, which is at 60%,' Hlomuka said. 'Additionally, there are 133 schools undergoing major refurbishment and rehabilitation across the province.' Hlomuka also said the Cost of Compensation of Employees (COE) remains the major cost driver for the Department, accounting for close to 90% of this budget. 'A total of R56 billion goes towards paying employee salaries,' Hlomuka said. DA KZN education spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi said: 'While the centrality of educators is undisputed, the lack of growth in key areas like infrastructure, inclusive education and skills development is alarming,' Mngadi said. 'KZN cannot sustain an education system where nearly all the budget is spent on salaries - without evidence of improved learning outcomes or better classroom conditions. KZN continues to suffer from overcrowded schools, decaying infrastructure, and dropout rates nearing 50% between Grades 10 and 12.' [email protected]
Mail & Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Don't eat alone — we also want to, whistleblowers allegedly told Polokwane municipal manager
Polokwane mayor John Mpe. (Polokwane Municipality) Polokwane mayor The 'fake' whistleblowers had contacted municipal manager Mail & Guardian . The mayor spoke after leaked documents surfaced on social media last week purporting to show that the Mpe alleged that one so-called whistleblower had called the city manager, saying: 'We are aware that it is your time to eat, we are just saying also allow us to eat.' 'Is that the language of a whistleblower and somebody who wants to fight corruption? If there's somebody who must benefit from our projects, it's our community,' Mpe said. 'You can see that this person might be even from the inside [the municipality]. This has made us realise that we are stopping the rot, hence they have been looking at what they can get from this person [Nemugumoni]. We need to fight corruption — not on the basis of who is benefiting.' Mpe said some former contractors with the municipality were angry that work previously done by them was now being insourced and were trying to create the impression of widespread corruption in the municipality as payback. He cited the example of the City of Polokwane taking over the maintenance of the Peter Mokaba Stadium, work which had been done by private contractors. The city had also cancelled contracts for fleet cards — credit cards used to manage expenses for municipal vehicles. 'Now it is our workers that are cleaning the stadium and the stadium is in good condition. We show tangible things that we have stopped. There were Polokwane fleet cards which were being managed by private contractors. The question is why would the municipality hire somebody to organise fleet cards for its own cars? Why can't they go to their banker?' 'The cards were from [one] bank while the municipality was banking with another bank. The municipality was paying that service provider R1.5 million monthly and we got rid of it. People were upset when we started saving R3.5 million from the fleet tender arrangements that were not proper.' In a letter dated 23 July and seen by the M&G , Limpopo MEC for the department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs Basikopo Makamu asked Mpe to provide a report within seven working days on the allegations which had surfaced on social media. The letter indicated that the Democratic Alliance had approached Makamu's office on the matter. A source told the M&G that a company owned by Nemugumoni's boyfriend had been paid over R56 million and that at least seven other companies owned by Zimbabweans were given preference over South African firms. Without naming the Zimbabwean-owned companies, the source said they were awarded contracts for construction, road works, bulk water services and consulting. Spreadsheets allegedly showing payments in relation to these companies have been making the rounds on social media. Mpe said, as mayor, he does not know who gets paid when, as that is an administrative process. He also questioned the credibility of the information, saying one spreadsheet showed payment for services rendered in 2026 while another was handwritten. 'We are in 2025 now,' he pointed out. 'This just shows it's not credible information. Why must we start an investigation on information that is not credible? Where there is credible information, we will have to investigate.' He said the company allegedly linked to Nemugumoni's boyfriend had been working in Polokwane, and various other municipalities, and it would be unfair to expect him as mayor to know who its owner was dating. Those alleging that the company was owned by Nemugumoni's boyfriend should provide proof, he added. 'We have over 2 000 employees and we have probably 100 of them in senior positions. How will I know who is having a boyfriend? How will I manage that part? If they have got [tangible] information about such a relationship, which would be a conflict of interest between the accounting officer and that particular person, they need to bring that information to us,' he said. 'Going into the personal life of somebody means I must [summon] the city manager and say, 'Who is your new boyfriend and what is happening in your life?' from time to time.' He also disputed the allegation that the municipality has preferred Zimbabwean-owned companies over South African ones. 'They have mentioned eight companies out of more than 150 companies that are doing business with the municipality. If people have got permanent residency and IDs in South Africa, can you stop them from doing business in South Africa on the basis that they were born somewhere in Malawi? You can't do that.' The source who spoke to the M&G said Mpe was facing another corruption matter with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the This, according to the source, was in order to check that companies doing business with the municipality, including that of Nemugumoni's boyfriend, were not giving kickbacks to Mpe via the foundation. However, in an affidavit dated 24 July 2025, which the M&G has seen, the Hawks in Limpopo withdrew an urgent application meant to be heard at the 'Based on the new information on the issue of the municipal manager, the Hawks had to withdraw the case so they could amend their charge sheet. The foundation got a sum of R8 million and they can't account for where it came from,' the source said. On Monday, ActionSA chairperson in Limpopo Victor Mothemela opened a corruption case against Mpe and the municipal manager, citing allegations that also surfaced on social media that R750 million was irregularly paid to companies whose owners have close ties to both of them. Build One South Africa Limpopo provincial leader Ngako Setji has also approached the Special Investigating Unit for forensic probes into the allegations. On Monday, Hawks spokesperson 'We will have a meeting today with all the relevant people to find out where this thing is coming from and what is happening,' Mbambo said. She added that the Hawks had never brought an application to court and would meet with the people said to have deposed the affidavit. 'We just saw that we have agreed to pay the R1.2 million in legal fees for withdrawing the case, so that is why we are saying we have to meet up with everybody relevant to say who authorised the things that are being said,' Mbambo said. Mpe said the issue had been drummed up by his detractors within his 'This is orchestrated from within the organisation. There are people who are within the ANC [but] are no longer with the ANC by their conduct and their actions, you can see.' Mpe acknowledged the need to fix governance in the municipality, which he said had a culture of impunity for wrongdoers. 'If we had bad intentions, why would we appoint people who have credible qualifications to fix some of our challenges, to fix the internal control deficiencies that we have?' he said. 'So, they then say, 'What can we get from him [Mpe] so that he stops these administrative reforms?' If we were not doing our work in Polokwane, how did we improve the audit outcome in the 2022-23 financial year and maintain those improvements over the past three years?'
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Kishene Chetty application to combine criminal matters dismissed
Chetty and his co-accused appeared in the Gauteng High Court sitting in Pretoria. Businessman Kishene Chetty and his co-accused have been dealt a significant blow after their application to consolidate several cases of fraud, forgery, money laundering, and other charges of dishonesty was struck off the roll with costs. Chetty and his co-accused appeared in the Gauteng High Court sitting in Pretoria on Monday. The matter pertains to the procurement of toners for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape provinces between 2015 and 2016, resulting in a loss of more than R800 000 to the police. Charges The NPA's Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said Chetty and his accused wanted the charges consolidated, arguing that the charges in all the cases were similar. 'Counsel for the NPA's Investigating Directorate Against Corruption objected when the legal representatives of Chetty and others attempted to hand in four new lever arch files , which were not provided to the court and the state in preparation for the hearing. 'The state argued that in law, an applicant can file a supplementary only if they obtain leave to do so from a court, following a substantive application,' Mamothame said. ALSO READ: PPE tender fraud and corruption case against Kishene Chetty postponed Criminal matter Mamothame said the judge also questioned if it was correct for a criminal matter to be presided over by a civil court. 'This outcome will provide progress in the cases that Chetty and his co-accused are facing, as they have been postponed pending this ruling'. R56m police vehicle branding fraud case Chetty and his co-accused are facing 456 charges, including racketeering, fraud, corruption, theft, forgery and money laundering. Among the accused are police officials who allegedly participated in the fraudulent tender process, as well as 22 companies and their directors. The former head of police supply chain management, Lieutenant General Ramahlapi Mokwena and three brigadiers are also among the accused in this matter. The matter stems from another R56 million tender fraud case, in which procurement documents were allegedly tampered with in a tender for the branding of police vehicles. Falsified quotations were allegedly provided to the South African Police Service. ALSO READ: R56m police vehicle branding fraud case set for pre-trial
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Polokwane mayor John Mpe denies R56 million tender scandal linked to municipal manager's alleged partner
Polokwane mayor Mayor John Mpe has defended a R56 million tender awarded to a company allegedly tied to city manager Thuso Nemugumoni's Zimbabwean partner, Image: Supplied Polokwane Mayor John Mpe says there is nothing wrong with awarding tenders to foreign-owned companies, as long as the law is followed, after claims linking a R56 million contract to the alleged Zimbabwean partner of city manager Thuso Nemugumoni. This comes after widespread social media claims that Mpe and municipal manager Thuso Nemugumoni awarded a tender worth more than R56 million to a company allegedly linked to Nemugumoni's Zimbabwean partner. Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday at New Peter Mokaba Stadium, Mpe dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. He stated that the companies in question have been doing business with the municipality since 2017, well before the current administration took office. 'We have noted with concern, contempt and disappointment the continued circulation of unfounded, malicious, and misleading allegations,' Mpe said. 'These claims attempt to falsely implicate me, and the city manager, Ms. Thuso Nemugumoni, in a purported R56 million tender irregularity.' Mpe said the municipality rejects the claims as defamatory and part of a politically driven smear campaign. 'Once again, unverified platforms are being used as tools for orchestrated smear campaigns aimed at discrediting the leadership of the municipality,' he said. 'These attacks often resurface around politically significant periods and are clearly part of a broader agenda by individuals and factions who have lost democratic influence.' 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 ✕ He said the municipality currently does business with more than 100 companies and service providers across various sectors and questioned why only a few are being singled out. 'It is important to note that many of the companies listed in recent allegations were awarded contracts through lawful, competitive bidding processes prior to the appointment of both the current executive mayor and the city manager,' Mpe said. He said companies such as Capotex Trading and Zerbacraft (Pty) Ltd, have had ongoing contractual relationships with the municipality dating back to 2017, 2018, and 2020. Mpe said those companies also work with other municipalities and public institutions across the province and country without controversy. He added that foreign-owned companies are not barred from doing business with the municipality. 'In terms of Section 217 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and as supported by the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (Act 5 of 2000), all procurement by an organ of state must be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, and cost-effective,' he said. 'The law does not prohibit foreign-owned companies from doing business with municipalities, provided they meet all legal and compliance requirements, including tax compliance and registration on the Central Supplier Database.' He added that the participation of foreign nationals or foreign-owned entities in tenders is legal and aligned with South Africa's open and competitive economy. Meanwhile, opposition parties have called for an investigation into the allegations. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial chairperson Lawrence Mapoulo called on Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba to appoint an ad hoc committee to investigate tender irregularities at the municipality. In a media briefing on Friday, Mapoulo also called on Limpopo MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs Basikopo Makamu to invoke Section 139 and place the municipality under administration. 'President Cyril Ramaphosa must also sign a proclamation to authorise the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate the allegations,' he said. ActionSA spokesperson Tshepo Magoma said the party plans to open a corruption case against Mpe at the Polokwane South African Police Service station on Monday. 'ActionSA expresses deep disappointment regarding recent allegations of corruption and maladministration directed at the Polokwane Municipality and its leadership.' 'These claims undermine public trust and impede the delivery of effective services to Polokwane residents,' Magoma added. IOL Politics
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- The Citizen
City Power concerned about rising attacks on their staff
City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava expressed deep concern over the escalating intimidation campaign against utility staff. City Power has suspended electricity services to Kanana Extensions 4 and 5 following escalating incidents of technician intimidation and hostage situations across Johannesburg. The utility condemns a surge in violent confrontations that have seen staff threatened, assaulted, and held captive while conducting routine maintenance work. The service suspension comes after community members stormed the Midrand Service Delivery Centre, blocked gates for hours, and prevented technicians from addressing power outages in the area. City Power technician held hostage during meter audit On Thursday morning, a City Power contractor was held hostage and physically assaulted at a domestic property in Florida, Roodepoort. The technician was conducting a meter audit and disconnection when the situation turned violent. The customer's account showed arrears exceeding R56,975. When informed of the disconnection, the customer allegedly became aggressive and confined the technician to the property. 'The suspect reportedly locked the gates, assaulted the technician and threatened him with a firearm,' said Isaac Mangena, City Power's Public Relations and Communication general manager. The customer claimed to have signed an Acknowledgement of Debt and paid R30,000, but no proof of payment was available on-site. 'The technician was merely following protocol and should never have been subjected to such violence,' Mangena added. While the contractor has not yet filed formal charges, Mangena stated that City Power strongly condemns the incident and urges customers to resolve disputes through official channels. ALSO READ: City Power schedules multiple 8-hour maintenance outages across Johannesburg Illegal electricity syndicate dismantled The Florida incident followed a major enforcement operation on Wednesday, 9 July 2025, in Tshepisong, Roodepoort. City Power's Revenue Protection Unit, working with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, dismantled an illegal electricity network operating from a private residence. Officials discovered the home was illegally supplying power to nearby households and a newly established informal settlement through underground and overhead cables. A vigilant resident had alerted authorities to the operation. 'Upon inspection, City Power technicians found that live supply lines had been tampered with and diverted from a municipal pillar, posing extreme danger to human life and infrastructure. 'Around 250kg of illegally installed cables were removed,' Mangena explained. The homeowner allegedly operated a backyard micro-utility, charging neighbouring residents for access to stolen electricity. While the suspect remains at large, investigations continue, and the matter will proceed to prosecution. Service suspension following community blockade Community members from Kanana Extensions 4 and 5 forced City Power to suspend services after blocking the Midrand Service Delivery Centre. The residents prevented technicians from leaving the facility, disrupting repair work across multiple areas. City Power technicians had responded to an outage the previous night and discovered the fault required daylight repairs on overhead lines. The task was scheduled for the day shift team. 'However, while our teams were preparing to conduct the repairs and sourcing the necessary materials, community members blocked the gates and refused to let them leave the SDC, further delaying the process of repair work in that area as well as in other areas,' Mangena said. ALSO READ: City Power to replace maintenance fleet with electric vehicles Pattern of City Power staff intimidation across Johannesburg Similar incidents have occurred across the city in recent weeks. On Wednesday, electricians dispatched to Rabie Ridge were held hostage and threatened by residents, only being released after the security team's intervention. Two weeks ago, services to Mayibuye were suspended for nearly a week after technicians faced threats and hostage situations while installing prepaid meters. Three weeks ago, City Power technicians and a contractor were held hostage at a Klipfontein substation during a power outage. 'Due to these continued safety risks, City Power has taken a decision to temporarily suspend services in Kanana Extensions 4 and 5, where technicians can no longer operate safely,' Mangena stated. ALSO READ: City Power suspends restoration in Mayibuye after technicians held hostage CEO condemns lawlessness City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava expressed deep concern over the escalating intimidation campaign against utility staff. 'We are deeply concerned by the rising trend of intimidation and threats against our teams. No employee should be forced to work under the fear of being attacked. 'These acts of lawlessness are not only criminal, but also jeopardise our ability to deliver services to those who need them most. Mashava said they would not put their staff's safety at risk and would not hesitate to withdraw them from any dangerous situations. Illegal connections compound service challenges The affected areas are known hotspots for illegal connections, meter tampering, and low vending patterns, which frequently cause overloading and repeated outages. Many communities have not been normalised through smart prepaid meter installation, with efforts often meeting resistance. Mangena noted that these issues have been raised with community leaders, and engagement continues to find lasting solutions. 'Some of these communities have not yet been normalised through the installation of our smart prepaid meters, and efforts to do so have often been met with resistance, further compounding service delivery challenges,' he explained. ALSO READ: When is the deadline to register for free basic electricity? Zero tolerance policy on City Power staff safety City Power views these incidents as symptomatic of growing risks facing Johannesburg's electricity grid, whether through violent obstruction of disconnection efforts or profit-driven illegal distribution schemes. 'Such acts compromise the safety of personnel, overload the network, and deprive paying customers of a reliable supply,' Mangena said. They maintain a zero-tolerance approach to threats against technicians, infrastructure tampering, and illegal connections. It said services will only resume once safe working conditions are restored. 'We urge all community members to refrain from these unlawful actions and to allow City Power technicians to do their work safely, including the vital task of normalising these areas for long-term energy stability,' Mangena concluded. City Power encourages community members to report suspicious or unlawful activity and emphasises that staff safety remains non-negotiable in service delivery efforts. READ NEXT: City Power explains why it charges some customers more than others
