Latest news with #R619
TimesLIVE
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
‘F1: The Movie' races to $140m in opening weekend
F1: The Movie raced to the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend, earning more than $140m (R2,478,397,222) globally. That includes $55.6m (R984,000,000) in the US, with $25m (R619,552,500) of that coming on the movie's opening day on Friday, according to The Numbers. The movie, which stars Brad Pitt and was executive-produced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, was filmed at F1 racetracks through the 2024 season. Pitt plays an F1 driver who comes out of retirement to help a struggling team while mentoring an up-and-coming young driver. According to Forbes, F1: The Movie outpaced Napoleon ($78.8m or R1,394,878,200 in 2023) for the biggest opening weekend for an Apple Studios film. However, with the cost of making F1: The Movie reportedly topping $350m (R6,195,455,000), it will need a continued run of success at the box office to make money.
The Citizen
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Chery Tiggo 7 CSH plug-in hybrid: Here's what it costs
Chery's jumping into the hybrid powertrain segment in South Africa with the new Tiggo 7 CSH, a plug-in version of its mid-size SUV. Looking for a new or used Chery? Find it here with CARmag! The Chery Tiggo 7 CSH uses a 1.5l turbocharged petrol engine paired with an electric motor, sending power to the front wheels. Together, the system produces 265kW and 310N.m of torque. But the real headline is the range. Thanks to an 18.3kWh battery, the Tiggo 7 CSH can cover up to 93km of electric power alone. Combine that with the petrol engine, and Chery claims a total range of 1 200km and a fuel consumption of 4.9l/100 km. Charging takes less than an hour with a fast charger or a few hours with a regular wall socket. Chery Tiggo 7 CSH pricing Tiggo 7 CSH Plus – R619 900 (Introductory launch price valid for 3 months will be R599 900) Tiggo 7 CSH Ultra – R679 900 Related: Tiggo 8 PHEV Continues Chery's Push for Safety Inside, the layout is familiar. Even the base Plus model comes with leather seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat, dual-zone climate control and keyless entry. The Ultra adds heated and ventilated seats for both front occupants, memory settings for the driver, and some small upgrades like an air purifier and auto-dimming rearview mirror. The tech offering is strong across the range. Both models get a pair of 12.3-inch screens, one for the gauges and the other for infotainment. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, and there's a voice command system that responds to 'Hello Chery'. There's even a wireless charging pad. The Ultra trim swaps in a better sound system from Sony and adds ambient lighting. Design-wise, it's business as usual. The Chery Tiggo 7 CSH keeps the bold look of the standard Tiggo 7, complete with LED lights and 18-inch wheels. The top-spec Ultra adds a panoramic sunroof, power tailgate and some extra chrome bits to help it stand out. You also get two-tone paint options if you want something a bit flashier. Click here and browse thousands of new and used vehicles here with CARmag! The post Chery Tiggo 7 CSH Plug-In Hybrid – Pricing and Specs appeared first on CAR Magazine. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
IOL News
01-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
SITA's financial meltdown threatens government services
Sita said it struggled to attract skilled ICT professionals, with most talent opting for private sector jobs. A VIRTUAL meeting of Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on April 22 heard shocking revelations about the complete breakdown of governance at the State Information Technology Agency (Sita), with the Auditor-General of SA (AGSA) painting a picture of an institution in total disarray. The agency responsible for coordinating the government's information and communication technology systems has regressed to receiving a disclaimer of opinion — the worst possible audit outcome — with auditors unable to verify the accuracy of its financial statements due to missing records and systemic failures. Senior Manager at AGSA, Lufuno Mmbadi, delivered the damning assessment: 'The previous qualifications audit and the current disclaimer audit meant that the key role players within the Sita accountability ecosystem had failed to provide credible financial reports that were supported by reliable information. The financial statements could not be relied upon, as they were not supported by full and proper records of the financial affairs of the entity.' The audit regression comes despite some superficial improvements, including a reduction in irregular expenditure from R1.2 billion to R619 million. However, AGSA officials cautioned that this was largely due to multi-year contracts coming to an end rather than improved financial controls. Shockingly, the agency's procurement system remains entirely manual, with an average turnaround time of 123 days for basic requests — more than four months to process something as simple as a laptop order. The presentation exposed an institution in constant turmoil at the leadership level. Sita has had: Five different chief executives in the past five years No board for most of February 2025 An interim board appointed for just three months 60% vacancy rate at executive level Action SA's Alan Beesley expressed the committee's frustration: 'If there was no stability at the leadership and board level, there was no chance of turning Sita around. Everything rises and falls on leadership.' The human resource crisis extends beyond leadership. AGSA's Portia Nkuna explained that Sita struggled to attract skilled ICT professionals, with most talent opting for private sector jobs. Those who did join often left quickly due to the chaotic work environment and salary disputes. The audit revealed that 38% of service delivery targets were missed, with critical projects delayed due to resource constraints. Departments across government are feeling the impact: The SA Police Service (SAPS) cannot modernise its docket system Home Affairs struggles with IT system upgrades Critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities remain unaddressed The EFF's Ntombovuyo Mente-Nkuna highlighted the long-term consequences: 'More than eight years ago, Sita had been central to the procurement system failures in National Treasury and the SAPS system. Recently, the Minister of Police made a statement about making the SAPS system electronic — this same statement was made 15 years ago.' Multiple committee members described Sita as a feeding ground for corruption. The EFF's Chumani Matiwane was particularly scathing: 'A culture of impunity persisted when it came to repeated findings, because there was no consequence management. This meant that people were encouraged to continue doing wrong things because their actions would have no consequences.' AGSA identified two material irregularities — payments for unused software licences and services never rendered. While R50 000 was recovered in one case, disciplinary processes remain incomplete. Perhaps most alarmingly, departments are now bypassing Sita entirely, going directly to private providers for IT services, meaning the government was effectively paying twice for the same services. In contrast to Sita's meltdown, the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) showed some progress, improving from a disclaimer to an unqualified audit with findings. However, AGSA's Nathan Lawnet cautioned against optimism: 'The cost of the public mandate kept on increasing, and the SABC was not able to keep abreast with the competitive changes in the broadcasting sphere.' Despite receiving a R3.2bn bailout in 2019 tied to a three-year turnaround strategy, the state-owned broadcaster remains financially precarious: R2bn in unresolved irregular expenditure (some dating back six years) Only R687m of R4bn in TV license fees deemed recoverable Failure to meet digital transformation targets, including website upgrades Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi expressed particular concern about the SABC's inability to secure broadcasting rights for major sporting events, leaving millions of South Africans without access: 'The SABC's financial sustainability is precarious. It's losing bids for major sports events, and its digital transition is lagging. We cannot continue with business as usual.' Faced with this crisis, Scopa resolved on several drastic measures: Summoning current and former Sita leadership to account for years of failure Calling the Communications Minister and the Deputy Minister to explain the recovery plans Launching a forensic investigation into multi-year contracts Considering a complete overhaul or possible closure of Sita As the meeting concluded, AGSA's Madidimalo Singo offered a sobering perspective on the broader implications: 'The functioning of Sita was not only about sustainability, but also the overall functioning of the government. There were policy outcomes that the government had committed to. When Sita fails, service delivery fails.' With government departments increasingly bypassing the broken agency and critical IT systems left vulnerable, the clock is ticking for decisive action. The question now is whether Sita can be salvaged — or whether, after years of dysfunction, it is time to admit defeat and rebuild South Africa's government IT infrastructure from the ground up.
