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Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Appropriation Bill to pass in crucial step for SA's R1.2-trillion Budget allocation
Finally, South Africa is one step closer to passing this year's Budget. But that hasn't stopped the GNU partners from their usual politicking. South Africa almost has a Budget as Government of National Unity (GNU) parties supported the first reading of the Appropriation Bill in Parliament on Wednesday, 23 July 2025. While parties united to support the bill, the political jabs between GNU members continued. Things began in Parliament, sitting at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with Kingsley Wakelin from the DA taking a jab at the ANC, MK party and the EFF. 'In the meantime, internal conflicts within the ANC are distracting them from the real issues facing the country. The MK is undermining the very same Constitution that pays their salaries and the EFF is losing members and disabusing them — and the nation is suffering.' In order to pass the Appropriation Bill, all departmental budget votes need to be passed, and the bill needs 201 of 400 votes. On Tuesday, the DA said it would support the budget votes, and thus the Appropriation Bill, after Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane was fired on Monday night. The party had also called for the removal of Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane. On Wednesday, Wakelin continued: 'In last year's election, the voters sent a clear message about what they want. They no longer trust the ANC to govern on their own. They want jobs, not handouts.' The DA would not support the National Dialogue, Wakelin said. 'People want action. The people do not want to see R700-million wasted on another expensive dialogue.' Patriotic Alliance MP Ashley Sauls took a jab at the DA and said the party supported this Budget because it was now part of the governing coalition, even though 'it is the same Budget that was tabled in the past'. 'Principles have been sold for posts and blue lights,' he claimed. Money running out It was Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo who explained what would happen if the bill was not passed on Wednesday. 'Let me restate that the passing of this bill by Parliament will grant the national government to spend R1.2-trillion to deliver services, to protect the vulnerable and invest in our shared future. 'This R1.2-trillion, it's not just a number,' he said, giving examples of funding for hospitals, social grants and infrastructure projects. Masondo said the bill must be passed without delay or else there would be two big consequences. 'Without passing this bill, the government will be without authority for permission to spend beyond last year's allocation. As a result, the government will not fully provide services, including public servants.' He added: 'In the absence of the Appropriation Act, the government may only spend 45% of the previous year's Budget until the end of July, which is next week, and thereafter the government can only spend 10% a month of the previous appropriated Budget. Our estimation is that overall, by October 2025, the government will be without authority when we reach 100% of last year's appropriation.' The second implication of the delay of the Budget, Masondo said, was that 'critical priorities, new priorities can't be funded'. This included funding for passenger rail transport and essential health services, 'which is meant to facilitate the employment of 800 doctors in the public service'. 'This government won't be able to spend the R470-million for the digitisation project in home affairs,' said Masondo and made a point about visa reforms, something that has been a project for its minister, Leon Schreiber (DA). 'This project predates the year and we appreciate the energy, the zeal and the commitment by Minister Schreiber to continue to implement the reports… Without legal appropriation, those provisionally allocated funds cannot be dispersed,' said Masondo. Ultimately, Masondo said the Bill must be passed, because 'it is the most vulnerable members' who depend on public services such as grants and public schooling. After the bill is passed within the National Assembly, it will go to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence. The process continued on Wednesday as parties discussed budgets for each department. By 1pm, the budget vote for the Presidency had been approved, despite objections from the MK party, EFF and others. DM
Metro
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Chris Wakelin: A massive part of me thought I'd win the World Championship
Chris Wakelin felt he was on course to win the World Championship this year and has already made changes to give him a better chance in 2026. The 33-year-old produced two of the performances of the tournament as he came through qualifying and then knocked out Neil Robertson and Mark Allen. The Englishman was looking as good as anyone at the Crucible having never won a match at the venue before and he admits that thoughts started to turn to lifting the trophy. Things went pretty horribly wrong in the quarter-finals as he struggled in a 13-5 defeat to eventual champion Zhao Xintong, which left Wakelin with mixed feelings after fine run. 'It was great to get back and get my first win and get through to the quarters,' he told Metro. 'But there a massive part of me that thought I was going to win it. 'It wasn't just a case of being there and soaking it up and being part of the furniture as I was in years gone by. I genuinely felt like it could have been my year. 'The only disappointing thing from my point of view was the only match that Xintong was beatable in was the one I played him in. I was just so mentally exhausted.' Wakelin has taken that feeling as inspiration to get fit again, hitting the roads to get himself in shape for the challenges to come. 'It was just psychological warfare out there. That sort of arena, that sort of opportunity,' he said. 'More than anything, the World Championship is an opportunity to catapult yourself up the rankings and into history. 'I didn't feel pressure in that third match, no more so than I did in the first round of qualifying. It just didn't happen on that day. 'You can put that down to whatever reason you want. I feel as though it's given me a goal for this season, which is to be more physically fit. That's my new challenge. 'I lost four stone, just through running and doing a bit of gym work but that stopped about 18 months ago because I had a couple of injuries. 'Running is firmly back on the agenda now, doing two or three 10ks a week. 'I've got fitness goals now, as well as snooker goals, family goals, life goals. I want to get back to doing regular sub-two hour half marathons. For a guy who was nearly 18 stone not so long ago, I think that would be quite an achievement.' Wakelin has made huge improvements to climb into the world's top 16 and turn himself into a genuine threat to win ranking events. That has come alongside a different outlook on snooker, with family life his priority after the birth of his daughter in December and he shares a philosophy with golf's world number one Scottie Scheffler. The American said: 'There's a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfil them in life, and you get there, you get to No 1 in the world, and they're like what's the point? I really do believe that, because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? 'That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. Showing up at the Masters every year, it's like, why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win the Open Championship so badly? I don't know. Because, if I win, it's going to be awesome for two minutes. Then we're going to get to the next week and it's: 'Hey, you won two majors this year; how important is it for you to win the FedExCup playoffs?' And we're back here again. 'I'm blessed to be able to come out here and play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that's going to be the last day that I play out here for a living. 'This is not the be all, end all. This is not the most important thing in my life. That's why I wrestle with, why is this so important to me? Because I'd much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer. At the end of the day, that's what's more important to me.' Wakelin explained: 'I was saying at the World Championship on several occasions, I actually don't care if I win or lose. When I listened to what Scottie said, it made absolute sense, because it's exactly how I feel now. 'I've got a family now, I've got a little girl, and that's my priority. As much as I want to go to tournaments and I want to win, I'd love to be standing there with the trophy again. At the end of each tournament that I play in, when I lose, it makes absolutely no difference to me in my life. More Trending 'The things I want in my life are at home, they're not on tour. This is just a product of what can possibly give us an easier life down the line. 'All I want is to be able to go and try my best. That's good enough for me, it's good enough for my family, and the results will take care of themselves. 'The only thing that does differ between Scottie and I, and you might say that's why he's world number one and I'm not, is that he hates losing. I don't hate losing. I love winning, but if I lose, it's history. It's no longer a moment in my life, it's something I don't think about anymore. 'I've got something else to focus on, whether that's being a dad, or being prepared for my next match, or just being a good friend to people. That's what you've got to be in life sometimes, it's not all about snooker.' MORE: Liam Davies on perfect start to season, beating a hero and snooker's rising stars MORE: Mark Allen replaced in Shanghai Masters draw after withdrawal for personal reasons MORE: Stephen Hendry makes Zhao Xintong prediction and Ronnie O'Sullivan comparison
Daily Record
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Chris Wakelin shows no sympathy for Zhao Xintong over ban saying 'I don't make silly mistakes'
Chris Wakelin saw his dreams of World Championship glory end at the hands of one of snooker's most controversial characters. But the Englishman has tipped China's Zhao Xintong to make history by becoming the first ever Chinese world champion . Despite admitting that he has no sympathy for him, after a 20 month ban for betting offences. Ranked ninth in the world when the scandal shocked snooker , Zhao found himself unable to compete for more than a year - before returning on the amateur circuit. Still classed as an amateur, he faced four 19 frame qualifiers just to earn his spot in Sheffield. But he's taken full advantage with some stunning displays, and a semi-final epic with hero Ronnie O'Sullivan now looms on the horizon. Asked about how difficult returning from a ban to compete at elite level would be for Zhao, Wakelin told SportsBoom : "I don't know because I've not been suspended. "I don't do silly things. I don't make silly mistakes. We're all aware of the dangers when we get on tour. You get involved in that sort of thing, you're gonna get punished for it, you learn a hard lesson. 'He is back on tour now, but he has missed out on two years in his mid-twenties, which should be the golden stage in his career. 'I've had no doubt that he'll go on to have several successes down the line now that he is back. But it was really stupid, the whole situation for all those guys that got involved. But in terms of where Zhao's going, I think he's got his better days in front of him now. "He served his time, you know, the WPBSA dealt with it externally, the whole case was dealt with in a professional way. They did exactly what they should have done. 'He served that sentence, he's more than welcome to come back and try his best again because he's a great asset to our sport. He just needs to stay on the right side of things." Despite showing absolutely no sympathy for his ban, Wakelin does believe that snooker has benefited from Zhou's return - and has backed him to make history as the sport's first ever Chinese world champion. He joked: "He was terrible yesterday, but I was just extra terrible. 'This was a big pressure match for both of us, getting through to that one table setup, that is the dream. So, it's almost like winning the tournament getting through to the semi-finals. 'We all know how talented Zhao is. He's a fabulous kid as well, he is great, he's got a great smile and he's very tenacious out there. 'His talent is just off the scale, some of the balls that he knocks in and the opportunities that he's created. He does things that a lot of players on tour aren't capable of. 'There's no reason at all that he can't go on to lift the trophy this week. I think it would be amazing for snooker if he did. 'We all know the troubles that he's faced over the last couple of years, hopefully now that's behind him and he can do himself proud in the semi-finals.'
Wales Online
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
World Snooker Championship star and wife in disagreement after £50,000 win
World Snooker Championship star and wife in disagreement after £50,000 win Disagreements come with the territory in married life, but one star at the World Snooker Championship is currently having a unique quarrel with his other half One snooker star has a lot of convincing he needs to do (Image: Tai Chengzhe, VCG via Getty Images ) Chris Wakelin has pocketed a cool £50,000 for his impressive run to the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals - and is eyeing even more. Wakelin, 33, is enjoying the best run of his snooker career at the Crucible. He has already had an incredible tournament, knocking out 2010 world champion Neil Robertson and World No.8 Mark Allen. Wakelin had only made three appearances at the World Championship prior to this year and had lost in the first-round every time. He has been one of the breakout stars at the Crucible and will pocket prize money unlike any he has ever seen before. His displays also look set to open many sponsorship doors, which will only bring in more paycheques. All he and his wife need to do is decide what they would like to do with the money. His stellar performance in Sheffield has caught the eye of Hot Tubs of London, and they've promised him a "massive" hot tub, regardless of how he fares in the quarter-finals. Wakelin is thrilled by the prospect, despite a little domestic debate with his wife Lucy about whether their garden shed should be sacrificed to make space. He said: "Jamie, who owns Hot Tubs of London, has promised me a hot tub. "Unfortunately we have got a shed in the garden at the minute, which Lucy thinks is more important than a hot tub. But who knows? Article continues below "I think we'll end up getting a hot tub in the garden at some point. We have got a great partnership. We'll have to make a deal." Wakelin will surely be disappointed if he cannot get his hot tub (Image: Getty Images ) Wakelin, who has a mountain to climb after finishing the second session trailing Zhao Xintong 12-4, is not just taken by the prize money but also the sheer size of the hot tub. He even visited Essex to check them out and came away impressed. He said: "I went down to see the showroom last year, the ones that Jamie sells are a bit different from normal hot tubs. Why are they so different? They are massive. I didn't know hot tubs could come that big. "But as much as I'd love to have a swimming pool in my back garden, I can't swim. When I started running a couple of years ago, a friend of mine suggested I should do a triathlon. He gave me my bike to ride for a few weeks – but I fell off it. Wakelin has it all to do against Zhao (Image: Getty Images ) Article continues below "He then said: 'What about swimming?' I said: 'I can't swim, so all the best for that one.' I won't be doing any triathlons any time soon." Wakelin, who used to work full-time as a delivery driver for ASDA before turning professional, has the chance to boost his winnings significantly by overcoming Zhao's lead. If he makes it to the semi-finals, he could pocket an extra £100,000. Should he reach the final, he's looking at a guaranteed £200,000, and the top prize is an eye-watering £500,000.
Metro
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Metro
O'Sullivan and Trump take control of their World Championship quarter-finals
Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump enjoyed good starts to their World Snooker Championship quarter-finals on Tuesday afternoon, both leading after their opening sessions. The Rocket is still struggling to find his best form, but is doing more than enough at the minute at the Crucible, leading Si Jiahui 6-2. As was the case in his first two rounds, O'Sullivan's opponent has performed well below his best, meaning the 49-year-old has not really had to fire to be in the lead. Facing the seven-time world champion is a huge task, especially on the sport's most iconic stage, with the aura and presence of O'Sullivan seemingly damaging his opponents as much as his potting. However, the Rocket did start to show his unparalleled quality at the end of the session, making a brilliant 67 to win the seventh and then 121 to claim the eighth. O'Sullivan is playing with a new cue this tournament, with his long potting looking a bit suspect over the first two rounds, but with a long pot success of 92 per cent in this session will be a boost for him. On the other side of the divide on Tuesday afternoon Trump continued the impressive form he has shown so far in Sheffield, leading Luca Brecel 5-3. The world number one was fantastic in beating Zhou Yuelong 10-4 and then Shaun Murphy 13-10, and started his match with the Bullet brilliantly. The Ace fired in breaks of 71, 106, 110 and 87 on his way to building a good early lead at 4-1. However, the 2023 champion is also feeling pretty good and responded with efforts of 68 and a tremendous 128 to keep things very interesting indeed. The quarter-finals got underway on Tuesday morning, with two contrasting matches on either side of the arena floor. On one table there could scarcely be any more experience as four-time champion John Higgins faced three-time winner Mark Williams. The other table featured two players in their first ever Crucible quarter-finals as Zhao Xintong had to contend with the conqueror of Neil Robertson and Mark Allen: Chris Wakelin. Higgins is 5-3 up on his old Class of 92 rival, but that will not be troubling Williams too much in a race to 13. There were worries early on as the Welshman made a number of errors and found himself 5-1 behind, in danger of ending the session a long way behind, but breaks of 104 and 59 in the last two frames kept him in touch. Zhao leads Wakelin 6-2, but it could have been very different if the Englishman had kept up the form he showed against Robertson and Allen. Wakelin took the first frame with a 93 and looked really good, but wilted afterwards, losing six frames on the spin, four of which were close and he could easily have claimed. More Trending He nicked the last of the session to make sure it wasn't a disaster of a morning, but he has a lot of work to do to get back into contention. The encouraging news for the Wakelin camp is that Zhao has not been at his incredible break-building best, making just two half-centuries in the eight frames on Tuesday morning. The four quarter-final matches all come to an end on Wednesday, with the semi-finals then running over three days from Thursday to Saturday. MORE: Stephen Hendry points what Ronnie O'Sullivan does that irritates other players MORE: Ben Woollaston rates Si Jiahui's chances against Ronnie O'Sullivan after Crucible scrap MORE: Judd Trump defends Luca Brecel from criticism ahead of mouth-watering Crucible clash
