Latest news with #serviceDelivery
The Herald
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald
Province mulls intervention in Knysna municipality over governance, service delivery failures
Knysna municipality has been issued with a notice of intention to intervene in its affairs by the Western Cape government, citing governance failures with collapsing infrastructure and poor basic service delivery. Local government, environmental affairs and development planning MEC Anton Bredell issued the notice in terms of the constitution and said he was considering making a recommendation to the provincial executive that the council of the Garden Route town be dissolved. The municipality has been governed by unstable coalitions. Bredell said despite repeated interventions to assist the municipality, it continued to experience 'serious challenges in governance and service delivery'. 'Despite various interventions, the municipality has not prioritised addressing its executive obligation failures. Consequently, the situation continues to deteriorate, even with assistance from the national and provincial governments. 'The quality of municipal services is worsening, with service delivery crises becoming more frequent. It is foreseeable that basic service delivery will continue to degrade unless the [provincial government] intervenes in the municipality.' He said the consequences for residents had been severe, including: repeated sewage spills; prolonged water shortages; and inconsistent refuse removal. 'The municipality's failure to rectify its lapses in service delivery resulted in numerous directives and notices being issued by agencies tasked with environmental compliance and enforcement. Citizens have organised themselves and taken it upon themselves to attend to some of the service delivery failures at their cost.' The provincial government said it would make a decision once it received the municipality's response to the notice. TimesLIVE
News24
3 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Capitec backs Schreiber; Court halts Lungu's funeral: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day. Graphic: Sharlene Rood News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature. Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo Joburg Mayor Dada Morero survives motion of no confidence - City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero survived a motion of no confidence brought by the DA. - The DA claims Morero failed to address service delivery issues in the metro. - A motion against council Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu was also put forward by Al Jama-ah. Kidnapped Gqeberha woman dropped off by abductors, reunited with family - Lindsay Knowlden, a 65-year-old woman kidnapped in Gqeberha on Saturday, has been reunited with her family unharmed. - She was dropped off on a street in Bethelsdorp around midnight and taken in by a family who contacted her husband and the police. - A ransom was demanded, but the family declined to comment further as the Hawks are still investigating the case. DEFENCELESS | Security sinks, trade routes exposed as frigates, submarines out of action - The South African Navy is severely weakened, with only one operable submarine and one seagoing frigate remaining from a R10-billion arms deal. - Due to funding cuts and negligence, the navy has lost its fighting capability, leaving South Africa's vast maritime area vulnerable to various threats. - The lack of naval patrols also jeopardises South Africa's ability to protect its gas fields and fulfill international obligations for maritime rescue. High Court halts Lungu's funeral in SA after court challenge by Zambian government - The Zambian government sought to prevent former president Edgar Lungu's funeral from taking place in Johannesburg. - The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled in favour of the Zambian government, interdicting the funeral pending an urgent court application. - The legal battle arose from disagreements between the Lungu family and the government regarding the planning of a state funeral in Zambia. Supplied/Capitec Capitec backs Schreiber's 6 500% fee hike for home affairs database checks - Capitec supports the Department of Home Affairs' fee hike for real-time identity checks, citing the need for upgrades to improve the stability of the online verification system. - Capitec will absorb the additional costs for the current financial year, ensuring no fee changes for its clients. - TymeBank criticised the fee increase, arguing it would negatively impact digital inclusion and compliance with anti-money laundering laws, leading to a sharp response from the home affairs minister. Supplied/VW Why the VW half-tonne bakkie doesn't happen for SA - VW will build the Tengo, a compact, front-wheel drive crossover, at its Eastern Cape plant, instead of the Saveiro bakkie. - The compact bakkie market in South Africa has declined due to security concerns and the rise of crossovers offering better features. - VW chose the Tengo because it believes it better responds to current market demand than the Saveiro, despite the latter's appeal. Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images Asenathi Ntlabakanye: How burly Bok newbie shed 20kg training on scrum guru Human's farm - Asenathi Ntlabakanye, a new Springbok prop, lost almost 20kg in weeks through rigorous training on Daan Human's farm. - This weight loss contributed to Ntlabakanye's selection for the match against the Barbarians in Cape Town. - Coach Rassie Erasmus compared Ntlabakanye's situation to Cheslin Kolbe, emphasising that skill and determination matter more than size.
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
ManageEngine Launches MSP Central: A Platform Built for Strengthening Modern MSP Infrastructure
Article content Built In-House, MSP Central Enables MSPs to Centralize Service Workflows, Device Control, Threat Protection, and Performance Monitoring in a Single Platform Article content Manage clients securely with integrated RMM, PSA, and advanced server monitoring on a multi-tenant, role-based platform Boost technician productivity with AI-driven ticket insights, sentiment detection, and intelligent alert correlation Start your free trial now at Article content ManageEngine Article content , a division of Zoho Corporation and a leading provider of enterprise IT management solutions, today announced the launch of Article content MSP Central Article content —a unified platform designed to help MSPs streamline service delivery, device management, threat protection, and infrastructure monitoring from a single interface. Article content ManageEngine focuses on addressing specific operational models and business challenges of MSPs, developing tools that support multi-client environments, technician efficiency, and service scalability. MSP Central brings together these capabilities into a unified platform tailored to how MSPs deliver and manage IT services today. Article content Meeting the Evolving Needs of MSPs Article content With the global managed services market projected to reach $511 billion by 2029, MSPs are facing mounting pressure to scale operations without compromising service quality so as to offer a strategic value to customers and differentiate from the competition. Article content 'We had technicians switching between multiple consoles just to resolve a single client incident—a real drag on time and ticket volume,' said Edgar Martínez, business manager at EvolutionIT, an early adopter of MSP Central. 'We were looking for a tool that could bring together everything our team needs without adding complexity or locking us into a rigid stack.' Article content MSP Central directly addresses this fragmentation by offering a unified platform to manage day-to-day operations across clients—from technician workflows and asset visibility to endpoint protection and network health monitoring. Its modular, cloud-native architecture supports native multi-tenancy, fine-grained role-based access control, and seamless integrations with both Zoho apps and third-party tools. This gives MSPs the flexibility to adopt only the modules they need and expand at their own pace. Article content Features Designed to Support MSP Operations Article content 'With MSP Central, we're bringing together the best of ManageEngine's proven IT management and security capabilities in a platform designed from the ground up for MSPs,' said Mathivanan Venkatachalam, vice president at ManageEngine. 'While each of these modules stands strong on its own, together they form a truly unified platform—delivering a single, connected experience for service providers. This approach lets MSPs consolidate their operations, eliminate tool sprawl, and enable their teams to work more efficiently and effectively—all from a unified console.' Article content The platform includes the following capabilities: Article content Modular architecture: Adopt only the components required—no bundling or mandatory licensing. Remote monitoring and management (RMM): Manage devices across clients with patching, asset visibility, and proactive remediation in a multi-tenant setup. Professional services automation (PSA): Integrate ticketing, contract management, SLAs, time tracking, and billing in a unified workflow. Advanced server monitoring: Monitor infrastructure across Windows, Linux, databases, and virtual systems with automated alerts and deep metrics. Endpoint security: Provide comprehensive protection against evolving cyberthreats with vulnerability management, device and application control, anti-ransomware, and browser security. AI-powered automation: Accelerate workflows with ticket summarization, sentiment detection, alert correlation, and predictive thresholds. Third-party integrations: Connect seamlessly with over 20 tools across IT, security and business ecosystems via open APIs and pre-built connectors. Marketplace ready: Built for integration into cloud marketplaces and partner ecosystems. Article content Looking Ahead Article content MSP Central marks the foundation of ManageEngine's long-term MSP platform strategy, which supports the full spectrum of managed services. Future enhancements will focus on expanding into adjacent domains like SIEM, privileged access management, and advanced analytics, helping MSPs and MSSPs manage security and compliance alongside operations. The platform will also evolve to support deeper integrations with business applications and partner ecosystems, empowering providers to streamline service delivery end to end. Article content 'Our goal is to give MSPs a platform that adapts to their growth, supports their preferred tools, and eliminates the friction of fragmented systems. We're starting with RMM, PSA, and advanced server monitoring, but this is just the beginning. Our vision is to bring all of ManageEngine's standalone MSP tools together under this platform, delivering depth, flexibility, and scalability that helps providers grow alongside their clients' needs. MSP Central is designed to support MSPs for the long haul,' added Venkatachalam. Article content Pricing and Availability Article content MSP Central is available globally starting today. The platform supports flexible modular pricing so MSPs can pay for only what they need. Article content Start your free trial now at: About ManageEngine MSP The ManageEngine MSP suite is a set of solutions exclusively crafted for service providers. The suite encompasses a wide range of capabilities MSPs need to deliver exceptional services and streamline their own business operations, including identity and access management, remote monitoring and management, professional service automation, and cybersecurity services. For more information, please visit and follow the suite on LinkedIn. Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact Article content Article content Ahana Vissa Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
7 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Sudbury appoints 3 new GMs, streamlines city structure
The City of Greater Sudbury announced the appointment of three new general managers and a revised organizational structure on Thursday, marking a shift in municipal leadership aimed at improving efficiency and service delivery. The appointments follow a national search led by Odgers Canada. Shari Lichterman, the city's chief administrative officer, hired in February, also announced structural changes, including consolidating two divisions, eliminating three director roles, and creating a new Community Services department. The revisions are expected to yield cost savings while separating the fire chief and paramedic chief roles. City of Greater Sudbury's New Organizational Structure Effective July 7, 2025, the City of Greater Sudbury is implementing a new organizational structure that marks a shift in municipal leadership aimed at improving efficiency and service delivery. The structural changes include consolidating two divisions, eliminating three director roles, and creating a new Community Services department. (Supplied/City of Greater Sudbury) Planning and Growth Kris Longston An undated promotional photo of Kris Longston, the City of Greater Sudbury's new General Manager of Planning and Growth. (Supplied/City of Greater Sudbury) Kris Longston, promoted to General Manager of Planning and Growth, brings 23 years of municipal experience – including 16 with the city, most recently as director of planning services. In that role, he led initiatives such as the Housing Supply Strategy and Climate Action Plan. Community Well-being Tyler Campbell An undated promotional photo of Tyler Campbell, the City of Greater Sudbury's new General Manager of Community Well-being. (Supplied/City of Greater Sudbury) Tyler Campbell, the new General Manager of Community Well-being, has worked with the city since 2011, previously serving as director of children and social services. His leadership includes projects like the rollout of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care program. Community Infrastructure Antti Vilkko An undated promotional photo of Antti Vilkko, the City of Greater Sudbury's new General Manager of Community Infrastructure. (Supplied/City of Greater Sudbury) Antti Vilkko, joining as General Manager of Community Infrastructure on July 28, has over 25 years of engineering management experience, including seven years as general manager of facilities and energy management for the City of Guelph. Exciting changes Shari Lichterman An undated profile photo of Greater Sudbury CAO Shari Lichterman. (LinkedIn) 'I'm excited to welcome Kris, Tyler and Antti into their new roles and to fill these important leadership vacancies, building on our strong staff team here at the City,' said Lichterman, in a news release. 'The changes demonstrate our commitment to finding efficiencies and ensuring our resources are focused on delivering the services our community needs.' Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre An undated profile photo of Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. (File photo/City of Greater Sudbury) Mayor Paul Lefebvre praised the appointments, stating, 'Each brings valuable experience and perspective to our executive leadership team. As the structure evolves to meet the changing needs of our community, I remain optimistic about what we can achieve together in building a city where people want to live, work, play and invest.' The new structure takes effect July 7.
News24
7 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Court orders dissolution of Ngwathe Municipality amid service delivery collapse
The Free State High Court has ordered the dissolution of the Ngwathe Local Municipality, citing gross failures in fulfilling its constitutional, legislative and regulatory responsibilities toward residents in towns such as Parys, Heilbron, Koppies and Vredefort, among others. The ruling follows a case brought by AfriForum, supported by the Save Ngwathe community group. The parties successfully acquired an interdict compelling the Free State provincial government to immediately intervene in the municipality's affairs. Ngwathe becomes the second municipality in the Free State to be placed under administration. Last month, Matjhabeng Local Municipality was placed under administration following the province's MEC for Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, Saki Mokoena, finally invoking Section 139 of the Constitution, which outlines the process for provincial intervention in municipalities unable to fulfill its executive obligations. READ | Matjhabeng Municipality finally under administration as province moves to address governance collapse Mokoena's actions followed a Bloemfontein High Court judgment, handed down on 23 October 2024, which found financial mismanagement, collapsing infrastructure and poor service delivery. Ngwathe residents allegedly suffered for years According to court papers which AfriForum submitted, pertaining to Ngwathe, the lobby group said residents had suffered for years under dire conditions - including persistent water shortages, raw sewage flowing in the streets, crumbling infrastructure and widespread financial mismanagement. The municipality owes more than R1 billion to Eskom and Rand Water. In delivering judgment on Friday, Judge Johannes Daffue described the municipality and its council as 'dysfunctional' and criticised the provincial government for its inaction. He said the case warranted judicial oversight, calling it a 'suitable case where the court should play the role of a watchdog'. The court order instructed Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae and her executive council to: Dissolve the municipal council and appoint an administrator; Develop and implement a recovery plan to restore service delivery and ensure financial stability; Approve a temporary budget and revenue measures to support the recovery plan; and Submit written progress reports to the court every three months under oath. The municipality and eight other respondents, including the premier, were also ordered to pay AfriForum's legal costs. The judgment comes after a series of public protests in 2024, sparked by water cuts, potholes as well as a catastrophic 11% Blue Drop water quality score. The crisis worsened when Free State's Provincial Treasury rejected Ngwathe's R2.099 billion draft budget for 2025/26, citing a falsified surplus based on an unrealistic 100% collection rate. AfriForum's Alta Pretorius called the ruling a 'massive victory' for long-suffering residents. Pretorius said: This not only brings justice, but legal grounds for real intervention. The government can no longer look away. The DA's Carina Serfontein welcomed the judgment, saying it confirmed what residents had known for years. 'We will closely track the premier's progress reports and take further action, if necessary,' she said. The mayor of Ngwathe, Victoria De-Beer Mthombeni, acknowledged the ruling, stating: 'The executive mayor respects the judgment of the Bloemfontein High Court and is studying the judgment in detail and will communicate in due course on the processes going forward.'
