K@SiPEOPLE

MINISTER STEENHUISEN’S 100 DAYS FAILURE @KASIBCNEWS  The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemns the flagrant incompetence and corruption of Democratic Alliance’s (DA) John Steenhuisen, the Minister of Agriculture, who, within the first 100 days of holding office, has failed to appoint qualified staff.  He continues to cling onto his cadre deployments—appointments of his unqualified cronies and white supremacists—while trying to bend the rules to push them through. Steenhuisen's request for a deviation from the minimum appointment requirements for his candidates shows his blatant disregard for the rules that govern public office appointments. His nominations of Annette Steyn, Una Christians, Charity McCord, and Mr. Kruger are an insult to the hardworking and qualified South Africans who are being overlooked in favour of Steenhuisen’s politically connected friends.  Three of these four candidates only possess matric certificates and do not meet the minimum academic q...

GAUTENG E-TOLL DEBT INSTALLMENT R3.8 BILLION @KASIBCNEWS  In his 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, the Minister of Finance, Honourable Enoch Godongwana made the following policy pronouncement on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project popularly known as E-Toll: “to resolve the funding impasse the Gauteng provincial government has agreed to contribute 30 per cent to settling SANRAL’s debt and interest obligations, while national government covers 70 per cent”. In the Budget Speech in March this year, Gauteng Provincial Treasury announced that as part of the province’s arrangements to service the debt, a provision for honouring this commitment has been pencilled into the 2024 fiscal framework. This was followed by the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Gauteng Provincial Government and the National Treasury for the province to honour the debt and the maintenance portion for the E-Toll debt. The obligation to service this debt has necessitated the implementatio...

COGTA COMMITTEE CALLS FOR STABILITY FOLLOWING REMOVAL OF TSHWANE MAYOR @KASIBCNEWS The Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), chaired by Hon. Mzi Khumalo, has taken note of the removal of the Tshwane Mayor and calls for urgent action to ensure stability in the City of Tshwane during this transitional period. As the oversight body responsible for promoting good governance, the Portfolio Committee urges the Department of CoGTA. to take immediate steps to ensure that the upcoming mayoral election is conducted within the 14-day legal timeframe and that  all necessary measures are in place to maintain municipal operations without disruption. The Department must play a proactive role in supporting the City’s governance structures during this period of change. Chairperson Khumalo emphasized that it is critical for the Department to ensure there are no delays in service delivery, to strengthen internal governance, and to maintain stability in collab...

R60 BILLION CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST BIG BANKS @KASIBCNEWS The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) fully endorses the long-overdue R60 billion class action lawsuit against South Africa's major banks for their predatory and exploitative practices, which have left hundreds of poor, primarily black South Africans homeless and destitute. This legal action exposes the deep-rooted systemic neglect and exploitation of the vulnerable, a reality the EFF has consistently highlighted in its fight for economic justice. This class action involves more than 200 applicants whose homes were repossessed by major banks—Absa, Standard Bank, FirstRand, and Nedbank—after missing bond payments. These repossessed homes were auctioned off for a fraction of their true market value, with some homes sold for as little as 10% of what they were worth, leaving their owners homeless and still indebted to the banks. Some properties were even sold for as low as R100. These practices were common before 2018 when th...

CEREMONY OF HEROES AND HEROINES WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR OUR FREEDOM @KASIBCNEWS  PRETORIA ON 27 SEPTEMBER 2024 AT 11H00 Programme Directors His Excellency, President of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa President of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Cde Mzwanele Nyhontso Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Cde Angie Motshekga Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton Mackenzie High Commissioner of Zimbabwe to South Africa, His Excellency Hambaziripa High Commission of Zambia to South Africa, Her Excellency Mazuba Monze Premier of the North-West Province, Cde Lazarus Mokgosi Gauteng MEC for Education, Sports and Recreation, Cde Matome Chiloane Families, Friends and Relatives of our heroes Comrades and Compatriots Today, we welcome home gallant sons and daughters of the South African soil, who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we all can gather here today as a free people.  These illustrious men and women, whose remains are ...

Mpumalanga Dams record another drop @KASIBCNEWS The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) calls on the public to use the available water wisely and sparingly, as dam levels in Mpumalanga record a marginal decrease from last week’s 86.0% to 85.1% in the current.  A weekly status of dam levels report issued by the Department also shows a decrease in the Water Management Areas (WMA). The Olifants WMA dropped from 78.0% to 77.0% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA dropped from 87.5% to 87.0%. In terms of the districts, Ehlanzeni dropped from 86.5% to 85.4%, Gert Sibande dropped from 83.9% to 83.4%, and Nkangala dropped from 89.1% to 87.7%.  The department notes that there are no improvements recorded in most dams across the province, with only a few dams remaining unchanged and the majority recording declines. The listed dams which recorded declines in water levels in Ehlanzeni District and the Lowveld include Blyderivierpoort from 79.0% to 76.6%, Buffelskloof from 66.7% to 63.6%, Witk...

Deputy President Paul Mashatile undertakes working visit to Ireland @KASIBCNEWS Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile will on 27 – 28 September 2024, undertake a working visit to Ireland. The visit is aimed at reinforcing South Africa’s historic and warm bilateral relations with Ireland. Upon arrival in Ireland, the Deputy President will meet his Irish counterpart, Prime Minister Simon Harris, to reaffirm the strong political and diplomatic ties between the two countries. South Africa and Ireland established diplomatic relations over 30 years ago. Political and economic relations between South Africa and Ireland encompass a broad spectrum of cooperation, such as trade and investment, education, science and innovation and gender equality. Ireland’s developmental programmes have greatly assisted many initiatives in South Africa since 1994, and the partnership continues to this day. During the visit, the Deputy President will participate in the South Africa-Ireland Trade and Investm...

Urgent Court Interdict against John Hlophe @KASIBCNEWS The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the Western Cape High Court’s decision to grant an urgent interdict preventing Dr. John Hlophe from taking up his seat on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). This is a landmark victory for the DA and for the integrity of South Africa’s judiciary. The court's decision affirms our position and strengthens the fight to maintain the highest standards of integrity within our judiciary. An impeached judge, found guilty of gross misconduct, should not hold a position on the JSC, a body entrusted with the responsibility of selecting judges and upholding the highest standards of judicial integrity. This ruling is a major step in safeguarding the independence and credibility of our judicial system. Allowing Dr. Hlophe, who was impeached after a long and contentious legal process, to influence the selection of future judges would have severely damaged public trust in our judiciary and compromised t...

R1-billion New Driver’s Licence printing machines @KASIBCNEWS  In response to a RISE Mzansi parliamentary question, the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, has stated that the current driver’s licence production machines have reached the end of their lifespan, meaning that three new machines, totalling a cost of R1,003,223,784 need to be procured. Each machine costs R334,407,928. RISE Mzansi is calling on the Minister of Transport to take the nation into her confidence and to be transparent, without interfering in the work of the bidding committee, by providing an update to South Africans on how far the process is, as the last update on this matter was given more than 3months ago on 10 June 2024. In light of the current machines reaching their lifespan, RISE Mzansi can further disclose that between 2019/20 and 2023/24 R21,091,201,32 was spent maintaining the current equipment, with R870,000 budgeted for the current financial year. What is vital with the new procurement is that t...

GAUTENG HEALTH JOURNEY CLEAN AUDIT @KASIBCNEWS SERVICE DELIVERY  The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) is committed to ongoing reforms to strengthen governance, procurement processes and service delivery in its journey towards a clean audit outcome.  These reforms continue to be be implemented in the current financial year  (2024/25) in order to address audit findings and improve operational efficiency within the GDoH. They include comprehensive improvements in procurement systems and processes, contract and asset management, with the main focus being on enhancing compliance, reducing irregular expenditure, and addressing service delivery concerns, particularly in critical areas such as medical and  mental health services and food supply at facilites. While the GDoH has maintained an unqualified audit opinion with findings in the  2023/24 reporting cycle, it is important to contexualise the position of the Department in regard to the audit outcome and various ...

  Gauteng Health Department paid R3.9 million to absent Cuban Doctors @KASIBCNEWS Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has disclosed in a written reply to my questions that R3.9 million was paid to 7 Cuban doctors who had left South Africa to go back to Cuba. This expensive bungle happened as 28 Cuban doctors were hired on a one-year contract to assist with the Covid-19 pandemic, but the contracts for seven of them were irregularly extended for another year. Instead of their contracts terminating on 14 May 2021, they continued to receive salaries without working until May 2022. According to the MEC: "The officials who extended the contracts allege to have not been aware that the Cuban Healthcare Workers were no longer in the country." This oversight has been flagged by the Auditor General as a "Material Irregularity". An investigation has led to the recovery of R1.2 million, and disciplinary charges have been laid against the responsible officials. The Cuban go...

REPATRIATION OF EXILED LIBERATION FIGHTERS @KASIBCNEWS   The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) welcomes the long-awaited repatriation of our brave liberation fighters who laid down their lives in the struggle against apartheid. The beginning of the return of 49 comrades from Zimbabwe and Zambia, who died in exile, is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made in pursuit of our freedom. We express our deep gratitude to the Zimbabwean and Zambian governments, whose support during our shared struggle for liberation will never be forgotten.  Together with our comrades across borders, we fought against colonialism and apartheid, standing side by side in the battle for justice and dignity. Their solidarity was crucial then, and today’s repatriation reflects the enduring bonds between our peoples. Many of these freedom fighters were forced into exile to continue the struggle from beyond our borders when the apartheid regime intensified its oppression. Unable to fight openly within ...

GAUTENG SPORT AWARDS (GSA) AS CLOSING DATE LOOMS The 2023/24 year has witnessed outstanding sporting achievements by South African teams and athletes, many of whom are based in Gauteng. Events such as the recent Olympics, the Under 20 World Athletics Championships, the Rugby World Cup, the Netball World Cup, and football have brought joy and hope to many South Africans, showcasing success in both the field and administration of various sports. With only 09 days to go before the close of nominations for the 20204 Gauteng Sport Awards (GSA) nominees, the organisers of the Awards are calling for the public to finalise their submissions before closing day. Sports fans, federations, clubs and everybody are permitted to submit their nominations. Nominations should be based on achievements between August 1, 2023, and September 15, 2024, for Gauteng-based athletes, teams, clubs, and more. There are 20 unchanged awards categories from previous years including; Sportsperson of the Year, Pers...

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AMONGST TEACHERS @KASIBCNEWS The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes, with concern, the escalating mental health crisis among South Africa’s teachers. Our educators, the backbone of our nation’s future, are being overwhelmed by unbearable workloads, compounded by budget cuts that have left our classrooms understaffed. A recent study revealed that an overwhelming majority of teachers surveyed are in dire need of crisis intervention, including hotlines, counselling, and mentorship. The mental health toll on our teachers is a silent epidemic—one that is being ignored by a government that has cut funding for education at a time when our children need it most. In Gauteng alone, teachers are occupying more than half the beds in wellness centres due to stress-related issues, while teachers in KwaZulu-Natal are relying on anti-depressants just to cope with the demands of their profession. As more teachers leave the profession due to burnout and depression...

  PARLIAMENT  DEBATE ON THE PROPOSED ELECTRICITY  TARIFF INCREASES @KASIBCNEWS South Africans are a resilient people, and whilst we understand and even empathise with the current cost of living expenses that we are all experiencing, we find ourselves at a crossroads in so far as the recent decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to grant Eskom’s application to retrospectively recover R8 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year. The debate today to discuss this crucial matter in Parliament is unfortunately not  one the ANC relishes, as we understand the gravity of the situation and why it is imperative for this tariff increase to be effected. NERSA is the regulatory authority of the energy sector in South Africa and its mandate includes the regulation of the electricity supply industry. and thus, this Energy Regulator must regulate electricity prices and tariffs. In other words, its applicable by law that NERSA determines the tariffs that Esk...