Oversight visit by Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation to Kopanong @KASIBCNEWS

Oversight visit by Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation to Kopanong @KASIBCNEWS

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the oversight visit of Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo in Springfontein, Kopanong Local Municipality (KLM), on Saturday, 5 October 2024, following complaints regarding serious sewerage challenges in the municipality.

Recently, local farmers were alarmed when their livestock was exposed to untreated sewage leaking into the veld from a nearby sewage treatment plant in Springfontein. Unfortunately, this is the case across Kopanong, with seven out of the nine sewage treatment plants being dysfunctional, not to mention the many blocked and overleaking sewerage manholes across Kopanong, many of which are in close proximity to rivers, dams and other water sources.

The sporadic collection of refuse in KLM also negatively affects the sewerage system as was clear during the oversight visit. KLM must ensure effective delivery of refuse removal and civic education to lessen the burden on the strained sewerage system.

The DA supports the Deputy Ministers call to KLM, and other local municipalities in the Free State, to move away from the reactionary approach to sewerage challenges and the protection of water sources, to a pro-active approach. For far too long, municipalities have only acted once severe environmental and/or economic damage has been done, rather than taking a proactive approach to maintenance, system upgrades and risk management of sewerage plants and infrastructure.

The DA looks forward to the Deputy Minister's involvement and monitoring of the sewerage challenges in Kopanong.

The DA has submitted questions to the MEC of COGTA regarding the sewerage crisis in several towns in KLM, including Bethulie, Gariepdam, Philippolis and Trompsburg. Of great concern is the sewerage plants and leaks located close to the Gariepdam and Orange River. Unfortunately, the DAs questions to the MEC remain unanswered to date.

The DA has brought these leaks to the attention of the Deputy Minister in a letter and again during the oversight visit.

During the recent Public Accounts meetings in the Provincial Legislature, the committee was informed about the high level of vandalism and theft of public infrastructure across the Province. The DA calls on the Provincial Government to insure Municipalities, especially those in rural areas of the province, implement mechanisms to better safeguard critical infrastructure such as pump stations, sewerage plants and electrical substations.

Solutions posed by the DA include simple suggestions such as installing adequate lighting on sites, community cooperation and liaison with the local SAPS and CPFs to better patrol and police critical infrastructure, all in an attempt to curb theft and vandalism.

The DA will continue to call the Kopanong Local Municipality and the Free State Provincial Government to action in the Council and Provincial Legislature to ensure basic services are delivered to the residents of Kopanong and that our valuable freshwater resources are protected.

Gauteng Premier Awards Departments 100% Unqualified Audits in 2023/24 @KASIBCNEWS

 

Gauteng Premier Awards Departments 100% Unqualified Audits in 2023/24 @KASIBCNEWS

Gauteng Premier awards departments and entities for maintaining 100% unqualified audits in 2023/24 

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has on Sunday, 6 October 2024, awarded departments and entities for achieving clean and unqualified audit outcomes noting that there has been a steady increase in the number of departments and entities achieving clean audits over the past three years. 

Seven departments and 14 entities received clean audits while the seven departments and four entities received unqualified audit opinions in the 2023/24 financial year. Six departments sustained their clean audit opinions from the previous financial year.

 The Community Safety improved from unqualified audit to a clean audit. Premier Lesufi noted that seven departments remained stagnant on unqualified opinions with findings in the current year. “We need to encourage them to work hard to get the clean audit. We also need to pay our service providers within 30 days and support the departments that are struggling,” said Lesufi. 

He said he was proud that there was no department that got disclaimer or unqualified audit opinion. “While there are no regressions in the current year’s audit outcomes, there are notable stagnations on unqualified audit opinion with findings from seven departments,” said Lesufi. He further said the Gauteng government was committed to maintain the clean audits that have been achieved, and at the same time improve audit outcomes of other departments and entities going forward. “We will intensify internal controls to ensure that we do not regress,” said Lesufi. He singled out the G-Fleet for starting with a disclaimer to qualified but in the last two years it has achieved a clean audit. Lesufi said this was a demonstration that it is doable.  

He also said the provincial government was working on strengthening the forensic unit in the Office of the Premier and create a mini forfeiture unit to deal with all the small cases instead of taking them to Special Investigating Unit. Meanwhile, the Head and Chief Executive of Special Investigating Unit, Advocate Andy Mothibi, said as part of corruption prevention, the SIU was looking at awareness, education and lifestyle audit amongst other things. “The lifestyle audit is a chapter on its own under the prevention. As part of rolling out the important work of government of ensuring that we are proactive in fighting maladministration. 

At this stage, he said 19 accounting officer level lifestyle audits have been done, which include CEOs and HODs. “We have concluded this process, and the report has been presented to the premier. 

We found that 37% of the audited accounting officers were high risks or they failed the test. Sixteen (16 %) were found to be medium risk while 47 % were low risk. We require that action must be taken against those that failed,” said Mothibi. 

 The following seven departments achieved clean audit opinion: 

1. Office of the Premier 

2. Education 

3. Economic Development 

4. e-Government 

 5. Finance 

 6. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs 

7. Community Safety 

The following departments achieved unqualified audit opinions: 

1. Health 

2. Social Development 

3. Human Settlement 

 4. Roads and Transport 

5. Agriculture and Rural Development 

6. Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation 

7. Infrastructure Development 

The following entities achieved with clean audit opinions: 

 1. Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency (GIFA) 

2. Gauteng Film Commission 

3. Gauteng Liquor Board 

4. Gauteng Growth and Development Agency 

5. Supplier Park Development Company 

6. Constitutional Hill Precinct 

7. Innovation Hub 

8. IDZ Development Company 

9. Cradle of Humankind World Heritage 

10. Dinokeng 

11. Gautrain Management Agency 

12. Gauteng Gambling Board 

13. Gauteng Tourism Authority 

14. G-Fleet Management 

The following entities achieved unqualified audit opinions: 

1. Gauteng Enterprise Propeller 

2. G-Fleet Management 

3. MEDSAS 4. Gauteng Partnership Fund 

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE RULING REGARDING ITS TRADE DEALS WITH MOROCCO THAT EXCLUDED WESTERN SAHARA @KASIBCAFRICA

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE RULING REGARDING ITS TRADE DEALS WITH MOROCCO THAT EXCLUDED WESTERN SAHARA @KASIBCAFRICA 

The African National Congress (ANC) welcomes the ruling of the European Court of Justice on Friday that the European Commission had breached the right of people in Western Sahara to self-determination by concluding trade deals with Morocco. In 2019, the EU signed fishing and agriculture agreements with Morocco that also covered products from the Western Sahara. This ruling affirms the ANC’s long-standing commitment to the independence and the right to selfdetermination of Western Sahara. 

It represents a massive and momentous victory for the Sahrawi people’s struggle for self-discrimination. 

The court underlined the independence of Western Sahara by ruling that goods produced in Western Sahara must now have their origin labelled as such. The court was unequivocal: “Labelling must indicate Western Sahara alone as the country of origin of those goods, to the exclusion of any reference to Morocco, so as to avoid misleading consumers”. 

The ANC believes that this judgment reaffirms the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination and sovereignty over their land and natural resources. The court has correctly concluded that Western Sahara is a territory that is independent from Morocco, and that Morocco has no sovereignty over the territory. The Kingdom of Morocco, a member of the African Union and therefore bound by its Constitutive Act and decisions, has no right to sovereignty over Western Sahara, a position recognized by countless resolutions of the African Union, the United Nations as well as the 1975 ruling of the International Court of Justice. It is only the people of Western Sahara that can make a decision about their own sovereignty and selfdetermination. 

It is a historic injustice against the Saharawi people that Western Sahara remains the only country still suffering under the yolk of colonialisation and subjugation despite a clear legal precedent as provided for by resolution 1514 of 1960 on the right to self-determination and independence. The 1975 decision of the International Court of Justice and related resolutions have confirmed that Morocco has no legitimate territorial claim over Western Sahara. 

The ANC stands in solidarity with the Saharawi people in their quest for self-determination. It reaffirms its commitment to strengthen and intensify South Africa’s support for the Saharawi people in their quest for self-determination. The 54th National Conference of the ANC noted that Western Sahara was the only remaining colony on the African continent and reaffirmed the inalienable right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence. Proceeding from the premise that Africa cannot be considered free for as long as one part of the continent is still under occupation, the ANC reaffirms its commitment to strengthen support for the Saharawi people. 

 The ANC calls on the International Community to expedite the resolution of the conflict of Western Sahara and bring an end to the inhumane and prolonged suffering of the people of Saharawi people. The international community must redouble its efforts in pursuit of the independence and self-determination for the Saharawi people. The international community has a duty to fulfil its promise and responsibility towards the peace-loving people of Western Sahara. 

100-DAYS OF GOVERNANCE BY THE DA-ANC GRAND COALITION @KASIBCNEWS

100-DAYS OF GOVERNANCE BY THE DA-ANC GRAND COALITION @KASIBCNEWS

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) takes note that the governing coalition of the DA-ANC, which has inappropriately been termed as a Government of National Unity (GNU), has completed 100-days of governance in South Africa following the 2024 Provincial and National Elections. The first 100-days are ordinarily the benchmark of any administration, of what the policy platform an d practical direction such a government will undertake during its tenure. 

The DA-ANC coalition has exhibited no practical direction of what it has or will practically do for South Africans, and has been nothing but a nauseating feel-good exercise for the political elites, political analysts and a media fraternity that has been turned into the PR-arm of government.

 Objectively, the first 100-days of the DA-ANC coalition have been defined by failure and an entrenchment austerity, privatisation and unemployment. 

The metrics for good governance ought to be the improvement of service delivery, socio-economic conditions and the quality of life of citizens, not empty praise singing and stories of empty unity amongst political  opportunists that has no material effect on ordinary people. 

The reality is the there is a general decay under the DA-ANC government and as the EFF correctly predicted, it is a neo-liberal government that will only serve the interests of those who bought these political parties before elections. 

In this first 100-days of the “GNU”, the manufacturing industry cut 16 000 jobs, while business services cut 14 000 jobs, mining and transport cut 7 000 jobs each, the trade industry cut 5 000 jobs and the construction industry cut 1 000 jobs. Cumulatively, 50 000 jobs have been lost under the “GNU”. 

It has been defined by lies and false victories, where the “GNU” claims victory for inconsequential decisions and for phenomena that they do not control to mislead South Africans as if they have been working. Under this DA-led government, we have seen DA Ministers parading decisions of the previous administration as its victories, and a celebration of the financialisation of our economy as a progressive step towards economic growth. 

This same “GNU” paraded the recently announced 0.4% economic growth as a positive sign, ignoring that it is only the financial sector that made real growth due to the high interest rates and debt of South Africans. They conveniently ignore that under this same period mining and agriculture declined, and unemployment increased by 158 000 people. 

This very same “GNU” parades investor confidence as part of their achievements, ignoring that these same investors are involved in massive profit shifting tendencies, and are accumulating profits domestically and investing them in foreign markets. Essentially, the investor confidence is a meaningless victory for our economy domestically. 

Due to its austerity measures, thousands of teachers are set to lose their jobs, scholar transport and nutrition programs are set to be cancelled and State-Owned Enterprises are on a fast-track to being privatised, leaving us with no instruments to meaningfully industrialise as a nation. 

Importantly, there is no recognisable international policy posture by this government, and as tensions in the Middle-East and Ukraine and Russia deepen due to the imperial interests of the USA, the ideological concoction that is the “GNU” means our nation has no verifiable and progressive posture on international affairs. What is the “GNU” posture on the ethnic cleansing and genocide being perpetuated by Israel against the people of Palestine, Lebanon and Iran? 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS : GOVERNMENT FUNDING NPO @KASIBCNEWS

CALL FOR PROPOSALS : GOVERNMENT FUNDING NPO @KASIBCNEWS

CLICK ON LINK:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Bk24zPv4z0oROlSiiFqpc-TGwi-dN7o/view?usp=drivesdk