EPWP INVESTIGATION NORTH WEST

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

EPWP INVESTIGATION NORTH WEST

DA calls for full provincial EPWP investigation as abuse runs deep in North West

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West welcomes Minister Dean Macpherson’s decision to investigate allegations that EPWP workers in Bojanala District were forced to perform domestic chores for a mayoral committee member and coerced into paying political party membership fees.

However, this probe must not stop there. The DA is calling for the investigation to be expanded to cover the entire province, given that the abuse of EPWP workers is widespread and systemic.

Among the alarming cases documented by the DA are:

• Tswaing Local Municipality: EPWP workers were allegedly forced to campaign for councillors under threat of losing their positions. The DA has video evidence supporting these claims.
• Mahikeng Local Municipality: Workers report being robbed of stipends and receiving lower payments than contracted.
• Kagisano-Molopo (Piet Plessis area): Allegations that recruitment is based on personal favouritism rather than merit.
• Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality: Claims of irregular use of EPWP funds and lack of proper accountability.
• Maquassi Hills Local Municipality: The programme is alleged to have become a jobs-for-pals scheme.

The DA further urges Minister Macpherson to fast-track his EPWP Listening Tour and include the North West province as a key stop. Communities here have repeatedly raised concerns about political interference, delayed payments, and unfair recruitment, yet these complaints have largely gone unaddressed. Direct engagement with affected participants will provide us with valuable information about the scale of abuse and help guide meaningful reforms.

The EPWP must be restored to its intended purpose: creating dignified work, building skills, and empowering communities, not serving political or personal interests. 

The DA will continue to monitor the investigation closely and support efforts to ensure that all officials and politicians implicated face accountability.

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SOUTH AFRICAN PRISONS OVERCROWDED

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

SOUTH AFRICAN PRISONS OVERCROWDED

SA’s prisons are overcrowded and with no signs of the trend reversing – unsentenced inmates are part of the problem

According to the Department of Correctional Service’s 2024/25 annual report, South Africa’s prisons are over-crowded at an average rate of 55%. The most recent data, as presented in a recent written parliamentary reply to RISE Mzansi by Minister Pieter Groenewald, reveals that the average rate of overcrowding has ballooned to 61,85%.

Overall, the country has 102,585 beds at its Correctional Services facilities with an inmate population of 168,091. This translates into 65,233 inmates who are without bedspace.

The Eastern Cape accounts for the highest overcrowding levels – the province houses 21,853 inmates but only has 12,071 beds, with the Butterworth Remand Detention Facility overcrowded at a rate of 231%.

A study of the numbers shows a high number of unsentenced inmates who are taking up bed space, often outnumbering those who have been sentenced. This points to a need for cooperation between the Minister of Correctional Services and Justice & Constitutional Development. Further parliamentary questions will be submitted in this regard.

RISE Mzansi has on numerous occasions proposed that the criminal justice system introduce and normalise alternative sentencing for lesser crimes in order to mitigate overcrowding. For example, have non-violent convicted criminals doing community work. 

Various literature has shown that the countries correctional services facilities are breeding grounds for violent and organised crime – a headquarters for criminals. 

Petty criminals end up joining gangs, and when they are released, they return after committing serious and violent crimes.

South Africa needs to prioritise the human dignity of those incarcerated in our prisons. Let us promote the principle of restorative justice in rehabilitating offenders in our communities.

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THE COURT RULING ON STREET VENDORS AND BYLAWS

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

THE COURT RULING ON STREET VENDORS AND BYLAWS  

The City of Johannesburg’s MMC for Public Safety, Councillor Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, acknowledges the ruling handed down by Judge Brad Wanless regarding the City’s management of informal trading. The judgment compels the city to undertake a swift, transparent, and lawful process to audit, register, and allocate trading spaces to informal traders, in full compliance with municipal by-laws and national legislation. 

The court emphasised the principles of fairness, non-discrimination, and constitutional compliance in the implementation of this process. MMC Tshwaku reaffirms the department’s unwavering support for street traders while underscoring the imperative of maintaining law and order. “De Villiers Street had become a disaster waiting to happen due to uncontrollable crowds, escalating crime rates, litter accumulation, and the presence of undocumented foreigners posing a clear security risk,” said MMC Dr Tshwaku. The ruling recognises the vital economic contribution of informal traders to Johannesburg’s economy and affirms the City’s role as a regulator, not a prohibitor of this essential sector. 

MMC Tshwaku welcomes the opportunity to be part of the diligent implementation of the court order and to ensure that the City of Johannesburg fully upholds the legal framework governing informal trading. 

The Department of Public Safety will ensure that a community outreach program, conducted through JMPD and EMS, is implemented to inform our community members so that their goods are not confiscated. 

APPLICATION AND VERIFICATION PROCESS FOR INFORMAL TRADING PERMITS 

Those who wish to apply for an informal trading permit are invited to participate in the verification and registration process, which will be conducted as follows: 

▪ Date: 04 November 2025 ▪ Time: 09:00 to 16:00 ▪ Venue: 66 Jorissen Place, Ground Floor, Opportunity Centre, Braamfontein 

To be eligible for a permit, informal traders must bring originals and copies of the following documents: 

a) South Africans: Green bar-coded ID or Smart Card ID (subject to verification by the Department of Home Affairs). 

b) South African and non-South African applicants (18 years and older): Valid Identification Document (ID), Passport, Asylum Seeker Permit, and/or Refugee Permit. 

c) Non-South African citizens: Must hold a valid passport with a visa issued in terms of section 10 of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002) authorising business operation; or an Asylum Seeker Permit issued in terms of section 22 of the Refugees Act, 1998 (Act No. 130 of 1998). 

d) Additional required documents (originals and copies): Proof of residence (Municipal Bill or Landlord Affidavit), Lease Agreement issued by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), Proof of payment of rent to JPC, Certificate of Acceptability from Environmental Health, Fire Certificate issued by Emergency Management Services (EMS) 

Only applicants meeting all legal and regulatory requirements will be registered and allocated trading spaces in accordance with the court order and municipal by-laws. 

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ZOHRAN MAMDANI NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL VICTORY

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

ZOHRAN MAMDANI NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL VICTORY

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) extends its congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on his historic victory in the Mayorship race in New York. His election represents not only a transformative moment for the people of New York but also a powerful signal to the world that progressive, justice-driven leadership is rising even in the heart of the global capitalist order. 

New York City, home to Wall Street, the United Nations, and the world’s most diverse communities, stands as a centre of global commerce, diplomacy, and multicultural exchange. Leadership in such a city has implications that reach far beyond US borders. Mamdani’s vision of affordable housing, free public transport, accessible healthcare, and city-owned grocery stores demonstrates that people-centred governance can thrive even within the world’s most powerful capitalist system.  

The EFF particularly applauds Mamdani’s support for the people of Palestine, a stance that represents a necessary moral awakening within American politics. In an environment where open support for Palestinian liberation is often met with vilification and suppression, Mamdani’s courage has made him a symbol of principled leadership by standing against apartheid, genocide, and the silencing of truth. 

His victory reflects a growing recognition among ordinary Americans that justice for Palestine is inseparable from global justice. 

We take serious exception to the recent threats by Donald Trump to withhold federal funding from New York due to ideological differences with Mamdani. This attempt at political blackmail exposes Trump’s continued disdain for democracy, his hostility toward progressive leadership, and his desire to weaponise power against those who challenge the capitalist order. 

The EFF is confident that Mamdani’s leadership will serve as the beginning for progressive global relations and renewed solidarity between Africa, the United States, and the Global South. 

The EFF believes that a new relationship between Africa and the United States must be forged, one free from the neo-colonial arrogance and exploitative interests that have defined past US foreign policy, particularly under the Trump administration. 

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R400 Billion Western Cape Investment Summit

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

R400 Billion Western Cape Investment Summit 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape welcomes the 2025 Western Cape Investment Summit (WCIS 2025), which will take place from 5 to 7 November. The summit serves as a critical deal-making platform designed to unite global capital with local opportunity. The true measure of any investment summit is not attendance, but the value of the deals secured.

The province is rolling out the red carpet to showcase a substantial deal book which is rooted in innovation: a portfolio of approximately 100 pre-vetted, investment-ready projects with an aggregated value of approximately R400 billion. 

This overwhelming pipeline of opportunities is a demonstration of the confidence that the Western Cape Government has in growing our economy, and its ambition to position the province as Africa's preeminent investment destination.

This capital mobilisation is essential to accelerating the Growth for Jobs (G4J) strategy, which is the mechanism to achieve our ambition of building an inclusive R1 trillion economy. The deals on offer are strategically balanced across high-impact sectors, with a heavy focus on the jobs and skills of the future.

In the Green Economy, the deal book features the R20 billion KTE Energy Green Hydrogen Project. This landmark Strategic Infrastructure Project is poised to create thousands of jobs, solidifying the province’s leadership in energy resilience and industrial decarbonisation. 

Furthermore, the Agribusiness and Food Systems sector have significant portfolios on offer, including over R2.5 billion worth of projects in aquaculture, reinforcing the province’s commitment to sustainable growth.

The summit is also championing the Creative Industries through high-impact social and commercial ventures. The proposed R100 million expansion of the NV Film Studios Africa and The Avuke Group television studio complex is set to generate an estimated 1,000 direct and 4,000 indirect jobs over five years, with a strong focus on transformation through training programmes and supplier development.

Complementing this, the R112 million Zip Zap Circus School performance arena project is set to deliver world-class infrastructure while generating sustainable income to support the trust’s nine free youth and outreach programs, benefiting over 2,500 young people annually.

The success of the summit depends on converting these investment opportunities into concrete outcomes. The DA in the Western Cape will continue to support initiatives that streamline investment into our province, ensuring that this R400 billion pipeline is converted into real, on-the-ground jobs.

Noko Masipa, MPP, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, said: “The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape welcomes the 2025 Western Cape Investment Summit. DA governments offer investors administrative and political certainty. 

The R400 billion deal book proves beyond doubt that stable, clean DA governance attracts world-class investment, securing our economic future and creating the sustainable jobs our people need. The Western Cape is simply the best place to invest in Africa because we deliver on our promises.”

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