MIDDELBURG WEIGHBRIDGE PROJECT CRISES

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MIDDELBURG WEIGHBRIDGE PROJECT CRISES 

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The DA has written to the Eastern Cape government seeking urgent intervention to address the hazardous dust pollution, deteriorating road infrastructure, and economic decline in Middelburg in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM). The crisis stems from the stalled Middelburg Weighbridge project, abandoned since May 2024, which remains unresolved despite the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport, Xolile Nqatha, promising to intervene three months ago.

What remains of the project is a dilapidated construction site, and the town's main access route, Meintjies Street, has been rendered so hazardous that it has been closed to the public, severely impacting the local economy.

Despite this, the IYM, responsible for project implementation, remains unresponsive and appears compromised, unable to effectively deliver on its obligations.

In January I wrote to MEC Nqatha to request feedback on various issues including the status of the Weighbridge project and road infrastructure.

I followed up with a member's statement in the Eastern Cape Legislature in April, after which MEC Nqatha acknowledged the project's failure and undertook that his department would intervene. However, three months have since passed with no action taken.

Residents of upper Meintjies Street are still plagued by hazardous dust from the construction site, as water trucks previously used to mitigate the dust remain inactive and stalled road resurfacing efforts, promised in January 2025, leave them facing growing health and safety risks.

I have again written to MEC Nqatha and the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Zolile Williams, requesting the following feedback:

• A full and up-to-date status report on the Weighbridge project.
• Details on the water trucks' last operation, reasons for their absence, and expected return.
• Timeline for grading, repairing, and resurfacing upper Meintjies Street.
• Explanation for the delay in resurfacing, initially promised for January 2025.
• Confirmation on whether progress or challenges have been reported to relevant departments and what support has been offered.

The DA also reiterates our previous demand for an immediate investigation into how the project contractor, Khoza Tradings, secured this contract, verification of the company’s proper registration and full transparency on all payments made. Officials responsible for approving this contract must be held accountable to restore public trust.

The DA will not stand idle as public funds are mismanaged and communities suffer the consequences. We will pursue all available oversight channels, including law enforcement bodies, to uphold public interest and enforce accountability.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa to place Minister Senzo Mchunu on Special Leave

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is appalled by the decision of President Cyril Ramaphosa to place Minister Senzo Mchunu on “special leave” instead of removing him entirely from his position. 

This so-called “special leave” is a cowardly deflection, designed to shield a corrupt Minister whose involvement in organised crime has been laid bare by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. 

We additionally reject the legally and constitutionally baseless decision by the President to appoint an acting Minister of Police who is not a current member of Cabinet. This is a direct violation of Section 98 of the Constitution, which states: “The President may assign to a Minister any power or function of another Minister who is absent or otherwise unable to fulfil the functions of office.” 

It is clear from this provision that only a sitting Minister may be assigned the functions of another. The Constitution makes no room for the appointment of an Acting Minister from outside Cabinet.  Additionally, President Ramaphosa relies on Section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution to justify his election of an acting Minister, which states: “The President may select no more than two Ministers from outside the Assembly.”

Evidently, this section does not speak at all to the appointment of an “acting” Minister nor does it make provisions for the appointment of an “acting” Minister outside of the National Assembly. The President’s decision is therefore not just unlawful, but a deliberate abuse of the supreme law of the land. 

This decision is not only illegal, it is also a flagrant abuse of state resources. It allows Senzo Mchunu to continue drawing a full ministerial salary under the guise of “special leave”, while the President unlawfully bloats the Cabinet by appointing someone not lawfully entitled to serve in that role. 

The South African people are being forced to fund the lavish lifestyle of a criminal, while he consolidates power and undermines whistleblowers from behind the scenes. Mchunu is no longer just a political figure—he is the face of an entrenched criminal syndicate operating within the state. He is directly implicated in ordering the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team, a highly effective investigative unit that had handled over 600 politically motivated cases, secured over 100 convictions, dozens of life sentences, and over 1,800 years in combined prison terms.

Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi revealed that the disbandment—done without authorisation from either the National or Provincial Commissioners—was executed by SAPS Crime Detection Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant General Sibiya on direct instruction from Minister Mchunu. 

These actions resulted in the withdrawal of over 120 case dockets, most of them relating to political assassinations, traditional leader killings, and organised criminal activity in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. 

Moreover, Minister Mchunu is implicated in colluding with an accused criminal and SAPS tender beneficiary, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who allegedly funded his political activities and events hosted by the ANC. His interference in procurement processes and the attempted suspension of Commissioner Mkhwanazi to obstruct investigations further demonstrate that Mchunu is not a custodian of law, but a protector of lawlessness. 

The gravity of the allegations made by Lt Gen Mkhwanazi are therefore beyond dispute. Minister Mchunu is not a mere bystander—he is a central player in a criminal enterprise that has captured key institutions of the state. As a result, mere “special leave” is an insufficient intervention, and a clear attempt to cover up President Ramaphosa’s own lack of political will to confront a mafia network that benefits him and his party. We remind the nation that this is not the first time the EFF has warned of the ANC’s deep involvement in criminal syndicates embedded within the state. 

These revelations confirm what we have long argued: the ANC is no longer a governing party. It is a mafia organisation, where political office is weaponised to shield gangsters, redirect tenders, and silence accountability. There is no genuine renewal within the ANC. There is no accountability. 

There is only deceit, deflection, and the preservation of criminal interests. To allow Mchunu the courtesy of “special leave” is to spit in the face of all South Africans demanding justice and clean governance.

Minister Mchunu must be removed, arrested, prosecuted, and compelled to reveal the full network of this criminal syndicate—from political handlers to rogue elements in the SAPS and the Judiciary. Nothing less will suffice. 

The EFF further reiterates its call for the urgent establishment of an Ad-Hoc Committee of the National Assembly to investigate the damning revelations made by Lt Gen Mkhwanazi. No one—regardless of political affiliation—must be above the law. 

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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO ALLEGATIONS REGARDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

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*STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO ALLEGATIONS REGARDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES* 

*13 JULY 2025*

*UNION BUILDINGS, PRETORIA* 

My Fellow South Africans,

I address you this evening on a matter that concerns the security of our country, the integrity of our law enforcement agencies and the safety of our people.

Last Sunday, the 6th of July 2025, Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service, held a media briefing in which he made public serious allegations about the existence and operation of a sophisticated criminal syndicate that has allegedly infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence structures in South Africa.

Lt Gen Mkhwanazi alleged that the Minister of Police allegedly interfered with sensitive police investigations and colluded with business people, including a murder accused, to disband the Political Killings Task Team based in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Lt Gen Mkhwanazi also said that a police investigation by the task team in Gauteng unmasked a syndicate controlled by a drug cartel, which involves politicians, law enforcement officials from the SAPS, metro police and correctional services, prosecutors and the judiciary, as well as business people.

The allegations made in this media briefing raise serious concerns around the constitution, the rule of law and national security.

These allegations, if proven true, threaten to undermine the confidence of South Africans in the ability of the South African Police Service to protect them and to effectively fight crime and corruption.

South Africans are concerned about corruption and the rise of criminality in our country, which manifests itself in the killing of innocent people, gender-based violence, gang violence, kidnappings, construction mafia criminality and many others.

As we intensify the fight against crime, it is vital that we safeguard the integrity and credibility of the police and other law enforcement agencies.

These allegations therefore call for an urgent and comprehensive investigation.

To address these allegations and the implications of these allegations, I am establishing a judicial commission of inquiry chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. 

Justice Madlanga will be assisted by Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC and Advocate Sandile Khumalo SC.

The Commission will investigate allegations relating to the infiltration of law enforcement, intelligence and associated institutions within the criminal justice system by criminal syndicates.

Among the allegations that the Commission may investigate are the facilitation of organised crime; suppression or manipulation of investigations; inducement into criminal actions by law enforcement leadership; commission of any other criminal offences and intimidation, victimisation or targeted removal of whistleblowers or officials resisting criminal influence.

The Commission will investigate the role of current or former senior officials in certain institutions who may have aided or abetted the alleged criminal activity; failed to act on credible intelligence or internal warnings; or benefited financially or politically from a syndicate's operations.

These institutions are the South African Police Service, National Prosecuting Authority, State Security Agency, the Judiciary and Magistracy, and the metropolitan police departments of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.

The Commission will also investigate whether any members of the National Executive responsible for the criminal justice system, were complicit, aided and abetted, or participated in the acts mentioned above.

The Commission will be asked to report on the effectiveness or failure of oversight mechanisms, and the adequacy of current legislation, policies and institutional arrangements in preventing such infiltration.

It will make findings and recommendations for criminal prosecutions, disciplinary actions and institutional reform.

Once established, the Commission shall consider prima facie evidence relating to the involvement of individuals currently employed within law enforcement or intelligence agencies.

Where appropriate, the Commission must make recommendations on the employment status of such officials, including whether they should be suspended pending the outcome of further investigations.

The Commission will have the power to refer matters for immediate criminal investigation and urgent decisions on prosecution, taking into account the nature of the allegations and evidence the Commission will uncover.

It is critical that these matters be attended to with the necessary urgency and thoroughness.

The Commission is expected to complete its work and submit a final report to the President.

Interim reports are expected after 3 and 6 months respectively.

The final report of the Commission will be sent to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice.

Acting Deputy Chief Justice Madlanga is retiring from the Constitutional Court at the end of July 2025 after years of distinguished service, and will therefore be able to give his full time and attention to the work of this commission.

In order for the Commission to execute its functions effectively, I have decided to put the Minister of Police Mr Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence with immediate effect.

The Minister has undertaken to give his full cooperation to the Commission to enable it to do its work.

I have decided to appoint Professor Firoz Cachalia as acting Minister of Police.

Professor Cachalia is currently a professor of law at the University of the Witwatersrand and is the chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. He previously served as an MEC of Community Safety in Gauteng.

I am appointing Prof Cachalia in terms of Section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution, which empowers the President to select no more than two Ministers from outside the National Assembly. 

Professor Cachalia will be retiring from his current position at the University of Witwatersrand at the end of July.

I will appoint an Acting Minister from within Cabinet until Professor Cachalia takes up his post at the beginning of August.

This Commission is being established against the backdrop of significant progress in rebuilding and strengthening our country’s law enforcement agencies and security services. 

In recent years, the South African Police Service, the Special Investigating Unit, the Asset Forfeiture Unit and other bodies have been making important inroads in the fight against organised crime and corruption.

It is essential that we maintain this momentum and that we intensify this work.

We will ensure that the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies continue to function without hindrance as the commission undertakes its work. 

I call on all members of our law enforcement agencies and security services to remain steadfast in upholding the rule of law and adhering to their code of conduct.

I call on all South Africans to support the commission in its work and, where appropriate, to provide any information or assistance the commission may require.

In establishing this Commission of Inquiry, we are affirming our commitment to the rule of law, to transparency and accountability, and to building a South Africa in which all people are safe and secure.

I thank you.

*ISSUED  BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA*

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MINISTER OF POLICE REJECTS BASELESS ALLEGATIONS BY KZN PROVINCIAL COMMISSIONER @KASIBC_AFRICA

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MINISTER OF POLICE REJECTS BASELESS ALLEGATIONS BY KZN PROVINCIAL COMMISSIONER  @KASIBC_AFRICA

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

The Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu, in his capacity as a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, has been on a campaign trail this weekend in Vryheid, KZN, ahead of the by-elections on the 16th of July 2025. 

The Minister has been engaging a number of community groupings, including Izinduna, community organisations and commercial farmers, discussing measures aimed at tackling the rampant crime affecting them, inclusive of stock theft. 

Whilst still busy with these engagements, the Minister was made aware of today’s media briefing called by the KwaZulu Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, making a number of wild allegations and claims on a variety of issues. 

The Minister of Police will never allow his integrity, that of the Ministry or the SAPS at large to be undermined by insinuations made without evidence or due processes, from anyone, including Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi. We will be reviewing the Provincial Commissioner’s statements and consider appropriate action. 

All these statements made by him in public require an urgent, thorough and transparent investigation, on a proper platform. 

The Minister of Police remains committed to upholding the rule of law, ensuring accountability within the SAPS, and serving the people of South Africa with integrity. And most importantly, the Minister remains committed to the task at hand, and that is to reduce the high murder rate,reduce high availability of illegal firearms, tackle drug trafficking and syndicates and GBV+F throughout the country, with a specific focus on the four provinces with high levels of crime, namely: KZN, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. 

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SIYEZA NAKUWE CAMPAIGN @KASIBC_AFRICA

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SIYEZA NAKUWE CAMPAIGN @KASIBC_AFRICA

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Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara launched the Departments Siyeza Nakuwe Campaign following a year in office.

In the first week, Motara drank tea with homeowners, handed over close to 500 houses and more than 1000 title deeds. She also visited 10 projects to inspect progress.

Motara said the Department launched Siyeza Nakuwe, as a demonstration of visible leadership, direct engagement, and delivery in action as an intervention to address the Gauteng 13 problems.

“The essence of the campaign is to appreciate that, yes, we do have a huge backlog, we have people who have registered as far back as 1996 to 1999 that we still have not reached and issued their houses. We still have people in backrooms and those still in informal settlements, but we are saying slowly but surely, we are coming to you. Work with us, be patient, it is not an easy process because our families are growing, our needs are growing but we are unable to match the demand, but we are saying Siyeza Nakuwe, we will get to you,” she said.

Motara said part of the campaign includes returning to the places she has visited in the year that she has been an MEC of Human Settlements in the Province.

“What I am interested in seeing is the impact we have made. I can give you the keys and title deed to your house,  but we want to see what the real impact the government has made on your life. So far, I can say we have seen that the impact is huge,” said Motara.

She said that handing over a house was not about dealing with the backlog only but more than that.

“We see grandmothers who now have a place for their grandchildren to spend winter holidays in during the cold weather. As part of the impact, we see people living with disabilities who used to live in places that are not friendly for them to live in being moved to disability friendly houses. The Department of Human Settlements has allowed them to be included in communities. We can see the real impact of giving houses to South Africans,” she said.

Motara said that this year the country was celebrating 70 years of the Freedom Charter.

“It speaks of Housing, Comfort, Security and Shelter, so we are not only adhering to our constitution but also that 70 years ago the Freedom Charter spelt out the kind of South Africa we want to have and the type of South Africa we want to achieve,” she said.

She thanked the people of Gauteng for being patient and called for calm and respectful dialogues as she continues to visit communities.

Motara said she was disappointed at the conduct of some of the residents of Ratanda after a meeting degenerated into chaos.

“ We will not only visit our communities to hand over houses and title deeds. We are also going to visit them when they face challenges so that together with them,  we can resolve them. During these processes, we have to rise above our problems and engage respectfully. I understand some have waited for a long time, but we still have to engage to come up with a solution,” she said.

Motara warned developers and contractors not to delay completion of houses and against shoddy work saying the Department will not hesitate to act.

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2025 BUDGET VOTE31 @KASIBC_AFRICA

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SOUTH AFRICA’S G20 PRESIDENCY AND THE PARTICATION OF WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES @KASIBC_AFRICA

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SOUTH AFRICA’S G20 PRESIDENCY AND THE PARTICATION OF WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES @KASIBC_AFRICA

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

South Africa has been given a rare opportunity and mammoth responsibility of hosting the G20 Presidency for 2025. The G20, or Group of  Twenty, is a strategic multilateral forum that brings together the world’s major developed and emerging economies. It plays a critical role in shaping international cooperation on the global economy, trade, public health, climate change, education, and sustainable development. 

Ladies and gentlemen, It is for the very first time in the history of the G20 that the Presidency is held on the African continent, therefore, it is not just South Africa’s G20…it is Africa’s G20. As the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, we have been entrusted with the responsibility of chairing the Empowerment of Women Working Group, commonly referred to as the EWWG. 

The EWWG focuses on strengthening the G20’s commitment on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity. We have anchored the G20 EWWG to focus three critical priority areas, namely: • Care work / Care Economy; 

Women’s economic inclusion and financial access, and • Prevention and response to gender-based violence 

1. Recognising and investing in the care economy / work Women carry the burden of care in families, communities, and health systems yet their labour is often invisible, undervalued, and unpaid. We want governments to treat care as a public good, not a private burden. 

2. Expanding women’s financial inclusion and economic participation Women especially in rural areas and the informal sector are still excluded from land, credit, capital, markets, procurement, and the digital economy. We are developing policies that open doors and support sustainable livelihoods. Access remains difficult: application systems are complex, information is hard to find, and most rural women don’t have transport, Wi-Fi, or the right documentation. We need simpler, more inclusive systems that meet women where they are not where the system assumes them to be. 

3. Ending gender-based violence and femicide No economy can function, and no society can thrive, when women are unsafe at home, at work, in schools, and in public spaces. Safety is not a side issue. It is the foundation of empowerment. 

We are strengthening governance, legislative and programmatic response in addressing the scourge of Gender Based Violence and Femicide. 

More will be share during the Budget Vote proceeding this afternoon. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE G20 DISABILITY INCLUSION WORKING GROUP 

Ladies and gentlemen; 

We have further proposed the establishment of the Disability Inclusion Working Group which will be an additional Working Group to be established and discussed further at the level of the G20 by subsequent countries which will take up the Chairship of the G20. 

We have committed to taking the G20 to the people, so that it is truly The People’s G20 — a G20 that listens, that includes, and that leaves behind a legacy of progress. Our participation and activities in the EWWG reflect the lived realities of South African women, youth and persons with disabilities; it continues to also include diverse historically marginalised communities in rural areas, informal settlements, farms, townships. 

We have been in Taung, the North-West Province, we recently were at Mkhondo in Mpumalanga Province and we will be going to other provinces. The consultation is part of a broader national process to ensure that the voices of women, youth, and persons with disabilities inform South Africa’s contributions to the G20. 

It is also a build-up for the upcoming National Women’s G20 Conference, which we intend to convene ahead of the EWWG Ministerial Meeting in October and the G20 Leaders’ Summit, where Heads of State and Government will meet in Johannesburg this November. 

As South Africa, we are approaching our G20 Presidency in the spirit of Ubuntu “I am because we are”. This is to remind us that we are connected and we are stronger when we build together and leave no one behind. • We are in Solidarity - working together, across countries and communities, to find shared solutions. • We speak of Equality because it is fundamental that we fix the unfair systems that keep so many people especially women, young people, and persons with disabilities trapped in challenges of climate change, unemployment, poverty, inequality, hunger, and rising debt. • We have to make sure that the progress we build today doesn’t harm the future that it lasts, and includes everyone, hence our third priority at country level is Sustainability, For this reason, we are saying the G20 must not only be for politicians and economists. It is for all of us and therefore it must be simple, fair and for to the people. 

As the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, we are working every day to make sure that national plans speak to local realities. 

PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS: 1. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT 

We are working to make sure that at least 40% of public procurement the tenders, the contracts, the business opportunities go to women. 

We are targeting industries that have long excluded women. We are launching a Transformative Industrialists Accelerator a programme Supporting emerging women to lead in high-growth industries such as in; • Energy • Aerospace and maritime • Agriculture and manufacturing • Digital and platform economies Women will receive help from idea to market including product development, financing, and industry partnerships. 

We are doing this for our women, youth and persons with disabilities becasue we believe right for every South African to live with dignity, access, and possibility. 

2. FIGHTING EXCLUSION THROUGH THE DISABILITY INCLUSION INITIATIVE 

Persons with disabilities have been out of opportunities, that must change. We will be establishing a Disability Inclusion Nerve Centre right here in South Africa. This is a G20 legacy project that will: • Improve data and planning, • Support early childhood screening, • Train teachers in inclusive education, • Use technology and AI to make services more accessible, • And help redesign our systems to serve all our people. Ladies and gentlemen The voices of women, youth and persons with disabilities must be heard. 

Allocation of Budgets must embed the voices of the vulnerable and it must deliver meaningful outcomes in the lived realities of every South African.  

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