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Kannaland’s Crisis is the direct result of ICOSA’s failure to Govern

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Kannaland’s Crisis is the direct result of ICOSA’s failure to Govern

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS

ONLINE_EDITOR

The notes with serious concern the continued collapse of governance and service delivery in under the -led independent party coalition are robbing residents of their basic rights and dignity.

Council agendas and official reports confirm what residents experience daily: a municipality in constant crisis mode.

The ICOSA-led Kannaland's failure include:

Water shortages have escalated into a ;

Basic services are sustained through instead of proper planning, while critical infrastructure continues to fail;

Financial management which is in disarray, with an , a already in place; and

Growing , and persistent .

These failures are the consequence of weak political leadership, poor oversight, and an inability of ICOSA and its to make hard, responsible governing decisions. Instead of stabilising Kannaland, ICOSA has normalised dysfunction, delayed accountability, and presided over institutional decay.

Residents are paying the price through an unreliable water supply, deteriorating services, and a municipality lurching from one emergency to the next without a credible recovery path.

The Democratic Alliance remains committed to principled governance, financial discipline, and service delivery that works. Kannaland deserves competent leadership that plans, prioritises residents' needs, and restores trust in local government.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomes Madlanga Commission Interim Report

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CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS

ONLINE_EDITOR

President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomes Madlanga Commission Interim Report

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On the 13th of July 2025, announced the establishment of the .

This followed serious allegations made by about the existence and operation of a sophisticated criminal syndicate that has allegedly infiltrated the criminal justice system in South Africa.

The Commission, chaired by retired , assisted by Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC and Advocate Sandile Khumalo SC, submitted its interim report on the 17th of December 2025 in line with the delivery timelines that had been determined by the President.

President Ramaphosa has studied the interim report and accepts its recommendations.

President Ramaphosa further welcomes the referrals by the Commission of matters for immediate criminal investigation and urgent decisions on prosecution, as well as recommendations on the employment status and recommended suspension of individuals.

The Commission, in accordance with its terms of reference, makes several referrals concerning matters that require immediate further investigation by the relevant and impacted law enforcement institutions, including criminal investigations.

The commission also makes recommendations in some instances for disciplinary measures to be taken against individuals alleged to be involved in wrongdoing including criminal acts and corruption.

Clause 7 of the Commission’s Terms of Reference empowers the Commission to “consider prima facie evidence relating to the involvement of individuals currently employed within law enforcement or intelligence agencies and, where appropriate, the Commission must make recommendations regarding the employment status of such officials including whether they should be suspended pending the outcome of further investigations.”

Clause 10.4 provides the Commission with 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.”

Clause 12 states that “the Commission shall, where appropriate, refer any matter for prosecution, further investigation or the convening of a separate enquiry to the appropriate law enforcement agency, government department or regulator.”

President Ramaphosa expects all law enforcement agencies and other relevant criminal justice institutions to act with speed in implementing the recommendations of the Commission’s interim report. Such immediate action will help to restore public trust and strengthen operational capacity in the affected state entities tasked with fighting crime and corruption.

Where the commission has said that there is prima facie evidence of wrongdoing, it has made referrals for investigation by the appropriate officials in the , Independent Police Investigative Directorate or the .

The referrals relate to the following SAPS officials

Major General Richard Shibiri

Brigadier Mbangwa Nkhwashu

Brigadier Rachel Matjeng

Sergeant Fannie Nkosi

Prima facie evidence of wrongdoing was also found by the Commission with regard to the following current and former employees of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality:

Suspended

EMPD Officer Bafana Twala

EMPD Officer Aiden McKenzie

EMPD Officer Kershia Leigh Stols

EMM fleet manager/proxy Mr Chris Steyn

EMM Head of Department of Human Resources Ms Linda Gxasheka

EMM Head of Legal Adv Kemi Behari

Mr Etienne van der Walt

The matters highlighted for referral concern allegations of criminality, corruption, fraud, murder, perjury and other unlawful actions by officials and officers in the employ of the South African Police Service, City of Ekurhuleni and the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department.

Where IPID is already seized with certain matters, the Commission will make a referral to IPID on the status of their investigations and seek explanations for any delays.

President Ramaphosa has noted that some of the implicated individuals will return to the Commission to respond to allegations presented against them and that more witnesses are yet to deliver their evidence.

While the Commission emphasises that, with the exception of EMPD Chief, Commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi, it has not yet heard the response of some of the relevant persons listed above, the allegations against them remain prima facie allegations only and are not findings of the Commission.

The nature of these allegations however warrants the referrals for further investigation and potential disciplinary, prosecutorial or regulatory action right away.

President Ramaphosa has directed the and , the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service to constitute a special investigations task team, with a leader who will report directly to General Masemola. The task team will institute investigations against people identified by the Commission for investigation.

Establishing a special unit is critical to ensure that these investigations take place as a matter of urgency.

President Ramaphosa would like to express his deepest appreciation to the Commission chairperson, retired Justice Madlanga, Commissioners Baloyi and Khumalo and to all the Commission staff for their diligent work in the delivery of the interim report.

The President looks forward to the finalisation of the Commission’s work and its contribution to the effective functioning of law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system.

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EFF GAUTENG CONDEMNS THE SUSPENSION OF REA VAYA FEEDER BUSES IN SOWETO

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CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS

ONLINE_EDITOR

LISTEN HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

EFF GAUTENG CONDEMNS THE SUSPENSION OF REA VAYA FEEDER BUSES IN SOWETO

The vehemently rejects the unilateral decision by Mayor, , to suspend Rea Vaya feeder buses in . This ill advised decision, taken without consultation with affected communities and commuter structures, will directly deny the people of Soweto access to safe, affordable and reliable .

The EFF is profoundly disgusted by this decision, which is clear profit-driven and intended to appease certain at the expense of residents who depend on affordable public transport for their daily survival. This situation arises from the failure of political oversight bodies and taxi associations to find a common ground. The unfortunate victims of this misgovernance and poor leadership are ordinary working-class residents who truly need these feeder buses for daily mobility and survival.

The sitting MMC for Transport, , has equally demonstrated gross incompetence and a complete lack of capacity to govern a critical department. Instead of strengthening public transport systems, this office has been reduced to a vehicle for political patronage, corruption, and resource extraction for narrow party interests.

The EFF refuses to accept leadership that treats public transport as a private business to quick money rather than a public service. The EFF in Gauteng therefore demands the immediate reinstatement of all Rea Vaya feeder bus services serving Joburg residents, particularly in Soweto. We also demand a full public consultation process involving commuters, taxi associations, community

leadership, and transport stakeholders before any future decisions affecting public transport are taken. The City of Johannesburg must establish a permanent Transport Stakeholder Forum for Soweto, including taxi associations, commuter representatives, and municipal officials, to manage route integration and conflict resolution. The JMPD Rea Vaya Safety Unit must be strengthened immediately.

We welcome engagements with the MMC for Public Safety, who has committed to increasing police visibility on feeder bus routes to ensure commuter safety and restore public confidence. The EFF will engage the Gauteng Provincial Department of Transport and the City of Johannesburg to fast-track the issuing and regulation of operating permits for buses, ensuring legality, order, and stability in the sector.

We will also engage the to ensure that their role in the is respected, while prioritising the right of residents to safe, efficient, and affordable public transport. At stake is not only transport policy, but the dignity and daily survival of the people. Public transport is a public good, not a bargaining chip for political elites.

We therefore call on the Mayor and his MMC for Transport to return the buses immediately. Failure to act will be met with intensified community mobilisation and political action. The people of Johannesburg cannot be governed through greed that is coupled with incompetence, arrogance and neglect.

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THE MURDER OF SEVEN PEOPLE IN CAPE TOWN WITHIN 24 HOURS

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THE MURDER OF SEVEN PEOPLE IN CAPE TOWN WITHIN 24 HOURS

ONLINE_EDITOR

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the brutal murder of seven people in less than 24 hours in , a city falsely marketed as the “best-run” municipality under Democratic Alliance (DA) leadership. On Monday, reports emerged that seven people were found dead in different areas across Cape Town, with the youngest victim being only 21 years old.

In , two young men between the ages of 21 and 23 were gunned down while walking with four friends who narrowly escaped with their lives. In , two men aged between 40 and 52 were shot and killed. In , a man was shot dead and another injured while they were sitting on the pavement inside the yard of the deceased. This is a chilling reminder that the people of Cape Town are not safe even within the confines of their own homes.

Another lifeless body was discovered at the taxi rank, while in , a 40-year-old man was shot and killed at . What unites all these murders is the fact that every victim died from gunshot wounds, the cases remain under investigation, and not a single arrest has been made in a so-called city that “cares for all.”

Cape Town has effectively become a murder zone. Between 1 and 17 January 2026 alone, 195 homicides were recorded, an average of 11 people killed every single day without justice. This level of violence constitutes a that demands urgent and decisive intervention. However, the remains indifferent because this violence is concentrated in and the , far removed from their privileged constituencies.

The DA-led government has demonstrated, through both action and inaction, that African and Coloured lives do not matter. Our people are reduced to mere statistics, stripped of dignity and denied justice.

This deliberate neglect sustains Cape Town as a city of two realities, a safe haven for the white minority, while Black and Coloured communities are condemned to poverty, violence, and death. It cannot be normalised that people die like flies while governance continues as if nothing is wrong.

The EFF further condemns the complete failure of the state, at local, provincial, and national levels to control the proliferation of . Guns continue to flood Cape Flats communities with no meaningful interdiction, no accountability, and no political will to dismantle .

The DA-led provincial government has failed to implement effective gun-control strategies, while law enforcement agencies appear either incapable or unwilling to remove firearms from our streets. As long as guns are freely available, the bloodshed will continue.

We call on to urgently fast-track the multi-portfolio parliamentary intervention into the and across the , as tabled by the EFF on 13 November 2025. This inquiry is long overdue and must be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves, similar to the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by . All lives matter and must be treated equally, without class bias.

Finally, we call upon civil society organisations and communities to unite in the fight against crime.

Those with information about these murders and the perpetrators must come forward and report them. Community safety cannot be achieved without collective action, accountability, and justice.

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Sport, Arts and Culture on World Surf League event at Jeffreys Bay

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Sport, Arts and Culture on World Surf League event at Jeffreys Bay

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS

ONLINE_EDITOR

CLICK HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

The () has noted numerous public statements attributing responsibility for the loss of the ’s event at to the and DSAC. This includes an official statement from a major political party directly criticising the Minister and the Department for the decision made by the World Surf League to shift the event to New Zealand.

The Jeffreys Bay event is a privately owned and promoted event that formed part of the professional global surfing circuit since the mid-1980s. It featured on the Championship Tour calendar for more than 30 years.

Many of the commercial realities around sustainably promoting and holding this event have changed, however, leaving the organisers searching for sources of funding that were not needed in the past. It must be noted that the World Surf League event was hosted in South Africa for many years without the involvement of, or direct financial support from, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.

The public narrative being spread now, by contrast, appears to suggest that the Minister has withdrawn support from the event, leading to its demise. This is highly inaccurate.

Factually, anyone wishing to apply for funding for such an event must do so in line with the , which set out the prescribed process to be followed by organisations intending to bid for and host international sporting events in South Africa.

In terms of these Regulations, event organisers are required to submit a formal application to the Department whenever they bring international competitors to South Africa for a sporting event. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture considers such applications and may approve or decline them. Where an application includes a request for national government funding, guarantees, or services from other government departments, the Minister is required to submit the request to for consideration and approval. The Regulations exist to ensure that international events hosted by South Africa are properly planned, financially viable, and implemented in a sustainable manner, with due regard to available resources.

In the case of the World Surf League event, the Department and Ministry did not receive any formal application submitted in accordance with the Regulations.

As no request for national government funding, guarantees, or associated services was formally submitted for consideration, no funding decision was therefore taken at national level. All public comments that are now seeking to place the blame at the feet of the Minister for the inability to secure a event in 2026 are misguided, a form of deflection and unjustified scapegoating.

The Department continues to support the development of the sport through the provision of an annual grant to , in line with an approved three-year funding agreement and subject to the availability of funds.

DSAC remains committed to supporting sport development and the hosting of international events in South Africa through transparent, lawful, and sustainable processes.

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Home Affairs sets new record by delivering over Four Million Smart IDs in 2025

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Home Affairs sets new record by delivering over Four Million Smart IDs in 2025

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS

ONLINE_EDITOR

LISTEN HERE : KASIBC_AUDIO

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has issued a record 4,002,964 in the 2025 calendar year, the highest rate of delivery in the history of the department. This milestone represents a 17% increase on the 3,427,468 Smart IDs issued during 2024, which was itself a new record at the time.

The 2025 performance is about 1.3 million more than the number of Smart IDs issued during the 2023 and 2022 calendar years respectively.

This historic breakthrough represents the latest milestone under the department’s vision to deliver through the pursuit of . It is thanks to the purposive focus of the Government of National Unity (GNU) on technology upgrades and improved efficiencies at both the Department of Home Affairs and Government Printing Works (GPW), which physically produces the Smart ID. One of the key upgrades has been the department’s investment in repairing the Online Verification Service (OVS), which was previously underfunded and abused by some external users. Correcting this has led to higher uptime and better performance of the at Home Affairs offices, directly contributing to giving more South Africans access to Smart IDs than ever before.

The Minister of Home Affairs, , said: “The milestone of delivering over four million Smart IDs in a calendar year for the very first time demonstrates how our commitment to digital transformation is expanding inclusion and access at a scale never seen before. Smart IDs are vastly more secure than the fraud-prone . Thanks to the ongoing digital transformation of Home Affairs, over four million more people gained the ability to securely open a bank account, access employment, and obtain social grants in 2025.”

The accelerated rollout of Smart IDs is a cornerstone of the department’s targets. The green bar-coded ID book, which the Smart ID is intended to replace, has become a soft target for fraudsters and is estimated to be 500% more vulnerable to fraud than the Smart ID.

To further enhance access to Smart IDs, the department is currently in the final phase of preparatory work for the rollout of its new digital partnership with , which will enable even more citizens to access Smart IDs at hundreds more bank branches around the country, close to where they live. This is Home Affairs @ home in action.

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MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe Launches provincial R19,5m Irrigation Schemes Revival Programme

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MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe Launches provincial R19,5m Irrigation Schemes Revival Programme

ONLINE_EDITOR

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In line with commitment outlined on the policy speech for 2025/26 financial year to revive irrigation schemes across the , (DoA) MEC will lead the provincial launch of the revitalization of irrigation schemes on Tuesday, 27 January 2026 at , under .

The R19,5 million investment into the is aimed to support and equipment and machinery provision covering 1 528 hectares of land.

In its endeavour to curb , the Eastern Cape department of Agriculture has prioritised revitalisation irrigation schemes during the 7th term government to ensure agriculture become an economic frontier of growth.

The revival of the schemes is set to improve , enhance food security, provide reliable income for landowners in schemes, improve local economy and boost livelihoods in rural communities.

This revitalisation programme will ensure food security and farmer support and strengthened partnerships between government, private sector, and communities.

At least 613 ha with an investment of R5 million will be developed in Amathole district while will develop 700 ha from an investment of R6 million with developing 215 ha worth R3,5 million.

Furthermore, DoA implementing agency the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA) has been allocated R5 million to support with commercialization of the production, organize market, bring new production technologies, provide technical support and production finance facilities.

The funding criteria is not limited, in instances, where there are needs infrastructure repairs, districts will make their own determination.

According to the the province has the highest number of households that have access to land at 67%, while only 37% of that is put into productive use. The revitalisation of irrigation schemes presents an opportunity to unlock this potential and increase productive land use.

Agriculture is the major employer of people that are semi-skilled and investment in this sector can greatly contribute to reducing unemployment and food insecurity. Irrigations schemes are seen as vehicle that can significantly contribute to increase in agricultural productivity in the province.

The spans across 6 villages and covers 635 hectares of land, of which 412 hectares are irrigated. The scheme supports 87 landowners organised into seven primary co-operatives and one secondary cooperative.

During the launch, the MEC will be engaged in a number of activities that include acknowledgement of the new Board, and welcoming of graduate interns placed by DoA at the scheme to gain experience business skills and practical farming.

She will also handover vegetable production inputs, irrigation pipes, fodder production inputs and .

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Kannaland’s Crisis is the direct result of ICOSA’s failure to Govern

Kannaland’s Crisis is the direct result of ICOSA’s failure to Govern

President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomes Madlanga Commission Interim Report

President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomes Madlanga Commission Interim Report

EFF GAUTENG CONDEMNS THE SUSPENSION OF REA VAYA FEEDER BUSES IN SOWETO

EFF GAUTENG CONDEMNS THE SUSPENSION OF REA VAYA FEEDER BUSES IN SOWETO

THE MURDER OF SEVEN PEOPLE IN CAPE TOWN WITHIN 24 HOURS

THE MURDER OF SEVEN PEOPLE IN CAPE TOWN WITHIN 24 HOURS

Sport, Arts and Culture on World Surf League event at Jeffreys Bay

Sport, Arts and Culture on World Surf League event at Jeffreys Bay

Home Affairs sets new record by delivering over Four Million Smart IDs in 2025

Home Affairs sets new record by delivering over Four Million Smart IDs in 2025

MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe Launches provincial R19,5m Irrigation Schemes Revival Programme

MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe Launches provincial R19,5m Irrigation Schemes Revival Programme

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