insert_link South Africa South Africans tasted the fruits of freedom and then corruption snatched them away – podcast By Gemma Ware, The Conversation and Thabo Leshilo, The Conversation Five years after his momentous election as South African president, Nelson Mandela stepped down after one term in office in 1999. Thabo Mbeki, his deputy, took over the mantle of the post-apartheid transition. Mbeki would lead the country for the next nine years, a period of relatively high economic growth which enabled South Africans to begin to […] todayApril 22, 2024 51
insert_link Business / Economics South Africa’s security forces once brutally entrenched apartheid. It’s been a rocky road to reform By Sandy Africa, University of Pretoria One of the important tasks that faced South Africa’s democratic government after 1994 was to reform the apartheid-era security apparatus. The African National Congress (ANC), which was voted into power, had a laudable vision in the 1990s for reforming the police, military and intelligence services. Determined that South Africans would never again be subject to the brutality of the security forces, […] todayApril 22, 2024 31
insert_link South Africa City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate’s draft budget for the 2024/2025 financial year is out for public comment until the end of the month The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate's draft budget for the 2024/2025 financial year is out for public comment until the end of the month. The Directorate's draft capital budget is just under 363-million-rand. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the directorate has a good track record of expenditure, investment, and delivery, both in the enforcement and emergency services environments. todayApril 22, 2024 31
insert_link South Africa S.A Union federation Saftu says it continues to play a crucial role in championing the rights of workers S.A Union federation Saftu says it continues to play a crucial role in championing the rights of workers, fighting against injustices in the workplace, and advancing the socio-economic interests of workers. Yesterday, the federation celebrated seven years since it was launched in April 2017. Saftu’s spokesperson, Trevor Shaku, says the diametric contradictions in the tripartite alliance have and continue to compromise Cosatu’s ability and capacity to legitimately represent workers: todayApril 22, 2024 30
insert_link South Africa Eskom Continues Load-Shedding Suspension, Marks 26 Days Without Power Cuts Eskom has announced the continued suspension of load-shedding until further notice, citing sustained generation capacity and ample emergency reserves. This marks 26 consecutive days without load-shedding, surpassing the previous record of 20 days in June 2022. The power utility plans to restore an additional 2,660 megawatts by the evening. Eskom reaffirms its commitment to eventually eliminating rotational power outages. todayApril 22, 2024 5
insert_link South Africa DA Claims ANC Plans to Misuse Taxpayer Funds for Election Advantage The Democratic Alliance in South Africa asserts that it possesses compelling evidence indicating the African National Congress intends to utilize taxpayer money to bolster its electoral prospects in the upcoming election. Following last week's submission of a complaint to the Public Protector alleging manipulation of public resources by the ruling party, DA leader John Steenhuisen revealed details from a leaked recording purportedly from an ANC National Executive Committee meeting. According […] todayApril 22, 2024 12
insert_link South Africa S.A Minister of Higher Education to deliver keynote speech at this year’s Skills Development Facilitators’ Conference in Cape Town S.A Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, will deliver the keynote speech at the 2024 Skills Development Facilitators' Conference in Cape Town this week. The department's spokesperson, Veli Mbele, says the two-day event aims to enhance the professional skills of facilitators and training officials. The conference will cover organisational development plans, skills administration, promoting learning cultures, and understanding SETA Sector Skills Plans: todayApril 22, 2024 15
insert_link South Africa South Africa’s electricity crisis: a series of failures over 30 years have left a dim legacy By Mark Swilling, Stellenbosch University In 1994, apartheid ended and the African National Congress (ANC) won South Africa’s first ever democratic elections, promising “Electricity for All” as part of its Reconstruction and Development Programme. Back then only 36% of all South Africans had electricity in their homes. The development programme promised to double that number by electrifying an additional 2.5 million homes by 2000. This seemed […] todayApril 19, 2024 21
insert_link South Africa Ekurhuleni Mayor in S.A Hails Credit Rating as Validation of Financial Management Strength Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, Mayor of Ekurhuleni, lauds the recent credit rating announcement by Global Credit Ratings as evidence of the metro's robust and resilient financial management systems. The rating agency has affirmed Ekurhuleni's national scale long-term and short-term issuer ratings at BBB and A3 respectively. Phakamile Mbengashe, the city’s spokesperson, highlights that Ekurhuleni has effectively balanced its income and expenditure, safeguarding its financial standing from further deterioration. todayApril 19, 2024 38