Red flags raised over new trespassing laws for South Africa
The agricultural industry is pushing back against provisions of the new Unlawful Entry on Premises Bill, raising alarms over landowners’ personal safety and the ability to charge a trespasser criminally. Agri SA, a federation of agricultural organisations, said that it has submitted comments on the…
South Africa finance minister says budget cuts result in service delivery challenges
Continuous budget cuts have created service delivery challenges for municipalities, says finance minister Enoch Godongwana. The minister made the remark while addressing delegates during a panel discussion at the two-day 2022 Local Government Summit at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg on Tuesday. The panellists…
D-Day for government as massive public sector strike looms
The Public Service Association says that its members have rejected the latest wage offer from the government and are gearing up for a nationwide strike. Speaking to NewzroomAfrika, PSA general manager Reuben Maleka said that all the necessary processes to organise a strike have been…
Government scrambles to stop South Africa’s next big crisis
South Africa is a few years away from having to implement “water-shedding” – where water will only be available sporadically – says Lunga Patso, a process engineer from the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA). The country has been struggling with a water crisis, where…
Land expropriation bill moves ahead – as government tries to calm fears over land grabs
The National Assembly of South Africa (NA) passed the controversial Expropriation Bill late Wednesday night, 28 September 2022, taking it one step closer to becoming enacted in law. The bill – which was rejected last year – currently allows the expropriation of land only for…
South Africa’s army can’t keep track of its assets and equipment
The Department of Defence and Military Veterans’ (DOD) management and administration are so poor that the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) is unable to confirm the existence or placement of some of its moveable assets. Moveable assets refer to the stock of equipment owned…
These hospitals are now exempt from load shedding in South Africa
The department of health has announced a number of initiatives to assist the healthcare sector through record rolling blackouts, including exempting hospitals from load shedding. This follows industry figureheads calling for intervention as hospitals across the country are on life support, unable to help patients…
Home Affairs nails 500 fake South African passports
The Department of Home Affairs has identified 500 fraudulent passports in the last three financial years – with 185 documents blocked in 2022 alone. Responding to a written parliamentary Q&A this week, home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that his department is escalating its fight…
Joburg mayor ousted as coalition government crumbles
Executive mayor of Joburg, Mpho Phalatse has been ousted from the position by the city council on Friday (30 September), losing a no-confidence vote by 139 votes. The ANC’s Dada Morero was voted in as mayor at the same sitting, unopposed. Phalatse’s exit is a…
South Africa health minister on migration of skilled health workers
Health minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, says the shortage of healthcare workers is threatening the quality and sustainability of health systems in Africa and worldwide. “Health care is a fundamental human right. But without health workers, there cannot be health services,” he said on Sunday. The…
Warning over major heatwave hitting South Africa – as taps run dry in Gauteng
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has extended a heatwave warning until Friday (7 October) for Gauteng, the North West, northern Free State and parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. On Tuesday (4 October), the weather service said that extremely hot and dry conditions will continue…
New proposals to clean up local government – R1,000 at a time
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has gazetted new code of conduct changes for councillors in South Africa for public comment. The regulations – which aim to facilitate the application of Schedule 7 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 –…