Category: Africa

Source: Government of South Africa

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is determined to “claw back every cent” that was unlawfully taken from the public purse as a result of corruption and fraud at the Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng.

This is according to SIU Head Advocate Andy Mothibi after the unit obtained a preservation order of some R900 million worth of assets linked to an alleged criminal syndicate that operated at the hospital.

The syndicate – together with two others – allegedly siphoned off some R2 billion that was earmarked for the improvement of healthcare services at the hospital in a complex web of fraud and corruption.
“The orders are a critical step in our commitment to claw back every cent that was stolen from the public purse, specifically Tembisa Hospital.

“This is not merely a preservation but a proactive, intensive effort to trace, secure, and ultimately recover assets that we allege are the proceeds of corruption. We will not allow individuals to hide behind complex corporate and trust structures,” Mothibi said.

Executing the order

Last week, the SIU secured assets valued at approximately R133.5 million belonging to one of the alleged masterminds of the Tembisa Hospital looting, Hangwani Maumela.

Items secured at a Sandhurst home and Emalahleni dealership include:
•    A property in Sandhurst: estimated value R70 million
•    Three Lamborghinis: estimated value R25 million
•    Household contents: estimated value R3 million
•    Security in respect of the Household contents: estimated value R500 000
•    Two Aston Martin luxury cars
•    One Ferrari luxury car
•    One Rolls-Royce luxury car

“The Mpumalanga dealership, on a completely without prejudice basis, gave the SIU surety of two immovable properties, without any bonds outstanding on them, valued at approximately R35 million in exchange for the curator, in the interim, not removing the luxury cars from the dealership after the luxury cars have been attached by the curator.

“The preserved assets will remain under the control of the Curator appointed by the Special Tribunal until the final determination of up to 41 main civil recovery proceedings to be instituted, the first of which the SIU is mandated to institute within 60 court days. Once civil proceedings are concluded, the assets will be forfeited to the State,” the SIU explained. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

The Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) recently held a first of its kind roundtable on the management of sinkholes and dolomite.

“Sinkholes are not just geological events, they are a test of how well we plan, manage, and maintain infrastructure. This roundtable has allowed us to align government, scientists, and engineers behind prevention, preparedness, and resilience,” said MEC Jacob Mamabolo.

This as the Council for Geoscience (CGS) reported that while some sinkholes occur naturally, most are driven by human activity, including ageing infrastructure failures, mining, and groundwater extraction, particularly in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and Johannesburg. Using data dating back to the 1940s, it identified water ponding, underground leaks, and excessive water abstraction as key triggers, and proposed measures such as water loss control and risk-based land-use regulation.

Thursday’s session brought together experts and stakeholders from the Council for Geoscience (CGS), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the mining industry, academia, municipalities, engineering professionals, and community leaders.

CoGTA Deputy Minister Dr Namane Dickson Masemola emphasised South Africa’s responsibility to lead globally in addressing dolomitic land challenges through science, leadership, and intergovernmental cooperation. 

“We must position South Africa as a leader in addressing dolomitic land challenges,” said Dr Masemola, urging “strong political and administrative leadership to transform discussions into practical solutions and actionable work.”

Held in Mogale City, the roundtable marked the first coordinated effort in the province to consolidate scientific, technical, and policy perspectives on the management of dolomitic land and the prevention of sinkhole-related disasters.

The CSIR showcased technological innovations such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and geolocation tools for early detection, and urged the creation of a centralised GIS-based data repository and municipal capacity-building to improve coordinated, science-led risk management. 

Experts agreed on the need for stronger alignment between geological science, infrastructure planning, and disaster management legislation to ensure coherent responses and better resource mobilisation.

The Deputy Minister further directed the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to strengthen its funding, mitigation, and research frameworks, ensuring that sinkhole management receives priority attention in national disaster planning.

“The PDMC [Provincial Disaster Management Centre] will consolidate the outcomes of the roundtable into a technical brief to guide the Disaster Management Workstream of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy, ensuring that Gauteng’s response to dolomitic risks is proactive, coordinated, and science led,” said the provincial department. –SAnews.gov.za 
 

Source: Government of South Africa

The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has moved to clarify the implementation of revised actuarial interest factors, which are used to calculate members’ benefits.

“The GEPF implemented updated actuarial interest factors with effect from 1 October 2025. The factors are derived from the assumptions adopted in the Fund’s recent statutory actuarial valuation as at 31 March 2024. The implementation of the revised factors follows the completion of a consultative process with employee organisations as at 31 July 2025, as required by the GEP Law and Rules,” the fund said in a statement.

On 1 September 2025, the fund issued a notice that it would implement updated actuarial interest factors with effect from 1 October 2025. Actuarial interest factors are used when the fund must express a member’s earned future pension as a present-day lump-sum Rand amount.

At that time, the fund said failure to implement the revised factors would result in exiting members being paid more than their fair share of the fund’s assets, thereby disadvantaging members who remain in the fund and ultimately those who retire within the fund.

In Saturday’s statement, the GEPF said the revised factors result in actuarial interest values that are on average 15% lower than those that would result from the 2021 factors. It further added that the extent to which individual members’ actuarial interest will differ between the 2021 and 2024 factors depends on their age and category (i.e., whether they are service members or not).

“The revised factors will be applied across all active member records, meaning the balances reflected in all components or pots will be recalculated on the updated basis. Exit benefits, apart from retirements, whether members leave with less than 10 years of total pensionable service, will be affected. All resignations, irrespective of service, will be affected.”
Pensioners’ benefits are not affected by these revised factors.

“This statement is intended to reassure members that the implementation of the revised actuarial interest factors is a legislative requirement as per the GEP Law, unions as representatives of active members were extensively consulted, the implementation does not amount to members’ funds being stolen, nor is the government involved in this process in any way, as incorrectly alleged on social media platforms.”

The fund appealed to members to consult GEPF official channels for a more in-depth understanding of the topic, such as the GEPF website, www.gepf.co.za, YouTube channel, @GEPF_SA as well as GEPF social media platftorms on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Earlier in the week, the fund announced the temporary suspension of submission of savings withdrawal applications with regards to the 2-pot withdrawals.

“The Government Employees Pension Fund wishes to inform its members that the submission of savings withdrawal applications will be temporarily suspended from 7 October to 21 October 2025. This pause is necessary to allow the Fund to update its systems with the recently implemented actuarial factors used to calculate members’ benefits,” it said.

During this time, members will not be able to submit new savings withdrawal applications through the self-service platforms.
However, all other benefit payments and services will continue as normal.

“The GEPF sincerely apologises for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciates members’ patience and understanding as we complete these important updates. The savings withdrawal functionality will be reinstated on 22 October 2025, once the updates have been successfully completed,” it said. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, has assured students at Free State and Fort Hare Universities that the department, the universities and police are working hard to protect students and staff. 

Efforts are also underway to reopen Fort Hare University. This after violent protests broke out at the Eastern Cape-based university this week – causing damages estimated between R300 and R500 million.

READ | Minister Manamela calls for calm amid Fort Hare unrest

“Our immense priority is to ensure that the academic program resumes within the next week. In a productive meeting with the university…I’ve directed the University Council and management to put in place all necessary measures to reopen the institution and allow teaching and learning to continue, including temporary online modalities where required.

“Students must be able to complete their studies in peace and also in safety. That is non-negotiable. The university must ensure that the academic year is not put in any jeopardy.”

Manamela condemned the violence at the university – describing it as “criminal”.

“The destruction and violence that engulfed the University of Fort Hare in recent days is deeply tragic. A university should be a space of learning, hope and progress. Not one of fear and destruction. 

“The intimidation of staff… and the disruption of teaching and learning cannot and will never be justified. What has happened at Fort Hare is not protest. It is criminal. It destroys opportunity, it erodes confidence, but it also undermines the dreams of thousands of young people who look to education as their only chance for a better life.

“We are working closely with the South African Police Service, the Eastern Cape government, and the university security teams to restore come and protect students and staff,” he said at a media briefing on Saturday. 

The Minister acknowledged that there are challenges that must be addressed by the institution’s leadership.

“Beyond the immediate crisis, I’ve also asked the University Council to reflect deeply on the number of critical issues when they meet tomorrow. [This] including the state of governance and leadership, the role and status of the SRC [Student Representative Council], the institutional culture of the university, the concerns raised about the Vice Chancellor’s contract and the insourcing of workers, which are some of the issues that are believed to have triggered protest at the university.

“In the coming week, I will respond in greater detail to the feedback received from the ministerial team led by Professor Ahmed Bauer, which has been engaging students, staff, and other stakeholders over the last several days. Their work is central to shaping the next phase of our intervention,” he said.

Arrests 

Turning to matters at the University of Free State where protests have also erupted, the Minister said some 17 students have been arrested including two who attempted to “throw a petrol bomb in a cubicle that houses security”.

“Now this is criminality. Even if these people are students, they are basically unleashing crime. And I think in both instances…we need to make that distinction between people who are students and… criminals who are also in the process endangering the life of other students and staff. 

Safety enhancement

“But we have to approach this in a very systemic way. And that’s why we will be accelerating our engagement internally so that we fix the system internally in order to ensure that we don’t keep students being vulnerable, but also our engagement with the South African Police Service on ways and means within which we can restore order where necessary,” he said.

The Minister emphasised, however, that security responses alone “will not be enough”.

“We have to deal with some of the issues that have resulted in protest in some of the institutions, but also that some of the violence is not even related to protest but it’s related to the fact that institutions are being seen as business enterprises for infrastructure, for tenders, around services, accommodation, and so on and some of this violence is related to that.

“We have to make sure that universities and institutions within the post-school education and training sector return to what they’ve been established for, become places of learning and teaching and not what we have seen in the most recent days,” Manamela said. – SAnews.gov.za