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Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, has released the Gauteng Liquor Board (GLB) Committee of Inquiry Report.

The report has been submitted to Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Economic Development and was made available to the MEC after she assumed office last month.

“Following a thorough review of its findings and recommendations, the MEC has taken the decision to release the report publicly in the interest of transparency, accountability, and restoring public confidence in government institutions,” the department said in a statement.

The report lays bare the challenges at the GLB, including collusion between owners and inspectors.

“The report presents a thorough diagnostic report of the GLB and highlights various governance challenges including but not limited to; irregular issuing and renewal of liquor licenses, weak enforcement mechanisms, poor record-keeping, allegations of corruption, maladministration and collusion involving inspectors, officials, and unregulated consultants and other regulatory weaknesses.

“This has an adverse impact on the ability of the Gauteng Liquor Board to perform its mandate effectively,” the statement read.

Of further concern is the “proliferation of liquor outlets operating unlawfully in close proximity to schools, places of worship, children’s recreational facilities, and residential communities” – in contravention of the Gauteng Liquor Act.

“This points to a strain on enforcement capacity within the Gauteng Liquor Board, where fewer than 20 inspectors are responsible for monitoring more than 33 000 licensed outlets across Gauteng, alongside an estimated 200 000 illegal outlets operating outside the regulatory framework,” the statement read.

Some of the recommendations in the report include:

• Strengthening compliance monitoring and enforcement operations; 
• Reviewing suspicious and unlawfully issued licenses; 
• Strengthening consequence management mechanisms;
• Digitising and modernising licensing systems; 
• Strengthening coordination with municipalities, SAPS, and Metro Police; and 
• Enhancing oversight over inspectors and officials involved in licensing and compliance processes. 

“In terms of the Gauteng Liquor Act (2003) and the executive authority vested in the MEC, the Department has a responsibility to ensure lawful administration, effective oversight, compliance enforcement, and the protection of communities affected by harmful and unlawful liquor trading activities. 

“The MEC further notes that while the liquor industry remains a significant contributor to the provincial economy, weak governance and regulatory failures have prevented government and communities from fully benefiting from the sector. 

“The Department will be taking swift action to strengthen compliance, improve revenue management, and ensure the industry contributes meaningfully towards economic transformation and the funding of social development programmes,” the statement said. – SAnews.gov.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his weekly newsletter to call on South Africans to respect and uphold the laws of the country as government tackles the challenge of illegal migration.

This as demonstrations, some violent, against undocumented immigrants have spread across several major cities in South Africa.

“The recent violent protests and criminal acts directed at foreign nationals in parts of our country do not represent the views of South Africa’s people nor reflect our government’s policy. These are the acts of opportunists who are exploiting the legitimate grievances, particularly those of the poor, under the false guise of ‘community activism’. 

“Some of these people are assuming functions that only state officials are permitted to perform, including stopping people to check identification and conducting searches of private property. Such lawlessness will not be tolerated, regardless of who the perpetrators or victims are,” President Ramaphosa asserted.

He acknowledged that as a society, South Africa needs to deal “decisively – and within the law” with illegal immigration, which poses a risk to the country’s “social stability, governance and national security”.

“Undocumented migration places strain on healthcare, housing and municipal services, particularly in poor communities. 

“It distorts the labour market. In a country with high unemployment, some employers are exploiting undocumented, cheaper foreign labour over hiring citizens and paying them legal wages. Not only is this fuelling social tension, it is actively undermining our labour protection regime and eroding the hard-won rights of workers,” he said.

The President added that the challenge needs a whole of society approach “in which the private sector and government should all play a constructive part”.

“South African citizens who collude with undocumented foreign nationals in fake marriages, the illegal sale of state-subsidised housing or accepting bribes to facilitate access to social services only deepen the problem.

“Many South Africans are exploiting undocumented labour in households and in the informal sector,” the President added.

Facing the challenges

President Ramaphosa noted that tackling illegal migration entails “balancing our constitutional and international obligations with safeguarding national security”.

He commended the Border Management Authority (BMA) and Defence Force for strengthening borders and combatting illegal cross-border activity.

President Ramaphosa further noted that the BMA has intercepted some 450 000 people attempting to cross into South Africa illegally over the past financial year.

“As we strengthen our borders, we continue to reform our migration and citizenship framework. We are stepping up workplace enforcement against employers who hire undocumented foreign nationals in violation of labour and immigration laws.

“We announced in the State of the Nation Address that we would be hiring up to 10 000 inspectors through the Department of Labour and Employment to ensure that our labour and immigration laws are adhered to.

“We continue to arrest and deport undocumented foreign nationals in accordance with the law, as we take forward the fight against corruption within the immigration system,” he said.

On the continent

Turning to the attention that the violent protests have garnered from within the continent, the President insisted that South Africans must push back on attempts to tarnish the country’s reputation.

“As a country, we must reject attempts to damage our country’s international reputation and to undermine the solidarity that has defined South Africa’s relations with the rest of Africa since the dawn of democracy.

“Since 1994, we have actively advanced a culture of human rights, all the while deepening the cause of African integration, cooperation and solidarity. We have a strong refugee protection framework that prioritises integration of persons displaced by conflict, war and persecution,” he said.

President Ramaphosa highlighted that refugees in South Africa are not “confined to camps” but live within communities, participate in the economy and access services like healthcare and education”.

He pointed to the country’s efforts in not only “deepening regional economic integration and travel” but also “strengthening academic, cultural and institutional ties” with the continent.

“Our demonstrated commitment to deepening African integration and solidarity should not be undermined by isolated acts of criminality.

“South Africa is not unique in confronting the pressures associated with undocumented migration. Many countries across the world, including in Africa, are themselves grappling with similar tensions. This calls for cooperation and understanding between countries on the continent and further afield,” he said.

The President emphasised that, like every country in the world, South Africa will exercise its sovereign right to “regulate migration, secure our borders and enforce our laws”.

“We must make it clear that there is no place in South Africa for xenophobia, ethnic mobilisation, intolerance or violence.

“Everyone in South Africa is bound by the same laws and we are committed to ensuring that they are respected and upheld by citizens and foreign nationals alike,” President Ramaphosa concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

Eskom says the power system remains stable even after a sharp rise in evening consumption, with peak demand at times reaching nearly 2 000MW above anticipated levels.

Demand has been rising, driven by seasonal winter conditions in South Africa over the past few weeks.
“The system has remained stable. This has been achieved alongside the natural tapering of solar generation at sunset, demonstrating enhanced operational resilience and improved capacity utilisation across the fleet.

“This performance reflects the sustained impact of the Generation Recovery Plan and reinforces Eskom’s Winter Outlook projection of no loadshedding, supported by continued progress in reliability, disciplined maintenance execution, and cost optimisation,” Eskom said.

Throughout last week, unplanned outages declined to some 11 593MW – a reduction of 964MW compared to the 12 556MW recorded over the same period last year.

“Over the same period, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor [UCLF], which reflects unplanned outages, was 24.18%, representing a 2.25% reduction compared to the 26.42% recorded during the same period last year, thereby contributing to available capacity.

“During the same period, Eskom’s Planned Capability Loss Factor [PCLF], which reflects planned maintenance, averaged 13.66%. While this is lower than the 14.66% in the previous financial year, it is aligned with Eskom’s efforts to ensure environmental compliance, improve reliability, and support long term sustainability,” the power utility explained.

Furthermore, 980MW is currently in cold reserve due to “excess capacity”.

“Since 16 May 2025, South Africa has recorded 357 consecutive days without interruptions to electricity supply, reflecting system availability of approximately 98.9%.

“During the previous financial year, supply interruptions were limited to 26 hours across four days in April and May 2025. Notably, there have been no interruptions in the current financial year to date [from 1 April to date], underscoring the improved strength and reliability of the power system.

“To further ensure a stable electricity supply, Eskom will bring 2 889MW of generation capacity online ahead of the evening peak on Monday,” Eskom said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has announced the reopening of all municipal cemeteries that were temporarily closed due to adverse weather conditions.

The municipality said inspections were conducted on Friday to assess the readiness of affected sites ahead of the weekend, confirming that water levels have since subsided and operations can safely resume.

Cemeteries that are now reopened for burials include Forest Hill, North End, Motherwell, Matanzima, Bloemendal, Bethelsdorp, Papenkuils, Kabah, Gerald Smith and Despatch.

Burials had been temporarily suspended after adverse weather conditions including flooding affected accessibility and safe operations at certain cemetery sites.

READ | Burials at several municipal cemeteries suspended following heavy rainfall

Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe said the decision to reopen the cemetries followed thorough assessments and improved conditions across the metro.

She conveyed condolences to bereaved families and expressed appreciation for the patience and cooperation shown by funeral undertakers and communities during the disruption.

“We fully understand the emotional strain and uncertainty that this situation placed on many grieving families and affected communities. The reopening of the affected cemeteries brings much-needed relief, and we appreciate the understanding shown by residents while the municipality prioritised safety assessments and interventions,” Lobishe said.

She noted that municipal technical teams and environmental health officials will continue to conduct ongoing assessments and interventions at affected cemetery sites.

While improvements have been recorded in certain areas, she said a number of sections remain heavily waterlogged and structurally unstable due to persistent ground saturation.

“Various mitigation measures remain underway, including water drainage operations, continuous site inspections and technical evaluations to determine when conditions can safely permit the resumption of burial activities,” the Mayor said.

However, she emphasised that safety assessments extend beyond visible surface water, and include underground soil stability, grave integrity, environmental compliance and occupational safety requirements.

The municipality reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all burial activities are conducted in a safe, dignified and respectful manner, and in line with health and environmental standards. – SAnews.gov.za
 

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) says that very cold, wet and windy conditions are expected over the southern parts of the Namakwa District in the Northern Cape and the western interior of the Western Cape, as well as the Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi district municipalities of the Eastern Cape, until Tuesday.

Snowfalls are also expected over the mountains of the Western Cape and southern parts of the Northern Cape, as well as over the high ground of the Eastern Cape.

Therefore, the weather service has issued several impact warnings:

• Orange Level 8 warning: Disruptive rainfall leading to flooding of roads, bridges and formal and informal settlements, mudslides and danger to life due to fast-flowing rivers is expected over the mountainous regions of the Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, the western parts of the Theewaterskloof, City of Cape Town, Breede Valley and Witzenberg local municipalities of the Western Cape until Tuesday.
• Orange Level 6 warning: Disruptive rainfall leading to flooding of roads, low-lying bridges, and formal as well as informal settlements is expected over the southern West Coast and western parts of the Overberg Districts of the Western Cape until Tuesday.
• Orange level 6 warning: Damaging winds and waves leading to danger to navigation at sea and damage to coastal infrastructure are expected along the coast between Lambert’s Bay and Cannon Rocks until Tuesday.
• Orange level 5 warning: Damaging interior winds leading to damage of formal and informal settlements, power interruptions and closure of some routes due to falling trees are expected over the central parts of the Western Cape and northern and central parts of the Eastern Cape, but expected in the Western Cape until Tuesday.
• Yellow level 4 warning: Damaging winds and waves leading to danger to navigation at sea are expected along the coast between Alexander Bay to Lambert’s Bay and Cannon Rocks to East London until Tuesday.
• Yellow level 2 warning: Disruptive rainfall leading to localised flooding of low-lying bridges, and formal as well as informal settlements is expected over the northern parts of the West Coast, eastern parts of the Cape Winelands and Overberg Districts of the Western Cape until Tuesday.
• Yellow level 2 warning: Damaging winds leading to localised damage of informal settlements, falling trees and localised problems for high-sided vehicles on prone routes are expected in places in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape as well as the central and southern part of the Northern Cape until Tuesday.
• Yellow level 2 warning: Disruptive snowfall leading to loss of vulnerable livestock, disruption of traffic due to icy roads and possible closure of mountain passes is expected over the northern part of the Eastern Cape until Monday.
• Yellow level 2 warning: Storm Surge leading to localised flooding of low-lying coastal areas is expected between Saldanha Bay and Algoa Bay until Tuesday.

–SAnews.gov.za

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has raised concerns over infrastructure and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) challenges at the Pretoria West police station.

This following an oversight visit to the station by the committee last week.

“[The] committee uncovered serious infrastructure and ICT challenges that are severely undermining effective policing and service delivery,” the committee said in a statement.

According to the statement, the station currently operates from “three separate office buildings”.

“This fragmented infrastructure arrangement has a direct negative impact on command and control, coordination among units and the overall operational effectiveness of the station due to the significant distance between the buildings.

“This structural challenge compromises the station’s ability to respond swiftly and cohesively to crime-related incidents in an area already facing serious criminal threats.

“Equally concerning is the station’s outdated computer equipment and slow, unreliable network connectivity, which continue to hamper critical administrative functions, delay case processing, disrupt access to essential policing systems and undermine the overall efficiency of law enforcement operations,” the statement read.

Furthermore, the committee was informed on reports of “escalating incidents of hijackings and kidnappings in the precinct, as well as the continued proliferation of illegal scrapyards and hijacked buildings that have become breeding grounds for criminality”.

“Of particular concern is the alarming revelation that a building located adjacent to the police station itself has been hijacked.

“This shocking reality raises serious questions about law enforcement visibility and the broader state of crime control within the precinct.

“The Committee views this as wholly unacceptable and indicative of the urgent need for decisive intervention and coordinated action by all relevant law enforcement and government stakeholders,” the statement continued.

The committee called on the Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni to urgently intervene and ensure “immediate remedial action” to address the station’s challenges.

“A police station is the nerve centre of community safety and cannot be expected to effectively combat crime while operating under such unacceptable conditions.

“Communities deserve police stations that are properly resourced, functional and capable of effectively responding to crime. The current state of affairs at Pretoria West Police Station undermines public trust and weakens the fight against crime which is a serious concern to the Committee,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za