Category: South Africa Government

The Gauteng Provincial Government will request a widespread probe by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into multiple hospitals across the province following the release of a “damning” interim report into corruption at Tembisa Hospital, in Ekurhuleni.

In the report, the corruption busting unit revealed that it uncovered three coordinated syndicates, responsible for the looting of over R2 billion meant for healthcare.

“This report is damning and disturbing. It confirms our suspicions that the Tembisa Hospital probe needed to be expanded. We are grateful that the SIU executed this mandate so diligently and professionally.

“We are ready to immediately implement these findings, as contained in this report. From this report, it is clear that we need to broaden this investigation to other hospitals in the province. Especially those that had unexplained hikes in procurement expenditure in the last few years.

“There are indications that the same modus operandi is taking place in other hospitals in the province and therefore, we need to move with speed,” Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said on Monday.

The report indicates that mainly low-level employees facilitated the looting of the R2 billion.

READ | SIU uncovers syndicates which allegedly looted R2 billion at Tembisa hospital

“It is also worth noting that the corruption involved here – even though the report says that it could be at entry level and other levels – corruption is corruption, and it must be hunted regardless of those involved and the levels they occupy within government (sic).

“So, we will stop at nothing to ensure that the managers of these institutions or those that are leading these institutions account for their acts,” Lesufi said.

The Premier said the release of the report was a testament to whistleblower Babita Deokaran’s integrity.

Deokaran was murdered following her exposure of the corruption at the hospital.

“We view this as a critical step in honouring Babita Deokaran’s legacy and fulfilling our promise that her death would not be in vain. The people of Gauteng deserve accountability, and we will leave no stone unturned to achieve it.

“The SIU’s investigation has confirmed that Babita Deokaran was a true hero. We will honour her courage by ensuring our public service is not a sanctuary for the corrupt,” Lesufi said. – SAnews.gov.za

A total of 1 267 suspects were arrested across the North West province during weekly joint law enforcement operations under Operation Shanela II, conducted between 22 and 28 September.

The operations included vehicle checkpoints, stop-and-searches, foot and vehicle patrols, and compliance inspections at second-hand dealers, scrapyards, recyclers, private security firms, firearm dealers and farms. 

Police seized 1 777 copper cables, fireworks, explosive gels, electric detonators, tobacco, liquor, and various drugs, including dagga, cocaine, crystal meth, tik, and mandrax.

Seventy-six undocumented migrants were also apprehended, while 456 wanted suspects were linked to crimes through forensic DNA evidence. 

The arrests included 25 for rape and attempted rape; 289 for assault; 26 for burglary (business and residential); 34 for murder and attempted murder; 48 for driving under the influence; 29 for drug possession and 31 for illegal liquor trading

In the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, four suspects aged 31 to 51 are due in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court for possession of suspected stolen copper cables. They were arrested after police discovered copper worth R290 000 hidden near an overturned vehicle on the N12. A chase involving a Ford Ranger linked to the incident ended with further arrests.

In a separate case, a security officer in Klerksdorp apprehended a suspect carrying signal cables, an axe, and a spade. The man faces charges of tampering with essential infrastructure.

Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Dintletse Molefe welcomed the outcomes, saying the arrests will contribute to crime reduction and improved safety as the festive season approaches. – SAnews.gov.za

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to ensuring that no learner is left behind, despite the financial pressures confronting the province.

Ntuli, together with Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, convened an all-of-government meeting on Monday to address the financial crisis facing the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education.

The meeting brought together senior government leaders to deliberate on measures to stabilise the sector.

Ntuli acknowledged that province was experiencing “deep financial strain” as a result of years of austerity, which has impacted service delivery across sectors. However, he stressed that education remains the cornerstone of development and “too important to fail”.

“The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is one of the largest in the country, employing tens of thousands of teachers and serving millions of learners. Ensuring stability in the sector is not optional but essential to the province’s future,” Ntuli said.

The Premier confirmed that no additional funding had been allocated to address the department’s financial difficulties, meaning the province must find solutions within its current budget envelope. This will require reprioritising resources while protecting frontline services.

Deliberations at the meeting focused on the development of a Financial Recovery Plan aimed that balancing fiscal realities with the imperative of safeguarding education.

The plan will include an employee audit to ensure efficiency in resource allocation and a learner audit to strengthen planning and align resource distribution with actual needs.

Ntuli underscored that all interventions will be guided by a single overriding principle: protecting teaching and learning.

“Classrooms, teachers, and learners must remain at the centre of every decision taken in the recovery process,” he said.

By convening the high-level meeting, the Premier demonstrated the urgency of addressing the financial crisis through a coordinated provincial and national response.

“While the challenges are significant, they also present an opportunity to build a more efficient, accountable, and sustainable education system,” Ntuli said. – SAnews.gov.za

By Neo Bodumela

Nestled at the foot of the majestic Southern Drakensberg mountains, the small town of Matatiele is telling a powerful story of how tourism is transforming lives.

It is a story about how a community can build its own future from grassroots efforts to the towering heights. 

“Tourism has truly changed the lives of the people of Matatiele.”

This assertion was made by Mehloding Trust co-ordinator, Tsepo Lesholu, who spoke to Vuk’uzenzele as South Africa commemorates Tourism Month in September.
The Trust was born out of a vision in the 1990s where a united community worked together on communal land to create local jobs.

It has since evolved into one of the Eastern Cape town’s flagship tourism offerings. It boasts of a hiking trail, chalets and a guest house situated on the Southern end of the Drakensberg.

The initiative has created 17 jobs. “The idea was to stimulate the local economy through this initiative and create something of value for the people of Matatiele.

“What worked in our favour is that the plan to transition towards tourism had a lot of buy-in from traditional leaders. It also had the buy-in of local communities in the villages,” he said.

Mehloding is a story of a community taking ownership of their own development, with locals employed from the construction phase as builders, to the operational phase with community members working as cleaners, hostesses and tour guides.

Even the materials used to build the guest house, and the food and other supplies, are locally sourced.
“From the beginning we said: if we have tourists, they must be guided by local tour guides; if we are sharing our stories, then those stories must be told by us; if we have a hiking trail, the guides must be from Matatiele.

“Even when we chose the name of the Trust, we came up with it together. We chose Mehloding because as you hike the mountains, there’s no need to carry a water bottle; you will cross streams with fresh water flowing from the Lesotho Highlands. The name Mehloding means ‘sources of water,’” Lesholu said.

Mehloding is also part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Project, a cross-border initiative between South Africa and Lesotho that protects the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains while supporting community development.

The region includes uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (a World Heritage Site), Golden Gate Highlands National Park, and Lesotho’s Sehlabathebe National Park.

Known as southern Africa’s most important water catchment, it supplies Gauteng and other regions through two major projects – the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the Tugela-Vaal Scheme. 
The project promotes conservation, tourism and cultural heritage while uplifting local communities.

Scholarships through tourism for locals

Through the tourism initiative, the Trust has expanded its impact by launching a scholarship fund for learners.

Since its inception in 2010, the fund has supported at least 100 academically promising learners to attend a prestigious school in the area, paying for school fees, boarding, uniforms and other learning materials.
“These children have gone on to become accountants, engineers, lawyers and doctors, while others are pursuing academia. Tourism has truly changed our lives,” Lesholu said proudly.

As for the future, the co-ordinator said the vision is to not only expand the tourism business but also deepen the benefits for the local community.

“The dream is to add more offerings to the existing hiking trail and guesthouse so that we can become fully self-sufficient and not rely on government funding.

“In that way, we will be able to add even more value to the community, and they can benefit more from Mehloding,” Lesholu said.

Government support

Mehloding has received financial and infrastructure support from several levels of government including the Department of Tourism, the National Lotteries Commission and the Matatiele Local Municipality.

The municipality’s spokesperson, Ndabuko Masumpa, explained the local authority’s role.

“Mehloding has been accommodated at municipal offices for over 15 years at no cost. For more than a decade, the Municipality has supported Mehloding’s annual September Tourism and Heritage Month event, which boosts occupancy rates and visitor numbers.

“Through these efforts, the Municipality has demonstrated its commitment to growing Mehloding into a sustainable, community-driven tourism hub,” Masumpa concluded.

Maloti-Drakensberg Park is a World Heritage Site due to its outstanding natural beauty 
and its exceptional cultural significance, as recognised by UNESCO.

For more information on Mehloding Community Trust and its tourism offerings contact the trust at 039 737 3289 or email mehloding@telkomsa.net  

The Department of tourism can be reached at www.tourism.gov.za 

Visit the Matatiele Local Municipality at www.matatiele.gov.za 
*This article first appeared in Vuk’uzenzele
 

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Eskom’s Kusile Power Station Unit 6 has entered commercial operation – officially adding some 800MW to the national grid and strengthening South Africa’s energy security.

The power utility announced the milestone on Monday and it marks the completion of the Eskom Build Programme.

Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said the milestone was a testament to the power utility’s commitment to its turnaround plan.

“Achieving commercial operation of Unit 6 within the planned timeframe is a testament to Eskom’s disciplined execution of the Generation Operational Recovery Plan. This milestone not only completes the Kusile build programme but also reinforces Eskom’s commitment to restoring energy security, enhancing grid stability, and investing in infrastructure that supports South Africa’s long-term economic growth. 

“Since its synchronisation in March, Unit 6 has consistently met performance benchmarks, contributed to grid reliability, and helped meet electricity demand 97% of the time,” Marokane said.

At the Medupi Power Station, which was also part of Eskom’s Build Programme, Unit 4 of the station was returned to service in July this year.

“Medupi and Kusile will remain central to South Africa’s electricity supply for many years to come. Both stations are designed for an operational lifespan of approximately 50 years. 

“As we celebrate this milestone, we are also accelerating efforts to expand our renewable energy portfolio to complement our baseload infrastructure. This is part of our broader strategy to repower the grid and reduce overall emissions,” Marokane added.

Eskom explained that commercial operation indicates that Unit 6 has “passed all required testing and optimisation phases” and is now fully integrated into the power utility’s operational fleet. 

“Although the unit has been supplying electricity to the grid since its synchronisation on 23 March 2025, its contribution had not been reflected in official reporting until now. From this point onward, Unit 6’s output will be included in the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) calculations, contributing to Eskom’s overall performance metrics.

“This achievement also marks a key milestone in Eskom’s strategic goal to add 2500MW of new capacity to the grid by March 2025 and represents a major step in completing one of the largest infrastructure projects in South Africa’s history,” Eskom said. – SAnews.gov.za