Monthly Archives: July 2011


Full-time councillors shouldn’t teach

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

Teachers who have been appointed as full-time councillors should resign from their education posts, KwaZulu-Natal’s education MEC say.

“We expect all those teachers who have been appointed as full-time councillors to resign, because you can’t have two full-time jobs,” Senzo Mchunu told reporters in Durban.

The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union last month asked Mchunu to give all teacher-councillors unpaid leave for the duration of their municipal term.

But Mchunu on Tuesday said only part-time councillors who were also teachers should be allowed to keep their teaching posts.

KwaZulu-Natal has more than 2000 councillors, and the teacher union estimates more than 60 percent of them are teachers. The majority of them are not full-time employees.

Mchunu said he had asked the head of the department to see how many teachers had been elected as full-time councillors.

“I have asked the head of department to look at this matter. I don’t know how many (full-time teacher-councillors) have resigned.”

Provincial co-operative governance department spokesman Mthatheni Mabaso said the policy had been tightened and that full-time councillors would no longer be allowed to hold other jobs.

“Part-time councillors are also required to get permission from their employers. It is up to the employers to accept or decline the requests,” he said.

Mchunu said his department would help get teachers permission to work as part-time councillors.

Credit to: Times Live

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Info Bill back in the spotlight

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

The Protection of Information Bill is back in the spotlight in parliament, with the focus on a new panel that will have the power to decide if information has been wrongly classified.

The proposed law – dubbed the “secrecy bill” – has been widely criticised for giving the state wide powers to classify information, and for punishing people who publish that classified information, even if it is in the interest of the public.

Last month, after labour federation Cosatu threatened to challenge the bill in the Constitutional Court, the ANC agreed to restrict the power to classify information to state security agencies. Initially, about 1000 organs of state, from ministries to public museums, would have been given the right to classify information as secret, but now only security organs may do so.

But opposition parties and civil society groups say a key problem in the bill remains: it provides for information to be classified in the interests of “national security” but it is not clear what exactly national security is.

The parties have now agreed that the bill should include a new classification-review panel of five people to be appointed by the state Security minister to oversee the classification of information.

No political party leaders or officials will be allowed to sit on the panel, which will have powers to instruct organs of state to declassify information if it believes that it should not have been made secret.

Nkwame Cedile, Western Cape co-ordinator of the Right2Know campaign, said: “The ANC has conceded to our demand that they set up an independent body of constitutional experts who can oversee what gets classified. This is a temporary victory for us.”

DA MP Dene Smuts and African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart insisted that the panel “have teeth”.

ANC MP Lluwellyn Landers moved yesterday to counter allegations that government departments that wanted to hide corruption would simply classify information.

Landers said the ANC wanted to increase the penalties in the bill for those who misused classification to cover up wrongdoing.

But Cedile said this did not go far enough and it was likely that, if the bill were passed, there would still be attempts to classify information in a bid to cover up fraud and corruption – even if the offenders knew they faced penalties.

Rhodes University journalism professor Jane Duncan said last month that, even with the ANC’s new concessions, it would be “extremely difficult, if not impossible, to ensure transparency of the most shadowy of all state structures, the security cluster”.

The parliamentary discussions will go on for the rest of the week. The bill is due to be finalised by the end of September.

Credit to: Times Live

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Samwu takes on illegal promotions

Monday, July 25, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) is cracking the whip in Mpumalanga municipalities where municipal staff members were irregularly transferred to higher-paying positions.

Samwu provincial secretary Kgokedi Mphahlele said there was a trend in almost all Mpumalanga municipalities of officials being transferred to higher posts without them being advertised.

“We have managed to reverse [the appointment of] four municipal officials in the Steve Tshwete local municipality who were transferred to high and lucrative positions which were not advertised. The officials had also not applied for the posts,” said Mphahlele.

He said the four officials included two drivers, a personal assistant and a secretary.

Mphahlele said the four, who are Samwu members, agreed to go back to their former posts.

He said Samwu was now focusing on other municipalities, including Thembisile Hani in Kwaggafontein, Nkomazi in Malalane, Mbombela and Bushbuckridge, adding that the union had raised the matter with Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Madala Masuku and some ANC structures.

“We are awaiting their response,” said Mphahlele.

He warned that Samwu would insist on legal action being taken where necessary, as corruption had gotten to a point where whistleblowers were being threatened.

“We have also learnt that municipal managers are afraid to report these illegal acts because they believe they might lose their jobs as the people behind this claim to be politically connected in the province,” said Mphahlele.

ANC provincial spokesperson Paul Mbenyane was not aware of Samwu’s allegations and referred questions to Masuku’s office.

“An issue of this nature should be dealt with by the department, unless we are told to intervene,” said Mbenyane.

Masuku’s spokesperson, Simphiwe Kunene, could not be reached for comment.

Credit to: News 24

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Municipalities have to up their game

Friday, July 22, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

Municipalities have to increase the pace of service delivery to reciprocate the voters’ trust shown during the local government elections, Eastern Cape Local Government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane said on Thursday.

Qoboshiyane was speaking at the opening of the Eastern Cape SA Local Government Association (Salga) conference.

“Municipalities need to contribute towards responding to the five priorities of government; which are creating decent work and sustainable livelihoods, education, health, rural development and agrarian reform and the fight against crime and corruption,” said Qoboshiyane in a statement.

He said municipalities had to “up their game” and deliver on all the five priority areas.
The duty of councillors and officials was to deliver services that encouraged development in local municipalities and to be local governments which allowed people to participate in council and ward meetings.

He added that discussions during the conference should encourage those who had attended to exercise financial integrity and effective financial control in municipalities.

Credit to: News 24 and Sapa

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Pretoria student vanishes

Thursday, July 21, 2011 1 Comment by Zelda

A University of Pretoria student has disappeared without a trace, after going to fetch his car from a garage in the city at about 07:20 on Monday morning.

Duncan Allan. Image courtesy of Beeld.

Duncan Allan, 20, a third year BCom student in investment management, was last seen as he collected his car at Lynnwood Motors in Atterbury Road, Menlo Park, after it had been serviced.

Closed-circuit television footage showed how Duncan waited for his car at the garage, but not how he drove off.

Since then his phone has been switched off, his bank card has not been used and his parents, friends and hostel friends have heard nothing from him. He is a member of the house committee at Olienhout hostel in Lynnwood Road.

“It’s hell,” said his mother Pam Allan, 52, on Wednesday.

“You wake up at night and wonder where he is. It feels like my heart has been broken in two. All that we are looking for is an eyewitness, because someone must have seen him somewhere.”

Duncan’s father Tim Allan, 52, says they received a phone call from one of his friends to find out if they knew where he was because he hadn’t come to class.

Duncan also didn’t turn up on Wednesday to see a student to whom he taught extra lessons.

Since Duncan disappeared, notices have been put on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.

The family has been overwhelmed by calls.

Family friend Margo Johnson said family members, friends and former pupils of King Edward VII School (KES) in Johannesburg, where Duncan had gone to school, had formed search parties.

Several parking areas in the east of Pretoria, as well as hospitals and mortuaries have been visited, but in vain.

“At this stage we are searching for his car, because it is a starting point to finding out where he could be,” said Johnson.

“We suspect his car was hijacked but don’t want to jump to conclusions.

“Duncan has never run away before or shown strange behaviour.”

The missing student drives a green VW Jetta with the registration number DJY 086 GP.

•    Anyone with information can call investigating officer Warrant Officer Denny Phatshwane on 082 319 9647.

Credit to: News 24 and Beeld

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Solar-powered traffic lights for Joburg

Thursday, July 21, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

Traffic lights across Johannesburg will be fitted with uninterrupted power supply units to improve mobility for commuters, the Johannesburg Roads Agency said on Thursday.

“The city will be spending more than R11m to modernise traffic lights by installing solar-powered signals and remote monitoring systems at critical intersections,” said spokesperson Thulani Makhubela.

The agency said it would install uninterrupted power supply units at main intersections so that when there were power cuts in the area, the traffic lights would continue working as normal.

It said 30% of the city’s traffic lights had been fitted with light-emitting diodes which were much brighter than normal globes thus improving visibility.

Theft and vandalism were still a concern for the city with some of the recently upgraded traffic lights being vandalised.

“These crimes are costing the city and ratepayers an additional R14.5m that could have been spent on other measures to improve traffic flows in Johannesburg. The Road Agency is working closely with the Johannesburg metro police department to apprehend the culprits,” he said.

Seven technical teams had been located across the city to ensure traffic lights were attended to as soon as they became faulty.

The Road Agency is responsible for 10 000km of road and over 2 000 intersections across the city.

Credit to: News 24 and Sapa

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Service delivery protests in North West

Friday, July 15, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

Residents barricaded the main road between Mafikeng and Zeerust on Friday morning to demand better services, says North West police.

They placed stones and burning tyres on the road in the protest which started at 7:00 in Ottoshoop, said Sergeant Kealeboga Molale.

The police were on the scene and the situation was under control, she said.

The protesters were singing and dancing, demanding electricity and clean water.

Molale said they were residents of Maruping Village, which falls under the Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality.

She advised motorists travelling between Mafikeng and Zeerust to use the Lichtenburg road.

Credit to: Times Live

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Tshwane to fix potholes within 24 hrs

Thursday, July 14, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

The City of Tshwane yesterday launched a campaign aimed at fixing the city’s potholes within 24 hours of them being reported.

Launching the campaign in Sunderland, west of Pretoria, Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for Transport and Roads, George Matjila, said the city has declared war against potholes.

“The city has given the issue of potholes a priority in ensuring that it becomes a pothole-free city,” Matjila said.

He said 99 percent of potholes in Sunderland had already been fixed. “The more potholes we fix, the more jobs we create.”

Matjila told BuaNews that the city has prioritised potholes as they impact negatively on business. “In some instances, potholes cause accidents as cars always [swerve] trying to avoid them, resulting in accidents.”

According to Matjila, the potholes will be fixed within 24 hours of them being reported.

In his state of the city address in March, Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa announced that the city will ensure all potholes are fixed.

Earlier this year, the Department of Transport announced that it had set aside R22 billion over the next three years to plug potholes on South African roads.

At the time, it said the S’hamba Sonke programme will create about 70 000 job opportunities across the country in the 2011/12 financial year.

Credit to: BuaNews

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Clamp on cadres in municipalities

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

Political parties may no longer deploy cadres into top municipal positions now that the Municipal Systems Bill has been signed into law by President Jacob Zuma.

In addition to prohibiting senior party office bearers from holding top municipal jobs, the new legislation aims to ensure that municipalities are managed by skilled people. The act also stipulates that any municipal official found guilty of fraud and corruption may not be hired for 10 years after conviction.

These new requirements follow a recent finding by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela that Hessequa mayor Christopher Taute had abused his power by soliciting funds from businesses for the African National Congress’ s (ANC’s) May municipal election campaign.

Zuma, who signed the bill at the weekend, faced pressure from the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) not to sign the bill after Parliament passed it in April.

Samwu had raised concern about several clauses in the bill, particularly the one prohibiting senior party members from holding top municipal jobs. The union said this would limit individuals’ right of association.

The 115000-strong union threatened to withdraw its support for the ANC in the May election in protest against the bill.

Samwu general secretary Mthandeki Nhlapo said yesterday the union would not comment.

“We have decided not to issue any comment on this matter until after our special central executive committee meeting on Thursday when we will discuss this issue,” Nhlapo said.

There are indications the union will embark on a strike in the next few weeks to show its dissatisfaction with the new law.

The South African Local Government Association’s spokeswoman, Melissa Kentane, said yesterday the association would ensure that all councillors and municipal officials were aware of the act and its implications on municipal operations.

“Guidelines will be circulated and, if requested, legal opinions will be provided,” Kentane said. She said the prescribed municipal skills and competencies had not yet been published for consultation.

Last month the auditor-general complained that up to 80% of municipalities used consultants to assist with their year-end financial statements, and only seven municipalities achieved unqualified audits.

The director of the University of Western Cape Community Law Centre, Prof Nico Steytler, yesterday said that even though Samwu contested the legislation, it was still justifiable. “The ANC leadership was clear on it and this was a well thought out bill which will help in the provision of proper and impartial service delivery,” Prof Steytler said.

The Independent Democrats (ID) Parliamentary leader, Joe Mcgluwa, said Zuma may have failed to uphold his constitutional obligations by delaying signing the bill.

“The ID hopes the signing of the bill marks the first step in a concerted effort by the ANC to bring this disastrous policy of cadre deployment to an end,” Mcgluwa said.

He said the fact that the bill was signed so long after it was approved by Parliament on April 19 was cause for concern.

“Section 237 of the constitution clearly states that all ‘constitutional obligations must be performed diligently and without delay’.

“The delay in the president’s signing of the bill means that its provisions will have had no effect on key municipal appointments made between April 19 and July 2.”

Credit to: Business Day

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Pretoria open spaces in danger

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 No Comments by Zelda

The Tshwane Metro is in the process of selling the few open spaces that are still left in residential areas.

This according to councillor Karen Meyer from ward 44 in Pretoria after she received a report from council for the application to purchase Erf 2355 in Garsfontein.

Erf 2355 is an open space of 9 783m2 in Beatrice Mare street in Garsfontein, right in the middle of a residential area.

According to her the purpose of the report is to obtain approval to lease this open piece of land to accelerate higher and shared economic growth and development.

Currently the space is zoned for “public open space” purposes.

“This is totally unacceptable. As it is we do not have enough open spaces and green areas in developed residential areas,” says councillor Meyer.

She says council will recklessly approve this without doing the necessary evaluation.

“Under no circumstances can we allow this to happen. With the Menlyn Main project basically right behind this piece of land, there are too many residents for this small area therefore we need more green and open areas.

“If we don’t stop this there will be no green areas and open spaces left in the residential areas of Pretoria.”

It is not clear what the open space in Garsfontein would be used for.

The report is in a phase where involved parties and deparments can make comments and then it would be put forward to council.

Councillor Meyer urges all residents in the Garsfontein area to send their comments to karenmeyer@absamail.co.za.

“I will send it as a formal objection to council but it has to happen urgently.”

Residents of Elardus Park are also up in arms about the proposed alienation of a large portion of their park bordering Muskowiet Street in Ward 79.

The application was brought to their attention by ward councillor, Vickey Bosch, who has taken up cudgels on behalf of her residents. According to one of the residents, this land was donated by a member of the public as part of an estate to the council for the enjoyment of everybody and she and the residents strongly object to this public park being ripped almost in half for the sake of development.

The park is one of the last ‘green lungs’ of the area.

“Many residents adjoining the park bought their homes because of the closeness to the park grounds. Now this maybe lost or removed if the developers get the Tshwane council to see it their way,” says councillor Bosch.

As this piece of land is zoned Special Residential, proposed buildings to be erected on the Park could reach a height of three stories and would cut off the views and restrict access of many.

Councillor Bosch has responded to the urgent calls of residents by saying:

“ We cannot allow this green space in Elardus Park to be taken away from the community. Many residents use the park, children play safely on the swings and roundabout, people walk their dogs and even the Zionist Church holds services there. The quality of life and enjoyment of green space by the community is under direct threat. We must and shall resist this slashing off of half the park’s area for private development.  The broader needs and expectations of the affected community around the park should come first always.”

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