Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-03-14 i Pretoria News

Despite the negative things said about Africa, its beauty speaks for itself. In fact, Donald Trump’s negative utterances have meant that instead of travellers distancing themselves from the continent, they have added it to their travel bucket list. Below are some reasons why: Outdoor mountain adventure: discover the beauty of Lesotho If the call of the wild resonates with your family, look no further than the Kingdom of Lesotho. Just a short drive from Johannesburg or Durban, April marks the ideal time to explore this stunning destination during its dry season. Revel in the dramatic mountain landscapes, delve into the rich warrior culture of the Basotho, and visit iconic sites like Thaba-Bosiu, the “Mountain of the Night,” and Maletsunyane Falls. Make unforgettable memories with outdoor excursions, engaging with traditional customs…

A senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute, Joshua Meservey, has proposed a contentious strategy for the US to address South Africa’s increasingly “anti-US stance”. This comes after SA-US diplomatic ties fell on shaky ground because of SA’s stance on land reform, its proximity to China, and SA dragging Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for their war in the Gaza Strip against Palestine. Meservey suggests that the US should target specific ANC officials responsible for these actions, striking at their personal wealth and ability to travel abroad. Meservey’s report, published by the Hudson Institute, describes the ANC as “one of Africa’s most corrupt organisations” responsible for human rights violations. He argues the US should adopt a more targeted approach to influence South Africa’s behaviour, rather than relying…

South Africa must now work hard to diversify its trade with other nations, move beyond reactive diplomacy by setting the agenda in global trade, security, and finance negotiations, and be honest with its finances. This was voiced by economic, international relations, and safety and security experts after US President Donald Trump cancelled the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with South Africa, a decision confirmed by the Presidency recently. The JETP is a coalition of 10 donor nations working to assist developing countries in transitioning from coal to cleaner energy sources. It was introduced during the United Nations (UN) climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021. South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Senegal were named the first recipients of loans, financial guarantees, and grants to support their shift away from coal. The…

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has announced that R5 billion will be allocated to the financially strained SANDF so that it can carry out its deployment of troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “In this budget, we have also made a provision to replenish funding for our security functions and peacekeeping commitments. R9.4 billion is allocated to fund the defence force and correctional services,” Godongwana said while delivering his reworked budget speech at the National Assembly, in Cape Town on Wednesday. “Over the medium term, R5 billion has been allocated to the Department of Defence to support South Africa’s participation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to supplement existing peacekeeping activities,” he added. Godongwana’s address comes after a delay…

The City of Tshwane's stands to forfeit about a billion rand but immediately recover R2,652bn in return in debt owed to it by local big businesses in a campaign it has relaunched. The City has turned up the heat on defaulting businesses in the revenue collection campaign dubbed "Tshwane Ya Tima", cutting off their power supply in an effort to recover a staggering R30 billion in collective debt owed by customers. Mayor Nasiphi Moya initially identified Shoprite as one of the defaulting customers, owing a substantial debt of R7,34 million. However, the claim was later retracted, as it was discovered that the debt had incorrectly been attributed to Shoprite. The actual debtor is KNG Properties, Shoprite's landlord. Moya said: “They've clarified that they are the client. I apologise for the…

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has welcomed the R7.5 billion Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana allocated to the institution over the next three years to build capacity to collect more tax. Godongwana announced that SARS was allocated R3.5 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and an additional R4 billion over the medium term. “The investments we make today in SARS will allow the collector the time to make improvements,” he said. In welcoming the allocation, Kieswetter said SARS would deploy the funding to pursue debt that was owed to it and all outstanding returns. “It will also be used to modernise and strengthen its technology capability, especially the use of data science, machine learning algorithm and artificial intelligence to respond to the sophisticated and aggressive schemes, including dealing with the illicit economy,…

ActionSA has given Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya a pat on the shoulder for what the political party believes to be ongoing improvements in service delivery across the City of Tshwane. The endorsement comes on the heels of a fact-finding tour conducted by the party's leadership to assess service delivery in the municipality. Michael Beaumont, ActionSA's national chairperson, revealed that in September 2024, the party's leadership embarked on a fact-finding mission to areas plagued by severe service delivery failures. The areas were struggling with issues such as sewage spills in residential backyards and communal spaces that had devolved into dumping grounds. “The scale of our findings from this fact-finding mission in September 2024 and the emerging reality of widely varied experience of service delivery levels across the city prompted ActionSA to…

The much-talked-about 2025 Formula One season is set to kick off this weekend. As all the teams gear up in yet another attempt to dethrone Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen, the Australian Grand Prix will provide a clue as to how much progress each team has made in their title challenge. Verstappen has been rampant over the last four seasons. The 27-year-old secured his fourth consecutive championship under immense pressure from friend-turned-rival, Lando Norris. Had McLaren found the sweet spot in their car close to the finish line, however, things could have turned out very differently for the Dutchman. It is certain, however, that a lot of change awaits this season. Here, Obakeng Meletse looks at some of the key talking points ahead of the season’s start. Can McLaren…

One second. That’s all it takes to change your life. A tragic car accident, the crunch of metal, a broken back. For the young Normie Eckard, who was set to be scouted for the Springboks, it was one second on September 24, 1997, that altered his entire life. “I had an appointment the next day to meet 1995 rugby winning Springbok team member Hennie le Roux, Lions fullback Chris Dirks and the-then Springbok captain Francois Pienaar, who did all the scouting for rugby at University of Johannesburg where I was to take up a rugby scholarship the next year. “Instead of meeting my heroes and having doors open for me, I was in a hospital fighting for my life after a fateful car crash. “They were dark days. As an…

Africa has long captivated the hearts and minds of travellers across the globe, luring adventurers with its astounding wildlife, breathtaking safaris, and rich cultural diversity. But if you were to listen to some of the outbursts of US president Donald Trump you would be forgiven for thinking that all of Africa, and its many diverse and beautiful countries, are basically dumps. From the infamous, and also denied, quotes from 2018 when he allegedly called the continent of Africa a “sh**hole” to his latest rantings about Lesotho, you wouldn’t expect Americans to want to visit us. But that is not the case. In South Africa alone, more than 30 000 North American tourists visited last year, according to recent stats from Statista. This trend points towards an increasing eagerness among Americans…

The City of Tshwane’s MMC for Housing and Human Settlements, Aaron Maluleka, has addressed the ongoing tension between tenants at Thembelihle Village, a low-cost housing complex in the CBD, and their landlord, following the forced eviction of numerous tenants from the property earlier this week. Maluleka said longstanding disputes over rent, soaring electricity costs, and frequent service disruptions were among the underlying causes of the deepening rift between tenants and Yeast City Housing, the landlord. Thembelihle is the first social housing project in the municipality, which was launched by the government in 2018 to accommodate people who fall within income brackets of between R11 301 and R22 000 per month. Maluleka shed light on how, over the years, the low-cost housing project has been plagued by persistent problems stemming from…

Despite Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) firing a warning shot at Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana ahead of his Budget speech on Wednesday, an increase by a percentage point over two years was announced. The opposition party called for the government to instead consider other revenue-generating options such as having the wealthy taxed at a higher rates. Godongwana’s budget speech hit a snag last month when the DA and other Government of National Unity (GNU) partners rejected a 2% increase in VAT. The MKP marched in Pretoria on Monday, where protesters gathered outside the Treasury’s national office. The political party’s chief whip in Parliament, Mzwanele Manyi, said his party will not support any VAT increase, regardless of the proposed percentage. Instead the party called for its slashing by two percentage points…

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has strongly opposed the government’s proposal to implement a 0.5 percentage point increase on the Value-Added Tax (VAT) in 2025 and 2026, and 2026 and 2027 financial years, arguing it will hurt low-income earners. “VAT increases have a disproportionate impact on workers and the poor, more so on the bottom 40% of society in income terms,” Dr Alex Mashilo, Central Committee Member and SACP national spokesperson said. Mashilo said the government’s initial proposal to increase VAT by 2% was met with widespread public resistance, particularly from the working class, and was opposed. However, he emphasised that the continued VAT hike, even at a reduced rate, remains unacceptable. The SACP, however, argued that VAT is a regressive tax, as it takes a larger percentage of…

There is no specific regulation in South Africa regarding the maximum number of times a woman may act as a surrogate, nor are there regulations limiting the number of Ceasarean sections a woman may undergo, a court said in giving its blessing to a surrogacy agreement. This is part of a recent judgment issued by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, after a married couple who wanted to use the services of a surrogate mother to carry their second child asked the court for the greenlight. The issue, which raised some concern, was that this would be the surrogate mother's sixth pregnancy. And all five babies from her earlier pregnancies were delivered via Cesarean section. Judge Brenda Neurkircher had to determine whether a sixth similar pregnancy would put her or the…

About 200 tenants at Thembelihle Village, a low-cost housing project in the Pretoria CBD, were left stranded on the streets after they were forcibly evicted from their homes by security guards on Monday. They said the dramatic eviction occurred after they were repeatedly accused of defaulting on staggering unpaid utility bills and rentals. Shein Ngobeni, a distraught tenant, stood amid his waterlogged furniture and belongings, recounting the ordeal. “It is ironic that we were evicted over unpaid utility bills, yet we’ve been living without basic services like water and electricity,” he said. Lorato Matlhabine, a resident of the complex since 2018, said: “We were unfairly evicted due to the failure of our former service provider to settle our electricity bills with the City of Tshwane.” A tenant, speaking on the…

The 54-year-old IA Substation in Soshanguve township has reached the end of its lifespan and has been identified as the cause of frequent power outages. MMC for Utility Services Frans Boshielo said the City of Tshwane resolved to upgrade it in response to complaints from Soshanguve residents. Boshielo's remarks came amid allegations that municipal electricity workers were taken hostage by frustrated residents of Soshanguve Block BB on Saturday, following a prolonged power outage that caused a service delivery protest in the area. Earlier this week, ward 94 councillor Elishia Mlotshwa said the alleged hostage incident has fueled long-standing suspicions among residents, who believe that municipal electricians intentionally damage cables to generate overtime work and increase their earnings. Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said: “The City pleads with the councillor to relay…

The Springboks concluded their first national alignment camp in Cape Town this past week and head coach Rassie Erasmus was happy with the first steps they've taken in a challenging 2025. While he and his fellow coaches were able to share their plans with the 56 players attending, Erasmus hopes it has laid the foundation for the international season where the Boks will play around 15 Tests and a friendly match against the Barbarians. Independent Newspapers looks at three players who must use this information from the camp in the United Rugby Championship (URC) to stake a claim for a place in the mid-year Tests. Henco van Wyk Yet to make his Bok debut, Van Wyk will be keen to keep marching on with his brilliant performances for the Lions,…

It has long been said that the PSL is a ticking time bomb, and this is partly reflected in the clubs that have, scandalously, recently made it onto the Fifa transfer ban list over the past few months. The clubs – Richards Bay and Marumo Gallants, along with embattled Royal AM – are on the list after having been punished because, in most cases, they have not respected players’ contracts. Over the years, several clubs have acted with abandon, showing no regard for sound governance. This lack of sound governance is also evident in the way the mother body has conducted their affairs most recently. The Royal AM mess has come about because of the PSL’s failure in that department. Had the PSL adhered to their handbook, they would have…

Wayne Rooney thinks his former side Manchester United look “lost” and “scared” on the pitch and that “10 to 15 players need to leave the club”. Fallen giants United are a lowly 14th in the Premier League, with the likes of Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton and Nottingham Forest all above them in English football’s top-flight. United have won just nine out of 28 league games so far this season and have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, with their hopes of winning any silverware this term hanging on Thursday’s Europa League last 16 second-leg tie against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford. A hoped for upturn in results since Ruben Amorim replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag as manager has so far failed to materialise, with the Portuguese coach presiding…

As US president Donald Trump opens up a line for South Africans to go and live in America, Americans in South Africa are living in bliss, calling it the “soft life” in comparison to their lives in the US. For American-born musician Big Sbuda, living in South Africa represents a new beginning, full of dreams realised and opportunities embraced. “I’m walking through pillars like I’m a Roman emperor,” he says while walking through his luxury home in Dainfern, Johannesburg. “For the amount that I’m paying here, it cost me like three times as much in the States,” he quipped, emphasising the financial advantages that come with living in South Africa. It is not only the allure of South Africa’s vibrant culture, stunning landscapes and warm hospitality but also that the…

EFF leader Julius Malema believes the postponement of the Budget Speech last month was a political trick, claiming the government reduced the initially rejected 2% VAT increase, only to increase it bit by bit, ultimately bringing the rate to 16%. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana proposed raising the VAT rate by 0.5 percentage points both in 2025 and 2026.This will ultimately bring the VAT rate to 16% in 2026-27 financial year. To provide relief to lower-income households, the government also proposed additional VAT zero-rating on essential food items. There would be no changes to the fuel levy. Malema vehemently opposed the VAT increase, accusing the government of lacking ideas to regenerate state revenue. “We will not support any form of increase in the VAT,” he said. “Let’s tax the rich.” Malema…

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni accused the DA of attempting to leverage the proposed VAT increase to further their grievances with the Expropriation Act. Briefing the media yesterday on the outcomes of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, Ntshavheni said the DA’s opposition to the Budget had nothing to do with the tax increases. “The DA through their leader announced that they are not supporting the Budget because they have issues with the Expropriation Act,” she said. “The DA has taken the Expropriation Act to court. So, in simple terms, we need to wait for court. You can’t run two simultaneous processes. So you choose a process and allow that process to conclude. When that process concludes, then come to another process, maybe,” she said. Ntshavheni was referring to an interview DA…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the ruling by the Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Malawi, which ordered that self-proclaimed prophet, Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary Bushiri, be extradited to South Africa. At the time of their flight, the Bushiris, along with three others, faced a R102 million fraud and money laundering case - among other charges, including rape directed at the charismatic preacher. The Bushiris had appeared before different South African courts in 2020. The couple was granted bail pending trial but failed to comply with their bail conditions and fled to Malawi. They later emerged in their home country where they continued with their church services, attracting crowds from countries including South Africa. The South African government submitted an extradition request to Lilongwe, seeking an extradition…

THE tabling of the National Budget is one of the most crucial aspects of government functioning, as it sets the framework for fiscal policy and resource allocation for the upcoming fiscal year. On 12 March, following a failed attempt to present the budget on 19 February, the National Treasury proceeded to table the National Budget in Parliament despite facing rejection from several political parties. A critical point of contention in the recently tabled budget is a proposed 0.5 per cent increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT). Critics argue that this modest increase exacerbates an already high cost of living, particularly for low-income households. However, it is essential to recognise the efforts made by the government to mitigate the negative impact on vulnerable communities. The proposed increase in VAT, significantly…

A trial date has been set for a 70-year-old woman who applied for the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) while her company had been granted a total of R60 million South African Police Service (SAPS) tender. Salamina Khoza is facing charges of Contravention of the Social Assistance Act, Contravention of the Justice of Peace and Commissioners Oaths Act, as well as fraud and theft. Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the charges relate to an amount of R152 000 which she received from Sassa as pension payout. Mamothame said when Khoza received the funds while simultaneously serving as a director for three companies awarded contracts worth over R60 million from SAPS between September 2014 and August 2022. He added that her companies were also subjected to…

BEYOND the ordinary football banter of referring to Orlando Pirates as bridesmaids to perennial domestic Premiership winners Mamelodi Sundowns, lies the harsh truth - the title race is over. With an 18-point gap between log leaders Sundowns and the second placed Pirates, realists can go as far as saying the defending champions might as well be given now their eighth straight league title. Patriots might as well join that Gautrain on the basis that that would free up the Fifa Club World Cup-bound Brazilians time to focus on big matters, matters of national importance like hoisting the Rainbow Nation’s flag on other lands. This weekend could very well seal it for those who are resistant to reality; Pirates will host Sundowns in the return leg of the Premiership on a…

South Africans bidding to host the world’s most prestigious race, a Formula One Grand Prix, have until March 16 to submit their final applications, according to the Department of Sport, as announced by the F1 bid Steering Committee (BSC) on Wednesday. Interested parties have a week to finalise their bids, with Gauteng and Cape Town suspected to be the frontrunners in the bidding war. Bakang Lethoko, chairperson of the SA bidding committee, said they are considering all applications fairly, despite allegations from Cape interest arguing otherwise. It is hoped the BSC can secure FIA approval for South Africa Grand Prix in 2027. So far, there are only two main contenders vying to host an SA GP for the first time since 1993 – Gauteng and the Western Cape. Cape Town…

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has called on everyone within the team to take responsibility for turning their fortunes around in the final stretch of the season. Chiefs failed to win for the third consecutive game on Wednesday night after being held to a goalless draw in the Betway Premiership by Cape Town City at home. Amakhosi, who remain eighth in the standings with 29 points, were left frustrated by the result, as they were their own worst enemy in front of goal, despite creating numerous chances. Chiefs should have gone into the break at least 4-0 up, but Mduduzi Shabalala, Gaston Sirino, Dillan Solomons, and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo all squandered their opportunities. Shabalala was the biggest culprit of the evening, failing to convert a golden opportunity when he found himself…