Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-04-04 i Pretoria News

willem.vdputte@inl.co.za If you have ever been in a car in South Africa, you would have experienced it. Not the beautiful surroundings or potholed roads, but the complete lack of adherence to the rules of the road and daily carnage. It seems that once we get behind the wheel of a car, the laws are irrelevant. Alcohol-related deaths While on holiday in the Northern Cape over the festive season, we would regularly stop next to the road at the rather dilapidated picnic spots to stretch our legs. The proliferation of empty liquor bottles was appalling. Empty beer, wine and hard liquor containers were spread everywhere. That means that the possibility of encountering a driver under the influence was relatively high, putting every other road user, including families, possibly even their own,…

While all eyes will be on the national Budget this week as the national financial year ends today with a cloud of uncertainty still hanging over it, by contrast things are promising with respect to the City of Tshwane’s budgeting process. ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont commended Mayor Nasiphi Moya and her governing coalition for the “carefully considered” and fully-funded draft budget that supports vulnerable residents while restoring fiscal discipline and shielding residents from excessive tariff increases beyond inflation. “Most importantly, the City should be commended for reducing property rates by a full 4% in light of the new valuations roll. This stands in stark contrast to the failing GNU national budget, which will dig deeper into the pockets of South Africans to fund its excesses,” Beaumont said in a…

The City of Tshwane has made inroads in settling its long-standing Eskom debt, having paid over R1 billion towards the outstanding amount last month, reducing its total Eskom debt to R5,66bn. This was announced by Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya during a media briefing at Tshwane House on Wednesday, where she gave feedback about progress made by her administration since she assumed office 175 days ago. “This progress reflects our determination to meet our obligations and secure energy stability for our residents,” Moya said. She also announced that the R4.7bn VAT debt linked to the cancelled Peu smart meter contract has now been fully settled, with a final payment of R128 million. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has formally acknowledged the settlement. “This marks a major milestone in closing a…

The City of Tshwane is set to procure its own water tankers and waste collection trucks in the next financial year to decrease its dependence on external contractors by R210 million. The strategic move has been hailed as a way to enhance the city’s internal capacity. Mayor Nasiphi Moya said the city has listened to the pleas of officials who expressed their eagerness to deliver services but lacked the necessary equipment and resources to do so effectively. “Because we can, we will also throw in one Jetpatcher (a truck with equipment for fixing potholes and other road defects in a matter of minutes). “We will continue to build internal capacity,” she said. Moya said a R70m reduction has been made in watchman services and redirected towards bolstering the city’s internal…

The DA’s decision to take the VAT hike and the fiscal framework document to court for review has sparked a chain reaction that may lead to the demise of the Government of National Unity (GNU). The Presidency has hinted that President Cyril Ramaphosa may re-evaluate the ANC’s partnership with the DA, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya reportedly confirmed. “You can’t be part of a government whose Budget you opposed,” he reportedly said. Magwenya added that Ramaphosa would “take his time” to reflect on the situation, but the writing appears to be on the wall. The ANC has already begun to distance itself from the DA, with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana before the Budget vote in Parliament on Wednesday saying that his party would have to draw the line. “You can’t vote…

Premiership giants Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates drew first blood against their north African opponents in their respective first legs of the CAF Champions League and kept the all-South African dream final alive as they have one foot in the semi-finals. Both sides will not have it easy though, with both their opponents being the leading sides in their respective domestic leagues. It is, therefore, not a foregone conclusion that the South Africans will make the next round despite their advantage. Brazilians striker Peter Shalulile was on target as Sundowns secured a tense 1-0 win over Tunisian outfit Esperance de Tunis at the Loftus Versveld Stadium, while substitute Mohau Nkota’s second-half strike ensured that Pirates secured a hard-fought 1-0 win away from home against Algerian side MC Alger at the…

I would like to take a moment to address something that has been on my mind for, oh, perhaps the last 20 years, if not longer. It developed around my first contact with the Harry Potter universe, when I became aware of Quidditch. Now, I don’t mind fantasy inventing sports. In fact, as a world-building tool, it adds much-needed depth and colour – a sense of unity and familiarity to the world of the other, perhaps even a bit of comedy and drama. For instance, if JRR Tolkien is to be believed, golf was invented at the Battle of the Greenfields, when the hobbit Bandobras Took swung his club so hard as to decapitate the Orc king, Golfimbul, the severed head landing in a rabbit hole some 100 yards away.…

To make Gauteng better again, Deputy President Paul Mashatile has urged Premier Panyaza Lesufi and his executive team to invest in the province’s ailing infrastructure, crime-fighting, and ensuring that the province across its metros and towns is clean and attractive to investors. Mashatile delivered his keynote address virtually to the more than 500 guests and delegates at the inaugural Gauteng Investment Conference held at the Marriott Hotel in Melrose Arch on Thursday. The conference is being held with the hope of attracting R300 billion to the province’s coffers through investment pledges from local and international investors. On Wednesday, during the launch of the conference,MEC for Finance and Economic Development Lebogang Maile said the province was ready to position itself as the ideal investment destination, which was why it had decided…

ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, has vehemently condemned the United States' plan to transform commercial office spaces into refugee centers for Afrikaners in Pretoria, labeling the initiative as nothing short of "madness." Speaking at a media briefing in Luthuli House on Tuesday, Mbalula said the US was making unfounded claims against the South African government. “This thing that there is genocide in South Africa is a total unfounded fabrication,” he said. “The refugee centres, that is just madness that you can build refugee centres in a country as peaceful as South Africa and claim people are being subjected to genocide. “The real genocide is happening there in the Middle East, that is what needs to be curtailed and even worked with everybody to find a solution”. IOL reported on Monday that…

The City of Tshwane’s council has approved the Tshwane Automotive City Master Plan, paving the way for a massive development project in the Rosslyn area with the potential to create at least 150 000 jobs in the future. Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Sarah Mabotsa, said the plan envisions a 7 157-hectare automotive manufacturing hub that will be globally competitive. She lauded the plan for its potential to establish Africa’s largest automotive assembly precinct in Rosslyn and boost the local economy. “Our studies estimate that the total development will create around 150 000 direct and indirect jobs for the residents of Tshwane over the lifespan of this development,” she said. According to Mabotsa, the Rosslyn precinct already boasts a significant automotive presence, serving…

THE 1 Military Hospital in Thaba Tshwane, South Africa’s biggest military hospital continues to be in a state of disrepair and is reported to be falling apart despite millions of rands having been spent on it over the past 20 years. Renovations to the hospital continue to hit one snag after another with some parts remaining under construction more than 10 years after work commenced. The renovation project began in 1999 and was initially estimated to cost R232 million. It has been beset by controversy as some of the floors remain unfinished after government had spent more than R431 million on the project by March 2011. In 2022, IOL reported that then Minister of Defence Minister Thandi Modise, was forced to apologise after an investigation found that the bungled repair…

The long-awaited construction of the bus rapid transit route, known as Line 2C, which is part of the A Re Yeng system in Pretoria East, will finally be completed on April 18, 2025. This optimism was expressed by the City of Tshwane amid criticism from the DA over the project’s missed deadline of November last year. During a recent visit by the DA, party spokesperson for roads and transport, Dikeledi Selowa, claimed the project had accumulated R15 million in irregular expenditure due to delays. She said the project has been granted a contract extension despite the initial contract having expired. When questioned about the allegations of irregular expenditure, municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo sidestepped the issue, instead focusing on the project’s timeline. “The company that has been appointed by the city…

Two former senior intelligence officers have been arrested for allegedly defrauding the State Security Agency (SSA) of R5.8 million. Ntshavheni Prince Makhathana and Matome Solomon Ralebipi made their first appearance at the Palm Ridge specialised commercial crimes court on Monday, where their bail was set at R100 000 and R150 000, respectively. They were released on strict bail conditions. Furthermore, they have been ordered not dispose their immovable assets and should report to their nearest police stations every Friday. Makhathana, a former manager of the Covert Support Unit (CSU) of the then National Intelligence Agency (NIA) – now SSA – was responsible for all its operations and financial expenditure, together with his co-accused, Ralebipi, a former agent of the NIA. Makhathana allegedly exploited his position to defraud the intelligence agency…

The Confederation of African Football must act urgently and decisively following crowd violence during Tuesday’s match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance Sportive de Tunis at Loftus in Pretoria. The Tunisian club has a troubling history of supporter misconduct over the years. Early signs are that CAF may enforce a closed-door policy for next week’s return fixture, when Esperance host Sundowns in Tunisia. It was an approach CAF previously adopted for matches after the games were plagued by violence from Esperance supporters. In March 2022, the Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football ordered Esperance to host their next two matches behind closed doors. The CAF statement at the time referred to an offence in the previous season, and the two-match ban and $20,000 fine were for the unacceptable and…

With the Hollywoodbets Super League season in a state of uncertainty, Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis is relieved to finally put the league disruptions behind her as she shifts her focus to the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title defence. The squad are now turning their attention to two international friendlies against Malawi, which will take place on Saturday and next Tuesday at the UJ Soweto Campus. These matches are seen as key to preparing for the Wafcon tournament in Morocco in July. “I was very concerned because coming off an off-season and club preparing really well (according to the coaches) and for most players, the season didn’t start as normal, and they didn’t know what to do,” Ellis explained on Thursday. “You’ve done your pre-season, and…

More than 3 900 lampposts, rubbish bins, and electricity boxes have been creatively painted along the roads as part of The Moot Project, an initiative started three years ago by the residents of this well-established Pretoria neighbourhood to clean up and beautify their “hood”. This stretches from the suburbs of Riviera, Rietondale, Queenswood, Waverley, Môregloed, and Pierneef Ridge. Major parts of adjacent suburbs in these older parts of Pretoria, such as Gezina and the main arteries in Villieria and Rietfontein’s municipal infrastructure are already painted. The project to beautify the Moot came to life in July 2022 when Hennie Mostert and Johan Oberholster joined forces. Oberholster, after recovering from a debilitating bout of Covid-19, relinquished his management position at the University of Pretoria and thus had more time on…

US President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping reciprocal tariffs, while framed as a move towards fair trade, throws a significant wrench into the gears of global supply chains and presents a particularly complex challenge for South Africa. According to the IMM Graduate School’s Head Lecturer and Programme Coordinator in Supply Chain Management, IMM Graduate School, Dr Ernst van Biljon, the core premise — that tariffs should mirror those imposed on US goods — sounds equitable on the surface. However, the sheer scale of the disparities, with some countries facing near-50% tariffs, signals a potential for major trade disruption. "South Africa finds itself in a particularly precarious position. With a tariff imposed on its goods entering the US, a figure significantly higher than that of many other trading partners, the country…

Residents of Marry Me Informal Settlements in Soshanguve have voiced their frustrations over the poor state of service delivery in their area during an imbizo hosted by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Wednesday. The community is plagued by issues such as inadequate waste management, untarred roads, overflowing sewage, high unemployment rates, and a rising crime rate Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi visited the area accompanied by his executive team and the City of Tshwane MMCs led by Mayor Nasiphi Moya. Their visit came after a tragic incident where six patrollers lost their lives and six others suffered severe injuries in a fatal shooting. Malusi Seema, a resident of the nearby Kehila Borukhu squatter camp, expressed his concerns about the deplorable living conditions in his community. He claimed the lack of access…

The DA in Gauteng has given the thumbs-up to the ongoing Mooikloof Mega City in Pretoria East, which is one of the presidential projects started in 2020 to transform the area into a cutting-edge smart city. Mervyn Cirota MPL, the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, led an oversight inspection at the project to assess the construction progress on Tuesday, joined by other party leaders. He said: “This development, as we have seen through the walkabout, is going to take years to complete, probably 25 to 30 years. But what we have seen so far is that it is an excellent development.” Cirota, however, said the party still has some unanswered questions, particularly regarding the inclusion of other income groups and the dynamics between the city, provincial government, and…

Calls for Africa to define its place in the shifting global order AZIZ Pahad’s book The Insurgent Diplomat deals with a period of four years which focused on preparing for the transition from apartheid to democracy. A group of leading Afrikaners – academics, businesspeople, leaders in the church, and professionals – undertook a voyage of discovery, which was to talk to the ANC to find out what the ANC is, and what does it think? What is its view about the future of South Africa? They had to discover this because they had brought themselves up on a fake notion of what the ANC was. They would ask questions like, “when we say the people shall govern, what do we mean?”, because in their understanding, we meant the ANC shall…

HEIGHTENED threats posed by the Israeli and United States governments have intensified the country’s vulnerabilities, raising serious concerns about national security. Additionally, there are indications that some domestic entities may be collaborating with these foreign powers, which raises alarms about their intentions and the potential for undermining South Africa’s sovereignty and independence. The changes in the geopolitical landscape require South Africa’s intelligence capabilities to be incisive and proactive. On March 28, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law Act No. 37 of 2024: the General Intelligence Laws Amendment (GILA) Act, 2024. This legislation marks a substantial step towards reforming South Africa’s intelligence framework. The GILA Act updates the National Strategic Intelligence Act of 1994, the Intelligence Services Act of 2002, and the Intelligence Services Oversight Act of 1994. It aims to…

Should the Bulls adopt a more conservative approach in tomorrow’s Challenge Cup last-16 playoff against Bayonne? That is the major issue that the Pretoria side will have to grapple with at the Stade Jean Dauger (1.30pm start). On the one hand, a ‘knockout rugby’ style often dictates that teams must be wary of chancing their arm in case of making an unnecessary mistake that could cost them the game. But what about the type of rugby that got you to the playoffs? Shouldn’t that be the blueprint for success all the way? Well, for someone like Bulls fullback Devon Williams, you would think that he would want an all-out attacking game-plan against Bayonne on Saturday. The 32-year-old has been in excellent form for the Bulls this season, making vital incursions…

Faith Tshauke and Xolelwa Diliza, the uncapped Bulls Daisies pair, have been named in the 32-player Springbok Women squad for a short tour of France and Spain. Utility forward Tshauke’s inclusion comes as no surprise as she was a standout performer in the recently completed Women’s Premier Division, won by the Daisies for a third year running. Hooker Diliza comes in for Micke Gunter, who was ruled out of the tour after picking up a knee injury in the final. Their Daisies teammate Lerato Makua is back in the group after injury kept her out of action for a full international season, but overall, Swys de Bruin and his coaching group have shown faith in the tried and tested in announcing the squad, which Nolusindiso Booi will captain. “Faith had…