The newly elected Mayor of Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality, Tumelo Thebe, has wasted no time in setting the tone for his administration, unveiling an ambitious plan to restore dignity, improve service delivery, and rebuild public confidence in a municipality that has struggled with governance and infr...
The safety and security of children in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres are in the spotlight, with concerns raised about the safety of children at unregistered centres..
According to the G20 Free State Provincial Education Indaba report which was issued during the Minister of Basic EducationSiviwe Gwarube’s Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive that took place in Bloemfontein last week, Thursday, the Free State currently has 1606 registered ECDs and 227are unregistered.
The report states that out of 1606 ECD sites the department funds 1401 sites.
According to ECD practitioners, some of the challenges that they face are those of safety and security at their ECD sites.
They say they do not have the money to improve infrastructure and security for the children.
They also say one of the biggest challenges they face is failing to meet the norms and standards required to be a registered and funded ECD because of the poor infrastructure.
Recent criminal incidents at unregistered centres have in the past put the department under scrutiny.
In May last year, a 23-year-old male assistant was arrested for raping a three-year-old girl on the premises of an unregistered ECD.
The male assistant raped the little girl in the toilet of the ECD.
The Department of Education laid criminal charges against the man and permanently shut the ECD centre down.
Gwarube in an interview with Journal News emphasised the importance of safety and security in ECD centres.
She said at theThuso Imdaad ECD Centre which was used as a presentation to aspiringECD owners on what an ECD centre must look like for it to qualify for registration and funding.
“We are working with the Department of Justice and our partners to vet ECD practitioners against the Child Protection and Sexual Offences registers.
“We also have a Memorandum of Understanding with the South African Police Service to ensure police visibility in designated areas,” she said.
Gwarube’s comments come amid efforts to improve safety and security in ECD centres, including increased collaboration between government departments and law enforcement agencies.
Glory Mofokeng, owner of Graeme Young Day Care Centre in Phase 4, expressed frustration about the limited funding allocated by the Department of Education.
“The Department of Education has allocated funding, but it’s not enough. The President promised an increase, but nothing has been done, and it is impossible to upscale our centres with such little money,” she said.
The Free State African National Congress (ANC) has announced a significant political shift by reshuffling the leadership of seven municipal troikas across the province.
The move, confirmed by provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng during a post-Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting media briefing yesterday, forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen governance, improve service delivery, and realign political priorities ahead of the upcoming elections.
The affected municipalities will see leadership changes in key positions, including mayors, speakers, and chief whips, as the party responds to internal performance reviews and growing public dissatisfaction. This follows a recent oversight visit by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), which uncovered widespread dysfunction in municipalities — including billions in missing funds, sewage spills, illegal tenders, and critical staff vacancies.
Journal News, in its previous edition, first broke the story on the impending removal of mayors under the headline “Five Mayors Face the Chop”, following a tip-off.
According to Motsoeneng, the PEC resolved that urgent intervention will be prioritised in the Mafube, Moqhaka, Letsemeng, Nketoana, Nala, and Masilonyana local municipalities, as well as the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, where persistent audit disclaimers, weak leadership, and allegations of corruption have severely undermined service delivery.
“Redeployment will be effected in all these municipalities. The PWC [Provincial Working Committee] will pronounce on this decision. The provincial COGTA is expected to take action where allegations of corruption and malfeasance have been identified,” said Motsoeneng.
Dr Zweli Mkhize, chairperson of the parliamentary committee on cooperative governance, described the state of Free State municipalities as “disastrous.” The Auditor-General’s latest report supports this view, highlighting rampant irregular expenditure, a lack of accountability, and numerous audit disclaimers across the province.
Motsoeneng reiterated that the ruling party has placed strong emphasis on enhancing accountability, promoting clean governance, and accelerating service delivery within municipalities. “For these objectives to be realised, three conditions must be met: firstly, a resilient, courageous, and principled leadership; secondly, a committed, conscious cadreship; and lastly, an active civil society that is consciously mobilised,” he stated.
He added that the PEC had an in-depth discussion on the state of governance at both provincial and local levels. These discussions were informed by recent PEC roadshows and reinforced by findings from the Joint Portfolio Committee on Local Government’s visit to the province.
“A decisive call was made to urgently intervene and address the critical challenges that were laid bare in public,” said Motsoeneng.
In addition to the reshuffling of mayors, Motsoeneng also announced the enforcement of the ANC’s controversial step-aside rule against Mary Crockett, a councillor at Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality. Crockett, who serves as a Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Social Development, faces three counts of fraud and two counts of corruption in the local magistrate’s court.
She was arrested two weeks ago following allegations that she sold government houses and vacant sites in the area for R70,000 each. She was granted R10,000 bail, with conditions that include reporting to the Phuthaditjhaba Police Station every Monday and the surrender of her passport. “The PEC appreciates the voluntary step-aside of the said comrade, in line with the ANC’s step-aside rule,” said Motsoeneng.
Lack of accountability has seen government officials continue to show blatant disregard for government resources
By Abigail Visagie
The recent car accident involving a State-owned vehicle belonging to Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) that overturned along the N1 near Verkeerdevlei, has uncovered a trail of malpractice by government officials and politicians who use State resources for private purposes which are prohibited by legislation.
Regional African National Congress (ANC) secretary, Sabelo Pitso, and chief whip, Vuyile Nikelo and two unnamed bodyguards were involved in the abovementioned accident, due to an alleged tyre burst. It is believed that the driver lost control of the car following the alleged tyre burst, leading the car to overturn and tumble to the roadside.
Although it is not clear who the driver of the State car (JBB477FS) was at the time of the accident, Journal News has been reliably informed that both Pitso and Nikelo were in the car when it overturned. Despite this unfortunate incident, questions have emerged on why the duo were driving together in a State-owned vehicle thus contravening MMM’s fleet management policy.
Section 18.5 of the MMM’s fleet management policy stipulates that “no driver who is permitted with the government vehicle is permitted to transport any unauthorised passengers”.
The chief whip therefore clearly went against legislation and allowed a passenger in a State-owned.
Further reports suggest that there was a second State-owned vehicle (JBB479FS) within the vicinity of the vehicle that had an accident. This has given rise to suppositions that this second vehicle was transporting Pitso - another violation of MMM fleet management protocol.
Although Pitso is a high-ranking ANC official in the province, he is not deployed anywhere as an official within MMM. Why a State-owned vehicle was allegedly assigned to him has therefore raised more difficult questions.
In response to questions from Journal News, MMM spokesperson, Qondile Khedama said he contacted Nikelo as soon as he found out about the accident.
“The Chief Whip confirmed that the accident was caused by a tyre burst. The fleet management from MMM is currently conducting investigations.”
According to Khedama, Nikelo also indicated that he was “okay” and that there were no fatalities sustained in the accident.
He also confirmed that the two vehicles do indeed belong to the metro but could not explain why the ANC senior official (Nikelo) was using a State-owned vehicle.
At a press briefing held at Kaizer Sebothelo Building - Free State ANC’s provincial headquarters - the party’s provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng stressed that Nikelo is part of MMM hence he has been designated a government vehicle to execute his duties.
Motsoeneng, however, fell short of answering why Pitso was being ferried in State-owned vehicle, despite not being a government official and also why two vehicles were dispatched, despite the chief whip being the only official authorised to be driven in State-owned at the scene.
Some other incidents similar that of Pitso and Nikelo where State vehicles were misused include an accident involving the Kopanong mayor, Xolani Tseletsele, whose white Mercedes-Benz SUV was linked to a car accident that occurred on 13 February 2022, in which an alleged mysterious woman was said to be the driver when the car was in an accident.
Ngwathe Local Municipality mayor, Victoria de Beer-Mthombeni’s black BMW State-owned vehicle has been a subject of controversy after it claimed the life of a 26-year-old woman who was hitchhiking on the R59 highway on 21 May 2023.
It was then confirmed that the vehicle was driven by Mthombeni’s bodyguard in her absence.
Just like many others, investigations for these cases are still pending.
The prevalence of government garage vehicles - purchased and maintained using public funds - being misused by State officials and by powerful politicians such as in this case, is a longstanding problem. Given the fact these vehicles are purchased using taxpayers’ money, this rife malpractice, particularly amongst government leaders and party heavyweights, not only undermines public trust but also exposes the glaring gaps in monitoring and accountability within provincial government departments and municipal governance spheres.
Apparently, there is a slew of occurrences of State-owned cars being misused by government officials, but they casually get ‘swept under the carpet’.
The incidents are in contravention of the Government Motor Transport Handbook which stipulates that a government vehicle can be used by any person with the relevant authority, involved in an activity in line with the objectives of the government.
The handbook further highlights the fact that no unauthorised passengers should be transported and that authorised passengers will be held liable for inappropriate behaviour resulting in damages or losses.
Considering the government handbook, MMM has also been led by fleet management policy that further stipulates that the allocated driver shall be appropriately licensed, in terms of the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996, and a duly authorised employee of MMM at all times- Yet none of the senior ANC officials form part of the municipality.
In the instance of the ANC officials, it was alleged that the officials also travelled with two other bodyguards, yet the log and handbook of MMM boldly stipulates that any driver who has been entrusted with the official vehicle is not permitted to transport any other unauthorised passengers.
With clear and precise guidelines from both the National Department of Transport and MMM, a lingering aftertaste is left, leaving many taxpayers wondering how many more of these accidents caused by either reckless state officials or non-governmental officials will be paid from their back pockets, whilst the perpetrators are left scot-free and test-driving the latest luxury vehicles.
“Black people do not have land or property to pose as collateral, Dladla said.
Journal News spoke to economist and financial Analyst from the University of Free State, Dr Werner Otto regarding this.
When asked whether banks are hesitant to fund black entrepreneurs, he said banks are in general cautious lenders when considering the current macro–economic climate, ongoing political instability, and economic histories from the past such as the 2007 banking crisis also known as the ‘credit crunch’, which triggered the global financial crisis of 2008.
On BEE funding he says research does observe in favour of the importance of sufficient B-BBEE funding because not doing so may materialise as a reputational liability for banks, including a closed business opportunity.
“Apart from the previous points of relevance raised, business funding contracts must be financially and commercially sound, showing sound relevance of risk escalation”, said Otto.
Otto also said the B-BBEE Commission Report of 2022/2023 highlights the pressure on banks to support transformation, and agrees that banks’ failure to fund black entrepreneurs is a systematic impediment to entrepreneurial progress in South Africa.
Journal News reached out to all big four traditional banks, but did not receive response.
The sudden dissolution of the South African Tourism Board by Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille has stirred a wave of concern and questions within the tourism sector and among government officials.
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, Ronalda Nalumango, has voiced her apprehensions regarding the minister's abrupt decision which takes effect immediately.
Reports circulating through various media outlets indicate that the minister rendered the board null and void after it allegedly overstepped its mandates.
A point of contention appears to be the board’s recent decision to appoint one of its members to perform some functions previously held by Professor Gregory Davids, who stepped down in July.
Further complicating matters, it has been reported that the board convened a special meeting without the chairperson’s invitation, purportedly contravening its own established charter.
Nalumango announced that the committee will extend an invitation to Minister de Lille for a briefing on her rationale behind the board's dissolution.
“We look forward to hearing from her about this development, particularly in light of the committee’s earlier engagement on her commitments to take South African Tourism to new heights when she marked 100 days since her appointment as minister,” she said.
The South African Department of Defence has provided clarity regarding the official visit of General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Initially slated for 2024, the visit has been postponed to 2025, following a decision from Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. The Minister granted authority for General Maphwanya to honour an invitation from Iranian officials, a move that underscores the importance of international military relations.
In a statement following the General’s recent return, the Defence Department confirmed that Minister and General Maphwanya hold a thorough discussion about the visit, highlighting the public's keen interest in the exchanges that took place in Iran.
During the visit, General Maphwanya engaged in bilateral discussions with Iranian military leaders on various topics of mutual concern. A key statement was issued by Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, regarding the discussions held.
However, it was noted that General Maphwanya did not engage with the media in either Iran or South Africa, emphasising his commitment to respecting the confidentiality surrounding the discussions between the two armed forces.
Upon his return, the General provided a detailed report to the Minister, who expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of their engagement.
The Department of Defence will not be commenting further on the matter.
