Author: Motlhaping Modise

South Africa’s Water utility, Magalies Water has a new Chief Executive Officer, following the departure of the former CEO Sandile Mkhize. The Magalies Water Board appointed the former Chief Operations Officer, Ofentse Nthutang who has also been acting as the CEO since July 2024 for a period of five years. The utility spokesperson David Magae said that Nthutang was appointed following a rigorous recruitment process, with effect from June 1st 2025. “Nthutang, whose substantive position was Chief Operations Officer at the entity, starting in September 2023, initially joined the water utility as its General Manager – Engineering Services. He was appointed acting…

The National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders has implored government to avail funds to support campaigns aimed at reducing the growing number of initiates deaths during the approaching winter customary initiation season. The Eastern Cape has been at the forefront with the highest number of initiates’ deaths in the country, mostly due to dehydration and torture amongst others. The province’s summer initiation season ended in a catastrophic note, with at least 27 initiates losing their lives at various initiation schools, which is lower than the 34 deaths recorded during the same season in the province last year. Speaking to…

The Bojanala Platinum District Municipality Council in the North West has adopted a R516.5m budget for the 2025/26 financial year. These include the reviewed Integrated Development Plan, BPDM Medium Term Revenue, Expenditure Framework and budget related policies. The Municipality’s Executive Mayor Suzan Nthangeni tablet these strategic documents during the special meeting held at the municipality chambers on Wednesday. “To be honest, the R516.5m budget is inadequate to address all the service delivery challenges facing communities within our five local Municipalities. But I want our communities to understand that as a district municipality we have responsibilities, empowered by the law, to…

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says almost 210 000 out of 2 million people tested who are receiving social grants are ineligible to receive the grant in South Africa. The agency working with registered Credit Bureaus, has discovered that there are social grant beneficiaries who appear to be receiving income that was not truthfully disclosed. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, SASSA’s Media Relations Manager Andile Tshona said that beneficiaries are in accordance with the Social Assistance Act and its regulations, legally required to fully disclose all sources of income during their initial application. “We have discovered through our investigations…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has commenced its investigation into allegations of maladministration in the affairs of the Department of Defence. The unit is also authorised as per President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Proclamation 260 of 2025 to recover any losses suffered by the state. The SIU probe will examine whether the procurement and contracting were made in a manner that was not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, or cost-effective or in violation of applicable legislation, guidelines, or instructions from the National or Provincial Treasury. “This includes the Department’s or the State’s unauthorised, irregular, or wasteful expenditure. “Furthermore, the SIU will seek to…

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies has summoned the Department’s Minister Solly Malatsi to appear before the committee to provide a comprehensive explanation on the recently gazetted policy directives that seeks to relax black economic empowerment (BEE) policies in the ICT sector. The move is seen by many as aiming to open the door for US billionaire Elon Musk’s international satellite company, Starlink, to operate in South Africa. The Committee Chairperson Khusela Sangoni-Diko told Newsnote that they have decided to call the Minister to explain the directives that appear to be in contravention of the Electronic Communications Act…

The North West Provincial Legislature Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has decried the state of the Municipal Public Accounts Committees (MPAC) in four of the five local municipalities within the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality in the province. This comes as the Provincial Legislature has embarked on an oversight week in various municipalities within the district aimed at strengthening oversight, public participation, and promoting accountability and transparency in government. The committee has already engaged Moretele, Madibeng, Kgetlengrivier, and Moses Kotane Local Municipalities within the District, and hopes to conclude the visit by meeting with the Rustenburg Local Municipality and Bojanala…

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande has appointed a 12-member team or Working Group on Science, Technology, and Innovation Funding (STI-WG) to assess the impact of the US administration’s decision to withdraw funding South Africa’s key research and development programmes. The aim of the working group is to advise the minister on the implications and impact of the decision and to analyse the current geo-political risks related to STI and how South Africa must position itself to deal with the current situation. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, Nzimande said that he appointed the group because what currently exists…

Time is ticking for illegal occupants of the GD Montshioa Airport in Mahikeng, North West, to vacate the premises. This after the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management said the 14-days period given to the illegal occupants of the government owned aviation facilities at the George Dick Montshioa International Airport in Mahikeng is sufficient for them to vacate the premises by next week. This was revealed by MEC Wessels Morweng, during a media briefing in Mahikeng on Monday. Morweng’s ultimatum follows a social media controversy around a video he posted on his Facebook account where he can be…

The North West province accounts for 25 out of the 225 stalled or blocked projects that have been recorded by the Human Settlements Department. One such project in the province is the N12 Integrated Housing Development, that Minister Thembi Simelane is expected to visit on Friday, as she engages the province’s performance in relation to human settlements. The project is funded by the department’s grants and the informal settlements upgrading partnership grant provided by the department. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, Simelane’s spokesperson Tsekiso Machike said that the Department has resolved to prioritise completing all Breaking New Grounds (BNG) blocked…