Author: Motlhaping Modise

Pressure is mounting on Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela to resign following a scathing Section 7(9) notice issued by Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka over the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). The investigation found what the Public Protector described as significant systemic failures, governance breakdowns and widespread improper funding allocations within NSFAS. The South African Union of Students (SAUS) has joined calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove Manamela from his Cabinet. Speaking on YOU FM’s Newshour, SAUS Treasurer-General Nkosinathi Mabilane said NSFAS had experienced systemic failures and persistent governance problems for years, despite being placed under…

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Tebogo Letsie, has called for disciplinary action against National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) officials who authorised improper funding for more than 40,000 students at a cost of R5.1 billion. This follows a damning Public Protector report into NSFAS and the improper funding of students. According to the report, approximately 40,000 students across 76 higher education institutions were improperly funded, amounting to R5.1 billion. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, Letsie said the Public Protector’s findings were concerning but not entirely surprising, given the persistent governance, administrative and system challenges…

Today, Sunday, 16 August 2026, marks 14 years since the tragic 2012 Marikana massacre, when 34 striking Lonmin platinum mineworkers near Rustenburg in the North West were gunned down by police at the koppie where the mineworkers had gathered. The striking miners were demanding a living wage of R12,500 from Lonmin, now owned by Sibanye. The company refused to negotiate, and six mineworkers, two SAPS members and two security guards were murdered in the week leading up to the massacre. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) continues to condemn the stagnant living conditions of local miners and their…

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Board has welcomed the Pretoria High Court’s decision to suspend the appointment of the scheme’s administrator and reinstate the board pending the final determination of its review application. The court’s interim order allows the board to resume its governance responsibilities while Part B of the application, which seeks to have the administrator’s appointment reviewed and set aside, remains before the court. In a statement, NSFAS said the board would resume its duties with immediate effect, with a focus on stabilising the institution, strengthening governance and fulfilling its statutory mandate to provide financial assistance…

The newly appointed North West Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation MEC, Wessels Morweng, has vowed to use his new portfolio to help the province create much-needed jobs for young people. Morweng assumed the position on Wednesday following Premier Lazarus Mokgosi’s decision to reshuffle his Cabinet. He hit the ground running, meeting with the department’s senior management on Thursday. He swapped portfolios with former MEC Galebekwe Tlhapi, who has been assigned the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management. In an interview on YOU FM Newshour, Morweng highlighted his priority of creating jobs for thousands of unemployed young people in the…

The two largest teacher unions in the North West, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) and the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA), have welcomed Premier Lazarus Mokgosi’s decision to appoint Dr Desbo Mohono as the province’s new MEC for Education. The reshuffle sees former North West Provincial Legislature Speaker Dr Mohono take over from Viola Motsumi, who has been removed from the portfolio. Mokgosi announced the changes during a media briefing in Mahikeng on Wednesday, saying the reshuffle was aimed at strengthening the provincial administration and ensuring that government remained aligned with the province’s development priorities.…

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has defended its decision to take President Cyril Ramaphosa and the state to court in an effort to block the unbundling of Eskom and the creation of an independent Transmission System Operator (TSO), which would operate separately from the power utility’s management. The union’s highest decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), which met in Pretoria over the weekend, has directed its legal team to finalise formal court action against the President and the state over plans to restructure Eskom. Mpho Phakedi, NUM Secretary-General, told YOU FM Newshour that Eskom management is not off…

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Moses Kotane Province (North West) has elected Smuts Matshe as the party’s provincial secretary during its 10th elective congress, held over the weekend in Klerksdorp. Matshe takes over from Madoda Sambatha, who decided not to contest the position again. Matshe’s election comes days after the ANC stripped him of his powerful legislative role as chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA). Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, Matshe said he was not aware whether the ANC’s decision to remove him as chairperson of the committee was politically motivated or whether some ANC…

The convictions of former contractor Michael Lomas and businessman Hudson Kgomoeswana over a R1.4 billion corruption scandal at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station have highlighted the financial and governance risks facing South Africa’s power utility. The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg convicted the pair on 6 August 2026 on multiple corruption, money laundering and tax charges. They pleaded guilty under plea agreements and agreed to testify as state witnesses against their remaining co-accused. For Eskom, the convictions are significant beyond the criminal proceedings. The utility is seeking to strengthen procurement oversight, internal controls and governance as part of its broader turnaround…

The ANC in North West has dismissed claims that it is purging South African Communist Party (SACP) leaders, insisting recent changes in the provincial legislature are linked to the party’s decision to contest the 2026 Local Government Elections independently. The controversy follows the removal of North West SCOPA Chairperson Smuts Matshe, who also serves as the SACP’s Provincial Chairperson, from his leadership position in the legislature. Speaking on YOU FM’s Newshour, ANC North West spokesperson Tumelo Maruping said the decision formed part of efforts to strengthen committees in the provincial legislature rather than target SACP members. “We have taken a…