Author: Silver Sibiya

President Cyril Ramaphosa said  illegal hijacking of buildings remains a big challenge while speaking outside the five-storey Usindiso Shelter for Women and Children Building in Marshalltown in Joburg’s inner city where 77 people died on Wednesday night after the building caught fire. By Friday hundreds of people who survived the inferno were still on the streets guarding their belongings, some saying they had nowhere to go despite the City offer of alternative accommodation. Ramaphosa said during his visit on Thursday evening that the government needs to tackle the illegal invasion of buildings. “It’s not allowed to happen (illegal invasion). It’s…

Survivors of the fire that gutted down a building in Marshalltown Johannesburg where so far 73 people perished and scores hospitalised for smoke inhalation and other injuries, are still reeling in shock and trauma. The fire started in the early hours of Thursday morning and when emergency services arrived, scores of bodies were lying on the pavement believed to be people who jumped from the building when it caught fire. Firefighters and emergency services were still inside the building where they have since recovered 73 bodies and believe the numbers could still rise as the people were living in overcrowded…

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday morning the expansion of the BRICS block with six more countries, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia getting approval to become members. Ramaphosa was speaking at the BRICS Summit on its last day at the Sandton Convention Centre in Joburg and he said the five BRICS countries reached an agreement on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the BRICS expansion process which has been under discussion for quite some time. “We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process, and further phases will follow. We have…

President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the advancement of the interests of the Global South countries particularly, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia as well as Oceania countries during his speech at the BRICS Summit underway at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The BRICS Summit is attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Indian Priminister Narandra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping who are the members of the bloc. And about 30 heads of states, some from the African continent, are also part of the event. Ramaphosa said advancing the interests of…

As the 15th BRICS Summit kicked-off in Johannesburg on Tuesday, a small group of pro-Ukraine activists including Amnesty International South Africa, Ukrainian Association of South Africa and the Helen Suzman Foundation picketed a few kilometers away from Sandton Convention Centre where some of the world leaders are gathering. The group is calling for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and are calling on the Russian authorities to stop violating people’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in their own country, Ukraine. Ukrainian Association of South Africa Gauteng Representative Lesya Karpenko urged the leaders attending the summit to find…

President Cyril Ramaphosa raised concerns about what he believes to be the exclusion of minorities in South Africa’s political landscape at the celebration of 40 years since the formation of the mass movement called the United Democratic Front (UDF). “As a government, we have expressed our determination to ‘leave no-one behind’, which is in keeping with the spirit of the great UDF. The reality is that despite our gains, millions of our citizens feel left behind. “Many Coloured and Indian compatriots who were the backbone of the UDF feel excluded from our nation’s political life, and point to their under-representation…

A large contingent consisting of a private security company Black Ant and law enforcement officers swooped into Jerusalema Informal Settlement near Florida in Johannesburg on Friday following a shootout alleged to be involving illegal miners which forced the residents to abandon their homes and seek refuge at Florida Police Station. The residents, mostly women and children, sought shelter amid allegations that shacks belonging to illegal miners who are accused of terrorising the community were destroyed during the night in which sounds of machine gun fire were heard. Police said about 30 people slept at the police station on Thursday night.…

Leaders from the DA, IFP, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, United Independent Movement, Spectrum National Party and Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco) are currently participating in a national convention in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni. The party’s leaders say the aim of the convention is to negotiate a pre-election agreement ahead of the 2024 General National Elections should ANC drop below 50%. IFP leader Velenkosi Hlabisa, during the media briefing held in Emperors Palace ahead of the talks said the voters should choose a better government to better their lives. “The IFP is here today because we believe that there is…

The City of Joburg is investigating claims that a member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) of Economic Development Nomoya Mnisi tried to get officials to fund a recent ANC Youth League activity using municipal resources. Makhubele briefed the media yesterday and said the allegations made by the opposition were being probed after she received a letter of complaint from ActionSA on Thursday and she informed Mnisi about it. Mnisi allegedly ordered the former acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) working at Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), Sipho Mzobe, to pay for an ANCYL event held in Sandton, for three days in July,…

Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga said women are still being marginalised in the transport sector and there is gender inequality in the sector that still needs to be addressed. Chikunga said this while delivering a keynote address to a gathering of women in the transport sector in Johannesburg as part Women’s Month activities. “Gender disparities, limited access to resources, and societal biases can actually hinder the progress of women. It is our collective responsibility to create an enabling environment for them,” she said. Chikunga, however, acknowledged that there are some changes. “At least now in the aviation sector, we are…