Author: Silver Sibiya
The City of Joburg has increased its budget to R80.9 billion for 2023/24 financial year. This was announced on Tuesday by Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance Dada Morero when he was delivering his first budget speech at the Council. Morero said the City was transformed with a budget of less than R50 billion in 2000 and today the budget for 2023/24 is approximately R80.9 billion, catering for about 6 million people. “10 years later from iGoli 2000, the vision of being ‘A world-class African City’ was born. We transformed the City with less than R50 billion. Today,…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has held a briefing with Chinese President Xi Jin Ping on the African Leaders Peace Mission to Ukraine and Russia to try and persuade both parties to get to a negotiation table to end the ongoing conflict. Ramaphosa last month announced the formation of an African delegation comprising the presidents of the Republic of Congo, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. African countries have been among the hardest hit by rising prices for grain since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest producers of wheat, fertilizers and other agricultural commodities.…
The City of Johannesburg’s coalition government has moved to reassure residents that Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda who fell ill during the debate on his State of the City Address (Soca) last Wednesday is in good health. Mayoral Committee Member Dr Mgcini Tshwaku who conducted a winter safety campaign in Zandspruit on Friday said Gwamanda is now in a much better health condition because he is already back attending some meetings. “The mayor is actually doing very well; he is recuperating at home. He attended the meeting virtually, he contributed to the meeting we had,” he said. The MMC called out Action…
A four-month-old baby who was kidnapped on Tuesday afternoon outside his home in Dobsonville, Soweto has been found and returned safely home to his family. The kidnapping was reported to the police who mobilised a search party of all relevant specialised units including the Anti-Kidnapping Task Team to find the infant as well as to apprehend those behind the kidnapping. The unit traced the infant to a Roodepoort mining area and just after 11pm on Tuesday the infant was rescued and taken to a nearby clinic for medical examination. The baby received and clean bill of health and was reunited…
City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda’s health has come under scrutiny after the council meeting was adjourned abruptly due to his ill health. The council was debating his State of the City Address (Soca) speech and Gwamanda was expected to respond to it today. After consulting with her team, the Speaker Colleen Makhubele adjourned the meeting because she said the council cannot continue without the Mayor. “We need the Mayor in the house, the only question is when are we going to continue and have a Soca debate and have the Mayor respond and I don’t think that is…
The City of Johannesburg has instructed Members of the Mayoral Committees (MMC) to attend the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), to address the challenges encountered by residents following complaints raised at the pre- State of the City Address (Soca) media briefing. Residents and other political parties complained that members of the executive including the Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, don’t avail themselves for the meetings aimed at addressing service delivery concerns and grievances. Ironically Gwamanda himself recently encouraged residents of Fleurhof and Florida who were protesting to go to IDP meetings for their grievances to be heard. ANC Chief at Council Sithembiso Zungu…
An e-hailing driver who was assaulted at the Maponya Mall in Soweto last night, says he’s lucky to be alive following the torching of three vehicles, the robbing, assault and shooting of drivers by a gang of minibus taxi drivers. Three men who suffered injuries were taken to a local hospital. The victim, who requested anonymity, said he was forced out of his car and assaulted. “I was driving out of the mall. I saw six men approaching my car while I was talking on the phone then they took my phone. They demanded I get out of the car.…
Residents of Kwa-Thema in Springs have threatened to intensify their protest if electricity is not restored. The residents, who have been without electricity for the past three weeks, went on a rampage, burning two municipal vehicles and damaging municipal buildings. Community member Tebogo Choma said the lack of electricity is expensive and affects her pocket as she spends R50 on 2litres of petrol for a generator, R24 daily traveling to my family home to charge my cell phone. Choma said crime was also rising due to the dark nights adding that they stole from her neighbour’s car while her husband…
The strike by Gauteng nursing students continues after talks between them and the government deadlocked over compensation disagreements. The students have completed their training but want the government to employ them as general nurses and continue paying them until they write their board exams in November. They are the first group introduced in 2020 for training for a Diploma in General Nursing known as R171. The group marched to Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office in Johannesburg to hand over a memorandum of demands. Last week the government obtained a court order from South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg interdicting the strike…
About 2 000 incomplete structures built by the City of Joburg in 2020 to the tune of R500 million in response to the Covid-19 outbreak remain unoccupied three years later and security guards had to be posted to prevent further vandalism and destruction of the properties. The City was responding to calls from President Cyril Ramaphosa during Covid-19 that people living in overcrowded areas be relocated to new places to prevent overcrowding and the spread of pandemic. City’s Human Settlements Executive Director Patric Poppy told Newsnote on Friday that when the project was underway they suspended it due to restrictions…