Author: Silver Sibiya
The President of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) , Zizamele Cebekhulu, calls for all traffic officers to be under the Department of Transport. Cebekhulu said this when addressing union members at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre where he expressed concerns about the placement of officers in some provinces where he also engaged on challenges experienced by public sector employees. “We are dealing with nationalisation of traffic officers under one Traffic Act. Different traffic officers have different salaries. Traffic officers in Mpumalanga belong to the Department of Safety, others belong to the Department of Public Works. What does Public…
It seems even children are not spared in the orgy of violence as police crime stats show that more than 60 children were killed in Gauteng alone in the first three months of 2023. Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela confirmed that 61 children have been murdered between January to March this year while releasing crime statistics in Joburg on Wednesday. The provincial statistics show that for the same period 1 556 people were murdered, the highest number of homicides recorded in the last five years. “Although our overall crime increased by 2 129 counts, translating to a 2.0% increase as…
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…