Author: Tshegofatso Letsie
The Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the report of investigations into the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plant tender that was released by his Public Works and Infrastructure counterpart, Dean Macpherson during a media briefing on Tuesday in Pretoria. Among others, the report found systemic procurement irregularities, governance failures and identified flaws in the bidding process of the tender. Motsoaledi expressed relief that those found guilty will be held accountable. ‘’They did not just commit financial corruption but deprived South Africans of urgent life-support in the form of oxygen. As such the Department of Health would like to…
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Board has welcomed and pledged support for new changes made in the Higher Education and Training Ministry. This comes after the recent appointment of the Department’s Minister, Buti Manamela and his Deputy Minister Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube. The scheme expressed confidence in the capabilities of Manamela and Dube-Ncube. “The board is confident that Minister Manamela’s leadership will inspire ongoing progress and innovation within the sector, thereby promoting greater access and success for South Africa’s students. We look forward to collaborating closely with the Minister to advance accessible, high-quality higher education for all South Africans. Deputy Minister…
The newly elected North West Indigenous Games Council said it will be aiming for victory and to grow the sport across the province during its tenure. The council will be led by Chairperson Themba Nyezi, alongside his deputy, Papi Mokhadi. Among other appointments were that of Technical Director, Matthews Noge, Coach and Development Convenor, Daddy Moremi as well as Marketing and Promotion Convenor, Rhino Mere. Nyezi said they want to introduce these games to schools in the province. “We are going to make sure that indigenous games grow in the North West, and make sure that we have leagues in…
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi has called for improvements in the Department’s support to school principals across the province. Motsumi was speaking at the South African Principals Association (SAPA) conference at the Naledi Local Municipality, in Vryburg, which was attended by school Principals and Deputy Principals whose schools are affiliated with the structure. The association focuses on empowering school leaders in the country, in South Africa, and is a platform for principals to engage in professional development, exchange best practices, and advocate for policies that improve education. Motsumi acknowledged the pressure faced by the principals and called…
The National Treasury has assured that the servers that were compromised by an attempted malware invasion on its Infrastructure Reporting Model (IRM), have been isolated. This after it managed to block an attempted malware attack on the IRM website, which triggered an immediate response. Through a press release, the department indicated that it would assess IRM servers to evaluate the extent of this attempted breach as well as strengthen its cybersecurity mechanisms. “Considering recent media reports since Sunday regarding security incidents affecting Microsoft platforms in the United States, National Treasury has requested Microsoft’s assistance in identifying and addressing any potential…
Former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has expressed concern that corruption in the country remains high despite long standing efforts to address it for more than 30 years. Zondo was participating at the two-day South African Council of Churches’ anti-corruption conference held in Johannesburg. He began his address by calling for continued collaboration between the various organs of state and civic organisations towards efforts of fighting corruption in the country. Zondo however said these efforts will be fruitless without decisive law enforcement agencies composed of the Hawks, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Service (SAPS). “We cannot…
The North West Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation, has its sights on ensuring that more provincial soccer teams are promoted to the Betway Premiership. MEC Galebekwe Tlhapi says the government intends to help develop more teams to join Orbit College FC at the country’s top league after their recent triumph in a promotion play off against Cape Town City last month in Rustenburg. “We are going to sit as intergovernmental departments and discuss the approach. We are in this together as a government. We do not only support teams but individual persons. Despite challenges of budget constraints, the department wants to ensure…
The Miss South Africa Organisation has announced that the national beauty pageant that was expected to be held next month, has been pushed back to a later date yet to be confirmed. Competition entries were opened between the 2nd and 11th of April. Miss SA revealed this through a short press release on their website and social media platforms. “The postponement is to ensure greater alignment with international and other global events. The Organisation, through its affiliated companies, aims to broaden the reach and impact of the pageant and its contestants. The pillars of the Organisation will be expanded to…
Eskom has warned the public against illegal electricity connections during the winter season to avert blackouts. According to the entity, there is an increase in electricity demand during this period, and the illegal connections will lead to equipment damage, transformer overloads and in some cases explosions. “To help maintain a stable and uninterrupted electricity supply, customers are strongly urged to avoid bypassing meters and refrain from illegal connections. With load shedding suspended and electricity demand rising during the winter period, Eskom calls on customers to act responsibly and help safeguard the power system,” read a statement from the entity. Eskom…
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has labelled the Springbok match tickets as too expensive for ordinary South Africans. This follows public outcry with many complaining about being unable to go watch the Bokke live, due to exorbitant ticket prices. McKenzie outlined some of the steps the department has undertaken to mitigate this challenge when he briefed the media following his Ministry’s Budget Vote in Parliament. “We have also engaged South African Breweries (SAB) for initiatives like Boktown, so people can still enjoy the experience if they can’t afford to get to the stadium. Recently, together with the South African Rugby Union…