The Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development is calling for an urgent intervention to address delays in the issuing of operating licences to spaza shops by municipalities. It has described the licensing backlog as the primary constraint limiting access to the Spaza Shop Support Programme. The committee remarks come after it received briefings on the issuing of operating licences by municipalities across the country and on the implementation of the Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF). The reports were presented by…

City Power has disconnected electricity supply to seven hijacked buildings in the Johannesburg inner city during its latest enforcement operation aimed at tackling illegal connections and unpaid electricity bills. The multi-agency operation, conducted together with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement authorities, took place on Thursday in parts of the inner city including Braamfontein, Hillbrow and Doornfontein. The operation began in Braamfontein, where officials disconnected a hijacked building at Level 3. According to City Power, the building…

Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has hit back at allegations suggesting he is immune from criminal prosecution, insisting that he has been the deliberate target of law enforcement agencies throughout his career. O’Sullivan made his remarks on Thursday while concluding his testimony before the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee investigating corruption within the criminal justice system. His response comes after some Members of Parliament (MPs) implied that O’Sullivan operated as if he were “untouchable” because of his high-profile work in combating corruption.…