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In commenting on the draft 2026/27 budget and latest IDP and MTREF reports for the City of Tshwane today in Council, GOOD’s Councillor Sarah Mabotsa, the Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for Economic Development and Spatial Planning in the City of Tshwane, has noted how “GOOD governance is helping Tshwane to Rise”.
The post GOOD GOVERNANCE IS HELPING TSHWANE RISE appeared first on For Good.
Speech by Sarah Mabotsa, GOOD City of Tshwane Councillor and Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for Economic Development and Spatial Planning. Note to Editor: This speech was delivered today at the City of Cape Town Council Meeting
The post GOOD WELCOMES PROGRESS OUTLINED IN TSHWANE STATE OF THE CAPITAL ADDRESS appeared first on For Good.
The State of the Capital Address (SoCA) delivered by the Executive Mayor of Tshwane’s multi-party coalition government laid out the undeniable truth that South Africa’s Capital City is on the rise.
The post THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES: TSHWANE IS RISING! appeared first on For Good.
Auditor-General has condemned “no-consequence culture” in government
ProEthics filed an urgent court case to stop GroundUp reporting on its questionable R28-million procurement with the National Lotteries Commission
A dozen people, including whistleblowers, have given evidence of harm suffered under the previous administration
More than R200-million blown on mismanaged tourist attractions while beaches are polluted by sewage
Municipality bungled a tender then scapegoated a director in an unfair dismissal
But a separate investigation by the Blue Scorpions appears to have stalled
Roads, water supply, electricity supply and finances are in disarray
GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,GOOD Secretary-General 24 June 2025 The GOOD Party welcomes reports that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) are now probing the serious allegations contained in the preliminary Vermaak Report into procurement irregularities in the Swellendam Municipality. This development is a significant moment for accountability and justice in a municipality […]
The post SWELLENDAM MUNICIPALITY: GOOD WELCOMES NEWS OF HAWKS INVESTIGATION INTO TENDER FRAUD ALLEGATIONS appeared first on For Good.
One couple has been waiting 14 years for their house to be built
GOOD Statement by Suzette Little,GOOD Deputy Secretary-General & City of Cape Town Caucus Chairperson 30 May 2025 On the fifth anniversary of the closure of Cape Town’s controversial Strandfontein “homeless persons camp”. The GOOD party submitted questions to the executive mayor for written response in terms of rules of order 22.1 and 22.5. The camp […]
The post STRANDFONTEIN CAMP: FIVE YEARS ON, NO ACCOUNTABILITY appeared first on For Good.
New corruption-busting efforts have caused grant money to go unspent
Calm restored after protests disrupt businesses
The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture received a briefing yesterday from the Office of the Auditor General (AGSA) on its review of the Department of Agriculture and its entities' 2025/26 annual performance plans (APPs) and budgets.
The department and entities also made presentations on their APPs and budgets for the 2025/26 financial year. During the engagements, the committee told the department to review its 2025/26 APP in line with the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP).
As part of its findings, the AGSA told the committee that seemingly the MTDP indicators and targets are not included in the department's strategic and annual performance plans. The committee heard that MTDP 2024–2029 is a five-year strategic blueprint developed by the 7th administration to drive national development. The MTDP aligns with the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 and integrates international commitments, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the AU Agenda 2063.
The committee expressed concern after it learnt from the AGSA that the department has set annual reports as a target without clearly understanding the expected level of performance. The AGSA said this lack of specificity makes both the indicator and the target unclear and ambiguous. It also renders the AGSA unable to measure effectively, which undermines their usefulness for monitoring progress and evaluating performance.
The committee told the department to revise its APPs, taking into account the AGSA's recommendations, for presentation on 6 May 2025. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Steenhuisen, who led the departmental delegation said the department met with the AGSA and has already undertaken to make amendments based on the AGSA recommendations.
AGSA also presented reviews of the APPs of the department's three entities – the Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Biological Products and the National Agricultural Council. As part of the presentation, the AGSA recommended that the committee should ask the department to present a revised 2025/26 APP along with a matrix showing changes made to performance indicators, their definitions and associated date sources. In addition, the committee should also ask the department for regular updates on this information.
In welcoming all the presentations, the committee Chairperson, Ms Dina Pule, emphasised that the committee was not rejecting the APPs as presented, but rather allowing the department and its entities to reconstruct the APPs in light of the AGSA recommendations.
In thanking the AGSA, Ms Pule said the committee has noted with appreciation the extensive and insightful reviews the AGSA has made. “The committee has noted your recommendations and we assure you about our commitment to translating them into progressive actions to take the work of the department to the new heights,” said Ms Pule.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Government has revised the loan request to buy out electricity distribution company, UMEME, from over US$190 million, to over US$118 million.
This was contained in the Special Audit Report for the end of lease and assignment between UMEME Limited and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) that was adopted during plenary sitting on Thursday, 27 March 2025.
The report was tabled by the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi.
On 20 March 2025, Parliament adopted the proposal for Government to borrow over US$190 million from Stanbic Bank, on condition of confirmation of actual monetary amount of UMEME's investment by the Auditor General.
Before the revised figure was passed, during plenary sitting on Thursday, 27 March 2025, Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa urged government to put into consideration the special audit report when finalising with UMEME.
“This morning, the Auditor General submitted a special audit report, verifying and confirming the buyout amount of US$118 million against the approved US$190,” he said.
This however sparked opposition from Kira Municipality Member of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju, who called for scrutiny of the report before it is adopted.
“We have never passed a report of the Auditor General without the MPs reading it. We have accountability committees that deal with these reports. Have you waived those particular rules that [now] reports can be passed without MPs processing them,” Ssemujju asked.
Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, questioned the move to adopt the report, saying that by so doing, Parliament would be handing over its appropriation mandate to the Executive.
“The Auditor General's report should be verified and studied, before we pass. It would be good to know what is in the report,” he said.
But the Deputy Speaker guided that the special audit report, unlike annual reports does not require to be referred to a committee.
“This is a time bound report, we must sort out UMEME by 31 March [2025]. It is a matter of beating deadlines, which is in the contract. If we do not settle, UMEME will have a blank cheque to determine penalties and interests,” Tayebwa said.
Hon. Ekanya Geofrey (FDC, Tororo North County) agreed with the Deputy Speaker, citing practices from neighboring countries like Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa where, he said, governments there do not wait for Parliament approval before implementing such reports.
“Special audit reports have issues of criminal in nature, but also this report is time bound. We request that Speaker invokes the necessary rules so that when Parliament takes a decision, it is within our Rules,” Ekanya said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Leading law firm to probe PRASA tender corruption allegations
South African law firm, Webber Wentzel, has been appointed to investigate allegations of corruption at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).
This according to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy who made the announcement during a media briefing on Monday.
The allegations stem from media reports that a whistleblower had compiled a report detailing alleged corruption related to two tenders amounting to some R18 billion.
“These will be investigations which will include both the relevant officials named by the whistleblower as well as board members.
“We will look at all aspects: alleged procurement irregularities, alleged fraudulent payments. We will review compliance with bond security requirements, allegations of non-payment of 16 companies and also allegations of awarding unlawful contracts.
“The investigation will also assess compliance with the legal and regulatory frameworks in relation to the awarding of these contracts,” she said.
Creecy added that given the seriousness of the allegations, a preliminary report is expected to be produced within 30 days, “if not sooner”.
“[On Sunday] following a conversation with the chairperson of the PRASA board, I agreed that given that there are allegations against the board, I will receive the preliminary report and on the basis of the findings advise on what further action needs to be taken.
“It is important that this investigation takes place speedily so that if necessary, we can take appropriate remedial action and we can put this episode behind us,” the Minister said.
Furthermore, the Auditor General (AG) will conduct real-time audits of all large procurement processes at the entity.
“Real-time audits are a mechanism that the [AG] can implement during or immediately after a procurement process to prevent and detect weaknesses in controls and to report on these findings in a very short space of time.
“It is the intention going forward that PRASA will adopt this system to enable the accounting officer to take corrective measures to protect resources and prevent fraud or wastage and ensure that programmes rolled out, as designed, benefit…our passengers,” Creecy said.
The Minister added that the seventh administration has singled out the recovery of the rail passenger system as an important objective.
“It is important that the board, management and workers of PRASA continue to focus on the recovery of priority lines, the rehabilitation of stations and the renewal of signalling so that we can increase train slots and thereby ensure that our passengers get to work and to school cheaply, safely and on time.
“Over the past two and a half years, important work has been done by PRASA to restore train services on 31 out of 40 priority lines to rehabilitate hundreds of stations vandalised during the COVID-19 pandemic. We must continue this work so that PRASA’s passengers can get the rail system they deserve,” Creecy said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Mon, 03/10/2025 - 12:40
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Committee welcomes prevention of R3.47 billion in financial losses
The Standing Committee on the Auditor-General (AG) has welcomed the recovery and prevention of the R3.47 billion in financial losses by the Office of the Auditor General (AGSA) through the Material Irregularities (MIs) process.
This as the committee received a briefing from the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on its integrated annual report for the 2023/24 financial year.
“The AG has recovered R1.55 billion in financial losses; R1.14 billion in financial losses in the process of recovery and has prevented the financial loss of R0.78 billion for government departments, municipalities and entities.
“These successes show the importance of the execution of the new powers of the AG obtained through the amended Public Audit Act. In the year under review, the AG identified 626 MIs on non-compliance and suspected fraud,” the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General Wouter Wynand Wessels said on Friday.
This resulted in 500 MIs on material financial loss, 51 MIs on substantial harm to the general public, 66 MIs on substantial harm to public sector institutions and 9 MIs on misuse on material public resource.
An MI is any non-compliance with legislation, fraud, theft or breach of fiduciary duty that could result in a material financial loss, misuse of public funds or substantial harm to a public sector institution or the public.
The amended Public Audit Act introduced the concept of MIs and expanded the powers of the AG to refer the MIs to relevant bodies for investigation if the accounting officer or authority does not take appropriate action to address them.
“The committee welcomes the AGSA's culture shift strategy. This entails plotting auditees not only according to mere compliance, but also focusing on service delivery performance. This shows that 23% of government departments and entities and 45% of municipalities are currently doing harm, while 40% of departments and entities and 43% of municipalities are not doing the basics.
“The committee commends the AG for receiving a clean audit opinion for the year under review. A functional office of the AG is important as it results in a positive shift towards accountability and public sector performance,” Wessels said.-SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 11/03/2024 - 10:09
SIU collects evidence in Makana Local Municipality maladministration allegations
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has searched and collected evidence related to allegations of serious maladministration at the Makana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
This after it obtained a warrant to search the premises of the municipality on Thursday.
“At 9 am on Friday, 01 November, the SIU, assisted by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, entered the municipality's premises to collect evidence that is in line with Proclamation 207 of 2024 authorised the SIU to investigate allegations of serious maladministration,” the unit said in a statement.
The SIU and Hawks collected documentation and equipment required for audit or compliance purposes concerning successful tenders from 1 January 2019 to 18 October 2024, as stipulated in Proclamation 207 of 2024.
“This includes comprehensive records such as company registration documents, all forms of payment documentation (invoices, purchase orders, remittance advice), and devices—such as laptops, mobile devices, external storage, or media used by relevant committees, officials, or employees.
“The documentation also extends to any electronic data stored on these devices, including emails and cloud storage, covering current and outdated devices associated with specific personnel and posts.”
The warrant was granted by the Grahamstown Magistrate Court.
The application for a search and seizure followed the signing of Proclamation 207 of 2024 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, which authorised the SIU to investigate allegations of serious maladministration in the affairs of the Makana Local Municipality involving seven tenders, which was gazetted two weeks ago.
The SIU’s investigation will look into the:
• Makana Bulk Sewer Upgrade Phase 1.
• Professional Engineering services for groundwater development project.
• Implementing agents for water conservation and demand management.
• Re-appointment of MBB Consulting for water conservation and demand management.
• Electrification of the greater Makana and surrounding areas 11KV line project.
• Host municipal emails and provide internet services.
• Operate and manage the Makana burning landfill site for six months.
“The SIU has reason to believe that a normal route of requesting information and documents would not have yielded positive results. Hence, it was deemed necessary to approach the Grahamstown Magistrate Court for a search warrant to seize documents and computers to assist with the ongoing investigation.
"Upon the receipt of the allegations, the SIU engaged the municipality seeking documents that would help assess the merit of the allegations and help prepare a motivation for a proclamation.
“However, the municipality did not cooperate with the SIU’s request. The SIU engaged the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), as the office was auditing the municipality at the time. The AGSA indicated that the municipality failed to furnish it with documents.”
The SIU is empowered by the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 (SIU Act) to subpoena bank statements and cell phone records, search and seize evidence, and interrogate witnesses under oath to thoroughly investigate allegations brought before it.
The SIU is also empowered to institute civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during investigations caused by acts of corruption, fraud or maladministration. In line with the SIU Act, the SIU will refer any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action. -SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Fri, 11/01/2024 - 10:35
The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements highlighted its support in a court action brought by the Residential Communities' Council (RCC) and the Association of Residential Communities (ARC) against the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) challenging regulation 35 of the Property Practitioners Act.
The court action seeks an order declaring that charging estate agents fees to market and/or sell property within these estates does not constitute an undesirable business practice.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Nocks Seabi, said: “We cannot continue to play lip service to the issue of transformation within the property practitioners environment and the continued charging of these fees runs counter to the transformation agenda intended by the passing of the Property Practitioners Act. The committee was also of the view that these estate agents' fees effectively excludes or disadvantages property practitioners not party to these arrangements from proving services within such property developments,”
In line with the drive to ensure transformation within the real estate sector, the committee welcomed the public private collaboration between PPRA and Rawson Property Group that saw the awarding of 100 franchises to previously disadvantaged individuals. The committee is of the view that PPRA must leverage expertise and resources through such partnerships to accelerate progress towards complete transformation of the sector.
The committee also welcomed the general improvement in attainment of performance targets at PPRA. The entity improved its performance from 33% in the 2022/23 financial year to 66,67% in the 2023/24 financial year. Despite this, the committee urged the entity to resolve the matters of emphasis as identified by the auditor general and to ensure a positive audit outcome.
Meanwhile, the committee welcomed the unqualified audit opinion achieved by the Housing Development Agency as well as the achievement of 91% of its planned performance targets for the 2023/24 financial year. The remarkable turnaround at the HDA should be appreciated especially the reduction of irregular expenditure by over 90% of the financial year. “The commitment to good governance practices and strong internal controls are the bedrock upon which a functional entity rests upon,” Mr Seabi said.
The committee also welcomed the over achievements in the performance that includes the acquiring of 316 2926 hectares of land for housing purposes, delivery of 2142 serviced sites (against the target 1236) and 2402 title deeds.
With regards to the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA), the committee welcomed the attainment of an unqualified audit for the 2023/24 financial year, it raised concerns that of the 9 targets not achieved, a majority of the targets related to issues of transformation. Although the committee acknowledged the strides made by SHRA to facilitate the transformation agenda, it has called for maximised collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that the capacitation workshops be held to improve procurement within designated groups.
Despite this, the committee appreciated that the entity is already hard at work to address audit findings to ensure that the entity returns to previous positive findings.
The committee will continue to monitor the effectiveness of entities within the sector to ensure that they achieve set targets and ensure quality service delivery to the people.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Call for urgent action on North West stalled projects
The North West’s permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) have called for urgent intervention that will lead to tangible results on stalled infrastructure projects in the province.
The delegation commenced with a week-long oversight visit to the province as part of the NCOP flagship Provincial Week Programme on Tuesday.
Provincial whip and leader of the delegation, Sylvia Sithole, underscored an urgent need for implementation of practical interventions for the benefit of the people, who are mostly poor and vulnerable.
“While we are concerned that some projects have taken a long time to complete, we accept the assurances you have given today, and we will be back in November to assess if those commitments have been honoured. We want to see positive change here in the province,” Sithole said.
The delegation raised concerns as highlighted by the Office of the Auditor General including inadequate planning and project management which have a direct impact on the overall implementation of projects.
The delegation also raised concern at the lack of effective coordination between the province and municipalities which indicated the need for the adoption of the District Development Model (DDM) to ensure efficiency.
The delegation visited the Mahikeng Airport which is not functioning despite its potential of being a strong economic driver in the area.
The delegation noted the plans by the North West Department of Transport, Roads and Community Safety to revitalise the airport, but highlighted that a comprehensive cost benefit analysis must be done to ensure that the plans create the needed economic benefit that is envisioned.
The delegates also urged the department to undertake an economic viability analysis as it relates to the plans to utilise the airport for cargo to be transported to neighbouring countries.
The delegation further engaged local business forums that highlighted the availability of investors willing to reinvent the airport. The department was urged to consider all available options on the table to ensure the most economic option is taken.
Delays in completing water projects
Meanwhile, during a visit at the Rooigrond Waste Water Treatment Works, a concern was raised regarding the delayed completion of the project which was initially planned to be completed in 2018.
“It is unacceptable that the over 1000 households that would have benefited [from] the projects are still waiting to this day. While the delegation notes the plans by Magalies Water Board to complete the project in July 2025, it is concerning that the initial plans were inadequate thereby raising the hopes of the community for quality sanitation services,” Sithole said.
The delegation also raised their concerns about the Environmental Impact Assessment, and the application for servitudes, which were not conducted when the project was commissioned, which delayed the projects.
“This points to poor planning by departments. Infrastructure projects are complex and effective planning will ensure that they are delivered on time and within budgets,” Sithole said.
Concern was also raised on the number of acting personnel responsible for project implementation and called for Magalies Water to urgently appoint permanent personnel that will be held accountable, in case the projects are not implemented within the stipulated time frames.
The delegation will on Wednesday visit the stalled RDP Project in Tshunyane Village, and proceed to Sanieshof Waste Water Treatment Plant and complete its second day programme by assessing the rehabilitation of sections of road P152/1 from N18 at Delareyville. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 09/18/2024 - 11:42
Gauteng commits to public hearings following municipal AGSA outcomes
The Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has met with the Auditor General of SA (AGSA) over concerns about the poor performance of Gauteng municipalities.
This after the release of the consolidated general report on local government audit outcomes 2022/23 last month.
For Gauteng municipalities, the AGSA identified, amongst others, R7.533 billion in irregular expenditure, largely due to non-compliance with procurement regulations; non-compliance with legislation; financial mismanagement and poor service delivery and project implementation.
“In response to these findings, the portfolio committee expressed deep concern over the pervasive non-compliance and the ongoing financial mismanagement in municipalities.
“The committee emphasised the need for municipalities to adhere strictly to legislative requirements and improve their financial and operational management to ensure better service delivery to residents,” the committee said.
In an effort to address some of the issues, the committee committed to holding hearings with residents particularly in municipalities that are struggling.
“These hearings will serve as a platform for engaging with local leaders, stakeholders, and the public to identify solutions and hold municipal officials accountable for their performance. The committee also reaffirmed its commitment to rigorous oversight and will closely monitor the implementation of corrective actions as recommended by the AGSA; and ensure that consequence management is implemented where required.”
The committee called for enhanced coordination between COGTA, Provincial Treasury, municipalities, and other relevant bodies to provide targeted support to municipalities in distress.
“The committee will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that all municipalities in Gauteng operate with the highest standards of governance, transparency, and accountability,” it said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Mon, 09/16/2024 - 10:32
Members of Parliament criticise the agency for R316-million in overpayments