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Musician loses court battle
Musician loses court battle
The Pretoria High Court has dismissed an application by legendary musician Arthur Mafokate to have his property released from a preservation order.
Mafokate’s luxury Midrand property – a guest house – was preserved following allegations that he was involved in a National Lotteries Commission (NLC) fraud and corruption scandal.
According to National Prosecuting Authority Gauteng regional spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, investigations revealed that the South African Arts and Development Organisation (SAADA) – of which Mafokate was a director – received R9.3 million to “assist unemployed youth in the poor and rural areas of the country, to impact skills in music, business video, film production dance and overall business of radio.”
Allegedly, only R1.8 million was directed towards the project with the remaining funds used to buy the property.
“In court, Mafokate argued that he was entitled to the R7.5 million as his businesses delivered the services as required by the NLC and that he had committed no offences. However, the NPA argued that although some kind of services were rendered, it was at most R1.8 million.
“The remainder of the funds was used to purchase the guest house, which was not the purpose of the grant allocation. The funds used to purchase the guest house was thus stolen from the NLC as it was not used for the allocated project,” Mahanjana said.
She added that in dismissing Mafokate’s application, the court agreed with the NPA’s argument that “it was against the terms and conditions of the grant for SAADA to carry over its obligations to any other organisation and that SAADA should have also returned any unused funds to the NLC”.
“The court also found that Arthur Mafokate could give no reasonable explanation on how he could afford to purchase the guest house if it was not for NLC funds, particularly as his business accounts contained negligible balances when the grant was received from the NLC.
“Therefore, the court dismissed, with costs, the application of Arthur Mafokate to have the guest house released from the preservation order,” she said.
It is expected that the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit will enrol the matter for final forfeiture and if that is successful, the property will be sold at auction with proceeds returning to the NLC.
Last year the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), together with the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), obtained an order to freeze at least five properties, including a luxury Midrand home linked to the musician.– SAnews.gov.za
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SA citizens in foreign countries urged to register to vote
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Over 18 469 South African citizens living in 101 countries around the world have started registering to vote using the Electoral Commission’s newly launched online registration portal system.
“The Electoral Commission has enabled an online registration facility for the first time to allow South Africans outside the country to easily register for the 2024 National Elections,” Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the Electoral Commission Sy Mamabolo said.
Addressing the media in Pretoria on Thursday, Mamabolo said the commission hoped that the introduction of an online registration system will attract citizens from abroad.
Citizens living abroad must register as voters either online or in person at their nearest South African mission. South African high commissions, embassies and consulates will be open during working hours.
“Eligible voters are encouraged to check with their nearest mission on the registration dates and times. Registration requires a South African identity document as well as a South African passport.
“A special two-day voter registration event for South African citizens abroad will take place between 26 and 28 January 2024, depending on the configuration of weekend days.
“In countries where Friday and Saturday are weekends, the two special days designated will be Friday 26 January, and Saturday 27 January 2024,” Mamabolo said.
The countries with the most people registering online include the United Kingdom (5938), the Netherlands (1844), Germany (746), the United States (821), Ireland (675), United Arab Emirates (1068), China (515), Australia (588), New Zealand (314), Cuba (293), Portugal (284) and Belgium (280).
In the African continent, South Africans have begun to register in 28 countries, including Mauritius (316), Lesotho (224) Namibia (148), Botswana (170), Zambia (96), Zimbabwe (77), Kenya (73), Ghana (45) and Tanzania (40).
A full list of South Africa’s missions is available on the website of DIRCO at https://www.dirco.gov.za/webmissions/index.html.
The commission advised South Africans who are already registered to vote – either on the national or international segment of the voters’ roll - to check their registration status and to update their voters’ roll address if they intend to vote abroad in the 2024 National Elections.
Mamabolo said the commission has put in place all necessary measures to ensure that no one is left behind and that all citizens vote in the 2024 National Election.
“The upcoming 2024 National Elections offer an important opportunity for all South Africans to have their voices heard, regardless of geographic location,” he said.
The commission pleaded with businesses and organisations around the world to encourage their South African employees to register during this registration weekend. – SAnews.gov.za
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Call for balance in investments for road and rail infrastructure
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With South Africa deepening its efforts towards shifting freight from road to rail, the Department of Transport (DOT) Freight Logistics Specialist, Mihlali Gqada, says there needs to be a balance in investments that are made in rail and road infrastructure.
Addressing the colloquium on the Freight Road to Rail Migration Plan (FRRMP), Gqada said the amount of rail infrastructure investment pales in comparison to road.
According to National Treasury and the Minister of Transport’s Budget Vote Speech (2023/24), the allocation for roads (transfers and subsidies) is R42.4 billion, and for 2024/25, the estimate is R42.4 billion. This figure excludes the equitable share grant that provinces and municipalities get for infrastructure development.
“Rail infrastructure investment is limited to the allocation for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) from the DOT (+/-R7 billion), whilst freight rail relies on Transnet investment and competes with Ports and Pipelines. It is therefore imperative that a balance in investment be fostered so that the shift can be realised.
“Historically, public sector investment has largely been skewed towards road infrastructure investments, and going forward, there is a need to leverage a wide range of public and private investment tools to finance the construction and operation of rail freight infrastructure.
“The national freight transportation system requires investment to maintain performance at high levels, upon which the country's economic growth depends,” Gqada said on Thursday in Pretoria.
She said private sector and private investments must find expression in the railway sector.
“These investments must be in the form of infrastructure and operations as Transnet would not be in a position to meet all the investment required to get the railways competitive and responsive to the country's growth needs and demand.
“Historically the public and private sectors have collaborated clearly, and both played divided roles in relation to freight transport whereby the public sector has built, owned, and operated transport infrastructure on behalf of government, predominantly railways and highways. Furthermore, the private sector has used that infrastructure to conduct freight operations.
“This division of roles provides opportunities for government to leverage private sector efficiencies and expertise in the construction and operation of freight infrastructure,” Gqada said.
She said South Africa holds immense potential to become the gateway to the African market, boasting a well-developed network of ports and a robust logistics infrastructure.
“The country's transportation system offers several advantages compared to other African nations. Despite its potential, South Africa's freight transport system faces significant challenges in meeting the growing demand for freight movement, especially on rail. These challenges stem from operational and infrastructure deficiencies in the road, rail and port sectors, which hinder the competitiveness of the South African economy,” Gqada said.
She said poor rail performance has rendered the country unable to fully participate in the recent commodity boom.
As the country tries to deal with the lack of investment in rail, Gqada said it must not stop investment in road infrastructure, as this is currently the backbone of South Africa's trade success.
“We, however, need to be cautious of the role that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) is being given by several provinces to manage their road network as this may overburden SANRAL.
“This gradual migration of provincial networks onto the portfolio of SANRAL must be managed very well and must not undermine the effectiveness of SANRAL in infrastructure development and maintenance,” she said. –SAnews.gov.za
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The Duke of Edinburgh celebrates youth and biodiversity in South Africa
His Royal Highness Prince Edward The Duke of Edinburgh has spent the last two days in South Africa (22 – 23 January), marking the first Royal visit of its kind since President Ramaphosa's historic State Visit to the UK in November 2022.
During the visit, His Royal Highness met Acting President Mashatile at Oliver Tambo House.
Alongside Ms Barbara Creecy, South Africa's Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, The Duke explored Pretoria's Botanical Garden with CEO of the South African National Institute (SANBI), Mr Shonisani Munzhedi. This followed President Ramaphosa's visit to the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, in November 2022, and marked the long-term collaboration between Kew and SANBI to ensure the survival of South Africa's rich plant diversity.
HRH met a wheelchair user and her husband who are regular users of the Enabling Garden, to learn about the different indigenous plants suitable for hanging baskets. He learnt about some of South Africa's abundant flora biodiversity and medicinal plants, as well as viewing the National Herbarium where the largest collection of plant specimens in southern Africa are hosted (with over one million currently being digitised).
HRH met biodiversity organisations to hear about how they are conserving nature and reversing biodiversity loss.
At the British High Commissioner's Residence, The Duke toured an exhibition of President Award winners, moving from stand to stand to talk to young people about their journeys, alongside Award Chairman Modise Makhene and Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Kwati Candith Mashego-Dlamini.
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Launched in 1994 with Nelson Mandela as the Founding Patron-in-Chief, the Award today continues to serve as a shining example of our shared values of youth empowerment, community service and creating opportunities for all.
The Award supports approximately 3,000 young South Africans each year. Since 2011, over 65,000 young people are estimated to have participated in the programme.
HRH also attended a Reception at the Residence with Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, to celebrate the launch of the UK's new International Science Partnership Fund.
UK High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson said:
“This visit reflects the significant breadth and depth of our modern-day friendship with South Africa – from youth empowerment, to climate, science research, biodiversity and democracy - our countries' shared values are clear. Continued collaboration and investment in these areas of mutual interest demonstrate our commitment to working together to address some of the world's most pressing challenges.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of British High Commission Pretoria.
R4 billion upfront payment for higher learning institutions
R4 billion upfront payment for higher learning institutions
In a bid to ensure a smooth start to the 2024 academic year, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will process up to R4.2 billion as an upfront payment to all higher learning institutions, prior to the application and registration finalisation period.
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, made the announcement during a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday on the department’s state of readiness for the opening of the 2024 Post School Education and Training (PSET) academic year.
“Out of its financial reserves, NSFAS will pay R1 billion to TVET [Technical Vocational Education and Training] colleges and R3.2 billion to universities. In 2024, living allowance will be R16 500 for university students, [which includes] R3 045 personal care allowance and R13 455 meal allowance per year,” Nzimande said.
He also announced that the TVET living allowance will increase from R6 000 to R10 000 as part of continued efforts to bring parity between the university and TVET sectors.
In addition, the department has introduced the differentiated accommodation cap between metro and non-metro areas, which will see all institutions owned or leased, and private accommodation being capped at R50 000 in metro areas and R41 000 in other areas per academic year.
“Students living in institution-catered accommodation qualify for a maximum allowance capped at R66 500 in metros and R57 500 in all other areas per annum. Institutions in non-metro areas may request NSFAS to review the assigned accommodation cap in exceptional circumstances, and such request must be accompanied by a detailed motivation and supporting evidence for NSFAS consideration.
“Students who opt to make their own accommodation arrangements with immediate family or with relatives do not qualify for the accommodation allowance, [but] they qualify for a travel allowance determined by the institution, up to a maximum of R7 875 in 2024,” Nzimande explained.
He added that all university students qualify for a learning material allowance set at a maximum amount of R5 460 for students for the 2024 academic year.
“The learning material allowances must be used for the purchase of academic books and materials and/or a learning device, [and] only one allowance is provided per student per academic year. Allowances for students in distance education programmes are calculated based on the number of courses registered up to a maximum of R5 460.
“Distance university students studying an equivalent full-time course credit load qualify for the personal care allowance of R3 045 per academic year [and] this requires a student to be registered for a minimum of 120 course credits in one academic year. Allowances for students in distance education programmes are calculated based on the number of courses registered up to a maximum of R5 460,” Nzimande said.
Distance university students studying an equivalent full-time course credit load also qualify for personal care allowance of R3 045 per academic year, which requires a student to register a minimum of 120 course credits in one academic year.
TVET colleges own catered residence in metros is capped at R60 000 and in other areas is capped at R51 000, with students either qualifying for the travel allowance or the accommodation allowance.
Nzimande emphasised that TVET college students who are registered on an occupational qualification may qualify for allowances, only if “in simulated training, students registered on an occupational qualification that have an employment contract and are paid stipend do not qualify for NSFAS allowances”.
R20 000 allowance for students with disabilities
Students with disabilities qualify for living allowances including meals at R20 000 per academic year.
“They qualify for learning materials allowance of R6 000 per academic year for university students only. TVET college learning material allowance is included in the cost of tuition.
“Assistive devices allowance actual cost is limited to R50 000 as a once off allowance. These students also qualify for a repairs and maintenance of assistive devices to the value of 2 000 per academic year,” the Minister said.
Nzimande said students with disabilities do not automatically qualify for the allowance for assistive devices, or its repairs and maintenance, noting that the allowances are only granted if the student application for the allowances is approved, and “all conditions and criteria are met as set out in the policy standard”. – SAnews.gov.za
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Mashatile to welcome Duke of Edinburgh on working visit to S Africa
Mashatile to welcome Duke of Edinburgh on working visit to S Africa
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Tuesday welcome His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, on a courtesy call at the OR Tambo Official Residence in Pretoria.
The Duke of Edinburgh is on a working visit to South Africa on 22 and 23 January 2024.
According to the Deputy President’s Office, the visit follows the successful State Visit that President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook to the United Kingdom in 2022 at the invitation of King Charles III.
“The visit also indicates the strong bilateral relationship that the United Kingdom and South Africa share,” a statement from the Deputy President’s Office read.
During his visit, His Royal Highness will meet stakeholders from WWF South Africa, Endangered Wildlife Trust, GreenMatterZA, TRAFFIC, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Birdlife, and Conservation South Africa.
Prince Edward will also meet the Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy, for a tour of the Pretoria National Botanical Garden.
He will be accompanied on the tour by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) CEO, Shonisani Munzhedi.
This comes after President Ramaphosa visited the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, in November 2022, and will mark the long-term collaboration between Kew and SANBI to ensure the survival of South Africa’s rich plant diversity.
Prince Edward is also expected to engage with Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande at a dinner marking the deep partnership between South Africa and the United Kingdom in the field of science and innovation.
In addition, the Duke of Edinburgh will meet the awardees of the President’s Awards, the international arm of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, of which President Ramaphosa is a patron.
“Both countries share a strong commitment to youth empowerment,” the statement said.
During the courtesy call, Deputy President Mashatile will also hold discussions with the Duke and his delegation on key areas of importance in the bilateral relationship between South Africa and the United Kingdom. – SAnews.gov.za
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