TOP READ - KITCHEN CABINET POLITICS

Top lieutenants in ‘kitchen cabinet’ dumping Ramaphosa

Mail & Guardian writes that President Cyril Ramaphosa could soon be out of key figures in his presidency after the exit of top lieutenants in his failing ‘kitchen’ cabinet. The Presidency has confirmed that another key Ramaphosa adviser, Trudi Makhaya, has left the Union Buildings. Makhaya opted not to renew her contract. This comes as Ramaphosa is said to be on the verge of losing his director-general, Phindile Baleni, who is said to be flirting with the idea of leaving. According to insiders, Baleni is at loggerheads with Ramaphosa’s chief of staff Roshene Singh. “It has been a little bit bumpy between the two of them. A director general is key in the office and cannot be allowed to leave because it would signal that there are very serious issues,” a high-ranking official commented. Independent sources said there was concern among those in the President’s office that Ramaphosa was losing too many important figures and observed: “The office is getting empty of key people and they are not people you can say are leaving because they have greener pastures.   They are key policy leaders.   You don’t allow them to leave, you fix the situation.” Another insider confirmed there was tension between Baleni and Singh and a struggle for access to Ramaphosa.   Singh has assumed total control of Ramaphosa’s office, alienating Baleni, the source added. Ramaphosa has lost four key advisers of late. Daniel Mminele stepped down as head of the presidential climate finance task team in February. He also lost Bejani Chauke, a political adviser said to have been the brains behind the CR17 campaign. By appointing Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as electricity minister, Ramaphosa lost his infrastructure czar.   Ramaphosa appointed Maropene Ramokgopa as his minister of monitoring and evaluation, leaving him without a foreign relations adviser.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lizeka Tandwa at Mail & Guardian (subscriber access only)

ESKOM WAGE TALKS

NUM ‘persuaded’ to lower wage demand at Eskom from 15% to 12%

BusinessLive reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents the majority of workers at embattled power utility Eskom, has lowered its wage demands from 15% to 12%. Representatives of the NUM, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), Solidarity and Eskom management met at the central bargaining forum for a second round of talks from Monday to Wednesday this week.   The last round of talks will run from 23 to 25 May. NUM’s Olehile Kgware said the union was “persuaded by a presentation on Eskom’s finances. We felt that we needed to negotiate in good faith and lowered our demands to 12%.   We are now of the view that the organisation can sustain the percentage that we want.” At a joint media briefing in April, the three unions indicated that Eskom’s pay offer amounted to 3.75%, which they had rejected.   The NUM and Numsa initially wanted a 15% pay rise, while Solidarity’s demand was for an increase of 3% above the average inflation rate, which advanced to 7.1% in March from 7% in February. Kgware now indicated: “Eskom did not put any revised offer on the table. The coming round of talks is the last one in terms of the bargaining agreement. But there is a discretionary period that can be given in the event parties feel they can engage further.” Solidarity’s Tommy Wedderspoon said: “We are still demanding 10.1%. We were actually dumbstruck that they [Eskom management] didn’t revise their wage offer. We hope they will do so in the last round of talks.” Numsa’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive

ELECTRICITY CRISIS / LOADSHEDDING

Ramaphosa to announce electricity minister's powers 'very shortly'

TimesLive reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has hinted to parliament what minister of electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s responsibilities will be, but procurement will not be one of them.   Ramokgopa was appointed minister early last month, but Ramaphosa has yet to promulgate a gazette setting out his powers. On Thursday, Ramaphosa was asked to outline Ramokgopa’s strategy to shield SA from stage 7 or 8 load-shedding this winter. Ramaphosa said Ramokgopa would focus on energy generation while public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan would ensure that there was a transmission company and mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe would keep an eye on policy and procurement. Finalisation of all the mandate matters that the minister of electricity would have to attend to was due to be announced “very shortly”, Ramaphosa stated.   He went on to indicate: “What we have been doing is to look at the tasks that relate to generation in the Electricity Regulation Act and those tasks that need to be executed by the minister of electricity. They include matters of generation and the identification of the type of energy source we need. Thereafter, co-operating with the minister of minerals and resources and energy for the procurement process. Once it has been procured, the minister of electricity will ensure that it is implemented.” Ramokgopa would also be responsible for driving the various actions being co-ordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee (Necom) to end load-shedding as a matter of urgency.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at TimesLive

Ramokgopa's role as a minister of electricity with no power looks more redundant by the day

In an editorial, Sunday Times notes that it has been three months since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he would appoint a minister in the Presidency to deal specifically with the country's electricity crisis.   Kgosientsho Ramokgopa was appointed to the position in March and immediately set off on a power station and media tour to show the nation he was hard at work. But as the weeks pass, with rolling blackouts increasing and the weather turning, the minister looks increasingly in the dark and out in the cold.   His powers and functions have yet to be finalised because the president wanted to meet other ministers to discuss them. Much of the hope and goodwill after his appointment has faded with every increasing load-shedding stage. He has had to field several questions about his effectiveness and told the National Council of Provinces this week he is “not a junior minister” and his presence “is not ornamental”. But a few hours earlier he conceded in a television interview that he was effectively just a project manager until he was given powers. While many citizens rush to plan their lives around stage 6 load-shedding there is no such urgency by the government to confirm the minister's powers. Confirming these powers is the first and most basic step to allow Ramokgopa to do what Ramaphosa said he must do, namely oversee all aspects of the electricity crisis response and work with Eskom on ending load-shedding.   Ramaphosa on Thursday told the National Assembly he would “very shortly” outline Ramokgopa's mandate.

Read this editorial in full at Sunday Times Daily (subscriber access only)

Exempting 'all and sundry' from load-shedding impractical, says Ramaphosa in explanation of court appeal

TimesLIVE reports that if it were up to President Cyril Ramaphosa, he would shield schools, clinics, hospitals and police stations from rolling blackouts, but he has been informed that this would collapse the electricity grid. “Ideally, I would personally want all those hospitals and schools to be exempt, but from an engineering point of view, I am told, it is practically impossible to do.   Now we are faced with a court judgment and the impracticality of it all," said Ramaphosa. The president made the remarks in parliament on Thursday. He explained that appealing the court order will bring to bear a better understanding of the engineering and impractical aspects of it all. “It’s not being done in an arrogant way or in a way where we are trying to second-guess the court, it’s being done to ensure that we save the grid, otherwise it would collapse if we were to implement that judgment in full," he told MPs. It was reported on Monday that the public enterprises department would be filing an urgent appeal against the court order that government must ensure public hospitals, clinics, schools and police stations are shielded from load-shedding. The interim order, handed down last Friday, and which must be implemented within 60 days, states the minister “shall take all reasonable steps ... to ensure there shall be sufficient supply or generation of electricity to prevent any interruption of supply as a result of load-shedding”. The judgment came after an application was brought by 19 organisations, including trade union Numsa, opposition parties, NGOs and individuals.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at TimesLIVE. Read too, Grid likely to collapse if schools, hospitals are exempted from load shedding, Ramaphosa warns, at IOL

Ramaphosa tells MPs that a power ship is the immediate priority

Fin24 reports that according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, a power ship, or some form of emergency power, "is the way to go right now" to alleviate the energy shortage. Answering questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, Ramaphosa restated his government's plans to bring more energy online and also reconfirmed the country's commitment to decarbonising the electricity supply industry in the longer term. While the government formulated an energy crisis plan last July, which included a reference to the need for "emergency power", plans for a power ship were not explicitly included. Ramaphosa said that government had not then anticipated that the performance of Eskom's coal fleet would continue to drop. “One of the things I said in the State of the Nation address was that we needed 3,000MW of emergency power. That process got under way but was stopped by matters completely out of government's hands. Nongovernmental organisations went to court, and environmental issues were raised, which put the brakes on immediate emergency power.   I still say today, what SA needs right now is emergency energy,” Ramaposa pointed out. He noted that other African countries had brought in power ships that immediately delivered power. Turkish company Karpowership previously submitted tenders to the energy department and was named a preferred bidder, but none of its proposed projects has yet secured environmental approval.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at Fin24 (subscriber access only)

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Beurtkrag: ‘Regering het nie misluk,’ sê Ramaphosa, by Maroela Media
• Ntshavheni reveals how the government and Eskom plan to reduce Stage 6 power cuts, at News24

FORT HARE MURDERS

Fort Hare murders: Accused will kill witnesses if granted bail, investigator tells court

News24 reports that the team probing the murders of University of Fort Hare (UFH) officials told the Dimbaza Magistrate’s Court on Thursday that it didn't have the capacity to monitor the accused should they be released on bail. The investigating officer leading the team which is investigating the killings at UFH, Sergeant Accasius Smitla Mokoena, indicated that he was opposed to the five suspects being granted bail. Mokoena said he didn't have the time or the resources to monitor the two alleged hitmen, namely Mthobisi Khanyile and Mthobisi Dlamini, to ensure they didn't interfere with the investigation. Mokoena claimed that the two men were trigger-happy and would shoot or intimidate witnesses. He alleged that the two were either the actual hitmen or worked very closely with the hitmen who killed the university's fleet manager, Petrus Roets, and Mboneli Vesele, the bodyguard of the vice-chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu. Khanyile and Dlamini were linked to the crimes via fingerprints lifted from an abandoned maroon Jeep SUV, which is believed to have been used to stalk Vesele.   "They knew the witnesses [in the initial case of Roets' murder] and wanted them killed. Evidence shows that they are a very organised, highly efficient group. That means there is a strong likelihood that they will interfere with the witnesses," said Mokoena.   In his view, the brazen nature of the offence placed the lives of ordinary citizens in great danger. Khanyile and Dlamini are the alleged hitmen that the three other accused hired to embark on a killing spree against officials trying to block corruption at UFH.   Khanyile and Dlamini have denied all allegations.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at News24

MUNICIPAL PROTEST

Samwu demands Lesufi address their grievances in Gauteng municipalities

TimesLIVE reports that hundreds of workers affiliated to the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) from municipalities across Gauteng embarked on a march in Johannesburg on Thursday. The union submitted a memorandum of demands to Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula outside Luthuli House. Among myriad demands, the union said the 130 employees whose contracts were abruptly terminated by the Johannesburg DA-led coalition should be reinstated.   Further, all corruption in the municipalities should be openly investigated and the City of Tshwane must pay workers their salary increases for 2021 as per the bargaining council agreement. The union said it wanted the Municipal Systems Amendment Act of 2022 repealed to allow workers to exercise their rights of association and participate fully in political parties without any infringements. Isaac Mohlakaza, an employee at Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) who was also part of the march, said as a general worker his salary was not enough to allow him to look after his family. “JRA doesn’t want to hire people. At our depot, you find out that the truck goes out with two or three people, but they call it a team. A team is supposed to have seven people. You will find one person doing the job of three people,” he claimed.   Lesufi, who accepted the memorandum, promised workers that he would call the municipal mayors and managers to discuss workers’ issues. He assured workers that he would respond to their memorandum by Tuesday.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phathu Luvhengo at TimesLIVE

MINING MUDSLIDE

Jagersfontein mudslide survivor, who lost her husband on the night of the tragedy, happy with new house

SowetanLive reports that Rachel Masoeu, who lost her husband Aaron after a wastewater dam collapsed leaving a trail of destruction, wept as government officials showed her a house she would take ownership of soon.   Masoeu is among dozens of residents from Charlesville in Jagersfontein, Free State, whose properties were damaged by mudslide from the dam incident in September 2022. Some of the residents have since been living with relatives as their homes were swept away or destroyed when the tailing dam owned by Jagersfontein Development collapsed. On Tuesday, deputy president Paul Mashatile and Free State premier Mxolisi Dukwana showed Masoueu and other residents the houses they would be moved to as soon as the work on them was completed. Recalling the fateful night, Masoeu said: “I heard a big sound like an aeroplane.   When I looked outside I saw water coming from the direction of the mine and neighbours were shouting that we should flee. I went back into the house to wake my husband up. He was not feeling well and not fast [enough]. We found ourselves holding on to a fence and I remember him shouting, telling me, ‘please save yourself’.” Masoeu recalls finding herself trapped in the mud next to the road. She was helped by a passing farmer and his employee who dragged her out of the mud.   For the past eight months Masoeu she has been living in a garage at her sister's house. The mine’s stakeholder development spokesperson Billy Bilankulu advised that they had budgeted R45m to build and renovate houses.   He said there were 68 houses that needed to be built and 70 that needed to be renovated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Becker Semela at SowetanLive

HEALTHCARE FUNDING

Western Cape health department may have to freeze over 2,000 posts in order to afford higher salaries

News24 reports that the Western Cape health department says it will have to freeze more than 2,000 posts if it does not get additional funding following the public sector wage agreement. Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said she would be working closely with her national counterparts to enact the needed change in the healthcare system. "Only together can this situation be addressed, as it affects every single one of us. Should National Treasury not allocate additional funding to compensate for the increased public wage sector agreement, the department would have to freeze 2,362 posts in order to afford the higher salaries," she said.   The situation that the department finds itself in follows upon the agreement struck in the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council to increase public sector wages in the wake of the public healthcare worker strikes earlier this year. According to the department, when accounting for the impact of conditional grant reduction on the department's budget, the financial pressure of the agreement increases to approximately R1.295 billion or 2,581 posts. Mbombo said that following Health Minister Joe Phaahla's budget speech on Tuesday their concerns regarding provincial budget allocations persisted.   "While we understand the constrained fiscal environment the country is in, and appreciate the national government admitting that it has continuously underfunded the healthcare sector, financing needs urgent attention in order for the health sector to achieve Universal Health Coverage," she stated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24

SOCIAL WELFARE FUNDING

Solidarity threatens Gauteng premier with legal action over social welfare funding

In a lawyer’s letter to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, trade union Solidarity has insisted that indications regarding cuts in funding meant for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from the Gauteng Department of Social Development (DSD) should be withdrawn in writing. This after the department announced crippling cuts to the funding of NGOs.   “It is particularly disappointing that the organisations that do the most for those who have the least do not even have the money to pay their employees. Premier Lesufi's called the decision on funding a misunderstanding, at a media conference, means nothing for the many NGOs who had to lay off social workers, and it means even less for the many, now unemployed social workers,” Bianca Smit, network coordinator at Solidarity, indicated.   According to Solidarity, Premier Lesufi’s intention to reconsider the funding decisions “was mere bluster which, unless confirmed in writing, remains only an idealistic intention that can be changed again.” Smit added:   “The damage has been done. NGOs had to close their doors and people had to go without support. The premier cannot do anything about that now. However, it is crucial that that the MEC for social development in Gauteng, the head of the Department of Social Development and Premier Lesufi set out in writing their intention to disburse funds as soon as possible and restore funding as a whole.”

Read Solidarity’s press statement in the above regard at Solidarity News. Lees ook, Lesufi moet belofte oor maatskaplike dienste op skrif stel, by Maroela Media

ALLEGED CORRUPTION / FRAUD

SA Tourism Board stands behind new bribery-accused acting CEO

Moneyweb reports that South African Tourism’s (SAT’s) interim board is standing behind the organisation’s new acting CEO Nomasonto Ndlovu and will continue to support her as she faces anonymous whistle-blower allegations of accepting a bribe from Qatar Airways in December 2022.   Newly appointed chairperson of the interim board, Tim Harris, said they would continue to support Ndlovu and believed the acting CEO followed due process in the matter. “The Board has been looking into the matter … and have established that the acting CEO followed a process for approvals to accept the invitation by Qatar Airways in 2022,” Harris said on Thursday. Yet notwithstanding the Board’s backing, Harris advised that an investigation was underway into the matter. Following the Tottenham Hotspurs sponsorship debacle earlier this year, the state-run national tourism marketing agency has found itself entangled in yet another controversy. The sponsorship saga led to the resignation of acting CFO Johan van der Walt in February and last week former acting CEO Themba Khumalo also resigned.   Ndlovu, SAT’s chief operating officer, was then appointed acting CEO. According to a report published on Tuesday, Ndlovu allegedly received a R100,000 bribe from Qatar Airways last year. The allegations were made through SAT’s whistle-blower hotline by an unidentified person. The individual alleged that Ndlovu might have benefitted from “flights in business class, accommodation and World Cup tickets”.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Akhona Matshoba at Moneyweb. Lees ook, SAT-raad se nuwe hoof reeds in omkopery-bewerings gewikkel, by Maroela Media

Eskom employee at Tutuka power station among five in court for alleged R900,000 fraud

TimesLIVE reports that an Eskom employee based at the Tutuka power station is among five people who appeared in the Middelburg specialised commercial crimes court on Thursday on a range of charges, including fraud. Zandile Rosemary Ngcobo works as a procurement officer, or buyer, at the power station and appeared alongside Annemarie Stander, Jessica Khubheka, Solomon Twala and Nomsa Sibiya. Hawks Mpumalanga spokesperson Capt Dineo Sekgotodi said the five were arrested by the serious commercial crime investigation team, based in Middelburg, for fraud, theft and money-laundering respectively. “An investigation revealed that during 2021, Tutuka issued an order to Umnandi Conference and Catering for the purchase and delivery of two containers at the power station. It is alleged that the accused, as procurement officer, colluded with Umnandi Services and submitted fraudulent documents, inflating prices from R60,000 to R939,000 causing prejudice to Eskom,” Sekgotodi indicated. The case against the five was postponed until 8 June for the drafting of the charges.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Khanyisile Ngcobo at TimesLIVE