
Driver's license printing card machine bid committee's European trip ignites controversy
It's the lead story in Sunday's edition of the Sunday Times.
In a video, provided by Outa, the delegation can be seen toasting each other in Amsterdam.
They also visited France and other parts of Europe.
But, they haven't provided an explanation for why they were there.
The Acting Transport DG says the machines are in the Czech Republic and Greece.
Idemia SA was awarded the tender for the card-printing system for the next five years.
It's valued at R1-billion rand, R412-million more than budgeted for.
The Department has asked for the contract to be set aside.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


eNCA
7 hours ago
- eNCA
Driver's license printing card machine bid committee's European trip ignites controversy
AMSTERDAM - A grand European vacation, at least that is what it seems, like for the driver's license printing card machine bid evaluation committee. It's the lead story in Sunday's edition of the Sunday Times. In a video, provided by Outa, the delegation can be seen toasting each other in Amsterdam. They also visited France and other parts of Europe. But, they haven't provided an explanation for why they were there. The Acting Transport DG says the machines are in the Czech Republic and Greece. Idemia SA was awarded the tender for the card-printing system for the next five years. It's valued at R1-billion rand, R412-million more than budgeted for. The Department has asked for the contract to be set aside.


The Citizen
13 hours ago
- The Citizen
Fixed electricity charge suspension fails to ease financial strain
Residents say they remain under financial strain despite the CoE's decision to suspend a controversial fixed electricity charge. Following protests in Tembisa, Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza announced the suspension of the R126 fixed tariff fee (including VAT) that came into effect on July 1. But some residents believe the suspension offers little relief. Resident Pontsho Ramatsoma said, 'It feels like a tactic to calm the community. Once we've forgotten, they might bring it back. If they wanted to help, they would scrap the increases completely.' Ramatsoma said his monthly electricity bill has more than doubled from R500 to over R1 000, forcing him to cut expenses and change his usage habits. He also criticised the city's communication efforts. He also touched on the CoE's (CoE) communication rollout before the tariff increases came into effect. 'There are elderly people who are not on social media or don't have the comprehension skills to understand the language used to communicate the tariff increases. The city should prioritise sending their employees to engage with the community in a manner that allows them to enquire if they need clarity,' he said. Another resident, Dimakatso Motsoenening, added that the cost of electricity had made it difficult to get by daily. 'Life is unaffordable. We're already struggling to put butter on expensive bread. Add these increases, and we might as well starve. What we need is relief, not increases. Electricity has become a luxury,' she said. This issue has not only affected the working class but also the unemployed. Unemployed resident James Lombard wrote to the Springs Advertiser, explaining that his R350 monthly electricity budget now buys 75kWh instead of 131kWh, an effective hike of 75%. 'If I still wanted 131kWh, it would cost me around R612. How can they justify this?' Responding to enquiries, CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the sharp increases for low-use households were primarily due to a new fixed R109.78 monthly charge for Tariff A2 prepaid users. Tariff A1 has no fixed charge and is aimed at indigent households. 'Tariff A1 does not have fixed charges and is suitable for indigent consumers. This charge applies regardless of how little electricity is used, thus pushing up the effective price per unit cost for small consumers. This structure was introduced to ensure fair recovery of infrastructure maintenance costs, which are independent of use levels,' Dlamini said. He addressed Lombard's concerns over the unit prices by explaining that an increase of 11.32% was implemented for prepaid users (tariffs A1 and A2) with an additional fixed charge of R109.78 for Tariff A2 customers. Therefore, 131kWh will now cost R240.90 for Tariff A1 and R515.8 for Tariff A2 customers. Dlamini added there are measures in place to protect the vulnerable households, such as the provision of Free Basic Electricity 50kWh to customers on Tariff A1 (registered indigent households), the Indigent Policy, which provides relief on municipal services including electricity, for which households must be registered, and lastly, the phased implementation of fixed charges that was used to ease the transition. The city acknowledged the concerns raised about the recent tariff adjustments. 'Formal notices were published through official channels, including the city's website, newspapers and council presentations. Going forward, the city is committed to improving the clarity of tariff announcements, using relatable examples that reflect real household scenarios, enhancing engagement through ward councillor briefings, public meetings, digital platforms and issuing simplified tariff guides, showing the total monthly cost under different consumption levels,' Dlamini concluded.

Eyewitness News
a day ago
- Eyewitness News
Springboks vs Australia: Gautrain Management Agency partners with PRASA to transport fans
JOHANNESBURG - The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) has again partnered with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to provide seamless train services for rugby fans attending the match between the Springboks and Australia on Saturday afternoon. Fans are encouraged to take the Gautrain to Park Station and from there, hop on to a PRASA train to the Ellis Park Stadium. Gautrain spokesperson Albi Modise said their train service will run until 16:00 and resume at 20:45, after the game. Modise said the collaboration with PRASA forms part of a broader effort to create a more integrated, accessible public transport system. 'With our parking fees at R1 a day, we urge all rugby fans to take advantage of this safe and convenient and seamless service and help ease the pressure on Joburg's roads,' he said.