Law reform gaps in child protection
READ: Silence and stigma failing SA's children
The Social Development Department leads the initiative in partnership with justice, education and civil society organisations.
Social Development Child Protection acting chief director, Neliswa Cekiso, Justice Department's Charmain Badenhorst, and the Centre for Child Law's Stanley Malematja discussed this with eNCA.
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Daily Maverick
14 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Sanction Rosatom and send clear signal that occupation of nuclear plants will not be tolerated
The occupation by Russia of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is the first instance in history where a nuclear power plant has been militarily occupied and operated for over three years during active warfare. The deadline that US President Donald Trump had established for Russia to start a ceasefire, stop its aggression against Ukraine, or otherwise face the threat of sanctions was 8 August 2025. This was the sixth time that Trump had demanded that Vladimir Putin stop the war; however, Putin had previously declined such offers. The day passed uneventfully. During the 11 years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, numerous peace initiatives have emerged, including the African Peace Mission. But analysts see little sign that Putin is prepared to abandon his intention to take control of Ukraine. In 2022, Russia declared in its Constitution that four Ukrainian regions were part of its territory, but failed to fully take over any of them militarily. Now Putin would have to amend the Russian constitution to halt the aggression at the current frontline — a highly risky political move that could bring about the end of his political power. Thus, he is demanding that Ukrainians leave their homes 'voluntarily' because the Russian army failed to take these territories by force. In July this year, Russia launched more than 6,000 drones and fired dozens of missiles targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, killing civilians far from the frontline. Just in the first half of this year, 6,754 civilians have been killed or injured, according to the UN. The war remains intense, and no one is safe in Ukraine. Nevertheless, hopes are high again for 15 August, when Trump is expected to meet with Putin in Alaska, the territory the US once bought from Russia. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has previously spoken in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity, also spoke with both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents last week, raising expectations that a ceasefire may be possible. Sanctions The expectations are that Trump can speak from a position of strength and threaten sanctions. However, given Russia's negligible trade with the US, what sanctions could Trump introduce that would be meaningful? The Russian state budget used to receive about 50% of its revenue from oil and gas exports; this had already dropped to 30% in 2024. Further sanctions could seriously undermine the Kremlin's ability to fund the war, which is expensive to run. In 2025, a record 40% of Russia's state budget has been allocated to defence and security. Another 6%-10% of revenue comes from the Russian state agency Rosatom, which serves a dual role: developing civilian nuclear reactors and acting as a strategic arm of the Kremlin's military sector by producing parts for non-nuclear weapons and other defence technologies. Rosatom's subsidiaries supply components to Russia's military-industrial complex, including drone technologies. Some of these facilities, such as the drone production factory in Alabuga, have been accused by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime of recruiting African women aged 18 to 22 to drone production under allegedly false promises of a 'work-study programme'. Rosatom, whose regional office has operated in South Africa since 2012, plays a key role in the military occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, seized by Russian military forces in March 2022 and turned into a geopolitical hostage. The occupation of the plant is the first instance in history where a nuclear power plant has been militarily occupied and has been operated for more than three years during active warfare. Rosatom plays a key role in this precedent. The violations of the International Atomic Energy Agency's seven nuclear safety pillars — the physical integrity of facilities, operability of safety systems, autonomy of staff decision-making, secure off-site power, uninterrupted logistics, effective radiation monitoring and reliable communication with regulators — have already been documented at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The detailed analysis of these violations and what they mean for the African continent is presented in the Policy Brief on Nuclear Safety during Military Invasion, presented ahead of the African Union's Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Accra in July 2024. The brief presents a comprehensive case study of nuclear vulnerability during wartime and calls for urgent action by African countries, including South Africa, to prevent similar situations on the continent. However, the challenges at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant go beyond the risk of physical damage to the facility. In May 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that 13 Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant employees had been abducted, including three cases this year. The whereabouts of at least one detained worker remains unknown. The organisation also documented forced labour, coerced union membership and serious occupational safety risks for staff. Pressure to sign contracts More than 40 documented witness accounts by human rights organisations such as Truth Hounds suggest that since March 2022, Rosatom experts were fully aware of the pressure that the military personnel were putting on the nuclear operators to sign contracts with Rosatom. They were aware of interrogations, detentions, torture, psychological coercion and decisions to deny shift rotations. This is not a technical dispute. It is a systematic breach of international humanitarian law and nuclear safety norms, and of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. International mechanisms such as the UN have been powerless in the face of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant occupation. In July 2024, the UN passed a resolution — 'Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant' — condemning the Russian occupation of the plant and calling for the immediate withdrawal of military forces to ensure global nuclear safety. Many African countries supported this resolution, recognising the threat to international peace posed by the militarisation of a civilian nuclear site. In addition, 13 African states — including Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia — endorsed the Peace Summit Communiqué in Switzerland, affirming Ukraine's sovereign control over its nuclear sites. However, these international documents lack binding power. Torture Instead, sanctions or a refusal to cooperate with organisations that support torture could reduce the funding available for the war. Such sanctions can be implemented by any country that aims to promote human rights and nuclear safety. South Africa co-chairs the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Ukraine is one of the few countries that gave up its nuclear weapons, despite holding the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal prior to 1994. That year, it voluntarily disarmed, joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty, accepted International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, and allowed international inspections. In return, the US, the UK and Russia committed to respecting and protecting Ukraine's borders and sovereignty. The silence and acceptance of military risks, and the violations of international labour practices, corporate responsibilities and human rights, show why governments that want to protect their population must act — not in reaction to a European war, but in defence of their own nuclear future. DM Dzvinka Kachur is with the Ukrainian Association of South Africa. Volodymyr Lakomov and Ilko Kucheriv are with the Democratic Initiatives Foundation.
The Citizen
19 hours ago
- The Citizen
MMC vows to take decisive action against illegal traders and road offenders
MMC vows to take decisive action against illegal traders and road offenders The metro won't tolerate lawlessness, and will take decisive action against illegal traders, road offenders, and those found to be in the country unlawfully. This is according to MMC for Community Safety, Hannes Coetzee, who made the remarks following a series of co-ordinated TMPD operations across the metro recently. Coetzee said the operations were aimed at protecting residents, upholding the rule of law, and sending a clear signal to offenders that Tshwane is not a haven for criminal activity. In Winterveldt, TMPD Region 1 Sector 1 officers spearheaded a joint operation targeting the unlawful presence of individuals in the country and the illegal sale of alcohol. The operation resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects, nine for being in the country illegally, and three for trading alcohol without valid licences. According to Coetzee, the arrests demonstrate that the metro is prepared to act decisively against those who disregard regulations, operate outside the legal framework, and exploit vulnerable communities for personal gain. Simultaneously, in Hammanskraal, Sector 1 officers conducted an intensive road safety blitz aimed at increasing compliance with traffic regulations. Dozens of vehicles were stopped and inspected, leading to the issuing of 62 AARTO infringement notices for violations, including unroadworthy vehicles, failure to display valid documentation, and reckless driving. Coetzee said road safety remained a top priority, adding that enforcement operations play a vital role in reducing road accidents, improving driver behaviour, and ultimately saving lives. – In a separate incident, TMPD patrol officers intercepted two vehicles transporting 53 Zimbabwean nationals, who were found to be in the country illegally. These individuals were taken into custody and are now undergoing the due immigration process. Coetzee emphasised that such interventions are crucial in maintaining border integrity, safeguarding public order, and preventing the exploitation of migrants by unscrupulous operators. 'We want to be unequivocal. Tshwane is not a haven for criminality. Whether it be unlicensed trading, road law violations, or illegal immigration, we will act decisively. 'The law is not an option; it is a non-negotiable standard. These operations reflect not only our resolve to enforce the law but also our dedication to protecting the dignity and safety of every resident.' He also expressed deep appreciation to TMPD officers for their professionalism, dedication, and the personal risks they take to keep communities safe. He described the success of the operations as the result of effective planning, collaboration with key stakeholders, and a shared commitment to upholding the values enshrined in the Constitution. Coetzee urged residents to actively support the TMPD's work by reporting suspicious activities, adhering to the law, and fostering a culture of mutual respect and accountability. 'We hear your concerns, we feel your frustrations, and we are acting. 'Together, we will build a metro defined not by disorder, but by law, dignity and opportunity,' he said. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
IOL News
21 hours ago
- IOL News
High Court rules against NPA's extradition request for Richard Payne
Some of the accused in the matter. From left: Obakeng Stephen Mookeletsi, Sybil Ngcobo, Valdis Ntsieni Ramaano, Brian Hlongwa, and Reatile Kingdom Lolwane. Image: Baldwin Ndaba / Independent Newspapers The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA's) bid to extradite fugitive businessman Richard Payne from the UK to face charges in the R1.2 billion graft case involving former Gauteng Health MEC Brian Hlongwa has hit a brick wall. Suspended director of public prosecutions, Gauteng local division Andrew Chauke, submitted an extradition request to the UK government in September 2022 to get Payne to return to South Africa to face 258 counts of contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, racketeering, fraud, corruption and money laundering in the long-running R1.2bn irregular tender case between 2006 and 2010. Payne is wanted in the country in relation to the matter involving one of his companies, 3P Consulting, and various others, including Ukwakha Design, Midnight Masquerade Properties 72, and Golden Pond Trading 363. His other co-accused, besides Hlongwa, who also served as ANC chief whip in the Gauteng provincial legislature, are former Gauteng Health Department employees, directors of companies, and their business partners – Obakeng Stephen Mookeletsi, Sybil Nomhle Ngcobo, Valdis Ntsieni Ramaano, Abul Kalam Mohammed Mahmudur Rahman, and Reatile Kingdom Lolwane, according to the NPA. In a judgment handed down on August 2, Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, Acting Judge Lindsey Kilmartin reviewed and set aside Chauke's extradition request dated September 26, 2022, to the UK government. Acting Judge Kilmartin declared the extradition request inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid. She also declared that Chauke and National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi have no authority to submit an extradition request on behalf of South Africa to the UK. According to Acting Judge Kilmartin, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in May last year ruled that only the Minister of Justice in his/her capacity as a member of the national executive of South Africa has the power to make an extradition request. The SCA decision was made in South African citizen Johnathan Richard Schultz's attempt to thwart the NPA's extradition request to face charges of theft and sale of unwrought precious metals dating back to 2019. In the Schultz matter, the NPA filed its application for leave to appeal at the Constitutional Court three-and-a-half months late, and Acting Judge Kilmartin stated that this means the SCA judgment stands and is the law which must be applied. Additionally, the SCA found that international law makes it clear that the executive arm of the government is empowered to engage with foreign states in the international law community and the Minister of Justice is the functionary who signs extradition treaties on behalf of South Africa and s/he is the functionary responsible for performing all acts necessary to give effect to the treaty. The NPA was unsuccessful in its application to stay Payne's review application pending the outcome of its Schultz application for leave to appeal at the apex court. 'This is not a case where duplication of judicial resources is taking place and the stay requested by the NPA respondents (Chauke and Batohi) cannot be granted merely on the basis that the Constitutional Court 'may yet establish a new test or understanding of the relevant facts and law'," the acting judge stated. In April, the UK's King's Bench Division allowed Payne's appeal of an earlier March 2024 order sending his case to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who made an extradition order in May last year, and found that the extradition proceedings against him were an abuse of process but there was no basis to show that the government of South Africa, as prosecutor, had manipulated the court process. Prosecutors accuse the group of committing a range of irregularities, including awarding of tenders, irregular payments, and fraudulent financial mismanagement, with 3P Consulting and its associated companies securing lucrative state contracts by exploiting personal relationships and illegal dealings within the department. Earlier this year, the NPA said the accused allegedly facilitated corruption through inflated contracts, unauthorised payments, and diversion of funds intended for public services. The alleged offences led to the department misusing its budget, with over R347 million in irregular payments, which include false claims for project management services and extra charges that were not part of the contracts.
