Lesufi suspends two community safety officials amid financial irregularities probe
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has suspended the provincial community safety head of department (HOD) Nontsikelelo Sisulu and the department's chief financial officer, Mduduzi Malope.
The duo were suspended with immediate effect on Tuesday, 5 August 2025.
Suspensions
Lesufi explained that the suspensions are a precautionary measure to ensure fair and unbiased investigations.
'The provincial government is committed to restoring public trust by upholding the highest standards of integrity.
'We maintain a zero-tolerance stance against corruption and misconduct. Through proactive and corrective measures, we will strengthen governance, ensure the ethical and responsible use of public funds, and safeguard the interests of Gauteng residents,' said Lesufi.
Lesufi said an acting HOD and CFO will be appointed to ensure continuity of service delivery.
ALSO READ: Is Joburg ready to host G20? Gauteng on frenzy to repair potholes and streetlights [VIDEO]
Reshuffle
On Sunday, Lesufi announced that he had removed or reshuffled several heads of departments within the Gauteng provincial government due to a series of under expenditure and underperformance by departments, lifestyle audits, and failures to meet performance targets in some instances.
The shakeup comes after forensic investigation reports were released, detailing corruption and maladministration.
'Corruption continues to be one of the country's most pressing challenges, undermining effective governance and sustainable development,' said Lesufi.
Forensic reports
The 39 forensic reports mentioned by Lesufi follow the 47 reports announced by the premier on 24 June.
'The released reports detail investigations into serious offences and improper behaviour across multiple departments. They cover a wide range of misconduct, from criminal acts to minor breaches of conduct.'
The Gauteng premier said the reports will not be released at this stage, to avoid 'harming the enforcement or implementation of the recommendations'.
'We are aware that releasing certain details early might disrupt ongoing legal cases or make it harder to follow the recommendations, including putting whistleblowers' identities and safety at risk.'
G20 in Joburg
Meanwhile, with just over 100 days left before the City of Johannesburg hosts world leaders at the crucial G20 Summit, Lesufi believes the city will be ready for the event in November, despite a lot of work that still needs to be completed.
The city of Johannesburg has been on a frantic rush to repair roads and potholes, dysfunctional traffic lights, which cause heavy traffic congestion and raw sewage flowing in the streets ahead of the G20 Summit.
At a media briefing in Midrand on Sunday, Lesufi told journalists that his administration would embark on visits every Tuesday to ensure the city of Joburg is ready for the G20 Summit in November.
Additional reporting by Gareth Cotterell
ALSO READ: Cape Town mayor capitalises on Joburg's woes as Lesufi apologises to Ramaphosa [VIDEOS]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
11 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
African media must follow the money and treat AI as a story about power, not tech
Scott Timcke is a senior research associate with Research ICT Africa. He is affiliated with the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Social Change and the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A gap has emerged in global discussions about AI governance during South Africa's G20 presidency. This is the role of independent media as democracy's watchdog in an age of concentrated digital power. The Media20 (M20) initiative – an independent civil society initiative that mirrors official G20 engagement groups for business, think tanks and civil society, among others – has identified this gap through a recent set of policy briefs, in particular, one on AI, Africa and the G20. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads The findings point to a conundrum. Just as AI systems increasingly shape economic, social and political outcomes across Africa, the media's capacity to scrutinise these developments is being undermined by the very forces they should be monitoring. The triple challenge facing African media Three interconnected challenges demand urgent G20 attention. First, AI development remains concentrated among a handful of global technology companies, creating concentrations of transnational power that national regulatory mechanisms struggle to govern effectively. When decisions made in Silicon Valley boardrooms can determine whether African farmers receive crop recommendations or students access educational content, the stakes for democratic oversight come into relief. Second, Africa occupies a structurally disadvantaged position in the global AI economy. While African workers earn just $1-$3 per hour, labelling images that enable billion-dollar AI applications like autonomous vehicles, they remain locked out of the more profitable layers of the AI technology stack. This digital extraction mirrors historical patterns of resource exploitation where raw materials flow outward while value-added benefits remain elsewhere. Third, and perhaps most critically, journalism covering AI governance suffers from significant knowledge gaps. Too many reporters treat AI developments as 'technology stories', focusing on capabilities and breakthrough narratives, rather than examining the deeper 'power and policy stories' that reveal governance implications and labour impacts. This framing obscures the real questions: Who controls these systems? How are decisions made? What is the impact on ordinary Africans? Democracy under pressure This oversight becomes particularly concerning given Africa's deteriorating information ecosystem. Since 2022, foreign-sponsored disinformation campaigns have targeted at least 39 African countries, exploiting structural vulnerabilities including limited media literacy and declining press freedom. Meanwhile, governments increasingly distort 'fake news' or 'misinformation' laws to suppress dissent, while internet shutdowns undermine freedom of expression and access to information. The surge in information manipulation coincides with AI systems increasingly shaping critical sectors such as agriculture, health, education and governance itself. When algorithmic decision-making affects everything from loan approvals to university admissions, independent oversight becomes more crucial than ever. Yet the technical complexity of AI systems often shields corporate practices from public scrutiny, while the global nature of AI companies complicates jurisdictional oversight. The M20's democratic vision The M20 initiative seeks to interact with official G20 engagement groups and advocate for media recognition as a core pillar of sustainable financial development, human rights and global cooperation. This approach recognises that effective AI governance cannot emerge from purely technocratic solutions; it requires robust democratic accountability mechanisms. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads The initiative's recommendations for G20 consideration include establishing AI governance transparency standards that mandate algorithmic impact assessments for government AI deployments, supporting independent AI oversight mechanisms through funding streams for media organisations to develop AI governance expertise, and promoting African AI tools that serve local languages and contexts rather than marginalising them. Most importantly, the M20 calls for strengthening media freedom through concrete benchmarks for press freedom and information integrity, including sanctions for governments that weaponise disinformation legislation against journalists. Reframing the story For African media organisations, the challenge lies in developing the technical literacy needed to cover AI governance effectively, while maintaining editorial independence from potentially unsustainable and biased AI services. If done correctly, they can reframe AI coverage to focus on power dynamics rather than 'technological wizardry'. This means following the money and data in AI systems, particularly examining how African data contributes to AI development and whether economic benefits flow back to African communities. It means developing systematic approaches to covering government use of AI in service delivery and security agencies, with attention to transparency and citizen impact. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Most crucially, it means challenging corporate narratives about AI benefits with independent verification, particularly examining outsized claims about the ability of AI solutions to achieve development goals. A continental imperative The stakes extend beyond journalism itself. AI systems are reshaping Africa's relationship with the global economy, determining whether the continent remains locked into extractive relationships or develops genuine technological sovereignty. The African Union's Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, endorsed last year, recognises this imperative. But implementation requires the kind of sustained, critical oversight that only independent media can provide. As recent reports indicate a decline in press freedom across major democracies, with significant economic pressures on news organisations, the M20's mission becomes even more acute. Effective AI governance requires collaborative networks that share resources and expertise across borders, recognising that the forces shaping Africa's digital future operate on a global scale. For African media, this means that embracing their role as democracy's watchdog becomes more vital in an era of concentrated digital power. The question is whether Africa's journalists are ready to tell the real story of AI; not as a tale of technological progress, but as a fundamental question of power, democracy and self-determination. DM
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- The Citizen
‘If they want to bring sanctions, let them': Mbalula challenges Trump administration
The ANC says it is not willing to back down on its BEE policy. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has dared the United States (US) government to sanction ANC leaders. This comes after relations between South Africa and the US appear to have degenerated, with US lawmakers voting to advance a bill that seeks to review the relationship between the two countries. If successful, the bill could also lead to some ANC leaders being sanctioned by Washington. President Donald Trump's administration has also slapped South Africa with a 30% tariff hike on all goods exported to the US. This comes into effect on 8 August. Mbalula hits back at US Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Mbalula was defiant. 'If it means that we have to suffer through sanctions as leaders of the ANC let it be. We will never back imperialists to subvert our democracy, to subvert our sovereignty. 'We will never forsake our country which we fought for its liberation and we are still marching on even now. 'Not this ANC, not this leadership, if they want to bring sanctions on us, let them bring it on,' he said. Mbalula insists that there is no genocide in South Africa and that the constitution protects people of all races. 'This country, South Africa, all its citizens know that it is a democratic country, it's a liberated country and we are still transforming this country in order to achieve equity, and we will still pursue redress because we are not equal,' he said. Is SA being punished? Mbalula said the ANC is not willing to abandon its key policies, especially BEE. He indirectly said the US is asking the ANC to lose its identity. 'You are asking the ANC, this African National Congress to stop struggling and close shop and become something. We are not the DA they can agree with that because they do not want affirmative action,' he said. ALSO READ: Ramokgopa dismisses claims US tariffs target BEE policy but admits it needs 'tweaking' Mbalula described the upcoming tariffs as punitive measures. 'We must understand that the tariffs imposed by the US are negatively going to affect our economy and you cannot say on national interest, undo BEE and all of that in order to appease to United States of America because among others this is what the US wants from us, that we must do away with certain policies which for us, in terms of transformation, is not going to be possible.' US's historic relationship with the ANC Mbalula said the ANC had a tense relationship with the US during the apartheid era. He said Washington classified the ANC as a terror organisation at the time. 'This ambassador of the US that has been sent to us now is one of the proponents of that resolution of banning the ANC and that we should be regarded as a terrorist organisation. 'Our president then, Oliver Tambo, had to go to the US to clarify that we are not a terrorist organisation,' he said. ALSO READ: Trump threatens not to come to SA for G20 meeting and the 'reason' won't surprise you SA delegation in the US Mbalula said he is disappointed that even now, the US does not recognise the efforts the party is making to transform South Africa. 'We go to see him through the president of a democratically elected South African government, we sit with him and he plays videos for us. And then he says on the basis of those videos the whole nation must be punished. He is not coming to the G20 and that is it, despite the facts saying something different,' he said. Mbalula said the South African government has been at pains trying to convince Washington that there are no human rights abuses in the country. 'In the delegation, we sent prominent business people who say that this thing that you are talking about is not the way it is unfolding in the country, but they are not retreating. And they are intensifying,' he said. NOW READ: US tariffs: Here's why talks over trade deal have been 'complex'
The Citizen
14 hours ago
- The Citizen
Lesufi's suspension decision praised
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi suspended two community safety officials amid financial irregularities The Gauteng Provincial Legislature's Portfolio Committee on Community Safety says Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's decision to suspend two community safety officials amid a financial irregularities probe reflects a strong commitment to ethical governance. Provincial community safety head of department (HOD), Nontsikelelo Sisulu, and the department's chief financial officer, Mduduzi Malope, were suspended by the premier with immediate effect on Tuesday. Suspensions Lesufi explained that the suspensions are a precautionary measure to ensure fair and unbiased investigations.. The portfolio committee said the chairperson, Bandile Masuku, had taken note of the suspensions. 'The Committee welcomes the decisive intervention by Premier Panyaza Lesufi, which reflects a strong commitment to ethical governance, transparency, and accountability within the Provincial administration.' ALSO READ: Lesufi suspends two community safety officials amid financial irregularities probe 'Irregularities' It said both the HOD and CFO regularly appeared before the Committee to present reports on the department's financial performance. 'No indications of such irregularities were evident during these engagements, raising important questions about the effectiveness of current oversight mechanisms. 'In response, the Committee is calling on the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to review and strengthen its Sector Oversight Model to ensure more rigorous scrutiny of departmental financial performance, 'it said. Accountability measures The committee said it will also implement more robust accountability measures and intensify efforts to detect and prevent financial mismanagement. 'The Committee will continue to monitor this matter closely and will engage the premier's office and other relevant authorities to ensure that appropriate action is taken and that public trust is restored.' Forensic reports The committee said it will also ask for a full briefing on the forensic report and explore further measures to strengthen financial controls and accountability. On Sunday, Lesufi announced that he had removed or reshuffled several heads of departments within the Gauteng provincial government due to a series of under expenditure and underperformance by departments, lifestyle audits, and failures to meet performance targets in some instances. The shake-up comes after forensic investigation reports were released, detailing corruption and maladministration. ALSO READ: Is Joburg ready to host G20? Gauteng on frenzy to repair potholes and streetlights [VIDEO]
