Watch – When will SA's top management jobs move beyond the pale?
Despite decades of transformation policy, South Africa's corporate leadership remains overwhelmingly white and male. As the ANC and DA clash in court over the Employment Equity Act, the deeper question remains: why is real change still so elusive? Daily Maverick's Lindsey Schutters explains.
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IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
Government's commitment to empowering smallholder farmers through land reform and financial support
Deputy President Paul Mashatile Mashatile also said several strides have been made towards improving access to funding and resource support for small-scale and smallholder farmers in terms of production support and market access. Image: Siyabulela Duda/GCIS Deputy President Paul Mashatile said on Thursday that the government is playing a crucial role in ensuring that small farmers become sustainable and thriving enterprises, aligned to the country's land reform and rural development objectives. Responding during the question-and-answer session, Mashatile said the government supported smallholder farmers in rural areas through the agriculture agro-processing master plan. 'The master plan aims to enhance agricultural products, promote agro-processing, and enhance market access by creating capacity, accelerating land reform, and offering financial assistance to farmers,' he said. He was responding to ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli, who observed that the smallholder farming sector is still unable to access credit from commercial banks due to the rigid qualification criteria of the banks, which have the effect of being discriminatory and exclusionary. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ntuli asked about the government's measures to accelerate agricultural support, implemented, and considered to assess the extent to which commercial banks can contribute towards growing the agricultural sector by adjusting their qualification criteria to smallholder farmers in rural and underdeveloped provinces. Mashatile said the government was implementing support instruments to allow qualified potential producers to participate in the agricultural sector. 'These instruments are provided to eligible producers in the form of grants, loans, or a mix of both. This includes the grant-based Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme and the loan and grant-based blended finance scheme.' He stated that through the blended finance scheme, the Land Bank, the Development Bank of South Africa, and the Department of Agriculture offer blended finance where grants were combined with loans to provide a more manageable financial package for emerging farmers. 'These interventions are implemented to ensure optimal participation of smallholder farmers, particularly from rural areas, and other producers in the agricultural sector, regardless of their scale of production.' Mashatile also said several strides have been made towards improving access to funding and resource support for small-scale and smallholder farmers in terms of production support and market access. 'We are also committed to leveraging trade agreements in agricultural products through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area to boost intra-Africa trade, eliminate trade barriers and promote regional value chains. If we effectively utilise regional structures like the Africa continental free trade area, our smallholder farmers will have a platform to access larger regional markets and potentially benefit from increased demand for their products.' He said they were actively seeking to expand agricultural market access to countries like Japan, particularly for citrus fruits and avocados. In a follow-up question, DA MP Willie Aucamp said most smallholder farmers still do not own the land they farm on, and they, therefore, cannot provide that land as security for the loans. Aucamp asked about steps being taken to ensure that the title deeds of land were transferred from the State to the people who farm on it so that they can easily obtain loans for working capital. In response, Mashatile said one of the programmes that they were busy with was to ensure that most of those who have land transferred to them should also get title deeds to those pieces of land. "That programme is on the table as we speak.' He also said that the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, and the Minister of Land Reform, Mzwanele Nyhontso, are collaborating to ensure that the problem of smallholder farmers still without title deeds to their land was addressed. 'You may have noticed that the Minister of Land Reform has been going around releasing more land, but also dealing with this very issue of ensuring titles. There is a bit of a challenge in rural areas because we also have to engage with the chiefs and the traditional leaders, and so on. Sometimes in some areas, the traditional leaders will say no, they must hold the title for everybody, and there is tension there, but we are busy dealing with it.'
IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
Parks Tau faces scrutiny over lottery licence award as losing bidder challenges decision
Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau is under scrutiny as a losing bidder challenges the award of the fourth lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings in court. Image: Independent Media Archives Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition Parks Tau is facing mounting pressure after a losing bidder for the fourth lottery licence, Lekalinga (RF) Pty Ltd, applied to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, seeking to review and set aside the decision to award the licence to Sizekhaya Holdings. The court application comes hot on the heels of the DA's demand for Tau to appear before the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition to clarify how he selected Sizekhaya Holdings and how he struck a deal with Ithuba Holdings, the current operator of the National Lottery. The DA has written to the Chairperson of the portfolio committee, Mzwandile Masina, demanding that Tau and the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) chairperson, Barney Pityana, appear before the committee to account for the opaque manner in which Sizekhaya Holdings was appointed as the new licence holder. "We are concerned about the lack of transparency in the appointment process," said Toby Chance, DA spokesperson on Trade, Industry and Competition. "There are reports that many of the Lotto's 17,000 ticket machines are not operational, due to technical problems emanating from a switch of systems. This is unacceptable." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Lekalinga (RF) Pty Ltd, a Serbian-based company that teamed up with local partners, has filed a court application that seeks to force Tau to produce the record of his decision when awarding the licence to Sizekhaya Holdings. The company, founded by Vladimir Vukovic, is questioning whether Sizekhaya could lawfully be awarded the licence, given its alleged non-compliance with some of the conditions bidders had to adhere to. Vukovic said in his affidavit that his company had teamed up with local partners to bid for the licence but was not informed of the reasons for the decision. "As a result, Lekalinga does not know the basis on which the licence was awarded to Sizekhaya or why the other bids were unsuccessful," he said. Vukovic raised concerns regarding Sizekhaya's alleged links to the JSE-listed gaming group Goldrush and the potential for indirect financial interests held by prohibited persons. "The record should reveal the extent to which the minister assessed whether any political party or political office-bearer holds a direct or indirect financial interest in Sizekhaya and ensured compliance with the applicable prohibitions," he said. Vukovic also questioned Sizekhaya's ability to take over the lottery within the stipulated five-month timeframe. "This timeline is significant. It points to the ability to mobilise resources, infrastructure, and operational capacity within that timeframe," he said. Tau's spokesperson, Yamkela Fanisi, said Tau respected the decision made by Vukovic. "The minister respects the decision by those who were not successful bidders... He believes the process was credible and followed due process. At a time when the portfolio committee calls us to account, we will do so," Fanisi said. Meanwhile, Tau has applied for leave to appeal against a recent court ruling that set aside his decision to grant a 12-month temporary licence to Ithuba Holdings. The appeal, lodged with the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, effectively allows Ithuba to continue running the lottery until the appeal outcome is reached. Ithuba has agreed to continue operating the National Lottery, ensuring that all games, draws, and prize payouts will proceed normally. The company has reassured the public that it will maintain their commitment to integrity, transparency, and the benefit of South Africans. While Ithuba's continued operation provides short-term relief, the long-term future of the National Lottery remains uncertain. Sizekhaya Holdings is set to take over the lottery in June 2026, but questions remain about the transparency of the licensing process and the impact of further legal challenges, and how Tau struck a deal with Ithuba to hold the fort while Sizekhaya is obtaining its licence.
IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
One year on, SA's GNU marked by dysfunction and missed opportunities
A year into South Africa's Government of National Unity, political compromise remains elusive, raising concerns about gridlock, infrastructure decay, and coalition fragility amid hopes for economic reform and unity. As South Africa marks the one-year anniversary of its Government of National Unity (GNU), the country stands at a crossroads—again. The 2024 general election failed to produce an outright majority, ushering in a coalition arrangement intended to provide political stability and economic direction. But has it worked? That was the central question of a webinar hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on Thursday, chaired by Professor Purshottama Reddy, a governance expert. The panel featured UKZN political science lecturer Zakhele Ndlovu, Merchant Africa director Advocate Lavan Gopaul, KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers, and Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh. Ndlovu noted that despite the hope surrounding the GNU's formation, the country remains mired in indecision and dysfunction. 'Eight months ago, I said we were at a crossroads. Guess what? We still are,' he said. He cited legislative stalemates over key bills - the BELA, NHI and Expropriation Bills - as well as a deadlock on the national budget, as evidence of systemic gridlock. 'All these bills passed without DA support, yet the DA remains in the GNU. Some call it capitulation. I disagree,' said Ndlovu, arguing instead that the DA's legal challenge over the budget reflects profound unease. Still, there have been flashes of unity. Ndlovu referenced a recent White House delegation led by President Cyril Ramaphosa: 'Seeing GNU partners speak with one voice gives us hope.' Ndlovu narrowed his economic critique to two flashpoints: collapsing infrastructure and dysfunctional state-owned enterprises (SOEs). 'Electricity and water outages caused by poor maintenance are hurting business. Rail systems, especially those serving working-class routes like Stanger-Durban, have all but collapsed,' he said. He called the cabinet's portfolio allocations 'misaligned,' pointing to Defence Minister Angie Motshekga's lack of military experience. 'Appointments must be based on competence, not political horse-trading.' beg to differ,' Ndlovu said.
