National Freedom Party calls for investigation into KwaZulu-Natal MECs' corruption allegations
In a statement, the party urged the premier to recall the two MECs. Party leader, Ivan Rowan Barnes, stated that the NFP is calling for an urgent and thorough investigation into serious allegations of corruption, patronage, and maladministration involving KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for Education, Sipho Hlomuka, and MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane. Both Hlomuka and Simelane have denied any wrongdoing.
'Publicly available information suggests that both MECs, along with members of their families, may be poised to improperly benefit from government programmes intended to support previously disadvantaged businesses. Further reports indicate that political allies within the African National Congress (ANC) may also stand to gain from these initiatives—allegedly facilitated by the implicated officials.
'The NFP is gravely concerned by the questionable procurement processes through which companies linked to the MECs' families were reportedly appointed. We therefore demand a comprehensive, transparent investigation to determine the extent of any wrongdoing.
'We believe a full investigation will reveal how programmes meant to empower emerging businesses may be manipulated to entrench corruption and political patronage,' said Barnes.
THE MERCURY
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2 days ago
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KwaZulu-Natal seeks R1. 7 billion to address housing crisis for flood victims
While in Cornubia, north of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma celebrated the progress in building new homes for flood victims. Image: Supplied KwaZulu-Natal government needs R1.7 billion to achieve its objective of building thousands of permanent homes for the victims of 2022 and this year's floods in the land donated by traditional leaders. Some of the housing projects are already under way, and provincial Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma hopes that some families will have new permanent homes during the festive season. Premier Thami Ntuli and Duma visited Cornubia, north of Durban, on Thursday to inspect 1,200 houses, which are still under construction at a cost of about R600 million. After inspecting the Cornubia housing project, Ntuli said there was light at the end of the tunnel for the flood victims who are currently living in inhumane conditions. He commended Duma's efforts. 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 ✕ Ad loading 'They told me that this coming December, 113 other victims will be relocated to Cornubia, and next December, everyone will have houses to live in,' said Ntuli. Duma stated that R25 million has already been allocated for constructing houses on 108 prepared sites. However, the provincial government still faces the massive task of providing permanent homes for the 40,000 people displaced by the 2022 floods and the more than 11,000 families left without shelters due to heavy rainfall earlier this year. Most of the flood victims were along the coast. 'To build these houses in the rezoned land and the land under amakhosi, we need around R1.7 billion,' said Duma. The provincial Human Settlements Department spent R33 million buying Montclair Lodge, which has 268 rooms, from Transnet, to be repurposed at R35 million for accommodating the flood victims. Since the 2022 floods, approximately 4,000 people have been placed in Temporary Emergency Accommodation (TEA). Duma said the number of families living in TEA has since decreased to 1,049. The national Human Settlements Department also supported the province in building Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) and permanent houses on land donated by amakhosi. 'We also have six pockets of state-owned land that we have rezoned to build houses for the displaced communities. But as you know, we have been battling to build in this land as a result of 'Not in My Backyard Syndrome',' said Duma. New houses for flood victims are being constructed in Cornubia, north of Durban. Image: Supplied He said some of the amakhosi donated land to build TRUs and houses for the affected families, adding that the department was currently building permanent houses in Umgababa, south of Durban, for 19 families that are currently in three self-accommodation facilities. 'We will be closing down these TEAs once permanent houses have been constructed. Displaced families are now living in eight houses and seventeen TRUs that we have built and completed in C orpesville (Pietermaritzburg). About nine houses are due for completion this month (August).' Duma said residents who have a mentality of preventing authorities from building houses for flood victims in certain areas have delayed the process. There were gunshots fired when some residents in Shallcross chased away a contractor in November and December 2024, who was starting to construct houses for the victims. 'By now, we could have built more than 400 houses,' said Duma. However, he said the department identified 12 state-owned portions of land across the eThekwini Metro to accommodate 4,458 residential sites. According to him, about seven pockets of land have been rezoned and are ready for construction. 'We cannot wait any longer to start the construction of houses for vulnerable members of society. Any delay is not only prolonging their suffering but also a violation of their human rights and the Constitution,' he said.
The Citizen
08-08-2025
- The Citizen
KwaMakhutha gets mobile police station
KWAMAKHUTHA is one of four areas in KwaZulu-Natal that have been equipped with mobile police stations as part of an ongoing initiative to bolster resources in the fight against crime. Also read: Premier condemns gruesome murder near KwaMakhutha KZN Premier Thami Ntuli, who also serves as the province's MEC for the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, officially handed over new mobile units at a ceremony in Mayville on August 6. KwaMakhutha, Inanda, Bulwer, and KwaMbomambi have been identified as crime hotspots, and the newly deployed mobile satellite police stations are expected to play a strategic role in enhancing police visibility and accessibility in these areas. The KwaMakhutha policing precinct covers a large area and has long been affected by persistent violent crimes, many of which remain unsolved. Each mobile unit, valued at R1.7m, is fully equipped with a holding cell, a toilet, an office, and a kitchenette. Ntuli said the rollout of mobile stations was a direct response to concerns raised by community members who cited the lack of nearby police infrastructure, which often forced them to travel long distances to seek assistance. Also read: Learners killed in KwaMakhutha 'We want to see measurable crime prevention interventions in our province to ensure that we defeat the scourge of crime. We are working around the clock to establish functional community safety structures in our province to augment the work of law enforcement agencies,' said Ntuli. He noted that last year, the department handed over 36 vehicles to the police to close the gap created by resource shortages. Ntuli also appealed to the private sector to support voluntary community crime-fighting structures financially to help intensify the fight against crime. For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
IOL News
06-08-2025
- IOL News
National Freedom Party calls for investigation into KwaZulu-Natal MECs' corruption allegations
Pressure is mounting on KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, with the National Freedom Party (NFP) being the latest to call on the premier to act against two MECs implicated in allegations of wrongdoing. In a statement, the party urged the premier to recall the two MECs. Party leader, Ivan Rowan Barnes, stated that the NFP is calling for an urgent and thorough investigation into serious allegations of corruption, patronage, and maladministration involving KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for Education, Sipho Hlomuka, and MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane. Both Hlomuka and Simelane have denied any wrongdoing. 'Publicly available information suggests that both MECs, along with members of their families, may be poised to improperly benefit from government programmes intended to support previously disadvantaged businesses. Further reports indicate that political allies within the African National Congress (ANC) may also stand to gain from these initiatives—allegedly facilitated by the implicated officials. 'The NFP is gravely concerned by the questionable procurement processes through which companies linked to the MECs' families were reportedly appointed. We therefore demand a comprehensive, transparent investigation to determine the extent of any wrongdoing. 'We believe a full investigation will reveal how programmes meant to empower emerging businesses may be manipulated to entrench corruption and political patronage,' said Barnes. THE MERCURY
