Tshwane, Joburg mayors say EC floods devastation sign of urgency in addressing municipalities issues
JOHANNESBURG - The Tshwane and Johannesburg Mayors said the devastation from the Eastern Cape floods is a sign of the urgency in addressing challenges faced by municipalities, including poor infrastructure and disaster preparedness.
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero are currently hosting their counterparts from elsewhere in the world, with talks entering a second day in Tshwane on Friday.
This is part of the African Mayors' Assembly and U20 Sherpa Meeting, where delegates are set to influence policy for local government.
Their policy directives will form part of South Africa's recommendations to global leaders at the G20 Leaders Summit later in 2025.
Morero said local government cannot continue to bear the brunt of shortfalls on a global scale.
'African cities are on the frontlines of climate disruption, yet least responsible for its causes.'
Moya said the Urban 20 meetings must find consensus on climate financing, among solutions to other common issues.
'The conversations that we have here must bear fruit and in this case, we must be able to prevent the loss of lives, when we can do something about it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
10 hours ago
- The Citizen
Youth and government discuss progress and technology at 2025 Youth Parliament
The 2025 Youth Parliament emphasised the importance of youth participation in the implementation of past resolutions and the tracking of progress in developmental community initiatives. This was reiterated by a member of the National Assembly, Malusi Gigaba, who was one of the speakers at the two-day event held on Friday, June 6 and Saturday 7, at Thembalethu Community Hall. 'This is an opportunity for the people of Africa to shake off the divisions of the past and chains of colonialism to build a future for the youth. Our people need to stop thinking as former colonists and victims and act as one. All we have achieved now is political freedom. We need to take charge of the forces of production and create opportunities within the African continent. In addition, to benefit from the innovations of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, we need to equip our children with the skills and knowledge required for the future economy, such as coding, robotics, and entrepreneurship as educational cornerstones,' Gigaba said on Saturday. ALSO READ: Load reduction: Are only the poorest areas in Mbombela left in the dark? The parliament was hosted by the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature (MPL) under the theme 'Making Follow-up on Government Commitments'. In line with this theme, the legislature focused on providing solutions to the challenges faced by the youth in the province through engagements with provincial government, while encouraging public participation. Some of the issues discussed included youth development funding, education and the upcoming local government elections. Special attention was given to G20 priorities, objectives and opportunities as well as the development of the African continent. ALSO READ: Long-serving Barberton correctional services commissioner retires The Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, along with the MPL speaker, Lindi Masina, and members of his executive council attended the Youth Parliament on the Saturday to engage with the youth. Various members of the legislature and provincial departments engaged with attendees on the Friday. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
11 hours ago
- IOL News
Why future generations may condemn our political choices
Most African traditions dictate that we speak only good of the dead — that we mourn their passing, honour their memory, and adorn their graves with flowers. Image: AFP I PREFACE this piece with a disclaimer: I seldom indulge in vituperative or arresting titles. Yet, I have chosen this provocation deliberately — to send an unequivocal message. Typically, my writing seeks to nourish my readers' intellect, lighting a candle whose flame, God willing, will endure as a beacon for posterity. Most African traditions dictate that we speak only good of the dead — that we mourn their passing, honour their memory, and adorn their graves with flowers. It is thus jarring, even heretical, to encounter a work like Rotcod Gobata's *I Spit on Their Graves*, which rejects this reverence. Gobata argues that not all corpses deserve praise; some warrant contempt for lives spent plundering their nation. Recently, I was honoured to attend MEC Siboniso Duma's budget presentation in the legislature — an uncommon privilege for a government employee. The MEC even acknowledged me publicly, leaving me feeling valued, validated, and even celebrated. Yet, my elation soon curdled into dismay. The ANC, IFP, and MK Party must unite. Instead of collaborating to uplift the downtrodden, they prioritise petty political squabbles. During the budget debate, rather than engaging constructively with Duma's impeccable speech — one so robust it withstood scrutiny in under 20 minutes — they nitpicked pointlessly. This farce cannot continue. KwaZulu-Natal deserves better. 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 ✕ If these parties fail to reconcile, history will judge them harshly. Their graves will be defiled by the very people they betrayed. Our democracy is decaying, reduced to hollow rhetoric. South Africa is losing its soul. As Gobata writes, we resemble a battered car careening recklessly down a highway. Thirty years into democracy, our economy remains hoarded by a few, corruption runs rampant, and factionalism festers. This morning, I awoke to a haunting chorus: Where is the Love You Promised Me? Few pains rival broken promises — they are betrayals. Shakespeare reminds us: 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.' South Africans, too, bear responsibility. We clamour for change yet elect the same charlatans. If we truly desired transformation, we would have achieved it by now. As for Duma, he must persist in his exemplary leadership. Rosalynn Carter once said: 'A great leader takes people where they ought to be.' In an era of bankrupt leadership, Duma stands apart — a rarity in our political wasteland. He embodies Harry Truman's assertion that progress hinges on courageous leaders seizing opportunities. Like Kissinger's ideal leader, Duma guides people 'from where they are to where they have not been'. Leadership, after all, is action, not position. * Dr Vusi Shongwe works in the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture in KwaZulu-Natal and writes in his personal capacity. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media.
IOL News
13 hours ago
- IOL News
China to remove import tariffs on goods from South Africa and 52 Other African nations
South Africa's largest trading partner China has pledged to eliminate import tariffs on goods from all 53 African nations Image: Presidency South Africa's largest trading partner China has pledged to eliminate import tariffs on goods from all 53 African nations with which it has formal diplomatic ties. The announcement was made during the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held in Changsha earlier this week. According to the official Changsha Declaration, China intends to expand zero-tariff treatment to cover 100 % of tariff lines for African countries. "China is ready to negotiate and sign the agreement and signing the agreement of China-Africa Economic Partnership for Shared Development, expand the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to all 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China, or all African countries except Eswatini, to welcome quality products from Africa to the Chinese market. "For the least developed countries in Africa, on top of the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines announced at the 2024 Beijing Summit of FOCAC, China will roll out measures on market access, inspection and quarantine, and customs clearance to boost trade in goods, enhance skills and technical training, and expand the promotion of quality products. The declaration also noted that the "the frequent occurrence of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying has severely hindered economic and social development and improved livelihoods in African countries". 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 ✕ Last month, US President Donald Trump announced a 10% tariff on all imports to the US, along with additional reciprocal tariffs for several countries, including a 30% tariff on South African goods. However, he later paused these higher tariffs for 90 days for most countries, except China, which faced a 145% tariff. IOL also previously reported that The future of South Africa's trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) remains uncertain, as the relationship between South Africa and the US continues to worsen. Wandile sihlobo chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), said the move by the Chinese government to lower tariffs would benefit the agricultural sector in the country. "We are yet to receive more details on China's intentions to lower import tariffs for various African countries. What is worth emphasising for now is that, from a South African agricultural perspective, this would be a welcome development," he said. "China has a profound importance in global agriculture. In 2023, China was a leading importer, accounting for 11% of global agricultural imports, with imports valued at US$218 billion,". IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
