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IOL News
04-08-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Controversy erupts as Thami Ntuli's New York trip costs come under scrutiny
KZN Premier Thami Ntuli finds himself in hot water over New York trip Image: Independent Newspapers Archives KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli is navigating a storm of criticism following allegations that he spent nearly one million rand of taxpayers money on an official trip to New York in September 2024. What set tongues wagging was the allegations that the figure disclosed as the amount spent on Ntuli's trip (R600 000) was significantly higher than previously disclosed figures. The supposed discrepancy is what sparked outrage among opposition leaders and taxpayers alike. In response to the claims, Ntuli's spokesperson, Lindelani Mbatha, defended the integrity of the trip, describing the allegations as 'malicious' and asserted that they were aimed at distorting the truth. According to Mbatha, the premier's trip was endorsed by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Council, focused on participating in an urgent international conference on climate change. Mbatha explained that the importance of the trip stemmed from the catastrophic consequences the province had suffered in recent years, due to natural disasters. Ntuli attended last year's Climate Week event, which ran from September 22 to 29, There, he sought to forge vital international partnerships and collaboration with various stakeholders in climate action, while showcasing the province's achievements in disaster risk management and biodiversity conservation. 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 ✕ 'Let the record reflect that the trip to New York was an official government engagement, fully sanctioned by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Council,' Mbatha stated. He said the trip was part of a wider initiative to secure global support and investment in renewable energy projects and climate adaptation strategies, essential for addressing the province's vulnerabilities to environmental challenges. Despite these assurances, the controversy has prompted the matter to be escalated to the KZN Legislature's ethics committee. The committee is charged with investigating whether Ntuli's actions and the associated expenditure breached ethical standards or regulations. The committee is expected to determine the appropriate course of action as they sift through the facts surrounding the expenditure. Mbatha reiterated that the Premier had fully accounted for the trip's details before both the Executive Council and the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, emphasising the Premier's confidence in the legislature's ability to conduct an informed review. He stressed the necessity of unity among all sectors of society in avoiding the spread of misinformation that could undermine public trust and democratic institutions. 'The challenges facing our province require unity, maturity, and a shared commitment to facts, truth, and constructive engagement,' he stated. 'The premier remains focused on the urgent task of rebuilding public trust and ensuring that KwaZulu-Natal continues to move forward guided by transparency and accountability. The ANC provincial spokesperson Fanle Sibisi said that his party had noted the reports concerning the alleged R1 million expenditure by the Premier during his official trip to the US. Sibisi said there was a distinct difference when it came to benchmarking and fact-finding missions as standard practices for refining government policy approaches. 'While we understand the public's concern about the trip's cost, we believe it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions or take a stance on this matter without all relevant facts. "To this end, the ANC welcomed the fact that, following these reports, the circumstances surrounding this trip, including the costs, are being investigated by the Legislature's Ethics Committee. "We trust that, during its review, the ethics committee will also examine whether this trip adhered to the Ministerial Handbook and the requirements of the austerity measures. It is only then that the ANC will provide a comment,' he said. Attempts to reach the DA's provincial leader, Francois Rogers, who is the Finance MEC in KZN were not successful at the time of publication. DAILY NEWS
Leaders
15-07-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Environment Ministry Launches Major Water Management, Flood Mitigation Project
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) has signed a new contract for a comprehensive project focused on water resource development and flood risk mitigation. The initiative aims to optimize the use of ground and surface water, protect non-renewable groundwater sources, and support the broader goal of achieving national water security. Enhancing Water Resource Efficiency According to Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani, Deputy Minister for Water at MEWA, the project forms a key part of the ministry's strategy to manage non-renewable water sources more effectively. This includes the regulation of drilling and production activities, promoting sustainable water use, identifying secure water sources, and supporting their long-term development. The initiative also seeks to expand the use of surface and renewable water through the adoption of international best practices. Technical Support The project will deliver integrated services across several areas. These include studies and designs for rainwater harvesting infrastructure such as dams, water barriers, and ponds. It will also cover valley and watershed studies, flood risk mitigation planning, and the review of existing studies. Ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and field reporting will ensure transparency and effectiveness throughout implementation. Water Management This initiative supports the objectives of the National Water Strategy by focusing on improved water demand management, higher usage efficiency, environmental conservation, and encouraging private sector involvement. It is a strategic step toward achieving the sustainability goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030. Related Topics : Kingdom's Sunday Weather Forecast Saudi Climate Envoy Meets Sao Tome President Saudi Arabia Inspires World during 'MENA Climate Week' Short link : Post Views: 7
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How The Impact Lounge Is Pioneering Storytelling For Go
The Impact Lounge is a traveling creative hub that brings together filmmakers, foundations, and ... More brands to tell stories that don't just raise awareness—but spark action. The Impact Lounge Every year, billions of dollars are poured into social causes—through grants, programs, and policy change. But despite all that effort, the deeper challenge remains: how do you shift culture? How do you change hearts, not just headlines? That's where storytelling comes in. Because while data can inform us, only stories can move us. This is the belief driving The Impact Lounge, a traveling creative hub that brings together filmmakers, foundations, and brands to tell stories that don't just raise awareness—but spark action. The Impact Lounge isn't a single venue—it's a traveling stage. One that has already appeared at places like Cannes, Sundance, and the Lumen Awards. This year, it expands to Climate Week in New York, with one day at the United Nations and multiple days at the Javits Center. The format is immersive and intentional—built to foster connection, inspire action, and elevate the storytellers too often left out of mainstream film circles. Whether it's a young Indigenous filmmaker in Georgia or a conservationist director working in Morocco, The Impact Lounge is designed to give them a platform—and the network to support their vision. In a time when outrage is easy and attention is fleeting, The Impact Lounge offers a different kind of power: empathy, imagination, and the belief that the right story can become the spark that changes everything. At the heart of it is Heather Mason, who spent 20 years in the world of philanthropy—while quietly carrying a love for film she never let go of. 'I wanted to bring those together,' she says, 'and really see the alchemy of the fact that films truly can move mountains when it comes to narrative and culture change.' After two decades working inside foundations, Mason began to ask a different kind of question. What if these powerful institutions stopped thinking of film as a communications tool—and started seeing it as a cultural investment? Her long-term dream is as daring as it is logical: foundations acting as studios. Not just funding a few passion projects each year, but backing entire slates of impact-driven films, just like Hollywood. 'Wouldn't it be incredible,' Mason says, 'if foundations... became studios, either on their own or as a consortium… to do slates of 10, 20, 40, 100 films a year... and create that marketplace for impact film?' In this vision, the ecosystem is already there: NGOs doing the work on the ground, foundations funding them, and filmmakers ready to craft meaningful stories—but struggling for support. The Impact Lounge becomes the place where all those threads are woven together, where narratives are born, and where change begins. Heather Mason, Founder The Impact Lounge Brands Have a Role to Play While many of the early backers of The Impact Lounge have been forward-thinking foundations like Omidyar Network, MacArthur Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and the National Geographic Society, Mason believes this is only half the story. The future, she argues, must include brands—not just as funders, but as active participants in cultural change. 'Corporations... touch employees, touch all sorts of people, you can't leave them out,' she says. 'If you leave that out, you're leaving everything out.' She points to American Express as one example of what's possible when brands commit to storytelling with depth. Years ago, AmEx produced a short documentary called Spent: Looking for Change , which explored the lives of everyday Americans locked out of the traditional banking system. It told the story of the unbanked and underbanked—nearly 70 million Americans—who rely on payday loans and check-cashing services to survive, often paying far more in fees than they would with access to a basic checking account. The film was raw, heartfelt, and illuminating. 'I'd love to bring that back,' Mason says. 'It's still so relevant.' Through The Impact Lounge's platform—whether at major festivals or its own curated events—projects like Spent can find renewed life and reach new audiences hungry for meaningful, purpose-driven content. The Empathy Machine That's Been Left Behind At the heart of everything Mason does is a deep belief in storytelling as the most powerful—and too often overlooked—tool for change. 'The empathy machine is being left to the side,' she says. 'It's too easy to rely on guilt and shame. But if you actually want the outcome... storytelling is how you get there.' 'Guilt and shame won't change us. But wonder might. Film has the power to inspire—to bring beauty, hope, and possibility into our lives. And that's what moves people.' That's the quiet power of The Impact Lounge. It's not trying to lecture. It's not trying to go viral. It's trying to spark something deeper—by giving the right stories a place to be heard, and the right people the tools to tell them.
Scottish Sun
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Princes William and Harry shun millionaire gallery owner who tried to sell access to Wills for £20,000
William terminated her sponsorship for his £1million-a-year charity polo event at Windsor Great Park within hours of The Sunday Times report ROGUE DONOR DUMPED Princes William and Harry shun millionaire gallery owner who tried to sell access to Wills for £20,000 PRINCES William and Harry have shunned a wealthy gallery owner who tried to sell access to Wills for £20,000. Millionaire Minerva Mondejar Steiner offered 'full private' meetings for cash to the Prince of Wales and Kate. 3 Millionaire Minerva Mondejar Steiner tried to sell access to Prince William for £20,000 - pictured here meeting the Duke of Cambridge's brother Harry Credit: Instagram 3 Wills immediately terminated her sponsorship for his £1million-a-year charity polo event Credit: PA William terminated her sponsorship for his £1million-a-year charity polo event at Windsor Great Park within hours of The Sunday Times report. Now Harry has severed ties too with Ms Mondejar Steiner. She backed his annual WellChild charity awards in London and was pictured with him in September on her Mondejar Gallery Instagram page. It read: 'Honoured to support such an important cause and witness the incredible work being done for seriously ill children.' There is no suggestion of attempts to sell access to Prince Harry. The Mondejar Foundation was approached for comment. Prince William has marked two years of his Homewards project for rough sleepers by writing to six coalitions across the UK, thanking them for setting up 300 homes. Charitable Wills last week turned his attention to climate change, declaring saving the planet is a 'team game'. He told a Climate Week gathering his Earthshot prize is aimed at preserving 'all the things we as human beings care about'. Every year this decade the Prince of Wales awards £1million to each of five winners working to save the planet. Prince William was seething at Harry for years but now he has far more serious things to deal with He explained: 'Everything we want to do here starts with a team game. 'And the prize is just the pinnacle of the ability to showcase all the brilliant people around working in this space.' Wills told the audience at Bloomberg's London HQ: 'It takes a village to raise a family. 'If you take that into the concept of a planet, it takes all of us to raise that planet.'
The Irish Sun
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Princes William and Harry shun millionaire gallery owner who tried to sell access to Wills for £20,000
PRINCES William and Harry have shunned a wealthy gallery owner who tried to sell access to Wills for £20,000. Millionaire Minerva Mondejar Steiner offered 'full private' meetings for cash to the Prince of Wales and Kate. 3 Millionaire Minerva Mondejar Steiner tried to sell access to Prince William for £20,000 - pictured here meeting the Duke of Cambridge's brother Harry Credit: Instagram 3 Wills immediately terminated her sponsorship for his £1million-a-year charity polo event Credit: PA William terminated her sponsorship for his £1million-a-year charity polo event at Windsor Great Park within hours of The Sunday Times report. Now Harry has severed ties too with Ms Mondejar Steiner. She backed his annual WellChild charity awards in London and was pictured with him in September on her Mondejar Gallery Instagram page. It read: 'Honoured to support such an important cause and witness the incredible work being done for seriously ill children.' READ MORE ON ROYALS There is no suggestion of attempts to sell access to Prince Harry. The Mondejar Foundation was approached for comment. Prince William has marked two years of his Homewards project for rough sleepers by writing to six coalitions across the UK, thanking them for setting up 300 homes. Most read in Royals He told a Climate Week gathering his Earthshot prize is aimed at preserving 'all the things we as human beings care about'. Every year this decade the Prince of Wales awards £1million to each of five winners working to save the planet. Prince William was seething at Harry for years but now he has far more serious things to deal with He explained: 'Everything we want to do here starts with a team game. 'And the prize is just the pinnacle of the ability to showcase all the brilliant people around working in this space.' Wills told the audience at Bloomberg's London HQ: 'It takes a village to raise a family. 'If you take that into the concept of a planet, it takes all of us to raise that planet.' 3 Harry has severed ties with Ms Mondejar Steiner too Credit: Instagram
