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IOL News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Budget cuts threaten scholar transport for thousands of KZN learners
The MEC stated that they are currently providing scholar transport to about 77 000 pupils in close to 400 schools, with a budget for this function of around R 300 million. However the programme still has a backlog of 1 571 schools on the waiting list, adding that an additional 234 000 learners require the service. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers The provision of scholar transport for thousands of learners to schools in KwaZulu-Natal is in jeopardy after the provincial Department of Transport revealed that the function will be 'disrupted' as a result of budget cuts. During a budget hearing yesterday, it stated to Portfolio Committee members that it needs more than R2 billion in additional funding to provide the service in full to those still on the waiting list. Unfortunately, it does not have this money. 'Due to budget cuts, the scholar transport system will be disrupted; consequently, we are likely to experience protests from scholar transport service providers. We have met with the MEC for Education, Sipho Hlomuka, and the MEC for Finance, Francois Rodgers, to discuss these challenges," said MEC Siboniso Duma. 'Apart from preparing and presenting a report to the cabinet, we agreed to convene a key meeting with education stakeholders. We want to ensure that we explain our challenges to operators, school governing bodies, organised labour, and other key stakeholders,' he said. The MEC stated that they are currently providing scholar transport to about 77,000 pupils in close to 400 schools, with a budget for this function of around R300 million. Despite the coverage outlined, the programme still has a backlog of 1,571 schools on the waiting list, adding that an additional 234,000 learners require the service. The MEC said they need more than R2 billion in funding to meet all these objectives and they did not have these funds. 'We are highlighting this because we understand that today (Tuesday) is the reopening of schools, and among other issues that are taking place, it could be this matter,' the MEC said. 'It is important to highlight to the honourable members and members of the public that we have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Education. This MoU provides details in terms of roles and responsibilities. We are guided by the National Learner Transport Policy, which has some important provisions that include that the Provincial Department of Education is responsible for selecting learners who will benefit from subsidised learner transport services,' he said. 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 He further stated that the MoU also stipulates that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is responsible for the procurement of scholar transport service providers. 'That learners who walk a minimum of 5 kilometres to the nearest school should be provided with learner transport and that learner transport will be subsidised to the nearest appropriate school only and not to a school of parental choice. There is also a provincial policy called the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Learner Transport Policy. 'This policy states that learners who walk a minimum distance of 3 kilometres to the nearest appropriate school qualify for subsidised dedicated learner transport. The KwaZulu-Natal Learner Transport Policy also provides that learners who attend the school of parental choice do not benefit from the dedicated learner transport programme,' he said. Riona Gokool, the DA spokesperson on Transport, expressed deep concern regarding the persistent failures of the Department of Transport in effectively delivering scholar transport to thousands of deserving learners. 'The DA notes that millions are budgeted annually for scholar transport in KwaZulu-Natal. Yet, countless learners, particularly in rural and underdeveloped areas, continue to walk long, unsafe distances to school. These delays and disruptions not only endanger lives but also directly impact academic performance and dropout rates.' She said the party is calling for a full audit of the current scholar transport beneficiaries and service providers, an investigation into procurement practices related to the programme, and immediate publication of a turnaround plan with measurable milestones, timelines, and accountability mechanisms. 'The DA will continue to fight for the rights of every child in KwaZulu-Natal to have safe access to education. We will hold this Department accountable in the Legislature and through all available oversight mechanisms. We owe it to the children of this province to do better,' she said. THE MERCURY
Irish Examiner
15 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Taoiseach on NDP: Infrastructure spend will be prioritised over day-to-day spending
The Government has vowed that the €200bn injection in infrastructure will be protected over day-to-day spending if tariffs cause an economic slowdown. As Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended the lack of detail in the National Development Plan (NDP), arguing that previous iterations were too long, he said borrowing to deliver the programme is not being ruled out. Details of how each department intends to spend its money will not be unveiled until October, with Minister of State at the Department of Transport Sean Canney admitting he 'doesn't know what roads are being done'. The new NDP will see a total investment of €275.4bn in infrastructure over the next decade. Some €102.4bn will be invested up to 2030, with a further €100bn to 2035. Much of the investment will go towards housing, with a total allocation of €36bn in the next five years. Some €7.68bn of this will go towards water. This does not include another €4.5bn 'equity injections', which brings the total for housing and water to €40bn. Some €22.3bn will be spent on transport, with a provision of €2bn for the Dublin Metrolink. The Metrolink money is part of a ringfenced €10bn 'equity funding', that will also see €3.5bn provided in 2025 to improve the energy grid. The rest will go to water. The Taoiseach said the Government will remain committed to infrastructure investment and if the financial situation changed, it would be prioritised over day-to-day spending. 'A lot depends on where the cards land and that negotiation [on tariffs] isn't over yet,' Mr Martin said. 'It's a tense negotiation. It's a difficult, challenging negotiation between the European Union and the United States, and it is one that is causing a lot of concern. 'We have factored in as much as we possibly can, various scenarios. But what we're absolutely determined to do, as best we can, is safeguard the capital side of the budget over the next number of years. 'We don't anticipate having to borrow, but we're ruling nothing out. 'But we do need the investment community, and particularly the international investment community, particularly in terms of the Metro project of that scale, they need to realise that we're going full distance on the capital. 'We will take measures if we have to, obviously, to meet the impacts of tariffs. But we are very clearly signalling that, unlike previous times, we want to protect the capital side of the equation. 'Current spending would be under pressure if such a situation [an economic downturn] was to emerge.' This was echoed by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, who said the 'priority' will be maintaining capital investment. Opposition criticism The opposition was critical of the lack of detail in the plan, with both Labour's Conor Sheehan and Sinead Gibney of the Social Democrats suggesting this was the case so that deals with independent TDs during Government formation talks would be kept under wraps. However, the Taoiseach branded this claim 'ridiculous'. He said: 'Sectoral plans will be announced by the ministers close to budget time. We're going to work through them.' Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said it was 'never my intention' to publish a 'long list' of projects as part of the NDP. One of the only specifics from the announcement was the inclusion of an additional €2bn for the Metro. Labour TD Marie Sherlock claimed the 'hype of €100bn' was 'punctured with little or no detail'. 'The reality is that this is a catch-up NDP, where the supply of housing and public infrastructure has fallen far behind the growth of our economy and our population,' she said. Sinn Féin TD Mairead Farrell, who is also chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, criticised the fact that the NDP review was just 49 pages. 'With the dust settling on their big announcement, we are still left wondering where all this money is going to go, how they will address the current bottlenecks, and whether 'value for money' will just be another political cliché,' she said.
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Eyewitness News
5 people killed in crash on R66 in Gingindlovu
JOHANNESBURG - Five people have died in a horrific crash on the R66 in Gingindlovu, north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, including two children and three adults. Preliminary reports indicate that a Ford Ranger lost control and collided head-on with a smaller vehicle with eight occupants on board late last night. Seven others survived the crash. The accident comes after what the Department of Transport and the Department of Human Settlements has described as a relatively safe winter holiday. Spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) needs to strengthen road safety measures ahead of the last-minute rush back home by holiday goers. 'As we count down to the reopening of schools, I have mandated RTI to strengthen road safety measures.'
The South African
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The South African
BAD news for motorists with expired drivers' licences in SA
Any South African motorists with expired drivers' licences are in for a longer-than-expected wait. Last week, it was revealed that the Department of Transport (DOT) filed papers with the Pretoria High Court to re-run its botched licence printing tender. The South African has been keeping track of the licence printing debacle that's several years behind schedule. However, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), has now revealed that papers have been filed to overturn the existing R886-million contract. This means we are no further along to resolving the issue of expired drivers' licences than we were years ago. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has been under attack for her handling of the backlog debacle. Even though the irregularities took place before she was in office. Image: File In fact, so desperate is the DOT that it asked the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to help print expired drivers' licences. However, even this hasn't gone smoothly, because the output needs to be approved the State Security Agency (SSA) before going ahead. The minister. had hoped for a three-month turnaround, but even this stop-gap solution looks unlikely. Meanwhile, it's estimated that the current backlog of expired drivers' licences now exceeds 600 000, reports TopAuto . Likewise, papers filed by the department in the High Court request a complete re-run of the tender process, which was originally awarded to French firm, Idemia. SA motorists will be given six months' grace if found driving without a valid driver's licence. However, you must be able to produce proof of renewal. Image: File Moreover, the sustainability of the DOT's ambitious new licence system is now in doubt. The department wanted fully digital, connected Driver's Licence Card Accounts (DLCA), but irregularities in the original tender procurement process could put pay to that elaborate idea, in favour of something more cost effective. The Audit General of SA's report found that Idemia had, 'failed to meet key bid technical requirements.' Primarily when it came to inadequate budget analysis and inconsistent application scoring. As a result, a backlog of expired drivers' licences continues to grow as the current, outdated printing machine suffers from frequent breakdowns. South Africa's aged card printing machine should have been replaced more than a decade ago. Image: File Furthermore, papers filed by the department outline other flaws in the tender application process. Including a R400-million cost escalation from the Cabinet-approved budget of R486 million, resulting in a total of R886 million. Even at this elevated cost, the successful tender used outdated pricing and omitted basic printing material costs, which would have increased taxpayer expense further still. It is unclear whether Idemia will oppose the DOT's court challenge. Meanwhile, anyone who awaiting expired drivers' licences is exempt from fines for six months. However, they must be able to show a renewal receipt as proof. At the start of July 2025, the number of expired drivers' licences waiting in the system were 602 831. 192 856 of which were destined for Gauteng, 86 862 for the Western Cape and 85 313 in backlog for KwaZulu-Natal. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Number of Russian ‘shadow ships' in Irish-controlled waters rises dramatically
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of sanctioned Russian ships, known as shadow fleet vessels, sailing through Irish-controlled waters, an Irish Times investigation has found. Nineteen of these vessels have been tracked passing through, or just outside, the Irish Economic Zone (EEZ) since May. Many of the ships have exhibited unusual behaviour such as taking economically inefficient routes or sailing well outside recognised shipping lanes. The trend has caused the Defence Forces and Department of Transport to step up monitoring of these vessels as they pass Ireland on foot of environmental and national security concerns. Russia was hit with broad-ranging sanctions following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, it has increasingly relied on the shadow fleet to smuggle oil and natural gas to valuable markets in the global south. READ MORE A shadow fleet vessel is generally defined as a ship engaged in deceptive practices to transport sanctioned oil or other cargos. In many cases, the ships are registered in small, improvised countries which lack the means and will to enforce maritime law. The ships are often old and in poor condition, raising significant environmental concerns. Of the 19 ships tracked near Ireland since May, 18 were crude oil tankers. Twelve of the ships were carrying full loads of crude oil at the time. Twelve are subject to European Union sanctions with the remainder subject to US or UK sanctions. Previously, the number of Russian ships in Irish controlled waters was more sporadic, usually amounting to a handful a month. [ Sanctioned Russian ship intercepted by Coast Guard after docking in Louth Opens in new window ] Some ships have caused particular alarm due to their strange behaviour. For example, in recent weeks the Sierra and Marathon tankers left a Russian port on the Baltic Sea with full loads of oil for destinations in India. Instead of sailing through the English Channel, a quicker, safer and less expensive option, they opted to travel around the top of Ireland and into the North Atlantic. 'Vessels don't take longer routes, especially those that include the North Atlantic, unless there's a reason,' said Mark Douglas, a maritime domain analyst with Starboard Maritime Intelligence and a former New Zealand royal navy officer. 'The important thing about all of this is, I don't know why this is happening and no one else does either,' he said. One possible explanation is the UK has stepped up the monitoring of shadow fleet vessels in the English Channel. UK officials are now challenging by radio an average of 40 shadow vessels every month off the British coast as part of a joint campaign with a group of EU countries to tackle Russian sanction busting. Some of the oil tankers also appear to be avoiding designated areas which require them to reveal their cargos to authorities. Officials are concerned about the environmental risks posed by these ships, which are often crewed by overworked and inexperienced crews. The clean-up costs for an oil spill from a single shadow fleet tanker could be nearly €750 million, according to recent estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. There is also concern about the risk to Irish undersea cables from either deliberate or accidental damage by the ships' anchors. There have been several such incidents in European waters in recent years. The Air Corps and Naval Service have stepped up their monitoring of these vessels, despite their limited resources. Last week alone, an Air Corps C295 was deployed at least twice to track sanctioned vessels as they sailed through the EEZ. In addition, the Irish Coast Guard 'has instituted specific measures to monitor the presence of these vessels and passage through and out of Irish EEZ,' the Department of Transport said. It said the coast guard is specifically concerned about the increased possibility of maritime casualty incidents 'from such vessels'.
