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IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Police killings rise as minister vows justice for fallen officers
South Africa's acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, announced 27 police killings in the last financial year—a statistic that underscores a deepening crisis in law enforcement safety. Image: Picture: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL Politics With 27 police killings in the last financial year, acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, who on Sunday visited the families of Warrant Officer Vuyisile Sintwa and Sergeant Simon Masenya, the two officers who were tragically shot and killed on Friday, has promised that no stone will be left unturned in the search for convicted criminal Jabulani Moyo, linked to the two murders. The minister also extended his sincere condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Sergeant Lawrence Mtshweni from Schoemansdal SAPS in Mpumalanga, who was killed on Saturday while responding to a burglary incident in Schoemansdal near Komatipoort. 'These senseless acts of violence against our men and women in blue are an attack on the rule of law and the safety of all South Africans. We strongly condemn these heinous crimes, and we will not rest until those responsible are brought to justice. We call on all SAPS members to remain alert at all times and to make full and appropriate use of the tools of trade issued to them," the minister 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 Meanwhile, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and Mpumalanga's Acting Commissioner Dr. Zeph Mkhwanazi, who also visited the Mpumalanga family of Sergeant Mtshweni, decried the war against law enforcement officers "He was killed while he was on duty. He was not killed at a place he was not supposed to be. He died while wearing a uniform and his boots on. This means he was a dedicated official. We call on the community, where there is necessary information that can lead to the arrest of those responsible, to share that information with the police," Mkhwanazi stated. On Saturday, Masemola said the attack on police will not go unchallenged as the force has lost three officers in 24 hours, adding that since the start of the year, the police have lost 27 men and women in blue. "In the last financial year, 27 men and women in blue died in the line of duty. From the first of April 2025 to date, six police officers have lost their lives to criminal attacks and ambushes. These are not just numbers; they were mothers and fathers who left their families behind to fend for themselves," Masemola said.
IOL News
03-08-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Constitutional Court finds Parliament failed in public participation process
The Constitutional Court overturned the appointment of the new members of the Commission for Gender Equality, saying the process lacked reasonable public participation. Image: Kamogelo Moichela The Constitutional Court, in an unanimous judgment, found that Parliament failed to comply with its constitutional obligation to facilitate a reasonable public participation process in the appointment of new members for the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE). Corruption Watch, which launched this application, submitted that the public participation process was defective due to insufficient information on the shortlisted candidates being made publicly available. Furthermore, they submitted that the opportunity for public participation was restricted to 2,000 character submissions and only 14 days were provided for written submissions. Corruption Watch contended that the opportunity for public participation was unreasonable and inadequate. It also argued that the Portfolio Committee misinterpreted the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), leading to unnecessary restrictions on candidate information. In doing so, the Portfolio Committee wrongly concluded that POPIA permits only the sharing of minimal information, it said. The Speaker, on behalf of the National Assembly, submitted that the opportunity it provided for public participation in the recommendation process was reasonable and defended the 14-day period as sufficient, citing past appointment processes. The Speaker also submitted that the Portfolio Committee properly considered all public comments before making recommendations and that withholding full CVs of the shortlisted candidates was in line with POPIA, as consent was required before publicly sharing candidates' personal information. The Information Regulator submitted in an explanatory affidavit that consent is not required if the processing of that information is necessary for public duties. It supported Corruption Watch in stating that POPIA does not prevent the Portfolio Committee from fulfilling its constitutional mandate to ensure public involvement in legislative and 'other processes'. Media Monitoring Africa, which joined the proceedings as a friend of the court, submitted that effective media reporting is crucial for transparency and public engagement and also contended that the Portfolio Committee's failure to publish candidates' CVs hindered the media's ability to act as a watchdog, restricting the public's right to access information and meaningfully participate in the appointment process. The court held that the mechanisms adopted by the Portfolio Committee to facilitate public involvement in the appointment of commissioners to the CGE failed to allow for effective public participation. It said that while a court must take due cognisance of what the National Assembly chooses to do to facilitate public involvement, the assessment of what was done is an objective one. In this instance, the National Assembly acted upon an interpretation of POPIA which was manifestly incorrect, rendering the conduct unreasonable. This, coupled with the short period allowed for public comments and the restriction on such comments, materially affected the appointment process as a whole. In the circumstances, the appointment process conducted by the National Assembly did not comply with the obligations imposed by the Constitution and is therefore invalid, the court found.
The Star
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Mokonyane slams West for ‘terrorist' labels on African Liberation Movements
Kamogelo Moichela | Published 3 days ago ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane delivered a blistering political broadside against Western powers, accusing them of a longstanding agenda to brand African liberation movements as terrorist organisations — an effort she said has failed dismally. Speaking on day three of the Liberation Movement Summit in Ekurhuleni, attended by legacy liberation parties including South Africa's ANC, Mozambique's FRELIMO, Namibia's SWAPO, Angola's MPLA, Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF, and Tanzania's CCM, Mokonyane praised the enduring solidarity among African liberation parties and condemned the West's efforts to delegitimise their struggles. 'They tried to brand us as terrorists, but failed,' Mokonyane declared. We were not terrorists — we were the vanguard of justice, fighting to dismantle the last bastions of colonialism on this planet, said Mokonyane. The Summit, hosted under the banner of deepening cooperation between former liberation movements, aims to adopt a joint declaration reaffirming their ideological unity and commitment to eradicating the socio-economic residue of colonialism and apartheid. Mokonyane paid tribute to the support received from the Soviet Union during the liberation era, noting the military and academic training offered to African fighters, as well as diplomatic backing in international forums. 'The Soviet Union stood with us when others branded us as criminals,' she said, adding that today, political power belongs to democratic governments that reflect the interests of the people. She warned of a 'new wave of imperialism,' citing political manipulation, media interference, and the financial bolstering of opposition parties by Western governments. Mokonyane referenced recent US trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and the rollback of trade preferences, as examples of neo-colonial economic warfare. 'These are not coincidences,' Mokonyane said, stating that they were deliberate moves to weaken progressive governments and reinstall puppet regimes. 'They use their control over the media to destabilise the situation in your countries. Today, the West, represented by the US, seeks to eliminate even weak compensation mechanisms for neo-colonial robbery,' she said. The Summit, which also includes fraternal allies and observers, is expected to conclude with a declaration committing member parties to intensified economic transformation, regional solidarity, and resistance against foreign interference. Mokonyane said Africa was no longer a playground for imperialist powers. She said unity was their shield and history was their strength. 'We defeated colonialism — now we must defeat its lingering legacy,' she said. [email protected] Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Politics
IOL News
29-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Spaza shop owners voice frustration over 'unrealistic' government support fund requirements
Local spaza shop owners have complained over the tough and challenging application process to access government's recently established R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF). Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL Despite reported low numbers of applications, local spaza shop owners are crying foul and finding the going is getting tough with the alleged "unrealistic" requirements imposed by the government on the recently established R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF). In April, the Minister of Small Business Stella Ndabeni Abrahams announced the support fund during a press briefing in Soweto, which called on eligible South African spaza shop owners in townships and rural areas who want to improve, expand, and sustain their shops to apply for assistance with the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund (SSSF). Some of the requirements for businesses include registration with the local municipality under the relevant by-laws and business licensing requirements. This is coupled with the optional registration with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) for funding above R80,000 where registration with CIPC will be required within 6 months. However, some spaza shop owners have lamented some of these requirements as exclusionary and cumbersome, with one spaza shop owner from Sebokeng, Cico Mokoena. "I am one of the spaza shop owners facing tough compliance requirements imposed by the government." 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 ✕ Jannie Morotolo, a Soweto-based architect, has shared Mokoena's sentiments, saying after trying to help local spaza shop owners with their papers, he has found the process too complicated for most local business owners. "Having been one of those trying to assist many spaza shop owners with compliance. The biggest deadlock is finance. Not a single one of the spaza shops can afford approximately R5k to get all the necessary compliance, let alone, most of them don't even have registration documents, and most of them operate in rented spaces. One of the requirements dictates that they must acquire a letter of consent from the City of Joburg, which costs about R1,100," she said. In a statement, the leader of the African Transformation Movement (ATM) in Parliament, Vuyo Zungula, following his meeting with the leaders of the South African Spaza and Tuckshop Association (SASTA) over the R500 million fund and recent presentation of the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. "We have met with SASTA to discuss the unrealistic requirements to access the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund and the Tobacco Bill that seeks to criminalise informal traders on making a living. We have committed to working closely with SASTA to ensure that their concerns are considered when Parliament finalises the Bill. The ATM will address a letter to deputy president, Paul Mashatile, to raise concerns about the failure of the Department of Health to consult spaza shops in finalising the SEIAS report on the Bill," stated Zungula. However, reacting to the outcry, Benji Seitlhamo, acting director for Economic Development Facilitation Department in City of Johannesburg, denied the accusations, saying the processes have been made easy despite a low application rate due to failure by local business owners to comply with the requirements. "It is not true that the process is complicated. The process is easy, but is being made difficult due to the failure by owners who are not compliant. The city enforcing its bylaws and owners going back to being compliant would seem or be regarded as complex and frustrating. If they had been compliant previously, this would not be the requirements are easy if you have a draft plan from the architecture. We prefer this as it is easy to get compliant. Once this is done, you take this plan to the city's department of development planning for them to approve the plan," he stated. On the number of approved spazashop owners, Seithlamo indicated that the numbers have been low due to the high level of failure to comply with the requirements to access funding. He revealed that the city has been conducting various workshops and engagements with spaza shop communities across the nine regions of the city. "The Department of Small Business and Development and its agencies have given themselves 100 days to return to shop owners who register for funding. Obviously, because the sector is illegal, the numbers are low. It is only 30 percent of the R500 million fund that has been distributed nationally, and that figure is even lower for the city of Johannesburg, as we have just over 100 applications so far. That is why there is no closing date for applications to access the fund," he stated.
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
NCC issues compliance notices to 45 suppliers over food safety violations
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued Compliance Notices to 45 suppliers across Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued Compliance Notices to 45 suppliers across South Africa for breaking consumer protection laws. This follows inspections that found expired food, missing expiry dates, poor labelling, no pricing on items, and a failure to give proper receipts. Last year, several children died after consuming snacks contaminated with toxic pesticide, drawing attention to food safety issues. "This violates Section 55(2) of the CPA, which guarantees consumers the right to safe, usable and good quality goods. Date markings assist consumers in determining the shelf life and safety of the products before making any purchase," the NCC said. During these inspections, the NCC discovered that some suppliers were selling expired and spoiled food items, including dairy products, meat products, and maize meal. "The NCC discovered that some suppliers were selling expired and spoiled food items, including dairy products, meat products, maize meal, eggs, snacks, biscuits, and noodles. In some cases, items had no expiry or best-before dates (date markings). "Some suppliers continue to sell products like wors, chicken pieces, and other foodstuffs without the proper labelling" 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 The consumer watchdog also emphasised that, according to the CPA, a trade description must be applied to goods or their packaging, and labels must not contain misleading information. "The NCC further discovered that suppliers, especially in rural and peri–urban areas, displayed goods like noodles, sugar, soup and canned foods without any visible pricing". Suppliers have been instructed to remove any unsafe products from their inventory, ensure that all goods are properly labeled and priced, and issue accurate receipts that comply with legal requirements. "Should any businesses fail to adhere to the terms of the Compliance Notices, the NCC may refer them to the National Consumer Tribunal (Tribunal). The Tribunal may impose an administrative fine of up to R1 million or 10% of the supplier's annual turnover". IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
