Latest news with #M&G
Mail & Guardian
6 hours ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Don't eat alone — we also want to, whistleblowers allegedly told Polokwane municipal manager
Polokwane mayor John Mpe. (Polokwane Municipality) Polokwane mayor The 'fake' whistleblowers had contacted municipal manager Mail & Guardian . The mayor spoke after leaked documents surfaced on social media last week purporting to show that the Mpe alleged that one so-called whistleblower had called the city manager, saying: 'We are aware that it is your time to eat, we are just saying also allow us to eat.' 'Is that the language of a whistleblower and somebody who wants to fight corruption? If there's somebody who must benefit from our projects, it's our community,' Mpe said. 'You can see that this person might be even from the inside [the municipality]. This has made us realise that we are stopping the rot, hence they have been looking at what they can get from this person [Nemugumoni]. We need to fight corruption — not on the basis of who is benefiting.' Mpe said some former contractors with the municipality were angry that work previously done by them was now being insourced and were trying to create the impression of widespread corruption in the municipality as payback. He cited the example of the City of Polokwane taking over the maintenance of the Peter Mokaba Stadium, work which had been done by private contractors. The city had also cancelled contracts for fleet cards — credit cards used to manage expenses for municipal vehicles. 'Now it is our workers that are cleaning the stadium and the stadium is in good condition. We show tangible things that we have stopped. There were Polokwane fleet cards which were being managed by private contractors. The question is why would the municipality hire somebody to organise fleet cards for its own cars? Why can't they go to their banker?' 'The cards were from [one] bank while the municipality was banking with another bank. The municipality was paying that service provider R1.5 million monthly and we got rid of it. People were upset when we started saving R3.5 million from the fleet tender arrangements that were not proper.' In a letter dated 23 July and seen by the M&G , Limpopo MEC for the department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs Basikopo Makamu asked Mpe to provide a report within seven working days on the allegations which had surfaced on social media. The letter indicated that the Democratic Alliance had approached Makamu's office on the matter. A source told the M&G that a company owned by Nemugumoni's boyfriend had been paid over R56 million and that at least seven other companies owned by Zimbabweans were given preference over South African firms. Without naming the Zimbabwean-owned companies, the source said they were awarded contracts for construction, road works, bulk water services and consulting. Spreadsheets allegedly showing payments in relation to these companies have been making the rounds on social media. Mpe said, as mayor, he does not know who gets paid when, as that is an administrative process. He also questioned the credibility of the information, saying one spreadsheet showed payment for services rendered in 2026 while another was handwritten. 'We are in 2025 now,' he pointed out. 'This just shows it's not credible information. Why must we start an investigation on information that is not credible? Where there is credible information, we will have to investigate.' He said the company allegedly linked to Nemugumoni's boyfriend had been working in Polokwane, and various other municipalities, and it would be unfair to expect him as mayor to know who its owner was dating. Those alleging that the company was owned by Nemugumoni's boyfriend should provide proof, he added. 'We have over 2 000 employees and we have probably 100 of them in senior positions. How will I know who is having a boyfriend? How will I manage that part? If they have got [tangible] information about such a relationship, which would be a conflict of interest between the accounting officer and that particular person, they need to bring that information to us,' he said. 'Going into the personal life of somebody means I must [summon] the city manager and say, 'Who is your new boyfriend and what is happening in your life?' from time to time.' He also disputed the allegation that the municipality has preferred Zimbabwean-owned companies over South African ones. 'They have mentioned eight companies out of more than 150 companies that are doing business with the municipality. If people have got permanent residency and IDs in South Africa, can you stop them from doing business in South Africa on the basis that they were born somewhere in Malawi? You can't do that.' The source who spoke to the M&G said Mpe was facing another corruption matter with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the This, according to the source, was in order to check that companies doing business with the municipality, including that of Nemugumoni's boyfriend, were not giving kickbacks to Mpe via the foundation. However, in an affidavit dated 24 July 2025, which the M&G has seen, the Hawks in Limpopo withdrew an urgent application meant to be heard at the 'Based on the new information on the issue of the municipal manager, the Hawks had to withdraw the case so they could amend their charge sheet. The foundation got a sum of R8 million and they can't account for where it came from,' the source said. On Monday, ActionSA chairperson in Limpopo Victor Mothemela opened a corruption case against Mpe and the municipal manager, citing allegations that also surfaced on social media that R750 million was irregularly paid to companies whose owners have close ties to both of them. Build One South Africa Limpopo provincial leader Ngako Setji has also approached the Special Investigating Unit for forensic probes into the allegations. On Monday, Hawks spokesperson 'We will have a meeting today with all the relevant people to find out where this thing is coming from and what is happening,' Mbambo said. She added that the Hawks had never brought an application to court and would meet with the people said to have deposed the affidavit. 'We just saw that we have agreed to pay the R1.2 million in legal fees for withdrawing the case, so that is why we are saying we have to meet up with everybody relevant to say who authorised the things that are being said,' Mbambo said. Mpe said the issue had been drummed up by his detractors within his 'This is orchestrated from within the organisation. There are people who are within the ANC [but] are no longer with the ANC by their conduct and their actions, you can see.' Mpe acknowledged the need to fix governance in the municipality, which he said had a culture of impunity for wrongdoers. 'If we had bad intentions, why would we appoint people who have credible qualifications to fix some of our challenges, to fix the internal control deficiencies that we have?' he said. 'So, they then say, 'What can we get from him [Mpe] so that he stops these administrative reforms?' If we were not doing our work in Polokwane, how did we improve the audit outcome in the 2022-23 financial year and maintain those improvements over the past three years?'
Mail & Guardian
22-07-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
AI can advance the sustainable development goals
Artificial intelligence used with intention, inclusivity and oversight improve healthcare and education, as well as mitigate the effects of climate change. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G As South Africa contends with persistent development issues such as poverty, inequality, healthcare disparities, educational gaps and environmental threats, the promise of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant frontier but an essential catalyst for transformative change. AI is already being implemented globally to tackle complex development problems. For South Africa, the question is how to integrate it effectively to support sustainable and inclusive growth. If wisely and ethically harnessed, AI could become one of the most powerful instruments in South Africa's pursuit of the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs). It has the potential to accelerate progress, narrow inequality and unlock the latent potential of South African society. But this potential must be cultivated with intention, inclusivity and oversight. SDG 3: Transforming healthcare and saving lives: South Africa's healthcare system, although marked by moments of excellence, remains strained by disparities in access, quality and resource allocation. The application of AI in this domain holds promise not just for efficiency but for equity. AI-driven diagnostic tools can rapidly detect diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and cancer. Algorithms trained on large datasets can identify symptoms from images or scans with an accuracy that rivals, or even exceeds, that of human practitioners. Moreover, AI can improve disease surveillance by predicting and modeling outbreaks, which is critical in a country still grappling with the dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Predictive models based on environmental data, patient mobility and historical records can help public health authorities anticipate and mitigate disease spread before it escalates into full-blown crises. Treatment personalisation is another frontier. AI systems can optimise treatment plans based on a patient's genetic profile, lifestyle data and real-time biometrics, thereby enhancing outcomes and reducing adverse effects. This is particularly relevant for chronic disease management such as diabetes, hypertension, and HIV/Aids, where continuous monitoring and dynamic response are key. In remote or underserved areas, AI-powered mobile health platforms can bring diagnostic and consultation services to communities long excluded from specialist care. SDG 4: Education: In the realm of education, AI is poised to democratise access and personalise learning experiences in a manner previously unimaginable. South Africa's education system, despite significant investment, remains beset by inequality in quality and outcomes, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. AI can bridge these gaps through intelligent tutoring systems that adapt to individual learners' pace, preferences and proficiency. For instance, AI-powered platforms can assess where a student is struggling and adjust content delivery to reinforce those areas, offering real-time feedback and customised learning paths. This degree of personalisation can significantly reduce dropout rates and improve performance across diverse learner populations. Furthermore, AI can support inclusive education by assisting learners with disabilities. Speech-to-text, text-to-speech and natural language processing tools can make content more accessible to blind, deaf or dyslexic students. In multilingual societies like South Africa, AI-driven language translation tools can also ensure that learning materials reach students in their home languages, enhancing comprehension and cultural relevance. Educators also benefit. AI can automate administrative tasks, provide insights into student performance and suggest interventions, freeing teachers to focus on pedagogy and mentorship. At a systemic level, AI can support policymakers by analysing educational outcomes across regions and demographics, enabling targeted interventions and better allocation of resources. SDG 13: Climate change: As the climate crisis intensifies, South Africa finds itself on the front line of its economic, social and ecological consequences. Water scarcity, biodiversity loss and extreme weather events pose existential threats to both urban and rural livelihoods. AI offers sophisticated tools for mitigation, adaptation and resilience-building. Through the processing of vast environmental datasets, AI can produce accurate climate models that forecast the effect of rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and other ecological disruptions. AI can integrate real-time weather data, satellite imagery and hydrological models to improve drought forecasts. These models can guide agricultural planning, infrastructure development, and water resource management with unparalleled precision. Farmers can use AI for precision agriculture, monitoring soil health, optimising irrigation and predicting yields. Energy efficiency is another critical area. AI can optimise the generation, distribution and consumption of energy, reducing carbon footprints while improving access. Smart grids informed by machine learning algorithms can predict demand spikes and reroute electricity to prevent outages. During disasters such as floods or wildfires, AI-enabled systems can provide early warnings, simulate response strategies and coordinate relief efforts. Satellite data combined with AI analytics can map affected areas in real time, identify vulnerable populations and facilitate targeted humanitarian interventions. These applications are not just technically sophisticated but socially vital. Integrating ethics and equity into AI development But the journey to AI-enabled SDGs is not without risks. Issues of data privacy, algorithmic bias, surveillance and digital exclusion must be confronted directly. The use of AI must be guided by principles of transparency, accountability and justice. Local contexts matter, and solutions must be co-created with communities, grounded in local knowledge and aligned with national development priorities. Moreover, AI must not deepen inequalities by creating a technological elite. Investments must be made in digital infrastructure, skills development and research capabilities, particularly in historically marginalised areas. If AI is to be a force for good, its benefits must be broadly shared, and its design must reflect the values and diversity of South African society. To avoid surveillance, bias and misuse of data, the country needs strong ethical guidelines. The Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution has made initial recommendations, but these must be translated into enforceable policies. The private sector, particularly in fintech, agri-tech, edtech and healthtech, must be encouraged to innovate responsibly. Universities and research institutions should intensify efforts to localise AI knowledge production and ensure that South African problems are being solved by South African minds. Most importantly, the state must play a catalytic role in ensuring that the regulatory frameworks, data governance standards and public investments align with the broader vision of sustainable development. The alignment between AI and the SDGs is not coincidental; it is foundational. AI is not just about machines, it is about leveraging intelligence, in all its forms, to solve humanity's greatest problems. Let us seize this opportunity not just with code and computation, but with compassion, conscience and collective purpose. Dinko Herman Boikanyo is an associate professor of business management at the University of Johannesburg. He writes in his personal capacity.
Mail & Guardian
21-07-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Reimagining employment in the age of the fourth industrial revolution
Labour laws fall short in the fourth industrial revolution. Graphic: John McCann/M&G The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has become a byword for transformation. As entire industries and social norms shift beneath our feet because of artificial intelligence (AI), so too does the very concept of employment. Less than a decade ago, employment structures were largely rigid, characterised by fixed hours, physical workplaces, and clearly defined responsibilities. The Covid-19 pandemic catalysed a dramatic break from this paradigm. In 2020, the world was forced into a remote-first mode, revealing the limitations of traditional employment models. This transformation, as To grapple with the legal implications of this shift, we must first understand how the scope of employment — that is, the range of activities an employee is expected to perform — has evolved. Remote work, hybrid arrangements, platform-based jobs and the gig economy are no longer anomalies; they are becoming the norm. Flexibility and autonomy, once considered perks, are now central pillars of modern work culture. As For example, remote work has rendered the concept of a fixed workplace nearly obsolete. Work now occurs in homes, co-working spaces or even across countries, raising questions about jurisdiction, supervision and employer responsibility. Gig and platform-based work presents further complexities. Determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor often hinges on vague factors such as control, economic dependence or integration into the business. The rise of AI and automation compounds this further, redefining job descriptions and introducing new tasks that may fall outside traditional employee duties. Additionally, the use of personal devices and remote networks introduces heightened concerns around data security and privacy issues that conventional employment law is not fully equipped to handle. These changes have legal implications, particularly concerning the 'course and scope' of employment, which is a central doctrine to determining employer liability for acts committed by employees. Historically, courts have interpreted this concept through the lens of employer control and the direct furtherance of the employer's business. If employees were deemed to be acting within the scope of their duties, the employer could be held vicariously liable for their actions. But when an employee was engaged in what courts have termed a 'frolic of their own' or personal pursuits unrelated to their job, the employer would not bear responsibility. An important consideration is that the abandonment-mismanagement rule holds that an employer may still be vicariously liable if an employee, while participating in a personal frolic, partially performs their work duties, thus effectively committing a simultaneous act and omission. These distinctions, already intricate, are increasingly difficult to apply in the modern world. There are a number of essential questions to be considered. For example, how should courts assess the scope of employment when work is asynchronous, occurring across time zones and digital platforms? What happens when employees alternate between professional and personal tasks at the same time while working from home? How should algorithmic supervision and AI tools factor into evaluations of employer control? These questions underscore the need for a more dynamic and context-sensitive framework for interpreting the scope of employment — one that reflects the fluidity of modern work rather than clinging to the static definitions of the past. Equally urgent is the question of who qualifies as an employee. Traditional labour laws were designed with clear, stable employment relationships in mind. But in the gig economy, where many workers straddle the line between contractor and employee, these laws often fall short. If left unaddressed, this legal ambiguity could allow employers to shirk responsibilities around fair compensation, social protection, and worker benefits, undermining the principles of fairness and dignity that labour law seeks to uphold. Balancing flexibility — a key value for many modern workers — with the employer's need for accountability, productivity, and oversight is no small feat. It requires a recalibration of the legal system. As Mpedi aptly observes: 'Historically, the law has been a largely reactive tool. But, in the age of AI, it cannot remain so.' The legal system must become anticipatory, not merely responsive. It must evolve in tandem with the digital transformation it seeks to regulate. This means revisiting — and in many cases, redefining — fundamental legal concepts such as 'employee', 'employer', 'work', 'workplace' and 'scope of employment'. Policymakers must also ensure that the rights and protections afforded to traditional employees extend to gig and platform workers, who increasingly constitute a significant portion of the labour force. Just as nature adapts to survive, so must the law. As we conclude in our book on AI and the Law : 'A meaningful subject in our conversations is the necessity for a flexible legal framework capable of adjusting to the rapid progress of AI advancement. Conventional legal ideas and laws created for a world centred on humans frequently prove inadequate when applied to AI.' If we are to meet the challenges — and seize the opportunities — of the fourth industrial revolution, we must embrace a Darwinian mindset: adapt or risk obsolescence. The future of employment is already here. The law must now catch up. Letlhokwa George Mpedi is the vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Johannesburg. Tshilidzi Marwala is the rector of the United Nations University and UN under-secretary-general. The authors' latest book on this subject is Artificial Intelligence and the Law (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).
Mail & Guardian
20-07-2025
- Mail & Guardian
Don't believe everything AI tells you: A cautionary tale for academia
Artificial intelligence can be a powerful ally but only if we cultivate the skills and habits that affirm our commitment to truth, discernment and verification. Graphic: John McCan/M&G I recently sat in a departmental colloquium where students were defending their research proposals before a panel of academics. Anyone who has gone through this exercise will attest the process of defending your master's or PhD proposal is, at best, a daunting and nerve-racking experience. The task is simple in theory but difficult in practice. The panel is seeking the student to prove their proficiency in conducting the research and clearly showing the gap their proposed study addresses. All this, within 10 to 15 minutes, to an audience in the room (mostly online nowadays) but also an audience that is referred to as the theory, policy and practitioner press. In the corner of the student (hopefully) are the watchful eyes and muted voices of their supervisor or supervision team, who themselves stand on trial before their academic peers. The result is a delicate dance, where the spoken word must align seamlessly with the written proposal. As one student delivered their presentation, my attention was caught by their mention of an article allegedly authored by me, published in the Journal of Business Ethics. A quick glance at their supporting documents confirmed my worst fear. I have never published a paper in that journal. Further to this, I don't even research or write in the field of business ethics. So, what had happened? The student had fallen victim to what is now widely known as an AI hallucination. In simple terms, they had placed their trust in the output of an artificial intelligence tool, which generated what looked like credible information about their topic and about me but which was fabricated. For the student, the AI-generated information seemed real. It said all the 'right' things and cited the kind of references a proposal defence panel would expect to hear and see. Yet, the result was false, misleading and nonsensical. What was missing was a critical process of verification needed long before the student could even be deemed to be ready to take part in this proposal defence. What we saw here was a double-layered false confidence. First, the false confidence of the AI itself. This came in the form of confidently making connections based on user prompts, some factual, others wholly fictional. Second, the false confidence of the human user through presenting AI hallucinations as fact, without adequate scrutiny, driven perhaps by the desire to impress a panel at all costs. What happened to the student? I choose to reflect on that last, because what happened to us as supervisors was equally instructive and worth reflecting upon. The experience (including the imaginary Journal of Business Ethics paper) became, for me, what sociologist Charles Horton Cooley called a 'looking glass self'. I began to see aspects of myself and my supervision practice through the mirror held up by the student's mistake. I prefer to describe what the student did as a mistake, rather than a punishable offence or as one leading survey in the United Kingdom called it, a violation of academic integrity. This incident sparked months of reflection for me. In a sobering way, I realised that my own experience with AI was not so different from the student's. Like our students, we supervisors are also searching for timely information to meet pressing demands. Like our students, we too struggle under the weight of information overload, turning to tools like AI to help us navigate the maze. And, like our students, we must also develop and exercise a critical eye in the face of what may appear to be technological progress. How did we respond as supervisors? For starters, given the growing popularity of AI among our students, some of us as supervisors felt the need to use such technology ourselves, to stay abreast of changes in the academic and professional landscape. It meant moving out of our comfort zones into spaces of discomfort, just to keep pace with what is happening. Some supervisors were quick to praise the functionality AI offers. For instance, using an AI tool to analyse large amounts of data in a short space of time was seen as a significant benefit. Others highlighted how AI could help students develop their writing and critical thinking skills provided that students' own voices remained central to the work, rather than being drowned out by the machine-generated content. We are truly living at the height of a technological moral panic, a time when our ability to exercise our executive functioning skills is being eroded precisely when we need them the most. It is a period in which voices of falsehood are legion, spreading at the mere click of a button, often without verification or reflection. Yet, this is also the very moment when we must be most vigilant and rise to the task of cultivating the skills and habits that affirm our commitment to truth, discernment and verification. Through the experience of watching students present their research proposals, we came to realise that our struggles are, in fact, the same; they just take different forms. As supervisors in our department, we embarked on a month-long dialogue with our students, acknowledging and praising the benefits of AI while also cautioning them about the dangers of AI hallucinations. Our hope is that this process proves beneficial for everyone involved. This benefit is anchored in helping students, supervisors, the university and ultimately society at large to achieve success rooted in both innovation and integrity. AI can be a powerful ally but only if we, both students and supervisors, treat its outputs as a starting point for inquiry, not the final word. Professor Willie Chinyamurindi is in the Department of Applied Management, Administration and Ethical Leadership at the University of Fort Hare. He writes in his personal capacity.
Mail & Guardian
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
ANC, DA square off over budget
(Graphic: John McCann/M&G) The Democratic Alliance won't back the budgets for the departments of higher education, human settlements and police This content is restricted to subscribers only . Join the M&G Community Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently. Subscription enables: - M&G community membership - independent journalism - access to all premium articles & features - a digital version of the weekly newspaper - invites to subscriber-only events - the opportunity to test new online features first Already a subscriber?
