Latest news with #Maja
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Institute of Race Relations slams unclear expropriation law
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) calls on Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson to disclose all state bodies empowered under the Expropriation Act. The Expropriation Act allows property to be seized below market value, raising concerns about property rights in South Africa. Makone Maja of the IRR says more than 400 state entities may already hold expropriation powers. ALSO READ: Ekurhuleni residents to face new tariff hikes IRR polling shows 68% of South Africans oppose the Expropriation Act. The IRR will this week write to Macpherson, seeking clarity on how many public entities have been granted the power to expropriate property under the recently enacted Expropriation Act. The act grants expropriating authorities broad powers to seize property, including land, homes, and business assets, potentially at below-market value. It provides limited legal recourse for owners to challenge such actions in court. The IRR has raised concerns over the lack of transparency about the number of government bodies authorised to carry out expropriations. Makone Maja, the IRR's strategic engagements manager, said the law is unpopular among South Africans and poses a significant threat to property rights. 'Our polling conducted in March and April shows that 68% of registered voters oppose the Expropriation Act,' said Maja. 'The act is so broadly worded that all forms of property – including savings and pensions – are now vulnerable.' According to the IRR, at least 426 public entities currently have the authority to expropriate property under the Act. However, the organisation believes the actual number may be closer to 1 000. ALSO READ: Issues plaguing Edenvale tackled in a heated meeting 'It is the height of policy recklessness for such vast powers to be granted to an unknown number of authorities,' said Maja. 'If the number is unclear, how can citizens have confidence that these powers will not be abused?' The IRR argues that uncertainty around expropriation powers could undermine investment, economic growth and food security. In its Blueprint for Growth policy series, the institute emphasises the importance of secure property rights as a foundation for economic empowerment. Maja added that South Africa's history of corruption and abuse of power makes the lack of oversight especially troubling. ALSO READ: Court orders the removal of illegal billboard on Gillooly's 'We have seen how state power can be misused,' she said. 'It is deeply irresponsible to empower a vast and unaccountable network of officials to take property without clear safeguards. 'The minister must urgently disclose which entities have been given this authority and explain how abuse will be prevented.' The IRR has called on the government to publish a full list of authorised expropriating entities and to provide clarity on how the act will be implemented to protect constitutional property rights. For more information, visit At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Unmarried fathers demand equal rights amid SA's growing family crisis
Many SA families are in crisis and facing challenges that negatively affect their ability to sustain themselves. One such challenge is the limited access some fathers have to their children because of the cultural practice of paying damages after the birth of a child. It must be noted that the family's well-being is of critical importance to the overall functioning of society. ALSO READ: Health department marks Nurses Day and calls for safer working environments Any breakdown in the family's ability to function and provide care increases the vulnerability of its members. As we observe the International Day of Families on May 15, it is vital to consider how the law protects unmarried fathers. In SA, unmarried fathers have legal rights and responsibilities under the Children's Act of 2005, which allows them to acquire parental rights and responsibilities if they meet certain conditions. According to an article by Scholtz Attorneys in Roodepoort, to acquire parental rights, an unmarried father must register the child's birth jointly with the mother or apply for parental responsibilities and rights through a court order. ALSO READ: Help children beat cancer and show support this Flip Flop Day 'It is crucial for unmarried fathers to establish their commitment to the child's well-being by demonstrating active involvement in their upbringing, including financial and emotional support. 'When the mother disputes the father's involvement, legal assistance becomes essential to navigate the process and protect the father's rights,' said the Gauteng Department of Social Development's (GDSD) media liaison Phetoho Maja. 'The GDSD, through its Family Preservation Programme, help unmarried fathers obtain full responsibilities and rights to their children by providing mediation. The department uses a unique, multi-tiered and managed process that is simple, innovative and integrates seamlessly with the court system,' said Maja. 'The United Nations officially declared the International Day of Families (IDF) in 1994 in response to changing economic and social structures that affect the stability and composition of family units in many parts of the world. 'The purpose of the observance is to raise awareness of the critical roles of parenting and fatherhood programmes in building strong, resilient families and addressing social challenges like substance abuse, violence and intergenerational trauma. ALSO READ: Cansa marks International Volunteer Day 'This milestone, observed annually, reflects the significance the global community places on families as the primary units of society. 'The theme for the 2024 IDF is 'Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development: Building Resilient Families'. 'The GDSD celebrates this day annually to promote stable, healthy families, the heart of strong societies, as it regards the family as a microcosm of the global community,' said Maya. 'It is also important to understand that building strong families is not only the government's responsibility but also of other stakeholders, such as the private sector, NPOs, and faith-based institutions. 'There is, therefore, a need to prioritise family issues, rights, and concerns through formal and informal efforts by governments in co-operation with the private sector and NPOs,' said Maya. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Euronews
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Serbian students participating in ultramarathon arrive in Brussels
Serbian students partaking in the massive – almost 2,000 kilometre – ultramarathon from Novi Sad, Serbia, have arrived in Brussels on Monday. The run titled 'From my village to Brussels' saw almost two dozen Serbian students make the trek to the European capital where they will be meeting MEPs from several political groups. The ultramarathon, covering an exactly 1,993 kilometre stretch, began on 25 April. It was originally planned to include 16 students – the exact number of victims in the tragic awning collapse in Novi Sad Railway Station. It was later expanded to 21 students. The journey was broken down in a relay format, with each student running 15 kilometres daily until they reached the final destination. Thank you so much, this is the 1,933rd kilometre. You are truly incredible, people. First of all, you twenty — you have no idea how much I love you,' said Maja, a participant in the ultramarathon. 'All of you here, thank you, thank you so much. You have no idea how much strength and energy you give us, and how much you mean to us.' In Brussels, alongside meeting MEPs, the pupils will also be meeting with European Commissioner for Enlargement, Martha Kos, as well as Commissioner for Youth, Glenn Micallef. On 1 November, a massive concrete awning collapsed at a railway station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, initially killing 14 people. Two of the wounded later succumbed to their injuries, bringing the total death toll to 16. Protests erupted shortly after, largely led by students, demanding the government take accountability for the incident, and the mass resignation of officials. Many in Serbia blamed the incident on rampant government corruption, negligence and disrespect of construction safety regulations. Multiple lines on the London Underground network were suspended or disrupted on Monday afternoon because of a power outage, the British capital's transport authority said. The Transport for London website showed that at least three subway lines were suspended due to a power failure and there were severe delays and partial suspensions on at least six other lines during the afternoon rush hour. The transport authority said it was working with the National Grid to determine the cause of the outage. "Due to a brief interruption of the power supply to our network, several lines lost power for a short period earlier this afternoon," said Claire Mann, TfL's chief operating officer in a statement. "We are working to get the whole network up and running again as quickly as possible." The National Grid said there was a "fault" on its transmission network in central London and that it was "resolved within seconds." Earlier, a Transport for London spokesperson told the PA news agency that there was a power cut in south London "for a matter of minutes," causing disruption in the subway network. British media reported that many stations in central London were completely closed. Last month, a power outage caused by a fire at an electrical substation in west London forced the closure of Heathrow Airport for almost a day, disrupting thousands of flights.
IOL News
11-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
China suspends imports of cloven hoofed animals due to Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in SA
Due to recent Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks in South Africa, China has halted the import of cloven-hoofed animals and associated products. Image: File The People's Republic of China has suspended imports of cloven hoofed animals and related products following Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. This follows the confirmation of two new FMD cases outside KZN. A farm in Mpumalanga was identified as part of trace-forward exercises from a positive auction in Utrecht, KZN. Although these animals showed no clinical signs of disease, further investigations have confirmed that the virus has spread to adjacent camps on the same farm. 'There are no indications that other farms have become infected, but veterinary services are continuing with clinical inspection and testing of livestock on farms in the area,' said Agriculture Director: Animal Health, Dr Mpho Maja. Maja said another farm was reported in Gauteng. 'Clinical signs suspicious of FMD were noted in a feedlot that received animals from an auction in Heidelberg, samples were collected and prioritised for testing. Laboratory results for these samples are positive and confirmed that this is the same virus that is circulating in parts of KwaZulu-Natal,' Maja said. 'An epidemiological investigation is underway to trace back and trace forward all other animals that were bought and sold at the same auction.' This led the People's Republic of China to suspend imports of cloven hoofed animals and related products. 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. 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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 ✕ 'Preliminary information obtained confirmed that this suspension includes only beef from the whole of South Africa to China,' Maja said. In response, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has escalated control efforts to the Deputy Director-General's office due to the seriousness of the matter. 'The office of the DDG has already held meetings with Veterinary Services and industry representatives to detail the actions required to curb this threat. The biosecurity, traceability and record keeping of animals bought and sold at auctions and similar industries were raised as a specific concern,' Maja said. Maja has urged South African livestock owners to heed FMD's incubation period of 2 to 14 days, during which animals can appear clinically healthy, before they start showing clinical signs generally associated with FMD. 'This highlights the importance of keeping newly bought animals separated from the resident herd for at least 28 days, even if a health attestation was issued for the animals. The health attestation and 28-day separation have been a legal requirement since October 2022,' Maja said. 'The department urges all livestock farmers in the whole country to limit animal movement as far as possible. 'We request auctioneers and livestock owners to be vigilant when buying cloven hoofed animals from provinces where there are active FMD outbreaks. No cloven-hoofed animals should be accepted from areas under restriction for FMD in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga,' Maja continued. Maja explained that Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act imposes a legal duty on any owner or manager of animals to take all reasonable measures to prevent their animals from becoming infected with any disease and to prevent the spread of any disease from their animals or land to other animals or other properties. 'Essential biosecurity measures include limiting and/or postponing the introduction of new animals if at all possible and, if absolutely necessary, only introducing animals from known clean farms with a health declaration, preventing nose-to-nose contact of farm animals with animals outside the farm, maintaining secure farm boundaries, restricting access for people and vehicles as much as possible,' Maja said. Meanwhile, earlier this week, when the department briefed the portfolio committee on agriculture about the status of FMD, the Department of Agriculture's Dr Mike Modisane said FMD affected export markets significantly, and some countries can take protective measures against other commodities.
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
IRR challenges universities on racial classification amid new quotas
IRR's Makone Maja warns that racial quotas in South African universities threaten academic freedom and merit, urging institutions to prioritise excellence over bureaucratic box-ticking. Image: WalterSisuluUniversity/Facebook The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) is calling on the vice-chancellors and principals of all 26 South African universities to clarify whether they intend to forcibly classify their staff by race, should individuals decline to self-classify, in line with the recently gazetted Employment Equity Sectoral Numerical Targets. These new quotas, set to take effect later this year, are creating significant concern among institutions and individuals alike. According to the IRR, these quotas, described as 'targets' to avoid legal challenges, will require employers in both the public and private sectors to conduct workforce audits. This includes compelling staff to complete the EEA1 form, which mandates racial identification in four categories: African, Coloured, Indian, or White. However, the form offers no option for those unwilling to classify themselves racially, raising serious concerns about constitutional rights such as freedom of association, dignity, and equality. IRR Strategic Engagements Manager, Makone Maja, highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, 'We are writing to universities, who are explicitly included in the regulations, to ask if they will compel staff to identify by race – and if they will forcibly assign racial identities to those who refuse. ''Universities are not mere employers; they are meant to be champions of free thought, academic inquiry, and the nurturing of merit and excellence. For institutions of learning to submit meekly to a pencil-test system of demeaning race audits is to betray their purpose.' The IRR has voiced concerns that the implementation of racial quotas, driven by the ideology of 'demographic representivity,' has not brought about the intended social justice or job creation. Instead, it has contributed to stagnation, corruption, and the deterioration of key sectors. As emphasised by Maja, 'Racial quotas serve political elites, entrenching bureaucracy and box-ticking over merit, and sow division rather than build excellence and trust.' Maja further stressed the unintended consequences of such quotas, arguing that they undermine the true goal of upliftment.
