Latest news with #R1.5m
The Citizen
22-05-2025
- The Citizen
Court seizes assets in alleged R5m Mpumalanga PPE fraud case
While many people were affected by Covid-19 in 2020, a Mpumalanga Department of Health official allegedly financially benefited from personal protective equipment (PPE) funding. Mpumalanga News reports that this has resulted in a high court preservation order for the forfeiture of a property and three vehicles, amounting to millions of rands, against the people involved. Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Colonel Magonseni Nkosi says a former secretary in the provincial health department, Sanele Sanderson, allegedly colluded with two service providers in faking the purchasing and delivery of the PPE. 'The director's secretary engaged herself in alleged fraudulent activities that led to the department suffering a loss of about R5m in 2020,' says Nkosi. 'As a result, the service providers unlawfully benefited from the products that were never delivered,' he adds. He says Sanderson's alleged actions resulted in the service providers receiving payment and buying a residential property worth R1.5m in Barberton. The house was registered under the name of a company called Zanderson Establishment, of which the sole director was Sanderson's daughter, Yolanda Sanderson. 'The property was later sold for the same amount. Shortly afterwards, the family bought another residential property in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. The house was then registered in [the name of] a company named SS Umoya, directed by the former secretary, Sanele Sanderson,' says Nkosi. He says investigations conducted by the Hawks resulted in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Mbombela, ordering the forfeiture of the Sunninghill house and three vehicles on Tuesday. 'The forfeited house is estimated to be valued at R1.5m and the three vehicles, owned by the two service providers, a Toyota Quantum, a Hyundai light delivery vehicle and a VW Golf, are estimated to have a combined value of R1m,' Nkosi adds. The provincial head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, says criminal investigations are ongoing. 'Benefits derived from proceeds of crime will be traced, restrained, forfeited and sold to recoup the state's losses. 'This is a clear example of law enforcement entities working in collaboration with one another. The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority and the Asset Investigation Section of the Hawks collaborated and ensured the successful forfeiture. This must send a stern message that we will seize assets, no matter how they are disguised, if bought through proceeds of crime. Crime must not pay,' he adds. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
21-05-2025
- The Citizen
High court orders that assets be seized after alleged R5m Covid-19 PPE fraud uncovered
While many people were being affected by the prevalence of Covid-19 in 2020, a Mpumalanga Department of Health official financially allegedly benefitted illegally from personal protective equipment (PPE) funding. This has resulted in a high court preservation order for the forfeiture of a property and three vehicles amounting to millions of rand against the involved individuals. The Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, said a former secretary in the provincial health department, Sanele Sanderson, allegedly colluded with two service providers in faking the purchasing and delivery of the PPE. 'The director's secretary engaged herself in alleged fraudulent activities that led to the department suffering a loss of about R5m in 2020,' said Nkosi. 'As a result, the service providers unlawfully benefitted from the products that were never delivered,' added Nkosi. ALSO READ: Alleged Mpumalanga fraud and corruption accused released on bail He said Sanderson's alleged actions resulted in the service providers receiving payment and buying a residential property worth R1.5m in Barberton. The house was registered under a name of a company called Zanderson Establishment, of which the sole director happened to be Sanderson's daughter, Yolanda Sanderson. 'The property was later sold for the same amount. Shortly afterwards, the family bought another residential property in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. The house was then registered in a company named SS Umoya, directed by the former secretary, Sanele Sanderson,' said Nkosi. He said investigations conducted by the Hawks resulted in the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Mbombela, ordering the forfeiture of the Sunninghill house and three vehicles on Tuesday, May 20. 'The forfeited house is estimated to be valued at R1.5m and the three vehicles, owned by the two service providers, a Toyota Quantum, a Hyundai light delivery vehicle and a VW Golf, are estimated to have a combined value of R1m,' Nkosi explained. The provincial head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, said criminal investigations in this matter were ongoing. 'Benefits derived from proceeds of crime will be traced, restrained, forfeited and sold to recoup the state's losses. This is a clear example of law enforcement entities working in collaboration with one another. The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the NPA and the Asset Investigation Section of the Hawks collaborated and ensured the successful forfeiture. This must send a stern message that we will seize assets, no matter how they are disguised, if bought through proceeds of crime. Crime must not pay,' warned Gerber. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
13-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Doctor baffled by R2. 7 million electricity bill due to meter reading error
The eThekwini Municipality stated that the high electricity bill that a Reservoir Hills doctor received of R2.7 million was due to an incorrect meter reading that was submitted. Image: Supplied The eThekwini Municipality stated that the high electricity bill that a Reservoir Hills doctor received of R2.7 million in April 2025 was due to an incorrect meter reading that was submitted. Doctor Terence Govender said his average monthly bill was R8 500 and was left bemused by his latest bill. For March, Govender was billed R2.7 million in total. His bill for April totalled R91 000. This included water of R1 680, electricity of R55 000, cleansing and solid waste of R256, interest on arrears of R23 641, and VAT of R8 636. The total bill for March and April amounted to R2.8 million. eThekwini Municipality's Spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said they have noted the recent inquiry regarding an unusually high electricity bill reflected on a customer's account. The municipality stated that it wanted to provide clarity on the issue after investigating the matter. According to the municipality, the circumstances that led to this situation were: The cause of the high bill was an incorrect reading submitted to e-services by the customer. On March 25, 2025, the customer submitted a meter reading through the municipality's e-services platform. The reading submitted was 20364, which has fewer digits than the 6-digit reading, which ought to have been submitted. The municipality has also been advocating for customers to submit their readings on e-services as an alternative and appreciate the use of it. Subsequently, a routine meter reading was conducted on May 6, 2025, by municipal staff and captured the correct reading of 204020 units. However, this reading is currently pending final billing, and in the next billing, the adjustment of the R2m will be corrected. Sisilana said the municipality acknowledges the inconvenience this has caused and wishes to reassure both the customer and the public that this matter is receiving urgent attention. 'The customer will be contacted and will be educated on how to read their meter and submit on e-services. However, all necessary adjustments have been made already and will reflect actual consumption and correct the billing anomaly in the next bill of June 2025,' Sisilana said. She said that if residents have queries, the municipality's Revenue Management Unit (RMU) remains available for direct engagement. Krisendra Bisetty of Bisetty Attorneys said he is handling approximately 60 cases of high bills in eThekwini. 'I also have a client who owns a petrol station in Westville who has a R1.5m bill. I recently got a Sydenham woman's R1.5m water bill reversed in two days. She tried for two years without success,' Bisetty stated. In January 2025, a Tongaat homeowner, Arumoogum 'Reggie' Pillay, won his case at the Durban Regional Court after being billed approximately R322 900. Ish Prahladh, chairperson of the eThekwini Residents and Ratepayers Association (ERRA), said residents throughout the municipality were also experiencing similar challenges. Asad Gaffar, eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM), said there is also no clear political will to change the management of the city and the department to address this serious crisis. 'The city has put its citizens into a predicament, and quite frankly, they simply just don't care. It is about time that the residents and ratepayers of eThekwini unite and stand united in a defiance campaign against this city,' Gaffar said. [email protected]
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Storm havoc in KZN: Eskom responds to multiple power outages
Heavy rain and severe lightning storms experienced in parts of KZN last night (Thursday) resulted in multiple network faults and interruption to electricity supply. According to Eskom's industry support and stakeholder management, Joyce Zingoni, restoration efforts are under way as the power utility's technical teams worked through the night to restore supply to most customers. ALSO READ: Suspects nabbed with R1.5m worth of stolen Eskom property Fault-finding and repairs are still in progress. Affected areas include Mtubatuba, Hluhluwe, Jozini, Manguzi and Pongola. 'Eskom appeals for patience from our customers, as some areas are inaccessible due to infrastructure damage. We assure you that every effort is being made to restore power safely and efficiently,' said Zingoni. Zingoni further urged the public to treat all electrical installations as live and to stay away from fallen cables, damaged infrastructure, or any hazardous areas, and to report those to local authorities immediately, or directly to Eskom through the following channels: • MyEskom customer app: available for download on Google Play and Apple Store • Alfred the Chatbot: • USSD platform: Dial *120*37566# on your phone and follow the prompts • Eskom Contact Centre: Dial 08600 ESKOM (37566) • Alfred on WhatsApp. Save the Eskom Share Call number 08600 37566 to your phone, open WhatsApp and start chatting with Alfred Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Zawya
17-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Are local businesses ready for the new Employment Equity Regulations?
South African businesses are facing a pivotal moment following the publication of the final Employment Equity Targets, Regulations, and Administrative Requirements by the Department of Employment and Labour. These new regulations require designated employers to meet specific equity targets across all occupational levels by 2030, with strict penalties for non-compliance. The regulations, which introduce clear boundaries to monitor progress in achieving equitable representation of designated persons, are expected to have a significant impact on South African businesses. However, many industry stakeholders have raised concerns that the targets are unattainable, citing the current economic climate and South Africa's low-growth economy as barriers to their achievement. A critical moment for transformation agendas For the first time, designated employers will be required to comply with mandatory employment equity targets. These targets are intended to ensure that the workforce is more reflective of the country's economically active population, yet many businesses view them as overly ambitious. Despite several rounds of consultation, the Department has remained firm on the targets, with little modification since their initial proposal. Jonathan Goldberg, chairman of Global Business Solutions, stated, 'The new regulations create both significant challenges and opportunities for South African businesses. While many will find these targets difficult to achieve, those who strategically align their practices with these requirements can emerge as leaders in transformation.' The penalties for non-compliance are severe, with fines of up to R1.5m or 2% of annual turnover, adding to the pressure on businesses already grappling with multiple regulatory demands. Over 200 employers have already been referred to the Labour Court for failing to comply with existing regulations. Strategic response and the need for innovation Despite the concerns surrounding the achievability of the targets, the government maintains that these measures are necessary for achieving a more inclusive workforce. However, many employers question whether the balance between ambitious goals and practical implementation has been struck. 'The regulations present a complex challenge for many sectors, especially those that are already facing economic headwinds,' said Thembi Chagonda, joint-CEO of Global Business Solutions and an Employment Equity Commissioner. 'However, those businesses that embrace these changes head-on and innovate their approach to compliance will find themselves better positioned for the future.' John Botha, joint-CEO of Global Business Solutions, added, "The time for preparation is now. Businesses that develop innovative compliance strategies will not only mitigate the risk of penalties but may also gain a competitive advantage as the regulatory landscape evolves. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
