Latest news with #R128
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
‘Looting using matric papers': Why did NW printing job price jump by around R100m?
The job has reportedly never cost more than R30m, but is now apparently being done for R128m a year, for five years. There are concerns of possible 'looting' and corruption within the North West education department after it signed a new matric paper printing job that costs four times what it did last year. The department reportedly spent just over R28 million last year to print its question papers, but has now appointed a new provider for the services, Lebone Altron DSV Consortium. That provider, according to a City Press insider, is charging R128 million a year for the service. The department has disputed the amount, but revealed the actual amount is over R100 million. It justified the cost by saying it included not only printing but also other logistics like storage and distribution. Still, insiders insist that these other services were included in the previous deal at a fraction of the price. They smell a rat and claim there is 'a lot of looting using the printing of matric question papers'. 'The material used for printing the question papers is normal, which is found in any printing company. We do not use any special materials, but the money [the department is going to pay] is too much,' said a source. Why don't they use government printers? According to the national education department, eight of the nine provinces, including the North West, have stopped using the Government's Printing Works (GPW) to print their matric papers amid security concerns. 'The GPW in its current structure lacks the capacity to print secure question papers for all nine provincial education departments. This capacity can be extended with time, but the reality is that it is also a major risk for all national question papers to be printed at one venue in the country,' the department said previously. 'Another important factor is that provincial education departments (PED) prefer to have in-house printing facilities, which allows them to manage the process more closely. Hence, printing in Pretoria at GPW is not the most convenient arrangement for most PEDs.' And while leaks have reportedly reduced, the cost of printing, now in private hands, has risen. ALSO READ: Hawks make major breakthrough in matric results 'breach' – One detained Last year, it was reported that the cost more than tripled from less than R1 billion to R3.6 billion. The national education department later clarified that this R3.6 billion included setting the papers, moderation, printing, transport, security, marking and allowances for markers, maintenance of systems, and printing and distribution of statement of results. 'The estimated cost for just the printing and packing of question papers for all candidates writing the October/November examination is R220 million, and this is a fraction of the R3.6 billion quoted,' the department explained. NOW READ: WATCH: Matric results for just R100? Outcry over 'leak' of marks
IOL News
24-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Major financial turnaround: Tshwane settles R1 billion Eskom debt and clears R4.7bn VAT burden
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya gives feedback about progress made by her administration since she assumed office in the past 175 days. The City of Tshwane has made inroads in settling its long-standing Eskom debt, having paid over R1 billion towards the outstanding amount last month, reducing its total Eskom debt to R5,66bn. This was announced by Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya during a media briefing at Tshwane House on Wednesday, where she gave feedback about progress made by her administration since she assumed office in the past 175 days. She said the dent into the city's debt comes just three months after concluding a historic payment agreement with the power utility. 'This progress reflects our determination to meet our obligations and secure energy stability for our residents.' She also announced that the R4.7bn VAT debt linked to the cancelled Peu smart meter contract has now been fully settled. She said the city has made a final payment of R128 million, clearing the debt in full. 'The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has formally acknowledged the settlement. This marks a major milestone in closing a difficult chapter in the city's financial history and demonstrates the multi-party coalition government's resolve to clean up the past and build a sustainable future,' she said. Two years ago, former mayor Cilliers Brink revealed that the city owed the SARS a staggering R4.7 bn in unpaid VAT and penalties, stemming from the ill-fated Peu contract, which was awarded irregularly in 2013 and later invalidated by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. The contract was meant to facilitate the rollout of smart meters through Peu Capital Partners. Under Moya's administration, the city's debtors' book has seen a huge reduction, from nearly R30bn to R25,69bn as of March 31, 2025. She attributed the progress to intensified revenue collection efforts, including the Tshwane Ya Tima campaign and the debt relief scheme approved by the council. Moya said the city's debt relief programme made strides with R2,42bn written off from registered indigent accounts and an additional R1.83bn cleared from over 31 500 inactive accounts. The city has received an overwhelming response to its debt relief scheme, with over 10 200 applications submitted so far. To accommodate even more residents, Moya said, the executive will request a three-month extension of the scheme from the council during a special sitting on Thursday, pushing the new deadline to May 31, 2025. 'By doing so, the standard R29 000 tamper fee will be waived — allowing customers a chance to regularise their supply and avoid further penalties,' she said. Recently, various areas of the city have experienced recurring power outages, severely impacting local businesses and disrupting daily life for residents. Moya said Soshanguve and Queenswood have been the hardest hit by power outages. 'In our commitment to being a responsive government, we are pleased to announce that refurbishments to IA Substation in Soshanguve have been completed following years of unreliable power supply that has adversely affected that area. The reticulation of the electricity is under way, and we are confident that the area will have its electricity fully restored in the next two weeks. The original deadline for completion was set for the end of April,' she said. In Queenswood, the primary cause of the extended power outage was 17 identified cable faults, but power has since been restored in the entire area. Moya also gave an update about the project to deliver water to Hammanskraal residents. 'Due to several delays in the rollout of the Klipdrift Project, Magalies Water has revised the completion date for Module Two to the end of April,' she said. She added that the mayoral executive will hold a public meeting in Hammanskraal with affected residents to give them an update on the progress and to ensure that residents are kept fully informed about the delays.
