Latest news with #R29
IOL News
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Petrol vs Diesel vs Hybrid vs Electric: These are the ins and outs of each vehicle type
Electric vehicles remain an uncommon sight in South Africa, but hybrids are gaining in popularity. Image: Newspress With the advent of hybrid and electric powertrains, buying a vehicle has become a far more complicated equation. Do I pay more for something with an electric motor, and save on fuel costs down the line? It's still not an easy question to answer as there are many variables involved with each specific model range, but it helps to gain an understanding of the various propulsion systems and where they fare best. Internal combustion engines: the traditional way Petrol and diesel engines, commonly labelled as internal combustion (ICE), have powered cars since the beginning, and they remain the mainstay of the motor industry, as in most instances they're still more affordable than hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs). A petrol engine is typically the least efficient propulsion type. Although they can be relatively economical at constant highway speeds in higher gears, they are generally thirsty in town driving scenarios. Stop-start driving, where the lower gears are used, is when a petrol engine is at its least efficient because the engine needs to attain high revs in order to move the car off the mark, which takes a great deal more energy than cruising at freeway speeds at lower revs. Diesel engines have a more efficient combustion process that extracts more energy from the fuel, allowing them to produce more power and torque at lower revs, but because they require more sophisticated technology and often bigger engine sizes in order to achieve the same outputs as their petrol equivalents, they tend to be more expensive to purchase. 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 Kia Seltos is one of the few affordable passenger cars still available with a diesel engine. Image: Supplied For instance, a Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDI LX turbodiesel costs R29,000 more than its normally petrol equivalent, which has the same power output. But the diesel offers better fuel consumption, at a claimed 5.2 litres per 100km versus 6.3 for the petrol, and more torque (250Nm versus 144Nm), which is good for low-rev cruising and hill climbing. Diesels have become less common in the passenger vehicle market, however, as their higher levels of particulate matter make it harder for them to meet global emissions standards. Understanding hybrid powertrains and their many variations Hybrids often claim to offer the best of both worlds. This powertrain type is typically abbreviated to HEV, which stands for hybrid electric vehicle. With an extra dash of romance, Fiat likes to use the 'Ibrida' title, which means hybrid in Italian. Is there anything that doesn't sound appealing in Italian? But in fairness, not all hybrids are born equal, and quite frankly, not all of them truly deserve that title. So-called 'mild hybrids' are often a point of contention. Operating a 48-volt electrical system, rather than the 12-volt set-up typically found in regular ICE cars, mild-hybrids replace the starter motor and alternator with an electric motor and small battery. Although the e-motor provides a small performance boost, the fuel economy gains tend to be negligible at best as these systems more often than not do not propel the car on electric power alone. They do however make a small difference by using recuperated energy to power some of the car's electrical components, and even the air conditioning in some cases, easing the strain on the engine. Yet regular 'self-charging' hybrid systems like the one found in South Africa's best-selling HEV, the Toyota Corolla Cross, often hit a sweet spot for consumers. The Corolla Cross is Mzansi's most popular hybrid. Image: Supplied Like diesel engines, they tend to cost more than their petrol counterparts, for the benefit of better fuel consumption, but it's important to understand the scenarios in which each engine type operates at its most efficient. Hybrids typically pair a petrol engine with one or more electric motors, which power the car together or alone depending on the circumstances. For instance, the Corolla Cross 1.8 HEV has a 53kW electric motor that can power the vehicle alone at lower speeds, in lower gears, thus taking the strain off of the petrol motor when it's at its least efficient. Toyota claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 4.3 l/100km for the hybrid, in ideal test laboratory conditions, versus 6.8 for the regular 1.8-litre petrol model, which is R38,200 cheaper in XS trim. But that doesn't tell the full story. In our month-long road test of the Corolla Cross HEV, our test unit consumed a shade over 6.0 litres per 100km in town driving scenarios and 5.6 l/100km on a 1200km highway trip. Notice the small gap between those figures? Normally an SUV of this size would consume well over 9.0 l/100km in town. But the highway figure, while still impressive, is not significantly better than what a conventional ICE engine would achieve. That's because the lack of braking at constant highway speeds results in limited energy recuperation, meaning the e-motor can't do as much of the work as it would in town. The bottom line is that hybrid vehicles will hit the sweetest spot for those who do most of their driving in urban environments, while a diesel engine would still be better suited to those doing a great deal of longer-distance driving. Sadly, the Corolla Cross is not offered with a diesel. Plug-in hybrids: having your cake and eating it? The city driving advantage of a hybrid is amplified further when it comes to the plug-in type, otherwise known as a PHEV. These work much like the aforementioned regular hybrids, but have much bigger batteries that typically allow these vehicles to cover anything from 50km to 100km on electric power alone. In fact Volvo's upcoming Ultra PHEV models promise electric coverage of up to 200km. Volvo is a big player in the PHEV space. Image: Supplied Keep in mind that the 'claimed' range figures will differ greatly, depending on the mixture of urban and freeway driving, and of course, your driving style. But theoretically, and provided that you charge your PHEV on a regular basis, you could do your daily commuting on electric power alone, while the petrol engine waits in the wings for that odd long-distance trip to the coast. It is a bit like having your cake and eating it, depending on what your needs are. A PHEV could actually work to your detriment if you do a significant amount of long-distance driving. Because they have heavy batteries to lug around, once the battery power has been depleted, these vehicles are often less efficient than regular ICE vehicles at highway speeds. Bottom line: If you own a trendy coffee shop downtown - assuming you're not already cruising around on a bicycle with a basket - a PHEV could make a great deal of sense. But if you're the Chief Rep from Pep, best you stick to that diesel. The other thing to consider is that PHEVs are more expensive than conventional hybrids and ICE vehicles. The least costly option at present is the BYD Sealion, starting at R639,900, but most other options are positioned north of R1 million. Thankfully there is a slew of new Chinese contenders heading to South Africa this year, which will likely make PHEV ownership more accessible. Nonetheless, a PHEV is by default a performance model, because its ICE and electric motors both need to power the vehicle individually at higher speeds, so unlike a conventional hybrid, smaller motors are out of the question. The ins and outs of an electric car Fully electric cars, commonly referred to as EVs, are solely powered by electric motors and have far bigger batteries than PHEVs and HEVs, sometimes with capacities exceeding 80 kWh. Compared to ICE vehicles, EVs offer minimal running costs, with Nedbank estimating an at-home charging cost of around R200 for a full battery. The relative simplicity of e-motors also makes these vehicles cheaper to maintain. But as with PHEVs, electric cars are really expensive to buy. BYD ATTO 3 crossover. Image: Supplied The least costly EV option in 2025 is the Dayun S5, at R399,900, which in fairness is best suited to city driving, while the family sized BYD Atto 3 family-sized SUV is perhaps the most viable real-world option at R768,000, not forgetting the Polo-sized BYD Dolphin at R539,900. While some of the smaller EVs offer claimed range figures of around 300km between charges, most products nowadays claim to cover 400km or more, but keep in mind that real-world range figures will differ radically depending on your driving style and driving scenario. When it comes to efficiency, an EV is very much the exact opposite of an ICE vehicle as the former is far more efficient in urban driving scenarios. This is because stop-start driving maximises energy recuperation from braking, which helps extend your range bit-by-bit. Quite telling was a recent real-world range test conducted by AutoTrader at the Gerotek high-speed oval. At a constant speed of 117km/h, the BMW iX1 took 238km to deplete its battery from 90% to 10%, emulating real-world battery usage. The BMW's claimed range figure is 440km on a full battery. At similar speeds the Volvo XC40 Recharge covered 214km/h and the Mercedes EQA 250 managed 254km/h, versus their claimed range figures of 460km and 402km. Keep this in mind when planning that trip to Durban. In fairness, companies such as GridCars and Charge are constantly expanding the country's rural charging network and in time, long-distance driving will become less of an obstacle to EV ownership. For now, purchase price remains the biggest hurdle to electric motoring, and until the government follows the lead of other countries by offering purchase incentives, or even equalising the import duties with ICE vehicles, EVs will remain a small niche in this country. Home charging, with South Africa's patchy electricity grid, also remains an obstacle for potential consumers, although ultimately, reaping the environmental advantages of EV ownership should ideally mean having a solar infrastructure at home. Because what's the point of a coal-powered car? Assess your needs Although this was by no means a thorough technical explanation of the differences between ICE, hybrid and electric vehicles - such a feature could take up a novel - we do hope that it provides a bit of insight into the ins and outs of each particular propulsion type. Remember to shop around, assess your needs and take the 'official' fuel consumption figures and range estimates provided by manufacturers, with a pinch of salt. IOL
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
KZN councillor and wife implicated in alleged corruption on R29bn N3 highway upgrade
Investigation reveals corruption allegations against local politician linked to N3 highway upgrade in Msunduzi Municipality Image: Facebook An exclusive investigation by IOL has uncovered disturbing allegations of corruption and financial misconduct involving a local politician and his wife, linked to the multi-billion rand N3 highway upgrade - a critical infrastructure project connecting Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The investigation suggests that a Chinese joint venture company, Base Major Joint Venture CSC, may be complicit in illicit dealings that jeopardise the integrity of the project. The Msunduzi segment of the N3 upgrade forms part of a broader initiative to enhance approximately 79.3 kilometres of freeway - a key route facilitating trade and mobility in South Africa. Valued at nearly R29 billion, the project aims to ease chronic congestion, improve safety, and enhance economic integration from Durban to inland regions. It is aligned with the government's Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs), designed to spur economic growth and create jobs. However, behind the scenes, controversy appears to be mounting. Multiple sources have implicated local politician Sibusiso Mkhize, a councillor in the Msunduzi Local Municipality, and his wife, Nkule MaKhuzwayo Mkhize, in a scheme to siphon off funds via illicit payments. According to insiders, Mkhize - appointed by Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla to serve on the Project Liaison Committee (PLC) - allegedly solicited and received bribes from contractors working on the project. Some workers involved in the N3 upgrade have also raised concerns about intimidation and suppression, fuelling suspicions of high-level corruption. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ Financial Flows and Evidence of Misconduct IOL's investigation uncovered financial records indicating that Mkhize received substantial payments, some of which were allegedly channelled into his wife's Absa bank account. Three electronic receipts, reviewed by IOL, reflect transactions of R169,000, R100,000 and R30,000 - all referencing 'G7 Base Major,' presumed to be linked to the joint venture company. Sources allege these payments have continued since the project's inception, with a regular monthly payout of R25,000 purportedly directed to Mkhize's wife. The revelations raise serious concerns around conflicts of interest, abuse of office, and potential kickbacks on a public-funded project. When approached for comment, Councillor Mkhize declined to respond, citing legal advice. His wife, Nkule MaKhuzwayo Mkhize, demanded the identities of IOL's sources, questioned the publication's legitimacy, and invoked privacy rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). She refused to provide further comment despite multiple requests. Absa spokesperson Carli Cooke confirmed that the account belonged to MaKhuzwayo Mkhize, lending credence to the allegations. IOL also contacted municipal authorities. Eunice Majola, speaker of the uMsunduzi Municipality, said the matter would be referred to the Rules and Ethics Committee for investigation. Mayor Thebolla acknowledged the gravity of the allegations, clarifying that Mkhize had been a municipal representative on the PLC but was replaced two months ago. 'These allegations do not reflect well on the municipality,' he said. 'Let's first agree this is a Sanral project. The municipality has no access to operational details. We merely nominate a council member to represent us. I recently nominated someone else to replace Councillor Mkhize.' Sanral, the national roads agency overseeing the project, confirmed it was investigating the matter. 'Sanral takes these claims very seriously. We are reviewing the situation and will communicate our findings once the investigation is complete,' said spokesperson Lwando Mahlasela. The N3 upgrade involves 15 work packages at a projected cost of R29 billion. It aims to create around 33,500 jobs, prioritising local labour, and channel R8.8 billion to black-owned enterprises to foster inclusive growth. The upgrade involves expanding the freeway from four to six lanes between Camperdown and Ashburton and eventually to eight lanes at the interchanges. IOL Politics
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Klein Boesmans River Bridge construction in KwaZulu-Natal: R29 million spent, yet incomplete
The construction of the Klein Boesmans River Bridge in Wembezi, KwaZulu-Natal, is incomplete despite R29 million being spent on the project by contractors. The project was supposed to be completed in May 2021. Image: Riona Gokool / Supplied The construction of the Klein Boesmans River Bridge in Wembezi, KwaZulu-Natal, is incomplete despite R29 million being spent on the project by contractors. The KZN Legislature Transport Portfolio Committee conducted an inspection of the site on Wednesday to find the construction area deserted. The project began in 2020 and was scheduled for completion in May 2021. The committee said that to date, only 65% of the project is completed. Mncedisi Maphisa, the portfolio committee chairperson, said that according to the contractual agreement, the construction period to complete the job would be 15 months. 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 Maphisa said the site had since been deserted and there is no progress, which triggered the committee to visit the bridge in a mission to find answers from the provincial Transport Department, municipality, and contractors. 'The committee holds a firm view that these delays are unwarranted and result in unnecessary slow-pacing of service delivery. The first meeting was held at Department of Transport Cost Centre in Estcourt and the delegation then proceeded to Wembezi for physical assessment of the bridge, to be furnished with reasons as to why this project has taken this long to finish, and also to ascertain what the department has in store to ensure that this project is completed,' Maphisa said. The KZN Legislature Transport Portfolio Committee conducted an inspection of the site on Wednesday. Image: KZN Legislature Riona Gokool, MPL and Democratic Alliance KZN spokesperson on Transport, said there must be full accountability, and that the DA stood with the affected communities to demand that public money be used to serve the public interest, not the pockets of failing contractors and indifferent officials. 'The residents of Zwelisha and surrounding areas deserve proper service delivery. They do not deserve to watch as tens of millions of rand are poured into a pit of incompetence and neglect,' Gokool said. She added that this was gross mismanagement, a lack of oversight, and accountability from officials. 'The delays and abandonment have left residents stranded without a critical transport link, cutting off access to schools, health care, and economic opportunities,' she said. Gokool said the department's internal report reads like a case study in failure. 'A contractor plagued by cash flow issues, construction delays exacerbated by avoidable mistakes, and an apparent breakdown in contract management and supervision. Excuses such as Covid-19 and weather conditions do not justify years of stagnation, nor do they absolve the department from failing to take decisive action sooner,' Gokool said. Recently, the committee inspected the uMdloti River Bridge project in the Ndwedwe area, revealing staggering levels of mismanagement, incompetence, and neglect of a critical infrastructure project, said Gokool. The committee found that despite construction having been under way for over eight years, only 44% of the work was complete as of April 2025 Construction of the uMdloti bridge has now dragged on since 2016, yet to date, it remains incomplete.
The Citizen
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
From wedding bells to doorbells
The growing momentum of a global homeownership trend dubbed 'houses before spouses' has seen more young homebuyers choosing to purchase a home prior to getting married or buying jointly with a spouse or partner. This same trend has been mirrored in South Africa where, according to ooba Home Loans, the number of property purchases made with a spouse has dropped from 34% to 27% over the past decade. At the same time, the share of first-time homebuyers without dependents has increased to 64%. While some buyers still opt for joint purchases, many are turning to an alternative co-ownership model as Grant Smee, CEO of Only Realty Property Group explains: 'It's becoming increasingly apparent that, to navigate the financial challenges of homeownership, many Gen Z and millennial buyers are choosing to co-own property with friends or family, rather than relying on the financial security of a spouse.' Smee adds that first-time buyers, who are opting to purchase properties alone, are also getting older – a trend driven largely by economic uncertainty, high unemployment rates and financial instability. When it comes to 'houses before spouses' in the global context, the US leads the charge with single women owning approximately 2.72 million more homes than single men (New York Post). In the UK, solo households now make up a third of all households, according to the Urban Institute. Similarly, in Australia, the trend is gaining traction among younger generations. Houses Before Spouses Still Trending Locally – Especially in Gauteng & Amongst Women Smee notes that, for many, owning a home remains one of life's most significant achievements: 'For younger buyers, homeownership is still seen as a major aspiration – particularly in a challenging economic environment where saving for a deposit, securing a home loan, and ultimately purchasing a property are far from easy. That's why, more often than not, it takes precedence over other traditional life milestones.' Data presented by FNB indicates that buyers earning between R3,500 and R29,600 per month – referred to as the 'affordable housing segment' – are increasingly purchase homes collectively to manage high interest rates and rising costs. 'This segment saw 47% of home loans issued in Gauteng over the past four years, 18% issued in the Western Cape (despite having the highest property prices in the country overall), and 12% issued in KwaZulu Natal – as per Standard Bank's most recent data.' Women are in strong support of the 'houses before spouses' trend, with Lightstone data in July '24 reflecting that women own nearly 60% of South Africa's residential housing stock. 'Female first-time buyers now outnumber their male counterparts, with the majority being single or divorced.' Tips for Navigating the Joint Ownership Journey As the trend continues to grow in popularity, Smee believes that more millennials and Gen Zs – in particular – will choose to purchase jointly. 'Housing affordability remains a challenge and this is where joint homeownership comes in. It also helps to minimise and spread risk across the parties entering the agreement, however, buyers must understand the legal, financial and practical implications.' He unpacks these as follows: Managing Financial Risks A major risk of joint ownership is that if one owner stops contributing financially, the remaining owners must cover their share to avoid legal and financial consequences. 'This is why a well-drafted co-ownership agreement is essential,' says Smee. 'It should outline how costs are divided and establish solutions for non-payment, such as a buyout clause or forced sale options.' What Happens In the Case of Death In the event of a co-owner's death, their share does not automatically transfer to the surviving owners. 'The share becomes part of the deceased's estate and is distributed according to their will or intestate succession laws,' explains Smee. 'Meanwhile, the remaining bondholders remain jointly liable for loan repayments until the estate is settled and ownership is transferred.' Smee advises co-owners to maintain up-to-date wills to avoid legal complications. Exiting the Agreement If disputes arise over selling the property – such as one owner wanting to sell while others do not – an owner can apply to the court for an order to force a sale, known as actio communi dividundo. 'A co-owner could also attempt to sell their share without the consent of the others, which may introduce an unknown third party into the arrangement,' Smee cautions. 'A buyout agreement can help prevent such conflicts by ensuring that remaining owners have the first option to purchase the departing party's share.' If all owners agree to sell, the property is sold, and proceeds are divided according to ownership percentages. The Importance of a Co-Ownership Agreement A formal co-ownership agreement should outline: Ownership rights and obligations Procedures for selling or transferring shares Recourse for non-payment Looking ahead, Smee believes that Gen Zs in particular will change the way in which property is viewed, purchased and ultimately, used. 'While millennials have been largely responsible for driving this trend, I suspect that Gen Zs will transform the homeownership landscape in years to come. Whether it's through joint or single homeownership, we do anticipate it to be an exciting time.' Issued by Jess Gois
The Citizen
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Tshwane extends debt-relief lifeline to struggling households
The Tshwane metro has once again heeded the call of its residents by extending its popular Incentive Debt-Relief Scheme to May 31. The extension aims to provide much-needed financial breathing space for households and businesses facing mounting municipal debt. Tshwane Deputy Mayor and MMC of Finance, Eugene Modise, said the extension comes after overwhelming requests from residents and businesses seeking more time to access the benefits of the programme. He said the initiative has already proven to be a critical tool in relieving residents of financial pressure during tough economic times. 'This extension of this scheme not only supports our hard-pressed residents but also assists the metro in strengthening its financial footing. 'Optimising revenue collection is at the heart of this municipality coalition's agenda and has played a pivotal role in achieving a funded municipal budget,' said Modise. According to Modise, the metro's debtor's book stands at R25.69-billion. However, this figure represents a significant improvement, a 13.19% reduction compared to the previous month. Modise said part of this success can be attributed to the targeted implementation of the debt-relief scheme and efforts to recover funds from inactive or indigent accounts. The metro has already written off R2.42-billion from registered indigent accounts, bringing meaningful relief to the most vulnerable residents. An additional R1.83-billion has been wiped from over 31 500 inactive accounts, a step aimed at cleaning up the metro's book and streamlining future collection efforts. Modise said during the previous phase of the scheme, over 10 200 applications were received, which indicates how desperately this assistance is needed. The metro anticipates even more applications as word spreads. He said a key component of the latest extension is the waiver of the standard R29 000 tamper fee, which is typically charged when illegal connections or tampering with municipal infrastructure is discovered. The City of Tshwane is committed to assisting residents, businesses and other customers to manage their municipal debt effectively. Residents of Soshanguve came in numbers for #DebtReliefProgramme@CityTshwane — Eugene Modise (@eugene_modise) March 26, 2025 The metro is encouraging residents to come forward, regularise their municipal accounts, and reconnect legally without fear of harsh financial penalties. 'This move is about meeting people where they are. By waiving tamper fees, we are creating a path to compliance that's compassionate and realistic. 'We appreciate the volunteerism and honesty displayed by the people of Tshwane. Their determination to pay for services reflects a deep love for this municipality and a shared desire to see it thrive,' said Modise. Modise urged all eligible households and businesses to take advantage of the extended deadline. He emphasised that the success of the programme depends on active community participation and a shared commitment to municipal accountability. Residents of Mamelodi came out in numbers to take full advantage of the #DebtReliefIncentiveProgramme before it closing date. To find out when we're going to be in your area kindly consult with your ward councillor &/or the nearest customer care centre.@CityTshwane — Eugene Modise (@eugene_modise) March 19, 2025 Residents and businesses interested in the scheme can contact the metro's finance department or visit regional customer care centres for guidance. Applications must be submitted before May 31. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
