Latest news with #R4m
The Citizen
3 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Metro unaware residents buying materials to repair pipes
The Tshwane metro says it is unaware that residents in Waterkloof Glen were forced to buy their own materials to fix a series of burst pipes earlier this month. However, Ward 47 Councillor Lida Erasmus, who was standing in for Ward 83 Councillor Andrew Lesch at the time, sent a message in the community group thanking residents for stepping in with supplies and tools. Erasmus confirmed that residents in Tolstoi Street had to source their own pipe connectors. She also said she personally called her husband to deliver a four-pound hammer to break concrete that was obscuring the pipe. In the message to residents, Erasmus thanked residents who contributed and bought materials. 'Thanks also to the two residents who bought some pipe connections to assist, and the residents who assisted with lights tonight.' She further praised metro workers who stayed on site until late, but made it clear that residents filled in where municipal services fell short. The pipe reportedly burst four times in the same spot, just above the original repair site, and seven times in total over the first weekend of May. Lesch said the situation was unacceptable and unfair to residents. 'It's not right for ratepayers to fund infrastructure with their taxes and then still be expected to buy materials out of pocket,' Lesch said. 'The teams need proper oversight. Someone should be checking whether they have the correct tools and materials before they leave the depot.' Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the metro is not aware of residents buying materials for repairs. 'The city is not aware of residents purchasing materials themselves,' he said. He added that technical teams are always dispatched with the necessary tools. Mashigo explained that the full extent of damage often isn't clear until the pipeline is exposed, which can affect the materials needed. However, he maintained that the metro has internal storage stocked with essential components, and that daily checklists are in place to ensure maintenance teams are equipped. 'All maintenance teams have daily checklists, which ensure that they have all the necessary tools and equipment required for maintenance before they can travel to the sites.' When asked about recurring pipe bursts, Mashigo said the metro has embarked on a programme of replacing aged infrastructure. He added that currently, critical areas are being prioritised, which will be followed by other aged infrastructure that is less critical across the metro. 'There are teams dedicated to areas with critically aged infrastructure to ensure that water leaks are attended to timeously.' ALSO READ: Cable theft in the east costs metro over R4m 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!
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Cable theft in the east costs metro over R4m
Cable theft in the east costs metro over R4m Cable theft and electricity losses are spiralling out of control in the suburbs east of Pretoria, costing the metro millions. The city spent nearly R4.9-million on repairs and maintenance in the past financial year due to cable and electricity theft, a heavy financial toll to its already strained budget. These incidents have led to frequent power outages, disrupting daily life and business operations. Residents also voiced concerns over the city's response, adding, 'We are paying rates and taxes, yet it feels like no one is protecting the infrastructure. We need stronger action and quicker response times.' According to city spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the direct repair costs amounted to R4 889 985,70, not including additional losses due to service disruptions and secondary infrastructure damage. 'These ongoing incidents not only cost the city millions, but also jeopardise essential services and public safety,' said Mashigo. 'The damage goes beyond the cables themselves – entire communities are affected when the power goes out.' Mashigo said cable theft and vandalism in the east were the worst in Erasmuskloof, Armscor, Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Rietvlei Water Works, Woodlands Mall, Woodlands Lifestyle Estate, Faerie Glen (Koedoeberg), Mooikloof, Moreleta Park and surrounding suburbs. He said the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and private security companies were surveilling the hotspots, conducting regular patrols in identified high-risk zones. Mashigo confirmed that supply chain management is still processing the tender for enhanced infrastructure security. 'In the interim, the TMPD is working closely with SAPS and private security partners to secure vulnerable infrastructure.' He said cable theft and electricity infrastructure vandalism reduce the reliability and longevity of the electricity infrastructure. MMC for Finance Eugene Modise said the metro has allocated more than R565-million to the installation of CCTV cameras, the recruitment of 200 more metro police officers from January, and the deployment of security personnel to protect its assets, including electricity infrastructure. 'Tshwane is woefully under-protected and we are pursuing a consolidated asset protection strategy that includes both physical security and advanced technological solutions,' said Modise. He added that the metro plans to incorporate modern technology, such as motion detectors and smart surveillance tools, to support and strengthen the efforts of ground security teams. ALSO READ: Noweto stations indicate an increase in contact crimes 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!
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
R4 million spent to axe Port St John's town manager
Protest erupts as Port St John's municipality spends millions trying to oust its manager amid corruption claims. Cash-strapped Port St John's local municipality in the Eastern Cape, has spent more than R4 million in legal fees over the past five months in a bid to remove its municipal manager, according to documents seen by The Citizen. A spreadsheet detailing the cost of R4 038 458.95, incurred by the municipality for the disciplinary hearing of Mluleki Fihlani, excludes costs for venue hire and expenditure by attorneys appointed by mayor Cebisa Mazuza. When asked for comment, Mazuza did not respond regarding the amount spent. R4m in legal fees to remove its manager In a letter to Gxumisa Incorporated Attorneys, Mazuza said: 'I am appointing you as evidence leader in the disciplinary hearing matter of Mluleki Fihlani. According to the private investigator, there is evidence the allegations are serious.' Costs would be according to quoted rates, she added. ALSO READ: Municipality's CFO 'hounded out' of job for refusing to sign dubious contracts The move to remove Fihlani prompted a recent protest bringing Port St Johns to a standstill. Among several controversies to rock the town, were that chief financial officer Tembisa Kahla Sikolo resigned last month and has gone to ground, fearing for her safety. Opposition parties said she resigned due to pressure from politicians who wanted her to sign off on dubious multimillion-rand contracts. Resignation due to pressure – opposition Another is the resignation by the internal audit manager, allegedly due to 'mistreatment'. African Transformation Movement local leader Mzwandile JamJam said 'politically connected individuals are siphoning off taxpayers' money through questionable government contracts'. NOW READ: Corruption claims swirl as Port St Johns CFO steps down
TimesLIVE
30-04-2025
- TimesLIVE
Bail hearing in Sassa fraud and theft case postponed
The Lenasia magistrate's court on Wednesday postponed the bail application hearing in a South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) fraud case to June 10. 'The postponement is to allow the court to hear additional evidence it has to consider in making a decision on the applications submitted by the 11 accused,' National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said. Shumani Khwerana and 10 co-accused face multiple charges including cybercrime, fraud and theft. 'The state alleges the accused orchestrated a sophisticated scheme involving the creation of fake Sassa profiles wherein more than R4m was deposited and these profiles were used to withdraw large sums of money from various Sassa paypoints.' During the hearing, the state submitted affidavits from the investigating officer and Mazimela Kubeka, a senior internal investigator at Sassa, with information on how the accused were implicated in the alleged offences. Mjonondwane said the court requested additional supporting evidence from the state.
The Herald
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Questions raised over R8.2m job awarded by municipality to business consultants
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality wants to recover R8.2m paid to SK Business Consultants between 2020 and 2021, as the metro cannot verify whether it received value for money. SK Business Consultants (SKBC) was appointed as a middleman between the city and small, medium and micro enterprises. The normal tender process was cancelled and a deviation was signed the next day, resulting in the company being hand-picked for the job. The job was initially meant to be for six months, but after the deviation, it was extended to 12 months. A report presented to the municipal public accounts committee (Mpac) on Thursday stated that SKBC's appointment was recorded as an invalid deviation. 'With the contentious nature of any contracts involving SMMEs, as well as a value of more than R4m attached to this project, it is expected that management would want to promote a fair, transparent procurement process,' the report says. 'The proposals were specifically requested from three relevant service providers and a recommendation based on the requirements to fulfil SMME demands could be interpreted as the institution being held at ransom to enter into this contract. 'The real or perceived threat to officials' lives is unfortunate, but these criminal acts should not be grounds for dispensing with competitive bidding processes and the municipality not obtaining value from the contract.' According to the report, R8.2m was paid to SKBC in six different transactions from September 2020 to July 2021. The city wants the funds recovered because: It is uncertain if the municipality received the goods or services; It is uncertain if the goods and services were aligned with the specifications; and It is uncertain if the council received any value against the R8.2m expenditure incurred. Issues were attributed to systemic gaps and administrative challenges in the tendering process, with the report showing no officials had committed financial misconduct. In its recommendations, the report notes that the metro remains uncertain about who is liable for the irregular expenditure, citing a lack of further information, compounded by the fact that the project manager is no longer employed by the municipality. SKBC director Sicelo Kubashe could not be reached for comment. At the meeting, councillors called on the metro to recover the money. When contacted, Mpac chair Tumi Ranyele said she could not talk as she was in a meeting and referred questions to ANC councillor Xolani Notshe, who said he was also in a meeting. ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said the city had to recover the funds because the report did not contain enough details of why it must be written off. 'They wanted us to write it off because some people no longer work for the city, but we felt we needed to get the money back instead, and we required additional information,' Grootboom said. 'We felt the explanation for the write-off was not good enough because, as the report states, we did not get value for money, and the city is uncertain if it got the expected goods or services. 'The Municipal Finance Management Act does not allow us to write off willy-nilly.' He said the report was deferred for acting city manager Ted Pillay to provide the committee with a PwC and disciplinary board report to help get to the bottom of the issue. The Herald
