Latest news with #R7.1
The South African
12 hours ago
- Business
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs target poised to turn down Amakhosi for Russia
Kaizer Chiefs have several striker targets. However, those players have other options on the table as the winter window approaches. According to Soccer-Laduma , Russian side Beltika have stolen a march on Kaizer Chiefs and made a proposal to sign Etiosa Oghodaro. The 23-year-old Nigerian scored five times in the league last term for AmaZulu, on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns. The promising marksman is valued at R28.5 million by transfermarkt. 'It's a team from Russia. Yes, they've been monitoring Ighodaro for some time now, and it's believed they have eventually made up their mind and they want to sign him. They are happy that he is a big striker who can use both his feet to shoot, can dribble and can also score with his head. That's very rare, and that's what they are looking for. That's what they are looking at. Yes, it's a big club. It's called FC Beltika,' said the source. 'There is a big offer there. Actually, it's a huge offer from Russia. It's approximately $400,000 (R7.1 million). That's over R7 million just in salaries. So that means they are really serious about him. That's the offer in salaries only without the signing-on fee,' said the source. Is Oghodaro worth the fuss? Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Star
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
ActionSA calls for urgent intervention in Emfuleni municipality crisis
Masabata Mkwananzi | Published 4 hours ago ActionSA has ramped up pressure on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo, demanding that Emfuleni Local Municipality be placed under mandatory administration. The party said years of financial mismanagement, collapsing infrastructure, and failed service delivery have pushed the municipality beyond the point of recovery without urgent national intervention. "It is now imperative that the Gauteng Provincial Government invoke Section 139(5) of the Constitution and place Emfuleni Local Municipality under mandatory administration, with the full oversight of National Treasury." ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni MPL, has criticised the ongoing oversight failures in Emfuleni, warning that years of ineffective and incomplete interventions under Section 139(1)(b) have allowed the municipality to slide into what he described as a 'full-blown crisis.' Ngobeni stressed that Emfuleni's dire financial state is undeniable, citing the municipality's R7.1 billion debt to Eskom and mounting arrears with Rand Water as key indicators of its insolvency. He added that massive service delivery failures, including 62% water losses and 22% electricity losses — amounting to over R750 million in annual lost revenue — have left basic services out of reach for many residents. 'Ongoing sewer spillages, neglected infrastructure, and collapsed waste management systems have turned essential services into a luxury most communities can no longer count on,' Ngobeni added. Ngobeni further pointed to the ongoing sanitation crisis at the Ramaphosa informal settlement as a glaring example of Emfuleni's collapse. 'The fact that portable toilets have gone unserviced for more than four months is not just unacceptable — it should be the final straw…this level of neglect underscores why urgent intervention through Section 139(5) is no longer optional but absolutely necessary. 'Despite Premier Lesufi's belated instruction to the Gauteng Human Settlements Department to resolve the matter, it is clear that without intentional, decisive provincial intervention, residents will continue to suffer. Emfuleni's failure to provide basic sanitation is not confined to one settlement – it is a systemic, recurring feature of a municipality in collapse,' he said. Previously placed under administration due to chronic service delivery failures, Emfuleni Local Municipality remains in disarray. Ngobeni has slammed the earlier Section 139(1)(b) intervention, terminated in 2022, as a 'disastrous failure.' The party argued that the measure merely offered a façade of oversight while allowing Emfuleni's political leadership to retain control over the budget and continue with unchecked, irresponsible spending. "The situation has now escalated beyond discretionary oversight. ActionSA, therefore, supports the immediate implementation of a financial recovery plan in terms of Section 139(5), which would transfer financial control to National Treasury and impose mandatory reforms," he said. Ngobeni stated that ActionSA has formally submitted a proposal to the Gauteng Legislature's COGTA Committee, urging the Portfolio Committee and Premier Panyaza Lesufi to act swiftly. He said the municipality's dire financial state requires immediate fiscal control by the National Treasury to enforce a funded and credible budget capable of addressing years of financial mismanagement. 'An immediate fiscal control by National Treasury to enforce a funded and credible budget, aggressive debt recovery aligned with Eskom's debt relief framework, and prioritised infrastructure restoration in water, electricity, and sanitation,' said Ngobeni. He further added that stabilising the municipality's leadership is also crucial to turning things around. 'Appointing a permanent Municipal Manager and Chief Financial Officer without delay is vital to restoring governance and accountability in Emfuleni.' ActionSA is not the only political party placing pressure on the embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality. As previously reported by The Star , the Democratic Alliance (DA) has also taken decisive action by referring the municipality to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The DA is calling for a full investigation, citing long-standing and severe service delivery failures. According to the party, these failures have subjected residents to inhumane living conditions, effectively violating their constitutional rights to basic services such as clean water, adequate sanitation, and a safe and healthy environment. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ActionSA calls for urgent intervention in Emfuleni municipality crisis
ActionSA is demanding that the Gauteng Premier place Emfuleni Local Municipality under mandatory administration due to years of financial mismanagement and service delivery failures that have led to a crisis. Image: Itumeleng English Independent Newspapers ActionSA has ramped up pressure on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo, demanding that Emfuleni Local Municipality be placed under mandatory administration. The party said years of financial mismanagement, collapsing infrastructure, and failed service delivery have pushed the municipality beyond the point of recovery without urgent national intervention. "It is now imperative that the Gauteng Provincial Government invoke Section 139(5) of the Constitution and place Emfuleni Local Municipality under mandatory administration, with the full oversight of National Treasury." ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni MPL, has criticised the ongoing oversight failures in Emfuleni, warning that years of ineffective and incomplete interventions under Section 139(1)(b) have allowed the municipality to slide into what he described as a 'full-blown crisis.' Ngobeni stressed that Emfuleni's dire financial state is undeniable, citing the municipality's R7.1 billion debt to Eskom and mounting arrears with Rand Water as key indicators of its insolvency. He added that massive service delivery failures, including 62% water losses and 22% electricity losses — amounting to over R750 million in annual lost revenue — have left basic services out of reach for many residents. 'Ongoing sewer spillages, neglected infrastructure, and collapsed waste management systems have turned essential services into a luxury most communities can no longer count on,' Ngobeni added. Ngobeni further pointed to the ongoing sanitation crisis at the Ramaphosa informal settlement as a glaring example of Emfuleni's collapse. 'The fact that portable toilets have gone unserviced for more than four months is not just unacceptable — it should be the final straw…this level of neglect underscores why urgent intervention through Section 139(5) is no longer optional but absolutely necessary. 'Despite Premier Lesufi's belated instruction to the Gauteng Human Settlements Department to resolve the matter, it is clear that without intentional, decisive provincial intervention, residents will continue to suffer. Emfuleni's failure to provide basic sanitation is not confined to one settlement – it is a systemic, recurring feature of a municipality in collapse,' he said. Previously placed under administration due to chronic service delivery failures, Emfuleni Local Municipality remains in disarray. Ngobeni has slammed the earlier Section 139(1)(b) intervention, terminated in 2022, as a 'disastrous failure.' The party argued that the measure merely offered a façade of oversight while allowing Emfuleni's political leadership to retain control over the budget and continue with unchecked, irresponsible spending. "The situation has now escalated beyond discretionary oversight. ActionSA, therefore, supports the immediate implementation of a financial recovery plan in terms of Section 139(5), which would transfer financial control to National Treasury and impose mandatory reforms," he said. Ngobeni stated that ActionSA has formally submitted a proposal to the Gauteng Legislature's COGTA Committee, urging the Portfolio Committee and Premier Panyaza Lesufi to act swiftly. He said the municipality's dire financial state requires immediate fiscal control by the National Treasury to enforce a funded and credible budget capable of addressing years of financial mismanagement. 'An immediate fiscal control by National Treasury to enforce a funded and credible budget, aggressive debt recovery aligned with Eskom's debt relief framework, and prioritised infrastructure restoration in water, electricity, and sanitation,' said Ngobeni. He further added that stabilising the municipality's leadership is also crucial to turning things around. 'Appointing a permanent Municipal Manager and Chief Financial Officer without delay is vital to restoring governance and accountability in Emfuleni.' ActionSA is not the only political party placing pressure on the embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality. As previously reported by The Star, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has also taken decisive action by referring the municipality to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The DA is calling for a full investigation, citing long-standing and severe service delivery failures. According to the party, these failures have subjected residents to inhumane living conditions, effectively violating their constitutional rights to basic services such as clean water, adequate sanitation, and a safe and healthy environment. The Star [email protected] ActionSA is demanding that the Gauteng Premier place Emfuleni Local Municipality under mandatory administration due to years of financial mismanagement and service delivery failures that have led to a crisis. Image: File
IOL News
09-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
eThekwini Municipality budget consultations: IFP demands policy reforms for residents
Dr Jonathan Annipen, an Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) councillor in eThekwini, has submitted a plethora of demands to the municipality revenue department's policy developers, calling for unprecedented policy reforms. Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers While the eThekwini Municipality leaders crisscross the wards for the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) consultations, a local councillor is calling for policy reforms before the budget is passed. Dr Jonathan Annipen, an Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) councillor in eThekwini, has submitted a plethora of demands to the municipality revenue department's policy developers, calling for unprecedented policy reforms. These policies could be voted on with the budget at the next council meeting later this month. The deadline for residents, businesses, and stakeholders to submit their inputs into the Draft Budget and IDP, R64.2 billion operating budget, and R7.1 billion capital budget for the 2025/26 financial year is May 17, 2025. Annipen said residents will only be able to cope with the proposed tariff increases as spelt out in the 2025/26 budget if major changes are made to the city's budget-related policies. 'Central among them are the indigent support application and the credit control and debt recovery policies,' he said. Annipen said the city's social package in its current form simply exists to meet a legislative requirement and, by doing so, ticks the budgetary requirements set out by the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA) and the National Treasury. 'These policies do not speak to the growing needs of the residents of eThekwini. Needless to say, substantial amendments need to be made to ensure these policies are adaptable to the people of the city in the context of some of the socio-economic challenges faced by our people,' he said. According to Annipen, residents are struggling to meet their financial commitments to the municipality, forcing them to live without basic services, such as water and electricity, or resort to illegal measures like tampering with the city's infrastructure to bypass their electricity and water metering systems. He stated that the proposals made by the IFP are practical and add significant value to the otherwise opaque, ambiguous, and outdated policies enforced by the municipality. 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 Annipen said this also strengthens the existing policy framework articulated in the existing standard operating procedures and terms of reference of eThekwini's budget-related policies, but primarily seeks to reduce some of the causes of unauthorised, irregular, wasteful, and fruitless expenditure while reducing debtors' book by unparalleled markers. He added that ultimately, the amendments they are suggesting will reduce the capital amounts written off by the city, dispose of historic debt, and secure a far higher revenue collection proportion than what is presently being illustrated by the city. 'Our recommendations have been formulated through personal interactions with residents and first-hand experiences lived out by the ordinary people of eThekwini. We call on residents, lobby groups, ratepayer bodies, and other civic society agencies to join us in this fight for policy change in order to provide relief to the marginalised masses within this metro.'
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Frustrated Chatsworth residents voice concerns over proposed budget and water crisis
The draft budget for the 2025/26 financial year stands at R71.3 billion, comprising a capital budget of R7.1 billion and an operating budget of R64.2 billion. They staged a peaceful protest against the proposed budget and Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and threatened to boycott their utility payments if the issues affecting them - more especially the water crisis – was not resolved. Xaba's budget consultation meeting, at the Nelson Mandela Youth Centre, this afternoon, was met with a protest against the tariff increases by frustrated residents . FRUSTRATED residents in Chatsworth, earlier today protested against the proposed tariff increases during Mayor Cyril Xaba's budget consultation, highlighting the ongoing water issues and the need for better service delivery. Xaba said that the budget reflected the municipality's continued commitment to inclusive development, service delivery and infrastructure renewal in all communities. But residents, businesses and stakeholders of Chatsworth and surrounding areas, including Mariannhill, Shallcross, Savannah Park, Malvern, Montclair, Bellair, Bluff, Merebank and Jacobs, expressed their strong dissatisfaction with the proposed budget. They said the ongoing water cuts was exacerbating the problem. Selvan Moodley, of south Durban, the water issues had left them frustrated and the proposed increases was not acceptable. 'The city cannot expect people to pay for services they do not receive. How can they implement increases with the lack or absence of service delivery?' he asked. Chatsworth resident, Raeesa Hoosen, told Xaba the elderly and those who were sickly, were suffering the most with the constant water cuts. 'We do not have water. Yes, there are water tankers, but most people in the area I live in are old and cannot fetch water from the tankers. What happens to them? People are sick and they too cannot access the water that they need from the tankers. We need a better solution,' she said. Another resident from Montclair, Kurshida Kaja, appealed to Xaba to take low income families and those who relied on grants into consideration when budgeting and implementing the increases. 'People are already struggling. We need proper considerations before the increases are implemented. The ordinary citizens cannot afford to pay any more than they already are paying,' Kaja added. The deadline for residents, businesses and stakeholders to submit their inputs into the draft budget and IDP for the 2025/26 financial year is May 17. THE POST
