Latest news with #Section106
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
DA welcomes move to suspend Sedibeng mayor Lerato Maloka
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Sedibeng has welcomed a council resolution to request the suspension of Sedibeng Executive Mayor Lerato Maloka, pending a disciplinary investigation into alleged misconduct. According to a statement by DA Sedibeng caucus leader Cllr Sibusiso Dyonase, council resolved to write to Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, calling for Maloka's immediate suspension. Maloka is accused of negligence in her duties, with the DA highlighting her alleged role in the wasteful expenditure of over R500,000 on a trip to Germany involving other municipal officials. The statement also references a controversial incident involving the mayoral vehicle, in which sugar was reportedly found in the engine after the mayor was compelled to use the R490,000 car. Dyonase criticised Maloka for giving a press interview behind closed doors while council debated her future. During the media briefing, Maloka reportedly called for a Section 106 investigation into alleged maladministration in her administration and claimed she was the target of a smear campaign. The DA maintains that the issues raised by the mayor occurred under her leadership and cannot be dismissed as political attacks. 'The DA proudly adds its voice to the call – suspend mayor Maloka and conduct a speedy disciplinary investigation,' Dyonase concluded. Maloka, however, has written to MEC Jacob Mamabolo requesting an independent investigation under Section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act. In her letter, she alleges that the municipal manager is orchestrating a smear campaign against her and has called for the MEC to probe irregular appointments, inflated salaries, and dubious procurement processes within the municipality. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Turmoil in Sedibeng: Mayor seeks probe into governance failures
In a dramatic turn of events, Mayor Lerato Maloka has broken her silence, calling for an independent Section 106 investigation into the Sedibeng District Municipality, citing widespread maladministration and what she terms 'unfounded allegations' against her. According to Vaalweekblad, Maloka addressed the media yesterday and detailed a series of governance failures allegedly perpetuated by the current municipal manager, Motsumi Mathe, and other senior officials. These include irregular staff promotions, concealment of financial irregularities, and failure to recover funds improperly paid to legal firms. Maloka claimed the administration's focus has shifted from community needs to internal power struggles and self-interest. Explosive accusations against top officials Among the most explosive allegations, Maloka accuses the municipal manager and Speaker of Council Moipone Modikeng of manipulating council minutes, obstructing disciplinary action, and misleading council and the public. She also claims deliberate efforts have been made to falsely implicate her in the widely reported theft of the mayoral chain following a break-in at her office. 'I have been intimidated, harassed, and subjected to falsehoods in the media. This is not just about me — it's about accountability,' Maloka said. Investigation requests submitted Maloka confirmed that formal requests have been submitted to the Gauteng MEC for Local Government and the Public Protector to launch a thorough investigation into the municipality's administration. She said the full report will be released by the MEC in due course. This announcement comes in the wake of multiple scandals and recent political turbulence, including failed motions of no confidence and rebellion within her own Mayoral Committee. Suspension reports 'premature' Meanwhile, Vaalweekblad also reports that earlier claims Maloka had been suspended appear to have been premature. According to Salome Janse van Rensburg, a DA councillor in Sedibeng, the mayor has not yet been suspended. 'The mayor has not been suspended yet. We sent a recommendation through to the MEC to have her suspended. She has not been suspended yet,' Janse van Rensburg told Vaalweekblad yesterday. 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. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Park upgrade paid for with stashed cash
Thousands of pounds stashed in Dudley Council's coffers for years is to be spent on upgrades at a borough park. Work at King George V Park, Wordsley, will go ahead using £24,800 from property developers who agreed to pay for improvements in areas where they build homes. Dudley is to splash cash in the Lawnswood Road green space from agreements linked to applications approved as far back as May 2004. The deals, called planning obligations, are enforced under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act. Councillor Damian Corfield, Dudley cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: 'Section 106 contributions are often multi-faceted with large sums allocated to many different projects. In this case we have held on to and combined several smaller elements of these S106 payments together to generate a significant total amount. 'That amount is now being used to fund this hugely beneficial project for the community in Wordsley, and an example of very smart use of section 106 money.' The park will get upgrades including resurfacing of the multi-use games area, the reinstatement of the bowling green and a revamp of the children's play area. The cash will come from four developments which were approved between 2004 and 2011. Latest figures published by Dudley Council show at the end of March 2024 a total of £2.8m of unspent S106 money was sitting in the authority's bank. In the financial year which ended on the same date the council's income from S106 payments was £61,580. In the same financial year the council spent £1.05m of S106 cash, mostly on education facilities while a further £956,810 had been allocated but not spent. Hoarding S106 funding is common practice for local authorities despite most agreements having a time limit which means the money has to be spent within a specific period or paid back to the developer. According to a report published by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) in autumn 2024, a total of around £6bn of unspent S106 cash was held by councils in England and Wales – with the average council holding £19m. The HBF is calling for greater transparency in local government about why spending is delayed and how long councils are holding on to cash for. Neil Jefferson, CEO at HBF, said: 'Each year developers contribute around £7 billion to local authorities for the provision of local infrastructure, affordable housing and education, recreational and health facilities but some councils are increasingly failing to invest this cash into the services that so desperately need it. 'Investment in new housing delivery brings unrivalled economic and social benefits to communities but too many of these advantages are going unseen by local people. With the government desperate to find money to invest in infrastructure to drive growth, it is nonsensical to have billions sat in council bank accounts. 'Furthermore, a lack of infrastructure provision is often cited as a reason to oppose development, yet this pipeline of billions of pounds of unspent infrastructure funding is too often underappreciated in debates about the impact of new development.'
South Wales Argus
26-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport: 84 homes on Cot Hill, Llanwern approved by planners
The planning application, known as 21/1301, was given the green light on May 15 for 84 new homes on land north of Little Milton Farm, Cot Hill, Llanwern. The decision is part of a larger scheme, which has already been granted outline permission, to build up to 1,100 homes in the area. The new plans include the construction of 23 affordable homes, which exceeds the Section 106 agreement requirement of 20 per cent of the total homes. However, the provision of parking for these affordable homes has been identified as being slightly below the necessary requirement. This shortfall has been justified by the developers due to the area's accessibility, design quality, and census data. The planning application was approved with several conditions. These include pre-commencement requirements such as the submission of an Arboricultural Method Statement and Root Protection Barrier, as well as provisions for hedgehog movement, refuse points, ultra-low emission vehicle infrastructure, and biodiversity enhancements. The development must also adhere to submitted plans, including landscape, ecological, and engineering layouts. Despite the approval, the application faced objections from highways officers due to concerns over highway safety and parking. Key issues raised included inadequate design for buses and commercial vehicles at bends, non-compliance with Newport and Welsh highway standards, and the risk of unsafe on-street parking due to the parking shortfall. Cycle and pedestrian routes were also noted to not meet accessibility standards. The application received comments from South Wales Fire and Rescue, which recommended early attention to firefighting water supply and access. The application received no objections from the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, as relevant archaeological work has already been completed, identifying Roman villa remains. The approved planning application is in line with the larger development scheme for the area, which will see the construction of up to 1,100 new homes. The development will also include infrastructure, such as a substation and landscaping. The application partially discharges several previously set conditions related to various aspects of the development.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
9-year-old boy electrocuted while playing in MCD Park in south Delhi
A nine-year-old boy was electrocuted to death in a park in Kalkaji, south-east Delhi on Saturday night when he tried to retrieve a ball that had fallen into an open BSES electricity switchboard attached to an electric pole. The victim was identified as Aryaman Chaudhary, a Kalkaji resident. His father Randeep is a yoga teacher. Police have registered a case on charges of causing death by negligence under Section 106 and negligent conduct with respect to machinery under Section 289 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Kalkaji police station. The park is run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). MCD and BSES blamed each other for the victim's death. 'The boy was playing in the park when his ball accidentally fell into the open electric switchboard. While attempting to retrieve it he received an electric shock and was electrocuted. He was immediately taken to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The electric shock originated in a BSES electricity point housed in an iron cabin. The team is questioning every person involved including the park caretakers,' said an investigator. Police said that the boy was playing with three friends. When he collapsed, one of his friends went to check on him and he got a shock as well but wasn't injured. Seeing the child unconscious, a woman sitting nearby went to help him and got a shock as well but she managed to pick him up and take him to a hospital with the help of a few bystanders. In a statement, MCD said that the civic body's pole located in the park is completely covered and the open feeder pillar belongs to the BSES. 'It seems that while the child was playing in the park, ball travelled to the space near the open feeder pillar of BSES which proved fatal. The MCD pole in this case is completely covered,' it said. An MCD official said that the site was inspected by civic officials. 'We confirmed that the electrical panel belongs to BSES and appear to be used to supply electricity to adjacent residential buildings. This panel is not under the jurisdiction or maintenance of MCD, and is not connected to any park facility. Local residents also told us that they saw BSES personnel carrying out digging or repair work near the panel earlier in the day. It is suspected that this activity may have caused electric current leakage, leading to the tragic incident,' the official said, requesting anonymity. A BSES official said: 'Our condolences are with the family of the victim. On-ground inspection clearly established that there was no leakage from the BSES feeder pillar or any part of the discom's infrastructure. The current leakage originated from a metallic streetlight pole installed and maintained by civic agency, with power supplied through a controller managed by EESL on behalf of civic agency. The complaint was immediately acted upon by the BSES team, which dispatched the on-duty team to the site. The team's inspection confirmed no fault in BSES equipment. We are fully co-operating with the authorities in the investigations.' In a similar case in August 2024, a 13-year-old boy in Ranhola accidentally came in contact with an iron pole carrying electricity to a cow shelter while playing cricket and was electrocuted. In April 2024, a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted in Chhawla after touching an electric pole during a thunderstorm . According to the Delhi Fire Service, the Capital witnessed at least 50 cases of electrocution since 2024 which resulted in more than 20 deaths, including minors.
