Latest news with #Selowa
The Citizen
6 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
BRT Line 2C delays spark conflicting claims as contractor denies payment issues
Motorists and residents continue to face frustration as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 2C project on Lynnwood Road lags behind schedule, with delays now stretching the project's deadline to the end of June. This comes after multiple deadline extensions, conflicting statements from Tshwane and the contractor, and growing safety concerns on the road. The project, which began in May 2023, was initially scheduled to be completed by November 19 that year. The deadline has since shifted several times, from March to mid-April and now to the end of June. Previously, Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said one of the factors behind the delays has been the contractor's failure to pay workers on site, along with rain delays and changes in scope. However, the contractor for the project, Buhle Shabalala, has denied any issues with wage payments, saying all workers on site have been fully compensated. Shabalala insists the real cause of the holdups lies in waiting for design drawings from the consultants and delays in approvals from the metro. 'It's not true that there were extensions due to non-payment of the workers. All of my workers on site are paid,' Shabalala said. 'The delays were due to heavy rainfall and the time it took to get design approvals from Tshwane. 'There's a large pipeline in one section that required changes to the original design, and that's added time.' He explained that while most sections of Line 2C will be completed by June, one section still awaits approval so that a new pipe installation can proceed. Shabalala also dismissed claims that rubble is being left on site. 'We remove rubble at the end of each workday. The only materials we stockpile are G1 and G5 construction materials.' Responding to growing complaints from motorists about broken barriers and safety hazards, Shabalala said the barriers were damaged during heavy rains two months ago and were replaced when broken. 'We've completed several sections and are currently working on the remaining parts,' he said. DA councillor Dikeledi Selowa confirmed that the latest deadline has been extended to June 23, as reflected in a council report. She said that while the project is back on track, ongoing oversight is crucial. 'The issue is poor project management within the metro. 'These ongoing extensions beyond the initial contract period can potentially lead to extra, unforeseen expenses,' Selowa said. Selowa acknowledged that the contractor has since caught up with wage payments and that progress on the ground is visible. 'We are monitoring the project closely. Once it's completed, we will call for a physical audit verification to ensure that every cent spent from the metro's grant funding delivered value for money.' Selowa also pointed to issues of rubble not being cleared adequately, placing that responsibility on the contractor. The contractor, however, strongly denies neglecting site cleanliness. Mashigo confirmed that the project was 84% complete and gave non-payment of workers, slow progress, rain delays, and changes in project scope as reasons for the delay. The city did not provide an updated comment by the time of publication. 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 At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- The Citizen
Pretoria man sentenced unprovoked murder of young man
A Pretoria man was sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment by the Pretoria North Magistrates' Court for the unprovoked murder of a 20-year-old in Soshanguve. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm following the fatal stabbing incident that shocked the local community. According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the murder took place on January 23, 2024. The 20-year-old Tshireltetso Mananmela went to the nearby tuck shop in Soshanguve to buy cigarettes. While at the tuck shop, Manamela came across Tebogo Boikie Selowa (31), who pointed at him with a knife. 'A nearby community member witnessed the altercation and tried intervening, but Selowa pushed him away. Thereafter, he proceeded to stab Manamela twice in the neck, and he died on the scene because of his injuries. 'Selowa then fled the scene; however, the following morning, he handed himself over to the Soshanguve Police Station.' In court, Selowa pleaded not guilty to the charge of intentionally killing the deceased. Instead, he told the court that he had acted out of self-defence. However, the State Prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez led compelling evidence from witnesses who were on the scene when the incident happened and proved that, indeed, Selowa intentionally stabbed the deceased unprovoked. Mahanjana said during sentencing proceedings, Selowa, through his legal representative, asked the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years direct imprisonment because he is young and has also shown remorse by apologising to the family of the deceased. 'Prosecutor Du Preez argued against the deviation from the prescribe minimum sentence because Selowa was convicted of a serious offence that is very prevalent in the court's jurisdiction. 'Furthermore, she said that the deceased was a young man who had a bright future ahead of him, and in just minutes, his entire future was robbed from him, and his family was robbed of a son.' Du Preez also argued that Selowa showed no sincere remorse for the offence because he only apologised to the family of the deceased after he was found guilty of the offence. 'She also handed in Victim Impact Statements (VIS) facilitated by the Court Preparation Officer, Maano Magondo, where the deceased parents stated how the death of their son left them traumatised and heartbroken, as they had hopes that their son would grow up and make them proud.' In delivering the judgement, the Regional Court Magistrate Pieter Nel agreed with the state that Selowa did not show sincere remorse for the offence and continued to add that a young man's life was taken away from him for no apparent reason. 'Unfortunately, our country has a high criminal rate; as such, the community expects the court to protect them from perpetrators such as this one by removing them from society', he added. Furthermore, Nel said, the VIS clearly shows the court that the murder of the deceased left a severe and traumatic impact on the family. Therefore, he found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence. Also read: Here is the expected petrol price for June 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!
