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IOL News
4 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
The Impact of Neoliberal Policies on Workers in the Western Cape
Communities that depend on reliable mobility infrastructure are shortchanged, and public servants are pushed to the brink, all in the name of an ideology that prioritises austerity over human need, says SACP provincial secretary in the Western Cape Benson Ngqentsu. Image: Phando Jikelo/Independent Newspapers Archive Benson Ngqentsu In his State of the Province Address, Western Cape Premier Mr. Allan Winde introduced 'doing more with less' as the guiding philosophy of the 7th administration. This sentiment was later echoed by the MEC for Finance, Ms. Diedre Baartman. However, this neoliberal doctrine has gone largely unchallenged by the provincial and national media. Their silence is not surprising; it only reaffirms Karl Marx's insight that in a class-divided society, the dominant ideas are those of the ruling class. In the Western Cape, neoliberalism, as a stage of capitalist development, remains the prevailing doctrine. And, as with all capitalist systems, it is a deeply embedded ruling system that is entrenched in our political and administrative structures. Contrary to the ideology of 'doing more with less,' the bureaucracy of the Western Cape government is in crisis. Workers are overburdened, service delivery is compromised, and the state's very capacity is being eroded. The fixation with a leaner state has hollowed out departments, most notably the Department of Mobility. A striking example of this systemic failure is the chronic vacancy rate within the Department of Mobility, which stands at an alarming 32.8%, the highest of any province in the country. Compounding the problem further, these vacancies are concentrated in senior, skilled production, and supervisory roles, with 75% of vacancies falling in this category. This picture was painted by the Western Cape Department of Mobility before the Standing Committee for Public Accounts on Friday, 8 August 2025. The report of the Department to SCOPA further reported that despite the Western Cape's sizable economy, its Mobility Department operates with far fewer directorates compared to provinces of similar or larger economic stature. For instance, Gauteng has four Deputy Director-Generals (DDGs), KwaZulu-Natal has three, while the Western Cape has none. According to a briefing by the Mobility officials, the department's actual vacancy rate is 30.2%, which is second only to Gauteng. This is indicative not of efficiency, but of administrative atrophy. The officials from the department, in their own words, further told the Standing Committee that: 'This requires teams to perform additional functions for which there should ordinarily be dedicated capacity (for example, freight) or seek external specialised skills.' 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 In other words, the Department of Mobility in the Western Cape has been designed not to perform. Staff are stretched beyond capacity, key functions are either neglected or outsourced, and the burden continues to fall on already overstretched dedicated public servants. Sadly, it is evident that the consequence of the DA's downsizing of the department remains a compromise of service to our people. Communities that depend on reliable mobility infrastructure are shortchanged, and public servants are pushed to the brink, all in the name of an ideology that prioritises austerity over human need. This is, in essence, a plea to Premier Winde to abandon the neoliberal doctrine of 'doing more with less.' It is not only unsustainable, but harmful to the professional public service, to the people of the Western Cape, and an antithesis of any envisaged developmental state. Further, for Premier Winde to listen to this clarion call, organised labour in the Western Cape Mobility Department, in particular, Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) must step up and lead a Broad Popular Front against the chronic crisis of vacancies in the Mobility Department. The filling of the vacancies should be used as an opportunity to drive our progressive transformation agenda, and the department must be made to meet equity targets. Workers must rise and confront neoliberalism or risk perishing!! Finally, now is the time for a people-centred, pro-public investment approach. One that recognises that efficient governance is not achieved by shrinking the state, but by strengthening it with capable personnel, adequate resources, and a commitment to social justice as a tenet for a developmental state. * Benson Ngqentsu, ANC Spokesperson for Mobility in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature and Provincial Secretary, South African Communist Party. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
eNCA
30-06-2025
- Health
- eNCA
Mass rehab drive in Gauteng
JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng is stepping up its fight against addiction. Hundreds of young people battling substance abuse from under-resourced communities are being admitted for free treatment in Heidelberg. This rollout is part of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi's promise in his State of the Province Address to 'massify' access to rehab. However, with a backlog of over 34,000 people waiting for admission, questions remain about whether the system is ready and what lasting change this initiative will bring.
IOL News
23-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
KZN Premier Ntuli urges youth to seize business opportunities for economic transformation
KZN Premier Thami Ntuli urges youth to take full advantage of business opportunities Image: Independent Newspapers Archives KWAZULU-NATAL Premier Thami Ntuli has called on the youth to take full advantage of the business opportunities presented to them, as they have the capacity to transform the economic landscape of the province. Ntuli addressed the Youth Fund beneficiary workshop held in Durban yesterday. He stated that the training and workshop are part of the government's intervention to equip young entrepreneurs with technical and business support. He emphasised that the workshop demonstrates the provincial government's commitment to building a more inclusive, dynamic, and opportunity-rich economy for the youth of KwaZulu-Natal. 'In July last year, during my inaugural State of the Province Address, a clear and urgent commitment was made: to place the economic empowerment of young people at the heart of KwaZulu-Natal's development agenda. That pledge was not a passing statement — it was a declaration of intent, backed by action. 'Soon after that address, the Office of the Premier convened the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Business Summit — a bold and participatory platform attended by over 1,000 youth entrepreneurs, ecosystem partners, and economic stakeholders,' he said. The Premier stated that the objective was clear: to co-create a Provincial Youth Economic Empowerment Plan that reflects both the aspirations and lived realities of young people in our province. 'The Government of Provincial Unity — and indeed this administration at large — is deliberate, strategic, and unapologetic in its efforts to elevate young people as full and equal participants in our country's economic life. 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 ✕ 'We are building institutional capacity — not only within government but across development finance institutions, skills training entities, and enterprise support agencies — to ensure that the path from entrepreneurial ambition to commercial success is clear, well-funded, and well-supported. Youth empowerment is not a symbolic gesture; it is an economic imperative,' said the Premier. He said the government recognised that when a young person is given access to capital, markets, mentorship, and an enabling policy environment, they are not only able to transform their own lives — they become engines of job creation, innovation, and social stability. 'We know that when a culture of entrepreneurship is actively cultivated among young people, it produces far-reaching dividends — not only for individuals but for the local, provincial, and national economy as a whole. When young entrepreneurs are empowered with skills, capital, and market access, they become conscious economic actors who drive productivity, generate livelihoods, and anchor resilient communities. 'The journey we are embarking on with you today must therefore not be seen as a short-term intervention but as a long-term strategic pathway. It is a pathway that must lead to your full integration into the broader economic fabric of KwaZulu-Natal — as entrepreneurs, job creators, innovators, and key contributors to the provincial GDP,' the Premier concluded. THE MERCURY
The South African
04-06-2025
- Business
- The South African
Lesufi to launch Gauteng's tamper-proof number plate system
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the MEC for Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela will pilot launch the province's highly anticipated tamper-proof number plate system on Thursday, 5 June. The launch is set to take place at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. The South African previously reported that in December 2022, Lesufi announced the province would roll out new vehicle number plates in 2023 to help combat crime, corruption, vandalism, and lawlessness. He further emphasised this during his State of the Province Address in February 2023. During the launch of the registration process for manufacturers of vehicle number plates in July 2023, Diale-Tlabela said they understand the importance of ensuring that manufacturers and embossers of number plates operate within the bounds of the law. 'Over the years, we have witnessed numerous challenges arising from non-compliant number plates, such as compromised safety, an increase in vehicle-related crime, and a lack of accountability from manufacturers,' she said. On Tuesday, 3 June, Lesufi took to X (previously Twitter) to share the details about the launch. He said fraudulent number plates and cars without proper documentation are at the centre of crime in Gauteng, especially kidnappings, robberies, and murder, as criminals use undocumented cars to commit crimes. 'We are now ready to launch tamper-proof new number plates. A safer GP,' he posted. One of the forensic reports, which the Department of Transport commissioned in 2022, dealt with alleged fraud and maladministration at Gauteng Drivers' Licencing Testing Centres (DLTC). The findings were as follows: Fraudulent optometrist certificates Fee dumping (Fee dumping is the practice of applicants with arrears who apply for vehicle license renewal being allowed to proceed and what they owe in arrears is dumped to other accounts, including the accounts of deceased persons). Collusion between examiners, applicants and driving schools Lifestyle audits – assets not commensurate with salaries Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Province to lower students' assessment targets
The government says it's going to lower provincial assessment targets in New Brunswick schools because it deflates everyone involved when they aren't hit. The current target is for 90 per cent of students to 'achieve appropriate or higher levels on provincial language, mathematical and scientific literacies on provincial assessments at the elementary, middle and high school levels.' While assessment scores are showing an upward trend – in 2023-2024, percentages rose in 10 of 15 subjects on a year-over-year basis – the 90 per cent mark isn't being hit anywhere. And in most cases, it's not close to being achieved. Education Minister Claire Johnson revealed the news while talking to Brunswick News during a break from her department's appearance before a legislative committee on Thursday. 'We're developing a new 10-year (education) plan, so part of that is going to be to revisit those targets and to have more realistic goals,' Johnson said. Asked if that means the targets will be lowered, Johnson confirmed it would. 'We'd like some more realistic, more attainable goals. So yes, I envision that that's going to be part of our 10-year plan … we're looking at making incremental improvements and to track them over time and to make sure that they're realistic.' She didn't say what the new target might be. Johnson agreed that it's a similar situation to the health department's targets, which generally call for about four to six per cent improvements over the Liberals' mandate. Those targets, unveiled at January's State of the Province address, were immediately slammed as 'unambitious' by the Progressive Conservatives and Greens. Johnson was one of five cabinet ministers called up to the stage that night to talk about how her department will hit the targets it's been set. There was no discussion about lowering the existing 90 per cent target. When Brunswick News noted that the targets Johnson intends to lower were set by the Gallant Liberal government, and whether she thinks that administration set them too high, Johnson initially said no, before suggesting they were. 'I can understand why (they did it),' she said. 'Why not shoot for the stars? Why not aim for really, really, really good? 'But what we've noticed is that that's not particularly helpful, because then when we can't reach those goals, people feel deflated. So instead of having that type of setup, we're preferring to do it in a more incremental, realistic way. 'And I mean, hey, we live and learn. We tried it, it didn't work that well. So we're readjusting and coming up with a new plan for the next years to come.' Progressive Conservative education critic Ian Lee described the 2023-2024 results as 'quite abysmal.' He told Brunswick News that he's crunched the numbers, and at the current rate of improvement, it would take 20 years to hit the 90 per cent target. Successive governments' track records with hitting their education targets have been woeful. For example, the current 10-year education plan, which expires in August 2026, set dozens of targets for the anglophone and francophone sectors. Currently, only four of those targets have been met, and none are academic. The 2023-2024 results paint a picture of an education system clearly failing to hit the government's targets. 'Ninety per cent of students will achieve appropriate or higher levels on provincial language, mathematical and scientific literacies on provincial assessments at the elementary, middle and high school levels,' reads a note above the results. No district came close. The message also discusses the importance of the results. 'Provincial assessments provide important information about the education system in New Brunswick. For educators, they provide feedback about alignment with provincial curricular standards and the appropriateness of their expectations for students. For the public, it ensures transparency related to how the system is performing,' it reads. The short answer to the performance question? Not great. In Anglophone School District North, for example, the grades four and five English reading score was 56.2 per cent, a two per cent year-over-year drop. But it was still better than the provincial average of 55.6 per cent. The highest score in the district was 81.1 per cent, achieved in Grade 6 English reading. The lowest score was 51.8 per cent in Grade 10 French second language reading. In Anglophone School District West, French second language reading scores were lowest, at 45.7 per cent. The provincial average was even lower (44.6 per cent). The highest score was 79.1 per cent in Grade 9 English reading. Grade 9 English reading was also a strong point in Anglophone School District South (85.7 per cent), while the low mark was Grade 7 French second language reading (43.3 per cent). In Anglophone School District East, the Grade 9 English Language Proficiency Assessment was the highest, at 83.2 per cent. The lowest was in Grade 7 math (48.8 per cent). In a message accompanying the results, Johnson painted a generally positive picture of the state of the education system, and didn't mention the 90 per cent target. 'Looking at the 2023-24 assessments results, we are pleased that 10 of the 15 assessments showed improved results compared to the previous year,' she said. 'In particular, the continued growth in English reading is encouraging. Seventy-six per cent of Grade 6 students and eighty-two per cent of Grade 9 students were successful on these assessments. There were also gains in scientific literacy, where seventy-six per cent of Grade 6 students and seventy-five per cent of Grade 8 students were successful in these assessments. These are accomplishments worth celebrating and motivate us to keep working. 'The results showed a decline in English reading assessments in Grade 4. While the decline was small – one percentage point across the province – we are concerned because we know how important literacy is. 'We continue to work tirelessly to ensure we can help our students develop those skills. Our efforts are illustrated by a six per cent increase in assessment success for Grade 6 students, and an almost two per cent increase in success on the Grade 9 English Language Proficiency Assessment, compared to last year.' Under questioning from Lee on Thursday, Johnson did her best to put a positive spin on the results, while agreeing they aren't stellar. 'The good news is that we've got data to show what our baseline is, and it shows that there are improvements that need to happen further to that,' Johnson said. 'We've got a solid plan based on research, evidence and data.' Asked by Brunswick News why she'd say that given that the province has been tracking provincial test scores for years, Johnson said she was referring to the new Liberal government having a baseline of data to work from.
