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IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Food inflation hits hard: Household budgets feel the pinch as food prices jump
The May 2025 Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity's Household Affordability Index reports a notable increase in the average cost of basic food items. Image: Tracey Adams/Independent Newspapers The May 2025 Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity's Household Affordability Index reports a notable increase in the average cost of basic food items. Tracking prices of 44 food staples across 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in several cities, the Index reveals that the average Household Food Basket now costs R5,466.59, marking a R46.29 (0.9%) jump from April 2025 and a R136.29 (2.6%) rise from May 2024. Food inflation continues to be a critical concern as the Index indicates that of the 44 foods monitored, a staggering 33 items saw a price increase in May. Price escalations were particularly pronounced among essential staples, with onions surging by 23%, butternut rising by 9%, and carrots increasing by 8%. In contrast, only 11 foods registered a decrease in price, with rice witnessing a reduction of 5% and tomatoes dropping by 9%. The trend of rising food prices varies across different regions of South Africa. The Johannesburg food basket increased by R51.00 (0.9%) month-on-month, reaching R5,610.46. Meanwhile, Cape Town experienced the sharpest increase, with prices soaring by R112.62 (2.1%) from April to May. In stark contrast, the Springbok region saw a small decline of R28.90 (-0.5%) month-on-month, although its food prices remain 5.4% higher year-on-year. Statistics South Africa reveals that headline inflation for April 2025 stood at 2.8%, while food inflation reached a higher 3.3%. For households relying on the National Minimum Wage, which stands at R4,836.72 monthly, the financial struggle is becoming increasingly palpable. With the average cost for a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four estimated at R3,843.40, workers face a dire situation where essentials consume a majority of their income. The findings from this Month's Index further elucidate this concern. With transport and electricity alone taking up 56.3% of a worker's wage, families are left with only R2,113.75 to allocate for all remaining expenses, including food. Even allocating this amount entirely to food would provide a mere R528.44 per person per month—falling short of the food poverty line of R796. The implications for children are particularly troubling. The average cost to provide a child with a basic nutritious diet is now R979.66, while the Child Support Grant of R560 is significantly below the food poverty line, rendering it inadequate for meeting basic nutritional needs. The escalating costs emphasize the urgent need for policy responses to address food insecurity and support the most vulnerable sectors of society. Additionally, while the overall cost of household domestic and personal hygiene products saw a slight decrease of R3.58 (-0.3%) in May, the year-on-year increase underscores that these essential products continue to strain household budgets, further intensifying the financial burden on families. Cape Argus
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Household budgets feel the pinch as food prices jump in May 2025
The May 2025 Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity's Household Affordability Index reports a notable increase in the average cost of basic food items. Image: Tracey Adams/Independent Newspapers The May 2025 Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity's Household Affordability Index reports a notable increase in the average cost of basic food items. Tracking prices of 44 food staples across 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in several cities, the Index reveals that the average Household Food Basket now costs R5,466.59, marking a R46.29 (0.9%) jump from April 2025 and a R136.29 (2.6%) rise from May 2024. Food inflation continues to be a critical concern as the Index indicates that of the 44 foods monitored, a staggering 33 items saw a price increase in May. Price escalations were particularly pronounced among essential staples, with onions surging by 23%, butternut rising by 9%, and carrots increasing by 8%. In contrast, only 11 foods registered a decrease in price, with rice witnessing a reduction of 5% and tomatoes dropping by 9%. The trend of rising food prices varies across different regions of South Africa. The Johannesburg food basket increased by R51.00 (0.9%) month-on-month, reaching R5,610.46. Meanwhile, Cape Town experienced the sharpest increase, with prices soaring by R112.62 (2.1%) from April to May. In stark contrast, the Springbok region saw a small decline of R28.90 (-0.5%) month-on-month, although its food prices remain 5.4% higher year-on-year. Statistics South Africa reveals that headline inflation for April 2025 stood at 2.8%, while food inflation reached a higher 3.3%. For households relying on the National Minimum Wage, which stands at R4,836.72 monthly, the financial struggle is becoming increasingly palpable. With the average cost for a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four estimated at R3,843.40, workers face a dire situation where essentials consume a majority of their income. 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 ✕ The findings from this Month's Index further elucidate this concern. With transport and electricity alone taking up 56.3% of a worker's wage, families are left with only R2,113.75 to allocate for all remaining expenses, including food. Even allocating this amount entirely to food would provide a mere R528.44 per person per month—falling short of the food poverty line of R796. The implications for children are particularly troubling. The average cost to provide a child with a basic nutritious diet is now R979.66, while the Child Support Grant of R560 is significantly below the food poverty line, rendering it inadequate for meeting basic nutritional needs. The escalating costs emphasize the urgent need for policy responses to address food insecurity and support the most vulnerable sectors of society. Additionally, while the overall cost of household domestic and personal hygiene products saw a slight decrease of R3.58 (-0.3%) in May, the year-on-year increase underscores that these essential products continue to strain household budgets, further intensifying the financial burden on families. IOL
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
A City Split in Two: How Cape Town's 2024/5 Budget Betrays Its Poor
Faiez Jacobs explores how Cape Town's 2024/5 budget, while marketed as a record investment, perpetuates spatial and economic apartheid, leaving the city's poorest communities behind. Image: Tracey Adams / IOL This article draws directly from the official City of Cape Town budget document: Annexure 21 – Projects Over R50 Million: 2024/25. A full sector-by-sector analysis covering Housing, Water and Sanitation, Energy, Transport, and Digital Infrastructure including all Top 20 projects in each category. Cape Town's 2024/25 budget is being marketed as a record investment in infrastructure, growth, and future-readiness. Glossy graphics showcase R36.8 billion in capital projects from smart city operations and solar grids to road upgrades and wastewater treatment plants. The DA-led City Council proclaims progress. But beneath this polished façade lies a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: this budget reinforces the city's spatial and economic apartheid, entrenching exclusion while branding it as modernisation. The Myth of Equal Development Across five sectors Housing, Water and Sanitation, Energy, Transport, and Digital Infrastructure a clear pattern emerges. While poor and working-class communities receive rhetorical inclusion and a few tactical investments, the lion's share of funding is absorbed by already well-serviced, wealthier areas. We are not witnessing pro-poor development. We are watching the deepening of a Tale of Two Cities. 1. Human Settlements: Perpetuating Spatial Apartheid Of the Top 20 Housing Projects, valued at R2.55 billion, the city directs funding mostly toward peripheral townships: Blue Downs, Gugulethu, Mfuleni, and Atlantis. On the surface, this seems just. But scratch deeper and a disturbing omission appears: there is no major inner-city social housing project funded over R50 million. Not in Salt River. Not in Woodstock. Not in the Foreshore. This is despite: Court orders compelling the city to act, available well-located public land and a backlog of over 400,000 families on the waiting list. Projects like the Airport Industria housing development remain in limbo, delayed by bureaucratic inertia and political resistance. In contrast, R247 million is earmarked to build mixed-use housing further away from the CBD entrenching commuting costs, congestion, and carbon footprints. Apartheid's logic lives on, not by law, but by land use and budget choices. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ 2. Water and Sanitation: Cape Flats Neglected While Camps Bay Thrives Cape Town faces a sanitation crisis. Raw sewage runs through informal settlements. Toilets overflow in Gugulethu. Khayelitsha's ageing pipelines collapse under strain. Yet the city's R9.25 billion water and sanitation budget prioritises mega-projects that bypass the poorest. Yes, the Cape Flats Wastewater Works upgrade (R1.35 billion) is commendable. So is the Zandvliet expansion. But consider this: the Camps Bay Pump Station serving one of the wealthiest suburbs receives R427 million, nearly three times more than the entire sanitation budget for Masiphumelele. No funding is allocated for dry sanitation pilots, community-managed ablution blocks, or decentralised waste treatment in informal settlements. No urgency exists to address Philippi's groundwater contamination or the sanitation gap in "Covid" informal settlements. The rhetoric says 'inclusive growth.' The numbers say 'privilege protection.' 3. Energy Transition: A Future for the Few The DA administration is proud of its green energy agenda. In this budget, it allocates R8.27 billion to energy and electricity, with projects like: Atlantis Solar PV + Battery Plant (R621 million), Smart Grid Automation (R964 million), Steenbras Hydroelectric Station Rehab (R1.27 billion). Yet township residents, who experience the worst of load-shedding, are left in the dark literally and figuratively. The Informal Settlement Electrification Program, targeting Crossroads and Nyanga, receives just R254 million a meagre 3% of the energy budget. Why no investment in: Microgrids for backyarders? Rooftop PV pilots in Khayelitsha? Solar training for youth in Mitchells Plain? This is not an energy transition. It is a green gentrification strategy dressed in climate language, engineered to benefit commercial zones, CBD towers, and smart offices while the Cape Flats remain energy-insecure. 4. Transport: Roads to Nowhere for the Poor Transport receives the largest capital allocation R11.5 billion. The DA calls it a 'mobility revolution.' Yet 67% of this goes to: Foreshore Freeway redevelopment (R940 million), N1/N7 and N2 Interchanges (R1.96 billion), CBD nodal upgrades (R663 million) and Airport Link reconfiguration (R463 million). Meanwhile, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Bonteheuwel, and Nyanga remain traffic-choked, underserved, and dangerous for pedestrians. Yes, there is R588 million for Spine Road and R501 million for Nyanga road rehab but these are a fraction of what is needed. The Bonteheuwel Active Mobility Project, a rare pro-poor investment in walking and cycling, is only R275 million less than a third of the Foreshore flyover upgrade. Where is the funding for: Safe school zones in Bishop Lavis? Accessible taxis for the elderly in Manenberg? Flood-proof roads in Philippi? Public transport reform is sorely needed. Yet the MyCiTi expansion continues to exclude most black working-class commuters, while taxis used by 70% of residents are still criminalised, not subsidised. 5. Digital Infrastructure: WiFi in Theory, Disconnection in Reality The DA touts its 'Smart City vision', with R7.8 billion in ICT and data infrastructure. Projects like the: Smart City Ops Platform (R712 million), ERP Cloud Upgrade (R648 million) and IoT Sensor Network (R314 million), ...are futuristic and seductive. But for whom? Yes, R184 million goes to Cape Flats Smart Poles and R288 million to school WiFi but many township youth still lack devices. Fibre to Langa and Manenberg libraries means little without laptops, stable power, and tech support. An AI chatbot to help pay rates does not help a backyarder whose shack has no electricity. Open Data and Digital Inclusion mean nothing without co-design, digital literacy, and community ownership. The DA's Double Game: Performative Efficiency, Structural Exclusion The DA often says: 'we get the basics right.' But budgeting is not neutral. Every project chose nor not chosen reveals values. Why do Camps Bay's sewers get R427 million, but Gugulethu's sewer backlog R154 million? Why is Foreshore's freeway prioritised over Masiphumelele's flood-proof roads? Why is there no social housing in Sea Point, but R247 million for a distant project in Airport Industria? These are not accidents. They are ideological expressions of a vision: one where the city is clean, digital, solar-powered, and efficient for those who already have. A Progressive Vision Reimagined We are not calling for no development. We are calling for just development. A budget that: Prioritises sanitation where dignity is denied, not where beaches must be clean. Electrifies informal homes before expanding CBD offices. Delivers social housing where jobs are, not where land is cheap. Funds youth tech skills before smart surveillance. Cape Town can be both world-class and inclusive. But it must break with its colonial urban design, apartheid-era zoning, and neoliberal budget logic. It must place the poor and working majority at the centre of capital planning not on the outskirts, or at the bottom of funding tables.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation: Empowering the needy through education
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe. Image: Tracey Adams EXECUTIVE Trustee of the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation (KMF), Gugu Motlanthe, is a community builder on a mission. The plight of learners from previously disadvantaged backgrounds is her top priority as she steers KMF towards alleviating hardships and modern-day challenges. The truth about democratic South Africa is that virtually everybody with a semblance of honesty can attest to Thabo Mbeki's lamentations of 'one country, two economies' — one white and affluent and the other black and in dire straits. It is against this backdrop that Motlanthe and KMF remain resolute and relentless in their programme to help take children from impoverished township and village backgrounds out of their perennial hardship through educational empowerment initiatives. Together with other media, I was privileged to receive a KMF invitation to join a group of Grade XI learners from Forte Secondary School in Soweto and Westbury Secondary School in Johannesburg on 'extra-curricular activities' at the KMF HQ in Houghton, Johannesburg, recently. The KMF philanthropic mission includes offering disadvantaged children training in, among others, robotics and coding, computer gamification, multimedia podcasting as well as drone technology. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ The aim, of course, is to bring South Africa's lower rung learners up to speed with their affluent counterparts in an economically unequal country they all call home, and owe allegiance to at least, just perhaps, such interventions could assist in producing learners equipped to tackle tertiary education with fear or intimidation. It is easy to take things for granted, but many village and township learners become exposed to today's opportunities for the very first time when they are invited by Motlanthe to visit the KMF premises to learn. There is also a hidden bonus for the visiting learners, always. They get to meet face-to-face, for the very first time, with South Africa's former President Kgalema Motlanthe, who is the patron of the KMF. Although the groups of learners are often large as they straddle from one side of the KMF premises, the lucky ones also get to shake the hand of the unassuming former President, and also pose for photographs with him and Motlanthe and other staffers of the KMF, including the security personnel. The learners are also well looked after. They are served a delicious meal with drinks in a country where one meal a day is a luxury for many. Speaking in her capacity as the executive trustee, Motlanthe says: 'As a Public Benefit Organisation, the KMF is intentional on bridging gaps in education, with the target being the youth of the country. The research and curriculum development are currently underway for the KMF to soon offer solar and wind energy training to unemployed youth.' This will help tackle the runaway youth unemployment in the country, where an astronomical number of youth graduates are sitting at home without jobs, some for as long as 15 years. Additionally, in a country facing increasing energy insecurity over the past decade, training in solar and wind energy could bring about new opportunities for the fast-becoming hopeless unemployed youths. Solar installations and maintenance have become a key industry in an era of load shedding. I watched a podcast training session underway at the KMF. The learners were visibly elated, over the moon. Some were seeing the live studio for the first time. As they took the mic one after the other, some became too emotional to handle the joy of the opportune moment. Overcome by emotion, they sobbed and cried, as if they never believed such abundant love could be shown by the caring KMF. The KMF premises are a hive of activity. At the back end are digitised vegetable gardens from where frequent harvest takes place for distribution to the needy. Even a small poultry project comprising a few dozen egg-layers features among the myriad programmes. Occasionally, Motlanthe does donate free eggs as well. The KMF is an entity that keeps both Motlanthe and the former President busy as bees. However, watching them at work, it is easy to tell that they both have a heart to render assistance to others, especially the less fortunate. There can be no doubt that contribution, albeit in relatively small measure, will help to make South Africa a better place for all who live in it. * Abbey Makoe is the chief executive and editor-in-chief of the Global South Media Network. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media or IOL.
IOL News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Justice committee debates future of the Protection of State Information Bill
The Protection of State Information Bill is back in Parliament after two presidents refused to sign it into law, and now the Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee will decide at a meeting to be convened what should happen to its future. Image: Tracey Adams / Independent Newspapers The fate of the controversial so-called Secrecy Bill hangs in the balance as South Africa's Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee prepares to deliberate on President Cyril Ramaphosa's constitutional concerns regarding the legislation. Initially introduced in 2010 and revived last year after being dormant for years, the Protection of State Information Bill has sparked contention among lawmakers and civil rights advocates. After Ramaphosa returned the Bill to Parliament for reconsideration, the parliamentary legal services said in its legal opinion that it agreed with Ramaphosa that there was merit in most of his reservations on the constitutionality of the Bill. 'These address crucial issues of ambiguity (which could result in abuse of power), unreasonable infringements of rights, and applications that could undermine the principle of legality. 'Our only point of disagreement in its current form is on the issue of tagging. We are of the opinion that the Bill was correctly tagged, but if further amendments are made (in addressing the President's concerns), this could result in a change in tagging,' said the legal opinion. The Bill, originally handled by an ad hoc committee, was introduced in 2010 and lapsed before the last parliamentary term ended before last year's elections, only to be revived and reassigned to the portfolio committee in August 2024. Former president Jacob Zuma and Ramaphosa sent it back to Parliament for reconsideration of constitutional concerns in 2013 and 2019, respectively. The parliamentary legal services said Ramaphosa's first constitutional reservation related to the restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and access to information. 'The president reasons that the Bill limits both of these sections. The Bill restricts media freedom and the public's right to access and share information.' 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 ✕ It also said Ramaphosa had raised concerns about the definitions of 'national security' and 'state security matter', which were broad as they were not closed list definitions and were drafted in an open-ended manner with the use of the word 'includes'. Ramaphosa had reservations regarding the limited defences provided in the Bill to the offences set out in the proposed law, and the classification of state information that provided a head of an organ of state may delegate the authority to a staff member at a sufficiently senior level. During the committee discussions, ACDP chief whip Steven Swart highlighted the procedural shortcomings of the Bill's development, noting that the legal services were not included in its formulation as conducted by an ad hoc committee. 'I don't know what the reason was. Had they been included, we might be in a different situation today,' Swart said, adding that his party, along with the IFP and DA, had argued against the controversial Bill. He described the Bill as having 'a chilling effect on whistleblowers and journalists and anyone with classified information'. DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said they agreed with the legal opinion as it raised matters her party had argued on the Bill, but they were ignored. ANC MP Oscar Mathafa raised questions about whether the current portfolio committee or a newly established ad hoc committee should be tasked with addressing the Bill's issues. While MK Party's Sibonelo Nomvalo stated they would engage further on the Bill during deliberations, EFF MP Rebecca Mohlala said her party will go back with thorough researched work of whether they agreed or not. 'Our concern is that the Bill went back and forth for about 15 years. This thing must not repeat itself,' Mohlala said. Committee chairperson Xola Nqola said it was quite unprecedented that a Bill could take such a long time being in and out of Parliament and the Presidency. 'It is not an ideal situation that all of us would envisage. It means there are deep-seated issues we need to take deep consideration of when considering matters related to this Bill,' Nqola said. He also said the question was whether to start the Bill afresh and rework it in accordance with what has been raised by the president. 'Are we detaching the committee from working on this Bill and making a recommendation to the House to establish an ad hoc committee to deal with matters relating because it has issues that cut across a number of disciplines?' Nqola also said another option was to consider whether the Bill has been 'exhausted, incurable, and irreparable', such that they should just make a recommendation to the House to rescind and discontinue with it, given the provisions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act. 'What we see is not desirable for the work of Parliament and all the arms of the state. It is not desirable to work in this manner. Would it be acceptable to Parliament to enact and send it to the president for assent, and the president has reservations,' he said. 'This back and forth is problematic for the work of the public service and the people of South Africa. We are to look for a day to attend and determine the future of this Bill,' Nqola added.
