Latest News from Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
12 minutes ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Calls for Shivambu's head a result of ‘tribalism', say his supporters
MK party secretary general Floyd Shivambu. (Photo: Luba Lesolle/Gallo Images) A faction in the uMkhonto weSizwe party aligned to traditional leaders is calling for a leadership change that could affect not only Floyd Shivambu This content is restricted to subscribers only . Join the M&G Community Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently. Subscription enables: - M&G community membership - independent journalism - access to all premium articles & features - a digital version of the weekly newspaper - invites to subscriber-only events - the opportunity to test new online features first Already a subscriber?
Mail & Guardian
11 hours ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
DA slams Joburg's R89.4bn budget as politically motivated
The capital budget of R8.7 billion (R26.2 billion over the medium term) intentionally targets regions that were affected by spatial planning during apartheid, according to the statement. This includes Alexandra, Diepsloot, Kaalfontein, Orange Farm and Lenasia South. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G) The 'It's a political budget and it is just to ensure that they are putting money in areas where they know they are going to get more votes [going] to the current ruling coalition at the moment,' said the DA's Johannesburg caucus leader, Belinda Echeozonjoku. On Wednesday, Johannesburg Finance MMC The capital budget of R8.7 billion (R26.2 billion over the medium term) intentionally targets regions that were affected by spatial planning during apartheid, according to the statement. This includes Alexandra, Diepsloot, Kaalfontein, Orange Farm and Lenasia South. Echeozonjoku said one of the concerns for the DA was that huge amounts were being allocated to Region E, under which Alexandra township falls, but not much improvement had taken place there. 'Massive money is spent in Alex, you go to Alex today, do you see any of that money making a difference? We do not see where the money is going,' she said. Speaking to journalists after the council seating, Arnolds said: 'The budget reflects our resolve to drive infrastructure led-growth, accelerated service delivery and restore long-term financial sustainability; with a projected operating surplus of R4.1 billion and a capital allocation of R8.7 billion for this year alone [and] growing to R26.2 billion over the next three years. 'We are focusing our capital investment where they are needed most: revitalising the inner city … but also in different regions where we are deployed as MMC.' The key revenue drivers for this year include electricity, for which R25.6 billion is allocated, R20 billion for water and wastewater, R18.1 billion for property rates, R3.3 billion for refuse removal and R4.57 billion for the national fuel levy, according to budget documents. Referring to the underdeveloped regions, Arnolds said: We've had lots of service backlogs, it's historical, and in the underserved areas. We know that Diepsloot, Orange Farm, Lenasia South and Kaalfontein are basically the step-children of the City of Johannesburg and we are going to fix that.' Echeozonjoku said the city is allocating money to townships or informal settlements without saying what their plan is to formalise those settlements. 'It means you are throwing money into an area that is not formalised. Are you able to see the stand number? Are you able to collect revenue for prepaid meters and things like that? 'How are you going to be able to collect from those areas? You are opening the city up to challenges of illegal connection once again if you are not formalising those informal settlements. 'We are not happy with the allocations that have been done without a proper plan on how to actually collect revenue.' She added that a lot of money has been taken from transport and the DA. 'We are not happy with that either. The tariffs increase; we felt that there's a lot of money that could have been redirected as well.' A sum of R400 million has been set aside for the Johannesburg Roads Agency to resurface roads.
Mail & Guardian
12 hours ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Auditor-general exposes municipal meltdown
Auditor general Tsakani Maluleke This is despite an uptick in the number of clean audit reports for the 2023-24 financial year. Maluleke painted a dire picture of the widespread poor quality of financial reporting and mismanagement in a briefing to parliament's cooperative governance portfolio committee on local government audit outcomes for the financial year. 'The good news is that we are back to 41 clean audits [out of 275 municipalities], which is where we started back in 2021. So we're no more at the 34 that I talked about last year. However, that makes up 15% of the municipalities across the country,' she said. 'It's great that we are reversing this trend around disclaimers of audit opinion. However, the state of financial and performance management disciplines in local government still leaves much to be desired, and so the story, in many ways, is similar to what I would have shared before. I worry … that I will sound like a stuck record.' Her office's assessment underscored a profound crisis in municipal governance that extends far beyond mere administrative inefficiency. She said 14 municipalities received Ninety-nine municipalities had unqualified opinions and 41 municipalities achieved clean audits. Maluleke said the metropolitan landscape was particularly alarming. 'The eight metros across the country look after half of the expenditure budget for local government. They look after service delivery that affects 46% of households across the country. Their budgets are quite significant,' she said. 'They sit in the centres of economic activity, and so, given the scale of their operations, the complexity thereof, but also the resources that they manage and even their location, they should have no difficulty attracting the skills that they need to run their environment. 'Unfortunately, out of the eight, we've got only one clean audit, which is the City of Cape Town. It was the only clean audit last year as well.' Maluleke's office was also concerned about the quality of financial statements of the big metros and municipalities, noting that when the audit started only 63 out of 275 municipalities provided quality financial statements. 'By the time we finished, we managed to get 140 credible financial statements through corrections during the audit process,' she said. 'The City of Joburg didn't give us quality financial statements when we began our audit. Now that's a big city, the biggest in the country, the biggest on the continent. There should be no difficulty in ensuring that you've got the skills and the capability to do what you're supposed to do, just on compiling financial statements.' The audit exposed shocking institutional decay across infrastructure projects. 'We selected projects mostly in the metros and in those that have disclaimers of audit opinion. We found that the majority of projects had problems — 77% of the projects we visited had problems. Either they were delayed, there was poor quality work and then we also identified matters around the inadequate maintenance of infrastructure,' she said. 'The reason this exists, in our view, is that even if performance agreements are done as a tick-box exercise, they are not monitored. Contractors are appointed poorly through a procurement process that is not in compliance with the law and one that does not lead to the best decision. So the contractor that's appointed is one that's not equal to the task, then they are not managed — contract management capability is not there. 'The municipality doesn't have employees within it that have a set of standard operating procedures, a set of disciplines and even a set of skills to monitor the performance of these contractors, and we're seeing even once they've seen problems with the performance of the contractor, they don't hold them accountable. 'Other than the municipalities that have got clean audits, you've got the majority of municipalities with material compliance findings, mostly in the area of procurement and contract management. In a nutshell, it tells us that we do not yet have a culture, a state of control, procedures and even accounting mechanisms. 'Metros are not any better. And given their significant budgets, one would have thought that this area of procurement would enjoy tremendous attention by the people that hold the purse.' Buffalo City's engineering crisis epitomised municipal dysfunction, the auditor general said, telling MPs: 'They have had a vacancy for district engineer responsible for electricity for 80 months — that's six years and eight months.' An identical vacancy for sanitation engineering had remained unfilled for 24 months. Maluleke said the financial mismanagement is systemic and deeply entrenched. 'This year 219 municipalities spent together R1.47 billion on consultants purely for the purpose of helping them compile financial statements. Last year we reported R1.37 billion so the number is not really changing. 'This is when there are CFOs [chief financial officers] in place and there are finance functions that are populated with people that have been appointed. We also note that municipalities that get disclaimers of opinion also still spend on consultants on average R6 million. 'Municipalities with adverse findings also spend on consultants. The ones with qualified audits also spend on consultants. It tells us then that the key question is: why is it that even when there's consultants being appointed, we still get bad quality submissions?' She said her office had been asking this question for the past 10 years. 'The answer is that in most instances, the work of the consultant is not being reviewed. They say, well, there's 2% [of cases] where the consultants didn't deliver. But much of the problem is either consultants are appointed late, the underlying documents are not available or that their work is not being managed properly by the people that appointed them,' she said. 'What it tells you is that you've got CFOs and finance staff in place. They appoint consultants every year, and then once the consultant is there, they basically leave their desks. And so the consultant must engage with the auditors, which, in our view, tells a story about the culture and discipline more than even skills.' 'There is an element where the people under the CFO, there are some who are appointed and don't have the skill to do the basics. However, much of the problem, we believe in local government, especially in this area of overusing consultants, relates to discipline.' Municipal debt continues to spiral out of control as many municipalities approve unfunded budgets. 'We see unauthorised expenditure, meaning that where you've got expenditure levels approved, people are spending beyond that … And of course, that then compromises the financial health of those municipalities. Many ended up with a deficit situation, and many have got major creditors that they don't pay, such as She said suppliers and creditors to municipalities were waiting 286 days on average to receive money due to them, because cash flow had become very tight across many municipalities. Many of the suppliers then charged interest and penalties, much of which ended up as fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The treasury's Eskom debt relief programme aimed at helping municipalities enter into a settlement arrangement with the power utility had failed. 'It's not working — 84% of the municipalities that participate in that programme are not complying with the conditions that they subscribed to. Again, in many instances, that's a discipline issue,' Maluleke told members of parliament. The auditor general's report noted that cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MECs, the minister and provincial legislatures were not doing their jobs in overseeing municipalities. 'The Municipal Systems Act provides that the MEC of Cogta must compile a report that analyses the performance of each municipality and that report must include remedial action that the MEC or municipality is undertaking and provide a report to provincial legislature every year on how municipality is responding,' Maluleke said. 'We have found those reports are either not done or if they are done they are done late; they are also either not tabled in the legislature and if tabled they are not dealt with in the legislature. 'We believe wholeheartedly that if MEC did their part they would not be lurching from crisis to crisis and if the legislature played their part they wouldn't be waiting for the AG to say there is a disclaimer here, they would be monitoring these movements as a matter of course.' She said the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs's compilation report was often not done or done late. 'We have to get every single player in the ecosystem of accountability doing their part otherwise we will not arrest the decline of local government,' Maluleke said.
Mail & Guardian
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
A super Cooper by Mini — but is it too expensive?
The fifth generation Mini Cooper I have blurred memories of the Mini 1275e that my parents owned back in the Nineties and the early 2000s. All I remember is that my mum piled up her students in the back to give them a lift to and from her tuition. To get an image of what that looks like, you might have to picture Mr Bean putting a few passengers in his Mini. That Mini cost my parents R2 500 back in 1991 and, when they eventually let go of it, they were able to sell the car for R6 000. If only we could buy cars for R2 500 now. If only we could make a profit on vehicles after piling on years of mileage. Thirty-five years on, it costs 238 times the price to get into a brand-new Mini Cooper. For those who are bad at maths, that means the new fifth-generation Mini Cooper starts at R595 000. If you need the five-door variant, it will set you back R617 000 and the Mini Cooper SE, which is electric, is rather reasonably priced at R802 000. At an entry price of just under R600 000, I was expecting big things from the little Mini. The exterior For starters, Mini has never lacked style. This one does not disappoint. The front has a striking grille that ties into the headlights well. The headlights also have a very cool animation and wink at you when you unlock the vehicle. The daytime running lights run around the oval-shaped headlights and it just looks distinctive in every aspect. The three-door Cooper sits on 17-inch black alloy wheels that add to the stylish exterior. The brand has also built itself by making vehicles customisable. For example, I had a bright yellow version on test with black alloy wheels, a white roof and white exterior mirrors. Mini is the one brand that could tie those colours together and make it look fun. The rear of the vehicle is just as exciting as Mini has brought a completely new design to it. The weirdly shaped triangular tail lights are connected by a black strip with the 'Cooper' lettering across it. Ultimately, the exterior of the vehicle embodies fun and gives you an idea of what the vehicle is about. The interior The interior of the fifth-generation Mini Cooper amplifies the message you are given on the outside. Once you jump in, you are greeted by a superb leather and cloth interior. Majority leather on the seats means that the driver and passenger are comfortable. For those wanting to squeeze into the back, the room is very limited — that's why I used the word passenger in the singular above. It is a three-door, so I did not expect much room for backseat passengers. The boot space is also very tight. After a short experiment, I realised this is not the vehicle to take on your monthly grocery shopping trip. The boot isn't able to take more than exactly three Checkers packets. The dashboard gets some lovely cloth which has ambient lighting projected through it. For me, this was aesthetically pleasing but also subtle enough to not be distracting. Unlike most vehicles with their large rectangular screens, the Mini Cooper has a circular screen that is 240mm in diameter. That screen has all your driving information, so you don't get an instrument cluster. It is a touch odd to not have an instrument cluster, because there's nothing behind your steering wheel, but Mini has taken a minimalist approach and decided to just push everything into that one screen. The infotainment system can be changed to different experiences: Core, Go-Kart, Green, Vivid and Timeless. The Timeless experience set the infotainment screen into an elegant and classic format with an analog clock that made me feel like I was back in that Mini 1275e again — but with some technology. The car just gets more unique as the stop-start button is shaped like a key that needs to be twisted to start the vehicle. The gear shifter is also tiny and placed under the infotainment screen next to the stop-start button. That timeless experience: The mode that took me back in time in the new Mini Cooper The drive I was surprised by the drive. For a small vehicle, on the poor roads we have, it was exceptionally smooth. Mini has given the Cooper a three-cylinder 1.5 litre turbocharged engine that delivers 115kW of power and 230Nm of torque. This was more than enough power to get you by. In a vehicle this small, those numbers are impressive. There was also no turbo lag and the car gave an instant kick whenever you needed the speed. Because the car is so tiny, and has a good amount of power, it is really fun to drive. Navigating bendy roads becomes exciting and it's the type of car that makes you want to drive it all the time. The new tailights really bring the back of the Mini together Safety The 2025 Mini Cooper E has earned a five-star safety rating from both the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) and its counterpart the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (Ancap). Euro NCAP tests show it achieved an 89% score for adult occupant protection, 85% for child occupant protection, 77% for pedestrian protection and 79% for its active safety systems. It also has safety features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and parking sensors. Blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-departure warnings, rear automatic braking and an exit-warning system are optional. Verdict Easy to park, fun to drive and with great manoeuvrability, the Mini Cooper is a gem on the road. The exterior and interior both embody the fun nature of the car and it has a personality that very few manufacturers can match. And, while it is no longer the Nineties, where you could purchase a car for under R10 000, the hefty price tag of R595 000 is just about the only downside of this little vehicle.
Mail & Guardian
13 hours ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Clean energy must extend beyond megawatts and minerals
The energy transition itself carries human rights risks. If clean energy is built on compromised rights, it will not be sustainable in the long term. Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg/Getty Images As Africa enters a critical decade of energy development and industrialisation, the demand for reliable power, sustainable infrastructure and clean energy sources is reshaping the investment landscape. At the same time, the imperative to transition responsibly — without infringing on the rights of people — is more urgent than ever. Business and Human Rights (BHR) offers a framework for managing this tension. Rooted in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, it sets out how businesses should respect human rights throughout their operations and supply chains and how states must protect those rights through regulation, enforcement and access to remedy. For energy stakeholders — governments, investors, developers and people — BHR is no longer a peripheral concern. It is a core driver of responsible growth, risk management and legitimacy in a rapidly evolving global and African energy ecosystem. BHR is anchored in three foundational pillars of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: The state duty to protect human rights through policies, regulation and enforcement; The corporate responsibility to respect human rights by, among other things, conducting human rights due diligence; and Access to remedy for individuals and communities affected by business-related harm. While once viewed as a voluntary commitment, these principles are increasingly being entrenched in binding legal frameworks. Recent instruments such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, Germany's Supply Chain Act, and France's Duty of Vigilance Law impose legal obligations on companies (including private enterprises) to identify, prevent and mitigate human rights and environmental risks across global value chains — and create liability for failing to do so. Energy projects — whether related to oil, gas, renewables or critical mineral extraction — have a high human rights risk profile. Common risks include: Displacement of communities through land acquisition or infrastructure expansion; Adverse impacts on indigenous peoples' cultural rights; Inadequate stakeholder engagement and lack of free, prior and informed consent; Labour rights violations in construction and mineral supply chains; Environmental degradation affecting water, health and livelihoods; and The use of excessive security forces or militarisation of project zones. In an age of rising stakeholder activism, environmental, social, and governance litigation and reputational exposure, energy companies that fail to integrate BHR into their business models risk project delays, financing constraints, legal liability and community opposition. Conversely, companies that lead on BHR create resilience, de-risk investments and foster enduring partnerships with governments and communities. Africa is poised to become one of the most dynamic frontiers for energy investment globally. The continent's population is growing rapidly, with urbanisation and industrialisation driving exponential energy demand. At the same time, Africa is richly endowed with renewable resources and critical minerals that are essential to the global clean energy transition. Energy investment opportunities include: Utility-scale solar, wind and hydro projects powering urban growth; Off-grid and mini-grid solutions bringing electricity to underserved rural areas; Cross-border energy infrastructure that links regional power pools and boosts energy security; Hydrogen, green ammonia and energy storage ventures attracting global partnerships; and Local beneficiation and value addition of critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium and graphite. Countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are already hubs of activity. Projects such as South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Procurement Programme, Kenya's Lake Turkana Wind Power Project and Namibia's ambitions in green hydrogen are reshaping the narrative. However, several of these projects have encountered friction regarding land use, community engagement and benefit sharing. African energy development often intersects with vulnerable communities, informal land tenure, historical marginalisation and weak governance environments. Failing to address these dynamics invites risk; integrating BHR (the duty to respect human rights as distinct from state obligations) offers a pathway to do better. It can help companies build and maintain a social licence to operate; secure funding from development finance institutions and ethical lenders that mandate human rights due diligence; prevent litigation, protests and reputational harm and align with host government development goals and Africa's Agenda 2063. Agenda 2063 seeks to position Africa as a global powerhouse, one committed to inclusive and sustainable development. This mirrors the core language and aims of BHR. For African states, embedding BHR into national energy policy enhances investor confidence and future-proofs infrastructure development. It also empowers governments to regulate more effectively and ensure that energy development is not only fast — but fair. While Africa is on the cusp of major energy and infrastructure development, recent legal developments in the Global North offer cautionary insights: Shell vs Okpabi (UK): The UK Supreme Court confirmed that parent companies can be held liable for human rights harms caused by foreign subsidiaries. Although the case arose from alleged environmental damage in the Niger Delta, the precedent may apply well beyond that context. TotalEnergies climate litigation (France): NGOs sued the oil major under France's Duty of Vigilance Law, which creates binding obligations on entities (including parent companies) to identify, prevent, mitigate and redress human rights and environmental impacts resulting from their own activities, as well as those companies under their control, subcontractors and suppliers. Fosen Wind Farm case (Norway): The Norwegian Supreme Court ruled that land expropriation and licensing for certain wind farms violated the rights of Sámi indigenous reindeer herders under international law, highlighting the importance of free, prior and informed consent, even in the context of renewable energy development. These cases reinforce that the energy transition itself carries human rights risks. Whether in the Global North or South, renewable does not automatically mean responsible. If clean energy is built on compromised rights, it will not be sustainable in the long term. By embedding Business and Human Rights into the DNA of energy projects, the continent can avoid replicating extractive models of the past and build an energy future that is clean, inclusive and equitable. Pooja Dela and Dylan Cron are partners at Webber Wentzel.
