Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-11-21 i Daily News

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has taken significant steps to bolster the security of its COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) system. This move comes in the wake of allegations from two Stellenbosch University students in October 2024, who raised concerns regarding potential security vulnerabilities in the entity’s online grant platform. During a briefing with Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Social Development on Wednesday, Minister of Social Development, Sisisi Tolashe, spoke about the agency’s commitment to ensuring the safety and integrity of public resources. In a comprehensive presentation, the department’s acting chief information officer, Jabulani Makondo, detailed the evolution of the COVID-19 SRD system since its inception in 2020. Designed to provide urgent financial support during the pandemic, the system was established to manage the unprecedented demand through a…

An innovative sanitation project in the Ekuthuleni area in Shallcross took centre stage during a Sanitation Month awareness campaign in Durban on Wednesday. Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo, led the campaign jointly with the Water Research Commission, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and the eThekwini Municipality. Officials inspected the Aquonic wastewater treatment, a compact modular treatment system that turns black and grey water into reusable water for toilet flushing and irrigation. The campaign showcases innovative sanitation projects that aim to address challenges and develop solutions for sanitation services in eThekwini. The informal settlement on Chiltern Road was one of several sites across the country testing the Water Efficient Sanitation Solutions. The settlement has 50 houses that rely on communal ablution blocks. This year’s theme for World Toilet…

Lieutenant-General Molefe Fani, Divisional Commissioner for Supply Chain Management at the South African Police Service (SAPS), appearing before the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee - defended the decision to award a R360-million tender to controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. The Committee, established in October, is investigating serious allegations of infiltration and corruption within SAPS. It also centers on SAPS tenders allegedly manipulated to benefit criminal syndicates purportedly protected by senior political and police officials, with Matlala at the forefront. In June 2024, SAPS awarded a major security services tender to Medicare24, a company linked to Matlala. Twenty-two bidders submitted tenders, but Medicare24 was selected after evaluation and adjudication committees endorsed it as compliant with procurement requirements. However, shortly after the award, investigative reports raised concerns that the company lacked a valid…

Kaizer Chiefs rising star Mfundo Vilakazi turned 20 this week, but the gifted attacker insists any celebrations are already behind him as Amakhosi sharpen their focus for Sunday’s CAF Confederation Cup opener away to Al Masry in Egypt. Vilakazi, one of the most exciting talents to emerge from Naturena’s youth structures, managed to spend time with his family before joining the travelling squad. For him, balancing personal moments with professional duty is important — but the mindset shift, he says, is immediate. “I’m glad we travelled a little late so I could spend my day with my family, but now I have to focus on Sunday because the birthday is over,” he told the media. His inclusion in the squad is further proof of the faith the Chiefs technical team…

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s lawyer Dali Mpofu, has used University of Cape Town-based digital law expert Pitso Tsibolane’s report to challenge the State in proving that the messages that were sent during the July 2021 unrest were authored by Zuma-Sambudla. During the cross-examination of the State witness, Emma Sadleir, who is a social media law expert, Mpofu presented Tsibolane’s report, which was admitted into the court record. In the report, Tsibolane, who is a senior lecturer in the varsity’s Department of Information Systems, argued that the State has not established that Zuma-Sambudla authored the messages. “There is a difference between the authorship and the ownership of a message, and in this matter, the State has not established who the author was,” argued Tsibolane. In response, Sadleir argued that if the author is…

The Deputy Director-General for Stakeholder Coordination in the Office of the Premier, Dr Sabelo Gwala, has recently emphasised the urgent need for more robust action to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in KwaZulu-Natal. His remarks, made during the recent KZN Provincial Council on AIDS meeting, underscored the alarming GBVF rates plaguing communities, particularly in the eThekwini, uMgungundlovu, and King Cetshwayo districts. Gwala said that part of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF was a gender machinery and forums, established across all districts. He said that on the status of functionality, three districts (uMgungundlovu, uMzinyathi, and Zululand) failed to meet for three months (July, August, and September). Gwala said GBVF programmes implemented during July to September 2025 include community-based prevention, reaching parents and children, substance abuse intervention, positive masculinity programmes…

Women For Change (WFC) is demanding urgent action, accountability, and proper implementation of laws to end gender-based violence. The group is sending a stark warning to President Cyril Ramaphosa: “Empty promises are no longer enough.”’ Michael Masina of WFC said: “In the past few weeks, we’ve seen cases that would break any nation, and still, we return to silence, excuses, and inaction. “This shutdown is us saying: enough. No more hashtags. No more vigils. We need action, accountability, and transparency from our leaders.” The group is calling on government to implement existing GBV laws, including functional police units, fast-tracked GBV courts, funding for shelters, and consequences for officers who mishandle cases. Masina added: “We’ll know the government is serious when survivors stop being turned away and perpetrators face real consequences.”…

The Springboks would have relished marking RG Snyman’s 50th Test with a starting berth in Dublin on Saturday, but circumstance has handed him an equally crucial role. Instead of leading from the first whistle, the towering lock will bring his trademark impact off the bench — a responsibility he has fully embraced as South Africa gear up for a bruising battle with Ireland. Head coach Rassie Erasmus has selected his strongest possible side for the clash at the Aviva Stadium (7.40pm start) as the Boks look to end a 13-year wait for a victory in the Irish capital. He made only three changes to the team that beat France a couple of weekends ago. “RG would’ve loved to start and play as long as he can — most players do…

President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a thinly-veiled attack against the bullying tendencies of US leader Donald Trump. This comes as Trump recently warned the South African government not to attempt to adopt a consensus declaration at this weekend's G20 Summit that does not include the position of the US. Ramaphosa, who on Thursday received the declaration from the G20 Social Summit in Boksburg, said that there should be no nation that bullies another, as all nations are equally important to the global agenda. On Wednesday, media reports revealed that Trump, in a scathing letter, formally warned South Africa against pushing for a joint statement without his administration being represented. Tensions between South Africa and Trump's administration have escalated since the start of the year, culminating in a meeting between the two…

The Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati has enjoyed a mixed bag of results for Proteas teams recently. It was where Laura Wolvaardt’s team were bundled out for 69 in their ICC Women’s World Cup opener before returning to exact revenge over the self-same England side in the semi-final to make history by becoming the first senior South African cricket team to reach a limited-overs World Cup final. Temba Bavuma’s Proteas Men’s side will be chasing their own slice of history when the second Test gets underway tomorrow as they seek a first Test series win in India for 25 years. To achieve this feat, they would do well to give Proteas Women’s coach Mandla Mashimbyi a call regarding the conditions for they are still very much in the dark. “As far…

During a heated virtual parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, the South African Football Association (Safa) came under fire, as it always does. Among the flashpoints were concerns over financial disparities within the national football coaching staff and the association’s overall governance. The stark salary contrast between Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos and his counterpart, Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, was a central point of contention that drew passionate, sharp reactions from members of Parliament. During the session, which saw Safa’s CEO, Lydia Monyepao, at the forefront, tensions escalated when MPs confronted her about the financial inequities between the two coaches. Monyepao’s insistence on citing the Protection of Personal Information Act as a defence for withholding Broos’s salary drew the panel’s discontent, which sought clarity on the issue. The hearing, convened by…