President Cyril Ramaphosa says lifestyle audits are “underway firmly” and dismisses the “fable” of government inaction on Zondo Commission findings.
“Rule of law, due process, and good governance” – these were the well-worn words of Ramaphosa in Parliament on Tuesday, March 19 – in what could be his last parliamentary Q&A session. Land reform, lifestyle audits and state capture are some of the issues discussed in the two hour sitting.
With just seventy days before national elections, the session was filled with politicking and electioneering, which made for an animated sitting. Members of parliament posed six main questions to Ramaphosa, with four supplementary questions allowed for each.
Lifestyle audits
Upon question, the President stated that lifestyle audits for the Executive are underway after years of delays due to budget issues and changes in service providers. The process will now be handled by the Director-General in the Presidency, Phindile Baleni. Now that it is in the right hands, the President promises that the project will pick up speed.
Democratic Alliance leader, John Steenhuisen, linked the early morning raid of the speaker of parliament, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, to the delayed audits, first promised in 2018. “Your failure to implement lifestyle audits is what has facilitated this alleged corruption by the speaker,” Steenhuisen said.
According to the 2021 Guide on Lifestyle Audits, an employee’s lifestyle will be measured against their income for an accurate snapshot of their financial position.
Ramaphosa went on to discuss the state capture report, calling the allegations that nothing is being done to act on the findings of the Zondo Commission, a “continuous fable.” He said the findings “are currently receiving attention from a number of law enforcement agencies and other bodies”.
Members of parliament asked about the money (around R86-billion at last count) recovered from corrupt dealings linked to state capture. The President said some of this money from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) should be used to further the recovery process.
Dealing with wrongdoers
While parliament delved into the recent suspension of Deputy Minister for Small Business Development, Dipuo Peters, DA leader John Steenhuisen once again brought the conversation back to the raid on Mapisa-Nqakula’s home and demanded that Ramaphosa remove her from office due to the corruption allegations against her. The acting speaker of the house, ANC member Cedric Frolick, dismissed the point as irrelevant and allowed the session to continue without a response from the President.
This occurred just two days before the official implication of Mapisa-Nqakula in the R2.3-million corruption scandal from her time as Defense Minister that warranted the raid on her home. The speaker has since announced she will take special leave from office and has filed court papers to try and halt her arrest.
While the speaker remains on special leave to prepare to “defend herself against these allegations,” the DA has pushed for a motion of no-confidence in the speaker to formally oust her, while the Presidency has simply said “the process must now unfold” as facts arise.
With elections only two months away, it is no surprise that the session was packed with political grandstanding and insults hurled across the benches, but it made for a less than informative session on the actual practical aspects of the questions raised. Come May 29, we shall see what voters took away from this sitting – if anything at all.
FEATURED IMAGE: President Cyril Ramaphosa answering questions in parliament on 19 March 2024. Photo: GCIS/Supplied.
Marijuana lobby group raises concerns about the signing of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill by President Cyril Ramaphosa at their annual indaba.
The Marijuana Board of South Africa (MBOSA) wants to delay the signing of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill as they argue that in its current form it fails to meet their needs and lacks clarity about uses.
Secretary Ras Thapelo Khunou Addressing attendees of the Indaba. Photo: Ane Davey
These concerns were raised at the sixth Marijuana Friendly Indaba, an event hosted on Human Rights Day, March 21, by MBOSA, at the Kempton Park Council Chamber, which allowed activists and enthusiast to ventilate their concerns.
The group plans to host a nationwide protest on the 4 May 2024, just 25 days before the national presidential election.
Beyond concerns, the indaba had a panel of speakers facilitating conversations on cannabis cultivation, consumption and community empowerment.
A range of issues also came from the floor, including but not limited to: the history of cannabis in South Africa, the economic empowerment of traditional cannabis farmers and indigenous communities and building relationships between community stakeholders like traditional healers and the South African Police Service.
Chairperson of the Cannabis Development Council of South Africa, Ras Garreth Prince, wrote a letter to the President Cyril Ramaphosa to reject the bill. In it, he urges Ramaphosa to not sign the bill, and send it back to parliament.
“The current iteration of the bill falls short of constitutional standards and fails to address the legitimate interests of the cannabis community,” emphasised Prince.
The letter written by him was accepted by the Indaba, as confirmed by Ras Thapelo Khunou, secretary of MBOSA, during the resolutions of the indaba.
The organisers of the protest, Dave Sewell and Candice Nel extended the invitation to all, “it’s inclusive of everyone, nobody’s excluded,” said the pair.
Bodies like MBOSA and the CDCSA are working hard to make the herb safely accessible and well-regulated for all South African citizens who consume cannabis for recreational, medical or religious purposes.
Building up to the 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa, the Sophiatown Netball Championship shines a light on the need to restore school sports.
Gauteng premier, Panyaza Lesufi promised netball players from six schools in the greater Sophiatown area that they will be going to Cape Town for the Netball World Cup 2023, taking place from July 28 to August 6.
Initially, only the four best players were promised an all-expenses paid trip to the World Cup. But Lesufi’s pledge on Sunday, May 28 made the circle bigger, including players from all six teams that participated in the two day Sophiatown Netball Championship, at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre in Johannesburg. .
The schools that participated were Coronationville Secondary School, Riverlea High School, Hoerskool Die Burger, Florida Park High School, Langlaagte Technical High School and Westbury Secondary School.
Sophiatown Netball Championship volunteer teams trying to save the ball. Photo: Mbalenhle Dlamini
The Sophiatown Netball championship is a community centred tournament hosted by member of parliament Nompendulo Mkhatshwa and chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Asanda Luwaca.
Westbury High School goal attack (GA), Kamohelo Nketsi described the championship “as a great opportunity to showcase their skills and talents especially because they come from an area that is undermined and underdeveloped”.
Florida Park High School was crowned the overall Sophiatown Netball Champions and walked away with a trophy after they played four times and beat three teams. Ntombizandile Ngwenya, who plays Florida Park’s Centre (C) won player of the tournament.
A netball clinic facilitated by the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Netball Academy and a career guidance session by Wits University were part of the developmental part of the tournament.
Mkhatshwa, said that they are “to raise awareness about the world cup and to resuscitate netball in schools by placing coaches from UJ in the schools and giving the schools netball equipment”. This work is part of her constituency work as a member of parliament.
Coach Makhosazane Sithole from Westbury High School told Wits Vuvuzela that “the championship is good for exposure because it shows the girls that netball can take them far and what netball can do for them outside Westbury”.
Mkhathswa added that drugs are a huge problem in the community, and sports can be used to keep youngsters off the streets.
The girls were full of excitement and shock some even started screaming “forever yena”, a pop culture reference for love and adoration while others cried after Lesufi made the announcement.
FEATURED IMAGE: Westbury Secondary School and Riverlea High School battle it out for a goal. Photo: Mbalenhle Dlamini
The University of Johannesburg’s student leadership tried to bring campus leaders together to collaboratively build on a shared vision for students, but was divided along party lines
UJ’s first student parliament after four years of the covid-19 pandemic, collapsed as students refused to continue in the absence of the treasurer general and the academic officer.
The UJ Central Student Representative Council (SRC) hosted the two-day student parliament at the Auckland Park Kingsway (APK) Campus. The hope was that UJ students from the four campuses could hold their various representatives to account. However, the student parliament did not reach this objective as delegates found it difficult to come to agreements on basic parliamentary rules throughout the sitting.
The system at UJ is such that each campus has its own SRC, and a ‘UJSRC’ that is comprised of two members from each campus. The APK and the Doornfontein campuses are affiliated with the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC) and the SRC members from the Banting (APB) and Soweto campuses, are affiliated with South African Students Congress (SASCO), which is the student chapter of the African National Congress (ANC).
Missing delegates cause delays
The first day of the student parliament came to a chaotic end because there were delegates missing, and according to student parliament secretary, Martin Huwa, suspicions were raised by the SASCO affiliated members of the APK SRC that the EFF affiliated members of APK SRC, may have removed names from the list of delegates, but these suspicions could not be proved.
After the rules, duties and functions of the student parliament were adopted by the house, and the parliament speaker, deputy speaker and secretary were elected. The speaker of the house was Bonga Mshunqisi from the APK campus, deputy speaker was Karabo Kgobokwe from Soweto campus, and the secretary was Martin Huwa also from Soweto campus.
Regalia relegation and no shows
On day two political tensions flared when Lehlogonolo Mokwena came to the sitting dressed in EFF regalia. Student parliament rule number (I) states that “no member shall be allowed in the house with regalia of any political party”. Mokwena was asked to move to the gallery for contravening this rule.
Mokwena refused, and this triggered a lengthy and chaotic back and forth between some members, the chair and deputy of the house.
When calm was restored, new names for chief whips for each campus were brought forward for election.
The treasurer general Zethu Mafuyeka and the academic officer Tshegofatso Molapo from the Central SRC were not present due to “academic commitments”. As such, they could not give their respective state of finances and state of academia addresses.
Amotion was then raised to adjourn proceedings and call an emergency meeting at a later date, when all members of the APK SRC are available.
The inter-political failures to set party politics aside and agree for the sake of the constituency, is something that has become increasingly problematic in South African politics. One need only think back to Johannesburg’s recent mayoral election, which was riddled with coalition failures and infighting. It is worrying that these political trends seem to be trickling down to student led organisations, sacrificing governance and efficiency to toe party lines.
FEATURED IMAGE: University of Johannesburg. Photo: Supplied
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