Month: April 2024

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained an interdict from the Special Tribunal to stop the sale of a farm in Limpopo that is linked to the former National Lotteries Commission (NLC) Chief Operations Officer, Phillemon Letwaba and his brother, Johannes Letwaba.

The farm was listed for R7 million last year and is currently under offer for R5 million.

In an order dated 28 March 2024, the Special Tribunal prohibited the Letwaba brothers and any other person with knowledge of the order from selling, disposing, leasing, transferring, donating, or dealing with the farm in any manner.

The 3 426 128-hectares farm is registered under the Mosokoti Business Trust, whose trustees are the Letwaba brothers.

The funds that were used to purchase the farm emanate from the NLC. The farm is now preserved pending the final determination of civil action to be brought by the SIU within 60 days.

The SIU received a tip-off from a whistleblower about the sale of the farm and its potential link to NLC funds.

Following t
he tip-off, the SIU found that the farm was purchased using NLC funds siphoned through two organisations, which include organisation one — Lulamisa Community Development Organisation NPO.

The SIU’s investigation revealed that in July 2015, an application for grant funding for Lulamisa Community Development Organisation (Lulamisa) was submitted to the NLC.

On the application form, the NPO was requesting an amount of R85 million for ‘hosting the Commonwealth Games, which would benefit the people of South Africa and boost the economy of the city of Durban’.

The NLC granted Lulamisa R80 million in two tranches of R64 million and R16 million, respectively.

Between 1 and 31 March 2016, Lulamisa made various payments to Iron Bridge Travelling Agency totalling R2 712 269.77. Phillemon Letwaba’s wife, Rebotile Malomane, owns Iron Bridge Travelling Agency.

In April 2016, Iron Bridge Travelling and Events transferred R1 000 000.00 to conveyancing attorneys, which went towards purchasing the farm.

Organisation num
ber two is Tshikovha Graduate Academy.

On 11 February 2016, Konani Pfunzo Learning Centre applied for grant funding to the NLC for R49 935 697.52. The request aimed to assist Tshikovha Graduate Academy, an NPC, in drilling 200 boreholes in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State and Eastern Cape provinces.

On 19 February 2016, NLC awarded Konani Pfunzo Learning Centre grant funding of R55 463 735.

On 22 February 2016, Konani Pfunzo and Tshikovha signed a memorandum that the grant will be transferred to Tshikovha within two working days upon receipt thereof. After Konani Pfunzo received grand funding from the NLC, an amount of R55 250 000 was transferred to the bank account of Tshikovha Graduate Academy.

Two days after receiving these funds, Tshikovha Graduate Academy transferred R4 800 000.00 to a private company named Redtaq (pty) LTD. Karabo Charles Sithole, Phillemon Ledwaba’s cousin, is the sole director of Redtaq.

On 01 March 2016, Redtaq transferred R600 000.00 to Iron Bridge Travelling and Eve
nts. On 03 March 2016, Tshikovha further transferred R4 500 000.00 to Redtaq.

On 23 March 2016, Redtaq transferred R2 4000 000.00 to conveyancing attorneys. On the same day, Iron Bridge Travelling and Events transferred R66 009.83 and R300 000.00 to the same attorneys.

On 30 March 2016, Tshikovha transferred R8 000 000.00 to Mshandukani Holdings’s bank account. Mshandukani Holdings is a private company with the company and Mr Mashudu Shandukani is the sole director.

On 05 April 2016, Mshandukani Holdings transferred an amount of R1 000 000.00 to Ndzhuku Holdings’ bank account. On the same day, Ndzhuku Holdings transferred an amount of R1 000 000.00 to the same aforementioned attorneys.

The farm was purchased for a total of R4 766 003.83. The SIU’s evidence shows that Letwaba contravened the NLC’s conflict of interest clause. He also used the funds received from NLC-funded NPOs for his gain.

The interdict is part of implementing the SIU’s investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover cash a
nd assets lost by State institutions due to alleged corruption or negligence.

Acting on the tip-off is part of fighting corruption as a whole of society, as envisioned in the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

The SIU was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in terms of Proclamation R32 of 2020, to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of the NLC and the conduct of NLC officials, and to recover any financial losses suffered by the State.

The SIU is empowered by the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 to institute civil action in the Special Tribunal or the High Court to correct any wrongdoing it uncovers in its investigation.

The SIU has referred the evidence pointing to criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action.

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday receive Letters of Credence from Heads of Mission-designate at a Credentials Ceremony to be held in Pretoria.

Letters of Credence are official diplomatic documents presented to the President by Heads of Mission-designate, who have been nominated by their respective governments to serve as ambassadors to South Africa.

President Ramaphosa will receive Heads of Mission-designate from the following countries:

1. The Republic of Rwanda

2. The Swiss Confederation

3. The Federation of Malaysia

4. The Republic of Italy

5. Mongolia

6. The United Republic of Tanzania

7. The State of Kuwait

8. The Republic of Belarus

9. The Dominican Republic

10. The Republic of Korea

11. The Republic of Kenya

12. New Zealand

13. The Islamic Republic of Iran

14. The Republic of Suriname

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: Namibia’s Cross-Country (XCO) cyclists Alex Miller and Jean-Marie Mostert were on Saturday crowned winners of the first leg of the 2024 Nedbank Namibia Rock and Rut XCO Series.

The first Rock and Rut XCO race took place at the IJG Trails in Kleine Kuppe with exciting action in the different male and female categories.

The elite male and Under-23 category was the highlight of the series and saw international cyclist Alex Miller put up a dominant display to outclass his opponents. Miller put his foot down as of the first lap, creating a 28-second gap between himself and U-23 rider Kevin Lowe who was also in a class of his own in his age group.

After seven laps of racing Miller crossed the line one minute and 30 seconds ahead of Lowe, and three minutes ahead of Martin Freyer who finished third.

Miller completed the seven loops in a time of one hour, 25 minutes and six seconds (01:25:06) while Lowe came second in a time of 01:26:36 and Freyer did a time of 01:28:15.

In the women’s category, Mostert who was not a match to her competitors finished the four-loop race in a time of 01:02:05 with her nearest competitor Mimi Hough coming almost seven minutes behind in a time of 01:09:53 and Ulrike Steidler came third 14 minutes behind Mostert in a time of 01:16:38.

In an interview with the media after the race, Miller said he had a great ride on the day as the weather was not harsh on the riders.

‘It’s always great to be back home and riding on these trails is always enjoyable. This was the first XCO race of the year and Rock and Rut series, so it feels great to win it,’ he said while adding that he is looking forward to upcoming races while he is back at home.

Meanwhile, other winners on the day were Jan Louis Mostert and Carmen Janik who won the marathon men and women categories. The E-bike category went to Frank Klosta and Claudia Suren in the men and women sections, respectively.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo has emphasised the importance of diversifying South Africa’s water resource mix for water security.

The Deputy Minister was addressing the Inaugural Built Environment Indaba hosted by the Black Business Council in the Built Environment recently, which was held recently in Gauteng.

The Indaba was aimed at promoting collaboration, procurement and skills development in the industry.

Mahlobo confirmed that in terms of water security, the supply of raw water is currently in balance with the existing demand at national level.

Additionally, government has recognised the localised deficit, acknowledging that 98% of the available water is already allocated. Mahlobo said to ensure water security in the future, it is crucial to broaden the water resource mix through sustainable use of groundwater, desalination of seawater (even though technology remains expensive), water reuse from treated wastewater systems, and water reclamation.

While supply-side measures are es
sential, Mahlobo emphasised the need for water conservation and demand management.

The Deputy Minister warned that water availability in South Africa could decline rapidly due to factors such as economic growth, population growth, urbanisation, inefficient water use, degradation of wetlands, and the impact of climate change.

He also highlighted the financial challenges faced by municipalities, noting that they owe R19 billion to water boards.

According to the Deputy Minister, one of the main issues plaguing the water sector is the poor performance and adherence to standard operating procedures for drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment.

Infrastructure is often left in poor condition due to a lack of maintenance, with municipalities failing to hire qualified personnel to oversee these essential processes.

Additionally, weak billing and revenue collection, as well as inadequate budget prioritisation for maintenance and operations by municipal councils, further exacerbate the challenges faced by
the sector.

In terms of support to municipalities, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and water boards are supporting many municipalities to implement improved plans that are agreed to by the Ministry and municipal leadership.

DWS, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA), Department of Human Settlements, and National Treasury allocate water and sanitation infrastructure grants worth more than R20 billion to municipalities per annum, and provide technical and engineering support and assistance, capacity building and training and financial management advice and support.

Water projects

Mahlobo highlighted several key water sector projects that are currently in implementation.

These projects aim to address water shortages and improve access to water in various regions across the country.

The R40 billion phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP2) is one of the major projects that is currently in progress.

This project is aimed at delivering approximately 470 million m3 per annum in addition to the 780 million m3 per year which the IVRS currently receives from LHWP1 and will increase the availability of raw water for Gauteng and surrounding areas, which have been experiencing water shortages.

Another project is the R26 billion uMkhomazi Water Project in KwaZulu-Natal. This project was facing an affordability deadlock, but Mahlobo announced that it had been resolved, and the project is now moving forward.

The R4 billion phase 2A of the Mokolo Crocodile Water Augment Project (MCWAP) in the North West and Limpopo has also been completed, with funding being raised for phase 2.

In addition to these projects, Mahlobo also highlighted the R12 billion Olifants River Water Resource Development project in Limpopo, the R10 billion Vaal Gamagara project in the Northern Cape, the R8 Billion Mzimvubu Water Project in the Eastern Cape, the R1.2 billion Berg River Voelvlei Augmentation Scheme in the Western Cape and the R4
billion raising of the Clanwilliam Dam in the Western Cape.

All these projects are aimed at diversifying the water resource mix to ensure water security for South Africa.

Mahlobo assured that South Africa will not run dry by 2030, but there will be challenges if there is no change in the way of doing things.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo has applauded Siza Water, a water service provider in the iLembe District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, for outstanding provision of water services in the district for the past 25 years.

Mahlobo was speaking during the anniversary celebration of the South African Water Works (SAWW) company, Siza Water, which took place on Friday in Zimbali.

‘I cannot understate the significance of Siza Water’s commitment to local empowerment and transformation.

‘As a 100% South African-owned water utility, with the majority shareholder, South African Water Works, which is also majority black-owned, Siza Water embodies the spirit of inclusivity and socio-economic development.

‘Proudly managed by South Africans, particularly from previously disadvantaged groups, Siza Water has become a beacon of hope, demonstrating that diversity is not just a buzzword but a cornerstone of sustainable growth and prosperity,’ said Mahlobo.

Mahlobo lauded the achievements of the water utili
ty received over the years, such as being recognised as the Best Performing Water Service Provider in 2014 through the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Blue Drop Certification Programme, to receiving the prestigious Wilson Award of Excellence from the Water Institute of South Africa between 2010 and 2018, amongst others.

Mahlobo said Siza Water has consistently raised the bar for operational efficiency, environmental stewardship and service delivery.

‘Siza Water’s innovative approach to wastewater management, exemplified by the design, construction,\ and operation of a state-of-the-art direct reuse plant, underscores its dedication to sustainability and resource conservation,’ he said.

With two Green Drop Awards and commendations from the Department of Water and Sanitation for its exemplary sewer systems management, Siza Water has set a benchmark for environmental responsibility and public health protection.

Mahlobo said beyond the realm of awards and accolades, Siza Water’s impact extends far and wid
e, touching the lives of communities and individuals across South Africa.

‘We have experienced this through the strategic investments exceeding R725 million over the past 25 years. Siza Water has not only facilitated uninterrupted development but also created hundreds of job opportunities, empowering local communities and driving socio-economic progress,’ he said.

Mahlobo reaffirmed the water sector’s commitment for collaboration, innovation and sustainability, with emphasis placed on collaborative work, leveraging on collective expertise and resources to address the challenges of water scarcity, climate change, and social inequality.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila on Saturday handed over water boreholes to the community of Ohamutwetautende and the surrounding communities in the Ohangwena Region on Saturday.

The event was held during the belated celebration here of the 34th Independence anniversary.

According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, the project was implemented as a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform and the Office of the Prime Minister.

She said the project was funded as part of the drought relief project under her office to the tune of N.dollars 604 641, while the MAWLR took care of the piping of water from the borehole over a 10-kilometre radius to over nine water points or 11 villages at a cost of N.dollars 2 760 522.

Moreover, she indicated that another borehole has been drilled at Ohamukwata village to the tune of N.dollars 822 223, with installations and reticulations at Ohamukwata main, Ohamukwata A, Omakango Omumakani Nr 1, Omushayi Community, Okakando Komupanda and Omakango Omumakani Nr 2, at the cost of N.dollars 2 765 205.

Another drilling and installation took place at Oikuku village to the tune of N.dollars 3 620 820.

‘I implore you to use these boreholes to strengthen your households’ resilience to disaster risk and increase food security, as well as create jobs for the locals, through community irrigated gardens and school gardening,’ she said.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila explained that the water infrastructure having been availed to the community is an outcome of the government efforts to mitigate disaster risk and strengthen the resilience of their community to drought.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila stated that the investment into this project will not only ensure water supply to the community in the immediate proximity of the borehole, but also to more communities through the several pipelines that will supply water to different communities from this borehole.

She also implored the community members to protect and guard these assets against vandalism, stressing that the current vandalism and theft of equipment at the boreholes undermine Government’s efforts to provide safe water to all needy communities.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency