Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has warned municipalities to use disaster funds promptly and for their intended purposes and not to pay salaries or fund trips.
He made these remarks during a briefing yesterday in Sandton where he provided information on the release of the funds following floods and heavy snowfall that occurred in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, and the severely affected Eastern Cape.
A total of R1.255 billion has been allocated for the 2025/26 financial year with the funds to be released in phases. The bulk of the money, about R500 million will go to the Eastern Cape which suffered the most damage to infrastructure and homes.
In KZN, R139 million in disaster relief grants has been allocated for 17 municipalities including the eThekwini Municipality, which suffered extensive damage in recent storms.
In June, a total of 107 lives were lost due to disasters. Of these, 103 were in the Eastern Cape, three in KZN, and one in the Western Cape.
In accordance with applicable legislation, business plans, and approved processes, the municipal disaster response grants will be transferred in phases during this month. The Department is currently awaiting transfer dates from the National Treasury, with preliminary dates set for July 11 and 18.
The minister noted that the majority of the municipalities received the Response or Recovery Grant and the Municipal Disaster Response Grant in March 2025 and have not started implementing the projects. KZN municipalities that will benefit include:
Zululand: R13m (in addition to R9m received in March 2025)
Abaqulusi: R12m (in addition to R5.4m received in March 2025)
Inkosi Langalibalele: R11m
Newcastle: R11m (in addition to recovery and response grants allocated in March 2025)
eThekwini metro: R9m (in addition to R8m and R1.4 billion previously allocated)
Edumbe: R10m (in addition to R6.8m received in March 2025)
He added that the Disaster Management Act highlights the importance of self-funding for disaster risk management, requiring state organisations to utilise their own resources for disaster interventions. In instances where public infrastructure is damaged, the relevant state organ bears the responsibility for financing the repair costs.
“With regards to disaster grants, adherence to Section 12 of the Division of Revenue Act (DORA) is crucial. The funds disbursed must be utilised exclusively for sanctioned purposes and may not be redirected to unrelated expenditures, such as employee travel,” Hlabisa stated.
The minister said, “We appreciate the efforts made to utilise the grants appropriately; however, we have identified several key areas of concern regarding their implementation. These include poor infrastructure planning and execution, inadequate workmanship, diversion or alteration of the scope of work, delays in appointing service providers that lead to municipalities underperforming, and the misallocation of funds towards operational matters instead of the designated projects."
He also noted a significant lack of monitoring and contract management by implementing agents, as well as projects being underdesigned, which makes the infrastructure vulnerable to further damage.
Zululand mayor, Michael Khumalo, welcomed the municipality's allocation.
“This will bring much-needed relief to the people of Zululand. The grant will go a long way in accelerating efforts to mitigate disaster risks. Zululand has previously experienced challenges due to heavy rain, which resulted in significant damage to water infrastructure. As the municipality, we pledge to utilise this grant promptly and responsibly by following procedures and protocols to ensure accountability and transparency,” he said.
ActionSA MP Alan Beesley said it was imperative is that the funds are used promptly and in a cost-effective manner.
"For far too long, disaster grants have been plagued by time delays and dubious procurement. Cogta must ensure there is proper accountability for these grants and that there are serious consequences when these grants are not used as intended.”
KZN Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi said the allocation for the province followed applications from KZN municipalities which had been impacted by incidents resulting in damage that would cost billions of rand to fix.
"The grant will provide much-needed relief to communities, facilitating the installation of new disaster mitigation measures and the improvement of roads, as well as water and sanitation infrastructure. This allocation also underscores the national government's commitment to supporting the province's ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts."
*This article was first published by IOL News
President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted the correspondence from United States President Donald Trump on the unilateral imposition of a 30% trade tariff against South Africa.
Ramaphosa also noted that South Africa is one of a number of countries which have received similar communication announcing tariffs on Monday.
“This 30% tariff is based on a particular interpretation of the balance of trade between South Africa and the United States. This contested interpretation forms part of the issues under consideration by the negotiating teams from South Africa and the United States,” said Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
“Accordingly, South Africa maintains that the 30% reciprocal tariff is not an accurate representation of available trade data. In our interpretation of the available trade data, the average tariff on imported goods entering South Africa stands at 7.6%.
“Importantly, 56% of goods enter South Africa at 0% most favoured nation tariff, with 77% of US goods entering the South African market under the 0% duty,” he said.
However, the Presidency in Pretoria made it clear that South Africa continues with efforts to nurture closer trade relations with the United States.
“South Africa will continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States. We welcome the commitment by the US government, that the 30% tariff is subject to modification at the back of the conclusion of our negotiations with the United States,” said Magwenya.
South Africa has continued to engage the United States, most recently at a meeting held on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit on 23 June 2025 in Luanda, the capital of Angola.
“It was at this meeting where South Africa learned of a template with which the US wishes to engage sub-Saharan Africa on matters of trade. The South African negotiating team still awaits this template, however, President Ramaphosa has instructed the team to urgently engage with the US on the basis of the Framework Deal that South Africa submitted to the US on 20 May 2025,” said Magwenya.
This Framework Deal addresses the issues initially raised by the United States, including South Africa’s supposed trade surplus, unfair trade practices and lack of reciprocity from the US.
Ramaphosa has urged the government's trade negotiations teams and South African companies to accelerate their diversification efforts in order to promote better resilience in both global supply chains and the South African economy.
On Monday night, IOL reported that South Africa will be hit with a 30% tariff on all its exports to the United States from August 1, following the formal letter from Trump to Ramaphosa, demanding action on trade imbalances and long-standing market restrictions.
In a letter dated 7 July and sent on official White House stationery, Trump said the move was “necessary to correct the many years of South Africa’s Tariff, and Non Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers,” blaming Pretoria for what he called “unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States.”
The sweeping tariffs will apply to “any and all South African products sent into the United States,” and are being imposed outside of any sectoral trade deals. The announcement follows a similar pattern of tariff notices sent to over a dozen countries in recent weeks, with South Africa facing one of the highest proposed rates.
*This article was first published by IOL News
Pick n Pay must pay back more than R21 million it received from a liquidated franchise, after the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed its case this week.
The money came from the 2017 sale of a Pick n Pay Family Supermarket in San Ridge Square, Midrand, that was owned by Lashka 167. Lashka was placed into final liquidation in February 2018 after struggling financially and falling behind on payments, including a R13.5 million debt to Pick n Pay, the ruling indicated.
Before it shut down, Lashka had agreed to sell the store to Enthrall Trading for R25m. That amount was paid into the trust account of White & Case Attorneys. According to the agreement, Lashka had to give payment instructions to White & Case to settle debt – including money owed to Pick n Pay. If it failed to do so, Pick n Pay could step in and issue those instructions itself, it argued.
Lashka gave payment instructions for its loans with FNB but failed to do so for Pick n Pay. In 2019, a year after Lashka was liquidated, Pick n Pay issued its own instruction to be paid and received the amount it said it was due, which had now grown to R21.6m, from the trust account
Lashka’s liquidators took the matter to court in 2022, arguing that once Lashka was liquidated, Pick n Pay had no right to access those funds directly. The High Court agreed, ruling that Pick n Pay should not have been paid outside of the formal liquidation process, which protects the rights of all creditors equally.
Pick n Pay appealed, saying the contract was still in effect and that it had been granted the right to collect the money. But the appeal court rejected this view, saying the sale of the business was already completed before liquidation and that any mandate to pay Pick n Pay ended when Lashka was wound up.
The judges found that Pick n Pay was not allowed to take money that belonged to the insolvent estate without going through the proper legal channels. The payment was found to be unlawful, and the court ordered that the R21.6m must be returned to the liquidators.
The appeal was dismissed with costs.
* This article was firstly published by IOL*
Sibusiso Ncengwa, the man found guilty of murdering ANCYL secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
“The court's considered view is that you are not fit to be in our society and by removing you from our society, the interest of society would be served,” said judge Nontuthuzelo Mlaba.
“Your conduct in agreeing to take a life of a person demonstrates a clear disregard for human life. The right to life is one that you currently enjoy but one that you took away from the deceased and for selfish reasons.”
Magaqa was shot in July 2017 and succumbed to his injuries after spending time in hospital.
In his 13-page plea, Ncengwa implicated former city manager of the Umzimkhulu municipality Zweliphansi Skhosana, ex-mayor Mluleki Ndobe, who is now late and former journalist and eThekwini municipality communications manager Mdu Ncalane.
He said they were initially paid R120,000 for the hit and promised a R1m tender.
However, while in prison, he found out that Skhosana and Ndobe had paid R600,000 for the hit. He said Ndobe and Skosana requested them [accused] not to fight in prison and that they would pay them R500,000.
Ncengwa said the R500,000 was collected by Ncalane.
*The article was firstly published by Sowetan Live*
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has denounced KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, after the provincial police boss made damning allegations against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and deputy national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya on Sunday.
IOL reported that Mkhwanazi questioned Mchunu’s decision to disband the political killings task team without informing the national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and himself as the provincial police commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal.
The task team, established in 2018, was a multidisciplinary unit focusing on politically motivated killings and related crimes in KwaZulu-Natal.
Reacting to Mkhwanazi's press briefing, an unimpressed O'Sullivan told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that the provincial police commissioner had overstepped.
"The reality is that he was not authorised to do what he did. If (national police commissioner, General Fannie) Masemola authorised what he did, the two of them can go down together because I am calling for a judicial commission of inquiry. I have today written to the minister, and I have asked the minister, without overreaching his executive powers, to arrange for Masemola and Mkhwanazi to be suspended until we can get to the bottom of what their conduct is actually involved in, and where it is leading," said O'Sullivan.
"The reality of the situation is, he has overstepped his mark. It is not the job of the provincial commissioner to start accusing the government, the judiciary, the National Prosecuting Authority and the minister of police for that matter of being criminals. That is what he did today, and I want to see that man fall and the sooner the better."
O'Sullivan insisted that Mkhwanazi was making false allegations at the media briefing on Sunday, indicating that the provincial police commissioner was on a mission of his own.
The forensic investigator also took issue with Mkhwanazi wearing the uniform of the SAPS Special Task Force.
"He is a police official, he is the head of the KZN provincial police (but) he is not a task Force member. Why was he wearing a task force uniform? Why was he having task force members on both sides of him, it is almost like he is challenging who, the government, the police? Who is he challenging? He is setting all these people around him, if you have a look at the pictures, it is very, very clear he is surrounded by people with R5 weapons and they are all wearing masks, so we can't see who they are," said O'Sullivan referring to the specialised police units at the press briefing.
"It looks dangerously suspicious and it looks like they are likely threatening a coup."
O'Sullivan insisted Mkhwanazi had acted unlawfully, and undermined the judiciary and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
IOL reported on Sunday that during the explosive press briefing, Mkhwanazi proclaimed he was combat ready, and willing to die for the police badge, making serious allegations against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and deputy national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.
Mkhwanazi said he would open a case against Mchunu for alleged interference in policing matters. He said this extended to the minister’s hand and influence in the closure of a task team unit investigating political killings.
He also said links between an associate of the minister and the alleged criminal underworld, had been made through cellphone analysis.
On the other hand, African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president, Collen Malatji, said if Mkhwanazi, has Mchunu and Sibiya, he must arrest them and avoid playing to the gallery.
Speaking to journalists in Mpumalanga, Malatji was reacting to the explosive media briefing held on Sunday by Mkhwanazi, where the provincial police commissioner accused the minister of political interference in the work of the South African Police Service (SAPS), among other allegations.
"Days of populism and statements have ended. If he (Mkhwanazi) has evidence on them, he must arrest them. We are not a country of lawlessness. We don't want statements, press briefings. We want people to be arrested. If they are doing crime, putting drugs in our country - arrest them.
*The article was firstly published by IOL*
All services will take place on Thursday across Mpumalanga’s three regions, where many will gather to pay their respects.
Preparations are underway to honour the late deputy president David Mabuza following his passing last week.
Mabuza passed away at a hospital in Sandton last week after a short illness.
Three memorial services are expected to be held in honour this week.
All services will take place on Thursday across Mpumalanga’s three regions, where many will gather to pay their respects.
Family Spokesperson Desmond Moela said that government will announce further funeral arrangements over the course of the week after the presidency confirmed he would be afforded a state funeral Category 2 on Saturday.
"The government of the Republic of South Africa will soon communicate how they are going to run everything. As soon as they’re ready, they’ll communicate everything to the public.
*This article was firstly published by Eyewitness News*
