Eskom has announced decisive new actions to protect its customers following a major breach of its Online Vending System (OVS), which was exploited to generate and distribute fraudulent prepaid electricity tokens.
The breach, revealed in Eskom’s full-year 2024 financial results released in December, exposed critical weaknesses in both the physical and cybersecurity layers of the utility’s infrastructure.
The fraudulent activity, which threatened to undermine public trust in Eskom’s prepaid electricity system, prompted an immediate and robust response from the state-owned utility.
“We uncovered weaknesses in physical and cybersecurity components on our OVS system,” said Monde Bala, Eskom’s Group Executive for Distribution.
Eskom has since launched a comprehensive review and intervention strategy to address these security gaps and strengthen its operations against future threats.
“Earlier this year, Eskom successfully strengthened the protection of its current systems against potential threats. All system enhancements are managed through a robust Change Management process that spans all divisions, ensuring consistent oversight and control,” explained Len De Villiers, Eskom’s Chief Technology and Information Officer.
To address the vulnerabilities that allowed the token fraud to occur, Eskom has reinforced its physical infrastructure and limited both physical and digital access points.
Eskom has also strengthened internal controls to combat electricity theft and enhanced monitoring capabilities to ensure greater transparency and timely detection of suspicious activities.
In parallel, Eskom has been working closely with law enforcement agencies to support ongoing investigations and ensure accountability. As part of this effort, internal employees who have been implicated have been placed on precautionary suspension pending further review.
Furthermore, Eskom has engaged an external IT firm to strengthen in-house capabilities and improve risk management. The utility has also fast-tracked the acquisition of a new, secure vending system designed to replace the compromised OVS and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Throughout this process, Eskom has maintained regular reporting to its board, which continues to provide oversight of all remediation efforts.
“We are fully aware of the challenges that have emerged within the OVS environment, and we have taken clear steps to address them. Our focus is on restoring trust, strengthening our systems, and ensuring that our customers can rely on a secure and efficient service," said Eskom’s Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane.
"This is not just a technical fix, it is part of a broader commitment to transparency, operational excellence and accountability.”
While the investigation into the token fraud continues, Eskom has pledged to share the findings once the process is concluded and the appropriate time for disclosure has been determined.
In the meantime, the utility has called on customers and stakeholders to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to prepaid electricity tokens.
As Eskom moves forward with its efforts to protect its infrastructure and rebuild public confidence, it reassures South Africans that their electricity, and their trust, remain top priorities.
*This article was first published by IOL News
The South African economy in bleeding jobs at an alarming rate and what was once a crisis is turning into an unemployment emergency, with experts warning of resultant civil instability.
Nearly 75,000 formal sector jobs lost in the first quarter of 2025 alone, and 95,000 compared to the same time last year, according to Stats SA. Key sectors like trade, mining, construction, and community services were hardest hit, with only manufacturing showing slight growth.
The figures have prompted alarm from economists, labour unions, and mental health experts, who warn that without urgent reform, the country faces entrenched unemployment and broader social fallout. Slow economic growth, policy uncertainty, skills mismatches, and restrictive labour regulations are all seen as major contributors.
Abigail Moyo, spokesperson for the trade union UASA, said the latest figures are alarming.
“The Quarterly Employment Statistics reported by Stats SA indicate a contraction in employment, reversing the progress made towards the end of last year. Formal sector employment lost 74,000 jobs in the first quarter, and year-on-year data reveals that 95,000 jobs were lost between March 2024 and March 2025.”
She added: “The industries most affected include trade, community services, mining, electricity, construction, and business services. Only manufacturing showed slight growth, with a gain of 2,000 jobs.”
Moyo warned that this will worsen already dire conditions for many workers.
“The current economic outlook is not encouraging and fails to inspire hope... This situation exacerbates the insecurity faced by workers who are already under pressure from high living costs.
“We cannot continue to operate on the brink of a failing economy without any prospects for a better future. We urge both the government and employers to collaborate with trade unions and other stakeholders to rebuild the labour market, focusing on decent work, fair wages, and sustainable employment.”
Economist Ulricht Joubert pointed to a range of interlinked problems, beginning with poor economic growth.
“We had a growth rate in total of 0.6% last year compared to a growth in the population of one would guess around about 2%.”
He warned that migration and an inflexible labour dispensation were worsening joblessness:
“There is still an influx of people from the rest of Africa into South Africa and that increases the availability of labour in South Africa. If we look at the labour dispensation, where the government tries to instruct and regulate who can be employed in South Africa, and that has a limiting effect.
“The economy never asks you, how old are you? What sex are you? What race are you? The economy only asks, are you capable of doing this specific job in such a way that it is competitive,. domestically and internationally.”
He also criticised the cost pressures created by unions and minimum wage regulation:
“If we have to employ people at these minimum wages - Why should I employ a person when a machine can do the job? The productivity has declined from the time that the minimum wages have been imposed on the agricultural sector.
“We have to get the education and training system in South Africa on a footing where employers will say, oh, but you know, if we employ this person because of his qualifications, because of his training, we’ll be able to do the job in a competitive way.”
He further raised concern over low investment.
“Yes, it’s at an unfortunate, very low level if we don’t invest, then it creates a problem down the line. Government policies create an uncertain environment and because of that, especially international companies say, "but why? Why should I invest?”
Economist Dawie Roodt was unequivocal in placing the blame on the ruling party.
“Why are we losing the jobs in the South African economy? Well, agriculture, is a very volatile sector, so it doesn't really tell us much. So don't look at agriculture, it's all over the place.”
“Manufacturing is much more important because manufacturing is an indicator of where we want economic growth, that's where we can create a relatively large number of jobs, and that is not growing. In fact, we are de-industrialising, we are losing our factories in South Africa.”
“And there's one reason and that's the ruling party. They are simply following the wrong macro-economic policies, and as long as they keep on doing that, the economy is not gonna grow, and as long as the economy is not growing, we're not gonna create jobs in the economy.”
Roodt believes the focus needs to shift entirely.
“Actually, we should forget about job creation, and we should put all effort into growing the economy and jobs will look after themselves.”
“The underlying reason is just a government that's not doing what it's supposed to be doing and that's to create an environment that's conducive to economic growth. We certainly do not have that. That's the reason.”
Professor Renata Schoeman, head of the MBA in Healthcare Leadership at Stellenbosch Business School, highlighted the emotional cost of rising unemployment.
“Seeing what's going on around them and being faced with colleagues losing their jobs, there is definitely an increase in disengagement.”
“People work harder and harder because they are so scared of losing their jobs, they do not actually take the necessary breaks.”
“The fallout of this additional stressor, the financial stresses, the sense of failure as a provider and especially if they are unsuccessful in finding employment again.”
“Make sure that you don't expect other people to do the work of two or three employees, you burn them out as well.”
“It is very difficult to keep focusing on mental health when someone is in survival strategy... that you do invest in the mental health of your employees.”
“It's just your ethical obligation in terms of leadership, take care of those remaining and those that's going.”
*This article was first published by IOL News
By Abigail Visagie
A high-ranking official at the Department of Labour in Bloemfontein, Free State, has been arrested in connection with a fraudulent UIF scheme.
Police provincial spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele says more arrests are expected nationwide.
“This is a takedown operation led by our organised crime unit in the province, which started five months ago. The operation has been running throughout the country, and there must be other simultaneous pick-ups of suspects happening in other areas such as Bethlehem and Gauteng province,” said Makhele.
He said that they are anticipating arresting about 20 people, including civilians, who were conspiring with officials in the matter.
Brigadier Makhele confirmed that the money involved can be beyond millions.
This is a developing story…
South Africans are buying fewer locally produced vehicles than ever before, sparking fears of deindustrialisation as the market’s appetite for affordably priced imports grows.
Although the growing array of Chinese brands offered locally is usually seen as the greatest threat to local manufacturers, the vast majority of South Africa’s imported cars actually originate from India, according to the latest data from Lightstone.
36% of all the vehicles sold in South Africa in 2024 were imported from India, Lightstone said, while 37% were locally manufactured. Chinese imports accounted for just 11% of vehicle sales last year.
When we exclude the bakkies and light commercial vehicles, India’s share grows to almost half of our market. Lightstone figures for the first five months of 2025, shared exclusively with IOL, show that 49% of all passenger vehicle sales were imports from India.
The majority of these vehicles emanate from the Maruti Suzuki operation in India, which also supplies Toyota with vehicles such as the Starlet, Starlet Cross, Vitz and Urban Cruiser. Suzuki Auto’s own vehicles, such as the Swift, Baleno and Fronx, are also gaining market share, with the new-generation Swift having dominated the passenger car market on numerous occasions in 2025.
Interestingly, 84% of all the Japanese-branded light vehicles sold in South Africa in 2024 were imported from India, Lightstone said, with just 10% actually built in Japan. Likewise, the majority of South Korean (81%) and French branded vehicles (74%) are also sourced from India.
“The growth in vehicle sales originating in India can be attributed to the large number of vehicle manufacturers now producing vehicles in the country, leveraging the relatively cheap cost of labour and overall manufacturing costs,” said Andrew Hibbert, Auto Data Analyst at Lightstone.
Affordably priced Indian- and Chinese-build vehicles have, on the one hand, become a significant blessing to cash-strapped South African consumers.
Yet it is of concern that in 2009, around half of the light vehicles sold in South Africa were locally produced. In that year, just 5% of our vehicles were sourced from India.
Does this mean that South Africa’s local manufacturing industry is in trouble?
Although Toyota SA head Andrew Kirby has warned of a slow and steady “deindustrialisation”, and other CEOs such as Ford’s Neil Hill and VWSA’s Martina Biene have also expressed serious concerns about local manufacturing feasibility, South African carmakers have shifted their focus to exports, while gradually increasing production volumes over the years. For instance, 632,000 vehicles were produced locally in 2023, up from 571,000 in 2016.
2023 was a record year for SA vehicle exports, with 399,000 vehicles shipped abroad, according to Naamsa, and although 2024 saw a dip to 308,000 exports, the value of these exports actually increased and the lower volumes were largely seen as a temporary setback due to economic conditions abroad.
Also somewhat encouraging is that South Africa’s five top-selling vehicles in 2024 were locally produced. These were the Toyota Hilux (32,656), VW Polo Vivo (25,913), Ford Ranger (25,533), Toyota Corolla Cross (21,861) and Isuzu D-Max (11,153). But below that, gradually eating into the volumes of locally produced cars and bakkies, is a proliferation of affordably priced SUVs imported from India and China.
It is clear that South Africa still has a huge appetite for locally-produced bakkies.
Yet it is also of great concern that the local manufacturing sector has become more reliant on export contracts. With the looming threat of US tariffs and likely loss of AGOA, which will effectively end our duty-free access to the US market, manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW stand to lose significant export volumes.
Further into the future, the planned 2035 ban of sales of new petrol and diesel engined vehicles in Europe will also have a major impact on the local operations of Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen, unless they switch to producing electric vehicles by that stage. South Africa's government is actively encouraging such a shift through newly announced incentives for NEV production.
*This article was first published by IOL News
Deputy President Paul Mashatile spoke to journalists in the Free State province, where he was joined by Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae in leading the Clean Cities and Towns integrated service delivery programme in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality near Welkom.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile on Tuesday vowed that any motion of no-confidence brought against President Cyril Ramaphosa will be defeated in the National Assembly.
Mashatile spoke to journalists in the Free State province, where he was joined by Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae in leading the Clean Cities and Towns integrated service delivery programme in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality near Welkom.
“We will be ready to defeat it,” said Mashatile.
The DA accuses Nkabane of lying to Parliament about the appointment of ANC-linked individuals to Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) boards.
On Tuesday morning, DA Federal Chairperson Helen Zille and DA MP Karabo Khakhau, who serves on the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, laid the charges at the Cape Town Central police station.
Khakhau said the charges relate to Nkabane's alleged deliberate misrepresentation of the appointment process for SETA board members, during which she claimed an “independent” evaluation panel was responsible for the selections.
The DA insists it will not support the budget of the Department of Higher Education and Training while it is under the leadership of Nkabane. The blue party said it will vote against the budgets of departments headed by “corrupt ANC ministers”.
Reacting to the DA’s assertions, Mashatile said his party, the ANC would vote to pass all budgets in Parliament.
“The GNU (Government of National Unity) is going to continue. We are going to vote for all budgets. If the DA does not vote for any budget, it is their problem. The budget is not an instrument of a minister. A budget is for the nation. Even if there is a minister of the DA, that is not their budget. That budget is to help the people, so we, as the ANC, will vote for all budgets.
“We want this country to work, we want things to proceed. We will vote for all budgets because our people want us to fix the roads, they want water, they want electricity, they want us to grow the economy, employ people and that is what the budget is all about. So, we are proceeding,” Mashatile charged.
The DA has been calling on Ramaphosa to act swiftly and remove Nkabane from office, warning that continued inaction would implicate him in enabling corruption.
*This article was first published by IOL News
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has released new findings stating West Africa is emerging as a potential regional hub for human trafficking-fueled scam centres.
According to Interpol’s new crime trend update, scam centres have expanded their global footprint.
It said as of March 2025, victims from 66 countries were trafficked into online scam centres, with no continent left untouched.
According to an analysis of the crime trend using data from relevant Interpol notices issued over the past five years, 74% of human trafficking victims were brought to centres in the original hub region of Southeast Asia.
However, online scam centres have increasingly been observed in other regions, including the Middle East, West Africa, which could be developing into a new regional hub, and Central America.
The data revealed that while 90% of human trafficking facilitators were from Asia, 11% were from South America or Africa.
It was also revealed that 81% of facilitators were men and 61% were aged between 20 and 39 years old.
The Interpol data said it was initially concentrated in a handful of Southeast Asian countries, the centres are estimated to have drawn in hundreds of thousands of human trafficking victims, typically through false job ads, detaining them in compounds and forcing them to carry out online social engineering scams.
“While not every person committing fraud in a scam centre is a victim of human trafficking, those held against their will are often subject to extortion through debt bondage, as well as beatings, sexual exploitation, torture and rape. Online scams engineered by the centres target a second set of globally-dispersed victims, who often suffer debilitating financial and emotional damage,” the findings found.
Since 2023, Interpol has documented how this double-edged crime trend has evolved from a regional threat in Southeast Asia to a global crisis, issuing an Orange Notice to signal its serious and imminent threat to public safety.
In 2024, a global operation coordinated by Interpol uncovered dozens of cases in which trafficking victims were deceived and coerced into committing fraud, with national police officers raiding an industrial-scale scam centre in the Philippines.
In the same year, an Interpol operation saw police dismantle a scam centre in Namibia, where 88 youths were forced to conduct scams.
The Interpol update also highlights how emerging technologies and convergence with other major crime areas could transform human trafficking-fueled scam centres as the crime trend continues to evolve.
“The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has been observed in a growing number of scamming cases. AI has been used to develop convincing fake job ads that attract human trafficking victims as well as generate online photos or profiles through ‘deepfake’ technology for sextortion and romance scams, among other social engineering schemes,” the data found.
It was further revealed that the same routes used to traffic victims to scam centres can be used to traffic drugs, firearms, and protected wildlife species.
Scam centres emerged in Southeast Asia, which are also key hubs for the trafficking of endangered species, making criminal diversification likely.
Acting Executive Director of Police Services at Interpol, Cyril Gout, said the reach of online scam centres spans the globe and represents a dynamic and persistent global challenge. “Tackling this rapidly globalising threat requires a coordinated international response. We must increase the exchange of information between law enforcement in the growing number of countries affected and strengthen partnerships with NGOs that help victims and technology companies whose platforms are being exploited,” Gout said.
*This article was first published by IOL News
