The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria is hearing a case on whether “baby saving boxes” are legal. The Minister of Social Development is arguing that parents who place infants in them are guilty of abandonment under the Children’s Act. The Centre for Child Law argues the act is unconstitutional because it does not provide a safe, no-fault pathway for mothers to relinquish newborns. About 3,000 infants are unsafely abandoned each year, while the baby box system has reportedly saved 580 lives. A …
Government
Revealing the Depth of Tshwane Metro’s Crisis
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) expressed serious concerns about the Tshwane Metro’s request to write off a further R1,5 billion in debtors as unauthorised expenditure. The mere fact that this massive amount is labelled “unauthorised” serves as an admission that it was never budgeted for. This exposes the so-called “funded budget”, which the Mayor boasted about, as a deliberate misrepresentation of the City’s actual financial position. If accounting tricks must be employed to remove billions …
Failure to Transfer Home Ownership to Refilwe Residents Robs Tshwane of Revenue
The failure to transfer ownership of residential properties in Refilwe, near Cullinan, to residents means that they are not paying property rates, which essentially robs the Tshwane Metro of much-needed revenue. An investigation by the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) revealed that around 10% of these properties are still registered in the Tshwane Metro’s name. A sample of 100 properties in Refilwe showed that 29 are still registered under municipal ownership. While the current coalition government …
Tshwane’s Deputy Mayor Shielded With a Fine
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) called on the Gauteng MEC for Local Government, Mr Jacob Mamabolo, to intervene after the Deputy Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Mr Eugene Modise, was sanctioned with only a fine equivalent to two months’ salary following serious irregularities. This follows the governing ANC/ActionSA/EFF coalition’s own admission that Mr Modise was found guilty of benefiting financially, through his company, Triotic Protection Services, from a municipal security contract. In its …
Tshwane Metro Cuts Public Schools’ Power Due to Outstanding Property Rates
The latest crisis in the City of Tshwane, where electricity supply to public schools has been disconnected due to outstanding property rates, has a direct and devastating impact on learners and educators. This step is reckless and inhumane, as schools themselves are not responsible for paying property rates. The responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Department of Education, which has to meet these financial obligations on behalf of schools. Wierdapark Primary School has already been …
Treasury Threatens to Stop Tshwane Metro’s Grants
The Tshwane Metro’s poor governance and substandard administration have led to some serious consequences seeing as the National Treasury (NT) has threatened to stop allocating grants to the Metro. At the latest meeting of the Tshwane Metro Council, a report was tabled proposing a policy on the prevention of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. At first glance, this policy appears to be a step in the right direction, and the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) will always welcome …
Tshwane Is Rising!
GOOD Statement by Sarah Mabotsa, GOOD City of Tshwane Councillor and Member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for Economic Development and Spatial Planning: The State of the Capital Address (SoCA) delivered by the Executive Mayor of Tshwane’s multi-party coalition government laid out the undeniable truth that South Africa’s Capital City is on the rise. Most clear is the vast improvement in the City’s financial position. Three years ago, under the DA-led government, the Auditor General …
The Ancient Tribe Without a Piece of Land They Can Call Their Own
For more than three decades, Dorah Begwa has been on a mission – trying to restore land that once belonged to the Begwa community. But the task may be more than what a single activist, without access to expensive lawyers and substantial funds, can achieve. For many, she represents the last hope for a people who have occupied the land for over a thousand years. Dorah fights on behalf of a clan that is part of the Vhangona people, who have lived in the northern part of the country for over a …
Passport Crisis in Lesotho
People queue from before dawn at the Maseru passport office, though passport services have been officially suspended. The Lesotho Ministry of Home Affairs has suspended passport services, citing the need to clear a huge backlog. But crowds of people are still queuing at the Maseru passport office. Some are migrant workers who say that without a passport they may lose their jobs in South Africa. At the Maseru passport office on Tuesday, people began arriving before sunrise. By mid-morning, the …
We Support the Release of Tshwane’s Draft Fully Funded Budget for the 2026/27 Financial Year
GOOD Statement by Sarah Mabotsa, GOOD City of Tshwane Councillor: In October 2024, our multi-party coalition government promised the residents of Tshwane that financial sustainability was a priority. The draft budget for 2026/27, approved for public comment at Council on Thursday, 26 March 2026, demonstrates delivery on that promise. Tshwane has been paying off the multi-billion Rand debts that the previous DA-led administration owed to Eskom and Rand Water. Even while we’re still paying off …