Author: Ground Up
By Chris Gilili Several Gauteng learners from Soshanguve Technical High School have built a one-of-a-kind solar powered train. Considering the country’s energy crisis and rising fuel costs, they started working on the locomotive in 2020. The train is powered by a solar panel, has power sockets and a TV screen. It currently runs at 30 kilometres per hour. Hard work and sacrifice have paid off for several learners from Soshanguve Technical High School of automotive specialisation. They designed and built a one-of-a-kind solar powered train locomotive. Fondly named Modjadji, after the Rain Queen of the people of Limpopo, it is blue…
By Denise Rosemary Nicholson On 1 September 2022, the Copyright Amendment Bill was passed by the National Assembly with 163 votes for and 45 votes against the Bill. There were no abstentions. The Bill will now go to the National Council of Provinces. It is a progressive Bill that will afford South Africans rights similar to those enjoyed by people in many countries around the world, and yet four parties – the Democratic Alliance, the Freedom Front Plus, the African Christian Democratic Party, and the Economic Freedom Fighters – rejected the Bill. Originally published for public comment in 2015, it has undergone various…
By James Stent On Wednesday, the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) leaked discussion documents from the Presidency and the National Treasury. The IEJ criticised the documents for dismissing a Universal Basic Income Grant and for suggesting replacing the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant with conditional grant measures. The two documents – July’s Putting South Africa to Work from the Presidency and the National Treasury’s August response to this paper – suggest that the government wants to pursue a system that would make grants conditional on actively seeking employment or on being the primary caregiver, rather than a universal basic income grant (UBIG). These discussion documents…
By Steve Kretzmann Failing sewerage systems in Mpumalanga municipalities are pouring filthy water onto streets and into the Vaal River catchment system. In some municipalities not only sewage treatment plants but also water purification plants, where water is prepared for drinking, are failing. The catchment system supplies the Vaal Dam, which supplies water to Gauteng. Johan Lotter and his parents moved into neighbouring houses in Standerton 15 years ago, planning to spend the rest of their lives there. Located in a cul-de-sac on the banks of the Vaal River, the houses seemed ideal for Lotter, who had taken early retirement after…
By Vuyisiwe Mahafu The possibility that a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) could be introduced in South Africa has sparked a lot of debate over the last two years. Its advocates say this grant could address our extremely high rates of poverty and ensure that all people have an adequate standard of living. Its detractors say it would bankrupt the country. In this three-part series from the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), we cover the basics of a basic income grant. In our first article, we gave an overview of what a universal basic income guarantee is and what transformative potential it could have.…
By Tania Broughton The High Court has ruled that the exploration rights granted to Impact Africa and Shell along the Wild Coast were unlawful. The judges said there was “no meaningful consultation” with interested and affected parties prior to the award of the right. The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy had also failed to take into account factors such as community cultural rights and environmental harm. The Eastern Cape High Court has ruled that the exploration rights granted by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Affairs to Impact Africa and Shell were unlawful – putting an end to any…
By Carilee Osborne South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world, with extremely high rates of poverty and unemployment. Large numbers of people are excluded from the economy without the means to ensure that their basic needs are met. Recently there has been a lot of debate about the introduction of a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) in South Africa and its potential to address poverty and ensure that all people have an adequate standard of living. But what the introduction of a basic income grant means and what it looks like is not always clear. In this three-part…
By Marecia Damons Delays with the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant payments are expected in August, says SASSA Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu gazetted new regulations raising the income threshold for the means test from R350 to R624 per month. The department had proposed that the “Covid” grant continues while legislative matters are ironed out for a basic income support. Beneficiaries of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant may face delays with their August payment after new regulations for the grant were implemented. Earlier this month, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu gazetted changes to the regulations of the R350 grant.…
By Raymond Joseph Embattled National Lotteries Commission chief operations officer Phillemon Letwaba has resigned with immediate effect, just weeks before he was due to appear before a disciplinary hearing to answer charges of abusing his position to enrich himself and his family. The board of the NLC is yet to accept Letwaba’s sudden resignation. “The National Lotteries Commission would like to place on the record that the Chief Operations Officer of the NLC, Mr. Phillemon Letwaba has expressed his wish to resign from the NLC with immediate effect. The matter is under the consideration of the board and the Acting Commissioner,”…
By James Stent and Nathan Geffen Between 11 and 13 August, the hashtag #KnowYourNationalLottery trended to the number one position on Twitter in South Africa. How? There was nothing in the news that suggested this hashtag should trend. When we looked at the tweets, many, perhaps most, appeared to be recycling very similar text, espousing the benefits to society of buying lottery tickets. These included, for example, that lottery money goes to good causes and that spaza shops receive commission for the sales they make and that this was a good way to spend R5. The tweets, while seldom precisely identical to each…