Author: The Bulrushes

The Department of Home Affairs on Thursday announced that its services were “temporarily unavailable”. In a terse statement, the department said it “wishes to regrettably alert citizens that its services are not available at the moment due to a technical problem on the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) mainframe, which affects access to the National Population Register”. Siya Qoza Head of Communications in the Department of Home Affairs added: “We have contacted SITA and have been assured that its technicians and engineers are attending to the matter. “We hope that this will not take long to be resolved. “We will…

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Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is probing a recent incident at OR Tambo International Airport in which a passenger’s baggage was tampered with and possessions stolen. Late on Wednesday, the airports company’s regional general manager of OR Tambo International Airport, Jabulani Khambule, said: “ACSA is currently cooperating with the relevant airline and baggage handling company to ensure the incident is thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators are brought to book immediately”. Khambule added: “I would like to remind our customers that ACSA has a zero-tolerance approach to criminality and any forms of illegal behaviour by any airport staff, whether they are directly…

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On Wednesday, (4 October 2023), Kagiso Capital in collaboration with Kagiso Trust and the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation will host a seminar on the efficacy of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE). The seminar in Sandton will held under the theme “Beyond the Façade – The Bittersweet Reality of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment”. B-BBEE has been a pivotal policy instrument in addressing historical inequalities and the transformation of black ownership and participation in the economy. Organisers said the challenge was the discussion on B-BBEE impact, progress, and potential improvement remains a polarising issue. The seminar will provide a platform for open, data…

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South Africa is a global innovation hotspot in need of aid; this week, we’ll look at how specific companies are boosting their commitment to innovation, as well as how innovation is assisting them in dealing with economic insecurity. What does the future of economic growth based on innovation look like? This is a vital question for the development of businesses that may help address some of the most pressing issues on a continent. According to the Boston Consulting Group’s 2023 Most Innovative Companies study, 83% of African executives consider innovation to be a top-three priority this year, a 21% increase…

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Postbank says it has fully restored ATM access for social grant beneficiaries a day after the system experienced a glitch. The glitch prevented South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) withdrawals on Tuesday. “This means that SASSA customers using the Postbank SASSA Gold Cards can now immediately access their social grants money via ATMs and Post Office branches,” said Dr. Bongani Diako, Postbank spokesperson on Wednesday. “SASSA social grants customers using Postbank SASSA Gold Cards and all stakeholders are advised that the technical difficulty that intermittently affected SASSA grants customers’ ability to perform withdrawals yesterday has been resolved for all ATM…

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All eyes are on the Public Protector South Africa’s office where suspended Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she will return to work because she says her suspension ended with the conclusion of the Section 194 Enquiry into her fitness to hold office. RELATED: Section 194 Enquiry Draft Report Finds Advocate Mkhwebane ‘Incompetent’ – The Bulrushes However, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday informed public protector, Advocate Mkhwebane, that she can not return to work as she remains suspended. Advocate Mkhwebane said in a post on X that she intended to return to work this morning, Tuesday (5 September 2023), because she said her suspension…

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Gauteng will attract more investors as a result of hosting the BRICS summit, revealed Koketso Tamale, the Head of InvestSA, in a recent interview with The Bulrushes. The BRICS summit attended by dignitaries from more than 64 countries, including Brazil, China, Russia, and India was held last week from 22nd to 24th August at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa. “Hosting this international summit will attract many investors to the province,” Tamale said after the summit. “This is a good opportunity that will position the province as an investment destiny since business people, politicians, and other potential investors will be…

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The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) on Monday announced that it has filed papers to apply for leave to appeal the decision of the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division Pretoria, relating to the Unit’s intended investigation into the affairs of Telkom.  Last month, the High Court ruled that Proclamation R49 of 2022 authorising the SIU to investigate allegations of serious maladministration, malpractice, and possible corruption in the affairs of Telkom was declared unconstitutional, invalid, and of no force or effect. The High Court found that Telkom is not a State Institution and therefore, the SIU could not investigate allegations…

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Former president Jacob Zuma, who was unlawfully released on medical parole, was admitted to the Estcourt Correctional Services on Friday morning and processed before he was released on remission of his 15-month sentence for contempt. The former president went back to the Estcourt Correctional Facility early Friday morning, where he was re-admitted, processed, and released as a beneficiary of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special remission of sentences he authorised in April. Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said Zuma was considered a low-risk offender who is benefitting from the special remission of sentences. Minister Lamola said President Ramaphosa approved the remission of non-violent…

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Astron Energy on Monday announced that it has marked the rebrand of its 100th service station as part of the fuel company’s mammoth project to rebrand its network from Caltex. The company’s 100th service station is Astron Energy Greenways in Strand, Western Cape. Astron Energy is set to reach over 200 sites by the end of this year. This will place the new Astron Energy-branded service station footprint ahead of several other smaller fuel brands that have been around for longer. Astron Energy CEO Thabiet Booley said: “We are very pleased with our progress so far, which has seen a…

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