Author: The Bulrushes

As the commercial use of drones continues to accelerate, making them increasingly integral to the effective and efficient functioning of certain sectors, the global drone industry is predicted to be worth about $43 billion by 2024, with some 2.7 million drones already in operation by 2020. The latest research indicates that the global drone market is set to grow at a conservative rate of 16% year on year, with exponential investment growth resulting in $6.88 billion invested in the drone industry since 2010. Similarly, South Africa’s fledgling drone market is also on a growth trajectory, estimated to reach $134.5 million…

DSTV has joined other international media outlets that have removed Russia Today (RT) from their platforms as sanctions tighten against Russia for invading Ukraine. “MultiChoice confirms that as of today, 2 March 2022, Russia Today (Channel 407) shall not be carried on the DStv platform until further notice,” said a MultiChoice spokesperson late on Wednesday. “Sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union has led to the global distributor of the channel ceasing to provide the broadcast feed to all suppliers, including MultiChoice”. Microsoft Corp said Monday it was removing Russian state-owned media outlet RT’s mobile apps from the Windows…

The Presidency on Tuesday received and released to the public the third volume of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture, corruption, and fraud in the public sector. The report was presented to the Director-General in The Presidency, Phindile Baleni by the Secretary of the Commission, Prof Itumeleng Mosala. Acting Chief Justice and Commission Chairperson, Judge Raymond Zondo presented the first volume of the report to President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings, Pretoria on 4 January 2022. The second volume was handed to the Presidency on 1 February 2022. The Gauteng High Court…

Two South African Revenue Service (SARS) investigators accused of demanding a bribe to reduce a taxpayer’s owed tax have been arrested. The pair will appear in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court Friday on charges of corruption and extortion. It is alleged that this week on Monday, the pair – a 40-year-old and a 47-year-old – contacted the complainant regarding an outstanding personal tax return of R250 000. “They allegedly demanded R150 000 from the complainant in order to remove the alleged tax return debt from the SARS system. The matter was reported to authorities for investigation. “Yesterday, an intelligence-driven operation was…

Meta is expanding the availability of Facebook Reels for iOS and Android to more than 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Meta is also introducing better ways to help creators to earn money, new creation tools, and more places to watch and create Facebook Reels. Before this launch Reels was only available on Facebook in India, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. It is now available across sub-Saharan Africa in countries that include Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Swaziland, South Africa, Seychelles, Senegal, Rwanda, Nigeria, Namibia, Mali, Malawi, Lesotho, Kenya, Guinea, Ghana, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Burkina Faso. Commenting on the launch Nunu Ntshingila,…

Tshwane Mayor Randall Williams said Tuesday that the #TshwaneYaTima revenue collection has yielded more than R500 million. “Following the implementation of the #TshwaneYaTima revenue-collection campaign two weeks ago to recoup over R17 billion owed to the City of Tshwane, I am pleased to report that we have so far managed to collect over R500 million,” said Mayor Williams. The mayor said 1 061 accounts were disconnected. “This includes 533 government accounts and 528 business accounts,” said Williams. Meanwhile, a total of 335 defaulting clients responded with payments. The mayor said the campaign has proved to be a step in the…

Murder accused Ziphozethu Shange – the man found on his PlayStation while his 25-year-old girlfriend Ntwentle Sanelisiwe Sibiya lay dead near the couch, was a no-show at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The murder accused had been scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on Tuesday, but his lawyer requested a postponement of the bail hearing. Shange has been in custody since 11 February when he was arrested at his Riversands apartment. RELATED: https://www.thebulrushes.com/2022/02/15/ntwentle-sibiya-lay-dead-near-couch-boyfriend-found-on-his-play-station/ Shange will now appear in court on Friday, 25 February 2022. None of the distraught family of the deceased were able to attend the…

Many people have made New Year’s resolutions – to lose weight, to be healthier, to spend more time with friends and family. But how many South Africans have set goals for themselves to let 2022 be the year that marks the start of their journey towards financial independence? Perhaps this seems like an unrealistic goal for many in an economy that has been battered by Covid-19. Unemployment figures paint a grim picture. Statistics South Africa states that the country’s official unemployment rate was 34,9% in the third quarter of 2021, with the number of employed persons decreasing by 660 000…

Job creation needs both a developmental state and a vibrant private sector, writes President Cyril Ramaphosa in his weekly “From The Desk of The President” newsletter. Dear Fellow South African, As we work to grow our economy and create employment, there is much debate about the relative roles of the state and business in pursuing these goals. Some people have suggested that we must make a choice between, on the one hand, a developmental state that plays a vital role in economic and social transformation, and, on the other, a vibrant, expanding private sector that drives growth and employment. The reality is…

Investigators are satisfied that all the suspects in the R130 million fraud at Cell C have been rounded up after two more suspects appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Iceberg Technology Solution (PTY) Ltd’s Director 70-year-old Robert Stephen Holloway and MTN IT Security Manager 43-year-old Christopher Marrian were charged for their role in the massive fraud, which involved inflating costs on invoices when billing Cell C. Iceberg Technology Solution (PTY) Ltd rendered IT and network services for Cell C between 2010 and 2017 during which the company allegedly colluded to inflate prices. Allegations are that Holloway’s company…