Author: The Bulrushes
The University of Mpumalanga (UMP) revealed at the weekend that it had suffered a cyberattack that could have cost the institution R100 million but the threat had been resolved for much less. The incident, which was said to be an “attempted hacking” was reported at a Council of the UMP meeting on Thursday. The council was informed at the meeting by the university management of the attempted hacking incident that would have cost the University about R100 million. Management said the incident was averted and “the university only lost R3 000”. “This is as a result of robust cyber security…
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night further relaxed South Africa’s lockdown restrictions down to Alert Level One. The president said hours of curfew are now from 12 midnight to 4 am, nonessential establishments such as bars, restaurants, and fitness centres must close at 11 pm. Ramaphosa said indoor gatherings were now limited to 750 people, while outdoor gatherings have been increased to a maximum of 2 000. However, the president warned that political campaign activities pose the greatest risk of infections. He urged parties to act responsibly and follow Covid-19 safety protocols. Political parties are campaigning for the 1 November local…
The Empire Partner Foundation has announced that it is hosting the Mental Health Hackathon for young African developers at the weekend. Africa’s leading technology non-profit organisation is hosting the Mental Health Hackathon on 2 and 3 October 2021, in partnership with the WIB Group. The two-day hackathon event allows young African developers to develop real-world skills. Participants gain direct experience by pitching solutions to real-world problems, networking, and earning monetary prizes. The competition will take place through a hybrid model (physical and online) from 8:00 a.m- 4: 30p.m. The physical event will be in Illovo, Sandton, and face masks are required.…
A warrant for the arrest of Ronica Ragavan, a co-director of Islandsite Investments Pty Ltd a company owned by the Gupta family, has been issued – but stayed. Ragavan failed to appear on Tuesday before the Bloemfontein Regional Court as a representative of the company citing medical reasons. The case relates to procurement fraud involving R24.9 million by the Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA) to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD, a company owned and controlled by Iqbal Sharma. Sharma is a Transnet Board member. The money was purportedly paid to Nulane to conduct a feasibility study for the Free…
The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) on Monday said it welcomes Cabinet approval of the Multipurpose Reactor (MPR). The MPR is intended to succeed SAFARI-1 when it reaches its end of life. SAFARI-1, a 20 MW light water-cooled research reactor, went critical (a reactor achieves criticality when each fission event releases a sufficient number of neutrons to sustain an ongoing series of reactions) on 18 March 1965. It is operated by Necsa and located at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria. SAFARI-1 boasts a proud safety record having operated for over 56 years without any major incidents. The Cabinet approval allows…
The rising star of the Director-General (DG) Dr. Sandile Buthelezi has come crashing down after the Department of Health’s announcement on Sunday that it has suspended him over a dodgy tender. Last year, Buthelezi – whose mom was a domestic worker – beamed with pride when he was appointed DG of the National Department of Health on 20 May. Before his appointment, he had spent two and half decades working his way up through different hospitals and health facilities. But the inspirational rise from the very bottom to the top came to an unceremonious halt on Sunday. The Department of…
Bryanston-based software solutions company Reverside has received praise for nurturing and empowering female talent in the information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds. The company, which has been in existence for over 15 years, has been increasingly promoting initiatives that encourage female talent to join the ICT sector, saying the country is in urgent need of diverse skills that will drive the economy. Reverside runs Geeks4Learning an accredited training academy that aims to prepare the next generation for exciting careers in the in the ICT industry. The academy is a consequence of a Reverside programme called #SkillsRevolution to…
Nearly 300 000 jobs earmarked for young people are up for grabs at the Department of Basic Education. Youths – even those without Matric certificates – are being urged to apply. The Department of Basic Education on Monday said it was “pleased to announce that recruitment for Phase II of the Basic Education Employment Initiative will open on 27 September and close on 03 October 2021”. The department said it seeks to provide 287 000 unemployed young people, (+/-192 000 Education Assistants and +/- 95 000 General School Assistants) employment and training opportunities in the education sector. Youth between the…
Jobless refugees and asylum seekers living in South Africa – who already receive child grants – are being urged to apply for the government’s Special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant. “To this end, SASSA [South African Social Security Agency] calls on the unemployed holders of the 7777 identity number [who are already] receiving child grants to apply for the Special Covid-19 SRD,” said CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula. She added: “It would not have made sense to exclude them from receiving the Covid-19 grant if there is every indication pointing to the fact that they are unemployed and have no alternative…
South African Airways (SAA) was back in the skies Thursday morning with flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Flights to and several regional destinations including Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka, and Maputo have also resumed. . SAA suspended its services earlier this year in March and went into business rescue. The struggling airline shed jobs and sought new business partners to try and revive its fortunes. Following months of preparation after exiting business rescue, SAA resumed domestic and continental services on Thursday. The leaner airline said the resumption of flights to Cape Town marked the return of SAA domestic flights. “Our…