Author: The Bulrushes
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…
The trial within the corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma and Thales ended Wednesday with the defence insisting that the Pietermaritzburg High Court should find that Billy Downer has no title to prosecute in the main matter. Advocate Wim Trengove for the National Prosecuting Authority wrapped up his arguments supporting Downer’s case to prosecute Zuma. Advocate Dali Mpofu for Zuma took the opportunity to repel all the reasons advanced for allowing Downer to prosecute the 79-year-old former president. The former president, who did not attend the court case brought the special plea to court to have Downer removed from…
The Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein on Wednesday ruled as unlawful that the Department of Tourism’s use of Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) as criteria to financially assist struggling businesses in the sector. Former Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane had insisted that support for distressed firms and establishments in the sector would be guided by empowerment (BBBEE) codes – a move Solidarity and AfriForum opposed in court. Judge Clive Plasket said the tourism minister committed an error of law and was not legally obliged, as she argued, to allocate funds based on BBBEE requirements. Judge Plasket overturned a previous ruling, delivered…
The charred body of a man who broke into an electricity transformer mini substation in Linden, Johannesburg, was found on Monday City Power said: “An unknown man was burnt to death early this morning in Linden after he vandalised the mini substation on 13th Street”. A bag and tools that included a spade and a hacksaw – were found near the body. City Power said an initial probe found that the man met his demise after he broke into the transformer substation to steal copper cables and other valuable components. “He tried to strip the live mini substation when it blew…
Caught out for misrepresenting its BBBEE status, Vicky Adey Consulting CC has agreed to immediately withdraw from each panel of contractors/service providers of any organ of state or public entity. These contractors/service providers included the Independent Development Trust, Coega Development Corporation and Department of Education Gauteng Province. In addition, Vicky Adey Consulting CC said it was voluntarily surrendering to the Construction Industry Development Board its CIDB grading for cancellation. Vicky Adey Consulting CC is a close corporation registered in South Africa. The members are Olufunsho Adebayo Ademoye, a Nigerian born African male, and Phumudzo Nancy Muthelo, a South African born…
A Zimbabwe national and eight workers from Checkers have been arrested over multiple fraudulent medical certificates. Matters came to a head when as many as 19 Checkers’ employees based in Northmead Square in Benoni submitted 41 fraudulent medical certificates under the name of Dr. MLA Modisane. The workers used the fake medical certificates to cover up for absenteeism from work. Acting on this information, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) Inspectorate Office in collaboration with the Ekurhuleni East Crime Intelligence and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Community Liaison Unit launched a probe into the matter. The investigation led to…