Author: The Bulrushes
In order for “Health for All” to become a reality, access to safe, timely, and affordable surgery and ongoing surgical education must become a priority in Africa, writes Dr. Juliette Tuakli, Mercy Ships (www.MercyShips.org) Diplomatic Ambassador for Africa. We celebrate World Health Day on Friday, (7 April 2023) and I thought it is a good time to reflect on what “Health for All” means on the African continent. In 2015 and 2017, the World Health Assembly (WHA) passed Resolution 68.15 (https://apo-opa.info/3ZJUuUf), and decision 70(22) (https://apo-opa.info/4387vtl) respectively. Resolutions which recognised surgical and anaesthesia care as essential for universal health coverage and…
The SA Ministry of Finance has placed Habib Overseas Bank Limited (Habib Overseas Bank) under curatorship owing to governance, compliance, and operational failures. Announcing the move on Monday, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said the minister of finance acted on recommendations “to deal with its governance, compliance and operational failures”. The recommendations were made by the Prudential Authority (PA) at the SARB. SARB said over the past four years, the PA had intensified its supervision of Habib Overseas Bank because of identified weaknesses in the bank’s governance process, and its internal control environment as well as the various investigations…
Eighty-year-old retired businessman Robert Jeffrey has graduated with a Ph.D. Henry Ford’s famous quote “Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young” rings true for the octogenarian graduate. INSPIRATION: Jeffrey at his graduation ceremony The accomplished scholar and retired businessman took to the stage at the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Kingsway Campus auditorium on Thursday, 23 March 2023 to receive his Ph.D. in Engineering Management. Accompanied by his family, Jeffrey said he was nervous and excited at the same time. He received a standing ovation from the audience present as he…
Mother and son Eskom fraud accused 71-year-old Rabela Sara Jones and 46-year-old Godfrey Jason Jones have appeared before the Hendrina Magistrate’s Court. The mother and son pair appeared in court on Wednesday, (22 March 2023), alongside another accused, 42-year-old Thandeka Innocentia Nkosi, a former Eskom senior buyer at Arnot Power Station. All the accused were arrested last week on Wednesday, (15 March 2023), by the Hawks’ Middelburg-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team assisted by Eskom forensic Iinvestigators. The arrested trio face charges of theft, fraud and money laundering involving R14,7 million. Allegations are that Eskom advertised a tender for supply and delivery…
A South African Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Force (SAMLIT) research report reveals how modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT) globally generates billions of rand every year. The SAMLIT report titled “Follow the Money”, released on 10 March 2023 shows that South Africa has the highest number of reported cases, when compared to other southern African countries. The report, which was the brainchild of and chaired by Standard Chartered Bank in South Africa, focuses on financial flows and key indicators in the detection of financial transactions and behaviours related to MSHT in South Africa, thereby helping the banking sector to assist…
A Home Affairs Department on Wednesday announced that the director who tried to facilitate the unlawful processing of permits for Gupta associate Ashu Chawla has been fired. Major Kobese, the Home Affairs Director for Appeals, was found guilty on three counts of gross misconduct in the execution of his duties in a disciplinary hearing that lasted five months. Kobese unsuccessfully facilitated the undue processing of permits for Chawla and others in Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, which they did not qualify for. The first allegation involved him having exerted pressure on the officials of the Department to process and…
Police have been out in numbers dispersing protestors in Braamfontein, where arrests have been made. Police Minister General Bheki Cele said early morning Monday that 57 people were arrested and thousands of used tyres recovered before they could be set alight. The protests on the eve the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) “national shutdown” planned for Monday, (20 March 202), involved large crowds gathered in the streets, where tyres were set alight. Other organisations including the African Transformation Movement and South African Federation of Trade Unions have announced they will be joining the EFF protests to demand the end of load-shedding, the…
Two businessmen 38-year-old Kishene Chetty, 43-year-old Harry Milanzi and Outsurance employee Ravin Ramlall – all linked to a R13.9 million-fraud and tax evasion matter have appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. The accused Chetty, Milanzi and Ramlall, who facilitated the submissions of the tax returns face 18 counts of fraud, one count of misrepresenting the broad-based black economic empowerment status of an enterprise and five counts of tax evasion. The court on Thursday heard that the SA Revenue Service (SARS) suffered actual prejudice for R 13 942 216. The crimes were allegedly committed during the 2015 to 2021 periods of…
Eskom on Thursday said there have been “notable gradual improvements” in the performance of its power generation fleet. “Over the past week, six coal-fired power stations achieved an energy availability factor (EAF) of 70%, a milestone last achieved on 8 May 2022,” Eskom said. “Three of these power stations, Camden, Duvha, and Matla, have been on a sustained upward trend as a result of a reduction of plant breakdowns and the return to service of a number of units that were on unplanned breakdowns.” The power utility said Lethabo, Matimba, and Medupi have been experiencing continued good performance and remain among…
Eskom has announced the gradual reduction of load-shedding to Stage 1 on Sunday. “Load-shedding will be reduced from Stage 4 to Stage 3 over the weekend with Stage 1 load-shedding forecasted for Sunday morning,” Eskom said in a power alert on Friday afternoon. The power utility further explained that: “Stage 4 load-shedding will continue to be implemented until 05:00 tomorrow. “Thereafter, Stage 3 load-shedding will be implemented from Saturday 05:00 until 05:00 on Sunday. “Stage 1 load-shedding will then be implemented until 16:00 on Sunday and then revert to Stage 3 load-shedding.” Over the past 24 hours, a generating unit…