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The Thabo Mbeki Foundation on Tuesday revealed that former President Thabo Mbeki was excluded from the Special Service Programme on the eve of the State funeral of former Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.

Mboweni died at the age of 65 following a brief illness and was buried on Saturday in Tzaneen, Limpopo, in a Special Official Category 2 Funeral.

The Thabo Mbeki Foundation said in a statement that Mboweni's family had approached the former President with a special request that he deliver a tribute at the funeral.

"…not only because President Mbeki was seen by Tito and his family as a leader, mentor and friend, but also because it was Tito's final wish," the Foundation said.

The Mboweni family shared a draft funeral programme with Mbeki, which included a list of proposed speakers, with Mbeki's name, the Foundation stated, however, on receiving the final draft Mbeki's name was omitted.

"On receipt of the final draft of the Special Official Service programme on the eve of the funeral, it was noted that all the names proposed by the family were included, except for President Mbeki's. Despite no explanation being provided for this unexpected omission, President Mbeki accepted the changes without raising any questions and acknowledged that he would not be speaking at the service," the Foundation highlighted.

The Mboweni family apologised to Mbeki for the "obvious omission" of his name from the programme and had offered to adjust the programme to include Mbeki's name.

The former President advised against it, stating that the programme was likely "designed with a reason" and that it should be respected.

The Foundation said Mbeki assured the family that no further stress should be placed on them during a difficult time.

At the request of the Mboweni family, Mbeki's tribute is available on the Foundation's website.

Taiwan said it will not move its representative office from Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, after accusing Beijing of pressuring South Africa to ask for a relocation.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung told lawmakers on Monday that the government is preparing for the "worst case scenario." He urged South Africa to uphold an agreement signed in 1997 - the year that Pretoria severed ties with Taipei - which states that Taiwan will maintain its liaison office in the city.

South Africa has said that relocating what will be rebranded as Taiwan's trade office in Johannesburg is standard diplomatic practice. This change will reflect the "non-political and non-diplomatic nature" of the relationship between the two, it added.

The South African government has been unwilling to negotiate with Taiwan on the relocation, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as they're not authorised to speak publicly.

In the worst case scenario, South African police may expel personnel from Taiwan's representative office, leading to its closure, the person said.

Other potential measures could include halting the issuance of visas to Taiwanese diplomats, gradually forcing the Taiwan office to withdraw from the country, according to the person.

Jeff Liu, a spokesperson for Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Bloomberg News that officials are making their best effort to resolve the issue and declined to comment further.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation also declined to comment on the issue. "There are official channels, and that is the preferred platform of engagement for us," spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said by text message on Tuesday.

China has applauded South Africa's move, calling it a "right decision" to move Taiwan's office outside Pretoria. "The one-China principle is the political foundation for China to establish and grow diplomatic relations with other countries in the world," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

Beijing views self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has been working to diminish the island's international presence by reducing the number of countries that recognise its statehood.

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has placed Community Development MMC Kabelo Gwamanda on special leave, effective immediately, and has relieved him from all executive duties.

This after Gwamanda was arrested last week, in connection with a funeral policy scam that he allegedly ran in Soweto more than a decade ago, in which he supposedly scammed unsuspecting Soweto residents in a scheme in which they made monthly payments for funeral insurance.

Morero, who met with Gwamanda on Tuesday morning said the severity of his allegations demanded a proactive response to protect the integrity of the Mayor's Office.

He said Gwamanda's special leave was in line with the City's commitment to "integrity, good governance, and accountability".

Morero said he will appoint an acting Community Development MMC to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

"The residents of Johannesburg are hereby informed that the allegations will be referred to the Speaker of Council, who will handle the matter according to the legislated processes and rules of the council," he added.

Gwamanda said on the X platform that he will be taking leave to focus on resolving personal legal matters.

"I am committed to addressing these matters swiftly and responsibly, and I remain grateful for the support and understanding of my colleagues, partners, and the broader community. Thank you for your patience and continued support," he stated.

Parliamentary Police Portfolio Committee chairperson Ian Cameron said on Monday that the lack of effective investigations of criminal cases and prosecutions of alleged criminals contributes to rising criminality in South Africa, calling for capacitation and strengthening of detective and crime intelligence units in the South African Police Service (Saps).

This after five family members were killed in Bityi Village, near Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape, where Cameron said mass murders had become a trend in recent months.

He expressed concern at the trend of mass murders in villages, calling it "unacceptable".

"There must be a concerted effort between the police and the community in order to stop this worrying trend," said Cameron.

He stressed that without proper investigation, as well as accelerated prosecutions, criminality would inadvertently rise uncontrollably.

The committee wants Saps to strengthen collaboration with traditional leaders and community policing forums in rural communities.

Cameron also pointed to the proliferation of illegal firearms used in these crimes, urging a multiplicity of crime-fighting strategies to disarm criminals of those firearms.

"We must do whatever is necessary to turn the tide of murders in the country," Cameron concluded.

President Cyril Ramaphosa extended well wishes to the Class of 2024, as they began writing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams on Monday, and assured that all the necessary systems are in place to ensure the exam period runs smoothly.

Just over 880 000 candidates will sit this year's matric exams.

Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to the nation that these exams are the culmination of many years of hard work, perseverance and resilience, which he said was often in the face of difficult odds.

He pointed out that the Class of 2024 entered Grade 8 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and had to receive considerable learning support to overcome the resultant gaps in their learning.

"The annual matric exam period is a period to reflect on the scale of the efforts to absorb these young people into economic activity once they have attained the results they have worked so hard for," he said.

He further applauded learners who will be rewriting the matric exams this year, having taken advantage of the Department of Basic Education's (DBE's) Second Chance Programme.

"Your determination to improve your academic prospects does you credit. It is a life lesson on the importance of not giving up," he said.

Ramaphosa noted the DBE's and qualification standards authority Umalusi's work to audit the more than 9 200 exam centres, appoint and vet exam markers, and approve question papers.

These include adapted question papers for learners with special needs.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said a total of 162 quality-assured papers have been approved by Umalusi for this year's NSC exams.

She explained that all exam materials will be stored under strict conditions, and provincial education departments have been equipped with standard operating procedures to ensure the safe and secure handling of question papers from printing to distribution.

"Furthermore, distribution trucks will be equipped with tracking systems to monitor their movements and ensure that question papers reach exam centres on time and without compromise. As a department, we will monitor some 6 334 public schools and 575 independent centres where examinations will be conducted," she said.

Additional invigilators have been appointed, some examination centres will employ CCTV and security has been stepped up at exam venues to minimise disruptions.

Gwarube highlighted that once the exams are completed, the focus will shift to the marking process, which she said is a critical part of ensuring the credibility and fairness of the NSC exams.

She pointed out that the Department has appointed over 55 000 qualified markers across 188 marking centres nationwide, who have been selected based on "strict criteria" to ensure that only experienced and qualified educators participate in the marking process.

To further ensure consistency and fairness, Marking Standardisation Meetings will be held for each subject, she added.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa pointed to the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24, which stands at 60.8%, reiterating his call on employers to relax the requirement of prior work experience, particularly for entry-level positions, and for entry into vocational occupations where young employees can be trained on the job.

"Just as preparing our nation's young people to achieve success in this exam is a collaborative effort, there is much more that partners like the private sector can do to hire young people," Ramaphosa said.

He called on employers to take advantage of incentives to encourage them to hire more young people.

"...these include various sectoral learnership agreements, discretionary grants for skills training, and the Employee Tax Incentive," he highlighted.

Ramaphosa said employers must open up more opportunities for young South Africans entering the job market.

"They need to remember that by law they have to ensure that no suitable South African citizen or permanent resident is available to fill a position before em...

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero on Monday expressed concerns with the recent arrest of former mayor and Community Development MMC Kabelo Gwamanda, saying the developments "deserve to be handled with a sense of urgency" to ensure that it does not impact on service delivery in the City.

Gwamanda was arrested in connection with a funeral policy scam that he allegedly ran in Soweto more than a decade ago, in which he supposedly scammed unsuspecting Soweto residents in a scheme in which they made monthly payments for funeral insurance.

Morero confirmed that he will be meeting Gwamanda on Tuesday, to "receive his counsel" and an official report.

"As we deal with this matter with the urgency it requires, we shall make use of the authority vested in us in office, including as provided for in the Code of Conduct for Councillors, to execute our responsibilities faithfully and without favour," he said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it would write to Morero to request an investigation into all agreements entered into under Gwamanda's tenure as mayor, and now as MMC, owing to the seriousness of the allegations he was arrested for.

DA Johannesburg Caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said while the development was overdue, it confirmed the party's warnings about the African National Congress (ANC) and its coalition partners' "failure to provide ethical and transparent leadership" for Johannesburg residents.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku said since Gwamanda's election as mayor, "serious allegations of fraud and deception" hung over his head, allegations which she said the DA raised as early as May 2023.

The party demanded that the legal process be allowed to run its course without any interference, and that those affected by Gwamanda's alleged fraud be given the justice they deserved.

South Africa's biggest companies are exploring widening a partnership with the government to help resolve a water crisis that's threatening to leave the nation's commercial hub dry.

Business for South Africa - which is already working with the government to boost energy production, fix a broken logistics system and tackle one of the world's highest crime rates - has held talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa over helping with the issue.

The offer of assistance comes as Africa's most industrialized economy wrestles with a worsening water crisis mainly attributable to decades of underinvestment and poor maintenance. Earlier this month Rand Water, Africa's biggest bulk water supplier, said Gauteng province, the nation's commercial hub in which almost 16-million people live could run out of water unless consumption wasn't immediately curbed.

"There is a particular challenge in Gauteng," said Martin Kingston, chairperson of the steering committee of the business grouping, known as B4SA, in an interview on Friday. "There is significant scope for the private sector to provide assistance with operation and maintenance and to mobilize capital for incremental investment in infrastructure."

B4SA, which the chief executive officers of more than 140 major companies have signed up to support, plans to initially pool information about what the private sector is doing in the water industry and then seek to assist the government. A decision on how the partnership may proceed will be made in the coming months, he said.

"With the correct structural reform and an appropriate regulatory environment as a backdrop" private companies will invest in water, he said.

South Africa is the 22nd-most water-stressed nation in the world, sandwiched between the largely desert nations of Namibia and Iraq, according to an assessment by the World Resources Institute. The country uses more than 80% of its renewable water resources every year, the nonprofit research company said.

Gauteng - which is the site of South Africa's biggest city Johannesburg and its capital Pretoria - is plagued by aging and poorly maintained water infrastructure.

Johannesburg alone loses 44% of its water to leaks and theft and has a R26.9-billion maintenance and water infrastructure backlog.

B4SA's partnership with the government has already led to changes to legislation that's fostered a boom in the building of privately owned power plants, easing years of recurrent power outages. A framework that will allow more private participation in running the country's ports and freight rail network has also been put in place.

City of Tshwane Finance MMC Eugene Modise has been elected the new deputy mayor.

He was elected unopposed at Friday's special council meeting.

Modise replaces Dr Nasiphi Moya, who is now the mayor, following the removal of Cilliers Brink from the mayoral office through a motion of no confidence brought by the African National Congress, with the help of ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters.

GOOD City of Tshwane Councillor and Economic Development and Spatial Planning MMC Sarah Mabotsa said the GOOD party was looking forward to "seeing the positive impact" Modise would make working alongside Moya.

Mabotsa said the ability of the new executive to work collaboratively was essential to bring stability to the capital, and to improve service delivery and maintain financial recovery.

"As GOOD, we will be working within the new Tshwane Mayoral Committee to ensure we create a spatially just and economically inclusive Tshwane.

We need to revitalise our city for the benefit of all residents," she said.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Modise to pay his allegedly "huge overdue" municipal debt of R690 000 as of 31 March 2024.

"This, or a payment arrangement with the municipality, is the least that the Finance MMC can do considering Tshwane's constrained finances," said DA Tshwane Caucus chairperson Jacqui Uys.

She said credit control must be applied equitably, calling for more effort to be expended by the City where there was a credible prospect of success.

"…but without an overall culture of paying for consumption beyond Tshwane's generous basket of free basic services, the City will not achieve financial rescue," she explained.

She claimed that Modise was "set up for success" by the efforts of the previous DA-led coalition and with the unaudited financial statements of the City for 2023/24 showing significant financial improvement.

"… depending on the management of the audit process, the City is likely to attain an unqualified audit, [although] the City's financial recovery still needs very careful and diligent work," she added.

Uys stated that without a culture of payment, the City would be financially unsustainable in the medium term, and said it was essential that MMC's not owe arrear debt to the City, or at least if they did, that they made payment arrangements.

Modise has denied that he has outstanding debt with the municipality and has threatened to sue the DA for its claims.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said it was concerned about the mischaracterisation of its engagements with the Taipei Liaison Office (TLO), highlighting that the relocation is standard diplomatic practice.

This after government asked Taiwan to relocate its apparent de facto embassy out of Pretoria.

Dirco explained that TLO will be rebranded as the Trade Office and will be moved to Johannesburg.

"Relocating what will be rebranded as Trade Offices both in Taipei and in Johannesburg, which is standard diplomatic practice, will be a true reflection of the non-political and non-diplomatic nature of the relationship between the Republic of South Africa and Taiwan," it said.

It added that this also aligns with standard diplomatic practice that capital cities are the seats of Foreign Embassies and High Commissions.

Government said it held several engagements with the TLO to correct this, despite approaches by third-party countries, which is itself an "unusual diplomatic practice."

Dirco pointed out that South Africa's democratic government severed political and diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1997.

"…this is consistent with resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly, which is widely adhered to by the international community," it explained.

The TLO were given a reasonable six months to make the move, said Dirco.

It added that the same was communicated via the South African Liaison Office in Taipei by South Africa's representative to the territory.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to force Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to release 177 Gauteng provincial government (GPG) forensic investigation reports, following accusations the party made that he was shielding the corrupt in the province.

The DA said it had made multiple attempts, since 2019, to get Panyaza to make all completed forensic reports public.

Official Leader of the Opposition in Gauteng Solly Msimanga said his party demanded the original reports to assess the extent of alleged corruption within Gauteng government departments.

He said corruption took away money that could have been used to improve and deliver basic services to residents.

"We don't want doctored versions of these reports," he said.

Msimanga asserted that Gauteng residents had the right to know the outcomes of these investigations.

"As the official opposition in the Gauteng provincial legislature, we have the responsibility to ensure that all the recommendations in these reports are implemented accordingly. It is unacceptable that we had to take the drastic step of submitting a PAIA application to receive the forensic reports that should have been made public in the first place," stated Msimanga.

He believes that if Lesufi had "nothing to hide" he would have handed over the reports to the party's offices.

"For far too long, we have been calling on the Premier to release all the forensic reports, a plea which has fallen on deaf ears. This indicates that the Premier is trying to shield corrupt politicians and officials who are unduly benefiting from tenders issued by the GPG," he said.

The DA said it had also been approached by various whistleblowers who had claimed corruption in GPG departments.

Msimanga said one whistleblower has resorted to leaking parts of a forensic investigation in the Department of Social Development in a bid to expose corruption.

After studying the reports, the party will approach the Public Protector, the Auditor-General South Africa, and the Public Service Commission.

"A DA government will immediately implement all the recommendations made in forensic reports once an investigation is completed," Msimanga said.

He further pledged that the DA would make the reports public.