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Following a divisive provincial conference, the Gauteng African National Congress (ANC) emerged with a mixed bag of leaders representing both factions that backed Lebogang Maile and Panyaza Lesufi.

Lesufi was elected by a slim margin at the conference on Monday morning.

The new chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng obtained 575 votes compared to Maile's 543.

The close victory margin resembled the scenes in 2018, when Lesufi won the deputy chairperson position against Maile.

Despite his inability to clinch the leadership position, Maile's "Adiwele" slate emerged among those elected along with Lesufi.

The ANC in Ekurhuleni was the biggest winner, with the region securing the Gauteng secretary position after the election of Thembinkosi Nciza.

Nciza beat his rival, Sedibeng regional leader Thulani Kunene, by securing 534 votes, compared to Kunene's 525. Former ANC provincial secretary Jacob Khawe only managed 56 votes.

Nciza's deputy is Tasneem Motara, also from Ekurhuleni.

Lesufi had a solid gender mix in his contestation slate.

Three women formed part of the new leadership, with Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko elected as Lesufi's deputy.

Morokane Mosupyoe, whose name was raised from the floor by those backing Lesufi, was elected treasurer.

Women delegates were visibly pleased with the outcome of three women taking up positions in the province's top five. They took to the conference floor, ululating and gesturing to the number three to celebrate the women who had been elected.

The election of three women is a first for the ANC in provincial conferences this year.

The ANC Gauteng conference, which began on Thursday, concluded on Monday morning without a wrap of its official programme.

No provincial executive committee officials were elected, and only nominations were taken after the election of officials.

A provincial general council will be held on 2 July, when the election of PEC members is expected.

The conference saw massive delays as delegates could not agree on the adoption of credentials.

Unresolved disputes and the debacle of 19 "quarantined" votes from Ekurhuleni dominated the conference's agenda.

Voting took place on Sunday afternoon and delegates waited in line with luggage in hand as the conference dragged on into Monday morning.

Some delegates were frustrated about where they would sleep.

A frustrated delegate told the leaders:

"You have to hate yourself to love the ANC."

A delay to the election of the province's PEC means the Ekurhuleni matter will remain unresolved until the election occurs.

The ANC national executive committee (NEC) has tasked the new PEC with ensuring that the Ekurhuleni matter is resolved.

It was expected that the same 19 votes quarantined at the region's conference in May would be set aside at the provincial conference.

President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on Monday that government must ensure there is redress, justice and accountability relating to those implicated in the Zondo Commission reports.

Last week, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed Ramaphosa the final instalment of the report into the allegations of State capture, four-and-a-half years after the Commission began its work.

Ramaphosa said South Africa was emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, which he said was a “great national trauma” that caused untold damage, destruction and heartbreak, but pointed out that the State capture era was a different kind of national trauma.

He said State capture’s damage extended beyond the ransacking of the public purse and the destruction of the country’s public institutions.

He said that it was also a betrayal of the values of the country’s Constitution, and of the principles on which the country’s democracy was founded.

Ramaphosa noted that the “immoral, unethical and criminal behaviour of self-serving individuals in positions of authority” undermined the confidence of South Africans in leaders and institutions.

This had created a trust gap that would take some time to close, he said.

“Having now known what happened and who was involved, our work begins in earnest. We must ensure there is redress, justice and accountability, and that such a shameful period never happens again,” Ramaphosa said.

He said citizens now had an opportunity to make a decisive break with the excesses of the past by building a society free of corruption and a State rooted in ethics, professionalism and capability.

“We also have an opportunity to reconstruct a society that is more inclusive, more humane, founded in equal opportunity for all, and that protects the most vulnerable,” he added.

COVID-19

Last week, the remaining Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, including limitations on gatherings, international travel and wearing masks in public.

Ramaphosa explained that the decision to lift the restrictions was made in the light of a decline in daily cases, hospitalisations and reported deaths, adding that for the first time in over two years, the country did not have any Covid restrictions in place.

“While there was not much fanfare about the lifting of the last Covid-19 restrictions, there has been a tectonic shift in our national psyche. We are emerging from a great national trauma that caused untold damage, destruction and heartbreak,” he said.

Ramaphosa stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic was not over, and he called for vigilance and caution from citizens to prevent a resurgence.

“Where many thought it would crumble, our health care system survived. It served our nation well by providing care, saving lives and vaccinating millions. We owe an eternal debt to the courage and dedication of the health workers and many other people on the frontlines of the pandemic,” he said.

Amid a public outcry over a 3% increase for public office bearers, Parliament has defended the increase, noting office bearers last received a pay hike in 2019.

Earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa approved a 3% increase for public office bearers upon the recommendation of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers.

The general response was that the increase was "tone deaf", to which Parliament responded: "Nothing could be further from the truth."

Public office bearers like Ministers, MPs and MPLs last had salary increases in April 2019 when the commission recommended a 2.8 % increase, Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said in a statement.

"Because of the prevailing and difficult economic conditions, it was important that the remuneration of the public office bearers be adjusted to enable them to cope with the rising costs of living. The average consumer inflation rate has been on the increase, and for 2021, it was 4.5%, which is higher than the averages recorded for 2020 (3.3%) and 2019 (4.1%) - resulting in the buying power of the disposable income becoming lower," he said.

"Another important factor that must be highlighted - a matter that is sometimes misinterpreted - is the fact that salaries of MPs are published as a total remuneration package (total cost to company) and not cost-plus benefits."

This means that if an ordinary MP earns R1.1-million a year, it includes the basic salary, a flexible portion, a travel allowance, a political office bearers' allowance, and a contribution to the pension fund. Other deductions that will be taken from the salary include tax (Pay as You Earn), medical aid, party contributions, village accommodation and others authorised by the individual MP like a bond or car instalment.

"While it is understandable that remuneration of public representatives would often spark a public debate given the transparency with which they are processed, constant scrutiny over their work as well as the socioeconomic challenges faced by the country, it must be appreciated that they do not determine their own remuneration.

"An independent commission is charged with such responsibility; it recommends any decision for the approval of the president before being gazetted. Unlike in other countries (58% of world parliaments according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union survey), Members of Parliament do not play any role in the process of determining either their salaries or annual increments," Mothapo said.

He added it is vital that public representatives are fairly remunerated considering the scale of their responsibilities under the Constitution.

There are 341 parliamentarians when the ministers, deputy ministers and Deputy President are excluded in the National Assembly who is responsible for oversight over state institutions constituted of hundreds of thousands of employees, including high-ranking executives. Compared with the salaries of public service employees, parliamentarians earn at a scale equal to junior-level management.

"Further, with a 2022/2023 total parliamentary budget of R1.9-billion, R62-million of which allocated for oversight committees, parliamentarians are expected to conduct oversight over a national budget totalling R1.6-trillion. In analysing and scrutinising the remuneration of public representatives, we must also benchmark it against those of their counterparts globally, particularly in similar developing countries. A desktop survey suggests that South African public representatives do not earn anywhere higher than those of countries with similar GDP and population, amongst other considerations," Mothapo said.

Mothapo pointed out that as an additional safeguard, South African MPs are barred from undertaking "any other remunerative responsibilities outside of their parliamentary work", unlike several other countries.

Should they take up such work, they are obligated to declare it for scrutiny in terms of the Ethics Code.

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South African municipalities spent R5.3-billion on consultants in the past five years. A whopping 70% of them used these consultants every single year. From preparing financial statements to managing assets and tax services, the permanently employed financial managers and their teams couldn't complete those tasks without external help.

In the 2021/21 fiscal year alone, municipalities spent R1.26-billion on consultants. Of that, R431-million was spent on asset management. Around R300-million went to the preparation of financial statements. Tax services took up just over R300-million. They paid R54-million towards accounting services and the rest went to other "general services".

But even with all those billions of rands going towards these tasks, 58% of financial statements submitted by municipalities to the Auditor General of SA (AGSA) in the past five years had "material misstatements" from work that consultants were paid to do. Even after corrections, 41% had modified opinions, including three municipalities with adverse opinions and 18 with disclaimed opinions.

In 2020/21 alone, the salary bill, plus the total cost of the consultant saw municipalities incur a total bill of R11.6-billion.

"That is a very expensive solution where you're not getting a return on investment. The financial statements that are prepared are still not credible," said AGSA's head of audit at the provincial level, Mabatho Sedikela.

Audit improvements are no course for celebration

Even though clean audits in the municipalities have improved from 33 audits in 2016/17 to 41 in the 2020/21 year, Sedikela said that is not so much an improvement. This is because the 41 that got clean audits are mainly district municipalities. They are not so much responsible for service delivery.

There were also 100 municipalities whose audits looked like they had improved as they got unqualified audit opinions with findings, i.e., they did produce quality financial statements, but struggled to produce quality performance reports. But Sedikela said that too is no course for celebration.

"We are cautioning that celebration because only 62 of the oddities that gave us financial statements were credible, that's 25% of the municipalities. If we had arrived, on day one, audited and express an audit opinion, only 62 would have had better outcomes," she said.

AG to crackdown on shoddy delivery

Sedikela said the AGSA has seen consultants accepting assignments to assist local government, even when their previous work proved shoddy.

"We have seen several of such consultants going in doing work and not delivering services," she said

Sedikela told the chartered accountants attending the SAICA webinar that they should be guided by their profession's code of ethics. They must respect the requirements of the job they go in to perform.

She said the AGSA is not against the idea of using consultants where municipalities do not have enough capacity. After all, there was an average vacancy rate of 20% in the municipalities' finance units in the 2020/21 audit year. But they should do so in a responsible manner and there should be an assessment done prior to that to demonstrate the need for external help.

Up until now, the AGSA has adopted the stance of "cautioning" the offending consultants. But going forward, it is going to be tough on them.

"As we move into the next year when there is work done by the consultants and services have not been delivered, we are going to look to issuing material irregularities . We will be invoking our material irregularities so that those funds that have been used to pay the consultants and value has not been derived, goes back," said Sedikela.

The Public Protector said on Friday it wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to submit a plan to Parliament on how the recommendations from the State Capture Commission of Inquiry will be implemented.

Commission chairperson Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed over the final part of the report to Ramaphosa on Wednesday night.

The Public Protector welcomed the conclusion of the Commission’s work and pointed out that the Commission was a product of a 2016 Public Protector investigation report.

The Public Protector wants to be kept informed of all the implemented recommendations and hopes to monitor the progress of this from reports submitted by Parliament and the Presidency.

The Public Protector’s office has sent Ramaphosa a letter requesting copies of the Commission’s report in full.

A fierce contest to determine who should lead the African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng is expected to take centre stage at the party's provincial conference in Benoni this weekend.

Deputy chairperson in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, will go up against provincial executive committee (PEC) member Lebogang Maile for the chairpersonship.

Despite the provincial leadership's assurances that there will be less security at the conference, roads leading to the Lakes Hotel and Conference Centre were barricaded and there was a heavy police presence. Gauteng secretary Jacob Khawe, who condemned the heavy security at the Ekurhuleni conference, gave the assurances.

The conference was delayed on Thursday because some delegates had not yet finalised their accreditation.

It will begin on Friday with an address by outgoing chairperson David Makhura.

ANC delegates from the province's five branches arrived in ANC regalia.

News24 understands meetings by those who support the two slates contesting the conference were held on Thursday.

These caucuses are the norm during ANC conferences and are often used to solidify numbers ahead of voting.

Crunching the numbers

Maile, in his "Adiwele" slate, is running alongside Ekurhuleni regional secretary Thembinkosi Nciza and Mzi Khumalo, who was expected to vie for the deputy chairperson position.

Lesufi has a more diverse gender dynamic in his slate, with deputy provincial secretary Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko set to contest the deputy chairperson position.

Sedibeng regional chairperson Thulani Kunene is expected to vie for the provincial secretary position.

Khawe, who does not belong to any of the popular slates, wants to keep his position, even though there is no word on whether branches support him.

He told News24 that he was still in the running and was confident that he had served his last term to the party's satisfaction - despite some views that his time was unsatisfactory.

News24 understands that Lesufi and Maile have considerable support in the five regions: Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, West Rand, Tshwane and Sedibeng.

Those who have intimate knowledge of the slate dynamics in the province told News24 that most branches in Tshwane supported Maile. In Sedibeng, there's considerable support for Lesufi, with some backing Maile.

In Ekurhuleni, the numbers were close, with both men showing a support base.

In the West Rand, Maile is said to have the upper hand. In Joburg it's seen as too close to call, with both men sourcing support from the region's branches.

There will be 1 300 delegates who are eligible to vote, and credentials are expected to be adopted on Friday. Those who will vote include the ANC leagues and the PEC.

Human rights advocacy group the Black Sash Trust has launched legal action against government to overturn regulations that exclude many poor people from accessing the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.

The latest iteration of the R350 grant, which was supposed to run from April to the end of March next year, put in place a means test of R350, meaning that anyone who has income above that level – even if it is support from a family member – is excluded from the grant. Previous versions of the grant did not require a means test.

In a statement on Thursday, the Black Sash – which is supported by several other civil society organisations – said it had approached the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to have the regulations set aside. The Black Sash will be represented by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies.

"The South African Constitution guarantees the right to social assistance for those unable to support themselves and their dependents. Millions of people in South Africa are in this position through no fault of their own but because of an unequal and exclusionary economy. We believe this constitutional right will prevail, and the courts will uphold it," the Black Sash said.

The civil society organisations argue that the means test is arbitrary and excludes large numbers of desperately poor people. SA's food poverty line – which is the amount of money needed to sustain an individual for a month – is R624 a month. According to Stats SA, 18.3-million people live below this line. By setting a means test, the government hopes to limit the number of people eligible for the grant to 10.5-million.

"There can be no justification for only 10.5-million people receiving the SRD grant," they said in a statement on Thursday.

They are also challenging the exclusive online application system.

The decision by the Department of Social Development to implement a means test delayed the payment of grants for April and May. The first grants were paid last week, but beneficiaries did not receive back pay as promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu.

The organisations – including the Institute for Economic Justice, the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, #Pay the Grants, SPI and Amandla.mobi – have waged a long-standing campaign for a universal basic income grant. Despite a positive engagement with Ramaphosa in January, government has failed to consult with civil organisations on a permanent grant.

The grant should come into effect immediately following the end of the SRD grant in March 2023, they say. It should be set at a minimum level of the food poverty line and rise over time to eliminate poverty.

The National Treasury is investigating the feasibility of an income grant.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has recommended that former Free State premier Ace Magashule, "Gupta Minister" Mosebenzi Zwane, and Tony Gupta be investigated over the Vrede dairy farm project, which he condemns as a "complete disaster".

He also suggested that Zwane and Magashule should be sued to recover money lost as a result of their alleged conduct in relation to the alleged scam.

Tony Gupta is currently in custody at a Dubai police station. He and his brother, Atul, face possible extradition to South Africa in connection with the R24.9-million Nulane Investment scam – which was a precursor to the alleged R280-million Vrede fraud. It is unclear whether the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will charge him and his family members in connection with the project.

Magashule, meanwhile, is facing charges linked to the so-called "asbestos scam". This scam saw millions earmarked for the removal of asbestos from the homes of the Free State's most impoverished residents allegedly being funnelled into the pockets of ANC bigwigs and government officials. Magashule denies all wrongdoing.

In the last part of his report, Zondo not only recommends that Magashule and Zwane face criminal investigation over Vrede, but also slams them for failing to perform their oversight functions as then-premier and MEC. He previously condemned them for this failure in connection with the Free State's R1-billion housing project debacle, where houses promised to the poor were never delivered.

Zondo has now recommended that the Free State government get legal advice over whether it should sue Magashule and Zwane "to recover such monies as may be recovered from them that were lost by the [Department of Agriculture and Rural Development] in the Vrede Dairy Project as a result of their failure. to perform their legal obligations".

"It is necessary that there be consequences for people who fail to do their job. Otherwise, this corruption and these acts of state capture are going to continue forever to the detriment of the country and all people. Neither the Provincial Legislature nor the ANC called the Premier to account for the Asbestos Project and the R1 billion Housing Project Debacle. Premiers must know that they must supervise the MECs and their Departments," Zondo stated.

While the Guptas repeatedly sought to distance themselves from the Vrede project, Zondo pointed to testimony by Magashule's former director-general, Elizabeth Rockman, to demonstrate that the Guptas were involved in the scheme. The project was justified on the basis that it would empower at least 100 poor black farmers.

Rockman testified that she had met Tony Gupta on 6 April 2013, when he "requested the outstanding payment to Estina (the Gupta-linked "implementing agent" in relation to Vrede) in respect of the dairy project". Just 12 days later, a payment of R34.95-million was made by the Free State government to Estina. A further R30-million was paid eight days later.

Rockman had been invited to the lavish Gupta wedding at Sun City, which was alleged to have been funded by Estina cash, but didn't attend. Rockman also revealed that she had subsequently met with Tony Gupta in February 2014, and had discussed media reports about the death of cattle linked to the Vrede project.

In his findings on Vrede, Zondo painstakingly documents how the project, which was originally estimated to cost R13-million and later ballooned to a proposed cost of R572-million, repeatedly breached procurement processes. To make matters worse, Estina was an IT company, with no experience in effective and sustainable dairy farming.

The Estina contract was cancelled in August 2014 following media reports about how the Gupta dairy farm had flouted Treasury rules, and a damning Treasury-initiated investigation into the project. Despite this cancellation, R106.2-million in payments were subsequently made to Estina.

Magashule declined to give evidence about his oversight of the project or respond to testimony by his fo...

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said on Thursday that while Cabinet welcomed a significant drop in Covid-19 cases in the country, it is urging more South Africans to vaccinate against the virus, as South Africa joins the many countries that have done away with mask-wearing.

Joining Gungubele at a media briefing was Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla, who gave an update on the late night gazette which saw government repeal major Covid-19 regulations on mask-wearing, gathering limits and travel requirements.

Phaahla thanked South Africans who adhered to the Covid-19 regulations, noting that it had not been easy.

The Department of Health faced legal action from some organisations, such as Solidarity, in a quest to get government to abandon the regulations.

“We appreciate the fact that notwithstanding those disagreements, even leading to court actions or threats of court action, essentially the main aim of our approach [of] flattening the curve did remain in place and a lot of South Africans supported that. We thank South Africans for their resilience in internalising various measures of prevention and mitigation against the virus,” said Phaahla.

He said the country’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic would help it against seasonal diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis.

Phaahla also thanked academia, religious organisations and other stakeholders who provided assistance in dealing with the pandemic.

While South Africa has not achieved 70% herd immunity, as of Wednesday, 37.7-million doses of vaccines have been administered to adults and children.

Phaahla applauded the big turnout of the over 60 age group, which has surpassed 70% coverage with at least one dose.

"We just need to end with caution that the Covid-19 virus is not yet gone, it is still in our midst, we are just stronger than before, especially with vaccination, and we urge those not yet vaccinated to come forward and those due for boosters to also come forward. The vaccination programme will remain and is now being integrated into normal health services," he said.

Meanwhile, Gungubele said the country would use the recently approved World Bank loan to purchase additional Covid-19 vaccines and to ensure that South Africa was adequately protected against potential infections.

TRUCKING STRIKE AND WATER

On the recent truck driver strike, Cabinet has welcomed the eleven-point plan discussed by the recent inter-Ministerial committee and trucking stakeholders.

Gungubele said protests and road blockages adversely impacted mobility, scared foreign investors and negatively affected the economy and essential supply chains.

On the water shortages being experienced in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), the Minister said the Cabinet welcomed the much-needed interventions by the Department of Water and Sanitation to implement short- and long-term measures to mitigate the crisis.

Cabinet further urged NMB residents to adhere to the water restrictions imposed by the local municipality to ensure water security.

CRIME AND CORRUPTION

Cabinet applauded the work done by the Department of Home Affairs in eradicating corruption and fraud following the arrest of a Home Affairs official in Benoni who offered a Bangladesh national a South African identity document.

Gungubele also welcomed the arrest of an Independent Electoral Commission official in Umlazi for contravening the Municipal Electoral Act by voting 24 times during the 2021 municipal elections.

He said the arrest demonstrates a strong affirmation of the electoral system in the country which had since been strengthened with the introduction of a voter management device that prevented double counting.

“Cabinet affirmed that elections are the cornerstone of our democracy and must be protected at all costs,” said Gungubele.

The African National Congress's (ANC's) declining support in Gauteng will become a dominating factor at the party's provincial conference this weekend as it has moved for an earlier than usual start to its congress.

The ANC in Gauteng is holding its provincial conference from Thursday to Sunday.

ANC provincial deputy chairperson Panyaza Lesufi said the province was not fearful of losing Gauteng, a province it narrowly held onto in 2019.

Lesufi said it was not a "weakness" or fear that led the party to dedicate the bulk of its programme to political discussions on the state of the party in the province.

He said no political party could guarantee its place in the political arena, and the ANC had to look firmly at its position.

"I do not think there is a political party that can affirm that it will win everything and a political party that can affirm that it will not win everything. I think we can. We have the superior ideas, leadership and talent to resolve all problems. We are not starting early because we fear losing. We are affirming who we are," Lesufi said.

"We are not scared as the ANC in Gauteng. We had a strategic retreat in the local elections, not a loss. We would be naïve not to accept what the electorate has shown us. That is why we believe that starting the conference early will give us ample time to note the concerns and provide the outcomes. It is not a weakness to start a conference early," he said.

The conference will be attended by 1 133 delegates, including provincial executive committee members and the ANC leagues.

There are several unresolved disputes, 14 of which had been filed with the national dispute resolution committee.

The most significant factor ahead of the conference was the issue of the 19 quarantined votes from the ANC Ekurhuleni region.

The votes were set aside at the region's conference last month and constituted votes from five branches.

ANC national executive member Jeff Radebe is handling the resolution of the dispute. Lesufi said these branches could not impact the progress of the congress.

All Gauteng ANC branches that had qualified and held general branch meetings would be certified to vote at the conference, Lesufi said.

In the West Rand region, unresolved disputes saw the region not hold a regional conference after failing to meet the threshold of 70%.

Only a few qualifying branches from this region would be allowed to participate.

Corruption allegations ahead of conference

Gauteng Premier David Makhura is to mull a probe over corruption and vote-buying allegations that dominated factional fights in the lead up to the conference.

The SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in Gauteng led the charge in accusing Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi of diverting tenders to assist her contesting for the position of deputy provincial secretary.

ANC provincial secretary Jacob Khawe dismissed the claims outrightly, but said he had alerted Makhura.

Makhura would consider a probe.

"I took that memorandum to the province's premier, and said we have to answer Sanco on these allegations. The matter is with the leader of the government. We would want him to sanction a process that will give confidence to the people of Tembisa in Gauteng as to whether we are running a hospital as a corruption-based front or to heal the ill," Khawe said.

Mokgethi had denied the claims, urging Sanco to open a criminal case.

The provincial conference was expected to see Lesufi contest the chairperson position against Lebogang Maile, a PEC member and Cogta MEC in Gauteng.