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Nzimande will not allow Afrikaans-based occupational training college, Sol-Tech to operate if it excludes certain groups

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Higher education minister Blade Nzimande says he will not allow a proposed Afrikaans college to operate if it contravenes the bill of rights by excluding certain groups based on race or culture.

Nzimande was speaking in Durban on Monday regarding the construction of an Afrikaans-based occupational training college, Sol-Tech, in Centurion, Pretoria.

Construction has already begun on the college, which is being spearheaded by trade union Solidarity.
Nzimande said the constitution is clear in that there is nothing wrong with private companies or entities establishing higher education institutions – but should any institution go against the bill of rights, he would not sign off on it.

“As you might be aware, there are media reports that Solidarity aims to build a R300m private Afrikaans university in Centurion. As a department, we have not received any application for any such institution,” he said.

Nzimande said the c
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SA warned to withdraw enough money ahead of banking strike on Friday

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Sasbo’s Joe Kokela said there won’t be money in many ATMs across the country on Friday. South Africans have been warned to withdraw enough money ahead of the nationwide strike in the banking sector on Friday as ATMs and banking services will be shut down.

The country’s biggest financial union Sasbo said it would bring the industry to a standstill when it protests retrenchments.

Earlier this year, Standard Bank closed 91 branches, affecting hundreds of jobs.

Absa also announced jobs would be at risk because of its restructuring processes.

Over 40,000 finance sector employees are expected to take part in the strike.

Sasbo’s Joe Kokela said there won’t be money in many ATMs across the country on Friday.

“ATMs are mended and programmed by our members so if our members are not at work then there will be no service produced.”

Kokela also had other advice for South Africans.

“If you’re travelli
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Friday’s planned strike in banking sector with 73,000 members of SASBO taking part, will cause major disruption

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The South African Revenue Service has warned that Friday’s planned strike in the banking sector will cause disruption.

The banking union, Sasbo, says they are concerned about the high number of job losses in the banking industry. About 73,000 members are expected to strike. Sasbo general secretary Joe Kokela says the two-day strike is aimed at the banks that have consulted their staff on layoffs in recent months as well as other institutions that are members of the union.

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Shocking discovery: 108 illegal firearms and 134 round of ammunition seized from Limpopo security companies

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A total of 108 firearms and 134 rounds of ammunition were confiscated from 19 closed down security companies in the Thohoyandou Cluster.

LIMPOPO – The operation, which was conducted by a Flash Unit team put together by the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Genl Nneke Jim Ledwaba, is aimed at eliminating all the possibilities of criminals accessing these firearms and committing violent crimes, said Police Spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe.

Review Online reports that during the operation one person was arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Ngoepe said the recovered firearms and ammunition will be destroyed after all procedures have been followed.

The accused (48) will appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court soon. More arrests are expected and the police urge anyone with information about companies that are still operating, to contact Lt Col Justice Nchabeleng at 082 468 3848 or any Flash Unit coordinator at
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Cash-strapped state arms company, Denel failed to supply R250 million worth of military Casspirs to the government of Chad after already receiving R100 million deposit

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Despite having been paid a R100 million deposit almost two years ago, the state arms company Denel has failed to supply R250 million worth of army vehicles to the government of Chad.

In 2017, Chad bought 40 military Casspirs from Denel, but the company could not deliver them while officials squabbled over the ownership of the lucrative intellectual property (IP) rights – which had been given to the Gupta family for free – to build the vehicles.

Chad has since cancelled the contract and demanded its deposit back from the cash-strapped arms company.

Denel’s failure to deliver comes at a time when the firm is struggling with liquidity issues.

Last month, Denel received a much-needed bailout of R1.8 billion from Treasury.

At the time, Treasury said the company would get another billion next year.

In recent months the company, which has been implicated in state capture, has struggled to pay employees on time. At the end of
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Stupid cable thief digs his own grave after he shocks himself to death at substation

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A thief who tried to steal cables at a Westfield substation near Modderfontein caused his own death.

A spokesman for power supply Isaac Mangena says the body of the alleged thief was found at the substation by technical personnel.

The dead man’s body hung on one of the transformers, indicating that he had a thousand volts through his body.

It is suspected that he wanted to sabotage the substation and steal copper cables connected to the transformer.

It is unknown how long the thief hung on the transformer, and his identity could not be ascertained.

Two days earlier, another person with serious burns was admitted to hospital after also trying to steal cables near Westdene, but improper handling caused a cable to explode, leaving the thief with numerous burns.

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Bankrupt SAA’s new problem – no competent flight inspectors to evaluate vessels

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SAA has a shortage of trained flight inspectors. The task of the inspectors is to examine and evaluate each aircraft in SAA’s fleet.

According to informed sources, the current corps of inspectors is “dangerously under-qualified” and there is a lack of the necessary experience for such an important task.

Two new Airbus A 350S will be delivered soon and none of the flight inspectors have the necessary qualifications to evaluate the aircraft.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the SAA, with the application of the ANC’s labor laws, now employs extremely inexperienced personnel to do vital work on aircraft investigations.

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Hospitals held up due to shortage of basic medical supplies – ANC regime want to implement NHI, but is currently unable to manage hospitals

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Due to a lack of basic medical supplies, all non-emergency operations were discontinued at the Johannesburg Hospital.

The problems have been going on for weeks and doctors now have to “beg” for medical supplies at neighboring hospitals to deal with serious cases.

The Gauteng Health ministry has confirmed that non-emergency surgery for some patients had to be rescheduled at Charlotte Maxeke hospital in Johannesburg due to a shortage of medical supplies.

This was in response to a statement from the Democratic Alliance’s spokesperson on health, Jack Bloom, who said about 20 patients had been told that their operations could not go ahead. Kwara Kekana, spokesperson for the province’s health MEC, Dr Bandile Masuku, said eight patients were affected by the issue. The patients were all scheduled for arthroplasty.

“There has been a problem for some weeks with procurement at this hospital,” Bloom said in his statement.

S
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Rugby World Cup: All Blacks 23 – Springboks 13 – Did BEE make the difference between winning and just playing?

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There were few opportunities in the Springboks’ first game against the All Blacks in Japan as Cheslin Kolbe had few chances, but could have scored at least a try if Wille le Roux’s passing to him was better.

Faf de Klerk is brilliant sometimes but he also makes the game unnecessarily slow. His kicking over the scrum was sometimes pathetic and he was also out of position several times.

KWOTA center Damian de Ellendig just doesn’t give up a ball and his defense leaves much to be desired.

Wing Makazole Mapimpi had a poor match. He just can’t ‘tackle’.

Siya Kolisie is a KWOTA captain and KWOTA flanker. The only time he was close to the game was when he missed his two tackles.

That way we won’t win the World Cup…

Chris Greyling

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All South Africans deserve to share in Rugby World Cup joy, not just premium DSTV subscribers

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“It is a pity that the SABC’s inability to broadcast the Rugby World Cup will deprive millions of South Africans of the opportunity to participate in the euphoria and cohesion that the tournament brings to everyone in the country,” says Heloïse Jordaan, FF Plus MP and chief spokesperson for sport.

“The mandate of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is to promote nation-building and social cohesion. The World Cup is the ideal opportunity to do so.”

“It is therefore regrettable that the SABC does not go the extra mile to make plans in partnership with the government and the broadcaster of the spectacle, as with Absa’s Soccer Premier League series, to make the broadcast possible on the SABC’s channels, even if it’s just the matches in South Africa.

“In the case of the broadcasting rights for the football series, Minister Nathi Mthethwa (sport, arts and culture) played a leading role
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