One of the organisations responsible for protecting biodiversity in the Western Cape has begun fire awareness with a drier-than-normal summer on the cards. CapeNature says the upcoming warmer and drier summer season can increase the potential for fires to start, spread rapidly and become more difficult to control. Spokesperson Luke Folb says the El Niño weather phenomenon could contribute to these conditions, which could become fuel for fires. Folb added, “The El Niño weather
The Constitutional Court has declared the Public Procurement Act of 2024 unconstitutional and invalid, after finding that Parliament failed to properly facilitate public participation when significant changes were made to the legislation. The ruling follows legal challenges by the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde welcomed the judgment, saying it protects the ability of provinces and municipalities to make procurement decisions based on
Police were on the scene on Thursday morning, 17 September, in Dawn Park, Boksburg, where the half-naked body of a ninth woman was found dumped by the side of the road. According to reports, she was wrapped in a sheet. The femicide crisis unfolding in Ekurhuleni on the East Rand comes as a multidisciplinary SAPS team has been assembled to probe the killings. The eighth body was found in Olifantsfontein on Monday,
A 21-year-old student attending the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is facing an attempted murder charge in connection with a stabbing incident in Belhar last week. The Western Cape SAPS confirmed that the suspect was arrested following an incident in which a female victim was stabbed at around 02:00 on 9 September. Police noted that the incident occurred at student accommodation on Varsity Street. According to reports, the alleged perpetrator
President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a new law giving the Public Service Commission (PSC) stronger powers to monitor government and investigate poor service delivery. The PSC is an independent constitutional body that checks whether the public service is being run efficiently, professionally and ethically. The new Public Service Commission Act extends the Commission’s work to include local government and public entities. It can investigate problems with government administration and service delivery
