Page 5 - 21 March 2025

THE REPORTER 21 MARCH 2025 · PAGE 5

The Portfolio Committee Monday, where their charges ongoing.
on Social Development were escalated to over 1,300 The committee emphasised
has commended whistle- counts of cybercrime, fraud, that SASSA’s collaboration
Tensions are running high at Thembekile Mgedezi says promised the workers that blowers for exposing and theft. with law enforcement in
M a c l e a r H o s p i t a l , that the labour, maternity their grievances will be corruption within the t a c k l i n g f r a u d a n d
Nqanqarhu (Maclear) in the and mental units at the addressed. Spokesperson South African Social The officials facing these corruption sends a clear
Eastern Cape, as protesters hospital are severely short- for the department, Siyanda Security Agency (SASSA). charges include Phumelele
await someone from either staffed. Manana, says they are Myeza, 37, Paul Bones, 49, message of zero tolerance
the district office or the Patients are also com- awaiting budget allocation. Fo l l o w i n g t i p s f r o m K e a m o g e t s w e I r e n e for malfeasance.
whistleblowers, four SASSA
MEC's office to accept their plaining about poor service “We have just become aware officials were arrested at the Ledwaba, 49, Siphesihle “When corruption is allowed
demands, and not the CEO. Phumzile Dlamini, 30, and to thrive in institutions that
at the institution. One of of the go-slow by the nurses. Johannesburg local office Phiwe Mkhuzangwe, 37. provide important social
The hospital is a provincially them, Simphiwe Noludwe, We are supposed to be on March 14, 2025. This Bones, Dlamini, and welfare services such as
aided hospital which is a s a y s t h e d e p l o r a b l e having about nine minimum arrest follows the earlier Mkhuzangwe were arrested SASSA, it is the vulnerable
provincial government condition of ablution doctors because it’s a district detention of three SASSA at a SASSA branch in beneficiaries who suffer the
funded hospital and is facilities is a cause for hospital. Currently we have officials at the Idutywa local J o h a n n e s b u r g , w h i l e most," said Committee
supposed to serve the concern. about six. In terms of office in the Eastern Cape Ledwaba was apprehended c h a i r p e r s o n B r i d g e t
Elundini Local Municipality “We have a complaint about staffing, we have an advert earlier in March. at her residence in Soweto. Masango. Masango said the
residents. that is out where we are
the poor service we receive IOL previously reported that M y e z a v o l u n t a r i l y committee also highlighted
Residents are protesting here. We sometimes come recruiting nurses, where we the National Prosecuting surrendered to authorities the vital role of whistle-
against the state of the around at 7, and we then get are recruiting doctors. So Authority (NPA) brought on Sunday. blowing in combating
Hospital which is the only helped around 11 or 12. the ease that we are going to more serious charges Phindi Mjonondwane, NPA corruption.
health facility they have That does not sit well with us see is when it’s the 1st of against five SASSA officials spokesperson, confirmed She further noted that the
access to. The Hospital has concerning the hospital. April when there’s a budget implicated in a R260 million that a sixth employee decisive actions taken by
outdated equipment and the Even the toilets are very dirty. that has been loaded for the grant scheme. s u r r e n d e r e d t o l a w SASSA are seen as a positive
building is in urgent need of Everything in this hospital is financial year 25 to 2026. So After their arrest on Friday, enforcement on Monday step in stimulating further
repairs. not up to standard.” that will then ease and the accused made their first morning, indicating that the whistleblowing and reducing
ensure that we quicken the
Earlier this month workers at The Chairperson of Maclear process of recruitment. So appearance in the Lenasia investigation into the alleged fraudulent practices within
the hospital wereon a go- Hospital Board, Bongani Magistrate's Court on SASSA fraud syndicate is the agency.
slow. SABC News reported Nkunkuma, says they are we are going to be
on 4 March that the go slow aware of the action by appointing nurses, so
had been going for 2 weeks workers. Maclear is gonna be part and
already. The workers were parcel of that.”
complaining about heavy “I received a call last Friday W h i l e t h e H e a l t h
workloads due to severe staff saying that I must come to Department awaits budget
shortages. the hospital, something is allocation to address the
happening here. Yet I’m not
On 4 March SABC News sure whether the go-slow issues, the workers at
reported the following: had already taken place. But Maclear Hospital have vowed There is a global drive to for the communities range Partnership,' says Nsibande.
The workers claimed they what I did, I asked written to continue with the go-slow. protect 30% of the world's from improved grazing and
had raised the matter with grievances from them. So in With thanks to SABC news. natural landscapes and livestock health (most of the The water catchment
the Health Department in the written grievances that We trust that the complaints oceans in the next 5 years to communal landowners are includes 2 of SA's SWSAs:
the province, but nothing they have given to me, they from the staff and the help stem the planet's rapid livestock farmers) to an the Eastern Cape and
had been done to address it. said there is a shortage of residents will be heard, be biodiversity and ecosystems increased water supply. Southern Drakensberg.
staff.” loss. 'Well-managed livestock is Here, NGOs that have been
A representative from the taken seriously and dealt in the region for many years
Public Servants Association Meanwhile, the Provincial with in an appropriate and South Africa is responding to essential for maintaining the – like Environmental and
of South Africa, PSA, Health Department has efficient manner. this drive by substantially health and vigour of the Rural Solutions (ERS),
increasing our protected grasslands and wetlands in Conservation South Africa
area landscapes through the protected areas,' Them- a n d L i m a R u r a l
Biodiversity Stewardship banani Nsibande explains. Development Foundation –
Programme with willing 'The grasslands and are engaging with 5
communal and private land- wetlands in turn, are chieftainships in landscape
owners in all 9 provinces. In essential for a healthy water and water restoration
contrast with land acquisi- supply. They slow down the projects. They get support
tion, it is a cost-effective way flow of water from the from the WWF Nedbank
of conserving vulnerable mountain catchment, Green Trust, the Department
landscapes, biodiversity and mitigate against erosion, of Economic Development,
ecosystems. and act as a sponge, Tourism and Environmental
releasing water throughout
' M a n y o f t h e a r e a s the year.' Affairs, as well as the Eastern
earmarked for protection are Cape Parks and Tourism
in rural communities There are different cate- Agency, led by the Manager
situated within priority gories of protected areas, for Biodiversity Stewardship
biodiversity areas. Currently, including national parks, in the Eastern Cape, Malaika
a WWF Nedbank Green nature reserves and pro- Koali-Lebona.
Trust project is focusing on tected environments. Tax- 'This is the seat of a flagship
bringing more community paying owners of nature biodiversity stewardship
areas into protected area reserves and national parks programme for the Eastern
m a n a g e m e n t , ' s a y s may be eligible for income C a p e , w i t h t h e
Thembanani Nsibande, tax incentives and other establishment of the Maloti
WWF's Landscape Manager rebates. Protected areas Thaba Tsa Metsi Protected
may also be exempted from
BARKLY EAST for the Eastern Cape and paying property rates in Environment, a protected
southern Drakensberg.
specific cases, and they are area of more than 60 000 ha
He explains that bringing afforded legal protection n o w i n c l u d e s 6
community areas into through state legislation chieftainships spanning over
protected area management against practices that would 55 rural villages along the
is even more complex than be harmful to the environ- uMzimvubu watershed,'
with private landowners. ' ment. Koali-Lebona explains.
K i r s t e n O l i v e r f r o m 'Another flagship commu- The national Department of
WILDTRUST, adds: 'There is nity-protected environment Agriculture, Land Reform
also an obligation to give that is already well underway and Rural Development has
back to communities when and inspiring to see, is in the given the go-ahead for all
they commit to protected Matatiele region of the participating communities
areas on their land – they are Eastern Cape Drakensberg. who have signed land-
understandably looking for This is a community where holder's rights resolutions
some form of compensation WWF-SA collaborates with a consenting for their land to
or benefit.'
range of government and be declared a protected
Except for employment NGO partners under the environment. This is set to
opportunities, other benefits uMzimvubu Catchment be finalised this year.