South Africa: Opposition leader Malema calls for springboks to be renamed – South African news briefs – November 6, 2023
Malema demands that the Springbok rugby team adopt a new name and symbol.
According to TimesLIVE, Julius Malema, the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has suggested that the Springbok rugby team adopt a new moniker and insignia. Malema contends that the Springbok name and logo should be changed to better represent South Africa’s democratic ideals as they are apartheid symbols. Malema made these remarks following the Springboks’ victory over the All Blacks of New Zealand in the World Cup Rugby final in France. After the tournament’s debut, the Boks became the first team to win four world titles.
12,000 Students in the Eastern Cape Are Made to Walk to School
Because of a tight budget, the Eastern Cape transportation agency is finding it difficult to meet the demand for student transportation, forcing 12,000 students to walk more than 10 kilometers to schools throughout the province, according to News24.Of the 137,000 students in need of transportation, the agency transports 125,000, citing a budget deficiency due to its restricted R694 million. The kids, some of whom are as young as six, must cross swift-moving rivers and dense underbrush in order to get to school because they lack access to scholar transportation. for inadequacies in internal control and misappropriation of public funds for student transportation, the Auditor-General has called for the adoption of digital technologies and enhanced supervision.
Officials from the Roads Agency Take Off for Prague Despite Budget Shortfall
According to Carol Paton’s exclusive News24 report, the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) has been underspending on non-toll roads for the last four years and has canceled R9.3 billion worth of tenders because of difficulties with the procurement process. Sanral spent R3.1 million to send 29 officials to an international conference in Prague last month, in flagrant violation of Treasury regulations despite these financial difficulties. Sanral’s inability to reach its road targets is another indication of its poor financial performance. The financial sustainability of Sanral has drawn the attention of the Auditor-General due to restrictions imposed by the Treasury on the use of monies that have been allotted. Notwithstanding these problems, the board chair of Sanral made R3.1 million in 2022–2023—double the amount of chairmen at Transnet and Eskom.
