Tauhierah Salie, Author at Voice of the Cape

Presidential imbizo promises a government that is close to its people

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inaugural presidential imbizo at the weekend was characterised by pleas and promises. Community members from surrounding areas in the Ngaka Modiri Molema district in Mahikeng gathered in a marquee at the Mmabatho stadium, hoping to get a glimpse of SA’s first citizen. More importantly, they desperately wanted to be heard. What began as a structured way of raising issues almost resulted in a stampede when frustrated residents […]

14 March 2022

Local

‘We don’t want to be illegal, it’s the system’: Refugees are battling digital divide to stay documented

Many refugees are struggling to use the new online permit renewal system, resulting in undocumented refugees losing access to bank accounts and education. When her refugee permit expired in June last year, Congolese nurse Marseline Buhoro started getting calls from her bank in Johannesburg saying her account would be frozen. Then her children's university told her they would not be able to graduate because her family was technically undocumented. Buhoro […]

10 March 2022

Local

‘Instead of fixing potholes?’- SA reacts to Mbalula’s ‘trip’ to Ukraine

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula's cryptic post about his “trip” to Ukraine has left social media abuzz with reactions. The minister, without any context, shared that he had “just landed in Ukraine”. The cryptic tweet came as social media users debated SA's response to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Mbalula also retweeted a statement by the Russian embassy in SA claiming it had received “a great number of letters of […]

7 March 2022

Local

Public Protector takes Stakeholder Roadshow to the Western Cape

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and her Deputy, Kholeka Gcaleka, are expected to meet with Western Cape government officials in Cape Town on Monday. This is part of their nationwide Public Protector Stakeholder Roadshow. Officials will meet with Premier Alan Winde and leaders to discuss service delivery issues. These include drain blockages as a result of aging infrastructure and the rising population density as raised with the office the Public Protector. Mkhwebane […]

7 March 2022

Local

Cele, Herron say Cape Town law enforcement unit is ‘rogue’

Police minister Bheki Cele has told parliament the City of Cape Town is running an “unconstitutional” law enforcement unit using powers reserved only for the national police service. Cele was responding to a question from GOOD party MP Brett Herron, who said the unit was “a rogue police unit acting parallel to the police service and the Hawks”. “The functions of the municipal police service are traffic policing, [enforcing] municipal […]

3 March 2022

Uncategorized

Mbalula assesses work on Metrorail Southern Line infrastructure upgrade

Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, is assessing work on the upgrade of Metrorail Southern Line infrastructure which was vandalised when the service was stopped because of the pandemic. This comes after the Western Cape was granted a certificate to run the new Electric Motor Unit (EMU). The EMU relies less on overhead cables that get vandalised and stolen. The Cape Flats and the Southern Lines are the only two lines […]

3 March 2022

Local

‘I am extremely angry’: Alan Winde removes suspended MEC over damning sexual misconduct report

Western Cape premier Alan Winde has removed suspended community safety MEC Albert Fritz from the provincial cabinet adding that he was “not a fit and proper person to hold any position in my executive council”. Fritz was given the chop after the finalisation of an independent investigation into the veracity of allegations of sexual misconduct. A report on the findings of the probe was handed to Winde on Sunday evening. […]

1 March 2022

Local

Ebrahim Patel to appear before SAHRC hearings into July unrest

The Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel will on Friday morning appear before the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) hearings into the Gauteng leg of the July 2021 unrest. About 350 people died in the week-long spree of violence and looting that caused billions of rand in damages to businesses and infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. On Thursday the commission heard that socio-economic challenges could have prompted residents […]

25 February 2022

International

Russian troops advance on Kyiv as Ukrainian leader pleads for help

Missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital on Friday as Russian forces pressed their advance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded with the international community to do more, saying sanctions announced so far were not enough. Air raid sirens wailed over Kyiv amid unconfirmed reports that a Russian plane had been shot down and crashed into a building a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion that has shocked the […]

25 February 2022

Tauhierah Salie

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