BRAILLORAMA
October 2025
Volume 56 No. 10
Printed in UBC braille
by Braille Services of Blind SA
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Editors: Christo de Klerk
Martie de Klerk
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‘This publication is made possible with financial assistance from the Department Sports, Arts & Culture’
Lamola weighs in on Trump’s decision not to attend the G20 leaders’ summit
By Itumeleng Mafisa
The Citizen, 6 September 2025
South Africa still does not have an ambassador in the U.S.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, has reacted to a decision by United States (US) President Donald Trump not to attend the G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa.
Trump told reporters at a White House media briefing that he will not be attending the summit.
“I will not be going this year. It is in South Africa. JD Vance will be going, the vice-president. He looks forward to it, but I will not be going,” he said.
Trump’s decision comes as no surprise since Pretoria and Washington are trying to reset relations.
Speaking to SABC NEWS in Mpumalanga, Lamola welcomed Trump’s decision.
“We welcome the fact that he has assigned or appointed his deputy president, JD Vance, to be the one who attends the G20 in South Africa.
“We welcome this development. The US can assign anyone that President Trump deems necessary. We look forward to interacting with him on the platforms of the G20,” he said.
The reasons behind Trump’s decision
Lamola said he does not want to speculate on the reasons for Trump’s decision not to come to South Africa.
“That is for him to state. For us, we welcome that JD Vance has been assigned, but we also know that he is reluctant to travel long distances.
“But I believe the White House can share reasons for Trump’s decision.”
Lamola said he believes the G20 will produce its ambitious outcomes despite Trump’s absence.
Another blow to Pretoria
South Africa will also hand over the G20 presidency to the US at the conclusion of the leaders’ summit.
The South African government was looking forward to hosting Trump at the G20 leaders’ summit.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, earlier this year confirmed that Trump would be given adequate security upon his arrival.
However, it appears that relations between the Ramaphosa administration and the Trump administration are not as great as Pretoria wants them to be.
Trump has previously accused South Africa of abusing minority groups, especially Afrikaner farmers.
His government has imposed 30% tariffs on South African exports to the U.S.
Trump had also cut essential funding for HIV-AIDS programmes in South Africa.
There is also a pending bill that could lead to sanctions against some ANC leaders.
US ‘now a global threat’
By Eric Mthobeli Naki
The Citizen, 8 September 2025
Former minister warns of creeping authoritarianism and the erosion of civic trust.
The US is no longer a leading democracy and has become not only an irritation to its own citizens, but a threat to the rest of the world.
This is according to former minister of international relations and cooperation Naledi Pandor.
She was delivering an annual lecture at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection at the University of Johannesburg.
Pandor, who is the Nelson Mandela Foundation board chair, said the “tectonic shift in the US was part of a world which is shifting under our feet”.
She was more diplomatic than former SA ambassador to Washington Ebrahim Rasool, in not directly naming US President Donald Trump.
She also lashed out at the Joe Biden administration for its disrespect for international law.
Pandor said the current US stance on immigration indicates that the American dream is no longer an open invitation, and that an open, inclusive electoral democracy, which had been embraced for many decades, is no longer regarded as legitimate.
Instead, “women’s reproductive rights and equality could be – and were – severely undermined, and judicial independence, a cornerstone of American democracy, was to suffer significant reversal”.
American fears and ‘authoritarian conduct’
She said many Americans had a fear of immigration, there was a decline in working-class feelings of economic empowerment, blamed on migrants, and the view that government machinery has become “a monstrous, menacing presence in public life”.
Pandor criticised what she called “complacency and spaces for authoritarian directives” in the US.
This had been seen in the dismissal of thousands of government workers over just two months, “with not much of a whimper from trade unions and other organs of civil society”.
She said, “Authoritarian conduct has fascinating snowball characteristics”.
Negative actions may begin with instructions to end protests, and then change into curricula written by a politician, and then instruction on who to admit, and finally state control of all senate appointments.
“In the research domain, views of non-scientists on the efficacy of vaccines can develop into new protocols on infant inoculations, then become false statistics on infection prevalence, deaths and so on,” she said.
“A culture of rejecting intellectual excellence can very readily become a universal culture of mediocrity.”
Trump’s clear vision
Pandor said for all the faults ascribed to the American leader, he has a clear purpose and vision: to make America great again by punishing other states, by using military and economic might, and by somehow convincing the working-class majority that every reversal is temporary and is in their interests and will eventually guarantee greatness.
“It is tragic that many will experience the results of failing to use power for positive objectives,” she said.
Africa’s failure
Pandor lambasted Africa for failing to act as a strategic united economic force, rather than national states trying ineffectively to engage with giants.
“Tragically, Africa has not succeeded fully in weaning itself of dependency on aid, on the reality of long-term leaders that cannot shift the ground, on corruption, and poor capacity in executing development plans,” she said.
“Belief that rescue exists from Europe, America or China is misplaced, and greater investment in African excellence and African performance is critically urgent.”
‘About time’: Malema hate speech ruling welcomed
By Marizka Coetzer
The Citizen, 29 August 2025
It was high time EFF leader Julius Malema was held accountable for his hateful and racist remarks, Freedom Front Plus (FF+) leader Dr Corné Mulder says, after the Equality Court in Cape Town found Malema guilty of hate speech.
This ruling follows Malema’s 2022 speech calling for violence against white men following an incident at Brackenfell High School in Cape Town.
Mulder said: “The court found that statements made by Malema, along with placards displayed by EFF members, constituted hate speech and incitement to violence.”
FF+ welcome Equality Court ruling against Malema
The case stemmed from complaints lodged by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) following an incident at Brackenfell High School, where parents clashed with EFF members.
Malema asked why a man who had been in a physical altercation with an EFF member had not yet been dealt with.
He added that a revolution sometimes requires killing.
Mulder said, in response, the Freedom Front Plus lodged a complaint with the HRC and it found the EFF leader guilty of hate speech.
“It is necessary to note that the ruling does not broadly condemn Malema’s racist remarks or his frequent singing of the song Kill the Boer. It is, however, encouraging that a South African court made this finding and it shines the spotlight on last year’s appeal court ruling that Kill the Boer does not constitute hate speech,” he said.
‘Kill the Boer is hate speech’ – Mulder
Mulder said the FF+ maintains Kill the Boer is hate speech and divisive, particularly in SA, where racial tensions often flare up.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa would do well to note the court ruling, especially after he refused to condemn Kill the Boer when recently confronted about it by US President Donald Trump.”
AfriForum’s head of public relations Ernst van Zyl said the Equality Court’s judgment confirms that Malema and the EFF are extremists who incite violence against minorities and spread racial hatred.
“It is outrageous that the president invited Malema to rejoin the ANC in 2018 and continues to treat him with kid gloves.”
‘Malema and the EFF are extremists’ – AfriForum
“This judgment, the UK government refusing Malema a visa due to his extremist rhetoric and the US state department sounding the alarm over the EFF’s incitement of violence against minority groups casts a shameful shadow on Ramaphosa and the ANC’s refusal to condemn Malema and Kill the Boer,” he said.
TLU SA manager Bennie van Zyl said the verdict should be the start of more action to enforce accountability.
How SA parents are fighting back against their children’s smartphone addiction
By Takudzwa Pongweni
Daily Maverick, 05 Sep 2025
As smartphone use becomes a rite of passage for children, parents face growing challenges managing mental health, social pressures and online dangers. Discover how South African families are pushing back to protect their children’s wellbeing in a hyper-connected world.
When Colleen’s* children received their first smartphones when they were about nine, she saw it as a natural milestone.
“It was very much a rite of passage. I didn’t think it was an issue back then,” says Colleen, a single mother from Gauteng with two teenagers. Their early years had already been shaped by technology, iPads, games and digital play, so smartphones felt like the logical next step for tech-savvy kids growing up in a digital age. But as her children reached ages 11 and 12, she began noticing unsettling changes she now associates with smartphone use.
“Both of them independently went through a very particular change of behaviour; my daughter’s dark thoughts and obsession with social media pressures, and my son’s increased aggression and swearing influenced by friends and online gaming culture,” she says.
Colleen recalls her daughter’s struggle with social media’s ruthless body image standards.
“She was constantly comparing herself to the ‘thin girls’, dealing with puberty and the pressure to look perfect. It caused a lot of moodiness, very dark thoughts,” she says.
Meanwhile, her son’s world changed in a different way: “His behaviour got hysterical, with rage and aggressive language. It was like they became impossible to parent.”
The family sought expert help early, with both children seeing psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists. Reflecting now, Colleen admits: “I think the onset of behavioural issues coincided directly with introducing smartphones around age nine.”
Colleen’s experience is far from unique. Across South Africa and around the world, smartphones have woven themselves so tightly into childhood that it feels almost impossible to imagine growing up without them.
Yet beneath this hyper-connected reality lies a growing, alarming body of research linking early and unrestricted smartphone use to serious mental health challenges, including rising rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation among young people. Parents find themselves caught in an impossible bind: wanting to protect and support their children, but faced with the immense pressure of providing early access to smartphones, whether for social inclusion, safety, or educational reasons.
The digital dilemma
“I am an older mom of teenagers; we are the generation that didn’t have this information that we have today, and so what’s happened is the entire global generation of me as a parent has started to notice that there was a big change in our children,” says Colleen.
Debate and anxiety about preteen and teen smartphone access are intensifying worldwide. Research links early, frequent smartphone use with behavioural issues and emotional distress. One study even describes smartphones as a “parasite” on our brains. A South African study associates excessive social media use among young adults with sleep deprivation, fear of missing out, low self-esteem and increased suicide risk.
Many young people spend more than seven hours daily on social media, fuelling anxiety and despair. Cyberbullying on these platforms correlates more strongly with suicide attempts than face-to-face bullying, while image-focused apps such as Instagram exacerbate negative mental health outcomes. The digital dangers go beyond addiction; sextortion, grooming and extortion are rampant online.
Colleen paints a vivid picture of the pressures parents face in today’s highly connected world.
“At this age, every single kid in our suburb has a phone; there wouldn’t be one without. Their entire social and academic lives happen online, from schoolwork to clubs and social events. If a child didn’t have a phone, they’d be excluded in every way,” she says.
Many parents make practical compromises, such as using devices to occupy children or stay connected for safety and yet they feel ill-equipped to set firm boundaries amid rapid technological changes.
Anna*, a working mother, candidly describes these struggles.
“Sometimes you just don’t have time, and you give in. You feel terrible, but it’s okay. We try to be intentional on the days we can.”
The slow-tech revolution
This complex digital landscape has sparked a growing movement in South Africa. Smart Device-Free Childhood SA (SFC-SA) champions a “slow-tech” philosophy, encouraging families to delay unrestricted smartphone access to protect children’s mental wellbeing and foster digital resilience.
At the heart of this movement is the Digital Parent Pact, a community of like-minded parents committed to mindful tech habits. The pact launches when at least 10 parents from the same school grade pledge online to postpone smartphone introduction. This collective approach provides peer support and shared strength, empowering families to resist pressures from peer exclusion and school requirements.
Anna is one of many parents who have joined SFC-SA. Worried about how many children already have phones, she says: “My daughter will be in Grade 3 next year, and some of her friends already have phones. How long do I hold out if by Grade 5 she’s the last without one?”
Having witnessed the addictive hold of social media firsthand, Anna found clarity and community through SFC-SA.
“I wanted to connect with parents who think alike, to build support. It’s pointless to say ‘no smartphones’ if every other child already has one,” she says.
Anna also shares her observations about how her children consume content.
“They used to watch a lot of YouTube. I’d hear what they were watching and have to redirect [them] to something kid-friendly. Even with YouTube Kids, it’s hard to control and it worries me. One time my son watched a Bluey clip where Bluey told her mom she wanted to kill her. That’s clearly not appropriate,” she says.
Anna’s experience with tablets highlighted the warning signs for her.
“Around two years ago, when we introduced tablets, I started seeing addictive behaviours. The kids would cry loudly when devices were taken away as if their life was over. It made me question how healthy this is,” she says.
Anna is also deeply concerned about the content her kids encounter online.
“I’ve seen sexually explicit advertisements on games meant for four-year-olds. It’s disturbing. Tech companies aren’t protecting our children; they’re profiting and that’s why as parents we need to take a stand,” she says.
Colleen joined SFC-SA in 2025, despite her children already being teenagers. “The damage felt done,” she says. “My daughter told me she started receiving sexual messages – ‘dick pics’ – from age 12, which shocked me.”
“With my son, I discovered racist memes and hateful language circulating in his gaming Discord groups; things I never expected.”
Nicky*, a dedicated SFC-SA member and mother, highlights the strength of community.
“It’s tough swimming upstream alone, but with 16,000 parents committed to delaying phones until high school, kids aren’t ostracised. It’s about finding your tribe and standing firm together,” she says.
How parents are pressing pause
Parents are experimenting with different strategies to manage screen time and create healthier relationships with technology at home.
Anna’s family limits screen time to about an hour and a half per day, split between after school and before bed, promoting balanced and healthy media habits.
“We try for family movie nights on weekends; it’s not perfect, but it works about 60-70% of the time,” she says.
She sees schools as crucial allies in this effort, believing that phone-free policies can ease parental pressures and protect children during the school day. “Children deserve to grow, play and connect without the constant pull of screens. By joining forces, parents and schools can press pause on smartphones and create a healthier future.”
Claire* took a different, yet equally effective approach by establishing a family “round table”, an open forum for honest conversation.
“We talk about behaviour that’s offensive or out of line. Everyone gets a say, including my son saying, ‘It’s just a joke, you’re too sensitive’. We negotiate and find compromises we all agree on.”
Dialogue has reduced friction more than punishments ever could and while some battles remain, Claire’s family agrees on clear boundaries, such as no phones after 9pm, which helps preserve downtime and encourages respect, she said.
Claire’s advice is straightforward: “You have to be the bad guy sometimes. Set boundaries firmly. They’ll push back, but without limits, they’ll never stop scrolling and gaming.”
*Not their real names
Winning the screen time battle:
• Set clear daily screen time limits and spread use across the day to avoid overload;
• Establish phone-free zones such as dining areas and bedrooms to encourage real-world interaction and better sleep;
• Create family rituals such as weekend movie nights or “round table” discussions to promote open communication and negotiation;
• Encourage schools to adopt phone-free policies to support consistent boundaries during learning hours;
• Use charging stations where all family members place their phones overnight to model healthy habits;
• Have honest, age-appropriate conversations explaining that restrictions are temporary and designed for safety;
• Install protective software that monitors and blocks harmful content and interactions;
• Seek early support if you notice red flags regarding your child’s behaviour, including counselling when necessary; and
• Build and lean on a community of like-minded parents to resist peer pressure and societal norms.
Frequent flyers: Airlines are coming for your power banks
By Faizel Patel
The Citizen, 18 August 2025
Airlines are restricting the use of power banks during flights amid concerns related to lithium-ion battery fires.
If you are a frequent flyer and use power banks during airline flights, you might want to pay very close attention to this.
Several international airlines are restricting the use of power banks during flights amid concerns related to lithium-ion battery fires, which may cause an accident onboard.
Safety concerns
The international airlines stress that portable charges or power banks present safety concerns after a recent flight from Brazil to the Netherlands needed to make an emergency landing after a power bank overheated and filled the passenger cabin with smoke.
Emirates Airlines said, effective from 1 October, it will prohibit the use of portable chargers onboard.
“There has been a significant growth in customers using power banks in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents onboard flights across the wider aviation industry.”
Rules
Emirates is among the popular airlines, with the UAE national carrier currently operating 161 flights per week between Dubai and destinations across the African continent, including South Africa.
The new power bank regulations allow customers to carry one power bank that is under 100 Wh equivalent to about 20,000mAh, but they may not be used to charge any personal devices onboard.
Charging a power bank using the aircraft’s power supply is not permitted, and all power banks accepted for transport must have capacity rating information available.
Power banks may also not be placed in the overhead stowage bin onboard the aircraft and must now be placed in the seat pocket or a bag under the seat in front of you. Power banks are not permitted in checked luggage.
Not allowed
The Citizen was also made aware of the restrictions on power banks on a recent Air China flight to Shenzhen.
“Sir, you are not allowed to use power banks during the flight. If you want to charge your phone, you can use the plug socket under your seat,” the flight attendant told this reporter.
Inconvenience
Brendon Peterson, tech expert and Editor of Reframed, told The Citizen that the new rules may come as an inconvenience to frequent travellers.
“We are seeing a growing trend from airlines to curb the usage of power banks on flights. It’s not an outright ban. You are allowed to bring your power bank on the plane in your carry-on. Please do not put it in your checked baggage. However, you are not allowed to use it on the plane.
“This is because of incidents that have happened in various parts of the world where power banks have burst into flame and caused issues on board the flight,” Peterson said.
There have been concerns regarding lithium-ion batteries and degradation over time due to misuse and manufacturing defects.
What do you do?
Peterson advised travellers to ensure that they take precautions when packing power banks when on flights.
“What this means for you as a traveller is, if you are embarking on an international flight, please double-check with your airline. Go to the airline website and double-check whether you are actually allowed to bring a power bank on board and use it.
“If not, then usually there is a source of power, either the seat back in front of you or underneath your seat. Those usually are not USB-C, though, but rather the traditional USB-A. So bring a charging cable or charging adapter that works with either USB-C or USB-A, and a new label charger that way,” Peterson said.
Lithium-ion batteries
However, this does create a massive inconvenience for travellers where the infotainment system may not work, or if you are travelling with children, and need to keep them entertained with a tablet.
“You can charge, it just becomes a little bit more inconvenient, a little bit slower for you to be able to do that,” Peterson said.
Power banks primarily utilise lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries, and their function is as a portable battery pack designed to recharge devices on the go. The batteries contain lithium ions suspended in an electrolyte solution.
Most phones and sophisticated lithium battery-powered devices have an internal trickle system which slowly adds current into the battery to prevent overcharging, but many basic power banks may not have this safeguard, increasing the risk.
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SA se banksektor onder beleg: KI-gedrewe bedrog verdubbel
Janice du Plessis
Maroela Media, 8 September 2025
ʼn Nuwe, skrikwekkende bedreiging loer om elke digitale hoek vir Suid-Afrikaanse bankkliënte. KI-gedrewe swendelary en digitale bankbedrog is besig om die land se finansiële sektor te oorweldig, en gewone burgers trek weereens aan die kortste end.
Die Suid-Afrikaanse Bankrisiko-inligtingsentrum (Sabric) het ʼn grusame prentjie geskets. Die getal gevalle van digitale bankbedrog het tussen 2023 en 2024 verdubbel, en finansiële verliese het van R1 miljard tot ʼn onrusbarende R1,4 miljard gestyg.
Hoewel die totale verliese weens finansiële misdaad in die algemeen gedaal het, is dit duidelik dat skelms toenemend op gewone bankkliënte fokus.
Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach, die DA se woordvoerder oor justisie en grondwetlike ontwikkeling, meen hierdie situasie laat Suid-Afrikaners kwesbaar.
“Op die oomblik is banke in Suid-Afrika nie wetlik verplig om kliënte wat slagoffers van swendelary word, te vergoed nie.
“Indien ʼn kliënt kan bewys dat ʼn bank nalatig was, kan hulle vergoeding soek, maar dit is dikwels ʼn lang en duur proses. Intussen hou swendelaars aan om swakhede in digitale stelsels uit te buit, en dit laat verbruikers kwesbaar vir misdaad. Suid-Afrikaners verdien veiliger digitale ruimtes en sterker beskerming teen kubermisdaad.”
In die aangesig van hierdie groeiende krisis glo die DA dat tegnologie deel van die oplossing moet wees, en nie net die probleem nie.
Daarom het die party die 20ste Wysiging van die Grondwet voorgestel, wat daarop gemik is om ʼn kuberkommissie op die been te bring.
Volgens Breytenbach sal hierdie onafhanklike kommissie ʼn deurslaggewende rol speel in die bekamping van kubermisdaad.
“Hierdie onafhanklike kommissie het die potensiaal om kubersekuriteit oor die openbare en die private sektor heen te versterk, en te verseker dat die polisie die gereedskap en kundigheid het om kubermisdaad te ondersoek, ook KI-gedrewe bankswendelary,” het sy verduidelik.
Die kommissie sal egter meer doen as om net misdaad te bekamp. Dit sal ʼn spilpunt word vir die monitering en rapportering van kuberbedreigings, help om opleiding in die private en openbare sektor te koördineer, en duidelike reëls uitvaardig om sensitiewe inligting te beveilig.
“Kortom, dit sal die staat sowel as burgers die beskerming gee wat hulle nodig het teen kubermisdadigers wat tegnologie vir finansiële gewin uitbuit,” het sy benadruk.
Breytenbach is oortuig dat die huidige situasie onaanvaarbaar is.
“Suid-Afrikaners behoort hulle nie te bekommer om bedrieg te word elke keer as hulle hul bankrekeninge gebruik nie.”
“Die DA se plan vir ʼn kuberkommissie gaan daaroor om nou op te tree om burgers te beskerm, instellings te versterk en te verseker dat ons land tred hou met tegnologiese verandering.”
SA se kernvermoë vir eie staal ook daarmee heen as Amsa vou
Janice du Plessis
Maroela Media, 5 September 2025
Die regering se reddingsboei aan ArcelorMittal Suid-Afrika (Amsa), die land se enigste primêre staalvervaardiger, het groot debat ontketen, met sekere partye wat dit as ʼn vermorsing van belastingbetalers se geld beskou.
Ander waarsku weer dat hierdie staalreus se ondergang eenvoudig net té rampspoedig vir die land se ekonomie gaan wees.
Volgens Willie Venter, adjunkhoofsekretaris vir metaal en ingenieurswese by Solidariteit, is Amsa van onskatbare waarde vir dié land – en die skuld van die moontlike sluiting van sy aanlegte kan grootliks voor die regering se deur gelê word.
“Baie mense besef nie dat staal die ruggraat van byna elke nywerheid vorm nie. Van motorvervaardiging en mynbou, tot konstruksie en selfs militêre toerusting. Sonder plaaslike staalvervaardiging word nywerhede afhanklik van ingevoerde produkte wat nie dieselfde gehalte bied nie.
“Dit maak dit boonop moeiliker vir plaaslike ondernemings om mededingend te wees en beperk die ontwikkeling van kritieke industrieë wat op hoëgehalte staal vertrou.”
In teenstelling met ander ondernemings wat hoofsaaklik ingevoerde staal of skroot-staal verwerk, is Amsa die enigste maatskappy in Suid-Afrika wat steeds primêre staal uit ystererts vervaardig.
“As ons Amsa verloor, verloor ons die kernvermoë om ons eie staal en sogenaamde spesialisstale te vervaardig. Dan sit ons met ʼn ekonomie wat afhanklik is van buitelandse verskaffers – en dit is ʼn resep vir rampspoed in ʼn land wat reeds sukkel om werkgeleenthede te behou.”
Billik of verkwistend?
Maroela Media het vroeër berig die regering het oor die afgelope jare verskeie vorme van finansiële bystand aan Amsa verleen. Dit sluit onder meer R417 miljoen uit die Werkloosheidsversekeringsfonds (WVF) in, met die voorwaarde dat geen afleggings plaasvind nie, sowel as R2,6 miljard in lenings en belegging deur die Nywerheidsontwikkelingskorporasie (NOK).
“Die spesiale finansiële steun wat Amsa ontvang het, draai om die mandaat van die NOK om in die groei van die bedryf te belê. Die NOK is getaak om in sekere bedrywe te belê om eienaarskap of aandele uit die belegging te kry en om sodoende te help waar daar potensiële groei oor nywerhede kan plaasvind. Die NOK het ʼn 7%- of 8%-aandeel in Amsa,” verduidelik Venter.
Hy het ook bevestig dat lenings aan Amsa toegestaan is om sy aanlegte langer oop te hou nadat die sluiting van sommige daarvan reeds vroeg verlede jaar aangekondig is.
“Daardie finansiële lening wat aan hulle toegestaan is, en wat hulle moet terugbetaal, het ten doel gehad om die verliese wat hy maak te help finansier. Dit was ʼn tydlike oplossing om meer tyd te wen.”
Volgens Venter is die geld nie ʼn vermorsing van belastingbetalers se geld nie aangesien dit terugbetaal moet word.
“Dit is dus nie dieselfde as die reddingsboeie wat aan staatsbeheerde ondernemings soos die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens en die Poskantoor toegestaan is waar ons nooit weer die geld gaan sien nie.”
Boonop het Amsa ook TERS-befondsing ontvang, wat uit die WVF aan sakeondernemings beskikbaar gestel word indien hulle aan sekere vereistes voldoen.
Hierdie geld gaan egter nie gebruik word nie aangesien Amsa reeds aangekondig het dat hy sy aanlegte wil sluit, sê Venter.
Staalreus se ‘perfekte storm’
Volgens hom lê die kern van die probleem nie by die reddingsboei self nie, maar by die regering se versuim om die breër strukturele uitdagings van die ekonomie te pak.
“Een van die hoofprobleme wat Amsa die afgelope dekade getref het, is onstabiele kragvoorsiening en die astronomiese koste daarvan. Swak en onseker regeringsbeleid het die probleem vererger.
“Daar behoort iewers verligting te wees vir groot vervaardigers. Baie lande bied gesubsidieerde elektrisiteit- en vervoertariewe aan om industrialisering te bevorder, en ons meen die regering behoort soortgelyke maatreëls ernstig te oorweeg.”
Die hoë insetkoste strek egter verder as elektrisiteit.
“Vervoer, logistiek en grondstofpryse het alles aansienlik gestyg en dit plaas buitengewone druk op ondernemings wat van primêre staalvervaardiging afhanklik is.”
Hy meen daar is ʼn duidelike behoefte aan ʼn gestruktureerde benadering deur die regering om die nywerheid se volhoubaarheid te verseker.
“Onduidelikheid oor invoertariewe, belasting en nywerheidsbeleid het Amsa se vermoë om volhoubaar en mededingend sake te doen, ernstig belemmer.
“Ons sien hoe ingevoerde staal, veral goedkoop produkte uit China, die plaaslike mark oorstroom en ʼn oneweredige mededingingsveld skep wat plaaslike vervaardigers benadeel.”
Hy sê daar is boonop heelwat kleiner aanlegte wat goedkoper staal vervaardig deur skroot te smelt.
“Hulle prosesse lyk egter heeltemal anders as dié van Amsa, wat ʼn langer, arbeidsintensiewe proses het en dus aansienlik hoër koste meebring.”
Volgens Venter het die kleiner aanlegte reeds 50% van die plaaslike mark oorgeneem.
“Amsa benodig meer as finansiële ondersteuning – die regering moet besef dat regverdige tariewe, toepaslike invoerbeleid en verbeterde infrastruktuur van kritieke belang vir die volhoubaarheid van die bedryf is.”
Die regering moes reeds jare gelede struktuurhervormings aangebring het om die bedryf te ondersteun.
“Dit is die perfekte storm: hoë insetkoste, swak beleid, goedkoop invoer en onvoldoende logistieke ondersteuning. Die reddingsboeie het net tyd gewen, maar die kernprobleme is nog steeds daar.”
“As daar van meet af ʼn gesonde omgewing vir groot vervaardigers soos Amsa geskep is – met regverdige elektrisiteit- en vervoertariewe, duidelike invoerbeleid en betroubare infrastruktuur – sou direkte reddingsboeie nooit nodig gewees het nie.”
Die oplossings hoef ook nie noodwendig finansieel te wees nie.
“Die regering kan beleidsaanpassings doen, soos om die Eskom-tariewe vir die vervaardigingsbedryf aan te pas, Transnet se logistieke uitdagings op te los en ʼn gebalanseerde benadering tot invoer en beskerming van plaaslike staal te handhaaf.
“Hierdie maatreëls sou die hele bedryf bevoordeel, nie net vir Amsa nie, en help om mededingendheid en volhoubare werkgeleenthede te bevorder.”
Venter benadruk dat die verlies van Amsa se kapasiteit nie net ʼn ekonomiese uitdaging is nie, maar ʼn bedreiging vir die hele nywerheidswaardeketting inhou.
“Hierdie is nie bloot ʼn saak van werkers wat hul poste verloor nie – dit bedreig die land se kapasiteit om kritieke nywerheidsvaardighede te ontwikkel, gevorderde produksieprosesse te onderhou en uitvoermarkte te bedien.”
Omkeerplan vir ekonomie: Minder planne, meer doen
Tania Heyns
Maroela Media, 8 September 2025
Die Business 20, oftewel die B20 – waarvan Suid-Afrika se mees senior sakelui vanjaar as deel van Suid-Afrika se G20-presidentskap aan die stuur is – het uiteindelik sy aanbevelings ingedien. Dit sal nou deur die G20-lidlande oorweeg word.
Busisiwe Mavuso, uitvoerende hoof van Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), sê die aanbevelings bied ʼn bewese handleiding vir presies die soort vinnige, geteikende intervensies wat die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie nodig het.
“Nie abstrakte globale beleide nie, maar konkrete hervormings wat ander ontluikende ekonomieë suksesvol onder soortgelyke druk in werking gestel het.”
Mavuso is veral optimisties omdat die werkgroep se benadering komplekse ekonomiese transformasie in uitvoerbare stukke opbreek. Sy sê dit is presies die soort inkrementele verbeterings wat werk, eerder as die groot planne wat gewoonlik in komiteekamers vassteek.
Mavuso sê dat ontwikkeling plaasvind danksy dié verbeterings, eerder as die ambisieuse planne op papier.
“Die uitdagings is kompleks, maar die B20-raamwerk wys ons hoe om dit stapsgewys aan te pak.
“Neem die globale handelsituasie: Die B20 se handelsfasiliteringsaanbevelings word selfs meer kritiek as ons in ag neem dat Amerikaanse tariewe maatskappye dwing om moeilike besluite oor produksielyne te neem.
“Ons kan nie Washington se handelsbeleid beheer nie, maar ons kan beheer hoe vinnig ons die B20 se aanbevelings oor digitale doeanestelsels en uitvoerprosedures instel om ons vervaardigers te help om na nuwe markte oor te skakel.
“Hoe gebruik ons ons eie tariewe om strategies sleutel- binnelandse nywerhede te bevorder en hulle in staat te stel om uit te brei? Werk die sakebedryf en die regering nou genoeg saam om vinnig op probleme te reageer soos dit ontstaan? Is die regering gereed om vinnig op te tree om spesifieke probleme op te los?
“Die B20 se klem op vennootskappe wat deur die bedryf gelei word, wys ons presies hoe hierdie samewerking behoort te werk,” sê Mavuso.
Mavuso sê ’n ommekeer in die ekonomie behoort die Suid-Afrikaanse regering se hoogste prioriteit te wees.
“Intussen benodig ons dapper en dringende optrede in die domeine wat binne ons beheer is. Wat is ons strategie om die motorsektor te stimuleer en dit gereed te kry vir die nuwe markte wat dit sal moet bedien?
“Nog belangriker, wat is ons inwerkingstellingsplan en word daar vinnig vordering daarmee gemaak?
“Eenvoudige goed verbeter, soos om die visumstelsel reg te stel om dit makliker te maak om dokumente van binnelandse sake deur banke te kry, om mense die aktes op hul huise te gee. Hierdie dinge strook perfek met die B20 se regulatoriese vaartbelyningsbeginsels: gefokusde hervormings wat nie groot planne vereis nie, net daadwerklike optrede. Die B20 bied duidelike beleidsveranderinge wat ons dadelik kan instel om [byvoorbeeld] ons werkkrisis die hoof te bied.”
Mavuso meen die B20-werkgroep se aanbevelings oor spesiale ekonomiese sones bied een antwoord oor hoe om vinnig ʼn omgewing te skep wat vervaardiging kan laat herleef.
“Met 250 000 werkgeleenthede in gevaar, kan versnelde vervaardigingsones in die motorbedryf en hernubare energie binne maande, nie jare nie, ontheemde werkers absorbeer.”
Mavuso meen die onmiddellike intervensies moet gefokus wees op werkskepping en vaardigheidsaanpassing. “Die regering moet die spesiale ekonomiese sones met versnelde permitte gebruik vir vervaardigingsbeleggings in die motorbedryf, hernubare energie, landbouverwerking en ander sektore wat vinnig ontheemde werkers kan absorbeer en behou.
“Terselfdertyd moet arbeidsregulasies hervorm word om buigsame indiensnemingsreëlings moontlik te maak terwyl werkersbeskerming versterk word, en bedryfsgeleide vaardigheidsontwikkelingsvennootskappe met verpligte deelname van die private sektor skep.
“Dit pak die vaardigheidswanpassings wat ons werkloosheidskrisis dryf,” sê sy.
Volgens Mavuso is hierdie voorstelle boonop net enkele van die uitgebreide aanbevelings wat in die verslae van die agt B20-werkstrome vervat is.
“Dit lewer ʼn waardevolle bydrae tot die denke oor wat ekonomiese groei wêreldwyd kan bevorder, maar nog belangriker, dit behoort ons aan te spoor om vinnig in ons eie land op te tree terwyl ons die ernstige krisis waarmee ons in ons ekonomie te kampe het, konfronteer.
“Dit lyk soms of die handhawing van die status quo die minste riskante opsie vir beleidmakers is. Maar ek dink dit word baie duidelik dat ʼn ramp op daardie pad lê. Ons kan nie aanhou funksioneer op dieselfde ou maniere terwyl die werkloosheidsbloedbad deur ons ekonomie loop nie. Ons openbare sektor moet intens gefokus raak, net soos ons in die sakesektor, op hoe ons die uitdagings oorkom en verseker dat ons ekonomie resultate vir ons mense kan lewer.”
Nersa-skikking | Koste van elektrisiteit moet ‘dringend aandag kry’
Antoinette Slabbert
Maroela Media, 7 September 2025
Die energiereguleerder Nersa het nie die vermoë wat nodig is in die vinnig ontwikkelende Suid-Afrikaanse kragverskaffingsbedryf nie en moet versterk word met ekstra vaardighede.
Só sê dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, minister van elektrisiteit en energie, aan wie Nersa en Eskom rapporteer.
Ramokgopa het tydens Eskom se vooruitblik op kragverskaffing oor die somermaande gereageer op Nersa se erkenning die afgelope week dat hy ʼn skikking van R54 miljard met Eskom aangegaan het om Nersa-flaters in Eskom se tariefvasstelling reg te stel. Dit moet nog ʼn bevel van die hof gemaak word.
Ramokgopa sê hy het die kwessie met Nersa se leiers bespreek om te verseker dat die organisasie kan byhou met die ontwikkeling van die bedryf. “Nersa het die rekenkundige fout aanvaar en dis nou gedane sake.”
Die hele debakel beklemtoon egter dat die koste van elektrisiteit dringend aandag moet kry, sê Ramokgopa. Mense kan dit eenvoudig nie meer bekostig nie.
Sy departement is besig om die prysbeleid vir elektrisiteit te hersien en hoop om die werk in die eerste helfte van volgende jaar te voltooi.
Die R54 miljard moet egter oor die volgende aantal jare uit verbruikers se sakke kom, tesame met R40 miljard, ná ʼn soortgelyke skikking in Mei wat in die hof bekragtig is.
Nersa het reeds aangedui dat kragtariewe in die volgende twee jaar telkens met byna 9% gaan styg, pleks van die 5,36% en 6,19% wat Nersa in Januarie aangekondig het.
Dít het hewige reaksie uitgelok met die groep vir energie-intensiewe verbruikers (EIUG) wat vra dat Nersa die huidige tariefvasstelling wat strek tot 31 Maart 2028 skrap en die proses van voor af aanpak. Verskeie partye, waaronder AfriForum, wil betrokke raak by die hofproses wat Eskom aan die gang gesit het teen Nersa en wat op die R54 miljard-skikking uitgeloop het.
Nersa moet in die komende week ook voor die parlementêre portefeuljekomitee vir elektrisiteit en energie verskyn om rekenskap te gee van sy flaters.
Eskom se bestuurshoof, Dan Marokane, het in ʼn onderhoud met Maroela Media ook erken dat elektrisiteit onbekostigbaar geword het en sê Eskom hoor wat die publiek daaroor sê. “Die (Eskom-) direksie het ʼn duidelike boodskap aan ons gegee dat verhogings voortaan in enkelsyfers moet wees,” sê hy.
Nietemin moet Eskom volhoubaar wees om te verseker dat die land sekerheid het oor kragverskaffing, sê Marokane en dít is waarop sy string hofaansoeke teen Nersa oor verskeie tariefvasstellings gemik was.
Dit het volgens Marokane gegaan oor die vertolking van die voorgeskrewe metodologie en Eskom het al die sake gewen. Hy meen egter enige twyfel oor die vertolking is nou uitgeklaar.
Hoewel Eskom danksy dié hofoorwinnings op die ou end die geld kry waarop hy geregtig is, kom dit eers jare later en intussen moet die kragverskaffer ten duurste geld leen om die gate toe te stop. Dít verswak oor die algemeen sy finansiële situasie, byna soos ʼn salaristrekker wat nou werk, maar sy salaris eers ʼn paar jaar later kry.
Marokane sê die basiese formule wat in die wet vervat is dat ʼn gereguleerder entiteit soos Eskom sy doeltreffende koste plus ʼn redelike opbrengs op sy bates van kragtariewe mag verhaal, is in die kol. Hy beklemtoon dat slegs omtrent die helfte van Eskom se koste binne die organisasie se beheer is.
Die groot vraag gaan oor die subsidies wat in die tariewe ingebou word – wie moet gesubsidieer word, op watter voorwaardes en vir hoe lank, en wat moet hulle aan die gemeenskap teruggee gedurende daardie tydperk.
Hy sê dít is beleidskwessies waarin die regering moet leiding gee en die huidige hersiening van die prysbeleid sal sekerheid in die mark bring.
Uitbreiding van gratis krag nou nodig
Een van die belangrike aspekte om krag meer bekostigbaar te maak, sê Marokane, is om gratis basiese elektrisiteit vir armes uit te brei.
Agnes Mlambo, Eskom se tussentydse hoof van kragverspreiding, sê die kragverskaffer raam dat sowat 2,1 miljoen kraggebruikers daarvoor kwalifiseer, maar dit bereik tans net omtrent 500 000 van hulle.
Die rede daarvoor is dat baie die krag by Eskom koop, maar deur ʼn moeisame proses by die munisipaliteit moet registreer vir die voordele.
Sy sê in gebiede waar Eskom tans lasvermindering toepas om die plaaslike infrastruktuur teen oorlading te beskerm, is onwettige kragverbindings en kragdiefstal aan die orde van die dag. Baie van dié inwoners kwalifiseer egter vir gratis basiese elektrisiteit, maar benut nie die voordele nie.
Eskom is besig met ʼn grootskaalse veldtog om slimmeters vir voorafbetaalde elektrisiteit in dié gebiede te installeer en hoop om daardeur van die onwettighede ontslae te raak en die noodsaak van lasvermindering, wat ook betalende kraggebruikers in daardie gebiede in die duister laat uit te wis.
Die kragverskaffer sal egter tesame met die installering van dié meters met munisipaliteite saamwerk om te verseker dat die inwoners wat kwalifiseer, die gratis basiese elektrisiteit kry wat die regering vir hulle beskikbaar stel.
Orania boer steeds vooruit
Maroela Media, 6 September 2025
Data van Orania se 2024-sensus wys dat sy bevolking én inkomste sedert 2023 toegeneem het.
Teen Desember verlede jaar het 3 025 mense in Orania gewoon, ʼn toename van 151 (5%) in die bevolkingsgetalle. Altesaam 21 hiervan was nuwe geboortes.
Die gemiddelde inkomste van ʼn salaristrekker het boonop die afgelope jaar met 17,8% gestyg, met ʼn gemiddelde jaarlikse styging van amper 13% sedert 2020. Teen Desember verlede jaar het ʼn werknemer aan ʼn onderneming met ʼn jaarlikse omset van meer as R250 000, jaarliks gemiddeld R174 000 verdien.
Terselfdertyd het die koste van ’n voedselmandjie in Orania met 2,9% gedaal, met ʼn gemiddelde jaar-tot-jaar-daling van 3,2% sedert 2020. “Die gemiddelde Oraniër is dus op hierdie stadium elke jaar beter daaraan toe as die vorige jaar – en dramaties beter as ’n soortgelyke gemiddelde persoon in die res van Suid-Afrika, wat elke jaar finansieel slegter daaraan toe is,” sê Werner Fourie, ekonomiese navorser aan die Orania Ontwikkelingsmaatskappy (Oom).
“Dit word sterk betwyfel of enige ander dorp in Suid-Afrika ’n soortgelyke tendens kan toon, wat die suksesvolle vordering van hierdie selfonderhoudende kultuurdorp – sonder staatsubsidies – bevestig.”
Wat werksgeleenthede betref, het 26,8% van ondernemings beplan om meer werknemers aan te stel, met slegs 10,6% wat moontlik werksgeleenthede gaan afskaal. Net meer as 42% van sake-eienaars het ook aangedui hulle is positief oor die toekoms, terwyl 37,4% neutraal is en slegs 20,3% negatief.
Die getal bouaansoeke (149) het wel sedert 2023 met 18,2% afgeneem, maar die geskatte waarde van aansoeke het met 31% (R44 miljoen) toegeneem. Die meeste aansoeke was vir aanbouings (93) en wonings (49). Twee aansoeke om ʼn winkelruimte en woonstelblok elk is ook ingedien, sowel as een aansoek om ʼn kantoorruimte.
Die waarde van verhandelde eiendomme het in die laaste jaar matig gegroei, maar het sedert 2020 met 35% gestyg.
Volkskool Orania en Orania CVO-skool het ʼn effense toename in leerdergetalle getoon, terwyl die tersiêre instelling, Bo-Karoo Opleiding, se getal inskrywings met 59,4% toegeneem het. “Alle aanduidings is dat hierdie groei sal voortduur en dat Orania ’n gunsteling-plek vir Afrikaner-studente word,” sê Fourie.
Hy sê Orania is dankbaar vir die positiewe toestand van die dorp, ten spyte van moeilike nasionale en internasionale ekonomiese omstandighede, “wat ook by ons gevoel word”.
“Met groeiende krag-, water- en voedselonafhanklikheid, en die voortdurende versterking van plaaslike instellings en strukture, is Orania goed geposisioneer om sterk te bly groei en ’n aantreklike alternatief vir Afrikaners te bied in vergelyking met die res van die land.”
Meeste huiswerkers wil verder studeer, vaardighede aanleer
Elisma van der Watt
Maroela Media, 8 September 2025
Nes miljoene ander Suid-Afrikaners het al hoe meer huiswerkers oor die afgelope jaar ook toenemend gesukkel om kop bo water te hou. Lae-inkomste-individue en -huishoudings word geraak deur Suid-Afrika se stagnerende ekonomie, beperkte groei en geopolitieke onstabiliteit en konflikte.
Sweepsouth, ʼn skoonmaakdiens wat huiswerkers en voornemende klante verbind, se jaarlikse verslag oor huiswerkers se inkomste en werksomstandighede wys dat 18% van huiswerkers naskoolse kwalifikasies het, terwyl byna die helfte van hulle (43%) hoërskool voltooi het.
Luidens die verslag is 82% van huiswerkers die hoofbroodwinners en elkeen van dié werkers sorg vir gemiddeld 3,97 afhanklikes.
Lourandi Kriel, uitvoerende hoof van Sweepsouth, sê die finansiële druk beteken dat huiswerkers, selfs al werk hulle voltyds, nie hul mees basiese behoeftes kan dek nie. Baie leef van maand tot maand en wend hulle dikwels tot skuld om die tekort te oorbrug.
Altesame 39% van huiswerkers verdien steeds minder as die voorgeskrewe minimum loon, met ʼn maandelikse inkomste van R3 635. Dit is veel minder as die R4 500 wat nodig is vir basiese lewenskoste.
Oor die afgelope jaar het die koste van basiese produkte en dienste ingrypend gestyg. Behuisingskoste het met 11% toegeneem en voedselpryse met gemiddeld 8%. Vir die gemiddelde huiswerker staan die maandelikse tekort tussen hul inkomste en die betaling van hul noodsaaklike uitgawes nou op byna R900.
Volgens Kriel laat dit geen ruimte vir spaargeld, noodgevalle of belegging in onderwys nie. Gesinne word gedwing om onmoontlike keuses te maak tussen kos op die tafel, huur betaal of kinders op skool hou.
Die peiling het onder meer bevind:
• 39% van huiswerkers verdien onder die minimum loon
• 33% het reeds skuld, met 35% van huiswerkers wat terugbetaling as “hopeloos” beskryf
• 20% het mishandeling in die werkplek ervaar
• 16% rapporteer agteruitgang in geestesgesondheid
Kriel sê hierdie bevindings skets ʼn duidelike prentjie van ekonomiese kwesbaarheid.
“Selfs diegene wat voltyds werk, soms sewe dae per week, is vasgevang in ʼn tekort tussen inkomste en basiese oorlewingskoste. Tensy ons loonverskille, misbruik en hindernisse vir vaardigheidsgroei uit die weg ruim, gaan hierdie siklus van ontbering hom bly herhaal.”
Die verslag toon dat skuld terselfdertyd ʼn hanteringsmeganisme en ʼn swaar las vir huiswerkers geword het. Een uit elke drie huiswerkers het skuld en leen dikwels by informele leners wat ʼn hoë rentekoers hef. Meer as ʼn derde van hulle glo dat hul kans op volledige terugbetaling skraal is.
Altesame 16% van die respondente het ook aangedui dat hul geestesgesondheid die afgelope jaar versleg het. Baie het dit regstreeks gekoppel aan finansiële druk, onstabiliteit in die werkplek of ervarings aan misbruik gekoppel. Min huiswerkers het toegang tot bekostigbare berading, hoewel die meeste gesê het dat hulle hulp sou soek indien ʼn diens wel vir hulle beskikbaar (en bekostigbaar) was.
Ondanks hierdie uitdagings, toon huiswerkers steeds veerkragtigheid en ambisie. Sowat 86% van huiswerkers wil hul opleiding voortsit of nuwe vaardighede aanleer. Baie sien huishoudelike werk nie as ʼn langtermynwerk nie, maar as ʼn tydelike een terwyl hulle voorberei vir beter geleenthede.
Baie huiswerkers hoop om mettertyd loopbane in onder meer kinderversorging en verpleging te volg.
Kriel sê Sweepsouth glo dat hierdie onbenutte potensiaal met geteikende ondersteuning, opleiding en werkmobiliteitsprogramme Suid-Afrika se ekonomie kan help versterk.
“Deur in werkers se aspirasies te belê, kan die samelewing paaie na opwaartse mobiliteit oopmaak terwyl gemeenskappe ook versterk word.”
Volgens die verslag was slegs 12% van huiswerkers by die Werkloosheidsversekeringsfonds (WVF) geregistreer voor hulle hul werk verloor het.
Oproep tot aksie
Die verslag doen ʼn beroep op werkgewers om te help met ingryping. Die maatskappy vra onder meer vir –
• betaling van ʼn lewenslange loon wat die werklike lewenskoste weerspieël eerder as slegs die wetlike minimum.
• billike werkure, verlofregte en veilige toestande om die waardigheid van werkers te beskerm.
• ondersteuning vir onderwys- en opleidingsgeleenthede om loopbaanmobiliteit en selfonderhoud moontlik te maak.
• erkenning van huishoudelike werkers in ekonomiese beplanning, veral in tye van breër ekonomiese ontwrigting.
“Huiswerkers is ʼn noodsaaklike deel van Suid-Afrika se maatskaplike en ekonomiese struktuur. Deur in hul welstand en groei te belê, beskerm ons nie net een van die kwesbaarste groepe in die samelewing nie, maar skep ons ook sterker gesinne, meer stabiele gemeenskappe en ʼn werksmag wat eksterne skokke kan weerstaan.
“Tensy loonbeleid, arbeidsbeskerming en maatskaplike belegging verbeter, sal die gaping tussen wat huiswerkers verdien en wat hulle nodig het om te oorleef, aanhou vergroot.”
Kriel sê die gevolge sal nie net deur werkers self gevoel word nie, maar ook deur die gesinne en gemeenskappe wat op hulle staatmaak.
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