South Africa roundup: Cyber theft, E-hailing struggles, White dominance

Cyber theft rocks government

Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson has disclosed a staggering cyber theft amounting to R300 million ($16 million). The breach, exposed during a comprehensive review led by Macpherson and his Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala, revealed systemic vulnerabilities persisting over a decade, The Daily Sun reports.  Macpherson emphasized concerns over potential collusion between officials and cybercriminals. "It's become clear that the department has been a soft target and playground for over 10 years, and this should have been picked up a lot earlier," Macpherson said. “This prompted a full forensic investigation by the Hawks, police, state security agency, and experts in the ICT and cyber security industry,” he added. 

Severe weather prompts school closures

In response to severe weather warnings issued by the SA Weather Service (SAWS), several districts in the Western Cape have closed public and special schools. The storm, anticipated to exacerbate flooding due to saturated grounds, has already caused damage to 137 schools, prompting urgent infrastructure assessments and repairs, Times Live reports. “In the interests of learner and teacher safety, and after extensive consultation with the provincial disaster risk management centre and Saws, a decision has been taken to close schools in certain districts in the Western Cape [on Thursday],” said provincial education MEC, David Maynier. “Over the past few days, 137 schools have reported some form of damage to infrastructure, either as a result of flooding or heavy winds. The majority of the cases are minor, while 49 cases require our urgent attention,” said Maynier. 

Struggles of e-hailing drivers

E-hailing drivers in South Africa continue to face financial hardships worsened by rising fuel costs, vehicle rental fees, and increased commissions. Vincent Lilane from inDrive highlighted that many drivers earn below the minimum wage, underscoring the need for fair pricing structures to sustain driver livelihoods and ensure passenger safety, The Citizen reports. “South African drivers need to work longer hours to compensate for their low income and this could impact driver well-being and potentially also compromise customer safety.” Said Lilane. Adding that “South African drivers need to work longer hours to compensate for their low income and this could impact driver well-being and potentially also compromise customer safety.”

White dominance in top jobs

Labour unions have voiced strong criticism against the persistent dominance of white and Indian individuals in top management positions, as revealed by the Commission of Employment Equity report. The statistics, showing disproportionate representation compared to demographic distributions, have prompted calls for more inclusive employment practices across all racial groups. The report revealed that whites occupied 62.1% and Indians 11.6% of all positions at the top management level, which is significantly higher than their respective economically active populations (EAPs). National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola noted that “Numsa has noted the statistics on employment equity are very disappointing because it shows that we have not made much progress in the last 30 years,” The Citizen quotes. The African population group with an EAP of 80.7% accounted for 17.2% and the coloured population group with an EAP of 9% accounted for only 6.1% of all positions at this occupational level. 

Visa Policy changes for South Africans 

South Africans travelling to Ireland now require visas following a policy change effective July 10. Justice Minister, Helen McEntee cited an alignment with Schengen area standards and UK policies, emphasizing the need to manage international protection applications and regulate immigration more rigorously. "This is a carefully considered decision which will bring Ireland into closer alignment with the Schengen area in respect of both countries and into line with the UK in respect of South Africa,” McEntee is quoted. The move includes establishing dedicated visa processing facilities and transitional arrangements for affected travellers, Time Live reports.