Matjhabeng Munisipaliteit te chaoties vir oudit, pres. Mbeki bring besoek

Die Vrystaatse Ouditeur-generaal, mnr. Ben van Niekerk, het bekend gemaak dat hy vir die derde agtereenvolgende jaar nie 'n mening oor die finansiële state van die Matjhabeng Plaaslike Munisipaliteit te Welkom kan lug nie vanweë die swak toestand daarvan.
Die verskille tussen die state en die bateregister is sowat R5,7 miljoen, terwyl die rekonsiliasie van die algemene bankrekening en die kontantboek toon dat R25,1 miljoen vir die konsiliasie-items nie korrek te boek gestel is nie. Beleggings is met R92 miljoen oorskat, terwyl die slegte skuld van die munisipaliteit onderskat word met sowat R98,6 miljoen. Verbruikersdebiteure se rekenings het van R170,2 miljoen tot R741 miljoen toeggeneem.
In verskeie gevalle kon geen dokumente vir die stawing van uitgawes gevind word nie, terwyl talle wette en regulasies rakende vastebatetariewe, begrotings, elektriese tariewe en bankrekenings nie nagekom is nie.
Die Ouditeur-generaal is tans besig met 'n forensiese opvolgverslag.
Inmiddels word berig dat pres. Thabo Mbeki en die Adjunk-minister vir Provinsiale en Plaaslike Regering, Nomatyala Hangana, op Saterdag, 16 Julie 2005, 'n munisipale imbizo te Welkom gaan hou.

Brand-new co-operatives act holds great opportunities

Parliament is currently debating what is soon going to become a brand new law governing co-operatives. But before you skip over this article because "co-operative" sounds unbusinesslike and unprofitable, consider the following:
All over the world there are examples of co-operatives that have grown into multi-million dollar thriving businesses.
In South Africa, commercial farmers have in the past very successfully marketed their produce and bought raw materials together through co-operatives.
The National Co-operatives Bill allows registered companies, CC's and individuals to be members of co-operatives. Workers' co-operatives are only one kind of co-operative.
While it can be argued that companies and CC's are already forms of co-operatives, the new law allows for an important additional form in which to partner with others in business, giving SA entrepreneurs a wider range of choice. The bill defines different types of co-operatives, including agricultural, workers, social, financial services, marketing and supply co-operatives, but allows for other types of as yet undefined co-operatives.
Co-operatives Development Director at the dti, Nweti Maluleke, says a special focus is made on a simple and fast registration process for future co-operatives. “We are thinking of post offices as additional places to register for a co-operative,” she says. All co-operatives must be registered with the Registrar of Co-operatives and must trade with their names ending in "co-operative" or "co-op".
The most important element in the registration of a co-operative is its constitution. It must contain, amongst others, its main objective, a description of its business, the rights and obligations of its members and the structure of decision-making. Members' general meetings are the highest forum in which decisions are made. Another key factor for the success of co-operatives is the character of the people that form it. “A co-operative won't work if some of its members are very progressive entrepreneurs and others are lazy and without any economic ambitions. A co-operative therefore has to be a homogeneous unit,” oberves an expert, Prof. André Myburgh of the University of Stellenbosch.
Maluleke says the dti is going to set up an incentives programme for the financial support of co-operatives with grants between R300 000 and R1 million being handed out. The support programmes will be aligned with the dti's current support structure.
For more info, contact the dti on 0861 843 384.

Good news from Harmony

Good news from Harmony as major roleplayer and stakeholder on the Goldfields, is also good news for the whole of the Goldfields.
Therefore the region is breathing a sigh of relief after the recent Harmony breakthrough with labour unions surrounding the proposed restructuring of the mining company's Free State operations affecting almost 12 000 people. The agreement is with Solidarity and UASA, while NUM has requested additional time to consider.
In terms of the agreement, the transfer of employees to vacancies at Harmony's other operations would be undertaken, the implementation of Continuous Operations (Conops) at Tshepong, Bambanani and Masimong 5 would be done and voluntary retrenchments for a period of time would be opened.
Harmony is the first gold mining company in SA to agree on a Social Plan with NUM, which contains measures to improve productivity to ensure long-term employment and where retrenchments are certain, to ensure that the affected employees have portable skills for employment in sectors outside gold mining or to enable affected employees to start their own businesses.
On the heels of this, came the news that Harmony achieved significant improvements in its safety performance for the period July 2004 to June 2005, recording a 24% decrease in fatality rates to 0,21 per million man hours worked, representing a fall the third year in succession in fatality rates.

Blacklist for corrupt tenderers

After years of threatening to blacklist corrupt tenderers, the government has finally issued regulations that will enable the National Treasury to keep a registry of corrupt business owners, businesses as well as senior management of those businesses.
The list will be available to the public and will probably be carried on the National Treasury's website. This means that any business can check the list to ensure that anyone they are dealing with has not been exposed as corrupt.
A wide range of corrupt practices are covered, but specific mention is made of price fixing and kickbacks. It is unclear how the blacklist will handle the issue of fronting - where white businesses use black fronts to gain BEE points when tendering. Fronting is difficult to prove, with lots of grey areas.
Once on the blacklist, a business or individual's name can remain there for up to 20 years. This means that government would have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that corruption was indeed involved. It probably means that only those convicted in a court of law of fraudulent activities, will be blacklisted, which then practically rules out the issue of fronting. So far, no businessperson has ever been convicted of misrepresentation through fronting.
All businesses and individuals listed on the blacklist, are not allowed to do business with municipalities, parastatals, provincial governments or national government departments. Although nothing prevents a private firm from continuing to do business with those blacklisted, the list's public nature will probably mean the end of the business career of those listed.