Emfuleni has been battling years of financial pressure, failing infrastructure and poor service delivery, from sewage and water problems to potholes and irregular refuse collection. But in his State of the Municipality Address last week, Executive Mayor Councillor Hassan Mako declared that the municipality is now moving from what he calls an era of excuses to decisive action. He points to the R7.6-billion water and sanitation intervention, the replacement of collapsed sewer lines, improvements to wastewater treatment works and a new municipal fleet aimed at strengthening service delivery. But Emfuleni still faces significant financial challenges, including billions in unauthorised, irregular and fruitless expenditure, while its current collection rate stands at just
70%. So, how much has actually changed — and can residents finally expect to see the turnaround on the ground?

Emfuleni has been battling years of financial pressure, failing&nbsp;infrastructure and poor service delivery, from sewage and&nbsp;water problems to potholes and irregular refuse collection.&nbsp;But in his State of the Municipality Address last week,&nbsp;Executive Mayor Councillor Hassan Mako declared that the&nbsp;municipality is now moving from what he calls an era of&nbsp;excuses to decisive action.&nbsp;He points to the R7.6-billion water and sanitation intervention,&nbsp;the replacement of collapsed sewer lines, improvements to&nbsp;wastewater treatment works and a new municipal fleet aimed&nbsp;at strengthening service delivery.&nbsp;But Emfuleni still faces significant financial challenges,&nbsp;including billions in unauthorised, irregular and fruitless&nbsp;expenditure, while its current collection rate stands at just 70%.&nbsp;So, how much has actually changed &mdash; and can residents&nbsp;finally expect to see the turnaround on the ground?

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

EMFULENI: FROM CRISIS TO RECOVERY?

Entrepreneurship is often sold as the great equaliser — have a good idea, work hard, build a strong business and the money will follow. But for many women entrepreneurs, getting the money to turn that idea into a viable business can be one of the biggest hurdles they face. From bank loans and venture capital to government funding and private investors, women continue to navigate a financial system where access to capital can be difficult. And the challenge isn't always about whether the
business is viable — sometimes it's about collateral, networks, credit history, the size of the business, or whether investors believe a woman-led company can scale. So, during Women’s Month, we're asking a difficult question: is the funding system genuinely gender-neutral, or are women still having to prove themselves more before someone is willing to put money behind their businesses? Are investors unconsciously more likely to see male entrepreneurs as ambitious, scalable and investment-ready? And what role do property ownership, access to wealth and existing financial networks play in determining which entrepreneurs get a seat at the table? Today, we're putting the entrepreneur and the funder across from each other — to ask where the gap really lies, and what needs to change to ensure that a woman's business idea isn't held back simply because she can't access the capital to grow it.

Entrepreneurship is often sold as the great equaliser &mdash; have a&nbsp;good idea, work hard, build a strong business and the money&nbsp;will follow. But for many women entrepreneurs, getting the&nbsp;money to turn that idea into a viable business can be one of the&nbsp;biggest hurdles they face. From bank loans and venture capital&nbsp;to government funding and private investors, women continue&nbsp;to navigate a financial system where access to capital can be&nbsp;difficult. And the challenge isn't always about whether the business is viable &mdash; sometimes it's about collateral, networks,&nbsp;credit history, the size of the business, or whether investors&nbsp;believe a woman-led company can scale.&nbsp;So, during Women&rsquo;s Month, we're asking a difficult question: is&nbsp;the funding system genuinely gender-neutral, or are women still&nbsp;having to prove themselves more before someone is willing to&nbsp;put money behind their businesses? Are investors&nbsp;unconsciously more likely to see male entrepreneurs as&nbsp;ambitious, scalable and investment-ready? And what role do&nbsp;property ownership, access to wealth and existing financial&nbsp;networks play in determining which entrepreneurs get a seat at&nbsp;the table?&nbsp;Today, we're putting the entrepreneur and the funder across&nbsp;from each other &mdash; to ask where the gap really lies, and what&nbsp;needs to change to ensure that a woman's business idea isn't&nbsp;held back simply because she can't access the capital to grow&nbsp;it.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: The Funding Gap: Why Is It Still So Hard for Women to Get  Money?

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has turned its attention to KwaZulu-Natal, and the evidence being presented is raising deeply troubling questions about the conduct of some police task teams. The commission has heard allegations of police hit squads targeting suspects linked to cash-in-transit robberies, drug syndicates and taxi violence — with claims that some suspects may have been deliberately killed rather than arrested and brought before the courts. IPID Deputy Director for Investigations Len John has told the commission that three KZN task teams, dealing with CIT
robberies, drugs and taxi violence, were particularly associated with these allegations. He says officers often failed to notify IPID promptly when suspects were killed in police shootings, and in
some cases could not even provide the identities of the deceased or evidence that they were responsible for the crimes they were allegedly being pursued for. The testimony raises a
fundamental question: were these genuine law-enforcement operations that went tragically wrong, or were some police officers effectively operating outside the law, deciding who should live and who should die?

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has turned its attention to&nbsp;KwaZulu-Natal, and the evidence being presented is raising&nbsp;deeply troubling questions about the conduct of some police&nbsp;task teams. The commission has heard allegations of police hit&nbsp;squads targeting suspects linked to cash-in-transit robberies,&nbsp;drug syndicates and taxi violence &mdash; with claims that some&nbsp;suspects may have been deliberately killed rather than arrested&nbsp;and brought before the courts.&nbsp;IPID Deputy Director for Investigations Len John has told the&nbsp;commission that three KZN task teams, dealing with CIT robberies, drugs and taxi violence, were particularly associated&nbsp;with these allegations. He says officers often failed to notify IPID&nbsp;promptly when suspects were killed in police shootings, and in some cases could not even provide the identities of the&nbsp;deceased or evidence that they were responsible for the crimes&nbsp;they were allegedly being pursued for. The testimony raises a fundamental question: were these genuine law-enforcement&nbsp;operations that went tragically wrong, or were some police&nbsp;officers effectively operating outside the law, deciding who&nbsp;should live and who should die?

ALLEGED KZN POLICE HIT SQUADS: COMMISSION HEARS CLAIMS OF TARGETED KILLINGS

Diabetes is no longer just a chronic condition that South Africans are being warned to manage — new mortality figures show that it has become the country’s leading underlying natural cause of death. Stats SA data shows that diabetes accounted for 27,692 deaths in 2023 — about 5.8% of all
recorded deaths — overtaking HIV and TB. But perhaps the most troubling part of this story is that experts say many of these deaths could be prevented. Late diagnosis, inadequate screening, poor diets and an unhealthy food environment are all contributing to a growing crisis. South Africa is estimated to have millions of people living with diabetes, many of whom may not even know they have it. So what has gone wrong? Why has diabetes become such a major killer — and are we treating it with the urgency it deserves? We’re unpacking the numbers, the causes and what can be done to reverse this trend.

Diabetes is no longer just a chronic condition that South&nbsp;Africans are being warned to manage &mdash; new mortality figures&nbsp;show that it has become the country&rsquo;s leading underlying&nbsp;natural cause of death. Stats SA data shows that diabetes&nbsp;accounted for 27,692 deaths in 2023 &mdash; about 5.8% of all recorded deaths &mdash; overtaking HIV and TB.&nbsp;But perhaps the most troubling part of this story is that experts&nbsp;say many of these deaths could be prevented. Late diagnosis,&nbsp;inadequate screening, poor diets and an unhealthy food&nbsp;environment are all contributing to a growing crisis. South&nbsp;Africa is estimated to have millions of people living with&nbsp;diabetes, many of whom may not even know they have it.&nbsp;So what has gone wrong? Why has diabetes become such a&nbsp;major killer &mdash; and are we treating it with the urgency it&nbsp;deserves? We&rsquo;re unpacking the numbers, the causes and what&nbsp;can be done to reverse this trend.

EMFULENI: FROM CRISIS TO RECOVERY?

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

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