The ACDP cautions that withdrawals from the savings pot should only be made for emergencies. It should also be remembered that this withdrawal will be subject to tax and other administrative costs; resulting in one receiving less than what was applied for. Additionally, a withdrawal from the savings pot will reduce the final total amount available at retirement and may result in a reduced standard of living.

South Africa faces many challenges which includes having one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Millions of South Africans are struggling to make ends meet and the ACDP, therefore, views the proposed electricity increase by Eskom, which has come in way above the inflation rate, to be unconscionable.

Charges against 95 Libyan citizens who received military-style training, just outside the town of White River in Mpumalanga have been dropped, despite police finding military grade weapons, ammunition, drugs and contraband at the site.

It has been rumoured over recent years that some tension and conflict exists between the leadership of the EFF, Mr Julius Malema and Mr Floyd Shivambu, as well as other members of the party who are not happy with the direction in which the party is going. With the resignation now of the EFF’s Deputy President, it would appear that there has been a degree of truth to these rumours.

The scenario and statistics given by Stats SA paints an even bleaker picture particularly when one looks at the expanded unemployment rate, which rose to 42.6%. Worryingly, when one adds the discouraged, 3.2 million, and “other not economically active”, 13.1 million to the 8.4 million officially unemployed, the figure of 23.9 million jobless people is stark.

We are now left with the questions: How many more of these illegal military-style training facilities exist on our soil? How many radical, fundamental groups are there, who seek to bring harm to South Africans, or destabilise our neighbours?

The military-style training camp was run illegally, and the instructors at the facility were allegedly not accredited. The investigation also found a second training facility only a few kilometres away.