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The President of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament, Dikgang Morudu, has welcomed the signing of the Sign Language Bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa as the 12th official language.
 
Members of the Children’s Parliament have been advocating for the recognition of sign language as an official language to accommodate children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The President hosted a signing ceremony of the South African Sign Language Bill at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday,

During their 10th sitting in 2021, the members of the Children’s Parliament appointed Hamza Muhammad as their President, a deaf boy from the Dominican School in the Western Cape.
 
Upon receiving the news, Hamza said the signing of the bill into law “was good news for deaf people”. 

“As a deaf person and former President of the Children’s Parliament, I have always wanted South Africa to make sign language official. I am happy to hear that President Cyril Ramaphosa has recognised it as an official language,” Hamza said. 
 
He added that the signing of the bill showed there are no two separate worlds in the country.
 
“We are all human beings who live in one world and deaf people also have rights. I would like to thank the President for supporting deaf people in the country,” he said.
 
On 14 July 2023, members of the Children’s Parliament continued to raise their voices regarding the recognition of sign language during their 11th sitting in Bisho, in the Eastern Cape.

Morudu, the current President, said the signing of the bill means that someone is starting to listen to the voices of the children.

The Presidency has welcomed the decision of the Johannesburg High Court ordering that the answering affidavit related to the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant matter be made public.

“President Ramaphosa was never opposed to making the affidavits public; it was only in compliance with the ICC directive that the Presidency sought to maintain confidentiality on the affidavit,” the Presidency said in a statement on Tuesday. 

This comes after President Ramaphosa filed a confidential affidavit in response to an application by the DA seeking a declaratory order to compel the state to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin should he set foot in South Africa ahead of the BRICS Summit next month.

In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, who is expected to attend the BRICS conference in Johannesburg on August 22-23. 

South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute and continues to campaign for equal and consistent application of international law.

BRICS is a bloc of emerging economies that includes Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za

Experts and industry leaders agree that Eskom – and by extension the country – is not likely to incur a total grid collapse and blackout despite current electricity generation challenges.

This came out during a webinar hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) on the myths and facts about electricity grid stability on Wednesday.

Eskom’s General Manger System Operator Isabel Fick emphasised that although South Africa does have a capacity generation problem, throughout global examples, this has not caused system blackouts.

“The probability of a national blackout is extremely low. A number of other areas across the world…did have national blackouts. Nowhere will you see that [these] were because of a lack of capacity that caused a national blackout.

“In all those cases it was a cascading event starting in the transmission space,” she said.

Fick said South Africa has only had regional blackouts before and load shedding had no role in both.

“We have never had a national blackout in South Africa. We have had two regional ones before. One was an event where we had a transfer limit issue to the Western Cape and the other was a snow event in KwaZulu-Natal.

“In those cases we had to deal with a regional blackout and in the case of the Western Cape, we started load shedding in 2006 which was the basis of the current load shedding regime that we are using in South Africa,” she said.

The system operator assured South Africans that Eskom has in place at least six “defensive barriers” that can prevent any blackout including a reserve margin of 2200MW available at any time.

“Effectively each of these…represents a barrier in place that we can even get to a national blackout. It starts from the building and design phase of our equipment, how we operate our equipment and also the emergency response that we have. All of those have to essentially fail before we get to a national blackout.

“Thereafter we have to restore, should [that] ever happen. Even in that case we have a number of plans in place, very flexible plans because it will depend on exactly what state the network is in. If we do have networks on islanding, that will be the fastest route and our estimation is between six and 14 days [for restoration] should we ever have a national blackout,” she explained.

She said the network is monitored on a second by second basis that will ensure that any event is immediately dealt with.

Expert consensus

During the webinar, Fellow of the South Africa Institute of Electrical Engineers Professor Jan de Kock concurred with Fick and added that Eskom staff are improving the system daily.

“It’s fair to say that it’s highly unlikely that we’ll have a total grid collapse in South Africa. We can’t say it will never happen but it’s really unlikely.

“Our grid at this stage is well managed and we have excellent people investigating causes of small disturbances, multiple unit trips and in the process we’re actually improving grid performance nearly on a daily basis,” he said.

Chairman of the Management Committee National Rationalised Specifications (NRS) Association of South Africa, Vally Padayachee emphasised that as a key stakeholder, the association “will not allow” any compromise of the system to the point of allowing a blackout.

The NRS SA is a powerful organisation with membership including the eight metro municipalities, Eskom,  theNational Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), and the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities of Southern Africa.

“We are nowhere near a total grid collapse. [The association’s] mandate is to protect the national electricity grid of South Africa. We will not hesitate to exercise this mandate at a moment’s notice, especially during a power system emergency, without fear or favour to prevent the national grid from going to a blackout situation…a total grid collapse.

“We want to give the public and other key stakeholders the assurance that without any fear or favour, we will not compromise the integrity of the grid in support of the system operator. We will not compromise the grid,” he said.

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) senior researcher and electrical engineer, Monique le Roux explained that the institution and Eskom have been working closely together to ensure that the system is continuously as stable as possible.

“Studies are going on in the background with Eskom leading this and we are supporting them where we research projects together. The aim with this is to give people comfort that there are studies that are ongoing that looks at the system on an ongoing basis to determine if the safety margins are in place, if the system can be run ably and if mitigation is necessary,” she said.

Le Roux added that Eskom is using a power system analysis software that she says is a “very powerful tool” used throughout the world to keep the lights on safely. – SAnews.gov.za

Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, has encouraged South Africans to secure food supply through their home or community food gardens as climate change threatens to reverse the progress the country has made towards eradicating hunger and malnutrition.

“Apart from climate change, the economic constraints make it increasingly difficult for people to put food on their tables and especially the most vulnerable in our society often go to bed without having a meal for the day,” the Minister said on Tuesday.

De Lille expressed concern that 29 years since the dawn of democracy, many families and children struggle to get food and often go days without a meal.

She made these remarks as she participated in the Mandela Day activities by visiting impoverished communities in Riemvasmaak in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality in the Northern Cape.

“As a country, across all sectors, we simply must do more. We need to go beyond Mandela Day and 67 minutes, but look for ways each day to serve and help those in need.

“Whether it is planting seeds or making a sandwich for someone in need on our daily journeys, every small act of service is a reflection of humanity and our morals,” the Minister said.

This year, Mandela Day takes place under the theme Climate, Food and Solidarity, with the call to action being, “It is in your hands” to take action against climate change.

“There is so much more we can do in our daily lives to feed a hungry person. Our gestures need not be grand but any small offer of service or donation we can make will mean the world to someone in need.

“Unpacking clothing or blankets no longer being used and donating it to someone in need, is the wave of warmth we need more of to bring comfort and hope to those living in despair,” de Lille said.

Mandela Day is an annual global celebration that takes place on 18 July to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. This day is a call to action for individuals, communities and organisations to take time to reflect on the former statesman's values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities.

“As the National Department of Tourism, we are working closely with the provincial department and the Northern Cape Tourism Authority on various projects and we will continue to support tourism development for all areas of the Northern Cape as one of the most unique and awe-inspiring holiday destinations in our country.

“It is in our hands and we must take hands and work closer with communities to bring about economic development that will truly free all our people from poverty and hunger.

“Mandela’s life and sacrifices should be a reminder and motivator to all of us each day to serve with humility and help bring progress in any way we can to ensure all people in South Africa taste the fruits of our democracy,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

Government has noted Fitch’s decision to affirm South Africa’s long-term foreign and local currency debt ratings at ‘BB-’ and maintain a stable outlook.

According to Fitch, South Africa’s credit rating is constrained by low real gross domestic product (GDP) growth hampered by power shortages, high level of inequality, a high government debt-to-GDP ratio, and a modest path of fiscal consolidation.

National Treasury said the ratings are supported by a favourable debt structure with long maturities and denominated mostly in local currency as well as a  credible monetary policy framework.

“Government is implementing urgent measures to reduce load-shedding in the short term and transform the sector through market reforms to achieve long-term energy security.

“Over the medium‐term, the fiscal strategy aims to achieve fiscal sustainability by reducing the budget deficit and stabilising the debt-to-GDP ratio.

“On‐budget allocations for infrastructure and other policy priorities and maintaining a sustainable fiscal stance will support economic growth,” National Treasury said on Monday. – SAnews.gov.za

As the country and the world at large commemorate President Nelson Mandela’s birthday, President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on everyone to promote peace across the globe.

In his weekly newsletter to the nation, President Ramaphosa said everyone is called upon to get involved in peacemaking and peacebuilding processes, which is the fruit of Nelson Mandela’s legacy.

The President highlighted that last month marked six months since the signing of the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities Agreement between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in Pretoria on the 2nd of November 2022. 
 
“This peace agreement that South Africa played a role in brokering under the auspices of the African Union, continues to hold. President Mandela said that ‘the heroes are those who make peace and build.’ 
 
“We will continue to follow in his footsteps by calling for political solutions to conflicts. We are fortified by the towering moral courage of great leaders like President Mandela. That is why on this Nelson Mandela Day, I call on every one of us to promote peace everywhere,” the President said. 

President Ramaphosa said President Mandela’s legacy is celebrated around the world, with its international observance having been declared by the United Nations in 2009.
 
“This is in testament to his role as a revered statesman, unifier and above all, as a peacemaker. Striving for peace in the world, for an end to conflicts everywhere, and for a true international fellowship of humankind are the ideals that Nelson Mandela stood for.

“They were relevant when he was a statesman on the world stage, and they are even more relevant today with many parts of our continent and the world embroiled in conflict. 
 
“As South Africa, we hold fast to the ideal that a better world can be achieved through engendering peace. This derives from negotiation and compromise over violence, the use of force and resorting to war,” the President said. 
 
President Ramaphosa said that South Africa’s contribution to world peace is through supporting societies in conflict, and this is largely as a result of the Nelson Mandela legacy.
 
He said the country’s experience with negotiating an end to apartheid and with building a multiparty democracy is regularly sought out by parties seeking to bring conflict to an end.
 
Since democracy, South Africa has played such a role in Northern Ireland, Palestine, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Ethiopia, and most recently, in Sudan.
 
Last week, President Ramaphosa met with the Deputy President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, where they discussed the support South Africa can lend to the convening of an inclusive dialogue process towards a permanent peace.
 
Earlier this month, the President was in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where South Africa is playing a key role in facilitating dialogue, conflict resolution and providing technical assistance under the 2013 Peace and Security Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Great Lakes. – SAnews.gov.za
 

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has called on South Africans to take part in the Clear Rivers campaign to protect water resources in honour of former President Nelson Mandela.

The annual Clear Rivers campaign takes place in July, as part of promoting volunteerism in the celebration of the iconic Statesman, former President Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July and throughout Mandela Month.

Department spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa, said the campaign calls on everyone to dedicate their 67 minutes of goodwill activities towards cleaning up streams, wetlands, dams, canals and any freshwater source.

Mavasa said during Mandela Month, everyone is encouraged to participate in cleaning up the water ecosystems.

“The objective of the Clear Rivers campaign is to undertake a collaborative effort and actively engage communities, as well as promoting and creating ongoing awareness and education on protecting our water resources. Fostering volunteerism among communities is actively encouraged as part of a proactive approach to protecting our rivers, streams, wetlands and other water ecosystems,” Mavasa said. 

Mavasa noted that South Africa’s rainfall is unpredictable and common periods of drought limit the water resources even further. She said rivers that used to flow throughout the year are now dry, while others flow only during rainy seasons.

Mavasa warned that years from now, the demand for water might exceed the amount of available water in the country, and this means that the nation must take care of its water resources, use and share water more effectively.’ 

“The health of the rivers in our country is threatened by pollution, excessive use of the water and the riverbanks. If we pollute a river in one place, we affect the condition of the river for a long distance downstream. A river performs functions such as the ability to clean itself best when it is healthy. 

“Therefore, active and responsible citizenry is encouraged across the spectrum, where people from all walks of life become participants in promoting healthy rivers. The relationship between communities and healthy rivers can never be overstated, as it is community members who must take care of our rivers to ensure that they are not filled with litter,” Mavasa said. 

Mavasa emphasised that the need for water security, particularly in the face of global climate change and a multitude of anthropogenic impacts affecting rivers, calls for a national and unified approach to protect rivers, wetlands and broader catchments.

“It is for this reason that the Department of Water and Sanitation connects South Africans to their sources of water and the natural infrastructure that is crucial for a water-secure future. 

“South Africa is a water scarce country and rated the 30th driest in the world, with a rapidly increasing population. This is based on its average rainfall of 500mm, compared to the world average of 860mm,” Mavasa said. – SAnews.gov.za 
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has held a productive engagement with the community of Sekhukhune District, at Motodi Sports Complex in Limpopo.

This was the eighth successful Presidential Imbizo of the current administration.

The President inspected the progress of R37 Driekop - Steelpoort Interchange road project. The project is part of the massive road infrastructure rollout programme across the province. Upon its completion, it will link the district with Polokwane, the capital city of the province.

Preceding the Imbizo were other build-up activities led by various Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Mayors and other agencies of government.

They checked progress on service delivery projects within the four local municipalities that make up Sekhukhune District Municipality.

The President, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, the Acting Premier of Limpopo, Mayors and members of the Limpopo Members of the Executive Council and traditional leaders from across the district proceeded to the Motodi Sports Complex to engage with members of the community, including business organisations.

Key to some of the issues raised by the community was shortage of water, unemployment, illegal mining and the shortage of higher education centers in the area.

In his response, the President acknowledged the challenge of water and invited the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, to provide an update on the progress of resolving the water shortages.

Minister Mchunu expressed concern about the rollover of funds earmarked for water projects.

He announced a R12 billion project aimed at addressing the water problem and committed that the Department of Water and Sanitation will work directly with the local authorities and the mining sector on this project.

The President further assured the community that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy will intensify its programme of combating illegal mining, working together with law enforcement agencies.

The department will further engage with the relevant stakeholders to address issues related to mining in the district.

Mchunu also encouraged communities to actively participate in local economic activities.

President Ramaphosa thanked the people of Sekhukhune for attending the imbizo in their numbers and the manner in which they raised their issues and willingness to work with government.

He also thanked the mining companies for working together with government and he acknowledged the positive input by a youth representative, who emphasised the importance of young people in actively participating in the upliftment of their communities. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has expressed grave concern over the imprisonment of two South African nationals in Equatorial Guinea. 

The DIRCO Director-General (DG), Zane Dangor, on Thursday said he was “disturbed” to learn of the sentence handed down to two locals, Peter Shane Huxham and Frederic Johannes Potgieter. 

According to media reports, Huxham, originally from Langebaan outside Cape Town and Potgieter from George, were jailed for 12 years and fined more than R100 million.

The two engineers were employed in the offshore oil and gas industry and insist they are innocent. 

The department said the pair was arrested on 9 February 2023 at their hotel in Malabo while preparing to board their flight to South Africa the following day. 

“They are employed on an oil rig off the coast of Equatorial Guinea and were coming off shift to rest and spend time with their families in South Africa.

“They made their first court appearance only on 26 June 2023, to receive the formal charges against them. They appeared in court again on 30 June 2023, for sentencing. The judgement was passed by a bench of five judges who found them guilty of ‘trafficking and illicit possession of drugs (cocaine)’,” the statement read. 

Dangor, according to the department, expressed his dismay that the South African Embassy continues to be denied access to the detainees in violation of international law. 

“The government of Equatorial Guinea has failed in its obligation to formally notify DIRCO and grant consular access by the Embassy officials to the two South African nationals. 

“He emphasised that such access is expressly required by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, to which both states are parties despite numerous official requests in this regard.”

The DG emphasised that the Equatorial Guinea government remains responsible for the welfare and safety of the South African citizens being held in their custody. 

“He expressed his willingness to have more direct and constructive cooperation with the relevant authorities regarding this matter.”

Meanwhile, DIRCO said it was ready and willing to advance bilateral relations with Equatorial Guinea. 

“However, the continued denial of access to the two South African nationals in distress compromises the long-standing good bilateral relations between the two countries.”

The DG has also expressed support to the families and friends of the detainees. – SAnews.gov.za
 

In celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day, the Department of Water and Sanitation will on Tuesday formally adopt the Inzuzwenhle Full-Service School in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, for a period of two years.

Inzuzwenhle Full-Service School was the winner of the 2022 Baswa Le Meetse (Youth in Water) National Adjudication award in the poetry category. 

The department said the school has mastered the four focus pillars, which determine it as a water-wise school. 

The focus pillars are water wastage, greening of schools, management of toilet facilities, and health and hygiene good practices.

“During the school’s triumphant efforts in the 2022 Baswa Le Meetse National Adjudication in the Poetry category, the school was represented by three learners and guided by two water-wise educators from the school. 

“Officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation visited the school to assess their attitude towards water and they found a school with learners that are water-wise in nature and the kind of support they received from their educators,” the department said.

The department said the school with an enrolment of 1 402 learners and 65 educators, was mobilised into the Water and Sanitation Education Programme by one of the outstanding officials of the department in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Office. 

The Water and Sanitation Education Programme is school-based, which aims to create awareness on water conservation and integrated water resources management. 

“One of the key components of the programme is an Intervention Project, which targets all the previous winning schools in its various competitions to strike a balance between theory and practice, hence the adoption of Inzuzwenhle Full-Service School by the department,” the department explained.

The department added that the Department of Basic Education, as the custodian of schools, is one of the potential key stakeholders for the implementation of the programme.

The adoption of the school on Tuesday will be preceded by a series of activities in and around the school.

The activities will include:
•    The cleaning of a river around the school to make people aware about the effects of littering on water quality;
•    Educate the community about the importance of water and how to stop water leaks;
•    Greening of schools and how it contributes to clean air; and 
•    Teaching learners about the importance of toilets and how to take care of them. 

Celebrated annually in July, the Nelson Mandela International Day has enjoyed 13 years of global support and solidarity since it was launched in 2009. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says government welcomes the Constitutional Court judgement handed on the constitutionality challenge against the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act mounted by OUTA. 

South Africa's apex court declared that the AARTO Act was valid and constitutional, dismissing civil action group OUTA’s legal challenge to the law. 

According to reports, this comes after OUTA brought an application before the Constitutional Court (CC) to confirm last year’s Pretoria High Court’s judgment that the legislation was unconstitutional and invalid, stating that government will battle to implement it due to the red tape and potential for corruption. 

The ruling paves the way to penalise drivers and operators of motor vehicles who are guilty of traffic or road infringements through a system of demerit points, which may result in the suspension or cancellation of driving licences.

Chikunga said the ruling affirms government’s long-held view that this a necessary law to advance the state’s efforts in arresting the carnage on the roads.

“This judgement provides clarity on Schedule 4 matters of concurrent function between the national and provincial sphere as well as Schedule 5 which is exclusive provincial competence.  

“Our assertion that AARTO is part of Road Regulation and thus concurrent competence has been confirmed by the highest court in the land,” she explained. 

The AARO Act, according to the Minister, is an important mechanism in the country’s road traffic law enforcement interventions aimed at arresting road deaths and altering driver behaviour.  

“This will reinforce other interventions such as classifying traffic policing as a 24-hour, seven-day job alongside the regulation of driving schools and introduction of an NQF level 6 training for traffic law enforcement officers.”

The implementation of this law which has been pending for 25 years has been piloted in Johannesburg and Tshwane, the Minister said. 

“With this judgement having cleared the path for the implementation of AARTO, we will move with speed to roll out its implementation across the country without delay.”

In the coming days, the Minister said her Ministry will ensure that the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) mobilises the necessary capacity and proceeds with its rollout plans across all municipalities in the country.  

“We are also ready to finalise our recommendations to the President for the appointment of the Tribunal and the proclamation of the AARTO Act implementation as well as the AARTO Amendment Act,” she said. 

Meanwhile, government said it will now move speedily to implement a points demerit system, an important cornerstone of the AARTO Act intended to drive motorist behaviour on our roads.

“We are pleased that this judgement not only removes the uncertainty that was created by this legal challenge but enables us to focus on ensuring that our roads are safe for all road users with penalties that will make a telling difference.” – SAnews.gov.za