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The following speech was delivered today by the Leader of the Democratic Alliance, John Steenhuisen, during a Live Address to the Nation: My fellow South Africans, Last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he would sign the National Health Insurance bill into law on Wednesday, the 15th of May. It is no exaggeration to say …
None of the 19 sewage treatment plants managed by the Ugu District Municipality is properly treating sewage released into rivers and lagoons
Inquests re-opened into Luthuli, Mxenge and Mantyi apartheid era deaths
Inquests into the deaths of prominent anti-apartheid activists Chief Albert Luthuli and Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge and civic leader Booi Mantyi have been re-opened by Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, on recommendations from the National Prosecuting Authority.
“With these inquests, we open very real wounds which are more difficult to open 30 years into our democracy, but none the less, the interest of justice can never be bound by time the truth must prevail,” said the Minister.
Regarding Luthuli, who was also Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the department said official reports found that he was struck down by a train “but the exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear to this day”.
An inquest was held in September 1967 and an apartheid era court found that he had died following a fracture to the skull but that the “evidence did not disclose any criminal culpability on the part of South African Railways and anyone else”.
“As a result of representations made to the National Director of Public Prosecutions which brought to the fore that in 1967, the inquest did not consider certain mathematical and scientific principles. This mathematical and scientific report reveal that it is highly unlikely that Chief Luthuli was struck by a train and died because of that.
“Considering this information, amongst others, and the investigation done by the Truth and Reconciliation Unit of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, Minister Lamola accepts and agrees that it is necessary and in the interest of justice to approach the Judge President of the High Court of South Africa in the KwaZulu-Natal Division to re-open the inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli,” the department said.
Griffiths Mxenge
The anti-Apartheid activist and civil rights lawyer Mxenge died in 1981 and his body – with some 45 lacerations – was found at a sports field in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal.
Two years later, an inquest into the death was opened which, according to the department, “failed to identify the perpetrators, despite clear signs of foul play, including evidence of surveillance on Mr. Mxenge’s office and the poisoning of his dogs”.
“A thorough investigation was not done into the death of Mr. Mxenge. The Harms Commission and Truth and Reconciliation Commission revealed that orders to kill Mr. Mxenge came from Vlakplaas head Dirk Coetzee. Dirk Coetzee and his accomplices Nofomela, and Tshikalanga were granted amnesty for the murder of Mxenge.
“There is new evidence that certain critical information was not presented to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the initial inquest, although the perpetrators were clearly identified. Minister Lamola accepts that it is necessary and in the interest of justice to approach the Judge President of the High Court of South Africa in the KwaZulu-Natal Division to re-open the inquest into the death of Mr Mxenge,” the department said.
Booi Mantyi
Mantyi was killed on 16 June 1985 during an alleged altercation with Apartheid era police at De Aar in the Northern Cape.
That same year, an inquest was held into Mantyi’s death with the outcome finding no one responsible.
The department explained that a fresh investigation “has revealed that an eyewitness who has not previously testified has been identified”.
“Considering the above, Minister Lamola is of the view that it is necessary and in the interests of justice to request the Judge President of the High Court of South Africa, Northern Cape Division to re-open an inquest into the death of Mr Booi Mantyi,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 09:39
University senate expected to meet this week
President congratulates Springbok Women team
President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the Springbok Women national rugby team on winning the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and advancing to the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England.
“Well done to our Springbok Women for adding another trophy to our national trophy cabinet,” the President said on Tuesday.
The Springbok Women beat Madagascar 46-17 at home in Antananarivo at the weekend to retain their African championship.
This victory qualifies Africa’s top team for next year’s Rugby World Cup and the WXV 2 tournament, which South Africa will host in September 2024.
Organised by World Rugby, this tournament will see South Africa compete against the national teams of Scotland, Italy, the United States, Japan and Samoa in the second tier of this three-tier international competition.
“Alongside the Springboks and Banyana Banyana, our Springbok Women make us proud on the field of play and showcase the strides we have made in the development of the women of our nation during our 30 years of freedom. Congratulations once more to the team on the field, the technical staff and SA Rugby,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 09:47
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, said the judgement declaring the appointment of Ombali Sebola as Knysna's Municipal Manager null and void should be seen as a strong warning message to councils that do not respect the relevant legal frameworks when making appointments in municipalities.
“This judgement is another victory for the rule of law and strengthens and confirms our interpretation of legislation that governs municipal appointments. It is unfortunate that we sometimes have to communicate through the courts to a council, but we also understand the dire consequences of having unqualified and unsuited individuals in critical positions in a municipality. We will remain firm on the minimum requirements and procedural requirements as set out in law, and councils should reacquaint themselves with these before embarking on recruitment to avoid the steps that we have had to take on this matter.”
“It cannot be that it takes more than a year of legal wrangling to set aside an appointment that was patently illegal right from the start. While we were fighting in court, Knysna has been paralysed by a lack of basic service delivery and we have had to work with officials who are more focussed on retaining their positions than on what they have been appointed to do, which is to serve the residents of Knysna,” Minister Bredell said.
On 22 March 2023 Minister Bredell sought, by way of an urgent application, to declare the decision taken by the Knysna Municipal Council on 25 January 2023 to appoint Ombali Phineas Sebola as its Municipal Manager, null and void, and in further orders, in the event of opposition, an order of costs.
In its correspondence to the Executive Mayor on 23 February 2023, Minister Bredell alerted the Executive Mayor, that the appointment of Mr Sebola was made in contravention of the provisions of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 and the Regulations on Appointment and Conditions of Employment of Senior Managers, as published in Government Gazette No. 37245 of 17 January 2014.
Minister Bredell requested the municipality to terminate the appointment, failing which he would take appropriate steps to enforce compliance with the provisions of the Municipal Systems Act and the Appointment Regulations. No such steps were forthcoming from the Municipality, leading to the Minister to institute legal proceedings declaring that the appointment is null and void and seeking that it be set aside.
The Court in its ruling expressly held that critical required information was not placed before the Municipal Council at the time when it made its decision to appoint Mr Sebola. In this respect, there was a failure to provide Council with the Curriculum Vitae of the appointee, nor was the weighted scores allocated to the candidates during the assessment of their competency tabled before Council. In addition, it was apparent that Council did not have before it information related to the candidates leading competencies and core competencies.
The Court further held that the applicant's application was devoid of his academic qualifications, contactable references, registration with a professional body, full details of dismissal for misconduct and details of any disciplinary actions pending, instituted, or finalized against the candidate, which is specifically required in terms of the applicable Regulations.
According to the Court, “it is …. clear that the process of appointment was riddled by one or more procedural flaw and that certain documents which were supposed to have been before the Council were not, prior to the final appointment decision being made.” As a result, it was evident that the Municipal Council did not comply with the Municipal Systems Act and the applicable Regulations regulating the appointment process.
Minister Bredell said the length of time and legal costs to reach this point is unsustainable, and better consequence management is needed to deal with such cases.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Western Cape, Department of Local Government.
Greenside learner’s innovation scoops first prize at provincial competition
A Grade 10 learner from Greenside High School in Johannesburg has earned the top spot in the provincial leg of the National South African Youth Water Prize (SAYWP) competition with his innovative approach to water resource management.
The 15-year-old, Yaseen Akhalwaya, was crowned the Gauteng provincial winner for his "Project Weatherman/HydroLogic" project idea.
Yaseen said he found the comments from the adjudicators insightful and he took notes on areas that require improvement, as he aims to secure the number one spot at the national level of the competition.
“I am more than grateful to the department for the chance. The comments from the adjudicators provide valuable feedback and I took notes to help refine my work and increase my chances of securing the number one spot at the national level of the competition,” Yaseen said.
Yaseen’s brilliant water and sanitation innovation idea won him a prize of R6000, a first-place trophy, and a bursary.
The second place went to Good Hope Secondary School with an awareness project. The school walked away with a prize of R5 000 and a second place trophy.
The Greenside Secondary School also scooped third place with an awareness project and won a prize of R4 000.
Fourteen schools from Gauteng took part in this year’s SAYWP competition under the various categories, including awareness, invention and innovation.
Department coordinator: Water Support Service, Reshoketswe Malepe, expressed her gratitude for the support the programme has received over the years from the adjudicators, including teachers and schools, stakeholders, and the media, among others.
“Active youth involvement in the water and sanitation sector is the only way to overcome the sector's plethora of difficulties,” Malepe said.
The competition is a vital component of Water and Sanitation Education Programme, which aims to educate learners and society on water resource management issues, including water use efficiency, water quality monitoring, protection of water resources, public health and hygiene awareness, and identification of invasive species. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 12:05
SA unemployment rate increases
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) indicates that the number of unemployed persons increased by 330 000 to 8.2 million during the first quarter of 2024.
According to Stats SA, the official unemployment rate stands at 32.9 %, an increase of 0.8 of a percentage point in first quarter of 2024 (Q1: 2024) compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 (Q4: 2023).
The results of the QLFS also indicate that the number of employed persons increased by 22 000 to 16.7 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.
“Additionally, the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 214 000 to 13.1 million, while discouraged work-seekers decreased by 1 000 in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. This resulted in a net decrease of 215 000 in the not economically active population.
“The above changes in employment and unemployment resulted in the official unemployment rate increasing by 0.8 of a percentage point from 32.1% in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2024. The unemployment rate according to the expanded definition also increased by 0.8 of a percentage point to 41.9% in Q1: 2024 compared to Q4: 2023,” Stats SA said on Tuesday.
Formal sector employment increased by 56 000 in Q1: 2024, while informal sector employment decreased by 100 000 over the same period.
“The industries that contributed to the net employment increase include trade (up by 109 000), manufacturing (up by 99 000), private households (up by 44 000), transport (up by 39 000), agriculture (21 000) and mining (9 000). Employment losses were recorded in community and social services (122 000), construction (106 000), finance (50 000) and utilities (17 000),” Stats SA said.
Provinces that recorded increases in employment were KwaZulu-Natal (35 000), Gauteng (26 000) and Northern Cape (4 000) when compared to the previous quarter Q4:2023 and Q1:2024.
Those that recorded decreases in employment were Western Cape (17 000), followed by North West (13 000), Mpumalanga (8 000), Eastern Cape (4 000) and Limpopo (3 000), while Free State remained unchanged.
“The youth (15 to 34 years) remain vulnerable in the labour market; the first quarter of 2024 results show that the total number of unemployed youth increased by 236 000 to 4.9 million while there was a decrease of 7 000 in the number of employed youth to 5,9 million. This resulted in an increase in the youth unemployment rate by 1.3 percentage points from 44.3% in Q4: 2023 to 45.5% in Q1: 2024,” Stats SA said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 12:39
President Cyril Ramaphosa has learned with sadness of the passing of Mrs Nomgcibelo Jocelyn Motsuenyane following her loss of her husband of 70 years, Dr Sam Motsuenyane.
The President offers his deep condolences to the Motsuenyane family as they prepare for Ma Motsuenyane's funeral tomorrow, 15 May 2024.
The President said: “As South Africans, we stand by the Motsuenyanes in your moment of compounded loss.
“Sam and Jocelyn Motsuenyane are icons of their generation whose belief in education and entrepreneurship as keys to self-realisation and reliance sustained communities and contributed to the inclusive economy we continue to build today.
“May they rest together in peace at the end of a life of service and upliftment and a union they shared for 70 years.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.
Celebrating excellence in African real estate, including South Africa: enter now! Johannesburg, 13 May 2024 – The 8th annual African Property Investment Awards (API Awards) are now open for entries. This prestigious platform recognises excellence in the African real estate industry. This year, for the first time, the #APIawards will be open to entries from …
BCX Alibaba Cloud Academy and Arovy University have joined forces in a strategic partnership aimed at empowering students to cultivate essential skills for the expanding digital economy in Africa. The basis of this initiative is the Alibaba Cloud Academic Empowerment Programme, a pioneering effort to embed digital excellence within academic institutions globally. Arovy University, situated …
Shackdwellers say they’ll keep rebuilding because they have nowhere else to go
All systems go for elections
The Electoral Commission Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, says it's all systems go for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.
South Africans will go to the polls on Wednesday, 29 May, to elect the leadership of the seventh administration out of the 70 political parties and 11 independent candidates that were published by the IEC as final contestants in these elections.
In total, there are over 14 903 candidates vying for 887 seats in the National and Provincial Legislatures. There are 27.79 million registered voters.
Moreover, out-of-country voting is scheduled to take place in 111 foreign missions on Friday, 17 May and Saturday, 18 May 2024. More than 78 000 South African citizens living in other countries will cast their vote on 17, 18 and 19 May 2024.
“In these elections, voters will receive three ballot papers: the national compensatory ballot for political parties, provincial and regional for parties and independent candidates,” Mamabolo said on Tuesday.
WATCH | Three ballots explained
Addressing media in Pretoria on the state of readiness for the General Elections, Mamabolo reminded voters to make only one mark against a party or candidate of their choice.
“One ballot, one mark,” he said.
Mamabolo said lease agreements for 23 303 permanent voting stations have been signed and concluded.
“Of these, 62% are schools, 9.7% are places of worship and the balance of 28% include all other categories, such as community halls and other municipal facilities.”
Mamabolo said the IEC is in the final stages of training 202 500 voting officials, who will discharge the responsibility of administering the electoral process in the voting stations.
“The addition of a new category of staff to assist the presiding officer with the counting effort is another significant step towards improving the quality of counting.”
According to Mamabolo, three such staff will be appointed for each voting station and for each sub-station where a voting centre is being operated.
“To this end, a total of 191 185 staff have been appointed,” he said.
WATCH | Full IEC briefing
Results Operations Centre
As part of final preparations, Mamabolo said the Commission will launch the national Results Operations Centre (ROC) on Wednesday, 22 May 2024.
“The national ROC will be based at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. It will house Commission members, as well as representatives of key service providers such as Eskom and Parliament, representatives of contestants running in the national elections, domestic and international observer missions, and media organisations.
“The Commission is pleased to share that a record 160 organisations, with 5 000 observers domestically and from around the world, will be observing South Africa’s 2024 General Elections,” Mamabolo said.
Mamabolo explained that about 15 of the observer organisations are international and include the African Union, the Carter Centre’s Democracy Program, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Making voting easier
With regards to measures put in place for people with disabilities, Mamabolo said the Commission has implemented measures to make the voting process more accessible to all South Africans, regardless of physical abilities.
“Voting officials will assist voters who require assistance on voting day. Working with the South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB), we have developed a voting aid, the Universal Ballot Template (UBT), to increase the chances of them confidently and confidentially exercising their right to vote,” Mamabolo said.
Mamabolo has also reminded the voters to vote where they are registered.
“It is therefore appropriate that, ahead of the elections, we remind voters of the general rule in elections that a person votes at a voting station where they have registered. The only exception to the general rule is that a voter may vote outside of their registered voting district only after notifying the Commission.
“Notifications in this regard will close this Friday, 17 May. As of today, approximately 199 092 notifications had been approved,” Mamabolo said.
The Commission also called on registered voters to check their voting station ahead of election day.
According to the Commission, a number of channels are available to assist voters with checking their registration, including:
“We call on South Africans both abroad and here at home to come out in numbers and excise their democratic rights.
“We further continue our call to citizens, media members and political party leaders to set a good example and foster an electoral environment based on trust, integrity, and respect for all.
“The Electoral Commission, for its part, commits to declaring an election outcome based on South African voters' choices,” Mamabolo said.
Mamabolo said the counting of votes will take place at each voting station in the presence of political party agents and observers.
“There will be a result slip at the conclusion of the count which will be displayed at that voting station. All interested are allowed to capture a photo of that official result of that voting station, with their gadgets,” Mamabolo said. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 13:29
This Mother’s Day, show your appreciation by treating Mom to a memorable day at one of Southern Sun’s many hotels across the country. Let her relax and indulge in delicious food crafted with care, surrounded by the comfort and luxury of our inviting spas. Make her day extra special with a dining experience that reflects …
A bright yellow face smiling at you from your phone, a red heart beating between messages in a chat, a thumbs up that reaffirms. The ideograms our society calls ‘emojis’ have become a new language in and of themselves, harbouring both overt and secret meanings as they represent the physical in digital form. Emojis are …
In today’s digital age, the spread of false information has become a significant concern, especially during elections. The dissemination of misleading or fabricated news can have a detrimental impact on the democratic process and the public’s trust in the electoral system. Therefore, it is crucial for voters to be vigilant and equipped with the necessary […]
30 years of democracy: The electrification of South African households
Despite a myriad of challenges – both present and past – along the way, the South African government through Eskom and municipalities has made great strides towards achieving universal access to electricity in the country.
This came out during a roundtable on the electrification programme since 1994 hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
According to the Eskom website, in 1987, fewer than 13 million people had access to electricity with the vast majority of that access servicing white households – leaving other population groups reeling in the dark.
At the dawn of democracy in 1994, Parliament endorsed a plan to create universal access to electricity – defined at some 97% due to population growth and challenges related to the formalisation of informal settlements.
This charged government’s wholesale plan to electrify homes. Now, access to electricity in South Africa today is at least 94% according to Statistics South Africa.
Director Project Monitoring and Intergovernmental Relations at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Lufuno Madzhie, said the electrification programme has thus far, been a success.
“[During 1994 to 1998] Eskom and municipalities only electrified 2.5 million households. In 2001, then government decided this [electrification] programme needs to reside within the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy [DMRE]. Through us as the department, working with different stakeholders, we have achieved a lot with regard to this electrification programme.
“Through this programme, the department has achieved a huge milestone. Currently, we have electrified over 8.3 million households,” he said.
Eskom’s Pozisa Njezula emphasised how access to electricity improves the welfare of households and explained how Eskom contributes to facilitating access for hard-to-reach rural areas.
“[It allows for the] improving on safety where we no longer have to use candles and paraffin stoves. It improves on convenience where we no longer have to collect wood to cook and also, in terms of improving on education where kids can study at night.
“With…us now pushing towards universal access, the challenge that we are now faced with is that we now have to reach the far-flung areas. The far corners in all the rural areas. With the support from the DMRE, as Eskom we have started and embarked on the rolling out of micro grids for those far-flung areas where you may not be able to get grid electricity because of losses as well as the amount of money that you would have to spend to get to those areas.
“The [micro grid] is just a container, it has solar panels, it has got batteries and then you’ve got the reticulation network. When you get to a certain area, you electrify it off grid and those people benefit,” she said.
Challenges and solutions
Njezula bemoaned that although the electrification programme is going full steam ahead, the power utility faces serious and dangerous challenges when going into communities.
“We are not immune as Eskom to the crime [and] extortion in our project sites. In South Africa, with almost all the projects that are being undertaken, there’s reports of these extortions and these demands for certain amounts of money, for protection fees and so forth.
“That delays the progress in our projects, and it really puts the lives of our employees as well as our contractors in danger. In some instances, we have to leave site, we need to be escorted, we need protection,” she said.
Head of energy and electricity distribution at the South African Local Government Association, Nhlanhla Ngidi, described South Africa’s electrification plan as a “moving target”.
“In terms of access itself, at 94%, I think it’s very important that people understand because this is a moving target. In a year’s time, you could find this being below 94% and it’s because of all these challenges…people moving towards where the economy is more active.
“Municipalities have done quite well but with the capacity challenges we have, we still need municipalities to be assisted and government needs to put in place agencies that can come in and be catalysts in terms of the implementation of the programme,” he said.
Energy expert, Chris Yelland, agreed that access to electricity has improved but warned that affordability remains a blockage to some households.
“[There] are some technology developments that require that we look at these distant rural customers. The first thing of course is renewable energy. The price of renewable energy…has come down dramatically over the last ten years. This is now opening the doors to renewable energy for remote households that never existed ten years ago.
“There’s a lot to celebrate in electrification [but] there’s a lot to do about affordability. We are not there yet. We need to understand where we come from, where we are and where we’re going and for that we need data…so that we know where we are and where we’re going” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 14:06
Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) can reveal that the South African Police Service (SAPS) spends an eyewatering R1 billion per year on the salaries of Major Generals and Brigadiers. The Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, the SAPS revealed this information in a reply to a DA parliamentary question. According to the reply the SAPS …
Pretoria, South Africa, 14 May 2024: Sheldon van der Linde and Enzo Fittipaldi complete a successful 2024 Berlin Formula E Rookie Test. South African Sheldon van der Linde returned after three previous successful rookie tests for Jaguar TCS Racing. He finished the first session in P4, and the second session in P3. The session, at …
Dear Editor The jobs bloodbath that continues everywhere that the ANC governs, is a most compelling reason to vote the ANC out in two weeks’ time. While unemployment remains at startling levels in ANC provinces, it is still in the DA-governed Western Cape that South Africans have the best chance to get a job. It …
14 May 2024: Total mining production, not seasonally adjusted, declined sharpy by 5.8% y/y in March, after expanding by 10.3% y/y (upwardly revised from 9.9% y/y) in February, in part, due to unfavourable base effects, the mid-March and Easter holidays as well as water shortages. The outturn was worse than the Reuters consensus prediction of …
Seven years since entering the South African market, JAC Motors SA boasts over 70 dealerships across Southern Africa, offering a variety of double-cab bakkies, forward-cab workhorses, and MCV and HCV trucks. The company recently introduced its new range-topping T9 2.0L CTi double-cab locally, following its worldwide debut at the 2023 Shanghai International Auto Show. Local …
In light of the ongoing economic challenges faced by South African consumers, including the cost of living crisis, persistent inflation, and high interest rates, Damian Baker, Head of Cloud Accounting at financial consultancy firm Outsourced CFO, shares vital strategies for navigating these turbulent times. With the South African Reserve Bank maintaining a cautious stance on …
Condolences for Motsuenyane family
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences to the Motsuenyane family following the death of Nomgcibelo Jocelyn Motsuenyane.
She died a day following the funeral of her husband, Dr Sam Motsuenyane.
“As South Africans, we stand by the Motsuenyanes in your moment of compounded loss.
“Sam and Jocelyn Motsuenyane are icons of their generation whose belief in education and entrepreneurship as keys to self-realisation and reliance sustained communities and contributed to the inclusive economy we continue to build today.
“May they rest together in peace at the end of a life of service and upliftment and a union they shared for 70 years,” President Ramaphosa said on Tuesday.
Ma Motsuenyane was an anti-Apartheid activist listed in the records of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as someone who suffered gross violation of human rights under that regime.
Her home was petrol bombed – and subsequently lost in March 1986 – by members of the Bophuthatswana Police at Winterveld in the Bophuthatswana homeland.
She was part of a group attempting to organise a meeting between the community and the Winterveld Community Council to address grievances relating to police harassment.
Her husband, Dr Sam Motsuenyane, was a revered black business pioneer.
He was the co-founder of the pivotal National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (NAFCOC) and played a leading role in the establishment of African Bank – both at the height of apartheid.
Ma Motsuenyane is expected to be buried later this week. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 05/14/2024 - 09:50
