MyZA
News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff
Dear Editor President Cyril Ramaphosa must use his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town on Thursday, 8 February 2024, to outline practical steps that his government will be taking to cushion consumers from the constantly rising cost of living, especially the cost of fuel. This follows an announcement made by the Department …
Opening at Artscape, Cape Town from Wednesday, 06 March 2024, for a limited season and thereafter moving to Montecasino’s Teatro, Johannesburg opening on Friday, 12 April 2024, the all-South African stellar cast of the new look production of MAMMA MIA! will be “singing out loud” for “somewhere in the crowd, there’s you”. Tickets are on …
Premier Alan Winde, Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning as well as senior members of the Western Cape Government were this morning updated by Eskom on the electricity outage in the Central Karoo and parts of the Overberg.
The Western Cape Government is monitoring the situation closely and is prioritising safe drinking water, food security and access to critical health care for affected residents. “Thank you to everyone from across government and all our partners for the work you are doing to assist our residents. I am also very grateful to the teams that are keeping our health facilities like our hospitals running and our schools open in the affected areas,” noted Premier Winde.
Premier Winde was tragically informed earlier this morning that an 18-year-old person died, and another adult is in hospital. While the cause of death still needs to be confirmed it is suspected that they may have been overcome by fumes form a generator being run inside a house to power a spaza shop in Leeu Gamka. “My deepest condolences to the family and loved ones. My thoughts are with you. I understand how difficult the situation is for people who have been without power for over four days now. This is why we are meeting with Eskom regularly to ensure that all the repair work is prioritised and supported because we know how critical electricity is for our residents. While I understand how difficult the situation is, I want to appeal to residents to please use any alternative power sources, such as generators, according to the safety guidelines.”
According to Eskom management, essential construction material was delivered on site in the Karoo, and the first of three large construction teams are already active on the site to prepare for the erection of temporary structures needed for the eventual reconnection of the Touwsriver-Laingsburg 132KvH line, which as been down since Saturday, 3 February.
Eskom also reported that the fault on the Hawston Farmer 1 Line has to a large degree been restored. A mini substation still needs to be replaced today, and power should be restored in the entire region by the end of today.
Minister Bredell said that after visiting affected communities in Prince Albert and Laingsburg yesterday, he cannot emphasise enough the urgency needed to restore power to these communities. “As a provincial government, our focus remains the safety and well-being of our residents. We are constantly monitoring the status of essential services. We will continue to offer all possible support to Eskom in repairing the line as fast as possible.”
Minster Bredell confirmed the delivery of several generators to communities to support essential services such as drinking water and sewage management. “100 kVA generator for Water Treatment in Laingsburg was installed. A 45 kVA generator for water provision in Matjiesfontein is being installing today. A 100 kVA and a 40kVA generator for water provision in Prince Albert will be delivered today.”
The following large generators will be dispatched for installation in central business areas:
According to the Provincial Department of Health, the use of generators, open fires, as well gas appliances in poorly ventilated areas brings with it the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, as well as posing as a fire risk. Carbon monoxide is often difficult to detect, due to it having no odour or colour. Exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide leads to it replacing the oxygen in the blood stream. This will lead to progressive onset of symptoms such as headache, weakness, shortness of breath and loss of consciousness. Should carbon monoxide poisoning be suspected, it is important to urgently get the victim out of the poorly ventilated environment. Fresh air is required, and medical assistance should be immediately sought.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, South Africa.
SA rallies behind Bafana Bafana
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, has encouraged South Africans to get behind Bafana Bafana as they take on Nigeria in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals on Wednesday.
Bafana Bafana have captured the hearts of South Africans and football fans in their performances at AFCON, reaching their first semi-final in the competition in 24 years.
“Bafana Bafana have inspired many at the 34th AFCON. The team has risen from past disappointments to display the winning trajectory being exhibited by South African sport, arts and culture on international platforms.
“They have broken records by keeping four clean sheets in the tournament. The heroics of the Bafana Bafana players during the tournament, including the feats of captain Ronwen Williams in the quarterfinals, will live long in the memories of football supporters,” the Minister said on Tuesday.
Kodwa will be travelling to Cote d’Ivoire to support the team in the semi-final clash.
“Spain and Argentina lost their opening games in the 2010 and 2022 FIFA World Cup, respectively, before winning those tournaments. I believe Bafana Bafana have that champion spirit to replicate this by going the whole way and bringing the AFCON title home.
“I encourage South Africans from all walks of life to rally together and get behind Bafana Bafana, who have been excellent ambassadors for South Africa and have proudly raised the country’s flag high,” the Minister said.
He said it has been great to see South Africans wearing their Bafana Bafana jerseys, and to see the supporters and journalists who have been proudly behind the team in Cote d’Ivoire.
“Let us unite in our support for Bafana Bafana. Let us gather in our homes and in public spaces to show our support to this team, which has done the nation so proud at AFCON. As proud South Africans, let us once again show the power of sport to unite people from all walks of life,” Kodwa said.
The match kicks off at 19:00. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 02/07/2024 - 11:06
Contrary to what Khosa claims, there was no duty on OUTA to consult him before releasing the report or laying criminal complaints against him. It is now up to law enforcement to investigate the matter. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) will not retract its report on leaked voice recordings implicating the Minister of Higher …
DURBAN, February 2024 – The Durban Automotive Cluster (DAC) is delighted to announce the opening of applications for its Business Accelerator. This ground-breaking programme is spearheaded by the unwavering support of the eThekwini Municipality and leading automotive industry giants, including Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM), Hesto Harnesses, and Toyota Boshoku South Africa (TBSA). The DAC …
Eskom reduces load shedding to Stage 1
Eskom has announced that it will reduce load shedding to Stage 1 on Wednesday at 10am.
The power utility attributed the drop in load shedding stages to sufficient emergency reserves.
“Due to sufficient emergency reserves and a slight increase in available generation capacity, resulting from the return to service of two units, load shedding will be reduced to Stage 1 from 10am today until 2pm. Thereafter, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 2pm until further notice,” Eskom said in a statement on Wednesday.
Eskom said it will closely monitor the power system and communicate further should it be required. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 02/07/2024 - 09:45
The World Women Leadership Congress’s Global Woman Leader in 2023, South Africa’s Women Leader in 2021 and Africa’s Women Leader in 2020, Firdous Osman, has joined Boomtown as Managing Director. Her role will extend across both the agency’s offices, one in Johannesburg and the other in Gqeberha, as well as servicing clients in Cape Town, …
Public advised of road closures ahead of SONA 2024
With the 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA) taking place on Thursday, the City of Cape Town has advised the public of numerous road closures.
“Road closures in the Central Business District will be in effect to assist with traffic flow and accommodate the State of the Nation Address at the City Hall. The road closures will affect the normal flow of traffic in and around the City Bowl,” the City said on Monday.
SONA is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 8 February at 7pm at the Cape Town City Hall. This will be the last SONA for the sixth administration.
SONA is a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament – the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces and is called by the President in terms of Section 42(5) of the Constitution.
It brings together the three arms of the State under one roof.
“Some road closures will be in place until 15 February 2024. Road users are requested to acquaint themselves with the closures and to plan their routes accordingly,” the City said.
A list of road closures can be accessed here:
Motorists should also note that there will be restricted parking in some areas. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Tue, 02/06/2024 - 12:16
Prof Tladi sworn in as SA's first permanent ICJ judge
Professor Dire Tladi has been sworn in as the first-ever South African judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICJ held a public sitting on Tuesday morning, where Tladi and three other Excellencies were officially sworn in after being elected by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council on 9 November 2023.
The other new members of the court include Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu from Romania, Sarah Hull Cleveland from the United States and Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo Verduzco from Mexico
During the sitting, the four judges each solemnly declared Article 20 of the Statute of the Court.
The declaration, according to the ICJ, stipulates that members shall, before taking up their duties, make a solemn declaration in open court that they will exercise their powers impartially and conscientiously.
The new members’ nine-year terms of office will begin on the same day.
Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa described Tladi’s election as an outstanding personal achievement that the nation shares with great pride.
“We appreciate the confidence expressed by the United Nations in Prof Tladi’s capabilities. He becomes the newest member of a fraternity of South Africans globally who are in positions of service to the international community and making important contributions to the better world we seek to build.
“We wish Prof Tladi well as he prepares to contribute to the Court and its jurisprudence from the Palace of Peace in The Hague, Netherlands,” the President said then.
The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the UN and one of the six principal bodies of the intergovernmental organisation.
The court’s role is to settle, per international law, legal disputes submitted to it by states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised UN organs and specialised agencies.
South Africans have become familiar with the top UN court after the country approached it to garner not only a ceasefire of Israel’s military barrage of Palestine but also to ask the court to find the Israeli government guilty of committing acts of genocide.
The ICJ found that it was “plausible” that Israel committed acts which violated the Genocide Convention.
The court in The Hague ordered Israel to, amongst others, take all measures within its power “to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide” and to immediately ensure that Palestinians have access to basic services and humanitarian assistance.
The Professor is a leading international law scholar whose accomplishments span different areas of the field, including academic, government service, diplomatic and practice.
On his appointment as a judge of the ICJ, he was the University of Pretoria professor of international law and Future Africa's Research Chair in Global Equity in Africa.
Speaking to the university last year, he said he was experiencing a mix of different emotions.
“I am filled with mixed emotions – excitement, elation and a touch of nervousness. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude because so many people played a role in this journey.
“The entire experience has been humbling, especially navigating through the challenges of an intense campaign, and juggling various responsibilities over the past few months. The announcement and the tense process have undoubtedly taken a toll, but I'm absolutely ecstatic and profoundly humbled by the experience,” the Professor added. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Tue, 02/06/2024 - 13:35
Progress in the nation’s recovery and rebuilding documented in summary five-year review
The Presidency has released a five-year review publication that documents the strides made in South Africa’s recovery and reconstruction since 2019, delving into the transformative initiatives undertaken by the Sixth Administration, specifically targeting the pressing challenges confronting the nation.
'Leave No One Behind 2024 – A Five-Year Review', which was released on Tuesday, outlines in summary form the progress made in growing the economy and jobs; fighting corruption; tackling poverty; developing human capital; providing quality health care for all; fighting crime, violence and instability; making communities safer, and investing in infrastructure.
From the outset, the sixth administration has worked to address the immediate challenges facing South Africans and put in place the foundations for sustainable, inclusive growth and job creation into the future.
“Progress in South Africa’s recovery and rebuilding since 2019 has been documented in a new Presidency publication on the impact of the Sixth Administration’s focus on addressing the immediate challenges facing South Africa and putting in place the foundations for better lives and sustainable growth into the future.
“The publication is an exercise in accountability and draws attention to the collective efforts of government and social partners to improve conditions in the country under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa,” Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said in a statement.
The information resource can be accessed on www.stateofthenation.gov.za and http://bit.ly/4blAA93. - SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Tue, 02/06/2024 - 13:44
6 February 2024: Absa has reaffirmed its commitment to making a meaningful impact in the communities it serves, by launching sustainable food gardens in schools across five provinces. As the proud title sponsor of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY 10K Series since 2021, the bank unveiled its 2023 campaign, aptly named “Together we can do …
President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner Edward Kieswetter have agreed to extend the tenure of the Commissioner beyond the end of his term to enable an orderly transition in the organisation.
In March 2019, President Ramaphosa appointed Commissioner Kieswetter in terms of Section 6 of the South African Revenue Service Act, for a five-year term that started on 1 May 2019. His contract of employment comes to an end on 30 April 2024.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency: Republic of South Africa.
The inaugural Port Alfred Easter Festival is approaching quickly, and we wanted everyone to know what is happening in Port Alfred over the Easter weekend. 29 March – 1 April. What: The Port Alfred Easter Festival is Justin Bekker’s brainchild. He is the chairperson of the Sunshine Coast Tourism Board’s Tourism Events Subcommittee. It is …
President Ramaphosa engages youth ahead of SONA
President Cyril Ramaphosa has held a pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) engagement with young people at the Belhar Sports Complex in Cape Town.
The engagement was aimed at taking stock – together with the youth – of the past three years since the commencement of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) and Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI).
The two programmes have created more than 1.7 million job opportunities and provided livelihood support, predominantly benefiting young people.
At the engagement on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa told the youth that the sixth administration has, since it took office, made a decision to “focus on young people" because of the youth unemployment challenge that South Africa faces.
"We are going to craft many programmes and as many as we can. We did so because we wanted to give young people an opportunity to start off with their lives.
“Sitting here, I am rather pleased that we’ve set up this Youth Employment Service,where we’ve said to the private sector: take young people and give them a life chance opportunity by getting them to learn on the job. But we went further and we set up the PYEI, which has opened up enormous opportunities,” he said.
Reflecting on the past 30 years of democracy and how the lives of young people are impacted by this, the President said that since the end of apartheid, government has opened the doors of learning for all school going children, and assisted more than a million older youth in attaining higher education.
“When apartheid ended, we decided that we are going to open the doors of learning for young people to go into learning institutions by their millions and having done so, we opened up no-fee schools… We decided that we are going to feed young people at school. We have the biggest feeding programme on the whole continent, feeding nine million children everyday for five days of the week.
“We focused on higher education, [where]... today NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] supports 1.2 million young people. I know of no country on the African continent that does so,” he said.
President Ramaphosa noted that by putting more youth through higher education, more effort needs to be put into creating jobs for those who graduate.
“This is what led to the conceptualisation of all these [employment] programmes. We rely on the private sector to create jobs but they are not creating jobs fast enough so government had to step in to create those job opportunities.
“The vision is to make sure that we prepare the future of South Africa through educating, through skilling and then creating job opportunities for these young people,” he said.
The President assured the youth that government will not stop in its efforts to ensure that the youth are skilled and employed.
“We never had those opportunities but the democratic government has made sure that we open all these opportunities and they are there for you to take…and to make a good start in your own lives.
“But we are going to massify. I want to see millions of young people becoming involved in various opportunities and getting into jobs. Our commitment to you, as young people, is irrevocable, it is permanent, it is there committed like no other,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 02/06/2024 - 19:18
Darkfest is on, and there is a whole lot of excitement as it all goes down at the Hellsend Dirt Compound at Vuurberg farm in Stellenbosch. With riders gathered from all over the world, this year’s Darkfest is turning into a huge event. It includes the largest dirt-to-dirt mountain bike jumps in the world, measuring …
The start of a new school year is a flurry of activity as learning and sports get underway. There are many demands on young learners mentally and physically, but parents and caregivers can help the little ones put their best foot forward by considering foot health. “School years are a crucial time for a child’s …
Prices of petrol and diesel to go up from Wednesday
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, has announced the adjustment of fuel prices for February 2024, which shows a hike in both petrol and diesel prices.
The price adjustments will come into effect from Wednesday, 7 February 2023.
Consumers will now pay 75c more for a litre of unleaded petrol of both grades (93 and 95), while the wholesale price of diesel will go up by between 70c and 73c.
The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will be increased by 53c a litre and the maximum retail price for LP gas is going up by 37c per kg.
Reasons given for the country’s adjusted prices include international and local factors.
“International factors include the fact that South Africa imports both crude oil and finished products at a price set at the international level, including importation costs, for example, shipping costs,” the department explained.
The main reasons for the fuel price adjustments, according to the department, are due to the cost of the average Brent Crude oil, which increased from US $ 77.35 to US $ 82.03 in the past month.
The department also stated that the higher oil prices are attributed to the impact of the geopolitical risk or attacks on oil cargoes in the Middle East, particularly the Red Sea.
“This has caused an increase in shipping rates as ships are rerouted from the Middle East to Europe, using the longer and more expensive route around Africa since they cannot import from Russia.”
In addition, the cold weather has also affected production in the United States, which has recently been part of the output used to offset the production cuts by a larger group of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+).
“This resulted in more than expected inventory draws.”
Meanwhile, the average international product prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin increased in line with the higher crude oil prices, while the rand/US dollar exchange rate played a role.
“The cumulative slate balance on petrol and diesel at the end of December 2023 had a positive balance of R1.1 million.
“Therefore, there will be no slate levy implemented in the price structures of petrol and diesel with effect from the 7th of February 2024.” – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Tue, 02/06/2024 - 14:42
Take a leap this Valentine’s Day by planning something unique for your significant other. Fish Eagle Café, located in the scenic surrounds of Crocworld Conservation Centre in Scottburgh, is organising a Mexican Fiesta Buffet on Wednesday, 14 February from 6pm to 10pm. This colourful Mexican fiesta buffet will start with a fruity Aguas Frescas drink …
At a time when urgent action is needed on issues like climate change, resource depletion and social upliftment, the insightful Swedish documentary “Outgrow the System” gives voice to innovative ideas and on-the-ground experiments that question the economic status quo. The thought-provoking film explores new perspectives with the potential to positively transform our society and relationship …
After years of broken SONA promises, OUTA is switching off this year’s SONA. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has decided to ignore this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Ramaphosa on 8 February 2024. “OUTA’s decision to “check out” of SONA wasn’t taken lightly, as we don’t want to send the …
This past January, Chery Group sold 200 992 units, which translates into a year-on-year growth of 107.5 per cent. The Chery brand alone made up 135 130 units of this figure. This also marks the fourth consecutive month that the group surpassed 200 000 units in monthly sales and a great way to set the …
The K.T. Wong Foundation shares spectacular video created by celebrated Chinese artist Yang Yongliang on show at the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town to celebrate Chinese New Year and promote cross cultural relations between China and South Africa Cape Town, 6 January 2024 – In support of the impending Chinese New Year, …
Over one million new voters added to the voters’ roll
The Electoral Commission says 1.2 million new voters have been added to the voters’ roll since November 2023, as the country prepares for this year’s National and Provincial Elections.
Briefing the media on the outcomes of the final voter registration weekend on Tuesday, Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said the two registration weekends have given the country a growth of 1.2 million citizens on the voters’ roll.
“Following these two registration drives, the voters’ roll now stands at 27.4 million. Regarding the past registration weekend, over 2 million (2 060 754) citizens interacted with the commission by either visiting the 23 303 voting stations or using the online voter registration portal.
“The interactions ranged from applying for registration as new voters or updating the registration details in the case of those already registered. Of the 2 million transactions recorded this past weekend, 457 384 or 22% were new entrants on the voters’ roll,” Mamabolo said.
Of the new registrations, 77% are young people under the age of 29 entering the voters’ roll for the first time. New registrations for young people stands at 352 524.
Mamabolo said a total of 1 606 370 or 88% voters inspected and updated their registration details, and this is in line with the message that a voter must register and vote in the voting district where they reside, unless they notify the commission of an intention to vote elsewhere.
A total of 1 818 379 applications were also captured at the voting stations, while 240 789 were recorded online.
KZN records highest number registrations
Mamabolo said KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of registrations with 2 510 670 transactions, followed by Gauteng which recorded 452 596, while the Eastern Cape came third with 305 460 transactions recorded.
KwaZulu-Natal also recorded the highest number of young people registered at 103 647 followed by Gauteng at 82 168, and the Eastern Cape at 43 673.
The gender of the new registrations was evenly split with female registrations accounting for 233 364, which is 51%, while the male new registrations account for 224 020, which is 49%.
Mamabolo noted that Gauteng remains the province with the biggest voting population at 6.4 million voters, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 5.7 million, then the Eastern Cape at 3.4 million voters.
“The age category 20-29 at 4.3 million now represents 48% measured against the voting age population. The online registration portal has greater usage in the province of Gauteng at 99 522, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 43 240 and the Western Cape at 33 822.
“Young persons under the age of 29 account for 47% usage of the online registration portal. Females are more likely to use the online portal more than males do at 58% or 139 313. With two registration weekends under its belt, the commission now turns its focus on ramping up preparations for the National and Provincial Elections 2024,” Mamabolo said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Tue, 02/06/2024 - 14:53