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As South Africa engages in the last week of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, a R1.6 billion budget allocation has done little to stem the tide of violent crimes against women and children. Commitments at presidential summits on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in 2018 and 2022, including the budget …
First families moved off Central Line railway tracks
Introduction Investing in international stocks can be an excellent way to diversify your portfolio. However, one important aspect that investors need to understand is the foreign dividend withholding tax. This tax is levied by the country where the dividend-paying company is based and can significantly affect the net income you receive from your investments. …
Transnet increases tug availability at Durban port
The Port of Durban has made significant strides in the improvement of its marine craft status by increasing tug availability to an average of six tugs as of December 2023.
The increased tug availability is set to complement the 24-hour helicopter service, ensure a quicker turnaround of vessels at the port and allow terminal operators to implement the Container Recovery Plan at the port, with agility. The Plan was put in place to clear backlogs and improve the turnaround time of vessels calling the container terminals.
The port has seen severe delays recently due to various factors, including adverse weather conditions and equipment availability and maintenance.
“Having all six tugs operating is a big step in the right direction for the port and our investment in the marine fleet exhibits our commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring the port remains a gateway for trade.
“We are optimistic about the positive impact these tugs will have on the current container recovery plan and our general service offering to our customers,” Transnet National Ports Authority, Port Manager at the Port of Durban, Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana said on Friday.
The six operational tugs namely: Umkhomazi, Mkhuze, Lotheni, Palmiet, Pholela and uMhlali, are playing a vital role in adding the required tug capacity and availability in the improvement of operational efficiencies in the port.
“This milestone comes after the introduction of the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) wide fleet renewal programme, which seeks to ensure that marine crafts are maintained and serviced periodically to mitigate against breakdowns and provide a buffer should there be a need.
“The provision of tugs falls within the ambit of TNPA as stipulated in Section 11 (n) of the National Ports Act of 2005, which states that the authority should provide or arrange for tugs, pilot boats and other facilities and services for the navigation and berthing of vessels in the ports.
"Most of the repair and maintenance of the Port of Durban marine fleet has been carried out by TNPA’s internal heavy engineering workshop, Workshop 24, which is based in the Bayhead Precinct in the port," Transnet said.
TNPA also anticipates the delivery of three second-hand tugs to the Port of Durban in the first quarter of 2024.
TNPA is responsible for the safe, effective and efficient economic functioning of the national port system, which it manages in a landlord capacity.
It provides port infrastructure and marine services at the eight commercial seaports in South Africa – Richards Bay, Durban, Saldanha, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Mossel Bay and Ngqura.
It operates within a legislative and regulatory environment and is governed by the National Ports Act (Act No. 12 of 2005). – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Fri, 12/08/2023 - 13:01
Six of the brightest young creative talents living and working in South Africa today have been announced as the 2023 Standard Bank Young Artists. These are the artists who will get hearts and minds racing with their ideas and performances at the 2024 National Arts Festival programme (20-30 June), in the 50th year of the …
Dear Editor The DA notes the Department of Health’s statement that 9 395 of the 10 386 applicants were placed in the Internship and Community Service Programme (ICSP). We are however very worried about the 991 unplaced applicants. The DA will write to the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, in order to gain urgent …
Cape Town, South Africa: Local football hopefuls will have the chance to bag a professional contract in the United Arab Emirates with TFA Dubai announcing their return to South Africa for the EPC Tours Football Trials. Building on the success of their first event in Johannesburg earlier this year, where three participants made it to …
Dear Editor Over 300 000 students stand to be financially excluded thanks to tertiary education funding being cut by approximately R13.7 billion. DASO unequivocally condemns and rejects this. DASO notes that these budget cuts are happening across various departments but also notes how spending on frivolous line items such as VIP security has not decreased. …
Stellantis and Ample have signed a binding agreement to establish a partnership in electric vehicle (EV) battery charging technology capable of delivering a fully charged electric vehicle battery in less than five minutes. The two partners have agreed to work toward integrating Ample’s Modular Battery Swapping solution in Stellantis electric vehicles. Battery swapping technology allows …
Dear Editor The Democratic Alliance (DA) appointed an independent task force of experienced homicide detectives to work with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to bring the murderers of Councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, the DA’s Chief Whip in Umgeni, to swift justice. The independent investigative task force combines the expertise …
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today named the 15-player squad that will represent South Africa at the ICC U19...
Dear Editor The DA expresses deep concern regarding the recent announcement of Botswana’s extension of import restrictions on fresh produce from South Africa. We have taken note of Minister Thoko Didiza’s efforts to engage in discussions through the South African Ambassador to Botswana to address this issue. While we welcome this initiative, it is disconcerting …
Five days out – too close to call for line honours – hours separate Translated 9 IT (09) and Pen Duick VI FR (14) under 1,000 miles to go. Different routes, different tactics, same finish line. Who will triumph? If there was ever an appropriate time to roll out the clichés ‘nail-biting finish’, ‘too close …
It gives me great pleasure to put pen to paper once more to the coach development newsletter! The 2023/2024 summer...
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Government welcomes adoption of Post Office business rescue plan
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has welcomed the decision by the South African Post Office (SAPO) creditors to adopt the draft Business Rescue Plan.
“The timeous adoption of this Business Rescue Plan sets us on course in turning the tide in saving the South African Post Office in the interest of our developmental agenda as a country,” Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele said on Thursday.
The draft Plan was published for comment on 23 November 2023.
“The post office remains an important institution in our postal services network nationally and in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region. Most importantly, we remain committed to ensuring that we build a post office of tomorrow which provides quality, affordable and accessible services to the people of South Africa, particularly in this digital era,” Gungubele said.
Business Rescue Practitioners, Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons, appointed after SAPO was placed under Business Rescue in July 2023, were tasked with the responsibility of developing and submitting a Business Rescue Plan by 30 November 2023.
In July, then acting Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Enoch Godongwana, welcomed the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa’s decision to place the SAPO under supervision and in business rescue which would commence with immediate effect.
According to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies at the time, the decision of the court in support of the application brought by Minister Mondli Gungubele confirmed that indeed SAPO is a strategic government asset that provides vital services throughout the country. This is especially in remote areas where SAPO is often the main link between residents and the outside world.
It added that it further uses its countrywide footprint to render services such as the distribution of social grants at its branches and the distribution of medication to those in need. It also renders various national and international postal services.
Full details on the Business Rescue Plan can be accessed on: https://www.postoffice.co.za/BusinessRescue/index.html
–SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Fri, 12/08/2023 - 10:17
It gives me great pleasure that I am putting pen to paper for this edition of the PowerPlay newsletter. This...
The Bellville library opened its doors for an exhilarating Waste-to-Art Exhibition end of November 2023. The city-funded event is the culmination of The Greater Tygerberg Partnership’s (GTP) exhilarating Climate Change School Holiday Programme which took place in October 2023. The exhibition was a visual feast, showcasing the innovative creations and projects conceived by young participants …
With Rugby Sevens fever ramping up in the Mother City ahead of this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Cape Town, one of South Africa’s most revered World Cup-winning heroes, Bryan Habana, took time out of his schedule to add to the building excitement with an HSBC TAG Rugby event at Green Point Salesian Football Club on Thursday. …
KZN disaster teams respond to storm-affected families
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) has responded to the disasters caused by thunderstorms in the Umgungundlovu and Harry Gwala Districts, following the inclement weather on Sunday and Monday night in Pietermaritzburg.
According to the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) preliminary reports, various areas were affected by heavy storms in the form of hail and heavy rains, which affected a number of areas.
The affected areas, including France, Mpumuza, Henley, Machibisa, KwaPata, kaShange, Ashdown and parts of Imbali Township, were left damaged with roofs blown away and some houses were completely destroyed.
The department said the disaster management teams, working with Msunduzi Local Municipality, are conducting ongoing assessments and providing relief to affected families.
In the Harry Gwala District Municipality, strong winds and hail storms were also reported in various wards of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, causing damage to households.
The reports indicate that seven houses were totally destroyed, with 19 partially damaged, and seven people left homeless. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.
The department said the disaster teams have provided relief materials to the affected families and the teams are also conducting damage assessments in other wards within the Umzimkhulu area.
KZN CoGTA MEC, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, has expressed sympathy to all affected families and urged the disaster teams to ensure all affected families are profiled to receive assistance.
“As the department, we sympathise with all families that have been affected by this damaging weather in all areas. Our disaster teams are currently on the ground conducting assessments to ensure that all affected communities get assistance.
“We have engaged our sister departments, including Human Settlements and Social Development, to render their services, especially to those who may have lost identity documents, and Human Settlements will provide relief to fix damages,” Sithole-Moloi said.
The MEC urged the communities to take precautionary measures to minimise the impact of the current disasters.
“As the rainy season is upon us, we are experiencing this damaging weather more often as the province. Let us make sure that we move to safer areas where there are no threats and avoid traveling during heavy rains.
“Our disaster teams have activated the joint operations clusters where we work with all municipalities, NGOs, and law enforcement agencies to respond to the disaster matters. The PDMC has engaged all districts to report any incidents and indicate any support required,” the MEC said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 12/08/2023 - 10:07
The stage is set for HSBC SVNS Cape Town on 9-10 December at DHL Stadium as the world's best 12 men's and women's rugby sevens teams are ready to showcase their incredible talents on the pitch.
Meanwhile a huge entertainment line-up, including live music, mass- participation sports activities and food from around the globe will create a vibrant festival experience for fans to enjoy off the pitch as the reinvigorated HSBC SVNS aims to take the Olympic sport to the next level.
On Wednesday the captains enjoyed a taste of Cape Town at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market in the shadows of the famous stadium, which hosted Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.
An exciting new era for rugby sevens began in Dubai on 2-3 December as the highly anticipated HSBC SVNS 2024 kicked off with South Africa men and Australia women taking victory in the opening round to lead the early standings.
VIEW POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE: https://apo-opa.co/41flRrj
The HSBC SVNS CPT action kicks off at 09:00 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday with the pool matches. Day two begins at 09:00 on Sunday with the quarter-finals and culminates with the women's gold medal final at 18:43, followed by the men's final at 19:23 local time. Tickets are available from R150 at Ticketmaster.
With the number of teams reduced from 16 to 12 in the men's event this year the competition will be intense from start to finish.
South Africa's hugely popular Blitzboks will play Ireland, USA and Great Britain in men's Pool A. Last season's runners-up Argentina face double Olympic champions Fiji alongside France and Spain in Pool B. Pool C sees reigning SVNS champions New Zealand take on Samoa, Australia and Canada.
South Africa men's captain Selvyn Davids said: “We thought we had a tough pool in Dubai and how close it was indeed. Our ‘reward' is yet another one this weekend and that is the beauty of this new format. Not only does every match count, the reality is that you could be defeated by any of the 12 teams if you are even slightly off your game.
“The Cape Town crowd has been a faithful one for us and it has been a while for them to celebrate a win. We have this opportunity now to give them another title. The Springboks showed the way in France, now we have a chance to make good as well.”
In the women's competition, Australia will start Pool A in confident mood following their victory in Dubai last weekend and they will come up against Fiji, Japan and Spain. Pool B sees the current SVNS title holders New Zealand together with Ireland, Brazil and Great Britain. France were impressive bronze medallists in Dubai and they will take on Canada, USA and the hosts South Africa who were promoted from the Challenger last season and will be looking to make their mark on home turf in Pool C.
South Africa women's co-captain Mathrin Simmers said: “It feels different for a number of reasons. We are at home of course and that always creates a special buzz. The fact that I missed last year's tournament through injury adds to my excitement to play.
“The real anticipation for us, going into the second tournament as the newcomers onto the series, is to see if we can back up on what we did in Dubai last week. The squad felt good about the fact that we landed on our feet in the series, took some great teams to the wire and got our first win for the season. How excited that we now get another opportunity to do it all over again.”
The competition format replicates the Olympic model and sees the top two teams from each pool, plus the best two third-placed teams qualify for the quarter-finals from where it is knockout rugby.
VIEW HSBC SVNS 2024 CALENDAR: https://www.SVNS.com/en
World Rugby's revamped and rebranded global celebration of rugby sevens is taking place across eight iconic destinations and is set to supercharge the sport's global appeal.
The new-look HSBC SVNS 2024 features seven regular season events – in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore – before the Grand Final in Madrid. The top eight placed teams based on cumulative series points after seven events will compete in the new ‘winner-takes-all' Grand Final, where the women's and men's champions will be crowned.
Madrid will also play host to the high stakes relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger, with the top four placed teams securing their place on HSBC SVNS 2025.
The reimagined competition model means fans can expect even more excitement, entertainment and nail-biting jeopardy. And with the clock counting down until rugby sevens kicks off the Olympic Games in Paris on 24 July, 2024, the action will be hotter than ever on and off the pitch.
In line with World Rugby's commitment to grow the women's game, all HSBC SVNS events will see men's and women's teams sharing the platform equally to showcase their incredible strength, speed and skill on the biggest stages around the world.
Welcoming the teams and fans to Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, Executive Mayor of Cape Town said: “To all the players, coaching and management teams and, most importantly, the thousands of traveling fans who have made their way to Cape Town for the HSBC SVNS CPT, I wish you a very warm welcome to the Mother City.
“Sevens and Cape Town have a wonderful decade-old relationship, with our city putting on a show every year that must surely rank among the highlights of the season. For us, the annual SVNS tournament is one of the most important events on our calendar as the world tunes in to Cape Town during a magical time of the year and sees our city at its very best. We are ready to put on our best SVNS party yet, and our iconic DHL Stadium with its brand new pitch, is going to set a standard in this competition that will not easily be matched.”
WHERE TO WATCH: https://apo-opa.co/3Gz7XH6
Fans can watch the HSBC SVNS action wherever you are in the world, either via broadcaster partners or online on RugbyPass TV. All matches taking place on pitch two in Cape Town will be live streamed on RugbyPass TV.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.
SAMATU commends adoption of NHI Bill
The South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) says the adoption of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill represents a monumental achievement in South Africa's journey towards accomplishing universal health coverage.
“This milestone signifies that the nation realises the importance of universal health coverage as a means of addressing the inequalities that exist in the current healthcare system,” said SAMATU General Secretary, Dr Cedric Sihlangu.
The union commended the Ministry of Health for the significant strides made in the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, which was passed by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.
The SAMATU noted with great satisfaction the Ministry's inclusive and comprehensive approach, particularly through robust stakeholder engagements, transparent communication, and a well-considered phased implementation strategy.
Sihlangu said SAMATU views these efforts as “key components for the successful execution of this critical healthcare reform.”
“SAMATU recognises and supports the Ministry's emphasis on a rational, structured, and phased approach to the implementation of the NHI. The acknowledgement of the role of transitional arrangements and the impeding proclamation of specific sections of the Act as law are crucial elements in realising the transformative impact of the NHI.
“We understand the intricacies involved in implementing such a fundamental reform and appreciate the Ministry's foresight in ascertaining that the effectiveness of the Act's provisions is undeniably linked to the subsequent introduction of accompanying regulations, directives, and operational procedures,” Sihlangu said.
Sihlangu’s comments come as Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, has described the adoption of the bill as a historic and important milestone.
According to Phaahla, the Ministry has since developed and adopted a comprehensive approach to stakeholder engagement to ensure diverse perspectives are considered as the country forges ahead with implementing NHI.
“Regarding the next key steps, we look forward to the Bill being forwarded to the President for consideration and promulgation. Once it receives Presidential assent, the Bill will become an Act of Parliament, creating a statutory mandate for the Minister and the National Department of Health,” Phaahla said on Wednesday.
Sihlangu added that the Constitutional provision empowering the President to set dates for the effectiveness of various provisions within the Act is recognised, and SAMATU is confident in the Ministry's commitment to navigate through these processes with due diligence and steadfast focus on the public interest.
“SAMATU stands ready to offer unwavering support and collaborate with all stakeholders involved in the NHI implementation processes. As a union that represents doctors, we are committed to provide valuable insights and engage constructively to ensure the realisation of a healthcare system that guarantees equitable access to quality healthcare for all South Africans.
“As we move forward, SAMATU reaffirms its commitment to advocating for the best interests of healthcare professionals and the public. We eagerly anticipate the successful realisation of the NHI objectives for the benefit of all citizens,” Sihlangu said.
About the NHI
On 12 June 2023, the National Assembly (NA) passed the National Health Insurance Bill.
The NHI Bill seeks to provide universal access to health care services in the country in accordance with the National Health Insurance White Paper and the Constitution of South Africa.
The Bill envisages the establishment of a National Health Insurance Fund and sets out its powers, functions and governance structures. The fund will purchase health care services for all users who are registered with it.
The Bill will also create mechanisms for the equitable, effective and efficient utilisation of the resources of the fund to meet the health needs of users and preclude or limit undesirable, unethical and unlawful practices in relation to the fund. It further seeks to address barriers to access.
The NHI Bill was initially tabled in Parliament and introduced to the Portfolio Committee on Health on 8 August 2019 for processing.
Click here for "All you need to know" on the NHI. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 12/08/2023 - 07:54
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to announce a new partner for the Proteas for the duration of the...
BLOEMFONTEIN: Zubayr Hamza hit an unbeaten century on a rain-affected day three of the third four-day game against West Indies A...