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Mike Bishop, NSRI Ballito station commander, said: NSRI commend a Good Samaritan, a male, who we believe rescued 2 children at Cassurina Beach on Sunday, 10 March. At approximately 11h45 a call came in to NSRI Ballito from an eyewitness reporting 2 swimmers, children, appearing to be in distress, at Cassurina beach, La Mercy, KZN …
Spencer Oldham, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said: While conducting a medical post, together with WC Government Health EMS, at the top of Chapman’s Peak, on Sunday, 10 March, for the Cape Town Cycle Tour 24, we noticed a RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) appearing to be adrift, with 3 people onboard, below Chapman’s Peak. …
Non-payment of invoices has a huge implication for small business
The Public Service Commission (PSC) says the non-payment of suppliers’ invoices has huge implications for small businesses that rely on cash flow for survival.
“Therefore, there is a need for urgent and timeous payment of suppliers given the critical role of procurement in economic development and emancipation,” said Public Service Commission Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya.
At a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday, Gxoyiya said the total number of invoices paid after 30 days by national departments amounts to 33 394 to the value of R1 billion, whereas in the first quarter these departments recorded 26 223 invoices to the value of R1.2 billion.
He said by the end of the second quarter, all national departments submitted their 30 days payment reports to the National Treasury as required with an average timeous submission rate of 89%.
“This represents a decline of 2% when compared with the average timeous submission rate of 91% achieved in the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year,” Gxoyiya said.
Goxoyiya said it should be noted that payment after the required 30 days constitutes non-compliance.
“Out of 40 national departments, only 17 departments fully complied with the requirement on timeous payments in Quarter 2, which is an improvement from 15 departments in Quarter 1 of the 2023/24 financial year.
“Although the number of invoices and the value cannot be determined with information at the PSC’s disposal, the departments are encouraged to maintain this performance and pay all legitimate invoices from suppliers within 30 days as required by the Public Finance Management Act and its related prescripts,” Gxoyiya said.
Gxoyiya expressed concern at the remaining 23 departments that were unable to comply with the timeous payments of invoices.
“In terms of the provinces, the total number of invoices paid after 30 days by provincial departments amounted to 48 478 to the rand value of R5.9 billion, whereas these provincial departments recoded 90 935 invoices to the value of R9.9 billion in the first quarter.
“Although these invoices were paid, it should be noted that payment after the prescribed period constitute non-compliance.
“Although Government is under financial austerity measures, invoices for services rendered must be paid and Accounting Officers should apply consequence management where necessary to address these challenges,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Mon, 03/11/2024 - 13:54
Ramadaan Kareem!
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his well wishes to South African Muslims on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadaan.
The month of prayer, fasting, reflection and community work is expected to end on April 9th.
“Ramadaan is a special period of spiritual devotion, physical sacrifice and charitable outreach for Muslims. But it is also an expression of faith that is embraced with tolerance and Ubuntu by all communities of faith.
“In our 30th year of freedom, the advent of Ramadaan gives us an appreciation of the freedom of religion, belief and opinion enshrined in our Constitution and the richness of our nation’s diversity,” the President said.
He added that the month also “connects the local Muslim community more closely with their brethren around the world at this time” and paid homage to those Muslims going in to month under challenging conditions.
“We remember that for millions of people, Ramadaan is being observed under conditions of conflict, war, displacement and oppression. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the peoples of Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Western Sahara, Mali and others - for whom this holy month is a time of great hardship and suffering.
“May the message of Ramadaan, of peace, tolerance and unity serve as an impetus for us as the international fellowship of nations to do all within our means to protect the most vulnerable, and put an end to conflicts and wars everywhere,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Mon, 03/11/2024 - 12:10
They want to be in-sourced and they want proper personal protective equipment
Government, private sector partnership yields positive results
Over the last nine months, the partnership between government and business has made significant strides in addressing the electricity supply crisis, the severe challenges in freight rail and port operations, and crime and corruption.
“Since the partnership began, the private sector has contributed more than R170 million of direct support and has mobilised over 350 technical experts. More than 130 CEOs of the country’s leading companies have pledged their support,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday in his weekly newsletter.
The partnership was established in June last year to tackle challenges that were an obstacle to faster growth and job creation.
“Since November 2023, load shedding is 61% lower than the same period a year ago. Among other things, this has been made possible by the return of units at Kusile power station and the impact of new generation capacity from rooftop solar and private sector investment.
“Under the leadership of its new Group CEO, Eskom is finalising an agreement with business to deploy additional independent skilled experts to support Eskom.
“Business is supporting a number of the workstreams of the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC), providing technical, security and operational expertise to Transnet’s efforts to improve the performance of ports and freight rail,” the President said.
With all stakeholders working together, Transnet has achieved a 45% reduction in vessels anchored outside the Port of Durban and a 36% reduction in the waiting time to anchor for container vessels.
“A major success has been the provision of security by business on the rail network, which has resulted in a 65% reduction in criminal incidents on the Northern Corridor, reducing the number of trains cancelled. Work is currently underway to ramp up the deployment of South African Police Service (SAPS) resources to secure network infrastructure in the longer term.
“Steady progress has been made in the crime and corruption focal area. Through the Joint Initiative on Crime and Corruption (JICC), the private sector is providing business information and resources to assist with the fight against infrastructure crime,” the President said.
Support has also been provided to modernise the 10111 helpline, with a pilot project initiated at the main call centre in Midrand, and the establishment with the Hawks of a forensics analysis centre.
“Building on this progress, government and business are now focused on actions that will make a considerable and lasting difference over the course of the next few months.
“Among other things, we are working to increase electricity generation capacity from different sources by up to 10 600 MW, which will enable a significant reduction in the severity of load shedding by the end of this year.
“This includes improved Eskom plant performance, additional private investment in rooftop solar and large-scale power projects, and connecting projects from previous renewable energy bid windows to the grid,” the President said.
Following the recent appointment of permanent executive leadership, Transnet is focused on rebuilding internal capacity and drawing on private sector technical resources to restore the operational performance of strategic rail corridors.
“An important part of the work to tackle crime and corruption will be the passage of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Amendment Bill, which will strengthen the independence and investigating capacity of the NPA.
“It will also enable the establishment of additional infrastructure to support the Investigating Directorate as a permanent entity, including a dedicated forensics laboratory. A key focus of the partnership is to secure South Africa’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list by at least June 2025,” Ramaphosa said.
While this partnership between government and business has been focused on specific immediate actions, the President said the broader work to grow the economy and create jobs draws on the contributions and capabilities of all social partners and stakeholders.
“As we work to rebuild our economy, we will strive to deepen these partnerships and to reach out to all South Africans to be involved in these efforts. By broadening the involvement of all social partners in this work, we will continue to build durable social compacts that make a real difference in people’s lives.
“We have long believed that it is only by working together that we can make progress. The partnership between government and business has shown what is possible when we are focused and committed towards the achievement of a common goal,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Mon, 03/11/2024 - 09:34
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The global economic backdrop continues to improve gradually but great amounts of uncertainty remain. While most of the major central banks are now likely at the peak of their rate hiking cycles, inflation remains sticky and sustained high levels of interest rates are having a dampening impact on economic growth. Meanwhile, the recovery in China’s …
ACCRA: A match-winning five for 13 from captain Nondumiso Shangase helped Team South Africa register their maiden win at the 13th...
Leopards Women’s provincial coach and former Springbok Women’s Sevens player, Jackie Kriel, said the opportunity to attend the Gallagher High Performance Academy workshops organised by World Rugby in Vancouver and Los Angeles recently had a very positive impact on her coaching career and future coaching ambitions. Kriel, who played in nine HSBC SVNS tournaments for …
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The SA swimming squad competing at the African Games added 10 more medals to Team SA’s haul on the second night of action in Accra, Ghana on Sunday, bringing their haul thus far to 17. Saturday’s opening night of swimming saw the team earning a total of seven medals – four of them gold, two …
The race to qualify from the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 took a potentially decisive turn in Montevideo this weekend as Uruguay’s men and China’s women emerged victorious on Sunday. Hosts Uruguay completed a remarkable comeback at Estadio Charrúa on Sunday, beating Hong Kong China 28-0 in the men’s Cup final having only made …
Wonderboom Performing At The Bands At The Beach Fest Tickets from Quicket With their vibrant and eclectic sound, Wonderboom, a South African music band, has left an indelible mark on the music scene. Formed in 1996 in Pretoria, the band consists of Cito on vocals and guitar, Martin Schofield on guitar, Wade Williams on bass, and …
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) announced that it was currently investigating Clover (PTY) Ltd for alleged contraventions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). This comes after the dairy company informed the NCC that it has recalled 10 776 units of 400g of Go Nuts peanut butter following numerous tests that revealed higher levels of aflatoxin. …
Commission investigates conduct of Clover
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) announced that it was currently investigating Clover (PTY) Ltd for alleged contraventions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
This comes after the dairy company informed the NCC that it has recalled 10 776 units of 400g of Go Nuts peanut butter following numerous tests that revealed higher levels of aflatoxin.
Aflatoxin is defined as a family of toxins produced by certain fungi found on crops such as maize, peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts.
The recall by Clover comes after the commission recently received five peanut butter recalls.
These include Pick ‘n Pay’s 1kg No Name, Dis-Chem’s Lifestyle Brand 400g and 800g of their smooth and crunchy, Wazoogles, Eat Naked, and Woolworths’ peanut butter dairy ice cream after these products failed to meet the acceptable levels of aflatoxin.
READ | Various peanut butter brands recalled
“Following these recalls, the NCC called on all producers, manufacturers, and suppliers of peanut butter, peanut butter-based products, and products containing peanuts to immediately test their products for aflatoxin levels and submit their results to the NCC,” the commission explained.
NCC Acting Commissioner, Thezi Mabuza, said the call for suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors of these products to immediately test their products for levels of aflatoxin has been an eye-opener.
“From the test results that were received by the commission, there is an indication that suppliers were not compliant with their protocols, and regulations. We are expecting suppliers, to be specific, the retailers, to immediately recall those brands that are non-compliant. This is to ensure that we protect South African consumers from any further harm,” she said on Friday.
Meanwhile, the NCC said it has made a decisive decision to get to the bottom of the challenge.
“Section 60 of the Act read with the NCC’s Product Recall Guidelines requires that the supplier or manufacturer upon discovering that safety has been compromised that a retailer or supplier must recall the affected product immediately and inform the regulators. Upon receiving the notification from Clover (PTY) Ltd, the commission assessed the recall and established some inconsistencies with the CPA,” Mabuza said.
Consumers who have Clover’s Go Nuts peanut 400g with the 12, 18, and 19 June 2025 and 19 July 2025 best-before dates are urged to stop consuming the product and return it to the point of purchase for a full refund.
The risk of consuming products with higher than acceptable levels of aflatoxin may lead to health complications like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, the NCC said.
“South African consumers who have the recalled products must immediately stop consuming these products and return the products to a point of purchase for a full refund, with or without proof of purchase,” Mabuza added.
Clover said the quality and safety of its products remain a top priority.
“All affected batches of the product have already been removed from all stores countrywide. All other batches of our Go Nuts Peanut Butter product in stores are not affected by this recall and are 100% safe for consumption,” said Clover in a statement. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 03/10/2024 - 11:54
New CEOs for Gauteng academic hospitals
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has announced the appointment of three Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to provincial academic hospitals.
The appointments are for the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital (DGMAH), Steve Biko Academic Hospital (SBAH), and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH).
The newly appointed CEOs assumed their roles on 1 March 2024.
This marks a significant step towards strengthening the department’s governance system and ensuring that there is capable leadership across healthcare facilities in the province.
MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko congratulated the newly appointed CEOs, emphasising the importance of their role in driving the mandate to provide quality healthcare services.
She has since extended her congratulations to CHBAH’s Dr Nthabiseng Makgana, SBAH’s Dr Lehlohonolo Majake and DGMAH’s Dr Fhatuwani Mbara for their appointments.
“These positions carry a great responsibility in ensuring the delivery of excellent healthcare services to the people of Gauteng,” stated Nkomo-Ralehoko in a statement on Friday.
The GDoH said academic hospitals hold a vital place in the public healthcare landscape, serving as centres of excellence in medical education, research, and patient care.
The institutions render highly specialised services and play a crucial role in training the next generation of healthcare professionals, providing them with hands-on experience and guidance from experienced physicians and healthcare experts.
The appointment of these CEOs comes at a crucial time as GDoH prepares for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).
Nkomo-Ralehoko further highlighted the significance of capable leaders in achieving the goals set by the NHI.
“As we ready ourselves for the implementation of the NHI, it is imperative that we have capable leaders at the helm of our academic hospitals. Their expertise and strategic vision will play a vital role in advancing our healthcare system, promoting equity, and improving access to quality healthcare services for all,” the MEC added.
READ | NHI receives in excess of R1 billion allocation
In addition to the appointment of the CEOs, the GDoH has also appointed the Deputy Director-General and Chief Director of Infrastructure, the Chief Information Officer, the Chief Director for Health Economics and Finance and several other senior management services employees at a director level.
“These key positions will contribute to accelerating the delivery of services to communities and to strengthening the healthcare system in Gauteng.” – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 03/10/2024 - 13:39
Eskom to implement Stage 1 load shedding
Eskom has announced that Stage 1 load shedding will be implemented from 4 pm on Sunday afternoon.
Stage 1 load shedding will be in place until 5 am on Monday.
This as the power utility had suspended load shedding from 5 am on Saturday until 4 pm followed by Stage 2 load shedding until 5am on Sunday. Load shedding was then suspended until 4pm.
In a statement on Sunday, Eskom said load shedding will be suspended again from 5 am on Monday until 4 pm, followed by Stage 2 load shedding until 5 am on Tuesday.
“The suspension of load shedding from 5 am until 4 pm and the implementation of Stage 2 load shedding from 4 pm until 5 am the next day will be repeated daily from Monday until further notice,” Eskom explained.
This, according to the entity, is because of the recovery of emergency reserves, the return of three generating units and the anticipated weekday demand.
Meanwhile, a total of 3 330MW of generation capacity is expected to return to service by Wednesday.
The evening peak demand forecast for tonight is 24 883MW.
“Eskom will communicate as soon as there are any significant changes.” – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 03/10/2024 - 14:45
Bangladesh player Towhid Hridoy has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on Saturday. Towhid was found to have breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, …
Child of SA woman in Senegalese prison comes home
The Department of Social Development has successfully repariated a toddler who was being held in a Dakar prison in Senegal.
The department’s social workers arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday with a two-year-old baby who was born in Senegal and has been in the care of the mother who was arrested last year for drug trafficking.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) through its International Social Services (ISS) Directorate notified the Department of Social Development in August 2023 that the biological mother of the child had been arrested last year in February.
“It is reported that within days of her incarceration, she gave birth to the child. Due to the mother’s incarceration, the child is considered to be in distress since prison is not a conducive environment for the upbringing of the child.”
The South African government through the DIRCO initiated the process of repatriating the child by first visiting the mother to ascertain her wishes about her child.
“The mother nominated the grandmother of the child as the guardian in the country while she serves her sentence in Senegal,” said the Department of Social Development (DSD) in a statement.
The National DSD then requested the Eastern Cape provincial department to investigate the circumstances of the nominated foster parent to assess suitability to care for the child.
“The child will be integrated with the mother’s family in the Eastern Cape and the department will continue providing child protection services and provide support to the family.”
The department said it was obligated by Section 7, subsection (1), (f), (ii), of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 that a child needs to maintain a connection with their family, extended family, culture, or tradition and all decisions must be made in the best interest of the child.
Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, said the department will always put the best interest of the child first.
“However, we remain concerned about the issue of drugs and what it can do to children. This unborn baby ended up in distress in a foreign country because the mother was arrested for trafficking drugs. We cannot stress more the importance of young people to make the right decisions about their lives,” the Minister added.
Since 2015, the department has repatriated 21 children in distress in foreign countries.
According to the data, seven were repatriated in Zimbabwe; three in Brazil; two each in Malawi, Mozambique, Canada and Tanzania; and one each in Ghana, the United Kingdom, Peru, Mauritius and Senegal. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 03/10/2024 - 15:18
Sailors are preparing their boats for the annual MAC 24 HOUR CHALLENGE. This is the 25th Attempt at the Guinness World Record for the most distance sailed in a dinghy in 24 Hours. Started in the United Kingdom in 1967 by West Lancashire Yacht Club and in South Africa in 1998 by Milnerton Aquatic Club. …