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With reference to CSA withdrawing the SA U19 Cricket World Cup Team captaincy of David Teeger after his remarks supporting Israeli soldiers the debate continuess to the merits and demerits therof. Even I, walking the thin line between the two sides, have come in for some uncomfortable questions from across the board after I questioned …
People the world over are struggling to find the reasons why South Africa is taking centre stage at the International Court of Justice seeking that august institutions condemnation of Israels action in the Gaza strip as Genocide. The South African government has a long and complex relationship with Israel and the Jewish people: South Africa …
Dear Editor Mere hours after Jacob Zuma was readmitted to prison to serve out his sentence for contempt of court, he was released in terms of Cyril Ramaphosa’s special remission process, along with 16 472 other inmates. Under the guise of reducing overcrowding in prisons, the process was used purely as a political favour to …
Dear Editor Following recent revelations of irregular and improper payments of social grants to undeserving beneficiaries, in violation of Section 21 of the Social Assistance Act, the DA is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to commission an independent audit of all social grant recipient databases as a matter of urgency. The purpose of the independent …
Fans at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai witnessed a great advert for the continuing global growth of rugby sevens as teams from four different continents qualified for the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger semi-finals following a sequence of hotly contested quarter-finals. Argentina are the only unbeaten team in the women’s competition as they backed up …
The finalists of the 2020 edition of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, India and Bangladesh, will be joined by Ireland and USA in Group A. India are also the defending champions, having beaten England in an epic see-saw encounter back in 2022 in the West Indies. The Group A fixtures begin on January …
SEA RESCUE – Gauteng – Saturday, 13 January. Female missing in Rivonia suspected to have been swept away in flash floods. A man rescued after vehicle swept off low lying bridge: Gerhard Potgieter, NSRI Gauteng station commander, said: NSRI are appealing to motorists and pedestrians not to attempt to proceed through flooded roadways and not …
Paarl Royals Betway SA20 Media Day Interviews featuring Jos Buttler, Mandla Mashyimbi and Nqaba Peter ahead of their match against the Pretoria Capitals in Paarl, Western Cape on Friday 12 January 2024. The Paarl Royals won by 27 runs. From: Cricket SA More Info here: https://myza.co.za/cricket-south-africa-paarl-royals-looking-to-design-boland-park-a-fortress-buttler/ CLICK HERE to submit a Video Press Release to …
This was part of a Global Day of Action for Palestine
Sean Everitt today penned a new two-year extension with Edinburgh Rugby as the club’s Head Coach. The new deal keeps Everitt in the Scottish capital until June 2026, with the announcement coming ahead of tonight’s sold-out European clash against Gloucester at Hive Stadium (kick-off 5.30pm). Everitt has enjoyed a promising start to life at Edinburgh …
Johannesburg,12 January 2023 — Marcomm Group (Pty) Ltd, the brainchild of visionary founder Sello Ramosepele, proudly announces its resounding success as a recipient of the inaugural Media Innovator Award presented by Innovation in Business Magazine, United Kingdom, 2023. This prestigious accolade reaffirms Marcomm Group’s pivotal role in reshaping the landscape of innovative digital marketing and …
Gary Wolmerans, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, said: At 17h30, Thursday, 11 January, NSRI Shelly Beach duty crew were activated following a request to assist Police Search and Rescue at a search at Mtwalume Beach, KZN South Coast, where a 15 year old local male had gone missing in the surf line while swimming. An …
Dutch therapist Dr Ard Nieuwenbroek will he coming to Gqeberha to host two talks based on his latest book Guiding Elvis Children. There is emerging research on the unseen and unconscious impact that the loss of a child can have on the family system, especially on the child born after the loss. Author: Tanya Defferary
Mayco member says the City has to manage 45,000 units and prioritises repairing them based on safety
2 000 new waste management job opportunities in Mbombela
The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Makhotso Sotyu, has launched the Cleaning and Greening Programme for the City of Mbombela with 2 000 new job opportunities in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.
Delivering the keynote address on Thursday, the Deputy Minister explained how the programme tackles poverty and unemployment while ensuring that the environment is clean and protected.
According to the department, illegal dumping and littering are some of the most common problems in South Africa that affect all municipalities, irrespective of the size and extent of the area.
The prevalence of these ineffective waste management practices is being witnessed in many parts of the country.
This trend, the department said, unfortunately, affects the well-being of communities.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa asked all of us as government leaders to come up with programmes to create jobs for our people, especially post the COVID-19 pandemic. As a department, we have responded to the President’s call with this initiative to create jobs while contributing to a cleaner environment,” said the Deputy Minister.
Last year, Minister Barbara Creecy launched the national Municipal Cleaning and Greening Programme (MCGP), which is being implemented across the nine provinces.
The City of Mbombela is one of the 14 prioritised municipalities for the expansion of the MCGP.
The expansion will increase waste management across the participating municipalities through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
The EPWP is a medium-to long-term government-funded programme that promotes the use of labour-intensive methods to create work opportunities for poor and unemployed South Africans.
Workers in each municipality will enable more waste management capacity while addressing service delivery, skills development, unemployment, and creating cleaner towns.
The programme prioritises employment, emphasising empowering women, youth, and people with disabilities.
“This programme will essentially see community members working with the government to clean their communities while earning a monthly stipend. The programme will allow you, the participants, to put food on the table, to provide for yourselves and your families while carrying out the important task of keeping our communities clean,” she told the participants. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 01/12/2024 - 09:27
Prof Ntobeko Ntusi to take over the reigns at the SAMRC
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) says it is thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Ntobeko Ntusi as its new president and chief executive officer, effective 1 July 2024.
Ntusi will succeed the esteemed Professor Glenda Gray, who has been the SAMRC president for the past 10 years. Her term concludes on 30 June 2024.
The medical research institute has described the incoming president as a distinguished and highly respected figure in the medical community and said he brings a wealth of expertise and leadership to his new role.
“His lifelong passion for evidence-based healthcare, health systems research, and universal health coverage has positioned him as a trailblazer in medical research,” said the SAMRC in a statement on Thursday.
“Prof Ntusi’s commitment to advancing medical research and his passion for improving healthcare outcomes align perfectly with the SAMRC’s mission to advance the nation’s health and quality of life and to address inequity by conducting and funding relevant and responsive health research, capacity development, innovation, and research translation.”
Ntusi’s leadership spans various national, regional, and international platforms, where he has played pivotal roles in shaping academic agendas and postgraduate medical education standards and advancing key strategic priorities.
His commitment to mentoring young professionals and supervising postgraduate students underscores his passion for nurturing the next generation of medical leaders.
The incoming President is currently a cardiologist, the Head of the Department of Medicine, and the Clinical Lead for cardiovascular magnetic resonance and cardiovascular computed tomography at Groote Schuur Hospital in the Western Cape.
He is also the Professorial Chair of the Department of Medicine, in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
He serves as the Director of the SAMRC/UCT Extramural Unit on the Intersection of Noncommunicable Diseases and Infectious Diseases.
He holds numerous qualifications including a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Cardiovascular Medicine and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Cardiology from the University of Oxford, St Cross College and the University of Cape Town respectively, making him a prominent figure in the medical field.
His vision for the SAMRC aligns with its commitment to advancing medical research and improving health outcomes for all.
He said he was honoured and excited to lead the SAMRC.
“I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at SAMRC to further our impact on healthcare and research, driving positive change in South Africa and beyond.”
The institute said the Ntusi’s tenure promises to uphold and build upon the SAMRC’s legacy of excellence and dedication to advancing medical research and healthcare in South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 01/12/2024 - 09:52
Nzimande dismisses news of intention to raise university fees
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, has dismissed as false, information that he intends to increase university fees for the 2024 academic year.
“The Minister has become aware of the circulation of false and ill-informed suggestions that he as Minister, intends to increase university fees for the 2024 academic year.
“As the Department of Higher Education and Training, we wish to remind the public that the Minister plays absolutely no role in determining the fees of universities,” read a statement released by the department on Thursday.
Per the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, the authority to determine the fees of individual universities rests with University Councils.
“Therefore, the Minister has no such authority to determine the individual fees of universities and to do so, would be to act beyond his powers on the part of the Minister.
“However, given the socio-economic reality of our country, through the department, each year, the Minister usually provides the universities with a framework that should guide how they determine their fee structure.”
The department explained that the Minister does this with the sole intention of ensuring that, in how universities determine their fee structures, students and in particular those from poor and working-class backgrounds, are not adversely affected by the fee determinations of universities.
“The Minister regards it as disappointing and somewhat mischievous that formal organisations and long-standing media houses, would make public statements on university fees, without first informing themselves on the process of determining university fees.”
According to the department, it remains committed to sharing information that may assist the media, civil society, political organisations or members of the public to understand the intricacies of our country’s higher education system. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 01/12/2024 - 11:57
“We demand our safety as well as patients’ safety,” says nurse
Willis Halaholo has five daughters, aged 15, nine, six, four and ten months respectively. So what’s life like at home for the Cardiff Rugby centre and his wife? “It’s carnage, mate! It’s full on,” he replies. “I am pretty much running my own nursery in my house. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. …
SASSA clarifies report on 74 000 deceased ghost accounts
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says it has noted the story aired on the SABC news channel, which stated that over 74 000 deceased recipients were wrongly paid by the agency.
This was revealed by Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, in a written reply to a parliamentary question.
The agency said that its fraud and compliance unit is addressing corruption.
“As much as we are aware of some corrupt activities taking place which our fraud and compliance unit is dealing with daily, as SASSA we can confirm that the majority of this is not due to corruption.
“But rather the timing of reporting of death by the responsible family members and the date on which SASSA extracts payments for the affected clients,” the agency explained.
As part of the normal social grant payment extraction process, SASSA said it extracts payment beneficiary details and compares them with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) monthly.
“The key purpose is to test if the beneficiaries are still alive or deceased. This process takes place just around the 22nd or 23rd of every month.
“In an instance that the client is found to be deceased, such a record is deactivated on the SASSA system before extraction of payment – no money is generated for such clients.
“This interface process with the Department of Home Affairs as explained is automated and it is executed every month without exceptions.”
However, when a client dies at their different residential areas, the only time on which SASSA gets to know if the client has died is when family members report such a death to SASSA or report such to the DHA.
“In instances where death is reported late at SASSA or Department of Home Affairs, such eventuality can result in some payment being prematurely released. There are instances where death is reported after a number of days from the actual date on which death would have occurred.”
According to the statement, the late reporting of death to home affairs or SASSA results in exceptions for monies released prematurely.
“Unfortunately, this element of late reporting of death, neither SASSA nor the Department of Home Affairs has any control over it.”
Review
In addition to these mechanisms, SASSA said it conducts a review of beneficiary personal details to ascertain if the beneficiary circumstances are still the same.
Currently, the agency said a review process is conducted through face-to-face interactions between SASSA staff and the affected beneficiaries.
“If a client is not alive, such a client will not be able to present themselves for a review process.”
According to SASSA, the number of 74 000 deceased beneficiaries as reported in the media, is the number of beneficiaries who were reported to have died in the past three years.
This means that of the 18 million clients paid monthly, there is an average of 2 055 clients that died every month in the past three years whose circumstances could have been one of the few reasons outlined, which are beyond SASSA’s control.
This includes the death reported late to the Department of Home Affairs or SASSA by family members, days after payment has been processed.
“Therefore, this implies that the number of 2 055 clients represents 0.01% of the total population paid by SASSA every month.”
SASSA said its cut-off payment date is the 22nd of every month and that it determines the payment of the deceased depending on the Home Affairs registration.
“SASSA is presently working tirelessly with the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that the systems are connected. This is to ensure that we curb corruption.”
In the past, the agency said it worked closely with the Hawks and other law enforcement agencies to curb corruption.
“We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies for the betterment of our organisation.”
In addition, SASSA said a fraud-prevention strategy aligned with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, has been implemented, while fraud awareness campaigns are conducted regularly to increase awareness. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 01/12/2024 - 12:27
Argentine internationalist Emiliano Boffelli makes his first start since reaching the semi-final stages of the Rugby World Cup as Edinburgh Rugby take on Gloucester Rugby at a sold-out Hive Stadium tomorrow night (13 January, kick-off 5.30pm) – live on Viaplay. Boffelli is named at full-back as one of four changes made to the starting XV …
There are a few changes to the DHL Stormers backline and just one in the forward pack for the Investec Champions Cup encounter with Sale Sharks at DHL Stadium on Saturday. The Round Three match kicks off at 19h30 (SAST) on Saturday, with tickets available from Ticketpro. Wing Courtnall Skosan and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies are …
Scotland internationalist Caity Mattinson will make her first start for the capital. Head Coach Claire Cruikshank has made five changes to the starting XV for the side’s first away trip, with Millie Whitehouse, Freya Walker and 18-year-old Nicole Flynn all making their first starts alongside debutant Mattinson. Edinburgh are looking to bounce back after defeat …
Dear Editor The DA notes Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu’s excuses regarding the R 141 556 000 in social grants that have been paid to deceased recipients over the past three years. This was due to beneficiaries being reported as dead to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) after proof of life was obtained from …
