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Pistorius placed on parole

Location: News

Pistorius placed on parole

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) on Friday confirmed the placement on parole of Oscar Pistorius, effective from 5 January 2024.

Pistorius was initially convicted of culpable homicide in 2014, but the case went through a number of appeals and was eventually ratified to 13 years and five months in 2017.

The parole placement decision was taken by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB), having assessed Pistorius’s profile and other material submitted for the purposes of parole consideration.

“Classified as a first time offender with a positive support system, Oscar Pistorius’s parole placement is in line with Section 73 of the Correctional Services Act,” the Department of Correctional Services said in a statement.

Parole placement forms part of the total rehabilitation programme in correcting offending behaviour and may include continuation of programmes aimed at reintegration whilst in the system of community corrections.

“Pistorius will complete the remainder of the sentence in the system of community corrections and will be subjected to supervision in compliance with parole conditions until his sentence expires,” the department said.

Pistorius was convicted of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

In 2017, the Supreme Court of Appeal sentenced the former Paralympian to 13 years in prison after the State applied to have his initial six-year prison sentence increased.

Pistorius fired four shots through a bathroom door, claiming that he believed there was an intruder in his home. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 14:45

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Return to Stage 6 load-shedding exposes Government failures once again

Location: News

Dear Editor The announcement by Eskom that South Africa would be returning to Stage 6 load shedding from 12:00 today, comes as no real surprise. President Ramaphosa and his cabal of Electricity Ministers – Gordhan, Ramokgopa and Mantashe – have dropped the ball on the electricity crisis and have made no real progress in implementing …

Read moreReturn to Stage 6 load-shedding exposes Government failures once again

Franschhoek Pass closed for construction

Location: News

Franschhoek Pass closed for construction

The Western Cape Infrastructure Department has announced the closure of Franschhoek Pass, which connects Franschhoek and the towns of Grabouw and Villiersdorp, as construction work is underway following severe storms and flooding that hit the province in September.

Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers said the closure of Franschhoek Pass will take effect from Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 5pm from 28 November until 15 December 2023. 

The pass will then be open from 15 December 2023 (with the proceed-when-safe arrangement and weight restriction) until 7 January 2024 and closed again from 8 January 2024 till the end of February 2024.

Simmers said the pass was reopened to selected categories of light motor vehicles after it was closed following a severe weather system that hit the Western Cape, and the teams started working on temporary repairs, as soon as the engineering team was satisfied that the landslips had stabilised sufficiently to start work.
 
He said the works have reached a point where the pass must be closed daily to initiate the soil-nailing (a technique used to stabilise existing slopes) process of phase 1. 

“This soil reinforcement process uses metal tendons which are drilled and grouted into the soil to create something that represents a gravity wall. For this to be done, the pass needs to be closed due to the size of the equipment that is used and the size of the working area required.
 
“Light motor vehicles will be able to traverse the pass outside of the closure times. The use of the pass, even during times when the pass is open, by vehicles with a mass of more than five tons remains strictly prohibited,” Simmers said.
 
The MEC has expressed his concerns over the non-compliance of road users and advised them to continue using the alternative routes.
 
“The blatant disregard of road signs and restrictions, by some road users is a serious concern. We have received numerous reports of interlink heavy motor vehicles accessing the pass despite clear signage prohibiting such acts. 

“This reckless behaviour compromises the repair works and negatively impacts the entire repair process. What is a further concern is that should these trucks disregard the signage and get to the closure points during the closure periods, they will be stuck there until the road reopens because there isn’t any space to turn around,” Simmers said.
 
While acknowledging the inconvenience the closure has had on the local community and visitors, and the impact the weight limitation has, Simmers said, the safety of all road users remains a primary concern.
 
“Work on permanent repairs continues. The department foresees that it will still be a considerable period before the pass will allow two-way traffic,” Simmers said. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 12:33

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Ekurhuleni calls for active battle against violence

Location: News

Ekurhuleni calls for active fight against violence

As the country prepares to mark the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, the City of Ekurhuleni has urged the citizens of the municipality to join hands and actively fight off any form of violence. 

Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor, Sivuyile Ngodwana,  said it is an unfortunate well-known fact that violence against women and children has been increasing drastically.

“It has become a trend which we are very ashamed of as a country and even more so as men because majority of the perpetrators of these crimes are males. I am raising my hand to be among those who vigorously fight against this continuing scourge.

“The City of Ekurhuleni stands in solidarity with all the activism taking place across the country during this campaign. It must be a daily fight which is not only comes alive during these 16 days but this period should be about intensifying our commitment to this cause,” Ngodwana said.

Ngodwana also called on everyone to stand up, unite and work hard to end any form of violence against women and children within their communities, schools or workplace. 

The mayor’s call comes a day before the official launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, scheduled to take place at Nsikazi Stadium in the City of Mbombela in Mpumalanga. 

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will preside at this year’s launch, which will be commemorated under the theme: “Accelerating Actions to end Gender Based Violence and Femicide, leaving no one behind”, a call to action to raise awareness about the devastating impact that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) has on women, children, and the entire social fabric.

South Africa will observe 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children from 25 November until 10 December. – SAnews.gov.za

 

GabiK
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 11:44

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Experience the Scent of Luxury with Rio Perfumes on Black Friday 2023 in South Africa

Location: MyPR

Gauteng, South Africa – November 24, 2023 – As the festive season draws near, Rio Perfumes is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated Black Friday deals, offering exclusive discounts to fragrance enthusiasts across South Africa. With an exquisite collection of perfumes and colognes from renowned brands, Rio Perfumes invites you to indulge in the essence …

Read moreExperience the Scent of Luxury with Rio Perfumes on Black Friday 2023 in South Africa

Selvyn Davids to lead Blitzboks

Location: Sport

Experienced playmaker Selvyn Davids will lead the Springbok Sevens team for the 2024 HSBC SVNS series, starting in Dubai next weekend, where he will be joined by two uncapped players in the first of the eight tournaments of the revamped season. Davids will lead an experienced squad to the Emirates Dubai Sevens, while the addition …

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PRASA employee dismissed for fraud

Location: News

PRASA employee dismissed for fraud

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has reiterated its commitment to dealing with fraud after the dismissal of an employee that was allegedly involved in fraudulent activities.

“During routine financial review processes, irregular payments were detected, prompting escalation to senior leadership. With the assistance of PRASA Internal Audit department, management engaged an existing independent supplier to conduct a forensic investigation,” the agency said on Friday.

The investigation revealed three fraudulent transactions executed by a PRASA employee totalling R9,547,000.

On being interrogated by the investigators, the employee admitted to committing the fraud and subsequently returned the stolen funds.

PRASA immediately suspended the employee and reported the matter to the South African Police Services (SAPS).

The agency continued the internal investigation and unearthed additional fraudulent transactions by the same individual amounting to R24,976,747.30.

Upon interrogation, the same employee also confessed to these additional unauthorised transactions.

“As an outcome of the process, the employee was dismissed, and a fraud case against him is pending. The investigation helped pinpoint internal control deficiencies that enabled the fraud. PRASA has introduced enhanced measures to bolster internal controls and prevent future fraud.

“PRASA's management remains committed to upholding integrity, transparency, and accountability. Going forward, the organisation will remain vigilant against potential financial irregularities,” the agency said. –SAnews.gov.za

 

nosihle
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 10:36

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‘Tis the season to explore a Christmas Wonderland at Hyde Park Corner with Nicholas & Co.

Location: Entertainment, MyPR

‘Tis the season to explore a Christmas Wonderland at Hyde Park Corner with Nicholas & Co. It doesn’t get more festive than an entire store dedicated to Christmas at Hyde Park Corner – and not just any old Christmas shopping, a shopping experience at Nicholas & Co. is a curated collection of Christmas décor, bakeware, …

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Consumers urged to exercise caution when buying food products on Black Friday

Location: News

Consumers urged to exercise caution when buying food products on Black Friday

The Department of Health has urged consumers to exercise extra caution when buying goods, especially food products, during the Black Friday frenzy by prioritising quality and safety over quantity and savings to mitigate buying counterfeit and expired foodstuffs. 

“It is indisputable that Black Friday deals provide consumers with discounts and savings on a variety of goods. Therefore, it is important for consumers to guard against purchasing counterfeit and expired foodstuffs by thoroughly checking food labelling and expiry dates on food items to prevent ongoing sporadic cases of life-threatening food poisoning.” 

The department has reminded consumers to be on the lookout and report any suspicious goods sold by outlets and retailers to environmental health practitioners or food inspectors at their nearest municipal offices or Consumer Goods Council of South Africa. 

“Consumption of expired and counterfeit foods can pose serious health risks, including food poisoning, allergic reactions and long-term health complications.” 

The department said through its food control and environmental health sections, it has been working closely with other stakeholders to raise public awareness about the dangers of consuming counterfeit and expired food products to keep the public safe. 

The country, according to the statement, has 1 712 environmental health practitioners, known as health inspectors, spread across 44 districts and eight metropolitan municipalities, serving 62 million South Africans. This translates to one health inspector for every 36 000 people. 

“This means the efforts to prevent production and selling of counterfeit and expired foodstuffs detrimental to human health cannot be left solely in the hands of food inspectors, but it should be everyone’s business,”  the department said.

People are advised to not buy or consume highly perishable products with damaged packaging or lapsed expiry dates, even if they smell and look good. 

Meanwhile, the department said the South African Police Service (SAPS) is empowered to investigate and is also authorised, under the Foodstuffs Act, as inspectors and has powers to collect food samples for analysis as part of their investigation, especially where there is a case of unnatural death. 

“Members of the public are not allowed, in terms of this legislation, to take the law into their own hands to conduct any food inspection blitz in food outlets, but they should report any outlet to the relevant authorities,” the department explained. 

Tips to identify possible illicit food products: 

-    Colour would normally differ from the original because incorrect additives were used to manufacture the fake products. 

-    Inconsistency in the texture, smell and colour of the product. 

-    Check if manufacturing and expiry date are not adulterated with or damaged, or not clearly visible. 

-    Check the nutrition label on supplements and food items because in most cases, fake goods contain some discrepancy in listing the ingredients. 

-    Carefully look at the packaging if it is not suspicious because counterfeiters produce close replicas, but mostly cannot perfect it. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Gabisile
Fri, 11/24/2023 - 10:11

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RE5 Online Redefines Success in Regulatory Exams with Exclusive 100% Money-Back Guarantee

Location: MyPR

JOHANNESBURG — RE5 Online, a trailblazer in regulatory exam preparation, is proud to introduce an industry-first – a 100% Money-Back Guarantee for all its courses. As a leading provider of RE5 and RE1 exam preparation, RE5 Online is committed to ensuring the success of its candidates. The decision to implement a 100% Money-Back Guarantee underscores …

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Review of the progress towards the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) implementation in South Africa

Location: News

World Health Organization (WHO) - South Africa
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The National Department of Health (NDOH) , in collaboration with provincial health departments, the World Health Organization (WHO) in South Africa and partners such as John Hopkins  Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (Jhpiego), the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), convened the National International Health Regulations (IHR) Committee to review progress toward IHR (2005) implementation. The review meeting took place from November 20 to 22, 2023, at The Capital Menlyn Maine Hotel in Pretoria, Gauteng Province.

This review meeting was a follow up of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) meeting which was held May 25 and 26, 2022 in South Africa. The review's objectives were to:

  • Provide feedback on the Program Management for Epidemic Preparedness (PMEP) workshop, held between 1-6 October, 2023 in Nairobi Kenya.
  • Orient the IHR committee members on the NAPHS process.
  • Review and document progress report of IHR (2005) implementation using the electronic State Party Annual Reporting Tool (eSPAR) for 2023
  • Review progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) as detailed in the NAPHS.
  • Update the existing NAPHS using the updated NAPHS matrix and prioritize activities for the annual operational plan (AOP) of 2024.
  • Discuss the plans for the country's second JEE that is slated for the second quarter of 2024.

The facilitators included technical officers from WHO South Africa, the NDOH, and the NICD. Participants were multi-disciplinary and included the National IHR Focal Points, Epidemiologists, Communicable Disease Control Coordinators, Disease Surveillance Officers, Laboratory personnel, Port Health Officers, Environmental Health Practitioners from the Department of Health and Border Management Authority, Food Control experts, Antimicrobial Resistance Specialists, Animal Health, Infection Prevention and Control experts, State Security Civil Aviation Authority, and experts from other departments and partners critical to the implementation of the IHR in the country.

During the meeting, participants were updated on the WHO perspective on IHR (2005), as well as the country road map. Participants were also taken through the prioritization, assessment synthesis for quality planning, costing, resource mapping, and budget advocacy processes. The review methodology included plenary updates on the progress report for 2022, as documented on the eSPAR, as well as the status of NAPHS implementation. The participants then worked in groups corresponding to their respective technical areas to update the eSPAR for 2023, review the NAPHS matrix, and develop the annual operational plan for 2024. The recommendations from the first JEE, the after-action review reports, simulation exercises, the one-health national bridging workshop, and the IDSR strategic plan served as the source documents for updating the 2023 eSPAR and the 2024 NAPHS AOP.

This review meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to improve their knowledge of IHR and to commit to jointly strengthening the country's preparedness and response by applying lessons learned from recent emergencies and outbreaks such as COVID-19, cholera, and listeriosis outbreaks. The following proposals from the National IHR Focal Point were adopted by the participants:

  • Preparing a debriefing report to the Director-General for Health on the country IHR implementation progress, challenges and key recommendations.
  • Finalizing and submitting the 2023 eSPAR country report before the due date in compliance with the IHR requirements
  • Conduct a follow up national IHR committee meeting in February 2024 to review progress on the SPAR, the NAPHS AOP, and preparations for the second JEE.
  • Conducting self-assessment for JEE in June 2024.
  • Conducting the second JEE in August 2024.
  • Holding a Public Health Security Conference in November 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - South Africa.

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End Of NEHAWU Strike At Productivity SA: Agreement Reached On Salary Increases

Location: MyPR

Productivity SA is pleased to announce that the 6-day strike initiated by members of NEHAWU from November, 13, 2023 has been called off after the parties successfully reached an agreement on Monday, November 20, 2023, for a five (5) percent salary increase for employees at levels 12 and below. The salary increase for the 2023/24 …

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Anything You Can Fly I Can Fly Better

Location: News

Following his recent helicopter trip over the Port of Durban, President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the cruise terminal with many container ships languishing outside the Port unable to enter due to massive backlogs. The images and video of Ramaphosa inspecting the ‘carnage’ from afar reminded one of the old term; “Seagull Managers” – one who flies …

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Richards Bay: 12 Year Old Drowns

Location: News

Norman Rautenbach, NSRI Richards Bay deputy station commander, said: At 17h25, Thursday, 23 November, NSRI Richards Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at Bay Hall. NSRI Richards Bay rescue swimmers, the SA Police Services, Police Sea Borderline Control, Police Search and Rescue and Medcare 24 EMS responded. On arrival …

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URC Red Card Decisions

Location: Sport

The Disciplinary process related to Marcell Coetzee’s Red Card in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Round 5 game against Edinburgh Rugby on Friday, 17 November has resulted in a three game suspension After an act of foul play by Vodacom Bulls player No 6 (Marcell Coetzee), referee Chris Busby showed the Player a Red Card …

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