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FIFA Secretary General receives Choiseul Grand Prix award in Casablanca
Fatma Samoura honoured in recognition of her achievements as Secretary General; Progress in women's football and development schemes central themes of speech; Vows to continue work against discrimination after stepping down at the end of the year.
Fatma Samoura has received the Choiseul Grand Prix award at a ceremony in Casablanca, Morocco, in recognition of her achievements during more than seven years as FIFA Secretary General.
Appointed in 2016 and the first female, African and Muslim Secretary General in over a century of FIFA history, Ms Samoura has since worked tirelessly alongside President Gianni Infantino to rehabilitate FIFA's image and increase transparency.
She has also been a staunch advocate for women's football, and her tenure has seen a major increase in the number of girls and women playing the game as FIFA work towards the goal of 60 million female players in organised football by 2026.
In her acceptance speech, Ms Samoura highlighted the success of the expanded FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, which saw nearly two million fans attend matches in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and noted the significant impact the tournament would have not only on the women's game, but also society.
“As my journey with FIFA draws to a close, I have had some time to look back on the last seven-and-a-half years and see just how far we have come. FIFA itself has changed significantly. When I stepped into the role in June 2016, it was basically a toxic brand due to all the corruption scandals. So along with President Infantino, I had to take a leading role in cleaning up the organisation, inside and out. Today FIFA is a more accountable, better governed and more transparent organisation that puts football in the center of its activities, and I am hugely proud to have contributed in some small way to creating that.” said Ms Samoura at the event organised by Institut Choiseul, an independent, non-partisan and non-profit thinktank focused on finding solutions to economic challenges in Africa.
Ms Samoura has also contributed to changing the face of FIFA. Since the founding of the Women's Football (https://apo-opa.co/3G7NOrE) Division in 2016, the FIFA Council (https://apo-opa.co/46kZotR) now features seven female members, including one FIFA Vice-President, while over 40 percent of FIFA employees are female.
But she has also been a driving force behind development schemes such as the FIFA Football for Schools programme (www.FootballForSchools.FIFA.com), this week attending the launch in Ethiopia (https://apo-opa.co/46qshVE) as the East African nation became the 102nd of FIFA's 211 Member Associations (MAs) to join the initiative, which aims to give children around the world skills for life as well as football.
She also highlighted the benefits of the Talent Development Scheme (https://apo-opa.co/46j6ZsT), which provides the most promising young players a pathway to fully exploit their potential, and the FIFA Forward programme (https://apo-opa.co/49VJNUX), which funds MAs' football-related development projects and has seen a seven-fold increase in support since 2016.
The FIFA Talent Development Scheme (https://apo-opa.co/47DbFuR) helps raise the standards of national-team football around the world for both men and women. The scheme supports MAs in making the most of the talent available to them with FIFA approved a funding allocation of USD 200 million. FIFA's ambition is that by 2026, all MAs will have at least one high-performance centre of excellence for players between the ages of 12 and 16.
Ms Samoura was also a driving force behind FIFA's partnership with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) (https://apo-opa.co/3MRbDaG). The partnership has seen projects to mitigate Covid 19 effects, projects on mental health co-financed with the GIZ (the German Development Cooperation) (https://apo-opa.co/3sEkaXQ), and the Championnes programme. The Championnes programme is an important project that promotes leadership among girls and promotes gender equality in Africa through football.
The most recent co-financed FIFA/AFD initiative (https://apo-opa.co/3sEinC4) – with Play International and Diambars as implementation agencies – is an inclusive football academy programme launched in Djibouti, Malawi and Mauritania.
The benefits of these programmes in Africa can already been seen in recent FIFA tournaments including the FIFA Women's World Cup™️ which saw an increase to four African teams qualify for the finals, with a record three of them – Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa – reaching the knockout rounds. African nations have also impressed in the FIFA U-17 World Cup™️, currently being held in Indonesia. Three out of the four CAF nations – Morocco, Mali and Senegal – have qualified for the knockout rounds with Morrocco finishing top of their group.
The Football Unites the World campaign, and the wide range of social issues given greater visibility at the FIFA World Cup last year in Qatar and this year's FIFA Women's World Cup, such as gender equality and education for all, have all been causes close to Ms Samoura's heart during her time in office. She said she intends to keep promoting those issues when she steps down as FIFA Secretary General at the end of the year.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FIFA.
Download more images: https://apo-opa.co/3SMBEvO
Contact for African media:
AfricanMedia@fifa.org
S&P keeps SA credit ratings unchanged
S&P keeps SA credit ratings unchanged
Government says it has noted Standard and Poor (S&P) Global Ratings’ decision to affirm South Africa’s long-term foreign and local currency debt ratings at ‘BB-’ and ‘BB’, respectively, and maintain the stable outlook.
According to S&P, the stable outlook balances South Africa's credit strengths - particularly a credible central bank, a flexible exchange rate, an actively traded currency, and deep capital markets - against infrastructure-related pressures on growth and downside risks to the fiscal and debt position.
“The agency also acknowledges that private-sector investment in power generation and renewables is picking up and will support the strengthening of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth over the medium term.
“Over the next three years, government will focus on raising GDP growth by improving the provision of electricity and logistics, enhancing the delivery of infrastructure and restructuring the state to be efficient and fit-for-purpose,” said National Treasury in a statement.
The department said fiscal policy continues to support this approach by stabilising debt and debt-service costs.
Additionally, fiscal consolidation will be implemented through spending reductions, efficiency measures across government and moderate tax revenue measures. – SAnews.gov.za
Janine
Sun, 11/19/2023 - 11:08
428 views
One million S Africans registered to vote on Saturday
One million S Africans registered to vote on Saturday
The Electoral Commission says while the second day of the Voter Registration Weekend has started exceedingly well, at the close of day one of the weekend, over a million registrations were recorded at 23 296 voting stations.
By 08h00 this morning, 91% of the voting stations had opened with the remainder opening before 08h30.
“At the close of day one of registration weekend, over a million registrations were recorded at our 23 296 voting stations. At 12h30 today, a total of 609 447 registration transactions had been recorded at voting stations.”
The commission also recorded an all-time milestone of over 100 000 online registrations. Today, the figure of online registrations stands at 40 000, said the IEC in a statement.
The commission said it is seized with resolving some online registrations that gave a “pending” message.
“The ‘pending’ message is received by voters in instances where the ID image that they have uploaded cannot be read or recognised by the system or where an image other than an ID has been uploaded. We urge voters to take extra care and follow system prompts when uploading images of their ID,” said the commission.
It applauded the thousands of South Africans who have gone online and visited registration stations to register, re-register or check their details.
“We urge those that have not done so to use the remaining hours of today to go out in their numbers to register.” – SAnews.gov.za
Janine
Sun, 11/19/2023 - 14:37
276 views
AG appointed UNESCO External Auditor
AG appointed UNESCO External Auditor
Auditor-General of South Africa Tsakani Maluleke has been commended on her appointment as External Auditor of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for a period of six years, from 2024 to 2029.
In a statement, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “On behalf of government and the nation, I congratulate our Auditor-General on her election to a global role which as an acknowledgment of her personal capabilities and the leadership capacity and integrity that resides in South Africa’s governance institutions.”
The President appointed Maluleke, on recommendation of the National Assembly, as Auditor-General with effect from 1 December 2020. She had previously been Deputy Auditor-General and the first woman to hold this office.
Maluleke is a Chartered Accountant and registered auditor who holds a B Comm (Accounting) and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Accountancy from the University of Cape Town.
She also obtained a Post-graduate Diploma in Development and Public Management from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2016.
Maluleke was elected to her UNESCO role on 16 November 2023 by members of various committees and subsidiary organs of this United Nations agency. UNESCO contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information.
The President wished Maluleke well as she embarks on her new oversight position. – SAnews.gov.za
Janine
Sun, 11/19/2023 - 11:24
373 views
Eskom ramping up load shedding to replenish emergency reserves
Eskom ramping up load shedding to replenish emergency reserves
Electricity Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said on Sunday that Eskom was ramping up power cuts to replenish emergency reserves.
This comes as the state-owned power entity announced it was implementing Stage 3 load shedding from 9:00 this morning until 5:00 on Monday to replenish emergency reserves in preparation for the week ahead.
This is because Eskom lost a “cluster” of units from different power stations across the country, amounting to over 2 700 megawatts (MW), shy of three stages of load shedding.
“And if we had not experienced that, of course, you would not be seeing the kind of intensity of load shedding that we are experiencing,” the Minister explained.
Meanwhile, he said that the return of Units 1 and 3 in Kusile Power Station has been significant.
“As big units return, when you see the kind of cluster of failures that we’ve seen, the intensity of load shedding is not as acute. Of course, we’re on Stage 3 [load shedding] and that’s the highest that we have experienced. But what Unit 1 and 3 have done is to create an additional buffer and why it’s important that Unit 2 and 5 also return.”
On the other hand, he said this kind of failure of generating units has resulted in the continued burning of diesel and open-cycle gas turbines (OGGT) running on stream.
“That’s something that we haven’t done and avoided over the past four or five weeks before the last two weeks. We’ve been burning very little diesel and preserved that and ensured that we rely on the ability of the units on their own to give us the megawatts that are required.
“That’s why the media statement that went out by Eskom today is to say to say we want to build that emergency reserve because we have depleted them.”
Eskom, according to Ramokgopa, did not anticipate the extent of the current breakdown.
“Failure will be given in any engineering component. But I think what has been the major issue here is the clustering of this failure.”
However, he was optimistic that the five units would return by tonight. This includes units from Duvha, Majuba and Lethabo power stations.
“This messaging is a function of our ability to keep to these timelines. And of course, you can see that some of them were already delayed but we are confident about their ability to bring these units back on stream to ensure that we’re able to address this situation.”
Unit 1 at Koeberg Power Station was successfully synchronised to the grid on Saturday, after almost a year.
Eskom said this was the longest outage in the history of the power station during which the original three steam generators were successfully replaced by three new steam generators.
Once Unit 1 is considered stable, Unit 2 will be taken offline to have its steam generators replaced.
“The expectation is that it must return back to service on time. But if you had to draw from the experiences of Unit 1, it doesn't give us that degree of confidence and that's why there's that discussion that we have with the management.
“We expect the second synchronisation to happen on the 2nd and 3rd of December. And then that's when I'm sure that we will be able to take out Unit 2 for the kind of attention that is required so that we're able to meet the licensing requirements.”
Meanwhile, he told the media that government was moving with speed in policy issues and giving certainty to what will constitute South Africa’s energy mix, transmission intervention and additional generation capacity expected end of December this year. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 11/19/2023 - 11:58
275 views
South Africa’s Bleak Rugby Weekend
Difficult conditions, a lack of discipline and a little bit of unluckiness were part of the mix as all four South African teams came up short in the fifth round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship this weekend. On Friday night in Scotland and Ireland, the Vodacom Bulls and Emirates Lions let slip first half …
How we will resolve the Transnet port and rail crisis
Dear Editor The evolving Transnet rail and port crisis is threatening to collapse South Africa’s entire export sector, and by extension the national economy. Amidst all the chaos, there is a gaping leadership vacuum from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s National Logistics Crisis Committee, the Minister of Public Enterprises – Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Transport – Sindisiwe …
Global teacher and education workers labour federation meets in Joburg
Global teacher and education workers labour federation meets in Joburg
President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday address the opening of the Education International 10th Africa Regional (EIRAF) Conference in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Education International is a global teacher and education workers labour federation with more than 32 million members.
Education International affiliates in South Africa are the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, the National Teachers’ Union, the Professional Educators Union and the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie.
Hosted by South African Education International member organisations, the conference is themed "Standing Together for Resilient Education Systems in Times of Crisis”.
The Presidency said the conference takes place between Sunday, 19 November 2023, and Thursday, 23 November 2023.
In line with the principle of rotation, the regional conference is being held in Southern Africa with sub-themes: “Guaranteeing Quality Public Education for All During and Beyond Crises” as well as “Rebuilding our Profession and our Education Systems”.
The conference seeks to formulate strategies for equitable, inclusive, and high-quality public education; addressing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, conflict, and climate change.
“Taking place every four years, EIRAF serves as a platform for reports, policy adoption, and future program approval in accordance with its Constitution. It offers member organisations a vital opportunity for substantive discussions on trade unions, education, the future of education, and other critical regional issues,” said the Presidency.
Conference delegates include representatives from global unions and partner organisations.
Discussions during the conference will focus on crucial topics such as making Early Childhood Education for All a reality in Africa, creating safe and healthy schools and education institutions, evidence-based social and policy dialogue, and defending and promoting academic freedom and professional autonomy in Africa. – SAnews.gov.za
Janine
Sun, 11/19/2023 - 11:42
141 views
Learning from Israel’s past Gaza Strip invasions
“A political resolution that addresses the roots of the conflict is the only way to defend Israel’s borders and citizens” writes a former Israeli soldier
Further measures regarding the Parliament fire incident and alleged administrative irregularities
The external investigation commissioned by Parliament into the causes associated with the 2022 security breach and fire incident as well as separate alleged administrative irregularities have pointed to systems and conduct of specific Parliament employees that raised cause for concern. In light of these findings, Parliament has engaged in further processes to address some of the concerns and to implement remedial actions. These further assessments identified conduct of several employees that required redress. It was compelled to implement a series of rigorous actions against those implicated, reinforcing the institution's commitment to integrity and enforcing personal accountability among its staff.
Upon reviewing the consequent allegations of misconduct among these staff members, Parliament has engaged external legal counsel for guidance on appropriate actions to take against those implicated.
The legal team pinpointed 28 individuals facing significant allegations that required their response.
As of October 20th, these employees received notice of the charges under consideration and were given a chance to reply or comment on the claims. Out of these, 26 employees have responded. One did not, while another was hospitalized at the time but has since indicated a willingness to address the allegations.
Some employees offered satisfactory justifications for their actions, which Parliament has acknowledged, absolving them from the charges. For these individuals, Parliament is contemplating alternative measures such as professional development or additional training to address any identified skill gaps.
Others failed to provide adequate explanations. Consequently, Parliament is arranging disciplinary hearings for these staff members, who will soon receive notice of the specific charges they face.
The preparations for these hearings are particularly delicate. In organizing the disciplinary proceedings, Parliament must balance protecting its interests with the rights of the employees concerned.
Due to the serious nature of the allegations, 9 out of the 13 staff members facing disciplinary action have been placed on precautionary suspension with full pay and benefits. This decision takes into account their senior positions and the possible influence they could have on their colleagues within the organization.
This suspension, Parliament believes, is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the institution and ensuring an impartial process. The decision was taken to safeguard all parties involved and is applicable only in situations where the continued presence of these individuals could hinder the disciplinary preparation or possibly sway witnesses.
For the upcoming hearings, external legal experts and chairpersons will be appointed to guarantee impartiality and eliminate any suspicion of bias.
Parliament underscores the difficulty of this decision, assuring that it has followed the counsel of labour law specialists. This process should not be construed as an implication of guilt upon any of the employees. Parliament is committed to upholding the rights of all involved.
Parliament is committed to ensuring a fair and just process for every employee involved and, therefore, will not make further public comments on this matter unless deemed necessary.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Small business can stimulate economic growth, job creation
Small business can stimulate economic growth, job creation
Focusing on Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and cooperatives can trigger growth, create jobs and build a more inclusive economy, says President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“As a country, we need to get behind our entrepreneurs and SMMEs and strengthen the eco-system that supports them,” the President said.
The country’s first citizen was speaking on Friday night at the 2nd National Presidential SMME and Cooperatives Awards in Johannesburg.
The President told delegates the ceremony was pressing given the current volatile global times.
“Our prospects for a faster and more sustained recovery after COVID-19 have been set back amidst continued supply chain disruptions, high inflation and depressed market demand.
“Governments are under pressure to stimulate the economy and to provide more social relief, but with reduced fiscal resources.”
This is the reason he is of the view that SMMEs can stimulate growth and job creation.
He told guests he was encouraged by the work being done by the Department of Small Business Development since the launch of the third iteration of the country’s SMME strategy almost a year ago.
The National Small Enterprise Development Strategic Framework aims to use resources within the broader eco-system to build practical partnerships that enable entrepreneurship and SMME growth.
Government is establishing a new one-stop small enterprise agency that will bring together the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) and the Co-operatives Banks Development Agency (CBDA).
The strategic framework calls for concrete partnerships and actions in four areas. These include tackling the red tape and regulatory burdens that frustrate SMMEs.
“The Department of Small Business Development is also streamlining business licensing processes, with the Businesses Licensing Amendment Bill soon to be gazetted.
“But there is much more to be done. We know some of the frustrations which tech start-ups in particular have with foreign exchange controls that impede inward flows of venture capital, and affect the local registration of intellectual property.”
The other areas of focus entail addressing market concentration and enabling market access, especially for SMMEs owned by women, youth and other underserved communities; access to finance and entrepreneurship support.
“If we get this right, we can change the country’s fortunes.”
The current administration, he said, has set a target of establishing new 100 small enterprise incubators. To date, the state has established 110 with another 11 under development.
“It is encouraging that the number of people engaged in entrepreneurial activity has significantly increased.”
Citing the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, he said the working-age population involved in business start-ups in South Africa increased from 6.5% in 2001 to 17.5% in 2021.
“This clearly reaffirms what our National Development Plan envisioned, the creation of 11 million jobs by 2030 with nine million of these coming from small enterprises.
“We just need to scale up our interventions to create a conducive environment for SMMEs, and onboard other eco-system partners, especially the private sector, to play their part.”
He told the entrepreneurs in the room that citizens depended on their innovation and entrepreneurship to create the opportunities that would enable them to get the much-needed jobs.
“Congratulations to the winners and the runners-up. You have gone through a rigorous selection process and thoroughly deserve to be here. It is your dynamism and drive that will revitalise our economy and improve our global competitiveness.” – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Sun, 11/19/2023 - 10:25
98 views
International Relations Committee Chairperson holds successful bilateral with Swedish ambassador
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, has held a successful engagement with the Swedish Ambassador, Mr Håkan Juholt, as part of strengthening relations between South Africa and Sweden.
The meeting was held at the behest of the Swedish Ambassador, who was accompanied by other Swedish ambassadors responsible for Angola (HE Ambassador Lennart Killander Larsson), the Democratic Republic of Congo (HE Ambassador Henric Råsbrandt), Mozambique (HE Ambassador Mette Sunnergren), Zambia (HE Ambassador Johan Hallenborg) and Zimbabwe (HE Ambassador Per Lindgärde).
During the engagement, Mr Mahumapelo welcomed the ambassadors and praised Sweden for supporting the struggle for democracy in South Africa during the Apartheid period. He also noted the various ways in which Sweden continues to work with South Africa. In addition, he described the role South Africa plays in the Southern African Development Community region and the importance South Africa places on regional cooperation on the African continent.
Ambassador Juholt highlighted the importance of strengthening ties between South Africa and Sweden and emphasised the extent to which the bilateral relationship between the two countries has grown since South Africa attained democracy in 1994. The ambassador also noted that South Africa and Sweden enjoy a bi-national commission in addition to various bilateral agreements, which he hopes will expand in the future.
In his concluding remarks, Mr Mahumapelo noted that as part of its oversight, the portfolio committee scrutinises the activities of the African Renaissance Fund (ARF), an entity that falls under the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. He then described the work of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and noted that the portfolio committee needs to look more closely at SIDA, given that the ARF will eventually be transformed into the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Winning a World Cup ‘an unparalleled feeling that reverberates through time’
Winning a World Cup is more than just lifting a trophy. It’s an unparalleled feeling that reverberates through time, inspiring cricketers across borders and generations. Eoin Morgan: says; “Having experienced this euphoria after the dramatic 2019 World Cup final at Lords, I can attest to the transformative power of such a moment.” Cricketing legends like …
Balance Required to Ensure Sustainability of Regular Force Medical Continuation Fund
The Joint Standing Committee on Defence has called on current South African National Defence Force members to reconsider their resistance to the increase in their contributions to ensure that the Regular Force Medical Continuation Fund (RFMCF) remains viable and sustainable. The committee is concerned that the sustained low contribution model will have dire consequences for members when they retire. The envisioned balance will ensure quality medical services upon retirement.
“While the committee acknowledges that the RFMCF is a private entity, it is important to ensure the viability of the fund because it ensures the wellbeing of members after retirement. The welfare of our members, active or retired, is important,” said Mr Cyril Xaba, the co-Chairperson of the committee.
While the committee welcomed the fund's improved financial management and governance, it emphasised that its funding model should be reconsidered in the light of the cost of healthcare, which is above inflation in most cases.
The committee also highlighted the consequences of weaknesses within the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS), which directly impacts on the fund's viability and which has resulted in the increased use of the private sector. A functional SAMHS should be providing quality healthcare to all its members, both active and retired. “We have been emphatic about the need to resolve challenges facing the SAMHS to ensure that it is enabled to provide adequate support to all members and also save the fiscus excessively high private medical costs,” said Mr Mamagase Nchabeleng, the co-Chairperson of the committee.
Meanwhile, the committee unanimously supported the President's decision to deploy 3 300 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to combat crime and maintain and preserve law and order under Operation Prosper. The SANDF deployment is part of the security cluster's efforts to address the prevailing high level of brazen organised crime and illicit mining.
While the committee supports the deployment, it is concerned that the unfunded mandate will have an impact on the Department of Defence's baseline budget, especially in light of further budget cuts. Despite this, the committee acknowledged that illegal mining is a serious challenge and requires the active participation of all to defeat it.
The committee further highlighted that the SANDF deployment is a short-term solution and that broader solutions must be developed to deal with this crime.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Police Committee Welcomes Drop in Some Crimes but Urges Police to Intensify Crime Fighting Efforts
The Portfolio Committee on Police has welcomed the second quarter crime statistics showing a reduction in various crimes, including murder, sexual offences and carjacking.
The committee on Friday received a presentation on crime statistics for the last quarter (July to September) from the Ministry of Police and Senior Management of the South African Police Service. Compared to the same period in the last financial year, the statistics, among others, show that there has been a 0.8% drop in murders and reductions of 1.5% in sexual offences, 2.3% in carjacking, and 7.3% in robberies at non-residential premises.
The committee notes that while in some cases the reduction is minimal, continued efforts will lead to sustained reduction. The committee also called on the police to continue efforts aimed at rooting out perpetrators of these crimes.
Despite these decreases, the committee raised concern over the sharp increase in attempted murder, showing an increase of 12.3% and assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm that has recorded an increase of 1 046 cases in the quarter under review.
The committee further highlighted concerns over the increase in cash-in-transit robberies, which has recorded eight more incidents compared to the same period in the last financial year. The committee has called for collaboration with cash-in-transit companies to devise strategies to curb these incidents. Although the committee appreciated SAPS' efforts in dealing with this, it emphasised the need for enhanced intelligence-led policing to deal with this crime.
Meanwhile, the committee remains concerned by rape incidents reported in educational institutions and has called for collaboration between SAPS and the management of these institutions to protect women and children. The committee has also called for enhanced partnerships with taxi associations and e-hailing services companies to address the emerging trend of rape while using these services.
The committee has resolved that it will be important to engage with provincial SAPS Commissioners and station level commanders to assess strategies being implemented to address crime. This, according to the committee, will enable members to have a granular understanding of challenges and areas of best practice.
The committee reiterated its call for community-wide collaboration in the fight against crime. “The trust deficit between the community and SAPS must be urgently addressed to ensure that communities act as the eyes and ears of the SAPS and criminality can be reported speedily,” said Mr Nocks Seabi, the committee Chairperson.
Notwithstanding the need for community collaboration, the committee has condemned those resorting to mob justice as it creates more problems and expressed concern over the 428 murders, 63 attempted murders and 369 assaults with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm relating to mob justice that have been recorded.
The murder of police officers also remains a concern for the committee. The statistics show that 35 police officers were killed in the quarter under review and the committee has called for improved strategies to bring an end to this.
The committee will schedule a session where it intends to engage further on these crime statistics and broaden engagement to include provincial and station-level management of hotspot areas.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Teenager’s drowning highlights broken promises in Kliptown
Families living in crumbling houses near the river bank say Gauteng government promised to relocate them years ago
Western Cape IEC geared for voter registration weekend
Western Cape IEC geared for voter registration weekend
It’s all systems go for the Voter Registration Weekend on 18 and 19 November, the Electoral Commission in the Western Cape says.
The IEC in the Western Cape will be opening all its 1 572 voting stations across the province on Saturday and Sunday.
At a media briefing on Thursday, the IEC said the stations will be open from 8am until 5pm on both days.
“We have recruited 4 698 staff for our voting stations for the registration weekend, of which 2 707 are unemployed. Of our staff, 2096 are under the age of 35 years while the majority of the staff (3646) are female, and we have 63 persons with disabilities,” the Western Cape IEC said.
Of the 1572 voting stations, 29 are temporary structures and 687 are schools. The other stations include community halls or libraries and church buildings.
“We are deploying 3144 Voter Management Devices (VMDs) used to register voters. The VMD is a portable tablet device with the latest app upgrades and batteries charged – a fully charged VMD can operate offline for approximately 72 hours,” the provincial office of the IEC said.
The IEC conducted a national VMD dry run on 28 October 2023 as part of the preparations for the registration weekend and this entailed staff be at or inside the locations of the voting stations with the VMDs.
The Western Cape IEC has called on voters who are already registered but have changed their residential addresses, to re-register in order to be allocated to the correct segment of the voters’ roll.
“It is also important that every registered voter check their details to ensure that their current address is correctly reflected and that they know where their voting station is, as in some cases, the venues have changed.
“This will ensure that all eligible voters are able to vote in the upcoming National and Provincial Elections in 2024,” the Western Cape IEC said.
If a person cannot get to the voting station over this weekend, registration is also done at the local offices of the IEC during office hours.
There is also the convenience and ease of registering online at www.elections.za for a quick and easy registration process.
As at 12 November 2023, there are 3 128 995 registered voters in the Western Cape and this number is expected to increase over the coming weeks. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Fri, 11/17/2023 - 10:00
629 views