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Efficiency, reliability, maintenance, sustainability, fuel selection and procurement are just some of the challenges facing the mining sector – and, as one of South Africa’s leading operations and maintenance service providers to the steam and boiler sector, Associated Energy Services (AES), is perfectly placed to optimise these. AES Commercial Director, Dennis Williams, points out that …
Mahindra South Africa (MSA) proudly announces the appointment of three key executives to its leadership team. The new executives join MSA as it readies itself for a new era of growth, driven by its refreshed portfolio of SUVs and Bakkies and its renewed focus on customer value linked to the Mahindra brand’s commercial objectives. The …
Safety of citizens is paramount as rebuilding and repair work continues. While the Western Cape Government has been working round the clock to re-open roads and, along with their partners, assist communities that have been badly affected by the recent heavy rains and flooding, some mop-up operations are taking some time to complete due to …
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 stage is set as all 10 captains gathered today at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on the eve of the biggest Cricket World Cup ever. Across the next 45 days, 48 matches will take place across 10 world class venues. Beginning with a repeat of the …
Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen says the revelation by the National Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, during a press briefing, yesterday that there were more than 100 murders in one week in the province, is yet another clear demonstration why the deployment of South African Police Service (SAPS) members …
FirstRand Limited today announced new internal management appointments, all of which are effective from 1 April 2024. Alan Pullinger will step down as group chief executive officer (CEO) and will be succeeded by Mary Vilakazi, currently group chief operating officer (COO). Mr Pullinger leaves a long and successful career at FirstRand, spanning 26 years, including …
President Ramaphosa mourns Prof Hoosen ‘Jerry’ Coovadia
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of Professor Hoosen Mahomed “Jerry” Coovadia, a leading scientist, health policy innovator, and anti-apartheid activist who has passed away at the age of 83 at his home in Durban.
The President described Coovadia as an outstanding scientist and committed anti-apartheid campaigner who dedicated himself to the liberation struggle.
The President has offered his deepest condolences to Coovadia’s wife Dr Zubeida Hamed, his son Prof Imraan Coovadia, and daughter Dr Anuschka Coovadia, on behalf of government and the nation.
The Prof, the President said, dedicated himself to the physical well-being and social inclusion of people all over the world through his enterprising mission as a scientist and architect of public health policies.
“His pioneering, globally acclaimed research into mother-to-child transmission of HIV has rendered an immeasurable legacy to humanity in terms of which persons living with HIV can live long and healthy lives subject to early detection and access to treatment.
“Our nation’s loss will be felt globally but we can take pride at and comfort from the emergence of a giant of science and an icon of compassion and resilience from our country,” the President added.
Although he faced numerous obstacles in apartheid South Africa, Coovadia established himself as a top paediatrician and became an international authority on HIV/AIDS, earning numerous awards and accolades throughout his career.
Those who have been paying their tribute have described his passing as a great loss to the scientific community and remarked that his contribution will always be remembered.
According to reports, he was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Natal now known as the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in 1982 and ad hominem Professor in 1986.
From 1990 to 2000, he served as Professor and Head of Paediatrics and Child Health at the UKZN.
Director of Biomedical Science at the Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking (HIVAN), and the scientific director of the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at the UKZN.
He was awarded the 2013 AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility. He has also received the 1999 Star of South Africa Award from President Nelson Mandela and the 2000 Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights.
The National Research Foundation (NRF), said during his career, he served as the Chairman of the Board of the UKZN Children’s Hospital Trust, a Commissioner for the National Planning Commission, and Associate Scientific Director at CAPRISA, which is home to the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in HIV Prevention. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 10/04/2023 - 13:12
In today’s digital age, the way we light up our homes and offices is undergoing a transformative shift. From simple on/off switches, we’re moving towards intelligent systems that adapt, learn, and enhance our living spaces. This evolution has given rise to smart lighting, a technology that promises to redefine our experiences with light. The …
Revitalisation of uMkhomazi multi-billion rand water project underway
Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has announced that the R23 billion uMkhomazi Water Project has been resuscitated, after being delayed for several years.
Mchunu made the announcement during a media briefing held in Durban to give an update on water security in eThekwini and other districts, particularly Phase I of the uMkhomazi Water Project.
Mchunu said the uMkhomazi Water Project will increase water security in the uMngeni Water Supply System which supplies eThekwini, uMgungundlovu, iLembe, Ugu, Harry Gwala District Municipalities and Msunduzi Local Municipality, and ensure water security in 2030.
He said, this represents progress after a number of meetings with the Ministers of Finance, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), and eThekwini Mayor.
Mchunu explained that the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), a state-owned entity charged with financing and implementing bulk raw water infrastructure projects, will implement the raw water component of the project, while the potable water component will be implemented by uMngeni-uThukela Water.
“This means that, the ball is now in eThekwini’s court to start consultations and complete them as soon as possible so that the project can really start without any further delays. These consultations will also enable TCTA to start raising 50% of the finance required for the project on the market.
“The remaining 50% will be funded by National Treasury, through a 25% loan to the TCTA and a 25% grant. The contribution to the project from the fiscus enables the water that will be provided to be affordable to the municipalities. We now want TCTA to proceed with planning and design work right away so that construction can start as soon as possible in 2024 / 2025,” Mchunu said.
Mchunu also reported that the department has completed the raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall by 7.02 metres, which will put additional water to eThekwini, following the floods which left Aqueducts 1 and 2 damaged.
The Minister said the repairs to Aqueduct 1 and 2 have been completed and they are back online, and will be commissioned soon.
“The shortages of water in the South and other areas require a number of accelerated activities, including the completion of repairs to eThekwini’s own south-bound Aqueduct. We are aware of several infrastructure projects by eThekwini, and these represent a positive development,” Mchunu said.
The Minister said the next priority activities would be to deal with non-revenue water and physical losses, including operations and maintenance, billing, and revenue collection.
He said the department is working in partnership with National Treasury and CoGTA to support eThekwini to improve its water and sanitation services.
In this regard, he said the city has put in place a Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy and the private sector as an additional component in the accelerated efforts, will play a role.
On wastewater infrastructure in the city, Mchunu announced that eThekwini and Umngeni-Uthukela Water have agreed on an immediate target of 10 wastewater plants for refurbishment, operation and maintenance, representing 90% of the effluent that the city treats.
He emphasised that eThekwini needs to sign the Service-Level Agreement soon.
Appointment of uMngeni-uThukela Water Board
The Minister also used an opportunity to introduce the newly appointed 12-member board for uMngeni-uThukela Water, which includes Advocate Vusi Khuzwayo as the Chairperson and Nothando Mkhize as the Deputy Chairperson.
Other board members are Senamile Masango; Khanyisani Shandu; Sylvia Mhlongo; Lavandran Gopaul; Hlengiwe Mvubu; Timothy Cornish; Diana Hoorzuk; Sipho Mtolo; and Sibusiso Mkhize.
“The newly appointed 12-member Board comprises of individuals who collectively possess Science, Engineering, Law, Accounting and Finance competencies,” Mchunu noted. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 10/04/2023 - 13:26
The real estate industry in South Africa is vast and diverse, with various professionals playing crucial roles in ensuring the market functions smoothly. One such professional is the property valuer. But what exactly does a property valuer do, and how does one become one? Let’s delve into these questions. What is a property valuer? …
In the world of electrical appliances, inverters have become an indispensable tool. They play a crucial role in converting direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), making it possible for us to use our everyday devices seamlessly. One brand that has stood out in the inverter industry is Geewiz. Why Choose Geewiz Inverters? Geewiz …
Mthatha mother battles to feed the children who come to her day care centre
KZN Premier unveils fleet of trucks to improve pothole repairs
KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube–Ncube has unveiled 55 new trucks, which will be used to improve the turnaround time in addressing pothole patching in the province.
The procurement of the trucks, which were unveiled at the launch of the 2023 October Transport Month campaign, is part of the commitment made by the Premier in her State of the Province Address, where she committed government to improving the provincial road network conditions.
The trucks -- fitted with the latest pothole patching technology -- will be distributed to all Department of Transports’ District Offices, in a “fast and effective operation”.
The trucks will comprise a team of nine people, who will be responsible for routine and safety maintenance, including pothole patching, blacktop patching, drain cleaning and verge maintenance, among other duties.
Unveiling the trucks, Dube-Ncube emphasised that the transport sector is the heartbeat of the province’s economy, and crucial in the stimulation of socio-economic development of the nation.
She said during October Transport Month, the province will advance road safety initiatives and highlight several economic empowerment initiatives.
“Under the Department of Transport, over the coming months, the province will ensure that employment intensive road maintenance programmes are increased to provide employment opportunities for more women and the vulnerable in our province. The Zibambele Maintenance Programme will create 41 000 job opportunities,” Dube-Ncube said.
This year’s October Transport Month Campaign is being rolled out under the theme, ‘Siyakha – We are building better infrastructure to grow South Africa together!’.
During this month, the Department of Transport and its entities will showcase transport infrastructure services in aviation, maritime, public transport and roads.
This month will also be used to further advance the country’s road safety initiatives, while creating awareness of the economic benefits of the sector. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:16
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, 04 October 2023 – This year’s API Hospitality Forum takes place next week on 11 October 2023 at the Marriott Hotel, Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, South Africa. Given the unparalleled changes of the past few years, and the evolving landscape of the hospitality sector, the forum provides a valuable platform for knowledge …
Dear Editor This week, Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, told Parliament in no uncertain terms that he will refuse to obey their decision and apologise to activist Ian Cameron, for telling him to “shut up”, before having him forcibly removed from a community meeting. The actions of the Minister are nothing more than that of …
Ruahn Beattie, NSRI Shelly Beach deputy station commander, said: At 16h22, Tuesday, 3 October, NSRI Shelly Beach STATION 20 duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress near to Umzumbe Beach, KZN South Coast. 3 persons were reported to be being in difficulty on the North side of Umzumbe Beach. Simunye Lifeguard …
Dear Editor The DA will request the Health Ombud, Prof Taole Mokoena, to investigate the incident where two security guards assaulted a 13-year-old disabled patient at the Ladysmith Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. While the DA commends the swift action of the KZN Department of Health to dismiss the security guards and the implementation of internal disciplinary …
Dear Editor Today, the DA in Gauteng conducted an unannounced oversight visit to the Rand Water headquarters in Johannesburg South. We are deeply concerned with the lack of accountability, and transparency we were met with. Unsurprisingly, the CEO, Sipho Mosai, would not engage with us and drove right past us. Instead, the Acting Managing Director, …
Tequila is stealing the spotlight from whisky in the spirits market, with its phenomenal rise in the USA now making waves in South Africa. Don Julio, the titan of top-tier tequila is inviting its South African tequila lovers to raise a toast to the exclusive community that is: The Don’s Table. Johannesburg, October 2023 – …
Tracking EPWP progress
While the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has provided job opportunities for close to two decades, work is underway to ensure that its footprint reaches more people.
By March 2023, the programme had steadily created over 14 million work opportunities since its inception in April 2004.
“The EPWP has been a good programme from its inception 19 years ago. The main focus of the programme is to alleviate poverty by providing job opportunities. This is important because it is not just a job opportunity, it is an opportunity that must provide a skill to participants,” said Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts.
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.
In addition to gaining skills and earning an income, the work opportunities also allow participants to gain valuable work experience that make them employable.
Through its various five-year phases, which have been improved upon over the years, the programme has granted work opportunities to many across the length and breadth of the country.
In an interview with SAnews at her office in central Pretoria, Swarts said various research reports and mid-term review reports of the different phases of the EPWP show that the income participants earn from the programme is having a positive impact in terms of poverty alleviation.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is the custodian of the programme, which is being implemented by over 300 public bodies across the three spheres of government.
Training for the future
The programme has morphed with each subsequent phase it has undergone and the current five-year Phase IV comes to an end in 2024.
The current phase has created 3.9 million work opportunities against the five million target.
Swarts revealed that in the current phase, the EPWP has been strengthening its partnerships with the private sector in getting placements for youth that have been trained in artisan programmes to gain work experience.
This includes the placement and absorption of young people by contractors on projects implemented by the DPWI. Some young people trained in the mechanical engineering field have been absorbed by mining and car repair companies as part of the partnership.
Participants in the programme obtain various skills such as painting, brick laying and carpentry, home community-based care skills and fire-fighting among others. Training is funded through the National Skills Fund and budgets of projects in different public bodies.
Changing lives
The EPWP also contributes to household incomes, with over R12 billion having been transferred to participants as wages in 2022/23.
“The final figure, according to our records, was R13.2 billion being paid in wages,” she added.
While creating a livelihoods for participants, the EPWP also contributes towards service delivery. Projects include road maintenance, construction of schools and clinics, environmental greening, cleaning and removing alien vegetation.
Participation
In order to increase the participation of vulnerable groups in society, the current phase of the programme has put demographic targets in place.
For women participation this is set at 60% while the targets for the youth has been pegged at 55%.
According to the Deputy Minister the targets relating to women are being met while that of young people are yet to be met.
“For the 2022/23 financial year, the achievement for women was at 69% while that of youth was at 40%. Interventions are being put in place through better targeting during recruitment and having youth-focused programmes to improve the achievement of targets for youth,” explained the Deputy Minister.
She attributed this to the fact that some young people view wearing orange overalls as “not cool” while others believe that they cannot take part in the EPWP because of the qualifications they hold.
“[This] is a wrong mind-set because if you have a degree in administration and have been at home for five years, surely you must be able [to come to a point where you] say ‘let me deviate and participate in a programme that is going to give me a skill’,” she said.
The programme also caters for people living with disability by making provision for them to form their own companies. The Deputy Minister noted that more needs to be done to accommodate people living with disabilities.
“We need to bring in people with disabilities and we can bring them in as project managers on site to oversee the work that is being done.”
Policy
In 2022, the DPWI developed the EPWP Policy, which has been approved by Cabinet for public consultation and is expected to be finalised by March 2024.
On what the future holds for the programme that continues to evolve, Swarts says the DPWI and its stakeholders are developing proposals for the next phase of the programme, which is scheduled to start in April 2024, if approved by Cabinet.
Expanding the reach of the programme, improving training and skills development, and improving on exit strategies for participants are some the different proposals being considered for the next phase.
“[The] EPWP must and will be the backbone of creating employment in the country. After 19 years [and] as we prepare for the 20 years celebrations, which we are doing as DPWI at the end of this November, we are going to start showcasing and celebrating the EPWP.
“It must just not be about celebrating, it must be about us bringing all participants and stakeholders on board.”
The Deputy Minister is confident that those who complete the programme are capable of becoming entrepreneurs who can contribute to the country’s economic development. –SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:56
The third edition of the Street Lines Skate Tournament, presented by LW Mag and Dragon Energy Drink in association with Dickies, Garmin and GoPro, took place at the legendary Thrashers Skatepark in Pretoria over the weekend (Saturday 30 September). Olympians Boipelo Awuah (Kimberley) and Brandon Valjalo (Johannesburg) took top honours in the Women’s and Men’s …
Springbok Women’s Sevens call-up for Mdletshe. Former Proteas netball player Sikholiwe ‘Sne’ Mdletshe will make her international rugby debut later this month after she was included in the Springbok Women’s Sevens squad for the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Olympics 2024 Qualifier in Tunisa on 14 and 15 October. The 24-year-old is the only uncapped player …
The ‘Two Sides’ documentary, the critically acclaimed three-part behind-the-scenes series on the historic 2021 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa, has been nominated for an International Emmy. SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions partnered in commissioning South African production company T+W and Wales-based Whisper Cymru, to produce ‘Two Sides’ which has …
Investment pledge creates 3000 jobs
The roll out of the investment of R500 million pledged by SA Taxi at the fifth South African Investment Conference hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Johannesburg in April this year is gaining momentum and has already created more than 3 000 jobs.
The investment was announced as one of the pledges worth billions of rands that contributed to bringing the total value of investment pledges over a five-year investment mobilisation period to R1.51 trillion, thereby exceeding the initial target of R1.2 trillion set by President Ramaphosa.
Chief Government and Industry Officer at SA Taxi Holdings, Matsidikanye Moswane, said more than R350 million of the funding that was provided by the developmental credit provider, Transflow, has already been spent.
“The investment is being used to enable financial inclusion by extending developmental credit to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that may otherwise not have access to credit from traditional financiers,” Moswane said.
“By providing debt funding through Transflow, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is empowering under-serviced and emerging SMEs to build their businesses, which in turn creates further direct and indirect employment opportunities. To date this has helped create 1 620 direct jobs and 2 700 indirect jobs,” he said.
Moswane said the SA Taxi, whose headquarters are based in Midrand, Gauteng, but has a national customer base, finances entrepreneurs who operate minibus taxis that may not otherwise have access to credit from traditional banks, contributing to job creation, and enabling and improving the safety of public transport in South Africa.
“SA Taxi is an independently owned commercial business. It is the first financial service provider to focus solely on the taxi industry. We make a vital contribution to a market sector that has a stimulating effect on the national economy at many different levels.
“Each taxi creates 1.8 new jobs related to the industry. We focus exclusively on building entrepreneurs through the medium of the taxi industry which comprises an estimated 250 000 taxis that are on the roads in South Africa,” Moswane said.
He said SA Taxi has to source the money it lends to its clients from foreign and domestic direct investment. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Wed, 10/04/2023 - 10:09