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The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has condemned the recent attack on Tshwane Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers while responding to an incident in Nellmapius on Saturday.

According to the Gauteng Health Department, the EMS crew was hijacked, kidnapped, assaulted and robbed of their personal cell phones, and other working tools while responding to what appeared to be a distress call in Nellmapius, near Mamelodi.

Committee chairperson Bandile Masuku expressed concern about the “unacceptable growing number of such incidents where EMS workers are attacked and robbed while responding to emergencies”.

“This is a worrying trend in Gauteng, as it puts the lives of EMS workers at risk and compromises their ability to respond and provide health care services to those in desperate need of them,” Masuku said.

The committee called on law enforcement to act with speed in apprehending the perpetrators of these crimes.

“There can never be a no-go area for EMS workers while carrying out their responsibilities, and to have them escorted by police or security officers in some areas paints a worrying picture of the level of crime and lawlessness in our province,” Masuku continued said.

Meanwhile, the committee commended the provincial government’s strides in introducing tracking surveillance devices on EMS vehicles to help EMS teams whenever they encounter dangerous situations.

The committee urged communities to work with law enforcement agencies to end attacks on EMS works, as these sabotage efficient emergency responses. – SAnews.gov.za
 

The efforts of police members through Operation Restore to fight crime, yielded positive results when they arrested several suspects for charges related to dealing in drugs, possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition as well as the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

On Saturday, at about 21:00, the members of Operation Restore in Gugulethu embarked on an intelligence driven operation which led them to a premises in Ntogwana Street, New Crossroads, Gugulethu.

Upon searching the premises, a consignment of drugs consisting of mandrax tablets, ecstasy and crystal meth were found and confiscated.

On further investigation, an undisclosed amount of cash was also found and confiscated as the proceeds of the lucrative drug trade. A 35-year-old male was arrested for possession and dealing in drugs.

Further information led the members to another address in Bengnia Street, suspected to be linked to the first one, where the members found mandrax, ecstasy and crystal meth which were also confiscated. A 34-year-old male was arrested for possession of drugs. Both suspects are due to appear in the Athlone Magistrates court today on the mentioned charges.

On Saturday, members of Operation Restore deployed in Mitchells Plain followed up on information of a firearm being kept at a complex in Dassenberg Street, Tafelsig.

The members accosted the address and found a 49-year-old male with whose consent they gained access to premises and ensued with a search. During the search they found a wooden replica firearm with two iron pipes and one round of ammunition.

They proceeded to another premises in Arsenal Road, Freedom Park where a 26-year-old male was found at the premises. Another replica firearm, black in colour, and one round of ammunition was found.

Both suspects were arrested for being in possession of prohibited firearms and ammunitions. Once charged they will make their court appearance in the Mitchells Plain Magistrates' Court.

The members also followed up on information of a firearm being kept at a complex at Somerset Place, Derrick Drive, Somerset West.

The members then went to the address and found a male at the premises. During the search that ensued they found a black Taurus pistol with two rounds.

The male person could not provide nor produce the licence of the firearm and told the members that he does not possess a licence for any firearm.

The 30-year-old male was subsequently arrested for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Once charged he will make his court appearance in the Somerset West Magistrates' court. – SAnews.gov.za

One hundred and sixty-one suspects have been arrested in the Northern Cape under the South African Police Service's Operation Shanela.

The arrests were executed between last Monday and Sunday, 23 July. 

The arrests were made during stop and searches, vehicle checkpoints, cordon and searches, high visibility patrols, compliance inspections at liquor outlets, tracing operations by detectives, visits to businesses and second-hand goods dealers.

Teams across the Northern Cape conducted numerous operations, which included 11 roadblocks and 36 vehicle control Points (VCPs), during  which 1 981 vehicles and 4 365 persons were searched, with fines being issued for contravention of the law.

These actions were also enhanced by 1 206 high visibility blue light and 1 972 foot patrols throughout the Northern Cape.

In total, 3 109 compliance inspections were conducted at second-hand dealers, scrapyards, shebeens, taverns, liquor outlets, firearm dealers, farms and informal businesses.

On Monday, 17 July, the police followed up on information and found a substantial amount of copper cable stashed next to a power station in Peter Mokaba Street in Kagisho in Galeshewe, while another male was also arrested with copper worth R1 000 in the Kimberley CBD.

Colesburg SAPS members confiscated a large amount of diesel concealed in containers in a Toyota bakkie and the vehicle owner could not account for the goods.

Police in Hopetown also confiscated a substantial amount of tik, mandrax and dagga, while another team seized a large amount of dagga in Galeshewe.

SAPS all over the province made routine visits at ATMs, business premises, national key points, post offices and tuckshops.

Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Koliswa Otola, said SAPS members and external stakeholders will continue with the high density crime prevention operations. – SAnews.gov.za

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Tuesday officiate the launch of the South Africa National Human Development (SANHDR) 2022 report, which has a strong focus on youth employment.

Mashatile is attending the launch at the invitation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

The Deputy President’s attendance is in line with his delegated task as the chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC).

The theme of the report is ‘Harnessing the Employability of South Africa's Youth’. 

"The report examines youth unemployment from a human development perspective, with an emphasis on the impact on their earning potential, business growth, social cohesion, and public resources,” the Deputy President's office said. 

The report further acknowledges that youth unemployment is a critical development challenge in South Africa and addressing it simultaneously targets poverty and income inequality.

“It is expected that the report launch will shed light on youth unemployment, highlight its consequences and present policy recommendations for fostering inclusive and sustainable growth in South Africa.”

Deputy President Mashatile will be accompanied by Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. – SAnews.gov.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to lead the South African delegation to the second Russia-Africa Summit to be held at St Petersburg in the Eastern European country on Thursday and Friday.

According to a statement by The Presidency, he will be accompanied by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor and Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

“This second summit is expected to consider four declarations and a three-year Action Plan, which will be presented for consideration. These submissions will focus on strengthening cooperation between Russia and African States in politics, security, trade, science, IT, humanitarian support, education, culture, sports, youth and the environment.

“The declarations also seek to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, the prevention of an arms race in outer space, and in information security,” the President's office said in a statement.

The Presidency said talks about the upcoming BRICS summit will also be held.

“The summit background will also offer an opportunity to African Heads of State who are part of the African Leaders Peace Mission to continue talks with President Putin on the confidence-building measures that will create conducive conditions for a path to peace between Russia and Ukraine.

“South Africa will use the summit backdrop to further engage Russia at a bilateral level to finalise the contents and substance of the upcoming BRICS summit,” the Presidency said.

Side events, including an exhibition to showcase investment opportunities in Russia and Africa, an innovation space to demonstrate new technologies, and a Business Development and Social Partnership Zone for networking will also be held. – SAnews.gov.za

Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and Members of the Executive Council (MINMEC) have agreed to allocate more resources for the prevention of disasters in informal settlements across the country.

The decision was taken during a meeting between the MINMEC of Human Settlements, Members of the Mayoral Councils (MMCs) of Human Settlements and Executive Mayors.

The meeting was held in Ermelo, Mpumalanga.

The MINMEC has agreed to reprioritise 5% of the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant to specifically go towards a community-led process of repositioning densely built informal settlement into clusters, instead of the current improvised order of these ever-growing settlements. 

“These resources will help open pathways and roads for emergency vehicles and other services, including the provision of water, electricity and sewerage,” Kubayi said.

On emergency and disaster interventions in informal settlements, the meeting agreed that reblocking (reconfiguration) will help to proactively deal with disastrous fire emergencies in provinces and municipalities, which often lead to loss of lives and the complete destruction of property. 

The meeting also expressed a need for more stringent measures to deal with land invasion across the provinces, as it impacts on development efforts by all three spheres of government. 

“The meeting recommitted to finding ways to speed up more land acquisition to relocate people, including those affected by disasters, amidst government’s decision against the use of Temporary Residential Units for emergency interventions in favour of more permanent solutions, like Alternative Building Technology (ABT).

“In addition to informal settlements upgrading as one of the priorities for the Human Settlements sector, the meeting reemphasised the rapid rollout of the title deeds programme as a priority to ensure that South Africans become the rightful owners of their own homes - as part of reforms by government to significantly unlock economic benefits,” Kubayi said. 

The MINMEC also reflected on other sector priorities, including the expansion of First Home Finance; the provision of service sites, elimination of mud houses or informal dwellings in rural areas, as well as the removal of asbestos from homes.

It further undertook to find urgent solutions to address housing needs of communities, collaborating with other sister departments, like Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), to provide support packages for metros to resolve challenges related to bulk infrastructure and procurement delays affecting service delivery and delays in the proclamation of township. 

The MINMEC received input from the COGTA Minister, Thembi Nkadimeng, and her team on the work done on secondary cities and metros.

“A joint submission is expected to be made to Treasury with a view of initiating a process to address funding needs of secondary cities, which often act as catalysts for development in their regions, alleviating demographic pressure from a country’s metropolitan areas,” Kubayi said.

The alignment and improvement of business plans of Metros came into sharp focus to resolve existing housing delivery, as well as delays in proclamation of townships. 

The MINMEC recommitment to combine efforts to strengthen internal controls, project planning, management, and implementation - which are key elements to ensure that projects are completed timeously, with achievable set targets and improved performance on the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF).

Challenges in grants performance 

Meanwhile, Kubayi said an analysis of the Human Settlements Grants Performance, for the period ending 30 June 2023, has flagged challenges in procurement, skills capacity and contract management. 

The Minister said due to this, a team from the department will at the end of this month embark on consultations with various provinces and municipalities to discuss noncompliance and performance improvement strategies to ensure that funds are utilised for the intended purposes. 

She said the team will conduct assessments of projects to close gaps early and avoid under-expenditure, which leads to loss of money from the sector. 

“In that regard, MINMEC resolved there must be transparency before any considerations to withhold or reallocate unspent funds for noncompliant provinces found to have substantially underspent during the end of the second quarter, in accordance with the Division of Revenue Act. In instances of overspending, a process will be undertaken to determine value for money,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Thembi Nkadimeng, is gearing up to host the BRICS Urbanisation Forum in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. 

The forum, which will take place from 26 to 27 July 2023, will be under the ‘Advancing urban resilience for sustainable cities and towns for future generations’ theme. 

The BRICS Summit is preceded by several events and activities taking place in the host country. 

“To this effect, the BRICS Urbanisation Forum will precede the BRICS Summit, which is scheduled for August 2023,” the statement read. 

The Ministry said the BRICS Urbanisation Forum provides a platform for governments, organisations, experts and scholars from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to engage with some of the issues expected to arise at the BRICS Summit, and subsequently provide policy advice to the leaders.

“The BRICS Forum also intends to ensure that key issues of urbanisation are placed on the global agenda of the BRICS member countries.”

Areas of discussion will include building productive and sustainable urban economies and livelihood survival strategies in urban environments. 

The platform will also share insights, exchange best practices, and foster collaboration on urban development challenges. 

“South Africa will utilise this opportunity to also showcase the country's achievements in urbanisation, highlighting successful projects that have contributed to sustainable development and inclusive growth.”

According to the Ministry, the forum acknowledges the global trend of increasing urbanisation, with a significant influx of people migrating to cities worldwide. 

“It further acknowledges that cities must transform into centres of innovation and creativity to overcome the challenges that arise from rapid urbanisation, rural-urban migration, climate change, and limited resources.”

The leaders, the statement said, also noted that an increasing number of cities chose to employ smart technologies and promote innovative practices as part of their endeavours to enhance resilience and liveability. 

They also use such technologies in response to challenges such as congestion, rising crime rates, growing urban poverty, and the need for more efficient service delivery.

Nkadimeng said she was looking forward to hosting the forum. 

“South Africa is honoured to welcome distinguished delegates from BRICS countries as well as other African countries for this vital gathering that will dissect some of the key urban development issues to understand how globally cities are becoming more resilient towards these challenges,” the Minister added.

Participants will also engage in panel discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions centred on various thematic areas such as the localisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, digital transformation, sustainable human settlements, climate change, urban water resilience and urban resilience – governance perspective. 

“The exchange of ideas and experiences will contribute to the development of effective policies, strategies, and interventions that can be adapted to each nation's unique circumstances. 

“The eThekwini Metro has been chosen to host the forum and the metro to showcase its response to urban resilience, including its response to the devastating floods experienced in 2022 and various other urban resilience initiatives.”

The metro as a District Development Model (DDM) pilot site will also showcase the role of the DDM and the “One Plan” as comprehensive blueprints for integrated and sustainable development, bringing together all of government and society to collaborate and align efforts toward achieving common goals. – SAnews.gov.za