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World Cup police accommodation fraud and corruption case postponed

Location: News

World Cup police accommodation fraud and corruption case postponed

The case against nine suspects facing charges relating to the R47 million Soccer World Cup police accommodation fraud and corruption investigation has been postponed in the Durban High Court.

The case was postponed to allow for pre-trial conferencing.

The accused in the case include former high ranking police officials including:

  • Former KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner General Mmamonnye Ngobeni
  • Colonel Navin Madhoe
  • Former police captain Aswin Narainpershad

The other accused are:

  • Businessman, Toshan Panday
  • Panday’s mother, Arevenda Panday
  • His wife, Privisha Panday
  • His sister, Kajal Ishwarkumar
  • Panday's brother-in-law, Seveesh Maharaj Ishwarkumar
  • Panday’s personal assistant, Tasleem Rahiman

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate spokesperson Henry Mamothame explained that the nine face at least 275 charges of racketeering offences and fraud, corruption, money laundering and forgery.

“[These were] allegedly committed between March 2009 and April 2010, wherein the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act were allegedly ignored in procuring accommodation for members of the South African Police Service during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

“The state alleges Panday’s family [were] party to a common purpose with Toshan and others to defraud SAPS, through their association with entities which were used to score lucrative contracts from SAPS. The policemen who are accused in this matter face accusations of colluding with Panday to receive contracts from the KZN police for an amount of over R47.3 million in fraudulent and irregular tender procedures.

“Judgment on an application for disclosure of certain information is still reserved for a date that will be provided by the court. The state has strongly argued against this application,” he said.

The case is expected back in court on 25 July 2024. – SAnews.gov.za

 

 

 

NeoB
Wed, 04/17/2024 - 09:12

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Read moreWorld Cup police accommodation fraud and corruption case postponed

Kodwa welcomes ruling dismissing application by boxing promoters in high court

Location: News

Kodwa welcomes ruling dismissing application by boxing promoters in high court

The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, has welcomed the high court judgment which threw out an application of the National Professional Boxing Promoters’ Association (NPBPA) to declare that the appointment of the Boxing South Africa (BSA) Accounting Authority is irregular and invalid.

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday delivered a judgment dismissing with costs the NPBPA’s application based on lack of legal standing.

According to the SABC, the application was also seeking an order to stop BSA from sanctioning boxing tournaments until a legitimate board was appointed.

In December, the promoters successfully interdicted the BSA board appointed by Kodwa. The Minister then appointed Mandla Ntlanganiso in February as the Acting CEO and Accounting Authority, in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, to temporarily replace the board.

Tuesday’s ruling means Ntlanganiso will remain in his position until May 2024, when a full-time board will be appointed.

“The judgement marks a salutary corrective measure on the path to restoring stability and ethical governance at Boxing SA. For too long, Boxing SA has been bleeding as an institution, with athletes losing match time, and promoters and trainers losing their market share,” Kodwa said on Wednesday. 

The Minister believes the court’s decision is an opportunity for all stakeholders in South African boxing to link and focus on the roadmap to reset and revitalise the sport in the country. 

“I have repeatedly said that let’s box in the ring and not in the courts.”

“Let us focus, engage, and work together to build this sporting code that lies close to the hearts of millions of South Africans. Let us work together to revive South African boxing,” the Minister pleaded.

Reports state that the NPBPA was ordered to pay the respondents’ costs, including those of the Ministers of Sport, Arts and Culture and Finance, BSA, and Ntlanganiso.

They were also ordered to pay the costs of two counsels, including the Senior Counsel. – SAnews.gov.za

 

Gabisile
Wed, 04/17/2024 - 10:20

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Read moreKodwa welcomes ruling dismissing application by boxing promoters in high court

Cabinet approves Final White Paper On Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection

Location: News

Cabinet approves Final White Paper On Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection

Cabinet has approved the Final White Paper On Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection.

This is according to Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, who briefed the media on Wednesday.

“The Department of Home Affairs carefully and duly considered all the oral and written submissions. This final White Paper is the product of robust engagements.

“The Cabinet of the Republic of South Africa approved this final White Paper on Wednesday, 10 April…and it has been published in the Government Gazette…today,” the Minister said.

Motsoaledi explained that the department had received an “overwhelming” response to the call for public comments.

“The responses have been overwhelming. Individuals, that is citizens, asylum seekers and refugees as well as public interest groups, companies, national and local government departments, premiers, research institutes, political parties, [international bodies]…and many others made their voices heard and made constructive comments.

“The [department’s] team and I conducted public hearings in all nine provinces. The outcome of the engagements and public comments is that the policy position adopted in the White Paper enjoys wide support.

“Only a handful of public interest groups are opposed to selected policy positions such as the withdrawal of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the 1967 Protocol and re-acceding to them with reservations, proposed repeal of Section 4 (3) of the South African Citizenship Act and the First Safe Country principle,” he said.

International Agreements

Turning to international agreements that South Africa is party to, Motsoaledi explained that the White Paper seeks to open a path for government to exercise its right to make reservations on some elements of the agreements.

“In 1996, two years after the first democratic elections, South Africa acceded to various international agreements such as the 1951 Convention, the 1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU [Organization of African Unity] Convention and other international instruments. This was done without the government having developed a clear policy on migration, including refugee protection.

“The government did not make reservations and exceptions permitted in terms of international law. The white paper proposes that the government of the Republic of South Africa must review and/or withdraw from the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol with a view to accede to them with reservations like many countries did.

“All the South African government intends achieving is to exercise its right granted in Article 42 of the 1951 Convention and Article 7 of the 1967 Protocol and make reservations accordingly,” he said.

Motsoaledi emphasised that South Africa “does not have the resources” to fulfil all of the requirements of the 1951 Convention.

“The Refugee Protection and Immigration legislation must provide for reservations and exceptions as contained in the 1951 Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention. Particularly in that South Africa does not have the resources to grant the socio-economic rights envisaged in the 1951 Convention,” he said.

The final White Paper can be accessed on the Government Gazette at http://www.gpwonline.co.za/GPWGazettes.htm#:~:text=50530%2017%2D04%20HomeAffairs  .– SAnews.gov.za

 

NeoB
Wed, 04/17/2024 - 16:28

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Read moreCabinet approves Final White Paper On Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection

Fleece Jackets and Tops: The Warm Front of Corporate Branding

Location: MyPR

Introduction As the cooler months approach, the shift towards warmer corporate attire becomes imperative for businesses across various industries. Fleece jackets and tops, with their perfect blend of comfort, style, and practicality, have emerged as a popular choice in corporate clothing. At Perkal, a diverse array of fleece jackets and tops is available, catering to …

Read moreFleece Jackets and Tops: The Warm Front of Corporate Branding

IEC ready to print ballot papers for 2024 elections

Location: News

IEC ready to print ballot papers for 2024 elections

With the finalisation of the list of candidates contesting seats in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections (NPE2024), the Electoral Commission (IEC) can now go ahead with the printing of ballot papers for the elections.

"The 27.79 million registered voters will receive three ballot papers to elect candidates to represent them in the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures,” IEC Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sy Mamabolo said on Tuesday in Centurion.

Addressing a media briefing, Mamabolo said the use of the three ballots follows the amendment of the Electoral Act, which was signed into law in April 2023.

“This amendment revised the electoral system to allow independent candidates to contest in the regional (province-to-national) tier of the National Assembly and the Provincial Legislatures. Although the phenomenon of three ballots will be familiar to voters in various local municipalities, it will be new to voters in metropolitan areas and for the first time in general elections for national and provinces.

“There are a total of 400 contested seats in the National Assembly. The proportional representation compensatory 200 seats will be contested by political parties only and there is a dedicated ballot paper for this tier of the National Assembly.

“The remaining regional or province-to-national 200 seats will be contested by independent candidates and political parties. This tier of the National Assembly will also have a dedicated ballot paper,” he said.

This means that National Assembly elections will be based on two ballot papers – a national ballot and the newly introduced regional or province-to-national ballot.

“Therefore, in respect of the elections of the National Assembly, voters may elect a preferred party on the national ballot and elect another preferred party or independent on the regional ballot. However, in respect of provincial elections, voters will elect a preferred party or independent candidate on a single provincial ballot,” the CEO said.

Mamabolo explained how the three ballot papers would work.

WATCH | 

The National Ballot will consist of a list of political parties vying for seats for 200 seats in the National Assembly.

“This ballot will be used to vote for political parties. There are currently 52 parties who will be on this ballot and the configuration will be a dual column. The Regional or Province-to-National Ballots will have political parties and independent candidates contesting for the seats reserved for each province in the National Assembly.

“Voters will use this ballot to elect a political party or an independent candidate to represent them in the National Assembly. The number of contestants range from 30 to 44 on regional ballots. The configuration of this ballot is single column,” he said.

The Provincial Ballots are unique to each province and include parties and independent candidates competing for seats in each respective provincial legislature.

“This ballot will allow voters to choose either a political party or an independent candidate to represent them in provincial legislatures. The number of contestants range from 24 to 45 on the provincial legislatures ballots,” the CEO said.

The Commission has decided that the design of the ballot papers will be underpinned by the following identifiers:

  • Full registered name of the party.
  • The photograph of the registered party leader.
  • Registered abbreviated name of the party.
  • The registered emblem or symbol of the party.

In respect of independent candidates, the ballot papers will have:

  • The name of the independent;
  • The photograph bearing the face of the independent and
  • The word “INDEPENDENT.”

The Commission has urged voters to carefully review and mark each of these three ballot papers before depositing them into the ballot box.

“Our appeal to voters is to remember that they can only put one mark on each ballot, more than one mark will result in a spoiled ballot and will not [count]. The Universal Ballot Template (UBT), whose dimensions are benchmarked against the longest ballot paper, is in production and will be available in all voting stations.

“The UBT can be used by blind and partially sighted people, low-vision users, people who are dyslexic, and people with motor and neuron conditions which do not allow for a steady hand,” Mamabolo said.

Voters have been reminded that they may only vote at a voting station at which they are registered.

“Voters who will inevitably be away from their voting districts on Election Day, 29 May 2024, may give a Section 24A notice of their intention to vote at another identified voting station by no later than 17 May 2024,” the CEO said. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 12:11

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Read moreIEC ready to print ballot papers for 2024 elections

Mashatile calls on traditional leaders to promote free and fair elections

Location: News

Mashatile calls on traditional leaders to promote free and fair elections

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has urged traditional leaders to encourage eligible voters to participate in the May 29 elections, and ensure they are free and fair.

“We will, as a nation, hold the seventh democratic National and Provincial Elections. In this context, traditional leaders should continue to encourage all eligible voters to participate in the elections,” he said on Tuesday. 

The Deputy President, as the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team on matters of Traditional and Khoi-San leaders, delivered a keynote address during a dialogue convened by the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders in Pretoria.

“We urge traditional leaders to promote free and fair elections and ensure that all voters exercise their democratic right — a right that was hard fought for and must never be taken for granted.”

He also took the time to urge rural leaders to work with the government to address the killings of traditional leaders.

“As an institution located in rural areas, it is important that we collaborate to identify obstacles that are hampering community development, such as the killing of traditional leaders, especially in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. 

“We encourage amakhosi and izinduna to continue working closely with the government to address this challenge effectively.”

The Deputy President condemned acts of violence and urged the community to serve as government’s eyes and ears by reporting those who conspire or have committed such crimes to the appropriate authorities. 

“Our law enforcement agencies are also working hard to hold those responsible to account.” 

Land

The country's second-in-command acknowledged the urgent need for the State to expedite its rural development efforts, particularly through the implementation of the InvestRural Master Plan. 

The InvestRural initiative enables rural communities to unlock their potential and improve their livelihoods. 

“Investing in local economies and land ownership is still critical for rural communities’ development.” 

He recognised that land tenure and administration are contentious issues and government will work hard to transfer land ownership to its legitimate owners and sustain rural communities.

“Government has also undertaken to divest itself of the communal land it holds in trust for communities.” 

The Deputy President assured leaders that government was prioritising land access for rural development and economic transformation. 

“We are finalising the Draft Communal Land Bill and Policy, with consultations underway to solicit input from various sectors, including traditional leaders.” 

The documents, according to the Deputy President, will be processed through government structures and the Cabinet for public comments during the 2024/25 financial year.

“We are confident that the Draft Communal Land Rights Bill will facilitate the transfer of government-held communal land to communities. It will also allow for communal land registration and dispute resolution mechanisms.” 

He believes that it wais important to optimally utilise the land. 

“If we can till the land, the people can fight hunger and poverty through small-scale farming or agricultural start-ups.” 

Social issues 

During the meeting,Mashatile offered to work with leaders to tackle pressing issues such as substance abuse, crime, and gender-based violence. 

“GBVF has a negative impact on socio-economic conditions, particularly for women and girls. Therefore, ending this scourge is urgent and critical for our nation's development.

“You must never allow anyone to act violently and abusively against their partners in the name of culture. Together, we must stand firm and say no to all forms of abuse and violence.” 

He also touched on the prevalence of HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), particularly among adolescent girls and young women. 

“As part of our prevention efforts, we must continue to communicate good and compelling messages to young people about delaying the commencement of sexual interactions as much as possible, and when they do begin, having sexually safe relationships and living healthy lifestyles.” 

He also encouraged local Houses of traditional leaders to establish relationships with community organisations to fight the scourge of drugs.

The Deputy President also took the time to congratulate Kgosi Seatlholo, Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, on his recent election as Interim Chairperson of the Southern Africa Network of Traditional Leaders in Drug Demand Reduction. 

“The establishment of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San leaders serves as evidence of the government’s dedication to recognising and valuing the viewpoints and contributions of our traditional leaders.” – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Tue, 04/16/2024 - 13:10

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Fintechs should develop products that address the exact needs of their customers (By Mike Cook)

Location: News
Mukuru

By Mike Cook, Mukuru Head of Wallet and VAS; Lorraine Nyawo, Mukuru Head of Product Domain: Financial Services (www.Mukuru.com)​.

All around the world businesses are pulling out the stops to achieve growth in what can best be described as challenging economic conditions. Africa is no exception. The continent has long been recognised for its immense potential, and as such businesses across sectors are investing heavily into the continent. Advancements in technology make serving the unbanked and underserved populations in Africa more viable than ever before. However, that does not mean growth comes easily. It is a hyper competitive and complex environment where genuinely understanding your customer is key to growth.

Even with this textbook understanding, there is a strong urge to take the “build it and they will come” approach because we can get caught up in our own technology and view problems from our frame of reference while ignoring the customer. This is typified in the African market where we see multiple shiny apps being dropped across markets with massive investments behind them only to be followed by a scaling down of operations as customer uptake and usage have not met expectations.

Instead, leading fintechs that show consistent growth have a deep understanding of their customers' needs and then constantly listen to their customers. Having a deep understanding of customer needs results in innovative solutions. But that is only half of what you need. Listening to customers as you build those solutions is what guarantees market adoption and success. It also allows you to discover further unmet needs. Without listening you fall into the trap of building it and hoping customers will come.

The point here is that you need to listen to customers that are already talking to you. Yes, A fintech can listen directly to its customers in the form of focus groups or formal surveys where customers can engage and tell it directly and clearly what they don't like, what they do, and what they want. But in a fast-paced environment it is not always possible to engage in traditional research to uncover what your customers are saying. More importantly, businesses need to develop the capacity to use existing touch points where customers are already talking to them to gather the insights needed for successful product development.

Social media is a massively useful tool for this. If a business is using its social media only as a marketing or customer service tool it is missing the boat. By mining the comments coming through social media channels, including positive and negative feedback, businesses have a treasure trove of data on their customers' voice.

Internal support tickets are another avenue. Whether customers are emailing, submitting comments through various platforms or calling into a contact centre, they are telling you about their problems. Often, this information starts and stops with frontline staff. Fintechs, or any businesses, need to have the right processes to gather that information effectively and feed it up to the product development team.

Of course, it is great when customers explicitly tell you what they want or need through these channels but regardless of what they say, every interaction can implicitly give you direction. For example, if customers continue to complain about something, they may not be telling you what to do or what to change, but they are telling you that your current solution is not working. An effective business must address those problems because that's how to genuinely serve customers.

Of course, listening is only worth anything if you do something about it. The amount of data and insights being mined can become overwhelming and so businesses need a quick way of scoring opportunities. It is impossible to have all possible information to calculate the most accurate return on investment. Rather, the business needs a quick, effectively designed scoring system or process that can help decision-makers weigh up revenue opportunities and customer service opportunities.

The team needs to balance these opportunities based on the business's long-term strategy and on what the most pressing need is for customers. This is important because in a highly competitive world, customer retention is golden. Beyond this, an effective scoring system keeps the development roadmap full.

Beyond scoring, prioritising opportunities is also influenced by where a business is in its development cycle, which development teams have immediate capacity, and which of the top opportunities can fit into the development roadmap immediately. Certainly, from an innovative fintech's perspective, the goal should be to get a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) out of the gates as quickly as possible as opposed to chasing the Rolls Royce solution at the outset. This is critical if the fintech wishes to be agile and relevant as opposed to producing one shiny, state-of-the-art product a year with no real knowledge of how customers will react to it.

One of the most important ways a fintech can listen to its customers is to gauge how they engage with its products. By using agile methods and principles, and building iteratively — from getting an MVP into testing and then exposed to the market, all the way through phase two and three development — a successful fintech is able to use its tight feedback loops to continually listen to customers. This way the product's development is influenced by the needs of the customer all through its development, meaning the product is effectively serving needs and not just being pushed into the market.

A customer may not understand or use a product the way it was designed — this is incredibly useful information during development phases. Mukuru develops with a finger on the pulse of feedback loops because developing products for the unbanked is not the same as developing products out of Silicon Valley: Solutions don't yet exist and they need to be built from scratch.

Of course, not all resources can go into new features and a portion of development should go into maintenance and support for live products — after all, the brand promise must be kept. It's a balancing act that each company must manage.

This is how fintechs such as Mukuru evolve into next-generation digital financial services providers. The brand promise is pinned on growing diverse products on the same platform, using the same payment rails and methods that customers have used and grown to trust.

This is, at its core, financial inclusion because it takes the unbanked and underserved on a journey from remittances, to wallets, to the ability to purchase online goods and services, to credit, funeral cover and more. None of this is possible without developing products based on the exact needs of your customer base.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mukuru.

About Mukuru:
Mukuru is a leading next generation financial services platform in Southern Africa that offers affordable and reliable financial services to a customer base of over 13 million across Africa, Asia and Europe.

With over 100 million transactions to date, our core was built providing international money transfers and from this base, we've developed a set of services to address the broader financial needs of our customers. We now operate in over 50 countries and across over 300 remittance corridors.

We are a business that puts the customer at the centre of everything we do, and for that reason, we serve clients across physical and digital channels, by various payment methods (cash, card, wallet) as well as a range of engagement platforms including WhatsApp, USSD, contact centre, App, website, agents and a branch and booth network.

Mukuru has, for the fourth consecutive year, been listed as one of the top 100 Cross Border Payments businesses in the world in the 2023 FXC Intelligence Top 100 Cross-Border Payment Companies (https://apo-opa.co/48HwI0k), one of only six African companies to receive this accolade.

In April 2023, Mukuru officially ranked sixth on the 2023 LinkedIn Top Companies List in South Africa.

Mukuru was celebrated for innovation and excellence at the 2023 Africa Tech Festival Awards, receiving the Fintech Innovation of the Year Award - an acknowledgment of the transformative power of financial technology in driving economic growth, financial inclusion, and digital transformation.

Further information can be found at https://www.Mukuru.com.

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Read moreFintechs should develop products that address the exact needs of their customers (By Mike Cook)

Don’t miss your chance to enter the 1 Mile leg of the 2024 Oceans 8 Charity Swim

Location: MyPR

Swimmers keen to compete in an achievable, open water competition – while raising much-needed funds for charity – can book a spot on the 1 Mile event of this year’s Oceans 8 Charity Swim along Durban’s shores. Taking place on Saturday, 15 and Sunday, 16 June from the Durban Undersea Club, the 1 Mile swim …

Read moreDon’t miss your chance to enter the 1 Mile leg of the 2024 Oceans 8 Charity Swim

Navigating Driving Test Wait Times

Location: MyPR

In the journey to becoming a fully licensed driver in the UK, one of the final hurdles is the practical driving test. However, due to high demand, securing a test date can often feel like a waiting game fraught with delays and long lead times. One effective strategy to overcome this obstacle is to look …

Read moreNavigating Driving Test Wait Times

Concern over hostilities in the Middle East

Location: News

Concern over hostilities in the Middle East

The government of South Africa has expressed its serious concern regarding the ongoing events in the Middle East, particularly in light of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s retaliatory actions against Israel.

This comes after Israel launched an attack on Iran’s Embassy located in Damascus, Syria, on 1 April 2024.

As a response to the attack, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel last night. 

According to reports, Iran fired about 300 “killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles” in its first direct attack on Israel. 

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has stated, that there is a “very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation”. 

“In this context, South Africa emphasises that all parties must exercise the utmost restraint and avoid any act that would escalate tensions in a particularly fragile region. 

“South Africa has continuously stressed that irrespective of whether states believe that their use of force is lawful, it is never wise to resort to war as inevitably, it is ordinary people who bear the brunt of conflict,” the Department of International and Relations Cooperation (DIRCO) said on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, DIRCO has called on the international community and the United Nations Security Council to act in pursuit of sustainable and just peace for all people. 

“While we turn our attention to these developments, let us not forget that the war in Gaza continues with devastating humanitarian consequences for its people. 

“An immediate ceasefire and urgent humanitarian access are required. The proliferation of global conflicts will continue if we, as the international community, do not commit ourselves to the ending of war and the establishment of conditions under which justice and respect for international law are maintained.”

However, the department said that as long as there is impunity for unlawful acts, war and injustice will continue. – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Sun, 04/14/2024 - 15:53

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South Africa concerned at possible escalation of hostilities in the Middle East

Location: News

Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation
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The Government of South Africa is gravely concerned at developments in the Middle East following the retaliatory action by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Israel following Israel's attacks on Iran's Embassy in Damascus, Syria, on 1 April 2024.

As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has stated, there is a “very real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation”.

In this context, South Africa emphasises that all parties must exercise the utmost restraint and avoid any act that would escalate tensions in a particularly fragile region.

South Africa has continuously stressed that irrespective of whether states believe that their use of force is lawful, it is never wise to resort to war as inevitably, it is ordinary people who bear the brunt of conflict.

The international community and the United Nations Security Council, in particular, must act in the pursuit of sustainable and just peace for all people.

While we turn our attention to these developments, let us not forget that the war in Gaza continues with devastating humanitarian consequences for its people.  An immediate ceasefire and urgent humanitarian access are required.

The proliferation of global conflicts will continue if we, as the international community, do not commit ourselves to the ending of war and the establishment of conditions under which justice and respect for international law are maintained.

As long as there is impunity for unlawful acts, war and injustice will continue.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Read moreSouth Africa concerned at possible escalation of hostilities in the Middle East

Unleash New Possibilities: Transforming Your Car Troubles into Triumphs

Location: MyPR

In an ever-evolving world, where the only constant is change, owning a car that’s seen better days can feel like a tether to unwelcome stress and expense. Whether it’s a vehicle bruised by time or accidents, or one that’s just refusing to start, there’s a beacon of relief in the form of services that proudly …

Read moreUnleash New Possibilities: Transforming Your Car Troubles into Triumphs

SIU to probe affairs of Moqhaka Local Municipality

Location: News

SIU to probe affairs of Moqhaka Local Municipality

The affairs of the Moqhaka Local Municipality will come under intense scrutiny after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of serious maladministration at the Free State based municipality.

According to the SIU, the proclamation “authorises the SIU to investigate procuring and contracting armed physical security services in the municipality”.

“The SIU will also investigate any unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, or wasteful expenditure incurred by the department or the State. The scope of the investigation also covers any unlawful or improper conduct by department officials or employees, the applicable suppliers or service providers, or any other person or entity which has caused or may cause serious harm to the interests of the public.

“Furthermore, the investigation will also establish whether there was any unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money. The Proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that took place between 1 January 2019 and 12 April 2024…and after the date of the Proclamation that are relevant to, connected with, and incidental to the matters or involve the same persons, entities or contracts investigated,” the corruption busting unit said.

The SIU added that it would, as an additional measure, “identify system failures and make systematic recommendations to improve measures to prevent future losses”.

“In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 (SIU Act), the SIU will refer any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers during its investigations to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action.

“The SIU is empowered by the SIU Act to institute a civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during its investigation caused by acts of corruption, fraud or maladministration,” the unit concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Fri, 04/12/2024 - 13:25

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SA supports efforts to end plastic pollution

Location: News

SA supports efforts to end plastic pollution

As government continues to consult the plastic industry on an internationally legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution, Minister of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy affirmed that South Africa remains resolute in supporting global efforts to end plastic pollution.

In 2022, South Africa supported the development of an internationally legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution at the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly.

“Consequently, on the domestic front, the South African negotiations rest on a firm base provided by our Constitution protecting the right to an environment that is not harmful to health, and to have our environment protected from plastic pollution.

“The reality is that plastics has been targeted for growth as part of our industrial policy and it is incumbent on us that we ensure that this plastic growth is socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable,” Creecy said during a virtual engagement on Friday.

The Minister made these remarks during a consultative stakeholder engagement meeting on South Africa’s negotiating position ahead of the 4th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4) on the development of the international legally binding instrument on curbing plastic pollution.

The consultation was intended to consolidate the country’s negotiating position at the INC4, which is scheduled to take place in Ottawa, Canada from 23 – 29 April 2024.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) is mandated to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution and marine litter, address the full plastic lifecycle and set out a series of provisions to be developed.

“The full life cycle of plastic manufacture, use, and disposal in the context of the Waste Act and National Waste Management Strategy, 2020 is key. The negotiations’ priority obligatory measures include supporting and strengthening waste management services to prevent plastic leaking into the environment.

“Emphasis is on waste collection and improving recycling systems through the development amongst others; extended producer responsibility schemes to collect, reuse and recycle plastic waste with the aim of promoting a circular economy in the plastic industry. Promoting public awareness and clean up campaigns to remove plastic waste from rivers, wetlands, and beaches,” the Minister said.

She said the plastic pollution affects the terrestrial and aquatic, including marine, environments.

“South Africa boasts a coastline that covers over 3 000 kilometres, and it is in the interest of environmental sustainability that South Africa is actively engaged in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee process.

“The recognition of the threat plastic pollution poses to human health, ecosystem functioning, and the marine environment keeps the South African members of the INC hard at work.

“Given the versatility of the plastic product, the lifecycle approach requires a multi-stakeholder focus, and thus government is considering views of interested and affected parties in the negotiations of this internationally legally binding instrument on curbing plastics pollution,” the Minister said.

She said more action is warranted to tackle plastic pollution.  –SAnews.gov.za

 

nosihle
Fri, 04/12/2024 - 14:55

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Read moreSA supports efforts to end plastic pollution

IEC publishes final candidate lists for upcoming elections

Location: News

IEC publishes final candidate lists for upcoming elections

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has released the final lists of political parties and independent candidates that will appear on the various ballot papers in the upcoming National and Provincial Elections. 

The IEC published the lists on its website on Wednesday, and has made them available at all of its offices.

According to the election management body, a new and historic feature in National and Provincial Elections (NPE) 2024 is that independent candidates will contest for seats in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.

This is after President Cyril Ramaphosa assented to the law enabling the participation of independent candidates in April 2023.

Six independent candidates will contest for seats in the National Assembly and six will contest the provincial legislature elections. 

Meanwhile, the Electoral Code of Conduct has been in effect since the 23 February proclamation of the election date.

On 4 April, the IEC held a special ceremony, where all national contestants publicly pledged to adhere to the Electoral Code of Conduct, as well as to get their members and supporters to act in a manner that is consistent with the code.

Provincial pledge signing ceremonies at the provincial level will take place in the coming weeks.

South Africa will hold its General Election on May 29, which marks the country’s seventh democratic election.

Here is the link to the final candidate lists for the 2024 NPE:  https://www.elections.org.za/pw/parties-and-candidates/candidates-list. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Gabisile
Thu, 04/11/2024 - 10:52

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Massification of skills development and job creation programmes to combat unemployment

Location: News

Massification of skills development and job creation programmes to combat unemployment

By Minister Thulas Nxesi

I believe that we can all agree that, at the end of the day, a decisive reduction in the unacceptably high level of unemployment is dependent on higher economic growth resulting in more jobs. This process is led by business investing in the private sector with resultant economic development and rising employment.

Nonetheless, as the President has argued, government as the largest employer in the country and a large-scale procurer of goods and services, has a major role to play both to create an environment conducive to investment, growth and development, but also to directly mitigate the impact of unemployment through social protection measures, demand-led training, targeted job creation and preservation.

To this end government, has strived to strengthen and expand its programmes for skills development and job creation, particularly in respect of the youth, seeking to mobilise and coordinate resources across government. In so doing, government has also sought to deepen and increase the areas of cooperation with the private sector. Initially focused on the strategic areas of energy security, port and inland logistics, and crime and corruption, cooperation has been expanded to include issues of skills and employment.

Which brings us to the expanded roll-out of government jobs and skills projects. First, I need to flag that this orientation and vision has a very long pedigree. Indeed, it is captured in the National Development Plan 2030 adopted in 2011. The earlier example of the Expanded Public Works Programme has been in existence for over two decades, and is utilised by local governments of all political persuasions.

So the present roll out of UIF Labour Activation Programmes (LAP) which started on April 6th in Gauteng – in tandem with the provincial Nasi Ispani Project - is part of this long tradition, expanded now to pool resources across departments and provinces, and in partnership with the private sector.

Following the 2019 elections, the mandate of the old Labour Department was expanded to become the Department of Employment and Labour. The reconfiguring of the Department to reflect the mandate has been taking place ever since. Part of this process is to leverage the existing resources of the Department for job creation and preservation. The Labour Department had long been involved in skills training of the unemployed. One of the things we did after 2019 was to re-orientate training towards in-demand and scarce skills with the guarantee of a job at the end of the programme, replacing the previous training for training’s sake mentality. Another critical part of the reconfiguration of the Department was to undertake a structural architecture review of the funds – the UIF and Compensation Fund – carried out by an independent analyst, and with the express purpose of greatly strengthening client service and ensuring necessary financial controls, systems, governance, accountability, risk and compliance mechanisms are in place.

I need to say more about the central role of the UIF in the work of the Department. The UIF is best known for paying out unemployment and maternity benefits, drawing on the contributions of employers and employees, but, in fact the UIF Act gives it a much larger mandate to mitigate unemployment, and includes funding:

  • Job preservation in the form of the temporary employer/employee relief scheme (TERS) – administered by the CCMA enabling distressed companies to continue to pay their employees, and the business turnaround and recovery programme run by Productivity South Africa;
  • training of the unemployed for employment (now anchored on a demand-led approach, with jobs at the end of it);

And job creation through:

  • supporting enterprise development and entrepreneurship; and
  • economic growth and job creation through investment of the reserves of UIF and the CF.

It was in furtherance of this mandate that the UIF established the LAP, where these kind of programmes have been running since before 2019, and will continue after the 2024 election. (The bizarre claim that the current LAP projects are a ‘rip off’ of the irregular Thuja proposal is historically inaccurate.) The decision of government to ‘massify skills development and job creation’ in response to persistent high levels of unemployment and sluggish growth utilises the LAP platform – expanded to pool resources across departments and entities, and to partner with the private sector. The funding model for the current expanded LAP provides a sliding scale of funding support for programmes with 70% of partners contributing, and a maximum 30% would being non-contributors (i.e. receiving 100% UIF/LAP funding), together with projects across government departments and entities on a rand-for-rand funding basis, for example including working with the IDC and the Department of Basic Education to recruit and pay salaries for Teacher Assistants designed to employ 200,000 unemployed graduates (part of the Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus programme).

The current expanded LAP ‘Training for Employment and Entrepreneurship’ programme sets ambitious targets: 2 million opportunities over three years, consisting of jobs preserved and created; demand-led skills training and entrepreneurial opportunities. Currently, 333 projects have been recommended for implementation across every province, with planned some 704,000 beneficiaries. Some 55,000 opportunities were announced for Gauteng on 6th April with the launch of the Nasi Ispani Project, supported and jointly funded by the LAP across 24 sectors: Agriculture, Services, IT, Construction, Engineering, Wholesale and retail, safety and security, hospitality, social services, textile, transport, furniture manufacturing; education, energy, food and beverage, health and wellness, aviation, insurance, jewellery, hygiene, arts and culture, and financial sector. The partnering with the Gauteng provincial government seeks to ensure that government maximises the impact of its spending by pooling resources and eliminating duplication.

I also need to flag that the LAP projects have been – or still are to be - subject to meticulous quality assurance processes to ensure:

  • they are compliant – with policy and legislation;
  • all necessary controls are in place;
  • there is capacity and necessary resources in place,
  • and that these programmes produce real outcomes in terms of jobs and entrepreneurial prospects.

Labour activation programmes are not a silver bullet to end the challenge of unemployment, but they are a viable force-multiplier that can be used together with other initiatives and interventions as part of a response to mitigate unemployment. 

The sectors and industries that will contribute significantly to the creation of these opportunities include economically growing and in-demand sectors such as agriculture, ICT, construction, engineering, manufacturing, education, transport and mining. 

An initial amount of R15 billion has been budgeted for the expanded LAP roll-out, eventually rising to R23.8 billion funding permitting. Opportunities will run between 12 and 36 months. The money invested in the plan will be recouped by the UIF through contributions and revenue generated from investments, as has been in the past sustainability model of the Fund.

There is this saying that: “the proof is in the pudding.” The UIF has proven that it is capable of taking strategic measures when required – such as the Covid-TERS benefits – distributing R64 billion to 5 million laid off workers and their families during the pandemic – whilst remaining financially sound.

The official national launch of the expanded LAP programme takes place in KZN on 16th April with a progressive roll-out of projects province by province, district by district culminating in the Northern Cape on the 9th May to coincide with the Presidential Imbizo in Kimberly.

Details of other launches and the impact to be derived from these projects will be communicated on an ongoing basis. This demonstrates our serious commitment to creating opportunities for our people, and to embed these processes and programmes into the future.

*Thulas Nxesi is the Minister of Employment and Labour.*

Neo
Thu, 04/11/2024 - 11:26

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