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News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff
Nic Stevens, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said: At 16h04, Monday, 20 May, NSRI Mykonos and NSRI St Helena Bay duty crews were activated following reports from Shelly Point Security of a boat capsized 1 nautical mile off-shore of Shelly Point, West Coast. The SA Police Services (SAPS), Police Sea Borderline Control, SAMSA (South African Maritime …
Premier Alan Winde, today, 20 May 2024, accompanied by Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, visited the head offices of Sea Harvest in Cape Town to offer their heartfelt condolences and support to the families and colleagues of the 11 employees of the company who perished in a tragedy at sea last Friday. The …
This past Friday, 17 May 2024, the Western Cape Government (WCG) continued to boost safety and empower districts, after Provincial Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, handed over a drone to the Central Karoo District Municipality (CKDM). In addition to this, 24 Peace Officers (POs) also graduated in Beaufort West. This brings …
The vibrant streets of Tshwane will be a sea of red on Sunday, 25 August 2024, as runners from diverse backgrounds gather to participate in the 2nd annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K. The Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K marks the fourth event in the iconic Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, which consists …
Site to be used for 1,000 affordable housing units
In its 11th year, Khumbulani Pride renewed calls for justice for victims of hate crime
Many South Africans with hepatitis go undiagnosed
A body and 2 dogs recovered, sadly deceased: The body of a man, believed to be that of Pierre Lotter, 23, from Kathu, Northern Cape, was located and recovered on Sunday, 19 May, near to Melkbosstrand. Formal identification remains in the process in cooperation with family, the SA Police Services and Government Health Forensic Pathology …
Search for 11 missing Cape Town fishermen called off
Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy, says she is saddened by the news that the search for 11 missing fishermen has been called off.
“I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families of the 11 crew members who are now presumed deceased.
“I understand that the families of the bereaved fishermen have been informed that the search has been called off and that they are receiving professional counselling and support, and appropriate counselling will be given to the other fishermen who survived this incident,” said Creecy.
The MFV Lepanto, a vessel within Sea Harvest’s Viking Fishing Division, sank, causing the fishermen to go missing.
The vessel sank around 35 nautical miles offshore from Hout Bay on Friday afternoon, 17 May 2024.
Nine fishermen have been rescued, while 11 others are still missing at sea, according to officials.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Cape Town, working together with other stakeholders, led the search and rescue (SAR).
“A review of the search progression, the search efforts, and the continuous lack of sighting reports from the incident start, and the unfavourable weather, led the MRCC to conclude the SAR effort,” Creecy explained.
The Minister has since welcomed the appointment of the casualty investigation team by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).
“The investigation will determine the cause of the sinking and ensure that all safety protocols were followed,” she said.
Sea Harvest reported that nine out of the 20 crew members, who were on board the vessel, were rescued and arrived safely on Friday night in Cape Town aboard the MFV Armana, another vessel from the group that was in the area at the time of the distress call.
The men were reunited with their families after a physical evaluation by a medical doctor and were provided with immediate trauma counselling.
Sea Harvest CEO, Felix Ratheb, said ensuring the safety of their staff at sea is a top priority and that the company is devastated by this tragedy.
“We have been in ongoing contact with the families, with a senior team and a counsellor visiting each family of the missing men today. We will continue to support them, as well as the rescued men and their families. We are also providing updates and counselling for our broader employee base, as this has been extremely upsetting and sad for all of us,” Ratheb said.
According to the CEO, the company is working closely with the relevant authorities, primarily SAMSA, to establish the cause of the accident as soon as possible.
“We wish to thank our employees and the rescue organisations for their active search and rescue operations since Friday,” he said in a statement.
Creecy has since asked fellow South Africans to keep the bereaved families in their thoughts and prayers. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Mon, 05/20/2024 - 11:03
Stillwater Sports, the organisers of one of South Africa’s largest Women’s Month celebrations, are excited to announce that the iconic Totalsports Women’s Race will boast an impressive, combined prize purse of R 412,500.00 in 2024. “We are excited to announce that the prize purse for the Totalsports Women’s Race will more than double in 2024, …
Huge turnout for SA Agulhas II tour
Members of the public turned out in their numbers for free guided tours of South Africa’s polar research and supply vessel – the SA Agulhas II, during an open day in Gqeberha.
“This event provided a fantastic platform for the public to learn about the important research conducted aboard the SA Agulhas II and the critical role it plays as a supply vessel to the three research bases in Antarctica, Marion and Gough Islands in the Southern Ocean," Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy said on Saturday.
The event hosted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in the Eastern Cape, drew an impressive crowd of more than 3 000 members of the public who had the unique opportunity to tour the renowned research vessel.
The vessel arrived at the Port of Port Elizabeth on 16 May and on the 17 May 2024, 1000 learners from 40 schools around the metro were hosted.
In addition to exploring the SA Agulhas II, visitors on both days were able to engage with a diverse range of exhibits and interactive displays at an expo organised by DFFE and its partners.
The expo showcased the vital work being done in marine research, conservation, and environmental stewardship.
"We are thrilled with the overwhelming response by the residents of Gqeberha to the SA Agulhas II Open Day in Gqeberha. The open day offered a valuable opportunity for members of the community to gain insight into the cutting-edge research and innovation driving South Africa's efforts in marine conservation,” the Minister said.
The vessel plays a crucial role in supporting research.
“It therefore plays a crucial role in supporting the country's research in Antarctica, the sub-Antarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean. The SA Agulhas II has just completed a relief voyage to Marion Island and is heading back to its home port in Cape Town.
“Through the open day concept, which is usually hosted in Cape Town, thousands of South Africans in different coastal cities have an opportunity to experience and learn about South Africa’s marine research, the SA Agulhas II as a mobile research laboratory and a supply vessel. The ports previously visited by the vessel include, Port Elizabeth (2015), Durban (2018), Dar es Salaam (2018), Comoros and East London (2019),” the department said. –SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 05/19/2024 - 12:41
South Africa and the Western Cape in particular, is a destination of choice for many respected and market-leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. Many of these businesses base some of their global operations here in the Western Cape, where they employ, train and upskill tens of thousands of local South Africans to provide world-class professional business services to clients across the world.
According to CapeBPO, the Western Cape's strategic business partner responsible for the growth and development of the BPO industry, for every offshore BPO job based in South Africa, R350 000 of foreign revenue is injected into our economy.
“This means that for the approximately 100 000 BPO jobs country wide, the majority of which (approximately 60 000) are right here in the Western Cape, R35 billion goes into our national economy. The value that our talented people contribute on the world's stage is impressive,” explained Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger.
“The growth of the BPO sector in the Western Cape is a testament to the hard work and perseverance put into the promotion and mobilisation of the industry by our private and public sector stakeholders. The investment in skills development has created a steady and world-class supply of talent to cater to the clear international demand, supported through our agile public/private partnership between our local and provincial government partners (the City of Cape Town and Western Cape Government) and our Operator community. Based on our shared vision to enable meaningful careers, we are tackling the challenge of unemployment head on, with each job created contributing to a solution we as proud South Africans want to see manifested,” added CEO of CapeBPO, Clayton Williams.
The Western Cape Government's (WCG) ambitious economic plan of action, ‘Growth for Jobs' is focused on enabling the private sector to grow and create jobs.
“As the WCG, we are immensely proud to partner, through our dedicated programmes, with the determined and dedicated people investing in the BPO sector. BPO is a thriving and growing industry that must be nurtured if we are to enable the private sector to establish, expand and – critically – employ many more hundreds of thousands of South Africans. At the end of the day, this is why we do what we do – to give more South Africans, and particularly our young people, the opportunities they need to live up to their full potential,” concluded Minister Wenger.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities, South Africa.
On Friday 17 May at 15h40, NSRI Hout Bay duty crew and NSRI Table Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a fishing vessel sinking approximately 30 nautical miles off-shore of the Atlantic Seaboard. A Mayday distress call, intercepted by Telkom Maritime Radio Services at 15h30, was relayed to vessels in the area that …
Construction of a permanent station in Makhaza will start next year, says Bheki Cele
They were demanding full employment by the province
SIU, Hawks raid Home Affairs offices in five provinces
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) with the assistance of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, on Friday conducted searches and seized evidence at Home Affairs offices in five provinces.
The SIU said in a statement that this is part of an ongoing investigation into the affairs of the department.
The SIU was granted a search warrant by the Special Tribunal, a judicial platform established to adjudicate on matters emanating from SIU investigations, on 10 May.
The searched offices and mirror imaging of a server took place at the head office of the Department of Home Affairs in the Pretoria CBD, at the Centurion office and at the Desmond Tutu Refugee Centre in Marabastad.
The other raids took place at the Refugee Reception Centres in Musina, Cape Town, Gqeberha and Durban.
“The searches follow a tip off from a whistleblower that suggested that Home Affairs officials in the identified centres work with syndicates to duplicate application status files applied for in other offices and process them for a fee.
“The whistleblower also stated that the officials bypass immigration systems to enable foreign nationals who have entered the country illegally to remain in the country and acquire permits illegally and unlawfully,” the statement read.
It was also alleged that Home Affairs officials were delaying the finalisation of the asylum seeker permits to facilitate bogus asylum seekers.
Using the permits, which were obtained illegally and unlawfully, the bogus asylum seekers remain in the country and later use the same permits to apply for Permanent Resident Permits and ultimately, obtain South African citizenship.
“After getting citizenship, they qualify to get a maroon passport, which allows them to travel all over the world except their country of origin.”
Members of the SIU and the Hawks seized computers, electronic pieces of equipment, and documents that will assist with their ongoing investigation.
Proclamation
President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the SIU to investigate serious maladministration and improper conduct at Home Affairs through Proclamation 154 of 2024.
The proclamation empowers the SIU to probe serious maladministration relating to the issuance of permanent residence permits, corporate visas, business visas, critical or exceptional skills work visas, study visas, retired persons’ visas, work visas, and citizenship by naturalisation, contrary to the Immigration Act, 2002; the South African Citizenship Act, 1995; manuals, guidelines, circulars, practice notes or instructions applicable to Home Affairs; or manuals, policies, procedures, prescripts, instructions or practices of or applicable to the department.
The proclamation also authorises the SIU to investigate any irregular, unlawful, or improper conduct by officials or employees of Home Affairs or any other person or entity concerning the allegations being investigated.
It also covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that took place between 12 October 2004 and 16 February 2024, the date of the publication of the Proclamation, or before 12 October 2004 and after the date of the Proclamation that is relevant to, connected with, incidental to the matters, or involves the same persons, entities, or contracts investigated.
“In addition to investigating maladministration, malpractice, corruption and fraud, the SIU will identify system failures and make systematic recommendations to improve measures to prevent future recurrence,” the SIU explained.
In line with the SIU and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 (SIU Act), the agency will refer any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers during its investigations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) 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. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 05/17/2024 - 11:48
Damian Willemse, Hacjivah Dayimani and Brok Harris all come into the DHL Stormers’ starting line-up for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship encounter with Connacht in Galway on Saturday. The DHL Stormers will be looking to make it back-to-back wins on the road when they take on the Irish side at the Dexcom Stadium at 18h05 …
Yesterday’s sod turning for the construction of a South African Police Service (SAPS) station in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain and the opening of the Makhaza SAPS station in Khayelitsha are long overdue. These, like other areas across the Cape metro, are plagued by high levels of crime and consistent police under resourcing. Makhaza residents have been …
South Africa and the Western Cape in particular, is a destination of choice for many respected and market-leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) companies. Many of these businesses base some of their global operations here in the Western Cape, where they employ, train and upskill tens of thousands of local South Africans to provide world-class …
Loose forward Evan Roos has signed a contract extension that will see him continue to play for the DHL Stormers until at least 2027. The explosive Roos is the latest player to be confirmed as remaining in Cape Town until 2027, following the announcement of similar extensions for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Dan du Plessis and Ruben …
A white sheet with hundreds of names of those killed in Palestine since October was draped down the Sarah Baartman Hall steps
Millennials love adventure and exploration and have been dubbed the ‘Wanderlust Generation’. Based on recent research, travel has emerged as one of the top aspirations of this generation, revealing they travel more than any other age group. Rather than traditional investments such as buying a home, millennials value holidays more, which also helps to achieve …
Tribunal overturns Heritage Western Cape decision to allow development at the Earl Street site
Celebrating excellence in African real estate, including South Africa: enter now! Johannesburg, 13 May 2024 – The 8th annual African Property Investment Awards (API Awards) are now open for entries. This prestigious platform recognises excellence in the African real estate industry. This year, for the first time, the #APIawards will be open to entries from …