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Garden Route-based actor and adventurer Ivan Zimmermann has teamed up with radio station Algoa FM to promote tourism to the region through the medium of short YouTube videos. “I started All Things Vuma, Garden Route, to connect people with people. “We live in such a fast track world that we forgot how important and healthy …
Concerns about maladministration, assassination attempts, academic malpractice, and the state of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme were raised
Activist organisations express frustration at lack of action against corruption-accused Member of Parliament Sfiso Buthelezi
Three-day imbizo on the way forward for the mini-bus taxi industry ends on a positive note
Prof Jill Adler receives Lifetime Achiever Award
The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded Witwatersrand University’s Distinguished Professor, Jill Adler, the Lifetime Achiever Award at the 2023 NRF Awards ceremony held on Thursday in Durban.
Introduced to the NRF Awards in 2004, the Lifetime Achiever Award recognises an individual who has demonstrably made extraordinary contributions to the development of science in and for South Africa.
These contributions, according to the NRF, must be of international standard and impact. The NRF is a government mandated research and science development agency.
Adler expressed her gratitude for the special recognition.
“This award for me gives recognition to the importance of educational research and educational research that is grounded in the realities of our mathematics classrooms. It gives meaning to the NRF vision for science and service of society,” she said.
Adler said the NRF has been one of the most important institutions throughout her academic journey.
The Professor was born and raised in Johannesburg and completed a BSc in Mathematics and Psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1972.
She pursued a teaching Diploma at the University of Cape Town in 1973 before taking up a teaching post at Harold Cressy High School in Cape Town.
In 1977, she returned to Johannesburg and joined the SACHED Trust, an educational non-government organisation (NGO) concerned with enriching the quality of education of those disadvantaged in apartheid South Africa.
She first taught mathematics to youth who were out of school following the Soweto uprising in 1976.
“Her work at the NGO over the next 10 years enabled her to further her social justice advocacy, seeking to address the educational inequalities in South Africa by improving mathematics education through the development and evaluation of distance education courses,” the NRF said.
At the same time, she studied for her Master of Education, graduating cum laude in 1985.
It was in 1987 that she moved into academia, lecturing in the Department of Professional Studies at the Johannesburg College of Education for two years before moving to Wits University’s Education Department as lecturer, Head of Department and Professor.
She was also a Chair of Mathematics Education at the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) between 2010 and 2019.
“Prof Adler completed her PhD in 1996 with a thesis that looked at the dynamics of teaching and learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms, specifically examining secondary teachers’ knowledge in this context,” said the NRF.
Her theoretical and practice-based innovations paved the way for new and transformative approaches in mathematics education, addressing two fundamental research problems.
“The complexities and challenges of teaching and learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms, and the enhancement of professional education for mathematics teachers. The latter came to the fore in the mid-1990s with the demand for ‘upgrading’ the qualifications and teaching quality of secondary mathematics teachers in post-apartheid South Africa.”
Working alongside a dedicated cohort of students, she spearheaded efforts to position mathematics education as a robust research domain within the university, and more broadly in the country.
In 2005, Adler led the renowned Marang Centre for Mathematics and Science Education at Wits University.
The centre quickly gained a reputation for excellence in postgraduate research and development, attracting students from across the African continent.
Between 2010 and 2019, as the DSI-NRF SARChI Research and Development Chair in Mathematics Education at Wits, she directed a large professional development project.
The programme reached over 200 secondary mathematics teachers and many learners across 80 schools in Gauteng and researching its impact together with a large research team of doctoral and postdoctoral fellows.
She is an Honorary Professor at Oxford University and University College London both in the United Kingdom.
She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and four books, co-edited two special journal issues and contributed 50 book chapters, achieving more than 7 000 citations and has published 37 papers that have each been cited at least 37 times.
Over the course of her 45-year career in teaching and academia, she has garnered numerous accolades in recognition of her contributions to education. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 09/01/2023 - 13:30
“Our own children don’t take care of us, they neglect us. These clubs help us feel accepted and loved” says pensioner.
Call to educate communities on legislation
Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has spoken of the need to educate communities on the recently amended Employment Equity Act.
The Minister was addressing the Chatsworth community and communities from adjacent areas in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Minister spoke to communities on the recently updated Employment Equity Act (EEA), workplace equity, affirmative action, and related topics. He said that there is still a long way to go towards emancipation, and acknowledged that the pace of transformation of workplaces remains at snail’s pace.
Nxesi noted that the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) Report released in June showed that employment equity (EE) in the workplaces is unfolding at a snail pace, with top management still occupied by Whites at 62.9%, followed by Africans at 16.9%.
This, according to CEE is despite the fact that Africans constitute 80% of the national economically active population (EAP), followed by Coloureds at 9.3%, Whites at 8%, and Indians at 2.7%.
He added that the representation of people with disability in the workplaces is an indictment on government.
The Minister also bemoaned the economic sectors that have abandoned their charter commitments to transform, noting that corruption has seemingly taken over and destroyed communities.
“We had to postpone the promulgation of [Employment Equity] EE Regulations to first hear the voices of people. Transformation is painful and not nice,” he said.
The EE Act is interpreted in compliance with the Constitution and in compliance with the international law obligations of the Republic, in particular those contained in the International Labour Organisation Convention, 1958 (No. 111) concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation.
The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO), Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, places an obligation on ILO member countries to elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation and the promotion of equality.
Nxesi emphasised that the Convention prohibits all discrimination exclusion on the basis, including race or colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national or social origin in employment, and requires states to enact legislation that is based on equal opportunities.
“On the other hand, the purpose of the Employment Equity Act is to achieve equity in the workplace by – promoting equal opportunity and fair treatment in employment through the elimination of unfair discrimination and implementing affirmative action measures to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups, in order to ensure their equitable representation in all occupational categories and levels in the workforce.
“In the advancement of elimination of unfair discrimination, the EE Act places the responsibility on the employer to take steps to promote equal opportunity in the workplace by eliminating unfair discrimination in any employment policy or practice,” Nxesi explained.
In the prohibition of unfair discrimination, the Act prescribes that no person may unfairly discriminate, directly or indirectly, against an employee, in any employment policy or practice, on one or more grounds.
These include race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language and birth.
The next EE workshop will be held in Cape Town in the Western Cape on 13 September 2023.
The EE workshops target employers or heads of organisations, academics, assigned senior managers, consultative forum members, human resource practitioners, trade unions, employees and other interested stakeholders.
EE reporting season opens
Meanwhile, the department has announced that 2023 EE reporting season opens on 1 September 2023 for both manual and online reporting.
“In terms of reporting timeframes, the manual reporting will close on 2 October 2023 and the online reporting closes on 15 January 2024. SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Fri, 09/01/2023 - 12:02
On Wednesday evening, 30 August, the provincial Ministers of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers and Mobility Ricardo Mackenzie presented Bergrivier community members with the short and medium-term plans for the respective portfolios. The meeting was held at the Bergrivier Municipality Town Hall in Velddrift. This follows months of correspondence and engagements with the Bergrivier Municipality relating to …
Premier Alan Winde has expressed his deep disappointment that President Cyril Ramaphosa has not placed the urgent matter of the pending fiscal crisis in the 2023 medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) on the President’s Coordinating Council’s (PCC) agenda, to be held today, 1 September. The Premier had recently written to President Ramaphosa requesting that this …
Today, Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, welcomed four new Board members to Wesgro, after appointing them in consultation with the Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, in August 2023. Wesgro is the Western Cape’s tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency that has already added enormous value to the provincial economy through investment …
Nic Stevens, NSRI Mykonos station commander, said: At 07h39, Wednesday, 30 August, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were activated following a request fore medical assistance from a local 90 foot fishing vessel trawler reported an adult fisherman crewman seriously injured onboard, 51 nautical miles from Langebaan. The fishing vessel skipper reported that they had uplifted fishing …
“I would never take trips from Nyanga and Philippi” says Uber driver
“Our people have suffered enough since trains have stopped working” says unionist
Jerome Simonis, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: At 15h20, Wednesday, 30 August, during the peak of the Spring high tide, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a small canoe capsized with (believed to be) 1 adult male onboard at Ashmead Channel on Knysna Lagoon, between Cathy’s Park and Costa Sarda, about …
SA records more than 4 million tourist arrivals
South Africa’s tourism sector continues to show strong recovery with the first half of 2023 recording more than four million tourist arrivals.
“Our arrival numbers for 2023 are looking good, demonstrating that South Africa is still a favourable tourist destination and we are eager to welcome more tourists as we head into the busy summer season,” said Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille.
She said the arrivals demonstrate that South Africa is still a favourable tourist destination.
“South Africa’s tourism sector continues to exhibit strong recovery with the first half of 2023 recording more than 4 million tourist arrivals, according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa [Stats SA]. This is a significant increase from the 2, 3 million tourist arrivals between January and June 2022.
The total number of tourist arrivals to South Africa between January and June 2023 showed a sizable 78.2% surge in the first half of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022.
The Minister on Tuesday held the second National Tourism Safety Forum meeting in Cape Town with various stakeholders in the tourism sector.
De Lille said South Africa receives millions of tourists per year, and the vast majority of visitors return home without any issues and a memorable experience of the country.
The Africa region continues to bring the largest share of tourist arrivals to South Africa with more than three million arrivals from the rest of the African continent in the first six months of 2023.
“This is a testament to the marketing efforts that we have implemented to attract tourists from this region. Africa remains a key source market for us, and we are committed to collaborating as a tourism sector to make sure we welcome visitors from this region and that we cater for their needs and preferences.
Beyond the African continent, South Africa has welcomed more visitors from other regions too. The Asia region almost doubled its figures with a 99.5% growth compared to 2022.
“This year, Europe, the largest source of visitors outside Africa, also experienced solid growth of 66.8.1%, when compared to the same period in 2022. These robust figures showcase South Africa’s charm and attractiveness as well as the work that we are doing in marketing South Africa as a tourist destination of choice.”
North America, Central & South America, and the Middle East also demonstrated strong growth trends with rates of 70.6%, 74.4%, and 75.8% respectively.
“These robust figures showcase South Africa’s charm and attractiveness as well as the work that we are doing in marketing South Africa as a tourist destination of choice.”
Meanwhile, the department is gearing up for the summer season and will be launching the Summer Campaign in two weeks’ time in the Eastern Cape.
Safety
She said the previous meeting of the forum held in May saw all representatives agreed on clear actions to address tourism safety.
”While the latest statistics from StatsSA reveal an upward trend in tourist arrivals, issues of safety are an obstacle in converting would-be tourists to visit our country. As I said after the previous National Tourism Safety Forum meeting, crime is a matter which affects tourism in many parts of the world.”
This was echoed by several tourism ministers from all over the world.
“South Africa is no different and across the world, countries are grappling with these issues with instability and wars in some countries. While it is the mandate of the SAPS to keep our citizens and visitors safe, we all have a role to play.”
She said progress was made since the last meeting.
In a bid to ensure the safety of tourists in the country, the Department of Tourism will be deploying tourism monitors to all provinces at top tourist attractions and national parks.
The key responsibilities of the appointed tourism monitors include patrolling within the identified attractions and site/ areas, raising tourism awareness and provide information to tourists and report any crime incidents to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other relevant enforcement agencies.
The monitors will be deployed towards the end of October or early November 2023, in time for the summer tourist season.
The department has reviewed the training curriculum for tourism monitors with the departmental budget at R174.5 million, to train more than 2 200 tourism monitors across the country for this financial year.
The key responsibilities of the appointed Tourism Monitors include patrolling within the identified attractions and site/ areas, raising tourism awareness and provide information to tourists and report any crime incidents to SAPS and other relevant enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, an update from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on the C-More tracking device and how best this technology can be incorporated into the Secura app that has been set up by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, was received.
“Through the use of technology, we are enhancing the tourist experience by offering technology and tourism monitors that assist tourists in various attractions as well as on-demand requests through an app.”
She said the app is now up and running and the operations centre will be launched in Sandton on Thursday.
“The Secura App is already being used by tourists and aims to enhance the visitor experience and assist in many ways including roadside assistance and directing those who are lost,” said the Minister. –SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Wed, 08/30/2023 - 10:11
28 August 2023: The ANGOSTURA® Bar & Beverage Awards 2023, announced its winners at a gala ceremony held at The Westin Hotel in Cape Town. 200 guests from industry attended this inaugural awards ceremony from all over the country. “South Africa is one of the world’s top destinations for gastronomy, leisure and hospitality,” says Paul …
“When life gives you lemons, buy a freaking jet” - Lesley Ramulifho
The Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) and mosaic artist Kerry Atherstone from Bit-by-Bit Mosaic have embarked on a vibrant mission to transform Bellville into a cleaner, safer, and more attractive haven for residents to live, work, and play. With great excitement, the GTP announces the completion of the first phase of their groundbreaking mosaic installation project, …
On Monday, 28 August, the Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, provincial Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, alongside the Executive Mayor, Dave Swart, and Ward Councillor, Claude Terblanche, officiated the bricklaying event at the Ebenhaeser housing project in Plettenberg Bay. The ceremony celebrated the milestone of the historic project in New Horizons. A community founded in …
SCOPA chair tells ministers and mayor to get on with it
Sewage oozes onto the streets and there are holes in the main roads
Western Province Rugby’s General Council will meet on Wednesday, 30th August when a ground-breaking equity deal will be presented to the Union’s primary club stakeholders. It is an equity deal that will ensure the brightest future for professional and community rugby in the province. The proposed deal is with Red Disa Investment and their intended …
Timothy Dunn, an attorney in the River Club dispute, does not have the master’s degree he claims to have
To celebrate and highlight the vital role that our tourism and hospitality industries play in the Western Cape, provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, which includes Tourism, Mireille Wenger kicked off her Tourism Month 2023 programme in Plettenberg Bay this week. Minister Wenger was joined by Plett Tourism CEO, Patty Butterworth, Plett Tourism Association …