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In the realm of healthcare, innovation is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. As South Africa grapples with the challenges of an evolving healthcare landscape, technology emerges as a beacon of hope, offering solutions to improve patient care, enhance efficiency, and drive better outcomes. Let’s explore the transformative power of health tech solutions and …
Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality health coverage, explores the risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options for prostate cancer in young adults. “When we think of prostate cancer, we often associate it with older men,” says Murray Hewlett, CEO of Affinity Health. “However, prostate cancer can also affect young adults.” What Is Prostate …
The payments were withheld due to municipal non-compliance, causing shelters to shut down
Catch all these blockbusters at Ster-Kinekor’s IMAX cinemas for an immersive cinema experience There’s nothing that beats watching a blockbuster movie in the cinema… except if you’re watching it on the biggest screen for a fully immersive sound and picture movie experience. With nine state-of-the-art IMAX cinemas at select sites around the country, Ster-Kinekor has …
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
In the complex world of finance, understanding the intricacies of withholding tax, especially for pension funds, is crucial. Specialised guidance and services are available to help entities navigate the maze of reclaiming withholding tax, ensuring that your investments are as fruitful as they should be. For pension funds, the stakes are high, as withholding taxes …
Mineware Consulting, a leading provider of operational software solutions for the local and international mining industry, will be attending the Mining Health & Safety Conference in Ontario, taking place on April 16th to 18th, 2024. With a gathering of approximately 300 attendees annually, the conference serves as a pivotal platform for learning and sharing insights …
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in partnership with the Wireless Female Network (WFN) team up to launch first Period Art gallery in South Africa and on the African continent. The Wireless Female Network and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) are thrilled by the concept of a Period Art gallery as this further dismantles the glass …
20 armed attacks on EMS workers in the past year.
KZN reaffirms commitment to provide essential services
KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza, has reaffirmed the provincial government's commitment to continue with its efforts to ensure that all communities have access to essential services.
Khoza made the commitment during Operation Sigalelekile (“We’ve arrived”), where she led various departments in a united force to provide vital services to the community of Ngudwini and Samungu’s Ward 05 in Umlalazi Local Municipality, under King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
Operation Sigalelekile is an initiative that serves as a beacon of hope for rural communities located in far-flung areas, remotely located from government services.
The community of Ngudwini was previously affected by faction fights, which robbed people of their lives and properties.
As government commemorates 30 years of service delivery, Khoza emphasised the need for strengthened strategies to bridge the gap in service delivery, particularly in rural communities.
Addressing the community during an event held this week at Esikhumbeni Sportsground, Khoza said regardless of location, government is committed to ensuring that essential services reach every citizen, with the aim of fostering a successful nation.
"We are deeply concerned that older persons have to use their grants to support grandchildren who cannot access child support grants due to lack of important documents. We have been made aware of this challenge, hence our visit to the area to address it.
“There are orphans, as a result of infighting within the communities and that robbed children of a better life. We have a responsibility to deal with social challenges affecting our communities," Khoza said.
Khoza also stressed the importance of reaching every corner of the province, adding that government is caring, as it responded to the plight of people needing access to government offices and services.
During the outreach, various departments, including Social Development, South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), South African Police Services, Health, Home Affairs, and the Electoral Commission, collaborated to address the pressing needs of the Ngudwini and Samungu communities.
The community members had an opportunity to make applications for important documents, including birth certificates and IDs, as well as access grants, with on-site assistance from SAPS for affidavits.
The MEC underscored the significance of these documents in unlocking opportunities for individuals and ensuring their inclusion in society.
She affirmed government's commitment to addressing challenges faced by the community, particularly regarding documentation for children and older persons.
"We are here to bridge the gap and ensure that every person, regardless of their circumstances, has equal access to essential services. The integrated effort by the KwaZulu-Natal Government exemplifies its dedication to uplifting communities and fostering inclusivity in service delivery," Khoza said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Thu, 04/11/2024 - 14:27
With a bold approach to fresh, new, local, and sustainable, flavours and experiences In March 2024, Pullman Cape Town introduced a range of world-class, innovative dining experiences across ifs four in-house restaurants and bars. Spearheaded by Pullman’s new Director of Food and Beverage, Raynor Damons, and newly appointed Executive Chef Jerome Peters, this initiative reflects …
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:
And job creation through:
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:
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
Shankara Chetty is accused of failing to act in the best interests of patients
The Elsen Academy Superheroes Challenge Fun Run is an exciting event that brings together families, friends, and fitness enthusiasts for a day of fun and fitness in the beautiful surroundings of St Georges Park, Gqeberha. This annual event is a unique blend of athleticism, creativity, and community spirit, making it a must-attend for all ages. …
Storing food in the right spots in the fridge, at the right temperatures, can help it stay fresh longer, leading to less food being thrown away. Preserving food in the fridge may seem like a common task, yet doing it correctly can significantly affect your health and food quality. Understanding the importance of proper food …
The 7th of April marked World Health Day, and this year’s theme “My Health, My Right” – is a powerful message, reminding us of our collective responsibility to ensure universal access to essential healthcare. While it’s important to remember that this is a critical aspect of healthcare, the real starting point for good health is …
Malawi's economy suffers from a lack of investment and high trade costs due to poor logistics and infrastructure; Clearing goods at the Malawi-Dedza border post with Mozambique previously took an average of three days; One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) reduce border waiting times and the cost of cross-border transactions.
The Dedza border post, situated between Malawi and Mozambique, is a busy place. On average, more than 80 trucks are cleared daily, carrying shop merchandise from South Africa to Malawi including fertilizers for Malawi's agriculture sector.
For the past few years, before the construction of the new One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) facility, it took about 24 to 36 hours to clear a truck carrying items such as wheat, fertilizers, groceries, and raw materials for Malawi's manufacturing industry. Drivers and clearing agents had to dash from one office to another between the two countries to clear the goods. Malawian traders traveling to and from South Africa through the Dedza–Mozambique border had difficulty locating the appropriate offices to present the required paperwork. In addition, the lack of parking facilities meant that the road leading to the border post was always congested, as trucks scrambled for space to park while waiting to be cleared.
Establishing One-Stop Border Posts
In 2015, the Government of Malawi embarked on an ambitious program to construct border posts in Dedza and Mwanza (both bordering Mozambique) and Songwe (bordering Tanzania), set up OSBPs with these neighboring countries, and establish the National Single Window (NSW). The NSW is an electronic platform system connecting international trade and transport stakeholders to fulfill all imports, exports, and transit border control procedures. World Bank support of $91.7 million was provided through the Southern Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Project. The objective was to reduce the cost of cross-border transactions by supporting the modernization, simplification, and harmonization of the trade and transit procedures and policies.
The Dedza One-Stop Border Post, which was completed in 2023, boasts two examination bays for goods, parking spots for 100 freight trucks, and a modern passenger terminal.
“We now take less than half a day to process all the paperwork to clear the goods that we have carried, which is far less than the minimum of three days that we used to spend here,” says Flatella Makwakwa, a truck driver who has been using the Dedza border for more than three years. He also acknowledges the benefits of the new system when it comes to facilitating the passing of trucks and making life more comfortable for the users.
The new office infrastructure has made the process of clearing goods easier for the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), various other border officers, and users. The OSBP concept requires border officers from adjacent countries to be hosted in the same building. “It now feels good to go to work as the environment looks spacious and comfortable and we are looking forward to hosting our Mozambique counterparts very soon,” says Lucy Chikhawo, the MRA Station Manager for the Dedza border post which hosts more than a hundred government officers—including those from the Malawi Bureau of Standards, Immigration, Police, Agriculture and Health.
Traders also have access to better sanitation facilities as they wait for their goods to be cleared.
“From the feedback we have received so far about the Dedza OSBP, we feel encouraged to support the government in fast-tracking the completion of the other two border posts at Mwanza and Songwe in Karonga. Our main goal is to support initiatives that reduce time to clear passengers and goods, as any impediments are costly to the economy of the country,” says Chikondi Nsusa, Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank Malawi Country Office, who is also the Task Team Leader for the project.
Improving Malawi's Trade, Logistics, and Infrastructure
The latest Malawi Country Economic Memorandum report highlights that Malawi's economy suffers from a lack of investment and high trade costs. Key reasons include poor logistics and infrastructure, compounded by being a small and landlocked country, as well as other non-tariff barriers at the borders.
According to the document, “the presence of non-tariff barriers at the border and in neighboring transit countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia add to the costs of trade for Malawian exporters and importers and there is lack of coordination between Malawi and its neighbors to address this issue that likely reduces both the number of firms exporting and the total value of exported goods.” In this context, establishing more OSBPs is a big step in the right direction.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.
It’s more than a trend…non-alcoholic pairings are becoming de rigueur in fine dining restaurants around the world. Chefs and sommeliers from FYN, Pier, The Living Room at Summerhill Estate, and Salsify talk about their experience of non-alcoholic pairings in a South African restaurant context. Fine dining and fine wines have been the preferred pairing since …
Johannesburg, South Africa, April 2024: Nespresso aims to continue to support the local community and economy by investing 20 million USD spent across coffee purchases, price premiums and technical assistance, by 2026 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), helping to give coffee farmers access to the global markets. The ambition is also to help …
Menlyn, Centurion – In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals find themselves spending extended periods in a seated position, whether at work, while binge-watching TV shows, or due to remote work arrangements, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. While initially providing relief, prolonged sitting can lead to various health concerns, particularly concerning posture, as highlighted by The …
We spend R600 out of our R2,180 grant on transport, say disability activists
In the culinary world, providers of exceptional ingredients play a crucial role in bridging the gap between everyday cooking and gourmet culinary experiences. They offer an extensive array of products, from essential kitchen staples like rice and sugar to more specialised items such as maltabella and vinegar, catering to the diverse needs of both professional …
We sent questions to the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA, PA, MK Party and RISE Mzansi
Many reports over the past year have indicated a concerning trend among South Africans, revealing that a massive portion of the population is grappling with debt. Whilst we all know that mastering our finances is key to unlocking a more secure future, it’s often easier said than done. Samantha Pillay, Director at First Loyalty Plus, …