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Veld fires pose a great threat to farmers as uncontrolled blazes can quickly engulf vast stretches of farmland, consuming crops, livestock and essential infrastructure, wiping out years of hard work in mere minutes. However, the future of farming preparation against veld fires has had a major boost with a proudly South African pioneering solution. Husqvarna …
Johannesburg 20 October 2023 – Sometimes, all a great idea needs is a little fine-tuning to give it the confidence and gravitas it needs to succeed. A nudge in the right direction can be life-changing for many aspiring entrepreneurs in South Africa. Brand South Africa, through their Play Your Part Ignite roadshow, have been travelling …
The Vondo community raised their own funds and finished the job with the help of a state owned forestry company and a private enterprise
Majority of independent poultry, egg producers unaffected by bird flu
Cabinet has noted that the majority of independent poultry and egg producers have not been affected by avian flu as several South African farmers work around the clock to curb the outbreak.
This is according to the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who said they were updated on containment measures to limit the spread and impact of avian influenza.
“Cabinet has noted that majority of independent poultry and egg producers have not been affected by avian flu,” said the Minister who was briefing the media on Thursday about the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held yesterday.
The outbreak, according to the Minster, has “severely” affected the economy and the poultry sector.
“The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza, has met with retailers and the South African Poultry Association to discuss possible solutions in the short and the medium term to increase egg and chicken supply,” said Ntshavheni.
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), avian influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that affects poultry and wild birds.
The NICD said there are currently two different strains that are causing avian influenza outbreaks in South Africa, these are influenza A(H5N1) and influenza A (H7N6).
The public health institute noted that the current influenza A(H5N1) has been ongoing since April 2023.
Meanwhile, the NICD said the influenza A(H7N6) has been reported since June 2023, with 50 outbreaks to date recorded in poultry farms in the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and KwaZulu-Natal and non-poultry birds in Gauteng.
“Internationally, sporadic cases of influenza A(H5N1) infection have been reported in humans, related to outbreaks in birds but infection in humans remains very rare,” it said in a statement.
Globally, the NICD said only eight cases of influenza A(H5N1) in humans have been reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023, despite large outbreaks in poultry and wild birds across the globe.
“These cases have been linked to close contact with infected birds such as handling, culling, slaughtering or processing.
“Current circulating strains of avian influenza have not been shown to transmit from person to person.”
However, the institute said the risk of transmission of influenza A(H5N1) and influenza A(H7N6) from infected birds to humans is extremely low.
“In the uncommon instance where avian influenza is transmitted to humans, the most common route of transmission of avian influenza is airborne, through aerosolisation of virus particles from live birds or during the culling process.”
Any persons with known or suspected close contact with dead or sick birds, especially birds with confirmed A(H5N1) or A(H7N6) infection and present with upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms such as cough, runny nose, scratchy throat, or pneumonia and/or conjunctivitis should be investigated, the NICD advised. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 10/19/2023 - 11:18
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Dr Velenkosini Matsebula is a Senior Lecturer in Development Finance at Stellenbosch Business School. As we enter the final quarter of 2023 and closer to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), marked by unprecedented technological advancement and global interconnectivity, we must acknowledge a stark reality: extreme poverty persists. While we commemorate the International Day of the …
Teacher supply and demand by 2030: Securing SA’s future
South African teachers aren’t operating on survival mode since the public sector has solved the teacher shortages, writes Angie Motshekga.
As South Africa marks Teachers' Month, coinciding with last week's ceremony honouring the best in our teaching cohort, it's imperative to recognise the vital role teachers play in moulding our nation's future. The public sector's successful resolution of teacher shortages means our educators are no longer merely on “survival mode” even though resource constraints remain. Their impact, frequently extending beyond the classroom, is immeasurable. The significance of the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme in bolstering South Africa's teaching profession is commendable. Here in black and white are facts and figures about teachers in SA today.
Since its inception, the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme has facilitated the training and integration of new teachers into our educational system. From 2007, marking the year when bursars completed their studies and became eligible for placement in 2008, up to the most recent data for 2023, a cumulative total of 52 099 teachers have successfully completed their training through the Funza Lushaka programme.
This underscores its success in supporting teachers and rejuvenating the nation’s educational system with well-trained professionals.
The impact of Funza Lushaka on teacher placement: A decade in review
As we delve deeper into the data related to the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme, another significant aspect comes to the fore – the successful placement of these trained educators within our educational system. This ensures that our investment in human capital translates into tangible benefits for our learners and the broader education sector.
From 2013 to 31 August 2023, spanning a decade and seven months, we have witnessed impressive placement rates across our Provincial Education Departments (PEDs).
Eastern Cape: Out of 6 608 trained teachers, 4 869 have been successfully placed, representing a placement rate of 74%. However, 1 739 remain unplaced.
Free State: Here, we see a higher placement percentage. Of the 3 092 educators, 2 752 have found positions, marking an 89% placement rate, leaving only 340 unplaced.
Gauteng: This province has seen the training of 9 423 teachers, with 8 002 of them (or 85%) being effectively integrated into schools. However, 1 421 are still seeking placement.
KwaZulu-Natal: With 9 012 trained educators, 6 908 have been placed (77%), while 2 104 await placement.
Limpopo: This province boasts one of the highest placement rates at 94%. Of 4 623 educators, 4 347 have been placed, leaving a mere 276 unplaced.
Mpumalanga: Here, 4 006 teachers were trained, and 3161 (or 79%) have been placed, leaving 845 awaiting placement.
North West: An impressive 96% placement rate is observed here. Of the 2 543 educators, 2 436 have found their roles in the education system, with only 107 still unplaced.
Northern Cape: Another province with an excellent placement rate of 96%. Of 1 166 educators, 1 115 have been effectively placed, and 51 remain unplaced.
Western Cape: From 6 867 educators, 5,127 have been successfully placed, making the rate 75%. However, 1 740 educators are still seeking placement.
Of the 47 340 educators trained over the past decade and seven months, 38 717 have been effectively placed within our educational system, representing an overall placement rate of 82%. While this achievement is worth celebrating, the data also underscores the need to address the 8 623 educators awaiting placement.
In other words, since 2013, 38 717 out of 47 340 Funza Lushaka graduates have found placement in schools, representing approximately 81.78% of these graduates. This translates to an average placement of about 4 300 graduates per annum. To put this into perspective, Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme graduates placed in schools account for 20-25% of all graduates absorbed into the public education system each year. This figure is a testament to the programme’s significant contribution to rejuvenating the teaching profession.
The financial magnitude of investing in tomorrow’s teachers
However, a programme of this magnitude comes with substantial financial commitment. Between 2007 and 2022, the cumulative financial outlay for the scheme across all participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) amounts to a staggering R13 115 645 580.95.
These figures highlight the vast number of future educators being nurtured through the programme and the immense financial commitment to ensuring their readiness to shape the next generation. It’s essential to view this not merely as an expenditure but as a significant investment in the future of South Africa’s basic education system.
Investing in today’s educators for a brighter tomorrow
In 2023 alone, across all HEIs, some 10864 students have been funded to pursue their dreams of becoming educators. This comes at the cost of the fiscus of R1 164 539 332.47. This figure showcases a substantial investment into nurturing teaching professionals who will go on to play an integral role in our basic education system.
It’s worth noting that behind each bursary is an aspiring educator, a beacon of hope equipped to inspire our nation’s youth. This investment signifies belief in the transformative power of education and those who deliver it.
Teacher supply and demand by 2030
The cepartment’s research indicates two major factors: the ageing teaching workforce, which necessitates a new influx of educators, and a surge in learner numbers due to population growth. Given the current learner-educator ratio (LER) of 29.8:1, we employ around 405 000 educators in the public sector. However, by 2030, to maintain this LER, we’d require about 428 000 educators. Failing to meet this could result in the LER spiking to 31.6:1, signifying larger class sizes and potentially diminishing the quality of education. The challenge is further compounded when considering that funding plays a significant role in our ability to recruit and maintain these educators.
But here’s the silver lining: there’s already a surplus. Every year, while 31,000 fresh teacher graduates step out, only 18 000 to 20 000 are absorbed into the public sector, creating a significant reservoir.
However, quantity alone isn’t the solution. As the curriculum evolves with the Three Streams Model focusing on technical vocational and technical occupational streams, the quality and specialisation of training become paramount. Our bursary schemes must pivot, possibly minimising the general academic stream and emphasising the new curricular needs.
*Angie Motshekga is the Basic Education Minister in South Africa.
Matona
Mon, 10/16/2023 - 09:59
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Census 2022 shows decrease in orphans in the country
South Africa's Census 2022 national results has shown a decrease in the percentage of children aged 0-17 who are orphans in the country.
“KwaZulu-Natal observed the highest decrease in all orphanhood types from 2011 to 2022. Paternal orphans are highest in all censuses and provinces,” Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said.
The data from Census 2022, which Maluleke handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday in Pretoria, indicates that information on parental survival is collected in order to determine maternal or paternal orphanhood, and estimation of adult mortality.
In 2011, the stats for paternal orphans were at 12.1% while in 2022 they were at 8.9%, maternal orphans stood at 3.0% in 2011 and in 2022 they were at 2.3%. Double orphans were at 3.9% in 2011 and they decreased to 2.5% in 2022. In 2011, non orphans were at 81.0% and in 2022 the figure stood at 86.2%.
“Comparison of Census 2011 and census 2022 showed that in both censuses, paternal orphanhood was more prevalent compared to maternal and double orphanhood. Trends show that there has been a decrease in orphanhood and this is the case for all the three types,” he said.
Non orphans are children 0-17 aged years whose both biological mother and father were still alive while paternal orphans are children 0-17 aged years whose biological fathers were no longer alive but their mothers were still alive.
Maternal orphans refer to children aged 0-17 years whose biological mothers were no longer alive but their fathers were still alive and double orphans are children aged 0-17 years who reported that both mother and father have died.
“Provincial variations in orphanhood showed that Eastern Cape (15.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (15.5%) had the highest percentage of paternal orphans in both Censuses 2011 and 2022. In census 2022, Eastern Cape (3.4%), Free State (3.1%), North West (2.9% and Mpumalanga (2.6%) provinces had percentage of double orphans above the national average (2.5%),” Maluleke said.
Agricultural households
Census 2022 shows that 13.8% (2 463 429) of all households are agricultural households compared to 19.9% in 2011 (2 879 590).
Most of the households were involved in agriculture to produce ‘only for own consumption’ (1 988 825 or 80.7%) and ‘mainly for own consumption with some sale’ (189 371 or 7.7%).
Approximately 4.3% or 107 112 of agricultural households were producing ‘only for sale’.
“The major provinces contributing to the decrease are KwaZulu-Natal (-167 726 agricultural households), Eastern Cape (-114 846 agricultural households) and Free State (-65 522 agricultural households).
“Most of the agricultural households were in KwaZulu-Natal (24.9%), Eastern Cape (20.7%) and Limpopo (16.3%) in 2011. In 2022, KwaZulu-Natal (22.3%) still reported the highest percentage of agricultural households.
“However, Limpopo (21.1%) overtook Eastern Cape (19.6%). Northern Cape and Western Cape reported the lowest percentage of agricultural households in both 2011 and 2022,” Maluleke said.
The trends in percentage contribution by various population groups to total agricultural households remained largely the same in the two years.
Black African households (91.4% in 2011 and 90.8% in 2022) constituted the largest percentage of agricultural households, followed by white households (5.2% in both 2011 and 2022) in both years.
“Livestock and poultry production was the leading agricultural activity, reported in 959 365 (38.9%) households, followed by fruit or vegetable production (661 613 or 26,9%) and grains, food crops and industrial crops (650 096 or 26.4%).
“Eastern Cape (247 902 or 25.8%) and KwaZulu-Natal (247 043 or 25.8%) reported the highest number of households involved in livestock and poultry production. The leading provinces in the production of grains, food crops and industrial crops were Limpopo (250 463 or 38.5%) and KwaZulu-Natal (126 727 or 19.5%),” he said.
The main place used for household agricultural activity in 2022 was backyard (2 196 736 or 89.2%), followed by farm land (131 105 or 5.3%)
‘Other’, which includes schools and other public spaces, was reported by 51 007 households, and constituted the least reported place of agricultural activity.
“With the exception of chickens, Eastern Cape reported the highest numbers in all types of livestock ownership. Nationally, chickens (38.2 million) were the most numerous type of livestock kept at household level, followed by sheep (17.7 million) and cattle (12.3 million).
“The black African and white population groups were the most dominant in livestock and chicken farming. The highest number of cattle (7.7 million) and sheep (12.5 million) were reported in white-headed households, whereas most chickens (19.0 million), goats (4.9 million) and pigs (1.1 million) were reported in black African households,” Maluleke said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Fri, 10/13/2023 - 10:55
SARS, law enforcement agencies break coal syndicates
A massive inter-governmental search and seizure operation across five provinces was carried out on Thursday to break the back of a sophisticated criminal syndicate of alleged coal-smugglers, who played a major role in exacerbating the energy crisis and loadshedding.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) was the lead agency in yesterday’s search and seizure operation because information became available regarding a host of tax crimes allegedly committed by members of the coal-smuggling syndicate.
“This success of today’s (Thursday) operation is due to exceptional inter-governmental co-operation and information-sharing under the auspices of the NATJOINTS Energy Safety & Security Priority Committee tasked with unmasking and bringing to book the criminals that have caused economic hardship and personal hardship to all citizens of the country,” said the South African Revenue Services in a statement.
“It is due to such hard work, often behind the scenes, that leads to these investigative breakthroughs and ensures that South Africans can return to a lifestyle without loadshedding. These targeted operations also help to prevent the loss of revenue to the fiscus, which in this case amounted to more than R500-million,” SARS said.
According to SARS, the alleged coal-smugglers and their related entities are active and have a presence in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Limpopo.
The suspects targeted yesterday include former Eskom employees who facilitated procurement fraud, as well as other individuals involved in the diversion of high-grade coal.
SARS managed to establish links between individuals and related entities and confirmed possible gross contraventions from a tax perspective in terms:
The sophisticated network of coal-smugglers is suspected to consist of local and foreign nationals. Coal trucks destined for power stations are diverted to designated coal yards where high-grade coal is replaced with low-grade or sub-standard product.
The high-grade coal is then exported or sold to willing buyers. The low-grade coal is often blended with scrap or other materials and then delivered to power stations.
The low-grade coal damages the infrastructure at the Eskom power stations, which is a major factor in crippling the power utility’s ability to generate electricity for the South African grid.
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter commended the country’s law enforcement agencies for this massive breakthrough in ongoing investigations.
“It is because of such naked greed that the country has experienced unprecedented loadshedding, which harms business, undermines foreign direct investment and leads to job losses – all of which negatively affect revenue collection,” he said.
“All law enforcement agencies must continue their aggressive fight against criminality, each according to its mandate. For its part, SARS will continue to pursue taxpayers involved in intentional and wilful non-compliance – without fear, favour or prejudice,” Kieswetter said.
SARS is encouraged that the message is clear and unequivocal to all those involved in organised crime – you will be hunted down and brought to book. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Fri, 10/13/2023 - 11:34
92.1% of SA population owns a cellphone
South Africa's Census 2022 national results has shown an upward trend in ownership of refrigerators, televisions and cellphones.
“The overwhelming majority (92.1%) of households in the country owned a cellphone in working order, a notable increase from the 3.3% in 2001. Just under four-fifths (79%) of households owned televisions compared to the 52.6% in 2001,” Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said.
Furthermore, the data from Census 2022, which he handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday in Pretoria, shows that the ownership of a refrigerators/freezers increased from 53.8% in 2001 to 83.2% in 2022.
“In contrast, households owning a radio decreased significantly from 73% in 2001 to 50.3% in 2022. In addition, there is a downward trend in households that owned a landline telephone over the period 2001–2022,” Maluleke said.
Households residing in formal dwellings
The report noted that there has been an upward trend in households residing in formal dwellings - an increase of almost 24 percentage points (from 65.1% in 1996 to 88.5% in Census 2022).
Formal dwellings include formal houses with a brick/concrete structure, flats and apartments, cluster houses, townhouses, semi-detached houses or any formal dwelling situated in a backyard, such as a room or garden cottage where a household or single person resides.
“The proportion of households that resided in informal dwellings halved (from 16.2% in 1996 to 8.1% in 2022). In 2022, just over two-fifths (41.6%) of the dwellings that households resided in were owned and fully paid off, with similar proportions recorded in 2001 and 2011.
“The proportion of households that occupied their dwellings rent-free increased from 18.6% in 2011 to 25.6% in 2022, while rented dwellings decreased slightly from 25% in 2011 to 23.2% in 2022. Only 6.6% of households resided in dwellings that were owned but not fully paid off (for example, those still repaying a bond to the bank), declining from 11.8% in 2011,” he said.
Households were asked whether the dwelling they resided in was a government-subsidised dwelling or RDP.
“Two-fifths (40%) of households in the Northern Cape reported that they resided in government subsidised dwelling/RDP housing, only slightly higher than the proportion of households in the Free State (37.6%). Households in Limpopo recorded the lowest proportion of government subsidised dwelling/RDP housing (18.3%), well below the national average of 29.9%,” Maluleke said.
Access to internet
Generally, there has been an upward trend in access to internet services over the period 2011–2022.
Maluleke attributed this to rapid advancement in communication services, such as cellphone ownership.
“Overall, households with no access to internet decreased threefold (from 64.8% in 2011 to 21.1% in 2022). A substantial percentage of households reported accessing internet mainly through a cellphone or other mobile device (60.5%) compared to 16.3% recorded in 2011.
“There was an increase in the percentage of households accessing internet mainly at home, from 8.6% in 2011 to 13.3% in 2022. It is also noted that households accessing internet mainly using other methods decreased significantly. Households accessing internet mainly at work decreased by four percentage points (from 4.7% in 2011 to 0.3% in 2022),” he said.
Migration
The Census 2022 shows that there has been an increase in the number of the population born outside South Africa.
“The results indicate that there were more male immigrants compared to females. Furthermore, the prevalent ages of migrants were between ages 20 and 44 years, suggesting that young adults are more likely to migrate than children and the elderly.
“In Census 2011, males aged 25–29 reported the highest number of immigrants with 260 885, whilst in 2022 male immigrants aged 30–34 (235 297) numbered the highest.
“The top five sending countries remained the same between the two censuses (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi, and the United Kingdom). India also maintained the 2011 rank in 2022. Namibia, Eswatini, Somalia, Portugal and Germany went down the rank in 2022,” Maluleke said.
Countries that moved up the rank were: Ethiopia, Nigeria, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Bangladesh, Botswana, and Pakistan.
China is the only country that moved out of the top 20 sending countries in 2022. Whereas Ghana is the new entry into the top 20 sending countries in 2022. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Thu, 10/12/2023 - 14:17
Census 2022 shows improvement in basic services
South Africa’s first digital census shows an increase in the proportion of households that had access to piped water inside their dwelling, from 32.3% in 2001 to 46.3% in 2011 and to 59.7% in 2022.
This is according to the South Africa's Census 2022 national results, which was handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa by Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The data shows that in 2022 over four-fifths (82.4%) of households in the country had access to piped water either inside their dwelling or inside their yard.
“The proportion of households that accessed piped water off-site (from a water source outside the yard such as a neighbour or from a community stand) halved from 17.9% in 2011 to 8.9% in 2022.
“Households in the Western Cape were more likely to have piped water inside their dwelling (85.5%) compared to Limpopo, where less than one-third (31.4%) accessed piped water inside their dwelling.
“Although the national picture regarding access to piped water shows improvement over the years, there is a sizeable proportion of households in Limpopo (20.5%) and Eastern Cape (19.5%) with no access to piped water.
“The majority of households across the three censuses made use of a regional/local water scheme as their main source of water. This proportion increased steadily from 74.7% in 2001 to 79.7% in 2011 and to 82.7% in 2022,” Maluleke said.
There has been an increase in the percentage of households that used a flush toilet as their main type of toilet facility during this period (+18.9 percentage points).
However, the percentage of households that used a pit toilet without ventilation and households with no form of toilet facility declined during the same period, from 22.8% to 12.5% and from 13.6% to 1.6% respectively
Energy
The proportion of households using electricity as the main source of energy for lighting increased significantly from 58.1% in 1996 to 94.7% in 2022; conversely, the use of paraffin and candles as the main source of energy for lighting decreased.
Electricity was the main source of energy for lighting across all provinces.
In 1996, 28.8% of households utilised candles for lighting compared to the 3.2% in 2022.
The use of paraffin declined, with only 0.9% of households using it for lighting compared to the 12.7% in 1996.
“It is noted that the country recorded an upward trend in refuse removed by a local authority regularly, an increase from 52% in 1996 to 66% in 2022. Approximately two-thirds (66.3%) of households in the country had their refuse removed by a local authority once a week whilst one in four households used their own refuse dump (22.3%).
“The percentage of households with no refuse removal or using their own refuse dump both decreased over the same period. In 1996, 32.6% of households used their own refuse dump and 9.7% did not have any refuse removal,” he said.
In 2022, households using their own refuse dump decreased to 22.3% and those with no refuse removal halved to 4.5%
SA population
According to South Africa's Census 2022 national results, the population increased from 40.5 million in 1996 to just over 62 million in 2022; an increase of over 21.4 million people in 26 years.
“Black Africans remain consistently the dominant population group at a proportion of more than 80%, followed by the coloured and white populations at 8.2% and 7.3% in 2022, respectively.
“On the other hand, the Indian/Asian population comprised less than 3% of the population over the years. The age-sex structure indicates some decline in the ages between 0 and 29 years when compared to the 2011 distribution,” Maluleke said.
The sex ratio in the country decreased from 98.8 in 2011 to 94.1 in 2022. Gauteng reported the highest ratio at 101.8 in 2022, suggesting that there are more males than females in the province compared to the other provinces.
“Furthermore, the median age in the country was 28 years in 2022, showing an increase of three years from 25 years in 2011. It was highest in the Western Cape and lowest in Limpopo at 31 and 26 years, respectively.
“The median age of the white population was 45 years while that of the black African population was 27 years in 2022. The majority (62.2%) of the population has never been married, while 24% indicated that they are legally married,” Maluleke said.
The population and housing census was conducted in February 2022 and provides comprehensive data on population size, demographic trends, and other service delivery related information. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Thu, 10/12/2023 - 10:54
South Africa – Mbilwi Secondary School from Venda, Limpopo was announced as the winner of the Solve for Tomorrow schools competition at a ceremony at Birchwood Conference Centre in Johannesburg. The competition, which was run in partnership with the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), was aimed at giving grade 10 and 11 learners from underserved …
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The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development concluded the last leg of nationwide public hearings on the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land (PDAL) Bill in Parliament yesterday.
The committee facilitated the final hearings to give stakeholders and individuals who had expressed their wish to clarify their written submissions an opportunity to do so. Stakeholders taking up this opportunity included the Minerals Council South Africa, Agri SA, the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union, the Agricultural Business Chamber, the Black Agricultural Commodities Federation, Inyanda National Land Movement and the Rural Women's Assembly (RWA) of South Africa.
The Mineral Council of South Africa, a voluntary membership founded in 1889 representing mining companies producing about 90% of South Africa's mineral production, submitted that it vehemently opposes mining through restrictions and imposing additional authorisations for mining on agricultural land. The council pointed out that the Bill obliges municipalities to designate all land as agricultural land, except land specifically excluded under the Bill. The committee was told that this approach is flawed, as it appears to intrude on the municipal competence with respect to municipal planning.
The council further stated that the Bill does not recognise the crucial role mining plays in job creation, export earnings and infrastructure development. In addition, the absence of exemption for mining and of defined processes for how competing mining interests will be accommodated leaves the mining industry at mercy of the Minister of Agriculture.
The Inyanda National Land Movement and the RWA, which includes black smallholder crop and livestock owners in several of provinces, including the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape, Limpopo and the Free State, welcomed that the PDAL Bill recognises, “it is in the national interest to preserve and promote the sustainable development of agricultural land for the production of food and other agricultural products for the primary purpose of sustaining and enhancing human life for the benefit of present and future generations.”
However, they had some concerns that they hope the committee will consider when taking the Bill forward. One concern is the requirement that smallholder and “emerging” producers have “adequate buffer to cater for risks related to climate variability”, which they say is exclusionary and ignores the reality of black producers, who continue to be allocated less productive land, as the best agricultural land was taken by colonial settlers.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, thanked all the stakeholders who took the time to present their views to the committee. He said their inputs will be considered when the committee finalises its report for submission in the National Assembly.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Mashatile to attend Tshivhase Day Celebration in Limpopo
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will visit Limpopo over the weekend to deliver a keynote address at the Tshivhase Day Celebration.
The Deputy President will be attending the event in his capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team on matters of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders.
The event will take place on Saturday, 14 October 2023 at the Prince Thikhathali Stadium in Tshikombani, Venda.
This year’s event will focus on and celebrate the life of Chief Frans Rasimphi Tshivhase’s contribution to the struggle for a free, just and democratic South Africa.
According to Chief Tshivhase’s profile on the Presidency website, he was born in 1900 in Mukumbani in the former Transvaal.
He took over the chieftaincy of the Tshivhase people in April 1930 after the death of his father two months earlier.
“At a time when the Land Act, which sought to dispossess black South Africans of their land, was being implemented across the country, Chief Tshivhase was resolute in his opposition to the expropriation of the land of his subjects and strident in his defence of the rights of his people.”
Throughout his life, the Presidency said he refused to have his people impoverished and waged a monumental struggle in defence of the inheritance of his people.
“Realising that the serious and difficult challenges faced by his mostly rural constituents required a political response, he was among the first traditional leaders of the period to forge strong organisational links with more urban political organisations such as the South African Communist Party, of which he was a member,” the profile reads.
Despite opposition from the apartheid government, Chief Tshivhase continued to defy the authorities by mobilising the local inhabitants against the government.
"He was forcibly removed yet again in 1952, this time to even more distant Ermelo in the eastern part of the former Transvaal, where he was reputedly slow-poisoned.”
He died at Mills Hospital in Johannesburg. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 10/11/2023 - 11:05
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Pact to fund STEM postgrad students
The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Energy Mobility Education Trust have concluded a three-year partnership agreement to fund postgraduate students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and commerce fields.
The agreement is said to focus on traditionally marginalised groups and contribute to the transformation of the education landscape, with a specific focus on South Africans who are Black, female or people with a disability.
According to the Energy Mobility Education Trust CEO, Vuyo Mwase, the move will promote academic, scientific, and technological cooperation by supporting full-time studies for South African postgraduate students at the Honours level for the first year and Master’s and Doctoral levels from 2024.
“The Energy Mobility Education Trust has championed the attainment of formal qualifications in STEM and commerce for over years,” said Mwase.
The CEO also noted the lack of funding for postgraduate studies.
“As such, this complementary and strategic partnership with the NRF strengthens our position and commitment to narrowing this gap. Additionally, our partnership will augment the much-needed innovation in developing and managing the current and emerging renewable energy systems,” Mwase explained.
The programme will initially provide funding opportunities for 38 Honours students for the 2023 academic year, with an initial investment of R6.8 million, with Master’s and Doctoral programmes to start in 2024.
Funding for postgraduate students will be made available in the STEM disciplines, with a specific focus on mathematical science, data science, computer science, green economy, renewable energy and climate change studies.
The first phase of the programme will support students from the Universities of Fort Hare, Limpopo, Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Western Cape and Johannesburg.
The NRF’s Dr Mbulelo Ncango is of the view that the scholarship programme comes at a critical time as South Africa strives to respond to energy and climate change challenges amongst many other national concerns.
“This partnership is aligned with national policy goals on higher education, science, and technology such as the strengthening of human resource development and the creation of an enabling environment for innovation in South Africa,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 10/06/2023 - 15:00
President Ramaphosa launches Border Management Authority
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the newly launched Border Management Authority (BMA) will provide a sustainable solution to the structural challenges of border security, control and coordination.
The President emphasised that a more secure border is important for curbing illegal migration, human smuggling and trafficking, and that the BMA will help in combating cross-border crime.
President Ramaphosa was delivering remarks at the launch of the Border Management Authority (BMA) at Musina Show Grounds in Limpopo on Thursday.
He said that this will be a new model of integration of functions, roles and responsibilities in the broader law enforcement environment.
“The Border Management Authority is expected to tackle the challenges of congestion, procedural delays, long transit times, lack of predictability and high logistics costs. I commend the Border Management Authority for the speed with which it has already commenced its work.
“When our country’s ports of entry and borders are well-protected and well-managed, we are able to prevent the illegal importation and exit of goods. We see the Border Management Authority as a vital link in our efforts to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.
The President said the Border Management Authority was established in response to a number of serious challenges. One of these challenges is the increase in the number of undocumented foreign nationals entering the country, which has exacerbated many of the country’s social and economic problems.
“The movement of persons and goods at ports of entry has often not been as efficient as it should be, resulting in unnecessary delays and increased costs for individuals and companies. This in turn is harming our economy.
"Deficiencies in border management have also enabled corruption and organised and cross-border crime to thrive. We have faced a problem of fragmentation of powers, responsibility and accountability,” the President said.
The Border Management Authority is now the third armed service in South Africa after the South African National Defence Force and the South African Police Service.
It is mandated to perform border management functions within ports of entry as well as the law enforcement area. The Border Management Authority is being established through an incremental approach.
Steps have already been taken to integrate under the Border Management Authority various relevant functions of the departments of Home Affairs, Agriculture, Health, and Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment.
To enable its work, the President said the Border Management Authority has signed implementation protocols with the South African Revenue Service, Police Service and Defence Force.
“While the border guard will be conducting border law enforcement functions, including access control, the South African National Defence Force remains responsible for border protection and safeguarding.
“The border guard will interface with the nearest police station with regards to the occurrence of a crime at a port of entry,” the President said.
BMA important tool to develop the region
The President took a tour to the Beit Bridge Border Post with his counterpart from Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and they agreed that the establishment of the Border Management Authority will be an important tool for the development of the region.
“It will form part of integrating border management activities in the SADC region as we implement the African Continental Free Trade Area. We will be able to work towards eradicating various forms of red tape that are hindering trade, investment and the movement of persons,” he said.
The President said that Border Management Authority will be redeveloping six ports of entries as one-stop-border-posts.
This approach will improve efficiency at land border crossings by combining the stops required for processing exit and entry formalities.
In July, the country saw the deployment of the first officers of the border guard of the Border Management Authority at vulnerable segments of the border line, including the informal community crossing points. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Fri, 10/06/2023 - 10:20