MyZA
News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff
As the world celebrates International Workers’ Day, on 01 May, Afrika Tikkun (AT) emphasizes the importance of skills development and adaptability in today’s rapidly evolving economy. Afrika Tikkun calls on workers to take charge of their skills development to remain relevant and valuable contributors to both their households and the economy. South Africa’s labour workforce …
Their stipends were paid a week late by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs
The Limpopo Mirror is published in Louis Trichardt, a town in the north of South Africa’s Limpopo province. This week the Competition Commission is probing how online news is affected by AI chatbots, search and advertising technology. The outcome of the hearings is important for the future of news reporting in South Africa. In this …
Showing up for SA
Even if one does not usually pay attention on a daily basis to the ins and outs of government and the political landscape in the country; the flurry of activities within this domain over the past few weeks could hardly be missed.
Invited into our living rooms have been the country’s number one citizen President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on our TVs; various political parties responding to that Address, and then of course the President again in his reply to those debates.
I should stop here to remind all that we will be seeing all of this again in a few months time, after the National General and Provincial Elections, as in an election year, these Parliamentary proceedings happen twice. Heads up to make plans for those TV snacks in advance!
With all of us entitled to our own views, there have been - as it should be in a robust democracy such as ours - varied responses to the President’s address which sets out deliverables for the year ahead while also setting out government’s key policy objectives. After all, the state of the country does concern each and every one of us.
While the political parties represented in Parliament responded to the SoNA on the national stage, citizens have probably expressed their opinions to each other on the train-ride or minibus taxi to work or at the dinner table.
Others have done so on various social media platforms and in many cases expressing their frustration with the pace of service delivery.
The sixth administration which came to the helm in May 2019, has not had it easy. It is an administration that had to deal not only with the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on everyday life, but also challenges SA had been facing prior to the arrival of the pandemic - such as poverty and unemployment.
However, in delivering the SoNA, and in reflecting on the last thirty years of our country’s democracy, the President said that perhaps “the greatest damage was caused during the era of state capture.”
This as the effects of state capture continue to be felt across society, “from the shortage of freight locomotives to crumpling public services; from the poor performance of our power stations to failed development projects.”
We must admit that it can’t be easy to turn the fortunes of the country around, especially one that comes from a history of inequality that is still a part of our social fabric today.
I’m not suggesting that we ought to blame the past for all our current challenges. However, as in most cases in life, the past does have a bearing on the present. No matter how hard one tries, it cannot be ignored.
The past which excluded the majority, reminds government, said the President of the “responsibilities that freedom has placed on our shoulders to forge ahead to realise for all South Africans the promise of a better life”.
While the reference to Tintswalo, the child of democracy is in some quarters being criticised, exacerbated by challenges such as corruption, Tintswalo is no figment of the imagination.
In the eyes of some members of the public, the story of Tintswalo is one of young people unable to find work, unable to complete their studies due to outstanding fees or being held under the thumb of gender-based violence, amongst others.
unquestionably, the reality is that the Ghost of Christmas Past, masquerading itself in the form of poverty and unemployment amongst others, continues to hamper government’s efforts.
However, what remains is that the Tintswalo President Ramaphosa spoke of, is real.
Born in 1994, she grew up in a society governed by a constitution rooted in equality, the rule of law, and affirmation of the inherent dignity of every citizen.
She grew up in a household provided with basic water and electricity, in a house where her parents were likely to have lived without electricity before 1994.
While the Tintswalo of today faces a world different to that of the past, government is committed to bettering the lives of its people.
In the SoNA debate reply, the President noted that despite the contributions made at the debate, “no speaker has been able to refute the fundamental reality that the lives of millions of South Africans have been transformed over the 30 years of freedom.”
Government has and continues to make progress in various aspects of everyday life.
This includes the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, which guarantees the minimum floor below which no worker may be paid, which was introduced for the first time in the country’s history in 2019.
The sixth administration also oversaw the successful raising of the R1.51 trillion worth of investments over the last five-year period through the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) that the President announced in 2018.
Held annually over the past five years, the SAIC surpassed the initial R1.2 trillion target to reach the R1.51 trillion in investment pledges.
The transformation of South African lives can be found in the Census 2022 results which among others showed that access to electricity for lighting increased from 58% to 95% between 1996 and 2022 as well as 82.4% of households having access to piped water either inside their dwelling or inside their yard.
Additionally, by November 2023, the 20 specialised South African Police Service Economic Infrastructure Task Teams that were set up to work with business, private security and state-owned enterprises to tackle illegal mining, construction site extortion, cable theft and vandalism of economic infrastructure, had made arrests.
The teams had made over 4 000 arrests for damage of critical infrastructure, 70 arrests for extortion at construction sites and over 3 000 arrests for illegal mining.
With my popcorn in hand, watching the President deliver his address, my bite on this one was clear - the journey of a better South Africa has not been perfect, but succumbing to our challenges is not an option. As South Africans, let’s continue to show up for ourselves and for our country. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo Semono is a Deputy Director at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)
Neo
Fri, 02/23/2024 - 10:12
President Ramaphosa hails democracy's role in uplifting youth
President Cyril Ramaphosa says individuals born after the advent of democracy embody the essence of Tintswalo, as they have gone on to record commendable achievements in their lives and careers.
The President was responding to this week’s two-day debate on his State of the Nation Address (SONA) by Members of Parliament. The SONA was delivered a week ago in Cape Town.
A number of young people, who have benefited from government over the last 30 years, were present in the National Assembly to listen to the President’s response to the debate.
READ | Tintswalo, a child of democracy
“Today I am really honoured to have a number of Tinstwalos who have come to join us. Among these young people are aeronautical engineers, pilots, civil engineers, police officers, doctors, and a naval captain. They are qualified in a number of ways, all of whom have pursued their careers with the support of government departments and entities.
In his State of the Nation Address last week, President Ramaphosa introduced South Africa to Tintswalo, a child of democracy.
He said that for millions of South Africans, Tintswalo's story resonated deeply with their own, which prompted young people to post images online of themselves in their graduation gowns or at their workplaces, saying "#IamTintswalo".
“There are countless stories of young people who were born into abject poverty, but are now engineers, doctors, teachers, managers, tourism guides and operators, and entrepreneurs, thanks to the support and opportunities provided to them under democracy.
“They have spoken not only of how democracy has improved their lives, but of their gratitude to those who fought and strived to achieve that democracy. Many have paid tribute to their parents and grandparents – and to all the generations that came before – for the struggle and sacrifice that brought down apartheid and ushered in a new era of freedom,” he said.
Responding to those who greeted Tintswalo’s story with derision, the President said that these were people who sought to diminish the achievements of democracy.
"To them, it doesn’t matter that nine out of 10 households are now living in a formal dwelling, or that a similar number has access to clean drinking water and electricity.
“To them, it doesn’t matter that more South African adults have completed matric or earned a degree, or that more learners from poor communities are achieving Bachelor passes. It doesn’t matter to these people that South Africans now have a higher life expectancy or that maternal and child health have improved dramatically.
“It doesn’t matter to them that millions of people have been lifted out of poverty through the provision of houses, land, social grants, free basic services, expanded access to health care and education and the introduction of a national minimum wage.
"All of these great achievements of human development do not matter to them, because Tintswalo doesn’t matter to them. They are prepared to dismiss all of this progress because it does not serve their narrative of a failed nation. It does not serve their political aspirations. It does not serve their narrow interests."
The President said the journey to a brighter future continues. “We have travelled far and we have achieved much, but we have much further to go. We are clear about the progress that we have made, the challenges that we face, and the actions that we must now take,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Fri, 02/16/2024 - 10:03
State of the Nation Address in numbers
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday.
Below is the SONA in numbers:
Social Assistance
Unemployment and Job Creation
Crime and Corruption
Energy
Economy and Investment
Road Infrastructure
Land
Labour
Matric
Poverty Alleviation
Health
Housing, Water and Telecommunications
Gender-Based Violence and Femicide
Janine
Fri, 02/09/2024 - 10:53
Government to extend and improve R350 grant for the unemployed
President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that government will extend and improve the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant as the next step towards income support for the unemployed.
Delivering the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) for the sixth administration at the Cape Town City Hall, the President said government introduced the special grant during the pandemic, which currently reaches some 9 million unemployed people every month.
“We have seen the benefits of this grant and will extend it and improve it as the next step towards income support for the unemployed.
“These grants and subsidies do much more than give people what they need to live. They are an investment in the future.
“Social assistance has been shown to increase school enrolment and attendance, lower drop-out rates, and improve the pass rate,” the President said.
Prioritising ECDs and early grade reading initiatives
Turning to basic education, President Ramaphosa said that government will over the next five years prioritise expanding access to early childhood development and enhancing early grade reading initiatives.
The President highlighted that significant progress is already underway with improving early grade reading demonstrating the administration's commitment to this area.
Last year, the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) showed that 81% of Grade 4 pupils in South Africa can’t read for meaning.
“Over the next five years, we will focus our attention on expanding access to early childhood development and improving early grade reading, where we are already beginning to see progress.
“Moving early childhood development to the Department of Basic Education was one of the most important decisions as we were now able to devote more resources to early childhood development and ensure that through cooperative governance, various departments of government get involved in early childhood development augmented by the Department of Basic education,” the President said.
President Ramaphosa reflected that one of the worst injustices of apartheid was the manner in which education was used as a tool to perpetuate inequality.
Over the last 30 years, he said, the democratic government has sought to use education as a tool to create equality.
“Our basic education outcomes are steadily improving across a range of measures. The latest matric pass rate, at 82.9%, is the highest ever. And with each new year, learners from no-fee schools are accounting for more and more of the bachelor passes achieved. At the same time, fewer learners are dropping out of school.
“We have increased funding for poor and working-class students in universities and TVET significantly over the past five years,” he said.
Tackling poverty
Regarding efforts to tackle poverty, President Ramaphosa said government’s policies and programmes have, over the course of 30 years, lifted millions of people out of dire poverty.
“Today, fewer South Africans go hungry and fewer live in poverty. In 1993, South Africa faced a significant poverty challenge, with 71.1 percent of its population living in poverty.
“However, under the democratic government, there has been a consistent decline in these numbers. By 2010, the poverty rate had dropped to 60.9 percent, and it continued to decrease, reaching 55.5 percent in 2020, as reported by the World Bank. This progress has been made possible by extensive support to those in society who need it most,” he said.
Five years ago, government introduced a further measure to tackle poverty by introducing the National Minimum Wage as envisaged in the Freedom Charter.
President Ramaphosa said the decision by key role players, being business and labour and communities, to introduce the minimum wage immediately raised the wages of over 6 million workers. – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Thu, 02/08/2024 - 21:58
Tintswalo, a child of democracy
As the country marks 30 years of democracy, President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to outline how government has impacted the lives of ordinary people over the past three decades.
Painting a picture of a child born in 1994, the President told a story of Tintswalo who grew up in a society that was worlds apart from the South Africa of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
“The story of the first 30 years of our democracy can be best told through the life of a child called Tintswalo born at the dawn of freedom in 1994. She grew up in a society governed by a constitution rooted in equality, the rule of law, and affirmation of the inherent dignity of every citizen.
“Tintswalo, and many others born at the same time as her, were beneficiaries of the first policies of the democratic state to provide free health care for pregnant women and children under the age of six. Tintswalo’s formative years were spent in a house provided by the state, one of millions of houses built to shelter the poor,” President Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
He described her upbringing as being in a household provided with basic water and electricity, in a house where her parents were likely to have lived without electricity before 1994.
“Tintswalo was enrolled in a school in which her parents did not have to pay school fees, and each school day she received a nutritious meal as part of a programme that today supports nine million learners from poor families.
“The democratic state provided a child support grant to meet her basic needs. This grant, together with other forms of social assistance, continues to be a lifeline for more than 26 million South Africans every month.
“With this support, Tintswalo – democracy’s child – was able to complete high school. Through the assistance of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, Tintswalo attended one of our Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and obtained a qualification,” the President said.
When Tintswalo entered the world of work, she was able to progress and thrive with the support of the state’s employment equity and black economic empowerment policies.
“With the income she earned, she was able to save, to start a family, to move into a better house, and to live a better life. This is the story of millions of people who have been born since the dawn of our democracy,” President Ramaphosa said.
Lifting millions out of poverty
Delivering the last SONA for the sixth administration at the Cape Town City Hall, the President said government’s policies and programmes have lifted millions out of dire poverty.
“Today, fewer South Africans go hungry and fewer live in poverty. In 1993, South Africa faced a significant poverty challenge, with 71.1 percent of its population living in poverty. However, under the democratic government, there has been a consistent decline in these numbers.
“By 2010, the poverty rate had dropped to 60.9 percent, and it continued to decrease, reaching 55.5 percent in 2020, as reported by the World Bank. This progress has been made possible by extensive support to those in society who need it most,” the President said.
Five years ago, government introduced a further measure to tackle poverty by introducing the National Minimum Wage as envisaged in the Freedom Charter.
“The decision by key role players, being business and labour and communities, to introduce the minimum wage immediately raised the wages of over 6 million workers,” the President said.
He said today, nearly nine out of every ten households live in a formal dwelling.
“One of the most visible, impactful and meaningful achievements in the first three decades of freedom has been in providing homes to the people. Today, nearly nine out of every ten households live in a formal dwelling.
“Where there were once shacks and mud houses, there are now homes of brick and mortar. These are homes with water to drink and to wash with, homes with electricity for lighting and cooking.
“At the end of apartheid, only 6 out of 10 people had access to clean drinking water. Today, that figure has increased to nearly 9 out of 10 South Africans,” the President said.
South Africans living longer than ever before
“Life expectancy has increased from 54 years in 2003 to 65 years in 2023. Maternal and infant deaths have declined dramatically. We have built more hospitals and clinics, especially in poor areas, providing better quality care to more South Africans.
“Today, 95% of persons diagnosed with HIV know their status, 79% of those receive antiretroviral treatment, and 93% of those are virally suppressed. New HIV infections among young people have declined significantly,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Thu, 02/08/2024 - 20:55
Taking stock of the sixth administration
Thursday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the last one to be made by the sixth administration.
The President - in his capacity as Head of State and government - will deliver the annual SONA at 7pm, before a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
Just as individuals usually make a list of their goals at the start of each year, and the steps they need to take to attain them, the SONA similarly sets out government’s key policy objectives as well as deliverables for the year ahead.
The President is expected to reflect on the gains made and the areas that still need attention since the last SONA.
However, having been inaugurated as President on 25 May 2019, President Ramaphosa is also likely to look back on the term of his administration.
According to the Presidency, this administration “took office with a mandate to grow the economy, create employment and reduce poverty.” It was also tasked with putting an end to corruption as well as “restoring the integrity and capability of public institutions.”
Government has over the years made progress in improving the lives of those within the borders of South Africa.
Advancements have been made in the key priorities of growing the economy and job creation, building better lives, making communities safer and fighting crime.
Over the years, irrespective of the administration at the helm, an inclusive economy in which all South Africans can partake in, has and continues to be a top issue for government.
Fixing the economy and load shedding
In order to grow the economy, reliable energy supply is essential and energy security is cited in the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP). In July 2022, government launched the Energy Action Plan (EAP). The EAP is a set of steps to be taken to address load shedding.
Government has amended Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act to remove the licencing requirement for generation projects to accelerate private investment.
By September 2023, more than 100 projects were at various stages of development, representing over 10 000 megawatts of new generation capacity and over R200 billion in private sector investment.
Other steps taken to reform the electricity sector include the tabling of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill in Parliament.
In addition, progress continues to be made towards the unbundling of Eskom, with the newly established National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) obtaining its operating, trading, and import and export licences from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa in September 2023, allowing the company to operate independently from the power utility. This as government works to separate Eskom into the Generation, Distribution and Transmission entities. Last month, Eskom announced the appointment of the National Transmission Company of South Africa board.
This is one of the most important pillars of Eskom’s legal separation which will “create a level playing field to enable competition in electricity generation, as a key step towards energy security,” noted the 'Leave No One Behind 2024 – A Five-Year Review', document released by the Presidency earlier this week.
The sixth administration also oversaw the appointment of Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, in March last year as part of efforts to address power cuts and to expedite government’s work to ensure the full implementation of the EAP.
At a recent media briefing on the implementation of the plan, Ramokgopa said that work continues to address partial load losses – that is, when Eskom’s generating units do not produce the full capacity, they were intended to.
In November 2023, South Africa received the first consignment of 450 gasoline generators donated by the People’s Republic of China. The donation formed part of the Technical Assistance Programme that was entered into in August 2023 during China’s Head of State Visit to South Africa.
Jobs and investment
The ERRP was government’s response to the severe health, social and economic effects of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
Announced in 2020, the plan was founded on engagements among social partners, including government, labour, business and community-based organisations.
October 2023 marked three years since government embarked on the plan, which outlined the actions to rebuild the economy and create jobs in the wake of the pandemic.
The government has put in place the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI). Through the initiative announced in 2020, at least 135 000 earning opportunities were secured by young people.
On Tuesday, the President held a presidential youth engagement in Cape Town reflecting on the three years since the initiation of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) and PYEI.
According to the Presidency, the PES and PYEI programmes have “collectively generated over 1.8 million job opportunities and provided livelihood support, predominantly benefiting young individuals”.
The sixth administration also oversaw the successful raising of the R1.2 trillion worth of investments over five years that President Ramaphosa announced in 2018.
Held annually over the past five years, the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) surpassed the initial R1.2 trillion target to reach R1.51 trillion in investment pledges. To date, there are concrete results of how the pledges made at the conference are changing lives and creating employment.
The review document notes that of the commitments made, over R500 billion has already flowed into the economy.
Having made pledges continually at the SAIC, Procter &Gamble in November 2023 launched a state-of-the-art production line of Pampers Premium Care which the President attended in Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni.
Another company which pledged R135 million at last year’s SAIC is also making good on its commitment.
In October 2023, energy company, Ener-G-Africa, launched an energy-efficient cook stove manufacturing line in Paarl, and expanded its solar panel production line from 15MW to 500MW capacity.
The company pledged R135 million in the production of small solar PV panels and solar cooking appliances at their women-led production facility in Cape Town.
AfCFTA
President Ramaphosa also oversaw the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as Chairperson of the African Union, which is currently the largest free trade area in the world. The AfCFTA which entered into force in May 2019, is expected to boost trade and economic growth on the continent.
Trading under the AfCFTA regime commenced January 2021 and last month South Africa practically realised the AfCFTA agreement. This as the President officiated the launch of the first export shipment of goods produced by South African companies destined for other African countries from KwaZulu-Natal’s Durban port.
Better lives and education
On building better lives, the current administration introduced the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for the first time in the country’s history, guaranteeing a minimum floor below which no worker may be paid with the coming into effect of the minimum wage on 1 January 2019.
The President had announced its coming into effect in December 2018.
Back in 2019, the minimum wage was set at R20 an hour and has increased over the years. Currently standing at R25,42 the minimum wage will increase to R27,58 for each ordinary hour worked with effect from 1 March 2024.
Click here for more on the “National minimum wage increases”.
To ensure healthcare for all, Parliament passed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill last year after it was introduced in 2019. The Bill aims to provide free health care at the point of care for all South Africans. In preparation for the NHI, Health Patient Registration Systems have been installed in over 3 200 facilities.
Meanwhile, social grants for people most affected by COVID-19 were expanded, including the Special Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant, which reached around 11 million unemployed people.
On the education front, no-fee schools which government introduced in 2007 have continued to ensure that children get access to schooling. To date, the number of learners that are not required to pay school fees increased from 71% to 75% in 2021.
In addition, the latest matric pass rate, at 82.9%, is the highest ever, up from 78% ten years ago. Learners from no-fee paying schools accounted for more than 65% of the total bachelor passes obtained. The percentage of learners who completed 12 years of education rose from 45% in 2008 to 62% in 2022.
Safer communities
The sixth administration has increased the number of police officers including the recruitment of 20 000 police trainees and an additional 4 000 public order policing members in 2022 and 2023.
In addition, 20 specialised South African Police Service Economic Infrastructure Task Teams have been established to work with business, private security and state-owned enterprises to tackle illegal mining, construction site extortion, cable theft and vandalism of economic infrastructure.
The review noted that by November 2023, the teams had made over 4 000 arrests for damage of critical infrastructure, 70 arrests for extortion at construction sites and over 3 000 arrests for illegal mining, and confiscated significant quantities of copper cable, rail tracks and other metals.
Government also launched the Border Management Authority as the third armed force to manage and secure the country’s borders, providing a vital link in government’s efforts to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
On tackling gender-based violence and femicide(GBV), he National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence was developed, together with civil society, as a society-wide response to this national emergency. Around R21 billion has been dedicated over the medium term to the implementation of the six pillars of the plan, including the economic empowerment of women.
Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has achieved an average conviction rate of 94% in femicide prosecutions and 75% in sexual offences prosecutions since 2019.
In addition, the GBVF Response Fund 1 was launched, which raised R200 million from the private sector for community-based organisations combating GBV. In the first year of the Fund’s operation, 53 community-based organisations were funded, reaching 280 000 participants.
Fighting corruption
The NPA Investigating Directorate was established to prosecute state capture and other significant corruption cases.
To date, the Investigating Directorate has taken 34 state capture and corruption cases to court, involving 203 accused persons and 65 accused entities. The NPA has also secured the conviction of over 500 government officials and nearly 800 in the private sector on offences related to corruption since 2019.
In addition, a SIU Special Tribunal was appointed to expedite civil claims against corrupt individuals and the recovery of stolen funds. Since its establishment, it has recovered over R8.6 billion.
As the country prepares for its 30 years of freedom celebration, the sixth administration has certainly done its bit in a challenging environment. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Wed, 02/07/2024 - 15:11