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Remembering President Mandela

Location: News

Remembering President Mandela

Cabinet has joined the nation in reflecting on the life and legacy of the father of the nation and the first democratically elected President of South Africa, Tata  Nelson Mandela.

The former President passed away on December 5, 2013, with this year marking a decade since his passing.

“As we look ahead to the milestone of 30 Years of Freedom in 2024, along with our seventh National and Provincial elections, we can proudly say that our democracy remains strong,” Cabinet said in a statement on Monday.

Tata Madiba, as he was affectionately known, died at the age of 95 at his Houghton home in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

In his address to the National Council of Provinces in Parliament last week, Deputy President Paul Mashatile honoured the former President and called on leaders to recommit themselves to the former statesman's vision of providing a better life for all South Africans.  

“We do not only recall but rededicate ourselves to the vision of our founding President - that of building a better life for all,” said Deputy President Mashatile. -SAnews.gov.za

 

Edwin
Mon, 12/11/2023 - 12:23

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Call to deal with corruption

Location: News

Call to deal with corruption

Corruption has become so pervasive that the same vigour used to fight apartheid should be used to combat the scourge.

This is according to the Public Service Commission (PSC) Commissioner, Prof Somadoda Fikeni, who was speaking on Friday at this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day at the ZK Matthews Great Hall at Unisa in Pretoria.

International Anti-Corruption Day is commemorated annually on 9 December in recognition of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which was signed in Mexico in 2003.

South Africa is one of the signatories to the Convention having ratified it in 2004.

Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the passing of the global statesman Nelson Mandela, Prof Fikeni said Madiba led with cohorts of successful leaders of their time.

“The struggle and the mission of their time was apartheid. That was the biggest challenge of their time. But today, after all the revelations to the Zondo Commission, we realise that the biggest challenge we face is corruption.  

“Apartheid was the rule of law that took from the majority and gave to the minority. And corruption is the minority rule that takes from the majority and  gives to the minority,” he said.

He believes that it should not matter whether corruption happens is in the public or private sector, religious institutions or non-government organisations. 

Fikeni called South Africans to wage war against the scourge.  

“During apartheid, we had iconic figures who died like Hector Pieterson and today, the whistle-blowers like Babita [Deokaran] are the Hector Pietersons of the struggle of today and many other whistle-blowers who died to save the country have become the Sharpeville Massacre victims of today.”

He said collaborative effort is needed to fight corruption.

“Government alone, accountability institutions alone, civil society alone, academic institutions alone and private sector alone can no longer combat this scourge. We need a coordinated effort,” he said. 

South Africa, according to Fikeni, is rich in producing policies and frameworks but tends to be challenged with implementation. 

It is for this reason that the 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day’s focus is on uniting against corruption and how to better collaborate and improve implementation and impact. 

“When we leave this place and years pass, no one will remember what we said, what we were wearing, what venue we were in but what concrete steps do we take to combat corruption,” he said to the packed hall.

He said it was not right that whistle-blowers have to go into “exile” because they do not feel safe. 

According to the Prof, the PSC is also working on the lifestyle audits of officials and collaborating with Chapter 9 institutions to ensure the oversight eco-system is strengthened. 

“This is a generational mission of our time to say that corruption is a new apartheid that we should all combine forces. It shouldn’t be a football for any election but an all-time struggle and something we talk about and pursue beyond elections.”

Good governance

Deputy President Paul Mashatile told the attendees that both the public and private sectors needed to unite against unscrupulousness to maintain good governance. 

The country’s second-in-command said Madiba played an integral role in advocating for a Constitution based on the principles of social justice, inclusion, accountability and decisive leadership.

“It was through his leadership and those who led with him that we learnt the values of selflessness and putting people first. Corruption on the other hand is based on selfishness and a lack of concern for the majority that one leads.” 

It is on this basis that the Deputy President said government should be vigilant in how it deals with corruption, especially in the public sector. 

“It is a persistent problem that inhibits development, fairness and inequality in our society.”

He also called for a united front dedicated to getting rid of corruption and dealing harshly with those partake in it.

In the past 29 years of democracy, he said the State has developed framework law, strategy, and institutions mandated to combat corruption. 

These, the Deputy President said, include the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2020-2030 and the Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. 

The strategy, he said, also aims to ensure that officials and those in positions of power act with integrity, respect the rule of law and promote zero tolerance for corruption. 

The Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004 intends to provide for the strengthening of measures to prevent and combat corruption and corrupt activities and to provide for the offence of corruption and offences relating to corrupt activities, among others.

The Deputy President is of the view that accountability, transparency and the rule of law are important tools to rid the country of crime and corruption.  

“As public servants and office bearers, we must safeguard the preamble of our Constitution and constantly remind ourselves that our purpose is to serve our people and not to satisfy our stomachs.

“Our priority should be those we have sworn to serve and protect.” 

He also announced that government was also in the process of implementing recommendations contained in the State Capture report.

“We need to ensure that such activities should never happen ever again,” he said, adding that the State is looking at tax avoidance and illicit financial flows. – SAnews.gov.za

 

Gabisile
Fri, 12/08/2023 - 13:22

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Algoa FM Opens Garden Route Studio

Location: MyPR

Algoa FM will be getting even closer and more personal with listeners and businesses in the Garden Route following the opening of its purpose-built studio on Courtenay Street in George. “The drive show on weekdays between 3 and 7pm, hosted by Simon Bechus, has been aired from Algoa FM’s headquarters in Nelson Mandela Bay while …

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Mashatile calls on leaders to rededicate themselves to Madiba’s vision

Location: News

Mashatile calls on leaders to rededicate themselves to Madiba's vision

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has taken time in Parliament to honour former President Nelson Mandela and called on leaders to recommit themselves to the former statesman's vision of providing a better life for all South Africans.  

“Today we stand on the shoulders of a great giant, former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who left us exactly on this day 10 years ago in 2013. 

“On an occasion such this, we recall his wisdom and tenacity in fighting the apartheid system and dedication to building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society,” Mashatile said on Tuesday. 

The country’s second-in-command was delivering the annual address to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament, Cape Town, which was  sitting for its last session of 2023.  

“We do not only recall but rededicate ourselves to the vision of our founding President - that of building a better life for all. 

“It is, therefore, a great honour to deliver the last annual address to the National Council of Provinces, for the sixth administration, despite it being my first annual address.” 

Mashatile told Parliamentarians that the end of the sixth administration provides an opportunity to reflect and contemplate the future of governance in South Africa. 

The Deputy President's speech focused on accelerating the provision of social services, safety, and the advancement of economic reforms for economic recovery in the people's interest. 

“As the theme suggests, the current situation requires immediate prioritisation and acceleration of providing essential social services, ensuring individual safety, and implementing comprehensive economic reforms for a swift recovery.” 

Mashatile believes the measures are crucial for a sustainable and prosperous future through social policy transformation. 

“We cannot talk about the progress we have made in shaping the future of our people if we do not reflect on where we come from as a nation.

“We can unequivocally state that South Africa is in a much better place now than it was 29 years ago.”

Citing the 2022 Census Report, the Deputy President said government has made significant inroads in undoing the legacy of decades of apartheid spatial planning and its consequences on the lives and livelihoods of South Africans. 

“We have accelerated the provision of social services over the past few years by investing in education, healthcare, housing, water and sanitation, among other things.

“Although this is expected as standard practice, the progress achieved in recent years indicates that efforts to ensure adequate access to social services have been accelerated,” he added. 

He also emphasised the role of Parliament, especially the role of delegates in the NCOP, which is constitutionally mandated to ensure that the interests of communities. 

“Using these mechanisms, the Executive can intervene and quickly respond to identified service delivery hotspots through targeted Service Delivery Improvement Plans. 

“The National Council of Provinces further uniquely promotes the principles of Cooperative Government and Intergovernmental Relations.” 

Mashatile is of the view that Parliament has done very well in processing priority legislative proposals, considering interruptions caused by the July 2021 unrests, the burning of the National Assembly, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On 29 March 2023, the Deputy President said the Cabinet approved 42 Bills in the 2023 Legislative Programme, while 22 Bills have already been introduced to Parliament as of 25 November 2023. 

 As of 30 November 2023, there were 17 Bills before NCOP Committees. 

“We remain optimistic that all of these critical Bills will have been passed by the end of this administration.” 

He also called on all stakeholders, including business, civil society, inside and outside NEDLAC, and more importantly, political parties, to take advantage of Parliamentary processes. 

These include public hearings, petitions, written proposals, and other consultative forums to deposit their views, complaints, and progressive proposals that will contribute to the seamless processing of legislative proposals. 

“Delays in passing of critical Bills affect the provision of basic services.” 

The Deputy President said the sixth administration is also committed to transforming the economy along a developmental growth path to create decent jobs. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Gabisile
Wed, 12/06/2023 - 08:00

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Read moreMashatile calls on leaders to rededicate themselves to Madiba’s vision

Dr Thandi Mgwebi appointed in NRF’s top leadership structure

Location: News

Dr Thandi Mgwebi appointed in NRF’s top leadership structure

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has announced the appointment of Dr Thandi Mgwebi into its top leadership structure with effect from 1 February 2024. 

Mgwebi is re-joining the organisation to assume the role of Group Executive: Business Advancement. 

Over the last six years, she served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for Research, Innovation, and Internationalisation at Nelson Mandela University and Tshwane University of Technology. 

During her tenure at the NRF, she served in senior management roles, including Director of Human Capital Development. 

Through these roles, she has gained extensive experience and is an internationally recognised leader in higher education. 

“As a seasoned professional, Dr Mgwebi will contribute to the international agenda and diplomacy, and will help drive the NRF’s business strategy in support of the national science system.” 

The NRF said the professional has championed partnerships with many international organisations in and outside Africa for the national science and innovation system. 

In her previous role at the NRF, Mgwebi led partnerships with institutions such as Fulbright, the British Council, and the Newton Fund. 

She completed postdoctoral research in Virology at the University of Cape Town and holds a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of Cape Town, a Tertiary Educational Management degree from the University of Melbourne and a Management Development Programme certificate from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. 

She received her undergraduate BSc degree from the University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University). 

Recently, she obtained a certificate in Business Sustainability from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. 

NRF CEO, Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, congratulated the newest member of his executive team. 

“This appointment shows the NRF’s commitment to excellence, transformation, and inclusivity. Dr Mgwebi has a proven record in academia, management, and strategic leadership. The NRF is proud to welcome such a high calibre executive as it continues to make significant contributions to the National System of Innovation.” 

The NRF is an independent statutory body established under the National Research Foundation Act.

Its mandate is to support and promote research through funding, human resource development and the provision of the necessary research facilities. – SAnews.gov.za

 

Gabisile
Tue, 12/05/2023 - 15:22

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Local government should be covered by fulltime beat reporters

Location: News

Local government should be covered by fulltime beat reporters

Local government is an important sphere of government and should be covered by fulltime beat reporters in newsrooms, writes Lakela Kaunda.

Local government is regarded as the most important sphere of government as it is closest to the people. It delivers basic services that people require daily, such as water, electricity, good roads, refuse removal and cutting grass on the verges of roads. It is also at the local government level that people experience the work of government directly. A citizen or resident may never see a Minister until the end of a government term, but they are likely to know the local mayor or councillor.

The local government sphere also bears responsibility for promoting local economic development and to provide a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive and create jobs in the respective municipalities. A dysfunctional or distressed municipality becomes a threat to social cohesion and to economic growth and development. It also becomes an obstacle to the achievement of the apex goal of building a better life for all, especially the poor and the working class, as promised by President Nelson Mandela in 1994.

There are 257 municipalities in South Africa, made up of eight metropolitan, 44 districts and 205 local municipalities.  Essentially, given the country’s wall-to-wall local government system, everyone stays in a ward and every business enterprise is located in a ward. Due to the importance of local government, its work should be reported on consistently and continuously by the media. This should not be done only when there is a crisis, a scandal or major reports of corruption or maladministration in a particular municipality. Consistent reporting on municipal council meetings, analysing council budgets and expenditure, scrutinising and monitoring the delivery of services and infrastructure and covering ward committee meetings contributes to deepening democracy in the country as it promotes oversight and accountability and enhances the media’s watchdog role.

I undertook a research study of the role of mainstream commercial newspapers in deepening democracy in local government, for my public affairs doctoral thesis at Tshwane University of Technology. The study investigated the editorial policies and practices of newspapers and the model used for the coverage of local government, especially whether they had employed fulltime reporters or beat reporters to cover the sphere on an ongoing basis. Beat reporting is the practice of assigning special subjects to reporters for them to exclusively focus on, for example crime, sports, business, politics, or environmental affairs.

The study established that the press contributed meaningfully to deepening democracy through performing a watchdog role exposing corruption, maladministration or service delivery failures. However, this contribution was limited by the fact that local government was not prioritised as a special subject like politics, business or sports. Most newspapers do not have reporters that cover local government exclusively and assign general or political reporters on an ad-hoc basis. The study recommended a new model, the Media Watchdog and Development Model, which elevates local government to a special subject with fulltime reporters. The model also integrates the commercial liberal ideological outlook with the development communication paradigm. This means that the media would not ignore developmental stories such as the need for a bridge or road that would improve the lives of the people in a certain community. They would run such a story alongside a breaking news story which would boost newspaper sales and suit the commercial imperatives.

The beat reporting system is advantageous as it enables follow ups and staying with the story monitoring developments. When a building goes on fire in central Johannesburg every media house descends on the premises. After a few days or even less, the media would have relocated to other stories.  A municipal reporter will stay with the story and provide updates on what has happened to the victims and survivors and whether all the deceased were identified as well as their names. They would scrutinise the discussions in council and subcommittees and keep track of the work being done by relevant municipal departments to eliminate the problem of dangerous and hijacked buildings in the city. The media would therefore play the watchdog and oversight role in a more systematic and institutionalised manner.

The study was also encouraged by the difficulties facing the local government sphere. Marked progress has been made in the transformation of local government and the delivery of services since the dawn of democracy in 1994. This has been outlined in the various studies including the Statistics SA’s 2022 Population Count Census result as released in October 2023 (Statistics SA, 2023 link). The Census indicated that access to basic services had generally shown an upward trend from 2001 to 2022. Over 80% of households in the country had access to piped water, either inside their dwellings or inside their yards. The results also recorded an improvement in refuse removal. There was an increase in households whose refuse was removed at least once a week by a local authority/private service from 52,1% in Census 1996 to 66,3% in Census 2022. Electricity access has also expanded with more than 90% of households having access to electricity for lighting. This is a marked increase from the 58% recorded in 1996.

However, the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) releases annual audit reports which indicate poor governance, financial management and administration by municipalities, the point at which the services must be delivered. In the 2019/20 local government audit report, the AGSA announced that only 27 municipalities obtained clean audit outcomes, with only 28% being able to submit quality financial statements for audit purposes. The 2021/22 Municipal Audit Report described the local government sphere as characterised by accountability and service delivery failures, poor governance, weak institutional capacity and instability.

Municipal beat reporting is not only about bad news. It is also about reporting on positive developments in communities such as sporting and education achievements, entrepreneurial activities or work that build communities and which encourages community participation in improving the quality of life. In this way, the poor would not only feature in newspapers when there are violent protests in their residential areas or when they are victims of disasters.  A key benefit for journalism is that local government beat reporting would develop a corps of expert reporters who understand the intricacies of local government, which is a highly legislated and regulated sphere.

An obstacle to beat journalism for local government could be the commercial constraints facing print media. The business model has changed. Scores of readers are migrating online and obtain their stories and updates from social media sources. Online giants such as Facebook or Google also provide stiff competition and grab the advertising spend.  The effect of COVID-19 on the print media was also severe as newspapers faced both an advertising and circulation decrease which led to the closure of some newspapers and magazines as well as job losses. The South African National Editors Forum produced a report on the impact of COVID-19 on the media which outlines the devastation.

Commercial constraints notwithstanding, nothing can take the place of having informed journalists who focus on a particular beat and develop sources and expertise in a particular field. This is currently the case for the sports, politics and business beats. Local government should be elevated to the same level.

*Dr Lakela Kaunda is a former newspaper editor and government communication executive and is currently a deputy director-general in a national government department.

This article was published by Politicsweb on 1 December 2023.

 

 

Janine
Mon, 12/04/2023 - 09:49

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NMB 1City Marathon & 21.1km

Location: MyPR

Over 1300 athletes had the perfect cool weather to start at the Nelson Mandela Bay 1 City Marathon and 21.1km at Fairview racecourse on Saturday, with many out-of-town athletes competing to qualify for Two Oceans and Comrades races next year. Malawian athlete, Mphatho Ndolo, 29, from Chiltern Club, finished in a blistering time of 2.20 …

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President Ramaphosa mourns passing of Prof Harry Seftel

Location: News

President Ramaphosa mourns passing of Prof Harry Seftel

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed sadness at the passing of veteran clinician, researcher and academic, Prof Harry Seftel, who passed away less than a month before his 95th birthday. 

In a statement, the President sent his deep condolences to the Seftel family and the late Dr Seftel’s friends and associates around the country and internationally.

Seftel spent more than 50 years in the Department of Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand.

“Prof Seftel’s passing at the end of an extended life with which he was blessed is another instance of loss among a generation that defined the South Africa of the 20th century.

“Prof Seftel’s life journey includes his university-days friendship with Nelson Mandela. Harry Seftel’s journey was one of continuous curiosity and discovery, with the aim of assisting individuals and entire communities to make healthy lifestyle choices and enjoy a healthy life.

“He was a relentless achiever, who passionately educated generations of medical practitioners and researchers. He will be remembered for sharing his knowledge in the most accessible and entertaining ways, which endeared him to his students and millions of people who learned from him via public platforms,” President Ramaphosa said. 

The President said Seftel was a national treasure, whose love for his work and for the people of South Africa must be celebrated at this time of mourning and remembrance, and must live on in the ethos of all health care professionals. – SAnews.gov.za

DikelediM
Mon, 12/04/2023 - 10:48

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National Strategic Region on GBVF must be prioritised – Cabinet

Location: News

National Strategic Plan on GBVF must be prioritised - Cabinet

Cabinet has reaffirmed the need to prioritise the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) of dealing with the second pandemic of gender-based violence and femicide. 

Briefing the media on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet further noted progress that has been made on interventions of the NSP that are driven through the following six pillars:

  • Extensive legal reform;
  • Support for survivors through the provision of evidence toolkits at police stations; 
  • Psychology and social services;
  • The establishment of the GBVF Response Fund which commits both government and the private sector to fund the fight against GBVF;
  • Support for Thuthuzela and Khuseleka Care centres, which provide vital services for GBV survivors; and 
  • The economic empowerment of women.

“Government will continue with consultations with various sectors to mobilise a whole of society approach to dealing with GBVF [gender-based violence and femicide], including localising the NSP using the District Development Model (DDM) approach for implementation at a ward level,”  the Minister said.

In this regard, Cabinet applauded the successful co-hosting of the 3rd African Union (AU) Men’s Conference on Positive Masculinity in Leadership to End Violence Against Women and Girls with the Republic of Comoros in Pretoria from 27 to 28 November 2023.

The Men’s Conference provided an opportunity to consolidate the bold efforts that the Heads of State and Government, and other sectors have taken towards ending violence against women and girls on the continent. 

These efforts include accountability for the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration and the decisions made at the 2023 February Heads of State and Government Conference on negotiating an AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.

MSC investment

Meanwhile, Cabinet has also welcomed the opening of the Nelson Mandela cruise terminal by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in a public-private partnership (PPP) contract with Transnet. 

MSC invested approximately R296.7 million in the construction of the new terminal, with an additional R30 million earmarked for expansion of the terminal.

Cabinet echoed the sentiments of President Ramaphosa when he said at the opening of the terminal last week: “The multi-user terminal has made Durban an even more desirable destination for cruise ships from all over the world”. – SAnews.gov.za 

DikelediM
Fri, 12/01/2023 - 09:21

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Read moreNational Strategic Region on GBVF must be prioritised – Cabinet

Survey shows decrease in those living with HIV in SA

Location: News

Survey shows decrease in those living with HIV in SA

A new survey has found that the percentage of people living with the HIV virus in South Africa has decreased from 14% in 2017 to 12.7% in 2022. 

This translates, according to the latest data, to about 7.8 million people living with HIV in South Africa in 2022 compared to 7.9 million in 2017.

This key finding is contained in the sixth South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, and Behaviour (SABSSM VI) survey released on Monday by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).  

The survey highlights the progress toward ending HIV in South Africa, which remains the epicentre of the HIV endemic in the world. 

The HSRC’s Divisional Executive of the Public Health, Societies, and Belonging Division, Professor Khangelani Zuma, said several factors contribute to HIV prevalence. 

“These factors include fewer people getting infected with HIV, more children born HIV-negative, AIDS-related mortality, and people aging and dying from natural causes,” Zuma, who is also the survey’s principal investigator explained. 

In addition, he said the increase in the population of the birth of HIV-negative babies would also increase the denominator of HIV-negative people in the country. 

“The epidemic curve also shows an aging population of people living with HIV who are living longer as the epidemic stabilises,” he added. 

In addition, the 2022 survey shows significant progress toward the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets. 

UNAIDS envisions that by 2025, 95% of all people living with HIV have to be aware of their HIV status, 95% of those aware of their status to be on antiretroviral treatment (ART), and 95% of those on treatment to achieve viral load suppression. 

Meanwhile, the survey indicated that among those aged 15 and older living with HIV in South Africa in 2022, 90% were aware of their status, 91% of those aware of their status were on ART and 94% of those on ART were virally suppressed. 

“This is an improvement compared to 2017 when the UNAIDS target was 90-90-90 but South Africa achieved 85%-71%-87%.” 

This is attributed to the change in treatment guidelines in 2016, which made provision for treatment to be given to everyone requiring HIV treatment immediately regardless of their clinical status, which previously needed to include a CD4 count below 500 cells/mm3.

The data also revealed that 81% of people aged 15 and older living with HIV were virally suppressed in 2022 compared to 62% in 2017. 

Viral suppression, the HSRC noted, was higher (83%) among women when compared to men (79%) and lower (70%) among younger adults aged 15 to 24. 

The lowest percentage of viral load suppression (66%) was among men aged between 25 and 34. 

According to the survey, half of all young men aged between 15 and 24 were medically circumcised compared to 43% in 2017. 

“This is an important achievement as studies have shown that male circumcision can reduce the risk of heterosexual HIV transmission by approximately 60%.” 

Gaps

While the research indicates that progress has been made, the survey also shows gaps that remain in addressing the HIV epidemic in South Africa. 

The impact of the HIV epidemic in South Africa is unequal across geographic regions and populations, particularly affecting black Africans, women, and young people. 

HIV prevalence varied geographically, ranging from 8% in the Western Cape to 22% in KwaZulu-Natal among the 15-year-olds and older. 

Furthermore, HIV prevalence was nearly twice as high among women (20%) compared to men (12%). 

By race, HIV prevalence was the highest among black Africans (20%), followed by Coloureds (5%), and lowest among Whites and Indians/Asians (1% each). 

“The most pronounced differences in HIV prevalence by sex were seen among younger populations, which calls for focused interventions,” Zuma explained.

Among females, HIV prevalence was highest in ages 35 to 39 to years at 34.2%, whereas among males, HIV prevalence was highest in ages 45 to 49 years at 27.1%. 

Compared to males, HIV prevalence was approximately two-fold higher in females aged 15 to 19 (5.7% versus 3.1%), and 20 to 24 years (8% versus 4%), and three-fold higher in females aged 25 to 29 (19.5% versus 6.3%). 

SABSSM VI is a large cross-sectional, population-based household survey conducted from January 2022 to April 2023. 

The survey marks 20 years, with the first survey commissioned and funded by former President Nelson Mandela through his Foundation in 2001. – SAnews.gov.za

 

Gabisile
Mon, 11/27/2023 - 13:33

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Read moreSurvey shows decrease in those living with HIV in SA

Get Ready to Run: 2024 Absa SPRINT YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K entries open this week!

Location: MyPR

The highly anticipated 2024 season of the iconic Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series is set to commence in Gqeberha with the second annual Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K, taking place on Sunday 7 April 2024. Entries open on Wednesday (29 November 2023). “We are thrilled to be back in the ‘friendly city’ in April …

Read moreGet Ready to Run: 2024 Absa SPRINT YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K entries open this week!

Kubayi orders improved services in Nelson Mandela Bay informal settlements

Location: News

Kubayi orders improved services in Nelson Mandela Bay informal settlements

Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has given the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan a directive to provide informal settlement dwellers with adequate human rights services, including water and sanitation -- in compliance with norms and standards -- within seven days.

Kubayi gave the directive during an outreach programme, which saw the handing over of keys to newly built government-subsidised homes and title deeds to beneficiaries in Motherwell in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape.

The visit on Wednesday formed part of the coordinated effort amongst the three spheres of government to effect province-wide interventions to accelerate the delivery of sustainable human settlements.

Kubayi said the three spheres of government and relevant agencies should present tangible responses to improve living conditions of various communities by the end of January 2024.

Responding to various concerns raised by the community during an imbizo, Kubayi said the three spheres of government must find solutions to the inhumane conditions under which people live. 

“We cannot have instances where people live in Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) with inadequate ablution facilities. We can’t sit and watch injustice happen… we must intervene urgently,” the Minister said.

She noted some progress in the in-situ upgrading project in the metro, and acknowledged that more work needs to be done. 

This includes proper verification processes, as “some people who demand housing in the projects may not necessarily qualify for fully subsidised government housing”.

“There cannot be repeat benefits, as the system automatically disqualifies anyone who owned a property before,” Kubayi reminded the applicants.

She said the Eastern Cape province has about 53 000 houses that require rectification. 

“These are homes that predate democracy and also from the early days before the set norms and standards by the National Home Builders' Registration Council (NHBRC). Due to limited financial constraints, the rectification programme will be undertaken in a phased manner,” Kubayi explained.

Warning against sale of government-subsidised houses 

The Minister reiterated the warning to beneficiaries not to sell government-subsidised houses.

“The current Human Settlements policy is very clear on who should benefit from subsidised housing, and it does not include foreign nationals. It takes R350 000 to build each house and you sell them for R15 000, and three months down the line you come back demanding housing from the government,” the Minister said. 

The Minister also announced that she and Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete will conduct a verification programme, called Operation Ziveze, aimed at ascertaining that government-subsidised homes are occupied by their rightful owners.

Echoing the Minister’s sentiments, Tshwete warned residents about giving away their title deeds to loan sharks in exchange for quick, unsecured loans.

“I urge you to take care of your title deeds we are giving you today. This is not just proof of ownership, but also an asset for your children.”

The imbizo was part of a series of outreach programmes the Minister and Deputy Minister are embarking on to unlock challenges within the Human Settlements value chain.

Limpopo houses handover 

Meanwhile, Kubayi and Tshwete will on Thursday hand over government-subsidised houses to the qualifying beneficiaries in Bela Bela Ext 25 in the Waterberg District Municipality, Limpopo.

The project is one of the informal settlements upgrading projects aimed at restoring the dignity of people living in informal settlements. 

Bela Bela Extension 25 is expected to deliver over 1 000 housing units on completion. 

The housing handover will precede the last meeting for this calendar year between the Ministry and MECs of Human Settlements (MINMEC) to reflect on the performance of the sector since the beginning of the 2023/24 financial year.

Discussions will include the release of land parcels for human settlement development, an update on government’s efforts to upgrade informal settlements across the country and the delivery of housing units, and progress on the title deeds campaign. – SAnews.gov.za
 

GabiK
Thu, 11/23/2023 - 10:15

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Read moreKubayi orders improved services in Nelson Mandela Bay informal settlements

NMB 1 City Marathon & 21.1km

Location: MyPR

Local athletes are gearing up to take part in the Nelson Mandela Bay 1 City Marathon and 21km at the Fairview racecourse in Greenbushes on Saturday, 2 December. Last year the marathon event attracted over 1500 eager runners and this year a strong turnout is expected with theintroduction of pacing buses for the marathon. There …

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Broll and 67 Blankets: Making the world a better spot 1 square at a time

Location: MyPR

The concept behind Nelson Mandela’s ‘67 Minutes’ initiative, now termed the Acts of Kindness Campaign, is that anyone can contribute something in their own special way to change the world and improve the lives of those around them. And this is not limited to Mandela Day – it’s something that can become part of everyone’s …

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CoGTA pushes ahead with councillors’ code of conduct

Location: News

CoGTA pushes ahead with councillors' code of conduct

Government is forging ahead with the reinforcement of the code of conduct for councillors in an effort to address challenges, strengthen local government and look into motions of no confidence. 

This is according to the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Thembi Nkadimeng, who was updating the media on Wednesday on the state of local government.

“In the past two weeks, we’ve put in the code of conduct for councillors, this was as the result of what happened in the City of Tshwane and in the City of eThekwini where councillors physically attacked one another instead of sitting and debating about disagreements,” she said. 

The code of conduct, according to Nkadimeng, zooms into measures that need to be applied jointly with the council if disruptions are the order of the day. 

“We need to link with the thought of that we’re trying to micromanage but with the thought of instability. Because, if the meeting is disrupted, it means council can’t conclude on when the operations are supposed to be done and it gets to be postponed again and again,” she explained, adding that it was not only coalitions that are unstable. 

The Minister has since called for political maturity. 

“We also want to regulate on the motions of no confidence... There are critical areas on how they should come about, which are fraud, corruption and not providing service delivery. But it can’t be based on slight provocation, like not greeting and now you’re angry with party B.”  

She shot down the view that government was trying to micromanage councils. 

“From 2016 to 2021, Nelson Mandela Bay didn’t build a single RDP house. Not only that they didn’t have the money, they turned no less than R500 million back,” she said, adding that the metro had seen numerous mayors come and go within that period.

 However, Nkadimeng said these interventions are driven by the desire to protect citizens. 

“It's fair and well for the parties to win elections and govern how they want. But we need to protect citizens who were supposed to receive a house in Nelson Mandela Bay when funds were provided and were not utilised and no one was held accountable.” 

According to the State of Local Government report, 64 municipalities were categorised as dysfunctional, 111 were at medium risk, 66 at low risk, and 16 deemed stable. 

Infrastructure 

Shifting her focus to infrastructure, she said 117 out of 144 Water Service Authorities’ bulk water and sanitation infrastructure has been assessed. 

“The assessments report with recommendations are being implemented and used to prioritise projects identification and funding through own funding, private sector funding and conditional grants.” 

In addition, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (Misa), deploys built environment professionals to municipalities to provide technical support throughout all infrastructure product life cycles.

To date, Misa has deployed 103 technical professionals, of which 86 of are professionally registered with statutory bodies as engineers and town planners. 

Nkadimeng said the state was also pushing for all municipalities to have municipal managers and chief financial officers. 

In addition, the Minister touched on the pillars that make a functional municipality. 

These include putting people first, delivering basic services, good governance, sound financial management, building capable local government institutions and local economic development. – SAnews.gov.za

 

 

Gabisile
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 15:28

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Protecting the future

Location: News

Protecting the future

Children are the wealth of the nation despite a few harrowing incidents recently pointing otherwise.

Nobody can deny that the nation’s wealth has been at the receiving end of what no child and human being should be subjected to. Democratic South Africa’s first President Nelson Mandela had a lot to say about the wellness and welfare of children.

“The children must, at last, play in the open veld, no longer tortured by the pangs of hunger or ravaged by the disease or threatened with the scourge of ignorance, molestation and abuse, and no longer required to engage in deeds whose gravity exceeds the demands of their tender years,” he said in 1993.

The magnitude of what he said back then still rings true today.

Last month, the Gauteng Health Department confirmed the deaths of five children in Soweto, the West Rand and Roodepoort due to suspected food poisoning. Media reports also pointed to food poisoning deaths in the North West.

This after the children allegedly consumed poisonous food from local shops and vendors.

South Africa recently marked National Children’s Day, a day government declared to be commemorated on the first Saturday of the month of November.

Commemorated annually, the day highlights progress being made towards the realisation and promotion of the rights of children.

Section 28 of the country’s Constitution states the rights that every child has the right to. In turn, the state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights.

Children under the age of 18, have a right to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services. Among others, the Constitution also makes provision for children to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation.

The news of the children’s deaths shocked the nation and also placed the spotlight on spaza shops. The Gauteng provincial government moved to intensify its awareness drive where it engaged locals and shared the importance of checking food expiry labels, among others.

As it takes a village to raise a child, Cabinet also expressed concern while adding that it was encouraged by law enforcement efforts to enforce food safety compliance. Efforts taken include the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and the City of Johannesburg’s, environmental health practitioners conducting inspections to check compliance with city bylaws. In addition, the City of Tshwane and its health officials and the metro police also embarked on a by-law enforcement inspection where two of the spaza shops visited were shut down. 

In addition, the outcomes of a recent government-led International Migration Workshop included the introduction of omnibus by-laws to address challenges relating to trading and the enforcement of business by-laws by municipalities and traditional authorities. 

It also focused on curbing the effects of illegal immigration, including the operations of spaza shops and there will also be immediate joint inspections of businesses, in particular spaza shops, by various government departments including Home Affairs immigration inspectorate teams to enforce compliance with applicable laws.

The audit of spaza shops in villages and townships, and mechanisms to register them will be undertaken by both traditional leaders and municipalities.

There are also efforts to support traditional authorities to keep a record of foreign nationals in their communities while business licensing legislation is being amended to support those wishing to trade in the informal sector.

While the lives that have been lost cannot be brought back, inspection blitzes carried out by the Cities of Tshwane and Johannesburg as well as the outcomes of the migration workshop resolve to ensure the safety of children.

One can also not ignore the fact that communities have placed the blame - whether warranted or not - of the selling of expired foods at the door of foreign nationals operating spaza shops and the record keeping of foreign nationals in communities will go some way in allaying suspicions of one another.

The alleged poisonings brought to the fore the ire of communities and rightly so. Communities were once more reminded of previous and dare I say ongoing, spates of the brutal rapes, murders and mutilation of children.

We ought to put a stop to these hair-raising incidents and raise a generation of children that protect their peers.

While legislation such as the Children’s Act exist and sets out principles relating to the care and protection of children including making provision regarding children's courts, all of these incidents remind us that the safety of children requires the presence of all of society.

World Children’s Day is being commemorated on 20 November to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improve children's welfare. It was first established in 1954. According to the UN since 1990, the day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the Convention on children's rights.

If we are to see a better future, the protection of children should urgently be everyone’s business.

*Neo Semono is a features writer at www.sanews.gov.za

-SAnews.gov.za

 

Neo
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 09:03

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