News

Over 52 000 households in the Moretele Local Municipality in the North West stand to benefit from a sustainable, reliable and continuous supply of potable water from the Moretele South Bulk Water Supply Scheme Project.

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu visited the site of the a 25 megalitres per day (ml/d) reservoir in Dilopye village and a 36.2km bulk pipeline in Mogogelo on Saturday to witness the construction of the infrastructure, which started last month. 

Phase 3 of the project will ensure a reliable supply of potable water to the far west of Moretele Municipality. 

A total of R640 617 000 has been budgeted for the scheme from the department’s Regional Bulk infrastructure Grant (RBIG). 

Phase 1 of the project included the upgrade of the Klipdrift Water Treatment Works from 18ml/d to 42ml/d, which was completed in 2022. Phase 1 ensured that there is adequate potable water from the treatment plant that will be transferred to various networks of reservoirs and bulk pipelines, and ultimately to communities. 

Phase 2 included a 30km bulk pipeline from the treatment plant towards the far west end of Moretele, while Phase 3, which is currently under construction, started in June 2023. Its completion is anticipated for June 2024.

Mchunu said upon completion, Phase 3, which includes the construction of a reservoir and bulk pipeline, will ensure reliable supply of drinking water to, among others, seven villages identified in Moretele including Swartdam, Noroki, Ratsiepane, Moeka, Ga-Motle, Kromkuil and Mmakaunyana. 

While some of the villages have reticulation from Moretele Municipality, which is a water service authority, Mchunu said the villages depend on unreliable sources for drinking water, including boreholes, water sold from private water tankering and rainwater harvesting due to inconsistent provision from the current system. 

The Minister said the 25 ml/d reservoir will have capability to store excess water above the daily required demand and ensure sustained reliable supply to its network of communities uninterrupted.

Addressing the community at Mathibestad’s Lepono Sport Grounds, Mchunu urged the community to be patient, and assured them that water will soon be available in their households. 

“We went see the site where the reservoir and the trench of the 36km pipeline are being constructed and are satisfied with the progress. Although we would have loved to come and tell you that we have completed the work and water is being reticulated, we are happy that we are very close to that, Mchunu said. – SAnews.gov.za

By Anele Zikali

As the country prepares to host the first ever Netball World Cup (NWC2023) in Africa from 28 July to 6 August 2023, it is all systems go for South Africa’s netball team, the SPAR Proteas.

The team’s head coach Norma Plummer said the 15-member squad’s preparations for the tournament are well on track.

“We are working on two training sessions a day now, just to fast-track the combinations on the court ... We will drop to one training session a day and focus more on the analysis of other teams going forward,” said Plummer.

She has a wealth of experience to draw on as she readies the team for NWC2023, which is being hosted by the City of Cape Town.

The netball veteran, who features in the Australian Netball Hall of Fame, has more than 50 years’ experience and is a former world cup winner as a player and coach for the Australian team.

With the SPAR Proteas playing on home soil, Plummer reflected on the pivotal role Netball South Africa has played in ensuring that the public gets behind the team.

“When we walk into the stadium it will be a great thing for them [the players] to have the support that they normally would not have. The visitors will enjoy [what] has been put together by the organisation [Netball South Africa].”

She said there has been growing support and publicity for netball in the country.

“I get surprised when I see a lot of men on the court, watching the games or even playing. They are not shy to raise their hands and play netball. It shows that this game is as tough and competitive as men’s sport. This will help to bring in more sponsors,” she added.

SPAR Proteas team manager Nisha Rupnarain thanked the sponsors that have helped the team with resources. 

“The City of Cape Town has done a lot of hard work in preparation. The excitement is building up. We are absolutely grateful to the city for making sure that this event is a success. We are thankful to the sponsors, Netball South Africa and government for their support,” added Rupnarain. 

For the latest updates, follow Netball South Africa on Twitter: @Netball_SA or Facebook: Netball South Africa. – SAnews.gov.za

*This article first appeared in Vukuzenzele

 

By Anele Zikali

As South Africa’s netball team, SPAR Proteas, takes on the rest of the world at the Netball World Cup 2023 (NWC2023), the players have encouraged fans to work hard if they want to follow in their footsteps.

Captain of SPAR Proteas Bongiwe Msomi (34) said hard work is the key to success. 

“When some of the kids say ‘I want to be like you one day’, I always say: ‘You can even do better’.  “It is hard work to play and constantly be at your best,” she said.

She added that highlights of how well someone played during a game do not show the hard work and preparation that go on behind the scenes before each game.

Msomi, who is from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, said the team is well settled ahead of the NWC 2023 and is looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd.

The NWC2023 will take place at the Cape Town International  Convention Centre. “We have an advantage of playing in front of our people, who back us … We will be playing in front of our siblings and parents, which is just amazing,“ said Msomi. 

A rising star in the SPAR Proteas team is Emeré van der Berg (20), from Bloemfontein in Free State, who plays in the goal attack and shooter positions.

She was recently selected for the SPAR Proteas team that will play in the NWC2023. 

“I feel very honoured and privileged to represent my country. I am ready to go on court and put on the best performance and give it my all every time,” said Van der Berg. 

She added that the team was focused and ready to represent the country. 

“We are working hard and have the determination to keep on showing up at the training sessions in preparation for the NWC2023,” concluded Van der Berg.   

NWC2023 takes place from 28 July to 6 August. To buy tickets for the event, go to: https://nwc2023.org.za/tickets/. – SAnews.gov.za

*This story first appeared in Vukuzenzele

President Cyril Ramaphosa says although load shedding will not be resolved overnight, Eskom and government is making “significant progress” in areas aimed at reducing and eventually removing it altogether.

The President was addressing the nation through his weekly newsletter on Monday.

“Today, we are releasing a detailed report outlining the work done to improve the performance of Eskom’s power stations, accelerate the building of new generation capacity and drive regulatory reforms to transform the electricity sector.

“The winter months will soon be coming to an end. Although load shedding has continued, as was anticipated, we have managed to avert a worst case scenario by stabilising the performance of Eskom’s power stations and reducing demand,” President Ramaphosa said.

He explained that the power utility is hard at work to address challenges at power stations.

“Eskom’s generation fleet continues to show sustained improvement. Unplanned losses have been reduced to less than 16 000MW in in the last two months, down from more than 18 000MW previously. Planned maintenance has been reduced during the winter period, with Eskom having undertaken significant maintenance in the months preceding winter.

“Looking ahead, damaged units at the Kusile and Medupi power stations are being returned to service on an expedited basis. In combination, these units represent more than 3 000MW of capacity.

“The Eskom debt relief package announced by the Minister of Finance will enable necessary investment in maintenance and expansion of the transmission network,” he said.

Energy Action Plan

A year has passed since President Ramaphosa announced the Energy Action Plan aimed at addressing load shedding and achieving energy security for the country.

President Ramaphosa said since then, fervent work has been done “to add as much power as possible” to the vulnerable power grid.

“Eskom has unlocked close to 400 MW from companies with extra available capacity, and a further 600 MW is currently in the contracting process. We have sourced an additional 400MW from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique.

“We are fast-tracking the procurement of new generation capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage. Later this year, the first three projects from the emergency power programme are expected to connect to the grid. Also later this year, around 2 300MW from the most recent bid windows of the renewable energy independent power producer programme should be in construction,” he said.

President Ramaphosa explained that home and rooftop solar uptake is one of the key outputs of the Energy Action Plan coupled with accelerated private investment in capacity generation.

“It is encouraging to see that more municipalities are allowing customers to feed electricity into the grid when they have surplus electricity. This will provide yet another incentive for businesses large and small to invest in alternative energy sources.

“Regulatory changes have helped to boost private investment in new generation capacity. This work has enabled a massive boom in private investment in electricity generation, with a pipeline of more than 10 000MW of new capacity that will begin to connect to the grid later this year,” he said.

The President acknowledged that although load shedding remains a challenge, gains are being made in addressing it.

“We have maintained that load shedding will not be resolved overnight, but we are making clear progress towards reducing it and eventually bringing it to an end.

“Let us maintain this momentum, and let us all play our part, wherever we can, as we lay the groundwork for an energy secure future,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za

South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has welcomed an order issued to Tiar Construction for its sole member to cooperate with the liquidators in the administration of the company’s estate.

The application was instituted by the co-liquidators of Tiar Construction as a last resort to secure the cooperation of the sole member, Mr L Marimuthu, of the insolvent entity.

“This was to compel Marimuthu to cooperate with the co-liquidators in the execution of, and to secure compliance with, legal obligations in the winding up of the estate.

“The issues before the court included the failure of Mr Marimuthu, to disclose the existence of all Tiar Construction’s assets, providing the co-liquidators with all documents and assets relating to the entity, and handing over all documents and assets of the entity,” SARS said on Monday.

During last week’s hearing, legal representatives for Mr Marimuthu applied for the postponement of the matter.

This application for the postponement was refused by the court because it was not satisfied that the application was in good faith and that the litigants could not be allowed to evade processes of court.

“The main application was, however, heard and an order handed down by the court ordering the sole member to deliver a statement of affairs of Tiar Construction as well as to hand over all documents and assets in his possession relating to Tiar Construction and/or confirm the whereabouts of those not in his possession,” the revenue service said.

SARS has acknowledged that in trying economic times the frequency of taxpayers’ facing insolvency rises.

In this regard, the liquidators play a pivotal role during the process of winding up the business of companies and in the recovery all assets, as well as protecting the rights of creditors in the estate – including SARS.

“SARS will resist any efforts by any taxpayer to wilfully engage in a strategy to evade compliance with their obligations in liquidation proceedings and frustrate court processes.

“This is done to the detriment of creditors in the insolvent estate. In many instances, the fiscus is the main victim. SARS will continue to act without hesitation against non-compliant taxpayers and calls on those who act obstructively to stymie the pursuit of liquidation and sequestration to desist,” Kieswetter said.

The Commissioner reiterated that SARS would not tolerate it when taxpayers act maliciously through the abuse of court processes and employ dilatory tactics to deprive SARS what is due and payable to the fiscus.

“I urge all insolvency practitioners to continue to execute their duties fearlessly and determinedly.  These efforts are fundamental to creditors’ abilities to recover debts due to them,” he said.

SARS said it will always work in the manner that supports the growth of the economy, creating jobs, while fighting poverty and inequality.

“Where, for whatever reason businesses do not perform optimally and they are not viable, every role player in the process is duty bound to act ethically and professionally, without fear, favour or prejudice,” SARS said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Ronald Lamola, says the National Prosecuting Authority Asset Forfeiture Unit (NPA AFU) has recovered billions of Rands stolen from the state through corrupt activities.

The Minister was speaking during the opening of the Association of African Anti-Corruption Authorities’ (AAACA) 6th General Assembly in Gauteng on Monday.

“The finalisation of two high value corruption cases has contributed to the AFU recovering R2.83 billion in corruption and related matters during the financial year, and a total of R10.2 billion has been frozen over the past four years. In state capture cases alone, the NPA has recovered R2.55 billion.

“Over the past four years, we have seen 13 new investigations, totalling 97 matters. The previous year, the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) secured freezing orders worth R570 million to recover the stolen monies from the corrupt and those who facilitated state capture.

“The Special Investigating Unit and the Special Commercial Crimes Unit’s collaboration is essential in fighting money laundering and illicit financial flows. This led to the finalisation of 364 cases in the last financial year and a conviction rate of 87.6%,” he said.

The Minister said the department is hard at work implementing plans to strengthen the fight against corruption in the public sector.

“Firstly we are looking at various measures to enhance the efficacy of our whistle-blowing framework and ensure that whistle blowers are adequately protected.

“Secondly, we have set up a National Council Anti-Corruption Advisory Council…to advise the government on the critical preventative measures, institutional capabilities and resources that are required to curb a recurrence of state capture proactively and to prevent fraud and corruption in South Africa.

“Thirdly, we are currently busy with inter-departmental consultations to strengthen our Investigative Directorate within the National Prosecuting Authority to enable it to have dedicated capacity to resolve cases identified by the judicial commission,” he said.

Lamola said in the context of The Corruption Perceptions Index – which ranks countries based on public sector corruption – countries on the continent are facing challenges in the battle against the scourge.

“The report highlights that the battle against corruption faces significant obstacles due to conflicts and political instability. It reinforces the idea that democracy and its associated values play a crucial role in establishing transparency and accountability within institutions.

“Put another way; corruption flourishes in places where democracy is weakened. Implementation is key. Without it, policies remain non-existent, and the fight against corruption lacks substance,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Ending the intricate web of construction site disruptions which threatens lives and thwarts government’s mission of turning the country into a giant construction site that creates jobs and grows the economy, requires a concerted effort from all.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala is acutely aware of this problem and the importance of the construction sector to the South African economy.

He has condemned these disruptions and subsequent extortions linked with it.

“It is important that we all speak with one voice in condemning site disruptions and extortion affecting this sector.

“It is even more important that we act together to root out these illegal practices which are bringing disrepute and dragging away investment in the South African construction and property sector,” the Minister told a recent Creamer Media webinar.

This as government and role-players have expressed concern over site disruptions which over time, have gained media coverage.

Zikalala has described the construction sector as the “backbone of the economy and social development” and a pillar for economic growth and recovery as per the instruction of President Cyril Ramaphosa when he presented the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (ERRP).

Head of the Justice and Violence programme at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Gareth Newham said disruptions cause damage and affect the ability of the country to use construction in a way that drives economic development and prosperity.

Since taking office in March, the Minister has visited several construction projects to monitor progress.

Among these were blocked and delayed projects caused by the hijacking and disruption of project sites in KwaZulu-Natal.

The rising phenomena of so-called construction mafia who invade, intimidate and disrupt the delivery of projects on the ground has resulted in the opening of 605 cases.

Impact

While some arrests have been made, Zikalala has highlighted the importance of arresting, prosecuting and sentencing of those involved in the scourge that is mostly affecting KwaZulu-Natal.

According to the Minister, site disruptions have cost the economy R68 billion.

Vice President of the Black Business Council, Gregory Mofokeng said the industry is actively cooperating with the police on the matter while contractors have also obtained court interdicts in efforts to curb the scourge.

“Unfortunately, in most of these instances the very criminals do not respect the court interdict. So we find ourselves in a situation where once again we either have to go back and rely on the police to make sure that those court interdicts are enforced.”

He adds that the sector is not seeing “increased activity in terms of making sure that these very criminals are arrested and brought to book.”

Minister Zikalala said that following the intervention of the President, a police unit is now in place.

 “I would say that since the unit came into being … there are results that we’ve seen though we have not reached a point where we see kingpins being arrested and sentenced which is quite key.”

Grievances

Meanwhile, a number of reasons have been given as to why some people engage in site disruptions.

Some feel marginalised and excluded from participating in economic opportunities that are available. According to the Minister, these individuals argue that government contracts are given to one and the same companies.

“They argue that when government says for any contract [awarded] that [is] above R30 million then 30% must be subcontracted. They argue that they are not given space to participate, even in that 30%,” said the Minister.

This is in light of the 2017 Preferential Procurement Regulations that state that public works contracts above the R30 million mark, should subcontract an element of 30%, if feasible to advance designated groups.

Commenting on the matter, Director of MDA Attorneys, Euan Massey said employers should be participative in the identification of work that can be subcontracted. 

“This requires that employers are participative in the process of identifying work which can be subcontracted. They are therefore required to undertake a number of things firstly to ensure that the work that's being awarded in that contract contains sufficient work that can be subcontracted to advanced designated groups,” he said.

While the country continues to battle historic challenges including poverty and inequality, site disruptions cannot be condoned.

“I must hasten to say there is no grievance among these that would justify site disruptions, extortion and sabotage of the economy,” said the Minister.

On the other hand, others are of the view that while they try to accommodate small business, some of these companies don’t deliver quality work and therefore fail to fulfil their obligations.

“The argument further says that those who are disrupting [sites] are sometimes given work but don't want to work … they demand money. Now we must be able to confront this situation and deal with it in a way that will ensure that legality is preserved,” said the Minister.

Empowering communities

On the other side of the coin, is the imperative to ensure that companies are committed to transformation agenda of the country in that they should support small business, the youth, women and people with disabilities.

“In doing so, the policy commitment of localisation must be preserved in all areas.

“It is important that we continue to work together to meet the targets that we've agreed upon in the transformation charter of the built environment,” said Zikalala.

He added that when construction projects are commissioned, communities must be briefed to ensure their buy-in in the project adding that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) will strengthen its internal social facilitation unit.

Mofokeng said the industry is geared towards empowering communities.

“As the construction industry we are geared towards empowering local subcontractors. We are geared towards …creating employment for the locals but the problem comes in where people are saying it is me who is not benefiting therefore this project must stop.”

Sector observations

Chairperson of the Construction Association of South Africa’s (CASA), John Matthews said site disruptions largely occur in the post-implementation stage of a particular contract. That it is often accompanied by the threat of violence or the act of violence itself.

One of the other worrying observations made by the industry when coming to site disruptions is that in some areas, councillors were also being co-opted by criminal elements.

“[This is] especially at the local level where you find that some of these criminals in fact pitch up on construction sites to talk to main contractors with the counsellors.  You find that the counsellors are now also involved in this whole unfortunate incidents where they are actually encouraging people to come and stop projects simply because certain individuals in the community are not directly benefiting,” Mofokeng said.

Responding to this, Zikalala said this needs to be addressed. “If we get that report, we will be able to engage with councils through speakers and then be able to take disciplinary actions against those councillors.”

The Minister also called on contractors to refuse to pay bribes while also adding that whistleblowers must be protected.

The District Development Model said the Minister, could be used as an anchor to working together with industry.

The model is a practical mechanism to enable the three spheres of government to work together, with communities and stakeholders, to plan, budget and implement in unison.

Mathews also spoke of the cost implications incurred as a result of disruptions in having to secure project sites and more importantly, protecting the lives of those working on site.

”Such disruptions have many facets from community groups wanting a piece of the pie so to speak, with real and legitimate concerns, to the extreme threats of the so-called construction mafia-type organisations wanting 30% of profits.”

Kile Mteto, of the South African Women in Plumbing and Trades, said site disruptions not only increase the cost of doing business, but their impact is felt “mostly by the SMMEs, especially women-owned entities as they are at the bottom of the food chain in accessing opportunities of the sector.”

Taking action

Despite the various challenges, Massey said it is encouraging to see that there is interest to tackle this issue.

“… I completely agree with Minister Zikalala that we have to act with one voice in terms of addressing this issue.

“I think that up until now, that hasn't happened. There's been a lack of unity amongst all role players in how this is addressed and it seems that more recently, there's been a real desire to work together to get to the bottom of this problem.”

Massey said proactivity is needed in order to “properly remove the scourge that we are faced with.”

The Minister said a thorough discussion on how to grow infrastructure is necessary.

“I believe we do need to look at whether we need a construction sector master plan.”

Removing all the spanners in the works, definitely requires a societal response. –SAnews.gov.za

 

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the National Dialogue on Coalition Governments, which will be held in Cape Town.

The dialogue is convened by the Leader of Government Business, Deputy President Paul Mashatile and will be held on Friday and Saturday.

“The two-day dialogue, themed 'Working together to build strong and resilient democratic institutions to serve the people', aims to lay a foundation for a National Framework on Coalition Governments, which will serve as a guide for effectively managing and navigating coalition governments where they become necessary,” the Presidency said in a statement.

Furthermore, all segments of society will be brought together for the event.

“The dialogue will bring together different sectors of society to work towards crafting a clear and predictable framework for coalition governments in South Africa to ensure cohesive and effective governance,” the statement read.

Last week, the Presidency explained that communities have been negatively affected by coalition governments in the country.

“The need for such dialogue is informed by the adverse effects that have been observed in certain coalition arrangements at local government, particularly their impact on service delivery and governance.

“In order to mitigate these negative effects and foster a more productive and harmonious governance approach, it has become necessary to embark on a transformative national conversation,” the Presidency said. – SAnews.gov.za