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News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff
Content theft has become a rampant issue in the digital age, where creators’ work is easily accessible and replicable. The case of Nara Smith, a food blogger, allegedly stealing content from Onezwa Mbola, a small creator from South Africa, highlights the unfairness and consequences of content theft. Onezwa, who doesn’t profit from her content due …
Despite the fact that South Africa is going through a significant political transition, our democracy remains a shining beacon of hope on a continent where a democratic process is desperately needed in many countries. This cannot have been achieved without the sacrifices made by strong political leaders who have fought hard to build our democracy. …
The selected young chefs are ready to present themselves to the prestigious Local Jury, showing their unique vision of the future of gastronomy Cape Town, South Africa 2024 – S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy announces the initial line-up of finalists selected for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25, the global initiative to discover and mentor …
On the 15th and 16th June, the Oceans 8 Charity Swim was held at the Durban Undersea Club. The swim, South Africa’s first warm water ocean event of its kind is a fundraiser for charity that support conservation and educational development. All entrants must raise a specified amount for different charities as a prerequisite to …
Following the launch of the second phase of its critical mineral mapping program, Eswatini is seeking foreign partners to support mineral exploration and extraction activities. To showcase opportunities across the sector, HRH Prince Lonkhokhela, Eswatini's Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, will speak at the upcoming Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) (www.CriticalMineralsAfrica.com) 2024 summit in Cape Town, joining African ministers including Martin Gama Abucha, Minister of Mining of South Sudan; Monica Chang'anamuno, Minister of Mining of Malawi; and Louis Kabamba Watum, Minister of Industry and the Development of SMEs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As a frontier mining market, Eswatini is currently engaged in various programs to accelerate the exploration of its critical minerals (https://apo-opa.co/3yzeZvd). In December 2023, the Geological Survey of Eswatini, in partnership with South Africa's Council for Geoscience, launched the second phase of a joint geoscience mapping program. The initiative, which leverages AI-based techniques, aims to locate and map the country's critical mineral resources, marking a significant milestone in regional collaboration to advance sector growth. To date, the country produces minor quantities of aggregate, coal, gold and iron ore.
The Critical Minerals Africa 2024 summit on November 6 - 7 serves to position Africa as the primary investment destination for critical minerals. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2024 conference (www.AECWeek.com) on November 4 - 8, offering delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.
“Eswatini represents a promising yet untapped critical minerals market. Recent mapping programs have identified mineralization in several basins across the Kingdom. As a result, increased cooperation with global stakeholders is key to injecting capital and technology into new projects,” stated Rachelle Kasongo, Event & Project Director at CMA 2024 organizers, Energy Capital & Power.
Eswatini is also working with industry stakeholders on best practices to attract foreign investments to bolster its critical mineral industry. Last January, Minister Lonkhokhela met (https://apo-opa.co/3AdjVq1) with the country's Minerals and Mines Management Board to work toward creating an enabling environment for enhanced private sector participation in exploration, production and job creation within the mining sector. At CMA 2024, Minister Lonkhokhela will connect with global investors and industry service providers to discuss and explore Eswatini's mining prospects.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
The Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Alvin Botes, met representatives of the German Bundestag on Wednesday, 7 August 2024, in Pretoria.
The meeting with Mr Nils Schmid, Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Bundestag, and Ms Bettina Lugk, Deputy Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs for the SDP in the Bundestag, took place in the context of the two countries' endeavour to forge closer political, diplomatic, economic and trade ties.
The SDP is the largest party in Germany's governing coalition and a member of eleven of the sixteen State (Provincial) Governments in Germany.
The meeting presented an opportunity for the two sides to discuss important geopolitical issues.
In addition to meeting the Deputy Minister, Mr Schmid and Ms Lugk will also meet with Members of Parliament, think tanks, trade unions, political parties, German companies, the Ghoethe Institute, the GIZ (Germany's development agency) and KfW (Germany's development bank).
South Africa maintains a substantial and diverse relationship with Germany. Germany is one of South Africa's most important strategic partners and is the second-largest market for South African exports, the third-largest source of overseas tourists, a major investor and development partner. The German Government views South Africa as a “global development partner” with which it seeks close coordination in international bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank. Germany is a leading investor in the South African economy, with approximately 600 German companies represented in South Africa.
Bilateral development cooperation focuses on energy and climate change (green economy), good governance and public administration, HIV/AIDS prevention and vocational training.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
BULAWAYO: Andile Mogakane claimed four wickets for South Africa Emerging on the opening day of the second unofficial Test against Zimbabwe...
In event management, creating memorable and immersive experiences is paramount. One technique that has revolutionised the way events are orchestrated is projection mapping. This innovative technology transforms ordinary surfaces into dynamic displays, captivating audiences and elevating the overall event atmosphere. Understanding Projection Mapping Projection mapping, also known as spatial augmented reality, involves projecting images, …
Demystify science for the most marginalised - Minister Nzimande
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, has insisted that, given South Africa’s – and Africa’s – historical past of discrimination and under development of parts of the population, it is imperative to “demystify science and its purposes and meaning to the lives of all people, especially the most marginalised”.
He was addressing the opening of the 32nd General Assembly of the International Astronomy Union (IAU) in Cape Town on Tuesday evening.
“Astronomy offers such an amazing opportunity to naturalise and indigenise scientific thinking within all our communities. Therefore, it is most fitting that this event will have Open Access features online, to generate scientific interest from the wider public.
“Young people have been appointed as volunteers for this event while others will be presenting their research posters, the General Assembly [GA] satellite viewing sites across Africa and astronomy ambassadors programme that has been launched throughout the continent as one of the legacy projects post the General Assembly,” Nzimande said.
On a continental scale, the Minister said it was in the interests of the international community to “broaden the participation of the African continent in astronomical sciences”.
“I would also like to recognise the efforts made by the IAU Office for Astronomy Development [OAD] and the African Astronomical Society [AfAS], both based in Cape Town in supporting other African countries to take advantage of opportunities in astronomy.
“We also see this Assembly as an opportunity for raising awareness of the IAU within the African science community and encouraging the emergence and professional development of the next generation African scientists.
“The Organising Committee of the 2024 GA has also announced that over 3000 abstracts were submitted, which is an impressive number for such an event and certainly offers an opportunity to share new sources of data and evidence to test through experimental work the explanatory value of the theoretical models developed in recent years,” he said.
A leading light
Minister Nzimande told the general assembly that government’s vision for South African astronomy is to become a “global hub for astronomical sciences and facilities as articulated in our National Strategy for Multiwavelength Astronomy of 2015”.
“The strategy provides a framework to take maximum advantage of South Africa’s historical strengths in astronomy, its geographical advantage of clear southern skies in the Karoo, the engineering and scientific base, large-scale investments in the MeerKAT/SKA endeavour and SALT [Southern African Large Telescope], and South Africa’s growing international ranking and partnerships in astronomy.
“This strategy is currently under review in consultation with the astronomy community so that it can be enhanced in order to take advantage of new opportunities in this era of multi-messenger techniques and technological innovations.
“The MeerKAT/SKA project, in particular, offers us an opportunity to contribute to the knowledge economy and the big data revolution through international collaborations and the pursuit of world-class research, thereby driving transformation and human capacity development. The SKA is the flagship frontier science partnership of the 21st century and South African remains fully committed to it,” he said.
The Minister revealed that the department is working with the Department of Tourism to develop an “astro-tourism sector through community-public-private partnerships in remote parts of South Africa”.
“We are looking forward to the approval of our newly established Astro-Tourism Strategy by Cabinet in the next few months.
“[Tourism] Minister Patricia de Lille and I will soon be co-hosting the Annual World Tourism Day in Carnarvon on 27 September 2024 – and this event will provide us with a unique opportunity to promote the preservation of dark skies and radio silence in the Karoo as this is essential for star-gazing and astro-tourism to thrive and to create jobs,” Minister Nzimande said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Wed, 08/07/2024 - 09:37
President Cyril Ramaphosa will embark on a working visit to the Republic of Angola on Thursday, August 8, 2024, to meet with President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.
The two Heads of State will use the occasion of the working visit to reflect on the bilateral relationship between the two countries, who share very deep historical ties that are rooted in the liberation struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
President Ramaphosa and President Lourenço will also share perspectives on issues of regional mutual interest, including the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and on regional and continental efforts aimed at resolving the conflicts that are plaguing the continent.
President Ramaphosa will be supported by Ministers Ronald Lamola of International Relations and Cooperation and Angie Motshekga of Defence.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.
Those who have not already chosen to leave will be evicted next week
Izimbizo an opportunity to ensure all understand how GNU is working for them
The Presidential District Development Model (DDM) Izimbizo are a priority for the seventh administration, as President Cyril Ramaphosa has identified local government as a priority focus area of the Government of National Unity.
This is according to Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, who briefed media at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday on the President’s engagement diary.
He said government has an obligation to interact and communicate with citizens in all corners of the country.
“With the Government of National Unity, this has become more urgent so that all citizens can understand how the new administration is working for them,” he said.
The Presidential DDM Izimbizo have been held since 2019 after President Ramaphosa indicated that he would like to visit South Africa’s 44 district municipalities and eight metropolitan municipalities.
Magwenya said the Izimbizo – which are attended by all Cabinet members – affords ordinary citizens a platform to voice their challenges and to hear from those that lead government on a national, provincial and local level.
“The Izimbizo is more than just a feel-good or gig for the President and the Cabinet. It is about identifying a district in conjunction with the provincial governments. Once a district has been identified, the various spheres of government come together, different workstreams are established to drive the process that is coordinated by the political champion.
“A few days before the actual Imbizo, Ministers and Deputy Ministers are deployed to the district to inspect their respective programmes. New projects are identified. On the day of the Imbizo, the President is accompanied by the Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers, Members of provincial governments, Mayors and Councillors and the community engages them. It does get heated at times and emotional,” Magwenya said.
He highlighted that public participation in the country has been a hallmark of South African culture since the dawn of democracy 30 years ago.
“Public participation is intrinsically part of the DNA of the democratic South Africa. To be exact, it was initiated by the Constitutional Assembly in 1994 to consult and keep South Africans abreast of the Constitution writing process.
“It is against this background that the President can assert that the Presidential Izimbizo and the public participation programmes are not political gimmicks of the current and previous administrations.
“Neither is it an extravagant exercise and wasteful expenditure of taxpayers’ money. But it is a caring government which is engaging its citizens across the political divide.
“It started in 1994 and it is entrenched in the South African public discourse. It has evolved from former President’s to today’s public participation programme of the Presidential Izimbizo under the banner of the [DDM],” he said.
At the briefing Magwenya hit back at critics of the izimbizo. This after recent reports claimed that government had spent at least R44 million on hosting four Izimbizo over the past 18 months.
While he conceded that hosting an Imbizo could be costly at times “all the officials involved must ensure that procurement processes are conducted within the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act”.
“Yes, critics will point out the high cost of DDMs and they will motivate how the money could have been utilised elsewhere. Indeed, one cannot quantify the impact of the Presidential Izimbizo in monetary terms, but it should be measured over the medium to long-term of what changes such events will bring to communities.
“It is mischievous to reduce the Presidential Izimbizo to Rands and Cents. It is about a caring government that is closer to the people, ensuring their right to access to basic services is solidified.” – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Wed, 08/07/2024 - 14:38
Imagine being under 122cm tall, stepping up from karting into mainstream circuit racing, and becoming one of the youngest drivers in South Africa at the Volkswagen Rookie Cup, all before your 14th birthday. This is exactly what Gqeberha-born karting champion Joshua Moore has achieved, and he’s just getting started… Just exactly when the driving bug …
President Ramaphosa's public programme for August
Fresh off the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the delivery of the Opening of Parliament Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa will embark on several local and international duties this month.
The President’s public programme for the next month was released by Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya during a media briefing on Wednesday.
The President is set to visit Angola for a working visit on Thursday, 8 August.
“The two heads of state will use the occasion of the working visit to reflect on the bilateral relationship between the two countries, who share very deep historical ties that are rooted in the liberation struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
“The leaders will also share perspectives on issues of regional mutual interest, including the situation in the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] and on regional and continental efforts aimed at resolving the conflicts that are plaguing the continent. The President will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola and the Minister of Defense, Angie Motshekga,” Magwenya said.
Wednesday, 13 August 2024
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to meet with Cabinet members, senior business leaders, and technical experts from government and business to discuss a new era of collaboration for a partnership launched over a year ago to address barriers to growth in South Africa.
Thursday, 15 August 2024
President Cyril Ramaphosa, will host a public signing of the Health Compact. The signing of the compact is expected to be held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, at 1:30 pm.
Saturday, 17th August 2024
President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend the 44th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government, hosted the Republic of Zimbabwe. The SADC Summit is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the Community, ultimately making it the policy-making institution of SADC.
Friday, 23 August 2024
The President will embark on the District Development model oversight visit and Presidential Imbizo to the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng.
Monday, 26 August 2024
President Ramaphosa will address the JET Municipal Conference. The aim of the conference is to convene key stakeholders within the municipal space to chart the way forward for the effective implementation of the JET Municipal Portfolio set out in the JET Implementation Plan (JET IP) which was approved by Cabinet in November 2023.
Wednesday, 28 August 2024
President Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address at the Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Thursday, 29 August
President Cyril Ramaphosa will appear in the National Assembly’s hybrid plenary session to provide oral replies to questions from the NA Members of Parliament at 2pm.
Friday, 30 August
The President will honour the invite from Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa. and embark on a working visit to Zimbabwe to attend the official opening of the 114th edition of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Wed, 08/07/2024 - 15:01
In celebration of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Total Ninja South Africa, Africa’s largest Inflatable and Adventure Park, is offering all Ninja warriors the opportunity to experience the excitement firsthand with their 2024 Olympic Challenge that will be hosted nationwide on Friday, 09 August across all Total Ninja venues. The park will further introduce guests to …
Top Click Media, a global leader in digital marketing, proudly announces its selection as a Google Premier Partner in South Africa for the eighth consecutive year. This prestigious recognition reaffirms Top Click Media’s outstanding performance and leadership in Google Ads and SEO services, reflecting the company’s unwavering commitment to delivering top-tier digital marketing solutions. …
On Thursday, 11 July 2024, K’li Scott and Claudia Garella of the Treverton Equestrian Centre embarked on an equestrian journey to Windhoek, Namibia. Both representing South Africa, K’li as a rider on two horses in the South African Adult Shield Team, and Claudia Garella as the Chef d’equipe of the South African Adult & Junior …
South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis with a staggering rate of 45.5%, the highest in the world in 2023 per www.statista.com. Empowering entrepreneurs and driving micro business development is crucial for economic growth, addressing unemployment challenges and lack of income opportunities, reducing financial inequality, and ultimately uplifting communities. Job scarcity, lack of skills, educational …
Today, leading African venture capital firm, Founders Factory Africa (FFA), has announced its rebrand and name change to 54 Collective (https://54Collective.VC/), evolving its business model to better support transformative technology ventures across the continent through catalytic capital and value-add support through its Venture Success Platform.
Download document: https://apo-opa.co/4diDADB
54 Collective, builds on its exceptional track record of investing in and scaling early-stage ventures in Africa. The new name, 54 Collective, reflects the firm's ambitious pan-African vision, aspiring to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses to serve all 54 African countries.
The firm is a commercial-first investor and embeds impact in everything it does. 54 Collective invests in ventures from idea to Pre-Series A stage by offering catalytic capital, and value-add support through its Venture Success Platform.
"Our catalytic capital and value-add support to founders, through our Venture Success Platform, signifies our evolution and ongoing mission to support entrepreneurs across Africa and enable them to build without boundaries to drive commercial and impact returns. Our name change to 54 Collective communicates our continued commitment to African founders. We are more supportive than ever of unlocking opportunities for entrepreneurs and ensuring a level playing field for youth and women founders,” commented 54 Collective CEO Bongani Sithole.
Investment strategy
54 Collective, offers equity and non-dilutive capital up to a total of $500k, enabling founders to scale their ventures across the continent. To break barriers of access, female founders receive an additional $150k, to their male counterparts, in the form of a non-dilutive capital.
The Venture Success Platform is made up of a team of highly experienced venture specialists who provide tailored support. This is in the form of product, growth, commercial relationships, business strategy, talent, technology and data to build ventures for scale. The team also ensures that founders have access to the right funding by preparing them for investor readiness, investor access, fundraising strategies, unlocking debt and impact capital. The Venture Success Platform empowers founders to succeed globally by facilitating networking and community building opportunities.
This unique combination of significant funding and comprehensive support distinguishes 54 Collective as the only Venture Capital firm in Africa offering early-stage founders with the highest amount of catalytic capital and support from the largest Africa-based venture capital team with over 70 staff members in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and the UK.
The firm has evolved from investing only in the Agtech, Fintech, and Healthtech sectors to being sector-agnostic in its investments, supporting more founders across many sectors on the continent. 54 Collective helps founders navigate complex challenges to achieve commercial success and make an impact on the continent through economic growth and job creation.
In 2023, Founders Factory Africa was named one of the top venture capital investors in Africa, with an active portfolio of over 50 ventures across 10 countries. To date, the firm has supported more than 70 ventures across Africa and helped its portfolio startups to raise nearly $140 million in follow-on capital.
A future of empowerment
With seven of the world's fastest-growing economies in Africa, the continent's venture capital sector is rapidly expanding, with $6 billion invested annually. However, this represents less than 1 percent of global venture funding, indicating a significant unmet need for smart capital.
“We are pursuing opportunistic investments in different sectors across the continent where there are uniquely large opportunities for startups to scale and create sustainable impact in these sectors. Our goal is to invest in 105 startups across Africa in the next five years, enabling entrepreneurs to provide solutions to the continent's biggest challenges and transforming lives and industries,” concluded Sithole.
The firm is well on its way to achieving many of its five-year goals which range from enhanced financial inclusion, improved healthcare access, and creating dignified and fulfilling work to creating a gender forward portfolio. 54 Collective is targeting a portfolio where 50% or more of its startups are founded by women. Currently, from the 17 investments made between January 2023 and July 2024 in its portfolio, 45% of them are founded by women. The firm's investments are also creating social economic impact in the wider economy. For example, Asaak, a vehicle asset financing company has improved financial inclusion for over 11,000 bodaboda drivers. An impact study uncovered that 79% of these drivers improved their quality of life significantly and 80% increased their income after receiving credit from Asaak.
Speaking on the significance of the brand evolution and future ambitions, 54 Collective's Executive Chairman and UTOPIA CEO Roo Rogers said, “54 Collective is a powerful economic and social force in the African economy. It is anchored with strong roots on the continent and exceptional network and reputation across the globe. Together with our sister funds, we continue our mission to redistribute investment and knowledge pathways towards a more inclusive, relevant, and equitable future for the Global South.”
54 Collective's vision is to create a future where African entrepreneurship drives generational progress and prosperity across the continent. The firm's new name, catalytic capital, and value-add Venture Success Platform offering, marks a new era for the venture capital ecosystem. 54 Collective is redefining investing across Africa, enabling its founders to build without boundaries and solve some of Africa's biggest challenges.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of 54 Collective.
For more information please contact:
Adam Wakefield - 54 Collective, Managing Editor
Tel: +27820490381
Email: adam.wakefield@foundersfactory.co
OR
David Mbai
Tel: +254716811083
Email: 54COmms@webershandwick.com
54 Collective social media handles:
Instagram: 54collective_vc
X: 54collective_vc
LinkedIn and Facebook: 54 Collective VC
About 54 Collective:
54 Collective is a Venture Capital firm dedicated to redefining investing across Africa. By offering catalytic capital and value-add tailored support through its Venture Success Platform, 54 Collective empowers entrepreneurs to build without boundaries. With a presence across Africa, 54 Collective leverages local expertise to help startups scale and achieve commercial success while creating systemic social and economic impact.
Join us in this exciting journey of transforming Africa's entrepreneurial landscape. For more information, visit (https://54Collective.VC/) https://54Collective.VC/ and become a part of 54 Collective's (https://54Collective.VC/) mission to help early-stage African startups grow and thrive and ‘Build without Boundaries' to empower Africa's next generation of innovators and leaders.
August marks Women’s Month in South Africa, a time to celebrate the incredible contributions of all women in society and reflect on their ongoing journey towards gender equality. This special month is an opportunity for businesses, communities, and individuals to honor the women who drive change and progress in the workplace. At Isilumko Staffing, we …
NSFAS processes payment for qualifying beneficiaries
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Administrator, Freeman Nomvalo, says the scheme has been able to constantly process payments for all the beneficiaries who have submitted their banking details.
Addressing the media on the developments in the implementation of his mandate on Tuesday, Nomvalo highlighted that one of the urgent interventions made by the new Administrator was to migrate the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) NSFAS beneficiaries into a direct payment system through their banker.
This follows frustrations experienced by students in receiving their allowances.
Nomvalo said from the data received, about 6% of students are not receiving their allowance because they either failed the verification process due to incorrect information they provided, while some did not capture their banking details.
Nomvalo said, despite various efforts made by NSFAS to get these students to capture their banking details, the students have not responded.
“There are possible two scenarios; one that, these students have no means to reach us, possibly the messages did not reach them or regrettably, some of these could be non-existent students. What is more worrying is that to date we have not received complaints from students who may have not received their allowances,” Nomvalo said.
He said NSFAS will continue to engage with institutions and students to submit their details for their allowances to be paid in the next payment run, while investigating the validity and existence of these students.
On the university payments, Nomvalo reported that the administration has taken a decision to extend the current arrangement with universities facilitating payment of allowances to NSFAS beneficiaries.
He said the arrangement, which follows consultations with the South Africa Universities South Africa (USAF), is extended until the end of the 2024 academic year.
“This decision arrived in response to USAF and in support of the beneficiaries, as well as the stability of the Post School Education and Training (PSET) system,” Nomvalo said.
The Administrator added that the scheme also intends to migrate the university allowances to a more cost effective and efficient payment system.
“The planning for the migration of universities was halted by the interdict warded in favour of Ezaga and others by the Western Cape High Court on 12 July 2024, which NSFAS is appealing,” he said.
ICT system delays conclusion of student appeals
Meanwhile, Nomvalo said the delays in finalising student appeals, loans, and the 2023/2024 funded lists, is directly connected to the current NSFAS ICT system.
Nomvalo noted that the only default position at this stage is to constantly introduce a manual process of verification, which is “completely cumbersome and over overstretching staff.”
He said in 2023 alone, NSFAS received about two million applications.
“It is almost impossible to expect NSFAS staff to manually conduct verification of these applications at some point in the value chain [and] such a work environment is undoubtedly prone to errors,” Nomvalo said.
He announced that with additional capacity acquired, NSFAS will be communicating with universities, including TVET colleges and students on final lists, not later than end of August 2024.
“On behalf of NSFAS we wish to express our sincere apologies to the affected students and our colleagues in the PSET system. We are working hard to ensure the 2025 academic year is less burdened with the same issues,” Nomvalo said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 08/07/2024 - 10:03
“We did the negotiations by ourselves because the police made it very clear that there’s nothing they can do to help us.”
Embracing the winds of change
It is often said that the more things change, the more they stay the same - and to some extent this is true.
In an evolving world, change is a necessity and is accompanied sometimes by pangs of anxiety and the eternal “what if” questions that take up residence rent-free in our minds.
As South Africans, we went through a period of transition with July 30 marking exactly a month since President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the Cabinet of the seventh administration under the Government of National Unity (GNU).
The journey to the seventh administration began at the ballot box at the May 29 elections that resulted in no outright winner at the polls for the political parties.
While citizens wanted their voices to be heard through the ballot, all of us were wondering what the future would hold for a democratic dispensation that was not run by a political party that had obtained an outright majority at the polls. In the immediate future, fears of possible mayhem and violence post the elections have not materialised.
Setting the ball in motion in the proverbial winds of change, was the holding of the first Cabinet Lekgotla where the Ministers, the Deputy President and President sat down to map out the programme of action of government.
A few days later on 18 July, the President delivered the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) where he outlined the new administration’s key priority areas. These are: driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living as well as building a capable, ethical and developmental state.
In announcing these priority areas, the President appealed to the larger South African family to behave as weaver birds who give their all to build and cooperate. He has called on all South Africans to remain committed to pursuing the path of cooperation, growth and inclusion.
The new and returning Ministers and Deputy Ministers have hit the ground running in their respective portfolios having tabled their respective Budget Votes that concluded with the President’s reply to The Presidency vote on July 24.
And while we all continue to learn the names and faces of the new executive, what is clear is that the work of government continues unhindered, despite having some new captains at the helm of government departments.
The changes have not brought about angst and instability among our people. Instead, the period between the elections up until the setting up of the seventh administration to date, has been characterised by stability we should not take for granted.
And perhaps quite fittingly the changes are taking place in a year that the country celebrates 30 years of freedom and democracy. The change not only tests the strength of our hard-won democracy, but also cements our freedom of choice in who we want to represent us in government and other areas of everyday life.
That freedom of choice has not been muffled or tampered with but has been taken seriously by the government of the day.
Attesting to this, the first citizen in replying to the Presidency Budget Vote said: “Above all, let us show that government will work for the people and that we can create a new era of growth and prosperity in our country.”
While it is still early days for the GNU, what has been clear for all to see is that there has been a sense of continuity in the operations of government, which is crucial in the creation of a better life for all as well as moving the country forward.
Just as human beings are constantly growing and evolving, change is constant but what remains is that the founding provisions of the Constitution of the republic founded on universal adult suffrage, a national common voters roll, regular elections and a multi-party system of democratic government, to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness among some of its values, still rings true, albeit the speed bumps along the way.
The Constitution as the supreme law of the land which cannot be superseded by any other law or government action, still lives and breathes for all of South Africa’s people.
Its supremacy has not changed and in an era of change, may its tenets to put South Africa’s people first, never fall. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo Semono is a Features Editor at SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Wed, 08/07/2024 - 11:11
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is thrilled to unveil the nominees for the annual CSA Awards, set to take place on...