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Police dealing with incidents of public violence

Location: News

Police dealing with incidents of public violence

The South African Police Service (SAPS) says integrated police deployments are currently dealing with incidents of public violence which erupted this morning in the Nyanga area as the looming taxi strike is yet to come to an end.

Roads in and around Nyanga and the Cape Town International Airport have been affected and traffic is severely backed up on the N2.

Incidents of busses torched in Borcherds Quarry Road are under investigation, and as yet, no injuries have been reported to SAPS.

“Our members will remain on high alert and deployed in numbers to ensure the safety of the public and to maintain law and order,” police said in a statement.

“We encourage any person who has been affected by an act of criminality to report the matter to SAPS immediately, so that an investigation can be initiated."

The public is urged to be vigilant and to apply safety measures to avoid being caught off-guard during the taxi strike.

The Western Cape taxi strike continues after talks failed to reach an agreement.

The meeting was between Santaco taxi industry leaders, the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town.

Centre to the taxi industry's unhappiness is the ongoing seizure of minibuses. – SAnews.gov.za

 

 

Edwin
Mon, 08/07/2023 - 09:42

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Winde counting the cost of Cape Town’s taxi strike

Location: News

Winde counting the cost of Cape Town's taxi strike

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde says the provincial government remains gravely concerned at the devastating impact caused by the strike called by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the province. 

This comes after six Golden Arrow buses were torched due to arson attacks since the taxi strike on Thursday, 3 August 2023.

This has forced the company to terminate its bus services in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Philippi East, Langa, and Mfuleni, while many roads remain closed. 

The Golden Arrow has since secured a court order on Sunday against Santaco to stop intimidating, harassing, threatening, or interfering with Golden Arrow, its employees, and passengers.

“I am appalled at the scale of violence that has not only dealt a severe blow to our economy and critical services but has also delegitimised and damaged Western Cape’s Santaco cause. 

“This violence and damage to property has continued this morning. I will be holding a special Cabinet meeting this morning with key leadership from the City of Cape Town to assess what further steps need to be taken and the impact on services,” he said on Monday. 

The Premier has again called for taxi leaders affiliated with the council to intensify all efforts to de-escalate the violence and urgently find a resolution to the dispute. 

He added, “All sides, more especially residents and commuters, are being harmed by this stay away. We must find common ground now.” 

Western Cape MEC for Mobility, Ricardo Mackenzie, said the province is concerned that the strike continues even after urgent engagements throughout the weekend. 

“The withdrawal of minibus taxi services since Thursday has had a devastating impact. As the provincial government we are working extremely hard to resolve ongoing issues in the industry and establish new terms of engagement that will ensure the safety of commuters and road users.”

The provincial government said the impact on provincial government and municipal services has been profound.

Because of the strike, the province said 287 420 learners have not been able to attend school across the province since the sudden stay-away was called. 

In addition, more than 9 000 teachers and staff were also prevented from going to work. 

Meanwhile, the past Saturday’s matric extra classes had to be canceled, impacting 14 000 learners.

According to the Western Cape, many healthcare facilities have been forced to operate at reduced capacity. 

These include Tygerberg, Red Cross, and Groote Schuur hospitals and the community health centres and clinics. 

While Tygerberg and Salt River forensic pathology services are operational, the province said the response to scenes would be delayed in red zones, as this will also only occur under the protection of law enforcement escorts.

In addition, many Western Cape Department of Social Development staff will have to work from home, due to the volatility of the situation.

The department will also have to temporarily close its offices in several areas. 

The Premier said: “This situation is untenable and unacceptable. Our residents cannot be forced to endure this lawlessness. All parties must return to negotiations”. 

MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, has condemned the burning and damage to all property, particularly safety-related resources. 

“Contingency plans have been adopted to ensure that the burning of the law enforcement vehicles in Delft will have no operational impact on the deployment of Law Enforcement Advancement (LEAP) officers in the area.” 

LEAP, according to the provincial government, is fully operational and part of interventions where required across Cape Town in particular. 

Red-zoned areas remain volatile. All law enforcement agencies are deployed across these communities and at strategic points. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Gabisile
Mon, 08/07/2023 - 09:46

Read moreWinde counting the cost of Cape Town’s taxi strike

TNPA, CSIR to address extreme wind disruption in Port of Cape Town 

Location: News

TNPA, CSIR to address extreme wind disruption in Port of Cape Town 

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to address extreme wind disruption to operate in the Port of Cape Town (PoCT). 

The TNPA and the CSIR-hosted programme, the Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS), and the other institutions intend to establish a series of research projects aimed at understanding the impact of extreme wind disruption on operations for the integrated maritime transport logistics chain at the PoCT. 

In the past few years, according to the joint statement, the PoCT lost an average of 1 200 hours per year of operational time due to extreme wind disruption.

“Extreme wind gusts can result in terminal equipment becoming unsafe to operate, thereby impacting terminal operations. 

“This sometimes leads to congestion inside and outside the port, resulting in vessels being at anchorage for extended periods. Several industries, including the time-sensitive fruit industry, are severely impacted by wind disruptions in the port,” the statement read. 

The parties said experts in various institutions who possess the skills required to address the problem are conducting the research. 

Meanwhile, the University of the Witwatersrand’s experts are studying the seasonal climate patterns that result in these extreme winds to establish whether there are trends and whether the wind is indeed intensifying with time. 

They are also looking into how wind patterns in the Cape Peninsula and the port are likely to change because of climate change. 

In addition, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers are examining the current and future economic impact of these disruptions on specific value chains to estimate the financial losses and assess the required investment into adaptation measures to deal with the problem. 

“The CSIR and UCT are focusing on feasible engineering and operational adaptations to address the challenge.”

TNPA Managing Executive for Western Region ports, Advocate Phyllis Difeto, said the institution appreciates the increasing risk of environmental challenges to port operations. 

“Unless these are carefully understood and managed, they can add a burden to the smooth management of the ports, which are vital to the functioning of the country’s economy. 

“Climate change presents a growing challenge to shipping and ports in that it impacts the state of both land and sea operations,” Difeto said. 

CSIR Senior Researcher and ACCESS Director, Dr Neville Sweijd, noted that extreme weather is the way in which climate change manifests. 

“The extreme wind problem in the PoCT is a classic example. It is not a new problem, but potentially a worsening one, and so it will increasingly have an impact on lives and livelihoods all around the Western Cape, especially for those people who are involved in the fruit export industry,” Sweijd added. 

He explained that the project seeks to produce solutions that can be used to adapt to and manage extreme wind impacts for the next two years. 

“We cannot turn the wind off, but we can learn to better work with it,” he said.

The MoA between TNPA and the research consortium will provide researchers with access to valuable data sources that are required for the study, while national ports authority will facilitate engagements with their key clients and stakeholders.

“Strategic partnerships are critical for a successful and integrated maritime transport logistics chain, and the TNPA continues to collaborate and partner with all stakeholders to optimise the value proposition of the port and the western region,” said Difeto. – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Mon, 08/07/2023 - 13:36

Read moreTNPA, CSIR to address extreme wind disruption in Port of Cape Town 

President Ramaphosa to attend Netball World Cup closing

Location: News

President Ramaphosa to attend Netball World Cup closing

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to attend and deliver remarks at the final match of the Netball World Cup held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in the Western Cape.

This has been the first instance where an African country has hosted the tournament.

“As the host nation, we have been honoured to welcome players and supporters from all over the globe and we look forward to an exciting final and the successful conclusion of the tournament.

“Of course we encourage our guests to extend their stay and be inspired in new ways by the many amazing experiences South Africa has to offer,” President Ramaphosa.

On Sunday, the Spar Proteas bowed out of the tournament with a sixth place finish following their defeat to Uganda. – SAnews.gov.za

 

 

NeoB
Sun, 08/06/2023 - 13:41

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Mashatile calls for ‘unerring focus’ on improving lives of South Africans

Location: News

Mashatile calls for 'unerring focus' on improving lives of South Africans

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called on political parties and civil society to craft a way forward for coalition governments that will improve the lives of South Africans.

The Deputy President was speaking at the National Dialogue on Coalition Governments held at the University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town, on Friday.

The two day dialogue seeks to lay a foundation for the creation of a National Framework guiding the effective management and navigation of coalition governments in South Africa.

“[Our] political focus must unerringly remain on the well-being of our people. Our pursuit of national consensus on how to approach coalition governments is a matter of national interest. Properly handled, it has the potential to bring the necessary stability, especially to the local government sphere, despite the intemperance we have witnessed in relation to coalitions.

“This dialogue therefore seeks to promote fidelity to the national interest so that we remain focused on the fulfilment of the constitutional injunction to build a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, and prosperous society,” he said.

Currently, South Africa has at least 70 hung municipalities and this has paved the way for the formation of coalition governments in local municipalities.

Some of these coalitions, particularly those in metropolitan municipalities, have given rise to, amongst others, instability and frequent changes in council leadership structures – ultimately hampering service delivery to citizens.

Deputy President Mashatile told those at the dialogue that in this regard, citizens are demanding accountability from those elected to lead.

“Whatever the configuration of governance, the electorate and the people as a whole expect from those who govern nothing less than the material improvement of their lives, a better future for themselves and their children as well as guarantees for peace and security.

“Those who govern also owe accountability to the people at all times for without accountability, the process of governance is compromised. Additionally, where parties battle it out, like the feuding houses of Verona, other things also get lost: among them, improving the lives of the people is often compromised with negative impacts on the wellbeing of citizens,” he said.

Mashatile said although coalition governments face a raft of challenges, current leaders “may be the generation in our evolving democracy that co-creates and designs resilient solutions to our political architecture”.

“We can ignite the hopes of our people with the demonstration of united leadership, which communicates the message that we have gathered here today as a collective of South African stateswomen and statesmen and not as mere politicians representing their parties.

“This national dialogue will not stop after tomorrow; it is just the beginning. It is the launch of the dialogue that must spread across our nation as we collectively grapple with the most crucial question: what do we do going forward to serve the people even better?

“The motto of this eminent institution of higher learning is Respice Prospice: look back, look forward, and take what is worthy from the past, and build the future. As we grapple with these issues, may we embrace the apposite counsel of the motto of the University of the Western Cape so that we are able to meet the expectations of the people for the material improvement of their lives, and secure a better future for them and their children. So shall we be true to the national interest,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Fri, 08/04/2023 - 12:52

Read moreMashatile calls for ‘unerring focus’ on improving lives of South Africans

Minister Marais hosts 1995 South African Netball team

Location: Sport

Western Cape Government: Department of the Premier
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On Friday, 4 August 2023, the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais, hosted the reunion of the South African netball team who reached sporting glory with their silver medal finish at the World Netball Championships in Birmingham, England in 1995.

The team brought renewed hope to South Africans with their remarkable 1995 campaign. They have now come from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to reunite and to support the current Spar Proteas team in their Netball World Cup campaign.

Captain Debbie Hamman shared her own reflections on traveling to Birmingham and the team's success at that tournament. Various members of the team also had the opportunity to share their experiences of that time.

Head of Department Guy Redman expressed the power of sport to bring hope to many people across the country and the importance of the legacies of players. “There is a saying that says: If you are traveling a path, you ask those who have gone that way already. You are the ones who have walked the path for others to follow.” he said.

Minister Marais thanked the team and praised them for their achievements: “You were the ones who paved the way for the next generation of netball players in our country. You played in difficult times but you did not let anything detract from your passion and dedication for the sport. Thank you for everything that you have done for netball in South Africa.”

The team will remain in Cape Town to support the last weekend of the Netball World Cup.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Western Cape Government: Department of the Premier.

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Transport Minister calls for resolution to Cape Town taxi strike

Location: News

Transport Minister calls for resolution to Cape Town taxi strike

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says the Department of Transport expects to meet with both the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) and officials in the City of Cape Town following the taxi industry’s suspension of services in the city.

She was speaking on the sidelines of the National Dialogue on Coalition Governments held in Cape Town.

On Wednesday after the taxi council suspended operations, taxis blocked roads, including major highways, resulting in the burning of buses and intimidation of motorists.

The strike follows a standoff with the City of Cape Town on various issues, including the impounding of taxis and operating license applications.

Chikunga said the department is expecting to convene a meeting with all role players to find a solution to the impasse.

“We have requested the MEC for Transport [in the Western Cape] because we believe the Department of Transport should lead and not the police because this is a matter that requires the Department of Transport nationally and provincially, sitting together with the metro.

“Of course, also the taxi industry itself represented by SANTACO. We have invited the national leadership of SANTACO, also their provincial and local leadership so that we hear exactly what the issues are and find solutions to those problems,” Chikunga said.

The Minister called for taxi operators to reconsider the suspension of services, which has left thousands of commuters without transport.

“We are extremely concerned about what has happened. What we would like SANTACO to do is maybe call off the strike while we are trying to find a solution. The people who become victims are not the people that they are unhappy with, but it is the commuters.

“Of course we would want to protect the Netball World Cup. We have got other events that have to take place in Cape Town. [The taxi industry] plays a key role in the transportation of commuters and we would definitely try to persuade them to consider calling off the strike,” she said.

Chikunga condemned the violence that erupted allegedly at the hands of taxi drivers in the area but also called on city officials to mete out “equal treatment” to all motorists, including those in the transportation industry.

“We are not saying that law enforcement should not enforce the law and we are not saying that the taxi industry should not abide by the law… of the road because that actually leads to accidents.

“However, when that law is meted, it should not just target the taxi industry. We are opposed to that. We can’t have a by-law that is just for the taxi industry. If it is wrong to cross any barrier line, it should be wrong for the bus, the taxi and for everybody. It should not just focus on and target the taxi industry,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Fri, 08/04/2023 - 09:27

Read moreTransport Minister calls for resolution to Cape Town taxi strike