Category: Government Opinion Pieces

The Director-General of the Department of Public Enterprises, Kgathatso Tlhakudi, has been dismissed following an inquiry into a complaint laid against him with the Public Service Commission.

The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, was mandated by President Cyril Ramaphosa to conduct the inquiry, which looked into whether or not Tlhakudi violated his employment contract.

“A due process was undertaken in which all the allegations were put to Mr Tlhakudi, who was represented in the inquiry. Having considered all the evidence presented, the chairperson of the disciplinary, Advocate Ramawele SC, found that Mr Tlhakudi breached his contract and made sanctions of dismissal.

“Minister Lamola has given effect to the sanction and has thus issued Mr Tlhakudi with a dismissal letter dated 2 June 2023, in terms of section 16B of the Public Services Act, 1994,” the Department of Justice and Correctional Services said.

The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) said it will be implementing the decision.

“The DPE can finally put all its efforts into advancing the reforms aimed at capacitating SOEs [State-owned enterprises] to deliver on their developmental mandate.

“This work will culminate with a series of critical outcomes, including the creation of the National Transmission Company of South Africa out of Eskom, the establishment of an infrastructure manager within Transnet Freight Rail, and the introduction of private partnerships for the Durban Container Terminal,” the DPE said.

Meanwhile, the DPE said it has noted the decision of the Constitutional Court to dismiss Tlhakudi’s application for leave for a direct appeal against a Labour Court decision to uphold his suspension.

“[The] Constitutional Court’s decision was further vindication of its stance that Mr Tlhakudi has long sought to avoid accountability for his misconduct that arose from a complaint that was filed with the Public Service Commission for alleged unethical behaviour over a recruitment process in the department.

“Moreover, Mr Tlhakudi’s deceitful utterances and conduct in recent weeks, in which he has continued to peddle lies about the department and its political executive head, Minister Pravin Gordhan, has served to bring into sharp focus his utter disregard for due process, opting instead to portray himself as a victim through falsehoods,” the department said.

The department said the now former DG’s “attempts to undermine the DPE’s work of stabilising State-owned enterprises by alleging impropriety” in the deal to sell some 51% of shares in South African Airways to Takatso consortium “were doomed to fail”.

“The [department] reiterates the fact that Mr Tlhakudi was party to every step in the process that evaluated the interests that were received by the DPE for SAA. Additionally, he had authorised and provided oversight for the due diligence that resulted in the shortlisting of Takatso as the preferred SEP [strategic equity partnership], in line with specific criteria that he had formulated as part of the adjudication process,” the department said.

Government’s efforts to avoid load shedding at essential service facilities continues with some 76 hospitals already excluded from the rolling power cuts, while work for 46 others is ongoing, says Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.

This as the North Gauteng High Court ordered that hospitals, schools and police stations be exempted from load shedding. The court also gave the Public Enterprises Minister 60 days to ensure that those public facilities have sufficient electricity supply.

According to Gordhan, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) had already initiated efforts with the Health Department and Eskom to identify 213 facilities that need continuous electricity supply.

“The DPE initiated the work to segregate these hospitals, working with the Department of Health. As government, we are continuously working to determine what other facilities can be isolated from the integrated grid. In certain instances it is not possible,” he said.

Turning to load shedding itself, Gordhan said government has increased efforts to increase Eskom’s generation capacity and bring down load shedding.

The power utility continues to battle breakdowns and delays in returning generating units to service at power stations resulting in increased stages of load shedding.

“It is regrettable that as a country we do not have an adequate supply of electricity. This is the reason we have load shedding, and our efforts are targeted at ensuring that our generation capacity is urgently increased.

“The load shedding that is affecting families, schools, health care and business facilities is regrettable. This is not wilful, and it is not in the absence of continued and determined efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of load shedding,” Gordhan said.

The department said Gordhan has cautioned against political point scoring related to load shedding.

“Minister Gordhan said it was disheartening that some political elements were so devoid of any empathy and were seeking to use the suffering caused by load shedding to score cheap political points. Most notable in this regard were the attempts by Build One South Africa (BOSA) Leader Mmusi Maimane to capitalize on the suffering of citizens for political mileage.

“Minister Gordhan said the DPE’s decision to appeal the recent ruling by the North Gauteng High Court on load shedding was about ensuring that current and ongoing efforts to stabilize the national grid were not compromised due to the ongoing need to balance supply and demand for electricity.

“The Government has expressed regret at the hardship that load shedding has imposed upon the citizens and has vowed to press ahead with coordinated efforts to urgently increase the country’s electricity generation capacity to mitigate the impact and the severity of load shedding,” the department said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Madam Justice Mahube Betty Molemela as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) starting from 1 June.

The position became vacant following the appointment of then President of the SCA, Mandisa Maya, to the position of Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court last year.

The President said the appointment is in line with government’s transformation agenda.

“Justice Molemela’s appointment adds impetus to the continuing transformation of key institutions of our democracy, including the judiciary. Justice Molemela is an outstanding jurist who will play a critical role in entrenching justice for all South Africans,” President Ramaphosa said.

A statement by the Presidency explained that Molemela was appointed following consultations with the Judicial Service Commission and party leaders in the National Assembly.

“On 26 January 2023, the President nominated Madam Justice M B Molemela for the vacant position of President of the Supreme Court of Appeal and addressed a letter to the Judicial Service Commission, (JSC) initiating the consultation required in terms of Section 174(3) of the Constitution.

“The President requested the JSC to indicate its views on Justice Molemela’s suitability for appointment as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The Commission invited public comment on the candidacy of Justice Molemela, and held a public interview to assess her suitability for the position on 17 April 2023.

“Following the interview, the Chairperson of the JSC and Chief Justice submitted to the President the Commission’s views on the suitability of Justice Molemela to occupy the position of President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

“The Chief Justice indicated that there had been no objections from the public or professional law bodies against Justice Molemela’s candidacy and that she had succeeded in her interview. Additionally, an overwhelming majority of the members of the JSC voted in support of Justice Molemela’s suitability,” the statement read.

Molemela was the Free State Division of the High Court’s first female Judge President and has had a career spanning some 15 years on the bench.

“During her 15 years on the Bench she has served as a Judge President of Free State Division of the High Court for a period of three years before her elevation to the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2018.

“She has also served as a Judge of the Labour and Labour Appeal Court, Acting Judge of the Competition Appeal Court and Acting Judge of the Constitutional Court for two terms in 2015. She holds a B. Proc degree (University of Fort Hare); LLB, LLM and LLD (Honoris Causa) (all three from the University of Free State),” the Presidency said.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to forge ahead with the roll-out of the R100 million Youth Empowerment Fund, aimed at supporting youth owned businesses and creating successful young entrepreneurs.

Dube-Ncube said the youth fund is making a huge impact in levelling the economic playing field, as it seeks to end the economic exclusion and marginalisation of black youth in the mainstream economy, while sustaining jobs and ensuring reliable sources of income for the youth.

She said the province is determined to make young people job creators, as opposed to only job seekers.

“We have demonstrated this in practice through earlier funding allocations and support to youth enterprises which have now entered the business market and is creating jobs. There is a proper monitoring and evaluation process in place to ensure that the funding allocation is indeed benefiting young entrepreneurs,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier highlighted that, since its launch, a total of 53 youth enterprises have benefitted from the Youth Empowerment Fund, and have created close to 500 jobs employing other young people with some landing contracts outside the borders of the province and the country, while growing the economy in the process.

An investment team, which operates under the supervision of the KwaZulu-Natal Growth Fund Trust (KZNGF), is responsible for screening all applications.

The team is appointed by the Director-General in the Office of the Premier, Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize.

The Premier said the criteria used by the investment team stipulates that commercial viability is a “crucial requirement for the funding of any business.”

In order to qualify for the youth fund programme, Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs), and its shareholders/members must:

• Have a profit motive;
• Have its principle place of business operations in the KZN Province, or where the KZN Youth Fund grant is being applied in KZN most of the revenue must be generated in KZN, which excludes goods for export;
• Be incorporated either as a limited liability company, close corporation, co-operative, partnership, or an incorporated company;
• Have a minimum of 51% of its issued ordinary shares owned by African youth who are KwaZulu-Natal citizens by jurisdiction or white disadvantaged youth as defined;
• Employ at least one KZN African black youth/woman shareholder on a full-time basis;
• The owners must demonstrate their commitment to the business in the form of time (operational involvement), assets and/or cash, the extent of which will be determined on a case-by-case basis;
• The majority shareholder(s) must be between the ages of 18 and 35;
• Be an existing business owner;
• Require funding between R50 000 and R2 000 000; and
• Must have the relevant management experience and expertise with the ability to manage the business or must be willing to go through a development programme geared for this purpose.

“In building this future, the upliftment of the youth is paramount, as evidenced by the increased investment in the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Empowerment Fund which now will move from R50 million to R100 million.

“Last year, the Youth Development Fund spent R90 million in support of business mostly owned by the youth involved in every sector of our economy. For the 2023/24 financial year, R100 million is repurposed for youth development to benefit more youth in sectors and businesses that employ more people,” the Premier said.

Dube-Ncube is expected to soon announce the Youth Empowerment Fund beneficiaries who were selected after a rigorous process.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, through his weekly newsletter to the nation, has reiterated South Africa’s stance that the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine must be resolved through negotiation and peaceful means.

This after the US Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, said that South Africa supplied weapons to Russia after a Russian vessel, known as Lady R, docked in South Africa in December last year.

“Consistent with our stance on conflicts in other parts of the world, South Africa’s view is that the international community needs to work together to urgently achieve a cessation of hostilities and to prevent further loss of life and displacement of civilians in Ukraine. It needs to support meaningful dialogue towards a lasting peace, which ensures the security and stability of all nations.

“As a country, we are committed to the articles of the United Nations Charter, including the principle that all members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means. We support the principle that members should refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of other States.

“Our position seeks to contribute to the creation of conditions that make the achievement of a durable resolution of the conflict possible. The reality is that the Russia-Ukraine conflict – and the tensions that underlie it – will not be resolved through military means. It needs to be resolved politically,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President emphasised that government’s stance of non-alignment does not “favour Russia above other countries. Nor do we accept that it should imperil our relations with other countries”.

He explained that as President, he has met with USA President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to reiterate this position of non-alignment and called for peaceful resolution of the Eastern European conflict.

“In all our interactions with these countries, we restate our belief that the United Nations remains the only viable mechanism through which the global community can strive for peace and common development.

“Yet the conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the weaknesses in the structure and practices of the United Nations. The composition of the UN Security Council, in particular, does not reflect the realities of the current global landscape. It needs to be overhauled so that there is equitable representation and a more inclusive mechanism for resolving international disputes.

“South Africa is a sovereign state, governed by a democratic Constitution and committed to the consistent application of international law. We will continue to fulfil our obligations in terms of the various international agreements and treaties to which we are signatories,” he said.

Foreign policy and the Lady R

The President explained that South Africa has pursued an independent foreign policy since the advent of democracy and that it has come under “extraordinary pressure… to abandon its non-aligned position and take sides in what is in effect a contest between Russia and the West” since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out.

“One of the most impressive features of the international anti-apartheid movement was that it drew support from countries and citizens from across continental and ideological divides. The struggle to end apartheid was taken up in capitals from Africa to Europe, from the Americas to Asia. Our leaders worked hard to gain the support of governments, lawmakers and citizens across the divisions of the Cold War.

“That experience – of reaching out across political divides and building relations with very different countries – has helped to shape our foreign policy. This has been coupled with a firm belief in the value of an inclusive multilateral world order and the peaceful resolution of conflict through dialogue,” he said.

Turning to the issue of the docking of the Russian vessel, the President said an independent inquiry headed by a retired judge will establish the facts of the matter.

“South Africa’s position on this issue was well explained by my envoy, Prof Sydney Mufamadi, and his delegation who recently travelled to Washington DC for discussions with representatives of the United States government.

“We are determined, in both word and action, to maintain our position on the peaceful resolution of conflict. Guided by the lessons of our history, we will continue to resist calls, from whatever quarter, to abandon our independent and non-aligned foreign policy,” President Ramaphosa said.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has strongly condemned incidents of violent disruptions, arson, vandalism and intimidation at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the University of the Western Cape.

“Government cannot and will not tolerate the threat to lives and destruction of property, and requests  university management to tighten up security at all campuses in order to ensure the safety of all students and workers,” Nzimande said.

Nzimande said arson, vandalism and intimidation will never justify and cannot be associated with any legitimate forms of protest. He said it must be “condemned unequivocally by all, including by student leaders themselves”.

According to reports, a number of grievances led to the clashes that played out last week on campuses between students, campus security and the police. Chief among these are changes made to some of the terms of student funding from the State.

The Minister appealed to both the universities to work with the law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of these criminal acts are exposed, and that the necessary disciplinary actions are taken against all students who are involved.

In order to resolve genuine student concerns, Nzimande said, the Department of Higher Education and Training, together with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), has been consulting stakeholders at the universities – including the Student Representative Council (SRC) – to resolve the impasse.

The Minister also appealed for calm and for all the stakeholders to continue to participate in the consultation processes.

He said he will be awaiting a full report from the consultation processes, and a way forward.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa is driving reforms in the electricity sector to enable private investment in electricity generation and accelerate the procurement of new generation capacity, including solar, wind, gas and battery storage.

“We are implementing the national Energy Action Plan to increase the current supply of energy and to achieve energy security in the long-term,” President Ramaphosa said.

Speaking at the South Africa–Finland Roundtable Business Forum held in Menlyn, east of Pretoria, on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa said South Africa is in the grip of an energy crisis.

The Business Forum was attended by government representatives and business leaders from the two countries.

“Even as we work to improve the performance and efficiency of our existing coal-fired power stations to address energy shortages, we remain committed to a just energy transition, and to our target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

“A just transition to a low carbon, climate-resilient, greener economy forms part of South Africa’s global climate change commitments. We believe that there is alignment between our objectives and Finland’s goals,” President Ramaphosa said.

On the economic front, President Ramaphosa said South Africa is ready for a partnership with Finnish companies willing to do business in South Africa.

“Our team at InvestSA would be very keen to have discussions with yourselves to see how we can support Finnish companies with projects in South Africa to enable greater levels of funding for Finnfund. South Africa’s value proposition is the diversity and sophistication of our economy.

“We have also noted, in terms of Finland’s Africa strategy, that at least 50% of the value of Finnfund’s new funding decision is geared towards investments in Africa,” President Ramaphosa said.

President Ramaphosa said Finland intends to double trade with Africa.

“Furthermore, [Finland is] committed to increasing investments from Finnish companies into Africa between 2020 and 2030.

“Finnish companies have a presence in South Africa in the packaging, industrial cranes, metals, digitisation, green finance, energy, fleet management and mining equipment sectors, amongst others.

“Finnish business can also support Africa’s economic integration and intra-African trade,” the President said.

Finland is an important partner to South Africa and despite its small population and territory, it is amongst the most developed countries in the world and provides valuable trade, investment and development cooperation to South Africa.

Finland is also a strong international partner in areas of various global issues such as strengthening multilateralism, international law, peacebuilding and mediation, the advancement of gender and human rights as well as around issues of renewable energy.

Since 2010, Finland has been supportive of South Africa’s national priorities and continues to be a reliable partner in various sectors, including maritime, science and technology, ICT and digitalisation, environment, energy, education, skills development, agriculture and water.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, confirmed on Tuesday that South Africans who were stranded in Sudan have now safely crossed into Egypt after a 72-hour ceasefire was agreed.

“We evacuated not only South Africans,” Pandor said, speaking on the sidelines of the Finland State Visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

According to Pandor, South Africa was also asked to assist with Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and some Brazilian citizens.

“So, they have crossed successfully and safely. The task now is to get them to South Africa and that lies in the capable hands of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF),” she explained, adding that government is still awaiting the final details on when they will land on home soil.

On Sunday, the SABC stated that the SANDF team was on its way to the warring country to evacuate local citizens.

SAnews on Monday reported that 77 South Africans were stuck in Sudan following the conflict that broke out last week between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to reports, tensions erupted on 15 April during negotiations to integrate the RSF into the country’s military as part of plans to restore civil rule and over 420 people have since been killed.

Pandor said it is in the global interest for the conflict to end and that the leaders will continue with their broad efforts to engage and draw the two parties together.

According to the department’s spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, two buses have safely arrived at the border with Egypt.

“We have officials from the SA Embassy in Egypt to receive them and facilitate their entry into Egypt. The South African government will pay for their flights back to South Africa,” he tweeted.

He also thanked everyone for their support, including the Gift of the Givers and the Egyptian government.

Meanwhile, he said there are 12 more nationals that will leave Sudan today.

The Minister raised concerns about lives being lost and the capital city Khartoum that is being battered, while citizens continue to bear the brunt.

United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, tweeted: “Following intense negotiations, the SAF and RSF have agreed to implement and uphold a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire starting midnight, 24 April.

“We welcome their commitment to work with partners and stakeholders for permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements.”

The Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation is investing in infrastructure to provide quality teaching, learning, research and innovation spaces in the post-school education and training (PSET) sector.

This is according to Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, who on Monday opened the University of the Western Cape Education Facility precinct and the Unibell Residence at the Bellville Campus in the Western Cape.

Nzimande said his department will continue to prioritise infrastructure development at historically disadvantaged universities to ensure that maintenance backlogs are addressed and the quality of infrastructure delivery management is improved at these institutions.

“This is among the reasons that we have reviewed our current existing model of cooperation with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to make it more effective and in line with our plans of using our PSET infrastructure to stimulate local economic development and inclusion.

“Our determination to strengthen and grow the PSET system is of late being demonstrated by our investments in the feasibility studies of the new universities of Science and Innovation, and a new Crime Detection University through the Infrastructure and Efficiency Grant (IEG) to the value of R6 million,” he said.

The Minister said both the University of the Western Cape’s projects are significant in scale and will certainly add tremendous value to the university, its academic focus and the living and learning experience of students.

The University Master Development Plan 2014, focusing on precinct development, introduced the Faculty of Education Precinct.

The Minister mentioned that this is also in line with their new designed model of education precincts, which he launched in a pilot project in KwaZulu Natal, called the Imbali Education and Innovation Precinct.

This project is aimed at exploring and testing an alternative modality of education delivery, based on closer multi-educational institutional co-operation, closer articulation, with strong science and innovation linkages.

“Such integration through precincts… will ensure that we produce well- rounded students who are ready to take up their positions within our economy and society. Our next similar precinct to be established will be in Giyani in Limpopo, where we have already started to set up a university campus as well.

“This is the reason why I am pleased … to launch another precinct which signifies a substantial next phase in the university’s focus on precinct development on its main campus, and the adaptive re-use of existing infrastructure to give new life to older buildings,” Nzimande said.

The Minister added that he was pleased that progress with this strategy was largely driven by the rate at which the science precinct is being developed. This includes the Life and Chemical Sciences buildings, the South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry building as well as the Computer and Mathematical Sciences (CAMS) building.

The Unibell student accommodation is part of the Phase 1 of the Student Housing Infrastructure Programme (SHIP), of which the University of the Western Cape is allocated 2720 beds.

The project is also significant as it demonstrates the Department of Higher Education and Training’s commitment towards its partnership with universities and the Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in the provision of quality student housing infrastructure facilities.

It is also a practical demonstration that government is committed to addressing student housing backlogs.

The Minister highlighted that a wide range of partners including the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), National Treasury (NT) and EU through its Infrastructure Investment Programme for South Africa (IIPSA) committed to supporting the Department’s Student Housing Infrastructure Programme by providing financial support for the development of student housing projects on universities and college campuses.

“Many public universities and TVET colleges have not been able to make sufficient investments in the maintenance and expansion of their student housing portfolios, largely due to financial constraints.

“In order to assist them, my Department established the SHIP project which was aimed at addressing student housing backlog through the implementation of large student housing projects that deliver more than 1000 student beds each across universities and TVET Colleges,” he said.

From the onset, SHIP was established to ensure that a minimum of 60% of the student beds it delivers are for campuses in rural and peri-urban areas.

The Minister said that one critical element of ensuring access to quality higher education and training, and success in the system, is investment in student housing infrastructure to ensure quality teaching, learning and a conducive student living and learning environment.

The council for quality assurance in general and further education and training, Umalusi, has called on potential applicants who want to replace their lost Matric certificates to apply directly on the Umalusi website.

In a statement on Wednesday, Umalusi said that it wishes to clarify the procedure to be followed by interested applicants to access the service, following the media statement released on 31 March 2023 regarding the new Online Application System for Replacement Certificates.

“Since the launch of the system, Umalusi has been inundated with calls and emails from potential applicants wanting to apply either telephonically or via email. Process wise, interested applicants should apply directly online (on the website) by visiting the Umalusi website https://www.umalusi-online.org.za/ReplacementCertificate/,” Umalusi said.

The quality assurer said that this online service is meant only for lost or damaged certificates issued by Umalusi or its predecessor, SAFCERT, since 1992.

These are the Senior Certificate (SC), National Senior Certificate (NSC), National Certificate Vocational (NCV) Levels 2-4, General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) and N3 Certificate.

An applicant will need to pay R137.00 if the certificate is to be collected from Umalusi or R202.00 (R137.00 for the certificate and R65.00 for courier fees) if the certificate is to be couriered to a physical address within the borders of South Africa.

Applicants who experience any challenges with the system are urged to send an email to: Replacement.Support@umalusi.org.za.