Category: News

Safer Festive Season Operations in the Garden Route District in the Western Cape have seen 683 suspects arrested between 27 December 2022 and 2 January 2023.

The operations, conducted under the theme, ‘More boots on the ground towards enhanced police visibility’, also resulted in the confiscation of drugs with an estimated street value of R250 000.

Various police units, including members attached to the Garden Route Crime Combatting Team, Rural Flying Squad, Public Order Police, Crime Intelligence, K9 and crime prevention units, were deployed in a number of crime fighting efforts as part of the Western Cape police’s operational plan.

Police operations included roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints, the closing down of shebeens, compliance inspections at second-hand goods dealers, security companies and liquor licenced premises, high density patrols, foot patrols at malls and beaches.

“All operations were conducted in conjunction with Western Cape Provincial Traffic, Municipal Traffic and Law Enforcement of local authorities, security companies as well as community safety structures (neighbourhood watches, farm watches and street committees).

“Substance abuse remains one of the biggest contributors to serious and violent crimes in this region. Focused operations led to the arrest of 141 suspects for drug related offences, 131 for possession of drugs and 10 for dealing in drugs.

“The forces confiscated 2570 mandrax tablets, 204 grams of tik, 100 grams of cocaine and 1.2 kilogram of dagga. More than 2 000 dagga trees were also confiscated in crime [infested] areas. Other than this, police also confiscated just over 30 litres of liquor during the closing down of illegal outlets,” said the South African Police Service (SAPS) in a statement on Monday.

Road safety operations led to the arrest of seven suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol. Two stolen vehicle were also recovered.

The other arrests were for crimes reported during the period, as well as minor offences, including the arrest of three suspects after stolen sheep were found in their possession.

All arrested suspects are expected to appear in their respective courts once charged.

The Safer Festive Season Operations form part of concerted efforts by police to safeguard communities and visitors to the region, as well as to curb serious and violent crimes normally reported during this period.

“This strategic deployment of police resources in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies will be sustained for the rest of the festive period and beyond,” the police said.

As a precautionary measure, visitors are advised that the main bathing area section at Fish Hoek Beach between the lifeguard station and Jager Walk is temporarily closed to the public from Monday, 2 January 2023, until further notice.

The temporary closure is due to a sewer overflow caused by a blocked sewer pipe that has now been cleared.

“Items such as plastics and materials were removed from the sewer pipe. The public is reminded to not dump illegally, and rather dispose of their waste using available solid waste services or take recyclables to the City’s drop-off facilities,” the City said in a statement.

Various City departments have been activated to respond to this incident including to clear the blockage. A jet truck has also been dispatched to help reduce the impact of the overflow.

As a precaution, the above-mentioned section of Fish Hoek Beach has been closed until further notice.

City Health will be taking water samples on a daily basis for water quality testing until such time as the levels are within the minimum requirement for recreational activities as determined by the National Water Quality Guidelines.

In the meantime, the public is advised to avoid contact with the water in this section until further notice.

“This is a precaution as contact with the water could result in potential gastro-intestinal issues and therefore any person who enters the water does so at their own risk.

“Health Warning signage has been erected, advising the public of the situation.

“We appreciate the public’s cooperation during this time,” the City said.

The City regrets any inconvenience caused to beachgoers during this time.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has joined South African Catholics and adherents globally in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XV1.

His Holiness passed away on 31 December 2022 at the age of 95, close to 10 years after resigning from his role as head of the Catholic Church worldwide.

President Ramaphosa said: “South Africans share the sadness felt by millions of the Catholic faithful worldwide at the passing of the Pope Emeritus”.

“In this season of Christian fellowship, the passing of His Holiness is certain to add to the intensity with which Catholic adherents and other communities of faith carried the Pope Emeritus in their prayers in the closing days of his life.

“We reflect with deep regard on the spirit leadership Pope Benedict XV1 provided to his Church and humanity more broadly.

“The prayers and concern expressed by millions for His Holiness in recent weeks and days will now sustain and comfort the faithful in this hour of grief.”

Employment in South Africa increased by 10 000 quarter-on-quarter, between June and September 2022, Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) revealed in the Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) released on Thursday.

The 0.1% increase saw employment increase from 9 974 000 in June 2022 to 9 984 000 in September 2022.

The agency said the increase was largely due to increases in several industries.

These included business services (31 000 or 1.3%), trade (10 000 or 0.5%), construction (8 000 or 1.5%), mining (5 000 or 1.0%), transport (4 000 or 1.0%) and manufacturing (1 000 or 0.1%). The electricity industry reported no quarterly change.

However, said StatsSA, the community services industry reported a quarterly decrease of 49 000 employees or -1.7%.

Over this period, employment increased by 31 000 or 0.3% year-on-year between September 2021 and September 2022.

Over the four months, full-time employment increased by 36 000, from 8 837 000 in June 2022 to 8 873 000 in September 2022.

“This was largely due to increases in the following industries: business services (15 000 or 0.7%), trade (12 000 or 0.6%), mining (5 000 or 1.0%), transport (2 000 or 0.5%), community services (2 000 or 0.1%), and construction (1 000 or 0.2%). The electricity industry reported no quarterly change.

“However, the manufacturing industry reported a quarterly decrease of 1 000 employees or -0.1%,” said StatsSA.

Between September 2021 and September 2022, full-time employment decreased by 16 000 (-0.2%) year-on-year.

The agency said part-time employment decreased by 26 000 or (2.3%) quarter-on-quarter, from 1 137 000 in June 2022 to 1 111 000 in September 2022.

It said this was largely due to decreases in the following industries: community services (-51 000 or -9.5%) and trade (-2 000 or -0.9%). The electricity industry reported no quarterly change. However, there were increases in the following industries: business services (16 000 or 7.2%), construction (7 000 or 10.9%), transport (2 000 or 12.5%) and manufacturing (2 000 or 2.6%).

Part-time employment increased by 47 000 (4.4%) year-on-year between September 2021 and September 2022.

“Gross earnings paid to employees increased by R11.1 billion (1.4%) from R789.4 billion in June 2022 to R800.5 billion in September 2022.

“This was largely due to increases in the following industries: business services, mining, trade, manufacturing and electricity. However, there were decreases in the following industries: transport, construction and community services,” it said.

The year-on-year gross earnings increased by R17.5 billion (2.2%) between September 2021 and September 2022.

Over the reporting period, StatsSA said basic salary/wages paid to employees increased by R12.0 billion (1.7%) from R719.2 billion in June 2022 to R731,2 billion in September 2022. This was largely due to increases in the following industries: mining, trade, business services, community service, manufacturing, transport and electricity. However, the construction industry reported a quarterly decrease.

The year-on-year basic salary/wages increased by R17.8 billion or 2.5% between September 2021 and September 2022, the agency said.

The Presidency and National Treasury have released a progress report on the implementation of economic reforms to mark two years since the establishment of Operation Vulindlela.

Operation Vulindlela was established in October 2020 as a joint initiative of the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms.

“By fostering collaboration and coordination across government in support of the reform agenda, Operation Vulindlela has achieved significant progress in a short space of time,” said the Presidency.

The report published by the Presidency on Wednesday provides a detailed update on progress in the implementation of priority reforms in the electricity, transport, water and telecommunications sectors as well as reforms to the visa regime.

The full report can be downloaded at https://www.stateofthenation.gov.za/operation-vulindlela.

It highlights the following key achievements to date:

– Paving the way for private investment in electricity generation for the first time, with reforms underway to establish a competitive electricity market.

– Clearing the backlog of water use licenses and re-engineered the license application system, unlocking billions of Rands in investment.

– Ending a more than ten-year delay in the auction of high-demand spectrum, enabling substantial new investment in telecommunications.

– Facilitating the introduction of private sector participation in container terminals, to crowd in investment and improve the efficiency of port operations.

– Undertaking a comprehensive review of the work visa system, with recommendations to overhaul the work visa system and attract skills and investment.

– Published a new Critical Skills List for the first time since 2014, with new occupations in IT and other sectors with a need for skills.

– Adopted a new National Rail Policy to guide the modernization and reform of the rail sector, including the introduction of third-party access to the rail network.

– Developing and/or passing legislation to create a transport economic regulator, reform the electricity sector, and establish a National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency.

The Presidency said the report also provides details on new reforms which have been prioritised by Operation Vulindlela to drive inclusive economic growth, including creating an enabling legislative framework for hemp and cannabis, developing a devolution strategy for passenger rail, and addressing the backlog of title deeds for subsidised housing.

In a bid to empower youth and ensure that they are equipped to participate meaningfully in the digital economy, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube has aggressively embarked on the journey to drive the province as one of the technology hubs of the country.

Dube-Ncube attended the second day of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Skills and Technology Development Bootcamp held on Wednesday at the Archie Gumede Conference Centre in Mayville.

The two-day bootcamp saw 280 learners, including eight inmates from Westville Correctional Services Centre, being trained in various skills, including cyber security, data analytics, robotics, coding, broadband and e-sporting.

Since assuming office in August, Dube-Ncube has prioritised the implementation of the Connected Smart Province Project, as part of accelerating the digital revolution and has aggressively embarked on the journey to catapult KwaZulu-Natal as one of the country’s technology hubs.

Speaking to the youth at the bootcamp, the Premier said the provincial government wants to ensure that the province moves at the required pace in terms of implementing the Fourth Industrial Revolution as the new frontier of economic growth and the pillar on which industries of the future will be built.

“Our view remains that if we let the opportunities brought about by the 4IR miss us, we risk putting the future of our next generation into bleakness. This is a reality we can no longer postpone because it will have dire consequences for our development prospects.

“The sky is not the limit for the youth in our province hence we are creating an enabling environment for them to have the skills set and entrepreneurial acumen to be part of the multi-trillion dollar digital economy,” Dube-Ncube said.

She added that the provincial government is now rolling out bootcamps in all the districts where they are fast-tracking skills and technology development in the 4IR space among young people.

“We want the young people gathered here today to help create smart solutions to solve daily challenges such as using smart technology to find missing bodies that were washed away by the floods in April this year,” Dube-Ncube said.

The first 4IR bootcamp, which was held at the Durban Exhibition Centre in November benefitted over 450 young people.

Mobile digital skills lab

Meanwhile, as part of putting the province on the 4IR digital path, the Premier recently opened a Mobile Digital Skills Lab in Pietermaritzburg, which is being used to train young people in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics.

The Premier said the programme will be rolled-out to all the districts in the province.

She said 20 young people are currently on training, with 75 more being recruited for laptop and cellphone repairs, so that they can be empowered to open their own businesses.

Dube-Ncube firmly believes that the Fourth Industrial Revolution must contribute towards growing the provincial economy.

“For this to become a reality, the province is investing in advanced Information Technology systems and infrastructure to benefit all citizens, more especially rural and township communities.

With the recovery of train services on the Naledi to Johannesburg corridor, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has reached yet another critical milestone in its project to rehabilitate the passenger rail network and recover services.

“The completion of the rebuilding and resumption of service on the Naledi line accounts for the 13th corridor recovered this year. This means that not only have we achieved the target of rehabilitating 10 priority corridors in 2022, we have exceeded this target,” Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said on Thursday in Johannesburg.

Addressing the launch of the Naledi line commuter rail service at Park Station, the Minister said before the unprecedented vandalism and destruction of the rail network, PRASA was operating 40 commuter rail corridors in the 2018/2019 period.

“Today, PRASA is operating 16 corridors. In 2015, PRASA was moving over 500 million passengers per annum. This number dropped to a little more than 200 million in 2019/2020, dropping further to 17 million in 2020/2021. The rehabilitation work, which also gives impetus to the modernisation programme, will undoubtedly reclaim the commuter rail market share,” Mbalula said.

The vandalism and destruction of the country’s rail network resulted in a major setback for PRASA’s modernisation programme.

“This means that we have to re-build in excess of one thousand kilometres (1,000km) of rail and signalling equipment and approximately 100 kilometres of track and over 400 stations. The devastation of the floods in KwaZulu-Natal further compounded the problem.

“In May 2022, PRASA rolled out the rebuilding programme in three of the earmarked priority corridors in Gauteng, which were closed to enable speedy rehabilitation. These are Pienaarspoort to Pretoria, Naledi to Johannesburg and Leralla to Elandsfontein.

“The line closures were essential to allow for the major reconstruction work of the traction substations, Overhead Traction Equipment (OHTE) and stations to continue uninterrupted and safely,” the Minister said.

He said the recovery of the Naledi line is a major achievement, considering the role of commuter rail in bridging the gap between dormitory townships and centres of economic activity.

“Commuter rail plays an important role in unwinding apartheid spatial planning that located the majority of our people away from their workplaces. The Naledi to Johannesburg corridor covers a distance of 70km, with 15 stations. We are pleased that the work of recovering overhead electrical wires stands at 95% completion rate at a cost of R 152 398 591.16,” the Minister said.

Substations are at 60% completion at a cost of R 181 976 138.05. A total of 354 local labourers were employed.

Rebuilding rail infrastructure

To date, the following corridors have been recovered in Gauteng:

• Mabopane to Pretoria resumed services in January 2022.
• Saulsville to Pretoria resumed services in March 2022.
• Pienaarspoort to Pretoria resumed services in September 2022.
• PRASA also recovered the De Wildt to Pretoria line on 24 October 2022.

“Since 2019, the Western Cape Central Line has not been functioning due to extensive vandalism and the Illegal occupation on the railway line and rail reserve. Efforts to rehabilitate and recover the central line got underway in 2021, with the first two phases having been recovered as planned,” the Minister said.

The following corridors have since been recovered in the Western Cape:

• Cape Town to Simonstown resumed services in March 2022.
• Cape Town to Retreat via Athlone resumed services in March 2022.
• On the Central Line, we recovered the Cape Town to Langa via Pinelands and Langa to Bellville via Sarepta, with service resumption in July 2022.
• Cape Town to Bellville via Goodwood.

In KwaZulu-Natal, Metrorail was running diesel services before the floods in April caused further devastation.

To date, the following corridors have since been recovered:

• Durban to Tongaat resumed services in November 2022.
• Durban to Umbongintwini resumed services in August 2022
• Reunion to Kwamnyandu (Umlazi Corridor) resumed services in October 2022
• Durban to Cato Ridge resumed services in November 2022.

To date, PRASA has completed 13 corridors in this financial year.

“This milestone is an important and positive step towards our commitment to rebuild the rail infrastructure and restore passenger rail as the backbone of public transport.

“Our focus now shifts towards the rehabilitation of the remaining corridors this financial year. These include Leralla to Johannesburg and Pretoria to Kaalfontein in Gauteng, and Phase 1C of the Central Line, which extends from Langa to Nyanga, in Cape Town, and the electrical infrastructure between Durban to Umlazi and KwaMashu to Durban,” the Minister said.

Security

In preparation for the rollout of the new trains, major work is underway to enhance security at the depots where the trains will be kept.

The fencing of six depots: Braamfontein, Salt River, Paarden Eiland, Durban, Springfield and East London, with high-tech walling is well in progress to ensure the safety and protection of the new trains.

“PRASA is also in the process of walling some of the passenger rail corridors to prevent ease of access to the rail network and to protect the new trains from vandalism. The Central Line and the Mabopane corridors have been prioritised for the walling project, while work on the remaining priority corridors will commence soon,” the Minister said.

He commended the project team for its tireless dedication to the recovery and resumption of services on the Naledi line.

“I must also thank the local communities, community leaders and small businesses who played a major role in supporting the work of PRASA towards the resumption of services on this corridor,” the Minister said.

Jubilation and ululations were the order of the day for over 400 families from various mass care shelters as they packed their belongings in preparation to move to their new homes where they will spend Christmas.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, assisted the flood victims from the Tshelimnyama shelter when they packed and loaded their belongings into trucks that were provided by government.

This week, the provincial government, led by Dube-Ncube facilitated the process of moving over 1 600 flood victims from various mass care shelters to more dignified accommodation.

To-date, 96 out of 135 mass care shelters that were housing families since the April flood disasters, have been permanently closed.

Dube-Ncube said that over the next couple of days, the provincial government will facilitate the relocation of all families to ensure that there will be no flood victims living in mass care shelters in KwaZulu-Natal on Christmas.

“We have mobilised all available resources and are undertaking every effort to ensure that we rebuild and rehouse flood victims. We thank all our citizens for their patience because every day we are seized with the task of ensuring that our province fully recovers from the flood disasters,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier acknowledged that their capacity to meet all the needs at once has often been stretched and at times, “we have had to attend to lifesaving and critical areas first”.

She reaffirmed that government is working tirelessly to fast-track the relocation of all flood victims to end all the frustration and anxiety.

“We have made significant progress if you consider that over 14 449 people were displaced after the flood disasters with 4 983 people left homeless. Seven months later, we are very close to closing down all mass care shelters.

“We made the commitment to the people of KwaZulu-Natal that as their caring government we will do everything in our power to ensure that before Christmas all flood victims move out of mass care shelters and are housed in decent accommodation.

“From the agony of being deprived of privacy and uncertainty, we have practically restored the dignity of our flood victims became families will now be able to regroup and plot their future in a safe and habitable place,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier also express profound appreciation to all the communities for the patience, calm and understanding, as the provincial government continues to work tirelessly to rebuild the province.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has warned South Africans not to fall for a scam offering jobs in the department.

The department said the scam is prevalent during the festive season and first few months of the year “where innocent people are desperately looking for employment and therefore easily fall victim”.

“Members of the public are warned to refrain from paying for government jobs, as this is unlawful and will never be a prerequisite to get a job in government. DCS does not require money for any form of employment.

“The modus operandi of this scam is to advertise using social media and fake websites where victims are requested to call a particular number or visit a certain place.

“The scammers then request victims to pay a certain fee that will guarantee their appointment in the department and also submit ID copies and other documents. Fake interviews are then set up only for the victims to be told they have been scammed when they arrive on the day of the interview,” the department said.

The department emphasised that it does not advertise any of its vacancies on social media platforms.

“Job opportunities are advertised on www.dpsa.gov.za and www.dcs.gov.za . In most cases, job seekers will be requested to submit Z83 forms with supporting documents to a particular address.

“DCS officials assisting with the process of submissions are not supposed to ask for money or anything but to guide applicants on where to submit and sign the submission register. Members of the public are urged to report any individual masquerading as a DCS official to the nearest DCS/SAPS offices,” the DCS said.

Eskom has eased load shedding to Stage 4 until Sunday morning when it will then reduce further to Stage 3.

The power utility warned however that electricity generating capacity remains constrained.

“Since Tuesday morning, a unit each at Camden, Kriel, Majuba, Matla and Duvha power stations were taken offline for repairs and maintenance. In addition, the delay in returning to service a generating unit each at Arnot, Duvha and Hendrina power stations has contributed to capacity contraints.

“A generating unit each at Grootvlei, Camden, Kriel and Majuba power stations returned to service,” the electricity supplier said.

Eskom currently has some 6618MW of capacity offline due to maintenance with a further 15 996MW unavailable due to breakdowns.

“Eskom requests the public to reduce to the usage of electricity and to exercise patience and tolerance during this difficult period. Load shedding is implemented only as a last resort in view of the shortage of generating capacity and the need to attend to breakdowns,” the power utility said.