Category: News

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Patricia de Lille, has approved the release of four State-owned land parcels for human settlement developments and accommodation for households affected by the KwaZulu-Natal floods.

This comes as the Minister and her deputy, Noxolo Kiviet, recently visited the province to inspect the work done by her department to repair flood damaged State-owned buildings in the province.

“I have signed off the release of four parcels of land on a gratis basis to be released to the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for human settlement development purposes,” De Lille said in a statement on Sunday.

The four parcels of land are located in the eThekwini Metro.

In addition, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is processing another land parcel for release within the next two weeks.

Following the devastating April floods in KZN, DPWI was called on to identify suitable and available land to resettle communities displaced by the flooding.

De Lille explained that the land that will be transferred will only be used for accommodation of households affected by the floods and human settlement development purposes.

“We will continue to provide support in KZN in any way we can in terms of our mandate and work with all spheres of government to ensure that we restore KZN and help the many households in need,” she said.

She added that work to repair State-owned properties is progressing well.

“Work on the repairs to State-owned properties has progress well and is almost 100% complete while work will start in earnest on the rural bridges in the coming weeks.

“We look forward to returning to the province later this year to hand over completed bridges to communities in need and ensure that they have proper and decent access to places of work, school, hospitals and clinics and other amenities,” De Lille said.

The Department of Health has wished the Chairperson of the South African Medical Association (SAMA), Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, speedy recovery following a stabbing incident over the weekend.

Mzukwa was attacked on the side of the road while driving home from King Shaka International Airport.

He was on his way back from a SAMA Board meeting on Saturday, 20 August 2022.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo,visited Mzukwa in hospital in Durban on Sunday where he is recovering well from multiple stab wounds.

“I was very heartened to find him on his recovery bed and commended him for his heroic action of driving himself while bleeding and in pain to the nearest hospital to save his life because had he waited a bit longer, his condition could have deteriorated,” said Dhlomo.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister also thanked the emergency medical services, nursing staff and police for their swift response.

In addition, the department said it was working with provinces to ensure the shortest response time by Emergency Medical Services personnel through capacity and resource allocation.

According to SAMA, the Chairperson sustained multiple stab wounds to his chest.

“He was discovered by the Metro Police and assisted to reach the emergency department at a nearby hospital. He is currently stable and is recovering at an intensive care unit.”

The association has since raised concern about the high levels of crime in the country, with the latest statistics showing an increase in hijackings compared to 2021.

“SAMA denounces this increase in crime. This latest attack shows that no one is spared from this scourge. SAMA calls on the South African Police Service to increase vigilance and protect its citizens.”

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has welcomed the signing into law of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Act, 2022.

This comes after President Ramaphosa signed the act into law on Friday.

The Act is part of a suite of legislation meant to ensure effective and efficient functioning municipalities, and a professional local public administration.

The Ministry in a statement said the Amendment Bill, with corresponding provisions as the invalidated Act, was reintroduced to Parliament on 6 February 2019 in terms of the Joint Rules of Parliament.

“The Bill repeals the Amendment Act and has been properly tagged as a section 76 Bill to address the procedural defect referred to above. The Bill was approved by Parliament on 3 May 2022 with further amendments following comprehensive public participation processes at both national and provincial levels.

“The Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Act, 2022 (Act No.3 of 2022) was assented to by the President on 16 August 2022,” said CoGTA spokesperson, Lungi Mtshali.

In addition, the Act disallows municipal officials from holding political office.

The amendments provide for procedures and competency criteria for the appointment of municipal managers and other senior managers and the consequences of appointments made in contravention of the Act.

The amendments, reads the statement, further provides timeframes within which performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers must be concluded.

The Act also makes further provisions for evaluating the performance of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers.

“Employment contracts and performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers are now also required to be consistent with the Act and any regulations made by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs,” he said.

Mtshali said the Minister is now able to prescribe frameworks to regulate human resource management systems for local government and mandates for organised local government. Furthermore, the Act extends the Minister’s powers to make regulations relating to municipal staff matters.

Dlamini Zuma urged all stakeholders to support municipalities and ensure that the Act is implemented fully.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained an order in the Special Tribunal to freeze assets and pension benefits of at least R1.8 million linked to a current and former Transnet executive and their wives.

In a joint statement, Transnet and the SIU said investigations have found that former Transnet Group Executive for property Zakhele Lebelo and suspended coastal regional manager Phathutshedzo Mashamba allegedly received kickbacks from two service providers between 2015 and 2018.

“The SIU and Transnet approached the Special Tribunal following an investigation by the SIU, which revealed that the two Transnet executives allegedly received unlawful financial benefits worth approximately R10 million from Transnet service providers Superfecta Trading 209 and BBDM Bros Advertising Agency. The executives allegedly used unlawful financial benefits to acquire luxury properties on behalf of Trusts administered by themselves and their spouses.

“Superfecta has been a supplier of electrical and maintenance services to Transnet Property from 2016, while BBDM obtained a long term lease of Transnet Property’s Carlton Skyrink Building in 2015.

“Between February 2016 to August 2018, Superfecta earned over R64 million in payments from Transnet, as a result of its business with Transnet Property. Pursuant to its lease with Transnet, BBDM was paid tenant installation allowances totalling over R73 million from March 2015 to June 2018,” the statement read.

According to the joint statement, the freezing order prohibits the selling, leasing, donating or transferring title of five luxury properties in Rosebank and Dainfern.

Furthermore, the order also “interdicts and restrains the Transnet Retirement Fund from paying out or transferring any benefits” to Lebelo who resigned from the state owned company in 2018 pending a disciplinary hearing.

“The SIU investigation has revealed that the acquisition of the properties was allegedly funded by money received from [the] service providers contracted by Transnet. Therefore, the luxury properties constitute proceeds of unlawful activities hence the application for a preservation order pending the final determination of the review application. The luxury properties are now under the care of a curator,” the statement said.

Solicitor-General Fhedzisani Pandelani from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, has assured claimants from the tragic 2012 Marikana incident, that their cases could be settled by the end of the month.

On 16 August 2012, 34 striking mineworkers died and 78 others sustained injuries in clashes with police at the Lonmin mine in Marikana. Days earlier, 10 people, including two police officers, died in other incidents at the mine.

Providing an update on the progress made regarding Marikana related litigation, Pandelani said 48 matters are currently before court which deal with personal injuries where people had to be sent for medical examination and actuarial calculations.

“As we undertook in 2021, our resolve has been that we need to deal with all the remaining matters pertaining to litigation arising from the Marikana incident. As I stand here today, there were 48 matters that were remaining. None of those matters related to loss of support due to the death of any other person that has preferred a claim against the State because all those other matters have been dealt with as at August 2021,” Pandelani said on Wednesday.

He said half of the 48 matters have already been settled, while the other matters are still under discussion between the parties, which include representatives of the State and claimants.

“It is regrettable that we still talk about matters that happened 10 years ago. I have given a directive to the Office of the State Attorney that all of these matters must be finalised. We could be in a position to see all those matters finalised this month,” Pandelani said.

He expressed regret that the matters had taken some time to settle.

“This is owing to a number of factors… There was never any policy applicable within the State, which compel it to embark on early settlement on any matters via mediation or arbitration.

“Delays that have been occasioned in these matters will be a thing of the past because the office of the Solicitor-General has developed a policy that is binding within State departments for early settlement of matters and that policy was approved by Cabinet in November last year,” Pandelani said.

He said policies have been developed that will address the delays that are inherent when dealing with matters of the State, which also includes a policy that deals with coordination and management of all litigation.

North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, has commended Sergeant Octaviane Abrahams from the Ikageng detectives for his meticulous investigative work that resulted in the conviction and sentencing of three dangerous suspects.

The Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court last week handed hefty prison sentences to Donald Madou Baloyi (30), Collen Raditekele Lentsoane (28) and Joseph Makhale Marutla (44) for the harrowing robbery in 2014.

Provincial spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh, said the trio was found guilty of robbery with aggravated circumstances, housebreaking and theft reported in the early hours of 30 December 2014.

She said: “A family, consisting of parents and their two daughters were sleeping in their house in Ikageng when they were woken up by suspects, who threatened them with firearms. The 54-year-old father, his wife and two daughters were taken to the bathroom and tied up, whilst the suspects ransacked their house. After taking four cellular phones, a laptop, jewellery and a firearm, the robbers fled the scene”.

With the assistance of information gathered by Crime Intelligence, the trio were arrested three months after the incident. Baloyi was handed a 15 year imprisonment while Lentsoane and Marutla would each serve 20 years.

The Provincial Commissioner thanked all role players involved for working tirelessly to secure the sentences.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, says South Africa is working around the clock to set the economy on a new trajectory of growth and development to bring a better life for all.

The Minister said this in her opening remarks with the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, at the South Africa-United States Strategic Dialogue held on Monday.

She admitted that the country continues to deal with the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment linked to apartheid.

“These are challenges we must address to avoid social strife,” she said.

She described South Africa’s relations with the United States as broad and deep and aligned to the country’s national priorities.

Pandor acknowledged the United States’ (US) significant contribution to addressing many of the socio-economic hurdles faced by the majority by providing access to equal and quality education, decent housing and essential healthcare services to the most vulnerable in society.

She also acknowledged the backing the country continues to receive from the US to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minister reminded delegates that South Africa is Africa’s largest US trade partner.

“The significant presence of US companies operating within our borders, including historic investors such as General Electric and Ford, to name but two, in helping to upskill our youth, creating jobs and incomes, has made the US private sector a key partner in supporting South Africa’s socio-economic growth.”

She also took the time to thank the support shown by American companies for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s investment drive.

“It has demonstrated the belief that the US still has in the future of our country and the value proposition that we offer as a key investment destination and trade partner, despite the setback of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Trade

Meanwhile, Pandor welcomed the growth in two-way trade in goods from US$13.9 billion in 2010 to US$21 billion in 2021.

In 2021, the United States ranked as the second largest destination for South Africa’s exports globally, while South African firms have also emerged as significant foreign investors.

Investments from South Africa into the United States are on the rise, accounting for 17.4% of total South African outward foreign direct investment to the world.

“There is, however, much more we can – and should do.”

However, she said both parties needed to solve the longstanding unresolved trade issues around market access, including removing Section 232 tariffs on South African steel and aluminium imports into the United States.

“The President and his economic team, as we will hear later during our deliberations, have been hard at work making it easier for foreign investors to invest in our country and to advance our trade and investment relations for mutual benefit.”

Food security

Meanwhile, she said many countries have to contend with high costs for fuel, food and transport.

According to the Minister, these challenges, including climate change, have a huge implication for food security and agricultural systems, especially in Africa.

“The present moment, which has given rise to widespread uncertainty and fear, requires us as leaders to come together and chart a way forward that will give hope and inspiration to our respective peoples.”

She has called on the undertakings made at the United Nations, the G7 and G20 to address food insecurity, global health, peace and security, sustainable and just energy transition, as well as human security to be addressed meaningfully.

“We must continuously reinforce our common commitment to multilateralism, democracy and human rights – and use the proven tools of diplomacy, peace-building dialogue and mediation to resolve conflict and end the intolerable and unnecessary human suffering as a result of wars and other forms of conflict.”

Secretary of State, Blinken acknowledged the important role that South Africa plays in the G7 and G20 and on global health, climate change and food and security.

“What South Africa says, what South Africa does, has powerful global implications.”

In addition, he said the United States would continue to work with local government during the pandemic and beyond.

He also thanked South African scientists for discovering the Omicron variant and said that President Joe Biden is looking forward to hosting President Ramaphosa next month.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has announced a R100 million fund that is aimed at supporting businesses in the township retail sector.

He was speaking at the launch of the Gauteng Township Retail Programme at Sam Ntuli Stadium in Thokoza on Monday morning.

The Premier said although the provincial government is committed to supporting township enterprises to grow, those living in the townships also have to begin buying from local shops.

“We have implementing partners all around the townships so the township businesses must be organised. It [makes it] easier for us to support a group or association [of retailers] than doing it on an individual basis. When the businesses are organised, you are more powerful.

“[The community] must also buy from each other. We must spend the money that we have in the township. Buy the bread made next door – you will get a good price and you will also be helping to grow the township economy,” he said.

Makhura said women business owners will specifically be targeted for support.

“There can be no township economy without women. The women’s businesses… are the largest in our townships. Most of the people who are selling and involved in business in the township are women. So we must have a specific target … [that says] of this R100 million, how of much of that will be for women-owned businesses,” he said.

Makhura explained that revitalising and building stronger sectors of the township economy will take some hard work.

“If we want to fix the township economy, we must start with those small retail businesses and make sure they are supported by government. [We] are already supporting some township businesses in order to help them grow. We want the people in the township – for generation after generation – to be the ones running these businesses,” he said.

The announcement of the fund comes at least 100 days since Makhura signed the Township Economy Development Act into law.

The law requires, among other interventions, provincial government departments to procure at least 40% of goods and services from township businesses where possible.

“This is the implementation of the Township Economy Act. That law must not just be a policy, it must be implemented. It must not be shelved or put away in offices in must be implemented so that we can feel the township economy [growing].

“There are many people in the township who are working hard…who don’t sleep to make sure they make proper businesses to support and feed their children. The township development act is about supporting those businesses,” he said.

Makhura said other sectors – township manufacturers and township real estate – will also be receiving attention.

Police Minister, Bheki Cele, has commended the recent arrest of three men for the possession of a cocaine consignment valued at R400 million in the Western Cape.

The three were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), together with Crime Intelligence and Western Cape Traffic, while they were travelling on the N1 towards Cape Town.

Ministry spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, said the consignment was in a truck that was intercepted and large quantities of drugs were found concealed in false wooden boards, stacked at the back of the truck.

Cele, together with Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, on Monday attended the first court appearance of the three men, aged between 39 and 47, at the Athlone Magistrate Court.

Cele said the drug bust will mean more crimes associated with drugs are prevented.

“Police are often accused of being reactive and clearly this is a demonstration that police are tightening crime prevention and are being proactive. The Western Cape police have really done a great job in terms of removing over 600kg of cocaine, worth millions of rands, before they could be sold on our streets. These drugs are often generators of crime and are most detrimental to our communities, especially to our youth,” he said.

The Police Ministry welcomed the continuous, targeted operations led by crime intelligence and the Hawks in the province to disrupt the whole illicit drug supply chain.

“Communities are encouraged to continue to come forward with information that can assist police investigations,” said Themba.

Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, has encouraged the public to report potholes on municipal and provincial roads on a newly launched app in order to enable government to repair them speedily.

Addressing the launch of Operation Vala Zonke – a comprehensive programme to address potholes across all spheres of government, the Minister said the app can be downloaded on Google Playstore and the Apple App store.

“The app will work in conjunction with the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) pothole management app and will allow the public to raise any issues, upload pictures of potholes, and provide real-time location of the road on an interactive map that will show the owners of the different roads. The app will also provide status updates on issues raised using a pothole ticketing system.

“The information then gets assigned to the relevant authority, depending on where the road is, and the maintenance depot responsible for that road attends to fixing the pothole,” Mbalula said on Monday in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng.

As the implementing agency for this campaign, SANRAL will closely monitor and assess the impact of the interventions over the next six months, which is the duration of the campaign.

A monitoring and evaluation capability has been put in place. This will enable SANRAL to generate audit reports, which will form the basis for validation of the work undertaken and the turnaround time in attending to potholes.

“Through this intervention, we are raising the bar on service delivery by ensuring that the voice of the citizen is heard. This campaign will change the face of our municipal and provincial roads from pothole-riddled to an acceptable state of repair. This launch will be replicated across the country with Premiers and MECs leading provincial launches,” the Minister said.

SANRAL will co-ordinate the effort of working with the provinces and municipalities to ensure potholes are attended to speedily.

“SANRAL has a policy of fixing any reported potholes within 48 hours. While national roads are overwhelmingly in a pristine condition, we recognise that provincial and municipal roads require a decisive strategy and active support to augment capacity gaps.

“Potholes have remained a problem and have posed a danger to road users throughout the country. Potholes are particularly dangerous at night or in rainy weather,” Mbalula said.

The Minister continued to appeal to motorists to drive safely on the roads, irrespective of whether there are potholes or not

“We will continue to design and build our roads in a way that is most safe for all road users. Fixing the potholes on the country’s roads is an enormous task, which will take time, but we are confident that through the coordinated approach led by SANRAL we will be able to tackle this task and make a telling difference that our people can see and experience,” he said.

Government has committed to reaching out to private companies, communities and other stakeholders to play their part in supporting government efforts of preserving and improving the road infrastructure.

“Through partnerships with institutions of learning and the sector education and training authorities, we will infuse a strong skills development methodology to the intervention. A skills revolution must become a pillar of this intervention at all levels of government,” the Minister said.