Category: News

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, says a specialist-subject curriculum, which will see learners enrolling for subjects such as agriculture and maritime, has been gazetted for public comment.

The Minister said this when she tabled the department’s budget vote during a mini-plenary of the National Assembly on Thursday.

“We are continuing to expand the establishment of Focus Schools to cater for learners with special talents and aptitudes across a wide range of scholastic endeavours.

“These schools constitute a legislatively distinct category of public schools that offer a specialised curriculum, oriented toward 11 learning fields, which include Agriculture, Maritime and Nautical Science, Mathematics, Science and Technology, and Technical Occupational disciplines such as Electrical, Civil and Mechanical Technologies.

“In addition to our detailed progress report we gave last year, we can further report that 35 Occupational and Vocationally-oriented subjects have been gazetted for public comment,” she said.

Motshekga said the gazetting was followed in 2021 by the submission of these subjects to Umalusi for appraisal and quality assurance.

“Public comments have been received, and their infusion in the CAPS [Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements], together with the development of Learner Books and Teacher Guides, has taken effect, and this work was completed between January in March this year.

“In March this year, training manuals were developed in preparation for the training of Subject Advisors and teachers in Occupational and Vocationally-oriented subjects,” she said.

First cohort of marine science learners to sit for matric

Motshekga reported to Parliament last year that the department introduced a new FET [Further Education and Training]-level subject, Marine Sciences.

“We can now report that the first cohort of learners taking this subject will sit for the first NSC [National Senior Certificate] examination, which includes Marine Sciences.”

Motshekga said the Coding and Robotics Curriculum for Grades R – 3 and 7, and the CAPS for Occupational Subjects for Grades 8 and 9 have been developed and submitted to Umalusi for appraisal and quality assurance.

“I can report that this appraisal and quality assurance process is ongoing, including the appraisal of public comments received,” she said.

Despite efforts to implement recovery plans, researchers have found that there has been a loss of one year of learning in as far as reading is concerned, Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, said on Wednesday.

Motshega was addressing a mini-plenary of the National Assembly to give an update on the department’s progress as well as outline budget vote priorities for the year ahead.

Motshekga said she had requested the department’s researchers to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the basic education system.

“The researchers agree that at the heart of our Sector, is learning, and at the heart of improving learning, is improving reading in the early grades.

“They report that prior to COVID-19, we had seen progress in the reading abilities of children.

“According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), reading in Grade 4, improved substantially between 2006 and 2016.

However, and according to Professor Martin Gustafssohn, the research suggested that, by the end of 2021, the average Grade 4 learner could read as well as the average Grade 3 learner before the pandemic.

“Therefore, there has been a loss of one year of learning.

“Put differently, we slid backwards in terms of our PIRLS progress by a few years.

“These losses are similar to what has been witnessed around the world,” she said.

Motshekga said given these losses, and despite the department’s best efforts in terms of its school recovery plan, it is not expected that the PIRLS 2021 results will display any improvements, when released at the end of this year.

“If we do see improvements, we would welcome such, but we have to be realistic.

“Therefore, international assessment studies, such as PIRLS, but also the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), have played a critical role in monitoring progress in the past, and will in the years to come, help us to understand how effectively we are recovering from the negative effects of the pandemic.”

No massive learner drop out post lockdown

Motshekga said, meanwhile, that a key question for the sector was whether the pandemic has had any impact on learners dropping out of school?

She said the department monitored the situation and engaged researchers. After initial conflicting reports, there is now an agreement that initial evidence that showed that some half-a-million children did not return to school when they should have was not correct.

“This received media coverage in the middle of last year.

“The evidence we now have, and researchers are in agreement on this, is that there was no massive worsening of the dropout patterns, compared to what we saw before the pandemic.

“There have been some problems, such as Grades R to 1 enrolment, being around 25 000 lower than expected in 2021, due to parents delaying first enrolment of their children. But, compared to the initial half-a-million estimate, this is a relatively small and a manageable problem.”

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola says despite a decrease in overcrowding at corrections centres, the system remains under pressure and projects to add more beds are near completion.

He said this when he tabled the department’s budget vote during a mini-plenary of the National Assembly on Thursday.

“Overcrowding in our facilities continues to be a perennial challenge that requires holistic attention in terms of crime deterrence by our communities. For as a long as people continue to commit crime, we are thus left vulnerable to possible overcrowding in correctional centres.

“Although there has been a reduction in the inmate population over the years, the correctional system remains under pressure,” he said.

Lamola said over a period of five years, from 2015/16 to 2020/21, the department has recorded a reduction of 12.99%.

In real figures, there was a shift from 161 984 to 140 948.

“Sadly, there are spikes that we often encounter. What cannot be avoided is the fact that overcrowding is brought by external factors to Correctional Services.”

Lamola said the construction of additional bed space at Parys has achieved 85% completion and is scheduled to be finalised during the 2023/2024 financial year.

“This upgrade project will provide an additional 176 bed spaces,” he said.

The upgrade and refurbishment of the Emthonjeni Youth Centre will regain a total of 640 bed spaces and transform the centre into a state-of-the-art Integrated Security Systems facility.

“This project is scheduled for completion during the 2022/23 financial year.”

Lamola said another milestone is the refurbishment of the Umzimkulu Correctional Centre which was finalised during the 2021/22 financial year. The facility will be operationalised during the current financial year.

“Work is also continuing when it comes to the welfare of our officials. The Waterval Management Area was struck by a Tornado in 2019, leaving serious destruction to the centre and the residential area of our officials.

“As a result, the officials whose houses were damaged became displaced and had to be relocated elsewhere on the terrain.

“We are pleased to announce that the refurbishment of 42 staff houses will be finalised during the month of June 2022.”

South Africa on Thursday recorded 7 238 new COVID-19, says the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

Representing a 24.8% positivity rate, the figure brought the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 915 258 and the  National Department of Health has confirmed 31 new COVID-19 related deaths.

“Of these, 12 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 100 898 to date.

To date, 24 992 827 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

A provincial breakdown of the statistics reveals that the majority of new cases on Thursday were from Gauteng (34%) followed by Western Cape (23%).

“KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 15%; Eastern Cape accounted for 10% and Free State accounted for 6%. Northern Cape accounted for 5%; North West accounted for 4%; Mpumalanga accounted for 3% and Limpopo accounted for 1% of today’s cases,” said the Institute.

However, it is lower than Wednesday’s 22.6%. The 7-day average is 23.3%, higher than the previous day’s 23.1%.

“The 7-day average is (24.7%) today, and is lower than yesterday (25.1%),” read the statement.

On hospital admissions, the Institute said there had been an increase of 150 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

A survey by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has revealed that at least 826 companies were affected by the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal, with the cost of the damage estimated at R7 billion.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said on Thursday the top three districts that had the biggest impact included eThekwini Municipality with 239 companies responding, accounting for 50.6%, followed by iLembe with 87 companies, accounting for 18.43%, and the Ugu District with 54 companies accounting for 11.44%.

He said the floods had affected 31 220 jobs with eThekwini accounting for 68% of the jobs affected.

“The damage to Toyota has resulted in their temporary closure in the Durban South basin, an estimated 30 000 employees across the manufacturing industry are out of work currently. This means that employees could be without pay for approximately three months, given the severity of damage at Toyota South Africa.

“We are, however, very encouraged by the decision and the commitment of Toyota globally and other businesses to rebuild and build back better here in KwaZulu-Natal despite the setbacks and losses to business caused by the floods. Recovery priorities include working with the private sector to ensure a disaster-proof rebuilding process,” Zikalala said.

The Premier was addressing the media on the provincial government’s effort to recover and rebuild from the devastation caused by the floods.

Improvements in port operations

Zikalala announced that port operations are being improved, but are affected by the rest of the network in the province.

Currently, two lanes on Bayhead Road are open and operational while the repairs to the road are being carried out.

“Unfortunately, rail in the port area is damaged and will be back in operation in July 2022. There is consideration to open a new road along the railway line to ease movement of cargo.

“Electricity and water challenges around the port are affecting many companies and until there is progress on roads feeding into the M7, we will be affected by costly delays at the Port of Durban,” Zikalala said.

However, operations at King Shaka International Airport are back to normal with the Dube Trade Port providing water tinkering by utilising its own equipment and sourcing water from their own dams.

“As a result, the much-publicised water crisis at King Shaka, a strategic location especially for the tourism sector, has now thankfully been resolved,” he said.

R67.5 million to support SMMEs

On small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) support, Zikalala said measures are being implemented to assist spaza shops in townships and implementing tourism sector interventions, and SMME relief for infrastructure.

“For this purpose, the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs is repurposing R67.5 million towards the SMME and Co-Ops Relief Fund, as approved by Provincial Treasury.

“The Fund will prioritise township and rural businesses, and informal traders in eThekwini Metro, Ilembe, King Cetshwayo and uGu Districts.

“In this regard, the Executive Committee has approved the application to National Treasury for the release of R1 billion funding for immediate needs while awaiting the appropriation of the rest of the disaster funds. This is to cover the shelter support, human settlement interventions, water and sanitation interventions, roads and relief,” Zikalala said.

High voltage sub stations restored

The Premier also reported that all high voltage sub stations have been restored, with some work still in progress on low and medium voltage faults.

He noted that eThekwini alone had in excess of 100 power stations that were severely affected by the floods, leaving many parts of the city in darkness.

“Power supply interruptions are being experienced in areas such as KwaNdengezi, Zwelibomvu and Marrianridge almost daily. This is caused by an electricity overload.

“The city has advised that work at the Marianridge substation to resolve this problem is expected to be completed in the next two weeks,” he said.

R125 000 donor funds received

Meanwhile, Zikalala announced that as at 15 May 2022, a sum of R125 000 has been donated through a dedicated bank Account number: 4103831039 with ABSA Bank, opened by the province.

“Of this amount R100 000 is specifically earmarked for the Department of Health [and] the balance of R25 000 will be used towards the rebuilding process. The bulk of donor funding has been sent directly to NGOs and can be accounted for by the NGOs.

“The Human Rights Commission and the United Nations Coordinating Office in South Africa will work with NGOs to ensure that citizens receive a report on who did what with the donations earmarked for the people affected by floods.

“There were many announcements made by various corporate companies and all of us will need to account and be transparent about what we did and how the money earmarked for flood victims in KwaZulu-Natal in 2022 was spent,” Zikalala said.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has called upon residents to exercise extreme caution as inclement weather conditions are expected this weekend.

This follows a South African Weather Service (SAWS) advisory that a cut-off low pressure system could bring light snowfall, freezing temperatures and severe thunderstorms in parts of the country, including KwaZulu-Natal, from Thursday going into the weekend.

MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sipho Hlomuka, urged residents to take the necessary precautions in their efforts to get warm.

“Communities utilising generators, electric heaters and braziers are urged to follow safety precautions. Communities residing in low-lying areas could experience flooding as a result of the already saturated ground, following the heavy rains experienced by the province in April.

“Disaster Management teams will continue to work closely with the South African Weather Service to alert communities should the cut-off low pressure system result in severe weather warning,” Hlomuka said.

Cut-off low expected to affect the country

In a statement, the SAWS warned that a cold front and a cut-off low pressure system is expected to affect the country this weekend, starting in the west on Thursday, spreading to the central parts by Friday and the eastern parts by Saturday.

“A steep upper-air trough system will develop into a cut-off low pressure system over the north-western interior of the country by Friday, 20 May 2022. Widespread rainfall can be expected over the southern and central parts of the country from Thursday onwards, with light snowfalls likely over the mountainous, high-lying areas of the Western and Eastern Cape, spreading to the Lesotho Drakensberg regions by the weekend, where heavier falls are anticipated.

“Light snowfalls can also be expected over the high-lying ground of south-eastern and eastern Free State [and] a 24-hour rainfall accumulations of 25 to 35mm (millimetre) can also be expected over the drought-stricken parts of the Eastern Cape.

“Moreover, there is also the possibility of isolated severe storms, accompanied by strong winds and large amounts of small hail over the central and eastern interior, however SAWS will issue detailed radar-based warnings in this regard, should the need arise,” the service said.

Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the release of high demand spectrum has paved the way for telcos, or telecommunications companies, to start building next generation 5G networks.

Ntshavheni said this when she tabled the department’s budget vote during a mini-plenary of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

“The release of the high demand spectrum will improve the ability of mobile telecommunications operators to build robust telecommunications with better penetration and reach as we chase our goal of ensuring that all South Africans have access to the internet by 2024.

“To this end, the mobile telecommunications operators are starting to upgrade the telecommunications network and to build robust 5G telecommunication networks,” she said.

Ntshavheni said in the immediate, ICASA has installed social obligations that will see the telecommunications operators connecting 18 520 schools, 5 731 clinics and hospitals, 8 241 traditional authority offices, 949 libraries and Thusong Service Centres over the next 36 months.

“The department, working with ICASA, will monitor the progress with regards to the connection of these sites.”

This comes after ICASA concluded the high frequency communication spectrum auction in March 2022 as per the target set by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 2022 State of the Nation Address.

“I congratulate ICASA on reaching this significant milestone in our country.

“The 1st of July 2022 date for the availability of the high demand spectrum to the licensee is also important for the National Treasury to have access to the much-needed R14.4 billion that was raised during the spectrum auction.”

Reducing the cost to communicate

The Minister said the availability of spectrum must also result in the reduction of the cost of communication.

“We will progressively work on policy instruments to drive the reduction of cost to communicate in South Africa, including the classification of data as a new basic utility at the same level as water and electricity.

“The importance of data is because it has become the enabler of innovation and wealth creation for any country. In this regard, we will publish for public comment a revised Spectrum Policy, no later than July 2022,” she said.

Ntshavheni said the draft policy will include proposals of spectrum for SMMEs and network and data services in a manner that drives meaningful SMME participation in the telecommunications sector, amongst others.

“In the meantime, ICASA is undertaking a market study on the call termination review. The outcome of this market study will have a determining factor in the reduction of the average data price.”

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, has granted a 15-month extension to holders of rights applied for before 20 November 2015 to comply with the 2015 Financial Provisioning Regulations.

“The extension is subject to, amongst others, those holders complying with the provisions and arrangements regarding financial provisioning set in their respective rights, as issued in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002.

“The affected holders of rights have until 19 September 2023 to comply,” the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said on Thursday.

This extension has been granted as the proposed amendments to the Financial Provisioning Regulations, 2015, gazetted on 27 August 2021 for public comment, are still being finalised.

As part of the “One Environmental System”, the requirements for financial provisioning for rehabilitation in the mining sector were transferred from the Minerals and Petroleum Resource Development Act to the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 through the Financial Provisioning Regulations, as of November 2015.

“These regulations, which are implemented by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, regulate the manner in which holders and applicants of various types of mining rights and permits must provide for and execute rehabilitation of the environmental impacts from mining activities,” the department said.

Any enquiries in connection with the Notice can be directed to Dr D Fischer via email: dfischer@dffe.gov.za.

The Government Gazette of August 2021 can be accessed on https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202109/45058gon765.pdf

A hard copy of relevant gazetted notices can be obtained from Ms M Masondo at email mmasondo@dffe.gov.za.

South Africa has recorded 8 179 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 908 020.

This increase represents a 22.6% positivity rate.

In a statement on Wednesday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said there might be a backlog of COVID-19 mortality cases reported due to the ongoing audit exercise by the National Department of Health (NDoH).

“Today, the NDoH reports 55 deaths, and of these, 18 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 100 867 to date,” the NICD said.

The majority of new cases are from Gauteng (38%), followed by the Western Cape (21%). KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 15%; Eastern Cape 8% and Free State 7% of the new cases.

The Northern Cape accounted for 4%; Mpumalanga and North West 3% each, and Limpopo 1% of the new cases.

“The proportion of positive new cases/total new tested today is (22.6%), and is higher than yesterday (20.9%). The 7-day average is (23.1%) today, and is lower than yesterday (23.4%),” the NICD said.

There has been an increase of 145 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

South Africa has to date conducted 24 963 628 COVID-19 tests in both the public and private sectors.

Government has welcomed the lengthy prison sentences handed to two former City of Ekurhuleni employees, who were involved in a corrupt IT tender.

Nilesh Singh and Andrew Mphusomadi, along with businessman Veloro Davids, were on Thursday sentenced by the Pretoria Commercial Crime Court.

Davids and Singh were each handed 10 years for fraud and 15 years for corruption, respectively. Mphushomadi, former IT senior manager at Ekurhuleni, will serve a 10-year prison sentence, of which four were suspended, for money laundering.

Minister in The Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said the ruling served as a deterrent to any persons involved in any form of corruption.

“The sentencing is a testament to President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, which emphasised that government, guided by the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), will take decisive steps to expose and punish corrupt activities, and reform institutions to make them stronger and more transparent.

“Fighting corruption and promoting good governance is a fundamental priority of this administration.”

Gungubele said public servants must be resolute in stamping out corruption, and in creating a culture of service delivery and excellence.

“There is a lot of work being done by government and its partners to fight this scourge, and we are confident that we will see more convictions in corruption related cases. We applaud the Special Investigative Unit and the judicial system for their sterling work,” said the Minister.

Gungubele said government will not be detered in its effort to break the cycle of corruption and build a better tomorrow, as it is one of the greatest impediments to the country’s growth and development.

“Corruption has taken a great toll on our society and on our economy. Therefore, the success of the fight against corruption depends on the involvement of all citizens.

“As a society, we must not allow corruption to take place. It is up to each one of us to act with integrity at all times, and to be responsible and honest. We are making progress in addressing corruption in the country. By working together, we can ensure that those who are corrupt have no place to hide,” Gungubele said.

The public can report fraud and corruption activities to the SIU on the hotline: 0800 037 774 or email siu@hotline.co.za.