Category: News

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his well wishes to South African Muslims on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadaan.

The month of prayer, fasting, reflection and community work is expected to end on April 9th.

“Ramadaan is a special period of spiritual devotion, physical sacrifice and charitable outreach for Muslims. But it is also an expression of faith that is embraced with tolerance and Ubuntu by all communities of faith.

“In our 30th year of freedom, the advent of Ramadaan gives us an appreciation of the freedom of religion, belief and opinion enshrined in our Constitution and the richness of our nation’s diversity,” the President said.

He added that the month also “connects the local Muslim community more closely with their brethren around the world at this time” and paid homage to those Muslims going in to month under challenging conditions.

“We remember that for millions of people, Ramadaan is being observed under conditions of conflict, war, displacement and oppression. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the peoples of Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Western Sahara, Mali and others – for whom this holy month is a time of great hardship and suffering.

“May the message of Ramadaan, of peace, tolerance and unity serve as an impetus for us as the international fellowship of nations to do all within our means to protect the most vulnerable, and put an end to conflicts and wars everywhere,” President Ramaphosa said.

The National Treasury has published the proposed amendments to various pieces of legislation governing public sector pension funds.

“The amendments provide the necessary legislative amendments required to effectively implement the two-pot retirement system changes in public sector funds,” National Treasury said on Monday.

The proposed amendments relate to the Government Employees Pension Law, 1996 (Proclamation 21 of 1996), Post and Telecommunications-related Matters Act, 1958 (Act 44 of 1958) and Transnet Pension Fund Act, 1990 (Act 62 of 1990).

“The proposed amendments insert certain definitions to provide for the introduction of the savings withdrawal benefit; to provide for the appropriate account of a member’s interest in the savings, retirement, and vested components and to provide for deductions that may be made by the funds.

“These amendments seek to align pension laws across all sectors to ensure that pension funds can amend the fund rules and implement the two-pot retirement system on the effective date of 1 September 2024,” National Treasury said.

The amendments to the public sector pension laws will be proposed for inclusion in the Pension Funds Amendment Bill [B3—2024], which is currently under consideration of the Standing Committee on Finance.

Parliamentary hearings on the Pension Funds Amendment Bill will be held on 12 March 2024, including these public sector pension laws amendments.

The proposed amendments to the public sector laws may be found on the National Treasury website www.treasury.gov.za.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has commended the cooperation from all universities and Student Representative Councils (SRCs) who ensured that the February allowances payment was implemented seamlessly.

This follows a media briefing held on 4 March 2024 where NSFAS reported that universities would be facilitating the payment of allowances for the months of February and March 2024.

In a statement issued over the weekend, NSFAS reported that 25 out of 26 universities have paid the February allowances, as per their commitment dates.

The allowances paid include the book, accommodation, transport, food, and personal care allowances.

“The University of South Africa (UNISA) is finalising the process of determining allowances based on the number of modules registered by students. All the universities will also be handling the payment of March allowance,” NSFAS said.

The scheme reminded institutions to allow direct payment service providers to conduct the process of onboarding students, while they continue with payments.

Universities are also reminded that direct payments of allowances for the 2024 academic year will commence in April 2024.

“The process of the payment of allowances to Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges commenced on 6 March 2024 and NSFAS will provide further details on these processes within by the forth coming week,” NSFAS said.

Private student accommodation

On the pilot private student accommodation project, NSFAS has called on all institutions, both universities and TVET colleges, and students who have not been onboarded on the NSFAS portal to do so immediately, as this is a requirement to ensure that accommodation allowances are paid without any delays.

“Failure to onboard students will result in delays in the payment of accommodation allowances. Accommodation providers are therefore requested to ensure that leases that are generated through the portal are signed by all students in their residences,” NSFAS said.

The scheme also reiterated that it does not have any arrangements with unaccredited accommodation providers.

“NSFAS is against any form of corruption and bribery that is alleged to be taking place in some institutions, between accrediting agents, accommodation providers, officials responsible for accommodation in institutions, and student leaders.

“This will not be tolerated….the scheme will work with law enforcement agencies to investigate all these reported cases of corruption. NSFAS will conduct sting operation in institutions to ensure that students are not further exploited,” NSFAS warned.

The scheme encouraged students and members of the public to report any suspected fraud to NSFAS through the whistleblowing hotline Vuvuzela. The toll free number is 0860 247 653 or they can SMS Call-back to 30916.

NSFAS warned it will not take lightly any security compromise from the accommodation provider and will always hold property owners accountable for the safety of students in their properties.

On students’ transport, NSFAS reminded accommodation providers who are within a 5km radius and above of their responsibility to provide transport to students to their respective campuses and back.

Intimidation at University of Zululand

Meanwhile, NSFAS has strongly condemned the acts of intimidation and holding of its officials hostage at the University of Zululand (UniZulu).

The incident, which took place on Friday, follows a meeting held by NSFAS Board Sub-committee on student accommodation, including UniZulu and Accommodation Providers (APs) on 5 March 2024, to discuss the onboarding and payments of student accommodation.

“The meeting resolved that NSFAS will send officials to assist both students and accommodation providers in the onboarding process for all NSFAS-qualifying students who are currently residing in various private accommodations.

“This intervention was aimed to ensure that private accommodation providers are paid for all NSFAS-qualifying students who have been approved for accommodation allowances,” the scheme said.

Following Friday’ incident, NSFAS said it was considering measures to take against the accommodation providers who participated.

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) has reiterated its call for all South African men to stand and fight the scourge of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) by taking part in the 365 Days of no Violence against Women and Children campaign.

“It is critical that as a country and society, we encourage men to take action in denouncing the continuation of the trend of rape and violence against women and children, while equally addressing the underlying causes of violent masculinity and physical abuse against women and children,” DWYPD Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said.

Violence against women and children in the form of physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse is rampant in every country, and South Africa is not exempt, the Minister said.

At least one in three women experience violence at some stage in their lives, with intimate partner violence reported as the most common.

The Minister said South Africa, like many other countries, has adopted legislative provisions aimed at addressing violence against women and children.

She warned that failure to enforce laws, including laws against domestic violence, rape and human trafficking, which were adopted over the past decade, will limit their impact.

Through the implementation of the resolutions of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBV, Dlamini-Zuma said the department continues to work with stakeholders to combat the rampant level of violence against women and children.

READ | Significant strides made in social assistance programme and combating GBV 

She said the department has partnered with the taxi industry in implementing the NSP, as well as training its members on GBV, including raising awareness.

“Social norms, religious and traditional values, patriarchy and gender relationships contribute to dominant notions of masculinity, which eventually undermine women and children’s inalienable right to existence. A clarion call by the NSP on GBV amplifies the need to increase programmes aimed at engaging men and boys in fighting the scourge of violence against women and children.

“Using our criminal justice system, we are calling for more protective laws for women and children, with tougher and stiffer punishment for perpetrators of GBV needed to curb the scourge of femicide plaguing South Africa,” Dlamini-Zuma said.

Over the last nine months, the partnership between government and business has made significant strides in addressing the electricity supply crisis, the severe challenges in freight rail and port operations, and crime and corruption.

“Since the partnership began, the private sector has contributed more than R170 million of direct support and has mobilised over 350 technical experts. More than 130 CEOs of the country’s leading companies have pledged their support,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday in his weekly newsletter.

The partnership was established in June last year to tackle challenges that were an obstacle to faster growth and job creation.

“Since November 2023, load shedding is 61% lower than the same period a year ago. Among other things, this has been made possible by the return of units at Kusile power station and the impact of new generation capacity from rooftop solar and private sector investment.

“Under the leadership of its new Group CEO, Eskom is finalising an agreement with business to deploy additional independent skilled experts to support Eskom.

“Business is supporting a number of the workstreams of the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC), providing technical, security and operational expertise to Transnet’s efforts to improve the performance of ports and freight rail,” the President said.

With all stakeholders working together, Transnet has achieved a 45% reduction in vessels anchored outside the Port of Durban and a 36% reduction in the waiting time to anchor for container vessels.

“A major success has been the provision of security by business on the rail network, which has resulted in a 65% reduction in criminal incidents on the Northern Corridor, reducing the number of trains cancelled. Work is currently underway to ramp up the deployment of South African Police Service (SAPS) resources to secure network infrastructure in the longer term.

“Steady progress has been made in the crime and corruption focal area. Through the Joint Initiative on Crime and Corruption (JICC), the private sector is providing business information and resources to assist with the fight against infrastructure crime,” the President said.

Support has also been provided to modernise the 10111 helpline, with a pilot project initiated at the main call centre in Midrand, and the establishment with the Hawks of a forensics analysis centre.

“Building on this progress, government and business are now focused on actions that will make a considerable and lasting difference over the course of the next few months.

“Among other things, we are working to increase electricity generation capacity from different sources by up to 10 600 MW, which will enable a significant reduction in the severity of load shedding by the end of this year.

“This includes improved Eskom plant performance, additional private investment in rooftop solar and large-scale power projects, and connecting projects from previous renewable energy bid windows to the grid,” the President said.

Following the recent appointment of permanent executive leadership, Transnet is focused on rebuilding internal capacity and drawing on private sector technical resources to restore the operational performance of strategic rail corridors.

“An important part of the work to tackle crime and corruption will be the passage of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Amendment Bill, which will strengthen the independence and investigating capacity of the NPA.

“It will also enable the establishment of additional infrastructure to support the Investigating Directorate as a permanent entity, including a dedicated forensics laboratory. A key focus of the partnership is to secure South Africa’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list by at least June 2025,” Ramaphosa said.

While this partnership between government and business has been focused on specific immediate actions, the President said the broader work to grow the economy and create jobs draws on the contributions and capabilities of all social partners and stakeholders.

“As we work to rebuild our economy, we will strive to deepen these partnerships and to reach out to all South Africans to be involved in these efforts. By broadening the involvement of all social partners in this work, we will continue to build durable social compacts that make a real difference in people’s lives.

“We have long believed that it is only by working together that we can make progress. The partnership between government and business has shown what is possible when we are focused and committed towards the achievement of a common goal,” the President said.

The Mediterranean Shipping Company SA’s (MSC) R350 million investment in KwaZulu-Natal will go a long way in boosting the provincial economy and creating jobs for the local community.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said this at the unveiling of MSC’s new cold storage facility at Cator Manor in Chesterville, Durban.

Officially opened on Thursday night, the facility has the capacity to accommodate 10 000 pallets and is poised to meet the growing demands of the cold logistics market and ensure the preservation of temperature-sensitive goods, guaranteeing their quality during transit.

Delivering the keynote address, Dube-Ncube expressed her appreciation to MSC for choosing KZN as their investment destination of choice, noting the state-of-the-art facility represents an investment in the development and construction of a cutting-edge cold storage facility.

“The investment by MSC is not only a vote of confidence in our economy but it shows that if we work together as government and the private sector, there is so much we can achieve.

“The fact that MSC has invested R350 million in the construction and development of this cold storage facility, is a clear demonstration that you share our positive outlook for the future growth of KwaZulu-Natal,” Dube-Ncube said.

MSC South Africa Chairperson, Captain Salvatore Sarno, said the establishment of the cold storage facility underscores MSC’s commitment to enhancing supply chain reliability for perishable goods, and playing a pivotal role in facilitating the international trade of temperature-sensitive products worldwide.

Sarno said South African exporters are set to benefit from a comprehensive logistics solution enabling their perishable products to reach global markets seamlessly via sea transport.

“We are proud to unveil this state-of-the-art cold storage facility, which not only reinforces our dedication to supporting the South African economy but also underscores our commitment to job creation and economic growth.

“This investment exemplifies our ongoing efforts to provide value-added services to our customers while contributing to the development of the local economy,” Sarno said.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Multichoice Group have signed an anti-piracy memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The MoU will cover the following areas of collaboration:

• Policy development and regulatory frameworks;
• Capacity building and experience sharing;
• Intellectual property rights protection and anti-piracy partnership, and
• Monitoring and compliance.

The department’s Director-General, Advocate Doctor Mashabane, said: “[This] marks another milestone in the government’s efforts to fight broadcast and content piracy, which continue to drain the fiscus of billions of rands a year.

“Committing to signing this MOU shows our commitment to protect our creative industry so it can grow and attract investment – something that cannot happen without the Government’s intervention.”

MultiChoice South Africa CEO Mark Jury said: “As MultiChoice evolves from a traditional video entertainment business into a diversified platform business focused on technology, we are committed to promoting legitimate content consumption and supporting the creative industry.

“We look forward to strengthening partnerships with a number of stakeholders, including the department, to wage a coordinated war against piracy.”

The department explained that the MOU paves the way for enforcement and deterrence.

“This partnership will bolster enforcement actions against piracy, sending a strong deterrent message to perpetrators and significantly aiding in the revision of pertinent laws and the enhancement of training for judicial and enforcement agencies.

“The current legislative gaps means there is no incentive for hosting providers and other intermediaries, including financial, to work with legitimate role-players in the Audio-Visual (AV) content value chain or with the police to reduce piracy and block online pirate websites and the sharing of pirated content.

“Ideally such measures should form part of a broader policy and legislative response to deal with cybercrime, cyber piracy and cyberterrorism through blocking access to infringing domains/IP addresses, reducing harm through education of the public, disrupting payments and improving financial investigation and enforcement responses to these actions,” the department said.

City of Ekurhuleni Transport Planning, Roads and Stormwater MMC Andile Mngwevu has called on residents of the metro who use public transport to make alternative arrangements as talks between the city, the Gauteng Provincial Government and the taxi industry collapsed.

This as the industry halted services in protest on Thursday over a transport contract awarded to a bus company.

“As a city we have a direct interest on the matter. These taxi operators are our stakeholders, and we have a great working relationship. At the same time the destruction of the lives of our people cannot be acceptable.

“We have an obligation to ensure that our people are provided with reliable, safe and affordable transport at all times, and thus must take precedence in our talks. So, our commitment is to end this impasse and ensure that the situation normalises as soon as possible so that everyone continues with their lives,” Mngwevu said.

The city said talks between the parties began on Thursday following the protest which affected commuters – including school children – in Thembisa, Germiston, Vosloorus and other parts of the city.

“Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale and her Ekurhuleni counterpart MMC Andile Mngwevu urgently convened a meeting with the taxi operators in an effort to address the matter.

“However, there was a deadlock just hours into the meeting when the taxi industry demanded the immediate release of four of their counterparts who were arrested for various offences and the release of the seven vehicles which are also impounded by the state,” the city said of the minibus taxi impasse.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has welcomed 13 Special Task Force (STF) operators to join the organisation’s elite tactical unit.

The cohort stood on parade at the SAPS Academy in Tshwane on Thursday  where they were received and acknowledged by the Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili.

The 13 have undergone and successfully completed the 37th Special Task Force (STF) Selection Training Programme.

The STF unit deals with high risk operations that fall beyond the scope of general policing which requires specialised skills.

“We cannot wait to serve our communities and give our country our best. We want to be seen as super humans and be able to tackle serious and violent crime in our country,” were some of the sentiments expressed by the officers.

More than 525 members applied to join the 37th STF Selection Training Programme.

“[A total] 150 made it to the five week pre-selection phase while 110 made into the training programme. Only 13 successfully completed and were welcomed into the STF ranks.

The thirteen members are adding to existing capacity of STF members that attend to high risk and hostage situations, kidnappings, cash-in-transit robberies and illicit mining operations across the country,” said the SAPS in a statement.

An STF Parachute Wing is worn on the left chest and signifies that the police member has been trained at a high level of weapon proficiency, hostage release tactics and the ability to deploy operationally by parachute into all territories.

In her address, Lieutenant General Mosikili said South Africa needs a Police Service with members that are loyal, disciplined, upright in character, patriotic and willing to serve the country with pride and dignity.

“Best wishes for what lies ahead, and more importantly, on the journey you are about to embark on. I have no doubt that you are equal to the tasks that you will be required to perform. All of us have every confidence in you that you will have meaningful and successful careers as STF members, always remember that this is a calling, it’s about passion and commitment to the badge,” she said.

To join this elite unit, SAPS members must be 32 years and younger and must have served in an operational environment for at least two years.

Members must also have undergone and been successful in the pre-selection phase which consists of various rigorous exercises to determine if the member can endure the STF Selection Training Programme.

Five people, including four foreign nationals and one South African national, have been found guilty of fraud and corruption by the Durban Magistrate’s Court.

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said Tausi Majani Kahwere (25) and John Majani Kahwere (44), who are both Congolese, were convicted on Monday.

Other three accused, Morshed Alam (25), Saiful Islam Sujon (43), both Bangladeshi nationals and Oliver Whendle Hurriparsad (42), a South African national, were found guilty on Tuesday.

Mogale said the convictions follow a lengthy investigation by the National Serious Corruption Investigation, in collaboration with Department of Home Affairs’ Counter Corruption in KwaZulu-Natal, which resulted in a lengthy trial until all the accused pleaded guilty.

It is reported that during 2021, a Department of Home Affairs official, Judy Zuma, operating with a foreign national’s syndicate, colluded with South African citizens to assist foreign nationals from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Democratic Republic of Congo to obtain South African passports by using their identity documents and biometrics.

“The foreign nationals fraudulently replaced the owners’ photos with theirs and assumed the names of the South African citizens. The official, Judy Zuma, has since pleaded guilty and convicted on 1 159 counts of fraud, corruption, contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002 and contravention of the Identification Act,” Mogale said.

Mogale said the foreign nationals were arrested between 2021 and 2023 as they were boarding flights to different destinations, and already gone through the airport processes.

The suspects were found guilty of all seven charges brought against them, including fraud; corruption: Contravention of Section 3, Act 12 f 2004; Contravention of Section 18 (1) (a) of the Identification Act, Act 68 of 1998; Contravention of Section 49 (7) of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002; Corruption under Section 3, Act 12 of 2004; and Contravention of Section 18 (1) (a) (c) of Identification Act.

Mogale said the Congolese duo will be sentenced on Friday, while the trio will be sentenced on 21 May 2024, and Zuma will be sentenced on 05 April 2024.