Category: News

President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated South African comedian Trevor Noah for his win at the Emmy Awards for the talk show, the Daily Show.

The Emmy Awards – also known as the Emmys – are an annual awards ceremony for International and American television shows.

Noah and the Daily Show crew won the Outstanding Talk Series award at the Emmys.

On social media site X, President Ramaphosa said: “Congratulations to Trevor Noah on winning a prestigious Emmy Award for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

“Winning Outstanding Talk Series in a very competitive scene is no laughing matter.  Trevor’s part of a stellar cast of South Africans globally, whose diverse talents and skills are enjoyed and valued wherever they go.”

Also on X, the President wished learners well as schools re-open for the start of the school academic year.

“As the doors of learning open to 1.2 million Grade 1 learners today, we welcome these children, learners in other grades, their families and our educators back to school.

“Education is the key to personal growth and success and that of our nation. Let’s work together as community members and professional educators to create the conditions for our children to thrive in the classroom, at home and in society more broadly. Welcome and welcome back,” President Ramaphosa said.

Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has urged citizens to be vigilant and maintain personal hygiene as the country has recorded two laboratory-confirmed cases of cholera in Limpopo.

According to the Department of Health, both cases are imported from Zimbabwe.

The first case was confirmed in the Musina sub-district in the Vhembe District after a 43-year-old male patient tested positive and has since been discharged from Musina Hospital.

“The second case is a 27-year-old man, also from Zimbabwe, who presented at Helene Franz Hospital under Capricorn District Municipality, with a history of abdominal cramps, watery diarrhoea and vomiting that started on 11 January 2024,” the department explained.

The department said this particular patient travelled to Zimbabwe on 9 December 2023 and returned to South Africa on 10 January 2024.

According to the statement, the patient’s health condition is stable and they are currently in isolation at the hospital.

“His contacts were identified, and the local outbreak response team has been activated to conduct further investigations and provide health education to contacts.”

The department said the country remains on high alert for possible imported cholera cases from Zimbabwe, which is currently battling the outbreak of the disease, which so far claimed over 200 lives.

The department, in collaboration with the Border Management Authority (BMA), has since intensified health screening at the Beitbridge border post to mitigate the imported cholera cases from Zimbabwe.

The Deputy Minister has since thanked suspected cholera patients for being honest with their travel history and fully cooperating with health officials.

He appealed to all those with a travel history to cholera outbreak areas to do the same to save lives and prevent further transmission to other people.

“We say to all travellers along N1 from Musina and other parts of the country, please avoid using known or suspected contaminated surfaces, especially in public places and wash hands thoroughly with soap before handling food or after using the bathroom to prevent possible infection,” said Dhlomo.

All people who experience cholera-like symptoms, with or without travel history to cholera endemic countries and areas, are also encouraged to present themselves to the nearest health facilities without delay.

The symptoms to look out for include stomach cramps, diarrhoea, dehydration and vomiting.

The department has advised people to never drink water from unsafe sources such as rivers, dams or streams unless boiled or disinfected first.

Two suspects were remanded in custody after appearing before the Lehurutshe Magistrate’s Court on Monday on five separate murder cases.

Initially, the accused – Obakeng Segwabe, 19, and Olebogeng Mafora, 21, were arrested for the murder of two people after human skeletal remains were found in plastic in the bushes near Mosweu village.

Subsequent to further investigations, they were also linked to three decomposed bodies that were discovered between December 2023 and January 2024. The deceased were part of a group boys that were at an initiation school.

Three additional charges of murder were added, said the police.

The accused are expected to reappear in court on Tuesday, 23 January 2024, for bail application.

Investigations, including the identification of the bodies through DNA are underway. The deceased’s names will only be confirmed after that process.

The team also arrested Koketso Mmutlane, 19, for defeating the ends of justice. The accused appeared in court on Monday.

According to information, he allegedly influenced Segwabe and Mafora to lie about the legality of the initiation school and its activities including the deaths. He is expected appear before the same court on Friday, 09 February 2024, after being released on warning.

Recovery efforts are underway following a derailment in which two trains collided in the early hours of Sunday morning.

According to a statement by the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), the two coal trains collided in KwaZulu-Natal.

Media reports have suggested that the incident occurred after a stationary train was rear-ended by another train after it had stopped due to a power outage at Richard’s Bay.

“TFR confirms that recovery efforts are underway after a derailment in which two trains collided in the early hours of Sunday, 14 January 2024 at Elubana, outside Richards Bay on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.

“TFR teams were dispatched to the scene immediately and recovery efforts began in earnest No serious injuries have been reported, and staff involved in the collision were sent for medical observation.

“Environmental teams are also at the scene to ensure compliance in the recovery and clean up operations,” the statement read.

TFR added that an investigation into the incident is also underway.

It is all eyes on South Africa today as the country presents its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands.

South Africa is currently on the stand this morning in a legal battle against Israel, which is accused of genocide in Gaza.

South Africa approached the ICJ, under the Genocide Convention, for acts committed by Israel in the context of its attacks on Gaza and the case will be represented by six local legal minds.

Both South Africa and Israel are expected to lay bare their arguments during the two-day public hearing at the ICJ.

The Israel-Palestine war that started in October last year has since claimed thousands of lives and wounded many and will force hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into poverty, according to a United Nations (UN) report.

South Africa’s Justice Minister, Ronald Lamona, is expected to deliver the opening remarks.

Lamola told Al Jazeera that the country has brought the case to the ICJ because “there is a compelling argument that genocide is being committed in Gaza”.

“There is a compelling argument that genocide is being committed in Gaza on the basis that there is an annihilation or cleansing of a civilian population, innocent civilians, children and women that have been displaced [and] the targeting of public infrastructure in Gaza,” Lamola said.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Minister said the South African government was determined to see the end of the genocide that is currently taking place in Gaza.

“We are most encouraged by leaders of the world who have not blunted their consciousness and have stood on the right side of history by supporting a case that seeks to protect the rights of human beings, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity,” he added.

Lamola is leading the South African delegation, comprising of local diplomats and officials.

These include the Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni, Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation Zane Dangor, and Director-General of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and former Deputy Ambassador for South Africa to the United Nations, Advocate Doctor Mashabane.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa, said the country approached the court due to its opposition to the ongoing slaughter of the people of Gaza.

The President said this as he was delivering of the eulogy speech at Dr Peter Magubane’s Provincial Official Funeral in Johannesburg.

“As a people who once tasted the bitter fruits of dispossession, discrimination, racism and state-sponsored violence, we are clear that we will stand on the right side of history. It is our fervent hope that just as we were able to reconcile and make peace, that the peoples of Israel and Palestine will find a lasting, just peace,” the President added.

The ICJ is the is the principal judicial organ of the UN, which was established in 1945 by the Charter of the UN and began work the following year.

The court’s role is to settle and give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorised UN organs and specialised agencies.

The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the Security Council.

The City of Ekurhuleni is urging the youth, and unemployed residents to take advantage of a series of free online courses tailored to expand one’s knowledge on entrepreneurship and business ventures.

In a statement on Thursday, the city said the courses are presented by computer information systems company CISCO, an international technology company, in partnership with the City of Ekurhuleni, the National Library of South Africa and the Gauteng Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture.

Interested candidates can apply online at https://tinyurl.com/ApplyForCiscoCourses. Applications to free online course closes on Friday, 26 January 2024.

The course will be offered as a two-part series, and the first segment is ‘Discovering Entrepreneurship and Creating Compelling Reports’, which sets the foundation for the second part, namely, ‘Launching a Business Venture and Engaging Stakeholders for Success’.

The duration of the series of courses is about three months in total.

“To ensure that we leave no one behind, candidates who have successfully registered can complete these free online courses at any of the city’s 47 libraries which offer free access to computers and Wi-Fi connection.

“However, those who have access to their own devices can access the relevant cites from anywhere,” said the City’s spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

Applicants are advised to ensure that all fields of the application form are completed and that copies of their ID, proof of residence and highest qualification (National Senior Certificate or any degree) are uploaded.

To qualify, applicants need to meet the following criteria:

•          Applicants must be a resident of the City of Ekurhuleni

•          Applicants must have completed Grade 12;

•          Applicants must not have a formal business or related qualification;

•          Applicants must be committed to completing the courses and should they have passed the current course, they will be given the opportunity to progress to the next group of courses.

The city said that while all Ekurhuleni residents are encouraged to apply, preference will be given to unemployed youth should there be a course with limited capacity.

Candidates can e-mail their queries or any clarity seeking questions to info.libraries@ekurhuleni.gov.za.

Government has welcomed the decision by the People’s Republic of China to substantially reduce tariff rates on imports of South African Rooibos tea.

“China, the world’s largest tea-market, previously had tariffs ranging from 15% to 30% on rooibos tea. This has now been reduced to 6%,” said the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) in a statement.

The move is with effect from 1 January 2024.

It added that Rooibos tea is a unique South African tea that has gained a strong foothold in global markets with hundreds of millions of rands of annual exports in 2022.

South Africa led efforts at the World Customs Organization (WCO) for a specific tariff code applicable only for rooibos tea.

In August 2023, South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel raised the tariff duties on rooibos tea with his counterpart, the Chinese Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao, during the eighth meeting of the China-South Africa Joint Economic and Trade Commission.

He requested that China considers a request to reclassify Rooibos tea and to reduce the duties.

Following further consideration from the Chinese side, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council of China advised it will be adopting the new tariff code of the WCO to categorise Rooibos tea under tariff code HS 1211.90.39 with an import tariff rate of 6%.

“According to the Rooibos Council of South Africa, approximately 20 000 tons of Rooibos is produced in South Africa every year generating employment for more than 5 000 people. China featured as the seventh largest recipient market in 2023 for South African Rooibos out of a total of 45 countries currently importing Rooibos tea,” said the department.

Minister Patel welcomed the decision by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council of China.

Commenting on the decision, he said: “Our Rooibos tea is refreshing, delicious and healthy. This decision will enable more South African Rooibos tea to be available to Chinese tea-drinkers, creating more jobs in South Africa. Rooibos exporters can now ramp up their exports of tea to China!”.

“China is currently South Africa’s largest global trading partner, with Chinese customs reporting two-way trade of more than R900 billion. We look forward to continuing our engagements with our Chinese counterparts as we seek to shift our exports from mainly minerals to a greater basket of value-added agricultural and industrial products.

“I wish to commend Minister [of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development] Thoko Didiza and her team for the close collaboration and hard work to get this decision finalised,” Minister Patel said.

Limpopo Premier Chupu Stanley Mathabatha has strongly condemned all forms of violence against humanity, especially women and children.

This is after the province reported an increase in incidents of violence in the past few days.

“These inhumane acts seem to have continued to rise in the province, especially during the 2023 festive season. The province is mourning the deaths of women, children, and men whose precious lives were mercilessly cut short,” said the Premier in a statement.

The recent spine-chilling incidents involve the gruesome discovery of the body of an 18-year-old girl on Monday, who was murdered in an abandoned house at Mokomene, Ga-Thoka village, under the Botlokwa policing precinct.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has since appealed to the community to provide valuable information to assist the police with its investigation.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), their members received a complaint about the lifeless body of a woman at an abandoned house and rushed to the scene.

“Upon arrival, they found the body of the woman in an advanced state of decomposition. The deceased’s identity will be released in due course as the investigation is still in its preliminary stages,” the SAPS statement read, adding that the motive behind the gruesome act has not yet been established.

The Premier’s Office also raised concerns about the heartless murder of Dr Johannes Mehlape, who was the Department of Education Circuit Manager of the Lebopo Office in the Capricorn District.

According to reports, Mehlape was gunned down at his home during an alleged robbery on 28 December 2023 at night after two unknown suspects accosted the victim and his two children.

“Enough is enough; we cannot let our lives continue to be cut short in this manner. I implore all to work with the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of these atrocities are arrested.

“Let us join hands in combating these barbaric acts and uproot them in our communities,” Mathabatha stressed.

He has since urged residents not to look away, but to report crime.

January can be a difficult month, especially for those who did not budget and/or spend wisely over the festive season.

According to the National Credit Regulator (NCR), many people are paid earlier in December and they wait long until the next payday in January.

“This long wait leads to very empty pockets and many unpaid bills, as these consumers start the year on a tough note. Consequently, many are being forced into taking excessive credit as the only option to pay for necessities like rent or mortgage, food, school fees, stationery and so on,” the regulator said.

The NCR’s Education and Communications Manager, Poppy Kweyama, said in addition to the high cost of living, consumers might need to borrow excessively at this time of the year because of poor budgeting and last year’s reckless spending.

Citing the NCR’s statistics for the quarter ended September 2023, Kweyama said there has been an increase quarter-on-quarter of impaired accounts.

To avoid an impaired credit record, consumers are advised to borrow wisely and responsibly and restrict credit to only what is necessary.

She added that during this time of the year, some consumers are desperate for financial assistance and may take out loans recklessly, even from unscrupulous credit providers.

The NCR has implored consumers who find themselves in this situation to be credit-smart and avoid resorting to unregistered credit providers.

She advised consumers to borrow only from registered credit providers and only as much as they need and only when they need to.

According to the expert, it is also crucial to plan how to repay the loans, and most importantly determine whether they can afford the repayments.

The NCR also encourages consumers to understand their credit agreements and the terms and conditions (Ts and Cs) before signing.

“Don’t sign if you don’t understand the Ts and Cs. Always ask for clarity and never pay an upfront fee.

“Never leave your ID or bank card with a credit provider in exchange for a loan. Not only is this practice illegal, but remember, to register and exercise your vote in the 2024 elections, you need to have your ID,” Kweyama cautioned.

Credit is expensive, said the NCR, and it advised people to familiarise themselves with the fees associated with the credit.

According to the National Credit Act (NCA), consumers can only be charged the following fees when taking up credit:

• Initiation fees – This is a fee that a credit provider charges a consumer for entering into a credit agreement. The credit provider must give the consumer an option of paying this fee separately and once off. In doing so, no interest may be charged on the fee. Initiation fees are regulated by the NCA. Standard initiation fees for credit facilities, short term credit transactions and unsecured credit transactions, per the NCA, is R165 per credit agreement plus 10% of the amount over R1 000 but the maximum initiation fee should not exceed R1 050.

• Interest rate – Interest is the amount that a credit provider charges a consumer on the outstanding balance of a credit agreement and is regulated by the NCA.

• Service fees – The fee that a credit provider charges for servicing and administering or maintaining the credit agreement. The credit provider can charge this fee monthly. Service fees can also be charged per transaction. The maximum monthly service fee under Section 105 of the NCA is R60.

• Credit Life Insurance – This is insurance which can be required by the credit provider when a consumer applies for credit. The insurance covers the debt due to the credit provider in certain cases such as retrenchment, disability or even death of the consumer. The insurance cover taken may not exceed the outstanding obligation to the credit provider.

• Other costs will depend on what you are purchasing as the consumer such as delivery costs.

Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, on Tuesday announced the extension of the closing date for the submission of public comments on the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection.

Comments on the White Paper have now been extended to 31 January 2024 from 19 January 2024.

The announcement is contained in Gazette No 49976, published on 8 January 2024.

“The department has received substantial public comments. The extension of the closing date follows requests received from various organisations and individuals for additional time due to the December holidays,” the department said.

In November last year, Cabinet announced that it had approved the publication of the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection for public comment.

“The draft policy aims to provide a framework to guide the granting of residency and citizenship to foreign nationals, as well as the protection of refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa, cognisant of the Republic’s national security interests and in compliance with international agreements and protocols on migration that South Africa is a party to,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said at that time.

According to the department, the White Paper and the explanatory memorandum can be downloaded at www.dha.gov.za.

Written submissions should be addressed to the Chief Director of Strategy and Institutional Performance and may be forwarded to the department.

The submissions can be delivered by hand to the Department of Home Affairs, 230 Johannes Ramokhoase Street, Hallmark Building, Pretoria, for the attention of Mr Sihle Mthiyane.

They can also be mailed to the department at Private Bag X114, Pretoria, 0001 or emailed to whitepaper@dha.gov.za.