Category: News

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Mpumalanga has issued a statement assuring social grant beneficiaries of a smooth transaction during the October payment cycle.

This comes after the technical glitches experienced last month, affecting grant recipients across the country.

According to SASSA, the elderly will receive their money on 3 October, those living with disabilities on 4 October, while payment of children grants categories will get theirs from 5 October.

“Social grant beneficiaries have a right to choose a method of payment of their choice, freely. The forms to make a choice are available at the nearest SASSA offices.”

Meanwhile, SASSA staff will be in most South African Post Office (SAPO) outlets and other payment platforms to monitor the payment and aim to assist beneficiaries with enquiries.

“The monitoring will be conducted for the first three payment days and they will assist any beneficiary that may be experiencing system payment-related challenges or non-payment due to failed bank verification and/or pending bank verification.

“In the eventuality of an unexpected non-payment [this] will be escalated to Postbank if related to a system glitch, and be sorted out as quickly as possible,” the agency explained.

Beneficiaries are also reminded to check their contact details to ensure that they are still correct.

For more information, contact the toll-free number on 0800 60 10 11 or 013 754 9428/9363 from 07:30 to 16:00 during weekdays (Monday to Friday).

District contacts are as follows: Ehlanzeni 013 799 7063/65; Bushbuckridge 013 799 7010/11; Gert-Sibande 017 801 1794 and Nkangala 013 285 0648.

With the weather warming up, the City of Ekurhuleni has warned the public to be on the lookout for snakes.

It is during this period of the year that snakes are on the prowl in search of food.

Snake season starts in the middle of August until late May. This is the period when a number of snakes, harmful and harmless get out of hiding.

Snakes such as the puff adder and rinkhals are extremely dangerous, with the puff adder known to be instinctive, slow in pace and quick to sense danger.

The rinkhals or ring-necked cobra is a fast-moving multi feeder, which is good at faking death. It is easily identified by the two white stripes that are visible across its neck when it spreads its hood.

The city cautioned pet owners to be on high alert and to keep an eye on their pets as they may fall prey to snakes.

“On the same note, while the community is cautioned to be vigilant against the harmful snakes, there are also snakes that are harmless to humans, such as the brown house snake, arora house snake, olive house snake and red-lipped snake that are likely to be found in backyard gardens searching for food like rodents,” the City of Ekurhuleni said in a statement on Monday.

Due to their harmlessness and less defensive nature, these species tend to be easily killed or captured as pets, a practice that is discouraged because it is illegal and punishable if you do not have a legal permit.

When encountering snakes, residents can call the city’s snake catchers: Makhosonke Mabena on 071 833 6549, Sonny Katisa on 073 988 8131, Mapaseka Maleka on 079 180 9231, Lucky Mahlangu on 083 237 7137 and Mbali Masango on 081 043 5354.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is looking at the possibility of a vaccination to contain the spread and impact of avian influenza.

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, met with the retailers on Monday to discuss the impact of avian influenza, also known as ‘avian flu’ or ‘bird flu’, in South Africa.

This follows a meeting held with the South African Poultry Association last Friday and engagements that have been taking place between government officials and the industry.

During the meeting, Didiza briefed retailers on the containment measures that have been taken to limit the spread of the disease, as well as possible solutions to manage such outbreaks in the short and the medium-term, including vaccinations.

“It was evident from [Monday’s] engagement that the main challenge is primarily on the egg production side, where there are supply constraints in some regions of the country. In response to this challenge, the Minister is focusing on measures to improve the availability of egg supply to consumers and simultaneously putting measures to contain the spread of the disease.

“Moreover, the Minister is embarking on the efficiency improvement in issuing import permits for egg products to ensure sufficient supplies for consumers. In addition, the Minister is looking at the possibility of vaccination and currently reviewing applications by various suppliers,” the department said in a statement.

On the broiler side, Didiza and Trade, Industry and Competition Minister, Ebrahim Patel, are assessing some trade instruments to ease the supply of chicken meat.

According to the statement issued by the department last week, as of 21 September 2023, a total of 50 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7 outbreaks and 10 HPAI H5 outbreaks have been reported in the country, with 37 HPAI H7 cases confirmed in Gauteng.

The number of chickens that have died is 107 705, while the reported number of chickens that were culled is 1 318 521.

“Based on these reported figures, there has been a total loss of 1 426 226 chickens,” the department said.

The reported number of chickens that have died of HPAI H5 is 98 249, while the reported number of chickens that were culled is 1 156 283, bringing the total loss of 1 254 532 chickens.

Transnet Group Chief Executive (GCE) Portia Derby and Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Nonkululeko Dlamini, have resigned from their positions at the state-owned freight and logistics company.

Derby’s last day at the company is expected to be at the end of this month (October) while Dlamini’s last day was at the end of September.

Transnet board chairperson Andile Sangqu said: “On behalf of the Board, I want to take this opportunity to convey to Portia and Nonkululeko our best wishes and to express our gratitude for their dedication, selflessness and hard work in serving the company during this critical time in its history”.

In a statement, Transet announced that Chief Executive of Transnet Pipelines, Michelle Phillips, is expected to be Acting GCE from 1 November while Hlengiwe Makhathini will act as Group CFO.

The statement reflected on Derby’s tenure as GCE since her appointment in February 2020 and the challenges that have beset it since.

“Ms Derby…has steered the company through an extremely challenging period, following on the setting aside of the 1064 locomotive contract which has created a significant binding constraint for Transnet that remains to this day.

“Furthermore, the period of the current executives’ tenure was impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, immediately thereafter the looting, the hacking of the ICT system, the floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the strike towards the end of 2022, all of which have adversely impacted Transnet. The floods in particular required a significant capital outflow to return to service the critical Container Corridor between Johannesburg and Durban,” the statement read.

Transnet added that Derby has borne responsibility for “driving the introduction of restorative governance measures and stabilising the company following the years of State Capture”.

“During her tenure she worked with the team in Transnet to introduce a private partner for Transnet Port Terminals into the container terminal space, the first of its kind, including working with key stakeholders in introducing reforms, aligned with Government policy, which aim to turn the organisation around, restructure the rail sector particularly, and enable the growth of the freight logistics system,” the statement read.

Cabinet has approved the publication of the Water Services Amendment Bill for public comment.

The Bill aims to strengthen accountability for water service providers and to introduce transparency.

“The amendments to the Water Services Act will ensure that water service providers deliver high quality water as part of their licensing conditions.

“The amendments will also address weakness that have been identified in the water services sector, and these include conflict with water services providers being both providers and regulators. The Bill sets minimum standards for the functioning of Water Services Providers, which must be enforced by Water Services Authorities,” Cabinet said.

Draft National Water Amendment Bill

Cabinet has also approved the publication of the draft National Water Amendment Bill for public comment. The Bill amends the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998).

“These amendments will improve regulations and will ensure that the country’s water resources are well managed, protected and conserved. Once the amendments are implemented, there will be equitable allocation of water to all citizens of the country,” Cabinet said.

The Bill also makes proposals to eliminate the imbalances of the past relating to water allocation and makes provisions for effective and quicker internal dispute resolution mechanisms.

SABC Bill 2023

Cabinet has approved the submission of the SABC Bill, 2023 to Parliament.

Cabinet initially approved the Bill in 2022, however, the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor subsequently made suggestions on certain provisions of the Bill in order to align it with the constitution.

“Once passed into law, the Bill will result in the repeal of the current Broadcasting Act (Act 4 of 1999). The amendments will strengthen the efficiency of the operations of the public broadcaster. The Bill further proposes reforms in the SABC’s funding model and the TV licensing system,” Cabinet said.

The Bill encourages the SABC to align its broadcasting services with the democratic values of the Constitution and to enhance its mandate to serve citizens better.

Cabinet has approved the implementation of the Revised Game Meat Strategy for South Africa, which seeks to formalise and transform the game meat industry.

Briefing the media in Pretoria on the outcomes of Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the strategy is also designed to contribute towards food security for the country.

“It aims to strengthen the game meat sector as both provider of food security and an economic growth sector that can help create job opportunities,” Ntshavheni said.

South Africa is ranked number one on the African continent for game meat production and therefore, said the Minister, needs to take full advantage of the economic opportunities that the sector provides.

“Ultimately, the strategy seeks to ensure the creation of 202 666 sustainable jobs in the game meat industry by 2030.”

The strategy will be published on the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment website at www.dffe.gov.za.

Tourism Master Plan 

Cabinet has also given the go ahead for the Department of Tourism to align the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan to a new Tourism Master Plan.

An important component of the Master Plan is to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector and provides a road map for full recovery of tourism in the country.

The Tourism Sector Recovery Plan was developed to facilitate the recovery of the sector, preserve jobs and protect livelihoods.

Ntshavheni said the Master Plan will take this work to another level and facilitate new opportunities in the sector.

“The plan proposes seven intervention strategies to ensure the tourism sector returns to its glory days and that the sector becomes the centre of job creation and entrepreneurship. These interventions include stimulating demand through rigorous campaigns, promoting South Africa internationally and cutting red tape in the processing of visas and tour operator licences.

“The tourism industry is a vital contributor to the economy and supported 725 000 jobs before COVID 19. Cabinet believes that the interventions will go a long way in restoring the role of tourism in the economy and job creation,” Ntshavheni said.

Competition Commission’s work commended 

Meanwhile, Cabinet commended the work of the Competition Commission in addressing monopoly concerns in digital intermediation platforms, including ecommerce, online travel agencies, food delivery, app stores, classifieds providers and search engines.

This comes after Cabinet received a report from the Commission outlining the findings and remedial actions on the Online Intermediation Platform Market Inquiry.

Ntshavheni said Cabinet has directed Ministers of the Economic Cluster to interrogate the policy implications and recommend required policy reforms.

“Cabinet encouraged the Commission to continue its good work in enabling SME’s and previously disadvantaged people, especially Black people to actively participate in the economy of their country,” the Minister said.

Cabinet has assured South Africans that control measures to manage the spread of the Bird Flu outbreaks are in place and farmers are encouraged to observe prescribed biosecurity measures.

This comes after Cabinet noted the current outbreaks of highly pathogenic influenza (HPAI) H5 and H7 in the poultry industry in South Africa.

The Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have experienced outbreaks of HPAI H5, while HPAI H7 has been reported in the provinces of Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West.

“Control measures to manage the spread of the outbreaks are in place and farmers are encouraged to observe prescribed biosecurity measures.

“The outbreaks pose food security risks and trade measures in the form of imports to manage availability of fertile eggs, table eggs, and poultry meat may be implemented,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said during a Post Cabinet media briefing on Thursday.

Ntshavheni said that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, South African Health Products Regulatory Authority and the industry are exploring applications for the registration of possible vaccines, with compliance measures relating to safety, efficacy and quality being paramount for registration of such vaccines.

On Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) reported that as of 21 September 2023, a total of 50 HPAI H7 outbreaks and 10 HPAI H5 outbreaks have been reported.

Gauteng province is the hardest hit by HPAI H7, with 37 confirmed cases. Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West have confirmed two cases, respectively, while the Free State has recorded one case.

The department said the reported number of chickens that have died is 107 705, while the reported number of chickens that were culled is 1 318 521. Based on these reported figures, there has been a total loss of 1 426 226 chickens.

The Western Cape province is the hardest hit with regards to the HPAI H5 outbreak, having a total of seven reported outbreaks. The other 3 HPAI H5 outbreaks are within the KwaZulu-Natal province, the department said in a statement.

Cabinet has reiterated that illegal mining and actions by South Africans to harbour illegal migrants in these acts of criminality will continue to face the full might of the law.
“Such actions have a direct negative impact on our economy. In our sustained fight against crime, Cabinet appreciates all who are working tirelessly with law enforcement agencies.

“This commitment by South Africans and other patriots, who are reporting illegal acts, strengthens our justice and crime prevention system, ensuring that together, we can make our country safe,” Cabinet said.

This as the fight against crime intensifies, with mining equipment worth R60 million and coal worth R12 million were seized at an illegal coalmine in Carolina, Mpumalanga. Additionally, a mine manager, who could not produce a mining permit, was arrested.

The multi-disciplinary operation on illegal mining and immigration in the Northern Cape also led to the arrest of 867 people, many from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa.

Meanwhile, cooperation between the South African Police Service and Eskom security resulted in the arrest of a coal driver and two weighbridge clerks for alleged fraud and theft of coal at Eskom.

Cabinet has commended the return to service of Kusile Power Station’s Unit 4 from planned maintenance, bringing back 800 megawatts to the country’s power grid.

“This milestone is central to generating capacity for the national grid in addressing the frequency of load shedding,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said at a post Cabinet media briefing on Thursday.

Cabinet was further encouraged with the progress to return Units 1, 2 and 3 at Kusile ahead of schedule in October and the end of November 2023.

Cabinet has also welcomed Eskom’s stable rating by Moody’s Investors Service, which will improve its credit worthiness.

The ratings agency upgraded the power utility’s rating from positive to stable, following the utility’s Debt Relief Act passed in July.

“This rating will enable Eskom to plan ahead in implementing planned maintenance on its generation fleet,” Ntshavheni said.

Cabinet has further commended the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s granting of trading and import/export licence applications to the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA).

The NTCSA is wholly owned by Eskom, as the State-owned company is being restructured into the generation, transmission and distribution subsidiaries.

The NTCSA applied for a trading licence in order to be able to buy and sell electricity from power stations and independent power producers.

“This paves the way for procurement of power from across the region,” the Minister said.

Water challenges 

On water security, Ntshavheni said water authorities and local government are addressing water challenges affecting a number of areas across the country.

The Minister noted that major water losses in Gauteng fall in the areas of the cities’ responsibilities, including Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and the City of Johannesburg.

She also warned that water losses experienced on the side of the cities is higher and this is due to the non-repair of damaged water infrastructure and leaking pipes, which are left unattended.

“The Minister of Water and Sanitation and Rand Water have been intervening to ensure how to manage water shortages,” Ntshavheni said.

The Minister also reminded citizens that their actions are crucial to ensuring a sustainable and equitable water supply.

“We must all play our part to save every drop by not watering lawns or filling swimming pools with drinking water. Wash your car using a bucket, take a two-minute shower instead of a bath, fix all water leaks in your house and report leaking water pipes to your local municipality,” Ntshavheni said.

Whether young or old, unemployment is a thorn in the flesh of many South Africans, writes Neo Semono.

Whether in our families or within our circle of friends, many of us know someone who is without a job. The situation is so dire that we may even know more than one individual who does not have a job, and it is not due to the lack of trying nor to the lack of qualifications.

Those who are unemployed want to wake up in the morning to go and make an honest living for themselves and their loved ones. Through their work, they also want to make a difference in the country that they live in.

Recent data has shown that the country’s joblessness rate has come down slightly. Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) has shown that the unemployment rate decreased from 32.9% in the first quarter to 32.6% in the second quarter of 2023.

Granted, the figure is marginal – but 154 000 new jobs were created in the second quarter, taking the number of employed persons to 16.3 million – a flicker of hope for those who may have given up on finding work.

Finding a job is hard and is further exacerbated by the costs that job seekers may not be able to cover. In the quest to find jobs, money is borrowed to visit internet cafes to search and apply for work, to printout CVs and to drop off said applications at prospective employer’s offices.

Having altered the CV more times than one can remember, and filing out more online applications and Z83 forms, hope and confidence take a knock when one does not get that invitation to a job interview.

While that hope is sometimes on shaky ground, South Africans don’t quit. Instead, they make a plan, even if it means taking on any job to make ends meet. Some go on to start innovative businesses that change their local landscapes while also giving jobs and training to others in their respective communities.

This speaks to the innate resilience of the people of this country in that individuals not only deviate from their original life plan, but that they also give work opportunities to others who may not have had the opportunity to put a foot in the door of larger establishments minus the required skills.

While one will always find fault with government, it cannot resolve the unemployment challenge on its own. And while it should have done better in tackling it, it is doing something about it.

This includes the employment of people with disabilities. Through the Presidential Working Group on Disability, government is working on increasing funding for disability-related programmes and services. This includes funding for the education, training and employment of people with disabilities.

Well aware of the unemployment problem particularly around the youth, government has put in place the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI). Through the initiative announced in 2020, at least 135 000 earning opportunities were secured by young people.

The Department of Employment and Labour–which has labour offices across the country– offers tips on how to find a job and how to fill out the Z83 form. It also has career counsellors to assist job seekers in preparing for interviews and other career related services for free.

Mobile employment centres are also available to assist work seekers to sign up for the Employment Services System of South Africa (ESSA) which is a platform where work seekers are matched with available job opportunities for free.

Other government initiatives to get particularly young people into work include the Gauteng government’s Nasi Ispan (“Here is work”) mass recruitment programme that aims to get thousands of young people into state jobs.

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) which has been in existence for close to two decades continues to make a difference in people’s lives. It provides an important avenue for labour-absorption and income to poor households in the short to medium-term.

The implementation of government plans is also making an impact with the Poultry Masterplan which contributed to the creation of 750 jobs at a Rainbow Chicken facility.

The adoption of the masterplan saw government implement several measures to safeguard the local industry including placing anti-dumping duties on imported poultry.

This is the same Rainbow Chicken which in 2017 closed its operations in Hammarsdale and retrenched over a thousand workers.

The adoption of the plan was also coupled with increased investment and measures to transform the industry has led to success with the company reopening and investing R220 million.

Government is not just talking the talk; it is also putting in the work for its people who have a never say die attitude.