Category: News

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has launched a zero-rated mobile APP, as well as a free USSD platform to enable clients to access UIF services at any time.

This will go a long way to reducing long queues at the labour centres.

The app, which was launched on Monday, will bring services to the people and enable UIF clients to access services at any time, from anywhere at no cost.

Unveiling the platforms during a media briefing in Cape Town, Maruping said the USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) and mobile APP will promote greater self-service for clients, reduce long queues in the labour centres and alleviate pressure on officials.

UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping believes the platforms will put more money in the pockets of clients because they will save on transport costs currently incurred when visiting labour centres.

“There is really no better time than now to do this to ensure that workers begin to access services at their fingertips. We are moving with the times to create a better, more capable UIF that leverages technology to respond to challenges on the ground and changes in the external environment,” Maruping said.

He said the UIF recognises that most of their clients may not be in the best financial position when they need to access their services, hence the initiative to launch the mobile app and USSD platform.

Maruping said the two platforms also enable clients to check their UIF registration status, which will improve non-compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Act by employers who fail to register, declare and pay contributions for their workers.

“By simply dialling *134*843# on any cellular phone for free, clients can, among others, submit a continuation of payment or check their claim and payment status, instead of visiting a labour centre. The same services can also be accessed on our mobile APP, which can be downloaded from either Google Play Store, App Store for IOS phones or Huawei App Store,” Maruping explained.

The Commissioner also called on all UIF contributing workers to use these platforms to check their registration status, whilst in employment, and not wait until they are no longer working.

“If you find that your employer has not registered you, but is deducting UIF, then immediately report this to a labour inspector so it can be corrected,” Maruping said.

The Commissioner stressed that the fund is committed to taking bold steps to improve service delivery.

The UIF will go on roadshows to educate clients in all provinces and implement a mass media campaign.

“In addition to these new platforms, we recently installed free Wi-Fi at all labour centres around the country to enable clients to access our services online and reduce the time it takes to queue for assistance. Meanwhile, our mobile buses continue to take services to the doorsteps of clients, especially in deep rural and remote areas,” Maruping said.

Maruping also visited the Bellville labour centre to interact with clients and promote the platforms.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has appointed a commission of inquiry — led by Justice Sisi Khampepe — into the Usindiso Building fire in Johannesburg, which claimed the lives of at least 76 people and left scores others injured and homeless.

Justice Khampepe will be joined on the commission by Advocate Thulani Makhubela and Vuyelwa Mathilda Mabena.

“The commission will investigate the prevalence of hijacked buildings in Johannesburg, what caused the deadly blaze in Marshalltown, and who must shoulder total responsibility for this tragedy.

“In Johannesburg, the issue of stolen buildings is becoming a crisis, necessitating drastic action. A thorough intervention is required to ensure that disasters like the Marshalltown fire, one of the deadliest in recent memory, never happen again,” Lesufi said.

The commission’s terms of reference are expected to be gazetted soon, with a report to be produced for the Premier.

Lesufi urged affected residents to come forward and assist the commission in its work.

“The Gauteng government seeks a comprehensive overhaul of all the underlying issues that put the lives of the residents of the province in danger and the commission is the initial step in achieving this objective.

“We urge all affected communities and organisations to make submissions and work with the commission to get to the bottom of this intractable problem of hijacked buildings,” Lesufi said.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has warned the public of a fake website sent to unsuspecting job seekers informing them of the success of their job application, while requesting a refundable R250 to be paid for background checks.

“The website, which may look real to an untrained eye, is illegitimate and fake. PRASA does not have a .org (dot org) domain or a dedicated vacancy website. PRASA does not charge job applicants for background checks, nor does our recruitment process involve payments,” the agency said on Monday.

PRASA has advised the public to look out for the following warning signs when determining the legitimacy of an official website by the agency.

• The URL, prasa-recruitment.org, is fake. PRASA’s official website is www.prasa.com.
• PRASA’s recruitment process does not involve soliciting payments.
• PRASA is not affiliated to any third-party money transfer system or money markets for payments for recruitment processes.
• The font is not aligned to the C.I manual and the inconsistencies of the font are a red flag that the communique is fake.
• Be vigilant of suspicious URLs that do not make sense such as prasaverify@aol.com.

“PRASA would like to urge the public to be alert of scammers taking advantage of the country’s unemployment rate and exploiting unsuspecting job seekers. If you come across any job scams or illegal employment activities, report them immediately to the proper authorities,” the agency said.

Families who lost loved ones in the Johannesburg Usindiso Building fire can go and identify their family members at the Diepkloof mortuary from today.

At least 74 people died in the tragic incident when a fire broke out in the building they were living in on Thursday.

“A family member or relative who wishes to identify their loved one should have their original Identity Document (ID), ID of the deceased or birth certificate if the deceased is a child.

“If the deceased is a foreign national, a passport, asylum seeker certificate or a letter from [the] country of origin confirming who the deceased is and to whom the remains should be handed over to is needed. The Diepkloof Forensic Pathology Service (FPS) is located at 2 Collinder Road Berthsam, Diepkloof, Soweto.

“Identification of the deceased bodies at the Diepkloof FPS will take place on Friday. The facility will also open on Saturday and Sunday from 9am and 3pm. Counselling services will be offered to the bereaved families,” the Gauteng Provincial Health Department said in a statement.

Those who died include at least ten people whose gender could not be identified because of the extent of their burns.

In this regard, the department will use other means in an attempt to identify them.

“The Gauteng FPS will use the Digital Fingerprint System to identify unknown bodies who have visible fingerprints. The system uses biometric scanners and third-party access to the databases of Department of Home Affairs, South African Police Service and National Credit Bureau to identify deceased bodies.

“Bodies that been burnt beyond recognition and without fingerprints will be identified through DNA process,” the department said.

Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said: “As soon as we learned of the incident, we immediately activated our emergency protocols to ensure that we respond as speedily as possible to those that needed medical attention. The Gauteng Emergency Medical Services has been on the ground contributing to emergency and rescue efforts as part of the provincial disaster management response.

“We have further deployed counselling and other psycho-social support services to compliment interventions from the City of Joburg and provincial department of Social Development”.

Those family members who are looking to trace loved ones can call the toll-free hotline number on 0800 203 886 or direct line during office hours on 0113553048/0112415707.

“Those enquiring would need to provide their personal details including the name and last name of the family member they are tracing,” the department said.

Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has reflected on the strides the Department has made during the 2022/23 financial year.

Tabling of the 2022/23 annual report, the MEC said the Department has been bestowed with the most improved Department in the Province on Audit Outcomes for the year under review.

“Our fleet management entity g-Fleet was also recognised for improvements in audit outcomes, while our Gautrain Management Agency maintained its clean audit outcome. All this is the testament to our clear strategy and efforts by our officials to transform this department into a capable arm of the state that is fit to deliver services to the people of our province efficiently and without wastage,” Diale-Tlabela said on Thursday.

In the Department’s pursuit of economic revival, it embarked on significant infrastructure projects, including the rehabilitation of key roads such as P39/1 and P156/3.

These endeavours have not only contributed to economic resurgence but have also ignited the flames of job creation and community empowerment.

“We recognised the pressing need to address unemployment head-on, a consequence of the pandemic’s impact. To this end, we harnessed the power of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), launching initiatives like the COVID-19 Transport Cadet Programme and the Departmental Internship Programme. Through these efforts, we have not only provided employment opportunities but have also nurtured skill development, particularly among our youth, women, and persons with disabilities,” the MEC said.

She affirmed that safety has remained paramount in the Department’s endeavours.

“The establishment of impound facilities, the introduction of the Public Transport Arbitration Office, and the implementation of a new Vehicle Number Plate System showcase our resolute commitment to combating crime and ensuring the well-being of all who utilize our transportation systems.

“I am immensely proud to highlight that despite challenges such as cash flow issues, community stoppages, and disruptions from external factors like load shedding, our Department has demonstrated strategic acumen, fostering engagements with stakeholders and forming partnerships within our communities. These interventions have enabled us to navigate these challenges effectively and emerge stronger,” the MEC said.

She said through efficient revenue collection, tariff reviews, and collaborative efforts with stakeholders, the department has achieved financial resilience and this has allowed the Department to maintain a robust revenue contribution to the provincial government.

“This, in turn, strengthens our capacity to continue uplifting our beloved province. The Department of Roads and Transport in Gauteng stands as a beacon of resilience, adaptability, and dedication. Our initiatives have aligned seamlessly with the province’s priorities, resulting in tangible contributions to economic growth, job creation, and public safety.

“Our achievements in infrastructure development, smart mobility solutions, and revenue generation reflect our unyielding commitment to the well-being and prosperity of our citizens,” the MEC said.

Survivors of a fire that engulfed a Johannesburg building in the early hours of the morning, are to be placed in alternative accommodation in nearby buildings.

The fire has claimed 73 lives with several others injured; while at least some 141 families have been displaced.

At the scene of the tragedy in inner city Johannesburg, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, said humanitarian relief is already on site.

“There will be social relief. We have already identified three buildings that the surviving victims will be allocated to and we have agreed that we are not going to deal with people on the basis of their nationality. At this point, anybody who’s affected, we are going to give humanitarian assistance. This is a tragedy that affects people, irrespective of their nationality.

“We must convey our condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. This is a tragedy of monumental proportions and it is unfortunate that today we are here. This, for us, demonstrates a chronic problem of housing in our province as we have previously said, there’s at least 1.2 million people who need housing,” Maile said.

The MEC slammed what he called a “cartel” of people hijacking buildings in the inner city with no running water and limited services.

He added, however, that “if there is an official of the city found to have neglected their responsibilities…heads will definitely roll”.

“There are cartels who prey on poor vulnerable people. Some of these buildings, if not most of them, are actually in the hands of cartels who collect rental from our people. Some of these people who are in these buildings can afford to pay, therefore government must create stock for rental…that is affordable.

“There’s about 23 buildings that the Johannesburg Housing Company owns that are like [that building] that they have a plan but they don’t have money for. There’s a 100 buildings that are owned by the private sector and they are neglected. We have to be decisive in how we deal with that and one of the things might be to expropriate those buildings so that we can be able to house people,” he said.

Johannesburg mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, confirmed that the building belongs to the city but was overrun by illegal occupation.

“The building does belong to the city. It was…leased to an NGO to run a non-profit organisation to house women that needed to be given relief of some sort. That’s when things escalated out of control. When the city leases a building, whoever is taking responsibility needs to make sure that the building is well kept that they can return it to the city in the condition in which they found it in.

“But I cannot project and predict how the business would then find itself in a situation where it’s abandoning its operation,” he said.

Responding to questions on what the city is doing to address the issue of hijacked buildings, the mayor said the city is taking a cautious approach in order to avoid being litigated against.

“There are quite a number of non-profit organisations that have a keen interest in the city’s approach towards evicting buildings. So…we are taking a more prudent approach and we are not going there with brute force. We are trying to apply a maximum sensitive strategy.

“The MEC as well as the Minister [of Human Settlements], we had a conversation alluding to the fact that…[there are] quite a number of buildings that we can…activate in terms of providing alternative and social housing. The issue of…implementing the strategy of providing alternative accommodation so that we can repurpose these buildings for social housing is what we are particularly dealing with,” Gwamanda said.

Cabinet has directed the Economic Cluster to put in place an action plan on food prices, food security and access to food.

“Cabinet has approved that the Economic Cluster must put in place an action plan on food prices, food secur[rity] and access to food,” Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said.

Briefing the media on Thursday, Ntshavheni said the Competition Commission has been monitoring essential food prices pursuant to price gouging concerns raised since the declaration of the State of Disaster in March 2020.

She said that the continuation of essential food price monitoring is motivated by the need to ensure affordable and accessible essential food products for consumers.

“The Commission has noted the ‘rocket and feather’ effect, where prices are quick to rise often in excess of cost increases and slow to fall once cost pressures decline. It has also flagged the concentrated nature of the food and retail markets as a concerning contributing factor.”

At the briefing held in Pretoria, the Minister said that Cabinet has noted the Commission’s recommended measures including market inquiries to address structural features in the market that lead to high food prices and low levels of competition.

The Cabinet continues to receive an update on the electricity situation in the country and notes reports of the continued improvement in electricity availability.

This is according to the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who was briefing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

“Although the last few days had recorded an increase in the load shedding stages to Stage 4, the situation has since improved with the return of units to generation and Eskom continues to taper down the load shedding stages,” Ntshavheni said on Thursday.

The state-owned power entity announced this morning that load shedding would jump to Stage 4 as more generating units failed last night.

Minister Ntshavheni also spoke about the communities that have no electricity due to power outages and not load shedding.

These power outages, the Minister said, are caused by system overload due to illegal connections, theft or vandalism of sub-stations and transformers, and vandalism of distribution lines.

The affected communities include parts of Soweto, Tembisa, KwaThema, Komane, Taung and Ditsobotla.

Ntshavheni announced that the Ministers of Electricity and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs have since commenced with a programme to engage with the affected communities to agree on measures to replace damaged infrastructure.

However, the Minister said this would be linked with the prohibition of illegal connections, community partnerships in the protection of electricity infrastructure, and payment for electricity services.

“South Africa’s agreement with the Chinese companies, on recently signed agreements, will play a significant role in introducing electricity infrastructure with self-preservation capability.”

Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill

In addition,  Ntshavheni said the Executive has also been briefed about the “unconstitutional” draft Western Cape Provincial Powers Bill.

The Bill creates a framework for the province to fully assert its existing constitutional and legislative powers and to get more powers delegated from the national government.

“The Draft Bill violates the provisions of Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution that set out powers and functions including concurrent powers of both the provincial and national executives.”

“Cabinet has noted that this draft Bill is an attempt to revert to the Democratic Party’s, forerunner to the Democratic Alliance preferred federal approach that seeks to undermine a united and inclusive South Africa,” the Minister explained.

In addition, she said the Draft Bill ignores the exclusion from access to services of the large Black communities of Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Nyanga, Langa, the Cape Flats, Delft, and Central Line, among others.

“Cabinet has mandated the Ministers of Justice and CoGTA to enter into discussions with the Western Cape provincial government in line with the relevant dispute resolution mechanisms as provided for in section 146 of the Constitution and the applicable intergovernmental framework.”

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says that work to ensure that those who are found to be responsible for state capture, are held to account is continuing.

“Progress in implementing the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State includes R5.4 billion being traced and returned to the State after the National Prosecuting Authority was granted freezing orders to the value of R13 billion,” she said on Thursday.

The Minister was speaking during a media briefing following a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

She said that Cabinet had approved and tabled in parliament eight of the 14 new legislative amendments identified in government’s implementation plan.

In October last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa submitted government’s plan to parliament in relation to the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations.

In his weekly newsletter two weeks ago, the President said “significant progress” has been made to implement government’s plan in relation to the recommendations set out by the State Capture Commission.

President Ramaphosa added that “far reaching legislative and institutional changes to reduce the potential of corruption” are also being undertaken.

The State Capture Commission made 205 recommendations on the criminal investigation and possible prosecution of people and companies implicated in evidence before the commission.

Cabinet has welcomed the Quarterly Labour Force Survey results which show a slight decrease in the unemployment rate from 32.9% in the first quarter to 32.6% in the second quarter of 2023.

Briefing the media on the outcomes of a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet is pleased with the 154 000 new jobs created in the second quarter, taking the number of employed persons to 16.3 million.

This as Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) recently released the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data.

“This is the seventh quarter of consecutive gains in employment inching South Africa closer to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic employment figure of 16.4 million.

“Cabinet has also noted the green shoots with the reduction of youth unemployment by 131,000 and an increase of 105,000 in the number of employed youth to 5.7 million,” the Minister said on Thursday.

Consumer Price Inflation (CPI)

Meanwhile, Cabinet further welcomed Stats SA data that showed that the annual Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) slowed to 4.7% in July 2023, from 5.4% in June 2023.

The annual inflation rate for goods was 5.5% for July 2023 from 6.3% in June 2023, whereas the inflation rate for services was 4.0% down from 4.5% in the same period.

Agro-Energy Fund

Meanwhile, Ntshavheni said Cabinet has noted the launch of a R1,21 billion Agro-Energy Fund.

The fund aims to support the agriculture and agribusiness sector to install alternative energy sources and continue with food, fibre and beverages production.

The fund was launched by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, collaboratively with the Land Bank earlier this week.

“The sector is one of the intensive energy users and critical for the stability of South Africa’s food security, export earnings and employment, thus making this government intervention vital to ensure sustainability.

“The Fund is inclusive and will support farming businesses of all scales in a blended finance approach, with the Land Bank managing the fund. The fund will also include all agriculture and agribusiness activities that are energy intensive,” Cabinet said.