Category: News

The Employment and Labour Department is looking into imposing significant fines against unlawful labour practices by employers as the number of violation of basic employee registrations increase.

“One of the things we are going to be harsh on is that some of the employers violate labour laws, and we come back to them and we find they did not correct because we start by corrective measures.

“And they continue to violate labour laws, and then they get a fine in court but the fine is insignificant to them and they continue to violate labour laws,” said Minister Thulas Nxesi.

The Minister was addressing the employers of the Golden Ridge Estate during farm inspections on Wednesday.

The Golden Ridge Estate is a farming estate in Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape and the second biggest gross domestic product (GDP) contributor in the province.

“Now part of the law which we are cooking is that if we are to find you [as an employer in violation of labour laws] and if we have given you warnings to do the corrective measures, and for the third time we find you violating, we are going to deal with your profits and a certain percentage of your profits.

“And we send a very clear message,” he warned.

The Minister further explained the department’s current stand on the Employment Equity Act to the farm owners.

He also touched on the lack of training and mentorship of certain sectors of the population on farms.

“The most sensitive issue, which I must emphasise, is the question of the foreign nationals amid high unemployment in South Africa.

“You can employ them provided they are legal and provided they have papers. But it must be a particular quarter. You have the security sector and the retail sector, but we cannot come up with something which is a one size fits all. It’s going to depend on the various sectors,” he added.

The Minister also embarked on the  ‘Taking Services to the People’ initiative where he visited the Tamboville Community Multi-Purpose Centre in Kariega.

“It’s a very strong programme where we feel that some of the people are not closer to Labour Centres, and then it means we must be able to provide service closer to them. Tons of the services we are bringing are the UIF [Unemployment Insurance Fund] and the Compensation Fund.

“We’re also looking at the Employment Services where we’ll do career counselling for the young people on how to deposit their CVs in a central database which will be available to all the employers, both private and public,” he explained.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala has outlined timelines and a project execution plan to ensure that projects are finished on time and within the scope and costs.

Zikalala, who has prioritised a coordinated response to addressing the problem of blocked and stalled projects — informed by the District Development Model (DDM) — held a meeting with the Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC, Florence Radzilani, on Thursday, ahead of the Presidential Imbizo, which is taking place in Limpopo on Friday.

The meeting aimed to discuss the stalled projects in the province, and these include the Vuwani Police Station Project.

Zikalala announced that the department is in the process of appointing new contractors to work on the Vuwani Police Station Project.

He said the department is currently reviewing all slow moving projects in Limpopo and has resolved that failure to improve will lead to harsher consequences.

“This will apply to those overseeing the project execution from the government side and contractors assigned to projects. All contractors working on stalled government projects and still have active contracts have been directed to remedy the problem,” Zikalala said.

The Minister warned that delayed projects impact negatively on service delivery by government institutions, noting that when the construction of a police station is delayed, “the journey to a safer South Africa led by the South African Police Services is compromised.”

“A project stalled or delayed is service delivery denied. We have resolved that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure must not be associated with poor performance or workmanship by contractors,” Zikalala said.

Zikalala and Radzilani have called for immediate consequence management on project managers who delay project implementation, and termination of poor performing contractors, who do not meet timelines to complete projects.

Radzilani welcomed the road map unveiled by the Minister to resolve stalled projects in Limpopo, saying this is the action needed by the community.

The MEC also welcomed Zikalala’s intervention into Vuwani Police Station Project, noting “this will bring the much waited relief to communities like Vuwani, whose police station has been incomplete for several years.”

The Minister will also be undertaking various follow-up visits to the province to ensure oversight and timeous implementation of projects.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has expressed grave concern over the imprisonment of two South African nationals in Equatorial Guinea.

The DIRCO Director-General (DG), Zane Dangor, on Thursday said he was “disturbed” to learn of the sentence handed down to two locals, Peter Shane Huxham and Frederic Johannes Potgieter.

According to media reports, Huxham, originally from Langebaan outside Cape Town and Potgieter from George, were jailed for 12 years and fined more than R100 million.

The two engineers were employed in the offshore oil and gas industry and insist they are innocent.

The department said the pair was arrested on 9 February 2023 at their hotel in Malabo while preparing to board their flight to South Africa the following day.

“They are employed on an oil rig off the coast of Equatorial Guinea and were coming off shift to rest and spend time with their families in South Africa.

“They made their first court appearance only on 26 June 2023, to receive the formal charges against them. They appeared in court again on 30 June 2023, for sentencing. The judgement was passed by a bench of five judges who found them guilty of ‘trafficking and illicit possession of drugs (cocaine)’,” the statement read.

Dangor, according to the department, expressed his dismay that the South African Embassy continues to be denied access to the detainees in violation of international law.

“The government of Equatorial Guinea has failed in its obligation to formally notify DIRCO and grant consular access by the Embassy officials to the two South African nationals.

“He emphasised that such access is expressly required by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, to which both states are parties despite numerous official requests in this regard.”

The DG emphasised that the Equatorial Guinea government remains responsible for the welfare and safety of the South African citizens being held in their custody.

“He expressed his willingness to have more direct and constructive cooperation with the relevant authorities regarding this matter.”

Meanwhile, DIRCO said it was ready and willing to advance bilateral relations with Equatorial Guinea.

“However, the continued denial of access to the two South African nationals in distress compromises the long-standing good bilateral relations between the two countries.”

The DG has also expressed support to the families and friends of the detainees.

Following the recent severe floods, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) on Thursday released an updated assessment of the estimated financial cost of the damage.

A rapid assessment conducted during the period 26 to 30 June 2023 confirmed extensive damage to riverbanks, irrigation equipment, private roads and sediment over vineyards and fruit orchards.

According to WCDoA, the assessment considered damage to primary agriculture sites on the West Coast, Cape Winelands and the Overberg.

The heavy rains last month caused huge damage to roads and infrastructure in the province, also claiming two lives.

The provincial department said the damage is estimated to be R7.7 million for irrigation, R1.4 million for fencing, R1.4 million, R278 million for crop losses and R18.7 million for seasonal workers’ loss of income.

Meanwhile, the WCDoA said it will cost a tune of R748 million to rehabilitate rivers, riparian zones, vineyards and orchards due to large volumes of sediment removed upstream and deposited downstream in rivers, riverbanks, vineyards and orchards.

In addition, the department is expected to spend about R120 000 for the cost of clearing a weir to provide drinking water to 400 people.

The department said the estimates do not consider potential losses experienced along the agriculture value chain nor provide insight into the impact on future exports.

“Armed with a more credible, albeit conservative estimate, officials will, together with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, approach the National Disaster Management Centre with the aim of having the flood-damaged areas declared a disaster and unlocking the relevant funding and support that could be provided.”

In the interim, the WCDoA will ensure that affected producers can access the best technical information through its extension and advisory services.

In addition, the department will also extend its current river protection works programme to flood-affected river systems as this will mitigate the impact of future flooding.

“The WCDoA will also reprioritise existing allocations, as well as approach its national sector department and the National Disaster Management Centre, via the Provincial Disaster Management Centre, to cover the costs of river protection works.”

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille says government is committed to enhancing tourism investment and safety to attract more visitors to South Africa.

“We will work to find and action solutions to anything that stands in the way of that objective to grow tourism’s contribution to the country’s economy as espoused in the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP),” she stressed.

As part of her oversight duties, De Lille on Wednesday visited various sites within the Kruger National Park (KNP) to inspect investment projects by her Ministry and the private sector.

“With our vast natural beauty and wildlife, the KNP is a must-see attraction on the bucket lists of travellers from all over the world and the country.

“As with all tourist attractions, it is vital that this attraction is maintained to provide tourists with a world-class and authentically South African experience.”

The visit aimed to chart a way forward on how the KNP and all government spheres can unite to enhance tourism’s performance to achieve progress on the key priorities outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The priorities, De Lille said, include tour operator licenses, e-visas, tourism safety, the Tourism Equity Fund, infrastructure development, increasing the volume and value of domestic and international tourism, and the Tourism Sector Master Plan.

These, according to the Minister, are all aimed at increasing demand for tourism and boosting the number of domestic and international tourists visiting South Africa.

“It is well known that unfortunately there have been many crime incidents in and around the Kruger with criminals attacking tourists and this is a matter that we take very seriously, not only because we want to safeguard tourists.

“But we cannot have criminality stand in the way of our tourist attractions thriving because that is how we can ultimately create more jobs for our people and bring prosperity for all.”

The Minister labelled tourism as an important sector in the country’s economy due to South Africa’s attractiveness to travellers and the thousands of jobs created.

She said she also received a briefing from the South African National Parks (SANParks) management on general tourism activities and safety matters.

The Minister has since committed to work with the national, provincial and local government, private sector and communities to enhance safety in and around the KNP.

In May this year, she held a National Tourism Safety Forum meeting with all MECs for Tourism and the private sector on plans to enhance safety and how to communicate these security measures worldwide.

Meanwhile, she said the department is finalising a training curriculum which is set to deploy more than 2 200 tourism safety monitors to key tourist attractions and hotspot areas across the country in the coming months.

De Lille also announced that her department has set aside R174 million for this programme to improve safety around the 59 tourism hotspots identified by the National Tourism Safety Forum.

Of these, 350 will be stationed at SANParks establishments, with 100 to be deployed to the KNP.

Green Tourism Incentive Programme

She also gave an update on the department’s Green Tourism Incentive Programme (GTIP), a key project to address climate change and water and electricity constraints in the country.

The GTIP, she said, will see the department co-funding energy and water retrofitting projects at privately owned tourism establishments to facilitate more sustainable operations and uninterrupted visitor experiences.

She announced that they opened eight GTIP application windows to date, with the most recent application window closing on 30 June 2023.

“While applications received during the eight application window are currently being processed, the previous seven application windows of the GTIP already yielded 130 approved applications with a total grant value of R76.1 million disbursed by the department for the installation of energy and water saving measures at tourism establishments across the country,” she explained.

Meanwhile, before the rolling out of the GTIP programme, the department provided eight state-owned tourist attractions with solar photovoltaic (PV) installations.

These sites included Robben Island, three National Botanical Gardens in the Western Cape, Free State and Northern Cape as well as four sites in KNP in Mpumalanga at the tune of R98.5 million for a combined total of 2.7 megawatts (MW) of installed renewable energy generating capacity.

eThekwini Municipality Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda says a permanent solution to fix a water pump station, which was destroyed by a fire in Ntuzuma, north of Durban, is on the cards.

The Ntuzuma Reservoir 2 Pump station was destroyed by a fire two months ago and resulted in additional strain on the already challenged infrastructure.

Kaunda, joined by City’s Water and Sanitation senior management, and ward councillors from Ntuzuma, Inanda, and KwaMashu (INK) areas, attended a meeting to track the progress made by eThekwini Water and Sanitation Unit in implementing the decisions taken at an initial meeting two months ago.

During a follow-up meeting, Kaunda reported that temporary work has started to reinstate the duty pumps to the various areas.

“Parallel to this temporary work, the pump station will undergo a functional upgrade which will improve its reliability and ensure a stable supply of water,” Kaunda said.

While technicians are busy upgrading infrastructure at the pump station, Kaunda said plumbers will be deployed to every ward, to ensure that there are no technical challenges.

“They will be dealing with water leaks and internal maintenance to improve water supply and prevent water loss,” he said.

Earl Haig road repairs underway

Meanwhile, the municipality reported that the repairs to Earl Haig Road in Morningside, Durban, are currently underway with the work expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Earl Haig Road, which serves as a link between Peter Mokaba Road and Valley View Road, was damaged in May, after a water pipe burst beneath the road due to heavy rains.

Western Region Senior Technologist Nhlanhla Ndaba said the reinstatement of Earl Haig Road involves the earthworks for the collapsed section, layer works, stabilisation of the base course, and milling of the existing asphalt surface layer.

“After completion of the stabilised base, the road will be surfaced with asphalt as a final layer. The total surfaced length will be 250 metres and the width will be kept at an existing 5.5 metres. This will assist in free traffic flow.

“Minor challenges on the project have been encountered including the temporary water main pipeline that will affect progress as the Water Department has to relay the permanent pipeline before the final surface layer. Business forums and other affected stakeholders were addressed before the start of the project,” Ndaba explained.

Regarding progress of repairs, Ndaba said the earthwork on the collapsed section has been completed with the stabilisation of the base course.

“The milling process has been completed as well. The road has been opened for traffic with precautionary signs where there is still outstanding works for the water department to finalise.”

The contractor in charge of this project is Raubex KZN under the supervision of the West Regional Office.

Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Zizi Kodwa, has commended the decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which vindicates Caster Semenya’s fight for her dignity and reinforces the call for the protection of women’s rights in sport.

The European Court of Human Rights has affirmed that Semenya was denied recourse by the Switzerland Supreme Court and the Court of Arbitration for Sport in her appeals against the World Athletics track and field organisation’s new regulations.

The regulations have ruled Semenya out of several international athletic competitions unless she underwent treatment to lower her testosterone levels.

The Court has affirmed that Semenya had not been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to allow her to have her complaints examined effectively.

Kodwa said, as a two-time Olympic champion and three-time World champion, Semenya has repeatedly displayed excellence and dignity on and off the athletics track.

He said Semenya has done so throughout her career whilst being subjected to offensive treatment, which has led to her being prevented from competing in her favoured events.

“While the fight to have Caster racing in her favoured athletics events continues, the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights is a clear statement at how Caster has faced discrimination in her fight against the offensive regulations she has been subjected to.

“I have repeatedly stated that women’s rights are human rights. As the South African Government, we will continue to support Caster and Athletics South Africa (ASA) in the fight for the dignity of women athletes, and for Caster’s right to race again in her favoured events,” Kodwa said.

Restrictions amounted to Semenya’s violation of rights

The Commission for Gender Equality has also welcomed the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling, noting that it has long maintained that World Athletics’ restrictions and modification of its regulations in 2018 amounted to severe violation of Semenya’s right to bodily integrity, human dignity, and privacy.

“The Commission’s decision to support Caster Semenya as intervener in this matter is a direct message that the institution will continue without fail to uphold its constitutional and legislative mandate by protecting the rights of those that are discriminated against based on their sexual orientation and gender,” said Commission spokesperson, Java Baloyi.

The Commission has called upon the South African Government, as a signatory to a range of international instruments on the rights of women, to use its influence and diplomatic channels to bring pressure on the World Athletics.

This is to ensure that the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling is respected, and allow Semenya and other affected female athletes to compete free of unethical restrictions and unfair discrimination that impact negatively on the right to bodily integrity.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says it has initiated a remedial process where students, who are found to have been funded based on incorrect information, are immediately defunded.

NSFAS said this is done to avoid wrongful and illegal allocation of funds to students, who fall outside the prescription of the entity’s policies.

“The prescriptions of our policies and the law will be implemented firmly and vigorously to avoid a repeat of the more than R5 billion that was allocated incorrectly to students since 2016,” NSFAS said.

The NSFAS decision is in response to the Auditor-General’s findings and a Special Investigation Unit (SIU) investigation, which revealed that more than R5 billion was paid to the students who did not qualify for bursaries.

The SIU draft presentation was presented to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA).

The lead investigator told the committee that 76 institutions, including 40 044 students, did not qualify for bursaries from 2018 to 2021.

However, the scheme has acknowledged that it has received complaints from some students, who were defunded incorrectly, and said “if such cases are true, this is regrettable”.

“A process of verifying these complaints will be immediately initiated and if proven otherwise, remedial action will be taken,” NSFAS said.

During a meeting held with the South African Students Congress (SASCO) leadership this past Sunday, and an engagement with the South African Union of Students (SAUS), NSFAS assured students that its board and management remains committed to a student-centred model, in which the main focus is the creation of an environment for students to engage in academic activities without the inconvenience of lack.

“Where we encounter obstacles related to our systems and capacity, all appropriate efforts will be made to achieve improvements.

“Where needed, engagements will continue to be made with the relevant stakeholders and this will be done with the objective of receiving valuable inputs in improving our service to students and in full observance of our policies and the law,” NSFAS said.

In carrying out these objectives, NSFAS said it will not be influenced by squabbles amongst service providers, or parties that seek to “grandstand” for reasons other than the interests of the students.

“NSFAS will proceed with implementing new policy decisions in a manner that is firm, legal and within the dictates of her policies,” NSFAS said.

Investigation over excessive charges

Meanwhile, NSFAS said an investigation will be conducted following students’ complaints about excessive charges.

Student leadership has also complained about inaccessibility of service providers, lack of clarity on how to access funds, and allegations of funds not reaching their intended beneficiaries.

“Where the allegations are proven true, appropriate action will be taken,” the scheme said.

NSFAS said the service providers will be instructed to increase their physical presence at institutions of higher learning so that they can respond directly to student queries on direct payments.

“There should be an immediate enhancement of explanations on how students can access their funds to avoid delays in the distribution of allowances, and there will be a three-way meeting between student leaders, NSFAS management and the service providers on 11 July to iron out all relevant matters,” NSFAS said.

The Government of Ireland has invited South Africans interested in pursuing a Master’s degree in Ireland to apply for the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme to study at Ireland’s world-renowned higher education institutions.

The Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme is a flagship programme of the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa offered to South African students.

The programme is part of the broader Ireland-Africa Fellowship Programme offered by the Government of Ireland.

Through the programme, professional women and men, with leadership potential from South Africa will avail of relevant postgraduate study opportunities in Irish higher education institutions.

“The scholarship broadly supports leadership for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and supporting the development of women’s leadership capacity, and women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are key priorities.

“In addition, the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme aims to support students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue Master’s level education in Ireland. Graduates of Universities of Historical Disadvantage and Universities of Technology in particular are encouraged to apply,” the Ireland Embassy said.

The Embassy said the programme offers selected students the opportunity to undertake a fully-funded one-year master’s programme at a prestigious higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland.

“The award covers course fees, accommodation, living costs, and flights. Applicants can choose from almost 200 postgraduate programmes especially selected to enhance capacity in line with stated country development goals and the strategy of the relevant Irish Mission.

“On completion of their studies, graduates will have acquired relevant skills and knowledge and be better capacitated and positioned to influence the advancement of national social, economic and development priorities,” the Embassy said.

A full list of eligible courses is available on the website “Directory of Eligible Postgraduate Programmes in Irish Higher Education Institutions”.

Eligibility Criteria for the Kader Asmal Fellowship

To be eligible for a Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2024 applicants must:
•    Be a South African citizen.
•    Have a minimum of two years relevant work experience.
•    Hold an Honours degree from a recognised public university, with an average of at least 75%. It must have been awarded in 2012 or later (within the last 12 years).
•    Not in possession of a Master’s degree or higher level qualification.
•    Be able to take up fellowship in August/September 2024 academic year.
•    Be able to demonstrate leadership abilities and aspirations, as well as commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country.
•    Have identified and selected two relevant courses from the Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme Directory of Eligible Courses.
•    Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for both courses chosen.
•    Should not have applied for the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme on more than one previous occasion.

The applications for the 2024-2025 Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme open on 3 July and close on 31 July 2023.

For more information on the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme, please visit https://canoncollins.org/scholarships/kader-asmal-fellowship-programme/.

Take Note IT, a leading provider of innovative IT solutions, has launched the Cyber Excellence Academy, in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The academy, which is also supported by the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICTSETA) aims to revolutionise the cybersecurity landscape by empowering people with advanced skills and knowledge to combat evolving digital threats.

The Cyber Excellence Academy is an intensive training programme designed to equip participants with industry-leading expertise in cybersecurity.

“By fostering a deep understanding of cybersecurity principles, strategies and best practices, the academy aims to produce a new generation of highly skilled cybersecurity professionals, who can proactively safeguard organisations against ever-evolving cyber threats,” the CSIR said in a statement.

The collaboration with the esteemed CSIR ensures that the programme aligns with cutting-edge research and development in the field of cybersecurity.

The CSIR said its extensive experience and expertise in cybersecurity, coupled with Take Note IT’s track record, create a unique and powerful synergy to provide participants with an unparalleled learning experience.

Speaking on the collaboration, CSIR Information and Cybersecurity Manager, Dr Jabu Mtsweni, said this initiative is focusing on the youth, females and the unemployed from the matric level.

“This we do because we have learned that many of those with matric or higher certificates struggle to either go to varsity or enter the job market, despite the great potential that they have. As such, this programme, in line with the CSIR’s strategic objectives and values, aims to contribute towards skills development and on-the-job training, in collaboration with industry,” he explained.

Meanwhile, MICTSETA has been identified as a key organisation that is driving skills development and training initiatives in the media, information and communication technology sectors.

The collaboration ensures that the academy’s programmes adhere to industry standards and address the specific needs of the rapidly evolving cybersecurity industry.

“This academy will play a pivotal role in training the new generation of cyber youth, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the digital world,” said the CEO of Take Note IT, Mamela Luthuli.

“By investing in talent development, the company not only ensures its future growth but also fosters employment prospects for individuals seeking careers in the cybersecurity field.”

It offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers a wide range of cybersecurity domains, including, but not limited to, network security, ethical hacking, digital forensics, risk management and incident response.

Participants will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge tools and technologies, and world-class instructors who are industry practitioners with deep expertise in their respective domains.