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President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the impact made by the Youth Employment Programme not only in terms of job creation but also in how it has added value in the school sector.

At the end of this month, at least 245 000 youth will complete their 10-month stint in government’s school assistant programme.

“The school assistants have either supported teachers in the classroom or performed school maintenance, security, food garden production and other upkeep activities.

“Updates sent by participants to the Department of Basic Education show the impact the initiative has had on more than 22 000 participating schools around the country. There are images of new libraries and reading corners.

“There are before-and-after pictures of barren school grounds now bursting with cabbages and of once dilapidated classrooms gleaming with new paint. There are videos of newly-trained sports enrichment coaches running exercise classes and participants at laptops doing school administration,” the President said in his weekly newsletter.

Since its launch in 2020, at least 600 000 young people have participated in the programme and according to the President, most of those young people have gone on to improve their living conditions beyond the programme.

“There are stories of young South Africans who had been struggling to find work, and now have been able to make modest extensions to their homes, start small businesses or further their studies. One young participant with a mild mental disability said that he had been surviving off a disability grant and never thought he would be considered for the programme.

“Beyond the monthly stipend, the programme has provided young people with work experience and skills. They have received accredited training across several disciplines, ranging from digital literacy to basic bookkeeping, from child and youth care to bricklaying, plastering and plumbing,” he said.

President Ramaphosa explained that following their time in the school assistant programme, government – through the Youth Employment Service – strives to place participants in “work experience positions” in the private sector. For those who are entrepreneurial, the National Youth Development Agency assists them with their business ideas.

“Participants [also] get information on scholarships and bursaries for further study and organisations in the wider education sector are looking to absorb participants into literacy and library programmes,” he said.

The President called on the private sector to participate in the growth and recovery of the economy by harnessing “the energies, talent, skills and experience of these young people”.

“The quality work experience and training provided by this programme addresses the concerns of many businesses that young applicants lack skills and experience. We call on businesses to participate in this process by taking advantage of the Employment Tax Incentive to hire more young people and create learnerships.

“They can use the SAYouth.mobi platform to publicise opportunities that exist in their companies.

“As we build on the successes of this programme and bring opportunities to more young South Africans, I call on all of society – whether as businesses, community-based organisations or places of learning – to be part of building a new future for our young people.

“Let us all do what we can to help these young people build their confidence, find decent work and bring dignity to their lives,” President Ramaphosa said.

Over 2000 suspects were arrested across Gauteng in police operations aimed at rooting out crime.

Police officers were hard at work at the weekend tracing wanted suspects, conducting roadblocks, raiding taverns and performing stop and searches, among other crime prevention initiatives.

The South African Police Service’ (SAPS) Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said that during the operations, 485 suspects were arrested in Ekurhuleni where the Provincial Commissioner of the police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, led the integrated Operation O Kae Molao.

“This operation included the roadblocks in Ivory Park on Saturday evening, 20 August 2022, where 32 suspects were arrested for being undocumented foreign nationals, 28 for driving while under the influence of alcohol, one for possession of an unlicensed firearm, three vehicles [were] impounded, three unlicensed shebeens [were] closed down and seven [were] arrested for dealing and possession of drugs.

“Other suspects were arrested during the tracing of wanted suspects who committed offences that include rape, murder, assault, housebreaking and theft, armed robbery, fraud, sexual assault and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm,” said Masondo.

Furthermore, 770 people were arrested in the Johannesburg District, 435 in the Tshwane District, 184 in the West Rand District and 182 in the Sedibeng District, he said.

Some of the suspects were released after paying admission of guilt fines while others are expected to appear before various Magistrates’ Courts from Monday.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Patricia de Lille, has approved the release of four State-owned land parcels for human settlement developments and accommodation for households affected by the KwaZulu-Natal floods.

This comes as the Minister and her deputy, Noxolo Kiviet, recently visited the province to inspect the work done by her department to repair flood damaged State-owned buildings in the province.

“I have signed off the release of four parcels of land on a gratis basis to be released to the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for human settlement development purposes,” De Lille said in a statement on Sunday.

The four parcels of land are located in the eThekwini Metro.

In addition, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is processing another land parcel for release within the next two weeks.

Following the devastating April floods in KZN, DPWI was called on to identify suitable and available land to resettle communities displaced by the flooding.

De Lille explained that the land that will be transferred will only be used for accommodation of households affected by the floods and human settlement development purposes.

“We will continue to provide support in KZN in any way we can in terms of our mandate and work with all spheres of government to ensure that we restore KZN and help the many households in need,” she said.

She added that work to repair State-owned properties is progressing well.

“Work on the repairs to State-owned properties has progress well and is almost 100% complete while work will start in earnest on the rural bridges in the coming weeks.

“We look forward to returning to the province later this year to hand over completed bridges to communities in need and ensure that they have proper and decent access to places of work, school, hospitals and clinics and other amenities,” De Lille said.

The Department of Health has wished the Chairperson of the South African Medical Association (SAMA), Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, speedy recovery following a stabbing incident over the weekend.

Mzukwa was attacked on the side of the road while driving home from King Shaka International Airport.

He was on his way back from a SAMA Board meeting on Saturday, 20 August 2022.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo,visited Mzukwa in hospital in Durban on Sunday where he is recovering well from multiple stab wounds.

“I was very heartened to find him on his recovery bed and commended him for his heroic action of driving himself while bleeding and in pain to the nearest hospital to save his life because had he waited a bit longer, his condition could have deteriorated,” said Dhlomo.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister also thanked the emergency medical services, nursing staff and police for their swift response.

In addition, the department said it was working with provinces to ensure the shortest response time by Emergency Medical Services personnel through capacity and resource allocation.

According to SAMA, the Chairperson sustained multiple stab wounds to his chest.

“He was discovered by the Metro Police and assisted to reach the emergency department at a nearby hospital. He is currently stable and is recovering at an intensive care unit.”

The association has since raised concern about the high levels of crime in the country, with the latest statistics showing an increase in hijackings compared to 2021.

“SAMA denounces this increase in crime. This latest attack shows that no one is spared from this scourge. SAMA calls on the South African Police Service to increase vigilance and protect its citizens.”

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has welcomed the signing into law of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Act, 2022.

This comes after President Ramaphosa signed the act into law on Friday.

The Act is part of a suite of legislation meant to ensure effective and efficient functioning municipalities, and a professional local public administration.

The Ministry in a statement said the Amendment Bill, with corresponding provisions as the invalidated Act, was reintroduced to Parliament on 6 February 2019 in terms of the Joint Rules of Parliament.

“The Bill repeals the Amendment Act and has been properly tagged as a section 76 Bill to address the procedural defect referred to above. The Bill was approved by Parliament on 3 May 2022 with further amendments following comprehensive public participation processes at both national and provincial levels.

“The Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Act, 2022 (Act No.3 of 2022) was assented to by the President on 16 August 2022,” said CoGTA spokesperson, Lungi Mtshali.

In addition, the Act disallows municipal officials from holding political office.

The amendments provide for procedures and competency criteria for the appointment of municipal managers and other senior managers and the consequences of appointments made in contravention of the Act.

The amendments, reads the statement, further provides timeframes within which performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers must be concluded.

The Act also makes further provisions for evaluating the performance of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers.

“Employment contracts and performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers are now also required to be consistent with the Act and any regulations made by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs,” he said.

Mtshali said the Minister is now able to prescribe frameworks to regulate human resource management systems for local government and mandates for organised local government. Furthermore, the Act extends the Minister’s powers to make regulations relating to municipal staff matters.

Dlamini Zuma urged all stakeholders to support municipalities and ensure that the Act is implemented fully.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has obtained an order in the Special Tribunal to freeze assets and pension benefits of at least R1.8 million linked to a current and former Transnet executive and their wives.

In a joint statement, Transnet and the SIU said investigations have found that former Transnet Group Executive for property Zakhele Lebelo and suspended coastal regional manager Phathutshedzo Mashamba allegedly received kickbacks from two service providers between 2015 and 2018.

“The SIU and Transnet approached the Special Tribunal following an investigation by the SIU, which revealed that the two Transnet executives allegedly received unlawful financial benefits worth approximately R10 million from Transnet service providers Superfecta Trading 209 and BBDM Bros Advertising Agency. The executives allegedly used unlawful financial benefits to acquire luxury properties on behalf of Trusts administered by themselves and their spouses.

“Superfecta has been a supplier of electrical and maintenance services to Transnet Property from 2016, while BBDM obtained a long term lease of Transnet Property’s Carlton Skyrink Building in 2015.

“Between February 2016 to August 2018, Superfecta earned over R64 million in payments from Transnet, as a result of its business with Transnet Property. Pursuant to its lease with Transnet, BBDM was paid tenant installation allowances totalling over R73 million from March 2015 to June 2018,” the statement read.

According to the joint statement, the freezing order prohibits the selling, leasing, donating or transferring title of five luxury properties in Rosebank and Dainfern.

Furthermore, the order also “interdicts and restrains the Transnet Retirement Fund from paying out or transferring any benefits” to Lebelo who resigned from the state owned company in 2018 pending a disciplinary hearing.

“The SIU investigation has revealed that the acquisition of the properties was allegedly funded by money received from [the] service providers contracted by Transnet. Therefore, the luxury properties constitute proceeds of unlawful activities hence the application for a preservation order pending the final determination of the review application. The luxury properties are now under the care of a curator,” the statement said.

Solicitor-General Fhedzisani Pandelani from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, has assured claimants from the tragic 2012 Marikana incident, that their cases could be settled by the end of the month.

On 16 August 2012, 34 striking mineworkers died and 78 others sustained injuries in clashes with police at the Lonmin mine in Marikana. Days earlier, 10 people, including two police officers, died in other incidents at the mine.

Providing an update on the progress made regarding Marikana related litigation, Pandelani said 48 matters are currently before court which deal with personal injuries where people had to be sent for medical examination and actuarial calculations.

“As we undertook in 2021, our resolve has been that we need to deal with all the remaining matters pertaining to litigation arising from the Marikana incident. As I stand here today, there were 48 matters that were remaining. None of those matters related to loss of support due to the death of any other person that has preferred a claim against the State because all those other matters have been dealt with as at August 2021,” Pandelani said on Wednesday.

He said half of the 48 matters have already been settled, while the other matters are still under discussion between the parties, which include representatives of the State and claimants.

“It is regrettable that we still talk about matters that happened 10 years ago. I have given a directive to the Office of the State Attorney that all of these matters must be finalised. We could be in a position to see all those matters finalised this month,” Pandelani said.

He expressed regret that the matters had taken some time to settle.

“This is owing to a number of factors… There was never any policy applicable within the State, which compel it to embark on early settlement on any matters via mediation or arbitration.

“Delays that have been occasioned in these matters will be a thing of the past because the office of the Solicitor-General has developed a policy that is binding within State departments for early settlement of matters and that policy was approved by Cabinet in November last year,” Pandelani said.

He said policies have been developed that will address the delays that are inherent when dealing with matters of the State, which also includes a policy that deals with coordination and management of all litigation.

North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, has commended Sergeant Octaviane Abrahams from the Ikageng detectives for his meticulous investigative work that resulted in the conviction and sentencing of three dangerous suspects.

The Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court last week handed hefty prison sentences to Donald Madou Baloyi (30), Collen Raditekele Lentsoane (28) and Joseph Makhale Marutla (44) for the harrowing robbery in 2014.

Provincial spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh, said the trio was found guilty of robbery with aggravated circumstances, housebreaking and theft reported in the early hours of 30 December 2014.

She said: “A family, consisting of parents and their two daughters were sleeping in their house in Ikageng when they were woken up by suspects, who threatened them with firearms. The 54-year-old father, his wife and two daughters were taken to the bathroom and tied up, whilst the suspects ransacked their house. After taking four cellular phones, a laptop, jewellery and a firearm, the robbers fled the scene”.

With the assistance of information gathered by Crime Intelligence, the trio were arrested three months after the incident. Baloyi was handed a 15 year imprisonment while Lentsoane and Marutla would each serve 20 years.

The Provincial Commissioner thanked all role players involved for working tirelessly to secure the sentences.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, says South Africa is working around the clock to set the economy on a new trajectory of growth and development to bring a better life for all.

The Minister said this in her opening remarks with the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, at the South Africa-United States Strategic Dialogue held on Monday.

She admitted that the country continues to deal with the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment linked to apartheid.

“These are challenges we must address to avoid social strife,” she said.

She described South Africa’s relations with the United States as broad and deep and aligned to the country’s national priorities.

Pandor acknowledged the United States’ (US) significant contribution to addressing many of the socio-economic hurdles faced by the majority by providing access to equal and quality education, decent housing and essential healthcare services to the most vulnerable in society.

She also acknowledged the backing the country continues to receive from the US to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minister reminded delegates that South Africa is Africa’s largest US trade partner.

“The significant presence of US companies operating within our borders, including historic investors such as General Electric and Ford, to name but two, in helping to upskill our youth, creating jobs and incomes, has made the US private sector a key partner in supporting South Africa’s socio-economic growth.”

She also took the time to thank the support shown by American companies for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s investment drive.

“It has demonstrated the belief that the US still has in the future of our country and the value proposition that we offer as a key investment destination and trade partner, despite the setback of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Trade

Meanwhile, Pandor welcomed the growth in two-way trade in goods from US$13.9 billion in 2010 to US$21 billion in 2021.

In 2021, the United States ranked as the second largest destination for South Africa’s exports globally, while South African firms have also emerged as significant foreign investors.

Investments from South Africa into the United States are on the rise, accounting for 17.4% of total South African outward foreign direct investment to the world.

“There is, however, much more we can – and should do.”

However, she said both parties needed to solve the longstanding unresolved trade issues around market access, including removing Section 232 tariffs on South African steel and aluminium imports into the United States.

“The President and his economic team, as we will hear later during our deliberations, have been hard at work making it easier for foreign investors to invest in our country and to advance our trade and investment relations for mutual benefit.”

Food security

Meanwhile, she said many countries have to contend with high costs for fuel, food and transport.

According to the Minister, these challenges, including climate change, have a huge implication for food security and agricultural systems, especially in Africa.

“The present moment, which has given rise to widespread uncertainty and fear, requires us as leaders to come together and chart a way forward that will give hope and inspiration to our respective peoples.”

She has called on the undertakings made at the United Nations, the G7 and G20 to address food insecurity, global health, peace and security, sustainable and just energy transition, as well as human security to be addressed meaningfully.

“We must continuously reinforce our common commitment to multilateralism, democracy and human rights – and use the proven tools of diplomacy, peace-building dialogue and mediation to resolve conflict and end the intolerable and unnecessary human suffering as a result of wars and other forms of conflict.”

Secretary of State, Blinken acknowledged the important role that South Africa plays in the G7 and G20 and on global health, climate change and food and security.

“What South Africa says, what South Africa does, has powerful global implications.”

In addition, he said the United States would continue to work with local government during the pandemic and beyond.

He also thanked South African scientists for discovering the Omicron variant and said that President Joe Biden is looking forward to hosting President Ramaphosa next month.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has announced a R100 million fund that is aimed at supporting businesses in the township retail sector.

He was speaking at the launch of the Gauteng Township Retail Programme at Sam Ntuli Stadium in Thokoza on Monday morning.

The Premier said although the provincial government is committed to supporting township enterprises to grow, those living in the townships also have to begin buying from local shops.

“We have implementing partners all around the townships so the township businesses must be organised. It [makes it] easier for us to support a group or association [of retailers] than doing it on an individual basis. When the businesses are organised, you are more powerful.

“[The community] must also buy from each other. We must spend the money that we have in the township. Buy the bread made next door – you will get a good price and you will also be helping to grow the township economy,” he said.

Makhura said women business owners will specifically be targeted for support.

“There can be no township economy without women. The women’s businesses… are the largest in our townships. Most of the people who are selling and involved in business in the township are women. So we must have a specific target … [that says] of this R100 million, how of much of that will be for women-owned businesses,” he said.

Makhura explained that revitalising and building stronger sectors of the township economy will take some hard work.

“If we want to fix the township economy, we must start with those small retail businesses and make sure they are supported by government. [We] are already supporting some township businesses in order to help them grow. We want the people in the township – for generation after generation – to be the ones running these businesses,” he said.

The announcement of the fund comes at least 100 days since Makhura signed the Township Economy Development Act into law.

The law requires, among other interventions, provincial government departments to procure at least 40% of goods and services from township businesses where possible.

“This is the implementation of the Township Economy Act. That law must not just be a policy, it must be implemented. It must not be shelved or put away in offices in must be implemented so that we can feel the township economy [growing].

“There are many people in the township who are working hard…who don’t sleep to make sure they make proper businesses to support and feed their children. The township development act is about supporting those businesses,” he said.

Makhura said other sectors – township manufacturers and township real estate – will also be receiving attention.