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As part of efforts to bring more skilled professionals into the public sector, specifically the built environment, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) will on Tuesday award bursaries to pupils who displayed excellence in their matric year.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille will hand over bursaries to 53 students who recently matriculated and have been accepted to study at various universities across the country for built environment degrees.

The department annually awards bursaries to pupils who display excellence and enrolled for courses in the built environment for their tertiary education.

The DPWI has a bursary programme linked to an overall Skills Pipeline Project whereby pupils are encouraged at school level to consider careers in the built environment.

Another key aim of the DPWI Bursary Programme is to remove financial barriers by providing funding for disadvantaged students to access built environment qualifications.

The programme is aimed at increasing the number of built environment professionals from previously disadvantage groups to represent the demographics of the country and ensure transformation of the built environment sector.

The programme further serves as feeder to the departmental Internship and Young Professionals Programme and later forms a pool of qualified built environment professionals to serve the state in the delivery of infrastructure projects.

The bursary accommodates the following study areas: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Marine Engineering, Property Studies / Real Estate, Actuarial Science, Quantity Surveying, Construction Project Management, Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Town and Regional Planning. Bursary recipients are required to enrol for a B-Degree in any of these fields of study and at a traditional university in the country.

The bursary covers tuition, accommodation, meals, textbooks, project and compulsory study resources and a monthly allowance.

Over the past eight years, DPWI has awarded bursaries to 401 students since the programme started in 2014, an investment of R52 million into the lives of the students and to bring the required skills into the public sector.

Many of the students have achieved excellent results in the recent matric exams, many of them achieved distinctions in maths and physics.

The students have been accepted for courses such as Actuarial Science, Electrical Engineering, Construction Studies, Urban and Regional Planning, Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Mechanical Engineering – to be studied at various accredited traditional universities.

Minister de Lille will hand over bursary award certificates to the students at a ceremony where previous bursary beneficiaries will give testimonials on how these bursaries have assisted them to enter and thrive in careers in the built environment.

President Cyril Rampahosa says three new pieces of legislation aimed at fighting gender-based violence and femicide are a step in the right direction in the fight against the scourge.

Last week, Ramaphosa signed into law the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act.

The three laws were formulated following the 2018 National Presidential Summit on Gender Based Violence and Femicide which gave rise to the country’s National Strategic Plan of Gender-based Violence and Femicide.

“I am pleased that despite the significant disruptions caused to the Parliamentary programme by the COVID-19 pandemic, our parliamentarians have passed laws that will strengthen existing provisions around gender-based violence.

“I signed into law three pieces of legislation that honour our promises to strengthen the criminal justice system, promote accountability across the state and put support for survivors at the centre of all our efforts,” the President said.

The bills introduce a wider range of protections for victims and survivors including:

• Protecting the vulnerable from secondary victimisation by allowing courts to appoint intermediaries through which a minor, a disabled person or an elderly person can be examined in proceedings.
• Tightening the bail regime.
• Outlawing of sexual grooming and exploitation of persons with mental disabilities and the Sexual Offences Register.
• Making it a criminal offence not to report any sexual offences against vulnerable persons.
• Tightening up of obtaining protection orders and broadening the scope of the conditions under which to apply for a protection order.

The President explained that the new pieces of legislation also place responsibility on members of society to act against incidents of domestic abuse or sexual offences against the most vulnerable.

“All adult persons who have knowledge or suspicion that domestic violence is being perpetrated against a child, a person with a mental disability or an elderly person are obliged to report such acts to a social worker or to the police. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.

“This puts into law the principle that violence against women and children is everyone’s responsibility. When a woman or child is beaten, hurt, raped, assaulted or killed, it is a shame on us all. It is even worse if we knew it was taking place and could have prevented it,” said President Ramaphosa.

He reiterated that although the new legislation empowers the judiciary in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide in the courts, the root of solutions to the scourge still lies within society.

“Leaving an abusive relationship is never easy. But as the government, we have promised to provide the legal protection and support an abused person needs for themselves, their children and those close to them. The passage of these new laws is a step in this direction. But it is not the solution. We must prevent violence and abuse from happening in the first place.”

South Africa has recorded 2 226 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 603 856.

The increase represents a 9.5% positivity rate.

The Department of Health has reported 117 deaths and of these, 15 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 95 022 to date.

The department says there has been an increase of 23 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, says it continues to provide laboratory-based surveillance to inform the public health response towards COVID-19 in South Africa.

With regard to the tests conducted, 22 251 589 tests were conducted in both public and private sectors.

The majority of new cases are from Gauteng (34%), followed by the Western Cape (16%).

KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga each accounted for 13% respectively, Limpopo and North West each accounted for 7%, respectively, Free State accounted for 6%, Eastern Cape accounted for 4%, and Northern Cape accounted for 3% of the new cases.

Number of cases by province: Gauteng 756, Free State 128, KwaZulu-Natal 256, Mpumalanga 276, Eastern Cape 99, Northern Cape 56, Limpopo 157, Western Cape 351 and North West 147.

The South African Post Office (Sapo) has launched an online service for the renewal of motor vehicle licences from any mobile electronic device.

In a statement on Monday, Sapo said the full renewal process, including payment, will be done online, leaving only the last step of accessing the licence disc.

The licence disc can be delivered to the customer at an affordable delivery fee or it can be collected from a post office counter.

“Payment is done safely and securely through Masterpass, which the user can download from the Google Play Store for Android devices and the Apple App Store for Apple devices.

“No commission is charged on the renewal transaction. The cost of delivery to door is R75 and there is no charge to the customer when it is collected from a post office counter,” Sapo said.

The customer will receive an SMS when the disc arrives at a post office for collection or when it goes out for delivery.

The turnaround time is three working days, while it may be up to two days longer for outlying areas.

“The online application for the renewal of motor vehicle licences is the first step to turn the ‘Sapo in my Pocket’ strategy into reality and will enable the customer to complete the entire process in the comfort of their own homes or offices.

“The service is available for vehicle owners in all provinces of South Africa except, currently, the Western Cape. The SA Post Office is working to extend the service to this province as well,” Sapo said.

The service is available on the website https://www.sapomvl.co.za.

“The online renewal facility for motor vehicle licences supplements the renewal service at selected post office branches, and customers will still be able to renew their vehicle licences at these branches. Customers who renew a vehicle licence at a post office branch receive the new disc immediately.

“The online renewal process is quick and simple once a vehicle owner has completed the once-off registration process. The post office has taken all the necessary steps to ensure that customer data is secure,” Sapo said.

The post office also offers bulk motor vehicle licence renewal for fleet operators and business, both big and small.

“This service entails the collection of all necessary documentation from company premises, taking them back to the post office for processing, printing of the discs and delivery back to the offices of the customer,” Sapo said.

Twenty-five people were arrested on Gauteng’s major routes for allegedly driving negligently and recklessly, failing to adhere to the prescribed maximum speed limit of 120 km/h on the freeway.

“Many of these arrested speedsters were found to be driving under the influence of alcohol which poses a danger to the lives of road users,” Gauteng Traffic Police Spokesperson Sello Maremane said on Sunday.

The Gauteng Traffic Police High Speed unit arrested the motorists on major freeways such as the N1, N4, R21, M1 and N14 respectively in the past two weeks.

The Gauteng Traffic Police said the worst-case scenario was the driver of a white Porsche who was apprehended on the N4 freeway to Mpumalanga on 25 January 2022, excessively speeding at 204 km/h.

The 47-year-old man was detained at Bronkhorspruit police station and will appear in court shortly.

Gauteng Traffic Police also arrested a motorist last Friday, 28 January 2022, on the R553 Golden Highway for driving under the influence of alcohol with the reading recorded at 1.02 mg/l.

The drunk driver was involved in an accident, which caused serious injuries to other road users who are currently receiving medical treatment at Bara Hospital.

The driver was detained at Eldorado police station.

“The speedsters were arrested on the spot and taken to various police stations where they were formally charged with reckless and negligent driving as well as an alternative charge of exceeding the general speed limit. Most of them have appeared at various magistrate courts around Bronkhorspruit and Tshwane, while those arrested during the weekend are expected to appear this week,” the Gauteng Traffic Police said.

Maremane said excessive speeding is one of the contributory factors to road crashes leading to fatalities.

“Driver behaviour and attitude on our roads is a major concern to law enforcement authorities which therefore calls for the strengthening of road safety education. Gauteng Traffic Police High Speed Unit will intensify the patrol of freeways, streets and public places in clearly marked vehicles as an available means for the prevention of road traffic violations,” he said.

South Africa reported 4 514 new COVID-19 cases and 94 deaths, of which 20 occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours, said the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Wednesday.

The number of deaths brings the total to 94 491, according to the government official figures.

Meanwhile, data show that Gauteng remains the hardest-hit province after logging 1 376 additional infections, followed by 645 in the Western Cape, 567 in KwaZulu-Natal, 490 in Mpumalanga and 472 in Limpopo.

The latest infections pushe the laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 590 399 since the pandemic hit as the country’s positivity rate currently stands at 10.6%.

In addition, hospital admissions have increased by 183 to 6 035 in the past 24 hours.

According to the Department of Health, the country administered 81 012 COVID-19 vaccine doses, bringing the total to 29 626 329.

South Africa now has 16 374 573 fully jabbed adults, while 1 181 536 shots have been given to children between the ages of 12 and 17.

Globally, as of 26 January 2022, there have been 356 955 803 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5 610 291 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says it will investigate the affairs of state-owned telecommunications company Telkom in relation to allegations of corruption, maladministration and improper conduct at the entity.

This after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation authorising the SIU to investigate the state owned company’s affairs.

The proclamation empowers the corruption-busting unit to investigate allegations related to:

• serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of Telkom;
• improper or unlawful conduct by employees, officials or agents of Telkom;
• unlawful appropriation or expenditure of public money or property;
• unlawful, irregular or unapproved acquisitive act, transaction, measure or practice having a bearing upon State property;
• intentional or negligent loss of public money or damage to public property;
• offences referred to in the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, 2004 (Act No. 12 of 2004) and which offences were committed in connection with the affairs of Telkom; and
• unlawful or improper conduct by any person, which has caused or may cause serious harm to the interests of the public or any category thereof.

In a statement, the SIU said its investigation will cover alleged maladministration relating to the “sale or disposal” of Telkom acquired businesses iWayAfrica and Africa Online Mauritius and Multi-Links Telecommunications Limited and “any losses or prejudice suffered by Telkom or the State as a result of such maladministration”.

“The investigation will also extend to contracting for or procurement of telegraph services (telex and telegrams) and advisory services in respect of the broadband and mobile strategy of Telkom by or on behalf of Telkom, and payments made in respect thereof in a manner that was not fair, equitable, transparent, competitive or cost-effective; or contrary to applicable legislations,” the statement read.

According to the corruption busting unit, the investigation will cover a 16-year period.

“The investigation will cover transactions that took place between 1 June 2006 and 25 January 2022…and transactions that either took place before June 2006 or after January 2022 but relevant to, connected with the same persons, entities or contracts being investigated.

“President Ramaphosa has authorised the SIU to use all its legislative powers to subpoena bank statements and cellphone records, search and seize evidence, and interrogate witnesses under oath in an effort to hold those responsible to account for their actions,” the unit said.

The SIU said any evidence of wrongdoing in this regard will be sent to the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks for either prosecution or further investigation.

The strategic approach to the management of asylum seekers and refugees in South Africa came to the fore at a meeting between Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Minister and Assistant High Commissioner for Protection for UNHCR Gillian Triggs, met on Tuesday to review and also take forward the strategic approaches to the management of asylum seekers and refugees in the country at the second High-Level Bilateral meeting in Pretoria.

“This bilateral was instructed by our Cabinet to, amongst others, overhaul the management of the asylum system in South Africa with the intension to partner with UNHCR to provide increased technical assistance and resource mobilization support in order to enhance the  protection regime and strengthen our strategic partnership,” said Motsoaledi.

The meeting was agreed to in March 2020 and was delayed as a result of COVID-19.

The meeting discussed strengthening of the asylum and refugee system in South Africa, including:

• Legislative reform
• Social assistance
• Judicial engagement
• Refugee status determination and the backlog project
• Durable solutions for refugees
• Statelessness
• The Global Compact on Refugees
• Updating the Cooperation Agreement between Government of the Republic of South Africa and UNHCR

Both the Minister and the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection emphasised the need to strengthen the bilateral efforts to fight against the abuse of the asylum system while protecting its integrity.

In addition, Motsoaledi outlined that government is reviewing the Refugee Act, the Citizenship Act and the Immigration Act to align them and simplify them for everyone, a move that has been appreciated by the Assistant High Commissioner.

“We recognise that some of our laws were enacted in a period where things were very different to how they are now.

“We need to modernise our laws to reflect our current circumstances, based on our realities. South Africa does not have a problem with people who are legally seeking protection. The challenge is with those who are here illegally,” Motsoaledi said.

Triggs said that it is important to provide a speedy and fair determination of asylum claims.

“Today we’ve made important progress towards making South Africa’s asylum system fairer and faster. I know that governments around the world have faced challenges because of COVID-19 but addressing the backlog in asylum claims will make a tangible difference to the lives of people coming here to seek protection.

“We need to work together with government to address their predicament. The UNHCR will be investing in a project with the government to strengthen the entire asylum system and resolve the existing asylum backlog and to ensure proper documentation,” she said.

Triggs also urged refugees and asylum-seekers to respect the local laws of the host country.

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), has welcomed the appointment of the new TIA board by Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande.

The appointment follows the expiration of the term of the previous board.

According to TIA, the board plays a pivotal oversight role, helping to guide the strategic direction of the agency. It brings with it a wealth of experience and expertise from various areas in the innovation ecosystem.

This includes venture capital, techno-entrepreneurship, intellectual property management, technology transfer and governance know-how.

“I would like to thank the outgoing board for their vision, commitment and dedication in ensuring that TIA delivers on its mandate. We wish them well for the future,” said Acting CEO Patrick Krappie.

“The new board comes at an exciting, yet challenging time, for the National System of Innovation, where the agency is increasingly being called upon to find ways to maximise impact as it executes its mandate of technology innovation and commercialisation.”

Krappie said he was looking forward to working with the new members to ensure that TIA continues to deliver on its mandate, in response to key government policy priorities.

TIA is a public entity in South Africa that serves as the key institutional intervention to bridge the innovation gap between research and development from higher education institutions, science councils, the public and private sectors, and commercialisation.

The main mandate of TIA is funding and supporting innovative technologies that show potential to be commercialised.

The organisation also has programmes that provide non-financial support to innovators and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).

The new members of the TIA board are:

• Ms Matsi Modise (Chairperson)

• Dr Revel Iyer

• Ms Anati Canca

• Ms Lindiwe Matlali

• Mr Butana Mboniswa (returning)

• Mr Thabiso Ramasike (returning)

• Ms Sebenzile Matsebula (returning)

• Mr Patrick Krappie.

The rape and child abuse case against a 30-year-old man has been postponed in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s court after his bail application was denied by the court.

The man – who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child – is facing two counts of rape, sexual assault, five counts of abuse and a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in Limpopo, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the alleged abuse and rape on the child occurred during 2020 but was only reported in November.

“The man…is alleged to have preyed on an 11-year-old boy and his mother. The offences were only reported on 21 November 2021 after the victim had told his relative.

“During the bail application, the man submitted an affidavit indicating that he would lose his job and suffer financial loss by spending time in custody while he is innocent,” she said.

During his appearance, a state witness revealed that the man had previously been arrested for allegedly assaulting the boy’s mother in 2020 – a case which was subsequently withdrawn after they settled the matter out of court.

“A state witness indicted…[that] she was his girlfriend and pregnant at the time with his child. The mother reconciled with the accused and the case was withdrawn.

“The witness further told the court that the accused would interfere with other witnesses as he had access to their homestead and the victims were afraid of him. It is feared that he might intimidate them not to testify against him. The witness told the court that the accused is working with children at a local primary school and there was a possibility that he might violate more children,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.

Bail was denied and the man is expected back in court on February 28.