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Officials from the National Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation are this week embarking on roadshows in all Limpopo municipalities to address issues affecting service delivery.

In a statement, the department said the roadshows, taking place from 19-23 April 2021, are in line with government’s efforts to fast track service delivery and ensure that municipalities are adequately supported and resourced to carry out their mandate.

“The roadshows are aimed at aligning and integrating programmes and initiatives that have been rolled out and synchronise them with government’s overarching strategy of growth and development.

“The strategy will also change the face of rural and urban landscapes, by ensuring that they complement each other with an emphasis on local economic development and building the capacity of the state to deliver at all levels,” the department said.

Teams will also visit water and sanitation, and human settlement projects in the Sekhukhune, Mopani and Vhembe District Municipalities to check on progress and challenges regarding implementation.

The roadshows are meant to find ways to ensure alignment to the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) targets and the National Development Plan.

“The road shows will also interrogate priority actions according to the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan launched by Minister Lindiwe Sisulu in 2019, to ensure that there is water security and equitable access to water and sanitation within the province.

“These sessions, as per Minister Sisulu’s instruction, will provide platforms for the sector to unpack their priorities, acknowledge challenges and indicate how in the next five years, through private-public partnerships, there will be fast tracking of the provision of clean drinking water and decent, quality homes,” the department said.

A ministerial residence owned by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in Newlands has been completely destroyed by the fire in Cape Town.

The fire, which has been raging on Devil’s Peak, has since been contained, while firefighters are still monitoring the situation.

According to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, no one was in the ministerial home at the time of the fire.

Meanwhile, family members of three Members of the Executive have been evacuated from Walmer Estate properties, as there was an immediate threat on Monday morning when the fire moved over Philip Kgosana Drive.

The family members of one Minister and two Deputy Ministers were also evacuated from Walmer Estate properties.

The department is in contact with the various ministries to establish the level of support the families need. They have all managed to secure alternative accommodation.

“[The police] have advised these families not to return to the houses due to heavy smoke and strong winds in the area, as it is not yet completely safe for them to return to the area,” the department said in a statement.

On Sunday, the fire had come close to the Deputy President’s residence in Groote Schuur Estate but the police worked with firefighters and the fire was quickly brought under control in the area. There was no damage to the property.

“DPWI continues to monitor the situation closely and is working with the local SAPS to ensure that we do all we can to support the efforts of the firefighters and SAPS to protect lives and property.

“We also extend our thanks to the various organisations and Capetonians, who have once again been quick to open their hearts to support the firefighters in this massive task, as well as offer all kinds of help to students and families who have had to evacuate their homes for their safety.

“We know that the very best effort is being made to bring the fire under control and extinguish it, and wish all our firefighters and support teams strength as they continue to battle the elements,” the department said.

The formal trial of seven Chinese nationals arrested on alleged human trafficking and violation of South Africa’s labour laws is expected to start this week in the Johannesburg High Court.

This comes after its commencement was on Monday postponed due to the non-availability of Chichewe and Mandarin interpreters, the Department of Employment and Labour said in a statement.

The seven were arrested in November 2019 at a warehouse in Johannesburg during a joint operation conducted by the Department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch in Gauteng, together with the police, Home Affairs and the Hawks.

The arrests followed a tip-off that the Chinese nationals were allegedly involved in the trafficking of illegal immigrants and subjecting them to forced labour.

The seven – Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian – will now appear in court on Wednesday.

“Six of the accused are out on bail. Accused number seven Zhang Zhulian is now held in custody because on 24 February 2021, she tried to abscond. She was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport,” the department said on Tuesday.

The accused are facing schedule six offences and will face 160 counts related to contravention of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, Unemployment Insurance Act and the Unemployment Contributions Act.

It also includes the contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, kidnapping, contravention of Immigration Act, knowingly employing illegal foreigners, human trafficking, kidnapping, pointing a firearm, debt bondage, benefitting from the services of a victim of trafficking, conduct that facilitates trafficking, illegally assisting person(s) to remain in South Africa and failure to comply with the duties of an employer.

“The Department of Employment and Labour is involved in the matter to press for the prosecution of the accused for violating South Africa’s labour laws,” it said.

South Africa has 1 567 513 COVID-19 cases after 744 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus on Monday, the Health Department reported.

In addition, 21 patients succumbed to respiratory disease, pushing the death toll to 53 757.

Of the latest fatalities, 10 occurred in the Eastern Cape, four in the Western Cape, three in Mpumalanga, two in the Free State, one in Gauteng, while the rest of the provinces recorded zero deaths.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

The recovery rate is still holding steady at 95% after 1 490 876 recuperated from the Coronavirus, while the country is home to 22 880 active cases.

The information is based on the 10 355 196 tests of which 18 130 were performed since the last reporting cycling.

According to the World Health Organisation, there have been 141 057 106 confirmed global cases of COVID-19, 3 015 043 deaths and 793 484 083 administered vaccine doses to date.

Government will this week welcome 24 Cuban engineers, who have been seconded to South Africa to enhance government’s efforts in water delivery and related services.

Water and Sanitation spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, said the highly qualified Cuban specialists will assist as advisors at provincial and local level across the country, sharing their vast skills in the areas of mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, as well as project management.

“Some of the engineers’ core responsibilities include the practical exploration of sustainable use of water resources, maintenance and management of water supply and sanitation infrastructure, and the strategic planning of those resources, particularly in rural and other disadvantaged communities,” Ratau said.

The arrival of the engineers follows a 2014 bilateral agreement between South Africa and Cuba on cooperation in the fields of water resources management and water supply.

Water and Sanitation Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, together with South African Ambassador to Cuba, H.E Shope-Linley and Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez Verson, as well as the President of the Cuba Hydraulic Institute, Antonio Rodriquez-Rodriquez, will lead the welcoming ceremony in Pretoria East, on Thursday.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has welcomed the swift response of emergency services to contain a fire that gutted sections of the University of Cape Town (UCT) on Sunday.

The campus became a casualty of a raging inferno that started above the Philip Kgosana Drive in the game camp area between UCT and the busy Hospital Bend junction near Groote Schuur Hospital.

In a statement on Monday, Nzimande commended the timely response by the UCT Council and Management to find alternative accommodation for 4 000 affected students and the decision to suspend all the academic activities on Monday and Tuesday.

This was all while the university assessed the situation and damage to the institution’s property.

“This decision is important because the safety of students and staff remains our utmost importance,” said the Minister.

In the statement, he wished those in hospital a speedy recovery.

The Minister expressed sadness at how the fire destroyed the iconic African Studies Library, the memorial restaurant, and the UCT’s upper campus where boarding students reside.

“The African Studies Library houses the African National Congress archives and record of the underground publications. This library is also repository of the Bleek Lloyd collection of recorded stories and notebooks of their engagement with the /Xam and !Kun Cape San people of the mid-19th century, as well as original copies of pioneering isiXhosa newspapers like Imvo ZabaNtsundu, amongst others,” said Nzimande.

The Minister has directed Higher Health to work with other emergency relief agencies to offer students debriefing support and that Higher Health’s mobile clinic, and psychologists support the UCT in-house team for psycho-social services in order to further support students.

Higher Health is an agency of the Department of Higher Education and Training that is responsible for promoting the health and wellbeing of students across South Africa’s public universities and technical and vocational training colleges.

Nzimande thanked the private sector and government departments and agencies who assisted the university in managing the after-effects of the blaze.

The Minister has further called on the more participation of the private sector to support the #UCTFire emergency relief fund.

The public can donate essential items and food to students at Old Mutual West Campus, 91 Jan Smuts Road, Pinelands, Cape Town. Items must be sealed, in accordance with COVID-19 protocols.

Financial donations can be made to (donor names can be included as references):

Account name: UCT Donations Account

Bank: Standard Bank of South Africa

Branch code: Rondebosch Branch, 025009

Account number: 07 152 2387

Swift code: SBZAZAJJ

The Mpumalanga South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has reiterated that the Child Support Grant (CSG) is aimed at helping parents provide for the basic needs of a child.

SASSA reminded parents and guardians who misuse the grant that they are violating the right of a child.

“Any deviation from the purpose of supporting the child’s needs, according to the Social Assistance Act, will be deemed as abuse or neglect to the child, and classified as a criminal act, which is punishable by law,” the agency warned.

It urged those who witness the misuse of grants not to keep quiet – whether within a family or in communities.

“Starving a child due to parents or guardians’ social needs is a destruction to the future of the country.”

In addition, SASSA said a person who takes care of a child on daily basis must receive the grant payment.

“If the grant is received by the parent, who does not stay with a child not transfer the money to the caregiver, that person must be reported to SASSA offices and also open a criminal case at the local police station.”

Requirements to receive a child support grant include being a primary caregiver, meaning the person responsible for the child should be a South African citizen or permanent resident, receiving less than R4 000 per month and if married, getting R8 000 per month combined salary.

The child must be under 18 years old, not be in the care of a State institution and live with the primary caregiver in South Africa, who us not paid to look after the child, SASSA explained.

North West Premier, Professor Tebogo Job Mokgoro, recently met with the management of Sun City in Rustenburg to pursue a public-private partnership aimed at taking the resort to greater heights.

The Premier was accompanied by Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation MEC Galebekwe Tlhapi and Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism Acting Head, Sarah Manone.

Representatives from the Presidency and National Department of Tourism joined the team virtually.

According to the provincial government, the meeting looked at ways to expand the resort and improve the different infrastructure to unlock a massive tourism boom at the resort, which is deemed a key tourism asset in the country.

Sun City is one of the establishments hit hard by COVID-19, as government imposed restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.

“The resort presented plans to expand the establishment, which included a new hotel to attract more sports, conferencing, arts and cultural activities and leisure, among others.

Speaking during the meeting, Sun International General Executive Office, Anthony Leeming, indicated that the resort is a massive asset which requires a huge investment in infrastructure through collaboration across different industries to secure the ability to stimulate tourism activities and create much-needed jobs in the sector.

“Getting Sun City to work better will help the province,” said Leeming.

Sun City’s Chief Operations Officer, Graham Woods, highlighted the importance of the support from government for the growth and sustainability of the resort.

He said road infrastructure is crucial, especially on the maintenance and upgrade of roads around the resort and Pilanesburg National Park, and the renovation of Pilanesburg Airport.

Woods called for support in the sports campus to assist in marketing and bidding of massive events, and pleaded with government to contribute to fighting illegal gambling, which affects their business.

Mokgoro has committed to champion the process. “This is a very important initiative. We’re talking about the economy of a region. The Office of the Premier will take care of ensuring that all key departments are on board.”

All parties agreed to formulate an action plan with deliverables to kick-start the partnership.

A follow-up meeting to monitor progress will be convened soon to achieve the envisaged vision of a tourism boom at the resort to the benefit of the surrounding areas and the province.

A total of 31 425 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Sunday, with 1 089 new cases identified, the Health Department reported.

This represents a 3.5% positivity rate.

There have been 1 566 769 confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa since the outbreak.

Meanwhile, 25 people died from COVID-19 complications, pushing the tally to 53 736.

According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, eight deaths occurred in Free State, six in the Eastern Cape, four in Gauteng, three each in Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, and one in KwaZulu-Natal.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased,” said the Minister.

The recovery rate is still standing at 95% after 1 490 143 beat the respiratory disease, while the recovery rate has increased to 22 890.

The information is based on the 10 337 066 tests performed to date.

Also, there have been 140 322 903 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3 003 794 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“As of 19 April 2021, a total of 792 796 083 vaccine doses have been administered,” the WHO added.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says through both operational improvements and structural reforms, the Durban Port will reclaim its place as the best-performing port in Africa.

“As part of our Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, we will continue to work tirelessly to expand infrastructure investment and transform our network industries,” President Ramaphosa said after his recent visit at the Durban Port.

In his weekly Newsletter, President Ramaphosa said if the port does not function efficiently, the entire economy suffers, from importers and exporters to consumers.

“On the other hand, if the port works well it can drive economic growth and position our country as a gateway to the region and the continent,” he said.

When he visited Durban in October 2019, many local businesses and port users raised concerns about the performance of the Durban Port.

“Shipping companies in particular expressed concern about truck congestion and waiting times, ship berthing delays and anchorage times, poor maintenance of equipment and generally low productivity in the port,” the President said.

There has been great progress over the past year in turning around the performance of the port despite the impact of COVID-19.

“These efforts are already showing results in improved maintenance of equipment, reduced congestion, quicker turnaround times and increased use of rail instead of road transport.

“Truck turnaround times have greatly improved. Similarly, the reliability of cargo handling equipment has improved to 80%, and is heading towards at least 95% to meet international benchmarks. Ship waiting times have reduced to impressive levels.

“While this is important progress, there is still much work to be done to position Durban as a world-class port and as a hub port for the Southern Hemisphere,” President Ramaphosa said.

During his visit at the Port, the President clarified matters relating to fears raised by SATU about the privatisation of the Port and stated that Transnet is not going to be privatised but partnerships are going to be forged to create more jobs.

The aim of the visit was to ensure that commitments made following the President’s meeting with port users and stakeholders in October 2019, have been implemented.

A multi-party work team has been established, together with port users, to address key issues related to port performance.

While this progress is a reflection of the hard work that is being done to reposition the port, there is still much work remaining to ensure the port system serves the needs of the economy and promotes growth.

The new management of Transnet and its operating divisions are focused on improving operational performance, increasing investment in port and rail infrastructure and ensuring adequate maintenance of equipment.

The Department of Public Enterprises and the Department of Transport, with support from Operation Vulindlela, are working to implement structural reforms that will modernise and increase investment in the transport sector.