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Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, will announce the results of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in Pretoria on Monday.

The matric exams concluded on 15 December 2020 after a strenuous academic year. The release of the matric results have been approved by Umalusi, the Quality Council in General and Further Education and Training.

The Department of Basic Education said result queries should be submitted for investigation within 30 days after the release of results.

“Candidates must ensure that names and identity numbers reflect correctly on their statement of results and report any required corrections to the department before 30 June 2021.

“A candidate may apply at the prescribed fee for the re-mark/re-check of his/her examination scripts. Registration can be done at either the school or district office in the province (all instructions appear on the reverse side of the Statement of Results),” the department said.

Closing date for applications for manual and online applications is 10 March 2021.

The fees for re-marking is R120 per subject and its R290 for re-checking a subject.

“Viewing of scripts may only be done after a re-mark or re-check of results. The closing date for applications is seven days after release of re-mark or re-check results. The fee for viewing is R234,” the department said.

The supplementary examination in February/March has been phased out and is therefore no longer available.

A new examination is available during May/June where candidates can improve their results or complete outstanding results. The closing date for application is 31 March in the current year.

The event for the matric results will be hosted by the Ministry of Basic Education in partnership with the MTN SA Foundation.

MTN SA awarded 183 Gauteng-based information and communications technology (ICT), (Computer Applications Technology (CAT) and Information Technology subjects) and Special Needs category learners with laptops for their future studies.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Gauteng Province Department of Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi are expected to attend the event.

Denel has appointed William Hlakoane as the acting Group Chief Executive Officer, effective from today.

This comes after Talib Sadik’s contract ended, the State-owned company announced on Monday.

Hlakoane, who is currently the Chief Operating Officer, is a mechanical engineer by trade, with an MBA from Milpark Business School.

“His appointment allows for a seamless transition into the role. He has a wealth of experience in the manufacturing sector, backed by a solid career track record that adds value to Denel,” the company said.

Denel has described him as an experienced executive in operations management with in-depth technical abilities, project management and business development.

Board chair, Monhla Hlahla, has since thanked the outgoing Sadik for the enormous value he has added over the years, especially in his acting period.

Hlahla has assured employees, suppliers, customers and all stakeholders that while the board is dealing with the difficult financial challenges facing Denel, the focus remains on the business turnaround towards sustainable growth and profitability.

“The board welcomes Mr Hlakoane as the interim Group CEO and looks forward to working with him on a successful transformation of Denel,” said Hlahla.

Meanwhile, the entity said the recruitment process of the permanent CEO is underway and the appointment will be communicated to all stakeholders in due course.

KwaZulu-Natal Acting Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, MEC Kwazi Mshengu, has tasked police to leave no stone unturned in their search for the assailants who killed two off-duty police officers in execution-style in Taylor’s Halt, near Pietermaritzburg.

According to reports, Sergeant Makhosaze Mdlangathi, aged 33 and Sergeant Mfikelwa Mtolo, aged 36, were driving to Mtolo’s homestead when they were ambushed by unknown suspects on Sunday night. About 30 pistol and rifle cartridges were found on the scene.

Mdlangathi and Mtolo had multiple gunshot wounds on their bodies and their firearms were not found on the scene. The motive for the killing is unknown at this stage, and no arrests have been made.

Sergeant Mdlangathi was stationed at Plessislaer Police Station and Sergeant Mtolo was stationed at Richmond Police Station.

In a statement on Monday, Mshengu condemned the callous murder of the two police officers and tasked police to launch a manhunt for their killers.

“It is disturbing that our police officers continue to be killed in such a brutal and senseless manner. We condemn the heinous double-murder of Sergeant Mdlangathi and Sergeant Mtolo who were both very young and had a lot to offer the police service,” Mshengu said.

He said the murder of the two officers comes days after another police officer was shot and killed, while protecting a gender-based violence (GBV) victim, which clearly demonstrates that “police continue to be targeted”.

“As prescribed in the Constitution, police are there to protect, prevent, combat and investigate crime therefore an attack on police is a direct attack on the state and this has serious consequences on law enforcement deployments because the state invests a lot of money in police training and education.

“The threat to the lives of police members will not be tolerated and we urge police to defend themselves by all means necessary should they be under any attack,” Mshengu warned.

The MEC also expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the fallen members. He said he was confident that police will speed up the investigation surrounding this heinous killing and leave no stone unturned so that the perpetrators can face the full might of the law.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of the suspects to contact them on the MySAPS APP or on the SAPS Crime Stop number ‪08600 10111. All information received will be treated with confidentiality.

The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, will approach the High Court to review and set aside the process of awarding small-scale fishing rights in the Western Cape.

“The Minister’s decision to approach the courts follows the verification process for small-scale fishers in the Western Cape, following multiple complaints from community members about the fairness and accuracy of the process,” the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries said.

An internal audit process was launched in 2019, and concluded that the verification process was “wholly inadequate”, and that the “results of these assessments cannot and should not be relied on for any decision making purpose in terms of the regulations”.

Among the errors identified, the department said, were problems such as the inaccurate capturing of information and the incorrect adjudication of applications by community panels.

There was inconsistent application of criteria between communities, an incorrect and incoherent application and appeals process, as well as incomplete and inaccurate data, including lost applications.

Based on legal advice, the Minister will seek the review of the entire process of those who originally applied for all Western Cape communities.

“Numerous steps will be taken by the department to minimise the impact of the court application on fishing communities in the province.  These include bringing the application as quickly as possible, prioritising the new verification process and conducting it as swiftly as possible,” the department said.

These steps are aimed at shortening the period of impact. Importantly, the court application will request to maintain the current dispensation of providing access to fishing by fishing communities.

The Minister will ask the court to order that whatever form of access to fish communities and individual fishers have, it should remain in place until the new verification process is complete.

In addition, the department is exploring ways to improve this interim relief dispensation that will apply during the court application process to ensure better and more equitable access for fishing communities in the Western Cape.

“Should the court application be successful, originally registered individuals will have an opportunity to submit new information to support their original applications and thus ensure a process that is applied fairly and consistently to all communities. All Western Cape communities will be affected.

“While the Minister understands that there are some communities who have no objection to the outcome of the verification process, these could not be singled out for different treatment, given that the problems with the process are widespread and that the only available option is to review the process for all communities in the Western Cape,” the department said.

Approaching the court will cause a delay of at least another year in the granting of rights for some communities.

“However, the Minister believes that the consequences of not approaching the court are potentially even more disastrous. A new process is the only way to ensure that rights are allocated fairly,” the department said.

The Department of Social Development has encouraged Early Childhood Development (ECD) services that have not yet applied for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund (ESRF) to apply before the new closing date.

The department has extended the closing date of the applications for the ECD-ESRF from 19 February to 26 February 2021.

The department said that in addition to the GovChat application platform at https://govchat.app that is currently used, it has made available another web-form to assist with larger organisation submissions which is available on the https://ecd.gov.za/ website.

“ECD services that have already completed their applications on the GovChat platform do not need to submit another application through the new web-form as duplicate submissions for the same ECD service may lead to administrative delays,” the department said in a statement.

In addition, as a further support mechanism to ECD services in respect of completing applications, the department in partnership with the DG-Murray Trust has made available a number of non-governmental organisations, and over 2 000 Harambee Youth support services that are stationed throughout in all districts to assist ECD services with the application process.

The Provincial Departments of Social Development through their local offices are also available to assist ECD services throughout the country.

Any ECD service that requires assistance can visit their local Social Development Offices. In addition, they can send an email to ecdstimulus@dgmt.co.za or contact the call centre on 0800 089 666 and support will be provided.

A list of NGO coordinators are posted on the DSD website that can be accessed on www.dsd.gov.za.

“For ECD services that have submitted applications on the Central Supplier Database (CSD), it is requested that these ECD services check their bank verification status to ensure that they have been successful.

“It is vital that the ECD services do this as the department will not be able to process any payments for ECD services whose bank verification has not been successful,” the department explained.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the recent attacks on the country’s judiciary should not be taken lightly, warning that these shake the very foundations of South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

“Unless supported by evidence, such claims undermine confidence in our courts, and weaken our Constitutional order,” wrote the President in his weekly newsletter on Monday.

This as there have been utterances directed at the judiciary, in which some judges are accused, without any evidence, of pursuing interests other than the cause of justice. Judges have been accused of political agendas and some have even been accused of accepting bribes.

“We should therefore be concerned when those who occupy prominent positions in society make statements that demonstrate a disdain for the basic principles of our Constitution and the institutions established to defend our democracy,” he said.

The President expressed concern at allegations that are without evidence saying that they are deeply disturbing for two reasons.

“Firstly, if such claims were true, it would mean that there are some within the judiciary who are failing to uphold the values and principles with which they have been entrusted.”

He said South Africa’s Constitution makes provision for such a possibility. The National Assembly is empowered to remove judges who are found by the Judicial Service Commission to be guilty of gross misconduct.

“The Judicial Service Commission is a carefully constituted body, which includes representatives from the judiciary but also the legal profession, academia and Parliament. There are clear processes established in law to deal with allegations of misconduct against members of the judiciary,” he said.

He urged those who had evidence of any wrongdoing by any judge to make use of the avenues provided in the Constitution and law to ensure that appropriate action is taken.

The claims against the judiciary, he said, were also disturbing in that, without the presentation of evidence to support the claims, and unless referred to the relevant authorities, all such allegations do is to undermine the judiciary and the important function that it performs in the country’s democracy.

“Of course, South Africa is a free country, with a Constitution that guarantees freedom of expression and opinion. However, when some in positions of responsibility choose to use those freedoms to undermine our Constitutional order, they should be reminded of the possible consequences of their utterances,” he said.

Maintaining Constitutional order

One of these possible consequences is the erosion of trust in the judiciary and constitutional order.

“In all our actions, we need to take heed of Section 165(3) of the Constitution, which says: ‘no person or organ of state may interfere with the functioning of the courts,” he said.

“We interfere with the functioning of our courts and weaken the rule of law when we attack the judiciary. Our failure to implement our courts’ injunctions weakens our constitutional democracy.”

He added that the public has a responsibility to the generations of its forebears, many of whom gave their lives so that South Africa may have a democratic Constitution.

“We have a responsibility to the millions of South Africans who look to the Constitution for protection and relief,” he said.

The democratic Constitution, he said, “is the product of years of sacrifice and struggle”.

“Many South Africans endured great pain and hardship, and many lost their lives, so that we could live in a democracy where all may enjoy equal rights,” said President Ramaphosa.

The President said the values, principles and rights contained in the Constitution are neither trivial, nor abstract.

These he said, directly affect the daily lives of millions of people, preventing the arbitrary use of power, providing protection to the vulnerable, and advancing the access of all people to shelter, water, health care, education and social support.

“The Constitution is also vital to maintaining a system of checks and balances to prevent the abuse and concentration of power to the detriment of the people. The three arms of the state – the legislature, the executive and the judiciary – each have a role to play in ensuring accountability and adherence to the rule of law.

“Without these checks and balances, without each arm of the state fulfilling its responsibility, without adherence to the Constitution, our democracy is vulnerable and worthless,” he said.

Another 113 Coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in South Africa and 1 429 new cases, daily figures showed on Sunday.

Of the latest fatalities, 69 are from the North West, 17 from Gauteng, 12 from Free State and 10 from the Western Cape.

In addition, Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape recorded two deaths each, while one occurred in the Northern Cape.

This pushes the death toll to 49 053 deaths, while the cumulative cases now stand at 1 503 796.

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

Meanwhile, the country is now home to 42 728 active cases.

KwaZulu-Natal is still the hardest hit province with 14 736 people who are currently infected.

The province is followed by the Western Cape with 7 043 active cases, 7 008 in Free State, 4 426 in Gauteng, 3 445 in North West, 2 774 in the Northern Cape, 1 458 in Mpumalanga, 1 146 in Limpopo and 692 in the Eastern Cape.

Meanwhile, the recovery rate sits at 93.8% after 1 412 015 beat COVID-19 since the outbreak.

The information is based on the 8 892 515 tests of which 24 856 were performed since the last report.

Mkhize said there are now 15 388 healthcare workers who have been vaccinated under the Sisonke programme since the first jab was administered on Wednesday last week.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 110 749 023 confirmed global cases of COVID-19, including 2 455 131 deaths, to date.

Deaths continue to rise with 230 more people who succumbed to COVID-19 on Thursday.

Of the recent fatalities, 122 occurred in Limpopo, 27 in KwaZulu-Natal, 24 from the Eastern Cape, 21 from Gauteng, 19 from the Western Cape and 10 from Mpumalanga.

Only Free State recorded single-digit deaths after seven people lost their lives, pushing the death toll to 48 708.

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

Meanwhile, the country recorded 2 327 new cases in the last 24 hours, meaning South Africa now has 1 498 766 infections identified since the outbreak.

Also, there are 1 403 214 people who beat COVID-19, representing a recovery rate of 93.6%.

South Africa is now home to 46 844 active COVID-19 cases, of which 16 105 are in KwaZulu-Natal, 7 372 in the Western Cape, 7 045 in Free State, 5 473 in Gauteng, 4 074 in the North West, 3 014 Northern Cape, 1 350 Limpopo, and 604 in the Eastern Cape.

The cumulative total of tests conducted to date is 8 807 299 with 34 556 performed since the last report.

The Minister said the number of healthcare workers vaccinated under the Sisonke programme is 2 260 as of 18 February.

According to the World Health Organisation, there have been 109 594 835 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2 424 060 deaths.

The man who is accused of brutally murdering the heavily pregnant Tshegofatso Pule last year has pleaded guilty.

Muzikayise Malephane appeared in the South Gauteng High Court this morning. He faced charges of murder, defeating the ends of justice and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Malephane pointed out that the boyfriend of the deceased, who cannot be named at this point, as the one who allegedly contracted him to commit the murder.

His lawyer told the court the boyfriend did not want his wife to find out that he had impregnated Pule.

The accused has since entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State.

“He will be turning a State witness. The court confirmed the agreement on condition that he testifies in the State’s case against the boyfriend,” the NPA explained.

Meanwhile, the NPA has confirmed that the boyfriend has been arrested and is currently in police custody.

Pule, 28, made headlines when her body, covered in stab wounds, was found in June last year, hanging from a tree in a veld in Roodepoort after being reported missing for four days.

She was eight months pregnant at the time.

Malephane was arrested a week later after the discovery of Pule’s body following a crime intelligence operation and has since been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Police Minister Bheki Cele has welcomed the sentence and thanked the team for the excellent job.

“We congratulate the team for doing a good work that led to the sentencing,” the Minister said on Friday.

The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) has welcomed the roll out of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by government, which it says highlights the importance of a well-resourced science, technology and innovation system.

“The country can safely store the vaccine, roll it out and monitor its implementation,” the department said.

However, the department raised concerns about the declining investment in research and development (R&D), which remains vital amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the DSI, local scientists and research infrastructure have played a significant role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic since the outbreak.

“South Africa is currently benefitting from past investments made by the DSI in R&D.”

The department said not only has it invested heavily in health and medical research, but also in modernising industries like mining and growing renewable energy technologies.

However, given the immense benefits of past investments, a bigger focus is required across government and the private sector for increased investment in R&D.

“This is particularly critical now, as it is unclear for how long COVID-19 will continue to impact communities around the world.”

The department is calling for investment at a time when South Africa’s expenditure on R&D has declined for the first time since recovering from the dip experienced in 2009/10 and 2010/11.

According to the 2018/19 National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D Survey) published on Thursday, the gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD) for 2018/19 amounted to R36.784 billion at current rand values.

This represents a decline of 5% (R1.941 billion) from the R38.725 billion recorded in 2017/18 after seven consecutive years of year-on-year growth.

The information is contained in the latest R&D Survey, undertaken annually on behalf of the DSI by the Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), with support from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA).

The department explained that GERD is an aggregated measure of in-house R&D expenditure performed domestically in five institutional sectors, namely government, science councils, higher education institutions, the business sector, and the not-for-profit sector.

“South Africa’s R&D intensity, that is, GERD as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices, declined 0.83% in 2017/18 to 0.75% in 2018/19.”

Meanwhile, slight growth in R&D expenditure by the higher education sector, of R173 million (1.3%), and by the not-for-profit sector, of R269 million (22.1%), were not enough to offset declines in government and business R&D expenditure.

“Notably, the financial and manufacturing sectors experienced substantial year-on-year decreases in R&D expenditure, of 17.7% and 29.2% respectively.”

By contrast, R&D expenditure in mining and quarrying increased by 58.8%, from R1.101 billion in 2017/18 to R1.748 billion in 2018/19.

While the R&D expenditure by State-owned enterprises (SOEs) declined by R44 million, the contribution of SOEs to R&D expenditure in the business sector increased by 1.3 percentage points to 17.3% in 2018/19.

The proportion of R&D performed in Gauteng decreased from 49.5% in 2009/10 to 42.9% in 2018/19.

Other key headline indicators

South Africa’s total R&D personnel headcount declined from 84 262 in 2017/18 to 84 036 in 2018/19, a slight decline of 0.3%.

Meanwhile, the ratio of 1.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) researchers per 1 000 employed reported for 2018/19 remained unchanged from the level reported in 2017/18.

The proportion of female researchers increased from 27 774 in 2017/18 to 28 401 in 2018/19.

“The continued decline in the number of technicians supporting R&D, in terms of the headcount and FTE, remains a concern.”

The main sources of funding for R&D in South Africa in 2018/19 were government (47.5%) and business (39.5%).

The government sector, which includes science councils and universities’ own funds, sponsored 3.4% less R&D in 2018/19 than in 2017/18.

The business sector’s funding for R&D also declined, by 9.5% year-on-year. By contrast, R&D funding secured from foreign sources increased by 1.6% in 2018/19.

The largest proportion of R&D expenditure in 2018/19 was allocated to applied research at R19.316 billion (52.5%), followed by basic research at R10.364 billion (28.2%) and experimental development at R7.103 billion (19.3%).

By research field, R&D expenditure was concentrated in the social sciences (22.4%), followed closely by medical and health science (21.2%) and the engineering sciences (12.9%).

The R&D Survey offers important information for stakeholders across all sectors to understand the trends in national R&D expenditure and human resources devoted to R&D.

The department said it will conduct a deeper analysis of the 2018/19 R&D Survey results and facilitate stakeholder consultations to contribute to strengthening the country’s national system of innovation.