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In just three days, the Class of 2020 will sit for what is undoubtedly the most important examination of their life.

From 5 November to 15 December 2020, a total of 1 058 699 candidates will sit for their final National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.

The series of exams will start with the English First Additional Language Paper 1 on Thursday and conclude with the Visual Arts and Agricultural Management Practices papers.

Basic Education Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, wished the matrics all the best as they prepare for the final lap.

“To the Class of 2020 and on behalf of the Ministry and the Department of Basic Education, I want to take this time to wish you the best for your final National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams.

“Despite the overwhelming disruption brought about by COVID-19, you have remained resolute. You have taken steps to attend weekend revision classes and utilised the available online media resources to prepare.

“Stay on the course, and continue to work hard,” she said on Monday.

Mhaule thanked teachers for supporting learners during a stressful academic year.

“It is not easy for teachers but they are pushing on. We also want to thank parents and the communities for making the environment conducive for learning.”

On Friday, the Education Quality Assurance Council, Umalusi, gave the various assessment bodies the greenlight to administer the 2020 matric exams.

With the academic year severely affected by the national lockdown regulations associated with the pandemic, assessment bodies had to reschedule the mid-year examinations.

This means that this year, a combined cohort of candidates, who were supposed to write June examinations and those who were registered for the November examinations, will form part of the same cohort for the end-of-year examinations.

As a result, the assessment bodies – the Basic Education Department, the Independent Examinations Board and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute, will collectively administer the examinations to the largest matric cohort in the sector’s recent history.

Claims that government has set aside relief funds to thank farmworkers for working during lockdown are false and should not be entertained, the Limpopo Department of Employment and Labour said on Friday.

According to the provincial department, the rumour started when inspectors recently conducted examinations in several farms around the Phalaborwa and Mopani District Municipalities.

The department said the workers also threatened to go on strike after demanding a risk allowance for having worked during the lockdown.

“In terms of the current regulations, the department only has the Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) through the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) that was made available for employers and employees who could not operate during the lockdown,” explained provincial Chief Inspector, Phaswane Tladi.

Some workers have made demands to employers to either thank them for or pay them a danger allowance for performing when the country went on lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“Unfortunately, this is not in the current prescript of the law,” he said.

However, he said the department cannot interfere with any arrangement between an employer and employee on such incentives, nor force employers to pay such benefits.

“We urge workers to refrain from participating in such unprotected strikes that may lead to loss of employment.”

Workers are advised to enquire with relevant authorities when there are misunderstandings.

“Our officials are available and ready to guide them even before they get themselves into unprotected strikes based on hearsay and rumour,” said Tladi.

Clients and beneficiaries of the Compensation Fund pension have until the end of October to validate their details to avoid the termination of their benefits.

The Director of Compensation Benefits, Nokuthula Sihlangu, has since appealed to clients and beneficiaries to act as a matter of urgency.

The Fund said it has been in a process to cleanse its pensioners’ database since September 2019.

“We want to improve the integrity of our data, hence the cleansing,” Sihlangu added.

The process will affect injured employees who receive a pension from the Fund due to a disability as well as dependents of deceased pensioners.

The notice also applies to pensioners who reside in South Africa and living abroad.

Sihlangu said all it would take to validate details was a copy of 13-digit identity document and/or a passport.

The Compensation Fund is an entity of the Department of Employment and Labour whose role is to provide for compensation for disablement caused by the occupational injuries or diseases sustained or contracted by employees in the course of their employment, or death resulting from such injuries or diseases.

The Fund can be contacted on 0860 10 350 or PensionCleansing@labour.gov.za if you want to validate your details.

Home Affairs Inspectorate officials, supported by SAPS, the City of Cape Town, Departments of Social Development and Health and other law enforcement agencies, are currently performing an operation at the temporary facility called Paint City in Bellville, Cape Town.

The temporary facility was set up in 02 April 2020 for protesting asylum seekers and refugees in Cape Town in compliance with the Disaster Management Act.

The officials accompanied by law enforcement officials are there to ensure a successful execution of the functions of the Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs (SCRA) and the Refugee Appeals Authority (RAA).

They are also there to identify and verify, in terms of Refugees Act and Immigration Act, the status of foreign nationals who moved into the temporary facility on and after 02 April 2020.

In February and March 2020, the department conducted an operation in terms of a Court Order to identify and verify all the foreign nationals who were protesting in Green Market Square.

Since the country moved to Alert Level 1 of the Lockdown, officials of the SCRA and RAA have been able to process and finalise the appeals of the affected asylum seekers.

The officials returned to Paint City on Thursday after the protesting asylum seekers and refugees refused to cooperate with them on 22 October 2020.

The SCRA and the RAA have already concluded their work in the other temporary facility called Wingfield in Maitland, Cape Town.

“The department will communicate the outcome of this operation after all processes have been concluded,” the Department of Home Affairs said in a statement.

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FCSA) has imposed a R161 million administrative penalty on former Steinhoff chief executive (CEO), Markus Johannes Jooste, for breaching sections of the Financial Markets Act.

In a statement issued on Friday, the authority said the breaches were in relation to provisions that prohibit an insider from disclosing inside information and/or encouraging or discouraging another person to deal in securities to which the inside information relates.

“The insider trading breaches were in respect of share transactions in Steinhoff International Holdings NV (Steinhoff) during November and December 2017,” the FCSA said.

The FCSA said the administrative penalty imposed on Jooste is pursuant to an investigation by the authority, which found that in November 2017, shortly before the much-publicised significant decrease in the market value of Steinhoff shares, Jooste was privy to Steinhoff related inside information.

“Whilst privy to inside information, he disclosed some of the information in a ‘warning SMS’, encouraging four individuals close to him to dispose of their Steinhoff shares prior to the publication of some of the inside information to the rest of the market,” said the authority.

Three recipients acted on his disclosure and encouragement, and sold Steinhoff shares.

“The legislated approach in calculating insider trading related penalties, as outlined in the Financial Markets Act, requires, as a starting point, a determination of the losses avoided or profits made (‘the ill-gotten gains/ benefit’) by those who traded whilst in possession of inside information,” said the FCSA.

Provisions of the Act permit the FCSA to order the beneficiaries to pay back the ill-gotten benefit.

The authority said this is a legal principle referred as “disgorgement”.

In addition, said the authority, the three may be required in each case to pay an amount for penalty purposes, which does not exceed three times their benefit.

“In cases of disclosure or encouragement, the applicable provisions permit the Authority to order the tipper to be jointly and severally liable with those he tipped for their ill-gotten gains.

“Additionally, for penalty purposes, the tipper may also be liable to pay an amount not exceeding three times the gains made by those he tipped, an additional amount of up to R1 million, cost of the investigation and interest.

“In arriving at the amount of the administrative penalty imposed on Jooste, and in line with the provisions of section 82 (2) and 82 (3) of the Financial Markets, read with section 167 of the Financial Sector Regulation Act, 9 of 2017, the Authority considered, among other factors, the amounts of the losses avoided by the recipients of the warning SMS as a result of the offending transactions; Mr Jooste’s level of cooperation during the investigation; the seriousness of the breaches; the need to deter such conduct; and his submissions regarding the merits of the case against him (including his submissions regarding an appropriate penalty),” said the FCSA.

The penalty of R161 568 068 imposed on Jooste includes a multiple of three times the losses avoided due to the transactions executed by the recipients of the warning SMS, plus the amounts discussed further in this statement regarding his joint and several liability with two recipients of the SMS.

The penalty imposed on Jooste also includes an amount of R1 million for disclosing inside information and encouraging Jaap du Toit to sell his Steinhoff shares. Notwithstanding the disclosure and encouragement, Du Toit never acted on the contents of the warning SMS.

Jooste has also been ordered to pay interest on the penalty amount of R161 568 068. The interest is in respect of any unpaid portion of the administrative penalty, until the penalty is fully paid.

He is also ordered to pay the authority’s costs incurred in connection with investigating the contraventions in this matter.

The FCSA has also imposed a R115 million penalty on Ocsan Investment Enterprises (Pty) Limited (Ocsan), a company that was controlled by a long-time acquaintance of Jooste – the late Ockie Oosthuizen.

Oosthuizen instructed Ocsan’s sale of Steinhoff shares on 30 November 2017 following receipt of the warning SMS and thus caused Ocsan to breach section 78 (1) of the Financial Markets Act.

Amongst other relevant considerations, the Authority found that Oosthuizen deliberately misled investigators during questioning and thus failed to provide meaningful cooperation.

Coronavirus continues to spread in South Africa with 2 056 new cases identified on Thursday, while 53 more people succumbed to the deadly virus.

Of the latest deaths, 37 are from the Eastern Cape, five from Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, four from Gauteng and two from Mpumalanga.

According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, of these new fatalities, 15 occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours.

This brings the death toll to 19 164, while the total number of cases are sitting at 721 770 since the outbreak.

Also, 649 935 patients have recuperated which translates to a recovery rate of 90%, said Mkhize.

“The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 4 777 609 with 25 013 new tests conducted since the last report,” the Minister added.

Meanwhile, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said they are seeing several trends developing when zooming in on the cases in the province.

“The increase in the numbers of new cases are primarily driven by young people between the ages of 15 to 25,” he said, adding that there is a rise in the number of positive tests and hospitalisation in the private sector.

According to Winde, the province has also noted a spike in the infection rate in Athlone and in Scottsdene, which they believe is connected to the wastewater systems linked to the Southern and the Western sub-districts.

“This data gives us another level of surveillance which allows us to detect trends and to follow up with targeted testing should it be required. These tools are part of our arsenal, which will help us to detect signs of resurgence or a second wave.”

He said the province continues to use the surveillance systems to identify “infection bushfires”.

“This has allowed us to pinpoint spikes in infections in recent weeks – first in the Southern and Western sub-districts, and now in George on the Garden Route.”

Winde thinks the peak is associated with a “general relaxation” of safety and infection prevention protocols.

However, according to Winde, the strongest defence against a resurgence is behavioural change.

The Western Cape has 4 298 active COVID-19 infections, 4 353 deaths, with 116 852 confirmed cases and 108 201 recoveries.

“I, therefore, call on all our residents to commit to becoming an active part of our recovery deal so that we can move forward safely in the Western Cape,” he pleaded.

Globally, the World Health Organisation has reported 44 351 506 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1 171 255 deaths to date.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has called on affected voters to come out in their numbers to register to vote for the upcoming 24 municipal ward by-elections scheduled to take place across the country on 9 December.

In total, 118 voting stations will open this weekend between 8am and 5pm.  

In a statement, the IEC said the registration weekend will allow all eligible voters to register while already registered voters will get an opportunity to check their registration details and provide updates where applicable.

“Voters should take their identity documents (IDs) with them – either a green barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID, or a valid Temporary ID Certificate. They will also need to complete their physical home address on registration or provide sufficient particularities of their place of residence. Documented proof of address (e.g. a municipal account) is not required,” reads the statement.

Voters may also check and update their details at their local (municipal) Electoral Commission (IEC) office weekdays during office hours.

The IEC reminded voters that it is a criminal offence to register and vote in a ward in which they are not ordinarily resident.

Special voting will take place at voting stations as well as through home visits on 8 December between 8am and 5pm. Voters wishing to apply to cast a special vote can apply at their local IEC office during office hours between 23 and 27 November 2020.

Applications for special votes can also be made online via the IEC’s website, www.elections.org.za. Once voters have applied online they will receive an SMS notifying them of the outcome when their application has been processed. They can also check the status of their special vote application online at www.elections.org.za.

Voters can also apply for special votes via cellphone by SMSing their identity number to 32249 (Charged at R1). The SMS application facility is only available for those applying to cast a special vote at their voting station and NOT for home visits.

For more information on these by-elections contact your local (municipal) IEC office weekdays during office hours. Contact details for all IEC offices are available on the IEC website at www.elections.org.za under Contact Us.

Government has committed to giving renewed attention to supporting business growth in the taxi industry, especially initiatives that empower previously disadvantaged individuals such as women.

Addressing the National Taxi Lekgotla virtually on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the industry is one of the most important sectors in the economy, which makes it all the more necessary that there is transformation and empowerment with real benefits to the businesses involved.

“We share a common aspiration to see the minibus taxi industry overcome its challenges, adapt in response to the demands of modern public transportation, and ultimately to grow and thrive. At the heart of all our endeavours is formalisation, regulation and economic empowerment,” the President said.

The two-day lekgotla, which is taking place in Boksburg, is facilitating discussions among the taxi industry and key stakeholders in a bid to formalise the taxi industry

It is meant to address challenges facing the industry and achieve consensus on the blueprint of the future taxi industry anchored on formalisation and a subsidised industry, as an integral part of a broader economic empowerment model.

“Given its financial size, formalising the taxi industry is a vital step towards ensuring its contribution to the national tax revenue base.

“And importantly, formalisation will benefit not just operators but workers who will be able to benefit from social support like the Unemployment Insurance Fund and training funded by the Skills Development Levy,” the President said.

He said the lekgotla must be a turning point for an industry that is too often associated with disregard for the rule of law and the rules of the road, the abuse of customers and conflict.

“We must seriously and honestly confront the associations of the taxi industry with sexism and gender-based violence. We must work together, as government and all industry stakeholders, to ensure that women are safe – and feel safe – when travelling by taxi,” the President said.

He said all forms of public transit must be integrated to allow people to seamlessly make use of all modes available.

“Our Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan sets out a number of interventions to spur economic activity, to create jobs and to embark on a renewed industrialisation path. If we are to meet the targets we have set ourselves, an efficient, safe and reliable public transport system will be key to transport the workforce,” the President said.

He said it is only through an integrated system that the country will able to offer the best value for money and convenience to the public.

Taxi industry called to address challenges

The President encouraged the industry to address several challenges that have tarnished its reputation.

These include the issue of labour relations and allegations of exploitation of workers; the high number of road accidents involving taxis; the industry’s response to the rise of e-hailing services; and compliance with tax laws.

“We also need to address the conflict relating to competition over routes and the associated acts of violence and criminality. Just as the industry must itself address and overcome issues of safety and violence, we as government remain committed to driving interventions that strengthen the industry,” the President said.

Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, said realising the formalisation, regulation and empowerment of the industry, will be the game changer required to fundamentally transform the face of South Africa’s public transport system.

“It is evident that despite government intervention to support the taxi industry through numerous initiatives, the industry is still characterised by oversupply, decreasing revenue, poor infrastructure and uncontrolled competition on routes. This has become a source of ongoing conflict and violence,” the Minister said.

Mbalula said unity in the industry is sacrosanct and the perverse incentives for conflict and violence must be eliminated.

“The pact we must emerge with out of this lekgotla must demonstrate the seriousness with which we regard this matter. It is time the taxi industry spoke out against violence and proclaim for all to hear, not in our name,” the Minister said.

The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) — the developer and operator of the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) — has three projects underway, collectively valued at about R380 million, which have created jobs for the local community.

The projects, which have brought about much needed jobs in the economy of the Eastern Cape, have created about 290 construction jobs thus far.

“Having experienced limited to no economic activity during the earlier levels of the South African government national lockdown, these jobs have come at a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet,” the CDC said on Thursday.

The projects — which include African Port Logistics and Infrastructure (citrus sector), valued at R264 million; the expansion of the Coega multi-user facility, valued at R71 million, and DHL Logistics Facility (logistics sector), valued at R156 million — form part of the province’s economic priority sectors.

With infrastructure forming a key part of South Africa’s economic recovery plan, Special Economic Zones (SEZ) such as Coega, have a role to play in stimulating economic growth and job creation.

The multi-user facility (phase two) is located in Zone 3 of the Coega SEZ. It is currently under construction, with over 151 construction jobs created so far.

The 7 000m2  facility is a replica model of the successful phase one, which is now fully occupied.

“It seeks to provide affordable industrial space for many small-to-medium companies, especially entrepreneurs wishing to grow their business. Since the establishment of the multi-user facility, it has provided local people with employment in the construction industry,” the CDC said.

Building student from the Coega Skills Centre and who is currently a bricklayer at the construction site, Siphokazi Xakana, 33, said the skills she has obtained during her employment on this project have assisted her with the grow she needs as a young female in a male dominated industry.

Edgard Fransma, 29, from the Northern Areas, is currently a general worker on the project. He also shared his experience working at Coega.

“The experience and exposure I have obtained from the multi-user facility construction, particularly in steel structures, has enhanced my skills set,” Fransman said.

Also under construction is the African Port Logistics and Infrastructure project, which will see the development of a fruit packaging facility, fruit cold storage and a container depot.

The project has to date has created over 147 jobs in construction and a further 14 SMMEs having benefited.

The third project is the DHL Logistics Facility, which will occupy a total of 11 400m2 and will see the development of awarehouse and offices.

The project is estimated to create 380 construction jobs and further small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs).

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza says as part of government’s economic stimulus package, the department will provide input vouchers to subsistence farmers to retain jobs.

Didiza said this when she, along with Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille, briefed the media on the pillars of the economic reconstruction and recovery plans for their respective departments.

“The department will ensure the retention of jobs through self-employment by subsistence farmers through input vouchers.

“The target will be those subsistence producers who are producing at household level in peri-urban and rural areas with a maximum land size between a quarter to one hectares,” she said.

Didiza said the department is working with mobile giant Vodacom with a view to open applications as soon as next month, where farmers will be able to use their phones to apply for the vouchers to eliminate paperwork.

This was building from the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic had illustrated the importance of both commercial and smallholder producers in safeguarding food security and promoting self-employment in rural and peri-urban areas.

COVID-19 regulations, which led to the country being put on lockdown alert level 5 by the end of March, demonstrated the significance of a supportive policy environment as these regulations provided a crucial insulation and boosted the resilience of the food system.

The Minister said the regulations showed the centrality of the informal market traders in localising and distributing food to low income households that live hand-to-mouth on a daily basis.

“Working with social partners, the department is working with the Solidarity Fund initiative [and] traditional councils on interventions that focuses on communal farming areas to support small-scale and substance farmers to promote self-employment and support food security,” she said.

Didiza said the department, working with the Land Bank, had commenced with relief funding applications for commercial farmers that are in distress to save jobs and provide relief.

The additional investment in Land Bank announced by the Minister of Finance is welcomed, she said, as it will ensure that farmers will receive assistance during the current agriculture calendar.

“The department is upscaling eight production schemes to expand commercial production and processing using a district-based commodity value chain development approach, which will stimulate mass employment.”

Didiza said, meanwhile, that the department of agriculture, working with security and social clusters, is developing a regulatory framework to enable commercial cultivation of hemp and cannabis by next year.

As part of implementing an effective land reform programme and inclusive growth, the department has developed a beneficiary selection and land allocation policy as well as the comprehensive producer support policy, which are guiding the rapid release of land for production of food and the provision of finances to farmers.

Get the entire Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan here.