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The Germiston Serious Corruption Investigation team has apprehended a 46-year-old suspect for alleged extortion in Kempton Park on Tuesday.

He is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrates Court today.

“The suspect, who introduced himself as Warrant Officer Masemola from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) in Germiston, contacted the complainant last week Thursday, demanding that they meet to discuss fraud allegations against him.

“On the same day, the two met at a restaurant in Boksburg and the suspect allegedly demanded R500 000, citing interference and failure to pay would lead to an arrest.

“The matter was reported to the Hawks, who on Tuesday, together with the complainant, cooperated and managed to arrest the suspect after his was given R10 000 in Kempton Park,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.

Gauteng SAPS Provincial Head, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, welcomed and commended the members for apprehending the suspect.

“We urge the public to report any suspicious conduct by individuals purporting to be members of law enforcement agencies, for whatever reason, to the authorities.

“The public must be vigilant and know that at all times, the police are not to be paid by an individual any kind of gratification for doing their job,” Kadwa said.

SAPS said that investigations are still underway.

As the fight against COVID-19 continues, African countries should not lose sight of combatting conflict, which continues in some places on the continent, says International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor.

“As we continue to fight the pandemic, we should not lose sight of the challenges that we continue to face as the continent. The ongoing conflicts in Africa and the difficulties we continue to face in our collective quest to silence the guns by 2020 are a serious cause for concern, and must be addressed with the urgency and vigour they deserve,” said the Minister.

Pandor chaired the 37th Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) on Tuesday, in her capacity as the chairperson of the Executive Council of the AU.

The Minister said the impact of climate change, drought, extreme levels of poverty and increasing numbers of unemployment continue to hamper development on the continent.

“This requires us to spare no effort or resources to ensure that the continent realises its socio-economic potential and its vision as outlined in Agenda 2063.”

Pandor said the continent’s challenges need an AU that is well resourced and capable of addressing the challenges on the continent, which continue unabated – even during the pandemic.

“The AU must develop its ability to support the continent in establishing functional institutions that can withstand emergencies such as COVID-19.”

The two-day session, which got underway on Tuesday, will also discuss the recommendations of the Permanent Representative Committee regarding the 2021 AU Budget, as well as progress that has been achieved thus far in the AU’s efforts to improve its financial management.

“Although the issue of the budget is a technical matter, it places huge political responsibilities not only on the AU Commission but on its membership. The chairperson of the AU Commission will provide an update on the budget situation of the organisation and its implications for the implementation of the priorities of the African Union,” said Pandor.

The implementation of the Peace Fund, the Minister said, is critical in the maintenance of peace and security on the continent.

“I have no doubt that the report by the High Representative on the Peace Fund will provide us with options and ways of sustaining the Fund going forward.”

Impact of COVID-19

The Minister said the African continent has lost more than 30 000 people due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more than 1.5 million have been infected, as of 12 October 2020.

The pandemic she said, has severely strained “our already weak public health systems to their limits”.

“The pandemic has also caused a devastating impact on our socio-economic landscape, thereby undermining the gains that we have made thus far. It came as no surprise therefore that the economic forecasts predicted that the continent will experience a recession this year due to the pandemic, for the first time in over two decades.

“These effects are felt by our globe and affect all our countries.”

The continent has worked together and developed a response that has “revealed an African resilience in unity that we should use for addressing our continents challenges.”

“The areas in which action is desirable have been starkly revealed by the pandemic and we should seize the opportunities to strengthen our systems and institutions to ensure we build the ability to withstand such emergencies in future,” said the Minister.

The two-day session, which is being held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, concludes on Wednesday, 14 October 2020.

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s committee on Roads and Transport has welcomed the arrest of two people found in possession of Transnet infrastructure goods worth R25 million.

“The arrest comes at a time where the backbone of public transport in the province is almost non-functional due to, among other reasons, constant damage of infrastructure due to theft.

“The theft of rail infrastructure should be… treated as treason,” said Dumisani Dakile, the chairperson of the Roads and Transport Portfolio Committee.

The committee has welcomed the multi-disciplinary efforts and the role of intelligence agencies. It is also confident that their pursuit will lead to more arrests soon.

The Department of Home Affairs says it has been experiencing service interruptions on the live-capture system which regrettably affected processing and collection of smart ID cards and passports.

Modernised offices, which process applications and collections of smart ID cards and passports, have experienced unstable connectivity at different intervals.

“Technicians are monitoring the system and are diagnosing the root cause of the problem with a view to solving it and preventing further outages,” the department said in a statement.

Other services, for birth, marriage and death certificates, as well as amendment of documents, are not affected.

The department expresses its deepest apologies to members of the public for the inconvenience and appeals for patience while the system is being stabilised.

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) says it will work together with the Eastern Cape government to help it develop ICT strategies that are in line with the Government ICT framework, norms and standards.

This comes after reports emerged that the provincial government had allegedly plagiarised its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) strategy document.

DPSA DG Yoliswa Makhasi said as the custodian of the government ICT policy and strategy in the public service, they want to create an environment for the positioning of ICT as a strategic tool for public administration, including ICT governance in the public service.

“In 2017, Cabinet approved the National e-Government Strategy, which looks at various aspects regarding the use of ICT to improve internal operations in the public service, as well as delivery of services to the public.

“This follows the adoption of the Corporate Governance of ICT Policy Framework in 2012,” DPSA said in a statement.

The framework is based on global best practices and puts emphasis on the need to ensure that ICT investment is aligned with departmental or provincial business objectives; that ICT related business risks are optimised; departmental or provincial resources are optimised, and benefits of investing in ICT are realised.

To ensure the country’s readiness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era, government has appointed a Presidential Industrial Revolution Commission on 4IR to ensure that the country benefits from the innovation and developments of the 4IR, while addressing the associated challenges.

Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela has become the latest provincial head to test positive for COVID-19.

The MEC for Health, Montseng Tsiu and the Director-General (DG) in the Free State Provincial Government, Kopung Ralikontsane, were confirmed to have contracted Coronavirus over the weekend.

According to the provincial government, the Premier, who received her results on Tuesday, will continue to carry out her work responsibilities while in isolation, until she has fully recovered or advised otherwise by healthcare professionals.

The MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Thembeni Nxangisa, will be the acting MEC for health until Tsiu has fully recuperated.

The Deputy DG for Policy, Planning and Governance, Thuso Ramaema, will be standing in for Ralikontsane from 12 – 26 October 2020.

The fight against the virus is far from over, the province warned.

“Although we have made progress in curbing the spread of the virus, it has not been eliminated and thus, people must continue to exercise extreme cautiousness.

“We urge others to be responsible and accountable for their actions. Our ultimate challenge now is that there are communities, which are no longer adhering to regulations and observing the necessary protocols, which is putting the lives of citizens in danger,” said Ntombela said on Wednesday.

She warned that many people who contract the virus do not have symptoms and could “unsuspectingly” infect others.

“Our most important duty now in dealing with this pandemic is to ensure that we do not experience a new, rapid surge in infections, which will result in the second wave.”

The provincial government has once again urged all citizens to play their part in observing the necessary protocols of washing hands and sanitising regularly, wearing a mask when in public, and physical distancing.

The province has also called on people to protect the elderly and those who suffer from comorbidities.

Meanwhile, those who choose to visit places of entertainment or travel for leisure must do so responsibly, the provincial government pleaded.

The province said the safe and free government quarantine facilities are still available in the province for those seeking isolation.

Citizens are further urged to call the 0800 535 554 hotline for any other assistance or enquires related to COVID-19.

The National Traffic Police (NTP) has shut down a Pretoria company that is allegedly producing fraudulent vehicle licence discs.

This comes after the traffic police’s specialised unit, the Falcons, conducted a raid on the premises of the company in Kameeldrift on Tuesday morning.

This after two trucks were found to have false vehicle licence discs last Friday.

“It was discovered during the raid that, the company had allegedly displayed fake vehicle discs on 10 of its 19 heavy vehicles,” the NTP said in a statement.

According to the NTP, the company has failed to renew vehicle licence discs since 2012 resulting in R5 366 789 in outstanding licence fees.

“Further investigation are being conducted to determine the source of the fake licence documents and a case of fraud has been opened against the company’s operator. The company is not allowed to operate the vehicles on any public road before the conclusion of investigations,” it said.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has welcomed the raid while also urging members of the public to assist in the elimination of fraud and corruption within the road transport sector.

Employment and Labour Minister, Thulas Nxesi, has commended the role played by the Labour Health and Safety Inspectorate in wider efforts to combat COVID-19.

“A positive take-away from this is that we will emerge from this difficult period, as a department, with a much strengthened occupational health and safety inspection and enforcement capacity,” Nxesi said on Tuesday.

The Minister briefed the National Council of Provinces on progress made on measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on employment and labour.

The Minister said from lockdown levels 5 to 2, nearly 7 000 inspections were carried out.

At Tuesday’s briefing, the Minister said 5 406 inspections were carried out in the private sector, while 1 434 inspections were carried out in the public sector.

“These inspections took place in every province, every economic sector and across the private and public sectors. The level of compliance with health and safety regulations was well below par. This is particularly worrying, given the spread of the pandemic,” Nxesi said.

Compliance with regulations

The level of compliance with health and safety regulations was found to be at 58% in the private sector and 45% in the public sector.

In addition, 3 710 non-compliance notices were issued during this period, including 611 prohibition notices – closing entities’ operations either wholly or in part.

Four of the prohibition notices were served on Department of Labour and Employment premises.

“These inspections are conducted without fear or favour, and none of us can afford to be complacent,” said Nxesi.

The Minister also took the time to thank socially responsible employers, who ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, as well as unions and workers, who provide tip-offs to inspectors.

In terms of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) guidelines, the department would need some 10 000 labour inspectors to fully cover the economically active population of South Africa.

“We need all the help we can get from employers and labour,” Nxesi said.

UIF

With regard to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and its Rapid Response Task Team ensured a united front in all aspects of the response to the pandemic, ensuring there was agreement and buy-in to the new COVID-19 health and safety directives.

With regard to COVID-19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) payments, Nxesi said as of 9 October, since the beginning of the lockdown, over R49 billion had been disbursed in benefits in the form of over 11 million payments.

“These benefits were disbursed across all provinces, roughly in proportion to demographics and economic activity,” he said.

In Gauteng, R23 billion was disbursed in five million payments. In the Northern Cape, R484 million was disbursed in just over 100 000 payments.

Nxesi said R7.5 billion was disbursed in 1.3 million payments in the normal UIF benefits.

The Minister said millions of laid-off workers and their families received a much-needed lifeline, while companies were kept afloat.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) will intensify the monitoring and evaluation of mine health and safety management systems through inspections and audits during the remainder of the year.

“As we approach the end of the year, all mine employers, employees, managers and supervisors are alerted to the historical high number of fatalities and injuries that occur during the last quarter of the year. This period is traditionally very difficult for health and safety at mines,” the department said on Tuesday.

Historic data on mine accidents reveals that more fatalities reported occur during the last quarter of the calendar year.

“It is for this reason that mine employers need to put more focus on the health and safety of mineworkers during this period. In this respect, the DMRE will ensure that mines put in place shift fatigue management systems that are continuously monitored.

“Drug and alcohol tests will be done frequently during afternoon and night shifts. In cases where arrangements are in place for workers to work overtime, managers must ensure that proper supervision is carried out by all responsible mine personnel and measures are put in place to prevent accidents,” the department said.

The department said all mining operations must continue to prioritise the health and safety of mineworkers and other persons who may be directly affected by the operations at mines.

“All mineworkers and supervisors are reminded that unsafe work practices can be fatal and may lead to undesirable circumstances. Wherever there is non-compliance with the regulations and a threat to the health and safety of any persons at mines, the department will not hesitate to issue instructions, as guided by the Mine Health and Safety Act.”

The increase in the number of fatalities and injuries reported during this period is attributed to a variety of issues, including, but not limited to, poor supervision; anxiety associated with the festive season; production pressures and associated incentives, and lack focus and complacency.

In many instances, this results in workers taking short cuts and fail to comply with the applicable standards and procedures.

Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd (Shoprite) has agreed to stop enforcing exclusivity provisions in its long-term exclusive lease agreements with its landlords against small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and speciality and limited line stores.

This is according to a consent agreement between the Competition Commission (the Commission) and Shoprite.

“In effect, this agreement stops Shoprite from excluding competition from smaller suppliers such as spaza shops, supermarkets, green grocers and butchers, who will now have better access to letting space in shopping centres where a Shoprite-owned store is located,” the Commission said on Tuesday.

Long-term exclusive lease agreements, entered into between property developers and supermarkets, include provisions that restrict the landlord from letting premises in the same shopping centre to potentially competing grocery retailers and specialty stores (exclusivity provisions).

The consent agreement follows the release of the Grocery Retail Market Inquiry (GRMI) report in November 2019, which found, among others, that long-term exclusive lease agreements were widely prevalent in the grocery retail sector and impeded competition in the sector.

“The GRMI report recommended that the Commission must secure voluntary compliance by national supermarket chains with its recommendations concerning long-term exclusive lease agreements,” the Commission said.

Following its participation in the work of the GRMI, Shoprite has resolved to agree with the Commission concerning its recommendations.

“The agreement immediately prohibits Shoprite stores located in non-urban areas (including townships and areas outside towns and cities) from enforcing exclusivity provisions against all other retailers.

“A list of more than 400 Shoprite stores in non-urban areas is included in the consent agreement. Shoprite stores located in urban areas will face the same restrictions, except that they will be permitted to phase out the enforcement of exclusivity provisions against other supermarket chains within five years,” the Commission said.

In terms of the consent agreement, nothing contained in it amounts to or should be taken as an admission of any facts, conduct, liability or wrongdoing on the part of Shoprite.

In relation to the Franchise Business (the supermarket franchise business conducted by Shoprite as franchisor, currently under the name and style of OK Foods), Shoprite will comply with the provisions as set out above where it holds the lease of or head lease to a franchisee’s supermarket.