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Government has expressed concern at the vandalising and torching of Clicks stores across the country, saying it goes against the spirit of peace and respect for human rights.

In a statement on Monday, government said it noted the public outrage following the Clicks advertisement, where black hair is portrayed as “dry and damaged”.

Government said while it is equally disturbed by the crude racist display by the advertisement in question, acts of lawlessness, including vandalism and burning down Clicks stores, on Monday were of concern.

It said this goes “against the spirit of peace and respect for human rights that have shaped this country since the dawn of democracy”.

Government also spoke out against engaging in lawless behaviour, saying that this kind of behaviour is not the responsible way to resolve conflict.

As the matter is being ventilated, government called on all South Africans to resist the temptation to take the law into their own hands, to remain calm and follow the correct and legal channels to address their concerns.

It called on citizens, who witness any form of intimidation or act of violence, to contact the nearest police station or call the toll free number on 10 111 to report such incidents.

“We remain committed to the values of democracy.  Any form of discrimination or violation of human rights for whatever reason cannot be tolerated, as it undermines the progress made in building a united democratic country,” said Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu.

Government said the fight against discrimination remains the priority of government and it is for this reason that in March 2019, Cabinet approved the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance — a tool that empowers government to act against such injustices.

“Even in the face of resistance by a small minority, we continue with efforts to build a united South Africa that we can all be proud of. In the spirit of social cohesion, let us all cherish and respect one another, regardless of colour, background, gender and religion,” Mthembu said.

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will on Thursday donate 31 culled cattle to the provincial Department of Social Development as part of its food relief programme.

The cattle will be slaughtered and the meat distributed to feed those in need and those who have been severely affected by the extended COVID-19 lockdown across the North West province.

“Working with the provincial Department of Social Development, deserving households will be identified and the meat will be distributed to them, especially child-headed homes.

“The gesture of donating the meat is to contribute towards fighting food and nutrition insecurity, and restoring the dignity of the most vulnerable people in the province,” the department said on Tuesday.

The handing over ceremony will be held at the Potchefstroom College of Agriculture.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille says the department is taking steps to give effect to the report recommendations by the Auditor General into the Beitbridge border fence project.

The Beitbridge project was initiated by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in mid-March 2020.

De Lille raised concerns over the project and on 20 April 2020, requested that the Auditor General conduct an independent audit into the project.

On 25 April, De Lille requested her department’s Anti-Corruption Unit, assisted by members from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), to also probe the project.

At the time, De Lille instructed that project payments be stopped, pending investigation outcomes.

“These investigations revealed that a series of procurement and other irregularities were perpetrated and possible acts of fraud may have occurred.

“The investigation report recommends a number of disciplinary and criminal charges against those involved to be pursued,” De Lille said.

The Minister has thanked members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, as well as the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs for undertaking their oversight inspection at the Beitbridge border fence project this past weekend.

“I thank all members for supporting due process to be followed in implementing the report recommendations, and assure them and the South African public that the initiation of the disciplinary processes are already well underway,” De Lille said.

The department’s Legal Services Unit referred the matter to the Office of the State Attorney to draft the charges, appoint the initiator and appoint the chairperson.

The initiator and the chairperson have since been appointed, allowing the drafting of charges to commence.

These steps are being undertaken in consultation with the investigation team and in accordance with Section 8 of the Public Service Act, 1994, as per the terms of employment of 12 of the 14 implicated officials.

For the Director-General and Ministerial Advisor, separate disciplinary processes are required because these two persons are employed under section 12 and 12A, not section 8, of the Public Service Act 1994.

The Ministry has already initiated a disciplinary process related to the charges recommended against the Ministerial Advisor.

The Director-General is already suspended, related to findings from a PriceWaterHouseCoopers investigation on allegations of irregularities related to State funerals and a Public Service Commission investigation on irregular appointments within the department.

“I appreciate that South Africans are hungry for justice to be done, but I remind the public that all allegations of wrongdoing must be tested and the rights of the implicated be upheld during the disciplinary processes.

“I wish to assure the public that any official found guilty of any wrongdoing will be held appropriately accountable,” De Lille said.

Eskom says Stage 1 load shedding will only kick in at 16:00 and last until 22:00 on Tuesday.

The power utility attributed the suspension of load shedding until 16:00 to the return of more generation units.

“As some units returned last night, there will be no load shedding between 08:00 and 16:00. However, please note that load shedding will be reduced to Stage 1 from 16:00 -22:00 tonight,” said the power utility on Tuesday.

After a week of rolling power cuts, Eskom suspended the day segment of its load shedding schedule, adding that it will communicate any changes to the supply situation.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths has surpassed the 15 000 mark in South Africa.

This is after 115 more fatalities were reported on Monday, bringing the total to 15 004.

Forty-three were recorded in Limpopo, 25 in KwaZulu-Natal, 13 in the Western Cape, 12 in the Eastern Cape, 10 in the North West, seven in the Free State and five in Gauteng.

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

Meanwhile, 566 555 patients have recuperated, which translates to a recovery rate of 88.6%.

There are 639 362 confirmed infections since the outbreak, after 846 new cases were identified.

Gauteng remains the epicentre after 213 087 cases were recorded, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 114 904, the Western Cape 107 244 and the Eastern Cape 86 868.

The least affected provinces include the Free State with 39 986 cases, North West 26 294, Mpumalanga 25 125, Limpopo 13 769 and the Northern Cape 12 085.

The data is based on the 3 808 949 tests performed, 8 759 of which were done in the last 24 hours.

In an interview with the SABC’s Morning Live, Mkhize said while the number of infections is reducing, the worst is not yet over.

“We are worried about the resurgence. Globally, we are now at number seven. This tells us two things: one, the numbers are declining in South Africa; two, globally, the numbers are still increasing.”

Mkhize said government is not ready to open the economy completely.

“We are moving in that direction. The economy does need to be opened, however, we will ease into the decrease in restrictions.”

The South African Medical Research Council has reported that there are 41 424 excess deaths between 6 May and 25 August.

However, Mkhize said not all excess deaths are COVID-19 related.

“When our numbers were very high, the number of excess deaths was also high. We are tracking these excess deaths. Unnatural deaths during the lockdown reduced drastically. We are seeing that increase now again,” he said.

Nearly 27 million COVID-19 cases and 900 000 deaths have been reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to date.

According to WHO, while cases in South Africa have declined for the week ending 6 September, the country continues to report the highest number of cases in the region, accounting for 37% of all new cases.

Other countries reporting a high number of cases include Ethiopia, Algeria, Namibia and Kenya.

Nigeria’s cases have declined by 35%, compared to the previous week from 24 to 30 August, while the number of reported deaths increased by 200%.

Small Business Development Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has called on Clicks to commit to tangible corrective action by actively promoting black hair products that are manufactured by black, women, and youth-owned small businesses.

“A non-racial and equal society can only be underpinned by an inclusive economy, which requires the empowerment of black, women and youth-owned businesses. Any claim of non-racialism that is devoid of impactful economic transformation actions cannot be acceptable,” Ntshavheni said.

In a statement on Monday, Ntshavheni said the apology by the management of the retail stores must be backed by action to build a non-racial and equal society.

The Minister’s comments come after public outrage following the Clicks advertisement, where black hair is portrayed as “dry and damaged”.

“Clicks misses the point that the offence is not only about the images that are insensitive but the fact that it represents the views of TRESemme that are racists and reflect the continued undermining of the beauty of African women, and the violence they suffer when they are deemed not meeting certain superficial standards,” said Ntshavheni.

Ntshavheni said if Clicks management is serious about being a proudly South African corporate citizen and wants to make amends for its “error”, it must be reflected by steps to place more hair products made by South African small, medium and micro Enterprises (SMMEs) for African hair on its shelves.

“Diversity and inclusivity training for staff is just but a negligible drop in the ocean in the corrective action, and cannot be enough. The Department of Small Business Development remains available to assist Clicks to list more African hair products made by South African SMMEs for its shelves,” the Minister said.

The Department of Employment and Labour on Monday announced that it will continue making the COVID-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (TERS) payments until 15 September 2020.

This, according to the department, follows negotiations at the National Economic and Labour Council (NEDLAC) and the signing of the direction to that effect by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi.

“With the lockdown for some industries extended to 15 September, it only makes sense for us to continue to shield workers from the worst effects of the pandemic by extending the relief payments, which have placed much needed cash into the hands of ordinary workers in this country,” said Nxesi.

The COVID-19 TERS benefit payments are part of a government-wide response to ease the burden of the pandemic and to ensure that, to the extent possible, workers are not prejudiced by the lockdown.

Applications have been sent in by employers and then distributed either directly to the accounts of workers or through their employers.

Consequent to the extension, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) will continue to receive applications for the March 2020 to end July 2020 period, until 15 September 2020. No further applications shall be accepted beyond that date.

“The receipt of COVID-19 TERS benefit applications for August 2020 to 15 September 2020 shall close on 30 October 2020, and no further applications shall be accepted beyond that date,” the department said.

To date, the UIF has disbursed over R41 billion in 9 501 365 payments through applications by 825 814 employers.

The South African government and its partners will make good on its promise to protect the country’s women and children against gender-based violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed.

To demonstrate this commitment, government recently set the wheels in motion to tighten perceived legislative loopholes.

Apart from the R1.6 billion Emergency Response Action Plan to combat GBV and femicide – announced by the President last week in Parliament – government last week tabled three key bills relating to GBV.

The swift action comes after public calls to action following a series of brutal murders and attacks on women and children over the past year.

Writing in his newsletter on Monday, the President said: “I committed to marshal substantial resources of the State to tackle gender-based violence and femicide. I gave an undertaking that we would review our laws around gender-based violence.

“One of the key demands made by many women’s organisations was that the laws of our country should be tightened on granting bail to suspects and enforcement of long sentences for offenders.

“I concluded that the struggle to end GBV needed a multipronged strategy that should be led by the President and enlisted government to act. Cabinet agreed to allocate resources and commit to a plan of action.”

Over the six months of its implementation, public spending in various government departments was reprioritised to support interventions for care and support for survivors, for awareness and prevention campaigns, to improve laws and policies, to promote the economic empowerment of women, and to strengthen the criminal justice system.

Through the introduction of these bills, President Ramaphosa said, government was honouring the promise made to the protestors last year and to all the women of South Africa.

“The three amendment bills are designed to fill the gaps that allow some perpetrators of these crimes to evade justice, and to give full effect to the rights of our country’s women and children.

“The sad reality is that many survivors of gender-based violence have lost faith in the criminal justice system. Difficulties in obtaining protection orders, lax bail conditions for suspects, police not taking domestic violence complaints seriously and inappropriate sentences have contributed to an environment of cynicism and mistrust.”

It is hoped that once finalised, the bills will help to restore the confidence of women in the law.

The first bill seeks to amend the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act. This creates a new offence of sexual intimidation, extends the ambit of the offence of incest, and extends the reporting duty of persons who suspect a sexual offence has been committed against a child.

Said the President: “It expands the scope of the National Register for Sex Offenders to include the particulars of all sex offenders.

“Until now, it has only applied to sex offenders convicted of sex crimes perpetrated against children or persons with mental disabilities. The time an offender’s particulars must remain on the register has been increased, and those listed on the register will have to disclose this when they submit applications to work with persons who are vulnerable.

“The Bill also makes provision for the names of persons on the National Register for Sex Offenders to be publicly available”.

The Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill tightens the granting of bail to perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide, and expands the offences for which minimum sentences must be imposed.

President Ramaphosa said the amendments impose new obligations on law enforcement officials and on courts, addressing the perception that many perpetrators exploit legal loopholes to avoid imprisonment, and that sentencing is often not proportionate to the crimes.

“When a prosecutor does not oppose bail in cases of gender-based violence, they have to place their reasons on record. Unless a person accused of gender-based violence can provide exceptional circumstances why they should be released on bail, the court must order their detention until the criminal proceedings are concluded,” said the President.

In reaching a decision on a bail application, the courts are compelled to take a number of considerations into account. They include pre-trial reports on the desirability of releasing an accused on bail, threats of violence made against a survivor, and the view of the survivor regarding his or her safety.

On parole, a complainant or a relative of a deceased victim must be able to make representation to the parole board.

Given the unacceptably high levels of intimate partner violence in South Africa, government has tightened the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act.

The bill also extends the definition of domestic violence to include the protection of older persons against abuse by family members.

Complainants will be able to apply for a protection order online. To prevent a scenario where perpetrators can hide past histories of domestic violence, an integrated repository of protection orders will be established.

The proposed amendments also oblige the Departments of Social Development, Basic Education, Higher Education and Health to provide certain services to survivors where needed, and to refer them for sheltering and medical care.

The circumstances under which a prosecutor can refuse to institute a prosecution when offences have been committed under the amended act have been limited.

In perhaps the most groundbreaking proposed amendment to the act, if someone has knowledge, reasonable belief or suspicion that an act of domestic violence has been committed against a child, a person with disability or an older person, and fails to report it to a social worker or police officer, they can be fined and even imprisoned.

Similarly, failure by a member of the SAPS to comply with their obligations under the act will be regarded as misconduct, and must be reported to the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service.

The President said while the law is the one sure protector of all of society, the most vulnerable must be prioritised.

“When diligently and fairly applied, it is the most powerful guarantor of justice,” he said.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has received more than 160 536 applications from students seeking funding for 2021, since the opening date for funding applications on 3 August 2020.

NSFAS Administrator, Dr Randall Carolissen, said that during the first month on average NSFAS has been receiving more than 5 000 applications a day, with the number going as high as 6 000 during the last days of August.

“To date, over 188 733 applications have been submitted,” Carolissen said in a statement on Monday.

Carolissen said NSFAS anticipates a high volume in applications leading up to the closing date due to the recent economic strain due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications are opened for Grade 9 to12 learners and out of school youth who wish to further their studies at any public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college or universities across the country.

NSFAS urged prospective applicants to apply on time before the closing date on 30 November 2020. Applications are submitted online via a smartphone, personal computer, or by utilising applications centres of NSFAS partners.

Carolissen said NSFAS continuously provides easy access, reachability, and free access to information by forging and retaining relationships with stakeholder partnerships.

He said these partnerships provide customised links between an applicant and NSFAS during the application cycle and beyond.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) continues to be instrumental in assisting applicants to use their facilities as application centres, free of charge.

The NYDA has centres across nine provinces, offering a variety of services to students, and out of school youth.

Carolissen said the NYDA centres will be fully operational and accessible as NSFAS applications centres from 14 September 2020, Mondays to Fridays, during office hours.

“NSFAS has strengthened its partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to further increase NSFAS footprint and reachability, specifically for learners in Grade 10 to 12. DBE will link NSFAS with provinces and district offices and provide database of National Teachers Centres which will assist with applications.

“Applications are submitted online via myNSFAS portal. New applicants need a copy of their ID document or birth certificate to register and create a profile on the myNSFAS portal. Applicants with existing accounts need to log into their accounts, you’re only allowed to create one profile,” the Administrator explained.

Required supporting documents:

• Applicants ID document/card or birth certificate;
• ID of parents/ guardian/ spouse (or death certificate where applicable);
• Applicants proof of income (if applicable and should not be older than 3 months);
• Parents/ guardian/ spouse pay advice/ letter of employment/ pension advice stating income (if applicable and should not be older than 3 months;
• Vulnerable children must provide a completed and signed Vulnerable Child Declaration Form; and
• Applicants with a disability must provide a Disability Annexure A Form (Downloadable on the website).

South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) slips are not required, and SASSA should not be included as a household income.

Applicants are also encouraged to simultaneously apply for NSFAS and admission at universities or TVET colleges for 2021.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) and the Portfolio Committees on Public Works and Infrastructure and Home Affairs have called for urgent consequence management against wrongdoers implicated in the construction of the Beit Bridge border fence.

The committees made the call after undertaking a joint oversight visit to the Beit Bridge border on Saturday, to assess the construction of the border fence which was procured as part of interventions to fight COVID-19.

Chairpersons for SCOPA, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, Public Works and Infrastructure, Nolitha Ntobongwana, and Acting Chairperson on Home Affairs, Mosa Chabane have confirmed that the new 40km Beit Bridge border fence is not fit for its purpose.

The committee said that the fact that a 37-year-old secondary fence that was decommissioned in 1994, is still in a better physical condition, is a clear demonstration of poor quality of the new five-month old one.

“The most practical and cost effective way would have been to refurbish the decommissioned fence. The committees are of the view that the material used for the construction of the fence was substandard. Also, the construction was not in line with the prescribed specifications of the fence construction project,” the committees said in a statement.

Regarding the 14 officials implicated for acts of misconduct during the procurement and construction of the fence, the committees said it is of the view that due process must be followed, which will hopefully culminate in the application of effective consequence management.

Process to recover losses incurred

The committees have also called for the state, through the Special Investigative Unit, to initiate a process to recover losses incurred during the construction of the fence.

The committees said that the prescriptive nature of the directive that was issued by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille remains a concern, and they are waiting for an extensive report that will explain the circumstances and the motivation behind the directive for the construction of the fence.

The committees raised concerns over the contravention of the National Environmental Management Act when the fence was constructed. Also, according to the committees, the fact that there was no site clearance for the construction of the fence, is testament to “assortment of transgressions in the construction of the fence project”.

The committees have committed to focus closely on the project to ensure that effective consequence management takes place, and that the state recovers what was lost in the project back into the fiscus.