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Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has called on all South Africans to join hands in the fight against the scourge of Gender-Based Violence.

“I implore all South Africans wherever you are, whatever language you speak, whatever your religious persuasion and whatever your political affiliation, let us join hands together to fight this evil scourge that is tearing our nation apart,” Minister Zulu said on Friday.

Speaking during a webinar session on the commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Pretoria, Minister Zulu said across the country, violence against women and girls, including rape, is on the rise and that the names of the victims reads like casualties in a war zone.

“This is the time for all of us to pull together to ensure that all women and girls of this great nation are and feel safe. We must confront head on this culture of violence perpetrated against women and girls and deny them their inherent human rights and dignity because of their gender,” Zulu said.

Alcohol and drug abuse linked to GBV

She said there is a connection between alcohol abuse and gender-based violence.

“It is a global problem that requires global cooperation. The high levels of alcohol and drug abuse, and in more recent times, the emergence of cheap and easily accessible drugs like nyaope and whoonga has reached epidemic proportions.

“No part of our society has been spared this scourge of alcohol and substance abuse. Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use remain a significant issue in our community, contributing to the burden of disease in South Africa,” the Minister said.

Zulu said a national concerted effort is needed to realise the vision of a South Africa free of alcohol and drug abuse.

“Along with the emergence of greater availability and trafficking of these cheap highly addictive drugs, we must also confront the emerging crisis of intravenous drug use which is driving the new HIV infections and hepatitis,” the Minister said.

National Drug Master Plan

She explained that the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP, 2019-2024), reflects a coordinated multi-sectoral approach and provides strategic direction necessary to prevent and reduce the scourge of alcohol and substance, provides treatment for substance users and reduce the availability of dangerous drugs in the country.

“The goal of the of the National Drug Master Plan is to contribute to safer and healthier communities through coordinated efforts to prevent use, treat substance use disorders, and reduce production and distribution of illicit drugs in South Africa,” the Minister said.

The NDMP focuses on seven priority areas, these are:

• Demand reduction and related measures, including prevention as well as other health related issues;
• Supply reduction and related measures, effective law enforcement; responses to drug related crime; countering money laundering and promoting judicial  cooperation;
• Ensuring the availability of, and access to controlled substances exclusively for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing their diversion;
• Identification and control of new psychotropic/psychoactive substances;
• Promote governance, leadership, and accountability for a coordinated multi-sectoral effective response;
• Strengthen data collection, monitoring, evaluation, and research evidence to achieve the goals; and
• Stimulate robust and sustainable economic growth aimed at reducing poverty, unemployment and inequalities.

Minister Zulu said the seven priority areas will ensure that the country focusses on things that matter most.

“Key amongst these is preventing drug use before it starts, with specific focus on young people. Prevention is better than cure,” the Minister said.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has issued a warning about a scam that is doing the rounds, where fraudsters use personal details of the department’s staff members to con the public and service providers.

“These fraudsters have been lying low for some time and have just started again to target unsuspecting service providers around Johannesburg and Pretoria,” DPWI said.

According to the department, the scammers use the DPWI letterhead and real names of officials working in the department to invite service providers to deliver goods at government offices or some other locations.

“These goods then disappear mysteriously in the hands of criminals, leaving victims in huge debt. They use DPWI information, along with that of the Provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in Gauteng to try to confuse their victims,” the department explained.

The department said they would never send a request to an individual service provider or group of service providers without following the proper supply chain management (SCM) processes.

“The DPWI management and staff would like to distance themselves from all these fraudulent activities and would like to encourage the public to be alert to this scam.”

In addition, the scammers trick unsuspecting and prospective service providers by inviting them to tender with the department, using their names with the sole aim of cheating them out of their hard-earned cash.

“Their target is usually officials who are based at SCM, using their details and job title to lure members of the public by inviting them to non-existent tenders.”

The department said the fraudsters are causing a lot of stress to departmental staff, who become exposed to strangers, who from time to time would come to the office reception to enquire about misleading information.

“The danger posed to the staff is that many people are convinced that the information is genuine until it is pointed out to them that it is not.”

Therefore, members of the public and those who are doing business with DPWI are cautioned to be extra vigilant around this time of the lockdown.

“There is no official of DPWI who will send out an invitation to individuals to come and tender for projects within the department,” the department said.

If anyone receives such an invitation purporting to be from any staff member, please verify with DPWI by calling Mr Matomo Mabotja on 012 406 1328 or via email Matomo.mabotja@dpw.gov.za or Mr Lesole Matsotso on 012 406 1439 or via email Lesole.motsotso@dpw.gov.za or contact the Anti-Corruption Unit on 012 406 1328.

Cinemas, restaurants, theatres and casinos can start operating again, albeit under strict conditions, after having closed for three months in the COVID-19 enforced lockdown.

This comes after Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, on Thursday signed and gazetted an amendment to the regulations for the advanced COVID-19 alert level 3 lockdown.

In the regulation, the Ministry said these services may be provided subject to the strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures, and following the directions to be issued by the responsible Minister, after consultation with the Minister of Health.

“The regulations are amended and gazetted after the declaration of the national state of disaster, published in Government Gazette No. 43096 of 15 March 2020, and extended by Government Notice No. R. 646 of 5 June 2020, hereby in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002,” said the Ministry.

The regulations were gazetted by the Minister after consultation with other Cabinet members.

The amendments expand the sectors that are permitted under level 3. Regulation 33 has been updated to allow movement for the purpose of provision and procuring the services permitted in these regulations.

The Ministry said the amendments are issued in line with the President’s message that government is implementing the Risk Adjusted Strategy model in order to balance the overriding objective of saving lives and protecting livelihoods.

The Minister urges South Africans to continue to exercise caution and protect themselves and others from avoidable exposure to COVID-19 infection.

The amended regulations are published on the following websites: www.gov.za and www.cogta.gov.za.

With incidents of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) sending shockwaves throughout society, Deputy President David Mabuza says the time for talk is over. Now is the time for action.

Responding to oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, Mabuza said government is implementing several measures, from legislative amendments to programmes aimed at tackling GBVF head-on.

“The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is in the process of consultations with civil society formations to engage and forge a roadmap for the establishment of the National Council.

“Notwithstanding the need for broad and intensive consultations, we are confident that these processes will be expedited within the framework of deadlines agreed by all parties.

“For us, the time for talk on issues of gender based violence is over. Time is of the essence. We need to act now, and act decisively, in tackling all challenges faced by the women of our country,” he said.

The Deputy President’s response comes at a time that the country is faced with an increase in incidents where women are under siege. While the country is under lockdown, several incidents of rape and murder, perpetrated by men, came to the fore, including the gruesome killing of eight-month pregnant Tshegofatso Pule, whose lifeless body was found hanging on a tree after she was last seen leaving her boyfriend’s house.

Mabuza told MPs on Thursday that in pursuit of government’s social compact commitments to end gender-based violence and femicide, government is progressing on the implementation of some of the key measures. These include:

–        Ensuring legislative amendments, such as minimum sentencing in cases of gender-based violence, bail conditions for suspects, and greater protection for women, who are victims of intimate partner violence;

–        The Draft Amended National Policy Framework on the Management of Sexual Offences Matters has been developed and aligned with the 2019 Presidential Summit Declaration against GBVF;

–        Cabinet approved the GBV Policy Framework in the Post-School Education and Training System in order to respond to the increased number of GBV-related cases at institutions of higher learning — an important step during Youth Month.

“There is no doubt that more work lies ahead. Collectively, we can make a difference to the lives of all South African women so that, they too, can enjoy freedoms and liberties, with no fear of being raped and murdered by men.

“Unless as a society we fight this scourge with the same vigour that we fought the oppressive system of apartheid, the freedoms we envisaged at the dawn of our democracy will remain elusive,” Mabuza said.

Deputy President David Mabuza says government has put measures in place to support farmers as a result of persisting drought conditions.

The Deputy President said this when he fielded questions in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Ahead of government declaring a National State of Disaster due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, declared South Africa a national disaster area on 4 March after considering the impact of persisting drought conditions in many parts of the country.

In implementing this decision, multiple affected provinces were advised on the allocations and in response they needed to present their business plans on how these resources would be expended.

He said the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture, established by the President at the beginning of the current administration, has been seized with issues of land reform and the coordination of agricultural support to farmers.

This includes:

– Drilling of boreholes in the Free State province, which has benefitted 50 subsistence and smallholder farmers in the Mangaung Metro;

– Making available livestock feed to targeted commercial, smallholder and subsistence farmers in KwaZulu-Natal;

– Ongoing drilling of boreholes and supply of livestock feed in Limpopo. So far, 3 563 farmers have benefitted from livestock feed while 14 farmers have benefitted from the livestock water projects – and all these are smallholder farmers;

– In the North West district of Dr Ruth Mompati, interventions have included providing livestock feed to communal and subsistence farmers.

– In Mpumalanga, livestock feed and interventions supporting the development of fodder-bank has benefitted 1 094 smallholders, subsistence and commercial farmers;

– In the Western Cape, fodder supply has benefitted 753 commercial and 719 smallholder producers;

– In the Northern Cape, a relief fund of R30 million was announced and a fodder bank was established. The province embarked on the planting of maize and lucerne for fodder supply and the extension of irrigation and input costs for fodder production benefited 8 123 beneficiaries.

Addressing MPs on Thursday, Mabuza said the lockdown had disrupted these processes.

“The national lockdown disrupted this process as movement, which would have facilitated engagement with affected farmers was limited.

“After the lifting of alert level 4, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Minister of COGTA, once again requested provinces to act on this matter in order to ensure that affected farmers are duly supported.

“We expect that the business plans will take into account the diminishing fiscal resources and the negative impact of COVID-19,” he said.

Mabuza said this called on government to reprioritise the available resources to respond to the impact of the pandemic.

“This means that resources may not always match the needs on the ground, including on this issue of drought.

“However, as government and all stakeholders in the agricultural sector we should work together with a common purpose, in ensuring that we optimise limited resources to sustain this important sector and save jobs.

“In the final analysis, the cumulative negative effects of climate change, resulting in severe drought and flooding, affects all of us, and as such, we have to find common ground and a unifying purpose to unlock the full potential of the agricultural sector presented by among others equitable land reform,” he said.

Cabinet has expressed support for the establishment of a new airline and has backed the concerted efforts to mobilise funding from various sources that will see the proposed carrier take off.

The mobilising of funding will include potential equity partners, government said in a post-Cabinet meeting statement.

At the meeting, which sat virtually on Wednesday, Cabinet received a progress report on the SAA business rescue process from the Inter-Minister Committee (IMC) on SAA, chaired by the Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.

In the statement, Cabinet maintains that a positive vote from creditors to finalise the business rescue process is still the most viable and expeditious option for the national carrier to restructure its affairs, which include its business, its debt and other liabilities.

“Cabinet believes a restructured airline will pursue the transformational agenda, such as the lack of opportunities for the advancement of black pilots after 26 years into our democracy,” said Cabinet.

Government said the proposal for a new airline is the only realistic pathway from which a new viable, sustainable, competitive airline, which can provide an integrated domestic, regional and international services.

Supplementary budget

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Cabinet welcomed the 2020/21 supplementary adjustments budget delivered by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on Wednesday.

The said budget was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant economic downturn.

The Supplementary Budget sets out a roadmap to stabilise debt by improving spending patterns and creating a foundation for economic revival.

Cabinet said it is optimistic that the commitments announced by Mboweni will put the economy firmly on a solid and sustainable path, particularly if everyone joins government in implementing them.

Cabinet this week received a progress report from the National Coronavirus Command Council and the proposed amendments to the regulations in terms of the Disaster Management Act 2002 were presented.

“Whilst Cabinet appreciated the extensive work still being done to maintain a balance between sustaining livelihoods and saving lives, it approved the gazetting of the amendments relating to the opening of restaurants, hotels and casinos,” said Cabinet in a statement on Friday, following Wednesday’s ordinary meeting.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has therefore signed and gazetted the amendment to the regulations for the advanced COVID-19 alert level 3 lockdown.

The amendments expand the sectors that are permitted under level 3.

Cabinet, in its statement on Friday, reiterated the call for all to work together to stop the spread of infections within communities by observing health protocols such as regularly washing hands, social distancing and wearing a mask when in public.

Gender-Based violence

Meanwhile, Cabinet said it is extremely concerned about the spike in gender-based violence cases across the country.

Following the recent spate of murders of women and children, it has called on all people in South Africa to unite and work together to stop this carnage.

“Cabinet commends law-enforcement agencies for their swift action in arresting some of the suspects and has urged the agencies to continue working tirelessly to arrest all those involved in these gruesome murders.

“Cabinet is unwavering in its commitment to fully implement a range of interventions developed from the National Strategic Plan on GBV and Femicide,” it said.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee – chaired by Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane – continues to drive the multidisciplinary government interventions.

However, Cabinet said, the most effective intervention requires all South Africans to play their part in ending the culture of violence against the most vulnerable members of society.

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu will on Friday commemorate International Day Against Drug Abuse by launching the country’s National Drug Master Plan (NDMP).

The NDMP is a blueprint for combating the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse which has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa.

The overarching goal of the National Drug Master Plan is to prevent drug use before it starts, early intervention to ensure substance users receive treatment and rehabilitation services and reducing the demand for illicit drugs.

The theme of this year’s commemoration, which will be held virtually, is: “Value yourself and make healthy choices against alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse to minimize the spread of COVID-19”.

This year’s commemoration takes place at a time when the global community is confronting the major socio-economic challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic which further presents unique challenges for persons with substance use disorders and those in recovery.

The commemoration coincides occurs in the context of the nationwide activities of the Youth Month programme, as young people comprise the vast majority of illicit drug users. Given this, there is a clear need for prevention efforts directed towards the youth.

“Government remains resolved to tackle the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse in South Africa. In this regard, the Department has established the Central Drug Authority (CDA) – a multi-sectoral forum to tackle the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse,” said the Department of Social Development in a statement.

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking Webinar will be addressed by, among others, Deputy Minister of Social Development Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu.

The National Drug Master Plan can be accessed here.

The Competition Commission of South Africa has welcomed the Constitutional Court judgment delivered on Wednesday in the matter between the Commission and Pickfords Removals.

In its judgment, the Constitutional Court upheld the Commission’s appeal that section 67(1) of the Competition Act does not prevent the Commission from investigating and prosecuting cartel conduct, which stopped three years before the investigation started.

The court had also awarded costs in favour of the commission against Pickfords. It ordered Pickfords to pay the commission’s costs at the tribunal, the costs at the Competition Appeal Court (CAC) and the costs at the Constitutional Court.

The court further held that it is not necessary for the Commissioner to list all firms in a cartel when initiating a complaint. The complaint is initiated against a restrictive practice.

The case emanated from an interlocutory application brought before the Competition Tribunal by Pickfords Removals after the commission referred 37 instances of collusive tendering in September 2015 against Pickfords to the tribunal for prosecution.

Pickfords raised an objection that out of the 37 instances of collusion, 20 should be dismissed, as 14 of them occurred and stopped three years before the investigation started and six were not sufficiently pleaded. The commission opposed this exception at the tribunal.

The tribunal ruled in Pickfords’s favour that the commission could not investigate and prosecute the 14 cartel instances, as these stopped three years before the commission started its investigation into the matter.

The commission appealed the tribunal decision to the CAC, which was dismissed on the basis of the same reasoning that section 67(1) prevents the commission from investigating and prosecuting cartels that stopped three years before the investigation started.

The commission approached the Constitutional Court for relief, which upheld the commission’s appeal and set aside the judgment of the CAC.

Said the Court: “It bears emphasis that prescription is aimed at penalising negligent inaction, not the inability to act. In the case of prohibited practices under section 4[1](b), it is trite that cartels are, by their very nature, secretive.

“It would be inequitable to penalise the commission, which would invariably have no knowledge of, for instance, surreptitious price fixing by cartels, for its failure to act within the three-year period.

“That would be tantamount to rewarding cartels for their covert unlawful conduct and would not be in the interests of justice.”

Competition Commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele said: “This is a seminal judgment that vindicates the Commission’s approach in tackling cartels, which are so prevalent in South Africa.

“The highest court in the land has sent a very strong message that it has no tolerance for technical explanations for not answering allegations of cartel behaviour, which is very encouraging.”

South Africa has recorded its biggest single-day spike of 6 579 new cases as the number of COVID-19 infections rise to 118 375 on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has expressed his condolences to the families of the 87 people who succumbed to the respiratory illness.

Of the additional deaths, 53 are from the Western Cape, 17 from Eastern Cape, 15 from KwaZulu-Natal and two from Gauteng, which brings the toll to 2 292.

Also, the country has tested 43 118 people, the highest number of tests in one day bringing the total to 1 460 012.

While the Western Cape remains the epicentre, there are concerns that both the Eastern Cape and Gauteng are also playing catch up as the numbers continue to grow exponentially.

The hardest-hit provinces include the Western Cape with 56 780, followed by Gauteng 28 746, Eastern Cape 20 487 and KwaZulu-Natal 6 590.

The North West has 2 965, Free State 976, Limpopo 730 and Northern Cape 318.

The number of recoveries is 59 974 which translates to a recovery rate of 50.7%.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are currently 9 296 202 cases of which 167 056 were recorded in the last 24 hours globally, while 479 133 deaths of which 5 336 are new.

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