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In an era where the protection of women and the girl child is a constant goal to reach, one cannot help but wonder what is being done to groom a generation of young men who will not only respect, but protect the women of our country. Over the years, South Africa has seen an increase in the scourge of violence against women and children.

This scourge has been of such concern that President Cyril Ramaphosa in his the State of the Nation Address (SONA) said the Domestic Violence Act would be amended to better protect victims in violent domestic relationships.

He also said that the Sexual Offences Act will broaden the categories of sex offenders whose names must be included in the National Register for Sex Offenders.

In addition, the 2020 February Budget Speech also allocated R15 million for the establishment of a National Council to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide over the next three years, among others.

However, these interventions have been geared at women and young girls in what may sometime be seen to reinforce the construed societal notion that men don’t cry nor need help.

It is easy for one to wonder what is being done to raise a generation of young men who will not become perpetrators of femicide and crimes against women.

In the Eastern Cape, with the help of the Department of Social Development (DSD), a talented young man, with a gift for music, is playing his role in ensuring that the spotlight is also placed on the plight of the boy child.

Through his song Bambelela, Selunathi Ntsika Dontsa, is helping boys and young men to not only acknowledge the challenges they face, but to speak openly about them. Bambelela means to “hang in there” in isiNguni.

The 20-year-old Dontsa is using his own difficult childhood, riddled with domestic violence and substance abuse, to encourage others to rise above their circumstances.

The song also reflects on the challenges and frustrations experienced by young men.

“I wanted to share my own story to get people to understand that it is okay to reflect on who you are and where you come from. It is okay to have problems and have a past that might trouble you at times. The idea is that the journey is not really over until you reach the finish line. The message I want to spread is that life is not easy,” he said.

Through the song and the DSD’s Boys’ Assembly, Dontsa is appealing to his peers to understand that it is okay to reflect on who they are, and where they come from.

The Boys’ Assembly initiative aims to mobilise young men to be part of the solution in transforming existing gender imbalances, and is the brainchild of the DSD, in partnership with the South African National Aids Council (SANAC).

Simultaneously, the initiative also aims to put an end to the spread of HIV and gender-based violence (GBV).

The assembly gives boys, aged between 14 and 24years, an opportunity to engage in holistic dialogues that interrogate issues that affect them and the communities they represent.

Social Development Deputy Minister, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, who is among the leaders championing positive change, notes that while the focus primarily seems to be on the girl child, the department has realised the importance of paying attention to the boy child as well.

She warned that by excluding the boy child, boys will grow up   with low self-esteem, in total opposite to the girl child, armed with sufficient self-esteem.

“That’s why we established the assemblies, as part of men and boys championing change. We call it an investment because we expect to reap the results. Come 2030, we know the investment in boys is going to give us a different calibre of men,” she said.

In upscaling Boys’ Assemblies which have been held in several provinces, the department needed to find material that boys resonate with.

The song she said, is something that young men can relate to.

Bogopane-Zulu urged young men to internalise the message of the song.

“Our boys are angry because they feel they are fatherless, they feel they are not being listened to and their mothers are denying them the opportunity to see their fathers. They are angry because their fathers are not responsible. When we send a message through a song, we believe that boys are going to hear the message much quicker,” she said.

Having struggled with depression himself, Dontsa is urging young people to seek help and not to bottle things up.

“Talking about issues is an important part of the healing process, and there are trained professionals out there who are ready to help you through tough times.

“I want to encourage them to continue to work towards achieving their dreams and to never stop believing that they can pull themselves out of their situations. To me, Bambelela means to keep strong and to keep on keeping on,” he said.

The DSD is hopeful that the Boys’ Assembly will lead to a change of behaviour.

“We are going to have men that are going to be conscious of their behaviour. We are going to have men that are conscious of what they are doing and are willing to be held accountable. We are also going to have men that respect women, and that’s why we actually invest in a boy child. We know that the Women Ministry [Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities] has to invest in a girl child,” said the Deputy Minister.

Just like every waltz or the much pacier tango requires a partnership between a man and a woman, regardless of whichever age, the fight against GBV requires the same kind of commitment from all citizens.

South Africa will use its 2020 chairship of the African Union to advance the economic integration of the continent and lead efforts to resolve conflicts in South Sudan, Libya, Somalia and the Sahel region.

The commitment was made by International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Candith Mashego-Dlamini during a panel discussion on South Africa’s year-long tenure at the University of Venda on Friday.

South Africa assumed chairship of the AU at the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) that convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 8 and 9 February 2020.

“Our key strategic objective in ascending to the chairship of the African Union in 2020 is to advance the economic integration of the continent through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and lead continental efforts aimed at resolving conflicts in South Sudan, Libya, Somalia and the Sahel region,” said the Deputy Minister.

South Africa’s goals for the African continent are the resolution of conflict and building a framework in which socio-economic development can take place.

She said socio-economic development cannot take place without peace and stability, as these factors constitute the necessary conditions for the implementation of effective developmental programmes.

“Conversely, socio-economic development is necessary in the context of addressing the root causes of conflict and instability. While the above-mentioned countries are among the current flashpoints, our focus will extend to all conflict-ridden spaces on our continent,” she said.

The continent recently registering notable progress in the number of new democracies. Among these is the resolution of the border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2019.

Despite this, Mashego-Dlamini said, conflicts and political instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Libya, and South Sudan continues unabated.

“Trends in conflict and violent events during 2019 have indicated an increase in the number of conflict actors and the transnational nature of threats and vulnerabilities,” Mashego-Dlamini said.

She said: “We are concerned about the proliferation of rebel and extremist groups, bolder linkages between transnational organised crime and violent extremists in Africa and the Middle East, and a rise in the frequency and scale of riots and protests.

“Attacks by militants affiliated with the Islamic State in the northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado have raised concerns about an IS presence in new territories where it has drawn allegiance from local militant groups.”

Another area of focus in during its chairship will see South Africa continue play its role in advancing a better Africa and a better world.

“With regard to trade matters, the nations of Africa took a decisive step to deepen integration in Africa through the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which came into effect on 30 May 2019.”

The AfCFTA, as one of the flagship projects of the African Union Agenda 2063, aims to build an integrated market of over 1 billion people with a combined GDP of approximately US$3.3 trillion. It also aims to boost intra-Africa trade that currently stands at approximately 16% with Africa’s share of world trade estimated to be at only 3%.

The implementation of the AfCFTA is on track, with trading expected to come into effect on 1 July 2020.

“Africa is on a sustained growth path that is unprecedented. In recent years, Africa has enjoyed an above average rate of economic growth. This is phenomenal, given our struggling infrastructure, reliance on raw materials and political insecurity in certain hotspots. For infrastructure alone, the continent needs an estimated additional 100 billion USD a year in investment,” said Mashego-Dlamini.

There is no reason for Africa to not start to unleash its maximum economic growth potential in this century despite such challenges.

“The AfCFTA will play a key role in unlocking investments, both domestic and foreign. This should be done within the context of silencing the guns to ensure that the environment is secure and conducive to development,” she said.

Fifty-two-year-old Themba Mbatha was remanded in custody by the Witbank Magistrate Court on Thursday, following his arrest for drug trafficking along the N4, next to Witbank, in Mpumalanga.

Mbatha was arrested by members of Middelburg Flying Squad, Middelburg Serious Organised Crime Investigation and Witbank SAPS.

Information was received about a Silver Mercedes Benz which was transporting mandrax drugs from Komatipoort to Johannesburg.

An intelligence driven operation was conducted and the vehicle was spotted and stopped.

Upon the search, drugs to the value of R10 million was found hidden in the boot of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle was arrested and charged for contravening Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act 140 of 1992 section 4.

The suspect appeared in the Witbank Magistrate Court last Thursday, and he was remanded in custody on both occasions.

His case has been postponed to Wednesday for a formal bail application.

Department of Employment and Labour Director-General Thobile Lamati has reiterated for the need to revitalise and re-energise efforts designed to tackle the scourge retrenchments.

Lamati made the call while addressing a departmental seminar on Thursday.

“Whilst most of us are hard at work trying to ensure that our people find and stay working, large scale retrenchments are happening and more are mooted,” Lamati said.

He said evidence-based solutions would help the department deal with macro and micro structural conditions so they do not become obstacles to the positive role of work.

The two-day research seminar, which started on Thursday, will unveil findings of research work the department had conducted internally.

The seminar is expected to share research findings by the Development Policy Research Unit of the University of Cape Town on the fourth industrial revolution.

Lamati in his address emphasised the need to re-configure a new way of working to bring relief to people and the desired long-term economic growth.

“In re-energising our efforts we need evidence to carve the best path to economic growth, these calls for scientific research.

“Our research unit is responsible to help us navigate that path better and as such they conduct research and liaise with other research institutions in the country to get that best knowledge on these matters,” Lamati.

The seminar takes place at the time when the South African economy was taking heavy punches from the ‘technical’ economic recession announced last week.

He said: “The current economy brings realism to many that we need to devise urgent measures that will cushion the most vulnerable against the effects of this economic downturn”.

“We are not the first to go through a recession and it is also not the first time that South Africa is hit by a recession. On the global front we can recall the Great Depression, which devastated the world in the early 20th century.

“At the time, states had to usher in a new era of state-intervention in the market to lift society out of poverty and unemployment. Our mandate expects us to take a similar course of action,” he said.

Lamati said the causes for SA’s current state was multifaceted and these can be attributed to the country’s limited ability to attract and keep investors, the economy needing a skilled workforce to grow, the economy not being able to create jobs even when it is on a growth trajectory.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on all countries to take a comprehensive approach, tailored to their circumstances, in containing the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

“All countries must strike a fine balance between protecting health, preventing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights,” WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Thursday.

Over 125 000 cases (6729 new) have now been reported to WHO, with 4613 deaths.

In the past two weeks, the number of cases reported outside China has increased almost 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has almost tripled.

Four new countries/territories/areas have reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, namely French Polynesia, Turkey, Honduras and Côte d’Ivoire.

The WHO Clinical Unit continues to convene clinicians around the globe, twice weekly by teleconference to share knowledge and experiences from clinicians caring for COVID-19 patients and highlight operational challenges and technical questions.

Ghebreyesus encouraged countries to take a four-pronged strategy which includes being prepared and ready; detect, prevent and treat; reduce and suppress as well as innovate and improve.

He urged countries to have robust surveillance to find, isolate, test and treat every case, to break the chains of transmission.

“To save lives we must reduce transmission. That means finding and isolating as many cases as possible, and quarantining their closest contacts. Even if you cannot stop transmission, you can slow it down and protect health facilities, old age homes and other vital areas – but only if you test all suspected cases,” Ghebreyesus said.

He said countries must find new ways to prevent infections, save lives, and minimize impact.

“This is a controllable pandemic. Countries that decide to give up on fundamental public health measures may end up with a larger problem, and a heavier burden on the health system that requires more severe measures to control. The idea that countries should shift from containment to mitigation is wrong and dangerous,” Ghebreyesus said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Coronavirus a global pandemic.

“WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction.

“We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic,” said WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus in a media briefing on Wednesday evening.

The declaration is informed by the rising numbers of cases of COVID-19 outside China which increased 13-fold in the past two weeks. The number of affected countries has tripled.

There are now more than 118 000 cases in 114 countries and 4 291 people have lost their lives.

“Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.

“Describing the situation as a pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by this virus. It doesn’t change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do,” said the WHO.

Of the 118 000 cases reported globally in 114 countries, more than 90% of cases are in just four countries, and two of those – China and the Republic of Korea – have significantly declining epidemics.

“We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic.

“If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace, and mobilize their people in the response, those with a handful of cases can prevent those cases becoming clusters, and those clusters becoming community transmission,” said Ghebreyesus.

But, the WHO said, even those countries with community transmission or large clusters can turn the tide on the virus.

“Several countries have demonstrated that this virus can be suppressed and controlled.

“The challenge for many countries who are now dealing with large clusters or community transmission is not whether they can do the same – it’s whether they will,” it said.

Ghebreyesus urged countries to strike a fine balance between protecting health, minimising economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights.

“I have said from the beginning that countries must take a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach, built around a comprehensive strategy to prevent infections, save lives and minimize impact,” he said.

The WHO has recommended four key areas for countries to focus on – preparation, detection, protect and treat, reduce transmission and innovate and learn.

“I remind all countries that we are calling on you to activate and scale up your emergency response mechanisms. Communicate with your people about the risks and how they can protect themselves – this is everybody’s business.

“Find, isolate, test and treat every case and trace every contact. Ready your hospitals. Protect and train your health workers,” he said.

The declaration of the Coronavirus as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has prompted the United States to suspend all travel from Europe to the US for the next 30 days.

US President Donald Trump made the announcement on Wednesday evening after the declaration.

WHO made the declaration as the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China increased 13-fold in the past two weeks.

There are now more than 118 000 cases in 114 countries and 4 291 people have lost their lives.

Itay announced a national lockdown on Monday as cases surged in the country.

Of the 118 000 cases reported globally in 114 countries, more than 90% of cases are in just four countries, and two of those are China and the Republic of Korea.

“After consulting with our top government health professionals, I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health and well-being of all Americans.

“To keep new cases from entering our shores we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days. The new rules will go into effect on Friday at midnight,” said Trump.

The suspension, the US President described, is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history.

“I am confident that by counting and continuing to take these tough measures we will significantly reduce the threat to our citizens and ultimately and expeditiously defeat this virus,” he said.

Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings, will be exempt from the suspension.

During the early stages of the outbreak, the US banned travel to China and other hotspots.

“These restrictions will not apply to the United Kingdom. At the same time we are monitoring the situation in China and the South Korea and as their situations improve we will re-evaluate the restrictions and warnings that are currently in place for a possible early opening,” said the US President.

While the restriction stops people, Trump emphasised that it does not stop goods.

He further assured all countries and businesses to know that trade will in no way be affected by the 30-day restriction on travel from Europe.

Fifteen people, who were arrested in Bethlehem and Harrismith on charges of corruption, are expected to appear in court on Friday.

Five traffic officials, three administration clerks, four jockeys, two examiners and one driving school instructor were arrested by the Hawks in Bethlehem and Harrismith, Free State.

The suspects are facing charges of corruption after they allegedly issued fraudulent driver’s licences and roadworthy certificates to motorists in the province.

The sting operation, which saw the suspects being arrested, was conducted by the Serious Corruption Investigation unit, Crime Intelligence, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Tactical Response Team (TRT) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, has welcomed the arrests.

“I commend the multidisciplinary approach that was involved in this project. The arrests of these individuals will indirectly contribute to the reduction of fatalities on our roads,” Lebeya said.

Meanwhile, authorities have urged anyone, who obtained their licence fraudulently in the Free State, to come forward in order to verify the validity of their licence.

An audit and verification process will be conducted to verify licences issued by the implicated officials from the Harrismith and Bethlehem Driver’s Licence Testing Centres.

Those who want to come forward must contact Captain Koos Els on 082 854 7509.

Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says government will ask the banking sector and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to help in finding ways of using technology to fast-track the issuing of title deeds.

She said this when Ministers in the Social Services cluster fielded oral questions at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

This comes as she told Members of Parliament that while the department – through its provincial and municipal offices – has issued just under 30 000 title deeds to date, more needs to be done to fast-track the delivery thereof.

“To assist us to fast-track this, we are going to request the banking sector, together with the CSIR, to see if we cannot use technology to advance the issuing of title deeds.

“If we as a country are able to register a child at birth, it should be possible to use the same kind of technology and logic to register a house even before it is built, therefore knowing ahead of time who the title deed should belong to and the title deed should be given to at a time that the house is handed over.

Challenges in fast-tracking title deeds

Addressing MPs, Sisulu said among reasons why government has not been able to fast-track the delivery of title deeds is because officials often arrive at the beneficiary’s address only to find that the owner of the house is no longer there.

This despite a legal requirement that makes it very clear that people who are given houses are required to be in their houses for eight years before they hand it over to anybody.

“However this is something that is regularly ignored and we are finding it difficult to fast-track this.

“Our biggest problem is that sometimes we find that we get to a house and there is a clear division in a family over who should own a title deed. The biggest problem here is that we as government cannot intervene in family disputes over who is the owner of the house in order to accord the title deed to.”

She said the department was currently seeking legal advice on how to deal with this.

Update on title deeds issued

Sisulu said, meanwhile, that in terms of title deeds that belonged to the pre-1994 era – the leading province in delivering these is the Eastern Cape, the lowest would be the Western Cape in the delivery of those title deeds.

“However, in the title deeds that would have been belonging in the period post 1994, the lead here is Gauteng that has delivered 7773 title deeds within one year and the lowest here would be the Eastern Cape.”

She said in title deeds that belonged to the current period, the province that has delivered the most title deeds was KwaZulu-Natal – with 1371 title deeds delivered, and the lowest is Limpopo, North West and the Northern Cape.

“The total number of title deeds that have been issued in the past few months is 29 000 title deeds, ensuring that on a regular basis we are able to give these out.”