Day: September 7, 2021

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SARS, SAPS clampdown on illegal liquor warehouse

The South African Revenue Service (SARS), in partnership with the South African Police Service and liquor industry, has slammed the brakes on a Mpumalanga warehouse allegedly trading illicit liquor valued at R15 million.

In a statement on Tuesday, the revenue collector said the warehouse recycled the duty-free liquor back on the market.

More than 12 700 cases of duty-free liquor were found at the scene and seized following a year long investigation.

SARS and SAPS officials also found equipment to alter the original products.

“The bottles and the boxes in which they are transported have labels indicating that the product is duty free and therefore destined for the foreign market.

“However, the smugglers of these products removed these labels from the bottles and replace them, in some cases replacing the caps of the bottles and removing the lot codes from the boxes,” said the revenue collector.

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said smugglers of the illicit liquor were “harming the local industry at a time when COVID-19 restrictions were obviously a significant impediment to the industry”.

“Such criminal action will not be tolerated but confronted, and all those involved in this smuggling network will be brought to book. SARS has the mandate to combat illicit trade and such activity is clearly illicit and unfair competition for the local industry.

“We are committed to making it hard and costly for any taxpayer or trader who does not comply with the tax or customs laws of the country. Therefore, I want to acknowledge and thank the investigators for their determination and persistence in this matter,” said the Commissioner.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Government to consult political parties, religious sector on COVID-19 response

Government will in the coming days hold consultations with political parties and the religious sector on developments in the COVID-19 response.

This follows meetings of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and the President’s Coordinating Council chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday to deliberate on developments in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said the meetings reflected on the rate of COVID-19 infections and vaccination, and assessed the COVID-19 prevention measures in force under Adjusted Level 3 of the national state of disaster.

“The NCCC agreed that government will in the coming days hold consultations with political parties and the religious sector on the observance of safety measures,” GCIS said in a statement.

The department said following these discussions, the President will address the nation on the way forward to achieve population immunity through vaccination and to continue the protection of lives and livelihoods.

Furthermore, the President will address on the conditions that would apply to a relaxation of regulations and directions linked to the national state of disaster.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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No more bailouts for state owned enterprises

Public Enterprises Director General Kgathatso Tlhakudi says government will no longer be funding bailouts, as they are known, for state owned enterprises.

Tlhakudi was speaking during a departmental briefing of Parliament’s Public Enterprises committee.

He said any funding would be given under strict conditions.

“What has been communicated very strongly throughout government is that the era of funding operational shortfalls are gone. Bailouts, financial contributions to SOEs or recapitalisation will be given when an entity is restructuring itself so that it is sustainable under its own steam going forward,” Tlhakudi said.

He said, however, that government would look at taking opportunities for expansion where they present themselves within SOEs.

“Where there are opportunities to grow the business, where they will be positive cashflows in line with best practice…funding will be provided under those conditions. But funding of bailouts as we know them…where businesses continue to declare losses and it must be propped up to continue operating – that will no longer be acceptable. It’s the right way to go because as we know there are many other demands put on our fiscus,” he said.

Restructuring of SAA subsidiaries

Tlhakudi also updated the committee on the restructuring of South African Airways (SAA) subsidiaries: Mango Airlines, SAA Technical and Air Chefs.

He told the committee that the restructuring processes for the subsidiaries have been delayed but remain on track.

“We had made a commitment to ensure that the subsidiaries are restructured…it took longer than planned because you need to have funding available if you are going to restructure. The R2.7 billion only became available this year in the budget…we are in the process now of restructuring these entities,” he said.

Tlhakudi added that the department was aiming to avoid putting SAA Technical and Air Chefs into business rescue.

“Mango [Airlines] is being restructured now through business rescue. SAA Technical and Air Chefs, there are discussions that are ongoing with the [labour] unions there to ensure that we have an orderly restructuring of those entities because we believe there are adequate resources to ensure that we do not have to [restructure] without having to go into business rescue or liquidation,” Tlhakudi said.

The Director General explained to the committee why government moved to find a strategic equity partner for the airline.

“The reality that we are facing is that government is no longer in a position where it can fund SAA and the funding that was made available was to ensure that we restructure the airline, we restructure its subsidiaries but, most importantly, that we position them going forward to be sustainable businesses with the risk of funding these businesses reduced and transferred to strategic equity partners. That is the process that started with SAA that led to the Takatso Consortium [being] the preferred SEP (Strategic Equity Partner) for SAA,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Bushy Maape elected as new North West Premier

Bushy Maape has been elected as the new Premier of the North West province.

Maape and Winston Rabotapi contested the top post in the provincial legislature that saw North West Judge President Monica Leeuw declare Maape as the winner on Tuesday.

He replaces Professor Job Mokgoro who resigned last month after assuming office in June 2018.

Maape served as Director: RDP and chief director: strategic planning and development unit in the Office of the Premier in the North West.

He holds a BA (Psychology and Economics from the University of South Africa, which he completed while incarcerated on Robben Island; BA (Honours) (Developmental Studies) from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and BA (Honourss) (Economics) from the UWC.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Literacy, numeracy heartbeat of education

Improving the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy, especially ‘reading for meaning,’ is now an apex priority for the Department of Basic Education.

Addressing the UNESCO World Literacy Day, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said the department remains convinced that literacy and numeracy are the heartbeats of basic education.

“His Excellency Mr President Cyril Ramaphosa has given us as the basic education sector a mandate to ensure that every learner can read with comprehension across all the subjects by their tenth birthday. Thus, we have since coined eleven priorities to take the basic education sector to the next level,” Motshekga said.

The Minister added that in 2019, the department launched the National Reading Coalition (NRC) to support reading improvement across the country.

The NRC’s main tasks are establishing reading clubs, training teachers, and material development in reading, numeracy and literacy.

They are also aimed at mobilising resources and expertise to enhance quality teaching and learning in the reading, numeracy, and literacy space.

The Minister announced that South Africa has designed its first-of-its-kind online programme dubbed ‘The Comprehension Across the Curriculum’ that offers an opportunity for teachers to be upskilled in reading comprehension.

“The programme will be launched later this month and will train teachers to teach reading comprehension skills across the curriculum,” Motshekga said.

Integrated National Reading Sector Plan

The department has also launched an Integrated National Reading Sector Plan which aligns with its policy lodestar, the National Development Plan (NDP) that seeks to achieve critical developmental milestones by 2030.

“The NDP envisions that by 2030, schools will provide all learners with quality education, especially in Literacy, Mathematics and Science.

“The National Reading Sector Plan is an overarching evidence-based strategy that will alter the country’s entire reading and literacy landscape,” the Minister said.

The Minister added that the main thrust of this plan is to ensure reading for meaning across the curriculum, in all grades, and in all schools throughout the country. Furthermore, to ensure that all learners are taught to read well and read for meaning.

According to the Minister, the plan would have been successfully implemented throughout the system by 2024, meaning that all teachers would have been trained on the latest reading pedagogies.

Rural Education Assistants’ Programme (REAP)

To address disparities in Basic Education, the department has developed the novel Rural Education Assistants’ Programme (REAP).

The REAP programme uses Education Assistants in the Foundation and Intermediate Phases (Grades 1-4) to improve the quality of education, particularly literacy and reading skills, in rural schools.

Source: South African Government News Agency