Day: September 2, 2022

Government is working on replacing the current driving licence card with a new card that has more secure design features and will comply with the international driving licence standard.

“The current driving licence card was introduced in 1998 and the production equipment was procured in the same year. The technology has become obsolete,” Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said on Friday during a media briefing in Midrand.

The Minister is expected to publish the changes to the driving licence card in the government gazette.

“This will then enable us to commence with the procurement process for the new production infrastructure in October 2022. The new card will be piloted from 1 November 2023 until 31 March 2024.

“The current driving licence card and the equipment used to produce it will be decommissioned on 1 April 2024. However, there will be a five-year period of transition from the old card to the new. The current cards will continue to be recognised as valid licence cards until 31 March 2029,” Mbalula said.

As government had earlier committed to a review of the renewal period of the driving licence card, research on the matter was undertaken by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), which also undertook a benchmarking exercise covering 64 countries.

The research revealed that countries ranked above South Africa according to the World Health Organization (WHO), have an average driving licence card validity period of 9.3 years and countries ranked lower than South Africa averaging 4.4 years.

“It needs to be highlighted that many of the poorer road safety ranked countries are still using paper-based driving licences which would explain the lower average validity period in these countries.

“The average driving licence card validity period of almost 10 years is applicable in developed countries, with much better road safety ratios than South Africa.

“This is an important factor in validating a longer renewal period in line with international best practice. Most of the European Union (EU) countries have a five-year validity period for heavy vehicles,” the Minister said.

The Department of Transport is in the process of evaluating the options informed by the South African reality, which includes carnage on the roads, driver competence and prevalence of lifestyle diseases that influence safe driving.

“We have consulted with MECs on the matter and have received full support for the review. Once we have made a final determination on this matter, this will be communicated accordingly,” he said.

More than one million motorists driving with expired licenses

Meanwhile, government has committed to ramp up law enforcement efforts to bring to book 1.2 million motorists who have not renewed their expired driving licences.

“We will therefore up the ante in our law enforcement efforts in order to bring to book these wayward motorists who have no regard for the law or the safety of others on the road. We have determined that 67% of those who have not renewed their driving licences are between the ages of 25 and 50 years; 15% between the ages of 50 and 60 years; 17% above 60,” Mbalula said.

The most compliant group are those 25 years and younger, who account for only 1% of drivers who have yet to renew their driving licences.

“Our investigations have revealed that the vast majority of those who are not renewing their licences have infringements. We remain concerned at the high number of people who have yet to come forward to renew their expired driving licences, [of] which number currently stands at 1.2 million. The implications of this is that we have a sizeable number of motorists driving without a valid driving licence on our roads,” Mbalula said.

Government is introducing a smart enrolment solution to improve the service to motorists and reduce turn-around times at driving licence testing centres (DLTCs).

“This solution has been successfully piloted at the Waterfall and Eco-Park Centurion DLTCs and the Gauteng province will be the first to go live in March 2023, before the full deployment to otherpProvinces,” the Minister said.

The driving licence card backlog that resulted from the COVID-19 restrictions was cleared on 14 July 2022.

“To date, in excess of two million cards have been produced. Not only have we been able to reduce the turn-around time for our card production to pre-COVID levels, we have now improved on those levels. We have successfully reduced the waiting period for a driving licence card from 58 working days in April 2022 to 10 working days in July 2022,” the Minister said.

Source: South Africa Government News Agency

The National Assembly has passed the Copyright Amendment Bill and the Performers’ Protection Amendment Bill, which are expected to transform the sector and improve the lives of creatives.

Addressing the launch of Heritage Month on Friday in Pretoria, Minister for Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, said one of the areas where the creatives are going to benefit is for the remuneration of the repeat programmes that are broadcast on television.

“These Bills will ensure that our creatives are in a better position [in terms of remuneration]. We will continue to ensure that we look at the lives of creatives and challenge change in the system for the better,” Mthethwa said.

The Copyright and Performers’ Protection Amendment Bills provide for a number of significant measures relating to intellectual property rights and cover key products (which the Bills refer to as ‘works’) that are used in society and the economy, such as, books, music, movies, photographs, sculptures and architectural designs; and their digital equivalents.

The Bills clarify the commercial rights of parties and address a challenge relating to the potential imbalance in power between parties in the contractual relationships that arise between originators of creative works and owners of the copyright to those works, and the negative developmental outcomes that arise from this.

This year’s Heritage month will be celebrated under the theme, “Celebrating the Legacy of Solomon Linda and South Africa’s Indigenous Music”.

“In remembering the legacy of Solomon Linda, we are remembering South African creatives and the level of creativity amongst SA creatives. Bab Linda and those that came after him showed us that if we are ourselves, the world applauds us.

“That is why the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has won five Grammy Awards because they came to the world stage with something the world doesn’t know. One of the best songs that Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang is Mbube by Solomon Linda,” the Minister said.

He said it is an injustice that a global icon such as Linda died poor and that his decedents are not benefiting from his work.

As part of this years’ Heritage month programme, the Minister unveiled five Legends and Living Human Treasures’ publications in honour of the late legendary poet, Don Mattera; the living legends and music icons, Abigail Kubeka, Letta Mbulu, and Caiphus Semenya; and Peter Magubane, an iconic photojournalist, and a living legend.

Source: South Africa Government News Agency

The Information Regulator has established online portals for public and private bodies to use to submit their Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) section 32 reports and to register their Information Officers (IO’s).

In a statement released on Friday, the regulator said the online portals intend to improve efficiency, as they will be user-friendly and afford quick turnaround time for submission of section 32 reports and registration of Information Officers.

“Manual applications will continue to be administered to accommodate special circumstances. However, we strongly encourage all public and private bodies to use the portals because it is cost-effective and saves time.

“The Regulator exercises its powers and performs its functions in accordance with POPIA (Protection of Personal Information) and PAIA. Its mandate is to enforce and monitor compliance by public and private bodies with the two pieces of legislation, so as to ensure the protection of information and effective access to information for all persons,” it said.

PAIA section 32 report

PAIA gives effect to section 32 of the Constitution, which provides that everyone has the right of access to any information that is held by the State; as well as any information that is held by another person that is required for the protection of any rights.

Section 32 of PAIA applies to public bodies, which are any departments of state or administration in the national, provincial, and local municipalities or any other public institution exercising power in terms of the Constitution.

Public bodies also include any other institution exercising public power or performing a public function in terms of any legislation.

The IO’s are obligated to submit section 32 reports to the regulator annually.

IO’s are by default the head of departments, administrations, and municipalities, such as Director- Generals, Heads of Departments, and Municipal Managers or heads of any public bodies.

“The purpose of the report is to give an account of the number of requests for access received; access granted in full; access granted in terms of section 46 (mandatory disclosure in the public interest); access refused fully or partially; cases extended; internal appeals to relevant authority; and the number of internal appeals that were refused on the ground that an internal appeal was regarded as having been dismissed,” the Regulator explained.

The annual reports currently due for submission are for the financial period 2021/2022. Public bodies must submit their annual reports by 09 September 2022.

Registration of Information Officers

POPIA was enacted to promote the protection of personal information processed by public and private bodies and introduces minimum conditions for the lawful processing of personal information, and an obligation on Information Officers of public and private bodies to designate and delegate any power or duty to Deputy Information Officers (DIO’s).

“The registration portal is for public and private bodies to register their IO’s with the Regulator before an IO assumes their duties. The IO is responsible to ensure that the body complies with the eight Conditions for Lawful Processing of Personal Information,” the Regulator said.

The Regulator had previously introduced a manual process for registration, which was used whilst it was reconfiguring the online system that had technical glitches in 2021.

“Public and private bodies who had registered using the manual registration and received their certificates are advised not to re-register. The portal has been upgraded and will have the functions to register IO’s, allow for amending, and updating details of the respective bodies.

“Public and private bodies should comply with these requirements and use the portals made available. It is to be noted that non-compliance with these statutory requirements is a contravention of the law.”

For any further enquiries on the section 32 reports, email [email protected] and for the IO registration email [email protected]

The Regulator may also be contacted during office hours 8am – 4pm on 010 023 5200. The portals are accessible on the following link https://inforegulator.org.za/portal/

Source: South Africa Government News Agency

Through the Forestry Masterplan, government hopes to attract an investment of around R24.9 billion in the sector and create more than 100 000 jobs within the five-year implementation period.

“The Forestry Masterplan seeks among others to empower communities to be owners and managers of forestry resources in the rural areas of South Africa.

“Furthermore, it intends to assist to optimise timber production by ensuring that beneficiaries receive post-settlement support and, where feasible, they are linked to a strategic partner,” Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Makhotso Sotyu said on Thursday.

Addressing the launch of the National Arbor Month, Sotyu said to date about 6 000 jobs have been created and R11.5 billion has been invested mainly in down-stream processing industries.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), through a directive from the President, is leading the rollout of the Ten Million Trees Programme.

The aim is to plant at least two million trees countrywide each year for five years through a coordinated effort by government, non-government organisations, community-based organisations, the corporate sector and the general public.

In the first year of implementation, the coordinated effort saw the planting of 850 000 trees. Of this total number about 198 000 trees were planted by the public.

As part of the launch activities, the Deputy Minister planted trees at the Shabalala Secondary School and in a few homes in Shabalala Trust Village, in Hazyview, Mpumalanga.

“To heighten the Presidential Ten Million Trees programme, at least 7 000 trees will be planted in the Ehlanzeni District by the end of the Arbor Month 2022. This includes 3 000 in Mbombela and 1 000 in each for the other four municipalities in the district,” Sotyu said.

Annually, the department in partnership with Total Energies South Africa celebrates National Arbor Month campaign from 1– 30 September.

The campaign is aimed at sensitising South Africans about the need to conserve, protect and plant trees for environmental and human related ideals.

National Arbor Month is being celebrated under the theme: “Forests and Sustainable Production and Consumption.”

Source: South Africa Government News Agency

The completion of the R640 million Musina Ring Road project is expected to facilitate better mobility and the safe movement of goods, services and people in and around Musina.

“Roads form an integral part of our transportation systems in South Africa and are the main arteries to economic participation in the country as well as the continent,” Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said on Thursday.

Addressing an event to mark the completion of the road, the Minister said the road will be instrumental in facilitating greater economic activity between South Africa and neighbouring countries.

The road is in one of the busiest parts of the Limpopo province, as it connects South Africa to the rest of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It also controls traffic into and out of Musina, facilitating the free flow of traffic to the Beit Bridge border with Zimbabwe.

“In line with our commitment to economic reconstruction and recovery, the project has provided opportunities for local communities and small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). Over the last three years, the project created 275 full-time jobs at a cost of more than R28 million.

“The Musina Ring Road Project used accredited training service providers to train SMMEs and local labourers who worked on this project,” the Minister said.

There was an allocation of R51 million, which was spent on local subcontractors.

The National Development Plan orders all governmental departments to invest in a strong network of economic infrastructure designed to support the country’s medium and long-term objectives in order to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth by 2030.

“Achieving this vision requires targeted development of transport, as one of the sectors that make up the network industries. Roads form an important part of South Africa’s public infrastructure.

“The road which marks its completion today is a reminder of the core work that the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) undertakes of constructing and maintaining our national road infrastructure, South Africa’s biggest public asset.

“We would not have been able to complete the Musina Ring Road project if it was not for a partnership between government, the private sector and local communities. It is through such partnerships that a model to successfully grow the national economy is derived,” Mbalula said.

Source: South Africa Government News Agency