Month: July 2023

South African Netball President, Cecilia Molokwane, has called on South Africans to support the South Africa national netball team at the 2023 Netball World Cup where they will be competing against 16 countries.

“It’s time for Africa and South Africa to shine. It is time for South African netball to shine. It is time for women to shine and the SPAR Proteas to shine. They can only shine if all of us are behind them,” Molokwane said on Friday.

Sixty years after the World Cup started in 1962 in England where South Africa was one of the teams that participated, the tournament will be hosted on African soil for the first time. It will take place in Cape Town from 28 July to the 6th of August 2023.

The City of Cape Town will establish a Fan Park outside the Cape Town International Convention Centre) where netball fans can watch matches on a big screen, enjoy live entertainment, play games and enjoy a family environment for the duration of the Netball World Cup.

“Sixteen counties in the world will be competing for this prestigious trophy to become world champions and we know that the SPAR Proteas, the netball team, will make sure that this trophy does not leave these shores and stays in South Africa

“We are the only continent in this competition that has four countries competing. We have South Africa, who are the winners already, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda that will be playing in this tournament,” she said.

Explaining the significance of the dates for the tournament, Molokwane said they were specifically chosen to celebrate Mandela Month and Women’s Month.

“This trophy will be played for from 28 July. It landed on 25 May; we wanted it to land in Africa on Africa Day. When it landed, I learned that the African Union was celebrating 60 years and it was for the first time in 60 years that the trophy was on the continent.

“When the girls play on 28 July, it will be at 6pm and South Africans will be back from work. South Africans can watch the game and support the girls as they play. Support the SPAR Proteas.

“Do not forget to support Banyana Banyana on Sunday. They are playing their first game against Sweden,” Molokwane said.

She made these remarks during the 2023 Netball World Cup activation at the Forum of the South African Directors-General (FOSAD) at Mount Grace Hotel and Spa, in Magaliesburg.

This event took place exactly a week before the beginning of the 2023 Netball World Cup and offered an opportunity to build hype and excitement of the tournament.

The Netball World Cup activation at FOSAD also included the entrance of the Netball World Cup trophy, which was welcomed with jubilation by the director generals.

Director-General in the Presidency, Phindile Baleni, expressed confidence in the SPAR Proteas keeping the trophy in the country.

“Thanks to the new constitution of this country we can afford to participate in such events. Let us not miss the moment that sports give us, which is to create social cohesion and a South Africa of champions.

“Like the women of 1956, when they marched on the Union Buildings, they were doing it for us to get opportunities. Let’s continue to create opportunities for women,” Baleni said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Engineers at the City of Johannesburg have identified three possible causes of the deadly explosion that ripped through Lillian Ngoyi (Bree) Street on Wednesday.

The blast claimed the life of one person and injured at least 48 others.

During a technical media briefing on Thursday evening, city manager Floyd Brink said engineers, experts and all technicians combed through the scene to identify the causes.

“At this stage, our preliminary investigations have presented us with three possible scenarios for the explosion.

“These are ignition of methane gas in underground storm water systems due to sewerage ingress. The second possibility considered is the ignition of natural gas, mixed with air in underground storm water drainage systems or service ducts.

“The third and last possibility is the ignition of gas from a gas pipe burst,” he said.

He said investigations are continuing to find the source of the gas leakage.

“At this stage only one of the above potential causes appear to be warranted. Accidental leakages of natural gas into the service duct reaching explosion concentration levels of between 5% to 15% and was ignited by a source unknown at this stage. The source of gas in the service duct is unknown,” he said.

Surrounding areas

Brink said a team was sent into the area to test the structural integrity of buildings in the area following the blast.

“We sent through a technical team of civil engineers and structural engineers, and they’ve now inspected those buildings and at this stage we can report to you that there are no signs of failure that have been detected and the buildings are regarded, at this point, as structurally sound for occupation,” he said.

Furthermore, environmental services has also been roped in to test the air quality in the area following reports of a pungent smell of gas.

“We’ve been assured by the environmental services and the air quality controllers of the city that the gas leaking into the atmosphere poses no risk to residents as the concentration reduces rapidly in open air. As and when there is a level of leak and the smell, it then subsides quite quickly.

“However, gas leaks into subsoil cavities such as basements can be fatal,” he said.

Looking forward

Brink said a multi-disciplinary team has been formed to carefully assess the situation over the next 72 hours.

“The team…is working around the clock to secure the site, conclude their investigations and also to restore services for residents in the area. Johannesburg Water…has deployed water tankers to support the residents in the area. This will also be augmented by mobile ablution facilities.

“Similarly, once the site has been declared safe, Joburg Water will require three days to repair the sewer line in the area to reactivate the services.

“City Power will also be deploying their technicians to assess power lines damages along the 400m of the site and will only reenergise the area once it has been declared safe to do so,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Motorists can expect the full implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act – which seeks to reduce the high rate of fatalities on the roads and improve driver behavior – on 1 July 2024 nationwide.

Addressing a media briefing on Thursday in Johannesburg, Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga said 43 service outlets across various provinces have already been established.

“As we proceed with the national rollout of AARTO, we will proclaim implementation in 69 municipalities by the end of this calendar year, while AARTO will kick in in the remaining municipalities by 1 July 2024.

“We are working closely with the Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in ensuring that all municipalities have the requisite capacity to implement the law,” the Minister said.

Chikunga welcomed the recent ruling by the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the AARTO Act as it confirmed that indeed the law was constitutional and no aspect of it encroached on the executive powers of other spheres of government.

“The ruling affirms our long-held view that this a necessary law to advance our efforts in arresting the carnage on our roads. We welcome this judgement as it provides clarity on the mandate of the national government to determine and enforce norms and standards that apply uniformly across the country.

“A fragmented system of adjudicating road traffic offences based on the whims of individual provinces would undoubtedly result in chaos and render road traffic law enforcement interventions ineffective,” the Minister said.

She said the AARO Act will reinforce other interventions such as classifying traffic policing as a 24-hour, 7-day job, alongside the regulation of driving schools and introduction of an National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 6 training for traffic law enforcement officers.

“The implementation of this law across the country has been pending for 25 years, with pilots in place in the Cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane. With this judgement having cleared the path for the implementation of AARTO, we will move with speed to roll out its implementation across the country without delay.

“We have had the occasion to engage with the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) in order to assess our state of readiness for accelerated rollout of AARTO across all municipalities in the country.

“We have completed requisite processes to implement the AARTO adjudication process as well as the electronic service of infringements. The latter will come into effect as soon as the President proclaims the AARTO Amendment Act,” the Minister said.

The Department of Transport is ready to finalise its recommendations to the President for the appointment of a tribunal and the proclamation of implementation of the AARTO Act nationwide, as well as the promulgation of the AARTO Amendment Act.

“We have also completed the process of drafting regulations and have consulted with the Minister of Justice and all MECs.

“We are finalising the matter of concurrence by MECs and have received concurrence from the vast majority of provinces. This is a matter we intend to put to bed at the upcoming meeting of the Shareholders Committee, made up of MECs responsible for Transport and traffic matters.

“We will equally move with speed with the implementation of the point’s demerit system, an important cornerstone of the AARTO Act, intended to act as a deterrent for wayward motorist behaviour on our roads,” the Minister said.

Chikunga said the AARTO Act will make a difference by introducing severe penalties, which include attaching movable properties of infringers, putting an end to a culture of impunity.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Update on Enyobeni cases and current developments

Following the tragic incident which occurred at Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, the South African Police Service immediately assembled a team of investigators in order to establish how the incident unfolded and in particular the cause thereof. In concert with other government departments, the SAPS worked closely to ensure that progress is made and the affected families find close from the unfortunate incident.

The tragedy claimed about twenty one (21) lives of young people believed to have gone to the tavern as part of their pens down celebrations after their school examinations. On the day, the children unfortunately died from an unknown cause and police detectives had to scratch for clues and gather all evidence which would possibly provide answers to the bereaved families and the public as well.

During the course of the investigation, the department of health indeed released the post mortem results which as a matter of procedure had to be handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for interpretation and decision on whether there were prospects for formulating charges and subsequent prosecution of the suspects implicated in the incident.

After the docket with the post-mortem results was taken to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a decision, it was then decided that the docket be taken to the Inquest court proceeding for a formal hearing. The office of the DPP is currently preparing subpoenas for all witnesses to attend the hearing on the 30th August 2023 in the East London Regional Court.

All the relevant and affected parents in the case have been given feedback in this regard and have been informed that the case, including other details relating to the post-mortem results are only subject of the discussion in court to avoid jeopardising and compromising the evidence which is yet to be presented before the court of law.

Addressing the family representatives, the SAPS management has further committed to visit the individual families to provide the necessary updates on the case. The gesture was welcomed by the families. The SAPS continues to work with the office of the DPP in ensuring that all the necessary investigative and legal issues are finalised before the set court date.

Enquiries: Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana

Cell: 082 3017699

MEC Spokesperson for Community Safety: Mr Makhaya Komisa

Cell: 066 381 8259

Source: Government of South Africa

The fire raging at Biesiesvlei Waste Tyre Storage Depot in Litchtenburg contained

Officials from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Waste Management Bureau are on site monitoring efforts to extinguish the blaze at its Lichtenburg Waste Tyre Depot.

The fire at the Waste Management Bureau’s Biesiesvlei Waste Tyre Storage Depot broke out after a veld fire, assisted by strong winds, spread several kilometres yesterday, on Thursday, 20 July 2023 reaching the depot at around 13:55.

The firefighters from the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality have been on site since yesterday afternoon and remain on site. Fire breaks were created to contain and control the blaze from spreading further and these managed to contain the fire at around midnight.

No-one has been injured and no properties have been damaged as a result of the fire spreading from the Depot.

The Waste Management Bureau has been leasing a 30 000 square meter portion of a farm in Biesiesvlei, North West Province, for use as a waste tyre storage depot since 1 November 2019. The Litchtenburg Waste Depot is currently operated by a third party contracted by the Waste Management Bureau.

In May 2023, the Department received complaints from members of the public regarding the safety of the depot and the potential risk it posed to surrounding properties.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment commissioned an investigation of the Depot in May 2023, which resulted to a number of interventions instituted as part of the process to decant the Depot. These include that:

No new tyres have been received at the site since 25 April 2023;

Nine casual workers have been hired to restack the stockpiles of tyres and clear excess vegetation;

A mobile baler was moved to the Depot on 4 June 2023 to bale loose passenger tyres and to create space at the depot; and

The site has been targeted for supplying loads to processors, including the local cement kilns.

These interventions have assisted with emptying the depot and this no doubt assisted in the ability of the fire fighters to contain the blaze on site.

The Department would like to assure communities that work is continuing to create additional and wider fire breaks to ensure the fire remains contained and the remaining tyres do not pose a safety hazard.

To provide a permanent solution to the potential hazard the current depot poses, the Waste Management Bureau is in discussions with the cement industry to increase the volume of tyres they use as fuel stock.

This will be coupled with the development of waste tyre depots on the cement kiln’s mining land, away from communities. An announcement in this regard will be made within the next two months.

For media enquiries, contact:

Peter Mbelengwa

Cell: 082 611 8197

Source: Government of South Africa