Month: July 2023

Her love for agriculture and interest in producing food for her late husband and seven children inspired Nowandile Mbana from Mafini village, outside Libode in the Eastern Cape, to start a sheep farming enterprise.

For Mbana, this was an opportunity to make money by selling her Hammels sheep to local buyers for slaughtering and to sell wool.

Mbana, 60, was one of the sheep farmers from OR Tambo District Municipality who received 144 Dohne Merino rams from the Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) MEC, Nonkqubela Pieters, during a handing over ceremony held at Hlanganani shearing shed in Mafini.

The handover of the rams is part of the department’s ongoing programmes to commercialise agriculture in the province, with a special focus on farmers in communal land, smallholding farms and farmers who received farms through government’s land reform programmes and other previously disadvantaged farmers.

The department hands over Dohne Merino rams with superior genetics to farmers who already have sheep so that the rams improve the genetics of their animals, the quality of their wool and meat.

Mbana, who has 14 sheep in her kraal, said her flock is full of nondescript rams and ewes, which limits the quality of her wool clip, and reduces the amount of money she gets from wool sales.

She said the Dohne Merino ram she received from the department will improve the genetics of her flock from nondescript to a better quality than she had before.

“I am excited because it feels like God has Blessed me. I say so because acquiring this ram has been one of my desires because my flock was nondescript.

“I expect the ram to mate with my ewes to produce a flock of lambs with superior genetics that will help expand my farming enterprise and increase my profit margins,” said an elated Mbana.

Papama Madyibi from Vidgiesville, outside Mthatha, who also received rams, said as emerging farmers, getting the rams will bring a huge difference to their farming businesses because they have nondescript sheep.

“By mating them with these rams, we will see the difference. Some local farmers had these rams and we see the quality of their lambs and we are confident that the rams we are getting from DRDAR will make a difference.”

Madyibi, who is hoping to get better income from wool sales, said to sustain effective mating for rams, they will focus on grass and grain feeding, providing medicines and keep rams separate from ewes, until the mating season.

Pieters, who also handed over eight shearing sheds to local wool growers, said the department delivered the 144 Dohne Merino rams in order to improve the quality and volume of the farmers’ wool clip.

Pieters said the Eastern Cape government is investing in the construction of shearing sheds to take woolgrowers out of the mud huts they use for shearing.

The MEC said the department is investing in farmers in rural areas so that they compete with commercial farmers.

“Foreign countries need meat because they don’t have livestock and OR Tambo is one region that has the highest livestock population in the province. We want to improve the breed of their animals so that it is suitable for the markets, and they can also export it to other countries and earn money.

“We know that in South Africa, it is only the East London harbour that has capability to load live animals on a ship for export markets. Government wants to ensure that when livestock is sold, farmers from OR Tambo… also benefit from exporting their animals and be paid in dollars so that they can make meaningful profit,” said Pieters.

The department’s veterinary services also trained farmers to take care of their sheep, feed them and prevent disease. The department strongly urged members of the public and farmers not to eat animals killed by diseases.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Gautrain has announced the provision of a free bus service for ticket holders attending the Springboks Rugby Championship match against Argentina at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 July 2023.

Gautrain Management Agency Chief Operating Officer, Tshepo Kgobe, said the provision of free bus service to rugby fans this weekend, follows a similar initiative during the Nedbank Cup Final, when Gautrain trains and busses were released to ferry spectators to Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Hatfield, free of charge.

“Our provision of these free services is in tandem with and support of the province’s strategy of rebuilding the economy of Gauteng, with big sporting events as a great tool to boost the economy of the province. Gautrain would like to reposition itself as a mobility of choice in the province as we transport people in the province to work, but also places of fun and entertainment,” Kgobe said.

Kgobe emphasised that the free bus transfer from Gautrain Park Station to Emirates Airline Park is only for match ticket holders who travel by Gautrain, and standard train and parking fees will apply.

“The first bus will leave Gautrain Park Station for Emirates Airline Park at 1pm. The last bus will leave Emirates Airline Park for Gautrain Park Station at 8pm. Standard Gautrain rules will apply, including no eating or drinking on the train, bus or at stations,” Kgobe said.

The build-up to match will start at 4pm, with the match starting at 5pm

Source: South African Government News Agency

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to addressing global challenges, particularly in the areas of climate change and sustainability.

Addressing the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial meeting in India, she said South Africa is currently engaged in a marine spatial planning process to guide future marine conservation and sustainable use of the ocean resources.

“South Africa has jurisdiction over one of the world’s largest exclusive marine economic zones in the world. This represents a significant asset for current and future generations, with enormous environmental significance and socio- economic potential,” Creecy said on Friday.

The Minister also reiterated South Africa’s commitment to the sustainable regulated use of fishing resources; the active prevention of illegal and unregulated fishing and the incorporation of traditional small-scale fishers into the fishing sector through the allocation of fifteen-year rights to qualifying applicants.

“We remain committed to the international agreement of a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. To counteract marine plastic pollution we are actively engaged in supporting municipalities to improve household waste collection and landfill compliance as well as building an active waste reclaiming and recycling industry.

“As we tackle climate change we must continue to strive for greater balance and ambition and action on all three aspects of the Paris Agreement, namely mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation. We must also adhere to the Rio Principles, in particular equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, which are also applicable within the G20 context,” the Minister said.

Creecy explained the importance of the G20 tackling existential challenges for humanity.

“No single country can on its own address climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The importance of the G20 is the momentum it can create for common ambition in tackling these existential challenges for humanity. However, as we sit here today, we must maintain momentum behind the United Nations system and not pre-empt or revisit negotiated outcomes,” the Minister said.

The Ministerial meeting will consider recommendations prepared by senior officials in the G20’s Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG).

The Indian G20 Presidency has focused on three priority issues under the ECSWG, namely:

Arresting land degradation and accelerating ecosystem restoration via an ecosystem-based approach, and enriching biodiversity;

Promoting a sustainable and climate-resilient blue economy to protect the natural environment and the lives and livelihoods dependent on marine resources;

Encouraging resource efficiency and circular economy to move towards sustainable production and consumption systems.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has welcomed the ruling in a case involving a dispute between several contractors and the department’s Routine Road Maintenance (RRM).

The adjudicator in the matter dismissed the case of the claimants (the contractors) in respect of the RRM’s alleged breach of contract between the department and the contractors.

The decision was handed down by Advocate FJ Nalane-SC as the adjudicator.

Contractual disputes arose out of claims by 69 claimants, lodged in 2008 by Babazani Trading and Projects CC and 24 others, for alleged breach of contract.

The claimants were awarded contracts to perform routine road maintenance in Gauteng. Claimants were seeking payment for damages with interest collectively amounting to approximately R400 million.

These were contracted projects executed under the auspices of the Roads Infrastructure Strategic Framework for South Africa (RISFSA) routine road maintenance contracts. They are tendered contracts and winners are bound to facilitate active participation by small and emerging contractors.

Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela welcomed the judgment in this matter.

“The department is pleased this judgment not only removes the uncertainty created by this legal challenge. The judgment further enables the department to focus its energies on pursuing its mandate of delivering a world-class road infrastructure that facilitates economic participation and growth, inclusivity as well as improve the lives of people in Gauteng,” the MEC said on Thursday.

The claimants had referred the matter for adjudication against the department, the Accounting Officer (HoD) and the MEC.

In lodging the claim, the claimants relied on material terms and conditions, which included that:

Each would perform routine road maintenance in various areas and routes allocated to them within the province.

Commencement date of the contract was set for 1 December 2008.

The duration of the contract was for a period of two years.

The agreed contract price was fixed and to be paid monthly to claimants by the department.

They further claimed the department was in breach in that it failed to, amongst others, issue work orders they were entitled to, pay certain invoices, plus interest and pay escalation costs.

The adjudicator dismissed the claims on procedural grounds and these were:

Some claimants did not refer their claims either timeously or at all.

The adjudicator did not have powers to adjudicate disputes as some claimants referred their claims for adjudication to Mogotsi (not an appointed adjudicator), who decided and issued awards.

Some of the claimants never referred their claims to the appointed adjudicator at all and are time barred.

Some claimants never referred claims to the appointed adjudicator and instead approached the Office of the Public Protector. The contract, NEC3 (New Engineering Term Service Contract), explicitly prescribed that “in the event of a dispute, this would be initially referred to the adjudicator for adjudication”. This group is also accordingly time barred.

Source: South African Government News Agency