Day: January 29, 2024

OTJIWARONGO: The body of a man suspected to have drowned in the Swakoppoort Dam south of Okahandja last Wednesday, was retrieved by divers of the Namibian Police Force at the town on Saturday.

Otjozondjupa Regional Crime Investigations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Edna Nawa in an interview with Nampa on Monday said the body was retrieved from the dam on Saturday at 10h00, and it was identified Sunday as that of Elias Tobias from the Oshana Region.

‘The body of the 31-year-old Tobias was discovered and retrieved on Saturday in a decomposed state,’ Nawa said, adding that his next of kin had been informed.

Tobias was reportedly last seen that Wednesday at the Swakoppoort Dam.

An inquest docket has been registered at the Okahandja Police Station.

No foul play is suspected so far in connection with the matter and police investigations continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his weekly newsletter to citizens to remind South Africans that as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, government bears a responsibility to prevent acts of genocide wherever they occur.

This in the wake of South Africa’s approach to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to garner not only a ceasefire of Israel’s military barrage of Palestine but also to ask the court to find the Israeli government guilty of committing acts of genocide.

‘The Genocide Convention was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, one of the worst crimes in modern history. Having witnessed the mass extermination of six million Jews and millions of other victims of the Nazis, the world came together to prevent such atrocities from occurring again.

‘As a signatory to that convention, South Africa carries a responsibility, like other States that are signatory to the convention, to prevent acts of genocide wherever they occur. It wa
s in fulfilment of this responsibility and to prevent further civilian deaths and destruction that South Africa took this case to the court,’ the President said.

The court ordered Israel, amongst others, to take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of genocide and to immediately ensure that Palestinians have access to basic services and humanitarian assistance.

The ICJ also found that it was ‘plausible’ that Israel committed acts which violate the Genocide Convention.

President Ramaphosa explained that South Africa’s own painful past rooted in racism and apartheid lends credence to its unrelenting position on the war.

‘As a nation that fought and defeated apartheid, we have a particular obligation to stand up for justice and fundamental human rights for all people, everywhere. It is this obligation that informed our application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt the violence unleashed by Israel on the Gaza Strip,’ he said.

Refuting Anti-Semitism allegations

President
Ramaphosa emphasised that critique of the Israeli government’s strikes on Gaza ‘is not directed at any religious or ethnic group, and cannot simply be dismissed as Anti-Semitism’.

‘Nor can our case before the ICJ be said to diminish the enormity of the Holocaust. On the contrary, it is the experience by humanity of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide that motivates our efforts to prevent anything of this nature from happening again.

‘As government, we have been consistent about the application of international law. We have been equally consistent in condemning the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians on 7 October 2023 and in calling for the release of hostages still being held in Gaza.

‘Yet, as we argued in our case before the ICJ, this attack on civilians in Israel cannot justify the subsequent acts committed by the Israeli military against the residents of Gaza,’ he said.

President Ramaphosa said the court application to the ICJ is solely focused on ‘the Palestinian people; their
suffering, the deprivation of their rights, and the denial of their right to self-determination’.

‘Yet, in bringing this application, we are seeking to reinforce, protect and advance the rights of all people, at all times. The unprecedented onslaught against the people of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military is an assault on all those who believe in justice, human rights and respect for international law.

‘As South Africa, we have called these genocidal acts that the international community has a duty to halt and hold Israel accountable for. As South Africans who are committed to peace, justice and human rights, we are proud to stand on the right side of history,’ he said.

The President called on South Africans to support government’s call for justice.

‘A genocide is unfolding in the Gaza Strip and we have a moral duty to act. Let it be recorded in the history books that the democratic South Africa was not among those who shut their eyes or claimed they didn’t know.

‘I call on all South Africans to ral
ly behind our call for justice for the Palestinian people, and for a negotiated settlement that will bring about a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This cause is a reminder to us all that justice for only some is justice for none,’ President Ramaphosa said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Eskom has announced that Stage 2 load shedding will continue to be implemented until further notice.

By Sunday afternoon, at least 14 759MW of generating capacity was unavailable due to unplanned outages with a further 7639MW out of service due to planned maintenance.

‘Despite the return to service of five generating units in the last 36 hours, the need to replenish and stabilise the emergency reserves in preparation for the weekday electricity demand, as well as the marginally deteriorated available generation capacity, necessitates that Stage 2 load shedding continue to be implemented until further notice.

‘Eskom will monitor the system closely. A further outlook will be provided on Wednesday afternoon, or any changes will be communicated if required,’ the power utility said.

Eskom said teams at power stations are working to ensure the return of generating capacity later this week and called on consumers to use electricity sparingly.

‘Eskom Power Station General Managers and their teams will continue
to work diligently to ensure that the 2 320MW of generating capacity is returned to service by Wednesday as planned.

‘We would like to thank those who heed the call to use electricity sparingly and efficiently, including switching off geysers and pool pumps from 17:00 to 21:00. This lowers demand and helps in alleviating the pressure on the power system, contributing to lower stages of load shedding,’ Eskom said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

About 23 foreign nationals and two South Africans are expected to appear before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court today for contravention of the Immigration Act and bribery.

This after the South African Police Service arrested them on Saturday in Solomondale near Polokwane.

It is reported that members of the SAPS Limpopo Provincial Tracking Team, in conjunction with two private security companies, SPS High Risk and Tshimollo Security, operationalised information gathered regarding a white Toyota Quantum that was driving along the R81 in Solomondale, from the Beitbridge border.

It is reported that the operational team successfully spotted the said Quantum at a filling station along the R81 road in Sebayeng and upon checking, they discovered that 23 Ethiopian male nationals, aged between 20 and 38 years, were ferried in a 15-seater passenger mini bus by the driver, a 44-year-old male South African citizen.

Preliminary investigations revealed that all the passengers in the Quantum were illegally smuggled into
South Africa from Ethiopia through Zimbabwe.

It is reported that while in the process of searching the Quantum and the passengers, a white Toyota Fortuner, being driven by a male foreign national, pulled up at the scene.

It is reported that the driver of the Quantum was found in possession of a licensed firearm and it was confiscated for investigation purposes.

Meanwhile, the driver of the Fortuner reportedly tried to bribe the police with R5 000 to let the Quantum and the passengers go free. The man was charged with bribery.

The two drivers were also arrested and are facing charges of human trafficking, bribery and contravention of Immigration Act.

The Acting Limpopo Commissioner, Major General Jan Scheepers, hailed the involved teams for their commitment and alertness in ridding the province of criminality.

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday officiate the launch of South Africa’s first shipment and preferential trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The launch ceremony will take place at the Port of Durban and occurs on the margins of the 13th AfCFTA Council of Ministers meeting to be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre from 30 – 31 January 2024.

South Africa is the first among the four Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries to practically realise the AfCFTA agreement.

The 37th African Union Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government will, at its annual convention next month, take stock of the progress made thus far in the implementation of the AfCFTA.

The successful implementation of the AfCFTA is expected to lead to diversification of exports, increased productive capacity, acceleration of growth, increased investment, increased employment opportunities and incomes and most importantly, broaden economic inclusi
on both in South Africa and the rest of the continent.

It provides South African exporters with new market access opportunities to key markets in the African continent and can unlock growth.

President Ramaphosa will be joined by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel; KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene. Other dignitaries will include the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, who will witness the first shipment of Proudly South African products exported to the continent.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition said the launch ceremony will be a historic step and an instrumental tool in generating meaningful trade on the African continent through the shipment of made-in-South Africa products.

‘The main message being sent to Africa and the rest of the world through this event is to illustrate that companies can trade under the AfCFTA procedures to expand their markets within a legally binding framework,’ the department said.

Source: So
uth African Government News Agency

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is expected host a series of public engagement sessions to unpack the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2023) that has been published for public comment.

The engagement sessions will kick off at 1pm on Wednesday (January 31) online at https://gcis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SduV84_aS8SCQnlABRftFQ.

In its earlier call for public comments on the IRP 2023, the DMRE said the plan seeks to ‘ensure security of electricity supply by balancing supply with demand, while taking into account the environment and total cost of supply’.

‘The draft IRP 2023 is based on a scientific process that considers several scenarios and latest developments in the country’s electricity industry. It considers two-time horizons, the first being the period up to 2030 focusing on addressing prevailing generation capacity constraints and system requirements to close the supply gap.

‘Horizon two covers the period from 2031 to 2050 and focuses on long-term electricity generation pla
nning with pathways to achieve a resilient Net Zero electricity sector by 2050,’ the DMRE said.

A copy of the draft IRP 2023 can be accessed on the DMRE website and the deadline for comments is 23 February 2024.

Comments can be submitted online at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=bDWXlV5Askqncn7nJnEGjdSCoIqfOslGi6lIYefKLn5UMjg2TjQ1WElTVURZTDhCN0szU0lUSjg2Wi4u or email [email protected].

Source: South African Government News Agency