Day: February 1, 2024

The Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, along with Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana and Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebohang Maile, have distributed houses to first time homeowners in Clayville in Tembisa.

In a statement released by the office of the Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni on Wednesday, the project in Clayville will see just under 500 houses handed over to new owners in the future.

According to the statement, five houses were handed over to senior citizens with the oldest recipient being 91 years old.

‘This is the best day of my life. At my age I was even beginning to think that I would die without having had to own a proper house,’ said one of the beneficiaries, Christina Ndou.

The leadership later moved to Palm Ridge in Katlehong where 100 title deeds were handed over giving first time homeowners security of tenure.

Minister Kubayi expressed delight at the rate at which the government was delivering houses around the country.

‘We have been crisscross
ing the country inspecting and handing out houses, and yes the progress is quite impressive,’ the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ngodwana said that it was ‘very progressive’ that all three spheres of government work together to provide a better life for the people of the Republic.

Source: South African Government News Agency

With the term of the sixth administration coming to an end, government leaders are discussing the implementation and progress of the priorities that it set to achieve at the beginning of its term.

‘This is the final Cabinet Lekgotla for the term of the sixth administration. It will look at the work done on the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), which is a government programme that sets priorities that we had to implement in this administration,’ Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday in Pretoria.

??The MTSF 2019-2024 is both a five-year implementation plan and an integrated monitoring framework, which focuses on the seven priorities and related interventions of the sixth administration of government, and the integrated monitoring framework focuses on monitoring outcomes, indicators and targets towards the achievement of the priorities.

The priorities of the MTSF include building a capable, ethical and developmental state; economic transformation and job creation; education,
skills and health and consolidating the social wage through reliable and quality basic services.

It further prioritises spatial integration, human settlements and local government, social cohesion and safe communities as well as a better Africa and world.

‘We are also going to look at the progress that we have made in implementing the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) and the progress we are making in preparing for the National Health Insurance (NHI).

‘Given the lessons we have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, we think it is a priority that it must be signed during this period so that the full implementation can be taken in the seventh administration. This is why we are looking at the progress of its implementation,’ the Minister said.

Work that has been done to deal with load shedding will also be discussed.

‘Due to the challenges in the freight and logistics, we are going to look at that in line with the work that we have done with the ERRP. We will also look at crime because we can
‘t rebuild the economy if we are not dealing with the crime,’ the Minister said.

She said the meeting would assess the impact of crime in terms of the vandalism of critical infrastructure whether it be electricity or the freight and logistics sector and any other infrastructure.

Ntshavheni was addressing members of the media on the sidelines of the Cabinet Lekgotla, which has been convened by President Cyril Ramaphosa from 1-2 February 2024.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers, Directors-General and the leadership of the South African Local Government Association are in attendance.

The outcome of the meeting will chart a way forward for the year to be announced by the President during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) taking place on Thursday, 8 February 2024, at 7pm.

‘We will also discuss the safety of South Africans and critical to that is gender- based violence and femicide (GBVF). We will look at the progress we are making to address GBVF and whether we are suc
ceeding with the whole of society approach.

‘We are also looking at the progress that has been made in dealing with corruption in terms of putting together the Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) and the work that is being done to support the establishment of the council.

‘We are looking at the integrated work that is be done to address with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Fusion Centre,’ the Minister said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has held an interactive session with more than 50 business leaders at a Sandton event organised by The European House – Ambrosetti, a leading global think tank.

According to the Deputy President’s Office, Wednesday’s event was convened to strengthen the strategic relationships between industry and governments and promote growth through a multi-stakeholder approach.

Discussions touched on various topics, including economic priorities and reforms, tackling unemployment and poverty, building investor confidence in South Africa, and driving foreign direct investment into the country.

‘The closed session provided a platform for business leaders to engage with the Deputy President, who has been instrumental in courting investment to boost SA’s economy, as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ongoing investment drive,’ the statement read.

Despite the challenges facing the country, the Deputy President expressed his optimism about the government’s willingness to change its fortunes
for the better.

He emphasised the need for public-private partnerships, such as those facilitated by the Southern Africa CEO Community – African Chapter, to help address the country’s challenges and provide support for businesses, and rural and township communities.

The forum also offered an opportunity for the Deputy President to listen to and collaborate with business leaders on key areas that the government defines as critical for the future of the country and the community.

‘It also served as a means to strengthen ties between the government and private sectors based on principles of mutual respect and shared interests and values.’

The Deputy President agreed with business leaders that there is a need to accelerate the resolution of challenges impacting key economic enablers, namely energy, transport and logistics, crime, and corruption.

‘We should work together to solve our economic difficulties while promoting greater social inclusion and sustainability. Through collaboration, we will be able to ma
ke South Africa a better and more prosperous nation,’ the Deputy President said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mosotho Moepya, is at the Zonderwater Correctional Services in Cullinan, east of Pretoria today, to oversee the inmates’ voter registration process.

The visit by the Chairperson forms part of the Electoral Commission’s voter registration drive for inmates.

The commission set aside the dates 30 January to 1 February 2024 for inmates’ registration ahead of the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.

‘The Electoral Commission has worked closely with the Department of Correctional Services since 1999 to provide voter registration and voting opportunities for inmates in line with the Constitutional right extended to inmates to vote,’ the Electoral Commission said in a statement.

The commission reiterated its call for all eligible inmates to participate in the upcoming elections by updating their voter registration details or register as voters.

The commission had earlier urged families of inmates to deliver identity documents (ID) to correctional centres.

It said
it acknowledged that many offenders do not keep ID documents in their possession and it is for this reason family members are requested to make the necessary arrangements by delivering any of the following forms of identification: green-barcoded ID, smartcard ID or temporary identification certificate (TIC) to correctional facilities.

The Department of Correctional Services indicated that it would put all necessary measures in place to ensure that IDs are kept safe.

Source: South African Government News Agency

International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, said she was of the view that Israel was flouting Friday’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling to stop the killings in Gaza.

‘I do believe the rulings of the court have been ignored by Israel. Hundreds of people have been killed in the past three or four days. And clearly, Israel believes it has the licence to do as it wishes. So, the world has to reflect because we have to come to a point to say what do we do to stop such acts occurring, not just with Israel but any party in the world,’ Pandor said on Wednesday.

The Minister was briefing the media on a range of issues including the ongoing Israeli ‘offensive’ on Gaza in the wake of the recent ICJ ruling.

The ICJ ordered Israel to, among others, take all measures within its power ‘to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide’ and to immediately ensure that Palestinians have access to basic services and humanitarian assistance.

Pandor said she believes
that the findings made it clear that it was ‘plausible’ that genocide was taking place against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

While South Africa had called for the suspension of Israeli military operations in Gaza, the court did not grant this provisional measure.

However, Pandor said the ICJ’s decision marks a decisive victory for international law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people.

‘It also affirms the importance of global governance institutions, including organs of the United Nations. It remains vital for all Member States to respect and implement the decisions of the court.’

South Africa had approached the 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.

‘And I suppose what confronts us now is what do we do if there is no implementation? And that is the question all nations must answer today because it is a body of the United Nati
ons that has set out these provisional measures. It’s not the South African government… And if its orders are not respected, what does this mean for every other government that commits atrocities against a people.’

She is of the view that this is the big question that faces the global community.

Citing Oxfam’s report, the Minister said figures indicate that the average daily killing of Palestinians by the Israeli military since 7 October 2023 surpasses the daily death toll of any major conflict in recent years.

‘The deaths of children are almost incomparable both in terms of actual numbers killed and the rate at which children have been killed. More journalists have been killed in Gaza in the last 100 days than were killed during World War II and the Vietnam War.’

Pandor said South Africa will continue to do everything within its power to preserve the existence of the Palestinian people as a group, and to end all acts of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people.

‘We will walk with them towar
ds the realisation of their collective right to self-determination, for, as Nelson Mandela momentously declared, ‘Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians’.’

‘The UN peace and security architecture is clearly not able to give effect to the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people or to protect them from grave war crimes and the threat of genocide, necessitating concerned States to turn to the judicial institutions of the UN.’

Pandor also took the time to welcome the support expressed by several countries.

‘We encourage States that are so inclined to approach the Court to intervene in the proceedings to send a strong message to the international community that the situation in the Gaza Strip is indefensible.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has condemned protestors’ attempts to forcefully enter the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court premises and their brandishing of the colonial era Vierkleur flag.

The court was hearing a case against two men – Piet Groenewald and his son Stephen Greef – who allegedly assaulted one of their workers whom they accused of being drunk on duty.

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said: ‘We applaud the [SA Police Service] for swiftly arresting all the protesters that attempted to block or enter the Court forcefully. This has restored the dignity of the Court and sends a message that our courts cannot be a playground for lawlessness.’

The department described the display of the Vierkleur flag by the protestors as deeply troubling as ‘it evokes memories of a time when discrimination and inequality prevailed’.

The flag features three horizontal red, white and blue stripes with a vertical green stripe at the hoist.

‘We have noted, with concern, ima
ges in the media of a group of protestors brandishing the Vierkleur flag. The Vierkleur is a flag that was used by the old Boer Republic of the Transvaal which existed in the 2nd half of the 19th century until the Boers defeat in the Anglo-Boer War.

‘The Vierkleur flag, is a symbol that represents a bygone era of colonisation and aparthied. This flag holds historical significance, but it also carries connotations of a time when black people were denied their basic rights.

‘In August 2019 the Equality Court…ruled that the display of the old apartheid flag constitutes hate speech in South Africa. The Court held that the Constitutional Court has time and again emphasised the importance of historical context when considering human dignity, especially the history of racialized inequality in South Africa,’ the department said.

The matter is expected to be referred to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

‘By brandishing the Vierkleur flag, individuals are openly rejecting the core values of democra
cy, equality, and the Constitution. This act is reminiscent of the old apartheid flag and cannot be tolerated.

‘The Ministry firmly denounces the waving of this flag and will take decisive measures to ensure that the [SAHRC] thoroughly examines this matter,’ the department concluded.

Source: South African Government News Agency