Day: February 11, 2024

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today attend the Football for Humanity match between the Palestinian national team and the South African Football Association (SAFA) Third Division at Cape Town’s Athlone Stadium.

The Football for Humanity international showpiece, held under the theme, ‘Peace, Hope, and Solidarity’, aims to provide Palestinian players with the opportunity to enjoy their favourite sport in conditions of peace and sound infrastructure.

The Presidency said the event symbolises South Africa’s historic solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle against illegal occupation and violent excesses by the State of Israel.

The Football for Humanity event will showcase the Palestine National Football Team in two exhibition matches on Sunday, 11 February and Sunday, 18 February 2023 at the Athlone Stadium.

The second match, also to be held at Athlone Stadium, will feature a South African Invitational XI facing off against the Palestinian visitors in the Freedom Cup.

The Palestinian National
Football Team, fresh from their historic achievement in the Asia Cup, where they qualified for the Round of 16 for the first time, touched down in Cape Town on 8 February 2024.

The South African side will be coached by football legends, Boebie Solomons, Dr Jomo Sono and Farouk Khan, adding a significant layer of expertise and leadership to the occasion.

The Presidency said the match holds great significance, as it takes place on a day embedded in the history of South Africa and in a momentous period for the Palestinian solidarity movement.

‘It was on this day, 11 February, in 1990 that former President Nelson Mandela was released from prison, marking the victory of the liberation struggle against apartheid.

‘It is noteworthy that the matches occur in the 30th year of South African freedom, a time when South Africa has taken decisive and historic steps on the global stage in the fight for Palestine’s liberation and the end of the conflict in Gaza,’ the Presidency said in a statement.

According to the Pres
idency, the Palestine Football Association has expressed enthusiasm about participating in these matches, recognising their focus on humanity and peace.

‘The Football for Humanity match is poised to be a fitting display of the power of sport to promote peace and unity, echoing the sentiments of former President Mandela, who believed that sport has the unique ability to unite people in ways little else can,’ the Presidency said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has urged consumers in possession of various peanut butter brands manufactured by House of Natural Butters to return them to the point of purchase.

Acting Commissioner Thezi Mabuza said the manufacturer informed the Commission that the products from Pick n Pay’s No Name brand, Eden All Natural brand, Wazoogles Superfoods and Dischem’s Lifestyle brand were found to have higher than legally acceptable levels of Aflatoxin, as set out under R1145 Regulation Governing Tolerance of Fungus-Produced Toxins in Foodstuffs.

The recalled products are Dischem’s Lifestyle 400 grams Smooth and Crunchy, Dischem’s Lifestyle 800 grams Smooth and Crunchy, Wazoogles Superfoods (all sizes starting from 32g to 20kg), Pick n’ Pay’s No Name 1kg Smooth, and Eden All Natural.

‘Pick n Pay, Eden All Natural, and Dischem’s Lifestyle brands were distributed nationally, while Wazoogles Superfoods products were distributed mainly in the Western Cape,’ Mabuza said.

Mabuza urged consumers in possessi
on of these products to immediately stop consuming them and return them to the point of purchase for a full refund ‘with or without proof of purchase’.

While the Commission is investigating the affairs of the manufacturer, House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, Mabuza said the NCC will also conduct a nationwide assessment to establish whether other brands are affected.

‘The Commission urges the manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of peanut butter to comply with regulations and conduct urgent tests to assess the safety of the products on their shelves and take immediate corrective steps, if found to be unsafe,’ Mabuza said.

The Commissioner reiterated that the Consumer Protection Act requires that goods that pose any risk of harm to the consumer be recalled, and ‘it is the responsibility of the manufacturers, importers, and retailers to ensure that goods comply with all applicable laws and standards of the Republic”.

‘Aflatoxin may lead to health complications not limited to nausea, vomiting and abdomin
al pain. We, therefore, urge South African consumers, who have the recalled products, to immediately stop consuming these products and return the products to the point of purchase for a full refund, with or without proof of purchase,’ Mabuza said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Excitement filled Silverstream Primary School in Manenberg as 100 boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 14 prepared themselves for the launch of the social and behavioural change (SBC) programme, ChommY.

Social Development Deputy Minister, Dr Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched ChommY at Silverstream Primary School in Manenberg in the Western Cape on Saturday.

ChommY is a social and behavioural change programme for boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years.

Manenberg is a community on the Cape Flats that has been plagued by gang-related violent crimes and drug abuse.

ChommY, a colloquial term for ‘friend’, seeks to build positive friendships among children, and encourages young boys and girls to motivate one another to minimise risky behaviour and social ills, including bullying.

Themed ‘Invest in my Future… Protect me Today’, ChommY aims to generate knowledge, develop skills and empower young people to make i
nformed choices and contribute to reducing the high prevalence of HIV infection, substance abuse and prevention of teenage pregnancy.

Exploring social ills that affect Manenberg children during the dialogue, 13-year-old Zainab Williams* recalled a chilling incident where she witnessed a woman being fatally wounded during a drive-by shooting.

‘I saw this lady die in front of me. I went home afterwards as if nothing happened. I wish the violence could stop,” Williams said.

When asked if they had lost anyone they knew due to violence in the area, more than half the children raised their hands, with most saying they have lost an uncle, close friend, mother or grandfather.

Bogopane-Zulu said she felt it was important to visit Manenberg to try to find solutions for the struggles that the children are exposed to.

‘We brought this programme here so you can have a day to be children and to remind you that your dreams are valid. Do not let your circumstances define your future,’ Bogopane-Zulu said.

Founder of Mot
hers4Justice, Vanessa Andriaase, thanked the Deputy Minister for revisiting Manenberg.

‘We really feel our community is forgotten and such programmes do not reach our children. Programmes such as ChommY have the potential to change the narrative for the boys and girls sitting in this hall,” Andriaase said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says teams are working around the clock to return to service the units that have contributed to load shedding being intensified to stage 6.

Giving an update on the performance of the grid following the escalated levels of load shedding, Ramokgopa on Sunday said boiler tube leaks at nine units contributed to the load shedding being bumped up to stage 6.

Ramokgopa said from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 4 400 megawatts were taken off the grid.

‘Eskom management has taken a decision, having identified boiler tube leaks as a major area of concern that undermines the availability of these units, to work directly with the original equipment manufacturers, so that they do not go through the middleman. They are engaging with the people who had designed these units.

‘The people who know the DNA of these units are the ones who are assigned the responsibility to deal with this, so that we are able to do a proper root cause analysis, and be able
to diagnose and then provide a prognosis, and return these units to service at the quickest possible period of time, having taken into account all safety concerns,’ Ramokgopa said.

The power stations whose units had contributed to the 4 400 megawatts include Lethabo, Matimba, Duvha, Majuba, Camden, Grootvlei, Kriel and Medupi.

“Our planned maintenance is at about 7 000MW… If it means we ramp up load shedding for the purposes of conducting planned maintenance… we will be able to return the units healthier… for the long-term gain,” said Ramokgopa.

Ramokgopa said two of the units, Lethabo 5 and Kriel 2, have since come back online, with work underway to get the unit at Medupi back online.

The Minister added that Matimba 2, Kendal 3 and 4 are expected to return today.

‘We are expecting to return [the other units] that failed… by Wednesday. By Tuesday, we are expecting to see a significant reduction, going back to stages 4, 3, 2, and 1 [of load shedding]… As part of planned maintenance, a significan
t portion of units will come back towards the beginning and end of March, where we will be moving from 7 000MW, to lower levels of between 5 000MW and 6 000MW, where you are going to see significantly improved intensity of load shedding.

The Minister said by March, they are expecting to see significant improvements in the intensity of load shedding.

‘We can account for the sources of failure. We know what the issues are… We are working on ensuring that we return these units, and if there are other issues, the board and the executive will look at that,’ Ramokgopa said.

Loadshedding reduced to stage 5

Meanwhile, Eskom has announced that load shedding stage 5 will be implemented from 12pm on Sunday.

According to a statement, Eskom has over the past 48 hours successfully replenished its pumped storage dam levels, bringing some generation units back to service.

‘This enables the reduction of load shedding to stage 5 from 12pm until further notice. Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate
any changes to load shedding, should it be required,’ Eskom said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: The national Futsal team, ‘Brave Fives,’ qualified for their first-ever African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals by defeating Tanzania 6-3 on Friday night in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

The Namibian Futsal team, who recently joined the international football family, lost their first-leg qualifier 5-2 at home but redeemed themselves with an impressive away performance.

The win saw the Brave Fives qualify for the AFCON finals on their first attempt after the two teams were levelled on an aggregate score of eight goals each. However, a better away goal scored saw Namibia progress to the championships’ finals.

Futsal AFCON is the primary national futsal tournament for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) countries and has been held every four years since its inception in 1996. It serves as a pathway for qualification to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Futsal World Cup.

This year’s championship will take place in Rabat, Morocco from 08 to 17 April with eight nations set t
o compete for the top honours including Angola, Egypt, Mauritania, Namibia, Ghana, Libya, Zambia and the host, Morocco.

Mauritania and Namibia will be making their first appearance at this continental showpiece.

The top three teams of the tournament will qualify as the CAF representatives for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup to be held in Uzbekistan from 14 September to 04 October 2024.

In a recent interview with Nampa, Futsal Namibia founder Andrei Tirtirau said Namibia has a good team and qualifying for the Futsal AFCON is a dream come true.

‘Our first appearance in the Futsal tournament is going to put Namibia on the map as a nation with a pool of talented footballers in our league. We are excited about the opportunity to compete with the biggest nations on the continent and qualifying for the tournament still feels unbelievable but it’s a real good accomplishment,’ he said.

Tirtirau added that the team will take a one-week break and thereafter reassemble to focus on preparations for the AFCON tournamen
t, as their ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2024 Futsal World Cup, which he believes is an achievable dream if they prepare well.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says South Africa’s unique perspective on global issues has found expression in the concept of Ubuntu, which informs the country’s approach to diplomacy and shapes its vision of a better world for all.

‘It was the commonly shared values of Ubuntu that motivated us as a government to mobilise our sharpest legal minds to prepare a solid case to be presented to the International Court of Justice in the hopes of arresting the genocide in Gaza, which the UN Secretary-General has called an unprecedented catastrophe,’ Mashatile said.

Mashatile made the remarks at the Eighth Annual Ubuntu Awards 2024 ceremony, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Saturday night.

Hosted annually by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the awards recognise South African industry leaders, including eminent people and ordinary South African citizens for their distinguished service and contribution to promoting South Africa’s national interests an
d values across the world.

The event takes place after the opening of Parliament and brings together captains of industry, civil society leaders, members of Cabinet and eminent persons, in addition to all Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to South Africa.

Delivering his keynote address, Mashatile said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s reference to Tintswalo during the sixth administration’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday solely serves as an indication of the bare minimum achievements that South Africa has achieved over the last three decades.

‘We are cognisant that to some, Tintswalo may appear to be an unattainable ambition for a variety of reasons; but, as government, we want the life of Tintswalo to mirror the life of every person and the possibilities that exist for all South Africans, possibilities that exceed Tintswalo’s wildest dreams.

‘To achieve this, we must all come together as government, NGOs [non-government organisations], private sector and communities to build a
society that will see everyone with equal opportunities,’ Mashatile said.

The Deputy President said the reference to Ubuntu in the interim Constitution created hope of an equal and just society, which does not discriminate against people on the grounds of their culture, race, gender or religious beliefs.

Mashatile reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring that South Africa maintains its position as a prominent nation in diverse sectors in the coming years, thereby effecting positive change both domestically and internationally.

Awards winners

The recipients of Ubuntu Wards included, amongst others, South Africa’s Springbok Captain, Siya Kolisi, who received an award in the category of Ubuntu Sports Diplomacy Award (Male). Multichoice received an award in the category of Ubuntu Economic Diplomacy Award (Africa); MaXhosa Africafounder and owner, Laduma Ngxokolo received the Ubuntu Economic Diplomacy Award (Global).

Ambassador Mohammed Dangor was honoured with the OR Tambo Lifetime Achievement Award, w
hile 30-year-old female farmer from Khayelitsha, Ncumisa Mkabile received Ubuntu Youth Diplomacy Award.

Ngxokolo said he is super honoured to be acknowledged by DIRCO and sponsors through the award.

“We have knocked at the doors of DIRCO many times and they have graciously opened. MaXhosa is a growing organisation, it will grow by strategic networks that we are building with DIRCO and various other stakeholders within government and fraternity.

Ngxokolo noted that MaXhosa brand is in a business of selling Ubuntu, African art, and business of selling culture.

‘African culture is still a new industry that we stumbled upon, and we were brave enough position our brand around the world. We were confident believe that culture is important, and we believe that every country has brands and their economic driving force,’ he said.

Ngxokolo said that the brand currently has 300 staff members and is looking to recruiting 100.

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: Rwanda’s First Lady, Jeannette Kagame on Saturday paid former First Lady Monica Geingos a courtesy call to convey her condolences following the death of the late President Hage Geingob on 04 February.

Kagame is the first presidential spouse to visit Geingos and in a tight emotional hug shared between the two, Geingos said: ‘It’s hard, it’s really hard.’

In 2019, Geingos hosted Kagame for a #BeFreeNationBuilding Public Lecture. They are both members of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), currently chaired by Geingos.

Geingob died at the age of 82 and his memorial service is scheduled for 24 February, to be followed by his burial on 25 February 2024.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency