Day: February 20, 2024

Acting North West Premier Nono Maloyi has committed to meeting with the contractor responsible for the construction of Nelson Mandela Drive, which is a crucial node for the economy of the province.

Delivering the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Tuesday, Maloyi apologised for the delayed refurbishment and maintenance of the road. Nelson Mandela Drive has been described as the busiest road in Mahikeng and an economic transport arterial road, which carries large volumes of traffic, especially during peak hours.

‘We acknowledge and apologise for the delays in the construction of Nelson Mandela

Drive in Mahikeng. This has impacted negatively on businesses along the road and the public who use the road daily,’ Maloyi said.

However, according to Maloyi, there has been progress on the road, as 3.2 kilometres have already been completed, with 450 metres nearing completion.

‘After this address, I will be visiting the project to meet with the contractor to emphasise the commitment to complete the project,’
Maloyi promised.

Meanwhile, he said the rehabilitation and widening of the Phelindaba to Pecanwood Road is progressing well and is due for completion in December 2026.

In addition, the Hartbeesfontein to Ottosdal Road is envisioned to be completed ahead of schedule in June this year.

As part of addressing road infrastructure backlogs, Maloyi told the provincial legislature that 12 roads have been transferred to the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) for construction.

This includes portions of roads on the N18 from Mahikeng to Vryburg and the R30 that will cover Klerksdorp to Ventersdorp, as well as Orkney.

The Acting Premier explained that the remainder of these projects will be spread across Bojanala-Platinum, Ngaka Modiri Molema and Dr Kenneth Kaunda Districts.

Potholes

Maloyi said over 320 kilometres of potholes across the province will be resealed, creating 429 job opportunities.

‘Municipalities such as Matlosana and JB Marks are to insource road maintenance and pothole patching on an on
going basis, as a municipal function undertaken by municipal employees.’

He explained that this initiative will be emulated in other municipalities across the province.

In addition, work on the Lichtenburg to Koster and Derby to Magaliesburg will commence in the new financial year.

‘We have terminated and appointed a new contractor to start working on the Majakaneng to Sun City Road,” Maloyi said.

Load shedding

Maloyi acknowledged that the provision of electricity has increased significantly from 58.1% in 1996 to over 94.7% to date.

Shifting his focus to power cuts, he acknowledged the devastating impact of load shedding on their provincial economy and households.

As a result, he said the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) is coordinating efforts to assist municipalities to implement renewable and alternative energy sources.

To help put an end to load shedding, the province has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chinese National Import and Export Corp
oration.

The agreement aims to construct gas to electricity power stations worth R16 billion in the City of Matlosana and Moses Kotane Local Municipality, respectively.

The first phase of this project, he said, will see Matlosana producing 198 megawatts of electricity.

Construction is earmarked for a maximum of 90 days per 100 megawatts.

The Chinese Import and Export Corporation, in addition to their project investment, has committed to investing further resources to assist in eradicating mud houses in the province by building 500 houses every year for the duration of this MoU.

This project is expected to create a minimum of over 10 000 jobs.

Improving governance in municipalities

The Acting Premier said the provincial government is continuing to provide dedicated support to all municipalities to improve financial management through the implementation and monitoring of Financial Recovery Plans (FRPs).

This is after the province has finally exited the section 100 intervention phase, with the full resto
ration of all executive functions of provincial departments after it was placed under administration in 2018.

Maloyi said the Executive Council has approved the appointment and deployment of Provincial Executive Representatives (PERs) to implement financial recovery plans for identified municipalities, under the joint coordination of the Provincial Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).

In addition, he said the provincial government has rolled out skills and qualification audits in all municipalities, with 5 487 employees already being audited.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of Health has hit back at a misleading voice note making the rounds on social media platforms claiming that people who vaccinated against COVID-19 are dying due to the vaccine.

The voice note, which is also circulating on WhatsApp, promotes the use of an unregistered over-the-counter product called Nature’s Choice Activated Charcoal as a solution to ‘prevent’ such deaths.

As per the department, there have been no deaths reported that are causally linked to COVID-19 vaccines, except for the three cases that the department had reported early last year.

Members of the public are being urged to ignore any erroneous social media content.

‘The voice note has the potential to cause significant confusion, anger, and anxiety, especially amongst those who lost their loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are now claiming lives,’ the statement read.

The public has since been urged to ignore this recording and distance itself from the use of Nat
ure’s Choice Activated Charcoal to prevent death from the COVID-19 jab.

This product, according to the department, is not registered with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), which establishes and regulates the safety, efficacy and quality of all medicines distributed in the country.

The department explained that activated charcoal is used after alcohol binges and the ingestion of poison, while some people drink it to relieve flatulence.

Meanwhile, if a person is on treatment, activated charcoal may bind to the active ingredient, reducing the medication’s effectiveness.

‘Abuse of activated charcoal may also interfere with absorption of nutrients in the diet. The department advises the public to use any over-the-counter and unscheduled health products with caution, and on advice of a registered health professional.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of Health has hit back at a misleading voice note making the rounds on social media platforms claiming that people who vaccinated against COVID-19 are dying due to the vaccine.

The voice note, which is also circulating on WhatsApp, promotes the use of an unregistered over-the-counter product called Nature’s Choice Activated Charcoal as a solution to ‘prevent’ such deaths.

As per the department, there have been no deaths reported that are causally linked to COVID-19 vaccines, except for the three cases that the department had reported early last year.

Members of the public are being urged to ignore any erroneous social media content.

‘The voice note has the potential to cause significant confusion, anger, and anxiety, especially amongst those who lost their loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccines are now claiming lives,’ the statement read.

The public has since been urged to ignore this recording and distance itself from the use of Nat
ure’s Choice Activated Charcoal to prevent death from the COVID-19 jab.

This product, according to the department, is not registered with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), which establishes and regulates the safety, efficacy and quality of all medicines distributed in the country.

The department explained that activated charcoal is used after alcohol binges and the ingestion of poison, while some people drink it to relieve flatulence.

Meanwhile, if a person is on treatment, activated charcoal may bind to the active ingredient, reducing the medication’s effectiveness.

‘Abuse of activated charcoal may also interfere with absorption of nutrients in the diet. The department advises the public to use any over-the-counter and unscheduled health products with caution, and on advice of a registered health professional.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

Community Development Practitioners who remain vital in changing the living conditions of poor and vulnerable communities will be honoured in a graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

‘Rural and township communities depend largely on community development programmes and services to better their lives,’ the Department of Social Development said in a statement.

The Department of Social Development will host the ceremony in collaboration with the Health and Welfare Sector Education Training Authority (HWSETA), in Worcester, Western Cape.

The ceremony is a partnership between the department and other stakeholders, including, the South African Council for Social Service Professionals that is in the process of professionalising Community Development Practice.

Other stakeholders that are part of this the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) include the HWSETA, Education Training Development Practice Sector Education Training Authority (ETDPSETA), and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as University of Western Ca
pe, University of Free State, and the University of Johannesburg.

The department said the primary purpose is to recognise Community Development Practitioners who passed their Community Development Practice at NQF Level 5 at institutions of higher learning.

‘Given high levels of unemployment in the country which affects many South Africans, especially, the youth, the graduation will not only serve as a recognition ceremony, but also assist graduates to apply for work opportunities and advance their career development through the acquired certificates,’ the department said.

To date, 555 Community Development Practitioners have graduated across the country, and the last cohort of 26 graduates will be from the Western Cape.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Gauteng e-toll scheme is expected to be delinked from the end of March this year.

This was announced by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday evening.

‘E-tolls are a system that was introduced in the province by national government on the basis that we wanted to improve our road network. We have now reached a stage where we all accept that the people of Gauteng have rejected e-tolls.

‘We had a meeting with all affected parties. We held a meeting with the Minister of Finance [Enoch Godongwana]; we also held a meeting with the Minister of Transport [Sindisiwe Chikunga]. All of us now have reached an agreement that by the 31st of March this year, the formal process to switch off and de-link e-tolls will begin and e-tolls will be history in our province,’ he said.

Lesufi added that the Finance Minister will provide more detail.

The scrapping of e-tolls has long been in the pipeline and Minister Godongwana, during the mini budget speech in October 2022, c
alled for moving on from ‘debates of previous years and find solutions to this challenge’.

During that speech, the Minister explained that the Gauteng provincial government had agreed to ‘contribute 30 percent to settling SANRAL’s debt and interest obligations’ related to the tolls.

‘Gauteng will also cover the costs of maintaining the 201 kilometres and associated interchanges of the roads and any additional investment in road will be funded through either the existing electronic toll infrastructure or new toll plazas, or any other revenue source within their area of responsibility.

‘Government proposes to make an initial allocation of R23.7 billion from the national fiscus, which will be disbursed on strict conditions,’ the Minister said then.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Gauteng e-toll scheme is expected to be delinked from the end of March this year.

This was announced by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday evening.

‘E-tolls are a system that was introduced in the province by national government on the basis that we wanted to improve our road network. We have now reached a stage where we all accept that the people of Gauteng have rejected e-tolls.

‘We had a meeting with all affected parties. We held a meeting with the Minister of Finance [Enoch Godongwana]; we also held a meeting with the Minister of Transport [Sindisiwe Chikunga]. All of us now have reached an agreement that by the 31st of March this year, the formal process to switch off and de-link e-tolls will begin and e-tolls will be history in our province,’ he said.

Lesufi added that the Finance Minister will provide more detail.

The scrapping of e-tolls has long been in the pipeline and Minister Godongwana, during the mini budget speech in October 2022, c
alled for moving on from ‘debates of previous years and find solutions to this challenge’.

During that speech, the Minister explained that the Gauteng provincial government had agreed to ‘contribute 30 percent to settling SANRAL’s debt and interest obligations’ related to the tolls.

‘Gauteng will also cover the costs of maintaining the 201 kilometres and associated interchanges of the roads and any additional investment in road will be funded through either the existing electronic toll infrastructure or new toll plazas, or any other revenue source within their area of responsibility.

‘Government proposes to make an initial allocation of R23.7 billion from the national fiscus, which will be disbursed on strict conditions,’ the Minister said then.

Source: South African Government News Agency