Month: February 2024

OMAUEZONJANDA: The first-ever Epukiro auction held in the Omaheke Region attracted more than 800 cattle, Epukiro Constituency councillor Paky Pakarae revealed on Thursday at the official opening of the auction at Omauezonjanda.

Pakarae indicated that the new initiative between the Eastern Epukiro Farmers Association and Karoo-Ochse is very important and will assist communal farmers in his constituency, as many of his constituents rely on livestock.

‘We are facilitating for the livestock to get better prices, this will always affect the living standards of the people as well as improve their economic condition,’ he said.

‘It has taken some time with negotiations between Eastern Epukiro Farmers’ Association under the auspices of the Epukiro Constituency office and Karoo-Ochse which is a private auctioneer in livestock especially in the Omaheke Region, to come to an agreement of auctions, Karoo-Ochse being the buyers facilitating this,’ he said.

‘This is not only them coming to buy, they have also donated a
scale worth over N.dollars 200 000, thus this is a win-win relationship that we have entered into,’ Pakarae said.

The constituency councillor appealed to farmers in Epukiro and surroundings to try to maintain a certain number of livestock at auctions to ensure that they keep on qualifying for more livestock auctions in the constituency.

Pakarae noted that the minimum number to qualify is 400 livestock and urged farmers to bring quality livestock to auction amid drought in the constituency.

Gerson Kunomundu Katjirua, a commercial farmer and a senior traditional councillor of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority applauded the farmers’ association and Karoo-Ochse for bringing this initiative to the Epukiro farmers, something he said they had fought for over many years.

Katjirua said it is not an easy task to host an auction in Epukiro, because there were challenges in doing this in the past.

Karoo-Ochse representative David van Niekerk said they foresee a long relationship which they will maintain. He furt
her acknowledged the Epukiro farmers for giving them a chance to work with them.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

OPUWO: Football fever resumes this weekend, with the North-West Stream First Division hosting its eighth and ninth rounds, and the North-East First Division kicking off on Saturday.

Onambula United will face Outjo Football Academy FC at Tsandi Stadium on Saturday in the NWSFD league, while Khuse Lions FC will want to capitalise on their home advantage when they welcome Golden Bees FC at Uukwangula Stadium.

Touch and Go FC will travel to Ongwediva to face mid-table Ongwediva City FC at the Mweshipandeka Secondary School sports field, in pursuit of three points to escape relegation.

Eleven Warriors FC will travel to Oshikuku in a must-win game against Oshikuku Young Stars in search of three points, which will secure their spot in first place if log leaders KK Palace FC fail to collect maximum points away to Uukwangula Stadium against Golden Bigs and Young Chiefs FC on Saturday and Sunday.

Young Chiefs FC will face relegation-threatened African Motto FC.

On Sunday, Onambula United will face Golden Bees FC,
Khuse Lions will play OFA, and Ongwediva City FC will play Eleven Warriors FC. Oshikuku Young Stars will take on Touch and Go, Young Chiefs will host KK Palace, and Golden Bigs will face African Motto FC.

The Northeast First Division, which includes teams Rundu, Omuthiya, Katima Mulilo, Nyangana and Helao Nafidi, is set to begin on Saturday with thrilling matchups after a lengthy wait. The league, which is managed by Daniel Namwira, is set to have six matches at five different venues.

Namwira released the league schedule on Thursday and said all games have been verified by the controlling body, the Namibia Football Association (NFA).

Rundu-based outfit United Stars will face KK United FC at the Rundu Sports Stadium, followed by a derby match between Cuca Tops and Rundu Chiefs. Kangweru B Tops FC will face Ntunguru at Mashika Sports Field at Nyangana, Oshikango Chiefs will host Further Fighters FC at the newly constructed Helao Nafidi Stadium, while in Katima, Zambezi’s pride Black Hawks are slated to face
Eastern Chiefs, while Omuthiya United host Tsumeb-based outfit Chief Santos FC.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

As the country marks 30 years of democracy, President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated government’s commitment to tackling the pressing issue of youth unemployment.

Delivering the final State of the Nation Address (SONA) for the sixth administration, President Ramaphosa emphasised that government is determined to take immediate action in providing employment opportunities for young individuals, underscoring the urgency of addressing this crucial challenge.

‘For despite the remarkable achievements of the last 30 years, many of democracy’s children still face great challenges. Millions of young people aged 15 to 24 years are currently not in employment, education or training.

‘There are many who have a matric, a diploma or a degree who cannot find a job, or do not have the means to start a business. While economic growth is essential to reduce unemployment, we cannot wait to provide the work that many of democracy’s children need,’ the President said.

Despite the challenges, the President highlighted that gov
ernment has taken steps to address the youth unemployment crisis.

Three years ago, building on the success of the Expanded Public Works Programme, government launched the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) as part of government’s response to the pandemic, but its success in enabling employment creation continues to benefit many.

Through this programme, the sixth administration has created more than 1.7 million work and livelihood opportunities.

Through the stimulus, more than 1 million school assistants were placed in 23 000 schools, providing participants with valuable work experience while improving learning outcomes.

Through the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), government has established SAYouth.mobi as a zero-rated platform for unemployed young people to access opportunities for learning and earning.

Over 4.3 million young people are now engaged on the network and 1.6 million have so far secured opportunities.

The President added that working together with the National Youth De
velopment Agency, they have set up a number of initiatives to provide opportunities for young people including the National Youth Service and the Youth Employment Service.

‘These programmes matter because work matters to people. The NYDA has played a key role in assisting a number of young people to start their own businesses. Having a job does not only provide an income, it is fundamental to people’s sense of self-worth, dignity, hope, purpose and inclusion.

‘From the depths of deprivation and inequality, we have worked over 30 years to ensure that all South Africans have an equal chance to prosper.

‘It is not enough to recognise the injustices of the past; we need to correct them. We have introduced laws and undertaken programmes to enable black South Africans and women to advance in the workplace, to become owners and managers, to acquire land and build up assets,’ the President said.

The President further highlighted that the proportion of jobs in executive management held by black people increased al
most five-fold between 1996 and 2016.

Source: South African Government News Agency

As the country marks 30 years of democracy, President Cyril Ramaphosa has used his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to outline how government has impacted the lives of ordinary people over the past three decades.

Painting a picture of a child born in 1994, the President told a story of Tintswalo who grew up in a society that was worlds apart from the South Africa of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

‘The story of the first 30 years of our democracy can be best told through the life of a child called Tintswalo born at the dawn of freedom in 1994. She grew up in a society governed by a constitution rooted in equality, the rule of law, and affirmation of the inherent dignity of every citizen.

‘Tintswalo, and many others born at the same time as her, were beneficiaries of the first policies of the democratic state to provide free health care for pregnant women and children under the age of six. Tintswalo’s formative years were spent in a house provided by the state, one of millions of houses
built to shelter the poor,’ President Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

He described her upbringing as being in a household provided with basic water and electricity, in a house where her parents were likely to have lived without electricity before 1994.

‘Tintswalo was enrolled in a school in which her parents did not have to pay school fees, and each school day she received a nutritious meal as part of a programme that today supports nine million learners from poor families.

‘The democratic state provided a child support grant to meet her basic needs. This grant, together with other forms of social assistance, continues to be a lifeline for more than 26 million South Africans every month.

‘With this support, Tintswalo – democracy’s child – was able to complete high school. Through the assistance of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, Tintswalo attended one of our Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and obtained a qualification,’ the President said.

When Tintswalo entered the wor
ld of work, she was able to progress and thrive with the support of the state’s employment equity and black economic empowerment policies.

‘With the income she earned, she was able to save, to start a family, to move into a better house, and to live a better life. This is the story of millions of people who have been born since the dawn of our democracy,’ President Ramaphosa said.

Lifting millions out of poverty

Delivering the last SONA for the sixth administration at the Cape Town City Hall, the President said government’s policies and programmes have lifted millions out of dire poverty.

‘Today, fewer South Africans go hungry and fewer live in poverty. In 1993, South Africa faced a significant poverty challenge, with 71.1 percent of its population living in poverty. However, under the democratic government, there has been a consistent decline in these numbers.

‘By 2010, the poverty rate had dropped to 60.9 percent, and it continued to decrease, reaching 55.5 percent in 2020, as reported by the World Ban
k. This progress has been made possible by extensive support to those in society who need it most,’ the President said.

Five years ago, government introduced a further measure to tackle poverty by introducing the National Minimum Wage as envisaged in the Freedom Charter.

‘The decision by key role players, being business and labour and communities, to introduce the minimum wage immediately raised the wages of over 6 million workers,’ the President said.

He said today, nearly nine out of every ten households live in a formal dwelling.

‘One of the most visible, impactful and meaningful achievements in the first three decades of freedom has been in providing homes to the people. Today, nearly nine out of every ten households live in a formal dwelling.

‘Where there were once shacks and mud houses, there are now homes of brick and mortar. These are homes with water to drink and to wash with, homes with electricity for lighting and cooking.

‘At the end of apartheid, only 6 out of 10 people had access to clean
drinking water. Today, that figure has increased to nearly 9 out of 10 South Africans,’ the President said.

South Africans living longer than ever before

‘Life expectancy has increased from 54 years in 2003 to 65 years in 2023. Maternal and infant deaths have declined dramatically. We have built more hospitals and clinics, especially in poor areas, providing better quality care to more South Africans.

‘Today, 95% of persons diagnosed with HIV know their status, 79% of those receive antiretroviral treatment, and 93% of those are virally suppressed. New HIV infections among young people have declined significantly,’ the President said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has outlined the gains that government has made in dealing with state capture and rooting out corruption.

‘One of the overriding challenges this administration had to deal with when it took office was state capture and corruption. Our first priority was to put a decisive stop to state capture, to dismantle the criminal networks within the state and to ensure that perpetrators faced justice,’ President Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall, President Ramaphosa said government had appointed capable people with integrity to head law enforcement agencies, government departments, security services and state companies.

These appointments were often done through independent and transparent processes.

‘The credibility and efficiency of a number of institutions like the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have been restored and their performance improved. We set up the Investigating Directorate as a specialised and multid
isciplinary unit within the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate corruption and other serious crimes.

‘Great progress has been made in bringing those responsible for state capture to justice. More than 200 accused persons are being prosecuted. More are under investigation. Stolen funds are being recovered.

‘Freezing orders of R14 billion have been granted to the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit for state capture-related cases, and around R8.6 billion in corrupt proceeds have been returned to the state,’ the President said.

SARS has collected R4.8 billion in unpaid taxes as a result of evidence presented at the State Capture Commission, while the Special Investigating Unit has instituted civil litigation to the value of R64 billion.

‘We have taken steps, including through new legislation, to strengthen our ability to prevent money laundering and fraud and secure our removal from the ‘grey list’ of the Financial Action Task Force.

‘With the assistance of business, we have set up a digital forensic capa
bility to support the NPA Investigating Directorate, which in due course will be expanded to support law enforcement more broadly.

‘Legislation is currently before Parliament to establish the Investigating Directorate as a permanent entity with full investigating powers. But there is much more work to be done to eradicate corruption completely,’ he said.

Based on the recommendations of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, government is determined to introduce further measures to strengthen anti-corruption agencies, protect whistle-blowers, regulate lobbying and prevent the undue influence of public representatives in procurement.

‘We will not stop until every person responsible for corruption is held to account. We will not stop until all stolen money has been recovered. We will not stop until corruption is history.

‘The real tragedy of state capture was that it diverted attention and resources away from what government should have been doing, which is to grow our economy and create jobs,’ the P
resident said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

‘The Bill has arrived at my desk. I’m going through the Bill. I’m looking for a pen!” – said President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night, eliciting much laughter from a packed Joint Sitting of Parliament.

Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA) President Ramaphosa announced that government will gradually implement the long-awaited National Health Insurance (NHI).

President Ramaphosa was speaking during a televised speech at the Cape Town City Hall.

The NHI Bill, which was passed by both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) last year, will provide free healthcare at the point of care for all South Africans, whether in public or private health facilities.

‘We plan to incrementally implement the NHI, dealing with issues like health system financing, the health workforce, medical products, vaccines and technologies, and health information systems.’

The Bill now only requires President Ramaphosa’s signature for enactment.

President Ramaphosa said the State is working t
irelessly to improve both healthcare quality and access equality, despite the country’s health system having a significant impact on people’s lives.

In addition, he said South Africans are living longer than ever before. Life expectancy has increased from 54 in 2003 to 65 years in 2023.

‘The World Health Organisation [Director-General] says it is a phenomenal development,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the country’s maternal and infant deaths have declined dramatically.

‘We have built more hospitals and clinics, especially in poor areas, providing better quality care to more South Africans.’

He touched on the Limpopo Academic Hospital in Polokwane, which is currently under construction.

The hospital promises to be a state-of-the-art establishment and will be one of the five flagship academic health institutions around the country.

Equipped with advanced medical technology, the hospital will offer cutting-edge diagnostic procedures and innovative treatments.

‘I had anecdotally a good representation of how our he
althcare system has been improving. When the ANC held its birthday anniversary there was an accident where five people passed away and scores were injured and were taken to hospitals in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. I went to see some of them and when they were asked: ‘Don’t you want to be moved to private hospitals?’… Many of them said: ‘No, we’re well looked after here’.’

He also cited the sixth South African HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey results, which found that 95% of people diagnosed with HIV know their status, 79% of those receive antiretroviral treatment, and 93% of those are virally suppressed.

‘New HIV infections among young people have declined significantly.’

The President’s speech touched on the state of South Africa and reflected on a wide range of political, economic and social matters.

The address will be followed by a two-day debate by Members of Parliament and the President will thereafter reply to issues raised in the debates.

Source: South African Government
News Agency