Month: April 2024

President Cyril Ramaphosa believes that the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) remains a critical policy instrument to tackle unemployment and reduce poverty as government grapples with high levels of joblessness.

The President has since pledged on behalf of government to improve the EPWP and to deliver five million work opportunities in the next five years.

President Ramaphosa was speaking on Tuesday at the 20-Year celebration of the EPWP and launch of Phase 5 of the programme in Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape.

The President painted the EPWP as a success story that has empowered communities to address local needs and build resilience.

The country’s commander-in-chief said since 2004, the programme has created more than 14 million work opportunities across the EPWP sectors, with more than 300 public bodies across all spheres of government and non-profit organisations (NGOs) as implementing agents.

‘The EPWP is changing lives and transforming communities, and the evidence is there for all to
see,’ President Ramaphosa told the crowd.

Through the EPWP infrastructure projects, President Ramaphosa said Welisizwe Rural Bridges are constructed and maintained to create better access to markets, schools and clinics.

READ | Zikalala announces construction of over 100 Welisizwe bridges

Beneficiaries include those cleaning streets and beaches, and those involved in Early Childhood Development (ECD), community home-based care, school feeding and community crime prevention.

According to the President, some of the beneficiaries have gone on to be trained as emergency response personnel in the South African Police (SAPS) and even qualified as pilots.

While there are many achievements, President Ramaphosa urged government to use the 20-year milestone as a springboard for even greater achievements in the years to come.

‘We must build not only on lessons from the EPWP but also from the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which has, over the last few years, demonstrated that public employment can go to signific
antly greater levels of scale.’

However, he acknowledged that the quality of work experience and service delivered to the communities needed to be improved.

According to the President, government also needs to mobilise the nation behind a revitalised portfolio of public employment programmes.

This, he said, will include urgent service delivery priorities such as road upgrading through pothole patching and block paving, and infrastructure maintenance.

VIEW | Celebration of 20 years of the EPWP

20-Year celebration of the EPWP. 20-Year celebration of the EPWP.

The President is of the view that public employment can also assist in tackling social challenges, such as gender-based violence (GBV) and substance abuse.

The programme will also support tackling clean energy installation and catchment management to improve water quality and limit the risks of floods.

President Ramaphosa said it could also help in the digitisation of public records and give young people a first step into this growing sector of the
economy.

Deepening youth participation

The President believes that the EPWP Phase 5 will rise to the challenge by increasing youth participation and strengthening skills development.

‘As we enter this new phase, we must reiterate that there can be no space for corruption, nepotism or favouritism. Effective and fair recruitment practices must be applied.’

He called on social partners and the private sector to work with the State during Phase 5 to lend a hand in creating jobs and work opportunities for South Africa’s youth, women and people with disabilities.

‘Working together through public and social employment programmes and by providing support for small enterprises and cooperatives, we can create more jobs at a much faster pace while improving the delivery of basic services.’

The President has vowed to continue to expand public employment through the EPWP, the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the National Youth Service, and others.

In addition, he stated that government will assist civil society or
ganisations that are creating work opportunities.

The Head of State also promised to back entrepreneurship and job creation by increasing support for small enterprises and cooperatives in townships and villages.

‘We will continue to prioritise young people in public employment programmes, in work-based learning programmes, in artisan training and entrepreneurship programmes.’

He assured the young South African men and women that government will not leave them behind.

‘We are determined to reach you, one and all, to help you and to support you. This is the promise of democracy and freedom,’ he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Advocate Shamila Batohi, has stated that despite unrelenting pressure and the devastation of State capture, the turnaround of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been remarkable.

Batohi was speaking during a media roundtable on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) priorities and strategic initiatives held at the entity’s headquarters in Pretoria.

Batohi – who was appointed as NDPP in 2019 – said the rebuild of what was then a ‘fractured’ organisation, truly began when a full leadership was appointed.

‘In March of 2021 we had, finally, the full leadership in place. We could really start properly, as a full leadership team, thinking about this rebuilding process. What we have achieved in that just over three years, is nothing short of remarkable.

‘The NPA now is a well run constitutional entity. We have a solid strategy. There are many incredible strategic initiatives… that put the NPA firmly on track to deliver to the people of this country,’ sh
e said.

Reflecting on her tenure so far at the entity, Batohi said she came in believing that State capture cases in particular would have moved faster.

‘When I came back from the International Criminal Court [where I was a senior legal advisor to the Prosecutor], I had a sense of the challenge and I thought, ‘how difficult is it going to be to get one really big corruption case that’s going to swing sentiment around very quickly’?. I was really quite wrong about that.

‘In so far as State capture related cases… I thought we would have been further down the line. For everything else in the NPA, I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved and how far we’ve come since the new leadership came in,’ she said.

Stated objectives

Batohi looked back on some of the objectives that she set when she took office, including:

Addressing the leadership crisis of the NPA.

Conducting a review of high profile cases relating to the decision to prosecute or not.

Reviewing the structure of the NPA.

Securing sufficient bu
dget for the NPA and expanding its partnerships.

Managing cases related to State capture.

Creating the Investigating Directorate (ID).

Stakeholder management.

Strengthening staff morale and empowerment.

Instilling the value support of the Independence, Professionalism, Accountability and Credibility pillars.

‘It’s not been easy. We’ve been, in the past five years, really hard at work under a lot of pressure. The pressure… in the past five years, has been unrelenting, mainly with regard to State capture. But in the middle of all of this, we’ve been doing incredible work to turn this ship around.

‘We’ve stabilised the leadership of the NPA. [The NPA executive]… are the people of the highest standards of integrity, who will do only what the Constitution and the rule of law demands. We have increased staff capacity and capability. We’ve partnered with civil society and the private sector to secure specialist skills that we need in certain very high profile and complex corruption related matters.

‘We’ve es
tablished the office of ethics and accountability in the NPA. We’ve developed a very forward looking organised crime strategy. We have really focused a lot on building the NPA into a strong entity once more. We’ve come a long way to do that,’ she said.

Batohi said since the objectives were set out in 2019, the global landscape has changed dramatically with ‘deeply troubling’ geopolitical tensions, outbreak of conflict and a world impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘We are working in an environment where… it’s a complex political environment. We have a country where we have load shedding, the poorest and most vulnerable are without basic amenities. We have a country that is wracked by the highest levels of various types of crimes.

‘It is in this context… that, as the NPA and as a country, we can’t give up hope. We have to… keep fighting the good fight. And that we have to, as the NPA, being a vital Constitutional entity that’ll contribute to the rebuilding of this country… [we have to] keep f
ighting the best we can and [the best] we know,’ Batohi said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has reacted to the recent discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 202 Palestinian civilians at Nasser Hospital in Gaza.

‘South Africa is appalled by the recent grim discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 202 Palestinian civilians at Nasser Hospital in Gaza,” the department said in a statement.

This follows the reported discovery of mass graves at Al-Shifa Hospital on Sunday, 21 April 2024.

According to reports, Palestinian officials claim they exhumed over 200 bodies at Nasser, some with their hands tied.

‘These grim findings call for immediate and comprehensive investigations to ensure justice and accountability,’ the department’s statement read.

The department is of the view that Israel continues to disregard the rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and United Nations (UN) resolutions amid the unrelenting bombardment of Gaza.

South Africa approached the ICJ in March, which granted the country’s ur
gent request for further provisional measures to prevent Israel from causing irreparable harm to the rights invoked by South Africa under the 1948 Genocide Convention in respect of the ongoing siege of Gaza.

‘The court was unambiguous when it agreed with South Africa’s assertion that the situation in Gaza had deteriorated significantly since the court’s order of 26 January 2024 as a result of Israel’s failure and responsibility to comply with the court’s rulings,’ the statement read.

The department said it concurs with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, who has aptly stated that Israel’s war in Gaza has from the start been a ‘war on the right to health’ and has ‘obliterated’ the Palestinian territory’s health system.

‘The lack of accountability by Israel is increasingly clear,’ the department added.

DIRCO further agreed with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese.

Albanese recently highlighted that
the continuation of Israel’s impunity and exceptionalism is no longer viable, especially in light of the binding UN Security Council Resolution 2728, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

‘In this respect, we call on the international community to act to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure accountability for the victims and their families,” Albanese said.

Meanwhile, the department said it noted that the evidence of mass killings of civilians points to the perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

These include murder and extermination, and genocide, as defined in Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as well as violations of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, as well as Customary International Humanitarian Law.

The department also cited International Humanitarian Law, which prohibits attacks on civilians and non-combatants, underlining
the need to protect human life during times of war.

‘The International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction over the situation in Palestine. We, therefore, call on the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC to urgently lead a thorough and impartial investigation into a matter that complies with international legal standards, to establish the facts and to bring those responsible to justice.

‘It is the collective duty of the international community to ensure that atrocities of this nature are duly prosecuted in terms of the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions.’

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of Water and Sanitation says all 24 villages, which are part of Phase 1 of Giyani Water Projects, are expected to have running water from their taps by the end of June this year.

‘While some of the villages are receiving water from their taps and some have not, the department anticipates that all of the 24 villages will have water running from their taps by the end of June.

“The remaining 31 villages will be part of Phase 2 of Giyani Water Projects and its reticulation is expected to start in this new financial year,’ Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu said this week.

Mchunu, who is currently traversing various villages in Giyani to inspect progress on the Phase 1 of the reticulation component of the Giyani Water Project, has expressed satisfaction with the progress made to restore water supply and extend yard connection services to 55 villages in Giyani in the Mopani District Municipality, Limpopo.

READ | Giyani water project is still on course

The project is funded by the Departm
ent of Water and Sanitation and implemented by the Mopani District Municipality as the Water Services Authority.

Mchunu said the remaining components of the Giyani Water Project to be completed include the refurbishment of Giyani Water Treatment Works, bulk pipeline, and water reticulation projects, which is an extended service from communal taps to metered yard connections for the 55 villages.

He said 24 of the 55 villages currently have taps installed in their yards, with some already receiving water.

VIEW | Oversight visit to Giyani water project

Oversight visit of Giyani bulk water project. Oversight visit of Giyani bulk water project.

The 24 villages in Phase 1 include, Thomo A and B, KaMninginisi, Mhlaba Willem, Homu 14 A and B, Mapayeni, N’waKhuwani, Ngove A, B and C, Gawula, Mahlathi, Bambeni, Mageva, Sikhunyani, Maphata, Xikukwani, Makoxa, Dzingidzingi and Bode, among others.

Mchunu said construction in some villages to connect bulk pipeline to local reservoirs, including the refurbishments of
existing reservoirs and installation of elevated steel tanks is underway.

Despite delays in the project, Mchunu acknowledged the plans implemented by the municipality, which led to unblocking project delays.

‘I am satisfied with the work currently underway, although we are behind schedule due to the history of this project. However, the level of commitment demonstrated by the contractors has showed that we are making progress in getting water to the people’s households.

‘This indeed signals a new era of ensuring that households in rural and urban areas have access to clean, fresh water in their homes. We are determined to provide equal quality service to all the residents of the country,’ Mchunu said.

Accompanied by his Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala, and Limpopo Cooperative Governance Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs MEC, Basikopo Makamu, Mchunu also visited the completed 40.5 km pipeline, which is now transferring bulk water from Nandoni Dam to Nsami Dam, and the Giyani Wa
ter Treatment Works, which is being refurbished to reach its maximum capacity of treating 30 megalitres of water per day to benefit the local residents and the villages.

Source: South African Government News Agency

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has assured the public that there is currently no need for fear over the hippo situation in the Zambezi Region, since measures are being implemented.

This comes amid concern sparked by reports on Monday of more than 100 hippos stranded in the muddy waters along the Chobe and Linyanti rivers in the Zambezi Region.

MEFT spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda on Tuesday said the measures they are implementing are to ensure that the hippos have enough water to survive until the next flood season.

In 2019, the ministry built a borehole and purchased a generator pump for pumping water into the pond. Since then, this pump and generator have continuously provided assistance whenever there is a need for water.

Muyunda said the ministry earlier this year engaged the wildlife authority for Botswana to jointly intervene in regard to the same situation of the hippos.

The Botswana authority then committed to supply an extra generator and fuel to pump water. Curre
ntly there are two generators pumping water into the pond, he said.

Muyunda stated that there has been improvement in the water level since the two generators started pumping and added that to further improve on the situation, they installed a solar system to pump water during the day, and only pump with the generators at night.

‘With this arrangement, the idea is to provide the hippos with sufficient water to be able to survive until the next flood season and not necessarily to fill up the pond completely,’ he said.

He added that there has not been inflow of water in the pond this year due to poor rainfall patterns.

‘But we are committed to ensuring the survival of the hippos. We will continue to monitor the situation and devise appropriate measures as the situation dictates,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced that it has officially opened applications for accreditation at all Results Operations Centres (ROCs) on Wednesday, 24 April 2024.

According to the IEC, a central accreditation system will be used for the national and nine provincial ROCs for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections (NPE).

Accreditation for all the ROCs is compulsory and must be done online at https://evolve.eventoptions.co.za/register/iecmedia2024 by selecting all the venues you will be attending.

The national ROC will be at Gallagher Convention Centre, 19 Richards Drive, Midrand, Johannesburg.

To qualify for accreditation, you will have to provide a headshot photograph, a valid media or press card, or a signed letter from your station manager or editor on an original letterhead requesting accreditation.

Applicants are required to indicate on their application at which venue they will be collecting their accreditation.

If collecting in person, you will be required to show p
roof of identification.

VIEW | Click here for our 2024 Elections Special Feature

However, if you will be picking up the accreditation on behalf of others, you will be required to show proof of identification and a letter of authorisation from a manager or editor with their names and ID or passport numbers.

Members of the media are requested to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety rules and regulations at all times within the facilities.

Meanwhile, media personnel are further requested to comply with the security rules and protocols while at the ROC facility.

The IEC said it reserves the right to withdraw the accreditation and card of any individual who fails to comply with the rules and regulations.

According to the IEC, journalists do not need accreditation to cover the elections at voting stations.

However, they will will need a media or a press card, or a letter from their station manager or editor on an original letterhead confirming employment and the ID or passport number.

Access to a
voting station is with the approval of the Presiding Officer of the particular voting station.

The deadline to apply for accreditation at provincial and national ROCs will close on 10 May 2024, while the collection of accreditation cards will take place from 20 May 2024.

If you need assistance to register online or want to know whether your card is ready for collection, send an email to [email protected].

For queries on the requirements for accreditation, email to [email protected].

Source: South African Government News Agency