Month: April 2024

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CoGTA to launch programme to improve employability and entrepreneurship skills


Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Deputy Minister, Parks Tau, will launch the reimagined Community Work Programme (CWP), which is focused on forging smart partnerships for greater impact.

The programme is scheduled to be launched on 26 April 2024 in West Rand District Municipality, Gauteng, and on 30 April 2024 in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Eastern Cape.

The theme will focus on mobilising public and private sector smart partnerships for an impactful CWP toward artisan and enterprise development.

The CWP, a branch within the Department of Cooperative Governance, has been strategically redesigned to ensure collaborative partnerships between government, businesses, and civil society, ensuring tangible outcomes and visible results.

‘With a renewed emphasis on skills development, particularly in technical and artisanal fields, the reimagined CWP aims to enhance employability and foster entrepreneurship, with a special focus on youth, women, and persons with disabilities,
‘ the department explained.

Aligned with the principle of the District Development Model (DDM), as well as the Thought Leadership Dialogue recently led by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, the smart partnerships initiative recognises the necessity of a collective effort from both public and private sectors to address socio-economic challenges and deliver efficient services to citizens.

WATCH | Thought Leadership Dialogue

The launch will introduce smart partners to the CoGTA provincial departments, district and metropolitan municipalities, emphasising innovative solutions for skills training and enterprise development, alongside sustainable service delivery.

Members of the media are invited to attend the launches scheduled to take place on Friday at the Chief Mogale Community Hall, Kagiso, Mogale City Local Municipality, West Rand District, Gauteng.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape leg will take place on Tuesday next week at the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. The venue is still to be announced.

S
ource: South African Government News Agency

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Cabinet urges citizens to vote in elections


As the country celebrates 30 years of freedom, Cabinet has encouraged citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote in the upcoming elections.

‘It is all systems go for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, following the signing of the Electoral Commission’s Code of Conduct by political parties and independent candidates,’ a Cabinet statement said on Monday.

The General Elections will be held on 29 May 2024 and 325 political parties will be taking part in this year’s elections.

‘The Electoral Code of Conduct commits all those contesting the elections to abide by the set of rules that are meant to ensure free and fair elections. Cabinet is confident that our nation will once again build on our track record of holding regular, credible and free and fair national and local elections since 1994,’ Cabinet said.

Cabinet held a special Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday, 10 April 2024.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Cabinet approves 30-Year Review Report for publication


Cabinet says South Africa’s transition to democracy continues to inspire hope for many people around the world.

The remarks come after Cabinet approved the publication of the report ‘Towards a 30-Year Review of South Africa’s Democracy (1994-2024)’, which heralds the story of South Africa’s transition into democracy since the historical elections of 27 April 1994.

The 30-Year Review Report is structured on 13 thematic areas informed by four important references, including the 1994 Reconstruction and Development Programme and its five objectives; the 1996 adoption of the Constitution; the 2012 National Development Plan; and the Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2019-2024 to reflect seven priorities of the sixth administration.

‘The review report highlights important lessons in the evolution of our democracy. Over the last 30 years, the country has attained a stable democracy, with strong institutions and a considerable global influence,’ Cabinet said in a statement on Monday.

Cabinet said the review report w
ill be published by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and members of society will have an opportunity to engage the report.

White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration approved

Meanwhile, Cabinet has approved the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection for implementation.

This follows a wide consultation process undertaken by the Department of Home Affairs in all nine provinces.

The policy aims to provide a framework to guide citizenship, immigration, and refugee protection, considering the country’s national security interests and in compliance with international agreements and protocols on migration that South Africa is party to.

It will also promote South Africa’s economic interests, transformation, and job creation efforts.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Cabinet welcomes UNHRC resolution on Israel


Cabinet has described a resolution taken by the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for Israel to be held accountable for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza as ‘historic’.

The council also voted on other resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and demanding that Israel ‘immediately lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip and all other forms of collective punishment’ on the people of Gaza.

Conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated since Hamas launched an attack on that country in October last year which killed at least 1200 people.

Some 32 000 people have died in Palestine as a result of Israel’s ongoing retaliation.

‘Cabinet welcomes the UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for Israel to be held accountable for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza. The resolution further called upon all States to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel.

‘The adoption of this
resolution is historic as it is the very first time that the Human Rights Council has taken action on the unprecedented human tragedy taking place in Gaza, where at least 32 975 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 14 500 children, since Israel launched its onslaught over 180 days ago,’ Cabinet said in a statement on Monday.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Omaheke United, Extreme Tutorials NC triumph at Opuwo Mayoral Cup


OPUWO: Omaheke United and Opuwo-based Extreme Tutorials netball club clinched the football and netball categories of the second edition of the Opuwo Mayoral Cup on Sunday.

The tournament featured 24 football and seven netball teams, with four in the tag-of-war category and six in the Legends football division.

Speaking after the final game on Sunday, Kunene regional governor Maruis Sheya commended the tournament organisers for putting on an exceptional showpiece that went off without a hitch. Such events, he noted are important as they keep the youth together and from engaging in illegal activities while growing grassroots sports.

‘The efforts of the mayor are seen, including the impact on sports is felt on the ground, therefore let’s grow this collectively,’ he noted.

The spectators were treated to an exciting final in the netball category, with two teams from the same unit competing in the final game, where Extreme Tutorials reigned supreme after edging their counterparts Opuwo Extreme Dreamers and walk
ing away with N.dollars 10,000. The runner-up pocketed N.dollars N.dollars 5 000, Opuwo Rebels and NamWater received N.dollars 2 500 each for their efforts as semi-final losers.

The host, Opuwo Town Council (OTC) B-team, won the tag-of-war category, defeating NamWater’s B-team and went away with N.dollars 2 500, while Namwater-B received N.dollars 1000.

The semi-finalists, NamWater A and OTC A, both settled for N.dollars 800.

Ruacana Legends won the legends football category by defeating Onjose Jongua 1-0 in the final, collecting N.dollars 5000; Onjose Jongua Legends got N.dollars 2500; while Opuwo Legends and OTC equally shared N.dollars 2500 as semi-final losers.

The football category witnessed some delightful encounters in the semi-final round, notably the game between Omaheke United and Kunene Namibian Police (NamPol), in which Omaheke won 4-0 on penalties after a goalless draw in normal time.

Opuwo United failed to capitalise on their home advantage, losing to Power Boys in a 4-3 penalty shootout af
ter a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

The final saw the boys from Omaheke dominate play and put the game away in the 70th minute with a magnificent free kick to win the trophy and N.dollars 30 000. Power Boys won N.dollars 15 000 as the runner-up, while Opuwo United and Kunene NamPol lost in the semi-finals to home N.dollars 5 000.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

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Cheetah cement’s forklift and clinker departments closed by labour ministry


Cheetah Cement’s coal production and forklift departments were on Friday afternoon shut down by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation due to non-compliance of the labour laws on the health and safety of employees.

Labour Inspector Deputy Director in the ministry, Petrina Nghidengwa visited the Cheetah Cement factory trading as Whale Rock Cement for inspection on 17 and 18 April 2024.

On 19 April, Nghidengwa closed down the two departments, saying they were allegedly found to be a danger to safety of the employees.

She said the factory operates the coal production area in an excessive heated environment to produce clinker, while there is a no coal-cooling measure.

‘As of 19 April you are required to install an automated water sprinkling system that would cool off the coal for your clinker production,’ instructed Nghidengwa.

The labour inspector further explained that forklift C0’s hand and service brakes were all found to be not working, as well as having oil and water leaka
ges.

On forklift C2, Nghidengwa said its tyres were wornout, with both hand and service brakes also not to be working.

Forklift C5’s hand and service brakes are not working at all and the machine has no lights on the right side, she said.

‘Therefore, fix and rectify the identified problems and inform the labour inspectors to come and verify before any operation resumes at the two departments,’ she said.

The shutdown notice which was seen by Nampa on Saturday, was also pasted on the main entrance gate of the factory as well circulated and shared with the affected employees on the same Friday afternoon.

Cheetah Cement was ordered to pay remuneration of the affected employees in full until the situation was corrected.

Cheetah Cement is located approximately six-kilometres north of Otjiwarongo.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency