Day: July 17, 2024

The City of Cape Town has announced the closure of several roads near the Cape Town City Hall before the Opening of Parliament on Thursday.

Officials are set for the opening of Parliament where President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver his speech tomorrow evening. This comes after he was re-elected as the President of South Africa at the first sitting of the National Assembly of the seventh democratic administration last month.

According to the city, the road closures will be in effect to assist with traffic flow and accommodate the Opening of Parliament Address at the City Hall – the first for the seventh administration.

‘This will affect the normal flow of traffic in and around the city bowl.’

Road users are urged to familiarise themselves with the closures and to plan their routes accordingly.

‘Motorists should also note that there will be restricted parking in some areas,’ the city said.

A full list of the road closures can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3WotE5C.

While some roads have already
been closed, others will be closed from as early as 4am on Thursday.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Students loans is a tool to fighting poverty in the country, President Bola Tinubu says on Wednesday at the inauguration of the scheme.

Tinubu said the scheme also aligned with his administration’s commitment to inclusiveness, adding that it would be sufficiently funded.

‘Democracy is all about inclusiveness. Our target is to build a society on successful inclusiveness,’ he said.

Tinubu said that education is essential for vision, development, and successfully combating insecurity, including terrorism and banditry.

The President presented cheques to students from each of Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.

Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), announced that N32 billion was currently available for disbursement to kickstart the programme.

He said since the portal opened on May 25, 164,000 students had registered, with 103,000 applying for loans.

‘The effect of providing this opportunity for the most needy Nigerians, the people who probably will look afte
r us, or whose decisions will impact on us in our old age, cannot be underestimated.

‘And I’m sure you’ve all heard that fortune favours the brave and this courageous move will bring fortune not just to the President, but to the entire nation,’ said Sawyerr.

Lucky Emonefe, President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), said Nigerian students were happy that the loan has become a reality.

‘It was first a Bill, then an Act and today the President has launched and disbursed it. We are very proud of this. We, as Nigerian students, will call it a new dawn in the education sector.

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‘During the presidential disbursement today, you could see people applying; whatever background you belong to, you can assess the loan.

‘It is so transparent, once you apply you will get it, irrespective of your status, your age and your class.

‘And we can say that, yes, Nigerian students now have access to higher education.

‘We are proud of
this. And this is a good legacy and a good investment in the development of our dear nation. We are all excited, it is a new dawn in the education sector and we are very happy.’ Emonefe said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, says South Africa is at an increased risk of natural disasters and needs a ‘new system’ to manage these challenges more effectively.

‘I wish to take this time to also convey our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who have tragically lost their lives. We also acknowledge work undertaken to rebuild our societies and we urge all government structures to increase the speed of responding to the plight of communities,’ Hlabisa said on Wednesday during his Budget Vote Speech.

He recognised the vital role played by the department following the floods and fires currently affecting communities in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

‘We have learned with heavy hearts of the passing of 14 people who died in the veld fires in KZN. Among the 14, six were firefighters, some volunteers. These brave men and women paid the ultimate price to save communities. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of all the victi
ms. May their souls find eternal rest.’

Hlabisa tabled the CoGTA 2024/25 budget, at R395.7 billion, with a significant portion 95.9% (R379.61 billion) to be transferred to municipalities and affiliated entities.

A total of R379.6 billion of the department’s total budget over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period will primarily cover the local government equitable share, disaster relief grant and the municipal infrastructure grant.

The Minister recognised that it was only through the department’s urgent interventions that lives and livelihoods were saved and thanked all those who are collaborating with government to assist distressed communities.

Hlabisa and his team are expected to visit the affected areas in KwaZulu-Natal to assess the situation and provide support.

In Cape Town, over 33 000 households have been affected across the metropole in both formal and informal settings following the floods, affecting some 95 000 people.

‘We recognise that the challenges we face in disaster manage
ment are largely because South Africa has experienced not only an increase in the number of disasters – such as droughts, floods, COVID-19, and severe weather – but also an increase in their magnitude, severity, and impact.

‘These events have occurred either simultaneously or in rapid succession, straining our resources and systems.’

However, the Minister believes that the challenges faced in disaster management are primarily due to deficiencies in regulatory legislation, which are not designed to adapt to the ever-changing risk environment.

‘The systemic and structural design of our disaster management delivery, as guided by current laws, results in issues with timing and bureaucracy. Key elements of the disaster management function were assigned to municipalities through legislation, but without funding.’

He told the Members of Parliament (MPs) that this created a contradiction between the Disaster Management Act and the Municipal Systems Act (MSA) which requires sufficient funding and capacity for assi
gned functions.

‘Consequently, municipalities lack the necessary funding and capacity.’

He admitted that government’s response has struggled with agility, efficiency, and effectiveness in risk analysis, prevention, mitigation, emergency preparedness, early warning systems, and recovery services.

He told MPs that the fire and rescue services also face significant hurdles and that in 2022, Cabinet mandated the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to review and overhaul the disaster management system, including fire services.

‘In response to this, we are proposing a new system for disaster management and fire services.’

This system, he said, aims to improve governance by reorganising administrative structures and financing models to better respond to growing disaster risks.

‘We have since developed a new model based on best practices from New Zealand, Russia, Brazil, Mozambique, California, and Australia. The new model emphasises risk reduction and integrates disaster management into all levels of go
vernment planning, ensuring adequate funding and focus on resilience.’

He told Parliament that the NDMC undertook extensive consultations with all stakeholders through existing disaster management structures and across the three spheres of government and that inputs were received and used to refine the proposed model.

‘We look forward to working with all stakeholders in the management of disasters, including rolling out training to Houses of Traditional Leadership, particularly those in disaster-prone areas, on disaster management.

‘This will enable them to work closely with all spheres of government and stakeholders on the ground to assist in disasters. An implementation plan has been developed in this regard for effective implementation of this training,’ he added.

This year, the department also signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with the Department of Defence that will see the Community Work Programme (CWP) participants playing a role in disaster preparedness and community development.

Source: Sout
h African Government News Agency

Medical experts have advised people who are 40 years and above to go for regular eye checks and consult a qualified ophthalmologist for treatment when diagnosed with an eye disorder.

Dr Fatima Kyari, Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The registrar spoke on the sideline of the second Advanced Glaucoma surgery course and Nurses Glaucoma training course at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Gwagwalada.

Kyari chairs the Glaucoma Society of Nigeria and also a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Glaucoma Lead at the UATH.

The ophthalmologist said that the training was part of efforts to combat blindness in the country.

She described glaucoma as the ‘Silent Thief of Sight’, adding that frequent eye test was paramount as part of measures for early detection of glaucoma and treatment to prevent vision loss.

According to her, the surgery course funded by the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET),
is aimed at training of ophthalmic surgeons to improve their surgical skills and confidence.

The nurses glaucoma skills course is to improve the nurses skills and competence in carrying out some special glaucoma tests for patients, and these tests include intraocular pressure measurement, visual field assessment and doing the optical coherence tomography (OCT).

‘Few days ago we undertook training for the Nigeria Glaucoma Guideline and Toolkit with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

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‘We have a section that talks about setting up a programme on glaucoma care; it addresses public health interventions, advocacy and raising awareness on glaucoma.

‘For those under 40 years, we recommend that they have an eye test every two to five years and those 40 years above we recommend that they have theirs at least every two years.

‘But when we find a problem we recommend more regular eye examinations and early treatment,
‘ she said.

According to her, if we are able to diagnose glaucoma early, we can reduce the risk of blindness so that the patients enjoy good vision for the rest of their lives with treatment.

‘We are raising awareness and talking to people during special health days, we also help patients to organise themselves through support groups to help each other.

‘As family members of glaucoma patients are at higher risk for glaucoma, we also advise glaucoma patients to ensure their families have eye tests to screen for glaucoma,’ she said.

However, the opthalmologist highlighted the importance of good eye-check, which she said created a ripple effect across well-being, educational attainment, economic productivity and good health outcomes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trainees are doctors Karinya Lewis, Winnie Nolan, Fatima Kyari, Adedeji Akinyemi and Abdullahi Mohammed and Mrs Elizabeth Ojeyinka (International specialists that matched up with the Nigerian glaucoma specialists).

Meanwhile, t
he partners are the International Centre for Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and National Eye Centre, Kaduna.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina says the seventh administration will strive to turn the tide on reducing the water and sanitation services backlog.

Delivering her maiden Budget Vote Speech before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament on Tuesday, Majodina said that more emphasis will be placed on investment in bulk water supply infrastructure projects, while vigorously assisting municipalities with water reticulation to ensure that unserved communities receive the services they need.

Majodina said the department has already made some inroads in its efforts to realise water security by unlocking challenges that hindered 14 major water infrastructure projects.

These include the new R26 billion uMkhomazi Dam, which is to provide urgently needed additional water to eThekwini and surrounding areas in KwaZulu Natal, and the new Polihali Dam, as part of the R42 billion second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project to provide urgently needed additional water to Gauteng and parts
of the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West, and Northern Cape Provinces.

The projects also include the new R8 billion Ntabelanga Dam on a tributary of the uMzimvubu River to provide additional water for irrigation and domestic use in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape, amongst others.

In ensuring a financial secured and sustainable water sector, the Minister emphasised the need for municipalities to exercise efficient and effective revenue collection across the water value chain.

‘In effecting this, the municipalities must be able to sell water to domestic users and local industries while water boards collect revenue from municipalities for selling treated water, and the mooted National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency will complete the puzzle by selling raw water to water boards and major industries,’ Majodina said.

Majodina condemned the escalating debt owed by the municipalities to the water boards which has ballooned to R21.3 billion by May 2024, thus posing a major risk to the financial sustai
nability of the whole water sector.

‘It is important to note that it is not all municipalities, which are not paying. However, non-payment by a few municipalities which are served by a particular water board can result in severe financial difficulties for that water board.

‘One of our immediate priorities will therefore be to work with our colleagues in Cabinet, particularly the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to find a sustainable solution to this problem,’ Majodina said.

The Minister also called for diversifying the water mix and develop alternative water resources, including increased but sustainable use of groundwater, treating and re-using water from wastewater systems, and seawater desalination.

She said due to the localised nature of these technologies, most of these alternative water resources will need to be developed by municipalities.

Majodina highlighted the areas of focus in the 2024/2025 financial year, including amongst others:

Coll
aborate with the City of Tshwane and Magalies Water to complete the project to provide an alternative source of clean drinking water to Hammanskraal by October;

Assist Zululand District Municipality to implement the R9.5 billion Mandlakazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme to also benefit communities in uMkhanyakude District;

Implement the R4.7 billion Phase 1 of the R18 billion Olifants Ebenezer programme, aimed at bringing additional water to Polokwane, Seshego and surrounding areas;

Implement the R27 billion Olifants River Water Resource Development Project in Limpopo;

Provide support to Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, to a value of R1.4 billion, including providing funding for the Kimberley Bulk Water Supply Project;

Implement the R10 billion Vaal Gamagara Phase Two Project in the Northern Cape to provide additional water for mining and communities; and

Implement the R1.7 billion Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply project, which involves the construction of a bulk pipeline from Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga
to Thembisile Hani Local Municipality.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Pic 12. President Bola Tinubu presenting a cheque to Obilor Justice Ikechukwu, Student of Federal University of Technology Owerri Imo State during the Presidential launch of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday (17/7/2024)

O231/JULY/17/7/2024/Callistus Ewelike/NAN

Pic 13. President Bola Tinubu presenting a cheque to Fatima Hambali student of Bayero University Kano, during the Presidential launch of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday (17/7/2024)

O232/JULY/17/7/2024/Callistus Ewelike/NAN

Pic 14. President Bola Tinubu presenting a cheque to Favour Ishaya, student of Federal College of Education Pankshin Plateau State, during the Presidential launch of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday (17/7/2024)

O233/JULY/17/7/2024/Callistus Ewelike/NAN

Pic 15. President Bola Tinubu presenting a cheque to Aminu Garba, student of Federal College of Education Technology Gusau Zamfara State, d
uring the Presidential launch of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday (17/7/2024)

O234/JULY/17/7/2024/Callistus Ewelike

Source: News Agency of Nigeria