Day: July 22, 2024

President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised that building a capable state is a critical step to creating an inclusive economy that benefits all.

The President was addressing the nation through his weekly newsletter, on Monday.

Strengthening the state is one of the key priorities of the Government of National Unity (GNU) outlined by the President in his Opening of Parliament Address last week.

This, the President said, comes in the form of rebuilding the ‘capability of the state and creating a professional public service’.

‘This work is already well underway. The national framework for the professionalisation of the public service was adopted by Cabinet in 2022 to guide public service reform. The Department of Public Service and Administration [DPSA] has already issued two directives giving effect to the framework.

‘The framework aims to build meritocracy in the public service. Recruitment and selection processes are being overhauled, as are performance management systems. Competency-based assessments and in
tegrity tests are being introduced. These tests will be used across the public sector, including to persons appointed into political offices such as ministerial advisers and chiefs of staff,’ he said.

Additionally, the national framework also seeks to open more doors for young people who want to work in the public service.

‘One of the DPSA directives issued earlier this year waives the experience requirement for entry level posts with no supervisory responsibilities. It also makes provision for verification of academic qualifications from applicants who do not have their degree certificates because of outstanding student debt,’ the President said.

Capable leaders

President Ramaphosa emphasised that capable leaders are required for a capable state.

In this regard, the President said, the National School of Government has been growing its ‘suite of executive education programmes designed for elected officials and executive managers’.

‘These involve formal learning programmes delivered by renowned experts,
high-level masterclasses and seminars on issues ranging from the art of execution to ethics and economic governance. There are also flagship programmes tailored for accounting officers and induction training for boards of state-owned enterprises.

‘Leaders in national and provincial governments will undergo training and development programmes throughout the seventh administration, starting with the National School of Government’s ethical leadership and oversight programme.

‘Other areas of training include economic governance, scenario planning and digital transformation. It is encouraging that traditional leaders are also prioritising their development through short learning programmes and formal qualifications,’ he said.

The President further noted that public servants ‘need to be insulated from undue political interference and vested interests’.

‘While there may be a temptation for members of the Executive to favour the policies of their own political parties, we are working to develop the Medium-Term De
velopment Plan and implement the programme of government as a united government, not as individual parties.

‘Within the public service, professionalism, integrity and commitment to the policies of the government of the day must transcend all political and ideological affiliations.

‘State capture provided a bitter lesson on the vulnerabilities of the public sector to interference by private business interests. As the Government of National Unity, as a country, we must ensure that this never happens again. We must actively guard against the forms of executive overreach witnessed in the past,’ he said.

The President called on all formations that form part of the GNU to come together to build a capable state.

‘If we continue along the path of collaboration and cooperation, the Government of National Unity has the means and political will to transform the public service into a powerful driver of service delivery, economic growth and development,’ President Ramaphosa concluded.

Source: South African Governmen
t News Agency

Technicians are closely monitoring water supply in Bedfordview, Primrose and Germiston, as the system continues to struggle to recover following the completion of extensive maintenance work by Rand Water.

City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, said the water utility completed maintenance work as scheduled on Wednesday, 17 July 2024. However, the system has been struggling to recover.

This has affected water supply to certain areas, including Primrose, Bedfordview and Germiston.

Currently, there is a slight improvement on the water supply in the affected areas, with low lying areas starting to receive supply while high-lying areas are experiencing low water pressure.

‘It is a norm that the recovery period for full restoration after the maintenance takes between three and 15 days, and high-lying areas would normally take longer to recover as the water pipes and towers need to be filled to a specific level before technicians start pumping the water systems.’

Dlamini has appealed to the affected com
munities and business for patience.

He also encouraged residents and businesses to continue using water sparingly, to allow the water levels at the affected reservoirs to gradually stabilise.

Rand Water is currently embarking on extensive proactive maintenance of its infrastructure to improve the reliability and efficiency of its water infrastructure.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The seventh administration will focus on extending the provision of basic services to those people who still do not have access to basic requirements and improving the reliability and affordability of delivery.

Responding to the debate on the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said this will require measures to improve the efficiency of local government to deliver on its ‘crucial’ mandate.

President Ramaphosa said the country has made progress in advancing towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) on the provision of basic services, highlighting that 84 percent of South African households now have access to piped water, while 71 percent have access to decent sanitation, and 94 percent of households have access to electricity.

He said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa’s determination that all municipalities receive the necessary administrative, technical and financial support for the services to be viable and stable, repr
esents the seventh administration’s clear intention to improve the functioning of municipalities.

‘We must address with urgency the governance and oversight challenges at local government level and the serious problem of municipal and consumer debt,’ President Ramaphosa said.

WATCH | President Ramaphosa responds to the debate on the Opening of Parliament Address

On building and strengthening institutions, President Ramaphosa said government has made significant progress in deepening democracy during the last 30 years of freedom, through safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The parties to the Government of National Unity (GNU) are in agreement on the importance of entrenching the country’s constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

‘We will continue to exert our every effort to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, freedom of the media and the work of the institutions supporting democracy. We continue to entrench gender equality across all facets of society, and in promoting the f
ull participation in society of persons with disabilities.

‘We have enacted into law the Gender-Based Violence And Femicide (GBVF) Council, which will oversee and coordinate GBV programmes across government and in partnership with all stakeholders,’ the President said.

He said an important focus of this work will be women’s economic empowerment, and on leveraging government’s policy of setting aside 40 percent of public procurement for women-owned businesses.

The President also noted that South Africa is a beacon of hope and progress when it comes to the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex (LGBTQI+) community.

‘These are all important aspects of our human rights culture,’ President Ramaphosa said.

In the same breath, the President acknowledged the challenges that the country still faces.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Greater efficiency and the alignment of priorities will define the newly constituted seventh administration.

‘What will define the seventh administration is strategic alignment of priorities, greater efficiencies, focus and the optimal use of resources,’ President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.

Replying to the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) debate, President Ramaphosa said South Africans expect government to chart the country towards the ultimate goal of a better life for all.

‘As we said, our priorities are inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, and building a capable, ethical and developmental state,’ President Ramaphosa said.

President Ramaphosa said during much of the sixth administration, government worked to address the challenges that impeded growth, such as state capture, lack of reforms, COVID-19 and others.

‘We also worked to overcome the silo mentality that pervaded the work of government, and which in the past had contributed to ineffic
iency, duplication and wastage of resources.’

He said the Government of National Unity (GNU) must demonstrate in word and deed that the seventh administration is an era of a government of national unity and not a fleeting convenience.

‘At the same time, we all understand what is expected of us by those who put us here,’ President Ramaphosa said.

The President who delivered the OPA on Thursday, said it was important to examine the progress made by the nation in addressing the ‘the challenges our people face.’

READ | ‘We will succeed’ – President Ramaphosa on prospects of GNU

Last year, South Africa submitted its third country report to the United Nations (UN) on its progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The President said the UN report highlighted important trends towards meeting SDG targets in eradicating poverty and hunger, in good health and well-being, in inclusive and equitable quality education, in the provision of clean water and sanitation, in climate action, in buildi
ng strong institutions for peace and justice and others.

He added that government’s 30 Year Review report and the results of Census 2022 are testament to the considerable progress the democratic state has made in pursuing equitable and sustainable development.

‘On eradicating poverty and hunger, more indigent South Africans are accessing grants as part of an extensive social security net to mitigate the worst effects of poverty.

‘Sixty percent of our national budget is spent on the social wage and programmes vital to reducing poverty and supporting the poor.

‘When the worst global health emergency in modern times struck in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to shelter society’s most vulnerable through the provision of special COVID grants, a scheme to support workers’ wages, and support to businesses affected by the lockdowns,’ the President said.

READ | Government creates better life during 30 years of democracy

President Ramaphosa said over the next five years, government will be putting
further programmes in place to reduce poverty and mitigate the effects of the high cost of living, especially on the poorest of the poor.

NHI

With regards to the National Health Insurance (NHI), President Ramaphosa said a key task for government over the next five years will be to ensure that everyone in South Africa has equal access to affordable quality healthcare through the implementation of health insurance.

‘We are unwavering in our commitment to implement universal health coverage in a manner that brings all South Africans on board. We will continue with dialogues, with exchanges, with interactions to make this an important programme for our people,’ President Ramaphosa said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has welcomed the arrest of four suspects who are expected to appear in the Groblersdal Magistrate’s court today on charges of the manufacturing, dealing and possession of illicit drugs.

Friday’s arrests were made following the discovery of a drug lab in Groblersdal by a joint team of Limpopo Hawks and Limpopo South African Police Service (SAPS).

The four suspects, including the farm owner and two Mexican nationals, were arrested on 19 July 2024 in an intelligence driven operation by members of the Limpopo Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) team assisted by the Limpopo Tactical Response Team at a farm in Groblersdal where the multimillion clandestine laboratory was discovered.

‘It is reported that the Hawks in Limpopo received information about suspicious activities taking place at the farm, which was then operationalised, and the multi-disciplinary team pounced. Four structures on the property were searched and large quantities of chemicals used in the manufacturing o
f illicit drugs including acetone as well as crystal meth with an estimated street value of R2 billion were recovered,’ said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS) in a statement on Saturday.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has since the beginning of this year uncovered 10 clandestine drug laboratories and made 34 arrests.

The Hawks have not ruled out the possibility of more suspects being arrested.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has reiterated the call for all South Africans to rally behind the country’s fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).

This includes acts of GBVF perpetrated by intimate partners and family members.

Chikunga emphasised the urgent need to move beyond sloganeering.

‘There is an urgent need to invest adequate resources to respond to the GBVF pandemic and all forms of discrimination by the whole of society and the government,’ Chikunga said.

In its 2020 report titled “Killings of Women and Girls by Their Intimate Partner or Other Family Members – Global Estimates,” the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that, on average, a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family every 11 minutes.

A year later, estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO) also found that one in three women worldwide has suffered from physical and sexual violence in her lifetime, and
that one in five women who have had at least one partner has experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.

Chikunga noted that despite the exponential high level of commendable advocacy and policy commitment, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains one of the most frequent forms of violence against women and girls.

She added that recent studies affirm that despite decades of activism, advocacy, and action by state and non-state actors, the available evidence shows that progress in stopping IPV and related violence has been deeply inadequate.

While government has heeded this call and elevated the fight against GBVF into one of its top priorities, Chikunga acknowledged that in the past 30 years of democratic dispensation, the plight of women and girls in South Africa has remained deplorable and far from ideal.

‘As we begin the seventh Administration, our message has to be clear when it comes to the fight against GBVF; the master’s tools will not destroy the master’s house. We need new tool
s, and we need them urgently.

‘South Africans have bestowed on our shoulders a responsibility to recognise and respond appropriately to the systemic and structural nature of discrimination, and violence against women and girls. We can no longer tinker on the edges and expect systemic results.’

Across educational, religious, cultural, sporting, and creative environments, the Minister said, ‘all our values and practices must be put into question and deliberately repurposed to support the fight against patriarchal chauvinism in all spheres of life.’

She further stressed a need for systemic change, noting that the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is committed to enforcing gender equality throughout government and society as a constitutional imperative, and ‘not as an afterthought that emerges when the next victim is lying cold.’

‘Women have been and continue to be the basic foundation of all human civilisation, and yet we wake up every day and petition a man for the right to survive un
til the end of the day.

‘We need community intelligence – researchers, scholars, advocates, and activists who will go beyond reproducing mainstream narratives and get a granular picture from communities that face violence at a community or even street level, to ensure that justice is served,’ Chikunga said.

Source: South African Government News Agency