Author: svadmin

Introduction

National Treasury is soliciting the public’s views on South Africa’s Fiscal Policy in its pre-budget consultation process. South Africa is one of five pilot countries that are participating in the Fiscal Openness Accelerator Project (FOA) that was launched in 2019 by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) and the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT). The project’s overall objective is to build the technical capacity of selected governments, enhance fiscal transparency and to support the implementation of a public participation pilot in the national budget cycle.

This is the second and final year of the FOA pilot and a slightly different approach will be taken. This year, we will focus on written submissions on a broad range of themes. An online platform will be provided for respondents to discuss and debate issues raised in the submissions. The written inputs will be analysed and the recommendations will be shared with Medium-Term Expenditure Committee (MTEC). All submissions will be published on the Vulekamali budget data portal. The lessons drawn from the two-year pilot will be used for future developments of public participation in the budget process.

Submissions of a maximum of ten pages, including an abstract and a conclusion with specific recommendations, should be emailed to [email protected](link sends e-mail) by 19 August 2022.

Guiding themes:

(a) Fiscal policy (debt management, budget deficit)

(b) Cross cutting (climate change financing, gender responsive budgeting)

(c) Topical Issues

• Unemployment

• Social security funding

• Energy choices and fiscal subsidies

• Safety and crime

• Health

• Food security

Please complete the biographical and contact information, so that we are able to contact you. You may submit your written views on one or more themes by 19 August 2022 to [email protected](link sends e-mail).

Citizens without access to emails can drop off their clearly written submissions at the National and Provincial Treasury offices.

The National Treasury is responsible for Fiscal Policy. Therefore, public consultation is not intended to inform sector policy priorities as this goes beyond the mandate of the National Treasury, which is to ensure transparency, accountability and sound financial controls in the management of public finances.

Source: Government of South Africa

The Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, welcomes the successful extradition of the three suspects sought in the 2019 attack on a farm in Bonnievale. The attack left one person dead and another seriously injured.

Following sterling work by the investigation team, a successful extradition order was granted by the courts in Lesotho and warrants of arrest could be executed at the Maseru Border earlier this week.

The arrested suspects now face charges of murder and attempted murder and will appear in the Bonnievale Court soon.

Minister Meyer:

“This is good news. But, as I have indicated, an attack on a farmer is an attack on our rural economy. Therefore, if required, I will support the call to oppose any application by the suspects.

Partnerships, innovation, collaboration, evidence, intelligence, connectivity, technology, and integration are fundamental building blocks to improve safety within the rural landscape.

The Western Cape Government is doing its best to make this province safer.

However, our interventions must be supported by a strong and professional police service and an effective criminal justice system.

I thank the investigation team for the dedication displayed to date and now look forward to the prosecutorial team acting relentlessly in pursuance of the truth.”

Commenting on the extradition and arrests, Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, said:

“This is indeed welcoming news. I commend the relevant law enforcement and judicial officers for ensuring that those who allegedly committed this crime can be held accountable. No matter where it occurs or against whom it is committed, crime is not welcome in our communities. This also demonstrates that criminals will not have anywhere to hide, as the long are of the law will catch up with them. Our efforts to make the lives of criminals uncomfortable within the confines of the law should not cease.”

“The Western Cape Government will continue to work to ensure farming communities are protected and treated with the dignity they deserve. However, in instances where a crime has occurred, the guilty must be punished to the full extent of the law, ” concludes Meyer.

Source: Government of South Africa

National water volumes continue to decline, water users urged to save water

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly status of dams demonstrate that the country’s water levels are on a continual decline albeit moderately when compared to the same period last week. This week, the overall storage capacity of the country’s reservoirs is at 92.9% 93.1%, a small margin reduction from last week’s 93.1%, and a significant improvement from last year’s 82.7%.

Water Supply Systems that are steady and unmoved week on week are: Cape Town at 75.4%, Luvuvhu at 101.1% and Umhlathuze sits at 100.1%.

Algoa Water Supply System which supplies Nelson Mandela Bay Metro is among the five systems that have recorded slight improvement increasing from 14.8% last week to 14.9% this week. Butterworth Water Supply System climbed from 99.3% last week to 99.6% this week, Crocodile East moved up from 100.2% to 100.3%, Klipplaat improved from 99.7% to 100.1%, and Polokwane increased from 101.5% to 101.7%.

The remaining six Water Supply Systems have declined: Amathole from 76.2% to 74.7%, Bloemfontein from 99.1% to 98.0%, Crocodile West from 99.6% to 99.1%, Umgeni from 99.1% to 98.6%, Orange from 99.2% to 99.0% and the biggest water supply system, Integrated Vaal River System supplying 14 dams dipped from 100.1% to 99.7%.

Seven out of nine provinces have recorded downwards movements in water levels namely, Eastern Cape from 70.0% to 69.9%, KwaZulu-Natal from 89.7% to 89.4%, Free State from 100.7% to 100.3%, North West from 81.0% to 80.7% and Northern Cape from 108.8% to 107.3%.

On the improvement bracket is Western Cape which increased from 62.8% to 63.2% and Gauteng from 100.2% to 100.7%. Both Mpumalanga and Limpopo are unmoved at 95.2% and 88.2% respectively.

The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to urge the public to save and use water sparingly to ensure that the available water doesn’t run out before another rainy season kicks in, which is anticipated to be in October.

For more information, contact Sputnik Ratau, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 082 874 2942

Source: Government of South Africa

As the Western Cape Government (WCG), we recognise that while some progress has been made toward gender equality and the empowerment of women, there is still a long way to go before we achieve a gender equitable society.

Women’s Month allows us to measure how far we have come in transforming society, and to focus on driving this commitment. It is also an opportunity to centre our focus on addressing gender-based violence, which we know is a huge problem across South Africa.

As we pay homage to the work done by many great women, and the ongoing efforts toward the achievement of a safe, free and fair society by citizens, businesses and government across the board, we invite you to show your support and solidarity against gender-based violence, as well as your support and commitment for the equity of women, by forming human chains in your communities, at workspaces and school grounds.

In launching Women’s Month, the WCG and its executive will be forming a human chain on Monday, 1 August at 12:00 (midday), for 10 minutes to:

• Show support for women who suffer all forms of violence;

• Practically display that when society comes together, they can be a powerful force against injustices and;

• Promote services/resources available in specific communities.

Source: Government of South Africa

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC), KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, and various government entities will launch Women’s Month 2022 on Monday 1 August 2022, in Durban, KZN.

Hosted under the theme: “Women’s Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Women’s Resilience!” this year’s Women’s Month is a call to action to all of society, government and partners to take tangible steps forward in responding to the most persistent challenges affecting the lives of women and girls.

The year 2022 marks the 66th Anniversary since the march of approximately 20 000 women to the Union Buildings to petition against the pass laws of the country at the time.

The National Women’s Month programme is based on the ongoing interventions across the work of government, civil society and the private sector within the context of the national priorities outlined by government.

The launch of Women’s Month will take the form of a full day workshop on Waste Management: identifying economic opportunities in the waste sector value chains for women, youth and persons with disabilities. The workshop espouses the theme for the month which looks at breaking barriers to accesses in industries dominated by men.

During this workshop, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will deliver the keynote address to media and the public signaling the launch of Women’s Month 2022.

The workshop will focus on awareness-raising on economic opportunities for women, youth and persons with disabilities in the waste management sector, including through the value chains in the management of waste material and reprocessing / recycling into new products.

The National Women’s Day event is scheduled to take place at Richmond Local Municipality, uMgungundlovu District, KZN.

Source: Government of South Africa