Category: General

The Special Tribunal is expected to hear a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) led review application to recover at least R2.5 million in royalties which were paid out to some music legends by the SABC in 2016.

The SIU, together with the SABC, is seeking to recover the money from former SABC Chief Operations Officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, and other former executives at the broadcaster.

According to the Special Tribunal, at least 50 musicians benefitted from the royalty payouts.

“Both [the SIU and SABC] allege that during 2016, Motsoeneng and the former executives took an irrational decision to award R50 000 each to about 50 musicians. The applicants seek to recover the amount and pray for an order to declare the decision invalid and set aside,” the tribunal said.

Motsoeneng and the other former executives are opposing the application.

“In the previous hearings preceding the review application, the applicants argued for the return of the funds, as they were based on a wrongful decision. Motsoeneng argued at the time that the decision was to empower and [give] a financial boost to the struggling musicians.

“Other respondents argued also that they were not entitled to return the funds, as that decision was taken in the execution of the corporate duties,” the tribunal said.

Motsoeneng has already lost one legal battle against the SIU and the SABC after he was ordered to pay back an R11.5 million “success fee” that was paid to him during his time at the helm of the broadcaster.

The order was made by the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court sitting in Johannesburg in December.

Source: South African Government News Agency

DURBAN – Yesterday morning at 10:00, members of various units from Ladysmith were performing policing duties at the Tugela Toll Plaza when they pulled over a minibus taxi with fifteen passengers.

Upon searching the passenger’s luggage, police officers found a black bag containing four laptops and a silver bag containing one laptop. All the laptops were wrapped in clear plastic. On initial investigation it was discovered that both the bags belonged to a Malawian national. Upon questioning him he could not produce any paperwork or documents to verify ownership of the said laptops.

The man then called two of the police officers to the side and offered them one thousand in cash to let him go. The police officers seized the money and immediately arrested him. The suspects was taken to Besters police station where he was charged for possession of suspected stolen property and bribery.

The laptops and money were handed in at the police station as exhibits. The suspect will appear in Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

Source: South African Police Service

Zero fatalities during Western Cape summer initiation season

The Western Cape has maintained the track record of a safe initiation practice as parents proudly take their boys for initiation to prepare them for adulthood. The initiation rite of passage that is predominantly practiced by AmaXhosa, AmaHlubi and Basotho in the Western Cape went well. As the Western Cape Government places great value on the sanctity of human life, Minister Anroux Marais is proud to announce that we have achieved that mission as no fatalities were reported during the summer season formally ended on 31 January 2022.

The Western Cape Government is committed to ensure compliance in terms of the Customary Initiation Act (2 of 2021) and the COVID-19 Standard Operations Procedures (SOP) to make sure the rite of passage is preserved and practiced in a safe and conducive environment. The Department Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) plays a pivotal role in creating a safe and enabling environment for the effective rite of passage to responsible adulthood and can now confirm that of 37 initiation forums in the province, 30 participated during the summer season. Initiation forums are bodies that play a critical role in preserving the practice as well as ensuring compliance and keep the DCAS informed of developments in the traditional communities.

During the past summer season (November 2021 to January 2022), 1417 initiates completed the rite of passage, in 35 initiation sites throughout the Western Cape. During the season 10 initiates were hospitalised for one day and were discharged due to dehydration in the following municipal districts of the province: Cape Winelands(6) and Garden Route(4). The cooperation by parents with respect to compliance with the regulatory framework is of great importance to the practice, especially in terms of the full window period for medical screening. Parents are key stakeholders in this practice and their availability during the seasons is of utmost importance. In some cases, for moral support to their boys and material support as well as to act timeously when there is a need.

The implementation of the new Customary Initiation Act (2 of 2021) as from the 1 September 2021 has brought a new environment for the cultural practitioners and traditional leaders who are custodians of the practice. There are new restrictions such as age, experience and the Act guards against involvement of practitioners who have criminal records due to children abuse and related crimes.

Minister Anroux Marais said, “Initiation is complex and requires DCAS to work with other stakeholders to address the needs of the practice. It is with great pleasure to acknowledge the Traditional Leaders, Initiation Forums, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Development (DSD), the South African Police Services (SAPS), municipalities, and cultural practitioners for their support. The DCAS has put systems in place to mitigate risks, such as developing a monitoring tool to avert challenges faced with this practice. Amongst other things, prospective initiates, cultural practitioners and family members involved had to undergo medical screening and provide proof thereof before they are allowed to enter initiation sites”.

Although the DCAS has put systems in place to face challenges, the lack of drinking water at the initiation schools, partial adherence to medical screening processes by some parents and surgeons still transpired. As required, parents are to take boys for medical screening at local clinics at least two months before initiation.

The Department remains committed to facilitate the safe return of all initiates. We congratulate all the parents and the young men for the successful completion of the rite of passage. We encourage parents to co-operate with the Department and all other stakeholders in this fraternity to ensure a safe rite of passage.

The DCAS plans to host a summit to further solicit approaches and strategies to preserve, protect and develop this practice and also to review the Summer Season in preparation for the next season. All interested and affected persons are requested to join hands in crafting the way forward towards a much safer rite of passage for the approaching winter season.

The DCAS put in place various measures in preparation for the recently completed summer season. These measures included:

The provision of training

Training was provided to cultural practitioners with special emphasis on core areas of health, hygiene, COVID-19 Infection Prevention Control measures. A total of 126 practitioners were trained in preparation for the summer season.

Customary Initiation Act, Act 2 of 2021

The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport has arranged meetings with all involved stakeholders to discuss the Customary Initiation Act, Act 2 of 2021. The Act was received with concern by the traditional communities. Especially, noting the issues of registration of initiation schools, age restriction and experience required for an initiation school to be registered and get recognition as legitimate school.

Provision of equipment

The Department provided personal protective equipment (PPEs) water jojo tanks, fire extinguishers, fire beaters as well as metal fire buckets to take care of wildfires.

Stakeholders’ engagement

In preparation for the summer season, the department has sensitised various stakeholders including relevant provincial departments, municipalities and initiation forums. The initiation forums attend to matters related to the initiation phases, reporting of challenges and abnormalities as well as the keeping of a database for practitioners.

Awareness campaigns

The department encouraged initiation forums to facilitate information sessions at the local high schools, community halls/ centres and libraries to sensitise the broader communities of the season that was approaching. The campaigns were also used to provide information through Radio broadcastings, the department’s website was updated, spreading of documents of the Customary Initiation Act, webinars and contact meetings with communities. Parents who intend to take their boys for initiation rite of passage during the coming winter season are advised to immediately consult with their local forums or the departments website to acquire needed information.

Community participation and involvement through initiation forums

Initiation Forums encouraged communities to play their role in ensuring a safer rite of passage to be observed responsibly. All prospective initiates were advised to be medically screened at least two months before time to ensure their physical fitness for initiation.

The DCAS has provided consent forms to be completed and signed by prospective initiates, parents / guardians, responsible traditional carers and surgeons. Communities taking their boys for initiation were encouraged to make use of the form as it facilitates common grounds of responsibilities between all the parties directly affected. The form is available from the initiation forums and the DCAS.

Source: Government of South Africa

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture invites members of the media on Wednesday, 9 March 2022 to the Geographical Names Capacity building workshop.

The South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) was established by the South African Geographical Names Council Act, 1998 (Act No.118 of 1998), as the body responsible for standardising geographical names in South Africa.

The workshop aims at capacitating municipal managers in the process of naming and renaming of buildings, places, and geographic places in the context of facilitating the promotion of a common national identity, social cohesion, and national healing.

This process was initiated in 1994 as an integral part of the overall transformation of the South African heritage landscape. The standardisation of geographical names seeks to rectify the historical perspective of geographical names, correct spelling mistakes, eradicate the geographical names duplication and affirm the history as well as identity of the province.

The workshop is scheduled to take place from 9-11 March 2022 in Polokwane at the Ranch Hotel.

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister Gungubele reiterates the State Security Agency’s resolve against corruption

The Minister in the Presidency responsible for State Security, Minister Mondli Gungubele has restated the commitment of the State Security Agency to uproot corruption.

Responding to a series of media reports about alleged incidents of fraud, corruption and malfeasance, Minister Gungubele says the agency was cognisant of the seriousness of the issues raised in both the High Level Review Panel on State Security and the July unrest reports, which all point to some weaknesses and gaps in the manner in which the Agency conducts its business.

He said these incidents of wrong doing in the main are as a result of such weaknesses as identified in the two recent reports and vowed that the Agency was steadfast in the implementation of recommendations to ensure that such misconduct does not recur.

“We have noted with some deep concern, the number of media reports about the alleged corruption in the Agency and we want to assure the South African citizens that we share their disdain against such conduct” he said “We are spending sleepless nights in our attempts to uncover these malpractices and we are confident that we will win this war and return the Agency to its former glory”

He said the work of the forensic Investigation team in partnership with the NPAs Investigative Directorate was underway and gaining momentum by the day.

“We are encouraged by the progress we are making through the work of this firm and the NPA – in fact just recently, we have dismissed no less than four officials on account of fraud, corruption and misconduct and we expect to do more” said Minister Gungubele

He concluded by reassuring the nation that such efforts by the Agency are all meant to restore the image of the Agency which has been compromised by such acts of corruption and misconduct.

“We are determined to restore our image and to turn this place around to serve the needs and interests of our citizens – we have a Constitutional mandate to safeguard the territorial integrity of this country and to protect its citizens, we cannot do that if we continue with the kind of misconduct that has been described in the media and elsewhere” said the Minister

Source: Government of South Africa

International Women’s Day summit hosted by the Kwazulu-Natal provincial government

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government will host a two-day summit from 07-08 March 2022, to commemorate International Women’s Day 2022 by paying a special attention, inspiring, raising awareness and monitoring progress that women in leadership have made within the Public Service.

The objectives of the summit includes:

Engaging on the role of women in building the capacity of the state;

Empowering women so they are better equipped to thrive in the digital world brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution;

Prevent and respond to gender-based violence and femicide and for women to be empowered on how to address Sexual Harassment in the workplace.

The Speakers on the first day of the summit (07 March) include the Director-General of KwaZulu-Natal Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Director-General in The Presidency Ms Phindile Baleni and women in top management in the public and private sector.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala will deliver the keynote address on the second day of the summit (08 March).

Source: Government of South Africa