Category: General

The Department of Employment and Labour’s Labour Activation Programme (LAP) has enrolled 200 young people from the Rustenburg Local Municipality in different training projects within the hospitality sector.

LAP is a programme within the department and is funded by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

The purpose of the programme is to skill and upskill the unemployed youth and unemployed UIF beneficiaries in order to gain access into the labour market, and establish their own businesses.

According to the department, during the project leaners will be trained to become assistant chefs, baristas, fast foods cooks, convenience food cooks and table attendant.

These trainings are offered through theoretical training and practical work.

According to the Deputy Director: LAP in North West, Jeffrey Zitha, it is envisaged that at the end of these projects, participants will be able to be integrated into the world of work, and also be able to open their own businesses, thus reducing unemployment and also empowering those around them.

“The aim of these trainings is to ensure that youth and work seekers are equipped with the necessary skills that are needed to close the skills gap and to enable the unemployed youth and unemployed UIF beneficiaries to meet the requirements of the labour market,” Zitha said.

He said as much as they will assist in making sure that they are placed in work places at the end of the programme they encourage youth to also look into starting their own usinesses.

“With the current economic meltdown, the department seeks to encourage the youth and work seekers to look into other opportunities that can create employment for themselves and those around them,” he said.

The training initiatives commenced on Tuesday and are expected to run over a period of three months for baristas, fast food and convenient food cooks, while the chef assistant and table attendant training will run for 10 months.

Upon completion, baristas, fast food and convenient food cooks will receive a NQF level 2 certificate, while chef assistants and table attendant will receive NQF level 4 certificates from an accredited service provider.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Public Service Commission (PSC) says it is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Mandlenkosi Makhanya, Zukiswa Mqolomba and Nancy Ngwenya as Commissioners at the PSC for a five-year term.

Professor Makhanya’s appointment is with effect from 01 June 2022 while Commissioners Mqolomba and Ngwenya’s appointments are with effect from 14 June 2022 and 01 July 2022 respectively.

The newly appointed Commissioners bring a wealth of experience from both public administration and academia.

“They will without a doubt make a meaningful contribution in the execution of the Constitutional mandate of the PSC, including the repositioning of the Commission to deliver on high catalytic projects,” says Acting Chairperson of the PSC, Professor Somadoda Fikeni.

The PSC Commissioners are appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in terms of Section 196 (7) (a), read with Section 196 (10) of the Constitution.

The PSC is mandated to, among other things, investigate, monitor and evaluate the organisation and administration, and the personnel practices, of the public service and to also promote the constitutionally prescribed values and principles governing public administration in the public service.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Our efforts to eradicate the distribution of illegal drugs on our main entrance and exit routes in collaboration with our Law Enforcement counterparts are also gaining momentum with the confiscation of dagga to the estimated value of R4million last night (2022-05-31).

Provincial Traffic officials deployed on the N-1 near Beaufort-West were conducting routine vehicle checks on the N-1 when they pulled over an Isuzu LDV with dark windows that was en-route to Cape Town. They ensued with a search and discovered a large amount of dagga in the back of the vehicle. Members attached to Western Cape SAPS’ provincial Detectives Narcotics Unit were summoned to the scene and determined that the consignment was most probably about 500kg of Swazi-Gold-dagga with an estimated street value of R4-million.

The occupants of the bakkie, a man and woman, 36-and-28-years respectively, were arrested on the spot and is due to appear in the Beaufort West magistrates’ court tomorrow, Thursday, 02 June 2022. They face charges related to Dealing in Drugs.

In addition to above, concerted efforts by the Rural Flying Squad members deployed in Kannaland and their strategic approach to eradicate and address the distribution of illegal drugs in this rural Kannaland-town, Ladismith, yet again yielded positive results when information received from the community was operationalized and led to the arrest of a suspected female drug pedlar.

On Friday evening, 27 May 2022, pounced on a Toyota Quantum Taxi that was enroute to Ladismith from Cape Town along the R62 between Ladismith and Barrydale. They pulled over the vehicle and ensued with a search of the taxi. The members discovered a plastic shopping bag containing 500 Mandrax tablets to the estimated value of R30 000.00 that was concealed in smaller plastic bags inside the shopping bag. Members confiscated the Mandrax tablets and arrested a 52-year-old woman for the possession of illicit drugs. The drugs are believed to be destined for distribution in Ladismith.

The suspect was released on Sunday evening on a warning to appear in the Ladismith Magistrates’ court on 10 October 2022, pending further investigation and the result of forensic tests.

Police provincial management has praised the members involved for their continued efforts to eradicate the prevalence of drugs in their communities through distribution major exit and entrance routes to the Western Cape Province.

Source: South African Police Service

GQEBERHA – The immediate following up of information received about the possible location of a cellphone taken in a house robbery in Sunridge, led police to recover some of the stolen items in a bush yesterday afternoon, 31 May 2022.

It is alleged that on Tuesday, 31/05 at about 11:00, two unknown males entered a house in Cassia Street in Sunridge and held up the domestic worker. She was also shot in her shoulder before been tied up. When the owner of the house and a tenant returned home at different times, they too were tied up. The house was ransacked and hunting rifles, a firearm, 3 cellphones, jewellery, other household items and the complainant’s silver Izuzu bakkie were taken. A neighbour alerted a private security company who found the victims.

At about 15:45, members of the NMB District Crime Combatting Unit followed up on information received and succeeded in tracing the location of one cellphone which led them to the bushes at the corners of Standford and Nooitgedacht Roads where they recovered some of the stolen property. The rifles, three cellphones and a bag containing alcohol was confiscated. The bakkie is still missing.

The injured domestic worker was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police are investigating a case of house robbery.

Source: South African Police Service

LIMPOPO – The South African Police Service in Limpopo proceeds to squeeze the space for criminals to operate by continuously conduct targeted operations in all five District of the Province. This after 1097 suspects aged between 21 and 51 were arrested for various offences, during the ongoing weekly operations conducted from 23 May until this morning on 01 June 2022.

Three suspects aged between 31 and 40 were arrested for possession of 90 blasting cartridges at Beitbridge. The suspects were arrested by members of SANDF and the Police after one of the suspects was found with some of cartridges and revealed the other two.

On Monday, 30 May 2022 at about 02:00, SAPS members at Seshego on operation arrested four suspects for possession of stolen properties at Makgofe and Thakgalang. During the arrest they recovered 50 live ammunition and hand radio.

A 51-year-old suspect was arrested for possession of suspected stolen property at Vaalwater taxi rank. Allegedly, on 29 May 2022, police received a complaint about theft out of motor vehicle at Modimolle area, they followed information and suspect was arrested at the said area.

On 26 May 2022, Police nabbed one suspect for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle at Steelpoort town. They received information about a Ford Figo vehicle roaming around town, the vehicle was spotted, approached and searched. They tested it and it was linked to Protea SAPS incident that occurred in April 2022. Another suspect was arrested at Mokopane for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle, the vehicle was linked to Fochville SAPS case of car hijacking which occurred during May 2022.

In Musina, Police arrested suspect for possession of suspected stolen vehicle. Police received information about a Toyota Fortuner driving at a high speed along N1 North torwads Musina. They looked out for the vehicle, and it was spotted. They tactically stopped the vehicle. The registration number did not match and driver was unable to account, preliminary investigations indicated that the vehicle was stolen at Garsfontein.

The suspects have already started appearing before their local Magistrate’s courts facing charges that include murder, robberies, rape, possession of stolen motor vehicles, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, possession of suspected stolen properties, Contravention of Immigration Act, possession and dealing in drugs and illicit cigarettes amongst other offences.

During these operations Police confiscated 466 444 counterfeit sticks of cigarettes, 16 dangerous weapons, 2088 grams of dagga, 262 grams of nyaope, 10 firearms, 31 knives and 11 stolen or robbed vehicles recovered and a total of 831 fines issued.

The operations are continuing.

Source: South African Police Service

Media accreditation application for the 2022 National Youth Day Celebration

Members of the media are requested to apply for accreditation to cover the National Youth Day Celebration taking place on 16 June 2022 at Mthatha Stadium, King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality within the OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province.

This year’s Youth Month is celebrated under the theme: “Promoting sustainable livelihood and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow”.

Members of the media who wish to cover the Youth Day celebration are therefore requested to complete accreditation form & send it back to [email protected](link sends e-mail) / cell: 083 697 2130. The deadline for submission is Friday, 03 June 2022.

Source: Government of South Africa