Posts

Posted on

Motshekga to visit schools in Sedebeng Municipality

The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, will this morning visit schools across the Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng to conduct monitoring and oversight.

The Minister will visit four schools today – namely: Sicelo Primary, Thandukwazi Secondary, Sebokeng Technical High and Mahareng Secondary School.

“These visits provide an opportunity to further support schools while strengthening efforts to mitigate risks within school communities as they are still expected to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of both learners and teachers,” the Department of Basic Education said in a statement.

The Minister, in her capacity as the District Development Model (DDM) National Champion in Sedibeng District Municipality, will also use the afternoon to engage with the stakeholders in the district.

She will be will be joined by the Provincial and Local Champions at the Vereeniging Town Hall at 14h00.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule will this morning join the Eastern Cape Province MEC for Education, Fundile Gade, to conduct monitoring and oversight visits in Chris Hani West district in Eastern Cape.

The Deputy Minister will visit Mbekweni Senior Secondary and John Noah High School in Queenstown, in the Chris Hani West district.

The oversight visits come as the sector has welcomed back learners to class in both Inland and coastal provinces.

“During her visits to the school the Deputy Minister will also drive home the message of compliance to the COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of both learners and teachers,” the department said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Posted on

SA records over 1 900 new COVID-19 cases

South Africa conducted 22 567 new COVID-19 tests in the past 24 hours, of which 1 931 were positive, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Sunday.

The majority of new cases were recorded in Gauteng after 494 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus, followed by 386 in the Western Cape and 371 in KwaZulu-Natal, pushing the positivity rate to 8.6%.

This means the country now has 3 581 359 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, while the death toll stands at 94 177 after 114 more people lost their lives.

However, according to the Department of Health, of the latest fatalities, only 17 occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours.

Meanwhile, hospital admissions have increased by 26 in the past 24 hours to 6 595.

The statistics show that there are currently 75 627 active cases, while the country’s recovery rate is sitting at 95.3%.

According to the department, 5 120 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered since the last reporting cycle, bringing the total to 29 369 021.

In addition, the country is now home to 16 262 118 adults who are fully vaccinated.

Of the over 6 072 people who are aged 12 and over in hospital, 4 438 are unvaccinated, while 1 411 are fully jabbed and 223 partially vaccinated.

Globally, as of 21 January 2022, there have been 340 543 962 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5 570 163 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Posted on

Tributes pour in for City Press journalist

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, has expressed profound sadness at the passing of City Press journalist, Poloko Tau.

Tau reportedly died at his residence in Mahikeng, in North West, on Friday afternoon.

He was part of a team of South African journalists that covered the South African delegation at the United Nations Climate Change talks in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in December, where he interacted extensively with the delegation led by the Minister.

‘’I am deeply saddened by the unexpected news of his sudden passing and I remember fondly our extensive conversations on climate change and the Just Transition to a low carbon economy and society,” Creecy said on Saturday.

The Minister extended her sincere condolences to his family and colleagues in the media fraternity.

“His important contribution to the public information debate on matters such as climate change and sustainable development will be much missed by government and the fourth estate,” Creecy said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Posted on

Gender Commission sends condolences to Patrick Shai’s family

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has expressed its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of veteran actor and gender-based violence (GBV) activist, Patrick Shai.

According to a statement released by the family, Shai passed away on Saturday morning.

Commission chairperson, Tamara Mathebula, said the news of the passing of Shai has been met with sadness by all at the CGE.

“He will be sorely missed by those who had embraced him as a human rights and gender activist. We have worked closely with him in advancing gender equality and issues of men and boys in South Africa.

“Ntate Shai was a compassionate hero of our struggle against gender-based violence, who would use his artistic skills to ensure that the message gets across to his intended audience.

“It is through men like Ntate Shai that we are seeing a shift in the mind-set amongst many men, and we shall continue in the same trajectory to eradicate the scourge of GBV. As the Commission, we mourn his passing and equally celebrate his life. He will be missed. May his soul rest in peace”, Mathebula said.

Role model par-excellence

The Presiding Officers of Parliament have also paid tribute to Shai, describing him as a role model par-excellence.

National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and National Council of Provinces chairperson, Amos Masondo, said Shai was not just an artist, but a legend.

“He was a legend, an inspiring figure beyond the arts fraternity, a change maker, an exemplary leader and a true activist and advocate against gender-based violence.

“We are gutted and bitterly saddened by the loss of such a titanic and incomparable talent, an outstanding human being with a humble personality,” the Presiding Officers said.

Through his organisation, Khulumandoda, Shai partnered with Parliament in its National Men’s Parliament initiative, which brought together about 250 men and boys from across the country to engage them to become agents of change and integral partners in the prevention of, and response in tackling the spread of HIV, gender-based violence and femicide and other social ills.

“South Africa has lost an extraordinary human being whose role, unrivalled talent and outstanding service to society can never be replaced. May his soul rest peacefully,” Mapisa-Nqakula and Masondo said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Posted on

SANDF probes cause of fire at Base Waterkloof Air Force

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is investigating the fire that broke out on Sunday evening at the Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria.

According to the statement released to the media, the blaze started at the bulk fuel depot around 19:00 and was contained within an hour by South African Air Force Firefighting teams from both Air Force Base Waterkloof and Air Force Base Swartkops in Valhalla, Pretoria.

“The cause of the fire, the magnitude of the damage and the cost of the damage to the Bulk Fuel Depot will form part of an investigation that will interrogate all events and incidents that might have led to the fire breakout at the base,” the spokesperson, Brigadier Andries Mahapa said.

Meanwhile, he said no structural damage was reported.

Another SANDF’s spokesperson, Brigadier-General Mongezi Kweta, told media last night that the fire was sparked by a suspected leakage from a burst pump.

While Kweta said the SANDF had launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, he said it had no reason to suspect any foul play at this stage.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Posted on

South Africa records less than 4 000 new COVID-19 cases, with 139 deaths

Published by
TDPel Media

South Africa recorded close to 4 000 new COVID-19 infections, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Thursday. According to the NICD’s latest statistics, 3 962 more people tested positive for Coronavirus, pushing the tally to 3 572 860 since the first case was detected in South Africa. The data shows that the increase represents a 10.6% positivity rate, with Gauteng accounting for 928 infections logged in the past 24 hours. The province is followed by 813 cases in the Western Cape, 681 in KwaZulu-Natal and 412 in Limpopo. Due to the ongoing audit exercise by the Depart… Continue reading “South Africa records less than 4 000 new COVID-19 cases, with 139 deaths”