Posts

Posted on

Online African COVID-19 green stimulus programme launched

Securing and restoring livelihoods should be top of the agenda in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) has resolved.

It is against this backdrop that an online platform for the African Green Stimulus Programme has been launched to provide an overarching framework to support the “green recovery” from COVID-19.

“This programme is intended to significantly contribute to Africa’s green recovery from the impacts of the pandemic and support the continent’s journey towards a sustainable and low-carbon development pathway,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, said on Thursday in her capacity as the outgoing President at the 18th Ordinary Session of the AMCEN.

Creecy described the rapid progress in the development and implementation of this African-led and owned initiative as a source of pride for the continent.

This launch comes after the Eight Special Session of the Conference, which took place late last year, recognised that the pandemic had placed additional pressure on Africa’s socio-economic development.

The Minister acknowledged that the COVID-19 outbreak had exasperated efforts to achieve sustainable development and called for continued efforts to conserve, protect and enhance the resilience of Africa’s environment to avoid similar crises in future.

“The session agreed to adopt the continental-wide African Green Stimulus Programme to support the continent’s recovery to the devastating socio-economic and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 in a sustainable manner,” she told the delegates.

AMCEN’s mandate is to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa, ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner.

It also aims to ensure that social and economic development is realised and that agricultural activities and practices meet the food security needs of the region.

“This pandemic has affected all facets of our lives and I wish to extend my condolences to all those who have lost loved ones, friends and colleagues.”

Since last year, she said the conference had decided to respond to the impact of the pandemic in such a way that it will inspire hope.

“In line with this year’s theme for the 18th Ordinary Session of AMCEN, ‘Securing people’s well-being and ensuring environmental sustainability in Africa’, securing and restoring people’s livelihoods should be a priority in the wake of this pandemic.”

United Nation’s Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, said Africa suffered the most from the climate crisis, from nature and biodiversity to the pollution crisis.

“It is a crisis that we have to face while dealing with the ongoing human and economic tragedy of COVID-19,” she said, adding that the pandemic has erased nearly 5% of per capita income in Africa, while food prices are soaring globally.

According to Andersen, if the green stimulus measure is done right, it could boost the economy in the short term, deliver growth pathways that are sustainable and mitigate environmental degradation.

All of these “wins” would deliver livelihoods, food security, economic prosperity and peace.

She described the stimulus programme as a critical step in taking advantage of this opportunity.

“The programme hits all the right notes climate action, air quality, land restoration, biodiversity, blue economy, green cities and so on,” Andersen added.

Creecy said it has been an honour and privilege to preside over the August Conference over the past two years and extended her best wishes to her successor, Minister Abdul Karim Sall of Senegal.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Posted on

Wife remanded in custody for conspiracy to commit murder

Yesterday, 15 September 2021 the Hawks members from the Pietermaritzburg Serious Organised Crime Investigation arrested Mbalenhle Xaba (39) for conspiracy to commit murder and fraud after they received information about a wife who hired a hitman to kill her husband at Estcourt area.

It is alleged that the couple was in the process of filing divorce papers when she decided to kill him. In November 2020, Xaba allegedly bought a motor vehicle and handed it over to the hired hitman as payment. The said hitman did not execute the hit, as a result Xaba demanded the vehicle back in order to give it to another hitman.

The matter was reported to the Hawks members and an intensive investigation was conducted. Xaba was then arrested and charged accordingly. She appeared in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court yesterday and was remanded in custody. The case was postponed to 21 September 2021.

Source: South African Police Service

Posted on

Government funding comes to the aid of small business

Government’s funding through the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) to a small and developing small businesses, has provided a much needed lifeline for these companies.

For Bizrocket Trade and Projects, the assistance came at a time when it was most needed.

In a recent address to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that government continues to implement measures to assist households, employees and businesses that have been affected by the pandemic and by public violence incidents that took place in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in July.

The Silverton, Pretoria based company received R80 000 from government to enable it to continue with its business operations at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to badger the world.

The 100% black owned entity which currently employs five permanent staff members, was established in 2013 by 33-year-old entrepreneur Happy Shabangu.

The company which was formed as a branding, promotions and supply business, was like many others, affected by the lockdown and civil unrest witnessed in the two provinces.

“We received R80 000 which was a COVID-19 relief loan from SEFA. This money was used to buy more sewing machines to meet the increased demand of cloth facemasks.

“The demand for what we normally do, that is, corporate clothing and school uniforms, dropped dramatically during the hard lockdown and as such we had to look into other opportunities. We started manufacturing products like cloth masks and disposable masks and sanitisers to keep the business afloat,” says Shabangu.

As many other companies would attest, COVID-19 also led to constant production interruptions as a result of workers infected by the virus.

“This meant we could not meet some deadlines,” he said, adding that the unrest experienced in the two provinces led to the company’s suppliers shutting down. This meant that the company could not obtain the necessary material for production and fell behind on production, which in turn, resulted in delayed payments from its clients.

Currently the company is looking at securing more sustainable contracts to increase its capacity to deliver more and on time to their clients while also creating more permanent jobs.

The funding injection has led to the company being able to operate machinery for 24-hours in a bid to meet clients’ demands.

“Currently we have five permanent staff members and when we receive more orders, we employ more temporary staff to enable us to meet clients’ orders. We looking forward to employing more permanent staff members,” he says.

Schools, which place orders for school jerseys as well as government departments, which place orders for facemasks, are the company’s main clients. The company also does work for private companies, stokvels and social clubs. In the past 14 to 18 months, the company manufactured over 300 000 cloth masks for both government and private sector companies.

Adapting to a changing environment

“That changed our line of business a little bit to adapt to COVID-19. That means we have to do something we have not done previously. The manufacturing of face masks, that is the business our government helped [us] to secure. The Department of Small Business came to us with a list of clients,” he said.

During a visit to the company’s business premises, staff were hard at work to meet pressing deadlines.

Shabangu’s wife, Thoko, who is also the company’s Operations Manager has been with the company since 2016, and cannot imagine working anywhere else.

“I don’t see myself doing something else other than working here,” she said.

The Operations Manager, who learned to operate machinery on the job, also provides training to staff members.

To date, the company has 52 machines of which 40 are used for embroidery purposes.

Access to funding is one of the biggest hurdles for small business in South Africa. In response to this challenge, SEFA continues to provide assistance to build sustainable businesses, through repayable loans.

SEFA’s core function is to foster the establishment, development and growth of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and co-operatives, and to contribute towards poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth.

While the company has faced challenges in the past several months, it remains resolute to create more jobs for the community.

“During the past few months, we had challenges but with the support we received from our government we are looking to grow the business. The company is committed to the creation of jobs for the community,” he says.

To adapt to a changing environment, the company also intends to introduce more technology as a way to increase its manufacturing capacity.

While the country continues to face unemployment challenges that are further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, initiatives run by agencies such as the SEFA are making much needed difference in the lives of businesses.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Posted on

Deputy Minister Thembi Siweya and Premier Zamani Saul relaunch the Manne Dipico Thusong Centre in Kimberly, 17 Sept

The Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Ms. Thembi Siweya, and Premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, will officially relaunch the Manne Dipico Thusong Centre in Kimberly on 17 September 2021. The centre was recently refurbished and reopened for the public to access various government services.

The centre houses multiple government services that include applications for social grants, identity documents, and municipal and library services.

On the day of the launch, a mobile vaccine site will be set up to encourage members of the public to vaccinate and contribute towards population immunity. Young people will also have an opportunity to register for elections at the invited IEC mobile stall.

Deputy Minister Siweya and Premier Saul will be accompanied by members of the provincial executive committee, local mayor and senior officials from various government departments.

Source: Government of South Africa

Posted on

Collaboration key to crime fighting in Gauteng

Gauteng Premier David Makhura says collaboration between law enforcement agencies and private security companies is critical for crime fighting.

He was speaking during the Operation O Kae Molao road safety and crime prevention blitz in Soweto.

“The police have been working with private security companies… on specific crimes and they committed to also help track perpetrators of specific crimes. We will see much more improved security and public safety when we see cooperation between law enforcement agencies and private security companies. They have done it before and they worked very well even when they were dealing with unrests,” he said.

Makhura also emphasised the importance of ensuring rigorous investigatons in order to secure convictions against those accused of crime.

“It doesn’t help to arrest a lot of people but then when they appear in court, proper detective work has not been done. We do want our police and crime intelligence to also shape up,” he said.

The Premier acknowledged internal weaknesses within law enforcement in the province but said these were being ironed out.

“We used to have serious weaknesses in the leadership of the [police] and all the units like the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) and crime intelligence. So we met with all of them… and we can see the results of their actions. In Gauteng, there are major improvements with regard to crime intelligence and the Hawks in the province are also shaping up,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency