SAnews - Features

30 Years: reflections on SARS

Neo — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:20:13 +0000

30 Years: reflections on SARS

While having to engage with the taxman may conjure up feelings for some of going to the dentist to have a tooth pulled - the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has played a crucial role in where South Africa is today.

As the country turns 30 years old under a democratic dispensation, it reaches this milestone with the existence of institutions like the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

State capture may perhaps be the first thing to come to mind when thinking of the revenue service; closely followed by how unfair it may feel to pay taxes.

“What became increasingly clear as the Nugent hearings continued and was further underlined during the Zondo Commission proceedings which got underway in August 2018, was that the capture of SARS was part of a wider plan to capture the state,” said the revenue service in its anniversary book to commemorate 25 years of its existence.

While it did go through a grim period characterised by what it termed as “a significant loss of talent, marginalisation of staff, complete collapse of governance, as well as a lack of trust by citizens,” SARS still managed to make it through the rough years.

At a recent media briefing to release the preliminary revenue outcome for the 2023/24 financial year, SARS said state capture left the organisation in “distress and severely compromised.“We embarked on a journey to re-imagine the organisation. SARS is succeeding in its strategic intent of building a tax and customs system that is based on voluntary compliance and sharpening its capability aimed at deterrence of wilful non-compliance,” it said at the briefing held in Pretoria.

It added that the process of rebuilding entailed broadening the tax base, instilling, and improving a culture of voluntary compliance and fiscal citizenship as well as data and technology to optimally deliver “on our mandate and working with all stakeholders in the tax ecosystem and fostering trust and confidence on SARS.”

It was imperative for SARS - of which its higher purpose is to enable government to build a capable state, foster sustainable economic growth and social development that serves the wellbeing of all South Africans - to overcome this hurdle.

More so, for an institution that has collected R21.6 trillion in net tax revenues since its inception.

“The R21.6 trillion tax collections represents a compound growth of 9.9% per year since the inception of SARS in 1997. This has funded the South African democracy and touched the lives of millions who would be destitute without government support and services. We, who have the privilege to work at SARS are justly proud of these achievements because these efforts contribute directly to nation-building and sustain our democracy,” SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said.

This as tax revenue collections have increased from R114 billion in 1994/95, at a compounded annual growth rate of 9.9% and an average tax-to- gross domestic product ratio of 22.2%.

Speaking at the 25-year celebrations of the existence of SARS in October 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the encouraging progress of rebuilding SARS was evidence that it is possible to rebuild “ourselves from the deep damage we suffered during state capture.”

Evolution

While some taxpayers intentionally do not look at the tax portion of their payslips, paying one’s share of tax is vital in closing the very real inequality gap that continues to exist in the country.

And thanks to innovation made at the revenue service, it has become far easier for taxpayers to pay their taxes.

The days of completing a paper-based tax return are all but gone.

That laborious exercise has been replaced by a sleek process where most citizens are now able to receive a pre-populated tax return that can be completed and submitted online in a matter of minutes, thanks to eFiling.

But just how did we get to where we are today?

SARS was formed out of the amalgamation of the segregated revenue services of the apartheid-based Bantustans, as well as the Departments of Inland Revenue and Customs.

Following the historic elections in which South Africans of all races could vote in April 1994, work to build a better country for not just a few but for all, went into full steam.

“The new democratic government inherited a moribund economy deeply in debt and an inefficient Revenue and Customs system that was incapable of providing the tax needed by the democratic government to meet the developmental needs of all its people. In particular, the democratic government faced the challenge of ratcheting up service delivery to address the socio-economic backlogs in education, housing, health care, water supply, electricity supply and sanitation, amongst others,” noted the revenue service in its anniversary book.

In 1995, the then democratic Cabinet approved a two-step approach to the administrative autonomy of what would become SARS.

That process entailed the moving of the directorates of Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise out of the Ministry of Finance to the South African Revenue Service. The birth of the revenue service came in October 1997.

SARS - which is not only mandated to collect all revenues due and ensure compliance with tax, customs and excise legislation -- was formally established as an organ of state within the public administration, as an institution outside the public service.

Following that, government had the job of instilling a culture of tax compliance which was lacking in the country.

Change was needed and over the years, several steps were taken to “broaden the tax base, amongst others, these included legislative changes, service improvements, compliance strategies and enforcement actions,” said SARS.

Examples of the steps taken include the closing of legislative loopholes for abuse, tax amnesties (1995 and 1996, foreign exchange amnesty of 2003) and the introduction of Capital Gains Tax in 2001.

Modernisation

What was also a challenge for the leaders at SARS at the time, was “the fact that all processes inherited from the past were still manual and paper based” with returns having to be mailed to individual taxpayers.

Previously, filing one’s tax return involved the filling in of a minimum 12 pages to be tax compliant.

To reduce the paper-based processes, a new income tax system (NITS) was implemented in 1999. Increasing online business transactions, enhancing productivity as well as creating a more stable income tax system by reducing human intervention and improving data integrity were the main objectives of the new system.

“It was not until the launch of the Modernisation Programme in 2007 that SARS would finally be able to overcome the paper challenge,” it said.

In 1998, South Africa began collecting VAT at Southern African Customs Union borders. According to SARS, prior to 1994, these ports of entry were mainly managed by the South African Police, the South African Defence Force and Home Affairs (mainly for political control) and no revenue was collected.

Although a number a changes had been introduced after 1997, the revenue service found itself to be still “bureaucratic” and issues such as inadequate service to taxpayers and no standardisation of processes were still bugbears.

This led to the establishment of the Siyakha programme – which is isiZulu for “we are building”. The programme was set up to improve the performance of the organisation and to standardise and centralise key processes.

Its main objective was to radically transform SARS into a modern revenue authority aimed at creating a service culture that focused on the needs of the taxpayer, based on the principle that good service would facilitate tax compliance.

“The significance of Siyakha was that it would lay the foundation for the automation of processes and the modernisation programmes which began in 2007,” said the revenue service.

Around 2004, the Filing Season initiative was born and over the years it became one of the biggest, regular annual engagements that an organ of government had with citizens, apart from the national, provincial and local government elections.

As the years went by, SARS saw a “massive growth” in its taxpayer base and an increase in compliance, resulting in the receipt of high volumes of paper returns and supporting documents which still needed to be processed manually.

“As the organisation approached its tenth anniversary in an era of rapid technological advancement, the pressure mounted for a move from manual and paper-based processes to digital transactions," said the revenue service in its book.

In the modernisation years between 2007-2014, some of the key milestones SARS reached include the introduction of eFiling in 2007 which was at first for the submission of personal income tax returns.

It was then rolled out in phases for Company Income Tax, VAT, Dividends Tax and Transfer Duty amongst others. It was critical to reducing the volume of paper that hampered efficiency, service and compliance.

“Other enhancements introduced in 2007 relating to the submission of Personal Income Tax returns included redesigning the return to two pages, using third party data verification and introducing scanning of returns in branches.”

“In 2008, SARS ramped up the changes, including the pre-population of returns on eFiling, based on third-party data supplied by employers. Employers could submit information to SARS through the new e@syFile channel developed by SARS and provided to employers free of charge,” it said.

The following year, more than three million individual taxpayers used eFiling, experiencing a massive improvement in ease, convenience, and improved turnaround times, especially in the payment of refunds.

The number of taxpayers visiting SARS branches began to drop and the number of printed returns reduced, “which meant a huge saving for SARS and represented a major environmental benefit.

“Today, almost 100% of all returns are filed electronically. The changes introduced in 2007 not only delivered benefits to taxpayers, but improved SARS’s ability to become more effective in detecting and deterring non-compliance and fraud. It allowed SARS to change its approach to monitoring compliance, from gatekeeper to risk manager,” said the revenue service.

The revenue service noted that by the end of the 2010 financial year, there was a significant increase in the use of electronic channels by taxpayers. An 82.6% growth was achieved in the electronic submission of returns as a result of processing efficiencies and automation.

South Africans also benefit from the existence of the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) that was established in October 2013 to enhance the tax administration system.

Prior to the establishment of this office, there was no independent channel of independent redress for taxpayers who had exhausted the normal complaints mechanisms. The office is independent of but funded through SARS.

Last year, the OTO celebrated a decade existence.

Indeed, the revenue service forms an important part of our democracy. -SAnews.gov.za

Neo Mon, 04/08/2024 - 14:20

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A look into the Public Service: 30 years into democracy

Neo — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 09:51:06 +0000

A look into the Public Service: 30 years into democracy

Despite regularly receiving some tongue-lashing in the court of public opinion, many public servants have made an indelible mark in moving the country forward.

They do this with the recognition that an effective public service is a key cog in delivering services that improve the lives of citizens.

The Principal of the National School of Government (NSG), Professor Busani Ngcaweni said despite the many challenges facing the Public Service, public administration “is on an upward trajectory”.

As the country moves towards 30 years of democracy, Ngcaweni noted that despite some negative public sentiment on its efficacy, the Public Service has evolved a lot over the past 29-years. In the early years of democracy, government had a mammoth task of putting in place an inclusive public service to serve all South Africans, including setting up democratic institutions.

The journey

Ngcaweni described the first public service, under former President Nelson Mandela, as “characterised by phenomenal growth and achievement,” adding that it was an intense period with rapid transformation. “We had to transform the character of the Public Service, to serve more citizens. We had to transform and create one administration.” He said the second generation (from 2008 to 2004) in public administration was that of both elected and appointed officials who worked to consolidate the gains of the first administration.

Government, through public servants, worked hard to come up with programmes that continue to benefit South Africans. “So, for example, during that first 10 years of democracy, you see the consolidation and expansion of the social security system. They did not hire consulting firms to create that system, it was created by public administrators,” he added.

It was during this time that the country hosted major conferences, including like the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) conference that led to the transformation of the then OAU into the African Union, and the World Racism Conference.

“This redefined South Africa in the eyes of the global community and of course there were laws that were legislated and implemented such as the Employment Equity Act, [1998 (Act 55 of 1998)] and the BEE [Black Economic Empowerment] and we were beginning to see a major growth as well in terms of black people who were working formally in the labour market,” he said.

Highlights from the third administration, led by former President Thabo Mbeki, include preparations for the country to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup – backed by a growing economy. Public servants continued to offer innovative ways of delivering service to South Africans.

“We even launched the indigent project where those who were residing in municipalities [and] could not pay could be placed on the indigent register,” explained Ngcaweni.

The fourth administration, under former President Jacob Zuma’s leadership, saw the world cup being hosted on African soil for the first time.

“This world cup was prepared for by public servants. They worked on it, set up new institutions like the [National] Planning Commission, set up departments like [The Department of Performance] Monitoring and Evaluation”.

In 2009, government introduced a new approach to the treatment and management of HIV and AIDS, saving lives of many South Africans and paving way for better approaches in fighting the scourge.

Today, HIV positive South Africans have access to anti-retroviral drugs irrespective of their CD4 count.

Stumbling block

The global financial crisis in 2008 had a negative impact on the country’s economy. Ngcaweni noted that the country has still not fully recovered from the crisis.

“There was a major reversal we entered the period of care and maintenance for most of the problems of government,” said the head of the NSG.

The fifth administration continued with care and maintenance and there “was a kind of turmoil in public administration during that period”.

“We ended up having state capture and we had instability in many institutions of state and that took away the ability of public administrators to perform diligently.”

“But there was still some good things that were happening, like Operation Phakisa during that period but the focus just changed, there was major disruption in terms of people being focused and we didn’t do as much to recover the lost ground in terms of the economy,” he said.

An initiative of government, Operation Phakisa was designed to fast-track the implementation of solutions on critical development issues highlighted in the country’s National Development Plan (NDP).

The NDP is the country’s long-term plan for national development. It provides guidance for all Government policy formulation and implementation.

According to Ngcaweni the sixth administration is “more about rebuilding”.

Professionalisation of the public service

Ngcaweni’s assessment of the Public Service comes on the heels of the NSG having celebrated a decade of existence in October 2023. The milestone comes after the approval of the National Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service.

The institution is an essential part of the professionalisation of the Public Service.

“In 2020/21, the NSG was training 12 000 people, today we are training 85 000 people and that change is because there is a national movement to build state capacity and everyone in the Public Service must return to school,” said Ngcaweni.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSG built an e-learning platform to allow public servants to access training remotely.

Political principals are also benefiting from programmes offered by the NSG and according to Ngcaweni, Ministers are the school’s “big clients” while the President and Deputy President attend their courses virtually.

Training also extends across political parties and traditional leaders.

He reiterated the importance of continuous learning among public servants.

“Public servants must see themselves as pilots and cabin crew. For you to retain your license as a crew member or to be in the cockpit, you must constantly return to the simulator because flight conditions are changing all the time,” he added.

Another project that the school is focusing on in order to strengthen the Public Service is the the Nyukela Public Service SMS Pre-entry Programme. Ngcaweni revealed that plans are underway to extend the programme to Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors.

He noted that there were some aspects of the National Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Service that required the amendment of legislation.

“Three pieces of legislation are currently in Parliament for amendment to give effect to the framework – the Public Service Commission Bill, the Public Administration Management Amendment Bill and the Public Service Amendment Bill.”

Ethics and good governance

On what constitutes good governance, Ngcaweni said “It is about doing the right thing that serves the public even when no one is watching you. It must have an impact on those you are serving”.

He added that it is unethical for public servants to fail to deliver services when they have the means and resources. He is of the view that ethics can be taught and has emphasised the need for a national campaign.

“What teaching ethics means is that you make people aware of what is unethical. You give them the tools and the confidence of making decisions that are correct”.

Time at the NSG

Appointed to the top position in March 2020, Ngcaweni said his time in office has been a “roller-coaster with designing new programmes and implementing them”.

He is a hands-on leader.

“I made a decision that I am not going to demand from my colleagues what I am not going to be doing. I spend a lot of time in classrooms, boardrooms and in workshops leading from the front”.

The future of the public service

Almost 30 years into democracy, what does the future hold for the public service? Ngcaweni believes the future is bright. He urged public servants to use available information like the Census 2022 results to reflect on what has been achieved since 1994 and what needs to be done.

“The bigger question is whether we will be able to sustain the momentum as public servants. “We cannot continue to bask in the glory of those who have achieved what is contained in the Census [2022 report] and not think about what will we, as a generation of public administrators, achieve. “If we mess up institutions and if we squander public administration, 30 years later we will be in a different shape,” he concluded. -SAnews.gov.za

Neo Tue, 02/20/2024 - 11:51

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Taking stock of the sixth administration

Neo — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:11:53 +0000

Taking stock of the sixth administration

Thursday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the last one to be made by the sixth administration.

The President - in his capacity as Head of State and government - will deliver the annual SONA at 7pm, before a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

Just as individuals usually make a list of their goals at the start of each year, and the steps they need to take to attain them, the SONA similarly sets out government’s key policy objectives as well as deliverables for the year ahead.

The President is expected to reflect on the gains made and the areas that still need attention since the last SONA.

However, having been inaugurated as President on 25 May 2019, President Ramaphosa is also likely to look back on the term of his administration.

According to the Presidency, this administration “took office with a mandate to grow the economy, create employment and reduce poverty.” It was also tasked with putting an end to corruption as well as “restoring the integrity and capability of public institutions.”

Government has over the years made progress in improving the lives of those within the borders of South Africa.

Advancements have been made in the key priorities of growing the economy and job creation, building better lives, making communities safer and fighting crime.

Over the years, irrespective of the administration at the helm, an inclusive economy in which all South Africans can partake in, has and continues to be a top issue for government.

Fixing the economy and load shedding

In order to grow the economy, reliable energy supply is essential and energy security is cited in the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP). In July 2022, government launched the Energy Action Plan (EAP). The EAP is a set of steps to be taken to address load shedding.

Government has amended Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act to remove the licencing requirement for generation projects to accelerate private investment.

By September 2023, more than 100 projects were at various stages of development, representing over 10 000 megawatts of new generation capacity and over R200 billion in private sector investment.

Other steps taken to reform the electricity sector include the tabling of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill in Parliament.

In addition, progress continues to be made towards the unbundling of Eskom, with the newly established National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) obtaining its operating, trading, and import and export licences from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa in September 2023, allowing the company to operate independently from the power utility. This as government works to separate Eskom into the Generation, Distribution and Transmission entities. Last month, Eskom announced the appointment of the National Transmission Company of South Africa board.

This is one of the most important pillars of Eskom’s legal separation which will “create a level playing field to enable competition in electricity generation, as a key step towards energy security,” noted the 'Leave No One Behind 2024 – A Five-Year Review', document released by the Presidency earlier this week.

The sixth administration also oversaw the appointment of Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, in March last year as part of efforts to address power cuts and to expedite government’s work to ensure the full implementation of the EAP.

At a recent media briefing on the implementation of the plan, Ramokgopa said that work continues to address partial load losses – that is, when Eskom’s generating units do not produce the full capacity, they were intended to.

In November 2023, South Africa received the first consignment of 450 gasoline generators donated by the People’s Republic of China. The donation formed part of the Technical Assistance Programme that was entered into in August 2023 during China’s Head of State Visit to South Africa.

Jobs and investment

The ERRP was government’s response to the severe health, social and economic effects of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.

Announced in 2020, the plan was founded on engagements among social partners, including government, labour, business and community-based organisations.

October 2023 marked three years since government embarked on the plan, which outlined the actions to rebuild the economy and create jobs in the wake of the pandemic.

The government has put in place the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI). Through the initiative announced in 2020, at least 135 000 earning opportunities were secured by young people.

On Tuesday, the President held a presidential youth engagement in Cape Town reflecting on the three years since the initiation of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) and PYEI.

According to the Presidency, the PES and PYEI programmes have “collectively generated over 1.8 million job opportunities and provided livelihood support, predominantly benefiting young individuals”.

The sixth administration also oversaw the successful raising of the R1.2 trillion worth of investments over five years that President Ramaphosa announced in 2018.

Held annually over the past five years, the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) surpassed the initial R1.2 trillion target to reach R1.51 trillion in investment pledges. To date, there are concrete results of how the pledges made at the conference are changing lives and creating employment.

The review document notes that of the commitments made, over R500 billion has already flowed into the economy.

Having made pledges continually at the SAIC, Procter &Gamble in November 2023 launched a state-of-the-art production line of Pampers Premium Care which the President attended in Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni.

Another company which pledged R135 million at last year’s SAIC is also making good on its commitment.

In October 2023, energy company, Ener-G-Africa, launched an energy-efficient cook stove manufacturing line in Paarl, and expanded its solar panel production line from 15MW to 500MW capacity.

The company pledged R135 million in the production of small solar PV panels and solar cooking appliances at their women-led production facility in Cape Town.

AfCFTA

President Ramaphosa also oversaw the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as Chairperson of the African Union, which is currently the largest free trade area in the world. The AfCFTA which entered into force in May 2019, is expected to boost trade and economic growth on the continent.

Trading under the AfCFTA regime commenced January 2021 and last month South Africa practically realised the AfCFTA agreement. This as the President officiated the launch of the first export shipment of goods produced by South African companies destined for other African countries from KwaZulu-Natal’s Durban port.

Better lives and education

On building better lives, the current administration introduced the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for the first time in the country’s history, guaranteeing a minimum floor below which no worker may be paid with the coming into effect of the minimum wage on 1 January 2019.

The President had announced its coming into effect in December 2018.

Back in 2019, the minimum wage was set at R20 an hour and has increased over the years. Currently standing at R25,42 the minimum wage will increase to R27,58 for each ordinary hour worked with effect from 1 March 2024.

Click here for more on the “National minimum wage increases”.

To ensure healthcare for all, Parliament passed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill last year after it was introduced in 2019. The Bill aims to provide free health care at the point of care for all South Africans. In preparation for the NHI, Health Patient Registration Systems have been installed in over 3 200 facilities.

Meanwhile, social grants for people most affected by COVID-19 were expanded, including the Special Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant, which reached around 11 million unemployed people.

On the education front, no-fee schools which government introduced in 2007 have continued to ensure that children get access to schooling. To date, the number of learners that are not required to pay school fees increased from 71% to 75% in 2021.

In addition, the latest matric pass rate, at 82.9%, is the highest ever, up from 78% ten years ago. Learners from no-fee paying schools accounted for more than 65% of the total bachelor passes obtained. The percentage of learners who completed 12 years of education rose from 45% in 2008 to 62% in 2022.

Safer communities

The sixth administration has increased the number of police officers including the recruitment of 20 000 police trainees and an additional 4 000 public order policing members in 2022 and 2023.

In addition, 20 specialised South African Police Service Economic Infrastructure Task Teams have been established to work with business, private security and state-owned enterprises to tackle illegal mining, construction site extortion, cable theft and vandalism of economic infrastructure.

The review noted that by November 2023, the teams had made over 4 000 arrests for damage of critical infrastructure, 70 arrests for extortion at construction sites and over 3 000 arrests for illegal mining, and confiscated significant quantities of copper cable, rail tracks and other metals.

Government also launched the Border Management Authority as the third armed force to manage and secure the country’s borders, providing a vital link in government’s efforts to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

On tackling gender-based violence and femicide(GBV), he National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence was developed, together with civil society, as a society-wide response to this national emergency. Around R21 billion has been dedicated over the medium term to the implementation of the six pillars of the plan, including the economic empowerment of women.

Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has achieved an average conviction rate of 94% in femicide prosecutions and 75% in sexual offences prosecutions since 2019.

In addition, the GBVF Response Fund 1 was launched, which raised R200 million from the private sector for community-based organisations combating GBV. In the first year of the Fund’s operation, 53 community-based organisations were funded, reaching 280 000 participants.

Fighting corruption

The NPA Investigating Directorate was established to prosecute state capture and other significant corruption cases.

To date, the Investigating Directorate has taken 34 state capture and corruption cases to court, involving 203 accused persons and 65 accused entities. The NPA has also secured the conviction of over 500 government officials and nearly 800 in the private sector on offences related to corruption since 2019.

In addition, a SIU Special Tribunal was appointed to expedite civil claims against corrupt individuals and the recovery of stolen funds. Since its establishment, it has recovered over R8.6 billion.

As the country prepares for its 30 years of freedom celebration, the sixth administration has certainly done its bit in a challenging environment. -SAnews.gov.za

Neo Wed, 02/07/2024 - 15:11

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Celebrating SA’s firefighters

Neo — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 09:18:13 +0000

Celebrating SA’s firefighters

South Africa’s deployment of firefighters internationally this year, has yet again proven that our country’s ability for wildfire firefighting is becoming more and more recognised.

“Our multiple deployments to Canada in 2023, is a vote of confidence in our wildfire firefighting capacity and abilities. We must be extremely proud of our deployees who have been selected,” Working on Fire Managing Director Trevor Abrahams told SAnews.

Working on Fire (WoF) has had four deployments of firefighters and management to Canada since June 2023.

Abrahams who was the leader of the first group to head to Canada on 3 June, said 2023 has been Canada’s worst fires season in recorded history. The north American country has had over 6330 fires which have destroyed at least 17 hectares of forest.

Working on Fire is an Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) aimed at providing work opportunities to young men and women. It resides under and is funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

Asked about the process followed prior to the deployment of teams, Abrahams said firefighters and management within WoF were given an opportunity to apply to be placed provided that they met the minimum criteria.

The criteria that firefighters needed to meet included being in possession of a valid passport; being qualified with a minimum of three-years of firefighting experience, as well as being in possession of a valid yellow card.

A yellow card in South Africa indicates that one has undergone recurrency certification and is fit to be on the fire line and trained in the use of Canadian water pump machines.

All WoF teams were assembled in Mbombela in Mpumalanga at the Kishugu Training Academy, where they underwent a three-day refresher training camp prior to departure.

This year’s deployment was the fifth collaboration between South Africa and Canada in terms of the exchange of personnel. Previous deployments to Canada were in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021.

Memorandum of Understanding and deployment

The deployment of South African wildland firefighters to Canada came in response to a request for assistance from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) in terms of the existing emorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the governments of the two countries.

Signed in 2019, the MOU provides for the exchange of wildland fire management resources between the two countries.

Working on Fire has had four deployments totalling 860 firefighters and management to Canada since June and Abrahams whose team returned on 8 July 2023, said South African firefighters received “huge” praise from Canadian wildfire authorities as well as other international firefighters who were deployed in Canada.

Bringing the fiery South African soul to camp

“Our firefighters were lauded for their energy, their strong work ethic and observance of safety measures on the fire line, as well as for the way they have accustomed themselves to the conditions in Canada, where wildland firefighting conditions are different from what they were used to in South Africa.”

He added that the 2023 deployment was the largest ever with 30% of the deployed personnel being women.

The teams were hailed for their commitment and atmosphere they brought to the firefighting camps.

“Their infectious spirit, witnessed through viral videos on social media, ignited international curiosity about these dedicated South Africans who journeyed thousands of kilometres to confront Canada's wildfire challenge.”

He adds that firefighters from the United States, Australia, France, Mexico, South Korea and Portugal among others, joined in the firefighting efforts.

He said the South African firefighters’ dancing and singing prior to going to the fire line and when returning in the afternoons had made them a great hit.

“This rich harmony of our firefighters who come from all over South Africa, with different languages and cultural practices, has also served as an inspiration for many Canadians. Singing and dancing is part of our tradition and even at wildfires in South Africa. Our firefighters are doing this as part of preparing themselves mentally for the day’s work and to show unity and commitment. It serves to uplift them but also importantly, to raise the morale of the communities and land owners where they go to fight wildfires.”

A different terrain

As the second largest country in the world and one of the world’s most forested countries, Canada's “massive fires are quite different from what we are used to fight in South Africa,” Abrahams said.

“In South Africa, wildland fires are typically much smaller than those seen in Canada and without nearly as much fuel, and they're usually fought by firefighters carrying backpacks with 20 liters of water and tankers nearby to resupply them. Fire beaters and rakes are also a common part of the equipment carried by South African firefighters during wildland fires here at home.

“Fuel loads are also quite different as in South Africa our firefighters encounter mostly fynbos, veld, grassland, and vegetation fires, as well as forest fires in commercial plantations, whereas in Canada, it is the forest fires which are the predominant fuel which is burning,” he explained.

In addition, Canada arms its firefighters with more advanced and detailed weather forecasts, and with information on moisture content in vegetation, to predict fire behaviour at any point in time. The Incident commanders also use infrared scans to identify hot spots — technology not routinely used in South Africa.

“Canadian fires also have different features from fires in South Africa, with smoldering peat fires that can burn below ground in the Canada woods. Safety risks are also different in that the shallow plate root system of Canadian arboreal forests results in huge trees toppling over after fires have affected their shallow root system.”

He adds that the Canadian deployments have become routine enough that Working on Fire trains its firefighters in how to operate a particular pump that is a fixture in fighting Canadian fires, but little used back home.

“Our firefighters adjusted to these differences fast, and our crews are divided into smaller teams who work in different areas, and we team experienced firefighters with those new to Canada.

“While South Africa’s wildland fires do not (yet) take on the dimensions of some of the fires experienced in Canada, the experience in being deployed amongst international teams results in learning how to fight mega fires; learning different weather patterns; learning different techniques when dealing with ‘fuel types’ not experienced in South Africa,” he said.

Climate change

Asked about how climate change is affecting the work of firefighters, Abrahams said the Canadian wildfires and the deadly and catastrophic wildfires seen in Maui (Hawaii), Algeria, and Europe and those seen in the North West and Free State provinces are “sounding alarm bells on the growing risks posed by global warming and climate change and warning governments across the world to put in place wildfire risk reduction measures.”

His comments come amidst the recent fires that hit Simon’s Town and the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM).

“With global warming propelling climate change, temperatures will rise over the next couple of decades which will lead to dryer conditions, and this will lead to more frequent fires fuelled by hotter conditions as temperatures rise.

“Meteorologists and weather experts have all concluded that a combination of climate change and the global weather phenomenon El Niño is believed to be contributing to these extreme weather events.”

He added that South Africa has not and will not be spared these impacts of climate change.

“The 2022 catastrophic and unprecedented flooding experienced in KwaZulu Natal has been widely attributed in part to the impact of climate change.

“The 2023 released UN [United Nations] Environment programme (UNEP) study on climate change, ‘Spreading Like Wildfire’ suggests that the increase in extreme wildland fires is likely to grow by 14% by 2030, 30% by 2050 and 50% by the end of the century,” he adds.

“It is our belief that these successful 2023 Canadian deployments will go a long way in ensuring that our firefighters and management are more capable and ready to respond to mega wildfire threats in South Africa.” - SAnews.gov.za

Neo Thu, 12/28/2023 - 11:18

28792 views

AGOA illustrates inter-dependence of Africa and the US

Neo — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:08:32 +0000

AGOA illustrates inter-dependence of Africa and the US

The African Growth and Opportunities Act exemplifies the growing inter-dependence between African countries and the United States of America.

“AGOA exemplifies the growing inter-dependence between Africa and the US. Don’t forget there are 40 million African Americans in the US,” says honourary Professor of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, John Stremlau.

The act is an initiative of the United States and is aimed at giving duty-free market access for producers in eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, AGOA has been at the core of US economic policy as well as commercial engagement with the African continent. The Office of the United States Trade Representative further adds that by “providing new market opportunities, AGOA has helped bolster economic growth, promoted economic and political reform, and improved US economic relations in the region”.

South Africa hosted the 20th AGOA Forum in early November. The three-day session held in Johannesburg followed on the short, physical meeting held in Washington DC, in the US in December 2022.

One wouldn’t have been wrong to wonder how the meeting - which alternates between the US and the African continent annually - would pan out, given what appeared to be strained relations between South Africa and the US. This, following the Lady R matter in which US Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, accused South Africa of having weapons intended for Russia, loaded onto the container ship that docked near Cape Town in December last year.

However, an independent panel appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa found no evidence that weapons had been loaded.

Despite the outcome of the panel, the seeds of doubt had already been sown and what followed was a wait-and-see game of how the meeting would unfold, despite Cabinet’s welcoming of the acknowledgement of US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, of the seriousness with which President Ramaphosa had addressed the matter. In a statement in October, Cabinet welcomed the affirmation of the strong relations between South Africa and the United States.

In October, Sullivan spoke to President Ramaphosa’s National Security Advisor Sydney Mufamadi and the two officials reaffirmed the strong relations between the two countries.

In an interview with SAnews, Stremlau reflected on relations between South Africa and the US recalling how then US President Ronald Reagan in 1986 vetoed a bill that would have imposed sanctions on the apartheid government of the day. However, the US Congress overruled the President and sanctions were imposed.

“…South Africa is a really special case for America because of its own history of racism and South Africa’s history of racism… and the fact that you have Joe Biden in the White House now, who championed the overturning of the Reagan veto back in 1986 for the comprehensive ending [of] apartheid legislation that imposed sanctions on South Africa.”

He added that while there was a “sordid history” in which he was referring to “the tacit alliance between the Apartheid regime and successive US regimes during the Cold War era but also reflective of racism that was the sediments of slavery in the US that are ebbing but still pollute politics there,” the two countries “are moving on.”

“AGOA exemplifies the current complexity of the relations between the US and South Africa which have been good in the fundamental sense but strained over Russia and I suppose now the Israel –Palestine [matter],” Stremlau explained.

Enacted in 2000, the Act has been at the core of US economic policy and commercial engagement with Africa.

“The point is that both for the US and for South Africa, this relationship is important and was reaffirmed by the US Special Trade Representative Catherine Tai when she came here for the forum and by [Trade, Industry and Competition] Minister Ebrahim Patel and everyone else in the government.”

In a recent Cabinet statement, government asserted that AGOA provides an opportunity for the US to strengthen its economic relationship with Africa.

“And even though the South Africans and the Americans agree to disagree on Russia, which is a peripheral issue, it’s not the peripheral issue for the Ukrainians or the United States… and I think that’s the maturity in the relationship that you can differ on particular policies but still maintain the overall relationship and for AGOA, South Africa is the most important country,” he explained.

Impact

Currently, 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been designated as eligible for AGOA benefits and Stremlau shared his thoughts on whether the Act has lived up to expectations.

“For Lesotho’s textile exports, it’s been a boon. It may be a possible example of where China, the US and African countries can have a positive sum game going. The point is, some countries have benefitted a lot; other countries not so much.

“South Africa is the biggest economic partner of America in Africa with 600 US companies operating here and vis-a-vie exports of manufactured products particularly automobiles is vital, as evidenced by comments on both sides at the forum. I think you can safely say it depends on the expectation of the country involved.”

He added that overall, African trade with America is only at 1 or 2 % but has a big impact “on the development of a particular African country.”

“It boils down to jobs and the income of sectors. Governments should be free to negotiate that or try to get to a positive sum and in the case of the US, South Africa and AGOA, I think that they have got that positive sum.”

In his address at the forum, Patel said more African countries could benefit from AGOA while Tai reiterated her country’s commitment to strengthening the US-Africa trade and investment relationship to deliver real opportunities across societies.

Tai also announced that her country backs the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) under the US-AfCFTA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation for Trade and Investment.

This after the AfCFTA Secretary General, Wamkele Mene, and Tai signed the MoU during the US-Africa Leaders' Summit last December.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has reiterated US President Joe Biden’s commitment to extend the act beyond the expiration date of September 2025.

This comes after the US Congress in 2015 passed legislation extending the programme to 2025.

Extension

In his remarks at the forum, President Ramaphosa said an extension of the act for a longer period of time could act as an instrument to entice investors to pour more resources into the African continent adding that shorter periods of extension “impeded investment ambitions.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) said that African trade ministers had prior to the forum, met and agreed on a common position calling on the US to extend AGOA for at least 10 years when it expires with all existing AGOA-eligible countries retained in the programme.

Stremlau said there are now discussions on improving AGOA going forward.

“Now that I’ve seen the draft bill that [US Democratic Party Senator] Chris Coombs is tabling that would extend the AGOA 16 years to 2041 and read the [Senator] Jim Risch’s (Republican from Idaho) letter that criticises South Africa’s relationship with Iran and Russia and I think on the Middle East too, I’m of the view that there’s only one sentence in Coombs’s bill about South Africa and it calls for the President - who would be Joe Biden at least until February 2025 - to within 30 days do a review. I think they will push for a renewal. I take [the] Coombs bill as a very positive sign, despite the fact that it calls for a Presidential review of South Africa. So long as Biden does it, South Africa has nothing to worry about in my view,” said Stremlau.

According to the draft bill, which was released following the forum, the long-term extension of the expiration date would “provide businesses the certainty needed to invest in sub-Saharan Africa, supporting economic growth and development in the region.”

On eligibility, the bill notes that the current statute requires the President to undertake an annual review of all 49 AGOA eligible countries to evaluate their continued eligibility for the program. The AGOA Renewal Act would reduce that obligation, requiring a review of each country at least once every three years. It further adds that the “President would retain the authority to conduct an out-of-cycle review of the eligibility of any country at any time, and the bill requires that USTR [Office of the US Trade Representative] undertake an immediate out-of-cycle review of South Africa.”

On integration with the AfCFTA, the renewal act would “modify AGOA’s rules of origin to allow inputs from North African AfCFTA members to count toward the requirement that 35% of a product’s value originate in the region.”

On whether South Africa could be booted out of AGOA, Stremlau said he would be “surprised” if this were to occur.

“If you look at the Coombs bill, there is a provision for graduation where it requires middle income status [for a qualifying country] for five years before the review occurs even.

“The one thing we have to remember and one thing that is worth highlighting is that the bill is not a trade bill. It is an initiative by the US Congress so it has a lot of political conditions such as the rule of law, freedom of the press, periodic credible elections and South Africa passes all of those of course, even if it’s the most unequal country in the world,” he said. -SAnews.gov.za

Neo Mon, 12/18/2023 - 13:08

20797 views

Investment in teaching and learning infrastructure pays off

Neo — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:37:21 +0000

Investment in teaching and learning infrastructure pays off

Gabi Khumalo

Government’s commitment to strengthening and developing the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector, has brought about change to the community of Msinga.

The community recently witnessed the opening of a new state-of-the-art campus of the uMgungundlovu Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College.

Officially opened by Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, the Msinga Campus which is located in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, is part of the response to the community, which has been calling for the building and upgrading of the college.

This commitment to strengthening the PSET sector was made through investing in infrastructure to provide quality teaching, learning and research, and innovation spaces.

The campus, which was built by the Department of Higher Education and Training, as part of its TVET Infrastructure Development Programme, is funded in part through the National Skills Fund (NSF) and the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA).

The R143 561 753.44 Msinga campus commenced with formal programme provision at the new site in January 2022. To date, the campus has three buildings.

These include the administration block that contains offices, a staff room, exam centre and the official reception site. The theory building consists of two computer laboratories that can accommodate up to 70 students each, and double sized classrooms. Included on the campus is an engineering block that consists of four workshops, as well as smaller skills venues on the upper floor.

Programmes offered

The campus offers National Accredited Technical Education Diploma (NATED) programmes, including Nated Public Management (N4-N6), Nated Business Management (N4 – N6) and Farming Management.

The campus also offers a new National Certificate Vocational programme in Mechatronics Level 2 – Level 4, which the Minister described as a cutting edge Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) programme.

The decision to offer this programme to the young people of Msinga according to Nzimande was because “we want this youth to be highly skilled and be able to compete at any level with the youth that is based in urban areas, including competing with the any youth at an international level.”

“Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field that refers to the skill sets needed in the contemporary, advanced automated manufacturing industry. Mechatronics specialists work with massive industrial robots, smaller robots in pick-and-place operations, control systems for bottling or packaging of food and drink products, drones, designing control systems for rides in amusement parks, [and] prototype development.

“Some mechatronics specialists are employed in firms where it is necessary to design and maintain automatic equipment [and] this includes industries such as manufacturing, mining, aviation, robotics, defence, and transport. Other mechatronic specialists are employed by large manufacturing companies involved in high-volume production,” Nzimande explained.

Nzimande also highlighted that mechatronics is a financially lucrative career with the average mechatronic engineer earning around R360 000 per year or R185 per hour in South Africa. He said the entry-level positions start at R300 000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to R4 050 000 per year and more.

Investment

The Department of Higher Education and Training has identified the expansion of the TVET sector as a national priority in the Post-School Education and Training system. This as 13 new campuses have been identified for development with three existing campuses identified for additional buildings.

“We have embarked on this intense expansion programme to ensure that our post school education and training sector produce[s] many technical and vocational skills and to also reinvigorate the South African construction industry and the economy in general,” Nzimande said.

The department has invested over R2.880 billion in the development and refurbishment of 16 new TVET campuses that will enable the expansion of the TVET system over the medium term.

Of the 16 sites, 10 campuses, including Thabazimbi, Umzimkhulu, Graaf-Reinet, Nongoma Msinga, Aliwal North, Kwagqikazi, Ngqungqushe, Nkandla A and Bhambanani are completed.

Nzimande said the three new campuses, including Greytown, Sterkspruit and Balfour are at their final stages of completion, while the remaining three sites of Vryheid, Giyani and Nkandla B will be completed by the end of the 2023/24 financial year with enrolments planned for 2024/25.

Skills

The Minister reiterated the vision and objective for the public TVET colleges sector, which is to expand and strengthen the TVET sub-system in order to provide quality technical and vocational education and training to prepare students for the world of work, self-employment and other forms of sustainable livelihoods.

However, Nzimande acknowledged the constraints caused by skills ‘mismatches,’ --as being real and perceived-- towards the attainment of the TVET colleges’ objective, particularly the ability to grow the country’s economy, which further perpetuates a barrier to social inclusion and poverty reduction.

In response to this mismatch, the department has since developed a one country one skills plan – the Master Skills Plan, which is an implementation plan of the Human Resource Development Strategy.

“In order for our sector to invest in relevant skills development, we are also using the National List of Occupations in High Demand (OIHD) in South Africa, which is one of the many instruments that guides government’s investment in skills development.

“This list has 345 occupations that are in high demand [and] tells us which occupations are likely to have what vacancies and which occupations are likely to grow due to new investments, by both government and the private sector,” he said.

The Minister is confident that the skills that students will acquire at Msinga College, will take them to greater heights with prospects of a successful career.

To further illustrate government’s commitment to massify skills development, in 2018 the department embarked on a campaign to launch 26 Centres of Specialisation located in 19 of 50 TVET colleges prioritising 13 occupational trades in high demand.

This move aimed to curb the shortage of trade and occupational skills, while reducing unemployment and poverty.

The centres were provided with resources to upgrade their workshops and equipment to deliver effectively on much-needed skills.

“These Centres of Specialisation are well positioned to prepare students for the workplace, or for self-employment, through the maintenance of close working relationships with employers in their areas of study. We have also established entrepreneurship hubs at TVET Colleges to support students to move into self-employment after completion of their programmes.”

Artisans

Nzimande also believes that the country is well on track to produce 30 000 qualified artisans per year by 2030.

This follows the launch of the Decade of the Artisan campaign in 2013, which promotes artisanship as a career of choice for the youth.

Launched under the theme: “It’s cool to be a 21st Century Artisan”, the campaign ensures the development of the necessary artisans to successfully implement the country’s Strategic Infrastructure Projects, which include the construction of roads, schools, universities, harbours, power stations, and other social and economic infrastructure.

“The reality is that South Africa needs at least 60% of school leavers to pursue artisanal type training to meet the country’s demand for scarce skills. We honestly need to do more to encourage school leavers to pursue technical trades.

“Our Government’s National Development Plan (NDP) and our White Paper for Post-School Education and Training expects of us that by 2030, the country should be producing 30 000 qualified artisans per year. At present, our country is producing an average 20 000 qualified artisans per year,” Nzimande said.

He stressed the need to ensure that the number increase drastically leading up to 2030 for the country to realise the NDP target.

“We however do believe that we are well on track to attain this goal and even surpass it. The Msinga campus is very much part of this agenda and will help us greatly to produce more artisans.”

Nzimande said with the current challenges within different sectors in society, more artisans are needed than ever before and the work of artisans will always be guaranteed.

Progress made to date, shows that government is burning the candle at both ends. – SAnews.gov.za

Neo Tue, 11/28/2023 - 15:37

20761 views

Protecting the future

Neo — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 07:03:22 +0000

Protecting the future

Children are the wealth of the nation despite a few harrowing incidents recently pointing otherwise.

Nobody can deny that the nation’s wealth has been at the receiving end of what no child and human being should be subjected to. Democratic South Africa’s first President Nelson Mandela had a lot to say about the wellness and welfare of children.

“The children must, at last, play in the open veld, no longer tortured by the pangs of hunger or ravaged by the disease or threatened with the scourge of ignorance, molestation and abuse, and no longer required to engage in deeds whose gravity exceeds the demands of their tender years,” he said in 1993.

The magnitude of what he said back then still rings true today.

Last month, the Gauteng Health Department confirmed the deaths of five children in Soweto, the West Rand and Roodepoort due to suspected food poisoning. Media reports also pointed to food poisoning deaths in the North West.

This after the children allegedly consumed poisonous food from local shops and vendors.

South Africa recently marked National Children’s Day, a day government declared to be commemorated on the first Saturday of the month of November.

Commemorated annually, the day highlights progress being made towards the realisation and promotion of the rights of children.

Section 28 of the country’s Constitution states the rights that every child has the right to. In turn, the state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights.

Children under the age of 18, have a right to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services. Among others, the Constitution also makes provision for children to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation.

The news of the children’s deaths shocked the nation and also placed the spotlight on spaza shops. The Gauteng provincial government moved to intensify its awareness drive where it engaged locals and shared the importance of checking food expiry labels, among others.

As it takes a village to raise a child, Cabinet also expressed concern while adding that it was encouraged by law enforcement efforts to enforce food safety compliance. Efforts taken include the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and the City of Johannesburg’s, environmental health practitioners conducting inspections to check compliance with city bylaws. In addition, the City of Tshwane and its health officials and the metro police also embarked on a by-law enforcement inspection where two of the spaza shops visited were shut down.

In addition, the outcomes of a recent government-led International Migration Workshop included the introduction of omnibus by-laws to address challenges relating to trading and the enforcement of business by-laws by municipalities and traditional authorities.

It also focused on curbing the effects of illegal immigration, including the operations of spaza shops and there will also be immediate joint inspections of businesses, in particular spaza shops, by various government departments including Home Affairs immigration inspectorate teams to enforce compliance with applicable laws.

The audit of spaza shops in villages and townships, and mechanisms to register them will be undertaken by both traditional leaders and municipalities.

There are also efforts to support traditional authorities to keep a record of foreign nationals in their communities while business licensing legislation is being amended to support those wishing to trade in the informal sector.

While the lives that have been lost cannot be brought back, inspection blitzes carried out by the Cities of Tshwane and Johannesburg as well as the outcomes of the migration workshop resolve to ensure the safety of children.

One can also not ignore the fact that communities have placed the blame - whether warranted or not - of the selling of expired foods at the door of foreign nationals operating spaza shops and the record keeping of foreign nationals in communities will go some way in allaying suspicions of one another.

The alleged poisonings brought to the fore the ire of communities and rightly so. Communities were once more reminded of previous and dare I say ongoing, spates of the brutal rapes, murders and mutilation of children.

We ought to put a stop to these hair-raising incidents and raise a generation of children that protect their peers.

While legislation such as the Children’s Act exist and sets out principles relating to the care and protection of children including making provision regarding children's courts, all of these incidents remind us that the safety of children requires the presence of all of society.

World Children’s Day is being commemorated on 20 November to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improve children's welfare. It was first established in 1954. According to the UN since 1990, the day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the Convention on children's rights.

If we are to see a better future, the protection of children should urgently be everyone’s business.

*Neo Semono is a features writer at www.sanews.gov.za

-SAnews.gov.za

Neo Wed, 11/15/2023 - 09:03

27987 views

Permits to change the lives of farmers

GabiK — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:43:21 +0000

Permits to change the lives of farmers

By Gabi Khumalo

A group of farmers have dispelled the myth that government initiatives seldom have an impact on the lives of ordinary, real people.

Recently, 664 hemp and cannabis farmers who are on the KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) database, received permits which grants them authorisation to cultivate, store and transport content with a Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of not more than 0.2%.

THC is the major psychoactive component and one of the 113 cannabinoids recognised in cannabis.

What does the handing over of the permits mean you ask? It means that the permits, handed over at a provincial Cannabis Expo and Conference, held at Okhahlamba Sports Complex in Bergville, will enable the farmers to have access to cutting edge technology through the Analytical Lab based at Cedara in uMgungundlovu District Municipality, near Pietermaritzburg.

To grow the local sector, the MECs of the provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) invited captains of industry, including experts, academics, Amakhosi and local growers to a two-day expo and conference to share ideas that will grow the sector to its full potential.

Held under the theme: “One love, one heart,” the event provided a platform for local cannabis and hemp farmers, and others with an interest in the sector to engage with business and academia.

Among the issues under discussion were that of regulations, registration, production, agro processing and exports.

Local business who will be providing services to permit recipients were also granted R300 000 each. Services include processing, erecting tunnels and providing lab equipment, packaging, testing, and finding a market for farmers.

Masterplan

The first citizen of the province, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the expo and conference will be etched in the minds of the people, as the starting point of a “new era for the cannabis sector in the province.”

Dube-Ncube noted that many milestones had been achieved through the KZN Cannabis Masterplan.

“Through DARD we have set aside an amount of R47 million for cannabis research. We have allocated R10 million to assist farmers in cannabis production and hemp permit application.

“We have facilitated an investment commitment of R120 million and we have participated in the Cannabis and Hemp Phakisa Action Lab in order to secure much-needed policy coherence and to ensure closer collaboration amongst government entities," she explained.

This as pilot projects targeting commercial growers are ongoing, and the province has supported several investment leads, which were in the process of rolling out district-based capacity building programmes under the umbrella of the proposed KZN Cannabis Association.

Reaping the rewards

EDTEA MEC Siboniso Duma said, the expo had been a success and that the work by both EDTEA and DARD was just beginning.

“We want our farmers to be the champions of the cannabis sector and we want them to be able to speak for themselves. We are giving them an assignment to come closer to us because what we have started together, will change people’s lives,” Duma said.

Meanwhile, DARD MEC Super Zuma said the province has worked steadfastly and the time to unlock the province’s prosperity through the hemp and cannabis sector, had now arrived.

“We have ensured a smooth process for our hemp permit holders and we covered all their costs. We are winning the fight to alleviate poverty and unemployment and we are extremely proud of the ongoing collaborative work that continues behind the scenes, and I must say all our collaborative efforts have yielded fruit,” Zuma said.

Permit recipient from the Umzinyathi District Municipality, Sphelele Shezi, said this was the beginning of great things for her small business of hair products, noting that the success of the products relies on hemp seed oil.

“I applied for my permit in July because I want to start extracting oil to use in our hairspray. We also manufacture shea butter which will soon be hemp infused.

“This permit will allow my business to grow and I have a vision of owning a manufacturing plant which will open up job opportunities,” Shezi said.

The owner of Old Grey Distillery--which manufactures cannabis infused beverages in Johannesburg-- Derek Collard, said his business has received great exposure at the expo.

“The expo has been superb. We started our business when cannabis became legal and we started experimenting with different cannabis infused gin flavours. We have met incredible contacts that we will be supplying. There are business opportunities as well as local growers that we could potentially partner with,” Collard said.

Nonhlanhla Qhoboshiyane, a hemp and cannabis farmer from Durban, who was introduced to the plants after falling ill, said she was grateful for the opportunity to be part of the informative expo.

“My interest started in 2016 when my husband and I were diagnosed with cancer. We used hemp oil and we would make cannabis leaf tea to help with the pain.

“These plants are from the Lord, created to bring about economic recovery in South Africa, there should be no stigma attached to them. The rural economy will grow because of hemp and cannabis,” she said.

Investment

In the 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated government’s commitment made in 2022 to unlock investment in the hemp and cannabis sector.

During the Phakisa Action Lab gathering held in June 2023, the President said the cannabis and hemp sector is one of 14 priority sectors that have been defined in government’s Country Investment Strategy as holding significant potential to secure investment, job creation and support for sustainable rural livelihoods, in recognition of people’s rights.

“I am confident that the collaborative commitment to work together which characterises our society, will find expression in the Hemp and Cannabis Phakisa, leading to immediate short term regulatory reform, the adoption of a set of foundational policy principles to achieve longer term legislative reform and a detailed plan to achieve inclusive growth and investment,” the President said at the time.

Participants at the Action Lab collectively agreed on the regulatory reforms required to better enable the development of the hemp and cannabis sector.

The reforms will unlock the potential of cannabis in African traditional medicine; pharmaceutical and complementary medicines; and multiple industrial applications.

The regulatory reforms agreed to include reviewing the schedules to the Medicines Act to further enable cannabis grown for non-medicinal uses, including industrial purposes.

The Phakisa Action Lab further resolved to explore mechanisms to fast-track the removal of cannabis from the Drugs Act.

This will be a historic achievement through which the cultivation of non-medicinal cannabis will be legal under the terms and conditions of the Plant Improvement Act, which falls under DALRRD.

The development of the hemp and cannabis industry has so far seen the issuing of 83 cannabis licences, four manufacturing licences and 30 research permits by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) since 2022. The authority is an entity of the Department of Health

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has also issued 371 hemp permits, which has enabled significant investment, employment creation, the application of technology, intellectual property development and exports to highly competitive global markets.

And that is no smoke and mirrors story. - SAnews.gov.za

GabiK Tue, 10/31/2023 - 11:43

29888 views

Tracking PRASA’s progress

Neo — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 12:28:18 +0000

Tracking PRASA’s progress

Many of us will recall seeing family members rushing off to catch the train to work or school thanks to it being largely an affordable means of getting around.

“Passenger rail plays a pivotal role in driving economic activity by transporting millions of people to and from their workplaces daily,” says Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Group CEO Hishaam Emeran.

This as PRASA, which is responsible for 2 228 kilometres rail tracks countrywide, has been in the process of rebuilding the passenger rail infrastructure and refurbishing vandalised stations across the country.

According to Emeran, the rebuilding and reopening of the corridors is transporting some 19 million passengers to and from places of work and economic opportunities.

In the 2020 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa committed government to fixing commuter rail “which is vital to the economy and to the quality of life of our people.”

At the time he said government was modernising the agency’s rail network. He added that work that would be conducted on the lines included station upgrades, parkway replacements, new signalling systems and overhead electrical traction upgrades.

“The positive impact of resuming passenger rail services on the livelihoods of commuters who spend over 40% of their income on transport cannot be overstated. We have saved commuters thousands of rands in travel costs, as a train ticket costs less than a litre of petrol.

“For example, a trip from Germiston to Johannesburg now costs just R7.50, easing the financial burden on commuters. These efforts underscore our commitment to stimulating local economies and long-term prosperity,” Emeran told SAnews.

The agency is making significant progress in rebuilding the passenger rail infrastructure and refurbishing vandalised stations. The rebuilding efforts have had a positive impact on the health of the economy.

“Through our rebuilding efforts, we've injected over R3.6 billion into the economy, creating over 6,000 job opportunities, with 211 small, medium, and micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) appointed. Among these job opportunities, 856 were for women, and 4,061 were youth employment opportunities,” he said.

He adds that the commitment and determination of PRASA employees who worked tirelessly to restore passenger rail services, has helped the agency in the repair of the country’s passenger rail corridors.

“A multidisciplinary war room was set up led by engineers and corridor project leaders and other senior PRASA senior managers to manage the rebuilding project effectively and efficiently. To expedite the recovery of services, an Acceleration Programme was developed to make sure targets and deadlines were met consistently.”

The end of September saw the commuter rail service from Pretoria to Kempton Park resume its commercial service, bringing the number of recovered lines by the agency to 20.

At a recent Southern African Railway Association conference in Johannesburg, the Group CEO said significant strides are being made in recovering the passenger rail network.

“To date, 26 of the 40 corridors have been recovered, with over 19 million passengers using the services to date. Just on the corridor recovery we have spent R3.6 billion to date in this financial year, with more than 6 000 jobs created,” he said at the gathering.

Asked about the public’s response to the restoration of services, Emeran said that the PRASA services have brought much-needed financial relief to commuters who on average were spending 40% of their income on transport costs.

“PRASA has restored corridors across the country to the relief of 19 million commuters that are now using the trains. We are bringing a modern travel experience for commuters and the commuters and communities love the new trains. We have introduced new high-tech electric trains on some of the corridors,” he said.

Modernisation

The new Isitimela Sabantu trains sport automated doors, built-in safety features, CCTV cameras, and they don’t move when the doors are open for the safety of commuters. The air-conditioned cars are designed for the comfort of commuters.

Meanwhile, PRASA is set to increase its capital spending over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) with a budget of over R50 billion for rolling stock and infrastructure investments. The increased capital spending is due to the reopening of some of the key corridors.

“Now we plan on spending R50 billion from this financial year and over the next three years to support the modernisation of the passenger rail network and the implementation of our turnaround plans," he said.

Progress made in rehabilitating the lines includes that of the Leralla-Germiston line, which cost under R600 million in rebuilding and rehabilitating. The rehabilitation included the six stations the train stops at, the overhead electrical cables that power the trains and the substations that feed power to the network. The train stops at Leralla, Limindlela, Tembisa, Kempton Park, Rhodesfield and Germiston stations.

Security

In the fight against theft and vandalism, in August the agency announced that its Protection Services Officers had been declared Peace Officers as per Section 334 of the Criminal Procedures Act, giving them law enforcement powers similar to those of police officers.

The Peace Officer status gives them the powers to make arrests, issue written notices in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, complete dockets, and powers to detain.

“They have been deployed to key corridors to safeguard the rail infrastructure and ensure the protection and safety of our commuters.”

The group CEO added that there are plans to train more PRASA Protection Officers to be Peace Officer across the country.

The agency has also developed an integrated security plan, collaborating with law enforcement agencies.

“Part of the strategy is to increase boots on the ground, in our trains, stations and platforms. Since implementing this comprehensive security plan, we have seen a 70% reduction in security-related incidents, an achievement that we commend,” he said.

Festive season

While the country continues to mark Transport Month, it is also inching closer to the busy festive season and the agency has plans in place to transport commuters to their various holiday destinations.

“The festive season is our busiest period for our long-distance transport services. Plans are in place for the long-distance traveling for the holiday season – whether by bus or train. Shosholoza Meyl and our Autopax bus services – Translux and Transnet, will be moving people to their various destinations during the holiday period,” said Emeran.

No doubt PRASA is on track to deliver services. –SAnews.gov.za

Neo Fri, 10/27/2023 - 14:28

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Ensuring education for all

Neo — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:50:50 +0000

Ensuring education for all

While challenges in the education sector remain, gains are being made to ensure learning for all.

The results of Census 2022 released recently, not only revealed that the country’s population grew to 62 million from 51.7 million in 2011, but also that the population remains relatively youthful. The data showed that 61.2% of the population is under the age of 35.

Of key interest of the data released is that of accomplishments in the education sector, given the country’s history of the exclusion of the majority.

Section 29 of South Africa’s Bill of Rights speaks to the fact that everyone has the right to basic education, including adult basic education; and to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible.

Since South Africa attained democracy close to 30-years ago, government has put in place various measures to ensure access to education for all. These measures include the introduction of no-fee schools, school nutrition programmes and access to scholar transport.

The 2022 Census - which is the fourth to be conducted in democratic South Africa - notes that access to educational institutions is an important step to universal education, but that “the ultimate goal would be to keep children at school until completion of their education.”

According to the census, in 2022, 73.4% of the population aged 5-24 years were attending school, up from the 70.1% recorded in democratic South Africa’s first census in 1996.

The census plays an essential role in planning, policy formulation, evaluation and budget allocation of the country.

It also revealed that the percentage of those aged 20 years and older who completed secondary education more than doubled from 16.3% in 1996 to 37.6% in 2022.

This as the Department of Basic Education has acknowledged a slight rise in the number of those not attending educational institutions.

“We do acknowledge that there has been a slight increase in the number of 5-24-year-olds not attending an educational institution since the last census in 2011, of about 200 000. However, this is partly due to population growth (the number of 5-24-year-olds attending has increased by even more) and [is] partly due to earlier completion of schooling,” said the department’s spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.

Additionally, the data showed that over 14.1 million of those aged 20 and above, completed secondary education in 2022, followed by 11.9 million who achieved some secondary education and 4.6 million who attained post-school education.

Mhlanga said the average age of youths successfully completing a National Senior Certificate or equivalent qualification has been gradually lowering over the years.

“The result is an astonishing trend over time; the percentage of 22-25-year-olds attending education actually decreased from 16.4% in 2002 to 15.8% in 2021. Yet, over the same period, the percentage of 22-25-year-olds having completed grade 12 increased dramatically from 39% to 62%.”

He pointed out that the country’s school system used to be far more inefficient, with many children staying in school into their twenties but then exiting without having completed Grade 12.

“These days, children repeat less, are less likely to be in school into their twenties, but most important of all, they are much more likely to successfully complete a National Senior Certificate or equivalent qualification,” he explained.

COVID-19 and challenges

He also touched on the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which disrupted schooling.

“The Minister’s [Angie Motshekga] move to reopen schools in spite of the fear and criticism has now been fully vindicated. The spread of the virus was not affected by reopening schools, and despite worries about increased dropping out of school during the pandemic, the opposite happened; more candidates wrote and passed the matric exams in 2020, 2021 and 2022 than ever before.”

He added that the department is well aware of the challenges in the education sector.

“The quality of learning in the early grades, especially in foundational literacy and numeracy, remains a critical priority, and was negatively impacted by the pandemic.

“Another challenge, or rather opportunity, is to improve the quality of Early Childhood Development opportunities now that this responsibility has been shifted from the Department of Social Development to Basic Education.”

Census 2022 revealed that 3.4 million children aged 0–4 years participated in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme.

Last year, government moved the responsibility of the provision of the ECD programme from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education. In June, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education received a progress report from the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

“We must acknowledge the challenges that exist in South African education, but all the trends in access, equity, quality and efficiency are overwhelmingly positive,” said Mhlanga.

Development

Reacting to the census results, Cabinet said the country has been developing over the course of the last 29 years.

This is in addition to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to government departments, policy makers, researchers, civil society organisations and international organisations to use information from Census 2022 to collectively strive to improve people’s lives.

“Census 2022 has told us where we are making progress, but it has also laid bare the challenges that remain. It will be an invaluable tool in meeting those challenges. We now have the information we need to ensure that as we build this country, we leave no one behind,” the President said as he received the results of the count from Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke.

The population and housing census was conducted in February 2022 and provides comprehensive data on population size, demographic trends and other service delivery related information. - SAnews.gov.za

Neo Tue, 10/24/2023 - 14:50

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