Day: June 2, 2022

Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo has unveiled a thirteen-member board for the Gauteng Transport Authority (TAG) to oversee the running of the institution for a three-year period.

The board’s roles and responsibilities include steering and setting the authority’s strategic direction, approval, overseeing and monitoring execution of policies and plans by management, as well as ensuring accountability for performance.

Its establishment serves the objective of integrating transport systems, fostering co-operation and co-ordination between public transport authorities and operators in the city region.

The Gauteng Transport Authority Act, 2019 was promulgated with the objective to establish and empower the authority to consolidate certain transport functions of organs of state in the province.

Addressing members of the board, MEC Mamabolo emphasised that good corporate governance is critical for the success of the authority and expects ethical and effective leadership from it.

“TAG must commit to the exercise of good corporate governance and should constantly strive to improve its governance framework to align with best possible practices. These include introducing and nurturing an ethical culture of doing business in the organisation, enhance performance, effective control and legitimacy,” Mamabolo said.

TAG is also tasked with optimising the planning and implementation of public transport services in the province and facilitating the funding of public transport activities and initiatives.

The board comprises the following:

• Mr. Thendo Ratshitanga – Board Chairperson

• Mr. Bolokang Lengane – Audit & Risk Chairperson

• Ms. Malebo Matolong – Finance & Planning Chairperson

• Ms. Fikile Mkhize – Human Capital & Social & Ethics Chairperson

• Mr. Stanley Ace Ngobeni – Board Member

• Ms. Vidhu Vedalankar – Board Member

• Mr. Themba Jeffrey Ngcobo – Board Member

• Ms. Molatelo Rapetsoa – Board Member

• Ms. Lebogang Mogakabe – Board Member

• Mr. Robbie Hendrikse – Board Member

• Mr. Ntshenki Mofokeng – Board Member

• Mr. Aubrey Motubatse – Board Member

• Mr. Jack van der Merwe – Board Member

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, says the youth continue to endure the brunt of structural inequalities that manifest in violent ways.

“The devastation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our livelihoods and social mobility. We have also been faced with challenges of widespread unrest, increasing youth unemployment, raging fires in the Western Cape, the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, and the second pandemic of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF),” Nkoana-Mashabane said.

The Minister was speaking at the launch of Youth Month in Soweto on Thursday.

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, launched this year’s Youth Month, which marks 46 years since the June 16 student uprising of 1976.

Youth Month 2022 is commemorated under the theme, “Promoting sustainable livelihoods and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow”.

This year’s Youth Month campaign seeks to highlight challenges faced by the youth, present possible solutions through dialogues, as well as to showcase opportunities available for the youth.

The launch started at Morris Isaacson High School, which was then followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the Hector Peterson Memorial.

Nkoana-Mashabane said Youth Month is dedicated exclusively to issues affecting the youth of South Africa, including but not limited to unemployment, GBVF and mental health.

She underscored the need to harness the potential of the country’s youthful population.

“This includes the political will by government and captains of industry to ensure an integration of youth across all strategic sectors of our society, especially the economy,” the Minister said.

Nkoana-Mashabane said that over the next four weeks, government will be involved in a number of events and dialogues with the youth to honour the sacrifices of the 1976 youth, while charting a path forward to tackle the present-day challenges facing them.

NYDA executive chairperson, Asanda Luwaca, said youth empowerment requires collective responsibility, and to achieve that, all sectors must report on their programmes incorporating youth development.

“I am strongly of the view that we no longer, as a country, have the luxury to just talk about youth development but have the collective responsibility to make sure that it is tangible,” Luwaca said.

The 2022 Youth Day celebration will be held in the Eastern Cape on 16 June 2022, where President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address.

Source: South African Government News Agency

DURBAN – On 16 May 2022 at 16:15, a 50-year-old man was crossing the road on the N3 freeway in Pinetown after the Spine Road Bridge when he was struck by a truck. He sustained multiple injuries and was declared dead on the scene. A case of culpable homicide was opened at Westville police station for investigation.

The victim was wearing blue pants, blue jacket, grey jacket and a checked shirt. We appeal to anyone who may have information regarding the family or relatives to contact Detective Sergeant Mlambo on 072 032 6700/ 031 267 7347 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Source: South African Police Service

Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, has warned that climate change is no longer a phenomenon anticipated to show its effects in the future, but a reality currently hard felt by most South Africans and citizens across the world.

“We can no longer say climate change is upon us – it is here and we are all experiencing it. We have all witnessed the unfortunate and heartrending floods in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of North West, as well as the dire effects of drought in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the Eastern Cape province,” Mahlobo said.

Speaking during a Journey of Water Reunion Dinner organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Kramerville, Sandton, on Wednesday, Mahlobo reiterated a call to South African residents to use water sparingly and stop polluting the resource, amid the persisting effects of climate change, which impacts on water supply in many parts of the country.

“South Africa is a water scarce country, and we all need to pull our weight to protect this scarce and precious resource — all of us. Yes, it is the mandate and the responsibility of government to ensure consistent water supply for all, but we cannot do so if we still have business and individuals who continue to pollute the resource senselessly,” Mahlobo said.

The Deputy Minister also warned polluters that the department will not hesitate to apply polluter-pays principle where it is found that water is being polluted and thus affecting supply to communities.

WWF Water Source Areas Manager, Samir Randera-Rees emphasised the need for behavioural change and collaborative efforts to help preserve water.

“No single entity can sort out water challenges faced in the country alone. We all need to make those changes now. It is up to us to ensure that we do this not only for ourselves but for generations to come,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Statement by the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas

Earlier today I attended the Transport Minister’s engagement with stakeholders, rail experts, and the business sector on the implementation of the White Paper on National Rail Policy.

It was promising for Minister Fikile Mbalula to reference the City of Cape Town, and our efforts in this space during his speech. I also had a collegial discussion with the Minister where he assured me that cooperation and good relations with the City will continue and be maintained.

The devolution of the rail function to local government was confirmed at this engagement that was also attended by Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan.

The engagement and interactions were encouraging.

However, now that the policy is in place, and the commitments from all parties once again confirmed, we must move on from talking to taking action.

The radical shift in how we approach rail operations across South Africa can only succeed with practical implementation against strict timeframes. Today’s engagement was encouraging, but South Africans need an efficient and reliable rail service right now.

Talks about restoring passenger rail as the backbone of public transport have been going on for far too long. Time has run out.

On this front, the City of Cape Town is taking the lead: on 1 July 2022 we will commence with a feasibility study on taking over the management of passenger rail from National Government.

The study will assist us to comprehend what this entails in detail. We need a fully functioning and efficient passenger rail system to grow our economy. The feasibility study will inform us of the associated financial costs and risks, and which functions of the passenger rail system we should take over, and how to phase this takeover.

We will keep Capetonians informed about the progress of the study, and the milestones achieved.

All of us who attended today’s engagement with Minister Mbalula agree that rail has a pivotal role to play in driving economic growth. Rail is the most efficient and cost-effective form of transport – be it for goods, or for getting commuters to their destinations.

The urgency to get our trains back on track cannot be overstated, given the rocketing fuel prices and its impact on consumers, particularly those from lower income households. The White Paper represents a welcome sea change in transport policy, and all but fully endorses the move to devolve the rail function to local government.

Source: City Of Cape Town