Day: June 9, 2022

Government is prioritising the provision of food, water and shelter for people displaced during the devastating floods in April and May.

Addressing media following Cabinet’s meeting this week, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said ongoing government relief efforts in the provinces affected by the floods are making a significant impact. This includes the repair of damaged infrastructure.

While KwaZulu-Natal was hardest hit, the floods also caused significant damage in the Eastern Cape, North West and Free State.

“Extensive work is underway to restore basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation and waste removal,” said Gungubele.

About R189.22 million is being used for the upgrade of the Informal Settlements Programme, aimed at improving the quality of life of those living in informal settlements.

“An additional R733.086 million has been allocated through the Human Settlements Development Grant to assist in the creation of sustainable and integrated human settlements,” Gungubele said.

Cabinet has welcomed the humanitarian aid from the State of Qatar in the form of foodstuff, clothing, generators, water purifiers, ventilators, tents and medical supplies.

The donation is expected to benefit over 4 000 citizens temporarily housed in community care centres.

“Cabinet also welcomed the humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the form of foodstuff and water to assist victims of the recent floods,” said Gungubele.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Out of a total of 267 municipalities registered with the Compensation Fund (CF) only 147 were submitting their returns to the Fund, according to the Department of Employment and Labour.

The department said that this conduct exposes millions of workers faced with the risks of occupational hazards to inadequate cover.

Chief Director: Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (COID) Services at Compensation Fund, Julian Soupen, said the 55% compliance rate means that a high number of workers were receiving the short end of the stick due to high levels of non-compliance in the workplace.

“It is concerning, it means that 45% of employers at municipalities were not submitting returns and this means that their employees were not covered for occupational injuries and diseases sustained at work.

“The implication is that these municipalities are liable for fines and penalties for non-compliance. This is over and above the fees they are obligated to pay to the Fund,” Soupen said.

Soupen was speaking during the joint seminar by the Department of Employment and Labour’s Compensation Fund, the Limpopo provinical department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement & Traditional Affairs in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

The seminar is targeted at local government custodians in a drive to ensure the protection and health of workers while ensuring that organisations at local government comply with Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.

The two-day seminar at Protea Hotel (The Ranch) in Polokwane is held under the theme: “Compensation Fund working with municipalities on COIDA to protect vulnerable workers”.

Soupen said the expectation for employers in terms of the Act is that it needs to be complied with.

He further said the CF expects employers to comply by registering, ensure that the fees are fully paid, and the registration is done properly.

He warned that if these legislative requirements were not followed, cover for employees will not be adequate.

In as far as the province of Limpopo was concerned, Soupen said that 27 municipalities were registered with the CF and 21 of those were submitting their returns to the Fund.

He said the 78% compliance rate in the province was commendable and it was one of the highest in the country at this level of government.

“I wish to commend the leadership of Limpopo Province who are complying in that regard,” he said.

According to Soupen, the CF was always willing to engage with its stakeholders to ensure compliance.

The Compensation Fund exists to administer the COID Act. Its main objective is to provide compensation for disability, illness and death resulting from occupational injuries and diseases.

In terms of the COID Act, employers must register with the Compensation Fund and pay an annual assessment fee based on their workers’ earnings and the risks associated with the type of work being done.

Soupen said in terms of legislation, there were only nine municipalities in South Africa that were classified as exempted. He said those municipalities that are classified as exempted employers do not have to pay fees to the CF, they are however responsible to keep reserves to meet the costs related to occupational injuries and diseases.

“The reserves that they are expected to keep is assessed and signed off by the CF, and once the Fund is satisfied that the level of reserves held by those municipalities is sufficient to cover the operational costs of occupational injuries and diseases they are issued with certificate of exemption,” he emphasized.

Soupen reminded employers that, “the Act provides for adequate financial assistance to victims of injuries and diseases”.

He said that access to immediate medical care was critical and it was paramount to an employee who is a victim of injury or disease.

“The longer that is prolonged, it puts the health of the employee at risk and it would make treatment of the employee a little difficult. We have found out that in some instances there is a long delay from the time of the incident and the time employees getting medical attention.

“I wish to implore employers to ensure that when such incidents do happen that priority is given to their employees getting medical care,” Soupen said.

In the period of 2019–2022 the CF had recorded 1155 claims, and 38% of these have been finalized.

Soupen said 50% of those claims are still outstanding - waiting for information from employers to facilitate the outstanding claims.

The department has appealed to municipalities to get in touch with the CF to assist in ensuring compliance.

Soupen added that a healthy workforce in the region, means that the region is economically viable, self-sufficient and has a healthy work force.

The seminar enters its second and final day today and is targeted at: Municipal Managers, Chief Financial Officers, Directors Corporate Services & Human Resources Managers/Officers.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is investigating the source of the stench over parts of Gauteng in the past two days.

On Thursday, the department noted concerns about the strong smell.

“The … Department is working with environmental and air quality officials in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and North West to determine the cause of the stench, and whether prevailing wind and weather conditions have contributed to the smell travelling over a long distance from another province, as was the case when a similar incident was reported in 2021,” the department said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Cabinet has welcomed the arrest of several individuals in connection with fraud, money laundering and corruption in the country.

These include former high ranking state and parastatal employees, some of whom face charges relating to the contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.

Addressing reporters during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said the arrests “bear testimony to the fact that no one is above the law and that there is no space for dishonest employees in the public sector”.

Among those arrested is a Home Affairs official at the Desmond Tutu Refugee Reception Centre in Pretoria who allegedly accepted a bribe from a foreign national.

He said Cabinet also welcomed the progress being made on the extradition of the Gupta brothers, Rajesh and Atul, back to South Africa.

The pair was last week arrested in Dubai in the UAE after the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) had issued red notices.

The brothers are wanted in South Africa in connection with their alleged role in state capture, including fraud and money laundering.

Gungubele said discussions between law-enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on their extradition are underway.

“Their arrest demonstrates government’s determination to fight crime and corruption without fear or favour.

“These arrests demonstrate that processes and mechanisms are working effectively to hold perpetrators accountable for their heinous actions and ensure that no one is above the law,” he said.

Cabinet condemns malicious damage

During the meeting, Cabinet also condemned the blatant attempt to undermine the country’s economy following the malicious damage to a cable at Unit 1 of Eskom's Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga.

He said: “This was the fourth incident of suspected sabotage at a power station after similar incidents were reported at three other power stations in the past few weeks.

“The recent crime statistics are a reflection that we must do more as a society to make our communities safer. This reality reminds us that reducing crime is a societal responsibility and that all of us – including the police, political leaders, communities, families, business people, workers and civil society – should play our part in fighting crime”.

He said Cabinet was confident that the additional funds that have been prioritised by the Ministry of Police for a number of police stations that have a high number of murders, rapes and other violent crime and will help turn the tide and create safer communities for all.

Source: South African Government News Agency