Day: September 6, 2022

Verification, assessment and interview of the candidates in the DHA digitisation project underway – Department of Employment and Labour

After a nervy start the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) collaborative effort with the Department of Employment and Labour to recruit 10 000 unemployed young graduates for the digitisation of its (DHA) Civic paper records has so far received 85 820 applications and 23 374 have qualified to be assessed and interviewed.

Department of Employment and Labour Chief Director: Employer Services, Esther Tloane said a number of teams at Labour Centres and provincial offices were hard at work to screen, verify and ensure that qualifying candidates are shortlisted ahead of interviews expected to begin soon.

The recruitment of the 10 000 unemployed young graduates followed President Cyril Ramaphosa announcement during the State of the Nation Address in February 2022 that “the Department of Home Affairs will recruit 10 000 unemployed young graduates for the digitisation of its Civic paper records, enhancing their skills and contributing to the modernisation of citizens services” through the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES).

Launching the recruitment project on 11 August, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the Department has more than 350 million Civic paper records relating to birth, marriages, deaths and amendments. The category of records date back to 1895 which necessitate care and reliable systems that will bear tolerance for the digitisation purposes. These records are in all provinces and the bulk of which are in Gauteng, North West and the Western Cape.

The project is expected to run over a three (3) year period, effective from November 2022 until October 2025. The recruitment drive will be divided into three phases:

• Phase 1 – will see recruitment of the first intake of 2 000 unemployed youth graduates. This cohort will assume duty on 1 November 2022.

• Phase 2 – will see a further recruitment of 4 000 unemployed youth graduates. This cohort will assume duty in January 2023.

• Phase 3 – will see a further and last recruitment of 4 000 unemployed youth graduates. This cohort will assume duty in April 2023.

Successful youth will be paid a stipend ranging from R5 000 for entry level positions to R9 500 for Technical Support level positions and R14 250 for Manager level positions. This cohort will be required to sign a three-year contract linked to the duration of the project.

Mrs Tloane said the Department was putting the final touches in the process leading to interviews and placements. She said to date the Department had received 7 739 enquiries relating to the digitisation project and 7 523 had been responded to.

“In the advancement of equity I am, however, worried that we are getting few candidates of people with disability”; she said.

Unemployed youth should be qualified in Information Technology; Document, Information and Records Management, obtained from Institutions of Higher Learning (Universities, Universities of Technologies, TVETs). Successfully candidates will be subjected to suitability checks (Citizenship, Credit, Criminal and Qualification Verification) (this looks like we will be doing this function).

DHA has partnered with the Department of Employment and Labour to use the Department’s online recruitment platform called Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA). Prospective candidates that meet the criteria should register on the ESSA (Employment System of South Africa) recruitment platform found on the Department’s website at www.labour.gov.za and those that do not have internet access should visit the nearest office (Labour Centre) of the Department of Employment and Labour. Candidates that are already registered on ESSA do not have to visit the Labour Centres and can apply for these positions online.

Source: Government of South Africa

Western Cape Trade visit to Maputo sees “mission achieved” for African Agri Strategy.

Today, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture Dr Ivan Meyer returned from Maputo, Mozambique, where he led a Western Cape trade mission to the 57th FACIM trade exhibition.

FACIM is a trade fair which attracts more than 2,500 exhibitors from 20 countries and 50,000 visitors.

Meyer commented that FACIM allowed exhibitors and visitors to interact through thematic seminars and meetings in the B2B format.

Meyer: “The Western Cape’s African Agricultural Strategy aims to support agri-preneurs seeking access to African markets. Mozambique offers a significant export market opportunity for a wide range of goods and services from the Western Cape. For example, our wines are doing exceptionally well. It is sold in all the major retailers and served in restaurants in Maputo. For this reason, our delegation aimed to promote investment and business opportunities and establish partnerships in the current context of economic recovery.”

Meyer continued: “Wesgro, the Western Cape’s tourism, trade and investment agency, arranged a very successful trade mission to Maputo. I was impressed with our delegation. They worked hard to clinch business deals with their counterparts in Maputo. By doing so, Western Cape entrepreneurs gave impetus to our African Agri Strategy. As a result, they are ready to grow their business footprint in Africa”.

One such entrepreneur is Denise Stubbs, Managing Director of Thokozani Wines.

Said Stubbs: “This was the most engaging, successful exhibition I have attended. I aimed to secure an importer and distributor in Mozambique. So I networked hard, had many meetings, and concluded a deal to bring 3000 bottles of Thokozani Spumante into Maputo. Mission achieved.”

“Passion takes one far if you believe in your product”, added Stubbs.

Meyer further highlights that his visit to the Port of Maputo was enlightening.

Meyer: “I was very impressed by the smooth running of the Port of Maputo. The management team is excellent, and the results speak for themselves. Efficiency and productivity are critical indicators of the Port of Maputo operating model,” said Meyer.

“I also met the Department of Agriculture in the Province of Maputo. We shared our agri technology, such as smart pen technology and our digital tractor tracking system, with our colleagues of the Maputo Provincial Government.

“We have agreed to continue bilateral engagements through virtual technical meetings and a visit to the Western Cape Department of Agriculture”, concluded Meyer.

Source: Government of South Africa

The lack of family support, high levels of poverty and the absence of partners are some of the leading reasons expressed by women who turn to drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

The women were speaking to Social Development Deputy Minister, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, during her engagement with the community of Boitekong in the North West on Monday.

The Deputy Minister took the 9-9-9 Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) campaign to Boitekong township, which has been identified as one of the areas with a high consumption of alcohol.

Bogopane-Zulu was joined by the North West Social Development MEC, Boitumelo Moiloa and the North West Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha.

The 9-9-9 FASD campaign is an advocacy initiative that seeks to mobilise communities towards protecting unborn babies by educating people, especially women of childbearing age about the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Community members, who were engaging with the Deputy Minister during the dialogues, painted a grim picture of the scourge of alcohol abuse in the township – particularly among young pregnant women.

Although surrounded by several platinum mining companies, Biotekong is an area struggling with high numbers of unemployment and poverty.

“The prevalence of alcohol abuse in the township is said to be so bad such that even children as young as five years old can easily get access to alcohol with no parental supervision,” the department said.

A four-month pregnant woman and resident of Boitekong, Basetsana Tlalang (28), said there were situations where one finds a child as young as five years old in a tavern and the owners do not care to intervene.

Tlalang, who was drinking alcohol in the first few weeks of her pregnancy but has since stopped, urged other pregnant women to completely stop drinking alcohol and doing drugs immediately when they realise that they are pregnant.

“I stopped drinking alcohol entirely after I confirmed that I was pregnant, and I am attending antenatal and information sessions at the clinic,” she said, adding that most pregnant teenagers in her area are orphans without any adult support.

Bogopane-Zulu called on the young pregnant girls who came to the dialogue to look after themselves for the sake of their unborn babies.

“You can only help me to fight FASD in this community by staying away from alcohol when you are pregnant. No amount of alcohol is safe for an unborn child,” she said.

The 9-9-9 FASD campaign continues this week in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Source: South African Government News Agency

MPUMALANGA – Five suspects aged between 20 and 35 are expected to appear before the White River Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 06 September 2022 after they were arrested during a multidisciplinary operation conducted by Nelspruit based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Mpumalanga Highway Patrol, Flying Squad, Explosives Unit and Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) Task Team between Hazyview and Mbombela.

The arrest came after the information was received by the team on Monday, 05 September 2022 about the VW Polo which was suspected to be carrying illegal explosives, travelling from Hazyview to Mbombela

The vehicle with five occupants was stopped at White River whereby upon the search, explosives were recovered and seized. The suspects were arrested and charged with illegal possession of explosives.

Source: South African Police Service

FREE STATE – More than 300 suspects were arrested during Operation Phethisa Molao.

The multi-disciplinary operation was launched by the Free State Premier, Me Sisi Ntombela, joined by the Police Minister General Bheki Cele at Bobbiespark on 15 August 2022. Provincial Commissioner, Lt General Baile Motswenyane said boots of the SAPS members must be felt by criminals.

The first Provincial operation after the launch was held, where all 5 Districts had boots on the ground. 1562 Stop and search operations were conducted, more than 19100 persons were searched, 6 suspects arrested for murder, 8 arrested for rape, 4 arrested for stock theft, 56 people for drug related crimes, 25 arrested for driving under the influence of liquor. 112 people were arrested for being undocumented, 34 people arrested for GBV cases, 3 firearms confiscated and 54 ammunition pieces seized, 8 stolen vehicles recovered, 88 people were arrested for drinking in public.

Such operations will continue throughout the province and all suspects will appear in their respective Magistrate courts on different cases.

Source: South African Police Service

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Northern Cape will on Thursday host a water use authorisation workshop with water users, focusing on the historically disadvantaged individuals (HDIs).

The session, to be held at Die Kasteel in Hartswater, is a follow up to the previous session, which focused mainly on water use authorisation and application processes to successfully obtain a water use licence.

The upcoming session, which will target mostly emerging farmers, small-scale mining, and the NGO sectors, will focus on getting water use licence holders to comply with water use licence conditions.

The department said sector partners, including the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform, will make available relevant experts from their departments.

“The private sector, which includes Standard Bank, Agrico, Kynoch and Bayer, among others, will present their programmes that support and empower HDIs,” the department said.

The legal framework for water use authorisation is guided by the National Water Act 36 of 1998 and water use licence regulations.

The department recently approved and handed over water use authorisation to the Batlhaping Ba-Ga-Mothibi Tribal Authority under the leadership of Her Majesty, Kgosi Ponatshego Mothibi. The Ba-Ga-Mothibi Traditional Council is responsible for 14 villages, which are now beneficiaries.

Consultation on National Water Resource Strategy edition 3

Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation in the Eastern Cape will on Wednesday host a consultation session on the National Water Resource Strategy edition 3 (NWRS-3) at the Premier Hotel in East London.

Some of the stakeholders in the water sector expected to attend the consultation session include the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the South African Local Government Association and municipalities.

Cabinet has approved the National Water Resource Strategy 3 for gazetting and public consultation.

Source: South African Government News Agency

PARKTOWN – Police in Gauteng remain resolute to address the proliferation of crimes against women, children and vulnerable persons.

SAPS Protea Glen is investigating a double murder and arson case following an incident that took place a week ago in the policing area.

It is alleged that on Saturday, 27 August 2022, a 44-year-old woman together with her six-year-old son were set alight by her partner.

The alleged suspect, Lerato Sefekedi aged 44 years old fled the scene and a warrant for his arrest has since been issued.

Anyone that has information on the whereabouts of the suspect is urged to contact SAPS Protea Glen on 011 986 9272/9575, SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or alternatively leave an anonymous tip-off on the MySAPS App.

Source: South African Police Service