Day: September 15, 2022

On Saturday, 17 September 2022 the WCED will be hosting our 3rd Skills Competition at Bellville Technical High School.

The Skills competition is dedicated to the promotion of the skilled trades and technologies as viable, first-choice career options to our youth. This competition aims to encourage young people to consider a career in skilled trades and technologies.

High School learners will be competing in various areas including brickwork, cabinetmaking, and welding. They will be constructing brick walls, creating furniture, and laying floors. Learners will be given 5 hours to complete the tasks.

Schools have selected candidates that will represent them at the Provincial Skills competition. Participation in the Skills Competition may provide the opportunity to advance to the National Skills Competition.

The media are invited to showcase these talented young learners!

Time: 08:30 – 16:00
Date: Saturday, 17 September 2022
Venue: Bellville Technical High School

Agenda

• 8:30 – 8:50  Sign-in and Announcements
• 8:50 – 9:00  Committee Leads Competitors to Contest Area
• 9:00 – 9:15  Orientation Session at Contest Area
• 9:15 – 12:00  Contest
• 12:00 -12:20  Lunch
• 12:30 -14:00  Contest
• 14:00 -14:30  Final Judging and Results Compilation
• 14:30 – 14:45  General Feedback Session
• 14:45 – 16:00  Presentation and Awards Presentation
   

Source: Government of South Africa

KwaZulu-Natal residents urged to use water sparingly amid dam levels decline

The Department of Water and Sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal has called on residents to continue using water sparingly as the province’s water storage capacity had declined from last week’s 87.4% to 86.5%.

Nagle Dam on the Mgeni River has decreased from 91.6% to 84.2% and Woodstock Dam on the Tugela River has also declined from 100.2% to 93.0%. Unchanged are the Craigie Burn, Mearns and Zaaihoek Dams. Recording 100.4%, 56.0% and 90.6% respectively.

Meanwhile, the province’s main water supply system, Umgeni, has also marginally dropped from last week’s 96.4% to 95.8% in the current week. Midmar Dam on the system has seen a minimal decrease from 93.0% to 92.6%. Albert-Falls Dam is at 94.9% from 95.1% recorded in the previous week. While the Inanda and Ntshingwayo Dams stand at 100.9% and 72.8% respectively. The dams recorded 101.3% and 73.4% in the previous week.

The Department has reiterated its plea to residents to fix and report water leaks to their local municipalities as a means to preserve the available water in the province. This is as the Department continues to work with its entities, Mhlathuze and Umgeni Water through the implementation of bulk water projects which are aimed at addressing water scarcity concerns in different parts of the province.

One such a project is the uMkhomazi Water Project which is set to benefit the eThekwini Metro, Msunduzi, uMgungundlovu,Ugu, Ilembe and Harry Gwala Districts. The project will transfer water from the uMkhomazi River to augment the uMgeni Water Supply System which supplies domestic water to more than 5 million people and industries in South Africa’s third largest regional economy.

The Department has emphasised the need for prudent water use even as above average rainfall is predicted by the South African Weather Service in the upcoming summer season.

“In as much as we are anticipating bucket loads of rainfall in the coming months, it remains important that we ensure that every drop of water used is accounted for. What Climate Change has taught us over the years is extreme weather patterns. So, we might have water in abundance today and gone the next day,” said the Department’s spokesperson Sputnik Ratau.

“One thing we must all keep in mind is that dams are used to store water and therefore, with the unpredictable extreme weather patterns, the stored water can evaporate throughout the summer season. In essence, the rainfall forecast is not an assurance that our dams will remain full. We need to make every drop count,” he concluded.

Source: Government of South Africa

Transport Minister Mbalula on infrastructure oversight visit in Free State

The National Department of Transport is involved in the implementation of infrastructure projects such as Operational Vala Zonke and Hauweng Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) in Free State. Operation Vala Zonke is a pothole patching programme intended to eradicate potholes on the country’s roads nationally, including in the Free State province. Hauweng is an Integrated Public Transport Network Corridor being developed with the aim of improving access to public transport in Mangaung.

Minister Fikile Mbalula will stop by the Fort Hare Road in Mangaung in a bid to roll-out the Operation Vala Zonke pothole initiative on the road. Minister Mbalula will then proceed to do an inspection on-loco of the Hauweng IPTN corridor development along Moshoeshoe road. Following the inspection, the minister will engage the community of Mangaung regarding the Vala Zonke and Hauweng IPTN infrastructure projects.

The Minister will be joined by Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Mr. Kwekwe William Bulwane as well as the Executive Mayor of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Mr. Mxolisi Ashford Siyonzana.

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister Motsoaledi to issue Smart ID Card and marriage certificate to 103 year old granny on her birthday through mobile services in far flung rural area of Sekhukhune  

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is scheduled to visit the Sekhukhune District on Sunday, 18 September 2022 to issue a Smart ID Card and marriage certificate to 103 year old Gogo Malesela Mashilo, nee Selesho, on her birthday in Sekhukhune District in Limpopo. 

The Minister is scheduled to be joined by the MEC for Social Development, the Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality and the Mayor of Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality. 

Gogo Mashilo applied for her Smart ID Card through a mobile office when Minister Motsoaledi led a service delivery outreach programme in Sekhukhune last month. 

On that visit, 99 year old Gogo Raisibe Bapela also applied for her Smart ID Card. Minister Motsoaledi will also hand over her Smart ID on Sunday. 

This handover event takes place in the month the continent is celebrating the International Identity Day on 16 September in recognition of United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 16.9. The Goal is to provide universal legal identity such as birth certificate and identity document by 2030 to enable people to participate fully in socio-economic activities they are entitled to.

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister Cele misses opportunity to admit that devolution of SAPS is needed

Today, National Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, for the period of 1 April 2022 – 11 September 2002, presented, on what he terms “an update on the crime situation in the Western Cape.” Minister Cele highlighted the crime statistics on a few matters, which include that Nyanga is the number 1 SAPS station in the country for contact crimes and that between 5 and 11 September, 83 people were killed in the province.

What the Minister fails to mention is that since the intervention of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers in Nyanga, where there are currently 73 officers deployed, it is no longer the murder capital of the country. In addition to this, the Minister is admitting how he has failed to ensure that the area is capacitated with the relevant and necessary resources to combat the crimes he is referring to.

The primary purpose of LEAP, which stems from the Western Cape Government’s Safety Plan is to reduce the murder rate in the areas where they are deployed, and half the murder rate across the province by 50% by 2029. The Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town work in partnership to deliver LEAP.

LEAP’s deployment is data-led, evidence based and where the need is greatest. This means there are no skewed allocations as with the SAPS deployment. Between 4 April 2022 – 28 August 2022, their deployment has led to 2 500 arrests for various crimes. Amongst others, these include the possession of illegal firearms, ammunition, dangerous weapons and drugs.

It is however deeply concerning that as per Minister’s Cele’s report, only 118 people were convicted between 1 April 2022 and 11 September 2022. This shows a clear failure on the part of investigations and what is being presented before court. It is however not surprising that the conviction rate is so low, as on average, investigators in the province sits with 250 dockets, each.

It was further mentioned that within a space of 7 days, 33 firearms and 538 rounds of ammunition were removed off our streets. This is noted, as the illegal use of firearms is one of the contributors to the killings that are occurring. The concern is that there remains a great risk that these firearms will land back on our streets, as there is still no firearm destruction site in the Western Cape. Minister Cele admits that the “province has the third highest gun related murders, as per the last released national crime statistics,” yet firearms have to be transported to Pretoria to be destroyed.

Minister Cele further states that SAPS is currently investigating 32 cases of kidnapping, which occurred between 1 March and September 2022. Once again there is a failure on the Minister’s part to admit that these are the known cases, as due to the mistrust in SAPS, there are incidents that are not reported, and families choose to pay a ransom so that their loved ones are safely returned. The truth that the Minister should admit to, is that there isn’t a true picture of what the reality is. To this end, we need to establish a fully integrated and joint operational task team that will together look into the kidnapping and extortion matter. We cannot just receive reports about what is happening in our province.

Today, Minister Cele missed the opportunity to state that he’ll be engaging the Western Cape Government on the devolution of SAPS, as there is a real need for SAPS to be managed by a capable province such as ours. Where LEAP is deployed, it is making a significant difference and both residents and SAPS at ground level are fully appreciative of the additional resources that is strengthening SAPS’ hand in combatting crime.

Source: Government of South Africa

MPUMALANGA – A 39-year-old suspect is expected to appear before the Calcutta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 15 September 2022 after he was arrested by the Nelspruit based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation on Wednesday, 14 September 2022 for possession of stolen vehicle at Tshalala in Bushbuckridge.

The arrest came after an investigation by the Hawks in a cash-in-transit robbery case which occurred at Masoyi in April 2022. It is alleged that a group of armed suspects accosted the Fidelity armoured vehicle, bombed it, and fled the scene with undisclosed amount of cash.

Information of the whereabouts of the vehicle which was used during robbery was followed. The investigation linked the suspect to the crime scene then a warrant of arrest was issued and executed.

During the arrest, the suspect was found in possession of the alleged stolen vehicle which was reported hijacked in Pretoria. The investigation is continuing.

Source: South African Police Service

KWAZULU-NATAL – On Wednesday 14 September 2022 Hawks from Durban Serious Corruption Investigation arrested a 55-year-old Warrant Officer for corruption which happened in Umsinga area.

It is alleged that the Warrant Officer who is stationed at uMsinga police station attended a collision between a truck and a bakkie at uMsinga precinct. After the attendance, he allegedly phoned the truck owner and requested R7000-00 for the repairs of the bakkie. Cash was allegedly deposited into his bank account and he never paid the driver of the bakkie.

A case of corruption was reported at uMsinga police station and the case docket was allocated to Hawks members for further investigation. He is expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court today.

Source: South African Police Service