Day: September 21, 2022

Premier urges close crime-fighting partnership with Swartland Municipality

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Police Oversight and Community Safety Minister Reagen Allen met with senior officials from Swartland Traffic and Law Enforcement yesterday on the successes of their K9 unit. It was part of the Premier’s “Listening Tour” outreach.

To date the unit – launched in October 2020 – has achieved the following successes:

•             Liquor seizures to the value of more than R255 000;

•             Over R424 000 in drugs taken off the streets;

•             300 kilograms of stolen copper cables were confiscated from one scrap metal dealer and

•             159 arrests in 179 operations.

The Premier said: “These successes are very encouraging. This unit is clearly making an impact.” While buoyed by the effectiveness of the unit, which works closely with other law enforcement agencies including the Swartland Municipality’s Reaction unit, officials appealed for more funding to expand these policing functions, enhance collaboration and bolster crime intelligence gathering. The Reaction Unit operates much like the Western Cape Government (WCG) and City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), which has had a tangible impact on pushing down murders in areas where officers are deployed.

The Premier explained that LEAP can be rolled out to other municipal regions, but agreements between municipalities must be reached. He continued: “Can you imagine the impact of expanding LEAP beyond Cape Town and even the province? Using our data driven and evidence based crime-fighting model, we would be able to break the back of crime.”

Minister Allen said: “Regardless of where a town is situated in the Western Cape, the safety of all residents is our primary concern. We will continue to support and cooperate with local governments and safety stakeholders as it is vital to strengthen the fight against crime. Drugs and other criminal elements are suffocating our communities, and they are unwelcome.”

Swartland Executive Mayor Harold Cleophas added: “I appreciate the crime-fighting partnerships we have developed between the municipality and the WCG. Our K9 unit is an asset to the us all.”

Premier Winde thanked the municipality for taking the initiative to establish these units. “It is all of our responsibility to tackle crime.” Given the country is still gripped by intense load shedding the issue came up for discussion at the presentation. The Premier said: “Through partnerships we must stay ahead of criminals who take advantage of rolling power cuts.”

Source: Government of South Africa

The Western Cape Government is adamant to take the advice and experience of citizens into account to improve its services to communities. Premier Alan Winde therefore took his “Listening Tour” to Ceres and Malmesbury this week.

Joined by Provincial Health and Wellness Minister Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, the Premier started off at Ceres Hospital which in February implemented a Quality Improvement Plan. He was encouraged to hear from the medical facility’s management that progress has been made in some areas such as adding a 4-bed mental health unit at the hospital. “Making more bed space available is an important aspect to ensuring health care services are professional,” the Premier emphasised. He told officials: “We must continuously prepare for projected pressures on critical services like health care, and so we have to improve future planning.”

The Premier then visited an infrastructure project in the town, with Western Cape Infrastructure Minister Tertuis Simmers. The Van Breda bridge and road are being upgraded and widened. The entire project, costing R66 million, will be completed by late 2023. Standing at the base of the bridge, Premier Winde said: “As a government we must ensure we keep investing in infrastructure that enables businesses, both locally and beyond, to grow. We’ve seen on a national level what happens when you don’t plan properly for growth, and in our government that will not happen. Such largescale infrastructure projects are also good for job creation.”

One of the highlights of this leg of the “Listening Tour” was the handing over of title deeds to three elderly housing beneficiaries. “Our goal is to build hope, quite literally, in this community,” he remarked. He added “People wait for too long for homes and even longer for title deeds. These deeds symbolise dignity to these recipients, who are now officially homeowners.”

Further down the road, the Premier and Minister Simmers inspected a model of a house at the Ceres Vredebes Incremental Housing Pilot Project. The idea behind such programmes is to offer low-income earning residents affordable homes, which they can incrementally expand, if and when they are able. Premier Winde remarked on the innovative design: “When you give people homes, you give them optimism, and some may want to then go further and start small businesses from these incremental units.” Thousands of these units can be rolled out each year as they are easier and more affordable to build. Minister Simmers noted: “The Incremental Housing Project is another innovative initiative of the Provincial Government as we seek to restore the dignity of all our citizens.”

At the DuToit Group agricultural company head offices in Ceres, the Premier was given a tour of a cherry packaging facility which is under construction. Despite the challenges facing companies and agriculture the DuToit Group is forging ahead by investing in the region and provincial economy by growing its operations. “This means growing more jobs,” the Premier said. The owners used the opportunity to outline the problems they face. These include:

•             Load shedding;

•             Some roads in the area which need to be upgraded or repaired.

Winde explained to them the energy crisis is affecting every aspect of life, particularly economic growth, and added that while Eskom and energy is a national government mandate, the WCG is doing everything it can to ameliorate the wide-ranging risks that ongoing power cuts cause. The Premier vowed to help companies like the DuToit Group wherever he can to keep growing. The Premier said: “Our Agriculture, Finance and Economic Opportunities Departments are constantly looking at ways to increase access to markets for our local agriculturalists.

The next stop was the Malmesbury Community Sport Centre. This astonishing facility was made possible by the Hope Through Action and Score NGOs. The centre is so much more than just a sports facility: it runs various youth intervention and development programmes, including two computer labs and an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre. It also runs the @HomeLearning initiative, a partnership between the Western Cape Departments of Education, Finance and Economic Opportunities and Cultural Affairs and Sport, together with the Year Beyond programme. “This is another fantastic example of partnerships,” the Premier said.

At a ceremony where the keys to new homes at the De Hoop Housing Project were handed over to recipients in Malmesbury, Premier Winde told the gathering: “We are building hope in De Hoop.” He implored recipients to take pride in their homes, adding: “With such opportunities comes responsibility, but also a foothold for upliftment for families.”

Source: Government of South Africa

It’s been ten years since the country mapped out and adopted its ambitious development blue print, the National Development Plan: Vision 2030 (NDP).

To mark this occasion the National Planning Commission (NPC) is hosting a youth dialogue and public lecture under the theme: ‘How do we invoke and implement the NDP for a new socio-economic heritage for South Africa?’.

The event takes place in Alice, Eastern Cape at the University of Fort Hare, hosted in partnership with the University and the Department of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation.

The NDP Review found that progress in attaining the lofty and noble goals of the NDP has been slow. With eight years to go until 2030, the NPC is urging society to mobilise around the urgent implementation of the NDP in order to tackle the persistent challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty.

The youth dialogue takes place on Thursday, 22 September and will involve students and young people from surrounding communities. The public lecture, to be held on Friday 23 September, will be delivered by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko, South Africa’s Ambassador at Large for Peace and Security, Human Rights and Development.

The NPC is a diverse and independent advisory body – comprising carefully chosen experts in various fields and sectors – appointed by the President. The Commission is appointed for a five-year period and is chaired by the Minister in the Presidency. The basic role of the NPC is to provide advice to the President and to Cabinet on matters pertaining to the implementation of the NDP.

Source: Government of South Africa

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Mr Buti Manamela, will give a keynote address and participate in a dialogue at CoSACSA breakfast meeting on the 22 September 2022.

The College Sports Arts and Culture SA supported by the South African Public Colleges Organization (SAPCO) will host the Breakfast Dialogue and Summer Balls Games in Gauteng to be held on the 21 September 2022 at the Tshwane University of Technology in Gauteng, South Africa.

The purpose of the dialogue and ball games is to assist all TVET students who are skilled in Sports to sharpen their skills through competing with the peers and eventually representing the country

The Deputy Minister will be the main speaker at the breakfast dialogue and will be joined by the DDG responsible for TVET – Mr Zungu, President of SASCOC – Mr. Barry Hendrick, President of USSA – Ms Nomsa Mahlangu and the President of CoSACSA- Mr. Aubrey Mposula

Source: Government of South Africa

The Minister of Transport, Mr Fikile Mbalula will release the Accident Report of a road crash that occurred on Friday the 16th September 2022 and resulted in 20 fatalities in uPhongolo, KwaZulu-Natal.

The Minister will also outline government measures to alleviate pressure on roads by the freight and trucking industry.

Accompanied by the Road Accident Fund, the Road Traffic Management Corporation, Senior officials of the KZN provincial government and other government agencies for social relief and law enforcement, the Minister will also visit the families of the victims.

Source: Government of South Africa

The City’s Basket of Services and the Mobile Office will be at the Scottsdene Youth Centre on Monday, 26 September 2022, from 09:00 until 15:00. Read more below:

Officials for various city departments will be deployed to the Youth Centre to assist residents with service and municipal account enquiries.

The following departments will be visiting Scottsdene:

Human Resources for enquiries about bursaries, internships and apprenticeships

Social Development and Early Childhood Development – to provide information about challenges affecting our communities such as substance abuse, gender-based violence, older persons, ECDs, persons with disabilities, youth and arts and culture programmes

Finance for assistance with rebates and grants

Customer Relations for assistance with municipal account and reporting of faults (general enquiries)

Health for more information about primary health care services

Human Settlements will assist qualifying residents with registering on the City’s housing database, as well as other housing enquiries

Safety and Security will provide information about traffic and law enforcement services

EPWP will assist jobseekers and give unemployed youth an opportunity to register on the jobseekers database

‘This service focuses on residents who live in remote areas and have to travel some distance to municipal facilities to get services. We are bringing the services to them to save them time and money. Thus, I urge all residents in the area to please come in their numbers, especially the youth looking for employment opportunities, to register on the jobseeker’s database. This will ensure that they stand to be considered when opportunities become available.

‘Residents are reminded to please bring their IDs and municipal accounts for ease of reference. Should residents want to find out when the service is coming to their area, they are advised to contact their ward councillor and Subcouncil office and request it. The City is committed to bringing services closer to residents,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Theresa Uys.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City’s municipal offices, including cash receiving, account enquiries, motor vehicle registration and licensing, Traffic Services’ driving licence testing centres (DLTCs), Human Settlements offices and municipal courts will be closed on 24 September 2022 for Heritage Day. Customers should consider making use of the City’s convenient online payment options where possible, as well as e-Services.

The City’s customer offices in the Lansdowne Corner Mall, Liberty Promenade Mall, and Table Bay Mall will also be closed. Residents are urged to plan accordingly and use e-Services where possible and to do their urgent business before the public holiday.

Municipal accounts may be paid at any Shoprite/Checkers, Pick n Pay, PEP, Woolworths, USave, Ackermans, Lewis, Top It Up and selected Spar shops. Online payments may be made at www.powertime.co.za or www.easypay.co.za, and motor vehicle licences may be renewed online at https://eservices.capetown.gov.za/

For account payments:

• Online: www.Easypay.co.za or www.powertime.co.za

• EFTs: Select the City as a bank-listed beneficiary. Use only your nine-digit municipal account number as reference

• Retailers: Checkers, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar and Woolworths

• e-Services: Use the City’s online e-services portal

• ATM: contact your bank to add the City as an ATM beneficiary

Register on e-Services

• Renew vehicle licences

• Submit water/electricity readings

• Pay municipal accounts online (debit order payment option, only)

• View current account and account history

• Apply to receive accounts via email

• Log service requests

To register for e-Services visit: https://eservices.capetown.gov.za/

Since 1 July 2022, the City has switched to Pay@ as the new online and retailer third-party service provider for fine payments.

Motorists are advised that fines and warrants can now be viewed and paid online at https://www.paythat.co.za/ – this includes fines pre-dating 1 July 2022.

Other electronic payment methods are available by:

Card: VISA, Mastercard

EFT: ABSA, FNB, Nedbank, Capitec, Standard Bank

Scan to Pay: Masterpass, Snapscan, Zapper, FNB, Nedbank, ABSA

In the event that a motorist wants to pay their fines in person at a retailer, they can pay at selected Spar shops, if the fine pre-dates 1 July 2022.

Fines issued as from 1 July can be paid at selected SPAR shops, as well as Ackermans, Builder’s Warehouse, Game, Makro, PEP and Pick n Pay.

Since 1 August 2022, these fines can also be paid at Shoprite/Checkers Money Market kiosks.

We thank our customers for their patience during this time and encourage the use of online services.

Source: City Of Cape Town