Day: November 7, 2022

Water and Sanitation Director-General Dr Sean Phillips led a national public consultation in Boksburg, on 4 November 2022, to present the draft National Resource Infrastructure Agency (NWRIA) Bill for public comment and input from the sector stakeholders.

The Bill seeks to establish the NWRIA, which will result in the bulk water infrastructure, its asset management and revenue collection functions integrated, owned, and managed under one entity and be able to raise finance for requisite further infrastructure development.

The Director-General said the aim of agency was to get a better method of funding than what the department is currently managing. “An agency would be better positioned to raise funds from sources other than the fiscus, from which the department is currently dependent,” Dr Phillips explained.

Dr Phillips highlighted that in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), listing and authority, credit rating and condition of assets, the Agency could raise commercial and development finance, domestically and internationally, while for some projects, it could also enter public-private partnerships.

“Other rationale for the establishment of the agency include governance and transparency. Establishing the NWRIA will strengthen governance & transparency in the water sector by separating the roles of player and referee.

“Third reasoning is that the NWRIA will address the current fragmentation of asset management and revenue collection functions for national water resource infrastructure,” he added.

The Agency is to be registered as a state-owned company in terms of the Companies Act, 2008 (Act No. 71 of 2008) and listed as a major public entity in terms of schedule 2 of the PFMA.

The mandate of the NWRIA is to:

• implement water resource management infrastructure as identified in water resources planning processes within Department of Water and Sanitation;
• manage national water resources infrastructure of both economic and social nature;
• generate and collect revenue from the sale of water as its primary source of income;
• develop options to increase the sources of revenue, e.g., recreational use of assets and hydropower;
• raise commercial funding on the strength of its balance sheet and operational cash flows (actual and projected) for commercially viable projects; and,
• facilitate public-private partnerships.

Dr Phillips emphasised that the agency was not the solution to the current challenges facing the country, but it would work simultaneously with other projects to alleviate water issues.

“We are planning and implementing a range of major projects to augment national bulk water resource infrastructure, Lesotho Highlands Phase 2 and uMkhomazi projects for example.

“This, coupled with the addressing of non-revenue water at municipal level and improving billing and revenue collection across the water value chain, among many others,” said the DG.

The draft bill is currently published for public commentary before being sent to Cabinet for approval.

Source: Government of South Africa

As part of South Africa’s investment drive and the sustainability of supply and demand in enabling growth in the tourism sector, the Industrial Development Corporation of SA (IDC) along with the Government Communication Information System (GCIS), invites you to an exclusive media tour to the launch of the Orpen Kruger Lodge in Mpumalanga. The Orpen Kruger Lodge is a milestone of years of toil by the Muthlwarheni Cooperative of Welverdiend Community. 

Since 2001, the cooperative has been engaged in efforts to uplift its community by setting up tourism value chain activities in this unique land bordering the Manyeleti Game Reserve and the Kruger National Park (KNP). 

Over the years, the cooperative has been supported by various organisations and government institutions, including The Mnisi Tribal Authority, The Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, the National Department of Tourism, and the Mpumalanga Parks and Tourism Agency.

This hotel is now a proud partnership, funding, and investments by the Muthlwarheni Cooperative, Mont’Dor Clares, and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), supported by Indalo Inclusive South Africa. The media tour is organised to provide insight into the investment to boost the tourism market in Mpumalanga. 

Source: Government of South Africa

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), an entity of the Department of Employment and Labour, will be hosting an employer advocacy session in Rustenburg, North West Province, on Tuesday, 8 November 2022.

The session’s purpose is to educate and engage employers about the UIF’s systems, benefits, services, processes, and compliance with applicable legislation. The session will also address issues that employers face with the UIF in order to improve service delivery.

The discussions will focus on the following topics:

• UIF Electronic Declarations;
• UIF Compliance;
• Employer Audit Services;
• Covid-19 TERS “Follow the Money Project”; and
• Inspection and Enforcement services.

Source: Government of South Africa

The City’s Arts and Culture Branch of the Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department, will  make available almost  R3,3 million to  qualifying organisations in the arts, culture and heritage sector. The application process is open and will conclude on 2 December 2022.

The Arts and Culture Branch invites proposals for the funding of projects that will promote and support sustainable cultural development and social well-being in communities throughout the metropole, towards building a city of hope.

Applications are invited for visual and performing arts, temporary public art, and therapeutic arts-based interventions. Proposals should speak to an appreciation for the arts, creativity, heritage and diversity, be able to produce new connections and forms of knowledge, and look to foster forms of social integration and belonging. They should also engage relevant issues such as gender-based violence, substance abuse, gangsterism and xenophobia, as well as exploring responses to environmental and ecological concerns, including climate change.

‘With these Grants-in-Aid opportunities the City of Cape Town wants to raise awareness on the important role that Arts and Culture plays in society to not only promote a sense of belonging and inclusion but also to respect different cultures and the valuable contribution towards  building a City of hope. The funding to successful applicants will also strengthen and build partnerships so that we can do more to assist this sector at a community level. Many of these organisations are ambassadors for the City and assist in creating a better understanding of the role of local government’,  said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.

Proposals for grants-in-aid must be made in writing on an official application form (available from all subcouncil offices, the Arts and Culture Branch and online on www.capetown.gov.za/grants-in-aid).

Applications for grant funding must be made in writing on an official application form (available from all subcouncil offices, the Arts and Culture Branch and online on www.capetown.gov.za/grants-in-aid).

The closing date for applications is 17:00 on 2 December 2022.

For further information contact Rhyno Jansen on 021 417 4104 or rhyno.jansen@capetown.gov.za

For  more information on the Grant-in-Aid policy visit: https://www.capetown.gov.za/local%20and%20communities/financial-relief-and-rebates/financial-support-services/grants-in-aid

Source: City Of Cape Town

Today Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Alderman JP Smith Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security visited the Ndabeni training facility of the Metro Police Training College to check on the current intake of recruits, which began their training in January this year and are expected to complete by 11 December 2022

Over the next 3 years R66m has been budgeted for expanding the City’s law enforcement training college to produce even more well-trained officers, across Metro Police, Law Enforcement and Traffic Services.

‘This budget allocation includes the recruitment of 25 additional training staff to deliver on the expanded training needs of the City’s policing departments. We are also in the process of constructing a new training facility at Muizenberg Training College. National government’s failure of policing leadership is evident in the chronic under-resourcing of the South African Police Services (SAPS) in the Western Cape and in the Cape Town metro. In the City of Cape Town, we are building our municipal police into a proper crime-fighting force. We are doing everything we can within our limited resources and ability to make residents safer,’ said Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The Metro Police training facility in Observatory has limited capacity, and unable to meet the growing training needs.

Additional training venues have been identified to supplement Lakeside, Muizenberg, Ndabeni, Chrysalis Academy and other facilities.

This financial year R15 million has been made available to capacitate growing training needs.

The funding has enabled the start of recruiting 16 facilitators, including a Superintendent, staff responsible for curriculum development, monitoring and other key roles.

The appointment of a Superintendent has been finalised, and the successful candidate assumed duty on 1stOctober.

‘Our Metro Police Training College has over years received various forms of national and international accreditation and has risen to become the number one municipal training institution for the security sector in South Africa. The college has been instrumental in helping pioneer several initiatives over the years, including the first law enforcement volunteer service in South Africa and most recently, training the officers for Cape Town’s own dedicated Highway Patrol Unit. As we increasingly find ourselves having to step further into the role of public policing, the Metro Police Training College helps ensure our members are always trained, fit for purpose and ready to deliver a world class policing service,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

At the college, the officers are trained in:

*Various national Acts relating to enforcement and policing activities including the Criminal Procedure Act, the National Land Transportation Act and the National Road Traffic Act

*Incident management and response

*Crime scene management and evidence collection

*Statement writing and docket completion

*Defensive driving and tactical vehicle stops

* Tactical awareness training for operational activities

*Search and Arrest procedures with Constitutional compliance

*Specialized skills and additional training modules where required

In addition to the general training times, night school training is also available for Law Enforcement volunteers which allow for opportunities to equip participants with knowledge and specialised skills in crime prevention. The City’s Safety and Security Directorate is on-track to increase the training capacity at the college to at least 200 volunteers on an annual basis.

The City is continuing to invest in increasing safety and visible policing for all residents.

This past week, our traffic services saw the activation of the City’s 24-hour Highway Patrol Unit. This R35 million new unit will improve traffic service, reduce fatalities, and ensure that law and order is maintained on our roads. All the officers recruited for this new unit were graduates of the Metro Police Training College. The first vehicles and officers were recently deployed and the unit is expected to expand even further over the next financial year.

In August this year we welcomed the deployment of 100 Law Enforcement officers to the Cape Town CBD on a 24-hour basis.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate sparked this weekend as officers responded to fireworks complaints, calls of domestic violence and confiscated a large amount of drugs.

‘Guy Fawkes weekend is always busy for our enforcement staff. Not only are people ignoring the fact that it’s illegal to set off fireworks in a residential area, but we have children and teenagers who take the opportunity to get involved in criminal acts. This past weekend officers confiscated a large number of socks filled with rocks and paint, as well as fireworks from small shops not licensed to sell them.

‘While no special operations were planned, our enforcement staff worked additional hours on Guy Fawkes day and did more proactive patrols. This has paid off as the number of fireworks related calls to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) dropped compared to last year,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

The PECC recorded 247 complaints about the setting off of fireworks (357 last year) and 45 for the selling of fireworks (63 last year).

There is a growing call for a ban on fireworks, but only the national government has the authority to do so.

In addition, this past weekend the PECC recorded 2 850 incidents, up from 2 203 the weekend before, which included 204 assaults, 50 domestic violence cases and 48 motor vehicle accidents and 27 pedestrian-vehicle accidents.

‘The previous weekend 30 domestic violence calls were received and the near doubling of the figure week on week is disconcerting. The scourge of attacks on our women and children must stop. Gender based violence affects the whole community and it is the responsibility of everyone to put end to GBV,’ said Alderman Smith.

Residents are reminded to report any criminal activity or emergency by contacting the PECC on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.

Metro Police

Officers made 89 arrests, of which 40 were for the possession or sale of drugs.

On Saturday Metro Police Officers arrested a suspect for the possession of an illegal firearm or zip gun in Steenberg.

Just after 13:00, officers were on crime prevention patrols when they received information about a male person carrying a rifle on his back.

The officers located the suspect at Edward Street and confiscated the zip gun he had in his possession.

The 38-year-old man was arrested and detained at Muizenberg Police Station.

On the same day, swift reaction of the Metro Police officers led to the arrest of a suspect for possession of drugs valued at R10 000 in Zonnebloem.

Officers attached to Anti-Economic Crime Task Team were busy with crime prevention patrols when they received information about a man selling drugs at Springfield Street in the parking area.

They saw the suspect throw the drugs one side and arrested the 51-year-old.

The drugs confiscated include seven dagga bankies, 67 units of cocaine, nine units of crack cocaine, 15 ecstasy tablets and cash.

In another incident, officers arrested a suspect for  the possession of a firearm and ammunition in Strand yesterday.

Just before 17:00, officers were on patrol in the area, when they spotted two men loitering on Brown Street.

As the officers approached, the men ran away. One of them was quickly apprehended and found in possession of a 38 special revolver, with six rounds of ammunition.

The 26-year-old suspect was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and detained at Strand SAPS.

Also in Strand, while doing crime prevention patrols, officers spotted two men on bicycles who appeared nervous.

After permission was sought to conduct a  search, one of the men was found in possession of thirty-one whole Mandrax tablets.

The 39-year-old suspect was arrested for possession of drugs and also detained at Strand SAPS.

Law Enforcement

In addition to responding to fireworks and related complaints, Law Enforcement officers made 179 arrests of which 102 were made by Law Enforcement Advance Plan officers for the possession of drugs.

Traffic Service

Cape Town Traffic Services held integrated roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and speed control operations in the week of 30 October 2022 to 5 November 2022.

A total of 31 332 speeding offences were recorded, 29081 fines were issued for various traffic violations. In total 180 public transport vehicles were impounded and 1708 warrants of arrest were executed

A total of 125 arrests were made for the following offences:

•             99 for driving under the influence of alcohol 

•             14 for reckless and negligent driving

•             12 for other types of arrests (stolen vehicle, false documentation, assaulting an officer)

Drunk driving and drag racing operations in Brackenfell, Hout Bay and Sea Point yesterday saw an additional nine people arrested for drunk driving, 2 176 offences recorded during these operations which included 34 vehicles suspended for unroadworthiness and 1 241 speed offences.

The new Highway Patrol Unit recovered a stolen vehicle and arrested its driver over the weekend.

A traffic officer was on duty at a broken down vehicle on the N7 when the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) dash cameras alerted him that a vehicle passing by was stolen.

He pursued the vehicle and stopped it near Dunoon, where the adult female driver was arrested for being in possession of a stolen motor vehicle and detained at Milnerton police station.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town has developed a concept plan for the major refurbishment of the Wynberg public transport interchange (PTI). The plan is now available for public comment until 9 December 2022. The City is also hosting a public information day on Thursday, 17 November 2022, where officials will answer residents’ questions.

The current facility, situated in the vicinity of the Wynberg railway station, is rundown and stretched way beyond its capacity with nearly 48 000 commuters, 1 500 minibus-taxis and GABS buses making use of the PTI on a daily basis.

‘The proposed concept plan gives the public an idea of how the City intends to upgrade the PTI with two new minibus-taxi facilities, two MyCiTi stations, walking and cycling lanes, and upgrades to surrounding roads to improve traffic flow. We intend to invest a substantial amount in the upgrade which will have an immediate impact on the Wynberg CBD and surrounding neighbourhood. This will spur much needed rejuvenation in conjunction with the provision of world-class public transport facilities,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

The public information day will be hosted as follows:

On Thursday, 17 November 2022

At the Wittebome Civic Centre on the corner of Rosmead and Byrnes Avenues, Wittebome, Wynberg

From 14:00 to 19:00

How to comment:

The closing date for comments is Friday, 9 December 2022

Submit a comment via www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay

Send an email to Transport.news@capetown.gov.za

Hand in your written comments at the Subcouncil 20 office

Attend the information day on 17 November 2022

The Wynberg PTI is located in the vicinity of the Wynberg railway station, with a significant number of minibus-taxis holding in Morom Road in particular.

The concept design for the refurbished PTI proposes two minibus-taxi facilities:

The new and upgraded facilities will be located to the north and east of the Wynberg railway station

A new facility with two levels, to be located between Brisbane Road and Morom Road, bordering Wetton and Broad Roads. The ground level of the facility will be for minibus-taxis serving the Cape Town CBD and the upper level will be for minibus-taxis serving the metro-south east

An upgraded single level facility, located between Ottery Road and the railway line, will be for minibus-taxis serving destinations in Grassy Park and the South

Two new stations for the future MyCiTi service, located along Station Road, and a realigned Sussex Road, will be constructed

Drop-off and pick-up points for GABS buses will be provided

‘We want to create a Wynberg PTI that is modern, functional, efficient, convenient, safe, dignified and clean and where commuters can easily transfer between the different modes of transport, from passenger rail to minibus-taxis, GABS, and the MyCiTi service.

‘The current PTI is in a poor state, partly because of a lack of investment in prior years, and also because the facility is not nearly big enough to accommodate all of the commuters and operators using this space. The surrounding transport infrastructure – these are the roads and walkways – is old, and insufficient for the traffic volume, be it for pedestrians, or vehicles.

‘The proposed concept design aims to address all of these challenges, while at the same time making provision for the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to Wynberg within the next few years. I encourage residents, commuters, operators and business owners to submit their comments on the proposal and to join our effort in giving this part of Wynberg a significant capital injection,’ said Councillor Quintas.

Facts about the proposed refurbishment of the Wynberg PTI:

The new and upgraded facilities will be located to the north and east of the Wynberg railway station

Will cover an area of approximately 25 000m², with additional bus and walking and cycling lanes, road upgrades, hard and soft landscaping

Will add sufficient capacity to accommodate the current and projected demands for public transport users and operators

Will include holding areas for minibus-taxis between peak-hour periods

Will include offices, washing facilities, ablutions, security and cleaning services for the minibus-taxi operators

Will include ablution facilities and universally accessible walkways and ramps for commuters, covered loading lanes and waiting areas

Will ensure commuters can seamlessly and conveniently transfer between passenger rail, minibus-taxis, GABS, and the MyCiTi bus service

Will improve general safety and security through design elements, and additional lighting

Will include facilities for traders on the ground floor and first levels to coincide with pedestrian movement – thus, having the traders where the most visitors are. A trading plan will be developed by Economic Development, in conjunction with the local traders

Will include a MyCiTi station and holding bays on both the east and west side of the Wynberg railway station and Prasa railway tracks

Will include holding and loading bays for GABS

Proposed upgrades to surrounding roads:

The vehicle underpass under the railway tracks and its access ramps will be turned into a pedestrian only-zone

The existing pedestrian underpass under the railway tracks to the south of the railway station will be upgraded

Maynard Road between Main and Station Roads will be pedestrian friendly

The link between Morom and Station Roads will be closed at Church Street

Sussex Road, past the existing eastern taxi facility, will be realigned to allow more space for the new eastern minibus-taxi facility

The northern end of Sussex Road will be realigned into Bexhill Road to facilitate access to the Wynberg Mosque

The realigned intersection of Sussex and Ottery Roads will be signalised

The intersection of Morom and Wetton Roads may be signalised, pending further investigations

A west-to-north right-turn lane will be added to Broad Road at the Broad and Brisbane Roads intersection

The realigned Sussex Road will be a one-way southbound, reserved for buses

Maynard Road, currently a one-way westbound, will be converted to a one-way eastbound

Church Street, between Main Road and Station Road, currently a one-way eastbound, will be converted to a one-way westbound

Currently, due to the capacity constraints, minibus-taxis are obstructing walkways. However, the new PTI will provide holding facilities and the whole area will be turned into a pedestrian-friendly environment with universally accessible walkways with design elements to improve safety and security, and additional lighting.

The proposed one-way road conversions, and upgraded intersections will assist with traffic flow, and smooth the road-based public transport services to ensure efficient operations.

‘The minibus-taxi operators will greatly benefit. Each operator from the West-North; West-South; and East, will have their own dedicated operations area, with their own facilities and dedicated entrance and exit routes. There will be sufficient space for ranking, drop-and-go, and parking between peaks. This over and above facilities to meet, rest, and so forth. I encourage the minibus-taxi industry and operators to keep on engaging with us about the proposed plan. It is our intention to provide new facilities that will bring order and flow to minibus-taxi operations, which will save operators and commuters time and money.

‘Furthermore, the investment will have a positive impact on local businesses, and all other visitors using the roads or pedestrianised areas. As this rejuvenation expands, the whole of Wynberg sets to benefit, inclusive of local residents and property owners. I want to assure all that this concept design is not final. We will consider all comments and proposals that we receive from stakeholders and residents, and interested and affected parties in coming weeks, and use this in finalising the detailed design,’ said Councillor Quintas.

If all goes as planned, the detailed design should be concluded by the end of 2023.

Caption: Artist impressions of what the Wynberg public transport interchange could look like, once the construction has been completed. The map indicates the proposed new locations and layout of the public transport services, and surrounding streets.

Source: City Of Cape Town