Day: November 15, 2022

President Cyril Ramaphosa working session remarks on Food and Energy Security at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Bali, Indonesia

Your Excellency Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia and President of the G20,
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In Africa, as in many other parts of the developing world, millions of people are going hungry.

Global food insecurity is getting worse.

There are several reasons for this.

The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been uneven and inadequate.

Climate change has increased the frequency and the severity of droughts, floods and wildfires, disrupting agricultural production and supply.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has hiked global prices of fuel, fertilisers, edible oil, sugar and wheat.

We as South Africa still insist on dialogue between all the parties to resolve the conflict.

Low and middle income economies are most affected by the resultant food shortages and therefore need substantial financial support to ensure food security and tackle the effects of climate change.

With this support, low and middle income countries can invest in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable food production systems and climate change early warning systems.

Trade restrictions are a major source of risk for global food price stability.

We therefore support the call for multilateral trading systems that are transparent, inclusive, predictable and rules-based.

South Africa welcomes the Indonesian Presidency’s focus on just and sustainable energy transitions.

We are, however, concerned at the lack of progress on key issues in the multilateral negotiations at COP27, especially with respect to loss and damage, finance, technology, capacity building, adaptation and the just transition.

The outcomes of both COP27 and this Leaders’ Summit must reaffirm the principles of equity and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’.

Industrialised countries in the G20 need to demonstrate more ambitious climate action and must honour their financial commitments to developing economies.

South Africa will continue to contribute its fair share to the global climate change effort through a just transition that supports sustainable development.

We call for continued G20 support for the African Renewable Energy Initiative as a means of bringing clean power to the continent on African terms.

In this regard this can be best achieved with the African Union joining the G20 as a permanent member.

It is only through a collective and united response that we can resolve the challenges of food and energy insecurity across our world.

I thank you.

Source: Government of South Africa

The Department of Employment and Labour in Free State Province is cautioning existing and potential suppliers against scammers issuing out fraudulent purchase orders.

The Department has noted with concern the reports of scammers who are contacting suppliers posing as officials, requesting quotations on various items and later issuing fake purchase orders of the said items to unsuspecting suppliers.

Regrettably, some suppliers have fallen victim to this scam and unknowingly delivered the items to scammers without payment.

While the Department continues to investigate this fraudulent activity, suppliers are urged to guard against the following indicators of fraud in order to avoid falling victim to such scams:

Indicators of fraud:

Incorrect domain name used to send emails and purchase orders. A valid departmental email address always ends in @labour.gov.za 

Poorly written email with grammatical errors

Contact numbers not associated with the Department of Employment and Labour

Large product quantities are requested.

Hovering over the email address may reveal the originator’s email address if different from that displayed.

To authenticate the validity of a request for quotation and/or purchase order suppliers are urged to email Nthabiseng.tjawane@labour.gov.za(link sends e-mail) or call 051 505 6239.

Source: Government of South Africa

Schools can win R25 000 for library resources in the ‘Letter to my library’ competition

Entries are now open for our annual school library competition, and six learners will win R25 000 in library resources for their school!

The competition is being held in celebration of International School Library Month (ISLM), which takes place during October each year, in partnership with the Western Cape Education Department’s Education Library and Information Services (EDULIS).

This year’s edition takes the form of a letter-writing competition, asking learners to write a “Letter to my library”. Each letter must be addressed to a learner’s library, and must answer the following questions:

Why is a school library so important to you?

What can you use it for?

What are your favourite books to read in a library?

How would R25 000 for library resources help your school?

Each school can collate as many letters from the learners at their school as they like, to form a single entry for submission.

Six schools will be awarded a prize of R25 000 each to spend on library resources: three secondary schools will receive R25 000 each for the winning entries in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa, and three primary schools will receive R25 000 each for the winning entries in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.

A minute was sent to schools on 10 November 2022, containing all the information and contact details they need to submit their learners’ entries. Enquiries about the competition can be sent to Janine.Ontong@westerncape.gov.za(link sends e-mail).

The closing date for entries is 15 December 2022, and winners will be announced early next year.

We encourage every school to take up this opportunity, and we cannot wait to read our learners’ letters!

Source: Government of South Africa

The North West provincial government under the stewardship of Premier Kaobitsa Bushy Maape in partnership with the Moses Kotane Foundation and the North-West University will on Friday, 18 November 2022, host the first Annual Moses Kotane Lecture.  

Set to be an annual event, the Moses Kotane Lecture aims to preserve Kotane’s legacy and borrow from his wisdom in finding lasting solutions to challenges of socio-economic concerns afflicting many communities across the province and country.  

Moses Kotane  was one of the figures who were instrumental in the struggle for liberation in South Africa. He was incorruptible and believed in good governance and ethical leadership. In 2015 his remains were repatriated from Moscow, Russia and buried in his home village of Phela in the North West. 

The lecture which is held under the theme: “Resetting South Africa’s journey towards recovery and rebuilding”, will be delivered by Prof Somadoda Fikeni, an author, researcher and renowned political analyst who is currently the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission of South Africa. 

Other guest speakers include Prof Dirk Kotzé, a Lecturer from the University of South Africa who specialises in South African politics and conflict resolution; Prof Kedibone Phage, a Director in the School of Government Studies from the North-West University whose areas of specialisation include Local Government, Public Policy and Public Governance, as well as Mr Solly Mapaila, the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP).

Amongst other invited dignitaries are members of the Kotane family, Moses Kotane Foundation Board members, Members of the Provincial Legislature, Members of the Executive Council, former Premiers of the North West Province, the Provincial House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, civil society and different political organisations.

The Inaugural Annual Moses Kotane Lecture will be delivered as follows:

Date: Friday, 18 November 2022

Venue: NWU Potchefstroom Campus, Sanlam Auditorium

Time: 14h00 – 18h00

Members of the media wishing to attend and cover the Lecture are requested to send their details for RSVP to IMatlabe@nwpg.gov.za(link sends e-mail) by 16h00 on Wednesday, 16 November 2022.

Members not able to attend physically can follow the proceedings which will be streamed live on the North West Office of the Premier and North-West University Facebook pages, as well as the North West Provincial Government YouTube channel.

Source: Government of South Africa

The SIU recovers over R33 million from Northlink College in NSFAS investigation

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has recovered R33 489 884.37 from Northlink College in the Western Cape as part of its National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) investigations. This is the first actual recovery of government money since the signing of Proclamation R88 of 2022 on Friday, 26 August 2022.

Northlink College is a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college that receives NSFAS funding for students who need the financial aid to further their studies. Following the announcement of Proclamation R88 of 2022, the college informed the SIU that it received over R33 million from NSFAS that was not allocated to students between 2017 and 2021 and had invested it without authorisation.

The TVET college stated to the SIU that it is fully aware that the funds should have been returned to the NSFAS, but Northlink College has failed to do so, and instead decided to invest the funds and would return the funds on request from NSFAS. The SIU is currently calculating interest earned from the investment from the commencement date, and such interest would have to be paid into the SIU Trust account.

The SIU is in terms of Proclamation R88 of 2022 authorised by the President to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of NSFAS, and to recover any financial losses suffered by the State through corruption and negligence. The SIU investigation focuses on maladministration at NSFAS regarding two functions of the organisation. The first part will look into the management of NSFAS’s finances. The second part will investigate the allocation of loans, bursaries, and any other funding payable to students in terms of the provisions of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act, 1999, Act No. 56 of 1999.

Furthermore, the SIU is also investigating related unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by the NSFAS or the State, including the causes of maladministration. The SIU is also probing any unlawful or improper conduct by employees or officials of the NSFAS or the service providers in question, their employees or any other person or entity.

The proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that took place between 1 April 2016 and 26 August 2022, the date of the publication of the Proclamation, or before 1 April 2016 and after the date of this Proclamation that are relevant to, connected with, incidental to the matters or involve the same persons, entities or contracts investigated.

The SIU is empowered to institute civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name, to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during both investigations caused by acts of corruption, fraud, or maladministration. In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU will refer any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action.

Source: Government of South Africa