Day: November 23, 2022

LONDON, Nov 23 (NNN-SANEWS) — The United Kingdom and South Africa will join forces to drive economic growth and turbocharge infrastructure investment, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

He said this at the start of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s formal State Visit.

The UK government said the next phase of the UK-South Africa Infrastructure Partnership, launched Tuesday, supporting South Africa’s economic growth through major infrastructure developments and offering increased access to UK companies in projects worth up to £5.37 billion over the next three years.

“The UK government will also confirm new grant-funded technical assistance to South Africa to help unlock green hydrogen opportunities and boost skills in this key sector.

“As an example of the opportunities for UK businesses, Globeleq – a UK company that is majority owned by British International Investment – is today announcing they have reached legal close on six solar power projects, with construction expected to kick off in South Africa next year,” the UK government said in a statement.

South Africa is the continent’s second largest economy and is already the UK’s biggest trading partner in Africa, with trade worth £10.7 billion annually. Unlocking export finance offers significant opportunities for British businesses to invest and trade.

Ramaphosa is in London for a two-day state visit, hosted by King Charles III.

“After attending a State banquet for the South African delegation this (Tuesday) evening at Buckingham Palace, the Prime Minister will welcome Ramaphosa to Downing Street for a bilateral meeting and lunch on Wednesday,” said the UK government.

Sunak in the statement said: “South Africa is already the UK’s biggest trading partner on the continent, and we have ambitious plans to turbocharge infrastructure investment and economic growth together.

“I look forward to welcoming President Ramaphosa to London this week to discuss how we can deepen the partnership between our two great nations and capitalise on shared opportunities, from trade and tourism and security and defence.”

He said new education and skills partnership between the UK and the South African governments would also promote “shared learning in technical and vocational education, driving youth employment”.

UK funding will build the highly sought-after technical and entrepreneurial skills in the biggest growth sectors, including green technology and electric vehicle manufacture, ensuring South Africa’s youth are benefitting from the green transition.

Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, said the UK’s relationship with South Africa was hugely important to the country.

“Together, we are working to deliver for the British and South African people, creating jobs, enhancing trade and investment, and boosting inclusive economic growth.

“This week’s State Visit, the first under His Majesty The King, is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our ties but also allows us to trigger greater growth, create even more opportunities for British and South African businesses alike, and further promote South Africa’s transition to green energy,” he said.

The Foreign Secretary said the South Africa Just Energy Transition Partnership, launched at COP26, also offers new opportunities to collaborate on renewable technology and green innovation.

“The UK and South Africa are today announcing the creation of a new Partnership on Minerals for Future Clean Energy Technologies to promote increased responsible exploration, production and processing of minerals in South and Southern Africa.

“Countries in the region are among the world’s leading producers of vital minerals used in clean technology, including the platinum group metals and iridium for hydrogen production and vanadium and manganese for battery storage.  This partnership will utilise the UK’s expertise as the home to leading global mining houses, and financial services centre for metals to bolster sustainable and responsible production,” he said.

Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, said the UK is today moving into a new era of its dynamic trade relationship with South Africa, “with exciting collaboration on infrastructure, clean technology, and renewable energy sources”.

“These new opportunities will unlock trade and investment for businesses from the Eastern Cape to East Anglia and boost growth, create jobs and future-proof our economies against a changing world,” she said.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Joint media release: Selfless work of civil society & public servants celebrated in Premier’s “Listening Tour”

This week Premier Alan Winde’s “Listening Tour” moved to Paarl. The aim of the “Listening Tour” – which has crisscrossed the Western Cape over the past few months – is for the Premier to visit communities across the length and breadth of the province to see for himself how critical services are being delivered, where improvements can be made and to hear directly from residents about their issues.

At the TC Newman Community Day Centre, where Premier Winde made an unannounced visit, he was impressed by the spacious waiting area and how clean the facility was. “This is the first step to offering people dignified services,” he remarked.

The visit coincided with a two-day province-wide taxi strike. A manager told the Premier some staff could not report for duty due to the stayaway. The Premier said, “It is unfortunate that strikes like this, while protected in most cases, do impact on service delivery. This action by the South African Taxi Council, though, has been marred by violence and must be condemned in the strongest terms.” Continuing with the tour, the Premier was taken to the pediatric unit. Some of the unit’s staff go beyond what is expected of them by using their own money to buy things like tea and biscuits as an added treat for young patients.

An official told the Premier the centre is well-run but could use some extra maintenance, as evidenced by a few broken windows, as well as more social workers for its mental health unit.

From healthcare to help and services offered to gender-based violence survivors, the tour took Premier to the Athlone House of Strength (AHOS) where he was joined by Provincial Social Development Minister Sharna Fernandez. Ahead of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign a few days away, the Premier and Minister Fernandez were shown around the facility, which since 1999 has been offering a safe space to domestic abuse survivors and their children.

The Department’s Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) funds AHOS at a unit cost of R542, 640 for 20 beds. This is in addition to operational costs, which the provincial Department also contributes towards. The Western Cape Government (WCG) delegation was told a boundary wall needs to be constructed for added security. The Premier and Minister assured staff they will expedite this request with the help of Drakenstein Municipality.

Winde said, “I cannot thank the people of AHOS enough for the work they do. But addressing the root cause of GBV and related crimes becomes increasingly important every time we hear of another atrocity being committed against a woman or a child. As the WCG we take a multi-disciplinary, transversal approach looking at socio-economic issues to try stop crimes against women and minors, instead of reactively addressing the issue.”

Minister Fernandez added, “Over the course of this annual campaign South Africans must become even more mindful of the need to take a firm stance against gender-based violence. It is also during this time that the work of NGOs that provide support services to victims of violence is thrust into the spotlight. While it is imperative that we show our support to these organisations and use the time to spread awareness, the WCG believes in fighting gender-based violence – and all other forms of violence – 365 days a year, not just during the 16 days of the campaign. I was privileged to visit one of the NGOs the Department of Social Development provides funding to, AHOS in Paarl. This facility provides shelter services to women and children who are victims of crime and violence. It also provides accredited skills development to women who are current residents or have exited the shelter. To the staff of AHOS, and all the other amazing NGOs providing an invaluable service to communities: we salute you and we will continue addressing the social ills that lead to violence every day of the year.”

In late October, Premier Winde’s “Listening Tour” peddled into Montagu. On the sidelines of a Transport Month event that promoted safe cycling, the occasion was also used to mark the completion of upgrades to the Cogmanskloof Pass, which involved the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure. “It is for these kinds of projects why we established a department dedicated to infrastructure development. We need to keep pace with the growth of our province by constantly innovating and improving crucial infrastructure, and ideally, we need to anticipate growth areas and support their development with critical infrastructure” said the Premier at a ceremony in Montagu to celebrate the conclusion of the upgrades, which started in May 2019.

The Premier also paid an unannounced visit to the Montagu Hospital. While caught off guard, a senior nurse was only too happy to have the Premier pay the hospital a surprise visit. The nurse even encouraged the Premier to spring another unannounced visit.  She detailed how services need to be improved through:

• More regular maintenance and
• Hiring more personnel.

Her call for more staff was echoed by two paramedics who, while washing one of their vehicles, said more ambulance workers need to be stationed in Montagu, especially over the festive period when the town sees an influx of visitors.

The facility had recently been hit by a fire in its maternity ward. But according to the nurse it had a minimal impact on services. While inspecting the damage and repair work, Premier Winde said, “I am impressed at the ingenuity of the staff at Montagu Hospital as well as firefighters who, through quick-thinking, ensured the blaze was contained and no one was injured.” He assured the nurse he would relay her issues to the Provincial Department of Health and Wellness.

Source: Government of South Africa

Employees urged to normalise applying for UIF on time

According to Employer Service supervisor Johannes Ngoetjana “it is important to apply for UIF right after the employment contract ends”.

Ngoetjana said this during an advocacy session that took place at Senwabarwana, Mosibudi Crèche Schoonveld Village yesterday, 22 November 2022.  

The purpose of the event was to meet up the needs of the clients in the villages who are struggling to reach the labour centres

Ngoetjana said that it is advisable for clients to check for their payslips and whether employers are deducting UIF on their behalf.

He informed the gathering that UIF covers the following UIF benefits: maternity, Illness, unemployment, death, adoption, parental and commissioning parental benefits and therefore advised them to apply before the period lapses.

“Employees are advised to use an online system called u-Filling to lodge their claims;” he said.

Documents required to lodge UIF claims includes ID, payslips, and bank statement while other documents such as UI2.8, UI2.11, UI2.10, and UI2.7 will be supplied in the office he added.

Ngoetjana encouraged clients to utilise the services offered on-site by the Department of Employment and Labour at the moment to avoid going to the labour centres.

Source: Government of South Africa

The Minister in the Presidency will lead the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) on a media roundtable discussion on the bi-annual performance progress reports on 24 November 2022, 09h00.

The DPME has a responsibility to monitor the performance of government against the set priorities in the Medium-Term Strategic Framework and produce bi-annual progress reports for consideration by Cabinet.

Cabinet approved the biannual performance progress reports for the period 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022. In addition to capturing the biannual performance progress, the reports also provide a mid-term review of the priorities of the 2019-2024 Medium Term Strategic Framework.

The reports are compiled according to the five clusters, Justice, Crime Prevention and Security; Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment and Infrastructure Development; Social Protection, Community and Human Development; Governance, State Capacity and Institutional Development, and International Cooperation, Trade and Security.

The reports provide an analysis of the key indicators of the seven adopted priorities of government using data collected from the departmental reports, statistics from Statistics South Africa and reports from the academia. The information is analysed against the National Development Plan: Vision 2030.

Source: Government of South Africa

Transport tackles Gender-Based Violence in the maritime sector

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a scourge that is also experienced by seafarers in the maritime sector. The national Department of Transport and the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) are hard at work to fight against GBV in the marine industry.

Transport Department and SAMSA are hosting a seminar on Gender-Based Violence titled, “Gender-Based Violence at Seas Seminar” ahead of the International Day of No Violence against Women which will be commemorated on 25 November 2022. The aim of the conference is to create awareness about the GBV faced by female seafarers while at sea and in the maritime industry. The gathering will also seek to stimulate a discourse amongst the industry stakeholders around this form of violence perpetuated mainly against females. 

The gathering will also see experts coming together to impart knowledge on various topics such as; Seafarers’ experiences – challenges faced by women at seas, Shipowners’ and manning organisations’ perspective, and the Welfare community’s role and the South African government programme on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) amongst others.

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga will participate in the seminar.

The seminar will be followed by a GBV awareness activation on Friday, 25 November 2022 at the Port of Cape Town.

Source: Government of South Africa

Collection of media accreditation: Government to launch 16 Days of Activism for no Violence against Women and Children campaign

Government wishes to advise members of the media who have successfully applied for accreditation to cover the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign to collect accreditation as follows: 

Day1- date:  24 November 2022
Time:  10h00 to 18h00 

Day 2- date: 25 November 2022
Time: 7h00 to 9h00 
Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre (NASREC Showgrounds)

Requirements: Each applicant must personally collect the accreditation. Accreditation will be issued upon presentation of: 

• A valid Passport or South African Identity Card
• A press card and 
• A letter from the editor confirming the assignment. 

For accreditation-related queries contact Ishmael Selemale at 0726377665

Source: Government of South Africa