Day: January 31, 2023

South Africa has been admitted as a member of the International Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) following a competitive application process.

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) will serve as joint institutional members.

The HFSP promotes international collaboration in basic research focused on elucidating the sophisticated and complex mechanisms of living organisms.

South Africa is the 16th country to be admitted, and the only country from Africa.

According to the NRF, this membership underscores the value South Africa places on supporting fundamental research in understanding complex mechanisms in the life sciences to advance industry, health, and human well-being.

“As a member, South Africa will work closely with other HFSP members to support innovative basic research; apply novel and interdisciplinary approaches; and enable scientific exchanges across national and disciplinary boundaries to address fundamental biological problems.”

Furthermore, membership is said to significantly contribute to the research and education programmes supported by the NRF and the SAMRC.

Through joint programming with partners, South Africa will increase its vital scientific and innovation skills development through unique research and training programmes in basic sciences, with specific emphasis on generating outcomes that have a direct socio-economic impact and thereby benefit to society.

“This membership will be instrumental in ensuring that Africa becomes globally competitive in frontiers research relating to life sciences, thereby promoting innovation and a transformed research system,” stated NRF CEO, Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo.

The SAMRC President and CEO, Professor Glenda Gray, added: “This partnership will have a fundamental impact on building South Africa’s capacity and global influence in life sciences for the greater benefit of society”.

The HFSP was founded in 1989 to advance international research and training at the frontier of the life sciences.

The HFSP funds high-risk, interdisciplinary, intercontinental, collaborative, fundamental life science research, with a philosophy of “science without borders”.

It encourages innovative and novel thinking to support transformative and paradigm-shifting research.

With its collaborative research grants and postdoctoral fellowships, the programme has issued over 4 500 awards involving more than 7 500 scientists from all over the world.

Since its inception, 28 HFSP awardees and four Nakasone Award winners have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

Source: South African Government News Agency

NELSPRUIT - Partnership between the security industry and the police has led to the recovery of a vehicle, silver Mercedes Benz (sedan) this afternoon at around 16:00. Two male suspects aged 30 and 41 were arrested on charges of possession of suspected stolen property.

The vehicle was recovered after security officers from Kasselman Security Company received information on the whereabouts of a vehicle that was stolen at Jeppe, in the Gauteng Province few days back, 27 January 2023. The guards traced the information whilst alerting SAPS members from Standerton. They spotted the vehicle with two occupants and they then pulled it over at a certain filling station in Standerton. The said car had Eastern Cape registration number plates. Eventually the two were arrested and police charged them with possession of suspected stolen property. Preliminary investigation by the police has since revealed that the two were on parole. Police are working in partnership with officials from the Department of Correctional Services and the two might as well find themselves back in the Correctional Centre as it appears that they may have violated their parole conditions.

The two suspects are expected to appear at the Standerton District Court on Wednesday, 01 February 2023 facing the said charges.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has once again applauded the good relationship that exists between law enforcement agencies which often bring about desired results. "We are really making a serious impact, more especially in the recovery of vehicles in the province. In the past few days, have witnessed the arrest of suspects and the recovery of vehicles that were stolen. Thanks to law enforcement agencies for working cooperatively on this one. Together we can do more" said the General.

Source: South African Police Service

WESTERN CAPE - SAPS management in the Western Cape lauds Detective Warrant Officer Jannie Goeieman for his outstanding investigation tact in the murder case of Philip April. April was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Western Cape High court today for the murder of Allison Plaatjies.

In October 2019, the body of Allison was found in her place of residence by friends who were concerned by her sudden disappearance. Her throat was slit with three different knives and her vehicle was missing. During the investigation, her vehicle was recovered from the accused, who was her boyfriend at the time. He pleaded guilty on the charge of murder but denied stealing the vehicle.

He was found guilty on both charges and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and five years for theft of a motor vehicle, which is attributed to the efforts, emotional turmoil and hours of investigation by the detective attached to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit.

Source: South African Police Service

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Deputy Minister, Alvin Botes, on Monday, opened the African Regional Seminar on the Universalisation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which is currently underway in Pretoria.

The seminar is co-hosted by the DIRCO, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and includes the participation of 37 African States.

The TPNW, according to the department, is a landmark agreement in the history of nuclear disarmament and represents the desire for Member States of the United Nations (UN) to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

TPNW intends to further stigmatise and delegitimise nuclear weapons based on the adverse and indefensible humanitarian consequences of their use.

The Treaty emphasises the humanitarian consequences of the use of such weapons.

“African States played a critical role during the open-ended working group on nuclear disarmament that culminated in the negotiation and adoption of the TPNW by the vast majority of UN Member States in July 2017.”

This is by the declaration of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) as far back as 1964 for the Denuclearisation of Africa, and the establishment of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Pelindaba Treaty, adopted in 1997.

The TPNW and the Pelindaba Treaty express the prohibition of nuclear weapons on the African continent while supporting the continued use of nuclear technologies for peaceful uses that contributes to socio-economic development.

The African Regional Seminar will take stock of the TPNW from a regional perspective and consider the need for further progress towards universalisation of the Treaty on the continent.

“This will entail raising awareness about the TPNW, its importance for the African States, its place in the global and regional peace and security architecture as well as to highlight discussions about the risks posed by nuclear weapons and their catastrophic humanitarian consequences.”

Universalisation of the TPNW maximises the authority of the Treaty, strengthens its core norms and principles and underscores the de-legitimization of nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence.

Deputy Minister Botes stressed that: “For a majority of non-nuclear armed States, especially African States, the risks of the use of nuclear weapons and the scale of the humanitarian consequences that would follow, make nuclear disarmament an urgent priority. South Africa’s own experience has shown that neither the possession nor the pursuit of nuclear weapons can enhance international peace and security”.

According to Botes, the continued retention of nuclear weapons based on the perceived security interests of some States comes at the expense of the rest of humanity.

He said South Africa’s commitment to disarmament is based on the belief that international peace and security cannot be divorced from development.

“South Africa continues to play a leading role in organising the implementation of the Treaty and calls upon African States to sign and ratify the TPNW at the earliest possible opportunity and thus reassert Africa’s leadership in nuclear disarmament and contributing to international peace and security,” he added.

The Executive Director of ICAN, Beatrice Fihn, said: “By coming to Pretoria for this meeting, the States here are reinforcing their commitment to a world without nuclear weapons and providing needed leadership on nuclear disarmament at a time when, for the first time in many years, we are faced with the very real and deeply concerning the possibility of a nuclear weapon being used in conflict.”

Head of Pretoria Delegation of the ICRC, Jules Amoti, defined nuclear weapons as being one of the biggest threats to humanity.

“Their catastrophic humanitarian consequences for all life on our planet are today well-known, and so are the immense risks their continued existence entails. The complete elimination of nuclear weapons is an urgent humanitarian imperative, and for all those States that are party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is also a legal duty,” he added.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Department of Employment and Labour is organising a workshop to share best practices on the application of the Major Hazard Installation (MHI) Regulations in order to raise awareness and promote public safety against encroachment, vandalism and theft at MHI infrastructures.

The workshop’s purpose is to advocate on the application of the Major Hazard Installation Regulation and also to share good practises and lessons learned in adhering to the MHI Regulations. It further seeks to empower the respective co-regulators and inspectors on the provisions of MHI Regulations.

A Major Hazard Installation refers to an installation where a substance is produced, processed, used, handled or stored in such a form and quantity that it has the potential to cause a major incident or an occurrence of catastrophic proportions, resulting from the use of plant and machinery, or from activities at a workplace. Some of these substances may include Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), petrol and ammonia.

Department of Employment and Labour Specialist Inspector: Major Hazard Installations, Rachel Aphane said the gathering was part of the Department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch’s pillar to provide advocacy on the legislations.

“In essence it is part of the Departmental work plan, to raise awareness and educate stakeholders on the provisions of the legislations.

“The workshop is an annual event. In this financial year we have targeted pipelines because of increased encroachments, tapping of pipelines, vandalism, thieving and increased need to transport substances on road due to energy crisis,” Aphane said.

According to Aphane, South Africa has experienced some small accidental release of substances such as ammonia at some refrigeration plants and over fillings at petroleum Depots.

“The most recent incident was the MHI in transit on the Boksburg road. The incident, is outside of our scope as it was in transit, however it is an MHI at a point of departure and arrival. An analysis was done and the surface emissive power of the Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion fireball flame was calculated to be in the region of 260 kW/m2, as such nearby public members (up to a distance of 20 metres) would be exposed to extremely high level of thermal radiation.

“However, the dispersion of flammable vapour from the catastrophic rupture of the tanker reached a radius of more than 70 metres and the repairable damage estimated up to 110 meters. The fire was started by the tanker rubbing on the bridge and causing a spontaneous spark. The incident is still sub judice. The matter is also under discussion in the national Dangerous Goods Supply Chain Task Team composed of SAPS and Department of Transport. The Team is, meant to harmonise the control of substances in all spectrum. The Department is a member of the DG SC task team,” remarked Aphane.

The MHI is a high risk industry and needs to be regulated strictly as a breach or non-compliance not only adversely affects the employees but also the public members.

The Department, Aphane said ordinarily conducts routine inspections to monitor compliance with legislations. The breach consequences depends on the findings made, as such different non-conformances have different litigations and notices are issued or motion of actions are then referred to National Prosecution Authority (NPA), argued Aphane.

The workshop was arranged in partnership with Sasol Satellite Operations: Germiston and stakeholders including officials dealing with MHIs at provincial and local government (Metropolitans and municipalities in the land zoning, disaster management, and emergency services units), MHI facilities, inspectors, dangerous goods officials as well as any other interested parties are expected to attend.

Source: Government of South Africa

Statement by the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos.

Cape Town’s clothing and textile sector has been given a boost with the Council approval of the transfer of City-owned land in Mitchells Plain to a local non-profit organisation for the development of a skills training centre.

The NPO, Design26 Foundation, was established in 2018 to create a robust pipeline of skilled employees, entrepreneurs and suppliers for the manufacturing industry in Cape Town.

I am pleased that Council agreed to the sale at a discounted rate because of the long-term social and economic benefits of the training centre to the surrounding community and the metro at large.

As a caring, well-run City, the transfer is based on an equitable and sustainable model for providing infrastructure to promote economic growth.

It was my pleasure to put before Council another item that it authorised: the transfer to the Western Cape Provincial Government of 39 land parcels designated and used as schools.

Given that only provincial governments have the constitutional oversight function of education, not only is it necessary but also overdue to place the relevant Western Cape Government department in direct control of the assets. Direct control of the sites will allow forward budgeting for the management and maintenance thereof.

Because the land is used for schooling purposes, the City will not derive any financial gain from the transfer of the properties. However, the transfers will indirectly support economic growth in the long term because it will allow the schools easier access to the necessary maintenance resources, which will create a more secure environment for learning.

The land transfers of all sites will be facilitated by the Property Management Department within the City’s Economic Growth Directorate.

Source: City Of Cape Town