Category: Education

Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister, John Jeffery, says the draft Domestic Violence regulations are critical to strengthening the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide.

He was speaking during a webinar on the draft regulations on Wednesday.

The regulations follow the signing into law of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill, the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill and the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill by President Cyril Ramaphosa in January this year.

“The new draft regulations are necessary in order to give practical effect to changes in the law. We want to encourage stakeholders and all members of the public to submit their comments so that we can make sure we have regulations that make a meaningful impact on preventing and combatting GBV and femicide.

“All operational aspects contemplated in the Acts must be in place before the Acts can be put into operation. It is therefore crucial that we have the regulations in place, and the stakeholders and public are given an opportunity to submit their inputs on the drafts,” he said.

The regulations are a vast array of directives, including how a domestic violence safety monitoring notice can be served, and how an online portal will be created to allow GBV victims and survivors to apply for a protection order against perpetrators.

Some of the regulations build on those that are already in existence.

“Many of the regulations are not necessarily new but it’s important to highlight that additional insertions have been added to strengthen the provisions. For example, regulation 11 dealing with the issuing of an interim protection order, is not a new provision but additional insertions have been included to provide for the manner of service of documents on the respondent,” the Deputy Minister said.

Jeffery highlighted the importance of having a victim centred approach in the fight against GBV and femicide.

“We have to make the process as user friendly as possible so as not to cause any further trauma for the complainants, and also to ensure that they get the support and the services that they need,” Jeffery said.

Comments on the draft regulations can be sent by no later than 10am on Monday, 11 July to Mr M Mokulubete in the following ways:

• Comments forwarded by post can be addressed to – The Director-General: Justice and Constitutional Development, Private Bag X81, Pretoria, 0001

• If hand delivered, the comments can be delivered at SALU Building, Room 23.22, 316 Thabo Sehume Street, Pretoria

• Comments that are sent in by email, can be sent to MMokulubete@justice.gov.za

• Faxed comments can be sent to 086 519 8972.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The City of Cape Town’s feasibility study on taking over the management of passenger rail from National Government kicked off on Friday, 1 July 2022, with a briefing between officials from the Urban Mobility Directorate and SMEC South Africa, the professional services provider appointed to conduct the study. The City’s intention is to devolve the passenger rail service to the Metro to build a reliable, integrated public transport system for Cape Town. This policy direction is supported by the White Paper on National Rail Policy that was gazetted in May 2022.

The City’s contract with SMEC SA stipulates clear deadlines, deliverables, regular feedback and reporting to the City on the progress of the work.

‘The first deliverable is due in three months with a first stage report to the City. One critical requirement for the study is that we should have access to all of the financial and technical information associated with operating the current rail system. This information is crucial to a successful feasibility study, and so we need the cooperation of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), and the National Department of Transport. Since the devolution of passenger rail is now supported in national rail policy, we look forward to a collaborative, co-operative effort. That’s why I wrote to Minister Fikile Mbalula in late May to propose the formation of a Working Committee consisting of officials from the Department, the City and Prasa,’ said Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The National Rail Policy envisages a rail system centred around cities.

‘The devolution of a national government function to a competent local municipality should be seen as an opportunity to build a public transport service that actually serves the public,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The team undertaking the feasibility study contains specialists in rail business, rail strategic planners, railway facilities and asset management, operations, transport planners, legal experts, and project managers.

Some of the outcomes of the feasibility study are as follows:

• Develop a feasible, incremental and structured approach for an improved passenger rail service in terms of planning, operations, and management

• Identify and evaluate financing mechanisms for the provision of operations and capital investment

• Determine the financial implications for the restoration and sustainability of passenger rail services

‘The City is determined to create one fully integrated public transport system, which will include passenger rail as its backbone, and where all these services operate according to an integrated time schedule with one payment system. But first off, we need to understand the feasibility, risk, and implications for the City by taking over passenger rail from the National Government. The study will address these burning questions, especially as passenger rail in Cape Town has imploded to a level where it is barely functioning,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

The multi-disciplinary team will explore the integration of existing transport networks and ticketing and timetabling; railway operations; maintenance of assets; legal services focusing on contracts and concessions; and security planning, among others.

The study will take into consideration Prasa’s modernisation programme and future rail extensions, including the capital funding of these projects; and international best practice. A safety and security risk assessment forms part of the baseline studies, as well as the investigation of an appropriate institutional structure and business model.

It is estimated that over the last decade, approximately 570 000 passenger trips per day have shifted from passenger rail to road-based transport modes.

Cape Town’s urban rail network consists of about 270km, 119 stations, staging yards and depots, mostly owned by Prasa. In 1995, the network was served by 95 train sets consisting of 383 motor coaches and 807 coaches. By December 2019, this had declined to 44 sets in operation with some 27 sets operating with a reduced number of coaches.

Due to the implosion of passenger rail, most commuters in Cape Town have shifted to road-based transport, which is more expensive and time-consuming because of traffic congestion and limited capacity on our road network during the morning and afternoon peak hour periods.

‘Cape Town’s commuters, and in fact all South Africans, need a reliable, safe, affordable, efficient, sustainable and integrated public transport system with passenger rail at its centre. People should be able to get to work on time and with ease. Economic growth relies on a productive workforce, and the bigger and healthier our economy, the more jobs will be created, and with that comes improved living conditions and livelihoods. Thus, the study must inform us of how best to take over passenger rail to ensure Cape Town has a world class public transport system to serve all our residents and those who visit our city. In this way, we will be taking the lead in restoring rail as the primary mode of public transport,’ said Councillor Quintas.

Captions: The City’s rail feasibility study commenced on Friday, 1 July 2022. The study will inform the City about its intention in taking over passenger rail from the National Government. Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, and Councillor Rob Quintas, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, visited Cape Town central station earlier this week.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The Department of Basic Education has extended the deadline for the submission of comments on the amendments to the regulations relating to the minimum norms and standards for public school infrastructure.

The deadline for the submission of written comments is 31 July 2022, the Department of Basic Education said in a statement on Friday.

The Minister of Basic Education on 10 June 2022 published a Government Gazette, with proposed amendments to the Regulations Relating to the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure, issued in terms of Section 5A (1)(a) of the South African Schools Act, 1996.

The department said the purpose of releasing the Gazette is to give the public, including stakeholders, an opportunity to participate in the drafting of the regulations and to make substantive input that will be considered in drafting the final regulations.

In addition to the Government Gazette, the department uploaded, as per general practice, the document with the proposals on the website www.education.gov.za for public comment.

“The department is committed to a constructive public participation process. It is for this reason that the public should be accorded ample opportunity to engage with the document and submit comments,” the department said.

The proposed amendments have come about following consultation with the Minister of Finance and the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) earlier this year.

Improving schooling environment

The department launched the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) programme in 2011. It is aimed at improving learning outcomes and bringing better access to education.

There are currently 1 053 schools on this programme.

The department also launched the Sanitation Appropriate For Education (SAFE) programme in 2018, which is aimed at replacing basic pit toilets with appropriate sanitation, in accordance with the Norms and Standards for school infrastructure.

The department said provinces initially identified 3 898 schools dependent on basic pit toilets.

“There are currently 3 407 schools on this programme. Sanitation projects at 2 006 of these schools have progressed to practical completion…” the department said.

The department said that the implementation of major programmes is dependent on the availability of funding.

The ASIDI programme is funded through the School Infrastructure Backlog Grant, while the SAFE programme is also funded through the same grant, with co-funding from the Education Infrastructure Grant.

“In 2021/22, both these grants were fully utilised. It is important to note that infrastructure requirements due to unforeseen events, such as the recent flooding in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, are also in general funded through the same Education Infrastructure Grant.

“This may impact on the rollout of the remaining SAFE projects. The department has since stepped up the monitoring of projects to ensure that they are completed on time, to specification and budget,” the department said.

Minister Angie Motshekga has since October 2021 conducted weekly accountability sessions with the Director-General and the Infrastructure Branch at the DBE, where progress reports are presented, the department said.

In addition, the DBE said the Director-General holds weekly update meetings with the CEOs of the implementing agents.

The Director-General also convenes monthly infrastructure meetings with heads of provincial Departments of Education to receive progress reports on delivery and expenditure.

“Mathanzima Mweli, the Director-General of the Department of Basic Education, has been visiting construction sites since March 2021 to accelerate the delivery of the much-needed infrastructure.

“The monitoring function has assisted the department to unblock challenges and resolve issues that delayed the building process,” the DBE said.

The department said it is confident that the annual performance plan targets will be met and the budget allocated will be used. It has also developed detailed tracking tools and monitoring is taking place daily to ensure that implementing agents deliver as expected.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Education quality assessor, Umalusi, has announced the appointment of its sixth council.

This comes after the tenure of the fifth council ended on 7 June 2022.

On Monday, Umalusi said the incoming council, which was appointed by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, will serve a four-year term from 8 June 2022 to 7 June 2026.

The Minister also appointed Professor Yunus Ballim as the new council chairperson.

Umalusi spokesperson, Dr Lucky Ditaunyane, in a statement, said: “The new council will be officially installed at a formal welcome function on 6 September 2022. The CEO of Umalusi, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, thanked the members of the fifth council for doing excellent work in, among others, steering the organisation to two consecutive clean audits during their tenure.”

Rakometsi said the outgoing fifth council, under the leadership of Professor John Volmink, had left a legacy of a public entity that uses public resources prudently and responsibly.

“I thank all the men and women who served in the fifth council for setting the overall strategic direction of the organisation, keeping management accountable, and ensuring that Umalusi meets its statutory obligations.”

Rakometsi also thanked Volmink for leading Umalusi proficiently for two consecutive four-year terms.

“Prof Volmink is an astute academic, a public servant par excellence, and a transformational leader who maintains a high work ethic in everything he does. He is truly an asset to the education sector in our country.”

Regarding the incoming sixth council, Rakometsi welcomed new chairperson and all council members, wishing them a productive and successful tenure.

He further said he did not doubt that under Ballim, the sixth council would continue to build on the excellent work done by the fifth council, and that their expertise and vast experience will add much value to the work of Umalusi.

Ditaunyane said the chief executive officers of Umalusi, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) are members of Umalusi Council by virtue of their position.

Council representatives of the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training are yet to be nominated by their respective ministers.

The following new members of Umalusi Council were appointed by the Minister:

1. Prof Y Ballim – Professor Emeritus: School of Civil & Environmental Engineering – WITS University

2. Dr W Green – Chief Executive Officer: Council on Higher Education (CHE)

3. Mr DB Hindle – Chairperson: ETDP SETA Accounting Authority

4. Prof L Jita – Dean: Faculty of Education, University of the Free State

5. Mr NT Johnstone – CEO: Catholic Institute of Education (CIE)

6. Prof TS Maluleke – Vice Chancellor and Principal – Tshwane University of Technology

7. Adv. MJ Merabe – EXCO member of the South African Education Law Association

8. Ms M Metcalfe – Executive Director at PILO

9. Dr L Mokotjo – Head of Faculty: The Independent Institute of Education

10. Prof TP Msibi – Dean and Head of School – University of KwaZulu Natal

11. Dr C Myburgh – Director: Enrolment and Student Administration, University of Pretoria

12. Mr V Naidoo – Chief Executive Officer: Quality Council for Trades & Occupations (QCTO)

13. Dr MS Rakometsi – Chief Executive Officer: Umalusi

14. Dr J Reddy – Chief Executive Officer: South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)

15. Dr KM Dos Reis – Director at Dos Reis and Venter Education Association

16. Ms F Solomon – Vice President – Education: SADTU

Source: South African Government News Agency

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will in the 2022 financial year spend R47.3 billion in funding the tertiary education of 691 432 students.

This was on Friday revealed by Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Blade Nzimande, during a press briefing.

Of the approved applicants, 462 983 were female and 227 072 being male.

Addressing reporters, the Minister said: “There has been a new intake of 240 790 SASSA students… and we will continue to support 1 770 students with disabilities who receive quite a comprehensive set of allowances from the NSFAS Fund”.

Of this allocation, he said, 362 482 was for ccontinuing students and 136 460 for new students.

He said that students registering in multiple institutions continue to be a challenge.

“We have found that 2 481 students have registered in more than one institution and NSFAS has received registration claims from more than a single institution,” he said.

To rectify this problem, students are required to deregister in institutions that they are not studying at and submit evidence to NSFAS so that funds can be released to the correct institution.

Another big challenge identified, he said, was with regards to funding conditions not met, students following incorrect academic pathways, registering on non-aligned qualifications. He said this was the case with even new students who were registered on qualifications that were being phased-out.

“The above requires all institutions and all students to strictly adhere to the approved NSFAS Eligibility Criteria and Conditions for Financial Aid funding without deviations. NSFAS will continue to work with institutions to ensure resolution to the anomalies in the system,” she said.

TVET College Student Funding

For 2022 TVET college bursaries, he said NSFAS projected a 10% growth in student numbers across all TVET academic cycles to an estimated 395 000 students. In this regard, NSFAS made provisional funding for 380 000 TVET College students.

To date, he said NSFAS received registration data for close to 200 000 students. This is at about 52% of expected and provisionally funded students in colleges, he said.

“In seeking to close the gap and understand the issues at College level, NSFAS deployed its staff in May to assist TVET colleges to submit registration data according to NSFAS requirements.

“This intervention assisted in the improvement of data quality submitted by the TVET Colleges. However, this intervention is not sustainable as NSFAS does not have enough capacity to adequately support TVET colleges at various campuses in this particular way in the long-term,” he said.

The Minister said there was a need to capacitate TVET college staff on NSFAS processes. In the regard, he said NSFAS had committed to support colleges with a contribution of R500 000 per college in the short-term period to appoint financial aid officers.

The main issue affecting the processing of students in TVET colleges, like universities, is the problem of multiple registration status and students following incorrect academic pathways.

“There were 4 287 unprocessed students not processed for payment by NSFAS because of these exceptions. NSFAS has started a reconciliation and data sharing exercise with institutions for the resolution of these identified exceptions,” he said.

The Minister said this issue would be sustainably resolved through “systems integration between NSFAS and institutions”.

“I am informed that already there is on-going work to resolve this issue,” he said.

Nzimande said the NSFAS Board recently proposed new policy reforms to improve the efficiency of the scheme. He said had considered and agreed to these, saying the changes had proven to be positive in improving service delivery.

NSFAS administrative, student accommodation and other related challenges

After being inundated by student complaints on accommodation and being evicted by landlords, he said from next year, NFSAS would take a proactive role in NSFAS funded student accommodation in order to ensure value for money. This included standardizing the cost and quality by grading student accommodation, thus paying a standard rate based on the grading of each type of accommodation.

He said: “Through numerous engagements with students, student leadership bodies, educational institutions, and accommodation providers, it is clear that student accommodation remains a major challenge to resolve. This is the case in both private accommodation and institution owned-accommodation”.

He said there were insufficient beds to accommodate students, while some institutions did not have sufficient quantities and quality of own accommodation.

“The building of more infrastructure for student accommodation remains a priority for government, and I intend to accelerate such construction, including through partnerships with the private sector,” he said.

Further announcements will be made in this regard later this year.

This included pilots to test various strategies and plans to significantly increase the number of student beds for both university and TVET college students.

Source: South African Government News Agency