Bold plans for tourism

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 29 Mar 2011
Title: Bold plans for tourism

By Chris Bathembu

Polokwane - The Tourism Department wants to increase South Africa's domestic tourism figures from the current estimated seven million to more than 17 million by 2020.

This comes as government's new economic growth path identified tourism as being among the top sectors to help the state achieve its economic objectives for the country.

The department this week unveiled its revamped 2011 leg of the famous Sho't Left campaign, in which it plans to spend more than R30 million in a series of road trips and advertisements aimed at rallying communities behind the brand South Africa.

Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who was speaking during one of the road trips in Limpopo on Tuesday, said domestic tourism remained the backbone of his department's plans to contribute more than R500 billion to the GDP 2020.

Domestic tourism is the largest contributor to South Africa's tourism volume and is responsible for 79 percent of all tourists in the country.

The Sho't Left campaign is part of government's overall tourism strategy and the idea is to promote the culture of tourism among South Africans, with the focus aimed at the small and the least visited provinces.

"For us, investing in domestic tourism remains our critical priority. Domestic tourism is our backbone and the government has now started to realise the role of this sector and it now forms part of the new growth path," van Schalkwyk said.

He also announced a positive growth in domestic figures for 2010, with marked increases in the length of trips taken and the money spent on holidays as compared to 2009.

"For the first time in many years, we have seen increases in key areas such as frequency, overall spend and the length of stay," said the minister.

More than 13.5 million travelers undertook a domestic trip over the last year, with an average of 2.2 trips per traveler. It was a slight increase from the 2.1 annual trips per traveler made in 2009.

While the department recorded less domestic travels in 2010, the increases in spending and the regularity of travelling showed that South Africans were starting to "embrace" the culture of travel.

Officials said while the total annual spend on domestic tourism was down from R22.4 billion recorded in 2009 to R21.1 billion, they were encouraged by the increase in spending to 31 percent last year compared to 22 percent in 2010.

This has been partly attributed to the euphoria brought on by the Soccer World Cup, as people were likely to have been encouraged to spend more on certain luxuries and entertainment.

The good news for the accommodation sector is that the total annual nights spent in establishments for domestic travel increased to more than 130 million in 2010 as compared to 124 million the previous year.

But the minister maintained that while the trend in domestic tourism figures had remained upward over the year, the challenge was to turn this into a "tangible" opportunity for job creation and economic growth.

Based on the government's new growth path and focus on job creation, South Africa Tourism plans to increase the current R199 billion contributed by the sector to the GDP to about R500 billion by 2020.

"We have to make sure that it contributes to job creation while helping us to achieve economic growth at the same time," he added.

SA Tourism CEO Thandiwe January-Mclean also said investing in domestic tourism will form part of the organisation's future growth plan, adding that the idea was to promote all nine provinces, even those situated far away from the coast and other popular tourist sites.

"We have to ensure that South Africans travel their country and become tourists in their own country, and for us to achieve this we have to let them know that something beautiful exists in all provinces," she said. - BuaNews

Zuma, premiers meet on job creation

Pretoria - Serious about addressing the challenges of unemployment, the President's Coordinating Council (PCC) held its first meeting of the year on Tuesday to try to map out a collective approach to the problem.

The PCC, chaired by President Jacob Zuma, and consisting of the Ministry of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Treasury, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the nine provincial premiers, among others, discussed the need to coordinate job creation.

Government has declared 2011 a "year of job creation", with the State pinning its hopes on the economy creating more than five million jobs in the next 10 years.

Zuma, who labelled the meeting as "useful", said they also looked at other issues like the preparations for the upcoming local government elections, a report on government's response to the recent flooding and how they can coordinate the provision of services across all spheres, and to detect and correct failures in service delivery.

"This has been useful because people were sharing experiences and challenges on this question [job creation] and premiers had an opportunity to present what they are doing."

The President pointed out that government has been working to strengthen the legislative and policy frameworks to ensure that provinces know their role in achieving job creation.

Premiers, who where given a chance to express their views about the meeting, all agreed that they faced similar challenges and that the PCC was the key platform where they can reflect and learn from their success and challenges.

Nearly every province has had its share of protests at grassroots level and reasons for the discontent are common, from the slow pace of service delivery in housings, to allegations of corrupt municipal officials.

Gauteng Premier Nomvula Monkonyane said the PCC is imperative because it helps monitor and evaluate, and allows for the sharing of best practices.

She said it will also measure if government is moving forwards or backwards in terms of its job creation target.

"We are learning a lot from one another ... we are all striving towards a sustainable and prosperous country, though we have different roles and responsibilities due to locations."

KZN Premier Zweli Mkhize was of the view that progress was made in ensuring that job creation is priority for all. However, he said there are other issues that need to be resolved before it can be accelerated to a higher level.

Western Cape Premier Hellen Zille, who is also the only premier representing the opposition party, said the forum is key in cooperative governance and worked "exceptionally well."

 

Zille, who said she was given time to articulate her views even though some had contrary views, said the issues put on the agenda are often taken seriously and certain steps are taken to address the challenges raised.

"This is a very useful forum where you put challenges from all provincial governments ... it's one place that gives me confidence in local governance," said Zille.

SALGA, which was represented by its chairperson Amos Masondo, said the meeting had set out a firm foundation that will enable municipalities to go ahead and engage with extensive planning, so that at the next meeting - the role municipalities can play will be clear.

Zuma has been on a drive to make job creation everybody's priority. Last week, he held a job summit with business, where he urged them to help government find solutions to the unemployment challenge facing the country.

Government will meet with labour sector organisations on 19 April for a dialogue on its respective roles in contributing to job creation. - BuaNews

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 29 Mar 2011
Title: Zuma, premiers meet on job creation
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Rescue SA receives heroes' welcome

Johannesburg - The sound of vuvuzelas echoed throughout OR Tambo International Airport today, as South Africans emotionally welcomed back from Japan the brave men and women of Rescue SA.

The Rescue SA team left South Africa for quake and tsunami ravaged Japan on 15 March to lend their assistance to that country. The team, which comprised doctors and paramedics among others, joined in the search for bodies following the 11 March incident, which had led to many deaths. To date, many people are still unaccounted for.

Speaking to BuaNews while awaiting the arrival of her husband William at OR International Airport on Monday, Francinah Ntladi said not seeing her husband for two weeks led to a lot of questions from her youngest child who is nine-years-old.

Francinah and William, who is with the Boksburg Emergency Services, have three children aged 21, 11 and nine. For William, this is his second rescue operation, with the first being in Haiti last year.

"I can't wait to see him," she said before his arrival.

Wallace Sellar, one of the rescuers who hails from the Cape Town Emergency Services, described his experience in Japan: "We had to conquer the weather elements. It was sad to see but people worked hard to [avoid] being flattened and wiped out," he said.

Sellar worked in the field recovering bodies. He told BuaNews he helped recover seven bodies.

Sellar said his experience taught him to appreciate life and not take things for granted "because you can lose it all tomorrow."

He was very humbled by the "respectable and very disciplined nature of Japanese people."

Rescue SA team leader Collin Deiner thanked South Africans for believing in the team, while Department of International Relations and Coorperation ambassador, Sisa Ngombane, expressed pride in the team.

"We are very proud of team SA who answered the call of the Japanese. Japan saw your mark, thank you for all you sacrificed."

Japanese ambassador Toshiro Ozawa said: "I told the team earlier that their assistance will be a symbol of friendship and solidarity. This team worked on the north eastern side where weather conditions were harsh. They were well prepared. Reports I received on the ground about them were full of praise."

Ansie Vosloo said she was very proud of her husband George Vosloo, although she and her children missed him a lot in the past two weeks. The family kept in touch via SMS. - BuaNews

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 28 Mar 2011
Title: Rescue SA receives heroes' welcome
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Govt gets tough on elder abusers

Pretoria - The Department of Social Development has vowed to act without fear or favour when dealing with those who abuse the elderly.

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said the department has heard horrifying stories of the abuse and neglect of older people within their own families and in residential facilities. The minister has urged older persons to report such abuse.

"When visiting old aged homes, some of you don't speak the truth about the abuse ... because you are afraid of those people looking after you. Don't be afraid to raise concerns regarding the way they treat you and ensure that you help us to instill discipline in young people," Dlamini said on Monday.

Addressing senior citizens during the launch of the Charter on the Rights of Older Persons held in Freedom Park, Dlamini said too many elderly people continue to live in poverty, face negative perceptions about ageing, continue to be victimised by merciless criminal elements and worst of all, face abuse, neglect and exploitation - sometimes by their own families.

"[We have] to fight this. We will continue with unannounced visits at pension points to check that you don't give your pension cards to loan sharks because they charge more interest.

"If you don't have money to buy school uniform and if at school they want you to pay school fees, why don't you come to Social Development offices? The government will assist you because that money [pension grant] is for you only. Don't share it with other people," Dlamini told the elders.

She said as they celebrate the launch of South African Charter on the Rights of Older Persons, she wished that society would always have respect, compassion and affection for older persons.

"Older persons deserve to have their rights realised and their specific needs met so that they can continue to live their lives in dignity and make a contribution to our society.

"Activities for older persons should not only be around one month but throughout the year, because they look after orphans and vulnerable children and we need to strengthen their programmes to [ease the pressure on them]," she said.

The main objective of the Older Persons Act is to maintain and promote the status, well-being, safety and security of older persons, recognise the skills and wisdom of older persons and promote participation of older persons in community activities.

The South African Charter on the Rights of Older Persons seeks to ensure that older persons live in an environment which upholds the United Nations Principles for Older Persons based on independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity.

The charter is an instrumental reference tool aimed at protecting and restoring the dignity of older persons. It aims to complete and support various pieces of legislation and other measures which are already implemented and to set guidelines for future action in relation to older persons.

South African Older Person's Forum chairperson, Tom Mboya, hopes all mayors will buy in to the charter, and for copies of it to be distributed to every municipality.

Mboya also encouraged senior citizens to form provincial forums, noting that government has allocated a budget for them.

"Let it [charter] be a living document like the Freedom Charter. Join the gym and exercise, you might meet a girlfriend or boyfriend," Mboya said jokingly.

The department's Deputy Minister Maria Ntuli said: "Old age is a blessing and grey hair is a crown. Many of us are wearing this crown of wisdom, let's pass it to the youth."

During the launch, the elders were entertained by South African artists, Mara Louw and Abigail Kubheka.

Kubheka, who is 71 years old, said older persons are wings of the nation. "Although sometimes we are left out in the cold, but thanks to the government, we are now being recognised because we are pillars of the nation," Kubheka said. - BuaNews

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 28 Mar 2011
Title: Govt gets tough on elder abusers
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Edition 3: Nedbank Sustainability Outlook

As the world changes there are crucial environmental and social factors that influence business and investments. For this reason Nedbank has specifically invested in understanding how these realities interact with the financial markets. Researched by the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (CPSL), the aim of the Nedbank Sustainability Outlook is to bring you some of the critical analyses, data and arguments that will help you discern vital environmental and social trends that relate to your investment choices.

This edition includes the following articles:

·         The year 2010 in review

·         Of relative and absolute scarcity

·         Ambitions for climate change talks cool, but climate keeps warming

·         Not an energy crisis, but an oil crisis

We trust that this information will be useful as you address the complexity of the challenges involved in transitioning to a truly sustainable economy.

 

To view the Nedbank Sustainability Outlook March 2011 report in PDF format [198 KB]

 

Yours sincerely

 

Mike Brown

Chief Executive

Nedbank Group

Motlanthe in the US on working visit

Pretoria - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is in the US on a four day working visit.

Motlanthe's visit, between 27 and 31 March, is within the context of strengthening bilateral, political and economic relations with the United States in support of South Africa's domestic priorities and foreign policy objectives.

One of the core objectives of the Deputy President's visit will be the promotion of bilateral political relations through discussions on key issues of importance and mutual interest, which include regional peace, security and stability, and multilateral cooperation.

Other objectives include the promotion of bilateral trade and investment, as well as the promotion of knowledge transfer and capacity building opportunities, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said.

While in the country, Motlanthe will visit Washington DC, New York and Chicago.

South Africa and the US enjoy close bilateral relations, marked by a significant increase in regular high level interactions that have taken place between President Jacob Zuma and President Barack Obama, Motlanthe and US Vice President Joe Biden, and foreign ministers from both countries.

In 2010, the US was South Africa's second largest trade partner, with total trade amounting to R97.5 billion, an increase of 17.6 percent from the previous year.

The US is also a significant partner in the fight against HIV/Aids and other infectious diseases.

Motlanthe, who left the country on Saturday is accompanied by the Ministers of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tina Joemat-Pettersson; Economic Development Ebrahim Patel and the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ebrahim Ebrahim. - BuaNews

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 27 Mar 2011
Title: Motlanthe in the US on working visit
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Learners commit to promote Bill of Responsibilities

Pretoria - Learners and teachers at Ingqayizivele Secondary School in Tembisa have made a commitment to promote and protect the lives of other human beings as prescribed in the Bill of Responsibilities.

Basic Education Deputy Minister Enver Surty officially launched the campaign to promote the Bill of Responsibilities, a practical document that outlines the responsibilities that correspond with the rights found in the Bill of Rights in Chapter 2 of the Constitution.

Through the Bill of Responsibilities, government encourages learners, teachers, parents, and communities to work together to inculcate a culture of responsible citizenship in schools.

The Bill was penned with the help of the National Religious Leaders Forum.

Speaking at the launch on Friday in Tembisa, Surty said the Bill does not diminish the power of the Bill of Rights, and added that with rights come responsibilities.

"It recognises that freedom comes with responsibilities. It's about the creation of a caring human society. It's not a legal document but an interpretation ... the Bill of Rights," Surty said, adding that "we can only lead if we are on the right track."

Among the rights and responsibilities covered in the document include the right to education, attend school regularly, co-operate respectfully with teachers and fellow learners and adhere to rules and the code of conduct of the school.

Primedia Broadcasting CEO Terry Volkwyn said the Bill contained in the Constitution enshrines the rights of each and every citizen and seeks to protect those who are vulnerable in society, weak or marginalised.

She called the youth and religious leaders to drive the campaign and take the Bill to the communities.

She further challenged the youth to set an example and start to walk the talk. "You are somebody today and have potential to make change. Inspire the change and impact the change you want to see in your community.

"It is time to make a world a better place. Say no to drugs, bullying, teenage pregnancy, disrespectful behaviour and say yes to education, law and order and a bright South Africa," said Volkwyn.

Independent Group Newspapers CEO Tony Howard said: "Although it is not a legal document, without the Bill, our Constitution means nothing.

"It is designed to inculcate and impress on our young people, their parents and all South Africans that the Bill of Rights has a flipside - every guaranteed right comes with a set of values we as citizens must preach, practice and live up to in our daily lives."

Gauteng MEC for Education Barbara Creecy reminded learners that they are the future and no one can stop them.

"What you do and the choices you make matters to your own lives and the future of this country. In this life, you can't just take ... but have to give back," she said, adding that the department is passionate about the bill and will make it become a living reality in the country. - BuaNews

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 25 Mar 2011
Title: Learners commit to promote Bill of Responsibilities

Kganyago appointed new Reserve Bank Deputy Governor

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By Chris Bathemu

Pretoria - National Treasury Director General Lesetja Kganyago has been appointed as the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank, President Jacob Zuma announced on Friday.

He said the decision was taken after lengthy consultations that included both Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Reserve Bank Governor Gill Marcus.

Kganyago has been Treasury Director General since 1996, presiding over 15 budgets during his tenor.
He takes up his new role on 16 May 2011.

The position of Deputy Governor had been vacant since Marcus took the position of Governor from Tito Mboweni.

Zuma attributed the delay in the appointment to the lengthy process of consultation required for the position of the Deputy Governor. "It needed careful planning, careful thinking and careful consultation," he said.

He added Kganyago's wealth of experience, including role in the G20, will be an "asset" to his contribution to the Reserve Bank.

"His expertise will enable him to contribute in a meaningful way in the functioning of and strengthening of the bank, working with Governor Marcus and the whole team."

Describing the appointment as a "privilege and honor", Kganyago thanked Zuma for having shown confidence in him and promised to serve in his new role with distinction.

"Public service is an honour for me and I'm glad the President has given me an opportunity to serve again in this new position," he said.

Gordhan has meanwhile been instructed to begin the process of appointing a new Director General in the National Treasury. - BuaNews

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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 25 Mar 2011
Title: Kganyago appointed new Reserve Bank Deputy Governor

SA reduces number of municipalities

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 24 Mar 2011
Title: SA reduces number of municipalities
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By Nthambeleni Gabara

Pretoria - The number of municipalities across the country will drop after the upcoming 18 May local government elections, says acting Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nathi Mthethwa.

Making the announcement on Thursday while addressing Parliament about the Municipal Systems Amendment Bill, Mthethwa said: "... Municipalities will decrease from 283 to 278, with wards growing beyond 4 000."

"This shows our commitment to the intensification of local democracy in our communities. Since 1994, we have seen a reduction in the number of municipalities and an increase in the number of wards," he said.

According to Mthethwa, the Municipal Systems Amendment Bill sends a clear signal that municipalities must become more professional in the manner in which they do their business.

The Bill, which was unanimously passed by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Tuesday, also seeks to ensure that competent and well qualified officials are appointed to provide the best possible service to the people.

"The Bill seeks to deepen accountability by the senior municipal officials to the Council and by the same token places certain obligations on politically elected officials. The Bill also prohibits municipal managers and those directly reporting to them (Section 57) from holding any position as office bearers in any political party," he said.

The Bill also makes provision for organised Local Government to consult with the Minister responsible for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs prior to entering into negotiations with the Local Government Bargaining Council.

Mthethwa said they have realised that in some cases, municipalities are staffed by employees who are not qualified to undertake their duties. The Bill will make it mandatory for municipalities to employ appropriately qualified and competent persons.

He emphasised that the days of appointing book-keepers, teachers and social scientists as a Chief Financial Officers are over.

"It is our view that Municipal Managers and their direct subordinates should possess inherent requirements for employment to avoid mediocrity in our institutions.

"In the event the Councils act against this measure; either the MEC or [minister] will intervene decisively to remedy the situation. We have made specific provisions to enable the MEC and Minister to act in this regard," said Mthethwa. - BuaNews

Home Affairs hikes prices for passports, re-issuing IDs

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 24 Mar 2011
Title: Home Affairs hikes prices for passports, re-issuing IDs
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Pretoria - Home Affairs Director-General Mkuseli Apleni has defended an almost 100 percent hike in the price South Africans will have to pay for a passport, saying the increase was necessary given the new security features on passports.

Apleni announced on Thursday that cost of a passport would rise from R190 to R400 from 1 April.

Other increases will see the price of temporary identity certificates and re-issuing identity documents (ID) go from the current R20 to R140.

Child passports will rise from R145 to R400; emergency travel certificates from R70 to R140; temporary passports from R90 to R180; and maxi passports from R380 to R600.

However, Apleni was quick to point out that the hikes were unlikely to have much of an impact on the poor as the first issuing of an ID would be free.

It was the right of every South African to have an ID and the department would facilitate this by not putting any cost on the first issue, he added.

When it came to re-issuing IDs, some costs need to be recovered for producing the documents, particularly from those who wanted changes made to their IDs by adding names or correcting the spelling, when they had supplied the department with the wrong information.

"The passports we are producing now have a lot of security features in them and it is costing us more to produce them ... R400 is reasonable in our view," he said.

Meanwhile, Apleni said that the department was making progress with its efforts to clean up the National Population Register.

The department had identified two significant challenges with regards to the NPR - the duplication of ID numbers and ID numbers that did not have corresponding fingerprints.

"After going through our records, the department identified 598 000 instances of duplicate IDs. Amongst these IDs, the department has resolved 412 096 cases for one person with multiple ID numbers and 20 971 for persons sharing ID numbers."

All duplicate numbers have been blocked on the NPR and the department was now busy resolving the 164 933 outstanding cases.

In addition, while the department was translating manual fingerprints into the electronic format, 504 250 fingerprints were not converted due to poor quality.

"To date we have managed to resolve 127 166 cases and holders of the relevant ID numbers now have their fingerprints on the Home Affairs National Identification System. We are now seized with resolving 377 084 cases," he said. - BuaNews

No foot and mouth outbreak in GP

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 23 Mar 2011
Title: No foot and mouth outbreak in GP
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Pretoria - Contrary to reports suggesting the spread of foot and mouth disease in Gauteng, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) has assured that there was no outbreak of the disease in the province.

DAFF said an intensive investigation, conducted by a team of experts from its provincial offices in KwaZulu-Natal, had revealed that animals were moved from Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal to a feedlot in Gauteng.

The feedlot in Gauteng, whose identity could not be disclosed in terms of the Animal Diseases Act 35 of 1984, had since been placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure while the matter was being investigated further.

"Samples were also collected from the said feedlot and came back positive on serology, but negative on non-structural proteins (NSP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) - which means that the fragments of the virus cannot be found. This can be interpreted as an old infection, with no virus circulating," the department said.

Vryheid remains in the protection zone - an area which prevents diseased animals from coming into contact with healthy ones - as per the department's declaration. Also, samples collected in this area have tested negative for the disease.

"The department, together with the Gauteng Veterinary Authorities, has met up with the affected feedlot management and put up a control strategy in place to ensure that the rest of the animal population in the country is protected," said DAFF.

The owners of the farm were cooperating with the department, and the matter will be speedily resolved. - BuaNews

Police get tough on firearm controls

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 23 Mar 2011
Title: Police get tough on firearm controls
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Pretoria - The Police Ministry, in efforts to improve firearm control and curb losses, has tasked the Police Inspectorate with monitoring the South African Police Service's firearm management.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa made the announcement about the Inspectorate's new responsibilities in Parliament on Wednesday.

The Inspectorate is a unit that investigates and ensures that all instructions are adhered to and implemented.

"In addition to various corrective measures which we are currently implementing, I have instructed the police management to ensure that each time a police officer loses his or her firearm, there must be a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the loss.

"To this end, I have now instructed that the Police Inspectorate be tasked with the responsibility of conducting such investigations," he said.

Police were also looking to a situation where a further firearm would not be issued to a SAPS member pending the outcome of a thorough investigation by the Inspectorate.

This investigation could lead to criminal charges and or dismissal from the SAPS, as well as the person being declared incompetent to carry a firearm, Mthethwa said.

He told Parliament that 1 497 police officers, who lost their firearms since 2005, had been issued with new firearms.

Remedial measures have been implemented by the Ministry to put an end to the violation of firearm safety at police stations. This includes constant inspections, as well as assessments and interventions at the various levels of command to ensure pro-active deterrence.

"Unless we begin to zoom into the issue of firearm safety, both by police and civilians, we will still be faced with a challenge of legally-registered firearms falling into the wrong hands of the criminals.

"That is precisely why we are looking, on a daily basis, at measures to improve this area. We need to know where our firearms are, who is in charge of them and under what circumstances are they being utilised," the Minister added. - BuaNews

Rescue SA search continues in Japan

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 23 Mar 2011
Title: Rescue SA search continues in Japan
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Pretoria - The South African search and rescue team in Japan have had their hands full in trying to search for survivors after the devastating tsunami.

The 50-strong team and rescue dogs have been helping to pull survivors and countless dead out of the rubble at Natori City, north of Tokyo on Tuesday.

Relief efforts are continuing weeks after a tsunami which was triggered by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake, despite freezing winds, hail storms and thick snow. Temperatures are forecast to plunge to -5C (23F). More than 13 000 people are estimated to be missing following the disaster.

The nation has seen entire villages and towns wiped off the map by a wall of water, leaving in its wake an international humanitarian effort of epic proportion.

On Twitter last night the Rescue SA team said they were back from Natori City. "Used two inflatable boats to search flooded rice paddy. The water was, how shall we say this: freezing!" they tweeted. - BuaNews

Probe launched into deadly Macassar fire

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 23 Mar 2011
Title: Probe launched into deadly Macassar fire
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Pretoria - Police in Macassar, just outside Cape Town, are investigating the cause of a fire that has left nine people dead.

The fire, which broke out in the early hours of this morning, has left about 10 families displaced. An additional two people sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital. Of the nine deceased people, six were children and one was an infant.

According to the City of Cape Town Emergency Services spokesperson, Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, the fire started at one house and spread to other nearby homes. "The cause of the fire is still unknown at this stage," said Solomon-Johannes.

City of Cape Town Mayor Alderman Dan Plato, who extended his condolences to the families of the victims, is expected to visit the area.

"I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and community of the nine people who were killed in the fire. I will visit the families this morning and extend the City's support to them during this difficult time."

The City's Disaster Risk Management Centre is coordinating social relief and counselling of family, neighbours and bystanders who witnessed the traumatic event.

Residents can call the City's 107 emergency number from a Telkom line, or (021) 480-7700 from a cell phone in cases of emergencies. - BuaNews

NEDBANK SIGNS UP TO “THE CEO WATER MANDATE”

First SA bank to align itself with United Nations Global Impact initiative on water Nedbank,
Africa's first carbon neutral financial organisation, has also become the first South African bank to become a signatory to "The CEO Water Mandate." This programme is fostered by the United Nations Global Compact, the world's biggest corporate responsibility initiative.
The CEO Water Mandate is a public-private partnership mainly focused on developing strategies and solutions to contribute positively to the emerging global water crisis. Endorsed by CEOs – in Nedbank's case, Chief Executive Mike Brown - it seeks to engage a critical mass of companies from around the world that are willing to undertake serious efforts , in partnership with other stakeholders, to address this challenge.
Six key areas are covered by The CEO Water Mandate: Direct Operations; Supply Chain and Watershed Management; Collective Action; Public Policy; Community Engagement; and Transparency. In each of these areas, chief executives pledge to undertake certain actions which are designed to assist companies to develop a comprehensive approach to water management.

Having become Africa's first carbon neutral financial organisation in 2010,
Nedbank is also committed to environmental sustainability across its operations. Nedbank is playing a leadership role in promoting practices in vital areas such as water management and conservation.
Significantly, in its 2010 integrated report to be issued at the end of March, the group reveals that its water intensity reduction target of 5% by 2010 (from 2005% levels) was met by the end of 2009. A new target of a further 10% reduction by end of 2011(from 2009 levels) is now in place and and a number of initiatives are already resulting in a meaningful reduction in water consumption. Between 2008 and 2010, Nedbank's water consumption at its campus sites fell from 373, 935 kilolitres to 263, 876 kilolitres, a decrease of 29.4%.

Demonstrating its commitment to water issues,
Nedbank was one of the key sponsors of the South African Water and Energy Forum 2011 which took place in Sandton on February 14 and 15. This event attracted top local and international speakers and recognised academics and authorities who examined a the nexus of water, energy and food security and the challenges facing South Africa now and in years to come.
"The supply and quality of water are prerequisites for industry and for sustainability viability," said Brigitte Burnett, Head of Sustainability at Nedbank.
"South Africa is largely a semi-arid and water-stressed country. It is vital that urgent and ongoing attention is given to developing policies leading to action that will adequately manage water as a scarce resource," says Burnett.
The Green Trust, co-founded by Nedbank and WWF-South Africa in 1990, continues to be involved in a range of water conservation and water-related biodiversity projects throughout South Africa.
"As a recognised leader in the green space, Nedbank aims to be at the forefront of efforts to improve South Africa's water outlook for current and future generations," added Burnett.

Nedbank Group's commitment to Sustainability
In 2009, Nedbank Group became the first financial services organisation on the African continent to achieve carbon neutrality. Not only did this achievement cement the group's reputation as a bank committed to environmental issues, it also signaled the beginning of the next stage of Nedbank Group's ongoing sustainability journey.
While its 'green' commitment is a core element of this journey, the group takes an integrated approach that combines the four pillars of environmental, social, economic and cultural sustainability to ensure that its sustainability efforts deliver the broadest possible benefits for its stakeholders, the environment, and the communities in which it operates. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated and enhanced by the many awards earned by the group as well as its inclusion and participation in an array of indices and environmental initiatives, including:

•  Equator Principles – first African financial services signatory.
•  Financial Times Sustainability Awards - Emerging Markets Sustainable Bank of the Year for Middle East and Africa in 2010
•  The Dow Jones Sustainability Index – one of only 25 banks worldwide and three companies with JSE primary listings included.
•  Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders Index –third highest ranked South African company.
•  UNEP FI – signatory to the official statement on Climate Change and participant in various sub-committees

Nedbank Group's other sustainability awards, memberships, partnerships and indices include:

• The JSE SRI Index
•  South African Carbon Disclosure Project Leadership Index
•  Ernst & Young Excellence in Sustainability Reporting
• Carbon Disclosure Project
•  WWF Conservation Partnership
•  The Prince's Rainforests Project
•  The Climate Neutral Network
•  United Nations Global Compact – Caring for Climate Programme
•  National Business Initiative Climate Change Working Group
•  National Energy Efficiency Accord
•  Banking Association of South Africa: Sustainable Finance Committee UNISA Climate Change Advisory Committee
• Nedbank also donates funds on behalf of its Green Affinity clients to the Green Trust- 20 year partnership between Nedbank and WWF- South Africa. This donation is made without incurring any additional costs to clients.

Ends

Issued by: Nedbank Group Communications
Sizwekazi Jekwa
Senior Communications Manager
011294 1306
Sizwekazij@nedbank.co.za

Condolences for Doornfontein crash victims' families

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 18 Mar 2011
Title: Condolences for Doornfontein crash victims' families


Pretoria - Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has conveyed condolences to the bereaved families of eight mineworkers killed in a crash involving a bus on the R501 in Doornfontein on Friday morning.

"We want to convey condolences to the families and relatives of the mineworkers who lost their lives in the bus crash near Carletonville this morning. We wish those injured a speedy recovery," he said.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has dispatched a team of accident investigators and reconstruction specialists to assist in determining the exact cause of this crash.

Officials from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) will also render assistance to the affected families.

On Thursday, Ndebele urged motorists to obey all road rules during the coming long weekend.

"We will be commemorating Human Rights Day on 21 March, and the Department of Transport is anticipating increased traffic volumes and busy roads across the country ... We call upon all road users to obey all rules and exercise human rights on our roads. We also urge motorists to drive with their headlamps on at all times," he said.

Ndebele said traffic officers will be out in full force, as part of the Make Roads Safe campaign and new National Rolling Enforcement Plan.

"Any person who commits any offence will face the consequences of their actions. Road safety begins with you, so let us all make our roads safe," he said. - BuaNews

New unit to evaluate education system

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 18 Mar 2011
Title: New unit to evaluate education system
--------------------

Pretoria - Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has officially launched a unit that will ensure effective evaluation of the entire education system and development of schools.

Launched on Friday, the National Education and Evaluation Unit (NEEDU) will have the authority to conduct the monitoring and evaluation of schools, districts, provinces and the national department.

The core responsibilities of NEEDU are:

• * To provide the minister with an independent account of the state of the schools, including the quality of teaching and learning in all schools
• * Provide an independent account on the development needs of the school education system
• * Account for the attainment of the standards by all schools through a monitoring and evaluation system
• * Identify on a system-wide basis the critical factors that inhibit or advance school improvement and to make focused recommendations for redressing the problem areas that undermine school improvement
• * Propose appropriate sanctions to ensure that schools offer effective education for all learners
• * Strengthen internal evaluation capacity within schools in ways that reliably inform and complement external evaluation
• * Monitor the different levels of school support and the extent to which there is considered actions on proposed interventions, whether in the form of developmental support or in the form of disciplined action
• * Review and asses existing monitoring, evaluation and support structures and instruments on a regular basis to ensure clarity and coherence in the ways schools and teachers are assessed and supported
• * Provide schools with evidence-based advice on how to pursue school improvement in their particular context
• * Promote school improvement through the dissemination of good practice

Motshekga said the emphasis was on schools because they were at the heart of their delivery.

"It is in schools where our main purpose for existence is, they are the most important unit in our work and the success of our sector should be judged by their performance and all our activities should be targeted at supporting schools and making them work.

"I trust that NEEDU will assist us greatly to achieve the outputs and deliverables set out in the education sector based plan-Action Plan 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025," Motshekga said.

NEEDU's CEO Professor John Volmink noted that schools are the centre of the building blocks in realising the dream of improved quality education, stressing a need for stakeholders to be accountable towards achieving the goal.

"It's the responsibility of every South African to embrace and pursue that dream. The need for accountability is necessary and unavoidable. Once you've made a commitment to be accountable, you must [live up to that]," said Volmink. - BuaNews

Zuma sends envoys to Libya, Zim

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 18 Mar 2011
Title: Zuma sends envoys to Libya, Zim
--------------------

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma is to send envoys to represent him in Libya and Zimbabwe on missions to find solutions to political conflicts and stalemates in these two countries.

Zuma is sending an envoy to Libya at the weekend to take part in an African Union fact-finding mission aimed at starting talks between the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and rebels who are trying to end his 42-year rule.

He will be represented by the Minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, Deputy Minister of International Relations Ebrahim Ebrahim and security adviser Welile Nhlapo.

They will join other members of the High Level Panel appointed by the AU, such as Uganda, Mauritania, South Africa, Mali and the Republic of Congo, tasked with finding a lasting situation in the political crisis in Libya.

Zuma said in the National Assembly on Thursday said South Africa would coordinate its position on Libya with other members of the AU.

"South Africa supports the position of the African Union with regards to the Libyan question and will work within the ambit of the AU," Zuma's office said on Friday.

Zuma last week instructed Treasury to begin freezing Gaddafi's assets in South Africa in accordance with an earlier UN Security Council resolution.

In February, the UN enforced sanctions resolution on Libyan forces a travel ban and assets froze Gaddafi, his inner circle and members of the Libyan leader's family.

Yesterday, the UNSC tightened the rope by imposing a no-fly zone over the country to stop Gaddafi's attacks on rebels.

Meanwhile, Zuma, who is mediator in Zimbabwe's power-sharing dispute, will next week send an envoy, led by political adviser Charles Nqakula, on a mission to that country amid rising tensions in the unity government.

"President Zuma will next week send his Zimbabwe facilitation team to Harare to meet with parties to the Global Political Agreement, ahead of the meeting of the SADC Troika which will take place in Zambia on the 31st of March," the Presidency said.

South Africa, it said, will continue to participate actively in efforts of bringing about peace and stability on the continent.

Recent weeks have seen a surge in violence and arrests targeting loyalist of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. President Robert Mugabe has also threatened to hold an election soon, discarding undertakings to follow a road map of democratic reforms. - BuaNews

Zuma, business talk job creation

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 18 Mar 2011
Title: Zuma, business talk job creation
--------------------

By Chris Bathembu

Pretoria - Business leaders attending President Jacob Zuma's business summit on job creation were optimistic on Friday that the meeting may provide some kind of indication on how government planned to work with the private sector to meet its job creation targets.

Zuma opened the summit in Pretoria by urging captains of industry to help government find solutions to the unemployment challenge facing the country. It is expected to thrash out details of how government will work with the private sector to create jobs.

Among those who attended included a delegation of top industry leaders under the umbrella of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), the banking and mining sector and all the major parastatals.

Government has declared 2011 "a year of job creation" with the state pinning its hope on the economy to create more than five million jobs in the next 10 years. But to do this, Zuma acknowledged that government would require more direct investment in the economy of South Africa and greater involvement of the private sector.

"This calls for hard work from all sides ... as government, we have been working to strengthen the legislative and policy frameworks to make it easier to do business in our country and also to support emerging business as well as broad-based black economic empowerment," he said.

Since 1994, government had made "substantial progress" in transforming the economy to benefit the majority, but serious challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality remained.

"We have had a long period of economic growth during the last 10 years but it has not been strong on job creation. We need to find a solution," he said.

The President said legislators were committed to the mixed economy model, where the state, private capital, cooperative and other forms of social ownership complement each other in an integrated way to eliminate poverty and foster shared economic growth. The latter, combined with an economy that is increasingly integrated into the Southern African region can lead to years of uninterrupted development.

Zuma further said the state has been doing its part in alleviating poverty through various social security initiatives for the poor, but he was sure that the creation of decent work was the most effective way of dealing with poverty.

The summit needed to deliberate on how government and the private sector could use the signs of positive growth in the economy to create employment. While business leaders said they understood the importance of job creation for the country's economy to prosper, they needed a more competitive and conducive environment to conduct business in the country.

"I think from the private sector point of view, the question we all have is how do we get to the stage where it is made easy for business to operate in an environment that is both competitive and relaxed because that is central to the success of any business and economy," said businessman and former Eskom chair Bobby Godsell.

He said the summit should not be about who is to blame for the low employment figures, but how different parties could work together to create jobs.

"We need practical solutions and coming together like this will help get the sense of how people think and what should be done both from the business side and that of the government," said Godsell.

Nedbank's Dennis Dykes said the role of the banking sector and its capacity to fund small business was important for any job creation strategy. "We are hoping stemming from this summit will be a more vigorous approach on how banks can better assist in the growth of business because there is no doubt that when it comes to business funding, especially small business, the role of the banks is crucial."

BUSA proposed the formation of a "bilateral" presidential business council, which it suggested would meet regularly to discuss issues of policy and advice government on how to take advantage of a growing economy.

"We are already partnered in the fight against corruption, against crime and together with other social partners ... this summit must also have a legacy," said the body's president Futhi Mtoba.

She said BUSA shared a belief that there was an indisputable link between growth and jobs and committed to partner with government achieve the needed employment targets.

"Investing in our economy is a key area where we must solidify the partnership between government and business. More pertinently, we also believe that creating jobs will require that we are more competitive therefore the partnership between business and government should constantly target making our enterprises and our entire economy ever more competitive," Mtoba added. - BuaNews

---

Job creation is easy ... it is sustaining them that is difficult. So many good opportunities as been wasted because of corruption and theft. When labor enters partnership with entrepreneurs both parties should feel secure, but with the relaxed labor laws the only person that is contractual bonded to service delivery is the risk capital venture'rer. The Entrepreneur is actually entrapped and red tape bounds him down. Poor service delivery from government side and lazy bureaucrats hamper rapid expansion. If a company is lucky enough to get of the ground production will merely continue to the first labor dispute.

This is if the contract is not given to a fictional BEE company in the first place and the CEO runs away with the initial capital or rather deposit payed for buying base materials.

Nah my President ... you are confusingly farting against thunder sir. Labor must desire jobs for jobs to be created.

by Petrus Viviers  

Electricity to be restored by midday

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 18 Mar 2011
Title: Electricity to be restored by midday
--------------------

Pretoria - Electricity to those parts of the Pretoria city centre that have been without electricity since Tuesday could be restored by midday today.

The areas affected are those to the west of the CBD, south of Church Street, west of Paul Kruger Street, and east of Schutte Street. Therefore, the areas west of the CBD, including Pretoria West Industrial Park, are without power.

The electricity was disrupted due to attempted theft of cables.

According to the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality spokesperson Console Tleane, the thieves cut the insulation sheath that covers the cable together with the oil that provides lubrication and other technical support to the cable.

The oil spilled, causing the power to trip. Because of the delicate nature of this particular infrastructure it has taken some time for the engineers to fix the problem.

"It has emerged that the thieves did not manage to steal the cables. They, however, caused huge damage to infrastructure," he said.

The particular cable that was the target of illegal activities is a 30 square centimetre copper cable that carried 132 kilovolts of electricity it also supplies parts of the CBD.

Municipal technical teams have continued to work non-stop to repair the damage, and will keep on doing so until the power is fully restored, said the municipality.

Tshwane Metro Police have been deployed to assist with traffic control in those parts of the city where traffic lights have been affected.

The power failure has affected proceedings at the Pretoria Magistrate Court, although officials are making use of an emergency generator to supply lights to the courts. The Department of Justice has advised maintenance beneficiaries collect their money at Atteridgeville and Pretoria North courts.

Power failures can be reported by sms. Residents must please sms the word power followed by their account number to 0826120333 or via phone 0801111556, and choose Option 3. - BuaNews

Zuma speaks on BRICS, Libya and Climate Change

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 17 Mar 2011
Title: Zuma speaks on BRICS, Libya and Climate Change

By Francis Hweshe

Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma said that South Africa's recent invite to join the economic grouping comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICS) has augured well for the country.

The invitation indicated the high regard with which the country was viewed internationally, he said on Thursday in the National Assembly.

"BRICS is an important grouping to be part of given the role of emerging economies in advancing the restructuring of the global political, economic and financial architecture into one that is more equitable, balanced and which rests on the important pillar of multilateralism.

"South Africa and BRICS member states already collaborate and will continue to work together closely in various international organisations and formations such as the United Nations, the G-20 and the IBSA Dialogue Forum.

"All BRICS countries serve on the UN Security Council as permanent or non-permanent members. This augurs positively for enhanced cooperation efforts on issues of common interest," he said

"In addition to BRICS, we also value our membership of the India, Brazil and South Africa group or IBSA," the President added.

Zuma was responding to questions from various political parties in the National Assembly including those around BRICS, the on-going violence in Libya and his expectations on the upcoming 17th Conference of Parties on climate change to be hosted in the country.

He said that South Africa would attend its first BRICS Summit on April 14 at the Chinese province of Hainan.

On the Libyan question, he said that South Africa with other countries through the African Union and United Nations were working to end the fighting there.

He reiterated that the government had from the beginning regarded the matter as serious and had not been silent or inactive about it.

South Africa does not operate in a vacuum on international matters. It operates within the ambit of the African Union and the United Nations, he said.

"We also called on the Government and people of Libya to seek a speedy and peaceful resolution to the current crisis in accordance with the will of the people," he said.

On the up-coming COP 17 meeting, Zuma said that SA would work closely with Mexico - current President of COP 16 - towards reaching a good outcome for the developing world which bore the brunt of climate change the most. - BuaNews

Police Ministry studying court judgment on Scorpions

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 17 Mar 2011
Title: Police Ministry studying court judgment on Scorpions
--------------------

Pretoria - The Police Ministry has noted today's Constitutional Court judgment, which found that part of the national legislation that created the Hawks and disbanded the Scorpions, is constitutionally invalid.

"The official position of the ministry is that we will study the judgement in its entirety, particularly as the judgement specifically referred to Chapter 6A of the South African Police Service Act," the ministry said.

The majority of the court found that Chapter 6A of the SAPS ACT 68 of 1(c) 95, as amended, was inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid to the extent that it failed to secure an adequate degree of independence for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, also know as the Hawks.

The Constitutional Court has suspended the findings for 18 months to allow government to rectify the legislation.

The ministry said it would adhere to this timeline. - BuaNews

Election violence not tolerated: Cabinet

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 17 Mar 2011
Title: Election violence not tolerated: Cabinet
--------------------

Pretoria - A zero tolerance approach will be taken with regards to violence and disruptive behavior during the upcoming local municipal elections, Cabinet said on Thursday.

Briefing media at a post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation, Collins Chabane, said Cabinet had taken note that in the run-up to the elections on 18 May there had been some sporadic protests accompanied by damage to property.

"Government will adopt a zero tolerance to violent and disruptive behavior as electioneering intensifies. Together we have worked hard to build a democratic local government that gives communities a voice and the opportunity to be active agents in the development of localities in which they live," Chabane said.

Registered voters were also encouraged to participate in the forthcoming elections while also being called on to elect representatives who will promote their community's interests.

"Cabinet calls on all South Africans to work together to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner."

On Wednesday, President Jacob Zuma announced that Election Day will be a public holiday. - BuaNews

Call to apply for internship programme

15 Mar 2011

The Free State Department of Education is making a call for unemployed
youth in the province with tertiary qualification to apply for the 2011
internship programme.

The department is recruiting interns who have completed their diploma or
degrees in the following field: IT, Educational Psychology/ Counselling
Psychology, Library, Social Work, Accounting, Internal Audit, Law,
Speech Therapy, Transport Management and Supply Chain Management.

Education MEC Tate Makgoe says the internship programme is part of the
department's initiatives to address its critical and scarce skills and
also afford inexperienced graduates with an opportunity to gain
practical skills for them to be employable.

First preference will be given to bursary holders. People with
disability and youth in rural areas are encouraged to apply.

The programme takes place over a period of twelve months.

Interested unemployed graduates can contact the following officials for
more information:

Mrs SL Baloyi-Mothibeli
Tel: 051 404 9560

Mrs NP Motloung
Tel: 051 404 9561

Mr OS Kubeka
Tel: 051 404 9558

Media enquiries:
Howard Ndaba
Cell: 079 503 5485

Issued by: Free State Education
15 Mar 2011

President Zuma to host Business Summit on Job Creation

16 Mar 2011

President Jacob Zuma will on Friday, 18 March 2011, host the Presidential Business Summit on Job Creation.

The Business Summit will focus on how government and business can partner to address the unemployment challenge in South Africa.

In his State of the Nation Address President Zuma declared 2011 the year of job creation, through meaningful economic transformation and inclusive growth.
 
Members of the media are invited to attend the opening session of the summit.
 
Details of the summit are as follows:
 
Date:      18 March 2011
Time:       09h00
Venue:    Presidential Guest House, Bryntirion Estate (Corner of Dumbarton Road and Nassau)

Media programme
Open Session
09h00 to10h00: Opening remarks by his excellency President Jacob Zuma                          Response by Futhi Mtoba, President of Business Unity South Africa
 
For RSVP and accreditation please forward your details including identity numbers to Nomfundo Mcetywa at nomfundo@po.gov.za  or Bongani Lukhele at BLukhele@thedti.gov.z not later than 12h00 on 17 March 2011.

For further enquiries:
Zanele Mngadi
Cell: 082 330 1148

Issued by: The Presidency
16 Mar 2011

Clamp down on poor service delivery

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 16 Mar 2011
Title: Clamp down on poor service delivery
--------------------

By Bathandwa Mbola

Pietermaritzburg - When government said they were serious about rooting
out non-delivery from its departments, they meant business.

Just before lunch time at Northdale hospital on Wednesday, staff was not
expecting any visitors when the Deputy Minister of Performance
Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency Dina Pule, Premier Zweli
Mkize and Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo walked in for a surprise
inspection.

They were greeted by despondent patients, some of whom were waiting in
queues since 5am. Complaints varied from long queues at the pharmacy and
staff shortages.

One of the patients, Ayesha Mohammed, said she had arrived at the
hospital soon after 6am but was still waiting for attention two hours
later.

"Many of us arrive at the break of dawn, just to make sure that we get
seats because we know the wait will be a long one -- and we might have
to come back again tomorrow," she said.

Pule, who could be seen talking to patients, asking them about their
experience at the hospital, said the reason for the surprise visit was
to see how patients were being treated in government hospitals, and to
see first-hand the challenges facing staff.

She was in Pietermaritzburg to outline her department's expectations and
its plans to filter down monitoring and evaluation at provincial level.

The Pietermaritzburg visit was the second of its kind. Pule visited
Mpumalanga last week and similar meetings are planned with the
governments of the Free State, Eastern Cape and Gauteng.

Pule, is one of three ministers in President Jacob Zuma's office --
including Collins Chabane and Trevor Manuel -- tasked with ensuring that
government's promises to the people are fulfilled.

During the visit, she was pleased with the cleanness of the hospital.
However, she said the problem of long queues, drug unavailability and
staff shortages was not on, vowing to take up the matter with the
relevant departments.

Many such visits to other departments across the country would be
undertaken, she said.

Hospital matron Jessica Webster said she was happy the MEC could see the
challenges the hospital faced.

"I'm glad the people from the national government came. We are under a
lot of stress because of a staff shortage. There are not enough
facilities and we need equipment. They listened to us and said she
[Pule] would take the matter up with the provincial and national health
managers," said Webster.

Mkhize said they wanted to change the mindset of all public servants so
that they can be accountable.

"We need public servants who are dedicated and capable, and who care for
the needs of citizens," he said.

Meanwhile, the KwaZulu-Natal government will soon undergo performance
management appraisals.

As part of the project, the provincial government has provided the
Presidency with a programme of all planned developmental projects, which
will cover key priorities of government.

MECs will also provide quarterly reports on the work they are doing,
what issues they face whilst working and plans on how they intend
resolving those issues.

Pule says this system will help to give early warning signs when things
are not going right.

Plans also include monitoring special projects that provinces already
have in place, such as the Nerve Centre. The provincial Nerve Centre
provides an automated and integrated information management system,
complete with reporting and analytics, dashboards and geographic
information system (GIS) mapping to monitor and evaluate government's
key performance indicators and to promote transparency and anti-corruption.

All components and services are managed from a single point at the Nerve
Centre, reducing the administrative effort for maintenance of
applications, users and security.

It also monitors the province's performance on projects that are
currently under way and groups them by region and time frames.

Pule was impressed by the Nerve Centre strategy, saying her ministry
will assess its impact and how it could be rolled out to other provinces.

She said programmes like these enhance focus on the delivery of
government services, as well as strengthen
government-to-citizen/employee/business organisations and
government-to-government relationships.

Pule's visit was in line with President Jacob Zuma's promise in his
State of the Nation Address, where he indicated that ministers would be
going to the provinces to outline the details of what needed to be done
in the identified priority areas.

Government had devised a model that would ensure all levels of
government are held accountable.

"We are confident that this endeavour will help government reward good
performance and detect bad performance as early as possible to ensure
that corrective measures are implemented," said Pule.

Although the ruling party outlined creation of decent work and
sustainable livelihoods, education, health, rural development, food
security and land reform and the fight against crime and corruption as
their top priorities, Zuma has promised to speed up service delivery.

Pule, who was worried about the recent public protests over the lack of
delivery of essential services, hoped her ministry would help resolve this.

There have often been protests in the country over the perceived slow
pace of delivery of basic municipal services such as water, electricity
and housing.

"The performance evaluation system will oversee the quality of work done
and the impact of service delivery ...That way, there is an efficient
unit that will monitor progress of projects and ensure that the
integrated flagship projects and interdepartmental collaboration is
continuously tracked to yield the desired outcomes."

Mkhize was optimistic, saying this will be part of the strategy to
ensure service delivery and accountability, and serve as a bridging gap
between strategic provincial objectives and the execution thereof.

The system will help to link objectives to tangible outcomes in terms of
information on key performance indicators and programme outputs across
departments and local government institutions, he said, adding that it
will support fact-based decisions needed to deliver better, more
proactive services to the public. - BuaNews

Treasury speeds up talks on carbon tax

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 16 Mar 2011
Title: Treasury speeds up talks on carbon tax
--------------------

By Chris Bathembu

Johannesburg - Government is pushing to have a revised paper on the proposed carbon tax ready before the next budget is tabled in February 2012. Officials say the tax could be in force as early as July next year.

The National Treasury is currently having wide ranging consultations on the proposals, with more than 79 written submissions received since a discussion paper on the proposed tax was published in December. A draft carbon tax policy had already been approved by Cabinet and will soon be tabled before Parliament.

Based on the "polluter pays principle", government wants to use the carbon tax to reduce South Africa's greenhouse emissions while ensuring that polluters are "punished". It forms part of South Africa's commitments, made in Copenhagen in 2009, to reduce the country's carbon emissions by 34 percent by 2020 and 42 percent by 2025.

Already South Africans are paying 2c per KWh following the electricity generation levy announced in 2008, and as from this year, all new cars will also be subject to carbon taxation.

While the move to introduce a direct carbon tax on measured emissions may hit company profits and hurt consumers, authorities are adamant that if Africa's biggest economy fails to act on climate change, the impacts could be devastating.

"It's either you believe that there is a problem of climate change or you don't believe and if you don't believe, we have a problem ... What we know is that we need to act now and the tax is one of the instruments we will use," the Treasury's Deputy Director General, Ismail Momoniat, told industry leaders at a workshop on Wednesday to gauge the response to the proposal.

He later told reporters that government will not use the carbon tax proposal as another way of generating revenue but sought to "change people's behaviour". Economists have projected that, if implemented correctly, the tax could add another R82 billion to the national fiscus.

"We see this as a major instrument in changing behaviour and we are not saying it is not a hard choice ... We cannot sit back and do nothing; any delay will have serious impacts on the future," Momoniat said.

He said the money made from proposed tax collection could be channelled to other government priorities or help support green economy initiatives and environmental lobby groups.

While there has been no final pronouncement on the matter, the Treasury is still mulling a tax of R75 per tonne of CO2, which could increase to around R200 per tonne CO2.

At the workshop, business also wanted to know if there would be some kind of benchmarking and whether government would consider sector specific tax reductions and exemptions to protect the competitiveness of key industries.

There were also concerns about emissions trading, with Business Unity South Africa wanting to know if there would be economic incentives or rewards for targeted reductions.

Cecil Morden, Chief Director for tax and policy at the Treasury, said carbon taxes have proved to be successful in countries like Norway and some Caribbean nations.

"While we understand that we cannot compare ourselves with other countries, it is important to note that it has been successfully implemented and it's working," said Morden.

China and Australia have also made similar proposals. - BuaNews

Japan's nuclear crisis escalates

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 16 Mar 2011
Title: Japan's nuclear crisis escalates
--------------------

Tokyo - As Japan struggles to contain a spiraling nuclear crisis, another fire has broken out at the quake-crippled No.4 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, raising fears of more radiation contamination.

The fire struck early on Wednesday at the building housing the No.4 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, said Tokyo Electric Power Co.(TEPCO), the plant's operator.

Workers saw a blaze erupt at 5:45 am (2110 GMT) at the northwestern corner of the building's fourth floor and about 30 minutes later, the smoke and fire could no longer be seen within 10 meters away, public broadcaster NHK reported.

It is the second fire to hit the spent fuel storage pond at the No.4 reactor in just over 24 hours, signaling a deterioration in the situation.

On Tuesday, a fire broke out in the same reactor's fuel storage pond, an area where used nuclear fuel is kept cool, sending radiation into the atmosphere.

Tokyo Electric Power said the new blaze erupted because the initial fire had not been fully extinguished.

Unlike other three reactors that saw explosions over the past few days, the No.4 reactor was shut down for maintenance when the quake and tsunami struck last Friday.

Reactors in the No.5 and No.6 units also saw an increase in temperatures, although there have been no reports of abnormalcies or explosions.

Also on Tuesday, an aftershock measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted eastern Honshu, Japan, according to the China Earthquake Network Center.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10km, was monitored at 35.3 degrees north latitude and 138.5 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement. - BuaNews-Xinhua

Zuma launches African Ombudsman Research Centre

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 16 Mar 2011
Title: Zuma launches African Ombudsman Research Centre
--------------------

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday launched the African Ombudsman Research Centre in Durban, saying that ombudspersons have an important role to play in entrenching a culture of accountable governance and in strengthening democratic institutions in the continent.

"We need to encourage countries that have not established these important institutions to do so. The role of these institutions is to serve as an avenue through which citizens exercise their rights and hold their governments accountable. It is also to forge close relations between those entrusted with power and the governed," said Zuma.

He said this was an enormous responsibility and it should be undertaken with prudence, diligence and care.

The ombudspersons were a powerful relief mechanism for the poor which is why they should be accessible to all, said Zuma.

He added that they must not only hold powerful people in society accountable, but also prioritise taking up cases that directly affect ordinary citizens.

"It is through holding the powerful accountable, and assisting the powerless that offices of ombudspersons will gain support from ordinary citizens," said the President.

He welcomed the fact that plans were underway to formalise relations between the African Union Commission and this Association of African Ombudspersons, saying a closer working relationship between the two organisations would ensure that their work and influence reached every corner of the continent.

"We hope that these relations will extend to other progressive and important African bodies such as the Pan African Parliament and the African Human Rights Commission," he said.

Based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Howard College campus in Durban, the centre is a resource of the African Ombudsman and Mediators' Association (AOMA) - a body made up of 36 ombudsman institutions that work to entrench good governance in governments, upholding of the rule of law and respect for human rights in the continent.

This is achieved through supporting, developing and protecting the independence of ombudsman institutions.

Speaking at the same event, African Ombudsman and Mediators Association
Executive Secretary and Public Protector of South Africa, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, said it was important for government not to see ombudsman institutions as adversaries.

"These institutions serve as buffers between states and citizens. They are the conscience of states and a voice for the ordinary people," she said. - BuaNews

No ARVs in whoonga: Zuma

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 15 Mar 2011
Title: No ARVs in whoonga: Zuma
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By Kemantha Govender

Durban - The notorious township drug, whoonga, does not contain anti-retroviral drugs, says President Jacob Zuma.

"Perpetuating such inaccuracies is dangerous as it may make drug addicts steal ARVs, which would put the lives of people on treatment at risk," said Zuma at the opening of the second biennial summit on substance abuse.

Many people believe whoonga is made of crushed HIV treatment drugs, mixed with other chemicals, but according to experts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, whoonga does not contain ARVs, but is made up of heroin mixed with rat poison and other chemicals.

The use of whoonga and other such substances continues to destroy the lives of families. It is for this reason that delegates gathered at this three-day summit to find solutions to this crippling issue.

"Fighting substance abuse is a collaborative effort. Government cannot do it successfully alone, given the magnitude of this societal problem," said Zuma.

Alcohol is said to be the most abused substance in South Africa, followed by cannabis, commonly known as dagga.

Children as young as 10 years are experimenting with these substances.

Zuma said reports showed children between the ages of 9-15 start with cigarettes, alcohol, dagga and mandrax.

The true extent of the problem in the country cannot be clearly reflected though.

"Substance abuse or addiction to any substance is not a notifiable condition. Families and addicts are not obliged to report to the authorities. This makes it difficult to have an accurate picture of the extent of the problem. We also do not want to create a scare and portray our nation as the capital of drug and alcohol abuse, because we are not," said Zuma.

While KZN is trying to control the whoonga dilemma, government in the Western Cape is fighting against Tik and in Gauteng they are battling with the drug called Nyaope.

"It is shocking that human beings can inflict such damage on themselves and imbibe such a dangerous substance. It indicates the extent of the problem we are facing," said Zuma.

He asked the delegates to come up with resolutions that will help improve education and awareness among the youth, saying he hoped the summit would assist law enforcement officials to deal with drug traffickers and help the country to improve treatment for addicts and support for families.

"The deliberations should help us to promote and implement the country's National Drug Master Plan and the mini-drug master plans, which are our blueprints in the fight against substance abuse," said Zuma.

Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, said during her opening remarks at the summit that it was vital for all sectors of society to tackle this problem.

"Alcohol and substance abuse is a major contributor to crime, foetal alcohol syndrome, gender-based violence, poverty, dysfunctional family life and many other social ills. Tackling this problem requires co-operative action between government and the support and involvement of all sectors of our society," said Dlamini.

The minister added: "We need to create a supportive environment where children and young people have opportunities to be involved in healthy activities and where substance abuse is not promoted by peers, family and other influential actors in the community. Alcohol and substance abuse is everybody's problem, and its solution is everyone's responsibility."

But Zuma is adamant that alcohol and drug addiction can be cured. "Government is planning to expand treatment centres and to ensure accessibility even in rural areas," said Zuma.

The opening session of the summit had government heavyweights with national ministers, the Central Drug Authority officials, and KZN MECs in attendance. - BuaNews

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Feed them rat poison yeah .... I can understand people doing harm to other people when those people are from opposing warring factions, but people going into their own neighbor woods and feeding each other rat poison ... that to my is so wrong. It begs the question that if a drug lord or pusher is caught should he not also be charged with murder or attempted murder as well as selling drugs.

This also raises the question with me. If you are mugged robbed or burgled, should the perpetrator not also be charge with theft of ID, intend to defraud and false Identification. Then we can extend this to cellphone theft, since all products now days are RICA and this is to protect the public in cell phones being used in crimes. I think the law should make provision for these things, like trading in stolen property.

Oh yes the  Police must link stolen property to the crime and if violence was committed in such a crime the person in possession of such stolen property should be charged with those crimes as well. Only then will we only deal with reputed dealers.

by Petrus Viviers