South Africa is to sign a memorandum aimed at curbing rhino poaching with the government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, officials said on...

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Public sector wage increases have begun to align more closely with inflation, following the conclusion of occupation-specific wage dispensations and the three-year wage settlement reached in 2011, the Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan said on Wednesday.

Presenting his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament, Gordhan said the compensation of public servants now accounts for 39.4% of the budget of non-interest spending and will continue to outpace inflation, but will grow at a slower rate than over the past three years.

The increase in the public sector wage bill was driven by the implementation of occupation-specific wage dispensations designed to raise public-sector salaries for skilled and experienced staff.

While the average level of wage settlements grew at about eight percent in 2010 in a year when inflation was running at about four percent, last year wage settlements grew at about seven percent, slightly above inflation at about six percent.

Since 2005, more than 250 000 additional public servants – mostly nurses, teachers and police officers – were added to the government’s payroll – both at a national and provincial level.

Of the over 1.2 million public servants, 485 370 or 38.8% are in the education sector, with 318 756 or 25.5% in health care and 275 154 or 22% in policing and criminal justice.

Gordhan said the National Treasury, together with the Department of Public Service and Administration, is working to improve the monitoring of wage-bill trends.

He, however, expressed concern over the increase in managerial and administrative staffing across the government.

The minister said government aimed to maintain current staff numbers over the next three years, adding that any new positions created would have to be backed up by a compelling explanation. – SAnews.gov.za

Three foreign nationals have been arrested in Johannesburg for allegedly being implicated in marriages of convenience.

The three foreign nationals -- two Indian women and a Pakistani male -- were caught on Tuesday, during a raid conducted by Home Affairs Immigration Inspectorate in various houses in Johannesburg.

According to the Home Affairs Department, the first Indian woman is alleged to have registered herself as being married to a South African national, but was found to be residing with her real Indian husband in Johannesburg.

The South African national, who was alleged to have been married to the woman, was unaware of the change in his status. The suspect will appear in the Springs court today.

The second Indian woman is alleged to have fraudulently acquired two South African passports for her two children.

“The two children were born in India but were fraudulently registered as being born in South Africa,” said department spokesperson, Ronnie Mamoepa.

She is scheduled to appear before the Benoni court today. The Pakistani male, who was arrested for an alleged fraudulent marriage to a South African female, will appear before the Johannesburg court today.

Mamoepa warned that the department will leave no stone unturned to ensure the scourge of marriages of convenience is dealt a massive and decisive blow.

“Those implicated in such acts including their South African accomplices better be warned that they will indeed face the full might of the law.” – SAnews.gov.za

South Africa needs technologies that can be supported and maintained locally, says Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.

Speaking at the Govtech Conference in Cape Town, on Tuesday, Sisulu said that innovation was necessary in advancing the country.

“Good innovation for us must be rooted in our landscape. It must be inspired and driven by our necessity and must harness our own ingenuity. Our government is determined to ensure that as we take on our challenges head-on, we must recognise and support local technological advancement,” she said.

Big and small South African companies were hard at work to produce various technologies.

“Both government and the private sector must assist this process by buying South African products wherever possible and supporting partnerships with South Africa,” said Sisulu, adding that the spinoffs of this would be the encouraging of local progress and competitiveness, while it will also promote local employment.

At the opening of the conference, Sisulu said she would like the issue of increasing the provision of broadband infrastructure outside the metros.

“The cost to communicate in South Africa is still ranked amongst the highest in the world and thus undermines access to the benefits of Information Communication Technologies and thus exacerbate poverty, inequality and unemployment,” explained Sisulu.

Adding that technological advancement has taken place, Sisulu said that in present day the challenges that the country faces require specific and not generalised technologies.

“Hence we ask you here at Govtech 2013 whether you have for us technologies that are well intended and will benefit us …. whether those of you who are here representing our government realise what we need to do and therefore what to buy for this government to fulfil our quest for a good quality life for all,” said Sisulu.

Among the challenges facing the country, said Sisulu, is that of crime, poverty, inequality and unemployment. – SAnews.gov.za

Government is investing in strengthening the mining sector -- which is set for growth -- so that it can contribute to inclusive growth, says President Jacob Zuma.

“As government we are investing time and effort in strengthening the mining sector so that it can contribute to inclusive growth and jobs as envisaged in the National Development Plan,” said Zuma on Tuesday.

He was speaking in Musina, Limpopo, where he launched the construction phase of the De Beers Venetia Underground Mine.

The project is a R20 billion investment in the diamond industry, which is the biggest single investment in the diamond industry in decades, and demonstrates confidence in the country’s diamond industry and mining sector.

“Our mining industry is definitely poised for growth, especially if we continue working together to promote the industry in various ways.

“This R20 billion investment in the diamond industry … signals that indeed our mining sector is poised for growth, and that it has a bright future,” explained Zuma.

The investment, he said, will boost diamond production of which South Africa has lost its eminence in recent years.

“This project is also significant because it demonstrates confidence in South Africa as an investment destination of choice by both foreign and South African companies.”

While the operation employs more than 2 500 people, 500 more jobs will be created during the peak of the construction phase.

However, there needs to be a right environment for growth including the implementation of transformation measures and the promotion of labour market stability in the sector.

“We are encouraged by the positive response of business and labour to government’s intervention to bring about labour peace and stability, a project led by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe,” said the President.

At the same time, Zuma condemned isolated incidents of violence in the sector.

“While there is relative peace, we condemn the isolated incidents of violence such as the killing of a National Union of Mineworkers branch leader in Rustenburg last week. Such incidents have no place in a democratic society like ours.”

There is also work to be done in transforming as well as improving the lives of workers in the sector.

“Fortunately, investors in the mining industry are aware that they should, in terms of the law, redress past imbalances in the industry.”

In terms of the Mining Charter, mining companies are required to improve housing and living conditions of workers. Companies are also expected to facilitate home ownership by 2014.

“It is necessary to create such living conditions to ensure the dignity of workers who produce such precious metals that keep our economy strong and vibrant,” he said. - SAnews.gov.za

Plans to establish the country’s first university for police are at an advanced stage, says Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between his Ministry and the Department of Higher Education in Cape Town on Tuesday, Mthethwa said the official opening of the university is scheduled to commence during January 2014 with an intake of 120 learners.

The university, which will take over the Paarl SAPS Academy, will offer higher levels such as Honours, Masters and Doctorates over the years.

The programme has been drawn up in consultation with Unisa and the Council of Higher Education and the recruitment of potential students is scheduled to take place and be finalized before the end of November, said Mthethwa.

He said the difference between the traditional SAPS College and the SAPS University would be that the SAPS University will consist of two legs -- the academic leg, which will provide academic qualifications under the direct control with full autonomy of a partnering university.

“The second leg, the police professional leg, will allow for the instilling of discipline, police culture, patriotism, the preservation of police culture and the professionalisation of police within a controlled police environment.”

According to the minister, the university forms part of efforts of building a new cadre of police officers who will be empowered with high-level skills to improve policing.

“It is also important to ensure that we empower police members by developing their specialised knowledge and helping them to acquire specific technical know-how as well as academic expertise.

“More importantly, we want to begin to attract high-calibre recruits/students who will regard SAPS as an employer of choice.”

The university, he said, would also address various inadequacies within the force.

“In fact, we are also revisiting the current SAPS Recruitment Strategy to encapsulate the whole continuum from recruitment to retirement in order to determine and put more emphasis on career-pathing of members to ensure staff retention and to minimize attrition.” – SAnews.gov.za

Over 16 000 households will benefit from a R52 million Makapanstad and Mathibestad Bulk Water Project, which aims to address water shortages in villages of Moretele Local Municipality in the North West.

The bulk water project, which includes the building of reservoirs for proper water storage and distribution in the area, was revealed to communities during a *** turning event held at Mathibestad, in Moretele recently.

Unveiling the project, North West MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Manketsi Tlhape, said government is delivering on yet another one of its promises of improving the lives of people.

“You have made your concerns clear and we are now responding as government. We are not just fulfilling our promise but we are also delivering on our constitutional responsibility and mandate of ensuring that our communities have access to clean water,” said Tlhape.

Upon completion, Tlhape said the project will address water shortages in 13 villages namely, Kwa-Mmatlwaela, Tladistad, Leeukraal, Kgomo-Kgomo, Kontante, Moretele, Makapanstad, Phomolong, Potoane, Prieska, Mathibestad, Thulwe and Opperman.

“It will ensure that water shortages in these areas are an issue of the past,” she said.

Tlhape also cautioned the community to bear in mind that the North West is faced with a harsh reality of underground water diminishing day by day.

“As a matter of fact, the Premier has even had to pronounce our province as a disaster area. The fact is that we are in a draught situation and we are pulling all stops to devise some means to make sure that we have at least drinkable water for ourselves as well as livestock. We need to use water sparingly,” she said.

The Mathibestad and Makapanstad Bulk Water Project is funded through the Provincial Infrastructure Grant and Municipal Infrastructure Grant.

Moretele Local Municipality Mayor Sello Lehare said that since the year 2000, the municipality has been struggling with water supply, as they depended on Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to supply them with water.

“Due to our growing population, the 18 Mega litres per day supplied by Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is no longer adequate. We have even explored various methods of temporary water supply such as putting up water tanks and having trucks supplying water but we still could not address water shortage,” Lehare said. – SAnews.gov.za

Cape Town – South Africa has bolstered its massive HIV testing programme by including eye tests, alongside blood pressure and TB tests in the campaign, but more needed to be done to ensure full coverage of testing.

Addressing MPs and NGO representatives in Parliament at the start of a two-day HIV testing campaign targeted at parliamentarians, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said since the launch of the country’s testing campaign in 2010, 20 million South Africans had been tested for HIV.

Although the testing campaign has targeted various workplaces and communities across the country -- from farms to taxi ranks, to mines and banks -- Motlanthe stressed that more needed to be done to bring about full coverage of HIV testing.

“We must continue our programmes to achieve full coverage and more importantly we must maintain our focus on prevention, prevention and prevention,” he said.

Currently, HIV tests are complemented by the screening of individuals for TB and high blood pressure.

As HIV/Aids affects the eye sight of those who have the virus, eye tests would help expand the reach of the HIV testing and counseling campaign.

Motlanthe, who is also the chairman of the SA National Aids Council, also called on every South African to test annually for HIV, adding that it was important for South Africans to test regularly so that they can take the appropriate action.

“Those that test negative must do everything possible to ensure that they maintain their negative status and those that are HIV positive need to enrol in our treatment, care and support programme,” he said.

Also addressing MPs, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, said the country had faced a heavy burden of HIV/Aids.

“Each one of us knows of a family member, a friend, a neighbour, a colleague, or comrade who is living with HIV/Aids or who has succumbed to it,” he said.

“Thankfully, we are however at a tipping point in the fight against HIV/Aids and TB,” he said, adding that he was particularly encouraged by recent statistics that revealed that the number of new HIV infections had declined and that the number of HIV/Aids related deaths were decreasing.

“We were able to do that because we dreamt an impossible dream – an Aids-free generation,” he said.

He said Parliament already offered counseling and testing services to MPs and officials through its wellness programme, however the country needed to push harder to reach zero infections and to end discrimination against HIV/Aids, he added.

The Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, said the aim was to run the testing campaign in Parliament on an annual basis.

He said before the launch of the government’s HIV testing and counseling campaign in 2010, voluntary testing reached just two million South Africans a year, but after the first year of the campaign about 18 million South Africans knew their HIV status.

Added to this those on anti-retroviral treatment (ARVs) had moved from 923 000 to 2.1 million people on treatment, with the number of facilities offering ARVs having climbed from 490 to 3 540 facilities.

Today, 23 000 nurses have been trained in treating HIV/Aids, up from just 250 before the launch of the campaign, he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, will on Thursday launch Fetsa Tlala – an initiative aimed at improving household food security and stimulating sustainable job creation in the poorest districts of the country.

The Fetsa Tlala Food Production Initiative, to be launched in the Northern Cape, will ensure that underutilised agricultural land is put under production to increase local access to food.

“The initiative is intended to ensure that every South African has access to sufficient and nutritious food aimed at ending hunger in accordance with the NDP vision 2030 statement,” said the department on Tuesday.

Fetsa Tlala will be financed through, amongst others, the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP). Allocations to provinces will be dedicated to food production, either crop or livestock production. More inclination, however, is towards the production of staple food such as maize, beans, wheat, sunflower, ground nuts and potatoes.

CASP is the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries’ premier support programme and is funded through the Division of Revenue Act (DORA).

The department said through Fetsa Tlala, one million hectares of productive agricultural land which has been lying fallow is targeted for production over a period of five years.

The funds will be used for land preparation, procurement of inputs, harvesting, storage of products, local processing as well as marketing. – SAnews.gov.za

see the article: Food security a priority for Africa

The crisis over the use of chemical weapons in Syria raises many questions, particularly about the moral hysteria being stoked by the US, whose own record challenges its credibility. According to The Economist, poison gas attacks by both sides in the First World War cost 96,000 lives. Amazingly, it reports that 50,000 people died in [...]What’s So Different About Poison Gas? is a post from: All4Data


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