Pretoria – A star-studded line-up of local musicians is set to entertain crowds as the Ekurhuleni metro takes its residents back to their roots through song, dance and food.

Ihashi Elimhlophe, Mahotela Queens, Malik and African Music Bombers are some of the famous musos that Ekurhuleni residents will be celebrating their heritage with on Saturday, September 21 at KeDitsilane Cultural Village in Katlehong.

They will share the stage with Bholoja, Mohato and traditional dance groups from all over Ekurhuleni in what promises to be a colourful cultural feast.

The day will begin with a carnival parade, which will see about 2 000 performers taking to the streets of Vosloorus and Katlehong, showcasing their costumes and floats of splendor, singing, dancing and just plain entertaining the crowds.

The 4km procession will begin at Vosloorus Stadium at 10am, heading for KeDitselane.

An exciting element that has been added to the parade is the honouring of Ekurhuleni struggle icons. Performers adorned in caricatured masks of the faces of the icons are to lead the procession and, upon arrival at the venue, they will be acknowledged by praise singers.

It is then that the cultural food and dance fest will begin at midday, followed by the concert at 3pm until 6pm.

On Sunday, September 22, Heritage Day commemorations will take a slightly serious turn to address the matter of male circumcision with traditional leaders. This will be done through an Indigenous Knowledge Systems dialogue at KeDistalene from 10am to 4pm. – SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria – The ongoing strikes and the current economic issues are expected to be part of discussions when the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) hold its 18th annual Summit on Friday.

NEDLAC is the body through which government, labour, business and community organisations seek to co-operate, through problem-solving and negotiation, on economic, labour and development issues, and related challenges facing the country.

Deputy President Kgalema Mothlante will be the keynote speaker at the event to be hosted by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant. Other ministers expected to attend include: Economic Development’s Ebrahim Patel, Finance’s Pravin Gordhan, Social Development’s Bathabile Dlamini and Higher Education and Training’s Blade Nzimande.

The Department of Labour said the summit will be held under the theme: ‘Tilling the Soil – Strengthening Social Dialogue to Address Unemployment, Poverty and Inequality’.

A number of panel discussion sessions/commissions will be convened on topics of such as: Towards a Vision for Comprehensive Social Security for All; Accelerating Skills Development and Participation in the Labour Market; Working Together to Ensure Infrastructure Delivery and Transformation of the Agricultural sector. – SAnews.gov.za

Kimberley – Construction of the new Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley in the Northern Cape is expected to start before the end of September.

Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Blade Nzimande, accompanied by senior government officials, is set to conduct a ***-turning ceremony for the construction of the new university today.

The university has been named after struggle stalwart Sol Plaatje, who resided in Kimberley. Plaatje, who was born in 1876 and died in 1932, was an activist and politician. He spent much of his life in the struggle for the enfranchisement and liberation of African people. He was an intellectual, journalist, linguist, translator and writer.

It is estimated that more than R6 billion will be spent on the project, and it is envisaged to be completed by 2015.

The university’s plan was unveiled last night at the site where the university will be built. Sol Plaatje University will have campuses throughout the Northern Cape in a bid to prevent a high number of students from leaving the province to study in other provinces.

According to research conducted, most of the students who leave the province do not come back once they have completed their studies, opting to migrate to other provinces.

The university is expected to enrol about 5 000 students. About 150 students will be enrolled during the first intake at the beginning of 2014.

In 2010, Nzimande appointed a task team to investigate the feasibility of establishing new universities in South Africa.

The team, led by Professor Cheryl de la Rey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Pretoria, recommended that a new university should be built in the Northern Cape. Mpumalanga province is also earmarked to get a new university.

The task team report was submitted to the minister in September 2011 and after consultation with the Council on Higher Education, the decision was made to proceed with the establishment of the universities.

In July 2012, after an extensive assessment of the suitability of a number of towns and sites in the Northern Cape, President Jacob Zuma announced that the new university would be located in the inner city of Kimberley.

According to the Higher Education and Training Department, courses to be offered by the university will include Museum Studies, Archaeology, Indigenous Languages and Restorative Architecture. – SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria – South Africa had a dramatic increase in the number of strikes in 2012 compared to the previous four years, according to the Annual Industrial Action Report.

The report, released on Wednesday by the Department of Labour Director General, Nkosinathi Nhleko, showed that last year, strikes increased significantly, with 99 strikes recorded compared to 67 in 2011, 74 in 2010, 51 in 2009 and 57 in 2008.

Unprotected strikes accounted for 44% of the industrial action and 57.5% of workers involved in strikes were from the mining sector.

Nhleko said the number of working days lost amounted to 3.3 million compared to 2.8 million in 2011.

“In terms of wages lost, R6.6 billion was lost in wages of striking workers during 2012,” Nhleko said.

The report noted that Gauteng continues to account for the largest number of work stoppages, with 42 strikes experienced in the province in 2012, a 27.3% increase from the 33 strikes in 2011.

The protest march against the implementation of e-tolling, according to the report, had a major impact on the province, although it was not a strike, but a protest action.

The Northern Cape, one of the smallest provinces in relation to economic output, continues to record fewer strikes than other provinces.

A feature of industrial action during 2012 was the heightened violence that accompanied strike action, particularly in the mining and transport sectors.

Violence in strikes a concern

Nhleko also noted the violence and damage to property that was evident in the agricultural sector, although they were protest actions and not strictly strike action.

He said the issue of violence in strikes was worrying, and that social partners needed to engage on how to deal with it and how to prevent incidents from taking place.

“The issue of how parties in the dispute conduct themselves hinges largely around the issue of exercise in leadership. When we cite leadership as a factor, it is also informed by the fact that when these things begin to happen, it gets one to [think] that the level of exercise in leadership … has not been handled properly,” Nhleko said.

He added that while the department will continue to monitor and report on industrial action, it will also continue to work with its social partners to minimise unprocedural action and to counter violence associated with strike action.

In a bid to restore peace and stability in the mining sector during and following the events in Marikana in August 2012, the department, together with other government departments participated in a number of initiatives.

The most recent of these initiatives was the Deputy President’s Stability Framework Agreement agreed to by organised business, organised labour and government in July 2013.

Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant has condemned violence in any industrial action, warning that it has no place in society whose foundation as democracy is based on intensive social dialogue.

“Nothing yet has proven to work better than the ability to negotiate and reach consensus…” – SAnews.gov.za

Guarani Indians have carried out a courageous ‘retomada’ (re-occupation) of the sugar cane plantation that has taken over their ancestral land. The...

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Johannesburg - Government has developed a national policy on food and nutrition security for South Africa, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson revealed on Tuesday.

Speaking at the SABC/New Age Business Breakfast in Johannesburg, the minister said her department developed the national policy on food and nutrition security in partnership with the Department of Social Development.

She said the policy includes the Food Production Intervention which they have named Fetsa Tlala, or “end hunger”.

“Fetsa Tlala is aimed firstly at ensuring that under-used agricultural land is brought under production. We will work with communities, assisting them as required, to ensure that we use every bit of land to produce food.

“Through the Fetsa Tlala food production intervention, we have brought 200 000 hectares of land under production in seven provinces. Our targeted goal is 1 million hectares in the next 5 years,” she said.

Joemat-Pettersson also announced that this month they will officially launch the opening of the 2013/14 planting season, with President Jacob Zuma in the Free State.

“We are very fortunate to have the support of President Zuma who recognizes the potential of the agriculture sector to combat poverty, address food security, and also to create jobs.

“Once the food is produced and harvested through Fetsa Tlala, we will then ensure that there is sufficient support for SMMEs in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries processing sectors to mill the meal or pack the vegetables,” she said.

The minister said they will also work with the Department of Trade and Industry to establish markets for these small scale producers, be they farmers, fishers, or foresters.

“This is no dream; it is already happening on the ground, where thousands of hectares have been successfully placed under production – some for consumption, and some for sale, stimulating local economies.

“Government runs hospitals … we have the South African National Defence Force, school feeding schemes and prisons. Smallholder farmers and producers should have a market in these organisations.

“Government should be buying food straight from our smallholders and creating viable markets for them. This is what Fetsa Tlala is about. It is about unlocking the economies of rural areas,” she said.

The minister said for the country to adequately deal with food insecurity, it only makes sense that those who previously had nothing also receive an opportunity to get out of poverty.

“We are confident that Fetsa Tlala will do just that – eradicate poverty. We are determined that food can go from the farmer’s gate to the consumer’s plate – for all our citizens,” she said. - SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria - Relations between South Africa and Venezuela will come under discussion when International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, holds talks with her counterpart, Elias Jaua Milano, this week.

Nkoana-Mashabane is in Venezuela to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in the areas of energy, mining, agriculture, education, as well as arts and culture, according to her ministry.

Diplomatic relations between South Africa and Venezuela, which were established in 1993, have blossomed over the years.

The two countries have a Memorandum of Understanding regarding bilateral consultations and a Framework Agreement on Cooperation was signed in 2008 during the visit of the late President Hugo Chavez.

The Framework Agreement paved the way for cooperation in the areas of energy, mining, agriculture, social and cultural activities.

It was mutually agreed to establish a Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC) to monitor the implementation of the Cooperation Framework Agreement and to identify new areas of cooperation.

Three MOU were also signed by PetroSA and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which granted PetroSA a block in order to explore Venezuela’s oil reserves.

South African exports to Venezuela consist mainly of Ferro-vanadium and related products, followed by liqueurs. South African imports from Venezuela consist mainly of oil.

Trade relations between South Africa and Venezuela have decreased over the years, with the balance of trade changing to favour South Africa.

Between June and July 2013, trade statistics showed imports standing at R42.5million, while exports stood at R84.6 million. – SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria - The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training will this week conduct oversight visits to Wits University and Further Education and Training (FET) institutions in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.Foster Mohale from the Parliamentary Communication Service said the three-day visits...

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Pretoria – In an effort to coordinate the financing of anti-poaching initiatives, the Department of Environmental Affairs is to establish a National Rhino Fund in consultation with the National Treasury. The establishment of the National Rhino Fund will address all interventions directed to rhino poaching. The department explained that the establishment of the National Rhino [...]Rhino Fund to assist initiatives is a post from: EconSpire


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Mbombela - Grade 12 learners in Mpumalanga have until September 30 to apply for bursaries to further their education.

“The department calls on all Grade 12 learners, who need financial assistance to further their studies in different universities within our country, to apply for the Mpumalanga Provincial Government Bursary Scheme for the 2014 academic year before the set closing date," said provincial Education Department spokesperson Jasper Zwane.

To qualify for the bursary, learners have to complete a bursary application form that is accessible at the provincial government complex in Riverside Mall in Mbombela or any regional Education Department offices.

Applications can also be made online on the department's website: mpumalanga.gov.za/education

Zwane said his department is the custodian of all bursaries offered by the provincial government.

“Learners need to be aware that all bursaries offered by the provincial government are centralised [in] the Department of Education, which means that we, as the Education Department, administer all the bursaries of the departments.”

Bursary applicants must provide certified copies of their Grade 12 mid-year results if currently in Grade 12 or their final Grade 12 certificate, as well as proof of residence in Mpumalanga, an acceptance/provisional acceptance letter or proof of registration from a higher education institution.

They must also provide a certified copy of their South African identity document, proof of income of their parent(s) or guardian(s), proof of disability from a registered medical doctor or clinic/hospital (if applicable) and/or proof of indigent status.

“Learners are also encouraged to take advantage of other opportunities provided by government to assist them to obtain a university qualification such as the Fundza Lushaka Bursary Fund and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme,” said Zwane. – SAnews.gov.za