Bethan Gray, winner of the Best British Designer Award 2013 is delighted to announce the launch of a new upholstery range, Ella – designed exclusively for British furniture maker WorkHouse. Comprising a sofa and an armchair, Ella will launch on WorkHouse’s stand (S36) at Designjunction (18-21 September) during London Design Festival 2014. A plain back [...]Bethan Gray Announces Collaboration is a post from: HomenSpire


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The economic value of trees is central to the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) on job creation, building of the rural economy and the fight against security, says Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana. “Forestry is one of the high impact sectors in the economy that contribute positively to economic growth, foreign [...]Economic value of trees central to NDP is a post from: South Africa Business


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The Gauteng Department of Health says it is taking special precautions to ensure the safe demolition of the Old Natalspruit Hospital in Katlehong, on the East Rand.

The demolition process began on Monday with the decontamination of the facility to remove contaminants and hazardous materials such as chemicals, radioactive substances and infectious disease.

“The demolishing works is a high risk undertaking and requires competent service providers whose scope will include detailed planning of works. Special demolition procedures and techniques are required due to dolomite and asbestos prevalence on site,” explained MEC for Infrastructure Development Nandi Mayathula-Khoza at a briefing on Johannesburg on Monday.

She said the demolition process was an extremely sensitive operation and as such measures would be undertaken to secure the hospital and warn members of the community not to enter the facility.

Her department would conduct a structural engineering survey to determine what special precautions are required as well as conduct a geotechnical report site investigation to evaluate site conditions.

A utility survey will also be undertaken to establish the reticulation of wet services and any other underground services to the facility.

The geotechnical report on the possible demolishing procedures, possible land use material or equipment will be released in the middle of September, she said.

Therefore all stakeholders, including members of the community and the business community, will be kept informed.

“There are a number of organisations that are interested in the use of the hospital land, including an NGO that wants to run rehabilitation programme. There are members of the community who would like to salvage equipment and material for re-use; all must await the entire process and will be informed of outcomes in due course.

The entire demolishing works is expected to be concluded by the end of December 2014.

The new Natalspruit Hospital in Vosloorus, recently opened it’s doors.

The hospital, which cost R1.7 billion to construct in a period of eight years, is furnished with 821 beds and spans an area of over 7 000m2. It offers services such as family medicine, 24-hour casualty, medico-legal, obstetrics and gynaecological, mortuary, radiography, and an eye nose and throat clinic.

It will take referrals from clinics, community health care centres and district hospitals, serving Thokoza, Vosloorus, Katlehong, Magugala Heights, Zonkizikwe, Phola Park, Palm Ridge, Eden Park, Germiston and Leondale. – SAnews.gov.za

In an effort to improve the lives of vulnerable workers, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant is set to host a Domestic Workers Imbizo to interact with the workers as part of public consultations.

The Domestic Workers’ Imbizo, which will take place on Saturday at 9am, will be held in Soweto.

Minister Oliphant uses the forums to interact with workers on matters of working conditions, general rights of workers, effects of labour legislation on the workers and extension of social security benefits to workers such as the Unemployment Insurance Fund, the Compensation of Injuries and Disabilities Act, and pension benefits.

To date, Minister Oliphant has hosted three public consultations forums. These were held in Khayelitsha, Western Cape, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape.

As per the Sectoral Determination that governs the working conditions of employment in the sector, domestic workers include:

· those who work in private households;

· people employed by employment services;

· independent contractors who are doing domestic work;

· a person doing gardening in a private home;

· people who look after children, sick, or old people and people with disabilities in a private home; and

· a person driving for the household.

During the imbizo, the minister will be accompanied by senior management of the department and its various public entities including the Compensation Fund and the Unemployment Insurance Fund.

There will also be an exhibition by the department of its array of services to delegates and stakeholders attending the event.

The upcoming imbizo will be held at the Grace Bible Church in Pimville, Soweto, next to Maponya Mall at Chris Hani Road.

– SAnews.gov.za

The World Forestry Congress (WFC) will for the first time be held on African soil next year, announced Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana on Monday. Speaking at the launch of this year’s Arbor Week in Mofolo Park, Soweto, on Monday, Minister Zokwana said the 14th WFC will take place at the Chief Albert Luthuli [...] World Forestry Congress for Africa is a post from: EconSpire
The post World Forestry Congress for Africa appeared first on EconSpire.


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The South African Police Service (SAPS) has warned the public about misleading advertisements regarding the recruitment of new constables.

The adverts are apparently being circulated through the social media application WhatsApp and on thewww.salearnership.com website.

SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale said there are currently no posts advertised for police trainees.

“The advertisements form part of a scam aimed at misleading the public and possibly corruptly attempting to enlist candidates into the SAPS. Whilst the SAPS is looking into the origins of these adverts, we urge those who are interested in joining the SAPS as trainees, to ignore them,” he said.

He advised members of the public not to be misled by any false advertisements or advertising scams and to report these activities to the police.

According to Makgale, the SAPS has implemented a revised recruitment strategy, which is strictly regulated by a policy framework and is based on the aspiration to recruit and develop new generation police officers.

This is through the regulating, standardising and professionalising the recruitment, selection and enlistment process to ensure a community-orientated recruitment and selection process in order to address the risks associated with corruption in recruitment practises.

Makgale said any vacancies will be advertised on the official website of the SAPS and in local community newspapers.

The names of the applicants will then be published in local newspapers for public comment.

The applicants will then be subjected to a "grooming camp" where they are vetted to check their criminal record status, match their fingerprints to their ID and go through a battery of psychometric, integrity and physical tests to ensure they are of the right calibre before final selection will be conducted.

The successful applicants will be presented to the local community for final comments and/or input.

A provincial recruitment board, constituted of internal and external role players, will then consider the results of the grooming camp and comments from the local community before the Provincial Commissioner submits the final recommendations to the National Commissioner for approval. - SAnews.gov.za

South Africa is fostering closer trade relations with Mozambique, which is one of the seven fastest growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa, says the...

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The Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel and Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu will on Friday launch an initiative that is expected to bring development to the area of Diepsloot and create 50 000 permanent jobs. The Diepsloot SMME Incubation Hub, located at the heart of the new Riversands Commercial Park in the north [...]Development comes to Diepsloot is a post from: South Africa Business


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The new Natalspruit Hospital, which recently opened its doors, is set to be the future of Gauteng health.

The hospital, which cost R1.7 billion to construct in a period of eight years, is furnished with 821 beds and spans an area of over 7 000m2. It offers services such as family medicine, 24-hour casualty, medico-legal, obstetrics and gynaecological, mortuary, radiography, and an eye nose and throat clinic.

It will take referrals from clinics, community health care centres and district hospitals, serving Thokoza, Vosloorus, Katlehong, Magugala Heights, Zonkizikwe, Phola Park, Palm Ridge, Eden Park, Germiston and Leondale.

Sonto Daniels, of Vosloorus extension 9, says she is happy to have a state-of-the-art hospital at her door step, adding that she will start taking her hypertension treatment again, after she stopped for almost a year.

Seventy-year-old Daniels and hundreds other residents of Vosloorus and neighbouring locations, on Thursday, gathered in a tent outside the newly built Natalspruit Hospital, in Vosloorus, for its official opening.

She told SAnews that it was not by choice that she stopped taking her medication, but because of distance and cost.

“I used to take a taxi from Vosloorus to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, and then take another one from there to the old Natalspruit Hospital, to get my treatment. It was costly for me,” said Daniels.

“It became too much for me, I ended up not going anymore, it was too far,” she added.

Now that the hospital -- which started operating early last week – is a mere walking distance from her home, Daniels said she had no reason to skip treatment.

“I am happy because I can now jut cross the street to the hospital; I don’t even have to carry a lunch box,” Daniels said.

Her friend, who introduced herself to SAnews as MaMofokeng, and also lives close to the new hospital, said she was particularly happy that she will not spend on transport to get health services.

The 58-year-old MaMofokeng, who lives with her three unemployed children and grandchildren, said she was meant to go for a check up on 3 September at the old hospital.

“I am happy because I won’t take a taxi, I’ll just walk…. I will be entering in that building for the first time next week. I can’t wait,” said MaMofokeng.

Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said the equipment found in Natalspruit Hospital was previously found in private hospitals only.

“This is a great day for us and the people of Ekurhuleni, because at long last, what we have been waiting for is here,” said the Minister.

The hospital also has six operating theatres, a mammography unit -- which will help in speeding up the diagnosis of breast cancer.

Minister Motsoaledi said he will make sure that health infrastructure projects were complete within three years of construction.

“The next hospital that we are going to build will be Soshanguve Hospital in Pretoria, and we are going to take 36 months to build it… nothing more,” said the Minister.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura echoed the Ministe, saying no additions will be made to the initial budget of the coming infrastructure programmes.

“Because the longer the project runs, the more expensive it becomes,” said the Premier.

The Premier said Natalspruit was the best hospital in Gauteng and termed it ‘hospital of Gauteng’s future’.

“It does not use the old filing system but the modern e-filing system, I am sure people will stop complaining that they can’t be helped because they lost files,” said the Premier.

The Premier reiterated what he pronounced in his State of The Province Address (SoPA) about revitalisation of township economy.

“This is proof enough that we were serious as the provincial government when we said we are going to fast track service delivery, including infrastructure of schools and other hospitals yet to be built,” said Premier Makhura.

He said about 37 clinics were linked to the hospital and pleaded with the public to continue using their local clinics as they would need referrals from them to the hospital.

He pleaded with residents to take care of the hospital as it will provide them and the future generations, with good service.

Infrastructure Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza said 4 950 jobs were created during its construction, and 16 local contractors were employed on different trades.

“… and almost 700 people from the surrounding communities underwent skills training and development,” MEC Mayathula-Khoza said.

She added that the construction and handover of the new hospital is a milestone in the creation of a better life for all Gauteng residents, through the modernisation of health infrastructure solutions.

Health MEC in Gauteng, Qedani Mahlangu, was also amongst political principals at the official opening. - SAnews.gov.za

Trade and Industry (dti) Minister Rob Davies has called on opposition party Members of Parliament (MPs) to think more carefully before associating themselves with complaints raised by market players.

The minister’s comments follow on calls made by DA MP Hill-Lewis and Dean Macpherson for a reduction in the time taken by National Regulator for Compulsory Specification (NRCS) to process Letters of Authority (LoA).

The issue has been discussed with NRCS Chief Executive Officer Asogan Moodley who has indicated that it was important that the organisation be given adequate time to carry out its inspection work before issuing LoA’s.

Moodley had pointed out that the 120 days it takes to process such LoA’s in SA compared favourably with comparable countries.

An LoA is required by any person or organisation, including a registered manufacturer, importer or builder of vehicles (MIB) and charitable organisations wishing to import a new or used vehicle (passenger vehicle, goods vehicle, special vehicle or trailer) into South Africa; and/or a person and/or organisation not registered as a MIB that builds or modifies a vehicle.

The NRCS is an entity of the dti established to administer compulsory specifications and other technical regulations with the view to protect human health, safety, the environment and ensure fair trade in accordance with government policies and guidelines.

On Thursday, Minister Davies said South Africa continues to be bombarded with harmful sub- standard products which are both harmful to consumers and constitute unfair competition to South African producers.

“At this stage of our development the priority is to ensure that we step up on efforts to combat the entry of sub-standard products, and not pander to the demands of vested interests that seek, in the name of greater administrative efficiency, to keep open the doors to such potential abuse,” he explained. - SAnews.gov.za