BuaNews

Photo caption: President Jacob Zuma addresses delegates at the closing of the Global African Diaspora Summit.

The Global African Diaspora Summit must write a new story – that Africa is no longer the dark continent, but it is rising, said President Jacob Zuma at the opening ceremony of the summit.
Referring to the African *diaspora, President Zuma said the summit must have meaning for people on the continent and change the realities of their circumstances.
“It must be a story that says Africa, working with its diaspora, will move faster to meet the Millennium Development Goals.”
The African Diaspora Summit, which took place in Johannesburg at the end of May, was attended by several current and former heads of state and government. They adopted a set of legacy projects which will strengthen the contribution of the diaspora to the continent.

Legacy projects
The projects include a fund that will provide a platform through which the African Union Commission will attract the African diaspora to contribute to the development of the continent. According to the AU, the continent would require about US$60 billion in the next 10 years to meet its infrastructure needs.
Noting that Africa had a low level of infra- structure networks and poor access to energy and information services among other things, the summit further agreed to speed up Africa’s infrastructure development needs.
In this regard, they resolved to increase public financing of infrastructure by implementing major power projects in the areas of hydroelectricity, oil refinery, the acceleration of missing links and the modernisation of railways and increasing the capacity of the continent’s ports.

Renewable energy
They also committed themselves to developing new and renewable energy resources to provide clean, reliable and affordable energy, as well as nuclear energy.
The summit regarded the success of these projects as one of the pillars of the continent’s economic integration.
Legacy projects adopted also included a Diaspora Volunteer Programme which will associate the diaspora directly with the development efforts of the continent. It is hoped that the program will also give concrete meaning to the concept of the “African family”.
The summit was of the view that through education and skills development Africa would conquer the ills of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment.
Others included the adoption and promotion of the Development Market Place for an African Diaspora model as a framework to encourage innovation and develop entrepreneurship to empower the youth of the continent and her diaspora.

Africa is happening
Speaking at the closing of the summit, President Jacob Zuma said resolutions taken at the summit, as well as the announcement that South Africa would share in the hosting of the world’s most powerful radio telescope – the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope, demonstrated that Africans were more than capable of successfully taking their destiny in their own hands.
“Africa is here. Africa is rising. Africa is happening and no one will stop us because we have what it takes to make it work,” said Zuma.

Stephen Timm

South Africa is set for a massive boost in science with the recent announcement that the country – together with eight African partner nations – will host the majority of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project.

Ready for the world’s most powerful radio telescope, South Africa with partners Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia, will host 70 per cent of the SKA project, while New Zealand and Australia will host the remainder.
The telescope, which will be fully operational in 2024, combines thousands of satellite dishes and antennae spread out over thou- sands of square kilometres. This enables it to look deep into space – allowing astronomers to explore the origins of the universe and detect signs of extraterrestrial life.
SKA brings with it a number of benefits, including increased regional collaboration among African countries and increased interest in astronomy.
A cheerful Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor said the project would change the profile for Africa.
“It means if I as an astronomy scientist wanted to probe the galaxy far more deeply than has ever been probed before, … I would have to come to Africa… So, suddenly Africa becomes a destination for science, rather than a place to which you come to extract minerals and take them somewhere else to have value added to them,” said Pandor.
She said more than 500 research groups had already placed bookings to use South Africa’s SKA precursor telescope, MeerKAT, from 2016.

Careers in science
The Minister added that the Department of Science and Technology planned to popularise SKA in schools by strengthening the existing SKA schools outreach programme, which helps students develop careers in science.
Since 2005, a total of 292 students have benefited from SKASA bursaries and scholarships to develop future scientists and engineers.
“We believe getting the SKA, just as with getting the World Cup, is going to cause massive incentive, excitement and interest in the sciences and maths among young people. But unlike the World Cup, this is a 50-year project, not a few weeks in winter,” said Minister Pandor.
South Africa will also be rolling out infrastructure, including accommodation for scientists who visit the site. In addition, SKA South Africa is expected to award a number of tenders this year to develop roads, power and buildings in the Northern Cape.
MeerKAT
Minister Pandor said the tender for Meer- KAT – a precursor to SKA – had been issued and she expected the first of the 64 MeerKAT dishes to be up in 2013, with the remainder in place three years later. These will be joined by 190 mid-frequency dish-shaped antennae.
In the second phase, beginning in 2016, about 3 000 mid-frequency dishes will be built, along with a large number of flat mid- frequency antennas. The majority of these will go up in the Northern Cape.
Funding for the SKA will come from all the members of the SKA Organisation – which has a collective fund of 1,5 billion euros (R15,8 billion). The current members of the SKA Organisation are Australia, Canada, China, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
South Africa has spent about R2 billion to develop MeerKAT; this includes seven dishes that make up KAT7 at Carnarvon in the Northern Cape.
Commenting about the possibility that *fracking may disrupt the SKA project, Minister Pandor said the Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act of 2007 allowed the Minister of Science and Technology to prevent any activity with those areas designated for astronomy, within a 180km radius.
“So should it be necessary we will use that Act,” said Minister Pandor, adding that her department had just published regulations on how the act would be used.

Stars in our eyes
Minister Pandor said the bidding process against the Australia/New Zealand team had been very competitive. One of the greatest challenges had been convincing the SKA Organisation of Africa’s capability.
“Often it wasn’t questioning us on ‘is this good equipment; does it work?’ It was ‘can Africa really do it?’’ said Minister Pandor. However she believes Africa had shown that we can do it.
“Everything that was asked for, we met the deadlines, all of the information we were able to provide – we over-informed. Because we had done our homework and had taken this on, as a project we had regarded as a critical project… for South Africa and the African continent.”
In an editorial comment in Public Sector Manager magazine published by Government Communications, Minister Pandor wrote: “… We are justifiably proud of our scientists, of our country and our continent. This is an iconic project that will no doubt match the spirit and efficiency with which our country hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010. The stars in our eyes are a reality.”

*    Fracking, which is short for hydraulic fracturing, is the process of extracting natural gass from rock layers deep within the earth. It entails creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting highly pressurised fluid into cracks to force them further open. The larger fractures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formation and into the wellbore, from where it can be extracted.
 

BuaNews

Photo caption: Delegates at the SADC Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government at the Tolatone Conference Centre in Luanda, Angola.

President Jacob Zuma concluded a successful working visit to Angola in June, where the SADC Extraordinary Summit discussed various matters relating to the African continent, including political stability and economic integration.
The President led a South African delegation to Luanda, where the summit took place.
Some of the issues discussed were preparations for the African Union Summit to be hosted by Malawi in this month. Regional economic integration and political developments in the DRC, Madagascar and Malawi among others were also discussed.
On the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) in Zimbabwe, the Extraordinary Summit emphasised the importance of the GPA to find a solution to the political situation in that country.
“The implementation of the various aspects of the GPA is key towards the holding of elections in Zimbabwe,” said Zuma, who is the SADC facilitator.

Economic integration
On the issue of economic integration, the summit noted a concept paper on fast-tracking regional economic integration.
Recognising existing efforts at integrating economies in the region for greater growth and investment opportunities, the summit referred the report to ministers for inputs before it is presented to the next summit for decision.
The ministers were tasked with proposing specific projects and timelines for consideration by Heads of State and Government.
 
Strengthen the AU
The SADC leadership repeated their view that there was a need to strengthen the AU to improve its position in dealing with opportunities and challenges facing Africa.
On Malawi, the summit commended the people of that country for adhering to the country’s constitutional provisions regarding succession following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika in April this year.
The summit also congratulated Joyce Mtila-Banda for assuming the Presidency of Malawi
For more information, call the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on: 012 351 1000
 

Bua News

Photo caption: Learners at the launch of Child Protection Week in Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

First para
Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has called on police officers to go beyond the call of duty to protect children.
In a message to police during Child Protection Week, Minister Mthethwa stressed the importance of protecting and caring for children throughout the year as they are the most vulnerable members of society.
“Police must play a prominent role by ensuring they treat victims of crime with respect, ensure statements are correctly taken and not only arrest the perpetrators, but conduct good investigations to secure harsher convictions,” he added.
Training
To ensure that police officers are regularly trained, SAPS has included a victim empowerment learning programme in their in-service training programme.
“We are also prioritising specialised training for investigators of sexual offences to ensure that we move beyond arrest, but secure harsher convictions,” the Minister said.
“A total of 17 314 out of 21 100 detectives are trained in detective-related courses. A further 2 161 detectives will be trained on the basic detective course during the 2012/2013 financial year,” he added. Stressing the importance of taking statements correctly, he said this process had a significant impact on the outcome and conclusion of cases.

Special units
The Minister noted that Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units (FCS) had been re-introduced at all 176 SAPS clusters in the nine provinces. There are currently 2 155 detectives at these units and with 1 276 vehicles. Previously, the FCS Units consisted of only 1 864 detectives.
To improve resources, an additional amount of R49,5 million was allocated to the FCS. To date, the FCS units have achieved over 363 life sentences, with a conviction rate of 73 per cent for crimes against women above 18 years old and 70 per cent for crimes against children under 18 years old.
A total of 479 trained detectives that had been transferred to other components and divisions within SAPS in the past have been placed back in the detective services environment. There were six courses for training of Detective Commanders in which 346 commanders were trained this year.

Safer schools
Mthethwa also noted that SAPS collaborated with the Department of Basic Education to implement preventative programmes in support of making schools safe and secure environments free from violence and crime.
“Regarding sexual  offences, prevention programmes in schools are also a focus of the interdepartmental team  dealing with rape and sexual offences. … Learners are encouraged to report any form of abuse to the SAPS,” the minister said.

Department of Social Development

Photo caption: The re-registration of social grant recipients will ensure that fraud and corruption are detected and eliminated

Photo caption: If a social grant recipient is too old or sick to travel, a family member or friend may apply on their behalf.

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has started to re-register all social grant beneficiaries on their new biometric system.
Biometric verification is a process by which a person’s unique physical and other traits are detected and recorded by an electronic device or system as a means of confirming identity, for example scanning of fingerprints.
The existing eligible beneficiaries including bank beneficiaries and children will be registered with the new biometric-based payment system at SASSA pay points, local offices and designated sites.
The re-registration process is being done to eliminate and detect fraud, as well as corruption within the social grant system and to ensure that grants are being paid to the right people.

The right person
SASSA has also developed a new payment model to be supported by effective administration and management system to enable it to directly pay “the right social grant to the right person”. This new system will further help government to save R800 million a year.
The Cash Paymaster Services, which was awarded a tender by SASSA, will continue the payment of social grants for the next five years at a reduced cost.

Requirements to re-register
•    the primary care giver must be a South African citizen or permanent resident;
•    both the applicant and the child must reside in South Africa;
•    the applicant must be the primary care giver of the child/children concerned;
•    the child/children must have been born after 31 December 1993;
•    the applicant and spouse must meet requirements of the means the cannot apply for more than six non-biological children
•    child cannot be cared for in State institution.

Where to apply for grants
•    Apply at a SASSA office nearest to where you live.
•    If you are too old or sick to travel, a family member or friend can apply on your behalf.
•    Your application form will be completed in the presence of an officer from SASSA.
•    When your application is completed you will be given a receipt; keep this receipt it is your only proof of application.
•    You do not have to pay any money to apply.
If SASSA does not approve your application, you must be informed in wirting why your application was unsuccessful. If you are not satisfied with the explanation, you do have the right to request SASSA to reconsider its decision. If the reconsidered decision is still unacceptable, you have the right to appeal to the Minister of Social Development.
The request to reconsider the decision must be made within 90 days of you being informed of the outcome of your application.
For more information call the SASSA Hotline: 0800 601 011

Ndyebo Kopo

Photo caption: The Department of Social Development encourages young people to start incoming-generating projects such as the Masiphumelele Youth Brick-making Cooperative, by providing start-up capital and business management training.

Young people and the community at large must stop complaining and expecting to receive things on a silver platter, says Nosisi Dayimani, a member of the Masiphumelele Youth Brick-making Cooperative in Center- ton, Hankey. “They must stand up and make things happen for themselves; be their own employers.”
The brick-making cooperative was started by 15 young people in 2005 after an information session facilitated by the Department of Social Development to encourage young people to start income-generating projects.

Funding
The project now has five members and five casual employees, who make the bricks and deliver them to customers.
The project, totalling R500 000 was funded by the Department of Social Development. The cooperative received three instalments starting with R250 000 in 2005 as start-up capital, R125 000 in 2007 and the remaining amount in 2011.
“The funding assisted us a great deal and as a result we were able to buy machinery, uniforms, office equipment and raw materials to sustain the project”, said Nombulelo Katoo a member of the cooperative.
Before receiving funding, the group underwent business management training facilitated by the Department of Social Development through Fort Hare University, the Small Enterprise and Development Agency (SEDA) and the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
After receiving the start-up funding SEDA appointed a mentor for the group to assist with the management of the business.
When asked how the project has changed their lives, the group explained that they had no source of income before they started the co-op, but now they are able to support their families. Dayimani is now the breadwinner and supporting her family of eight.

Job opportunities
The project has grown and provided opportunities for others by employing five casual workers and recruiting learners during the school holidays. Learners are trained in brick-making skills and earn some money.
The group also started an agricultural project as a social responsibility outreach for the community. They supply vegetables to orphans, the poor and to people living with HIV and AIDS in their community.
Urging other young people to follow their example, Dayimani said, “It makes us proud to be able to give back, and it is so nice to see many of the RDP houses in this area being built from our building blocks.”
For more information, call the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism: 043 605 7000 or visit their website: www.dedea.gov.za
 

Photo caption: Lieutenant Governor Brian K Krolicki from Reno, Nevada (third from left), hosted a Governor’s Award ceremony for the young entrepreneurs. With him is from left: Abigail Florence, Afsana Khan, Mildred Fortuin, Ditebogo Rametse and Freda Matseke.

A group of young entrepreneurs had a life-changing experience earlier this year when they were exposed to how business is done in the United States. What stood out for them was that the American youth have much more confidence in their own abilities.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) in partnership with Evo Media and IBA-Global sent 14 young South African entrepreneurs to the United States on a six-week business mentorship programme earlier this year. As part of the Young Entrepreneurship Programme (YEP), the aim was to get them on par with their international counterparts.
Through the programme, young entrepreneurs are exposed to mentors who help build their business confidence and enable them to increase the profitability and sustainability of their businesses.
The highlight of the programme was the six-week mentorship in Lake Tahoe Reno, New York and California. The in-classroom training at Sierra Nevada College and Lake Tahoe Reno gave the entrepreneurs the theoretical experience to guide them through their businesses.
An estimated 80 per cent of new jobs globally are created by SMMEs. In a country where 77 per cent of its youth are unemployed, SMMEs serve to alleviate the scourge. The sector employs a projected 1,5 million jobs locally and contributes 40 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product. At the end of their six weeks, the 14 candidates received a 9-credit Entrepreneurship Certificate. During their stay, their US-based mentors visited the candidates, giving them much-needed exposure and helping them to identify business opportunities and best practices overseas.

Building confidence
What stood out most for Freda Matseke from North West was the confidence that youngsters and people from America had. Matseke runs her own consulting company that helps young people with career development.
“What I find is that the youth in South Africa lack confidence in themselves and in their ideas. Yet the Americans have mastered the art and can basically sell you anything because they are confident about their products.”
Matseke says the South African youth should believe in themselves; she now applies what she has learnt in America and is able to help the youth in South Africa be more self-assured, and carry out their plans with confidence.
According to Mildred Fortuin, one of the young entrepreneurs  from  the  Northern Cape, attending the YEP programme has been a life changing experience. Fortuin, who owns an events company and a small fashion boutique says she is now able to take her businesses to the next level, something she would have never been able to do had she not been exposed to the way businesses develop in the Unites States.

Great partnerships
“Being exposed to the various industries of business overseas, I am now able to compare the growth of businesses to South Africa. I am now able to see the vision of my brand and my goal is to become the first fashion brand owned by a person and not by a huge retail company.”
“I saw places I had never seen and experienced the tourism industry like I have never before. In the States there are great partnerships, people work together and from a university level they are taught to start up a business and become entrepreneurs.
“If we had this idea implemented at our universities we could tackle the high rate of unemployment in this country. Where students are taught at university level the skills to start and manage their own business so they in turn can create job opportunities for themselves and for others.”

For more information, call the NYDA Call Centre: 08600 96884, or send a fax to: 086 606 6563

Ministers

Photo caption: Sibusiso Ndebele, Correctional Services

Photo caption: Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Defence

Photo caption: Lindiwe Sisulu, Public Service and Administration

Photo caption: Ben Martins, Transport

Deputy Ministers

Photo caption: Hlengiwe Mkhize, Economic Development

Photo caption: Jeremy Cronin, Public Works

Photo caption: Gratitude Magwanishe, Public Enterprises

Photo caption: Sindisiwe Chikunga, Transport

Photo caption: Mduduzi Manana, Higher Education and Training

National Police Commissioner

Photo caption: Mangwashi Phiyega

President Jacob Zuma’s reorganising of Cabinet as announced on 12 June, comes in the wake of three vacancies in the National Executive. These resulted from the death of Minister of Public Service and Administration Roy Padayachie, the resignation of Economic Development Deputy Minister Enoch Godongwana and the shifting of former Deputy Minister of Public Works Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu to Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities.
President Zuma announced that Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu would take over the portfolio of Public Service and Administration, while Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will move over to Defence.
Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele has been moved to the Correctional Services portfolio, while Ben Martins will take over from Ndebele. Jeremy Cronin has been moved from the Department of Transport to Public Works – as a Deputy Minister.
Other deputy minister appointments include that of Sindisiwe Chikunga to the Transport portfolio, Gratitude Magwanishe to  Public  Enterprises,  Hlengiwe  Mkhize to Economic Development and Mduduzi Manana to Higher Education and Training. Zuma also announced that Mangwashi Victoria Phiyega had been appointed the new National Police Commissioner.
The President welcomed the new members and wished them well in their new positions.

BuaNews

Photo caption: Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi, right,  and his Cuban  counterpart Roberto Orales Ojeda exchange documents after signing the  agreement of cooperation.

South Africa’s healthcare system will receive a major boost in human re- sources following the recent signing of an agreement of cooperation with the Cuban Ministry of Health.
Signing the agreement in Pretoria with Cuban counterpart Roberto Morales Ojeda, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi noted that it marked a major milestone in the 16-year partnership between the two countries’ ministries of health.
He said the agreement would strengthen South Africa’s healthcare system in the following areas:
-    implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI)
-    overhauling the healthcare system by refocusing on primary healthcare and improving the functionality and management
-    improving human resources, planning, development and management
-    strengthening research and development with a focus in biotechnology exchange and innovation.

Rural communities
Minister Motsoaledi noted that the two countries first entered into agreements in 1995 with the aim of strengthening South Africa’s human resources in healthcare, especially in rural communities, through the recruitment of Cuban doctors.
This was followed by initiatives which al- lowed South African medical students to be trained in Cuba.
“To date, 304 medical doctors have been produced out of 808 recruited in the programme, with 406 currently undergoing medical training in Cuba; 98 are doing final clinical training in local medical schools and 34 medical students are graduating this year,” the Minister added. He noted that Cuba had the capacity to train as many as 1 000 South African students a year. South Africa is expected to send 500 students in September, but that number could still increase.

Medical soldiers
South Africa and Cuba have agreed to resume the recruitment of Cuban doctors for South African hospitals after this initiative was put on hold a few years ago.
“The South African counterpart has identified close to 208 posts in different speciality areas where these doctors will be posted. A team of experts will soon visit Cuba to work with Cuban experts to identify suitable professionals,” Motsoaledi said.
“We are sending an army of white-coated soldiers who are taking health to the most remote corners of the world. This is our contribution to the building of a better world,” Ojeda added.
 

Samona  Murugan

Photo caption: Communications Minister Dina Pule officially opens the ICT Indaba 2012.

Photo caption: New set top box.
High definition, digital television broadcasting is no longer only the privilege of those who are wealthy. Government has started to guide all South Africans on the journey to a new era of digital broadcasting that will see us receive television of exceptional picture and sound clarity.

In 2005, the International Telecommunications Union announced that countries in Africa and other regions must move their television broadcasting to a digital platform. Since then, the Department of Communications has been working hard to ensure that all the necessary work is done to enable a smooth transformation of our broadcasting.
The project called Go Digital South Africa is taking South Africans to an era of digital television that also brings a wider choice of television channels to ordinary people who view free-to-air television. This includes SABC 1, 2 and 3 and e-TV.
These services, including regional television, which are currently broadcast in an analogue format, will now be moved from analogue to digital broadcasting.

What is the difference between analogue and digital TV?
Television uses a network of transmission towers to relay signals. Each transmission tower has a specific area of coverage, and it is the network of coverage that provides television signals across the country.
The broadcast signal is sent to the various towers and if you are within the area covered by a tower, you will be able to receive the broadcast services via a TV aerial – which is usually placed on your roof or on your television set.
In analogue, the signal is transmitted in the form of electromagnetic waves. This is not the most efficient way of transmitting TV signals. In digital, the signal is encoded and can be compressed – this will therefore allow for more channels to be broadcast.

Why are we moving from analogue to digital?
The main reason for the world to change to digital broadcasting is to release valuable spectrum which can be used for other services. Spectrum is scarce and is necessary if more telecommunications and broadcasting services are to be made available. South Africa also coordinates its frequency plans with other countries to ensure that there is no interference between various countries’ broadcasting signals. Currently, analogue broadcasting is protected from interference, but this protection will stop by 2015. It is therefore necessary to complete the change from analogue to digital by 2015.

Will I need any equipment to receive digital television?
You will need to have a digital decoder to receive the new digital signal called a set-top box (STB) decoder, which was recently lauanched by the Department of Communications and the South African Bureau of Standards for free-to- air digital terrestrial television.
The STB decoder operates in conjunction with an analogue television receiver minimising additional expense for the public while providing good quality video and sound.
The standard ensures that the final STB decoder is low maintenance and includes an access control mechanism to prevent decoders from being used outside South Africa.
South Africa will now comply with the 2006 resolution of the Regional Radio Communication Conference.
This decoder is not the same as the Multichoice satellite box or the current MNet decoder. The digital decoder is a receiver that will decode the digital signal to enable the channels to be displayed on your analogue television set. The digital decoder will plug directly into your TV set, just like your dvd player. It is estimated that the retail cost of the free-to-air digital decoder will be about R700; a once-off cost when you buy the decoder. Digital decoders are not yet available for sale to the public, but will most likely be available soon.

Will I need to buy a new TV set to receive digital TV?
No, you do not need to buy a new TV. All current analogue television sets will be able to receive digital TV. You also do not need a high definition (HD) TV, LCD TV or Plasma TV to receive digital TV.
NO television sets that are currently for sale will be able to receive the digital TV channels without the digital decoder. A TV that is ‘digital ready’ or ‘HD ready’ does not mean that it can receive the digital TV broadcasting without a digital decoder. However, you should be cautious of buying old analogue technology products just because it is cheap. Analogue technology is being phased out around the world.

What can I do if I cannot afford the digital decoder?
Government has plans to assist needy house- holds with subsidies to enable them to buy digital decoders.
Details of the subsidy will be made public once government is ready and it will be announced in the media.

Mthunzi Mhaga

Judging from recent incidents, sexual violence by young people in South Africa is rising. This is viewed as a serious judgement against our society. Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mthunzi Mhaga provides insight into the NPA’s stance on sexual violence by minors.
The rising rate of sexual violence by mainly young people, especially under-age boys, is an indication that we are living in a sick society where people have total disregard for women and children. This is therefore a serious indictment to society to rally behind the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) tireless efforts to aggressively deal with this sickening scourge.
We recently learned of the alleged gruesome gang rape of a 17 year-old mentally unstable girl; it induced a sense of shock and outrage even around the world.
Approximately two months before that, five school boys from Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal bunked school, consumed alcohol and allegedly took turns to rape an equally intoxicated young girl, who was their classmate. To rub salt into her wounds they recorded the act on video, which they circulated among their peers and some of the residents of Port Shepstone.

Prosecution
In 2011, 27 girls from a high school in Giyani fell pregnant, seven of whom were below the age of 16 years. This led to the Department of Basic Education’s intervention which was met with resistance when officials visited the school and the area.
In 2010, National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Menzi Simelane authorised the prosecution of three pupils from Jules High School in Johannesburg for engaging in sexual intercourse while under the age of 16 years. This decision was criticized by many, especially legal experts and NGOs, who regarded it as too harsh and aggressive when dealing with children.
It should be noted that the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Act had been passed five years ago in 2007 and I need to reaffirm the well-known fact that the duty of the NPA and the courts is to interpret and implement the law, which is made by the legislature. It is on that premise that I maintain the criticism levelled at the NPA was and is unfair.

Judgment
A process is currently underway before the North Gauteng High Court where the constitutionality of this Act is the subject of legal determination which is opposed by the NPA. The recent judgment by the Western Cape High Court declaring as unlawful some sections in the Act has led to many panicking in view of the far-reaching implications of that judgment.
The judgment is only applicable to the Western Cape because judges in other provincial divisions are not bound by it. The NPA is in the process of filing an application to have the judgment overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal.
In the meantime, Parliament has amended the Act by providing for penal jurisdiction (the authority to administer justice and to apply laws to impose punishment for illegal acts) to all presiding officers where a penal provision is stipulated, but it will be presented to the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
When the NPA decided to prosecute these learners, it was noted with concern that this problem seemed to be continuing unabated as the NPA continued to receive similar cases. It was found that the common denominator in all the cases was alcohol and unprotected sex. Advocate Simelane made a call to all members of the community, including parents and teachers to monitor the trends in the behaviour of learners and children in general, as the NPA could not deal with this serious challenge alone.

Huge responsibility
Are we therefore still expected to fold our arms and treat the perpetrators with care when they show clear signs of disregard to our diligent efforts to address their behavioural problems?
Parents and guardians have a huge responsibility to monitor the content of their children’s cellular phones and computers, as children nowadays have easy access to the Internet and can easily download sexually explicit material. This is circulated among them, which could tempt them to experiment with adults and their peers.
This is not a breach of your children’s rights. Parents might be under the impression that children are asleep at night, while they are in fact in touch with the outside world through social networks.
I impress on parents to apply stricter rules, including confiscating the cellular phones at night and handing them back to their children in the morning. That way one would be able to ensure that one’s children do not have ties with such illicit material within one’s premises.

Outreach programme
It should be noted that there is a section in the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Act, which compels every adult person, who becomes aware of a child or children engaging in sexual intercourse under the age of 16 years, to report it to the police. Failing this would make that person guilty of an offence.
This therefore empowers us to prosecute any adult person, including parents, guardians and educators, who fail to report these incidents to the police. We must not sit back and watch the decay of society while we have the legislative framework to address this problem.
The NPA has launched a “Schools’ Outreach Programme” in order to educate pupils about the implications of engaging in underage sex and the growing tendencies of possessing, cre- ating and circulating pornographic material. These actions will surely not only cause them having criminal records, but will also disrupt their lives and have a negative impact on their future.
For more information, call the NPA: 012-845-6000, or send an e-mail: communication@npa.gov.za

BuaNews
Taxi drivers will soon have the fi aid skills to save lives and attend to accident victims. This is thanks to a joint initiative by the Department of Transport, Netcare 911 and the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) to train taxi drivers in first aid skills so that they can give first-line care to injured people.
SANTACO and the Department of Trans- port have already nominated the first group of drivers for training in Johannesburg, but plans in place to implement the project nationally.

Saving lives
Speaking at the launch of the initiative in Midrand, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said that the death of about 40 people on the country’s roads every day and more than 14 000 a year, was a cause for great concern He noted that taxis transport more than 65 per cent of public road users and therefore needed to be fully equipped with tools to save lives during crashes.
“Taxi drivers are key members of the com- munity who spend a considerable amount of time on South Africa’s roads. They are therefore often the fi t on the scene of an emergency. By providing our taxi drivers with sound knowledge of first aid, they will be in a better position to assist injured and sick people, thereby saving lives,” the minister added.
Netcare 911 will train the drivers. Managing Director of Netcare 911, Tumi Nkosi, said the course covered a range of subjects from ad- ministering CPR to splintering a broken arm. The course was a proactive attempt to reduce fatalities on South Africa’s roads, Nkosi explained. First aid knowledge would empower taxi drivers to act positively in an emergency situation and equip them to be society’s first line of defence in an emergency, he added.
SANTACO President Mlayedwa Msiza said that it was through practical partnerships such as the one between itself, the Department of Transport and Netcare 911 that SANTACO would be able to realise its ambition to delivering a better and more caring taxi service to South Africans.
Contact
 

BuaNews
On an official visit to Japan, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies promoted trade and investment ties between the two countries.  Davies met his Japanese counterpart, Yukio Edano, to discuss strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries. Davies also met various industry stake- holders including Nissan, Isuzu, Toyota, and the Japanese Business Federation, Keidanren.  He delivered a keynote address at the SADC/Mainichi Forum - aimed at promoting opportunities in the region.

Major investor
Davies said bilateral trade between the two countries had increased slightly be- tween 2007 and 2011, growing from R87 billion to R90 billion respectively.
Japan has been a major investor in South Africa for more than a decade. “To date, the number of Japanese companies that have invested in South Africa have increased to approximately 108 in 2012. In 2011, South Africa managed to attract investments worth $312 million from Toyota and Kansai Paint,” said Davies.
Trade on the rise
A recent Japanese investment was made by the Hong Kong based Asian Mineral Ltd, which owns 49 per cent of the Kudumane manganese mine in the Northern Cape. The mine is expected to employ approximately 300 people. Trade between the two countries is on the rise, with South Africa enjoying a surplus for the past five years.
“Total trade once reached a high of R106 billion in 2008 prior the global crisis of 2009, but subsequently declined by 43 per cent to R60 billion,” said Davies.
“Between 2010 and 2011, South Africa’s exports experienced an average increase of 16 per cent as compared to imports, which saw an average increase of 10 per cent during the same period.”
 

Preparations are progressing steadily for the Annual National Assessment (ANA) tests) which are scheduled to be written from 18 – 21 September 2012 by more than 7 million learners in schools throughout  South Africa.
The ANA tests are standardised national assessments for language and mathematics. Last year, they were written in languages in the intermediate phase, from Grades 4 to 6 and in literacy and numeracy for the foundation phase, Grades 1 to 3.
However, this year, due to the success and need for the tests, they have been extended to Grades 1 to 6 and Grade 9 in all public schools and Grades 3 to 6 in all independent primary schools that are eligible for government subsidy.
The question papers and marking memoranda (exemplars) are supplied by the national Department of Basic Education to all schools. Each school then manages the taking and marking of the tests.
This year’s tests results will be used for planning purposes in 2013 to help teachers plan their lessons and to give them a clear picture of where each individual child needs more attention, helping to build a more solid foundation for future learning. The results will also be used by school management teams to develop School Improvement Plans and by district offices for District Improvement Plans.
 
Building confidence
Parents have a vital role to play in ensuring that their children perform to the best of their abilities in the ANA and in their school work in general.
It is important that parents build up their children’s confidence in their own abilities and make sure that their children understand that the ANA tests are not examinations in which they can pass or fail, but are assessments to find out if they have any problems with literacy and numeracy.
If they do have problems, the tests will help their teachers to work out what will be the best methods to help them.
It is the duty of all parents to make every effort to assist their children to strengthen their literacy and numeracy skills and prepare for the ANA.

Getting your child to read
•    Encourage a culture of reading. Read to your child every day; share family stories; talk to your child. Children learn about words by listening to their parents. Teach your child how to read warning labels.
•    Join a library and accompany your child to the library; seeing their parents enjoy reading, children will learn that it is a lifelong, enjoyable activity.
•    Encourage your children to read and write about what they have read. Let them read in any language they prefer. Remove all distractions and set aside quiet time where the whole family reads together.
•    Write with your children and encourage them to draw and write on their own.
•    Sounds are important, so practice the sounds of language and encourage correct pronunciation of words. Read books with rhymes and teach your children rhymes, poems and songs.
•    Play simple word games like finding words that rhyme or have similar meanings.
•    Develop your children’s interests and encourage them to have hobbies. They are more likely to read about what they fi really interesting. If your child en- joys reading a comic book or magazines do not discourage it, but make sure the content is not offensive.
•    Give praise. The best motivation comes from positive feedback.
•    Read the same book together and discuss what you have read.

Helping your child with numbers
•    Use sticks, matches, stones, buttons or other objects to add, subtract and make shapes.
•    Cut your child’s sandwiches into squares and triangles to teach them about shapes.
•    Get  your  child  to  help  in  household chores like sorting washing; putting certain colours or similar items together will help develop their ordering skills.
•    Encourage your child to play games involving counting such as dominoes, snakes and ladders and card games.
•    Use money to help your child get a better understanding of working with numbers in a fun way.
•    Practise adding and subtracting with objects found around the house like spoons, plastic containers or pots and pans. When they’ve become good at these skills, move on to simple multiplication.
•    Talk about time. The concept of time can be hard to grasp. Talk to your children about minutes and hours, then ask them to count days and weeks – for example how many “sleeps” until the weekend or a visit to a friend or relative.
•    Encourage estimation whenever possible, for example the amount of popcorn, a handful of sweets, the number of people in the bus etc. When shopping, ask your child to estimate the number of items in the trolley or the total cost and see how close you get to the actual cost.
For more information, call the Department of Basic Education: 012 357 3000
 

Cobus Coetzee - Mpumalanga Provincial Government

Photo caption: Parents and community members work together to improve the Mbulawa Senior Secondary School in Mpumalanga.

Mpumalanga’s Education Department plans to “mend its ailing schools” by spending R692 million on 178 projects this year, including building, upgrading and maintenance.
“We are willing to ensure all our schools are in a good state for the enhancement of teaching and learning,” said MEC of Education Reginah Mhaule.

Budget
The province will do the work with money available from this year’s budget, but billions are still needed to eradicate the full backlog in infrastructure to ensure all 1 868 schools in the province were up to standard, the MEC said.
Based on an audit of school infrastructure in Mpumalanga, the department will review the needs and costs and draw up a plan to upgrade schools in the next five years.

Madiba’s  birthday
Mhaule said the province was committed to completing the refurbishment of 10 of the province’s most run-down schools – one in the Gert Sibande region and nine in the Bohlabela, Ehlanzeni and Nkangala regions – before former President Nelson Mandela’s birthday this month.
The project includes new classrooms, nutrition blocks, admin blocks, new fences and more than 200 new toilets to replace the current pit toilets.
Last year, the province built eight new schools and in 2010, it started rebuilding or improving 254 mud and unsafe schools. The project is nearing completion with only 20 schools that are still in progress.

For more information, call the Mpumalanga Department of Education: 0800 203 116

World Environment Day is celebrated worldwide on 5 June each year. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, it aims to educate people and raise awareness of environmental issues. In South Africa, June is celebrated as national Environment Month. This year’s celebrations were held under the international theme: “Green Economy: Does It Include You?”
Young people should be actively involved in the preservation of the environment said Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa.
Speaking in Mangaung recently to celebrate World Environment Day, the Minister said by restoring and preserving natural ecosystems, rural economies could be stimulated and rural and urban jobs created. This in turn, will help maintain critical ecosystem services that are vital to the economy such as energy and water supply.

Green economy
Molewa said the environment could be used to fight poverty and unemployment, especially among young people. “We must ensure that our efforts aimed at creating job opportunities as we transition towards a Green Economy include young people.”
According to Molewa, her department plans to create about 62 860 job opportunities within the department’s Environmental Programmes. She said 55 per cent of beneficiaries would be women, 40 per cent would be youth and 2 per cent would be people with disabilities.

Green fund
This year’s celebrations come after the National Treasury allocated R800 million for the Green Fund over the next two financial years.
Molewa explained that the funding would be used to attract new and additional investment, stimulate job creation and lay the foundations for South Africa’s move to a low carbon job-creation and resource efficient growth path. School children from the surrounding areas came in large numbers to participate in the Environment Day celebrations. Among them was Mpho Ramano, a Grade 4 learner from a local school. Inspired to do her bit for the environment, she said she was going to plant trees at home and that she would no longer burn grass as this affected the environment.
“I will also tell my friends to care for the environment by not burning grass and by planting trees at their homes,” she said.
For more information, call the Department of Environmental Affairs: 086 111 2468

Photo caption: To celebrate Mandela’s legacy, the infrastructure in at least 94 schools throughout South Africa will be improved.
In anticipation of former President Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday on 18 July, the Department of Basic Education has joined forces with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to honour Madiba’s dedication to education with the “94+ Projects for Madiba” campaign

Former President Nelson Mandela is famously passionate about his commitment to quality education for all children in South Africa as part of a better life for all.
The main aim of the 94+ Projects for Madiba campaign is to celebrate Mandela’s legacy by improving infrastructure in at least 94 schools throughout South Africa and give hope and dignity to those attending these schools.

Urgent attention
Since 2000, government has considerably improved school infrastructure, but there are still many schools that require urgent attention. Just over a quarter of public schools are in a very poor condition; physical infrastructure and other facilities have not kept up with the requirements of recent curricula reforms.
The 94+ Project aims to mobilise learners, teachers, parents and members of the broader community to support education by getting them to volunteer and show responsibility to provide quality education for all.
The Department of Basic Education has identified at least 94 schools, spread across all nine provinces, which are in dire need of an upgrade.

Labs and libraries
The project will include the renovation of school buildings, installation of water and sanitation facilities, construction of admin blocks, fencing of schools, provision of desks as priorities for all the 94 identified schools.
Where possible, libraries and laboratories will also be built and grounds will be improved through landscaping and gardening to create an environment where teachers and learners can enjoy spending time.
Sponsors from the business sector, in collaboration with government departments, have identified specific schools to assist.
The call goes out to all South Africans to play their part in making this campaign a success. So, let us ensure that all of us take action; inspire change; make every day a Mandela Day by doing something in our communities, especially at schools to ensure that Madiba’s dream becomes a reality.

For more information, call the Department of Basic Education on 012 357 3000 or call their toll-free hotline: 0800 202 933
 

Premier’s line not only a complaint line
Lerato Mailoane

Photo caption: Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane visited the Gauteng Call Centre where she spent a morning as a call centre agent. She answered calls from the public and interacted with agents on their views and experiences.

While fielding calls at the provincial hotline, Premier Nomvula Mokonyane urged Gauteng residents to use the hotline for any other government-related queries. Mokonyane said there was generally a perception that calls received at the call centre were negative, but after her visit to the call centre in May, she said it was encouraging that Gauteng residents called with general issues.

An informed team
The issues she received while fielding calls ranged from Gauteng Online assistance, a po- lice query and a matric booking cancellation. Mokonyane said the hotline also dealt with service delivery issues ranging from housing, electricity cut-off and installation, the billing system across municipalities, fraud and corruption, among others.
“What is good just from my experience today is that no caller got dismissed. Even if a query is not within the competency of the call centre you still get assisted,” she said.
“This is an informed team. The call centre agents are not just conveyer belts,” she added. Mokonyane said the hotline which was launched in February had to date handled 22 840 cases - of which 1 286 was written correspondence.

Efficient response
Of all calls logged, 65,56 per cent are resolved at the call centre, while 16,29 per cent had to be escalated to provincial departments and municipalities or agencies for resolutions. About 17 per cent are still not resolved.
The 70 trained agents, whom Mokonyane described as all-rounders, ensure that residents are able to get an efficient response at least within 72 hours from the various departments and municipalities.
Mokonyane said they were engaging the affected municipalities, departments, agencies to fi resolution for the 17 per cent of the unresolved cases.

Opinions and recommendations
“If queries are not resolved timeously a report is sent to my office and I take up the queries with the relevant departments and municipalities,” Premier Mokonyane said. She also encouraged residents to send opinions and recommendations, which would be used to improve service delivery.
“I am excited by the feedback I received since the launch. It indicates a reasonable level of satisfaction amongst the callers and enthusiasm as a result of the professionalism demonstrated by our call centre agents when handling their concerns.”

For more information, contact the Gauteng Premier’s Hotline on: Tel: 0860 42 88 364; fax: 011 429 3222 E-mail: hotline@gauteng.gov.za Postal address : Gauteng Premier’s Hotline, Private Bag x115, Marshalltown, 2107. Operating hours: 7:00 to 18:00 weekdays
 

BuaNews
A hotline set up by government to fast-track payment to small businesses has answered more than 25 000 calls and facilitated payments in excess of R280 million by February this year.
The Public Sector SMME Payment Assistance Hotline was established by Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies in September 2009 to ensure that late payments to small businesses were kept to a minimum and that SMME’s cash-flow woud not be affected negatively.
Davies told Parliament recently that National Treasury had issued practice notes to all national and provincial departments, including state-owned enterprises on the requirement of 30 days payment to small enterprises. This is in accordance with Treasury regulations with a view to address cash-flow challenges faced by small enterprises.
Since its formation, the Hotline has taken up 7 109 late payment queries with public sector institutions on behalf of small businesses and, of these, 5 155 have been successfully resolved.
In the two-and-a-half years the Hotline had been operational it had identified common challenges, faced by both SMMEs and public sector institutions, which lead to late payments.

You can contact the Public Sector SMME Payment Assistance Hotline on 0860 7663 729 (0860 SMME PAY ) or through its website at www.acall.co.za

Key projects to drive development

Following Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan’s presentation of the annual national Budget to Parliament in March, the parliamentary committees had hearings recently on the budget votes for their respective government departments.

Budget Votes are different parts of the national Budget relating to specific government departments. During the budget vote hearings, departments have to explain their budgets to the parliamentary committees and what they plan to achieve during the financial year. Committees can also check whether the departments kept the promises they made in the previous year and whether they spent the taxpayers’ money appropriately.
After all the Budget Votes had been debated, each House must vote on the whole Budget. If the Budget is approved, the ministers can go ahead and spend the money as budgeted.
Some highlights from the Budget Votes are discussed below.

Key infrastructure projects
While ministers outlined key infrastructure projects that their respective departments would undertake this year, President Jacob Zuma revealed in Parliament that government launched four key infrastructure projects since February this year.
For this financial year, Parliament has approved the building of new schools, roads, ports, power stations, dams, museums and social grant offices as part of a massive drive to create jobs and boost economic development.
The four key projects form part of a number of infrastructure projects which the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission (PICC) has in the pipeline.
They are:
■    The Integrated Municipal Infrastructure Projects, which aims to provide basic services to the country’s poorest 23 municipalities
■    The Northern Mineral Belt
■    The Saldanha-Northern Cape Development Corridor
■    The Integrated Urban Space and Public Transport Programme, which is directed at the major cities and which has so far been rolled out in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.
President Zuma also revealed that a presidential infrastructure investor conference would be held before the end of the year.

Broadening internet
The other key projects revealed by ministers in their respective budget votes, include Transnet’s R300 billion investment over seven years, in new ports and railway lines mainly aimed at increasing freight capacity and creating jobs.
The West Africa Cable System (Wacs) was launched last month and will, together with the refurbishment and addition of 13 125 kilometres of fibre-optic cable by 2020, boost the country’s broadband Internet capacity.
Eskom will also start building a 100-mega- watt wind farm at Sere, while a further 894 megawatt will be added next year when the first unit of Medupi comes on line.

Transport

Five key transport projects will also be un- dertaken in the next five years in the Durban- Johannesburg corridor.
These include the development of Cato Ridge as a dry port, the sale of the Durban International Airport to Transnet for setting up the city’s dug-out port, the extension of commuter rail to reach Pietermaritzburg, the development of Harrismith as a logistics hub and the setting up of several logistics hubs in Gauteng.
Major roads projects are also being undertaken by the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), while the department’s S’hambe Sonke Road maintenance project will invest R6,3 billion in the overhauling of roads throughout South Africa.
New passenger coaches will also be built, with the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) having been allocated R5 billion for the acquisition of new rolling stock.

Economic zones

To boost support to the manufacturing sector the Department of Trade and Industry is looking to finalise legislation this year to help roll out special economic zones. This will enable government to effectively regulate all special economic zones, including the industrial development zones.
South Africa won the right to host more than two thirds of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project following the announcement of the bid in May. This will see new roads, buildings and power installed in the Northern Cape.

New dams
Government is also adding new dams and pipelines to bring more fresh water to communities.
The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa announced in her budget vote that about 550 000 people can expect to benefit from access to water, with the new projects.
In the last fi    year, 173 625 people benefited from completed projects.
The new dams and water projects include the construction of the R2,1 billion Mokolo and Crocodile River (West) Water Augmentation in the Lephalale region, the Mooi-Mgeni Transfer Scheme to be completed by April next year and the De Hoop Dam in the Waterberg region expected to be completed in 2014.
The Nooitgedagt Scheme which will provide water from the Gariep Dam through the Orange-Fish-Sundays transfer scheme, is scheduled for completion by September.
In addition, the walls of the Hazelmere Dam, Clanwilliam Dam and Tzaneen Dam will be raised.
Molewa said one of the highlights for this financial year would be the completion of the Dwarsloop-Acornhoek pipeline for the provision of water to 265 000 people in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality by December.
The department is also looking at rolling out hydro-electrical power projects in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The projects are a PICC initiative.

Improving schools
The Department of Basic Education is under- taking another PICC initiative – the building of new schools through its Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative.
The department is also seeking to provide basic water to 1 257 schools, basic sanitation to 868 schools and electrification of 878 schools and to do away with 496 inappropriate structures.
The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said 50 struggling schools were being revamped with construction due to be completed by the end of this year.
Motshekga said in her budget vote speech that capacity challenges among the department’s implementing agents and contractors had resulted in delays, but that the department was tackling these.
She said the department would also provide Internet connectivity to 1 650 schools. In 2011, 2 334 schools were connected to the Internet for the purpose of teaching and learning, while 7 008 schools were using the Internet for administration purposes.

Rural police stations

Over the next three years, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development will spend R3,2 billion on the construction of courts and other infrastructure projects to enhance access to justice.
Added to this, the police will accelerate the building of new police stations around rural areas and townships, while the Department of Correctional Services will this year start building six new prisons. A further 12 prisons are also in the pipeline.
The new prisons will help to provide for the extra bed space needed after the department last year cancelled two public-private partnerships to build prison facilities.
The six are two new facilities each in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape and one each in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
The Minister of Correctional Services Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula who has since been appointed as Minister of Defence, stressed that the private sector is still welcome to build prisons, but that the state would retain custodial services.
In the course of this financial year the Department of Public Works will complete about 250 projects, to add to the completion recently of several large capital projects – including renovations to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, the Kimberly Correctional Centre, and the SA Police Forensic Laboratory in Parow, Cape Town.
The Department of Social Development will also revamp 400 pay points and 300 social grant offices over the next three years.

Arts and culture

Government will also roll out 28 heritage projects which will help spur local economic development, create jobs and contribute to nation building.
The projects include the refurbishment of homes and graves of struggle heroes as well as construction and expansion of museums to commemorate historic sites and events.
 

Mzimasi  Dyomfana - Buffalo City Metro

Photo caption: Nathi Gqotsho believes in making things happen.

Photo caption: Product offerings from Mamande Chemicals.

First para
Nathi Gqotsho is not someone who sits back and waits for things to happen. She believes that if we want things to happen, we must take hands and make them happen.
This echoes President Jacob Zuma’s appeal earlier this year that we must deal decisively with the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality, because “nobody will do it for us. It is in our hands. And we are equal to the task.”
Gqotsho has stood up and rallied the youth in her com- munity to seize economic opportunities provided by government. Through the local Mdantsane community radio, Gqotsho encouraged the public to visit their offices to access their products and services that come at affordable rates. As a result of Gqotsho’s efforts, five community members, with virtually no background on manufacturing, are now proud owners of a fast-growing cooperative named Mamande Chemicals, a manufacturer and laundry services cooperative.

Appliances
Located in Fort Jackson in East London, the initiative started in 2000 as a close cooperation and in 2006 a co-operative was formed. As they ventured onto this new path, they received assistance from various government departments and agencies.
In 2008, the Buffalo City Metro Municipality provided the cooperative with washing machines, tumble dryers and other material for laundry services. Through the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), the Department of Trade and Industry provided two 40-kilogram washers and one 40-kilogram dryer valued at R300 000.

Training
Chemin, a chemical incubator based in East Lon- don provided training in the manufacturing of chemicals, as well as in bookkeeping and office administration.
Today, this business venture has secured a laundry services contract with the Hemingways Hotel in East London and a contract to supply laundry services to hospitals, including Frere and Fort Grey.
The cooperative now employs 10 permanent staff members and is offering employment opportunities to more than 100 people on a contract basis.
 

Meet Minister Fikile Mbalula

Fikile Mbalula has been Minister of Sports and Recreation since November 2010, Member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC since 2009 and Member of Parliament since May 2009. He has previously served as the Deputy Minister of the South African Police and was once the Leader and Secretary General of the ANC Youth League.
During the late 1980s, Fikile was active in the Congress of South African Students and the South African Youth Congress. In 1990, he became the Secretary of the ANC Provisional Youth Committee and from 1991 to 1994, he served as Regional Secretary of the ANC Youth League (AN- CYL). From 1998 to 2004, Mbalula served as Secretary-General of the ANCYL and in 2004, he was appointed President of the ANCYL; a position he held until 2008.
Minister Mbalula has also been a member of the Local Branch Executive Committee of South African Youth Congress (Sayco) and co-ordinating member of the National Medical and Dental Association.
He was trained in Leadership Skills by the Careers Research and Information Centre and also received training from the Organisation for Appropriate Social Services in South Africa in psychotherapy as a counselor.
Mbalula urges local govt sport planning

Photo caption: Minister Mbalula and Councillor Flora Maboa-Boltman of SALGA addressing a media conference during the Municipal Sport and Recreation Conference

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula says the National Sport and Recreation proved by Cabinet, must be aligned to all government planning processes to make it more effective.
The NSRP gives practical guidelines about the nature of sport implementation that will ensure that all South Africans are able to participate in sport an enable the country to become a sport powerhouse worldwide, the Minister said.
“We must all strive to use the sport plan to increase social cohesion and provide much needed opportunities for engagement in com- munity life, foster healthy lifestyles as well as reducing conflict and criminal behavior through education and sport.”

Monitoring and evaluation
Speaking at the opening of the two-day Municipal Conference on Sport and Recreation, the Minister said he would meet with the Minister in the Presidency responsible for planning, Trevor Manuel, to concretise the process of aligning the NSRP to all government processes, including at local government level.

He said after meeting Minister Manuel, they would meet with Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Collins Chabane to discuss an overall monitoring and evaluation plan for the country, local government included.

Accessible to all
Minister Mbalula also encouraged all the country’s municipalities to take into account the NSRP when mapping their future plans and implement sport and recreation programmes in a way that would help the Sports Department to meet its objectives.
He said sometimes some municipalities’ plans were not aligned to their respective provincial plans, adding that this should be fixed as a matter of urgency if we had to meet the objectives of the NSRP.
Mbalula said the conference had to find a workable programme of action for all the municipalities to contribute constructively and meaningfully towards the development of sport and recreation activities for communities throughout South Africa.
He challenged delegates to find ways of implementing sport and recreation programmes and to ensure that facilities are accessible by all communities irrespective of economic status, ability, age and gender.

Identifying talent
Minister Mbalula encouraged local municipalities to play a more active role in the process of identifying talent, and to devise innovative ways of working closely with local sport.
The NSRP sets out to unify the various sport sectors in the country with key role players to help them work towards the same objectives. It also talks to matters concerning sports transformation and how to approach it holistically.
The plan is a major milestone for the country, as it paves the way for South Africa to have - for the first time - a unified sports sector.
For more information call Sport and Recreation South Africa : 012 304 5000
Basketball Without Borders comes to SA
BuaNews

Photo caption: Basketball in South Africa will receive a boost when the Basketball Without Borders tournament is hosted in Johannesburg in August.

South Africa will become the first African country to host the coveted Basketball Without Borders NPA programme. The announcement was made by Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula during his Budget Vote in Parliament recently.

Sport and Recreation South Africa will be hosting the 10th Anniversary of the Basketball Without Borders programme in Johannesburg from 30
August to 2 September. This will be the first Basket Ball without Borders NBA tournament to be held on African soil.
Minister Mbalula said the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) had agreed on the development and promotion of basketball in South Africa.

All-round strategy
The SABC has committed itself to broadcast all the major games of the NBA during the course of 2012/13 to promote the sport and its development at grassroots level.
“We are delighted that as a result of our engagement, we are now able to view basketball matches on Sunday evenings. We are in partnership with Basketball South Africa and University Sport in South Africa to develop an all-round strategy for the promotion and sustenance of basketball in schools and universities.

Women in sport
Minister Mbalula’s Budget Vote also signalled good news for women in sport as he announced that his department would be hosting a National Women and Sport Indaba later this year.
The Indaba will include, but will not be limited to, women athletes, players, administrators, coaches, technical officials and fans, as well as sportswomen in business, sportswomen legends and veterans, sport academia, sports women journalists, and women’s organisations, the Minister said.
“I therefore call on the private sector to grab this opportunity to get involved and make a real difference in our society.”

Boxing and recreation
Turning to boxing, Minister Mbalula said the turnaround strategy for Boxing South Africa (BSA) was yielding good results.
He singled out the promising sound fi positioning of BSA and the progress made to- wards a structured support in the implementation of the strategy to strengthen South African National Amateur Boxing Organisation.
The Minister also announced the appointment of his Ministerial Advisory Committee on Recreation, which includes well-known sport presenter Robert Marawa.
The role of the committee will be to research the best practice in recreation delivery, norms and standards on the delivery and maintenance of recreational facilities, as well as advising the ministry on the best ways to manage both sport and recreation.

Contact

 

Khoboso Lebenya - Eastern Cape Provincial Government

Photo caption: Matatiele residents who have signed up for the EPWP Clean-up Campaign and the Waste Collection Management Programme.
Unemployed residents of Matatiele may soon say goodbye to poverty, as their community is the latest beneficiary of the Expanded Public Works Pro- gramme (EPWP).
The programme was launched in the Matatiele local municipality in the Eastern Cape recently by Public Works Minister Thembelani Thulas Nxesi and Public Works, Roads and Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu.
The main aim of the EPWP is to provide jobs to unemployed people while they also gain skills thus increasing their chances to earn an income after their contracts had expired. About 182 people in the community have signed employment contracts for the next 12 months.

Waste management
EPWP projects in Matatiele such as the Clean-up Campaign and the Waste Collection Management Programme, not only focus on improving and strengthening the local municipality’s commitment to cleanliness and greening initiatives, but also serve to promote community awareness and participation in waste management.
Addressing the community of Kwa-Phalane at the EPWP launch, Minister Nxesi said: “Our target is to create 4,5 million work opportunities by the year 2014. We seek to transfer income directly into poor households; in so doing we bring hope of a better life to families. That additional income, small as it may be, has to go a long way to support family members”.
The Minister added that the EPWP aimed to achieve its objectives and targets through the delivery of public and community services.

Greenest town
As the Eastern Cape winner in the Greenest Municipality Competition last year, the Matatiele Local Municipality used the EPWP programme launch to introduce its Keep Matatiele Clean Campaign.
The aim is to motivate community members within the Matatiele district to continue keeping their town clean and green, not only for present generations, but also for the future.
The Greenest Municipality Competition, previously known as the Cleanest Town Competition, was established 10 years ago as a national government intervention to assist in addressing some of the waste management challenges in municipalities.
For more information, call the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport: 043 6047 400

Are you disabled and in need of finances to further your education after school?
Apply for a bursary through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) offers bursaries to eligible students with disabilities to cover the costs of a first undergraduate degree or diploma at any of South Africa’s 23 public universities.
The NSFAS bursary for students with disabilities may cover the costs of a student’s tuition, books, accommodation including meals, and an assistive device - such as a wheelchair, Zoom Text software or a Jaws Reader, computer, or any device recommended by a doctor.

What do you need to know?

• Bursaries are available to those with disabilities for any field of undergraduate study at a public South African university. This applies to a first degree or diploma
• There are 23 universities, including universities of technology, in South Africa where learners with disabilities can apply for this bursary programme. The bursaries are also available to students studying through Unisa
• Learners must find out about deadlines for applications at the institution where they plan to study; learners should apply early – as soon as they receive their June Grade 12 results
• Learners must apply for admission and for NSFAS financial assistance at the university where they want to study. For more information they should visit the Financial Aid Office on the campus where they want to study to enquire about the NSFAS bursary for students with disabilities.

How do I apply for a bursary?
NSFAS offers bursaries to students with disabilities When applying for a disability bursary at a university or university of technology, you’ll need to take the following documents with you:

• Grade 12 June results or certificate
• A letter from the medical doctor showing proof of permanent disability
• Green SA identity document with barcode
• Proof of parents ‘latest income (eg. A pay slip, pension grant slip or affidavit if the parent is unemployed)

If you have any queries, please contact the NSFAS Call Centre on 086 0067 327 Alternatively email info@nsfas.org.za or post a letter to NSFAS , Private Bag X1, Plumstead 7801

Thalia  Anderson - Department of Health

Photo caption: Children from Little Eden Care and Rehabilitation Centre in Edenvale, delighted delegates at the Mental Health Summit with a musical performance. This shows that intellectually disabled children are able to accomplish much with proper stimulation. Minister Motsoaledi took time to interact with the children.
No one is immune to mental illness, which can affect people of any gen- der, race, age or status. July has been declared Mental Health Month to raise awareness of this particular challenge. In anticipation of issues to be addressed during Mental Health Month, the department hosted a two-day summit in Centurion recently.

There can be no health without men- tal health. This is one of the messages mental health.
The recent Mental Health Summit brought together officials, mental health partners and users of mental health services, with delegates taking stock of progress in improving the mental health system.
The summit prioritised key challenges and key interventions in the overhaul of the mental health system. Delegates signed a declaration committing them to improving mental health services.

Discrimination
Addressing the summit, Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said while there had been important reforms in mental health policy and legislation since 1994, mental health services remained largely under-resourced, inaccessible, and inequitably distributed.
He noted that there was currently only one psychiatrist for every 30 000 people in the private health sector and one per 120 000 people in the public sector.
The Minister also raised concerns about the continuing stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health. Urging delegates to deliberate and propose ways to de-stigmatise mental disorders, he said stigmitisation was mainly due to ignorance and a lack of information.

Well-being
Minister Motsoaledi said mental health was crucial to the overall well-being of South Africans and that increasing investment in mental health was therefore central to the Department of Health’s efforts towards improving public health.
Investing more in mental health will result in individuals and communities that are better able to realise their own abilities and cope with the stresses and conflicts that are part of everyday life, he said.

For more information contact the Department of Health: 012 395 8000

Nthambeleni  Gabara

Photo caption: Kenneth Maphoru at the new bridge over the Lepelle River at Mankele.

Photo caption: Headman Solly Maphoru, right, with brothers, Jeffery and Herbert Maphoru at the life-threatening segwaigwai makeshift cable car.

Residents of the tiny village of Mankele in Limpopo have reason to smile every time they cross the new bridge over the Lepelle (formerly Olifants) River They are no longer faced with the challenge
of crossing the more than 200-metre-wide river with the makeshift cable car, known by the locals as segwaigwai.
This comes after Road Agency Limpopo set aside R87 million to construct a bridge and a 12-kilometre road to modernise travel and connect villagers with neighbouring settlements Mamogolo and Penge.
For many years, the life-threatening segwaigwai was their only means of transport across the river, which often overflowed. Residents of Mankele with its 74 households had to use the rickety cable car to access clinics, schools and shops at Burgersfort some 65 kilometres away. Senior citizens also depended on segwaigwai to cross the river to access pension grants at Penge.
Village headman Solly Maphoru said the situ- ation was painful, but they were now feeling free. “The construction of this modern bridge that links us to the rest of the world makes us feel free, reminding us of the time when our country was liberated with Mandela’s release from prison,” he said.

Feeling free
Vuk’uzenzele met Maphoru during a visit to the village in the mountainous area of Greater Tubatse Local Municipality. Talking about the difficulties they faced before the new bridge was built, Maphoru told Vuk’uzenzele that segwaigwai was even used to carry the sick and the dead across the river, which winds down to the Kruger Park, Mozambique and eventually into the Indian Ocean.
“Educators from both our primary and secondary schools were also using segwaigwai to cross the river. Our situation was very painful; when it rained heavily, we would remain trapped at the village and there would be no schooling until the river was half-flowing,” he said.
In addition, villagers, many of whom are unemployed, had to pay R3 per trip to cross the river.
Even after two residents fell from segwaigwai and drowned in 1996 and 2008 respectively, villagers had to continue crossing the river with the makeshift cable car, Maphoru said. The bodies of the two have not yet been found.

Risking lives
When the secondary school and the new classroom block of the primary school were built in 2010, some of the building material, including the roof of the Segashife Secondary School, and one block of Mankele Primary, was transported across the river on segwaigwai. It was then carried to the building site with a donkey cart.
Segashife school principal Andries Kalushi Manaso said, “Whenever I thought of coming to work, I would always forget to smile thinking about risking with my life by crossing the river to the school with segwaigwai.
The school, which caters for Grades 8 to 12, has 114 learners and three teachers, including Manaso.
“It was a painful experience which I will never forget in my lifetime, but since I’m passionate about changing the lives of kids in this village, I never stopped coming to work.”
A relative of the village headman, Kenneth Maphoru, 21, who met Vuk’uzenzele at the bridge, said the construction of the bridge brought joy and hope to the community. “We can now access taxis and buses at our village.”

Grateful
Gogo Josephinah Mogoge said they were very grateful for what the provincial government had done for their village. “Throughout these years, we thought we were forgotten by our government, but we were wrong. We are now crossing the river without any hassle and we’ve all agreed as villagers that we will not tolerate any form of damage to this bridge as nobody wants to use segwaigwai again.”
The headman’s younger brother and one of the operators of segwaigwai, Herbert Maphoru, said driving the segwaigwai was a risk and there was nothing he could do but help his fellow villagers cross the river.
“I used to carry three people per trip and if they had luggage, I would fi t load their goods, then go back to fetch them.”

Tourist destination
Greater Tubatse Municipality mayor, Josiah Mahlake said a plan was in the pipeline to turn Mankele village into a tourist destination, as well as a productive agricultural area. “We are planning to turn the village into a tourist at- traction now; you must remember the unavailability of a bridge to the village was a deterrent to tourism and it also made the village fall prey to economic isolation.
“We are aiming to do many things; we anticipate that since the village is now accessible, visitors will come in numbers to see how people used to cross the river with segwaigwai. We are also planning to establish an atchar factory, as the area is good for growing mangoes, and we are looking into the possibility of encouraging stock farming,” he said.
There is currently no network coverage for cellphones at the village, but this also change soon, as they are currently in the tendering process regarding electricity and network coverage. “The village will be electrified very soon, and those responsible for the network coverage have already surveyed the area.”

Creating jobs
Owing to the booming platinum mining industry, Greater Tubatse Municipality is the fastest growing municipality in the province. Development in Burgersfort and neighbouring areas bears testimony to this.
Mahlake said they were planning to build three malls in Tubatse, Burgersfort and Ga-Maroga respectively, adding that the Burger- sfort mall would be officially opened around September this year. He said the building of the malls would create more jobs in the area and the development of Greater Tubatse Municipality as a Platinum City would improve the quality of their lives.

For more information call, the Road Agency Limpopo: 015 284 4600

Kgati  Sathekge - Retired Public Servant

Photo caption: With candles lit, nurses at the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria recite the Nurse’s Pledge to mark International Nurses Day.

In a moving ceremony to mark International Nurses Day recently, psychiatric nurses at Weskoppies Hospital in Pretoria rededicated themselves to their calling.
As part of a candlelit ceremony, the nurses jointly recited the Nurse’s Pledge.
With the mandatory pledge, nurses promised that the care of patients would be their number one priority. At the Weskoppies event, nurses related what it meant to be a nurse and reminded themselves why they had chosen this selfless profession.
The white-clad men and women  are charged with looking after the needs of mentally ill patients at this historic hospital, which was established in 1892 as the first of its kind in what was then known as Transvaal.
According to Hospital CEO Maureen Mabena, “every nurse must take the baton and restore the profession to its glory. Taking care of a person until after death is what we do. The functions have not changed. We must also know about patient rights. Without a patient, there is no work.”
Weskoppies houses approximately 460 mentally ill patients, and treats about 1 000 outpatients a month.
International Nurses Day is traditionally observed throughout the world in May to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the iconic Florence Nightingale. 

BuaNews
More emphasis needs to be placed on skills development and the creation of academic and work opportunities for young people, said Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hlengiwe Mkhize.
Speaking at the signing of the Joint Declaration on Education and Training Sectoral Policy Dialogue Forum between South Africa and the European Commission, Mkhize said the department had a mandate to ensure that there was a planned skills development programme in the country.
Although the department had policies on skills development in place, it needed international partnerships to ensure that the policies were resourced and effectively implemented, she said.
Commenting on Statistics South Africa’s Quarter 1, 2012 Labour Force Survey which shows that the current unemployment rate stands at 25, 2 percent with 4,5 million South Africans being unemployed, Mkhize said the situation required South Africans, especially the youth, to be equipped with the relevant skills to grow the economy.
“… The benefits of this Dialogue Forum are many. It allows us equal footing,” Mkhize said. “…Through its many pursuits, it is therefore the right avenue to assist us as policy makers, in not only building greater people-to-people camaraderie between South Africa and the European Commission, amongst others, but also to find concrete solutions for the youth unemployability that has afflicted us,” the Deputy Minister concluded.
The signing of the joint declaration took place on the sidelines of the conference on “African Higher Education Harmonisation: Tuning and Shaping Responsive and Quality Postgraduate Education” at the University of the Western Cape.

Great strides for school sport
BuaNews

Photo caption: Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula with a group of school children in Mamelodi during the launch of Magnificent Wednesdays

It is no secret that the educational and developmental value of sport is immense. Government has therefore invested enormous resources in the school sport programme and has earmarked school sport as a priority area for delivery this financial year, said Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula. Tabling his department’s Budget Vote in Parliament recently, Mbalula said the School Sport budget within his department had increased from R27,3 million in the previous year to R42,6 million for this financial year. “We have as government invested enormous resources in our School Sport Programme and we are now finalising our engagement with the National Distribution Agency on Sport and Recreation to allocate R200 million towards our School Sport Programme,” he said.

Continued support
Mbalula said the department would continue to support schools in the delivery of sport programmes and empower educators in code specific coaching, team management and sport administration, with the focus being on the 16 priority sporting codes.
“The aim is to ensure that all learners in South Africa are provided access to an organised and structured system of sport that offers opportunity for mass participation, talent support and high performance.
Mbalula said the ultimate goal in increasing access to school sport was to increase the athlete base in the country, thus improving the talent pool and improving South Africa’s performance internationally.
The Sport Support Services Programme also received a significant increase of over R25 million – this is up from R162 million to R187,3 million - mainly to support federations in sport development projects.
To guarantee that all learners have access to physical education and sport programmes, the department signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Basic Education for the delivery of physical education and sport programmes in all South African schools.
The roll-out plan of the School Sport Programme is underpinned by three critical components, namely physical education, top school leagues and Youth Olympics.

Top schools
Mbalula said they had already completed the process of registration of schools that wish to participate in the School Sport Programmes, especially in the national School Sport Leagues, which will culminate in the national Top Schools final championship in December.
“Thus far we have managed to register 11 000 out of 27 000 schools for participation in the 2012 School Sport Leagues and Competitions,” he said.

Mega events boost infrastructure development
BuaNews
Earlier this year, South Africa was named the “World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination” at a glittering global awards ceremony in Dohar, Qatar.
Commending South Africa for having achieved this prestigious distinction, Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula said this was because of the positive results of hosting sporting events like the Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as other mega sporting events.
These events, especially the 2010 FIFA World Cup has demonstrated the importance of sport as a channel for infrastructure development and a platform upon which social mobilisation can be achieved, the Minister said.
Delivering his 2012/13 Budget Vote in May, Minister Mbalula said the 2010 FIFA World Cup Country Report spelled out the benefits of organising and hosting mega sporting events. Quoting from the report, Mbalula said, “The South African government invested more than R30 billion in infrastructure which included roads, airports, ports, stadia and telecommunication.
“The approximately R11,7 million investment in 10 FIFA 2010 stadia alone created approximately 66 000 new construction jobs, generating R7,4 billion in wages, with R2,2 billion going to low-income households and therefore contributing to a reduction of poverty and unemployment.”

SA hockey ready to take on the best in London
BuaNews

Photo caption: The South African women’s hockey team sing the National Anthem before a match against Germany earlier this year. (Photographer: Ady Kerry)

Confident that they will make South Africans proud of their performance, our well-prepared and enthusiastic hockey teams are ready to take on the best at the London Olympics.
As they join their soccer counterparts Banyana Banyana on the road to the London Olympics, the South African women’s hockey team is confident that they can achieve a top six finish. “A top six finish would be a fantastic result. It will be incredibly tough to achieve, but I think it is within our reach in London,” said veteran skipper and teammate Kate Woods.
“To be training for a goal such as the Olympic Games makes all the training, hard work and sacrifices worthwhile. Representing your country in itself is a great honour, but once you had competed at Olympic Games, it takes your career to an all-time high. It’s an experience of a lifetime and I will cherish the memories forever,” said Cape Town based Woods.
“Playing for South Africa is extremely special. It is something that I treasure and will always work hard to ensure that I never miss out on the opportunity to put on green and gold and sing our national anthem with pride,” said Marescia.

Men’s team
South Africa’s men’s hockey team joined their female counterparts in qualifying for the Olympics when they defeated Japan 2-1 in the final qualifying tournament.
Praising the team for their fi    spirit Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula said our qualification standards had been set a bar higher this year compared to previous years. This was done to instil a culture of a winning nation and to ensure that the team that will compete in London is a quality team that can bring back more medals to South Africa than was the case in Beijing 2008, the Minister said.
“We have seen earlier on, in the qualifier championships that our women’s teams are leading the pack with Banyana Banyana and the national Women’s Hockey team, affectionately known as the Smoothies, qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics. Banyana Banyana and the Smoothies have made us proud through their actions and commitment,” Mbalula said.

More medals
In congratulating teams that have already qualified for the Olympics, Mbalula said, “We hope and trust that our investments in the preparations will not be in vain.
“We hope that the support they have received from us, together with the National Distribution Agency for Sport and Recreation and the business sector, will go a long way in bringing more medals than the Beijing 2008 Olympics.”
For more information, call Sport and Recreation South Africa : 012 304 5000
 

Photo caption: Government encourages young people to further their studies, especially in scarce skills to help grow the economy.

The Department of Basic Education strives to create a country that has a modern infrastructure and a vibrant economy with a high quality of life for all. It therefore encourages young people to further their studies, especially in scarce skills. This will not only help the economy to grow, but will also enable you to reach your full potential.
In addition to the traditional further education options, such as universities and universities of technology, you should also consider vocational options available to you, such as Further Education and Training (FET) colleges.

Information on what to study

• Prospectuses: you can phone or email a higher education institution and they will post you these information books about their courses.
• Websites: Most tertiary institutions have their own websites.
• Past and present students.
• Open days: These are an opportunity for prospective students to find out more about the campus, courses and services offered by the institution. Phone the tertiary institution to find out when these are held.
• Visitors’ centres on campuses.
• Career guidance counsellors at schools, colleges and universities.
• Remember, FET Colleges are an alternative to traditional universities and offer a high standard of vocational training.

What are the minimum requirements of a National Senior Certificate to register for a further qualification?
All qualifications in higher and further education and training are not alike. They make different demands and reflect different intellectual achievements. Therefore, admission to the Higher Certificate, the Diploma and the Bachelor’s Degree has different requirements in terms of the National Senior Certificate as follows:
The minimum admission requirement for a Higher Certificate is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) as certified by Umalusi. Particular institutional and programme needs may require particular combinations of recognised NSC subjects and levels of achievement. For example, an institution may determine that a Higher Certificate in Architectural Design requires in addition to the NSC a specified level of attainment in Design and an associated recognised subject.

Diploma
The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) as certified by Umalusi with an achievement rating of 3 (Moderate Achievement, 40-49%) or better in four recognised NSC 20-credit subjects. Institutional and programme needs may require appropriate combinations of recognised FETC subjects and levels of achievement. For example, a Diploma in Data metrics might require a pass at a prescribed level in Mathematics or Information Technology.

What do you need to apply?
The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) as certified by Umalusi with an achievement rating of 4 (Adequate Achievement, 50-59%) or better in four subjects chosen from the following recognised 20-credit NSC subjects.
To apply to a specific university you need to obtain and fill in that university’s application form. You will need to supply either or both of your Grade 11 final results and your Grade 12 June results. A non-refundable application fee is usually required.
You need to check with the institution to which you wish to apply regarding their closing date for applications, as you need to submit your application forms in time.

National Student Aid Financial Scheme
Once the application process is complete, the university will confirm your admission to your choice programme; inform you that you have been placed on a waiting list; or inform you that your application has been unsuccessful.
A National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) study loan or bursary is for those who do not have the financial means to fund their studies and/or cannot access bank funding, study loans or bursaries. Go to the NSFAS website for further information at www.nsfas.org.za,

The Funza Lushaka Bursary programme
The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme is a multi-year programme that promotes teaching in public schools. Full-cost bursaries are avail- able to enable eligible students to complete a full teaching qualification in an area of national priority. Recipients of these bursaries will be required to teach at a public school for the same number of years that they receive the bursary.
The bursary is only awarded to South African citizens and will only be awarded if one of the priority area specialization subjects is included as a teaching subject in the qualifications. Applications must only be made once students have been allocated a valid student number and have been accepted/ provisionally accepted at their university of choice.
Applications must be made online at www.funzalushaka.doe.gov.za. Go to the Funza Lushaka website for further information at www.funzalushaka.doe.gov.za
Make the most of all the opportunities offered to you! Take advantage of all the options our Department has made available and all the practical assistance that the provincial departments are also offering.

University bursaries
Most universities offer bursaries or grants to students that have excelled in their previous studies or on the sports field. Check with your university’s financial aid office whether you are eligible for any of these bursaries or awards, and apply before the closing date.

For more information call the DBECall Centre: 0800 202 933 or visit www.education.gov.za

Although a number of mental disorders are preventable and treatable, particularly in children and adolescents, the burden of mental disorders is growing globally. According to the South African Stress and Health Survey, 16,5 per cent of the adult population has experienced a mental health disorder in the last 12 months.
Mental health problems contribute significantly to the burden of disease and the loss of quality of life, and have a huge economic and social cost. Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and stress, are common and not only affect individuals, but also their families, co-workers and the broader community.
Mental disorders are also associated with a range of priority health issues, including non-communicable diseases, HIV and AIDS, violence and injuries.
Many mental disorders are linked to medical and social factors such as poverty and substance abuse. The risk of mental disorders increases among the poor, homeless and unemployed; persons with low levels of education; victims of violence and crime; migrants and refugees; indigenous populations; children, adolescents and abused women and the neglected elderly.
Mental healthcare users have a right to be treated with respect and dignity. We can all help those close to us who suffer from mental disorders by remembering that mental illness can be treated or the symptoms alleviated at your doctor, clinic or hospital.
 

Photo caption: Learners are urged to register for the 2013 Senior Certificate exams before 30 September this year.

Candidates who want to write the old Senior Certificate exams are urged to register for 2013 at any Provincial Education Department office before 30 September 2012.
Registration for Senior Certificate exams in 2013 is only open to candidates who sat for the Senior Certificate examinations previously and failed to satisfy the requirements for the award of a senior certificate.
As the Department looks to phase out the Senior Certificate, first time registrations will not be allowed. The Department of Basic Education is committed to ensuring that all candidates have the opportunity to complete Grade 12.
A matric certificate can open a number of career opportunities to candidates, who are able to apply for jobs requiring a Grade 12 qualification. Having a Grade 12 certificate also provides an opportunity for learners to continue their education at a higher or further education institution.
In view of the high unemployment and skills shortage, reducing poverty depends on giving all South Africans a better educational start in life. Thus, to achieve growth and success for our country, it is essential that all South Africans have the opportunity to complete their education so that they can pursue the career of their choice.
Government’s vision is for a country with decent employment opportunities, modern infrastructure and a vibrant economy that will provide all South Africans with a high quality of life. To achieve this goal we need a workforce with the appropriate skills and this can only come through education.

Register
To register for the 2013 Senior Certificate exams, candidates will have to present a valid identity document, and previous Senior Certificate statement of results to the Provincial Departments of Education.
The department has made previous question papers and examination guidelines available on its website to assist candidates with their preparations for the exams, which will take place in May and June 2013. To access these, you can go to, www.education.gov.za.
The final timetable for the 2013 Senior Certificate examinations will be available from September 2012 on the department’s website.
Contact details of officials dealing with Senior Certificate examinations at Provincial Education Departments:

 

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is one of several government strategies aimed at addressing unemployment. It involves creating temporary work opportunities for the unemployed combined with training, education or skills development with the aim of increasing their chances to earn an income once they leave the programme. We look at some of the EPWP success stories.

Gaining valuable skills

Photo caption: Josephine Sondlana.

Josephine Sondlana is a widowed mother of four. She matriculated in 1995, in the small village of Elim, near Giyani outside Polokwane. A matric certificate was highly valued at the time and her hopes were high that she would find a job. Unfortunately jobs were scarce and her dreams of making a decent living were shattered.
One of her four children is currently studying at the Tshwane North College in Pretoria. This, she says, would not have been possible if it wasn’t for an Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) project she joined in 2009.
“The Tivoneleni Bakery Project changed a lot of things in my life. Now I’m proud that my daughter is at a tertiary institution, study- ing towards a better future. I also gained valuable skills like food preparation and hygiene, and general baking skills.”
Sondlana says while other beneficiaries were bought TV sets and fridges, she saved for her daughter’s education. “I saved almost all my stipend money for her registration fees.
“… without the EPWP, she would be staying at home, doing nothing. I joined the project with the clear intention of saving for her education, and I’m grateful that this dream has been realised.”
Before the project, Sondlana was selling wood in the community just to make ends meet. “I was also doing temporary jobs for people so my kids could eat. It was difficult, but I survived. I really hope EPWP can give us more projects, so my daughter can succeed.”

Planning a bright future

Photo caption: Tshepo Motshabi

Twenty-five-year-old Tshepo Motshabi comes from a family of three, and completed Matric in 2007. Passing Matric was a highlight, but he was uncertain about his career.
His father had passed away in 2005, and with his siblings still at school, he was forced to be the family’s breadwinner. He enrolled in different short courses to be more employable, but he still struggled to find a job.
He then heard about the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Philani Health Centre Project and joined as a data capturer.
“I was blessed to be involved with the project, because I was starting to get desperate for a job. I must admit that this project saved me from many things I could’ve done in desperation. I benefited a lot from the project, and gained experience that will help me in future.”
Motshabi says he’d like to further his studies in the near future, as he doesn’t want to be a data capturer forever. “I’m currently saving to study further, as I want to have a bright future. I’m also able to support my family and buy clothes with the money I earn.”
Motshabi used his first-ever stipend to subscribe to the TopTV pay channel, as his family has always wanted it. He says they’re comfortable now, because money is no longer the challenge it was before.
“I wish more EPWP projects can be launched, so that people from the community can get opportunities like I did. That will really uplift the community.”
Motshabi says though he lost his father, he has never lost his self-belief. “people should believe in their abilities and grab all the opportunities that may come their way.”

No clubbing for me

Ntombi Thabedi, a bright young woman from Soshanguve on the outskirts of Pretoria, is 25 years old. She lives with her un- employed mother and her younger brother. Unlike most young  people, Thabedi doesn’t have time for clubbing and other social activities. “When I have free time, I study or spend it with my family,” she says. Having lost her policeman father some years ago, the family is dependent on his South African Police Service monthly allowance.
However, the money they get from government is not enough. “It pays for my little brother’s computer training and buys food. It’s not enough to pay my study fees.”
Thabedi is studying for a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of South Africa. Besides studying, Thabedi is also involved in an EPWP embroidery project called Ngezandla Zethu.
Instead of using the money she earns to buy fancy clothes or the latest cellphone, she pays for her studies. “My mother can- not pay for both of us to study at the same time, so as the older one I decided to lead by example and pay for myself. I could not have achieved this had it not been for the EPWP stipend. With EPWP’s help, my brother and I can both study.
“Education is the only option I have; I want to make my mother proud and I want to be successful so that my family can have the best of everything. This project has been very good to me and I hope many young people will have an opportunity to turn their lives around through it.”

For more information, call the Department of Public Works: 012 310 5134 or the toll-free number for Artisans and Engineers: 0800 782 542

Photo caption: NYDA Deputy Executive Chairperson Yershen Pillay and Deputy Minister in the Presidency Mr Obed Bapela at the launch of the Lesedi Manufacturing Primary Cooperative in Alexandra

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is celebrating 2012 - International Year of Cooperatives by educating the youth on forming and registering cooperatives and raising awareness of the advantages of creating jobs through co-ops. For them, it is also an opportunity to focus on greener communities.

United Nations has declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) to raise awareness of the contribution of cooperative enterprises to reduce poverty, generate employment and integrate society.
The IYC also highlights the strengths of the cooperatives as an alternative way of doing business and boost socio-economic development.
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is committed to supporting cooperative enterprises, especially in small communities with the emphasis on “green” cooperatives. With this in mind, the NYDA’s Deputy Chairperson, Yershen Pillay, has launched an awareness drive to encourage unemployed and disillusioned youths to start green cooperative enterprises. This would create employment with significant focus on ‘greening’ their communities.

Uplift and sustain
“Cooperatives serve to uplift local communities in sustaining job creation, retaining valu- able locally developed skills and supporting family and social structures. The NYDA is urging young people to identify requirements within the communities and build partner- ships that could result in successful community cooperative enterprises.” Pillay said.
The Lesedi Manufacturing Primary Co- operative, which has been operating since 2008, is an example. They used an amount of R1,1 million received through the NYDA Enterprise Finance division for 36 months, to build offices and buy equipment and for working capital.
They recycle cans, cardboard, paper, glass and collect plastic within the community. This has enabled them to turn a community litter and pollution problem into a viable business solution.
“We were motivated to recycle because any- body that has ever been to Alexandra knows that our community is very dirty. We have the support of the community because we are women known to be doing great things in the Alexandra,” said Zoleka Ntshololo, a founding member.

For more information, call the NYDA :08600 96884, or fax: 086 606 6563