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As South Africa marks 30 Years of Freedom, citizens have been urged to remember how far government has come in improving the lives of South Africans and undoing the damaging legacy of apartheid.

Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) President Ramaphosa announced that government will gradually implement the long-awaited National Health Insurance (NHI). 

President Ramaphosa was speaking during a televised speech at the Cape Town City Hall. 

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa has congratulated South African boxer Jackson Chauke (pictured) for winning the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight title.

Chauke defeated British boxer Quaise Khademi to become the current world titleholder.

The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) believes that South Africa cannot have freedom of the media and expression when the ownership of the media is not representative of a diverse nation.

The agency was established  to build diversity in the media and ensure ownership of the media by various communities. 

The MDDA essentially exists to assist in developing and diversifying community and small commercial media in the country.  

The Western Cape Government, in partnership with business, has launched the Getting YOU to Work pilot programme aimed at helping unemployed jobseekers find work. The programme will see jobseekers offered free travel to interviews using Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS). 

The Western Cape Premier, Allan Winde said partner employers could offer free travel vouchers to interview candidates during the recruitment process, greatly improving access to job opportunities.

To deal with severe inefficiencies in the country’s freight logistics system, government is taking action to improve the ports and rail network in a bid to restore them to world-class standards. 

In the last 30 years, government has worked around the clock to ensure that all South Africans have an equal chance to prosper.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is confident that the worst is behind South Africa and the end of load shedding is finally within reach. 

Delivering the State of the Nation Address, the President said government has set out a clear plan to end load shedding, which it has been implementing with a single-minded focus through the National Energy Crisis Committee.

“We have delivered on our commitments to bring substantial new power through private investment on to the grid, which is already helping to reduce load shedding,” he said. 

The Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in February handed over seven newly acquired Integrated School Health Programme (ISHP) vehicles as part of efforts to improve the provision of comprehensive health services.

The Department said the initiative was also in a bid to support learning through identifying and addressing health barriers that may affect learners in schools.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought economies to a halt, Mawanda Faniso, who ran tutoring services and doubled up as a real estate agent was left with no job. 

However, Faniso was given a new lease of life when he received a call from the Youth Employment Service (YES) that offered him an opportunity to enrol for a Drone Academy programme at the Genesis Hub in Saldanha in the Western Cape in 2021.