APRIL | 2022 FEBRUARY | 2022
Celebrating Freedom Day
TRAILBLAZER HEADING HERE Leading the fight Oditala imperim against corruption is omneque moenatum Ismail Momoniat
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UNEMPLOYMENT HEADING HERE The top 4 programmes Go tus los Caterib utuisu unlocking youth etim ceraciam aurnultod potential int ficibuteris
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Contents
APRIL 2022 | ISSUE 14
Editorial 24 | Celebrating Freedom Day We look at three ways to spend Freedom Day 30 | Transport and Logistics The role the sector plays in developing our economy 40 | Unemployment Unlocking youth potential through partnerships 42 | COVID Update Is it over yet? 48 | Home Affairs The Department is improving service delivery through digitisation 50 | Institute for the Study of Legislatures We speak to Prof. Kondlo about public participation
34
56 | National Infrastructure Plan The Public Works Department is building our economic future 58 | World Book Day Childhood literacy is important for the country’s future 60 | South African Weather Service Forecasting to fight climate change 62 | Veterinary Day Preventing outbreaks of diseases
20
36
Features 20 | Cover Story We commemorate Freedom Day and our beloved statesman
36 | Women in Leadership 3 things you didn’t know about Honourable Thandi Modise
64 | Financial Fitness An explanation of how public debt affects our daily lives
10 | Addressing The Nation President Ramaphosa addresses the nation on improved tax revenue
46 | Regional Focus The Eastern Cape is investing in infrastructure
66 | Legal Matters New laws on workplace harassment
34 | Trailblazer Treasury’s Mr. Ismail Momoniat is leading the fight against corruption
52 | In Other News We share the top destinations to visit in southern Africa
4 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
68 | Upcoming Events April is all about freedom
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 5
52
46 48
CREDITS PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERS The Digimag For Leaders In The South African Public Sector
Contributors Jessie Taylor Silke Rathbone Charndré Emma Kippie
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6 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
EDITOR’S LETTER BY FIONA WAKELIN
Letter from the Editor Welcome to the April edition of Public Sector Leaders (PSL).
In his letter to the country this week – From the Desk of the President - our President celebrated the country’s improved tax revenue which is supporting South Africa’s economic recovery and growth: “Last week, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced in its preliminary tax revenue collection outcome that it had collected over R1.5trillion between April 2021 and March 2022. This a 25% improvement over the previous year and a 15% increase over the last year prior to the COVID pandemic. “Over the same period, SARS also paid out its highest amount in tax refunds since it was established 25 years ago. “A competent tax revenue collection agency is at the heart of building a capable state,” - President Ramaphosa. His Excellency recently attended the Presidential Imbizo in the Free State where he met with community members who raised their service delivery concerns. President Ramaphosa recently announced the new National Commissioner of Police, General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola, and attended The South African Dubai 2020 Expo National Day where he addressed the celebration held at the Al Wasl Plaza. More good news is that His Excellency officiated at the launch of a locally South Africanmanufactured bakkie, the Isuzu-D Max, in the Eastern Cape This bumper edition of PSL celebrates Freedom Day in April with a special reminder of why it is so important in our country’s history – and this would not have been possible without including a feature on Madiba. Our Trailblazer this month is financial crime buster Treasury Deputy Director-General Ismail Momoniat and our Woman in Leadership is “The Knitting Needle Guerilla”, Honourable Thandi Modise, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. What is happening at Home Affairs? We take a look at the department’s successes under the leadership of Minister Motsoaledi. Our Regional Focus is on the Eastern Cape - looking at the province's attractions, economy and Premier; and in Financial Fitness we zoom in on how public debt affects your personal finances and investments. In Other News PSL focuses on gems to visit in southern Africa - and we address a topic which is top of mind - the unemployment situation in the country. Whether you are in the public sector, the private sector, supply chain or an interested individual, PSL has something for you. We hope you enjoy the read
FIONA WAKELIN | GROUP EDITOR
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 9
ADDRESSING THE NATION BY FIONA WAKELIN
Addressing the Nation:
"SARS is taking the wind out of the sails of tax dodgers"
I
n his first letter to the nation for the month of April, His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa focused on the country’s improved tax revenue which is supporting South Africa’s economic recovery and growth.
“Last week, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced in its preliminary tax revenue collection outcome that it had collected over R1.5-trillion between April 2021 and March 2022. This a 25% improvement over the previous year and a 15% increase over the last year prior to the COVID pandemic. “Over the same period, SARS also paid out its highest amount in tax refunds since it was established 25 years ago. “A competent tax revenue collection agency is at the heart of building a capable state. “Tax revenue propels our nation’s development. The money collected by SARS finances service delivery and infrastructure. Through the R17.8-trillion that SARS has collected since its establishment in 1997, we have been able to build more social infrastructure like clinics, schools and hospitals, upgrade and build new roads, and support society’s most vulnerable through social grants and other measures,” – President Ramaphosa. His Excellency recalls that restoring stability and credibility in the South African Revenue Service was among his top priorities when he was elected President in 2018. Four years ago, SARS was reflecting on the consequences of state capture and as a result this undermined not only taxpayers’ morale but also business confidence. One of our President’s first steps in this regard was to appoint a commission of inquiry into tax administration and governance, chaired by retired Justice Robert Nugent. By the end of 2018 the commission had delivered its final report. In 2022, four years later, SARS has implemented nearly all the
10 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
16 recommendations and 27 sub-recommendations and has a programme to promote tax morality and compliance. President Ramaphosa goes on to attribute the increase in tax revenue to current high commodity prices, as well as the strategic improvements SARS has made to improve its information technology, recruitment and modernisation aimed at tax avoidance and curbing criminal activity.
In this letter His Excellency unpacks the correlation between well-run, efficient state institutions and increasing levels of trust in government – this then has a knock-on effect in terms of business and investor confidence, encouraging greater investment and economic growth. Our President then congratulates both the leadership and the staff at the South African Revenue Service on their performance –
and gives a vote of thanks to the loyal South African taxpayer – celebrating the fact that our tax base grew with 1.8 million new registrations over the past year. “We can only rebuild South Africa if we continue to meet this shared obligation, and if we intensify the work currently underway to ensure that these taxes are used wisely and efficiently,” – President Ramaphosa. n
He notes that two of the SARS success stories include the Illicit Economy Unit which combats illicit trades and the Large Business Unit - relaunched in 2020 - which has resulted in effectively managed tax collection from JSE-listed companies, multinationals and high net worth individuals. Personal income and PAYE have also shown an improvement in compliance. “SARS is taking the wind out of the sails of tax dodgers, beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime, and those involved in corrupt activities. It is well-established that ‘the taxman’ is one of the most efficient tools to combat corruption. “In cases where an individual’s lifestyle does not match what they declare, SARS has been conducting lifestyle audits. In the last year, SARS has completed lifestyle audits that resulted in the collection of a further R474-million. “As we forge ahead with efforts to strengthen the capacity of the state and rebuild institutions that were systematically weakened by state capture, we have much to learn from what SARS has achieved in a relatively short space of time,” – President Ramaphosa.
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 11
ADVERTORIAL GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF E-GOV
INTRODUCING
E-waste Management GAUTENG TACKLES THE MOUNTING E-WASTE IN THE PROVINCE 12 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
T
he Gauteng Department of e-Government (e-Gov) is tackling the province’s mounting e-waste, which is on the brink of destroying the environment. e-Waste is the disposal of electrical and electronic gadgets and home appliances such as computers, cellphones,
fridges, televisions, office printers, microwaves etc. The disposal of these unwanted or unused items poses a serious threat to the environment and human health especially when disposed of ‘anywhere and anyhow’.
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 13
Gauteng is regarded as ‘the economic hub of the South African economy’ due to the various industrial economic activities that take place in the province. This has, however, resulted in the accumulation of e-waste, caused by the high use of technological products, i.e., home appliances, mobile phones, computers etc.
management in the province. Apart from helping in educating Gauteng residents on issues of e-waste, the project will also instil a culture of recycling electronics. It is being implemented as a solution to help improve the collection, recycling, and safe disposal of e-waste in the province.
South Africa accumulates about 360 000 tons of e-waste each year and Gauteng accounts for about 55% of this.
“Through this project, GPG aims to achieve a sustainable e-waste management solution that will ensure a clean, healthy and safe environment.
Hon.Nkomo-Ralehoko said a lack of proper e-waste management system could result in drastic harmful effects on human lives and the environment. The e-waste management system has therefore been established to help address the challenges of poorly coordinated e-waste
The system will also assist in inspiring creativity amongst the youth, to be able to recycle and create something meaningful from discarded gadgets. This will further assist in stimulating the economy through SMME support and job creation,” - Hon. Nkomo-Ralehoko.
14 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
The Premier of Gauteng, Honourable David Makhura, launched the e-Waste Management System and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) who are partnering with Gauteng Government in implementing the system. The Gauteng Provincial Government has placed e-waste management at the top of its agenda because of the socioeconomic benefits that are brought by the programme. These benefits include the opportunity to create employment especially for the youth and cleaning the environment for the safety of Gauteng residents. Addressing the launch, Premier Makhura said it was a proud moment to witness the launch of e-waste management for the province which responds directly
to the ever-increasing volumes of e-waste. "This launch is aimed at addressing both the mounting e-waste and the stubborn unemployment crisis. The e-waste management strategy and partnership with UJ creates an ecosystem to discard, recycle or donate e-waste products in a manner that creates small businesses and job opportunities for the youth," said Hon. Makhura The Premier added that this was a paradox. As cities and urban regions were experiencing the benefits of technology, there was however a mounting problem of e-waste management and e-waste disposal. The premier was referring to the idea that as the country embraces technology and the fourth industrial revolution, there has been a lack of a strategy that aims to manage the disposal
stored, dumped, or imported), as well as tumultuous electrical and e-waste that is growing at an exponential rate – much faster than Africa's contemporary ICT challenges.
of these technological products once they reach their life span. “As a result of the rapid pace of technological change, the management of e-waste, that is the disposal and recycling of electronic gadgets and electrical equipment, has become a worldwide environmental concern that requires a coordinated response and productive partnerships," he said. Professor Saurab Sinha, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Internationalisation at UJ, said that the rapid pace of the fourth industrial revolution has compelled all sectors of society to consider novel solutions to current problems. Among other issues, South Africa, and Africa as a whole, are confronted with massive mountaintops of unused electronic devices, most notably computers (which are either
“The collaboration between e-Gov and the University of Johannesburg represents a coming together of minds to implement a system that will create an enabling environment that unlocks the potential of e-waste for South Africa by allowing for an equitable profit distribution across the value chain and allowing for participation in public-private partnerships by SMMEs and the informal sector. In addition to ensuring a clean, healthy, and safe environment, the system will also stimulate the economy through supporting SMME's and job development, allowing it to be implemented,” Professor Sinha. n
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 15
GAUTENG
E-waste Management System TURNING WASTE INTO VALUE
16 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
T
he Gauteng Province faces many challenges regarding e-waste management. These include the lack of a formal system to manage e-waste; unsound practices and dumping of e-waste into landfills, South Africa’s stringent legislative landscape, lack of specific e-waste legislation; and lack of data and research. As a result, e-waste recycling is not properly coordinated. Head of Department at the Gauteng Department of e-Government, Mr. Cyril Baloyi, expressed that the uncoordinated dumping of e-waste in the province causes a much bigger problem. “For example, in downtown Johannesburg at End Street, you find loads of old electronic equipment placed next to the side of the road. These are collected daily from different locations and dumped there. The pickers dismantle them and remove the material they need to sell as scrap. Now the issue is that the pickers
leave the rest of the material laying on the roadside and we are still not dealing with the overall problem of e-waste. Hence the launch of the e-Waste Management System which will coordinate this process so that our environment is clean, we provide employment and create a sustainable value chain for e-waste management”, Mr. Baloyi said. Over and above warranting for effective e-waste management, the system also aims to stimulate the economy through SMME support and job creation. It presents opportunities to various sectors and business enterprises, including green job creation, recovery of valuable materials and environmental protection. “Our strategy focuses on the minimisation of environmental degradation, stimulation of economic development and job creation. In this manner, we aim to also enhance public participation, public education, establish partnerships as well as improve
the governance and regulatory precepts of the environment,” Mr. Baloyi added. The Global e-Waste Monitor 2020 report found that the world dumped a record 53.6 million tons of e-waste in the previous year. Just 17.4% was recycled. “Even countries with a formal e-waste management system in place are confronted with relatively low collection and recycling rates,” said the report. China, with 10.1 million tons, was the biggest contributor to e-waste, and the United States was second with 6.9 million tons. India, with 3.2 million tons, was third. Together these three countries accounted for nearly 38% of the world’s e-waste. n
Postal: Private Bag X112, Marshalltown, 2107 Physical: Imbumba House, 75 Fox Street, Johannesburg, 2107 Tel: 011 689 6000
gauteng.gov.za/Departments
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 17
18 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
SPECIAL FREEDOM DAY FEATURE
REMEMBERING MADIBA
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 19
EDITORIAL FREEDOM DAY
RETIRING FROM RETIREMENT
DON'T CALL ME
I'LL CALL YOU
After playing a key role in freeing South Africa from the shackles of apartheid, Nelson Mandela
L
addressed the people of the nation on 1 June 2004 to announce his retirement.
adies and gentlemen, friends and colleagues – and especially my good friends from the media – thank you very much to all of you for taking time out of your very busy schedules to come and listen to me this morning.
I have always said that many people come to such gatherings where we are present merely out of curiosity, to see what an old man looks like. Having observed the media speculation in recent weeks about my retirement and pending demise, I am even more
20 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
certain you are present today for exactly that reason. But that does not in any way lessen my appreciation for your presence; on the contrary, we are very happy that old age can still inspire such undeserved attention. I observe quite a number of gloomy faces
in the audience, but I will again have to disappoint you. I am not here to announce any fair departures. And in any case, my family and advisers have warned me not to tell my favourite story about arriving at heaven’s door, knocking, providing my name and being sent to the other place. Apparently that story makes too many people morose! What I have come to do here this morning is to make an appeal more than an announcement. I am turning 86 in a few weeks’ time and that is a longer life than most people are granted. I have the added blessing of being in very good health, at least according to my doctors. I am confident that nobody present here today will accuse me of selfishness if I ask to spend time, while I am still in good health, with my family, my friends and also with myself. One of the things that made me long to be back in prison was that I had so little opportunity for reading, thinking and quiet reflection after my release. I intend, among other things, to give myself much more opportunity for such reading and reflection. And of course, there are those memoirs about the presidential years that now really need my urgent attention. When I told one of my advisors a few months ago that I wanted to retire, he growled at me: “You are retired.” If that is really the case then I should say I now announce that I am retiring from retirement.
I do not intend to hide away totally from the public, but hence forth I want to be in the position of calling you to ask whether I would be welcome, rather than being called upon to do things and participate in events. The appeal therefore is: don’t call me, I’ll call you. That is also for our generous business community not to feel too disappointed: I shall not totally forget you. When I notice a worthy cause that needs your support, I shall certainly call you. Seriously therefore: my diary and my public activities will as from today be severely and significantly reduced. We trust that people will understand our considerations and will grant us the opportunity for a much quieter life. And I thank all of you in anticipation for your consideration. This does, however, not mean that the work that we have been involved in, supported and promoted comes to an end. It has been our practice to establish organisations to do certain work and then to leave it to those organisations to get on with the job. The leadership of what we call the three Mandela legacy organisations are present here today as proof and assurance that our work will continue, perhaps in an even more focused way now that the attention shifts from the individual to the organisations.
three independent but interlinked legacy organisations. I am very satisfied to tell you that they are in full alignment with one another, each charged to giving expression to a specific aspect of human development. The work of the three foundations is distinct but complimentary and supportive of one another. John Samuel, Bongi Mkhabela and Shaun Johnson – the CEOs of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, respectively – will provide information about the work and sphere of activity of each organisation. I hope that you all will be as excited as I am about what will be achieved by these three highly functional and well-organised bodies working in our name. I hope you will also get a clear picture of how much care and thought have gone into aligning these structures and preparing them for playing a major role in South Africa and Africa for many years to come. Thank you very much for your attention and thank you for being kind to an old man – allowing him to take a rest, even if many of you may feel that after loafing somewhere on an island and other places for 27 years the rest is not really deserved. I thank you. n
We are now able to concentrate very clearly on the work of these
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 21
GRAÇA MACHEL
WE ALL HAVE THE SEEDS OF
MADIBA MAGIC WITHIN US
On a cold winter’s day at Johannesburg’s Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on 17 July, a day before what would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday, Graça Machel, in a somewhat unusual move, took to the stage to share why we should “celebrate Madiba’s uniqueness in all its forms”.
22 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
G
raça Machel does not speak in public often. In fact, since the passing of her husband, Nelson Mandela, she has often attended events only to observe without saying a word. She did make an exception at this year’s annual Nelson Mandela Lecture and spoke at length just before the actual lecture was delivered by former American president Barack Obama (who admitted that the only reason he came was because he was persuaded by Machel). “I was not invited to be here. I was ordered, in a very nice way, to be here,” Obama joked at the beginning of his address. The former first lady drew parallels between Mandela and Obama, who she described as “one of the finest leaders of the 21st century”. She said
Mandela and Obama represented a bridge of leadership between the 20th and 21st century, built by men of African descent. “They both stood on the shoulders of giants. They are representatives of the masses and reached the pinnacle of power and influence, but in doing so they were able to elevate the rights and ambitions of the disenfranchised and weak. They both hold unique prominence in our consciousness. “They give hope and validation to millions of young people who identify with their humble backgrounds. They proved that condition is no limitation.” To honour Madiba’s legacy, Machel said, “We must search and find in every one of us those values and strengths that enable us to go
beyond ourselves, to embrace the bigger causes, to take risks, to make sacrifices for what is right.” She pointed out that Mandela had been influenced by many others, including Albertina Sisulu, who would also have turned 100 this year. “The tapestry of his legacy has woven many generations of great thinkers, strategists, freedom fighters and the named and unknown who piqued his imagination. As we celebrate him and honour his contributions to the world, we must remember that while his political party strategically thrust him forward as the symbolic face of the struggle, he was not acting in isolation. “He considered himself a simple foot soldier. On his jubilant release he said, ‘I stand here before you not a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.’” Noting Mandela’s humility despite his many achievements, Machel said: “Even having achieved the highest aspirations of humanity, the Madiba I know is a simple, grounded and humble man. As Madiba famously said on 90th birthday, ‘It is time for new hands to lift the burdens, it is in your hands now.’ “Young and old, we all have the seeds of Madiba magic within us to confront the challenges we are facing. We have the ability and responsibility to touch the lives of those around us and uplift our communities. As we reflect on the previous 100 years, we look with optimism to the next 100 years.” n
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 23
CELEBRATING FREEDOM DAY BY KOKETSO MAMABOLO
Celebrating
Freedom Day
across South Africa
The long and not-so-long walks you can take
F
reedom Day on 27 April commemorates South Africa’s first democratic elections, held in 1994. Whether you choose to immerse yourself in the history, or marvel at the beautiful country which we are all free to enjoy, there’s no shortage of ways to spend this important milestone in South Africa’s history. Here we take a look at three things you can do to celebrate the anniversary of our first democratically held elections. TAKE A WALK ABOVE MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM IN DURBAN Besides the various events, the highlight perhaps being the 2010 FIFA World Cup games held there, Moses Mahida stadium offers
24 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
visitors a holistic experience that encapsulates the charm of Durban, where summer never seems to end. Perhaps the most recognisable activity at the stadium is the Adventure Walk, which allows you to feel the scale of the engineering masterpiece, enjoy the splendid views and, if you don’t take the SkyCar up, you can also get in a workout by putting your legs through a light workout by going on a 20-minute walk to the top of the 106m high arch. If going to the top isn’t enough of an adrenaline rush, the most thrilling activity at Moses Mabhida is undoubtedly the Big Rush Big Swing. “Are you brave enough to free fall 80m into the stadium bowl?” they ask. If you are, you can join a
line of visitors who have taken the plunge on what the Guiness Book of Records has recognised as the tallest swing in the world since 2011. Visit mmstadium.com to find out more. VISIT ROBBEN ISLAND IN CAPE TOWN Few places in the world have been host to such prominent public figures as Robben Island. While the island has become famous for being the site of the prison where struggle heroes such as former President Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Govan Mbeki were held during apartheid, it’s history dates back almost a billion years, making it an environment rich with interesting things to see and find out.
The island used to be part of the Cape mainland and is the tip of a mountain which was submerged over time. In terms of recorded history, the island was first
recognised as a refreshment stop for settlers and people travelling along the Cape’s seas, from the 15th to the 20th century. But before settlers and sailors began occupying the island, the Khoikhoi were the inhabitants. Whether you’re geology enthusiast, or a keen student of military or maritime history, the island has something to offer all South Africans. For general tours, there are four departure times for ferries heading from the mainland each day.
Because it reflects our past, the way it has been reimagined is a perfect reflection of how our nation has been reimagined. Visitors are offered a range of tours, including a Night Tour and a Time Travel Tour. You can also go on a tour of a physical representation of the freedom celebrated on this day by going on a tour of the Constitutional Court. The restaurants and shops mean your day doesn’t have to end after your tour.
Visit robben-island.org.za to find out more about the island and book a tour. GO ON A TOUR OF CONSTITUTIONAL HILL IN JOHANNESBURG Constitutional Hill is described as a “living museum” and visiting it in the month which also features International Day for Monuments and Sites seems even more fitting, as it’s a space with a painful history which is not being forgotten, but used as a starting point for a collective process of healing. For a century, the living museum was a military fort and a prison which held icons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Winnie MadikizelaMandela. “But the precinct also confined tens of thousands of ordinary people during its 100-year history,” reads Constitution Hill’s short background on its history, “men and women of all races, creeds, ages and political agendas; the indigenous and the immigrant; the everyman and the elite. In this way, the history of every South African lives here.”
Visit constitutionhill.org.za to find out more about this symbol of our nation’s progress. n Sources: https://www.robben-island.org.za https://www.mmstadium.com https://www.constitutionhill.org.za
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 25
ADVERTORIAL DSV
MOVING SOUTH AFRICA FORWARD WORLD CLASS FACILITIES UNDERPIN DSV'S COMMITMENT TO SA'S GROWING LOGISTICS MARKET
T
he importance of supply chains became increasingly evident as COVID-19 caused havoc with manufacturing, distribution and retail operations around the world. The relative ease with which South Africa navigated the pandemic’s impact on the flow of goods was because of the country’s sophisticated logistics and distribution sector. DSV, a global supplier of transport and logistics with services headquartered in Denmark, is a major investor and participant in the sector, and in SA we have 51% black and 30%+ black women ownership, and have B-BBEE scorecards on both Level 1 (DSV Healthcare) and Level 2 (DSV Solutions, Road, Air & Sea and Consolidated). INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT DSV’s recently developed worldclass, flexible, and scalable logistics facilities in Gauteng and Cape Town – to be followed by a new facility in Durban – underpin the company’s investment in
the country’s growing need for logistics and courier services. The world-class, scalable and flexible facilities in Gauteng and the Western Cape – at a combined investment of just over R2.5-billion – are aligned with DSV’s global strategy of consolidating office and warehouse space. Gauteng places the company at the centre of economic gravity, ideally situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria and close to OR Tambo International Airport. Cape Town is similarly ideally positioned, adjacent to CT International Airport and the N2. Durban will take the infrastructure investment to R3-billion+, and is expected to be ready for occupation in September 2023. SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS The consolidation of premises, standardisation of business processes and investment in technology is improving efficiencies and operational
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quality. Importantly, different business units are now working alongside each other, collaborating, and sharing ideas, accelerating response times to customers. The facilities incorporate best practice in environmental sustainability and business continuity, and although designed and built to look after customers well into the next decade, there is additional space to grow should the need arise. The business case proved that this investment would ensure DSV contains costs while offering better value to customers. Sustainability and business continuity are key considerations at the facility, and a Building Management System ensures the effective and efficient use of resources and promotes a pleasant work environment. Indoor and outdoor noise is limited by double glazing on our windows, acoustic ceilings, sound proofing and outdoor
water features to ensure we meet global safety standards for noise levels and create a conducive work environment. DALI lighting adjusts lighting levels to what is required at a particular time, and environmentally friendly air conditioning coolants and solar panels all help reduce our CO2 footprint. The warehouses contain many features to maximise sustainability, including: •
•
•
Forklifts which can be charged from electrical sockets or battery charging stations, installed inside the warehouse. The shrink-wrapper which reduces the amount of plastic used and so supports our ongoing sustainability initiatives. There are fewer floor joints to reduce damage from forklifts.
The cross-dock facility’s Fives cross-belt sorter maintains a high level of reliability and redundancy is built into the system so operations will not be affected by a single failure. Benefits include: • • • •
Scalability – we can add to its capacity to handle further growth Flexibility – it processes both conveyer and out-of-gauge Accuracy – 99.9% final sorting acceptance Reduced turnaround times
•
– for freight processing and dispatch windows – design balances inbound and outbound parcels and minimises time on the sorter Accommodates a wide range of vehicles – with optimised staging and travel spines.
The conveyor throughput currently sits at 12,800 sorts per hour, and out of gauge at 2,300 parcels per hour. Again, it is scalable, as with other features in both the warehouse and cross dock facility. To add to the aesthetics, we have planted only indigenous plants around the park which, once established in 18-24 months, will flourish almost entirely off rainwater. BUILDING COMMUNITIES DSV is committed to strengthening its connection to communities and does so through a number of programmes and projects. The Enterprise Development programme has invested in excess of R38-million to support and upskill nearly 300 black entrepreneurs over the last five years. The DSV Empowerment Trust was established to support and promote tertiary education amongst black youth, and has awarded 1 040 education bursaries since 2005. Completed courses include Medicine, Law,
Engineering, IT, Accounting and Marketing, and beneficiaries do not necessarily need to be connected to DSV. Some 1 700 learnerships have been completed through our Skills Development Programme, in 18 years, and many are absorbed into DSV while others, now qualified, are better placed to seek employment elsewhere. The learnerships promote access to education and training, providing employment whilst candidates further their formal qualifications. Subjects include accounting, business administration, management, IT, various aspects of logistics, and project management. There is a mainstream programme, and programmes for disabled and deaf candidates. At a different level, the DSV Shift Academy is helping develop responsible young adults by focusing on life skills, academic support and cycling training. DSV has partnered with Lange Sports to launch the academy, a natural progression for the company’s involvement in cycling and is aligned with other company youth development initiatives. n
CONTACT Tel 0861 462 884 www.dsv.com/en-za
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 27
Investing in South Africa’s future People. Ownership. Investment. Enterprise Development.
28 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
B-BBEE Ownership recognition: 51%+ Black and 30+% Black Women Level 1: DSV Healthcare Level 2: DSV Solutions, Road, Air & Sea and Consolidated.
1,700
Learnerships completed in 18 years through our Skills Development Programme.
R38
+ million
Spent supporting and upskilling 299 black entrepreneurs in the last 5 years in our Enterprise Development Programme.
1,040
Tertiary education bursaries for black youth awarded by the DSV Empowerment Trust since 2005.
R3
+ billion
Invested in three centralised provincial logistics centres. Publicly recognised by President Cyril Ramaphosa at SA Investment Conference 2022 for R2+billion.
63 million
Workbooks delivered to learners every year on behalf of the Dept. of Basic Education.
42 million
Packs of medication delivered to more than 1.4 million chronic and ARV state patients every year on behalf of the Dept. of Health.
For more information: www.dsv.com/en-za Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 29
TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS BY KOKETSO MAMABOLO & CHARNDRÉ EMMA KIPPIE
The role of transport and logistics in economic development
W
ithout stunning leaps in transportation and evermore intricate logistics management, humanity would not have developed to the point it has now. Without the ability to cross oceans, fly over continents and drive through countries, we wouldn’t be able to exchange goods at the rate that we do. With both imports and exports seeing gains in the fourth quarter, the ability for the private and public sectors to move and store goods is as important as ever. StatsSA recorded growth in imports of 8.9% and imports of 8.5% in their latest GDP report. “The success of all modes of transport is a vital prerequisite for economic growth,” said His Excellency President Ramaphosa, speaking at the launch of Transport Month in October of 2017. “Economic growth and service delivery can only take place when we have efficient and reliable transportation.” The transport sector employs over 400 000 people full-time, and another 15 000 part-time, with grossing earnings sitting just under R40-billion. With real GDP growth of 2.1% projected for 2022 and 1.8% over the next three years, the government is eager for more growth, and is well aware of the extent to which infrastructure and an improved transport system can contribute to increasing these numbers. During the Budget Speech in February, the Minister
30 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
of Finance, Honourable Enoch Gondongwana said: “We are accelerating the implementation of critical structural reforms contained in the ERRP in particular in electricity, rail, ports and telecommunications.” “As we upgrade roads, bridges, water and sewer (sic), transport and school infrastructure and hospitals and clinics, the aim is to unlock higher levels of employment for those involved in the projects.” Simply put, a well-functioning infrastructure network, coupled with efficient transport, is key to supply-chain management. The more goods we are able to move, and the quicker we can move them, the more potential there is for growth. As populations grow and as the manufacturing and agricultural upscale in order to meet the demands, we need transportation and logistics management which can ensure goods are moved and stored in a way that doesn’t create shortages or long waiting times. The transport and logistics industry feeds into many other sectors throughout the country, acting as a ‘feeder-network’ to a variety of industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, retail and so forth etc. Without streamlining the industry, the fundamental economic principles of ‘supply and demand’ cannot be fulfilled. Thus, technological adaptation and innovation plays a huge role in keeping our economy going.
What are some of the technological trends that could bolster the impact the transport and logistics sector has on growth? BIG DATA The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), with its many innovative technologies, has assisted in shaping a bright future for South Africa’s logistics industry. No matter the size of any given operational fleet, be it 5 or 10 vehicles, logistics companies find themselves in need of appropriate telematics tools for limiting expenses incurred, whilst driving productivity and the overall success of their fleets. Fleets in South Africa are now able to gain better insight into their vehicle activities, thanks to a newfound capacity for producing and simplifying Big Data. This development currently enables our fleet managers to recognise and address shortcomings found in their fleets. ACCIDENT-PREVENTION FEATURES Parking lot crashes are one of the biggest causes of accidents experienced by our transportation fleets. With the help of new proximity detection technology, such as CSIR’s Smart Mobility technology and Geotab Africa’s Advanced Fleet Management
Solutions, fleets are now able to decrease risks which occur in parking lots, ensuring the safety of drivers. We now have access to technological solutions for detecting in-reverse vehicle movement, which aids drivers with oncoming traffic awareness. BETTER QUALITY CONTROL Distracted driving is a common occurrence in all societies. Unfortunately, many drivers behave irresponsibly, using mobile phones, eating and drinking whilst on the road. In today’s day and age, businesses are able to eliminate distracted driving by implementing dashboard camera surveillance measures. For example, a local company called FleetCam SA provides Vehicle Camera Systems throughout the country. Whilst giving fleet managers more insight into bad driving behaviours, the integration of these cameras will provide fleet managers with quality video footage geared towards identifying risky behaviours exhibited by drivers that, otherwise, would not be documented by telematics. IoT APPLICATIONS IN TRANSPORT Telematics have proven great with gathering data on fleet management. However, customer
requirements are becoming more complex, making it difficult to run an efficient fleet with only the help of telematics. We’ve seen much innovation in IoT technology, with the integration between telematics and other platforms. This has expanded the use and value of telematics, but has also allowed fleets to foster better data quality and obtain an extensive understanding of fleet behaviour and requirements. n
Sources: www.gov.za www.engineeringnews www.reader.elsevier.com www.transportgeography.org www.itweb.co.za www.infrastructurenews.co.za www.satc.org.za www.weforum.org www.passwordmanagers.co www.businesstech.co.za www2.deloitte.com www.businessforsa.org www.statista.com www.statssa.gov.za
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 31
ADVERTORIAL MNS ATTORNEYS
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF BLACK EXCELLENCE
32 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
ADVERTORIAL
DILEMMA OF ORGANS OF STATE IN THE FACE OF IRREGULAR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS TSHIAMO SEDUMEDI | MANAGING DIRECTOR
The unavoidable consequences of exercising public power by organs of state is that in certain instances, the exercise of such public power result in the conclusion of contracts or taking decisions that are not in line with the applicable legal framework.
The golden thread that runs from these principles suggest that organs of state cannot take the law into their own hands and ignore decisions that they consider to be irregularly concluded until a court of law has pronounced on the matter.
This is mostly prevalent in public procurement where tender awards do not follow section 217 of the Constitution, Public Finance Management Act and/or the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act.
However, in the same vein, our courts have also made pronouncements that may be construed as requiring organs of state not to submit themselves to irregular administrative actions even if they have not been set aside by a court. This school of thought is found in the following remarks from different judgments: “The province was under a duty not to submit itself to an unlawful contract and entitled, indeed obliged, to ignore the delivery contract and to resist Firechem’s attempts at enforcement. Its acts in doing so did not amount to an unlawful repudiation”5 ; “…there may be occasions where an administrative decision should be treated as invalid even though no action has been taken to strike it down”6 ; “…Kirland7 and Oudekraal8 did not imply or entail that unless court proceedings are instituted to challenge an administrative decision, public authorities are obliged to accept it as valid”9.
The net effect of this is that such contracts and/or decisions are irregular and fall foul of the legality principles that organs of state are required to comply with. The conundrum that is always faced by organs of state in such instances is whether: • are they compelled to abide by the irregularly concluded contract or irregular decision until such awards are set aside by a court; or • on their own accord, can they simply ignore such awards and/or contracts to avoid the further incurrence of irregular expenditure or the perpetuation of illegality. The above conundrum has not been made easy by the series of judgments of both the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court. This article provides a snapshot of some of the principles emanating from these courts and proffers a possible solution out of the conundrum faced by organs of state. The dominant school of thought emanating from our courts is that: “…the courts alone, and not public officials, are the arbiters of legality”1 ; “…government officials, or anyone else for that matter, may not usurp that role by themselves of pronouncing on whether decisions are unlawful, and then ignoring them”2 ; “…organs of state as constitutional citizens should be exemplary in its compliance with the fundamental constitutional principle that proscribes self-help”3 ; “…an organ of state, like any other party, must therefore challenge an administrative decision to escape its effects”4. MEC for Health Eastern Cape v Kirland Investment (Pty) Ltd 2014 (5) BCLR 547 (CC) 2 Merafong City Local Municipality v AngloAshanti Limited 2017 (2) BCLR 182 3 Merafong City 4 Department of Transport & Others v Tasima & Others 2017 (1) BCLR 1 (CC) 5 Premier, Free State and Others v Firechem Free State (Pty) Ltd 2000 (4) SA 413 (SCA) 1
On the face of it, there seems to be an uneasy tension that exists between these two different schools of thoughts advanced by our courts. Until the Constitutional Court has made a final pronouncement on the reconciliation of the two positions, organs of state are well advised that as constitutional citizens, they have an obligation to promptly institute legal proceedings to allow the courts to be the final arbiters of the legality or otherwise of their irregular administrative actions. Even in instances where an organ of state has opted to provisionally ignore or resist the implementation of the irregular administrative action, it must still without delay, institute legal proceedings to set aside such irregular administrative decisions. An organ of state cannot simply fold its arms and ignore an irregular decision without a concomitant action of instituting legal proceedings to review and set aside such an irregular decision. Merafong City This is reference to MEC for Health, Eastern Cape v Kirland Investments (Pty) Ltd 2014 (3) SA 481 (CC) 8 This is reference to Oudekraal Estates (Pty) Ltd v City of Cape Town 2004 (6) SA 222 (SCA) 9 Merafong City 6 7
Tel: (011) 268 5225 | Fax: (011) 268 6805 Email: reception@ndlovu-sedumedi.co.za | Website: https://mnsattorneys.co.za/ Address: 2nd Floor, 16 Fricker Road, Illovo, 2196 | Postal Address: PO Box 10100, Johannesburg, 2000
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 33
TRAILBLAZER BY JESSIE TAYLOR
F
inancial crimes such as fraud and money laundering have been in the spotlight in South Africa, especially as the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture highlights the extent of corruption in the public sector. Money laundering is the process used by criminals to hide, conceal or disguise the nature, source, location, and movement of the proceeds of crime. While fighting this type of crime primarily falls to law enforcement agencies, the National Treasury has a key role in reducing financial crime and adhering to recommendations set up by the watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF). CHAMPIONING A CORRUPTION AND CRIME-FREE COUNTRY Leading the fight against corruption is National Treasury Deputy DirectorGeneral Ismail Momoniat, who was one of the key figures behind the Public Finances Management Act. “I drove that process, obviously with the support of the Minister, who was Trevor Manuel, and the DG at that point, Maria Ramos,” said Mr. Momoniat, in an interview with Public Sector Leaders. As the Head of Tax and Financial Sector Policy, Mr. Momoniat has been vocal in condemning state capture, and other types of financial crime, and sees a willingness, from the State, to address these issues.
National Treasury Deputy Director-General Ismail Momoniat Protecting South Africa's financial resources 34 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
“You see the government today is committed to ensuring [an] ability to deal with financial crimes.” To protect South Africa’s financial resources, Treasury plans to present to Parliament draft legislation to deal with financial crimes. The draft legislation is expected to be ready later this year, says Mr. Momoniat. “The new legislation is just fixing up gaps.” The legislation comes in response to a FATF report, which found South Africa scored poorly in several outcomes, including identifying terrorism financing and reporting on suspicious transactions. Following the
report, Cabinet established an intergovernmental task team to deal with the identified weaknesses and ensure greater collaboration between law enforcement agencies. The FATF is an international body developing policies to combat money laundering and other financial crimes. The organisation is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. As an inter-governmental body, the FATF sets the international standards for preventing financial crimes and other illegal activities. However, Mr. Momoniat points out that even without the FATF standards, it would still be important for us to address gaps which allow for financial crime. “We’re not trying to meet the standards because of FATF,” he emphasised. “In a way it’s in our own interest to do so.” More than 200 countries and jurisdictions have committed to implementing the FATF’s standards. But, as Mr. Momoniat points out, countries don’t have to be members of the FATF to meet those standards. CREATING AN ECONOMY SAFE FROM FINANCIAL CRIMES South Africa is particularly at risk for financial crime due to its position as a regional financial hub for sub-Saharan Africa particularly for the laundering of both domestic and foreign crime proceeds and terrorism financing. South Africa has also experienced extensive state capture, where businesses and politicians influence the government’s decision-making processes. The widespread use of cash is a high risk for money laundering and terrorist financing, including across borders. More than half of South Africa’s transactions still take place in cash. Detecting and recovering
cash proceeds of crime remains a challenge for local law enforcement. “We need to make sure that all our regulators are on board with the way they implement the standards of care,” said the Deputy Director-General. “Supervisory institutions have to be up-to-speed; [the] Police and Hawks have to be up to speed; our intelligence agencies that monitor potential terrorist activities [have to be] are on board.” The legislation to address these weaknesses is the foundation for the government’s plans to track and prosecute perpetrators of financial crimes. It’s essential for the country to put these plans in place. “It’s to build our own capability to deal with financial crimes and not just money laundering,” said Mr. Momoniat. Implementing the legislation has become even more critical after the US Department of Treasury recently identified four individuals as suspected financiers of terrorist activities. The US Treasury stated that they were believed to be financial facilitators of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and ISIS-Mozambique. According to US government departments, ISIS associates in South Africa are playing an increasingly central role in transferring funds to branches across Africa.
To combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, the FATF gave South Africa 18 months to deal with weaknesses it identified in the country’s law. If South Africa fails to do so, it would be greylisted by the watchdog. This could lead to regulators in other countries restricting their transactions with South African banks and imposing fines for breaching these restrictions – something that would severely impact South Africa’s banking sector and reduce its investment potential. “The Treasury certainly leads on the changes to the FIC Act how banks report and so on. So we can do some things and get the legislative framework and try keep (sic) South Africa off the greylist. But the hard work in terms of investigation has to be done, still, by the Police, Hawks, and the prosecuting authorities,” Mr Momoniat told Public Sector Leaders. Treasury’s role will be to support those institutions as we work towards a country free of financial crime. “You need that kind of dynamic ecosystem that operates and that reinforces the good.” n Sources www.mybroadband.co.za www.fatf-gafi.org www.news24.com www.banking.org.za www.fic.gov.za www.huffingtonpost.co.uk www.businesslive.co.za
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 35
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP BY KOKETSO MAMABOLO
3 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
Honourable Thandi Modise H
onourable Thandi Modise has been in the public eye for several decades but, with everything we know about her, what about the things we don’t know about the former Speaker of the National Assembly? Here are three things you didn’t know about the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. THE KNITTING NEEDLE GUERILLA “The Knitting Needle Guerilla” was what the Weekly Mail dubbed Honourable Thandi Modise in a March 1989 feature, by Thami Mkhawanzi, on the current Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. With first hand military experience, who better to have sitting at the helm of the Ministry tasked with protecting the free nation which Hon. Modise sacrificed so much for. CPUT CHANCELLOR In 2017, while still the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, the Minister succeeded former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel as the Chancellor of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Hon. Modise is the first woman in this position. In attendance at the welcome ceremony was the Minister of Higher Education, Honourable Blade Nzimande, who noted: “One of the most important things precisely during these challenging times in the higher education sector, generally, and at CPUT, specifically, is that we need more government leadership to work together with student and worker leadership. It becomes therefore (sic) very important that she joins the higher education community at this point because we need her wisdom and dedication. She’s a very principled person and we need those like her to act as examples.”
36 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
At the ceremony Hon. Modise addressed the challenges facing universities, recognising the need for them to innovate and committing to play a meditation role between students and management. “I will be taking up the challenge and am very, very honoured,” said the Minister. PEACEKEEPER At the inaugural African Diaspora Awards in 2013, Honourable Modise was given special recognition for the “Advancement of Peace and Women in Africa”. Presenting the award was Dr. Knox Chitiyo, an Africa Fellow at Chatham House. “The embrace of moral uprightness which was espoused through the sustained surge for freedom, democracy and progressive self-determination led to empowerment of oppressed communities and made our world [better-able] to contend with diversity than ever before,” said the Minister in her keynote address. Almost twenty years later, and now in her role as the head of the Defence Ministry, she is continuing her efforts to foster a continent free of conflict and is an example of the focused leadership required in dealing with disputes. Honourable Modise has continued South Africa’s commitment to deploying members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in peacekeeping missions across the continent. As part of Operation Mistral, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the SANDF is currently involved in MONUSCO’s Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), maintaining the nation’s position as one of the biggest contributors to African, and global, peace efforts. n
TIMELINE 1976 1978 1979 1980 1989 1994 1994 1998 2004 2010 2014 2019 2021
Left school to go into exile Returned from exile Arrested for anti-apartheid activities Sentence to 16 years imprisonment Released from prison Elected as a Member of Parliament Councillor and Chairperson of the Robben Island Museum Council Chair of Portfolio Committee on Defence and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature Premier of the North West Province Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Speaker of the National Assembly Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
Sources: www.mg.co.za www.cput.ac.za www.dmv.gov.za www.gov.za www.defenceweb.co.za
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 37
ADVERTORIAL SAICA
Thuthuka
Inspiring success and changing lives for the past 20 years
T
his year marks 20 years since the chartered accountancy profession reinvented its earnest efforts to ensure that its membership base was more inclusive and representative of the country’s demographics. In celebration of what South Africa's then Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, called “the most successful transformation and skills development programme in South Africa”, we look back at the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (SAICA) Thuthuka programme. WHY SAICA TURNED ITS FOCUS ON TRANSFORMATION Although SAICA’s transformation efforts were kicked into high gear in the early 2000s, when Thuthuka was born, talks about how to reach its transformation targets began much earlier in the 1980s. At the
time, SAICA’s three-part objective was to “encourage collegiality; involve all societies in the institute; [and] maintain exceptional standards.” The first and third objectives were relatively easy. Opening up the profession to all races, however, was a different story. With the first black chartered accountant [CA(SA)], Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, only achieving the designation in 1977, the profession’s transformation record was virtually non-existent – with only one black and 11 Indian CAs(SA) making up SAICA’s membership base. The conundrum of how to open up the profession given the deficiencies of the apartheid education system and its long-term effects on South Africa’s skills and employment, cannot be underestimated. The
38 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
state of education in the institutions black people were allowed to attend was vastly inferior to the education on offer to their white counterparts. This discrepancy convinced SAICA of the need to create a solution. The knowledge that it takes seven to ten years to produce a fully-qualified CA(SA), after Grade 12, meant that the solution had to be long-term, sustainable and high-volume. THE PROFESSION TAKES THE FIRST STEPS… Having recognised the need to open the doors to more black and female CAs(SA), SAICA established a committee to champion this. In 1987, SAICA, together with the then Public Accountants and Auditors Board (now the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors), and the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants,
established the Eden Trust to provide bursaries to aspiring black CAs(SA). Thanks to funding, which came from the auditing firms, the Eden Trust helped over 100 black CAs(SA) qualify. The Trust did not, however, solve the basic problem of access to quality education. If it was to achieve its goal of a demographically representative membership base, SAICA knew it would need to tackle both funding constraints as well as a host of academic and psycho-social barriers that black candidates faced when attempting to enter the profession. THE ARRIVAL OF DEMOCRACY COMPOUNDED THE PROFESSION’S TRANSFORMATION CONCERNS Faced with the very real threat that the country would not have enough CAs(SA), SAICA decided that it was duty-bound to make a contribution. It was SAICA’s belief, and one it still holds today, that you cannot start developing more accountants if you do not have a pipeline. You have to start at school level; you have to make youngsters aware of the profession and make it attractive to them. Then, after they decide on the profession, you need to help them enter it. And so, SAICA launched its worldrenowned transformation initiative. THUTHUKA: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TRANSFORMATION AND THE SKILLS SHORTAGE Under the banner of Thuthuka, a Zulu word meaning “to develop”, SAICA launched its first transformation project in the Eastern Cape in 2002 where it ran numeracy and literacy programmes
with Grade 11 and 12 educators and learners, and engaged in capacitybuilding at the University of Fort Hare. Today, that single project has grown into a national one that includes various interventions across the education value chain in order to provide educational support to African and coloured learners and students for the benefit of the profession and the nation. From addressing the challenge of access to quality education in 2005, SAICA dissolved the Eden Trust, reinvented it (so as to include a comprehensive wrap-around support programme to support students’ psycho-social, additional academic and life-skills needs) and relaunched it as the now worldrenowned Thuthuka Bursary. The gains the chartered accountancy profession has made in its transformation efforts since the day Thuthuka started should be lauded, as should the support it has received from its myriad of publicprivate partnerships. CHANGING LIVES, TRANSFORMING A PROFESSION In 2002 when Thuthuka launched, SAICA’s CAs(SA) membership based remained skewed at 92% white, 5% Indian, 2% African and 1% coloured. 20 years on, over 7 500 African and over 2 000 coloured CAs(SA) are now practising as CAs(SA). But the true impact of the combined efforts of Thuthuka’s transformation initiatives is best represented by looking at how the membership base of CAs(SA) under the age of 35 has changed. Today, of the 16 521 CAs(SA) under the age of 35, 4 393 are African and 1 013 are coloured. This represents 33% of the total membership population under 35.
CA(SA) MEMBERSHIP UNDER 35 (2002)
CA(SA) MEMBERSHIP UNDER 35 (AS AT DEC 2021)
EVERY CENT COUNTS Thuthuka’s initiatives are funding dependent. All funding is raised entirely through donor funding, with only 1% of SAICA’s annual membership fee being directed to Thuthuka. SAICA thanks all its funding partners who have supported it over the past 20 years and encourages anyone who, whether in your individual capacity or through your organisation, would like to get involved in funding Thuthuka to visit www.saica.org.za for details. n
Email: saica@saica.co.za Website: www.saica.org.za Tel: 086 107 2422
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 39
ADVERTORIAL CSVR
Localising the national GBV laws through community SGBV prevention strategies The missing link to curbing SGBV in our lifetime
O Annah MoyoKupeta is the Executive Director at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). Ms MoyoKupeta is a human rights with 16 years’ experience working in the legal, transitional justice, human rights and violence prevention fields with a specific focus on legal research, gender and gender mainstreaming, regional litigation, policymaking, policy and legislative review and analysis, and development of soft law instruments for various target audiences from policy, peer CSO groups and victim groups.
40 | Public Sector Leaders | April 2022
ur communities are the site of sexual and genderbased violence (SGBV) and femicide. When these cases occur, it is communities that reel from such incidents and victims and perpetrators are often members of the community, with ties and roots in the community. It is therefore important that national policies and GBV laws find expression in, and resonate with, community members in the form of locally-owned and informed GBV prevention strategies. The pervasiveness of SGBV, particularly sexual violence in South Africa is alarming. In the month of April alone, a number of young women and girls were raped in a number of communities. Many cases did not make headlines this month. All these cases have one thing in common: They have taken place in a community setting; the perpetrators are mostly known to community members and victims are children to families in the communities. The aftermath of the violence will continue to ring in the ears of community members long after the national spotlight has waned. Community-led and informed SGBV prevention strategies as community social contracts, and statements of commitment by and for community members, make sense as an effective strategy to address community-based SGBV cases that are on the rise. The challenge with national laws, as progressive and transformational as they are, is that at the most, they remain an abstract to a large section of communities particularly those most affected by SGBV and the womxn and girls who bear the brunt of GBV in their homes and
public spaces. At the very least, the laws and policies are crafted in legalese and policy language, and as such, they use generic and allencompassing language that does not zoom into the nuances and context-specific realities on the ground. Community SGBV prevention strategies capture the nuances, the lived realities of victims and address the root causes of this scourge in communities. It is community members, from leaders, law enforcement, families and victims themselves who rise up and commit to collectively taking action against the incidents of rape and GBV as well as the key drivers of such violence. Funerals, stokvels and community dialogues become the rallying points of action, galvanising multi-stakeholder reflections on the challenges, gaps and what needs to be done to address SGBV in those communities.
approach, where each stakeholder uses their influence, voice and power – real or imagined – this is besides the point, to tackle the plague of SGBV. GBV laws only meet and address reality when broken down into bite-sized, context-specific and incident-responsive localised strategies that every community commits to because they address their issues and empower them to do something in their small corner and with what they have. This way, the fight is localised, locally-owned and collectively binding. When we evaluate the formal or informal community-led SGBV prevention strategies, we realise that the very laws that usually have little uptake by communities are effectively implemented.
The upscaling and sustainability of such collective action is only possible through development of a community-led and informed SGBV prevention strategy, where community members do not necessarily need to know or quote the 3 GBV laws passed by the South African government in January 2022 or the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF).
As the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), we are undertaking this mammoth task of driving the development of community-led and informed SGBV prevention strategies that are relevant, responsive to and resonant with the realities of SGBV in eight communities that we work in – Mamelodi, Diepsloot, Inner City Johannesburg, Alexandra, Orange Farm, Kagiso, Ekangala and Marikana. The strategy draws from the NSP-GBVF, the National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security and the GBV laws in the country.
This would be a strategy that responds to the SGBV issues and challenges in the community, one that resonates and is relevant to the realities and experiences on the ground, without ascribing to a “one-size-fits-all”. As a communityled and informed strategy, the community members, including community-based organisations, localised offices of government departments such as social development, police station personnel and the ward councillor’s office, all participate in curbing the incidents using a multi-disciplinary
Our approach entails a multidisciplinary engagement with the communities where we engage in community dialogues with multiple stakeholders in each community, bringing everyone together to deliberate on the issues prevalent in each community, key drivers and root causes of SGBV; undertake research with community members on their opinions and recommendations on what needs to be done; train community members and law enforcement officers including local SAPS officials and CPF members on GBV laws and
policies, to enhance and inform their response to SGBV cases; raise awareness and establish community-based campaigns on SGBV and we also provide psychosocial support to victims and their families, highlighting the need for psychosocial support and empowerment platforms for womxn and girls in communities. Communities are where the tyre hits the tarmac when it comes to the perpetration of SGBV. With communities as landscapes and sites of these crimes and violence, it therefore makes sense to us as an organisation to localise what exists at national level to protect womxn and girls and give it local ownership and nuance, with community members at the front and centre of what needs to be done, by who when and how, collectively, with everyone signing up to this collective action and commitment. When national laws are given life and expression at community level this way, we have hope that we can win the war against SGBV in our lifetime. n
Address: 33 Hoofd Street, Braampark Forum 5, 3rd Floor, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa Tel: +27 (11) 403-5650 E-mail: info@csvr.org.za
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 41
UNEMPLOYMENT BY THABISO M. MOHLABENG
The top 4 programmes unlocking youth potential
S
outh Africa has a recordhigh unemployment rate for job seekers between the ages of 15 to 24. The youth unemployment rate remained unchanged between the third and fourth quarters of 2021, sitting at 66.50%. Statistics SA revealed that the manufacturing sector lost 85 000 jobs during the fourth quarter, while construction shed over 25 000. On a positive note, the agricultural sector tallied up 38 000 new jobs. In this month's edition of Public Sector Leaders, we take a look at public-private partnerships that assist in creating job opportunities in South Africa, especially for the youth. With all the doom and gloom, there is a ray of sunshine as the South African economy continues to open as COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed. The private and public sector continue to work together to create employment. His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa noted during the State Of The Nation address: “We all know that [the] government does not create
jobs, businesses create jobs. Last year our unemployment rate reached its highest recorded level. Unemployment has been caused by low growth, which has resulted from the long-term decline in investment in our economy, which has lasted for a number of years.” President Ramaphosa said that the state “must create an environment in which the private sector can invest and unleash the dynamism of our economy”. HARAMBEE Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a not-for-profit social enterprise building African solutions for the global challenge of youth unemployment. They work with a variety of partners who are committed to results that can work at scale – including government, the private sector, civil society, and over 1.5 million youth. Some of the key partners that they work with are: BPESA, Pick ‘n Pay, Unilever, Gauteng Government, FNB, Standard Bank, BUSA, SASOL and the Presidency South Africa. Harambee is committed to changing the system by removing the barriers that keep millions of young South Africans
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locked out of opportunities. Harambee's vision is of a growing economy and a society that works, powered by the potential of young people. YES4YOUTH YES is a business-led collaboration that seeks groundbreaking ways to reignite the economy and give youth a dignified first chance, through innovation and technological best practices. The YES 12-month quality work experience equips unemployed youth with a toolkit to be a beacon of hope for their families, households and communities. The initiative has created over 75 055 opportunities, funnelled over R4.2-billion into the South African economy, and over 650 companies have boosted their B-BBEE score by partnering with the organisation. Some of the companies that participate in the initiative include Spar Group, Transnet, Investec, Netcare, Nedbank and Vodacom amongst others. The initiative has a variety of hubs that assist in upskilling the youth. Digitate Lab: Digital training lab offering a range of specialised
digital learning programmes. Training partners include Vodacom, Google, Microsoft and IT Varsity.
caters for agile, open-minded persons willing to solve problems and collaborate with others.
Green Engine Aquaponics and Farming: Hydroponics programmes and commercial farms where youth learn about urban agriculture and sell their produce.
The Nestlé Internship Development Program is a 12-month program that is anchored by providing on-thejob training for unemployed youth. It differs slightly from the graduate programme as there are no rotations; participants focus on acquiring the expertise needed to forge a successful career in their chosen field.
Drone Academy: Candidates are taught how to repair, operate and fly drones to provide services to key sectors of the economy. The YES Culinary Academy: Chef training and entrepreneurial incubation with live restaurants running while youth learn. NESTLÉ ALL4YOUTH In 2013, Nestlé made a commitment to assist 10 million young people with worldwide access to economic opportunities by 2030. Nestlé has created a program for recent graduates, allowing aspiring culinary and differentlyabled persons an opportunity to showcase their talents and upskill themselves. The Nestlé graduate program caters for over 6 000 applicants each year. Successful applicants participate in a 24-month rotational development program that provides an introduction to the working world of Nestlé and also allows them to gain a strong foundation for further development. The programme
Their focus is on developing qualifying businesses to a level where they can obtain significant, easy access to procurement, financing and networking opportunities. While their programmes and platforms are available to any business, at any stage of their development, Black Umbrellas' primary enabler is the enterprise and supplier development requirements of the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice.
Nestlé also has a programme called YOCUTA, which stands for Young Culinary Talents. The aim of the program is to develop young chefs by equipping students with all the necessary tools to chase a successful career in the culinary industry. Through this programme, young chefs acquire a wide range of practical and theoretical skills required to succeed. Nestlé also provides learnerships for differently-abled persons. BLACK UMBRELLAS Recently, Honourable Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development, encouraged South Africans to pursue entrepreneurship to help eliminate poverty. For young South African entrepreneurs who are interested in growing their businesses and finding success, Black Umbrellas brings together other aspiring entrepreneurs, investors and mentors under the same parasol.
South African youth have a number of opportunities available to them to position themselves better for the work environment. Other privatepublic initiatives aimed at the youth include: • • • • • • •
Signa Academy 4Afrika Microsoft Google 4 Africa Amy Foundation TEDxYouth@CapeTown Touch: South Africa powered by the Loeries AMA Academy and many more
These platforms are available to equip the youth with skills and knowledge, including practical knowledge needed by both the public and private sectors in South Africa. n Sources: www.gov.za www.blackumbrellas.co.za www.harambee.co.za www.yes4youth.co.za www.nestle-esar.com
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CSI FOCUS COVID UPDATE - IS IT OVER YET? BY JESSIE MASENYANE TAYLOR MOLEFE
New COVID-19 regulations for South Africans, as case numbers remain low
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outh Africans can now have their say on how the country will move towards ending the National State of Disaster. This comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions. South Africa’s state of disaster was first declared at the end of March 2020 – more than two full years ago. The state of disaster has allowed the government to introduce emergency regulations and restrictions to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In those two years, South Africa has had more than 3.7 million cases and has recorded nearly 100 000 COVID-19 related deaths. HAVE YOUR SAY ON FUTURE REGULATIONS As a way forward, the Department of Health has published proposed health regulations to deal with COVID-19 and other notifiable medical conditions. This would provide the framework to end the National State of Disaster. The proposed regulations have been opened for public comments to allow average citizens to have meaningful input into the decisionmaking process, said Health Minister Joe Phaahla. “This is part of the government`s transition plans from the current National State of Disaster, which has been in place more than two years since it was first declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, in order to have a specific legal instrument to manage the current and future pandemics,” he said. The regulations would deal with aspects such as entry and exit to South Africa, the number of attendees and gatherings and protocols for funerals, among others. The proposed regulations, once approved, will be implemented by the National Department of Health. They will not need to be tabled before Parliament since they are subordinate legislation that has already been delegated to the Health Minister.
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The proposed regulations aim to introduce control measures which include the surveillance and the control of notifiable medical conditions; public health measures at points of entry; management of human remains; and regulations relating to environmental health. In South Africa, notifiable conditions are diseases that may risk public health. If someone is diagnosed with a notifiable condition, health authorities must be informed. Besides COVID-19, other notifiable conditions are tuberculosis, hepatitis, and measles. President Cyril Ramaphosa added: “Due to the changing nature of the pandemic, and due to the progress that has been made through our collective efforts, we intend to lift the National State of Disaster as soon as public comment on the health regulations published by the Minister of Health has been completed. These regulations, when finalised, will replace the State of Disaster regulations as the legal instrument that we use to manage the pandemic.” URGING ALL SOUTH AFRICANS TO VACCINATE The government has already eased some restrictions based on low infection rates. South Africans are no longer required to wear masks outdoors, although it is still mandatory indoors. In addition, indoor and outdoor venues are now permitted to take up to 50% of their capacity if there is proof of vaccination among patrons. Otherwise, only 1 000 people will be allowed indoors and 2 000 people outdoors. This regulation is expected to allow sports gatherings, conferences and music performances.
The regulations will also allow travellers to enter the country with proof of vaccination or a PCR test and no longer require every traveller to test. The easing of restrictions comes as, after four waves of infections, fewer people are becoming severely ill and requiring hospitalisation. This is primarily due to around 60 to 80% of the population having some form of immunity to the virus, nonpharmaceutical interventions such as mask-wearing and hand washing, and the health department learning to manage the disease more effectively. “We, therefore, enter the third year of this pandemic more hopeful than ever before. While the pandemic is not yet over, and while we remain cautious, we see many parts of our daily life returning to normal. We see our economy returning to full operation. We feel the fear and despair of the last two years lifting from our shoulders,” said President Ramaphosa.
to vaccinate. That’s why our approach is not going to be a reckless one in terms of opening up,” he said. In addition, the more people who vaccinate, the less chance of new variants of the virus emerging. “If we are able to reach that 70% of coverage of all adults and of people between 12 and 17 who are also eligible, there would be fewer variants because fewer people would be transmitting the virus,” said Minister Phaahla. This is especially important as the country prepares for the fifth wave of infections closer to winter. n
However, the government still faces challenges in encouraging South Africans to vaccinate against Covid-19. Only around 44% of adults are fully vaccinated, and 50% have received at least one dose for all adults. In addition, the health department has already been forced to dispose of some vaccines that had reached their expiry date. The sooner the majority of the population receives their vaccination, the sooner the government will be able to drop further Covid-19 restrictions, said Minister Phaahla. “We want to balance on the one hand opening up society, opening up social activity, opening up business, and at the same time encouraging people
Sources www.news24.com www.sanews.gov.za www.businesstech.co.za www.dailymaverick.co.za www.ewn.co.za www.timeslive.co.za
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Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 47
REGIONAL FOCUS: EASTERN CAPE BY JESSIE TAYLOR
The Eastern Cape of the future
Investing in infrastructure to grow the provincial economy
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hilst being one of South Africa’s most rural provinces, Eastern Cape has vast potential to become an economic driver. In an effort to unlock the earning potential of the province, investment is being made into infrastructure such as roads, smart cities and special economic zones. Unemployment remains a challenge in the province, with more than 47% of adults out of work. Of those
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with employment, around a quarter are in the informal sector. However, Eastern Cape is home to a significant labour force: The province has the third-largest population (around 7 million people), following Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Yet almost 13% of households in Eastern Cape live in poverty, and many others are based in isolated, rural areas where
access to government services is limited. The Eastern Cape’s GDP is around R340-billion – less than 8% of the national GDP. The province is home to key facilities in the automotive manufacturing sector and also boasts several timber processing plants linked to forestry plantations. The province is serviced by two harbours, and the region has become a popular site among the renewable energy and agro-processing sectors. BUILDING TOWARDS THE FUTURE Investing in the province is essential to unlocking its economic potential – and this is exactly what the national government, provincial government and the private sector have committed to. In his State of the Province address earlier this year, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said: “The people of our Province expect government and social partners to solve the unemployment challenge. In response to this expectation, we have started to collectively address the economy that is not growing at an acceptable rate. In this regard, we are building an enabling infrastructure as a catalyst to grow the economy and create jobs.” Premier Mabuyane announced several infrastructure projects that would be opening u p transport links across the province. These include eight major road infrastructure projects worth R3.1billion, which were completed in the 2021/2022 year, and 18 projects, worth R7-billion, planned over the next few years. These will include upgrades to sections of the N2 highway, a key transport
artery that intersects the province and links it to the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Along with creating new infrastructure, rehabilitation road works to the value of R1.5-billion were rolled out in the last financial year, which have benefitted towns such as Middelburg, Steynsburg, Molteno, Dordrecht, Indwe and Nqanqarhu. More than 4 500 job opportunities were created, of which 2 020 benefitted youth and 1 076 women, said Premier Mabuyane. Along with the investment into roads, there is also a R5.6-billion investment planned by Transnet to expand facilities at the East London Port. These transport links are essential for the province’s economy, especially with its reliance on agriculture and manufacturing. To enable the growth of the manufacturing sector, several investments have been announced for the province. These include an R1.4-billion investment into the Wild Coast Industrial Park in Mthatha, which will increase capacity in both the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. In addition, R3.3-billion has been injected into the East London Industrial Development Zone (EL IDZ) – which is linked to the auto sector – and the EL IDZ is looking at deepening local content by localising the second and thirdtier car components that are not currently in South Africa. The Coega SEZ has recently been chosen by Hive Hydrogen SA as the location of a Green Hydrogen project which will be fully operational by 2026. This will see the construction of a R70 billion green ammonia plant. But two more investments are also planned for the SEZ: R362-
million by Seraphim Solar Cell Manufacturing and R300-million African Port Logistics and Infrastructure. In addition to investing in infrastructure to bolster the economy, the provincial government is also working to create a new smart city in the Eastern Cape. The African Coastal Smart City is in the planning stages, and will be located on the Wild Coast, said Premier Mabuyane. The coastal smart city is expected to reduce unemployment in the area, promote tourism and help reverse some of the loss of skilled labour from the area. The development model, initially unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa, is a step towards creating new regional nodes that will attract investment and create opportunities for the surrounding communities. President Ramaphosa said the development is essential under South Africa’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan and is likely to provide a much needed economic boost. “This initiative is going to serve as a game-changer and a catalyst for further development and investment attraction throughout the Wild Coast. There are already investors who have expressed an interest in the area. To facilitate implementation on the Eastern Cape side of the programme, we have appointed Coega (Special Economic Zone) to package our projects,” said Premier Mabuyane. n Sources:
www.businesstech.co.za www.ecsecc.org www.ecsecc.org www.gov.za
www.idc.co.za
www.itweb.co.za
www.dailymaverick.co.za
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DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS BY JESSIE TAYLOR
A new approach to Home Affairs Digitisation and online bookings to improve service delivery
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new digital system is set to reduce queueing time at the Department of Home Affairs offices and bolster the Department’s service delivery. The Department has started a pilot project with a new e-booking system, which will allow citizens to book their visits to specific Home Affairs branches. Should this pilot be successful, it will give citizens improved access to the Department’s essential services. More than 90% of South Africans have access to smartphones, meaning that most of the
country will now be able to benefit from the new digital programme. PILOTING A MOBILE APPROACH The Department’s new e-booking pilot forms part of a greater push to increase digitisation within Home Affairs. This will include updating ageing equipment and improving network connectivity, both in terms of internet speed and infrastructure. Home Affairs will also be implementing a range of new technology, such as the e-booking system. The pilot is
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currently running at a selection of high-volume offices around the country and is expected to significantly reduce queuing at these branches. It includes options to book an appointment at a selected home affairs branch in each province during a specified time. The e-booking system has been integrated with the national population register and each slot will be booked using the client’s ID number. This will act as a safeguard against agents illegally blocking slots and selling them.
The long-term plan will see the e-booking system rolled out through a mobile app, but for now, it is running on the Department’s website. To make a booking, clients will be required to enter personal details such as their ID number, full name, cellphone number and email address. After these details have been confirmed against the population register, users will be able to select a branch.
mobile trucks to capture school pupils’ details. Championing the move to digitisation is Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
The branches currently forming part of the programme are: • • • • • • • •
The aim of the system is to cut down queuing times at front offices and prevent corrupt activity associated with blocking and selling time slots.
“The Department of Home Affairs acknowledges the adoption of digital transformation and the implementation of ICT technologies that enhance service delivery channels. That’s why there are current e-modernisation projects in place and an e-home affairs digital channel,” says Minister Motsoaledi. Part of this focus on digitisation is the rollout of the second phase of the government’s SA Connect project. This project provides 100Mbps broadband links to high-demand government facilities such as Home Affairs.
Pretoria (Gauteng) Akasia (Gauteng) Tongaat (KwaZulu-Natal) Ndwedwe (KwaZulu-Natal) Cape Town (Western Cape) Paarl (Western Cape) Wynberg (Western Cape) Belville (Western Cape)
During the pilot, clients will only be able to book a slot for applications and renewals of ID cards and passports. Booking to collect outstanding documents are also available under the e-booking pilot.
role in the Department’s strategy in the future, Minister Motsoaledi believes.
Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs from 30 May 2019. He took up the appointment after serving as the Minister of Health between May 2014 and May 2019. He had filled a position in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature from 1994 to 2009. These included MEC for Education, Transport and Agriculture.
A FUTURE IN DIGITAL The long lines at Home Affairs offices have been exacerbated by unpredictable walk-ins and the high number of clients requiring service. These clients are often met with limited staff availability in small offices, who are hampered by slow and manual processes. Digital processes are often offline due to system instability.
He is a member of the ANC National Executive Committee. Prior to democracy, Minister Motsoaledi served as a Chairperson of the Sekhukhune Advice Office from 1986 to 1994, Chairperson of Hlahlolanang Health and Nutrition Education Project in 1989, Deputy Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in the then Northern Transvaal and Head of the ANC Elections Commission for Limpopo in 1994.
The strategy to improve service delivery will include moving the registration of births and deaths to health facilities, and the use of
Minister Motsoaledi holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Natal. Digitisation will play a key
The Department has also installed a live capture system to several bank branches, where information can be captured for ID card and passport applications. This partnership is expected to be expanded this year beyond the current 25 branches offering the service. This is likely to be increased to 70 branches, says Minister Motsoaledi. “Most people who are well-todo have bank accounts (and) should not come to Home Affairs offices. We want to increase the (banking rollout) very fast so that most South Africans can get their ID or passports through the bank,” he says. All of South Africa’s biggest banks – with the exception of Capitec – offer the Home Affairs service at a handful of their branches. n Sources: www.dha.gov.za businesstech.co.za businesstech.co.za pa.org.za
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INTERVIEW LEGISLATURES
As we celebrate Freedom Month, it’s fitting that we reflect on one of the wonderful gifts democracy has given us: our legislatures. Prof. Kondlo is a Professor of International Political Economy at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), in the Department of Politics and International Relations. Before he joined UJ, he was a Senior Professor and Director of the Centre for Africa Studies at the University of the Free State and has prior experience working in government. He’s the author of two books, has co-edited five others and had the privilege of being the first black CEO of what is now known as the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI). The Institute for the Study of Legislatures in South Africa is his non-profit response to the need for engagement between legislatures, the communities they represent and tertiary institutions. We asked Professor Kwandiwe Kondlo, one of the founding members of the Institute for the Study of Legislatures in South Africa (ISL), about the importance of public participation
The Institute for the Study of Legislatures Why effective public participation in the democratic process is crucial - meet Prof. Kwandiwe Kondlo
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HOW CAN WE INCREASE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION? The issue is not about increasing public participation, especially if one is talking about numbers. The issue is not how many forums of public participation must be there in a year but it is about making public participation more effective, more focused, results driven and more owned by communities. As the ISL we have clear positions on this matter but
will need a separate forum or publication altogether to delve into the details. WHY IS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DON’T PARTICIPATE? Most importantly, when people don’t participate, policies they don’t even understand are promulgated and thrusted on them. Public participation in all spaces created by law is important for two reasons – one, for the ‘co-origination’ and ‘co-authorship’ of government policy and secondly, for collective policy ownership and support. Government must implement policies we fully understand and policies we fully identify with. The implementers, the users and addressees of public policy, must be co-originators and co-authors if public policy is to be harmonised with the normative values of a peoplecentred democracy. These values are centred on reciprocal relationships of respect and active involvement. Grassroots based community dialogues (which the ISL seeks to champion) are the epicentres of co-origination and coauthorship exercises and need to be carefully managed and tapped as a useful resource in the generation of policy issues and validation of policy direction and impact. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A REPRESENTATIVE, PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY COMPARED TO OTHER MODELS? Our democracy is representative and I would say is strongly
aspiring to be participatory in the numerous forums of public participation. In South Africa there are innovative approaches for the effective combination of “representative with participatory democracy, in order to improve the quality of the first through the contributions of the second” (Ginsborg 2008: 12). In practice the enrichment of representative democracy by insights generated by participatory democracy is very slender. Hence the need to reconfigure and strengthen public participation is key to the resolution of problems HOW IS THE ISL CREATING A LINK BETWEEN LEGISLATURES AND COMMUNITIES? The ISL is starting a chain of community-based conversations that start as units and then groups and later large
community gatherings, not meeting to criticise the state, but meeting to ensure that people understand messages from the government, from local to national governments. This will in turn lead us to a proper understanding of the integrity of spaces of participation for ordinary citizens to ensure that their voices are not overwhelmed by elite interests and biases be it at local, provincial and national levels. WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR THE PUBLIC ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN THE LAWMAKING PROCESS? The underlying assumptions in the issues raised by a crosssection of participants need to be noted, unpacked and understood to inform the formal aspects of law-making. n Sources: https://www.islsa.org.za/team1.html#reviews
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IN OTHER NEWS BY ALEXANDRA KOTCHOUBEI
TOP DESTINATIONS IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA The Hidden and Not-so-Hidden Gems of Africa “Africa has her mysteries, and even a wise man cannot understand them. But a wise man respects them.” - Miriam Makeba Travelling is on most people’s bucket list, but deciding where to travel can be the biggest challenge. Even with our favourite, regular destinations, we still want to expand our horizons and go somewhere new. This list of hidden gems could be your next discovery across Africa.
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SOUTH AFRICA
To many of us South Africa is home but do you know how many people have not even explored their own country’s gems, yet have been to all other corners of the world? Let’s start right here. If you’re looking for beautiful cities, wilderness and rich history, South Africa is a country you’d love to explore. From Table Mountain, the Big Hole in Kimberley, the Kruger National Park and all the way to the Cape Winelands South Africa has more to it than meets the eye.
Many people are said to love any city that has trams running through them - it brings them to life. South Africa, unlike Europe, is not known for having trams - except in the little French corner of the country: Franschhoek. The Franschhoek Wine Tram offers a European transport experience through the beautiful Cape Winelands, where you can hop on-and-off to wander around various farms and taste the gorgeous wines. If you take a trip down the Garden Route you will find the world’s first free roaming multi-species primate
sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay Monkeyland. This award winning sanctuary takes you and your family on a walking ‘monkey safari’, introducing you to over 550 primates of various species. Tours are also offered in various languages such as English, Afrikaans, German, French and Spanish. If you drive further down the Garden Route, towards Oudtshoorn, you will come across the Cango Caves one of South Africa’s oldest tourist attractions and Africa’s biggest show cave system. Here you can wander in awe at the stalagmites and stalactites on a tour through the cave. A standard tour is for everyone, an adventure tour is for those who are not claustrophobic. Tours are also offered in English, Afrikaans, German and French, as well as other languages depending on the availability of guides. A World Heritage Site which is a must visit is the Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo. Not only is it a place of serenity, with beautiful birds and wildlife, but it is a dream for history enthusiasts. This is where you will find southern Africa’s first ancient African Kingdom, which was home to a powerful tribe that flourished on trading with eastern cultures such as China and India. Archaeologists excavated the famous golden rhino and found other evidence of this wealthy African kingdom here. If you are lucky enough to live in the Mother City, be a local and travel back in time when you visit The Labia Theatre - the oldest independent art-repertory cinema in South Africa. This old school cinema has something for everyone showing
the best of circuit, independent movies, foreign and local films, documentaries, classics and others.
NAMIBIA
Driving north from South Africa, to the south-west part of Africa, you will find a place where the desert meets the sea: Namibia. The country is home to the oldest desert in the world and a sandy gem you most definitely need to tick off your bucket list. When driving from the port of Walvis Bay to Swakopmund your view is not just the road ahead but the Atlantic Ocean to one side and the sand dunes to the other. Arriving in Swakopmund is like entering a little African Germany. The architecture resembles that of a German ‘Altstadt’; signs and buildings’ names are in German and locals communicate in English, Afrikaans, German.
If you pack up your 4x4 and hit the tar road travelling into the desert you will reach the gravel roads that take you to Sossusvlei - one of the most well-known attractions in Namibia where you will find the red dunes which are also some of the highest in the world, reaching almost 400 metres. This destination is a must for
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photography enthusiasts. With many lodges to choose from for your stay, one activity you have to experience is floating through the air on a Namib Sky Safari and seeing the desert from the best bird’s eye view - in a hot air balloon. Fun fact: the Namibian Dollar is 1:1 with the South African Rand and South African currency is accepted there.
ZIMBABWE
If you don’t believe that beauty can leave you breathless then you have not yet visited the Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe! It is the only place in the world where elephants have learned to stand on their hind legs to reach the top branches, which is literally defying gravity for a creature of such size, and guests are guaranteed great encounters.
They also have walking safaris like no other because it is one of the only parks in Africa where you are allowed to walk without a guide. This is, of course, only recommended if you have bush experience. Overall, this unique ecological wonder is somewhere you should experience.
MOZAMBIQUE
Ibo Island is situated off the Mozambican coastline and has a long and interesting history. It was the centre for the slave and ivory trade and visitors can go on tours of the islands where locals share stories about pirates, slaves, ivory and gold. Not only that, the island is also one of the most pristine beach destinations in the world, falling within the Quirimbas National Park which has some of the most unspoilt reefs in the world. This is a top diving destination where divers can see turtles, dolphins, whales and the rare Dugong. Be sure to add this destination to your dream board.
For accommodation you can stay at the Ibo Island Lodge in the Quirimbas Archipelago, which are three 150-year old mansions that have been restored to offer you nothing but luxury, from the inside to the gardens.
RWANDA
If you are a football fan, you would have come across the sideline advertisement boards telling you to ‘Visit Rwanda’. Now we are telling you, too.
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Known as the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda’s stunning scenery and people bring about a unique experience. But what is there to actually see and do? For leisure travel you can go hiking, cycling, or caving. You can see a volcano and you can go gorilla tracking, which is said to be a life changing experience by many.
Even though this is a great place for leisure travel, it is even better for business travel as Rwanda was ranked as the second easiest place to do business in Africa by the World Bank. It was ranked as the 9th safest country in the world by the World Economic Forum in 2017. Rwanda also has one of the most clean and green mindsets with their lands being possibly the cleanest in Africa thanks to the efforts through every one of their communities, including a ban on plastic bags dating back to 2008. n Sources:
www.winetram.co.za www.monkeyland.co.za www.oudtshoorn.com www.sanparks.org www.thelabia.co.za www.sossusvlei.org www.namibsky.com www.africanbushcamps.com www.mozambique.co.za www.visitrwanda.com
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NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN BY JESSIE TAYLOR
Building South Africa's economic future through investment in infrastructure
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onstruction has begun on more than 60 infrastructure projects, which are set to provide South Africa with the boost it needs to kickstart its economy.
focusing on four broad interventions – infrastructure investment, energy generation, employment stimulus and the industrialisation of the South African manufacturing sector.
The 62 projects fall under the National Infrastructure Plan and have been gazetted as Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPS) under the Infrastructure Development Act. This classification allows the implementation of the projects to be expedited.
The ERRP has the potential to create more than 800 000 jobs and unlock more than R1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next four years, says President Cyril Ramaphosa.
INVESTING IN ECONOMIC POTENTIAL The National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) falls under the government's Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP). The ERRP aims to build a new economy and unleash South Africa's economic potential by
"Infrastructure has immense potential to stimulate investment and growth, to develop other economic sectors and create sustainable employment both directly and indirectly. We have developed a robust pipeline of projects that will completely transform the landscape of our cities, towns and rural areas," President Ramaphosa says. To facilitate the ease of
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implementing these projects, the government has established Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) and the Infrastructure Fund with the capacity to prepare and package projects. Fast-tracking the implementation process for the 62 projects will enable around R340 billion in new investment. Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille estimates that addressing and maintaining South Africa's public infrastructure through the 62 SIPs could cost around R6 trillion.
revive the struggling construction sector, Minister de Lille said. The projects involve all three spheres of government, state-owned entities and departments. They will see the building of bridges, water systems, road and rail upgrades, student and social housing. ISA has become the single-entry point for all infrastructure in the country. The ISA coordinates, monitors and raises funding for the SIPS across the country. This is no small among of funding – the government committed R100 billion over ten years to the Infrastructure Fund in 2020. A COHERENT PLAN FOR SA'S INFRASTRUCTURE FUTURE ISA, headed by Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has been instrumental in establishing the National Infrastructure Plan 2050. This plan, developed over a period of six months working closely with sector specialists and other stakeholders, ensures a long-term overview of infrastructure with a view to driving economic and social transformation. Dr Ramokgopa says the NIP 2050 targets the provision of energy, water, transport and digital communications.
"Ultimately, infrastructure can be funded only by two sources: government and the private sector, with the government's contribution from taxes and user payments. While finance can be raised from multiple sources, its availability and cost depend on the reliability of funding plans to service and ultimately repay any finance," explains Minister de Lille. Many of the projects are already under construction, providing much-needed jobs and helping to
"The NDP sets a target that more than 90% of the population should enjoy access to grid-connected or off-grid electricity by 2030. To realise this vision, South Africa's energy system will be supported by effective policies, institutions, governance systems, regulations and, where appropriate, competitive markets. The NDP envisages a freight transport sector that facilitates domestic and crossborder movement across supply chains to enable industrialisation, diversification and trade and
development," Dr Ramokgopa says. The NIP 2050 aims to develop a coherent plan for the development of the country's infrastructure networks and is aligned with the vision of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. The NIP's top priority is to ensure the foundations are in place to achieve the transformation needed for inclusive growth. Infrastructure investment addresses spatial integration, expansion of urban economies, rural development and revitalisation. Progress can already be measured, says Minister de Lille, in the unbundling of Eskom and the state-owned enterprise's commitment to transition to clean energy generation. In addition, Transnet is the process of introducing third-party operators into its branch network and main lines and has a series of reforms planned for port services. These are expected to dramatically improve the freight transport services in rail and ports, with the added value of reducing pressure on the roads. SANRAL has also made significant progress in its road projects around the country, with nine construction projects valued at R18 billion in progress. "Infrastructure development is critical to attaining South Africa's long-term economic and social goals. The NIP 2050 will ensure that the foundations for achieving the National Development Plan vision for inclusive growth are supported. The NIP 2050 offers a strategic vision and plan that links top NDP objectives to actionable steps and intermediate outcomes," said Minister de Lille. n Sources: www.gov.za www.ewn.co.za SA News
Public Sector Leaders | April 2022 | 59
WORLD BOOK DAY BY JESSIE TAYLOR
Childhood Literacy: Creating a foundation for South Africa’s future
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ncreasing access to books is essential for improving South Africa’s literacy rates. Not only does access to books ensure that children have the necessary literacy skills to excel in their schooling, but it also provides some important benefits for childhood development. South Africa faces alarmingly low literacy rates. Experts estimate the vast majority of children in early schooling can’t read for meaning. And a lack of inperson learning time over the last two years – the result of the pandemic – is likely to make it even more difficult to close this gap in coming years.
educational foundation. This could delay language and reading development – even beyond the challenges already experienced in the country’s education system.
LOW LITERACY LEVELS AMONG LEARNERS The closure of Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres and primary schools due to the pandemic means that children have lost the momentum they would have had in their
Poor literacy rates can have long term impacts on learners. Children who struggle to read by age 13 have the highest risk of dropping out of schooling, and this, in turn, can impact adult literacy rates as well as future employment opportunities.
In the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), 80% of Grade 4 learners were unable to read for meaning across all languages in South Africa. The PIRLS assesses reading comprehension and monitors trends in reading literacy. At the time of the 2016 study, South Africa placed last out of the 50 countries participating.
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Limited employment opportunities mean families are unable to break out of the cycle of poverty. South Africa’s adult literacy rates are also on the decrease, and with an 87% adult literacy rate, South Africa ranks below countries such as Mexico and Brazil. High adult literacy affects child literacy, as parents are often unable to assist with teaching children at home. A FUTURE OF AVID READERS Education is one of the country’s nine most pressing challenges, according to South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP). The NDP looks to improve the quality of education for all the country’s children by 2030. But there is still some way to go, especially considering that only around two-thirds of learners complete their National Senior Certificate.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says of the department’s priorities, ensuring learners can read for meaning is the most important. To accomplish this, several initiatives have been launched, including the Read to Lead Campaign, the National Reading Coalition, the Integrated National Reading Sector Plan and Presidential Reading Circles. One of the key challenges in improving literacy rates is access to books, both for enjoyment and for learning. An estimated 70% of the poorest primary schools in the country do not have access to in-school libraries. In addition, estimates find that nearly 60% of households don’t own a leisure reading book. Only around 14% of the population are active book readers, and only 5% of parents read to their children.
SOUTH AFRICA’S INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED LITERATURE South Africa has grown several successful authors, and four South African novels have won the Booker Prize. The Booker Prize is considered one of the most prestigious awards in English literature. South Africa’s first author to receive the award is Nadine Gordimer, who won the Booker in 1974 for The Conservationist. She also received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991. JM Coetzee won the award in 1999 for his novel, Disgrace, as well as in 1983 for Life & Times of Michael K. Coetzee also received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003. Most recently, South African Damon Galgut won the 2021 Booker Prize for his book The Promise. Galgut, now 57-years-old, wrote his first novel at the age of 17 and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times. His latest offering was described by the Booker Prize judges as “an extraordinary story” rich in themes and South African history, which provides an account of a white South African family navigating the end of apartheid. n
Being able to read is an important part of a child’s development and exposing children to books at an early age helps with their vocabulary development and language skills. But these benefits go beyond academic achievement – reading has been found to boost mental health and cognitive ability. Literacy also creates opportunities for people to develop skills that will help them provide for themselves and their families. Souces www.westerncape.gov.za www.up.ac.za www.psychologytoday.com www.plan-uk.org www.news24.com www.news.uct.ac.za www.dailymaverick.co.za
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SAWS BY JESSIE TAYLOR
South African Weather Service Fighting climate change through forecasting
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ast year was among the hottest the globe has experienced. While South Africa did not experience its hottest year (recorded in 2019), temperatures still placed it as the 13th hottest year in South African records. These soaring temperatures are becoming increasingly common as we witness climate change. One of the best tools to allow us to adjust to warmer temperatures and severe weather events lies in weather forecasting. A VITAL TOOL In South Africa, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) is the authority for weather and climate forecasting. The SAWS is mandated to provide meteorological services, including producing weather forecasts, issuing severe weather warnings, and drawing up seasonal outlooks for farmers and the Department of Agriculture.
The SAWS also produces forecasts for the aviation industry and maritime weather forecasting services for the oceans between South Africa and Antarctica. SAWS is a member of the World Meteorological Organization and operates as a Department of Environmental Affairs agency. The organisation runs several research initiatives into climate change alongside its forecasting services. These include ways to downscale the possible effects of climate change and determine its impacts on a local scale.
predicting severe weather events. These extreme weather events are more likely to occur as the effects of climate change worsen. Weather forecasting is a complex process. It relies on observing atmospheric models, including information on temperature, pressure, humidity and wind speed. This information is combined with the data from hundreds of weather stations around the country to create a forecast using the latest computing technology.
Weather forecasting is essential. It's critical for agriculture, offering farmers a guide on when to plant or protect crops and industries such as shipping and aviation.
Yet the atmosphere is so vast and complex that even a tiny change in pressure over the ocean can completely change a forecast. It's almost impossible to have a 100% accuracy rate, although this may gradually change as more technology advancements become available.
But beyond its commercial applications, accurate forecasting can help save lives and reduce property damage by
TEMPERATURES ON THE RISE Thanks to climate change, South Africa has been recording more maximum temperatures and
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more frequently than expected. These rising temperatures can lead to droughts and heatwaves, decreasing crop yields and risks to human health, such as the spread of pests and pathogens. But it's not just Southern Africa that's affected. Data from Berkeley Earth - an independent environmental data science organisation in the USA – showed that in 2020 global temperatures warmed by 1.3 degrees Celsius. During the same year, temperatures increased by 1.6 degrees Celsius in South Africa. The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that if global temperatures reach or exceed 1.5°C of warming, the world will likely see more heatwaves, longer summers and shorter winters. This will have an especially devastating effect on SubSaharan Africa, with extreme temperatures and increased natural disasters likely to leave millions injured, homeless, or food insecure – essentially causing untold economic damage. HOW CAN INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IMPROVE WEATHER FORECASTING? While weather forecasting strongly relies on scientific data, another kind of information can help strengthen forecasting models. This information is
indigenous ecological knowledge. Many communities across the continent have longheld knowledge about their environments and the trends and shifts in them. For example, the "rainmakers" from the Nganyi community in western Kenya have historical knowledge about the region's weather patterns and use plants and animals to follow weather changes. This community now works with Kenya's Meteorological Department to produce seasonal weather forecasts. A similar project is under way in the Mwenezi and Chiredzi districts in Zimbabwe. The Seasonal Participatory Scenario Planning project sees meteorologists, community members, local government departments and NGOs sharing scientific and traditional indigenous knowledge to build a hybrid localised seasonal outlook for farming seasons. However, this valuable indigenous knowledge is slowly being lost as elders and custodians of it pass away. In addition, many of the indigenous plants and animals
used by these communities to track weather patterns are under threat. WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE? Our impact on the environment is leading to changes to the world's climate beyond what would be considered natural variations. The climate goes through warm and cold periods, taking hundreds of years to complete one cycle – yet our impact on the environment is causing this cycle to speed up. These temperature changes affect rainfall patterns and other weather phenomena, and plants and animals may struggle to adapt to warming temperatures if the climate changes too quickly. Climate change is driven by greenhouse gasses and the energy of the sun. These gases in the atmosphere trap the energy from the sun and warm the earth. However, human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is causing warmer temperatures. Climate models estimate that the mean air temperature over South Africa will increase by 2 degrees Celsius over the next 100 years. n
Sources: www.allafrica.com www.bbc.com www.dailymaverick.co.za www.dffe.gov.za www.imf.org www.news24.com www.vox.com www.weathersa.co.za
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WORLD VETERINARY DAY BY JESSIE TAYLOR
Preventing outbreaks of diseases amongst livestock and domestic animals
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fter two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, most South Africans have become aware of the critical role vaccination plays in preventing disease and reducing illness. But you may not have realised that your pets also need to be vaccinated to protect them from several dangerous illnesses they are at risk of contracting. Your local veterinarian is not just there to monitor your pet's reproductive health or treat them in case of an injury; they are also working to prevent outbreaks of diseases among pets through vaccination.
As World Veterinary Day is celebrated on the last Saturday of April, this month is an ideal time to visit your nearest veterinarian and ensure your pet's immunisation is up to date. PREVENTING DISEASE THROUGH VACCINATION World Veterinary Day was created in 2000 by the World Veterinary Association to highlight and promote the lifesaving work performed by veterinarians. One of the ways they do this is by ensuring your pet's vaccinations are up to date.
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Much like in humans, pet vaccines are designed to trigger a protective immune response by stimulating the immune system's production of antibodies. This helps prepare your pet's immune system to fight future infections and diseases. These vaccines can prevent infection or lessen the severity of contagious diseases such as canine distemper, parvovirus infection and respiratory tract infections. According to the South African Veterinary Association, there are two groups of vaccinations: core and non-core.
Core vaccines should be administered to every pet because they protect against widespread diseases with serious effects. These include vaccination against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, canine and rabies for dogs. Cats should receive core vaccinations for feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus and rabies. Non-core vaccines are only given strategically when a particular disease is prevalent in an area or under specific circumstances. VACCINATION BASICS Depending on the vaccine and your pet's health, you can expect a vaccine to last between one and three years. Some vaccines will require more frequent administration, so it's best to ask your veterinarian to determine a vaccination schedule for your pet.
Just like in people, most pets experience no adverse effects after receiving a vaccination, and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any risk. Some animals may show minor side effects, such as a fever or a lack of appetite. These are normal and will be short-lived. In the rare event that your pet suffers a strong allergic reaction with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, hives or difficulty breathing, it's best to contact your vet immediately. While vaccination offers the essential benefit of protecting your pet from illness, it also provides an opportunity for regular check-ups with your veterinarian. These checks will allow the early detection of chronic diseases such as heart disease, renal disease and tumours. It will also ensure your pet is checked for parasites.
Puppies and kittens are more susceptible to infectious disease because their immune system is not fully mature. Vets will typically recommend a series of vaccines, around three to four weeks apart, to ensure complete protection. It's important to finish this series of vaccines; otherwise, your pet may have incomplete immune protection and may be vulnerable to infection. The course will typically be complete once the pet reaches around four months old. Once your pet reaches adulthood and all core vaccines have been administered, your veterinarian will begin a vaccination schedule of periodic adult boosters.
PROTECTING PETS AND LOVED ONES AGAINST RABIES Every year, around 60 000 people die of rabies around the world. This disease, which is not transmissible from human to human, requires urgent treatment – often with prophylaxis, wound cleaning, human rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin – and is often fatal. The virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. This disease, primarily carried by dogs, is entirely preventable through vaccination. This means that vaccinating dogs (to reach around 70% of herd immunity) will most likely keep humans safe from the disease. Yet poor rabies prevention and control measures still see cases regularly occurring on the continent. Towards the end of last year, there was an increase in rabies cases in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Western Cape. This saw provincial governments undertaking large rabies vaccination rollouts for dogs. Providing veterinary services to rural areas can pose a challenge, but the lack of vaccination was no doubt exacerbated by the pandemic and the distribution to veterinary services.
Sources:
www.orevervets.com www.avma.org www.cdc.gov www.facebook.com
There are on average around 10 cases reported in humans in South Africa every year – very often with children most affected. n
www.gov.za www.nicd.ac.za
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TRAILBLAZER FINANCIAL FITNESS BY KOKETSO JESSIE TAYLOR MAMABOLO
Public Debt This is how it affects your bank balance
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outh Africa spends more than R300billion every year paying off public debt. While it might seem that this expenditure has little impact on the day-to-day life of ordinary South Africans, public debt can have far-reaching consequences.
THE GROWING CONCERN OF DEBT Public or national debt is money borrowed by a government to bridge the gap between the money it generates and its spending. It’s the same principle as taking out a personal loan, but to supply the funds needed to cover the country’s budget deficits. According to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, the government will spend R302-billion in 2022/2023 on debt service costs. This as government debt reached
R4.3-trillion and was projected to rise to R5.4-trillion over the medium term. “This huge sum is owed to lenders domestically and around the world! It incurs large debt-service costs … These costs are larger than spending on each of health, policing or basic education. For this reason and to support the economic recovery, in this budget we are reducing the fiscal deficit and stabilising debt,” Minister Godongwana says.
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This is the first time since 2015 that we are reducing the borrowing requirement, using some of the extra revenue we have collected. The borrowing requirement decreases by R135.8-billion this year and a total of R131.5-billion over the next two years
According to estimates by the National Treasury, the projected increase could see the government’s expenditure on servicing debt top as much as R1trillion over the next three years. Even at the current repayment, for every R5 that the government raises, R1 is spent on servicing the debt. This debt featured heavily in Minister Godongwana’s Budget Speech and has been the topic of discussion in Parliament, primarily because high and unsustainable debt hurts both the economy and South African citizens. During his speech, Minister Godongwana said South Africa’s “debt burden remains a matter of serious concern”, and the National Treasury has used the windfall from tax collections to cut some of the country’s debt.
He explains that the country consistently spends more than it receives in tax revenues. “This, together with the composition of spending, did not meaningfully increase growth. Instead of getting higher growth from fiscal expansion, our debt continued to rise,” -Honourable Godongwana. FEWER RANDS FOR THE AVERAGE SOUTH AFRICAN While the public debt may seem like large sums far removed from your monthly budget, it can affect your pocket. For a start, the funds used to pay off the national debt come out of the national budget, meaning they could ideally be put to better purposes, such as service delivery or improving public infrastructure. The higher the amount the country needs to pay to service its debts, the less tax revenue is available to spend on other governmental services. This impacts citizens’ standard of living, especially those living in poverty who rely on government services and social assistance.
“This is the first time since 2015 that we are reducing the borrowing requirement, using some of the extra revenue we have collected. The borrowing requirement decreases by R135.8-billion this year and a total of R131.5-billion
fees could be reduced for all learners – offering parents some financial relief.
over the next two years,” said Minister Godongwana.
For example, if an additional R300-billion was added to the health department’s budget of R15.6-billion, the government could build more hospitals and improve service delivery. This would reduce the need for private healthcare and the need for you to subscribe to medical aid – effectively putting more money in your pocket. Similarly, if an additional R300-billion was added to the R24.6-billion allocated to provincial education departments, school
But South Africa’s large national debt, and its ability to repay it, comes at an even higher cost – it can be used as a factor in determining the country’s credit rating. South Africa has weathered several credit rating downgrades in the last few years. Each one increases the costs of borrowing and servicing public debt and lowers investor confidence. It can also lead to deteriorating asset values (such as retirement, other savings and property) and a reduction in disposable income for many. The low investment confidence can also lead to a lack of funding for businesses, and those companies forced to shut down due to financial strain will end up laying off workers. It could cause more depreciation of the Rand, which increases the price of imported goods and makes travelling overseas more costly. It could also lead to raised inflation, which would see the contents of your grocery trolley increasing. While public debt may seem like a complicated economic concept, it has a direct effect on every household. Reducing national debt can help free up funds to boost essential services and keep costs such as inflation low – ultimately saving citizens money. n Sources: www.ewn.co.za
www.dailymaverick.co.za www.investopedia.com
www.businesstech.co.za www.treasury.gov.za www.reuters.com
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LEGAL MATTERS BY SILKE RATHBONE
Workplace Harassment
New legal changes
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arassment in the workplace has always been a big talking point amongst workers and management alike. It is a touchy subject - but it does need airtime.
• • • •
So, one can see that the law now covers a broad spectrum– it delves into the more profound and often overlooked aspects of all that harassment entails.
Recently, the laws on dealing with harassment in the workplace were adjusted, adding broader approaches. The changes to the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace deal with: • • • • •
How to handle extra sick leave and trauma counselling Belittling comments Racial harassment Stereotyping People working from home and dealing with work-related communication
•
Domestic workers, who are now included Harassment by bosses and by colleagues, visitors and clients Surveillance of employees without their knowledge Passive-aggressive behaviour, which has to do with what you do with your facial expressions Negative commenting and sarcasm
So, one can see that the law now covers a broad spectrum– it delves into the more profound and often overlooked aspects of all that harassment entails. “The South African Constitution protects the rights to dignity, equality, and fair labour practices in terms of the Bill of Rights. South Africa is committed to the elimination, prevention, and management of all forms of harassment, including genderbased harassment in the workplace, with the aim to create safe workplaces that are free of harassment. The Employment Equity Act, 1998 (EEA) regulates workplace equity. Section 6(1) prohibits unfair
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discrimination directly or indirectly, against an employee, in any employment policy or practice … including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language, birth, or on any other arbitrary ground.” - From the Government Gazette, 18 March 2022. n LabourExcel specialises in offering a variety of Labour Law and HR Solutions. Silke Rathbone, one of the Principal Partners, has crafted and honed her skillset and assists corporates and individuals along the Labour journey to ensure they understand what is required of them at all levels. n
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UPCOMING EVENTS BY KOKETSO MAMABOLO
18 International Day for Monuments and Sites At its 22nd General Conference, UNESCO adopted the establishment of the 18th of April as International Day for Monuments and Sites. In some countries it’s celebrated as World Heritage Day. There are many ways we remember the past and monuments and sites are perhaps the most visible example of how history can inhabit space. The sites and monuments in South Africa carry with them a significant amount of history both good and bad - that needs to be acknowledged in order for us not to repeat mistakes of the past and to apply lessons learned.
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23
International Mother Earth Day
World Book and Copyright Day
The world is looking towards 2030 as the start of a new way of treating the planet which sustains us. For the third consecutive year, International Mother Earth Day falls in the middle of a pandemic which many have described as a ‘reset’ - whether that be in business, culture or governance - and there’s no reason why it can’t be a reset of how we take care of the environment. With 2030 fast approaching, observations such as this one are becoming increasingly important as we desperately implement policies to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.
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On this day William Shakespeare passed away and is remembered each year for his significant contributions to the world’s cultural artefacts. Some historians speculate that the man affectionately known as The Bard, who authored classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Othello, may have been born on this day too. Shakespeare's contribution goes beyond capturing the popular imagination, his legacy can be seen in some of the words we use and how stories are told. The 23rd of April is an opportunity to promote reading and the importance of books.
April is all about
26 World Intellectual Property Day The theme for this year is IP and Youth innovating for a Better Future. “World Intellectual Property Day 2022 is an opportunity for young people to find out how IP rights can support their goals, help transform their ideas into reality, generate income, create jobs and make a positive impact on the world around them. With IP rights, young people have access to some of the key tools they need to advance their ambitions,” says the World Intellectual Property Organisation on their website. “Every April 26, we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day to learn about the role that intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity. World Intellectual Property 2022 recognises the huge potential of young people to find new and better solutions that support the transition to a sustainable future.”
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30 World Veterinary Day
Freedom Day It’s been almost three decades since South Africa transitioned to a constitutional democracy when the first democratic elections were held on the 27th of April, 1994. “Although we have made remarkable progress since 1994, the spectre of inequality, poverty and unemployment remains one of the most glaring impediments to South Africa’s goal of national unity and social cohesion,” says the government, acknowledging that the freedom we obtained on this day, 28 years ago, was only the start of a journey that will see the nation transforming to an inclusive one.
Created in 2000 by the World Veterinary Association, this day is about raising awareness about the important work that veterinarians do. This month’s celebration comes off the back of the 37th World Veterinary Association Congress, which took place in Abu Dhabi at the end of March. “The World Veterinary Day is celebrated annually on the last Saturday of April to recognize the work of veterinarians around the world and their contributions to improving animal health and welfare as well as public health,” says the World Veterinary Association. This year’s theme is Strengthening Veterinary Resilience.
Sources: www.icomos.org | www.un.org | www.worldvet.org
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MARCH | 2022
CHIEF JUSTICE
Honourable Raymond Zondo appointed as South Africa’s new Chief Justice
BUDGET SPEECH Interesting figures from the budget speech
PROVINCIAL FOCUS Billions of rands to be invested in KZN
HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH Minister Nathi Mthethwa launches Human Rights Month
MARCH | 2022
FEBRUARY | 2022
DEC•JAN | 2022
NOVEMBER | 2021
OCTOBER | 2021
SEPTEMBER | 2021
AUGUST | 2021
JULY | 2021
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