Source: South Africa News Agency

The Public Service Commission’s highest decision making body, the Plenary, has committed to honour the year 2018, which has been marked as the year of Nelson Mandela, by boosting its anti-corruption efforts.

“The public service should epitomise good governance in his [Nelson Mandela] honour and build a positive future for South Africa. The PSC will intensify efforts to promote the constitutional values and principles across the public service,” said the PSC.

The PSC, which is the body mandated to oversee the administration of the public service, held its quarterly Plenary last week to deal with a number of strategic issues within its mandate.

Chief among its discussions was the need for the PSC to intensify its anti-corruption efforts by improving the management of the National Anti-Corruption Hotline and implementation of the Financial Disclosure Framework.

The PSC also wants to improve engagement with the relevant Ministers, MECs, municipal councils and other responsible parties to ensure that the National Anti-Corruption Forum (NACF) is empowered to exert influence to curb corruption through active participation by all role players.

Monitoring and reporting on financial misconduct cases is also an area the PSC wants to improve on.

Downsizing of cabinet 

The Plenary said it is in full support of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to trim down his Cabinet and would advise the Presidency accordingly.

“The structure and size of the State must be optimally suited to meet the needs of the people, as articulated by President Ramaphosa during his maiden State of the Nation Address. To this end, the PSC will within its constitutional mandate advise the Presidency in this process,” said the commission.

Stable leadership in the public service 

In addition to a slimmer cabinet, the PSC called on the President to ensure stability in the leadership echelon of the public service.

“The PSC will firstly engage with the Presidency and Department Public Service with regard to the implementation of the National Development Plan recommendations on the establishment of the Head of Administration.

“[We will] collaborate with the National School of Government, Presidency and Ministry for Public Service and Administration on the induction of Executive Authorities (EAs) and Heads of Department (HoDs) using the guide on induction of EAs and HoDs that the PSC has produced,” the Commission said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has encouraged the youth to pursue careers that will enable them to participate meaningfully in the wildlife economy.

“I call on young people to pursue careers in the fields of, among others, nature conservation, veterinary services, ecotourism, taxidermy, animal husbandry, zoology, botany and … See more

Source: South Africa News Agency

Home Affairs Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan says the repositioning of Home Affairs within the security cluster allows the department to effectively contribute to crime fighting, among other services.

The Deputy Minister said this when Ministers in the Security Cluster fielded questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

She was responding to a follow-up question by ANC MP Buoang Mashile who had asked, what benefits could be derived from the department’s repositioning into the security cluster.

“The security of the state is premised on a few things. The first is to secure borders and with the soon to be passed Border Management Authority, this aspect will certainly be given a boost.

“In addition, the repositioning of the department in the security cluster has brought increased cross-sectional cooperation and alignment, particularly with regard to those sectors in the criminal justice area where there are major dependencies on Home Affairs services in relation to crime fighting, managing prisoner populations as well as repatriations for example.

“Clearly, these are natural benefits to be had with this kind of repositioning,” she said.

The Deputy Minister fielded questions after Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba could not attend the sitting of the House due to health reasons.

Addressing MPs on Wednesday, the Deputy Minister said the aim of the repositioning of Home Affairs was also to build a modern and secure department.

“Our first priority is to ensure that the identity and civic status of all South Africans are secured on the population register.

“The second priority is to manage international migrations securely and efficiently.

“Thirdly, we hope by these efforts in terms of our modernisation digitisation efforts to build a solid platform to enable the state to improve its efficiencies and derive maximum benefits from scarce resources. The second part of the question – once the Boarder Management Bill is passed the department will in addition have a mandate of the security and necessarily this is a work in progress.” – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has committed to enhance its oversight responsibility on the University of Zululand’s KwaDlangezwa campus in eMpangeni, until the institution functions normally.

The committed made the commitment following a meeting with the Council for Higher Education (CHE) on matters regarding the university.

During a meeting held on Wednesday, the CHE briefed the committee on the university’s governance challenges, including issues pertaining to the Vice Chancellor, the university council, and the sale of degrees.

The CHE told the committee that something must be done at a higher level so students are not denied education, and that there had to be a forensic investigation to address things that the CHE lacked capacity to deal with.

Chairperson of the portfolio committee, Connie September, said all role players must move with speed on the matter, adding that the department must intervene immediately.

“We cannot have a situation where UniZulu is spiralling downwards. When we come back for the next term, we will decide how we move forward with regard to the institution,” September said.

She said the Human Right Commission (HRC) had also conducted an investigation into the sector, and that the committee will consider inviting HRC to get a briefing on its findings.

Last week Thursday, classes were suspended at the university during a violent protest over meal allowances.

According to a police report, a building and two police vehicles were torched during the protest. Thirty-two students were arrested.

Progress made at Fort Hare University

Meanwhile, September voiced satisfaction with the progress made at the University of Fort Hare since the oversight visit by the committee to that institution.

However, the committee said it was concerned about the reported mismanagement of finances at the Tshwane College. The committee said it fully supports calls for this to be investigated.

September emphasised that where transgressions have occurred, the law enforcement agencies must deal get involved.

“Students’ preoccupation should be learning and not parties. There are still issues with student accommodation at many institutions, but we are excited with the progress. But also the reported thievery at some institutions should be dealt with,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

Police Minister General Bheki Cele says processes are already underway to remove 57 police officers from the system, who have been found to have criminal records or cases against them.

The Minister said this when the security cluster replied to oral questions at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

DA MP Zakhele Mbele had asked the SA Police Service how 57 police officers with criminal records were found to be working in a department that deals with vulnerable victims of assault and sexual abuse and what corrective measures were being taken.

The Minister said in some instances, police officers get criminal convictions while they are already in the system.

“I fully agree and concur with you that there are 57 people that are in the South African Police Service having criminal records. Specifically, 30 of them are in the environment that you are talking about, which is a very sensitive environment.

“They should not be there to deal especially with children and they should not be there to deal with abused … and mostly female [victims] who have been assaulted, who have been violated, some of them by their own partners.

“The answer on that is that we have already put [processes in motion] to deal with those people with the required speed not just in the environment that you are talking about, but in the entire system.

“Already, the instruction has been issued that those people, by law, are not supposed to be there. Somebody must move quick and fast and that would be in the name of the National Police Commissioner of the South African Police Service to see that we implement that they vacate the system and you put the people that we trust to work with the communities,” he said.

How SAPS screens prospective officers?

The Minister said, meanwhile, that in terms of regulation 11 (1) (a) … of the South African Police Service regulations, a person who applies to be appointed as a member of the SA Police Service must have no previous criminal convictions and such person shall allow his or her fingerprints to be taken.

He said that all prospective persons to be employed by the South African Police Services are subjected to a fingerprint screening process, which is done by the local criminal record centre to establish whether any of the persons have any criminal convictions or criminal cases pending.

“In addition to the fingerprint screening process, a [desktop] computer verification of relevant criminal profile systems are conducted by crime intelligence to ensure that no persons with criminal convictions or criminal cases pending are employed in the service.” – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday held discussions with Moody’s Investors Service representatives on the various initiatives underway to accelerate economic growth and create jobs.

In the meeting held at Tuynhuys in Cape Town, President Ramaphosa described the new mood of hope, renewal and unity in South Africa and the enthusiasm of its people to contribute to change and development.

“President Ramaphosa said this new enthusiasm was anchoring all efforts to confront the challenges facing South Africa, including government’s initiatives to increase investor confidence and reduce policy and regulatory uncertainty,” the Presidency said. 

President Ramaphosa told the agency that the fresh consultations on the Mining Charter, recent measures to strengthen Cabinet, changes in the board and management of power utility Eskom and the inquiry into State capture form part of government’s invitation to investors to come to South Africa.

The President underlined government’s determination to build a social compact of government, labour, business and civil society to advance investment, youth employment and community development.

Furthermore, he reaffirmed that accelerated land reform will unfold within a clear legal framework and without negatively affecting economic growth, agricultural production and food security.

President Ramaphosa said job creation was government’s most important priority and failure to create such opportunities constituted the greatest risk to the country.

Moody’s Investors Service is a provider of credit ratings, research and risk analysis. The meeting with the agency comes just two weeks before Moody’s is set to announce its latest outlook on South Africa on 23 March.

This was the first time the agency has interacted with President Ramaphosa since he was elected President on 15 February 2018.

In November last year‚ Moody’s placed South Africa’s long-term foreign and local currency debt ratings of ‘BAA3’ (one notch above junk status) on a 90-day review for a downgrade. – SAnews.go.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on all South Africans to use International Women’s Day 2018 to decide what they can do in their personal lives, communities, businesses and organisations to advance all aspects of gender equality.

“We must work together to significantly improve the status of women, especially young women in the economy, ensuring that we achieve gender parity.

“Women must be equally represented in the workplace and must receive equal pay,” President Ramaphosa said on Thursday in his International Women’s Day message.

South Africa has joined the international community in observing the day under the theme #PressforProgress.

Observed annually on March 8 since 1911, it is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

In his message for the day, President Ramaphosa urged South Africans from all walks of life to join the global campaign, #PressforProgress, and play an active part in creating a better life for women in the country and around the world.

He said society needs to tackle the economic and social factors that prevent young women from completing school and accessing further education. Government will strengthen the support it provides to women entrepreneurs and business people.

 President Ramaphosa said the success of society’s efforts to grow the economy and create jobs will be measured in large by the impact it has on the lives of South African women.

“South Africa has made great strides since the advent of democracy to advance and affirm women as part of building a non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and united country. At the same time, we are confronted with the reality of women continuing to experience discrimination and disadvantage at home and in the workplace.

“The renewal of our country must entail a renewal of societal values that will position women and men alongside one another in a nation of equals. Patriarchy has no place in the South Africa we are building today.”

President Ramaphosa went on to add that South Africans should dedicate International Women’s Day 2018 to the memory of Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu, whose centenary is being celebrated this year.

President Ramaphosa said she was a courageous leader both of the struggle for national liberation and of the struggle for gender emancipation.

 “We have a responsibility to the memory of Ma Sisulu and to the many women who walked alongside her to intensify the struggle for gender equality in all areas of life.” – SAnews.gov.za