The Electoral Commission has appointed former Deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke, to lead the process of evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on conditions conducive for free and fair Local Government Elections on 27 October. Making the announcement on Thursday, the IEC said Moseneke will undertake an urgent appraisal of all the relevant legal, socio-political, health, practical and other considerations, and submit a report to the Commission in July. “In addition to assessing the various factors, the report may also make recommendations of additional measures to further fortify the integrity and safety of the elections,” IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said at…
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The Council of Education Ministers (CEM) has pulled the plug on all contact sports with immediate effect, following COVID-19 cluster outbreaks in public schools. According to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the decision was taken during a virtual meeting held on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the department said non-contact sports training is permitted to proceed provided all social distancing, hygiene and safety measures are observed and there is zero physical contact between the participants. Minister Angie Motshekga gazetted directions in consultation with related stakeholders allowing non-contact sports, sports-related activities, school-based art, and cultural activities to resume without spectators when the…
Matyholweni Rest Camp in Addo Elephant National Park is one of 11 destinations on offer in a special deal for stokvels and travel clubs. South African National Parks (SANParks) has launched new products for stokvels and travel clubs that offers special payment terms and discounted rates, at selected National Parks on specific dates. SANParks tourism development and marketing executive, Hapiloe Sello, in a statement said these groups were being targeted as their memberships boasted many different types of personalities and profiles. “[These] range from the ordinary grandmother to the high earning CEOs of companies and large corporate and public sector institutions.…
The Information Regulator has asked for Facebook South Africa and WhatsApp LLC to appear in Parliament to answer questions about its new privacy policies set to take effect this month. The independent body, which falls under the Department of Justice, says there are substantial differences between the privacy policies for WhatsApp users living in Europe compared to those living in other parts of the world. .On 15 May 2021, WhatsApp will require users to accept new terms and conditions for using the App. The Information Regulator (IR) said it had written to WhatsApp LLC and requested it to revise the privacy…
Deputy President David Mabuza says 436 563 hectares of land have to date been released and approved for allocation, under the land distribution programme. He said this when he responded to oral questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday 12 May. “To date, 436 563 hectares have been released and approved for allocation under the land redistribution programme, and over 5 540 hectares of these 436 563 hectares have been approved for disposal and the remainder for leasing,” he said. The release of the land is part of the 700 000 hectares announced by the President in his February 2020…
The Shoprite Group has opened bursary applications for Retail Business Management and Pharmacy students for the 2022 academic year. Registered university students with a 65% aggregate or higher are encouraged to apply via the Group’s Bursary and Graduate Opportunities page before 30 June 2021. Upon successful graduation, Retail Business Management and Pharmacy students will have guaranteed jobs at Africa’s largest retailer, with strong career growth prospects, the Group says Retail Business Management “The Group is constantly opening new supermarkets across its Checkers, Shoprite & Usave brands, and this presents hard-working graduates with plenty of opportunities to move through the ranks…
The public will soon comment on the Firearms Amendment Bill of 2021, which proposes tighter controls and management of firearms as well as the establishment of the National Firearms Register. In a Cabinet statement released on Thursday, Cabinet said it had approved the publication of the Bill for public comment. “The changes will assist in reducing the number of firearms in private hands and consequently reduce incidents of violent crimes. The Bill also improves the processing, control of firearms and the application system,” Cabinet said. Cabinet also approved the publication of the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related…
Cabinet has urged those aged 60 and over, to register for their COVID-19 vaccination, as government gears up to commence with phase two of its mass vaccine rollout on Monday. According to a statement released by Cabinet on Thursday, the national and provincial Departments of Health will soon issue information about the location of more than 3 000 vaccination centres across the country. “The commencement of phase two will run simultaneously with the continuing vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) whose vaccination was affected by the regulatory issues that beset the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the USA and Europe,” said…
Cabinet has approved the extension of the National State of Disaster on COVID-19 until 15 June 2021. “The extension considers the need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state to mitigate against the impact of the disaster on lives and livelihoods,” a statement released after this week’s Cabinet meeting said on Thursday. The extension has been approved in terms of Section 27(5)(c) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act 57 of 2002). Fight against corruption Meanwhile, Cabinet has welcomed measures taken by the United Kingdom (UK) in assisting South Africa fight against corruption…
Plans are afoot by the South African Revenue Services (SARS) to address tax avoidance in the country’s minibus taxi industry, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has revealed. Tax avoidance, the Minister said in a Parliamentary response, was, however, across the tax ecosystem in general. In an effort to address this, the revenue collector was adopting a number of targeted interventions. The Minister said the interventions are aimed at achieving the SARS strategic intent of building a tax and customs system that is premised on voluntary compliance. Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament, Geordin Hill-Lewis had in his question to the Minister, asked…