Telecommunications and Postal Services Deputy Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize, together with members of the Vanderbijlpark Parliamentary Constituency Office (PCO), visited two schools in the area as part of the “Making Schools Work” programme.

Thursday’s visit was aimed at inspecting the condition of the schools’ infrastructure and looking at other issues that include school material, uniforms, teacher capacity and the schools nutrition programme.

During her visit, Deputy Minister Mkhize engaged with school teachers and principals on the challenges they face on a daily basis.

School Principal Peter Seholoba, from Ramosukula Secondary School in De Barrage, told Deputy Minister Mkhize about the shortage of classrooms and the increasing numbers of learners.

“We wanted to use our school hall to create space for classrooms, but we don’t have funds for a partition,” Seholoba said.

Deputy Minister Mkhize said the PCO was going to look into what they can do to provide a partition for the school while they consulted with the relevant departments.

“Education is very important and I know that if the learners are in a conducive learning environment, they are motivated to work hard,” she said.

Despite the challenges the school faces, it has managed to achieve a 100% matric pass rate for two consecutive years.

Deputy Minister Mkhize also visited Bophelong High School.

“This school did not have a good story to tell with its matric pass rate having dropped from an impressive 98% pass rate in 2014 to 77% in 2015.

“With this significant drop, members of the PCO unanimously agreed that they had to make a follow up visit to the school again this month to encourage the learners and teachers.”

Deputy Minister Mkhize told the school principal that she will visit the school again and she expects the school to provide an analysis of what caused the drop in matric results. - SAnews.gov.za

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is pleased to announce the complete calendar for 2016 including its top tier World Triathlon Series, the full paratriathlon schedule, all multisport World Championships, the World Cup circuit, as well as Continental Cups and Championship events. “Next year is very important for ITU, as our athletes turn their attention towards [...]

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Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has congratulated the delegation representing South Africa at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in France following the adoption of the new Paris Agreement on climate change.

Late on Saturday evening, the UNFCCC adopted the historic agreement to address greenhouse gas emissions for the post-2020 period, while increasing countries’ ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change during the next session.

Parties pledged to curb emissions, strengthen resilience and take common climate action, following two weeks of tireless negotiations.

The Paris Agreement and the outcomes of COP21 cover all the crucial areas identified as essential for a landmark conclusion: mitigation – reducing emissions fast enough to achieve the temperature goal; a transparency system and global stock-take – accounting for climate action; adaptation – strengthening ability of countries to deal with climate impacts; loss and damage – strengthening ability to recover from climate impacts; and support – including finance, for nations to build clean, resilient futures.

“This would not have been possible if South Africa had not delivered the outcomes it did as President of COP17/CMP7, held in Durban in 2011. The success in Paris is the culmination of the watershed Durban Climate Change Conference in 2011 where Parties to the Convention agreed to the mandate for the Paris Agreement.

“We congratulate South Africans for this contribution to finding solutions to a global challenge. We also thank the United Nations for the opportunity provided to us to play this role,” said the President on Sunday.

The agreement was also reached as South Africa chaired the Group of 77 plus China – a group of more than 130 developing countries representing more than 80 percent of the world’s population.

The group is comprised of a diverse group of countries, but united by the goal to protect their vulnerable and poor.

“Under South Africa’s leadership, the Group of G77 plus China was more united than ever before in the history of the climate change negotiations and South Africa managed to rally this group of developing countries, which made a decisive difference in building the political will that was required to reach agreement on this important issue,” said President Zuma.

He added that climate change poses a grave threat to developing countries’ ability to ensure that their people are lifted out of poverty.

“It has therefore been a great honour for South Africa to play such a key role at both the beginning and at the end of the process through which the international community worked toward reaching this historic solution.

“The agreement presents a big step forward in committing all countries to act decisively against climate change. Through this agreement, hope has been restored for a safe and prosperous future, where climate change will be adequately addressed.”

The South African team was led by Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa, who was supported by Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters, Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana, as well as Ambassador Nozipho Mxakatho Diseko from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and other senior officials. – SAnews.gov.za

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Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma says government will not abandon the fiscal path it has chosen in the last few years.

“Government will not abandon the fiscal path that it has chosen in the last few years. Maintaining a prudent fiscal position remains one of government’s top priorities,” said President Zuma in a media statement on Friday.

The President’s comments follow the appointment of David van Rooyen as Minister of Finance on Wednesday, replacing former Minister Nene.

“His appointment as Minister of Finance does not signal a change in the government’s fiscal stance,” said the President, adding that the new Minister will strengthen the path and continue to support all efforts aimed at improving the lives of ordinary South Africans.

“Minister van Rooyen is supported by Deputy Minister Mcebisi Jonas who carries many years of experience in the economic cluster. They are supported by the hardworking and capable National Treasury team, led by the Director General, Mr Lungisa Fuzile,” he said.

The President also thanked former Minister Nene for his sterling contribution to the National Executive and for taking forward the goals of building a better life for all.

The urgency of the changes in the leadership of the National Treasury was due to the need to send nominations of the head of the African Regional Centre of the New Development Bank/BRICS Bank to Shanghai.

“Mr Nene is our candidate for this position. We are fully backing his candidature, knowing full well that he will excel and make the nation proud in his next assignment.”

President Zuma said government remains committed to adhering to the set expenditure ceiling while maintaining a stable trajectory of the country’s debt portfolio, as set out in the February 2015 Budget.

“Our commitment to diversifying our economy, reduce the cost of doing business and utilising resources much more efficiently to enable a more inclusive economic growth remains important.”

Government, he said, will continue to improve the budget process in order to maintain the country’s international reputation as a global leader in budget transparency.

“To support the economy, government is committed to sustaining public sector capital investment, by attracting private sector capital into public infrastructure projects. Government also remains committed to provide support to state-owned companies in a fiscally sustainable manner, including South African Airways.

“We assure the nation that nothing will be done, in supporting state-owned entities that runs contrary to the fiscal prudence that our country is renowned for. No state-owned entity will dictate to government how it should be assisted.”

The implementation of the National Development Plan remains the cornerstone of South Africa’s economy, he said.

“We will continue our actions in alleviating the most binding constraints to growth and we have set out a series of urgent economic reforms to build a more competitive economy,” said the President.

These, among others, include:

- Continued investment in economic infrastructure

- Reforming the governance of the state-owned companies,

- Rationalising state holding and encouraging private-sector participation.

- Addressing energy challenges.

- Encouraging affordable, reliable and accessible broadband access.

- Promoting black ownership of productive industrial assets.

- Reviewing business incentive programmes in all economic sectors to ensure that resources support growth.

The economic cluster will meet on Tuesday next week to prepare for a special cabinet meeting on the economy, which will take place on Friday 18 December.

“This will enable us to focus specifically and exclusively on the current economic climate and on the country’s response,” said President Zuma. – SAnews.gov.za

Transnet has secured a R12 billion club loan from five lenders to fund its locomotives fleet acquisition programme.

“The acquisition is the single biggest item of Transnet’s record breaking infrastructure programme – the Market Demand Strategy,” Transnet Group Chief Executive Siyabonga Gama said.

Speaking on Monday during a media briefing in Johannesburg, Gama said the participants in the club loan include Absa, Nedbank, Bank of China, Futuregrowth Asset Managers, as well as Old Mutual Specialised Finance.

Transnet raised the R12 billion in the open markets following investor roadshows targeted at potential funders from within South Africa.

The sessions, which were led by Gama and the acting Group Chief Financial Officer, Garry Pita, were intended to share the company’s performance and prospects. They were not for the purposes of making deals.

Gama said Transnet has been able to secure the loan at competitive rates.

All funders agreed to a term of 15 years, including a grace period of four and half years, while the locomotives are under construction.

“I think what is important for South Africa is that we are at the cusp of creating an efficient and reliable railway service, which will assist South African companies to become competitive in the markets in which they operate,” Gama said.

He said it was important for Transnet to strengthen the logistics in the country so that South Africa can create a competitive supply chain.

“But most importantly, we must make sure we have an efficient and reliable railway service that we are able to move commodities from the road onto rail so that we can reduce the number of trucks on our main highways.

“This investment will assist us greatly to create the kind of capacity that Transnet needs in order for us to be able to meet some of the objectives in the National Development Plan and … in the New Growth Path,” Gama said.

Transnet will be building 1 065 locomotives and 994 of those will be assembled in South Africa.

“On top of that, there is another 250 to 300 locomotives for our bulk services that have also been ordered, which will assist us to have replaced probably 1 350 locomotives over a space of 10 years.

“If you look at our current fleet of 2 400 locomotives, we will have about 1 500 … new locomotives… [This] also gives us the opportunity to maintain some of the older locomotives and also to retire some of the locomotives that we have, which are over 40 years and are quite expensive in terms of maintenance,” he said. - SAnews.gov.za

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Johannesburg – While Gauteng has not declared drought as a disaster, the province is pulling all the stops to save its available water and to have an efficient provincial response to the water challenge.

Currently four provinces - KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, North West and Limpopo - have declared drought as a disaster, with Mpumalanga at an advanced stage of preparation for the declaration of drought as a disaster.

The Gauteng Province Water and Sanitation Forum held a meeting on Monday to formulate a concrete plan of action to respond to the water supply challenge.

The forum was approved by Gauteng Premier David Mabuza. It comprises the Department of Water and Sanitation, Provincial Government, all municipalities and other relevant stakeholders, including Rand Water and Eskom.

The forum is responsible for managing water and sanitation challenges in the province and implementing strategies to deal with them.

Addressing the media shortly after the meeting, Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Jacob Mamabolo said the forum has decided to adopt a water conservation campaign to make sure the province manages its water supply optimally.

“What we need to do is go on the ground and engage different stakeholders, particularly those with high consumption of water. We’ll have discussions with them to drive the message that it is important to conserve water.

“We will also mobilise ward councillors to be champions at ward level to take the message to our people. Community development workers have been identified as key actors in the group to champion the message of conserving water,” MEC Mamabolo said.

The campaign, which is expected to be launched on Thursday, is constituted by six critical elements, with the war on water leaks on top followed by water harvesting.

“We need to make sure that households, schools, clinics, police stations and government departments build capacity for harvesting… so that we don’t just rely on the Vaal River and Rand Water. The Vaal Dam is a source of water harvesting and we need to take it to our households,” MEC Mamabolo said.

Another element of the campaign is strengthening water supply production and water treatment capability, as well as guaranteed uninterrupted supply of water in all essential services like hospitals.

MEC Mamabolo said as another element of the campaign, Eskom has committed to ensuring that all sources responsible for pumping, storing and distributing have a steady power supply and that these sources should be exempt from power outages.

Joburg City Power has also ensured that the critical points will not be affected by load shedding.

Public awareness

Educating the public on how to use water at home is also an element of the campaign.

MEC Mamabolo reiterated that while the province has enough water, the demand is tricky to balance in light of the current heat wave.

“If we don’t take drastic measures, the drought will place immense pressure on water supply. We need one campaign that deals with water demand management. We should be at the forefront leading the campaign on water savings,” MEC Mamabolo said, adding that the campaign will finance itself.

Rand Water Board chairperson Advocate Matshidiso Hashatse said the system is still coping, with the Vaal Dam capacity at 58.9%.

“We also have capacity to transfer water from other sources other than the Vaal River in order to supply Gauteng… We have enough water at the moment to meet our needs as Gauteng,” she said.

However, she warned that the country is water scarce and people cannot use water in the unsustainable manner they have been doing.

“The demand is inclining compared to the normal demand at this time of the year. Currently we are supplying 4 800 mega litres in one day. The demand is growing and our ability to continue supply is not quite matching the demand. We have to be mindful of our water sources. We need to change our habits,” she said. - SAnews.gov.za

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