A sting operation involving members of the Hawks, Crime Intelligence and the Department of Home Affairs has led to the arrest of a Malawian national for human trafficking in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The 38-year-old man told undercover police that he was selling four males and one female aged between 39 and 41 years for R500 per person.

“Investigations revealed that the man would lure fellow countrymen to South Africa promising them job opportunities. Upon arrival, he would sell them to anybody who would use them anyhow,” police spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said on Friday.

Mulaudzi said a “transaction” was made with police buying the five Malawian nationals for R2 000. Later, the man was arrested in possession of the money the police paid to him.

The five victims have since been taken to a place of safety.

They had been promised that that they were going to work at a farm in the North West and were to pay their master R1 500 month, until such time that he would feel that it was enough.

The man will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate Court on Monday on charges of human trafficking and possible contravention of the Immigration Act. - SAnews.gov.za

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Workers in the wholesale and retail sector are now entitled to minimum wage increases that vary between 6.1% and 8.1% in various job categories.

The increase is effective from 1 February 2015. The new minimum wage will be applicable until 31 January 2016.

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant has approved the new minimum wage for the sector in terms of the sectoral determination governed by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, which makes provision for setting of minimum wages.

Various categories of workers, who stand to benefit from the new minimum wage determination, include cashiers, clerks, assistant managers, displayers, forklift operators, security guards, merchandisers, managers, sales assistants, sales persons, shop assistant supervisors and trainee managers. - SAnews.gov.za

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Communications Minister Faith Muthambi has addressed a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question relating to government advertising spending, which is managed by the Department of Communications.

In the question by DA MP Gavin Davis, the DA alleges that government rewards “state-friendly media”.

Minister Muthambi on Monday moved to address the claims.

“On Thursday 29th January, after I released a breakdown of government advertising spending through the Department of Communications, this myth is back, copied and pasted under the by-line of Gavin Davis.

“It’s clear that Hon. Davis, MP, has a shallow understanding of advertising communication at best and is being disingenuous in his attempt to shoe-horn his obvious prejudice against the black-owned media into a false argument to further his own agenda.

“A passing knowledge of newspaper distribution footprints, reader demographics and editorial content would have prevented the obvious flaws in the honourable member’s allegations,” said Minister Muthambi.

The Minister said The New Age -- a national daily newspaper owned and operated by TNA Media Ltd – was much closer to the Business Day – a national daily that covers economics, business and politics -- in its editorial balance based on tonality of coverage.

“Research conducted by an internationally renowned company, Media Tenor, has produced a report analysing positive reporting on President Zuma for the period July 2014 - January 2015.

“[It] shows that 10% of The New Age articles report positively on President Zuma, with 9% of Business Day reportage carrying equally positive content on the President. Are we to deduce that Business Day is a propaganda platform or Pro President Zuma?” said Minister Muthambi.

She said to make decisions in a dynamic media environment, the Department of Communications’ in-house media buying team directs strategic government media buying using Telmar Media’s suite of world-wide leading media advertising software and services used for reach, frequency and optimisation.

Telmar’s 10 000 users across 85 countries include many of the world’s leading advertising agencies, digital and print publishers, broadcasters and advertisers.

The Minister said the in-house media buying personnel attend regular South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) and Telmar accredited training and are Advertising Media Association of South Africa members.

“The New Age -- a newspaper with a national distribution footprint -- is being incorrectly compared to metropolitan newspapers (The Herald – Nelson Mandela Bay, The Mercury – Durban, Pretoria News – Pretoria) competing in defined regional markets.

“If we followed Hon. Davis MP’s argument, government would need to advertise in a greater number of metropolitan newspapers in all provinces to match the footprint of The New Age, at a greater cost than that of advertising in The New Age.

“For the record, The New Age is distributed in all nine provinces, with six regional editions. Each daily edition of The New Age has a dedicated provincial focus page highlighting local news in addition to its coverage of national and global news,” Minister Muthambi said.

She said government uses mass communication to fulfil its mandate to communicate to the largest possible spread of South Africans.

“By his own admission, Davis concedes that government uses 248 newspapers to inform the public of its programme but omits the fact that government is the largest supporter of print media diversity through its advertising.

“It is incomprehensible that Davis continues to peddle half truths about the audience size of The New Age.

“It’s readership of 153 000 excludes the additional 621 000 viewers measured by AMPS for its TNA Briefings – a live broadcast event that combines stakeholder interaction, its print readership and social media following with national television coverage.

“I invite Honourable Davis MP to visit Tshedimosetso House - a Setswana word meaning insight, learning, information or erudition … to be tutored by the home grown talent employed in the Department of Communications media buying operation," she said. - SAnews.gov.za

You might have seen some recent coverage on TV with James Martin’s Home Comforts Series 2: Taste of Adventure or in the media regarding my brand of peri peri. Perhaps some of you who have searched for “Grant Hawthorne” or “peri peri” (and landed here), you might wish to visit African Volcano where you can... Read MoreAfrican Volcano on the Taste of Adventure is a post from: Grant Hawthorne


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The Department of Water and Sanitation’s Learning Academy has made huge strides in attracting young engineers, who want to be part of efforts to enhance the quality of water delivered to citizens.

The department reported that it has been swamped by requests from ambitious, determined and young qualified engineers who want to work for the water sector.

The Learning Academy is an internal structure, which was initiated in 2007 as a response to a shortage of specific skills needed to boost the production of the department.

The purpose of the academy is, among others, to investigate technical and scarce skills development needs within the department, address technical and scarce skills gaps in the overall water supply value chain and address scarce skills gaps in specific technical areas of the department.

The academy also plans and builds capacity for medium and long-term needs of the department and the water and sanitation sector, as well as developing and implementing structured training for engineering and scientific graduate trainees.

Learning Academy Director Verena Meyer said one of the main areas in the department which experiences a dire shortage of skills and expertise is the engineering function.

Meyer said to date, 57 young engineers have been offered an opportunity to participate in the Professional Development Programme.

“Three of these [57] engineers have managed to register as professional engineers, while others are on various levels of meeting the required 11 outcomes of the Engineering Council of South Africa,” Meyer said.

The Professional Development Programme is part of the department’s social responsibility. It incubates young and inexperienced graduates, offering them an opportunity to receive on-the job-training and exposure regarding their areas of study, while introducing them to the department’s core business.

To boost the programme, Meyer said 20 recently qualified engineers joined the Learning Academy on 19 January 2015 and are currently completing the Department of Public Service and Administration’s compulsory induction programme.

“They are breaking barriers at the department’s Roodeplaat Training Centre and will report for duty at their various base stations with effect from 2 February 2015,” said Meyer.

For information on how to be part of the department’s engineering component family member, Meyer can be contacted on 012 336 7448. - SAnews.gov.za