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| HEADS OF MISSION CONFERENCE 2014 |
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South Africa’s ambassadors are attending the Heads of Missions Conference in Pretoria to reflect on the commitments of the Fifth Administration as contained in the 2014 June State of the Nation Address, including the National Development Plan, which is the country’s blueprint for eliminating poverty and reducing inequality in South Africa by 2030. Various ministers and other role players have been addressing the conference.
The ambassadors were treated to, among others, a welcome cocktail and a visit to the Market Theatre where they were entertained by the live theatre production, “Missing”, by Dr John Kani.
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| CABINET ADVISES AGAINST TRAVELLING TO COUNTRIES WITH EBOLA |
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| Cabinet has established an inter-ministerial committee to deal with the coordination of the country’s response to Ebola. |
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The South African Government has banned travel to and from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in an effort to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus to the country.
The Department of Health announced that “non-citizens [non-South Africans]” would not be allowed to travel to South African from these “high risk countries”, unless the travel is “considered absolutely essential”. South African citizens who would like to travel to these countries will be “requested to delay their travel unless it is also absolutely essential”.
South African citizens returning from these countries will be subjected to a “stricter screening process” that includes “completing a comprehensive health questionnaire before being [allowed] entry back into the country.
“If the comprehensive medical questionnaire and the temperature screening reveal something, they will have to subject themselves to a complete medical examination,” the statement said".
Cabinet also approved R32,5 million requested by the health department from the African Renaissance Fund to “support containment and prevent further spread of the virus to South Africa and other countries”. Part of the funds will be used to “deploy the mobile laboratory in Sierra Leone, fund transport and accommodation for the team and training for healthcare workers”. |
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| RATIFICATION OF THE SIGNED GRAND INGA TREATY |
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| The Grand Inga mega-project is a priority for a number of African development organisations, including the Southern African Development Community and the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development. It entails the generation of approximately 40 000 MW of hydropower on the Congo River, over seven phases. |
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The ratification of the signed Grand Inga Treaty between the Republic of South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been approved by Cabinet and will be tabled in Parliament. The Grand Inga Project is the centrepiece of a vision to develop a power system that has the potential to supply clean and affordable imported hydroelectric power to meet the needs of the DRC, South Africa and surrounding countries.
The Minister in The Presidency, Jeff Radebe, said: “The project which is housed in southern Africa could advance the region’s development in its endeavour to alleviate energy shortages, while stimulating economic growth and infrastructure development to address poverty.”
The Grand Inga Project is in line with South Africa’s long-term National Development Plan, which aims to address energy supply security, affordability, climate change mitigation and investment in infrastructure programmes that will contribute to regional integration through imported hydroelectricity. |
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| SA, USAID AGREEMENT TO HELP VULNERABLE CHILDREN |
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| The agreement, which will run for five years, seeks to enhance the capacity of the department and government in general, in supporting orphans, vulnerable children and youth. |
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South Africa and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) last week signed an agreement that would assist government to deliver support to the country’s children.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Government Capacity-Building and Support Project was signed in Cape Town by the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, and USAID South Africa Mission Director, Cheryl Anderson. The agreement focuses on strengthening the department’s response in addressing social and structural barriers that increase the vulnerability of orphans, vulnerable children and youth to HIV, sexually transmitted infections and TB.
The MoU emanates from the United States-Africa Summit which was held at the beginning of the month in Washington. President Jacob Zuma and Vice President Joe Biden had, at the summit, reached an understanding on a number of development issues that the countries could collaborate on.
USAID is an American agency with a mission to partner to end extreme poverty and to promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing security and prosperity. – Source: www.SAnews.gov.za. |
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SA COMPANIES PARTICIPATE IN FACIM |
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Participation in last year’s fair saw that exports concluded six months after the exhibition by the exhibitors amounted to a total of R7 604 900.84. |
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A total of 29 export-ready companies are taking part in the annual Feira International de Maputo (FACIM) taking place in Maputo, Mozambique, this week where they are showcasing their capacity in terms of products and services.
“The dti will participate at FACIM for the third time in the form of a National Pavilion and will focus on the automotive industry, cosmetics, information and communications technology, engineering services, agroprocessing and mining industries,” said Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies. He added that participation in the fair would help enhance trade relations between South Africa and Mozambique.
The dti-led delegation comprises19 small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, four historically disadvantaged companies and six emerging exporters. – Source: www.SAnews.gov.za |
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TEMPORARY PASSPORTS TO BE DISCONTINUED |
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| The turnaround time has improved drastically, rendering the issuance of temporary passports redundant. |
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The Department of Home Affairs has announced that it would discontinue the issuing of temporary passports from 1 September 2014. A Temporary Passport was initially issued as an interim travel document due to longer turnaround times taken to issue a Permanent Tourist Passport valid for 10 years.
“The turnaround time for a passport applied for on our Live Capture system takes 13 days, while that applied for using the manual system is issued within 24 days. Emergency travel certificates are issued on the same day in consideration of the nature of circumstances presented as an emergency need,” said departmental spokesperson, Mayihlome Tshwete.
The department has noted that South Africans travelling abroad and to the neighbouring countries are refused entry when travelling on temporary passports. Tshwete explained that only an Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) would be issued to an applicant under circumstances of emergency travel purposes such as when a passport that was lost while abroad and travelling to countries that accepted ETCs for purposes of assisting family members in distress or if a family member is deceased. |
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| SA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL GENDER, WATER AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE |
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| The conference follows a number of ongoing dialogues that started after the International Freshwater Governance Conference that was held in November 2012. |
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The Department of Water and Sanitation, the Water Research Commission and its partners in the sector, will host the International Gender, Water and Development Conference from 3 to 7 November 2014. The event will be held in East London under the theme “The Untapped Connection”.
The conference will provide a platform to forge partnerships that will address the challenges faced by the sector. It will also address the roll-out of the African Ministers Council on Water Gender Strategy. |
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| SAYXCHANGE YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAMME 2014 KICKS OFF |
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| The SayXchange programme is a Southern Africa Trust initiative that promotes regional integration and a southern African regional identity among young people. |
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The Southern Africa Trust, in partnership with its South African implementing partner, loveLife, recently launched their new partnership and kicked off the fourth cycle of the Southern Africa Youth Exchange Programme, SayXchange 2014.
The 28 SayXchange participants are on an exchange experience from 8 August to 5 December 2014. Participants include 14 South Africans who will travel to Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia to volunteer in various community projects through placements by the Mozambican Association for Family Development in Mozambique, the Family Planning Association of Malawi in Malawi and the Young African Leaders Initiative in Zambia. Five Zambian, five Mozambican and four Malawian youth will volunteer in South Africa.
The programme uses volunteerism as a building block for strengthening intercultural understanding and civic participation in the Southern African Development Community region. – Source: SA - The Good News |
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| SOUTH AFRICA OFFERS CHEAPEST TRANSPORT OPTIONS: SURVEY |
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| The survey compared the cheapest bus, train and flight connections between the two most populous cities in each of the 51 countries, taking into account factors such as distance, scheduling and taxes. |
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South Africa has been rated as offering the cheapest average rate per 100 kilometres of bus, train and air travel out of 51 countries in online platform GoEuro's Worldwide Transportation Price Index.
South Africa came out as the cheapest country for transport overall, with a bus journey costing on average US$3.67 (R39) per 100 kilometres, train journeys costing $1.88/100km (R20/100km) and flights costing just $11.63/100km (R124/100km).
The most expensive country for transport, according to the survey, is Switzerland, where bus journeys cost $18.67/100km, train journeys $38.28/100km and flights $125.07/100km. – Source: www.southafrica.info |
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| BANYANA BANYANA IN 4-0 WIN OVER ZAMBIA |
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| Shiwe Nongwanya gave the South African national women's team the lead at the break, while veteran striker Portia Modise netted a hat-trick in the second half to ensure triumph in the contest. |
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Banyana Banyana outplayed Zambia in an international friendly at the Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka on 24 August, recording a convincing 4-0 victory.
The match was the fifth match the Sasol-sponsored team has played as part of its preparations for the African Women's Championships, which will take place in Namibia from 11 to 25 October.
Banyana Banyana’s next assignment is in Polokwane against Tanzania on Saturday, 31 August. – Source: www.southafrica.info |
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