Author: pr.web

Programme Director, Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu,

Ministers and Deputy Ministers,

Representatives of civil society organisations,

Representatives of NEDLAC,

Representatives of development agencies and all participating organisations,

Colleagues,

Four years since I spoke of the need for this Social Sector Summit in my first State of the Nation Address, and after many months of preparation, it is wonderful that we have finally been able to convene.

There were a number of factors that delayed the convening of this Summit, not least of which was the COVID-19 pandemic.

With our country and indeed the world now in the process of recovery, I want to thank and salute civil society organisations for their role in the national effort to contain and overcome the pandemic.

There are few words to describe the pride and gratitude we felt as a country as we saw our resilient and committed non-governmental organisations serving the South African people during those difficult days.

Where government had capacity and resource constraints, civil society stepped into the breach.

Where government rolled out relief programmes and initiatives, civil society provided support.

The partnership, collaboration and alignment between government and civil society organisations during the pandemic was an example of how we can work, and how we must work, to overcome our society’s many challenges.

It was a model from which we can draw many lessons as we strive to ensure that our Bill of Rights is not mere words on paper, but that it is translated into progress and prosperity for every South African man, woman and child.

A strong, vibrant and activist civil society is key to the development of any nation.

It is therefore critical that the interface between government and civil society is improved and strengthened.

We have a common appreciation that we are all heading in the same direction and on the same road towards the realisation of a better South Africa.

We know that to reach this goal we have to be partners, and not adversaries.

But at the same time, we have an expectation that where we falter or fall short, that we will hold each other to our promises.

There is an expectation that we can require transparency and accountability of each other.

Since before the dawn of democracy, civil society organisations in South Africa have taken up the causes of the marginalised, the oppressed and the vulnerable.

From the HIV/Aids pandemic to substance abuse, from poverty to illiteracy, from unemployment to gender-based violence, civil society has been crafting constructive strategies and driving collaborative approaches that put the needs of the poor first.

At the height of the HIV/Aids pandemic in in the late 1990s to mid-2000s, civil society movements waged a brave and principled struggle against stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Just as civil society fought to ensure equitable access to anti-retroviral treatment, South African civil society bodies are supporting the global advocacy for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Just as civil society advocated for legal reform to tackle discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the early days of our democracy, civil society continues to speak out against practices and beliefs that discriminate against the LGBTQI+ community.

Just as civil society has consistently confronted entrenched practices that are discriminatory and harmful to women and girls, it now plays a key role in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide.

Twenty-eight years into our democracy, the role of civil society is as critical as ever.

Poverty, unemployment and inequality remain the most pressing challenges facing South Africa.

Our society is confronted by lawlessness, crime and corruption, gender-based violence, hunger and malnutrition.

Over the past few days, we have witnessed scenes of violent protest, damage to public infrastructure and, in some cases, loss of life in areas such as Kagiso in the West Rand and Tembisa in Ekurhuleni.

These incidents are of grave concern and highlight many of the challenges our country faces.

As we address these incidents, we need to distinguish between legitimate protest and criminality, addressing the concerns and grievances of communities, while acting to prevent loss of life and destruction of property.

We can all understand the public outrage in Kagiso sparked by the gang rape of eight young women last week and we all deeply and sincerely share in the pain of the victims, their families and the neighbouring communities.

Police are hard at work with investigations.

As we commend the police for apprehending suspected illegal miners and shutting down their operations, they must double their efforts in catching those responsible for the heinous crime of gang raping the young women.

This horrific crime is a reminder that as government, and as a society, we must do more to tackle gender-based violence.

Over the last few years, as a result of cooperation between government and civil society, we have strengthened the response of the criminal justice system to such crimes.

As part of the National Strategic Plan against GBVF, we have enacted new legislation and focused on the capacity of the SAPS, National Prosecuting Authority and courts to better support survivors and prosecute offenders.

We know that the NPA continues to place special emphasis on prosecuting these crimes, obtaining a conviction rate of 74%.

We want to encourage the National Prosecuting Authority and the Police to do more in their common efforts in the fight gender-based violence and femicide.

Government, represented by the South African Police Service and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, will convene an Imbizo with the community of Kagiso over the weekend to interrogate issues of illegal mining and crime.

As government, we remain steadfastly committed in our fight against corruption.

In the last financial year, for example, the specialised commercial crimes unit finalised 380 cases with a 90% conviction rate.

Over that period, 380 government officials were convicted for corruption and related crimes, whilst 209 people were convicted for private sector crimes.

The Asset Forfeiture Unit has completed 370 confiscations estimated at a value of R406 million.

There are currently 82 state capture cases are under investigation with 65 accused persons enrolled for prosecution in 20 cases.

There is clearly much more that needs to be done, but the fight against corruption is gaining momentum.

Overcoming these and other challenges requires all sectors of society to bring their respective capabilities together and unite behind a common vision.

Civil society organisations are where our people are, whether as NGOs, as community, professional and faith-based organisations, as academia or as worker representative organisations.

One of the priorities of this administration is to drive people-centred, localised development through the District Development Model.

It seeks to promote an approach to development that takes into account needs, circumstances and priorities on the ground.

Now more than ever we count on your breadth and diversity of knowledge, experience and expertise to work with us, but also to guide us on what interventions are needed, where, how and on the best way to allocate scarce resources.

Civil society reaches where business and government often cannot.

You have a solid track record of organic interventions and activations that yield results.

For this reason, this summit is crucial, for us to align our efforts and actions.

Our most pressing priority right now is recovery from the pandemic.

We are hard at work implementing the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to grow our economy and create jobs.

It is only through a stronger economy that we will be able to lift millions out of poverty, expand the rollout of comprehensive social support, improve the delivery of services and create employment so people can lead lives of dignity.

We have listened to your ideas and proposals on how to drive an inclusive and equitable economic recovery that leaves no one behind.

We also thank you for your participation in the ongoing process to develop a comprehensive social compact.

As civil society organisations continue with their difficult work they are confronted with challenges that demand our attention.

Foremost among these are financial constraints.

Like your global counterparts, South African civil society has been impacted by fewer resources, reprioritisation of donor budgets, worsening economic conditions and other factors.

Many civil society organisations are struggling to find money to keep their doors open, to pay their staff and to implement their programmes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened their situation.

Currently, government invests substantially in supporting the work of civil society organisations through the Department of Social Development.

In addition, the National Development Agency provides grant funding and capacity building to the sector.

We have to work collectively to develop sustainable and consistent funding streams for civil society, including emerging community-based organisations.

The second challenge is a capacity shortage that undermines the effectiveness of organisations.

I have heard reports of some civil society organisations being unable to submit annual reports as required by the NPO Act simply because they lack the expertise.

Besides a lack of professional skills, there are difficulties with recruiting highly qualified personnel.

Qualified staff are often lost to government and other sectors because civil society organisations cannot pay competitive salaries.

Civil society needs an enabling regulatory framework.

Many social sector organisations find that onerous red tape is holding them back.

In this regard, the Department of Social Development has published the Non-Profit Organisations Amendment Bill.

It seeks to strengthen the existing regulatory regime and make it more relevant to the prevailing environment, but without constraining the sector.

The Bill seeks to increase efficiencies and reduce red tape.

This is in recognition of the benefit civil society brings to policy-making and to the provision of services in our society.

We must acknowledge that corruption has contributed to the funding challenges the sector is facing.

By way of example, the Special Investigating Unit has uncovered how some civil society organisations were set up with the sole intention to loot the National Lotteries Commission.

This denied legitimate and deserving organisations the opportunity to access funding.

It is good that the investigations are progressing, that a number of arrests have been made and that civil action is being considered against a number of implicated individuals.

At the same time we must acknowledge that there needs to be greater accountability and transparency in the sector itself.

It is unacceptable for the lion’s share of donor and other funding to be spent on paying senior staff or funding lifestyles, instead of programmes.

High standards of governance, proper accounting and due diligence must apply.

This Summit has provided an opportunity to hear more about these challenges and how they can be overcome.

It has been an opportunity to hear more about work civil society organisations are doing in communities across the country, having taken stock of the reports that have come from all provinces through the Provincial Dialogues and roundtables.

Colleagues and friends,

The signing of the Social Sector Framework Agreement today is a milestone.

We are establishing a more comprehensive and inclusive framework for collaboration that recognises, supports and empowers civil society.

It sets the basis for us to foster a strong state-civil society partnership to tackle poverty, inequality and employment, and to deepen democratic participation.

We must seize this opportunity to deep our collaboration as we build a better South Africa that leaves no-one behind.

I would like to thank all representatives of civil society organisations that have been part of this process.

I would also like to thank the Department of Social Development, the NEDLAC Community Constituency and the Presidency for guiding this process.

I have no doubt that government, civil society and all social partners will continue to work together meaningfully beyond this Summit, as we have done for many years, to improve the lives of our people and build a better country.

I thank you.

Source: The Presidency Republic of South Africa

I would like to welcome you all to this briefing, which marks the release of the second progress report on Operation Vulindlela for this year.

This report demonstrates further progress in advancing the economic reform agenda which the President first outlined almost two years ago.

Since Operation Vulindlela was established, we have steadily addressed the binding constraints on growth and job creation that have held back our economy in the past.

We have long identified the key ingredients for higher growth in South Africa: a reliable electricity supply; an efficient freight rail system; cheaper data and better-quality telecommunications; a secure water supply; and skills to drive innovation and productivity.

If we get these five things right, we can place South Africa on a fundamentally different growth trajectory and create jobs. This is the premise of Operation Vulindlela, and the reason why the President has made structural reform our foremost priority.

In the first progress report, which we released three months ago, we highlighted several key achievements since Operation Vulindlela was established.

These included the completion of the spectrum auction, the raising of the licensing threshold for energy generation projects to 100 MW and the revival of the renewable energy procurement programme.

In the report that we are releasing today, we identify further milestones and outline the significant work that is underway in a number of reform areas.

The greatest focus during the past quarter has been on addressing the electricity crisis, culminating in the actions which the President announced on Monday last week. These actions build on the foundation that has already been laid in the energy sector over the past year.

Since the licensing threshold was raised, the pipeline of embedded generation projects has grown to more than 80 projects with a combined capacity of over 6000 MW.

The joint task team set up by Operation Vulindlela to support investments in new generation capacity has implemented several key changes, including designating these projects as Strategic Infrastructure Projects and streamlining regulatory requirements.
 
Through these efforts, the average time taken for registration of projects by Nersa has been reduced from as long as four months to just 19 days.

The time that it takes to obtain an environmental authorization has been reduced from close to 150 days, to just 57 days.

Additional capacity has been built in the Grid Access Unit within Eskom to expedite grid connection approvals and enable these projects to proceed as quickly as possible.

The actions announced by the President will significantly accelerate this progress.

As the various Ministers outlined this week, work has already begun to ensure that the energy action plan is swiftly and fully implemented.

The National Energy Crisis Committee has been established, and Operation Vulindlela is providing technical support to the committee together with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.

These reforms, including the removal of the licensing threshold for generation projects and the expedited procurement of new capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage, will supercharge our efforts to modernize and transform the electricity sector.

Most importantly, these changes will create the conditions for a boom in private fixed investment in the coming years, which will lift our economic growth overall. Construction of new energy projects and associated economic activity will create jobs, while increased energy security will encourage even further investment across the economy.

The progress report also points to a number of other achievements in the past quarter, which the Minister of Finance will elaborate on.

These are just a few examples of the impact that Operation Vulindlela is having as a whole- of-government approach, with multiple departments and entities working every day to ensure that reforms are implemented.

At the same time, the report reflects on the challenges that have been experienced with some reforms, such as with the delay in completing digital migration as a result of the Constitutional Court order. However, where such challenges are experienced, action is being taken to address and resolve them.

I will now invite my colleague, the Minister of Finance, to expand on a number of other reform areas and outline the way forward.

I thank you.

Source: The Presidency Republic of South Africa

Minister in the Presidency Mr Mondli Gungubele and Minister of Finance Mr Enoch Godongwana will launch the Operation Vulindlela second quarter report. The briefing follows on the one held on 13 May 2022, and will provide an update on reforms being implemented by departments supported by Operation Vulindlela. Operation Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the Presidency and the National Treasury, aimed at fast-tracking the delivery of structural economic reforms to unblock economic growth. Operation Vulindlela focuses on priority reforms in five areas: energy; digital communications; water; transport; and visa reform.

Source: The Presidency Republic of South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 09 August 2022, deliver the keynote address at the Women’s Day national commemorative event in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal.

The event will take place at the Silahla Sport Field in Richmond in the uMngungundlovu district municipality.

Women’s Day is an annual commemoration of the 9 August 1956 protest march to the Union Buildings by 20 000 women from all backgrounds who resisted the apartheid authorities’ imposition of pass laws that restricted the movement of black South Africans in the country of their birth.

In the democratic era, Women’s Day focuses the nation’s attention on the country’s progress towards gender equity and celebrates the diverse contributions of women to the development of our society and economy.

However, Women’s Day and Women’s Month also serve as a period during which the country reflects on the challenges that face women, and during which all sectors of society can discuss these challenges and develop or highlight programmes aimed at empowering and affirming women.

Source: The Presidency Republic of South Africa

Under Secretary of State Jose W. Fernandez will travel to South Africa, August 7-8, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), August 9-10, to join Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in engaging government officials, business, and members of civil society on our shared objectives of combatting climate change, food insecurity, and global pandemics, and promoting the United States’ support and investment for developing and securing more resilient supply chains, particularly with respect to critical minerals.  The Under Secretary will focus on increased investment in Africa to further job growth, greater economic inclusion, and opportunity for citizens in the United States and across the continent.

In Pretoria, Under Secretary Fernandez will participate in the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue and co-chair sessions that will explore ways to deepen bilateral cooperation on climate and energy issues and strengthen economic ties to help us work together to address shared global challenges.  These discussions with government officials will emphasize collaboration on regional economic development opportunities, building partnerships for more secure and resilient supply chains, and providing the education and training necessary to combat the climate crisis.

Under Secretary Fernandez will then travel to Kinshasa, where he will meet with the DRC ‘s ministries of mining, finance, and the environment to strengthen bilateral economic ties, improve our common efforts to combat climate change, and bolster critical mineral supply chains, which are essential to the technologies driving the world’s clean energy transition.  The Under Secretary will reinforce our close ties through the U.S.-DRC Privileged Partnership for Peace, Prosperity, and Preservation of the Environment, and further strengthen our relationship on agriculture and food systems and nature conservation.

Source: U.S Department of State

Washington D.C. 5 August 2022 (PAHO) – As monkeypox cases continue to rise in several countries of the Americas, Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today held a Special Session of the Directing Council to consider a Resolution to address the outbreak, including supporting equitable access to vaccines for at-risk populations in the region.

On 23 July 2022, the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak, which began in mid-May and has affected 89 countries across all six WHO regions, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Over 10,000 monkeypox infections have been reported by 24 countries of the Americas since the start of the outbreak. This accounts for 38% of global cases.

“The PHEIC declaration came with detailed recommendations for both countries and territories who haven’t detected any cases as well as for those who already have imported cases or transmission in their communities,” said PAHO Director, Carissa Etienne.

“We believe that when the recommended measures are appropriately implemented, we can stop transmission of the monkeypox virus.”

These recommendations, which PAHO is working with Member States to implement, include communication and engagement with affected communities, early detection and surveillance, treatment and isolation of patients, and contact tracing.

However, “post- or pre-exposure vaccination might need to complement the other measures,” the Director added.

During the session, Dr. Etienne noted that there is currently only one third-generation vaccine for monkeypox, which is produced by just one manufacturer.

While supplies of this vaccine are extremely limited, PAHO has engaged in early negotiations with its manufacturer.

In light of this, the Resolution adopted requests PAHO’s Director to facilitate a coordinated response and take steps to support Member States in obtaining access to this vaccine through the PAHO Revolving Fund. It also requests that countries of the Region of the Americas continue to recognize PAHO and its Revolving Fund as the strategic regional technical mechanism most suitable for providing equitable access to this vaccine and others.

The recommendations of PAHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, as well as those of the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), stipulate that countries should prioritize vaccines for specific groups, such as close contacts of a confirmed monkeypox case, in order to maximize impact considering the limited vaccine supply.

Monkeypox disease Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms include fever, intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle ache, and a rash that blisters and crusts. The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The mouth, genitals, and eyes may also be affected.

The symptoms can be mild or severe, and generally last for several weeks during which time a person can be infectious to others. Most people recover within a few weeks without treatment.

Monkeypox disease is reported regularly in nine countries of Central and West Africa since it was first recognized in 1958 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, since mid-May 2022, an increasing number of monkeypox cases have been reported first in multiple countries in Europe and later in other regions, including the Americas.

As of 5 August 2022, 37,360 probable and laboratory-confirmed cases were reported to the WHO from 89 countries across all six WHO regions.

Note to journalists: With updated number of cases as of 7:30 pm EDT, August 5.

Source: Pan American Health Organization