Municipal Focus Volume 60

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

2022 Local Government Week, started off with Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma delivering the keynote address to stakeholders under the theme: ‘Advancing our collective effort to enhance oversight and accountability in the Local Sphere of Government’.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

Just three (3) weeks prior Hon President Ramaphosa signed into law the Local Government Municipal System Amendment Bill of 2022 as part of rebuilding the capacity of the state at the level of government that has the most immediate impact on the way communities live.

In these very challenging times, government is looking towards PPP’s, or Public-Private Partnerships, to better respond to SA’s growing concerns that include unemployment, economic development, poverty, re-imagining SA after Covid19, the KZN floods, waste management, housing, our energy crises, social cohesion and bridging the digital divide, to name just a few of the challenges we now face.

Focusing on “building capable, accountable, financially viable and sustainable municipalities through enhanced oversight and accountability in the local sphere of government”, the Minister learly said that every week should be Local Government Week, and defined he inherent characteristics of an ideal Local Government that is key to realising a developmental state, while emphasising the need to institutionalise the District Development Model (DDM) as a whole of government and society approach.

Local, provincial and national government leaders are looking at innovative solutions, and synergies with civil society and the private sector, to identify and seize opportunities for collective impact.

and products that enable them to participate in the growing economy.

With transport being the lifeblood of our growing economy, and roads and rail infrastructure being the backbone of every town, city and province - the impact of the efficiency and quality of public transport services is the focus of our Cover Feature. Minister Fikile Mbalula has placed a concerned focus on road, rail and air infrastructure acknowledging that its value is in consumption, allowing access to markets, institutions, and connecting citizens throughout South Africa.

In this edition our cover feature showcases Cell C which has invested in “connecting communities and building capabilities”, where those who have been previously disadvantaged are afforded opportunities that empower them with the necessary skills, services

Municipal Focus unpacks the role, commitment and contribution of the National School of Government (NSG) to the establishment of a capable, professional and responsive public sector, and speaks to Principal, Prof Busani Ngcaweni, about the NSG’s work in the local government sphere that include programme partnerships and capacity building interventions, so that public servants can best understand and implement their work.

June 2022 coincides with Youth Month and we have a conversation with Malusi Shezi, the CEO of CETA (Construction Education & Training Authority) about the construction industry, empowering youth with skills in the sector, the SETA’s successes and challenges, and collaborations with some of the other SETA’s and TVET Colleges that will benefit the youth.

Nardine Nelson Publisher & CEO Kweda Media & Communications

Our focus for Clean-up and Recycling week focused on the successes of CCBSA and Plastics SA, showcasing that it is only through the combined efforts of citizens, volunteer organizations, corporates and government that a notable amount of litter can be removed, separated and sent for recycling.

The Electoral Commission has embarked on a Youth Democracy Campaign, aimed at youth voter education, participation and registration. Mawethu Mosery, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer: Outreach at the Electoral Commission, said that engaging the youth in this manner will empower this generation with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate in elections and to shape their own future.

After the bleak tourism seasons due to Covid-19 lockdowns, SA is seeing a revival in the travel and tourism sector.

SA’s annual domestic campaign ‘Sho’t left’ got a boost with industry in the tourism trade having negotiated great discounted rates, making travel more accessible to most South Africans so that they can travel and stay locally and get a better understanding of our world-class attractions. In launching Tourism Month and encouraging South Africans to travel, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said that the sector has the ability to transform the trajectory of our country.

Barloworld celebrates its 120th Anniversary and continues the group’s legacy of positively impacting the communities in which it operates. Through its flagship programme, Barloworld Mbewu, it offers support to start-ups and other organizations that exist to help solve local socioeconomic challenges. Through its perpetual policy of giving back to communities, this iconic South African company continues to thrive.

As we celebrate Tourism Month and plan for the festive season, we are reminded that “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

Enjoy the read and keep safe!

Through collaborations, and by introducing civil society and private sector technology, innovation and ideas to deal with SA’s challenges, we are better positioned to make local government work, supplement the limited government capacity and resources we have, and provide better public services!

Enjoy the read and keep safe!

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Nardine Nelson Publisher & CEO Kweda Media & Communications

CELL C: Partnerships - The Key to Serving South Africa and Her People

Minister of Transport: Fikile Mbalula

Together, we can build a capable, ethical & developmental South Africa.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT

The Department of Transport is responsible for regulation and coordination of transportation in South Africa that is: Public Transport, Rail Transportation, Civil Aviation, Maritime Transport and Road Transport.

TRANSPORT THE HEARTBEAT OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The adage of economists that ‘The value of infrastructure is in its consumption’ applies more suitably to transport infrastructure than any other sector of the economy. Roads give no returns by themselves, but they allow access to markets, institutions, and connect villages to cities and centres of economic activity.

The transport sector, including road, rail, air and maritime, facilitates trade and promotes access to social and economic activities such as going to work, schools, clinics, etc. The sector also helps to accelerate economic development.

The National Department of Transport (DoT) is both the referee and a player in this sector or a consumer and supplier at the same time, depending on the area of transport being considered. The DoT builds the roads for private operators to provide taxi and bus transport – but also runs a state-funded bus system to

augment the public transport needs. The same goes for rail; the DoT builds the rail lines and runs the train network!

The mandate of the department to facilitate transformation of the sector is one of its biggest challenges. The department has to deliver state-of-theart modern transport, whilst addressing the legacies of an unbalanced past, with a limited budget.

South Africa’s national road network is in good to very good condition but this is not the case with our secondary road networks, or Provincial and local roads.

Considering that it is the secondary road networks that feed increased traffic volumes onto national roads, the relatively high transport costs associated with the unchecked deterioration of the secondary roads remains a significant factor in South Africa’s relative competitiveness in global markets. >

This has been a pervasive challenge for many years,” says Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. “Effective road construction and maintenance helps reduce the transaction costs of South African products on international markets. Although rail, air and sea also add in, roads are the primary cost input factor,” he adds.

Moving People to Move the Economy

Production in the economy is driven by people, so their ability to travel to and from places of work – commuter transport – is key.

The majority of the working population lives in underdeveloped townships

and villages, and depend on public transport to commute to and from work. Before the advent of the mini-bus industry, most commuters depended on ageing rail and bus infrastructure. The mini-bus taxi industry moved into the gap and moves millions of commuters to and from work, daily – something that cannot be ignored. However, this industry grew organically and was neither subsidised nor managed.

Upgrading the commuter transport infrastructure and service, particularly in the bus and rail sector, had to be done alongside the formalisation and transformation of the minibus taxi industry as a stakeholder. In the introduction of Rapid Bus Transit Systems such as Rea Vaya in

Johannesburg, A Re Yeng in Pretoria, Leeto la Polokwane and Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT), the taxi associations were engaged and formed part of the new transport system.

“The impact of the quality of public transport services on the citizens is immediate in that they use this mode every day. The vision of an efficient, affordable, safe, effective and reliable public transport system can only be realized through systematic interventions that deliver tangible outcomes incrementally,” Minister Mbalula says.

He adds that the implementation of Integrated Public Transport Networks (IPTNs) that enable seamless movement of public transport users across modes are the department’s key priority. The efficiencies of the IPTNs will be enhanced by the rollout of a cashless fare system and integrated ticketing, changing the experience of the commuter for the better. However, the challenges of the majority’s limited access to banking and technology will be taken into consideration, and the transition will be phased.

In the major cities such as in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Polokwane and Pretoria, the integration is more complex because other modes of commuter transport such as rail (PRASA, Gautrain) and air, must be factored in.

Safe Rail Commuting

The transformation and upgrade of rail commuter transport has been more challenging as it straddles various socio-economic levels with large sections that are decades old.

The Passenger Rail Service Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has the unenviable task of replacing age-old infrastructure whilst repairing damaged networks and upgrading systems from historical to state-of-the-art technologies. This had to be done whilst the whole system was operational and not affecting the commuters negatively.

The rail system had to move from manual signalling to electronic wireless whilst the locomotives had to be upgraded to meet green emission standards in line with global practice. This implies a huge leap in upgrade resulting in major interrup-tions, for which there is no room as commuters need to get to and from work on time.

The sector did not escape the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and still suffers from the impact of its socio-economic effect today. The reduction of the transport movement due to lockdowns was characterised by an increase in cable thefts as well as rail and sleeper damage for income generating purposes. This has placed a further burden on the department’s resources and reversed some of the progress that had been made.

“In keeping with the theme of “getting PRASA back on the rails”, the company is incrementally overcoming its challenges and achieving important milestones towards recovery. PRASA’s recovery plan also entails rolling out the new electric multiple unit (EMU) fleet. This will result in the provision of world-class trains that are locally manufactured at the Gibela plant in Dunnottar, Gauteng,” says PRASA Board Chairperson Mr. Leonard Ramatlakane.He adds: “Despite the challenges, PRASA has taken huge

The vision of an efficient, affordable, safe, effec tive and reliable public transport system can only be realized through sys tematic interventions that deliver tangible outcomes incrementally,” Minister Mbalula says.

strides in delivering on its four main projects namely; Station Modernization, Signalling Programme, Fleet Renewal Programme and the Moloto Rail Corridor.”

Safety in the Air

The DoT has to insure that world class safety standards are maintained in the airline industry. This has a direct impact on the country’s perception by the tourism and travel industry.

This industry is recovering from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst the larger airlines may be self-regulating in maintaining safety through their corporate tructures, smaller private aviators can easily fall between the cracks.

South Africa has maintained a high standard of safety globally. This owever is a costly exercise that equires constant monitoring as well as upgrade training for practitioners. >

“Our efforts to reduce carnage on our roads by 25% in 2024 remain firmly on track. The safety of the pedestrians, motorists, and other vulnerable road users is paramount,”says Minister Mbalula.

The Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) has made major strides to improve our airspace management safely scenarios. Infrastructure investments to assist the programme include the continued renewal of terrestrial aeronautical navigation systems and continued maintenance of radar systems. ATNS operates from nine ACSA airports and 12 other aerodromes. Infrastructure investments to assist the programme include the continued renewal of terrestrial aeronautical navigation systems and continued maintenance of radar systems.

“Throughout history aviation has been impacted by change, and ATNS has continually proven its ability to remain

resilient, and to prioritise, strategize, conserve and collaborate in response to the external environment,” says ATNS CEO Nozipho Mdawe.

“Within our business model and strategy, we are acutely aware of our external environment and how this is continuously evolving. We continue to understand the pandemic’s longerlasting impacts and how to best proactively future-proof ourselves against the devastating effects of other large-scale external disruptions,” she continues.

Mdawe adds: “However, looking to the future, we are privileged to be an organisation comprised of thought-

leaders dedicated to excellence, technological innovation and sustainability. We are also developing and rebuilding the future aviation workforce as a world-class provider of air traffic management training. Combined, ATNS is well-positioned to secure value realisation in aviation for years to come.”

Safety on The Road

Walking is the most common mode of transport used in the country, with about 17.4 million South Africans walking to their various destinations, followed by 10.7 million individuals who make use of taxis and 6.2 million who use cars/trucks for transport. The fact that walking is the most common mode of transport explains why pedestrians are the highest number of people who die on South African roads. The number of fatalities have shown an increase post the lockdown period with alcohol intoxication being the most common related cause.

“Our efforts to reduce carnage on our roads by 25% in 2024 remain firmly on track. The safety of the pedestrians, motorists, and other vulnerable road users is paramount. Our focus will be on the use of safety belts, the roadworthiness of vehicles, fatigue, drunk driving, pedestrian safety and dangerous driving which includes

speeding, recklessness and overtaking on barrier lines,” says Minister Mbalula. Despite the prevalence of other forms of transport such as aeroplanes and trains, it is clear that the majority of South Africans still use mini-bus taxis. There are more than 200, 000 taxis on the country’s roads, transporting more than 4.5 million people per day in Gauteng.

It is common cause that during the rainy season we experience most ccidents caused by speeding and also the inappropriate control of vehicles in such conditions. These fatalities not only cause pain and suffering to victims and their families, but they place an enormous burden on the economy and the health system. It is possible to reduce road fatalities in our country if we adopt the highest levels of discipline and courtesy towards other road users.

World Class Roads

Properly surfaced roads without potholes are as important to road safety as traffic management and vehicle conditions. The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) maintains and develops the country’s expanding national road network (currently at 22,253 km). Recognising the enormity of many demands on the fiscus and the advantage of constructive engagement with the private sector, SANRAL has proactively

sought alternative sources of finance for road infrastructure and opportunities to reduce dependence on tax-based revenues.

The regional and local road network is the one that requires attention. The department has to surface new and previously untarred roads, particularly in rural areas, whilst fixing and maintaining deteriorating roads and bridges that are decades old. Moreover, a large number if these roads were not built for high volumes of traffic and heavier roads that are a product of a growing economy. New mines for instance are being developed in rural areas that had not anticipated a constant flow of heavy duty trucks; thus creating

the country-wide menace of ‘potholes’.

In this regard the department launched operation ‘Vala Zonke’ in Nguni, or Operation Kwala Kaofela in Sesotho. This project focuses on the elimination of potholes by systemmatically repairing damaged roads using labour intensive methods to create jobs.

At the launch Minister Mbalula said: “Addressing the maintenance challenges and backlog in our road network starts with putting in place measures that will halt the deterioration of our roads. Attending to potholes as soon as possible after they occur is the most effective way to arrest this decline.”

The prevalence of world class roads will be of no benefit to the South African community if the road uses are still reckless and unlicensed. The department is hard at work through the Road Traffic Management Company (RTMC) to ensure that expired licenses are renewed and vehicles are roadworthy. Law enforcement officers are also on standby to ensure compliance with road regulation.

“Safety on the road however, begins with every individual road user whether driving or pedestrian,” says Minister Mbalula. “All road users must appreciate that roadsare shared spaces. When we use the roads, we must embrace the age-old dictum that says: I am my brother’s keeper and I am my sister’s keeper.” 

CCBSA

The initiative is a continuation of the programme launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March 2019 to highlight the importance of “active citizenry in the protection of natural resources and proper waste management in the environment”.

Nozicelo Ngcobo: CCBSA Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director (PACS)

CCBSA PARTNERS WITH GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITIES TO HELP ADDRESS PLASTIC WASTE

Food and beverage packaging plays an important part of our modern lives, yet the world has a packaging problem, which we as Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), together with The Coca-Cola Company, have a responsibility to help solve.

We recognise that alone we cannot solve this challenge, but through strategically orchestrated partnerships with government and the community, we can at least start envisioning and creating a waste and plastic free environment. This is why through several public-private partnerships, CCBSA is empowering communities to collect and recycle plastic waste. One of these projects is the Good Green Deeds initiative, a community clean-up operation which falls under the scope of Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Barbara Creecy.

The initiative is a continuation of the programme launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March 2019 to highlight the importance of “active citizenry in the protection of natural resources and proper waste management in the environment”.

The Good Green Deeds campaign is a nationwide initiative that seeks to change people’s attitudes, behaviours

towards responsible management of waste, and keeping their neighbourhoods clean, green and safe. The objective for the Good Green Deeds Programme is a positive drive towards a clean South Africa which is free of litter and illegal dumping

According to the Department of Environmental Affairs’ State of Waste Report (SoWR), South Africa produced in excess of 54 million tonnes of waste in 2017. Of this total, the report estimated that a maximum of only 10% is recycled or recovered for other uses, whilst the remainder ends up in landfills or is illegally dumped elsewhere.

Nozicelo Ngcobo, CCBSA Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director (PACS) said: “We support government’s waste management objective of creating recycling awareness through this campaign. Through these public-private partnerships, we aim to change society’s attitude and behaviour towards responsible management of waste and keeping our communities clean and waste free.”

Clean-up initiatives are in line with the Coke system’s World Without Waste Vision 2030, to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030. We’re working to bring people

and communities together to help preserve our planet.

“We can only bring about meaningful change if we work together through different partnerships, be it registered Producer Responsible Organisations (PROs), like the PET Recycling company (PETCO) community based waste reclaimers. The fast-moving consumer goods industry has an important duty to reduce waste in the environment through an effective waste collection and recycling market, as well as awareness building and environmentallyfriendly materials,” adds Ngcobo.

“We want to use our industry leadership position to be part of the solution by encouraging our consumers and citizens to separate and recycle their waste.” CCBSA is committed to producing, packaging and selling products in a responsible way to ensure a sustainable future and making post-consumer packaging part of a circular economy - an economic system aimed at eliminating waste through the continual use of existing, valuable resourcesto improve collection and recycling rates.

CCBSA is bringing people together through programmes like the Good Green Deeds initiative, and participates in the International Coastal Clean-up >

(ICC) during September, where CCBSA leads beach and river clean-ups and other ongoing local community activities in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The clean-ups are also linked with Clean-up and Recycle Week (12 to 17 September), highlighting the importance of waste collection and creating a circular economy through recycling and waste management, ultimately contributing to a clean environment.

ICC has been held internationally each year since 1986, when people head to the beaches and begin removing debris and rubbish from shorelines, waterways, and the oceans. The ICC initiative worldwide remains the largest volunteer environmental data-gathering effort and clean-up event of coastal and underwater areas to date.

In 2018, The Coca Cola Company announced its World Without Waste Vision 2030, where the company has committed itself to:

• Collect and recycle the equivalent for every bottle or can it sells by 2030

• 100% recyclable packaging by 2025

• PET bottles made of 50% recyclable material by 2030;

PET is a safe, recyclable packaging material made from Polyethylene Terephthalate.

To further support the World Without Waste vision, the company designed an innovative 2L returnable, also known as refillable PET bottle (RefPET) and launched it in 2020 in the Eastern Cape, and rolled out in Gauteng, Limpopo, North-West, Mpumalanga and parts of the Free State. The most recent launch was in Mangaung and Northern Cape. “RefPET serves two critical purposes, to offer consumers value for money and including them as an important part of the recycling value chain and reducing waste that would otherwise be destined to landfills. We are proud of this initiative and it has proven to be successful particularly in areas where waste man-agement is important,” Ngcobo said.

CCBSA is further committed to creating and supporting waste collection and recycling systems across its footprint where they didn’t exist previously. CCBSA does this by improving collection and recycling rates educating

people about the importance of recycling and material reuse and supports the setting up of buy-back centres. CCBSA is using more recycled content, reducing the amount of plastic in our bottles (light-weighting) and using plant-based resins in some of our ottles. The goal is to set a new global standard. In South Africa, the 500ml Bonaqua bottles are made out of 100% recycled PET (rPET)”.

“Ultimately, we measure our business success not only according to growth and profits, but also by doing business the right way – following our values and working toward solutions that benefit not only us all but generations to come,” concludes Ngcobo. 

Contact Details:

Consumer Contact Centre

Phone: +27 (0)11 644 0666

E-Mail: ccsainfo@coca-cola.com

Address: Linbro Business P ark, 5 Milkyway Ave, Frankenwald, Johannesburg, 2065

THE RIGHT CYBERSECURITY PARTNER MUST COVER ALL BASES

Adigitally

transforming world has catapulted business towards new tech-driven opportunities. Although there has never been a better time to succeed through innovation, these techdriven opportunities also come with new tech-driven threats.

None are more aware of the omnipresent cyber threat than those who are responsible for the digital integrity of our country’s public sector. This sector has become an attractive target for cybercriminals, which has unfortunately been made evident by the high number of attacks on key state institutions.

According to the latest KnowBe4 and IDC Impact of Cyberextortion on Africa report, data leakages, insider threats, ransomware attacks, cloud-related attacks, and targeted attacks using phishing are the biggest cyber threat to African businesses.

If the public sector is unable to meet these

threats head-on, government will lose control, giving cybercriminals power over countries, government, and in the end, citizens. It is up to the public sector to find the right cybersecurity partner to mitigate these ever-evolving risks and provide the economic and personal protection that tax-paying citizens deserve.

Altron Systems Integration combines best-in-class technology and cutting-edge analytics together with its experienced engineers to offer its customers bespoke solutions that meet their needs – many of which include some of the highest profile organisations in the public sector.

By using a layered approach with data in the centre, private data, intellectual property, cyber infrastructure, and even military and national security can be compromised by deliberate attacks, inadvertent security lapses, and the vulnerabilities of a relatively immature, unregulated global Internet.

Altron Systems Integration helps organisations plan and execute an integrated cyber approach to harness the power of information networks to enhance business operations, increase mission performance, and improve customer support, without compromising security or privacy.

As a partner on the journey to security, Altron Systems Integration offers the following services:

Consultation Services

Consultative services advisors advise and assist organisations, from performing a gap analysis right through to achieving the Gold Standard.

The Centre of Information Security (CIS) is a good governance framework that not only positions an organisation better strategically, especially now with POPIA having been enacted, but it also decreases Information Security Risk.

Network Operations Centre (NOC)

A network operations centre (NOC) is a centralised location where IT teams can continuously monitor the performance and health of a network. Altron Systems Integration recognised the need for NOC as a Service (NOCaaS) to supplement its efforts to support the three main components of Information Security:

• Confidentiality

• Integrity

• Availability

NOCaaS also allows for the obvious added operational benefits of efficiency and capacity management, enhancing situational awareness within a particular environment.

Security Operations Centre (SOC)

A SOC is a centralised unit that deals with security issues on an organisational and technical level. Managing a SOC is a costly

and highly specialised field of expertise.

Offering it as a service gives access to world-class enterprise-grade technology and threat intelligence under 247-365 scrutiny by skilled analysts, allowing an organisation to focus on its core business.

Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS)

Vulnerability Management is essential for cyber defence control. The effectiveness of a vulnerability management program is understanding the risk profile in context and then having the flexibility and adaptability to plan and react accordingly.

Secure Gateway Managed Firewalls

Managing perimeter security, which requires a high level of expertise, is critical in preventing costly breaches and maintaining the integrity of an organisation’s infrastructure.

Altron Systems Integration’s cost-effective Intrusion Protection Service (IPS) and firewall services provide customers with the vital skills and knowledge necessary to manage existing technology while also keeping pace with the rising complexity of threats and cyber-attacks.

Secure Hosting

If your website or database is attacked, you could lose all your data. If you don’t have a secure host backing up your data, all could be lost – which is particularly distressing in the public sector.

With Altron Systems Integration, Secure Hosting is inclusive of all the services with the addition of Managed Endpoint Protection and Disaster Recovery.

Digital Certificate Lifecycle Management

Continuity of public service requires continuity of software licenses. Altron Systems Integration provides a one-stop solution for automated discovery, expiry alerts, and the renewals, provisioning, and revoking of digital certificates across networks, servers, clients, and Altron Systems Integration Data Centre (ADC) devices.

Cyber Risk Awareness Training

Securing public sector systems and data requires a collective solution. Even the most powerful and comprehensive security solution can be undermined by careless or negligent behaviour – which is unfortunately rife in many public sector organisations.

Educating IT and end-users is a core component of an effective defence strategy. Altron Systems Integration has a very simple and efficient Cyber Awareness Programme that tracks employee’s participation and competencies.

Incident Response and Cyber Forensics

When a cyberattack gets through security, time is of the essence in order to understand how to mitigate future attacks. This is a highly specialised field and extremely sensitive area that requires an innate understanding of the processes, rules, and regulations involved.

For this reason, Altron Systems Integration has a strategic partnership with South Africa’s longest-running Cyber Forensics and Incident Response firm.

Choose a partner to cover all bases

When it comes to cybersecurity, nothing is too comprehensive when it comes to the right partner. Visit our website to learn more about Altron Systems Integration's Security Solutions.

Contact Details: Website: www.altronsystemsintegration.co.za/ security-services/ Email: info-altronsi@altron.com Contact number: 011 205 7000

THE NEWLY PROMULGATED MUNICIPAL SYSTEMS AMENDMENT ACT

On Friday 19 August 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Bill of 2022, as part of building the capacity of the state at the level of government that has the most immediate impact on the way communities live.

The law should go a long way towards improving the way local government is organised and administered as

a professional and capable tier of government – something that many had been waiting for.

The new amended law was therefore widely welcomed by organisations and leaders, including Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. It is seen as part of a suite of legislation that is designed to ensure effective and efficient functioning municipalities, and a professional local-level public administration.

So, what changes under the new law? Before unpacking it, let’s briefly look back at the original legislation regulating local government and municipal systems. The Constitution of South Africa always envisaged a dynamic local government system that would provide democratic and accountable government for local communities as well as the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. Key elements would be the promotion of social and economic development, a safe and healthy living

Hon. Minister: Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma

environment, and the active involvement of communities and community organisations in matters of local government.

Part of a series of municipal laws

The 2022 amended law is based on and amends in certain parts the original Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000. This Act formed part of a series of legislation that aimed to empower local government to fulfil its constitutional objectives and obligations. In 1998 the government issued a Local Government White Paper, which outlined a policy framework for local government. Later that year government passed the Municipal Demarcation Act, which enabled the re-demarcation of municipal boundaries; and the Municipal Structures Act, which defined the structures of local government.

The Municipal Systems Act was passed in 2000 to complement these pieces of legislation. It sought to regulate key municipal organisational, planning, participatory and service delivery systems.

The Municipal Financial Management Bill, which regulates municipal financial matters, completed the suite of laws in the local government sphere. Together, they provided a framework for a democratic, accountable and developmental local government system, as envisaged by the Constitution. Over the years various amendments were made to the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 and concurrent legislation, but none arguably as important as the latest amendments.

In a statement issued by The Presidency, President Ramaphosa said the legal provisions of the new law were directed at improving the capacity and ethical standards of local government through, among others, the way senior appointments are made and by preventing high-ranking officials from holding political office in political parties. The law also enables municipalities to conduct recruitment searches nationally, to widen the pool of talent they can attract.

The President views this as part of building the capacity of the state at the level of government that has the most immediate

impact on the way communities live. According to the statement, the new legislation is an important element of turning around the performance of local government, preventing the abuse of public resources and stamping out the sheltering of officials who move from municipality to municipality following wrongdoing.

Far-reaching interventions

Among its far-reaching interventions, the new legislation provides for the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to make regulations relating to the duties, remuneration, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers. The law requires that a vacant post of municipal manager be advertised nationally to attract as wide as possible a pool of candidates. A person may be selected for appointment as municipal manager only from this pool of candidates.

If the pool of candidates is insufficient, the municipal council may re-advertise the post. Provision is, however, made for the Minister to exempt a municipal council from these strict appointment requirements if the municipal council is unable to attract a suitable candidate, which may happen especially in the rural areas.

The legislative amendments bar municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers from holding political office in political parties. Political office refers to the position of chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary, deputy secretary or treasurer of a political party nationally or in any province, region or other area in which the party operates. Other political rights of senior managers are unaffected by the amendment, and they remain entitled to enjoy and exercise these rights freely.

The law now also directs that any staff member of any municipality who has been dismissed for misconduct may only be re-employed in any municipality after the expiry of a prescribed period. A staff member dismissed for financial misconduct contemplated in the

Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No. 56 of 2003), which includes corruption or fraud, may not be re-employed for a period of five years.

Municipalities are now required to maintain a record regarding the disciplinary proceedings of staff members dismissed for misconduct and forward it to the provincial Member of the Executive Council for Local Government, who must forward it to the Minister to keep and make available to municipalities as prescribed.

In The Presidency’s statement, President Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation to the significant numbers of stakeholders, including individuals, who participated in the public consultation process on this legislation.

The President said: “The amendments passed by Parliament show that the concerns of communities have been heard and been acted upon. A capable, ethical state requires a strong foundation at local level, and the new law will go a long way to building communities’ confidence in local government and enabling stronger partnerships and cooperation between municipalities and the communities they serve.”

In welcoming the enactment of the new law, Minister Dlamini-Zuma called on all stakeholders to support municipalities and ensure that the Act is implemented fully.

President Cyril Ramaphosa

RAL IN THE FOREFRONT TO ERADICATE THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE BACKLOG IN THE LIMPOPO PROVINCE

Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) continues to play the leading role in improving Limpopo’s road infrastructure network.

RAL, led by its Shareholder Representative, Honourable MEC for Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure (LDPWRI) Mme Nkakareng Rakgoale believes maintaining the existing Limpopo road infrastructure is key for the province’s economic development. The MEC shares the view that, it is through properly thought-out maintenance plans that government can prolong the sustainability of its road assets.

The MEC recently launched the Limpopo leg of Operation #ThibaMekotiDitseleng which was initiated by the National Department of Transport under the banner #ValaZonke, aimed at fast-tracking the patching of potholes on the country’s roads. The initiative continues to minimise road users’ challenges associated with pothole-riddled roads, thereby ensuring safe and enhanced driving on Limpopo's road network.

Several motorists and road users have welcomed the initiative and have shared their delight stating that with potholes being fixed, the initiative is enhancing their safety. Some of the

The campaign led by Roads Agency Limpopo together with the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure to fix the province’s potholed roads, is bearing fruit and road users are beaming with joy.

roads have been in a bad condition for some time. Before the pothole patching on the road, the damage would cause unwarranted disturbances including tyre punctures and accidents. This would be high risk for women who become vulnerable when urgent medical road-side assistance is compromised.

Districts and local municipalities representatives have also hailed the initiative for bringing the muchneeded relief in their communities. Fixing the potholes will minimise the damages incurred by local drivers on their vehicles. Most of the officials believe that with good roads, investors will also be incentivised to do business in their areas, which will create job opportunities for people who live in abject poverty in the province.

According to MEC Rakgoale, most roads in the province are in a bad state, exacerbated by heavy rains experienced previously. She maintains that with Operation #ThibaMekotiDitseleng, LDPWRI and its entity RAL, aims to do its best to close all the potholes so that road users can travel without any hassles.

The campaign will focus on the most problematic roads in all the districts where all critical roads that need urgent attention will be prioritised. In addition to the campaign, RAL plans to accelerate its rehabilitation and preventative maintenance >

programmes targeting roads that have mostly depleted their life span.

Operation #ThibaMekotiDitseleng is aimed at fast-tracking LDPWRI’s efforts to patch potholes on the province’s roads targeting at patching 180 000 square metres of potholes, which is 12% of the province’s 6 263 paved road network.

challenges to ensure that most of the potholes are eradicated.

The first activation was conducted in Blouberg Local Municipality, within the Capricorn District on road D1468 which is currently on 1 127m² patched surface to date. This was followed by an activation in Makhado Local Municipality on road D2814 in the Vhembe District, with progress of 1 522m² patched surface.

The team continued to the Mopani District where road D8 surface within the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality is patched up to 1440m². The activation proceeded on road D2219, GaMalekana to Tshehlwaneng within the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality, Sekhukhune District which currently has about 216m² progress of patched surface. The last leg of the district activation took place within the Waterberg District on road R516 from Modimolle to Mookgophong. The progress for the road is currently at 3 236m² of patched surface. LDPWRI continues to monitor progress throughout all the districts, to ensure effective delivery of the campaign.

Having witnessed the launch and strides made thus far on numerous roads within Capricorn, Mopani, Sekhukhune, Vhembe and the Waterberg districts, scores of road users are beaming with joy as they anticipate

In rolling out the operation, Hon MEC Rakgoale and RAL Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Gabriel Maluleke visited all the districts in the province to gain insight on the condition of the roads and what the residents of the province go through when driving on Limpopo’s provincial roads. This subsequently prompted LDPWRI and RAL to put in place all the necessary systems to deal with the prevailing

Kumyolz is a trusted revenue enhancement service provider committed to the growth, financial stability, and advancement of municipal and other clients.

KUMYOLZ MD YOLANDA MADIKIZELA talks about her company’s debt collection enhancement strategies for municipalities

Many municipalities are collectively owed billions of rands by defaulting residents, businesses and other entities. A wellfunctioning revenue administration, of which credit control and debt collection is a vital component, is essential to the financial health of any municipality.

Municipal Focus asked Yolanda Madikizela, Managing Director of Kumyolz Investments, about their service offerings to municipalities and how they can strengthen and improve this vital function.

MF: Briefly describe how Kumyolz Investments came about, what services you provide, and which sectors you service?

After identifying a special need for a Municipal Oriented Debt Collection service for municipalities in South Africa, I established Kumyolz Investments in 2013 as a fully black owned company to fill this void. Our primary goal in business is to ensure that we develop a debt collection strategy and process that can be embedded into the credit control management plan of the institution, and we ensure that we deliver to that objective. We regard this focus as a strategic investment for the municipality.

MF: For all South African municipalities, rigorous debt collection is necessary, and revenue and debt management need strategic and systematic interventions. Which innovative ways have you adopted to improve this that you can deliver to your municipal clients?

In the implementation of a debt collection plan, we do not rely on the normal ways of collection as we believe that changes in municipal revenue collection are rgently needed and can only happen through innovation. In 2019, we initiated a strategy of opening dedicated debt management offices close to the municipalities we operate in to give communities access to our services and to be able to adequately resolve their billing related problems. This physical debt collection approach helps us to interact with the debtors and create personal relationships.

MF: Credit control and debt management are only one aspect of municipal revenue administration. In your view, what is the unique offering/ revenue value chain that Kumyolz Investments can provide, that will bring about the required ROI for municipalities?

Kumyolz views the development of institutional capacity in revenue management as an essential mechanism that municipalities must invest in, to realize sustainable financial viability. We ensure that the tools and systems we use in debt management are accessible to municipal employees and we provide training as part of our deliverables.

MF: Municipal customer databases cannot always be relied on, and migration patterns can have a significant impact on debt collection and service delivery. Do your services help municipalities in this regard? Kindly elaborate.

The municipal consumer database has long been identified as a key factor in debt collection. As a result, in partnership with a highly experienced and licenced South African data tracing company, we offer Data Verification & Tracing services that enable us to search every record we require to reach a debtor. These records are made available to our municipal clients to clean their data and have up-to-date master files.

MF: What other services or strategies are offered by your company?

We also specialise in data cleansing and data analytics. In this regard we use all four major credit bureaus to source information while our team on the ground are able to collect data door-to-door.

MF: Your website also lists among your services Indigent Verification, Employee Benefits, Tracing, Credit Control Systems, and Meter Readings. Could you perhaps briefly elaborate more on these?

Yes, Indigent Verification refers to a full social verification process where we look at the financial standing or reputation of the concerned entity or person to assist

our clients in making informed decisions. We also provide reports linked to erf or account numbers.

In respect of Employee Benefits and Tracing, we conduct Section 37 C tracing of beneficiaries as well as drafting of resolutions. We also conduct tracing of retirement funds’ members, and we draft responses on behalf of retirement funds to the Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator. Furthermore, we also do individual meter audits and reporting at a very high level, including provision of geographic coordinates and photos of the meter.

Apart from the Credit Control Systems for municipalities I have already spoken about, we also provide such solutions for our clients that are trying to secure payment from delinquent and seriously delinquent customers.

MF: Your company would like to be seen as a trusted revenue collection company in South Africa beyond the near future. How are you planning to achieve that?

Our revitalised Research & Development Unit will develop new analytical initiatives and innovative debt collection strategies. This will position the organization to take advantage of new generation technologies (4th industrial revolution) and improve revenue collection for our clients. We believe this strategic direction will enable us to expand our footprint across South Africa and beyond, while building internal technical capacity. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

International Business Gateway, New Road, Midridge Park, 12 Challenger Avenue, TFT House, Midrand, South Africa

Call: 010 448 0502

Email: info@kumyolz.co.za Website: kumyolzinvestments.com

A HOUSEHOLD NAME FOR ALL CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF POLOKWANE

T he Leeto La Polokwane (LLP) bus service has kicked into top gear to provide an Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) for the City of Polokwane. Since the announcement of the readiness of the programme on the 8th of December 2020 at Peter Mokaba Stadium, Phase 1A has been successfully implemented and has highlighted and helped address most of the teething problems associated with a project of such scale, importance and magnitude.

“The system will integrate different forms of public transport across the municipality and the Leeto la Polokwane public buses will give our

commuters a scheduled system that provides safe and reliable easy access to educational institutions, healthcare facilities and employment centres,” says Executive Mayor of Polokwane, Councillor John Mpye.

Phase 1A consists of two Trunk Extension Routes and two Complementary Routes which serve the Seshego, Flora Park and Westenburg areas. The complete system will have dedicated bus lanes, the use of a travel card, bus stops, a control centre, one median station, a layover facility, trunk extension routes, and complementary routes.

The LLP will use a cashless AccountBased Ticketing (ABT) system as a fare collection method. When fully implemented the system will use preloaded travel cards. However, to increase access to the system in the early phases, the Polokwane Municipality arranged for commuters to buy paper tickets using cash or debit cards on the bus and at the following locations as part of the phasing-in of the project:

Municipal Offices on Monday-Friday, 08:00-15:00:

• Civic Centre, Rates Hall (corner Landros Mare and Bodenstein Streets);

• Seshego Zone 1 Offices (next to the Clinic);

• Seshego Zone 3 Offices (next to Kings Complex); and

Kiosks located at:

• Church Street Terminus Stop 509 (corner Church and Thabo Mbeki Streets);

• Library Gardens (Hans Van Rensburg Street);

• Savannah Mall (opposite McDonalds, Thabo Mbeki Street); and Seshego Circle Mall.

Listening to the commuters and community The announcement of the purchase of paper tickets, particularly on buses, raised safety concerns among the community and commuters as the buses would become an easy target for criminal activity such as theft and robbery.

In consideration of this outcry, Leeto La Polokwane Assistant manager for Industry Transition Malesela Maubane said the city had put a plan in place to guarantee passengers’ safety and that the buses were monitored by surveillance cameras.

“The municipality’s security services assist to ensure implementation of the overall safety and security plan as part of our integrated safety and security efforts. Besides the CCTV system, the city’s security services work with other law enforcement agencies in cases of emergencies such as robberies or shootings,” he added.

Implementing the project in phases is crucial to addressing these types of challenges in manageable chunks and timeously. An introduced solution may have its own limitations that need to be catered for.

“It is important to note that the Leeto La Polokwane transport system meets a number of critical issues for our city and its community. It integrates major transport nodes and provides affordable, safe, reliable public transport. The system reduces traffic congestion, travel time and carbon emissions, says Mr David Ramakgwakgwa, Acting Director for Roads and Transportation Services for the City of Polokwane.

“The system also provides universally accessible transport for passengers with special needs whilst reducing overcrowding and improving access to economic hubs,” he adds.

The buses have state-of-the-art features which include:

• Low floors that are level to the kerbside pavements for easy access

• High-tech full air conditioning which uses less energy, making it environmentally friendly

• Automatic transmission as opposed to manual

• Being universally accessible

• Priority seating

• On-board WiFi

• On-board cameras >

With passenger safety being the paramount objective of the Integrated Public Transport System, the drivers went through rigorous training in respect of the safe operation of equipment and the rules of the road as well as working with commuters. This was done in partnership with the operator, Esilux, prior to the buses taking on passengers.

The aim of starting operations along the Phase1A routes (between Flora Park, Seshego, Westenburg and the Polokwane CBD) was to test the efficiency of the planned bus operations. This also gave LLP the opportunity to test the system elements as well as to identify operations-related challenges and successes.

During the trial operations, data was collected from the bus operations together with inputs received from various stakeholders. The Leeto La Polokwane team used the information collected during the trial operations to correct and enhance the efficiency of the main operations.

The LLP also ran a two-day public participation process for universal access on the public transport system. “Universal access means improving

access for those who have challenges using the system. This includes commuters in wheelchairs, the elderly, other forms of physical disabilities, pregnant women, and people traveling with small children – especially women, who are generally vulnerable in our society,” explains Ms Amor Malan, Universal Access Consultant who was involved in the public participation process for LLP.

Patricia Kgamane of Polokwane Deaf Federation also took part in the process and hailed it as a major milestone in addressing the issues facing the physically challenged when accessing and using public transport safely.

The buses will not just stop and pick up passengers anywhere. As part of commuter safety, the complete system will be characterised by the dedicated bus lanes, the use of a travel card, bus stops, a control centre, one median station, a layover facility, trunk extension routes, and complementary routes.

The dedicated lanes shorten the arrival time for the passengers by separating the Leeto buses from the normal traffic. So, buses will depart and arrive on schedule for the convenience of the commuter.

The station is situated in the Central Business District (CBD) on General Joubert Street between Thabo Mbeki and Grobler Streets. The bus depot, which is situated in Seshego, Zone 8 on New Era Drive, will house 36 Leeto la Polokwane buses for Phase 1A operations.

The buses operate from the layover facility which is located near the Itsoseng Centre at the Corner of Fluoorspar and Silicon Streets.

PARTICIPATION OF THE TAXI INDUSTRY

In rolling out the Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS) in the country, the aim of the National Government is to improve the status of public transport as well as to ensure that the current public transport operators are not left worse off.

In the case of the Polokwane IPTS, the affected taxi associations for Phase 1A are Seshego/Polokwane Taxi Association (SPTA), Flora Park/ Polokwane Taxi Association (FPTS) and Westenburg/Polokwane Taxi Association (WPTA).

Whilst the LLP system will be managed by the City of Polokwane, these

associations have formed a Vehicle Operating Company (VOC), which is a private company responsible for Leeto la Polokwane Phase 1A operation.

THE COMPLETE NETWORK

Plans for the future include the implementation of Phase 1B, which will cover the rest of Flora Park, Nirvana, Westenburg and Seshego routes. Phase 2 (Moletjie), Phase 3 (Mankweng) and Phase 4 (Koloti/ Aganang) routes are part of the plans for expanding the service, wherein priority for implementation will be dependent on council determination and future spatial development within the municipality.

Commuters and the community will be engaged at every step of the way, and what is learned in the launch phase will be applied in the planning and implementation process to ensure a world class service that would be expected of the Progressive Smart City that Polokwane is working towards.

PLUGGED INTO TECHNOLOGY

To enhance customers’ experiences on the system and to make planning a journey simple, Leeto La Polokwane has introduced a mobile application.

With the app, commuters will be able to plan their journey, purchase tickets, load travel cards, access interactive route maps and be able to chat with our customer agents to provide feedback.

Commuters and the community can also access information about the service on Twitter, Facebook and the website.

“It is important to note that Leeto La Polokwane is about integrated, safe and reliable transport, and not

the destruction of existing industries and service providers. Although the buses are replacing the 123 minibus taxis catering for the demand on the Phase 1A routes, minibus taxis still have a role to play on these routes as well as in other nodes that will not be catered for by our service,” Mr David Ramakgwakgwa explains.

He concludes: “Journey with us as we implement a safe, convenient, and universally accessible public transport service for the community of the Progressive Smart City of Polokwane”.

TEL: 015 023 0055 068 554 4235 (Whatsapp)

Email: leetolapolokwane@polokwane.gov.za Web: www.leetolapolokwane.co.za

Address: New Peter Mokaba Stadium (East Wing),Transport Directorate,Polokwane Limpopo 0700

NEO MPIPI – TAKING THE SA TRANSPORT INDUSTRY TO NEW HEIGHTS

W e do not often realise this, but transport plays such an important role in our everyday life - going to work, meeting up with friends, getting groceries, almost everything we do every day requires us to get inside a form of transportation.

“The transport industry has for so long been a male dominated industry, that it is exciting to see women breaking existing barriers for entry into the sector and seeing strong, courageous, innovative women occupying this space,” says Neo Mpipi, Director of the Mpipi Group. Neo appreciates that both Women’s Month and Transport Month are government initiatives that celebrate women in the transport sector, and that the growth trajectory of The Mpipi Group bares testament to the fact that women owned and run businesses have a rightful place in the transport industry

Behind every successful organisation are stories of challenges overcome, and the Mpipi Group is no different.

Breaking into the male dominated transport industry meant fighting for a spot at the table, but Neo Mpipi’s willpower to succeed and her courage to press on is the reason why the Mpipi Group is standing today, with seven years of continued growth. The CEO’s resilience saw it weather some of SA’s worst storms, including the Covid 19 pandemic.

Another challenge is the high fuel price that makes the industry an expensive one to strive into, nonetheless, no challenge is enough to deter a woman determined to make a difference.

Making a mark is not a personal goal for Neo, it is a dream she holds for all other women and believes that her journey can pave the way and remove some thorns along the way for other women coming behind to never know what it

is like to fight for a place at the tablebut find that there is room for anyone willing to put in the work.

The heart and vision of the Mpipi Group is to make an impact throughout the borders of South Africa and beyond

The Mpipi Group (Pty) Ltd is known to many as one of Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa’s (CCBSA’s) most experienced distribution and warehousing companies, however, very few actually know about the socioeconomic contributions of the company that creates employment for many and positively impacts the communities.

The company has recently taken on a new challenge running a Shell Ultra City petrol station located in Klerksdorp. Walking into any Mpipi owned facility or project, one is met with warm smiles and friendly service, not surprising because the company is owned by a woman who embodies kindness. The remarkable work ethics of Ms Mpipi can be seen in the joy of the employees and their overall eagerness to serve. Neo Mpipi believes that genuine success comes from the growth of both the employer and the employee and encourages her staff to pursue additional training not just to better themselves, but also to provide value to the Mpipi Group and the communities they serve in.

Neo began her career at SAB as a route planner and later progressed to become a business analyst. The driving force behind the Mpipi Group is a Klerksdorp born and bred industrious woman who is supersmart and holds a degree in logistics. Her love for transport and passion for people has seen her grow from strength to strength in a field she loves and enjoys.

The Mpipi Group partners with Arrive Alive

Understanding that “With great power comes great responsibility,” the Mpipi Group has a heart for educating people about road safety. Neo said that the

partnership with Arrive Alive and the various campaigns that the Mpipi Group is heading during October, Transport Month, will help bring more awareness around road safety to the people of Klerksdorp.

Looking forward….

The Mpipi Group could not ask for a better leader as it celebrates seven years since its establishment, it is also celebrating branching into different fields and being more dynamic. Currently the Mpipi Group has 140 valued employees and there will definately be room for more to join this ever-expanding initiative in the near future.

The name Neo Mpipi and the Mpipi Group is one that is not to be forgotten, it is here to stay and here to make waves. The Mpipi Group’s achievements in youth development, education, and women empowerment are just the tip of the iceberg. This is a beautiful dream that Neo wakes up every morning to work towards and will not rest until it is a reality.

BONUTRAX SIGNAL TORCH

using prior art torches would attempt to secure the attention of drivers by either waving the torch in multiple directions or flashing the torch at drivers.

Where drivers are moving in different directions, the existing method of directing traffic with prior art torches often leads to confusion, particularly since drivers may be uncertain who the traffic controller is gesturing to.

This is exacerbated when the traffic controller uses adhoc methods or gestures for directing traffic.

Sizwe Morgan Mtshali: Bonutrax Director

B onutrax is a major security and mining solutions provider servicing both sectors The company comprises a team a team of experts who are willing to take on any challenge to give you peace of mind along the way. Bonutrax has also become a major role player in the distribution of communications accessories for the two-way radio communication industry.

What makes us unique

We ensure a smooth process from the procurement phase until the products are in use, thus ensuring client

satisfaction. We also deliver on time and offer after-sales support. We are also your willing catalyst and determined to be your preferred link in providing the necessary solutions.

The present invention relates to a torch for use as a portable traffic direction apparatus.

Background

Torches have numerous uses, and of particular relevance to the invention, the manual direction of traffic by traffic controllers. Typically, a traffic controller

As will be appreciated, such confusion may lead to accidents, particularly in poor light.It would therefore be preferable for a traffic controller to use a torch which enables the traffic controller to use standardised traffic directing methods.

The invention seeks to provide a torch which at least partially ameliorates the aforementioned torches associated with the prior art of directing traffic.

Summary of invention

The new traffic controller torch comprises a plurality of light colour options including a red and green light option which

Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a torch of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a rear perspective view of a torch of the invention of Figure 1.

the traffic controller can use to signal a driver to stop with the red light and go with the green, being the standard traffic control methodology used with traffic lights.

The torch comprises a plurality of coloured buttons which corresponds with the light colour displayed. The coloured buttons enable a traffic controller to control traffic movement by pushing the green or red button as the case may be. The coloured lighting buttons are also shaped differently from one another to enable finger-touch differentiation without the need for the traffic controller to be distracted from their task.

There is also a second lighting assembly at another position along the torch that provides additional visibility of the traffic controller.

The second lighting assembly is located at the rear end of the torch so that the device always provides bi-directional lighting. A traffic controller with two torches would thereby be able to control traffic in four directions, being the typical maximum number of traffic directions at a traffic intersection.

The torch conveniently

comprises several light flash sequences which are button activated by the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 and 2 shows the front and rear perspective view of the traffic controller torch, respectively, comprising:

1. Front lighting - red, green, white light

2. Coloured buttonscorresponding the colour of light options activated

3. A housing assembly

4. Second lighting assembly

The invention is not limited to the precise details described above and shownin the drawings. Modifications maybe made, and other embodiments developed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, the shape and texture of the lighting buttons enable finger-touch differentiation without the need for the traffic controller to be distracted from their task.

Benefits:

• Durable

• Waterproof

• Rechargeable

• Effective

CONTACT DETAILS

For more information visit

Tel: +27 791

MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHERE YOU WORK, LIVE, LEARN OR PLAY

PARTICIPATE IN CLEAN-UP AND RECYCLING SA WEEK 2022

various sponsors, business and industry, national and local government, community organisations and municipalities. The week includes River Clean-Up Day (Wednesday, 14 September), National Recycling Day (Friday, 16 September) and the ICC / World Clean-up Day (Saturday, 17 September) that unites 180 countries across the world for a cleaner planet. Apart from raising awareness to the general public and our industry partners, Plastics SA will also be actively supporting various clean-up initiatives taking place throughout the month of September.

The umbrella body representing all sectors of the South African plastics industry will be distributing more than 500 000 refuse bags to support clean-up events.

“SouthAfrica is facing a waste crisis, but every citizen can make a difference to reduce the amount of waste that pollutes our environment or ends up in landfill.” This is the opinion of Douw Steyn, Sustainability Director at Plastics SA and coordinator of the annual Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week that takes place from 12 to 17 September 2022.

According to Douw, approximately 54 million tonnes of waste is produced on a yearly basis in South Africa – the majority of which ends up in landfill. “This is enough to cover an entire soccer field 10 metres deep every day. The amount of waste we generate puts our landfill sites under extreme ressure”, he says. This will be the 26th year that Plastics SA coordinates South Africa’s involvement in the International Coastal Clean-up Day (ICC) that will be taking place at beaches around the country on Saturday, 17

September. In partnership with volunteer organizations and individuals around the globe, the ICC engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways.

“Since its inception, more than 17 million volunteers have collected close to 1,6 million kilograms of litter globally – making our coasts cleaner and our oceans healthier. As a result of the success of this annual event, we decided to turn the entire week into a nationwide awareness campaign that encourages citizens of all walks of life, ages and backgrounds to make a conscious effort to pick up and remove litter from their streets, neighbourhoods, schools, inland water sources and streams or nearby beaches,” Douw explains.

Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week is actively supported by all the packaging streams, Producer Responsibly Organisations (PRO’s),

Despite the fact that COVID-19 restrictions prevented large groups of people from attending public clean-ups over the past two years, Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week continued to grow from strength to strength.

“We noticed that people started to focus much more on cleaning their immediate surroundings. When lockdown prohibited them from attending large public cleanup events, eco-warriors took to their own streets, local schools, rivers, beaches and public spaces. As a result, we saw significant amounts of visible litter being removed, separated and sent for recycling,” he reported.

For people eager to participate in coordinated clean-ups this year, Douw suggests you visit the official www.

cleanupandrecycle.co.za website for information on how and where to get involved. Apart from useful background information and photographs of previous years’ events, and details of event sponsors and partners, you can also access the national list of clean-up coordinators or register to attend a clean-up taking place near you.

Tulsawiz Logistics, a women owned, B-BBEE Level 1 company provides transport, supply chain and logistics services within South Africa, and cross-border transport of high tonnage goods throughout the Southern African region. Aimed at linking small black businesses with clients who require our services, we design a system for each client that enables them to make the right routing

TULSAWIZ LOGISTICS

SIMPLIFYNG AND CONNECTING YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN FROM END TO END

decisions, taking into account both cost and services. We are proud of our inbound and outbound logistics expertise that we have garnered over the past 20 years.

Our journey...

Established in 2011, Tulsawiz Logistics initially worked with mining companies and subcontracted under different entities

who had mining rights to purchase the stockpile in Witbank, Mpumalanga. The company’s road to success began when Barloworld Logistics acquired our services in 2018 to transport Corobrik bricks between Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. We gained a reputation transporting containers along the N3 between Durban Harbour and Johannesburg, as well as land locked and

rough terrains. In 2019, we partnered with the Gauteng Government Development Agency (GGDA) and exported wine from Cape Town to Accra (Ghana). Our resilience showed by surviving the Covid-19 pandemic that sadly affected our industry severely. We dug deeper, and our tenacity paid off when we recently secured a multi-millionrand contract in the auto-motive sector. Tulsawiz now provides services in all types of trucks from 8-ton to 34-ton tautliners and flat decks.

Our clients

Tulsawiz’s approach to business is that when we serve our customers, it also helps them improve their business efficiencies and productivity. The company offers its customers a highly innovative online track and trace system to improve interactions with the customers, giving them added peace of mind. Our system is specifically aimed at eliminating unnecessary administration, communication and logistical hurdles.

Founder and Managing Director: Nozuko Mayeza

With women making up less than 1% of the workforce in South Africa’s transport sector, inspirational leaders like Mayeza are vital in transforming the landscape. The tough and highly competitive transport industry has been traditionally male dominated, but her keen business sense and passion for entrepreneurship lead her from a career in the banking sector to establishing Tulsawiz Logistic with a vision of success and a yearning for providing a platform for small black businesses in the supply chain economy. Today Mayeza can proudly look back on her entrepreneurial journey, her wellhoned leadership skills and her expertise and accomplishments in the transport and crossborder logistical support services industry.

Mayeza has a wealth of knowledge that she has amassed over the years that she ploughs into her business there are numerous accolades that give credence to her industry worth:

• Nominated for the 2018 Women in Transport Award in the 11th Annual Transport Africa Awards

• Runner up in the 2018 Influential Women in Trucking Awards

• Featured member in the British Chamber of Business in South Africa

• In member of the ABSA Enterprise Development Program

“With our resilience and our nevergive-up spirit, we secured a R90-million project in the automotive industry. The new project has been the cause of our greatest excitement; the highest amount we have previously grossed was R6.4-million, and now we are going to triple that as our turnover for the next three years. Building on what we have achieved, we’ve given ourselves a target

of acquiring R250-million in business in the next 3 years,” says Mayeza.

On empowerment and transformation

Tulsawiz was established with the aim of providing a platform for small black businesses to link with opportunities in the formal sector of the economy and with that in mind she co-authored the empowerment book titled “Share your story” - vol. 5.

Her passion for empowering women and sharing her knowledge and experience in this male dominated world led to her publishing “The rise of a black woman” in 2018.

Mayeza encourages women to take up truck driving and assists in helping them achieve that dream. The company has partners for women in trucking in SA and abroad, and has successful programmes to train women drivers from scratch, that culminates in them getting accreditation from large reputable companies.

Mayeza’s company is invested in uplifting the youth, and the Tulsawiz team dedicates time and resources to empowering the youth in the regions where they operate. The company also assists a few NGOs with empowering the youth in different ways, depending on what the NGOs need at any given time.

2022 and beyond

Mayeza’s vision is to expand operations into Africa and abroad. “Building on what we have already achieved we have given ourselves a target of acquiring R250-million in business in the next 3 years,” she says.

TULSAWIZ logistics

CONTACT DETAILS

Telephone: +27 73 054 3626

Email: info@tulsawiz.co.za

Website: www.tulsawiz.co.za

Address: 96 Marple Road, Pomona, Kempton Park, Johannesburg

“Our strategic intent is for our clients to rely on our expertise and experience to develop strategies and innovative solutions for all their transportation and distribution challenges, says Mayeza.”

A SMART METERING SPECIFICATION FOR AFRICA, BY AFRICA

Africa and Energy Poverty

Africa is unique. While rich in energy generating natural resources, energy poverty remains a challenge, with more than 600 million people living without access to electricity. Africa’s energy poverty reinforces economic poverty, and has resulted in Africa’s poorest people paying among the world’s highest prices for energy. On average, Africans pay $0.13/kWh while the rest of the world enjoy a typical rate of $0,04/kWh to $0,08/kWh. The utilities of Africa are therefore challenged in implementing an operating model that provides reliable and cost-effective energy to the consumer, while adding value to the utility.

Fourth Industrial Revolution

Digitalization ambitions has impacted the way utilities operate globally. Smart metering is a specific area where these impacts are the very prominent and has the potential of assisting with the energy access challenges. As the operating requirements of utilities evolved, so too has the feature set, form factor and connectivity of meters. Over the last 30 years, we have seen the gradual evolution of meters, from basic electromechanical devices, to state-of-the-art electronic devices, with extensive feature sets. As we progress into the fourth industrial revolution, we will see the next evolution of smart meters, with integrated cloud connectivity and supporting

advanced methods of consumer interaction, augmented by analytics and artificial intelligence, with the potential of addressing the evolving needs of utilities in Africa.

The decision on meter specification have always remained a challenge for utilities, due to the diverse needs of its consumers and the needs of the utility itself. This challenge is compounded by the typical installation lifespan expectancy of twenty years, and the vast range of technologies offered by meter manufacturers. The consumer of the future will demand detailed information on their energy use, in their drive to reduce costs and utilize energy responsibly, as well as a convenient method to interact with their services. The utility of the future will see a pivot in focus from providing basic access to energy, to demand response, loss reduction, availability of energy and integration of small-scale energy generation systems. The informed decision on meter specification is therefore critical.

African Metering Standard

In assisting utilities with their metering decision, the Association of Power Utilities Africa (APUA), which is the Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa with representation in 46 countries, have begun the process of developing an Africa-focused meter standard, for adoption by all its members within Africa. The development of this specification has been mandated to the African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission (AFSEC), who have in turn created a technical committee (ATC13), consisting of utilities, a manufacturers interest group, and subject matter experts. The technical committee have actively been working on this standard since 2021, with a goal

of publishing this African Standard as “AS70000-1: Smart Metering Systems –General Requirements” in July 2023. The standard will cover metering applications up to 50kVA. After publication, this standard will become the baseline smart metering system specification for APUA member countries and other African countries. Consequently, this standards will lay the foundation for technical harmonization for utility metering, and will enable larger initiatives such as the Africa Single Electricity Market and the Continental Power Systems Master Plan.

A few of the key outcomes of this standard is to ensure that meters specified will address current and future needs of utilities. The standard is tailored for the needs of African utilities, and covers the topics of meter connectivity, meter feature set, meter performance, security (physical and cyber) and interoperability.

Fit for purpose and future proof technologies

In development of AS70000-1, ATC13 focused on the adoption and utilization of mature, globally proven technologies and the elimination of country-specific requirements and standards. To address the requirement of interoperability, the specification adopts the global DLMS/ COSEM protocol, with the incorporation of IDIS companion specification. Adopting the IDIS Companion Specification ensures the highest levels of interoperability, reducing risk, and the negates the need to carry out repeated testing. The newest revision of IDIS also incorporates advances tariff features and demand management. One of the most important architectural decision that needs to be made by a utility

is in the area of meter connectivity. Whilst historic implementations of smart meters utilize a data concentrator or network gateway architecture to enable remote functionality of radio frequency (RF) and power line carrier (PLC) enabled meters, the AS70000-1 makes provision for a direct connected architecture, whereby meters connect directly to the head-end via the cellular network. The adoption of direct cellular connected meters were previously limited to substation or zonal monitoring, primarily due to the associated upfront, data costs and cellular network coverage – the widespread adoption of cellular technologies has resulted in lower upfront costs, minimal data costs and extensive network coverage. Newly developed cellular technologies, such as NB-IoT and LTE-M, are fit-for-purpose technologies designed for IoT devices such as meters, and offer better coverage with lower power consumption. The removal of the data concentrator or network gateway also improves overall system reliability whilst simplifying the architecture, and is therefore the preferred architecture.

The lifetime expectancy of meters also create a challenge - the billing models, feature set and configuration may evolve or vary over time, as the needs of consumers and utilities change – the inclusion of a remote software upgrade mechanism therefore becomes mandatory to ensure the longevity of the asset. Concerns relating to ensuring meter accuracy after software updates is addressed by the implementation of legal separation – a software mechanism that ensure that the accuracy of a meter is unaffected. African Standard AS70000-1 specifies the inclusion of remote firmware updates with legal separation as a mandatory requirement.

Security

Cyber-attacks and data privacy are of key concern of utilities in their smart meter programs. Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is critical, as hackers become more innovative and increased computational capability becomes more accessible. In response, the standard has adopted a multi-level security architecture, resulting in protection at multiple layers –these include the adoption of security suite 1 for the DLMS/COSEM protocol, and the adoption of Standard Transfer Specification, Edition 2 (STS-2).

Think smart, think Conlog

Conlog, Africa’s leading developer and manufacturer of smart metering solutions, is a key contributor to the development of AS70000-1. Conlog is an active member of APUA and a member of the manufacturers interest group of ATC13. Conlog has utilized their vast experience in the African continent to contribute to the standard, ensuring relevance in addressing the current and future needs of utilities and consumers.

Contact Details

Tel: +27 (31) 268-1111

Fax: +27 (31) 268-1500

Email: Info@conlog.com Website: www.conlog.com

DBN Address: Durban 10 Mzimkhulu Drive, Dube Trade Port, La Mercy, 4407

JHB Address: 21A Woodlands Office Park, 851 Woodlands Drive, Woodmead, 2080

Over 75 Years of dedication to Quality Assurance!

A thriving manufacturing industry creates jobs and business opportunities, enables skills development and improves South Africa’s competitiveness in global markets. A first step is procuring Quality locally manufactured goods, manufactured in a certified environment, with obvious benefits for national competitiveness and economic growth.

of the SABS Approved Mark:

Gives consumers the confidence and assurance in the quality and safety of the manufactured product(s) they purchase, as well as ensuring the product is fit for purpose.

the Standardised Quality Assurance Solution.

• Manage and develop SANS (South African National Standards)

• Laboratory Testing Services that support Municipal delivery through: Testing of water quality, Testing/Certifying Water Meters, Smart Meters, and other products/systems

• Certification of Companies to Management System Standards

• Certification of Products and the application of the SABS Mark Scheme

• Training of Management and Employees on Implementations of SANS

• Local Content Verification for South African manufacturing industry

President and CEO of TSAM: Andrew Kirby.

TOYOTA OFFICIALLY REOPENS ITS PROSPECTON PLANT IN DURBAN

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has announced that its Prospecton Plant in Durban has resumed operations after production was halted due to damages caused by floods in the facility. The announcement was made at a “reopening ceremony” attended by members of the media, TSAM top brass as well as the newly elected Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa DubeNcube, and Siboniso Duma, MEC of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.

TSAM was enjoying a healthy market share of 30% – on average – before its production plant in Durban was submerged in water following the devastating floods that engulfed parts of KwaZulu-Natal in April. This immediately put TSAM on the backfoot, with its market share shrinking to 17%, 18,1% and 16,3% in the months of May, June and July – respectively. Despite this, Toyota held on to it’s number-one position in sales.

TSAM’s Prospecton Plant produces Corolla Cross and Quest as well as segment leaders Hilux, Hiace Ses’fikile and Fortuner – while also assembling a variety of Hino commercial vehicles. All the other production lines have resumed production with the exception of Corolla Quest, which is due to commence on 17 August.

While the organisation had genuine concerns about witnessing the trail of destruction at the plant, its first priority was the safety and welfare of

its employees, contractors as well as their families. This was followed by support to dealers, suppliers, affected communities, and then the recovery of plant operations.

“We communicated with Japan (Toyota Motor Corporation) on the night of the 12th April; I very quickly got a message back of support and an offer from them to do whatever they could to help. They dispatched a lot of experts to support us, helping us to repair, identify, diagnose and replace and then communicating with suppliers all over the world to source replacement parts,” says President and CEO of TSAM, Andrew Kirby.

The process towards the plant’s full recovery has been long, with prefloods level forecasted to be achieved in December. Prior to the floods,

operations at the Prospecton Plant were halted due to COVID-19 induced lockdowns in 2020 as well as the civil unrest that brought most businesses to their knees in 2021.

“Despite these challenges, there was no impact at all to Toyota’s long-term future in South Africa. The commitment to rebuild this site has been incredible. We know that our recovery will not be smooth, but by next year we plan to be stronger and better than we were before.

“TSAM’s operations at Prospecton will actually be better and we plan to use this crisis to try and improve our equipment and upgrade where we can. In fact, we’ve created an internal slogan for our recovery called Rebuilding Better Together. This talks to how we all work together as one team to find a >

way of renewing and improving our site at the same time,” says Kirby.

The internal slogan also came through during the tour of the plant tour, where various presenters recalled the extent of the damage in their areas and how recovery processes were carried out to ensure that the plant will not susceptible to similar devastation in future. It also became clear that while there were more 4 000 vehicles damaged on site during the floods, the costliest damage was to the plant infrastructure itself – including robots and other machines.

In fact, as Kirby referenced one of his colleagues: “There was not a single square metre of the entire 87 hectares facility that was not affected. In fact, it would be easier to just build a new plant.”

Before introducing KZN Premier Dube-Ncube to the podium, MEC Duma said: “The reopening of the plant is not only good news to Toyota South Africa, but also to the economy of the province. This also shows Toyota’s commitment to investing in the province of KZN as well as the local automotive industry.”

Kirby agreed that there was a scope for TSAM to further bolster the already strong collaborations with the government of KZN. This was also echoed by Premier Dube-Ncube who commented that she would encourage her provincial colleagues to make Toyota the vehicle of choice for her government.

“On behalf of the government of KZN, the people of KZN, we wish to pay a tribute to Toyota South Africa for the enormous strides that they took in resuscitating operations here at the plant. To all the stakeholders who participated in the clean-up operations, we would really like to thank you as the government of KZN. We know that through your hard work and agility, you were able to save people’s jobs,” says Dube-Ncube.

CONTACT DETAILS

ORBIT TVET COLLEGE

ABOUT US

ORBIT TVET College is one of the 50 public Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) countrywide that specialise in priority skills development. All TVET Colleges are part of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).

The speci c focus of public TVET Colleges is to address the skills shortages in South Africa by o ering relevant and responsive Vocational and Occupational programmes. Vocational Programmes are quality assured by Umalusi and Occupational Programmes are quality assured by the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations).

We are located in the Bojanala Region of the North West Province and consist of three campuses: Brits, Mankwe and Rustenburg.

OF PROGRAMMES TO CHOOSE

(Services SETA-accredited)

ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT (QCTO)

The Centres of Specialisation (CoS) are departments within the public TVET College Campuses dedicated to artisan development training in partnership with employers. These centres strive to produce successful quality artisans in one or more of the priority trades. Centre of Specialisation programmes ensure a closer working relationship with industry, training centres and the Post School and Training (PSET) Sector. ORBIT College

in:

Trade -

It is the leadership within local government that has power on the lives of communities and the economy, as well as the consequences of poor financial management in the long term.

THE STATE OF MUNICIPAL FINANCES

The Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) painted a bleak picture over the state of municipal finances in the 2020-2021 local government outcomes. Local government finances continue to worsen with concerns on financial health which ultimately has a negative impact on service delivery to communities and alleviating poverty.

Many of the country’s municipalities have a significant doubt on the ability to continue as going concern. This ultimately means that these unicipalities may not be able to meet their financial obligations as they fall due.

This is further confirmed by the fact that most municipal debtors are recoverable resulting in creditors being greater than the available cash at year end for many municipalities. The average creditor payment period of municipalities is 209 days and the long creditor payment period has a negative impact on the sustainability of small medium enterprises - and place severe cash flow constraints on other government institutions such as the water boards and Eskom.

Much of the estimated recoverable revenue and equitable shares received by municipalities is used for salaries and council remuneration. As a result of this, less funds are available to provide

services delivery and maintenance to infrastructure.

It is the leadership within local government that has power on the lives of communities and the economy, as well as the consequences of poor financial management in the long term.

Infrastructure

Spend Not enough expenditure is towards the maintenance of infrastructure and yet Infrastructure is critical and directly linked to the economic development and growth the country as it increases productivity and improves the quality of life for many communities. Infrastructure further assists in the development of poverty alleviating solutions and providing access to basic needs such as transportation. The lack of infrastructure and maintenance thereof in poor communities significantly impacts the lives of the people living in these communities. For example, when a community lacks transport infrastructure like roads, it means that the people from that community are unable to travel to cities, or places where job opportunities exist, as well as access to quality health care facilities which may require transportation.

Maintaining infrastructure in good condition is critical as infrastructure wears over time and neglected infrastructure will result in degradation of

the asset with negative effects on service delivery and leading to greater cost of reconstruction over time, a cost that could be avoided and better spent.

Disclaimers

Of great concerns to citizens, is when municipalities receive a disclaimer of opinion, meaning that these municipalities cannot provide evidence for most amounts and disclosures reflected in the financial statements. As a result of this, the AGSA cannot express an opinion on the credibility of those financial statements. The AGSA must perform alternative procedures to confirm amounts disclosed in the financial statements, and through those procedures confirm from third parties such as the treasuries and the bank statements of those municipalities that received disclaimers what transpired, or what was done with the money from receipt of the funds to the year- end bank balance.

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) urges those charged with governance including parliamentary oversight committees, oversight institutions, council and management to implement inter-ventions to improve accountability and sound financial disciplines urgently, as a lack thereof has a significant impact on service delivery to communities and ultimately the national economy.

IKUSASA HOLDINGS SA’S CONTINENTAL WATER AND CHEMICALS LEADER, LOOKS BACK ON TWO DECADES OF SERVICE, GROWTH, AND PARTNERSHIPS

A proudly homegrown company providing African solutions to African problems in the water solutions and chemical manufacturing spheres.

Ikusasa

Holdings, this year looks back on two decades of remarkable growth and development. Today the group is at the forefront of the drive to achieve water security across South Africa and the African continent and provides a wide range of services and products to do so.

From humble beginnings when launched as Ikusasa Chemicals in 2003, the group has grown and now consists of four companies active in chemicals, water, projects and international expansion. To achieve that end, the founders understood from the outset that customers and suppliers need more from their partners, and therefore the ability to innovate and build a sustainable business and solutions hand in hand with them, was key. Forging constructive and lasting partnerships that are ultimately for the benefit of their customers, remains a core philosophy of the group.

Ikusasa’s commitment to being the partner of choice in its field of expertise and business, is underpinned by the leveraging of expertise from a wealth of industry experts, and forging partnerships with leading institutions of research and development like the University of

Stellenbosch, and many others. In its own team the group boasts a combined 120 years’ experience that includes Demand Planners, Logistics Planners, Chemical Engineers, Chartered Accountants, and leading Sales and Marketing professionals.

“It has been an amazing two decades for our organisation, with our evolution and the experience gained across the water and chemical manufacturing sectors something to be proud of.

From the start our receptiveness to our customers’ and communities’ needs, and actively engaging with them, has been key,” says Kakaza Mhlauli, Chief Executive Officer of Ikusasa.

Mhlauli adds, “Our partnerships with leading technology companies across the water and manufacturing sectors is aimed at making sure we keep abreast of new developments and challenges, and bring to our stakeholders proven innovative current solutions. Our management team continues to attract global interest in the company and over the next few months we will proudly be bringing new partnerships to the continent.”

Sustainable solutions

Today, in a world experiencing commodity meltdown, and with the continuing need to find sustainable ways towards water security, Ikusasa has positioned itself at the forefront of providing an enabling environment in which to work with all stakeholders in creating sustainable solutions.

“Our world-class industry experience and expertise built over the past two decades, our proven distribution solutions, an impeccable safety record, and the illingness to forge meaningful business partnerships, will shape the future,” says Siyabulela Dandala, Ikusasa’s Sales & Sourcing Executive.

“The strong belief that in 2022 we should be working towards making sure that people across the continent should access clean potable water, and what we have already achieved in this regard, makes it all worth it,” he says.

Four specialised focus areas

Ikusasa Chemicals

The group’s chemical manufacturing, trading and distribution business with its key focus being water, energy, mining, chemical and heavy manufacturing industries.

Ikusasa Water

Provides water solutions to a variety of end users in respect to potable water, wastewater, industrial water, farming, and the hospitality and health sectors. Their services include solution conceptualization, design, building infrastructure, fulltime operation, maintenance, and transfer of water services.

Ikusasa Water builds and manages packaged plants that can treat water from any source whether it is borehole, river, dam, sea or industrial effluent, using ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis technology. Ikusasa built the first membrane factory in the country. >

Kakaza Mhlauli: Chief Executive Officer

Siyabulela Dandala: Sales & Sourcing Executive

Ikusasa Projects

Leads the way with its research and development, design, and engineering and construction business in support of the Water and Manufacturing valueadding businesses.

Ikusasa International

Spearheads the group’s business growth into Africa and beyond, with its major focus centred on project management across new territories.

Ikusasa provides a full range of services and products that include:

• Service and maintenance contracts

• Water plant options

• Consultation and engineering

• A general engineering workshop

• Plant maintenance

• Plant monitoring

• Pilot studies

• After-sales service and training

Valuable partnerships

As part of the journey to where the group is today, Ikusasa forged valuable partnerships with leading technology partners across the water and manufacturing sectors. This was aimed at making sure the group kept abreast of new developments and challenges, and to bring to the group’s stakeholders both proven and innovative new solutions. Ikusasa’s management team continues to globally attract interest in the group in respect of such partnerships, and will over the next few months be bringing these to the continent, it says.

Furthermore, the group says its inroads into water treatment technologies occurred by collaborating with the University of Stellenbosch.

“It remains our belief that working with the best in the industry, Africans

will find solutions for their African problems, with South Africa having proven its innovation pedigree during the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Mhlauli.

African heritage

The company is especially proud of its African heritage as a proud South African and African water and chemical solutions company. It is always ready to lead in innovation, to find improved logistical solutions for the continent, and to derive new sustainable products, while committing to leaving the earth in a better state. Ikusasa currently has a presence in Southern and Eastern Africa, while its wholly owned subsidiary, Ikusasa International, will over the next few years seek to improve that reach.

Ikusasa proudly takes its place among the leading SA companies making their mark across the African continent, built on service and product excellence, and forging strong and lasting partnerships with all its stakeholders.

Tel: +27 21 8516700

Fax: +27 21 8513571 Email: info@ikusasa.co.za sales@ikusasa.co.za

Address: 3 Ian Toerien Road, Caledon, Western Cape, 7230

Web: www.ikusasa.co.za

THE KAGISO TRUST STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION MODEL

written by Paul Smith

Makana Municipality is a microcosm of many small towns in SA, a place with significant socioeconomic potential, but suffering the consequences of stakeholder and community polarization. Over the past few weeks, the Makana Municipality has witnessed the consequences of dissatisfied communities protesting for better service delivery from the municipality. This protest is one of several attempts by the local community to hold the municipality accountable for inadequate service delivery, including an ongoing legal battle to dissolve the Makana Council.

The relationship between the municipality and community is at an all-time low while community solidarity towards the service delivery cause grows as business, communitybased organisations and communities collaborate against the state. This is not a unique response; we have seen it all before. For Makana, the service delivery issues and associated protests go back many years, an attempt to hold government accountable. This type of action, as with many other communities in South Africa, has had little positive impact on the desperate quality of life experienced by the communities. The question is: are these types of actions ever going to bring about the change we desire? History would indicate that protests and litigation create heightened awareness about issues, but do not necessarily result in meaningful change. So, what is the right approach?

Kagiso Trust has focused on projects and approaches that enable sustainable systemic change

within government departments and communities, and in doing so they have developed a model which encompasses the three Cs: communication, collaboration, and cooperation.

Makana Municipality is one such project. In Makana, KT has gone about supporting local stakeholders in creating an environment where communication, collaboration and cooperation amongst all stakeholders is encouraged to solve local socioeconomic issues. Adopting this collaborative approach has been difficult for many stakeholders. Communities are frustrated with time consuming processes and rather just want to see changes and local government has not mastered community centricity and collaboration. But change will not materialise if relationships are not mended, and a common purpose adopted by all.

The Makana Circle of Unity (MCU) was established with the shared vision of creating “a great place to be” for all citizens. The MCU provides communities with an opportunity to collaborate, reignite creative problem solving, and to generate innovative ideas that promote socio-economic development in the region. This community-led process has enabled the formation of various functional clusters who generate ideas, co-create solutions, and implement projects that enable positive change. Many of these ideas start off messy and abstract but these are the green shoots of creative thinking, building bridges, and amplifying community voices for a common purpose.

The MCU is a registered NPO still in its infancy and does not yet enjoy the support of all stakeholders. Yet Kagiso Trust believes in this community collaboration model as it places local development in the hands of community and solicits government support to implement the change required. Kagiso Trust will continue to work with the early adopters and through impact evidence attract the naysayers to join the coalition and become part of a sustainable solution.

Despite all the imperfections, the MCU structure has been an effective response mechanism that has supported marginalised communities during Covid-19. Collective civic mobilization and coordination of support activities enabled marginalised families to cope with the harsh reality of the pandemic. The prospect and potential impact of fully-fledged civic coalitions and a committed capable collaborative state for South African small towns, is an exciting opportunity for both communities and municipalities.

Placing socio-economic development back into the hands of community will provide the best prospect of delivering the change that the community desires.

Kagiso Trust believes that the stakeholder collaboration model developed in Makana, provides other municipalities and communities a tested alternative way to engage, and the mechanisms to eradicate poverty. We look forward to sharing our insights and views with other municipalities, government departments and civil society organisations as we strive to enable a better future for all.

the prospect of a better future for all

REMEMBERING WHAT WE DO, WHY WE DO IT AND OUR VALUES

BUILDING COMMUNITIES

For the past 36 years, the Kagiso Trust has collaborated and worked with South Africans to achieve a society that offers justice, equity and freedom from poverty. Over the years, the trust has invested heavily in the transformation and development of our basic and higher education system to enhance the quality of life of our children and set them on the path to future possibilities. We work with government and partner organisations to address critical challenges facing our education ecosystem. We have developed proven models in education aimed at delivering long-lasting results for our learners and offering them opportunities for a better future.

OUR VISION

A prosperous, peaceful, equitable and just society

OUR MISSION

To contribute to development through sustainable funding, with like-minded partnerships and innovative scalable development models

OUR STRATEGIC GOALS:

EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PILLAR

To extend educational development programmes

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PILLAR

To promote and support socio-economic development

INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING PILLAR

To support strategic institutional capability development for sustainability

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY PILLAR

ensure financial sustainability of Kagiso Charitable Trust

SA

Celebrates 20 Years

November

Urban Conference: Towards a collective vision for the growth and development of South Africa's towns, clients and city-regions

2014

Urban Conference: Spatial transformation of cities

2017

Urban Conference: Liveable inclusive, safe, resilient cities: Implementing SA's urban agenda

2019

World Cities Day event: Better city, Better life

November

Urban Conference: To consult urban development experts abouth the national urban development framework

March

Urban Conference: Are cities driving local and national development?

Urban Conference: Activating an all-of-society approach to emplementing the urban agenda

October 2021

Virtual Urban Festival: Liveable inclusive, safe, resilient cities: Implementing Sa's urban agenda

Urban conference timeline

Today, more people than ever live in cities - spaces where people come together to share experiences and ideas and shape new systems. They are places of social, economic, and political opportunities and intense social interactions. In South Africa, where two-thirds of the population live in urban areas, cities are central to the development and at the forefront of the country's economic, social, environmental, and cultural life.

In 2022, the South African Cities Network (SACN) celebrates its 20th anniversary. Established in 2002, the SACN has been the custodian of South Africa's urban story and is at the heart of urban research and practice through its flagship publications and urban conferences and events. The 20th anniversary offers the opportunity to tell the story of best practices, challenges, and lessons of the SACN.

We will reflect on the future and what needs to happen over the next 20 years to achieve “liveable, safe, resource-efficient

cities and towns.”

Virtual Urban Festival: Empowering

October 2020 October 2022

Urban Festival: Transform cities through research and practice

The Urban Festival in 2022 is the latest urban conference and event hosted by the SACN. Under the theme of "Transforming cities through research and practice", the 2022 Urban Festival has the following objectives:

• To ignite conversation and action around the desired future state of South Africa's cities

• To showcase SACN's contribution to South Africa's urban development agenda

• To profile and acknowledge the role of cities in the country's transformation journey

A range of diverse voices, from partners including DCoGTA, SALGA and all-ofsociety, will come together to discuss a spectrum of issues, from city governance, finance and economies to sustainability and resilience and inclusion and innovation. These conversations will take the form of

keynote speakers (experts and practitioners from government, private sector, and civil society), panel discussions (collaborative action-oriented sessions), masterclasses (speakers sharing real-world experiences of how to address the complex urban challenges) and visual exhibits.

The 2022 Urban Festival is structured around critical recommendations emerging from the SACN State of the Cities Report 2021; the report explores critical challenges in the South African Cities landscape to ensure more productive, well-governed, innovative, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient Cities.

The report also highlights best practices that actively include partnerships between local government, the whole of government, and society. The 2022 festival is structured over three days 26 –28 October 2022. SACN and partners invite all civil society, organisations, designers, planners, story-tellers, civil servants, and city-dwellers to join the conversation so that stories, research, and voices are preserved and used to foster greater understanding and better solutions. >

About South African Cities Network

The South African Cities Network (SACN) is an established network of South African cities and partners that encourages the exchange of information, experience and best practices on urban development and city management. Since 2002 the SACN's mandate has been to:

• Promote good governance and management in South African cities

• Analyse strategic challenges facing South African cities

• Collect, collate, analyse, assess, disseminate, and apply the experience of large city govern-ment in a South African context

• Encourage shared learning partnerships among all of society

• and spheres of government to enhance good governance of South African cities.

For more information about the urban festival 2022, press and interview requests, please contact:

Media Contact: LEBOGANG LECHUBA lebogang@sacities.net

Sponsorships and Partnership Queries: PHOLISA MAGQIBELO pholisa@sacities.net Visit our website for more information at https://sacities.net/

Tourism Month aims to generate awareness of the enormous contribution that the tourism industry makes to provincial and national economic growth and job creation.

RETHINKING

Tourism Month is celebrated annually in September and provides a heightened monthlong focus on the importance of the sector to the South African economy.

South Africans are encouraged to travel domestically to sustain jobs and support the recovery of tourism in line with the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan.

Minister of Tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu together with Deputy Minister, Fish Mahlalela launched Tourism Month on 4 September 2022 at the !Khwa ttu Cultural Village , Western Cape, under the localised theme: " Rethinking Tourism : Opportunities await.” Hon. Minister Sisulu said, “As a country, we celebrate Tourism Month annually in September, to highlight and bring to

the fore the importance of the tourism sector, its contribution to the South African economy and the potential it has to transform the trajectory of our country.”

Tourism Month aims to generate awareness of the enormous contribution that the tourism industry makes to provincial and national economic growth and job creation.

Sho’t Left

Tourism Month runs concurrently with the hosting of SA’s annual domestic campaign, Sho’t Left Travel Week, aimed at encouraging South Africans to travel and explore their country at discounted rates. Partnered by the tourism trade the best rates are negotiated for South Africans, making tourism accessible. Airlines, hotel

groups, tour operators and tourist attractions offer discounted rates of up to 50% during the campaign that can be redeemed at any other time. Partner’s terms and conditions (T’s&C’s) do apply.

Promoting domestic tourism and creating a culture of travel amongst South Africans, we are encouraged to travel domestically to get a better understanding of the affordable, exciting and world class attractions that are available on our own doorstep.

“South Africans are discovering what many international tourists already know - the abundance of rich travel and tour opportunities right on their doorsteps,” say Sisulu.

!Khwa ttu Cultural Village –the host

Tourism Month 2022 was hosted at !Khwa ttu, a San culture and education centre based on an 850 hectare Nature Reserve, 70 kilometres north of Cape Town. A non-profit company, directed jointly by the San and the Swiss-based Ubuntu Foundation, !Khwa ttu has been providing jobs, and practical residential training for young San from all over southern Africa, since 1999.

!Khwa ttu is also a thriving tourism destination, boasting a busy restaurant, stylish guest houses, open air tented camps, thrilling mountain bike trails, and a shop selling hand-crafted gifts found nowhere else.

San guides lead unique tours for visitors, fulfilling !Khwa ttu’s mission to enable San to reclaim and share their heritage, in their own way.

On the occasion of hosting the launch of Tourism Month, San Council Secretary-General, Collin Louw said: “Today is a very big and good day for us as the San community because our rich history is receiving the exposure it really deserves and needs”

Situated in the Cape Floral Kingdom, itself a UNESCO World Heritage site, !Khwa ttu embraces and champions a range of environmental stewardship programmes.

Tourism activities enable !Khwa ttu to generate around half of its operational costs, and to serve as a highly innovative workplace, delivering individually designed, on-the-job training for between 50 and 75 San a year. San-led trails and guided experiences are designed to engage body and senses, as much as the mind and demonstrate the skills and knowledge of San from across southern Africa. 

"The San, the first people to inhabit southern Africa, represent a 100,000-yearold culture which should be considered one of the world's treasures."

- Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

AMADLELO’S YOUNG DAIRY FARMERS PROPEL THE AGRIBUSINESS INTO POLE POSITION

The dairy industry, like many industries in South Africa, is faced with a shortage of skills.

To close the skills gap, the industry attracts, trains, and retains young professionals to assume managerial responsibilities that have been passed on to them by experienced dairy farmers. This is an integral part of succession planning.

Dairy farming is the fifth-largest agricultural industry, employing over 45,000 people and contributing R14.5 billion annually to the economy - and bringing in new blood to inject fresh ideas ensures that dairy farming maintains its status as a major contributor to South Africa’s economy.

Training and skills development are crucial to supporting the growth and

transformation of the sector, which is dominated by white industry players. In 2016, the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) trained over 1 500 students and placed many of these students on commercial dairy farms across South Africa.

The importance of bringing in young talent to dairy farming is fully supported by Amadlelo Agri, a diversified agribusiness that operates

five commercial dairy farms in the country. The company is also a strategic investor in non-dairy ventures that comprise a piggery, a macadamia plantation, and a dairy processing plant.

Amadlelo has developed an extensive internship programme that exposes young graduates to all facets of dairy farming including milking, herd management, heifer rearing, health and safety, first aid, basic firefighting, team leadership, and artificial insemination.

Some of the graduates of the programme have spent a year-long exchange programme in New Zealand, one of the leading dairy producers in the world, to further their knowledge and skills in dairy agribusiness.

There are several young farm managers at Amadlelo who have graduated from an in-house internship programme. This group includes: Sinokuphila Khekhezwa, Mbuyisi Ntshanga, Thobela Fikelepi, Sanele Vela, Usivelele Giyose, and Ayanda Mtheli. Others are Jeanet Rikhotso, Someleze Qhoqhwane, Nandipha Damse, and Leonard Mavhungu (an award-winning dairy farmer). Other graduates have since moved on in pursuit of personal advancement opportunities elsewhere.

Sinokuphila, one the rising stars at Amadlelo, was one of the people from the company selected for an internship in New Zealand in 2016. The programme was led by Amadlelo in partnership with another South African company, Genimex, the largest supplier of dairy genetics in New Zealand. Genimex also provides premium frozen semen to Amadlelo for breeding purposes.

Today, Sinokuphila is a Junior Farm Manager at Ncora Dairy Trust which is situated outside Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape, where she manages a herd of 1, 800 cows. Ncora is one of the five dairy farms that Amadlelo operates. The others are in Whittlesea, Keiskammahoek, Middledrift and Alice.

In New Zealand, Sinokuphila and her colleague were each assigned a mentor at Cheswick Dairy Farm, which provided a rich training ground for both.

“One thing I noticed in New Zealand is that the dairy industry in that country invests heavily in technology,” Sinokuphila observed.

She also noted that New Zealand’s dairy operators are more reliant on consultants to run their agribusinesses compared with South Africa where farmers are more hands-on in running dairies.

The mentor she was assigned to in New Zealand did not just provide general oversight of her internship programme, but also facilitated crucial exposure to successful local and educational dairy ventures such as the Lincoln University Farm.

Another rising star and product of Amadlelo’s internship programme is Sanele Vela, who is a Senior Farm Manager at Shiloh Dairy Farm near Whittlesea, in the Eastern Cape. Sanele helped Shiloh to persevere through a protracted devastating drought without shutting down or shedding jobs. >

This was at the time when the catchment area for Waterdown Dam in Amatole Mountain Range had experienced significantly low annual rainfall since 2016. The rain was less frequent, resulting in water restrictions being introduced after dam levels had dropped. But Shiloh survived the drought, thanks to Sanele’s excellent farm management skills.

Sanele was encouraged by his mother to study agriculture. She sent him to Weston Agricultural College, where most of his time was spent at the school’s farm which had dairy cows, beef cows, and a piggery. The school’s farm also grew crops, giving Sanele mixed-farming experience.

After completing matric in 2004, Sanele enrolled at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where he completed a diploma in Agricultural Management. He believes that whilst education is good and serves as a door opener to opportunities, what is more important in agriculture is work experience.

“Most of the best farmers do not have matric,” he says.

He believes that to curb high youth unemployment in South Africa, young

people must seriously consider getting involved in small-scale farming on communal land in their villages.

Sanele and Sinokuphila have also passed on their knowledge to upand-coming dairy farmers. One of those farmers is Mbuyisi Ntshanga, who is an Outside Junior Manager at Fort Hare Dairy Trust in Alice. Since graduating in 2019 with an animal production science degree from the University of Fort Hare, Mbuyisi has not looked back.

“After completing my studies, I started as an intern at Fort Hare Dairy Trust, where I got exposed to practical outside work. I enjoyed the hands-on experience and gained valued experience on many aspects of dairy farming. Most importantly, I got to do something new every day which challenged my capabilities and made me better at farming,” says Mbuyisi.

It is the young farmers valuable experience gained through Amadlelo, that has created efficiencies in the company’s operations that has helped to propel Amadlelo to a pole position when it comes to transforming the South African dairy industry. 

Young Farmer: Sanele Vela

Young Farmer: Sinokuphila Khekhezwa

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF MATLOSANA CITY OF PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

SARAH BAARTMAN DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY FIRST FEMALE MUNICIPAL MANAGER APPOINTED

The City of Matlosana Municipality is

Baartman District Municipality.

Treasure Route, which is the North West

In 2005, Daniels was appointed as Manager of Capacity Building and Support, and in 2018 she was appointed as Director Planning and Economic Development. She is well-experienced in local government matters and holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies from the Nelson Mandela University.

“Unati will be a valuable asset, and we are confident that she will take the municipality to new heights. Having a female leader is a first for our District and we are so proud of her,” says Exec Mayor Deon de Vos. Indeed –a significant achievement for both Daniels and the municipality.

of equal citizenship and dignity of all women. Born in 1789 and raised within the Gamtoos Valley in what is today the Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Baartman became orphaned at a young age during a commando raid and was subsequently taken to Cape Town as a slave. In 1810, William Dunlop, a British ship’s doctor, took the young Baartman to England under the pretext that he was offering her a decent job in London.

Instead, she was paraded in front of spectators in a state of semi-undress and sometimes caged. She was exhibited as an ‘ethnic pornographic object’. She was later sold to an animal trainer in France who used her as if she were a circus animal.

It is the Transformation of the N12 Treasure Route that has unlocked regional opportunities and resulted in massive activity and mobility along the Matlosana portion of the corridor. It has a multi-dimensional character that has created employment, enhanced commuter movement, enhanced investment opportunities, increased economic activity, etc.

About Saartjie Baartman

The municipality itself is named after Sarah (Saartjie) Baartman, who is remembered and honoured as an icon, not only by her own Khoikhoi people, but by all women who know oppression and discrimination in their livesand her status is affirmation of the rightness

She died of a respiratory illness in Paris in 1815 at the young age of 26, after which her body was dissected by a French scientist named George Cuvier, who was Napoleon’s surgeon-general. A body cast was made of her corpse, and her brain, skeleton and sexual organs remained on display in a Paris museum until 1974.

WHY VISIT THE CITY OF MATLOSANA?

This year, Women’s Month in August had special significance for Sarah Baartman District Municipality. Just two months earlier, on 1 June, the municipality named after a female South African and international icon, appointed Unati Daniels as its first female Municipal Manager - a milestone that had long been overdue. Making the announcement, the municipality called it a “landmark event in the history of the municipality”.

MATLOSANA AS A MEDICAL HUB

Create unforgettable memories at our quality business and leisure accommodation venues which include conferencing, wedding and spa facilities. The City has a wealth of attractions for visitors:

Daniels was preceded by Ted Pillay who held the position of Municipal Manager for 20 years from 2002 to 2022. She is not entirely new to this demanding role, having acted in this position several times during her time as Director of Planning and Economic Development at the municipality.

• Adventure tourism

• Wildlife tourism

• Medical tourism

• Wellness tourism

Daniel’s started her career in the municipality in 2003 when she was appointed as the Skills Development Facilitator by Cacadu District Municipality which was later renamed Sarah

To us health care is of paramount importance as a healthy city is productive and constitutes prosperity. We boast well-developed medical facilities, which enhances and promotes the competitive advantage of Matlosana as a major Medical Hub in the North West Province. Services include: general and private medical fascilities, casualty/trauma and dental services. Most clinics focus on primary health care services.

The city prides itself on having five private hospitals, two government hospitals, including the largest state hospital in the North West Province and 15 clinics including mobile clinics. It also boasts the only fully contained oncology unit in the North West Province, which offers a comprehensive service at four pathological laboratories and has the latest MRI scanner at the radiology unit.

PRIME LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT

N12 Development Route was identified by the municipality as a flagship project for golden opportunities in the following sectors: housing, business, industrial, heritage, mining, tourism, sport as well as recreation.

Create unforgettable memories at our quality business and leisure accommodation venues which include conferencing, wedding and spa facilities.

Municipal Manager: Unati Daniels

(Sarah) Saartjie Baartman (1789-1815)

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is one of the mainstays of Matlosana, which proudly boasts a region rich with agricultural potential. The emphasis is focused on field crops, such as maize, wheat, sorghum, sunflowers, etc... (climatically suitable with a 70% probability of production success).

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

Aside from attracting investment, the N12 Treasure Route connects communities to the economic hub of Matlosana City. The improved road infrastructure changes the lives of the City’s citizens making it easier to access employment opportunities and other services.

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Shoppers can also be spoiled for choice between Matlosana Mall, City Mall, Flamwood Walk Shopping Mall, Tower Mall and other leading shopping centres in Matlosana.

When the African National Congress (ANC) came to power in South Africa in 1994, President Nelson Mandela formally requested the return of her remains. After much legal wrangling in the French National Assembly, France acceded to the request and her remains were repatriated on 9 August 2002 - National Women’s Day in South Africa. She was reburied along the banks of the Gamtoos River in the town of Hankey in the Eastern Cape.

On 22 August 2002, then-president Thabo Mbeki declared Sarah Baartman’s grave a National Heritage Site. On 1 September 2016, the Cacadu District Municipality officially changed its name to Sarah Baartman District Municipality.

The proverbial wheel has turned full circle for Saarah Baartman, with the municipality bearing her name having appointed its first female Municipal Manager.

Agriculture is one of the mainstays of Matlosana, which proudly boasts a region rich with agricultural potential. The emphasis is focused on field crops, such as maize, wheat, sorghum, sunflowers, etc...

NATIONAL FRESH PRODUCE MARKET

The Market is the property of the City of Matlosana and was established in 1980 and it is ranked 8th out of 17 Fresh Markets in the country according to turnover.

About the District

With five Market agents, the market supplies customers as far as Botswana, Kimberly and Vryburg.

Sarah Baartman District Municipality is situated in the western part of the Eastern Cape Province, covering an area of 58 242 square kilometres and a population of 527 062. It is the largest District in the province, making up approximately 34% of its geographical area and completely surrounds Nelson Mandela Bay.

CONTACT DETAILS

The coastal parts of the district have temperate winter rainfall, while the interior is mainly dry Karoo and grasslands comprised of commercial farms

Address: Cnr Braamfisher & OR Tambo Streets, Klerksdorp Tel: 018 487 8000/ 018 487 8800

communications@ klerksdorp.org

The district municipality includes seven local municipalities: Dr Beyers Naudé, Blue Crane Route, Makana, Ndlambe, Sundays River Valley, Kouga and Koukamma.

Sarah Baartman District

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF MATLOSANA CITY OF PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY APPOINTS NEW CITY MANAGER

“Mr Mbhele has a Social Science Degree, Master’s Degree in Town and Regional Planning, Project Management Diploma and BTech Degree in Business Management. He has vast experience in local government and has been the Municipal Manager at Umzumbe Municipality, and is currently Chief Operating Officer and Acting City Manager for eThekwini Municipality since July last year. The fact that he has been with the municipality for some time augurs well for us because he comprehends our challenges, and he is going to hit the ground running,” said Kaunda.

Mayor of eThekwini, Mxolisi Kaunda, announced Mbhele as the new City Manager on Friday 16 August at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban. This after a protracted process that was hampered by protests over claims of political interference.

It is the Transformation of the N12 Treasure Route that has unlocked regional opportunities and resulted in massive activity and mobility along the Matlosana portion of the corridor. It has a multi-dimensional character that has created employment, enhanced commuter movement, enhanced investment opportunities, increased economic activity, etc.

ranked top five in the recruitment process with a percentage score of 70%. “It gives me pleasure to announce that the recommended candidate number 1 was Mr Thompson Mbhele with a final assessment score of 92%.

The city had previously attempted to appoint Max Mbili as the new City Manager. However, the process was halted after the Democratic Alliance alleged that the ANC had interfered with the process. This forced the city to restart the process and changed the selection panel to represent all parties.

WHY VISIT THE CITY OF MATLOSANA?

Create unforgettable memories at our quality business and leisure accommodation venues which include conferencing, wedding and spa facilities. The City has a wealth of attractions for visitors:

The city had received over 100 applications with Mbhele emerging as the most qualified. Mayor Kaunda said Mbhele had been selected as the top candidate after a gruelling interview and testing process.

• Adventure tourism

• Wildlife tourism

• Medical tourism

• Wellness tourism

During the selection process, the panel considered candidates who

Create unforgettable memories at our quality business and leisure accommodation venues which include conferencing, wedding and spa facilities.

According to the panel, Mr Mbhele demonstrated a high level of experience and knowledge of strategic leadership in the municipal environment,” said Kaunda.

Mbhele took over from Sipho Nzuza who had served as City Manager since 2017 and left the City after a mutual agreement. Mayor Kaunda pointed out Mbhele has vast experience in local government administration and is expected to take the city to greater heights. Kaunda said: “Mbhele is not new to such a position as he had held the same position in Umzumbe local Municipality.”

MATLOSANA AS A MEDICAL HUB

The city had previously attempted to appoint Max Mbili as the new city manager. However, the process was halted after the Democratic Alliance alleged that the ANC had interfered with the process. This forced the city to restart the process and changed the selection panel to represent all parties.

To us health care is of paramount importance as a healthy city is productive and constitutes prosperity. We boast well-developed medical facilities, which enhances and promotes the competitive advantage of Matlosana as a major Medical Hub in the North West Province. Services include: general and private medical fascilities, casualty/trauma and dental services. Most clinics focus on primary health care services.

The city prides itself on having five private hospitals, two government hospitals, including the largest state hospital in the North West Province and 15 clinics including mobile clinics. It also boasts the only fully contained oncology unit in the North West Province, which offers a comprehensive service at four pathological laboratories and has the latest MRI scanner at the radiology unit.

Mayor Kaunda pointed out that because Mbhele has been with the municipality for some time, he is able to understand its challenges and hit the ground running.

PRIME LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT

Mbhele takes the helm of the only metro in Kwa-Zulu Natal at a time when the municipality is working hard to rebuild after the July unrest and floods.

N12 Development Route was identified by the municipality as a flagship project for golden opportunities in the following sectors: housing, business, industrial, heritage, mining, tourism, sport as well as recreation.

Kaunda said that as political head, Mbhele would be expected to execute the mayoral 10-point plan.

Mayor Kaunda believes that the appointment of Mbhele will stabilise the administration of the city and bring confidence to all municipal stakeholders.

Beaufort West, up until George.

City Manager: Musa Mbhele

O.R. TAMBO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY AN UNTAPPED TOURISM POTENTIAL

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is one of the mainstays of Matlosana, which proudly boasts a region rich with agricultural potential. The emphasis is focused on field crops, such as maize, wheat, sorghum, sunflowers, etc... (climatically suitable with a 70% probability of production success).

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

One of 7 districts of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, the district is named after Oliver Reginald Tambo, an accomplished scholar, freedom fighter and a struggle stalwart. This district municipality consist of five local municipalities namely: King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD), Nyandeni, Ingquza Hill, Mhlontlo, Port St Johns. Most people in the district speaks isiXhosa, followed by English then Afrikaans. The isiZulu language is also spoken by a few in the area although it is not common. OR Tambo is led by the Executive Mayor Cllr Mesuli Ngqondwana and Sbu Mkhize as Municipal Manager.

the Wall which is 9km south of Coffey Bay offering tourists everything like beautiful beaches, forests, hiking, restaurants and accommodation.

Things to explore in Port St. Johns

• Dwesa Nature Reserve

• Port St. Museum

• Luchaba Nature Reserve

• Hluleka Nature Reserve

Aside from attracting investment, the N12 Treasure Route connects communities to the economic hub of Matlosana City. The improved road infrastructure changes the lives of the City’s citizens making it easier to access employment opportunities and other services.

These offerings make this region in the Eastern Cape a favorite for both locals and tourists alike. Another iconic heritage landmark located in KSD is the Nelson Mandela Museum which offers tourists from all over the world a testament of hope, which is demonstrated by the life of the late former president Nelson Mandela Port St Johns Local Municipality is known as the Jewel of the Wild Coast.

Tourism and Heritage

The OR Tambo District Municipality is a cultural melting pot. Its various local municipalities are testament to that; take Nyandeni Local Municipality, an area with amaMpondo people who have a distinct sense of history, cultural heritage and oral tradition. King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality is made of tourism attractions such as Hole in

The Wild Coast gained its name by its inaccessibility and reputation for ship-crushing waves and stretches over 250 kilometers of coastline. Today the Wild Coast is still untouched and offers rich experiences and adventures.

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Shoppers can also be spoiled for choice between Matlosana Mall, City Mall, Flamwood Walk Shopping Mall, Tower Mall and other leading shopping

The setting of Port St Johns is possibly the most dramatic in South Africa, and the drive from Umtata to Port St Johns is one of the best journeys on the Wild Coast.

Agriculture is one of the mainstays of Matlosana, which proudly boasts a region rich with agricultural potential. The emphasis is focused on field crops, such as maize, wheat, sorghum, sunflowers, etc...

Ingquza Hill Local Municipalitiesa region with a great tourist potential, boasting of undulating plains, Savannah grasslands and the unspoilt coast combine to make striking scenic beauty. There are places such as Msikaba, Mkhambathi, Mbotyi and the mainland as well as the Magwa falls, Magwa Tea and the Mkhambathi Game Reserve also offer out of this world opportunities.

NATIONAL FRESH PRODUCE MARKET

The unspoilt environment that covers the coastal area and indigenous forests could be developed as major attractions for tourism which can unleashed the massive untapped potential.

The Market is the property of the City of Matlosana and was established in 1980 and it is ranked 8th out of 17 Fresh Markets in the country according to turnover.

Mhlontlo Local Municipality is named after Chief Mhlontlo the leader of Pondomise in the 19th century. The region is home to inhabitants with strong sense of pride, warmth, a welcoming, and a can-do-spirit.

With five Market agents, the market supplies customers as far as Botswana, Kimberly and Vryburg.

CONTACT DETAILS

The region is also a link between KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Eastern Cape as renowned N2 route passes through this region offering economic spin-offs continuously.

Address: Cnr Braamfisher & OR Tambo Streets, Klerksdorp Tel: 018 487 8000/ 018 487 8800

Email: communications@ klerksdorp.org

Things to explore in Mhlontlo

• Eco-tourism

CityofMatlosanaUpdates

• Heritage

@MatlosanaCom

• Art and craft

Cityofmatlosanamunicipal

• Agri Tourism Adventure/Leisure

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF MATLOSANA CITY OF PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

KZN SOUTH COAST MUNICIPALITIES

ATTRACT TOURISTS WITH THEIR BLUE FLAG BEACHES

The City of Matlosana Municipality is situated approximately 164 km South West of Johannesburg, strategically located on the N12 Treasure Route, which is the North West Province’s primary tourism corridor.

The scenic N12 starts from Mpumalanga and is the gateway to the Western Cape Province. The route takes you from eMalahleni, to the vibrant Gauteng Province and the Sterkfontein Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, and continues to Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Kimberley, Beaufort West, up until George.

It is the Transformation of the N12 Treasure Route that has unlocked regional opportunities and resulted in massive activity and mobility along the Matlosana portion of the corridor. It has a multi-dimensional character that has created employment, enhanced commuter movement, enhanced investment opportunities, increased economic activity, etc.

As South Africa celebrates Tourism Month this September, towns across the country are gearing up for a bumper tourism and holiday season. Leading the charge are municipalities along South Africa’s 3,000 km long coastline with their magnificent Blue Flag beaches – some considered to be among the best beaches in the world.

WHY VISIT THE CITY OF MATLOSANA?

Create unforgettable memories at our quality business and leisure accommodation venues which include conferencing, wedding and spa facilities. The City has a wealth of attractions for visitors:

• Adventure tourism

• Wildlife tourism

• Medical tourism

The local economies of many coastal towns are heavily dependent on tourism, and their Blue Flag status beaches provide an extra boost. Worldwide, Blue Flag beaches are known as being the best - as a result, tourists have come to trust the Blue Flag status and will seek out these beaches wherever they are. In 2022 South Africa boasts no less than 51 full Blue Flag-status beaches and 33 pilot Blue Flag beaches.

• Wellness tourism

The South Coast area known as the “Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom” is a well-established beach destination and boasts the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the province.

Create unforgettable memories at our quality business and leisure accommodation venues which include conferencing, wedding and spa facilities.

MATLOSANA AS A MEDICAL HUB

With a reputation earned over the years as a prime holiday destination, municipalities on the South Coast are well prepared for the influx of holidaymakers, some of whom will be taking their first break post Covid. The area offers many attractions to both tourists and locals along the 120 km warm Indian Ocean coastal stretch and activities on the beach include: tube waterslides, mini-golf, canoe hire (for leisurely trips up the lagoon), fishing, biking, surfing, body boarding, horse riding along the beaches, heli-flips, scuba diving, snorkelling, ziplining, etc. An added attraction at this time of the year is the arrival of humpback whales.

To us health care is of paramount importance as a healthy city is productive and constitutes prosperity. We boast well-developed medical facilities, which enhances and promotes the competitive advantage of Matlosana as a major Medical Hub in the North West Province. Services include: general and private medical fascilities, casualty/trauma and dental services. Most clinics focus on primary health care services.

The KZN South Coast has 58 magnificent beaches, six of which boast Blue Flag status. The six South Coast Blue Flag beaches are all within the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality in the Ugu District Municipality, and are: Marina Beach, Trafalgar Beach, Southport Beach, uMzumbe Beach, Ramsgate Beach and Hibberdene Beach. All of these beaches are open and ready for tourists.

Ugu District Municipality is one of the most popular tourism and holiday hubs in South Africa, especially over the festive season, and is home to some of the country’s best beaches. Ugu, which is Zulu for “coast”, is the southern-most district of KwaZuluNatal province, and encompasses four municipalities - Umdoni, Umzumbe, Umuziwabantu and Ray Nkonyeni.

This year, the latest Blue Flag announcements honoured two of the KZN South Coast Blue Flag beaches, Marina and Trafalgar, for maintaining their excellence over many successive years, 20 years for Marina and 10 for Trafalgar Beach.

The city prides itself on having five private hospitals, two government hospitals, including the largest state hospital in the North West Province and 15 clinics including mobile clinics. It also boasts the only fully contained oncology unit in the North West Province, which offers a comprehensive service at four pathological laboratories and has the latest MRI scanner at the radiology unit.

Sho’t left

PRIME LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT

N12 Development Route was identified by the municipality as a flagship project for golden opportunities in the following sectors: housing, business, industrial, heritage, mining, tourism, sport as well as recreation.

South African visitors looking for the ultimate beach holiday need look no further that KZN’s South Coast. The beautiful stretch extends from the holiday (and surfing) hotspot of Amanzimtoti (conveniently only a short drive from the city centre of Durban), all the way to Port Edward and should be on everyone’s bucket list.