psm december 2014 edition

DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015

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R29.95 (VAT INCL) SOUTH AFRICA

The new cadreMinister Collins Chabane on professionalising the Public Service

A view from the topWe hear from:• Minister Jeff Radebe• Minister Lindiwe Zulu• Minister Susan Shabangu• Deputy Minister Stella

Ndabeni-Abrahams

President Zuma speaks Reflecting on 2014, looking ahead to 2015

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Contents December 2014/January 2015

Regulars

10 Conversations with leaders DPSA Minister Collins Chabane on improving the Public

Service machinery

14 Profi les in leadership The Offi ce of the Tax Ombud is ensuring the rights of

taxpayers are not violated

18 Vital stats Fast facts at your fingertips

19 Upcoming events A look at local and international events for your diary and

information

20 Women in the Public Sector The Road Accident Fund’s Chief Strategic Offi cer Mantiti

Kola always knew she would be an executive one day

24 Trailblazer Aircraft mechanic Nontlantla Skosana is living her dream

30 Aerial view The Public Service Innovation Awards show that public

servants are at the forefront of innovation

32 In other news News you need to know when you are on the go

34 International relations G20: World leaders upbeat about boosting economy

36 Provincial focus EC Premier Phumulo Masualle and his Cabinet have rolled up their sleeves to change lives in the province

40 How the Northern Cape Department of Social Development helps to keep small businesses afl oat

44 Public Sector Manager Forum GPAA Acting Chief Operating Offi cer Jay Morar sets the

record straight on retirement reforms

80 Financial fi tness Money spent wisely is money saved wisely

82 Public Sector appointments We take a look at who is new on Persal

84 Book reviews Empowering reads to enjoy this festive season

Public Sector Managerthe MagaZine for PUbLiC seCtor DeCision-MaKers

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Head of Editorial and Production Harold Maloka [email protected]

Managing Editor Dorris Simpson [email protected]

News Editor Irene Naidoo

Copy Editors Roze Moodley Elias Tibane Ongezwa Manyathi Irene Naidoo Contributors Albert Pule Noluthando Mkhize More Matshediso Amukelani Chauke Andile Cele Bathandwa Mbola Maselaelo Seshotli Ursula Graaff

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Production Assistant Mduduzi Tshabangu Advertising Sales, Distribution and Subscriptions

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Public Sector Manager • December 2014 /January 2015

Features

Lifestyle26 Food and wine Mouth-watering recipes to try out during the festive

season

86 Travel High fi ve for family holidays

89 Health and well-being Be sun-smart this festive season

90 Grooming and style Summer is here – it’s time to inject some colour and

bold prints into your wardrobe

91 Back to school checklist – PSM helps you get ready for the fi rst day of school

92 Car reviews Best of the best revealed

94 Nice-to-haves Something for everyone this festive season

69 SA aims to sharpen innovative edge Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister

Siyabonga Cwele says SA needs to sharpen its innovative edge

71 Wagon refurbishment puts De Aar economy on new track

Transnet’s refurbishment facility is injecting hope into De Aar in the Northern Cape

73 Stand against abuse of women and children Minister Susan Shabangu on making the country safer for

women and children

75 Opinion Minister in The Presidency Jeff Radebe refl ects on the

country’s grief following the deaths of South African citizens in Nigeria

78 Deputy Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on harnessing opportunities provided by our oceans for the benefi t of the country’s economy

4 Message from President Jacob Zuma A special end-of-year message from the President

46 Celebrating media freedom President Jacob Zuma has reaffi rmed government's

commitment to the ideals of freedom

48 SA turns the tide on HIV and AIDS South Africa has made signifi cant progress in the fi ght

against HIV and AIDS over the past fi ve years

50 Sharing lessons to deliver services better and faster

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on improving service delivery

52 Budget aims to balance fi nances, bolster investment

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene on plans to re-establish a sustainable foundation for public fi nances

56 SMMEs hold the key to economic growth Small Business Development Minster Lindiwe Zulu

wants to unleash an entrepreneurship revolution

58 Voice of citizens amped The Citizens-based Monitoring approach promotes active citizenry and contributes to the building of a capable state

62 Military Ombud Offi ce tackles soldiers’ grievances

Retired Lieutenant-General Temba Templeton Matanzima unpacks the work of his offi ce

64 Eff ective monitoring and evaluation can improve service delivery

Monitoring and evaluation has an important role to play in achieving the NDP goals says Minister in The Presidency Jeff Radebe

68 Public Works closes the door on fraud and corruption

Minister Thulas Nxesi’s new off ensive against fraud, corruption and maladministration

78

86

Public Sector Manager • December 2014 /January 2015 3

PresiDent’s Message

Ending a successful year and looking forward to a fruitful 2015

This is the time of year when millions of South Africans –

like millions of people around the world – begin to “ease”

into the year-end, refl ecting on the past 12 months, tak-

ing a breather from work (for the 15 million who are employed)

and thinking up resolutions for the year ahead.

For government, where our fi nancial year ends on 31 March,

December is a festive year-end but not an offi cial year-end.

We will press on till the end of the fi nancial year, when we

start the task all over again of working with all South Africans

to move South Africa even further forward. There is no rest for

the hard-working or the committed.

Even so, we look back on 2014 as a year in which we achieved

many milestones and were also deeply wounded as a nation

when we lost compatriots in the church tragedy in Lagos, Ni-

geria, or, more recently, when we lost our sporting personalities

such as Senzo Meyiwa, Mbulaheni Mulaudzi, Shadrack Ngcobo,

Phindile Mwelase and Tinus Linee. Indeed we lost many more

South Africans who were very special to their families.

This was a year in which we refl ected frequently on our na-

tion’s achievements during 20 Years of Freedom – 20 years

that brought opportunity and hope to millions of our people.

From the deepest rural outposts in our country to the ever-

changing skylines of our metropolitan centres, there is no place

or person who has not been reached or touched by 20 years

of transformation.

Social grants, extended public works programmes,

community works programmes, government

support for cooperatives and emerging farm-

ers, and free social housing, water and

electricity for millions of South Africans are

among the ways we have brought dignity

and security to citizens.

Giving students

state funding to study at our universities, making it pos-

sible for medical students to develop their careers in a

partner country such as Cuba and launching brand-new

universities and other institutions of higher learning

are among the ways we are investing in our nation’s

knowledge base for a more sophisticated economy in

the future.

Cutting back on the red tape involved in starting a

business, creating special economic and industrial de-

velopment zones, improving our rail and port infrastruc-

ture, building new hospitals, clinics and residential set-

tlements have all been part of improving our economy

and living conditions – and of creating jobs for people

who need them the most.

South Africa’s built landscape is changing every day

as we undertake ambitious projects that are quickly

changing the way we live and do business, the way

we feel about ourselves and the way the world looks

at and interacts with us.

But our nation faces a much greater challenge: that

for building from the inside, not the outside.

As you read this, we are observing 16 Days of Activism

of No Violence Against Women and Children as part of

a year-round campaign to protect vulnerable groups

in our society and to focus our attention on the values

and principles by which we live.

This is also a period during which we observe World

Aids and the United Nations day dedicated to people

with disability.

In addition, with people preparing to head home or

on holiday to various parts of the country, this is the

time our Arrive Alive campaign advocates safety on

our roads and responsible and respectful celebrations

around Christmas, New Year and other festivities.

Each year, as we experience these campaigns, we are

confronted by frightening statistics, stories and experi-

ences arising from the actions of South Africans whose

behaviours, attitudes and actions have not kept pace

with the visible development we see around us.

community works programmes, government

support for cooperatives and emerging farm-

ers, and free social housing, water and

electricity for millions of South Africans are

among the ways we have brought dignity

and security to citizens.

Giving students


There are just too many of us who live by the knife,

the gun, the bottle neck or illicit drugs. There are too

many of us who are quick to anger and disrespectful

in the way we relate to people around us, especially

in situations where we have diff erences or arguments

over the smallest things.

Much of this is driven by factors other than poverty. I

say this because among poor South Africans, the major-

ity of people are living lives with respect, dignity and

empathy. Some of our poorest compatriots who live

on the economic margins and have the least to off er to

others, often go out of their way the furthest to share

their little with others and to do good.

Much of the violence and confl ict we experience in

our communities arise from greed or disrespect for

common decency and the values of living in harmony

with those around us.

Grandchildren who abuse their elders, grandfathers

who abuse their descendants, teachers who have inap-

propriate relations with learners and workplace supervi-

sors who sexually abuse or exploit staff tell us we need

to build hearts and minds, not just bricks and mortar.

People who do these terrible things do not live on an

island of their own. They live among us. They are in our

homes, in our neighbourhoods, in our workplaces, in

our church groups, in our sports clubs.

It is a tragedy - and very often a further breaking of

the law - that thousands of South Africans stand by

idly or turn a blind eye to terrible events, adding to

the misery, suff ering and violation suff ered by relatives,

friends, neighbours or colleagues.

The law-abiding majority of South Africans must take

a stand that will show those who have no respect for

the wishes, lives or property of others that they have

no place in our decent society.

When people aren't able to or refuse conduct them-

selves with dignity and respect, it is our law enforce-

ment agencies to whom we turn for justice, punish-

ment, rehabilitation and restitution.

In such cases, we welcome the occasions on which our

courts send clear and severe messages to criminals and

show our communities that the courts are responsive

to the outrage and trauma we all feel when individuals

break the law or the codes of common decency.

Daily, killers, rapists, cable thieves, members of mall heists and

truck-jackings gangs are dealt with by our courts, thanks to the

dedicated and often dangerous work of our police, prosecutors

and cooperation of witnesses who are often terrifi ed of retribu-

tion but choose to take a stand against perpetrators of crime.

However, our justice system should function as our last resort.

Our thoughts and actions should be our fi rst resort in the

quest for a better society.

It is time we rebuilt our moral infrastructure in the same way

we are putting up new houses, schools, bus rapid transit sys-

tems or offi ce parks.

The call to this eff ect was fi rst made by our founding President

Nelson Mandela who spoke of the reconstruction and develop-

ment programme of the mind.

Indeed, this December we unite again as a nation to refl ect

on those sad moments on the evening of 5 December 2013,

when our beloved Madiba left us after an extended illness.

It was a heart-breaking moment for his family, for South Africa

and for the world and it was a moment that challenged us to

ensure that Madiba's legacy as a moral beacon nationally and

internationally - and his many calls to action - would live on in

our lives as individuals and communities.

While December is indeed a time to take it easy and refl ect,

it's also a season of commitment not just to New Year's resolu-

tions but to a whole new life ahead.

As President of our Republic and on behalf of government and

my family, I wish you a joyous and safe festive season.

I also look forward to seeing how the matric Class of 2014

have done all of us proud.

In 2015, government and I will be alongside you once again

to move South Africa forward.

President Jacob Zuma.

Many young people have benefi ted from state funding to study at universities.


Message froM the Minister

On 15 July 2014, President Jacob Zuma signed into ef-

fect the Presidential Proclamation, which was published

as Gazette No 37839, establishing the Department of

Communications (DoC).

The Independent Communica-

tions Authority of South Africa

(ICASA), Brand SA and the Film and

Publication Board were transferred

to the new Ministry of Communica-

tions where I was appointed as the

executive authority.

This also meant that the Govern-

ment Communication and Informa-

tion System (GCIS) ceased to exist

once these events played out.

Much work has been done by the

now de-established GCIS since it

was established in 1998.

Under the watch of my predeces-

sors, the then GCIS evolved over the

years – from fax to e-mail communi-

cations – to the dawn of a new era.

Now most communicators occupy

a new space of communications and

interact with members of the public

and some of our media stakeholders

through the use of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter.

This has enabled government to communicate important in-

formation to all citizens who are digital savvy, while still keeping

in touch with our people through traditional platforms such as

izimbizo outreach programmes, commercial and community

media.

We are a nation at work.

Promoting SA on a global stageDuring the announcement of his Cabinet, the President said the

formation of the new DoC would have an expanded mandate

to promote the image of South Africa abroad.

The positive positioning of the country is crucial for job crea-

tion through the strengthening of our competitiveness as a

nation.

As we celebrate 20 Years of Freedom, it is inspiring to know

that 91 per cent of the population are proud to be South Af-

ricans. This is according to a comprehensive report on how

the world perceives our country, provided to us by

Brand SA.

It further says more than 85 per cent of the popula-

tion believe that South Africa

is competitive, innovative

and capable of achieving

greatness as a country, and

95 per cent of citizens ex-

press a sense of belonging

in the country, with a strong

desire to remain here.

The SABCIt is also in our best interests

to ensure that the public

broadcaster works better

in terms of its governance

so that it will play a proac-

tive role in promoting local

content that can also be sold

abroad, while maintaining its

editorial independence.

The SABC is important to

us, and it will play a key role

in us rolling out of the digital

migration project by the DoC.

We, as a country, urgently need to roll-out the Digital

Terrestrial Television (DTT) to meet our international

obligations and to support the development of our

nascent technology manufacturing sector.

Since taking office on 27 May 2014 and in compli-

ance with the Proclamation by the President, I have

embarked on a consultative process to familiarise and

inform myself with the relevant issues to be able to

unblock this impasse on what we all know is a crucial

project to unlock the economic benefits that are cre-

ated by digital migration.

I have already broadly consulted with various stake-

holders in the communications industry, including the

manufacturers, the broadcasters and the regulator.

This consultative process is still continuing.

Among these issues was the need for policy clarity

and legislation from government on the digital migra-

tion project. A recurring policy question was whether


South Africa should still continue to roll out Set-Top Boxes

(STBs) or to leapfrog directly to Integrated Digital Television

(IDTV). This question arose because of the shortness of time

due to the ITU deadline of 17 June 2015.

I am happy to confirm that after extensive consultation with

various key stakeholders, we have reached the conclusion that

STBs must still remain as the preferred device to be used for the

digital migration in South Africa. The new digital landscape will

include IDTVs, which we encourage as an evolving technology

for the second phase of the digital migration process.

ICASAAnother important proclamation to note relates to the

oversight over ICASA. It is common understanding that ICASA

regulates the telecommunications industry with a mandate

to bring down the cost of communication and contribute to

economic growth.

Fulfilling our communications mandate Finally, the Department of Communications aims to do

nothing but help the entire government machinery in fulfilling

its communications mandate.

Government communicators need to communicate with

one voice and the role of the Communications Department

will be to ensure that we integrate and offer support to any

department that may require assistance.

The outcome in this regard should be to ensure

that key government messages are communicated

to members of the public about government’s work

and services.

We owe it to the tax payers to ensure that we

keep them informed about all new developments

in the Public Service, from new pieces of legi-

slation or amendments that affect their lives to

new programmes aimed at eradicating poverty,

inequality and unemployment.

Over and above our traditional media platforms,

we will go out to the door steps of our citizens

through our izimbizo to communicate our key

programmes, monitor service delivery, announce

interventions and most importantly, bring our

leaders closer to the people to ensure that they

are given an opportunity to interact with their

executive authority.

It is through this interaction that our President

and the Cabinet will get an opportunity to listen

to any queries or service delivery concerns to help

us to better address these challenges efficiently.

We look forward to an exciting communications

period ahead!

Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi interacting with representatives of ICASA and the DoC.


As the year draws to a close, it gives us the oppor-

tunity to look back on the year that was and look

forward to new opportunities and ventures in 2015.

Refl ecting on 2014 brings with it mixed emotions. We

started off 2014 fresh with the pain of having buried our

beloved Madiba. It was also the year we celebrated the

remarkable journey our country has travelled so far, as we

marked 20 Years of Freedom.

Celebrating this milestone helped

magnify the benefi ts that democracy

has brought to our people. We were

constantly reminded of how people’s

lives are better today when compared

to 1994. More South Africans have

homes, access to health care and ed-

ucation, and basic services than ever

before. The country has made major inroads in the fi ght

against HIV and AIDS and millions of South

Africans have found relief from the

grip of poverty thanks to the

social security net. We can indeed

be proud of our achievements

over the past two decades.

The country also held its fi fth

democratic elections, which

was once again peaceful, free

and fair. As was the case on 27

April 1994, millions of South Af-

ricans, of all races, took to

the polls to make

their voices

h e a r d .

President Jacob Zuma was inaugurated in May and

not long after announced a new Cabinet. He also

announced the formation of new departments and

changes to existing ones.

We can be particularly proud of how public servants

embraced these changes and ensured that new de-

partments hit the ground running. Change can often

be daunting, causing many to resist

and even hinder it. But public servants

have shown that even if the name of

the department they serve in changes

and new faces emerge, their priority

remains ensuring the needs of citizens

are met.

Of course, there were aspects in

which public servants and depart-

ments could have improved on in 2014. Corruption,

crime and the quality of basic services continue to be

major concerns.

While government is intensifying eff orts to address

these, true success will only be achieved if South

Africans, both in the public and private sector, pull in

the same direction.

2014 was also a year of heartbreak for South Africa.

While the passing of any South African is tragic, the

deaths of more than 80 South Africans during the

collapse of a guest house at a church in Nigeria was

particularly heart wrenching.

But even in adversity, public servants can be proud

of how the many government departments pulled

together to help the injured, support the families,

keep the country informed about developments and

most importantly, bring back the remains of those

who passed away in Nigeria.

2014 has come and gone. Let us now take some

time to put aside our hats of public servants, and

concentrate on our families and friends as we en-

joy the holidays with them. Soon we will need

to put back those hats to ensure that in 2015 we

continue to better the lives of all South Africans.

I wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous New

Year.

MESSAGE FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL

Acting Director-General Donald Liphoko.

“We can indeed

be proud of our

achievements over the

past two decades.”


Visit us on Facebook to share your thoughts and views:www.facebook.com/PublicSectorManager

@PublicSectorMan

Dear Editor I came across Public Sector Manager magazine recently when a friend sent me an e-mail

with the link to your online publication.

I was very impressed with it and, in particular, with the good stories it tells about

the country and government.

I especially enjoyed the interview with Minister of Police Nkosinathi Nhleko.

Reading through it, I felt as though he was having a direct conversation with me

and the rest of South Africa. It was also pleasing to read about the accomplishments

of the men and women in blue.

Crime is an issue that cannot be ignored and it seems as if Minister Nhleko is ready

to make a diff erence in our country. I was happy to read that corruption is not being

tolerated and that those police offi cers that abuse their positions have been arrested.

Thank you for the informative read.

Ray Sebastian, Cape Town

Dear Editor Reading through the October edition of PSM, I was drawn to the cover of the

magazine.

Politicians are always so serious and it was refreshing to see a smile on Minister

Nhleko’s face as he stared back at me from the cover.

I was also heartened to read of his plans to ensure that the police serve com-

munities better.

When Minister Nhleko speaks of a community that works hand in hand with

police it resonates with me as I had the privilege of experiencing the positive

outcomes that are achieved when the two come together to ensure the safety

of communities.

I grew up in a township where my uncle and other young men took turns to

patrol the streets while we slept, reassuring us that no criminal would try his

or her luck in Deep Six, Atteridgeville.

It was interesting to read the Minister’s thoughts and plans, and I believe

that his vision of the public and police working together is not far-fetched.

The public should take a minute to stop criticising and instead try to under-

stand and help those in the South African Police Service who put their lines

of the line to ensure the safety of others.

Johannes Mashegwane, Pretoria

We hear We hear We hear you!you!you!you!you!you!you!you!you!Letters to the eDitor


Writer: Amukelani ChaukePhotographer: Enver Essop

ConVersations With the LeaDers

Improving the Public Service machinery If you want to build a successful company or institution, it is essen-

tial that one invests in human capital. An employer must ensure

that employees are well looked after in order for them to improve

their services to the customers.

After the country recently commemorated Public Ser-

vice Month, Public Service and Administration Minister Col-

lins Chabane said this model would be enforced to ensure

that service delivery – which is among government’s top

priorities – is disseminated to members of the public with distinction.

In an interview with PSM, Minister Chabane said he spent his

fi rst few months in offi ce visiting front-service staff at various de-

partments to interact with public servants to understand their

challenges.

“As a department we have been encouraging inter-

action with frontline staff . Also we are dealing directly

with communities, fi rstly to understand their chal-

lenges and to relay to them what the expectations of

the communities are.

“We have been speaking to people through the me-

dia. We have done a lot of radio shows where people

call and tell us what are their experiences with the ser-

vice we provide and we use that experience to try and

improve in areas we think need improving. The work to

try and encourage public diligently continues,” he said.

When President Jacob Zuma delivered his State of the

Nation Address in June, he said for the Public Service to


work better, public servants needed to treat members

of the public with respect, patience, understanding

and courtesy.

As such, the Batho Pele programme would be revital-

ised and would be followed by the new Public Service

Charter.

The Minister said much time had been spent towards

fostering discipline and courtesy of frontline staff, and

added that an extra effort would be invested to roll out

refresher training courses for public servants.

While Minister Chabane did not elaborate on which

departments he visited during this period, he said the

focus was on national and provincial departments

where civil servants have direct contact with mem-

bers of the public.

Some of the facilities where members of the public

are served directly include Home Affairs offices, South

African Social Security Agency offices, police stations,

health facilities, drivers' licence centres, municipal

customer-care centres, schools and courts.

He said his interaction with these staff members gave

his department very useful information to work with.

“The feedback basically is they are prepared to work,

they are prepared to improve. They need help from

government to assist them with some of the working

instruments.

“Some have also asked for their working conditions to

be improved but I think a majority of them are encour-

aged to work for the Public Service,” he said.

Professionalising the Public ServiceHaving moved into his new portfolio when the Presi-

dent announced the new Cabinet in May 2014, the

Minister said he was not new to issues related to the

efficient performance of the Public Service.

As the first Minister of Performance Monitoring and

Evaluation located in The Presidency, which has since

been merged with the National Planning Commission,

Minister Chabane has for the past five years dealt with

the mandate of overseeing that the performance of

all government departments under the Public Service

Act was upheld.

This included devising performance agreements that

members of the executive were required to sign, and

overseeing the assessment of departmental perfor-

mance using service tools aimed at improving departments’ services

in critical areas like paying suppliers within 30 days.

He told PSM that his previous role in The Presidency meant that he

walked into his new deployment already being familiar with what

needed to be done as the two departments worked very closely.

“You will recall that in my previous responsibility, I was dealing with

issues related to the Public Service – the performance of the State,

the performance of the Public Service machinery – so I am not basi-

cally new to the issue.”

He said when President Zuma introduced the Ministry of Perfor-

mance Monitoring and Evaluation in 2009, it enabled the executive

authority to be able to understand what was happening in the Public

Service on a daily basis.

This included monitoring management practices across the Public

Service that boasts 1,2 million employees.

“One of our main concerns is human resources management. A lot

of departments are facing challenges in that area. That has got an

impact on how people deliver services … and that is one area which

we think we need to pay special attention to.

“Human resources management has quite a number of aspects. It

is not only the management of the payroll; it is not only the manage-

ment of disciplinary cases.

“You have to make sure that the people we have in the system are

able to function, they are well organised, they have the necessary

resources to carry out their tasks, they know what their roles are, they

are able to go through the rules, they are able to keep the files and

the documentation properly, they manage the issue of leave, they

manage the issue of discipline,” Minister Chabane said.

Public Service poaching good for the economyDue to the private sector using its financial muscle to poach skilled

servants, the Public Service has often found itself unable to retain

some of its talented employees, with critics often seeing this as a

challenge to service delivery.

Some have called for measures to ensure that the Public Service is

made more attractive so that many will see it as a career of choice.

Minister Chabane said while losing skilled employees was always a

challenge, it was a two-way street.

He said the responsibility of the state was not only to improve hu-

man resources management for the Public Service, but also for the

entire country as a whole.

“When you see people leave the Public Service to the private sector

… it is a good thing for us because you are then able to share the

skills, the knowledge and the experiences to the entire economy.

“So we are not too worried about people leaving the Public Service >>


ConVersations With the LeaDers

to join the private sector because they are making a contribution

to the economy,” he said.

The Minister said this paved a way for new entrants to come into

the system, thus giving interns and other work-seeking professionals

an opportunity to work for the state.

He said while they are not tried and tested, new entrants needed

to be given an opportunity in order to move to a point where they

grow to being assets within the Public Service.

“The retention of staff is not about telling employees they can’t go,

we are going to increase their salary for them to stay. Let people go

if they want to go and make a contribution out there.

“In fact, one of the most experienced people are the junior ones,

those who have got very little options to leave. Those are the people

who are carrying the burden of the state, those are the people who

are carrying the knowledge of what the state’s function is,” he said.

Tighter integrity, ethics rules on the wayMinister Chabane said while there are

challenges of discipline within the Public

Service, a notion suggesting that overall,

there is no discipline within the Public

Service “does not reflect reality”.

“If you look at the number of discipli-

nary cases that are there now in various

departments, they are generally less than

10 per cent of the entire workforce of the

Public Service so you are talking about less than 100 000 people.”

He said a recently held Labour Relations Forum, which took place

in Cape Town, brought government leaders under one roof to share

experiences that included integrity and ethics management discus-

sions.

He said the outcome of the forum would guide his department

on whether it needed to tighten rules or not.

Linked to integrity and ethics management is the fight against

corruption.

Public servants often find themselves at a crossroad where – be-

cause of a temptation to put their hand in the cookie jar while it is

against the rules – they find themselves in hot water.

The Minister said despite existing challenges related to detecting

and preventing corruption, he was satisfied with government’s fight

against corruption.

He urged public servants to report any corrupt activities to relevant

authorities so that they can be investigated.

“We have the legal instruments to deal with the problem.

“People say from time to time because so many bil-

lions have been lost to corruption, there is so much

corruption.

“We are fairly comfortable that the fight against cor-

ruption is on … and we encourage all South Africans,

we encourage all institutions to bring any suspicious

corrupt activities to the attention of the authorities

that are dealing with it so that they can be able to

uproot it.”

The new cadreIn government’s push to revitalise the Public Service

and to transform public servants into becoming the

new cadre, Minister Chabane said measures were be-

ing implemented to equip employees with the right

attitude and skills required to meet

the standard.

“You can’t have people who will re-

act to situations the same. The mini-

mum thing that we require for some-

one to be a true cadre in the Public

Service is to adhere to the principles

that are in the Constitution and the

issues that are in the Public Service

Charter and for people to observe

the rules,” the Minister said.

He said much time was being spent

in ensuring that public servants know regulations –

what they can do and what they cannot do – and that

they know the values of the Public Service.

“The majority of people who find themselves in the

workplace, whether in the public or private sector,

they always try to find solutions to every challenge

they are faced with.

“So we are trying to encourage public servants who

are dealing with communities out there to be creative;

to look for solutions.

“In a situation, for example, where you have to help

people and you realise that you do not have the com-

plete instruments, we encourage public servants to be

creative, to be innovative and to resolve the problem,”

he said.

He said that was why some public servants would

be given awards from time to time to recognise them

for going the extra mile.

“In a situation, for example,

where you have to help

people and you realise

that you do not have the

complete instruments, we

encourage public servants

to be creative, to be

innovative and to resolve the

problem...”


A statement for a statesman.Government MMS/SMS.

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Writer: Noluthando Mkhize Photographer: Linda Mthombeni

ProfiLes in LeaDershiP

Tax Ombud helps aggrieved taxpayers

The Offi ce of the Tax Ombud (OTO), which was launched

a year ago, is playing a leading role in ensuring that the

rights of taxpayers are not violated.

The Tax Ombud is Judge Bernard Ngoepe and he is

assisted by Advocate Hanyana Mkhawane, who is

the Chief Executive Offi cer.

According to Adv Mkhawane, the purpose of

the OTO is to review and address complaints

from taxpayers about the South African

Revenue Service (SARS). These include

complaints about services rendered and

procedural, administrative and systemic

issues.

“When people come to us they must

have the confi dence that they will receive

help from the offi ce. More importantly, the

way we address complaints also adds value

to SARS and shows it when it can improve.”

An ombud is meant to be independent, im-

partial and render services at no cost.

Some of the complaints that the Tax Om-

bud deals with include SARS’ unwillingness

to address the complaints of taxpay-

ers or failure to resolve matters to

complainants’ satisfaction. Other

common complaints include re-

funds due to taxpayers, SARS

failing to respond to taxpay-

ers’ queries and e-fi ling re-

lated queries.

Adv Mkhawane advises

that before aggrieved

taxpayers approach the

offi ce they should have

exhausted all the nec-

essary processes with

SARS.

Formation of the OTOAdv Mkhawane says discussions on

the formation of the OTO started as

far back as the mid-90s.

“Other people thought that we have

the offi ce of the Public Protector so

why should there be a Tax Ombud. If

taxpayers wanted to complain they

could go there.”

The Joint Standing Committee on

Finance also supported the formation

of the offi ce but there were still linger-

ing doubts about the role of the Pub-

lic Protector in addressing tax-related

complaints.

SARS then formed its own monitor-

ing offi ce located within the organi-

sation, to monitor its work and the

services rendered.

“This offi ce lacked independence as

it was still within SARS,” explains Adv

Mkhawane.

One of the objectives of the Tax Ad-

ministration Act of 2011 is to achieve

a balance between SARS and taxpay-

ers.

“SARS has a wide range of powers.

So it became important to try and bal-

ance these powers and give taxpayers

who are aggrieved by SARS a voice.”

Tax complianceAdv Mkhawane says SARS is doing a

brilliant job in educating South Afri-

cans about the importance of paying

taxes.

“SARS has made a lot of progress,

Trights of taxpayers are not violated.

The Tax Ombud is Judge Bernard Ngoepe and he is

assisted by Advocate Hanyana Mkhawane, who is

the Chief Executive Offi cer.

According to Adv Mkhawane, the purpose of

the OTO is to review and address complaints

from taxpayers about the South African

Revenue Service (SARS). These include

complaints about services rendered and

procedural, administrative and systemic

issues.

“When people come to us they must

have the confi dence that they will receive

help from the offi ce. More importantly, the

way we address complaints also adds value

to SARS and shows it when it can improve.”

An ombud is meant to be independent, im-

partial and render services at no cost.

Some of the complaints that the Tax Om-

bud deals with include SARS’ unwillingness

to address the complaints of taxpay-

ers or failure to resolve matters to

complainants’ satisfaction. Other

common complaints include re-

funds due to taxpayers, SARS

failing to respond to taxpay-

ers’ queries and e-fi ling re-

lated queries.

Adv Mkhawane advises

that before aggrieved

taxpayers approach the

offi ce they should have

exhausted all the nec-

essary processes with

SARS. Advocate Hanyana Mkhawane.


especially coming from the apartheid era when there

were high levels of non-compliance. Since then SARS

has managed to change people’s mindset and now

more and more people are complying.”

Popularising the Tax OmbudAdv Mkhawane says it is important to make people

aware of the role of the OTO.

“More people need to know about the offi ce. When

I tell people about where I work they are puzzled and

have no idea what we do, even some people at SARS

don’t understand the role of this offi ce.

“Doing outreaches will be critical to inform people

about our role and various partnerships will also be of

assistance,” he adds.

An example of these partnerships is the one between

the offi ce and SARS recognised tax practitioners such

as the South African Institute of Chartered Account-

ants and the South African Institute of Professional

Accountants.

“We are using their platform to inform professionals

in the tax industry about the role of this offi ce. We want

to educate the public about this offi ce but we thought

we should start with the professionals fi rst.

“We are also promoting the offi ce through print and

broadcast. We will be doing roadshows around the

country. We started with tax practitioners because we

found that taxpayers usually use their services but we

also want to empower all taxpayers so they understand

their rights.”

What taxpayers should avoidAdv Mkhawane also warned taxpayers against being

dishonest when submitting their returns.

He added that there were unethical tax practitioners

who claimed to be able to secure refunds from SARS

without the taxpayer seeing any documentation.

“If anybody promises this without any documenta-

tion it is clear that tax practitioner will fi nd illegal ways

of producing that refund. When a taxpayer gets into

trouble with SARS they are alone.”

He says taxpayers should approach SARS to enquire

about things they do not understand and if they do not

get a response escalate it to their offi ce.

Taxpayers should not ignore any communication from

SARS, he advises.

This & ThatWhat do you do in your spare time?I jog and enjoy running short races.

Favourite holiday destination?The Garden Route in Cape Town.

One thing people don’t know about you?I love cooking. I am a very hands-on person.

About Adv Mkhawane Adv Mkhawane has a Master’s degree in Tax Law and was admit-

ted as an attorney in 1996. He joined SARS as a manager in the

legal division in 1998.

He was later appointed Regional Manager for Enforcement at the

Eastern Cape offi ce from 2005 until 2010, when he was admitted

as an advocate of the High Court, Johannesburg Bar. He also

holds a Diploma in Labour and Company Law.

Prior to joining the OTO in 2013, he practised as an advocate.

His areas of expertise include tax, contracts, company law, com-

mercial law, insolvency, personal injury, insurance, labour and

administrative law.


My name is Masuku Sicelo Ncamiso, from Swaziland, and I am pursuing chartered accountancy as a career. My father got injured at work in 2002; he was working at Vaal Reef and was declared unfit, so had to stop working. At the time I was in high school and I did not know how I was going to get to university. My father never stopped trying to get funds for me and he came across the Mineworkers Provident Fund office, which referred him to the JB Marks Education Trust Fund offices. He met an official who gave him the application form. I applied and waited on feedback from JB Marks.

I got my reply in January 2012 and was so happy they accepted my application. I went to my father to share the marvellous news and assured him we had achieved our dreams. Our life here at home would be changed forever. My university life was made even better with the introduction of a meal allowance because my father could not afford to send enough money to survive. Today I have my degree and I am grateful to JB Marks. They changed my family’s life, not just mine, and now I will stop at nothing to show my appreciation for what JB Marks has done.

The Fund will forever be a part of me. They have done so much for me and the awards ceremony will remain in my heart forever. That night JB Marks gave me the opportunity to say thank you

to my parents for all the support they have given me throughout my studies. I do see only joy through their eyes that night and for me it was a feeling I do not have enough words to explain. I chose to dedicate all the awards to my parents and I do not know if I will ever have enough words to say thank you to my father for choosing to right Union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and all the family of JB Marks Education Trust Fund.

THANK YOU JB MARKS The JB Marks Education Trust Fund was established by the NUM in 1997 to address the need for black educated graduates entering the mining, energy, and construction sectors.

Over the last 17 years it has continued to fulfil this need by providing tuition for members of NUM and their families, achieving meaningful change and capacity-building through improved education. The Fund has enabled 830 bursars to graduate with mainstream tertiary qualifications (including 15 medical doctors) and disbursed R117-million to over 2 000 beneficiaries, with 700 students still in the pipeline. Applications are open 1 March - 1 July annually. For online application forms, visit www.jbmarksedutrust.co.za

JB Marks 2014 Merit Awards were held at Emperors Palace on 29 August 2014.

MASUKU SICELO NCAMISO’S STORY

CONTACT DETAILS

Address: 4th Floor Alris Building,3 Rissik StreetJohannesburg, 2001

Telephone: +27 (0)11 492 0601 Fax: +27 (0)11 492 0953Email: [email protected]: www.jbmarksedutrust.co.za

PROFILE / JB MARKS EDUCATION TRUST FUND

JB MARKS MERIT AWARDS

On previous page: Sicelo Masuku and father receive JB Marks Merit Award trophy at the 2014 JB Marks Wards, flanked by Frans Baleni (Chairperson) and former Deputy President of South Africa. Mr. Kgalema Motlhante. Left: Sicelo Masuku receive JB Marks Cause Specific 2014 Award and Top Student Merit 2014 Award trophies for achieving 21 Distinctions (Bcom in Chartered Accounting) at the 2014 JB Marks Wards.

Below:JB Marks Merit Awards trophy winners at the at the 2014 JB Marks Awards.

VitaL stats

Fast facts at your fingertips

Compiler: Ursula Graaff

With World AIDS

Day being com-

memorated on 1

December, PSM takes a look the important figures

related to HIV and AIDS in South Africa.

In his 2014 Budget Vote, Health Minister

Aaron Motsoaledi noted that:

• Ofthe52millionpeople inthecountry,

35 million people (between the ages of 16-64)are considered

to be sexually active. It is these 35 million that need to be

prioritised for HIV counselling and testing.

• Betweeneighttoninemillionofthe35millionsexuallyactive

South Africans are tested annually. Of these, the prevalence

rate is 17 per cent for those between 15-49 years, with the

prevalence of pregnant women who use Public Sector ante-

natal clinics at 29 per cent.

• SouthAfricahassixmillionpeoplewhoareHIVpositive.Of

these 2,5 million have been initiated on treatment. The 2,5

million South Africans on treatment make up 30 per cent of

the total global figure.

• Thedepartmentisalsoonamassivemedicalmalecircumci-

sion campaign and is targeting four million men by 2016.

Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission programme Significant achievements have been made in reducing the

number of children born with HIV thanks to the depart-

ment’s Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)

programme. Ten years ago, 70 000 children were born HIV

positive in South Africa every year. Currently that figure stands

at less than 8 000 a year because of the PMTCT campaign.

According to the Twenty Year Review released by The Presi-

dency, significant progress has been recorded as a result of

the country’s HIV and AIDS programme over recent years.

HIV Counselling and Testing CampaignIn April 2010 the health care sector initiated the HIV Counsel-

ling and Testing (HCT) Campaign to mobilise all South Africans

to get tested for HIV and AIDS.

The campaign

resulted in more

than 20,2 million people

being tested from between April 2010 and

June 2012, compared with only two million

people annually previously.

Anti-retroviral therapy The number of patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy

(ART) in the country increased from 47 500 in 2004 to

1,79 million in 2011.

A total of 1,09 million (61 per cent) people accessing

ART in 2011 were women.

Access to ART in the Public Sector grew to include

more than 2,4 million patients by the end of June 2013.

To help the country with the roll out of ART, gov-

ernment increased the number of professional nurses

trained in the Nurse Initiated Management of ART from

250 in 2009 to 23 000 in 2013.

Looking aheadMinister Motsoaledi said in line with the National De-

velopment Plan (NDP), government’s goals are to:

• RaisethelifeexpectancyofSouthAfricanstoatleast

70 years by 2015.

• Ensurethatthegenerationofunder-20sislargelyfree

of HIV and significantly reduce the burden of disease.

• Reducematernalandchildmortality.


UPCOMING EVENTS

Africa Energy Indaba 17-18 February 2015The Africa Energy Indaba

(AEI) will take place in

Sandton, the heart of

the African business hub,

from 17-18 February 2015.

Attracting energy experts

and enthusiasts from all over the world, the Indaba will address

pressing issues, challenges and opportunities in the energy

sector. Energy, a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth

in Africa, has been at the forefront of discussions on Africa

reaching and maximising its growth potential.

The conference, which will mark its seventh anniversary in

2015, has grown over the years and has become the leading

forum for debating and exchanging solutions to Africa’s energy

challenges. Topics at the 2015 event include African power

suppliers; alternative and renewable energies; oil and gas;

the legal and regulatory framework of energy projects, and

investment opportunities in African energy projects.

The AEI is the regional event of the World Energy Council

(WEC).

The South African National Energy Association (SANEA) is

a strategic partner in the event, which is also supported by

the African Union and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating

Agency.

For more information on the event, to register or exhibit,

visit www.africaenergyindaba.com

World Economic Forum 21-24 January 2015The 45th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum

will take place from 21-24 January in Davos-Klosters,

Switzerland, under the theme “The New Global Con-

text”.

The theme reflects the period of profound political,

economic, social and technological change that the

world has entered, which has the potential to end the

era of economic integration and international partner-

ship that began in 1989.

About 2 000 leaders, including the heads of 1 000

of the world’s largest and most successful businesses,

heads of state or government from the G20 group and

other nations, heads of the world’s foremost interna-

tional organisations alongside leaders from civil society,

labour unions, media and arts are expected to par-

ticipate in the meeting. The Forum’s New Champions

communities - Young Global Leaders, Global Shapers,

Global Growth Companies, Technology Pioneers and

Social Entrepreneurs - will also contribute to the Forum.

The Annual Meeting 2015 will provide a platform for

over 50 initiatives that are currently being led by the

Forum, with the aim of contributing positively to the

global agenda, as well as those of industry, business

and the world’s regions.

For more information email: AnnualMeeting@wefo-

rum.org

International Conference on Particle Induced X-ray Emission 26 February - 3 March 2015The 14th International Conference on Particle Induced X-

ray Emission (PIXE 2015) will take place in Somerset West,

Western Cape, from 25 February – 3 March 2015 at the Lord

Charles Hotel.

The PIXE conference is a biennial event and is the interna-

tional forum at which recent developments and future pros-

pects in particle induced X-ray spectrometry are discussed.

The conference brings together physicists and scientists

from different fields of application including biology, medi-

cine, environmental, earth sciences, cultural heritage and

materials research.

The conference is organised by the iThemba Laboratory

for Accelerator-Based Sciences, a group of multi-discipli-

nary research laboratories overseen by the National Re-

search Foundation and the Department of Science and

Technology.

For more information email: [email protected]

Compiler: Maselaelo Seshotli


WoMen in the PUbLiC seCtor Writer: Albert Pule Photograher: Siyabulela Duda

Mantiti Kola’s childhood dream comes true

Mantiti Kola is living her dream. As a little girl growing up in Ga-Rakgoatha

village in Limpopo, she knew she was destined for great things and im-

agined herself in a boardroom, calling the shots.

“As a kid I read a lot about powerful women that were making inroads in the busi-

ness arena and I wanted to be just like them one day,” she says.

Today, Kola is not far off from that dream, albeit she fi nds herself working in the

Public Sector.

Kola is the Chief Strategist Offi cer at the Road Accident Fund (RAF) and is one of

the fi ve women serving on the executive management structure of the RAF.

She is responsible for strategies that mitigate fi nancial, operational, market, repu-

tational and all other business risks faced by the RAF.

The RAF is an agency of the Department of Transport and is responsible for provid-

ing all users of South Africa’s roads with compulsory cover against injuries or death

arising from accidents involving motor vehicles within the borders of the country.

Kola is responsible for the Strategy, Risk and Compliance (SRC) department, which

comprises the Risk Management Project Management Offi ce, Stakeholder Relations,

Legal and Forensic, Strategy and Reporting sections.

The SRC department is responsible for developing strategy and promoting a per-

formance-driven culture to help the organisation accomplish its strategic objectives.

It is also expected to initiate strategies to mitigate all business risks faced by the RAF.


Recalling her childhood ambi-

tions, Kola says: “I kept articles

about the successful women who

were featured in various maga-

zines. One these was Judge Lucy

Mailula who became my role

model.”

“I could relate to her because

just like me, she was from a vil-

lage. Seeing her make it to the

top made me believe that it is

possible to come from a village

and make a success of yourself.”

Kola’s path to top management started with a lecturing

job at a college.

“I was a lecturer for fi ve years. I pursued a teaching degree

because by that time it was the only area of study for which

I could get funding for tertiary education.”

Looking back at her days as a lecturer, Kola says while she

enjoyed her job there was something missing and she felt

that she had not fulfi lled her dream.

“I enjoyed the work but there was always this voice in my

head that said: ‘The picture you had of yourself in a top man-

agement position is not in sync with the current picture’.

“There I was, still in Limpopo, and stuck in a staff room with

10 others. That was not a good picture, it made me restless

and that’s when I started to look out for other opportunities.”

Kola left her comfortable lecturing job in 1995 to take up

an administrative position at Eskom.

She took full advantage of Eskom’s Development Pro-

gramme to expand her skills and qualifi cations.

In 2000, she was appointed Customer Service Manager for

the Rustenburg area in North West and in 2002 joined City

Power Johannesburg as the General Manager: Customer

Services.

Prior to joining the RAF, she was Chief Operating Offi cer

(COO) at the Government Pension Administration Agency

(GPAA).

Empowering other womenShe says her journey to the top had challenges but she

overcame these thanks to a good support structure.

“I’ve been fortunate to have good mentors who nurtured

me and played a positive role in my life. I’m doing my lit-

tle bit to help and inspire other women who are not as

privileged as me.”

During her time as COO at the GPAA,

Kola started a small educational group

targeting women who were employed

as cleaners at the agency.

They met for lessons during their

breaks and at the end of their shifts.

Kola then requested funding from

management to take them on ad-

ministration and financial manage-

ment courses.

“I was so happy when my application

for fi nancial assistance was approved.”

Five of the former cleaners have since been employed in admin-

istrative positions at the agency. Kola says seeing them wearing

their formal attire instead of uniforms has put a smile on her face.

“It feels good to know that you did something positive for some-

one and I think as women, we need to be there for one another

and stop with this ‘pull her down syndrome’.”

At the RAF, Kola is also the executive representative of the Wom-

en’s Forum Committee, a structure that champions women’s is-

sues and contributes to the professional development of women

at the organisation.

Progressing from a teaching post to a successful career in the

top management of the Public Service has so far been Kola’s

greatest achievement.

“That change stands out for me and it took a lot out of me. If

I didn’t study for this I would not have made it in this job that

I’m doing.”

Kola says she believes in collaborative work and letting people

know what is expected of them.

She urged young women, especially those starting their careers

in the Public Service, to work hard and stand out from the rest

of the crowd.

“The Public Service is an ideal place for us as women to contrib-

ute to the socio-economic agenda of government and also to

change lives of those who are less fortunate than us,” Kola adds.

Kola also stresses the importance of education.

Raised by a single mother who worked as a domestic worker,

Kola realised early on that education was the key to her success.

Her qualifi cations include a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in

Education, BA (Honours) in History, postgraduate Management

Diploma, Corporate Project Management Diploma and School

of Project Management and Business Process Reengineering

Certifi cate.

Mantiti Kola says young women in the Public Service should work hard to stand out from the crowd.


DST and HySA launch alternative energy solution

The Director-General of Science and Technology private/public partnerships. This project shows that we are capable of all of these things," he said.(DST), Dr Phil Mjwara, officially launched the

innovative 2,5 kW hydrogen fuel cell power generator The hydrogen fuel cell power generator unit uses hydrogen prototype unit at the University of the Western Cape

to generate electrical power, with water vapour the only by-(UWC) on 18 November, demonstrating South product, which means that electricity can be produced in an Africa's innovative capabilities in the emerging environmentally friendly way without pollution or noise. hydrogen and fuel cell technologies space.Furthermore, hydrogen can be used to produce electricity in remote areas that do not have access to the national grid. The This prototype was developed by the HySA Systems decentralisation of energy generation by using hydrogen fuel Integration and Technology Validation Centre of Competence cell systems is one of the few possibilities for providing efficient (HySA Systems) in collaboration with Hot Platinum (Pty Ltd), a and cost-effective access to electricity.local company involved in power management and control

electronics. Prof. Bruno Pollet, Director of HySA Systems, said, "As we

are all aware, South Africa, often seen as the 'Powerhouse of Africa', is facing major energy challenges. Planned outages, blackouts, energy shortages, high energy tariffs, years of under-investment in power infrastructure and 'energy poverty' in low-income households are the main issues. To eradicate this, the South African government has rolled out several energy and energy-efficiency programmes and initiatives, such as HySA, with an emphasis on alternative energy opportunities and off-grid renewable energy solutions."

South Africa is one of the primary suppliers of platinum group metals to the world, but not much beneficiation is being done in the country. However, the rise of hydrogen fuel cell technologies in various markets is about to change the global platinum landscape with the anticipated increase in platinum usage in this emerging market. It is therefore safe to assume that if the technology gains market share in coming years, as is The partners have been testing the unit at the Cape Flats anticipated by manufacturers such as Toyota, Hyundai, Honda Nature Reserve, on the UWC campus in Bellville, with and BMW, the platinum group metal market will see profound remarkable results. All electrical power used in the reserve is and sustained growth.generated from a bank of hydrogen cylinders (instead of from

the national grid). The cylinders release hydrogen in the Prof. Pollet remarked that there were significant presence of a platinum catalyst (mined in the North West) and

opportunities for South Africa to partner with international a series of proton exchange membranes.fuel cell producers, and that these partnerships had the potential to make the country an established hub for the Dr Mjwara emphasised the critical role of science, production of fuel cell components.technology and innovation in the development of this country.

"We talk a lot about adding value and reducing our carbon footprint, about access for all, creating wealth and developing

Previously, they had had to rely on overseas collaborators for such studies.

“The availability of the TOF-SIMS in the country will enhance the quality of research and training. The equipment will assist in advancing requirements to address the national skills shortage in many key areas of research," said the Minister.

The Minister spoke of how the 2005 National Nanotechnology Strategy had not only advanced the technology missions identified in the 2002 National Research and Development Strategy, but also strengthened government's industrial focus.

The strategy has seen the adoption of a formal State-of-the-art nanotechnology research nanotechnology teaching programme, nanotechnology

equipment worth R17 million – the first such research chairs, the production of 170 postgraduate equipment in South Africa – was unveiled at students and the publication of more than 1 100 articles in Rhodes University today by the Minister of peer-reviewed journals. In addition, more than 20 patents Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor. have been filed, and it is hoped that South African-

developed nanotechnology-enhanced products will soon The Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer enter the market.

(TOF-SIMS) is useful to researchers in the fields of pollution treatment, green chemistry, forensic sciences, The National Nanotechnology Equipment Programme biotechnology, energy and sustainable development. has led to the establishment of world-class

nanotechnology research facilities in the country, The equipment is used by various departments at including the Centre for High Resolution Transmission

Rhodes University, as well as several other universities, Electron Microscopy at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and University.Mintek. It also serves countries as far afield as Kuwait, Turkey and China. These facilities will contribute to putting South Africa

at the forefront of nanotechnology research Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the Minister said internationally.

the TOF-SIMS would make it much easier for South African researchers to quantify nanostructured materials. For more information visit www.dst.gov.za.

Enhance and transform research capacity in SA

traiLbLaZer Writer: Noluthando MkhizePhotographer: Siyabulela Duda

The sky is Nontlantla Skosana’s limit

As a little girl Nontlantla Skosana would trade her dolls

for toy aeroplanes, not knowing that her fascination

with aircrafts would one day land her a job as a South

African Airways (SAA) aircraft mechanic.

When PSM visited Skosana she was armed with a spanner,

ready to examine a Boeing A340-600 to determine if there

were any mechanical problems.

She is also responsible for servicing and repairing aircraft

avionics.

Avionics are the electronic systems used on aircrafts, which

include communications, navigation, the display and the hun-

dreds of systems fi tted into an aircraft to perform individual

functions.

Skosana ensures that everything is in order before any of

the aircrafts take off . This includes checking the lights, oxygen

tank and overall wiring.

Her job is not for the faint-hearted, especially when it comes

to juggling six shifts – 6am to 2pm; 6pm to 2am; 7am to 3pm;

10am to 6pm; 4pm to 12 pm and 1pm to 6am.

Over the past four years, while adapting to the shifts

and fi nding time to sleep in between, the 31-year-old

has grown to love her job and cannot imagine doing

anything else.

“One can never say you know it all, every day you learn

something new. We work with diff erent kinds of aircrafts

such as the A340-600, A340-300, A319, B737-800 and

the B737-3/4/5, so there are a lot of courses that one

has to continue to invest in.”

Skosana’s favourite aircraft to work on is the airbus,

which she describes as more technologically advanced.

“The aircraft is able to tell you technologically where

the problem is, as opposed to fi nding the defect manu-

ally,” she says.

Skosana’s love for aerodynamics can be traced back

to her childhood.

“I’ve been fascinated by aerodynamics since I was a


This & ThatWhat is your favourite food?

Ribs and vegetables.

What are the three words that

describe you?

Shy, ambitious and humble.

What is your favourite sport?

I love watching rugby.

What is your favourite colour?

Since I’m also a fashion designer,

this is a very diffi cult question. Every

colour talks a different and interesting

language.

little girl. I traded my dolls for boys’ toys such as little

cars and helicopters,” says Skosana, who is also a fashion

designer.

She adds that working in a fi eld with a limited number

of women has its ups and downs.

“As women we always have to work twice as hard to

prove that we are just as good as the men in our job. I’ve

dealt with this by constantly reminding myself of why

I wanted to be a technician in the fi rst place - passion

and for the love of what I do.”

Skosana is originally from Soshanguve in Pretoria,

where she matriculated at Cornerstone College in Sil-

verton in 2000.

After struggling to fi nd a job for four years she decided

to enrol at the Tshwane Technical College to pursue a

Diploma in Instrumentation, which is the art and science

of measurement and control of process variables within

a production, laboratory or manufacturing area.

In 2006 she completed her diploma and started

working for a cellphone company, fi xing mobile phones.

Her big break came in 2008 when she found out that

SAA was looking to train apprentices in a learnership

programme.

“I was lucky enough to be accepted to the programme,

which took two years of grilling training. In 2011, I wrote

my trade test and passed it the fi rst time around, which

qualifi ed me to be an aircraft instrument mechanic. That

was the proudest moment of my life.”

She believes that South Africa has evolved over the

past 20 years and now provides every young person

with the opportunity to be anything they want to be.

“The key is to identify what you are passionate about

and get educated. The rest takes care of itself. Before

democracy, women were perceived to belong in the

kitchen, but now they have an opportunity to choose

whatever career they want to venture into.

“I would like to see a lot more women in management

positions in this country.”

Skosana has dreams of moving further up the cor-

porate ladder.

“I always do SAA internal aircraft courses because I

would like to be a senior engineering analyst, a quality

assurance manager or an aircraft analyst. I know that

with hard work and determination I will get there.”

Nontlantla Skosana examines an aircraft before take off .


The holidays are upon us and we have a quick

and easy spread that will have you in and out of

the kitchen in no time this Christmas, giving you

more time to spend with your loved ones.

Ingredients

• 1 full chicken

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lemon, halved

• 1 head garlic, halved

• ¼ bunch each fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley

• ¼ cup olive oil

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb, de-boned (about 3-4 kg)

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• 8 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

• 1 tbsp salt

• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Sauce:

1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (combination of

thyme, chives, and parsley)

2 cup diced onions, celery, leeks & carrots

2 cups lamb/chicken stock

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup red wine

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then

pat it dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt

fooD anD Wine Writer: Nicholas Francis

Home for theholidays!

Roasted Thyme & Garlic Leg of Lamb

Garlic & Lemon Roast Chicken

and pepper, and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and herbs inside.

Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Season with

a fair amount of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast

the chicken for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Don't forget to baste the chicken

with the drippings and rotate the pan every 20 minutes or so to

insure a golden crispy skin. Remove the chicken, once satisfi ed,

to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes so the juices settle back

into the meat before carving.


Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Using your hands, rub the lamb all over with

the lemon juice. Pat the garlic and thyme

evenly all over the surface of the meat. Season

the meat with the salt and pepper and place

the lamb in a roasting pan. Place the lamb in

the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the

oven temperature to 160°C and continue to

cook for about 1½ hours, longer for medium.

Remove the lamb from the pan and allow to rest

for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Position the roasting pan over your stove burn-

ers. Add tomato paste, stir it in and cook for 2

minutes, then the mixed herbs and vegetables to pan, and stir to combine

with pan drippings. Add stock and wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the

bottom with a wooden spoon to release any of the juices stuck to the bot-

tom of the pan. Reduce over high heat until sauce consistency. Strain before

serving, if desired. Slice lamb and serve with sauce drizzled over the top.

Potato and green bean salad

Ingredients

• 170 g green beans

• 2 pounds peeled small potatoes

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 tsp lemon juice

• 4 tsp whole-grain mustard

• 2 tsp chopped thyme leaves

• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion

• coarse salt

Method

Simmer green beans in salted water for 2 to 3 min-

utes until barely tender and bright green, remove

beans with tongs and transfer to a bowl of ice water.

Drain after a minute and pat dry. Add potatoes to the

same pot of salted water, and simmer for 12 minutes

until tender. Drain potatoes, and halve them. Whisk

together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and thyme

in a large bowl. Add potatoes, beans, and red onion.

Gently toss. Season with salt.

Peppermint crisp tartIngredients

•1 packet Tennis Biscuits

• 500 ml fresh cream

• 200 g mint chocolate

• 1 tin caramel treat

• cherries to decorate

Method

Crush the biscuits until fine. Whip the cream until firm and divide

into two bowls. In first bowl, add the caramel treat to the cream

and mix until smooth.

Chop chocolate into small chunks. Spoon the caramel mixture and

cream into separate piping bags. Layer each ingredient in your

preferred order, typical order biscuit, caramel, chocolate, cream

and more chocolate. Decorate with cherries.


ADVERTORIAL / NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SOUTH AFRICA

NATIONAL LIBRARYOF SOUTH AFRICA

Knowledge for the nationThe National Library of South Africa is a custodian and provider of the nation’s key knowledge resources. We are mandated by the National Library of South Africa Act to collect and preserve published documents and make them accessible. We ensure that knowledge is not lost to posterity and that information is available for research.

The National Library’s collections contain a wealth of information, and include rare manuscripts, books published in South Africa, periodicals, government publications, official foreign publications, maps, technical reports, Africana and newspapers. Many of these are available on CD or microfilm, in digital format or on the Internet.

Specialised servicesThe National Library renders specialised services to the public and to the Library and Information Services (LIS) sector.

Legal Deposit ActIn terms of the Legal Deposit Act, 1997 (Act No. 54 of 1997), South African publishers must supply the National Library (as well as other places of legal deposit) with one copy of every book, journal, newspaper or any other document published in South Africa. According to the Act, a document is any object which is intended to store or convey information in textual, graphic, visual, auditory or other intelligible format through any medium.

Special collectionsThe National Library of South Africa is a treasure house of Africana and other items which reflect the indigenous and colonial history of the country. These are all available for consultation and research.

Information access and reference servicesThe National Library has reference sections in Pretoria and Cape Town for use by researchers, students, the general public, organisations, and government departments. Those who cannot visit the reference rooms personally can direct their reference and research questions to the library by telephone, fax, post or email.

Bibliographic services and collections managementThe Bibliographic Services Programme is the national bibliographic agency, providing leadership to the South African library and information service community. Specialist librarians create national bibliographic databases providing easy access to and retrieval of South African materials.

Its key activities are:• Authority control – made available worldwide• Index to South African periodicals (ISAP)• South African National Bibliography (SANB). Africa as the primary resource and custodian of South Africa’s

Documentary Preservation Services Programme

Preservation servicesThe National Library is responsible for safeguarding the national documentary heritage. The Preservation Services Programme strives to ensure the long-term availability and accessibility of South African knowledge resources using conservation techniques that include the reformatting of materials.

Documents too fragile to be photocopied are reformatted by the National Library’s reprographic services onto photographic film, microfilm or microfiche, or in digital format.

Despite new technological developments, microfilm is still central to the preservation strategy, and is used extensively to copy South African newspapers and manuscript material. The National Library of South Africa maintains a comprehensive database of its microfilm and microfiche master copies. National advisory and coordinating services, including participation in national preservation projects, are offered to other libraries and cultural institutions.

Services include: • Reprographic services • Digitisation, conservation and restoration • Stack management• Deacidification unit

Contact information228 Proes/Johannes Ramokhoase Street,

Private Bag X990

Pretoria, 0001

South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 12 401 9700

Fax: +27 (0) 12 326 7642

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.nlsa.ac.za

Facebook: NationalLibraryofSA

Twitter: @NLSA1

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/

UCBqKBJUG4uIYFAy658E4vFw

Centre for the BookThe Centre for the Book is a specialist unit of the National Library of South Africa. It provides key information about the book-world to all stakeholders by promoting the importance of books, reading, and writing for our national development agenda.

Community Libraries Conditional GrantThe national Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), in collaboration with provincial departments of Arts and Culture, are coordinating the implementation of the community library conditional grant in all the provinces.

The DAC is a key stakeholder in the development of library infrastructure and services and the transformation of library facilities in the country. The aim is to enable all communities to gain access to knowledge and information, eliminating illiteracy, eradicating inequality in the sector, promoting social cohesion, and developing an informed and reading nation.

The DAC is the custodian of the community library conditional grant. The purpose of the grant is to address specific inequalities in the delivery of public library services to all communities. The Department, in cooperation with the provincial departments of arts and culture, is working to reach certain predetermined targets:• Improved coordination and collaboration between national,

provincial and local government on library services• Transformed and equitable library and information services

delivered to all rural and urban communities• Improved library infrastructure and services that reflect the

specific needs of the communities they serve• Improved staff capacity at urban and rural libraries to respond

appropriately to community knowledge and information needs• Improved culture of reading

The community library conditional grant was deployed in 2007 with the allocation of R1-billion for a period of three years. An allocation of more than R3-billion will be made available for this purpose in the medium term expenditure framework 2015/2016 to 2017/2018. To date, some of the outputs that have been achieved include:• Provinces have built 64 new libraries nationally • Provinces have upgraded 323 libraries nationally

• Approximately 1 274 new jobs have been created in public libraries• Internet access is now available in public libraries in all nine

provinces. Public libraries have established themselves as important providers of training in computer literacy skills

• Subsequently, library hours could be increased in some provinces and closed libraries could be re-opened

• Reading facilities for visually impaired readers in public libraries are being prioritised and rolled out in provinces in cooperation with the South African Library for the Blind, in Grahamstown

• The Department completed an investigation in 2013 into the cost of implementing the South African Public Library and Information Services Bill. The outcomes of the investigation informed the Department, provinces, and the sector on the needs and the cost to deliver public library and information services in accordance to acceptable national norms and standards

• Literacy programmes are presented in all provinces as part of the target to inculcate a culture of reading amongst South Africans

ICT for public librariesThe DAC and the National Library of South Africa continue to rollout ICT in public libraries to bridge the digital divide through access to the Internet.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the South African government by providing funds to the National Library of South Africa for an ICT pilot project of two years that is unfolding in 27 public libraries across the country – three public libraries per province. A country grant will be considered once the pilot project has been concluded.

Cooperation with Department of Basic EducationThe provincial departments of arts and culture, in cooperation with the provincial departments of basic education, have started an initiative to enhance the information resources available to learners by building new libraries close to schools.

The purpose of this strategy is to share the role that public libraries and schools play in the education and development of skills in our communities. The roles of the respective departments in the implementation of this strategy must still be outlined.

aeriaL VieW Writer: Albert PulePhotograper: Mariana Venter

Public servants at the forefront of innovation

Creativity, thinking outside the box and inventing tools that

help improve service delivery are not always synonymous

with public servants or government departments.

Yet at the recent Public Sector Innovation Awards, it was these

very elements that earned public servants time in the spotlight.

Public Service pioneers from across the country gathered at

Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park to celebrate innovation that

has helped government improve service delivery.

The 12th Public Sector Innovation Awards, hosted by the Cen-

tre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI), featured creations that

improve service delivery, use information and communications

technology (ICT) for effective service delivery and enhance the

internal systems of government.

Public Service and Administration Minister Collins Chabane told

innovators gathered at the awards that their inventions dispelled

the myth that public servants were lazy and incompetent people

who could not think up creations to help government do its work.

“The Public Service has been branded as un-innovative

and this event tells a different story. Your innovations

are important in modernising the Public Service and

improving service delivery,” he said to loud applause.

“The quality of the projects here bears the high level

of creativity in the Public Service and they will play a

crucial part in making the National Development Plan

a reality.”

Minister Chabane added that the awards provided

fertile ground for innovators to come up with novel

solutions to help government improve service delivery.

The Chief Executive Officer of the CPSI, Thuli Radebe,

said the Public Service was blessed with a wealth of

knowledge and expertise. It had immense potential to

come up with effective and ground-breaking solutions

for its day-to-day challenges.

She added that the CPSI would continue providing a

The jubilant team from the Department of Roads and Transport in Limpopo that won the coveted Innovator of the Year Award.


platform for Public Sector innovations that would help

improve service delivery.

“Our long-term vision is to nurture and help sustain

creative thinking and broadmindedness to see beyond

the ordinary and usual.

“What is also of great importance with regards to our

mandate is our role in facilitating learning and sharing

of knowledge in the Public Sector.”

The coveted Innovator of the Year Award went to the

Department of Roads and Transport in Limpopo, who

were up against tough competition.

They won a trophy and R60 000 for the JoJo Diesel

Tank that enabled them to reduce costs and improve

service delivery.

The departmental team at Modimolle Mechanical

Workshop designed a tank which is compatible with

a bakkie. It was fitted into eight bakkies with a diesel

pump and a gauge which led to reduced running costs

amounting to R2 million and eliminated diesel spillages.

One bakkie was able to service three graders carrying

600 litres of diesel. Recycled material was used to build

a support structure for the frames to secure the tank.

Chief artisan and head of the Modimolle Mechanic

Workshop Jacobus Potgieter could not contain his joy

at the award.

“I’m excited and did not expect us to win in this tough

category. This is a good innovation and I think it will

save the department a lot of money,” he said.

His colleague and Senior Manager of Roads and Trans-

port in the Waterberg District, Annique Moloisi, said she

was confident ahead of the ceremony.

“Of course, I knew that we were going to win,

especially in our category.”

She was hopeful that the department would

introduce the JoJo Diesel Tank across the province.

Other winners included:

Innovative use of ICTs for Effective Service

Delivery

• Winner: Digital Pen for Mental Health by the Depart-

ment of Health in KwaZulu-Natal.

• First runner-up: Department of Cooperative

Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal.

• Second runner-up: Gauteng Agriculture Potential

Atlas.

• Third runner-up: Elections Mobile Application from the Independent

Electoral Commission.

Innovative Service Delivery Institutions

• Winner: JoJo Diesel Tanks by the Department of Roads and Transport,

Limpopo.

• First runner-up: RAF on the Road by the Road Accident Fund.

• Second runner-up: Safe Anaesthesia for Africa Project, Ngwelezane

Hospital, KwaZulu-Natal.

• Third runner-up: Dietetics Crèche Outing: Malnutrition Kicked Out,

Department of Health, Limpopo.

Innovative Enhancements of Internal Systems of Government

• Winner: Case Management and Community Empowerment, Tembisa

Hospital, Gauteng.

• First runner-up: Pharmacy Automisation, Helen Joseph Hospital,

Gauteng.

• Second runner-up: Extra School Support Programme, Gauteng

Department of Education.

• Third runner-up: Open Development Engine, Cooperative Govern-

ance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs, Limpopo.

Innovative Partnership in Service Delivery

• Winner: The Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Department of

Health, KwaZulu-Natal.

• Joint first runner-up: Learn-not-to-Burn Programme, Gauteng

Department of Education and Community Food Production Units,

Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

• Second runner-up: Lego Project, Tshwane South District in

partnership with Hands on Technology.

Public Service and Administration Minister Collins Chabane.


in OTHER NEWS Compiled by: Ursula Graaff and Andile Cele

R900 billion for SARS coffersThe South African Revenue Service (SARS) has collected R900

billion in the 2013/14 fiscal year, according to the 2014 Tax

Statistics Bulletin.

“In the 2013/14 fiscal year, tax revenue collected amounted

to R900 billion and grew by R86,2 billion compared to the

previous year,” said SARS and National Treasury. This is up from

the R813,8 billion collected previously.

This growth, according to the 2014 Tax Statistics Bulletin, was

supported by solid performance in customs duty.

The 2014 Tax Statistics Bulletin showed growth in personal

income tax and corporate income tax.

The bulletin also showed that the number of individuals

registered for income tax also rose. As at 31 March 2014 the

number of individuals registered for income tax had increased

by 1,4 million from 15,4 million in the previous year to 16,8

million.

The objective of releasing the country’s tax statistics is to

publicise available, comprehensive tax revenue data that

can assist policy makers and provide insights on economic

indicators to researchers, analysts, the media and the public.

DoC launches Vuk appYou can now access Vuk’uzenzele newspaper on your smartphone, tablet and other

mobile devices thanks to the new Vuk’uzenzele mobile app.

The app was launched recently and allows the user to view all Vuk’uzenzele news-

paper editions and download these editions onto mobile devices.

A mobile app is designed to run on smartphones, tablets and other mobile de-

vices, which means that Vuk’uzenzele will be accessible to any person who has

these devices.

The initiative was launched at the annual GovTech conference in Durban.

During a presentation on the app, Deputy Director-General for Content Process-

ing and Dissemination at the Department of Communications, Harold Maloka,

emphasised the importance of government utilising all available platforms,

adding that the DoC had decided to enter the space of mobile applications.

The DoC is currently working on a government mobile app as well, aimed at

informing citizens about government programmes and services.

The Vuk’uzenzele app is available on Google Play Store and Apple Store.

Joburg Mayor elected co-president of Metropolis The City of Johannesburg’s Mayor, Councillor Parks Tau,

has been elected as the co-president of the Metropolis -

an international network consisting of 138 metropolitan

cities.

The network shares innovative ideas for urban

sustainability.

The announcement was made at the 11th World Congress

of Metropolis 2014. Mayor Tau will be in charge of the


division for Supporting Access to Basic Services and

Social Inclusion and his role forms part of the 2015/2017

period for the Metropolis policy priorities and action

plan, aimed at addressing issues facing metropolitan

development.

Another key focus will be urban governance and

innovation.

The Mayor’s responsibilities include, but are not

limited to, urban equity, civic engagement and

participation, public health, mitigation, social housing

and economic development.

The Metropolis changed its laws and structured a

new board of 24 members consisting of the Metropolis

President, supported by six co-president portfolios from

Johannesburg, Barcelona, Berlin, Sao Paulo, Guangzhou

and Montreal.

The role of the co-presidents is to support the

Metropolis President, Jean-Paul Huchon, with his

official duties. They do not represent their continents,

but are rather leaders in their respective settings within

the Metropolis.

SA establishments shine at tourism awardsThree South African hospitality facilities did country proud by

scooping awards at the World Responsible Tourism Awards in

London.

The Hotel Verde in Cape Town won Gold as Best City Hotel

for Responsible Tourism, the V&A Waterfront won Gold as Best

Destination for Responsible Tourism, and South African Animal

Sanctuary Alliance won Gold as Best Global Animal Welfare

Initiative.

They all won the praise of Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom.

“These awards are significant for the entire Tourism industry in

South Africa. It shows that South Africa is taking its place as a

world leader in responsible tourism,” said the Minister.

World Responsible Tourism Awards are aimed at developing

quality tourism products that promote cultural integrity and

environmental protection.

Minister Hanekom, who attended the awards in London, said

his department was expecting significant growth in the South

African tourism industry in the next 20 years.

“While we welcome the additional contribution that this will

make to the national economy, and the creation of more jobs in

tourism, we must manage the physical footprint of the projected

growth responsibly, especially its potential impact on local culture

and ecosystems,” he said.

NPA records superior conviction rateThe National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has achieved

superior conviction rates at all court levels, according

to its annual report that was presented to the Portfolio

Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development.

The report focused on four key performances areas -

general and specialised prosecutions, asset forfeiture and

witness protection.

Highlighting some of the achievements, the National

Director of Public Prosecutions, Mxolisi Nxasana, said the

National Prosecutions Service (NPS) played a key role in

ensuring that the agency achieved increased successful

general prosecutions.

The conviction rates included 93,6 per cent (273 641

cases) at all district courts, 76 per cent (27 246 cases) at

regional courts and 88 per cent (911 cases) at all high

courts.

There were 329 153 criminal cases finalised with a verdict

and 1 323 plea and sentence agreements, consisting of

7 439 courts, concluded over the past year.

About 439 organised crime cases were finalised during that

period, with a conviction rate of 88.9 per cent.

With regards to trio crimes (house robberies, vehicle hijackings

and business robberies), a conviction rate of 84,1 per cent was

achieved from the 1 899 cases that were finalised in the year under

review and a target of a 66 per cent conviction rate for all sexual

offence cases was exceeded by 1,1 per cent.

There were 211 prosecution cases for cybercrime finalised, with

a conviction rate of 94,8 per cent.

In addition, 73 officials were convicted on charges of corruption,

which include members of the SAPS, the Department of Defence

and Military Veterans and the NPA.


Hotel Verde in Cape Town.

ProfiLes in LeaDershiPinternationaL reLations Writer: Bathandwa Mbola

:World leaders upbeat about boosting economy

Leaders of the 20 major world economies have committed to

historic levels of cooperation to raise global growth, help the

poverty-stricken and propel about 100 million women into

the worldwide workforce.

The G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Brisbane, Australia, recently con-

cluded with agreements to also improve trade, encourage the set-

ting of early emissions reduction targets, close tax loopholes used

by multinationals, strengthen banks, reform energy markets and

coordinate a stronger response to the Ebola epidemic.

President Jacob Zuma led the South African delegation to the

summit, which was also attended by United States President Barack

Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Russian President

Vladimir Putin, among others.

At a press conference in Pretoria after the summit, Finance Minister

Nhlanhla Nene, who together with International Relations Minister

Maite Nkoana-Mashabane accompanied President Zuma to the sum-

mit, said the leaders noted that the world economy was not growing

fast enough due to lack of global demand and supply constraints.

Accordingly, discussions centred on strategies by member coun-

tries that would contribute to the objective of adding a further two

percentage points to baseline growth estimates over the next fi ve

years.

“This year we set an ambitious goal to lift the G20’s gross domes-

tic product by at least an additional two per cent by 2018,” reads a

communiqué, issued after the conclusion of the two-day summit.

Minister Nene said leaders “agreed that while there might be scope

in some countries to still use macro-economic policies

to stimulate and support the economy, a bigger boost

to growth will have to come from country specifi c struc-

tural reforms".

He added that although South Africa has no fiscal

fl exibility for at least two years, it would contribute to

baseline growth in the third year at least.

The Minister noted that it would not be appropriate for

South Africa to stay out of global commitments, adding

that the leaders had committed to monitor and hold

each other to account for reaching the target.

With the structural changes occurring in major eco-

nomic sectors, South Africa is expected to boost its

economic growth and the economy is expected grow

gradually by three per cent in 2017.

In addition, a peer review mechanism facilitated by

the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, the

International Labour Organisation and the Organisation

for Economic Cooperation and Development found the

National Development Plan to be well aligned with the

strategies agreed to by G20 members.

According to the Minister, the peer review and ac-

countability processes agreed to will help ensure that

G20 countries share experiences and continue to moni-

tor individual and collective eff orts towards accelerating

global growth.

President Jacob Zuma attending the G20 Leaders' Summit at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Australia.


The world leaders had many fruitful discussions dur-

ing the course of the summit such as the reformation of

international financial institutions, particularly the IMF.

The summit, agreed that the “International Financial

Institutions needed to be reformed to reflect the fact

that emerging markets and developing economies now

account for the largest share of global growth”, accord-

ing to the communiqué.

South Africa has welcomed this shift in the structure

of the global economy, adding that it must also be

reflected in the governance structures of multilateral in-

stitutions such as the IMF and World Trade Organisation.

There was also general agreement that taxes must be

paid where businesses generate profits and that every

business must pay its fair share of taxes. The principles

agreed to by the G20 on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting

move members a step closer to tackling this challenge.

Regarding infrastructure, the leaders endorsed the

Global Infrastructure Initiative, a multi-year work pro-

gramme to spur quality public and private infrastruc-

ture investment.

“We have agreed on a set of voluntary leading practic-

es to promote and prioritise quality investment, particu-

larly in infrastructure,” according to the communiqué.

To support the implementation of the initiative, the

G20 leaders pledged to establish a Global Infrastructure

Hub with a four-year mandate, contributing to

developing a knowledge-sharing platform and network

between governments, development banks and other

international organisations.

The leaders reaffirmed their agreement to facilitate

trade by lowering costs, streamlining customs

procedures, reducing regulatory burdens and

strengthening trade-enabling services through reforms

and promote competition, entrepreneurship and

innovation and resist protectionism.

Minister Nene welcomed the commitments made

with regards to boosting infrastructure, saying it

would go a long way in helping the African continent’s

infrastructure funding gap.

“We are therefore happy that issues of accelerated in-

frastructure investment through designing appropriate

funding instruments, carefully structured public-private

sector partnerships, and project development facilities

received a lot of attention at the summit,” said Minister Nene.

With South Africa being the only African country that participates

in the G20 summits, the country’s delegation used its attendance to

raise issues of particular concern to Africa.

One such issue, the Minister said, was the impact of the Ebola out-

break in West Africa and how it could affect the economic growth of

Africa.

“We are indeed concerned, it is for that reason that we actually led

the inclusion of matters that relate to Ebola at the G20 level,” he said,

adding that the pandemic was not only an economic matter, but also

a humanitarian one.

In a separate statement on Ebola, the leaders said G20 members were

committed to “do what is necessary to ensure the international effort

can extinguish the outbreak and address its medium-term economic

and humanitarian costs”.

As per tradition, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South

Africa (BRICS) made the most of their trip to Brisbane, with the grouping

meeting and reviewing progress on their key commitments.

This time, they took stock of the progress made with regards to the

New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingent Reserve Arrange-

ments.

The BRICS leaders used the time to express their joint ambition for

the swift ratification process and they also announced the forma-

tion of an Interim Board of Directors, which will lead the next phase

establishing the NDB.

They also tasked ministers of finance of the five countries to des-

ignate a president and vice-presidents of the NDB before the next

BRICS Summit.

The NDB, which will be based in Shanghai, China, with an African

regional centre in South Africa, will complement existing sources of

financing to cater for the ever-increasing development needs in areas

of energy, rail and road, and other economic infrastructure.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott welcomes President Jacob Zuma.


ProVinCiaL foCUs Writer: Allison Cooper

EC Premier’s no-nonsense approach to service delivery

Lying on the southeastern coast of South Africa, the

Eastern Cape is a region of great natural beauty,

renowned for its rugged cliff s, rough seas and dense

green bush.

Despite the rustic beauty that lines the deep rural areas of

the province that gave birth to and raised former President

Nelson Mandela, the Eastern Cape is also known for its lack

of development and infrastructure, particularly in the north-

eastern parts, which includes the former Transkei.

Accepting the demands of moving the country’s second

largest province forward is Premier Phumulo Masualle, who

was appointed just over six months ago.

Tasked with creating an enabling business environment,

tackling unemployment and poverty, providing basic ser-

vices and building eff ective collaborative relationships with

all stakeholders - his mandate is a tough one - in a province

that takes up 13,9 per cent of South Africa’s land area and is

home to a population of around 6,5 million people.

However, with his roots fi rmly entrenched in the Eastern

Cape soil, Premier Masualle has a passion for the people and

the place that fuels his desire to see the province succeed.

Born in Mount Fletcher in the Eastern Cape, he grew up

there, and later in Mthatha where he completed his matric

at St John’s College.

“We have set out a very bold plan informed by the National

Development Plan (NDP) but customised to suit our circum-

stances. In it we articulate what we seek to do in the next

fi ve years and set out critical milestones in our journey to

achieving our goals,” says Premier Masualle, of his provincial

government’s strategy for propelling the Eastern Cape along

a positive growth and development trajectory.

Complementing this strategy are measures that have been

put in place to test its eff ectiveness and ensure that time-

frames are met.

“We place an emphasis on great accountability and the

mobilisation of our partners.”

He says the province is willing to work with all stakeholders

– be they in the government sphere, civil society or

the business sector – to enhance the Eastern Cape’s

outlook.

“Our plan has been embraced not only by internal

stakeholders but externally, outside of government. In

government, there is a sense of urgency with regard

to delivery; people have embraced the reality that we

have got to work with a sense of haste.”

Premier Masualle believes in leading by example. To

ensure that his Cabinet’s sense of urgency permeates

all levels of the provincial government, he had his MECs

sign service delivery agreements, proving their will-

ingness to put shoulders to the wheel and dedicate

themselves to service delivery, improved accountability

and reporting methodology.

The agreements were signed in July and Premier

Masualle is happy that members of his Cabinet took

their responsibilities to heart.

“In education, health, human settlements... in fact

right across the board, there is a sense of being delivery-

focused and oriented towards achieving goals.”

He admits that a number of those goals are still work

in progress but takes comfort from knowing that things

are happening. However, the Premier has stressed that

his administration will not tolerate non-performing

public offi ce bearers and government offi cials.

A further commitment to ensure that it’s all hands

on deck in the Eastern Cape came on 12 November

when the back ‘Back to Basics’ programme, which is

aimed at improving service delivery, was launched in

the province. At the event, the MEC of Cooperative

Governance and Traditional Aff airs (Cogta), Fikile Xasa,

signed service delivery agreements with all the mayors

to ensure that eff ective service delivery is embraced

and supported by all in the Eastern Cape.

Cogta also hosted the fi rst ever Audit Improvement

Reporting Session for Eastern Cape Mayors in August.


The session was attended by 15 municipalities that

have received adverse and disclaimer audit opinions

in the 2012/2013 fi nancial year.

As early as July, the provincial government estab-

lished a Technical Support Unit to provide support to

and enhance the capability of targeted departments

and municipalities. This strategic intervention measure

was set up to speed up the turnaround of the depart-

ments of education and health as well as the targeted

municipalities of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Buff alo

City Metro and King Sabatha Dalindyebo.

Critical areas

Shortly after his appointment, Premier Masualle’s

Cabinet drew up the Provincial Medium Term Strategic

Framework for the fi fth term of government, and the

2014 to 2019 Strategic Plan.

Consistent with the NDP, the province has decided,

over the next fi ve years, to focus on seven strategic

priorities: transforming the economy to create jobs;

rural development and food security; quality education;

better healthcare for all; fi ghting crime and corruption;

integrated human settlements and building cohesive

communities; and strengthening the developmental

state and good governance.

Implementation plans were fi nalised for each of

these priority areas and broken down into set de-

liverables within various timeframes.

“I am happy to say that we are keeping pace

and that the various portfolio heads are be-

ing held accountable for achieving set out-

comes. We are indeed heading in the right

direction,” says the Premier

Attention is paid to programmatic

areas, including strengthening inte-

grated planning; building capability

for implementation, monitoring

and evaluation; improving the

reputational standing of

provincial government;

building resilient and

agile institutions for

transformation; citi-

zen participation and empowerment; and improving

governance, procurement systems and eff ectiveness

of human resource management.

More than R200 million has been budgeted for the pro-

vision of institutional development and organisational

support services to ensure that the provincial govern-

ment has suffi cient capacity to eff ectively and effi ciently

deliver on its mandate.

To this eff ect, a targeted approach to build the requisite

capability has been designed and the Eastern Cape >>

ments of education and health as well as the targeted

municipalities of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Buff alo

City Metro and King Sabatha Dalindyebo.

Shortly after his appointment, Premier Masualle’s

Cabinet drew up the Provincial Medium Term Strategic

Framework for the fi fth term of government, and the

2014 to 2019 Strategic Plan.

Consistent with the NDP, the province has decided,

over the next fi ve years, to focus on seven strategic

priorities: transforming the economy to create jobs;

rural development and food security; quality education;

better healthcare for all; fi ghting crime and corruption;

integrated human settlements and building cohesive

communities; and strengthening the developmental

state and good governance.

Implementation plans were fi nalised for each of

these priority areas and broken down into set de-

liverables within various timeframes.

“I am happy to say that we are keeping pace

and that the various portfolio heads are be-

ing held accountable for achieving set out-

comes. We are indeed heading in the right

direction,” says the Premier

Attention is paid to programmatic

areas, including strengthening inte-

grated planning; building capability

for implementation, monitoring

and evaluation; improving the

reputational standing of

provincial government;

building resilient and

agile institutions for

transformation; citi-

To this eff ect, a targeted approach to build the requisite

capability has been designed and the Eastern Cape >>

Premier Phumulo Masualle.


government will continue partnering with Sector Education

and Training Authorities to develop the skills needed to grow

the economy.

Unlocking the economy

With the Eastern Cape having the highest unemployment rate

in South Africa, job creation is a priority. A number of initia-

tives are being undertaken, aimed at radical socio-economic

transformation through stimulating redistributive economic

development and reducing income inequality.

“We will also consolidate the success story of our Industrial

Development Zones (IDZ). Currently, the Coega IDZ can be

considered the largest and most diverse IDZ in the country.

“In the past financial year, the Coega became the first and

only IDZ in South Africa to record more than 10 new investors

totalling a R1.8-billion investment in a year. East London IDZ’s

growing investment pipeline in sectors beyond automotive

will also diversify and introduce advanced production meth-

ods and skills to the local economy,” says Premier Masualle.

Special Economic Zones (SEZ) legislation has also been final-

ised. Amongst others, this legislation proposes new funding

mechanisms for the SEZs and makes provision for the trans-

formation of the existing IDZs into SEZs. Two new SEZs in the

province, namely the Wild Coast SEZ and Chris Hani SEZ, will

largely focus on agro-processing.

Government’s focus on infrastructure development over the

past term has helped the province combat the impact of the

global recession.

Jobs created through the infrastructure roll-out helped the

province restore job levels to where they were before

the global crisis of 2008/2009.

“The strategic logic of our infrastructure programme

is four-fold. Firstly, we have prioritised linkages with the

mineral-producing regions in the country to promote

large-scale industrialisation. Secondly, we are position-

ing the province as the new energy hub of the country.

We are already the lead province in wind energy, and

are set to benefit from the country’s diversification into

both nuclear energy and shale gas.

“Thirdly, we will focus on trade and logistics infrastruc-

ture. Significant investments will continue in our three

ports, and we have prioritised the maritime sector as a

growth industry. Fourthly, we will focus on infrastruc-

ture for rural development. Our key project in this area

is the Mzimvubu Multipurpose Project.”

The other key infrastructure projects in the east of

the province are the Mthatha Airport and Wild Coast

Highway. These projects will provide the logistics and

transport infrastructure to enable agro-industrial and

tourism development in the region. All infrastructure

projects maximise local procurement opportunities,

assist local suppliers and develop the youth for employ-

ability and entrepreneurship.

With regard to rural development, the province is pri-

oritising electrification projects, a rural road network,

and focusing on the rigorous implementation of the

Provincial Anti-Poverty Strategy, which prioritises food

security, among other critical interventions. The prov-

ProVinCiaL foCUs


ince’s anti-poverty programmes, which include massive

agriculture and rural development initiatives, have led

to significant transformation and development in the

lives of people in disadvantaged villages.

With rural development so crucial in the province, the

Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC Mlibo

Qoboshiyane in September convened a meeting with

the Department of Rural Development and Land Re-

form and the Provincial Land Claims Commission to

revive working relations and improve the co-ordination

of work done in the province.

“We are working with relevant national departments

and public entities to roll out a

massive programme to assist our

poorest rural district municipali-

ties to address service backlogs

and upgrades.

“This programme includes sew-

erage, bulk water and water reticu-

lation, the upgrade of water and

sanitation infrastructure, building

and upgrading the electricity dis-

tribution network, road construc-

tion and maintenance, building

schools, clinics and hospitals, as

well as ICT infrastructure,” adds Premier Masualle.

Education

The province has committed to improving its capac-

ity to effectively implement all key education policy

imperatives, prioritising Early Childhood Development,

school management and governance, teacher develop-

ment, ABET, school infrastructure, and integrating ICT

to teaching and learning.

Health

Premier Masualle says his government is working to

strengthen the monitoring of the six core standards at

all the provincial health care facilities. This will result

in the reduction of waiting times, in cleaner facilities,

availability of drugs, improved staff attitude, infection

control and prevention, as well as better security.

As part of the phased-in implementation of the Na-

tional Health Insurance, the province is making massive

investments in the health infrastructure and systems in the OR

Tambo district.

With regard to initiations in the province, which have resulted

in a number of senseless deaths over the years, Cogta and pro-

vincial Department of Health have partnered with other stake-

holders in clamping down on illegal initiation schools.

Human settlements

Through building integrated human settlements and cohesive

communities, the province will provide its people with decent

facilities, public services and access to economic opportunities.

Sustainable human settlement planning will be pursued in an

integrated manner to de-racialise set-

tlement patterns as well as tackle asset

and infrastructure deficiency.

In the current term, Premier Masualle’s

government will provide 78 000 hous-

ing units and complete 3 300 social and

rental housing units.

Other human settlements develop-

ments include the commitment in Au-

gust to spend R209 million fixing 2 721

faulty housing units across the province

in the 2014/2015 financial year. This fol-

lows an investigation into various hous-

ing irregularities, alleged corruption and shoddy construction

on several housing development projects in Buffalo City.

In September, Human Settlements MEC Helen Sauls-August

confirmed that the eradication of the bucket toilet system was

under way. The first phase of the eradication programme is fo-

cused on formal areas, with informal areas following.

Going forward

The province has initiated public participation outreach

programmes such as izimbizo, stakeholder engagements, a

presidential hotline and customer care programmes to ensure

the voices of people are not only heard but are taken into

account, and that people partner with the province.

The key principles for the current term of government are ac-

countability, citizenry partnership and urgency in doing things.

“As provincial government, we are determined to achieve what

we set out to do, and invite every stakeholder and every resident

to join us on our journey of changing the province for the better,”

says Premier Masualle.

"As part of the phased-

in implementation of the

National Health Insurance,

the province is making

massive investments in the

health infrastructure and

systems in the OR Tambo

district."


ProVinCiaL foCUs Writer: Albert Pule

Department earns recognition for paying on timeService providers doing

business with the North-

ern Cape Department of

Social Development are enjoying

the convenience of being paid on

time, thanks to the hard work of the

department’s officials.

Through proper planning, good

communication, tightening sup-

ply chain management (SCM)

processes and constant monitor-

ing, the officials have enabled the

department to pay its service pro-

viders within five days of receiving

an invoice.

This was in response to President

Jacob Zuma’s call made during his

State of the Nation Address in Feb-

ruary 2013 that service providers

should be paid within 30 days.

However, the department has

significantly reduced the turna-

round time.

The department is one of the few

provincial government depart-

ments mentioned in the Management Performance Assessment

Tool (MPAT) Report of 2013 for paying their service providers

within five days. The MPAT, among other things, collects data

on effective management practices of public service institutions

to promote improved service delivery.

MEC of Social Development Mxolisi Sokatsha says being

acknowledged by the MPAT Report is an indication that the

department is on the right track, adding that he is proud of the

high standards the department is setting.

Government departments that fail to pay on time have previ-

ously forced some service providers to shut down. However,

the provincial Department of Social Development has ensured

that all service providers who do business with it smile all the

Northern Cape MEC of Social Development Mxolisi Sokatsha.

way to the bank.

“Our service providers are happy and if they are happy,

they are going to give us quality services,” he says.

He adds paying service providers on time contributes

to the development of small businesses because “when

you pay them within five days you make sure that their

businesses are growing”.

Adhering to SCM processes Lack of compliance with SCM processes is one of the

problems facing all spheres of government, according to

2012/13 Auditor-General’s report.

According to MEC Sokatsha, compliance with SCM >>


processes is very important. “If you don’t comply, you

won’t be able to pay within five days.”

He adds that adhering SCM processes has also helped

the department avoid irregular expenditure.

“We’ve put in place good financial management and

internal control systems. If an invoice comes in, there is

someone who checks it to ensure that it is the correct

invoice.

“This speeds up the process and invoices don’t stay

in one office any longer than it should.”

The department also conducts quarterly finance

forums during which supply chain instruction notes

and other compliance matters are discussed.

“All payment batches are reviewed before the order

is signed, paid and after payment before filing. All

noncompliance issues identified are reported to the

chief financial officer (CFO) and appropriate corrective

measures taken against the responsible official. Annual

suppliers’ meetings are also conducted to explain all

compliance requirements to service providers.”

The department has also implemented a monthly

cash flow monitoring management tool that allows

managers to indicate monthly projected expenditure

per item.

In addition, biweekly staff meetings are held to

evaluate performance and efficiency levels.

Appointing skilled and capable staff MEC Sokatsha says one aspect that has helped his

department excel is having the right person in the

right position.

“You need to make sure that you appoint skilled staff, especially

in your finance department, and that they clearly understand

their roles and responsibilities.

“You can’t appoint somebody without financial skills and

qualifications in a finance department.”

He adds that there should be regular interaction between

management and staff to determine if there are issues that might

hinder progress.

“We also need to implement a tracking register to track the

status of the invoice so that you can check when the invoice

came in and when did it go out.”

The various units in the department are required to present

monthly reports to the CFO.

“This is done to monitor the performance of a unit and for us,

as the leadership, to see if there is something that needs to be

rectified.”

Smooth sailing for service providersOne of the service providers benefiting from the efficiency of

the department is Riyaaz Obaray of Ebranik Construction, which

does building maintenance for the department’s head office.

“Since I started working with them, it has been smooth sailing

and I’ve never experienced any problems with my payments.

“I have been able to run my business successfully because I

get paid on time.”

He says if other government departments emulate the North-

ern Cape Department of Social Development, many small busi-

nesses would get the support they need to stay in business.

MEC Sokatsha adds that more government departments would

help develop small businesses if they followed his department’s

example.

ProVinCiaL foCUs

The leadership of the Northern Cape Department of Social Development – Chief Financial Officer Shouneez Wookey, Head of Department Elizabeth Botes, MEC Mxolisi Sokatsha and Chief Director of Social Welfare Herman Mooketsi.


We are a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor according to Veridex, accredited by Services SETA, programme approved by SA Board for People Practices (SABPP), as well as Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) as the training provider.

Values Our core values are: Professionalism, quality, passion and delivery with strong emphasis on what the learner should know and do.

The Phungwayo People Development Resource differencePhungwayo People Development Resource was borne out of learning and experience and is growing from deep passion to train and develop people. We have discovered through a supply chain network company that our competitors improve their efforts on the standards that we set, and continue to follow in our foot steps.

Why choose usWe have been recognised on numerous occasions since 2002. Our record of excellence in the past three years includes the following:Award Winner: ubank Best Established SMME, South Africa’s Premier Black Business Awards, hosted by Motlekar Holdings, BBQ Awards 2014 at Emperor’s Palace on 31 October 2014First Runner-Up: Opel Astra New and Innovative Business Award, South Africa’s Premier Black Business Awards, hosted by Motlekar Holdings, BBQ Awards 2014 at Emperor’s Palace on 31 October 2014Second Runner-Up, Best Training Programme: Small Company, hosted by Achiever Magazine (Cape Media Corporation) and sponsored by BHP Billiton at the Centre for Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) International Conference Centre (ICC), on 7 August 2013Certificate for Independent Small Business Education, Training and Development by West Rand Chamber of Business and Tourism on 7 March 2012.

In the book, “Wisdom from Mentors” edited by Marius Meyer, Knowres Publishing 2011, Donald Mafomane is quoted as follows, “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got, but, if you want something you have never had, you must do something you have never done before”. To enhance performance at work, always bear in mind that vision without action is a day-dream; and action without vision is a nightmare.

To turn your vision into reality, let Phungwayo People Development Resource partner with you in your journey to the summit of the skills development, thereby ensuring that your road to success is not always paved with obstacles.

What we doWe offer the following learning and development programmes, and short courses: 1. Leadership Skills Development Programme: NQF Level 6Module one: How to direct and lead people in the organisation (ID: 120300)Module two: How to conduct a disciplinary hearing (ID: 10985)2. Supervision Skills Development Programme: NQF Level 5Module one: How to supervise and manage people at work (ID: 14667)Module two: How to write a workplace specific report (ID: 115790)3. Skills Programme: Occupational Health and Safety Activities for Workplace Representatives and Shop Stewards in the Mining and Minerals Sector (MQA/SP/0120/10): NQF Level 2Module one: Explain basic health and safety principles in and around the workplace (ID: 259639)Module two: Conduct continuous hazard identification and risk assessment within a workplace (ID: 244383)Module three: Describe the functions of the Workplace health and safety representative (ID: 259622)4. Personal Accountability Development Programme: NQF Level 4Module one: Know your company (ID: 14342)Module two: How to motivate and build a team (ID: 242819)5. Short Course: NQF Level 4Statutory and Legal Compliance (Legal Liability): Health and safety legislation (ID: 120344)

Visit uswww.phungwayo.co.za

Email us [email protected]

Executive Member: Donald Mafomane

Tel: 011 762 9380Mobile: 082 411 2875

Fax: 086 718 1710

ADVERTORIAL / PHUNGWAYO PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE

For further information about Phungwayo and its services:

REACHING THE SUMMIT OF SKILLS DEVELOPMENTMr Donald Mafomane recieves Ubank Best Established SMME Award

Public Sector Manager ForumPSM Writer: Albert Pule Photographer: Linda Mthombeni

Public servants’ pensions secure

If you resign from the Public Service as opposed to retiring, you

stand to lose your entitlement to a monthly annuity.

You also stand to lose funeral and medical benefi ts, as these

are only available to retirees.

That is the warning from the Acting Chief Operating Offi cer of the

Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA), Jay Morar.

He was speaking at a recent Public Sector Manager Forum hosted

by the Department of Communications in Pretoria.

Morar added that civil servants had no reason to be concerned

because government safeguards their pensions.

“The state and the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF)

guarantee your pension till the day you die. You will not fi nd a

benefi t of this nature elsewhere.”

Resigning is not the answerThe Public Service recently experienced a wave of resignations

especially from teachers, nurses and police offi cers fearing that

they would lose their pension when proposed retirement reforms

come into eff ect.

Morar urged public servants not to resign, stressing that they

would not lose their pension as a result of the reforms.

“We would like to set the record straight concerning the mislead-

ing rumours around the reforms. It is important that our members

know that their pensions are safe with GEPF and there is no need

to resign in order for them to access their pension.”

He explained that the proposed reforms were in-

tended to benefi t South Africans.

“The reforms are part of a broader process in which

government, through policies, is trying to encourage

people to save so that they retire comfortably with an

income that would last throughout their retirement

years.

“It also encourages employers to provide retirement

saving plans, ensure good value for money on retire-

ment savings and help improve standards of retirement

fund governance,” said Morar.

The proposed changes that were scheduled to come

into eff ect on 1 March 2015 have now been postponed

to 1 March 2017.

“The changes only apply to the annuitisation of provi-

dent fund benefi ts. Government is aligning the benefi ts

of provident funds to those of pension and retirement

funds at retirement.

“This means that provident fund members will be

required to convert at least two thirds of their retire-

ment savings into an annuity or monthly pension when

they reach retirement, instead of taking a once-off lump

sum of cash.”

Government Pension Administration Agency Acting Chief Operating Offi cer Jay Morar.


He stressed that the reforms did not affect members

of the GEPF as it is governed by its own law.

By September 2014, there were over 3 600 resigna-

tions in the Public Service compared to just under 2

100 during the same period in 2013, while in 2012 there

were about 1 600 resignations for the same period.

Morar said the recent increase in resignations was a

concern to the GPAA.

“We are worried and we think that if people don’t

understand the reforms we are going to see a larger

scale of resignations. These resignations are going to

impact the state in a negative way. It impacts on all the

services that the state must deliver.”

He reassured public servants that government had

no intention of taking away their pensions.

“We work to give our members and pensioners peace

of mind about their financial security after retirement

by ensuring that all funds in our safekeeping are re-

sponsibly invested and accounted for.”

Morar encouraged civil servants to continue working

for government until their retirement age.

“GEPF strongly recommends that government em-

ployees work until their retirement date in order to keep

contributing to their pension as long as possible. Gov-

ernment is not going to take away or deny you access

to your money.”

In an effort to curb the number of resignations, the

agency is boosting its communication strategy to edu-

cate civil servants and clarify the myth that public serv-

ants would lose their pensions.

“We are doing road shows and placing adverts in

newspapers. We are also partnering with National Treasury in

workshops to inform members and stakeholders through media

briefings. We are also planning to work with the Department of

Communications to disseminate this information.”

Modernising the GPAA In an effort to increase service delivery, the agency implemented

a modernisation approach, which is about moving away from us-

ing old static methods such as filling in forms to a seamless and

automated process using technology.

“It has been effective, especially moving from manual-based

documentation to paperless-based documentation. We find that

more and more employers are utilising our electronic channel

base.

“About 80 per cent of employer departments are using the elec-

tronic channel base and we are seeing an increase in the number

of claims that the departments are submitting.”

He added that payments were made quicker when documents

were received electronically.

Since opening its doors back in April 2010, the agency has grown

in leaps and bounds.

It currently has a national footprint with regional offices and

walk-in centres in all the nine provinces as well as satellite client

offices in six cities.

The satellite offices are in Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth,

Mthatha, Phuthaditjhaba and Thohoyandou.

The agency also has officers directly assisting government de-

partments.

“Client liaison officers have been deployed to all regional offices

act as liaison between employer departments, members, pension-

ers, beneficiaries and GEPF,” he said.

Public servants who attended the PSM Forum were educated about managing their pension.

45

featUre Writer: Cecilia de Vos Belgraver

SA celebrates 20 years of media freedom

President Jacob Zuma has hailed the media for the role

it has played in achieving democracy.

Addressing media executives, owners, editors as well

as political and economic journalists from South Africa and

abroad, the President noted that democracy had brought

with it a progressive Constitution that enshrined the freedom

of the press.

President Zuma reminded his audience that before the late

Zwelakhe Sisulu, editor of New Nation, was detained for the

second time in the 1980s, he wrote an editorial in which he

argued that “autocratic regimes will come and go, but the

people's desire to be free and determine their own future is

constant and permanent and cannot be trammelled by even

the greatest force”.

“And it happened. We are free,” he said, before congratulating

and thanking all the members of the media who had “con-

tributed to the consolidation of democracy and the building

of a new united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South

Africa in the past 20 years”.

The President reaffirmed government’s commitment to the

ideals of freedom, especially freedom of expression, and that

his administration looked forward to engaging with the

media while the country’s reconstruction and develop-

ment continued.

A Presidential Communication and Media Working

Group will be established to provide a platform for

government and the media to share ideas on a range

of issues, he added.

President Zuma met with the media at an event at the

Sefako M. Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria

to commemorate both 20 Years of Freedom and the 37th

anniversary of 19 October 1977 or “Black Wednesday”,

which was to become a bleak day for the media and

freedom of expression in South Africa.

“There is a lot we can discuss, from media diversity

and transformation to how the media industry can

contribute to the attainment of the five per cent growth

target by 2019. Let us work together to promote the

right of the public to information,” said the President.

According to Newstime Africa, on 19 October 1977

the apartheid government “banned several newspa-

pers, which were accused of accommodating the “Black

President Jacob Zuma.


Consciousness Movement”. Eighteen organisations

were banned and 70 activists arrested.

The apartheid government closed down newspapers

such as The World and Weekend World. Editors, including

Donald Woods of the Daily Dispatch, and journalists

who spoke out against the government were arrested

and several people and organisations, among them the

Union of Black Journalists, were banned. The interna-

tional community reacted with shock.

The President recalled that these events occurred

at the time of the murder of Black Consciousness

Movement activist Steve Biko.

“The 1977 clampdown also took place during the

time when one of the martyrs of our struggle for

liberation, Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu, together with

his comrade, Johannes Motloung, were detained after

being intercepted by police.

Intent on crushing freedom of speech, by 28 October

1977 the apartheid government was enforcing the

Newspaper and Imprint Act No 19. It was a version of an

earlier Act requiring that all newspapers be registered

and that they conform to a strict code of conduct.

According to South African History Online, newspapers

also had to lodge a deposit of about R40 000 before

they could publish. The move was essentially a means

to ensure that newspapers toed the line and regulated

themselves, lest they be banned.

ConstitutionThese events emphasise the importance of 20 Years

of Freedom and democracy in South Africa and the

country’s progressive Constitution.

The President said “the reflection about the painful

episodes that shaped our history in the long stretch of

our journey to freedom is impossible to avoid.”

The Constitution is one of the greatest achievements

of the South African nation.

“Our progressive Constitution enshrines freedom of expression, the

media and other fundamental freedoms and rights.

“In marking 20 Years of Freedom we are also celebrating all aspects

of the Constitution, including Clause 16, which enshrines freedom

of expression,” President Zuma said.

He pointed out that in terms of the Constitution, freedom of expres-

sion includes the freedom of the press and other media; freedom to

receive or impart information or ideas; freedom of artistic creativity;

and academic freedom and freedom of scientific research.

Media stalwarts not forgotten“In celebrating this clause this year, we recall many freedom fighters,

including journalists, who used their craft to further the struggle

for freedom and justice in our country. They did this in the face of

immense brutality and even possible death.”

Looking back on the pre-1994 struggle for media freedom and

democracy, the President said South Africa “saluted all media stal-

warts, some of whom are no more, such as Zwelakhe Sisulu, Percy

Qoboza, the Drum journalists including Henry Nxumalo, Nat Nakasa,

and many others”.

“We also acknowledge those journalists who braved bullets and

harassment during the horrible state-sponsored violence of the

1980s.

“We remember Calvin Thusago, an SABC reporter who was stabbed

to death by a mob in Sharpeville on 23 April 1993 while on duty.

“We also remember photographer Ken Oosterbroek who was shot

dead in Thokoza on 18 April 1994, just a few days before the first

national general elections.”

Commenting on the President’s announcement on the Presidential

Communication and Media Working Group, the South African Na-

tional Editors Forum (Sanef ) said it would use the platform to raise

issues that concern the media, according to the SABC.

Sanef chairperson, Mpumi Mkhabela, said journalists could use the

Presidential Communication and Media Working Group to express

their concerns.

President Jacob Zuma says he looks forward to engaging with the media to share ideas on a range of issues.


ProfiLes in LeaDershiPfeatUre Writers: More Matshediso and Noluthando Mkhize

Over the past fi ve years, South Africa has made steady

inroads in its war against HIV and AIDS, recording

some signifi cant successes along the way.

As the international focus falls on the epidemic once more,

with World AIDS Day being commemorated on 1 December

under the theme “Zero Stigma and Discrimination”, PSM traces

the gains made by the country since 2009.

2009 - The start of the HIV and AIDS revolution The introduction of the new HIV and AIDS policy in 2009,

which was unveiled by President Jacob Zuma, indicated the

country’s renewed determination in fi ghting HIV and AIDS.

President Zuma announced that all children under one year

of age would get treatment if they tested positive, and that

treatment would not depend on the CD4 count. All patients

with both tuberculosis (TB) and HIV were to get anti-retroviral

(ARV) treatment if their CD4 count was 350 or less.

All pregnant HIV positive women with a CD4 count of 350 or

with symptoms, regardless of CD4 count, would have access

to treatment. Previously, HIV positive pregnant women were

eligible for treatment if their CD4 count was less than 200.

All other HIV positive pregnant women not falling into this

category were to be put on treatment at 14 weeks of preg-

nancy to protect the baby. In the past this was only started

during the last term of pregnancy. These measures came into

eff ect in April 2010.

2010 – SA’s biggest HIV testing campaign launchedIn 2010, President Zuma and

Health Minister, Dr Aaron Mot-

soaledi, launched the HIV

Counselling and Testing

(HCT) campaign.

The country’s big-

gest HIV testing

campaign, it tar-

geted those 12

years and older

with the hope of

reaching 15 million

people by June 2011,

and was to be the corner-

stone of prevention and early entry into

ARVs.

With the HCT campaign, it became the health

sector’s responsibility to off er HIV testing and counsel-

ling to every one who makes use of health services.

Previously the Voluntary Testing and Counselling cam-

paign encouraged citizens to test voluntarily.

By December 2010, eight months after the campaign

was launched, more than four million people had taken

an HIV test. In the same year, up to a million people

were already on ARVs.

SA turns the tide on HIV and AIDS


SA turns the tide on HIV and AIDS

2011 - The launch of the National Strategic PlanIn 2011, President Zuma launched the National Stra-

tegic Plan for HIV and AIDS 2012-2016, which focused

on tackling TB, HIV, sexually transmitted infections and

issues of violence against women. Its goals included:

- Reducing new HIV infections by at least 50 per cent by

using a combination of prevention approaches.

- Initiating at least 80 per cent of eligible patients on

anti-retroviral treatment with 70 per cent being alive

and on treatment fi ve years after initiation.

- Reducing the number of new TB infections as well as

deaths from TB by 50 per cent.

- Ensuring an enabling and accessible legal framework

that protects and promotes human rights in order to

support the implementation of the NSP.

- Reducing stigma related to HIV and TB by at least 50

per cent.

According to the Progress Report on the NSP, by the

end of 2013, about 2,3 million patients were on ARVs

in the public sector, 148 331 of whom were children.

2012 - ARV roll out boosts life expectancy By the year 2012, South Africa’s bold steps of

extending the roll out of ARVs three years earlier was

starting to bear fruit, as noted in the increase in life

expectancy.

The Department of Health released a report on re-

search conducted by the Medical Research Council

that estimated that the country’s life expectancy, which

stood at 56,5 years in 2009, had increased to 60 years

in 2011 (57 years for men and 63 years for women).

Added to this, the under-fi ve mortality rate had also

fallen - from 56 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2009, to

42 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2011.

At this stage, since the launch of the HCT campaign

in 2010, 20.2 million people had been tested for HIV.

2013 - The single dose pillIn 2013, the Department of Health announced

the introduction of a single dose of the triple

combination of tenofovir, entricitabine and efavirenz

for people on ARV treatment.

The new drug enables people living with HIV to take

only one pill a day, instead of three, to maintain their health. It will

also help government save up to R2,2 billion over two years with a

38 per cent reduction in drug costs.

2014 and beyond In his Budget Vote, Minister Motsoaledi announced that:

• FromJanuary2015,HIVpositivepatientswithaCD4countof500

would be put on treatment compared to previously being put on

treatment with a CD4 count of 350.

• Withregardstopregnantwomen,theDepartmentofHealthwould

follow option B+ of the World Health Organisation, which stipulates

that every pregnant HIV positive woman goes on life long treatment

regardless of their CD4 count. The previous HIV policy indicated that

pregnant women stay on treatment only while breast-feeding and

stop after termination of breastfeeding if their CD4 count was 350.

On the global front, the fi ght against HIV and AIDS will gather

steam in 2016, when South Africa hosts the 2016 International Aids

Conference in Durban.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa commended eff orts from all role

players in the fi ght against HIV and AIDS and also called for eff orts

to be strengthened in the lead up to the conference.

“As we prepare for the 21st International Aids Conference, we will

intensify our eff orts to address these challenges,” he said.

The conference is organised by the International Aids Society, with

its partners from the United Nations, the South African government,

and international civil society organisations.

The Deputy President added that the world could bring the HIV and

AIDS epidemic to an end through sustained collaboration between

various sectors of society.

South Africa should have positive feedback from the international

community during the conference, particularly for its progress in

dealing with the epidemic over the past fi ve years and its continu-

ous eff orts to fi ght the scourge.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.


featUre Writer: More Matshediso

Sharing lessons to deliver services better and faster

Government is determined to

improve service delivery at all

levels to ultimately better the

lives of all South Africans.

To help achieve this, public servants

recently attended a workshop in

Mbombela, Mpumalanga on the

institutionalisation of best practice

models for integrated service delivery.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa

was also at the workshop to spur along

government officials to fulfil their

responsibilities to the public.

He noted that the

“ landmark ” event

provided the plat-

form for members of

the National Execu-

tive, MECs, mayors

and senior admin-

istrators to come

together to share

lessons on what was

being done to deliver services much

faster and better.

The Deputy President said government

wanted to build on all the plans and pro-

grammes it had devised to improve the

way it functions.

Government faced many challenges

with regards to improving services, but

there were also positive elements that

needed to be applauded, he added.

“In dealing with these challenges we

are motivated by the good story that has

unfolded in South Africa during 20 Years

of Freedom.”

That good story was of a caring, effec-

tive government that worked wisely and

diligently with scarce resources to make

deep, positive changes in people’s lives.

“This is a story of good work and centres

of excellence that have emerged across

the length and breadth of our country, in

provinces and in the local sphere.

“In the majority of cases, these centres

of excellence have produced locally

developed solutions. In the spirit of

cooperative governance and of building

the capable state demanded by the

National Development Plan, there is a

need to share lessons we have learnt.”

The Deputy President also urged pre-

miers and directors-general to have a

clearer understanding of

the Operations Sukuma

Sakhe model, and what

was needed to imple-

ment it successfully.

O p e r a t i o n S u k u m a

Sakhe, which was imple-

mented in KwaZulu-Natal,

is aimed at speeding up

service delivery, interact-

ing with beneficiary communities and

monitoring ongoing government-fund-

ed projects.

It is a call for citizens to be determined

to overcome the issues that have

destroyed communities such as poverty,

unemployment, crime, substance abuse,

HIV and AIDS, and TB.

Operation Sukuma Sakhe has a

‘whole of government approach’ as its

philosophical basis.

It spells out every initiative and how it

links to initiatives being implemented

by the different sector departments and

the spheres of government. The delivery

of services is required through partner-

ship with community, stakeholders and

government.

The Deputy President asked the del-

egates at the workshop to also discuss

and agree on key decision points col-

lectively and commit to implement the

Operation Sukuma Sakhe model as a top

priority in the various provinces.

“Ultimately, our nation must be assured

that better service delivery is on its way.

We are organising ourselves better and

building our capacity as government so

that all South Africans will have the bet-

ter life of which we speak all the time,”

said Deputy President Ramaphosa.

Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza

said the workshop came at an appro-

priate time, when people were showing

impatience at the slow and some times

erratic pace of service delivery.

He said people also ran out of patience

due to unresponsiveness to the needs

of communities and the ‘I don’t care’ at-

titude shown by some government of-

ficials, when working with communities.

“I hope that this workshop will give

us new tools of radical thinking and re-

dedication to the needs of communities,”

added Premier Mabuza.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says government wants to build on the plans and programmes it had devised to improve its functioning.

“Ultimately, our

nation must be

assured that better

service delivery is on

its way.”


South African Local Government AssociationSALGA

PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME

Soon after the commencement of the current term of municipal councils, SALGA undertook a national roll-out of the Councillor Induction Programme (CIP) which was aimed at orientating Councillors to their new roles. To build on the induction programme and to further capacitate Councillors in their roles of discharging their duties efficiently and effectively, SALGA introduces the next phase of formalised learning that will earn Councillors credits on the National Qualifications Framework.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The SALGA Councillor Development Programme will provide strategic direction on policy formulation, administrative oversight; improved participation and communication with all stakeholders, and will focus on the following:• Understanding of the Legislative Framework• Municipal Service Delivery Improvement • Leadership and Management• Local Economic Development• Municipal Finance

• Programme Management• Community Development• Supply Chain Management• Public and Media Communication This is an integrated and customised learning programme. It is made up of nine modular focus areas which will be delivered over a period of 5 consecutive training days

ACCREDITATION STATUS AND BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAMME

The Councillor Development Programme (CDP) will be aligned to Unit Standard ID 244185: Apply key municipal processes in a council function (12 credits) - this unit standard lies within the National Certificate: Local Government Councillor Practices (NQF L3) and achieving this will earn the learner twelve (12) credits towards the full qualification.

DURATION OF TRAINING: 5 DAYS

Programme Delivery Period: Training to commence in January 2015 and schedule of each training session in

each province to be confirmed in due course

COUNCILLOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (CDP)

For further information on how to enrol and any other queries related to the programme, please contact Sphesihle Hlongwane or Theriza Kotsane on (012) 369 8000 or email [email protected]

featUre Writer: Amukelani Chauke

Budget aims to balance finances, bolster investment

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene did not mince his words

when he recently outlined the measures government was

putting in place to re-establish a sustainable foundation

for public finances by lowering the spending ceiling, reducing

consumption expenditure and increasing tax revenue.

With the economy expected to grow at less than desired levels

in 2014, Minister Nene did not hold back any punches when he

delivered the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, in Parlia-

ment, saying unequivocally that tough decisions have to be

taken and sacrifices have to be made.

South Africa has reached a turning point where fiscal consoli-

dation can no longer be postponed.

“By proposing measures to reduce the budget deficit, govern-

ment will stabilise public debt and ensure the sustainability of

our critical social programmes. The proposals [that are] being

tabled … complement reforms under way to encourage lower

consumption, higher savings and increased productive invest-

ment.

“Re-establishing a sustainable foundation for the public fi-

nances will lower the cost of capital across the entire economy

and open the way for investment-led growth.

“It also means that government will play its part in moderat-

ing the wide deficit on the current account and correcting our

external imbalance,” Minister Nene said.

As with other governments across the world that have been

hit by slow growth, South Africa has to make difficult decisions

to rein in spending because the gap between spending needs

and what is affordable is wide.

And as it widens, it leaves the economy vulnerable and casts

further doubt on whether inequality can be reduced and if jobs

can be created.

President Jacob Zuma has said that to put a notable dent on

the currently high unemployment rate, the economy needs to

grow by a rate of at least five per cent.

Economic growth revised downwards The Minister announced that the National Treasury had

revised the country’s economic growth downwards to 1,4

per cent, which stands in stark contrast to the real Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) of 2,7 per cent that was projected

in the budget announced in February.

This, he said, was due to external and domestic con-

straints, including a slowdown in Europe, China and other

emerging economies. Locally, several factors have hin-

dered growth; these include energy constraints, labour

disputes, skills shortages and the slow industrialisation

of the economy.

Due to slow growth, tax revenue is below the projected

target.

Public Service must play its roleGovernment has a responsibility to ensure that public debt

is stabilised and to see to it that the interests of all South

Africans, especially the poor, are well looked after.

The Minister said the budget proposals that he was ta-

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.


bling before Parliament were aimed at “restoring bal-

ance to the nation’s finances and bolstering investment”.

“Increased debt is not in itself a bad thing, if it finances

investment in future productive capacity. But we are

not investing enough. And our expenditure on public

services achieves less than it should.

“We want to improve our export performance and

shift away from consumption-led, debt-reliant expan-

sion.

“These changes are fundamental

to our economic transformation,

because they are the foundations

on which our social progress and

human development goals will be

achieved.”

During the opening of Parliament

for the current administration,

President Zuma said government

needed to create an environment

where the private sector would

invest in the economy.

The President emphasised the

importance of public-private part-

nership as a way to help the coun-

try achieve its objectives.

In this regard, the President continues to engage

with business leaders through the Presidential Business

Working Group to discuss, among others, how govern-

ment can help reduce bottlenecks to make it easier for

the private sector in our economy. The private sector

remains a key partner in job creation.

But, as Minister Nene pointed out, while these and

other measures were being looked at to strengthen the

performance of the economy, the Public Service needs

to do some introspection.

To reduce the deficit from 4,1 per cent this year to

2,5 per cent over the next three years, would require

that the expenditure ceiling be lowered by R10 billion

in 2015/16 and R15 billion in 2016/17. In turn, achiev-

ing that target would require stringent controls on the

part of public managers and discipline on the part of

public officials.

To achieve the lower ceiling, national government will:

- Freeze budgets of non-essential goods and services at

2014/15 levels.

- Withdraw funding for posts that have been vacant for some time.

- Reduce the rate of growth of transfers to public entities, particularly

those with cash reserves.

“Across national departments, planned expenditure on travel and

subsistence, conference venues and catering has been cut. We have

also reduced advertising and communications budgets.

“Allocations for consultant services have been capped, and the Na-

tional Treasury estimates that these bold steps will help us save about

R1.3 billion over the next two years.

“These steps complement the cost-con-

tainment measures adopted at the start of

this year, which have already achieved sub-

stantial savings.”

Revenue measures will also come into con-

sideration in the period ahead. If we are to

avoid reducing expenditure in real terms,

about R15 billion a year in additional rev-

enue will need to be raised, Minister Nene

said.

“Details will be announced in the 2015

budget. The revenue measures will be de-

signed to limit as far as possible any negative

impact on growth and job creation.”

He said over the current financial year, only

a third of the overall expenditure budget

had been allocated for the compensation of employees.

“Over the period ahead, we have budgeted for nominal wage-bill

growth in line with consumer price inflation.

“In the present economic circumstances, it is especially important

that we maintain a careful balance between personnel spending and

other resources required for public service delivery.”

Minister talks tough on wage bill, salary negotiationsMinister Nene said there was on-going concern over the wage bill, and

added that stretching the wage bill would not be sustainable. This, he

said, needed prudent management.

“New posts will have to be funded from existing allocations and

natural attrition. Posts that remain vacant will be reviewed.”

Spending priorities for the next three yearsThe Minister said that National Treasury had proposed to increase its

spending over the next three years on initiatives that would boost job

creation, education and skills development.

National Treasury proposed expenditure growth of 7,6 per cent a

year over the next three years, reaching R1,55 trillion by 2017/18. >>

To reduce the deficit from

4,1 per cent this year to 2,5

per cent over the next three

years, would require that the

expenditure ceiling be lowered

by R10 billion in 2015/16 and

R15 billion in 2016/17. In turn,

achieving that target would

require stringent controls on

the part of public managers and

discipline on the part of public

officials.


featUre

While spending on social security would not be affected by cost-

containment measures, he said government would continue pri-

oritising investment in social infrastructure.

Government planned to spend:

- Over R18 billion for manufacturing incentives, the establishment

of special economic zones and the employment tax incentive to

reinforce support for export competiveness and job creation.

- On supporting cities to improve living conditions, modernise trans-

port and communications infrastructure, expand the urban econ-

omy and promote trade and investment. Government would also

work with development finance institutions to increase investment

in the urban landscape and expand the municipal debt market.

- On expanding the skills base, with R800 billion to be disbursed on

education and skills over the next three years. Post-school educa-

tion and training had received the fastest-growing share of the

budget over the past three years, and would continue to expand.

Service delivery to take centre stageThe Minister said that the cost-containment measures also meant

that government should increase its effort to curb abuse, achieve

the intended savings and maximise efficiency.

The measures were also designed to ensure that service delivery

remained at the core of the Public Service’s main objective.

This would include:

- A focus on procurement costs. In November, the National Treas-

ury was expected to release a Public Procurement Review, which

clearly outlined reforms to be implemented over the

next five years.

- Reinforcing cost-containment measures to iden-

tify goods and services expenditure that could be

eliminated without affecting service delivery.

- Promoting a culture of doing more with less. For

example, Treasury was working with municipalities

to link the disbursement of infrastructure grants

more tightly to the efficient delivery of capital pro-

jects .

- Continuing to fight waste and corruption, support-

ed by government’s audit institutions and stringent

monitoring and reporting requirements.

“South Africans rightly expect efficient and reliable

delivery of basic government functions – water sup-

ply, sanitation, refuse removal, teachers in classrooms,

medicines in clinics, postal delivery, visible policing.

“These essential services come first. Where they are

in disrepair, they must be fixed,” the Minister said.

The Minister has spoken. We have reached a turning

point. It is clear that going forward public managers

and officials have a stronger role to play and would

have to ensure more stringent controls, tougher deci-

sions and more tangible sacrifices are made - if we are

to see the economic forecast in the country becoming

more bullish than it currently looks.

Minister Nhlanhla Nene with (from left) Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas, SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane and National Treasury DG Lungisa Fuzile.


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featUre Writer: Lindiwe ZuluPhotographer: Mduduzi Tshabangu

SMMEs hold key to economic growth

It must trouble our collective conscience that 20 years since

our freedom, the participation of black people in the economy

still leaves much to be desired. Despite the socio-economic

progress, there are still structural features that constrain our abil-

ity to address these challenges. The triple challenges of poverty,

unemployment and inequality continue to stare us in the face.

The high rate of unemployment and extreme inequality call

for bold and far-sighted interventions. We are of the view that

supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises offers an

important vehicle for sustainable social and economic inclusion

as well as national cohesion.

As government, we have made a commitment to set the coun-

try on a path of radical economic and social transformation to

accelerate our onslaught on these socio-economic challenges.

Radical economic transformation must ensure faster, inclusive

growth combined with much higher levels of employ-

ment creation, reduced inequality and the de-raciali-

sation of the economy.

The President established the Ministry for Small Busi-

ness Development as part of government’s commit-

ment to place the economy and job creation at the cen-

tre stage. The government is convinced that through

this intervention, we will be able to unlock economic

opportunities and achieve inclusive economic growth

and sustainable employment, particularly for women,

youth and the disable.

We see small businesses and cooperatives as critical

to creating an economy that benefits all. We are con-

fident that through small business development, we

will be able to defeat the triple challenges of poverty,

Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.


unemployment and inequality. It is this interven-

tion that holds the key to unlocking our economic

potential, thus affording us a golden opportunity

to launch a sustained onslaught on poverty, un-

employment, inequality and underdevelopment.

We remain concerned that small businesses have

an exceedingly high failure rate, and most of the

casualties are black and women-owned. Statistics

show that small businesses have only 37 per cent

chance of surviving for four years and 9 per cent

chance of surviving for 10 years. Between 70 and

80 per cent of small businesses fail in their first year,

and only about half of those who survive remain

in business for the next five years.

The government is aware that to address prob-

lems confronting our economy and reverse the

unemployment rate will require a radical policy

shift that recognises the urgent need to invest in

small and medium businesses because they are key

drivers of economic growth and job creation. We

are convinced that if we are to make an impact on

the job creation front, the common problems faced

by SMMEs must be addressed. Our ultimate goal is

to reduce obstacles to doing business and expand

access to economic opportunities for historically

excluded groups.

Easing the regulatory burden and reducing red

tape is going to be key if we truly want to unlock

the economic and job creation potential of SMMEs.

The slow business registration process, late payment of small

businesses, licensing procedures and small business taxation

are some of the issues.

Black small businesses and enterprises will require broader

access to financial services to fund growth. Through our de-

velopment finance institutions, the government will provide

increased access to affordable loans that supports diversifica-

tion of the economy, broad-based black economic empower-

ment and investment in smaller businesses in the productive

economy.

Research by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that

small businesses are significant contributors to job creation.

The SMME sector contributes more than 45 per cent of the

GDP. In 2007, the contribution of SMMEs to GDP was 35 per

cent. Targets for future contributions range from 60 to 80 per

cent over the next 10 to 15 years. On the other hand, Brazil,

Chile and India’s SMMEs and cooperatives have contributed

approximately contributed 20 per cent to their country’s gross

domestic product and employ 60 million people.

A healthy SMME sector has the potential to create more

employment opportunities and generating higher production

volumes. However, the sad reality is that South Africa has one

of the lowest rates of entrepreneurship activities in the world.

I urge players in industry, academia and civil society to join

hands with us as we seek to unleash an entrepreneurship

revolution.

* Lindiwe Zulu is the Minister of Small Business

Development.

Government sees small businesses and cooperatives as critical to creating an economy that benefits all.


featUre Writer: Noluthando Mkhize Photographer: Siyasanga Mbambani

Voice of citizens amped

It is what every citizen hopes for – a government that

listens to their needs and subsequently delivers services

that address those.

After all, we all want to have a say in that which impacts

us directly in our day-to-day lives.

Government is a step closer to the vision of building a

capable state, with the Department of Planning, Monitor-

ing and Evaluation (DPME) piloting of the Citizens-based

Monitoring (CBM) approach.

The CBM monitors government’s performance, focusing

on the experience of ordinary citizens to strengthen public

accountability and improve service delivery.

The model is not unique to South Africa, with India having

implemented a similar approach.

Promoting active citizens The National Development Plan (NDP) emphasises the im-

portance of promoting active citizens and building a ca-

pable and developmental state. CBM supports this notion.

According to the DPME, currently the emphasis of govern-

ment’s monitoring is on internal government processes and

the voice of the citizen is largely absent. This presents a risk,

as the picture is not complete without incorporating the

experiences of ordinary South Africans.

CBM closes the gap between the perceived and actual

experiences of service delivery for both the user (citizen)

and the provider (government).

Citizens cannot be inactive recipients if government is to

deliver services that address real needs.

The process of citizens working jointly with government

to provide information about service delivery fosters active

citizenry and contributes to building a capable state.

How CBM works Jonathan Timm, the Director of CBM at the DPME, says

the programme uses feedback from citizens to improve

the services that are delivered.

“If you really want to understand whether you are deliver-

ing the right services or whether government is doing

what it has planned to do, you need different sources

of data.

“CBM, in the context of water, could be finding out

whether the community is able to get water from a

tap. Getting feedback from people who are affected by

the service is a very important part of the monitoring

cycle or system.”

Timm says that civil servants are also consulted to de-

termine what the challenges are in delivering services.

“At times you find that the problem is not with the

civil servant administering the service on the ground,

but that the challenges need to be solved high up in

the system.”

CBM is a four-step process. The first is meetings, facili-

tated by the DPME, within a specific community where

citizens, civil society and government officials discuss

the challenges faced by that community.

Secondly, CBM teams from the community, which

have been trained by the DPME, conduct community

surveys on locals’ experiences when they receive gov-

ernment services.

Short questionnaires are used to find out from citizens

what they think about the participating government

departments.

The surveys are also used to gather the views of staff

members providing the services, to get their opinion

on the conditions that they work under.

“By listening to the community and staff, the CBM

model is able to identify where the challenges lie. Peo-

ple who use the service are asked to share their views

about the quality of the service, waiting times, bribery

and the way people are treated by officials,” explains

Timm.

The information is used to develop a plan to improve

services.

The third step includes community members, staff, civil

society and service delivery facility managers coming


together to determine the way forward.

Timm adds that once a plan to improve services has

been discussed and agreed on, a public commitment

to the improvements is made at a community meeting,

bringing together government officials, local council-

lors, traditional leaders and the community.

The last phase of the programme ensures plans are

in place for improvements, including ways for commu-

nity members to monitor progress towards achieving

agreed upon targets.

“This gives citizens a strong voice when it comes to

how local services are provided,” says Timm.

He adds that repeated monitoring cycles might be

done to ensure that the government and the commu-

nity do their part to deliver services that meet people’s

needs.

The piloting of CBMWith the CBM framework approved by Cabinet in Au-

gust 2013, after consultation with a number of civil

society and government role players, the DPME has

rolled up its sleeves and already completed the first

phase of the CBM pilot in Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal and

Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State.

Timm says a number of lessons were learnt in these two

areas.

“In Msinga, for example, there was lack of communica-

tion between the local traditional leaders and the police.

One of the key actions was to build healthy relationships

with the community through dialogue and participation in

strengthening the community policing forum.

“In Phuthaditjhaba, the community raised concerns about

the lack of police visibility in the area. This resulted in the

police station installing tracking devices in all police ve-

hicles to monitor where patrols were taking place, which

increased visibility.”

CBM is currently being piloted in Temba in Gauteng, Burg-

ersfort in Limpopo and Jouberton in North West.

The pilot sites offer a diversity of socio-economic and

geographic conditions, including urban, rural and mining

communities. The pilot phases commenced in 2013 and are

expected to run until 2015.

Currently, the Departments of Health and Social Develop-

ment, South African Social Security Agency and the South

African Police Service are participating in the programme.

There is a special focus on police stations, clinics, hospitals,

South African Social Security Agency pay-points, service sites

and welfare offices. >>

Jonathan Timm, the Director of Citizens-based Monitoring at the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.


By 2015, CBM would have been piloted in all nine

provinces. The DPME will work with sector departments

to expand CBM on a bigger scale.

The role of civil societes CBM not only focus on the relationship between citi-

zens and government but also recognises the role that

civil society has to play.

Civil society is made up of specialist professional

formations, community organisations, faith-based or-

ganisations, advocacy groups, issue-based campaigns,

non-governmental organisations and trade unions.

Timm points out that in the past, the relationship

between civil society and government was usually con-

frontational rather than constructive, when working

together to improve service delivery.

He adds that through CBM, the DPME has worked

with the Good Governance Learning Network - a group

of South African non-governmental organisations - to

promote participatory, effective, accountable and pro-

poor local governance.

Depending on the focus of the civil society organi-

sations, they perform a number of duties, including

raising awareness of what citizens should expect in

terms of government services, mechanisms through

which to raise issues, as well as compiling and analys-

ing citizen feedback.

They also support the incorporation of CBM findings

in decision-making concerning service delivery, enable

the communication of CBM findings to the users and

monitor the implementation of improvement plans

and commitments.

Civil society is also encouraged to develop, imple-

ment and test CBM approaches and engage govern-

ment at all three spheres to promote good possible

service delivery models.

The way forwardOnce the CBM pilots have been completed, the findings

will be evaluated.

A five-year strategy will then be developed and policy

recommendations will be submitted to Cabinet. The

roll-out of CBM across the country will then be deter-

mined.

The first phase of the CBM pilot has been completed in Msinga, KZN and Phuthaditjaba in the Free State.

featUre


About NAFCOC

The National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( NAFCOC) is an independent and non-profit business support organisation primarily, but not exclusively, serving the black community. It was formed in 1964 under the leadership of luminary businessman, Dr Richard Maponya, who was its inaugural president. The organisation has been led by some of our country’s top business people for the last 50 years, including Dr Sam Motseunyane and Patrice Motsepe, among many others.

Its main objective is to promote and encourage the development of black business in South Africa and thereby draw the black majority into economic activity and decision making. NAFCOC offers business support in the areas of lobbying, mentoring, business advice, and information on small business. Over the years, NAFCOC has become a key voice in the matters affecting small business and has been consulted by many stakeholders including government, development institutions, and the private sector on matters affecting the small business sector in South Africa.

NAFCOC is currently led by renowned businessman and small business activist, Lawrence Mavundla, who was re-elected into office on 22 September 2014. Lawrence Mavundla is the Founder and President of African Co-Operative for Hawkers and Informal Business (ACHIB), one of the key constituencies of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc), which he also leads as the National President. Nafcoc, formed in 1964, is arguably one of this country’s oldest and largest business chambers. Mavundla has a long track record in small business activism and he has been a voice of conscience in matters affecting small business for over three decades.

Mavundla was born in the district of Eshowe in KwaZulu Natal. After high school he went on to work in the farms and mines ending up as a Shift Controller at East Driefontein Gold Mine. He was part of the formation of The National Union of Mine Workers (NUM), where he became a shop steward. He was fired after organising

a strike. He was later arrested at Carltonville for helping organising the strike and send to Potchefstroom prison for nine months. He worked briefly as an organiser for, Railways Harbors & Allied union and for the Post Telecommunications Workers Union. He was founding General Secretary of the National Union of Farm Workers. Armed with the defiance of youth and vision to succeed, Mavundla left his work as a mine employee in the 1980s to start his own informal business in the streets of Johannesburg. He has never looked back. He founded Co-Operative for Hawkers and Informal Business in 1986 to fight for the trading rights of blacks who faced a barrage of racist and discriminatory laws that prevented them from enterprising independently. Over the years the organisation has become a key and loud voice of the voiceless. ACHIB holds equity stakes in some of this country’s premier corporations including Barloworld and Cell C.

Mavundla sits on many boards including the Small Enterprise Finance Agency a subsidiary of the State Owned Enterprise, The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and is also the Chairman of the Black Business Council. He remains a key and consistent authority in matters affecting small business and he has been widely interviewed by many media houses over the years.

Qualifications and awards • Cranefield, in the UK, on Business Management and Administration .• Sweden Chamber of Commerce and Industry• Chamber Management and Strategy USA, Centre for International Private Enterprise, CIPE.• He was awarded the Free Market Award, by the Free Market Foundation, for his

exceptional contribution to the course of Economic Freedom 1988• The KWV excellent award 1988’

Published Works • He is the author and publisher of the book: Freedom to be Enterprising • Contributed to the book: Let the Consumer Decide Jobs.

Visit uswww.nafcoc.org.za

Email us [email protected]@nafcoc.org.za

NAFCOC HouseI summer Place,13 Summer Street,Rivonia,2128

ADVERTORIAL / NATIONAL AFRICAN FEDERATED CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Contact details:

A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS

featUre Writer: Albert Pule and Ursula Graaff

Military Ombud Offi ce tackles soldiers’ grievances

Retired Lieutenant-General (Lt-Gen) Temba Templeton Matan-

zima is a man of contrasting personalities. At fi rst glance, the

former Acting Chief of the South African National Defence

Force (SANDF) appears to be shy and reserved, traits that are in direct

confl ict with his former profession.

He walks into the room dressed in a black suit and red tie. Despite

the civilian clothing, his punctuality for the interview with Public

Sector Manager magazine and fi rm handshake is a giveaway that

he is a military man.

At fi rst he appears to be slightly apprehensive but as he talks the

other side of Lt-Gen Matanzima emerges.

His voice becomes clearer, he drops his shoulders and his face

lights up as he discusses his newfound passion – dealing with

issues aff ecting soldiers.

Lt-Gen Matanzima is the head of the newly estab-

lished Military Ombud Office, which is tasked with

dealing with the soldiers’ complaints related to their

conditions of service.

“This is an institution where members of the SANDF

can lodge their complaints if they are not satisfi ed with

the outcomes after exhausting the defence force’s in-

ternal grievance mechanisms. Complaints can be about

conditions of their service. We are referring to things

like promotions, salaries and allowances.

“Soldiers will no longer go to court, Parliament or the

Union Buildings, like we saw in the past, when they are

unhappy. They have been submitting their complaints

to the President, the Minister and even to the media

but now they can turn to this offi ce.”

The institution does not only focus on matters relating

to active members.

“It also provides a platform for former members of

the defence force, even those who are retired or have

resigned, can lodge their complaints with the offi ce. We

will ensure that their concerns are addressed.”

Lt-Gen Matanzima says extensive research was carried

out before the offi ce was established.

The Military Ombud Offi ce is modelled on that of the

Auditor-General, Public Protector and the Independent

Police Investigative Directorate, among others.

Benchmarking was also done with other military om-

bud offi ces in Austria, Germany, Canada, Ireland and

the United Kingdom.

Lt-Gen Matanzima’s offi ce was established in 2012

with the promulgation of the Military Ombud Act of

2012.

With a full staff complement, the offi ce should have 89

employees but it is currently operating with 54.

He adds that the offi ce had already started recruit-

ing additional staff to bolster the current complement.

Because the offi ce is fairly new, Lt-Gen Matanzima says


the workload has been manageable so far.

“At the moment, the workload is adequate. We have

enough capacity to deal with the complaints currently

before us. Some cases that end up here are not relevant

to the office so we refer them to other agencies.”

Former members can also complain about issues

they are facing and the public can complain about

the unacceptable conduct of a member of the SANDF

while on duty.

Ex-soldiers from the former homelands can also reg-

ister their complaints with the office.

“In fact we have dealt with some cases from Ciskei.

The complaint was about pensions that were allegedly

administered by Sanlam when they were integrated

into the SANDF,” says Lt-Gen Matanzima.

Since its establishment in 2012 until September this

year, the office dealt with 767 complaints and finalised

483 of them. It also regularly provides advice and guid-

ance to soldiers who lodge complaints that fall outside

its mandate.

Lt-Gen Matanzima adds that cases are dealt with on

their merits.

“There are those complicated cases, where there are

technicalities involved that take more time to finalise,”

he explains.

The office is currently finalising regulations under the

Act but tries to finalise all cases within 90 days. If a case

goes beyond this period the complainant is informed.

Complaints can be lodged in writing, over the phone, by fax or

in person.

Intake officers record the complaint after which it is assessed to

determine whether or not the Military Ombudsman has jurisdiction

to take it further.

The complaint is then assigned to the investigation unit for thor-

ough investigation. If the complaint involves the SANDF, its relevant

command structures are informed of the complaint so that it can

respond and provide further information.

After spending more than 30 years in the military, Lt-Gen Ma-

tanzima is certainly well armed with the experience to deal with

complaints of other military men and women.

He joined the Transkei Defence Force (TDF) in 1978 and progressed

through the ranks to become a Brigadier in 1987 and was also ap-

pointed Chief of Staff of the TDF. In 1993 he became a Major-General

and was appointed Chief of the TDF.

He then progressed to Chief of Defence Personnel, Chief of Human

Resources and Chief of Joint Operations over the years.

In 2010, he was appointed Acting Secretary of Defence and later

the same year, Acting Chief of the SANDF – a position he occupied

until May 2011.

Apart from his military qualifications, Lt-Gen Matanzima also has

a Certificate in Defence Management from Wits University, Diploma

in Public Management and Administration from the Ghana Insti-

tute of Public Management and Administration and a Masters in

Management and Development from the North-West University.

Lieutenant-General Temba Matanzima's office deals with issues affecting soldiers.


featUre Writer: Noluthando Mkhize Photographer: Siyasanga Mbambani

Effective monitoring and evaluation can improve service delivery

Government views monitoring and evalua-

tion as an important management practice

that, when applied correctly, can help it to

accurately measure the progress made in implement-

ing policies.

This is according to the Minister in The Presidency

for Planning, Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation

and Administration, Jeff Radebe, who opened the

South African Monitoring and Evaluation Associa-

tion’s (Samea) Capacity Building Series and Annual

General Meeting, in East London, recently.

The event drew representatives from the Public

Service Commission, University of Fort Hare, the

Department of Performance Monitoring and Evalu-

ation (DPME), Global MEASURE Evaluation Project and

Samea. The theme was “Professionalising monitoring

and evaluation for improved performance”.

Achieving the goals of the NDPThe Minister said monitoring and evaluation had an

important role to play in achieving the goals set out

in the National Development Plan (NDP).

“The NDP invites us to build a state capable of

leading society in a developmental journey towards

overcoming the triple challenges of unemployment,

poverty and inequality facing our people.

“The fulfilment of these developmental aspirations

depends on the joint effort and commitment by all

sectors of our society. Monitoring and evaluation

practitioners have a critical role to play in contribut-

ing towards the realisation of the NDP goals,” said

the Minister.

The results of monitoring and evaluation armed

government with evidence that would help it solve

societal challenges, enhance accountability for the

resources entrusted to the state by the taxpayers and

have a positive impact on the lives of citizens through

improved outcomes, he noted.

“We have a real challenge on our hands, signified by

the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and

inequality to which we must collectively leave no stone

unturned towards their speedy resolution. Monitoring

and evaluation holds the key towards efficiently and

effectively achieving those stated [NDP] goals and ob-

jectives both in the short and long run.”

Evidence from monitoring and evaluation alerts gov-

ernment to a number of risks, which include lack of

strong monitoring and accountability mechanisms in

the schooling system, among others, explained Min-

ister Radebe.

“We have, therefore, prioritised the strengthening of

existing monitoring and evaluation systems across the

service delivery value-chain, from schools to districts,

provinces, and the national departments.

“We are also introducing an annual school monitor-

ing survey, which will provide us with better quality

data to monitor most of the basic education indicators.”

Improved performance in the schooling system is

at the heart of building the skills base for economic

growth, development and ensuring that society is able

to achieve equity and development goals.

“Government cannot achieve this alone. We need to

strengthen and monitor the established social contract

between government, teacher unions, teacher train-

ing institutions, parent and school governing bodies,

business and civil society organisations,” stressed the

Minister.

Monitoring and evaluation programmes were de-

signed and implemented to build the capacity of de-

partments and municipalities to assess their work and

develop a culture of improvement, according to DPME

Director-General Dr Sean Phillips.

Government has made great strides to introduce

monitoring and evaluation in the Public Sector with a

special emphasis on not overloading departments and

municipalities with reporting requirements.


Working closely with the National Planning Commis-

sion, the DPME plays an important role in the continu-

ous improvement in service delivery through perfor-

mance monitoring and evaluation.

Phillips added that his office has a number of part-

nerships related to monitoring and evaluation, which

includes those with the offices of Premiers, National

Treasury, the Department of Public Service and Ad-

ministration, the Public Service Commission, and the

Office of the Auditor-General.

Assessing results and impactHe pointed that the DPME aimed to address problems

within the Public Sector such as “a culture of doing

things the way they have always been done, as op-

posed to a culture of continuous improvement”.

In some instances, public servants focused on activi-

ties without assessing their results or impact, Phillips

added. There was also a perception that monitoring

and reporting was about compliance rather than im-

provement.

Phillips also identified poor programme planning as well as weak-

nesses in setting indicators and targets as additional problems in

the Public Service.

However, he pointed out that these problems were not unique

to South Africa and were common in other countries as well.

Tackling the problems“Monitoring and evaluation can assist with solving the problem

but is not a silver bullet.

Monitoring and evaluation produces information, but unless

managers act on the information, it has little impact.”

He added that the NDP had also identified other key problems,

which needed to be resolved for performance to improve such as

weak recruitment processes, training and development, as well as

weak supply chain management and operational management.

Frontline service delivery Phillips said the introduction of frontline service delivery moni-

toring such as unannounced visits, Citizens-based Monitoring

and the Presidential Hotline aimed to improve departments’ own

monitoring of the quality of their frontline service delivery. >>

Minister in The Presidency Jeff Radebe says monitoring and evaluation holds the key to achieving the NDP goals.


He explained that monitoring results were supplied

to Cabinet and the responsible national departments.

To date 536 facilities had been monitored and 77 facili-

ties re-monitored to track improvements.

“For the 2014/15 financial year, 90 facilities will be

monitored and 120 facilities will be re-monitored to

track improvements.”

State of monitoring and evaluation in governmentPhillips said his department had conducted studies to

understand the current state and use of monitoring

and evaluation in government.

“The surveys indicate generally low levels of under-

standing of the purpose and importance of monitor-

ing and evaluation in public management. [There is]

a sense that problems are not generally treated as an

opportunity to learn. Monitoring and evaluation is often

not championed by senior management.

“[It] is often seen as an external policing function and

not a management function that should be implemented

by all.”

Chairman of Samea, Terence Beny, noted that monitoring

and evaluation was be in the best interest of the public.

He pointed out that it was important to professionalise

monitoring and evaluation.

Rather than viewing it as a tedious administrative bur-

den, public servants should welcome and embrace moni-

toring and evaluation as a means to assess progress made

in implementing government policy and identifying ar-

eas that require improvement. The information gathered

during monitoring and evaluation can help government

perform better and ultimately better the lives of South

Africans.

Minister in The Presidency Jeff Radebe shares a moment with the University of Fort Hare Vice-Chancellor Dr Mvuyo Tom during the South Africa Monitoring and Evaluation Association event in East London.

featUre



featUre Writer: Albert Pule

Public Works closes the door on fraud and corruption

The Department of Public Works is waging a new offensive

against longstanding corruption, maladministration and

fraud.

Recently, the department established a Property Management

Trading Entity, implemented a turnaround strategy and launched

several criminal and civil cases against former officials in a bid to

recoup the funds lost over the years.

So far, investigations have uncovered R34,9 billion in irregular

expenditure dating back to 2001. Of that amount, R1,1 billion has

been linked to fraud and corruption.

Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi recently outlined measures

the department had introduced to address irregular expenditure.

The Property Management Trading EntityEarlier this year, Cabinet approved the estab-

lishment of a Property Management Trading

Entity (PMTE) to better manage state prop-

erty and save costs.

The entity will also work towards improv-

ing the quality of government services to

the public by improving access to and the

quality of public buildings.

In addition, it will be required to use the

state’s vacant properties productively, lev-

eraging the state’s property portfolio to empower emerging busi-

nesses and create employment.

According to Minister Nxesi, more than 70 per cent of the business

of the department is property management and, historically, this

was the area that has been poorly managed.

“The PMTE operates as a special vehicle, formulating and adopt-

ing internationally accepted management and accounting norms

and standards in the management of the state’s immovable as-

sets,” explained the Minister.

Fraud and corruption As efforts to uproot fraud and corruption continue, the work done

by the department is starting to yield positive results. From 2009,

more than 100 cases of fraud and corruption, involving more

than R1.1 billion, have either been finalised or are in the process

of being investigated.

“Several people, including former senior officials of the depart-

ment, will appear in court to face charges arising from miscon-

duct and corruption. The department has also launched

several civil cases in a bid to recoup the allegedly ill-

gotten funds.”

Since the implementation of the turnaround strategy

in January of 2012, six officials have been fired for mis-

conduct. In the current financial year, about 15 cases

are being investigated.

Minister Nxesi highlighted that 13 companies were

being investigated for various transgressions ranging

from procurement processes not being followed to

incorrect suppliers being appointed.

“Issues of procurement are central to the business

of the organisation and as a result the systems and

processes overhaul within the supply chain manage-

ment will continue to drive our vision of

transforming the department,” the Min-

ister noted.

Some of the issues that resulted in ir-

regular expenditure at the department

included incomplete procurement doc-

umentation and documents approved

incorrectly.

In some cases, tenders were not ad-

vertised for the full 21 days, negotiated

procedures were followed for procurement of contracts

and a minimum of three quotations were not received.

Over the five year period, irregular expenditure by the

department decreased significantly.

He said 2009/10 and prior years accounted for 65 per

cent of the total irregular expenditure; 2010/2011 made

up 14 per cent; 2011/2012 accounted for 11 per cent;

2012/2013 made up 8 per cent and in 2013/2014 it was

reduced to just 2 per cent.

Minister Nxesi said the department had improved its

investigative capacity to deal with fraud, corruption and

maladministration in the new financial year.

“I can also give you the assurance that appropriate

action will be taken against perpetrators where there

are found to be reasonable grounds for it. We have

repeatedly mentioned that fraud, corruption and mal-

administration have no place in the Public Works. We

are seeking to rebuild,” he said.

To report suspected

acts of corruption in the

Public Service,

call the toll free hotline

on 0800 701 701.

featUre Writer: Andile Cele

SA aims to sharpen innovative edgeSouth Africa needs to sharpen its innovative edge and

continue contributing to global scientific and technologi-

cal advancement, says Telecommunications and Postal

Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele.

Speaking at the GovTech 2014 conference recently, Minister

Cwele said this was according to the National Development

Plan (NDP), which requires greater investment in research and

development, better use of existing resources, and more nimble

institutions that facilitate innovation and enhanced coopera-

tion between public science and technology institutions and

the private sector.

The Minister emphasised government’s plans to improve lives

by using technology.

“Our ambitious plans to use technology to improve the quality

of the lives of our people are anchored in the NDP and South

Africa Connect, our Broadband Strategy and Plan,” he explained.

GovTech 2014The four-day GovTech 2014 conference was held at the Durban

International Convention Centre under the theme “A govern-

ment empowered by technology”.

Designed by government for government, GovTech is a

substantive, value-packed learning opportunity

strategically developed to meet the current needs of

ICT professionals and decision-makers from all spheres

of government.

It focuses on unlocking the power of ICT in Public

Service delivery, by celebrating successes, showcasing

achievements and recognising progresses made so far.

Department of Telecommunications and Postal ServicesThe Minister noted that his department was also re-

sponsible for coordinating the deployment of public

and private sector communications infrastructure,

ensuring that all South Africans receive services that

they need.

“In other words, we are all therefore tasked to ensure

that the country extracts maximum value for every rand

invested in ICTs, broadband infrastructure and services

to accelerate service delivery in a manner that helps

to fight the persistent challenges of unemployment,

poverty and inequality.”

Minister Cwele said that Cabinet adopted the strategy

Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele.


to roll-out broadband infrastructure and services.

“The strategy talks of plans to connect all government

offices, schools, and health facilities through fast speed

reliable internet. We have already

finalised the first phase business

plan that is aimed at initiating

the programme.”

Innovative achievementsThe Minister also shared some

examples of the innovative

achievements of government,

which included smart card

IDs and the convenience with

which tax returns could be sub-

mitted.

“We also know how in our

country technology has made

it more convenient to submit tax returns by enabling

those who have access to computers, smartphones and

can afford to go online to do so in the comfort of their

homes or offices instead of standing in long queues.

Here is a concrete example of how the development

of software and platforms can impact on people and

make services convenient.

“Government is also rolling out new smart cards as a

form of identity because we know that the new tech-

nologies offer better protection of the integrity of our

identities. The smart card ID is more secure than the

previous incarnations, and more convenient to carry

around because they can fit into wallets,” he added.

Reaching out to the youthMinister Cwele also emphasised the importance of

involving the youth and educating them.

“We must also pay attention to training young people to use

these services. We need to consider how we create a conducive

environment for the youth to be innovative and not end up as

just consumers of other people’s tech-

nologies.

“We have an opportunity to

change the face of service delivery

for the better. Let us do it for the

benefit of our future and the youth

of this country,” he said.

Deputy Director-General for Con-

tent Processing and Dissemination

at the Department of Communi-

cations (DoC), Harold Maloka, also

emphasised the importance of

reaching out to the youth of South

Africa by using all available techno-

logical platforms.

In his presentation on the impor-

tance of social media in government, he said: “Social media has

allowed government to have a cost effective, efficient two-way

conversation with citizens.”

Vuk’uzenzele mobile application, MxitMaloka also launched the Vuk'uzenzele mobile application, which

is now available for download. The Vuk'uzenzele app contains all

the content that can also be found in the print version and online

version of Vuk'uzenzele newspaper. The mobile application was

established due to its cost effectiveness and convenience.

Social Media Director at the DoC, Aslam Levy, also talked about

the importance of government utilising all available platforms.

“Many people are surprised that we are using Mxit, but lower LSMs

are on Mxit and they are just as important,” he noted.

The South African Government is available on social media plat-

forms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flikr, Mxit and Ello. All ac-

counts are aimed at providing relevant information to citizens.

featUre


featUreWriter: Albert PulePhotographer: Albert Pule

Wagon refurbishment puts De Aar economy on new track

The opening of a wagon refurbishment facility by state-

owned Transnet has injected some life, hope and eco-

nomic activity into the quiet town of De Aar, which lies

south of Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

Transnet has invested more than R30 million in the Transnet

Wagons Refurbishing Facility with the aim of increasing

Transnet Freight Rail’s capacity on the main corridor between

Sentrarand and Cape Town, known as Capecor.

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and the Premier of

the Northern Cape, Sylvia Lucas, officially opened the Transnet

Wagons Refurbishing Facility.

“The establishment of such a facility brings hope to the youth

of De Aar to become engineers and better their lives,” said

Minister Brown.

She added that government was committed to revitalising

the economy of rural towns such as De Aar with the intention

of creating sustainable livelihoods for the local people.

This in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), which

envisions that by 2030 the country’s transport system would

support economic development, job creation and

growth, and provide equitable access to opportuni-

ties and services to all.

The facility has created jobs for locals ranging from

specialised, skilled and semi-skilled employment. It has

created work for 47 people, 22 of them from De Aar,

and is expected to create about 300 direct and indirect

jobs in the near future.

Using the NDP as a focal point, government has com-

mitted an expenditure programme of R300 billion allo-

cated to Transnet. The programme is called the Transnet

Market Demand Strategy.

The aim of the programme is to spend on major na-

tional infrastructure to drive economic development,

while addressing unemployment, poverty and inequity.

According to Minister Brown, the facility will have a

long-term impact not only on De Aar but also surround-

ing areas, as it will be a springboard for development

within the province. >>

Transnet's wagon refurbishment facility is creating sustainable livelihoods for the people of De Aar.


In line with the Transnet Market Demand Strategy, the

company is expected to be responsible for job creation,

skills development, localisation and empowerment op-

portunities.

The refurbishment facility’s Profi t Centre Manager

Timothy Jonas said the facility has helped Transnet real-

ise some of its objectives such as creating jobs for locals.

The facility has also played a role in boosting the

property market of De Aar. Some people from outside

De Aar working at the facility have bought property in

the town, giving its economy a boost.

Currently, the facility is responsible for repairing old

and run down wagons that are 10 years old.

“We are responsible for refurbishing old wagons that

are due to be scrapped,” explained Jonas.

The facility repairs two types of wagon: the fi rst type

is NDZLJ 1 and the second is NDZLJ 2. NDZLJ 1 wagons

are used to carry rail tracks while NDZLJ 2 clamp the

rail tracks ensuring they don’t fall off during transit.

The wagons are 13-metres long, two-metres wide and

weigh 42 800 kilograms.

When it was opened, the facility set a target of repair-

ing 163 wagons for the current fi nancial year. By the end

of October, 83 type-1 wagons had been repaired, with

only 80 to go. By the end of October, 19 of the 25 NDZLJ

wagons in for repairs had been refurbished. Jonas said

they were expecting new targets from March 2015.

The opening of the facility has also sparked an inter-

est in rail engineering in members of the community.

“Since we opened, most of the young people from

De Aar have shown an interest in what we do,” Jonas added.

Youth Multi-Purpose PrecinctIn addition to opening the wagon refurbishing facility, Min-

ister Brown and Premier Lucas handed over two houses to

families who had to relocate so that Transnet could establish

its Youth Multi-Purpose Precinct.

The Youth Multi-Purpose Precinct provides shelter for 20

homeless boys, placing them in a healthy environment from

which they can be reintegrated into their families, society or

be equipped with self-sustaining life skills.

The precinct’s Youth Educational Centre provides access to

a library, career information, higher education information,

health care, and more, with the aim to inform and inspire

young people from De Aar.

The Youth Recreational Park will provide a positive environ-

ment for young people to socialise in constructive and safe

surroundings. This will consist of an outdoor amphitheatre,

outdoor chess board and basketball court.

In addition, the Youth Enterprise Development initiative is

an exit strategy for boys older than 18 who have a sustainable

occupation as artisans. Boys will be trained to form their own

small enterprises and be contracted to maintain Transnet

properties. Transnet Property will fund this programme.

The Transnet Foundation will fully fund the De Aar Youth

Precinct for the fi rst three years (2014 to 2016). During this

time, the Transnet Foundation and the board will engage

with other potential donors and partners to invest in the

precinct. All these projects have the potential to promote

the socio-economic development of De Aar.

Before After

featUre

The wagon refurbishment facility repairs old and run down wagons that are 10 years old.


featUre

Stand against abuse of women and children

Writer: * Susan Shabangu

Imagine living in a society where we no longer read or hear

about the abuse that women and children often suff er at the

hands of heartless perpetrators. A society where they are safe

at home, at school and at work; where children play safely outside

and women walk freely in the streets. This is the society that the

16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children

campaign hopes to achieve.

The campaign, which takes place from 25 November to 10 De-

cember, mobilises civil society, government and other partners

to take action and end violence against women and children. It

is also a stark reminder of the negative impact violence has on

our society, and similarly it challenges perpetrators of violence

to change their behaviour.

This year marks the 16th anniversary of the campaign. Since its

inception 16 years ago, the campaign has had a transformative

impact. It has placed issues aff ecting women and children fi rmly

on the agenda and has encouraged all of us not to look away

and not to ignore the abuse.

The campaign has reached a new milestone: now we are at the

point where we are moving from awareness to action. In 2014, the

campaign is run under the theme “Count Me In: Together Moving

a Non-Violent South Africa forward”. It underscores government’s

plan to mobilise all South Africans to take a fi rm stand against

this scourge.

The challenge now is to go even further to ensure that

we involve more men and to this end, we continue to

work closely with men’s forums, the National House of

Traditional Leaders and religious leaders to ensure the

safety of women and children. However, to succeed

in ending the violence, we need to understand that

it is going to take a lot more eff ort; all South Africans

must support the campaign against violence by saying

“Count Me In”.

Government is also providing leadership to end vio-

lence being meted out against women and children.

We have over the years introduced legislation and a

number of programmes to respond to all forms of

violence. We have, for example, reopened the Family

Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Off ences Units

as well as the Sexual Off ences Courts. In addition, the

Department of Social Development in 2014 launched

a Gender-Based Violence Command Centre to provide

support and counselling to victims of gender-based

violence. It also links victims to social workers that are

in close proximity to them.

However, in spite of these notable advances as well

as our constitutional and legislative protection, we

remain concerned that violence based on gender >>

President Jacob Zuma offi cially launched the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign in Reiger Park, Johannesburg.


and sexual orientation remains unacceptably high. This

has a negative impact on our fellow South Africans’ abil-

ity to enjoy their hard won rights and freedom, and as

a society we have an obligation to create an enabling

environment where all of us are able to freely exercise

our rights and live free from violence.

This places the onus on all of us to rise to the occasion

and fi nd concrete ways to become involved over and

above just wearing a white ribbon to show solidarity for

the duration of the 16-days period. We must recommit

ourselves to speak out against violence, report it and

encourage our children to report abuse either at school

or at home. We must also continue to be the eyes

and ears of the South African Police Ser-

vice (SAPS); we often witness crimes

in progress or know of criminals and

or at home. We must also continue to be the eyes

and ears of the South African Police Ser-

vice (SAPS); we often witness crimes

in progress or know of criminals and

perpetrators of violence in our communities.

SAPS is working hard to solve cases of violence against women

and children. We need to play our part and assist the police

whenever we can. This involves reporting such crimes and en-

couraging family and community members to do the right thing.

This is but one of the ways in which we can send a strong

message that no woman or child should be sexually harassed,

beaten, raped, stabbed, shot or attacked anywhere in our country.

In addition to our uncompromising stand against incidents of

violence, we must intensify our fi ght against alcohol and illegal

substance abuse as some of the root causes of senseless domestic

violence, abuse, rape and killings.

Let us all commit to be part of the solution and be counted in.

Spreading the message that enough is enough is a giant leap

towards building a South Africa where our women and children

feel safe and secure.

Through community action and a visible change in our atti-

tudes, behaviour, values and beliefs we can stamp this out and

improve the quality of life, safety and security of the most vulner-

able members of our society. Let us all heed the clarion call to be

counted in and play a constructive part in moving the country

forward to make it a safer place for our women and children.

*Susan Shabangu is the Minister in The Presidency

for Women.

President Jacob Zuma and Minister Susan Shabangu sign a pledge showing their commitment to the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign.

featUre


Close to a sad chapter

When the nation woke up to the news on 13

September, that a number of South Africans

had lost their lives, following the collapse of a

guest house at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in La-

gos, Nigeria, none of us imagined the extent of the tragedy

or the sorrow that would unfold.

It was only when the numbers were confirmed by our

mission in Lagos on 15 September, at the time 68, that our

nation went into a state of shock. As things are today, we

lost 85 of our compatriots in that tragedy. Never, since we

attained our democracy in 1994, have South Africans had

to deal with the loss of so many lives outside our borders.

It’s been a harrowing few months for the country, in par-

ticular, for the families who had to deal with the trauma of

losing loved ones in such a tragic manner. The pain was

exacerbated by the prolonged wait for DNA tests and the

repatriation of the mortal remains from Nigeria to South

Africa. As always after such a devastating event there is

a search for answers, for closure and a quest for healing.

But, on 16 November, we came a step closer to closure

and healing for the families, friends and colleagues af-

fected by this tragedy, when we finally brought these

compatriots home, where they were laid to rest.

While we can only imagine the pain the families

and loved ones are experiencing at this moment, we

hope the return of the bodies for burial in South Africa

will begin a process to this end. The days, weeks and

months ahead will not be easy, but the repatriation of

the remains is a step that will move the families and

loved ones closer to putting this tragedy behind us,

and true healing will only begin once they bid farewell

to their next of kin in a dignified and solemn manner.

I want to reassure the nation that government under-

stands the anguish and frustration of the families who

had to wait for the return of their loved ones. No one

should have to experience this kind of trauma.

Social workers from the Department of Social De-

velopment have been liaising with the families and

keeping them informed of all developments and have

been visiting families to provide them with updates >>

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa comforts a relative of one of the South Africans who lost their lives in Nigeria, while Minister in The Presidency Jeff Radebe looks on.

oPinion*Writer: Jeff Radebe


and psychosocial support. They will continue to pro-

vide support throughout the bereavement period.

Families of the deceased are encouraged to contact

government’s grief counselling services should they

feel the need.

The Inter-Ministerial Task Team, which was formed

shortly after the tragedy, continued to support the

families throughout and did whatever was necessary

to manage the impact of the ordeal. They ensured that

the families were aware of all developments and had

coordinated arrangements for the families to retrieve

the remains of their loved ones at Waterkloof Air Force

Base on 16 November. We will continue to offer all the

support we can in this regard.

We would like to assure South Africans and the fami-

lies that the bodies that were not repatriated on 16

November will arrive once the identification process

is concluded by the Nigerian authorities.

We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the

remains of all our compatriots are returned.

As we allow the families to bury their loved ones in

private and in peace, we thank all South Africans for

their support and patience throughout this period.

Government expresses its appreciation to the Nigerian

authorities for the cooperation accorded to me and

my delegation in ensuring that the identification and

repatriation of the injured and deceased South Africans

was done in a professional and cordial manner.

Nigeria and South Africa enjoy cordial relations dating

back from the days we were struggling for freedom and

democracy in South Africa. This tragedy has brought the

two countries even closer and our relations will remain

strong.

We have also noted the commitment from the Nigerian

authorities to continue the investigation into the tragedy

in a bid to get to the bottom of what may have led to the

ordeal of 12 September that has claimed so many lives,

including those of Nigerians.

The South African government is not playing any role

in the investigations because this matter falls within the

Nigerian legal jurisdiction.

However, we stand ready to provide support to our Ni-

gerian counterparts with their investigations should we

be called on.

The families and friends of our fallen compatriots de-

serve answers about the cause of this tragedy.

We trust that the investigation will be concluded soon

so all of us can put this chapter behind us. For now, let

us use this moment to reflect on the events of the past

months while at the same time allow our compatriots to

rest in peace. Let us all remember that the strength of

a nation is not tested in the best of times. Together we

remain strong and united as a country!

*Jeff Radebe is the Minister in The Presidency for Plan-

ning, Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Trucks carry the remains of the victims of the guest house collapse in Nigeria shortly after the remains arrive at the Waterkloof Air Force Base.

oPinion


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We work to raise awareness of the business case for disAbility, promote disAbility inclusion initiatives, and encourage the exchange of ideas amongst business, political actors and people with disAbilities. We are committed to the inclusion of people with disAbilities in all aspects of the South African society, and in particular as workers, consumers and policy-makers.

We offer a disAbility Consultancy service customised to help individual organisations adjust their approach to disAbility, by addressing the needs of people with disAbilities who are present employees and prospective employees and positioning the organisation as a preferred employer of choice.

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Our coaching and mentoring service helps you make lasting changes to your organisation’s perception of disAbility issues. Our coaches are mainly people with disAbilities who are ideally placed to provide coaching and mentoring sessions for employees who have acquired impairments. We can help employees get back to work more quickly and help your organisation ensure that it is not indirectly discriminating against employees with disAbilities.

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your organisation needs to deal effectively with issues around disAbility, equality and accessibility. We offer a range of services

suitable for public, private and other sector organisations, including training, consultancy,

access audits and policy development.

oPinion *Writer: Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

No ocean too deep to stop usAs we look at new ways of diversifying South Africa’s

economy, government’s attention is shifting to the

potential of harnessing the opportunities provided

by our oceans for the benefit of our country’s economy.

It’s estimated the potential of untapped off-shore oil reserves

in South Africa’s oceans is as high as nine billion barrels, which

is equivalent to 40 years of oil consumption nationally or ap-

proximately 80 per cent of current oil and gas imports.

Tapping into off-shore oil reserves will create 130 000

jobs and add more than R20 billion to the country’s

gross domestic product (GDP).

With a coastline that stretches over 2 798km, South

Africa has a natural advantage to tap into the ocean

economy, but until now, we haven’t exploited this abun-

dant resource.

Recently President Jacob Zuma spelt out exactly

Deputy Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.


how the state intended to provide over one mil-

lion people with employment when he released the

country’s ocean delivery plans as part of Operation

Phakisa in Durban.

Operation Phakisa – which means “hurry up” in

Sesotho – is South Africa’s strategy to unlock the

commercial potential of our vast oceans and trans-

late that into real jobs and real economic growth.

President Zuma said that through Operation Phak-

isa, government wanted to unlock investments and

add billions of rand to the economy.

Exploring our oceans as the next growth frontier

makes perfect sense, given our unique and enviable

position of being bordered by two great oceans,

loaded with development and commerce pros-

pects.

In 2010, the ocean contributed approximately

R54 billion to South Africa’s GDP and accounted

for about 316 000 jobs.

With further exploration of the ocean economy’s

various sectors, much more can be done. It is pro-

jected the “blue economy” will contribute R20 billion

to GDP by 2019. Fast forward to 2033 and we’re

looking at a GDP contribution of about R177 billion and just over one

million jobs. This is good news for any country, given the down-in-

the-mouth economic climate globally.

As we battle an unemployment rate of 25 per cent, we should all

ride the wave of the blue economy as a means to beat the triple chal-

lenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. Also, for us to get to

the target of five per cent economic growth in the next five years, it

is imperative we make our economy as diverse as possible.

Our oceans are just one source of economic growth that has been

ignored over the years. And as we sought to change this, we went as

far as the bottom of the ocean to find the answers and this was how

Operation Phakisa was born.

The strategy is an adaptation of the Big Fast Results methodology that

was successfully used by the Malaysian government in its economic

and government transformation programmes.

We’re now in the process of establishing a National Shipping Com-

pany in partnership with South Korea, while expanding our port capac-

ity for repair work for oil ships and oil rigs. We’re also set to increase

the minerals exported on local ships, which can create more than

4 000 direct jobs.

Importantly, it should be noted that care is being taken to ensure

all this development happens in an environmentally responsible and

sustainable manner. A National Marine Spatial Planning Framework will

be completed by December

2015 to oversee this.

Given all these advantages,

and with the support of our

partners in the private sector,

government is confident we

are maximising our marine

potential.

And, as the President so

aptly put it: “When we put

South Africa first, we achieve

results that move our country

forward.”

South Africa is a country

hard at work where no ocean

is too deep to stop us.

*Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

is the Deputy Minister of

Communications.South Africa's untapped off-shore oil reserves have the potential to benefit the country.


ProfiLes in LeaDershiPfinanCiaL fitness Writer: Ursula Graaff

Money spent wisely is money saved wisely

Every year consumers spend too much money over the

December holidays only to be left in financial difficulty in

January.

To help you avoid falling into that trap, PSM spoke to Gerald

Mwandiambira from the Savings Institute of South Africa about

saving for, during and after the holidays.

People often make the mistake of letting loose in December. And

who can blame them? It’s a time for fun and relaxation.

However, Mwandiambira says December should be treated just

like every other month.

“Do not spend money on things that you have not budgeted

for,” he cautions.

Common mistakes include spending money on things that are

not needed and stretching budgets far too thin.

“There is also the illusion among consumers that the end of year

bonus is extra money that can be spent however they want to,

thus skipping payments and debit orders that should be paid. A

festive season budget should be drawn up,” says Mwandiambira.

A budget will help guide consumers as to what they

should and shouldn’t spend money on, helping them

to spend wisely.

He adds that people have a tendency to spend im-

pulsively when in a group and having a good time.

“Don’t impress people with money that you do not

have,” Mwandiambira adds.

There are benefits to saving before the festive season.

“Saving gives one peace of mind, knowing that extra

expenses will be covered. If you save during the year,

you are able to buy gifts and food and all other extras

without having to worry about money when January

arrives.

“You also make confident decisions when you have

saved for the festive season.”

Using a credit card over the festive season is fine, as

long as you do so wisely.

“Be sure your budget is able to cover the costs of

paying off your December credit,” says Mwandiambira.

He advises that if you do not have a structured plan

to pay back the debt on your credit card, do not use

it until January.

When you go to shopping malls, take a list of what

you need and avoid spending on items that you didn’t

plan to buy.

“Ask your bank to reduce the daily limit on ATM

withdrawals and pay-point spending.”

Don’t compare the number of parcels you have to

what others have, because you don’t know what

their financial position is.

When purchasing items, ask yourself if it is a need

or a want. If you need it, you can’t do without it, so

buy it. If you think it is a want wait for three days.

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“After a three-day cooling off time, the consumer usu-

ally does not go back for it as they don’t need it,” says

Mwandiambira.

Look for bargains or sell something at home to pay

for the new item you want.

Mwandiambira says there is nothing wrong with

spending money during the festive season; it’s how

you spend it that counts.

“Saving should be a lifestyle and people should make

wise spending decisions.”

When it comes to children and their school expenses,

the best time to buy stationery and uniforms is in Janu-

ary, when you will find bargains.

However, you should save in December for

January’s school purchases. If possible,

go to the bank and put money into

a separate savings account.

Ask the bank to release the

money on a set date so

that it’s available when

you need it.

“Saving should be

part of your lifestyle

and nature. You should save

all the time, regardless of the occa-

sion or season. Always have an emergency

savings account for unexpected expenses that you have not

budgeted for,” he adds.

Make the holidays countGoing on holiday? Here are a few tips on spending and saving

when on holiday.

Eating out at restaurants can be expensive especially when you

have a big family. Look into buying all-inclusive meals, where

you receive a free drink or something extra, at no additional cost.

Instead of going to far away destinations choose closer, smaller

towns with beautiful scenery and activities on offer in and around

the town.

When looking for places to stay or cars to rent, look for trustwor-

thy booking websites. This is sometimes cheaper than booking

directly with the company.

Instead of booking into hotels, which can be

expensive, rather book into a bed and

breakfast or self-catering unit.

Before booking a holiday spot, re-

search what activities you could do

there. Some of them could be free.

The one option, which a lot of people

may not be too keen about, is staying at

home. Find out about places to visit in and

around your own town. This can be fun and

educational.

It's is a good idea to have a structured plan to pay back the debt on your credit card.


Lakela KaundaChief Operations Officer, The Presidency Lakela Kaunda has served as the Deputy Director-General and Head of

the Private Office of the President since 2009. She is a seasoned executive

with more than 20 years’ experience in government and the media. She

has previously served as the spokesperson for the Deputy President, Head

of Communications and later Special Advisor on Communications to the

Minister of Social Development, as Director of Communications for the

Department of Communications and as public relations officer to the MEC

for Economic Affairs and Tourism in KwaZulu-Natal.

Her media career included her serving as editor of the Evening Post in Port

Elizabeth and as assistant editor, deputy news editor and political reporter

for the Natal Witness and Echo newspapers in Pietermaritzburg. She is also

a former chairperson of the South African National Editors’ Forum.

Kaunda holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in World Politics from the London

School of Economics and Political Science, Bachelor of Journalism and

Media Studies from Rhodes University, a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Poli-

tics from UNISA and a Master’s degree in South African Politics and Political Economy from the University of Port Elizabeth.

As the Chief Operations Officer she will be the accounting officer in The Presidency and will also be responsible for strategy,

operations and performance.

PUbLiC seCtor aPPointMents Compiled by: Mduduzi Tshabangu

Fundisile MketeniChief Executive Officer, South African National Parks (SANParks) Fundisile Mketeni started his career as a Trainee Assistant Manager at

Double Drift Game Reserve in 1989 and later moved to SANParks as the

Park Manager of the Addo Elephant National Park.

He has a wealth of experience in the development and management of

protected areas, tourism development and management, conservation

of biodiversity and Public Sector management.

He worked in Addo at a time when major tourism developments,

concessions and community beneficiation initiatives were being

undertaken. While at SANParks he has served as the Chief Operating

Officer for the 19 National Parks (except the Kruger National Parks), and

acted as Executive Director: Parks, before taking up the position of Deputy

Director-General: Biodiversity and Conservation at the Department of

Environmental Affairs in 2004. As the Deputy Director-General responsible

for Biodiversity and Conservation in the Department of Environmental

Affairs, Mketeni spearheaded the country’s biodiversity agenda for the

past 10 years.

He has played an instrumental role in the development and

implementation of South Africa’s rhino anti-poaching legislation and

policies, and headed the Rhino Issue Management Process.

He holds a National Diploma in Nature Conservation from Fort Cox College, National Higher Diploma in Nature Conservation

from Port Elizabeth Technikon and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from the University of the Free State.


booK reVieWs Compiler: Maselaelo Seshotli

Heart, Mind & Money: Using Emotional Intelligence for Financial Success,

Vangile Makwakwa

Intelligence and educa-

tion are often considered

primary keys to financial

security in today’s world.

Yet money-trouble is still

a problem faced by thou-

sands of people in spite of

their schooling and acu-

men.

The root of this issue is

frequently something al-

most never thought of when considering

fi nance: emotion. Emotions are the link between one’s thoughts

and one’s behaviour.

Heart, Mind & Money can help individuals to:

• Overcomethenegativeemotionsthatfrustratetheirprogress.

• Letgoofpasthurtsrelatedtomoneyandstartunblockingthe

path to positive wealth manifestation.

• Harnessthepositiveemotionsthatleadtoastateofabundance

that will change their fi nances for the better.

The book includes:

• Thehistorybehind25emotionsandtheevolutionaryimportance

of these emotions.

• Theimpactthateachemotionhasonbehaviourandfinancial

decision-making.

• Knowledgetogiveadeepunderstandingofwhyonefeelsthe

way one does about money.

• Step-by-stepexercisestohelpmastertheseemotions.

Applying emotional intelligence to fi nances can help one im-

prove fi nancial health and live a happier life. The lessons in this

book are a smart investment.

About the AuthorHaving pursued her MBA degree at the Simmons School of Man-

agement in Boston, Vangile Makwakwa is now a writer and speaker

with expertise in fi nancial coaching. Over the past four years she

has focused on researching and understanding the link between

emotions and fi nancial behaviour.

Sometimes there is a void: Memories of an Outsider, Zakes Mda

Born in the Eastern Cape in 1948, Zanemvula Kizito Gaty-

eni Mda spent his childhood in Soweto.

He moved to

Lesotho at the

age of 14, where

he joined his fa-

ther in exile and

completed his

high school edu-

cation.

In this memoir

Zanemvula, know

to his fans and

friends as Zakes

Mda, puts the past

and present into

perspective to give

an intensely person-

al story of his devel-

opment as an artist,

musician and fi lmmaker.

The reader learns more about Mda’s involve-

ment in politics during his time in exile and about the

development of his musical, artistic, literary talents.

About the Author:Mda has contributed to South Africa’s social and cultur-

al advancement and to the development of indigenous

literature through his work with local playwrights.

He obtained two Master’s degrees from the Ohio Uni-

versity and a PhD from the University of Cape Town

and has worked as a professor of creative writing at

the English Department at Ohio University.

Courage to Lead: Leadership Lessons from Kilimanjaro, Daphna Horowitz

Courage to Lead is a practical guide to leadership. After

reading it you will gain the ‘how to’ of leadership de-

velopment, walking away with useful tips to develop

and enhance your leadership.

This book extends beyond the boardroom and is a

relevant read for anyone who needs to take charge of

Heart, Mind & Money: Using Emotional Intelligence for Financial SuccessVangile Makwakwa

eni Mda spent his childhood in Soweto.

age of 14, where

he joined his fa-

ther in exile and

completed his

high school edu-

In this memoir

Zanemvula, know

to his fans and

friends as Zakes

Mda, puts the past

and present into

perspective to give





perspective to give






his or her leadership

and life.

The practical lessons

and challenges at the

end of each chapter

can be applied to lead-

ership in every aspect

of modern living.

The book is easy to

read and invites the

reader to apply the

lessons. Courage to

Lead is a book that

will inspire, challenge

and transform.

About the AuthorDaphna Horowitz – an actuary, professional speaker and

leadership coach – holds qualifi cations in business, leader-

ship and coaching. She coaches leaders to identify their

personal mission and align that to their work performance

in order to achieve and drive leadership excellence within

their organisations.

Flight at Dawn: Leadership is not about the leader, Antony J Frost

We live complex and busy lives. But returning to nature can

often provide glimpses into the simplicity we left behind

centuries ago. Flight at Dawn presents examples from our

natural environment that can teach us how to succeed

both professionally

and personally to

enrich and broaden

our lives.

The book is cen-

tred on a visit to a

wildlife reserve by a

father and two en-

thusiastic teenag-

ers who are eager

to explore life.

Frost uses the les-

sons, insights and

experiences gained

from their interaction with nature and witnessing the teenagers’ re-

freshing enthusiasm for the environment to illustrate strategies on

how to get organisations and society to function more productively

and enhance personal development.

This is an innovative book that highlights how life lessons are avail-

able to all of those who observe the behaviour of the fl ora and fauna.

It also reminds us that interaction between people and nature are

crucial for mental health and the well-being of society.

About the AuthorFrost was educated at Queen’s College, Queenstown, and at the Uni-

versities of Natal, Cape Town, and the Witwatersrand. He founded

Sirocco Strategy Management and is also the former the CEO of World

Wildlife Fund South Africa.

From Debt to Riches: Steps to financial success,Phumelele Ndumo

In this easy-to-read guide, Phumelele Ndumo addresses the

financial problems of

ordinary South Africans

who are battling with

garnishee orders, debt

counsel l ing, pay ing

university fees, buying

homes, etc.

Most of us think it is

only high-income earn-

ers who end up finan-

cially independent. But

according to Ndumo,

we can all become fi-

nancially independent,

provided we are willing

to exercise self discipline and put into practice her simple sug-

gestions.

About the Author:Phumelele Ndumo has extensive banking experience having

held senior positions in NBS Boland Bank, FNB and Nedcor.

She has vast experience in auditing, risk management, strategic

management, and fi nancial management. She published her

fi rst book, 7 Secrets Why the Rich Own their Homes, in 2007.


traVeL Writer: Sam BradleytraVeL

High five for family holidaysWith the holidays upon us everyone is on the lookout for

the perfect destination to getaway to with the family.

PSM takes at look holiday destinations that will bring

smiles to both adults and kids.

North West – Pilanesberg National Park

Just three hours drive from Johannesburg lies the Pilanesberg Na-

tional Park. At 55 000 hectares it is South Africa’s fourth biggest re-

serve. Nicknamed “the volcano that gave rise to a game reserve”,

Pilanesberg is set in the crater of a long extinct volcano, giving it a

spectacular landscape of grasslands, plains and rocky outcrops. The

park boasts more than 7 000 animals and 300 birds, and is easily ac-

cessible. All the Big Five can be found at the park and can be seen

from the numerous lookout points and game hides. Entrance to the

park is R60 per adult, R20 per child/pensioner and R20 per vehicle.

There are various accommodation options available for every taste

and budget. There are many luxury lodges bordering the park such as

Ivory Tree Lodge and Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge, while the resorts

affiliated to the park also come highly recommended. Bakgatla Resort

is one of these, and offers chalets for up to five people

as well as executive camping tents (permanent tents

on a wooden deck). The chalets consist of one double

bed and three single beds, as well as a private patio and

braai area. The prices are reasonable and the restaurant

serves good meals, while there are also facilities such as

a swimming pool, putt-putt and a playground to keep

the children entertained.

Keeping everyone happily entertained is always a

challenge, but it shouldn’t be too hard at Pilanesberg

National Park. Once spotting animals in the park has

lost its allure, there are still options such as hiking trails,

walking safaris and even hot air ballooning. Sun City is

also nearby and has a host of attractions such as golf, a

water theme park, elephant rides, shopping and even

the world’s fastest zipline.

KwaZulu-Natal – Oribi Gorge HotelOriginally a farmhouse on a sugarcane plantation, the

Oribi Gorge Hotel boasts a proud 124-year history. With

18 en-suite bedrooms, and surrounded by a peaceful

garden which is home to birds and monkeys as well as

some shy duiker and reedbuck, the hotel is the ideal

place for a relaxing holiday. The key to getting into

holiday mode is good food, and the healthy and hearty

meals at the hotel do just that. The Eagle’s Eyrie is a

fully licensed, indoor and outdoor restaurant that caters

for every taste, while the Wild Fig Café (underneath

an ancient fig tree) is the perfect setting for relaxed

lunches. What makes the hotel special is its location,

so the more time spent gazing out over the beautiful

gorge and green vistas the better. To facilitate this, the

hotel organises picnic baskets as well as braai menus

for those wanting to enjoy their meals at one of the

numerous picnic sites on the property.

Oribi Gorge has become famous as an adventure zone,

There’s plenty to explore in Pilanesberg National Park, including the Big Five.


mainly due to the “Wild 5” adventure activities available

to guests. These include the gorge swing (claimed to

be the world’s highest at 165m), zip-line, 110m cliff-face

abseiling, white-water rafting and single-track moun-

tain bike trails. For those too young for the adventure

activities there is a play park with swings and slides,

and there’s also a swimming pool and plenty of space

for riding bikes. The beaches of Port Shepstone, Shelly

Beach, Uvongo, Margate and Ramsgate are all close

by, and game viewing at Lake Eland Game Reserve is

also an option.

Mpumalanga - GraskopAbout 400km to the east of Johannesburg, the small

forestry town of Graskop has become a popular base-

camp for tourists to explore the many activities and

sights in the area. The town dates backs to the 1830’s,

although it was only formally established as a town in

1914 when the railway line from Nelspruit to Graskop

was completed. Today it is a quiet town, relying on tour-

ism for much of its business, as seen by the numerous

restaurants, pancake houses and curio shops dotted

along the streets.

One of the accommodation options is Mogodi Lodge,

ideally situated just 50m from the Graskop Gorge Falls

and boasting fantastic views of the lowveld. Accom-

modation options include self-catering two bedroom

flats, one-bedroom flats, hotel rooms or backpacker

rooms, all reasonably priced. Guests won’t get bored at

the lodge as there is a putt-putt course and a swimming

pool for the children, a fully licensed bar and restaurant

for the adults, a wedding chapel for the romantics and

even a 68m free-fall gorge swing for the adventurous.

Due to the many scenic sites surrounding Graskop it is

recommended that tourists have some sort of transport

with which to explore the area. Just 55km away is the

Phabeni Gate to Kruger National Park, meaning day

trips into South Africa’s largest game park can easily

be done from Graskop. Even closer is the Panorama

Route, a 130km trip past some of South Africa’s most

spectacular scenery. One of the stops is God’s Window, a

lookout point over the lowveld spread out 700m below

and fading into the distance as far as the eye can see.

Close by, the Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest

canyons in the world, provides great views of the Three

Rondavels, while Pilgrim’s Rest is a town that transports

visitors back into the gold prospecting days of the 19th

century, and is well worth a visit.

Western Cape – Island Vibe KnysnaDescribed as the ‘jewel of the Garden Route’, Knysna is a

beautiful town surrounded by lush forests and a warm

lagoon. Knysna has plenty of stunning scenery such >>

Staying at the Oribi Gorge Hotel will feel like taking a step back into history but with all the modern comforts.

The scenic Blyde River Canyon, one of the largest and most awe-inspiring canyons in the world.


as The Heads (the area where the lagoon reaches the ocean through

two large headlands), the Knysna Quays (waterfront area) and the

actual town itself. Due to its good climate, Knysna has become a

popular tourist destination with many events to attract visitors.

The Oyster Festival, Pink Loerie Mardi Gras event and the Knysna

Marathon are all annual events, which draw huge crowds, giving the

small town a lively atmosphere. Even when a big event isn’t hap-

pening the town still has a lively buzz, with international as well as

South African tourists enjoying the great food and outdoor lifestyle.

Situated in the heart of the town is Island Vibe Knysna, a back-

packers establishment equipped with a variety of dorm, double

and family rooms as well as a braai area, pool table and swimming

pool. Not normally the preferred choice of accommodation for

families, backpackers hostels are becoming more popular due to

their attractive prices (family rooms are under R600 per night) and

the friendly social atmosphere (communal fires are lit every even-

ing for everyone to use to braai). The central location of the hostel

means restaurants and shops are right outside the front door, and

there is also a selection of activities on offer to make sure the chil-

dren are entertained. Canoe trips on the lagoon are popular, as

are walks and picnics through the Knysna forest. Knysna Elephant

Park makes for a good half-day tour, and there are also adventure

activities on offer such as scuba diving, abseiling and paragliding.

Eastern Cape – Umngazi River BungalowsTucked away on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape lies Umngazi

River Bungalows, a beautiful hideaway surrounded by river and

ocean. Umngazi lies 20km south of Port St Johns and about a 90km

drive along tarred roads from Mthatha. No words can do the location

traVeLtraVeL

justice, and the feeling of being totally and wonderfully

secluded from the busy world while there is a fabulous

feeling indeed.

Considering Umngazi’s location, it’s easy to see why chil-

dren are never bored. Sandboarding down the dunes,

fishing with the gillies, swimming in the sea or playing

on the sand are all a mere stone’s throw away, and there

is also a kids club with a host of activities. For the adults

the options are endless - hiking through the spectacular

scenery, mountain biking, fishing, canoeing, horse rid-

ing and a sunset fish eagle cruise up the river can all be

enjoyed. The resort also has a swimming pool and spa for

the less energetic.

The resort has 69 bungalows separated into six catego-

ries, including honeymoon cottages and a spa suite. The

garden, river and sea facing bungalows are all ideal for

families with children. Rates vary from between R815 to

R1 765 per person per night, which includes three scrump-

tious meals and mid morning and afternoon teas/cof-

fees. The food deserves a special mention because it re-

ally is that good. The Saturday night seafood feasts and

the Sunday braais are always favourites, while there are

also packed lunches available for the enthusiastic fisher-

men and hikers who plan to be out all day. The cocktails,

milkshakes and fine wines (which recently won another

Diamond award at the Diners Club Wine List Awards) are

best enjoyed from Basil’s Bar and Deck, looking out over

the river as the sun sets on another fun-filled, memorable

day.

The entertainment town of Knysna has plenty of attractions to keep visitors entertained, including many fine restaurants.

The Knysna Heads are a photographer’s dream, and a leisurely cruise through the lagoon is well worth the time and money.

The sights and sounds of nature makes holiday destinations in the Eastern Cape a great holiday escape.


heaLth anD WeLL-beingCompiled by: Maselaelo Seshotli

this festive season

Outdoors is defi nitely the place to be over the holidays. How-

ever, spending time in the South African sun can be harmful

to your skin.

With this in mind and with December being Skin Cancer Awareness

Month, PSM has compiled tips on how you can protect yourself and

your family from the sun's harmful eff ects.

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) advises covering

up to shield your skin from the sun’s

harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

The sun should not be com-

pletely avoided, as expoure to small

amounts of UV rays is benefi cial and

essential for the production of vi-

tamin D.

UV radiation can also be used to

treat a few conditions, such as rick-

ets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice.

However, it is recommended that

the use of UV radiation as a treat-

ment take place under medical

supervision.

CANSA explains that prolonged

human exposure to solar UV ra-

diation may result in serious and

chronic health problems relating

to the skin, eyes and immune system.

Sunburn is the most serious eff ect of excessive UV radiation ex-

posure.

Exposure to UV radiation, over a long period of time, speeds up de-

generative changes in the skin cells, leading to premature skin aging.

“People seem to have this misconception that only fair skinned

people should to be concerned about over exposure to the sun.

While skin cancer risk is lower in dark skinned people, it does occur

within this group and unfortunately it is often detected at a later

stage,” said CANSA.

While a fun day fi lled with adventure and laughs outdoors may

sound like a perfect way to spend the holidays, adults are advised to

ensure that the children under their care are provided

with shade at all times.

There is also a range of sun protection lotions avail-

able to ensure your skin is protected, including sun-

screen for children.

CANSA urges to avoid using sunscreen on infants

under the age of six months, as their skin is under-

developed compared to older children and adults.

Extra care needs to be taken when walking in the park,

enjoying a picnic or a day at the beach so that infants

are not overly exposed to the sun.

A blistering sunburn in childhood doubles a person’s

chance of developing melanoma (skin disease) later

in life.

According to CANSA, “Close to 54 per

cent of children get sunburnt or tanned

in their second summer, compared to 22

per cent in their fi rst summer.”

Consult a paediatrician before us-

ing sunscreen on infants. Generous

amounts of sunscreen may be applied

on babies six months and older, before

they go out into the sun for short peri-

ods of time.

To avoid exposing babies to the sun,

dress them in protective clothing - a hat

and loose fi tting clothing - and only let

them play in well-shaded areas.

Sunscreen should contain a Sun Pro-

tection Factor (SPF) of 15.

“Parents can avoid irritating the baby’s

skin and eyes by choosing a harmless sunscreen that

contains only inorganic fi lters, such as zinc oxide and

titanium dioxide,” says CANSA.

For toddlers and pre-school children, use a combi-

nation of sun protection measures such as protective

clothing and sunscreen.

Loose fi tting clothes and fabrics that have an Ultra-

violet Protection Factor (UPF) rating should also be

considered.

Adults should make use of a broad-spectrum sun-

screen with a SPF of 30 or above and apply it 15 to 20

minutes before sun exposure.

Did youKnow


VA VABLOOM!

1. Forever New Claudia Palm Jumpsuit R999 2. Mango Necklace R399.95 3. Aldo Michalik Bag R849 4. Forever New Olivia Printed One Shoulder Dress R999 5. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Yuzu Perfume R365 6. Aldo Harrup Heel R1 199 7. Mango Gold Bangle R349.95 8. Karren Millen Printed Skirt R2 400

9. Aldo Seveven Heel R499 10. Mango Fennimore Bag R499

grooMing anD stYLe Writer: Nicholas Francis

Summer is here and it's all things bright and fl oral. Inject some

bold prints, fun and colour into your wardrobe this season.

1

23

4

5

6

7

8

9

10


ShoesA good pair of durable leather shoes goes a long way. Always make sure the shoe fi ts well with enough room for your child's foot to grow into the shoe.

SocksYou can't have enough socks. Socks are worn all year round so make sure you stock up. Children are bound to lose a few along the way.

SkirtsSkirts are an all year round uniform item. Always buy a skirt that is a bit longer and alter it to the correct length with a seam which can be removed during the course of the year when your child grows.

ShirtsA good quality fitted shirt with enough room for movement will allow your child to run and play on the playground without tearing.

PantsLong or short, always buy a pair which is a bit longer and alter the bottoms which you can release when your child grows. Also, buy at least three pairs to alternate during the week which, will reduce the wear and tear of the pants.

BagsChildren are known to throw their bags around when they at school or at home. Always get a durable bag that can withstand the books and the day-to-day wear and tear.

BACK 2 SCHOOL CHECKLIST

The fi rst day of school can be a nightmare for any parent. We put together a checklist to help you get your children ready for their

fi rst day.


Compiler: Ashref IsmailCar reVieWs Car reVieWs

Finalists for the 2015 WesBank/SAGMJ Car of the Year

competition have fi nally been revealed.

The 11 cars from which the eventual winner will be

chosen were announced during a thrilling reveal event at

the Inanda Polo Club.

The fi nalists were announced following a vote by a 29-mem-

ber jury from the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists

(SAGMJ).

The fi nalists are:

• Audi A3 sedan 1.4T SE S tronic

Best of the best

• BMW M4 coupe auto

• Citroën C4 Picasso e-HDI 115 Intensive

• Honda Accord 3.5 V6 Exclusive

• Lexus ES 250 EX

• Mercedes Benz C-Class C 200 auto

• Nissan Qashqai 1.6dCI Acenta auto

• Porsche Macan S Diesel

• Renault Duster 1.5dCI Dynamique 4WD

• Subaru WRX Premium

• Toyota Corolla 1.4 D-4D Prestige

Audi A3 sedan 1.4T SE S tronic

BMW M4 coupe auto

Honda Accord 3.5 V6 Exclusive

Citroën C4 Picasso e-HDI 115 Intensive

revealed


Best of the best Lexus ES 250 EX

Mercedes Benz C-Class C 200 auto

Porsche Macan S Diesel

Nissan Qashqai 1.6dCI Acenta auto

Renault Duster 1.5dCI Dynamique 4WD

Subaru WRX Premium

Toyota Corolla 1.4 D-4D Prestige


The winner of the 2015 WesBank/SAGMJ Car the

Year will be revealed at a gala banquet on 18

March 2015.

CompetitionPredict the 2015 Car of the Year and if your entry is

the first correct one chosen, you will win a 1/18 scale

model car. Entries close February 2015. Please email

entries to [email protected]

Leap Frog Leap Pad Ultra

A tablet built specifi cally for kids. The Leap Frog Leap Pad Ultra with

large, hi-res screen, kid-safe Wi-Fi and access to the LeapFrog educator-

approved library is the perfect learning tool for your child. Designed for

kids between four and nine years old, this tablet is educational as well

as entertaining. The Leap Frog Leap Pad Ultra is available for R2 999.90

at Toys R Us stores.

niCe-to-haVes Writer: Nicholas Francis

PS Vita

Keep busy in the car during your trip

down to the coast with the Playstation

Vita. This handheld gaming console has

everything from games, movies, music

and Skype. Get the PS Vita for R1 999

at kalahari.com >>

Something for everyonethis Festi ve Season

Xbox One 500GBSomething for the boys. No mat-ter how old they are, boys will be boys and the XBOX ONE will keep them entertained for hours. The XBOX ONE 500GB is available for R6 299 at leading electronic stores.

It's that time of the year when we scramble for that last minute Christmas

gifts for loved ones. No need to panic though, we have some great gift

ideas for the whole family, which will get rid of your festive shopping blues.


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Kindle PaperWhite 2014

Reading has never been this easy. Enjoy even better contrast on the

latest Kindle Paperwhite 3G. With its new Page Flip feature, you can

skim page-by-page, scan by chapter, or skip to the end for a sneak

peek without losing your place. With a 25 per cent faster processor,

books open and pages turn faster for a seamless experience. Get your

Kindle PaperWhite 2014 for R2 999 at takealot.com

iPhone 6 16GB

The latest edition to the

iPhone family has a sleek

look with a larger, more

advanced display and seam-

less transition of glass and

metal.

Apple carefully considered

every single detail to en-

hance your experience.

It is vailable for R12 999 at

kalahari.com.

TomTom Start

Drive with peace of mind. Whether you're driving down a fa-

miliar road or venturing somewhere new, the TomTom Start is

easy to use. It has a larger screen with high quality maps which

will guide you safely to your destination. The TomTom Start is

available for R1 182 at takealot.com

Michael Kors Runway Ladies Watch

This black and gold chronograph watch from designer extro-

dinaire Michael Kors is a must have this summer. The Michael

Kors Runway watch is available for R4 299 at American Swiss

stores.

Ghd V Gold Classic Styler

Always look good no matter what the occasion is. The

Ghd V Gold Classic Styler, shines in a spectrum of cool

blue, lilac and teal shades and, with its iridescent fi nish,

changes colour in diff erent lights and from diff erent an-

gles. Get your Ghd V Gold Classic Styler for R1 999.95

at rubybox.co.za

niCe-to-haVes


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