@KASIBC_AFRICA

FOOD POISONING IN SOUTH AFRICA  @KASIBCNEWS The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) is deeply concerned by the alarming rate of food poisoning incidents that have claimed the lives of many children- with 19 lives lost and 437 affected in Gauteng, and also affecting more than a thousand of children across the country. The cause of the deaths is linked to organophosphate contamination, and this has had the most impact on children between the ages of 4- 9 years old.  This is not just a public health crisis; it is a call for us to act with both urgency and compassion. We recognise that among those impacted by these incidents, are women street vendors most of whom are our sisters, mothers and grandmothers, striving to make an honest living by selling snacks and foods to our communities. It is essential to acknowledge that these vendors find themselves vulnerable to this tragic contamination of food that threatens their children, their livelihoods and their dignity....

COMMEMORATION RELEASE OF COMRADE GOVAN MBEKI FROM ROBBEN ISLAND @KASIBCNEWS  The African National Congress (ANC) commemorates the release of Isithwalandwe, the late Comrade Govan Mbeki, famously known as Oom Gov, a communist, a stalwart of the South African revolution, Umkhonto we Sizwe High Commander, and a Rivonia Trialist who spent 24 years on Robben Island for treason and terrorism against the unjust apartheid state before his release on the 5th of November 1987.  Today, as we remember Oom Gov, we honour him as a revolutionary intellectual dedicated to the struggle for freedom and liberation for all South Africans. His hatred for poverty and racial oppression is clear in his seminal work, “The Peasants Revolt,” which analysed peasant struggles in the Transkei and exposed apartheid injustices, serving as a guide for freedom fighters. Oom Gov consistently placed the people’s needs and security above his own, working fulltime as a political reporter and editor for New Age, ex...

Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE)  Grant Funding @KASIBCNEWS  DSAC announces the opening of Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) & target groups: arts and social development applications grant funding applications (at 12:00) to the cultural and creative industries/ arts, culture and heritage fraternity The National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture officially announces the opening of Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) and Target Group: Arts and Social Development call for grant funding applications to the cultural and creative industries/ Arts, Culture and Heritage Fraternity. A call for application opens from today, 08 November to Friday, 06 December 2024.  1. Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) Launched with a mandate to increase economic growth and to create jobs in the country, the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy considers the arts, culture, and heritage sector as the “new gold” which has the potential to reposition the sector as the key market player in the country’s economic development. ...

Warning Parents to be Vigilant of what their Children Consume @KASIBCNEWS  The Gauteng Provincial Government convened a special Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, 6 November 2024 to consider actions to be taken in response of the food borne illness in the country. The provincial government has called on parents and guardians to be vigilant and to closely monitor what their children consume, particularly items purchased in spaza shops and vendors outside school premises.   This comes after the death and hospitalisation of numerous children in the province after they consumed snacks purchased in local spaza shops. The Acting Premier, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, together with MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile visited families in Katlehong on Tuesday, 5 November 2024 following the deaths of two children from suspected food poisoning. “As parents, let’s encourage our children not to buy these snacks as they have no health benefits, instead they are ha...

BOLT SOUTH AFRICA GLOBAL SAFETY CAMPAIGN LAUNCH  @KASIBCNEWS  On the 7th of November 2024, the Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, delivered a keynote address at Bolt South Africa's Global Safety Campaign launch in Johannesburg. The campaign is aimed at improving safety in the e-hailing industry.  Earlier this year, Women for Change released a report on the assessment of the current state of safety in e-hailing services in South Africa. The report revealed concerning insights about the perception of safety in e-hailing services. A staggering 73 percent of users reported that they do not feel safe using e-hailing services.  The results also showed that 22 percent of respondents reported experiencing harassment or verbal abuse at least once during a trip, while 8 percent reported facing harassment often. Furthermore, the responses revealed that 48 percent of participants knew someone who had been harassed or assaulted by a driver. These st...

ILLNESS AFFECTING 110 LEARNERS AT TAMAHO PRIMARY @KASIBCNEWS  Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture & Recreation, Mr. Matome Chiloane, has been alerted to a concerning incident today, Wednesday, 6 November 2024, involving a suspected foodborne illness affecting 110 learners at Tamaho Primary School in Katlehong. It is reported that a total of 110 learners began experiencing symptoms of stomach cramps and vomiting after consuming samp at school during break time. Emergency services responded swiftly, and all affected learners were transported to various clinics and hospitals for immediate medical attention. All 110 learners were hospitalised following the incident, with 98 learners subsequently discharged after receiving medical treatment. 12 learners remain in the hospital under medical supervision as healthcare providers continue to monitor their condition. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH), is acti...

  Integrated Resource Plan 2023 @KASIBCNEWS The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Mr Gwede Mantashe (MP) has published the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2023) for public comments in government Gazette no 49974 of 04 January 2024. The IRP is an electricity generation plan that seeks to ensure security of electricity supply by balancing supply with demand, while taking into account the environment and total cost of supply. The purpose of this publication is to solicit public comments on the assumptions, input parameters, scenarios, and observations made. Comments submitted will be considered in drafting the final policy adjusted plan which will map out the future energy mix for the country. The draft IRP 2023 is based on a scientific process that considers several scenarios and latest developments in the country’s electricity industry. It considers two-time horizons, the first being the period up to 2030 focusing on addressing prevailing generation capacity constraints a...

MOZAMBICAN GOVERNMENT'S VIOLENT REPRESSION AGAINST CITIZENS @KASIBCNEWS  The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) strongly condemns the Mozambican government’s brutal crackdown on its citizens who are exercising their right to protest against their recent election process. The Mozambican people’s frustration and discontent have reached a breaking point, evident in the wave of protests following the announcement of the October 9 election results on October 24. Opposition supporters have challenged the credibility of these elections, asserting that FRELIMO, the ruling party, engaged in widespread fraud to secure victory.  In response to this outcry, Mozambican security forces have unleashed a relentless campaign of violence to intimidate, silence, and control citizens. Protestors— many of them unarmed youths and even children—are being met with rubber bullets, tear gas, and, in some cases, live ammunition. Reports indicate that over 20 people have been killed, more than 390 injured, ...

New Fuel Prices Effective from 6 November 2024 @KASIBCNEWS  The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announces the adjustment of fuel prices based on current local and international factors with effect from the 6th of November 2024. South Africa’s fuel prices are adjusted monthly, informed by international and local factors. International factors include the fact that South Africa imports both crude oil and finished products at a price set at the international level, including importation costs, e.g., shipping costs. The main reasons for the fuel price adjustments are due to: 1. Crude oil prices The average Brent Crude oil price increased from 72.82 US Dollars (USD) to USD 75.07 per barrel, during the period under review. The main contributing factor is the continued conflict in the Middle East and the stand-off between Iran and Israel. 2. International petroleum product prices The average international petroleum product prices increased on average, in line with the higher o...

  INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON PRETORIA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL @KASIBCNEWS  Gauteng Education, Sport, Arts, Culture & Recreation MEC, Mr Matome Chiloane, released an independent investigative report on Monday, 4 November 2024, which probed allegations of a culture of racism at Pretoria High School for Girls and provided recommendations to address such. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) had received reports of allegations of racial discrimination at Pretoria High School for Girls. Similar allegations had been previously reported at the school and were subsequently investigated by the Department, but recently resurfaced as a result of the purported continuation of the same issue. It is against this background that the Department sought to initiate further investigation into the allegations of racism at Pretoria High School for Girls. The Department appointed Mdladlamba Attorneys – an independent investigative law firm – to conduct an investigation into these allega...