Author: Agency

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has opened a first of its kind, smart Driving Licensing Testing Centre (DLTC) at the Gautrain Midrand station. The new pilot DLTC, which was built using alternative building materials, is completely off the grid, guaranteeing customers minimal disruptions and a quick, convenient service along the Gautrain line. “This state-of-the-art facility gives us an opportunity to efficiently deliver licences and other related services to the people. Working together with GMA and RTMC, in just over two months we have delivered this facility,” MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, said on Thursday.…

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola says just over 250 people have been prosecuted and convicted of crimes related to tempering with essential infrastructure, like cable theft. He said this when he participated in a debate on the Presidency Budget Vote on Thursday. “This President is focused on building capable institutions. He has appointed the ID head, head of SAPS, the head of the defence force and the head of State Security. “In this sixth administration, prosecutions on matters which relate to the theft or tampering with essential infrastructures, like copper cables, have been prioritised. This crime has often…

Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, has commended the increasing use of the PotholeFixingGP app, which was launched two weeks ago. “Since its launch two weeks ago, we are pleased with the take up, seeing that more people are downloading and using the app. More than 4 000 people have so far downloaded the app and are putting it to use,” Mamabolo said. The Department of Roads and Transport partnered with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop the app to improve the condition of the provincial road network. The app offers users…

Government has offered much-needed short-term reprieve to motorists by extending the temporary reduction in the general fuel levy of R1.50 per litre. Initially, the Ministers of Finance and Mineral Resources and Energy had on 31 March 2022 jointly announced a temporary reduction in the general fuel levy of R1.50 per litre from 6 April 2022 until 31 May 2022. This was to provide limited short term relief to households from rising fuel prices following the Russia/Ukraine conflict. On Tuesday, the two departments said relief was to be funded by a liquidation of a portion of the strategic crude oil reserves.…

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has launched a new province-wide app that allows road users to report poor road conditions and other road maintenance issues that require attention. Launched as part of Smart Mobility Weekends Programme, the PotholeFixGP is an easy-to-use app downloadable from the Google Play Store and will soon be available on Huawei and Apple App stores. Speaking at the launch held in Diepsloot on Saturday, Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Road Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, said the launch of the app is part of the department’s commitment of leveraging new technologies to assist with monitoring…

Hawks’ National Head, Lieutenant General, Godfrey Lebeya, has expressed disappointment at the alleged involvement of officers from the Directorate in criminal activities. This comes after two officers from the Hawks national headquarters, a Lieutenant Colonel and a Captain working at Supply Chain Management, were on Friday arrested by the the Hawks’ National Priority for Violent Crimes and Tactical Operations Management Section. Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, in a statement said: “Information about a Lieutenant Colonel who intended to supply SAPS ammunition to a traditional healer was received, which culminated to a sting operation being conducted”. She said the 43-year-old female…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says Black Economic Empowerment remains a pivotal part of government’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan as the country recovers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Next year will mark the 20th year that the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act was passed. “Our commitment to entrench and deepen economic empowerment is unwavering. That is why Black economic empowerment is an integral part of our economic reconstruction and recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is one of the reassurances I articulated to the Black Business Council earlier this month, where we discussed the state…

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has hinted that the department has decided to overhaul its immigration system and that details of this will soon be announced. Motsoaledi said this when he tabled the department’s Budget Vote priorities during a mini plenary of the National Assembly on Tuesday. “…Another elephant in the room is the problem of immigration. I don’t have to outline what is taking place in our country about this problem. It is a crisis we are all well aware of,” he said. This following a recent rise in tensions between South African citizens and foreign nationals in several communities,…

Revamping government’s internet network, increasing the department’s internet capacity and roping in specialist network engineers from banks are some of the interventions that the Department of Home Affairs is implementing to deal with long queues caused by system downtime. Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said this when he led the debate on the department’s budget vote on Tuesday. Motsoaledi said while there were various reasons that have led to long, winding queues at Home Affairs offices, “the main one that sticks out like a sore thumb among the rest is the issue of system downtime”. “It is painful and…

Although 15 countries have collectively reported more than 140 monkeypox cases, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed that there are currently no cases of the virus in South Africa. In a statement on Monday, the NICD reported that on 13 May 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was notified of two laboratory-confirmed cases and one probable case of monkeypox, from the same household, in the United Kingdom. “On 15th May, four additional laboratory-confirmed cases were reported amongst sexual health services attendees presenting with a vesicular rash illness in men practising sex with men. Since then, 15 countries…