News24.com | City of Johannesburg intent on using licence to buy power from independent producer – Mashaba

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Eskom has barred the City of Johannesburg from increasing its energy capacity despite having a licence to purchase power generation from other producers, mayor Herman Mashaba told journalists on Tuesday. 

Mashaba was speaking at a DA media briefing which party leader Mmusi Maimane held in Johannesburg.

Mashaba said the City was issued with a licence in 1995 which allowed it to draw up to 600 megawatts of power from Kelvin Power Station and up to 140 megawatts from four gas turbines in the city. 

“Currently, the City receives only 200 megawatts of power from the Kelvin Power Station. Through this licence, the City is investigating the means of increasing our power capacity. This would allow us to mitigate the effects of load shedding as caused by Eskom.”

Mashaba added that Eskom had written to him barring City Power from taking advantage of its ability to get additional electricity from the Kelvin Power Station.

“Should Eskom have its way, the City would be prevented from properly mitigating rolling blackouts when they next take occur. It is for this reason that I have instructed the City manager to arrange an urgent meeting with the representatives of Eskom to not only assert the City’s right to procure additional power but to also structure an agreement as to how this should take place,” he added. 

With the rolling blackouts, the City of Johannesburg has experienced massive traffic jams. To mitigate this, Mashaba said he was engaging with the private sector to acquire additional pointsmen to assist in easing traffic congestion caused by load shedding.

The City had also incurred several challenges as a result of the power utility’s challenges, he remarked. One of these was what he called the sudden the termination of its Kelvin Power contract.

“The reasons why Eskom and SARS suddenly took these decisions which have cost City Power in excess of R500 million upon the change of government, when these matters had been outstanding for years, is yet to be explained. Following interactions made under the previous administration, City Power completed work on the electrification of houses that was commissioned by the Department of Energy to the value of R288.4m. Strangely, the grant was not been paid. Over the medium term, these decisions have reduced the City Power’s financial ability to fully respond to the growing crisis caused by Eskom.”

There were other disruptions caused by load shedding. Water reservoirs ran low due to an inability to pump water to high-lying areas and JMPD officers were redirected from crime-fighting duties to perform pointsmen duties.

During the press briefing, Maimane said he had instructed all DA-led municipalities to start formulating and executing disaster management plans to mitigate the damage caused to critical infrastructure due to load shedding.

The DA is planning to march to the Union Buildings on Friday to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to take action. 

News24.com | Three KZN rhino poachers convicted after 10-year trial

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Three rhino poachers are behind bars awaiting their sentencing after a Durban magistrate convicted them at the end of a 10-year trial.

Magistrate Logan Naidoo in the Durban Magistrate’s Court found Muntugokwakhe Khoza, 50, Ayanda Buthelezi, 40, and SANDF officer Mduduzi Xulu, 51, guilty on Monday.

According to Daily Maverick, Naidoo noted that Khoza and three accomplices were arrested just hours after the crime. Police and conservation officers intercepted them at a roadblock in a pick-up truck carrying a .303 rifle, two axes covered in blood and rhino horn.

DNA evidence later linked the severed horn, which included bone and tissue carved from a rhino skull, to the carcass of the poached animal.

READ: ‘Blood on their hands’

News24 reported in 2009 that the men were caught “red-handed” with blood dripping from their clothing and in possession of two freshly hacked off white rhino horns in their bakkie just outside Imfolozi Game Reserve on August 26, 2009.

The following month, they were granted bail of R10 000 each, despite opposition from wildlife investigators.

During their bail application, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) investigator Rod Potter testified that there was an alarming increase in rhino poaching in 2008 and 2009 – both in KwaZulu-Natal and countrywide.

He said in 2008 alone, 80 rhinos were hunted illegally in South Africa and in 2009, the figure had risen to 85.

Potter said the increase in rhino poaching in KwaZulu-Natal was a concern because private game reserves were reluctant to stock rhino because of the threat by poachers, affecting plans to expand rhino populations.

He added that EKZNW usually disposed of “excess” rhinos on auction to the private sector, but owners didn’t want to spend money on animals that are at risk of being poached. On average, a rhino would fetch R202 000 in 2009.

He said the poaching of rhino would impact on local and international tourism.

Khoza also served time for another case of poaching TimesLive reported.

Sport24.co.za | England voices ‘catastrophe’ fears over Nations Championship proposals

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London – World Rugby’s controversial plan for a Nations Championship suffered a setback when England’s Rugby Football Union said on Tuesday the new format carried a potentially “catastrophic” risk which they were not prepared to accept.

World rugby chiefs want to launch a new cross-hemisphere contest in 2022, in which the winners of the Six Nations would face off against the top team from an expanded, six-team Rugby Championship in an end-of-year final. The proposed format could also include relegation from the Six Nations, probably, given the competition structure, for two years.

The plans include three divisions and promotion and relegation. The competition would be backed by a record commercial partnership with nearly £5 billion ($6.6 billion) of investment.

But some European unions are reportedly unconvinced by the proposals.

The English RFU’s acting chief executive Nigel Melville warned of the cost of relegation from the lucrative Six Nations – the annual northern hemisphere competition.

In a comment that appeared to refer to reports that dropping to a second-tier competition, might force the sale of the national stadium, Twickenham, he said the RFU would not allow ownership of its 82,000-capacity ground to be endangered.

“I think we make sure it doesn’t arise,” he said. “That solves that problem. You just don’t want to get into a situation where you’re making decisions like that.

“For us it could be catastrophic being relegated, commercially. To be relegated, the catastrophe isn’t just the team being relegated, it’s our ability to fund the game as a governing body in England.

“Can we fund the community game in England to the level we do now if we don’t have the revenues we have?

“And on the point of promotion and relegation, there’s no promotion and relegation in a Lions year and there’s no tournament in a World Cup year.

“So when you’re relegated, you’re relegated for two years, not one. It’s not quite up and down, one season on the naughty step and go back up, it’s actually two years and that could be a disaster for people.”

Health24.com | Here’s what to do if your heart is racing more than usual

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A pounding ticker after a 5-K is par for the course, but what about sudden palpitations – racing, skipped, or intense pulses that feel jarringly different? Here’s how to read that off-beat beat – and what to do if your heart is racing.

Is it rare? Pinpoint the cause

Alcohol, caffeine, intense exercise, and some cold and flu drugs can cause funky flutters, so if it’s only happened once or twice, and you can trace it to one of the above, you’re probably in the clear.

Read more: 5 heart attack symptoms in women that are super common (and scary)

Does this happen often?

Do you have irregular beats on the regular? Not sure what’s to blame, or notice a not-right rhythm often (say, twice a month)? See a doc to rule out high blood pressure, thyroid issues, or other heart problems.

Read more: 5 women share exactly what it feels like to have a heart attack

What are the other symptoms?

If your heart is racing, but you’re also dizzy, weak, or short of breath or feel chest pressure, book it to the ER. These are signs of serious heart problems that can raise your risk for blood clots, stroke, and heart attack by up to five times.

Read more: 3 major things your resting heart rate can tell you about your health

Try these tips to keep your heart health in check:

Eat fish

Eating fish four times a week could reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by 40%, according to a study in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

Tame your boozing

If you regularly binge drink, time-travel forward a couple of decades and your past boozy nights may have put you at risk of heart disease. Research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that downing multiple drinks in a short time on the reg can cause changes in circulation that increase an otherwise healthy adult’s risk of cardiovascular problems as they age.

Start running

Just five minutes of steady running, performed daily, will give you up to a 45% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than non-runners.

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.

Image credit: iStock

23 March 2019 – SARS in wage dispute with organised labour

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Pretoria, 23 March 2019 – The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) and Public Servants Association (PSA) have served SARS with a 7 day notice to go on strike from 28 March 2019. This is following a dispute that organised labour lodged at the CCMA in February 2019. The CCMA issued a certificate of non-resolution on Tuesday 19 March 2019. SARS enjoys a good relationship with organised labour founded on the principle of a higher purpose that all SARS employees espouse.

The current 3 year wage agreement that SARS has with organised labour expires on 31 March 2019. Consequently, SARS and organised labour, represented by the two recognised trade unions, NEHAWU and PSA, started the current round of negotiations in November 2018. The negotiations started with a pre-bargaining conference facilitated by the CMMA in early November 2018. The pre-bargaining conference helped the parties to commit to good faith bargaining, conduct that speaks to openness, honesty, trust and a speedy resolution of the negotiations. In the first official sitting of the negotiating parties, the chairperson of the SARS National Bargaining Forum, Mr Mahmood Fadal, tabled the negotiation framework and rules of engagement for the parties to adopt.

On 20 November, organised labour jointly tabled its consolidated list of 26 demands. The demands included a 15% general salary increase on total package, plus 25 other demands. Management sought clarity on these demands with a view to understanding the cost implications and feasibility thereof. The negotiations proceeded in December, January, February and March 2019.

During the course of the negotiations, 6 demands were withdrawn, 9 were referred to task teams between management and organised labour which would investigate and have further discussions post the wage settlement; and consensus was reached on 3 of the demands. The key demands that remain subject of negotiations are the general salary increase of 11.4%, term of the wage agreement, pay progression, provisions on family responsibility leave and prenatal leave, long service awards and exit gifts.

Given the current economic conditions, SARS finds itself in a very constrained fiscal position. In the spirit of openness and transparency, SARS agreed to setup a task team to look at the SARS financials. Several meetings took place where organised labour and SARS management looked for opportunities for cost savings that will improve the financial position of SARS going forward. Some of the proposals coming out of the task team will be implemented in the coming financial year.

Due to the constrained financial position, SARS started with an offer of 4% salary increase, for a three 3 year wage agreement linked to CPI. Organised labour revised their salary demand from 15% to the current 11.4% increase across the board for a single term. SARS revised its offer from 4% to the current 7% differentiated increase.

When the parties went to the CCMA on 8 March, organised labour was sitting at 11.4% plus the remaining demands. SARS had moved to 6%. The CCMA Commissioner tabled a commissioner’s proposal for settlement of 8% increase across the board for a single term. He asked the parties to go seek mandates from their principals, and to return to the CCMA on 13 March 2019. Given the financial situation that SARS is in, SARS was able to move to 7% differentiated increase, with a concession on prenatal leave, and agreement on long service award. The family responsibility leave was deferred to a future discussion once the implications have been worked out.

Organised labour rejected the CCMA Commissioner’s proposal, and decided not to move from their 11.4% increase across the board, and insisted on all the other outstanding demands except for long service awards and exit gifts where there is agreement. After further mediation by the CCMA Commissioner, organised labour offered a 9% increase as a settlement offer. SARS was not able to accede to this, and needed more time to consult with its principals. A meeting is scheduled for Monday 25 March for the parties to try and find each other on the remaining issues.

SARS is confident that the meetings arranged for Monday and Tuesday through the chairperson of the SARS National Bargaining Forum will yield results, and a settlement will be reached. SARS is funded through a grant like all other government departments. Due to the shrinking revenues and growing debt levels, the 3 year Estimate of National Expenditure (ENE) by National Treasury has reined in government expenditure over the next three years. Whatever wage settlement SARS enters, it should be within the ENE framework over the next three years.

SARS believes that the 11.4% increase demand of organised labour is out of reach in the current economic climate where CPI is sitting at 4.1% as of February 2019. SARS’ offer of 7% is 2.9 percentage points above CPI (that is, 71% above February CPI). SARS has a great employment value proposition for its employees, and has been rated as a leading employer brand in the last few years. SARS is hopeful that an agreement will be reached, and a strike will be averted. Both SARS and its employees remain committed to the higher purpose of collecting all revenues due to the state, and facilitating legitimate trade in and across South Africa’s borders.

The 2018/19 Revenue drive ends on 31 March 2019. In the Spirit of Thuma Mina, SARS calls on all taxpayers and traders to honour their tax obligations before 31 March 2019. As we face the 6th election of the democratic South Africa, a sluggish economy and an energy crisis, South Africa’s stability and sovereignty depends on a stable fiscus. SARS thanks all the taxpayers who have already made payments for their tax obligations.

To access this page in different languages click on the links below:

Personal Assistant – Pa

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We are actively seeking an organised Administration Assistant / PA to provide administrative support to the department and office Manager, to ensure the department runs efficiently and operates effectively. Duties include: Provide a professional administration service to the department and it’s customers, provide a range of personal assistant activities to the office manager such as diary management, arranging meetings with internal and external customers and suppliers,
Provide administrative support in meetings, presentations and events,
Organising the Health and Safety meetings, preparing agendas and taking minutes and action points follow up,
Assist with the induction of new staff members,
Contribute to the development and improvement of working practices and processes, Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills: Grade 12 or Equivalent National Certificate,
Recognised secretarial/administrative qualifications are an advantage,
PA / administrative experience at senior management level,
Previous experience of working in a busy office environment, able to respond positively to changing priorities,
Experience of working with confidential information and an ability to maintain discretion in dealing with sensitive or confidential matters,
Demonstrable experience of using Microsoft Office products including Excel,
Good time management skills and ability to manage own workload and meet deadlines under pressure,
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal, Salary: R 18,000 per month.
Working Hours: Monday to Friday. To apply and for further information, please attach a copy of your cv online at www.zarecruit.co.za or fax (086)574 2107