18 November 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit

RE: KZN LEGISLATURE’S AGRICULTURE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE CALLS ON FARMING COMMUNITIES TO BE VIGILANT AGAINST BRUCELLA BACTERIA

KwaZulu-Natal Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development has warned communities living in areas where there has been an outbreak of brucella bacteria to be vigilant when dealing with suspicious animals.

Brucella Bacteria is an animal-borne disease which causes abortion, infertility, reduced milk production and weakened joints in bovine animals and infected people.

Brucellosis is primarily a cattle disease but may affect most other mammals, including humans. Humans who are at risk of contracting the disease are people who work with animals such veterinarians, farmers, farm workers and abattoir employees.

The Portfolio Committee has noted the intervention of the provincial department of Agriculture and Rural Development which has embarked on a campaign to vaccinate animals in affected districts and educate communities affected by the bacteria.

“Agriculture has been identified as a key driver in ensuring food security and radical economic development in the province. We need to work together to deal with anything which seeks to threaten our agricultural potential such as the Brucella bacteria. We urge our communities to co-operate with departmental officials and attend information sharing sessions so that they understand the bacteria and know how to identify its symptoms,” said Committee Chairperson Honourable Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha.

The portfolio committee will monitor the department’s intervention strategies as part of its oversight exercise on the department.

The committee also sends out its deepest sympathies to the farmers who have lost their livestock.
“We understand that most farmers are dependent on this livestock for their livelihood. It is for this reason that we appeal to the farmers to co-operate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development so that they will be familiar with protocols to be followed to minimise the impact of this outbreak,’ said Sibhidla-Saphetha.

Ends
Issued by the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Hon NN Sibhidla-Saphetha Cell No: 0833013622.
For media inquiries please contact Committee Media Officer Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532

08 November 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit

PASSING AWAY OF PRINCE LETHUKUTHULA ZULU

The KZN Legislature has learned with shock and sadness of the passing on of Prince Lethukuthula Zulu, the eldest son of His Majesty Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Her Majesty Queen Sibongile MaDlamini.
The KZN Legislature would like to convey the deepest condolences to His Majesty Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Her Majesty Queen Sibongile MaDlamini and the entire Zulu Royal Family.
KZN Legislature has a very good relationship with the Zulu Royal Family which has spanned several decades.
It is through this relationship that His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini annually delivers an address to the legislature marking the beginning of the legislature calendar.
Members and officials of the KZN Legislature will keep the Zulu Royal Family in their prayers through this difficult period.
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Issued by the KZN Legislature Communications Unit
For more information please contact Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532

From 27 -29 October 2020, various delegations of Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and KwaZulu-Natal Permanent Delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) conducted oversight visits to all municipalities in KZN to assess the functionality of war-rooms as coordinating centres of service delivery at a local level.

War-rooms are a vehicle that coordinates and facilitates integrated service delivery at a ward level and provide quick responses to dire needs for services to communities. They profile households in their wards and the level of service delivery per household, with specific reference to the eradication of poverty and the general improvement of the quality of life.

This week Members of the Legislature and NCOP Permanent Delegates visited the war-rooms to assess their functionality, with special focus on the participation and the role played by key stakeholders such as provincial and national   departments of Social Development, Education, Health, Transport, Human Settlement, SAPS, Agriculture, COGTA, SASSA, Home Affairs, District and Local Municipalities, Councillors, Amakhosi as well as local community structures such as ward committees.    

The visits to war rooms have identified a number of challenges that hinder the effective functioning of the war rooms at a ward level in various municipalities. Some of the challenges include lack of participation and attendance of war room meetings by some departments, lack of resources in war rooms such as furniture and computers, lack of participation by community structures, rising social ills such as drug abuse and teenage pregnancy in schools, provision of water and housing. 

Media Statement
For Immediate Release
Date: 29 October 2020
Attention: Political Reporters, News Editors, Assignment Editors

KZN LEGISLATURE TO HOLD ITS TAKING LEGISLATURE TO PEOPLE PROGRAMME IN ETHEKWINI METRO AMIDST LOCKDOWN LEVEL-1

It’s all systems go for the KZN Legislature to hold its first Taking Legislature to People sitting in the Durban City Hall on the 3rd and 4th November 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown level-1.

Necessitated by level-1 lockdown regulations, the sitting will be held under strict COVID-19 health protocols including social distancing, wearing of masks and regular sanitization inside the venue. The venue will also accommodate not more than 250 people including MPLs, Members of the Executive Council (MECs), Councilors, government officials, media and other invited stakeholders.

The two- day sitting follows the visits to various wards in Ethekwini Metro by multiparty delegations of the Legislature, which met with communities to listen to their concerns regarding service delivery. A report on the multiparty visits will be presented and debated during the Taking Legislature to People sitting.

This is in line with the Legislature’s commitment to give communities an opportunity to interact with their public representatives and raise issues which affect them and need government intervention.

Due to the limited number of people who will be allowed inside City Hall, the media is requested to confirm attendance by sending RSVP by 02 November to the communication team on the contact details provided hereunder.

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Issued by
Communications Unit
KZN Legislature
For more information and RSVP, please contact
Sina Nxumalo
Cell: 0829060449
Email: nxumalow@kznleg.gov.za
Or
Wonder Hlongwa
Cell: 0829083532
Or
Wesley Canham
Cell: 0833767299
Email: canhamw@kznleg.gov.za

25 October 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit

WAR-ROOMS FUNCTIONALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME

Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature will be deployed throughout the province this week to assess the state of War-Rooms.
The concept of War-Rooms refers to the space where the coordinating task team at ward level provides a direct link to the community, coordinates profiling and integrates service delivery.
The legislature adopted the War Rooms Functionality Programme in 2018 as part of its constitutional mandate to exercise oversight over the executive arm of government and this year’s visit would be a follow-up to check if issues raised in 2018 have been resolved.
During the 2018 visits the Legislature acknowledged that some good work had been done to launch the war-rooms programme.
The report from the Office of the Premier indicated that many wards in all districts and the Metro had war-rooms. This was a clear indication that the province was moving in the right direction.
All the teams acknowledged in their reports that the war-rooms are a good vehicle for service delivery, but which are not optimally functional, as required.
Eleven war-room oversight teams have been established, one team per district and the Metro. Each team will visit six war-rooms that were visited in 2018 per district and three new war-rooms that were not visited in 2018. The total number of war-rooms to be visited by each team will be nine.
The War-Rooms Functionality programme co-incides with the visit to three districts (Umgungundlovu, Umzinyathi and Uthukela) by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Teams deployed in these districts will only visit one War-Room because they will also be seized with the work of the NCOP.
Visits to all districts begin on Tuesday 27th ending on Thursday the 29th of October.
Ends
Issued by KZN Legislature Communications Unit
For more information please contact Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532

Legislature Hosts A Successful Senior Citizens’ Parliament Amid Level 1 Lockdown

The 2020 Senior Citizens Parliament had a resounding success despite the country still under Level 1 Lockdown due to the COVID-19 epidemic. On the 2nd October, the Legislature gathered delegates of senior citizens from all districts of KwaZulu-Natal, in their annual parliament that provides the elders with a platform to debate issues affecting them.
Amongst the important issues that were discussed included the issue of long queues at pension pay-points, the killing of elderly women by young boys for their pension monies, provision of housing for elders and those with physical challenges also top the agenda. Members of the Executive Council (MECs) from various departments also took to the podium to address the elders on the programs of their respective departments that seek to better the lives of the elders in this province.
The day ended with an address by the Speaker of the Legislature Hon. Nontembeko Boyce who promised that all resolutions that were adopted by the Senior Citizens will be followed upon by relevant portfolio committees of the Legislature to ensure swift implementation of those resolutions by provincial departments. She also appealed to the MEC for Community Safety to ensure maximum availability and visibility of SAPS at pension pay-points to guarantee the safety of the elders and that the crimes pertaining to elderly abuse, GBV be given a priority and should be dealt with as a matter of national crisis.

Premier Portfolio Committee Conducts Oversight Visits To Youth Business Enterprises Funded By The Youth Economic Empowerment Fund

From 16 to 17 October, the Premier Portfolio Committee conducted oversight visits to various youth empowerment business enterprises funded by the KZN Youth Economic Empowerment Fund which is in the Office of the Premier.

The Youth Economic Empowerment Fund has a budget of 50 million in this financial year and aims to fund more businesses owned and operated by the youth throughout KZN. The projects that have been visited during the two days, benefited from the Fund to the tune of 2 million each.

The Committee visited various youth owned businesses in Umkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo and Amajuba Districts that have benefited from the fund. The businesses that were visited includes Elamawele Logistics which is run by two young males based in Mtubatuba. The company is contracted to Thendele Colliery to transport coal to various destinations such as Richards bay (Transnet/Grindrod), Mpumalanga province and other areas.

The committee also visited the company based in Dlangubo in Empangeni which is involved in farming vegetables. Gelanison currently uses an open-field system while they await the configuration of their ten greenhouse tunnels earmarked for the intensive system that allows the farmers to produce a high yield of product in the smallest possible space and probably shortest possible period.

Other business ventures visited included RPSM Chirwa based in Esikhawini which deals with recycling to combat climate change and unemployment. The following day, the committee visited MSI Empire group based in Newcastle which specializes in coal exploration. The company plans to venture into a value chain project with a company known as South African Calcium Carbide, a company that uses coal to produce high-grade calcium carbide. The last visit went to Khumalo Aggregate owned by a youth male who runs a rock mining operation outside Newcastle town.

This is in line with the Committee’s oversight responsibility to monitor the effectiveness of various programmes of the Premier’s Office especially those that are targeted at youth development and empowerment.

14 October 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit
RE: KZN LEGISLATURE ESTABLISHES TWO SPECIAL AD HOC COMMITTEES

KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has established two special ad hoc committees which will deal with issues relating to investigations of corruption and the other one will deal with land claims and related matters.
This week both committees sat, separately, for the first time to go through the terms of reference and elect chairpersons of the two committees.
Ad hoc committee on investigations, which is led by Hon Maggie Govender, will focus on, amongst other things, investigations that were conducted but for which there was no outcome such as implementation of recommendations or even submission of reports.
“The lack of swift intervention and appropriate action taken against offenders identified in investigations, often also results in irrecoverable financial losses by government.

“Lack of implementation of recommendations of investigative reports often also
culminates in a failure to address inadequate systems of control and the failure to
implement adequate risk management strategies,” said Hon Govender, who is also
chairperson of SCOPA in the Provincial Legislature.

The other committee is led by Hon Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha, who also chairs Agriculture and Rural Development Portfolio Committee and its task include working with other stakeholders in investigating bottlenecks in issues relating to land claims in the province.
It is hoped that, in the interest of transparency and rooting out corruption, all stakeholders will co-operate with the committees. Members of the public who may be in possession of information that could be of assistance to the committees are also encouraged to contact the two committees.

Ends

Issued by KZN Legislature Communications Unit