Cape Town —
Update as at 16h00 SAST
Cape Animal Welfare Organisations Oppose Selling of Live Animals at Pet Shops
The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa is opposed to the selling of live animals at pet shops. This follows an unannounced visits to pet shops in Mitchell's Plain, Cape Town, where officials found animals being kept in unhygenic conditions. The owners of the stores were issued with a written warning and complied with instructions from officials, to remedy the situation. Karen de Klerk, chairperson of the Cape Animal Welfare Forum said there is a need for the complete regulation of the pet industry and in terms of the new City of Cape Town by-law, pet shops are required to be regulated and registered with the city,” she said.
NSFAS Cautions Students On Duplicate Tertiary Registrations
Students who registered at more than one tertiary institution are making it difficult for themselves when applying for funding. Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said it is difficult for NSFAS to determine which institution the student is actually attending and to apply payment accordingly. At the beginning of 2022, the department announced NSFAS would receive an additional budget and R47.3 billion which would cover both TVET college and public universities. applications rejected as a result.
Business Leaders Join Calls for President Ramaphosa to Act on Eskom Crisis
With the country hit by stage 6 load shedding this week, it is impacting heavily on the economy. Business people are now adding to the calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the crisis. Over the years, load shedding has been caused by mismanagement of funds, crumbling infrastructure, and now lately alleged sabotage by contractors and employees and theft of copper cables, at power utility Eskom. As a result, many businesses have been forced to cut back on productivity, retrench staff and some even close, permanently. Load shedding has also shaken investor confidence and the overall economic assessment by rating agencies. This past week's stage 6 escalation has been blamed on an unauthorised strike by Eskom employees for a pay hike.
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No Budget, So 24,000 Eastern Cape Learners Out of Transport Programme
Only 81% of learners in the Eastern Cape Province will be eligible for scholar transport. This will leave out 24,000 learners in the 2022/23 financial year. This came to light in parliament, after a question was posed to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga by EFF MP Nontando Nolutshungu, who said the provincial department's assertion was that it would provide scholar transport to only 10,000 learners out of the eligible 125,000, due to budget constraints. The move by the department will see less learners benefit from the transport programme than in the last financial year.
Home Affairs Minister's Criticism of Helen Suzman Foundation Condemned
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's attack on the Helen Suzman Foundation announced in June 2022 that it would go to court to challenge the minister's decision on Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEP), which expires at the end of December 2022. According to reports, the foundation said it believed those who had followed the law could not have their permits terminated "without fair process, good reason and a meaningful opportunity to regularise their status". Motsoaledi accused the foundation of trying to "dislodge" the government. Thousands of Zimbabweans living and working in South Africa are in limbo as the government has refused to budge on the decision.
