March, 2025
Bur Grade 7 learners remain a concern
School applications roll in
WITH the applications-window for school enrolment now at its halfway point, 116 466 learners have already applied at schools in the Western Cape.
But there is some concern, because at this point the parents of over 33 000 learners currently in Grade 7 in the Western Cape have not yet applied for a place in Grade 8 for 2026, according to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
The WCED said primary schools have been asked to contact the parents to remind them to apply. Schools were also asked to add a note about applications to their end-of-term communications to parents last week.
“We appeal to these parents to apply before the admissions window for 2026 closes on 15 April 2025. They can do so online, at their district office, or at one of our pop-up admissions sites for in-person assistance. We encourage parents to bring all the necessary supporting documentation with them when seeking assistance in person.
“The admissions system, as well as background information and step-by-step guides on how to apply, are available here: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/education/service/learner-admissions
“As of 28 March 2025, we have already received Grade R, 1 or 8 applications for116 466 learners and we thank their parents for making sure that they have applied on time,” said the WCED
Moment of silence for brave health workers
President honors nurses
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed gratitude for the vital role nurses played during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President addressed the 9th National Congress of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) today.
President Ramaphosa reflected on the significant changes caused by the pandemic, including the loss of lives and the challenges encountered by healthcare workers.
“We lost a number of nurses and healthcare workers, brave men and women who were at the frontline of the pandemic. Brave is not an adequate word to describe them. Many of you faced the danger of being infected and death, but you still went on to care for those who were affected.”
He encouraged attendees to observe a moment of silence in honor of the brave nurses and healthcare professionals, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving on the front lines.
“For you who are in the profession, nursing is a calling. It requires a strength of character and commitment to service that is rare.”
He reiterated his statements made during this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), that government will allocate resources to the health sector, build hospitals and clinics, and strengthen the healthcare system. – Source: SAnews.gov.za
Joe Barber recognised in 25th year
Theatre takes centre stage
THIS year marks the 60th anniversary of the prestigious Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards.
The who’s who of the South African theatre world attended this grand event at the DHL Cape Town Stadium on Sunday, 23 March 2025.
“These awards remind us of the rich artistic talent we have in the Western Cape and South Africa,” said Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie. “We salute the artists, directors, designers and creatives who keep our stages alive.”
Among this year’s exceptional honourees was the production, Joe Barber that was recognised In recognition in its 25th anniversary. The dynamic creative duo behind the production, David Isaacs and Oscar Petersen, were presented with the Encore Award. It has become an institution in Cape Town’s performing arts scene.
“Joe Barber has become more than just a show – it’s a mirror to the everyday humour, resilience, and warmth of our communities,” said Mackenzie. “For 25 years, Isaacs and Petersen have brought laughter to generations of audiences. Through Boeta Joe and Boeta Gamat, they’ve given us characters who are both timeless and deeply rooted in the heart of the Cape Flats.”
The 60th awards also honoured My Fair Lady with five awards, including Best Production, while Metamorphoses received praise for Best Ensemble Performance and Lighting Design. Emily Child and Albert Pretorius walked away with lead acting honours for their standout performances in A Streetcar Named Desire and Othello, respectively.
A deeply moving moment during the evening was the tribute to legendary playwright Athol Fugard, who passed away earlier this year. – Source: www.westerncape.gov.za
Fire fighter commended for quick action
Hero saves baby boy
A CAPE TOWN fire fighter has achieved hero status after saving the life of a 5-month-old baby boy.
Michael Samuels was on duty in the watch room at the Mitchells Plain fire station in the early hours of Thursday, 13 March, when a local resident alerted him to a baby in distress at a neighbouring home.
It wasn’t long after this when the mom, Cachet Scala and her baby, Isaiah, arrived at the fire station. Samuels immediately set about trying to check for any blockages in his airway.
He managed to dislodge the blockage, providing instant relief to the baby who was transported to hospital for further observation and care, on the advice of the platoon’s senior medic, Baigum Abrahams.
On Friday, 14 March Samuels met up with Isaiah and his mom at the hospital and was surprised to discover Isiah turned 5-months on that day.
Cape Town Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security, JP Smith, commended Samuels for his bravery.
“There can be no doubt that his actions saved Isaiah’s life, and I am incredibly grateful to the mom for having the presence of mind to know that help was available at the fire station,” said Smith. – Source: JP Smith via Facebook
SASSA beneficiaries urged to get new cards
D-day for gold cards
TODAY (20 March 2025) is D-day for social grant beneficiaries who have not yet replaced their South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) gold cards with the new Postbank black cards.
After today SASSA gold cards will be deactivated and beneficiaries who have not yet changed over to the new Postbank black cards, will not be able to use the SASSA gold cards to make any transaction, even if they have funds in their account.
Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe, explains that after the deadline retailers will not accept the cards for any transactions.
“Beneficiaries will also not be able to use SASSA gold cards on any ATM. The SASSA gold may be swallowed when inserted in any ATM to attempt a transaction,” Mbengashe said.
However, the CEO further explained that tomorrow’s deadline is not a cut-off date for when Postbank stops replacing SASSA gold cards.
Postbank will continue replacing SASSA gold cards with new Postbank black cards in all its card replacement sites, even after this date.
“Social grant beneficiaries may still replace their SASSA gold cards with Postbank black cards on, and after, 20th of March 2025.
“To prepare for the next grant payments that are scheduled for 3 to 5 April 2025, SASSA and Postbank encourage beneficiaries to make extra efforts to use the period between now and the payments dates to get their black cards,” Mbengashe said.
Postbank and SASSA have assured social grant beneficiaries and the public that the payments of social grants will not be interrupted.
All social grant beneficiaries will continue to be paid, including those who have not been able to get their black cards.
“Starting from the next grant payments, social grant beneficiaries that are yet to replace their gold cards with Postbank black cards, can go withdraw their grant at their nearest Post Office,” Mbengashe said.
Mbengashe added that the Post Office branch-based payments are a channel that many of the social grant beneficiaries have used before, and they are familiar with.
Beneficiaries are urged to note that the Post Office branch payments will be restricted to social grant beneficiaries that are yet to replace their SASSA gold cards, asylum seekers and Postbank green Mzansi/blue cards’ grant beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries who already have Postbank black cards are urged to use their card through ATMs and retailers to access their funds.
To date, over one million beneficiaries have successfully replaced their old SASSA Gold Cards with the new Postbank Black Cards.
The new Postbank Black Cards can be obtained at various retailers, including Checkers, Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Usave, and Boxer. To receive a new card, beneficiaries need to present a valid South African ID or a temporary ID.
Postbank has also made it easy for beneficiaries to locate the nearest place in every province where they can collect their Postbank Black Cards. Beneficiaries can use their cellphones to:
- Dial: 120*355#
- To continue, reply by pressing number: 1
- Reply with the number representing the province they live in.
(Source: SAnews.gov.za)
Peace officers will help communities
BOOST FOR SAFETY
THREE municipalities in the Western Cape will soon be safer for residents and visitors alike following the recent graduation of 59 peace officers (POs).
The POs were part of the Western Cape Government’s Peace Officer and Traffic Warden training programme and would be deployed to the Kannaland-, Prince Albert- and Saldanha Bay Municipalities.
The Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, welcomed the graduation and employment of the new POs.
“These Peace Officers worked hard to graduate and would assist with maintaining law and order by helping to implement effective crime prevention strategies.
“At Kannaland 19 graduated, 20 in Prince Albert and 20 in Saldanha,” said Marais.
The Western Cape Government invested more than R3,9-million in the training, resourcing and development of these officers.
The programme prioritises the strengthening of Municipal Law Enforcement capacity across the Western Cape.
“We are equipping these young women and men with the skills they need to further their careers in law enforcement. I urge young people to take up this opportunity not only to enhance their careers but to also make a difference in our communities,” Minister Marais said.
“Our department will continue to invest in capacitating municipalities through our peace officer project to create a society in which lawlessness in any form is not tolerated.” (Source: www.westerncape.gov.za)
But budget news is not all that good
Grants to increase
THERE was good news today for social grant recipients when Finance Minister Enoch Godongwa announced during his budget speech that Sassa grants will increase from April 2025.
The only people to miss out is those receiving the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which will not increase.
Godongwana said the number of social grant beneficiaries – excluding those receiving the SRD grant – is expected to rise to some 19 million in 2025/26 and 19.3 million in 2027/28 due to a growing population of older persons.
The grant increases this year include:
Old age grant from R2185 to R2315
War veterans from R2205 to R2335
Disability grant from R2185 to R2315
Foster care from R1180 to R1250
Care dependency grant from R2185 to R2315
Child support grant from R530 to R560
The grant-in-aid from R530 to R560
Meanwhile, Godongwana, also announced that value-added tax (VAT) will be raised by 0.5 percentage points in each of the next two years, which will shoot VAT up to 16% in the 2026/27 financial year.
“These have to do with the government properly fulfilling its service delivery mandate. After careful consideration, the government has decided to fund services like health, education, transport and security.
“Deferring the funding of these sectors further would compromise the government’s ability to meet its constitutional obligations to the people,” the Minister said.
The first 0.5 percentage point increase in the VAT rate will take effect on 1 May 2025 and the second will take effect on 1 April 2026.
He explained that government thoroughly examined alternatives to raising the VAT rate.
“We weighed up the policy trade-offs involved, including increases to corporate and personal income taxes. Increasing corporate or personal income tax rates would generate less revenue, while potentially harming investment, job creation and economic growth.
“Corporate tax collections have declined over the last few years, an indication of falling profits and a trading environment worsened by the logistics constraints and rising electricity costs. Furthermore, South Africa’s corporate income tax collections are already higher than most of our peer countries.
“On the other hand, an increase to the personal income tax rate would reduce taxpayers’ incentives to work and save. Our top personal income tax rate and our personal income tax collections as a percentage of GDP are far higher than those of most developing countries. Increasing it is therefore not feasible,” he said.
The VAT system currently zero rates 21 essential food items in an effort to make them more affordable for lower-income households.
Government has proposed to extend the list of zero-rated basic foods to mitigate the effect of the VAT rate increases.
“From 1 May 2025, zero rating will be extended to include edible offal of sheep, poultry, goats, swine and bovine animals; specific cuts such as heads, feet, bones and tongues; dairy liquid blend; and tinned or canned vegetables
“Other tax proposals include no inflation adjustments to medical tax credits, above-inflation increases on alcohol and tobacco excise duties, and diesel refund relief for primary sectors,” the Minister said.
Personal income tax brackets and rebates will not be adjusted for inflation in 2025/26.
“The personal income tax proposals are effective from 1 March 2025 and expected to raise revenue of R19.5 billion. No changes to medical tax credits are proposed – these will remain at R364 per month for the first two beneficiaries and at R246 per month for the remaining beneficiaries,” the 2025 National Treasury Budget Review said. (Source: SAnews.gov.za)
Don't wait, do it now!
School applications open
APPLICATIONS for admission for learners attending Grade R, 1 and 8 in the Western Cape in 2026 opens on Tuesday, 11 March 2025.
The last day for applications is Tuesday, 15 April 2025.
“We encourage all parents of learners who will be entering Grade R, 1 or 8 next year to apply on time,” said the Western Cape Minister of Education, David Maynier.
The following documents are required to make an application:
Identity document or birth certificate of the learner;
Foreign learners: a passport or a copy of parent’s refugee or asylum seeker permit on which the learner’s name should appear;
If the learner has foreign parents but was born in South Africa: a handwritten birth certificate (DHA 19 form); or
If the learner was not born in South Africa: a passport or a refugee or asylum seeker permit issued in the learner’s name.
Immunisation card or Road to Health chart – applicable to pre-primary and primary schools only.
Latest official school report or academic report.
Proof of residence e.g. rates account/lease agreement/an affidavit made at a police station confirming residence.
If any of these documents are unavailable, parents can submit a police affidavit indicating this in place of the missing document.
Applications are to be submitted online, and documents will need to be scanned and uploaded to the online admissions system, which is zero-rated for data.
The admissions system, as well as background information and step-by-step guides on how to apply, are available here: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/education/service/learner-admissions
Parents will not have to drop off certified hard copies of the documents when they apply. They will only submit certified hard copies to the school once they have been offered, and have accepted, a place in a school. (Source: Western Cape Department of Education)
50 000 use new crime fighting tech
No need to panic
More than 51 000 residents of Gauteng have to date used the province’s e-Panic Button in emergency situations.
According to the province’s e-Government Department, since its launch in April 2024, the e-Panic Button has been downloaded more than 100 000.
“The most common incidents where people have been assisted include motor vehicle accidents, assaults, shootings and sexual offences.
“The leading Gauteng regions with the most recorded incidents are Johannesburg with over 21 000 callouts, Ekurhuleni with over 11 000 and Tshwane with over 10 000 callouts,” the department said.
Gauteng e-Government MEC Bonginkosi Dhlamini hailed the e-Panic Button as an important tool for helping to fight crime and deal with emergencies for Gauteng residents.
“It is without a doubt that the e-Panic Button is making a difference in our communities.
“Our team is always ready to attend to residents when they call for help. Our turnaround time to deploy ambulances or armed response is between 7 – 10 minutes,” Dhlamini said.
The e-Panic Button can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. (Source: SAnews.gov.za)
Eden's innovation comes out tops
A bed to dream of
A BED that you can take with you almost anywhere.
Sounds like just a dream, huh! It’s definitely not.
Eden Sleep Innovation, a bed manufacturer, has won first place in the manufacturing category of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (DTIC) annual Furniture Design Competition.
The innovative hybrid flatpack design, known as Unibase, is engineered and manufactured locally. It combines sustainable wood and recycled plastic.
It is a compact ‘carry and go’ bed base that can easily fit into a car or taxi, as well as through doorways and staircases. It also saves up to 85% in space throughout the supply chain, including warehousing and transportation.
The Managing Director of Eden Sleep Innovation, Aldrin John, said they were honoured to have won the award.
“Our vision as a company is to revolutionise sleep and furniture solutions with innovative, high-quality, and affordable products. This annual competition of the DTIC plays a crucial role in showcasing the capabilities of local young talent and seasoned professionals in the furniture industry.
“We encourage more industry stakeholders to get involved in future initiatives, as they are essential for fostering innovation and growth within the South African furniture sector,” John said.
Chief Director of Agro-processing and Forestry Based Industries at the DTIC, Ncumisa Mcata-Mhlauli, said the competition was established by the department 10 years ago to promote innovation in the development of new, competitive furniture products, and to contribute towards skills development initiatives.
She said the competition is an instrument to promote and encourage interest in the furniture industry and to entice upcoming designers. (Source: SAnews.gov.za)