November 05, 2024.

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lynne Davies.

Making headlines:

Government investigates spate of food-borne illnesses, encourages food safety practices

Police union wants review of justice system processes

And, DA decries ‘micro-management’ of language during march against BELA Act

Government investigates spate of food-borne illnesses, encourages food safety practices

South Africa has recently experienced outbreaks of food-borne illnesses that have led to the tragic death of a number of children and numerous hospitalisations across Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

In response, government said it is coordinating comprehensive investigations, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and has adopted an integrated approach which is being replicated across all provinces. 

Investigation teams comprising the National Consumer Commission, the South African Police Service, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the Environmental Directorate of the Department of Health and local municipal officials, are on the ground.

These teams are supervised by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, which is ensuring that all investigators are well-trained and equipped to handle the situation with the highest standards of diligence and expertise.

Government notes that it is also engaging in a public education and awareness campaign focusing on food safety and the safe handling of pesticides.

Police union wants review of justice system processes

As it celebrates its 35th anniversary, Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union President Thulani Ngwenya has called for a review of the operations of South Africa’s justice system to ensure better efficiency and accountability.

Ngwenya was speaking during Popcru's Central Executive Committee meeting today, where he pointed out that when crime statistics are released, only the police are held accountable, and not the judiciary.

He said there needs to be greater synergy between the operations of the police, judiciary, and correctional services pointing to a disconnect in the criminal prosecution process, noting that judges work limited hours and months, while police and correctional services work around the clock.

Ngwenya also highlighted the union’s concerns of petty criminals being housed with hardened criminals. 

He called for proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedures Act to be considered to ensure it is relevant to modern crimes, such as cybersecurity, cross-border crimes, and gender-based violence.

DA decries ‘micro-management’ of language during march against BELA Act

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen argued today that provincial governments would have “too much” power under the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, as he joined protestors at the Voortrekker Monument to march against sections 4 and 5 of the Act.

The DA joined Solidarity and AfriForum in the march against what has been described as “attacking the soul of the Afrikaans community”, and sought to hand over memorandums to government representatives.

Sections 4 and 5 of the Act deal with language and admissions policy at schools, which the organisations argue give the State “too much” control over where children attend schools and in what language.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the BELA Bill into law, despite a significant degree of public rejection and concern over its constitutionality.

He placed on hold two clauses of the Bill for three months to find solutions to the concerns around them.

Steenhuisen asserted that the South African Constitution allowed for the right to education in the language of the learner's choice.

Further, he argued that with the clauses under scrutiny, school governing bodies would lose the ability to make decisions that reflected the needs of local communities and parents.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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