The provincial government launched its partnership with the eLan Foundation’s Shift Africa Project, which will see a massive training and skills development project that will serve as a gateway to occupationally directed skills development for the identified youth.

The economic spinoffs and job opportunities are a result of the eLan Property Group’s R16 billion Blythedale Coastal Estate Resort development.

Speaking during the partnership launch this week, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala, said the Shift Africa Project is strategic because it talks to economic growth, redistribution and creation of jobs.

“We are launching this project, Shift Africa, where the eLan Foundation and eLan Group, which is a property investment group, have partnered with government, especially the Department of Social Development, to train young people and ensure that they are employed in the property development of the project, which will be implemented in the Ilembe District.

“One of these projects is the Blythedale Coastal Estate Resort, which is a mega catalytic project that will attract international investors. It will be the biggest resort in Southern Africa and result in the employment of more than 100 000 people during the construction phase, and yield more business opportunities for SMMEs [small, medium and micro enterprises],” Zikalala said.

He called on the business sector to continue working with government to implement high impact projects that will see the reduction of unemployment and ensure skills development.

“This project will help us reduce unemployment and provide skills training for youth and women. The eLan Group has been given a database of young people that have been trained by the Department of Social Development, and some of these trainees are ex-offenders.

“No one must be condemned, and there is a need to rehabilitate ex-offenders. It is important to give them a second chance in life. The ex-offenders, who have been trained, will also be given an opportunity to work in the Blythedale Project and make a meaningful contribution to the growth of our economy,” Zikalala said.

The partnership with eLan Group will, among other objectives, lead to:

• The development of entry level programmes, which will serve as a gateway to occupationally directed skills development for the identified youth.
• Short-term employment and procurement expenditure during construction.
• 20 000 trained personnel will be placed in permanent jobs.
• Incubation of 4 000 SMEs, with guaranteed contracts as per their services.
• Develop sustainable income streams for co-operatives and beneficiaries thus reducing poverty. Guaranteed contracts will lead to the sustainability of the co-operatives.
• Green Economy programmes and the development of social enterprises will provide business spin-offs.

The KZN Department of Social Development has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the eLan Group, in its capacity as property developers.

The MOU will result in the implementation of development programmes that will respond to socio- economic difficulties facing young people in the province.

Source: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/kzn-partnership-prepare-over-100-000-youth-job-market

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Rabie said that revenues amounted to $545.5 million (not including navigation services) during February 2022, compared to $474.1 million during the same month last year, marking an increase of $71.4 million.

He pointed out that the navigation movement in the canal during February 2022 recorded new and unprecedented records in terms of vessel transit rates and net tonnage by crossing 1713 vessels from both directions, with a total net tonnage of 100.1 million tons, compared to the crossing of 1532 vessels during the month of February of last year, with a total net tonnage amounting to 97.6 million tons.

Rabie explained that the performance rates during February 2022 are the highest compared to the same month over the successive years throughout the history of the canal, which was reflected in the increase in the revenue generated by 15.1%, recording $545.5 million (not including navigation services) during the month of February 2022, compared to $474.1 million during the same month last year, with an increase of $71.4 million.

He added that navigational reports during February 2022 monitored a significant increase in the transit rates of various types of ships compared to the same month last year, as the number of bulk vessels increased by 29 percent, and container ships transiting the canal increased by 11.8 percent, while the rate of increase of car carrier vessels reached 22.2 percent.

Source: https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/164696/Suez-Canal-revenues-jump-15.1%25-to-%24545.5M-in-February?lang=en-us

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Covid has hit South Africa harder than any other country on the continent, making the drop in deaths all the more remarkable.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases made the announcement in its daily tally of coronavirus cases, sparking cautious optimism among health authorities.

The last time the country reported no deaths over a 48-hour timescale was on May 12, 2020.
“Empirically, the hospitals are pretty much empty of Covid cases,” said Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand.

“We do know that reported deaths are underestimated by a factor of about three, but even then the rate at the moment is particularly low.”

He attributed the decline in death to both the rollout of vaccines and to the impact of past waves of infection.

“It’s come at a huge cost of loss of life, but it has resulted in a large portion of the population that have now developed protection against severe disease,” Madhi said.

At least 80 percent of the populous province Gauteng has already been infected with Covid, a statistic he believed likely mirrors the entire country.

Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique and Eswatini also reported no Covid deaths in the last 24 hours, although those neighbouring countries have less developed health surveillance system.

South Africa has suffered nearly 100,000 Covid deaths, and more than 3.6 million cases.

Source: https://www.africanews.com/2022/03/01/south-africa-records-zero-covid-19-related-deaths-in-48-hours/

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The situation is more serious as the local flora and fauna, which are used to protect climatic conditions, struggle to survive.

Inhabitants are displeased about this as they live off the income of safari hunters

“We’re trying to get used to it for the moment, but it should only last until our resources are exhausted. And we don’t have the money to continue doing what we’re doing”, Thuru Lodge manager, Burger Schoeman said.

The situation has forced the company to put reservations by tourists on hold.

“Unfortunately the drought forced us to place all our bookings on hold. We can’t book a guy coming from overseas having the safari feeling and trying to give him the best safari he ever had but the animals that are here are very skinny and is dying”, Schoeman added.

The owners of the farm spend about $14,000 a month just to feed the cattle and try to keep them alive. This task was given to Paul, one of the few remaining employees. He’s worked on the farm for 28 years and managed to make ends meet with tips from customers. But this year, he had a hard time sending his children to school.

“I needed to borrow money this year just to buy them books and stuff. The years before I had the money. Things are tight, much worse than before”, Thuru Lodge tracker, Paul Ludick said.

A few miles away, Johan Steekamp, a farm equipment dealer, admits that within a year the situation has gotten much worse.

“Our animals are really suffering – we have lost a lot of them. At this stage, I only have 30 to 40% of my herd left. Everything else is either dead or we’ve had them slaughtered”, Steekamp said.

The rainy season is expected in the region in the next few days. This is very much anticipated. The farms and their animals will need more than a year to recover.

Source: AFP

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