Home Affairs minister, Malusi Gigaba, says that his departmentwill look to change the current infrastructure layout of the arriving and departing terminals at OR Tambo International airport.
He said that having deployed additional staff, with good results, during the festive season, demonstrated the challenge at the airport around resources.
“Now that the deployed staff had been withdrawn, maintaining the same levels of efficiency and effectiveness poses serious challenges necessitating action,” Gigaba said on Wednesday.
“OR Tambo as a strategic hub requires additional resources on a permanent basis. It is for this reason that the department plans to increase capacity at this airport. To this end, we have allocated R25 million for the 2017/18 financial year, and therefore we should be able to appoint additional 58 immigration officials and fully capacitate our management team,” he said.
A further increase in staff capacity is planned for the 2018/19 financial year, with an additional budget allocation of R17 million, availed by National Treasury.
The minister said however, that the challenges at OR Tambo are not only about staff shortages. Other areas of concern include the current infrastructure layout of the arriving and departing terminals. Engagements with Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) are apace to reconsider the current layout of identified areas, Gigaba said.
“Among the proposals is the separation of travellers departing, in the same way as in the Arrival Terminal, where citizens are separated from foreign travellers. The festive period where this proposal was piloted had shown there is value in implementing this option permanently precisely because required services are different for citizens and other clients.”
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Police IG bans officers from marrying foreigners
The Zambia Police High Command has with immediate effect banned police officers from marrying foreigners.
In a memo issued by Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja in Lusaka, the I.G also advised officers who are already married to foreigners to declare their foreigner spouses to his office within a week.
The I.G further warned that failure to declare any foreigner spouse will attract disciplinary action.
And Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo has defended the instruction by the Inspector General saying it is constitutional.
Mrs Katongo said the Zambia Police Act 103 Section 3 and 5 covers the standing orders on marriages as prescribed by the Inspector General.
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Home Affairs minister wants layout change at OR Tambo airport
Home Affairs minister, Malusi Gigaba, says that his departmentwill look to change the current infrastructure layout of the arriving and departing terminals at OR Tambo International airport.
He said that having deployed additional staff, with good results, during the festive season, demonstrated the challenge at the airport around resources.
“Now that the deployed staff had been withdrawn, maintaining the same levels of efficiency and effectiveness poses serious challenges necessitating action,” Gigaba said on Wednesday.
“OR Tambo as a strategic hub requires additional resources on a permanent basis. It is for this reason that the department plans to increase capacity at this airport. To this end, we have allocated R25 million for the 2017/18 financial year, and therefore we should be able to appoint additional 58 immigration officials and fully capacitate our management team,” he said.
A further increase in staff capacity is planned for the 2018/19 financial year, with an additional budget allocation of R17 million, availed by National Treasury.
The minister said however, that the challenges at OR Tambo are not only about staff shortages. Other areas of concern include the current infrastructure layout of the arriving and departing terminals. Engagements with Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) are apace to reconsider the current layout of identified areas, Gigaba said.
“Among the proposals is the separation of travellers departing, in the same way as in the Arrival Terminal, where citizens are separated from foreign travellers. The festive period where this proposal was piloted had shown there is value in implementing this option permanently precisely because required services are different for citizens and other clients.”
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How world sees SA: Fix education and you’ll fix the economy, says IMF
China’s success is sometimes attributed to the long-term mindset of Chinese leaders. A classic example of how China has made remarkable progress on the back of long-term thinking is its approach to education. The Chinese government has repeatedly prioritised education reform – from primary school to university – in its plans. Slowly but surely this approach has delivered results for the Chinese economy. In addition to creating greater access to higher education, the government has identified the need to update curricula to meet real-world needs. China is sending its young people into the world to receive top quality education and it has also been expanding its private education sector, which includes facilitating international education across the country. Some of the world’s better universities have a presence in China – Duke University and The University of Nottingham are two of several examples – as do independent schools like Eton, which counts many British prime ministers among its alumni. This week the International Monetary Fund underscored the benefits to the South African economy of prioritising education reform, cautioning that significant economic growth is highly unlikely without significant changes to the education system. South Africa has one of the worst education systems in the world, according to The Economist, yet it spends considerable sums on education compared to many other countries. Sadly, with many ANC leaders preoccupied with the short-term gains of black economic empowerment and feathering their own nests, a major – and effective – overhaul of education seems unlikely for now. – Jackie Cameron
By Matthew le Cordeur
Cape Town – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said broad-based reforms to education are needed to boost growth in South Africa, which it predicts will remain below 1% in 2017.
Oya Celasun, deputy division chief at the IMF, said that in 2016 South Africa’s growth “was stuck in low gear” and that 2017 will “improve somewhat … to a still-weak pace of recovery of 0.8% and then improve a bit further” to 1.6% in 2018.
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Uganda Tightens Visa Security
Kampala — Gemalto the world leader in digital security, is supplying Uganda’s Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) with its Coesys Visa Management that combines swift issuance of all visas and permits with biometric enrollment upon arrival.
It is supporting the new solution with integration, deployment, maintenance and training for Ugandan immigration officers. The new scheme allows the authorities to manage the entire visa life cycle from application to issuance. It will help the country achieve its goals to facilitate travel, enhance national security and protect a traveler’s identity against theft.
“Gemalto answered our need for a strong, secure solution, based on international standards and in line with Uganda’s objective to facilitate travel,” said Commissioner Mr. Anthony Namara, Project Coordinator at The Department of Citizenship and Immigration Control. “Gemalto Coesys Visa Management provides a fast and flexible response to the challenge of large-scale regional migration.”
“This new project puts Uganda at the forefront of enhanced immigration solutions in East Africa,” said Ari Bouzbib, Senior Vice President of Government Programs at Gemalto. “The new system also fits with the regional initiative to deploy a single tourist visa program across Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. This enables Ugandan authorities to readily identify travelers and reinforce national security.”
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