Cabinet Bulletin- November 2011 - Gauteng Online

Cabinet BulletinCabinet decisions 30 November 2011Gauteng welcomes new Headof Department for Health andSocial DevelopmentExco approves revised SchoolSafety ProgrammeSchool violence has becomea worrying phenomenon andresearch has indicated that childrenare at greatest risk of being victimised atschool.To curb this, the Executive Councilhas approved the revised SchoolSafety Programme. The Departmentof Community Safety re-packaged theProgramme to align it to the ProvincialSafety and Security Strategy and tocomprehensively address the limitationsin the Hlayiseka Safety SchoolProgramme.schools;• Adopt-a-Cop;• The Hlayiseka Programme; and• Ke Moja campaign to combatsubstance and drug abuse.In addition, more than 25 000 learnershave been taken on tours to CorrectionalServices centres with an aim todiscourage them from committing crime.During these tours learners interact withinmates and receive first-hand exposureof prison life. The main objective of thisprogramme is to reform learners’ outlookabout crime.The Gauteng ProvincialGovernment has welcomed thenew Head of Department forHealth and Social Development,Dr Nomonde Xundu. Xunducommenced her duties on Tuesday, 1November 2011 succeeding formerHOD, Kammy ChettyShe previously worked as a technicaladvisor in the Department on theclinical aspects of HIV and Aids andTB. She later took up a managementposition of Director for Health Sectoraspects of the HIV and Aids and TBprogramme.She led the introduction of thePrevention of Mother-to-Child-Transmission (PMTCT) andAntiretroviral Therapy (ART) in theprovince – now one of the largestprogrammes in the country.Since 1994, different partnerships andprogrammes have been developed totackle issues related to school safety,security and discipline.These programmes include, amongothers, the following:• The Tirisano programme to addressyouth violence in South AfricanFrom April to September 2011, onehundred and nineteen safety plans and90 school safety teams were established.Two hundred and nineteen schoolsearches were also conducted. Morethan 150 patrollers were deployed to22 high risk schools.Before rejoining the department, DrXundu was the Health Attaché at theSouth African Embassy in WashingtonDC. She was transferred to this postfrom the national Department ofHealth in November 2008 whereshe championed the national HIVand Aids and TB programme.1cabinet bulletin | Cabinet Decisions | November Issue 2011

Education department identifies school readiness indicatorsTo ensure that schools re-open withoutany major problems in January2012, the Gauteng Department ofEducation has adopted a new approachto monitoring schools readiness.School readiness indicators have beenidentified to assist in this process.These include the admission of learners,procurement and delivery of stationeryand textbooks, emergency repairsto schools, the provision of teachingpersonnel and furniture and academicpreparedness and school nutrition.To ensure that this is done, visits to asample of schools were undertaken byall senior managers in the departmentbetween 24 and 26 October 2011.In recognition of the challenge of thetransition from primary to high school, theDepartment will next year run orientationprogrammes for Grade 8 learners andprovide each learner with a survivalguide to high school.The Department has also noted thatlearner registration and the placement ofexcess learners had been completed atthe end of November.In addition, Exco members will visit schoolsin January to send a clear message thatthe Gauteng Provincial Government iscommitted to making education a priorityand ensure that learning takes placewithout any disturbances.The three schools to be visited will beselected as follows:• one school is implementing the catchupprogramme;• the other is using the patrollers, and;• the last one is offering the homeworkprogramme.The schools will cover all fifteen districts inthe Province.Gauteng to honour military veterans on Day of ReconciliationOn December 16, the provincialgovernment, in partnership with theFreedom Park Trust and the South AfricanMilitary Veterans Association, willcommemorate the Day of Reconciliation.During the celebrations, 152 fallen and100 living veterans who sacrificed theirlives for freedom will be honoured on theday.The day also aims to raise awarenessand patriotism amongst citizens ofGauteng and mobilise local communitiesto interact with veterans.This year the day will be celebratedunder theme: “Honouring our MilitaryVeterans”.Also on the day, the names of the veteranswill be unveiled at the Freedom Parkto assist in fast-tracking the inscriptionof the names of those deserving to behonoured on the Wall of Remembrancefor their contribution to the liberation ofthe country.2cabinet bulletin | Cabinet Decisions | November Issue 2011