Weekly Highlights 15 October 2021

Weekly Highlights 15 October 2021 - Issue No. 110 In this issue Dear Colleagues 2022 Bursary Window Opening soon October 15 is Global Handwashing Day, a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understand- Actuarial Claims Administration Unit Attends ing about the importance of handwashing with soap as an Onboarding Workshop effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives. YOUR JOURNAL IS YOUR SAFE SPACE The theme of this year’s Global Handwashing Day is: “Our RAF Employee Awards Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together”. The unprecedented nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Fikile Mbalula Opens Two New Driving Licence continues to highlight the critical role hand hygiene plays in Testing Centres in Gauteng disease transmission. This year’s theme is a call to action to work as a collective and leverage lessons learned from COVID-19 Digital Certificates for South the COVID-19 response to address the historic neglect of Africans hand hygiene in investments, policies, and programmes once and for all. As we enter a new normal, the future state COVID-19 Statistics of hand hygiene is in our hands. the fun page Global Handwashing Day serves as an opportunity for handwashing champions to take action to promote and Letters to the Editor sustain handwashing habits. Organisations and individuals can celebrate Global Handwashing Day by participating in We invite our readers to share their a digital campaign or spreading the word about the impor- comments, feedback, and suggestions tance of handwashing. Beyond Global Handwashing Day, with us. Readers are encouraged to submit communities should ensure handwashing stations with their letters, of no more than 200 words, to soap are accessible and appropriate, provide inclusive be- [email protected] and TholakeleR@raf. haviour change programming, and advocate for and invest co.za. We are looking forward to hearing from in handwashing to ensure hand hygiene for all. you. It is for this reason that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) Editor: Thabang Mahlatsi ([email protected]) joins the rest of the globe in commemorating this day. With Sub-editor: Tholakele Radebe ([email protected]) the countrywide relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions to Reporter: Tintswalo Nkuna ([email protected]) Alert Level 1, we are more likely to see increased activi- Editor-In-Chief: Anton Janse van Rensburg ([email protected]) ties in our respective offices. We must always be vigilant of the coronavirus. Our safety and that of our colleagues and clients depends on regularly washing and/or sanitising our hands. This, of course, is in conjunction with keeping a safe distance from others and wearing masks at all times. Most importantly, RAFzins are encouraged to get vacci- nated so that we can get back to serving our claimants and rebuilding our economy. Enjoy this week’s Highlights! Kind regards Internal Communication



Actuarial Claims Administration Unit Attends Onboarding Workshop by Thabang Mahlatsi On 06 and 07 October 2021, the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) facilitated an Actuarial Workshop at the Eco Glades office. According to Thembi Maselela, Project Manager: Adjudication Project, the purpose of the workshop was, firstly, to facilitate a meet-and-greet session for the Actuaries and Ana- lysts. Many of them were recruited at a time when the RAF was shut down in adherence to the COVID-19 Alert Levels 4 and 3 which were imposed countrywide. Secondly, the workshop served to onboard the rest of the team on the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) processes, actuarial processes, and templates to be used. As part of the new Road Accident Fund Business Model, the office of the Chief Operations Officer established an Internal Actuarial Claims Administration Unit. The role of the unit will replace the services offered by the external Panel of Actuaries whose contract expired on 22 August 2021. The Unit is responsible for supporting the Fund with actuarial calculations to determine loss of earnings and loss of support benefits. They apply industry-standard methodologies, consider various legislation and reporting require- ments to ensure that a claimant’s loss is accurately calculated, and ensure that all our professional standards are met. The Actuarial Claims Administration Unit will also play a critical role in defining Risk Management strategies and mitigations by assisting the organisation analyse future contingent financial risks and trends associated with claims. The team consists of experienced and dedicated Actuaries, Senior Analysts and Analysts who will work hand in hand with the organisation to successfully adjudicate and ultimately finalise claims. For more information on the services offered, please contact Grant Pretorius, Senior Manager: Claims Actuarial Administration. Image 1: The Actuarial Claims Administration Team Image 2: Senior Analysts of the Unit Image 3: The Actuarial Claims Administration Management Image 4: Senior Analysts of the Unit 3 ThCaobmanmguMniacahtlaiotnsi, ibsaaseSdpeinciEacliost:GIlnatdeernsal CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE

YOUR JOURNAL IS YOUR SAFE SPACE by Tintswalo Nkuna Mental health should not only be of concern to Your journal is where you have the power to write even us when we are severely depressed, anxious or the things you would not always have the courage or when we are at the psychiatrist’s office about to confidence to say to others. It helps you get things off check into a mental health facility. It is something your chest in a manner that will not hurt anyone. At as important as your physical health: you need not times when we are going through things, we may say wait until you are paralysed by pain to get yourself things that we cannot take back to the people around checked or to pay attention to what you are feeling. us and relationships may be negatively affected. This Your mental health is something you need to con- does not mean you should never talk about issues stantly look after and pay attention to. or express your feelings, but it helps you frame your thoughts and express your feelings better. Consequent- I have discovered several ways to maintain my mental ly, when you talk after pouring it all down in your journal, health which include writing daily in my journal, exer- you normally have a chance to control your emotions cise, yoga, anger release methods and meditating. For and your words. A lot of people have done irreparable now, I will focus on journaling. damage to relationships with spouses, friends, or family members through making utterances they get to regret You do not need to be an award-winning author to keep later. It is hard to take back your words that have hurt a journal, and you do not need to have some creative someone once you say them out loud. An apology may writing skills or qualification because this is just for you. not always completely fix things because we tend to Keep a journal or even your smartphone where you believe what people say to us is what they have always can write down how your day was, how you are feeling, thought of telling us. We believe they’ve thought their what happened or did not happen to leave you feeling words through before uttering them, although this is not the way you do. You may also include what you are always the case. grateful for, what you love or appreciate about your life and anything that you want to let out of your mind. Journaling also helps you keep track of your feelings and your emotional patterns. If you start journaling There is no formula, this is just you writing the same more often, you will be able to discover how you feel way you would talk to someone you completely trust most of the time and if you are generally a happy per- about your life and things you experience daily. Do not son or a sad one and then find ways to improve your put yourself under pressure to write a masterpiece. life. Continues to next page CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE 4

YOUR JOURNAL IS YOUR SAFE SPACE (Cont.) by Tintswalo Nkuna Journaling has helped me identify my dominant feel- important piece of evidence? It’s because sometimes it ings or moods. Consequently, I was able to even trace is the only tool available to help them establish patterns the changes in my moods on different days and identify in the mental state of the victim. The journal of some- patterns to help me intentionally decide on situations one suffering from a severe mental health problem may and people to avoid in order to stay emotionally healthy. also help that person’s family and friends understand From my journal entries I could identify days when I what sort of assistance he or she might need. felt sad or unhappy and trace what had happened on those days. Perhaps I had spent time in the company Journaling may not cure severe health problems but of certain people or had done something that I always can sure help you realise if you or anyone else needs do without paying attention to the fact that it does not special attention and assistance. It should be an on- fulfil me. Or it could be caused by the fact that I had not going activity. Find a time slot in your day and a quiet given my best at work or at school. The days on which place where you can write without any disturbances you are happy are also worth paying attention to so you and process your feelings as you put them on paper. If may discover what fuels up your joy. And that means you do it consistently, you will see results. Get a journal you need to spend more of your time engaging in such even for your teenage children to provide much-needed activities. support for them in their life-altering stage. Have you ever wondered why in a case of suicide in- vestigators would consider the victim’s journal the most Tintswalo Nkuna is a Call Centre Agent, based in Eco Glades CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE 5

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Fikile Mbalula Opens Two New Driving Licence Testing Centres in Gauteng Researched by Tholakele Radebe Zola Majavu, the Chairperson of the RTMC Board, said the services being launched at the recently opened driving licence testing centres (DLTCs) were set to re- shape the licensing sector and set a new benchmark in the level of professionalism and efficiency expected at centres across the country. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has earmarked the Majavu said licensing centres had for a long time been launch of two new driving licence testing centres associated with long queues, poor service and corrup- in Gauteng as the dawn of a new regime within the tion, something which he said had to change. Transport sector. In fact, things had already been on the rise as he said The two centres based at the Eco Park offices in Cen- they had picked up a number of positive comments turion and the Waterfall Office Park in Midrand officially from social media from customers who commended opened their doors on 1 October 2021. the service received at the new centres in the past two days. Mbalula said even though the backlog of expired li- cences province by province appeared insurmountable, Majavu said he was further humbled to have encoun- initiatives such as the launch of the two centres marked tered an elderly man who received service at the Water- the beginning of a new dawn for service delivery. fall centre and commended the department for being able to renew his licence in under 30 minutes during “It’s a mess in our country to get a licence because their walkabout of the facilities. you have to resort to corruption and other things, it’s a big problem. However, we said from October we would “These kinds of comments reflect the standard of ser- implement change and we did just that.” vice delivery we wish to maintain at our centres and to extend to all other licensing centres.” Mbalula said the results witnessed at the centres since they opened were as a result of the co-operation and “There is no reason why government services should concurrence between the Department of Transport and be associated with inferiority, inconvenience and to top Infrastructure and were delivered through their agency it off, unpleasantness. We promise to adhere to high the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). standards of service and we will respond speedily when the public raises concerns with us.” He once again pledged that the huge backlog of ex- pired licences would be dealt with by the department by He added they would use digital technologies to make March 2022. further improvements to bring convenience to custom- ers and assured those who had complained of long queues and slow service that their pleas had been heard and they (RTMC) would respond. Mbalula highlighted that by taking into consideration the damage done to the economy by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government could not be expected to do things alone. As such, he stressed the need for a social compact Source: with the people but most importantly how the social Source: http://itssa.org/fikile-mbalula-says-dawn-of-new- mobilisation of resources would be needed to get things regime-as-two-new-driving-licence-testing-centres-open-in- done. gauteng/ CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE TTholakele Radebe is a Copy Editor, based in Eco 7 Glades.

COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates for South Africans Researched by Thabang Mahlatsi can be downloaded through a web portal by anyone who has received one of the COVID-19 vaccines avail- able in South Africa. “You’ll need your vaccination code from the SMS you received after your vaccination, South African ID or For- eign Passport number or Asylum or Refugee number. This should be the same document that you presented when you got vaccinated and the cell phone number you included on your registration,” she said. “With regard to the recognition of the digital certificate, most countries around the globe would accept the cer- tificate. It is, however, dependent on the policy of the country that you would be visiting and what their verifi- cation requirements would be,” Wolmarans said. The Department of Health has started issuing the country’s COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates to fully vaccinated adults. This is after the South African COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate System portal was officially launched by the Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, on Friday, 9 October 2021.  The system will allow users to create a QR code show- ing their COVID-19 inoculation status and will be avail- able to adults who are fully vaccinated. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in September the roll-out of the vaccine certificate as proof that residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The digital pass system can be used to show vaccination status to facilitate travel, access to establishments, gatherings and other forms of activity. The President explained that government’s approach was informed by the World Health Organization’s guide- lines and that it was in line with international best prac- tice. He believes that it could go a long way towards getting a number of international travel restrictions both from and into our country eased.  The certificate was developed by the Department of Health and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and can be found at https://vaccine. certificate.health.gov.za. National Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) Source: project manager, Milani Wolmarans, said the certificate https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/health-de- partment-set-introduce-vaccine-certificate CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE Thabang Mahlatsi is a Specialist: Internal 8 Communication, based in Eco Glades



THE FUN PAGE Today we’re having a look at seven modes of transport you’ll only find in South Africa. We hope you enjoy it! There are many unique ways to get from A to B in South Africa… 1. The bakkie: The bakkie is useful for transporting people, animals, deconstructed houses, or anything else for that matter. 2. The taxi: It’s like a normal taxi, with a lekker South African twist. Did you know 80% of South Africa’s work force travels by taxi? It comes as no surprise, really, considering they go everywhere at ground-breaking speed. 3. The baby-on-back: This is reserved for smaller South Africans. Swaddled up and asleep on the back of your mama is the best ride in town! 4. The trolley shuttle: Trolleys are a marvellous trans- portation device, for goods and people alike. 5. The donkiekar: Mule carts are still trending in South Africa, especially on the highway! 6. The rickshaw: These were the rage in Japan in the mid-1800s before, you know, cars and stuff. In Durbs they’re still going strong but are mainly used by tourists. 7. The head: And if all else fails in South Africa, you can always put your head to use! NOTE TO READERS: What kind of content would you like to see on this page in future editions? We would love to hear from you! Kindly send your suggestions to: [email protected]