Weekly highlights 01 October 2021

Weekly Highlights 01 October 2021 - Issue No. 108 In this issue Dear Colleagues what alert level 1 means The month of October is celebrated annually as Transport Month in South Africa. It is used to raise awareness on the CELEBRATING OUR RAF GRADUATES important role of transport in the economy and to encour- age participation from civil society and business, including rAF CHILD RESTRAINT CAMPAIGN the provision of a safe and more affordable, accessible and reliable transport system in the country. ENHANCED DECLARATION OF INTEREST WEB PORTAL During this month government, specifically the Department RAF # ICARE VALUES of Transport (DoT) and its entities will showcase transport infrastructure services in aviation, maritime, public trans- CELEBRATING MZANSI’S UNESCO-RECOGNISED port and roads. This month will also be used to promote HERITAGE SITES: RICHTERSVELD NATIONAL PARK road safety, while also creating awareness of the economic benefits of the sector. INTERNATIONAL TRANSLATION DAY Our investments in the transport sector are aimed at stimu- vaccination - own your life lating development and creating jobs. These investments will ensure that we build an integrated public transport COVID-19 Statistics network across the country. the fun page The Road Accident Fund (RAF), as an entity of the DoT, will use this month to further advance the country’s road Letters to the Editor safety initiatives. We will also be creating awareness of our services and sharing with our stakeholders the Fund’s We invite our readers to share their new operation model that is customer-centric and seeks to comments, feedback, and suggestions settle claims in 120 days. Other entities of the DoT will cre- with us. Readers are encouraged to submit ate awareness of the economic benefits of the sector while their letters, of no more than 200 words, to showcasing transport infrastructure services in aviation, [email protected] and TholakeleR@raf. maritime, public transport and roads. co.za. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Enjoy this week’s Highlights! Editor: Thabang Mahlatsi ([email protected]) Kind regards Sub-editor: Tholakele Radebe ([email protected]) Reporter: Tintswalo Nkuna ([email protected]) Internal Communication Editor-In-Chief: Anton Janse van Rensburg ([email protected])

Waht alert Level 1 Means Government Communication and Information system (GCIS) On Thursday, 30 September 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa has emerged from the third wave driven by the Delta variant. As a result, the country would be moving to a lighter level of lockdown, Alert Level 1. As stated by President Ramaphosa, there is now a reported decline in infection rates as well as a decrease in hospitalisations and deaths in all provinces. Citizens are urged to be vigilant of COVID-19 and to observe all preventative measures to ensure their safe- ty and those of their loved ones. Furthermore, vaccina- tions are still ongoing and citizens in the age group 18 and older are encouraged to register and take the jab. New regulations for South Africa’s Adjusted Alert Level 1 are as follows: CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE 2

CELEBRATING OUR RAF GRADUATES by Thabang Mahlatsi Our celebrated graduate this week is Rejoice BCom in Management at UNISA, and different training Sanangura, Training Co-ordinator in the Learning programmes with Learnfast. and Development Unit. She recently completed her Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in Management. 3. Is there a qualification you are currently studying towards or have recently completed? If so, what is As a beneficiary of the RAF’s Learning and Develop- it? ment (L and D) Bursary Programme, we chatted with her to find out more about her academic journey, what I recently completed my BCom in Management, Man- it took to attain her goal, and her future career develop- agement Development Programme (MDP) and cur- ment plans. rently, I am doing a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development. 1. Please tell us briefly about yourself, including your current position at the RAF 4. How was your whole studying experience, what challenges did you experience and how did you My name is Rejoice Sanangura. I am currently work- handle them? ing as a Training Co-ordinator and have been working for the RAF for more than a decade. I am a wife and Completing my degree was incredibly challenging. a mother of two young adults. I am passionate about Some of the issues I faced include balancing between helping others, organising training sessions, reading, being a wife, mother, student, and an employee dur- baking, cooking and travelling. ing lockdown. Also, I contracted COVID-19 during the examination period but I am grateful that I was able to 2. The Learning and Development Unit informed us overcome these challenges and pass my examinations. of your other qualifications obtained through their I had to plan everything to make sure that there was no bursary scheme. Would you please share those area in my life that was left behind, and I had support with us? from family, friends and the organisation at large. L and D provided me with an opportunity to study a 5. With regards to your personal development, what are your plans for the future? I would like to continue learning as it is a lifelong pro- cess, and I would appreciate any opportunities the organisation might present which will allow me to grow further as a person and in my career. 6. How do you handle the pressure that comes with studying while working? I have developed a study plan and I prioritise my schoolwork as the demand arises. 7. What advice would you give to someone who is considering being a working student (balancing career, academics, and family)? Failing to plan is planning to fail. As a working student, you need to have a study plan where you will diarise all the assignment due dates, have a personal diary to diarise your meetings, important work events and family. Lastly, I also encourage my colleagues who are studying to get proper rest as this is essential to balanc- ing work, academics and your personal life. 8. How did you celebrate your achievement? I am grateful to God for the opportunities I have in life. I thanked my family, friends and colleagues for being there for me. CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE ThCaobmanmguMniacahtlaiotnsi, ibsaaseSdpeinciEacliost:GIlnatdeernsal 3

RAF Child Restraint Campaign Held on 22 September in Randburg by Lesego Matshaba and Agnes Masango The Stakeholder Relations Unit took the initiative The RAF sponsored 75 car seats to be gifted to new to promote and educate the public about the parents and handed out 57 baby car seats in total importance of the usage of child restraints, also during the event. Wheel Well recruited these parents known as child car seats. via social media and communicated all the details to them. The car seats were handed out to the parents at This was in support of an initiative by the Department Ferndale on Republic, a shopping centre in Randburg. of Transport and the National Road Traffic Act. The They were given out in a ‘drive through’ for parents in a Act states that it is compulsory for the driver of a motor multi-coloured gazebos set-up which was constructed vehicle operated on a public road to ensure that an with the assistance of the Marketing Unit. Once infant travelling in such a motor vehicle is seated on an registered, the parents drove into the designated areas, appropriate child restraint. The campaign is targeted at received a short ‘Car Seat 101’ demonstration on how babies from 0-3 years old as per the amendments to the to use their child car seats while the RAF team, along Regulations of the Act. with volunteers from Wesbank, InspectaCar, Supa Quick and Forgood installed the car seats for them after The week of 19-25 September 2021 is celebrated the demonstration. globally as Child Passenger Safety Week. The RAF, in partnership with Wheel Well, a company dedicated “We are grateful to all our volunteers as well as friends to the promotion of road safety for children, and other and family who chipped in on the day and happily external stakeholders, commemorated the week by helped where they could to make the day a success. educating the public about the importance of restraining Law enforcement and road safety officers from the children in a car. The campaign was advertised on the Gauteng Department of Community Safety paid us a Wheel Well website for people to register. The criteria visit as well. It was a delight to host them and show off for entrance were parents who have babies from 0 to what we do with the RAF. Banjo the Bear, a character one year old and own a car. “This is a week where we from BabyYumYum, an online parenting platform, put the plight of our child passengers in sharp focus. entertained the children and they donated 100 beautiful There is no better way to do this than gift new parents goodie bags for the parents and volunteers,” added with a stunning and efficient car seat to keep their Peggie Mars, Founder and Director of Wheel Well. little ones safe,” said Agnes Masango, Road Safety Specialist in the Stakeholder Relations Unit at the RAF. Our special thanks to the RAF’s Stakeholder Relations Unit for so generously donating the car seats, Ferndale CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE on Republic for the perfect venue and the Wheel Well Pit Crew for making the day very special for all. LesMeAeggSdonpiaeMesOcaiMaftfsliaichsseatarbb,naabgsaiosesdieasdaSationREcEcoiaoaclodgalnGSadadlafeDedsitegysital 4

ENHANCED DECLARATION OF INTEREST WEB PORTAL Released by the Ethics Office Ethics Office and our ambassadors throughout the organisation. The Ethics Office is excited to introduce the soon- Released by the Ethics Office to-be launched enhanced Declaration of Interest (DOI) web portal. 5 The Road Accident Fund (RAF) Ethics Policy requires each employee to complete their DOI on an annual basis. DOI refers to the process whereby an employee declares his/her private or personal interests, business interests and financial interests including shareholding and directorships. The main objective of the DOI is to manage conflict of interest within the RAF. In an effort to enhance the current DOI system on SharePoint, a new web portal has been developed. In addition to the new DOI portal, the RAF has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Com- panies, Intellectual and Property Commission (CIPC) enabling the integration of our DOI verification process with CIPC records. The automation of the verification process will enable faster and more reliable DOI verifi- cation at the RAF. More details will be communicated soon through the CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE

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CELEBRATING MZANSI’S UNESCO-RECOGNISED HERITAGE SITES: Richtersveld National Park Researched by Tholakele Radebe As we conclude Heritage Month, we bring you the Tucked away on the Atlantic coast in the far northwest last in our series of South Africa’s World Heritage corner of South Africa, the Richtersveld’s northern and Sites, the Richtersveld National Park in the North- eastern borders are defined by the ‘big bend’ of the ern Cape. It is not your usual holiday destination Orange River ( also known as the Gariep, which means and is definitely not for the faint-hearted, but it’s ‘Great River’ in the Nama language). Its western pe- worth exploring if you love nature and experiencing rimeter lies on the desolate Atlantic shores, which are something different. flanked by the freezing waters of the Benguela Current. Its southern border roughly follows the road linking The Richtersveld is a remote region; hot, dry and seem- Port Nolloth on the coast to Steinkopf, which is about ingly lifeless. It is one of the most desolate areas you’ll 60 kilometres north of the nearest important town of find in Southern Africa, but also among the most beauti- Springbok. ful − if you’re into hot and barren. It’s a harsh landscape where the temperature sometimes reaches 50°C in the Two major factors – geology and climate − have played summer. It seems so inhospitable that it’s a wonder life a role in shaping the area’s biological and mineral can survive here at all, but on closer inspection you’ll wealth, and this bounty has, in turn, shaped the hu- find that it does. It has a certain esoteric beauty, but man history of the region. Despite the harshness of why should such a barren place be worthy of World the environment, the unusual climate offers a lifeline Heritage status? The Richtersveld has both natural and for nomadic herders and their stock in a region where cultural criteria that make it unique. people have lived for more than 200, 000 years. In fact, the Richtersveld is home to one of the oldest surviving The Richtersveld National Park is a rugged, desolate cultures in South Africa, that of the Nama. and in parts hauntingly beautiful ‘mountain desert’ set in a great loop of the Orange River. It is one of the most Continues to next page 7 important of the country’s conservation areas, not only for the dramatically unique landscapes, but also for its status as South Africa’s first contractual park, an ar- rangement that brings SANParks and the local commu- nity together in a pioneering system of co-management. This is a place of deep canyons, jagged mountain rang- es, landscapes made vivid by the unusual colours of the rocks and soils, of extremely rare succulent plants such as the curious kokerboom or quiver tree and the even stranger halfmens, and in the north by the broad, languid stretches and white water rapids of the great Orange River. CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE

CELEBRATING MZANSI’S UNESCO-RECOGNISED HERITAGE SITES: RICHTERSVELD NATIONAL PARK (CONT) Long before the formation of the continental landmass- Plants in the Richtersveld have developed the most es as we know them now, the rocks of the Richtersveld extraordinary adaptation strategies to the harsh climate. were being formed. The geological history of the region Some store water in large ‘bladder’ cells on the surface stretches back 2, 000 million years, almost half the age of their leaves or swell quickly when there is moisture, of the Earth. The dramatic landscape resulting from others stay underground in the form of bulbs, and aeons of geological upheaval makes the Richtersveld a others develop white scales to reflect the sun rays or fascinating Earth-science museum. grow tiny sticky hair to trap sand grains as a protection against the wind. The Richtersveld contains the world’s richest desert flora. Tiny succulents cling to the rock faces and suck the moisture out of the air when mist rolls in from the cold Atlantic coast. The halfmens (‘half-person’) cacti sprout in phallic fashion from the rocky soil, along with quiver trees and aloes. Humans have occupied the Richtersveld for thousands The Richtersveld National Park is a very good example of years. The ancestors of the San who lived here of one of the most interesting mega-ecosystems of the hunted game such as springbok and gathered plant world, the succulent Karoo. There is no desert flora foods such as berries and bulbs. They left behind them on our planet possessing similar species richness and small stone tools that can be still found today (all ar- individuality of flora. On a surface area of one square chaeological artefacts are protected by law and may not kilometre, more than 360 plant species of flowering be removed). The hunter-gatherers probably only used plants (angiosperms) are found at a site with an aver- the area after good rains and are likely to have moved age rainfall of only 68 mm per year. seasonally between the plains and the mountains. The first Khoekhoen or pastoralist people moved into South Let’s enjoy and preserve our rich natural and cultural Africa from northern Botswana about 2, 000 years ago. heritage for generations to come. They brought with them fat-tailed sheep and later cattle. They spoke a different language from the San, but also Source: 8 hunted and gathered – slaughtering their animals only http://richtersveldnationalpark.com/ on rare, ceremonial occasions. The Nama-speaking herders in the Richtersveld are descended from these Tholakele Radebe is a Copy Editor based in Eco Glades first pastoralists. CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE

nternational Translation Day by Celimpilo Dladla mask, coronavirus, and lockdown among others. Trans- lators were left without a choice but to be United in Translation assisting each other to render these terms correctly and consistently in other languages and in various publications. International Translation Day was launched in 1953 Celimpilo Dladla is a Specialist: Nguni Languages, by the International Federation of Translators in based in Eco Glades honour of St Jerome, who translated most of the 9 Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin. This day is celebrated annually on 30 September. This year’s theme is: “United in Translation”. Rhodes Univer- sity, in collaboration with African scholars hosted a virtual celebration exploring challenges encoun- tered by translators during the COVID-19 pandemic and the methodologies that were adopted to over- come these challenges. The RAF has a Language Unit whose services include the translation of content into the 11 official languages of South Africa. The Unit was among the invitees to this year’s event hosted by Rhodes University and participated in the panel discussion which focussed on translation challenges and methodologies employed to overcome them. Fortunately, for the Unit, the RAF pro- vides its employees with internet resources and diction- aries. This made working during the pandemic almost seamless. The ICT Department is always present to assist the Unit when computer-related challenges arise, which helps the Unit meet its objectives. As we celebrate International Translation Day in 2021, I am reminded of the times when translators scratched their heads searching for terminology equivalents for CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE





THE FUN PAGE STAoosdupathayrAtwfoerficlHoaoe’srkiutaantgitqehuWeDeaefutyehnrconmepylseEesbntyihdrjooaaeutytio!oreefnnsesjoox, yncthhaititas!enswgwieneigtkhwwthoeerkfocecitmuizsaeinolssn.. 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]