Weekly Highlights 11 February 2022

Weekly Highlights 11 February 2022 - Issue No. 123 In this issue Dear Colleagues CELEBRATING OUR RAF GRADUATES: FHATUWANI Once again, we have reached that period in the new year when the MATODZI President has to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2022. It will be held on 10 February 2022 and for the first time Mother Language Month this year the venue will be the Cape Town City Hall instead of the parliamentary precinct. The SONA comes amidst a number of LICENCE RENEWAL GRACE PERIOD EXTENDED challenges, among them is the unfortunate incident of the burning down of the National Assembly building earlier this year. On top of ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS – DURBAN REGIONAL that, we are still faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and doing our OFFICE best to get through it as a nation. COVID-19 Statistics in South Africa As an ordinary citizen one might ask why the SONA is that important and why it is worth one’s attention. First, as a responsible citizen, the fun page one should keep abreast of what is happening in the country. The matters addressed in the SONA directly affect us and we need Letters to the Editor to play our part in taking the country forward. The SONA is an opportunity for the nation to be informed of the government’s plans We invite our readers to share their for the year for the development of the country and the advancement comments, feedback, and suggestions of our democracy. We also need to be kept abreast of how the plans with us. Readers are encouraged to submit set in motion by the government in the past are implemented, how their letters, of no more than 200 words, to far they are with the implementation and how much progress has [email protected] and TholakeleR@raf. been made. We need to be informed of how our state institutions co.za. We are looking forward to hearing from perform and how that affects us as citizens. you. South Africa is faced with a number of challenges right now, Editor: Thabang Mahlatsi ([email protected]) among them is the high rate of unemployment, especially youth Sub-editor: Tholakele Radebe ([email protected]) unemployment, crime control and prevention, an ailing economy and Reporter: Tintswalo Nkuna ([email protected]) other concerns. It is therefore in our best interest to find out about Editor-In-Chief: Anton Janse van Rensburg ([email protected]) the government’s proposed solutions to the challenges that the country faces and what role we can play as citizens to make things better. On the other hand, we are approaching Valentine’s Day 2022. It’s a time to celebrate love, not only romantic love but also the love shared by families and friends, and co-workers. In the past we celebrated Valentine’s Day as Employee Appreciation Day in the Road Accident Fund (RAF) and that is a practice we should continue. Everyone needs that reassurance that they are loved and appreciated where they are, be it in the family setting, work setting or elsewhere. Who would not want to be appreciated for who they are and what they do? RAFzins, you are loved, appreciated and the work that you do is also appreciated and valued! Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy this week’s Highlights! Kind regards Internal Communication

CELEBRATING OUR RAF GRADUATES: FHATUWANI MATODZI by Tholakele Radebe Fhatuwani Matodzi I am a tenacious, conscientious, quiet, and assertive man. For the past seven years, I've worked in the re- Administrative Assistant: Correspondence cords and documents environment in both the commer- Johannesburg Office cial and governmental sectors, including four years in the RAF. I've worked in retail, the City of Tshwane Met- Our graduate celebrated this week, Fhatuwani ropolitan Municipality, the Department of Home Affairs, Matodzi, made a request to be profiled in the High- and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) within their lights after reading our 04 February 2022 edition of Records Management departments. the newsletter. He was greatly encouraged by our new feature on Records Management, and he is My current position at the RAF is Administrative Assis- convinced that his story can be motivational and tant within the Correspondence Department (Document inspirational to other RAFZINS.  Services) at the Johannesburg Office since January 2018. We wish him all the best for his future and may his star continue to shine! L and D informed us of your other qualifications obtained through their bursary scheme. Would you Let’s get to know Fhatuwani better! please share those with us? Please tell us briefly about yourself and include In addition to my diploma, L and D provided me with an your current position at the RAF opportunity to complete different training programmes. I, Fhatuwani Matodzi, am an aspirant Records Man- Is there a qualification you are studying towards at agement professional in the RAF from Tsianda village the moment or recently completed? If so, what is it? in Limpopo. I’m a father to my little princess, Roneiwa. I have just completed my Diploma in Records Manage- ment cum laude and was named Top Records Manage- ment Student by God's grace. In my third-year exams, I achieved a perfect score of 99 percent, which was recognised at my graduation ceremony. I'm currently studying towards an Advanced Diploma in Management focusing on Research Methodology, as well as Project Management. How was your whole studying experience, what challenges did you experience and how did you handle them? You've posed a valid question. Remember, it's never too late to climb a mountain once you've resolved to do so. You can see the end goal and anticipate the difficult path that will get you there. You'll want every tool at your disposal to assist you in achieving your objective. You'll want to know how to use every tool available, and you'll seek advice from individuals who have done something similar before. When you look at everyone who has achieved success in anything, you'll see that they all know or knew how to focus. The ability to focus is the single most important skill that anyone can learn. CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE Continues to the next page... 2

CELEBRATING OUR RAF GRADUATES: FHATUWANI MATODZI (Cont.) Top Records Management In the next three years I want to advance to a senior Student Award position within the RAF, specifically in the field of Re- cords Management. I believe there is more that needs My entire three years of study were both intriguing and to be done to educate RAFzins about the importance demanding at the same time. I was pursuing a qualifi- of Records Management at the highest level within this cation whose content was comparable to my work, so organisation, and I have those skills. My current posi- it was simple for me because I was learning something tion has provided me with a lot of expertise with re- that was applicable to what I do on a daily basis as cords and documents, so I've enrolled for an Advanced part of my duties in the Correspondence Department. I Diploma in Management (Research Methodology and didn't have a lot of difficulty. To answer the question of Projects) to learn how to be a researcher. I would be how I dealt with the problems I faced during my stud- grateful for whatever chance the organisation might ies, I was surrounded by senior Records and Informa- provide for me to develop as a person and flourish in tion Management officials who were my rock during my profession. my studies, and I appreciate them. I had to organise everything to ensure that no aspect of my life was over- How do you handle the pressure that comes with looked, and I had relatives to help me along the way. studying while working? With regards to your personal development, what Pressure causes stress, which is a natural occurrence are your plans for the future? − it happens to everyone − but you need the skills to deal with it. I always plan for the unexpected because It's a new year, which means it's time to establish new my studies taught me a lot about time management, goals. I want to develop management leadership skills so I plan ahead to avoid pressure. While you should and use my qualification to make a more meaningful aim to follow your schedule as closely as possible, you contribution to my current employer. I've put in a lot of should leave room for unexpected events. This can be effort into my studies and am now ready to put what I've accomplished by allowing extra time in between jobs. learned into practice. I already have a National Diploma You'll be ahead of the game if you plan for unexpected in Records Management, thanks to L and D for funding hurdles, and you'll be less agitated if things don't go as my studies. planned. CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE Continues to the next page... 3

CELEBRATING OUR RAF GRADUATES: FHATUWANI MATODZI (Cont.) Working and studying at the same time might be tough, but there are numerous methods to cope with stress and pressure – it's just a matter of figuring out what works best for you. What advice would you give to someone who is considering being a working student (balancing career, academics and family)? My sole piece of advice is to be conscious of your limi- tations. Don't be alarmed if you commit to more work than you can handle. Prioritise and decide what you need to do first. Without a doubt, studying should be your top priority. Working should be used as a source of financial assis- tance and a way to gain further experience. So, know your limitations, and don't put yourself under more stress than you need to. Explain your circumstances to your family and superiors and inform them that you are studying so you can have some time set aside for school. If you don't plan, you intend to fail. As a working stu- dent, you'll need a study plan to keep track of all of your assignment deadlines, as well as a personal diary to keep track of your meetings, key job events, and family obligations. Finally, I encourage my colleagues who are studying to get adequate rest, as it is critical for manag- ing work, academics, and personal obligations. How did you celebrate your achievement? Due to the difficult times we are experiencing, I did not celebrate this achievement properly, which I believe was long overdue since I dropped out twice from TUT due to financial difficulties. I just had an intimate lunch with my immediate family following the graduation ceremony. However, I will make it a point to celebrate my next graduation, as I am currently enrolled for an Advanced Diploma in Management, which I will com- plete this October. Tholakele Radebe is a Copyeditor based in Eco Glades CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE 4

Mother Language Month by Celimpilo Dladla of the national anthem in sign language comes at a time when the country needs some positive news given our struggles with COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions. It is a sign of the reassurance of our unity in diversity, a true reflection of what a rainbow nation ought to be. A few years ago, the RAF Language Unit visited the Deaf Empowerment Firm in Orlando East, Soweto, as part of embracing multilingualism which includes SASL. The zeal to embrace life and be embraced among the community we visited was overwhelming. I actually felt sorry for myself for not being able to communicate in such a fascinating language which, like all languages, has its own grammar, syntax and vocabulary. The standardisation and developments made by the activists of this language are a definite sign of breaking down the walls of its marginalisation. As part of embracing this Mother Language Month, the Language Unit will research interesting facts about previously marginalised languages and present them in the Weekly Highlights for RAFzins to embrace each other and the languages we were born into. Happy Mother Language Month, RAFzins! February is Mother Language Month when we NgunCieLliamnpgiuloagDelasd, lbaaissead Specialist: 5 acknowledge the languages we heard the moment we in Eco Glades arrived in this world. Most of us might take the ability to speak and hear for granted, but what about those who could not hear any words spoken to them from birth because their parents could not utter any words due to speech impairments? What about those children who could not respond to their parents because they could neither speak nor hear? Speech and hearing impairments are often seen as a disability rather than an ability to introduce a new language to communities – sign language. The Pan South African Language Board on Friday, 04 February 2022, launched the national anthem of the Republic of South Africa in our South African Sign Language (SASL) to commemorate the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) as declared by UNESCO, ahead of International Mother Language Day (21 February). This is a positive step towards embracing the differences among us as South Africans. The standardisation CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE

LICENCE RENEWAL GRACE PERIOD EXTENDED Researched by Thabang Mahlatsi Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has announced a Authorities and DLTCs have extended their operating further extension of the grace period for the re- hours to include Saturdays, and further augmented newal of driving licences while government rolls their human resource capacity. Challenges are still be- out several measures to improve efficiencies and ing experienced in the Northern Cape and the City of resolve challenges. Tshwane,” the Minister said. This comes as the deadline for the end of the grace The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) period for the renewal of driving licences was set for 31 has been in discussions with the Health Professions August 2021. Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to conclude a Memo- randum of Understanding. This will pave the way for Addressing a media briefing, the Minister said the ex- motorists to make use of private optometrists who will tension comes into effect from the date of publication of have authority to upload eye test results directly to the the Directions in the Government Gazette. eNatis system. The backlogs at the Driving Licence Testing Centres Significant progress has been made with the deploy- (DLTCs) have been attributed to the onset of the CO- ment of eNatis equipment across all provinces to VID-19 pandemic, which resulted in restrictions that led address the shortage of end-user equipment at DLTC to the closure of DLTCs. level. The previous extensions of the validity period were meant to enable an orderly clearing of the backlog, however, capacity challenges put tremendous pressure on DLTCs in processing renewals of driving licences. “In seven of the nine provinces, large Registering CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE 6

ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS – DURBAN REGIONAL OFFICE by Thando Cele OrwcuiascuitmearhnprotohafraoieogdauDndsresaarptofceauaotrdMyntmstvai.neowHuntaieetrSr.oeehTnf eaheTlrisrlesasGnspiasonarpmsiatotigearwettpievaNiecenoktsdruettrnKhoedwsapntarohDdofemutShRkooeuAtuezeFtahv’rsoeTwanDrahdtu:fifrcsibhcaafDwenteayRpsefaoagrirtimmoaneleladntlhtaOertafpufnirscoaeemrrisonoaotpidfnaSgsrtoantufheeterthsyshAaiffp-e CLICK HERE FOR NEXT PAGE Thando Cele is an Administrator based in the 7 Durban Regional Office



THE FUN PAGE This week we take a humorous look at the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Enjoy! 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]