Niko Allie

Everyone loves a great deal, but sometimes a deal is too good to be true.  When you are offered goods well below the normal price, there is a good chance that you are unwittingly partaking in the purchase of illicit or counterfeit goods.

Replicas of original or branded products are considered counterfeit goods and their trade is illegal. Counterfeit products are often poorly formulated and pose serious risks to people’s health, safety and our economy.

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." These powerful words were spoken by civil rights movement leader Frederick Douglass who called on people around the world to stand up for their rights.

These words have inspired a generation of leaders around the world to speak truth to power and to demand change and freedom. During the Soweto uprising in 1976, those students intimately understood that progress can only happens when they act, and they will have to lead from the front for that to happen.

South Africans are a beautiful fusion of cultures, religions and heritage from across the globe. What unites us even before the dawn of democracy aptly captured in Freedom Charter our determination to build a better South Africa for all - ‘South Africa belongs to all who live in it – and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all people’. Over the past 30 years, our nation has advanced in many ways, and we have succeeded in building a new society from the ashes of the past.  

In April 2023, large parts of Tshwane were plunged into darkness for several days following the collapse of the power lines. Upon inspection it was found that three pylons were vandalised, which caused the power lines to collapse.

The widespread theft of copper cable and other forms of metal from public infrastructure threatens to cripple our nation, and has serious real world consequences. Metals theft impacts on power supply, which often plunges suburbs into darkness, it leaves trains unable to operate and causes massive damage to public facilities throughout the country.

Government understands the immense frustration caused by load shedding and we know the strain it puts on households, business and society. Although we have made steady progress in dealing with load shedding our energy grid remains under pressure and every megawatt saved is precious.

Plastic is all around us and many people seldom give it a second thought. It has become part of our lives whether as containers, bottles, disposable bags, straws, toys and a multitude of other things.

At first glance plastic might seem harmless, yet it is one of the single most harmful things to our planet and the environment. Plastics can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose and they are often just thrown out with the trash, ending up in landfills or rivers and streams, and eventually the oceans.

In amongst all the doom and gloom brought on by the electricity crisis, rising interests rates, the high cost of living and the conflict in Ukraine, it might have been missed that our economy has been steadily on the rebound.

The 2023 Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter shows positive growth in the number of jobs. The results show that the number of employed persons increased by 399 000 to 16,7 million in the third quarter of 2023 compared to 16,3 million in the second quarter of 2023.

In a world filled with information overload the significance of our own stories should not be overlooked, especially those that contribute positively towards achieving regional integration and co-operation between the people of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

The beginning of a new school year is always marked with anticipation and excitement.  For many this will signify the beginning of their school journey, while for others it represents the culmination of years of hard work.  

This year both inland and coastal schools open at the same time on 17 January 2024, and as government we are determined that learning begins from day one.  

The festive season is a time for friends and family and for celebration. However, it is also a time when we sometimes overindulge and often make unwise judgement calls, which could have lasting repercussions.