Rand Water Medical Scheme requests bids:
Benefit Funds Procurement
Rand Water Medical Scheme invites all prospective and suitably qualified service providers to participate in the bidding for the following project for the Rand Water Medical Scheme:
- Request for proposal for the provision of 24-Hour Emergency Services at Rand Water Medical Scheme for 36 Months – Re-Advert
Bidders who had previously made a submission need to re-submit, as previous submissions will not be considered. Bidders are informed of the following key issues:
| TENDER ISSUE DATE: | MONDAY, 27 MARCH 2023 | |
| Non-Compulsory BRIEFING SESSION DATE: | FRIDAY, 31 MARCH 2023 | AT 10H00 |
| BRIEFING SESSION VENUE: | Microsoft Teams MeetingID: 379018125788 Passcode: hS5yUo Contact : kmukhovh@randwater.co.za if unable to connect |
|
| TENDER CLOSING DATE: | TUESDAY, 25 APRIL 2023 | AT 23H59 |
| SITE VIEWING DATE/S | AS PER REQUEST BY SERVICE PROVIDER |
Queries
All Queries and request for bid documents may be directed to
kmukhovh@randwater.co.za (SCM) and
tletlhoo@randwater.co.za (SCM) and
fundsprocurement@randwater.co.za (SCM) and
kmadiba@randwater.co.za (Medical aid)
before 11 April 2023 (15 days before the closing date)
Submission
Submissions of bid documents to be made to the following address:
fundsprocurement@randwater.co.za
A maximum size of 35MB can be accepted by the email.
Rand Water Benefit Funds also wishes to inform service providers that the previously advertised tenders have been cancelled:
- Pharmacy Management
- 24 Hour Emergency Services (Ambulance Services)
- Managed Care and IT systems
- Actuarial and Consulting Services
Climate change sees Zimbabweans shift to hilltop farming:
His forefathers farmed downhill, but three generations later, after droughts and repeated crop failures, Gibson Mudarikwa broke with the tradition. He and his family clambered up a nearby mountain, chopped down its magnificent trees, and turned the peak into a maize field.
Home is still downhill, in the district of Bocha, about 200km east of the capital Harare. Mudarikwa is not alone. His neighbour, Ashton Mujenya, says repeated heavy rains washed away the fertile soil in his old field, “leaving sand soils only”. And with fertiliser costs increasing, hilltops come with the bonus of soil that is fertile. So he moved up the mountain and things have turned around: “Last season, I harvested three tonnes of maize from the top.”
The government says farmers are moving to mountains and hills to escape the droughts, floods, unpredictable seasons and all the other effects of climate change.
Kudzai Ndidzano, a deputy director at the climate change management unit in the environment and climate ministry, says traditional farmlands “are worn out” and the soil holds less water. The hilltops have better soil because they haven’t been farmed, and years of decaying organic matter have created healthy soil.
The local agriculture ministry says as many as 1 200 farmers have begun farming uphill in the past decade. And that creates a whole new set of problems.
Johnson Masaka, of Midlands State University, says mountain tops act as sponges. They then slowly release water into streams that feed the lowlands. Tampering with this ecosystem means there’s less water seeping downhill and, when it does rain, the danger of flooding increases because there are no trees and plants to slow down the flow of water.
Jason Murevi, a geography high school teacher in the area, says this will also mean mudslides, which “would wash them all away, together with their homes”.
Railton Masango, an agricultural extension officer with the provincial agriculture ministry, is similarly concerned.
“Villagers farming on hilltops are happy that they are enjoying fertile soil, but soon worse could come,” he says. “With each season of farming, soil cover will erode away, exposing and shifting boulders on hilltops that will one day violently come crashing down on homes, humans and livestock”.
Masango adds that villagers who think they have found ways around the drought risk learning the hard way that their solutions were only temporary.
With no soil, the hilltops will be as unproductive as the lowland farms people left behind.
Ndidzano agrees, reiterating the state’s position that people need to stick to “sustainable areas” for farming. “They should employ other climate change adaptation measures to ensure productivity is maintained.”
But poor governance and a broken economy means the state has not supported those measures.
“Farmers in this province have no choice,” says Masango. “To escape they have to switch to any points on the hilltops where they can access fertile land upon which to continue their farming.”
And that means farmers are able to feed their families — for now.
This article first appeared in The Continent, the pan-African weekly newspaper produced in partnership with the Mail & Guardian. It’s designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp. Download your free copy here.
Enjoy some of the best during Restaurant Week:
Tis the season to indulge, with the Easter holidays just around the corner, and as Restaurant Week South Africa is upon us. What better way to celebrate than over some delicious food from some of the countries top restaurants — without breaking the bank. The event runs from 31 March to 30 April.
If you’re unfamiliar with this annual international culinary event, it’s aimed at bringing more exposure to the local dining scene, while giving foodies a chance to experience a variety of dishes at affordable prices.
Restaurant Week isn’t a new phenomenon. It was established in 1992 by Tim Zagat, co-founder of the Zagat Survey, an online platform that gathers restaurant ratings and reviews by diners. It was not only created as a marketing strategy for eateries but as an opportunity for the public to dine at discounted prices, allowing them to sample numerous dishes, including the more expensive meals they might not usually be able to afford.
This culinary experience doesn’t just happen in the course of seven days, it typically runs for roughly 31 days with more than 100 of the country’s top restaurants participating. This year, there are 125 eateries involved from various parts of the country. These establishments will usually provide a two, three, four or five-course menu, which people can view before booking.
Making a reservation is imperative and is done online through the Restaurant Week platform. It is also important to note that the menus are mainly crafted for afternoon and evening meals. Each restaurant’s menu is designed to encourage customers to try the interesting and diverse flavours they have to offer — a wonderful opportunity to expose foodies to new spots.
What’s great about the Restaurant Week booking system is how simple and efficient it is to use. There’s numerous search options that allow you to find the right spot based on dining experience; location; price; type of menu and restaurant and dietary requirements.
Some of the eateries participating include 2022 Eat Out Restaurant of the Year Award-winner LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate in Durban, Salsify at the Roundhouse in Cape Town, which took home a three-star rating award at Eat Out in the same year, and Zioux, which was given a two-star and VISI Style Award at the ceremony.
The LivingRoom’s chef, Johannes Richter, is passionate about exploring diversity through his dishes by using locally sourced and indigenous ingredients to create an exceptional dining experience. When you’re in the restaurant, you feel as though you’ve been invited to a dinner party as the atmosphere is cosy and intimate.
They will be serving a five-course sample meal at R650, involving a variety of ingredients, such as sweet potato, salted beef, curried beans, rhubarb, spanspek and sourdough bread, creatively prepared in delicious meals.
Salsify will also be offering a five-course meal at R650, which comes with a glass of bubbly. Some of the dishes include smoked springbok; grapefruit and cured sashimi; slow-cooked pork belly; pan-roasted linefish; beef fillet and hazelnut and bitter chocolate tart. Head chef Ryan Cole’s dishes are largely driven by seasonality, nature and a love for different flavours.
The restaurant is in a national monument that dates back to 1786. It has been renovated with a modern design aesthetic that still draws on the history of the site. It has beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Marble’s group’s luxury cocktail bar and champagne lounge Zioux is also a popular choice for Restaurant Week, with a two and three-course lunch menu at R350 and R450, respectively. There’s seared game, pork belly taco, pan-fried kingklip, chilli con carne, hibiscus jelly and churros to choose from.
Head chef Besele Moses Moloi, who has been working at the restaurant since it opened in December 2021, says: “We have taken a different approach. Our menu is Mexican-Peruvian-inspired using amazing local produce. The menu is constantly changing and my team is continuously working on new dishes. Seasonality doesn’t really affect us; it actually keeps us innovative and creative in the sense that we adjust to produce that is available.”
Other restaurants from across South Africa, mainly in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, that will be participating in the event include Sejour in Houghton, Dusk in Stellenbosch and 9th Avenue Waterside, near Durban harbour.
Booking is a must if you want to attend Restaurant Week, which will be taking place from 31 March to 30 April.
Here is how you can participate
Click here to log on to the events website. In the search bar, type the name of the participating city or province for the restaurant you’d like to visit and pick the eatery of your choice from the list provided.
Select the place, choose a date and time, fill in the number of people you are making a reservation for, click the course you are interested in, fill in your details on the form that appears and click reserve. It’s that simple.
Submit and get free exposure here: Showcase Your Business | Advertise Your Special Offers.
