Category: Africa

Source: Government of South Africa

The Department of Agriculture has moved to correct what it describes as “misleading” public claims made by an agriculture lobby group regarding the status of applications submitted under the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act, 1947 (Act 36 of 1947).

Act 36 governs the registration of pesticides, fertilisers, and farm feeds.

In a statement issued on Monday, the department disputes the narrative suggesting a “persistent collapse” of the system, stressing that significant progress had been made to modernise and streamline the regulatory environment.

“Upon assuming office, the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, indicated that the backlogs and inefficiencies around the process would receive attention,” the department said.

According to the department, 6 617 applications have been processed and finalised in the 2024/25 financial year alone. Over the past five years, a total of 51 165 applications — out of 56 890 received — have been finalised.

Depending on the application type, the department said the current turnaround time ranges from two weeks to 24 months, depending on the application type.

The department said it has worked diligently to implement key recommendations from the 2011 Ministerial Task Team Report, particularly the development of a modern, online system to replace manual submissions.

The first leg of the online registration system — the online application system for pesticides — was launched in December 2023. This system allows applicants to electronically submit applications and register their products online, track the status of applications in real time and receive feedback, as well as generate reports like lists of registered pesticides, which are available for public viewing.

Steenhuisen said the digital system will enhance workflow and better serve stakeholders.

“Previously, applicants had to travel to the department’s offices to file paperwork manually, a lengthy and often frustrating process. By going digital, the department is eliminating unnecessary delays and creating a ‘fast track’ for companies that comply with requirements from the start,” the Minister said.

The Minister also highlighted that automating the Agricultural Inputs Control System is a crucial step towards efficiency, accountability, and transparency. He said the system will not only improve service delivery but also ensure that compliant applicants are processed quickly, while non-compliant applications are identified upfront.

The department confirmed that it will no longer accept manual applications for pesticides from 1 April 2026, and the rollout will expand to other regulated agricultural inputs in due course.

To further support efficiency, the Office of the Registrar, which is responsible for the administration of the legislation, has increased internal capacity, including appointing consultants to assist with the review of applications and reduce the backlog.

The total outstanding backlog across the four main categories is 5 730 applications, with the largest portion, 4 815, waiting for technical evaluation.

Breakdown of outstanding applications include:
•    The Agricultural Remedies category has the largest overall outstanding backlog at 2 390 applications, of which 2 205 are awaiting technical evaluation.
•    The Animal Feeds category has 1 509 outstanding applications, with 1 059 of these awaiting technical evaluation or approval.
•    The Stock Remedies category accounts for 1 151 outstanding applications, with 1 109 awaiting technical evaluation.
•    The Fertiliser category has 680 outstanding applications, with 442 awaiting technical evaluation.

“Challenges contributing to delays include increasing industry demand, incomplete registration applications, the need for concurrence from other departments, and long response times from applicants,” the Agriculture Department said.

Vaccine availability

Meanwhile, Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) has dismissed rumours of a shortage of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) vaccines, confirming adequate stock is available.

Since the reported start of the RVF outbreak, OBP has distributed 465 200 doses of live RVF vaccines and 118 050 doses of inactivated vaccines. A further 2.4 million live doses are currently in stock.

The quantities forecasted to be produced and released during the month of December 2025 are estimated at 2.6 million live doses and 375 000 inactive doses, with an estimated 1.5 million doses of Clone 13 being produced as an alternative to inactive RVF segment.

OBP plans to produce nine million doses between January and March 2026. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Sindisiwe Chikunga, has called on South Africa’s media, film, advertising and entertainment sectors to use their immense influence to help shift the country’s cultural norms and accelerate the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

The Minister was delivering the keynote address at the national 2025 launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign at Gallagher Convention Centre on Tuesday. 

“Whether through drama, current affairs or advertising, this sector has the influence to flip the script: to end a culture that normalises violence, and replace it with one that normalises dignity, consent, care and accountability,” Chikunga said. 

The Minister said the 16 Days period must be more than an annual symbol; it must drive accountability, urgency and collective action.  

The campaign is being held under the theme: “Letsema: Men, Women, Boys and Girls Working Together to End GBVF”, with a sub-theme emphasising the role of arts, film and media in preventing violence.

Chikunga noted that Saturday’s G20 Leaders’ Declaration adopted in Johannesburg reaffirmed a global commitment to ending violence against women and girls, and expanding access to economic opportunities.

“South Africa led that consensus. Our task now is to implement it boldly at home,” she said.

A crisis measured in lives, not numbers

Drawing on major research findings, including the HSRC [Human Sciences Research Council]-led GBVF Prevalence Study, Chikunga painted a stark picture of women’s lived realities:

• 33.1% of women and girls have experienced physical violence in their lifetime.
• 27% have experienced physical or sexual violence by a non-partner since age 15.
• 7.9% of ever-partnered women have survived sexual violence from a partner.
• 20.5% of ever-partnered men admitted to perpetrating physical or sexual intimate partner violence.

South African Police Service (SAPS) data continue to show tens of thousands of sexual offences reported annually, with spikes on weekends, paydays and communities with high concentrations of liquor outlets.

She warned that harmful media portrayals from sensationalist reporting to glamorised violent masculinity, silently reinforce norms that put women and girls at risk.

“Today’s summit focuses on the media, entertainment and film industries because narrative is infrastructure. History tells us that stories shape what society sees as normal, possible and acceptable. They influence beliefs, law-making, relationships, markets, and everyday behaviour,” she said.

The Minister officially launched the Five-Year Review of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF, noting progress in legislation, justice-system reforms and coordination across departments and civil society.

South Africa now has 66 Thuthuzela Care Centres, 1 100+ victim-friendly rooms, 1 200+ dedicated GBVF desks in SAPS and cleared DNA backlog, with over 52 000 cases prioritised. 

More than 40 district and municipal GBVF Rapid Response Teams have been established, while the GBVF Response Fund continues supporting shelters and prevention programmes.

But Chikunga cautioned that efforts still fall short of what a national crisis requires.

“The President’s decision to classify GBVF as a national crisis must be a turning point: from uneven gains to emergency-level action, funding and coordination in every sphere of society. The question before us today is how the media, entertainment and film sectors will help us close that gap,” she said.

A direct challenge to Media, Film and Advertising leaders

Chikunga issued one of her strongest calls yet to South Africa’s storytellers, editors, producers, broadcasters, actors, writers, influencers and advertisers to harness their platforms to shift social norms.

“Only you, the storytellers of this country can change the cultural climate in which violence becomes thinkable,” she said.

The Minister called for an industry-wide GBVF Portrayal and Editorial Code, stricter watershed and advert placement, harm assessments for high-impact content, safe workplaces with real whistle-blower protections, zero tolerance for digital abuse, deepfakes and non-consensual imagery and storylines that normalise consent, dignity, healthy masculinity and accountability.

A single storyline, she said, often shifts public opinion faster than policy.

“If we change what we make, we will change what we mirror. And if we change what we mirror, we will change what we become. Let us rewrite the script and end GBVF,” she said. 

Chikunga closed with a powerful appeal to society at large, including faith leaders, teachers, men, boys and parents, to model dignity and accountability in every sphere of life.

She also honoured survivors, saying government’s success would be measured by whether their path to justice becomes shorter, kinder and fully supported.

The Minister officially declared the 2025 16 Days of Activism campaign open and launched the five-year review of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

The Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management (ICDM) is urging the nation to take action and encouraging all citizens to participate in educational and awareness campaigns aimed at ending gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, who serves as the Chairperson of the ICDM, convened a special extended meeting on Monday to address the issue of GBV, following its recent classification as a disaster.

For many years, South Africa has faced the deeply entrenched crisis of violence against women and children. 

Despite sustained interventions by government and civil society, the department said the effects of this pervasive brutality continue to reverberate across communities nationwide.

Hlabisa welcomed and reaffirmed the critical significance of the President’s announcement, classifying GBVF as a national disaster. 

The classification of GBVF as a National Disaster on 21 November 2025, under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002), signifies a crucial turning point and serves as a catalyst for extensive, coordinated action.

“This classification stands as an urgent reminder that every sector of society must converge, intensify cooperation, and adopt bold, transformative measures to confront GBVF. 

“It underscores that incremental approaches are no longer tenable and calls upon all stakeholders to mobilise resources to safeguard vulnerable and affected groups,” the statement read. 

The ICDM reiterated that government alone cannot resolve this deeply rooted societal scourge. 

The meeting highlighted the imperative of collective mobilisation across all spheres – state institutions, civil society formations, traditional structures, and communities. 

“If executed with rigour and coherence, this classification has the potential to significantly enhance national efforts and drive meaningful, measurable impact.” 

A report from the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) emphasised the necessity for collaborative action, highlighting that this crisis demands a comprehensive approach from both the government and society.

“The presentation stressed the urgent need to fully implement the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, together with other key policies aimed at deterring perpetrators and ensuring consequences for those who continue to harm vulnerable groups,” the statement read. 

The ICDM called for intensified impact in identified hotspots and highlighted the importance of partnerships that will help uncover all cases, including those that go unreported. 

According to the department, the committee will continue to monitor progress closely to ensure that the disaster classification translates into tangible improvements in communities. 

The ICDM further urged all national organs of state and stakeholders to work together to eradicate GBVF.

The meeting reiterated that without active community involvement, the fight against GBVF cannot succeed. 

”We are all affected and impacted. It is in our hands to put a stop to GBVF.”

This call comes at the right time as South Africa begins the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Government of South Africa

Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, has emphasised that South Africa must urgently transform its approach to fighting Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), calling on the country to “rewrite the script” of how violence is understood, prevented and portrayed.

Speaking at the launch of the 2025 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign in Midrand on Tuesday, Letsike said the country could no longer rely on symbolic outrage while women and children continue to live in survival mode.

“We gather this morning not as spectators to a crisis, but as a nation in mourning, in anger, and in determination. We refuse to normalise this storm. We refuse to raise another generation on inherited trauma,” the Minister said. 

She opened her address with a stark reminder of the scale of the emergency confronting the country. 
“The data forces us to confront a painful truth. A woman is killed by an intimate partner or family member every three hours,” Letsike said. 

Letsike also highlighted the chronic under-reporting of rape, noting that during the 10 minutes of her speech, only one rape survivor would report the crime, even though between 14 and 18 women are likely to be sexually assaulted in that same period. 

Teenage pregnancy figures, more than 102 000 births to girls, aged 10 to 19 in 2023, further revealed the hidden and often unreported violence affecting young girls.

“What is most disheartening is that the statistics do not reflect the totality of other abuses that are more nuanced such as psychological and emotional abuse, economic violence, hate crimes against LGBTI persons, cultural and traditional violence, controlling behaviours and domestic servitude, among others. This reality of gendered violence is not sustainable – something has to give,” she said. 

Arts, media and storytelling placed at the centre of prevention

Under this year’s theme, ‘Rewriting the Script: Harnessing Film, Arts and Media to Prevent GBVF’, Letsike said the creative sector must become a frontline of prevention. 

“Because we know this: before a man ever raises his hand, violence is written into the script of his childhood. It is rehearsed through the jokes he hears, normalised through the music he consumes, justified through the films he watches, and reinforced by the silences of other men.

“Your stories can disrupt patriarchy. Your art can expose the truth. Your platforms can unlearn violence. And your imagination can build the South Africa that our daughters deserve,” the Minister said. 

She cited an encounter at the Boys’ Parliament in the Western Cape where a teenage boy said he had never seen male characters apologise on television. This, she said, was a powerful reminder of how representation shapes behaviour. 

“In that moment, I understood deeply the power of representation. When boys grow up consuming violent male heroes, they learn to become violent men. When girls grow up seeing women silenced, abused or erased from screens, they learn to downplay their own worth. This is why today is not just a launch, it is a turning point,” she said. 

Institutions across the creative sector including the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), SABC, Film and Publications Board and Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) were urged to lead the shift toward responsible storytelling and inclusive narratives.

Government commitments and NSP review

The Deputy Minister said the launch also coincided with the release of the five-year review of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF, which identifies areas that need urgent strengthening.

Prevention, she stressed, must be a policy obligation implemented through effective policing, teaching consent in schools, strengthening community safety structures and ensuring perpetrators face consequences.

“This campaign is not about women raising their voices louder, it is about men finally lowering their fists,” Letsike said.

Collective action and global ties

The 2025 programme integrates outcomes of the G20 High-Level Dialogue, which promotes positive masculinity, challenges harmful norms and elevates the role of men and boys in ending violence. 

Hosted by Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, the launch brings together filmmakers, media professionals, civil society, academia and international partners to co-create solutions.

Concluding her remarks, Letsike said the country must move beyond outrage and into sustained action.

“We are done with symbolism and performative outrage. Let us make these 16 days a spark and the remaining 349 days the work,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za 

Source: Government of South Africa

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber on Monday announced the launch of the ground-breaking new Home Affairs Citizenship Reinstatement Portal, a major step forward in the department’s digital transformation programme to deliver dignity for all South Africans.

The announcement follows the Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 6 May 2025 in the matter of Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs. 

In its ruling, the Court declared Section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act, 1995, unconstitutional. This provision had previously caused South Africans to automatically lose their citizenship if they acquired another nationality without prior permission from the Minister.

The judgment, which took immediate effect, confirmed the earlier Supreme Court of Appeal ruling and restored South African citizenship to all individuals who had lost it under this provision since 6 October 1995. 

The Court held that stripping citizens of their nationality without sufficient cause was unconstitutional and affirmed that affected individuals are now deemed never to have lost their citizenship.

To administratively process the outcome of the court ruling, the Department of Home Affairs developed the Citizenship Reinstatement Portal to help affected South Africans, particularly those living abroad, verify and confirm their status and, where necessary, complete any remaining steps for the Department to administratively process their citizenship. 

“In keeping with our commitment to use digital transformation to deliver Home Affairs @ home, this process involves no queues and no paperwork whatsoever. Instead, it uses facial recognition and machine learning to verify your identity and securely correct your record on the population register – all from the comfort of your own home, anywhere in the world, instantly. 

“This not only ensures compliance with the Constitutional Court order, but also positions Home Affairs at the global cutting-edge of biometric verification and machine learning technology to deliver digital public infrastructure. 

“Very few countries on earth offer digital citizenship services at this level of sophistication. Over time, the powerful underlying technology we have built for this portal will also enable us to deliver Digital ID, while enhancing immigration and citizenship law enforcement by eliminating reliance on paperwork and manual verification,” the Minister said.

The portal provides: 

• Secure digital authentication.

• Advanced document and biometric verification.

• Integration with the National Population Register.

• A user-friendly interface to track application progress.

According to the new developments, South Africans abroad can begin the process by visiting myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za. After creating a profile and confirming their email, users can verify their citizenship status using their ID number, complete biometric verification, and, where necessary, proceed with a confirmation of reinstatement application. 

If citizenship remains valid, users will be notified immediately. If it was previously revoked under the now invalidated Section 6(1)(a), the portal will guide applicants through a simple process to confirm their details and submit their reinstatement.

“Home Affairs is building a digital service delivery revolution, storming into the future to transform South Africa into a world leader in smart government that delivers dignity for all,” Schreiber said. – SAnews.gov.za