Category: Africa

After more than a decade of intense negotiations, historically land-dispossessed communities living around the Kruger National Park can finally put a painful chapter behind them, following a landmark agreement that recognises their economic and heritage rights to the land.

This follows the government’s recent signing of the Beneficiation Scheme Framework Agreement with all claimant communities living around one of South Africa’s most iconic national treasures, the Kruger National Park.

Addressing members of Parliament on the agreement on Tuesday, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp said at a time when the nation continues to grapple with poverty, inequality and unemployment, the agreement offers a powerful example of what can be achieved when government, communities and conservation institutions work together towards a common purpose.

“This agreement is far more than a legal document. It is far more than signatures on paper. It represents restoration. It represents empowerment. 

“It advances transformation, promotes inclusion, strengthens participation, and opens pathways for meaningful economic opportunities.  

“This agreement is not an endpoint; it is a foundation. A foundation upon which economic opportunities, skills development, enterprise participation, tourism benefits and long-term partnerships will grow,” he said.

Through the Beneficiation Scheme, South African National Parks (SANParks) is enabling structured access to commercial and non-commercial opportunities for qualifying previously land-dispossessed communities through investment, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

These include shareholding and concessions, enterprise and supply development, a percentage of net revenue, a bursary fund, skills transfer, and long-term livelihood creation linked to the park economy.

The non-commercial opportunities include naming rights and access rights.

He emphasised that the true measure of success will not be found in the signing ceremony, but in the lives that are changed.

“It will be found in the opportunities created for young people. It will be found in stronger communities, and it will be found in a conservation model that delivers both ecological and social value.

“This agreement provides certainty. It confirms that claimant communities understand that the Kruger National Park will remain protected as a national conservation asset and that residential occupation within the park is not possible. 

“At the same time, it formally establishes mechanisms through which communities can derive meaningful and lasting benefits from the park’s success,” Aucamp said.

The land claims associated with the Kruger National Park were lodged in the early 2000s. 

By 2008, Cabinet had recognised the Kruger National Park as a strategic national asset and affirmed the need to balance the protection of this globally significant conservation area with the legitimate aspirations of claimant communities for redress and justice.

“Formal negotiations commenced in 2012, and today, 14 years later, we stand before this House proud to say that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, together with SANParks, claimant communities and many dedicated stakeholders, have achieved a milestone that many once believed impossible.

“What matters is that we never abandoned the process. What matters is that all parties remained committed to dialogue. What matters is that we remained focused on finding common ground. And today, that commitment has borne fruit,” the Minister said.

He said the future of conservation in South Africa depends on communities seeing themselves not as spectators, but as partners and beneficiaries.

“As partners, they will also have the best interests of Kruger at heart. As one of the community leaders said to me, Minister, now that we will benefit from Kruger, our communities will go out of their way to protect Kruger,” Aucamp said. –SAnews.gov.za

Government is moving to improve access to justice for all with the implementation of the rationalisation of the courts.

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi briefed the media on Tuesday on the department’s plans to ensure that the courts better serve communities.

“An independent judiciary and a well-functioning court system that gives full effect to the right to justice for all is the cornerstone of our democracy.

“Though significant progress has been made, post 1994, in configuring the court system in a way that increases access to justice for all, the court system that existed in South Africa prior to the democratic transition was left largely intact.

“As a result, the legacy of colonialism and apartheid continues to plague South Africa with spatial injustices and to impede access to courts for communities that reside in the areas that formed part of the defunct homelands and self-governing territories, as well as remote rural villages,” the Minister said.

To remedy this, the Interim Rationalisation of Jurisdiction of the High Court’s Act of 2001 introduced minimum changes and in 2014, the department commenced with the implementation of the rationalisation of Magisterial Districts in the provinces.

Furthermore in 2021, then Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, established a Committee on The Rationalisation of the Areas under the Jurisdiction and Judicial Establishments of the Divisions of the High Court of South Africa chaired by retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke.

“In essence, the committee was established to identify key elements of the current structure of our high courts that need to be changed with a view to ‘establishing a judicial system suited to the requirements of the Constitution’.

“The Rationalisation Committee’s report was completed in two phases, each with own recommendations,” she explained.

Kubayi noted that Cabinet has now approved the committee’s report and implementation which will be done in two phases.

The first phase includes:
•    Implementation of the immediate recommendations of the Rationalisation Committee, which entails, recommendations regarding the Magisterial Districts and Sub-Districts in respect of which the Main and Local Seats of the respective Divisions of the High Court shall exercise jurisdiction, with the view to enhance access to justice, recommended by the Rationalisation Committee.

•    With regards to local seats, Phase 1 of the implementation will entail gazetting and the usage of courts where infrastructure is already available, this comes into effect by 1 July 2026.

“The review of the guidelines for the appointment of Acting Judges has been completed. The final draft of the guidelines have been signed off by the Chief Justice and they will be gazetted for implementation and also comes into effect from 1st July 2026.

“A process has been initiated with National Treasury and Office of the Chief Justice to effect the 20% increase of the judicial posts to deal with the capacity challenges across the Divisions of the High Court, as recommended by the Rationalisation Committee,” Kubayi said.

Phase two of the implementation includes:
•    A phased-in approach for implementation of the recommendations of the Rationalisation Committee regarding the establishment of additional local seats which entails the establishment of additional local seats through the building of new courts or expansion of the existing magistrates’ courts.

The expansion will include the Gauteng Division at Palm Ridge, Free State Division at Welkom, North West Division at Rustenburg, Northern Cape Division at Upington and the Western Cape Division at Thembalethu.

“After consultations with the Gauteng Judge President, Judge [Aubrey] Ledwaba, and other relevant stakeholders, we have agreed and initiated steps to establish a court in Kempton Park, next to OR Tambo airport.

“Though this initiative is not part of the recommendations of the rationalisation committee, we believe that the circumstances especially regarding immigration demand that we act swiftly to create the necessary infrastructure and justice systems to attend to this important matter,” Kubayi added.

The recommendation to move the seat of the Eastern Cape Division from Makhanda to Bhisho is currently still under consultation with stakeholders.

“As we celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, we must intensify our efforts to achieve the constitutional imperative with regards to rationalisation of Magisterial Districts and Divisions of the High Court.

“As we move with consolidation of court administration and judicial governance, merging magistrates and judges into a single judiciary to enhance independence we must also ensure that Access to justice for all remains at the centre of our efforts,” Kubayi concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed the suspension of five additional senior officers in relation to matters arising from the Medicare 24 tender.

“Internal departmental processes are underway, and in the interest of preserving the integrity of these processes, the SAPS will not provide further comment at this stage,” SAPS said in a statement.

Earlier this month, SAPS suspended nine police officers, who served as members of the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) in relation to the Medicare24 tender process.

The affected members have been placed on suspension pending the finalisation of disciplinary and related investigations. 

“SAPS remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency and ethical conduct in all its operations,” SAPS said at the time. – SAnews.gov.za 

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that skills development opportunities reach communities across South Africa, particularly in rural and historically disadvantaged areas, as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment and expand access to specialised training.

Speaking at the launch of the WorldSkills South Africa (WSZA)-Elangeni Aircraft Maintenance Academy, held recently at Elangeni TVET College in Inanda Campus, north of Durban, Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector remained committed to taking skills directly to communities often excluded from economic opportunities.

“The Ministry is committed to the efforts of the Post-School Education and Training sector to take skills to the people, especially in rural areas,” Dube-Ncube said.

She said government was determined to ensure that young people’s access to employment opportunities was not limited by their gender, social and economic background, and their environment.

“Our bias remains that we want to see improvement and skills transfer and acquisition happening in areas that are often considered peripheral to the agenda of the skills revolution,” Dube-Ncube said.

The academy, launched through a strategic public-private partnership between Elangeni TVET College, WorldSkills South Africa and Starlite Aviation, is the first academy within the public education sector to offer specialised aircraft maintenance training.

The initiative is expected to play a significant role in developing technical skills for South Africa’s aviation industry while opening career opportunities for young people from underserved communities.

Dube-Ncube described the academy as a tangible demonstration of government’s commitment to ensuring that education and skills development create viable pathways that open the doors to employment and subsequently create a future, where “development is not just an ideal but a realisation.”

“Our commitment to the skills revolution extends beyond the lecture room and classroom. It is a commitment that seeks to ensure that we reduce the harrowing percentage of youth unemployment,” the Deputy Minister said.

Dube-Ncube added that the academy remains a realisation of the work and hope for the youth of South Africa, who should never be limited by their backgrounds.

“The students of Inanda can be artisans, technicians, and belong to the aviation industry too,” she said.

She expressed hope that the academy will also inspire young people across the country, including those living in remote areas of Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga, to pursue careers in engineering and aircraft maintenance.

“The sky is not the limit. We are encouraged to shatter the glass ceiling [and] see young women and men dominating the skills industry, ” Dube-Ncube said.

The launch comes during Youth Month, a period in which South Africa commemorates the role of young people in the country’s history and reflects on the challenges facing today’s youth.

“This youth month, we say our revolution is present to the needs of the Youth of South Africa. We recognize fully that innovation, African advancement, designing of systems, technical expertise for industry access and improvement, lies solely in the hands of our youth!” Dube-Ncube said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) continues to claw back State funds obtained through fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (UIF TERS) claims through a freezing order on a R2.7 million KwaZulu-Natal property.

The preservation order was granted by the Special Tribunal following an application by the corruption-busting unit.

“The property is linked to Ziqoqe Construction CC. It is connected to the alleged fraudulent abuse of [UIF TERS] during the COVID-19 pandemic. The SIU investigation revealed that Ndabezinhle Luthuli, the owner of Ziqoqe Construction, submitted TERS applications on behalf of alleged employees of the company for the ‘shutdown’ periods between 27 March 2020 and 15 August 2020.

“The investigation established that the UIF paid a total of R9,836,047.06 in TERS benefits to Ziqoqe Construction between 21 July 2020 and 30 September 2024. However, the SIU’s investigation found that Luthuli did not pay any of the alleged 673 employees and failed to refund UIF,” the SIU said.

Furthermore, a portion of the employees listed were found to be ghost employees and “several individuals contacted by investigators denied ever working for the company”.

“The SIU discovered that a property…was purchased in November 2023 through purported fraudulent transactions, suggesting that the profits from illegal activities were utilised to benefit Luthuli.

“As part of its ongoing investigation, the SIU conducted search-and-seizure operations on 12 December 2025 against associated individuals and entities.

“The Tribunal has since granted an order directing the deeds registry to restrict the immovable property registered in the name of Luthuli,” the unit added.

The property may not be sold, transferred, or encumbered without “written agreement between the parties or an order from the court or Tribunal”.

“The Tribunal further ordered that Luthuli and Ziqoqe Construction remain responsible for all financial obligations related to the property, including levies, insurance, and associated costs, while the matter is pending. The costs of the application were reserved for determination at a later stage.

“The SIU remains committed to recovering public funds lost through corruption and maladministration, and to ensuring accountability for those who sought to exploit relief measures intended to support businesses and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the SIU concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli says the courage displayed by the June 16 generation, 50 years ago, transformed the country forever.

“Many of those young people were not much older than the participants gathered in this hall today. They did not possess wealth, political office or institutional power,” Mhlauli said.

Addressing the Mpumalanga Provincial Youth Parliament in Mpumalanga, Mhlauli said those young people understood a truth that continues to resonate across generations, that young people have the capacity to shape history when they organise, participate and refuse to be silent in the face of injustice.

“The true legacy of the youth of 1976 lies not only in what they protested against, but in what they stood for,” Mhlauli said.

Mhlauli said the 1976 youth stood for dignity. They stood for equality. They stood for access to education. They stood for opportunity. They stood for the belief that young people should have a voice in determining the future of their country. 

“Today, the responsibility of our generation is different, but it is no less important. The youth of 1976 fought for freedom. 

“The youth of 2026 must use that freedom to build prosperous communities, strengthen democratic institutions, hold leaders accountable and create opportunities for future generations.

“They fought to secure a democratic South Africa. We must now ensure that our democracy delivers on its promise for a better life for all,” the Deputy Minister said.

The Deputy Minister told the young people that the Youth Parliament exists because democracy cannot be reduced to voting every five years.

“A healthy democracy requires continuous engagement between citizens and the institutions that serve them. It requires citizens who ask questions. It requires leaders who provide answers. It requires transparency, accountability and active participation.

“The concept behind this Youth Parliament recognises that young people continue to face serious challenges, including unemployment, poverty, economic exclusion, unequal access to opportunities and social vulnerability,” she said.

Mhlauli said the Youth Parliament recognises that young people are not merely beneficiaries of government programmes.

“They are partners in development. They are stakeholders in governance. They are active participants in shaping public policy and monitoring implementation.

“For many years, Youth Parliament has provided an important platform through which young people have influenced public discourse and contributed to policy development,” Mhlauli said.

Mhlauli said the impact of youth activism and youth engagement can be seen in numerous initiatives that have transformed opportunities for young South Africans.

“We have seen the establishment of institutions dedicated to youth development, including the National Youth Development Agency, Youth Directorates at Provincial and Municipal level, and other interventions aimed at expanding opportunities for young people.

“These achievements remind us that youth voices matter and that organised youth participation can influence the direction of public policy,” she said.

With regard to the coming Local Government elections, Mhlauli appealed the young people to register to vote, ensure that their names appears on the voters’ roll. 

“Verify your details. Make use of the online platforms that have been created to make registration easier and more accessible. 

“However, registration alone is not enough. Registration is only the first step. Once you have registered, you must also vote. A democracy cannot be strengthened by people who are registered but absent on Election Day. 

“The true power of citizenship lies not only in having the right to vote, but in exercising that right,” Mhlauli said. 

Mhlauli told the young people to confront the reality that there are many young South Africans who are uncertain about whether participate in elections still makes a difference.

“Many feel frustrated by the pace of change in their communities. Others question whether their vote has any real impact on the challenges they face every day. 

“Some have become disillusioned by instances of poor service delivery, unemployment, inequality and unfulfilled promises. These feelings are real and they should not be dismissed. If we are serious about strengthening our democracy, we must acknowledge these frustrations honestly and engage with them directly,” she said.

Mhlauli said the greatest mistake that young people can make is to conclude that because change has been slower than expected, participation no longer matters. 

“The truth is that democracy does not stop functioning when citizens choose not to participate. Decisions continue to be made. Budgets continue to be approved. Development priorities continue to be determined. 

“Councillors continue to be elected. Municipal projects continue to move forward. The only difference is that those decisions are made without the input of the very people who are most affected by them,” the Deputy Minister said. 

Government recently launched the national programme commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising.

The launch marked the start of a year-long government programme aimed at honouring the sacrifices of the 1976 student uprising, a defining moment in South Africa’s liberation struggle, while inspiring a new generation of young people. – SAnews.gov.za