Category: Africa

Source: South Africa News Agency

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has made an urgent call for inclusive economic transformation that places women at the centre of key value chains. 

The Minister was delivering a keynote address at the Third Technical Meeting of the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group (EWWG), currently underway in Skukuza Conference Centre, Kruger National Park, in Mpumalanga.  

From the roar of coal turbines at Kusile and Kendal, to the citrus farms of Nkomazi and the tourism magnetism of Kruger National Park, the Minister painted a vivid picture of a province brimming with economic opportunity. 

However, she cautioned that women who bear the invisible burden of care and subsistence work must be integrated meaningfully into these economic engines.

“Our task is to ensure that the energy transition, the tourism boom and the manufacturing spine you see here translate into real ownership, decent jobs and fair returns for the women who already carry this province’s invisible labour on their shoulders.

“When we speak of women’s economic empowerment over the next few days, let us remember: the dividends of energy reform and agro-processing must flow into the very hands that have long carried both unpaid care and subsistence farming,” the minister said. 

The Minister asserted that this G20 moment belongs not just to South Africa, but to Africa and its people. She reaffirmed the country’s commitment to ensuring grassroots voices inform global policy.

“South Africa may chair the process, but we view this moment as Africa’s G20 and the People’s G20,” she said. 

Describing Mpumalanga as the province that “powers, feeds, and connects South Africa”, the Minister said the province was chosen deliberately, highlighting its strategic location along the Maputo-Gauteng corridor and its immense contribution to regional energy, agriculture, logistics and tourism.

“Mpumalanga sits at the intersection of energy, agriculture, logistics and tourism, the very value chains in which women must now claim their full, equitable share,” she said.

Driving a Global Agenda with local impact

Under the banner of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” Minister Chikunga detailed the three priorities of the third Working Group as valuing the care economy – both paid and unpaid; unlocking genuine financial inclusion for women; and eradicating gender-based violence and femicide.

The Minister highlighted that her department and the Provincial Government held a community engagement nearly two weeks ago in Mkhondo with the ordinary South African women.

She emphasised that the voices of ordinary women – like those heard during the community engagements in Mkhondo, must echo in every session of the G20 deliberations.

“Our conversations here mean little if they do not reflect the voices we heard in Mkhondo and those of citizens across all G20 nations and if they do not translate into real improvements in their daily lives,” she said. 

Chikunga outlined concrete progress made since South Africa took the G20 reins:

• A global conference on financial inclusion that pushed for gender-responsive land and credit policies and a redesign of the global financial architecture;
• A C-suite roundtable with African banks to pilot inclusive financial products and link executive bonuses to gender-inclusion targets;
• Provincial dialogues that birthed legacy projects such as solar-powered childcare centres and women-led agro-processing hubs.

“These milestones confirm that our agenda is no longer a set of good ideas; it is a living programme of action poised for global scale,” she noted. 

Care Economy: The backbone of real growth

Calling the care economy the “hidden engine” that sustains the visible economy, the Minister urged G20 nations to take bold steps to quantify, invest in, and redistribute care work.

“If we costed all paid and unpaid care work, it would equal about 40 percent of global GDP and 380 million jobs. Remove care and almost half the world’s economic value would evaporate overnight,” she warned.

Outlining a three-part call to action, Minister Chikunga pressed for public investment in care as critical infrastructure, the regular measurement of unpaid care through time-use surveys, and legal reforms to support parental leave, living wages for carers, and equitable workplace policies. 

“Treating care as peripheral is not a statistical error; it is an act of economic self-harm rooted in patriarchal thinking,” she said.

From consensus to commitment

As the G20 Working Group heads toward its Ministerial Declaration, Minister Chikunga urged delegates to leave Skukuza with a singular mandate: to turn consensus into costed, timeline-driven policy options that uplift women in tangible ways.

“Our work will be measured by practical outcomes: a woman whose unpaid care burden is lighter; a girl who stays in school because a community crèche opened; a survivor who receives timely support and justice. These are the tests that matter,” she said.

With its powerful blend of local insight and global ambition, South Africa’s G20 Presidency is charting a bold path toward women’s economic justice, anchored in the lived realities of its people and powered by the untapped potential of provinces like Mpumalanga. – SAnews.gov.za 

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Department of Correctional Services has conducted more than 460 raids in correctional facilities across the country over the past year in a crackdown against lawlessness within these facilities.

This according to Minister Pieter Groenewald, who presented the department’s Budget Vote in Parliament, on Tuesday.

“I can declare that in the past year, 466 raids have been conducted. I have also conducted numerous unannounced visits to numerous facilities. These unannounced visits and raids will increase in the coming year,” he said.

More than 33 000 cell phones, 20 577 sharpened objects, some 122 407 items related to alcohol and other substances, 232.16kg of drugs and over R394 000 worth of money had been confiscated during these raids.

Groenewald said officials have also been subjected to disciplinary action where necessary.

“In the last year, 515 officials have received final written warnings; 181 were suspended without pay and 146 dismissed.

“When it comes to discipline, I can only say that we can only address our problems if we recognise their true extent,” he said. 

Protecting communities 

The Minister said when he took office last year, there was a backlog of some 495 life imprisonment profiles. A further 584 life imprisonment profiles have landed on his desk since.

“Of this total of 1 079 profiles considered, I approved 29 parole applications and granted three cases of day parole. Five individuals serving life sentences have been granted parole and are subject to deportation. 

“Thirty-eight individuals’ parole has been revoked, two cancelled and one withdrawn. Unfortunately, I have also had to utilise the powers granted to me to refer three parole placements to the Correctional Supervision and Parole Review Board. 

“The CSPRB is tasked with reviewing the original decisions made by parole boards and must confirm or replace it with its own decision. In all three cases, parole was withdrawn. We are in the process of reviewing the whole parole system,” he said.

Groenewald explained that the department is tasked with ensuring that inmates, who may reoffend, are not allowed back into society.

“The department has the important task to safeguard communities against convicted criminals whilst providing rehabilitation of offenders in order to ensure safe reintegration into society. When parole becomes a loophole for further terror and criminality, it is not merely a policy failure, it is a failure of justice. 

“I am very strict on that and I want to put it on record again: it doesn’t matter whether an applicant went through all the courses and the rehabilitation programmes in our facilities but when I receive a psychological reports…and the risk of reoffending is medium to high, I will not approve any parole for that specific case,” he emphasised.

Self-sufficiency

The Minister said the department will have a budget of some R29 billion for the 2025/26 financial year, rising to just over R30 billion for 2026/27 and reaching some R31.9 billion for 2027/28.

He highlighted that the department’s budget has undergone some cuts as a result of fiscal constraints.

“The cuts in our budget translate to the provision of security being compromised, capital investment in skills cuts, the budget for nutritional services had to be cut, capital works projects will be on hold and the monitoring of parolees could be negatively impacted.

“[We] face real and pressing financial and operational constraints. The capital budget shortfall of R222 million undermines our ability to conduct infrastructure upgrades and critical maintenance. The escalating cost of food, fuelled by inflation and the growing number of inmates, including a sharp increase in foreign nationals, adds another layer of financial strain,” he said.

However, the department is doing its best to “explore alternative revenue streams so that we are not solely reliant on the fiscus”.

“We have registered commendable progress in the construction of correctional centre-based bakeries and pharmacies. The number of operational bakeries has increased from nine to 11, with Standerton and Pietermaritzburg recently coming online.

“In the past financial year, we have produced just over five million loaves of bread, which translates to estimated savings of R27 197 251.20. Farm production has also yielded R130 491 122.81 estimated savings in food provisioning.

“This is but a step in the direction of becoming entirely self-sufficient. The amendments to the 12-day cycle meal plan are expected to generate estimated savings of over R200 million per annum. These figures reflect our commitment to responsible spending of the taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” Groenewald said.

In his written remarks, the Minister acknowledged that although the department has taken a step in the right direction, more still needs to be done to create a corruption-free correctional service that contributes to South Africa’s safety.

“Our mission is to [do] the best – doing more with less. More savings of taxpayers’ money, more raids, greater discipline, bigger efforts to uproot corruption, more implementation of creative solutions, a bigger, happier workforce and ultimately, greater public trust.

“Together, we will continue to strengthen our department, affirm our constitutional commitments, and ensure that justice prevails in South Africa.

“Let us reaffirm our commitment to a correctional system that serves the people, one rooted in integrity, accountability, and safety. Only then can we truly begin to restore hope, rebuild faith in the system, and move toward the safer South Africa we all deserve,” Groenewald said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, thanked the media, social media community and community members for assisting police investigators to track down two hitmen linked to the murder of Mboneli Vesele.

National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has expressed appreciation to the media, social media community, and members of the public for their assistance in tracking down two suspects linked to the murder of Mboneli Vesele. 

Vesele was the bodyguard of University of Fort Hare Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Sakhele Buhlungu. 

Vesele was shot and killed inside a vehicle while waiting for the Vice Chancellor outside the Principals home n Alice, Eastern Cape, on 6 January 2023.

On 15 November 2024, the South African Police Service (SAPS) published the suspects’ pictures and a request to the public for assistance in tracking down the three wanted suspects after obtaining a J50 warrant of arrest for Bafana Chiliza, Nkosiyazi “Dipopoz” Maphumulo and Siphiwo “Spijojo “Jejane. 

On 21 June 2025, a multi-disciplinary SAPS team, acting on intelligence provided by the public, tracked the suspects to Zakkariya Park in Johannesburg, where two of the alleged hitmen were arrested.

The SAPS confirms the arrest of Bafana Chiliza and Nkosiyazi Maphumulo. Both suspects are currently in custody and will be charged accordingly. 

The third suspect, Siphiwo “Spijojo” Jejane, is still at large, and the police are still searching for him.

General Masemola commended the investigation team, which has been working around the clock to apprehend all those involved in the killings at Fort Hare University to justice.

“Members of the public play a significant role in assisting the work of the police in apprehending wanted suspects. We thank all stakeholders for playing their part,” said Gen Masemola. 

The total number of suspects arrested in connection with the Fort Hare murders, is now 12, with 10 arrests made since 2023, and some still in police custody.  

Anyone with information on Siphiwo Jejane’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact Warrant Officer Nkosi on 0825575789 or Sergeant Mokoena on 0818517758. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that a series of cold fronts are expected to affect the Western Cape and Northern Cape from late Thursday into Sunday.

The weather conditions will lead to very cold, windy, and wet conditions, with daytime temperatures plunging to 10°C and below, and windy at 30 km/h in places over the western and central interior of the Western Cape and the southern parts of the Namakwa District IN Northern Cape.

 “These conditions are likely to spread to the western escarpment of the Namawka as well as to the eastern interior of the Western Cape over the weekend. In addition, light snowfalls are possible over the mountain peaks of the Western Cape and southern parts of Namakwa.

“The public and small stock farmers are advised to take the necessary precaution to ensure the safety and health of their animals during very cold, wet and windy days,” SAWS said on Tuesday.

In addition, the western parts of the Western Cape will be hit by a series of cold fronts that will bring scattered to widespread showers and rain, from late Wednesday night into Sunday. 

“The most significant cold front will reach the south-western Cape by Friday afternoon, when quick and heavy downpours are possible. 24-hour rainfall accumulations of 20-35 mm are likely over the south-western parts, reaching 50 mm over the mountainous region. 

“Even though only 5-10 mm are possible on Saturday, another cold front making landfall early Sunday will mostly likely bring 10-20 mm over the south-western Cape. Therefore, rain-on-rain together with saturated soils will lead to minor impacts with a low likelihood of significant impacts to occur,” the weather service said.

The weather service warned that the expected weather conditions will lead to flooding of roads, formal and informal settlements, which may lead to damage to property/infrastructure and danger to life due to fast flowing streams over low-lying bridges.

Major disruption of traffic flow due to major roads being flooded and damaged could lead to increased travel time. Mudslides and rockfalls are also possible.

Essential services such as water and electricity may also be affected. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

SARS publishes revenue collection performance data

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Tue, 07/01/2025 – 09:32