Category: Africa

By William Baloyi
The month of July is observed in South Africa as Mandela Month. Every year on 18 July, South Africa and the world honour the life and legacy of former President Nelson Mandela. The day, which coincides with Madiba’s birthday, was officially proclaimed Nelson Mandela International Day by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 64/13, adopted on 10 November 2009, in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the culture of peace, reconciliation, human rights and the promotion of social justice.

This year’s Mandela Month coincides with South Africa’s celebration of the Milestones of Freedom, a national campaign that reflects on the country’s democratic journey and the progress made over the past three decades. Under the theme: “Honouring the Past. Delivering the Future,” the campaign recognises the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom while reaffirming government’s commitment to building a more inclusive, prosperous and equitable society.

It also reminds South Africans that the democratic gains we enjoy today were secured through the courage, vision and selfless leadership of generations of freedom fighters, with President Nelson Mandela standing as one of the defining figures of that collective struggle. As the nation reflects on the milestones achieved since the dawn of democracy, Mandela Month provides an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the values that have shaped our constitutional democracy and to the shared responsibility of advancing the work of nation-building.

This year’s Mandela Month is observed under the theme “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity”. The theme serves as a reminder of some of the challenges Madiba fought for, of which we should continue to advance as we celebrate 30 years of the adoption and signing of the Constitution into law. While we have made progress since 1994, government acknowledges that more still needs to be done to address the legacy of apartheid which continues to manifest itself in the country’s triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment.

Madiba understood that nation building and the challenges we continue to face cannot be addressed by government alone. He believed that building a better South Africa required the active participation of business, civil society, communities and every citizen. His vision reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating a society that is more just, inclusive and prosperous.

Nelson Mandela famously said that overcoming poverty is not an act of charity, but an act of justice. He envisioned a South Africa where every person could live with dignity, enjoy equal opportunities and realise their full potential. That vision remains within our reach, but only if we confront poverty, inequality and unemployment with the same courage, discipline and unity that carried our nation through its darkest days.

The development of our communities and the empowerment of our youth are constitutional responsibilities shared by all South Africans. Government therefore calls on businesses to invest in young people through internships, learnerships, and mentorship programmes. Furthermore, communities must encourage and support youth entrepreneurship. By working together, we can expand opportunities for young people and unlock the full potential of our nation.

Our Constitution embodies the aspirations of a united, peaceful and democratic nation that has overcome oppression and division. It provides the foundation for building a more equal society by progressively advancing access to housing, healthcare, education, food, water, social security and other fundamental rights that improve the quality of life for all. Through collective action, we give practical expression to the values and promises of our Constitution, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Mandela also believed that education, science, innovation and healthcare were essential pillars of national development. He understood that investing in people is the surest path to building a capable and prosperous nation. Today, South Africa continues to honour that legacy by expanding access to quality healthcare through life-saving innovations such as the rollout of Lenacapavir for HIV prevention, strengthening our education system, and supporting world-class research and scientific excellence.

Our achievements across multiple sectors demonstrate what is possible when a nation invests in its people. South African universities continue to rank among the best on the African continent and are recognised globally for excellence in teaching and research.

 Our scientists are helping to build the Square Kilometre Array, the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope, positioning South Africa at the forefront of global scientific discovery. On the sporting field, our teams and athletes continue to inspire the nation by competing with distinction and consistently demonstrating that South Africans can succeed on the world’s biggest stages.

As we commemorate Nelson Mandela Month, let us honour his legacy not only through acts of service, but by building a nation that reflects his enduring values of justice, equality, compassion and shared responsibility.

*Baloyi is the Deputy Government Spokesperson at the Government Communications and Information System.

 

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on world leaders to move beyond commitments and accelerate the transformation of education systems, saying the world has reached a critical point in achieving quality education for all before the 2030 deadline.

Addressing the Transforming Education Summit (TES+4) at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris on Friday, the President said education remains the most powerful instrument for driving economic growth, reducing inequality and creating opportunities for future generations.

Quoting South Africa’s founding democratic President, Nelson Mandela, President Ramaphosa reminded delegates of the enduring value of education. 

“The founding father of democratic South Africa, President Nelson Mandela, said that education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. These words ring as true today as when they were first spoken.

“Education builds. It unlocks human potential. It dismantles ignorance. Every classroom and every lesson empowers the individual to transform not only their own lives but also their communities, their societies and their countries,” the President said. 

The President highlighted examples from across the world, including Rwanda, China and India, where sustained investment in education has driven economic transformation and expanded opportunities for millions of people.

He also pointed to South Africa’s own progress, describing the country’s latest matric results as a source of national optimism.

“Last year, we achieved the highest school-leaving certificate pass rate in our democratic history. What makes this all the more extraordinary is that the majority of those passes qualifying for university entry were learners from poor communities.

“These are young people who will go on to pursue their dreams at a university, technical or vocational college of their choice, where they will study for free. This is a generation taking up opportunity that would have been denied to their parents and grandparents under apartheid,” the President said. 

President Ramaphosa said these achievements demonstrate that education is more than a pathway out of poverty. 

“These stories are a powerful reminder that when opportunity is extended, education becomes not merely a ladder out of poverty, but a tool with which a nation can transform itself, as President Mandela said,” the President said. 

Challenges and improving working conditions

Reflecting on progress since the 2022 Transforming Education Summit, the President acknowledged that while countries had committed to recovering learning losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and improving equity in education, significant challenges remain.

“The pandemic may be behind us, but serious challenges remain. Tightening fiscal conditions impact our ability to invest in education. Conflicts and climate-related shocks are disrupting education and displacing millions. At the same time, we stand at the threshold of a technological revolution that will fundamentally reshape the skills our young people need to thrive,” President Ramaphosa said. 

He said the summit must honestly assess global progress and ensure that countries remain accountable for delivering on their commitments.
“Our credibility will be measured not by the aspirations we declare, but by the progress we achieve for learners everywhere,” the President said. 

President Ramaphosa stressed that teachers remain central to any meaningful education reform, calling for improved working conditions and greater recognition of the profession.

“The teaching profession stands at the heart of any meaningful education transformation. We cannot transform education without transforming the conditions under which our teachers work and the respect with which we treat them,” the President said. 

Inclusivity and transformation
The President also underscored the importance of ensuring education systems are inclusive and equitable.

“Similarly, we cannot achieve SDG 4 without prioritising equity and inclusion with absolute clarity and purpose. Inclusive quality education means reaching all learners, whether they are male or female, able-bodied or living with disabilities, urban or rural, rich or poor.

“Without equity at the centre of education policy, reform risks reproducing the very inequalities it seeks to overcome,” he said. 

With the world now halfway between the commitments made in 2022 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal deadline, President Ramaphosa said incremental reforms would no longer be enough.

“This is not a time for incremental adjustments or business as usual. This is a time for bold, system-wide transformation that builds more resilient, adaptive, and future-ready education systems,” the President said. 

He said building resilient education systems would require coordinated global action, sustained political commitment, innovative financing and meaningful participation by young people.

President Ramaphosa also highlighted South Africa’s efforts during its G20 Presidency to align global education priorities with Sustainable Development Goal 4.

“During South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 last year, we sought to align the outcomes of our Presidency with the SDG4 global agenda by championing foundation quality learning, strengthening the education profession and promoting mutual recognition of qualifications and skills across borders,” he said. 

He encouraged member states to maintain strong alignment between G20 education priorities and the work of the Transforming Education Summit while also urging young people to see education as a means to shape a better future.

“Your education is not simply about gaining qualifications. It is about equipping yourselves to solve the problems of your generation. Your education must prepare you not just to inherit the world we leave you, but to transform it,” he said. 
SAnews.gov.za

 

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Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp has described the settlement reached with agricultural organisations over the management of the country’s Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak as a significant breakthrough for South Africa’s livestock industry.

The agreement follows lengthy negotiations held in Pretoria on Thursday, 9 July 2026, between the Department of Agriculture and the applicants in the case, including Sakeliga, the South African Agri Initiative (SAAI) and Free State Agriculture, along with other respondents.

Speaking after the settlement announcement, Aucamp said the agreement marked an important step towards restoring stability in the country’s agricultural sector.

“Today’s settlement is not only a win for the parties involved in the case but is a win for all South African farmers as this sector contributes significantly to the country’s job creation efforts and GDP (Gross Domestic Product),” Aucamp said.

A key outcome of the agreement is that owners and managers of cloven-hoofed livestock will be permitted to voluntarily vaccinate their animals against Foot and Mouth Disease, in line with the certain biosecurity, legal prescripts and conditions, including traceability and reporting.

Aucamp said the settlement reflects government’s willingness to work in partnership with the private sector to contain the outbreak.

“Government cannot do this alone. We will continue to hold hands with all industry and private sector role players in the control of the FMD outbreak. We now need to enable the private sector to import at scale and it is for this reason that the department and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) have expressly relinquished sole rights to the import and/or distribution of FMD vaccines,” the Minister said.

The applicant organisations also welcomed the settlement and committed to continuing their collaboration with the department in tackling the FMD outbreak.

Aucamp thanked all parties for adopting what he described as a constructive and solutions-driven approach during the negotiations.

He stressed that the focus will now shift to efficient rollout of the measures agreed upon. – SAnews.gov.za

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Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has reiterated that temporarily withholding July 2026 equitable shares from municipalities is instrumental to ensure compliance with the law and improving service delivery.

The Minister was speaking to SAnews.gov.za on the sidelines of a media briefing on Friday, following the announcement that 69 municipalities have had their July 2026 equitable shares withheld due to non-compliance.

The move was taken after municipalities continued to:
•    Adopt unfunded budgets;
•    Accumulate Unauthorised, Irregular, Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure (UIFWE);
•    Fail to meet statutory obligations to Eskom, water boards, SARS, the Auditor-General, and pension funds.

“We have been doing it every year but on a smaller scale. Of this size, we’ve last done it in 2016. Every year, we’re fighting with municipalities. Sometimes we take money from one municipality to another, we say to a municipality: you are not performing and we will take your equitable share.

“It’s precisely this that will enhance service delivery because we are forcing municipalities to perform. It’s going to improve and enhance,” he said.

Godongwana explained to SAnews the steps that municipalities can take to have their shares released.

“Depending on what the offence is. If your offense is that you have an unfunded budget, you’ve got to sit with the Treasury officials and develop steps for transforming that budget in the long term to become a funded budget. Once we have got an agreement…you’ll be off the list.

“If you have not paid creditors, we need an indication of a payment schedule where you make a commitment that over time, you are going to pay your relevant creditors.

“The third offense is…fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The Auditor General has made a decision. At a municipal level…they’ve got MPAC [Municipal Public Accounts Committee]. MPAC sits looks at the decision of the AG and make a recommendation to the council. The council must sit…and say here are the recommendations, we are approving it and there must be consequence management, if necessary,” he said.

Some municipalities have already satisfied Treasury requirements and will have their equitable share, or part thereof, released next week.

The Minister emphasised that for government reforms to truly take root, all state institutions must fully participate.

“Reforms must be accompanied by making sure that people are performing. If you have reforms and you don’t have willing partners to participate, the reforms are not going to effective,” Godongwana said.

In a press statement, Treasury described the municipal finance picture as “sobering”, noting that: 
•    Since 2021–22, municipalities have incurred R24.12 billion in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. 
•    They have accumulated R145.21 billion in irregular expenditure, with R40.14 billion in 2024–25 alone. 
•    They have disclosed R118.13 billion in unauthorised expenditure, more than half of which was on non-cash budget items.

“This threatens the financial sustainability of bulk suppliers, undermines statutory bodies, and disrupts service delivery. Non-payment of service providers results in penalties, interest charges, and service interruptions.

“Weak governance and failure to process UIFWE [Unauthorised, Irregular, Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure] through Municipal Public Accounts Committees erode accountability and public trust.

“South Africans deserve municipalities that are financially sound, accountable, and capable of delivering services. By invoking the Constitution, we are signalling seriousness about governance, fiscal responsibility, and the rule of law,” Godongwana said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, says the signing of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) reaffirms South Africa and the United Nations’ shared commitment to building a more inclusive, prosperous, resilient and just society.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Pretoria on Friday, Ramokgopa said the agreement marks the beginning of a new phase of cooperation focused on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of South Africans.

“Your involvement shows that sustainable development cannot be achieved by government alone. It needs collective leadership, shared responsibility and lasting partnerships,” she said.

The Minister thanked government departments, provincial and local governments, organised business, organised labour, civil society, academia and development partners for their contributions to developing the framework.

“Today’s ceremony marks an important transition. The signing of the Cooperation Framework confirms our shared vision. It represents something even more significant: our collective readiness to shift from planning to action, from commitments to measurable outcomes, and from aspirations to real improvements in the lives of our people,” Ramokgopa said.

She said the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) places great importance on ensuring that international cooperation supports South Africa’s national development goals, strengthens institutions and delivers better outcomes for citizens.

Ramokgopa noted that the framework comes at a pivotal time in the country’s development journey, following the adoption of the Government of National Unity’s Medium-Term Development Plan (2024–2029).

“The Plan focuses on faster and more inclusive economic growth, sustainable job creation, poverty reduction, improved public service delivery, infrastructure development, energy security, strong institutions, and a developmental state that puts citizens at the centre of governance,” she said.

She added that government’s ongoing programme of structural reforms, including Operation Vulindlela, infrastructure investment, improvements in the energy and logistics sectors, and efforts to create a more competitive economy, is aimed at unlocking South Africa’s long-term growth potential.

“Achieving these reforms requires capable institutions, technical expertise and strategic partnerships. The United Nations is a key partner in this journey.”

Ramokgopa said the Cooperation Framework has been deliberately aligned with South Africa’s national planning framework.

“This alignment reflects a principle that South Africa has consistently supported – that development cooperation must be nationally owned, country-led and aligned with domestic priorities rather than dictated by external agendas.”

She explained that the framework will serve as the primary platform through which the UN Development System will support South Africa over the next five years through policy advice, technical assistance, innovation, institutional strengthening, knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships.

The framework also reinforces South Africa’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

“As we strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we understand that our national priorities and our global commitments reinforce one another,” she said.

Ramokgopa stressed that the success of the framework will ultimately be measured by its impact on people’s lives.

“It will be measured by whether young people find meaningful work, whether communities gain access to reliable public services, whether women and vulnerable groups have better economic opportunities, whether institutions become more capable, ethical and responsive, whether inequality decreases and poverty declines, and ultimately whether the quality of life for all South Africans improves.

“This demands disciplined implementation. It needs evidence-based policymaking. It requires stronger monitoring and evaluation. It requires accountability, and most importantly, it requires partnership.”

In his opening remarks, United Nations Resident Coordinator Nelson Muffuh said the signing represents more than a formal agreement.

“It reaffirms a deeper commitment that the decisions we take, the partnerships we build and the resources we mobilise translate into real improvements in people’s lives.

“This means that our commitments must be felt in homes, schools, workplaces and communities, and in the opportunities available to every child.”

Muffuh described the Cooperation Framework as “a programme of action” that will guide collaboration with greater focus, discipline and urgency as the world enters the final stretch towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

He noted that while progress has been made globally, it remains too slow.

“Only 36% of measurable targets are on track or making moderate progress, nearly half are advancing too slowly, and others have regressed since 2015.

“The message from New York is clear: the Sustainable Development Goals continue to work where political will, sustained investment and cooperation come together, but they are not moving fast enough, evenly enough or inclusively enough,” Muffuh said.

The signing ceremony marks the start of a five-year partnership between South Africa and the United Nations to support the country’s national development priorities and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Covering the period from 2026 to 2030, the Cooperation Framework sets out the strategic direction for collaboration between government and the UN system, reaffirming a shared commitment to inclusive economic growth, reducing inequality, strengthening institutions, protecting the environment and ensuring that no one is left behind.

Among those attending the ceremony were Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, senior representatives from national government, civil society organisations, foundations, members of the diplomatic corps, United Nations entities and development partners. – SAnews.gov.za

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Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo has commended the progress made on the R8 billion Raising of the Clanwilliam Dam Wall Project, which is underway in the Cederberg Local Municipality, Western Cape.

Mahlobo made the remarks during a site visit to the project on Wednesday, where he assessed construction progress on the strategic water infrastructure, and engaged with contractors on site and local stakeholders, including water users affected by the project.

The Deputy Minister commended the teams working on the project for completing several critical phases, including the emergency construction of the upstream coffer dam at the dam’s intake tower, the lower spillway section, and preparatory work for the construction of the new dam wall, among others.

During the inspection, Mahlobo noted that the demolition of certain parts of the old dam wall has been completed, while drilling and grouting of the new dam wall foundation are at an advanced stage. Concrete placement for the new wall has reached 21 998 cubic metres.

The excavations of the foundation of the coffer dam resumed in February after being delayed by exceptionally high rainfall during last year’s rainy seasons. Construction of the lower spillway was completed in May this year.

More long-term milestones, which include the installation of the spillway pipes and gallery construction, are expected to commence in November 2026, while excavation of the tunnel and the intake tower is scheduled for completion by June 2027, with the overall project expected to be completed in 2028.

“I am very pleased because it is not an easy thing, but the team that is working here [from our department] is very experienced… It is an advantage that there is capacity within the State to do these kinds of major infrastructure projects… and that the department was able to bring in experience… mostly South African entities and companies… [This] is one of those particular advantages with which we are very pleased,” Mahlobo said.

He said that while work is ongoing, they are striving to strike a balance between continued service delivery and assuring supply for both domestic and agricultural use.

During engagements with various stakeholders, including the Clanwilliam Water Users Association and the Lower Olifants River Water User Association, Mahlobo assured them that the project remains on schedule. He called on the stakeholders to work together with the department until the project’s completion.

“There is still more work to be done on this project, and we encourage the coordination of cooperative governance with stakeholders, as well as the provincial government. Good short-term milestones have been achieved, but there is still a lot of work to be done, and we therefore need to work together to ensure that we reach our targets and finalisation of the project within the planned timeframe,” Mahlobo said.

The Raising of the Clanwilliam Dam Wall Project is one of government’s flagship water infrastructure investments aimed at improving long-term water security along the West Coast of the Western Cape.

Once completed, the dam wall will be raised by 13 metres, increasing the dam’s storage capacity by approximately 82 million cubic metres of water. The additional storage will improve the reliability of water supplies for irrigation, domestic consumption and regional economic development.

The project is expected to local farmers, households, and historically disadvantaged farmers. It will also improve compliance to dam safety standards during high flood conditions and maintain ecological requirements of the Oliphant River. – SAnews.gov.za

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