Category: Africa

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening the role of traditional leaders, saying they remain a vital pillar of governance and social cohesion, particularly in rural communities. 

The Deputy President delivered the virtual keynote address at the Eastern Cape Traditional Leaders’ Summit held at the East London International Convention Centre, on Tuesday. 

The two-day summit, which brings together traditional leaders, government officials and other stakeholders, is aimed at addressing challenges facing traditional leadership institutions and exploring ways to strengthen cooperation between government and traditional authorities.

Mashatile said traditional leaders continue to play a significant role in preserving cultural heritage, promoting social cohesion and supporting development in communities.

“Government will never render traditional leaders irrelevant. On the contrary, we recognise that traditional leadership remains a vital pillar of governance, particularly in rural communities,” he said.

He noted that traditional leaders historically served as the centre of governance in African societies, long before colonial rule, resolving disputes and guiding communities through systems rooted in trust and service.

The Deputy President said South Africa’s democratic order recognises the importance of traditional leadership through constitutional provisions that affirm the institution and its role in society. 

Legislative frameworks, such as the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act, have aligned traditional leadership with democratic principles, enabling traditional councils to work alongside municipalities within the system of cooperative governance.

Mashatile said government has taken steps to restore the dignity and recognition of traditional leadership, including the establishment of platforms such as the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, and Provincial and Local houses.

“Platforms such as the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, as well as Provincial and Local Houses, ensure that traditional leaders participate in shaping policies that affect rural communities.

“Through these structures, traditional leaders have consistently raised critical issues including land rights, socio-economic development, institutional capacity, infrastructure support, policy reforms, and social cohesion,” he said.

Mashatile also highlighted the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team on Matters of Traditional Leadership in 2022 to address issues raised by traditional leaders.

The task team focuses on advancing land rights and socio-economic development, strengthening traditional institutions, investing in infrastructure and skills, promoting nation-building and unity, and finalising policy and legislative reforms.

The Deputy President urged traditional leaders to work closely with municipalities and provincial governments to address service delivery challenges and mobilise communities to protect public infrastructure such as schools, clinics and water systems.

He further called on traditional leaders to take an active role in tackling social challenges such as gender-based violence, substance abuse and youth unemployment.

“Our government has classified gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster to strengthen coordination in addressing this crisis. But legislation alone cannot change behaviour. Community leadership is essential in challenging harmful attitudes and practices that perpetuate violence,” he said. 

Mashatile also emphasised the role of traditional leaders as custodians of communal land, saying the responsible management of land could unlock opportunities for agriculture, job creation and food security in rural communities.

Government initiatives such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus have already created more than 2.5 million employment and livelihood opportunities, many benefiting young people in rural areas. 

Mashatile also encouraged traditional leaders to actively participate in the ongoing National Dialogue process, noting that traditional and Khoi-San leaders are represented in the Eminent Persons Group and the National Dialogue Steering Committee.

The summit continues until Wednesday and is expected to produce practical recommendations to strengthen cooperation between government and traditional leadership for the benefit of communities under traditional authorities. – SAnews.gov.za

The Northern Cape Provincial Government has moved to swiftly support the families affected by the Ekapa Minerals mine accident, as police on Monday recovered the body of one of the five miners trapped underground.

The miner, along with four others, was trapped following a mud rush at the mine in February.

The recovery marks a sombre milestone in the weeks-long effort to bring closure to the families of the miners caught in the mud rush.

“Kimberley detectives are investigating an inquest after the body of an adult male was recovered from a mine in Kimberley on Monday, 9 March, at approximately 15:00.

“The investigation continues,” police said in a short statement.

In a statement, the Northern Cape government extended condolences to the family of the deceased miner.

“This recovery brings to an end a painful period of uncertainty for the family. On behalf of the provincial government and the people of the Northern Cape, Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, extends his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased miner.

“The Premier has also expressed his gratitude to the rescue teams who continue to work tirelessly alongside Ekapa Minerals during this difficult operation. He has encouraged them to press on with their efforts, as work continues to bring closure to the other affected families,” the statement read.

The provincial government has committed to a relief package for the families of the five miners.

The relief was also extended to the 1 100 miners who were rendered unemployed after Ekapa Minerals was liquidated shortly after the accident.

The five families were provided with some R10 000 for groceries and other essentials, while the 1 100 miners left jobless were given food vouchers of R3 000, with the total aid package amounting to some R3.5 million.

“The Northern Cape Provincial Government continues to keep all the affected families in its thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

Government will launch a national stakeholder consultation process on proposed reforms to South Africa’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system on Wednesday.

According to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the consultation process will run from 11 March to 24 April 2026, and will include engagement sessions in each province.

The proposed reforms aim to strengthen the ongoing sector-led initiative to improve the efficacy of the EIA process, allowing flexibility to apply other instruments, modernise and strengthen the country’s environmental governance framework, towards the sustainable development.

“Environmental Impact Assessments remain a cornerstone of South Africa’s environmental management system. They give effect to Section 24 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being, while promoting sustainable development. 

“However, the current EIA process has tended to operate independently of complementary environmental instruments, constraining their ability to demonstrate integrated sustainability outcomes. Listed activities automatically determine the type of assessment required, with limited flexibility to respond to the specific environmental risk or sensitivity of a proposed development. The environmental sector is now proposing a more flexible, risk-based screening approach,” said the department.

This system would evaluate the nature, scale and environmental context of a proposed development to determine the appropriate level of assessment required.

Projects with significant environmental risks, particularly those located in sensitive environments, would still undergo full Environmental Impact Assessments that include specialist studies and public participation processes. 

Meanwhile, projects expected to have low or insignificant environmental impacts may follow a shorter assessment route or exit the process earlier where appropriate.

Environmental authorities would apply defined criteria and risk-based tools to ensure that decisions remain evidence-based, transparent and accountable. 

The department said existing environmental authorisation requirements, public participation provisions and appeal rights would remain unchanged.

The proposed reforms encourages the broader adoption of environmental management instruments such as norms, standards and Environmental Management Frameworks, where these tools are better suited to managing specific environmental risks. 

This supports a more integrated and strategic environmental management system and is aligned with strengthening sustainability outcomes while improving regulatory efficiency.

“By focusing regulatory scrutiny where it matters most, the environmental sector aims to build a smarter, more responsive EIA system that supports both environmental protection and responsible development,” said the department.

The discussion document and details on how to submit comments are available on the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment website https://www.dffe.gov.za.

Stakeholders and members of the public have been encouraged to participate in the consultation process. 

The department will launch the national stakeholder consultation working in collaboration with the Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, provincial Environmental Affairs departments and other relevant sector stakeholders. – SAnews.gov.za

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong has called for a collective African approach to tackling one of the defining governance challenges of the 21st century: information integrity.

The Deputy Minister delivered an address at the 2026 TikTok Safer Internet Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday.

Drawing on the work of historian Yuval Harari, Morolong warned that although social media platforms present opportunities, these networks have evolved into a part of a “new digital bureaucracy”.

“[Today] humanity has created a new form of bureaucracy: the global digital network; algorithms that shape how billions of people receive and consume information every single day, power this bureaucracy.

“Social media platforms – including TikTok – are now part of this new digital bureaucracy. They organise attention, distribute narratives, amplify voices and influence how societies understand or perceive the truth, authority and reality itself.

“This, therefore, makes information integrity one of the defining governance challenges of the 21st century,” he noted.

Pressing further, Morolong emphasised that the platforms can also be used to spread destructive messages.

He argued that because digital networks operate “faster and further than any previous communication system”, these harms are more “powerful and relentless than anything societies have experienced before”.

“While we acknowledge how digital networks can spread knowledge, creativity and opportunity, we must accept that they also spread something far more dangerous: misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.

“These three forms of harmful information have different origins but the same destructive impact. Together, they undermine trust in institutions, polarise communities and threaten democratic stability,” the Deputy Minister said.

Government action

To counter these threats, Morolong pointed to existing national and regional frameworks in recognition of the “importance of responsible communication in a democracy”.

For its part, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has adopted the National Communication Strategy Framework 2025 – 2030, which emphasises “coordinated, credible and citizen-centred communication across all spheres of government”.

“[The] South African government, through the National Communication Strategy Framework recognises that communication is not simply about messaging. It is about building trust between the State and the people.

“If we accept this to be true, then we should accept that information integrity is not merely a technical issue. It is a development issue. It is a governance issue. It is a democratic issue,” Morolong told the gathering.

The Southern African Development Community Protocol on Communications calls on its Member States to “develop efficient, integrated and coordinated communication systems that support economic growth and social development across the region”.

“The protocol recognises that communications infrastructure and services are strategic assets that must serve the collective interests of societies and strengthen regional cooperation,” the Deputy Minister said.

Working together

Morolong suggested three areas where platforms like TikTok can lead global innovation:

• Responsible use of algorithms: Algorithms should not only optimise engagement. They should also actively identify and reduce the amplification of demonstrably false or harmful content.
• Information transparency: Users must understand how information reaches them. Greater transparency around recommendation systems, content moderation and information verification can help rebuild public trust in digital platforms.
• Digital literacy partnerships: Platforms must work closely with governments, educators and civil society to equip citizens, especially young people, with the tools to recognise misinformation and verify information sources.

He clarified that the push for safer digital spaces is about responsible stewardship, not suppression of voices.

“This is not a call for censorship. It is a call for responsible stewardship of the digital public sphere. The challenge before us is to ensure that the new bureaucracy of computer-based networks serves humanity rather than destabilising it. 

“We have to be deliberate and ensure we put enough guardrails, especially for the vulnerable sections of society: the elderly, the disabled and children.

“Let this summit mark a new chapter of cooperation between platforms like TikTok and governments across the great and beautiful continent of Africa,” Morolong concluded. – SAnews.gov.za