Category: Africa

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality says the decision to temporarily suspend burials at several municipal cemeteries following severe rainfall and flooding across the metro is necessary to protect public health, environmental safety and the dignity of the burial process.

In a public notice issued on Thursday, municipal officials acknowledged the emotional distress and inconvenience caused to grieving families affected by the suspension.

“The municipality wishes to sincerely acknowledge the distress, emotional strain and inconvenience experienced by families affected by the temporary suspension of burials,” said Municipal Crisis Communication spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya.

According to the municipality, persistent heavy rainfall has caused extensive waterlogging at several cemetery sites, leaving graveyards unsafe for both mourners and workers.

Officials cited multiple hazards, including saturated graves, unstable soil conditions, flooded access roads and compromised grave integrity.

The municipality also warned of environmental and occupational health risks affecting undertakers, cemetery workers and members of the public.

The municipality said calls for additional pumping interventions would not immediately resolve the situation, explaining that removing standing water alone would not restore the structural stability of the affected cemetery grounds.

“Technical assessments conducted by municipal officials continue to indicate that certain sections remain excessively saturated, posing serious risks of grave collapse, soil displacement and unsafe working conditions,” the statement said.

Municipal authorities said several mitigation measures are already underway, including continuous monitoring of affected sites, drainage interventions where possible and ongoing technical assessments by relevant departments.

“The temporary suspension of burials is therefore a responsible and necessary precautionary measure and should not be interpreted as inaction. Burials will only resume once technical assessments confirm that cemetery conditions are safe, compliant and suitable to proceed in a dignified manner.”

The metro has appealed to residents for patience and cooperation while assessments continue, promising that further updates will be communicated as conditions improve.

The recent storms and flooding have caused widespread disruption across parts of the metro, with municipal services and infrastructure coming under pressure due to persistent wet weather conditions. – SAnews.gov.za

KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, has revealed the existence of an alleged sophisticated criminal syndicate operating from within a correctional facility and linked to the sale of RDP houses, including to undocumented foreign nationals.

Duma said the discovery forms part of an initiative aimed at rooting out corruption and irregularities in the allocation of subsidised housing.

According to the MEC, investigators uncovered a case in which a government-subsidised house, intended for a South African beneficiary, was instead occupied by an undocumented Mozambican national.

The individual reportedly possessed only a foreign identity card and lacked a valid passport or legal status document.

In addition, further evidence revealed this house was handed over to the Mozambican national by an unauthorised third party, bypassing the official Housing Subsidy System (HSS) procedures.

“The elite team has identified a prisoner and a traditional leader as masterminds behind this rot. The elite team, which is led by Head of the Department of Human Settlements Max Mbili, is working closely with the Department of Correctional Services and the South African Police Service as part of dismantling the syndicate,” the MEC said.

The elite team has also uncovered extensive fraud linked to the Floods Disaster Relief Fund. One suspect involved in this fraud is expected to reappear in court on 25 May 2026.

Duma noted that investigations into the sale of RDP houses are at an advanced stage in several municipalities, including Alfred Duma Local Municipality, KwaDukuza Local Municipality, and Inkosi uMtubatuba Local Municipality.

“We remind municipalities that the handing over of title deeds of houses to community members is the responsibility of the MEC and the Minister at the provincial and national levels, respectively,” he said.

The MEC also raised concern over complaints from communities in various municipalities, who claim they have been unlawfully removed from housing waiting lists.

“We will continue to act strongly against the manipulation of the list by anyone irrespective of any position in society,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) and Santam have announced a partnership to strengthen the country’s early warning and forecasting capabilities and ensure communities are better prepared to deal with severe weather-related occurrences and disasters.

A joint statement issued on Thursday said Santam has sponsored the SAWS with the installation of nine automatic weather stations (AWSs) across the country.

This partnership is motivated by data that shows South Africa is experiencing increasingly frequent and severe weather events, with heightened floods, storms and fires, which cause loss of life and billions of rands in damage.

Early warning systems play a key role in warning people of impending hazards and are therefore not a luxury but cost-effective tools to enhance preparedness, save lives and reduce economic losses. 

Despite this, there are still major observational gaps across parts of South Africa.

According to the Santam Group CEO, Tavaziva Madzinga, the strategic partnership with the SAWS will play a critical role in enhancing disaster risk management in the country.

“By strengthening its observation and forecasting capabilities, we are helping to ensure that early warnings are accessible, credible and localised, so that South Africans can act before weather hazards escalate into disasters.

“This collaboration allows us to do more and reach further. By strengthening early warning systems, we are saving lives and helping South Africans avoid preventable loss by building greater resilience to extreme weather,” he said.

Madzinga added that from an insurance perspective, early warnings help reduce losses across households, businesses and the broader economy.

The 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal are estimated to have cost over R50 billion in damages.

The SAWS’ Acting CEO, Dr Jonas Mphepya, hailed the collaboration as a prime example of public-private partnership.

 He said the new AWSs were a welcome addition to the SAWS’ observation network.

“Currently, our network boasts 273 AWSs, 211 Automatic Rainfall Stations, 26 Lightning Detection Network Sensors, 25 Climate Stations and 12 Meteorological RADAR systems, among other things. 

“In a time of frequent and intensifying severe weather events, the importance of reinforcing our observational infrastructure, which the bedrock of our weather and climate services, cannot be overemphasised,” Mphepya said.

 The installations include four AWS units in Limpopo and Mpumalanga piloted during 2021 and 2022, as well as five additional stations that have recently been commissioned in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng. 

These stations are operational and integrated into the SAWS weather observation system network, providing critical weather data.

“The locations of the new stations were identified through a needs-driven process led by the SAWS, focusing on areas with known observational gaps and heightened exposure to disruptive rainfall, flooding and severe weather events. 

“The eastern seaboard, stretching from the Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and into north-eastern parts of Limpopo have experienced repeated episodes of extreme and disruptive rainfall in recent years, while additional gaps were identified in parts of the Western Cape and Gauteng,” the joint statement said.

Beyond infrastructure, the partnership also places strong emphasis on awareness and education. Santam works with municipalities, schools and community organisations to improve understanding of weather warnings and how people should respond to them. 

This includes targeted education campaigns, school-based initiatives and community radio programmes in local languages in high-risk areas.  –SAnews.gov.za

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that a cold front is expected to make landfall over the western parts of the Western Cape and the south-western parts of Namakwa in the Northern Cape on Sunday morning.

According to SAWS, the weather system is expected to affect the western and south-western parts of the Western Cape, as well as the southern and western parts of Namakwa, from Sunday until Tuesday.

The adverse weather conditions expected include disruptive rainfall, strong interior winds, gale-force coastal winds, and damaging waves.

Cold to very cold, wet, and windy conditions are also expected over the southern parts of Namakwa, as well as the western and south-western parts of the Western Cape.

SAWS said the cold front could result in:

• Flooding of roads and settlements, including formal and informal settlements.
• Difficult driving conditions and flooded roads leading to longer travel times.
• Possible major disruptions on key roads.
• Dangerous navigation conditions at sea due to very rough and choppy seas.
• Loss of livestock and agricultural production due to very cold, wet, and windy conditions.

Meanwhile, the weather service has also issued several weather warnings for Friday:

• An Orange Level 8 warning for disruptive rain has been issued for the Koukamma and Kouga municipalities, as well as the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the Eastern Cape. The heavy rainfall is expected to result in widespread flooding and prolonged disruptions to settlements, roads, and bridges.
• A Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive rain has been issued for the west coast and adjacent interior of the Eastern Cape, where localised flooding of susceptible settlements, roads, and bridges, as well as disruptions caused by sinkholes and blocked drainage systems, are expected.
• A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging waves has been issued along the Eastern Cape coast. The waves could damage coastal infrastructure, disrupt harbour operations and coastal routes, cause medium to large vessels to drag anchor or break mooring lines, and disrupt beachfront activities.
• A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds and waves has also been issued along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, with possible damage to coastal infrastructure, harbour disruptions, vessels dragging anchor or breaking mooring lines, and disruptions to beachfront activities expected.

–SAnews.gov.za

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has warned motorists that multiple roads in the Eastern Cape and North West provinces have been closed due to heavy rainfall.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the RTMC said several roads across the Overberg, Garden Route and Central Karoo regions have been affected by flooding.

“Severe weather conditions are expected to continue in the Garden Route and the surrounding areas today after heavy winds, rain, and flooding occurred.

“Motorists are further advised not to cross flooded roads. Motorists are urged to cooperate and comply with official notices and comply with all the rules of the road. It is always better to arrive home late than not to arrive at all,” authorities said. –SAnews.gov.za

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System will today hear testimony relating to the seizure of a consignment of drugs at the Durban harbour on 22 June 2024, but proceedings will take place behind closed doors.

The testimony of Witness H will focus on the seizure of the drugs, their handling and storage at the DPCI/Hawks office in Port Shepstone, as well as the subsequent theft of the drugs from the office and the findings of investigations into the matter.

In a statement issued on Friday, commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said the commission had ruled that the entire testimony would be heard in-camera, meaning there would be no public access to the proceedings.

“It has come to the attention of the Madlanga Commission that some media houses seem to have missed the ruling yesterday evening that the hearing of Witness H will be held fully in-camera,” Michaels said.

The commission’s hearings this week and next week are focused on drug seizures by South African law enforcement agencies and the theft of such drugs.

According to the statement, the commission’s evidence leaders applied on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, for Witness H to testify in-camera because the evidence relates to ongoing investigations and could not be presented publicly without potentially undermining investigations and possible criminal prosecutions.

Two media houses responded to the application and indicated that they would not oppose it.

Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga subsequently issued a ruling on Thursday evening confirming that the testimony of Witness H on 8 May 2026 “will be in camera with no video or audio feed to the public”. – SAnews.gov.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed Hillside Aluminium’s contribution to South Africa’s economy, skills development and job creation, while reaffirming government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for investment and industrial growth.

Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration of the South32 Hillside Aluminium smelter in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, the President said the operation had made a significant contribution to the country’s industrial capabilities since it began operations in 1996.

“When President Nelson Mandela opened the smelter in April 1996, he said: ‘The ultimate yardstick by which we must measure our efforts is the extent to which they promote sustained economic growth and development, create jobs and eliminate poverty.’

“Today, we can say that Hillside Aluminium has delivered,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said the smelter currently supports 3 650 direct and indirect jobs and contributes to an estimated 29 000 jobs across the economy. 

“Hillside Aluminium is not only a smelter; it is a producer of skills. It is known for its highly skilled artisans, rigorous engineering, tight process control and an uncompromising safety culture,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said the apprenticeships, bursaries and learnerships provided by the company have strengthened South Africa’s national skills pipeline and prepared young people for industries of the future.

The President also praised the company’s community investment initiatives, including support for health services at Ngwelezana Hospital through a dedicated paediatric burns unit, water projects in the King Cetshwayo District and school refurbishment projects.

“All of these projects make a real and lasting difference in the lives of thousands of people in this area,” he said.

President Ramaphosa further welcomed South32’s pledge at this year’s South Africa Investment Conference to invest R3.9 billion towards upgrading rail infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape.

He acknowledged the difficult operating environment faced by smelters in recent years due to rising costs and market pressures, while commending Eskom for engaging with industry on long-term electricity solutions.

“We welcome the discussions between Eskom and South32 about a long-term electricity solution for Hillside Aluminium when the current contract ends in 2031.

“We are encouraged by the commitment by South32 and Eskom to develop an energy solution that supports the smelter’s competitiveness and brings renewable energy into the national grid,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa said reliable infrastructure in energy and logistics remains critical to improving the competitiveness of South African industries.

“Transnet has turned the corner and has moved from decline to recovery, and from planning to implementation.

“Investment, reform and delivery are now firmly underway in rail and port infrastructure,” he said. 

The President said government’s structural reform agenda continues to gain momentum, with progress being made in restoring rail volumes, implementing reforms and attracting private sector investment.

“South Africa is transitioning to the early stages of a multi-operator rail system, with 11 private train operating companies having been granted access to freight rail lines,” he said.

The President reiterated that inclusive growth and job creation remain government’s foremost priority. 

“Sustained domestic investment, including the investment by South32, is essential to advance this priority,” he said.

Congratulating South32 on the milestone, the President described the company’s longevity as “a story of South Africans choosing excellence, shift after shift and year after year”.

“You are demonstrating what can be achieved when long-term investment, operational excellence and partnership between industry, labour, communities and the state come together,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za