Category: Africa

Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has called on men and boys to challenge harmful gender norms and take an active role in preventing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

Speaking at the launch of National Positive Masculinity Programme in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, on Friday, Chikunga said the campaign aims to promote responsible male leadership, respect for women and girls, and non-violent ways of resolving conflict.

Held under the theme: “Real Men and Boys Build, Protect and Transform”, the programme seeks to address attitudes and behaviours that contribute to gender inequality and violence.

“Positive masculinity means the opposite of violence and control. A good man is not measured by how much fear he creates, but by how much safety he creates,” Chikunga said.

She urged men and boys to use their strength, authority and influence to protect, support and care for others, while showing respect and taking responsibility for their actions.

The Minister said the fight against GBVF requires a collective response including government, civil society, faith and traditional leaders, employers, educators, parents and communities.

Chikunga said the programme was informed by the Human Sciences Research Council’s first South African National Gender-Based Violence Study, published in 2024. The study found that one in three women, aged 18 and older, have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

It also found that 29.3% of women with disabilities have experienced physical violence in their lifetime, compared with 21.7% of women without disabilities.

According to Chikunga, the programme will use evidence-based interventions at individual, interpersonal, community and societal levels to address the drivers of violence.

These include improving access to mental health services and substance-use interventions for men, strengthening family support programmes and addressing childhood exposure to violence.

The programme will also introduce age-specific anti-violence initiatives in schools, places of worship, sporting organisations and traditional councils, while linking GBVF prevention to alcohol-abuse prevention, HIV prevention and women’s economic empowerment.

Chikunga said the rollout will build on an initial engagement in KwaZulu-Natal’s uMzinyathi District in March 2026, with structured pilot programmes planned for Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and the Free State before expansion to all nine provinces.

She said government is also strengthening its broader response to GBVF through the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, the National Council on GBVF, and the President’s Four-Point Plan announced on 29 September 2026.

The plan includes a 60-day audit of unresolved sexual offences and violent crimes against women and children, measures to reduce forensic backlogs, safety audits of high-risk public spaces and stronger enforcement against illegal liquor outlets.

Strengthening prevention and support services

Chikunga highlighted that additional funding has been allocated to strengthen prevention and support services. This includes R3.8 billion to employ more than 3 500 social workers and R186 million to strengthen forensic and investigative capacity.

Government is also expanding sexual offences courts from 55 to 101 and increasing the number of Thuthuzela Care Centres from 72 to 80 by 2028/29. A further R157.4 million has been allocated to the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities to strengthen coordination and oversight of the national response to GBVF.

“These commitments and allocations demonstrate that government is not paying lip service to the fight against GBVF,” the Minister said.

However, Chikunga emphasised that funding and policy commitments need to be matched by effective implementation, accountability and measurable improvements in the safety of women and girls.

The Minister said positive masculinity must be demonstrated in everyday life, including when men challenge sexist behaviour among their peers, support women’s leadership, share caregiving responsibilities and hold perpetrators of abuse accountable.

The campaign also draws on the legacy of the 1956 Women’s March, which marked its 70th anniversary this year. Chikunga said engaging men and boys in changing harmful attitudes is part of the work needed to advance the equality for which women have fought.

“The war on GBVF cannot be won by one institution or one individual. It requires all of us. We are declaring that South African men and boys are ready to carry their share of that war.

“We are declaring that this government is resourcing the fight, that the evidence is informing our programming, and that the Positive Masculinity Programme we launch today will travel to every province, every district, every school, every workplace, and every household in this country,” Chikunga said. – SAnews.gov.za

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has launched a fibre pre-provisioning pilot project in Empangeni aimed at integrating digital connectivity infrastructure into new housing developments from the outset.

The Fibre Pre-Provisioning Proof of Concept (POC), launched in Richards Bay on Thursday, is a partnership between the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, Huawei and Openserve.

The project is being implemented at the Empangeni Phase 1A Housing Development, where 405 households are under construction and are being equipped with infrastructure to enable future high-speed fibre connectivity.

The initiative uses a “Pipe and Box” method to incorporate fibre infrastructure during construction, alongside essential services such as water, electricity and roads. This approach is intended to reduce the cost of installing connectivity later and could provide a model for similar housing developments across South Africa.

Ntuli described the project as a step towards building digital connectivity into new human settlements rather than introducing it after communities have been established.

“We are constructing pathways to opportunity, to connectivity, and to inclusion. We are laying the groundwork for a future in which no community is left behind,” Ntuli said.

He said reliable digital infrastructure is increasingly important for residents to access education, employment, entrepreneurship opportunities, information and government services.

The Premier said the initiative forms part of the province’s broader efforts to bridge the digital divide and ensure that residents, particularly those in historically underserved communities, can participate in the digital economy.

He welcomed the partnership with Huawei and Openserve, stressing the importance of collaboration between government and the private sector to accelerate infrastructure development and translate technological progress into tangible benefits for communities.

The initiative builds on other connectivity interventions undertaken through the provincial government’s GovConnect programme, including public Wi-Fi installations in uMlazi Township and uMsinga.

uMhlathuze Local Municipality Mayor Xolani Ngwezi said the project is an important milestone in the city’s efforts to become more connected and inclusive.

“A connected city is a competitive city. A connected resident is an empowered resident,” Ngwezi said.

KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements Chief Director Lindani Khoza said the project represents a shift in how infrastructure is planned and delivered.

“Just as roads connect people physically, fibre infrastructure connects communities digitally. Instead of treating connectivity as an afterthought, we are integrating it into the earlier stages of planning and development,” Khoza said.

Chief Director for Digital Government at the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies Rendani Musetha said the project aligns with the need to plan for broadband connectivity alongside housing development.

“Why should we build houses today and only think about connectivity tomorrow? A fibre cable has little meaning on its own. Its value comes from what it enables,” Musetha said.

Openserve Executive for Enterprise and Public Sector Pearl Schrimpton said the company is helping plan the network infrastructure needed for future connectivity.

“When government builds a home, a connection to the digital economy should be built in, just like water, just like electricity, just like the road,” she said.

Schrimpton said the partners will assess the project and share their findings to inform future decisions on fibre pre-provisioning.

“Our commitment to this project is simple: we build it properly, we measure it openly, and we will share what we learned with our partners in government, so that the country can decide on facts rather than assumptions,” Schrimpton said.

Huawei South Africa representative Charles Cheng said the partnership demonstrated how public-private collaboration could advance digital inclusion. He said fibre pre-provisioning should be considered for integration into municipal building codes and the national housing strategy.

Huawei Solution Manager Li Yanbang said installing fibre infrastructure during or before road construction can reduce costs and prevent roads from being damaged by later excavation.

“We want to find a way that we can get more affordable connectivity to every South African household,” Yanbang said.

Ntuli said the provincial government remains committed to expanding digital access through partnerships and infrastructure projects that can be replicated in other communities, with the aim of ensuring that geography or socio-economic circumstances did not prevent residents from benefiting from technological advancement. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe has welcomed the acceptance of the final scoping report for Eskom’s proposed 5 200-megawatt nuclear power plant at Thyspunt in the Kouga Local Municipality, Eastern Cape.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s decision allows the project to proceed to the full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) phase. It does not, however, constitute authorisation to construct the facility.

Lobishe described the decision as a serious step forward for one of the most significant infrastructure investments ever contemplated for the region and province.

She said the proposed development presents opportunities to strengthen energy security, support industrial growth and create jobs in the region.

“For too long, the Eastern Cape has been spoken about as a province of potential. A project of this scale gives us the chance to turn that potential into permanent economic strength,” Lobishe said.

As the economic engine of the Eastern Cape, the mayor said Nelson Mandela Bay is ready to anchor this investment.

“Our port infrastructure, automotive and manufacturing base, engineering capability and Nelson Mandela University make the metro the natural partner for a development of this magnitude,” she said.

Lobishe highlighted five clear opportunities for the region, including:

•    Energy security that underpins industrial competitiveness and protects jobs in our manufacturing sector.
•    Construction and operational employment over many years. The Mayor will be calling strongly for local recruitment and skills development for young people across the Bay and Kouga.
•    Supplier development opportunities for local businesses, small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and cooperatives in logistics, construction, hospitality and support services.
•    Skills transfer and research partnerships with universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, building a new generation of engineers, artisans and technicians.
•    Investment in roads, water and supporting infrastructure that will serve communities long after construction ends.

The announcement follows an oversight visit to Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in the Western Cape by an Eastern Cape delegation led by Premier Oscar Mabuyane. The delegation included district leadership from Sarah Baartman, representatives of Coega, the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) and the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC), as well as Khoi-San traditional leadership.

“At Koeberg, I saw firsthand how a nuclear facility operates alongside a host community. We were briefed on its safety systems, environmental management, employment footprint and local procurement practices, as well as its impact on surrounding communities and the natural environment over four decades.

“What we saw confirmed that nuclear power can coexist with coastal communities, tourism and a healthy environment when it is properly managed. I returned with valuable lessons, but more importantly with confidence that Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape are ready to support a project of this nature,” Lobishe said.

The Mayor acknowledged the rigorous requirements set by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, including detailed studies on wetlands, marine life, the chokka squid fishery, heritage, water security and community impact.

“We welcome this scrutiny. Development that ignores the environment and the people who live alongside it is not development we want,” she said.

Lobishe urged residents, fishing communities, heritage organisations and businesses to participate fully in the next phase of public engagement, so that every voice shapes the outcome.

She said the city will continue engaging with all stakeholders, Eskom, Kouga Local Municipality, other state-owned enterprises, organised business, civil society, traditional authorities and the provincial government to ensure that the project’s potential benefits are shared equitably across the region. – SAnews.gov.za
 

A former South African Police Service (SAPS) constable, already behind bars on separate stock theft charges, is facing additional charges of fraud and theft after allegedly misappropriating police fleet card funds for personal use.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, arrested Bafo Siyabonga Cindi, 35, following an investigation into the alleged misuse of a SAPS FNB fleet card while he served as a police investigator.

According to the Hawks, an investigation was launched in 2024 after the matter was reported by the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit in Standerton, Mpumalanga.

It is alleged that Cindi, who was attached to the unit as an investigating officer at the time, used the fleet card to conduct personal transactions amounting to approximately R8 000.

Following an investigation by the Hawks’ Secunda Serious Corruption Investigation, the case docket was submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), after which an application for a warrant of arrest was authorised.

On Thursday, Hawks members executed the warrant at the Ermelo Correctional Centre, where Cindi is currently detained pending trial in separate stock theft cases registered in Perdekop and Greylingstad. He was previously denied bail in those matters.
Cindi was dismissed from the SAPS in May 2026.

He appeared before the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on 22 October 2026, on charges of fraud and theft. The matter was postponed to 05 November 2026 to allow him to secure legal representation.

The Acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Bruce Davenport, said the arrest demonstrates the Hawks’ commitment to ensuring accountability within law enforcement and the broader public sector.

“No uniform, badge or rank places anyone above the law. Those who abuse their authority and misuse state resources for personal enrichment will face the full might of the law,” Brigadier Davenport said in a statement on Friday.

He added that the Hawks in Mpumalanga remain committed to protecting the integrity of the criminal justice system and restoring public confidence through decisive action against corruption. – SAnews.gov.za

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim has called for expanded skills development opportunities in underserved communities through partnerships with Community Education and Training colleges and Community Learning Centres.

Delivering a keynote address at the at the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) Accounting Authority stakeholder engagement session in Cape Town on Thursday, Cassim said community-based training can help connect learners to economic opportunities in tourism, hospitality, cultural enterprises and small businesses, particularly in rural areas where formal employment opportunities are limited.

He said the opportunities created by skills development must also be accessible to South Africans who face geographical, financial and other barriers to participation.

“This is particularly important in rural communities and areas where formal employment opportunities are limited. Learners do not all have the same access to transport, technology, infrastructure, or proximity to employers. Our programmes must take these realities into account,” Cassim said.

The Deputy Minister called on CATHSSETA to explore practical models for collaboration that respond to local needs, noting that working with community education and training colleges and community learning centres can help extend the reach of skills development.

The Deputy Minister also called for training programmes to respond to changing skills requirements driven by digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and evolving consumer expectations.

In tourism and hospitality, digital marketing, online booking platforms and data analytics are changing how businesses operated, while conservation, arts, culture and heritage, as well as gaming and lotteries, faced emerging skills needs.

“The gaming and lotteries environment is also changing, increasing the importance of capabilities such as data analytics, cybersecurity, and digital platform compliance. This is why sector skills planning must be an ongoing exercise, informed by evidence and regular engagement with industry.

“Being future-fit does not mean abandoning foundational capabilities. Communication, critical thinking, leadership, problem-solving and customer service will remain essential. It means combining these foundations with the technical and digital skills that emerging working environments demand. – SAnews.gov.za