Category: Africa

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“Any Customs System Not Built on Large Language Model (LLM) Will Disappear,” Warns ASYCUDA Founder Jean Gurunlian

Source: APO

Jean Gurunlian, Chairperson of Webb Fontaine (https://WebbFontaine.com), and founder/architect of the ASYCUDA system, issued a stark warning on the future of Customs technology at the WCO Technology Conference 2026 in Abu Dhabi, stating that legacy Customs systems are no longer fit for purpose in a world shaped by large language models (LLMs).

“No Customs system that has not been built on LLM will survive,” Gurunlian said. “The first real outcome of LLMs is that they have made all existing Customs systems obsolete.”

Gurunlian, who designed ASYCUDA and oversaw its deployment in more than 100 countries, emphasized that the pace and nature of regulatory change have fundamentally shifted. Traditional Customs systems, often reliant on static rules, manual updates, and lengthy development cycles, can no longer cope with today’s trade and policy environment.

“Customs systems that cannot adapt to changing laws, regulations, or operational requirements within very short timeframes simply will not survive anymore,” he said. “If a system needs years to adjust, it is already too late.”

According to Gurunlian, the rise of LLMs has exposed the structural weakness of systems that depend on predefined logic rather than continuous learning and adaptation. He noted that many Customs platforms still require months, or even years, to incorporate legislative changes, tariff updates, or new non-tariff measures.

“Tariffs and non-tariff barriers have increasingly become political weapons,” Gurunlian said. “They can change overnight, sometimes without warning. With LLM-enabled systems, those changes can be interpreted, applied, and operationalized in seconds.”

For Gurunlian, adaptability is no longer a feature but a prerequisite. He underscored that Customs technology must now be designed around continuous improvement, contextual understanding, and rapid learning, capabilities that only AI-driven architectures can provide.

“The systems, including those that I created, are bound to become obsolete,” Gurunlian acknowledged. “If a system cannot be improved in production, it should not be deployed.”

He added that governments and Customs administrations face a critical decision point. Continuing to invest in static, rule-based systems risks locking institutions into technology that cannot respond to geopolitical shocks, regulatory volatility, or the increasing complexity of global trade.

“LLMs change the nature of systems themselves,” Gurunlian concluded. “This is not about adding AI on top of existing platforms. It is about rethinking Customs systems from the ground up.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Webb Fontaine.

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Tanzania is losing fertile land to soil erosion: what’s happening and what can be done

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Maarten Wynants, Marie Curie Global Postdoctoral Fellow, Ghent University

Across large parts of northern Tanzania, gully erosion – soil erosion caused by flowing water – is cutting deep scars through fertile farmland, grazing areas, roads and even villages. These gullies grow faster every year and what was once a slow environmental process has accelerated into a humanitarian threat. It has serious consequences for food and livelihood security, infrastructure and biodiversity.

Soil erosion is a natural process. Rainfall breaks soil into particles, and flowing water transports them downslope into rivers and lakes. In Tanzania, however, erosion has intensified dramatically over the past 120 years.

The region’s steep terrain, highly variable rainfall and fragile volcanic soils make it naturally vulnerable. What has turned this into a crisis is the change in how people interact with the land.

The Jali Ardhi (Swahili for “Care for the Land”) programme is an international collaboration of scientists from several universities. We use interdisciplinary tools to investigate what’s causing increased soil erosion and how communities can restore the land. Results from multiple projects over a decade point to runaway gully erosion as a key driver of land degradation in Tanzania. Urgent and widespread restoration programmes are needed.

Gullies are rapidly eating away fertile cropland in the volcanic soils of Kisongo, Tanzania. Author supplied

Read more: Soil erosion is tearing DRC cities apart: what’s causing urban gullies, and how to prevent them

From fertile volcanic soils to runaway gully erosion

The Tanzanian highlands are blanketed by soils formed from volcanic basalt erupted over millions of years as the East African Rift opened. These volcanic soils are rich in fine clay minerals with high levels of exchangeable sodium and calcium. Contact with water after a dry period can cause them to rapidly disperse into fine particles in the water.

Normally, these soils are covered by a stable topsoil layer protected by plant cover, roots and soil organic carbon. But land clearing – the removal of natural vegetation for agricultural purposes – and overgrazing remove the natural protection of these soils and increase runoff. When intense rainfall follows, water rapidly flows downhill, concentrating in valleys and carving out gullies.

Indigenous land conservation practices such as seasonal grazing and shifting cultivation recognised this vulnerability by allowing the vegetation and soil to recover. However, these were gradually eroded by colonial and postcolonial governance, which prioritised formal land tenure and permanent settlement but paid little attention to soil productivity and protection from erosion. In the meantime, Tanzania’s population has been growing fast, doubling roughly every 25 years for the past century, and is now exceeding 70 million.

Large areas of natural forests and savannahs have been cleared for agriculture. Pastoralist groups, such as the Maasai, were forced into permanent settlements, replacing their traditional practice of moving livestock seasonally to follow rainfall and fresh pasture. Livestock densities have tripled over the past half century and areas that were once allowed to recover are now farmed and grazed year-round, leaving soils permanently exposed to the elements.

Rainfall in these regions is naturally erratic, alternating between dry spells and wet years. We have not observed a long-term change in rainfall but wet conditions following drought can trigger massive erosion events.

Together, these pressures pushed the landscape past a critical threshold. Once gullies form in these volcanic soils, they are difficult to stop. Like a boulder pushed downhill, erosion accelerates once it starts. Gullies can continue growing even if the original trigger, such as deforestation or overgrazing, has ended. They form highly connected channels that quickly remove rainfall, nutrient-rich topsoil, and seeds away from the land. This makes it difficult for vegetation to recover and the landscape to stabilise.

The cost of losing land

We calculated that the erosion rates in Tanzania are about 20 times higher than they were a century ago. Over 50% of the total area of Tanzania is experiencing rapid land degradation. It is one of the fastest degrading areas in the world.

When land is lost to erosion, so too is food and income. Since roughly 70% of Tanzanians are smallholder farmers and they produce most of the country’s food intake, over 50% of the population has already experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. The consequences are potentially disastrous.

The 2017 photo of a collapsing causeway was taken from a new bridge in Kisongo, Tanzania, costing over US$100,000. In the 2025 photo, the foundations of the new bridge are already collapsing. Author supplied

To make matters worse, we saw from repeat visits and photographs that these mega gullies undercut roads and bridges as quickly as a decade after construction. This is an enormous loss in a country working to develop basic services. Farmers tell us that they are cut off from market access and are forced to grow less-perishable or subsistence crops such as maize and beans, instead of higher-value agricultural production. This reinforces low-income and low-investment cycles.

The effects do not stop here, though.

Eroded sediments fill reservoirs and lakes, threatening water availability, fisheries, biodiversity and tourism. We found that Lake Manyara National Park, a Unesco Man and Biosphere Reserve, is filling up due to the enormous amounts of sediment coming from its catchment. This places pressure on an ecosystem that supports more than 350 bird species as well as iconic wildlife such as elephants and lions.

Working together to join the cracks

Despite the scale of the problem, solutions do exist. Across east Africa, communities have long used indigenous techniques such as earth bunds (banks), stepwise terraces, leaky dams, and re-establishment of grasses and trees. These work with natural processes and materials to slow water flow and capture soil.

NGOs such as the LEAD foundation and Justdiggit are revitalising these community-led approaches. We set up a soil and gully monitoring network combining scientific sampling and sensor technology with citizen science approaches to evaluate the evolution of gullies and success of restoration approaches.

In some cases, collective community action has successfully stabilised small gullies and improved soil quality. But many mega gullies are now too large for resource-poor communities to address alone. While the Tanzanian government has committed to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s Land Degradation Neutrality initiative, long‑term investment and action plans are lacking. This is partly due to the mismatch between national politics and local action needs.

Read more: Key insights into land degradation from seven African countries

Ultimately, erosion control cannot be treated as a solely environmental problem. Halting this crisis will require coordinated and large-scale land restoration investment, while simultaneously addressing socio-economic issues linked to poverty, corruption, education and economic development. More than half of Tanzanians are under 18, growing up on landscapes already under strain. Whether these systems can continue to support a growing population will require action before the cracks in the earth widen any further.

– Tanzania is losing fertile land to soil erosion: what’s happening and what can be done
– https://theconversation.com/tanzania-is-losing-fertile-land-to-soil-erosion-whats-happening-and-what-can-be-done-273283

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Life in fossil bones: what we can learn from tiny traces of ancient blood chemicals

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Timothy G. Bromage, Professor, New York University

Blood tests are useful tools for doctors and scientific researchers: they can reveal a lot about a body’s health. Usually, a blood sample is taken to get a picture of the large molecules that are present, such as cholesterols, lipids and proteins. This is called a metabolic profile.

For more specific information, another kind of blood test looks at the tiny traces of chemical processes taking place at tissue, organ, and even cellular levels. This fine-scale kind of test, metabolomics, studies metabolites – the by-products of metabolism (the body’s way of producing energy and recycling chemicals).

You’d never think this kind of test could be done for animals that lived millions of years ago. But what was very recently science fiction is now reality: it’s called “palaeometabolomics”.

Why would anyone want to know about the metabolites of long-dead creatures?

Metabolites are a way for scientists like me (a biological anthropologist) to learn more about the health, diet, environment and evolution of those creatures – including early humans.

What makes this possible is the way bones are formed: by special cells secreting a soft matrix – mainly collagen – that later crystallises and hardens into a porous material.

Metabolites in the blood that leak from blood vessels during bone formation are so tiny that they become trapped inside the bone matrix (the material that makes up bone) as it hardens. The spaces where they are trapped are so small (nanometre in scale) that bacteria and fungi, which are much bigger, can’t always get in there. Not even in a million years. And because bone mineral structures at these fine scales contain minute traces of water, metabolites are preserved there in fossils.

Studying the metabolites in animal fossils has given us a new way to discover more about the environment at sites where early humans evolved.

My colleagues and I looked at rodent fossils from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania (about 1.8 million to 1.7 million years old); elephant tooth fossil material from the Chiwondo Beds in Malawi (2.4 million years old); and an antelope bone fossil from Makapansgat in South Africa (about 3 million years old). Fossils of ancient relatives of humans (species of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo) have also been found at these sites.

For 100 years, scientists have devised methods for reconstructing the environment that early humans lived in and adapted to. Until now, these methods depended mainly upon geological clues and the kinds of animal and plant fossils found at a site. Now, by performing palaeometabolomics – especially by analysing the chemical traces left in animal bones by the plants that the animals ate – we have established a “molecular ecological” approach for describing ancient habitats.

This new method can add very specific information to other kinds of reconstructions. The metabolites allow us to describe soil pH, minimum and maximum rainfall and temperature, the type of tree cover, and elevations above sea level of plants.

We also made a surprising finding about the relationship between soil and living things.

How to give a fossil a blood test

To perform palaeometabolomics, we established a method to dissolve bits of bone no larger than a pea in a tube containing weak acid. The acid is strong enough to slowly pass the mineral into a solution, but weak enough not to degrade the metabolites. This take several days. We then let the large proteins sink to the bottom of the tube and spin it at high speed in a centrifuge, which leaves the smallest and lightest molecules at the top. We inject the metabolite “soup” into a mass spectrometer, a piece of equipment designed to measure the weights of all small molecule compounds, and refer these to a library of known masses. That’s how we identify the metabolites.

The ones generated within the body – “endogenous” metabolites – offer clues about the health and well-being of an animal. That’s interesting enough, but it’s not the full picture.

All living organisms produce metabolites, including plants. Plants also have metabolisms reflecting their physiological adaptations to the environment. If an animal eats a plant, metabolites of that plant circulate through the animal’s bloodstream and are also trapped at developing bone surfaces. These are called “exogenous” metabolites, and they tell us about the diet of the animal.

What was just interesting now becomes remarkable, because if we can identify the plant that a metabolite came from, we should also be able to reconstruct the environment the plant was adapted to.

What the body says about the bigger picture

The endogenous metabolites we identified from our fossils depict a variety of normal mammalian biological functions and disease states. The exogenous metabolites provide evidence of the environment in the distant past.

For instance, some of our fossil samples had a metabolite derived from the parasite that causes sleeping sickness in humans after a bite from an infected tsetse fly. Wild animals are tsetse fly reservoirs for the parasite. Tsetse flies have very specific environmental conditions, so that helped our reconstructions.

Read more: Tooth enamel provides clues on tsetse flies and the spread of herding in ancient Africa

We also identified plant metabolites which implied that the Tanzanian and South African sites were wetter than they are now. Minimum temperatures were warmer, and the landscape contained more forest shade. It seems to have been a mixed, seasonally dry and wet tropical habitat. The reconstructed conditions of the Malawi site indicate a wetter environment, also with wet and dry seasons.

Reading the soil

There was one particularly interesting surprise.

Going into this study, we assumed that metabolites from ancient soils surrounding the fossils – known as palaeosols – should be considered contaminants and be disregarded from our analyses. But when we analysed metabolites of modern animals of the same fossil species living near the sites, whose bones never touched the soil, we found that both the modern and fossil animals shared large percentages of the palaeosol metabolites.

This means that the palaeosol reflects the lives of all the organisms living there. Once plants and animals live on that soil, their metabolites become a part of the soil matrix. The animals and the soil are completely connected by shared metabolites, which represent the flow of materials that sustain the habitat. They are not contaminants to be disregarded.

Our biomolecular approach – using metabolites from fossil bones and teeth as a way to reconstruct ancient environments – is a new one. It might one day make it possible to describe past habitats as precisely as we can describe modern ones.

– Life in fossil bones: what we can learn from tiny traces of ancient blood chemicals
– https://theconversation.com/life-in-fossil-bones-what-we-can-learn-from-tiny-traces-of-ancient-blood-chemicals-273906

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Government assesses funding priorities for 2026

Source: Government of South Africa

Government assesses funding priorities for 2026

Government leaders have gathered at an extended Cabinet meeting to assess plans and priorities for the year ahead, placing an emphasis on fiscal discipline, economic stability and targeted funding to support government’s key priorities.

This is according to the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who addressed members of the media on the sidelines of a Cabinet Lekgotla that has been convened by President Cyril Ramaphosa with leaders in all spheres of government.

The meeting noted that when the 2025 Budget process began, South Africa’s borrowing costs were above 13%. This has since declined to approximately 9%, demonstrating the positive impact of fiscal prudence and sound financial governance.

Furthermore, South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2025, following an increase of 0.9% in the second quarter of 2025.

“The cost of borrowing for the government of South Africa has reduced drastically… showing that our fiscal prudence and fiscal management is strengthening. The performance of the rand has stabilised. We have considered these factors to determine the fiscal envelope that will guide our priorities and funding decisions. These are the issues currently under discussion,” Ntshavheni said.

The work of the seventh administration is guided by the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024-2029, in pursuit of three key priorities: driving inclusive economic growth and job creation; reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living; and building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.

The MTDP provides a whole-of-government framework which aligns planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation across all spheres of government.

“We will also be engaging on the country’s industrial policy, focusing on how, as part of our inclusive growth and development plan, we can define an industrial policy that anchors and drives this growth agenda.

“We presented the implementation plan for inclusive economic growth and development in the country. We will now finalise the revised timelines for its implementation. We will also focus on how to drive skills development across the country.

“Any economy that seeks to grow must be anchored in a strong national skills base. We are therefore reviewing how to realign our approach, and we will receive a joint presentation from the Departments of Labour and Higher Education on how existing funding mechanisms and platforms for skills development can be better utilised and streamlined. 

“This will ensure they are more effective in driving skills development and creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people,” the Minister said.

She emphasised that economic growth cannot be achieved in an environment undermined by crime and criminal activity.

“To address this, we will receive a presentation tomorrow from the Justice and Security Cluster outlining a strategy to combat organised crime and deal decisively with these challenges,” the Minister said.

The recent announcement by British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) that it will close its Heidelberg manufacturing plant by the end of 2026 due to the illicit trade market, has also been placed on the agenda for discussion.

“We will also have a conversation about the future of the country in addressing the gender-based violence pandemic and how we mobilise society to respond to the scourge,” Ntshavheni said.

The Cabinet Lekgotla comes ahead of the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which will be delivered by the President on 12 February 2026 and will be followed by the Budget Speech by the Minister of Finance on 25 February 2026. 

The President will outline government’s strategic priorities for the year, while the Budget Speech allocates financial resources to implement these plans. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Manamela welcomes SIU recovery of NSFAS funds

Source: Government of South Africa

Manamela welcomes SIU recovery of NSFAS funds

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has welcomed the recovery of R1.7 billion by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which has been returned to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

The recovered amount forms part of R2 billion that the SIU has so far reclaimed from universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, as well as unqualified former NSFAS beneficiaries.

The funds, which were unallocated between 2016 and 2021, represent financial resources originally earmarked for students who qualified for funding but later changed institutions or deregistered.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Manamela said the recovered funds will be redirected towards meeting the needs of deserving students at institutions of higher education and training.

“The recovery of these funds is a significant step in restoring integrity, accountability and public confidence in the administration of student financial aid. Every rand allocated to NSFAS is public money intended to support students from poor and working-class families, and it must be protected and used strictly for that purpose,” Manamela said.

The SIU commended NSFAS for strengthening its systems and moving towards better governance.

READ | SIU returns R1.7bn to the NSFAS purse

As part of the broader recovery effort, the SIU has collected R126 478 184.64 from 1 055 parents and unqualified former NSFAS beneficiaries who signed acknowledgements of debt (AoDs), agreeing to repay the funds over time.

The SIU has urged unqualified NSFAS beneficiaries, who have not yet made contact to with the unit, to come forward and make arrangements for repayment.

Manamela reaffirmed his support for the SIU’s mandate to investigate corruption, fraud and maladministration within Post-School Education and Training (PSET) institutions, and to recover any financial losses suffered by the State. – SAnews.gov.za

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From video calls to exchanging memes: Kaspersky reveals how digitalisation is influencing family life

Source: APO

Kaspersky’s (www.Kaspersky.co.za) latest global research shows that mostly all people currently interact with their family members digitally: 86% of all survey participants communicate with family via messaging apps, 58% have regular video calls, and 44% have even established joint streaming service accounts. In South Africa, the statistics showed a similar trend: 91% communicate with family via messaging apps, 68% have regular video calls, and 53% have joint streaming service accounts. While digitalisation offers unprecedented convenience and flexibility in family communication, Kaspersky experts warn that this increased online connectivity demands a heightened awareness of digital safety practices and the protection of devices.

Communication in the digital sphere has become an integral part of everyday life. Thanks to video calls and instant messaging, we can maintain connections with our loved ones, no matter where we are. Digitalisation has reshaped not only how we communicate, but also how we spend our free time together. Kaspersky has conducted a survey* to reveal the common patterns of modern family life in the digital age and discover the cybersecurity challenges that lurk beneath our screen interactions.

Cyber safety during family communication

According to the survey, regular messaging via WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Viber and other messenger apps were top of users’ choices when communicating with their families. Globally, people in the 35-54 age group were the most likely to engage this way, with 89% of respondents choosing this option. Video calls were a much less popular option among all survey respondents as a way of keeping in touch with relatives, with only 58% choosing this digital solution.

Another popular way of staying connected online for many families is exchanging posts and memes on social media and messengers (53% globally and 51% in South Africa). The 18-34 age group globally leads this trend with a 58% participation rate, showcasing how humor and shared cultural references are becoming essential family bonding mechanisms.

The older generation (above 55 years old) is in general less digitally engaged than other ages, though the share of those globally who chat with their families in messengers is on par with the average (85%). 42% of this age group even exchange memes and posts via social media. Despite the fact that older people are more active in the digital sphere, they may still not be ready to face cyber threats and scams. Users should therefore educate (https://apo-opa.co/4sZ0Crj) their older relatives on how to stay safe online and use gadgets securely. 

Even for advanced users, communication online carries potential cyber security risks. From phishing attempts disguised as legitimate messages to sophisticated social engineering attacks, the digital battlefield operates within our most personal communication channels. To ensure complex protection for your messengers, it’s highly recommended to enable two-factor authentication where possible, use unique, complex passwords for each account, remain skeptical of unexpected links or attachments, use a reliable security solution (https://apo-opa.co/4rjPEv4) with anti-phishing protection for messengers, and follow security tips (https://apo-opa.co/4t5blk6) from Kaspersky experts. 

Family accounts – convenience or risk?

The survey shows that in their free time 70% of all participating families choose to watch movies together, with 44% having family streaming accounts. Online games do not have such popularity as a family pastime, with only 35% of general respondents opting for them. In South Africa, 78% of families choose to watch movies together, 53% have family streaming accounts, and 35% choose online games as a family pastime.

While sharing streaming subscriptions and gaming accounts may seem like a cost-effective solution, it opens the door to a host of digital vulnerabilities that can compromise your family’s security and privacy, especially when an account is used by different family members under the same login and password. Such accounts create a perfect storm for security breaches. If one family member’s device is compromised, hackers gain access to the entire account. Additionally, password reuse across multiple platforms means that a single breach could expose your financial information, email accounts, and other sensitive data. To manage all passwords securely, it’s highly recommended to use a password manager (https://apo-opa.co/4qFEOQ1) for all family members.

“As our family life moves more and more online, it opens up amazing ways to stay close and create memories – but it also brings new risks, like scams and hacking. Kids and older relatives can be especially at risk, so looking out for each other online is really important. Protecting your digital privacy and using cybersecurity measures is an important way to care for your loved ones and keep your family safe”, comments Marina Titova, Vice President for Consumer Business at Kaspersky.

* The study was conducted by Kaspersky’s market research center in November 2025. 3000 respondents from 15 countries (Argentina, Chile, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK, United Arab Emirates) took part in the survey.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.

For further information please contact:
Nicole Allman
nicole@inkandco.co.za

Follow Kaspersky:
Facebook: https://apo-opa.co/3NL8bBV
X: https://apo-opa.co/45xazCn
Youtube: https://apo-opa.co/4qLrN7q
Instagram: https://apo-opa.co/4t60fLy
Blog: https://apo-opa.co/4aiM0f3

About Kaspersky:
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect individuals, businesses, critical infrastructure, and governments around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading digital life protection for personal devices, specialized security products and services for companies, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help millions of individuals and nearly 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.Kaspersky.co.za. 

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Official Handover of the Temporary National Assembly Structure

Source: APO


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The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza, will officially receive the refurbished Nieuwmeester Dome from the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson, on Friday, 30 January 2026.

The Dome will serve as a short- to medium-term venue for parliamentary activities until the completion of the Parliament rebuilding project. The handover follows a request from Parliament to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) for essential upgrades to make the facility user-friendly, resilient to Cape winds and fully compliant with the operational standards required for parliamentary sittings.

Following comprehensive refurbishment, the structure is now equipped to support the business of the National Assembly.

EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Friday, 30 January 2026
Time: 13:00 for 13:30
Venue: Nieuwmeester Parking (opposite Parliament), Cape Town

Media Accreditation:

Members of the media who wish to attend must RSVP to Mlindi Mpindi on mmpindi@parliament.gov.za or 081 716 7329 by providing him with the following details:

  • Full name
  • ID or passport number
  • Name of media house

ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
 Enquiries: Moloto Mothapo, Parliament Spokesperson

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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Communications Committee to Visit Broadband Infraco in Honeydew, Gauteng

Source: APO


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The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies will tomorrow, 29 January 2026, visit Broadband Infraco (BBI), following oversight visits to the Media Development and Diversity Agency, the Universal Services and Access Agency South Africa and Universal Services and Access Fund. The visits form part of the committee’s three-day oversight programme in Gauteng.

At the BBI, the committee will be briefed on various issues of critical importance, including board functionality and executive vacancies, audit regression and remedial action plans, project implementation and asset management, operational realities and capacity constraints, among other things.

Details of the meeting: 
Date: Thursday, 29 January 2026
Venue: 240 Octovia Road, Sentech’s Sender Technology Park, Honeydew
Time: 09:00

The oversight visits to these entities form part of the committee’s ongoing efforts to ensure accountability, effective governance and the efficient use of public resources within the sector.

ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES

For media enquiries or to request an interview with the Chairperson, please contact Media Officer:
Justice Molafo (Mr)
Cell: 081 424 7481
Email: jmolafo@parliament.gov.za

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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Kabe women find hope in new farming tools

Source: Government of South Africa

Kabe women find hope in new farming tools

Women in Kabe Village, outside Mahikeng in the North West, have long loved working the land, but a lack of resources often held them back.

Now, thanks to the donation of essential farming implements, they can grow enough food to feed their families and improve their livelihoods.

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has brought renewed hope to the village with the donation of agricultural tools aimed at empowering women to take charge of food production.

The initiative is expected to strengthen household food security, create livelihoods and restore dignity within the community.

“These tools will truly make a huge difference in our lives. We have always loved working the land, but the lack of resources often discouraged us. After today, everything feels different,” said beneficiary Keabetswe Methikga.

For Methikga and other women in Kabe Village, the tools represent far more than equipment; they signal a turning point toward dignity, food security and economic independence.

Methikga explained how the lack of proper tools previously made farming a daily struggle.

“Before this, we struggled to farm with very limited equipment. Some days we had to borrow, and on other days we could not plant at all. With these tools, we can finally work the land properly, grow enough food for our families, and even sell produce to support our children,” she said.

She added that the donated equipment will help address long-standing challenges, such as crop destruction.

“Even the birds that used to destroy our crops will no longer be a problem, because we now have nets to protect our gardens,” Methikga said, her voice filled with relief and hope.

Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Madoda Sambatha said equipping women with the means to cultivate their own food promotes self-reliance, resilience and sustainable farming practices that will benefit future generations.

“Beyond food production, these tools open opportunities for income generation and local economic growth,” Sambatha said.

The handover ceremony was led by Sambatha and attended by Social Development MEC Susanna Basetsana Dantjie, traditional leadership of Kabe, and members of the local community, who gathered to witness women being equipped to take charge of their livelihoods.

In his address, Sambatha emphasised that the initiative forms part of the department’s broader efforts to empower women and build sustainable food systems at community level.

“This intervention is about more than tools; it is about restoring hope, dignity, and self-reliance. When we support women in agriculture, we are directly supporting families, fighting poverty, and strengthening food security. These women are not just beneficiaries; they are producers and partners in the development of our province,” Sambatha said.

He added that hunger and poverty expose communities, especially women and children to numerous social ills.

“By supporting food production initiatives such as this one, we are helping to strengthen the social fabric of our society. We will continue working closely with the Department of Social Development to ensure that these women receive the necessary support to make their projects sustainable,” Sambatha said.

Traditional leadership also welcomed the intervention and pledged continued support.

Speaking on behalf of the Royal House, Kgosana Keesilwe Mokgosi said the initiative reflected meaningful cooperation between government and communities.

“As custodians of the land, we are pleased to see government working hand in hand with our people. When our women are empowered to produce food, the entire village benefits.

“We commit ourselves to supporting all beneficiaries, encouraging active participation, and ensuring that these tools are used for their intended purpose,” Mokgosi said.

The tool donation in Kabe marks another practical step by the provincial government to place women at the centre of agricultural development, not only as recipients of assistance, but as active drivers of food production, economic participation, and community resilience.

Sambatha said the initiative will be expanded to communities across all four districts of the province through ongoing rural development and food security programmes. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Call for comprehensive framework to mitigate climate induced disasters

Source: Government of South Africa

Call for comprehensive framework to mitigate climate induced disasters

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has called for the urgent development of a comprehensive national framework to mitigate climate-induced disasters across South Africa.

Simelane made the call during an oversight visit to flood-affected areas in the Ehlanzeni District, in Mpumalanga.

The Minister had conducted site inspections to assess the work undertaken by the Department of Human Settlements’ Emergency Housing Unit, in collaboration with provincial and municipal authorities, to provide relief to households and communities affected by the recent heavy rains that damaged properties and infrastructure.

Accompanied by Mpumalanga MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Speed Mashilo, and Bushbuckridge Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Matlanatso Lydia Moroane, Simelane received an update on the rollout of Temporary Residential Units (TRUs) for households affected by devastating floods in wards 14, 17 and 30, as well as other affected areas in the province.

The Department of Human Settlements provides emergency housing assistance through four key interventions, including restoration, relocation, rebuilding and repairs.

Addressing stakeholders at the municipal council chambers, Simelane stressed that the proposed disaster mitigation framework should not be confined to Mpumalanga but must be implemented nationwide to safeguard communities and enhance resilience.

She expressed concern that relief efforts, especially within the human settlements’ emergency housing programme, are often delayed due to the unavailability of suitable land for relocation of disaster victims and poor planning.

The Minister urged municipalities to align disaster preparedness with the country’s growth trajectory, highlighting the importance of proactive and coordinated planning to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

“We need to start planning collaboratively, plan for our growth, say where we are going and what happens during disasters. We must be proactive and prepare land accordingly with weather reports and projections,” the Minister said.

She added that municipalities must prioritise planning towards climate-resilient infrastructure and ensure that affected communities are not excluded from relief interventions.

Mashilo agreed with the Minister’s call for proactive and integrated planning to mitigate disasters, noting that similar concerns were raised during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent visit to the province.

“When the President was here last week, he also pointed out the issue of lack of planning when it comes to human settlements. We cannot continue to behave like we don’t know or anticipate the types of disasters, especially with our weather forecasters being able to predict the amount of rains expected to fall in the rainy seasons,” Mashilo said.

He further emphasised the need for cooperation among all three spheres of government and communities to ensure that South Africans, especially vulnerable people, are protected from harsh living conditions caused by climate-induced disasters, as well as delays in relief efforts due to unsafe or unsuitable land.

Simelane and Mashilo agreed to explore the utilisation of additional human settlements grants allocated to the province to assist with rebuilding of roads, sewer systems, and storm water drainage infrastructure to mitigate future flood damage.

The Mpumalanga oversight visit follows a similar assessment conducted in Limpopo, where several areas were affected by recent floods resulting from prolonged rainfall. – SAnews.gov.za
 

 

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