Category: Africa

The Department of Military Veterans (DMV) has announced that the rollout of the military veterans’ pension will continue once a review process is completed. 

This decision comes after approximately 300 military veterans expressed concerns about delays in receiving their pensions.

“We acknowledge the hardship faced by military veterans and recognise their frustration. This benefit is a vital intervention aimed at restoring dignity and improving the quality of life of those who served this country with honour,” the statement read.

However, the department emphasised the need to clarify that the delays were caused by the budgetary constraints that currently affect it.

“It has become evident that the regulations governing the disbursement of the military veterans’ pension need to be reviewed. Once this process is complete, the department will resume the rollout of the military veterans’ pension, ensuring that deserving military veterans receive the financial assistance they are entitled to.” 

Since the implementation of this benefit in November 2023, the department said over 4 378 military veterans have successfully received their military veterans’ pensions. 

The department said it continues to work closely with the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) to process and pay new beneficiaries as they are verified.

“In the future, we appeal to military veterans to engage directly with the GPAA to check on the status of their applications and to raise any challenges so that they can be addressed timeously. We remain committed to upholding the dignity of all military veterans.” 

Last week, the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans expressed concern at the ongoing challenges faced by military veterans, many of whom remain in limbo due to delays in receiving their service-related benefits. 

The committee also expressed concerns regarding the DMV’s lack of a functioning internal audit unit, an essential tool for ensuring financial accountability and risk management.

“The committee highlighted the need for urgent intervention by the executive to turn around the DMV, starting with the appointment of a permanent Director-General, re-evaluating the organisational structure, addressing the findings of the Auditor-General, and developing a more responsive department.” – SAnews.gov.za

In its continued efforts to uplift township and rural-based businesses, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), in collaboration with the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) is set to host a Spaza Shop Support Awareness Campaign in the Western Cape.

Friday’s session is scheduled to take place at the KwaMandlenkosi Community Hall in the Beaufort West Local Municipality and is open to informal traders, spaza shop owners and micro-retailers operating in the area.

This community-focused initiative follows the national launch of the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund in April 2025 by dtic Minister Parks Tau and DSBD Minister Stella Tembisa Ndabeni.

The fund aims to help small retailers transition into the formal economy, access funding, and strengthen their businesses.

Delivered in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), the campaign offers practical tools, guidance on compliance, and pathways for inclusion in formal supply chains.

Attendees in Beaufort West will have the opportunity to engage directly with programme implementers, ask questions about the application process, and learn more about the business development resources available to them.

According to the Minister Tau, the fund represents a concrete step by government to formalise and empower the informal sector. He said supporting spaza shops means enabling entrepreneurs, often women and young people, to participate fully in the economy.

“These small businesses generate employment, drive local commerce, and channel much-needed income into communities that have long been underserved. Studies show that small businesses account for a significant portion of job creation in South Africa. 
“By providing spaza shop owners with financial support, infrastructure upgrades, and essential business training, we are setting the stage for sustainable job creation,” the Minister explained.

Meanwhile, Ndabeni said the role played by SEDFA and the NEF is deeply appreciated and that her department believes the fund will go a long way in assisting shop owners who are registered and hold valid operating permits.

“Our partnership ensures that spaza shop owners are not only funded but also trained, mentored, and integrated into reliable supply chains. This is about building long-term sustainability for township retail,” Ndabeni said.

Through initiatives like this, government aims to ensure that township and rural-based convenience shops are better equipped to thrive in a competitive market. – SAnews.gov.za

The B-BBEE Commission and the Black Management Forum (BMF) will today concretise their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The MoU is a culmination of years of close cooperation between the B-BBEE Commission and the BMF. 

The MoU signing ceremony will coincide with a dialogue entitled, “Safeguarding B-BBEE amidst challenges in implementation” and will feature an expert panel who will explore the status of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) and the challenges that need to be resolved in order for it to achieve its objectives as per the B-BBEE Act. 

President of the BMF, Mpho Motsei, said Black Economic Empowerment was conceived from grassroots movements of black business and professional associations, which included the BMF. 

“It is therefore appropriate for BMF to play a part in the enhancement and safeguarding of the legislation that we helped to conceive, more than 30 years ago,” Motsei said. 

“We are therefore delighted to work with the B-BBEE Commission, as a regulator that provides oversight on the implementation of the legislation that was designed to elevate black people from social and economic subjugation.

“This event occurs at a time when B-BBEE and other transformation policies have been under attack both in the media and the public space. Views on B-BBEE remain divided and there continues to be a lack of understanding with regard to the crucial role B-BBEE plays in bringing about a society that is equitable and inclusive, as mandated by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” he said. 

The dialogue seeks to reframe the discussion on B-BBEE and transformation, by paying particular focus on building an inclusive economy through B-BBEE policy and legislation. 

In doing so, the commission and BMF hope to re-ignite public discourse around the crucial issues of nation building, economic inclusion and compliance with the legislation, thereby safeguarding the objectives of B-BBEE policy. 

The MoU will seek to establish a framework of cooperation and sharing of information and ideas, within the parameters of the B-BBEE legislation, specifically in the following areas: 

• Strategies meant to promote economic transformation in the public interest; 

• Sectoral dynamics which may hinder or promote the prospects of economic transformation;

• Advocacy and awareness programmes on transformation and B-BBEE;

• Developments related to the racial composition of ownership and management structures, as well as skill occupations in the private and public sectors of the economy; and 

• and jointly monitor the effectiveness and gaps in the B-BBEE legislation, and any other policies related to economic transformation.

The B-BBEE Commission and the BMF believe that the MoU will serve as a solid foundation from which to advance the transformation agenda. 

Tshediso Matona, Commissioner of the B-BBEE Commission said the B-BBEE Commission considered the relationship with BMF a necessary step in strengthening ties with transformation advocates and practitioners in business, who are committed to realising the Constitutional provision of redress.

“As the commission, we hold a firm view that the implementation of B-BBEE is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders in the economy and our collaboration with the BMF seeks to promote this view.

“We look forward to a productive partnership with BMF and we are excited about what it will achieve,” Matona said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, says South Africa must prioritise science, technology and innovation (STI) to achieve long-term sustainability.

“We deliver this Budget Vote against the background of a complex set of national and global challenges, some of which include economic stagnation, rising social inequality, a breakdown of social cohesion, the negative impact of climate change, technological disruption and new tensions arising from changes in the international economic and political system,” said the Minister while tabling the department’s Budget Vote on Wednesday in Parliament.

He committed to taking STI to the villages, townships, and all the corners of South Africa. 

“We hold the view that our country must place science, technology, and innovation at the centre of government, education, industry, and society if we are to secure our sovereignty and future sustainability.” 

Nzimande highlighted his department’s dedication to speeding up the transformation and growth of human resources and the research workforce in STI.

The Minister stated that this commitment includes advancing the Presidential PhD Programme, which was launched in 2023.

“We will scale up the implementation of the Innovation Fund programme. During this financial year, our target is to support between 10 and 15 venture capital funds through strategic partnerships with, among others, our entity, the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).”

He stressed that the development of critical scientific skills remains central to the department’s mandate.

According to the department, 288 Research Chairs to 22 universities and national research facilities in various research disciplines have been awarded.

“I am, however, deeply concerned that black researchers and historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs) have not benefited from this initiative in the manner that we had anticipated,” the Minister said.

To tackle this issue, his department is collaborating with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to establish Research Chairs aimed at addressing these and other deficits in transformation.

“Further to this, our National System of Innovation (NSI) is still characterised by several other transformation deficits, including the low participation of women at the highest levels.”

The department is also strengthening the coordination and direction of the NSI through the Inter-Ministerial Committee on STI, Presidential Plenary for STI, and policy coordination instruments.

In March this year, South Africa hosted its first NSI Transformation Summit. 

The Minister announced that under the leadership of the department’s Director-General, the resolutions of this summit are being incorporated into their strategic plan. 

In addition, he has vowed continued support for Palestinian institutions and researchers, adding that this project is making steady progress.

As part of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, the department is committed to advancing STI priorities for both the nation and the African continent.

The department is also working tirelessly to increase the Gross Expenditure on Research and Development to 1.5%. 

This includes establishing a strategic agreement among organised business, government, and labour to determine future funding.

In addition, the department is focused on maintaining and upgrading crucial science infrastructure and projects, including the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRi), and the development of reliable pandemic preparedness capacity.

Another priority is to build strategic innovation partnerships, which involves aligning the key focus areas of the STI Decadal Plan with the relevant line function departments and mobilising additional funding and resources. 
He said significant programmes in areas such as artificial intelligence, energy security, space exploration, vaccine manufacturing, and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) will be scaled up.

Nzimande stressed that efforts are underway to raise public awareness about the important contributions of the NSI to human development, supported by a vigorous public engagement and communication campaign. – SAnews.gov.za