Category: Africa

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has denied claims that government funded the repatriation of local Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists who were detained in Israel. 

The department clarified that the activists’ return was made possible through financial support from their families and solidarity groups.

“The South African Government’s role has been one of diplomatic facilitation and engagement with all relevant parties,” the department explained. 

The delegation was expected to arrive at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning after they safely landed in Jordan, where they were welcomed by South Africa’s Ambassador to Jordan, Tselane Mokuena, yesterday.

South Africans who were on board the flotilla include Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela, Zukiswa Wanner, Reaaz Moolla, Zaheera Soomar, Fatima Hendricks and Carrie Shelver.

Minister Ronald Lamola has since reiterated government’s profound gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed to this successful outcome through their cooperation and support.

The GSF set sail from Barcelona, Spain, in early September and was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters as it approached Gaza. 

Reports indicate that Israeli police arrested over 470 people who were on board the flotilla boats.

The GSF is an international initiative led by civil society, launched in June of this year.

The movement aims to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, raise awareness about the urgent needs of the Palestinian people, and emphasise the necessity of ending the conflict in Gaza.

On Monday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that 171 activists from the flotilla, including the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were deported from Israel to Greece and Slovakia.

The deportees are citizens of Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Serbia, and the United States. – SAnews.gov.za

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has signed a Terminal Operator Agreement (TOA) with FFS Tank Terminals to operate and maintain a Liquid Bulk Terminal at the Port of Cape Town for a 25-year concession period.

With an investment of R195.7million over the first three years, this new concession will lead to the refurbishment of terminal infrastructure and upgrades aimed at improving operational efficiency and ensuring the security of supply to local industries. 

Once operational, the terminal will double its current diesel storage capacity by 100%, increasing it to 29,200m³ enhancing diesel volume throughput at the port, while also boosting bitumen storage facility from 4,700m³ to 6,900m³ – a total storage capacity increase of 47%.

The deal follows the successful conclusion of the Section 56 process of the National Ports Acts of 2005, during which TNPA appointed FFS Tank Terminals as the preferred bidder in December 2024. 

This demonstrates the effectiveness of the National Ports Act of 2005 in promoting the country’s national, strategic, and economic interests. FFS Tank Terminals’ appointment forms part of TNPA’s consolidation of terminal operations within the liquid bulk precinct, where two sites have now been merged into single operational area for improved commercial viability.

This now brings the total number of licensed terminal operators at the Port of Cape Town to 10, eight of which are privately owned, demonstrating strong private sector participation in port activities.

 Speaking at the signing ceremony in Cape Town, Acting TNPA Chief Executive, Phyllis Difeto said the partnership with FFS Tank Terminals is crucial for enhancing the port’s competitiveness and operational efficiency. 

“It reinforces the Transnet Reinvent for Growth Strategy, which transitions the business from stabilisation to sustained growth for future readiness. This agreement solidifies TNPA’s commitment to ensuring continued liquid bulk operations for the region, coupled with growing the port’s capacity and cargo volume throughput,” Difeto said.

The agreement with FFS Tank terminals, an experienced terminal operator in the liquid bulk sector with over 20 years of experience, will play a vital role in facilitating the import of liquid bulk products to ensure security of supply to local industries, contributing to the region’s economic stability.

“We are pleased to reach this important milestone in our diversification strategy, which extends the FFS Group’s technical and terminal experience to a relatively new entrant in the independent liquid bulk storage sector in South Africa, FFS Tank Terminals. 

“We are grateful for the constructive and professional approach from TNPA, who have walked through the talk in implementing and facilitating growth and creating employment opportunities in our economy. 

“We look forward to continuing our strong relationships with the Port, our customers and stakeholders at large,” said Andrew Canning, FFS Tank Terminals Chief Executive Officer. – SAnews.gov.za

The National Treasury has issued a tender inviting qualified and experienced service providers to submit proposals to distribute, administer, and manage the RSA Retail Savings Bonds Programme.

This initiative forms part of the National Treasury’s broader digital transformation agenda to enhance public access to RSA Retail Bonds, and enable South Africans to invest confidently, securing market related returns in a safe and transparent manner. 

National Treasury has encouraged interested persons who are interested to attend in a non-compulsory briefing session that will be conducted using Microsoft Teams to send an email to NTAdministrativeTenders@treasury.gov.za.

The Terms of Reference (Tender NT006-2025) seek multiple service providers to take over and modernise the RSA Retail Bonds programme.

The scope of work includes:

• Full distribution (including digital channels) and administration of retail bonds.
• Customer onboarding, engagement, and servicing.
• Transaction processing and compliance.
• Data analytics and performance reporting.

Key requirements for prospective bidders include:

• Registration and compliance on the Central Supplier Database (CSD).
• Submission of information in the prescribed templates.
• Valid Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) accreditation.
• Submission of a signed CV using the prescribed template.

Non-compulsory briefing session details:

• Date: 10 October 2025
• Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am (SAST)
• Venue: Microsoft Teams
• Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/d5359afb-6764-4b33-a4fe-834b7039d611@1a45348f-02b4-4f9a-a7a8-7786f6dd3245

For further details and to download the official Terms of Reference (TOR), visit the e-Tender Portal. 

Deadline for submissions: 28 October 2025 at 11:00 AM (SAST)

No late submissions will be accepted. – SAnews.gov.za

With the festive season fast approaching, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has called on motorists to renew their motor vehicle licence discs before finalising their travel arrangements.

“A total of 1 002 771 vehicle licences discs are set to expire at the end of October. A further 1 060 382 will expire in November, while 1 112 393 will expire in December,” the RTMC said on Tuesday.

The RTMC said it will be sending out SMS’s and email reminders to all motorists who are registered on the online renewal platform, reminding them to comply.

To register on this easy to use, convenient and affordable platform, motorists must log on online.natis.gov.za and follow the simple steps to upload their details.

According to RTMC, the platform has proven to be most popular with vehicle owners. 

“About five million vehicle licences have been renewed on this platform since its launch in 2022. An average of 7 908 daily renewals were processed on this platform in the past seven days.

“Clients from major banking institutions such as Capitec, First National Bank and Nedbank have access to the platform through their banking apps,” RTMC said.

The platform now offers motorists a safe service to pay their Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Enforcement Orders. 

This value-added service is intended to improve convenience and to enable users to save time by using a one-stop service for their vehicle licence compliance needs.

A relatively new offering on the platform is the online vehicle registration and change of owners. 

This offering is directed at motor vehicle dealers who deal with bulk transactions and require a fast, secure platform register vehicles.

More than 10 large motor vehicle dealerships have now registered and are conducting transactions on the platform daily.

A total of 120 230 change of ownership transactions were conducted on the platform from April to October 2025 with 78 239 registrations taking place in the same period. – SAnews.gov.za

The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure (DOI) has completed a R43.5 million project to upgrade and perform emergency repairs on Main Road (MR) 276, also known as Boontjieskraal Road, located near Bot River.

According to the provincial government, the 6.7km road connects the N2 highway between Bot River and Caledon on one side and the R43 highway between the N2 and Villiersdorp on the other side.

Jandre Bakker from DOI stated that before the drainage infrastructure and related works could be finished, adverse weather conditions forced the department to reallocate its internal resources to address the effects of adverse weather during both 2023 and 2024.

Bakker noted that certain sections of the road exhibited severe cracking due to high fill conditions. 

The contract for the project included several rehabilitation tasks on two sections of MR276 that were significantly affected by cracking. 

These tasks involved constructing a 100m retaining wall to support the road at high fill areas, building a retaining wall in an eroded cutting, and installing concrete-lined and sub-soil drains to manage water flow. 

It also included erosion protection measures, installing a rumble strip would be added to the southbound lane near the railway level crossing on MR276, and replacing fencing, along with the installation of gates at legal road accesses. 

In addition, work involved the installation of guardrails at high fill locations and the updating of road signs and markings. 

During the ceremonial opening of the road, Western Cape MEC for Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, announced that the project created 113 short-term work opportunities and generated 6 885 person-days of work.

He said the R11.8 million was spent on procuring goods and services from targeted enterprises, and three local enterprises and four emerging contractors benefited from the project. 

“This road is of both economic and agricultural importance. The road further cuts travel time by regular users of the route, which used to be a gravel road. I am often asked how my department decides on which roads to upgrade from gravel to surfaced roads, and a variety of factors are taken into consideration,” said Simmers. 

The MEC said these factors range from the important metric of vehicle counts to the condition of the road, future importance of the road and role in the broader network, economic importance and others. 

“This is, however, always done within a very tight fiscal envelope, and we have to make tough decisions. 

“While we do our bit by constructing and maintaining quality transport infrastructure, I call on road users to do their part and use these assets responsibly,” the MEC added. – SAnews.gov.za