Category: Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for urgent and coordinated action to improve scholar transport safety following a tragic accident that claimed the lives of pupils travelling to school in Vanderbijlpark earlier this week. 

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, on Wednesday, the President said the loss of young lives has deeply affected the nation. 

“We are immensely and deeply pained, and I’m glad that the Minister [of Basic Education] went to visit the families of the children. There’s nothing as painful as having to deal with the death of your prized possession — your child. [They] are still young, and you have to bury [them],” he said. 

President Ramaphosa said the visit by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube was important to convey all of government’s compassion for the affected families. 

He said the tragedy had once again brought into sharp focus the challenges around scholar transport.

The President reflected on how other countries manage learner transport and contrasted it with South Africa’s current system.

“In other countries, there are these wonderful buses that are clearly written ‘school bus’, where a number of children get in and they travel, not at breakneck speeds. The drivers are well trained, and we have inherited a system where there has been no real public transport for children to attend school. The taxi system then integrated itself in transporting children, and it’s been good, because we have been able to transport children to school,” President Ramaphosa said. 

He said government needs to engage closely with all role players to improve safety.

President Ramaphosa highlighted government’s efforts to expand scholar transport, particularly in rural areas and townships.

“One of the things we’ve done is to offer scholar transport to children in the rural areas and in the townships… I used to walk five kilometres every day to go to school and today we try to make the burden of going to school lighter on our children,” the President said. 

He said while progress has been made, risks remain.

“I’m going to be directing the Minister and… all other [relevant Ministers] to look at how we can save the lives of our children.

“Our children are the future, and they are the most prized possession that we have as a nation,” he said. 

While delivering his address earlier at the Lekgotla, President Ramaphosa said the tragedy underscored the need for urgent action to ensure learner safety.

“We cannot accept that young lives are put at risk as they seek the growth and enrichment that an education provides. We cannot let this tragedy pass. We need to act now and we need to act together to ensure that scholar transport is safe and reliable,” the President said. 

National disaster declaration

Responding to questions on the classification of a National Disaster following severe weather and widespread flooding, President Ramaphosa said government systems have been activated.

He said government’s integrated approach enabled a swift response.

“With the integration that I have enforced and engendered, we’re able to get government departments working together. As soon as something like this happens, we get together various departments, and they… come up with plans.

“They are discussed, adopted, activated and money is made available. We then do remedial work to deal with the disaster damage,” President Ramaphosa said. 

World Economic Forum 

On his absence from the World Economic Forum taking place in Davos, the President said domestic priorities, including preparations for the Cabinet Lekgotla and the State of the Nation Address, had taken precedence, but South Africa was well represented.

“I have a very strong team. The Ministers of Finance, Trade, Industry and Competition, Tourism and Electricity are all there. They are a solid team,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

The death toll from recent heavy rains and flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga has risen to 38, with the number of deaths reported in Limpopo increasing from 17 to 18, while six people remain missing in the province.

Giving an update on the recent disasters in Limpopo and Mpumalanga during a media briefing on Wednesday, Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane announced that Mpumalanga has recorded 20 fatalities linked to the severe weather which has caused widespread damage to homes and displaced hundreds of families across the two provinces.

“Once again, we send our sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased,” the Minister said, noting that government remained committed to supporting affected communities during the recovery process.

According to the latest reports, a total of 1 942 houses have been damaged in Limpopo, while 1 808 houses were affected in Mpumalanga.

Simelane said adverse weather conditions in Limpopo have made relief and recovery efforts challenging.

The Emergency Housing Unit of the department has been dispatched to disaster-affected areas in both provinces.

Central to government’s work in providing the necessary interventions is the verification process, which determines the extent of damage to households and informs the department of the type of emergency housing intervention to be implemented.

She said significant progress has been made, despite difficult conditions on the ground.

“While the verification process is continuing, we have decided to proceed with assisting households that have [already] been verified. We are at an advanced stage of beginning to support these households,” the Minister said.

As part of the first phase of interventions, the Department of Human Settlements has started procuring Temporary Emergency Accommodation (TEA) for people currently housed in mass care and evacuation centres.

The second phase will focus on the provision of Temporary Residential Units (TRUs). 

The Minister said procurement is under way for 39 units in the Mbaula area, 73 in Bushbuckridge, five in Blouberg and 13 in Makhado.

“We will continue to provide interventions as and when we conclude verification processes. Over the next two days, we will be on the ground with Limpopo and Mpumalanga MECs of Human Settlements to ensure the communities receive the necessary help.”

The Minister expressed gratitude to community members, including churches and non-governmental organisations for their role in assisting affected families.

“Everything you have done and continue to do is not in vain. Your support [during this difficult time] is highly appreciated,” Simelane said. – SAnews.gov.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s education system can only succeed if learners acquire strong literacy and numeracy skills in the early years of schooling.

The President was addressing the 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday. 

He said the country’s commitment to a resilient and capable education system must begin in the early grades, where the foundations for all future learning are laid.

“As a country, our commitment to a resilient and capable education system must begin where it matters most: in the early grades, where the foundations for all future learning are laid,” President Ramaphosa said. 

The Lekgotla opened on a sombre note, with delegates observing a moment of silence for the 12 pupils who lost their lives in a scholar transport accident in the Vaal area.

“As we gather here, our nation is consumed by sorrow. We mourn this loss deeply and extend our condolences to the families, teachers and classmates of the children who lost their lives. We wish those who were injured in the crash a speedy recovery,” the President said.

Turning to education outcomes, the President emphasised that strengthening early grade reading and numeracy was both a national priority and a moral imperative.

“When children do not learn to read for meaning or to work confidently with numbers by the end of the Foundation Phase, the cost is borne by the entire education system,” the President said. 

He warned that weak foundations led to repetition, dropout and poor progression throughout the schooling system.

“Unless we get it right at the outset, learners spend the rest of their school careers trying to catch up. We see this in repetition, dropout, weak progression and the tragic loss of human potential,’” he said. 

President Ramaphosa said government was intensifying its focus on evidence-based teaching of literacy and numeracy, teacher training and access to quality learning materials.

“We are working to ensure that every classroom is supported by a coherent curriculum and well-trained teachers. And that every classroom has high-quality, age-appropriate, grade-specific and culturally relevant learning and teaching support materials,” he said. 

The President said investing in foundational learning would help build a resilient education system that can sustain learning, adapt to shocks and equip every child with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

The President highlighted South Africa’s participation in international collaboration platforms, including the Head of States Network on Foundational Learning formed during recent G20 Education meetings, as well as cooperation with BRICS partners.

President Ramaphosa noted the progress made in matric results, while cautioning that inequality resurfaces when early learning foundations are weak.

“The National Senior Certificate results of 2025 reinforce our view that without strong foundations in the early years, inequality re-emerges later in the schooling system,” the President said.  

He described the achievements of the Class of 2025 as a “silent revolution”, particularly the increased participation of learners from no-fee schools in higher education.

“Over 66 percent of learners who qualified for admission to bachelor studies came from no-fee schools. This means we are making great advances in our struggle against poverty,” he said. 

The President called for early learning to be firmly anchored at the core of the education system, from birth to the age of nine.

“While there is much focus on matric results, solid foundations in early learning – from birth to nine years – is essential. It provides the foundational knowledge, skills and attitudes required for successful onward learning and for lifelong development.” President Ramaphosa said. 

He urged all sectors of society to work together to place foundational learning at the heart of education reform.

“Let us make foundational learning the heartbeat of our education system. Together, we can ensure that every child in South Africa is ready for the future,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

As South Africa continues to grapple with a growing housing backlog and the continued existence of informal settlements, government is intensifying efforts to address these pressures through an innovation-driven approach to housing delivery.

In a bid to accelerate the provision of dignified, resilient and sustainable houses, the Department of Human Settlements will host the Innovative Building Technologies (IBT) Summit, positioning innovation as a central pillar in the state’s response to housing shortages, unsafe dwellings and disaster-related displacement.

The two-day summit, scheduled to take place from 3 to 4 February 2026, at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, under the theme: “Mainstreaming Innovative Building Technologies for sustainable human settlements”, will serve as a national platform to showcase innovative, sustainable, and scalable construction solutions capable of transforming housing delivery across the country.

Briefing the media on the upcoming summit on Wednesday, Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane said technologies can assist government’s commitment to meeting the targets outlined in the 2024–2029 Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP).

She said the summit will be a national platform dedicated to advancing and showcasing innovative, sustainable, and scalable construction solutions that support the delivery of dignified housing, the eradication of informal settlements, and mud houses.

The innovation will also strengthen government’s capacity to respond to housing emergencies caused by disasters.

The Minister said the summit forms part of the department’s strategic interventions aimed at addressing South Africa’s persistent housing challenges, including housing backlog, the continued existence of informal settlements, and the prevalence of mud houses and structurally unsafe dwellings, particularly in rural and disaster-prone areas.

“These challenges are further compounded by climate change, which has increased the frequency and severity of floods and storms. Regrettably, these natural disasters displace communities and damage housing structures.

“Our country continues to experience rapid urbanisation and population growth. These dynamics require new and innovative approaches to housing delivery that are faster, more cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, climate resilient and capable of being deployed at scale,” Simelane said.

She said the summit seeks to provide a national platform where such solutions can be explored, assessed, and advanced through collaboration between government, private sector, and civil society.

It will bring together all three spheres of government, including industry leaders, developers, investors, built-environment professionals, and research institutions to engage on practical solutions that can support the development of safe, resilient, and integrated human settlements.

Key focus areas of the summit will include modular and prefabricated construction systems, alternative and locally produced building materials, climate-resilient designs, green and energy-efficient solutions, and smart construction methods that reduce both time and cost.

The Minister said the continued existence of mud houses, particularly in rural provinces, remains a critical concern for government.

These structures are highly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, including heavy rains and flooding, posing serious risks to the safety and well-being of the occupants.

Through the summit, she said the department aims to promote IBTs that offer durable and affordable alternatives that can be rolled out rapidly, while supporting local manufacturing, skills development and job creation.

“The growth and persistence of informal settlements reflect historical spatial inequalities and ongoing socio-economic pressures. Responding to this challenge requires integrated planning, serviced land, infrastructure investment, and innovative construction that offer faster delivery of permanent housing solutions.

“The summit will explore how IBTs can support in-situ upgrading, rapid construction, and the development of permanent, dignified housing that improves the quality of household life and reduces vulnerability to disasters,” the Minister said.

Disaster response will also feature prominently at the summit, with discussions on modular and rapidly deployable housing systems that can transition communities from temporary shelter to permanent housing solutions, reducing prolonged exposure to unsafe living conditions.

The summit will further examine how innovative solutions can be aligned with existing regulatory and policy frameworks, including building standards, safety requirements and environmental regulations, to enable wider adoption across the sector.

An exhibition platform will allow technology providers to showcase solutions applicable to different housing programmes, giving implementing agents and developers an opportunity to assess their suitability for large-scale use.

“As a department, we view the upcoming summit as a critical platform for strengthening public-private partnerships,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za