Category: English

For Ela Gandhi, the struggle for justice has never been confined to one form of oppression. As a social worker, activist and former anti-apartheid campaigner, she describes her identity as rooted in the fight for equality in South Africa.

The grandmother and retired social worker is the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, whose philosophy of non-violent resistance took shape during his years in South Africa and later influenced the country’s liberation struggle. She is also a member of the Eminent Persons Group of the National Dialogue, which was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June 2025. 

“I am a grandmother who is a social worker by profession but now enjoying retirement. I am also an activist who lived under and fought apartheid injustices for many years.  My colleagues and I recognised the triple oppression we faced as black women, under apartheid as blacks, in a capitalist system as poor and under patriarchy as women,” she said.

The struggle she told SAnews, involved ensuring that the status of black women remain inferior to their male counterparts “in addition to other positions of inferiority on the basis of race and economic ability”.

“Our struggles were against these oppressive systems, which together ensured that we were deprived of opportunities and that our status was maintained as inferior to our male counterparts. 

The stalwart and former Member of Parliament went on to say that women during that time learned to be strategic in advancing the movement for freedom.

“We succeeded to an extent in advancing gender issues. But patriarchy has been so entrenched by generations of conditioning that the struggle continues and my identity is located within that struggle,” she explained.

Under the current democratic dispensation, South Africa marked the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 9 August 2026. On that day, more than 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings to protest the extension of pass laws and the Urban Areas Act.

Status of women
Gandhi said while many strides have been made in getting women into fields that were inaccessible in the past, much still needs to be done.

“But what is the position of women on the ground?” she asked, adding that from birth, many girls suffer oppression of all kinds, including differential treatment and abuse.

“We are losing the importance of feminism, depicting compassion, care and love. Instead, we are running after a feminism that portrays a masculine image, thus losing our intrinsic values in favour of developing a macho image. Our struggle is against that macho patriarchal identity, and reversing the position does not necessarily mean freedom.

“We need to consider our own identity crisis carefully as we continue to struggle for true socio-political and economic emancipation and universal rights,” she explained.

The legacy of the Gandhi name
While still on the thread of identity, Gandhi said it is a privilege to be part of the family of one of the most celebrated individuals globally.

“For me, it was a privilege that I cherish, because it allowed me to develop my identity as an independent woman.  It allowed me to develop without the stereotyped racial identity that South Africans were forced to grow up with and instead, to see human beings as human beings and not compartmentalise them into race, class, gender, religion and culture identities.

“My background taught me to be compassionate, forgiving, but not accepting oppression or injustice. It taught me to live with less and do more than normal to benefit others. Selfishness and self-centredness were remote to us. For all these values I am grateful to my illustrious background and my parents’ nurturing,” she explained. 

Her reflections echo some of the principles associated with her grandfather, including service to others and resistance to injustice.

Ela was born to the son of Mahatma Gandhi, Manilal Gandhi, and his wife, Sushila Gandhi.
On whether there was ever a time when she questioned whether she could live up to the Gandhi name, she laughed, remarking that like everyone else, she is certainly not infallible.

“But when it pertains to image and public opinion, I do not know whether I can ever meet those expectations. Yes, at times it did bother me. But now, I have reconciled myself to the fact that I am who I am. If I do not meet the public weal, then so be it. We are all human at 
the end of the day and as such are not infallible.”  

Commemorative days
She said commemorative days such as Women’s Day, which is observed annually, are still necessary.
“These special days actually should help us think of our situation at the present moment. The fact that GBV [gender-based violence] is increasing and women’s position in the home has not changed much, even though we have very good laws.”

The Constitution’s Bill of Rights states that everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law. In addition to the Bill of Rights, South Africa has passed legislation aimed at protecting and advancing all of the country’s women. This includes the Domestic Violence Act that aims to protect victims of violence and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act which intends to prevent and prohibit unfair discrimination and harassment.

She called for equal partnership between men and women.

“We need to raise awareness about both our rights and responsibilities and look at how we can indeed change the situation for the next generation, together.”

With Women’s Month drawing to a close, the stalwart said changes in women’s status is possible if men and women work towards change in a united and focused manner.

“For anything to succeed, there has to be mutual trust and respect, and with that we can deal with difficult issues. Especially those entrenched in our culture and religion and begin to reinterpret them from a gendered perspective.”

Reflections on the Constitution
The Women’s March anniversary also comes in a year in which the country marks 30 Years of the Constitution.

“Democratic South Africans voiced their views in 1955 when we drew up the Freedom Charter.  It reflected a spirit of reconciliation and compassion for the suffering.  A clear path to ameliorate the effects of apartheid into a better life for all was visualised,” she explained.

She reminded the nation that the Constitution, based on the highest principles and values outlined in the Freedom Charter, ranks among the world’s best, warning that its provisions have been exploited for selfish intent and to circumvent the law.

“My view is that we need to really take a deep look at ourselves and to begin to address the proliferation of corruption, stop bribery, crime, violence and anti-social behaviour. Let’s claim back the spirit of ubuntu,” emphasised the 86-year-old. 

As Women’s Month draws to a close, Gandhi’s reflections serve as a reminder that the struggle for equality and justice continues, and that building a better society requires the participation of every generation.

Her message is clear: a better South Africa is not something to simply wait for, but something that citizens have a collective responsibility to build.  –SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) says it is investigating reports of sardines washing ashore around Gqeberha, as well as fish floating offshore and within the harbour.

This follows the department’s earlier report that no new mass-mortality incidents had been reported since 16 August 2026.

“Since then, isolated sightings have been reported at Bakoven and off Tsitsikamma. On 27 August 2026, this was followed by widespread reports of sardines washing ashore around Gqeberha and floating offshore and within the harbour.

“Separately, live and dead sardines have been reported in the Koeberg cooling-water intake basin, with seals feeding on them. Eskom is managing this incident. The DFFE has not had access to the site but has obtained a sardine sample for testing,” the department said in a statement on Sunday.

The department said Pilchard Herpesvirus (PHV) remains the leading explanation for the Western Cape mortality event.

“A link with the Gqeberha event is considered likely but still requires confirmation. Other possible causes and environmental factors will also be investigated. Samples are being collected for further testing, while observers will document the distribution of affected fish and attempt systematic counts at sea.

“The intergovernmental task team met on 26 August 2026, assigned responsibilities and further developed a response plan covering surveillance, testing, disposal of dead fish, public communication and assessment of the stock impact,” the department said.

The DFFE said it has taken note of concerns raised by conservation organisations.

“The Small Pelagic Scientific Working Group will meet on 4 September 2026 to review the latest findings and consider their implications for fisheries management. This assessment will inform advice on whether additional management measures are warranted. The scale of the mortality remains uncertain, and the October/November hydroacoustic survey will provide essential information on the post-event sardine stock status,” the department said.

A joint statement by the DFFE and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), released on 27 August 2026, confirmed that there is no basis to discontinue the consumption of commercially produced canned sardines processed under NRCS oversight.

The DFFE said it is continuing to investigate the new reports.

“Sardine strandings have also been reported along the Namibian coast, and Namibian authorities have agreed to provide samples for Pilchard Herpesvirus (PHV) testing,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za

Eskom has recorded a second successive year of profitability as the power utility’s turnaround strategy continues to yield progress in restoring operational and financial sustainability.

On Monday morning, the power utility announced its annual results for the 2026 Financial Year (FY) ended 31 March 2026 – recording a group profit after tax increase of R30.3 billion, up from 2025’s restated R14.0 billion.

The Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) margin has grown to 30.63% from 28.75% restated in 2025.

“Eskom’s purpose is to power growth sustainably. That means holding two mandates at once: a commercial duty to run a financially sound business, and a developmental duty to keep South Africa connected, growing and included. Profit is not the opposite of that public purpose. It is what makes the purpose possible.

“This is the second consecutive year that Eskom has delivered a profit. That performance was earned through operational recovery and cost discipline. It now allows us to reinvest in Eskom Green, in a better customer experience in distribution, in the reliability of the coal fleet, and in grid expansion so that new generation can connect,” Eskom chairperson Mteto Nyati said.

The power utility’s Group Chief Financial Officer, Calib Cassim, noted that Eskom’s operational recovery – which has seen more than a year pass without load shedding – is matched by its financial turnaround.

“Eskom delivered a second successive year of strong profitability, with a healthier balance sheet, materially improved liquidity and positive credit-rating actions from S&P Global, Fitch and Moody’s.

“We received our first credit-rating upgrade in over a decade, which will enhance Eskom’s access to lower borrowing costs to support future Capex, which also contributed to South Africa’s own sovereign upgrade.

“Government’s debt relief support has been a critical enabler, freeing up cash from operations to be reinvested in the business – notably the generation recovery plan – rather than being consumed by debt servicing, the benefits of which the country is experiencing today,” Cassim noted.

Eskom’s Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, assured the public that workers and officials at the power utility are “rebuilding an economic asset” for the country – moving from “recovery to transformation, shifting our focus from stabilising the business to building a financially sustainable, competitive and future-ready Eskom”.

“Sustained profitability, significant progress in our audit recovery program aimed at strengthening internal controls, and improved efficiencies enable Eskom to continue to address electricity affordability with our shareholder, as we aspire to remain within single-digit price increases.

“We continue to reinvest profits back into the business to spend on maintaining and expanding critical infrastructure, as well as to develop and introduce the technologies that will drive our decarbonisation journey for the benefit of all our customers and drive investment in the economy,” he said.

The GCE highlighted Eskom’s importance to the economy, communities and consumers.

“The scale of the turnaround is best understood against where we were as an organisation and as a country three years ago. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research estimated that load shedding cost the economy up to R2.8 trillion in 2023, reducing by 83% to R481 billion in 2024. With four days of load shedding in FY2026 totalling 26 hours, the impact on the economy was minimal.

“When Eskom is not financially sustainable, it weighs heavily on the national budget, the sovereign credit rating and borrowing costs, ultimately reducing resources available for other priorities.

“When Eskom is financially sustainable, we can deliver government reform policy faster through providing the energy security that is vital to give confidence to new competitors to enter the marketplace, as well as integrate variable renewable energy into the grid, none of which is possible without our 24/7, 365 baseload energy supply,” Marokane said. – SAnews.gov.za

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube has called for research that goes beyond identifying challenges in South Africa’s post-school education and training (PSET) system and instead helps dismantle the structural barriers preventing young people from participating meaningfully in the economy.

Dube-Ncube made the call during an inaugural PSET Research Conference held at Coastlands Umhlanga in Durban on Friday, under the theme: “Future-Ready Occupational Training and Transformative Skills for Entrepreneurship and Employability: Innovations Shaping South Africa’s Workforce of Tomorrow.”

The inaugural PSET Research Conference brought together local, regional and international academics, researchers, policymakers, industry experts, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) practitioners to explore innovative approaches to occupational training that address unemployment, promote decent work, and strengthen a future-ready workforce.

The conference provided a critical platform to interrogate the purpose of education and strengthen the link between education, training, and sustainable employment. 

In her address, Dube-Ncube noted that the conference came at a critical time as the country grapples with the persistent challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, stressing the need for research that does not simply count challenges, but “interrogates causes.”

She said research should help bridge the gap between data and the lived realities of communities, particularly young people who leave education with qualifications and skills but remain excluded from meaningful economic participation.

“This is not a failure of talent; it is a failure of alignment. We are confronted with structural economic crises. What we call mismatch, or hit and miss,” the Deputy Minister said.

Dube-Ncube said the challenge requires the PSET sector to rethink how it prepares young people for the labour market, including strengthening occupational training, entrepreneurship, and partnerships with industry.

She highlighted the need for institutions to be more proactive in responding to skills shortages and changing economic needs, rather than waiting for directives from government.

The Deputy Minister also emphasised that acquiring a technical skill is not enough if graduates lack access to markets, finance, and industrial integration.

“A young person may graduate with a technical skill, but without access to markets, finance or industrial integration, that skill remains dormant.”

She linked the conference theme to the department’s 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan, which is anchored in a reform mandate flowing from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of a National Skills Revolution during the 2026 State of the Nation Address.

Dube-Ncube said the reform agenda is built around five priorities, including integrating the post-school education and training system into a single coordinated whole; expanding equitable access, particularly for young people not in employment, education or training; improving quality and learning outcomes; strengthening the responsiveness of the system to the economy and labour market; and restoring governance, accountability and public confidence in institutions.

She said these priorities are closely aligned with the conference’s focus on occupational training, transformative skills, entrepreneurship, and employability.

The Deputy Minister also called for a stronger focus on graduate enterprise, rather than measuring PSET success only by the number of graduates who secure employment.

“The more ambitious target is graduate enterprise – TVET and university graduates who go on to create jobs, not simply find them,” Dube-Ncube said.

Dube-Ncube identified Work Integrated Learning, artisan development and the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) as important mechanisms for equipping young people with both technical skills and the confidence and market knowledge required to establish sustainable enterprises.

Dube-Ncube also urged the sector to draw lessons from international models, while developing solutions suited to South Africa’s circumstances.

She pointed to Germany’s dual vocational training system, where apprentices divide their time between vocational institutions and workplaces, with industry playing a key role in curriculum development.

Singapore’s SkillsFuture initiative and Rwanda’s Dual TVET model were also highlighted as examples of stronger cooperation between government, employers, training institutions, and other stakeholders.

“The shared lesson is that wherever occupational training has succeeded, industry has been at the table from the beginning, not invited in at the end,” Dube-Ncube said.

She said research generated through the inaugural conference should not remain confined to academic publications but directly inform government policy and reforms.

Dube-Ncube also encouraged international delegates to work with South Africa in developing solutions suited to the country and the continent, stressing that South Africa is not looking for models to copy, but partners to build with. – SAnews.gov.za

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, will this morning host the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana and a National Treasury delegation at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria.

Nzimande will host the delegation for a strategic engagement on the role of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) in advancing South Africa’s developmental priorities.

“The visit forms part of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s ongoing efforts to place science, technology and innovation at the centre of government, education, industry and society.

“It will also highlight how the department’s portfolio of entities contributes to inclusive economic growth, improved service delivery and the development of a capable state,” the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation said in a statement. – SAnews.gov.za

The National Intervention Unit (NIU) in Pretoria has taken down a wanted and dangerous underground illegal mining kingpin during an intelligence-driven tracing operation in Carletonville, Gauteng.

The operation was conducted as part of ongoing efforts by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to dismantle illegal mining syndicates and disrupt violent criminal activities associated with illegal mining in the Carletonville area.

“Members of the NIU proceeded to a residence on Sunday, where the suspect was believed to be staying. Upon arrival, police announced their presence and identified themselves as police officers.

“The suspect responded by pointing an AK-47 assault rifle at the police. The members were compelled to respond with force, resulting in the suspect sustaining fatal gunshot wounds. An AK-47 rifle and 125 rounds of AK-47 ammunition were seized at the scene.

“The deceased suspect was known to police as one of the dangerous illegal mining kingpins operating in the Carletonville area. He is believed to have played a central role in the ongoing conflict between two rival illegal mining groups in the area,” the NIU said.

The SAPS continues to intensify operations aimed at dismantling illegal mining networks, disrupting the activities of criminal syndicates and restoring law and order in communities affected by illegal mining and associated violence. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has concluded public consultations on the proposed 2027/28 Raw Water Use Charges, following a recent National Consultation Meeting held at the OR Tambo Protea Hotel in Johannesburg.

The national consultation formed part of the department’s annual process to determine Raw Water Use Charges, and provided relevant stakeholders and water users with an opportunity to engage on the proposed charges and provide inputs before the final recommendations are submitted to the Minister of Water and Sanitation for consideration and approval.

The consultation process was attended by representatives from various sectors and organisations, including the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), Sasol, Rand Water, uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW), Forestry South Africa (Forestry SA), DRDGold Limited, the Crocodile River Irrigation Board, the South African Association for Water User Associations (SAAFUWA), and other stakeholders.

During the meeting, the department presented the outcomes of the sector-specific consultations, provided feedback on the economic analysis undertaken in relation to the proposed Raw Water Use Charges, and presented the final charges recommended for consideration by the Minister.

The proposed Raw Water Use Charges comprise three key components, including Water Resource Management Charges, Water Resource Infrastructure Charges and the Water Research Levy.

Water Resource Management Charges were presented for the six Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs), including Inkomati-Usuthu, Pongola-uMzimkhulu, Mzimvubu-Tsitsikamma, Limpopo-Olifants, Breede-Olifants and Vaal-Orange, while Water Resource Infrastructure Charges were presented across four sectors, namely Industry and Mining, Strategic Users, Municipal and Agriculture.

The Water Research Levy was presented for the Agriculture, Streamflow Reduction Activities, and Domestic and Industry sectors. The Domestic and Industry category comprises Strategic Users, Municipal, and Industry and Mining.

The determination of Raw Water Use Charges is undertaken within the legislative and policy framework governing water pricing in South Africa, including the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) (NWA), the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999) (PFMA), and the Pricing Strategy for Raw Water Use Charges.

In terms of section 56 of the NWA, the Minister may, with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance, establish a pricing strategy for charges for water use within the framework of relevant government policy. The Pricing Strategy provides the framework for determining charges that contribute towards the funding of water resource management, water resource development and the use of waterworks.

The department said following the conclusion of the consultation process, the recommended 2027/28 Raw Water Use Charges will be submitted to the Minister of Water and Sanitation for consideration and approval.

“Once approved, the Raw Water Use Charges will be published in the Government Gazette and made available on the department’s website. The approved charges will apply from 1 April 2027, while the approved Water Research Levy will take effect from 1 July 2027.

“The publication of the approved charges will provide water users and other affected stakeholders with certainty regarding the charges applicable for the 2027/28 financial year and enable relevant institutions and water users to make the necessary financial and operational preparations,” the department explained.

More information, including the approved Raw Water Use Charges and related documentation, will be made available on the DWS’s website: https://www.dws.gov.za/Projects/WARMS/.

The department encouraged all affected water users and stakeholders to consult the Government Gazette and its website for the approved 2027/28 Raw Water Use Charges and related information, once the process has been concluded. – SAnews.gov.za