The Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) has criticised the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for diverting Shs41.6 billion to activities outside their approved work plans.
This, according to the Committee, was done without authorisation by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi.
The committee, chaired by Kassanda North MP, Hon. Patrick Nsamba, said the expenditure contravened provisions of the Public Finance Management Act.
The findings are contained in the committee’s report on the Auditor General’s audit for the year ended December 2025, presented during plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
“The two entities applied a combined Shs41.6 billion to items that Parliament had not appropriated, without evidence of the Minister’s authorisation,” Nsamba said.
The ODPP spent Shs900 million on constructing Resident State Attorney offices in Katakwi and Yumbe outside its approved work plan, while the ministry of Justice diverted Shs40.7 billion.
“Savings on a budget line do not confer authority to spend on activities outside the approved work plan,” Nsamba said.
According to the committee, a big amount of the money was spent on court awards and compensation.
The report noted that the ODPP had filled only 600 of its 1,704 approved positions, leaving 399 prosecutors serving 149 field stations to handle heavy workloads, adding that out of 40,501 new cases received, only 23,184 were committed for High Court trial.
The committee also questioned the procurement of works worth Shs457.68 million for the Yumbe office outside the electronic government procurement system.
The committee report further raised concern over the malfunctioned Prosecution Case Management Information System (PROCAMIS), despite a Shs42 billion expenditure, since 2017.
Nsamba added that the ODPP paid Shs2.95 billion to M/s Graphics Systems for maintenance and support in 2024/2025, but key deliverables, including integration with other criminal justice institutions and an off-site disaster recovery facility, were not provided.
“Shillings 2.95 billion was paid under a contract whose two principal deliverables were not provided and the liability clause was not invoked against the provider,” he said.
The committee recommended enforcing the contract’s liability provisions, recovering warranted funds, establishing disaster recovery arrangements and auditing the system.
The Committee’s findings also revealed that infrastructure in Arua and Lira had remained idle since November 2022.
Nsamba said that the ministry of Justice reported contingent liabilities of Shs3.492 trillion, largely arising from lawsuits against government entities.
The committee recommended a litigation management strategy to improve tracking and management of claims.
The Committee also called for stronger financial accountability, improved staffing, functional digital systems and tighter oversight of public expenditure.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Speaker Jacob Oboth has called for coordinated planning, budgeting and implementation of Parliament’s legislative, oversight and representation functions, urging programme partners to turn review recommendations into practical action.
Oboth made the remarks during the annual review workshop for the Legislation, Oversight and Representation (LOR) Programme for the 2025/2026 financial year held at Parliament on Thursday, 22 October 2026.
Oboth said the programme must be planned, funded and measured as one entity to ensure that Parliament’s work translates into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“The LOR Programme exists to serve the people of Uganda. When we enact good laws, scrutinise how public resources are used, and speak for our constituents, we turn the promises of government into real change in people’s lives,” Oboth said.
He said the workshop, the first annual review during the 12th Parliament, provided an opportunity to assess the programme’s performance during the first year of implementing the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the Government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
Oboth challenged participants to examine whether laws at national and local government levels were being enacted on time, parliamentary oversight was producing the expected changes and citizens’ concerns were being considered during appropriation.
He outlined three priorities: treating the programme as one entity under the Government’s Programme-Based Planning and Budgeting system, ensuring ownership by all partners and actors, and strengthening evidence-based implementation through reliable data, clear indicators and timely reporting.
“We must also strengthen coordination with the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Planning Authority and the other programme actors, so that the recommendations of the LOR Programme translate into better services for citizens,” he said.
Meanwhile Deputy Speaker Tayebwa said the review had examined the programme from different perspectives, including its alignment with NDP IV and the Tenfold Growth Strategy, its institutionalisation and implementation, and its performance in the 2025/2026 financial year.
He said contributions from participants, including the assessment by the Office of the Prime Minister, would help improve programme performance.
“Two messages stand out first. First, the programme should plan, budget, implement and report on expected results correctively. Secondly, the programme belongs to all its partners and programme actors; and each of us must play our part in delivering on this programme implementation action plan for financial year 2025/2026 to financial year 2030,” Tayebwa said.
He urged the programme secretariat to consolidate proposals from the workshop and ensure they inform implementation of the action plan and the next planning and budgeting cycle.
“The recommendations from this workshop must now be turned into action,” he said, adding that participants should take the commitments made back to their respective institutions and follow them through.
Tayebwa thanked the Clerk to Parliament, the Parliamentary Commission, presenters, facilitators, the National Planning Authority and the Office of the Prime Minister for their contributions to the review.
Both leaders urged participants to use the review to strengthen implementation of the programme and improve the delivery of Parliament’s legislative, oversight and representation mandates.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana will formally halt the export of unprocessed mineral resources by 2030, marking a decisive shift towards resource-driven industrialisation, local value addition, and national economic sovereignty.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the 2nd Edition of the Mining in Motion Summit in Accra, President Mahama outlined a phased implementation roadmap to ensure the nation’s mineral wealth directly catalyses domestic manufacturing, infrastructure expansion, and job creation.
“We have already imposed a ban on the export of iron scrap and non-ferrous metals. I have set a clear goal that by 2030 raw minerals must no longer leave our shores,” President Mahama declared. “Our bauxites, manganese, iron, lithium, and other minerals must support processes and industrial development here at home.”
President Mahama said the transition is anchored by transparent regulatory timetables, targeted legislation, and clear commodity-specific benchmarks.
He reaffirmed that government policy will pivot from merely extracting raw materials to building complete industrial value chains. Highlighting the integrated aluminium industry as a flagship priority, he stated:
“Every major initiative must have clear responsibilities, measurable milestones, and transparent reporting. In Ghana’s aluminium industry, our objective is to modernise VALCO and develop domestic aluminium refining, directly linking Ghanaian bauxite to smelting and downstream manufactured products.”
Reassuring the international and domestic investor community, President Mahama said local processing obligations will be matched by state commitments to provide competitive operating conditions. The Government is committed to deploying critical infrastructure, fostering technical skill acquisition, and establishing viable financing frameworks.
He observed that legislative action alone cannot build a sustainable sector without a predictable, transparent, and supportive operating environment.
“We must translate these frameworks into coordinated investments, regional infrastructure, and larger markets for African producers. Investors need predictable rules, clear institutional responsibilities, and prompt approvals. Communities need confidence that licence conditions and environmental obligations will be rigorously enforced,” he noted.
On the continental front, President Mahama rallied African leaders to operationalise the African Mining Vision (AMV) by aligning domestic laws and ratifying instruments establishing the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) to harmonise mineral governance across borders.
Domestically, the President noted that the industrialisation drive must advance broad-based Ghanaian participation. He urged that local enterprises must be empowered beyond auxiliary services to hold substantial equity, managerial control, and technological capabilities across the value chain—including fabrication, laboratory analytics, software engineering, and equipment maintenance.
The Summit, themed “One Continent. One Voice on Minerals. Aligning Africa’s Mineral Future,” convened policymakers, industry executives, and continental leaders to deliberate on the sustainable governance of Africa’s critical mineral endowments.
It brought together several regional dignitaries and traditional leaders, including the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Sr.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ukachukwu Abaraogu, Senior Lecturer Public Health, Evidence Synthesis & Rehabilitation, University of the West of Scotland
Conversations around health progress in Africa usually focus on lives saved. And rightly so. Across the continent, people are living longer than they did a generation ago. Advances in prevention, treatment and public health have reduced deaths from many major diseases and improved survival for millions. But there is another side to this success story that receives far less attention: quality of life.
As a physiotherapist and rehabilitation researcher, I am interested not only in whether people survive illness, but also in how they live afterwards. The latest findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, to which I contributed, suggest that while mortality is falling, the number of people living with disability and chronic health conditions that affect everyday functioning is rising.
The study shows that globally, healthy life expectancy at birth increased from 61.1 years in 2010 to 63.1 years in 2023. But the gap between living longer and living healthier is widening. Globally, years lived with disability rose from 786 million to 990 million between 2010 and 2023. These numbers suggest that many people are spending more years living with the consequences of disease and injury. In many African countries, this is occurring alongside a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Health systems have become increasingly effective at reducing mortality, but they have not expanded rehabilitation services at the same pace. Many health systems are still poorly equipped to help people live well after illness or injury. This matters because health is about more than survival. It is also about whether people can move, work, learn, care for their families and participate fully in their communities. And that is where rehabilitation has a crucial role to play.
Rehabilitation can help people recover after illness or injury, maintain independence and participate fully in society. Yet it remains overlooked in many health systems.
To address this growing challenge, governments, health systems and development partners need to make rehabilitation a core part of healthcare rather than an afterthought. This means integrating rehabilitation into primary care, expanding the rehabilitation workforce and ensuring that services are available in communities, where people live and work.
Looking beyond deaths
To understand what is happening to population health in Africa, I worked with colleagues from around the world as part of the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, one of the largest and most comprehensive health research collaborations ever undertaken.
The latest studies examined trends in life expectancy, causes of death and disability across the world. This provides one of the clearest pictures yet of how health is changing in Africa.
I was particularly interested in the findings related to disability. Public health discussions often focus on reducing mortality. But surviving a health condition does not necessarily mean returning to full health. The studies show that although life expectancy is improving across much of sub-Saharan Africa, the amount of time people spend living with disability is also increasing. These trends are increasingly visible in sub-Saharan Africa, where long-term conditions such as heart disease and diabetes are becoming more common.
Several forces are driving this trend. More people are surviving conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis and neonatal complications. At the same time, population growth, ageing and the rising prevalence of noncommunicable diseases such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders mean that more people are living with conditions that affect their functioning.
From a rehabilitation perspective, this is a critical finding. It suggests that Africa’s health systems are increasingly caring for people who need support not only to survive, but also to maintain independence, mobility, communication and participation in everyday life. This growing need for rehabilitation is one of the most important, yet least recognised public health challenges emerging from the latest global health evidence.
What the findings tell us
What stood out most to me was not simply that disability is increasing, but why it is increasing.
For many years, policymakers, researchers and development organisations often viewed disability in Africa primarily as a consequence of weak health systems. The underlying assumption in many policy and public health discussions was that if healthcare improved, disability would naturally decline. The Global Burden of Disease 2023 findings tell a more complex story. In many cases, rising disability is linked to health system success. More people now survive conditions that were once fatal.
But survival often comes with consequences that can last for years or even a lifetime. The studies show that noncommunicable diseases are becoming a larger contributor to health loss across sub-Saharan Africa. Someone who survives a stroke, for example, may live for many years afterwards but continue to experience weakness, mobility difficulties or communication problems that require ongoing rehabilitation and support. At the same time, injuries remain a major cause of long-term disability, particularly among younger adults.
Improvements in survival from infectious diseases also mean more people are living with chronic health needs.
Africa’s health gains over recent decades are worth celebrating. But success should not be measured only by lives saved. It should also be measured by whether people can live well after survival.
– Health progress in Africa leaves more people living with disabilities: rehabilitation is the next challenge – https://theconversation.com/health-progress-in-africa-leaves-more-people-living-with-disabilities-rehabilitation-is-the-next-challenge-291906
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Joshua Davimes, Senior Lecturer in Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
South Africa endured its worst year of loadshedding (scheduled power cuts by the country’s utility, Eskom) in 2023. The power went off on 335 of the year’s 365 days, often several times a day. The country hasn’t had these planned power cuts for more than a year and a half since.
Much has been written about how loadshedding affected businesses, healthcare and the economy. But far less is known about the effect on people’s sleep.
Sleep is easily disturbed by the world around us, including light, noise, temperature and worry. Loadshedding changes all of these at once. We wanted to gain insight on how loadshedding affected the sleep of university students in particular. This seemed an important group to study as they already tend to sleep poorly, keep irregular hours and carry heavy workloads. Any extra disruption could, therefore, have an impact on both their health and their studies.
Between August and November 2023 more than 1,100 students at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg completed our anonymous online survey. We asked how loadshedding affected their sleep, whether they had access to backup power, and how outages affected their studying and grades. Specifically, we wanted to understand how access to alternative power sources might make a difference to sleep.
Overall, around a quarter of the participants said power cuts affected their sleep. Poor sleep had an impact on their studies and grades.
Loashedding has eased, but South Africa’s grid remains under pressure. Our study raises important considerations for universities, not only in South Africa, but any country that faces unreliable electricity generation and distribution.
What we found
Nearly three in four students considered their sleep affected by loadshedding. Of those, four in five said it made their sleep worse. The most common complaint was broken sleep, with students waking more often during the night.
The reasons students gave were revealing.
Almost half lay awake worrying about appliances such as fridges, phones and internet routers not being powered, and keeping food fresh, or having internet connection. Nearly a third were anxious about security in the dark. A similar number found their bedrooms too hot or too cold as they couldn’t power fans or heaters. About a third said they took longer to fall asleep with disrupted daily and sleep routines, as well as more generator noise pollution affecting sleep onset.
Timing mattered. Students reported that outages between 8pm and half an hour past midnight were the most disruptive. This period covered the evening routine of cooking, washing and studying, and included the average bed time for these students of 11pm, which they reported in our study.
Not everyone slept worse. About one in five affected students said they slept better. Most of them said this was because screens and wifi were switched off and their rooms became darker and quieter.
Backup power lessens those effects, but not equally
Backup power made a difference, but not all backup power was equal. Students with an alternative supply had roughly 60% lower odds of reporting worse sleep, after we accounted for factors such as age, sex and where they lived.
About half of the participants lived in family or private housing, away from the university. The other half lived in university residences or dormitories. At the time, the university had a generator fleet that partially powered on-campus residences.
Among those with backup power, generator and battery inverter users reported worse sleep about half the time. Among solar users it was fewer than one in four. Generators are loud and cycle on and off, which can break sleep. Access to backup power was also uneven. Only 40% of participants had access, with those living in university residences having more than those living at home.
Sleep and studying
Poor sleep and poor studying went together. Two thirds of students said loadshedding had affected their studies, and more than half of these reported a drop in grades. Students who slept worse were more likely to report lower grades and to arrive late for class.
More than four in ten said they simply studied less during outages.
Sleep plays a central role in learning. Sleep helps the brain store what was learned during the day and remove unnecessary memories “to start afresh” the next day.
Our study cannot prove that loadshedding caused grades to fall, but the pattern fits what sleep research already shows.
Why it matters
Our study offers some of the first evidence on how planned power cuts affected sleep in young people.
The findings raise practical considerations for universities, energy planners and households. They suggest that quieter backup options such as solar may protect sleep better than generators.
They also suggest that late evening outage slots carry a particular cost.
For students, keeping a regular sleep routine during outages may help, rather than filling the dark with phone screens. The lights may come back on, but sleep lost while they are off is harder to recover.
– Power cuts and sleep: students link loadshedding to anxiety, disrupted rest and lower marks – https://theconversation.com/power-cuts-and-sleep-students-link-loadshedding-to-anxiety-disrupted-rest-and-lower-marks-293836
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Osarugue Otebele, Assistant Professor, Cinema Studies Institute, University of Toronto
The success of South Korean popular music or K-pop continues to power the Hallyu Wave, a term that describes the global obsession with the country’s pop culture production.
But before K-pop came the spread of K-drama, TV series from the country, starting in the late 1990s. By 2024 the melodrama Queen of Tears ranked as the most watched Korean series on Netflix, becoming the 14th most watched show of all time on the streaming service. It followed on the success of many other hits like Crash Landing on You and Marry My Husband.
K-drama has led to the development of another trend: Africa repeatedly appears as a homogeneous place full of savage danger or childish immaturity, and in need of a Korean saviour.
As a scholar of film and media, with a specific interest in global Black art and film practices, I recently studied how and why Africa became this trope in K-drama. This is particularly true in rags-to-riches romance stories and melodramas.
I traced Africa’s presence in three K-dramas – Shooting Stars (2022), Marry My Husband (2024) and Queen of Tears (2024). In them, Africa appears in three different negative ways:
in need of charity
a place of rebellion and savagery
a place of punishment for a “troubled” child.
My intention wasn’t to say why these portrayals are bad, but rather to understand what they reveal about South Korea. How they function as a scale for measuring and emphasising South Korea’s own development.
No longer the poor post-war country of the late 1950s, South Korea can now position itself among leading world powers. It has grown in the global economic and cultural landscapes.
Yet, as I argue in my study, what allows countries like this to define their developmental status is their ability to distinguish themselves from Africa. I propose that Africa’s presence in K-dramas is as a place maker, or specifically image-maker. Africa’s “savage” presence serves as a way of distinguishing the emerging soft power of South Korea, where what benefits the country’s global image is the ability to provide aid to Africa.
A place to do good
In his book On the Postcolony, Cameroonian philosopher Achille Mbembe describes Africa as Europe’s “signifier”. This means that the way Europe comes to know and define itself is only possible through how it defines itself against Africa.
But my study contributes to showing that this is not just the case in the west. The ever-growing presence of eastern soft powers such as China and South Korea means that longstanding stereotypes of Africa have found new sites of replenishment.
There are some major threads that connected Africa’s presence in the K-dramas I studied. One is its portrayal as a place where non-Africans could go to build character by participating in volunteer work as part of an NGO. In Marry my Husband, for example, the show’s antagonist Oh Yu-ra loses her job in the family business and is sent to “join a volunteer foundation in Africa to build character”.
In Shooting Stars, this idea of Africa as the epicentre of charity is even more apparent. The show’s opening sequence features the main character digging wells in Africa. He’s accompanied by smiling village children and a sound that one viewer described as “Lion King music”.
In both shows, South Korea is personified through the characters sent to Africa. While Yu-ra is sent as punishment, the character in Shooting Stars is an actor whose volunteer trip aids in his public image in South Korea. Africa becomes what builds the image and character of others, but only by being relegated to a cliché.
Yu-ra’s punishment shows how Africa becomes the K-drama’s vessel to hold the unwanted or defamed of other nations. It collects what disrupts the happiness of romance and, by extension, of nation-making, in South Korea. This figuration of the continent reappears in Queen of Tears.
A lawless continent
Queen of Tears does not follow the Asian-saviour-in-Africa trope. Instead, it presents Africa as a place for youthful inhibitions, with no sense of order or rule of law. The ideal place for the kinds of behaviours that might be illegal in the more “civilized” South Korean society that the character exists in.
In Africa’s brief cameo in the show’s third episode, the younger brother of the show’s protagonist, Soo-Cheol, reminisces on his rebellious days:
I’m reminded of when I went to Africa. My twenties were filled with wildness and barbarism.
When chided that he stayed in his hotel for most of the trip, Soo-Cheol comments, “I had enough of the wildness just looking out of the window.”
A character recalls being sent to Africa.Screengrab/tvN/Studio Dragon/Queen of Tears
Here, Africa is understood in proximity to danger and savagery. Is it that there are no crime, criminals, or places and people in need of saving in South Korea? The obvious answer is no, but as my study finds, when viewed through these shows, the answer reads more like, “Compared to Africa, yes.”
Where will Africa go next?
This treatment of Africa began long before the shows in my study. Africa’s character-building qualities appear, for example, in the 2018 film Burning. The film’s female protagonist goes on a “soul-searching” quest to find life’s greater meaning.
In unscripted variety shows, African immigrants living in South Korea, like Sam Okyere or Jonathan Yiombi, often feature as hosts or guests, but not without their share of racist backlash.
Okyere, for example, was subject to racist comments after criticising a video of South Korean students recreating a popular video from his home country, Ghana. The same happened to Yiombi after South Korea was eliminated from the football World Cup because the DRC, his country of birth, defeated Uzbekistan, indirectly causing South Korea to be eliminated.
For better or worse, Africa’s metaphorical and literal presence has come to occupy South Korea’s cultural and aesthetic imagination. Despite Africa also being a continent full of modern urban life, cultural riches and innovation, the clichés remain.
This presence is only possible through the expected and invented image of the savage, helpless and primitive, who is in need, even after independence, of more civilising. And not only from western colonial powers, but also from the growing economies of the east.
A symbol of lack
K-dramas are increasingly popular in Africa, yet when constantly viewed this way, Hallyu’s success in Africa comes with a heavy representational price.
Despite their engagement with K-drama, African audiences can only ever seem to see themselves represented through a colonial gaze that benefits South Korea’s pursuit of global power. Africa then, while continuing to build South Korea’s cultural capital, can only ever exist as a symbol of lack.
– How K-dramas use Africa as a backdrop to boost South Korea’s image – https://theconversation.com/how-k-dramas-use-africa-as-a-backdrop-to-boost-south-koreas-image-292171
Businesses called to open doors for young job seekers
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on businesses to expand employment opportunities for young people, urging employers to look beyond work experience and recognise the potential, aptitude and determination of young job seekers.
Addressing the SA Youth National Leadership Convening at the Galleria Conference Centre in Sandton on Thursday, the President said government, business, labour, civil society and educational institutions must work together to tackle youth unemployment.
He urged businesses to create more opportunities for young people to gain workplace experience, develop their skills and demonstrate their capabilities.
“Let us stop treating a lack of experience as a lack of ability. A young person should not have to spend years searching for an opportunity simply because no employer is prepared to give them a first chance.”
The President said youth unemployment is not merely an economic challenge, but a social and human challenge that affects the country’s future.
He called for a shift in how young people were prepared for the world of work, saying South Africa could not address unemployment by continuing to do more of what had always been done but instead to rethink the way “we prepare young people for the world of work.”
Shared responsibility
The President emphasised that addressing youth unemployment is a shared national responsibility and could not be left to government or business alone.
Government must create an enabling environment for investment, enterprise development and employment, while businesses must invest, expand productive activity and open their workplaces to young people.
Educational institutions, meanwhile, must equip young people with the knowledge and skills required by employers.
Labour, civil society and communities also have a role to play in ensuring that opportunities are accessible, fair and inclusive, while young people must actively participate in shaping their economic futures.
The President said the Government-Business Partnership had demonstrated the value of cooperation in addressing constraints on economic growth, improving the investment environment and supporting reforms in critical economic sectors.
He called for the same spirit of cooperation, urgency and determination to be applied to youth employment.
The President said initiatives such as the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, the SA Youth Pathways Network and the Youth Employment Service had established practical ways of connecting young people to opportunities.
Public employment programmes had also enabled young people to gain work experience while contributing to education, food security, community safety and environmental protection.
However, he stressed that the country’s ambition must extend beyond placing young people in temporary programmes.
He said public employment opportunities should serve as stepping stones to further training, entrepreneurship or lasting employment, while workplace placements should provide entry points into careers.
The President also called for stronger connections between education, training, work experience and employment.
He said reforms to the skills development system, including the Sector Education and Training Authorities and technical and vocational education and training colleges, are aimed at making training more responsive to industry needs.
In addition, businesses should play a greater role in identifying skills requirements, designing training programmes and providing workplace learning, while colleges should produce graduates equipped to participate in the modern economy.
He further called for vocational and technical careers to be recognised as attractive and rewarding pathways to success.
He highlighted the need for artisans, technicians, builders, electricians, mechanics, agricultural specialists and other professionals with practical and technical skills.
Supporting entrepreneurs
The President said South Africa also needed to expand opportunities for young entrepreneurs, who could establish businesses, develop products, provide services and create employment.
While young people were demonstrating enterprise and innovation in townships and rural communities, many promising businesses struggled to grow because of limited access to finance, markets, business support and infrastructure.
He called on government and business to expand access to start-up and working capital, open procurement opportunities and supply chains to youth-owned enterprises and provide mentoring and business development support.
Established businesses were also encouraged to integrate young entrepreneurs into their value chains.
“A young entrepreneur does not always need a grant. Sometimes what that entrepreneur needs most is a customer. A contract. A market. An opportunity to prove that their business can deliver,” he said.
The President identified tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, digital services, the green economy and the creative industries as sectors with significant potential to create employment and develop skills.
He said government, industry and training institutions needed to work more closely to identify growing labour demand and ensure young people were equipped to take up available opportunities.
Implementation
President Ramaphosa said the Work SA Youth Implementation Plan provides a framework for coordinating efforts and scaling up approaches that had demonstrated their effectiveness.
However, he stressed that implementation must take precedence over strategies and announcements.
He also called on business leaders to identify practical employment opportunities within their companies and industries, while industry associations should work with employers, including smaller businesses, to expand workplace learning and entry-level recruitment.
Education and training institutions should strengthen their relationships with employers, while government departments and agencies should remove obstacles preventing these efforts from succeeding.
The President said the partnership needed clear responsibilities, practical commitments and mechanisms to assess progress.
“We need to know what is working, what is not working and what needs to change,” he emphasised.
In addition, successful programmes should be expanded, while those that were failing need to be improved.
President Ramaphosa also emphasised that young people were not asking for special treatment, but for a fair chance to work, learn, earn a living and contribute to the country’s development. –SAnews.gov.za
Government investigates gastrointestinal illness cases in the Eastern Cape
Government has launched an investigation into reported cases of gastrointestinal illness affecting 111 people at Rhodes University in Makhanda and 23 inmates at St Albans Correctional Centre in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The investigation was announced in a joint statement by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, Makana Local Municipality and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.
The investigation follows reports of individuals in the two municipalities receiving treatment at various healthcare facilities for symptoms including severe abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration.
The joint statement explained that DWS received a media alert about gastrointestinal illnesses reported by Rhodes University, prompting the activation of a response team involving the provincial Department of Health and the DWS regional offices.
A multi-stakeholder technical team has since been established to investigate the source of the illnesses and contain their spread.
The team comprises the DWS, provincial departments of Health and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Makana Local Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Amatola Water and Rhodes University.
An intergovernmental meeting was held on Wednesday evening, led by Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, alongside Makana Executive Mayor Yandiswa Vara and Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe.
“The meeting received reports from the technical team covering information on the number and location of gastrointestinal illness cases, the samples taken by the NICD and water quality tests conducted by the DWS as well as additional urgent measures being implemented to protect communities,” the statement read.
The technical team collected water samples from various water sources in Makana, including Rhodes University’s internal water storage and distribution system, the municipal distribution network and the water treatment works.
At St Albans Correctional Centre, samples were collected from the elevated water storage tower through which the facility receives potable water from the Nelson Mandela Bay municipal supply system.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the spread is currently concentrated within the university and the Saint Albans Prison. Initial test results indicate that the contamination is within the university’s water distribution system and within the prison’s water distribution system, and not within the municipal water distribution systems.
“Laboratory test results of all the samples taken are still pending and will be communicated as soon as they become available,” the statement said.
Government has urged residents who develop symptoms of gastrointestinal illness to seek medical attention early and report suspected cases to their nearest healthcare facility or local health authority.
“Early reporting protects not only individuals and families but also enables health authorities to respond quickly and prevent further spread.”
Communities have also been urged to observe good hygiene practices, including washing hands after using the toilet and before handling food.
Earlier this week, the DWS Minister announced the establishment of a multi-pronged response team after 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported at Bronkhorstspruit in the City of Tshwane (CoT) Municipality. – SAnews.gov.za
Revised White Paper seeks to transform local government funding
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says the revised White Paper on Local Government will introduce a differentiated funding approach and strengthen merit-based appointments to improve municipal performance and service delivery.
Hlabisa was speaking at the official launch of the Final Revised White Paper on Local Government in Boksburg, Gauteng, on Thursday.
The revised policy seeks to build capable, accountable, financially sustainable and developmental municipalities, addressing challenges that have affected the local government system since the original White Paper was introduced in 1998.
Hlabisa said the review was informed by lessons learnt over the past 28 years, including the shortcomings of a funding model that applied a largely uniform approach to municipalities with different needs and capacities.
“The funding model, the one-size-fits-all, has shown it doesn’t work. If you treat a metro like a small, deep rural municipality in terms of allocation of resources, you are missing the point,” the Minister said.
The revised White Paper proposes a differentiated approach to municipal funding, recognising that metropolitan municipalities and smaller rural municipalities have different responsibilities, resource requirements and service delivery challenges.
Implementation and appointments on merit
Hlabisa said the policy also placed greater emphasis on implementation, warning that its recommendations will have little impact if they are not translated into practical action.
“The White Paper can become a good document, but it can collect dust on the table or on the shelves if there is no implementation.”
The Minister emphasised merit-based appointments as a key measure to strengthen municipal administration, saying municipalities need qualified professionals with the skills and expertise to perform their responsibilities.
He said the revised policy sought to move away from career-based deployment towards appointments based on merit, supported by competent councillors who can provide effective political oversight.
According to Hlabisa, capable municipal administrations and competent political leadership are essential to improving governance and accelerating service delivery.
The review identifies several interconnected challenges requiring coordinated reforms, including weak governance and ethics, limited administrative capacity, financial constraints, infrastructure backlogs and fragmented coordination across government.
It also highlights concerns about public trust and participation, particularly where communities do not see their input translating into visible action or improved service delivery.
Challenges
On governance, the policy identifies weaknesses in oversight, inconsistent accountability and limited consequences for poor performance. Administrative challenges include skills gaps, leadership and management weaknesses, institutional instability and uneven professional practices.
Financial viability remains another key concern, with revenue constraints, weak controls and fiscal arrangements that do not adequately reflect the different realities of municipalities. These challenges are compounded by ageing infrastructure, maintenance backlogs and unreliable services that affect residents’ daily lives.
The revised policy further points to fragmented reform initiatives, which often operate independently with different reporting structures and limited coordination across the local government system.
Public trust
It emphasises the need to strengthen public trust and accountability by ensuring that community participation leads to visible action, feedback and improved outcomes.
Hlabisa said the launch came at an important time, with local government elections approaching and new municipal councils expected to take office following the polls.
“This comes at the right time. A revised White Paper with major recommendations to fast-track service delivery is coming at the time when we are going to have new councillors,” he said.
He said the introduction of the revised policy alongside the election of new councillors presented an opportunity to implement reforms and improve the performance of municipalities.
Hlabisa emphasised that local government is central to people’s daily lives, as municipalities are responsible for delivering essential services to communities.
The revised White Paper is intended to provide a policy framework for addressing these systemic challenges, strengthening municipal governance and ensuring that municipalities are better equipped to meet their constitutional obligations and respond to residents’ needs.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially launch the revised White Paper today, bringing together Cabinet Ministers, Premiers, MECs, mayors from municipalities across the country, traditional leaders, academics, civil society organisations, business representatives and organised labour.
Transition Plan
Hlabisa said the key focus following the launch will be the 90-day Local Government Transition Plan to translate the policy framework into practical action. He said the plan will identify immediate priorities, define responsibilities and timelines, and establish multi-sectoral workstreams to advance implementation across government and the local government sector.
“The transition process will also take into account the new municipal term, following the Local Government Elections scheduled for 4 November 2026. This includes supporting the induction of newly elected councillors and aligning municipal planning, budgeting and performance management with the objectives of the revised policy framework,” Hlabisa said. – SAnews.gov.za
Call for young people to seize available opportunities
Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli has called on young people to take advantage of education, skills development, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to improve their prospects and contribute to South Africa’s economic development.
Addressing the Youth Career and Services Expo in Thembalethu, George, Western Cape, Mhlauli emphasised the importance of connecting young people with government services, educational institutions and organisations that can help them move from learning to earning.
“Today is about more than an exhibition of services,” Mhlauli said, adding that the expo is about connecting young people to opportunities, bringing government closer to communities and ensuring that the support available through government and its partners reaches those who need it most.
She also added that young people must remain at the centre of South Africa’s development, and that the country’s future depends on investment in their skills, ambitions and potential.
She acknowledged the challenges facing young people, including unemployment, limited access to education and training, lack of workplace experience, and difficulties in accessing funding, mentorship and business opportunities.
“It is therefore not enough to encourage young people to work hard and pursue their dreams. We must work collectively to ensure that they have access to the information, resources and opportunities needed to turn their aspirations into reality,” Mhlauli said on Thursday.
Career and services expos, she said, provide a platform for government departments, educational institutions, public entities and other organisations to engage directly with young people and provide information about available opportunities.
Education and skills development
Mhlauli encouraged young people to explore different education and training pathways, including universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
She noted that South Africa’s 50 public TVET colleges offer qualifications in fields such as engineering, information technology, agriculture, hospitality, business and skilled trades, while the country’s 26 public universities develop professionals, researchers, innovators and leaders.
“Whether you choose a university or a TVET college, what matters is how you apply your knowledge. I encourage young people to pursue internships, apprenticeships, volunteering, leadership and practical workplace experience. Qualifications open doors, but initiative, adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning help you progress,” she said.
She also highlighted the role of the National Skills Fund, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and industry partnerships in supporting skills development and strengthening the link between training and labour market needs.
On access to higher education, she urged prospective students to familiarise themselves with the funding support available through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
“If you are considering university or TVET college but are concerned about affordability, visit www.nsfas.org.za to establish whether you qualify. Applications for the 2027 academic year are still open and are expected to close on the 31st of October 2026. Do not assume that you will not qualify before checking the requirements,” she said.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020 to respond to youth unemployment.
At the centre of the intervention is the National Pathway Management Network (NPMN), which connects young people to information about jobs, internships, learnerships, apprenticeships and other earning opportunities through partnerships involving government, educational institutions, the private sector and civil society.
According to Mhlauli, the PYEI has facilitated access to more than 2.5 million earning opportunities, while more than 5.9 million young people are registered on SAYouth.mobi and over 5.36 million on Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA).
In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 155 161 new opportunities were created, with more than 70% accessed by young women.
“These figures demonstrate the scale of efforts to connect young people to economic participation. However, we recognise that more work remains to ensure that opportunities are accessible and lead to meaningful, sustainable livelihoods,” she said.
She shared the story of Adelia Njabulo Nqubuka, who registered on SAYouth.mobi and enrolled in a programme run by Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator.
Having started without established connections or business capital, Nqubuka developed her skills and gained experience before establishing her own construction company, a sector historically dominated by men.
“Her story demonstrates what can happen when opportunity meets initiative. Government can establish platforms, support programmes and build partnerships, but young people must also register, apply and pursue the opportunities available to them,” the Deputy Minister said.
Mhlauli encouraged unemployed young people to register on SAYouth.mobi, which is free and zero-rated on participating mobile networks. – SAnews.gov.za
