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Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has called for feasibility studies to be expedited to identify sustainable, long-term water sources for municipalities in Limpopo that rely heavily on groundwater.

Majodina made the call following a two-day programme, where she handed over completed water infrastructure projects in Mogalakwena and Blouberg Local Municipalities, which are aimed at improving access to reliable and safe drinking water in previously underserved communities.

“… Groundwater is not sustainable and, therefore, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) should investigate ways that will bring water to these municipalities that do not have surface water. We will continue to monitor progress on these plans and feasibility studies,” said Majodina.

The Minister said the department should facilitate feasibility studies to establish long-term solutions to extract and convey water from sustainable sources to municipalities without access to surface water.

Over the two days (5 – 6 September), Majodina handed over the water projects to advance government’s commitment to provide reliable access to safe drinking water and improve water supply to the areas that were previously unserved in the municipalities.

Majodina handed over two completed Water Supply Scheme projects in Blouberg Local Municipality on Sunday, which are implemented by Capricorn District Municipality as the Water Services Authority.

The Minister — together with Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, accompanied by Corporate Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs MEC Pule Shayi — handed over two completed Water Supply Scheme projects to Blouberg Local Municipality Mayor, Maria Thamaga.

The water schemes, Maokeng and Dilaeneng Water Supply Schemes, will improve water supply to the communities of Maokeng and Dilaeneng townships in Senwabarwana.

The projects, funded through the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG), have a combined value of R23 million, and will benefit more than 800 households in the two townships.

The projects will provide a complete package covering water source development, storage and reticulation, addressing the water supply chain from the source to points of access in communities.

Capricorn District Municipality Mayor, Mamodupi Teffo, said the projects relied mainly on groundwater due to the absence of a surface water source in the area.

“These two projects have improved access to water by the communities, and this is because of the support from the DWS through its funding to the municipality,” Teffo said.

She said Blouberg, Molemole and Lepelle Nkumpi Local Municipalities do not have a surface water source, but plans are being developed with the department to draw water from dams in other areas to supply the municipalities.

On Saturday, Majodina handed over the completed Jakkalskuil Water Treatment Works to Mogalakwena Local Municipality Mayor, Ngoako Taueatsoala.

The Minister was accompanied by Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba, as well as Finance MEC Kgabo Mahoai and MEC Shayi.

The Jakkalskuil Water Treatment Works was funded through the DWS Regional and Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) and implemented by Mogalakwena Local Municipality as the Water Services Authority, through five major project packages.

The project includes the Kroomkloof Water Treatment Works and high-lift pump stations, a 3.5 million-litre water capacity, the development of boreholes, and the refurbishment of 26 community reservoirs.

The scheme will improve reliable water supply to over 42 000 households in Mokopane.

Taueatsoala said the project marked a significant step towards addressing longstanding water challenges in the Bakenberg Cluster.

“Today marks a monumental step forward for our people, who for years have faced challenges regarding the reliability and safety of our water supply. For too long, our people have faced severe challenges of water scarcity and inconsistent water supply, but today we turn that tide,” he said.

Ramathuba said the infrastructure projects handed over in the province represent a milestone carrying the hopes and aspirations of thousands of Limpopo residents.

“They say that when government delivers on its promises, hope is restored. Today, hope flows as freely as the water that will soon reach our communities. Today, we are affirming the constitutional right of every citizen to access clean, safe and reliable water,” said Ramathuba. – SAnews.gov.za

Training public servants to do their jobs effectively and serve the people efficiently is critical. Law now directs that some training programmes should be compulsory to achieve this goal, writes Dino Poonsamy.

Recent amendments to the Public Administration Management Act now require that the National School of Government (NSG) design and deliver compulsory education and training across national, provincial and local government.  This means public servants across the three spheres of government are now legally required to complete specific training before they are appointed and, during their employment, to continue in their roles.  

This is not a technical requirement but rather one of the more consequential public sector reforms in recent years, and it is worth understanding what it means and why it matters.

The NSG falls within the portfolio of institutions reporting to the Minister for the Public Service and Administration, responsible for the education, training and development of public servants across the three spheres of government.

Why compulsory, and why now?

For three decades, training in the public service was mostly encouraged rather than required. Officials could attend courses if they chose to, if their manager approved it, or if a department prioritised it. 

The outcomes were uneven: some officials took advantage of the training being offered, whilst others did not. In many instances, we could relate this lack of standardised training to audit outcomes and institutional performance but ultimately it is the citizens who receive varying degrees of service based on the skills and competence of the official serving them. 

Our government tried to close this gap before. A two-day induction course became compulsory for new officials in 2008. By 2012, completing it became a requirement for confirming a new employee’s job and for a pay increase. In 2020, the government directed that senior managers should complete a pre-entry qualification, known as Nyukela, before they could even be appointed. Each of these steps helped, but none of them, on its own, can permanently change the culture of the public sector. The current reforms are the latest and most far-reaching attempt to fix that.

What this means for public servants

If you work in the public sector, this is what is changing in practical terms. Certain courses, such as ethics, anti-corruption, supply chain management, and induction, are no longer optional. 

There are currently 10 compulsory courses being delivered by the NSG, and Cabinet has now directed an expansion of the courses, with a further 10 to be offered. Completing them can determine whether your appointment is confirmed or whether you are eligible for a salary increase. 

To be a senior manager, you face an even higher bar: you must complete a pre-entry certificate before appointment and are required to spend a minimum number of days in training every few years, for as long as you hold a senior role. This is a real shift in what a public sector career looks like. 

Development is becoming built into the job itself, not something you choose to pursue in your own time if you are motivated to do so.  The NSG is also linking compulsory short courses to structured learning pathways that enable public servants to progressively build their knowledge, skills and professional competence over time. 

Rather than ending with a standalone certificate, learning will increasingly form part of an articulated development journey, creating clearer routes into occupational qualifications, professional learning programmes and higher qualifications.

What this means for the citizen

For members of the public, the delivery of compulsory training to public servants means that when making decisions that affect people’s lives, they should increasingly be officials who have actually been trained and tested on how to do that job properly, not simply appointed and left to learn on their own. 

There is early evidence that this is working where it has been tried properly. In one municipality in Limpopo, officials who completed compulsory supply chain management training showed measurable improvements in the care with which public money was managed afterwards, with better compliance and stronger audit outcomes. That is the kind of change, multiplied across thousands of officials and hundreds of public institutions, that compulsory training is meant to produce.

The gap is still to be closed

Not everyone is covered yet. At the local government level in particular, ongoing training for municipal employees generally still depends on management approval rather than compulsory training being a standing requirement. 

This matters because local government is where most citizens interact with the State most directly, and where serious governance failures have occurred. Even SALGA [South African Local Government Association] itself has argued that leadership training in local government should not be optional. 

The true test of these reforms will be whether, over the next several years, the public actually experiences improved public services as a result of compulsory training. 

Poonsamy is the Chief Director for Strategy and Systems at the National School of Government.

The conclusion of export negotiations between South Africa and Egypt is set to pave the way for South African beef and livestock producers to access Egypt’s substantial consumer market, providing a potential boost to the country’s red meat industry.

The Minister of Agriculture, Willie Aucamp, announced the breakthrough at the recent Agri North West Congress.

The minister noted that the development represents a significant development, as the red meat sector continues to navigate one of South Africa’s biggest Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in decades.

“This is a major milestone for South Africa’s agricultural sector, which has been facing one of the biggest Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks in decades,” Aucamp said.

South Africa and Egypt successfully concluded negotiations on the Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC) governing the export of red meat from South Africa to Egypt, paving the way for shipments to be cleared to move once the final signatures have been formally appended to the agreement.

Aucamp emphasised the urgency of concluding the negotiations to his team, given the importance of new markets to red meat farmers.

“I sat with my team on Monday [last week] and emphasised that we have to get this right as our red meat farmers need this, and I am pleased that the team made it happen,” he said.

The minister thanked the negotiating team for its efforts highlighting that government’s role is to support and enable the agricultural sector to succeed, rather than create unnecessary obstacles.

“The outcome of these negotiations was achieved through constructive engagement with the Egyptian veterinary authorities. Government remains committed to strengthening international trade relations and expanding market access opportunities for South Africa’s red meat sector,” the Minister said.

The finalisation of the VHC provides South African exporters with a clear regulatory framework for accessing the Egyptian market while ensuring that the necessary animal health and food safety requirements are met.

The development could enable South African red meat producers and processors to expand their operations, diversify export destinations and grow their contribution to the economy.

The minister noted that the agreement is aligned with government’s apex priority of inclusive economic growth and job creation, while supporting efforts to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

“Every international market South Africa opens creates an opportunity for money to flow back into the rural economy and build commerce along our value chains,” Aucamp said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Community Safety committee has raised “serious concern” over growing crime rates in Honeydew, Gauteng, following a critical oversight visit to the local police station.

This after the station was rated as the worst performing station in Gauteng and the fourth worst nationally in the 2026/27 first quarter crime statistics released late last month.

READ | Crime stats show areas of progress, but criminal threats remain

During the visit to the station, the committee engaged the station management, as well as of the provincial Community Safety Department, the local ward councillor, the Community Policing Forum (CPF), community representatives and residents.

“The committee was alarmed by crime trends in the precinct. Murder increased by 11%, sexual offences by 22%, and assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm by 26% compared to the same period in the previous financial year. These figures are unacceptable and represent real victims, families and communities whose lives have been severely affected by crime.

“Community members also highlighted growing concerns about gangsterism, particularly the involvement of young people, including school-going children, in criminal activities. The committee was deeply disturbed by reports that some offenders are using pangas, knives and firearms to commit violent crimes.

“The availability and abuse of alcohol were also identified as major contributors to crime, with concerns raised about certain liquor establishments allegedly operating beyond permitted trading hours,” the committee said in a statement.

The committee called for an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to turning around the current performance of the station.

“The committee emphasised that the crime challenges facing Honeydew cannot be addressed by the police alone.

“A coordinated response involving law enforcement agencies, government departments, municipalities, schools, community structures, liquor enforcement authorities, civil society organisations and residents is urgently required,” the statement read.

The growing reliance on park homes as a temporary “substitute for properly constructed police stations” has also been raised as a concern.

“While intended as a temporary solution, park homes have become a permanent feature of policing infrastructure in many communities. The committee believes that effective policing cannot be delivered from temporary structures, which often limit service delivery and undermine the working environment of police officers.

“The committee, therefore, calls on the Minister of Police and the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure to prioritise the replacement of park homes with permanent, purpose-built police stations. Communities facing serious crime deserve modern, fully functional policing facilities that support professional and effective law enforcement,” the statement continued.

A community safety imbizo is expected to be held in Honeydew in the wake of the oversight visit to “develop practical and coordinated interventions to tackle crime”.

“The Imbizo will involve the Gauteng Executive Authority responsible for Community Safety, SAPS management, local law enforcement, community structures, ward councillors, the CPF and residents.

“The committee will use the imbizo to secure concrete commitments, clarify responsibilities and ensure that interventions translate into measurable improvements in community safety.

“The committee also stressed that the involvement of young people in gangsterism requires an urgent multi-sectoral response focused on crime prevention, youth development, school safety, substance abuse interventions, and addressing the social conditions that contribute to criminal behaviour,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

Gauteng Health MEC Faith Mazibuko has urged parents and caregivers to keep children up to date on routine immunisations, warning that missing these critical vaccines leaves children vulnerable to preventable diseases that may have lifelong consequences.

The call comes after visits to communities by the MEC and health teams revealed that a large number of children under the age of five have missed immunisations.

“This concerning observation is reflected in the province’s immunisation coverage during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year, which remains below target, with 72% coverage among children under one year of age and 70.7% coverage for the second dose of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine administered at one year of age.

“Across Gauteng’s five health districts, the West Rand recorded the highest coverage at 90.6% for children under one year and 86.3% for the second dose of the MR vaccine. However, other districts continue to face challenges in improving the uptake of routine childhood vaccinations.

“Tshwane District remains the province’s poorest-performing district, recording only 59.2% coverage among children under one year and 58.7% coverage for the second dose of the MR vaccine, followed by Sedibeng, which recorded 69.5% and 69.1%, respectively. These figures are concerning, as low immunisation coverage increases the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, leaving more children vulnerable,” the provincial Health Department noted.

Parents’ role

Mazibuko emphasised the role that parents play in ensuring the health of their children.

“This decline is concerning, as it increases children’s vulnerability to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, which can result in severe illness, long-term complications and even death. It is important for parents to ensure that children receive all scheduled vaccinations on time and complete their immunisation programme.

“We also urge parents to bring children who have missed vaccinations to their nearest healthcare facility for catch-up immunisation without delay. Vaccination remains one of the most effective and proven public health interventions for preventing disease, disability and death,” Mazibuko said.

Parents are urged to utilise the Road to Health Booklet and bring it to every clinic visit.

The booklet tracks immunisations, monitors growth and nutrition, developmental milestones and oral health, ensuring that children receive the necessary screenings, preventive care and health interventions.

“In addition, children aged between six months to five years should be taken to healthcare facilities every six months to receive Vitamin A supplementation and deworming treatment, which are essential for supporting healthy growth, strengthening immunity and preventing nutritional deficiencies and parasitic infections.

“Parents are further urged to watch for symptoms of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially in children who have missed routine immunisations. Warnings signs such as fever, rash, persistent cough, muscle weakness, neck stiffness, jaundice, severe headache or seizures should not be ignored.

“Those who have lost their children’s Road to Health Booklets should not be discouraged from visiting healthcare facilities. Healthcare workers are ready to assist and provide catch-up immunisations where required, ensuring that every child is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases and given the opportunity for a healthier and brighter future,” the department stated. – SAnews.gov.za

Emerging entrepreneurs in local communities can give their businesses a competitive edge by joining forces, pooling their resources and harnessing their collective purchasing power.

This according to Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) Deputy Minister, Zuko Godlimpi, who addressed an empowerment workshop, hosted by the Methodist Church’s Young Women’s Manyano, in KuGompo City, in the Eastern Cape, over the weekend.

The workshop, also attended by Buffalo City Mayor Princess Faku, aimed to equip young women with information on government support programmes that can help strengthen and grow local businesses.

The women showcased their entrepreneurial skills at a mini exhibition featuring products, including beadwork, pottery and textiles.

Using their talents as a springboard, Godlimpi urged them to work together to buy and sell in bulk, enabling them to access better opportunities and accelerate the growth of their businesses.

“… Township businesses need to work together to procure from wholesalers if they wish to [be competitive],” he said.

Glodlimpi’s call comes against the backdrop of a recent report by the Competition Commission of South Africa on the Township and Rural Economy, which found that local businesses face challenges in sourcing, selling and regulatory compliance. 

“These constraints prevent many enterprises from scaling up, formalising and becoming more integrated into broader value chains,” he said.

Godlimpi also encouraged the young entrepreneurs to embrace technology, establish an online presence and use digital platforms to market their products.

He urged them to think beyond South Africa’s borders too, encouraging them to explore opportunities to take their businesses into international markets. – SAnews.gov.za

Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) Minister Parks Tau hopes to use the AIM Congress (formerly known as the Annual Investment Meeting) to position South Africa as a credible, competitive and attractive destination for investment.

The congress is a flagship investment platform of the AIM Global Foundation held annually in the UAE. It brings together senior government officials, investors and business leaders to address global economic challenges and explore investment opportunities.

Tau is in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the AIM Congress, which starts today and ends on Wednesday. 

The Minister said South Africa has significant strengths that it continues to place before the international investment community, including “sophisticated financial and services sectors, established industrial capabilities, extensive infrastructure, abundant natural resources, world-class institutions and a strategic position as a gateway to the African continent”.

“We recognise that investment is not simply about capital flows. It is about building productive economies, creating decent and sustainable jobs, developing industrial capacity, transferring skills and technology, and expanding opportunities for our people,” the Minister said.

On Tuesday, Tau is expected to address a high-level ministerial roundtable on investment to be held under the theme: “Investment 4.0: Shaping a Resilient and Intelligent Global Economy”. – SAnews.gov.za