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The Department of Higher Education and Training is targeting more than 520 000 enrolments at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges and funding for over 700 000 students through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in the current financial year.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said the targets form part of government’s efforts to expand access to post-school education and training, workplace-based learning and artisan development.

Addressing Grade 12 learners during an annual mass prayer in uMgungundlovu District, Pietermaritzburg, Dube-Ncube said the post-school education and training system is backed by a budget of R443 billion over the medium term.

“This year, we are targeting more than 1.15 million students at our public universities; 91 800 workplace-based learning opportunities, so that you learn on the job, not only in the classroom; and 22 000 artisan certifications,” Daube-Ncube said.

Dube-Ncube also encouraged learners to explore international scholarship programme offered through partnerships with countries including China, Germany and Hungary to offer fully funded study opportunities to South African students.

“Through the Chinese Government Scholarship, administered with the China Scholarship Council, and the Funda Germany programme at Constructor University in Bremen, young South Africans are studying abroad with their tuition, travel and living costs covered, and coming home with skills the country needs.

“Visit internationalscholarships.dhet.gov.za and keep checking it. These opportunities are real, they are funded, and they are meant for learners like you, particularly learners from no-fee schools and rural communities,” the Deputy Minister said.

She further encouraged matriculants to apply for NSFAS funding for 2027 and submit applications to more than one post-school institution, including universities and TVET colleges, so that they have options when results come out.

“Research careers with facts. Ask which jobs are growing, what they pay and what you need to study. Talk to the institutions represented here today.

“Learn something digital. Use free online courses, your phone, and your library to build basic digital and coding skills while you wait for results,” Dube-Ncube said.

KwaZulu-Natal was the country’s top-performing province in the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations, achieving a pass rate of 90.6% and producing 89 161 bachelor passes, up from 84 470 in the previous year.

Dube-Ncube challenged the Class of 2026 to build on that performance as they prepare for their final examinations.

She encouraged learners to draw strength from their families, educators and communities while taking responsibility for their academic performance and future choices. – SAnews.gov.za

The Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn the directive regarding the intake of asylum-seeker applications.

The directive was issued to all Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) on 28 September 2026 as a purely operational measure to support the implementation of the Constitutional Court order of 7 July in the Scalabrini of Cape Town matter.

The department said the directive was issued without the knowledge of or consultation with the Minister of Home Affairs or any other political office bearer.

“Claims that it was a politically motivated decision are therefore categorically untrue, as the directive emanated from a Constitutional Court case that the department had opposed.

“However, the attempt to implement the judgment immediately had serious consequences that could not have been foreseen in the court order.

“These include, among other things, the fact that RRO operations were overwhelmed within days of the directive being issued, Home Affairs officials were placed at risk, and serious threats to public safety and order emerged,” the Department of Home Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

With these new facts at hand, the department said it would embark on a fresh process to determine the most appropriate operational approach to ensure compliance with the Constitutional Court’s order.

“The department reaffirms its respect for the judiciary and the rule of law, as well as its commitment to determining an operationally appropriate and sustainable method of complying with the order.” – SAnews.gov.za

The National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has assured the public that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has mobilised the necessary resources and capabilities to respond to any incidents of violence or criminality.

“Our Public Order Police deployments have also been reinforced in areas where there are protests, gatherings or indications of possible unrest. 

“I want to assure the people of South Africa that the situation is under close police monitoring and that the SAPS has mobilised the necessary resources and capabilities to respond to any incidents of violence or criminality. We are on the ground. We are monitoring developments. We are coordinating our response,” Dimpane said.

The Commissioner issued a stern warning to those involved in violent protests that led to the torching of cars in Soweto and Durban.

This follows the torching of ten cars in Soweto, Gauteng, and 14 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal during protests outside Home Affairs offices assisting asylum seekers. 

The Commissioner said three foreign nationals were arrested, while shops belonging to foreign nationals have also been looted amid the unrest.

The protests are linked to claims that a recent Constitutional Court ruling on asylum applications gives undocumented foreign nationals a blanket amnesty.

“We will not allow violence, the torching of vehicles, destruction of property or attacks on people to continue,” Lieutenant General Dimpane said.

Speaking in Soweto on Thursday night after violence had erupted in some parts of Soweto, Dimpane said anyone who chooses to break the law will be dealt with decisively, without fear or favour.

“Those behind the torching of vehicles will be pursued. Those responsible for acts of violence and destruction will be identified, investigated and, where sufficient evidence exists, arrested and brought to book,” Dimpane said.

Dimpane said there will be consequences for criminality.

“The right to raise concerns and to protest does not give anyone the right to commit crime. Legitimate grievances must be pursued through lawful and constitutional processes.
“As SAPS, we will protect the public, we will protect property, and we will enforce the law.  I am here in Soweto this evening following incidents of violence and disruptions that have occurred in parts of the country, including here in Gauteng and in KwaZulu-Natal. 

“We understand that there are concerns within communities regarding the issue of asylum seekers and the implications of the recent Constitutional Court ruling. These are matters that require a government response through the appropriate constitutional and legal processes,” Dimpane said.

Dimpane told the community of Orlando that they cannot solve issues through violence.

“Violence, intimidation, the destruction of property and attacks on other people will not resolve the challenges before us. Instead, such actions create further hardship for communities and place lives at risk. 
Dimpane said the foreign nationals were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal.

“These arrests demonstrate that the South African Police Service will act where criminality occurs, irrespective of who is involved. The police are not here to prevent people from expressing legitimate concerns. 

“We are here to ensure that such concerns are expressed within the confines of the law. Our responsibility is to protect life and property, maintain public order and ensure that communities remain safe,” she said.
Dimpane said the Divisional Commissioner for Intelligence has also been directed to reinforce intelligence gathering and assessment. 

“This is critical because we need to understand developments on the ground, identify emerging threats and ensure that our deployments remain responsive to the situation.” – SAnews.gov.za
 

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has welcomed the conviction of three men for the murder of an Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Branch Executive Committee (BEC) Secretary, Mthokozisi Sithole.

Sthembiso Nkululeko Xulu, Mduduzi Mncube and Sthabiso Mncube were convicted on Thursday in the Escourt Regional Court. The matter was postponed to 28 October 2026 for sentencing.  

Sithole was shot and killed outside a tavern in Weenen on 27 January 2024.

“Following an intensive investigation by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) in KwaZulu-Natal, four suspects were arrested and charged with murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition,” the police said. 

The investigation also established a link between the firearm used in Sithole’s murder and another murder case, relating to the murder of Thembinkosi Manana.

Sthabiso Mncube was also charged in the Manana murder case. The two matters were prosecuted jointly. 

Judgment was handed down in both matters, with the court finding three accused guilty of murder and of possession of an unlicensed firearm. 

“The PKTT remains resolute in its efforts to ensure that perpetrators of political killings are identified, arrested and prosecuted, while continuing to work closely with the National Prosecuting Authority to strengthen cases brought before the courts,” the police said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, officially resumed work at the start of the week after fully recovering.

The Office of the Deputy President thanks all South Africans and various stakeholders for their messages of goodwill and support.

“Your thoughts, prayers and calls have been greatly appreciated. They have all made a positive impact on the journey towards recovery. For that, I am most grateful,” the Deputy President said in a statement on Thursday.

The Office of the Deputy President also commends members of the media for their continued enquiries and communication, as well as for monitoring the Deputy President’s recovery progress.

Over the coming days, Deputy President Mashatile will, among other things, chair Cabinet Committees, attend the Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement, engage with interfaith communities, respond to Oral Questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and resume his political programme. – SAnews.gov.za

Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has issued a stern warning to those involved in violent protests that led to the torching of cars in Soweto and Durban.

“The South African Police Service [SAPS] will not tolerate lawlessness. We will not allow violence, the torching of vehicles, destruction of property or attacks on people to continue. Anyone who chooses to break the law will be dealt with decisively, without fear or favour,” she said on Thursday.

This follows the torching of 10 cars in Soweto, Gauteng, and 14 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal during protests outside Home Affairs offices assisting asylum seekers. 

The Commissioner said three foreign nationals were arrested, while shops belonging to foreign nationals have also been looted amid the unrest.

The protests are linked to claims that a recent Constitutional Court ruling on asylum applications gives undocumented foreign nationals a blanket amnesty.

“Those behind the torching of vehicles will be pursued. Those responsible for acts of violence and destruction will be identified, investigated and, where sufficient evidence exists, arrested and brought to book. There will be consequences for criminality.

“The right to raise concerns and to protest does not give anyone the right to commit crime. Legitimate grievances must be pursued through lawful and constitutional processes,” said Dimpane.

This comes as th Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration moved to quell widespread confusion and misinformation surrounding the Constitutional Court judgment on asylum applications, stressing that the ruling does not automatically grant refugee status or permanent residence to people entering South Africa.   

The clarification follows an urgent IMC meeting on Wednesday night after the implementation of the judgment led to an influx of people seeking access to Refugee Reception Offices, with long queues reported outside Home Affairs facilities.

Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, the IMC said the Constitutional Court judgment, handed down in July in the matter of Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Others, must not be interpreted as legalising unlawful migration or giving people an automatic right to remain in the country.  

The Court declared certain provisions of the Refugees Act unconstitutional because they prevented some people from accessing the asylum system solely on procedural grounds. These included people, who had entered South Africa irregularly, did not possess an asylum transit visa or failed to report to a Refugee Reception Office within the prescribed period.

The Court found that such procedural barriers could result in people being excluded from the asylum process before their claims were properly assessed.

The IMC said the judgment, therefore, restores access to the asylum determination process, rather than automatically conferring refugee status. –SAnews.gov.za