Category: English

Free State educator Mpho Anatjie Mosala has been named the National Best Teacher at the 26th National Teaching Awards, recognising her commitment to literacy, African languages and the holistic development of learners.

Mosala, who teaches Grade 6 Sesotho Home Language at Letlotlo Naledi Primary School in Bothaville, has been teaching since 2015.

Her approach extends beyond teaching the curriculum, with a particular focus on developing learners’ communication, reading, writing, comprehension and critical-thinking skills.

In her submission for the awards, Mosala said her experience in the classroom had exposed her to the circumstances affecting learners beyond school, including vulnerable family situations and different levels of parental support.

“These experiences have strengthened my belief that an effective teacher must care for the well-being of learners in class and beyond,” she said.

She describes herself as an innovative, reflective and caring educator, who seeks to make a positive contribution to learners, colleagues, the school and the wider community.

Her recognition also highlights her commitment to promoting African languages.

“As a Sesotho Home Language teacher, I promote the value of African Languages while supporting learners from diverse backgrounds,” she said.

Her work extends beyond the classroom through school and community initiatives focused on promoting literacy and supporting vulnerable learners.

Mosala said she entered the National Best Teacher Award because of her passion for transforming learners’ lives through quality, inclusive and meaningful education.

“I believe that my journey as an educator reflects a consistent commitment to excellence,” she said.

For Mosala, the award is not only a personal achievement, but recognition of the learners, colleagues and school community that form part of her teaching journey.

“The National Best Teacher Award represents my commitment to teaching with purpose and serving with integrity.

“This recognition would celebrate my learners’ success, inspire my colleagues, affirm my school’s commitment to excellence, and encourage me to continue contributing to education not only in my community but in South Africa,” she said. 

About the National Teaching Awards

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the 26th National Teaching Awards at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni, Gauteng, on Thursday.

The awards were held under the theme: “Uniting for Excellence: Elevating Achievement, Empowering Educators to Shape South Africa’s Future.”

The National Teaching Awards are hosted annually by the Department of Basic Education to recognise and celebrate educators whose dedication, innovation and leadership strengthen teaching and learning across South Africa’s diverse schooling system.

The awards aim to focus public attention on the positive aspects of basic education, enhance the public image of the teaching profession, and recognise, appreciate and promote excellence in teaching performance.

Finalists from across the country were recognised in a range of categories, including Excellence in Grade R Teaching; Excellence in Primary School Teaching; Excellence in Primary School Leadership; Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (FET); Excellence in Secondary School Teaching; Excellence in Secondary School Leadership; the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award; and the National Best Teacher Award. – SAnews.gov.za

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has reiterated a call for integrated urban planning, infrastructure investment and the use of digital technologies to address apartheid-era spatial inequalities and improve access to affordable housing and economic opportunities. 

Simelane said housing delivery must go beyond the construction of houses to ensure that communities have access to employment centres, public transport, healthcare, education and essential infrastructure.

Delivering a keynote address at the South African Planning Institute’s (SAPI) 10th Planning Africa Conference in Cape Town on Thursday, Simelane said planners have a critical role to play in transforming the country’s settlement patterns and creating inclusive, sustainable and resilient communities.

“Development is sustainable merely because the houses are complete. Water supply, wastewater treatment, electricity, roads, stormwater management and access to public transport must be considered together with settlement growth,” Simelane said.

Held in Cape Town from 29 September to 01 October 2026, the conference is convened under the theme: “Digital Technologies and Sustainable Futures: Pathway for Urban and Regional Planning in Africa.

The conference provides an opportunity for both SAPI and the National Department of Human Settlements to engage different stakeholders, including local and international stakeholders, civil society organisations and local spheres of government, to promote inclusive and participatory planning processes, aimed at addressing spatial inequalities, housing backlogs, climate-resilient settlements, and sustainable rural and urban development.

Simelane noted that South Africa’s settlement patterns continue to reflect the legacy of colonialism and apartheid, with many low-income households living on the urban periphery, far from employment opportunities and essential services.

While significant public investment has been directed towards housing and infrastructure since the advent of democracy, she said the continued separation of residential areas from economic centres places considerable financial and social burdens on households and increases infrastructure costs for municipalities.

She emphasised that housing delivery and spatial transformation are interconnected but distinct objectives, warning that building houses without addressing their location can perpetuate existing inequalities.

“Housing delivery and spatial transformation, while intrinsically linked, are distinct objectives. It thus remains entirely possible to provide houses without fundamentally altering segregated settlement patterns,” she said.

Simelane called on planners to apply the principles of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, which provides principles of spatial justice, sustainability, efficiency, resilience and good administration, in development decisions.

“We need to institutionalise these principles in our work as planners. Planning outside of this framework of principle can only help to sustain the inherited legacy of spatial injustice. These principles must inform not only where development is permitted, but where public resources are directed and how projects are implemented.

“Spatial transformation must be measured not only by the number of houses constructed, but by where those houses are located, the opportunities they provide access to, and the quality of the settlements we create,” the Minister said.

She also referred to the recent Constitutional Court judgment in the Tafelberg matter, which found that the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town had failed to adequately fulfil their obligations in relation to affordable housing and the redress of apartheid-era spatial inequalities in well-located parts of the city.

The Minister said public land and development opportunities should be used to promote inclusion and ensure that low-income households can access housing close to jobs, transport and social amenities.

She urged planners to strengthen coordination with municipalities, water services authorities, state-owned enterprises and other built environment professionals to ensure that infrastructure capacity was considered before new residential developments were approved.

“We cannot build sustainable human settlements by constructing houses first and attempting to resolve the infrastructure requirements later,” Simelane said.

She also reiterated the need to align spatial development frameworks, infrastructure master plans, and capital budgets to ensure that water, sanitation, electricity, roads, stormwater systems and public transport are adequately planned and funded. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Four South African professionals are connecting the country’s public-sector experience with global governance, at the MGG Academy in Bonn, Germany, writes Dr Izimangaliso Malatjie.

In an increasingly interconnected world, public servants are expected to understand not only the challenges facing their own institutions and countries, but also the global forces shaping governance, development and public policy.

This was my experience as a visiting researcher from the National School of Government, alongside my colleague Ntobeko Magubane, Angel Mathebula from the Department of Higher Education and Training, and Tlhompho Shikwambane from the Institute of Global Dialogue, who also participated in the Managing Global Governance (MGG) Academy in Bonn, Germany.

The MGG Academy is an international training and dialogue programme designed for early-to-mid-career professionals shaping the future of global cooperation and sustainability. It brings together experts and practitioners from governmental institutions, think tanks and research organisations, civil society, and the private sector across Brazil, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa.

The academy combines academic learning, leadership development, and action-oriented collaboration in an international and diverse learning environment.  

For the South African participants, the MGG Academy is more than an international learning opportunity. It is a space for reflection, dialogue and professional exchange. Engagements with participants from diverse countries demonstrated that many public-sector challenges – such as inequality, institutional effectiveness, sustainable development, accountability and leadership – transcend national boundaries. 

The experience also highlighted the value of learning from different contexts while critically considering how international lessons can be adapted to South Africa’s own developmental realities.

The participants contributed their own experiences of South Africa’s public sector and its ongoing efforts to strengthen democratic governance, public institutions and service delivery. South Africa’s experience of democratic transformation offers important perspectives to international discussions on governance and institutional development. 

At the same time, exposure to international practices encourages the participants to reflect on opportunities for innovation and improvement within their own professional environments. The Academy reinforced a central principle of public-sector development: learning is most valuable when it is shared and translated into action.

A key lesson from the MGG experience was the importance of leadership in navigating complexity. Modern public servants must be able to collaborate across organisational and national boundaries, engage diverse stakeholders, adapt to change and approach problems from multiple perspectives. The Academy’s emphasis on dialogue, peer learning and reflection provided the participants with an opportunity to strengthen these capabilities while developing a broader understanding of global governance.

The real impact of the MGG Academy will be measured by what participants do with the knowledge and relationships gained. As knowledge multipliers, myself, Mr Magubane, Ms Mathebula and Ms Shikwambane have an opportunity to share insights with colleagues and contribute to leadership development, research, institutional learning and innovation within South Africa’s public service. Their participation also creates opportunities for continued international collaboration and professional networking.

The MGG Academy has demonstrated the power of connecting public servants across borders. For the four South African participants, the experience provided new perspectives, meaningful professional connections and opportunities to reflect on how global knowledge can contribute to local solutions. Our journey represents an important message for the public service: global exposure should ultimately translate into local impact.

As South Africa continues its efforts to build a capable, ethical and developmental public service, investing in public servants who can learn, collaborate and think globally remains an important part of strengthening public-sector leadership. From South Africa to the global stage—and back again—the MGG experience is ultimately about turning knowledge into action.

*Malatjie is the Chief Director responsible for Cadet and Foundational Management at the National School of Government.

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has urged urban planners to develop practical solutions to regenerate deteriorating inner city areas, expand affordable housing and improve the safety of residents.

Simelane said the regeneration of inner cities should be integrated with affordable housing, infrastructure renewal, public safety, and the protection of residents’ rights to ensure that urban areas remain accessible to people of different income groups.

Addressing the South African Planning Institute’s 10th Planning Africa Conference in Cape Town on Thursday, the Minister raised concern about abandoned, unsafe and unlawfully controlled buildings, which pose risks to residents, surrounding communities and the functioning of cities.

The Minister said building hijacking and the unlawful exploitation of properties require appropriate law enforcement, legal and municipal interventions. She, however, warned against treating vulnerable residents living in these buildings as criminals.

“The solution is, therefore, not confined to enforcement. It must form part of an integrated approach to inner-city regeneration, the protection of occupants’ rights, safer buildings, and access to well-located accommodation,” Simelane said.

Simelane called on planners to assess underutilised buildings, property ownership, land-use rights, infrastructure capacity and development feasibility to identify opportunities to convert suitable properties into affordable rental accommodation or social housing.

She said partnerships between municipalities, social housing institutions, development agencies, property owners, and responsible private investors can help restore productive uses to inner-city buildings while expanding access to housing close to economic opportunities.

Simelane also urged the planning profession to develop practical, socially responsive and legally sound proposals that will prevent inner cities from deteriorating while low-income households continued to be pushed towards the urban periphery.

The Minister also highlighted the potential of digital technologies to improve urban and regional planning.

“Geographic information systems, remote sensing, modelling and improved data management can help planners strengthen decisions and give institutions a more reliable view of the work that needs to be done,” the Minister said.

She said climate resilience must also be incorporated into planning from the earliest stages of development, with flood risks, stormwater management, extreme heat and water scarcity informing land identification, settlement layouts and infrastructure investment.

Simelane further called for innovative approaches to address the challenges facing informal and rural settlements, urging planners to use technology to improve development planning and implementation.

She said the success of the planning profession must ultimately be measured by improvements in people’s living conditions rather than the number of plans produced.

“It [success] will be judged by whether more people can live in safe, well-located settlements, enjoy security of tenure, access economic opportunities and build sustainable livelihoods,” the Minister said.

Simelane encouraged planners to work closely with government, challenge ineffective processes and provide evidence-based recommendations that can be implemented to advance spatial justice and sustainable development.

She reaffirmed the department’ commitment to working with the planning profession to use technology and innovation to support inclusive development and build sustainable communities.

The three-day conference held in Cape Town from 29 September to 1 October 2026, was convened under the theme: “Digital Technologies and Sustainable Futures: Pathway for Urban and Regional Planning in Africa.”

The conference brought together government representatives, academics, researchers, professional planners, and development partners to discuss the future of planning on the continent. – SAnews.gov.za
 

The Departments of Electricity and Energy (DEE) and National Treasury have announced an adjustment to the procurement timeline for South Africa’s Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) programme.

The adjustment introduces another round of Pre-Qualified Bidders (PQBs) engagement before the issuance of the Final Request for Proposals (RFP).

“Following the first round of engagement with the seven ITP PQBs, government has decided to undertake a further targeted round of PQB consultation before the issuance of the Final Request for Proposals (RFP).

“A second draft RFP package will be issued to the seven PQBs before the end of 2026. The package will reflect the significant work undertaken since the first draft RFP and will provide bidders and their lenders with a further opportunity to identify any remaining material bankability issues,” the two departments said in a statement.

The “focused, time-bound consultation” is not aimed at reopening the transaction for general comment.

Rather, it is designed to provide the bidders with a “substantially complete and coherent transaction package so that issues that could materially affect bid submission, financing or financial close can be identified and addressed before the documents are finalised”.

“The second draft package is also expected to be accompanied by a draft non-binding term sheet for the Credit Guarantee Vehicle [CGV], providing PQBs and their lenders with greater visibility of the proposed credit enhancement framework.

“This will enable the CGV terms to be considered alongside the wider transaction architecture during the final targeted PQB consultation.

“Following this consultation, feedback will be assessed and accepted changes incorporated into the transaction documents before the package proceeds through the required governance and approval processes,” the statement read.

The final RFP is targeted for release in quarter 2 of the 2027 calendar year.

Credit guarantee vehicle

The statement noted that National Treasury, working with the World Bank Group and other partners, has made “significant progress during 2026 in establishing and operationalising the CGV as an important component of the credit enhancement architecture being developed for Phase I”.

“The core Joint Development Agreement between National Treasury and FSD Africa was signed on 2 July 2026 to support the operationalisation of the CGV. The governance arrangements for the CGV have been established, including a project team, Steering Committee, Caretaker Board and Advisory Board. The CGV was registered and incorporated on 12 August 2026, with its statutory directors, auditor and corporate secretariat appointed.

“Work with prospective capital investors is also progressing. Investor due diligence is taking place from 28 September to 2 October 2026, providing prospective investors with the information required to progress their investment proposals.

“Importantly for the ITP procurement, a draft non-binding CGV term sheet has been developed and will be aligned with the wider ITP transaction architecture, including the regulatory cost recovery framework, risk allocation and ring-fencing arrangements,” the statement announced.

Further supporting the preparation and establishment of the CGV, the National Treasury and Development Bank of Southern Africa have concluded a Memorandum of Agreement in which the bank will host the Project Implementation Unit for the CGV.

“The MOA established the governance framework and allocation of responsibilities between National Treasury and DBSA.

“Following operationalisation of the CGV, further due diligence will be undertaken during the first quarter of 2027, with the current work programme targeting a binding CGV term sheet by the end of the first quarter of 2027,” Thursday’s statement read. 

Expanding national grid capacity

The two departments noted that South Africa requires a significant expansion of the transmission network to “connect the new generation required under IRP 2025”.

This proposed expansion requires increased public investment alongside private capital and delivery capacity, with transmission investment a key “enabler of new generation, industrial development and economic growth”.
Phase I of the ITP Programme spans approximately 1164 kilometres of new transmission infrastructure and is the “first step in establishing private participation as an additional delivery mechanism”.

“Government intends to build on Phase I through a programmatic pipeline of ITPs, creating a more predictable and repeatable framework for investors, lenders and the transmission supply chain.

“A sustained pipeline will also support localisation and industrialisation by providing greater visibility of future demand for equipment, construction capability, skills and services.

“The ITP Programme therefore reinforces Government’s commitment to mobilising private investment alongside public investment to accelerate the expansion of South Africa’s transmission infrastructure,” the statement said. – SAnews.gov.za