Category: English

Source: Government of South Africa

The National Dialogue process has reached a pivotal stage with the completion of the nomination of sectoral representatives to the National Dialogue Steering Committee, the Presidency announced on Friday. 

The first National Convention, held on 15 – 16 August 2025, approved the mandate, responsibilities and composition of the Steering Committee. It also resolved that each identified sector would conduct its own consultations to nominate representatives to serve on the Steering Committee and its sub-committees.

To date, no fewer than 26 sectors have submitted nominations for the Steering Committee. The list of nominees has been handed over to the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) for quality assurance. The EPG will, in turn, submit its recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Head of State and Convener of the National Dialogue, for finalisation.

The Presidency said that once approved by the President, the Steering Committee will oversee the rollout of public dialogues across the country. It is anticipated that the process of appointing the Steering Committee will be concluded in the coming weeks.

In addition, President Ramaphosa has received the Handover Report of the Convention Organising Committee (COC), as well as the Report on the National Convention, marking the completion of the COC’s mandate. The COC had been tasked with organising the first National Convention after the withdrawal of some foundations from the process.

President Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation to members of the Convention Organising Committee for their dedication and commitment.

“As a country, we owe a great debt of gratitude to the members of the Convention Organising Committee. Working with the Eminent Persons Group and the Inter-Ministerial Committee, the committee made sure that hundreds of delegates from around the country were able to gather at the National Convention to endorse and to launch the National Dialogue. Through a truly collective effort, the National Convention proceeded smoothly and gave people from all sectors an opportunity to express themselves,” President Ramaphosa said. 

The President also acknowledged the contribution of legacy foundations and civil society organisations that participated in the Preparatory Task Team, noting their instrumental role in getting the National Dialogue off the ground. 

“We must also recognise the vital role played by the legacy foundations and other civil society organisations in the Preparatory Task Team, which were instrumental in getting the National Dialogue off the ground.

“It is extremely important now that the momentum that has been built up and the expectations that have been raised are not allowed to dissipate. We need to ensure that as the Steering Committee is established, there is no disruption in the processes that need to happen,” the President said.

The Eminent Persons Group, the Inter-Ministerial Committee and the Presidency remain custodians of the process’s integrity and will continue to safeguard its credibility until it is handed over to the Steering Committee. 

Work is underway to establish a fully-fledged National Dialogue Secretariat, housed at NEDLAC, which will provide institutional support to the process. 

The Report of the National Convention is available for download: https://tinyurl.com/4v7z7rfu – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

The District Development Model (DDM) provides a mechanism for the development and the delivery of services for local communities, Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli said.

“The District Development Model is the local engine that turns global commitments into tangible change through jobs for our youth, clean water, functioning infrastructure, and safe neighbourhoods. The conversations we are having in Frances Baard today are part of the same national and global movement to make development people-centred, inclusive, and accountable,” the Deputy Minister said on Thursday.

This as she hosted a G20 Community Leaders Dialogue at the Roodepan community’s Roman Catholic Church in the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Frances Baard District, in the Northern Cape.

The DDM was introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to end the silo approach that has slowed service delivery and brings together the three spheres of government (national, provincial, and local) into one plan, one budget, and one accountability framework.

She said that in the Frances Baard District, the plan focuses on areas such as water security and sanitation improvements; youth employment and skills development; and roads and infrastructure maintenance among others.

“As we meet here today, South Africa holds the Presidency of the G20 a platform of the world’s largest economies. Our Presidency theme [of an] ‘Inclusive Growth for a Sustainable Future,’ reminds us that real progress begins in communities like Roodepan,” she said.

The Deputy Minister added that recent Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)environmental assessment and engagements show that the community faces ageing infrastructure and water shortages in areas like Roodepan, Windsorton, and Pampierstad as well as poor health service experiences and shortages of medication.

Other challenges include high electricity costs and frequent outages as well as delays in housing projects and title deeds.

To respond to these, the The Sol Plaatje Municipality is installing high-mast lights and new taps in Lerato Park.
“Phokwane is distributing water tanks and repairing potholes. Magareng is upgrading its water treatment plant,” said the Deputy Minister.

In addition, the 1 Billion Housing Project launched by President Ramaphosa includes units for Diamond Park and Roodepan.

“Our task now is to ensure that these projects are completed, maintained, and serve the people they are meant for,” she said.

The Deputy Minister further called for partnerships adding that government will set up regular feedback sessions, so that “your issues are captured in the One Plan review and acted upon.”

“Frances Baard is a proud and resilient district the economic heart of the Northern Cape. The challenges you face are not insurmountable. Let us work together, community and Government hand-in-hand, to turn Roodepan into a model of cooperative governance in action,” she said. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Transnet has been recognised for its role in setting a new national benchmark for public sector procurement through a fully digital, efficient and inclusive system that actively drives economic transformation.

About four years ago, the e-Tender platform replaced the physical tender boxes and paper submissions with a cloud-based, secure and transparent digital environment.

This enhanced efficiency is matched by improved governance. The system includes an embedded audit trail, real-time reporting, and automated business rules that have driven a verified 40% reduction in irregular expenditure.

Since its implementation, the portal has processed over one million documents and enabled the strategic redeployment of resources that previously were responsible for administrative tasks associated with processing of tender documents, such as stamping, signing and filing to other value-adding areas of the business.

Furthermore, the efficiency gains have directly contributed to substantial financial value, including R1.8 billion value delivery in the 2024/2025 financial year alone.

“We have not had physical tender boxes at Transnet since October 2021. This innovation has fundamentally changed the speed and integrity of Transnet’s supply chain management,” Transnet Group Chief Procurement Officer, Vuledzani Nemukula, said on Friday.

By removing the physical and financial barriers associated with paper-based tenders, the e-Tender portal has significantly increased accessibility for small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) across the country. 

“Furthermore, we have tailored our submission times to ensure SMMEs can make use of night-time data to upload large documents, saving them on additional costs,” Nemukula said. 

He made these remarks after the logistics infrastructure State-owned company clinched the prestigious GIBS Logistics Achiever Gold Award (LAA) 2025 for its transformative e-Tender solution on Thursday night at a ceremony held at the GIBS Business School in Johannesburg.

According to Transnet, the e-Tender portal is more than a transactional system; it is a critical enabler of the knowledge economy. 

By centralising and standardising procurement data, the platform is laying the groundwork for a future powered by advanced analytics.

The portal’s broad reach has already attracted over 30 000 suppliers, broadening the participation base and fostering accountability and public trust. 

“Digitalisation levels the playing field, ensuring that geography and administrative complexity are no longer barriers to entry for SMMEs seeking to participate in the lucrative logistics value chain,” the SOE said.

This directly aligns Transnet’s procurement function with the national mandate of inclusive economic growth.

The success of the e-Tender portal is also a testament to the strategic partnership between the Group Chief Information Officer and Group Chief Procurement Officer.

Their collaborative leadership ensured that both procurement and Information and Communications Technology functions were aligned from the outset, co-owning the digital transformation journey and driving shared accountability for business outcomes.

“This milestone aligns with Transnet’s broader ICT Digital Modernisation Strategy, which is fundamentally about transforming how technology supports operational excellence and business agility. 

“Through business process automation, data-driven intelligence, and platform-based integration, we are not just digitising workflows — we are redefining how the enterprise operates.

“Our vision is to make automation a catalyst for growth, where technology enhances human capability, accelerates service delivery, and strengthens Transnet’s competitiveness in a connected, data-driven economy,” Transnet’s Group Chief Information Officer, Pandelani Munyai, said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Friday, October 17, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will deliver keynote addresses at the South Africa-Türkiye Business Council and the 5th Biennial Türkiye Africa Business and Economic Forum, which will be held in Istanbul today.

Friday’s engagements form part of the Deputy President’s working visit to Türkiye where he co-chaired the inaugural Bi-National Commission (BNC) between the two countries. 

The BNC was convened in accordance with the 2012 agreement that established the commission, which is to be co-chaired at the Deputy President and Vice-President levels, respectively.

In Ankara on Wednesday, the Deputy President co-chaired the BNC with Türkiye’s Vice-President, Cevdet Yılmaz. 

READ | Deputy President begins Türkiye working visit 

The discussions concluded with a signing ceremony for several agreements between the two countries, which included the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of higher education and training, as well as cooperation regarding special economic zones and free zones.

The Deputy President led the second day of bilateral discussions between South Africa and Türkiye on Thursday.
According to the Presidency, he also engaged with the ATA Holding group, chaired by Korhan Kurdoğlu, who expressed the company’s eagerness to invest in South Africa. 

Their interests include food production and agribusiness, cold chain logistics and distribution, science and technology, digital transformation, infrastructure, foreign trade synergies, financial services, co-investments, as well as sports, culture, and tourism.

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition coordinated several engagements, including a bilateral meeting with Dr Mehmet Demiroğlu, CEO of TAI/TUSAŞ, and a discussion with Ahmet Akyol, CEO and President of Aselsan.

He also took the time to visit the Anıtkabir Mausoleum in Ankara and laid a wreath to honour Türkiye’s founder and first President, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

“I sincerely hope that your immortal spirit will guide our discussions and the high-level dialogue and joint decision-making that our two countries will be engaged in, for mutual development, cooperation and lasting prosperity. We are honoured to be in this sacred midst of history and greatness,” the Deputy President said.

The Deputy President is accompanied on the working visit by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau; and Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Bonginkosi Nzimande. 

He is also joined by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga; Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille; Deputy Minister of Agriculture Nokuzola Capa; Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe; and Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Government of South Africa

Friday, October 17, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has convened the first meeting of the Advisory Panel for the Selection of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) on Thursday.

The panel is tasked with identifying and interviewing individuals worthy of consideration for the position of NDPP with current incumbent, Advocate Shamila Batohi, set to retire in January.

“The meeting marked a significant step towards ensuring capable, ethical, and independent leadership for the NPA, confirming the Panel’s mandate and outlining its operational framework.

“The panel adopted the terms of reference guiding the selection process, reviewed the advertisement calling for nominations and applications, and agreed on timelines for shortlisting and interviews, ensuring a transparent, merit-based, and efficient process,” the department said in a statement.

Members of the panel – which is chaired by the Minister – are:

• Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission, Andrew Christoffel Nissen.
• Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality, Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale.
• Auditor-General of South Africa, Tsakani Maluleke.
• Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, Professor Somadoda Fikeni.
• President of the Black Lawyers Association, Nkosana Mvundlela.

Nominations and applications will be sought through the following timeline:

• 18 – 19 October 2025: Advertisement placed in the media.
• 07 November 2025: Closing date for applications and nominations.
• 17 – 21 November 2025: Shortlisting and screening of candidates.
• 22 November – 06 December: Public comments on shortlisted candidates.
• 07 – 11 December: Interviews of shortlisted candidates.

“This transparent and merit-based approach follows the precedent set during the appointment of the current NDPP, Advocate Shamila Batohi, whose term concludes in January 2026.

“The panel will ensure that all candidates meet the requirements set out in Section 9 of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 1998, and are capable of acting independently, free from improper influence, and without fear, favour, or prejudice.

“Members of the panel acknowledged the significance and gravity of the task before them and committed to diligently ensuring that a fit and proper candidate is appointed to this important position,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za