Category: English

As South Africa prepares to host the Second Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, Social Development Minister Dina Pule is today leading a Children’s Summit on Ending Violence Against Children.

The Summit, which is being held under the principle “Nothing About Children Without Children,” is being held at the ANEW Hotel in White River, Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

In a statement, the Department of Social Development said the two-day summit seeks, among other objectives, to elevate children’s voices by ensuring that their priorities inform renewed commitments and accountability processes.

“It will also facilitate the development of child-informed recommendations and foster multisectoral partnerships among Government, civil society, communities, development partners, the private sector and children,” the department said.

In 2024, the First Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children was held in Bogotá, Colombia, where South Africa made a national commitment to seven breakthroughs to be implemented across 52 districts.

This as globally, children continue to be exposed and remain vulnerable to violence at home, in schools and communities, in institutions, and within digital spaces through cyberbullying, online exploitation and other harmful online interactions.

As part of efforts to deepen child participation in policymaking processes, the department said the summit will utilise child-centred, inclusive and participatory approaches that enable children to freely express their views and experiences.

The Summit is beinf attended by officials and representatives from the Departments of Social Development, Basic Education, Health, Justice and Constitutional Development, the National Prosecuting Authority, the South African Police Service, child protection organisations, civil society organisations, and children.

Children, including Child Ambassadors from all nine provinces, as well as participants from non-governmental organisations, religious and traditional sectors, will also participate in the Summit’s deliberations. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe is expected to visit the Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine (SMM) in the Western Cape-based Matzikama Local Municipality tomorrow.

The visit forms part of government’s efforts to develop the country’s mineral resources while expanding local beneficiation.

“South Africa must build robust beneficiation and manufacturing capabilities so that we add value to our minerals closer to the point of production.

“Our mineral wealth must support industrialisation, create jobs and contribute to sustainable economic development,” Mantashe said ahead of Friday’s visit.

According to the department, Steenkampskraal is one of the world’s highest-grade rare earth deposits and represents “strategic importance for the development of South Africa’s rare earth and critical minerals sector”.

“The development of critical minerals is an important part of government’s efforts to strengthen domestic industrial capacity and position South Africa to participate meaningfully in emerging global mineral value chains.

“The project also presents an opportunity to advance local processing and beneficiation, enabling South Africa to retain more value from its mineral resources.

“The visit also provides an opportunity to assess progress at the project and engage on the development of local rare earth processing and beneficiation capabilities, while ensuring compliance with South Africa’s regulatory and environmental requirements.

“The safe management of naturally occurring radioactive materials remains an important consideration in the development of the Steenkampskraal resource,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (BMIACF) will host its quarterly anti-corruption campaign at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday.

The BMIACF is chaired by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and seeks to proactively root out corruption from South Africa’s ports of entry.

The Border Management Authority Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, together with the SIU Head, Leonard Lekgetho, and Home Affairs Director General, Tommy Makhode, together with representatives from other government institutions, will lead the campaign. 

“The leaders will demonstrate their commitment to fighting corruption by publicly signing a pledge to take a firm stand against corruption, while also calling on officials at this port of entry to emulate their lead,” the Border Management Authority (BMA) said in a statement.

On the day, incarcerated offenders who have been sentenced on charges of fraud and corruption related activities will share the human and financial cost of engaging in corrupt activities. 

In addition, the Hawks will share details on how the entity is cracking down on corruption at ports of entry, while also sharing conviction statistics. – SAnews.gov.za

The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), Dr Nomalungelo Gina, will today address South Africa’s aspiring young scientists during the finals of the 2026 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in Johannesburg. 

 The 46th Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair will culminate in a large public exhibition at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg. 

Dr Gina will interact with the 316 finalists, who will be showcasing their research across the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation, as they compete for the R9 million in prizes and bursaries as well as further opportunities. 

“The learners advanced to the finals through workshops, district expos and regional science fairs. Along the way, they received expert feedback and continued refining their research projects,” the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation said in a statement.

“They will be joined by 24 international participants from Brazil, India, Ireland, Russia, Lesotho, Namibia, China, Türkiye, Tunisia, Mozambique and Ghana,” the department said. 

Dr Gina will also hand over a special award to the 2026 National Mentor winner as part of the DSTI’s new science engagement strategy implementation plan. – SAnews.gov.za

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Deputy Minister David Mahlobo are conducting an oversight visit to the Ntabelanga Dam project in the Eastern Cape today.

Thursday’s visit will see the Minister and Deputy Minister assess progress on the construction of the water reservoir, which is a key component of the Mzimvubu Water Project.

Located in the Ntabelanga mountains along the Tsitsa River, between the Elundini and Mhlontlo Local Municipalities in the Joe Gqabi District, the dam is designed to store 490 million cubic metres of water and is expected to supply raw and potable water for agricultural and domestic use.

Majodina will assess the progress of the Mzimvubu Water Project Phase 1.  Mzimvubu has been identified by government as a strategic integrated project aimed at stimulating socio-economic development in the eastern parts of the province.

The mega-project entails the construction of two multipurpose dams, Ntabelanga and Lalini, along with associated infrastructure to support irrigated agriculture, meet domestic water requirements and generate hydroelectric power. The project spans the OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo, and Joe Gqabi District Municipalities.

The Minister and Deputy will be joined by  Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Zolile Williams.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, 4 October 2026, Majodina will lead a delegation to inspect the site identified for the proposed Foxwood Dam along the Koonap River, outside Adelaide, under the Nxuba Local Municipality in the Amathole District.

The proposed dam is expected to have a storage capacity of approximately 55 million cubic metres of water.

“The Minister will assess progress on the projects, analyse technical delays and enforce accountability for the bulk water infrastructure projects,” the Department of Water and Sanitation said in a statement. – SAnews.gov.za
 

More than one million international tourists came to South African shores in the month of August 2026, representing a 7.4% growth compared to August 2025. 

International tourist arrivals to South Africa has now surpassed 7.5 million between January and August 2026.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said the latest figures demonstrate strong demand for South Africa as a destination and reinforces the importance of translating growing arrivals into greater economic value.

“Welcoming more than one million international tourists in August demonstrates the demand that exists for South Africa.

“Our focus must now be on converting that demand into investment, jobs and economic opportunities. We must give visitors more places to go, more experiences to enjoy and more reasons to stay longer, while ensuring that the benefits of tourism reach more communities across our country,” de Lille said.

According to the department, South Africa’s largest overseas source markets are the United States with 37 134 tourists in August, followed by the United Kingdom with 25 749 and Germany with 14 731. 

“The latest figures build on South Africa’s resilient performance during the first half of the year.

“According to UN Tourism, South Africa emerged as the strongest-performing African destination in the first half of 2026, recording 12% growth in international tourist arrivals compared with the same period in 2025. UN Tourism also places South Africa among the top 20 best-performing destinations globally among destinations reporting data for the first half of 2026.

“The growth in demand strengthens the case for expanding and diversifying South Africa’s tourism offering. Through this week’s South African Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit, government is bringing together investors and tourism stakeholders to help translate tourism demand into new and expanded tourism products, experiences and infrastructure,” the department stated. – SAnews.gov.za

Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has directed the department and its entities to ramp up monitoring of the impact of the prevailing inclement weather conditions on the province’s transport infrastructure and services.

The province has experienced continuous downpours, with rising potential flooding in some areas since the start of this week.

“The safety of the people of Gauteng remains our priority. We are closely monitoring the transport network and have activated our response mechanisms to deal with weather-related incidents.

“I have directed our teams to respond with urgency and to ensure that infrastructure faults are followed through until they are resolved,” the MEC said.

Maintenance and response teams are on standby to respond to any incidents of flooding, damaged road surfaces, drainage problems and other weather-related hazards.

Motorists are also urged to reduce speed, drive with caution and increase following distances.

Motorists are also warned to avoid crossing bridges and flooded roads, as they may present danger.

“We appeal to motorists to exercise caution and not take unnecessary risks. Where traffic signals or other critical infrastructure are affected, our technical teams are expected to respond as quickly as conditions allow,” Diale-Tlabela said.

Contractors are currently assessing and implementing repairs to dysfunctional streetlights across provincial corridors.

Furthermore, any disruptions to Gautrain services as a result of the inclement weather are also being monitored.

“We are aware of the concerns regarding dysfunctional street lighting, including along the R24. Assessments and repairs are underway across the affected corridors. We expect our contractors to deliver on their obligations and will continue to monitor their performance to ensure that the necessary work is undertaken.

“Public transport is essential to the functioning of our province. We are engaging the relevant structures to ensure that weather-related disruptions are managed effectively and that commuters receive timely and accurate information,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za