Category: MIL-OSI

Source: South Africa News Agency

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has warned the public to remain cautious when dealing with service providers claiming they are licensed, especially as cannabis dispensaries continue to expand.

“SAHPRA has learned that individuals and companies are operating unethically by presenting falsified SAHPRA licences to gain public trust and conduct business.

“SAHPRA stresses that the use of fake licences is not only unlawful but also poses serious risks to public health and safety,” it said in a statement. 

According to the local drug regulatory authority, cannabis dispensaries are rapidly increasing in shopping malls, openly displaying copies of SAHPRA licences that were issued to authorise cannabis cultivation and the export of cannabis flowers.

SAHPRA said these licences do not authorise cannabis dispensaries, which is a concerning issue.

SAHPRA CEO, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, has strongly condemned these unethical practices.

“It is highly unethical and illegal for any individual or company to claim SAHPRA authorisation through forged documentation. 

“We take this matter seriously, and we will work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that offenders are dealt with swiftly and decisively. The public must be protected from such deceptive behaviour,” she said.

The public is urged to verify the legitimacy of any SAHPRA-issued licence. They can do so by contacting SAHPRA directly through official channels or by checking the website, https://www.sahpra.org.za/, under “Databases and Registers”.

SAHPRA is in the process of sourcing a system that uses barcoding to authenticate these certificates. It will launch a public outreach campaign to raise awareness on how to verify the authenticity of licences.

“Your vigilance can help prevent harm and hold those responsible to account,” SAHPRA said, adding that it remains committed to safeguarding public health by regulating health products with integrity, transparency and accountability. 

The public is encouraged to engage only with properly licensed and verified providers. 

If you believe a provider is using a fraudulent SAHPRA licence, please report it immediately to SAHPRA at 0800 204 307 or visit the website at https://bit.ly/3nrku5t. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

Cabinet has welcomed government’s recent engagement with leading members of the judiciary, including Chief Justice Mandisa Maya.

Last Friday’s engagement was led by President Cyril Ramaphosa and held at the President’s official residence in Pretoria.

“[The Constitutional Court] is an important instrument in the protection of our Constitutional democracy.

“It is in this spirit that Cabinet welcomed the engagement between government and the judiciary led by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and heads of courts – hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“The engagement focused on discussing the implementation of outstanding administrative measures to give effect to the Constitutional provisions of ensuring the judiciary, like Parliament, operates as an independent arm of the state,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said at a media briefing on Thursday.

READ | President Ramaphosa to meet with the Judiciary  

Currently, the budget of the Constitutional Court is administered by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development whereas Parliament administers its own budget.

“Both the Executive and the Judiciary reaffirmed the shared commitment to building a stronger, more effective justice system, firmly anchored in the values of our Constitution,” she said at the post Cabinet briefing held in Cape Town.

Repatriating heroes

Turning to the launch of the second phase of the South African government’s exile repatriation and reburial project, Ntshavheni highlighted the importance of bringing back the remains of loved ones who died in exile. 

Government has already announced that 58 indigenous Khoi and San ancestral remains will be reburied in the Northern Cape.

READ | Government to bring back 58 Khoi and San ancestral remains for reburial in SA

“While tracing, exhuming and returning back home the remains of liberation fighters who died in exile remains a focus, the initiative to bring home and rebury the remains of the Khoi and San from outside the country is important in the accurate recording of the ancestry of this country.

“The process of the reburial of the 58 ancestral remains of the Khoi and San that originated from the Northern Cape is at an advanced stage and consultations with the affected communities are underway.

“This initiative builds on the success of the repatriation of 49 former freedom fighters in 2024 and it is a testament to government’s commitment to addressing historical injustices and fostering a sense of unity and healing within the nation,” she said.

A joint delegation is expected to embark on a technical mission to Southern African counterparts, Angola, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe to “conduct further research, cemetery record inspections and grave mapping.” – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Source: South Africa News Agency

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Source: South Africa News Agency

The South African government is determined to deal with crime despite media reports to the contrary.

This is the word from Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who briefed the media in Cape Town on Thursday.

“Cabinet has noted the continuous debate about crime in South Africa and allegations that there is a lack of a concrete government plan to deal with crime in South Africa. This is despite that on the 23rd of May 2025, the Minister of Police released the 2024/25 fourth quarter [statistics].

“During this crime statistics release, the Minister of Police outlined the Seventh Administration’s policing priorities,” she said.

Those priorities are:
•    Reducing the murder rate;
•    reducing illegal firearms and tightening controls over legal firearms.
•    Fighting gender-based violence and femicide (GBV+F) and
•    dismantling organised crime, including drug trafficking syndicates, cash-in-transit heists, extortion and kidnappings, tackling gang violence and combating corruption both within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and across the country.

READ | Sexual offences and commercial crime remain a concern

“The…statistics showed progress of a general decline compared to the same period in the previous financial year. For example, of the 30 high crime police stations in terms of reporting, 13 have recorded lower counts [of crime reporting] and two recorded no change.

“On farm murders…whereas in principle, government does not categorise South Africans in terms of race, in light of recent misinformation, the following are the statistics; of the farm owners killed – both… were African. Of the farm workers killed, both…of them were Africans and of the five farm managers killed, one was African [thereby] dismantling the misinformation that there is a targeted attack on White commercial farmers or White farmers in general,” she explained.

READ | More farm murder victims are African, Police Minister

Furthermore, Operation Shanela continues to score gains against illegal firearms with 128 of those seized recently.

“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations is also continuing its work which resulted in 656 suspects appearing in court, including 364 linked to serious organised crimes, 220 from serious commercial crimes and 72 from serious corruption.

“On GBVF, a roundtable led by [the] Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF will be held…tomorrow at the Atteridgeville Community Hall in Pretoria and this will focus on the National Strategic Plan implementation and progress thereof. It will also evaluate and reinforce the effectiveness and efficiencies of services provided to GBVF victims,” she said.

Political killings

Cabinet also welcomed the guilty plea entered into by Sibusiso Ngcengwa in the murder of former ANC Youth League Secretary General and municipal councilor, Sindiso Magaqa.

Magaqa was killed in 2017 in an apparent hit in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Cabinet takes political killings seriously more so because the victims of those are people who are committed to the fight against corruption in municipalities or in government.

“We are hopeful that this breakthrough will shed further light on other players involved in the murder of Mr Sindiso Magaqa,” Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The burgeoning green hydrogen industry presents an opportunity for Africa to enable structural change and reposition the continent.

This is according to the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

The Minister delivered remarks at the African Green Hydrogen Summit, which is underway in Cape Town.

WATCH | 

“[Green] hydrogen must be understood not merely as a clean fuel, but as a strategic enabler of Africa’s structural transformation. It holds the potential to reposition the continent within global value chains, not as an exporter of raw materials but as a competitive industrial actor. Harnessed strategically, it can anchor new industrial ecosystems, from green steel and fertilisers to sustainable mobility and synthetic fuels.

“These are not abstract possibilities — they are within reach, provided we design policy frameworks that localise value, deepen intra-African trade, and direct investment flows towards infrastructure, skills, and technology transfer that serve the interests of the continent,” Ramokgopa said on Thursday.

The industry presents a lucrative opportunity for the continent and boasts a global potential of at least $300 billion in global exports over the next three decades.

Africa holds minerals and metals that are critical for the industry – placing the continent at the heart of this new frontier.

“More fundamentally, green hydrogen offers an opportunity to reverse the logic of dependency that has historically defined Africa’s insertion into the global economy. Instead of reinforcing extractive patterns, Africa can lead with an agenda of beneficiation, regional integration, and sovereign industrial development. 

“This will require that we reject siloed national approaches in favour of coordinated regional frameworks, leveraging platforms like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), and most crucially, Agenda 2063. 

“These frameworks offer the institutional scaffolding for a common energy market and harmonised regulatory regimes that can attract patient, long-term capital,” Ramokgopa said.

The Minister implored African leaders at the summit to be “unapologetic” in taking their place at the forefront of the Green Hydrogen global industry.

“We must also be unapologetic in demanding a fair place at the green negotiating table. Africa’s role in the global energy transition cannot be one of accommodation. It must be one of agency. Our narrative must be led by African voices, grounded in African realities, and committed to African futures.

“As the world seeks new energy alliances and supply chains, Africa must shape its energy destiny through solidarity, strategy and statecraft, turning the promise of green hydrogen into a pillar of continental prosperity,” he insisted.

The summit also launched the Africa Green Hydrogen Report – a document thrashing out the continent’s green hydrogen potential, which brings together the full breadth of the continent’s technical readiness.

“This is not just a theoretical compilation; it is a technical blueprint for scaled project execution. Its message is unequivocal: Africa is not short of knowledge. Africa is ready to move from pilot to pipeline, from strategy to scale.

“But let us be clear. The window for Africa to shape the rules of this emerging market is narrowing. Other regions are moving fast, with public subsidies, regulatory incentives, and long-term offtake strategies. If we delay, we risk importing technologies, importing skills, and once again exporting unprocessed potential. 

“So, the real work of this summit is to forge clarity on the scale of our ambition, the credibility of our plans, and the coordination of our actions. Let us begin that work today, with urgency, with unity, and with a shared conviction that Africa’s future is not on the periphery of the global green economy, but firmly at its centre,” he said.

IN PICTURES | Green Hydrogen Summit

According to the African Green Hydrogen Alliance (AGHA) – which is made up of 10 African states, including South Africa – the industry has the potential to add between $66 billion and $126 billion to the Gross Domestic Product of the member countries over the next 25 years.

Furthermore, some two to four million jobs could also be added during that time.

“Africa’s choice is whether to be a passive site of resource extraction or a proactive architect of the green energy economy. With the right policy frameworks, investment enablers, and regional coordination, green hydrogen can and must be the backbone of a new African industrial era,” Ramokgopa said. – SAnews.gov.za