Category: MIL-OSI

While progress has been made in education, skills development and youth employment initiatives, challenges around implementation, coordination, funding and accountability continue to limit outcomes for young people, according to the mid-term evaluation of the National Youth Policy 2020–2030.

The findings were highlighted during the launch of the Mid-Term Implementation Evaluation Report of the National Youth Policy in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, on Friday.

Delivering a keynote address, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga said the evaluation confirmed that the policy remained relevant and aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP), Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but stressed the need to accelerate implementation to translate its objectives into meaningful opportunities for young people.

“The central finding of this evaluation is both encouraging and demanding. The National Youth Policy remains highly relevant… our challenge is no longer to restate that vision, but to translate it into consistent delivery at scale,” Chikunga said.

The evaluation recorded progress across all five pillars of the policy, including expanded access to education and skills development, the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, the National Youth Service, and the SA-Youth platform.

However, Chikunga said these achievements need to be strengthened to ensure that education and training translated into economic participation, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.

“These achievements deserve recognition, but they must not become grounds for complacency. They must be the foundation on which we accelerate delivery,” the Minister said.

The evaluation comes amid persistent youth unemployment, with nearly 44% of young people not in employment, education, or training. Young women, particularly in rural communities, remain disproportionately affected by limited access to education and economic opportunities.

The findings also highlighted challenges facing young graduates seeking employment, young entrepreneurs struggling to access finance and markets, and young people experiencing poverty, substance abuse, violence and social exclusion.

The report further raised concerns about mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, noting that although interventions were in place, their reach remained uneven.

“Perhaps the most important conclusion of this evaluation is that South Africa does not suffer from a shortage of youth policies. Our principal challenge is implementation,” Chikunga said.

She noted institutional fragmentation, uneven service delivery, weak coordination, insufficient accountability, inconsistent monitoring and budgetary constraints as key obstacles to achieving the policy’s objectives.

As the country enters the second half of the policy’s implementation period, Chikunga outlined five priorities, including strengthening and adequately resourcing youth development institutions, institutionalising meaningful youth participation, expanding pathways into economic opportunities, prioritising youth wellbeing, and improving accountability for results.

The Minister also emphasised the need to strengthen the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), describing it as a key link between national youth policy and the lived realities of young people.

“It [agency] must therefore be strengthened in governance, organisational capability, provincial and local reach, digital delivery, partnerships and monitoring capacity. Crucially, the NYDA must receive adequate, predictable and sustainable funding, aligned with a clear mandate and measurable outcomes, so that it can expand enterprise support, skills pathways, youth-service opportunities and access to information at the scale our national challenge demands,” the Minister said.

She said government and its partners need to expand new pathways into employment and entrepreneurship, particularly in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, creative industries, the green economy, agriculture, manufacturing and the oceans economy.

“This requires stronger transitions from learning to earning, procurement opportunities for youth-owned enterprises and partnerships that connect young people to capital, markets and mentorship.

The Minister further called for mental health services, psychosocial support, safer communities and community resilience to be prioritised as essential components of youth development.

She said institutions responsible for youth programmes need to strengthen monitoring and ensure that public funds are accounted for and translate into measurable improvements in young people’s lives.

Chikunga said youth development requires a coordinated effort involving government, business, educational institutions, civil society, development partners, families and young people themselves.

The launch of the evaluation coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Youth Uprisings, which Chikunga said served as a reminder of the role young people played in shaping South Africa’s history and the responsibility to ensure that the current generation had access to quality education, economic opportunities and safe communities.

Chikunga called for the evaluation to serve as a basis for a national compact that will move youth development from fragmented initiatives to coordinated delivery; from short-term interventions to sustainable pathways.  – SAnews.gov.za
 

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption and misconduct at South Africa’s borders and ports of entry.

“Today, under the auspices of the BMIACF, we reaffirm our zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption and misconduct at South Africa’s borders and ports of entry,” BMA Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato said.

This is as the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (BMIACF) has taken a conscious decision to bring the campaign to airports and sea ports.

The forum, which is chaired by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and seeks to proactively root out corruption from South Africa’s ports of entry, held its quarterly anti-corruption campaign at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday.

The forum also seeks to proactively combat corruption at South Africa’s ports of entry through strengthened collaboration between border management, law-enforcement and other government institutions.

“We are no longer limiting ourselves to our land borders. We are bringing this campaign to our airports and, in the next quarter, we will be going to one of our sea ports, before returning to another airport,” Masiapato said.

He added that corruption does not discriminate by port of entry.

“Corruption does not discriminate by port of entry, and neither can we. Our strategy must be as dynamic and integrated as the threats we face.

“This forum is our collective information-sharing platform, our coordinated investigative hub, and our shield for whistleblowers. It ensures that no corrupt official can hide between the cracks of different agencies.”

Progress made

Masiapato said there has been significant progress made by participating organisations in combating fraud and corruption in the border and immigration sector.

“In the last quarter, the BMA handled 57 labour-relations and disciplinary cases involving internal-control breaches, fraud, corruption and other misconduct affecting organisational integrity.”

Of these, 17 resulted in dismissals, two officials received final warnings, one official was suspended without pay, and two officials were acquitted because of insufficient evidence. 

“A further 33 cases remain in the disciplinary process. Most of these cases involve employees who were working in this port of entry (OR Tambo),” he said.

During the same period, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) finalised 42 cases involving gross misconduct, aiding and abetting, identity-document fraud, and financial misconduct. 

“As the accounting authority, I do not get joy from signing suspension or dismissal letters. Every time I sign those letters, it pains me, because it is not only the official who is going to suffer; it is his or her family that suffers the most. 

“A suspension or dismissal does not end with the individual; it reaches into the home and affects children, spouses, parents and dependents who had nothing to do with the misconduct,” Masiapato said.

Masiapato urged every official in the border and immigration sector to refrain from fraud and corruption.  

“Protect your job, protect your family, and protect the integrity of this organisation. The consequences are simply not worth it,” he said.

The SIU’s Acting Chief Operations Officer, Zodwa Xesibe, said there is a need to investigate acts of fraud and corruption with the understanding that corruption is not a victimless crime. 

“When public money is stolen, diverted or improperly spent, somebody ultimately pays the price,” Xesibe said.

She said no anti-corruption strategy can succeed without leadership, adding that leadership is also demonstrated by what happens when misconduct occurs. 

“Of greater importance is the changing face of fraud and corruption. Technology has transformed government operations and created enormous opportunities for efficiency. It has also created new opportunities for fraud and corruption,” she said.

Xesibe said there is a need for better use of data, strong information sharing, digital forensic capabilities and institutions capable of identifying patterns and connecting information across organisational boundaries.

“The fight against fraud and corruption is sometimes described as a battle. It is indeed. But it is also something more profound. It is a test of the kind of state we want to build. A state where public resources are protected, where institutions are accountable. We all have an important role in this.

“We all have an important role in this broader anti-corruption architecture. The effectiveness of the anti-corruption architecture is dependent on cooperation of our institutions and public entities,” she said. 

Impact

Also taking part in the programme was an offender serving a 10-year prison sentence for fraud.

Hlengiwe Khumalo was employed by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) when she committed the fraud.

“I was working well with a good salary, but unfortunately I got bad influence from friends and ended up committing fraud, and I ended up [being] arrested,” she said.

Khumalo said what she did affected her children and her parents very badly.
“I did not have the courage to tell my parents about what was happening,” she said.

Khumalo lost her cars and houses and also had to pay back all the money she stole from SARS.
The campaign was led by Masiapato, together with the Home Affairs Director-General, Tommy Makhode and representatives from other government institutions. 

The programme included the public signing of an anti-corruption pledge by the participating leaders, engagements with officials, testimonies from incarcerated offenders who have been sentenced for fraud and corruption-related offences, as well as a presentation by the Hawks on efforts to combat corruption at ports of entry.– SAnews.gov.za

 

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KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has called on political parties and candidates to uphold peace, tolerance and responsible political conduct as the country moves closer to the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Ntuli delivered an address at the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Electoral Code of Conduct signing and ballot draw, hosted by the Electoral Commission of South Africa at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Tuesday.

The ceremony marked an important milestone on the road to the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections, providing political contestants with an opportunity to publicly commit themselves to peaceful, ethical and fair electoral competition.

The Premier said elections are important to South Africa’s democratic system and provide citizens with an opportunity to exercise their right to choose leaders who will govern closest to their communities.

Ntuli reflected on South Africa’s democratic journey and warned that political assassinations and violence involving public representatives remain deeply concerning.

He said the establishment of structures, such as the Political Killings Task Team, demonstrates the weight of the challenge confronting the country’s democratic project.

The Premier urged political parties and individual contestants to recognise their responsibility to ensure that electoral competition remains orderly and peaceful.

“Political parties and individual politicians, however, as they seek to be chosen by the electorate, owe the country an orderly and peaceful contest,” Ntuli said.

He emphasised that adherence to the Electoral Code of Conduct represents more than legal compliance but constitutes a public commitment by political contestants to conduct themselves responsibly throughout the election period.

The Electoral Code of Conduct aims to promote conditions conducive to free and fair elections, including political tolerance, freedom to campaign and open public debate.

Ntuli also warned against political rhetoric or conduct that may contribute to violence, stressing the responsibility of political leadership to promote restraint and peaceful democratic competition.

He said State institutions, including the Electoral Commission and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, also carried an obligation to create an environment in which voters could exercise their democratic choices freely. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Government has reaffirmed its commitment to confronting gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) with urgency through a four-point recovery plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday, to strengthen the national response.

The plan seeks to strengthen the systems of policing, investigation, forensic processing, prosecution and community safety required to protect women and children and ensure that victims and survivors have access to justice.

Among the measures is a national case-recovery operation targeting unresolved cases involving murders, attempted murders, rape and serious sexual offences against women and children.

The recovery plan also includes measures to reduce forensic backlogs and improve turnaround times for priority GBVF cases.

In a statement issued by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) on Thursday, Government said the measures were aimed at strengthening the criminal justice response and ensuring that cases involving GBVF are dealt with more effectively.

The intervention comes amid continued efforts to strengthen the State’s response to GBVF and improve the ability of law-enforcement and justice institutions to investigate cases, process evidence and bring perpetrators to justice.

Communities urged to play their part

Government has also called for heightened community vigilance and participation in local structures to help make neighbourhoods safer.

Communities have been urged to work with law-enforcement agencies by reporting criminal activity, providing information that can assist investigations and supporting survivors of GBVF.

“The fight against GBVF and crime requires Government to act decisively, institutions to perform effectively, communities to remain vigilant and every sector of society to reject violence,” Government said.

The call extends to all sectors of society to challenge attitudes and behaviours that contribute to violence against women and children.

Government has particularly called on men and boys to play an active role in confronting GBVF by speaking out against violence, challenging harmful behaviour and rejecting notions of masculinity that normalise domination, abuse and violence.

“Silence and turning a blind eye to abuse cannot become normalised,” Government said.

Government said South Africans must stand together against GBVF, crime, intimidation and violence, while exercising their constitutional rights peacefully and within the law. – SAnews.gov.za

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Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube has urged graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to use their technical skills to create employment, establish businesses and contribute to economic development in rural communities.

Dube-Ncube made the call during the 2026 Graduation ceremony at Mthashana TVET College in Vryheid Engineering Campus, KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.

Addressing the graduates, Dube-Ncube emphasised that TVET is central to building a skilled workforce and addressing the country’s economic needs.

She encouraged graduates to see their qualifications as a stepping stone to further learning, entrepreneurship and opportunities in the global labour market.

“Being rural is your address, not your destiny. Rurality does not condemn anyone to poverty, provided you choose to grab the opportunities that are available,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Deputy Minister highlighted the role of artisans and technicians in keeping the economy running, noting that skills acquired at TVET colleges are essential to sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, mining, construction and services.

She reiterated the need to change the perception that TVET colleges are a second choice for students who cannot access universities, pointing to countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Singapore, where vocational education is an established and respected pathway to employment and economic advancement.

“No nation has become prosperous without a strong, respected technical and vocational education system. Developed countries did not become developed and then build TVET systems. They built strong TVET systems, and that is part of how they became developed,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Deputy Minister said government has placed TVET colleges at the centre of its skills development agenda, with President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing the strengthening of the institutions as primary sites for occupational training and artisan development, during his 2026 State of the Nation Address.

She said the Department of Higher Education and Training’s 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan is targeting more than 520 000 enrolments at TVET colleges, including the creation of 91 800 workplace-based learning opportunities, and support for 22 000 artisan certifications.

Dube-Ncube also highlighted the importance of partnerships between colleges and industry for workplace-based learning in preparing graduates for labour market demands.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted South Africa’s recent participation in the WorldSkills International Competition in Shanghai, China, where 29 young people competed across 27 skills categories.

Among the achievements included Matthew Bowen, who won a silver medal in Aircraft Maintenance, making South Africa the first African member country to secure a medal in the category in the competition’s 75-year history.

Bowen, who received training from Intelek Training and Consultation at Rand Airport, was also undertaking workplace training at Solenta Aviation while competing.

Dube-Ncube said his achievement demonstrates the value of combining technical education with practical workplace experience and shows that young people from rural communities can also compete at the highest international levels.

She challenged management at Mthashana TVET College to identify talented students early and enter them into regional and national skills competitions, with the aim of preparing them for international platforms.

“I want to see a Mthashana student wearing the South African colours at the next WorldSkills Competition. Why not? Why not you?” she said.

The Deputy Minister also encouraged graduates to explore entrepreneurship, particularly in agriculture, tourism and agro processing, to stimulate economic activity and create jobs within their communities.

She said the region has significant agricultural potential and urged young entrepreneurs to process and package locally produced goods rather than allowing raw products to leave the district and return as more expensive finished products.

Dube-Ncube also encouraged graduates to make use of support offered by the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency and the National Youth Development Agency, including training, mentorship and financial assistance.

She further urged young people to embrace digital opportunities, noting that access to the internet has created new possibilities for rural entrepreneurs to acquire skills, market products internationally and work remotely.

The Deputy Minister called on lecturers to continuously upgrade their skills to keep pace with changes in the world of work, including artificial intelligence, automation, renewable energy, electric vehicles and digital systems.

She also challenged lecturers to pursue professional qualifications, participate in industry placements, and embrace digital and blended teaching methods to ensure that students acquire relevant, up-to-date skills. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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