Category: MIL-OSI

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that severe thunderstorms could bring heavy downpours, strong, damaging winds, hail and excessive lightning to parts of the country on Tuesday.

The weather conditions may cause localised damage to settlements and infrastructure in North West, Gauteng, the Mpumalanga Highveld, south-western Limpopo, the northern Free State and the far north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape.

“Showers and thundershowers are expected across Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo, with severe storms possible over the Mpumalanga Highveld, south-western Limpopo and Gauteng.”

“These thundershowers are expected to produce large amounts of small hail, excessive lightning, strong, gusty winds and heavy downpours. This may lead to localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges, as well as damage to vehicles and structures,” SAWS said.

SAWS added that conditions are favourable for severe storms in North West, the northern Free State and the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape. Heavy downpours, strong, damaging winds, hail and excessive lightning may cause localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges, as well as damage to settlements and infrastructure.

The public and stakeholders are strongly urged to monitor official SAWS forecasts and warnings, as updates will be issued when the likelihood and severity of the impacts become clearer.

The public is also advised to avoid unauthorised or unverified information sources and to refrain from sharing unverified information. — SAnews.gov.za

Cabinet has wished the Class of 2026 well, as they enter the final stretch of preparations ahead of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

The 2026 October/November National Senior Certificate examinations for Grade 12 learners will officially commence on 13 October 2026 and conclude on 25 November 2026.

During a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said in this final stretch, schools are focused on conducting structured revision and providing additional academic support to ensure that learners are adequately prepared for the examinations.

She said Cabinet called on parents and guardians to monitor the progress of learners in their care and to support learners by creating a supportive environment in which they can focus on their studies.

“Learners are urged to create a realistic study schedule and to seek guidance from teachers or peers when they are unsure about their schoolwork.

“If you or a matric learner in your care feels overwhelmed, free professional help is available 24 hours a day from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group at 0800 12 13 14,” Ntshavheni said.

Meanwhile, Ntshavheni urged students qualifying for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) assistance to apply for funding.

The 2027 NSFAS application cycle has already opened and will close on 18 November 2026.

Funding outcomes for successful applicants are expected to be communicated in December, ahead of registration for the 2027 academic year.

The funding is aimed at enabling eligible students to access and pursue higher education and training opportunities. – SAnews.gov.za

Cabinet urges all eligible voters whose identity documents have been lost or damaged to replace them as soon as possible before the Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026.

Briefing the media on Tuesday in Pretoria, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said those who are affected can visit a Home Affairs office or any of the more than 450 participating bank branches to apply for identity documents. 

“Applications for special votes for the 2026 Local Government Elections are open and will close on 12 October 2026 at 5pm,” Ntshavheni said.

Ntshavheni explained that a special vote allows eligible registered voters who cannot vote at their voting stations on Election Day, 4 November, to cast their ballot in advance. 

Special votes are open to voters with disabilities, pregnant women, elderly people and people with work-related commitments. 

“Cabinet encourages all South Africans, especially young people and first-time voters, to exercise their right to vote. Every vote matters and helps to keep our democracy strong. Cabinet appeals to political parties and independent candidates participating in the forthcoming elections to always uphold the electoral code of conduct and exercise political tolerance,” she said.

Earlier this month, the Electoral Commission (IEC) announced that an unprecedented 136 790 candidates met the statutory requirements to contest South Africa’s local government elections, scheduled for 4 November 2026.

“Out of these 136 790 candidates, 98 219 are nominated by parties to represent wards and 38 571 to represent parties in the Proportional Representation (PR) election. A total of 621 candidates are independents nominated to represent wards,” the IEC’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, told a media briefing.

According to the IEC, the candidates will contest seats across the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.

The IEC disqualified 5 096 candidates after the conclusion of the statutory reviews, including confirmation that all contestants had paid the applicable deposits and that all candidates were properly nominated.

Last month, Cabinet said preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections are progressing, with coordination mechanisms across all three spheres of government in place, ahead of the polls scheduled for 4 November 2026. 

At that time, Cabinet welcomed ongoing measures to strengthen voter participation, combat misinformation and ensure operational readiness, while encouraging all eligible South Africans to exercise their right to vote.

President Cyril Ramaphosa officially announced 4 November 2026 as the date for South Africa’s upcoming Local Government Elections, setting the stage for political parties and voters to begin preparations. – SAnews.gov.za

Cabinet has called on law enforcement agencies to expedite the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the killing of women in Ekurhuleni and surrounding areas. 

Cabinet’s call comes amid the increased number of murders of women whose bodies were discovered in Ekurhuleni and surrounding areas. 

A total of 13 bodies have been recovered since July 2026, including the murder of a woman whose body was discovered at Mooifontein Cemetery in the Vusimusi section of Tembisa on Saturday, 26 September 2026, and the murder of a 23-year-old who was reportedly shot and killed during an alleged robbery in Thembisa, while on her way to work on Monday, 28 September 2020.

Briefing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday in Pretoria, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni warned that perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) must face the full might of the law. 

She said Cabinet supports President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive to the multidisciplinary investigation team, led by the South African Police Service (SAPS), to accelerate investigations and bring those responsible for the recent murders of women to justice. 

The President is set to address the nation this evening on steps being taken by government to confront GBVF. The address will take place at 7pm. 

Ntshavheni said the investigation team is pursuing several people of interest, while four suspects remain in custody after being denied bail following their court appearances.

Cabinet expressed concern over the rising incidence of gender-based violence, particularly femicide, which refers to the intentional killing of women because of their gender, often by intimate partners or people known to them.

Ntshavheni said the deliberate killing of women by their loved ones or people close to them requires a collective response from men, families, communities and society at large. 

“The rise in incidents of gender-based violence, in particular femicide – the intentional killing of a woman by a person close to them – must galvanise a societal response to protect women by men, families, communities and society in general. The murder of women intentionally by their loved ones or people close to them cannot be tolerated by any society or community,” the Minister said. 

She stressed that law enforcement agencies must act swiftly to ensure that perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted, noting that the country’s laws have been amended to provide for harsher measures in dealing with GBV-related crimes, including provisions allowing for the denial of bail.

Ntshavheni also reiterated that the government will continue to strengthen efforts to promote the safety and well-being of women and children and ensure that communities are safe.

“Let us all – men and women – take a stand against violence against women and play our part in ending the scourge of gender-based violence.” 

The Minister also acknowledged women who have been using the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre hotline to seek assistance and intervention, emphasising the importance of reporting abuse and accessing available support services. 

Cabinet has urged anyone with information that can assist in criminal investigations to report it to the police. 

Members of the public can report information through the Crime Stop toll-free number, 08600 10111, or contact the 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre on 0800 428 428.

The GBV Command Centre can also be reached by sending a Please Call Me to 1207867#, SMSing “HELP” to 31531, or contacting Skype: Helpme GBV. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Cabinet has welcomed the outcomes of the 18th BRICS Summit, which reaffirmed the grouping’s commitment to building a more inclusive and representative international system while advancing cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure financing and sustainable development. 

The summit was held in New Delhi, India, from 12 to 13 September 2026, under the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Security”.

Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, in Pretoria, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the summit has strengthened cooperation among BRICS members in areas critical to global economic development.

The discussions advanced cooperation in trade and investment, local currency transactions and cross-border payments, infrastructure financing through the New Development Bank, digital cooperation, climate resilience, and food security.

For South Africa, Ntshavheni said the summit outcomes are significant as they support the country’s objectives of accelerating industrialisation, expanding market access, attracting investment and promoting value addition to critical minerals.

“These priorities can strengthen local production, create opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, support job creation and ensure that greater value is derived from the country’s natural resources,” the Minister said.

Cabinet welcomes big move for local cherry producers 

Cabinet has also welcomed the opening of the Chinese market to South African cherry producers, following the signing of a market access protocol between the two countries on 8 September 2026.

The landmark protocol, which grants South African cherry producers market access into China for the first time, was signed by Agriculture Minister Wille Aucamp and General Administration of Chinese Customs (GACC) Minister Sun Meijun during the ninth Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Ministerial Meeting in Beijing.

Ntshavheni said the agreement will provide South African cherry producers with access to one of the world’s largest cherry markets, creating opportunities to expand agricultural exports and attract investment in local production.

China imported approximately 586 900 tonnes of cherries, valued at US$3.3 billion (about R52.8 billion), in 2025.

The Minister said the opening of the market is expected to stimulate investment in South Africa’s cherry industry and create approximately 600 new jobs.

“The development forms part of broader [government] efforts to expand South Africa’s agricultural exports and diversify international markets. It also coincides with the implementation of China’s zero tariff scheme for qualifying South African products, which came into effect on 1 May 2026,” Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa will this evening, Tuesday, 29 September 2026, address the nation on the steps government is taking to confront gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the country.

The address will take place at 7pm.

“[The President will also] provide an update on investigations into the murder of women in and around the City of Ekurhuleni,” the Presidency said in a short statement.

The country has been rocked by the discovery of the bodies of several women in and around Ekurhuleni in Gauteng.

This triggered government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (IMC on GBVF) to approve a Comprehensive Emergency Strategy to speedily bring to justice the perpetrators behind the killings.

Delivering a keynote address at the Heritage Day celebrations in Oudtshoorn last week, President Ramaphosa denounced GBVF.

READ | President Ramaphosa to address the nation on GBV measures

“If we want to strengthen the ties that bind us, we must close these distances between the lives of our people. The abuse, rape and killing of women is not our heritage. There is no culture worthy of the name that diminishes the dignity of women.

“The pain and suffering that the women of South Africa have been put through stands out as a national shame. The women of South Africa have the right to walk the streets of their country at any hour without fear,” President Ramaphosa stated. – SAnews.gov.za

By Dr Howard Hendricks

Did you know that some of South Africa’s national parks are home of evidence human history stretching back thousands of years?

When most people think of South African National Parks (SANParks), justifiably, they tend to think of elephants roaming across vast landscapes, lions resting beneath acacia trees, or rhinos grazing on open plains. Yet hidden amongst these same landscapes are ancient footprints, archaeological treasures, sacred sites, rock art, graves, battlefields and cultural traditions that tell the story of who we are as a people.

Our parks are not merely places where nature resides. They are also living archives of human history. As the African saying reminds us, “a river does not forget its source.” Neither should a nation.

Heritage Month offers us an opportunity to reflect not only on our diverse cultures and traditions, but also on the landscapes that have shaped generations of South Africans. Long before national parks were proclaimed, people lived, travelled, traded, worshipped, hunted and shared knowledge in these places. Their stories remain embedded in the land.

As custodians of over four million hectares of protected land across 21 national parks, SANParks’ modern mandate extends far beyond biodiversity. From ancient archaeological discoveries to rock art sites and places of spiritual significance, our national parks hold chapters of South Africa’s story that cannot be found in textbooks alone. They remind us that conservation is not solely about the management of species, but also about preserving memory, identity and cultural continuity.

We see the tangible reality of this memory across our entire park network. In the far north of the Kruger National Park—a landscape global tourists associate strictly with wildlife—lies the ancient stone citadel of Thulamela. This late Iron Age settlement stands as a profound testament to the sophistication of pre-colonial African societies, where skilled goldsmiths traded with the Far East centuries before European arrival. By actively working with local community elders to restore these sacred dry-stone walls, we ensure that conservation protects both ecological integrity and cultural heritage.

Further south, at Agulhas National Park, the convergence of two oceans is matched by a convergence of human histories. Here, the haunting remnants of colonial-era shipwrecks share a coastline with ancient stone fish traps engineered thousands of years ago by the indigenous Khoikhoi. Similarly, while Addo Elephant National Park is globally lauded for saving the Eastern Cape elephant from the brink of extinction, its expansive Alexandria Dunefield protects the archaeological middens of nomadic ‘Strandloper’ people.

Mapping ancient trans-regional trade and travel routes that connect directly to rock art sites in the Zuurberg mountains.

This understanding is becoming increasingly important in a modern world where many people, particularly younger generations, are growing further removed from the places and traditions that shaped their communities.

Drawing on the African proverb that “when an elder dies, a library burns”, cultural heritage conservation seeks to prevent those libraries from disappearing. Every cultural site protected, every story documented, every tradition preserved, helps ensure that future generations inherit not only healthy ecosystems but also the wisdom, identity and knowledge that connect them to their past.

This is why SANParks views cultural heritage as an integral part of conservation. Nature and culture are not separate, they are intertwined.

The same landscape that supports biodiversity also contain sacred sites, historical routes, traditional knowledge systems and stories passed down through generations. To conserve one while ignoring the other would present an incomplete picture of our shared heritage.

Across Africa and the world, there is increasing recognition that conservation must be inclusive, people-centred and rooted in historical understanding. Protected areas are strongest when they are valued not only for their ecological importance but also for their cultural relevance to the people they serve. For SANParks, this means working with communities, traditional leaders, heritage practitioners, researchers and other partners to identify, document and manage cultural resources alongside natural ones.

It means helping visitors experience our parks differently. A visitor may arrive hoping to see the Big Five but also leave with a deeper appreciation for the generations of people whose lives were connected to the landscape. In doing so, a visit becomes more than a tourism experience. It becomes an opportunity to better understand South Africa’s rich and layered historical importance to the world.

Heritage has a unique ability to bring people together. In a country as diverse as ours, heritage serves as a bridge between the past and the future, between communities and cultures, and between people and place. It helps us recognise that while our histories may be different, our future is shared.

As we celebrate Heritage Month, I encourage all South Africans to look beyond what is immediately visible. The value of our national parks lies not only in the wildlife and landscapes we manage, but also in the stories they preserve.

Under SANParks’ stewardship, these places are more than destinations of natural beauty. They are repositories of identity, memory and belonging. They safeguard not only our natural heritage, but also the cultural legacy that connects South Africans across generations. In understanding where we come from, we are better equipped to shape where we are going.

And that is a responsibility we all share.

*Hendricks is the Managing Executive responsible for Conservation Services at SANParks