Category: MIL-OSI

The Department of Human Settlements, in partnership with the City of Matlosana, hosted a housing hand over ceremony for military veterans on Friday.

The programme began with a briefing session at the City Council Committee Room. 

The Executive Mayor of the City of Matlosana, Fikile Mahlophe, officially opened the session, welcoming delegates, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.

He highlighted that the hand over was proof that when all spheres of government work together, the dignity of the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom can be restored. 

The MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Gaoage Molapisi, in his remarks emphasised the department’s commitment to restoring the dignity of military veterans through the provision of housing. 

He reaffirmed government’s pledge to prioritise those who served the country and highlighted the importance of intergovernmental cooperation in accelerating housing delivery.

Acting Speaker of Council, Lebohang Itebogeng, reiterated the importance of continued collaboration between government entities to ensure sustainable service delivery. 

Following the briefing session, dignitaries, officials and veterans proceeded to Jouberton Extensions 31 and 34, where seven houses were officially handed over to military veterans.

The hand over forms part of the ongoing Military Veterans Housing Programme, which aims to provide adequate shelter to qualifying military veterans across the North West Province. – SAnews.gov.za

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The government, together with key small business ecosystem stakeholders, has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating inclusive, sustainable, and enterprise-led local economic development following the conclusion of the National Local Economic Development (LED) Summit 2026.

This commitment has been expressed in the LED Summit Pledge and Declaration, which was formally adopted at the summit, outlining a clear and coordinated programme of action to translate policy intent into measurable economic outcomes at the local level.

The declaration responds decisively to persistent challenges facing communities and municipalities, including high levels of unemployment, inequality, spatial disparities, infrastructure constraints, and limited institutional capacity. 

Minister of Business Development Stella Ndabeni emphasised that the declaration signals a shift from fragmented interventions to a more integrated, results-driven approach to local economic development.

“This declaration represents a collective commitment to act boldly and collaboratively to unlock local economic potential. By simplifying regulatory processes, strengthening municipal capability, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and improving coordination across government and key partners, we are laying the foundation for vibrant local economies that create jobs and opportunities for all,” Ndabeni said on Friday.

Key commitments outlined in the declaration include:

• Overhauling the business licensing system to reduce red tape and improve the ease of doing business through the establishment of one-stop service centres across all districts and metropolitan areas, supported by digitalisation, regulatory reform, and the expedited finalisation of the Business Licensing Bill.
• Repositioning Local Economic Development as a strategic, innovative, and entrepreneurial system that actively supports enterprise creation, investment attraction, and sustainable job opportunities.
• Strengthening coordination and data-driven decision-making through the development of a comprehensive digital information and data-sharing platform to capture real-time economic development activities across municipalities.
• Introducing innovative financing mechanisms for LED and infrastructure-related projects, supported by dedicated technical assistance and project preparation to improve project bankability.
• Expanding access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises by developing appropriate and scalable financing models across all spheres of government.
• Enhancing accountability and impact through a coordinated monitoring and evaluation framework, including clear indicators, regular reporting, and measurable outcomes.

The summit was convened by the Department of Small Business Development, in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).

The declaration recognises that local economic development is a critical lever for inclusive growth and positions municipalities as active drivers of economic transformation. 

It further acknowledges the important role of Traditional Leadership as a strategic partner and enabler in advancing local economic opportunities, social cohesion, and community-based enterprise development.

The Department of Small Business Development said it will work closely with national, provincial and local government, the private sector, development finance institutions, organised labour, traditional leadership structures, and civil society to give effect to the commitments contained in the declaration.

Implementation will focus on practical reforms, measurable delivery, and transparent reporting to ensure that local economic development contributes meaningfully to inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and economic resilience across South Africa. –SAnews.gov.za

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The handover of a forensic laboratory is set to strengthen in KwaZulu-Natal’s efforts to fight crime.

“The facility will support investigative forensic work of the South African Police Service [SAPS] in KwaZulu-Natal. 

“It brings together specialised forensic services into a single, secure and fit-for purpose environment, strengthening the State’s ability to process evidence, support investigations and improve the integrity of the criminal justice system,” Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, said on Friday.

The Minister officially handed over the KwaZulu-Natal Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to the Acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, in Mayville, Durban on Friday. The lab aims to boost the fight against crime.

“Today is a big day for the people of KwaZulu-Natal, SAPS and the fight against crime. It is a day where we reiterate that the rule of law and the protection of the criminal justice system remain our number one priority,” said the Minister.

He added that the handover, which was also attended by Minister Cachalia, and the Deputy Ministers of Police among others, shows what happens when departments work with purpose  and when infrastructure is delivered not just for its own sake, but to help solve crime and criminality.

“Crime is the number one enemy of South Africa’s future. A country cannot thrive when its people live in fear, that is why defeating crime cannot be the responsibility of SAPS alone. It requires every part of government to play its role.”

Macpherson said his department is committed to playing its part in fighting crime by delivering infrastructure that enables law enforcement to act effectively, professionally and with the tools required to bring criminals to justice.

“This laboratory is a clear example of that commitment in action,” he said.

Also speaking at the handover, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli said the new laboratory will enhance the accuracy and speed of forensic analysis, support criminal investigations, help secure convictions of offenders, and protect innocent individuals from wrongful prosecution.

According to the provincial government, the laboratory was previously housed in two buildings, in Amazimtoti (which was situated in a flooding zone) and Durban. 

The previous facilities faced several challenges, including flooding risks that damaged evidence, lack of proper security infrastructure, limited parking for staff and visitors, maintenance issues and unsafe working conditions for specialised units such as ballistics. – SAnews.gov.za

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Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says early data indicates that South Africa’s mass vaccination strategy against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is yielding positive results, with no new infections reported in already vaccinated herds.

Steenhuisen highlighted that since February 2026 to 26 March 2026, provinces have vaccinated a total of 2 033 289 animals as part of efforts to contain the outbreak and protect the national herd.

“Crucially, there have been no new breakthroughs in herds that have already been vaccinated. This provides a clear indication that the vaccines are effective and that the strategy is working,” Steenhuisen said.

Current outbreak situation

While outbreaks have been reported across all nine provinces, the Minister said the severity varies.

As of 10 April 2026, a total of 1 317 cases had been recorded. Free State has reported 328 and North West which have recorded the highest numbers reported 247 cases reported, while Northern Cape remains the least affected with only three cases recorded.

Cases reported in other provinces include Eastern Cape 71, Gauteng 241, KwaZulu-Natal 225, Limpopo 49, Mpumalanga 140, and Western Cape 13.

Steenhuisen attributed the recent increase in reported cases to improved government capacity.

“We have strengthened surveillance and implemented a centralised reporting system, allowing for earlier detection and faster data capture. Furthermore, heightened awareness has helped identify “sub-clinical” cases, where animals carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms, which previously might have gone unnoticed,” Steenhuisen said.

Vaccine rollout and industry partnership

The Minister reported that the department has secured a steady supply of vaccines to sustain the campaign.

To date, four million doses have been received, including 2.5 million from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina and 1.5 million from Dollvet in Turkey. An additional two million doses from Dollvet are expected to arrive by the end of April.

“An order for five million doses from Biogénesis Bagó has already been placed with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP). The process to import has begun and 3.5 million doses of the ordered five million doses is expected to arrive before end of April 2026,” the Minister said.

He said vaccination is being implemented through a risk-based approach, prioritising areas with high concentrations of susceptible animals.

“This strategy has seen significant success in the dairy sector,” said Steenhuisen, highlighting that all recorded dairy farms in the Free State have been vaccinated, while major dairies in the Western Cape have also been fully attended to.

“The Milk Producers Organisation (MPO) has been requested to provide information on any dairy farms that have not been vaccinated. KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape have received the largest allocations due to their high animal populations, with over 78 000 doses already provided to the MPO in Eastern Cape alone.

“KwaZulu-Natal had allocated 250 000 doses to the MPO and an additional 100 000 doses has recently been allocated. All recorded dairies in Free State have been vaccinated,” the Minister said.

Routine vaccination scheme

On 10 April 2026, Steenhuisen announced plans to publish a Routine Vaccination Scheme for FMD (RVS-FMD), under Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984).

The closing date for public comments is Friday, 17 April 2026. All submissions can be directed to Dr EM Mogajane at the FMD Command Centre via email at FMDcommandcent@nda.gov.za

“Following the consolidation of these, the final scheme is envisaged for publication on 24 April 2026,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela has called on business, labour, civil society and government to work together to transform the country’s skills base, create jobs, drive economic transformation, and build a capable state that can meet the demands of a changing workforce.

He stressed that in the State of the Nation Address earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa was unambiguous: human capital development is the central national priority of this administration. 

“Not because it sits well in a policy document, but because South Africa cannot grow, cannot create jobs, cannot transform its economy, and cannot build a capable state without the skills to do all of these things,” the Minister said on Thursday.

While addressing delegates at the 5th Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Summit in Johannesburg, he said the skills revolution should be a national compact.

“If it is a government project, it will achieve what government projects typically achieve. Some of it. Unevenly. Not fast enough. If it is a national compact, if every constituency in this room owns a defined part of the solution and is held publicly accountable for delivering it, then something different becomes possible,” Manamela said.

With the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence is already reshaping what jobs exist, what skills they require, and what it means to be productive. 

“Our speakers today will bring evidence from the World Economic Forum and from leading institutions about the scale and pace of this disruption, greater than most skills systems in the world are currently prepared for.

“The Just Energy Transition is creating new demand for artisans, technicians, and engineers in sectors that did not exist in their current form five years ago. The green economy is growing. The digital economy is growing. The platform economy is growing and bringing with it a form of work that does not look like a job in the traditional sense, but is work nonetheless, performed by millions of South Africans who deserve qualifications, protections, and skills pathways,” the Minister said.

Taking place under the theme: “Living and Working in a Changing World,” the HRDC launched the Reconceptualised Human Resource Development Strategy (HRD Strategy) 2025–2035 and its implementation framework, the Master Skills Plan (MSP) 2025–2030.

The strategies aim to reform the country’s skills development system, reduce unemployment, and better align education with economic needs. 

The new strategy identifies four catalytic goals with the potential to unlock system-wide impact:

• Improving early learning and schooling outcomes, recognising that foundational capabilities determine life opportunities.
• Improving the employability of youth who are not in employment, education, or training, especially through short courses, work-based learning, and entrepreneurship.
• Enhancing the responsiveness of the post‑school education and training system, particularly to skills demanded by the green, digital, and care economies.
• Building a capable, ethical, and developmental state, without which no reform can be sustained.

While the new national skills framework accounts for the changing landscape, the Minister emphasised that a strategy does not train anyone.

“This is the most comprehensive and forward-looking national skills framework that South Africa has produced,” the Minister said.

However, he acknowledged that South Africa has a governance problem, not a policy problem, and not primarily a funding problem, but a governance problem. 

“The institutions we have built to implement this strategy are not yet operating at the level that the task requires.

“Our Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) system holds billions of rands in levy funds and has the potential to transform skills delivery at the sector level. In some sectors, it is doing exactly that. In others, the funds are not reaching learners in ways that change outcomes,” Manamela said.

He expressed concern about how the HRDC council operates.

“The HRDC has all the right architecture. But a body that meets periodically, produces communiqués, and waits three years for the next Summit to check whether anything happened is not an accountability body. It is a consultation forum,” the Minister said. 

He encouraged the government to work with its partners in implementing the strategy.

“South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis is not a social problem that business can observe from a distance. It is a structural feature of an economy that is not absorbing the people it educates.

“To organised labour: the Skills Revolution is not a threat to workers. It is the protection that retraining, upskilling, and new qualification pathways provide in the face of disruption that is coming, whether we act or not,” the Minister said.

He said South Africa is at a moment of genuine possibility.

“What remains to be built is the accountability architecture that makes all of this mean something beyond this room,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for deeper trade ties, strengthened democratic partnerships and a more equitable multilateral system at the Spain–South Africa Business Forum during his working visit to the Kingdom of Spain. 

Addressing delegates at the Business Forum on Friday, President Ramaphosa said the visit underscores the shared commitment between the two nations to build a modern, dynamic and mutually beneficial economic relationship. 

“This visit reflects the strength of our longstanding partnership and our shared commitment to building a modern, dynamic and mutually beneficial economic relationship,” he said.

Framing his address around trade expansion, democratic values and the importance of multilateral cooperation, the President highlighted the steady growth in economic ties between the two countries.

“In 2025, total trade between South Africa and Spain reached approximately 2.8 billion Euros. South Africa’s exports to Spain reached 1.3 billion Euros, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.

“This makes Spain our fastest-growing major trading partner within the European Union,” the President said. 

He emphasised that the relationship between the two economies is complementary rather than competitive.

“Our countries do not compete. We complement each other, demonstrating how strategic partnerships can strengthen global value chains,” he said. 

President Ramaphosa noted that more than 150 Spanish companies operate in South Africa, supporting over 20 000 jobs across sectors including renewable energy, infrastructure, technology and tourism.

He further pointed to Spain’s investment of over 2.1 billion Euros in South Africa’s just energy transition as a strong signal of confidence.

“It is a statement of confidence not merely in our economy, but in our future,” he said.

Diversifying trade and strengthening value chains

While acknowledging the strength of bilateral trade, the President cautioned that the relationship remains concentrated in a narrow range of exports.

“Even though our trade relationship is strong, it remains structurally imbalanced. It is concentrated in a narrow range of products,” the President said. 

He said diversification is critical to building resilience, particularly as motor vehicles for the transport of goods account for nearly half of South Africa’s exports to Spain.

President Ramaphosa identified critical minerals, green industrialisation and advanced manufacturing as key areas for future cooperation, especially as the global economy transitions to cleaner energy. 

“South Africa holds the world’s largest reserves of platinum group metals. These critical minerals sit at the heart of hydrogen fuel cell technology, clean energy systems and the future of electric mobility,” President Ramaphosa said. 

He said Spain’s growing leadership in the hydrogen economy presents an opportunity for alignment. 

“South Africa brings the resource base. Spain brings technological capability, investment and market access. Together, this creates the foundation for a new kind of partnership, a collaboration across the value chains of the future,” he said. 

Call for fair global rules and inclusive multilateralism

Placing the discussion within a broader global context, the President stressed the importance of fair and inclusive rules in international trade and climate governance.

“As we expand trade, we must ensure that the rules governing global commerce are fair and support development,” President Ramaphosa said. 

He cautioned that emerging regulatory measures, such as the European Union’s carbon border policies, should not disadvantage developing economies.

“But new regulatory frameworks, including the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, must not become instruments that inadvertently punish developing economies for emissions they did not historically cause,” he said. 

While reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to climate action, he called for stronger support mechanisms within global frameworks.

“We are not opposed to the principle of carbon accountability. What we ask is that climate measures be accompanied by the necessary climate finance, technology transfer and transitional arrangements that the Paris Agreement and successive COP commitments have promised,” the President said. 

Investment, industrial cooperation and shared prosperity

The President used the platform to position South Africa as an attractive investment destination, highlighting a pipeline of 85 projects valued at over 62 billion Euros across key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, digital connectivity and pharmaceuticals.

“Our message to every Spanish company in this room is that South Africa is open for business,” he said. 

He encouraged Spanish firms to partner with South Africa as long-term collaborators in building industries that support inclusive growth.

“We invite you to partner with us not only as investors, but as long-term industrial partners, as co-builders of industries that will serve our people and yours for generations,” President Ramaphosa said. 

Concluding his address, President Ramaphosa underscored the broader significance of the partnership between the two nations.

“We have an opportunity to connect European technological strength with African growth. We have an opportunity to build supply chains that are resilient, sustainable and inclusive,” he said. 

He added that such cooperation can drive shared prosperity across both regions.

“Most importantly, we have an opportunity to create prosperity that is genuinely shared in Madrid and in Johannesburg, in Seville and in Durban,” the President said. 

The President arrived in Spain on Thursday for a Working Visit that runs until 18 April, where he is participating in the In Defence of Democracy Initiative and engaging with political and business leaders to reinforce bilateral relations between South Africa and Spain. 

The President is also scheduled to have an audience with King Felipe VI at the Zarzuela Royal Palace today. 

On Saturday, he will be in Barcelona where he is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with President Pedro Sánchez at the Fira de Barcelona, before delivering remarks at the plenary session on Extremism and Inequality. 

The President is accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau. – SAnews.gov.za

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