Category: South Africa Government

The Department of Basic Education has called for greater efforts to build girls’ confidence and leadership, while addressing barriers such as gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and unequal opportunities in education.

Basic Education Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule made the call during the commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child at Die Wilge Special School in Baillie Park, Potchefstroom, in the North West on Monday. 

Speaking under the theme “Building Confident Leadership for Girls”, Mhaule said confidence was essential for girls’ participation in education and leadership, warning that social pressures could undermine their self-belief and ambitions.

“Confidence is not a luxury. It is a foundation for learning, participation and leadership,” she said.

The event brought together approximately 240 learners, educators, government representatives, development partners and community stakeholders. It followed learner dialogues and Dove Self-Esteem Project workshops held at schools across Potchefstroom the previous week.

Mhaule said the decision to host the commemoration at a special school highlighted the importance of including girls with special education needs in efforts to promote equality and leadership.

“That we gather at a special school today is not incidental. It reminds us that when we speak of the girl child, we must mean every girl, including girls with special education needs, whose voices are too often the last to be heard and whose leadership is too often the last to be imagined,” she said.

The International Day of the Girl Child is commemorated annually on 11 October to recognise girls’ rights and highlight the challenges they face.

Mhaule said girls continued to experience various barriers, including violence and harassment at home, in communities and at school, early and unintended pregnancy, poverty, inadequate access to menstrual health support and gender stereotypes that undermine the value of their education.

She also highlighted the impact of social media and online messaging on girls’ self-esteem.

“These pressures do something very particular to girls. They chip away at confidence. A girl who once put up her hand in the Foundation Phase stops raising it in high school. A girl who once dreamed out loud of being an engineer, a judge or a President learns to keep that dream to herself,” the Deputy Minister said.

Mhaule said when girls lost confidence, their participation declined, limiting opportunities for their leadership potential to develop.

Removing barriers to girls’ education

The Deputy Minister said the department was working to create safe, caring and inclusive learning environments through its Care and Support for Teaching and Learning approach.

She said gender-transformative education was also helping the sector examine whether girls were treated equally in classrooms, on sports fields, in the curriculum and in the expectations placed on them.

The department’s interventions include the Sanitary Dignity Programme, the policy on the prevention and management of learner pregnancy, and initiatives aimed at preventing school-related gender-based violence.

These measures seek to ensure that girls can remain in school, access the support they need and learn in environments where their safety and dignity are protected.

However, Mhaule stressed that government policies alone could not build girls’ confidence, emphasising the importance of supportive relationships with educators, parents and community members.

“Confidence is built in relationships. It is built when an educator believes in a learner before she believes in herself. It is built when a parent listens. It is built when a girl sees a woman who looks like her, who comes from where she comes from, standing in a position of leadership,” she said.

She encouraged girls to recognise their leadership potential in everyday actions, including standing up against bullying, participating in learner representative councils, asking questions in class and persevering with their education.

“Leadership is not something you must wait to be given. You already lead when you speak up for a friend who is being bullied,” Mhaule told the learners.

She called on boys to support gender equality, saying harmful gender norms also affected them by discouraging emotional openness and help-seeking behaviour.

“If we want girls to be safe and confident, we must raise boys who are secure, caring and respectful,” she said.

The department commemorates both the International Day of the Girl Child and the International Day of the Boy Child as part of its efforts to promote gender equality and social cohesion.

Partnerships to strengthen self-esteem

Mhaule acknowledged the contribution of UNICEF South Africa, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Unilever, through its Dove brand, in supporting the department’s initiatives.

She said the partnership with UNICEF, including the Gender Transformative Education Summit held last year during South Africa’s G20 year, had helped shift the basic education sector’s approach to gender empowerment in schools.

The DBSA has partnered with the department for three years on social initiatives, including the commemorations of the International Days of the Girl Child and the Boy Child.

Mhaule said the partnership also supported work in sanitation and early childhood development, including infrastructure interventions that improve the environments in which children learn and grow.

She thanked the DBSA for its contribution to the department’s social cohesion and nation-building agenda, highlighting the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable social change.

The Deputy Minister also acknowledged the decade-long partnership between the department and Unilever through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which aims to help young people develop confidence and positive self-belief.

This year, the partners are launching the Dove Self-Esteem Virtual Classroom to expand access to self-esteem support and reach learners beyond geographical limitations.

Mhaule said the initiative could help ensure that girls in rural schools had access to support similar to that available to learners in major cities.

Call to educators, parents and communities

In closing, Mhaule called on educators to identify girls who had become withdrawn and create opportunities for them to participate and lead.

She urged parents and caregivers to invest equally in the education of their daughters and sons, while calling on community, traditional and faith leaders, as well as local government, to help make schools and the routes leading to them safer.

“Our schools cannot be safe if the roads to them are not safe. Girls cannot be confident in communities that tolerate violence against women and children. We need you with us,” she said.

She also thanked artists and public figures who had volunteered their time to support the department’s social initiatives, including Miss South Africa Qhawekazi Mazaleni, who had pledged to prioritise education during her reign.

Mhaule said building girls’ confidence required sustained commitment from educators, families, communities, government and its partners.

“Every educator, parent and community leader has a role to play in building a generation of girls who know their worth, who believe in their potential and have the courage to lead.

“Because when a girl believes in herself, she doesn’t only change her own future. She helps shape the future of our nation,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za

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By Josias Pila

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing cybercrime. The tools that can help us work smarter, communicate faster, and solve complex problems can also be exploited to deceive, manipulate, and defraud us on an unprecedented scale.

This raises an important question for South Africa: are we ready for a new era of digital deception?

The answer cannot be left to cybersecurity specialists alone. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, our ability to protect ourselves must evolve alongside it. Government, business and citizens must understand how AI is changing the threat landscape and, importantly, develop the knowledge and habits needed to recognise when technology is being used against us.

Our first line of defence may, therefore, be more than firewalls, passwords and security systems. It may be an AI-literate society – one that knows that what it sees, hears or reads online cannot always be taken at face value. 

AI is giving criminals new tools to make scams more convincing, attacks more sophisticated and deception harder to detect. Voice cloning, deepfake videos, AI-generated phishing messages and fabricated identities are enabling criminals to impersonate people and institutions with a level of realism that can be difficult to distinguish from the genuine article. What was once a suspicious email or poorly written scam can now look, sound, and feel remarkably authentic.

Interpol’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report of 2025 indicates that local organisations faced a sharp rise in cyberattacks during 2025, imposing high financial and operational costs on businesses, government institutions and consumers. 

According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre, cyber breaches and attacks in South Africa increased by 22% in 2023. Phishing, ransomware and unlawful access to information all rose markedly, while the number of victims making ransomware payments increased by 20%. Rapid advances in AI have added a new dimension to these risks.

These rising threats demand more than stronger technology; they demand a generation equipped to use it wisely. South Africans must move beyond simply operating AI tools. They must be able to question how these systems are designed, whose interests they serve, and what consequences they may carry.

Government has a critical role to play in building this capacity. South Africa’s response cannot be limited to securing networks after they have been attacked; it must also equip people to navigate a digital environment in which deception is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Government is already taking steps in this direction, including strengthening cybersecurity awareness, expanding digital skills and developing a national approach to the responsible adoption and governance of AI. 

This commitment to responsible AI governance also extends to South Africa’s role on the international stage. At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, President Cyril Ramaphosa called for human governance to advance as rapidly as artificial intelligence itself, warning of the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems, including advanced cyber operations and manipulation. South Africa subsequently proposed the establishment of an international mechanism within BRICS for the independent scientific evaluation of AI, supported by meaningful human control, the reporting of serious incidents and stronger safeguards as AI capabilities increase.

This position reflects an important principle: technological progress cannot be allowed to outpace society’s ability to understand, govern and secure it. For South Africa, this means building not only the infrastructure and skills to use AI, but also the institutions, safeguards and public awareness needed to ensure that this powerful technology strengthens society rather than deepening its vulnerabilities.

Every citizen also has a role to play in strengthening our collective cyber resilience. Before responding to an urgent request for money, sharing personal information or acting on a message that appears to come from someone we trust, we must ask a simple question: Can I independently verify that this is real? That moment of hesitation may be the difference between being protected and becoming a victim.

But we should not place the entire burden on individuals. Citizens need access to reliable information and clear guidance to navigate an increasingly complex digital environment. 

Through the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), government is strengthening efforts to counter misinformation and disinformation, including fact-checking and public education to help citizens identify manipulated content, deepfakes and other forms of digital deception. 

This is more than a communication intervention; it is an investment in an informed and resilient citizenry. Building an AI-literate nation is therefore not about creating a population that fears technology. It is about equipping citizens to use it confidently, question it critically and recognise when it is being weaponised against them. 

In an age where false information can spread rapidly, the AI era will test not only our technological capabilities, but our ability to preserve trust in an increasingly digital society. While we cannot prevent every misuse of AI, we can ensure that criminals do not outpace our preparedness. 

This requires government to strengthen frameworks, institutions and public awareness; businesses to embed cybersecurity and responsible AI practices; and citizens to question and verify what they encounter online.

South Africa’s response must therefore go beyond protecting systems to protecting people, institutions and public trust. By building an AI-literate society, strengthening resilient institutions, and placing human judgement at the centre of technological progress, we can ensure AI remains a force for empowerment rather than exploitation.

The choices we make today will shape the future of AI. Our task is to ensure that we are not only ready for that future but prepared to secure it.

*Pila is Director: Cluster Support at the GCIS

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The Department of Home Affairs has welcomed the arrest of two former officials linked to a syndicate that fraudulently issued South African passports to foreign nationals for up to R100 000 each.

The officials allegedly exploited weaknesses in an outdated manual process to issue passports through a loophole known as “photo swapping”. 

This involved using the identity details of legitimate South African citizens to obtain passports bearing photographs of foreign nationals.

The arrests follow a joint investigation by the department’s Counter Corruption Unit and the Hawks, which uncovered the syndicate in 2022.

“This case is a powerful example of why we are digitally transforming Home Affairs. Under the department’s ongoing digital reforms, biometric verification now links applicants to their identities throughout the application process, including when photographs are captured. This closes the loophole that previously enabled criminals to substitute a foreign national’s photograph for that of a South African citizen.

“The same approach underpins the department’s Digital Partnership with banks, which is expanding access to Smart ID Cards through secure, digitally integrated processes,” Home Affairs said.

Home Affairs said that, by automating identity verification and reducing human discretion, it is systematically removing opportunities for corruption across its systems.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said that, for years, outdated manual processes had created loopholes that criminal syndicates could exploit to fraudulently obtain South African passports.

“Through our digital transformation, we are closing these loopholes by introducing secure biometric verification and automated systems that remove opportunities for human manipulation.

“Our reforms are not simply about making Home Affairs faster and more convenient. They are about fundamentally changing how the department operates so that fraud and corruption are prevented by design, rather than detected only after the damage has been done,” the Minister said.

Since the start of the seventh administration, 98 Home Affairs officials have been dismissed and 42 have been arrested as part of the department’s sustained crackdown on corruption.

Schreiber commended the department’s Counter Corruption Unit and the Hawks for their continued efforts to root out corruption. – SAnews.gov.za

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya is no longer an employee of the Service with effect from Monday, 12 October 2026.

The disciplinary hearing against Lieutenant General Sibiya sat this morning, during which his legal representative tendered his resignation immediately after the disciplinary proceedings had commenced.

“As the former senior officer had an ongoing disciplinary case against him at the time of his resignation, his departure from the Service is therefore regarded as a dishonourable discharge.

“The SAPS confirms that Lieutenant General Sibiya’s employment with the Service has been terminated with immediate effect,” the SAPS said in a statement. –SAnews.gov.za

 

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Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Deputy Minister Namane Dickson Masemola has called for stronger support from national and provincial government, together with decisive intervention where failures persist, to restore institutional stability, improve performance and rebuild public confidence.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile during the 8th Social Justice Summit at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape on Monday, Masemola said financial distress, weak governance, poor planning and capacity constraints continues to undermine service delivery in many municipalities.

“The impact is felt directly by communities through unreliable water and electricity supply, deteriorating infrastructure, delayed housing projects and limited economic opportunities. When local government falters, it is ordinary citizens who bear the greatest burden.

“Communities have a right to expect ethical, accountable and capable local government. Our task is therefore not simply to rescue struggling institutions, but to build municipalities that are sustainable, well-managed and responsive to the needs of the people,” Masemola said.

The recently approved Revised White Paper on Local Government provides a framework for reform, with an emphasis on professional and merit-based administration, financial sustainability, infrastructure management and stronger accountability.

Masemola said the reforms must move from policy to implementation as the country prepares for a new local government term.

“Public office must remain a vehicle for service, while professional administrators must be empowered to perform their duties without undue interference and with full accountability to communities and the law,” Masemola said.

Proposal to accelerate development towards 2030

With four years remaining until the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Masemola called for a shift from planning and commitments towards implementation.

“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require coordinated action across government, business, labour and civil society,” he said.

Masemola presented five proposals to the summit, including ensuring that every reviewed district One Plan is supported by a clear project pipeline and aligned budget, with defined responsibilities, funding and completion dates.

He also called for district plans to be assessed through a social justice lens, and prioritise people most in need, particularly women, young people, persons with disabilities and rural communities.

Other proposals include publishing district delivery scorecards to track targets and progress, prioritising infrastructure maintenance same as new projects, and strengthening partnerships between government, business, labour, civil society, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations and communities to drive development and monitor progress.

“If we are serious about advancing social justice, we must move beyond consultation to collaboration, and beyond commitments to implementation. Together, we have the opportunity to ensure that development reaches every community and that no one is left behind,” Masemola said.

Masemola also emphasised the importance of using credible data to get a clear understanding of where needs are greatest, who is being left behind, and what interventions will make the greatest difference.

Shaping local development

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the need to address persistent inequalities rooted in apartheid and ensure that development reaches communities historically excluded from economic opportunities and essential services.

While acknowledging progress since 1994 in expanding access to services and strengthening democratic institutions, Masemola said poverty, unemployment and inequality continue to affect many South Africans.

He noted the official unemployment rate, which stood at 33.6% in mid-2026, with women disproportionately affected.

As the country prepares for the local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026, Masemola challenged newly elected municipal councils to govern effectively, deliver services and restore public trust.

“Government must also listen carefully to the concerns and frustrations of communities and respond meaningfully.”

He also warned against the destruction of public infrastructure, including schools, clinics, libraries, roads and water facilities, as these harm the very communities that rely on them.

“Our collective challenge is to ensure that people have trusted and effective channels through which their voices can be heard, concerns addressed and solutions found before frustration gives way to unrest,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Police will intensify operations across the country during the festive season, with increased visibility on roads, at shopping centres, ports of entry and other busy areas to protect residents and visitors.

Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale said the South African Police Service (SAPS) would deploy dedicated officers around the clock as part of efforts to combat crime and improve public safety.

“We are ensuring that there is heightened police visibility nationally,” Mathale said.

Speaking at the launch of the Safer Festive Season programme in Mpumalanga, Mathale said the festive season brings a surge in tourism, with ports of entry becoming busier as people travel in and out of the country for holidays and other reasons.

“We will therefore ensure that our police officers are more visible on the road, in shopping centres and other areas with high concentration of our people and tourists,” Mathale said.

He said road fatalities and accidents also tend to increase during this period, with many accidents resulting from driving under the influence of alcohol.

“Therefore, a zero tolerance approach will be followed against drinking and driving. SAPS will therefore ensure the enforcement of legislation regarding liquor trading and public consumption thereof, as well as enhancing safety at sports and recreational events.

“The continuous senseless and brutal killings of women and children demands a much stronger response from us. Hence we will be strengthening our interventions towards combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.

“To this effect, we will be conducting integrated campaigns and law enforcement operations across communities to aggressively target perpetrators of violent crimes against women and children,” the Deputy Minister said.

Other key interventions during the festive season will include:

• Preventing aggravated robberies and trio crimes.
• Strengthening border security in collaboration with the Border Management Authority (BMA).
• Dismantling the illicit economy.
• Enforcing compliance with firearm, liquor and second-hand goods legislation.
• Intensifying road safety operations with national, provincial and local traffic authorities.
• Strengthening security at major events, including preparations for the 2026 local government elections and the protection of voting stations and election results.
• Targeting extortion and kidnapping.

Mathale said fighting and eliminating all forms of crime remained the primary mandate of the Department of Police.

“We remain sharply aware of our pressing obligation to continue pursuing every effort that will deliver a crime-free South Africa, where our citizens and everyone within our borders will live without fear of being attacked or becoming victims of criminality.

“Therefore, the safer festive season programme does not replace our primary policing functions but is intended to augment and upscale policing during the holiday season,” Mathale said.

He said the launch marked a renewed commitment to protecting residents and visitors and ensuring that criminals had nowhere to hide.

“We are committing to protecting our citizens and visitors. We are declaring war against crime and criminality. We are ensuring that criminals will have nowhere to hide.

“The police cannot fight crime alone. You (communities) need to take decisive action to stand with the police against crime and criminality. Criminals live with us and among us as members of the community, we know who they are,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called for stronger implementation of the District Development Model (DDM), emphasising that government plans must translate into measurable results in people’s lives.  

Delivering the keynote address on Mashatile’s behalf during the 8th Social Justice Summit at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape on Monday, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Namane Dickson Masemola said the success of the model must be measured by its impact on communities.

“The success of the DDM will not be measured by the number of plans produced, but by the positive impact it has on people’s lives,” Masemola said.

Held under the theme: “The District Development Model (DDM) Inter-Governmental Relations as Catalysts for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Social Justice”, this year’s summit underscores the importance of cooperation across all spheres of government in driving development, improving service delivery and advancing social justice.

The model, guided by the principle of “One District, One Plan, One Budget”, aims to improve coordination between national, provincial and local government, align resources and address fragmented planning and implementation. 

Masemola said the challenges of poverty, unemployment, inequality and uneven access to services cannot be addressed by any institution acting alone.

“They require coordinated action, shared responsibility and a steadfast focus on the needs of our people,” he said.

Masemola said all district and metropolitan areas have now developed One Plans, providing a foundation for integrated planning and investment. The task is to ensure effective implementation and measurable results.

“Encouraging progress has already been recorded in areas such as infrastructure development, water security, healthcare and local economic development. These examples demonstrate the value of coordinated action and partnership across government. 

“However, communities rightly judge success by outcomes. They want reliable services, quality infrastructure, access to economic opportunities and safer neighbourhoods. Development must be visible and tangible in everyday life,” the Deputy Minister said.

He highlighted five priorities for strengthening the model, and these include accelerating funded and achievable projects; strengthening alignment between planning and budgeting; building institutional capacity, particularly in infrastructure delivery and financial management; expanding partnerships with business, academia, civil society and communities; and measuring success through improved services, economic inclusion and better living conditions.

At its core, the DDM is about building a capable, responsive and developmental state that works as one to serve the people of South Africa, Masemola said.

“The DDM gives practical effect to this vision by promoting integrated planning and coordinated implementation. It recognises that challenges such as housing, healthcare, education, infrastructure and economic development are interconnected and therefore require integrated solutions.

“This approach remains particularly important as South Africa continues to address the enduring legacy of apartheid, which left deep spatial, social and economic inequalities. Advancing social justice requires deliberate efforts to overcome these disparities and expand opportunity for all,” Masemola said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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The South African National Parks (SANParks) has appointed new restaurant operators at selected camps in Kruger National Park as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the visitor experience and invest in world-class tourism facilities.

SANParks said the appointments followed a transparent and competitive tender process that attracted several leading hospitality brands.

“The appointments coincide with the expiry of the previous concession agreements and form part of SANParks’ commitment to enhancing visitor experiences and maintaining world-class tourism facilities,” SANParks said in a statement on Monday.

The former Mugg & Bean at Lower Sabie will reopen as Sabie River Café, while the Wimpy at Pretoriuskop will become Le Lapeng Burgers and Grill. 

Tindlovu Restaurant at Berg-en-Dal will be transformed into Eziko Eatery, and the Cattle Baron at Skukuza will be refurbished to give it a fresh look and feel.

“Temporary dining facilities offering limited menus will be available during the refurbishment periods to ensure continuity of service. SANParks and the respective operators apologise for any inconvenience caused by the upgrades and appreciate visitors’ patience and understanding.

“The new operators will bring fresh concepts, investment and energy to some of the park’s most popular camps, contributing to economic growth, job creation and an enhanced tourism offering in Kruger National Park.

“SANParks looks forward to unveiling the upgraded facilities in the coming months.” – SAnews.gov.za

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Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh has called for closer cooperation between government and the traditional medicine sector to cultivate medicinal plants and reduce pressure on species threatened by unsustainable wild harvesting.

The call comes as the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) estimates that 2 062 indigenous plant species are used in traditional medicine.

“That is about one in 10 of all the plant species in South Africa. Behind those plants stand more than 200,000 traditional health practitioners.

“Think about that for a moment. This is not a fringe practice. This is a health system. It is also under strain. Towns and cities want more of these plants than the wild can give. 

“Harvesting has become harder, sometimes reckless. Drought and a changing climate are making bad years worse. Poverty pushes people to take what they can sell today. And some of the trade is simply illegal,” the Deputy Minister said.

Addressing the India–South Africa Traditional Medicines Symposium and Exhibition in Durban on Saturday, Singh said the 2024 Red List of endangered plants shows that 154 commonly used medicinal plant species — and their unique genomes — are at risk of extinction because of overuse.

“If the plant goes, the medicine goes with it. You cannot keep a tradition alive in a storeroom. If we want traditional medicine to have a future, the plants have to have a future too.

“We have to learn to grow what we use, put back what we have taken, and leave enough for the next pair of hands. We have to manage these genetic resources and their gene pools responsibly,” he said.

Singh said the responsibility to protect biodiversity also extends to the digital DNA sequence information derived from these plants.

“As advances in biodiversity science increasingly rely on nature’s Digital Sequence Information (DSI), we must ensure that the benefits arising from the use of our biodiversity are shared fairly and equitably with all South Africans practitioners,” Singh said.

Against this backdrop, Singh urged the sector to accelerate the shift from wild harvesting to cultivation.

“SANBI is already in it with us. They keep the record: which plants and genetic resources are used, which ones are slipping, which populations are in trouble. They maintain the National Red List. 

“They help us name a plant correctly, grow it, and put it back, whether that means protecting it where it already grows or keeping it safe in cultivation. None of that works if it is done over the heads of the people who know the plants. 

“So, the institute is working with traditional health practitioners, traditional leaders, communities and the provincial conservation authorities,” the Deputy Minister said.

He said the goal was not simply to preserve rare species, but to ensure that rural healers could continue to access or grow the plants their patients need, while enabling households to earn an income without exhausting natural stocks.

“We are also trying to find the money to do this properly, not as a pilot that ends when the workshop ends. Under Component 2 of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8) proposal, Securing Nature’s Contributions to People,” Singh said.

To turn this approach into practical action, Singh said SANBI had proposed a project focused on propagation, training and land restoration.

“Healers have already named 15 medicinal plants that are becoming hard to find in the wild. The proposal is to multiply those at scale. To hand mother stock and proper horticultural training to 1,800 traditional healers and community members, at least half of them women. 

“To restore 1,800 hectares of tired communal land in Limpopo, North West and the Eastern Cape. And to map a network of places that matter culturally, not only scientifically, in three provinces,” the Deputy Minister said.

Singh urged the sector to expand nurseries and build on the work already undertaken by SANBI and traditional healers, including the identification of 15 scarce species, the provision of mother stock, training for 1 800 people and the restoration of communal land.

“Let us build value chains that do not cheat the community at the end of them. Let us write down what is at risk of dying with the elders, and let us do it with their consent, not around them. 

“Let us make room for young people, and especially for women, who are already half the story and too often none of the credit,” he said. –SAnews.gov.za

 

 

 

 

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To further develop the local informal economy sector, the eThekwini Municipality is rolling out Informal Trade and Retail Markets By-law Review Roadshows, with the first session set to take place on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.

The roadshows will allow traders and sector stakeholders to share their views and contribute to shaping proposed changes that will strengthen and support the sector.

The roadshows will allow traders and other stakeholders to share their views on the proposed amendments to the Retail Markets By-law and Informal Trade By-law, which were promulgated in 2014.

The municipality is currently reviewing the regulations through the Retail Markets First Amendment By-law and Informal Trade Third Amendment By-law 2026.

The first consultation session is scheduled to take place at the iTRUMP Hall in Durban’s central business district on Tuesday. The session will get underway at 10am.

Chairperson of the Economic Development and Planning Committee, Thembo Ntuli, said the review aims to ensure that the regulatory framework supports safe and orderly trading while creating greater opportunities for participation in the local economy.

“The input of traders and stakeholders is critical to ensuring that the proposed amendments respond to realities on the ground,” Ntuli said.

The municipality said the sessions will help ensure that the regulatory framework remains responsive to the needs of the informal economy while supporting economic opportunities.

Other consultations will take place across the municipality’s regions during October and November.
In the Inner and Outer West, sessions are scheduled for 16 October at the Pinetown Civic Centre’s Council Chamber and 22 October at Clermont Hall, Clermont Sizakala Centre, starting at 9am.

The South Areas session will be held at uMlazi V Community Hall on 27 October, from 10am, followed by a meeting at Bester Community Hall on 29 October for the North Areas, starting at 10am.

The Coastal Areas consultation is scheduled for 5 November at Durban Surfing Club, while the Upper North Areas will host sessions at oThongathi Sports Centre on 10 November and Verulam Library on 11 November. All sessions will start at 10am. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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