Category: South Africa Government

The Deputy Minister of Social Development Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks has called for a more compassionate and innovative response to substance abuse, saying government must take services directly to vulnerable communities rather than expecting people to seek help on their own.

Addressing the commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Tladi, Gauteng, on Thursday, the Deputy Minister said substance abuse remains a systemic crisis affecting families, communities and the country’s social fabric.

The event formed part of South Africa’s observance of the United Nations-designated day, held this year under the theme, “Innovative Responses: Confronting Substance Abuse and its Related Challenges”.

Hendricks said substance abuse was a daily challenge confronting communities across the country.

He highlighted the plight of homeless people and those living on the streets, saying they often bear the greatest burden of addiction while facing multiple barriers to accessing treatment and support.

According to the Deputy Minister, many homeless people struggling with substance use disorders also contend with untreated physical and mental health conditions, unemployment, limited skills development opportunities, social isolation and stigma.

“Innovation means breaking down silos. It means taking services out of government buildings and bringing them directly to the pavements, shelters, informal settlements, and wherever they are needed most,” the Deputy Minister said.

He stressed that every person, regardless of their housing status, deserves access to a comprehensive continuum of care, including prevention programmes, treatment, rehabilitation, social reintegration and long-term aftercare.

The Department of Social Development, the Hendricks said, remains committed to providing screening and assessment services, holistic medical and psychosocial treatment, as well as reintegration programmes aimed at reuniting people recovering from substance use disorders with their families and communities.

He urged communities to support people in recovery and reject discrimination based on race, gender or social status.

The commemoration concluded with a renewed call for stronger partnerships to combat substance abuse and related social challenges, including homelessness, crime, violence and victimisation. – SAnews.gov.za

Government is making “substantial progress” in the deportation and repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa, reflecting the five-point comprehensive approach for managing migration through lawful, coordinated, and constitutionally sound mechanisms.

Government has ramped up its work to clamp down on illegal immigration through the Comprehensive Approach for Migration Management announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this month.

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and chair of the Inter-ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration, Mmamoloko Kubayi, noted that countries including Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, along with Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have come forward to repatriate their citizens.

“We are making substantial progress with the deportation and repatriation of foreign nationals across the affected provinces.

“Over and above the work that we have been undertaking in enforcing our immigration laws, mostly through deportations from our Lindela Repatriation Centre, several countries have come forward to offer the voluntary repatriation of their respective nationals. 

“The repatriation process is voluntary and requesting countries bear the primary responsibility for transportation cost and management of logistics in this regard. Under normal circumstances, the responsibility of the host country only involves verification and issuance of orders to leave,” Kubayi said in a media briefing on Friday.

“As you might have observed from the scenes in Sherwood and Che Guevara, Durban Drive-in, eMsunduzi areas in KwaZulu-Natal, the Malawian nationals’ situation had become untenable in terms of numbers and the humanitarian emergency that has arisen henceforth. To date (close of business – 25/06/20206), a total of 15 162 Malawian nationals have been processed for deportation and repatriation, and more are still undergoing the verification process for repatriation from various temporary repatriation centres in the country. 

“Given the gravity of this situation and the need to expedite the deportation and repatriation of these foreign nationals, we have taken a decision to extend the jurisdiction of the Musina Refugee Reception Office in Limpopo province to also conduct verifications. 

“We have as a result activated all logistics relating to the repatriation of foreign nationals in Musina. We will work with various stakeholders such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Red Cross, Feature Family, Musina Legal Advice Office (MLAO), Outreach Foundation and Save the Children foundation to facilitate this process, including the Consul General of Malawi,” Kubayi said.

This strategic work is bolstered by a new Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre (TRPC) outside Musina in Limpopo, which is aimed at:

• Enabling faster processing and verification of undocumented foreign nationals.
• Facilitating more efficient clearance through the Beitbridge port of entry, and
• Serving as a decentralised processing point, reducing reliance on Lindela and improving overall system throughput.

“This intervention is intended to support timely deportation, improved compliance with legal timeframes, and enhanced operational resilience under current surge conditions.

“The repatriation centre currently utilised in eThekwini will be closed and all Malawian nationals will be transferred once all logistics are finalised,” Kubayi said.

Other key achievements as a result of government work include:

• The arrest of 5 056 suspects for contravention of immigration laws in the week of 15 June 2026 alone.
• Processing of 8 230 persons processed to date through the Beitbridge port of entry.
• Multidisciplinary enforcement operations resulting in 35 arrests, including two employers charged with employing undocumented foreign nationals.

“The Border Management Authority (BMA), working with the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and other law enforcement agencies, has maintained heightened vigilance across all ports of entry in the three modalities of land, air and sea.

“Static checkpoints and roadblocks remain in place at key corridors leading to critical ports, including Beitbridge,” Kubayi said.

Working together

The Minister acknowledged that the challenges of migration are “complex” and added that government’s approach to the issues will be “anchored in the Constitution, the rule of law and our shared commitment as Africans”.

“Government will not tolerate the circumvention of our immigration systems, nor will it permit acts of vigilantism, violence or intimidation directed at any community. We call on all undocumented persons within our borders to comply with our laws, and we call on employers to refrain from transgressing immigration and labour legislation.

“We thank our partner countries for their cooperation in the safe, orderly and voluntary repatriation of their citizens. We further thank the people of South Africa for their continued patience and trust as we restore stability to affected communities,” Kubayi concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on member states of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) to accelerate reforms and strengthen regional cooperation to help the bloc respond to a changing global trade environment.

Delivering closing remarks at the 9th SACU Summit in Cape Town on Friday, President Ramaphosa said leaders had reached consensus on key strategic issues after what he described as frank and productive discussions.

SACU comprises Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.

The summit considered regional and global developments affecting the customs union, including growing protectionist measures and shifts in international trade. Leaders endorsed recommendations from the SACU Ministerial Retreat held on 24 June and noted progress in implementing the SACU Strategic Plan for 2022–2027.

Member states had made significant advances in industrialisation, investment promotion, export promotion, trade facilitation, logistics and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The President said work had begun on regional value chains in fertilisers, agrochemicals and seed production, while initiatives in the automotive and battery manufacturing sectors were also progressing.

A regional investment roundtable is expected later this year to mobilise funding for these industries.

The summit also welcomed the results of joint regional enforcement operations targeting illicit tobacco and tobacco products. According to President Ramaphosa, the operations had led to the seizure of illicit goods, arrests, financial penalties and the recovery of excise duties and value-added tax.

He said work was also under way to develop strategies for the automotive and minerals beneficiation sectors, alongside a long-term industrialisation strategy for the customs union.

All SACU member states are now implementing tariff concessions under the AfCFTA, the President said, adding that leaders agreed on the need for an export strategy to boost intra-African trade and maximise the benefits of existing trade agreements.

He said the summit had also emphasised the importance of concluding trade negotiations more quickly to diversify export markets and improve the region’s resilience amid geopolitical tensions and changes in global trade patterns.

Leaders noted progress in developing a financing mechanism for cross-border industrialisation and infrastructure projects and reaffirmed the importance of diversifying trade as a strategy to strengthen economic resilience.

President Ramaphosa’s term as chair of the SACU Summit ends on 14 July. – SAnews.gov.za

Government says 30 June 2026 will be a normal working day, warning that any acts of intimidation, violence or disruption will be met with the full force of the law.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration said this at a media briefing in Pretoria on Friday, following its weekly meeting to assess progress on government’s response to irregular migration.

“Enforcement of the law is the responsibility of the State. Thus, we are ready as a State to protect every person, citizens and foreign nationals, against any form of abuse and intimidation. We therefore declare that the 30th of June 2026 as a normal day for the country,” Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamaloko Kubayi said.

The IMC said no unauthorised individuals were permitted to demand documentation or proof of nationality from members of the public, while blocking access to schools, hospitals, clinics or other public services is unlawful.

The Minister also warned that violence, intimidation, vigilantism, xenophobia, hate speech and the spread of misinformation, including fake news on social media, would be prosecuted.

She said law enforcement agencies had intensified intelligence-led operations across the country in response to growing public tensions. A total of 89 public order and incitement-related incidents had been registered as criminal cases by 21 June, up from 53 the previous week.

A total of 164 people had been arrested for offences including incitement to violence and contraventions of the Regulation of Gatherings Act, while 36 cases were already before the courts.

The South African Police Service also arrested more than 5 000 people for immigration-related offences during Operation Shanela in the week ending 15 June.

The Minister condemned recent anti-immigration protests that were accompanied by looting in parts of the Free State, saying vigilantism and attacks targeting people based on nationality are criminal acts.

Government has engaged social media platforms over content linked to the 30 June date, following some users circulating manipulated videos and images allegedly intended to incite violence and undermine the country’s international reputation.

Kubayi stressed that while freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are protected by the Constitution, those rights do not extend to incitement of violence or the advocacy of hatred.

The IMC called on South Africans not to allow legitimate concerns about illegal migration to be exploited by individuals seeking to incite violence or destabilise the country.

“We repeat that the 30th of June 2026 will be a normal day for the country, economic and social activities will not be disrupted,” said Kubayi. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Waste economy enterprises have been urged to register on a new national digital repository aimed at improving support, coordination and access to information in the sector.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has called on eligible micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs/SMMEs) operating in the waste economy to join the Waste Economy Enterprises Repository of South Africa (WEERSA).

WEERSA is a smart web- and mobile-based national directory designed to map, connect and empower waste sector enterprises across the country.

“The absence of a centralised, up-to-date, and user-friendly repository has significantly limited policymakers’ and stakeholders’ ability to access critical sector information, develop evidence-based interventions, allocate resources efficiently, and provide targeted support to MSMEs/SMMEs in the waste economy,” the department said on Friday.

According to the department, the repository will serve as a credible and accessible database of waste economy enterprises, helping to address longstanding gaps in reliable sector data.

Businesses with a valid Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) number are eligible to register on the platform.

The department said the platform is expected to support both formal and informal businesses, while strengthening coordination, evidence-based decision-making and inclusive economic growth. The main objectives of WEERSA are to:

• Accurately register and maintain a repository of MSMEs in the waste sector.
• Act as a source of accurate information for the waste sector.
• Provide MSMEs with information about funding and empowerment opportunities.
• Act as a link between key role players in the waste sector.

–SAnews.gov.za

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called on China to work with South Africa to expand e-commerce channels, digital trade platforms and market-entry programmes that can help South African businesses access new opportunities.

“We are particularly interested in expanding market access opportunities for South African exporters and strengthening participation by South African companies in digital commerce platforms and integrated supply chains,” Mashatile said in Shenzhen on Friday.

Mashatile was speaking during a visit to the South Africa Commodity China Exhibition and Trade Center (SACC), a platform for enterprises from South Africa and China to explore trade and investment cooperation opportunities.

The Deputy President is on a Working Visit to the People’s Republic of China to further advance cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest. China remains South Africa’s largest trading partner and one of the most important sources of investment, technology and industrial collaboration. 

“South Africa views SACC as a strategic platform capable of supporting broader cooperation in investment promotion, manufacturing partnerships, industrial development, and value-added trade.

“The Centre’s focus on cross-border e-commerce and digital trade presents exciting opportunities for South African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and exporters seeking direct access to Chinese consumers and business partners,” the Deputy President said.

Mashatile also highlighted South Africa’s diverse portfolio of products and industries that align strongly with growing demand in China.

These include critical minerals and mineral beneficiation; agricultural products and agro-processing; premium wines and beverages; citrus, avocados and fresh produce; seafood and aquaculture products; jewellery and precious metals; and advanced manufacturing and industrial products.

“South Africa values institutions that create practical mechanisms for expanding trade, attracting investment, and facilitating business partnerships. The South Africa Commodity Centre represents exactly this type of strategic platform.

“We are encouraged by the vision of SACC as a comprehensive China–South Africa economic cooperation hub that promotes two-way trade, industrial collaboration, and market integration.

“Your investment in a permanent South Africa National Pavilion demonstrates confidence in South Africa’s products, industries, and long-term economic potential,” the Deputy President said.

Mashatile encouraged the SACC and affiliated companies to work closely with InvestSA and use the One Stop Shop facility, which assists investors with the administrative processes involved in establishing a business in the country.

The One Stop Shop serves as a single point of contact in government for investors, helping to coordinate and facilitate engagement with relevant departments on regulatory matters, registration, permits and licensing.

The Deputy President said platforms, such as the SACC, could play a key role in opening new export channels, strengthening industrial cooperation and positioning more South African products in the Chinese market. –SAnews.gov.za

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and several associated parties have been ordered to pay back some R24.98 million unlawfully diverted from a National Lotteries Commission (NLC) grant.

The order was handed down by the Special Tribunal following an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit which, according to the unit, found that payments meant to fund the 2016 Rio Olympics roadshow campaign were instead used to enrich certain individuals and companies linked to a former NLC official.

“On 7 July 2016, SASCOC applied for a grant of R34.83 million from the NLC as a conduit for the Mshandukani Foundation. This came after the Mshandukani Foundation was registered as a nonprofit company [NPO] on 16 February 2016 and opened a bank account on 12 April 2016.

“The investigation also uncovered that the identities of two women – a receptionist and a geologist intern at Mshandukani Holdings (Pty) Ltd – were used without their consent and their signatures forged to register the foundation, which had no affiliation with SASCOC.

“Despite this, SASCOC assisted Mshandukani in securing funding from the NLC,” the SIU explained in a statement.

Sophisticated scheme

The SIU said when funding was secured, SASCOC promptly transferred R24.83 million to the Mshandukani Foundation in three tranches.

This despite the fact that the foundation “did not qualify for funding, as it was a newly established NPO and lacked the required annual financial statements”.

Some R150 000 was retained and marked as “services rendered”.

Portions of the grant were transferred to various entities by the foundation, including:
•    R15.35 million paid to Ironbridge Travel Agency between 22 July and 28 September 2016.
•    R7.23 million paid to Mshandukani Holdings between 22 July 2016 and 6 March 2017.
•    R2 million paid to Ndzhuku Trading between 23 and 28 July 2016.
•    
Furthermore, foundation paid R240,000 to several beneficiaries under the reference “SASCOC Events”, including:
•    Benza Consulting – R80 000.
•    Imbizo Events – R85 000.
•    Koleka Music Productions – R30 000.
•    Minenhle Dlamini – R50 000.

The investigation also found that several companies paid by Ironbridge Travel Agency were linked to NLC Chief Operations Officer, Philemon Letwaba.

Among the payments identified were:
•    R450 000 paid to Letwaba.
•    R600 000 paid to a former NLC official in legal.
•    R3 million paid to Mosokodi Business Trust, an entity linked to Letwaba.

“The SIU found that the R15.35 million transferred to Ironbridge Travel Agency, owned by Karabo Charles Sithole, who is related to Letwaba, was used for purposes unrelated to the grant’s approved objectives.

“However, the funds were used to purchase vehicles and livestock, pay panel beaters, cover network installation services, fund decor, and enrich Letwaba, his family, and associates,” the statement read.

All the respondents have been ordered to pay back the money except the two women whose identities were fraudulently used.

Dlamini and Imbizo Events have already concluded settlement agreements with the SIU.

“In the judgment, the Tribunal found that SASCOC was complicit in the scheme to ‘siphon’ funds from the NLC and played a role in facilitating the unlawful diversion of public funds.

“The Tribunal orders form part of the implementation of the SIU investigation outcomes and consequence management to recover financial losses suffered by State institutions due to corruption or negligence.

“In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU will refer any evidence of criminal conduct uncovered during its investigation to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

A high-impact government inspection blitz at the Mooi River Toll Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal has placed the road freight and logistics sector under scrutiny, exposing immigration breaches, unsafe transport practices and suspected human trafficking.

The operation, led by Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza and Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, formed part of the inspection and enforcement services multidisciplinary blitz programme. 

It brought together labour inspectors, immigration officials, transport authorities and law-enforcement agencies to test compliance.

Sibiya, in a post on social media platform X, said the operation had yielded significant results. 

“The operation closed both N3 North and South bound, a number of illegal immigrants driving without work permits were arrested and in a turn of events some drivers opted to use the R103 and our agile team identified them and our operation moved to R103 where we arrested two drivers trafficking some Malawian citizens who have since been taken to a place of safety for processing for deportation,” he wrote.

The inspection comes amid tensions in the trucking industry, where local drivers and communities have raised concerns about undocumented foreign nationals being employed as drivers. 

Mooi River has previously been associated with protests linked to the sector.

In an interview with the SABC, Nzuza said the operation – whose main target was undocumented foreign nationals working in the trucking industry – made a substantial number of arrests, although figures were not yet finalised.

He said the operation helped government understand the problem “on the ground”, especially in areas where complaints had been made about undocumented foreign nationals driving trucks. 

He said some people entered South Africa as visitors and later took up work in domestic and cross-border trucking.

“They are employed by truck owners who are also not following the law, because they are employing people who are illegally in the country,” the Deputy Minister said. 

“We want to send a very clear message to employers that we are now targeting employers. We want to cut the demand for illegal immigrant labour.”

The focus was not limited to drivers but extended to operators and employers accused of creating demand for unlawful work.

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Hlengwa said the joint presence of several departments was important because the risks crossed institutional boundaries. 

“The presence of the various government departments and entities collaborating is important across the ecosystem because it is about the pooling and sharing of resources,” he said.

He said the operation pointed to the need for public education, particularly where vulnerable people may not understand where they are being taken. He said alleged human trafficking involving women and children – which was identified during the blitz – created risks for the state and demanded coordinated intervention.

From a transport perspective, Hlengwa said some vehicles were allegedly being used outside the conditions of their permits, including as passenger vehicles. 

“You cannot fit 10 or 12 people in the back of a truck like that, including children, and then also add cargo onto the vehicle. It is an overload, it is a risk to the vehicle, and it is a risk to other road users as well,” he said.

The blitz highlights government’s attempt to combine labour enforcement, immigration control and road safety oversight. Its success will depend on sustained inspections, employer accountability and protection for vulnerable people. – SAnews.gov.za

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on member states of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) to transform the regional bloc from a traditional customs arrangement into a dynamic industrial hub capable of shielding the region from global economic shocks.

The President delivered the keynote address at the opening of the 9^th Summit of the SACU Heads of State and Government held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday.

He highlighted that as global uncertainties grow, no single African country can prosper in isolation.

“We gather today at a moment when the global economy is being reshaped before our eyes. Trade patterns are changing. New technologies are redrawing industrial competitiveness. Supply chains are being reconfigured. Around the world, nations are reorganising themselves for a far more uncertain future.

“It is at this moment when a re-imagined SACU Agenda matters,” President Ramaphosa said.

Despite an increasingly unstable global environment, countries within the SACU region are showing economic resilience, with overall economic growth within the bloc projected to reach some 2.64% in 2026 and 2.1% in 2027.

To sustain this momentum, President Ramaphosa noted that the 116-year-old institution – the oldest customs union in the world – must adapt to changing global dynamics.

“Our Union has the potential to be more than a fiscal instrument. It must be a catalyst for development.

“It is time to move away from the traditional role of SACU as a customs arrangement and towards being the premier platform for regional economic resilience and self-reliance. This is essential because institutions that fail to adapt to changing realities ultimately become custodians of the past rather than architects of the future.

“Commendable progress has been made in a number of areas. Our ambition must be nothing less than building Southern Africa into one of the world’s most competitive regional production hubs,” he said.

The President called for collaboration between countries to build a robust industrial ecosystem capable of competing globally.

Specific national competitive advantages that can be harnessed include:

• Eswatini’s manufacturing base;
• Lesotho’s textile sector;
• Namibia’s green hydrogen and uranium processing potential;
• Botswana’s diamond beneficiation experience, and
• South Africa’s automotive and steel capacity. 

“Industrialisation is the only durable path from commodity dependence to an economy capable of sustaining our growing populations.

“The next chapter in SACU’s history must be written not in customs schedules alone, but in factories that produce, laboratories that innovate, railways that connect our economies and young people whose talents are fully realised,” he insisted.

African endowment

President Ramaphosa noted that the African continent has about 30% of the world’s mineral reserves.

He said SACU must “leverage the growing global demand for critical minerals to support our own regional value chains and to fast-track the beneficiation of our raw materials”.

To clinch these opportunities, the region must continue to invest in infrastructure, including railways, roads, ports and energy grids.

“The Trans-Kalahari Railway, which Botswana and Namibia have been advancing, is precisely the kind of transformative infrastructure that the region needs.

“The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a model of shared infrastructure that has served both Lesotho and South Africa for decades. Eswatini’s energy interconnections with South Africa and Mozambique demonstrate the same value.

“We are also launching cross-border special economic zones that will serve as nodal points for regional industrialisation,” President Ramaphosa said.

He emphasised that the continent possesses “everything the world needs for the next century of human development”.

“The question is whether we will be the architects of that development or merely suppliers of raw materials. This is the challenge we must address at this Summit.

“In the end, let history record that this generation of African leaders transformed the world’s oldest customs union into one of its most dynamic engines of regional development,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za