Category: South Africa Government

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), in partnership with the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Services SETA), has committed R90 million towards revitalising Community Education and Training (CET) colleges across South Africa.

Deputy Minister for Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, announced the allocation alongside Services SETA Administrator Lehlogonolo Masoga during the launch of an infrastructure upgrade project at Emlandeleni Community Learning Centre (CLC) at Ndwedwe in north of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The investment will support infrastructure upgrades and enhance teaching and learning conditions at all nine CET colleges in the country – one in each province.

The R90 million will be evenly distributed, with R10 million allocated to each of the nine CET colleges, benefiting not only the main campuses but also their satellite centres across various provinces, which play a critical role in delivering adult education programmes.

The initiative is part of a broader strategy to transform CET colleges into key adult education centres that offer ‘second chance’ learning opportunities for out-of-school youth. The initiative aims to reposition these institutions as key drivers of inclusive education and skills development.

Speaking at the event on Monday, the Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to the Services SETA for their support and investment in Community Education and Training sector, highlighting the urgency of tackling the country’s growing cohort of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).

“We know that our country faces a significant challenge with the NEET cohort, that is, young people and adults not in employment, education or training. We cannot ignore this problem.

“CET colleges demonstrate that it is never too late to learn, rebuild and participate in the economy. Addressing youth unemployment and the lack of opportunities is urgent,” Gondwe said.

Masoga said the investment forms part of the Services SETA’s efforts to enhance access to learning opportunities across different communities.

“Services SETA has taken a deliberate decision to invest in the public education system as part of its contribution to skills development and inclusive access,” Masoga said.

Emlandeleni CLC is among the first beneficiaries of the initiative, receiving R5 million for refurbishment and upgrades. The centre, which has more than 1 000 students, will undergo improvements, including roofing repairs, refurbishment of ablution and training facilities, classroom painting, installation of smart boards, and other urgent needs.

The launch event also saw additional contributions from key stakeholders to support the centre’s development.

The additional support includes:
•    The National Student Financial Aid Scheme donated five laptops to expand access to digital learning programmes.
•    The Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA donated 10 sewing machines to enhance practical training, broaden learning, and equip learners with skills for economic participation.
•    Energy and Water Sector Education Training Authority (EWSETA) pledged a borehole drilling truck to train youth and community members, improve water access, and enhance practical skills and local services.
•    Old Mutual, in partnership with Services SETA, donated dignity packs to all learners at Emlandeleni CLC.

The Deputy Minister emphasised that the support for Emlandeleni CLC and all CET colleges goes beyond infrastructure upgrades, underscoring the need to restore the prominence of CET colleges within the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector.

“The support is about reaffirming the important role of CET colleges and ensuring they are no longer forgotten in the PSET sector, but recognised as vital institutions in our education system,” Gondwe said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) has published an Erratum to the diesel price adjustment published on Monday.

The price adjustments are effective from today.

“During the calculation of fuel prices for May 2026, the additional 93.00 cents per litre reduction in the fuel levy on diesel was erroneously captured as 0.93 cents per litre.

“This resulted in a higher increase in the wholesale price of R6.19 per litre instead of R5.27 per litre for diesel,” the department explained.

The correct adjusted prices for this month are as follows:

• Petrol 93 and 95 (ULP & LRP): R3.27 per litre (p/l) increase.
• Diesel (0.05% sulphur): R5.27 p/l increase.
• Diesel (0.005% sulphur): R5.27 p/l increase.
• Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale): R4.22 p/l increase
• Single Maximum National Retail Price for Illuminating Paraffin: R5.63 p/l increase.
• Maximum Retail Price of LPGas: R5.07 per kg increase in Gauteng and R5.78 per kg increase in the Western Cape

“The error is highly regrettable, and the department apologises for any inconvenience caused ahead of the fuel price adjustment.

“The department remains committed to providing timely, accurate and transparent information to the public and all stakeholders,” the DMPR said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape has urged motorists to exercise extreme caution as flooding has affected multiple roads.

“Motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution as widespread flooding is affecting multiple roads across Nelson Mandela Bay. Several routes are either impassable or hazardous,” the municipality said on Wednesday.

This as inclement weather has battered parts of the country with the South African Weather Service (SAWS) having issued several weather warnings and the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Velenkosini Hlabisa has urged all South Africans to exercise heightened caution, following severe weather warnings issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS).

The municipality said that roads that are severely affected are: 
•    M4 (behind the Cemetery towards Deal Party)
•    M4 between Deal Party & Mount Road
•    Addo Road (including under the train bridge)
•     N2 near John Tallant Interchange
•    Redhouse Road (Uitenhage to Gqeberha) – near submerged
•    Veeplaas & Daku Roads – closed
•    3rd Avenue Dip – closed
•    Mbane Street, Zwide (bend from Johnson Rd towards Nzondelelo High School) – is heavily flooded and
•    Mount Road

Meanwhile, flooded routes: 
•    Sydenham turn-off onto M4 (towards Summerstrand)
•    Walker Drive (Sherwood)
•    Durban Road (behind Stanford Square)
•    Stanford Road (multiple sections, including near Auto Cast Rd & Korsten)
•    Strandfontein & La Roche (corner)
•     Swartkops (M17)
•    Target Kloof
•    Chatty Dip
•    Entrance to Despatch
•    William Moffett (parts of)
•    Milner Avenue (opposite North End Lake)
•    Burt Drive (behind Mercantile Hospital)
•    Highfield Road
•    Govan Mbeki Avenue (Pier 14 area)
•    Malabar Bridge

In Newton Park and surrounds:
•    7th Avenue (between Shirley & King Edward Street)
•    Newton Street (between 4th & 5th Avenue)

The municipality urged motorists not to drive through flooded roads.

“Water depth is often misleading and may hide debris or washed-away surfaces. Even shallow, fast-moving water can sweep away  a vehicle,” it said. –SAnews.gov.za

Adverse weather conditions are expected to begin clearing from the central parts of the country this afternoon, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) said on Wednesday.

In an update, the weather service said weather conditions will begin clearing across Gauteng, North West and the Free State.

“However, rain will persist over Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as along the south coast of RSA [Republic of South Africa] today, so residents are advised to remain cautious,” it said.

On Tuesday, the weatherman said that residents of the Eastern and Western Cape are on tenterhooks this week, following the dissemination of two Orange Level 8 warnings for disruptive rain in parts of the two provinces. 

“Warnings of lower levels have also been issued for other provinces. This follows the onset of a cut-off low-pressure system, the effects of which are expected to be felt for the better part of the week,” it said on Tuesday.

The SAWS had also issued an Orange Level 6 Warning for Disruptive rain leading to flooding of roads and settlements can be expected over the Central Karoo, Kannaland and Hessequa municipalities of the Western Cape on Wednesday into Thursday as well as Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Buffalo City Metro, Dr Beyers Naude, Blue Crane Route, Ndlambe, Ngquuswa, Great Kei, Mnquma, Mbhashe, King Sabatha Dalindyebo, Nyandeni, Port St Johns, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Mbizana Local Municipalities of the Eastern Cape.

It had also issued an Orange Level 6 Warning for severe thunderstorms associated with heavy downpours resulting in flooding of roads, settlements, as well as large amounts of small hail over a populated area are expected over the eastern parts of KwaZulu Natal.

Meanwhile, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has urged all South Africans to exercise heightened caution following severe weather warnings issued by the SAWS.
READ | Public urged to exercise caution amid severe weather warnings
–  SAnews.gov.za

Government has formally lifted FMD restrictions within the KwaZulu-Natal Disease Management Area (DMA), signalling a shift in strategy as vaccination efforts intensify nationwide.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said the decision is not merely administrative, but that “it is rooted in a shift in the epidemiological story of the province”.

Since the first Disease Management Area was declared in 2021, the Minister said the country’s agricultural sector in the province has operated under a cloud of restriction, with movement controls designed to protect the national herd.

“As the situation has evolved, so too must our strategy,” Steenhuisen said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

However, the Minister stressed that lifting the DMA does not mean does not signal reduced vigilance, instead, it signals a move towards a “more modern, unified approach”.

“We are currently developing a countrywide movement control protocol for all cloven-hoofed animals to ensure that every province adheres to the same rigorous standards.

“By publishing this rescission in the Government Gazette, we will be allowing our KZN farmers to move forward under a single, clear set of rules that protects both their livelihoods and our national agricultural integrity,” the Minister said.

The move ends years of movement controls imposed since 2021, which had placed a significant economic burden on farmers in affected areas.

Government ramps up investment to secure national herd

Meanwhile, more than 2.5 million animals have been vaccinated across South Africa since the start of the country’s large-scale acquisition of vaccines in April 2026.

KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State had received the largest share due to higher livestock concentrations.

A total of 766 508 animals have been vaccinated in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by 446 527 in the Free State. In the Eastern Cape, 376 122 animals have been vaccinated; 233 510 in Mpumalanga; 188 073 in the North West; 184 036 in Gauteng; 183 770 in Limpopo; 164 474 in the Western Cape, and 46 996 animals in the Northern Cape.

“With our first batches of vaccine procurement from Biogénesis Bagó and Dollvet, we have already invested R238.2 million in this war. As we move into the next critical phase, our projected expenditure on vaccines – from our two international suppliers – will increase to over R644.5 million.

“This excludes the R72 million spent last year on BVI [Botswana Vaccine Institute] vaccines from Botswana for 900 000 doses – of which the MPO [Milk Producers Organisation] bought 50 000 doses, the RMIS [Red Meat Industry Services] 600 000 doses, and the Limpopo, the Free State and Mpumalanga took the initiative to buy and use their own vaccine stocks to protect their local farmers,” the Minister said.

The Agricultural Research Council has resumed limited vaccine production for the first time since the mid-2000s, releasing initial doses earlier this year and scaling up efforts to produce multi-strain vaccines suited to current outbreak conditions.

A new production fermenter is expected to boost capacity tenfold, significantly strengthening domestic supply over time.

Steenhuisen said the combined approach of international procurement and local production is critical to ensuring long-term resilience. – SAnews.gov.za

Government has officially published a Routine Vaccination Scheme for Foot and Mouth Disease (RVS-FMD), providing farmers with a fast-track mechanism to protect livestock while the national rollout continues.

The RVS-FMD was officially published in the Government Gazette on Monday, 4 May 2026, marking a critical step in strengthening South Africa’s response to Foot and Mouth Disease and safeguarding the livestock sector.

Briefing media in Parliament on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen confirmed that the scheme was gazetted under the Animal Diseases Act.

Steenhuisen said the voluntary scheme is a fast-track option that allows farmers to take the lead in their own biosecurity efforts without first having to wait for the national rollout of vaccines to reach their area. The scheme was established under Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984).

“While we are busy rolling out the national, fully funded vaccination programme, we know our commercial partners need the flexibility to protect their livestock now. This scheme operates as a public–private partnership, enabling owners of cloven-hoofed animals to mitigate the impact of FMD through voluntary vaccination, carried out under the oversight of State veterinary services.

“Participating animal owners are required to appoint a private veterinarian or Animal Health Technician, authorised by the Director: Animal Health, to perform the duties set out in the scheme schedule, under the supervision of State veterinary authorities,” Steenhuisen explained.

He said the department has considered over 300 public submissions in record time to ensure constitutional compliance with public participation processes.

Requirements for participation in the scheme

Steenhuisen highlighted some requirements for participation in the scheme, and these include:
•    Every animal in the programme must be traceable. This means they must have a permanent mark (like a brand or tattoo) and a unique ear tag so that they can be tracked from birth to slaughter.
•    Owners must enlist an authorised veterinarian or veterinary assistant to oversee the vaccinations.
•    Participants must use a digital traceability system to record when an animal was vaccinated, the vaccine batch number, and even the temperature of the fridge where the vaccine was stored.
•    Owners must allow audits and inspections to prove that they are following the Scheme’s safety rules. By having a formal, recorded vaccination plan, farmers can prove their animals are healthy. This makes it easier to ensure business continuity so that shelves remain stocked and South African meat can still be traded safely.

While livestock owners will pay for the vaccines and the veterinarian’s services, the Minister said government may consider subsidies or cost-sharing mechanisms in future to ensure greater participation in the Scheme. – SAnews.gov.za

South Africa is seeking to expand trade and investment cooperation with Japan, with a strong focus on diversifying exports and unlocking new areas of collaboration, including energy and defence industries.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola made the remarks during bilateral talks with Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Pretoria on Tuesday. 

The meeting forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen long-standing diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries, which this year mark over a century of relations.

“This year marks 116 years of relations between South Africa and Japan. Over this period, our cooperation has expanded significantly across a wide range of sectors,” Lamola said.

He pointed to a series of high-level engagements that have reinforced the partnership, including visits by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and President Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as interactions linked to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development.

“Deputy President Mashatile’s visit to Japan in March 2025 strengthened cooperation in political, economic, and social areas.

“President Ramaphosa’s participation in TICAD [Tokyo International Conference on African Development] 9 in Yokohama last year reinforced our shared commitment to Africa’s development priorities, aligned with the aspirations of Agenda 2063,” the Minister said. 

Lamola said South Africa is prioritising Asia as a key region for trade diversification, with a particular focus on increasing agricultural and agro-processing exports.

“South Africa continues to prioritise diversification of trade and investment partnerships, with Asia as a key region. We see strong potential for expanding access for South African agro-processing and agricultural products to the Japanese and broader Asian markets,” he said. 

Japan remains one of South Africa’s major economic partners, with continued investor confidence from Japanese companies.

“Japan remains a key economic partner, with significant investments in our economy. We value the confidence demonstrated by Japanese businesses, including Toyota’s recent R10.4 billion investment pledge at the 6th South African Investment Conference, supporting the transition to new energy vehicles,” Lamola said. 

Beyond traditional sectors, Lamola highlighted emerging opportunities in defence cooperation following engagements between industry players from both countries.

“We are also excited about the prospects of venturing into new areas of cooperation, such as defence equipment, following a very successful engagement between South African and Japanese companies involved in this industry in September 2025. We trust that the momentum gained during this engagement will translate into tangible cooperation partnerships.”

He added that the talks come at a time of global uncertainty, making bilateral cooperation increasingly important.

“Today’s discussions will provide an important opportunity for open engagement on a range of issues in a rapidly evolving global environment,” Lamola said. 

The bilateral meeting focused on key areas including energy, security, and critical minerals, while reaffirming Japan’s investment commitments under TICAD. – SAnews.gov.za

Regional Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Africa, Professor Mohamed Janabi, says although the “risk remains low at this time” for Africa regarding the current Hantavirus case flagged in South Africa, vigilance remains high.

A case of the rare but deadly disease was confirmed by the South African Department of Health after the condition of a patient aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius necessitated his medical evacuation to a South African private health facility in Sandton for further medical management.

Two other passengers, a couple, also presented with severe acute respiratory infection, with one collapsing at the OR Tambo International Airport while trying to connect a flight to her home country of the Netherlands.

In a post on social media platform X, Janabi assured that the WHO Africa is “closely monitoring and supporting response” to the event.

He said that as of Sunday, three people have died although only one case of the virus has been laboratory confirmed. 

“Hantavirus is a rare disease typically linked to exposure to infected rodents, and while severe in some cases, it is not easily transmitted between people. WHO is working closely with the countries concerned and the ship’s operators to support medical care, coordinate evacuations and conduct a full public health risk assessment.

“For Africa, the risk remains low at this time, but our vigilance is high. We are strengthening surveillance and preparedness to ensure swift and effective response.

“Let me reassure the public that this is a serious but contained event and there is no need for panic or travel restrictions at this stage. Our focus is clear: to save lives, contain risks and ensure that countries are fully supported with science-based action,” Janabi said.

What is Hantavirus?

On its website, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) explains that Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) causing viruses are found in the Americas and are associated with “cricetid rodent host in endemic areas of South and North America”.

Transmission mainly occurs through “inhalation of aerosolised virus particles from rodent urine droppings, or nesting materials” with transmission through rodent bites less common.

“Human-to-human transmission of hantaviruses that cause HPS is very uncommon. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission for the majority of HPS-causing viruses, and rodent exposure — rather than human contact — causes infection. Andes virus [reported from parts of South America] is the only hantavirus with well-documented human-to-human transmission.

“Transmission of the Andes virus has been inefficient and required close contact in household and health facility settings, unlike highly transmissible respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses.

“Evidence from Andes virus outbreaks (particularly in Argentina and Chile) indicates transmission can occur through close, prolonged contact with an infected person, especially involving household contacts, sexual partners, and caregivers. Likely routes of exposure include respiratory secretions (e.g., droplets from coughing), direct contact with saliva, and possibly other body fluids during the early symptomatic phase,” the NICD explained.

Symptoms of the virus include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain in the first 3 to 5 days.

“As the disease progresses, patients may develop coughing and shortness of breath due to fluid accumulation in the lungs [pulmonary oedema] and a drop in blood pressure resulting in shock. The cardio-pulmonary phase can progress very quickly within hours], and the case fatality rate [CFR] for HPS is high, between 30 – 50 %.

“The CFR varies by virus, region, and access to intensive care, and patient factors [i.e., the influence of co-morbidities]. Common differential diagnoses (i.e., other diseases presenting with similar signs and symptoms) of suspected cases of HPS include (but are not limited to) influenza (i.e., flu), COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus infection, Legionnaire’s disease, mycoplasma pneumonia, or severe community-acquired pneumonia,” the institute said.

There currently is “no specific antiviral treatment for HPS”, with management of the virus through hospitalisation, oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation and intensive care.

“In endemic countries, prevention focuses on reducing exposure to rodents. This includes sealing homes to prevent rodent entry, proper food storage, safe cleaning of rodent-infested areas (using disinfectants and avoiding sweeping), and using protective equipment when necessary.

“Since most hantaviruses that cause HPS are not readily transmissible from person-to-person, no other precautions are recommended, and for patients with HPS, isolation precautions may not be required.

“In the case of the Andes virus, patients diagnosed with HPS should be isolated with droplet precautions and careful handling of respiratory secretions. For HPS associated with the Andes virus, contacts of cases should be identified and monitored for 42 days (i.e., the maximum incubation period of the virus),” the NICD said. – SAnews.gov.za