Category: South Africa Government

Source: Government of South Africa

Government extends its best wishes to all matriculants as they commence the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations tomorrow, 21 October 2025. 

This period marks the culmination of 13 years of learning, commitment and perseverance.

In that regard, learners are encouraged to approach the examinations with focus, confidence, and determination. 

“Your hard work represents not only personal achievement but also a vital contribution to the development and progress of our country,” said Acting Government spokesperson William Baloyi.

“Government further appeals to parents and guardians to provide the necessary support and a conducive environment for learners during this crucial time. A calm, encouraging atmosphere at home helps to reduce anxiety and allows learners to perform to the best of their ability. 

“Families are encouraged to ensure that learners maintain healthy routines, including adequate rest, nutritious meals, light exercise, and regular study breaks to sustain concentration and overall well-being.

“Government salutes the Class of 2025 for their resilience and commitment, and extends its appreciation to teachers, parents, and communities for their continued support. Together, we build a nation of capable and confident young people ready to shape South Africa’s future,” Baloyi said.

Last Wednesday, the quality assurance body, Umalusi, expressed full confidence that the country’s examination system is ready for the conduct, administration and management of the 2025 end of year national examinations. 

According to Umalusi’s audit report, a total of over one million candidates are registered to sit for various national examinations this year, including more than 900 000 learners writing the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams under the Department of Basic Education (DBE). – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Monday, October 20, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

As South Africa readies for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, government has reaffirmed its call for increased climate finance to support developing economies – emphasising that such assistance should not create new debt burdens.

“Developing-economy nations require scaled-up, predictable, and accessible funding for mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage. These must be in the form of grants and concessional finance, not new debt,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George said on Monday.

Addressing the COP30 National Stakeholder Consultation in Johannesburg, the Minister stressed that climate finance remains central to meaningful action.

“We expect the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies to present a well consulted plan that addresses the barriers developing-economy countries face in accessing climate finance.

“Developed-economy countries have a legal obligation under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement to provide this support, and we will continue to uphold that principle,” George said.

He said the New Collective Quantified Goal adopted at COP29 and the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, which aims to mobilise 1.3 trillion dollars annually by 2035, must be turned into reality.

“We must also continue to press for reform of the global financial architecture so that it is fit for purpose and capable of supporting developing-economy nations to act decisively against climate change while achieving sustainable development.

“The world must move from promises to practice. Every decision in Belém must come with a plan for implementation, financing, and accountability. COP30 must deliver real outcomes for the planet, for vulnerable communities, and for future generations,” the Minister said.

COP30 will take place in Belém, Brazil from 10 to 21 November 2025. This year’s conference will mark ten years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change.

“The operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund must be completed. It must be capitalised, accessible, and responsive to the needs of vulnerable nations, particularly in Africa. Technical and capacity-building support must accompany the fund so that developing-economy countries can avert and address loss and damage effectively,” the Minister said.

The fund was established to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
“South Africa, working with the Africa Group, will continue to advocate for recognition of the continent’s special needs and circumstances, its limited historical responsibility for emissions, and the need for tailored support for adaptation and just transitions in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities,” the Minister said.

George asserted that the Santiago Network and its technical agencies must be empowered to provide hands-on assistance where it is most needed. 

“For Africa, this means strengthening early warning systems, mapping high-risk zones, and developing social protection systems that can respond quickly when disasters strike. 

“The Loss and Damage Fund will only be meaningful if it reaches communities on the ground, rebuilding lives and livelihoods rather than remaining trapped in bureaucracy,” he said.

South Africa will continue to voice concerns about unilateral trade measures that undermine sustainable development and contradict the principles of the Paris Agreement. 

“Climate ambition cannot be achieved through punitive trade barriers, but through cooperation, innovation, and fairness,” George said.

Just Transition Programme and transparency

The Minister emphasised that the Just Transition Work Programme should evolve into a practical instrument that supports inclusive and equitable transformation.

“We need a work programme that goes beyond energy systems to address the full social and economic dimensions of transition. One that enables green jobs, empowers workers and communities, and aligns with national development plans.

“The Just Transition is not an abstract concept for South Africa. It is about ensuring that the miner in Mpumalanga, the farmer in the Karoo, and the small business owner in the townships all have a stake in a cleaner, fairer future. 

“We are committed to building the skills, industries, and innovation ecosystems that will make this transition real and inclusive. Our partnerships with business, labour, and civil society are central to this effort, and we invite all sectors to contribute to this shared mission,” the Minister said.

He encouraged the support of the Enhanced Transparency Framework under the Paris Agreement.
“Transparent reporting builds credibility, attracts investment, and strengthens policy. Developing-economy countries need the tools and training to meet these obligations, and the Consultative Group of Experts should be made a permanent body to provide this support.

“We will also support the adoption of a Gender Action Plan that ensures gender equality is fully integrated into climate action. Women and youth are at the frontlines of climate impacts and must be at the forefront of climate solutions,” the Minister said. –SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Government of South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa says overcoming poverty and tackling the cost of living for South Africans is one of the strategic priorities of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

“Access to nutritious food directly affects the physical health and development of individuals and societies,” President Ramaphosa said. 

In his weekly newsletter on Monday, President Ramaphosa said around 15 to 16 million people in South Africa have inadequate or severely inadequate access to food.

“South Africa is amongst 29 countries where the right to food and water is enshrined in the Constitution, and where citizens have resource to the legal system to ensure that this right is enforced,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said the country’s constitution imposes a duty on the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to progressively realise this right.

“Since the advent of democracy in 1994, successive administrations have adopted a multifaceted approach to tackling hunger and food security. 

“This has included legislative and policy reform, nutrition at primary health care level, and programmes that deliver nutrition directly to communities and institutions, such as the school feeding scheme.

“To further bolster food security, the provision of social grants, free basic services, free basic and tertiary education, and free primary healthcare have freed up money in households to buy food,” the President said.

He added that in South Africa, the social wage accounts for approximately 60% of spending by Government before interest payments. 

“This is amongst the highest of upper-middle income countries. A 2021 World Bank report noted that South Africa’s system of programmes were ‘effective, well-targeted and provide sizeable benefits to the poorest households’, and that our social assistance system ‘effectively reduces poverty and inequality rates,’” said the President.

In addition, the country’s School Nutrition Programme has been one of the most far-reaching and transformative policies implemented under democracy to address poverty. The programme provides nutrition to more than nine million learners from poor households on a daily basis. 

“The provision of meals at schools, with nutritious ingredients sourced from school and community food gardens, has had a positive impact on learner attendance, concentration and overall academic performance.

“Supporting communities to grow their own food has been an integral feature of Government’s food security strategy. Provincial agricultural departments run programmes across the country to support school, household and community food gardens, providing implements like seedlings, tools and training,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa said despite a range of interventions by national and provincial governments, a large portion of South African households are food insecure. 

“In a context of high unemployment and poverty and limited economic growth, many households across the country are finding it difficult to afford nutritious food,” he said.

According to Statistics South Africa data, annual inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages continues to rise. Last month, headline consumer inflation hit a 10-month high. Meat and vegetables are more expensive, putting household food budgets under pressure.

Since 1991, the zero-rating of basic food items has helped low-income households to cope with rising food costs, and at the same time we are working to ensure that there is both fairness and accountability in food markets. 

The President said that food retailers themselves are under pressure as a result of external factors like rising energy and transportation costs, droughts and global supply chain disruptions, practices like price-fixing that inflate food prices are directly contributing to food insecurity for households. 

READ | Call to join efforts to curtail rising food costs

This as the Competition Commission has conducted a number of inquiries to enforce accountability in the food market. 

“Delegates to the 7th Social Justice Summit agreed that improving food security for individuals and households is a society-wide effort. 

“As retailers work to grow their market share among low-income households, they have a responsibility to ensure this includes affordable healthy food choices such as plant and animal proteins, fruits and vegetables,” said the President.– SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Government of South Africa

Police in the Northern Cape have arrested 263 suspects during a week-long provincewide crackdown under Operation Shanela II aimed at curbing crime ahead of the festive season.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) said the multi-disciplinary operation, conducted from 13 to 19 October 2025, targeted anticipated spikes in criminal activity linked to increased social events.

“All stakeholders implemented an integrated approach, combining intelligence-led actions with visible patrols to curb crime across all five districts,” SAPS said in a statement.

The operation included stop-and-search actions, vehicle checkpoints, roadblocks, and high-visibility patrols, during which officers searched 7 831 individuals and 3 969 vehicles. Police also inspected numerous premises, including liquor outlets, second-hand dealers, farms, and scrapyards, closing 26 unlicensed liquor premises for non-compliance.

In the John Taolo Gaetsewe District, officers searched long-distance passenger buses to intercept the transport of drugs and other illicit goods.

Suspects were arrested for crimes including drug dealing and possession, illegal liquor trading, robbery, attempted murder, burglary, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH). Police also seized alcohol, drugs, dangerous weapons, and copper cables.

SAPS said it would continue to focus on preventing the possession of dangerous weapons and substance abuse, both of which fuel serious and violent crimes.

Community engagement and awareness campaigns were held alongside community policing forums and government departments to address local crime trends.

“A safer society can only be realised through cooperative action between the police, stakeholders, and the community,” SAPS said, adding that operations will continue across the province to stabilise identified crime hotspots. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Monday, October 20, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

With just hours to go before the start of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has wished the Class of 2025 well ahead of them putting pen to paper.

“On behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Government, I wish the Class of 2025 all the best in their upcoming final examinations. May your hard work and dedication throughout the year bear fruit as you prepare for these exams, which mark the culmination of your basic education,” the Premier said in a statement on Sunday.

This year, a total of 188,057 candidates have registered to write the NSC exams in Gauteng (144,315 full-time and 43,742 part-time learners).

The NSC exams will begin on Tuesday, 21 October 2025. The first day of the examinations will begin with the Computer Applications Tech P1, Practical exam in the morning session, followed by the Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu HL P1, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu FAL P1  Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu SAL P1, Hebrew SAL P1, German HL, and SAL P1 in the afternoon session.

The provincial government said that it has consistently maintained its position among the top three performing provinces in the NSC examinations. In 2024, the province achieved an 88.4% pass rate, placing it third nationally behind the Free State (91%) and KwaZulu-Natal (89.5%).

“The examinations will take place at 1,007 centres across the province (741 public schools, 267 independent schools, and 25 designated centres). Throughout the year, the Gauteng Provincial Government has worked tirelessly to support and prepare the matriculants for success.

“All parents and guardians are called upon to support the learners throughout the exam period. Systems have also been put in place to mitigate potential disruptions, such as service delivery protests and operational challenges, ensuring that all learners can write their exams under safe and conducive conditions,” it said.

The provincial government said it remains confident that the Class of 2025 will continue the province’s proud tradition of academic excellence and resilience.

Meanwhile, Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, will hold a press briefing on Monday, 20 October 2025, to present the state of readiness for the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations. 

READ | Gwarube to brief media on 2025 matric exams readiness

The annual matric exams are an important milestone in South Africa’s basic education calendar. –SAnews.gov.za 
 

Source: Government of South Africa

For the first time in the history of the Group of Twenty (G20), South Africa has successfully placed issues of air quality and crimes that affect the environment on the forum’s agenda.

Both issues were adopted by G20 through the Ministerial Declaration on Crimes that Affect the Environment and the Cape Town Ministerial Declaration on Air Quality, signalling global recognition of their urgency and cross-cutting impact on people, ecosystems and economies.

“They speak to the daily realities of our citizens: the air they breathe, the safety of their natural heritage, and the rule of law that protects it. Under South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group, we brought these critical issues to the top of the global  agenda, protecting our people and our environment, ensuring that justice and health walk hand in hand,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George, said.

The Cape Town Ministerial Declaration on Crimes that Affect the Environment calls for stronger global cooperation to combat illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, mining, waste trafficking and other transnational crimes that undermine environmental security, societies and economic integrity.

It commits G20 members to foster synergies among different policies and sectors and mobilising all sources of financial resources, improve data and monitoring, and scale up support for communities most affected by air pollution.

Together, the two declarations mark a turning point in the global environmental agenda and reflect South Africa’s leadership in linking environmental stewardship with social and economic wellbeing. 

The Minister said the outcomes will inform the G20 Leaders’ Declaration to be considered at next month’s Summit in Johannesburg.

“This is what leadership looks like: practical cooperation that improves lives and strengthens the link between nature, people and prosperity. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu reminded us, we remain prisoners of hope, steadfast in the belief that each act of cooperation brings us closer to the world we want to see,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

South Africa is preparing to develop a comprehensive nuclear industrialisation plan that goes far beyond simply converting nuclear energy into electricity, according to Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

“It’s not just about converting nuclear energy into electricity. It’s about what benefits the South African economy and what components within the nuclear fuel cycle we can domesticate or localise,” Ramokgopa said.

The Minister was speaking during a media briefing on Sunday, where he unveiled the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 following its approval by Cabinet on Wednesday, 15 October 2025.

The R2.2 trillion IRP is a comprehensive strategy that outlines the allocation of South Africa’s primary energy resources, ensuring that the country’s electricity demand is met sustainably and cost-effectively.

By 2039, government aims to add 105 000 megawatts of new generation capacity – effectively building Eskom “two and a half times” its current size.

Key highlights include 11 270 megawatts of solar photovoltaics (PV) by 2030; 7 340 megawatts of wind energy; 6 000 megawatts of gas-to-power, and 5 200 megawatts of new nuclear capacity.

“Nuclear is a big part of our conversation. We’re building 5 200 megawatts of new nuclear capacity in this country. I have made the point that the State will not prevaricate.

“The State will ensure that we are very deliberate, we are transparent in the way we are going to procure this clean energy technology solution. Nuclear… is a big part of what we’ll be doing.”

According to Ramokgopa, the strategy involves close collaboration with scientists to identify specific opportunities for local manufacturing and economic development.

“You know that we have haemorrhaged the skills the [of the] scientists [who] have left as a result of us not building any new nuclear programme. They have left and are all over the world. It’s important that the industrialisation plan also answers the questions: where are the skills going to come from, and how are we going to generate the pipeline of skills going into the future?”

Ramokgopa recognised that there is a shortage of skills needed to support this programme. To address this, he is collaborating with universities, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, particularly in the fields of engineering related to the built environment and nuclear issues.

“The second risk that sits here is that our industry has been decimated. Historically, we’ve had the big five construction companies. I think now we’re only left with one. If we are going to ramp up this build programme… we’re likely not to have an industry that is in a position to take advantage of these opportunities.”

The Minister said government will meet with industry players to determine how they can increase their capacity to meet the demands of this programme. 

“Of course, the assurance they want from us is that we’re not going to start and stop.”

With over 20 countries committing to expanding nuclear energy at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP28, South Africa sees this as a strategic economic opportunity.

He announced that aspects of the proposed plan include identifying localisable components in the nuclear fuel cycle, exploring small modular reactor (SMR) technologies, developing local industrial capabilities and creating employment opportunities in the nuclear sector.

The Minister noted that globally, around 100 SMR technologies are currently at various feasibility stages, with potential for significant commercial development.

In addition, he said 40 of the world’s top financial institutions have committed to financing nuclear projects, providing additional confidence in the sector’s future.

“We want to develop a nuclear industrialisation plan that creates jobs, builds industries, and supports our broader economic transformation,” the Minister told the media.

Ramokgopa believes that the plan represents a strategic approach to leveraging nuclear technology not just as an energy solution, but as a catalyst for broader industrial development and economic growth. – SAnews.gov.za