Category: South Africa Government

Government has, for the first time, provided international training to officials to equip them with the skills needed to manage the complex global trade in hazardous waste and plastic pollution at sea.

While the government has intensified efforts to curb plastic pollution through stronger waste regulations, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, said legislation and policy frameworks alone were not enough and had to be supported by skilled officials.

“Real impact depends on skilled, knowledgeable and committed officials who can translate legal requirements into practical action. It depends on competent authorities correctly administering prior informed consent and other transboundary controls. 

“It depends on customs officers and Border Management Authority officials who can identify suspicious shipments, apply appropriate risk management, and facilitate legitimate trade while intercepting illegal waste movements,” the Deputy Minister said on Tuesday.

Singh was addressing the opening session of the training programme in Cape Town, where he highlighted the need for Environmental Management Inspectors to have both legal expertise and technical knowledge to effectively combat hazardous pollution at sea.

According to the recent Custos Viridis operational report, environmental crime generates annual losses estimated between 80 and 230 billion Euros. 

The report also points to growing links between waste trafficking, organised crime syndicates, document fraud, illicit financial flows and other forms of transnational crime.

The Deputy Minister said seamless collaboration among regulators, scientists, investigators and prosecutors was critical in combating environmental crime, which is ranked as the world’s fourth-largest organised criminal activity.

“This training programme has been specifically designed to strengthen precisely these capabilities. Through its combination of technical sessions, practical exercises and international perspectives, it will equip participants with the knowledge and networks necessary to enhance implementation and enforcement effectiveness,” he said.

Singh described plastic pollution as one of the defining environmental crises of our time.

“Our oceans, rivers, estuaries, coastlines and terrestrial ecosystems are under growing pressure from plastic waste and microplastics. 

“The consequences extend far beyond environmental degradation: marine plastic pollution threatens fisheries, biodiversity, tourism, coastal livelihoods, and, ultimately, human health and food security. With its extensive coastline and vibrant ocean economy, South Africa is acutely aware of these risks,” he said.

Government has therefore intensified efforts to curb plastic pollution through stronger waste regulation, Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, waste diversion and recycling programmes, and the promotion of circular economy principles. 

“We are equally committed to broader ocean governance initiatives aimed at protecting marine ecosystems and advancing sustainable blue economy outcomes. 

“The Plastic Waste Amendments provide an essential international framework to support these domestic actions and to prevent the dumping of problematic plastic wastes on developing countries,” Singh said.

 The training was aimed at addressing a critical gap in enforcing the Basel Convention and its Plastic Waste Amendments. 

For the first time, international experts and officials came together to strengthen cross-border controls on illegal waste trafficking and marine plastic pollution.

The training brought together officials and experts involved in environmental regulation, customs coordination, compliance monitoring and enforcement, with a particular focus on implementing the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments and measures to address the growing global challenge of plastic pollution at sea. –SAnews.gov.za

Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, alongside Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Kenny Morolong, will on Wednesday table the Government Communication and Information System’s (GCIS) Budget Vote, which will outline the department’s priorities and plans for the 2026/27 financial year. 

The Budget Vote will also outline the plans and priorities of the GCIS entities, Brand South Africa (Brand SA) and the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA).

The annual tabling of departmental Budget Votes is an accountability mechanism for Parliament and the public to monitor how the government is implementing its service delivery commitments against the funds voted. 

Budget Vote debates provide an opportunity for Parliament to discuss and formally adopt the budgets of government departments and entities funded through a parliamentary vote. 

The debate allows for Parliament and the public to be updated about what departments are doing; how they are performing and exactly how public money is being used in a forum larger than a Committee meeting. 

On Thursday, the Minister will lead a delegation from GCIS, Brand SA and the MDDA on a street cleaning and painting campaign in Khayelitsha as part of the Love Your Street campaign, in an initiate aimed at keeping cities and neighbourhoods clean. –SAnews.gov.za

Public Service and Administration Minister Inkosi Buthelezi has used his 2026 Budget Vote speech to outline a reform agenda aimed at building what he described as a “capable, ethical and developmental State” grounded in professionalism, accountability and public trust.

Delivering the department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Tuesday, Buthelezi said recent amendments to the Public Service Act and the Public Administration Management Act marked a “defining moment” in the evolution of South Africa’s public administration.

He said the reforms would reinforce the separation between political and administrative authority by prohibiting heads of departments and senior officials from holding political office in political parties.

“For the first time in democratic South Africa, the separation between political authority and administrative authority is being reinforced with legal certainty,” he said, adding that a professional public service cannot exist where political and administrative lines are blurred.

Buthelezi said the legislation would also strengthen consequence management, improve oversight and allow government to recover irregular salary overpayments, while protecting constitutional rights.

The Minister said government intended to intensify oversight of senior appointments and strengthen merit-based recruitment as part of a broader professionalisation framework across the public service.

“Leadership positions in the public service must be occupied by individuals capable of managing complex institutions in difficult conditions,” he said.

He added that government would expand lifestyle audits and establish an Integrity and Interference Log across departments to identify governance failures before they became systemic crises.

A central register for disciplinary cases would operate across all spheres of government to prevent officials dismissed for misconduct from moving between departments without consequence.

Buthelezi said digital transformation would become a central pillar of state reform, arguing that a modern state had to be digitally capable to improve service delivery, institutional integrity and economic inclusion.

“Digital transformation is not simply about technology procurement. It is about institutional capability,” he said.

The Minister highlighted the role of the National School of Government, saying it had trained more than 600 000 individuals since its establishment and would continue expanding compulsory programmes in financial management, cybersecurity and governance.

He announced the formalisation of a ministerial advisory committee on curriculum development and quality assurance, chaired by former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

On healthcare support for public servants, Buthelezi said the Government Employees Medical Scheme had reached agreement with labour and government to reduce a proposed contribution increase from 9.5% to 7.5%.

He said the adjustment balanced financial sustainability with the wellbeing of workers facing rising living costs.

The Minister described the Public Service Commission (PSC) as a constitutional safeguard for ethical governance and professional administration.

He said a new PSC Bill before the National Council of Provinces would strengthen the commission’s enforcement powers and expand its role in professionalisation, recruitment oversight, ethics investigations and anti-corruption work.

Buthelezi acknowledged former Public Service Commission Director-General Advocate Dinkie Dube on her appointment as Deputy Public Protector.

Buthelezi said South Africa could no longer afford “a public service that is politically contested, administratively weak and ethically uncertain”.

“This Budget Vote advances a simple but substantial proposition that the constitutional promise of a capable, ethical and developmental State must now move from aspiration to reality,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Flood victims were overcome with emotion and relief as they received the keys to their new homes at Cornubia, north of Durban, marking a long-awaited step towards stability and dignity after being displaced by the devastating 2022 floods.

For many beneficiaries, the handover of houses represents a turning point after years spent in temporary emergency accommodation.

EThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba, together with KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma, officially launched the handover of 113 houses on Monday, with further allocations set to continue throughout the week.

Between Monday, 18 and Friday, 22 May, houses will be handed over to families currently residing in Transitional Emergency Accommodation (TEAs) located in areas including Mahatma Gandhi (Point), Sydenham’s O’Flaherty Road, Dassenhoek and Ntuzuma.

The municipality said the initiative forms part of a broader strategy to transition flood-affected families in privately owned TEAs into sustainable and dignified housing solutions.

According to the municipality, since the 2022 disaster, more than 4 000 families have been accommodated through TEA arrangements. However, the city noted that these temporary arrangements, many of which involve privately owned facilities, have placed a significant financial strain on the city.

The municipality is therefore accelerating efforts to transition families into permanent housing.

Several interventions are currently underway to support relocation process. These include the allocation of newly built houses in Cornubia, relocation to newly acquired and refurbished units at Montclair Lodge, and placement in TEAs within Cornubia.

In addition, 37 houses have already been handed over to flood-affected families in Illovo, while a further 104 families are expected to move into upgraded flats at Montclair Lodge in the coming weeks.

Addressing the handover ceremony, Duma said progress is being made through collaboration between provincial and national government, as well as the municipality.

“Significant progress continues to be made in restoring dignity to flood-affected families, with more than 4 000 households already accommodated since 2022,” he said.

He added that the National Department of Human Settlements has appointed a contractor to build 500 temporary housing units in Cornubia, supported by an investment of approximately R400 million for bulk infrastructure development.

Xaba said the city has made substantial progress in rebuilding infrastructure damaged during the floods, including the reconstruction of roads, stormwater systems, bridges, and water and sanitation infrastructure.

“By the end of June next year, approximately 1 069 additional flood-affected families are expected to be accommodated,” Xaba said.

For the families receiving homes this week, the handover signals more than just shelter; it represents a renewed sense of hope after years of uncertainty.

The municipality reiterated its commitment to ensuring that all affected households are moved from temporary accommodation into dignified and permanent housing, as part of ongoing recovery efforts. – SAnews.gov.za
 

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs is accelerating its digital transformation programme aimed at improving service delivery, strengthening national security and driving economic growth.

This is according to the Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber, who tabled the department’s 2026 Budget Vote in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday.

He said the Home Affairs ecosystem — including the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority (BMA) and Government Printing Works — had spent the past two years implementing reforms under a programme called “Home Affairs @ home”.

The reforms seek to move services away from a system dependent on physical offices and paper-based processes toward digital and biometric platforms.

The Minister said the department had already expanded Smart ID replacement services to 167 bank branches nationwide within eight weeks of launching a new digital partnership model with banks.

The previous manual system had expanded to only 30 branches over a decade.

More than 127 000 South Africans have already used the new digital Smart ID replacement service, with applications now taking as little as five minutes at participating branches.

The Minister said the department had increased its target to make Smart ID replacement services available at 750 bank branches by the end of 2026, with a focus on rural and underserved communities.

The upgraded system eliminates paperwork, prior bookings and long queues by relying on biometric verification technology.

The department also plans to expand the digital platform to include first-time ID applications, passport applications and doorstep delivery of documents.

An upgraded online booking system has also been introduced after the previous platform was allegedly exploited by individuals who blocked and sold appointment slots to citizens.

Schreiber said the new booking system had been secured against such abuses and was expected to stabilise fully within weeks.

Home Affairs is also developing a Digital Identity system, which the Minister described as “foundational national infrastructure” for the digital economy.

Draft regulations under the Identification Act have already been published for public comment, with submissions closing on 6 June.

The proposed Digital ID system will allow citizens to securely access Home Affairs services and documents on smartphones while enabling remote authentication.

The Minister also linked the department’s digital transformation drive to efforts to strengthen national security.

He said the expanded Smart ID rollout would help phase out the Green ID book, which he described as one of the most defrauded documents on the continent and a major source of identity theft and illegal immigration.

Last year, the department issued a record four million Smart IDs.

The department’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, launched in October last year for tourists from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico, was also highlighted as a major security initiative.

The ETA system records biometric data for foreigners entering South Africa and uses machine learning and facial recognition technology to verify travel documents and identities.

According to the Minister, the system has already denied visas to more than 4 500 applicants through document verification and facial recognition checks.

The ETA will be expanded to cover more countries and additional visa categories in the coming weeks.

The Minister said the BMA had announced selected bidders for a R12.5 billion public-private partnership project to rebuild South Africa’s six busiest land ports of entry, which account for 80% of border traffic.

READ | BMA announces successful bidders for major border overhaul

The new infrastructure will incorporate digital border systems and implement the One-Stop Border Post concept recently approved by Parliament.

The Minister’s speech also positioned Home Affairs as an economic enabler, particularly through tourism and international investment. The ETA system now allows qualifying tourists to obtain visas digitally within 24 hours and apply online for visa extensions.

The Minister said inefficient visa processes had previously cost the tourism sector billions of rand and that the new system would help unlock new tourism markets and create jobs. – SAnews.gov.za 

Recipients of the 2026 National Orders have described the recognition as a deeply emotional and humbling milestone, saying the honours affirm their lifelong contribution to South Africa’s arts, culture and social development.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Grand Patron of the National Orders, bestows the 2026 National Orders Awards on distinguished citizens and eminent foreign nationals who have contributed towards the advancement of democracy and have made a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans.

Speaking to SAnews at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Tshwane on Tuesday, recipients of the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver reflected on their journeys, their impact, and what national recognition means at this stage of their lives.

Internationally acclaimed musician Jonathan Kenneth Butler was honoured for his contribution to music as a jazz, R&B and gospel artist, songwriter and producer. 

From humble beginnings in Athlone, Cape Town, he rose to international prominence as a teen performer and built a global career spanning decades.

Speaking after receiving the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver, Butler said the moment marked a personal and national milestone.

“I feel humbled and honoured in this moment. I feel in this season of my life to be recognised in my country is the greatest blessing anyone could ever ask for,” Butler said. 

He thanked the Presidency and South Africans who have supported his journey, saying the award carries deep emotional significance at this stage of his career.

Activist Andiswa Precious Gebashe was recognised for her work in advancing South African Sign Language and advocating for greater inclusion of the Deaf community in arts, media and education.

She has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure accessibility and representation, including work in theatre productions performed in South African Sign Language.

Gebashe emphasised the importance of recognising South African Sign Language as a fully developed language rather than a disability-related tool, saying change requires collective responsibility from institutions and decision-makers.

Reflecting on the honour, Gebashe said the moment was still surreal for her. 

“It’s a huge honour, I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet. I’m extremely humbled,” she said, adding that while progress has been made, more work is needed to ensure accessibility is embedded across all sectors, including media and education.

Veteran DJ, producer and kwaito pioneer Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa was also acknowledged for his contribution to music and for developing and mentoring generations of South African artists.

A key figure in the rise of kwaito and the Kalawa Jazmee legacy, Oskido has played a central role in shaping the country’s modern music industry.

He said the award reflected a shared journey with collaborators, artists and fans who have supported his work over the years.

“I’m really thrilled. It shows that what we’ve built over the years is being recognised at this level. It shows what we have planted and the seed is germinating and these are the fruits,” he said. 

He described the honour as a collective achievement rather than an individual one, crediting his team, fellow pioneers and the broader music community.

“This is a journey which I haven’t walked alone, it’s for all the people I’ve worked with, especially the Kalawa family, the pioneers of Kwaito like Mdu and Arthur and all the artists and the fans who have always been there, my family and the Almighty God,” the Kwaito legend said. 

Looking ahead, Oskido said the recognition marked a new chapter rather than a conclusion.

“Someone might think this award is the end for me, but this is a new journey,” he said. 

He also noted the evolving nature of the music industry, highlighting new technologies and global genres such as amapiano and Afro house as part of its continued growth.

“For our work to be recognised at this level, it shows that opening doors for other people is going to open other doors for you, and for me, this award is not mine alone,” he said. 

Read I National Orders recipients honoured for shaping democratic South Africa

Speaking moments before the presentation of the country’s highest honours, the President said the recipients had, through their work and activism, become pillars of the nation. 

“We have gathered here this morning to honour those among us who, in many diverse ways, have shaped the country that we call home,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za

A young black woman in Roodepoort now manufactures soap for Boxer Super Stores. Another holds the title deed to a hotel in Mahikeng she could never have entered without transformation.

These are the faces behind the Department of Small Business Development’s (DSBD) R3.036 billion Budget Vote tabled in Parliament today, a budget the Minister Stella Ndabeni says is rewriting who owns South Africa’s economy.

Ndabeni anchored the allocation in the Constitutional guarantee of economic freedom and the lived reality of entrepreneurs the department serves.

“Budget Vote 36 gives practical expression to Section 22 of the Constitution which guarantees freedom of trade, occupation, and profession.

“It is about expanding opportunity, restoring dignity, and building an economy in which every South African – regardless of geography, gender, age, or social background – can add value and participate meaningfully.

“The National Development Plan [NDP] is clear that growth and jobs will come from small enterprises – just under 90% of new jobs and upward of 60% of new economic value. The evidence is clear: small enterprises are the largest employer in this economy. They are the entry point into economic participation for the majority of South Africans. They are where first-generation entrepreneurs build generational wealth. They are where transformation happens,” she said.

In this regard, the department has set a target of supporting at least one million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and co-operatives over the tenure of the seventh administration. 

“We are on track. During the past financial year we supported 288 123 MSMEs, with 117 134 enterprises receiving financial backing and 170 989 enterprises benefitting from non-financial intervention and development,” she said.

More than just numbers

Ndabeni told Parliament that although the Budget Vote speaks to the department’s plans and achievements, “behind each of these numbers is a South African entrepreneur”.

She told the story of businesswoman Mahapa Raisibe Matlhako who runs a wholly black, youth and woman-owned manufacturing company in Roodepoort, Gauteng.

With the department’s support, Matlhako is now a private label manufacturer for Boxer Super Stores producing three types of soap.

“But fulfilling a contract at national retail scale requires capital that a young Black woman manufacturer, however talented, could not access. SEDFA [Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency] stepped in through its Small Enterprise Manufacturing Support Programme, providing R13.8 million. This created 32 new jobs. 

“That is not just enterprise development. That is supply chain transformation. And this is what a young woman in Roodepoort is delivering – with SEDFA behind her,” Ndabeni said.

Another beneficiary of the department’s work is Thenjiwe Tsabedze, a black woman who acquired the Protea Hotel in Mahikeng and renamed it Indalo.

She was also backed by SEDFA and other financial institutions to the tune of some R80 million.

“This is not a small moment. A Black woman now holds the title deed to a property that, under a different political order, she could never have entered through the front door. Now she signs the contracts. Now she sets the vision. Now she employs the staff and shapes the guest experience,” Ndabeni told the House.

Building rural economies

The minister highlighted that the department’s budget will also prioritise building the township and rural enterprise.

Ndabeni added that the department has now developed the Township and Rural Economic Development and Revitalisation Policy. 

“We will also be scaling our offerings as the DSBD portfolio for township and rural enterprises, building on the successes of 2025/26 where we disbursed more than R829 million to over 111 000 MSMEs through the Township and Rural Entrepreneurship Programme.

“The funding limit of TREP has now been increased from R1 million to R3 million to broaden access and deepen impact. This year we have allocated R710 million,” she said.

The grant-based Asset Assist Programme supported at least 938 MSMEs to the value of R190 million.

A further R215 million has been allocated to “provide a minimum of 860 MSMEs with productive assets that enhance their capacity, productivity, and competitiveness”.

“Our Spaza Shop Support Fund, which we implement together with the DTIC, supports spaza shops with stock acquisition, formalisation, compliance, and operational sustainability. To date 1316 have been approved for funding through the fund to the value of R79.6 million,” she said.

The allocation

The department’s budget for the 2026/27 financial year amounting to R3.036 billion will be allocated as follows:

• R2.154 billion is allocated to transfers and subsidies.
• R277.1 million is allocated to compensation of employees.
• R597.2 million is allocated to goods and services; and
• R7.8 million is allocated to capital expenditure.

SEDFA will receive some R1.899 billion of the transfers and subsidies allocation.

“This Budget Vote reflects our commitment to measurable impact, ensuring that public resources translate into more supported businesses, more jobs created, and a transformed economy with higher levels of inclusion,” Ndabeni concluded. – SAnews.gov.za