Category: South Africa Government

Source: Government of South Africa

Friday, July 4, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

Friday, July 4, 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister Leon Schreiber has outlined the key achievements recorded in the Department of Home Affairs at Thursday’s Budget Vote presentation.

“It has been a year of remarkable progress for the Home Affairs ecosystem. I am here to confidently report to the House that the progress we have made over the last 12 months, by working as one team with one dream, has exceeded the expectations of cynics and optimists alike,” Schreiber said.

The department has cleared a backlog of over 306 000 visa applications dating back more than a decade.

“We produced and delivered just under 3.6 million Smart IDs, surpassing the previous annual record by nearly half a million. 

“We deployed advanced drone and body camera technology at the border for the first time, leading to an increase of up to 215% in the detection and prevention of attempted illegal border crossings.

“We launched Operation New Broom as part of intensified operations to restore the rule of law, leading to over 46 000 deportations — the highest figure in more than five years and more than countries like France and Germany combined,” the Minister said.

Schreiber said the department launched the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme to boost tourism from the major source markets of China and India where South Africa has underperformed for years.

“We enabled over 1.4 million naturalised citizens and permanent residents to obtain secure Smart IDs for the first time. We activated the Immigration Advisory Board for the first time in a decade by appointing a diverse group of seasoned experts to help shape better policies,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber said the department dismissed 37 crooked officials and launched the dedicated Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum that brings together law enforcement, the Special Investigating Unit, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations and the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure corrupt officials and fraudsters are put behind bars.  

“Our anti-corruption work has led to the conviction of eight offenders, with sentences ranging from four to 18 years in prison.

“We built a working prototype of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system that will digitalise the visa processes from beginning to end, eliminating corruption and inefficiency,” the Minister said.

Schreiber said the reforms that his department will deliver in the next 12 months will begin to redefine the quality of services that South Africans expect from their government.

“The endpoint of these reforms is to enable both South Africans and legitimate visitors to apply and obtain enabling documents online, including in digital format, from the comfort of their own homes,” Schreiber said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

South Africa’s port landlord, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), has berthed one of the largest container vessels in the world, MSC Nicola Mastro, on her maiden voyage at its deepwater Port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape this morning. 

With capacity of 24 116 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit), 299 metres in width and 61 metres in beam, the historical berthing of this vessel demonstrates TNPA’s marine capabilities and fit-for-purpose port infrastructure designed to accommodate new-generation vessels. 

This achievement solidifies TNPA’s status as a significant player in the global maritime industry.

The successful berthing of MSC Nicola Mastro was made possible by a four-tug operation. These tugboats (tugs) have a bollard-pull of 60 to 70 tonnes, fully capable to handle larger vessels efficiently. 

This special operation necessitated the ports authority to increase the number of tugs required for safe navigation in the port, from the standard two-tug operation to four. Tugboats are critical marine assets that enable the safe manoeuvring of vessels during pilotage operations. 

“The arrival of this vessel on our shores brings to the fore the critical role SA ports should uphold in responding to the needs of the current global trade ecosystem. Our ability to dock one of the world’s largest container ships has the potential to transform shipping patterns. It positions the Port of Ngqura as the key container transhipment hub, within the global and Saharan Africa markets,” said Acting TNPA Chief Executive, Phyllis Difeto.

The Port of Ngqura features depths ranging from 16 -18 meters and boasts deepwater berths, making it a major attraction for container traffic and transhipment opportunities.

Nicola Mastro surpasses the size of previous vessels that have docked at the Port of Ngqura, which were limited to 366 meters in length. Her on-time berthing was skilfully managed by a marine crew of approximately 24 members, led by Marine Pilot Olwethu Mtsewu-Sisilana, alongside the marine crew in tug services, pilotage and berthing. Mtsewu-Sisilana is one of TNPA’s Marine Pilots with an open licence, allowing her to handle any size of vessel docking and sailing at the port. 

Originally from Qanda village of eXesi in the rural Eastern Cape, Mtsewu-Sisilana began her maritime career in 2008 through a Transnet bursary and has recorded a major milestone in her career through this docking. 

TNPA is gearing towards receiving more vessel call-ins of this calibre. The vessel is scheduled to depart on 5 July 2025, following the completion of the cargo operation at the container terminal.

TNPA is responsible for the safe, effective and efficient economic functioning of the national ports system, which it manages in a landlord capacity. 

It provides port infrastructure and marine services at the eight commercial seaports in South Africa — Richards Bay, Durban, Saldanha, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Mossel Bay and Ngqura. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Tourism Deputy Minister Maggie Sotyu has engaged with communities in the Northern Cape on the G20 Tourism Priorities and their potential to advance tourism growth and sustainability.

The Tourism G20 Community Outreach in the Northern Cape was the first in a number of planned events that will bring the G20 agenda closer to tourism communities in the country. 

In the quest for global sustainable development, the Deputy Minister emphasised the importance of balancing the need for economic growth with social inclusion to meet present and future needs.

“Bringing the G20 agenda closer to our communities is critical to enable us to chart a path for inclusive global sustainable development. The G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) has been hard at work, meeting with senior officials, authorities and experts to recommend decisions in line with the agenda and priorities identified by the G20 Presidency,” Sotyu said.

These recommendations will play a critical part in the overall goal of addressing the global socioeconomic challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

“It is therefore imperative that we engage the communities we serve to align our proposed recommendations with their present and future needs,” Sotyu said.

The Northern Cape province is South Africa’s largest province and the most sparsely populated. Renowned for its red dunes and black-maned lions, the province is a popular tourism destination, and a haven for nature and adventure enthusiasts who enjoy exploring its diverse attractions within its national parks. 

The province’s rich Khoi-San heritage is evident in ancient rock art sites scattered across the region. Its natural wonders, historical landmarks or the warm hospitality of its people makes the Northern Cape a must-see destination for all visitors.

The Tourism G20 Community Outreach was held in partnership with the Northern Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. 

The community engagement featured presentations on skills and empowerment programmes and tourism incentive initiatives from the Department of Tourism. 

Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) from the local communities were afforded an opportunity to showcase and sell their crafts and products at the event.

The communities in the Northern Cape were introduced to the four G20 Tourism Priorities that will inform the 2025 G20 Action Plan on Tourism Development, namely:

• A People-Centered Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Innovation to enhance Travel and Tourism Start-Ups and SMMEs;

• Tourism Financing and Investment to Enhance Equality and Promote Sustainable Development;

• Air Connectivity for Seamless Travel, and

• Enhanced Resilience for Inclusive, Sustainable Tourism Development.

The G20 Tourism Priorities facilitated robust discussion with the community on the need for greater consultation and collaboration between government and communities. 

Frequent and continuous engagement will serve to better align the socio-economic needs of tourism communities to domestic and international developmental policies.

Echoing the community’s sentiments, Sotyu affirmed government’s national development plans that reinforce increased partnerships with communities to build sustainable societies. 

“Frequent and continuous engagement with our communities will enable us to work towards a people-centred, progressive, and solution-driven policies that find solutions to our domestic and global challenges, whilst accelerating global cooperation and multilateralism.

“The G20 provides a significant opportunity for our provinces, cities and communities to work together to promote our culture, heritage, tourism and industrial and commercial advances.

“I also encourage our communities to actively participate in the empowerment programmes that are offered by the three spheres of our government and help us build a nation that works for all,” Sotyu said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent his condolences to the family of former Deputy President David Dabede Mabuza who passed away on Thursday.

Mabuza, who served as Deputy President between 2018 and 2023, passed away in a hospital at the age of 65.

“On behalf of government and the nation, I offer my profound condolences to the late Deputy President’s wife, Mrs Mabuza, and the children.

“I extend my condolences to Deputy President Mabuza’s friends and the people of Mpumalanga whom he served as Premier from 2009 to 2018, and previously as a Member of the Executive Council of Mpumalanga across a range of portfolios.

“My thoughts are also with Deputy President Mabuza’s comrades in his political home, the African National Congress, where he was elected as the organisation’s Deputy President in December 2017,” President Ramaphosa said.

He praised the former Deputy President’s contribution to government.

“During his service as Deputy President of the Republic, Deputy President Mabuza applied his leadership and mobilisation abilities to his role as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament; leading the South African National Aids Council; coordinating anti-poverty initiatives in the form of Public Employment Programmes, Integrated Service Delivery and Enterprise Development.

“Deputy President Mabuza also represented South Africa on global platforms and consolidated relations between South Africa and its closest partners.

“As Deputy President, he chaired the Cabinet Committees of Governance, State Capacity and Institutional Development [GSCID] as well as Justice, Crime-Prevention and Security [JCPS],” the President said.

The Mpumalanga-born politician – affectionately referred to as DD or The Cat – was a teacher by training, however, he was drawn into political activism.

“We are saddened today by the loss of a leader who was grounded in activism at the early stages of his political career and who came to lead our nation and shape South Africa’s engagement with our continental compatriots and the international community in his role as Deputy President.

“The former Deputy President deserves our appreciation for his deep commitment to the liberation struggle and to the nation’s development as an inclusive, prosperous, democratic state.

“Further announcements will be made in due course on memorial arrangements and the honours with which the country will pay its final respects to the former Deputy President,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

The North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambatha, is embarking on a series of engagements with young people in agriculture across the province.

According to the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the sessions aim to empower youth to take an active role in shaping the future of the sector, reflecting their commitment to supporting sustainable, youth-led growth in agriculture.

The first leg of the district engagements kicked off on Monday, 30 June 2025, in Coligny, within the Ngaka Modiri Molema District. 

The department said that at the heart of this focused intervention is the Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development (YARD) structure, whose elected leadership has been tasked with advancing youth representation and development at all levels of the sector.

The rollout continues in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District on Friday, 4 July, at Mooilagte Farm in the Naledi Local Municipality. 

This will be followed by engagements in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District on 11 July at Ga-Matsapola Farm, and in the Bojanala Platinum District on 14 July at the Moses Kotane Local Municipality.

The initiative brings together key stakeholders, including the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), North West University Business School, the Small Enterprise Finance and Development Agency (SEFDA), AgriSETA, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), commercial banks, and development finance institutions. 

“The sessions serve as a gateway for young people to access critical information on funding, skills development, mentorship, and market access tools essential for building resilient and sustainable agri-enterprises.” 

Held in partnership with local municipalities through the District Development Model (DDM), the engagements aim to ensure that the needs and aspirations of young farmers are integrated into local economic development plans.

“In addition to dialogue and presentations, each session includes live demonstrations and planting activities, exposing participants to practical techniques and climate-smart agricultural methods.” 

Addressing youth during the Coligny engagement held on Monday, Sambatha emphasised the department’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for youth in agriculture.

“This is not a ceremonial exercise; it is a deliberate strategy to reposition young people as central drivers of agricultural growth and rural development. We are here to remove bottlenecks, unlock opportunities, and invest in future producers,“ Sambatha said.

The department encourages all young people involved in farming, agri-processing, and rural enterprises to take full advantage of these sessions and the wide range of support offered through government and its partners. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, says government will continue to develop policies that open doors and support sustainable livelihoods for women. 

“Women, especially in rural areas and the informal sector, are still excluded from land, credit, capital, markets, procurement and the digital economy,” Chikunga said on Thursday.

Addressing media ahead of her department’s Budget Vote at the Imbizo Centre in Cape Town, Chikunga said for many women in rural areas, there is no easy access to the internet, and information is difficult to get. Transportation and getting the right documentation also proves a challenge. 

“We need simpler, more inclusive systems that meet women where they are, not where the system assumes them to be,” Chikunga said.

A substantial amount of money from the department’s budget is used to uplift women, youth and people with disabilities.

Chikunga said a proposal has been made for the establishment of a Disability Inclusion Working Group, which will be an additional Working Group to be established and discussed further at the level of the G20 by countries that will subsequently take up the chairship of the G20.

“We have committed to taking the G20 to the people, so that it is truly ‘The People’s G20’, a G20 that listens, that includes, and that leaves behind a legacy of progress.

“Our participation and activities in the EWWG [Empowerment of Women Working Group] reflect the lived realities of South African women, youth and persons with disabilities. It continues to also include diverse historically marginalised communities in rural areas, informal settlements, farms and townships.”

Chikunga said they have visited Taung in the North West and Mkhondo in Mpumalanga to consult communities as part of a broader national process to ensure that the voices of women, youth and people with disabilities inform South Africa’s contributions to the G20. The similar visits will also be undertaken to other provinces.

“As South Africa, we are approaching our G20 Presidency in the spirit of Ubuntu: ‘I am because we are’. This is to remind us that we are connected and we are stronger when we build together and leave no one behind.

“We are in Solidarity – working together, across countries and communities, to find shared solutions. We speak of equality because it is fundamental that we fix the unfair systems that keep so many people, especially women, young people and persons with disabilities, trapped in challenges of climate change, unemployment, poverty, inequality, hunger and rising debt.”

Laying the foundation for the nation to thrive

Chikunga said no economy can function and no society can thrive when women are unsafe at home, at work, in schools and in public spaces.

“Safety is not a side issue. It is the foundation of empowerment. We are strengthening governance and the legislative and programmatic response in addressing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide. Addressing feminism requires all of us. Law enforcement must take its course,” the Minister said.

Over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, the department will continue focusing on enhancing the coordination of the national response to gender-based violence; advancing responsive planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation within government; protecting the rights of people with disabilities, and encouraging the participation of women, young people and people with disabilities in the economy.

An estimated 76.6% (R2.3 billion) of the department’s budget over the medium-term is earmarked for transfers and subsidies to the National Youth Development Agency and the Commission for Gender Equality. 

As part of South Africa’s Presidency of the G20, which runs until 30 November 2025, R5.3 million is set aside for the G20 women empowerment working group meetings in 2025/26. 

Cabinet has approved additional allocations to the department’s baseline amounting to R66.4 million over the medium-term (R21.2 million in 2025/26, R22.1 million in 2026/27 and R23.1 million in 2027/28). These funds are intended to support the department’s operations, including public wage increases.  – SAnews.gov.za

Source: Government of South Africa

Thursday, July 3, 2025