Category: South Africa Government

The South African Police Service (SAPS) e-recruitment site is continuing to receive large volumes of applications for the Basic Police Learning Development Programme (BPLDP). 

The site, https://erecruitment.saps.gov.za/, was officially launched on Monday.

READ | SAPS launches long awaited e-Recruitment drive

In the first 24 hours, SAPS received in excess of 67 774 applications from various parts of the country. 

“SAPS is aware that the website is experiencing a delayed response due to traffic volumes. The Technology Management Services (TMS), inclusive of IT experts, is continuously monitoring the influx of applications. 

“Applicants are advised to be patient and to continue refreshing the careers page,” SAPS said in a statement.

The closing date for applications for the Basic Police Learning Development Programme is 18 July 2025.

All applications should be submitted via the website portal and not via email. – SAnews.gov.za

Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, has voiced her support for the graduation and employment of 20 new peace officers (POs) in the Bergrivier Municipality.

According to the provincial department, the recruitment and training of these officers is part of a five-year strategic plan aimed at strengthening local law enforcement across municipalities in the province.

This initiative is designed to create a safer Western Cape for everyone.

In collaboration with the City of Cape Town’s accredited Public Training College, the graduates completed a 30-day programme accredited by the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (SASSETA). 

Upon finishing the course, the officers received formal certification to serve as both peace officers and traffic wardens.

Addressing the graduates during the ceremony, Marais reminded them that their role extends beyond merely enforcing the law. 

“You are here not only to maintain order but also to build trust, foster relationships, and help create safer, more connected communities, where residents can live and move freely,“ she said. 

Marais encouraged them to serve with honour, courage and distinction.

The MEC believes that the training and certification these young peace officers have received not only enhances their employability but also opens doors to future careers in law enforcement and public safety.

“The Western Cape government remains committed to investing in youth and building safer communities through initiatives like our Peace Officer Training Project. Safer communities support a stronger economy, as people are more likely to invest when they feel safe, which in turn drives job creation.” – SAnews.gov.za

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, will officially announce the disbursement of the Municipal Disaster Response Grant and the Disaster Recovery Grant to provinces and municipalities throughout the country on Monday, 7 July 2025.

These allocations are intended to bolster immediate relief and recovery measures in communities affected by recent disasters.

The department has announced that this intervention comes in response to a series of destructive incidents that have been officially recognised and declared as national disasters, in accordance with Section 23(3) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002).

Funding for this initiative is being released under Section 25(3)(a) of the Division of Revenue Act, 2023 (Act No. 5 of 2023), as amended by the Division of Revenue Amendment Act, 2023 (Act No. 24 of 2023).

“The announcement forms part of government’s ongoing efforts to ensure an adequate and timely response to the devastating weather events of April 2025, which significantly affected several provinces, most notably the Eastern Cape. 

“In addition to addressing the damage caused by these events, the grants will support broader recovery interventions aimed at restoring essential services and the dignity of affected communities,” the department said.

The Eastern Cape has officially been declared a national disaster zone in response to the widespread destruction caused by recent severe floods that claimed about 102 lives last month. 

READ | Eastern Cape June floods declared a national disaster

Last week, the Eastern Cape CoGTA MEC, Zolile Williams, said the declaration was made under the Disaster Management Act (Act No. 57 of 2002). 

To ensure the integrity and effectiveness of this funding, the national department said strict accountability mechanisms will be implemented to guarantee that the allocated resources are used solely for their intended purposes. 

“Monitoring and reporting frameworks will be enforced in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to uphold transparency and good governance.

“This intervention reflects government’s commitment to moving from policy deliberation to decisive action and to building a resilient, responsive, and inclusive system of local governance that places the needs of communities at the centre of development,” CoGTA said. – SAnews.gov.za

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The process of placing the country’s judiciary under “full institutional independence” is expected to be rolled out in the 2025/26 financial year.

This was announced by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, when she was presenting the budget vote of the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) in Parliament, on Tuesday afternoon.

“[This] will enable the judiciary to be a fully-fledged Arm of the State. In line with the constitution, judicial governance and court administration will be placed under the authority of the Judiciary itself,” Kubayi said. 

The proposed model will entail structural independence, which includes both financial and operational independence. With the vision to establish a single Judiciary, the administration of the Lower Courts, including the Magistrates Commission, will also be transferred the OCJ.

Explaining the structure of the proposed model of the Judiciary, Kubayi highlighted that the Chief Justice will become the Executive Authority of the Office of the Chief Justice, while the Secretary-General will serve as the the accounting authority of the Judiciary. 

“The OCJ will then be re-established outside the public service and be capacitated to appoint its staff in line with its own prescripts, human resource framework tailored to judicial operations and principles of independence,” the Minister explained.

To carry out this process, the Minister announced that a task team comprising senior officials of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Presidency, Office of the Chief Justice, National Treasury, Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), has been established to chart a way for the institutional independence of the Judiciary.

The team has been given until August to present a progress report to Cabinet on the judiciary’s institutional independence.

“In the end, as envisaged by the founders of our democracy, we want to create a single judiciary that is an equal Arm of the State,” Kubayi affirmed.

Budget allocation

The Minister told Parliament that the OCJ has been allocated a budget increase of some 5.5%, which will “go a long way in ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the courts and the judiciary as a whole”.

“The OCJ provides direct support to the Judiciary and Superior Courts to ensure that the Judicial Arm of the State functions optimally. As such, the OCJ has been allocated a budget of R2.7 billion for the 2025/2026 Financial Year, which it operationalises through its three Programmes, namely: Administration, Superior Court Services as well as Judicial Education and Support. This allocation also includes the direct allocation for the remuneration of Judges.

“This represents a budget increase of just over 5.5% compared to the previous financial year, which will go a long way in ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the courts and the judiciary as a whole. In his Budget Speech, Minister of Finance has also made an undertaking to, later this year, make funds available for strengthening capabilities in the Office of the Chief Justice,” the Minister said.

She added that the modernisation of the court system remains a key priority to “improve access to justice”, highlighting the continued rollout of the Court Online system following its successful pilot in the Gauteng Division of the High Court.

“Court Online provides a platform for Law Firms/Litigants to file documents to the Courts electronically (E-Filing) over the Internet from anywhere, and is now operational in the Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo divisions. Eastern Cape is currently being rolled out and will be completed by end of July 2025. 

“It [the system] is also being progressively implemented at the Land Court, Labour Court, and Labour Appeal Court. The envisaged full implementation of Court Online will enhance access to quality justice for all and the effectiveness of the courts,” Kubayi said.

Another priority is the implementation of the department’s Fraud Prevention and Anti-Corruption Policy and Strategy during 2025/2026 financial year.

This in line with the OCJ’s zero tolerance stance on corruption and fraud.

“This policy creates a mechanism for reporting anonymously within the department and through the National Anti-Corruption Hotline, amongst other things.

“We can inform members that following the reports of corruption in the Mthatha High Court, the OCJ has commenced with Lifestyle Audits of all employees over and above the work that is done by law enforcement agencies. Furthermore 4 officials have been suspended in Pretoria High court following allegations fraud and corruption,” Kubayi said. – SAnews.gov.za

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) has welcomed the judgment by the Pietermaritzburg High Court which found Sabelo Phewa guilty of murdering the late Richmond Local Municipality Manager, Sibusiso Sithole.

Sentencing is expected to take place on 31 July 2025, at the Durban High Court.  

Sithole was shot and killed at the Richmond licensing office in 2017 while on his way to attend a meeting with the then council to discuss issues he was investigating, which included fraud and corruption involving tenders and kickbacks in the municipality. 

The SAPS Political Killings task team took over investigations in 2018 and this led to the arrest of Phewa. 

“The firearm found in his possession at the time of his arrest was found to be linked to several other murders, including that of Amos Ngcobo, whose wife had ordered the hit. The wife turned State witness and was sentenced to five years imprisonment,” SAPS said in a statement. 

the Pietermaritzburg High Court found Phewa guilty of the murder of Sithole and Ngcobo; the attempted murder of police officers at the time they were effecting his arrest; possession of an unlicensed firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. – SAnews.gov.za

South Africa is set to launch its first-ever poultry vaccination campaign in the coming days, marking a significant step in the country’s effort to minimise the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks.

This follows the Department of Agriculture’s approval of a vaccination permit issued to Astral Foods Limited on 30 June 2025, authorising the company to begin vaccinations against the HPAI virus at one of its broiler breeder farms.

Making the announcement on Tuesday, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen confirmed that the initial phase of the campaign will begin with 200 000 broiler breeders, representing approximately five percent of Astral’s total breeding stock, valued at approximately R35 million.

Steenhuisen hailed this milestone as a testament to the strong partnership between government and the poultry industry in safeguarding national food security and protecting the livelihoods of thousands of South Africans.

He emphasised that the vaccination campaign is a vital step to strengthen flock immunity and prevent the devastating economic losses witnessed during previous outbreaks.

“The 2023 outbreak resulted in millions of birds being culled, which led to severe supply disruptions that affected both producers and consumers. The vaccine being used – targeting the H5 strain of the virus – is already approved for use in other countries implementing vaccination strategies against HPAI.

In May, South Africa suspended imports of live poultry, eggs and fresh (including frozen) poultry meat from Brazil following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The decision followed a report from Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, confirming an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 – clade 2.3.4.4b) on 15 May 2025. – SAnews.gov.za