Category: South Africa Government

As President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, young people have called for youth unemployment, dignity and economic inclusion to be placed firmly at the centre of national priorities.

The call was made during a Presidential Youth Engagement hosted by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) at the Thusong Service Centre in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, ahead of the 2026 SONA.

Welcoming delegates on behalf of the NYDA Board, Executive Chairperson Dr Sunshine Minenhle Myende, said the engagement was taking place at a critical moment for young people in the country.

“This is the single most important moment in the diary of the President and that of the Deputy President, where he directly engages with us as young people and through us to understand our lived realities as young people,” Myende said.

She described the engagement as a platform where youth development must move from policy to action.

“This engagement is substantive in its nature. It is a moment where all hands must be on deck; where youth development moves from policy to presence, and where ahead of the State of the Nation Address, the voices and realities of young people are placed firmly at the centre of the nation’s attention,” she said.

Myende said young people expect the President to speak directly to issues affecting them when he delivers the SONA.

“After all, young people are the majority in this country, so there can never be anything about us without us. We must influence the State of the Nation Address. The President must be able to pronounce on issues that are going to speak directly to us as young people,” she said.

She said youth unemployment remains a major concern and has a direct impact on the dignity of young people.

“Youth unemployment remains high. It is causing us sleepless nights as young people. Because we’re unemployed, our dignity is stripped off every day. If you’re unemployed, you’re not respected even during family gatherings,” Myende said.

Myende highlighted the frustration of qualified young people who remain without work.

“Others have Master’s degrees but are sitting at home, and some are relegated to low paying jobs, despite having qualifications. It’s unfair and unjust for us as young people with Master’s degrees to be sweeping the streets,” she said.

She also raised concerns about the exclusion of young people from key economic sectors.

“Entrepreneurship opportunities in some industries like mining and energy, young people are not included in the table. DP, we’re being given the crumbs of the bread and not while, while we deserve the actual bread,” Myende said.

She called for a national skills revolution to better prepare young people for the economy.

“As the NYDA, we are calling for skills revolution in the country, so that young people are reskilled for the relevant sectors and others are provided with the necessary skills,” she said.

Myende said the engagement coincided with significant historical milestones, including 50 years since the 1976 Soweto uprising, 30 years of the Constitution and 70 years since the 1956 Women’s March.

“They tell one continuous story that freedom in South Africa has always been pushed forward by us young people and defended by women and secured through collective struggle,” she said.

She said young people are demanding action, not promises.

“As young people, we want delivery through action,” Myende said.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile attended the engagement on behalf of President Ramaphosa, who is leading engagements ahead of the SONA. The Presidential Youth Roundtable forms part of ongoing consultations with stakeholders to inform the President’s address.

The Presidential Youth Engagement is an interactive session where young South Africans have a direct and open exchange with the President and members of the National Executive. – SAnews.gov.za 

Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Phumzile Mgcina has reiterated government’s stance that South Africa’s mining industry is on the rise.

The Deputy Minister addressed the South Africa Exploration Investment Forum, held on the sidelines of the ongoing Investing in Africa Mining Indaba, in Cape Town.

“The Council for Geoscience (CGS) is our implementing entity – mandated to quantify the inherent value of South Africa’s mineral wealth across a range of strategic mineral commodities. This work is already pointing to significant untapped mineral potential, thus reinforcing our message that South African mining is a sunrise industry.

“That is not being theoretical but realistic. This is being demonstrated through the success of projects supported under the Junior Mining Exploration Fund (JMEF),” she said.

The JMEF forms part of South Africa’s mineral exploration strategy aimed at, among others, attracting exploration investment, reigniting mineral development and accelerating new mineral discoveries. 

The first window of applications saw some R160 million allocated to eligible applicants, while the second window has attracted 80 applications.

“One such project in Bothaville, Free State, has advanced into an intensive drilling phase targeting rare earth elements and associated minerals. In addition, two projects in the Northern Cape are scheduled to commence drilling this year, while at least four other projects are in the early stages of mapping, and acquiring geophysical and geochemical datasets.

“Together, these projects confirm that South Africa’s subsurface potential is, indeed, far from fully understood and realised,” she asserted.

The fund has also received encouraging responses, with commitments reaching billions of rands.

“Commitments have grown to over R2 billion, marking a significant increase from the initial R400 million contributed by the department and the Industrial Development Corporation.

“Equally encouraging is the level of interest of the people, with the second round attracting 80 applications targeting a diverse range of minerals, including Tin, Tungsten, Titanium, Uranium, Gold, Antimony, Arsenic, Fluorspar, Copper, and Lithium.

“Notwithstanding this progress, we continue to urge industry partners and investors to partner with us by investing in exploration as the lifeblood of a sustainable mining sector,” Mgcina said.

The Deputy Minister noted that the CGS launched the Virtual Core Library.

She described the library as a “strategic national asset designed to transform how South Africa extracts value from its geological assets”.

“This initiative is poised to advance our mining industry into an era of digital transformation. By enabling the digital preservation and analysis of historical drill core, the library will fast-track exploration decision-making, reduce costs, and enhance South Africa’s competitiveness as an exploration destination.

“The platform further promises lower barriers to entry for junior and emerging explorers, as well as revitalise interest in underexplored regions. Most importantly, it safeguards our geological heritage while stimulating new exploration activity,” Mgcina said. – SAnews.gov.za

The City of Cape Town has advised members of the public and motorists of planned road closures ahead of the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA).

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver SONA on Thursday, 12 February 2026 at 7pm, before a joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament.

“Traffic flow in and around the Central Business District (CBD) will be affected by road closures before, during and after the event. Some of these closures are already in place and will be until 28 February 2026. Available parking space in some areas will also be affected.

“Although signage will be installed in the affected areas, motorists are requested to familiarise themselves with the list of road closures and plan their routes accordingly,” the city said in a statement.

A list of road closures can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/4qiZGve  

Motorists are requested to:

• Limit non-essential travel in the CBD area over the period in question.
• Factor in additional travelling time if they must move in/out or around the CBD and surrounds, as traffic volumes will likely be elevated.
• Plan routes accordingly.
• Keep intersections free between light changes as blocking interchanges causes further delays.
• Be patient and courteous.

– SAnews.gov.za

South Africa’s anti-poaching and anti-trafficking efforts have yielded a 16% overall decline in rhino poaching last year when compared to 2024. 

This is according to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, who attributes the decline to dedication and tactical, swift coordination. 

“From January to December 2025, 352 rhinos were poached in South Africa, with 266 being killed on State property and 86 on privately owned parks, reserves or farms. This was a decrease of 68 in comparison to 420 rhinos poached in 2024,” the Minister said on Tuesday in a statement. 

Mpumalanga was the hardest hit province, with 178 rhinos lost during the reporting period. This was a notable increase from the 92 that were lost in 2024. 

Most of the rhinos lost in Mpumalanga were in the Kruger National Park, which reported a total of 175 poached rhino last year. 

This is an increase of 87 animals, which is more than the 88 reported in the Kruger National Park in 2024. 

Rhino poaching numbers in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) dropped from 198 in 2024 to 63 in 2025.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife attributed a significant reduction in poaching due to closer collaboration with rhino owners through the Integrated Wildlife Zones (IWZ) Programme, as well as sustained support from key conservation partners, including World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Save the Rhino International, Wildlife ACT, and Peace Parks Foundation (PPF). 

“While Ezemvelo recognises that the strategic dehorning programme implemented in 2024 served as a critical catalyst in stabilising rhino poaching pressures and enabled urgent, targeted interventions, analysis of the 2025 outcomes confirms that multiple complementary interventions were central to the reduction in poaching incidents,” Aucamp said.

Key among these were enhanced detection and early-warning capability, achieved through the deployment and integration of advanced camera technologies and sensors.

The decline in rhino poaching has also been attributed to the implementation of the Integrity Implementation Plan, which included the successful polygraphing of all park law-enforcement personnel, reinforcing organisational integrity and public confidence.

“As we closely monitor implementation of the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT), we continue to see some very good convictions in relation to rhino-related cases, with lengthy direct imprisonment terms, in respect of cases related to rhino crimes,” the Minister said.

The key efforts of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Environmental Working Group, which includes key prosecutors from around the country, are leading to more cases being handled together. 

This means that those accused are being prosecuted for multiple cases at once, giving the court a complete picture of the criminal activities carried out by the groups involved, and allowing for a focus on organised crime and money laundering aspects of these cases. 

“South Africa continues to strengthen its international collaboration to curbing rhino poaching and wildlife trafficking. These efforts led to the country receiving the Asia Environmental Enforcement Recognition of Excellence Award late last year, which celebrates excellence in enforcement by government officials, institutions and teams combatting transboundary environmental crimes. 

“Working together with the South African anti-poaching and anti-trafficking organisations, we remain committed to a balanced, intelligence-driven, and partnership-based approach to rhino protection, recognising that sustained success requires constant adaptation, integrity, and cooperation across all sectors,” Aucamp said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has condemned the “escalating activities of illegal mining” in Bekkersdal.

“The [committee] expresses its deep concern and unequivocal condemnation of the escalating activities of illegal mining in the Bekkersdal community, which have plunged the area into lawlessness, violence and fear.

“The committee is gravely disturbed by the unacceptable and violent nature of crimes linked to illegal mining. In December last year, a mass shooting at an illegal tavern in Bekkersdal left 21 people shot, with nine lives tragically lost,” the committee said in a statement.

The committee added that it was briefed about another shooting incident “in which an alleged zama zama was shot and wounded during night-time gunfire in the area”.

“Illegal mining has also fuelled a surge in kidnappings in Bekkersdal. Following illegal mineral transactions, victims are reportedly followed to their homes, where family members are abducted and ransoms demanded.

“In cases where ransoms are not paid, victims are brutally murdered, further entrenching fear and contributing to the alarming escalation of violent crime in the community,” the statement read.

The committee embarked on an oversight visit to the Bekkersdal Police Station on Friday in a bid to assess the challenges it faces.

“The committee identified serious shortcomings that undermine effective policing, including critical resource shortages and poor, inadequate infrastructure.

“Of particular concern is that a facility initially intended to function as a satellite police station is currently being used as a fully-fledged station.

“The facility is small, overcrowded and wholly unsuitable for the scale and severity of criminality in the area, negatively impacting both the morale of police officers and their ability to fight crime effectively,” the statement continued.

The committee will engage relevant authorities to address the challenges with particular focus on “infrastructure upgrades, resource allocation and strengthened operational capacity”.

“The committee remains committed to contributing to decisive action that will restore safety, uphold the rule of law and ensure a significant reduction in crime in Bekkersdal.

“The people of Bekkersdal deserve to live without fear. The committee will continue to exercise robust oversight to ensure that law enforcement agencies are adequately equipped and supported to decisively dismantle illegal mining networks and protect the community,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

More than 100 minibuses were discontinued for failing to meet the basic roadworthiness requirements during stop and search operations carried out by the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI) in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

“We will not allow profit to be placed above people’s lives. Any vehicle that threatens the safety of our commuters or road users has no place on Gauteng roads. Our message is clear: comply or face the full might of the law,” Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said on Monday.

The intensified law enforcement operations were conducted between 01 and 07 February 2026 across key public and scholar transport corridors in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. 

“Inspections revealed major mechanical defects that posed a direct threat to passenger safety and other road users. These included faulty braking systems, worn tyres, non-functioning headlights, brake lights and indicators, as well as cracked windscreens,” the provincial Department of Roads and Transport said.

In addition to the discontinuations, the officers focused on non-compliant operators. 

This resulted in more than 500 manual infringement notices issued, while a further 667 electronic infringement notices were processed using GTI’s advanced e-Force enforcement devices. 

They further issued 151 discontinue notices to motorists found operating in violation of traffic regulations.

Non-compliance offences identified during the operations included 108 minibus taxi operators driving without valid driving licences and 52 minibuses operating without valid licence discs.

Beyond traffic-related offences, the operations also addressed broader criminal activity, resulting in 11 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI). –SAnews.gov.za

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) is closely monitoring a moderate tropical storm named Gezani, currently located over the south-west Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar.

At present, there is no indication of any direct threat to South Africa.

“Gezani is currently moving westward under favourable environmental conditions, and forecast guidance indicates that landfall over eastern Madagascar is likely on Tuesday. 

“As the system approaches Madagascar, environmental conditions may support further intensification, and Gezani could strengthen into a tropical cyclone, or possibly an intense tropical cyclone, before landfall,” SAWS said.

Following landfall, the system is expected to weaken while tracking south-westward across Madagascar.

“Gezani is then forecast to enter the Mozambique Channel late on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, where environmental conditions may once again become favourable for re-intensification.

“Some forecast scenarios suggest a possible approach toward the Mozambique coast later in the week; however, uncertainty remains regarding the exact track and intensity during this phase,” the weather service said.

The SAWS advises vessels operating in or transiting through the south-west Indian Ocean and the Mozambique Channel, as well as offshore marine operations to exercise caution, as rough seas, strong winds, and hazardous marine conditions are expected in the vicinity of the storm.

The name Gezani, contributed by South Africa, marks the seventh named system of the 2025/26 south-west Indian Ocean cyclone season. 

The SAWS will continue to monitor the system closely and will issue updates as new information becomes available. 

The public and relevant authorities are urged to follow official weather warnings and advisories from reliable sources. – SAnews.gov.za

Government has condemned the sharing of images and videos of individuals without their consent, underscoring the importance of protecting personal dignity and constitutional rights.

The call was made during the Pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Youth Dialogue held on Monday at the Desmond Tutu Hall in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape.

Hosted by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Western Cape under the theme: “Amplifying hidden voices: Media access for every young person”, the dialogue brought together young people, government departments, public entities, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), higher education institutions and civil society.

The engagement focused on youth development, skills pathways, and opportunities in media, communications and digital technologies.

In his address, Acting Deputy Director-General for Content Processing and Dissemination at GCIS, Sandile Nene, urged people to discourage the taking and sharing of images without consent, including within families, and warned against non-consensual intimate image sharing.

“The day you take an image of somebody, whether it is your own sister or your child, and post it on social media without their consent, that is a criminal offence. Yes, it is your child, but the Constitution is very clear – you must act in the best interests of the child,” Nene said.

Nene also warned that individuals can be charged for storing and distributing images without consent.

“The fact that you have my image on your phone without my knowledge means you can be charged for storage, and if you send it to somebody else, you are charged for distribution,” he said.

Nene highlighted the Brand South Africa Ambassador Programme, encouraging young people to play an active role in promoting a positive image of the country. He further emphasised the need for an inclusive and responsive government that recognises the needs of persons with disabilities, and ensures that all government programmes and information are accessible to everyone.

Spotlight on Constitutional gains

GCIS Deputy Director-General: Intergovernmental Coordination and Stakeholder Management, Michael Currin, reflected on the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s Constitution, highlighting its origins and the values it represents.

Currin also paid tribute to those who suffered for justice and reaffirmed the principle that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it.”

Engaging directly with the youth, Currin explained the importance of understanding the Constitution and acknowledged the real challenges facing young people today, including a slow-growing economy, rising taxi fares, and increasing despondency.

He spoke about the legacy of exclusion, noting that past systems were deliberately designed to deny black children opportunity and potential.

“Despite these challenges, opportunities do exist.”

Currin outlined the role of GCIS in providing access to information and connecting communities with opportunities through, for example, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA).

He also cited the Community Public Works (CPW) Programme, established in 2003, which helps connect young people to work opportunities and skills development initiatives.

Currin urged young people to take information back to their communities, reminding them that GCIS exists to connect citizens with opportunities and institutions.

“You are the generation that can change our country for the better. Trust that government has placed young people at the centre of development, have faith – there are many opportunities available – and stay inspired, stay connected, and let us build the future together,” he said.

He concluded by encouraging South Africans to remain actively engaged in shaping the country’s future and also watch the State of the Nation Address, which will be delivered on Thursday, 12 February 2026, at 7pm. – SAnews.gov.za