Category: South Africa Government

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Gauteng forensic investigation reports released

Source: Government of South Africa

Gauteng forensic investigation reports released

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has released the findings of several forensic investigation reports, which probed a range of provincial departments.

This follows the release of some 47 forensic investigation reports in June – a move the Premier said, “reaffirms the Gauteng Provincial Government’s dedication to transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption and maladministration”.

“Corruption continues to be one of the country’s most pressing challenges undermining effective governance and sustainable development. 

“While Gauteng is not exempt from this issue, the province has demonstrated a strong commitment to combating corruption through proactive measures, institutional reforms, and enhanced accountability mechanisms. These efforts reflect a dedicated approach to fostering transparency, integrity, and long-term progress.

“Under its G-13 priorities for the seventh administration, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has prioritised combating corruption, and [promoting] transparency and openness as essential in the fight against corruption. By upholding these principles, public institutions can foster a culture of accountability and integrity, ensure ethical governance, and restore public confidence,” Lesufi said.

The more than 30 reports span across a range of departments.

“These provincial departments are implementing the recommendations, which include establishing disciplinary action, strengthening weak or compromised internal controls, and filing criminal cases with the South African Police Service.

“In addition, they must pursue damages from implicated employees using the Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure Framework. Under the Prescription Act 68 of 1969, departments are also required to file civil claims within the stipulated timeframe.

“Furthermore, following supply chain management procedures and regulations, service providers involved in dishonest or unlawful activities will also be blacklisted,” Lesufi said.

The Office of the Premier is monitoring the implementation of recommendations, while reports will only be released “after all legal issues are resolved.”

“We will not make them public too soon if doing so could harm the enforcement or implementation of the recommendations. We are aware that releasing certain details early might disrupt ongoing legal cases or make it harder to follow the recommendations, including putting whistleblowers’ identities and safety at risk.

“The reports we are presenting… will be accessible to all the members of the public once the State Law Advisory Services finishes redacting personal details and reviewing the changes.

“Protecting whistleblowers is essential for transparency and justice. They risk their safety to expose corruption and abuse of power, helping ensure accountability and ethical governance,” Lesufi said. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB

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CoGTA accountability visits move to the Eastern Cape 

Source: Government of South Africa

CoGTA accountability visits move to the Eastern Cape 

Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Namane Dickson Masemola, is set to hold a series of accountability and support meetings with the Mayors and councillors of Buffalo City Metro and the Makana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape.

These visits are part of a national initiative called ‘Every Municipality Must Work”, which aims to revitalise governance, accelerate service delivery, and strengthen accountability within local government structures.
 

The meetings will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, with the Deputy Minister expected to be joined by the Eastern Cape MEC for CoGTA, Zolile Williams.

According to the department, the programme will include the introduction of a tailored support package for Buffalo City Metro, designed to strengthen its institutional capacity and ensure optimal performance, in line with constitutional mandates.

“These engagements are aligned with the implementation of the District Development Model – a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to enhance cooperative governance and integrated planning,” the statement read. 

To promote public participation and co-governance, the Deputy Minister will hold a follow-up meeting with the Makana Concern Group. 

Last month, the Deputy Minister led an intergovernmental accountability engagement with the Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng.

READ | CoGTA Deputy Minister leads Emfuleni Local Municipality accountability visit 

– SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile

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Operation Phakisa nabs two in the Northern Cape 

Source: Government of South Africa

Operation Phakisa nabs two in the Northern Cape 

Two undocumented individuals were arrested in police operations in the Northern Cape, which also saw the confiscation of illicit goods.

Operation Phakisa was held by the South African Police Service (SAPS) — in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, South African Revenue Service (Customs), and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment — led to the individuals’ arrest, and the searching of 2 700 persons and 1 900 vehicles.

“The operation was executed between 28 July and 01 August 2025, focusing on the Vioolsdrift and Nakop border post areas. The focus of this operation was on cross-border crimes, including the proliferation of drugs, firearms and other illicit commodities. Two undocumented individuals were arrested and remain in custody to determine their status,” said the police in a statement on Sunday.

Several businesses were visited, during which compliance inspections were conducted and illicit goods were confiscated. Additionally, seven cases for contraventions of the Marine Living Resources Act, with fines totalling R18 500, were registered.

“Operation Phakisa reflects the unwavering commitment of law enforcement to uphold and enforce national legislation, particularly in areas vulnerable to cross-border crimes. The successful execution of this operation underscores the importance of interdepartmental collaboration in safeguarding the integrity of our borders and ensuring community safety,” said the SAPS. 

Operation Phakisa, in SAPS context, is a multi-agency initiative focused on addressing criminal activities affecting the ocean economy and marine environment. It involves collaboration with various law enforcement agencies and other government departments. Operations are designed to curb illegal activities related to fishing, marine resources, and other crimes that impact coastal areas. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin

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Deputy President Mashatile to lead the 38th Commemoration of the Battle of Lurhwayizo and unveiling of Mbulelo Ngono’s bust in the Eastern Cape

Source: President of South Africa –

Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile will on Thursday, 7 August 2025, unveil the bust of Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) combatant Mbulelo “Khaya Kasibe” “Ntsizwa” Ngono in the Lurhwayizo Village (Willowvale), Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

As part of his delegated responsibilities of promoting Social Cohesion Initiatives with a particular focus on Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, as well as Military Veterans, the Deputy President will lead the Eastern Cape Government in their continued tribute of the 38th Commemoration of the Battle of Lurhwayizo.   

This year, 2025, marks 38 years since the Battle of Lurwayizo in Willowvale. Lurhwayizo Store in Willowvale is the site of an iconic Battle of Lurhwayizo that took place 38 years ago over two days, from 21 and 22 January 1987. During this battle, Umkhonto weSizwe combatant Mbulelo Ngono bravely and fiercely engaged a combined Transkei Defence Force, Transkei Police and South African Police Force with state helicopters over a 36-hour shoot-out.

Government commemorated this battle in January by the memorialisation of the bravery of Mbulelo Ngono, which was followed by a theatre production and enactment of the happenings of that fateful day of 1987. Subsequent to these activities, a bust of Ngono was commissioned and will be unveiled as a solemn tribute to the courage, resistance, and resilience of South Africa’s liberation struggle.

Deputy President said that; “Although the remains of Mbulelo Ngono remain missing, we continue to honour him and many others for putting their lives on the line in defense of the freedoms we enjoy today.”

The Deputy President will be joined by the Eastern Cape Premier, Mr Oscar Mabuyane, Minister of Sports Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie and the Provincial Executive. 

Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: Thursday, 7 August 2025
Time: 09h00 (Media to arrive at 08h00)
Venue: Lurhwayizo Village (Willowvale), Gatyana, Mbashe Local Municipality Eastern Cape Province, South Africa 

Members of the media wishing to cover the event are requested to confirm their attendance for accreditation purposes with Ms Linah Ledwaba on 066 240 7635 (Presidency) or Mr Andile Nduna on 071 4114820 / andile.nduna@ecsrac.gov.za (Eastern Cape Dpt of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture) by the end of business on Wednesday.

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

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SA must adapt to “turbulent trade environment” 

Source: Government of South Africa

With the United States’ decision to impose a 30% tariff on South African imports, the country must adapt quickly to a “turbulent trade environment”. 

“The decision by the United States to impose a 30% tariff on South African imports highlights the urgency with which we have to adapt to increasingly turbulent headwinds in international trade.

“The US is South Africa’s second largest trading partner by country and these measures will have a considerable impact on industries that rely heavily on exports to that country and on the workers they employ, as well as on our fiscus,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter on Monday.

The tariffs imposed by the USA sweep across countries around the world.

“It is important to understand that South Africa is not alone in facing high tariffs from the US. 

“A number of export-reliant developed and developing economies, including several on the continent, are also grappling with these measures. 

“The international trading system is changing. Complacency will not serve us, and building resilience is imperative. As government, we remain committed to ongoing engagement with the US and building trade resilience,” the President explained.

Complementary relations

He said relations between the two countries have been complementary, with sectors such as agriculture, automotive and textiles, benefitting from duty-free access to the US through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

AGOA is a trade agreement that provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the USA market for over 1 800 products, in addition to the more than 5 000 products that are eligible for duty-free access under the Generalised System of Preferences programme.

“South African exports do not compete with US producers and do not pose a threat to US industry. It remains our aspiration that this should continue. Largely, our exports are inputs into US industries and therefore support the United States’ industrial base. 

“South Africa is also the biggest investor from the African continent into the US, with 22 of our companies investing in a number of sectors, including mining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and the food chain,” the President said.

Furthermore, South African products imported by the USA “ultimately benefit US consumers in terms of both choice and cost”. 

“By way of example, citrus production is counter-seasonal and does not pose a threat to US production. Furthermore, production by US companies has been on the decline for a number of years as the US sector grapples with low yields, a citrus greening disease and other factors unrelated to competition from imports. 

“Imports from South Africa, the world’s second largest citrus exporter, have filled a gap and contributed to stable supply and prices for US consumers,” the President said.

Open communication

President Ramaphosa reiterated government’s stance that communications is ongoing between the two countries.

“As government, we have been engaging the United States to enhance mutually beneficial trade and investment relations. All channels of communication remain open to engage with the US. 

“Our foremost priority is protecting our export industries. We will continue to engage the US in an attempt to preserve market access for our products. We must also accelerate the diversification of our export markets, particularly by deepening intra-African trade,” the President said.

READ | SA continues to engage US over tariffs

While that is ongoing, work to assist affected exporters is progressing, with the establishment of an Export Support Desk.

“We will in due course be announcing the modalities of a support package for companies, producers and workers that have been rendered vulnerable by the US tariffs. 

“This intervention will also play a key role in guiding industries looking to expand into new markets in the rest of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and markets we already have trade agreements with,” he said.

READ | Government announces measures to assist exporters

Regional collaboration

To build resilience in the export market in the long-term, government will be seeking to strengthen regional value chains.

“Much as strengthening and establishing alternative value chains will take time, this moment presents us with an opportunity to push forward with the implementation and expansion of the African Continental Free Trade Area [AfCFTA]. 

“Reducing over-dependence on certain markets is a strategic imperative to build the resilience of our economy. It will also enable us to expand the frontiers of opportunity for South African businesses, goods and services.

“In the coming months, we will be scaling up our trade missions into new markets in Africa and beyond, as well as the National Exporter Development Programme whose aim is to grow the pool of export-ready companies,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Clean audit for the Department of Transport 

Source: Government of South Africa

Monday, August 4, 2025

For the first time in 31 years, the Department of Transport has achieved a clean audit for the financial year 2024/25, as assessed by the by the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) outcome.

This has been welcomed by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, who said the achievement is a step in the right direction towards a fully accountable and clean administration.

The AGSA’s opinion and conclusions on the following areas for the financial year 2024/25 was based on annual Financial Statements (AFS) that were submitted on time without any material misstatements; on internal controls the AGSA did not find any significant deficiencies, particularly in the financial management processes, and the AGSA did not identify any findings on the completeness of the indicators used for planning and reporting. 

Creecy and Hlengwa have attributed the department’s clean audit outcome to the following:
•    The department’s commitment to clean governance and accountability.
•    Management taking its assurance providers seriously and ensuring that they are appropriately resourced and capacitated.
•    Management responding positively to audit recommendations, and addressing concerns timeously through effective audit action plans.
•    Engaging the AGSA for proactive reviews and preparing for the audit process timeously for smooth seamless execution.
•    A combined effort and assurance practice from all functions within the department, from Management efforts to Risk Management, Internal Audit, and oversight committees, especially the Audit Committee.
•    The role of the Transport Portfolio Committee in ensuring that the department is accountable to Parliament.

– SAnews.gov.za

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Call to celebrate women’s achievements this Women’s Month

Source: Government of South Africa

Department of Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister, Samantha Graham-Maré, has called on South Africans to honour women’s accomplishments as the country commemorates Women’s Month.

The Deputy Minister delivered remarks at the recently held Empowering Women in Energy breakfast held on the sidelines of the third G20 Energy Transitions Working Group meeting in the North West.

On 9 August, South Africa will mark 69 years since some 20 000 women – led by struggle heroes Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn – marched to the Union Buildings in protest against the apartheid government’s introduction of pass laws against black women.

“Women’s Month provides a time to celebrate and reflect on women’s accomplishments, the challenges we have encountered in the struggle for freedom and the critical role we continue to play in society,” Graham-Maré said.

The Deputy Minister noted that the duty to recognise women extends to all sectors including the need to move to “cleaner, more sustainable, and resilient energy systems”.

“[It] is about more than just technology or policy. It is about inclusivity, justice, and the bravery to create an energy future in which no one falls behind. 

“However, as we approach this transition, we must confront an uncomfortable reality: women, who account for half of our global talent pool, remain substantially underrepresented in the energy sector,” she noted.

In an exclusive interview with SAnews following the event, Graham-Maré expressed hope that society will reach a point where conversations about inclusion will not be needed.

“Women should automatically be in [energy] spaces. I also think it’s important that men understand that we’re not doing this to exclude them. We’re doing this to uplift and promote women. So, this is not an either-or scenario.”

The Deputy Minister encouraged men to be part of the upliftment of women.

“We need men to be partners in this and to make sure that they’re creating a safe space for women to work in. 

“To the women of South Africa: we are working to make sure that you have the life that you dream of and we’re making sure at some stage, we won’t have to have conversations about where women are at because women will just be where they need to be,” Graham-Maré said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Generation fleet is building momentum – Eskom

Source: Government of South Africa

Eskom says its generation fleet is showing ongoing momentum with more than half of coal-fired power stations operating with an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) exceeding 70%.

Some three stations are operating at an EAF of more than 90%.

“The power system continues to operate reliably, supported by an improved Energy Availability Factor, which reflects progress in plant performance and enables Eskom to meet winter electricity demand effectively. 

“When system constraints do arise, they are managed through the targeted use of emergency reserves during morning and evening peak periods,” the power utility said.

South Africa has not experienced load shedding since May this year.

“With 30 days of Eskom’s winter outlook period still remaining, the system remains well-positioned to maintain stability and meet demand effectively.

“As of [Friday], unplanned outages stand at 8 525MW, the lowest level in recent history, narrowly surpassing the 8 258MW recorded on 28 October 2024. The available generation capacity currently stands at 30 882MW,” Eskom said.

The power utility is expected to return some 3075MW back to the grid over the next week.

“Between 1 April and 31 July 2025, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor, which reflects the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, further decreased to 28.58%. 

“This represents a week-on-week improvement of approximately 0.4%, although it remains about 2.3% higher than the 26.28% recorded during the same period last year.

“As of [Thursday], the UCLF had dropped below the 20% mark, reaching 19.94%, signalling a significant and consistent improvement in generation performance.

“The Winter Outlook…covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. It indicates that load shedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, load shedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2,” Eskom said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Report on South African Veterinary Council election process

Source: Government of South Africa

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has requested a full report on the recent election process of the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).

According to the department, concerns have been raised about the transparency and procedural integrity of the process.

“These include inconsistent and conflicting communications to registered veterinary professionals regarding voting deadlines that created confusion and may have resulted in the exclusion of some eligible participants.

“In addition, questions have emerged about the eligibility of certain candidates, the fairness and independence of the verification process, and the overall credibility of the selection panel tasked with overseeing the elections. 

“Stakeholders have also alleged that the process lacked sufficient clarity and accessibility, potentially undermining the representativity and legitimacy of the council,” said the department in a statement.

The Minister has, said the department, emphasised that where there is credible concern about the legitimacy or procedural fairness of a statutory body’s governance processes, it is the duty of the Executive to intervene decisively to uphold public trust and institutional integrity.

The Minister has now:

  • requested a full report from the Department of Agriculture, including legal advice on the validity and procedural soundness of the SAVC election;
  • informed the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture in Parliament of the concerns raised, in the interest of full transparency and to enable appropriate legislative oversight; and
  • formally requested the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture to initiate a process to restart the SAVC election, should legal advice not conclusively endorse the validity of the current process.

Steenhuisen said: “Good governance is not optional; it is foundational. Public confidence in statutory regulatory bodies such as the SAVC rests on transparent, credible and procedurally fair processes. My actions are intended to ensure that these standards are upheld without compromise.” – SAnews.gov.za

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Treasury addresses inflation targeting reports

Source: Government of South Africa

Sunday, August 3, 2025

National Treasury has dismissed reports that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will make a pronouncement on inflation targeting during the upcoming Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.

This after the South African Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee announced that it prefers to target inflation at some 3%.

“As a result of this announcement, an expectation has been created that the Minister of Finance will make an announcement at the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) confirming this move to a 3% target. Minister Godongwana has no plans to do this.

“It is well-established that policy making responsibility in this area resides with the Minister of Finance, working with the President and Cabinet, who sets the inflation target in consultation with the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). The SARB then operates independently in its pursuit of the inflation target,” the department said in a statement.

Godongwana emphasised that any adjustments to the inflation targeting framework will “follow the established consultation process”.

“This means comprehensive consultation between National Treasury, the Reserve Bank, Cabinet, and relevant stakeholders – not unilateral announcements that pre-empt legitimate policy deliberation.

“Any changes to the target, if necessary, will follow this process that I have outlined above,” Godongwana said. – SAnews.gov.za