Category: South Africa Government

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Western Cape tackles traffic gridlock as Mobility Month kicks off

Source: Government of South Africa

Western Cape tackles traffic gridlock as Mobility Month kicks off

With Cape Town now ranked the ninth most congested city in the world, Western Cape MEC for Mobility Isaac Sileku has warned that traffic gridlock is more than an inconvenience – it is undermining livelihoods, businesses, and the environment.

Launching Mobility Month on Wednesday with a panel discussion in Cape Town, Sileku brought together major transport players to confront one of the province’s biggest challenges: easing congestion and improving public transport.

The discussion included representatives from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS), the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), and academics. Together, they stressed that while congestion cannot be eliminated, it can be better managed through coordinated solutions.

Among the issues raised was the heavy reliance on private vehicles, with 60% of cars during peak hours carrying just one passenger. 

PRASA Regional Manager Raymond Maseko said rail must once again become the backbone of the system.

“We aim to move one million passengers a day. Passenger rail must anchor public transport, supported by other modes,” he said.

SANTACO Provincial Chairperson Mandla Hermanus said taxi operators are beginning to adopt higher-occupancy vehicles, such as 23- and 25-seaters, which carry more people, while cutting operating costs.

Sileku said the province’s strategy rests on three pillars: strengthening public transport, expanding non-motorised options like cycling and walking, and shifting travel behaviour through carpooling, flexible working, and technology.

“We cannot build our way out of congestion.

“We must manage it with innovative and practical solutions. That means enabling public transport to be the first choice for commuters and ensuring rail, buses, taxis and e-hailing can coexist effectively.”

The Department of Mobility outlined several interventions already underway, including:

  • Rail recovery: Restoring services on the Central Line, rolling out new trains, expanding park-and-ride facilities and deploying the Rail Enforcement Unit.
  • Bus services: Golden Arrow carries more than 230 000 passengers daily, alongside the expansion of MyCiTi and the N2 bus lane.
  • Taxis: with 75% of commuters relying on minibus taxis, initiatives are being rolled out to improve efficiency and safety.
  • Non-motorised transport: safe cycling and walking projects, as well as the distribution of over 400 bicycles annually.

Sileku said Mobility Month is about more than transport logistics. 

“At the heart of Mobility Month is one simple goal – to keep goods and people moving safely and efficiently across the Western Cape. We want to reclaim lost hours, unlock economic growth, and restore dignity in how people move.” – SAnews.gov.za

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New internship programme to boost youth opportunities in hospitality sector

Source: Government of South Africa

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube, in partnership with Diageo South Africa, the University of Johannesburg’s School of Tourism and Hospitality, and the Youth Employment Service (YES), has launched a new internship programme aimed at empowering young South Africans in the hospitality sector.

The initiative, unveiled on Thursday at the University of Johannesburg, seeks to open pathways to skills training, internships, and job opportunities for young people in the sector.

Speaking at the launch, Dube-Ncube said the collaboration between government, business, and academia shows South Africa and the world that collaboration can change lives.

“This is about producing chefs, creators, innovators and entrepreneurs. It is about building careers, not just filling jobs,” Dube-Ncube said.

She added that last year, the YES Programme achieved a 100% absorption rate; with all trained youth either placed in employment or supported to start a youth-led business.

The Deputy Minister also noted that while South Africa faces high youth unemployment, the hospitality industry presents unique challenges: rapid growth but slow transformation, with many disadvantaged young people confined to low-paying entry-level jobs without pathways to grow into leadership.

“To develop a skilled chef takes more than a job; it requires education, mentorship, and opportunity. Our vibrant tourism industry, which contributes nearly 4% of GDP, cannot yield its full potential while so many remain excluded.

“That is why programmes like Learning for Life matter are about much more than cooking, but about economic inclusion, transformation, and nation-building,” the Deputy Minister said.

She highlighted government’s broader role in creating an enabling environment for youth employment through investment in infrastructure, reducing red tape, and supporting skills development.

“One of our key tools has been the establishment of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in 2000, under the Skills Development Act of 1998. These 21 SETAs, each serving different industries, were designed to tackle skills shortages and fund training.

“In hospitality, this responsibility lies with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA). In May this year, CATHSSETA proudly graduated 164 learners from the Occupational Chef Qualification Programme (NQF 5). That milestone reflects progress, but it also tells us we must do even more” Dube-Ncube said.

  • Looking ahead, Dube-Ncube outlined government’s priorities, which include:
    Expanding access. We are exploring satellite training hubs in townships and rural areas, so that geography is no longer a barrier to opportunity.
  • Simplifying access. Many talented youth are excluded by complicated application systems and a lack of digital tools. We must make the process easier and more inclusive.
  • Guaranteeing opportunities. Training must lead to internships in reputable kitchens, apprenticeships, and meaningful work.
  • Supporting entrepreneurship. Beyond employment, we must provide seed funding, mentorship, and business development support to those who want to start their own businesses.
  • Tracking outcomes. Alumni tracking will allow us to refine training, showcase success, and scale what works best.

“This is how we will ensure that today’s beneficiaries are not just employees but become employers, innovators, and leaders,” Dube-Ncube said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Every municipality must work, urges Hlabisa

Source: Government of South Africa

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has delivered a stark warning on the state of local government, saying while progress has been made in many areas, a number of municipalities still battle poor financial management and eroding public trust.

Speaking at the Local Government Indaba in Midrand on Thursday, Hlabisa said too many municipalities leave citizens “with a sense of despair, where almost everything is upside down”, highlighting widespread governance failures.

He cautioned that the culture of “no accountability, lack of transparency, political interference and no consequence management” is crippling service delivery — particularly in underperforming municipalities — and insisted this must come to an end.

Despite the bleak assessment, the Minister pointed to municipalities that are thriving, adopting funded budgets consistently, using grants effectively, delivering services, and earning clean audits. 

“There are municipalities that render services at an above-satisfactory level and give clean accountability to the Auditor-General,” he noted, describing them as examples to follow.

Hlabisa outlined key reforms needed to restore confidence, including professionalising local government, strengthening ethical leadership, ensuring inclusive public participation and driving accountability at every level. 

“Every municipality must work,” he stressed.

Underscoring the economic importance of metros – which house 62% of South Africa’s population and control the largest budgets – Hlabisa warned that “if they are not functional, our country’s economy cannot grow.”

He also highlighted ongoing reforms, such as the proposed Coalitions Bill and the review of the White Paper on Local Government, both aimed at stabilising councils and reconfiguring municipal structures.

READ | Hlabisa engages with business on review of White Paper on Local Government

Looking ahead, Hlabisa presented his vision for municipalities that are ethical, capable, climate-resilient, transparent, and centred on community needs. 

He urged delegates to treat the Indaba as “a golden opportunity to confront challenges affecting our communities where they live” and to emerge with actionable resolutions for rebuilding effective, accountable, developmental municipalities.

The two-day Indaba continues at the Gallagher Convention Centre. – SAnews.gov.za

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Government condemns anti LGBTQIA remarks by Ngizwe Mchunu

Source: Government of South Africa

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has condemned hateful remarks made against the LGBTQIA+ community by artist Ngizwe Mchunu.

In a video circulated on social media, Mchunu denounced same-sex marriages and called for queer people to leave South Africa.

Deputy Minister Steve Letsike warned that the remarks are not only deeply offensive but also undermine the hard-won constitutional freedoms that guarantee dignity, equality, and non-discrimination for all people in the country.

“South Africa’s democracy is anchored in the values of equality, human dignity, and freedom. Attacks on queer persons are attacks on the very heart of our constitutional promise,” Letsike said in a statement.

Letsike stressed that the South African Constitution is an intersectional document, born at the intersection of race, gender, class and culture.

“It promises not only formal equality but substantive equality that takes account of history, of context, and of the deep wounds of apartheid and patriarchy. As government, we affirm that marriage equality is not a privilege but a constitutional right.

“The Civil Union Act [of 2006], passed nearly two decades ago, remains a testament to South Africa’s commitment to justice and equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation,” the Deputy Minister said.

She said the Ministry has formally referred the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for investigation. The Commission, a Chapter 9 institution, plays an important role in protecting and advancing human rights in our country.

Letsike also called on all faith leaders, including traditional leaders, artists, educators, politicians and community leaders, to use their voices to dismantle systems of oppression, rather than reinforce it.

“Silence is complicity, and we must all refuse to be complicit in hate. Soft violence the words, jokes and comments that demean, exclude, and incite hatred is never harmless. It is violence that corrodes dignity, which normalises discrimination, and that lays the foundation for physical violence.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the comments made by Mr Mchunu, because they are not only reckless, [but] also dangerous. They endanger the lives of LGBTI [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex] persons who already live under constant threat,” Letsike said.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to all efforts that foster equality for all and building a South Africa, “where no one is left behind, and where equality is lived in every home, school, workplace and cultural space.” – SAnews.gov.za
 

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SAPS boosts crime-fighting arsenal with new helicopters and vehicles

Source: Government of South Africa

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has strengthened its fight against serious and violent crime with the addition of two state-of-the-art helicopters and 12 armoured vehicles to its fleet.

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola said the new resources – two H125: ZT-REC and ZS-HGA helicopters, along with 12 Marshall vehicles – will significantly enhance operational capacity, improve response times and bolster national security.

“This additional fleet will play a critical role in enhancing the SAPS’ operational capacity and capability, as well as strengthening national security,” Masemola said at the official handover ceremony on Friday.

He said the helicopters and vehicles will boost the work of specialised SAPS units, including the Special Task Force, Tactical Response Team, National Intervention Unit, Public Order Policing and Visible Policing.

“This new fleet will play a critical role in responding to organised crime incidents such as cash-in-transit heists, hijackings, armed robberies and other violent crimes. The helicopters will enable us to respond rapidly to crime scenes and serve the people of South Africa timeously and effectively,” Masemola said.

The Commissioner also linked the new equipment to the intensification of Operation Shanela II, a nationwide campaign targeting violent crime hotspots through raids, roadblocks and stop-and-search operations.

“Just this week, we arrested more than 17 247 suspects for various offences including the illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and drugs. This is the result of the tireless work of the men and women in blue across the country,” he said.

Masemola thanked officers for their perseverance despite resource constraints, saying the new fleet was procured to ease their work and improve service delivery.

“We are striving to provide all necessary tools of trade to enable our members to perform their functions optimally. These resources should give you hope that management is doing its utmost to support you,” he told officers.

He reminded members who will operate the new equipment to exercise maximum care. The helicopters and vehicles will be distributed to specialised units across the country. – SAnews.gov.za

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Safety tips for SASSA beneficiaries

Source: Government of South Africa

Friday, October 3, 2025

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has urged the public to exercise caution and remain vigilant during times of payout.

This is to ensure the personal safety and property of South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant recipients. 

In order to stay safe when accessing your SASSA grant, the following safety tips are recommended:

  • Keep your personal and payment information confidential.
  • Protect your SASSA card and PIN at all times.
  • Be cautious of strangers around ATMs.
  • Be aware of your payment dates and consider waiting a few days after the scheduled date to avoid large crowds at payment points.
  • Be wary of unsolicited calls or messages asking for your personal details or card information.
  • Be alert and aware of your surroundings before and after using an ATM.
  • Avoid using ATMs with blank screens or those located in poorly lit or secluded areas.
  • Consider going with a friend and or a family member when collecting cash.
  • Be suspicious of strangers who offer help or claim there’s a problem with the ATM.
  • Security personnel stationed at ATMs are there to deter criminal activity and are not authorised to assist with transactions.

SAPS encourages the public to report any suspicious activity or criminal incidents by calling the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111, the SASSA grant and fraud hotline 0800 601 or via the MySAPS App. – SAnews.gov.za

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G20 Social Summit registrations now open for November 2025

Source: Government of South Africa

G20 Social Summit registrations now open for November 2025

Registrations are now open for the Group of 20 (G20) Social Summit, which will be held from 18 – 20 November 2025 at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.

This Social Summit, organised under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, aims to provide an inclusive platform that amplifies the voices of civil society, grassroots organisations, and local communities.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has stated that the Social Summit – aligned with the G20 Presidency theme of: ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’ – will bring together both formal and informal networks. 

These include youth groups, women’s organisations, individuals with disabilities, faith-based organisations, community forums, and other grassroots structures. The aim is to engage directly with global issues that impact daily life.

“Government calls on informal groups and community movements across South Africa, the African continent and globally to register and take part in this historic people’s summit.

“It is vital that global commitments are grounded in the lived experiences of communities,” DIRCO said.

During a media briefing in August regarding the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy, DIRCO Minister Ronald Lamola announced that preparations for the G20 Social Summit were in progress. 

He said the department aims to broaden its outreach efforts to communities beyond the 13 G20 Engagement Groups. This involves inviting civil society organisations, think tanks and academic institutions from across the globe to participate, ensuring that the lived experiences of ordinary people contribute to shaping G20 outcomes.

The G20 Social Summit serves as the main platform for incorporating civil society voices into the G20 decision-making process. 

Its goal is to promote global solidarity, advance inclusive development, and produce a Leaders’ Declaration that reflects the aspirations and experiences of all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable among them.

Building on Brazil’s 2024 innovation of institutionalising civil society input into the G20, President Cyril Ramaphosa committed that South Africa would not only continue but also expand the Social Summit. 

Conceived as a people-centred platform, the summit will elevate issues of social development, equity, and inclusion to the same level of urgency as macroeconomic and financial concerns.

Interested parties are invited to register on the official G20 website at https://forms.office.com/r/tjdH1jBhxp by 24 October 2025. For more information, please email socialsummit@dirco.gov.za. – SAnews.gov.za

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Africa urged to strengthen health financing models

Source: Government of South Africa

Africa urged to strengthen health financing models

Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has called on the continent to strengthen the resilience of its health financing whilst strategically weaning off external financing that has become less reliable.

“We must ensure that health financing is sustainable, not just for a single financial year but for generations to come. This means strengthening our own domestic resource mobilisation and finding innovative ways of financing our health sectors,” Godongwana said on Thursday in Johannesburg. 

He was addressing the African Union (AU) Commission’s 8th Session of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration. 

The STC brought together Ministers of Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration, as well as Health Ministers, central bank governors, senior policymakers, experts, and development partners to deliberate on strategies to close Africa’s health financing gap while responding to emerging global economic shifts.

“Coordination between the finance and the health sector has never been more important due to experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our continent’s health sector is facing a phalanx of multiple crises. It is underfunded, overstretched and faces a distressing decline in Official Development Assistance (ODA). 

“This challenge adds on the existing increase in our debt-service obligations and diminished fiscal space to make available for domestic health spending,” the Minister said.

He encouraged the continent to explore a range of solutions, including increasing budgetary allocations, and committing to increasing the share of national budgets dedicated to health, in line with the Abuja Declaration. 

“There is a need to explore innovative fiscal policies to increase revenue, through targeted taxes on products harmful to health, such as tobacco and alcohol and improve the efficiency and transparency of our public financial management to make sure that every resource allocated for health is used effectively. 

“Our private sector should not be left behind. We should create an enabling environment for both our public and private sectors to join hands and unlock investment and explore public–private partnerships across the healthcare infrastructure value chain,” the Minister said.

He pointed out that the continent’s health financing gap is an issue of global inequality.

Through South Africa’s Group Twenty (G20) Presidency, government is using the platform to support a new global compact on health financing, a model that is proactive and not crisis driven and is solidarity based.

“We are pushing for reforms to the global financial architecture to make it more equitable and representative. A key priority of our G20 Presidency is addressing the unsustainable debt burdens that destroy developing economies and prevent developing economies from investing in critical public services, including healthcare.

“We are proactively promoting a global framework to combat illicit financial flows and to ensure a fair and just international tax system. This will unlock billions of dollars in revenue that are currently lost to our economies, and funds that could be reinvested in our health systems in strengthening primary healthcare, and in building a resilient health workforce,” Godongwana said.

He stressed that the continent must urgently stabilise its economies by strengthening domestic markets, bolstering institutions and accountability, and protecting the vulnerable.

“Whilst it is true that the world economy is undergoing fundamental changes as demographic shifts and technological advancements reconfigure global markets, this moment too is a transitory one. There are new opportunities for change and growth on the African continent. A new thumping pulse in our veins, if you will.

“The energy transition and new technologies, including artificial intelligence, create new prospects for development and global economic interaction. The prospect of a multipolar world presents the African continent with opportunities to break free from old modes of development and trade,” the Minister said.

With new investments and new sources of investment finance emerging, he said there are opportunities to draw upon new spaces for pragmatic policy experimentation and autonomous development.

“New forms of multilateral cooperation and new partnerships for development are being forged, quite literally as we speak. Africa holds the keys to the solutions for the challenges the world faces. Africa’s youth are striving for development across the continent, demanding change. 

“The continent’s critical minerals, renewable energy advantages, agricultural land, and biological resources make it a central pillar of tomorrow’s healthier world, and an indispensable partner in achieving it,” the Minister said.

He said a new and reimagined developmental approach is required that restores confidence in the promise of development as an empowering partnership. 

“Africa can again be the flywheel around which a new vibrancy can emerge. This calls for new principles of global co-operation, more effective global finance for investment and economic transformation in Africa. 

“The old development models will no longer work, and the era of aid is largely over. I agree entirely, African countries must now approach development through the lens of sharper investment discipline,” Godongwana said. – SAnews.gov.za

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Home Affairs official convicted of fraud

Source: Government of South Africa

Friday, October 3, 2025

A former Home Affairs employee has been convicted of fraud by the Calvinia Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, following a series of offences linked to fraud.

Dawn Celeste Pieterson (45) was found guilty on all nine counts of fraud and two counts of contravening Section 31 (1) (d) of Birth and Death Registration Act 51 of 1992.

The offences were committed between February 2019 and September 2022 when Pieterson was employed at the Department of Home Affairs based in Calvinia.

As part of her duties, she had access to the national population register.  

According to the South African Police Service, Pieterson fraudulently took out funeral cover policies from reputable insurance companies and nominated herself as a beneficiary. 

“To benefit, she manipulated the national population register by falsely issuing BI-1663 forms (notice of death form) to reflect the fictitious death of the victims. The system registered the affected persons as deceased, resulting in a plethora of problems in the victims’ day to day lives,” the police said.

The case has been postponed to 26 January 2026 for sentencing.

Acting Provincial Head of the Hawks, Brigadier Prince Mashimbye, commended the great effort of the investigation and prosecution team for their work in securing the conviction. – SAnews.gov.za

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Madlanga Commission budget ‘properly managed’ – Justice Minister Kubayi

Source: Government of South Africa

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has moved to assure South Africans that budgetary matters relating to the Madlanga Commission have been properly managed and communicated with no formal concerns about the budget raised with the department.

This after some media reported that the commission’s former Chief Evidence Leader, Advocate Terry Motau SC, has raised some concerns about the commission’s budget.

The commission had announced Motau’s exit earlier this week.
READ | Madlanga Commission appoints Adv Chaskalson SC as chief evidence leader

“Advocate Motau has suggested that budgetary issues and his fears of budgetary shortfalls influenced his decision to resign from the Commission.

“The Minister wishes to place on record that budgetary matters relating to the Commission have been properly managed and communicated, and at no point were formal concerns about the budget raised with the Department.

“The Minister further notes that Advocate Motau was directly involved in the process of determining the fee structure for himself and his junior counsel,” the department said in a statement.

The commission’s R147.9 million budget is allocated as follows:
•    Compensation of employees including commissioners, evidence leaders, investigators, researchers and secretariat staff – R10.898 million
•    Goods and services including communication and Information and communications technology (ICT), consultants, legal services and travel and subsistence – R100.744 million
•    Payments for capital services for secure ICT infrastructure including computers, servers and associated systems – R36.258 million
“The Commission continues to operate from the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College, a state-owned facility, at no additional cost to the fiscus. For security reasons, detailed security-related expenditure will only be made public in the Commission’s final report.

“The Minister reaffirms her commitment to transparency, accountability, and to ensuring that the Commission is adequately resourced to fulfil its important mandate. The Minister further encourages Advocate Motau to provide clarity to the public on the reasons for his decision to resign, rather than placing undue liability on the Department in so far as the budget is concerned,” the department concluded.

Commission hearings are expected to resume on 13 October. – SAnews.gov.za