Category: South Africa Government

Source: South Africa News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on businesses and other public sector entities to use SAYouth.mobi to provide more pathways for young people to earning and learning.

In his weekly newsletter, the President reflected that the country observed Youth Day on 16 June in tribute to the generations of young people who continue to inspire the ongoing pursuit for social justice, equality and opportunity for all.

“The private sector needs to use all available mechanisms, including the Employee Tax Incentive, to hire young people.

“South Africa’s young people deserve to lead lives of dignity. Unemployment is robbing far too many youths of this right. As government and business, let us continue to work together and do all within our means to empower young people to find jobs and create their own opportunities,” the President said. 

WATCH | Youth Day commemoration 

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President Ramaphosa said that if the country is to live up to the democratic promise for which so many sacrificed their lives, it is essential to invest in today’s generation of young people and unleash their potential.

Like many parts of the world, he highlighted that South Africa is grappling with high youth unemployment. 

“To overcome this challenge, we need an approach that includes investing in education and skills development, fostering youth entrepreneurship and implementing targeted employment programmes focusing on young people,” he said. 

As part of this work, government established the Presidential Employment Stimulus and the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, initiatives that are providing opportunities to hundreds of thousands of young people at a time when not enough jobs are being created to absorb new entrants into the labour market.

Since it began in 2020, the Presidential Employment Stimulus has provided more than two million jobs and livelihood opportunities. Of the participants in the programme to date, 72% are young people and 66% are women.

A vital part of government’s efforts to empower young people is the SAYouth.mobi platform, which is a single point for unemployed young South Africans to access opportunities for work, training and learning.

There are now over 4.7 million young people registered on the SAYouth platform and the Department of Employment and Labour’s employment services database. Through these platforms, young people have been supported to access over 1.6 million earning opportunities.

“Last week in the City of Tshwane, I met with a number of young people who told me excitedly they had been approached by potential employers who had seen their profiles on SA Youth.mobi.

“I want to encourage young job-seekers to utilise this trusted recruitment platform at https://sayouth.mobi/. Registration is free and the app is zero rated, meaning you can access the site and its contents without incurring any data charges,” the President said. 

READ | Presidential Youth Initiative continues to empower SA’s most excluded youth

The President said government has also focused on providing workplace experience and on-the-job training. He added that young people have often expressed frustration around the onerous experience requirements from employers, which effectively serve as a barrier to entry for them. 

In 2019, government abolished the work experience requirement for entry level jobs in the public sector. Through the Youth Employment Service, a collaboration with the private sector, thousands of young people have been placed in workplace experience opportunities in a range of economic sectors.

“The extent and scale of the youth unemployment crisis means that we should not focus solely on placing more young people in formal, existing jobs, but that we must bolster skills development and foster an entrepreneurial culture.

“It is critical that we overcome the mismatch between the skills available in the workforce and market need,” he said. 

President Ramaphosa said this is why government is investing in vocational training. 

“We have increased funding to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and subsidies for the operationalisation of new campuses. Each year, we are placing thousands of learners and graduates into workplace experience opportunities.

“Entrepreneurship is a key economic growth driver, but rates of entrepreneurial activity in South Africa are relatively low compared to other countries. We are working to foster an enabling environment that allows more young people to become self-employed,” the President said. 

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention has been working with the National Youth Development Agency and the Department of Small Business Development to financial and non-financial support to young people for their businesses.

“Through all of these initiatives, the state has supported millions of young South Africans with work opportunities, work experience and skills development. However, we can only vastly scale up the employment of young people with greater private sector involvement,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Serious Corruption Investigation component of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, based in Pretoria, has arrested an additional two suspects in the ongoing operation that began on 14 June 2025, in KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the number of those arrested to seven.

The execution operation emanates from a complaint from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) relating to the issuance of fraudulent passports to undocumented foreign nationals. 

The allegations reported serious offences include corruption, fraud and the contraventions of the Identification Act and Immigration Act, which took place between February 2020 and July 2023. A group of South African citizens allegedly facilitated the fraudulent acquisition of South African passports by foreign nationals at DHA offices in Durban, specifically at the Commercial Street branch. 

These unlawful activities took place outside of regular business hours, including evenings, weekends and public holidays, when the DHA offices were officially closed.

Preliminary investigations by the DHA confirmed that the criminal activities were conducted after hours, where the local citizens were offered R300 to R1 000 in exchange for their cooperation, particularly at DHA offices in Isipingo, Durban Central and Eshowe — resulting in a case being opened for investigation by Serious Corruption Investigation.

Thus far, a total of 38 individuals have been previously arrested in the matter from September 2022 to date. Of those arrested, seven are DHA officials, while 31 are private citizens. 

About 24 individuals, four of whom are DHA officials, have been convicted and sentenced to a combined sentence of 310 years imprisonment.

The other five suspects were arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation on 14 June 2025 in various parts of Durban and will face charges of corruption, fraud, contravention of the Immigration Act and contravention of the Identification Act.

The DPCI is not ruling out the possibility of more suspects being arrested. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has visited the OR Tambo District in the Eastern Cape as part of coordinated efforts by government to offer psychosocial support and social relief packages to the communities adversely affected by the recent floods. 

The Minister was joined by Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development, Bukiwe Fanta and Speaker of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, Nomamfengu Siyo-Sokutu. 

During the visit, both the Minister and the MEC extended heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and wished a speedy recovery to those who were injured and currently recovering in hospitals and places of safety.

“SASSA [South African Social Security Agency] and Home Affairs are working very closely to ensure that death certificates are released, so that the agency can assist the families that will not be able to lay to rest their loved ones with financial assistance,” the department said in a statement on Monday. 

The principals were accompanied by the National Director-General Peter Netshipale, SASSA CEO Themba Matlou, Acting CEO of National Development Agency (NDA) Thabani Buthelezi, SASSA Eastern Cape Regional Manager Bandile Maqetuka, and NDA Provincial Manager, Nokulunga Skeyi. 

Following the events of the past week, where approximately 90 people lost their lives and thousands displaced, the social development sector with its partners dispatched its personnel to provide assistance to the affected people. 

SASSA, through its Social Relief of Distress (SRD) programme, has acted swiftly to assist families whose homes were severely affected during the floods. To this end, SASSA has been active on three established sites, where people are served with three nutritious meals a day, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to immediate food security.

In anticipation of the transition phase, SASSA has developed a disengagement plan aimed at equipping beneficiaries with basic resources to support reintegration and restore a sense of stability. This includes the provision of urgent packs to restore the dignity of the families who have lost everything they had. 

The department explained that the activation of the Disaster Management Act has enabled SASSA and its partners like the Gift of the Givers and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, to provide urgent needed services to the displaced communities. 

“The work of the agency has been supervised by the Internal Audit Committee to allow proper accountability at the end of the intervention to avoid and protect the resources of government,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za 

Source: South Africa News Agency

Five suspects arrested over the weekend for fraud and corruption are scheduled to appear in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court today.

The arrest is related to the issuing of passports at the Department of Home Affairs offices in KwaZulu-Natal.

A Home Affairs-led law enforcement operation, supported by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, busted a syndicate involved in passport fraud at the uMngeni and Commercial Road offices in Durban. 

Among the five people arrested are a former Home Affairs official from the Prospecton office, a municipal project volunteer at the Commercial Road office, and three members of the public – one of whom was found with 226 passports that were recently stolen from the uMngeni Home Affairs office.

Earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, warned at the launch of the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (BMIACF) that South Africa was increasingly becoming a “syndicate society”, and that Home Affairs was determined to work with other law enforcement agencies to crack down on syndicates operating in this environment.

The operation follows the dismissal of 33 corrupt officials since July last year, as well as the criminal conviction of eight offenders, with sentences ranging from four to 18 years in prison.

The successful operation was initiated by the Home Affairs’ Counter-Corruption Unit, following information received from the public.

One of the suspects was found with keys to the Home Affairs offices on Commercial Road and at Prospecton. 

The same suspect was also found with copies of enabling documents that did not belong to him. 

Two further suspects have been identified as members of this syndicate but the Hawks remain on the hunt for them.

“This latest operation lands another blow in our ongoing cleanup campaign at Home Affairs, which is specifically focused on breaking open criminal syndicates. 

“The details of the case also reaffirms the urgent work we are doing to digitalise all of our processes, so that it becomes impossible for syndicates to penetrate and manipulate our systems. 

“This combination of ensuring criminals are arrested and prosecuted, and using digital transformation to close the loopholes they exploit is how we will ultimately win the war against corruption,” Schreiber said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, is set to visit the Impendle Local Municipality after the area was severely affected by recent strong winds.

According to the department, the visit, scheduled for Tuesday, is in response to the intense weather conditions that have caused widespread damage and hardship for more than 100 families in the municipality, with Wards 1 and 5 being particularly hard hit by the storms. 

The Minister will be accompanied by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thamsanqa Ntuli. 

“The Premier and Minister will conduct on-site assessments, engage with affected residents, and ensure that urgent relief measures are being implemented,” the department said in a statement. 

This joint visit underscores government’s commitment at both provincial and national levels to respond swiftly and effectively to natural disasters and support vulnerable communities through recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

On Friday last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Mthatha in the Eastern Cape to offer support and assess the damage following the recent floods that killed about 90 people.

The floods have caused widespread destruction to homes, government facilities, roads, hospitals, and schools, highlighting the urgent need to tackle climate change. 

President Ramaphosa highlighted that this is becoming a new reality for South Africa, with both Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal experiencing recurring annual disasters.

“The Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are now prone to continuous annual disasters that are causing a lot of pain and suffering amongst our people, where a number of people are dying,” he said then. 

Government officials pledged continued support to the affected communities, promising to assist families in their time of grief.

President Ramaphosa also took the time to extend his condolences to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, who are facing significant challenges due to climate change. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, specifically within the JB Marks Local Municipality.

In the first case, the department was alerted by a private veterinarian, who visited a farm and noted suspicious signs. 

A State veterinarian then collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) for testing.

Another incident of FMD was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng.

“The clinical signs of the affected  animals were missed at ante-mortem inspection but were detected on the slaughter line during the meat inspection process. 

“Tissue samples were sent to the laboratory, and the results came back confirming both SAT 2 and SAT 3 types of the virus. 

“The unslaughtered animals were escorted back to the farm of origin, a feedlot in Ventersdorp, through a Red Cross permit,” the statement read. 

The department has placed both farms associated with the outbreak under quarantine, which prohibits the movement of animals and animal products. 

In addition, the department has identified all farms connected to the Gauteng outbreak and is conducting tests to determine whether any of them are positive for the infection.

“All such farms have also been put under precautionary quarantine until the test results are back.” 

The department stated that any suspected case of FMD in susceptible animals must be reported to the local state veterinarian immediately.

FMD is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals and can impact some other species as well. 

The main clinical signs of the disease include fever, lameness, and the appearance of blisters and sores in the mouth, feet, and teats.

In recent months, outbreaks have occurred in five of the nine provinces in South Africa, with KwaZulu-Natal experiencing the most significant impact.

Early this month, Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, announced that the department has ordered 901 200 doses of vaccines at a value of over R70 million. 

The national department said this means that over 900 000 animals will be vaccinated in all areas that the department has prioritised.

The department stated that Limpopo and Mpumalanga will also conduct their routine vaccinations, which are conducted three times a year, with some of the vaccines going to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. 

Meanwhile, last week, Cabinet announced plans to establish a biosecurity council that will bring together the South African Police Service, veterinarians, scientists, the Border Management Authority (BMA) and captains of industry to better respond to future outbreaks and manage the related risks. 

READ | Government on top off foot-and-mouth disease response. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Source: South Africa News Agency

The Eastern Cape Provincial Government says the number of fatalities from this week’s devastating floods has risen from 88 to 90.

In a statement on Sunday, the provincial government said it remained committed to a “coordinated compassionate response that unites government, non-governmental organisations and local leadership” as communities continue to grapple with the aftermath of the floods.

“In partnership with NGOs and faith-based organisations, the province has been and continues to provide emergency relief to affected households following the recent floods that left several fatalities, displaced households, caused significant infrastructure damage, and disrupted livelihoods across the province, with OR Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities bearing the brunt. 

“The latest report has indicated an increase in the number of fatalities from 88 to 90, as previously reported yesterday,” said the provincial government.

Out of the 90 fatalities, 60 are adults and 30 children, while 48 are male and 42 females. 

Through the Department of Health, post-mortems have been completed with 80 bodies having been positively identified and 77 bodies released to families. 

The provincial government said it remained in close contact with affected families to provide necessities and psychosocial support, with the Council of Churches also providing spiritual healing to the grieving families. 

The provision of emergency relief to thousands of the displaced residents in the OR Tambo and Amathole District Municipalities is still in progress. 

“About 2686 residents were left homeless and are currently accommodated in various shelters and provided with three meals a day and all the essential necessities. 

“Progress has been made in restoration of basic services in the affected areas. In the  Amathole District, water provision has resumed, with the full pumping system still being restored. 

“However, water supply in some communities is still limited, and residents are urged to continue using water sparingly, as water will not return to all affected places at once, as the system may take time to fully recover.”

In OR Tambo, water has partially been restored in various areas, with some areas expected to get water supply by the end of Sunday. 

Water tankers from both municipalities, Department of Water and Sanitation, and the Gift of the Givers continue with the provision of water in affected communities. 

Day of mourning

The provincial government said plans were underway to hold a Provincial Day of Mourning on Thursday, 19 June 2025, in Decoligny Village, in Mthatha.

Residents have been urged to report persons who went missing in the areas that were affected by the floods to law enforcement. 

This as rescue operations continue. 

“The provincial government continues to monitor the situation. Our rescue and recovery teams continue to comb the affected areas.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the area on Friday to offer support and assess the damage. He was accompanied by government officials, key Ministers, the Premier, and local government representatives.

READ I President Ramaphosa expresses sadness over tragic loss of life during recent floods in E Cape

The President offered his condolences to those who had lost loved ones. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South Africa News Agency

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says government will continue leading from the front in creating a conducive environment for economic growth, education, safety and opportunity.

Addressing the Youth Day commemoration in the North West, Deputy President Mashatile urged the private sector to help create opportunities by investing, hiring, and supporting youth innovation.

“I want to emphasise that the youth deserve nothing less than a future where their skills, creativity, and determination can flourish in a changing world. To the youth, do not give up in pursuing a better future for yourselves and the country. Your voice, your ideas, and your energy are the fuel that can rebuild this country.

“We therefore invite you to be part of the upcoming National Dialogue to shape the future trajectory of our country. To parents, teachers, and communities, let us support and guide our children,” the Deputy President said on Monday.

READ I National Convention to set agenda for the National Dialogue

This year’s National Youth Day event took place under the theme: “Skills for the Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation”.

This is a call to all government entities and its strategic partners to accelerate and enhance meaningful interventions in bridging the gap between skills development programmes and services available for access by youth to realise economic gain.

“As government, we offer various programmes to support young entrepreneurs, including financial assistance, business development services, and skills training.

“We need to encourage young people to look into starting their own businesses instead of waiting for employment. In this day and age, entrepreneurship is one of the keys to building a better future,” Deputy President Mashatile said.

He informed young people that the National Youth Development Agency’s Grant Programme and Youth Challenge Fund are key initiatives, along with the launch of a R20 billion annual Transformation Fund for the next five years, aimed at boosting Black-owned businesses and historically disadvantaged groups.

“These funds will act as a catalyst to attract other funds to enhance support of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. Additionally, government is promoting youth participation in the digital economy through initiatives like the Digital Economy Masterplan and the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy.

“These initiatives inspire hope in our quest to create employment and entrepreneurship for young people,” he said.

The Deputy President acknowledged that government could do more to create an enabling environment for young people.

“We must speed up the execution of existing legislation and regulations to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of the youth.

“As part of assisting young entrepreneurs with quick turnaround on invoice payments, we have proposed a War Room on Clean Governance. Part of the main priorities of the Clean Governance War Room will be the prioritisation of the 10 – 15-day payment cycles and Transformative Procurement of small businesses,” Deputy President Mashatile said.

30 years of democracy

While challenges remain, the Deputy President reflected on some of the major victories that the democratic dispensation has registered in advancing youth empowerment since 1994.

“Firstly, at the basic education level, we have transformed the matric pass rate from 58% in 1994 to a historic 87.3% in 2024. This is the result of three decades of making education an apex priority of government.

“Our basic education system has gradually transformed whilst redressing the generational legacies of Verwoerd’s Bantu Education System. While we are not yet where we wish to be, we are also far from the inequality and disregard inherited in 1994,” he said.

In higher education, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFA) is a catalyst for widening access to higher education for the marginalised.

The scheme has grown from a modest budget of R33 million in 1991, serving only 7 240 students, to over R52 billion today, funding more than 1.1 million students at universities and TVET colleges.

“As a result of this sustained investment, the demographic composition of our higher education system has been fundamentally transformed. In 1994, there were 266 190 Black students, representing 50.4% of the total student population. By 2020, that number had grown to 862 313 Black students, constituting 80% of enrolments.

“In 2017, our government restructured NSFAS, converting it from a predominantly loan-based scheme into a grant system to ensure that higher education does not become a debt sentence for our young people,” Mashatile said.

This support includes the NYDA’s Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship, which continues to advance the educational aspirations of youth from rural and township communities.

Government has also met and surpassed gender parity in higher education participation rates, with over 60% of graduates from colleges and universities now being young women.

“As the demand for education continues to grow, it is only natural that challenges around accommodation and the administration of NSFAS have emerged.

“However, we are encouraged by the efforts of the Department of Higher Education and Training, which are currently underway to ensure that no deserving student is left behind,” the Deputy President said.

Over the past five years, several mass youth employment programmes have been implemented across the length and breadth of the country to respond to the challenge of youth unemployment.

The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) was launched in 2020 to cultivate sustainable earning opportunities for young people from all walks of life.

“The latest quarterly report confirms that over 4.7 million young people are now registered on the National Pathway Management Network, with more than 1.6 million earning opportunities secured through a variety of initiatives and partnerships.

“At the beginning of this month, 205 000 young people were placed in jobs through Phase 5 of the Basic Education Employment Initiative as part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus,” he said.

Government has also implemented the Social Employment Fund, managed by the Industrial Development Corporation, which has been designed to address unemployment and promote social value through “whole of society” approaches. –SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: South Africa News Agency

Monday, June 16, 2025