Category: South Africa Government

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi has extended condolences to the family and friends of Judge Taswell Papier of the Western Cape Division of the High Court.

Papier died on Tuesday at the age of 64.

Kubayi said: “His work, both during and after apartheid, leaves a lasting legacy in strengthening the rule of law and promoting human dignity. South Africa has lost a dedicated jurist, a compassionate leader, and a servant of justice.”

Papier is a product of the University of the Western Cape, where he studied law during the 1980s and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Human Rights Law at Harvard University.

“The Minister pays tribute to Judge Papier’s life, noting that he distinguished himself through selfless service to the people of South Africa and a steadfast commitment to the advancement of justice.

“She further highlights that, despite his exceptional credentials in human rights law, Judge Papier could have pursued opportunities at the highest levels globally.

“Instead, he chose to pioneer pro bono legal services and to serve the communities of Mitchell’s Plain and other vulnerable groups, including students and activists during apartheid. This, the Minister notes, reflected his deep sense of duty and dedication to service,” the department said.

Kubayi commended Papier for his service on the bench, noting that it was characterised by “integrity and distinction, presiding over important matters that contributed to the development of constitutional democracy, administrative justice and equality before the law”.

“In addition, the Minister recognises his commitment to mentorship, noting his willingness to guide and support young legal practitioners.

“The Minister joins many in paying tribute to Judge Papier’s contribution to the legal profession and to the transformation of the judiciary,” the department stated. – SAnews.gov.za

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Friday officiate a title deed handover ceremony, marking the official restoration of land to the Sebilong Communal Property Association (CPA) in Thabazimbi, in Limpopo’s Waterberg District. 

This landmark ceremony represents a significant milestone in advancing land reform efforts aimed at redressing the injustices of historical land dispossession and restoring land rights to rightful beneficiaries. 

To date, the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development has settled over 83 721 land claims nationally, resulting in the transfer of approximately 3 916 733 hectares of land.  

“This progress underscores the government’s continued commitment to resolving land claims and facilitating equitable land ownership among affected communities.

“Through the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, under the leadership of Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso, more than 340 000 hectares of land have been restored to the Sebilong community,” the Presidency said.

This community comprises 89 originally dispossessed households, amounting to a total of 1 071 verified beneficiaries.

The Deputy President serves as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Land Reform and Agriculture, which was established to oversee and accelerate the implementation of the government’s land reform programme and related interventions.

As South Africa commemorates Chris Hani on 10 April, as one of the country’s foremost struggle heroes, the ceremony further demonstrates government’s commitment to advancing human dignity, freedom, and inclusive economic participation grounded in spatial justice.

The Deputy President will be accompanied by members of the IMC on Land Reform and Agriculture; the Premier of Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba; Members of the Limpopo Provincial Executive Council (PEC); leadership of the Waterberg District Municipality and Thabazimbi Local Municipality; as well as representatives of the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights. –SAnews.gov.za

The Provincial Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit in Limpopo has secured a conviction against two police officers, aged 32 and 52, for corruption and defeating the administration of justice.

The duo, stationed at Mahwelereng police station, were found guilty of soliciting a bribe from a suspect’s family in exchange for his release. On 2 January 2023, they responded to a complaint of possession of suspected stolen property at Ga-Molekane village under the Mahwelereng policing area.

“They took a male suspect into custody and drove away with him. [The suspect’s] sister was then contacted and asked to bring R1 000 for his release. She managed to raise R500, which she handed over to the accused along the N11 public road near Molekane village, as instructed.

“However, instead of releasing her brother, they dropped him off at Mahwelereng Mall at Moshate crossing. The suspect was re-arrested by members of the community and taken to the police station, where he was detained,” the police said.

The Provincial Anti-Corruption Unit was alerted of the incident, and an investigation was launched. Colonel Benjamin Mashitisho investigated the matter and subsequently managed to apprehend the two officers on 23 July 2024. 

The duo made several court appearances at Polokwane Magistrate Court and were later each granted R5 000 bail, until they were found guilty on Wednesday, 8 April 2026.

Rapi Prince Sekopana (52) and Thabang Brian Ledwaba (32) were sentenced to four years imprisonment, with two years suspended. The accused will serve a minimum of two years of direct imprisonment and were also declared unfit to possess firearms.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the sentence.

“We are resolute in our commitment to root out corruption within the South African Police Service. 

“This conviction sends a strong message that no one is above the law, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who undermine the integrity of our organisation are held accountable. Our focus remains on serving and protecting our communities with honesty and professionalism,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Home Affairs has carried out a total of 109 344 deportations over the past two financial years, reflecting a sharp increase in enforcement. 

“Through ongoing campaigns like Operation New Broom, as well as the increasing use of biometric verification tools, we have already increased deportations by 46%,” Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber, said on Thursday in a statement.

The increase highlights intensified law enforcement efforts against immigration violations, underscoring the department’s commitment, alongside its partners, to restoring the rule of law.

In the first year of the current administration, deportations rose by 30% — from 39 672 in 2023/24 to 51 560 in 2024/25. This was followed by a further 12% increase to 57 784 in 2025/26.

Cumulatively, deportations over the two financial years rose by 46%, reaching 109 344 by 31 March 2026.

“These numbers show that we are now reaping the fruits of reforms focused on greater efficiency and intensified enforcement against immigration violators,” the Minister said.

He urged individuals who are in the country illegally to self-deport before being apprehended, warning that deportation could result in being barred from re-entering South Africa legally. 

“While enforcement efforts are clearly yielding fruit and scaling up every year, we remain equally focused on deterrence and modernisation.

“The deployment of drone and body camera technology has already made a difference, while the impending scale-up of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system will record biometrics for every foreigner who enters our country, dramatically enhancing our ability to detect and arrest anyone who is in South Africa illegally,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, has appointed Thabiso Lucas Thiti as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) for a period of five years, effective on 15 April 2026. 

Thiti is expected to continue and deepen the vital work the FIC has done to combat illicit financial flows, organised crime, money laundering, and terrorism financing. 

He takes on this role after South Africa successfully implemented reforms to address anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, which resulted in a decision to delist the country from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist last October.

“Thiti steps into this role at a pivotal time. We believe he has the requisite skill and experience to lead this critical institution. South Africa’s successful exit from the FATF greylist demonstrated the strength of collaboration between government, regulators, and the financial sector. 

“Sustaining this momentum is paramount, and the FIC has a key role to play to ensure that South Africa’s financial system remains trusted, transparent, and globally competitive,” Godongwana said on Wednesday.

South Africa’s recent exit from the FATF greylist provided a key test for the FIC and the ecosystem of law enforcement agencies and government bodies tasked with safeguarding the integrity of the country’s financial system. 

“SA’s exit from the watch list, in less than three years, provided proof of the rapid reforms that can be achieved when regulators, policymakers, law-enforcement agencies and members of the financial sector cooperate to achieve a clear objective. 

“However, with a mutual evaluation by FATF due later this year, the country must continue to demonstrate progress in the effectiveness of investigations, prosecutions, and sanctions,” the Ministry of Finance said.

The Minister has thanked Advocate Pieter Smit, who has been Acting FIC Director since September 2023, for his diligent stewardship. 

Thiti’s appointment follows a rigorous recruitment process undertaken since 2025 that culminated in a selection panel chaired by Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition,  Zuko Godlimpi, recommending him as the preferred candidate. 

He brings over 20 years of senior executive experience in public service, spanning the trade and industry advisory, the Justice Cluster, national security and intelligence operations, strategic management, and government leadership. 

He is currently the Deputy Director General: Institutional Development and Support at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, a position he has held since April 2023. 

He also served as Head of the Office of Interception at the State Security Agency (SSA), from 2020 to 2023. 

Prior to that, he held several senior roles within the SSA for over 11 years from 2006 to 2018.

During this time, he was directly involved in strategy, operations, and coordination in the broader criminal justice system. –SAnews.gov.za

North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi says the provincial government is now operating on a “modern digital foundation built for the future”.

He said this when he outlined progress in the province’s digital transformation programme at a media briefing at Mmabatho Palms Hotel, on Tuesday.

Mokgosi said the province had delivered on commitments made during the State of the Province Address earlier this year, confirming that key digital systems became operational on 1 April 2026. 

He described the shift as a transition from manual, paper-based processes to a fully integrated and automated administrative system anchored by the SmartGov platform, now live across all provincial departments.

Departments are currently undergoing a structured onboarding process that includes training officials and aligning internal workflows with the new system. 

This phased rollout, he explained, is designed to ensure stability while gradually eliminating manual processes and embedding digital operations into daily government functions.

SmartGov will automate a range of administrative and procurement processes, including submissions, approvals, invoice tracking and contract management. 

Mokgosi said this would improve efficiency, enhance transparency and accountability, and create a more predictable environment for businesses, particularly small and emerging enterprises seeking to participate in government opportunities.

He highlighted the introduction of a real-time monitoring and evaluation capability within the Office of the Premier, which will integrate reporting across provincial departments, state-owned entities and municipalities. 

The system will provide live performance data through interactive dashboards, enabling quicker decision-making, improved oversight and early identification of risks.

Mokgosi said the transformation extends beyond administrative systems to the province’s broader digital infrastructure, including the migration from legacy platforms to Microsoft 365 and the adoption of the Microsoft Azure cloud environment.

These changes, he noted, support a more collaborative and mobile workforce while ensuring scalability and resilience for future demands.

Cybersecurity has also been strengthened through advanced endpoint protection measures, while all implementations have been carried out under State Information Technology Agency frameworks to ensure compliance with national regulations.

Beyond government operations, Mokgosi said the initiative aims to drive economic inclusion and skills development through partnerships with Microsoft and Boxfusion. These partnerships will deliver training programmes for public servants, support for local ICT businesses and digital skills development for young people at no cost to the province.

Looking ahead, the next phase will focus on expanding broadband infrastructure to connect government institutions, schools, healthcare facilities and communities. Mokgosi said this would extend digital transformation beyond government systems and into the broader society, forming the backbone of a “Smart Province.”

He described the initiative as the foundation of a North West Digital Government Platform, integrating systems, data, infrastructure and connectivity into a unified ecosystem aimed at improving service delivery and responsiveness.

“The North West Provincial Government is not only envisioning a digital future, we are actively building it, we are implementing it, and we are delivering it,” Mokgosi said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has approved R22 million in risk reduction funding to provide fodder support to livestock farmers affected by ongoing dry grazing conditions linked to climate variability.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the department said extended periods of limited rainfall have placed significant pressure on grazing veld across several regions, negatively affecting livestock conditions and threatening farm sustainability.

Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism MEC, Dr Ivan Meyer, said livestock farmers are under real pressure because of prolonged dry conditions.

“This intervention is about acting early to protect herds, livelihoods and grazing resources. We cannot allow short-term climate shocks to undermine the long-term sustainability of agriculture in the Western Cape,” Meyer said.

Meyer said the department is implementing this intervention to reduce immediate pressure on natural grazing resources and stabilise production systems ahead of the winter season.

He said the fodder support forms part of the department’s broader risk reduction strategy.

“By easing pressure on natural grazing now, we help farmers bridge difficult conditions while safeguarding the veld so that it can recover when rains return. Climate variability is no longer a future threat; it is already shaping farming conditions across our province,” the MEC said.

While stressing the need for a decisive government response, Meyer also highlighted the importance of collaboration with farmers to build “resilience into our production systems”.

The department has encouraged livestock farmers to apply for the available relief and to continue implementing sustainable grazing and veld management practices, as part of long-term climate resilience planning. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau says the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) policy remains a critical component of South Africa’s constitutional democracy and the process of rebuilding the country.

The Minister said this when he was in conversation about the overall state of the South African economy and global trading environment at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Legacy Breakfast session in Pretoria.

Tau said the people of South Africa would attain freedom once they have been freed from the bondage of economic discrimination. 

“South Africa remains an unequal society. It’s just a reality for our country and until we’ve addressed that challenge, we do need redress measures as an economy.  The issues we need to address are what have been the limitations in implementation, and the truth is that they’ve been on both the policy and execution sides,” Tau said.

“We need to address the specific gaps where application results in a watered-down version of B-BBEE. Instead of dismissing the need for B-BBEE, shouldn’t we be strengthening our policy and implementation instruments to ensure we measure output and outcome. 

“Shouldn’t we be asking questions like how do we reach more people at the level of participation, how do we ensure access to capital,” the Minister said. 

He conceded that some of the challenges that should be addressed in the review process currently taking place are issues about equity and participation in B-BBEE transactions to ensure a wider reach, building industrialisation and industrial capacity amongst black entrepreneurs.

Tau said that it was clear that South Africa was on a path of growth in an environment of renewed economic optimism. – SAnews.gov.za