Category: South Africa Government

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, David Maynier, has welcomed the arrest of two men for alleged wildlife trafficking in separate cases at OR Tambo International Airport.

According to the Minister, the arrests followed a joint intelligence-driven operation led by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Environmental Management Inspectorate, also known as the Green Scorpions, with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence and SAPS Border Police, supported by members of the SAPS Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit.

The first operation resulted in the arrest of a 50-year-old Thai national at OR Tambo International Airport on 20 August 2026 for the alleged illegal export of 50 bird eggs concealed in a homemade incubator bag carried as hand luggage.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the eggs came from parrot species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The arrest follows a similar incident on 16 July 2026, when a 23-year-old Thai national was intercepted at OR Tambo International Airport while allegedly attempting to smuggle 418 parrot eggs concealed in two homemade incubator bags.

Investigations into both cases are ongoing. 

The department said the arrests highlight the growing sophistication of transnational wildlife trafficking networks and reinforce the importance of coordinated, intelligence-led law enforcement.

“The success of this operation demonstrates the need for a joint approach to enforcing environmental law. The complex criminal networks that support illegal wildlife trafficking can only be challenged by a coordinated defence of our natural heritage,” Maynier said in a statement on Wednesday.

The department said the illegal collection and trafficking of parrot eggs pose a serious threat to wild bird populations and animal welfare.

The eggs are often concealed in improvised incubation devices and transported under conditions that significantly compromise their viability and endanger the welfare of developing embryos and hatchlings.

In response to the growing threat of wildlife trafficking, South Africa developed the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT) to strengthen collaboration among government institutions, law enforcement agencies, conservation authorities, customs officials, prosecutors and international partners in dismantling criminal networks involved in the illicit wildlife trade.

“Several of the rescued eggs have successfully hatched, and the chicks are receiving intensive veterinary and husbandry care to maximise their chances of survival, so the support of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) personnel in safeguarding the welfare of these vulnerable animals has been invaluable. 

“The successful interception of these smuggling attempts demonstrates the effectiveness of the collaborative approach promoted through the NISCWT and reflects South Africa’s unwavering commitment to combating wildlife trafficking and protecting the country’s rich biodiversity heritage,” the department said.

The export of specimens listed under CITES is strictly regulated and requires permits issued by both exporting and importing countries.

Section 102 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004), provides that a person convicted of an offence in terms of section 101 may be liable to a fine not exceeding R10 million, imprisonment for a period not exceeding 10 years, or both.

“The DFFE remains committed to working closely with national and international law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals and criminal syndicates involved in the illegal wildlife trade. 

“Through continued collaboration, intelligence sharing, and targeted enforcement actions, South Africa will continue to strengthen its efforts to combat wildlife crime and safeguard its natural resources for future generations,” the department said. –SAnews.gov.za

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A major milestone in the country’s history was marked today when the South African Reserve Bank launched two commemorative circulation coins, honouring women whose courage, leadership and sacrifice helped shape South Africa’s path to freedom, equality and justice.

The first R2 coin marks 125 years since Charlotte Maxeke became the first Black South African woman to graduate with a university degree. The second commemorates 70 years since the historic 1956 Women’s March, when more than 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings to protest against apartheid pass laws.

The coins form part of the Milestones of Freedom campaign, launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June 2026, to commemorate key moments in South Africa’s democratic journey, while strengthening service delivery and promoting social cohesion.

Together, the coins place women’s stories in the hands of South Africans, ensuring that their courage and contribution continue to travel through communities and across generations.

Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga described the launch as a significant moment in the country’s history.

“For generations, women stood at the forefront of resistance, organised communities, sustained families during periods of oppression and made immeasurable contributions to the liberation struggle. Yet their contributions have too often been overlooked.

“Today, South Africa affirms that our national story cannot be told without recognising the central role played by women,” Chikunga said on Wednesday.

She was speaking virtually during the launch of the two commemorative coins, held at the South African Reserve Bank Head Office in Pretoria.

“In 1901, Charlotte Maxeke, at a time when both racial discrimination and gender barriers sought to limit opportunity, she shattered expectations and expanded possibilities for generations of women to follow. Her achievement was far more than academic. It was a declaration that Black women were entitled to knowledge, dignity, leadership and equal participation in society,” the Minister said.

Chikunga added that Charlotte Maxeke understood the transformative power of education, saying it equips citizens to challenge injustice, participate meaningfully in the economy, and unlock opportunities for personal growth and national development.

The Minister said the Women’s March remains a defining example of democratic participation and active citizenship.

“Mama Lilian Ngoyi did not become extraordinary because she sought prominence. She became extraordinary because she organised. Mama Helen Joseph did not become a symbol because she pursued comfort. She became one because she embraced sacrifice. 

“Mama Rahima Moosa did not leave us a legacy because she accumulated influence. She left one because she invested herself in justice. Mama Lillian Diedrickse did not allow education to define her. She submerged herself in the liberation struggle; she used her linguistic prowess to organize and facilitate inclusion. 

“Mama Sophia Williams-De Bruyn’s greatness is measured by the decades she spent ensuring that the story of that march continues to inspire new generations,” the Minister said.

Through the coins, South Africa affirms that it values the courage, leadership and contributions of women, and that their legacy must continue to inspire future generations.

“As these coins circulate throughout our country, may they inspire reflection on our shared history and our collective future. May they remind us that freedom was won through struggle, that democracy is sustained through participation, and that equality requires action,” Chikunga said.

She emphasised the need to continue building a South Africa where women enjoy not only equal rights, but equal opportunities; where vulnerable groups are not merely protected, but empowered; and where economic participation and prosperity are accessible to all.

“As we honour their legacy, we must recommit ourselves to building an inclusive society where women, youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are fully involved in governance, decision-making and development. The South Africa we seek cannot be built by a few; it must be shaped collectively by all its people,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

 

 

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Artificial intelligence (AI) must be used to expand opportunities for women beyond newsrooms, universities and technology companies, particularly women in rural communities who often face barriers to accessing information, skills and digital opportunities.

This was the message from Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Chief Director: Products and Platforms, Zanele Mngadi, who said the digital revolution must be harnessed to improve women’s lives wherever they live.

Mngadi was speaking during the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)/GCIS Women in Media and Communications Panel Discussion, on Wednesday.

The session was held under the theme: “Coded for Equality: Women, AI and the New Media Landscape.”

As South Africa continues to mark Women’s Month, which commemorates 70 years since the historic 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings, Mngadi said the country must confront the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technology while ensuring that women are not left behind.

She said the conversation about AI should not only focus on its potential impact on women’s careers, but also on how women can use technology to create opportunities for other women.

“How can we use these tools to make information more accessible to a woman in a rural village – in her own language and through a platform she can access?

“How can we connect her more effectively to information about healthcare, education, agricultural support, business opportunities, government services or protection from gender-based violence?” Mngadi asked.

She said the digital transformation must also ensure that rural women’s voices and lived experiences are reflected.

“How do we ensure that her voice and lived experience are present in the stories we tell and the information environment we are building? That, for me, is where technology becomes more meaningful.

The Chief Director said AI can be a powerful tool for inclusion.

“In the hands of women journalists and communicators, AI can become a powerful tool for inclusion, enabling us to deliver credible and useful information further, faster, in more languages and in forms that speak to the realities of women wherever they live,” she explained.

Access
Her comments come as government works to address the country’s digital divide through initiatives such as SA Connect, which is aimed at expanding broadband connectivity and community Wi-Fi, particularly in underserved communities.

Mngadi said access remains fundamental to ensuring that women can participate meaningfully in the digital economy.

“Statistics South Africa has also documented gender disparities in access to and use of information and communication technologies. This matters because participation in the AI economy begins with access: access to technology, skills, information and opportunity,” she said.

Through the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, government is also investing in the skills needed to enable South Africans to participate in the digital economy, while initiatives supporting women and girls in technology are creating pathways into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), innovation and entrepreneurship.

Neutrality and the measure of progress
Mngadi stressed that technology itself is not automatically neutral, warning that AI systems can reproduce and amplify inequalities.

“Technology is not automatically neutral. AI learns from data generated by societies with their own histories, inequalities and biases. If those biases are embedded in the data, technology can reproduce and amplify them,” she said.

For this reason, she said women must have a voice throughout the technology ecosystem – not only as users, but also as researchers, developers, journalists, communicators, entrepreneurs, policymakers and leaders.

She also challenged stakeholders to rethink how progress for women is measured.

“Our measure of progress cannot simply be how many women are present in our newsrooms, communications departments, universities or technology companies.

“It must also be how much influence women have over where these industries are going, and whether that influence improves the lives of women beyond those rooms.”

Mngadi said the GCIS-TUT partnership is important in preparing young women for a rapidly changing media and technology landscape, bringing together government, academia and the media to share expertise and strengthen digital capabilities.

She welcomed initiatives at TUT supporting women in technology, including the Girls in Tech programme and the Electronics Repair and Entrepreneurship Programme.

She also highlighted national initiatives such as the Technology Innovation Agency’s Women Technology and Innovation Programme, the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa’s (NEMISA) training programmes and the African Girls Can Code Initiative.

Opening doors for others
At the heart of the discussion, however, was the need to ensure that technological progress translates into tangible opportunities for women who remain on the margins of the digital economy.

Mngadi said women must use their position and access to technology to help open doors for others.

“Women cannot wait for the digital revolution to deliver equality. We must help shape it and use our access to technology to open doors for other women. Our challenge is to ensure that the glass ceiling of yesterday does not become the algorithm of tomorrow.”

Misinformation and disinformation
She also warned of the growing threat posed by misinformation and disinformation, particularly as AI makes it increasingly easy to create convincing fake text, images, audio and video.

The GCIS, she said, is strengthening its response, including work towards a government fact-checking capability to proactively debunk deepfakes and false information.

For Mngadi, ensuring that women help shape the future of technology is ultimately about making sure that innovation serves society.

Quoting Lilian Ngoyi, one of the leading figures of the 1956 Women’s March, she said: “Freedom does not come walking towards you – it must be won. As women we must go on playing our part.”

“Seven decades later, that call remains relevant. In this new technological era, the responsibility to advance equality is now ours.

“Let us ensure that the glass ceiling of yesterday does not become the algorithm of tomorrow, and that equality is coded into our future from the beginning,” Mngadi said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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South Africa and Brazil must use their Strategic Partnership to advance a stronger Global South voice, reform the global financial architecture and ensure that critical minerals drive industrialisation and prosperity in their own economies.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola urged this on Wednesday, while delivering opening remarks at the Eighth Session of the South Africa-Brazil Joint Commission in Pretoria, which he co-chairs with Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira.  

The Joint Commission is taking place against the backdrop of what Lamola described as strong headwinds facing the multilateral system and global peace, with the two countries facing an increasingly important role in defending multilateralism and advancing the interests of developing countries.

“Today, as the multilateral system and global peace face strong headwinds, our joint efforts are more important than ever,” Lamola said.

He said South Africa and Brazil, as two leading economies on their respective continents, were well positioned to act as bridge builders between the Global North and Global South. 

“As two leading economies on our continents, Brazil and South Africa are bridge builders between the countries of the global North and the global South,” he said. 

Lamola said the two countries had consistently pursued common positions in multilateral forums, particularly on reforming global governance to better reflect the aspirations of the majority of the international community.

He highlighted the urgent need to reform the global financial architecture, pointing to the burden of debt servicing across Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.

“On our continent, as many as 750 million people, more than half of Africa’s population, live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on hospitals and classrooms.

“In Latin America and the Caribbean, many countries are also saddled with debt. More than half of the population, or roughly 350 million people, live in countries that spend more on debt repayments than on health,” he said.

Lamola said the two countries had used their membership of the G20 to highlight these inequalities and push for concrete reforms.

“As founding members of the G20, Brazil and South Africa have used the forum to place these imbalances under the microscope and to advance concrete reforms,” he said.

The Minister also identified critical minerals as an area where South Africa and Brazil could deepen cooperation and pursue a different development model for the Global South.

Both countries are rich in minerals needed for the transition to a green economy, with Lamola warning that growing global demand should not simply reproduce historical patterns in which developing countries export raw materials while value and wealth are created elsewhere.

“Our countries have not hesitated to use their voice and soft power to call attention to the challenges and crises bedevilling countries of the global South,” he said.

He added that South Africa and Brazil could work together to ensure that critical minerals contribute to industrialisation, skills development and technological advancement.

“Our countries are well placed to advance a different model – one in which the minerals that power a green future also power industrialisation, skills development, technological exchange and prosperity in our own societies,” he said. 

The Joint Commission will also examine ways to strengthen bilateral economic ties and expand market access between the two countries.

Brazil is South Africa’s largest trading partner in Latin America, with bilateral trade amounting to approximately US$2 billion in 2025.

Lamola said South African companies had established a presence in Brazil in sectors including pharmaceuticals, technology, mining, financial services and chemicals, while Brazilian companies were investing in South Africa’s automotive and food-manufacturing sectors.

He said the African Continental Free Trade Area offered Brazilian companies access to a rapidly integrating African market of more than 1.4 billion people, while Brazil offered South African companies an important gateway into Latin America and the Caribbean.

The SACU-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement also provided a platform on which the two countries could build.

“This Joint Commission gives us an opportunity to explore ways to expand market access, address trade barriers, and ensure this partnership fulfils its true promise. South Africa is equally committed to achieving more balanced and diversified trade between our countries,” Lamola said.

The Minister said South Africa also looked forward to concluding the Agreement on Investment Promotion, Cooperation, Facilitation and Protection, which he said would strengthen the framework for productive and mutually beneficial investment.

The two countries are expected to review existing bilateral agreements and identify new areas of cooperation, including aggrotech, aerospace and defence industries, biopharmaceuticals, creative industries, critical minerals beneficiation, energy, science and innovation, youth and women’s empowerment, transport and health.

Lamola also highlighted growing tourism ties, noting that Brazil had become South Africa’s ninth-largest source market for tourism.

Nearly 65 000 Brazilians visited South Africa in 2025, with Lamola attributing the recovery towards pre-pandemic levels partly to the bilateral 90-day visa agreement and the expansion of direct flights between South Africa and São Paulo.

The Joint Commission follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State Visit to Brazil in March, during which the two countries reaffirmed their Strategic Partnership.

Lamola said the relationship was rooted not only in contemporary political and economic interests but also in a shared history of struggle against colonialism, slavery and racial exclusion.

He recalled that former President Nelson Mandela visited Brazil in August 1991, where he met political leaders, representatives of the Black movement and ordinary Brazilians to thank them for their solidarity with South Africa’s liberation struggle.

The Minister said the historical ties between the two countries continued to inform their contemporary partnership.

“Our histories and our difficult journeys towards building united and diverse societies have taught us important lessons. Democracy is always a work in progress.

“Democratic victories are never permanent. Democracy survives through vigilance, strong institutions and the active participation of citizens,” he said. 

Against this backdrop, Lamola expressed confidence in the resilience of Brazil’s democracy as the country approaches its upcoming elections.

“It is in this spirit that we wish the people of Brazil well as they approach the upcoming elections. We are confident in the strength and resilience of Brazil’s democracy,” he said.

Lamola said South Africa viewed Brazil as a dependable ally in the pursuit of a more equitable international order.

“South Africa is proud to have in Brazil a dependable ally and co-creator of a just, democratic and equitable world,” he said. 

The Eighth Session of the South Africa-Brazil Joint Commission will assess progress in existing areas of cooperation and identify new opportunities to deepen the Strategic Partnership. – SAnews.gov.za

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President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 3 September, 2026, deliver the inaugural Nokuthula Simelane Memorial Lecture at the University of Mpumalanga. 

Simelane was an anti-apartheid struggle hero who was abducted, tortured and murdered by apartheid Special Branch police in the 1980s.

“The Nokuthula Simelane Memorial Lecture is being established as a national platform to promote dialogue on democracy, social justice, ethical leadership, gender equality, human rights and nation-building, while preserving and advancing the legacy of Nokuthula Simelane and other heroes and heroines of South Africa’s liberation struggle.

“The Memorial Lecture seeks to create a national conversation on justice, accountability, truth, reconciliation and the unfinished business of South Africa’s democratic transition,” the Presidency said in a statement.

The inaugural lecture will be hosted by the Nokuthula Simelane Foundation.

“Nokuthula Simelane dedicated her life to the struggle for freedom and democracy and paid the ultimate price in service of the people of South Africa.

“In 2024, she was posthumously awarded the Order of Luthuli in Gold for her incredible bravery. President Cyril Ramaphosa described her disappearance as a wound that will never heal for her family,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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The Department of Home Affairs has urged members of the public that have not yet registered their customary marriages to do so before the special registration period closes on 31 August 2026.

The registration enables couples to regularise their marital status.

“This includes marriages concluded before the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act came into effect in November 2000, as well as those concluded thereafter but not registered within the required timeframe.

“The department urges qualifying couples to register without delay to avoid unnecessary queues as the deadline approaches,” the department said.

Further information on how to register can be obtained at local Home Affairs offices around the country.

“Traditional leaders, community leaders and civil society organisations are also encouraged to help raise awareness and ensure that affected couples are informed of the approaching deadline,” the department stated. – SAnews.gov.za

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Through a formalised strategic partnership between the Departments of Tourism and Public Works and Infrastructure, government will unlock investment in tourism infrastructure and drive economic growth.

“If we want tourism to make an even greater contribution to economic growth and job creation, we must build the infrastructure that makes investment and new tourism experiences possible,” Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille said on Tuesday.

De Lille and Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson have formalised a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement to strengthen the preparation of priority tourism infrastructure projects and unlock greater private-sector investment in South Africa’s tourism economy.

Under the three-year agreement, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will support the Department of Tourism with specialist resources, including investment expertise and transaction advisory services. These resources will help strengthen the project pipeline and improve projects’ readiness for investment.

“This partnership will also facilitate the transfer of skills, knowledge and technical competencies to strengthen the Department of Tourism’s long-term capacity to prepare and facilitate tourism infrastructure investment. We must turn tourism potential into bankable projects, investment and ultimately jobs,” de Lille said.

The agreement comes just days after President Cyril Ramaphosa launched Phase Three of the Government-Business Partnership, with tourism identified as one of the key sectors capable of accelerating inclusive economic growth and employment.

The Department of Tourism will retain overall accountability for and ownership of its Investment Facilitation Service, while Infrastructure South Africa will provide the specialist technical and transaction support required under the agreement.

Infrastructure South Africa is a programme within the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure that provides infrastructure planning, management and delivery services.

“Through this partnership, we can help move priority tourism infrastructure projects from plans on paper to shovels in the ground, while crowding in private-sector investment and creating new economic opportunities across the country. This is another practical step towards our goal of turning South Africa into a construction site and using infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation,” Macpherson said.

The partnership is also timely, as the Department of Tourism prepares to host the second Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit in Gauteng from 30 September to 1 October 2026.

The summit builds on the inaugural event held in 2025, which created a dedicated platform to connect tourism infrastructure projects with potential investors and financiers.

The second instalment will continue to build a pipeline of credible, bankable tourism projects from both the public and private sectors. –SAnews.gov.za

 

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The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured Acknowledgements of Debt from companies found to have overcharged the University of Fort Hare for student accommodation leases.

This emanating from an investigation by the corruption busting unit into accommodation charges at the Eastern Cape based university.

“The SIU investigation revealed that the university engaged various service providers to lease and accommodate students. Upon analysis of the financial documents and lease contracts, [the] SIU established instances in which certain service providers were paid amounts exceeding those specified in the lease contracts.

“The recovery of funds underscores the SIU’s commitment to protecting the public purse and ensuring accountability. The SIU has since referred nine disciplinary cases at the UFH [University of Fort Hare] involving former and current officials linked to the leasing of student accommodation,” the SIU said in a statement on Tuesday.

Service providers implicated in the overcharging were “contacted, and findings were shared along with letters of demand”.

“Two service providers, Younus Atcha trading as Equicent Eastern Cape Developments (Pty) Ltd and Tshongwane Trust, signed the AoDs [Acknowledgement of Debts] after overcharging the university R302 814 50 and R2 928 163.84, respectively.

“However, the third service provider, Lynton and Harmony, refused to accept the letter of demand and did not sign the AoD. Instead, they requested the banking details, and Lynton and Harmony paid the full amount of R103,829.96 directly into the SIU bank account.

“Tshongwane Trust, which overcharged the university by R2 928 163.84, has already repaid R1 620 000. The current outstanding balance is R1 665 290.41, including interest. In contrast, Equicent Eastern Cape Developments and Lynton and Harmony have already paid their full amounts last year,” the statement read.

The SIU is authorised to investigate the affairs of the university under Proclamation R84 of 2022, as amended by Proclamation R194 of 2024.

“The SIU’s investigation at the UFH focuses on various issues, including the procurement and contracting processes for goods and services. It also examines maladministration within the Faculty of Management and Commerce and serious misconduct within the Faculty of Law, particularly regarding the improper registration and admission of ineligible students.

“The SIU is authorised to initiate civil proceedings in the High Court or a Tribunal in its name to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during its investigation and to recover financial losses suffered by the State, including funds paid for services not rendered,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says Operation Prosper has resulted in the arrest of 1 080 people and the seizure of firearms, ammunition, explosives, gold and illegal mining equipment, as government intensifies efforts to dismantle illegal mining networks. 

Responding to a parliamentary question on the progress of the operation, President Ramaphosa on Tuesday said tangible and measurable progress has been made since Operation Prosper was announced in the 2026 State of the Nation Address.

Joint operations by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have targeted illegal mining activities in the Free State, Gauteng and North West.

The operations have included high-visibility policing, vehicle checkpoints and air support, resulting in arrests, the dismantling of illegal mining sites and the confiscation of firearms, explosives and illegal mining equipment.

“Through interdepartmental coordination with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the joint deployment has resulted in the arrest of 1 080 individuals, among them armed suspects and undocumented miners,” the President said. 

The operations have also resulted in the seizure of 19 firearms, more than 2 000 rounds of ammunition and 41 commercial explosives.

Government has further seized 83 generators, more than 1 000 refining drums, nearly 2 000 kilograms of gold-bearing material and approximately 150 kilograms of gold.

“These actions have disrupted the operational and financial lifelines of illegal mining networks,” he said. 

The President said government is also taking steps to prevent illegal mining activities from resuming after enforcement operations.

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has closed a number of illegal shafts, with further closures planned.

Meanwhile, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) continue to secure affected locations through foot patrols, vehicle checkpoints and air-to-ground monitoring.

The deployment forms part of government’s broader response to the illegal mining crisis, which has been linked to organised criminal networks, illicit economic activity and the use of firearms and explosives. 

Operation Prosper was announced by President Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026, as a coordinated intervention to combat illegal mining.

The latest figures indicate that the operation has combined law enforcement and military capabilities with interventions by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to disrupt both the operational and financial infrastructure supporting illegal mining.

Government’s approach includes targeting the people operating illegal mining sites, shutting down illegal shafts and confiscating equipment and materials used to sustain the illicit activities.

The continued deployment of SAPS and the SANDF at affected sites is also intended to prevent illegal miners from returning to locations that have already been subjected to enforcement action.

President Ramaphosa’s response comes as government continues to strengthen its efforts against illegal mining and the criminal networks that profit from the illicit extraction and processing of precious metals. – SAnews.gov.za 

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says deep structural problems at municipal level are at the heart of South Africa’s water crisis, with government drawing on lessons from its successful response to the electricity crisis to restore reliable water supply and eradicate sewage pollution.

Responding to parliamentary questions on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa said the National Water Action Plan had been developed as a coordinated response to the country’s water challenges, following the approach used in the Energy Action Plan that brought an end to more than a decade of persistent load shedding.

“We have taken the same approach of focused, coordinated actions into developing the National Water Action Plan,” President Ramaphosa said. 

The President said the plan, which is overseen and coordinated by the National Water Crisis Committee, was developed following extensive consultation with municipalities, water boards and relevant government departments.

He said the plan was informed by an analysis of the root causes of the water crisis at municipal level and sets out both immediate interventions and longer-term reforms.

“It identifies actions that will significantly improve water service delivery in the short-term as well as actions – such as legislative and other reforms – that will take longer,” he said.

Both the Energy Action Plan and the National Water Action Plan form part of Operation Vulindlela, the reform programme coordinated and driven by the Presidency.

“The challenges in the water sector are caused by deep structural problems at the municipal level,” the President said. 

Among the problems he identified is the failure in many municipalities to ring-fence revenue generated from the sale of water and reinvesting it into water provision.

He also pointed to the lack of a proper separation between the functions of water services authorities and water services providers in most municipalities.

The President said government was nevertheless pursuing interventions that would improve water access in the short term while laying the foundation for longer-term sustainability.

These include projects aimed at expanding access to water in unserved communities and completing water services projects that have been delayed for extended periods.

“We are increasing support to struggling municipalities and strengthening interventions in poorly performing municipalities in terms of existing legislation,” the President said. 

Addressing corruption

Government is also targeting corruption and criminality that undermine water infrastructure and service delivery.

“We are also combating corruption and criminality in the water sector, including theft of metal parts for sale as scrap metal and the water tanker mafia,” he said. 

Implementation

The President expressed confidence that the implementation of the National Water Action Plan would ultimately resolve the country’s water crisis.

“Through the progress we are making, we are confident that the implementation of the National Water Action Plan will result in the resolution of the water crisis, both in terms of restoring reliable water to deprived communities and eradicating sewage pollution,” the President said. 

He said the plan is designed not only to respond to immediate failures but also to create a more sustainable water system.

“Importantly, it will address many of the immediate water challenges that communities face, while establishing a foundation for sustainable and secure water supply into the future,” he said. 

Strengthening municipalities

The President’s response came alongside a broader parliamentary question on the structural reforms being implemented to restore the capacity of municipalities and improve accountability.

He said effective local government is critical to improving people’s lives.

“Effective local government is essential to improving the lives of our people, supporting local economic development and creating the conditions for investment and job creation,” he said. 

The Constitution requires the three spheres of government to be distinctive, interdependent and interrelated, while placing a responsibility on national and provincial government to support and strengthen municipal capacity. 

“The strengthening of municipalities is an important priority of this administration,” he said. 

Government is focused on building a more capable, professional and developmental local government system by strengthening leadership and administration in municipalities.

Government has also sought to improve coordination across the three spheres through mechanisms including the District Development Model, while providing targeted support to municipalities experiencing the most severe governance and service delivery challenges. 

On accountability, President Ramaphosa said government had intensified oversight and monitoring and strengthened consequence management.

He said national government had also supported interventions in municipalities that were unable to fulfil their constitutional obligations and had strengthened collaboration between institutions responsible for governance, financial oversight and combating corruption.

Looking ahead, President Ramaphosa said government was close to completing a review of the White Paper on Local Government.

“Looking to the future, we are close to completing a review of the White Paper on Local Government, which envisages far-reaching reforms to this critical sphere of government,” the President said. 

He said the reforms were intended to build stable, capable and accountable municipalities able to deliver reliable basic services.

“These reforms are directed towards building stable, capable and accountable municipalities that can deliver reliable basic services.

“They are directed towards restoring public confidence in local government and creating an enabling environment for inclusive economic growth and sustainable job creation,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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