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The Department of Human Settlements will from Wednesday, 13 May 2026, begin public information sessions in KwaZulu-Natal on the proposed Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land (PIE) Amendment Bill.

The sessions follow the recent release of the draft legislation for public comment by Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane.

Wednesday’s session will be held at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall in the Umsunduzi Local Municipality and Friday’s session will take place at the Chesterville Community Hall in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. 

The Bill seeks to repeal the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act of 1998 (PIE Act), which was enacted to prevent arbitrary evictions and address historical injustices where people were removed from land without due process.

According to the department, the proposed amendment to the Act aims to deal with matters related to land invasions and informal settlements, provision of adequate housing to mitigate against illegal occupation of private properties, court processes and enforcement of court orders, and protection of vulnerable groups.

Public consultations are already underway, with the first session having been held in the City of Tshwane on Wednesday, 6 May 2026.

“On Saturday, it will be exactly 30 days since the Minister of Human Settlements released the PIE Amendment Bill for public comments. Over and above public the information sessions, South Africans are encouraged to send their submissions through emails to PIE.AmendmentBill@dhs.gov.za, the department said in a statement.

Further consultation sessions in Gauteng are scheduled to take place in the Cities of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni on 21 and 22 May 2026. – SAnews.gov.za
 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that government is working closely with communities to address the impact of severe weather conditions that have claimed at least 10 lives across several provinces.

The President expressed deep sadness at the loss of life linked to heavy rainfall, flooding, thunderstorms, damaging winds and snowfall affecting parts of the country.

“The President’s thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of the people who have died in events arising from heavy rainfall, flooding, thunderstorms, damaging winds and snowfall,” the Presidency said in a statement on Monday.

Government, through the National Disaster Management Centre, has declared a national state of disaster in response to the loss of life, damage to infrastructure, disruptions to essential services and the displacement of communities.

President Ramaphosa assured the nation that all spheres of government will continue working together to respond to the disaster and support affected communities.

“National, provincial and municipal authorities will work with communities to address the effects of the disaster,” the statement said.

The President also commended individuals, civil society organisations and businesses that have stepped in to assist communities affected by the adverse weather conditions.

President Ramaphosa further praised rescue and recovery teams operating under difficult conditions, noting that severe weather continues to affect rescue and recovery operations, including limiting air operations.

“As winter sets in, we are vulnerable to events which we may be able to forecast but whose actual intensity in specific locations we may not be able to predict.

“We are, however, making the best use of science to pre-empt some of these events and to respond to the aftermath,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said the National Disaster Management Centre and Cabinet will continue to receive updates on critical weather forecasts and the impact of the disaster.

“The National Disaster Management Centre and Cabinet will be updated on critical forecasts and disastrous impacts and responses will be modified as conditions dictate,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Durban is abuzz with activity as it plays host to Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 which President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially open this morning.

The Indaba kicked off at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, with BONDay (Business Opportunity Networking Day) – which was officially opened by the Tourism Deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu.

The BONDAY programme launched critical conversations around policy, entrepreneurship, destination competitiveness, sports tourism, culture and digital transformation. These are all designed to showcase new growth opportunities for African tourism economies.

From “Africa’s Narrative as the World’s Tourism Powerhouse,” to a TikTok Masterclass on converting digital inspiration into bookings, to thought-provoking discussions on sports tourism and the growing influence of music, fashion, and gastronomy on travel, BONDay reflected the evolving future of tourism and the many sectors shaping it.

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 is taking place from 11- 14 May under the theme: “Unlimited Africa: Growing Africa’s Tourism Economy.”

Ahead of the President’s address on Tuesday, exhibitors at the centre were seen completing the final last touch-ups to their stands while police maintain a strong presence outside while traffic officials were guiding motorists as to where to park.

READ | President Ramaphosa to address Africa’s Travel Indaba

At the media launch of the Indaba earlier this month, Tourism Minister Patricial de Lille said the Africa Tourism Indaba 2026 is a powerful celebration of the continent’s extraordinary potential to drive economic growth through tourism. 

READ | Africa’s Travel Indaba to drive economic growth

“This is where travel industry professionals gather, including tour operators, hotels, airlines, and tourism boards, to showcase products, network, negotiate deals and form partnerships with buyers,” she said at that time.

De Lille pointed out that the tourism sector remains one of the continent’s most powerful economic contributors.

“Through the geographic spread of tourism, the sector creates job opportunities and stimulates investment even in the most remote villages,” she said.

Over the next three days, delegates, Ministers, exhibitors, buyers, media and tourism leaders from across Africa and the world will gather to discuss various topics and showcasing Africa’s extraordinary tourism diversity.

Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 takes place as the continent commemorates Africa Month providing an important platform to strengthen partnerships, and shape a more inclusive tourism future that benefits communities, entrepreneurs and nations.

According to the Department of Tourism, planning for Africa’s Travel Indaba 2027 is already underway, as Africa Travel Indaba goes through a revamp with the inclusion of sponsors and private partners, enhancing the destination’s global competitiveness and empowering rural and township tourism enterprises. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is piloting an initiative to plant trees around wastewater treatment plants across the country to help mitigate odours generated by treatment processes and protect surrounding communities and the environment.

“The Wastewater treatment plants are essential for protecting public health and water resources;  however, they are often associated with persistent odour emissions that negatively affect surrounding communities,” Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Bernice Swarts said on Monday in Pretoria.

The initiative will begin at the Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (ERWAT), which operates 19 wastewater treatment works. 

According to Swarts, odours generated from processes such as sludge handling, anaerobic decomposition and chemical reactions continue to present environmental and social challenges for nearby communities.

“These odours can lead to neighbouring community discomfort, complaints, and reputational risks, particularly in densely populated areas within the City of Ekurhuleni. 

“Inadequate odour mitigation measures may also weaken public trust and reduce the perceived acceptability of wastewater infrastructure, despite its critical role in service delivery.

“It is therefore important to develop green spaces through tree planting in and around the wastewater treatment plant, which offer buffers between the communities and add to the general wellness of the environment,” Swarts said.

The Deputy Minister was addressing the launch of the Presidential One Billion Trees Programme, which seeks to mobilise South Africans from all walks of life – including government, the private sector, business, interfaith formations, diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), youth formations and communities – to plant trees as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The launch follows the success of the 2025 One Million Trees Campaign, during which more than 1.3 million trees were planted across the country on Heritage Day in September 2025. 

The planting of trees in residential settlements, recreational facilities, parks and open spaces has been identified as a critical environmental management intervention to address the effects of climate change. 

The Deputy Minister underscored that greening is not only an environmental responsibility but also a social and economic necessity.

“As a country, we continue to confront the growing challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and food insecurity. These challenges affect us all, but they weigh most heavily on the poor and vulnerable people,” Swarts said.

She added that biodiversity loss also disproportionately affects the country’s poorest people, particularly in rural areas, who depend directly on natural ecosystems for food, water, medicine, and livelihoods. 

“As ecosystems degrade, these communities face reduced food security, decreased income, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change, exacerbating inequality,” the Deputy Minister said.

She announced that the government plans to plant 10 million trees across the country on Heritage Day this year, working together with all South Africans.

“These trees will be planted across the country in our safe spaces such as schools, community parks, health facilities and in our residential spaces. It is therefore the President’s call that all South Africans participate in this programme by planting trees on Heritage Day,” she said.

The Deputy Minister called on all South Africans, including all spheres of government, organised business, organised labour, civil society and all citizens, to participate in the campaign to plant Ten Million Trees on Heritage Day in September 2026 as part of the Presidential One Billion Trees Programme.

She noted that properties that have been greened using trees and other plants have realised increased property values.

“This, in turn, ensures that Municipalities can collect more rates, thereby enabling increased service delivery in that particular local authority,” she said.

The Deputy Minister explained that the participation of municipalities will improve planning at the municipal level, enabling the identification of projects that can contribute to mitigating climate change, such as repurposing dumping sites into safe and peaceful parks.

“Trees also frequently bear the burden of pollution and industrial waste, especially in densely populated areas and industrialised zones with high levels of air pollution.

“Greening is thus inseparable from the pursuit of spatial justice in the context of a South Africa where the under-development of lower-income communities is the product of historical processes rooted in segregation

“Let us once again come together in the spirit of shared responsibility and common purpose. Let us plant not only trees, but the seeds of hope, dignity and lasting change in every community across our nation,” Swarts said. –SAnews.gov.za

The Western Cape Education Department says that all schools in the province will be closed on Tuesday due to severe weather conditions affecting parts of the province.

The decision was taken following consultations between the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the South African Weather Service (SAWS), with authorities citing learner and teacher safety as the primary concern.

The closure applies to all public ordinary and special schools across the province.

“In the interests of learner and teacher safety, and after extensive consultation with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the South African Weather Service (SAWS), a decision has been taken to close all schools in the Western Cape on Tuesday, 12 May 2026,” the Western Cape Education Department said in a statement on Monday.

According to the department, Disaster Management and SAWS recommended the closures based on updated weather projections and current conditions.

“Our default position is always to keep schools open and only close schools in exceptional circumstances, but we are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place,” the department said.

Authorities said the situation will continue to be monitored to allow schools to reopen as soon as conditions improve.

“We will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation to ensure that schools can reopen as soon as possible, which is currently expected to be on Wednesday, 13 May 2026,” the department said. 

As of 13:30 on Monday, a total of 227 schools had applied for closure, in addition to schools already listed for closure in the Cape Winelands and Eden and Central Karoo districts.

The department also confirmed that a number of schools have suffered storm-related damage, which is currently being assessed.

Officials, school principals, teachers and parents were thanked for their cooperation in implementing the school closures.

The department also expressed appreciation to first responders, emergency services and disaster management officials assisting schools during the severe weather conditions. – SAnews.gov.za

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has confirmed that payments for private student accommodation at universities were released on Thursday, 7 May 2026.

In a statement issued on Monday, NSFAS said accommodation providers banking with First National Bank (FNB) receive funds immediately upon release, while those using other banks may experience minor delays due to standard interbank processing timelines.

The scheme noted that, in the current quarter alone, it has made three major disbursements to accommodation providers, amounting to over R1.1 billion and benefiting over 100 000 students nationwide.

“To date, 95% of accommodation providers listed on our solution partner portals have had their banking details successfully verified and are now included in direct payments for 2026. For the remaining providers, we are conducting one-on-one engagements to ensure full integration into the direct payment system,” NSFAS said.

NSFAS added that it will issue a monthly disbursement schedule to all accredited accommodation providers. It urged providers to confirm students’ funding status and ensure valid, signed lease agreements are in place, as these remain prerequisites for payment.

The scheme also explained that it is legally mandated to manage accommodation payment functions internally from the start of 2026. This transition has helped resolve several critical issues, including delays in institutional confirmation of students, which affected payment cycles; incorrect classification of some students as transport allowance recipients; and uncertainties regarding accommodation accreditation.

NSFAS acknowledged ongoing operational pressures faced by accommodation providers, including rising utility costs and municipal service challenges.

The scheme reaffirmed its commitment to working collaboratively with sector associations and solution partners to address outstanding issues, including finalising 2026 rental rates, and implementing a more predictable and transparent payment system.

“NSFAS remains committed to the prompt, case-by-case resolution of all payment challenges. We encourage accommodation providers experiencing difficulties to contact us directly for assistance,” the scheme said.

NSFAS further expressed appreciation to accommodation providers for their ongoing partnership and assured all stakeholders of its focus on long-term stability, effective administration, and the wellbeing of NSFAS funded students. – SAnews.gov.za