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President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday deliver the keynote address at the Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) 75th Anniversary Gala Dinner at the Volkswagen plant in Kariega, Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape.

In a statement, the Presidency said the event will be held under the theme: “A Legacy in Motion: Honouring the past, celebrating today, driving tomorrow.”

The celebration marks 75 years of Volkswagen in South Africa and recognises the company’s contribution to the country’s automotive industry, economy, skills development and communities.

The first Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the production line at the Kariega plant, then known as Uitenhage, on 31 August 1951.

The plant was initially established in 1946 as South African Motor Assemblers and Distributors (SAMAD) for the local assembly of Studebaker cars and commercial vehicles.

Over the past 75 years, the Kariega plant has produced nearly 40 different models and built more than 4.8 million vehicles, with more than three million produced for the local market.

Today, the plant is the sole manufacturer of the Volkswagen Polo worldwide, exporting the model to 38 countries, while also producing the Polo Vivo for the local market.

Volkswagen Group Africa has also expanded its footprint on the continent, with assembly facilities in Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana.

The company remains a significant contributor to South Africa’s automotive manufacturing sector and to the economy of the Nelson Mandela Bay region.

Volkswagen Group Africa employs approximately 3 600 people and supports 1 440 suppliers, while its wider operations are estimated to support approximately 50 000 indirect jobs.

Since 2010, the company has invested more than R13 billion in its South African facilities, while its Corporate Social Investment investment since 1994 has exceeded R800 million.

“The objectives of the 75th Anniversary Gala include reflecting on Volkswagen’s journey and contribution to South Africa’s automotive industry, economy and communities; honouring the generations of employees, partners, dealers, suppliers and customers who have shaped the company’s legacy; and highlighting key milestones and achievements over the past 75 years.

“The celebration will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the state of the local automotive industry, including industry challenges, competitiveness, policy requirements and the future of manufacturing in South Africa,” the Presidency said. 

As part of the anniversary celebrations, Volkswagen will officially unveil a new vehicle model to be built at the Kariega plant, demonstrating its commitment to local manufacturing and future growth.

The event will also showcase Volkswagen’s expanding footprint across Africa and its strategy to develop sustainable automotive ecosystems and strengthen mobility solutions across the continent. – SAnews.gov.za

The New Development Bank (NDB) and the South African Government have signed two loan agreements worth a combined US$405 million to support infrastructure projects in Limpopo, North West and Gauteng.

In a statement on Friday, National Treasury said the financing will support the Limpopo Central Hospital Project and the Magalies Bulk Water Supply Scheme, as part of efforts to advance South Africa’s sustainable infrastructure priorities.

The NDB will provide a US$200 million loan for the Limpopo Central Hospital Project, which involves the construction of a new 488-bed tertiary central hospital in Polokwane.

The flagship investment is expected to strengthen tertiary healthcare services, expand access to quality medical care and improve health outcomes for the people of Limpopo.

The province faces growing demand for tertiary healthcare services, ageing hospital infrastructure and shortages of specialised medical facilities.

The new hospital will provide modern and resilient healthcare infrastructure, equipped with advanced diagnostic, treatment and information technology systems.

It will also serve as the principal referral hospital for the province and increase capacity to provide specialised and advanced healthcare services.

The facility will further support medical education, clinical research and the training of future healthcare professionals.

Water security

The NDB will also provide US$205 million for the Magalies Bulk Water Supply Scheme, which aims to improve reliable access to drinking water and support inclusive growth in the North West and Limpopo provinces.

The project responds to severe water shortages affecting six local municipalities where current water demand exceeds available supply.

These municipalities are Bela-Bela, Modimolle-Mookgophong, Mogalakwena, Moretele, Moses Kotane and Rustenburg.

According to National Treasury, both loans have a maturity period of 10 years, including a four-year grace period, with an interest rate of daily SOFR plus 0.93508%.

The financing forms part of Government’s broader efforts to strengthen public health and water infrastructure.

National Treasury expressed its appreciation to the NDB for its continued partnership and support towards South Africa’s infrastructure development and long-term sustainable development objectives.

“The NDB’s project loans, together with financing secured from other multilateral development partners, have enabled Government to meet its 2026/27 foreign currency borrowing requirement of US$3.2 billion,” National Treasury said. – SAnews.gov.za

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga has expressed concern over the use of alcohol in an advertisement referencing the historic 1956 Women’s March.

In a statement on Friday, Minister Chikunga said the use of alcohol in the marketing campaign trivialises the historic and ongoing struggle of South African women for freedom, equality, dignity and justice.

She stressed that the Women’s March of 1956 was not a commercial slogan or marketing opportunity, but a defining moment in South Africa’s liberation history.

On 9 August 1956, about 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in protest against apartheid pass laws.

“The struggle of the women of 1956 cannot and must not be reduced to a marketing gimmick. Their courage, sacrifice and resistance were about freedom, dignity, equality and justice. 

“It is deeply concerning when that historic struggle is appropriated to sell products, particularly products such as alcohol that continue to have devastating social consequences for many women, children and families,” Minister Chikunga said.

The Minister emphasised that alcohol was never a symbol of the women’s struggle for freedom and should not be retrospectively presented as such for commercial purposes.

The whisky brand referenced in the advertisement has since apologised and removed the social media post.

As South Africa commemorates 70 years since the historic Women’s March, Chikunga said the anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the gains made since 1956 while confronting persistent challenges that continue to undermine women’s safety, dignity and economic and social wellbeing.

She cautioned that the normalisation and glamorisation of alcohol consumption cannot be separated from broader social challenges facing South African communities.

Alcohol abuse and harmful drinking, she said, can exacerbate gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), family instability, child neglect, interpersonal violence and other forms of social harm.

“We cannot celebrate the courage of the women of 1956 while simultaneously commercialising and trivialising their struggle. The legacy of these women demands that we advance a society in which women are safe, empowered, economically independent and treated with dignity—not one in which their historic struggle is packaged as a commodity for profit,” Chikunga said. 

She said the 70th anniversary of the Women’s March must serve as a reminder that the freedom enjoyed by South Africans today was secured through sacrifice, courage and collective action.

The women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, she said, were not fighting for commercial recognition or corporate branding, but for the liberation of a nation and the dignity of generations to come.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that younger generations understand that our democracy was not handed to us. It was built through struggle, sacrifice, courage and the collective action of ordinary South Africans, particularly women who stood at the forefront of resistance. 

“Civic education must therefore become a deliberate instrument for preserving our history, strengthening democratic values and ensuring that the sacrifices of those who came before us are never forgotten or reduced to commercial symbolism,” the Minister said. 

Chikunga said her department remains committed to ensuring that the legacy of the women of 1956 is preserved, respected and translated into meaningful action towards achieving substantive equality and advancing the rights and empowerment of women and girls. – SAnews.gov.za

Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister Andries Nel will officiate a high-level Women’s Month event at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on Monday.

The panel discussion is organised in collaboration with the Constitution Hill Trust, the Legal Practice Council, the Commission for Gender Equality and the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said the panel will bring together women leaders and delegates from across the legal sector and civil society to address persistent challenges facing women in South Africa, including gender-based violence and femicide, female unemployment, economic inequality, patriarchy and structural barriers to justice.

The event marks the culmination of the Department’s 2026 Women’s Month Programme, observed under the theme: “Empowered Women Empower the Nation.”

On 9 August 2026, South Africa marked 70 years since the historic 1956 Women’s March, when more than 20 000 women united against unjust pass laws and demonstrated courage, resilience and collective activism in the fight for freedom and equality.

Women’s Month is being commemorated under the broader Milestones of Freedom Campaign, themed: “Honouring the past, delivering the future.”

The campaign commemorates key milestones in South Africa’s democratic journey while strengthening service delivery and promoting social cohesion.

These milestones include the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprisings, the 70th anniversary of the anti-pass campaign and the 60th anniversary of the forced removals from District Six.

These landmark events reflect the long struggle for democracy and freedom and underscore the country’s journey toward a more inclusive and equitable society. The campaign also signals government’s commitment to building on democratic gains and accelerating service delivery to communities.  – SAnews.gov.za

The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit has arrested a 37-year-old suspect in connection with an alleged R635 million fraud case involving Tembisa Hospital.

According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the suspect faces charges related to fraud, corruption, forgery and/or uttering, contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), and money laundering.

The suspect is alleged to have been involved in a complex investigation into multimillion-rand tender fraud linked to Tembisa Hospital’s procurement processes.

“It is alleged that certain officials at the hospital colluded with service providers to exploit the Request for Quotations (RFQ) system for procurement transactions below the R500,000 threshold. This approach was intentionally employed to circumvent the formal tender process,” the DPCI said in a statement on Sunday.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, on Monday, 31 August 2026. 

Last year, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said its investigation into corruption at Tembisa Hospital, in Ekurhuleni, uncovered three coordinated syndicates responsible for the looting of over R2 billion meant for healthcare. – SAnews.gov.za