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President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially opened the newly renovated South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Museum, describing it as a place of learning, heritage and national pride that will help South Africans better understand the role of the country’s central bank.

Speaking at the launch of the museum in Tshwane on Friday, the President said the institution will play an important role in educating the public about monetary policy, financial stability and the country’s economic history.

He said that while the work of a central bank is often not widely understood, it has a significant impact on the daily lives of South Africans.

“Yet the work of this institution has a profound impact on the value of the money in our pockets and the stability of the banks that hold our savings. It gives businesses – both large and small – the confidence to plan, to invest and to grow,” he said.

The President congratulated the Reserve Bank for establishing the museum, saying it will help inform and educate the public about the role and history of the institution.

“Through its exhibitions and its dedicated schools outreach programme, we expect the museum to deepen financial and economic literacy in society,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said the museum will provide young people with an opportunity to better understand how economies function and why institutions that safeguard the country’s financial system are important.

“Our young people will be able to walk through these halls and understand how an economy works, how money holds its value and why the institutions that safeguard it matter.”

The President also welcomed the museum’s inclusion of the Reserve Bank’s extensive art collection, which he said reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage.

“As Governor Kganyago has mentioned, the Reserve Bank has a long and proud history of supporting South African artists, having procured thousands of artworks over many years.

“Through this museum, the Bank is giving the public an opportunity to view its extensive art collection in an accessible way.”

Economic stability and the Constitution

The President emphasised the importance of the Reserve Bank in maintaining economic stability, noting that a stable currency and sound financial system are essential for economic growth, job creation and household financial security.

“When inflation is kept in check, it is the poorest who are protected most. It is they who suffer the most when prices spiral and savings erode,” he said.

Credibility

He stressed the need to protect the institution’s credibility and autonomy.

“We must cherish and defend the integrity and independence of the Reserve Bank for it is a national asset built up over many years and trusted around the world,” he said.

The President also paid tribute to the leaders who have guided the institution since the advent of democracy, including former governors Chris Stals, Tito Mboweni and Gill Marcus, as well as current Governor Lesetja Kganyago.

“The high regard in which this institution is held is the result of the work of many dedicated men and women,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Deputy Minister in The Presidency Kenny Morolong has urged Mams FM to continue placing young people at the centre of its programming and development initiatives.

This as he handed over upgraded, fully digitised broadcast studios to the community radio station in Mamelodi, City of Tshwane on Friday.

Facilitated by the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), the handover was aimed at strengthening community media, empowering local broadcasters and improving access to information at community level.

“Let this studio become a space where future broadcasters are trained, where young entrepreneurs share their ideas, where artists and creatives showcase their talents, and where the next generation of leaders find their voice,” Morolong said on Friday.

Morolong said the upgraded facilities would strengthen the station’s ability to continue supporting the next generation of broadcasters, content creators and entrepreneurs.

“For many young people, community radio serves as the first opportunity to enter the media and communications sector. It provides practical experience in broadcasting, journalism, production, digital content creation and technical operations,” Morolong said.

According to Morolong, the skills gained through community radio help prepare young people to participate meaningfully in the modern economy.

“Through volunteer programmes, internships and training opportunities, stations such as Mams FM become incubators of talent, helping young people gain practical experience that improves their employability and entrepreneurial prospects,” Morolong said. 

He said the station was helping to lower barriers to entry into the creative industries, unlocking opportunities that contribute to skills development, economic participation and job creation.

“Through the installation of a modern on-air studio, a production studio and a power inverter system, the station has significantly improved its operational capacity and resilience. 

“These upgrades will ensure greater reliability, better sound quality and uninterrupted broadcasting even during power disruptions,” the Deputy Minister said.

For listeners, Morolong said the upgrades will ensure continued access to quality programming.

“For the station, they enhance efficiency, sustainability and resilience. For the broader community, new production facilities also open opportunities for emerging artists, musicians, content creators and entrepreneurs to develop their talents using professional equipment,” Morolong said.

Since its launch in April 2011, Mams FM has grown into a trusted and influential community broadcaster, serving as a voice for the people of Mamelodi and the broader Tshwane region.

“Broadcasting on 92.9 FM, the station has built strong connections with its listeners through programming that reflects their realities, aspirations and lived experiences. 

“By celebrating ‘Pitori’ culture, local languages, music and community life, MAMS FM has become a platform for information, dialogue, education, empowerment and the preservation of memory.

“This role is especially important because the history of townships has too often been narrated from the outside, reduced to hardship while overlooking resilience, creativity, leadership and triumph,” the Deputy Minister said.

Morolong said the station helps correct that imbalance by enabling Mamelodi to speak in its own voice.

“Through interviews, commemorations, youth programming, cultural content and community conversations, the station can keep alive the stories of those who resisted oppression, while opening space for today’s residents to imagine and define the future they seek.

“In this way, Mams FM is more than a broadcaster. It is a civic classroom, a cultural archive and a meeting place on air. It connects the liberation history of Mamelodi to the present pursuit of jobs, skills, safety, social cohesion and shared prosperity,” Morolong said.

He added that the station’s greatest strength lies in its ability to bring communities together.

“It provides a space where young people can find inspiration and opportunity, where adults can engage with issues affecting their daily lives, and where the wisdom and experiences of older generations continue to be valued. 

In doing so, Mams FM helps strengthen social cohesion, bridge generational divides and fosters a shared sense of identity and belonging,” the Deputy Minister said. –SAnews.gov.za

In a demonstration of government’s resolve to deal decisively with illegal migration, the Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration embarked on a visit to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng.

The centre serves as a facility for undocumented migrants and foreign nationals awaiting either verification of their status or deportation from South Africa.

The IMC is led by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCOD) and constituted by various departments, including Home Affairs, the SA Police Service, Small Business Development, Department of Defence, International Relations (DIRCO), Employment and Labour, Basic Education and Higher Education and Training.

During the visit to the facility on Friday, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the visit is part of work the IMC is doing to ensure that the reports  received on illegal migration during IMC meetings correlate with the work on the ground.

“Visiting the facility was to check in terms of the facility and its status in terms of being able to cope with the capacity and to understand the demands, the needs and issues we needed to address.

“This facility is not meant to keep people for a long time. It’s… where you pass through. So ordinarily we would want to see not more than 48-hour stay here and if we could have cooperation with the embassies who are in the country where their nationals are here to come and confirm so that we are able to facilitate transportation,” the Minister said.

She added that government will be deepening collaboration between departments to ensure that the centre runs at a higher rate of efficiency.

“For example, Correctional Services and the Department of Home Affairs. Those who have been sentenced prisoners or released to come here, Correctional Services must make sure that they come with their full files of their medical records so that it doesn’t derail…access to their medication.

“Second is the issue of the functioning of the court that needs to be upgraded to meet the minimum standard requirements, support for the judiciary that is here. They currently operate on Fridays.

“We did receive a report that some of the countries [embassies] are not responding. We requested the Minister of International Relations [Ronald Lamola] to help us in particular with Ethiopian nationals and Nigerians,” she stated.

Kubayi added that government, through DIRCO, has requested that those who are at the centre be included in the lists of those who are embarking on voluntary repatriation to their home countries.

“This is part of the work that we are doing. Lindela is the only centre in the country. Everyone is brought here and it is important to look at the capacity of the facility.

“We are happy that now the facility belongs to Home Affairs and is no longer rented. But privately operated. So, it will give us an opportunity to be able to repurpose it properly to be able to meet the requirements,” she noted.

Turning to violent protests and intimidation of undocumented foreign nationals across the country, Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia was unequivocal about those taking the law into their own hands.

“The responsibility to enforce our immigration laws is the responsibility of the state. No-one has the legal right to take the law into their own hands to arrest or intimidate undocumented foreign nationals in the country.

“We have seen very ugly incidents in our country where people do take the law into their own hands, assault people and even worse. It’s not acceptable and the message from the Ministry to the police service has been that they have to take action under the law against those who effectively are breaking the law.

“What I can say is that we’re determined to deal with criminality and those who indulge in this kind of action are themselves behaving like criminals,” Cachalia stated. – SAnews.gov.za

Predominantly cloudy and cold conditions are expected over the central and eastern parts of South Africa this weekend as the country marks a voter registration weekend.

The Electoral Commission will open 23 706 voting stations across the country on Saturday and Sunday, 20 and 21 June 2026, with registration stations operating from 08h00 to 17h00. 

According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS), in other areas, conditions are expected to be partly cloudy and cool, although warm weather is forecast in places over the extreme western parts of the country.

SAWS said isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are expected over parts of the Northern Cape, Free State and North West on Saturday, spreading to include the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Limpopo on Sunday.

“Some light rain is also possible in places over Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. In addition, moderate to fresh wind conditions are expected over the central and western interior, with strong wind gusts possible over the northern parts of the Western Cape, northern and western parts of the Northern Cape, as well as the western parts of the North West,” the weather service said.

SAWS has also issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging winds over the northern and western parts of Namakwa District in the Northern Cape, as well as the northern parts of the West Coast District in the Western Cape, from Friday until Sunday afternoon.

The strong winds may cause localised damage to temporary structures and settlements.

They may also affect some travel services, resulting in longer journey times, while high-sided vehicles could experience difficulties on prone routes.

“Members of the public are advised to prepare for cold and windy conditions, particularly across the central and eastern regions of the country. The combination of low temperatures, rain in places, and wind may result in uncomfortable outdoor conditions for those travelling to and from voting stations.

“Citizens are encouraged to dress warmly, allow additional travel time where showers and strong winds are expected, and remain informed by following the latest weather forecasts and warnings issued by the South African Weather Service.”

SAWS urged members of the public and stakeholders to continue monitoring official forecasts and warnings.

The public is also advised to remain cautious of unauthorised or unverified information sources and to refrain from distributing such information further. – SAnews.gov.za