Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson announced a recovery strategy for delayed construction projects and deteriorating government facilities after ministerial consultations on Tuesday. The plan establishes audit procedures for stalled developments, with completion targets ranging from six months to one year, based on the project's scale. Officials face accountability measures, while digital tracking systems will monitor implementation progress across provinces.
The government identified supply chain disruptions and budget overruns as primary obstacles to infrastructure delivery. Private sector partnerships will provide technical expertise and capital for abandoned sites. Maintenance programs target state properties to prevent further...
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will address the National Assembly on Thursday to answer questions about municipal service delivery, crime prevention and agricultural development. The session begins at 2 p.m. and streams live on parliamentary channels for public viewing.
Lawmakers will question Mashatile about the government's responses to failing municipalities and strategies for repaying Eskom debts, which reached 94.6 billion rand by March. Questions also cover fresh produce market reforms to help small farmers and enhanced crime intelligence operations aimed at combating gang violence.
The deputy president will explain land redistribution plans targeting 138,000 hectares and programs supporting rural agriculture. He must detail...
The SA Canegrowers Association launched Shesha as the first energy drink made from raw sugarcane juice. The beverage offers four flavors and contains half the caffeine of standard energy drinks. Production takes place in KwaZulu-Natal, where 24,000 small-scale and 1,200 large-scale farmers cultivate the crop.
Profits return to agricultural projects across KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces. Chairman Higgins Mdluli said the product demonstrates industry diversification beyond traditional sugar manufacturing. The association owns the entire initiative as the sole shareholder, supporting rural employment.
Retailers Takealot and Makro stock the drink nationwide. The sugar sector faces pressure from import competition and taxation on...
A Pretoria court postponed the murder case against Tebogo Mnisi to Jan. 19 after the 38-year-old man abandoned his bail application on Wednesday. Prosecutors charged Mnisi with killing cousins Tshiamo Moramaga and Baleseng Moramaga, plus attempted murder of a third victim who survived gunshot wounds. Police arrested the suspect at a gas station on Monday after discovering the bodies in Mamelodi East on Sunday.
National Prosecuting Authority representative Lumka Mahanjana stated that investigators require additional time to complete witness statements and medical assessments. Authorities found the women dead from head injuries near a roadway at 4 a.m. on Sunday after witnesses reported an argument with an acquaintance. The surviving...
Seven passengers died on Wednesday morning after a minibus taxi collided with a bakkie on Comaro Road south of Johannesburg. The crash occurred between Tarentaal Avenue and Pieter Ackroyd Avenue as thunderstorms brought heavy rain to the region. All fatalities came from the Toyota Quantum taxi, while several others sustained injuries requiring hospitalization.
Johannesburg metro police spokesman Xolani Fihla confirmed emergency teams closed the road in both directions and diverted traffic at Pieter Ackroyd Avenue and Soetdoring Avenue. Rescuers worked through wet conditions to extract trapped passengers and transport the injured to medical facilities. Gauteng Weather had issued storm warnings before the collision, urging motorists to...
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi called for national mobilization against tuberculosis at a parliamentary ceremony on Tuesday that revived the South African TB Caucus. The minister and National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza signed commitments to strengthen policies targeting the disease that killed 56,000 citizens in 2023. South Africa reduced TB cases by 50 percent from 2015 to 2023, meeting World Health Organization targets ahead of schedule.
The caucus will coordinate lawmakers across political parties to address treatment gaps and funding needs through 2030. About 280,000 infections occurred last year, with 54 percent of patients also carrying HIV. Officials plan to expand testing in vulnerable communities and improve access to...
ActionSA cited parliamentary testimony from Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale to argue South Africa should eliminate deputy minister positions. Mathale told legislators on Tuesday that suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu assigned no responsibilities to either deputy after more than one year in office. The party contends this demonstrates deputies serve only to accommodate coalition partners in the expanded Government of National Unity Cabinet.
Mathale stated Mchunu is still adjusting to his role without delegating tasks to himself or Deputy Minister Polly Boshielo. The admission emerged from an inquiry examining police operations and ministerial oversight. ActionSA maintains the 43 deputy positions cost taxpayers approximately...
South Africa reduced its abalone fishing quota to 12.01 tonnes for 2025-26 after scientists warned the marine species faces extinction from poaching. Minister Dion George announced the limit on Tuesday, following research that showed abalone populations had dropped to two percent of their historical levels. Illegal harvesting reached 13.85 million specimens in 2023, while organized crime networks export dried shells to Asian markets.
The government will seek international trade restrictions through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Officials want dried abalone added to Appendix II to require export permits and enable customs seizures worldwide. Abalone density measurements show 0.02 to 0.07 specimens per...
The German cruise ship Mein Schiff 4 docked at Port Elizabeth on Friday to begin Nelson Mandela Bay's 2025-26 cruise season. Officials expect 25 vessel visits through July 2026 to generate approximately R120 million for the Eastern Cape economy. The season marks the longest cruise period on record for the port.
More than 40,000 visitors will arrive through nine overnight stays and 16-day visits between October and July. The TUI Cruises vessel carried over 2,500 passengers and crew on its first seasonal call. Mayor Babalwa Lobishe said each ship creates employment for tour guides, transport operators and hospitality workers across the metro.
Port manager Pamela Yoyo confirmed that Transnet National Ports Authority upgraded berthing...
