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Bafana Bafana visa issue resolved, Minister McKenzie thanks US Embassy for expedited travel documents
via The Citizen2 min read
South Africa's Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture has thanked the United States Embassy in South Africa for expediting travel documents for the Bafana Bafana team. All players secured their US visas and departed for the 2026 Fifa World Cup training base in Pachuca, Mexico, on Monday, a day later than initially scheduled. The delay was due to an administrative lapse that left several players without the required paperwork. Minister McKenzie stated that the fault was entirely on the South African side, rejecting criticism directed at the US Consulate. The Iranian Embassy in South Africa commented on the situation, claiming the US failed to issue visas, a claim rejected by the US Embassy in South Africa. The South African Football Association Safa apologized for the unexpected travel delays and thanked the Department of International Relations and Cooperation Dirco and the US Consulate in Johannesburg for their assistance. Much of the blame for the delays was directed at Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka. President Cyril Ramaphosa called on South Africans to unite behind the national football team as it prepares to face Mexico in the Fifa World Cup opener on June 11, 2026. The 2026 Fifa World Cup will be hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
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South African schools continue to experience incidents involving pupils falling into pit toilets, despite the Department of Basic Education's pledge to eradicate them by March 2025. Recent incidents occurred at Mogogelo Primary in North West and Zakhele Primary in KwaZulu-Natal. At Mogogelo Primary, a Grade 1 pupil fell into a pit toilet after a contractor abandoned the site, leaving open inlets. The school's education spokesperson, Vuyo Mantshule, stated the school did not barricade the construction area. At Zakhele Primary, a five-year-old pupil was rescued from a pit latrine earlier this year. Kathija Yassim, an education leadership professor at the University of Johannesburg, noted that under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education Safe programme, 3,372 schools with unsafe pit toilets were identified in 2018. As of April 2025, 96% of these schools had been addressed, with 141 awaiting completion, a number that has since fallen to around 135. Yassim also highlighted that about 1,770 public schools still had some form of pit toilets in 2024, though many also had alternative sanitation. The department has allocated R1.6 billion for the 2025-26 financial year to complete pit latrine eradication. Last year, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube informed parliament that the Safe initiative had eradicated over 93% of identified pit toilets and confirmed that all 3,372 schools identified in the 2018 audit now have safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.
Nigerians are reportedly sleeping outside their embassy in Pretoria, awaiting repatriation flights two weeks after anti-migrant protests on June 30. Many have been living in South Africa for years and are now seeking assistance to return home, with some expressing concerns about the lack of support from the embassy and the safety of women and children. Meanwhile, the Malawi high commission is experiencing a significant increase in demand for aid, with the Institute for Islamic Services providing meals, winter essentials, and medical supplies to hundreds of individuals daily. A staff member from the Malawian high commission, speaking anonymously, indicated that while buses are transporting people, the influx of those seeking refuge, sometimes up to 300 daily, is overwhelming. Doctors have also expressed concern for over 40 children sleeping in the embassy's basement due to cold weather. Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi stated that South Africa has deported and repatriated over 50,000 foreign nationals recently as authorities address migration concerns.
Makhi Feni, chair of the select committee on education, sciences and the creative industries, has accused Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube of misrepresenting progress in eliminating pit toilets in schools. Following oversight visits to schools in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and North West, Feni stated that the department cited the completion of an old project as an achievement, despite a significant backlog. The Minister's office, through spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa, denied that Gwarube lied, clarifying that all 3,372 projects from the 2018 Safe Initiative audit had reached practical completion. Vangqa emphasized that this does not imply the absence of sanitation or water supply challenges in all South African schools, distinguishing between the completion of the 2018 backlog and other identified needs. The department could not provide a cost for complete eradication, citing variables like facility condition, solution type, water availability, and geographic accessibility. Provincial education departments are responsible for budgeting for remaining infrastructure needs. The overall school infrastructure backlog in South Africa exceeds R120 billion. The FW de Klerk Foundation called for accelerated pit latrine removal and accurate reporting, with Daniela Ellerbeck, constitutional rights programmes manager, and Christo van der Rheede, executive director, highlighting the need for honesty about remaining challenges. Kathija Yassim, an education leadership professor, stres