President Ramaphosa announces end to load reduction as economy recovers
via The Citizen2 min read
President Cyril Ramaphosa stated in parliament that South Africa is working to end load reduction, which has constrained economic growth and social development for nearly two decades. He highlighted improved macroeconomic conditions, strong tax collection, better public finances, and stabilized national debt. Ramaphosa acknowledged the impact of the Gulf War on global and local economies, potentially slowing growth and job creation. He noted Moody's recent upgrade of South Africa's rating outlook from stable to positive, following S&P's credit rating lift six months prior. The sixth SA Investment Conference secured over R890 billion in investment pledges, with significant domestic contributions. Ramaphosa welcomed the new portfolio committee on the Presidency and announced a R1 trillion infrastructure investment plan for roads, dams, schools, hospitals, clinics, and energy, logistics, and transport infrastructure over the next three years. Improvements in Transnet's performance have eased bottlenecks in mining, agriculture, and manufacturing, leading to an 11% increase in agricultural export earnings between January and March. South Africa is now the world's largest exporter of citrus by volume. Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso will detail a program to convert agricultural leases to title deeds.
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Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka's investigation report on the informal food industry in Gauteng highlights a critical shortage of environmental health inspectors and a significant decline in food safety compliance. The report, released on Friday, was prompted by numerous food poisoning incidents in late 2024, which resulted in the deaths of at least 23 children in Gauteng. The investigation aimed to determine if the Department of Health, municipal departments, the National Consumer Commission, and food inspectors failed in their duties. The Public Protector noted that Gauteng, with approximately 16 million residents, requires 1,600 environmental health practitioners EHPs based on international and national standards of one EHP per 10,000 people. However, the province's municipalities have an EHP staff capacity of only 30.3% overall, with Johannesburg at 50%, Ekurhuleni at 23%, and Tshwane at 21%. Sedibeng and the West Rand district municipality had the lowest rates at 16% and 18%, respectively. The report also found that while 55% of spaza shops in Gauteng's three largest municipalities are owned by foreign nationals, the overall licensing and compliance levels across the province stand at a mere 28%. This means for every licensed spaza shop, there are almost three unlicensed ones operating. Ekurhuleni had the lowest spaza shop compliance rate at 5%. Gcaleka emphasized that municipalities are responsible for regulating food sales and business registrations. She recommended t
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.