Water and Sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu has intervened to resolve water challenges in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM). Accompanied by deputy minister, David Mahlobo, Mchunu held an engagement with Amatola Water Board, business sector, municipal and provincial leadership in Gqeberha on Friday, with the…

The City of eThekwini has proposed the introduction of a R100 flat rate for service delivery in the city’s rural areas. Presenting his state of the city address on Tuesday (31 May) city mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said rural areas in the municipality have seen rapid…

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says declining budgets and a shrinking police force are two of the biggest reasons behind the country’s growing crime rate. The country’s largest trade federation was commenting on South Africa’s latest SAPS statistics which show an increase…

Payments of the SASSA R350-a-month Special Relief of Distress grant will be resumed mid-June, says the Department of Social Development. Payments for the new cycle of the Covid R350-a-month grant will be made from mid-June, according to deputy director-general of the Department of Social Development…

The government is developing a new policy plan to address South Africa’s ageing road infrastructure, but issues such as a shortage of skills and lack of funding continue to hinder the sector, says transport minister Fikile Mbalula. Responding in a recent written parliamentary Q&A, Mbalula…

The Department of Transport is developing a new policy proposal which will allow more private companies to fix potholes in South Africa, says minister Fikile Mbalula. Briefing parliament on Tuesday (7 June), Mbalula said the proposal follows the successful partnership between the City of Johannesburg…

South Africa’s government said it’s “taken aback” by European low-cost airline Ryanair Holdings Plc’s decision to force an Afrikaans test on travellers to prevent the use of fraudulent passports. The department of home affairs has a 24-hour centre that airlines can contact and validate South…

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has introduced a centralised adjudication system for visas. The new system will mean that all long-term visa applications submitted through a South African embassy or high commission are being sent to the Home Affairs head office in Pretoria. Previously,…

Parliament will in the coming months consider a study on moving parliament from Cape Town to Pretoria, says speaker of the national assembly, Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula. Presenting her budget speech on Tuesday (7 June), Mapisa-Nqakula said the proposed move is being given additional consideration after…

South Africa will consider the adoption of more official languages as a way of recognising people who have historically been repressed in the country. Parliament’s Joint Constitutional Review Committee (JCRC) received a presentation this week on potentially amending the Constitution to recognise Khilovedu and Kiswahili…

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) got a tongue-lashing from the Western Cape High Court on Thursday for attempting to rescind and set aside almost R7 million awarded to a road accident victim. Judge Daniel Thulare had to consider whether a judgment granted in favour of…

The government will ‘do what is necessary’ to ensure skilled professionals do not leave the country in droves ahead of the planned introduction of the National Health Insurance (NHI), says health deputy director-general Nicholas Crisp. Health stakeholders have previously raised concerns that South Africa could…