Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile will on Monday, 26 October 2026, visit Bronkhorstspruit in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng Province, following reports of gastrointestinal illness linked to the consumption of contaminated water in the area.

The visit forms part of the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Water and Sanitation chaired by Deputy President Mashatile, which is coordinating government interventions to address water and sanitation challenges, strengthen accountability and accelerate responses to service delivery concerns affecting communities.

During the visit, the Deputy President will visit the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works (BWTW) to assess the situation, receive an update on the condition of the water treatment infrastructure and engage with relevant authorities on the measures being implemented to restore the safety and reliability of the water supply.

The Deputy President will also visit hospitalised patients following reports of gastrointestinal illness associated with the consumption of contaminated water. The engagement will provide an opportunity to receive updates on the condition of affected residents and the healthcare response.

Approximately 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported in the Bronkhorstspruit area following the consumption of water suspected to have been contaminated and linked to the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of the water supply and the potential health risks to communities.

The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality has been leading response efforts, including interventions to address water quality concerns, assess the affected infrastructure and implement measures aimed at safeguarding public health and restoring the provision of safe water to affected residents.

Through this visit, the Deputy President will assess progress made in addressing the crisis and engage with the City of Tshwane and relevant government departments to reinforce the importance of coordinated action, effective oversight and accountability in ensuring access to safe and reliable water.

Deputy President Mashatile will be accompanied by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina; Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr David Mahlobo; Gauteng Premier, Mr Panyaza Lesufi; Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Mr Jacob Mamabolo; and the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Dr Nasiphi Moya, alongside other relevant government officials.

Members of the media are invited to cover the visit as follows:

Date: Monday, 26 October 2026
Venue: Bronkhorstspruit, City of Tshwane, Gauteng Province
Time: 09h00

Media Programme:

09h00 – Deputy President Mashatile visits the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works
10h00 – Visit to Bronkhorstspruit District Hospital
11h00 – Media Opportunity

For more information and accreditation, please contact Sam Bopape on 082 318 5251.


Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

 

Programme Director;
Mr Langa Dube and all Members of the Dube Family, 
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean William Macpherson;
Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr David Mahlobo;
Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Makgabo Reginah Mhaule;
KzN MEC for Education, Mr Siphosihle Emmanuel Hlomuka;
Principal of Ohlange High School, Mr Siyanda Nxumalo;
Members of the School Governing Body present;
Educators and Staff Members;
Osingaye Learners of Ohlange High School, Ayeye MaZebra Ayeye;

Ladies and Gentlemen Good afternoon:

I am delighted to be with you today at Ohlange High School, a place that occupies a unique and proud place in the history of our nation.

As I walked through these grounds today, I was reminded that this is much more than a school. It is a place where history lives, where dreams are nurtured, and where generations of young South Africans have been prepared to make their mark on the world stage.

Many of you know the names of Dr John Langalibalele Dube, uMafukuzela, and Madiba, former President Nelson Mandela. These are not simply names found in textbooks. 

They are part of the living legacy of this school and of South Africa itself.

Earlier today, we had the privilege to visit Dr Dube's home here at iNanda and later paid our respects at his gravesite. Reflecting on his life reminded me of his unwavering belief in the power of education to change lives and transform societies.

Dr Dube understood a simple but powerful truth: when you educate a young person, you do not only change their future. But you also strengthen families, uplift communities, and help build a stronger nation.

Standing at his gravesite also brought to mind one of the most powerful moments in our democracy. It was here at Ohlange High School that President Nelson Mandela cast his first vote in South Africa's first democratic election in 1994. 

Afterwards, he walked to Dr Dube's grave and said, "I have come to report, Mr President, that South Africa is now free."

Those words serve as a source of inspiration, emphasising that freedom was achieved through sacrifice, courage, and perseverance. They underscore the obligation of every generation to further develop the foundation established by their predecessors.

I was pleased to see these words displayed around the school during my walkabout with Principal Nxumalo. It reflects a commitment to ensuring that learners not only excel academically but also understand the values, history and responsibilities that come with being citizens of our country.

As we celebrate the rich heritage of Ohlange High School, we must also prepare it for the future. Through an investment of approximately R137.9 million, the school will benefit from upgraded classrooms, specialised workshops, improved sanitation, digital learning resources, enhanced security, sports facilities, and sustainable energy solutions.

These improvements will strengthen teaching and learning, ensuring that Ohlange remains a centre of excellence that empowers young people to realise their potential and make a meaningful contribution to our nation.

Our dear Zebras, today, I have come here not only as the Deputy President, but also as someone who believes deeply in the potential of young people.

When I look at you, I do not just see learners sitting in the school amphitheatre. I see future doctors, engineers, teachers, scientists, business owners, artists, innovators and leaders of society. I see young people who will shape the future of South Africa.

Some of you may already know what you want to become. Others may still be figuring it out. That is perfectly fine. What matters is that you continue to dream, continue to learn and continue to believe in yourselves. Never allow your circumstances to determine the size of your dreams.
Many of South Africa's greatest leaders started with very little. What set them apart was not where they came from, but where they were determined to go. They refused to allow obstacles to stand in the way of their ambitions.

We believe that you have the same opportunity. Therefore, you must use your time at this school very wisely. Attend your classes with purpose. Learn from your teachers. Support your classmates. But most importantly, never stop being curious about the world around you.

We know that there will be difficult days at times. There will be moments when things do not go according to plan. There will also be setbacks and disappointments. Do not let those moments define you. Every successful person has faced challenges. What matters is having the courage to keep moving forward.

To those who are writing examinations, I want to offer a special word of encouragement. I understand that some of you have already written your Mathematics paper, and I hope it went well.

As you continue with your examinations, believe in yourselves. Trust the preparation you have put in. Stay focused and give each paper your very best effort. What matters equally is your determination, your character, your resilience and your willingness to keep learning and growing.

To the educators gathered here today, allow me to express our deepest appreciation.

Umsebenzi wenu njengo Thisha uyabonakala kakhulu. Siyawubona nakwimiphumela yaminyaka zonke esifundeni sa KwaZulu-Natal, lapho Ohlange lukhuphula isibalo sabafundi abaphase njalo nje!

This we know is the result of the guidance, mentorship and inspiration you give to the Learners.  You help young people discover their talents, develop confidence and reach their potential. The achievements of these learners are a reflection of your dedication and commitment.

As Government, we remain committed to creating opportunities for young people to succeed. We will continue working to improve access to quality education, skills development, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities. The future of South Africa depends on investing in its young people.

As you prepare for the next stage of your journey, remember that your families, your teachers, your community and your country are behind you. We believe in you. We are proud of you. And we look forward to the contribution that each one of you will make to our nation.

I have no doubt that among the learners gathered here today are future leaders who will solve problems, create opportunities, build businesses, advance science, serve communities and help take South Africa forward.

The next chapter of our country's story is waiting to be written, and many of the people who will write it are sitting in this very amphitheatre today. Dream big. Work hard. Believe in yourselves. And never forget that your future is brighter than you may sometimes imagine.

Thank you for the warm welcome. May Ohlange High School continue to inspire excellence and produce generations of young leaders who will build a prosperous, united and successful South Africa, just like uMafukuzela and Madiba did.

I thank you, Ngiyabonga.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has commended significant progress made by the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG). 

This follows a meeting he had with the PeWG on Friday, 23 October 2026, at the eThekwini City Hall  in KwaZulu-Natal Province. 

The establishment of the PeWG in April 2024 was a result of engagements between President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry to address pressing challenges such as water supply interruptions, ageing infrastructure, declining tourism, crime, and port inefficiencies in the Metro. 

Today's meeting provided an update on the progress, challenges, and proposed interventions for phase two of the PeWG.

The Deputy President was pleased to note that since its establishment, the PeWG had continued to  record significant developments in service delivery, business confidence, addressing infrastructure and socio-economic challenges.

The Deputy President expressed appreciation of the implementation progress across priority projects where delivery is advancing, where there are delays, and where escalation or strategic intervention is required.

In its deliberations, the PeWG also noted the ongoing safety concerns that have plagued the PINK areas (Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma, Kwa- Mashu). While welcoming the intervention by the President of deploying the South African Defense Force to respond to the recent unrest in the province, the PeWG called for a similar intervention in the PINK areas. 

Deputy President Mashatile emphasised that a safe, vibrant and well-managed, clean and hospitable city centre would send a strong message that eThekwini is open for business and committed to inclusive growth that would benefit all its residents. 

In his closing remarks the Deputy President affirmed the work of the PeWG and urged that it “…build on this momentum, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate implementation so that the Presidential eThekwini Working Group leaves a legacy of investment, growth, job creation, and improved quality of life for the people of eThekwini and the province at large.”

The work done by the PeWG complements the efforts that the Deputy President leads in his capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery.
 

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director, 
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Velenkosini Hlabisa,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Premiers and MECs,
Members of Parliament,
Executive Mayors, Mayors and Councillors,
Leadership of the South African Local Government Association,
Traditional and Khoi-San leaders,
Directors-General, Heads of Department and Municipal Managers,
Representatives of business, organised labour, civil society, academia, the judiciary and faith-based organisations,
Development partners and sponsors,
Members of the media,
Distinguished Guests,
Fellow South Africans, 

Sanibonani. Dumelang. Molweni. Lotjhani.

We gather here today to undertake one of the most important reforms of our democratic era.The launch of this White Paper on Local Government is a landmark moment in the evolution of our democracy.

Nearly three decades after the original White Paper was adopted, we are undertaking a bold reset of the local government system.

Local government is the sphere of government closest to the people.

From the biggest metro to the smallest village, it is where the promise of democracy is most directly experienced.

It is also where the failure to deliver services is most acutely felt.

It is a reform that goes to the heart of the relationship between government and the people.
It concerns the water that flows from our taps, the electricity that lights our homes, the roads on which we travel, the refuse that is collected from our streets and the communities in which we raise our children.
It concerns the dignity of our people.

For millions of South Africans, the experience of government is not primarily shaped by what happens in Parliament, in provincial legislatures or in the offices of national departments.
It is shaped by what happens in their municipalities.

It is shaped by whether the water runs when they open a tap.
Whether the streetlights work when they return home at night.
Whether the roads are safe, whether sewage flows into their streets and whether their complaints are heard and acted upon.
When these services work, people experience the promise of democracy.
When they fail, it is not merely an inconvenience.
It affects people's health, their livelihoods, their safety and their dignity.

It undermines their confidence in government and weakens their faith in the institutions of our democracy.
We must therefore acknowledge, without qualification, that too many of our municipalities are failing to meet the needs and expectations of the people they are meant to serve.

Too many communities have grown accustomed to services that are unreliable, infrastructure that is deteriorating and municipal administrations that are unresponsive.
This cannot continue.

It is for this reason that we are launching the Revised White Paper on Local Government.

In 1998, the White Paper set out a blueprint for democratic local government.

We inherited a deeply fragmented system, deliberately designed to serve the interests of a minority while denying the majority of South Africans access to basic services and economic opportunity.
Apartheid had created prosperous municipalities with strong revenue bases and well-developed infrastructure alongside impoverished communities with little infrastructure and few resources.

The democratic government faced the enormous task of bringing these divided communities together under one system of local government.
We set out to establish municipalities that would be democratic, accountable and developmental.
We sought to ensure that all South Africans, regardless of where they lived, would enjoy access to essential services.

This revised White Paper lays the foundation for far-reaching legislative, institutional and financial reform of the entire local government system.

This White Paper represents a fundamental reassessment of how local government is structured, financed, managed and held accountable.

It is not simply about changing legislation or rearranging institutions.
It is about changing the lived experience of our people.
It addresses structural weaknesses and outdated assumptions.

It directly tackles the acute challenges facing local government today, including overlapping mandates, unsustainable finances, corruption and weak capability in municipal administrations.

It builds on the Presidential Local Government Summit in 2022 and on the reform agenda that we have set out through Operation Vulindlela.

The development of this White Paper began with a comprehensive review of what has worked and what has not worked.

The review drew on decades of experience.

It reflected on both success and failure.

This year we mark 30 years since our democratic Constitution was signed into law.

This reform goes to the very foundation of that constitutional order – the ability of the state to improve the quality of life of all citizens.

Since 1994, local government has been an engine of development in this country.

Successive democratic administrations have expanded access to basic services to redress the spatial and socio-economic inequalities of apartheid.

Today, more than 90 percent of households have access to electricity.

More than 87 percent have access to piped water.

Between 2004 and 2025, the number of households with municipal piped water rose from 9.2 million to just under 16 million.

Two-thirds of households have access to flush toilets.

Through local government, the free basic services programme reaches millions of indigent households.

It is one of the most direct ways in which the state redistributes resources to those who need them most.

These statistics tell us about lives that have been improved.

They tell us about patients being treated in a hospital with running water and reliable electricity.

About a small business owner who can keep their operations running and pay their staff.

About a matriculant who is able to study at night and fulfil their potential.

These statistics tell us about families living in homes with clean water and proper sanitation.

Yet, when we look more closely at these statistics, we see shortcomings.

We see informal settlements that do not have basic amenities.

We see homes where taps run dry or where electricity supply is unreliable.

We see municipalities that do not have money to build or repair vital infrastructure.

Where roads have been neglected or refuse hasn't been collected.

Many of the challenges we see in local government are systemic.

Apartheid's spatial engineering left us a local government system divided along racial lines and with deeply unequal revenues.

Wealthy municipalities with well-developed infrastructure were joined with poor municipalities that had inadequate services and almost no revenue.

We inherited former homelands deprived of economic opportunity and contested systems of local authority.

When we built a new system in 1998, we worked from certain assumptions.

That joining historically unequal municipalities would produce viable institutions.

That economic growth would strengthen municipal revenue.

That, over time, the new system would overcome the fractures and inequalities we inherited.

We assigned municipalities extensive powers and responsibilities that in some cases outstripped their capability and funding.

We underestimated the importance of training up a new generation of engineers, town planners and municipal managers.

We underestimated how politicised appointments would open the door to corruption, malfeasance and a lack of accountability.

Today our people live with these consequences.

And to address these consequences, we need to go to the cause.

The White Paper sets out to tackle dysfunction by reforming the entire system, not merely by responding to its symptoms.

Firstly, it recognises that municipal distress is not only a problem within the boundaries of an individual municipality.

A municipality's performance is shaped by the laws under which it operates, the functions assigned to it, its resources and the support it receives from the rest of government.

National and provincial government cannot stand apart from municipal failure.

When mandates overlap, when investment is poorly coordinated or when support arrives only after a crisis, the entire system has failed the community.

The White Paper therefore requires us to make responsibilities clearer, to recognise the different circumstances of municipalities and to act earlier when performance deteriorates.

Our Constitution envisages local government as a separate sphere with its own powers and responsibilities. 

At the same time, it enjoins the national government to both support and regulate the work of local government, and to ensure that municipalities are able to fulfil their responsibilities effectively. 

This White Paper aims to strengthen support to municipalities while enabling intervention where necessary to ensure that services are delivered. 

This is especially important in relation to the provision of clean, safe water, as well as electricity, which are essential to provide people with dignity and enable our economy to function.

To this end, the White Paper introduces important changes.

It suggests that the current one-size-fits-all approach to local government powers and functions should be reviewed. Some municipalities are well equipped to carry out particular functions, while others may lack the scale, the revenue base or the capability to do so. 

Where a municipality is unable to carry out a particular responsibility, that responsibility should be assigned elsewhere. In many cases, service provision would be better undertaken at a regional scale, or through partnerships and concession arrangements. 

The White Paper outlines a clear path towards a differentiated model that would link powers and functions to a municipality’s size, capability and performance. It calls for constitutional and legislative amendments to be considered where necessary to implement this. 

While this represents a fundamental change to the way that the local government system works, we must not shy away from the reforms that are needed to fix the crisis in service delivery in many municipalities.

In addition, the White Paper recognises that the role of local government as a provider of water and electricity has not been sufficiently regulated. 

To address this, we are separating the role of service authority and service provider, and introducing a compulsory licensing requirement for all water and electricity providers. 

Alongside stronger regulation of service provision through the licensing system, we are expanding support to municipalities to build their capability and improve their performance. 

The combination of support and regulation, respect for local government autonomy and a willingness to intervene when needed will transform the delivery of basic services.

Secondly, the Revised White Paper proposes that local government be treated as one integrated system.

The District Development Model was introduced to bring government and its partners together around shared priorities in each district and metro.

We must now strengthen that cooperation and ensure it produces results.

National departments, provinces, municipalities and state-owned entities must align their work around the places where people live and where investment must happen.

Our Constitution describes the spheres of government as distinctive, interdependent and interrelated.

These principles must become visible in the way we plan, budget and build.

Thirdly, the White Paper proposes measures to place municipalities on a sustainable financial footing.

These include stronger financial management, better revenue collection, reduced losses and spending that produces value.

The scale of the challenge is clear.

Municipalities owe Eskom more than R120 billion, and many are in arrears to water boards.

No single institutional or financing arrangement will work equally well in every setting.

A metro, a growing secondary city and a rural municipality with a limited revenue base do not face the same conditions.

We must therefore organise responsibilities, resources and support more intelligently, so that every municipality has a credible path to success.

At the same time, we must protect the foundations of service delivery.

For too long, some municipalities have built new infrastructure while neglecting the assets on which communities already depend.

Revenues from the sale of electricity and water are diverted to other functions, instead of being reinvested in the infrastructure needed to deliver those services.

We cannot build our way out of failure if we do not maintain what we have already built.

Going forward, revenues from the sale of electricity and water will be ring-fenced and used to maintain infrastructure before anything else. 

This will ensure that our infrastructure is brought back up to standard and sustained for future generations. 

A functioning water network, a reliable electricity system, a safe road and a working wastewater treatment plant are economic assets.

They are also instruments of social justice.

Maintenance must become a planned, funded and monitored obligation.

Maintenance must not be an afterthought when infrastructure breaks down.

We must move away from repeatedly rescuing struggling municipalities.

We must build their long-term capability.

Those who can afford to pay for services must contribute.

Government, in turn, must earn that contribution through reliable services, transparent decisions and responsible stewardship of public funds.

Fourthly, the White Paper recommends sweeping changes to professionalise municipalities and build their administrative capacity.

Public office must be restored to its proper purpose: service to the people.

We need councils that lead with integrity, provide effective oversight and put residents ahead of factional or personal interests.

We need administrations led and staffed by people appointed for their competence and commitment to public service.

Political leaders must respect the lawful responsibilities of professional administrators.

And municipal officials must be held accountable.

There must be consequences when public resources are stolen, procurement is manipulated or public duties are neglected.

The exercise of accountability must be fair, lawful and consistent, regardless of status, political affiliation or personal connections.

Communities must be partners in governance, not spectators to it.

Residents must know what their municipality has promised, what resources it has and whether it is delivering.

Participation cannot be reduced to meetings where people speak but nothing changes.

Trust will not be restored by speeches.

It will be restored when a reported fault is fixed promptly.

When a resident receives an honest response to a complaint.

When municipal leaders account openly for their decisions.

Fifthly, the White Paper places the link between well-run local government and economic growth at its centre.

A growing economy needs towns and cities that work.

Investors need certainty.

Entrepreneurs need predictable municipal decisions.

Workers need reliable and affordable access to opportunity.

When water, electricity, transport, land-use planning and local regulation work together, they make investment possible.

When they fail, they deepen poverty and exclusion.

Local government must be a partner in growth, not an obstacle to it.

Municipalities must also plan for risk before disaster strikes, as floods, droughts and fires place growing pressure on communities and infrastructure.

Fellow South Africans,

This White Paper sets out a sequenced, long-term reform agenda.

Cabinet has endorsed a phased approach to implementation.

It will be supported by a time-bound Local Government Transition Management Body, with coordinated leadership from the Department of Cooperative Governance, The Presidency and National Treasury.

This body will not take over the lawful duties of Ministers, provinces, councils or municipal administrations.

Its purpose is to ensure that reform does not fall between institutions, that difficult decisions are taken and that commitments are followed through.

A single Local Government Transition Plan will set out what will change, who is responsible, what must happen first and how progress will be measured.

Some reforms will require legislation, new financing arrangements, new institutional capabilities and, possibly, constitutional amendments,. 

These will require careful consultation and disciplined implementation.

But the work must begin now.

In less than two weeks, on the 4th of November, South Africans will vote in the Local Government Elections.

The political parties and candidates seeking public office may compete vigorously for votes.

They may disagree about policy.

They may form coalitions or govern with a majority.

But once elected, they share an obligation greater than party advantage: to ensure that the municipality works.

A disagreement in council must never become an excuse for an unapproved budget, an abandoned project or the collapse of an essential service.

Our people must never be held hostage by political instability.

And so we urge every registered voter to make their voice heard on the 4th of November.

The 1998 White Paper helped us establish democratic local government.

The task before us now is to make developmental local government work as it was intended.

A capable state must deliver where people live, work and raise their children.

A developmental state must improve their quality of life.

A democratic state must earn and keep the trust of its people.

This is a national undertaking that must outlast any election cycle, municipal term or administration.

We thank Minister Hlabisa for his leadership of this reform process.

We thank the many institutions, researchers, practitioners and citizens whose contributions have brought us to this point.

We now have a shared policy direction.

We must now show the courage, determination and discipline to put it into practice.

We must implement the reforms that are needed to fix local government, even when they are difficult.

Let us leave here united on the need for change.

Let us leave here determined to make that change real.

Let us build municipalities that work for every South African.

I thank you.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Saturday, 24 October 2026, officiate the opening of the KwaMashu/Ntuzuma Parliamentary Constituency Office, located in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. 

A PCO is a local office that connects Parliament and Members of Parliament (MPs) with the communities they serve. It provides a point of contact where community members can raise issues affecting them, seek assistance, and bring service delivery concerns to the attention of the relevant authorities and their elected representatives. 

Details of the opening are as follows:
Date: Saturday, 24 October 2026
Time: 10h00 (Venue opens from 08h00)
Venue: Ntuzuma F Community Hall (near Kwa Nozaza Shopping Centre). 

For more information and media accreditation please contact, Mr Sthembiso Sithole (The Presidency) on 078 356 4355 or  Mr Bongani Majola (The Presidency) on 082 339 1993. 

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Programme Director, Ms Zengeziwe Msimang,
Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms Nomakhosazana Meth,
Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela,
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson,
Board Chairperson of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Mr Sandile Gwala,
CEO of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Ms Kasthuri Soni,
President of Business Unity South Africa, Mr Mxolisi Mgojo,
Board Chairperson of MTN, Mr Mcebisi Jonas,
Executive Director of Yellowwoods, Ms Nicola Galombik,
Founder of This Day Foundation, Mr Gary Lubner,
Leaders of business, labour and civil society,
Distinguished Guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.

It is a pleasure to join you at this important gathering, where we have come together to confront one of the greatest challenges facing our country: the exclusion of millions of young South Africans from meaningful economic opportunity.

We are here because we share a conviction that the future of South Africa depends, to a great extent, on what we do today to create opportunities for our young people.

We are here because we recognise that youth unemployment is not merely an economic challenge.

It is a social challenge. It is a human challenge. And it is a challenge that goes to the very heart of our nation's future.

Every young person who wants to work but cannot find employment represents potential that is not being realised.

Behind every unemployed young person is a story.

It may be the story of a young woman who has completed her studies but cannot find her first job.

It may be the story of a young man who has sent out countless applications without receiving a response.

Or it may be the story of a young entrepreneur with a promising idea but without the capital, networks or support to turn that idea into a viable business.

These are not simply statistics.

These are the lives, hopes and aspirations of our young people.

And we cannot be content with a society in which so many young people stand outside the gates of economic opportunity, looking in.

We must open those gates.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since the beginning of our democracy, we have understood that the development of our young people is fundamental to building a prosperous and inclusive society.

We have expanded access to education, training and opportunities for personal development.

We have introduced programmes to help young people gain workplace experience, acquire skills and enter the labour market.

Yet, despite these efforts, far too many young South Africans remain unemployed.

This tells us something important.

We cannot solve the challenge of youth unemployment simply by doing more of what we have always done.

We must be prepared to do things differently.

We must be prepared to challenge established practices, remove unnecessary barriers and rethink the way we prepare young people for the world of work.

Above all, we must be prepared to work together in ways that produce results.

That is why the Government-Business Partnership is so important.

Over the past few years, this partnership has demonstrated what can be achieved when government and business work together around shared national priorities.

We have seen the value of cooperation in addressing constraints on economic growth, improving the investment environment and supporting reforms in critical sectors of our economy.

We must now bring that same spirit of cooperation, urgency and determination to the challenge of youth unemployment.

For this partnership to succeed, we must recognise that the employment of young people is not solely the responsibility of government.

Nor can it be left to business alone.

It is a shared national responsibility.

Government must create an enabling environment for investment, enterprise development and employment.

Business must invest, expand productive activity and open its workplaces to young people.

Educational institutions must equip young people with the knowledge and skills that employers need.

Labour, civil society and communities must help us ensure that opportunities are accessible, fair and inclusive.

And young people themselves must be active participants in shaping their economic future.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the most important lessons we have learned is that the first opportunity is often the most difficult to obtain.

Many young people find themselves caught in a familiar predicament.

They cannot get a job because they do not have experience.

And they cannot get experience because nobody will give them a job.

We must break this cycle.

I want to make a particular appeal to the business leaders gathered here today.

Let us stop treating a lack of experience as a lack of ability.

Let us recognise potential, aptitude, determination and the willingness to learn.

Let us create more opportunities for young people to enter workplaces, develop their skills and demonstrate what they can do.

A young person should not have to spend years searching for an opportunity simply because no employer is prepared to give them a first chance.

We need employers who are willing to look beyond formal qualifications and previous employment.

We need recruitment practices that recognise talent wherever it is found.

And we need workplaces that are prepared to train, mentor and develop young people.

This is not an appeal for charity.

It is an appeal for investment in the future of our economy.

Young people bring energy, creativity, adaptability and fresh perspectives into the workplace.

They are often the first to embrace new technologies, new ways of working and new business opportunities.

In an economy being reshaped by digital innovation, artificial intelligence and the transition to cleaner forms of energy, these qualities are increasingly valuable.

Our young people should not merely be spectators to these changes.

They must be among those who drive them.

They must be innovators, entrepreneurs, technicians, researchers, artisans and business leaders in the industries of the future.

We must prepare them not only for the jobs that exist today, but also for the jobs that are yet to be created.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have already established important foundations on which to build.

Through the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, the SA Youth Pathways Network, the Youth Employment Service and other initiatives, we have developed practical ways of connecting young people to opportunities.

These programmes have shown that when government, business and civil society combine their resources and capabilities, they can reach young people who would otherwise remain excluded.

Public employment programmes have also demonstrated their value.

Young people have been able to gain work experience while supporting education, food security, community safety, environmental protection and other important social needs.

These opportunities do more than provide an income.

They restore confidence, build skills and give young people the dignity that comes from being able to contribute.

But we must be clear about our ambition.

Our objective cannot simply be to place young people in temporary programmes. It must be to create pathways into sustainable livelihoods.

A public employment opportunity should be a stepping stone to further training, entrepreneurship or lasting employment.

A workplace placement should be an entry point into a career.

And a skills programme should equip a young person with capabilities that are valued in the economy.

We must therefore strengthen the connections between education, training, work experience and employment.

For too long, we have trained young people without sufficient consideration of where they will work once their training is complete.

We have produced qualifications that do not always correspond with the skills required by employers.

And we have allowed too great a distance to develop between our educational institutions and the world of work.

This must change.

That is why we are undertaking reforms to our skills development system, including the Sector Education and Training Authorities and our technical and vocational education and training colleges.

We want a system that is more responsive to the needs of industry and more effective in preparing young people for employment.

We want businesses to play a greater role in identifying skills needs, designing training programmes and providing workplace learning.

We want our colleges to become centres of practical excellence, producing young people who are ready to participate in the modern economy.

And we want young people to see vocational and technical careers as attractive and rewarding pathways to success.

Not every young person needs to attend a university to build a successful future.

Our economy needs artisans, technicians, builders, electricians, mechanics, agricultural specialists and people with a wide range of practical and technical skills.These are professions that build our country.They must be respected, supported and expanded.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must also recognise that the future of youth employment cannot depend entirely on the creation of traditional jobs.

South Africa needs more young entrepreneurs.

We need young people who establish businesses, develop products, provide services and create employment for others.

Across our country, young South Africans are already demonstrating remarkable enterprise and initiative.

They are starting businesses in townships and rural communities.

They are using digital platforms to reach customers.

They are finding innovative ways to solve problems in their communities.

But too many promising enterprises fail to grow because they cannot access finance, markets, business support or the infrastructure they need.

We must change this.

Government and business must work together to make it easier for young people to start and grow businesses.

We must expand access to start-up capital and working capital.

We must open procurement opportunities and supply chains to youth-owned enterprises.

We must provide mentoring, business development support and access to markets.

And we must remove unnecessary regulatory and administrative obstacles that discourage entrepreneurship.

I would particularly encourage established businesses to look at how they can bring young entrepreneurs into their value chains.

A young entrepreneur does not always need a grant.

Sometimes what that entrepreneur needs most is a customer.

A contract.

A market.

An opportunity to prove that their business can deliver.

These are opportunities that established businesses can help provide.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The sectors that offer the greatest opportunities for young people are also sectors that can drive the next phase of South Africa's economic growth.

They include tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, digital services, the green economy and the creative industries.

In each of these sectors, there is potential to create new enterprises, develop new skills and expand employment.

Our task is to translate this potential into real opportunities.

This requires a more deliberate relationship between government, industry and training institutions.

We need to identify where demand for labour is growing.

We need to understand which skills are required.

And we need to ensure that young people are prepared to take up those opportunities.

The Work SA Youth Implementation Plan provides a framework for coordinating these efforts and scaling up approaches that have demonstrated their effectiveness.

But a plan, however well conceived, is only as valuable as its implementation.

We must therefore move beyond the formulation of strategies and the announcement of commitments.

We must make implementation the defining feature of this partnership.

I would like this convening to mark a turning point in how we approach youth employment.

I would like us to leave here with a common understanding of what each social partner must do.

I would like business leaders to identify practical opportunities within their companies and industries to bring more young people into employment.

I would like industry associations to work with employers, including smaller businesses, to expand workplace learning and entry-level recruitment.

I would like our education and training institutions to strengthen their relationships with employers and ensure that the skills they provide lead to real opportunities.

And I would like the relevant government departments and agencies to remove the obstacles that prevent these efforts from succeeding.

We should not be satisfied with broad undertakings.

We need clear responsibilities, practical commitments and a means of assessing whether those commitments are being fulfilled.

We need to know what is working, what is not working and what needs to change.

Where programmes are successful, we must expand them.

Where they are failing, we must improve them.

And where outdated practices stand in the way of progress, we must have the courage to change them.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want to emphasise that our young people are not asking for special treatment.

They are asking for a fair chance.

They are asking for the opportunity to work, to learn, to earn a living and to build a future.

They are asking for the chance to contribute to the development of their country.
We should listen to them.

We should involve them in the decisions that affect their lives.

And we should recognise that they are not merely beneficiaries of our programmes.

They are partners in the development of our nation.

The young people of South Africa have demonstrated their courage, resilience and determination throughout our history.

They have been at the forefront of struggles for freedom, justice and democracy.

Today, they must be at the forefront of our struggle for economic inclusion and shared prosperity.

Our responsibility is to ensure that their energy and talent are not wasted.

Our responsibility is to build an economy in which hard work, ability and determination are rewarded with opportunity.

An economy in which a young person's prospects are not determined by the circumstances of their birth, the community in which they live or the connections they possess.

An economy in which every young person has a genuine opportunity to succeed.

As we conclude this convening, I want to leave all of us with a challenge.

When we gather again to reflect on the progress of this partnership, let us not be remembered for the speeches we made or the declarations we adopted.

Let us be remembered for the doors we opened.

For the young people who entered workplaces for the first time.

For the entrepreneurs who were able to establish and grow their businesses.

For the young people who acquired skills that enabled them to build sustainable livelihoods.

And for the hope that we restored in communities where opportunity has been absent for far too long.

We have the institutions.

We have the partnerships.

We have the resources, the capabilities and the experience.

What we need now is the determination to act together, with greater urgency and a shared sense of purpose.

The future of our young people cannot wait.

And the future of our country cannot wait.

Let us give every young South African a reason to believe that their future can be better than their present.

Let us give them the opportunity not only to dream of a better South Africa, but to help build it.

Because when we give young people the opportunity to succeed, we give South Africa the opportunity to succeed.

I thank you.
 

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,
Executive Secretary of SADC, Mr Elias Magosi,
Honourable Ministers, 
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon,

This has been a productive meeting where we have been able to engage substantively on matters that are important to the effective functioning of our Community.

We have had the opportunity to consider the reports and recommendations emanating from the meeting of the Council of Ministers. 

We thank the Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers, Minister Lamola, and his counterparts for the preparatory work.

We also wish to thank Mr Elias Magosi, the Executive Secretary of SADC, and the SADC Secretariat for the preparatory work ahead of today’s Summit.

I congratulate the newly appointed Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration. 

This role within the Secretariat is vital as we proceed with greater determination and purpose to build a Southern African economy that draws together the comparative strengths of all Member States.

We wish you well for your tenure. 

We look to the Secretariat to strengthen coordination, accelerate implementation of the regional integration programmes and report regularly on progress and obstacles requiring our attention.

We congratulate the Incoming Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

We reaffirm our support for the Organ as it undertakes the important task of safeguarding the peacefulness and the stability of our region.

Protecting lives, preventing displacement and sustaining peace must remain central to our collective efforts.

Member States must support this work through timely national action, effective coordination and the provision of resources necessary to implement our shared commitments. 

As we advance the priorities agreed at the 46th Ordinary Summit, our efforts must deliver tangible improvements in the lives of our people: greater security, stronger regional production, employment opportunities and shared prosperity.

I remind the Secretariat of the responsibility entrusted to it by Summit to draft criteria and guidelines for the appointment of the Incoming Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, and to submit a report to the Ministerial Committee of the Organ at its meeting in July 2027. 

Let us carry forward the unity demonstrated today with renewed resolve to deliver on these aspirations.

I declare this Extraordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government officially closed.

I thank you.

Your Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia and incoming Chairperson of SADC,
Your Majesty King Mswati III, King of the Kingdom of Eswatini and Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation,
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,
Honourable Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers,
Your Excellency Elias Magosi, Executive Secretary of SADC,
Honourable Ministers,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

It is my privilege to address this Extraordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community.

I thank Your Majesties and Excellencies for joining this important meeting and for all the work that you have to do at such a time.

We meet just over two months after our successful 46th Ordinary Summit, held in Durban in August this year.

At that Summit we reaffirmed our collective commitment to building a peaceful, secure, integrated and prosperous Southern Africa.

We undertook to accelerate industrialisation, develop local infrastructure, transform agriculture and harness our minerals to drive the development of our economies.

We realised the future prosperity of our region would be dependent on our ability to deepen economic integration, expand productive capacity, create jobs and improve the lives of our people.

We meet today to deal with the institutional matters that are needed to carry out these commitments.

The strength of our regional organisation ultimately depends not only on the decisions we make but also on the ability of our institutions to implement them.

Your Majesties and Excellencies,

This Extraordinary Summit has been convened primarily for the resolution of outstanding issues relating to leadership and the institutional functioning of our organisation.

Among these are the appointment of the Deputy Executive Secretary responsible for Regional Integration and the election of the Incoming Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

These are important responsibilities that are at the heart of SADC’s ability to fulfil its mandate.

The Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration plays an important role in translating our collective aspirations into tangible development results.

As we push to accelerate regional industrialisation, build cross-border infrastructure, promote trade and investment and strengthen regional value chains, we need a Secretariat that is well-equipped, efficient and responsive.

We need an organisation that moves with greater urgency from agreements to implementation, from strategies to programmes, and from commitments to measurable results.

Our citizens need to feel the benefit of regional integration in their daily lives.

They must see these benefits in the availability of employment opportunities, in improved transport and energy networks, in greater food security, in increased trade and in growing economic opportunity.

Regional integration should be more than a mere aspiration expressed in declarations. It must become a reality for the people living in Southern Africa.

All leadership decisions we take today must therefore strengthen our institutional capacity to advance the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020–2030 and our longer-term Vision 2050.

Your Excellencies,

The election of the Incoming Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation is equally important.

Peace, security and political stability are, in the end, the very basis on which the development and prosperity of our region are built.

Our organisation has a proud history of solidarity, cooperation and collective action in the pursuit of peace and security.

We have shown that when we work together we can, indeed, help to resolve disputes, strengthen democratic governance and set up the conditions for sustainable development.

And yet a lot of work is still to be done.

The ongoing instability and humanitarian suffering in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo require our continued attention as a community, and we must work together to achieve a peaceful solution.

We will continue to support the African Union and other regional and international partners to put an end to conflict and create the conditions for lasting peace.

We need to continue to support inclusive dialogue, political stability and institutional reform in Madagascar, and the return to constitutional normality.

In Mozambique we recognise the continued efforts to promote peace, security and development as well as steps to combat terrorism in Cabo Delgado.

These examples show that peace does not come easily.

Peace must be nurtured, institutions must be strengthened and the legitimate aspirations of our people must be addressed.

We have to remain true to constitutionalism, democratic governance, the rule of law and peaceful resolution of disputes.

When we decide the Incoming Chairperson of the Organ, we are entrusting leadership of a structure that will play a fundamental role in the future of our region.

Your Majesties and Excellencies,

As we strengthen our institutional leadership, we must also be cognisant of the larger issues facing Southern Africa.

Among the most pressing of these is the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters.

Our region continues to experience terrible droughts, floods, tropical cyclones and other extreme weather events.

The severe El Niño-induced drought of 2023 and 2024 showed the vulnerability of our region to changes in climatic conditions.

Food and water insecurity affect millions of our people. Agricultural production declined, livestock were lost, and the livelihoods of the least developed communities were severely disrupted.

As we approach another agricultural season, the developing El Niño conditions present new threats to food security, water supply and economic activity.

At the same time, recurrent flooding and cyclones continue to threaten communities, particularly in areas that have faced repeated disasters.

Such challenges have implications that are much broader than national boundaries.

They threaten regional food supplies, damage shared infrastructure, disrupt trade and place enormous pressure on public finances.

They can reverse the development gains our countries have made over many years.

We cannot keep rebuilding the same infrastructure after every disaster without investing enough in preventing and reducing the damage caused by future disasters.

So we need to further strengthen our regional disaster preparedness and response capabilities, improve early warning systems and accelerate investment in climate-resilient infrastructure.

In this regard, I wish to congratulate His Excellency President Daniel Francisco Chapo of Mozambique for organising the International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Africa in Maputo from the 13th to the 15th of October 2026.

We are proud of President Chapo, who has been selected by the African Union as the Champion for Disaster Risk Management and has put the urgent problem of disaster preparedness and resilience at the centre of our continental agenda.

Mozambique’s experience of recurrent cyclones, floods and other natural disasters gives particular importance to this initiative. The conference has given us an opportunity to increase cooperation, mobilise investment and encourage a more proactive approach to disaster risk management.

As SADC, we should build on the results of this conference and work towards a region that is better prepared, more resilient and more able to protect its people and its development gains.

This would require more cooperation in water management, agricultural resilience, disaster financing, infrastructure development and the protection of vulnerable communities.

It requires us to recognise that our security is not only political and military. It is economic, environmental and human.

Your Excellencies,

These challenges only reinforce the necessity of having strong, capable and effective regional institutions.

Our people look to SADC not only as the organisation that brings governments together, but also as a community that provides leadership and real solutions to common problems.

Today’s decisions must therefore help to establish an organisation that is more effective, more responsive and more able to meet our regional priorities.

We need to keep the solidarity, consensus and mutual respect which have defined our organisation throughout its history.

We also need to have continuity and stability in our institutions, from the top down and from the bottom up.

As Chairperson of SADC, I am confident that, through our common wisdom and determination to make decisions that are good for our organisation and the people we serve, we will achieve the best for all.

I wish to thank the Council of Ministers, the Secretariat and all officials who have undertaken the preparatory work for this Extraordinary Summit.

Let us approach our conversations with a common determination to strengthen the institutions of our Community, advance regional integration and consolidate peace and stability.

The true measure of our success will not be the number of resolutions we adopt, but the progress we make in improving the lives of the people of Southern Africa.

I look forward to constructive and fruitful discussions.

I thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, Thursday, 22 October 2026, launch the Cabinet-approved Revised White Paper on Local Government (WPLG), 2026, at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
 
The launch will be convened under the theme “Every Municipality Must Work: From Policy to Collective Action” and marks an important step in advancing the reform of local government in South Africa.
 
The Revised White Paper builds on the national dialogue on the future of local government, including the resolutions of the 2022 Presidential Local Government Summit, stakeholder consultations and the government’s ongoing efforts to address persistent challenges relating to municipal governance, financial management, institutional capacity and service delivery.
 
The policy provides a framework for a differentiated approach to municipalities, recognising that metropolitan, secondary-city, rural and small-town municipalities have different capacities, challenges and development needs.
 
The launch will also introduce the Implementation Plan and Transition Management Body, which will support the transition from policy development to implementation. The White Paper will be accompanied by the Research Compendium, which consolidates the research informing the policy review.
 
The launch follows the President’s commitments in the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), in which he pledged to finalise a revised White Paper to reimagine the local government system and address its structural and operational challenges.
 
The event will bring together the political and administrative leadership of all 257 municipalities, national and provincial government, Parliament, constitutional and oversight institutions, organised local government, traditional and Khoi-San leadership, organised labour, organised business, civil society, academia, professional bodies and development partners.
 
The launch will provide an opportunity to strengthen stakeholder ownership of the revised policy and reinforce the shared responsibility of government and wider society in building capable, accountable and developmental municipalities that deliver reliable services and respond to the needs of communities.
 
President Ramaphosa will launch the Revised White Paper on Local  Government as follows: 
Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
Time: 14h00
Venue: Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre, City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng
 
 
For media accreditation enquiries, please contact Mr Legadima Leso: 066 479 9904
 
 
Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President  -media@presidency.gov.za
 
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Friday, 23 October 2026, visit the Ohlange Institute in Inanda, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province. 

The visit by the Deputy President forms part of the  Government's programme of strengthening partnerships with the business community, academia, civil society and other sectors in addressing blockages in the country's human resource development pipeline and enhancing integrated service delivery efforts. 

The founding President of a democratic South Africa, Tata Nelson Mandela, cast his historic vote in the school’s chapel in 1994.

During the visit to the institute, Deputy President Mashatile will also visit the Dr John Langalibalele Dube Amphitheatre, a site that is currently undergoing historical preservation and restoration aimed at preserving the legacy of Dr John Langalibalele Dube, uMafukuzela. 

Deputy President Mashatile will be joined by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, Executive Mayor of eThekwini, Cllr Cyril Xaba and  Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Mntomuhle Khawula, Traditional and Inter-Faith Leaders as well as senior government officials.

Details of the visit are as follows:

Date: Friday, 23 October 2026
Time: 13h00 (Media to arrive 12h00)
Venue: Ohlange Institute, Inanda, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal Province. 

For more information and media accreditation please contact, Sthembiso Sithole (The Presidency) on 078 356 4355 or Tshiamo Selomo (The Presidency) on 066 118 1505.

 

Media enquiries: Mr Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President on 066 195 8840

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria