President Cyril Ramaphosa has in line with section 201 (3) (a)(b)(c) and (d) of the Constitution informed the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces of his decision to deploy two thousand two hundred (2 200) members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for service in cooperation with the South African Police Service (SAPS).

This deployment serves to prevent and combat crime, and support and preserve law and order under Operation Prosper which is targeting illegal mining and gangsterism. 

The deployed members of the SANDF will assist the South African Police Service to prevent and combat illegal mining and gangsterism in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape.

The deployment is for the period 01 March 2026 until 31 March 2027.

Section 201(2) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, directs that "Only the President, as head of the national executive, may authorise the employment of the defence force in co-operation with the police service”.

Expenditure for this employment is estimated at R823 153 960.00.

During the State of the Nation Address 2026, President Ramaphosa announced the intention to deploy the South Africa National Defence to areas afflicted by illegal mining and gang violence. 

President Ramaphosa calls on communities to welcome and work more closely with the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force to identify and alienate criminal elements and make neighbourhoods safer in the process.

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya Spokesperson to the President media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will, on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Republic of South Africa, deliver the Eulogy at the Special Official Funeral Category 2 of the late former Minister of Defence and founding President of the Congress of the People (COPE), Mr Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick "Terror" Lekota, scheduled to take place on Saturday, 14 March 2026 in Bloemfontein, Free State Province.

Mr Lekota, a veteran of the liberation struggle and former Premier of the Free State and inaugural Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, passed away on Wednesday, 04 March 2026, at the age of 77.

In honour of his contribution to South Africa’s liberation struggle and democratic development, President Ramaphosa declared that Mr Lekota will be honoured with a Special Official Funeral Category 2. 

Mr Lekota dedicated his life to the struggle for freedom and democracy. As a member of the South African Students’ Organisation and a leading figure in the United Democratic Front (UDF), he played a significant role in mobilising communities against apartheid. He was imprisoned on Robben Island for eight years alongside struggle leaders, including Tata Nelson Mandela.

In the democratic era, Mr Lekota served as the first Premier of the Free State (1994–1996), the inaugural Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (1997–1999), and Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2008.

The President has directed that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations until the evening of the funeral on 14 March 2026.

Details of the funeral proceedings are as follows:

Date: Saturday, 14 March 2026
Time: 09h00
Venue: Old Grey Sports Club, 72 Park Road, Willows, Bloemfontein, Free State Province

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Director; please allow me to start by acknowledging our hosts;
MEC of Human Settlements and COGTA, Mr Speedy Mashilo, who is also representing Premier Mandla Ndlovu;
MEC Khetiwe Moeketsi for  Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs;
Executive Mayor of Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Cllr Nhlakanipho Zuma;
Executive Mayor of Gert Sibande District, Cllr Walter Mngomezulu;
Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Honourable Mzwanele Nyhontso;
Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Honourable Stanley Mathabatha;
Chief Land Claims Commissioner, Ms Nomfundo Ntloko;
Chairperson of Schulk Marhiqa Communal Property Association, Mr Madlozi Mtshoeni;
Our esteemed Traditional Leaders present, 
Most importantly, the distinguished Beneficiaries of the Schulk Marhiqa Communal Property Association, Osingabo;

Ngiyanibingelela nonke ngalolu suku olubalulekile kangaka!

I stand before you today with a heart filled with excitement as we celebrate a critical milestone in our path towards advancement, development, and restorative justice. 

Today, we do more than hand over paper, we hand back dignity. The achievements of the Schulk Marhiqa Communal Property Association mark true progress in the restitution of land. This progress restores dignity, uplifts communities, and secures lasting opportunities for citizens. Your journey reflects a national story of unity, resilience, and the enduring promise of restoration.

When we talk about restoration, we are talking about a journey that Sol Plaatje so eloquently characterised in 1916 when he wrote of waking up one day as "a pariah in the land of his birth". This sentiment encompasses not only the loss of land but also a struggle for dignity and recognition for many communities. 

This statement further highlights the cruel paradox faced by indigenous people, those who have ancestral ties to the land, who are marginalised and treated as outsiders, compelled to justify their rightful place in their ancestral territories.

This has been the story of many in South Africa including the Mtshoeni family. In the late 1700s, the family of Mtshoeni, settled in Grootvlei in this beautiful province of Mpumalanga.

The household of the family was led by Mr Schulk Ngazimbi Marhiqa Mtshoeni, who owned a large portion of land before it was appropriated under the Natives Land Act of 1913 and allocated to the Frans Herbs family.

Baba Marhiqa was recognised as one of the most successful farmers, cultivating maize, corn, and raising herds of cattle and sheep. Around 1934, the farm was taken from him, and the Herbs family entered into an agreement to cultivate maize and corn, with the profits shared equally.

The Native Land Act resulted in significant socio-economic consequences for his descendants, who were relegated to the status of farm workers, lost their livestock, and were deprived of their rightful inheritance, reflecting the broader impact of systemic land dispossession on indigenous populations.

We are pleased to note that your story as the Mtshoeni family does not conclude with the event of human rights abuse related to dispossession. Instead, your narrative aligns with the sentiments of many South Africans who assert that our collective story must evolve beyond a history of exclusion, especially now that there exists a democratic dispensation in which there is a mechanism for restoration through land restitution.

In this regard, in 1998, the family initiated a claim to restore their ancestral land, a process that entailed extensive years of investigation, negotiation, and even personal sacrifice. This claim has since been validated, culminating in the return of more than 627 hectares of land, specifically Portions 24 and 26 of Grootvlei Farm, to its rightful custodians. 

The return of this land therefore embodies the restoration of identity, a sense of belonging, and opportunities for the family that were dispossessed.

What makes this title deed handover special for us is that it takes place during Human Rights month, transforming a routine administrative task into a powerful act of restoring human dignity and reversing historical injustices.

Each hectare restored is not only a stride toward healing, but a living testament to justice fulfilled. 

Each title deed handed over is a promise kept by our democratic Government, a covenant between the democratic state and its people.

These title deeds are the direct consequence of honouring land restitution rights. For thirty years, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights has stood as a pillar of transformation, steadfast in its mission to heal the wounds of our past.

Today’s celebration is living proof that restitution is practical, that it is empowering, and it is nation‑building. 

Receiving land is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of responsibility. Now a new chapter opens, one that demands stewardship, productivity, and vision. If the land remains fallow, the promise of restitution is left unfulfilled. It is therefore important that we dedicate ourselves to cultivating the land whether through farming, sustainable development, or community projects. By doing so, we transform restitution into restoration.

I can never over emphasise this, ladies and gentlemen, that we must never neglect the land. For it is the soil beneath our feet that carries the memory of our ancestors and the promise of our children. To neglect it would be betrayal to the very struggle that defined our liberation.

We must prove through action that our fight for the land was worth it and that it was not in vain. We must not allow any action that will make our policies appear detached from the daily lives of our people. Rather, they must be living instruments of justice, ensuring that the farmer tills with hope and the nation prospers with unity.

I commend the Schulk Marhiqa CPA which I am told is already farming 100 hectares of maize and 30 hectares of soybeans, alongside livestock. We all know that Mpumalanga is one of South Africa’s breadbaskets, producing millions of tons of maize and soybeans annually. 

With the support of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development and partners such as SAGRA, this community is positioned to thrive and prosper.

Government is pleased that post-settlement support has provided tractors, planters, trailers and livestock. More importantly, it has created jobs, built skills, and opened pathways for youth and women to participate in agriculture. This is economic empowerment in action.

On a broader scale, Government is facilitating community land management through Communal Property Associations (CPAs). On October 9, 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Communal Property Associations Amendment Bill, which modifies the 1996 Communal Property Associations Act. 

These amendments aim to enhance the rights of community members involved in CPAs and clarify their objectives, establishing that land ownership lies with the residents who are part of these associations, as opposed to the associations themselves.

Government is leveraging land redistribution to rectify historical injustices while concurrently promoting agricultural production, stimulating rural economies, and generating employment opportunities. By employing rights-based interventions and addressing disparities in ownership and wealth distribution, the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme is striving to improve living conditions and welfare, effectively rectifying past injustices.

Today, as we hand over these title deeds, we affirm that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. We affirm that dignity denied can be dignity restored. And we affirm that the promise of our Constitution, to heal the divisions of the past and build a united prosperous future, is alive here in Grootvlei and it will continue to spread across all corners of South Africa.

Let us leave here with renewed commitment to protect this land, to cultivate it, and to ensure that justice is lived in the daily lives of our people.

Let Grootvlei be a beacon that justice delayed can be justice delivered, and that restoration here is restoration everywhere.

Once more, congratulations to the Schulk Marhiqa CPA.  

Siyabonga kakhulu, Thank you!

I welcome you all to this Extended Plenary of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).

We last met on the 28th of November last year, which was yet another successful session, as we were preparing to commemorate World AIDS Day. 

I wish to thank all sectors of SANAC, government, Civil Society and the private sector for the hard work they continue to put in our country’s response to HIV, TB, and STIs.

I also want to thank and congratulate the Premiers of our provinces, together with the co-chairs of the Provincial Councils on AIDS, for their efforts in improving the functionality of the Provincial Councils. 

We meet at a critical juncture in our national response to HIV, TB, and STIs. The National Strategic Plan 2023–2028 provides us with a clear roadmap, but its success depends on the strength of our collective action.

While we have made progress in expanding treatment and prevention services, challenges remain, particularly in treatment retention, prevention among young people and key populations, and the persistent burden of tuberculosis.

We are happy with the innovations that are coming on stream and that will help save the lives of our people.

Today, we will hear updates from our sectors, provinces, and technical task teams. We will reflect on the progress of campaigns such as Close the Gap, the phased roll-out of Lenacapavir, and our Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy.

Our country now stands poised to start with the rollout of Lenacapavir around May this year. This will indeed be a game changer in the prevention of HIV.

As we approach World TB Day later this month, under the theme “Yes! You and I Can End TB,"let us recommit ourselves to turning words into action. Ending TB and HIV is a moral duty to restore dignity, protect families, and secure the future of our nation.

I call on all of us to strengthen collaboration, to break down barriers of stigma and inequality, and to mobilise every resource at our disposal. 

Together, we can accelerate progress towards the 95-95-95 targets, towards ending TB, and towards building a healthier, more just South Africa.

Furthermore, let us intensify our efforts as the SANAC family in the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). As we all know, the President has declared GBVF a national disaster. 

We must all collaborate acrosssectors of society to combat this scourge.

Allow me to commend the Private Sector Forum for its growing partnerships and financial contributions and the Civil Society Forum for its tireless mobilisation in communities. 

I also acknowledge the Men’s Sector for its work in engaging boys and young men, reminding us that transformation must begin at every level of society.

As we will be embarking on the midterm review of our National Strategic Plan this year, let us sustain and improve on what is proven to be good practice, and let us strengthen those areas where we are falling short.

Once again, I welcome you all to this first Extended Plenary of the year, and may we have fruitful deliberations.

I thank you.
 

Chairperson of the Committee, Hon Theliswa Mgweba;
Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee;
Colleagues at Stats SA;
Good morning.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before this Committee today to present the Third Quarter performance report of Statistics South Africa for the 2025/26 financial year. We appreciate the continued oversight and engagement of the Committee as we collectively work to strengthen the country’s statistical system and ensure accountability in the use of public resources.

Chairperson, the 2025/26 financial year represents a pivotal moment in South Africa’s fiscal and developmental trajectory. After a prolonged period of economic strain, Government is working steadily toward stabilising public finances. The current fiscal framework reflects progress toward stabilising the national debt for the first time in more than a decade, while also narrowing the budget deficit through improved primary balances.

At the same time, the 2025/26 Budget signals a renewed commitment to structural reforms and targeted investment in infrastructure and essential services. These include key sectors such as education, healthcare, and municipal development, which collectively account for a significant portion of national expenditure. These investments are aligned with our medium term priorities of inclusive economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and the continued building of a capable and ethical developmental state.

In this context, the current financial year serves as a strategic turning point. It is a period focused on anchoring fiscal consolidation, advancing reform implementation, and laying the foundations for a more resilient, inclusive, and equitable economy.

Chairperson and Honourable Members,

In navigating such a complex policy environment, the role of Statistics South Africa becomes even more critical. Our national statistical agency provides the evidence base that allows Government, Parliament, business, and society at large to understand the country’s socio-economic realities. It ensures that decisions are informed by credible data rather than anecdote.

Statistics South Africa therefore plays a crucial, though often under-appreciated, role in measuring our developmental progress as a nation. Through the production of official statistics, the organisation enables Government to monitor economic performance, track social conditions, and evaluate whether policy interventions are achieving their intended outcomes.

The 2025/26 financial year is also significant as it marks the first year of implementation of the institution’s new five year strategic plan. This plan outlines the organisation’s priorities in strengthening statistical capability, modernising data systems, and enhancing coordination across the national statistical system.

Despite operating under significant financial and human resource constraints, Statistics South Africa continues to demonstrate resilience and strong institutional performance. Since the beginning of the financial year, the organisation has achieved over ninety percent of its planned targets. This performance reflects not only operational discipline but also the dedication of the professionals who ensure that South Africa continues to receive credible and timely official statistics.

However, Chairperson, it is important to acknowledge the challenges that remain. Statistics South Africa continues to face financial pressures, particularly in relation to the cost of employment as well as goods and services. These pressures have had an impact on the institution’s vacancy rate and have also affected its ability to fully meet employment equity targets.

More broadly, there is a concern that the sustainability of certain core statistical series may come under pressure if these resource constraints are not adequately addressed. Ensuring that South Africa maintains a robust and reliable statistical system is essential for both economic governance and democratic accountability.

On a positive note, I am pleased to highlight an important legislative milestone for the national statistical system. The Statistics Amendment Act, No. 29 of 2024, was proclaimed for implementation on the first of October 2025. This legislation strengthens the coordination of statistical production across Government and provides an enhanced framework for collaboration among data producers.

Through this amendment, Statistics South Africa is better positioned to work with departments and other institutions to improve the quality, consistency, and credibility of statistics produced across the state. The goal is to enable more datasets to achieve official statistical status and to strengthen the overall integrity of the national data ecosystem.

As the implementation of the amended Act progresses, we expect Statistics South Africa to play an even stronger leadership role in shaping and coordinating South Africa’s statistical architecture.

Chairperson and Honourable Members,

We are here today to present the organisation’s financial and organisational performance for the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. The Acting Statistician-General will take the Committee through the detailed progress made against the strategic outcomes contained in the new five year strategic plan, as well as the financial performance of the institution.

With those introductory remarks, Chairperson, allow me to hand over to the Acting Statistician-General, Mr Joe de Beer, who will present the detailed report to the Committee.

Thank you.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 12 March 2026 respond to Questions for Oral Replies by Members of the National Assembly.

The President will address Members on the work and Interim Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System.

He will also provide an update on the establishment of the National Water Crisis Committee to address water challenges in the country, as announced during his 2026 State of the Nation Address.

In addition, he will report on progress towards the targets set out in the National Development Plan (NDP) and the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP).

Other matters to be addressed include strengthening the role of Traditional Leadership, implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), and security interventions aimed at addressing illegal mining and gang violence.

Oral question sessions with the President are scheduled at least once a quarter during Parliament's annual programme.

These sessions are one of the mechanisms Parliament uses to hold the Executive to account as stipulated under the Constitution, Section 92(2) which requires accountability by members of the Executive to Parliament for the exercising of their powers and performing their functions.

The Oral Reply will take place as follows:

Date: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Time: 14h00
Venue: Nieuwmeester Dome, Cape Town

 

Media enquiries: Vincent Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President - media@presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile, along with the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mr Mzwanele Nyhontso, will on Friday, 13 March 2026, hand over land and title deeds to the Mtshoeni/Mtsweni family, also known as the Schulk Marhiqa Communal Property Association (CPA), at Secunda, in the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Gert Sibande District in Mpumalanga Province.

The title deeds that will be issued to the family claimants are for the two Grootvlei 293 IS Farm properties divided into Portion 24 and 26. The properties are owned by the land claimants through the Schulk Marhiqa CPA.

The claimant family lived on the subject properties in the early 1700s. The land parcels claimed by the claimant family measures more than 627 hectares, situated within the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality’s jurisdiction. The claim was lodged by Schulk Ngazimbi Marhiqa Mtshoeni on behalf of the affected families, before the old order claims cut-off date of 31 December 1998, as set out in the Restitution of Land Rights Act. 

The Mtshoeni/Mtsweni family land claim comprises 18 households and 86 beneficiaries. For three decades, the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights has been at the forefront of South Africa’s transformation journey, restoring dignity through land restitution. Every restored hectare, every handed-over title deed, and every resolved claim is a step towards justice, a tangible symbol of Government’s commitment to healing 
historical wounds and rebuilding South Africa into a just, equitable country. FThe Commission’s work also demonstrates that land restitution is more than compensation, that it is the restoration of identity, belonging, and opportunity to the beneficiary communities.

(Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: Friday, 13 March 2026
Time: 09h00 (Media to arrive 08h00)
Venue: Grootvlei Farm, Tritchardt (Secunda), Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province.

For media RSVPs and further information regarding the event, kindly contact the following officials: Ms Zithini Dlamini on 082 4611 890 or at zithini.dlamini@dlrrd.gov.za or Ms Sonto Shongwe on 071 856 0580 or at Sonto.Shongwe@dlrrd.gov.za. 

Media enquiries:
The Presidency: 
Acting Spokesperson to the Deputy President, Mr Keith Khoza,  
keithk@presidency.gov.za or  066 195 8840

Land Reform and Rural Development:
Media Liaison Officer: Mr Cassiem Dawood Khan, CassiemK@dlrrd.gov.za or  083 443 6836
Eviction Toll-free Number: 0800 007 095

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
 

The Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli, will lead the presentation of Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) Third Quarterly Report for the 2025/26 financial year before the Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

The presentation forms part of Parliament’s oversight responsibilities and will provide Members of the Portfolio Committee with an update on the performance of Stats SA during the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. The session will outline progress made against key targets, operational priorities, and challenges encountered in the production and dissemination of official statistics.

Members of the public and the media are encouraged to follow the proceedings live through the Parliamentary broadcast platforms.

Details of the meeting are as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Time: 09:00

Media enquiries: Mandisa Mbele 082 580 2212 / MandisaM@Presidency.gov.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Programme Directors, Nkosi Dalisizwe Dudumayo and COGTA HOD Vuyo Mlokothi;
Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Oscar Mabuyane; 
Your Majesties, Kings and Queens present here today;
Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe;
Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Ms Zoleka Capa;
MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Zolile Williams;
Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Kgosi Thabo Seathlolo; 
Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Nkosi Mpumalanga Gwadiso;
Members of the Executive Council;
Mayors and other Councillors present;
Esteemed Traditional Leaders; 
Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

When I received the invitation to address this Summit, I immediately recognised the importance of this gathering.

Not only because the President has tasked me with promoting social cohesion initiatives with Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, but because you, as Royalty, occupy positions of profound importance in our communities.

You are entrusted by our ancestors to lead with honour, dignity, and wisdom. You are the custodians of our heritage, the guardians of our values, and the weavers of the social fabric that binds our nation together.

Although pressing commitments prevent me from joining you in person today, I address you with deep respect and humility.

My purpose today is to reflect on government’s progress in supporting traditional leadership and to consider how traditional institutions can continue to play a significant role in development and social cohesion within our constitutional democracy.
Let me state clearly: Government will never render traditional leaders irrelevant.

On the contrary, we recognise that traditional leadership remains a vital pillar of governance, particularly in rural communities.

Long before colonial powers arrived on our shores, traditional leaders were the heartbeat of governance in African societies. Councils convened under your leadership resolved disputes, upheld justice, and ensured the collective will of communities was respected.

Your authority was not imposed. It was earned through service, lineage, and trust by the people.

History also reminds us that when colonialism sought to dismantle indigenous systems, traditional leaders became both targets of manipulation and symbols of resistance.

Some were co-opted into structures designed to divide our people. Others remained steadfast, preserving languages, customs, and cultural identity in the face of oppression.

This resilience helped lay the foundation for the democratic society we enjoy today. The transition to democracy, however, also brought new complexities. Traditional leaders have had to navigate the important task of preserving cultural traditions while operating within a modern constitutional state.

Our Constitution recognises this reality. It affirms the institution, status, and role of traditional leadership according to customary law and acknowledges its significance within our democratic order.

This recognition reflects an important principle: our democracy must remain rooted in the lived realities of our people.

Across the country, we have witnessed traditional leaders adapting in meaningful ways to strengthen governance and development.

Legislative frameworks such as the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Acthave aligned traditional leadership with democratic principles.

Traditional Councils now work alongside municipalities within the system of cooperative governance. These councils include elected members and ensure the participation of women in leadership structures.
Through these changes, traditional leadership continues to evolve while preserving the heritage and legitimacy that communities place in these institutions.

However, challenges remain.

This Summit therefore provides an opportunity to reflect honestly on the support provided to traditional leadership since 1994, the obstacles traditional leaders face in fulfilling their responsibilities, and the practical steps required to strengthen cooperation between government and traditional institutions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The government has taken deliberate steps to restore the dignity and recognition of traditional leadership.
Platforms such as the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, as well as Provincial and Local Houses, ensure that traditional leaders participate in shaping policies that affect rural communities.

Through these structures, traditional leaders have consistently raised critical issues including land rights, socio-economic development, institutional capacity, infrastructure support, policy reforms, and social cohesion.

In response, the President established the Inter-Ministerial Task Team on Matters of Traditional Leadership in 2022 to ensure a coordinated response to these concerns.

The Task Team focuses on five key priorities: advancing land rights and socio-economic development, strengthening traditional institutions, investing in infrastructure and skills, promoting nation-building and unity, and finalising policy and legislative reforms.

Through these initiatives, we reaffirm that traditional leaders are not bystanders in development. You are important partners in governance.
At the national level, traditional leaders play an advisory role on legislation and policies that affect customary law, land reform, and rural development.

At the provincial level, Houses of Traditional Leaders must strengthen collaboration with legislatures and provincial governments to ensure that programmes respond effectively to rural realities.

At the local level, traditional councils must work closely with municipalities to close service-delivery gaps and mobilise communities to protect public infrastructure such as schools, clinics, and water systems.

In the Eastern Cape in particular, traditional leaders have a crucial role to play in confronting some of the most pressing social challenges facing our communities.

When gender-based violence devastates families and communities, traditional leaders must stand at the forefront in declaring that no woman or child should live in fear.

Our government has classified Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as a national disasterto strengthen coordination in addressing this crisis.

But legislation alone cannot change behaviour. Community leadership is essential in challenging harmful attitudes and practices that perpetuate violence.

Similarly, when substance abuse and unemployment threaten the future of our youth, traditional leaders must guide young people towards discipline, opportunity, and hope.

Members of Royal Houses,

As custodians of communal land, traditional leaders carry a profound responsibility.

Land is not only a resource for economic development; it is also the foundation of identity, dignity, and empowerment.

Managing communal land requires transparency, fairness, and accountability so that development opportunities can benefit entire communities.

We must also recognise the potential of agriculture as a driver of sustainable development in rural areas.

The soil is one of our greatest assets. When cultivated wisely, it can create jobs, strengthen food security, and provide opportunities for youth and women.

Government initiatives such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus have already created more than 2.5 million employment and livelihood opportunities, many of them benefiting young people in rural communities.

The Social Employment Fund is also supporting agricultural initiatives by providing training, skills development, and access to markets for smallholder farmers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The fight against poverty, inequality and social fragmentation requires partnership between government and traditional institutions.

This spirit of partnership is also reflected in the National Dialogue, which has now entered its first phase.

Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders form part of both the Eminent Persons Group and the National Dialogue Steering Committee, ensuring that voices rooted in community wisdom and heritage help shape the national conversation.

I encourage traditional leaders across the country to actively participate in the community dialogues that will inform the National Dialogue Convention later this year, which will be led by the President.

During this Summit, let us reaffirm that the battle against social ills cannot be fought in isolation.
It is won when chiefs, councillors, churches, schools, and civil society stand together.

It is won when we empower women as pillars of resilience and invest in youth as the leaders of tomorrow.

And it is won when dignity is restored to every household.

As we move forward, let us strengthen the partnership between elected leaders and traditional authorities so that together we build a society that is inclusive, just, and firmly rooted in the heritage of our people.

As you continue with deliberation for the duration of this programme, I wish you robust and directive engagements.

Ndiyabulela, I thank you.
 

Addressing a gathering of journalists and Government communicators, on the eve of our State of the Nation Address; I had occasion to say:

“Our 30-year-old Constitution gave us the framework. Our 25-year-old democratic local government brought governance closer to the people. Now, as we prepare for another round of local government elections, we must ensure that our media landscape supports informed participation and strengthens the bonds of community.”

I am repeating these words to you because, I am hopeful that all of us as Africans, do realise how far we come, when the South African story is told. I firmly insist that, we cannot sufficiently tell our story – as South Africans - without counting the sacrifices of the peoples of Africa, in procuring our freedom. 

I repeat this here to tell you a story that because of these heroic sacrifices, South Africa is today celebrating the milestones.

His Excellency, Ambassador Philip Thigo;
Hon. Cabinet Secretary, William Kabogo Gitau;
His Excellency, South African Acting High Commissioner to Kenya;
Executives and Stakeholders of TikTok;
Distinguished guests;
Content Creators;
Digital Safety Experts;
Ladies and gentlemen.

KARIBUNI!

We are pleased to be in Nairobi this week, reinforcing the strong partnership between South Africa and Kenya.

By attending TikTok’s Safer Internet today, we look forward to collaborating on advancing responsible AI governance, enhancing content transparency and strengthening digital safety measures to ensure integrity in AI systems and secure online environments for all users across the continent, including South Africa.

In his work Nexus, Yuval Harari observes, “civilisations are born from the marriage of bureaucracy and mythology. The computer-based network is a new type of bureaucracy that is far more powerful and relentless than any human-based bureaucracy we’ve seen before.”

For centuries, societies were organised through visible bureaucracies: governments, institutions, administrations.

These were slow, human and limited by geography.

However, today humanity has created a new form of bureaucracy: the global digital network.

Algorithms that shape how billions of people receive and consume information every single day power this bureaucracy.

Social media platforms — including TikTok — are now part of this new digital bureaucracy. 

They organise attention, distribute narratives, amplify voices and influence how societies understand or perceive the truth, authority and reality itself.

This therefore this makes information integrity one of the defining governance challenges of the 21st century.

Programme Director,

While we acknowledge how digital networks can spread knowledge, creativity and opportunity, we must accept that they also spread something far more dangerous: misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.

These three forms of harmful information have different origins but the same destructive impact.

Together, they undermine trust in institutions, polarise communities and threaten democratic stability.

Because digital networks operate faster and further than any previous communication system, these harms “are far more powerful and relentless than any human” societies has eever experienced before.

Ladies and gentlemen,

South Africa understands the importance of responsible communication in a democracy.

Our Government Communication and Information System has adopted the National Communication Strategy Framework 2025–2030, which emphasises coordinated, credible and citizen-centred communication across all spheres of government. 

For its part, the South African government, through the National Communication Strategy Framework recognises that communication is not simply about messaging. 

It is about building trust between the state and the people. 

It stresses the importance of accurate, timely and proactive information so that citizens are empowered to participate meaningfully in their own development. 

If we accept this to be true then we should accept that information integrity is not merely a technical issue.

It is a development issue.

It is a governance issue.

It is a democratic issue.

Ladies and gentlemen,

For our purposes in Southern Africa, the SADC Protocol on Communications, calls on all member states to develop efficient, integrated and coordinated communications systems that support economic growth and social development across the region. 

The protocol recognises that communications infrastructure and services are strategic assets that must serve the collective interests of societies and strengthen regional cooperation. 

Today, however, we must acknowledge that the communications environment envisioned in the 1990s has transformed dramatically.

The most powerful communication networks in the world are no longer only national broadcasters or telecommunications systems.

They are global digital platforms that connect billions and shape public discourse.

These platforms function - whether intentionally or not - as the new bureaucracies of information.

This point, underscores the importance of TikTok Safer Internet Summit.

I think that by mere convening of this summit, the organisers are making an emphatic and a bigger point that the responsibility for a safer digital environment cannot fall on governments alone.

TikTok has become one of the most influential cultural and communication platforms in the world. 

It has unlocked creativity, empowered young voices and transformed the way information travels across societies.

However, influence carries responsibility.

With billions of users - many of whom are young - the platform sits at the centre of the global information ecosystem.

That means TikTok is not just a platform for entertainment.

It is also part of the digital bureaucracy that shapes public consciousness.

This reality calls for proactive mechanisms that discourage and disrupt the spread of harmful information.

Programme Director,

Let me suggest three areas where platforms like TikTok can lead global innovation.

First, responsible use of Algorithm.

In that regard, Aalgorithms should not only optimise engagement.

They should also actively identify and reduce the amplification of demonstrably false or harmful content.

The architecture of digital networks must reward credible information rather than sensational falsehoods.

Second, information transparency.

Users must understand how information reaches them.

Greater transparency around recommendation systems, content moderation and information verification can help rebuild public trust in digital platforms.

Third, digital literacy partnerships.

Platforms must work closely with governments, educators and civil society to equip citizens — especially young people — with the tools to recognise misinformation and verify information sources.

In this regard, we stand ready to partner with TikTok to deliver on the digital literacy programmes across the country.

In an era where every citizen carries a publishing platform in his or her pocket, digital literacy has become as essential as traditional literacy.

We also are pleased that as TikTok you are committing to work closely with content creators to properly monetise their content.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This is not a call for censorship.

It is a call for responsible stewardship of the digital public sphere.

The challenge before us is to ensure that the new bureaucracy of computer-based networks serves humanity rather than destabilising it.

If civilisations are indeed born from the marriage of bureaucracy and mythology, then the narratives circulating within our digital networks will help determine the future of our societies.

Will these networks amplify truth or falsehood?

Will they strengthen democracy or weaken it?

Will they unite communities or divide them?

The answer to these questions depends on the choices we make today.
Governments must create enabling policy environments.

Platforms must innovate responsibly.

Civil society must hold all of us accountable.

Citizens must engage critically with the information they produce and consume.

Together, we can transform digital networks from engines of misinformation into engines of empowerment.

Together, we can ensure that technology strengthens rather than weakens democratic societies.

Together, we can build an internet that reflects the highest values of humanity: truth, accountability, creativity and shared progress.

We have to be deliberate and ensure we put enough guardrails, especially for the vulnerable sections of society: the elderly, the disabled and the children.

Let this summit mark a new chapter of cooperation between platforms like TikTok and governments across the great and beautiful continent of Africa.

I thank you.