Adjustment of GEMS Contribution Increases

Adjustment of GEMS Contribution Increases

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi on adjustment of GEMS contribution increases for 2026

The Minister for the Public Service and Administration notes the recent announcements by the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) and organised labour regarding the adjustment of the 2026 contribution increase.

The Minister wishes to place on record that the period leading up to this outcome was characterised by intensive engagements and, at times, a clear impasse between the Scheme and organised labour. On the one hand, GEMS was required to uphold its fiduciary responsibility to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the Scheme. On the other hand, organised labour raised legitimate and urgent concerns regarding affordability and the immediate financial pressures facing public servants.

These positions, while both valid, resulted in a deadlock that required deliberate and structured intervention.

Recognising the potential impact on public servants and the broader stability of the Scheme, the Minister, in his capacity as the employer representative, undertook a series of facilitated engagements with GEMS and organised labour. These engagements were aimed at ensuring that neither sustainability considerations nor affordability concerns were pursued in isolation, but rather balanced in a manner that protects both the Scheme and its members.

Through this process, the Ministry worked to create a platform for constructive and solution-oriented dialogue, ensure that the concerns of workers were meaningfully ventilated and considered, and encourage the Scheme to re-examine its position within a broader socio-economic context.

The Minister is therefore encouraged that these engagements have culminated in a revised weighted contribution increase of 7.5%, reflecting movement from the initial position of 9,5% and providing measurable relief to members.

It is important to underscore that this outcome was not the result of a single process or perspective prevailing over another, but rather the product of facilitated convergence between parties whose positions had, at one point, significantly diverged.

The Ministry believes that this outcome demonstrates the value of active employer involvement in complex socio-economic matters, particularly where the interests of public servants, institutional sustainability, and public confidence intersect.

At the same time, the Minister acknowledges that the issues raised during this period, including affordability, governance, cost drivers, and transparency, remain matters requiring ongoing engagement and careful oversight. The Ministry will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that these matters are addressed in a structured and sustainable manner.

The Minister further emphasises that engagement between GEMS and organised labour must continue to evolve towards a more proactive, transparent, and collaborative model to prevent similar situations in the future.

The Ministry remains committed to safeguarding the interests of public servants while ensuring that institutions such as GEMS remain financially sound, responsive, and aligned to their founding mandate.

The Minister thanks all stakeholders for their participation in the engagements and urges continued cooperation in the interest of public servants and their families.

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China’s Temporary Zero-Tariff preference Scheme for South African Exports

China’s Temporary Zero-Tariff preference Scheme for South African Exports

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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Minister Parks Tau welcomes China’s temporary zero-tariff preference scheme for South African exports

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau welcomes the announcement by the Government of the People’s Republic of China regarding the introduction of a temporary zero-tariff preference scheme for 20 non-least developed African countries, including South Africa.

This measure follows an announcement by President Xi on 14 February 2026, that China will implement zero-tariff to African countries that it has diplomatic relations. The least developed countries are already enjoying the duty-free treatment in the Chinese market following the announcement at the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

From 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028, qualifying South African goods exported to China will benefit from zero customs duties under this scheme, subject to compliance with the applicable tariff schedule and rules of origin.

Exporters are advised that access to the preference is conditional on meeting the prescribed rules of origin, including product-specific requirements, and on submitting a valid Certificate of Origin, for customs clearance in China.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) is working with the South African Revenue Services (SARS) on the customs procedures and the necessary changes to legislation that need to be implemented, including with regard to issuing the certificate of origin. In relation to products already in the water, if a certificate of origin is not issued before or at the time of shipment, the importer will have to pay a deposit. After the importer submits the requested documents, the deposit can be refunded. The certificate of origin shall be marked “ISSUED RETROSPECTIVELY” and shall be valid for one year from the date of shipment.

While the scheme applies across a broad range of products, certain goods may be subject to specific conditions, including tariff rate quotas. Exporters are therefore encouraged to familiarise themselves with the detailed tariff schedule and rules of origin documentation to ensure full compliance and optimal utilisation of the preferences.

This preferential market access framework offers a strategic opportunity for South Africa to enhance export competitiveness, diversify into higher-value-added products, and expand market access for agricultural, industrial, and beneficiated goods. It also supports broader national objectives, including industrial development, employment creation, and export-led growth.

The dtic, in collaboration with relevant government departments and stakeholders, has initiated the necessary processes to facilitate the implementation of the preference scheme.

The Export Help Desk within the dtic, will serve as a central point of contact for guidance, queries, and assistance to support traders and guide on the necessary compliance and market access processes. The Export Help Desk can be accessed as follows: exports@thedtic.gov.za.

In addition, a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document as a guide to exporters will be put on the dtic website.

According to Minister Tau, this zero-tariff treatment preference scheme is signal of strong relations that China has with the African continent and a significant outcome of FOCAC 2024. The scheme offers South African exporters a meaningful opportunity to expand into one of the world’s largest and most dynamic consumer markets. Further, Minister added that these developments compliment the diversification strategy initiated by the dtic aimed at creating resilience of the South African economy.

The links to the tariff schedule with qualifying products and the rules of origin can be accessed at:

For tariff schedule:

http://gss.mof.gov.cn/gzdt/zhengcefabu/202604/t20260428_3988616.htm.

For rules of origin:

http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/2026-04/29/article_2026042908570039662.html

The dtic, in collaboration with relevant government departments and stakeholders, has initiated the necessary processes to facilitate the implementation of the preference scheme.

The Export Help Desk within the dtic, will serve as a central point of contact for guidance, queries, and assistance to support traders and guide on the necessary compliance and market access processes. The Export Help Desk can be accessed as follows: exports@thedtic.gov.za.

In addition, a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document as a guide to exporters will be put on the dtic website.

According to Minister Tau, this zero-tariff treatment preference scheme is signal of strong relations that China has with the African continent and a significant outcome of FOCAC 2024. The scheme offers South African exporters a meaningful opportunity to expand into one of the world’s largest and most dynamic consumer markets. Further, Minister added that these developments compliment the diversification strategy initiated by the dtic aimed at creating resilience of the South African economy.

The links to the tariff schedule with qualifying products and the rules of origin can be accessed at:

For tariff schedule:

http://gss.mof.gov.cn/gzdt/zhengcefabu/202604/t20260428_3988616.htm.

For rules of origin:

http://www.customs.gov.cn/customs/2026-04/29/article_2026042908570039662.html

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DA KwaZulu-Natal Hosts a Successful Congress 2026

DA KwaZulu-Natal Hosts a Successful Congress 2026

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal (DA KZN) hosted a successful provincial congress in Durban at the Olive Convention Centre. This event showcased the diversity, strength, and growth we have experienced over the last couple of years.

The Congress brought together delegates from across the province to elect provincial leadership and to engage on key party matters, including the future direction of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal especially now as we approach Local Government Elections (LGE) in November. The delegates elected new competent leadership who will guide the DA KZN into rebuilding a better province for all.

A strong and united DA is ready to work hard to be the dominant party in municipalities across KZN and we are ready to bring the DA difference to every town and city in the province. Residents of KZN deserve to live under the benefits that come with DA-run governments.

This showcased the values of the DA of free and fair elections.

The results were as follows:

Provincial Leader:

Sithembiso Ngema

Deputy Leader:

Martin Meyer

Provincial Chairperson:

Dean Macpherson

Deputy Chairpersons:

1st

Sandile Mnikathi

2nd

Sakhile Mngadi

3rd

Swelakhe Shelembe

We wish the newly elected leadership team well in their respective roles. We have full confidence in your ability to take the province to a whole new level.

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HORRIFIC CRASH ON THE N1 , LIMPOPO

 

HORRIFIC CRASH ON THE N1 , LIMPOPO

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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MEC Violet Mathye on horrific crash on the N1 that claimed lives

The Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Ms Violet Mathye, is saddened by a horrific crash that occurred on Thursday at approximately 18h00 on the N1 road, just after the Witvlag turn-off outside Louis Trichardt in the Makhado Municipality.

A bus travelling from Malawi to Gauteng reportedly experienced mechanical failure and was unable to apply brakes, resulting in the vehicle veering off the road and rolling down a deep ravine.

A total of eight passengers lost their lives, seven were declared dead at the scene, while one succumbed to injuries while being transported to hospital. Fourth four passengers sustained injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.

“On behalf of the people of Limpopo, I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” said MEC Mathye.

The Department will continue with visible law enforcement operations along that stretch of the N1 in an effort to reduce road carnages.

Motorists are once again urged to conduct comprehensive pre-trip inspections at all times to ensure that vehicles are roadworthy before travelling.

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DEFENCE OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

DEFENCE OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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ANC STATEMENT IN DEFENCE OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE 

The African National Congress (ANC) notes the proceedings before the Constitutional Court concerning legal challenges to the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act.  These proceedings take place at a historic moment in the life of our democracy, as South Africa prepares to commemorate 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution on 8 May. 

This milestone calls on our people to reflect on the gains of democratic transformation, while confronting the enduring legacy of apartheid that continues to shape access to basic services, including healthcare. At the heart of this matter lies a fundamental constitutional question: whether the right of access to healthcare, as enshrined in Section 27 of the Constitution, should remain dependent on income, or whether it must be progressively realised as a universal entitlement for all. Section 27 is unequivocal that everyone has the right to access healthcare services, and that the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of this right. 

The NHI Act represents a decisive and revolutionary step in giving practical expression to this constitutional mandate. It affirms a society in which healthcare is not a commodity for sale to the highest bidder, but a public good anchored in equality, solidarity and human dignity. In this context, the ANC views the NHI as a historic instrument to dismantle the entrenched inequalities that continue to define South Africa’s health system. More than three decades into democracy, access to quality healthcare remains structurally determined by socio-economic status. This dual system, one for the affluent and another for the majority, stands in direct contradiction to the values of equality and dignity that the Constitution seeks to entrench. 

The NHI seeks to correct this historical distortion by pooling the nation’s resources to ensure universal and equitable access to quality healthcare services. The ANC approached the current challenge against the NHI Act with the full knowledge, from extensive consultations with communities and organisations, that the people of South Africa support its efforts to make the NHI a reality. It is further encouraged by its confidence in the Constitution of the Republic and the South African legal system, as these provide adequate and robust remedies, namely constitutional, parliamentary, administrative, civil and criminal, that protects the integrity of policymaking and lawmaking. 

The ANC holds the conviction, based on the democracy that has been built from 1994 to date, that any individual, organisation, business sector, political party, or interest group that obstructs, manipulates, or distorts constitutional processes of policymaking and lawmaking commits a constitutional and legal transgression. Those who oppose the NHI, including through legal challenges before the Constitutional Court, are in effect seeking to preserve a system that reproduces inequality and delays the full realisation of constitutional rights. While often presented in technical or legal terms, such opposition has profound social consequences. It risks entrenching a reality in which dignity is conditional and access to healthcare is determined by wealth rather than need.  

The ANC holds the view that this position of using various means to oppose this noble law, the NHI Act, is inconsistent with both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution, particularly its founding values of equality, human dignity and freedom. Beneath these objections lies a deeper material reality. NHI challenges entrenched privilege. It disrupts a system in which quality healthcare is effectively rationed by income, where private hospital groups and medical aid schemes thrive alongside a chronically under-resourced public health system that serves the majority. Resistance to the NHI is therefore not only about constitutional interpretation, but also about the defence of privilege, structural advantage and historic inequality. 

The NHI is grounded in the principle of solidarity, recognising that the health of one is inseparable from the health of all. It gives concrete meaning to the constitutional commitment to redress historical injustices and to build a society based on social justice. Far from undermining the Constitution, the NHI is one of its most transformative expressions in practice. As we mark 30 years of constitutional democracy, we are reminded that the Constitution is not a static document, but a living instrument of transformation. It obliges the democratic state to take deliberate and progressive steps towards substantive equality. 

The ANC remains confident that the Constitutional Court will uphold the constitutionality of the NHI and affirm the state’s obligation to progressively realise the right to healthcare. The ANC reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the NHI as a necessary, just and constitutionally grounded step towards a more equal, dignified and humane South Africa. 

The ANC is encouraged by the spirit of unity and collaboration that has been demonstrated in the long journey and joint meetings of the Congress Alliance and in the support for the NHI that civil society organisations and most citizens have demonstrated over the years.

Together we will deliver the National Health Insurance to the people who need it most, towards equitable access to healthcare for all and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in our country.  

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