Citrus Industry South Africa becomes World's Top Exporter

Citrus Industry South Africa becomes World's Top Exporter

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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Minister John Steenhuisen congratulates citrus industry as South Africa becomes world's top exporter

The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, is immensely proud to congratulate every farmer, farm worker, and value-chain partner whose tireless dedication has enabled South Africa to officially overtake Spain as the world’s largest exporter of citrus by volume, with 2.9 million tons exported in 2025.

“This great achievement is one that should be celebrated by all South Africans. To overtake a citrus export giant like Spain, even by a small margin, is no easy feat. We are known for our world-class quality fruit and strict compliance with international plant health standards,” Minister Steenhuisen said.

While celebrating this growth, Minister Steenhuisen also noted that these figures reflect a unique set of global dynamics.

While South Africa leads in export volume, countries such as China, Brazil, and Spain continue to dominate in terms of total production, focusing heavily on their domestic markets.

Furthermore, the 2025 shift occurred as Spanish producers navigated increasingly complex climatic conditions.

Minister Steenhuisen emphasised that South Africa and Spain play complementary roles in the global market. Spain anchors the Northern Hemisphere season, while South Africa ensures continuity during the summer months. This seasonal coordination ensures that consumers worldwide have year-round access to fresh citrus, thereby maintaining category stability and shelf presence.

Minister Steenhuisen also lauded the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) for their strategic leadership in navigating a period of significant volatility and reaffirmed the Department of Agriculture’s commitment to expanding market access and reducing the cost of trade. 

“Our production growth must be met with intensified diplomacy and infrastructure support,” he added. “We are continuously looking for new market opportunities while working to ensure that we expand our current markets,” Minister Steenhuisen concluded.

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Signing of the South Africa–Mauritius Tourism MOU at Africa’s Travel Indaba

Signing of the South Africa–Mauritius Tourism MOU at Africa’s Travel Indaba

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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Minister Patricia de Lille: Signing of the South Africa–Mauritius Tourism MOU at Africa’s Travel Indaba

Remarks from the Minister of Tourism of South Africa, Patricia de Lille at the signing of the South Africa–Mauritius tourism MOU at Africa’s Travel Indaba on 13 May 2026, Durban ICC

Honourable Minister Duval, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

Today marks an important milestone in the warm and longstanding relationship between South Africa and Mauritius.

Mauritius is one of my favourite countries to visit and I have some of the fondest memories of the places like Nossy Bay, the people and the delicious food.

Our two countries share deep historical, cultural and economic ties.

From people living here in Durban to down south in Cape Town – you will find South Africans with ties to Mauritius.

As two fellow African countries we continue to work together as partners in building a stronger, more integrated and more competitive tourism landscape in our region.

The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding is a significant step forward. It formalises our cooperation in a sector that is central to both our economies and to the livelihoods of our people.

Tourism is one of the most powerful drivers of inclusive growth, job creation and regional development — and this partnership strengthens our shared commitment to unlocking that potential.

This MoU creates a practical framework for cooperation in key areas that matter for the future of our industry.

It enables us to work together on sustainable tourism development, to improve ease of entry and travel facilitation, to expand training and skills development, and to deepen the exchange of information, expertise and best practice.

It also opens the door for collaboration in high-growth segments such as medical tourism, adventure and nature tourism, cultural tourism, MICE, and cruise tourism.

For South Africa, this partnership supports our broader economic growth agenda. It will help us increase tourist flows between our countries, strengthen air connectivity, and create new opportunities for our businesses, our SMMEs and our workers.

It also aligns with our vision of a more integrated SADC tourism region — one that competes globally by working together.

Minister Duval, we appreciate the constructive engagement between our teams and your commitment to concluding this agreement.

We look forward to establishing the Implementation Team in the coming weeks and ensuring that this MoU delivers real, tangible outcomes for both our nations.

Let this signing be a symbol of our shared ambition: to grow tourism, to deepen cooperation, and to ensure that the benefits of this sector reach more of our people.

Thank you.

Minister Patricia de Lille

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KALAFONG HOSPITAL EXPERIENCES WATER SUPPLY CHALLENGE DUE TO A BURST PIPE

KALAFONG HOSPITAL EXPERIENCES WATER SUPPLY CHALLENGE DUE TO A BURST PIPE

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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The Gauteng Department of Health wishes to inform the public that Kalafong Hospital in Pretoria West is currently experiencing low water pressure following the repair of a burst pipe near the railway station yesterday, which has impacted the facility's operations since Saturday. 

The affected areas include the Outpatient Department (OPD) clinics, Human Resource offices, Casualty section, and the Resuscitation unit. Notwithstanding, critical areas such as Maternity, operating theatres, wards, mortuary, facility management unit and food services remain operational. To ensure continuity of healthcare services, the hospital has an existing water storage capacity sufficient for 2 to 4 days, bolstered by 2 boreholes, 4 sectional tanks and a reservoir. 

Furthermore, outpatient appointments in affected clinics are being rescheduled, and members of the public seeking non-emergency medical care are advised to visit alternative healthcare facilities until the water pressure stabilizes. 

The department apologise to the patients and the public for the inconvenience caused by the service interruptions.  

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Aaron Motsoaledi’s Judicial Interference to Cyril Ramaphosa to decide on Conduct

Aaron Motsoaledi’s Judicial Interference to Cyril Ramaphosa to decide on Conduct

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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DA refers Aaron Motsoaledi’s judicial interference to Cyril Ramaphosa to decide on conduct

The Health Minister’s reckless remarks may have violated the Executive Ethics Code

These attacks attempt to distract from the failures of the NHI

DA to submit a parliamentary question to the President. 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s reckless remarks questioning whether Constitutional Court judges can fairly adjudicate the National Health Insurance (NHI) case because they are beneficiaries of private healthcare.

We will submit a written parliamentary question to President Ramaphosa asking whether he is satisfied that Minister Motsoaledi’s conduct meets the required ethical standards as set out in section 2.1 of the Executive Ethics Code.

Should this not be the case, we will further ask whether the President will refer the matter to the Public Protector for investigation.

The Minister’s conduct may constitute a violation of section 2.1 of the Executive Ethics Code, which requires members of the Executive, to the satisfaction of the President to act in good faith, fulfil their constitutional obligations, and conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the integrity of their office and good governance.

By suggesting that judges are incapable of impartiality, the Minister has crossed a dangerous line. These comments undermine the independence of the courts and risk damaging public trust in the Constitutional Court. The Constitution gives judges the responsibility to decide whether laws are constitutional, without pressure from politicians. When a Minister suggests judges cannot be fair, it creates the impression that he is trying to influence the outcome of the case.

These inflammatory attacks on the judiciary are nothing more than a smokescreen to distract from the disastrous realities of the NHI. Despite its stated intentions, the NHI in its current form will not achieve universal healthcare access. Instead, it risks collapsing what remains functional in South Africa’s healthcare system by forcing millions into an already overwhelmed and mismanaged public health sector.

Government has failed to provide a credible costing model, failed to outline safeguards against corruption in the NHI Fund, and failed to address the devastating consequences for jobs and healthcare access.

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National Treasury releases Municipal Finance Management Act compliance report 2024/25

National Treasury releases Municipal Finance Management Act compliance report 2024/25

BY : CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE EDITOR KASiBC_AFRiCA

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National Treasury today releases the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) compliance report for the 2024/25 year. The report assesses the compliance of municipalities with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).

Sections of the MFMA requires the National Treasury, in conjunction with Provincial Treasuries (PTs), to monitor and assess compliance by municipalities with the provisions of the Act. To give effect to this legislative responsibility in the Act, the National Treasury has compiled and issued a report titled “Strengthening Municipal Financial Management, MFMA Compliance Report” which provides the consolidated status of MFMA compliance and implementation by municipalities for the 2024/2025 financial year (01 July 2024 to 30 June 2025). The report is based on information submitted by municipalities through National Treasury’s compliance monitoring systems.

Key highlights reflected in the report include the following:

127 municipalities (49%) have systems of delegations (SODs) in place in the 2024/2025 financial year, signed by both the delegator and delegate, which is a decrease from 130 municipalities in 2023/2024. SODs are crucial for maintaining good governance, financial accountability, and effective service delivery.

84% (82% in 2023/2024) of the critical senior management positions were filled. The highest number of vacancies nationally pertained to the positions of Chief Risk Officers, Chief Audit Executives and Chief Financial Officers.

Non-compliance with SCM regulations remains a challenge in municipalities. Municipalities either fail to update their SCM policies to ensure compliance with the latest regulations or have not developed them at all. Although municipalities are required to review their SCM processes and implement corrective measures to resolve issues identified by the AGSA in audits, many fail to do so effectively. This has resulted in recurring irregularities, including irregular and wasteful expenditures.

The National Unauthorised Irregular Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure (UIFWE) balance increased from R264.10 billion in 2023/2024 to R268.13 billion in 2024/2025, driven by systemic failures in internal controls and weak consequence management. Irregular expenditure remains the most significant contributor to the UIFWE balances, reflecting widespread non-compliance with procurement and financial regulations. Many municipalities lack robust systems to ensure the timely implementation of council resolutions on the recoverability or write-off of UIFWE. National Treasury has also observed high levels of write-offs rather than recoveries of the UIFWE across municipalities, which is indicative of the failure by municipalities to hold individuals accountable for financial misconduct.

The number of municipalities across the country with established disciplinary boards increased to 178 municipalities in the 2024/2025 financial year, as required by the Municipal Regulations on Financial Misconduct Procedures and Criminal  Proceedings. However, of concern is the decline in the reporting of financial misconduct allegations in municipalities, the number of financial misconduct cases investigated and the number of officials whom disciplinary actions were taken against in relation to financial misconducts. The regressions may be an indication of various negative factors including delays in instituting and or in proceeding with disciplinary cases, weak enforcement of policies within municipalities and possibly a lack of understanding of disciplinary processes by municipalities.

The number of municipalities with updated cost containment policies increased from 161 municipalities in 2023/2024 to 170 municipalities in 2024/2025. Municipalities collectively achieved R5.06 billion in cost containment savings during 2024/2025, primarily through reductions in consultancy and other related expenditure. However, overspending on overtime poses a significant fiscal risk and highlights weaknesses in payroll management and internal controls There are still a significant number of municipalities that are heavily reliant on consultants, particularly in the areas of asset management, AFS preparation, audit support and estimates of landfill site provisions.

Further information relating to the implementation of the Asset Management function, the development and implementation of Audit Action Plans, existence and functionality of Internal Audit units, existence and functionality of Audit Committees and the submission of Annual Financial Statements (AFS) are also contained in the report. The report is available on the National Treasury’s website.

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