'Your voice matters': Bela Act public comment participation commences
The regulations on school admissions and school capacity were published in Government Gazette Nos 53119 and 53120 on August 6, marking a major step in implementing the act, which came into effect on December 24.
'These regulations are instruments that will affect how schools are governed and managed, how children are admitted and how our values as a society are reflected in our education system,' said Gwarube.
'I call on South Africans, including parents, teachers, school governing bodies, civil society, education experts, and community members to participate in this public comment process. Your voice matters.'
The draft admission of pupils to public schools regulations aim to ensure fair, inclusive and transparent admission processes in all provinces. According to the gazette, these regulations apply uniformly to all departments and all state schools.
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Mail & Guardian
2 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
South Africa offers US a revised trade deal and seeks to diversify exports
Minister Parks Tau said the US's 30% tariff on exports has necessitated a balanced response between renegotiation, trade diversification and protection from an import surge. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G) The cabinet has approved a revised trade offer to the United States, which last week put into effect a damaging 30% tariff on local exports, the trade, industry and competition minister, Parks Tau, said on Tuesday. The offer, presented to US representatives on 9 August, remains under wraps until it is formally put before US leaders, Tau told a joint briefing with the department of agriculture. South Africa has 'I can't speak about the offer yet as it needs to be presented to US representatives first. But it substantively responds to the issues the US raised in its 2025 national trade estimates report,' Tau said. South Africa is one of numerous countries slapped with tariffs, which The US is South Africa's third-largest trading partner after the European Union and China, but South Africa ranks only 43rd on the list of US importers, accounting for just 0.25% of that country's total imports. Agriculture makes up about 4% of South Africa's exports to the US, worth R9.8 billion ($537 million) and up 104% since 2018. 'Our goal is to demonstrate that South African exports do not pose a threat to US industries and that our trade relationship is, in fact, complementary,' Tau said. The government says the tariffs will The proposed revised agreement addresses sanitary and phytosanitary measures that had hampered US poultry, blueberry and pork imports. Poultry from that country has now been granted access under a conditional self-ban and self-lifting system, allowing the US to take advantage of the 72 000-tonne tariff rate quota agreed in 2016. 'Consequently, the USA-Africa Trade Desk has informed us that it will be shipping containers of poultry and pork to South Africa in two weeks' time, which is testimony that these issues have been resolved,' said Tau. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen stressed that 'Given the exchange rate and our high-quality production, the US gets a very good deal from South African agriculture,' he said. 'It would be a shame if these excellent products couldn't land in those markets.' Steenhuisen added that avocados from Limpopo can still compete in the US despite a stiff tariff hike, and that some citrus earmarked for the US could be redirected to the EU. He said a non-disclosure agreement signed with the US limited what details could be provided about the revised framework deal but said the trade offer by South Africa was 'a broad, generous and open offer' which meets 'the ambition criteria'. 'If one was to look at this through a trade and tariff perspective, I think this offer represents something that would be good for the United States and something that would be good for South Africa,' he added. The government has also contacted more than 54 South African exporters through the export support desk to update them on negotiations, clarify tariffs, explain the economic response package and 'Since being operational, thus far 23 companies have used the Export Support Desk and were accordingly assisted,' Tau said. These interventions were designed to absorb the tariff shock and protect jobs and build long-term resilience. He said he could not yet provide the monetary value of the support because discussions were ongoing. Both ministers stressed that diversification is not plan B, with Tau saying the 'We are pursuing these markets because we see growing demand, existing negotiations and a positive reception to South African products. This is not just about trade numbers; it is directly linked to job protection,' Tau said. 'We do also, in agriculture, see the African continent as a huge opportunity for us to start improving the trade we do, particularly the wine sector has identified Africa as a growth market,' Steeinhuisen added. Diversification is a part of the sugar master plan to export biofuels and presents an opportunity for power stations to be repurposed to process the country's competitive advantage in biofuels, Steeinhusien said. 'It is one of the issues we are working with the sugar sector to move towards. And I think we will need to fast-track the overarching regulatory and legislative platform to finally allow that particular sector to go through,' he said. The government is also negotiating trade deals with Brazil and India — which were slapped with 50% tariffs respectively — as well as Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and countries in the Middle East. 'In terms of diversification, China is a huge opportunity for South Africa — a 1.6 billion population — that's a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of demand for our agricultural products,' said Steenhuisen. He said China usually negotiates one product at a time but has now made a deal for five — stone fruits, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and prunes. The deal will be concluded on the sidelines of the G20 Agriculture engagement group in September. 'The next mission thereafter is cherries and mangoes and we are already advanced in terms of negotiations there,' said Steenhuisen. Tau highlighted that the US tariffs affect more than 130 trading partners, which means products blocked from the US market will flood elsewhere, creating harmful overcapacity in global markets for steel, glass, agricultural products, solar and vehicles. To counter this, South Africa will implement anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures to protect domestic industries.


Mail & Guardian
3 hours ago
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National dialogue: Only ‘ubuntu' citizen actions, not talk shops, will solve SA's problems
If we citizens act on the principles of ubuntu (empathetic caring) and batho pele (people first) then we would not need talk shops. Photo: Lisa Skinner Living in South Africa is like a David versus Goliath encounter. Just think, everyday South Africans battle a depressed economy, stubborn unemployment, corruption, high crime, and there's no respite in sight. Navigating the complexities of political uncertainty, no growth economy and social decline has crippled us with fear, confusion and fuelled disillusionment. Many citizens either plan to leave, or 'quietly quit', meaning they withdraw into an insular, depressed and unproductive state of mind. Hence it's understandable why President Cyril Ramaphosa's proposal for a national dialogue has evoked a public outcry. Besides the excessive cost (estimated at R700 million), which is difficult to justify in these depressed economic times, what South Africans are really tired of and cynical about are the endless talk shops and commissions of inquiry with no penalties for those implicated. The nation has had its fair share of these for about 30 years. And despite the expectation and hype that surrounds these events, they have yielded little or no value. What we need now are practical solutions with tangible consequences. To build the nation we deserve, South Africans need to shift from thinking and talking to doing. We have the most progressive Constitution in the world, but we don't live it. The National Development Plan, despite some ideological disagreements with it, was a well thought out developmental roadmap. Instead, it's stuck in limbo. As Peter Kingsley, author of Reality (2003) said: 'We have plenty of theories, endless discussions of problems about problems. But the simple fact is that through our minds we have not managed to understand one single thing. And the time for thinking and for reasoning is over now. They have served their purpose. The problem is that we know nothing.' The findings of the Zondo commission, which investigated corruption by senior politicians, were not acted upon despite many being guilty of malfeasance. Hence it was with dismay, as admitted by Judge Raymond Zondo, to see these same implicated individuals once again appointed to senior public office. There doesn't seem to be political will to act on these and thereby demonstrate the state's tough stance against corruption. We cannot proceed along this futile path of having another talk shop with no constructive outcomes. Lack of punishment creates a sense of impunity among those implicated. But, more importantly it sends a message that corruption is tolerated. In addition, lack of legal consequences breeds disillusionment in the judiciary. For too long have South Africans depended on the government to effect change. Yet, building a corrupt-free, prosperous South Africa isn't solely the government's responsibility. Only citizens have the power to do so. Therefore, the answer is no longer in endless discussions. The answer lies in personal agency. Look at human history. Extraordinary achievements were accomplished by ordinary people with limited resources and little help. Our many township entrepreneurs such as Max Mqadi (Max Lifestyle Village) show that people are not powerless. We have agency to act and bring about positive change. Pulsating in our veins is resilience that few nations in the world can match. Our sports teams and individuals who have excelled are testament to this. That's besides the courage shown by political activists who fearlessly challenged the apartheid state apparatus. More recently, similar courage was displayed when the South African government, knowing full well the backlash this would unleash, took Israel to the International Court of Justice for its crimes in Gaza. So how do we invoke our personal agency? The answers are in the late Stephen Covey's highly successful book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989). Highlighted are important habits such as ''be proactive'' and 'put first things first'. These principles emphasise the importance of prioritising tasks towards a specific goal based on its strategic value. It places the individual at the core of transformation . The constant complaints about crime, corruption and poor service delivery have proven futile. The commissions and discussions over many years have yielded nothing. Protests and citizens' cries have fallen on deaf ears. It is only through our own self-reflection and action, what drives us to act the way we do, how we choose to live, relate to each other and how we consume in our daily lives that will provide our salvation. And this salvation lies not in national dialogues, nor in policy papers, or even in the Constitution. This salvation lies in the profound African humanist philosophy of ubuntu (I am because you are). Ubuntu principles that include compassion, solidarity, kindness, empathy and respect will solve most of our problems. This is not only between humans and humans, but also between humans and nature. Acting on ubuntu (empathetic caring) and batho pele (people first) principles do not need talk shops, money or technology. It requires the simple act from each of us to be better versions of ourselves. Practicing Covey's habits with ubuntu will solve most of our problems. Crime, corruption and various forms of violence are perpetrated by us or those we know and whom we support. Many of us are complicit by either remaining silent when a crime is committed or supporting criminal acts such as purchasing illicit goods. This criminality will not stop until we take ownership of our actions and make it stop. The focus on inner awareness and self-transformation is not new. It was also advocated by Swedish researchers in 2020 when they evaluated the poor global responses to the United Nations sustainable development goals. They then developed the inner development goals, a preliminary set of principles that could create inner awareness and resolve. These principles would constitute an inter-connected values based framework that explored the connection between inner development and outer sustainability. Finally, when we face the Goliaths of our times — economic, political and social issues — like David, we cannot run from them, nor can we depend on others for assistance. But we can demonstrate inner resolve, be proactive, strategic and act with courage. That will go a long way to solving South Africa's enduring problems. Rudi Kimmie (PhD) is an independent educational and organisation development consultant. He writes in his personal capacity.


Mail & Guardian
6 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
Nobuhle Mthembu: Joburg ActionSA councillors only stay for salaries, have applied for DA posts
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In a letter to the ActionaSA regional secretary dated 8 August and seen by the M&G, Mthembu wrote that she believed the party must foster open discussions, transparency and democracy, adding that despite efforts towards addressing these concerns, meaningful change had not been forthcoming. 'I wrote to the region about my resignation, but if you check the national, it was the one responding to it in a statement. Where is the region, where in the provincial leadership it is going straight to the national?' she said. Mthembu said even at her time as caucus leader, the party did not allow her to make decisions about the caucus, with national officials doing that instead. 'There has also been a bit of bullying, when you are a leader and you start challenging certain things, so it also speaks that you must know your place. These are the internal dynamics we were talking about,' she said. Mthembu's suggestion that some ActionSA councillors would readily join the DA comes after the party announced in February that it had opened opportunities for all South Africans who aspired to represent the party in Gauteng metros to apply for positions. This was not only limited to DA members but to all citizens including those in other political parties. The DA said candidates would be subjected to screening, interviews and written tests to see if they fit the party's goals. On Monday, DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kaizer-Ozukwechuku told the M&G that those who had applied for positions, including herself, were not privy to the process and had no way of knowing who the other applicants were. Last month, Baloyi said the party had advised the councillors to publicly announce their intentions to join without making any demands for positions and not to use the MK party to try to extend their political lifespan. But both ActionSA and the DA denied that their councillors were looking at the option to join Jacob Zuma's party. ActionSA had been expected to hold its first elective conference this year with party president But given that elective conferences tend to give rise to people lobbying against each other, some in the party fear the process could divide it and create a platform for internal purges. In addition to Mashaba, the party is being run by its deputy president, 'There was a process to restart the whole membership from scratch after the elections, meaning all membership ceased to exist after the elections and we had to start all over with the membership system,' Mthembu said. She added that the party was not moving fast to register members, resulting in a delay in holding the elective conference. 'We are questioning ourselves to say, 'will this conference ever happen', because the party is four years old now. Surely we need to have an opportunity to go and elect our own leaders,' she said. 'We were supposed to sit for a regional conference in June and we are in August, and we were supposed to have the provincial conference in November, but at this point in time there's no more discussions about that.' She said although the MK party had also been bashed for not having internal democratic processes, and being run according to the whims of its leader 'The MK makes sense because it's a new party, but ours has been long and people are tired of the fact that there are people at the top who sit there, meaning there is no democracy and only those few will control the direction of the party,' Mthembu said. She said as things stood, Mashaba had the power to remove people from the party without any reason, something which could be prevented by going to an elective conference. 'If they appoint you, tomorrow they can come and tell you to let go of this position,' she said. In the Mthembu warned that the party's support in the metro would probably decline next year, citing what she called neglect of the region by the ActionSA leadership compared with the energy dedicated to Tshwane. She said with the emergence of the MK party, Floyd Shivambu's 'They neglect Johannesburg and I don't know how they are going to win it back. The decisions they have made in Johannesburg have made a lot of people turn their backs on us,' she said. '[Mayor) Nasiphi Moya [of ActionSA] is doing a wonderful job in Tshwane; this is the support all of us as leaders need. I felt that in Johannesburg, the support was not there for me. 'In Tshwane, it's more governance, and in Johannesburg, it's more grassroots. The residents of Johannesburg will say, 'You said let's vote for you, and we voted for you, but what did you do for us?' That is where the problem will arise. In Tshwane, they will have a good story to tell.'