Newspaper headlines from around the world - Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Here are the stories that made headlines on the front pages of newspapers worldwide on Wednesday, 11 June 2025. The New York Times front page reported on an incident that occurred beneath the heart of a hospital. The Wall Street Journal front page reported that California is seeking to block the deployment of troops in Los Angeles. The Jerusalem Post's front page reported that a preliminary vote to disperse the Knesset is expected today. China Daily's front page reported that Xi called for deepening ties with the ROK. Daily Mail's front page reported that a jobs slump has hit Rachel Reeves as she prepares to take a gamble on the nation's finances with a giant spending spree. The Guardian front page reported that sanctions were imposed on Israeli ministers for inciting violence.
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IOL News
37 minutes ago
- IOL News
Bridging South Africa's skills gap: Strategies for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
South Africa faces a critical and widening skills gap, particularly in technical, digital, and entrepreneurial capabilities. Image: / Emily Ranquist Many young people in South Africa leave school or university without the ability to apply the knowledge in the modern workplace, despite the country recognising the importance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) while aligning policy with global trends. Sanele Zondo, IFP Youth Brigade leader and member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, said, South Africa faces a critical and widening skills gap, particularly in technical, digital, and entrepreneurial capabilities. 'The most significant gaps lie in digital literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical work readiness. While theoretical knowledge is often emphasised, many young people leave school or university without the ability to apply that knowledge in the modern workplace. 'In township and rural schools, this gap is even more severe due to limited infrastructure and outdated curricula. These young people are not adequately prepared for a digitised economy or the realities of the global job market,' Zondo said. There have been some commendable efforts, such as the introduction of coding and robotics into the curriculum, and initiatives by the Department of Higher Education to promote TVET colleges and entrepreneurship hubs. However, these remain inconsistent and underfunded, he said. Zondo added that while South Africa recognises the importance of 4IR and has begun aligning policy with global trends, the weakness lies in execution and equity. 'Many schools lack electricity, let alone devices or trained teachers. Furthermore, the lack of industry involvement means many of these programmes are designed in isolation and not aligned with real-world demands. The system is falling short by failing to scale successful pilot projects nationally and is unsuccessful in ensuring teacher readiness. Without trained educators, even the best 4IR curriculum will not succeed,' he said. Asked about practical solutions to bridge the skills gap in the South African education system, Zondo said his party, the IFP, believes in people-centred, pragmatic policy solutions. 'We propose compulsory digital literacy and entrepreneurship modules from Grade 7 onwards. Stronger partnerships between schools and industries, ensuring curriculum alignment and internship pipelines. National Youth Innovation Centres in all provinces that offer free short skills training in coding, design, renewable energy, and other 4IR sectors. 'Support for TVET colleges, including funding for student accommodation, resources, and modernised equipment. A review of educator training programmes to ensure teachers are equipped to teach emerging content. We must treat skills development as a national priority and not a bureaucratic checkbox,' he said. The disconnect between what tertiary institutions teach and what employers need is evident in over-academisation. While theory has its place, employers need practical experience, adaptability, and tech-savviness. Many graduates are unable to operate basic digital tools or present solutions in high-pressure environments, Zondo said. 'The gap is evident in ICT and Engineering, where graduates lack hands-on experience with industry software or real-world problem-solving. In Education, teachers are trained with outdated methods. In Commerce and law, students learn abstract principles but lack exposure to digital compliance tools and global regulatory trends. Tertiary institutions must embed industry mentorship, simulation learning, and work-integrated learning to address this,' he said. Zondo said there is a need for a structured and action-driven collaboration, where a National Skills Compact should be established and be co-chaired by government and private sector leaders, with formal representation from youth organisations and universities. He added that industry-specific advisory councils must be mandated to shape curriculum reform in real time. 'The government must fund Public-Private Skills Academies that offer certification in high-demand sectors such as fintech, cybersecurity, and green energy. Youth-led monitoring committees must be created to track the implementation and success of these partnerships. Young people are not just beneficiaries; they must be co-designers of the solutions. Real transformation will only happen when all stakeholders move beyond talk and into collaborative, measurable action,' Zondo said. Palesa Phili, chief executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC, said many graduates are taught theoretical concepts or outdated technologies, while employers seek proficiency in current tools. 'Some candidates hold advanced degrees but lack practical, hands-on experience, so the qualifications need to be more inclusive of industry needs. Additionally, as the world and industry are becoming more technologically advanced, qualifications need to be developed to take this into account. 'As an organised business, we believe one of the most important strategies to bridge the skills gap is strong collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector. Too often, when these three stakeholders are not aligned, students graduate with mismatched skills, which contributes to higher unemployment rates. 'However, when they work together to co-create curricula, academic institutions are better informed about the real-world needs of the business sector. This alignment is vital not only for improving graduate employability but also for driving economic growth,' Phili said. She added that businesses can contribute actively to shaping education by providing honest feedback on both bottlenecks and opportunities within the education system; the private sector enables the business chamber to communicate insights directly to the government. The private sector has access to real-time data on the skills currently in demand, as well as emerging trends. Sharing this information with educational institutions not only contributes to improving the quality and relevance of education but also helps prevent skills mismatches or an oversupply of qualifications that are not aligned with labour market demands, Phili said. 'Through our 20 business forums, we bring together the private sector, government representatives, academia, and subject-matter specialists to engage in meaningful discussions on issues such as skills development and shortages. Furthermore, we consistently provide structured feedback from businesses on curriculum needs to ensure alignment with industry demands,' she said. Professor Bheki Khoza, an education expert from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said one of the intended outcomes of the curricula in South Africa is to prepare learners with knowledge and/or skills of the 21st century. 'Although Curriculum 2005 (C2005) was outcomes-driven and the current Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is content-driven, they are both underpinned by the ideology of promoting the knowledge and skills of the 21st century. The knowledge and skills were advanced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which emerged at the turn of the 21st century. The 4IR introduced the digitalisation process of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and Big Data (BD), to name a few. 'The Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) emerged during the Covid-19 era, promoting the personalisation processes where the human mind is complemented by technologies such as AI, robotics, and others. As a result of the personalisation process of the 5IR, the Department of Basic Education introduced robotic technology to be taught from Grade 1 to Grade 12,' Khoza said. He added that educational stakeholders have realised that 4/5IR technologies are useful when used sensibly. 'For example, the introduction of robotic technology in schools may help learners understand their unique needs and develop technologies that are relevant to them. Higher Education Institutions have started to produce policies that guide staff and students in using technologies sensibly to avoid plagiarism. This suggests that they learn to verify and acknowledge the contributions of these technologies as stipulated in the policies,' Khoza said. Collaborations seem to be strengthened by various grants given to educational institutions by other sectors. For example, according to the South African National Development Plan (NDP 2030), universities should be graduating 5,000 PhD graduates every year to reach a target of 100 PhD graduates per one million people by 2030. The graduates may empower their communities with high-level skills to develop their communities, he said. Khoza added that other grants are useful in facilitating staff and student exchange. 'Since the inception of the 5IR (2020), universities have been using collaborations with other sectors or countries through a series of webinars. The webinars introduce staff and students to new ways of doing their activities that address their individual needs. For example, during the Covid-19 era, they completed the academic calendar through technologies such as learning management systems (LMSs), social media sites (SMSs), video communication technologies (VCTs), and smartphones, to name a few. These technologies have produced new jobs for those who graduated from being end users to being experts and produce new personised technologies to be used by end users,' Khoza said. The DBE has started to introduce the use of technologies in schools as a potential intervention for developing new jobs, Khoza said. [email protected]
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
BEE is bringing South Africa's economy to its knees
BEE is bringing South Africa's economy to its knees – new report A report released on June 12 by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) and the Free Market Foundation (FMF) has sent shockwaves through South Africa's political and economic landscape. The report delivers a scathing critique of the country's Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy, asserting that it is causing substantial damage to the South African economy while enriching only a small, politically connected elite. BEE was initially introduced as a transformative policy aimed at redressing the economic imbalances of apartheid by promoting greater inclusion of black South Africans in the economy. However, the latest findings paint a different picture, highlighting a policy that is now burdening economic growth, exacerbating inequality, and stalling job creation. According to the report, the annual compliance costs for BEE range from R145-billion to R290-billion, which represents between 2% and 4% of South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This enormous economic burden has resulted in an annual reduction of GDP growth by between 1.5% and 3%, with a concomitant loss of between 96 000 and 192 000 jobs each year. Over the years, this has accumulated to about 3.8 million lost job opportunities for South Africans. 'This huge economic cost is not simply the result of negligence or the mere poor implementation of a plan. It is a deliberate government policy that causes it,' said Theuns du Buisson, economic researcher at the SRI and co-author of the report. 'It is irrelevant when someone then says the policy was introduced with good intentions. Today it serves as a mechanism to enrich the elite at the expense of our country's economy and especially at the expense of its poorest citizens.' The report further outlines that while there has been some progress in terms of black ownership and skills development, these gains are heavily overshadowed by the adverse effects of BEE. Among these are increased inequality, elite capture of policy benefits, and widespread economic stagnation. 'The policy places a particularly heavy burden on critical sectors such as mining and finance,' the report reads, 'and it deters foreign investment, encourages capital flight, and stifles technological progress.' South Africa's economic position on the global stage has deteriorated markedly, falling behind other middle-income countries with which it was once comparable. The report critiques the lack of focus and effectiveness in the implementation of BEE policies, which contrasts with more successful affirmative action or empowerment programmes abroad. Du Buisson pointed to countries such as Brazil and the United States, which have begun to phase out similar race-based economic policies. 'Moreover, in other countries, affirmative action policies are precisely there to prevent discrimination, while in South Africa, they in fact make discrimination compulsory,' he noted. 'South Africa must now follow the path of other countries and get rid of it. BEE has become an instrument that benefits a small, politically connected elite and has long ago stopped being a policy that could empower a disadvantaged society.' Connie Mulder, head of the SRI, emphasised the urgency of the situation: 'South Africa cannot afford to continue down this path. The data is clear. BEE, in its current form, is damaging the economy and hurting those it was meant to help. We need policies that promote real economic participation and growth without racial quotas that cripple progress.' The call to action from the writers of the report is for policymakers to immediately abolish the current BEE framework and replace it with a policy that fosters inclusive growth without impeding the economy. 'We need an economic environment where all South Africans, regardless of race, have the opportunity to contribute and prosper,' Du Buisson said. – Access the full report here: Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
South African activists detained in Egypt before Gaza march
The PAGAD delegation to Egypt was detained for 11 hours in Cairo, Egypt. Image: File The PAGAD (People Against Gangsterism and Drugs) delegate was detained for 11 hours and were at risk of deportation as they were on the journey to the Global March to Gaza. They are part of the thousands of activists who travelled to Egypt's Rafah Border Crossing to the strip on Friday to demand the entry of humanitarian aid. Among those detained was National Coordinator Haroon Orrie and six others. PAGAD's spokesperson, Cassiem Parker, said: 'The seven went through normal immigration procedure and then were told that they were being detained and might be deported. 'Their luggage was taken from them and was kept in a holding area from 3am to 2pm Egypt time. 'They were kept with several hundred other people from other countries coming into Cairo. At 2pm, they were told that they could continue but were not given any reason for their detention. 'They have subsequently said there are reports of raids on hotels, etc.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The African National Congress (ANC) regional spokesperson, Muhammad Khalid Sayed, said they note the information around the PAGAD delegation. 'First, we want to commend them for embarking on this global march to Gaza. It is in line with the South African stance of solidarity with the people of Palestine. "But we are extremely concerned with the news that has come to us, and we hope that our authorities in Egypt make every effort to assist in having this particular matter resolved.' GOOD Secretary-General Brett Herron said: 'The GOOD Party condemns the detention of members of the South African-based organisation People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD) by Egyptian authorities, reportedly ahead of their planned participation in the Global March to Gaza. 'The delegation, whose mission was one of solidarity and peace, is now being threatened with deportation. This action is a grave violation of their rights and part of a disturbing pattern of silencing international civil society voices standing up for the people of Gaza. 'At the same time, observers and political figures are being welcomed with open arms on highly curated, one-sided visits to Israel, including MPs from South Africa. These delegations meet freely with Israeli officials while ignoring the urgent calls of Palestinians for justice, an end to the occupation, and the lifting of the brutal siege. 'We cannot ignore the hypocrisy that those attempting to bear witness to suffering and express solidarity with a besieged population are blocked, detained, or deported, while those cosying up to the occupying power face no such barriers. 'This dangerous double standard speaks volumes. It reveals how the principles of free movement, human rights, and international solidarity are selectively applied depending on who you support.'
