Sana Khan

He said that during the two days of special votes, 62,000 officials from the Electoral Commission will visit a total of 624,593 voters. These officials will be accompanied by political party agents and observers where possible.

NSFAS Administrator Freeman Nomvalo said the scheme has created a payment system to directly deposit allowances into TVET students' bank accounts, starting from April 26, 2024.

President Ramaphosa explained that after five years, his administration successfully got rid of that era and placed South Africa on a new trajectory of recovery while creating a strong foundation for future growth.

Electoral Commission (IEC) expressed serious concern about videos spreading online that accuse it of vote rigging at storage sites in Chesterville and Hammersdale in the province.

"We are extremely pleased with this ranking as it affirms our commitment and work to elevate the significance and contribution of the tourism sector in South Africa," Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille said.

Environment Minister said that the Cabinet has recently approved the White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa's Biological Diversity, adding that this White Paper will serve as a guiding framework to achieve goals and objectives that are aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

CoGTA Minister Thembi Nkadimeng explained that the key collaboration areas in the MoC include the establishment of a Disaster Reserves Assurance Fund, joint development of Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and District Integrated Industrial Parks (DIIPs).

MMA is an entity that promotes ethical and fair journalism alongside human rights and democracy. South Africa is all set to witness the seventh general elections on May 29 and the organization noted ahead of elections that "democracy is under threat."

Deputy President Paul Mashatile explained that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)-led NYS is a pilot project implemented in the poorest districts of the country, where most of the youth is jobless.

President Ramaphosa noted that the insurance bill aims to use the strengths and capabilities of both the private and public health sectors to create a high-quality health system for South Africans.

Electricity Minister Ramokgopa noted that the country is witnessing an exceptionally improved energy situation and credited Eskom for making efforts on its part. Furthermore, he also praised all government officials responsible for the same.

Deputy National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili noted that the department strongly condemns the spreading of fake news, unverified information, rumors or threats as it creates confusion and panic in society.

The minister noted that South Africa has come a long way and achieved a lot as a country, especially when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of our children. However, she acknowledged that there are still numerous challenges that need to be dealt with.

KZN police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker revealed that the first shootout happened early morning in Camperdown, Umgungundlovu District Municipality where four men were suspected of committing a string of cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies in the province.

President Ramaphosa, who visited the site in person, said that the government doesn't want to increase the burden, the suffering, and the grief of the victims' families, adding that "We want to be there as government at all levels to demonstrate our compassion."

President Ramaphosa further explained that health insurance is a commitment to remove all the severe disparities in the healthcare sector, noting that this bill is a vital instrument in tackling poverty. Ramaphosa said that the higher healthcare cost makes the families poorer.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said an increase in the number of vehicles has created road safety issues including human factors, environmental factors, engineering and technical factors, law enforcement as well as education and awareness factors.

In total, more than 14,903 candidates are competing for 887 seats in the National and Provincial Legislatures. Whereas, the number of registered voters is 27.79 million. Ahead of May 29 voting day, South Africans living abroad will be voting on May 17 (Friday) and May 18 (Saturday) via the embassy.

The official unemployment rate has reached 32.9%, which is 0.8% more compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, as per Stats SA. However, the QLFS results also showed that the number of employed people has also increased from 22,000 to 16.7 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the last quarter of 2023.

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa acknowledged that the country was dealing with higher stages of load shedding as a result, the aggressive maintenance-led recovery plan helped to lower the higher load shedding stages.

According to the department, Mpox is a viral infection that is not easily spread between humans. The symptoms of this disease include painful rash, swollen lymph nodes and fever.

The event, held under the theme of "Unlocking Opportunities," will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. This will serve as a platform for the tourism industry to unlock multiple opportunities.

DBSA Senior Deal Originator Bongo Bacela explained that the collaboration between the public and private sectors plays a vital role, giving an example of the Lobito Railway Corridor project.

Rand Water is the biggest bulk water utility in Africa and one of the largest in the entire world that provides water to more than 11 million people in Gauteng, parts of Mpumalanga, Free State and the North West.

The president explained that this program will not just make the process of home-related services easier but also faster and cheaper for South Africans. He noted that for many people in rural areas, traveling till the government offices takes a lot of time and turns out to be expensive.

NRF Business Advancement Group Executive Thandi Mgwebi explained that this program will focus on the postdoctoral research people and upcoming researchers at a postdoctoral level to be able to collaborate with government departments.

In the last one year, the operation has successfully arrested 600,000 criminals with the help of 71,000 operations across South Africa.

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa pointed out that the aggressive rollout of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) by private industries and households, which was supported by the National Treasury's incentives, helped to improve the load shedding across South Africa.

IEC said it is working with the Department of International Cooperation and Cooperation (DIRCO) to ship the voting materials including voting booths, ballot boxes and papers, stationery packs, lists of people and everything relevant to the procedure.