The North West Department of Traditional Affairs has stepped up efforts to strengthen safety measures at traditional initiation schools ahead of the province’s upcoming summer initiation season. The department convened a safety measures workshop bringing together traditional leaders and initiation authorities to discuss ways of protecting children, preventing fatalities and ensuring that customary initiation is conducted safely and in accordance with the relevant requirements. The engagement comes as preparations intensify for the summer initiation season, with registration for initiation schools…

With South Africa’s Local Government Elections scheduled for 4 November 2026, eligible voters are being urged to ensure they have valid identity documents ahead of polling day. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet has reminded citizens whose IDs have been lost or damaged to apply for replacements as soon as possible. Speaking during a briefing on Cabinet’s meeting outcomes in Pretoria, Ntshavheni said affected voters could visit a Home Affairs office or one of more than 450 participating…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has given government departments and municipalities strict deadlines to address unresolved GBV cases, forensic backlogs and dangerous public spaces as South Africa battles an escalating crisis of violence against women. In a national address on Tuesday night, 29 September, Ramaphosa announced a four-point intervention that places several government authorities under 30-, 60- and 90-day deadlines. The plan comes after the recent killings of women, including the discovery of the bodies of 13 women in Ekurhuleni. Ramaphosa said…