Public Health Facilities in South Africa are buckling under the strain as overwhelmed health workers struggle to meet the health needs of burgeoning populations. Budgets required to deliver essential services are shrinking, leaving many health workers without full-time contracts. This situation leads to poor work environments in the nation’s hospitals.

Reflecting on the rapid growth of the local community, I, as a resident of Cosmo City in Extension 6, have identified what has worked, what has fallen short, and what lessons can be drawn to help improve life in Cosmo City. Its residents, aware of the need for a proper health facility, are deeply frustrated by the Gauteng Department of Health’s inability to provide such a resource.

The Current Situation

Cosmo City has a mobile clinic that was donated by Samsung through the Provincial Department of Health in 2013. It is open from Monday to Friday between 7.30 am and 4 pm.

The Cosmo City Mobile Clinic provides:

• Consultation of minor ailments,

• Monitoring of Chronic Diseases,

• Antenatal Care,

• Post-natal Care,

• Reproductive Health,

• HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing,

• Immunisation (for children between 6 weeks and 12 years),

• Door-to-door home-based care, and

• Referrals for free male circumcision.

Sister Theodorah Khumalo, Sister in Charge of the Cosmo City Mobile Clinic when it was handed over, confirmed that at that time they attended to about 120 patients per day or close to 2,400 per month. The clinic is not open on weekends and public holidays. I do not have a figure for how many patients they attend to daily, as the Cosmo City Mobile Clinic Manager, Mr Masipa, did not respond to that question, nor did the Gauteng Department of Health.

Sister Theodorah Khumalo insisted that there is a dire need for a hospital in the area as patients are sent as far away as Krugersdorp (Yussuf Dadoo Hospital) and Coronation Hospital in the Raheema Moosa District. You need a car to travel to these health facilities. The driving distance from Cosmo City to Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital in Krugersdorp is 24.6 km with an estimated travel time of about 34 minutes. The driving distance from Cosmo City to Coronation Hospital is 26.8 kilometres.

In an effort to get a sense of how the mobile facility is doing in terms of staff capacity, staff health and wellness, resources, and the number of daily walk-in patients, I contacted Mr Masipa, the Cosmo City Mobile Clinic Manager, in October 2025. However, my attempt proved fruitless as he referred me to the Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH).

Context of a vision for a Cosmo City Holistic Wellness Centre

Perfect Start Ministries, a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) based in Cosmo City, had a dream of building a Cosmo City Holistic Wellness Centre at the corner of Tuvalu Crescent and Australia Street, in Extension 4. Founder member of the NPO, Muzi Nkosi, says it is currently helping around 100 vulnerable children with food from a garden located on a 20,079 square metre (about two hectares) plot of land given to the NPO through a grant from the Johannesburg Property Council.

The outcomes of the meeting made it clear that:

• Cosmo City needs a 24-hour Health Facility for the residents.
• The Gauteng Department of Health had not yet secured land for the facility.
• The Department currently has no budget for it.
• Perfect Start Ministries does have the land where a health facility can be built.

The Gauteng Department of Health must explain why it had claimed to have found a suitable plot but later admitted that it did not have any such land. How did that happen?

The Gauteng Department of Health has never fulfilled any of its commitments, even though it claims to have prioritised the building of a 24-hour Cosmo City Health Facility ever since 2004.

In his most recent submission to me, Nkosi plainly states that the Public Protector has failed the residents of Cosmo City.

The latest response to me from the Gauteng Health Department says: “The project is currently on hold due to site issues and financial reprioritisation”.

Speaking to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) following a sitting to attend to petitions on Friday 13 March 2026, the petitioner is Mr Amon Mbatha, an adult male who resides in Cosmo City. He submitted a petition on behalf of the Ward 100 community, Cosmo City, Johannesburg.

He said that Cosmo City was established over twenty (20) years ago as a mixed-income housing development that accommodates forty thousand (40 000) households. He noted that since its establishment, the community has grown beyond initial assessments and now boasts a population of more than 1.5 million people.

Mbatha further said a petition with 500 signatures raising these issues was sent to ANC Ward 100 Councillor, Lyborn Ndou. He never responded to the petition.

In October 2025, I questioned Ward 100 ANC Councillor Lyborn Ndou about the provision of a 24-hour Cosmo City Health Facility, before I heard of the petition from Mr Amon Mbatha. He said land had been allocated for this purpose next to the Cosmo City Fire Station. Responding to a follow-up question, he claimed that the population of Cosmo City was around half a million.

I visited the Department and was introduced to Weyland Pooe, who said Tinyiko Manyisa, head of the Department, would be willing to assist. Unfortunately, two weeks later when I followed up, Tinyiko Manyisa said he had left the department and referred me to Pinkie Numa.

The Health Department sent me a form to fill in before my questions could be answered. Its self-imposed deadline was 31 days. This period lapsed without any response, so I followed up once again. The official reply (see below) finally arrived eight months later.

“The City of Johannesburg should sign the land donation agreement of Erf 9009, title deed T84474/2007, South Africa Drive, next to the Cosmo City Fire Station, Cosmo City and issue Resolution and sign the Permission to Occupy and Build (PTOB). To date, the PTOB has only been signed by GDID, and Joburg Property Company (JPC) has not signed the РТОВ. According to JPC, the process of signing the PTOB and obtaining approval to donate the site from the City of Johannesburg involves Joburg Property Company obtaining comments from various departments within the Municipality and a Council Resolution to finalise the donation agreement and sign the PTOВ. To date, JPC has not received any comments and council resolution as stated above. It is not clear as to when Council sittings are scheduled and when JPC will obtain comments and approvals from various departments.”

This is the Health Department that claimed to have prioritised the Cosmo City 24-hour Health Facility since 2004.

The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) is still waiting for Municipal approval to enable the Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH) to commence with planning of the project. Planning can only begin once the council resolution has been issued and Permission to Occupy and Build (PTOB) signed by the Municipality.

“The project was delayed due to the unavailability of a suitable site in the area, and the process to acquire South Africa Drive Cosmo City owned by the City of Johannesburg,” says the Gauteng Department of Health.

“In July 2016, GDID, on behalf of GDOH, requested CoJ through the Joburg Property Company for the donation of Erf 9009 for the purpose of building a new Cosmo City 24-hour Health Facility.

“In April 2017, the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) issued an Agreement of Sale and Purchase to be signed by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH). In September 2017, GDOH requested GDID to enter into an Agreement with JPC as a custodian of Assets mandated to sign land sale or donation agreements. The transaction required that Treasury approve the donation in line with Treasury Regulation 21.3.1. In March 2018, GPT approved GDID to accept the land donation.”

In December 2018, the Joburg Property Company (JPC) issued Permission to Occupy and Build (PTOB). Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) signed the PTOB and, together with GPT, signed a donation acceptance letter.

The Gauteng Department of Health said that priority should be given to the planning of the Cosmo City 24-hour Health Facility as soon as the City of Johannesburg issues the long-awaited documentation. It further notes that construction of the facility has been high on the departmental agenda since 2004.

Mzukona Mantshontsho is the founder of Yo School Magazine. He wrote this article with the assistance of a grant provided by the Wits Centre of Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand. The opinions held are those of the author.

One of the battles that Africa as a society must overcome is its preoccupation with European football. We are fans of European clubs. This is the case among the people who love football. From ordinary citizens to players, coaches, managers, board members, team/club owners, FA leaders, ministers, and possibly presidents as well.

“The hardest lesson of my life has come to me late. It is that a nation can win freedom without its people becoming free.”
— Joshua Nkomo

Perhaps the greatest obstacle standing between Africa and FIFA World Cup Trophy cannot be measured by statistics, tactics or technical ability.

It is psychological.

Across the continent, we consume European football with remarkable passion.

We devote African time, African emotion, African money, African television broadcasts and African data to European football.

We celebrate it.

We idolise it.

Many African supporters know the coaches, players, league tables, and tactical systems of Europe’s biggest leagues in extraordinary detail.

Yet the same supporters often know very little about the domestic leagues of neighbouring African countries.

Some can name every UEFA Champions League goalscorer but cannot identify the reigning CAF Champions League champions.

That should concern us.

Whether we realise it or not, we are teaching our children where football’s excellence lives.

Ironically, those are the very nations we expect our players to defeat when the FIFA World Cup begins.

We buy European club jerseys.

We wear European club colours.

We introduce our children to European clubs long before they develop any connection with African football.

Supporting European football has become so normal that many supporters identify more strongly with clubs thousands of kilometers away than with teams in neighbouring countries.

This is not simply about football.

It is about mindset.

Just like African players. South American players play in Europe. The reason their nations have won it 10 times, having lost six times in the final and two of those six to another South American nation, is because they see opponents in any team, rather than heroes. In this century, they have featured in three finals of the seven, losing one and winning two.

It is difficult to spend an entire lifetime believing someone is superior, then suddenly expect yourself to become their equal for 90 minutes on a football field.

The subconscious remembers what the conscious mind tries to forget.

That psychological barrier cannot be removed by football associations alone.

It does not require a federation president.

It does not require a technical committee.

It requires Africans themselves to make a conscious decision to value African football with the same passion, curiosity, and commitment that they give to Europe.

Not only during the FIFA World Cup.

Every day.

As Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o warned:

“It is the final triumph of a system of domination when the dominated start singing its virtues.”

Until Africa truly believes in African football, it will always be tempted to measure itself through European eyes.

Football freedom begins in the mind.

Only then can it be expressed on the field.

“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed,” Friedrich Nietzsche

7. Introspection: Africa’s Time Is Now

“There is a good way and a bad way to play football.”
— Thabo Dladla

Every World Cup invites reflection.

For Africa, that reflection must be honest.

Too often, we respond to disappointment by searching for a new coach.

Yet coaching appointments alone cannot solve structural problems. For the longest time, they haven’t.

The seven pillars outlined in this article are not temporary solutions.

They are the foundation upon which sustainable football success is built.

Africa’s future will not be transformed simply by appointing a famous, experienced, well-travelled coach, whether local or foreign.

Success, at the biggest stage, begins much earlier.

It begins with children. It begins with identity. It begins with coach education rooted in African realities. It begins with youth development that values players above trophies. It begins with domestic leagues that reinforce the football we want our national teams to play. It begins with exposing young players to international football before they reach the senior game.

Only then does the senior national coach inherit players prepared to compete and conquer at the highest level.

Hiring coaches, local or foreign, will not bring much to the table.

Unfortunately, we now have local coaches who coach a foreign game. It is no longer safe to say, “local or foreign”, anymore. Sometimes a foreigner is more local than a local one, and vice versa, in terms of understanding the environment, mentality, culture, social constructs, and more. Some foreign coaches may not be able to live it but are clear about its value and impact in the nation they are working in.

The situation is so confused that sometimes you have a local coach who admonishes the local attributes of players and therefore, inhibits the natural flair, spontaneity that we see in teams like France, Spain,  Argentina, and others today. It is some local coaches who, at times, teach foreign football philosophies.

As a continent, we must learn that no success at the highest level will come from an individual. Maybe on the field with a great personality, but definitely not off it.

Collectively, we must produce star players, just as we used to. We have individuals with the potential to rise above the rest and become top players in the world. We need them.

Exceptional players matter. Exceptional coaches matter. But no football nation has sustained excellence without strong systems.

Africa possesses extraordinary talent.

There is no reason the continent cannot consistently produce footballers equal to—or even better than—the very best from South America or Europe.

For any doubters, the legendary George Weah won the FIFA Player of the Year in 1995. If that is not convincing enough, he also won the Ballon d’Or, in the same year. He remains the first and only African Player to have done so.

Africa has it within itself to produce stars that far surpass those from South America. Only if Africa would believe in itself and only in itself.

What has been missing is not talent. It has been alignment.

As Arsène Wenger observed:

“I think our success comes from the quality of education, in talent identification, which is neglected by many countries, and also from African immigration. When you look at the history of French football, our history is closely tied to immigration.”

Africa must build functioning structures.

Coach education.

Talent identification.

Youth leagues.

Domestic competitions.

International exposure.

Above all else, Africa must allow these systems the one thing they require most.

Time.

Spain did not become world champions overnight.

Their long-term planning eventually produced a coach such as Luis de la Fuente (appointed at 61), who reached the highest level without having previously coached at a FIFA World Cup or represented Spain as a senior international.

The same with Lionel Scaloni (appointed at 40 years), who has never led any club team, but is a World Champion and has played in two successive World Cup finals.

Both coaches are continental, as well as World champions

The system prepared them long before they received the opportunity.

Argentina’s coach education system produced six head coaches at one FIFA World Cup.

France’s football structures continue to produce world-class players year after year – a league that has produced a UEFA Club Champion for two years running in PSG.

Norway returned to the FIFA World Cup after decades away, playing with a clear identity built through patience, planning, and consistency. They have a big personality player in Haaland.

None of those achievements happened by accident.

History rewards nations that remain faithful to a long-term vision.

Maybe for us Africa, more than anyone else, as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel wrote:

“History teaches us that men learn nothing from history.”

The “De-Africanisation” of Football, on the continent.

In the last 30 years or so, the African ingredient – the DNA of African football – has been slowly, but surely, getting eroded.

Cameroon had Roger Milla, then Samuel Eto’o, Liberia had George Weah, Ghana had Abedi Pele, Zambia had Kalusha Bwalya, Nigeria had Augustine Okocha, Egypt had Hossam Hassan, then Mohamed Aboutrika. Senegal had El-Hadji Diouf, Cote d’ Ivoire had Didier Drogba, Mali gave us Seydou Keita, and in South Africa we had Doctor Khumalo and Shoes Moshoeu, then Bennedict McCarthy. These are just a few that one may highlight here.

All the Top countries in the World, even in this 23^rd Edition of the FIFA World Cup that just finished, still have at least that one big-name player who makes things happen for them even though they are strong teams themselves. That was always the truth with African teams

At this last World Cup, Senegal had Sadio Mane (34), Morocco had Achraf Hakimi (27), Egypt had Mohamed Salah (34), and South Africa had Themba Zwane (36). For the first time, Africa had 10 countries at this World Cup. This trend (ukhondolo) has got to change and change soon. Except for Achraf, the age of these players tells a full story.

Argentina has Messi (39). Brazil had Vinicius Jr (26). Croatia had Modric (40). England had Kane (33). France had Mbappe (27). Norway had Haaland (26). Portugal had Ronaldo (41). Spain had Yama (18) and Olmo (28). It is no coincidence that these players have helped their countries to be at the top in the last three editions of the World Cup, and for three, even won it

We need to “Re-Africanise” Football on the continent. We need our Ingredient, our DNA, back. From coaching material, coach education, playing philosophy, youth development.  Africa needs to reincarnate its stars on the field again.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them” Albert Eintsein

Africa has learned enough.

The time has come to Act.

Africa possesses Talent.

Africa possesses the Culture. Really!!!

Africa possesses Passion.

Now Africa must build Structures that allow those gifts to flourish.

Brian Moore believed, in 1990, that it was only a matter of time before an African nation won the FIFA World Cup.

Thirty-six years later, that prediction remains unfulfilled.

Not because Africa lacks footballers.

But because Africa has yet to fully believe in, develop, and organise itself around its own football Identity.

“The Battle of the Cultures” will not be won by Imitation/Copy/Cut-and-Paste.

It will be won by Self-Conviction.

Africa, your time is now. Ni Wakati.

By Ziphozonke Dlangalala

Links to previous Parts below:
ANALYSIS: Why Africa still falls short at the FIFA World Cup – Part 1
ANALYSIS: Why Africa still falls short at the FIFA World Cup – Part 2
ANALYSIS: Why Africa still falls short at the FIFA World Cup – Part 3

South Africa’s Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is the custodian of more than 80 000 immovable assets, of which approximately 26% (about 21 000) comprise residential accommodation for public servants. These properties are far more than houses and barracks. They are strategic public assets that support the State’s ability to recruit, retain and sustain frontline public servants who deliver essential services to communities across the country.

Official residential accommodation enables police officers, corrections officers, health professionals and other frontline personnel to live close to their places of work. This reduces commuting costs, strengthens emergency response capabilities and allows many public servants to remain with their families. In doing so, it promotes operational readiness, employee wellbeing and family stability, all of which contribute to a more professional and resilient public service.

Yet, this important benefit has become another casualty of the governance failures affecting South Africa’s public infrastructure. The same weaknesses that have undermined the management of state-owned facilities are increasingly evident in the management of official residential accommodation.

Weak contract management, unlawful occupation, deteriorating infrastructure, poor maintenance practices and fragmented accountability between custodial and user departments are steadily eroding the value of these assets. More importantly, they are undermining the living conditions of public servants whose work is fundamental to the delivery of public services.

Recent media reports highlighted legal action by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure against former Members of Parliament who continued occupying state-subsidised houses in the Parliamentary Village after leaving office. In announcing the legal proceedings, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, stated:

“As a country which respects the rule of law, we can never allow certain individuals to be above it and unlawfully occupy state property that has an intended public benefit.”

While the Parliamentary Village has attracted public attention, it represents only one manifestation of a much broader governance challenge. The Public Service Commission (PSC) assessments conducted across seven provinces have identified similar shortcomings within residential accommodation utilised by officials in the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Correctional Services.

The assessments consistently reveal weak tenant management systems, the absence of verified lease agreements, poor or no maintenance schedules and inadequate custodial oversight, all of which diminish the intended value and purpose of these state assets.

Illegal occupation extends beyond questions of compliance. It deprives deserving and qualifying public servants of access to official accommodation while accelerating the deterioration of state property. The PSC’s assessments found that properties occupied outside formal arrangements frequently fall outside planned maintenance programmes, while uncertainty regarding responsibility often delays essential repairs or decisions regarding the surrender of assets that are no longer fit for purpose.

As maintenance is deferred, the consequences become increasingly severe. Buildings deteriorate, become vulnerable to vandalism and theft, and essential infrastructure, such as water and electricity systems, is stripped or damaged. The PSC’s inspections found that poor contract enforcement and weak tenant management have also resulted in accommodation remaining vacant, vandalised and progressively more expensive to restore. The result is a costly cycle in which deferred maintenance translates into escalating rehabilitation costs and gradual loss of valuable public assets.

Inspections conducted over two financial years at SAPS and Correctional facilities paint an equally concerning picture. Staff accommodation is characterised by severe plumbing failures, vandalised properties, ageing prefabricated structures that are no longer fit for human occupation, poor maintenance standards, the absence of verified lease agreements and weak tenant management controls.

These findings point to a problem that extends well beyond ageing infrastructure. They reveal systemic weaknesses in the governance and lifecycle management of residential assets. The absence of clearly defined accountability between custodial and user departments has created uncertainty over maintenance responsibilities, tenant management and budgeting. According to the PSC’s assessment, these shortcomings undermine employee wellbeing, expose the State to legal and reputational risks and significantly increase long-term repair costs.

Ultimately, the evidence demonstrates that the crisis facing official residential accommodation is fundamentally a crisis of governance. Reactive maintenance, fragmented accountability, inadequate lifecycle planning and weak enforcement mechanisms have created an environment in which state-owned residential accommodation is allowed to deteriorate until extensive reconstruction becomes the only viable solution.

The consequences are not confined to deteriorating buildings. Living conditions characterised by poor sanitation, ageing infrastructure and uncertainty regarding lease arrangements inevitably affect the morale, wellbeing and productivity of public servants.
It is difficult to expect those entrusted with protecting communities and delivering essential public services to perform at their best while living in conditions that compromise their own dignity and safety.

Addressing this challenge requires more than isolated maintenance projects. It demands a comprehensive reset in the governance of official residential accommodation.

The priority must be strengthening contract and lease management systems to ensure that occupation of official residences is lawful, transparent and regularly monitored.

Secondly, a comprehensive national audit of official residential accommodation should determine occupancy levels, maintenance requirements, and identify properties that should be surrendered, refurbished or decommissioned. In this regard, the PSC welcomes the audit of state-owned residences announced by Minister Macpherson.

Thirdly, accountability between custodial and user departments must be clarified. Clear governance arrangements are essential to strengthen maintenance planning, tenant management and budget accountability while eliminating the uncertainty that currently undermines effective asset management.

Finally, official residential accommodation should be fully incorporated into risk-based User Asset Management Plans and supported by adequately funded maintenance budgets that prioritise preventative rather than reactive maintenance.

Official residential accommodation should never be regarded as a peripheral administrative matter. It is an essential component of the State’s service delivery capability. Police officers, corrections officers, healthcare professionals, members of the defence force and other frontline personnel cannot reasonably be expected to protect communities, uphold the Constitution, and deliver quality public services while living in conditions that compromise their dignity, safety and wellbeing.

Protecting these assets is therefore about far more than preserving buildings. It is about safeguarding public investment, strengthening governance and supporting the dedicated public servants who deliver essential services to our citizens daily. If government is serious about building a capable, ethical and developmental state, the governance of official residential accommodation can no longer remain a blind spot.

Professor Mandla Makhanya is a Commissioner at the Public Service Commission

Seventy years ago, South African women transformed the course of our history through an extraordinary act of collective courage.

On 9 August 1956, more than 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the extension of apartheid pass laws to African women. Led by courageous leaders such as Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, the march brought together women from different racial, cultural, and political backgrounds around a common purpose: to resist oppression and demand freedom, justice, and dignity.

Their message, “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo” — “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”, became more than a rallying cry. It became a declaration of the strength, resilience, and political power of South African women.

As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic Women’s March, we honour not only its celebrated leaders but also the thousands of women whose names may never appear in our history books. These were workers, mothers, students, community organisers and rural women who understood that freedom could only be achieved through unity and collective action.

Their activism reminds us that South Africa’s liberation was not the work of a few prominent individuals. It was built through the courage and sacrifices of ordinary people who chose to stand together against injustice. The legacy of the women of 1956 continues to shape our democratic nation.

Today, women occupy positions of leadership in government, business, academia, civil society, sport, the arts and many other sectors. Women continue to lead communities, build enterprises, create employment, preserve our heritage and represent South Africa with distinction on national and international stages.

The remarkable achievements of South African women in sport, arts and culture demonstrate that the legacy of the women of 1956 remains alive. Our sportswomen are not simply participating; they are winning medals, breaking records, leading national teams and changing how the world sees South Africa.

At the recent 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Lara van Niekerk successfully defended her women’s 50-metre breaststroke title, winning gold for South Africa. Aimee Canny delivered outstanding performances to secure two silver medals, while para-swimmer Danika Vyncke won silver and set a new African record in the women’s 50-metre freestyle S13. Erin Gallagher also contributed to Team South Africa’s medal tally with bronze in the women’s 100-metre butterfly.

These achievements build on the outstanding performances of Tatjana Smith, Jo-Ané van Dyk and Simone Kruger at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tatjana Smith won gold and silver in the pool, Jo-Ané van Dyk secured an Olympic silver medal in the women’s javelin, while Simone Kruger claimed Paralympic gold in the women’s discus.

Our national women’s teams have also continued to make history and inspire the nation. The Proteas Women reached their first-ever 50-over ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final in 2025 and progressed to the semifinals of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Banyana Banyana’s historic 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations victory remains a defining moment in South African football, while the SPAR Proteas, South African Women’s Hockey Team and Springbok Women continue to fly the South African flag high in the global sporting platforms.

These women are not only winning medals and breaking records. They are challenging stereotypes, inspiring young girls and claiming their rightful place in South African sporting history. Every time a South African woman steps onto a podium, breaks a record or leads a national team, she creates a wider path for the young girl watching from a township, village or school playground.

Their success must, however, be matched by equal investment, fair remuneration, improved facilities, greater sponsorship and sustained media coverage. Women athletes should not have to achieve extraordinary results before receiving ordinary support. Equality in sport must be visible in funding, salaries, broadcasting, leadership opportunities and long-term athlete development. We must ensure that women and girls have access to safe and well-maintained sporting facilities from the grassroots level to the international stage.

South African women are also commanding global stages through music, film, literature, visual arts and cultural expression. The success of DJ duo TxC at the 2025 BET Awards demonstrated the growing international influence of South African women in music. Their achievement forms part of a wider movement of women artists who are taking South African sounds, stories and creative excellence to audiences across the world.

The global rise of Tyla has demonstrated the power of South African creativity to transcend borders. From becoming the youngest African solo artist to win a Grammy Award in 2024 to securing another Grammy in 2026, Tyla has carried a distinctly South African sound and identity onto some of the world’s biggest stages. Her achievements affirm that our young artists do not have to abandon their roots to achieve international success.

Artists such as DBN Gogo, Kamo Mphela, Pabi Cooper and Nkosazana Daughter have become prominent ambassadors of the amapiano movement, introducing international audiences to South African music through performances, tours, festivals and collaborations. Their artistry has helped transform amapiano from a sound developed in South African townships into one of the country’s most recognisable cultural exports.

These artists are demonstrating that South African women are not merely contributors to the growth of amapiano; they are among the producers, vocalists, DJs, dancers and creative leaders driving its global success. Through their music, choreography, fashion and visual storytelling, they are reshaping perceptions of African womanhood and creating new possibilities for the next generation of women in the creative industries.

At the 2025 National Arts and Culture Awards, women were recognised across several disciplines. Barbara Boswell received the Outstanding Book: Fiction Award, Nontobeko Ntombela was recognised as Outstanding Curator, Malebogo Naticia Molokoane received the Outstanding Visual Artist Award, and Napo Masheane was honoured for outstanding performance poetry. Women filmmakers Jacintha de Nobrega, Xoliswa Sithole and Catharina Weinek were also recognised for their work in documentary film, documentary series and fiction film respectively.

These women are not simply collecting awards. Through their creativity, they are preserving memory, challenging inequality, redefining African womanhood and ensuring that South African stories are seen and heard. Their achievements confirm that women are not on the margins of our national story; they are among its principal authors.

The successes of women in sport, arts and culture represent the living legacy of the women who marched in 1956. They demonstrate what becomes possible when women are provided with opportunities, resources and platforms to lead. They also remind us that talent exists in every community, but opportunity does not.

Women artists must be protected from exploitation and given greater access to funding, markets, creative spaces and platforms. They must also be empowered to retain ownership of their work and intellectual property so that their creativity can provide sustainable livelihoods.

However, although strides have been made towards the empowerment of women, we must also note that it is not yet “Uhuru” because, many women continue to face poverty, unemployment, discrimination, unequal pay and limited access to economic opportunities. Women in rural communities and women with disabilities often experience additional barriers to participation and development.

The continued scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains one of the greatest threats to the freedom, safety and dignity of women in our country. We cannot

claim to have fully honoured the women of 1956 while women and girls continue to live in fear in their homes, workplaces, schools and communities.

The freedom they fought for must be reflected in the daily lives of every woman and girl. It must mean the freedom to walk safely, to learn, to work, to lead, to participate in sport and cultural life, and to pursue one’s dreams without fear of violence, discrimination or exclusion.

Honouring the legacy of our trailblazing leaders therefore requires action from all sectors of society. Government must continue strengthening programmes that advance women’s empowerment and participation. The private sector must create fair opportunities for women to enter, lead and thrive in the workplace. Communities must challenge harmful attitudes and practices that undermine women’s dignity. Men and boys must become active partners in building a society founded on equality and mutual respect.

We must also invest in the next generation. Every girl must grow up knowing that her voice matters and that she has the right to occupy any space she chooses. Through education, sport, arts and culture, we can create environments in which girls develop confidence, discover their talents and become leaders in their communities.

Our history must also be preserved and shared. The stories of women who contributed to the liberation and development of South Africa must be documented, taught and celebrated. When young people understand the sacrifices that shaped our democracy, they are better equipped to protect it and carry its values forward.

The generation of 1956 has entrusted us with a powerful legacy. It is now our responsibility to ensure that their courage is translated into meaningful and lasting change.

As we mark the 70 years since the historic march of 1956 in 2026 and dedicating the month of August to this historic march, let us draw strength from the women who came before us. Let us honour them by continuing their collective activism, confronting

inequality and building a South Africa in which every child, be it a girl or boy and every woman is safe, respected, empowered and free.

The march of 1956 did not end at the Union Buildings. It continues wherever women organise, lead, create, compete, teach, nurture and stand against injustice.

Seventy years later, the message remains clear: when women rise together, they do not only transform their own lives, they shape the future of the entire nation.

By Hon. Peace Mabe, Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture

South Africa’s ambition to achieve inclusive economic growth depends, in large measure, on its ability to rebuild productive industrial capacity. Yet the country’s manufacturing base has weakened over several decades, limiting diversification, job creation, technological upgrading and broader participation in the economy.

This structural challenge is reflected in the manufacturing sector’s declining contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which fell from 21 per cent in 1994 to 12 per cent in 2024, as well as the latest Statistics South Africa figures showing a 2.8 percentage-point decline in manufacturing over the past year.

Reversing this trend requires more than renewed policy intent; it calls for coordinated action across government, development finance institutions, private capital and industries to expand access to patient finance, support smaller enterprises, deepen transformation and strengthen competitiveness in emerging sectors.

Three priorities should be introduced in South Africa to accelerate reindustrialisation. The first one is providing access to concessional industrial finance that is suited for rebuilding the country’s industrial base. A significant barrier for expanding economy-wide reindustrialisation is the nature of conventional commercial finance, which prioritises short-term investment, quick returns and minimal risk.

The development funding institution with a direct mandate to finance industrialisation (The Industrial Development Corporation: IDC) has attempted to address this market failure over the years through its varied business finance support models and provision of patient capital to entrepreneurs in sectors that are critical for industrial development, which have often been underserved by conventional finance. For example, in the 2024/25 financial year, the organisation expanded concessional finance to targeted sectors that are essential for reindustrialisation.

These interventions covered the clothing/textile (R459 million), manufacturing (R974 million) and downstream steel sectors (R157 million).  The economic multiplier effects include employment creation, saving existing jobs and non-financial support. This blended finance approach is more conducive to accommodating the risk profile and long-term needs of reindustrialisation.

The second priority is the importance of addressing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) barriers in manufacturing.  One essential takeaway is lessening the highly concentrated ownership patterns across the sector. The latest Competition Commission Concentration Report (2025) identifies the manufacturing sector as one of the most highly concentrated and encourages stakeholders to address this trend. It provides evidence which illuminates that MSMEs are more likely to survive in sectors which have lower ownership concentration levels.

This informs the emphasis on inclusion and eradicating MSMEs’ market structure impediments in manufacturing. For instance, during the 2024/25 financial year, the IDC approved R3 billion in funding for MSMEs and R410 million was distributed to non-banking intermediaries to improve access to finance for MSMEs. Similarly, the NEF and SEDFA contributed R1 billion and R 2 million, respectively.

Entities like the IDC and other DFIs that support MSMEs with financial and non-financial support interventions address some essential market entry stumbling blocks, particularly access to capital, formalisation, and business sustainability, thereby enabling MSMEs to grow, create employment, and contribute meaningfully to economic development.

Furthermore, the IDC has initiated selected beneficiary group programmes aimed at ameliorating racialised inequality in market structures. Notably, for the same reporting period, IDC deployed R26.6 billion in transformation-targeted funding, empowering Black Industrialists, women and youth entrepreneurs while supporting over 12,000 jobs through strategic partnerships.

These are salient steps taken in supporting Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment and diversifying ownership patterns in key manufacturing sub-sectors. However, more finance and non-financial support from both private and public sector institutions is required to deepen the positive policy interventions cited above.

The third priority for strengthening reindustrialisation in South Africa is emphasising technological upgrading. Literature sources and evidence on successful rapid industrialisation case studies across the globe highlight the importance of research and development. A stark example is the use of technology in transforming East Asian developmental states’ economic structures during the 20^th century.  Ha Joon Chang and Alice Amsden’s seminal research on these countries amplifies the need for state assistance in developing technological capabilities in markets. The recent Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) Industrial Strategy 2025 complements this approach through centring decarbonisation and digitisation as core pillars.

Supporting industrial competitiveness also means preparing businesses for the economy of the future. Through investments that encourage decarbonisation, localisation and digitalisation, the IDC is helping firms adopt new technologies while strengthening domestic manufacturing capability. These interventions are linked to localisation and employment creation priorities that lie at the centre of the country’s industrial strategy.

Overall, South Africa’s long-standing deindustrialisation requires intentional policy reforms and a supportive development finance paradigm. The Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) was first introduced in the mid-2000s, and different administrations have attempted to rebuild the country’s industrial base by upgrading this strategy over the years. Yet, the evidence highlights that the lessons and interventions discussed in this article deserve attention from all policy stakeholders. Emphasis should be placed on accessing finance and creating successful industrial policy execution programmes. The IDC is well positioned to carry out the latter function as stated in the newly adopted industrial strategy. It provides support that extends beyond finance to build enterprise industrial capabilities that deploy finance effectively.

Reindustrialisation cannot be achieved by government, development finance institutions or the private sector acting alone. It requires coordinated investment, credible policy execution, stronger industrial partnerships and sustained support for firms that can expand productive capacity, deepen localisation, create employment and broaden ownership.

Institutions such as the IDC have an important role to play in addressing market failures and crowding in investment, but lasting impact will depend on a wider ecosystem of public and private actors working with greater alignment, accountability and urgency. As South Africa charts its next phase of economic growth, rebuilding industrial capability must remain a shared national priority.

Dr Khwezi Mabasa is a lecturer and researcher at the Centre for Researching Education and Labour (REAL). He is also a member of the DTIC Ministerial ITAT Advisory Committee and serves as Special Adviser to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC). Khwezi has served as Economic and Social Policy Lead and Programme Manager at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES); as a part-time Sociology lecturer at the University of Pretoria and at Wits; as a Senior Researcher at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) on political economy; and as the National Social Policy Coordinator of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

Seventy years after the women of 1956 marched, who do we remember—and whose stories are still waiting to be told?

On 9 August 1956, thousands of women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest against the extension of pass laws to African women. They came from different racial, cultural and social backgrounds, united by a common purpose and by a vision of a society in which generations that followed them could experience freedoms denied to them.

Seventy years later, their march remains one of the defining moments in South Africa’s history. As we commemorate their courage and the contribution of women to our liberation and democracy, this anniversary also invites us to ask deeper questions about memory: whose names have endured, whose stories have become part of our national consciousness, and whose contributions remain largely known within their families and communities?

South Africa’s history is rich with stories of women who contributed to liberation, democracy, community development, culture, education and public life. Some have become household names. But there are many others whose stories live in family memories, community histories, local archives and organisations. Their contributions may have shaped communities without becoming part of the broader national historical narrative.

History is not made only by those whose names eventually become nationally recognised. For every prominent woman we commemorate, there are many others whose courage, labour and leadership formed part of the collective effort that moved South Africa forward. The work of remembrance, therefore, does not end with the women we already know.

The women who mobilised during the 1950s did so in their diversity. Women from different racial, cultural, linguistic, social and political backgrounds came together around a common cause. Their struggle responded to the realities of their time, but it was also concerned with the future. The impact of that struggle can be seen in the opportunities and freedoms available to generations of women who followed.

The woman of 2026 faces different challenges from the woman of 1956. Seventy years have not removed inequality, gender-based violence, discrimination or the social and economic barriers confronting women. Yet the struggles and sacrifices of earlier generations changed what became possible for those who followed. The freedoms enjoyed by one generation of women are often built on the toil and courage of women who came before them.

We are therefore not simply looking backwards. As beneficiaries of a history that continues to shape the present, we carry a responsibility to consider what we, in turn, are making possible for the women who will come after us.

One of the ways a society communicates what it remembers is through its geographical names.

We encounter these names constantly—on road signs and maps, in addresses, at public facilities and in the language we use to describe where we live, work and move. Yet a geographical name can do much more than tell us where we are. It can create an everyday encounter with history, introduce a story to someone who has never heard it and embed a person’s contribution within the public memory of a community.

Across Gauteng, the names of women such as Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Charlotte Maxeke, Albertina Sisulu and Sophie de Bruyn form part of our geographical landscape. More recently, the renaming of William Nicol Drive as Winnie Mandela Drive became another example of a woman’s life and contribution being reflected in the spaces through which people move every day.

But the opportunity before us extends beyond recognising prominent historical figures. Communities hold histories of their own. There are women who organised locally, contributed to liberation struggles, strengthened civic life, preserved language and culture, built institutions and served their communities without achieving national prominence. Their significance is not diminished because their stories are primarily known within their communities.

This is where public participation in geographical naming becomes important. Communities have a role in identifying histories and people of significance within their environments and participating in the processes through which geographical names are considered. Geographical naming can therefore broaden our public memory, creating space for more of South Africa’s stories to be known.

At the same time, honouring significant individuals cannot simply mean replacing one historical name with another. South Africa’s landscape contains indigenous geographical names that preserve languages, histories, cultural knowledge and relationships with place. These too form part of our inheritance.

We should therefore ask not only who might be honoured through a geographical name, but also: What history does the existing name carry? Whose story has not yet been told? And how can our geographical landscape reflect the complexity and diversity of the society it represents?

Transformation and preservation need not be opposing ideas. Thoughtful geographical naming can do both.

As we commemorate 70 years since the historic Women’s March, one meaningful way of honouring its legacy is to widen the circle of remembrance. We should continue celebrating the women whose names have become synonymous with South Africa’s struggle for freedom, while becoming curious about those whose stories remain in family histories, community memories and local archives.

Who were they? What did they contribute? And how do we ensure that their life stories survive us?

Seventy years after the women of 1956 walked to the Union Buildings, their footsteps remain part of South Africa’s national memory. The challenge is to ensure that the stories of those women—and the many women who came before and after them—are not remembered only when August comes around.

When we name a place, we do more than identify a location. We preserve history by ensuring that the life stories of the women who shaped our nation continue to be remembered.

In doing so, the places through which we move every day become living records of who we are, where we have come from and whose footsteps helped bring us here.

Lorraine Shabangu is Advocacy Subcommittee Chairperson – Gauteng Geographical Names Committee (GGNC)

By almost any measure, South Africa’s under-35s are leading a profound shift in how money moves through the economy. The 2026 Standard Bank Youth Barometer shows that they have embraced digital payments at a pace that far exceeds older generations. They are more likely to use digital wallets, virtual cards, QR Code payments. For this generation, tap-to-pay isn’t an alternative payment method; it’s the default.

But this isn’t just a story about technology. It is a story about two generations shaped by different worlds.

The world that shaped their relationship with money

The way people think about money is often shaped by the world they grow up in. For many South Africans born before 2000, financial life developed in an era where cash dominated, bank cards were physical, banking happened in branches and trust in financial institutions was built through face-to-face interactions. Managing money often meant visiting a branch, withdrawing cash, keeping paper records and planning around banking hours.

For younger South Africans, the experience has been very different. Those born post the year 2000 grew up alongside smartphones, social media, online shopping and app-based services. Financial services became increasingly available through mobile devices, information was accessible in real time and transactions could be completed instantly. As a result, technology did not simply change how young people managed money it changed what they expected from financial services.

These differences matter because people’s relationship with technology is often shaped by the environment in which their brains develop. Research consistently suggests that technologies adopted during formative years often become innate behaviours later in life. Younger consumers have spent much of their lives with screens in their hands. Older consumers had to learn these technologies later in adulthood, when habits and routines were already established.

So, it is not too surprising why the younger generation tends to approach new payment technologies with curiosity and experimentation, while older consumers do so gradually – and often with scepticism.  Nowhere is this more evident than in digital payments.

The Youth Barometer shows that although under-35s account for only 16% of Standard Bank credit card customers, they make up 29% of people using digital wallets. They have significantly higher adoption of virtual cards, contactless and QR-code payments. For older consumers, digital payments often represent an additional option. For younger consumers, it’s the preferred option.

The distinction is subtle but important: older generations tend to ask, “Can I trust this?” while younger generations are more likely to ask, “Does this make my life easier?”

Subscriptions, online shopping and the rise of invisible spending

Now add the rise of e-commerce to that: it has normalised digital trust among younger consumers, making them comfortable managing payments and other financial transactions entirely through a screen, placing trust in digital security and virtual cards where previous generations may have preferred face-to-face interaction.

Not only are online carts replacing some physical store visits, but spending itself is becoming more automated. Subscription services have accustomed younger consumers to recurring digital payments, creating an environment where transactions occur automatically in the background. This, in turn, has strengthened trust in digital ecosystems and accelerated the adoption of virtual cards, digital wallets and other digital payment technologies.

By contrast, many older consumers came of age in a far less automated financial environment. Purchases were typically deliberate, one-off decisions made in-store, with cash or physical cards changing hands at the point of sale. This makes the shift to a fully digital financial ecosystem a much bigger behavioural leap for them.

But the contrast doesn’t end there.

The changing role of the credit card

When looking at credit cards, the behavioural differences become even more apparent.

Historically, credit cards were largely viewed as borrowing tools. They were often reserved for emergencies, major purchases or periods of financial strain. That role is changing dramatically among younger consumers.

The Youth Barometer reveals that consumers under 35 primarily use credit cards for everyday spending categories including groceries, fuel, transport, restaurants and digital subscriptions. Their cards function less as borrowing instruments and more as transactional tools for building credit profiles, earning higher rewards and managing their cash flow.

The mindset is fundamentally different. Rather than asking, “How do I borrow money?” many young consumers are asking, “How can I make the money I’m already spending work harder for me?”

This behaviour may also reflect the different financial worlds in which the two generations came of age. Many older consumers began their banking journeys with debit cards. They gradually expanded into credit products later in life. Today’s youth often experience both simultaneously.

As younger consumers become the dominant economic force, the behaviours they are normalising today will become mainstream tomorrow. The evolution from cash to cards, and from cards to digital wallets and virtual payments, is already reshaping how people transact.

The Youth Barometer suggests a similar change is happening in how youth use credit. Rather than seeing credit cards simply as a way to borrow, they are using them as tools for credit footprint finances and creating opportunities. If this mindset continues, it could reshape how future generations buy homes, finance cars and invest. The question is whether we are doing enough to understand these young consumers, what drives them, and how their choices could shape our world tomorrow.

20 years ago, South Africa gave practical expression to one of the most important promises contained in its Constitution: that people who are unable to support themselves and their dependants should have access to appropriate social assistance.

Today, that commitment has helped build one of Africa’s largest and most comprehensive social protection systems. Every month, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) pays approximately R20 billion in social grants to more than 19 million beneficiaries. Behind these figures are senior citizens buying food and medication, children attending school with dignity, persons with disabilities living more independently, and families whose livelihoods depend on the certainty of monthly social assistance.

As SASSA commemorates two decades of restoring dignity through social assistance, it is worth reflecting not only on how far the Agency has come, but also on our shared responsibility to protect one of South Africa’s most important social investments.

A programme of this magnitude carries an enormous moral, legal and fiscal responsibility. Every rand must reach the right beneficiary, and every grant paid must comply with the law. When fraud, corruption or payments to ineligible recipients go unchecked, the people who ultimately suffer are those who depend on the social assistance system the most.

This is why SASSA’s ongoing social grant reviews are so important.

Unfortunately, some have perceived the reviews with anxiety, fearing that they are intended to remove people from the grant system. Those concerns are understandable. For many households, a social grant is the difference between stability and hunger. However, grant reviews are not designed to punish beneficiaries or arbitrarily terminate grants. They are a legal requirement in terms of the Social Assistance Act, 2004 to confirm that grants continue to be paid only to people who remain eligible.

People’s circumstances naturally change over time. Some beneficiaries obtain employment, receive additional income, or experience changes that may affect their eligibility. Regular reviews help ensure that social assistance remains fair, credible and financially sustainable for everyone who genuinely qualifies.

SASSA’s grant system has matured significantly over the past two decades and is now integrated with various government departments, financial institutions and other data sources. Through enhanced data verification and validation processes, the Agency identified more than 420 000 grants for review during the 2025/26 financial year. More than 240,000 reviews were successfully completed, while approximately 160,000 beneficiaries failed to present themselves for review. For the 2026/27 financial year, SASSA is targeting more than 350 000 grant reviews, with projected savings of approximately R1.5 billion that can be redirected to support other government priorities.

The value of these reviews is already evident. Enhanced compliance measures introduced during the 2025/26 financial year have generated estimated savings of approximately R44 million every month, equivalent to more than R500 million annually. Data matching with institutions such as the South African Revenue Service, credit bureaus and other government databases has also identified hundreds of thousands of cases requiring further verification.

Importantly, being selected for review does not mean that a beneficiary has committed fraud or will automatically lose a grant. It simply means that additional verification is required before a final decision is made.

Technology is also transforming the way SASSA safeguards the grant system while making services more accessible.

Biometric enrolment for new applicants significantly reduces identity fraud, while targeted eLife Certification enables selected beneficiaries to confirm electronically that they are still alive and continue to qualify for their grants.

Through SASSA’s expanding digital platforms, many beneficiaries can now complete eLife Certification remotely, reducing transport costs, minimising unnecessary trips to local offices, shortening queues and improving convenience, particularly for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and beneficiaries living in remote areas.

Another important innovation is the introduction of a dedicated fourth payment day for beneficiaries whose grants require review or eLife Certification. Rather than immediately suspending payments, this approach provides beneficiaries with an opportunity to engage with SASSA, verify their information and regularise their status before further action is taken. It reflects an approach that balances legislative compliance with fairness, dignity and compassion.

Beneficiaries also have an important role to play. Keeping contact details up to date, honestly declaring changes in financial circumstances and responding promptly when contacted by SASSA are not merely administrative requirements; they are legal responsibilities that help ensure social assistance reaches those who need it most.

As South Africa faces increasing fiscal pressures, protecting the sustainability of the social assistance programme has never been more important. Safeguarding social grants is not simply about preventing fraud or reducing expenditure. It is about preserving public trust in one of our country’s greatest democratic achievements.

Every eligible beneficiary deserves confidence that the system is fair, transparent and sustainable. Every taxpayer deserves assurance that public funds are managed responsibly. And every South African has a shared responsibility to protect a programme that restores dignity and provides hope to millions of vulnerable citizens.

If you receive a notification from SASSA, please respond promptly. Visit your nearest local office, update your contact details and complete your review or eLife Certification. By doing so, you are not only protecting your own grant, but you are also helping to safeguard one of South Africa’s most important social protection programmes for current and future generations.

As SASSA commemorates its 20-year anniversary, let us all play our part in protecting the integrity, credibility and sustainability of the social grants system so that it continues to provide hope, security and dignity to current and future generations of South Africans.

Lungelo Mkamba is the Senior Manager: Communication and Marketing at the South African Social Security Agency in the Gauteng Region

South Africans should commend National Treasury for taking a difficult but necessary stand on the financial crisis facing municipalities.

For far too long, the country has watched municipal finances deteriorate while the same problems persist, such as unfunded budgets, growing debt, irregular expenditure, failure to pay creditors, weak revenue collection and a lack of consequence management.

National Treasury recently decided to temporarily withhold funds to affected municipalities until they show progress towards tackling these challenges.

This demonstrates that government is no longer prepared to simply continue transferring public money without demanding accountability.

This is an important development that should not be seen as an attack on local government. Rather, it is an intervention designed to protect municipalities, and National Treasury also indicated in a recent media briefing that it is not a punitive measure.

The approach is corrective, evidence-based and aimed at restoring financial discipline while protecting the delivery of essential services.

The figures facing local government are deeply concerning.

Since the 2021/22 financial year, municipalities have incurred R24.12 billion in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Irregular expenditure has accumulated to R145.21 billion, with R40.14 billion incurred in 2024/25 alone.

Municipalities have also disclosed R118.13 billion in unauthorised expenditure.

In 2024/25, 116 municipalities, or almost half of all municipalities, adopted unfunded budgets. This cannot continue.

Municipalities cannot adopt budgets that they cannot finance, fail to pay their creditors and accumulate billions in irregular expenditure while expecting the national government to continue providing funding without meaningful corrective action.

National Treasury deserves credit for recognising that the status quo is unsustainable.

What is particularly notable is that this intervention was not sudden. Municipalities were engaged extensively.

The process began in December 2025, with municipalities receiving communication and being given an opportunity to address their financial failures.

When the process began, 99 municipalities were affected.

That number was subsequently reduced to 69. This demonstrates that the objective was not to punish municipalities but to ensure compliance.

Municipalities that met the requirements had their equitable share transfers reinstated. By 16 July, 27 municipalities had received their equitable share. 10 received the full amount withheld, while 17 received partial payments to enable them to pay creditors, including Eskom, water boards, SARS and pension funds.

A further 22 municipalities were expected to receive their equitable share during the week of 20 July.

This is a significant point, as it shows that National Treasury is not withholding funds indefinitely. Instead, it is using the mechanisms available to it to ensure that public funds are managed responsibly.

The four areas identified by National Treasury, namely adopting funded budgets, paying creditors, addressing unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and implementing consequence management, are entirely reasonable.

These should not be controversial demands. They should be the basic requirements of responsible governance.

The most important aspect of this intervention is perhaps the emphasis on accountability.

For years, South Africa has produced investigation reports, audit findings and forensic reports. Too often, however, the process ends there. Officials are found to have acted improperly, but no meaningful consequences follow.

National Treasury is now demanding evidence that municipalities are taking action, such as conducting investigations, initiating disciplinary processes where necessary and implementing council decisions. This is the kind of accountability that South Africa needs.

However, financial accountability is only part of the broader challenge. Data also needs to be credible to ensure proper allocation of public resources.

For instance, it is important for municipalities to have credible indigent registers. In some municipalities, there is a significant gap between the number of households used in the equitable share formula and the number of households recorded on the municipality’s indigent register.

In one example presented by National Treasury, the equitable share formula was based on 61,615 households, while the municipal indigent register contained only 2,575 households. This raises legitimate questions.

If public money is allocated based on the number of households expected to require support, but the municipality’s own indigent register reflects a significantly lower number, how do we ensure that the funds are reaching the people they are intended to benefit?

The proposed solution is not simply to reduce funding. It is to improve the integrity of the system through credible data and verification.

The proposed approach includes verifying information against national databases, including Home Affairs, SASSA, SARS, CIPC, the Department of Employment and Labour and the Deeds Office.

This is precisely the kind of modern, data-driven governance that South Africa needs. We cannot continue to rely on outdated, incomplete or inaccurate information when billions of rands in public funds are being allocated.

If the data is inaccurate, the allocation may be inaccurate, which means that the people who are supposed to benefit may not receive that benefit.

As South Africa heads to local government elections in November, the National Treasury’s new approach comes at an opportune time and deserves our full support. This will ensure that the 7th administration in local government starts on a stronger governance footing, which can only mean better services for South Africans in the long run.

Rebone Tau is a political commentator and author of The Rise and Fall of the ANCYL. She is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought & Conversation (IPATC) at the University of Johannesburg. She writes in her personal capacity.

“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.”
— Albert Einstein

Youth development produces the player.

Domestic leagues complete the player.

If our leagues do not reflect the football we want our national teams to play, then our national teams will always struggle to compete with countries whose domestic competitions reinforce a clear football philosophy.

Too often, African leagues fail to reflect the true African game.

Instead of encouraging creativity, attacking football and technical expression, many competitions become physical battles where survival is valued more than football itself.

This problem becomes even more evident in CAF interclub competitions.

Home advantage frequently relies on making life difficult for visiting teams rather than outperforming them through football. While such tactics may produce occasional victories, they do little to prepare players for the demands of the FIFA World Cup, where the focus is entirely on football.

Players raised in those environments eventually discover that the advantages they enjoyed at home no longer exist.

Only football remains.

Over the past five years, I have conducted and published a comparative study of five European leagues and five African leagues.

The findings reveal consistent trends.

African leagues generally produce fewer goals, league champions often win with relatively low points totals, and overall attacking numbers remain significantly lower than those seen in Europe’s leading competitions.

Those statistics reveal more than numbers.

They reveal a philosophy.

We continue to believe that defending well is enough to win championships.

That belief follows us to the FIFA World Cup.

Unfortunately, the modern World Cup increasingly rewards teams capable of attacking, creating and consistently scoring goals.

It is therefore disappointing to hear respected African football figures argue during AFCON:

“This is the semi-final. You don’t have to play good football. Just win.”

Such thinking ultimately limits our progress.

As tournaments become more competitive, the quality of football becomes even more important—not less.

Good football, rooted in a nation’s culture and reinforced through every level of development, becomes increasingly valuable as the competition advances.

Anything less keeps us further away from becoming world champions.

Even at the Africa Cup of Nations, there remains a tendency to score once and defend the lead at all costs.

For that reason, it was hardly surprising that many African teams struggled during what I described as “The World Cup of Goals.”

The tournament consistently rewarded attacking football.

Countries such as France, Spain and, Norway provide valuable examples.

Their domestic leagues reflect their football identity.

Their leading clubs play with the same philosophy that underpins their national teams.

League champions in those countries regularly score well over two goals per match while conceding relatively few (one goal per match). Here, I am making the point that they do concede, but their focus is on scoring more. They win by imposing their football, not merely by resisting their opponents. The “clean sheet” myth does not exist

The relationship between domestic football and the national team cannot be ignored.

League football contributes the overwhelming majority of a player’s football education.

National coaches may only have two or three weeks before a major tournament.

That is not enough time to transform habits developed over an entire season.

Domestic leagues therefore shape between eighty and ninety percent of the finished player.

National coaches merely complete the final ten or twenty percent.

If Africa wants different World Cup results, our domestic leagues must first produce different football.

5. International Experience: Preparing African Players for the Highest Level

International experience is not the foundation of World Cup success, but it is an essential layer built upon the foundations already discussed—identity, coach education, youth development and competitive domestic leagues.

Exposure to international football accelerates player development in ways that domestic competition alone cannot.

This is true for junior national teams, but even more so for youth club teams and school teams where schools fulfil an important developmental role.

Players who regularly compete against foreign opposition, in unfamiliar countries and under different football cultures, mature much faster than those who spend their entire development within familiar surroundings.

In my experience, one international match can be worth the equivalent of eight to ten domestic matches.

It challenges players technically, tactically, psychologically and socially.

While financial resources remain a challenge for many African nations, international exposure is still not prioritised to the extent that it should be.

That reflects a broader problem.

Africa has yet to place youth football development at the centre of its football strategy.

The fact that many countries still lack specialised youth coach education programmes is evidence enough that youth development has not yet received the attention it deserves.

This must change.

Many clubs already have the financial capacity to expose their youth teams internationally but simply do not do so.

One practical solution would be for clubs participating in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup to include youth international fixtures alongside senior continental matches.

Youth teams need not remain away for the entire duration of the senior team’s trip. They could travel shortly before the fixture, play against the host club’s youth side a day prior the senior team’s fixture.

Simple initiatives such as these would begin bridging one of the biggest developmental gaps between Africa and the world’s leading football nations.

I have seen the value of international exposure first-hand.

The Under-20 team (Mamelodi Sundowns Development Team under the club president at the time Dr. Patrice Motsepe) that I coached during 2009 and 2010 remains, to this day, the only youth team to defeat a Premier Soccer League club in the Nedbank Cup.

That team played just under twenty international matches within eighteen months, both inside and outside Africa.

Its success was no coincidence.

The team achieved a success rate of approximately 85%.

More importantly, 18 of the 21 players progressed into professional football, both in South Africa and abroad. Many went on to represent South Africa at various national team levels, including the senior national team.

Among them were Keagan Dolly, Buhlebuyeza Mkhwanazi  and Siyanda Xulu – the first two having been exposed to proper youth development at the Sport School of Excellence at Elandsfontein.

Their success was built not only on talent, but also on quality youth development and meaningful international exposure.

Talent opens the door.

International experience prepares players to walk through it.

By Ziphozonke Dlangalala, Football Coach and Youth Football Specialist

Links to previous Parts below:
ANALYSIS: Why Africa still falls short at the FIFA World Cup – Part 1
ANALYSIS: Why Africa still falls short at the FIFA World Cup – Part 2