MyZA
News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff
Statement by Adrian Roos MP – DA Spokesperson on Home Affairs: The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the launch of the Department of Home Affairs’ new real-time employee verification platform for National Treasury to help eliminate ghost workers and protect public funds. A “ghost worker” is a name put on a department or entity’s payroll but …
Shaunique Alexander and Zethu Gcaza will earn their maiden Test caps when the Springbok Women take on Uganda in the second round of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Kenya on Wednesday, while Abigail Smit is in line to make her international debut off the bench at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi. The trio will …
Statement by Rikus Badenhorst MP – DA NCOP member of the Joint Standing Committee on the Financial Management of Parliament: The Democratic Alliance (DA) has followed up with the Public Protector, requesting a progress report on the investigation into Secretary to Parliament (STP) Xolile George, and will further write to request an explanation from the …
England bowlers occupy four of the top seven slots; Hayley Matthews is back as No. 1 all-rounder in the format England’s left-arm spinner Linsey Smith has risen 38 slots to take a career-best second position in the ICC Women’s T20I Bowling Rankings after helping her side beat New Zealand 2-1 in a home series with …
By Herbert Mensah, President of Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) and Chair of World Rugby's Regions.
As we celebrate Africa Day under the theme “63 Years of Unity, Integration and Development,” a question emerges: are unity and integration translating into clear outcomes across the world? When investment, capacity, and infrastructure remain uneven, shared systems cannot produce shared growth outcomes.
As President of Rugby Africa, I see this reality up close. And this is not theoretical: sport does not develop by chance. It develops when leadership is disciplined, structures are built properly, and investment is directed where it matters most.
Winning off the field
The reality is simple: winning off the field matters just as much as winning on it. What is seen on match day is only the outcome. Behind it lies governance, planning, funding, player welfare, coaching structures, and long-term strategy. When those foundations are weak, success becomes episodic rather than sustainable.
Over the years, in rugby and in previous roles in football administration, I have seen how pressure can distort decision-making. Fans demand results. Stakeholders expect progress. Everyone wants success now. But consistent success is built on structure, not urgency. In sport, as in business, planning is what prevents chaos. When finances are mismanaged, when development pathways are weak, or when investment in people is neglected, performance eventually suffers. Strong governance produces strong sport, which is where integration becomes critical.
Integration strengthens the game
Too often, talent in Africa is still constrained by geography, language barriers, and outdated selection models. Integration is what removes those barriers. When properly applied, integration creates shared knowledge systems, coordinated development, and stronger competition structures across borders. It allows the game to grow beyond isolated national frameworks into a connected ecosystem. South Africa has shown how rugby can be both excellent and inclusive.
As four-time Rugby World Cup champions, they have not only elevated the sport through success, but also through a model that reflects a more inclusive society. That integration widened the talent base, strengthened credibility, and ultimately made the sport more competitive. The lesson is clear: inclusion is not a social objective separate from performance; it is a performance driver.
Africa must shape its own development
But integration must go further than participation in systems designed elsewhere. It must include participation in decision-making. No two regions operate under the same economic, logistical, or social conditions. Some face infrastructure gaps. Others face travel costs and limited domestic competition. A one-size-fits-all development model cannot work.
Africa understands its own realities best. Yet too often, development frameworks risk becoming compliance exercises — structured more around reporting than impact. That is where the focus must shift: from activity to outcomes.
Africa's youth are the future
This becomes even more urgent when we look at Africa's demographic reality. The United Nations reports that Africa has the world's youngest population, with a median age of around 19 years, compared to approximately 31 globally and over 40 in parts of Europe. This is central to the future of sport. Rugby is competing for attention, participation, and relevance. It cannot stand still.
If investment is directed into youth systems, school programmes, academies, and accessible pathways, Africa will become central to the future growth of the game. If it is not, rugby will miss its most significant opportunity for expansion.
From promises to measurable growth
It is no longer enough to speak about development in abstract terms. Investment must translate into measurable outcomes: stronger coaching systems, better competitions, safer player welfare structures, and visible pathways for young athletes.
On this Africa Day, we should measure progress not by intention, but by impact. Africa will only succeed on the field when it first succeeds off it, through systems that are built to last, and leadership that is accountable to growth.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rugby Africa.
To Download Official Opinion Piece: https://apo-opa.co/3Rn9pVV
Media Contact:
Nicole Vervelde
Communications Manager
nicole.vervelde@rugbyafrique.com
About Rugby Africa:
Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) is the governing body of rugby in Africa and one of the regional associations under World Rugby. It unites all African countries that play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women's rugby. Rugby Africa organizes various competitions, including the qualifying tournaments for the Rugby World Cup and the Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. With 40 member unions, Rugby Africa is dedicated to promoting and developing rugby across the continent. World Rugby highlighted Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as three of the six emerging nations experiencing strong growth in rugby.
The preparation has been really good so far. We’ve had a lengthy run of cricket leading into the World Cup, especially with the tours against New Zealand and India, and I think those series gave us a great opportunity to test ourselves in different situations. The New Zealand tour challenged us in various ways, whether …
Education experts to unpack how teachers can better support literacy and maths learning across South Africa’s diverse language environments Johannesburg – As South Africa continues to grapple with low literacy and numeracy outcomes in the early grades, education researchers and practitioners are turning increasing attention to one critical question: how can teachers be better equipped …
Accused’s lawyer says they have not been paid
Azra is not your typical content creator. She’s a social media strategist, CEO of INAYRACONTENTCO , and one half of Durban’s most loved couple on TikTok @inayra_couple. But her story didn’t start with followers and fashion shows. It started with overcoming barriers, defying expectations, and building everything from nothing. Raised in Durban, Azra faced criticism …
Delays in mobilising resources and scaling up the response to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak could lead to wider regional transmission and greater loss of life, African leaders and global health partners warned on Tuesday.
The warning comes amid indications that the outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda could become the second-largest Ebola outbreak after the 2014 West Africa epidemic that impacted several countries.
During a high-level virtual ministerial briefing convened by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Union, leaders backed a continental preparedness and response plan requiring at least US$319 million between June and November 2026 to strengthen outbreak control in affected countries and preparedness in at least 11 high-risk African Union member states.
It was also revealed that nearly US$500 million had been committed or pledged by governments, multilateral agencies and humanitarian partners. Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya warmly welcomed the strong show of support, describing it as an important demonstration of global solidarity and commitment to addressing this critical challenge.
He said the next step under the joint Incident Management Support Team (IMST) would be to work with partners to validate the pledges, clarify the balance between new financing, repurposed resources, in-kind contributions and country-level allocations, and ensure that resources are directed toward the priority actions identified in the joint response plan.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said African countries had pledged some the funding needed, showing that the continent was taking ownership of the response. “African countries themselves have already committed initial domestic contributions representing approximately 10% of the required financing. Africa is no longer waiting passively for others to act,” said President Ramaphosa, who is also the African Union Champion for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response,
He announced that South Africa had doubled its earlier pledge to US$5 million for Africa CDC's continental Ebola response. The Gates Foundation also committed US$5 million to Africa CDC and US$10 million to the World Health Organization.
African Union Commission Chairperson H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said the outbreak underscored the need for stronger investments in surveillance systems, emergency operations centres, genomics, community health workers and local manufacturing capacity. “African problems require African leadership and African responsibility,” he said.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that health authorities were “playing catch-up with a very fast-moving epidemic” following delayed detection in eastern DRC. WHO has already released US$3.9 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support operations on the ground. “We're facing an extremely serious and difficult outbreak. It will get worse before it gets better. But we know this virus, and we know how to stop it,” said Dr Tedros.
Insecurity, displacement and community resistance were hampering surveillance, contact tracing and access to vulnerable communities, including through reported attacks on an Ebola treatment facility in eastern DRC. The lack of approved vaccines and therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, combined with limited laboratory capacity to rapidly confirm suspected cases, was further complicating containment efforts.
Gavi CEO Dr Sania Nishtar said efforts were underway to accelerate vaccine research and preparedness for the Bundibugyo strain, while stressing the importance of equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics once available.
The DRC's Minister of Health, Dr Roger Kamba, called for stronger regional coordination and sustained support for frontline responders, warning that the outbreak was unfolding in an extremely difficult security environment, including in eastern DRC where insecurity and attacks on health infrastructure continue to complicate response operations.
Somalia, Nigeria, Egypt and Burundi also highlighted the importance of preparedness, stronger laboratory systems, cross-border coordination, surveillance and information sharing amid high regional mobility and the risk of wider spread.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Media Contact:
Directorate of Communication & Public Information
Communications@africacdc.org
About Africa CDC:
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is the public health agency of the African Union. As an autonomous institution, Africa CDC supports AU Member States to strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance emergency preparedness and response. For more information, visit: http://www.AfricaCDC.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn (http://apo-opa.co/3RxARAb), X (http://apo-opa.co/49l2yCp), Facebook (http://apo-opa.co/4tS8ASl), and YouTube (http://apo-opa.co/3S2h6kl).
Johannesburg — The Mzansi Rugby League (MRL) says one of the biggest opportunities in South African rugby lies in building stronger city-based professional club ecosystems capable of creating deeper supporter identity, stronger local economies and more sustainable long-term professional rugby structures. According to the league, South Africa possesses one of the strongest rugby cultures in the …
A race day dream could become reality for one fortunate participant at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K on Sunday, 23 August 2026, with a brand-new Chery vehicle valued at R279 900 waiting to be won. As the official Vehicle Partner of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series since 2022, Chery South Africa has …
ActionSA has formally written to the Speaker of Parliament to caution against any delays to the commencement of the work of the Impeachment Committee, following the ANC’s failure to meet the prescribed deadline for the submission of its nominees.
The post ActionSA Writes to Speaker Cautioning Against Undue Obstruction of the Work of the Impeachment Committee appeared first on ActionSA.
GOOD Statement by Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General 26 May 2026 Blaming African immigrants and refugees for South Africa’s poverty, unemployment and tardy implementation of post-apartheid redress is untrue, morally bankrupt, and a dog-whistle for public violence. Nobody will benefit from another bout of xenophobic-driven looting and savagery such as that of 2008, which claimed 62 […]
The post IMMIGRANTS NOT TO BLAME FOR SOUTH AFRICANS’ SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SUFFERING appeared first on For Good.
A long-standing sanitation challenge at MC Varman Primary School in uMnambithi (formerly, Ladysmith) northern KZN, has finally been resolved with the handover of a new ablution block for its 455 learners and 22 teachers. The project, delivered by Dunlop Tyres SA in partnership with Gift of the Givers, is aimed at improving daily school conditions, …
Written on 7 May 2026, stopping xenophobic incitement and mobilisation from destabilising communities and local government elections.
The post OPEN LETTER TO MINISTER OF POLICE FIROZ CACHALIA appeared first on For Good.
FOUR PAWS launches nationwide drive for donations to improve the lives of dogs in vulnerable communities Cape Town, 26 May 2026 — As Mandela Day approaches on 18 July, FOUR PAWS South Africa is calling on individuals, communities and businesses across the country to come together in a powerful act of compassion through launching its …
Regent Business School (RBS) has partnered with the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) to deliver an accredited training programme for 600 school administrators during the 2026 academic year. Participants will be enrolled in RBS’s Higher Certificate in Accounting, a one-year distance learning qualification, designed to equip working professionals with practical financial and business skills. …
A sailing yacht has been assisted in a 21 hour rescue operation. At 04h50, Monday, 25 May, an NSRI Durban duty controller was alerted by the Vice Commodore of the Point Yacht Club (PYC) reporting their member sailing yacht Free Spirit, that was taking part in their 2026 Vasco da Gama Ocean Race – Durban …
As delegates arrived in Brazzaville for the African Development Bank’s annual meetings, they were greeted not first by speeches or […]
The post Can Africa’s Development Bank Move at the Speed of Crisis? appeared first on Impact Newswire.
May 2026, South Africa – Minor Hotels is proud to announce a new partnership with Saving the Wild, a groundbreaking Africa-based conservation charity, with the launch of three ‘Saving the Wild’ wines which will be served in several Minor Hotel properties in Africa. The wines are produced by Hoopenburg Wine Estate, an award-winning wine farm, …
Ministers convened a “high-level” meeting at the Union Buildings on Monday
Johannesburg: Friends, family, and supporters are rallying behind Tyrique Daniels after the young South African was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), an aggressive cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow. Since February 2026, Tyrique has spent months in and out of hospital undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment. He is currently in the consolidation phase of …
When I suggested last week that perhaps some wine commentators – and others in the wine trade – tended to ignore older-established producers in favour of what is new, it felt more akin to a confession than the accusation a few people seemed to think it was. I have, in fact, no problem with wine-writers …