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The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration and the Standing Committee on Finance on Tuesday agreed on a way forward for the long-running SATBVC pension redress matter.

During a joint meeting, the committees were briefed by the Joint Task Team (JTT), which investigated the grievances of former public servants associated with South Africa and the former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei (SATBVC) administrations.

The Government Service Pension Fund, which was established in 1973, was the precursor to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF). The various states and homelands had their own separate pension fund arrangements, which were then amalgamated after 1994 into the GEPF. However, many beneficiaries were unhappy and believed that their periods of service had not been correctly taken into account. Among their grievances were unresolved claims concerning leave gratuities and severance benefits.

Through verification efforts, the JTT found that many historical pension records could be reconciled and that many beneficiaries had already received benefits. The JTT also identified matters that cannot be resolved through technical verification alone. These include cases where historical records are incomplete and concerns about previous redress cut-off dates. Among the recommendations in the report is for Parliament to establish a high-level policy forum to address matters falling outside the administrative and technical remit of the JTT. The JTT also recommends that a Special Redress Verification Panel be established under the new policy forum, among other things.

The committees resolved to refer the JTT's recommendations to the Parliamentary Legal Services office to determine the appropriate legal and parliamentary mechanism to guide them on the way forward.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Mr Jan de Villiers, said Legal Services should advise on how the JTT's recommendations should be formulated – either as a resolution, a committee report or another appropriate parliamentary mechanism – so that the two committees can formally consider and adopt them.

“This will allow us to ensure that the matter is returned to the National Assembly as expeditiously as possible and in the correct legal and procedural form,” he said. The Chairperson stressed that this step should facilitate a conclusion rather than restart the process.

The committees further resolved to convene a high-level political engagement involving the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Public Service and Administration, the GEPF, the Government Pensions Administration Agency and other relevant institutions. The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance, Dr Joe Maswanganyi, said the fundamental issues can be discussed at this engagement, and it must determine what decisions can be taken so that the matter does not continue indefinitely.

Dr Maswanganyi further cautioned against creating yet another structure where existing state institutions may already have the authority to implement the recommendations. “We should try to avoid establishing another structure where the existing institutions of the state already have the necessary legislative and executive mandates. If we create a structure on top of another structure, it might take another four years. Out there, people are despondent and worried about why their complaints have still not been resolved,” said Dr Maswanganyi.

The committees noted the urgency of the matter, particularly since the affected former public servants are now elderly and some have since died, with their beneficiaries and dependants still awaiting clarity. The committees agreed that the next step is to obtain legal advice on implementing the JTT recommendations and to convene the high-level political engagement. They will also work to determine which existing government institutions can execute the required interventions.

Mr De Villiers also stressed the importance of ensuring the recommendations are legally checked, placed before the committees in the correct form and dealt with as speedily as possible so that they can be sent to the National Assembly. “I fully appreciate that this has been a long and difficult process, but we must ensure that the matter is concluded correctly,” he said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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South Africa calls for binding global action on drought and increased land restoration finance at UNCCD COP17

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Bernice Swarts, is leading South Africa's delegation to the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), taking place from 17 to 28 August 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme, “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope”.

South Africa will use the COP17 to advocate for stronger international cooperation on drought resilience, increased financing for land restoration and an effective post-2030 strategic framework for the Convention.

South Africa participates in COP17 with practical experience in restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening its national response to desertification, land degradation and drought. Of the approximately 17 million hectares initially identified under the country's voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality targets in 2018, approximately 2.9 million hectares have been restored, conserved or placed under sustainable management.

South Africa has since reviewed and updated its targets through the second phase of the UNCCD Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme. The revised target commits the country to the restoration, rehabilitation, conservation, maintenance and sustainable management of eight million hectares of degraded landscapes. The revised target is intended to provide a more realistic and implementable framework that is specific, time-bound, quantitative, spatially explicit, gender-responsive and better integrated into national planning. Its implementation will, however, require significantly increased financial and technical support.

“Land degradation and drought are not abstract environmental concerns for South Africa. They directly affect water security, food production, rural livelihoods, economic resilience and the well-being of vulnerable communities. South Africa goes to COP17 determined to turn global commitments into measurable action. This requires predictable finance, practical partnerships and an international drought response that matches the scale and urgency of the challenge,” said Deputy Minister Swarts.

A central priority for South Africa will be advancing negotiations towards a legally binding protocol on drought under the UNCCD. The 20th ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment nominated South Africa as Africa's drought champion leading up to COP17, supported by co-champions advocating for the protocol.

South Africa will therefore support the African position calling for a binding instrument that strengthens international cooperation, accountability and implementation in preparing for, responding to and recovering from drought. Such an instrument should place greater emphasis on proactive drought-risk management instead of relying primarily on emergency responses after communities, livelihoods and ecosystems have already been affected.

South Africa will also call for the mobilisation of substantially greater financial and technical resources for affected developing countries. Desertification, land degradation and drought remain among the least-funded priorities across the three Rio Conventions, despite their direct links to climate resilience, biodiversity, food security, water security and sustainable development.

The country supports the mobilisation of resources from all available sources, including the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, multilateral development institutions and bilateral and private-sector partners. South Africa will further support decisions that reaffirm the obligation of developed countries to provide adequate and predictable support to affected developing countries.

COP17 will also consider recommendations on the future strategic framework of the Convention beyond 2030. South Africa will advocate for a framework that is inclusive, science-based and measurable, while remaining responsive to the different circumstances, priorities and capacities of Parties.

“Restoring land is ultimately about restoring opportunity and hope. The decisions taken in Ulaanbaatar must enable countries to protect livelihoods, strengthen resilience and deliver visible improvements in the lives of people who depend most directly on healthy land,” said Deputy Minister Swarts.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is one of the three Rio Conventions, alongside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is the principal global agreement addressing desertification, land degradation and drought and has 197 Parties.

COP17 is the first Conference of the Parties of the three Rio Conventions to be convened in 2026. It coincides with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, placing particular emphasis on the contribution of rangelands and pastoral communities to land restoration, biodiversity conservation, food security and climate resilience.

The twenty-fourth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention and the seventeenth session of the Committee on Science and Technology will take place alongside COP17.

South Africa's national implementation

South Africa's voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality targets were approved by Cabinet on 24 October 2024. Budget reductions across the three spheres of government and the reprioritisation of programmes affected progress against the original targets and contributed to the subsequent review.

South Africa was among 18 countries supported by the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD to review and update their targets through the second phase of the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme.

South Africa reported on the implementation of the UNCCD Strategic Framework in 2018 and 2022. Working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and national stakeholders, the country will prepare its 2026 UNCCD national report for submission by February 2027.

The report will be developed through an inclusive process involving government departments, public entities, civil society organisations, researchers and communities. It will cover progress relating to ecosystem condition, sustainable land management, affected populations, drought resilience, global environmental benefits and the mobilisation of financial and non-financial resources.

This work will also support coordination between South Africa's land-restoration reporting under the UNCCD, Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030.

Key COP17 processes

COP17 is expected to:

• Advance international measures to address desertification, land degradation and drought.

• Accelerate the restoration of degraded landscapes by 2030 and beyond.

• Strengthen drought preparedness and resilience at global, regional and national levels.

• Mobilise increased investment in sustainable land management and restoration.

• Consider the future strategic framework of the UNCCD beyond 2030.

Under the Steppe Action Agenda, Mongolia is expected to launch three flagship initiatives:

• The Rangeland Flagship Initiative, promoting sustainable rangeland management and restoration across dryland regions.

• Nature-based solutions for sustainable infrastructure, aimed at fostering public-private partnerships and collaborative investment.

• The Water-Land Nexus Initiative, addressing interconnected water and land challenges in dryland regions.

High-level and thematic events

The Riyadh-Ulaanbaatar Action Agenda will include high-level and special events intended to mobilise political support, partnerships and investment. The programme includes:

• Finance Day on 24 August 2026, focused on accelerating the mobilisation of financial resources.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Government.

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The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is today convening its 1362nd Session dedicated to a Consultation between the PSC and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).

The President of the Pan-African Parliament, H.E. Dr. Fateh Boutbig, the PSC Chair for the month and Permanent Representative of Algeria to the AU, H.E. Mohamed Khaled and the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), Bankole Adeoye delivered the opening remarks of this high level consultation.

This will be the Seventh Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament's first time briefing the PSC following its election in April 2026. It is worth recalling that the annual engagement emanates from the decision of the 1160th Meeting held in June 2023, which was dedicated to the annual consultative meeting between the two bodies. From the meeting, the two bodies decided to institutionalise and regularise their annual joint meeting on peace and security in Africa, to be hosted alternately between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Midrand, South Africa.

The annual consultation is grounded in two complementary legal foundations. First, the mandates of the Pan-African Parliament and the PSC are closely linked. According to the 2001 Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to the Pan-African Parliament, one of the Parliament's central objectives is to promote peace, security and stability.

As a result, the Pan-African Parliament's mandate has a component that overlaps with that of the PSC, even though the PSC retains primary responsibility for peace and security matters. Second, and more importantly, the session will also be held pursuant to Article 18 of the PSC Protocol. This provision calls for a close working relationship between the PSC and the PAP, in recognition of the complementary nature of the roles each body plays in advancing peace, security and stability across the continent.

This year's meeting will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, building on the 1290th meeting held in July 2025, in which it adopted the Conclusions of their Inaugural Joint Consultative meeting held on 17 and 18 July 2025 in Midrand, South Africa. In an effort to give greater structure and substance to their cooperation, the two bodies agreed on several concrete steps to strengthen their collaboration. These commitments are expected to be central to this year's discussions, alongside an update on activities conducted since the past interaction vis-à-vis issues related to advancing peace, security and stability in Africa.

The President of the Pan-African Parliament is leading delegation comprised of members of the Bureau including First Vice President, Hon. Gayo Ashebir, Third Vice President, Hon. Abba Djidda Mamar Mht, Fourth Vice President, Hon. Dr. Arlete Borges; several members of the Pan-African Parliament and the Clerk of Parliament and Senior Staff.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

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The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Northern Cape Provincial Whip, Mr Patrick Mabilo, has expressed deep appreciation for the positive developments made in the province since the previous oversight visit.

Mr Mabilo is leading an NCOP delegation during the annual NCOP Provincial Week, which began yesterday at the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature. The week-long programme affords permanent NCOP delegates an opportunity to conduct oversight in their respective provinces, tracking progress on recommendations made during previous visits and assessing service delivery outcomes.

The highlight of the programme was a visit to the Sol Plaatje Municipality, where the delegation inspected the R2,5 billion Riverton Water Treatment Plant – a major infrastructure project aimed at ensuring quality water supply to the citizens of the municipality.

“We received a comprehensive report from the municipality, led by the Mayor, the Municipal Manager and the City Engineer, who explained the advanced multi-million-rand technology being used at the treatment plant. Once complete, this project will have a multiplier effect in terms of massive investment, infrastructure development and economic activity – because without water, there can never be any progress,” said Mr Mabilo, adding that the project will benefit local economic participation with 33 local small to medium enterprises (SMMEs) benefiting from the project.

He further commended the municipality for documenting all the processes for future generations, research, and public access, adding that the project also includes sanitation improvements.

Mr Mabilo emphasised the need for all government departments to strictly adhere to the 30-day payment policy in order for SMMEs to be able to sustain their businesses. He said it was also important to ensure that women, youth and people living with disabilities participate in the economy of the province.

During yesterday's engagement, the delegation received a consolidated provincial progress report delivered by Northern Cape Leader of Government Business, Mr Bentley Vass, who briefed the NCOP delegation on behalf of Premier Dr Zamani Saul, who tendered his apology.

Mr Vass reaffirmed the provincial government's commitment to strengthening service delivery, accelerating development and unlocking the full social and economic potential of the province. Among the key areas of progress since 2016 highlighted by Mr Vass was the investment of over R4,2 billion in water and sanitation infrastructure through 222 projects. He said according to Census 2022, the investment has positioned the province as the third-highest province in terms of household water services and fourth in terms of access to flush toilets.

Other key progress areas include: the drop in the province's unemployment rate to 28,7% in quarter 2 of 2026, marking the strongest quarterly reduction among all provinces; there were no adverse audit opinions as all municipalities submitted financial statements and underwent the audit process during the 2022/23 and 2024/25 financial years; and the Northern Cape Investment Jobs Conference, held in April 2026, secured R105,3 billion investment pledgers, creating 19 800 jobs, with a target to grow the provincial GDP to R200 billion and create 60 000 additional jobs by 2030.

The delegation also received comprehensive reports from the Department of Public Works, Health, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs, the Office of the Auditor General (on the provincial audit outlook) and the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.