South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola (right), and Mozambique's Minister of Interior, Pascoal Ronda (left), addressed the media on Wednesday during the joint inter-ministerial meeting in Malelane, Mpumalanga. (X/@DIRCO_ZA)
•    After a high-powered meeting on Wednesday, the Mozambique government said there would be no further disruption to the Maputo trade corridor.
•    But alongside South Africa, it is making alternative plans too.
•    The two governments agreed to better communication and security cooperation, but won't talk about the details.

South Africa on Wenesday fielded four Cabinet ministers for a bilateral meeting with Mozambique as companies and other countries prepare for fresh protests in that country next week.

The countries agreed, according to a carefully worded joint statement, to "endeavour to protect and secure the infrastructure for trade facilitation and continued collaboration to ensure minimum disruption".
But their emphasis appeared to be somewhat different, judging by a brief question-and-answer session.
There will be "no disruptions in coming days", said Mozambique's interior minister, Pascoal Ronda, vowing that the Maputo Corridor would remain open.

But South Africa's international relations minister, Ronald Lamola, acknowledged that SA's national security is at risk, and said the government was looking into ways to mitigate risks, including the disruption of the flow of petroleum products via that corridor and gas via the Mozambique-Secunda pipeline.

Lamola said security forces had agreed to joint planning and to "respond to each other's challenges" throughout the festive season, but would not provide details citing security concerns.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane has promised fresh protests if an official announcement on the 9 October election expected next week does not see him declared the winner.
Ronda said his government is continuing efforts to speak to Mondlane directly and find solutions to "problems" around the election.
Lamola said South Africa would await the outcome of Mozambique's formal processes, and in the meantime called for calm to allow those to proceed.

The joint statement by South Africa and Mozambique warn of "great danger of food and energy insecurity" should protests continue, and noted the significant economic impact they have already had on both countries.

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA); the Minister has once again had to extend the concession period for foreign nationals who are awaiting the outcome of their applications to ensure they are able to remain in South Africa on a legally correct basis.
The extension of the concession was unavoidable as the outcomes of many applicants were not ready for collection when the festive season started, the Minister of Home Affairs announced in a Directive. Although the visa backlog has been eradicated, a backlog persists
The latest concession means affected parties may continue with their activities as per their current visa conditions for another three months, until 31 March 2025. This was necessary to safeguard applicants from suffering adverse consequences or being erroneously declared undesirable in South Africa while they await the outcome of applications submitted to the Department.
The extended concession now also brings peace of mind for many whose waiver, long-term visa and appeal applications are still pending ..
This is the second time Dr Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs, has extended the temporary concession due to the visa backlog at the Department dating back almost ten years. Shortly after his appointment as Minister in July 2024, he moved to protect applicants while the backlog was reduced.
With the latest announcement, Schreiber kept his promise of July 2024 that any further extension, modification or amendment to the terms of the concessions would be communicated prior to the then expiry date of 31 December 2024 to prevent a repeat of the situation which saw the previous concession expire before the extension being announced
The further temporary extension of the concession until 31 March 2025 applies to:
Waiver Applications: Applicants with pending outcomes as of 30 November 2024 may exit and re-enter South Africa without being declared undesirable, but non-visa exempt applicants who travel out of the country with a waiver application receipt, are required to apply for a port of entry visa which would allow them re-entry into South Africa.
Visa Applications: Visa holders who have applied for long-term visas such as Business Visas, Study Visas, Relative's Visas and Work Visas and same remained pending as at 30 November 2024, have been granted further temporary extension of their current visa status. They must adhere to their current visa conditions and are allowed to travel with similar conditions as waiver applicants. Note the conditions for non-visa exempt applicants.
Visa Appeal Applications: Visa holders who appealed a negative decision on an application for a long-term visa, are granted a temporary extension for three months. Travel conditions similar to other applicants apply, and they must carry a copy of the rejection letter together with a receipt indicating the Applicant has submitted an appeal application.

The extension of the deadline for registration of the spaza shops and other food handling outlets

Ministers
Deputy Ministers
Senior Government Officials
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning,

Thank you for joining us this morning as we provide an update regarding our work in implementing the action plan to address the challenges arising from food-borne illnesses.
In the address to the nation on the 15th of November 2024, following the deaths of children due to food-borne illnesses, amongst measures adopted by the government, President Ramaphosa outlined a key compliance intervention on the regulation of spaza shops. The President directed that all spaza shops and other food handling facilities must be registered within the municipalities in which they operate within 21 days from the date of his address and that any shop that is not registered within 21 days and does not meet all health standards and requirements is closed.
The 21-day period directed by the President for registering all spaza shops and other food handling outlets ended yesterday (17 December 2024). The government still needs to do more work to ensure that the sector is properly regulated and adheres to health regulations.
The government understands the concerns raised by some stakeholders regarding the registration deadline for spaza shops. However, it must be noted that the initial deadline was set to address the urgent need to ensure compliance with health and safety standards following the tragic incidents of food-borne illnesses.  Registration ensures that all spaza shops meet minimum standards, regardless of their past operations.

In considering whether or not to extend the registration deadline, the government considers its commitment to supporting small businesses, prioritising health and safety, ensuring inclusivity and fairness, and maintaining its integrity.

The municipal processes of adopting and adapting the by-laws as gazetted by the Minister of COGTA on the 7th of November 2024 are highly regulated and need a lot of consultation to complete. Nevertheless, a lot of work was done over the 21 days of registration period, as such the following has been achieved: (READ THE TABLE)
In consultation with the President, therefore, the government has resolved to extend the registration deadline for all Spaza Shops and other food-handling outlets to 28 February 2025.

Prior to the revised deadline of 28 February 2025, the government in all its spheres will continue to implement the action plan to address the crisis of foodborne illnesses and the illicit trade of goods across the country.

Those who have registered their businesses and have duly received their acknowledgement of registration still need to undertake a further process to obtain their trading licenses. For this process, Environmental Health Practitioners and other regulatory authorities will still inspect owners of registered food-related trading businesses to ensure that their businesses are eligible to trade.
Notwithstanding the holiday scaling down of operations, municipalities must still reserve capacity to assist those who will be registering. We also urge business owners to continue with their registration process within their respective municipalities and not wait until the next registration deadline.

Business registration
It is essential to explain that the end of this period does not mean that the process is over, a lot still needs to happen for those who have registered their businesses and others who still need to do so.
As the multidisciplinary team dealing with this outbreak, we will continue our efforts to ensure that all food handling facilities, including manufacturers comply with business and health regulatory requirements.

We need to explain that we are dealing with two distinct processes. The 1st process is Business compliance where you need to register the Spaza shops or any food handling business. The second process is compliance with health regulations. This process does not depend on whether you are registered or not. If you don’t comply with the health regulations the business is closed down immediately. Hence 1041 spaza shops have already been closed.
We are aware of some who have encountered obstacles not of their own making, preventing them from complying with the 21-day registration period. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have taken the time to register their businesses. This was an essential step in ensuring that these businesses uphold the dignity and protect the human lives of the public they serve from which they derive their livelihoods. We are, however, also aware that others have just stayed away and ignored the directive to register their businesses. We want to warn that people must register their businesses and subject these to health compliance inspections.

Thus far, the government’s multidisciplinary response and interventions to this outbreak have helped curb the immediate threat and focus on addressing weaknesses in the regulatory environment.

Health interventions
The appointment of 15 health experts to the Ministerial Advisory Committee has now been finalised. This committee will develop medium-to-long-term prevention measures to curb the incidence of foodborne illnesses in the country.
A statement from the Department of Health has been issued with all the names of the members of this panel. The statement can be obtained from the website of the Department of Health at www.health.gov.za

Enforcement and compliance
The multidisciplinary enforcement teams have been on the ground conducting door-to-door compliance checks, intelligence-led operations on warehouses and supermarkets and other food handlers, closures of non-compliant premises, and confiscation of non-compliant or illegal goods.

Inspections of imported food items, medicines, drugs, and pesticides have also been intensified at ports of entry. Heightened surveillance at all 71 ports of entry, especially marine ports in KwaZulu-Natal including Durban, is aimed at preventing the entry of unsafe goods. Recently, 470 Litres of pesticides were seized at a bonded warehouse and denied entry into the country.
A collaborative operational plan involving SARS Customs, the Border Management Authority (BMA), and the Department of Agriculture will be rolled out during the festive season. The plan will target high-risk activities and strengthen enforcement.
Joint law enforcement operations underscore the government’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding public health and ensuring food safety, particularly during the busy festive period.

Public Education and awareness
One of the most important initiatives we have undertaken is the rollout of a public education and awareness campaign aimed at children of school-going age, teachers, and their parents.
It is important that we intensify this campaign, especially during this busy festive season and in preparation for the opening of schools in early January. The messages on food safety and the dangers of pesticides in domestic environments are quite critical in reducing the risk of infections and food contamination.
We call on all our civil society and business partners to amplify these important messages and help educate our community on food safety.

Conclusion
During this period, we have learnt valuable lessons in a short space of time, especially regarding the need for strengthened enforcement of regulation of spaza shops and other small food handling outlets.
We want to emphasise that registration alone does not mean a business is eligible to trade. To obtain a licence or a permit to trade, business owners must comply with all health regulations and municipal by-laws related to conducting a business.
Working together, we can build a safer, healthier, and more equitable food ecosystem for all South Africans.
Thank You

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Passengers departing from or arriving at O.R. Tambo International Airport are advised that the airport is experiencing long queues at the Border Management Authority's passport control processing points which are contributing to delays.
The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has warned travellers to expect long queues at the OR Tambo International Airport on Monday.

"Passengers departing from or arriving at OR Tambo International Airport are advised that the airport is experiencing long queues at the Border Management Authority's passport control processing points which are contributing to delays," Acsa said.
It added that additional personnel has been deployed to assist with passenger movement. Kindly note we are working to expedite the processing procedures.

"Additionally, we also urge passengers to allow for extra travel time when traveling to the airport," the authority said.
This comes just two days after flights were affected by inclement weather conditions, which impacted on flights.
At the time, Acsa said the disruption was due to a drive shaft that shattered.
"This prevented the pumping of jet fuel from storage tanks to the aprons, which enables the re-fuelling of aircraft," Acsa said.
Meanwhile, Acsa has hit back at media reports claiming that lack of maintenance was behind the fuel matter.
Responding to the claims, Acsa said the mechanical failure of the shaft was identified and addressed.
It said while the disruption did affect 483 flights and led to 31 cancellations, it is important to emphasise the scale of ORTIA’s operations.

"Acsa typically manages approximately 1,500 flights and 110,000 passengers daily. Thus, while this disruption was unfortunate and caused significant inconvenience, it did not bring airport operations to a halt. Most flights continued without incident, and the backlog was cleared in a timely manner, with normal operations resuming by 1pm on the same day," the authority said.
Acsa further clarified that there were no issues with gaskets blowing during the valve replacement process, contrary to claims made by certain media platforms.

"The valve replacement was completed successfully and without incident, and the new valve is performing well under normal operating conditions.  Contrary to claims in the article, this event does not reflect a lack of contingency planning or systemic failure on ACSA’s part.

We are fully committed to ensuring that the airport's fuel systems meet the highest standards of reliability. In fact, the repairs carried out on December 9 were performed in strict accordance with safety protocols, including depressurization, drainage, and purging of the fuel system to meet operational and safety standards," Acsa explained.

Communities along the Limpopo River outside Musina on the border of Zimbabwe and South Africa say there is a seasonal spike in illegal river crossings, when the river is dry. Some areas serve as a safe haven for smugglers and undocumented migrants.
‘Zimbabweans on the other side of the river receive smuggled goods [that are] transported by donkey carts and vehicles to various villages in Zimbabwe,” Malindi Kwinda told Daily Maverick as he sat at the Ha Tshirundu settlement on the South African side of the border with Zimbabwe.

“We don’t mind at all because here, at this crossing of Tshirundu, it is mostly groceries and other basics such as bathing soap, washing soap, cooking oil, rice and clothes that are crossing over.”
Kwinda, the local headman of the small South African settlement, which lies less than a kilometre from the Limpopo River that separates the two countries, said now that the river was seasonally dry, illegal crossings and smuggling had increased, something that will surge as we move into the festive season.

While there are several other illegal crossing points along the Zimbabwe-SA border, starting from Maroi to the Gumbu area, and “Gate One and Two”, the crossing near Ha Tshirundu is one of the hotspots on the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) radar.
After a visit to the Musina border with the SANDF, Daily Maverick previously reported on the challenges the SANDF faced when patrolling the porous boundary. One such challenge is villages like Ha Tshirundu, which was established informally and serves as a haven for smugglers and undocumented migrants seeking to cross into South Africa.

Kwinda detailed how the village served as a stop for migrants, who often sleep at Ha Tshirundu when they make their journey into South Africa, and criminal smugglers known as goma gomas, who rest at the settlement while the goods they are smuggling, mostly groceries and essential items, are offloaded and transported into Zimbabwe.
The goods are mainly transported by vehicle from nearby Musina to the riverside crossing and from there they are moved across the river either by foot or using donkey carts.

As this unfolds, Zimbabwean vendors sell fruit and other refreshments along the river banks. One of these women is Mary Moyo.
Mary Moyo is a vendor who sells refreshments on the banks of the Limpopo River. (Photo: Rudzani Tshivhase)
“We target smugglers and foreigners who use the spot to cross. We sell refreshments to them. It is very hot as you can feel. The heat is high at 42℃ today and they need refreshments to keep going. Even soldiers do support us, buying this and that,” Moyo said.

Zim hyperinflation spurs smuggling                                                                                                                                                        While the smuggling of groceries into Zimbabwe breaks several laws, for many Zimbabwean citizens it is a means for survival in a nation contending with an economic downturn and hyperinflation which has made buying essential goods extremely expensive.
This is evidenced by the number of crossings at the Beitbridge Port of Entry, a hub of movement as Zimbabwean nationals cross in and out of the country carrying goods purchased in South Africa. A Zimbabwean woman named Milicent spoke to Daily Maverick as we visited the border post. Perched securely on her head was a bag containing maize meal and other groceries she had just bought from Musina.

“I come to South Africa once a month to buy food and other things this side. It is so much cheaper. Back home it’s either we don’t have stock or it is very expensive. It would be easier to buy in Zimbabwe, but we have no choice. It takes me eight hours to get from my home to get here and after we have bought our things we have to sleep here at the border because there is no accommodation,” she said.

While Milicent crossed into South Africa legally to buy her goods, for many people it is too expensive to do so. Responding to questions from Daily Maverick, the SANDF said smuggling illegal products and consumables, such as alcohol, cigarettes and other items was a way to avoid custom duties.

A smuggler near Ha Tshirundu who chose to remain anonymous said they smuggled goods because of hunger and a lack of jobs both in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“We are not killing and robbing anyone. From Musina to the river, people are charged according to the size of the goods he or she is transporting. Of course, in the process, there are some criminals called Magoma-goma who rob people [in] the bush,” he said.
The goma gomas represent a more nefarious side of the smuggling network between Zimbabwe and South Africa. They are hardened criminals who often smuggle cigarettes, vehicles and even people between the two countries.

The Beitbridge border with Zimbabwe, outside Musina. (Photo: Rudzani Tshivhase)
SANDF battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Mzoxolo Ketsekile, the leader of Operation Corona, highlighted the threat that goma gomas posed.

“[Goma gomas] take undocumented people across the borderline, once they have crossed they will rob or even rape women knowing that these are undocumented persons will not report the crime to the South African Police Service (SAPS) as they will be deported back to their country,” said Ketsekile.
He said goma gomas also smuggled copper, ivory, explosives and drugs. The explosives are allegedly used in ATM bombings and illegal mining activities.

SANDF ramps up patrols
Ha Tshirundu headman Kwinda said the mushrooming of illegal crossing points along the border was mainly due to the lack of a fence.
“We work very well with the police and soldiers deployed here. They are working very hard, but there is little they can do and the fence is either not there or riddled with holes,” said Kwinda.

While the SANDF faces various challenges with securing the vast northern border, it plans to ramp up patrols throughout the festive season.

There are several roadblocks on the small border road. Here, drivers are interrogated about their destinations and searched for smuggled items.
The SANDF is also using drone technology to collect data in the bush and along the river, documenting the movement of vehicles and people.

Since Operation Corona began on 1 September, 154 people have been arrested attempting to cross into South Africa illegally. Additionally, illicit goods such as cigarettes, marijuana, vehicles and drugs worth just over R33-million have been seized.
A farmer who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation complimented the soldiers working on the border.
“The soldiers are working hard trying to stop the illegal movement of undocumented foreigners. The challenge is the lack of a proper fence. In 2020 the government erected a 40km low-quality fence which cost taxpayers almost R40-million. The fence has been damaged and even stolen in some instances,” said the farmer.