Update@Noon

Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, says government is creating multiple pathways for young people to enter the economy. She says the Youth Employment Services programme placed more than five-thousand young people into workplace experience opportunities during the first quarter. Mhlauli says the National Youth Service recruited nearly three-thousand young people, while the NYDA provided more than five-thousand enterprise support opportunities to young entrepreneurs during the same period. Mhlauli was ealier briefing the media on the release of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) Quarterly Progress report

Mpumalanga businessman and taxi boss Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni is back on the witness stand at the Madlanga Commission. Sibanyoni says he was not aware of the scale of incidents in which Putco buses were allegedly blocked by taxis in KwaNdebele between October 2024 and January 2025. The commission heard that Putco had reported more than 350 such incidents, with buses allegedly forced to turn around after their routes were blocked.He denied that his comments about people interfering with Putco's business were made on his own behalf, saying he was speaking about the interests of communities and businesses.

Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni has rejected suggestions that a series of events involving Putco were part of a coordinated process to pressure the company to sell its fleet to Taxi Choice.Testifying before the Madlanga Commission, Sibanyoni was questioned about meetings with members of the local community in 2023 and his comments about fighting for a 30% stake in Putco. He was also questioned about communication with Putco executive two days after 51 buses were torched at three depots in KwaNdebele in January 2025. A month later, Taxi Choice made an unsolicited offer to purchase the entire Putco fleet.

Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni is continuing his testimony at the Madlanga Commission. Sibanyoni has told the Commission that he was in discussions with Putco to purchase 15 old buses. He says the buses were intended to be donated to the community through his foundation, mainly to assist with transporting mourners to funerals. The evidence comes as the Commission examines WhatsApp messages exchanged shortly after 51 Putco buses were torched at three depots in Mpumalanga's Nkangala District in January 2025.Sibanyoni says the discussions to purchase the buses had started before the buses were burnt.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande says South Africa needs to strengthen domestic funding for research to reduce its vulnerability to changes in foreign funding priorities. Nzimande was speaking in Pretoria while releasing a report of the Ministerial Working Group on Science, Technology and Innovation funding for public comment. The report follows the withdrawal of U.S. federal funding from major South African health-research and clinical-trial programmes in January 2025. Nonhlanhla Ntshingila reports....