A new generation of black property professionals officially stepped into the industry on Saturday as part of Services SETA’s ambitious drive to transform the real estate market in South Africa. A total of 537 young people graduated as certified real estate practitioners at the Durban International Convention Centre, a ceremony that marked the completion of the KwaZulu-Natal Real Estate Training and Placement Programme. The initiative is a partnership between Services SETA, the KwaZulu Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and industry partners. Over the past 12 months, the graduates completed a professional journey that combined structured training, on-the-job experience, and industry examinations. They received certificates issued by the PPRA, South Africa’s statutory property regulator, as formal recognition of their compliance and readiness to serve as professionals in the real estate industry. In terms of key industry valuations and trends, as of 2026, the combined value of residential and commercial property excedded R8,8 trillion, with the residential property market valued at roughly R6,9 trillion. KZN EDTEA Musa Zondi said programmes such as the Real Estate Training and Placement Programme provided young people with market-relevant skills, practical industry exposure and pathways to sustainable careers. “This milestone marks the beginning of their professional journey into the property sector,” he said, emphasising the need for such programmes to be spread across the country. The Services SETA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Sibusiso Dhladhla, in his address, announced that the organisation graduated over 530 young people out of the 700 who enrolled in the programme, which is an achievement reflecting more than an 80% success rate. “454 of the graduates received a 99% pass rate on PPRA exams and today they are recognised as professional real estate agents,” he said. Dhladhla further highlighted the importance of acknowledging real estate as a broad industry that plays a vital role in shaping the economy. Services SETA Acting CEO, Sibusiso Dhladhla “The more we invest in the real estate industry and expand such programmes, the more we will change how this industry is perceived. It will move away from being seen as a light industry to becoming a recognisable sector,” Dhladhla said. “Property will forever live. Government is moving into public properties, municipalities are reviving, and that requires professional agents”. PPRA Board Chairperson, Queendy Gungubele, congratulated the graduates and noted that the milestone represents more than the completion of a training programme. “This moment represents access to opportunity and the transformation of an industry that for many years did not reflect the diversity of talent in our country,” she said. Anathi Gasa, one of the graduates, shared his journey in real estate industry, saying that he believes the sector holds untapped potential for South Africa’s economy. “Post matriculating, I realised that I wanted to pursue a career that is more practical,” he said, referencing his early experience in sales. “In high school, I used to sell t-shirt as a way of making income”. For Gasa, the programme did not only offer personal growth, but an entry into an industry that is increasingly recognised as a driver of entrepreneurship and community upliftment. “This programme was more practical and really developed my confidence of being an entrepreneur” .He acknowledged that the industry demands discipline and foresight. “Pursuing a career in real estate needs patience. It has a lot of money but also requires thinking and alignment of plans. This qualification is a key to better my living and also change the lives many, this is an industry that needs recognition,” Gasa said, adding that the real estate industry was evolving from a secondary career option into a cornerstone of economic transformation and opportunity. The graduates will now enter the property sector as candidate property practitioners, supported through mentorship and industry guidance as they establish their careers.

The ANC member who has filed court papers challenging the legitimacy of the Johannesburg regional conference has denied being instructed by Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero to do so on his behalf, insisting that he was not his “ball boy”. Stanley Itshegetseng has given the ANC until Wednesday to respond to his concerns about the legitimacy of the regional conference, which took place from 3 to 5 December 2025.  At the conference, Morero lost to the current regional chairperson, Loyiso Masuku. Since the election outcome, those who lost at the conference have raised allegations of vote-buying and claimed that the election company rigged the conference in favour of the winning slate. Ballots of additional members, which were meant to be kept safe, were found opened at the house of the presiding officer in January. The ANC has opened a case on the matter. Some ANC insiders have accused Itshegetseng of being used by Morero to fight the outcomes of the conference. He works as an adviser to the chief of staff in Morero’s office and is known to be a staunch supporter of the mayor. “People are undermining me. I am a comrade in my own right,” he told the Mail & Guardian on Monday. “I went as a delegate to the conference, not because of Dada’s ticket — I was elected by my branch to go to the conference. The communication that I sent to the ANC was from me and not Dada. Why would people reduce me to a ball boy of Dada and not see me as a comrade?  “By the way, I work for Dada. This year alone, I spoke to Dada twice. The first time it was for less than a minute. The last time, which was last week, I spoke to him for three minutes. When I communicate with Dada, I send him text messages and most of the time he does not respond.” Itshegetseng said those who had a problem with Morero should not use his name to fight their battle to remove him as mayor. Over the weekend, a few hours after Itshegetseng filed his court papers, the ANC in Johannesburg held a special regional executive committee (REC) meeting to discuss Itshegetseng’s application. However, a source close to the matter said the meeting had ended up focusing on the possible removal of Morero as executive mayor. The source said the REC had resolved that he should be recalled as mayor of Johannesburg. “If people have beef with Dada, they must take the beef to Dada and not reduce me to Dada’s boy. I am older than Dada, by the way. I can’t be his ball boy. People are undermining my political credibility. “When we went to the regional conference, I was not running Dada’s campaign — I was far from it. Why would people want to reduce me to being Dada’s ball boy? I support him, yes, but you don’t find me around him like I’m his ball boy. “Do I have beef with him? No. Do I revere and respect him? Yes, I revere and respect him as a leader who I think is capable in Johannesburg currently. But I don’t have orders or instructions from him.” In his court papers, which the M&G has seen, Itshegetseng wants the court to interdict the REC from making any decisions of binding force, including caucus directions, disciplinary actions, branch and regional administration or public political programming, pending finalisation of the matter. He also wants the ANC to take all necessary steps to arrange for the reconstitution of the regional conference with the same delegates who attended the December 2025 conference to elect new leadership. Itshegetseng said that on 17 December 2025 he had raised disputes about the conference and according to party rules, the ANC should have responded within 14 days but that had not happened. He said he had exhausted every internal recourse on the matter and that the party had failed to act. He added that he was a grounded ANC member and did not want to drag the party to court. “When I sent the letter to my relevant leadership in the province, I copied my REC and BEC [branch executive committee] on 17 December. There had been no response. I then wrote another letter towards the end of February to give them 24 hours to at least acknowledge receipt,” he said. There had been no response and a week later, he had advised his lawyer to write a letter demanding that the ANC respond to his letter.  “Again, there was no response. We waited another week before we made the legal submission to the court through the sheriff. The ANC had a window of opportunity to engage us by 17 March. If they fail, on the 18th we are going to court on an urgent application.” If he won the case and the conference was declared illegitimate, his concern was what would happen to the drastic changes the REC continued to make. “My position is that there is a complaint about the standing and legitimacy of the conference. There are ballot papers which were found where they were not supposed to be. They were supposed to be in the custody of the ANC but were found lying in a house somewhere. Such things affect the legitimacy of the conference itself.

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Spiritual teacher Yehuda Berg says: “If you never heal what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you.” When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was promulgated, its primary objective was to allow South Africans to reach back into their past, acknowledge the wrongs – pain and hurt – they have done to others, let the victims be acknowledged so that when the “new South Africa” was built, those who were hurt would not bleed on those who did not cause their pain. And the cherry on top was that those who voluntarily came forward and admitted they had hurt others in the course of furthering their political goals, would be granted amnesty if deemed to be completely honest and truthful in their acknowledgement of the wrongs that they had done to fellow South Africans. It was a revolutionary concept that had worked in South American countries that had survived brutal dictatorships: a simple concept, truth and remorse in exchange for freedom. The current stand-off between President Cyril Ramaphosa, former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma and the chair of the inquiry into the TRC, retired Justice Sisi Khampepe is confirmation of the TRC’s failure. Both Zuma and Mbeki have chosen to protect their “not-so-clear” legacies with regards to the TRC process by roping in Ramaphosa to remove Khampepe as chair of the inquiry as “she was part of the original TRC process”. ALSO READ: WATCH: Families slam Mbeki, Zuma over TRC delays as Ramaphosa pledges action Khampepe disagrees and so the families are still questioning why those that hurt them and their loved ones in the past were never prosecuted as suggested by the TRC, and are left in limbo 30 years later. There is a conspiracy theory that will never go away because successive leaders of the ANC have never come out to deal with the truth. The conspiracy theory is the ANC sold out victims of apartheid by striking an unholy deal with the outgoing apartheid government that they will not allow the prosecutions of those that committed apartheid atrocities in return for the then government’s silence on who within the liberation movements had become apartheid agents (spies) – and also so the ANC’s own people who allegedly committed atrocities in exile did not get prosecuted. Based on anecdotal evidence, the theory appears to hold water. The problem with the current state which promises no immediate prosecutions or remedy for families of victims, their pain and suffering remain unresolved. They remain victims with no chance to heal, meaning that they’ll “bleed on people who never hurt them” as Berg says. ALSO READ: TRC Commission: Are Mbeki and Zuma trying to cover their tracks? The summoning of recently appointed US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III to account for his remark, “I don’t care about the court ruling on Kill the Boer song hate-speech,” is another example of a past that remains unresolved. Bozell and his boss Donald Trump have latched onto the song and genocide conspiracy theory to use as a basis of how they deal with the country diplomatically. This is what happens when those with the power to ensure the past is dealt with in a way that victims perceive as just, is not just. Ramaphosa, Mbeki and Zuma need to realise the TRC case is more than just about their own legacies or the legacy of the ANC. The case is about families of victims who lost their loved ones and need justice for themselves to feel that they are part of the “new South Africa”.

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) in the Western Cape says it has stepped in with a series of interventions to tackle long queues and growing demand at its Bellville local office. In recent weeks, the office has seen a surge in beneficiaries, particularly those seeking assistance with disability grant bookings and assessments, leading to long queues and frustration among clients. Sassa acknowledged the pressure on services, saying the spike in demand had caused inconvenience, but insisted steps are now in place to improve access and efficiency. Appointment system reinstated Among the key changes is the reinstatement of a structured appointment system aimed at reducing overcrowding. “The Bellville Office has reverted to a structured appointment-based system to ensure orderly service delivery,” the agency said. Clients who cannot be helped on the day are now given confirmed return dates, a move Sassa says will reduce the need for beneficiaries to queue overnight. Officials deployed to health facilities To further ease pressure at the office, Sassa has deployed officials to health facilities where disability grant applicants undergo medical assessments. “Sassa officials have been deployed to several health facilities to facilitate disability grant applications immediately following medical assessments,” the agency said. This allows beneficiaries to begin the application process closer to their communities, cutting down on travel and congestion at the Bellville site. More service points planned Sassa is also expanding its footprint in surrounding communities to decentralise services. A temporary service site has been identified in Delft and is currently awaiting approval through a memorandum of understanding. “Once operational, this site will provide services to beneficiaries in Delft and nearby areas,” Sassa said. Additional outreach service days have also been arranged in collaboration with local stakeholders to assist clients who were not helped during peak periods. ALSO READ: Sassa warns again of ‘insurance’ scammers trying to steal your social grant Warning against politicising services Amid the ongoing challenges, Sassa stressed that it remains a neutral public institution. “Sassa wishes to reiterate that the Agency operates as a non-partisan public institution mandated to administer social assistance to eligible beneficiaries in accordance with the law,” it said. The agency cautioned against the politicisation of social assistance, warning that vulnerable beneficiaries should not be used to advance political agendas. “Beneficiaries are encouraged to rely on official Sassa communication channels for accurate information,” it added. Improving services Despite the pressure, Sassa said the Bellville office continues to assist hundreds of clients daily with enquiries, applications, document verification and grant processing. “Sassa Western Cape will continue to monitor service pressures across the Metro District and implement further operational improvements where necessary,” the agency said. It urged stakeholders to allow the newly introduced measures time to take effect, saying they are specifically designed to address concerns about access and long queues at the Bellville office. NOW READ: Run down and offline: Here’s why Sassa offices are so crowded

Following the high-profile move from Orlando Pirates to Saudi Arabia before the start of the season, the 21-year-old from Kimberley scored two goals and made two assists in 17 games for Al-Ettifaq. Despite the decent return, Nkota is linked with an exit to Portugal’s powerhouse Benfica. WHY MOHAU NKOTA IS REPORTEDLY LEAVING AL-ETTIFAQ According to the reports, Nkota’s move to Benfica is aimed at fast-tracking his development. The Portuguese giants have a proven track record of developing young foreign talent for Europe’s top league. Also read: Orlando Pirates coach: Jesus Christ was in goal today “Club #Al Ittihad has decided to loan Mohau Nkota to Portuguese Benfica as part of a development plan, capitalizing on Benfica’s expertise in polishing players and selling them to top European clubs,” the Saudi reporter @_rdoss96 said on X. Leading SABC Sports reporter Mazola Molefe said he reached out to Nkota’s agency. They said the move is possible and it will be a permanent rather than a loan deal. HOW HE LEFT ORLANDO PIRATES Nkota made waves in July with a surprise move to Al Ettifaq on a three-year deal. It was just eight months as a senior player for the Buccaneers, where he scored seven goals and provided five assists in 39 games. Nkota’s story began in Kimberley with Sol Plaatje University, where his talent quickly stood out. Coach Mandla Qhogi, a CAF A and UEFA C-licensed tactician, first spotted him during a 2020 coaching clinic when he was coaching Orlando Pirates’ youth teams. Too young to join the Sea Robbers at the time, Nkota was encouraged to keep sharpening his skills in the Sol Plaatje SAB League team before moving to Joburg at 17. Nkota was enrolled at Bophelo Private School in Mayfair while climbing through the Orlando Pirates structures, from U-17, to U-19, and eventually the DStv Diski Challenge team. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MOHAU NKOTA’S EXPECTED MOVE TO BENFICA? Share your thoughts by clicking on the red comments block below.

NSFAS students may be gambling away the taxpayer money paid to them to assist with their tertiary education. This is the assertion of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), in concert with the National Gambling Board (NGB). As The South African has reported before, the NSFAS is a vital lifeline for hundreds of thousands of needy students. However, over the years, it has been chronically undermined by poor governance, tender manipulation and systemic fraud. NSFAS STUDENTS GAMBLING AWAY TAXPAYER MONEY Now, the NSFAS and NGB are raising awareness about the dangers of online gambling for students. In a media statement released this week, the scheme clarified its position on safeguarding public funds allocated for higher education. “There are growing concerns about the increasing exposure of young people to online gambling. And the unintended use of student allowances for these gambling activities. Not just sports betting but Las Vegas-style games are becoming increasingly popular with students,” said the statement. R48 BILLION IN FUNDING Awareness campaigns hope to educate NSFAS students on the dangers of online gambling. Image: File Falling under the Department of Higher Education and Training, the NSFAS provides financial support to students from households with an income of less than R350 000 per year. Funding includes registration, tuition, food, accommodation, transport, learning materials and even a personal care allowance. These work out to approximately R5 200 per month all inclusive. According to parliamentary figures, there were more than 811 000 NSFAS students provisionally funded in 2025. Of these, roughly 200 000 were fully funded. And the NSFAS allocated a combined value of about R48 billion for the past academic year. STRUGGLING NSFAS STUDENTS Tellingly, the Finance Minister said prior to his 2026 Budget Speech that the NSFAS is the one government scheme he would shut down immediately if it were up to him. But he explained that government never could, due to the dependence NSFAS students have developed. And the unrest student protests would cause on campuses around the country. Nevertheless, beyond fraud and corruption, the scourge of NSFAS students gambling away their allowance is of growing concern. The scheme explains they are particularly vulnerable to the promise of get-rich-quick wins online. SERIOUS AND RECURRING SCANDALS   Billions in maladministered funds is still to be recouped by the Department of Higher Education. Image: File For the most part, the NSFAS has been plagued by a series of fraud, corruption and maladministration scandals. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) believes more than R5 billion was allocated to non-qualifying NSFAS students. Likewise, private accommodation and service providers were not properly regulated or vetted before receiving millions in tenders. As such, back in 2024, Minister Blade Nzimande saw fit to dissolve the NSFAS board. More worrying is the fact that not a dime of this money has been recouped over the years … But what do you think? Can you blame NSFAS students for allegedly gambling away their allowances? Or is the entire scheme simply beyond saving? Share your thoughts in the comments section below …

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