By Johnathan Paoli

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has been placed under administration following the resignation of two board members, including acting chairperson Mugwena Maluleke.

The student funding agency has been grappling with governance instability, audit failures and disruptions to funding processes affecting thousands of beneficiaries.

NSFAS has also operated without a permanent chief executive for more than 30 months, a vacuum widely cited as a key factor behind tensions between the board and the minister over the appointment of a permanent CEO.

Manamela announced the appointment of Professor Hlengani Mathebula as administrator on Monday, in a move he said was aimed at restoring stability at the embattled scheme.

“This decision was not taken lightly. It follows a long process of engagement, legal assessment, governance intervention and consideration of alternatives,” Manamela said.

“We took this step because the government cannot ignore potential legal irregularities in the constitution of a statutory body entrusted with billions of rand in public funds and the futures of millions of students.”

Manamela outlined a series of governance and operational failures that led to the intervention, including a disclaimer audit outcome for the 2024/25 financial year, material irregularities flagged by the Auditor-General, and persistent weaknesses in internal controls.

A March directive from the minister highlighted “serious data integrity concerns”, unresolved student appeals due to system deficiencies, delays in ICT modernisation, and student accommodation failures “affecting student dignity and safety”.

“The real question became this: was NSFAS, as an institution, functioning effectively, sustainably and credibly in the interests of students and the country?” he said.

He said in light of the increasing instability within the board, each remaining board member was written to individually and afforded an opportunity to give their take on the challenges of the institution, possible alternatives and whether intervention was necessary.

In addition, he said the department also considered possible alternatives to placing NSFAS on administration.

These included filling vacancies, appointing further interim leadership, continued directives, intensified departmental oversight and allowing more time for governance processes.

But, the minister said no satisfactory alternative to administration was found.

“Ultimately, however, I was not satisfied that the ordinary governance arrangements were capable of adequately stabilising the institution within the urgency and seriousness of the challenges confronting NSFAS,” he said.

“I was also not satisfied that continued Board-led governance, in the prevailing circumstances, would provide the level of assurance required to restore institutional stability, protect students and safeguard public resources,” he added.

Manamela said Mathebula brings more than three decades of experience across governance, finance and higher education leadership, positioning him to lead the turnaround.

“[The] government is therefore confident that Professor Mathebula possesses the experience, independence, leadership capacity and institutional understanding necessary to stabilise NSFAS during this period,” he said.

Mathebula currently serves as the Director of Tshwane University of Technology’s Business School and has held senior roles in institutions including the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

According to the minister, Mathebula’s mandate will centre on “stabilisation, accountability, operational continuity and institutional renewal”, including strengthening governance, addressing audit weaknesses, accelerating ICT reforms, and resolving student funding and accommodation challenges.

The administrator will also be empowered to appoint specialist expertise in areas such as audit remediation, ICT systems, governance, finance and legal services.

Manamela moved to reassure students and institutions that the intervention would not disrupt funding operations.

“Let me state this clearly: student funding will continue. Allowances will continue. Appeals processes will continue. Universities and TVET colleges will continue engaging NSFAS operationally,” he said.

He added that the administration was a temporary but necessary step to rebuild credibility.

“The purpose of the intervention is precisely to protect continuity and restore confidence. This intervention is not about personalities. It is not about factions. It is about protecting students, stabilising a critical public institution, restoring accountability, and ensuring that NSFAS performs its mandate effectively and lawfully,” he said.

He also pointed to ongoing challenges in student accommodation, noting that while many universities have taken over provision, private providers remain part of the system.

“So the reality is that for some of the challenges to be resolved, we have to design an ecosystem that responds, you know, to the prevailing material conditions in our institutions, and to make life easier for students,” he said.

In closing, Manamela acknowledged the role of former and remaining NSFAS board members, saying many had served “under challenging circumstances and engaged the process in good faith”.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring NSFAS fulfills its mandate to poor and working-class students.

“Government remains fully committed to ensuring that NSFAS succeeds. We will continue engaging institutions, students, Parliament, National Treasury and the public as this process unfolds,” he said.

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By Johnathan Paoli

Hoërskool Waterkloof has won the 2026 Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge title with a 1-0 victory over Collegiate Girls’ High School.

Playing at the Western Province Cricket Club in Newlands on Sunday, Waterkloof secured the win by a late goal from Elaine Haycock in a tightly contested final.

The decisive moment came in the 57th minute of a match that appeared destined for a penalty shootout.

With both teams locked in a tactical battle and struggling to break each other down, Haycock found a gap in Collegiate’s defence and fired home the only goal of the match.

Her strike capped off an unbeaten run for the Pretoria-based side, who recorded six consecutive victories en route to lifting the prestigious under-19 title.

Waterkloof’s triumph sees them being the second winners of the tournament, succeeding Paarl Gimnasium.

Waterkloof coach Omari Pienaar-Geyer, speaking after the match, praised her team’s resilience and unity.

“We are incredibly proud of the girls for winning the Challenge. Our midfield worked super hard. It could’ve been anyone’s game, but we’re happy it was ours,” Pienaar-Geyer said.

The final lived up to expectations, with both teams trading attacking phases but failing to convert their chances.

Collegiate, known for their tactical discipline, restricted Waterkloof’s attacking freedom for much of the encounter.

Pienaar-Geyer acknowledged the challenge posed by their opponents, noting her side had to adapt under pressure.

“At times, we had to reset and dig deep defensively, but every player held their role and stood strong. We defended with real grit when it mattered and scored some unbelievable team goals that came from everyone contributing,” she said.

Collegiate coach Michael Abrahams said his team had relied on structure and cohesion throughout the tournament.

“We made sure that we stuck to our processes and principles. We also made sure that we were always team-oriented and just supporting one another,” he said.

Despite falling short in the final, Collegiate reinforced their status as one of the top schoolgirl hockey teams in South Africa this season.

Their campaign included notable wins over Rhenish, Oranje Girls High school, and Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) Makhanda, following a strong showing at the National All Girls Festival earlier in the year.

Individual honours at the tournament reflected standout performances across multiple teams.

Waterkloof midfielder Lenique Vogel was named Player of the Tournament, while Paarl Gimnasium striker Alanda Rademeyer secured the Top Goalscorer award after netting 12 goals.

DSG Makhanda goalkeeper Abigail Meihuizen earned recognition as Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

Waterkloof’s route to the title included a dramatic quarterfinal victory over St Mary’s DSG Kloof, where they advanced 3-2 via a penalty shootout, before edging defending champions Paarl Gimnasium 3-2 in the semifinals.

Durban Girls’ College claimed the Plate title with a 2-1 win over St Anne’s, while St Andrew’s School for Girls secured the Bowl after a penalty shootout victory against St Mary’s Waverley.

The four-day tournament also featured under-16 and under-14 divisions, showcasing emerging talent from across the country.

Paarl Gimnasium successfully defended their under-16 crown with a commanding 4-0 win over St John’s DSG, while Bloemhof captured the under-14 title with a 2-1 victory over Rhenish.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has told parents not to shield those who exploit children by accepting money, cattle or goats as compensation.

Tolashe made the call as government launched Child Protection Month in KwaZulu-Natal. She told those at the event that communities, civil society and law enforcement agencies should work together to protect children from abuse, violence, statutory rape and exploitation.

The launch took place at the Prince Mangosuthu Sports Field in the eDumbe Local Municipality.

Delivering her keynote address, Tolashe said South Africa needed a whole-of-society response to ensure children are safe.

“Today we come here to fight a battle of different kind, the most vulnerable in our society, children. We are here today to fight child abuse, violence against children, statutory rape and child exploitation in our society,” she said.

Tolashe called on parents to prioritise children’s safety over compensation from perpetrators.

“[N]o matter how poor your family is, stop shielding the perpetrators by accepting money, cattle or goats as inhlawulo (compensation). Those who sexually exploit vulnerable girls and boys from vulnerable families must be identified, reported, prosecuted and face the consequences of their heinous actions.

“Dealing decisively with the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has rightfully declared a national disaster, starts with reporting and robust prosecution of statutory rapists and ensuring that every child in South Africa knows his or her rights,” she said.

Various stakeholders, including children, civil society groups, NGOs and the United Nations Children’s Fund, were at the launch.

UNICEF delivered a message of support, saying that government alone cannot win the battle against violence affecting children. It said child protection starts at home with parents, continues at schools with teachers, and requires the involvement of society as a whole.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development Mbali Shinga called on South Africans to play an active role in protecting children.

“Child Protection is a call to action that reminds all of us to create a safe environment for children. In KZN, we are working every day to protect children, together with all stakeholders. I call on all South Africans to work together with law enforcement to create a safer environment for children,” she said.

The Department of Social Development said the launch marked a heightened period of action by various stakeholders, but warned that child protection should not be treated as a once-off event.

It said the campaign would include engagements with children, traditional leaders, religious leaders, parents, caregivers and other stakeholders, all aimed at ensuring children are protected.

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Staff Reporter

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has launched an augmented reality heritage experience at the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve.

The project uses digital technology to reconstruct a 500-year-old African smelting site without disturbing the protected landscape.

Launched on Workers’ Day, it was developed in collaboration with the Melville Koppies Management Committee and led by Dr Izak Potgieter and Dr Herman Myburgh of UJ’s Metaverse Research Unit.

It allows visitors to use their smartphones to scan QR codes and view a historically grounded, three-dimensional reconstruction of the ancient smelter overlaid on the existing remains.

Through animation and narration, the site is presented as an immersive learning environment focused on early African engineering, resource use, and environmental awareness.

UJ said the project pays tribute to the labour, craftsmanship and metallurgical knowledge of the pre-colonial ancestors of today’s Sesotho and Setswana-speaking communities, placing indigenous innovation at the centre of the heritage experience.

The university’s Department of History and Language Unit also worked on the project to ensure that the experience is academically rigorous and accessible through multilingual narration.

“Melville Koppies has long stood as a place of deep historical and cultural significance. For many of the present generation, these histories can feel distant and this project steps in as not just a technological achievement but an intellectual and cultural bridge.

“Through augmented reality we can reconstruct, reanimate and re-experience a vital aspect of our shared history,” said Professor Kammila Naidoo, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, at the launch.

UJ said the technology had been designed to be affordable and widely accessible, with even low-cost smartphones able to access the QR code and view the animated storytelling experience.

Potgieter said the project showed how history was embedded in the landscapes people inhabit and the communities they build.

“The site offers a rare opportunity to represent pre-colonial African technological knowledge in-situ,” said Dr Potgieter. “By animating the past, we enable visitors to engage with history in a way that is immediate, accessible, and deeply meaningful.”

The AR experience will also be made available at all UJ libraries in an effort to attract students to the site.

Jenny Grice, of the Melville Koppies Management Committee, said the project would add to the range of activities already taking place at the reserve and help draw more visitors, young and old.

UJ said the initiative could set a new standard for preserving cultural memory through digital storytelling while protecting conservation landscapes.

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By Lebone Rodah Mosima

Johannesburg Zoo is expecting more than 8,000 people at its annual Mother’s Day Concert on Sunday, 10 May 2026, with Ami Faku set to headline the four-hour live music event.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) said that the concert will take place at the zoo and will combine live music, family activities, guided tours, and picnic spaces.

This year’s line-up includes The Soil, Bongi Archi, Phoebe Mgxaji, Matthew Mole, Chubby Cheeks, and The Phoenix Orchestra, conducted by Richard Cock.

JCPZ said the event would “blend world-class entertainment, culture and family-friendly activities into a truly unique celebration of mothers”.

The concert will run from 12:00 to 16:00, following a morning programme of guided heritage tours through the zoo from 09:15 to 11:45. Gates will open at 08:30.

The event will also include a kiddies corner with face painting, jumping castles, arts and crafts, and interactive animal experiences.

Other activities include heritage tours, an adopt-an-animal initiative, food vendors and picnic-friendly spaces.

“Guests are encouraged to bring picnic baskets or enjoy curated food offerings available on-site,” JCPZ said.

Entry will be controlled through designated gates, and JCPZ has encouraged visitors to arrive early “to ensure a seamless guest experience”.

JCPZ said the concert would continue to play a role in promoting social cohesion and strengthening its position as a community-centred organisation.

The event will be supported by a safety and operations plan aimed at ensuring a secure and smooth experience for attendees.

“The Mother’s Day Concert at Joburg Zoo has become a signature highlight on Johannesburg’s events calendar, a space where music, nature and community come together to honour mothers in a meaningful and memorable way,” JCPZ said.

Tickets are available via Webtickets at https://bit.ly/41iNTDr.

Adult tickets cost R150, while tickets for children aged three to 12 and pensioners cost R80.

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By Robyn Shepherd

Artificial intelligence (“AI”) is no longer a distant technological concept; it has become an everyday tool in workplaces, homes, and, increasingly, classrooms. Students today have access to AI-powered tools that can assist with research, summarising information, drafting written content, analysing data, and solving complex problems.

While these technologies create new opportunities for learning and efficiency, they also present significant challenges for educational institutions. Many schools and universities have responded cautiously, with some attempting to restrict or ban AI use entirely. 

However, in the South African context, such an approach is unlikely to be sustainable.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming integrated into modern life and the future workforce.

Instead of avoiding AI, educational institutions must focus on developing digital literacy and implementing clear policies to regulate the responsible use of these technologies.

The Evolution of Technology in Education

Education has historically evolved alongside technological advancements. Tools that were once viewed with suspicion, such as calculators, computers, and the internet, are now essential components of the learning environment.

Artificial intelligence represents the next stage in this evolution.

Students entering professional fields such as law, finance, engineering, healthcare, and technology will inevitably encounter AI in their daily work.

If educational institutions fail to equip students with the skills needed to navigate these technologies responsibly, graduates may find themselves unprepared for the realities of the modern workplace. For this reason, the focus should not be on eliminating AI from education, but rather on teaching students how to use it responsibly, critically, and ethically. 

The Importance of Digital Literacy

A key component of adapting to artificial intelligence is developing digital literacy. Digital literacy goes beyond simply knowing how to use technology; it involves understanding how digital systems operate, recognising their limitations, and critically evaluating the information they produce.

In the context of artificial intelligence, students must learn that AI-generated outputs are not inherently accurate or unbiased. 

AI systems rely on data patterns and algorithms, which means they can produce incorrect, misleading, or incomplete information. Without the ability to critically assess AI outputs, students may become overly reliant on automated tools, undermining independent thinking and academic integrity.

Teaching AI literacy is therefore essential to ensuring that students remain active participants in the learning process rather than passive consumers of automated information.

Developing Clear Institutional AI Policies

Alongside digital literacy, educational institutions must develop clear and comprehensive policies governing the use of artificial intelligence. One of the primary concerns surrounding AI in education is academic integrity.

Institutions must therefore clearly define when the use of AI tools is permissible and when it may constitute academic misconduct.

For example, using AI to generate ideas or assist with research may be acceptable, while submitting entirely AI-generated work as one’s own would undermine the purpose of academic assessment.

Establishing transparent guidelines helps students understand the boundaries of acceptable conduct while allowing technology to remain part of the educational process.

Transparency is also an important element of responsible AI use. Institutions may consider requiring students to disclose when AI tools have been used in the preparation of assignments, research, or projects.

Such disclosures encourage honesty and accountability while acknowledging that AI can be a legitimate support tool when used appropriately.

In addition, traditional assessment methods may need to evolve. Greater emphasis may be placed on oral presentations, in-class assessments, and practical demonstrations of understanding to ensure that students are genuinely engaging with the material.

The South African Legal Framework

From a legal perspective, the use of artificial intelligence in educational institutions must also be considered in the context of South African law. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, protects fundamental rights that may be implicated in the digital learning environment, including the rights to dignity, privacy, and access to education.

These rights remain relevant in online and technologically mediated environments, meaning that educational institutions must ensure that the adoption of AI technologies does not compromise students’ rights.

In addition, the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) plays a significant role in regulating the collection, storage, and processing of personal data.

Many AI platforms operate by analysing large volumes of data, which may include students’ personal information. Schools and universities must therefore ensure that any AI technologies used within their systems comply with POPIA’s requirements relating to lawful processing, consent, and data security.

Failure to do so could expose institutions to legal risk and undermine students’ privacy rights.

Balancing Innovation and Protection

Ultimately, the challenge facing educational institutions is not simply technological, but also ethical and regulatory.

Schools and universities must balance the need to prepare students for a rapidly evolving digital world with the responsibility to protect them from the risks associated with emerging technologies.

Achieving this balance requires thoughtful policy development, ongoing educator training, and collaboration between academic institutions, legal professionals, and technology experts.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence will continue to shape the future of education and the broader professional landscape. Attempting to ignore or prohibit these technologies may hinder rather than protect students.

A more effective approach is to embrace the reality of AI while equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to use it responsibly.

By prioritising digital literacy, implementing clear policies, and ensuring compliance with South Africa’s legal framework, educational institutions can create learning environments that both safeguard students and prepare them for the demands of a technologically advanced society.

Written by Robyn Shepherd, Attorney, SchoemanLaw Inc 

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A woman who drove a Land Rover into a tea party outside a London primary school celebrating the last day of classes in 2023, killing two 8-year-old girls and injuring several other people, was charged Friday with dangerous driving, authorities said.

Prosecutors said they decided to charge Claire Freemantle, 49, with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after the Metropolitan Police reopened its investigation and discovered new evidence.

The London police force apologized for how it initially treated the crash and said it had referred its own officers to a watchdog agency looking into police misconduct.

Freemantle was originally not charged after prosecutors said she had an epileptic seizure. She had issued a statement expressing her “deepest sorrow” but said she had no recollection of what occurred.

Defense lawyers questioned why prosecutors reversed their original decision not to charge Freemantle and said she will plead not guilty when she makes her first court appearance June 16 in Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

It’s not clear what new evidence police found, but the reinvestigation came after complaints by the parents of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, who were killed in the crash outside the private Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon, south London, on July 6, 2023.

The driver plowed through a fence and into the side of the school building. More than a dozen people were treated for injuries at the scene and 10, including several pupils, were taken to the hospital for treatment.

AP

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By Stephanie Allais

South Africa’s 50 public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges are, in the main, struggling institutions. In many, throughput rates – how many students qualify in the expected time – are low. Some lecturers are under-qualified and under-resourced. Relationships with employers, which are crucial for the type of training that these colleges offer, are uneven.

Colleges are hard pressed to provide training to young people with weak schooling behind them and no clear path to employment ahead. The youth unemployment rate is almost 44%.

The response to problems in the sector has been reform: rename the colleges, restructure them, give them new governance models, new qualification types, new funding arrangements. Over 30 years of democracy, South Africa has done all of these things, repeatedly. It has not worked.

And now there’s another round of changes being rolled out. There is little clearly documented explanation of what the new system is and how it will work in practice. But colleges have been instructed that most current qualification offerings will be phased out and replaced by new “occupational” qualifications.

In 2024 I wrote a paper tracing the history of the technical and vocational training sector, drawing on published literature, my research on skills development and my own involvement in South Africa’s education and training policy processes. The paper sets out why the sector is not working and what it needs to succeed.

In my view, based on the history of the sector, there is a serious risk that the latest reforms will make things worse.

Thirty years of the same mistake

South Africa’s policy vision and funding model for TVET colleges has, like that of many other countries, been to base funding on student enrolment for programmes that are linked to employer demand. It assumes colleges will respond to what employers want, and channel young people into jobs.

It has a long and largely unsuccessful track record, with problems in many countries – most extensively documented in Australia and the UK, the originators of the broad policy model.

The problem is structural. Funding institutions only through enrolments in specific programmes provides no institutional stability. It creates no incentive to invest in equipment, lecturers, or long-term relationships with employers. It treats colleges as if they were competing as private training providers.

When the programmes that attract funded enrolments change – as they do, repeatedly – colleges are left with stranded staff, obsolete equipment, and no financial buffer. And when new funding is made available, for new programmes, they don’t have lecturers who can teach them.

Private institutions tend not to offer manufacturing-related programmes – those are expensive. They focus on business-related programmes, which are cheaper.

Consider the National Technical Education Diploma (Nated) qualifications, the government-funded programmes that colleges have provided for decades. First, they were to be phased out. Then, when the National Development Plan created TVET enrolment targets, colleges were told to expand them. Colleges have built up staffing around them and enrolled students in them.

Now, the Department of Higher Education and Training has instructed colleges to phase them out. What replaces them are “occupational qualifications”.

The occupational qualifications problem

The department defines an occupation as a set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterised by a high degree of similarity (skill specialisation).

The theory behind occupational qualifications is sound: link qualifications to specific occupations, make workplace experience part of the qualification, and graduates will have credentials that employers recognise and value.

The framework has thousands of occupations.

The problem – and here is where our new research (not yet published online) is indicating an uncomfortable finding – is that many of the “occupations” to which these new qualifications are linked do not really exist in workplaces and labour markets. And there is little publicly available information about them.

Some “occupations” have special skills that need special training, and others are really just jobs.

For example, in our research (not yet online) across 53 food and beverage manufacturing plants, we found that there are artisan trades like millwrighting, fitting and turning, and electrical work which fit the idea of an occupation.

But machine operators don’t fit that description. Yet machine operators are among the new qualifications to be offered. The employers we visited don’t need those qualifications. They would rather hire someone they can train themselves, to use the equipment in their plant.

Training in a “knowledge module” like “personal mastery and interpersonal relationships” is not specific to the “occupation” of operating a machine.

You cannot create an occupation by developing a qualification for it. It works the other way: the occupation must exist before you create a qualification for it.

This is not an abstract concern. Colleges are now being instructed to gain accreditation to offer these qualifications, to hire staff to teach them, to find workplace placements for students doing them – all on the assumption that there is a real occupational destination at the end.

For artisans, this assumption holds: there are real occupations that translate to opportunities in the workplace. But for the majority of new occupational qualifications being developed, far more analysis is needed.

What institutions actually need

Colleges cannot become strong institutions through enrolment-driven funding alone, any more than a school can become strong by being paid per pupil with no base funding for teachers or classrooms. And calling qualifications “occupational” does not mean that they will lead to work where there is no meaningful occupation in labour markets or workplaces.

Institutions need a stable core – employed lecturers, maintained equipment, administrative capacity – that allows them to function as institutions rather than as collections of projects cobbled together from different funding streams.

Some of them may be better off offering second-chance matric (secondary school leaving certificate) programmes instead of narrowly focused programmes where there are few real opportunities for employment in the surrounding areas, and no way colleges can find work placements for their learners.

Pockets of genuine excellence exist in the current system: colleges with good employer relationships and real employment outcomes for graduates. What they have in common is principled management, experienced staff, and enough stability to build relationships over time. The system should be trying to replicate those conditions.

In my view, what needs to happen is this:

• colleges should be funded with a core institutional grant, and enabled to provide a mix of training that reflects their local economic contexts
• occupational qualifications should be rolled out only where employers need them.

Otherwise the latest reforms risk repeating the errors of the past 30 years. Colleges and young people deserve better than that.

Stephanie Allais is Faculty member, Centre for Researching Education and Labour, University of the Witwatersrand.

THE CONVERSATION

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By Charmaine Ndlela

The Equal Education Law Centre, the Western Cape Children’s Commissioner and Ilitha Labantu have raised concerns over the Department of Basic Education’s draft regulations on managing learner pregnancy, warning that gaps could undermine implementation.

The Department of Basic Education has extended the deadline for public comment to May 24, 2026, after civil society groups requested more time to broaden participation.

The extension follows the gazetting last month of the draft regulations under the South African Schools Act, as amended by the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act.

The regulations aim to ensure pregnant learners can remain in school and return after childbirth, supported in a non-discriminatory environment. Schools would be required to provide academic, psychosocial and health support, reinforcing the constitutional right to basic education.

A key provision introduces mandatory reporting in certain cases. Where a learner under 16 falls pregnant, schools would have to report the matter to the Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service.

While intended to address potential statutory offences and protect minors, the measure has raised concerns among stakeholders about its practical implications.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said the regulations build on progress made in addressing learner pregnancy.

“We have moved away from a painful past where young girls were expelled or forced out of school due to pregnancy. These practices contributed to high dropout rates. The regulations reaffirm our commitment to dignity, inclusion and equal opportunity,” she said.

In a joint submission, the organisations welcomed the intent of the regulations but said significant gaps remain.

They cited a lack of clarity on implementation, particularly in under-resourced schools, as well as unclear roles across departments, limited detail on funding, insufficient operational guidance for schools, and capacity constraints in school health and support systems.

Without a clear implementation plan, the groups said, the regulations risk being ineffective despite their policy intent.

They also called for a stronger rights-based approach, with greater emphasis on learners’ dignity, privacy and best interests, improved accountability mechanisms, and clearer recognition of learner fathers.

“The regulations must be responsive, practical and adequately resourced,” the organisations said.

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