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Draft Broadband Policy a Step Forward, But Overregulation Risks Undermining Progress

Free SA has noted the publication of the Draft Policy Direction on Electronic Communications Network Deployment by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, aimed at accelerating broadband rollout across South Africa. While the intention to reduce delays and expand access to affordable, high-speed internet is commendable, the current draft raises serious concerns about the […]

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Meet Mama Sli from Sodwana Bay: The Dive Instructor Redefining Access to the Ocean for African Storytellers

Before she was a master of the reefs, Silindile “Mama Sli” Mbuyazi was a young girl terrified of the ocean, certain she would never enter the water. Her journey from profound fear to deep-seated love for the sea is the heartbeat of “Indoni Yamanzi”, a landmark film currently in post-production that captures her transformation from

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Budget Leaves South Africa’s Student Funding Gap Intact: Cornerstone Institute Urges Bolder Action

Despite welcome commitments to education, the failure to open funding to accredited private institutions means thousands of students will remain stranded, says Geoff Schreiner of Cornerstone Institute. Cape Town, South Africa – 26 February 2025 – Cornerstone Institute has welcomed the government’s continued recognition of higher education as a national priority, but warned that the

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ISFAP: No Change to Missing‑Middle Income Thresholds Is a Risk We Must Address

The student funding programme welcomes higher‑education commitments, but says leaving income caps untouched keeps too many capable students on the sidelines. Johannesburg, South Africa – 26 February 2026 – Responding to the national budget speech, the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) has welcomed the continued prioritisation of higher education funding, but expressed concern that

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No Faith in False Solutions: SAFCEI Brings Faith-Rooted Alternatives to the 17th Alternative Mining Indaba

Cape Town – The Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), together with the Environmental Justice Network (EJN), African Climate Alliance (ACA), Project 90 by 2030, the Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT), The Green Connection and the Heinrich Böll Foundation,  co-hosted a dynamic World CafĂ© dialogue and campaign exhibition at the 17th Alternative Mining Indaba

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ISFAP Welcomes Students as Universities Open, Reaffirming Support for the “Missing Middle” as Income Gaps Widen

Johannesburg, South Africa – As universities across South Africa open for the 2026 academic year this week, the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the country’s “missing middle”, students who do not qualify for traditional government funding yet cannot afford the full cost of university education on their own.

ISFAP Welcomes Students as Universities Open, Reaffirming Support for the “Missing Middle” as Income Gaps Widen Read More »

Free SA Warns: Flawed Hate Speech Regulations Threaten Rights and Privacy, Over 400 South Africans Join Call to Stop Government Overreach

Free SA, the Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality, has raised alarm over the draft regulations issued under the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act, 2023, warning that the proposed implementation framework threatens to undermine certain core values embedded in South Africa’s constitutional democracy. In a formal submission to the

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Government’s Minimum Wage Policy Blocks Job Creation and Entrenches Poverty, Warns Free SA

The Foundation for Rights of Expression and Equality, Free SA, has issued a strong caution against the National Minimum Wage Commission’s proposed wage hike for 2026, calling it a “policy of exclusion” that risks deepening South Africa’s already catastrophic unemployment crisis. In its submission, authored by Free SA Director Paul Maritz, it argues that in

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20 Local Interns Graduate as New Generation of Globally Recognized Dive Professionals, in Sodwana Bay

Sodwana Bay, KZN, South Africa – 12 December 2025 – The eKhaya Centre, home to the NEWF (Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers) storytelling, research and dive hub, celebrated the landmark graduation of 20 youth interns from the KwaMbila area this weekend, many of whom have progressed from non-swimmers to certified Advanced Open Water divers, including

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Golden Acre Precinct Redevelopment Begins and Neighbourgood is Announced as Official Partner: A New Chapter for Cape Town’s Historic Commuter Hub

The redevelopment of the Golden Acre Precinct, which sits at the centre of of Cape Town’s largest public transport interchange, has formally begun in recent weeks, marking a major step toward revitalising the heart of the city with the commercial office tower being converted to residential apartments housing, upgraded retail, and a safer, better-connected pedestrian

Golden Acre Precinct Redevelopment Begins and Neighbourgood is Announced as Official Partner: A New Chapter for Cape Town’s Historic Commuter Hub Read More »