For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Home Affairs extends hours for voter registration weekend; Dean Macpherson urges police to find xenophobic agitators; And, Mashatile heads to China to boost trade, supply chain ties

Home Affairs extends hours for voter registration weekend

The Department of Home Affairs will extend its operating hours nationwide this weekend to support the Electoral Commission of South Africa's Voter Registration Weekend.

All Home Affairs offices across the country will open on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm.

Citizens are urged to visit their nearest branch to apply for a new card or collect their ready documents. More than 370 000 Smart ID cards sit uncollected at Home Affairs offices.

Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber emphasised that this initiative aligns with the department's long-term "Home Affairs @ home" vision to make services more accessible.

The Electoral Commission has confirmed total readiness across all 23 706 voting stations nationwide, with 22 718 permanent stations, 960 temporary stations and 28 mobile stations for remote communities.

Dean Macpherson urges police to find xenophobic agitators

Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson called on law enforcement agencies to act against those responsible for violence against migrants, warning that the attacks are tarnishing the country’s international reputation.

South Africa’s cabinet is due to discuss the matter on Friday as a June 30 deadline set by anti-immigration protesters for foreigners to leave approaches.

The tensions have prompted Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to assist more than 3 000 of their citizens to return home.

The unrest reflects a broader rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, with foreigners increasingly blamed for unemployment, crime and pressure on public services. At 32.7%, South Africa has one of the highest jobless rates in the world.

And, Mashatile heads to China to boost trade, supply chain ties

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is scheduled for a Working Visit to China from June 20 to 26, in a high-level mission that aims to deepen bilateral relations between both countries, with a focus on political cooperation, industrial investment, trade facilitation, and economic collaboration.

The official visit comes at the invitation of Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Ren Hongbin. Mashatile will participate in the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing and lead several key economic diplomacy engagements.

Hosted by the Chinese government and organised by the China International Supply Chain Expo, the expo serves as a critical platform for global trade stability.

This diplomatic mission directly builds upon the strategic outcomes of the 9th South Africa-China Bi-National Commission. Held in Cape Town in March, the BNC was co-chaired by Mashatile and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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