October 2026

President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal to support police during anti-immigration protests. The Presidency confirmed the activation of the South African National Defence Force in the province, and the operation is costed at R34 million.

A Democratic Alliance councillor in the Vaal Triangle was shot dead outside his home in Zamdela, in the Free State, days before local elections. The killing was reported as the murder of a DA councillor in Metsimaholo, the municipality that includes Sasolburg. Outlets described the victim as both a sitting councillor and a DA candidate in the coming vote.

Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia has initiated a process to appoint General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as the head of the Hawks, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. Outlets reported the move as a push to install Mkhwanazi in the top post at the national directorate.

Former IDAC head Andrea Johnson and former crime intelligence official Feroz Khan were arrested in connection with a 2018 assault case. News24 reported that Johnson's arrest was confirmed while Khan was due in court. TimesLIVE described Khan as a former top cop.

An Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration met organisations behind anti-migration marches and agreed to tackle illegal immigration. The meeting brought cabinet ministers together with several KwaZulu-Natal community leaders.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, with attention centred on a new fiscal anchor and debt rules. Tax revenue came in stronger than expected, setting the scene for the mini-budget.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a R3 fuel levy cut in the medium-term budget, relief at the pumps that followed growing calls for fuel price relief as petrol costs weighed on households. Tax revenue ahead of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement came in stronger than expected, and SARS collected a R239 billion 'gift' for taxpayers.

President Cyril Ramaphosa used the 49th anniversary of Black Wednesday to call for media freedom to be safeguarded, and warned that losses in the country's newsrooms weaken democracy. The South African National Editors' Forum reaffirmed its commitment to media freedom at the same event.

Former president Thabo Mbeki testified before an inquiry into Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases, denying that his government held secret meetings with apartheid-era generals. He called the claim a fabrication and rejected assertions that the state interfered in apartheid-era prosecutions.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is to launch a revised White Paper on Local Government, with the government preparing what News24 calls a systemic shift: phasing out district municipalities that do not work. The reform is being presented ahead of the 2026 elections, and the government says the new policy aims to improve service delivery within 18 months, according to Local Government Minister Hlabisa.

South Africa and Mozambique proposed a joint counter-narcotics centre to fight cross-border crime, put forward at a meeting in Pretoria. Mozambique's interior minister used the meeting to call for stronger cross-border cooperation. Four other African countries joined South Africa in the effort to combat drug trafficking.

Suliman Carrim was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport for evading a subpoena from the Madlanga Commission. He was remanded in custody after bail proceedings were postponed, and is to spend the weekend in Kgosi Mampuru Prison.

The Constitutional Court ruled that 181 ANC councillor candidates may contest the municipal elections. The Independent Electoral Commission then extended that ruling to 32 other parties ahead of the elections.

South Africa will stop subsidizing imported vehicle kits, a policy shift aimed at pressing automakers to build more vehicles inside the country. The change was presented at SA Auto Week, where the message was that import subsidies are out and localisation is in.

Agriculture Minister Hlabisa warned that this summer's El Niño will bring extreme heat and drought risks, saying the situation is "going to be next level." The warning covers South Africa's coming summer season and the agricultural risks attached to it.

South Africa's Road Accident Fund faces a R43-billion claims load that its board chair says the fund is unlikely to overcome. The funding gap has prompted proposals for new revenue measures, including a mandatory tax on anyone renewing their car licence discs.

South Africa's Home Affairs department has rebuked what it calls a disinformation campaign over a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seekers, rejecting claims that the ruling legalises foreign nationals in the country. An Inter-Ministerial Committee met after the ruling, and the department pushed back publicly on the interpretation circulating around it.

Cosatu staged nationwide protests on Wednesday over decent jobs, retrenchments, wages and the cost of living. The demonstrations were timed to mark International Day of Decent Work. Saftu joined the call, urging workers to participate in a national shutdown against rising living costs.

South Africa is facing its single biggest petrol price increase on record, with the fuel price set to rise in November. Petrol has already crossed the R30 mark, prompting calls for immediate government relief.

South Africa's electricity supply now exceeds demand, Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said, marking a reversal from the country's recent power crisis. He described curtailment as an 'albatross' and backed selling surplus power to Zambia.

Four mass shootings across South Africa have left 45 people dead, with the motive still unknown. The attacks include a massacre at Dora's Tavern, where witnesses described assailants who 'laughed and sang' during the killing. In two days, 32 people were gunned down, prompting questions about the source of AK-47 rifles used in the attacks.

The Madlanga Commission has heard testimony linking taxi boss Oupa Sindane to extortion and the leaking of police information. The commission also heard of alleged protection pay in the Moloto Road project. WhatsApp chats revealed at the commission involve alleged hitmen.

South Africa faces 1,200 projected heat deaths as a super El Niño gathers momentum. The projected toll is part of a global pattern in which Nigeria faces the world's highest projected death toll from super El Niño heat.

South Africa's Deputy Minister Gungubele has publicly urged Elon Musk to accept the country's 30% ownership requirement for telecommunications licenses, saying 'I hope Elon is listening.' The appeal is aimed at opening the way for Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to operate in South Africa, where current rules require 30% local ownership. Gungubele framed the requirement as a minor issue for a trillionaire, asking 'What's 30% between a trillionaire and his birth country?'