HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Fri 02 January 2026:

Here’s what’s happening in South Africa today:

◼️ SA will host joint naval exercise with BRICS-Plus: Democratic Alliance defence spokesperson Chris Hattingh said hosting this joint naval exercise with Iran and Russia “makes it increasingly difficult for the government to maintain that South Africa is genuinely pursuing a policy of non-alignment”. “Hosting the military forces of Iran and Russia is not neutral. These are sanctioned states involved in active conflicts and serious human rights abuses,” he added, predicting this “quiet military cooperation” would end “in open alignment”.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-12-31-sandf-confirms-sa-will-host-joint-naval-aval-exercise-with-bricsplus-states-next/

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◼️ Private school tax warning: However, National Treasury now wants to remove schools from the VAT system entirely. The draft amendment proposes that all goods and services supplied by schools registered under the South African Schools Act be exempt from VAT from 1 January 2026. This means that all VAT-registered schools will be forced to deregister, even though their commercial activities will continue.
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/12384/private-school-tax-warning-in-south-africa/

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◼️ ‘You’re invisible, you don’t exist’: He was born in Johannesburg and his father is South African, qualifying him for citizenship here. But when he tried to register for secondary school, he realised he didn’t have a birth certificate. Having been abandoned by his parents – his dad left before he was born and his mum when he was 14 – he could not prove his status.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2drqwp2eyo

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◼️ Teen moms as young as 15 give birth to New Year’s babies: “This highlights the ongoing challenges we face regarding teenage pregnancies in our province, an issue that requires urgent attention and comprehensive support,” said Eastern Cape Social Development and Acting Health MEC Bukiwe Fanta. StatsSA recorded 123 971 births by mothers aged 19 and younger between 1 January 2024 and 28 February 2025.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/teen-moms-as-young-as-15-give-birth-to-new-years-babies/

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◼️ How to avoid being hijacked and what to do if you fall victim: With over 20,000 vehicle hijackings taking place in South Africa each year, which is approximately 60 per day, remaining vigilant is not simply a good idea, it’s a necessary survival strategy. Around half of all hijackings take place in Gauteng, with a higher percentage reported on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm, according to Tracker.
https://iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/2026-01-01-how-to-avoid-being-hijacked-and-what-to-do-if-you-fall-victim/
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