HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Fri 06 February 2026:

Here’s what’s happening in *South Africa today:* 👇🏼

◼️ US slams South Africa: On 4 January, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State commented on the matter, confirming the Trump administration’s disapproval. “South Africa’s recent decision to expel Israel’s top diplomat is another example of its poor foreign policy choices,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
https://newsday.co.za/international/16937/united-states-slams-south-africas-removal-of-top-israeli-diplomat/

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◼️ Heat, hunger and hope: Visiting nine branches across the country over the past fortnight, an IOL team observed lengthy lines, with applicants, some as old as 82, waiting most of the day in the hot sun for basic services such as identity documents, passports, and birth certificates. Travelling from far and wide with little to no money, many people arrive even before the sun is up, hoping to be helped.
https://iol.co.za/news/2026-02-06-heat-hunger-and-hope-inside-home-affairs-queues-across-sa/

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◼️ Madlanga commission postpones ANC member Suliman Carrim’s testimony: Carrim is facing increased scrutiny after he approached the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on an urgent basis to stop the commission from issuing a subpoena compelling him to testify on Friday. A dozen witnesses are expected to testify over the next few months as phase two of the commission gets underway.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/anc-member-suleiman-carrim-madlanga-commission-postponement/

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◼️ New possession rules: Adults wishing to use cannabis on private property will be limited to possession of 750 grams at any given time during a single day, as the state moves to put the guardrails in place to effect the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act.
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-02-04-proposed-rules-cap-private-cannabis-possession-at-750g/

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◼️ Endangered African Penguins threatened by Bird Flu: It urged the public not to touch sick or dead penguins and to report sightings immediately to the organization or other relevant authorities. In 2023, the global population of the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) fell below 10,000 breeding pairs for the first time, prompting the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to list the species as “critically endangered” in 2024.
https://independentpress.cc/endangered-african-penguins-threatened-by-bird-flu/2026/02/06/

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