HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Fri 13 February 2026:

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

◼️ DA doubles down: The DA has proposed scrapping BEE, through its Economic Inclusion for All Bill, introduced in October 2025. This private member’s bill aims to fundamentally reform South Africa’s transformation policies by repealing race-based elements in public procurement and broader empowerment legislation. Elon Musk has repeatedly said on his social media platform X that Starlink is not allowed to operate in South Africa because he is not black.
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/17567/da-doubles-down-on-push-to-make-bee-exceptions-for-elon-musk/

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◼️Ramaphosa deploys the army: President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent a strong warning to mafia-style organised crime groups, stating that their control over parts of South Africa’s economy and communities will no longer be accepted. A World Bank report last year estimated that crime costs South Africa about 9.6% of its GDP, including direct losses, security expenditures, and opportunity costs.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/850850/ramaphosa-deploys-army-to-take-on-mafias-in-south-africa/

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◼️ Water-shedding announced in SA: Redirecting water in this manner requires shutting off or throttling flow from stable reservoirs to their conventional supply areas. The minister also stressed the urgency of dealing with high water losses. “There are too many pies that are gushing water,” he said. “They are not being replaced on time when the system is vulnerable.” Over the past year, numerous Johannesburg residents have posted videos of leaking pipes across the city. In many cases, they complained that their reports to the city’s water authorities were ignored for multiple days.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/science/628912-water-shedding-announced-in-south-africa.html

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◼️ Deadly misunderstood: Across South Africa, the debate over pit bull‑type dogs has moved beyond community arguments and into formal civic pressure. In 2023, the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation delivered a petition with more than 139,000 signatures calling on the government to ban pit bulls as domestic pets — and demanding stronger regulation to protect people from deadly attacks. However, Jack’s frustration is not directed at the dogs, but at owners who fail to educate themselves.
https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-02-13-deadly-misunderstood-activist-fights-back-against-pit-bull-panic-in-sa/

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◼️ Government to push for stronger Alcohol legislation: “Alcohol abuse leads to violence, road accidents and crime. To address this scourge, we call on provincial governments to strengthen the regulation of alcohol by limiting the density of liquor outlets, restricting trading hours and ending the sale of alcohol in large containers. The President noted that excessive alcohol use is also a “major contributor to child stunting”.
https://independentpress.cc/government-to-push-for-stronger-alcohol-legislation/2026/02/13/

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