HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Fri 22 May 2026:

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

◼️ Trump accepts credentials of SA’s new ambassador: Meyer succeeds former Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool, who was expelled as ambassador in March last year. In a SABC interview from Washington, Meyer described the credential ceremony at the White House as “warm”. A controversial figure in South African politics, Meyer is hailed as having been a key negotiator to dismantle apartheid by some, by others as a painful reminder of that past for the roles he played during that time, and as a “sellout” by sections of the Afrikaner community.
https://www.ewn.co.za/trump-accepts-credentials-of-sa-s-new-ambassador-roelf-meyer/

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◼️ Cape Independence group asks Trump to pressure government into referendum: “Afrikaners and other minority groups do not need a new home. We love the one we have, we just need to be able to make our own decisions and to decide for ourselves how we want to be governed as opposed to having that dictated to us,” Craig wrote. The Presidency had previously rebuked any talk of Cape independence, while the department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) stated that South Africa was not a “foreign protectorate”.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/cape-independence-group-trump-to-government-referendum/

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◼️ R27 million paid to people who don’t exist: The TERS was set up during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide relief to workers affected by the lockdowns that took place between 2020 and 2022. According to the department, the suspects, including a construction company director, his spouse, and a relative, allegedly misused the TERS system by claiming benefits for fictitious employees. This resulted in an estimated loss of over R26.9 million to the Unemployment Insurance Fund, which administers TERS on behalf of the department.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/860632/r27-million-paid-to-people-who-dont-exist/

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◼️ Durban’s Mayor Cyril Xaba announces new repatriation office for refugees: Xaba stated that the initiative would not extend to undocumented foreign nationals or asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected. The mayor made the announcement during a visit to the Diakonia Centre, where hundreds of foreign nationals had sought shelter amid growing tensions around immigration and employment in the city. The group of foreigners had told authorities that had been fled from their homes and places of work in the Durban CBD due to alleged threats and violence.
https://iol.co.za/mercury/news/2026-05-22-durbans-mayor-cyril-xaba-announces-new-repatriation-office-for-refugees/

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◼️ Proposal to force digital platforms to label AI-generated content: “The problem of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, generally characterised as fake news, remains a serious challenge,” she said. “We have observed the contribution of digital media and artificial intelligence (AI) as theatres and tools of disinformation and misinformation.” According to Ntshavheni, South Africa’s position was exacerbated by the fact that its people were rated as the most propagandised people in the world.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/649128-proposal-to-force-digital-platforms-to-label-ai-generated-content-in-south-africa.html

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