HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Mon 05 January 2026:

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

◼️ GNU divided over US military action in Venezuela: On the other hand, the leader of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), Dr Corné Mulder, whose party is party of the GNU, posted to social media platform X that this strong condemnation from DIRCO and the “ANC minister” was expected. “It will be done in all of our names, but it will not represent our views. The end of the socialist failure in Venezuela should be welcomed,” he said.
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/14143/gnu-parties-clash-on-us-intervention-in-venezuela/

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◼️ Fight about matric results: In essence, the regulator argued that publishing a pupil’s results without their consent was a violation of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), even using only their exam numbers. When the DBE did not provide an undertaking not to publish the results in the press by the deadline, the Information Regulator issued a R5-million fine against the government department.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/security/623949-fight-about-matric-results-in-south-africa.html

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◼️ SARS is coming after your bank account in 2026: Tax Consulting SA has highlighted that these data-driven insights are a major driver of SARS’ recent compliance gains. The firm noted that SARS can process taxpayer bank statements without prior warning and can also request information from crypto-asset service providers when investigating potential non-compliance.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/finance/846607/sars-is-coming-after-your-bank-account-in-2026/

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◼️ Concerns raised about escalation of private school fees: “There is an urgent need for greater transparency regarding how school fees are determined, particularly where increases substantially exceed inflation. Meaningful engagement with parents and stakeholders is necessary,” Makaneta said. Makaneta added that South Africa’s future depends on an accessible education system. “Escalating private school fees threaten to widen the gap between the rich and the poor.”
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/back-school-concerns-raised-escalation-private-school-fees/

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◼️ Here Are The SASSA Grant Payment Dates For January 2026 — And Why Biometric Verification Matters: “Beneficiary biometric verification is a security measure used to confirm the identity of individuals through their unique biological traits like fingerprints or facial recognition,” the agency said. The agency advised beneficiaries to rely only on official SASSA communication channels for updates and warned against misinformation circulating on social media, particularly around payment dates and verification requirements.
https://africannewsagency.com/here-are-the-sassa-grant-payment-dates-for-january-2026-and-why-biometric-verification-matters/

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