HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Mon 05 October 2026:

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

◼️US Ambassador Bozell strikes back against Minister Lamola: United States Ambassador to South Africa, L. Brent Bozell III, said that when he denounces a personal attack from Minister Ronald Lamola, he gets demarched. He shared this information on social media following comments from Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola. Lamola told the Sunday Times that Bozell must ‘get out of the kitchen’ if he no longer believes in diplomatic engagements with Pretoria.
Read more here:
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/28588/united-states-ambassador-l-brent-bozell-iii-strikes-back-against-minister-ronald-lamola/

————-
◼️Serious sewerage situation: Nearly half of South Africa’s municipal wastewater treatment systems are in a critical state, with the department of water & sanitation pursuing 96 criminal cases against 53 water services authorities as it attempts to address persistent failures in the country’s sewerage infrastructure. The department said its latest “Full Green Drop Report”, released in March, assessed 848 municipal wastewater treatment systems during the 2023/24 financial year. Of these, 396 were classified as being in a critical state of performance.
Read more here:
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-10-05-nearly-half-of-south-africas-wastewater-systems-in-critical-state/

————-
◼️‘Give my friend Cele the penthouse’: “Good day Trucelle, can you kindly do me a favour, there is a friend of
mine who’s also a business partner. He is a former minister of police, Mr Bheki Cele. When he is in Pretoria can you please ask management to inform staff at the front desk to grant him access to the penthouse,” Matlala wrote. Cele, however, has denied receiving any money from Matlala and rejected suggestions that he had political influence over the cancellation of Matlala’s SAPS contract.
Read more here:
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-10-04-give-my-friend-cele-the-penthouse-matlala/

————-
◼️ Warning over criminal tactics ahead of record diesel prices: South African motorists are being warned of a rise in adulterated fuel as the country heads towards record-high diesel prices at the pumps. The warning follows the discovery of a suspected illicit fuel operation on a farm. The suspected operation forms part of a wider battle against diesel adulteration, in which paraffin and other cheaper substances are mixed with diesel before the fuel is sold into the formal market. An investigation at the end of 2023 found that around 70 service stations across South Africa were selling diesel containing paraffin.
Read more here:
https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/877505/warning-over-criminal-tactics-ahead-of-record-diesel-prices-in-south-africa/

————-
◼️Building Africa’s borderless digital payments economy: Africa’s digital economy is undergoing a major shift, built on mobile innovations that have already changed how millions of people work, save and transact. These transformations are driven by expanding connectivity, with Africa’s digital economy projected to make a potential contribution of $712-billion by 2050, bringing previously underserved communities into the digital fold.
Read more here:
https://iol.co.za/news/2026-09-30-building-africas-borderless-digital-payments-economy/

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22