HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Thu 05 February 2026:

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

◼️ More signs of collapse in South Africa: Persistent water outages are getting worse across Johannesburg, reflecting a fragile, poorly maintained system that is failing residents. Parts of the city have been without water for weeks, with residents turning to protest.
https://mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/2026-02-04-residents-angry-and-exhausted-as-joburgs-water-outages-drag-on/

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US envoy Bozell may not be welcome in SA: He said: “If the ambassador comes here to create a good relationship between us and the US, he is fine. “But not if comes here to dictate what we should think, what we should do, because we have a sovereign right to make those decisions,” Chikane said.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/us-envoy-bozell-may-not-be-welcome-in-south-africa/

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◼️ Billionaire Johann Rupert responds to Epstein Files: Prominent global banker Ariane de Rothschild regularly corresponded with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and one of the people she discussed with him was South African billionaire Johann Rupert. In a two-line email dated 17 January 2018, De Rothschild made a casual remark to Epstein that Rupert had lectured her on manners. “Are u still planning to come to Paris next week? Saw Johann Rupert — had a master class of management and manners. Yes, of all people, from him!” she wrote.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/business/627824-billionaire-johann-rupert-responds-to-epstein-files.html

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◼️ Minimum wage jitters: The Department of Employment and Labour has increased the National Minimum Wage to R30.23 per hour, marking the first time it has hit the R30 mark. While the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has praised the measure as a victory for workers, the National Employers Association of South Africa has warned this could worsen already-high unemployment rates.
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/16817/employers-warn-minimum-wage-increase-could-deepen-unemployment-in-south-africa/

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◼️ Nipah virus: The Nipah virus is a zoonotic pathogen carried by fruit bats that can occasionally spill over to humans and other animals. Unlike respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza, Nipah requires very close contact for human-to-human transmission, making community-wide spread unlikely. South Africa is not endemic for the disease, with the only risk coming from international travel to affected regions.
https://independentpress.cc/nipah-virus-poses-no-local-risk/2026/02/05/

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