HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Wed 07 January 2026:

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

◼️ Future of SRD grant uncertain, says Treasury: It is not clear whether the R370-a-month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will continue beyond March 2027. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said government departments are discussing linking the support for working-age adults to skills development and employment programmes.
But civil society groups and researchers warn that tying grants to job-seeking or skills conditions risks excluding many beneficiaries, and deepening poverty.
https://groundup.org.za/article/future-of-srd-grant-is-uncertain-says-treasury/

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◼️ Surprise as Ramaphosa appoints SIU boss Andy Mothibi as SA’s new NDPP: President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed advocate Andy Mothibi to lead the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Tuesday, a surprising decision after Mothibi was not among the six candidates interviewed for the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) position.
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-06-surprise-as-ramaphosa-appoints-siu-boss-andy-mothibi-as-sas-new-ndpp/

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◼️ SA’s medical emergency crisis: Nearly 30% of South Africa’s public Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel positions remain vacant. This has a major impact on providing emergency healthcare in the public sector, with the national public EMS personnel to population ratio sitting at 1: 4,311. “The population is growing rapidly, and EMS personnel just cannot keep up, leaving people needing emergency care vulnerable because we are already overstretched,” EMS paramedic Richard Moodie said.
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/14320/south-africas-medical-emergency-crisis/

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◼️ South Africans forced to pay for a R76 billion mistake: Nersa subsequently admitted to mistakes being made in its calculations, but posited that it only underestimated by R44 billion. The two parties then agreed to settle on a R54 billion difference. Had the settlement been confirmed, South Africans would have seen electricity tariffs increase by around 9% in 2026 and 2027.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/847271/south-africans-forced-to-pay-for-a-r76-billion-mistake/

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◼️ South Africa’s festive alcohol spending hits R414 million a day: Government data from recent festive seasons shows that around R7.7 billion was spent on alcohol between December 25 and January 1, a level of purchasing that experts say inevitably increases children’s exposure to alcohol. Homes, community events, and social gatherings become key sites where minors encounter drinking, often with limited supervision.
https://iol.co.za/the-star/news/2026-01-07-staggering-numbers-south-africas-festive-alcohol-spending-hits-r414-million-a-day

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