HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY |WEDNESDAY

Wed 09 September 2026:

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

◼️ Last-ditch Mandela auction battle turns on R21m prison key: A handmade key from Robben Island prison, expected to fetch about R21m at auction, became a hotly contested issue before the
Constitutional Court on Tuesday, with the South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) seeking to stop the sale. Responsible for protecting South Africa’s cultural heritage, the agency wants to interdict the sale and prevent 28 other items belonging to Nelson Mandela from being auctioned to foreign buyers in New York.
Read more here:
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/law/2026-09-09-last-ditch-mandela-auction-battle-turns-on-r21m-prison-key/

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◼️ RAF pays R28.5m to 16 suspended staff sitting at home: The employees were suspended between May 2024 and July 2026. She did not give reasons for the suspensions. “In accordance with the requirements of the labour legislation, all suspensions are paid pending the finalisation of the respective disciplinary processes,” Creecy said. The Minister added that the monthly salaries of the suspended employees range from R48,796.00 to R333,874.00.
Read more here:
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/26821/the-road-accident-fund-paid-r28-5-million-to-16-suspended-employees-who-sit-at-home/

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◼️ OR Tambo leads SA’s airport drug busts: However, Parliament has been told that all three airports remain vulnerable to organised crime. According to Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia, OR Tambo, Cape Town International Airport and King Shaka International Airport collectively recorded 117 narcotics-smuggling cases between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 financial years. The nationality profile reflects South Africa’s role as both a destination and transit hub for international drug trafficking networks, particularly those linked to South America and Europe.
Read more here:
https://iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2026-09-09-or-tambo-leads-sas-airport-drug-busts-as-seizures-exceed-r2368-million-in-2026/

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◼️ Zimbabwean Grade 12 pupils brought back to SA to write matric exams: The process is being facilitated by the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Coordinating Committee (ZEPCC) Academy. This comes two months after The Citizen reported that thousands of Zimbabwean pupils faced an education crisis as families affected by deportations and anti-immigration tensions were forced to leave SA. At least 35 000 children reportedly returned to Zimbabwe with their parents between May and September.
Read more here:
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/education/matric/zimbabwean-grade-12-pupils-brought-back-to-sa-to-write-matric-exams/

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◼️ Government officially responds to social media ban for anyone under 16: Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi was asked whether the government planned to introduce legislation or regulations restricting access to social media platforms for people under 16. The question specifically asked whether South Africa would follow measures adopted or proposed in other countries and, if so, what platforms would be covered and when the restrictions could be introduced. Malatsi gave a clear response.
Read more here:
https://businesstech.co.za/news/telecommunications/874361/government-officially-responds-to-social-media-ban-for-anyone-under-16-in-south-africa/

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