HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Wed 21 January 2026:

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

◼️ COSATU rejects salary hike for politicians and judiciary: Parks said it’s an even greater affront that the salary hikes include over 9,000 councillors when most municipalities are on the brink of collapse. “If government has spare funds, it must hire doctors, nurses, police officers and other front-line workers needed to provide essential services to working-class communities of the economy.”
https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/01/21/cosatu-rejects-salary-hike-for-politicians-and-judiciary

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◼️ Future of NHI back on the table: Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has agreed to meet with the South African Medical Association (SAMA) to discuss the future of National Health Insurance (NHI) after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana urged parties involved in litigation over the NHI Act to negotiate a settlement.
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/health/2026-01-21-doctors-to-discuss-future-of-nhi-with-health-minister/

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◼️ GDE warns parents: “Attending a non-registered school negatively impacts pupils, as these schools are also not captured in the Education Management Information System (EMIS) system, leaving pupils unfunded and outside the formal education framework,” the department said. The GDE warned that reports issued by illegal schools are invalid and cannot be transferred to registered schools, making it difficult for pupils to continue their education.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/education/gde-warns-parents-of-illegal-unregistered-schools/

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◼️ Important ruling for motorists: Zilwa challenged the arrest in the Western Cape High Court. He claimed that he was not the driver of the vehicle when it was caught speeding. However, he had taken possession of the vehicle before being stopped by the police and ultimately taken into custody after the car was caught speeding by average speed-over-distance cameras.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/motoring/625690-important-ruling-for-motorists-caught-driving-too-fast-in-south-africa.html

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◼️ Road safety is a shared responsibility: “I’ve always called for greater awareness from parents to monitor the vehicles that are taking their children,” he said. “Schools… know that they have the responsibility, amongst others, to look at the cars that are dropping learners at school [and] to have a register of each and every vehicle that brings children to the school so that they are able to account that this car, this plate number and this driver are responsible for this particular child.”
https://independentpress.cc/chiloane-places-burden-of-transport-oversight-on-parents-and-schools/2026/01/21/

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