HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

Wed 22 April 2026:

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

◼️ ‘SA fuels Gaza deaths’: BDS claims that allowing mining companies to continue exporting SA’s coal to Israel was contradictory because by so doing, the country was indirectly supporting the genocide against the people of Palestine, while the government had approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop the genocide.
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/sa-fuels-gaza-deaths-bds-demands-halt-to-coal-exports-fueling-gaza-war/

————-
◼️ IEC notes significant looming challenges ahead: The commission was before the committee on Tuesday to brief it on its annual performance plan for the year ahead, with a budget of R3.1 billion. Meanwhile, IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo said the commission is 80% complete in preparing its information technology systems and testing voter management devices.
https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/04/22/iec-notes-significant-looming-challenges-ahead-of-local-govt-polls

————-
◼️ Court blocks Northern Cape’s extended liquor trading hours: The Northern Cape High Court has upended the provincial government’s plans to extend liquor trading hours, upholding a challenge brought by the nonprofit DG Murray Trust. The trust is campaigning against moves by provinces and municipalities to extend the hours during which alcohol can be sold, arguing that increasing the availability of liquor will worsen South Africa’s high rates of binge drinking and associated violence.
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/health/2026-04-22-court-scraps-northern-capes-extended-liquor-trading-hours/

————-
◼️ France to lend R1.9 billion to help fix collapsing cities: The funding would add to the $925 million lent to the country by the World Bank to finance the South African National Treasury’s Metro Trading Services programme, aimed at improving water and sanitation, electricity provision and solid-waste management services.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/857965/france-to-lend-r1-9-billion-to-help-fix-collapsing-cities-in-south-africa/

————-
◼️ New rules for satellite Internet operators in SA: While Starlink remains unlawful to use in South Africa, some South Africans in remote areas accessed the service using its roaming product as a workaround, albeit at a higher cost. The company attempted to restrict the exploitation of its roaming service, where customers can still connect to Starlink Internet outside of their country of origin, by cutting the service after a specific time.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/642395-new-rules-for-satellite-internet-operators-in-south-africa-including-starlink.html

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

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