Author: Kgaogelo Magolego

A lack of coordination within Cabinet may have contributed to the latest immigration chaos, which saw foreign nationals arriving in large numbers at refugee offices, believing they would be granted automatic asylum or citizenship. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni revealed that, after incorrectly interpreting a Constitutional Court judgment, the Department of Home Affairs issued directives to its staff without consulting the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration (IMC). She believes this created a national security threat. The IMC briefed the media in Pretoria, indicating that steps were being taken to approach the apex court to highlight the implications of the judgment…

Foreign nationals who arm themselves and fire shots at citizens or police pose a threat to the country’s security and will face a strong response from law enforcement agencies. This is the warning from South Africa’s Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, who was responding to several incidents in which groups of foreign nationals allegedly fired shots at anti-migrant protesters. Cachalia was part of the South African Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration’s media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday. He warned both migrants and South African citizens that the police would deal with any criminal activity, regardless of the nationalities of those involved.…

With calm restored in Johannesburg and Pretoria following anti-illegal immigration protests that forced the closure of refugee centres, attention has shifted to Durban, where police are struggling to contain demonstrations marked by shop looting and the destruction of property. At least a dozen cars have reportedly been set alight. Demonstrators are also attempting to mobilise support to disrupt the MTN8 Cup final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, scheduled to take place at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Police are working to contain the largely uncoordinated demonstrations in Durban, which have been characterised by sporadic looting and property damage. “Our officers are…

Scores of women have gathered outside the US Embassy in Pretoria to protest what they believe to be the Donald Trump administration’s silence on the rising number of incidents of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). The women, protesting under the banner of the newly formed Security Personnel Party of South Africa, also questioned Washington’s support for local right-wing groups that have promoted the white genocide misinformation campaign. Youth activist and councillor candidate Lethabo Mpete called on the Trump administration to speak out against gender-based violence and femicide rather than focusing on what protesters describe as a non-existent white genocide. “We…

The Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn the directive issued to immigration staff instructing them to allow undocumented foreign nationals to apply for asylum or refugee status instead of deporting them upon detection, following a Constitutional Court judgment delivered on 7 July 2026 in a case brought by Cape Town-based pressure group Scalabrini. In a statement, the department also sought to exonerate its political head, Minister Leon Schreiber, stating that he had not instigated the decision in any way, as it was purely an administrative matter. “The directive was originally issued to all Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) as a purely…

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has suggested that South Africans are ungrateful for the work being done by the government. Ntshavheni was part of an emergency media briefing by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Immigration, during which she questioned criticism of the government as unreasonable. The media engagement followed a wave of misinformation about the latest Constitutional Court ruling barring the government from deporting illegal immigrants before considering their applications for asylum. Many people, deliberately or otherwise, interpreted the ruling as granting blanket rights to foreign nationals who are in the country unlawfully, including the right to vote. The minister…

Load reduction set to end soon in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal Electricity Minister Sputla Ramokgopa has vowed to fulfil his commitment to end load reduction in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the only two provinces where the measure is still being implemented. The two provinces, which are South Africa’s most populous, continue to experience load reduction, while the remaining seven provinces have been freed from the measure. Briefing the media in Pretoria on Wednesday, Ramokgopa said his department was working closely with municipalities to ensure they had the infrastructure needed to meet growing electricity demand. “We have kept up to our promise to…

The taxi industry is consulting the government and fuel suppliers in a bid to avoid passing this week’s steep fuel price increases on to commuters. The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) said it had resolved to undertake further consultations with the fuel industry and government following the latest increases in fuel prices and continued uncertainty over fuel costs. SANTACO’s national office bearers met in Kempton Park on Tuesday to consider various options, ultimately agreeing that further consultations were necessary. In a statement issued by spokesperson Rebecca Phala, SANTACO said the consultations would focus on finding ways to cushion both…

Pan-African fintech Mukuru has launched its account and card services in South Africa as it seeks to diversify its offering and expand its footprint across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Mukuru has traditionally focused on international remittances and money transfers, particularly serving migrant workers sending money to families across Africa. The company says it now has more than 17 million customers and a significant presence in South Africa’s major cities and townships. The new Mukuru Account & Card is designed to give customers access to a wider range of everyday banking services through a single account. For South African…

The Gauteng Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) has arrested a second suspect in connection with the murder of EFF councillor Monica Dube. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said investigators relied on intelligence to identify the suspect. “Following an intelligence-driven investigation, investigators positively linked another suspect, a 39-year-old male. The suspect was arrested on Tuesday evening by the PKTT,” she said. Dube, 44, was shot and killed in the presence of her family members at her home in Wallmannsthal in June 2026. “The suspect is expected to appear before the Cullinan Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, where he…