A Nation Left Behind

CREECY BLOCKS RAF FUEL LEVY INCREASE — “CONSUMERS ARE UNDER ENOUGH PRESSURE”

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has ruled out additional government funding for the Road Accident Fund and rejected its proposal to raise the RAF fuel levy from R2.25 to R3 per litre. “As long as I’m in this job, we will not apply to National Treasury for an increase in the fuel levy,” Creecy said, citing the strain motorists already face from projected November fuel hikes.

The RAF's financial position remains dire — it recently spent R13 million on disciplinary hearings alone. Creecy said legislative reform is needed to introduce a schedule of benefits and move toward a no-fault system, reducing costly litigation that currently absorbs much of the fund's budget.

Sources: eNCA · EWN · IOL · The Citizen — 13 October 2026Permalink

NOVEMBER FUEL HIKE PROJECTION NARROWS TO R3.16–R3.35 PER LITRE FOR PETROL

Central Energy Fund mid-month data projects petrol under-recoveries of R3.16 to R3.35 per litre, down from the R4+ estimates circulated in early October. If the current trajectory holds, petrol 95 would rise from R30.25 to approximately R33.60, effective 4 November — the same day as the municipal elections. Diesel under-recoveries sit at R1.77 to R1.97 per litre.

The improvement reflects a dip in crude oil prices after signals that US military action against Iran is unlikely before November's mid-term elections. However, crude has averaged above $100 per barrel amid broader Middle East supply tensions, elevated shipping costs and declining global reserves. The adjustment takes effect at midnight on 3 November.

Sources: AutoTrader · BusinessTech · The Citizen · IOL — 8–12 October 2026Permalink

NOVEMBER FUEL HIKE PROJECTED AT R4+ PER LITRE — COULD BE SINGLE LARGEST MONTHLY INCREASE ON RECORD

Preliminary Central Energy Fund data projects that petrol prices will rise by a further R4.29 to R4.58 per litre when November adjustments take effect on 4 November — potentially the single largest monthly increase on record. Diesel is projected to rise by R2.56 to R2.91 per litre.

October's increases already pushed inland petrol above R30 per litre for the first time. The projected hikes are driven by Brent crude averaging above $100 per barrel amid Middle East supply tensions, global refinery capacity constraints, and limited domestic buffers. The rand's relative stability at around R16.20 to the dollar provided only a few cents of relief.

These are mid-month projections and could shift before the final determination. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announces official adjustments closer to month-end.

Sources: BusinessTech · AutoTrader · Daily Maverick · MyBroadband — 5–10 October 2026Permalink

MANUFACTURING OUTPUT FALLS 4.3% — SHARPEST MONTHLY DECLINE SINCE MAY 2024

Stats SA data shows manufacturing production fell 4.3% year-on-year in August, after a 1.1% rise in July. Seasonally adjusted output dropped 3.1% month-on-month — the sharpest single-month decline since May 2024. Nine of ten manufacturing divisions recorded falls.

Motor vehicles, parts and other transport equipment fell 8.8%. Petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products fell 5%, contributing the largest share of the headline decline. Business Day linked the slump to surging fuel costs, which took effect on 7 October.

Sources: Stats SA · Engineering News · IOL · SABC News · Business Day — 8–9 October 2026Permalink

ANC CANDIDATE HEARING NOW SET FOR MONDAY 12 OCTOBER — NOT 7 OCTOBER AS WE REPORTED

Yesterday's entry stated the Constitutional Court was scheduled to hear the ANC's appeal to reinstate 181 excluded municipal candidates on 7 October. EWN reported on 5 October that the hearing is in fact set for Monday 12 October. We have not been able to confirm whether proceedings took place on 7 October, but the most recent reporting places the hearing on 12 October.

The IEC has told the court it believes the ANC's case has "little prospects of success." If the ConCourt rules in the ANC's favour, the IEC will have roughly three weeks to reprint ballots for six municipalities before the 4 November elections.

SUPERSEDED — The ConCourt ruled in the ANC's favour. On 16 October the IEC extended the same relief to 32 other parties, requiring 33 million additional ballots. See 2026-10-19-iec-extends-concourt-relief-32-parties.

Sources: EWN · IEC — 5–8 October 2026Permalink

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HEARS ANC'S BID TO REINSTATE 181 EXCLUDED CANDIDATES

The Constitutional Court was scheduled to hear the ANC's urgent application to reinstate 181 councillor candidates excluded from the ballot for the 4 November municipal elections in six municipalities: Mangaung, uMshwathi, Port St Johns, Ngquza Hill, Walter Sisulu and Sundays River Valley.

The crisis stems from the ANC's failure to click "submit as final" on the IEC's digital portal before the 28 August deadline. Officials uploaded the candidate documentation but did not complete the final step. The Electoral Court ruled against the ANC on 16 September; the party appealed to the Constitutional Court. The ANC argued in papers filed on 3 October that the IEC's software "cannot override constitutional rights" to stand for public office. The UDM indicated it would join as amicus curiae.

We have not confirmed whether the Court delivered a ruling today. If it did, the IEC would have roughly three weeks to reprint ballots. We will update when the outcome is established.

SUPERSEDED — EWN reported on 5 October that the hearing is set for 12 October, not 7 October. See 2026-10-08-concourt-anc-hearing-12-october.

Sources: News24 · EWN · SABC News · Briefly · TimesLIVE · BusinessDay · MDNtv — 23 September – 7 October 2026Permalink

COSATU MARCHES IN ALL NINE PROVINCES ON WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK

The Congress of South African Trade Unions staged nationwide protest marches and pickets from 09:00 to 16:30 on Wednesday, marking World Day for Decent Work. Major actions took place in Gauteng, the Western Cape and North West, with smaller pickets in every other province.

COSATU's demands included stronger enforcement of the National Minimum Wage, the hiring of 10,000 additional labour inspectors, an end to mass retrenchments — singling out Sun International by name — and stronger protections against the casualisation of labour and attacks on collective bargaining rights.

The marches were protected action under the Labour Relations Act. Participating employees were subject to no-work-no-pay but could not face disciplinary action.

Sources: SEIFSA · News24 · BizCommunity · Cape Town Etc · Joburg Etc · LabourWise · SwisherPost · XtraAfrica — 6–7 October 2026Permalink

PETROL BREAKS R30 A LITRE — LARGEST SINGLE INCREASE IN YEARS TAKES EFFECT

The fuel price adjustments announced by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy took effect at midnight. Inland 95 unleaded petrol now costs R30.25 per litre — the highest price in South African history. 93 unleaded rose by R3.12/l and diesel by up to R3.24/l depending on the grade.

The government attributed the increase to Brent crude climbing from $87.89 to $101 a barrel, driven by US–Iran tensions, uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz, higher shipping costs and falling global inventories. Illuminating paraffin rose R3.58/l at wholesale level. The Automobile Association called it a "severe blow to already stretched household budgets."

Cosatu timed its nationwide protest action (see below) to coincide with the day the hike took effect.

Sources: DMRE · GovernmentZA · AutoTrader · CarMag · Getaway · Hypertext · Cape Town Etc — 5–7 October 2026Permalink

ANC TAKES CANDIDATE LIST FIGHT TO CONCOURT — JUDGMENT AWAITED

The Constitutional Court heard the ANC's urgent appeal on Sunday 5 October to reinstate 181 excluded councillor candidates in six municipalities ahead of the 4 November local government elections. At the time of writing, judgment had not been delivered.

The ANC argues the required nomination data was captured on the IEC's Online Candidate Nomination System before the 28 August deadline, but the party failed to press a "submit as final" button — a step the IEC says was mandatory. The ANC successfully used the same system to complete submissions in 251 other municipalities.

The dispute affects 130 proportional-representation and 51 ward candidates across Port St Johns, Ngquza Hill, Walter Sisulu, Sundays River Valley (Eastern Cape), uMshwathi (KwaZulu-Natal) and Mangaung (Free State). The Electoral Court dismissed the ANC's case on 16 September.

SUPERSEDED — This entry incorrectly stated the Constitutional Court heard the ANC's case on 'Sunday 5 October.' The hearing is scheduled for 7 October 2026. 5 October was a Monday. See correction 2026-10-06-correction-concourt-and-madlanga.

Sources: EWN · News24 · TimesLIVE · IOL · The Citizen · MDNtv — 5–6 October 2026Permalink

TWO ERRORS IN TODAY'S EARLIER ENTRIES

1. The ConCourt has not yet heard the ANC candidate list case. Our entry (2026-10-06-anc-concourt-candidates) stated: "The Constitutional Court heard the ANC's urgent appeal on Sunday 5 October." That was wrong on two counts. First, 5 October 2026 was a Monday, not a Sunday. Second, and more importantly, the Constitutional Court hearing is scheduled for 7 October 2026 — it has not taken place yet. Multiple outlets including Briefly, EWN and the IEC's own confirmation to media place the hearing on 7 October. The earlier entry has been marked superseded.

2. The Madlanga Commission report is due 25 January 2027, not 16 November. Our Madlanga/Sindane/Khan entry stated the commission's final report is due 16 November. That was the original deadline. On 19 September, President Ramaphosa extended it to 25 January 2027 — a fact this site reported in its own backfill entry the same day (2026-09-19-madlanga-deadline-january-2027). The 16 November date should not have been published as current. The earlier entry has been marked superseded.

Sources: Briefly · EWN · IEC (ConCourt date) · The Presidency via The Citizen, SABC News (Madlanga deadline) — 6 October 2026Permalink

RECORD FUEL HIKE FROM 7 OCTOBER — PETROL 95 BREAKS R30 PER LITRE

South Africa faces its largest fuel price increase in over a year from Wednesday 7 October, with the inland price of 95 unleaded petrol rising R3.33/l to R30.25/l — a new record. The 93 octane grade rises R3.12/l to R29.88/l.

Diesel increases are equally severe: 0.05% sulphur diesel rises R2.84/l to R31.95/l inland, while 0.005% sulphur diesel climbs R3.24/l to R32.80/l. Coastal prices are marginally lower, with 95 petrol at R29.38/l.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy attributed the increases to rising international petroleum product prices as global inventories tightened. Analysts linked the spike partly to the Iran conflict's disruption of Middle Eastern oil supply chains.

The increase will compound pressure on consumers already dealing with the Q2 GDP contraction and food inflation. The Automobile Association warned that transport and logistics costs will rise across the economy, feeding into broader consumer price increases.

Sources: DMRE · TimesLIVE · CNBC Africa · AutoTrader · The Citizen · TimeOut SA — 6 October 2026Permalink

This site published nothing between 10 September and 5 October 2026. The gap was not editorial. The automated daily updater stopped working on 9 September and nobody noticed for 27 days.

Two unrelated things broke within an hour of each other. A Windows update replaced the version of PowerShell the scheduled job was pointed at and deleted the old one, so the job could not start. The same day, the unattended login the job uses expired and would not renew. The job's own status file therefore kept reporting the last successful run, and the task scheduler recorded no missed runs — because it did fire each morning, it simply failed to launch. Both faults are now fixed.

The entries dated 10 September to 5 October were written on 6 October from the archive, and each one says so. A date on this site is the date the thing happened. It does not mean this site reported it that day, and in this window it did not.

Some days in that window are thinner than they should be and a few are missing. Where the record could not be established from named sources, nothing was written rather than something plausible.

Sources: This site's own run logs and Windows Task Scheduler records, 9 September – 6 October 2026Permalink

R2.4 BILLION SPENT ON SANDF CHARTER FLIGHTS IN FIVE YEARS — MINISTER REFUSES DETAILED BREAKDOWN

Defence Minister Angie Motshekga disclosed in a written parliamentary reply to DA MP Chris Hattingh that the SANDF spent R2,395,521,275 on privately chartered flights between the 2021/22 and 2025/26 financial years — while the South African Air Force fleet remains largely grounded.

The yearly figures: R15.5 million in 2021/22, rising sharply to R753.8 million in 2022/23, then R622.8 million, R629.0 million and R374.9 million in the three years following. The five individual amounts add up to R2,396,061,275 — a R540,000 discrepancy with the stated total that the department has not explained.

Motshekga cited "operational requirements" including access to remote areas, medical evacuations, peacekeeping missions and VIP transport, but did not provide a flight-by-flight breakdown. Hattingh: "Minister Motshekga cannot keep hiding behind bureaucratic excuses." The DA says the minister has not disclosed how much was spent through irregular supply-chain deviations versus standard procurement.

Sources: DA statement · eNCA · IOL · Sowetan · SABC News · PoliticsWeb · VOC FM · Nova News — 5–6 October 2026Permalink

MORE THAN 50,000 SOCIAL GRANTS SUSPENDED IN A SINGLE QUARTER

Of 105,600 beneficiaries reviewed in the first quarter of 2026/27, 56,807 grants were suspended for non-compliance with review requirements, while 48,793 were assessed and confirmed eligible. A further 5,231 suspended grants were reinstated after beneficiaries complied. Beneficiaries get 30 days initially and a further 60 days before suspension. SASSA targets 350,000 reviews in 2026/27.

The order of magnitude — more than 50,000 — is corroborated across outlets. The precise breakdown rests on a single report, as does its attribution to a minister whose name we could not verify in that portfolio, so we do not name the minister here.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: The Witness · Rio Times · African Insider — 28 September 2026Permalink

PARTIES SIGN THE ELECTORAL CODE AS THE IEC WARNS TRUST IS COLLAPSING

At the code of conduct signing and ballot draw at Gallagher Convention Centre, Electoral Commission chairperson Mosotho Moepya set out figures on democratic disaffection: 17% of adults satisfied with democracy against 68% dissatisfied; 69% of young people believing their vote will not make a difference and 78% believing parties become indistinguishable once elected; roughly half of eligible citizens unregistered.

Signatories present included ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba and MK Party president Jacob Zuma. The Freedom Front Plus was drawn to the top of the ballot.

The keynote quotes survey research it does not name in the published text, and includes a figure for support for democracy in KwaZulu-Natal so extreme that we are not reproducing it until the underlying survey is identified.

By 4 October eight unresolved court matters — five in the Electoral Court, two in the Constitutional Court, one in the Gauteng High Court — were reported as bearing on ballot papers, while the IEC proceeded with printing. That report does not name the eight cases.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: IEC keynote · Polity · TimesLIVE · The Citizen · IOL · Inside Politics — 23 September – 4 October 2026Permalink

MUNICIPAL DEBT TO ESKOM REACHES R120 BILLION, PROJECTED AT R358 BILLION BY 2031

Overdue municipal debt to Eskom stood at R120.26 billion as at 31 July 2026, up from R111.6 billion at the end of the March financial year, and is projected to reach R358 billion by 2031 without intervention. 83 municipalities are under formal debt-recovery processes. By December 2025, 71 municipalities in the debt-relief programme collectively owed R85.2 billion, and only 10 of the 71 fully complied with payment requirements.

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa: “Municipal debt remains the single greatest threat to Eskom's financial sustainability.”

Johannesburg and City Power settled R5.25 billion combined.

A note on the figures: because different reports quote different as-at dates, amounts between R111.6bn and R120.26bn all appear in circulation and are not inconsistent with each other. Two days after this briefing one outlet reported the same minister putting municipal debt at R450 billion. That matches neither the overdue total nor the 2031 projection, and we are not publishing it as the debt figure.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: TimesLIVE · IOL · Briefly — 23–25 September 2026Permalink

RESERVE BANK RAISES THE REPO RATE TO 7.25% — UNANIMOUSLY

The Monetary Policy Committee raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.25%, effective 25 September, taking the prime lending rate to 10.75%. The decision was unanimous. It was the second increase of 2026.

The SARB cut its 2026 growth projection to 1.2% from 1.4%, and said it expects headline inflation to rise above 5% later in 2026 and early 2027, driven primarily by fuel prices, before returning to the 3% target towards the end of 2027. Longer-run inflation expectations sit around 4%.

Governor Lesetja Kganyago: “The committee decided to raise the policy rate by 25 basis points, to 7.25%, effective from 25 September. The decision was unanimous.” And: “It is crucial that inflation reverts to 3% as the current shock fades, and we take responsibility for delivering that outcome.”

The decision came the same day Stats SA reported annual inflation rising to 4.4% in August from 4.3% in July, with no change month on month. Food inflation rose for the first time since November 2025, to 1.1%. Fuel inflation eased to 20.0% from 20.6%. Producer inflation later slowed to 5.0% in August, a third consecutive monthly slowdown. The next MPC meeting is 19 November.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: SARB MPC statement · SAnews · Moneyweb · Stats SA · Bloomberg · EWN · IOL — 23–30 September 2026Permalink

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT STRIKES DOWN THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT OVER PARLIAMENT'S PROCESS

The Constitutional Court unanimously declared the Public Procurement Act of 2024 unconstitutional and invalid. The defect was not in the policy: the Court found no substantive provision unconstitutional and did not criticise the law's content. It found Parliament failed to facilitate reasonable public participation, particularly by allowing inadequate time for stakeholders to consider material amendments. Because the flaw was in the process, the whole Act fell.

Speaker Thoko Didiza acknowledged that Parliament takes too long to pass legislation and said its legislative processes were under review.

The judgment was handed down on a Thursday and reported the following day. We have not confirmed the handing-down date against the Court's own record, so treat 17 or 18 September as approximate. This entry rests on a single newsroom.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: Business Day — 18 September 2026 (single newsroom; date of handing down unconfirmed)Permalink

ANC EASTERN CAPE SECRETARY THREATENS TO SUE MBALULA OVER THE LIST FAILURE

ANC Eastern Cape provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi instructed attorneys to demand that secretary-general Fikile Mbalula retract and apologise for claims that he was responsible for the province's failure to submit municipal candidate lists. Mbalula's report reportedly stated that Ngcukayitobi submitted the province's final list 29 minutes before the IEC deadline and altered an NEC-approved list without authorisation. Ngcukayitobi gave Mbalula until noon on 22 September to retract or face a High Court defamation action.

On 20 September Eastern Cape chairperson Oscar Mabuyane called the failure “catastrophic” and blamed “anarchy” in the party, citing 34 material changes to the provincial list. Ngcukayitobi denies wrongdoing. The two accounts are in direct conflict and we record both.

We found no report of whether Mbalula retracted by the deadline or whether papers were filed, and no ANC disciplinary action was instituted against him in this period despite NEC members calling for it.

Separately, MK Party leader Jacob Zuma replaced his party's eThekwini mayoral candidate and ordered an urgent investigation into allegations that MK's councillor candidate lists were manipulated before submission to the IEC.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: Sowetan · Daily Maverick · The Herald · YFM · TimesLIVE · IOL · The Citizen — 9–20 September 2026Permalink

ELECTORAL COURT THROWS OUT THE ANC'S BID TO RESTORE 181 CANDIDATES

The Electoral Court dismissed the ANC's challenge to the IEC's rejection of 181 candidate nominations. The ANC had argued that uploading candidate details to the IEC's online system before the 17:00 deadline on 28 August amounted to submission, and that the “Submit as Final” step was an IEC design choice rather than a requirement of the Municipal Electoral Act. The court rejected the substantial-compliance argument. The DA was granted leave to intervene; the African Transformation Movement's bid to join was refused.

Six municipalities are affected: Port St Johns, Ngquza Hill, Walter Sisulu and Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape, uMshwathi in KwaZulu-Natal and Mangaung in the Free State.

The ANC filed at the Constitutional Court on 23 September, arguing that clicking “submit as final” was “not a legal requirement… but merely a software function.” IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Akhtari Henning answered that “the ‘submit as final’ requirement was required by law. Uploading and capturing does not and cannot amount to compliance.”

As at 5 October the Constitutional Court had not heard the matter, and outlets gave conflicting hearing dates. We are not publishing one.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: News24 · Business Day · Daily Maverick · IOL · EWN · Mail & Guardian · Sunday Times — 16 September – 5 October 2026Permalink

IEC CERTIFIES 136,790 CANDIDATES; 5,096 DISQUALIFIED

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo announced that 136,790 candidates had met statutory requirements to contest the 4 November elections — a record, up 41.4% on the 95,427 cleared in 2021. The breakdown: 98,219 party-nominated ward candidates, 38,571 party proportional-representation candidates and 621 independent ward candidates. 5,096 candidates were disqualified during statutory review, 1,280 required further documentation and 550 cases involved candidates nominated by more than one party.

The contest covers 10,526 seats. Candidates are 38% women and 62% men. 84% of nominations were submitted online.

By 18 September the IEC had secured 23,696 voting stations — 22,668 permanent, 995 temporary and 33 mobile — and was recruiting 23,696 presiding officers and 29,964 deputies. Special-vote applications opened 21 September and close 12 October at 17:00, with special voting on 2 and 3 November.

On the number of municipalities: the IEC's own briefing gives 8 metropolitan, 44 district and 205 local, which totals 257. One later report says 259. We use the IEC's own breakdown.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: SAnews · IEC · George Herald · IOL · EWN · SABC News — 16–21 September 2026Permalink

RETAIL SALES UP 3.4%, THE STRONGEST SINCE JANUARY

Stats SA reported July retail trade sales up 3.4% year on year, well ahead of a 0.9% consensus and the strongest expansion since January, following 1.1% in June. Seasonally adjusted sales rose 2.5% month on month, the largest monthly increase since December 2023. Six of seven retail groups grew, with general dealers the largest positive contributor. Furniture and appliance retailers recorded a 32nd consecutive month of annual growth at +6.6%.

Wholesale trade sales for the same month were reported down 1.1%, on a single source.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: IOL · Trading Economics · East Coast Radio — 16 September 2026Permalink

CURRENT ACCOUNT SWINGS TO A R205.5-BILLION DEFICIT, THE WIDEST IN SEVEN YEARS

The Reserve Bank's September Quarterly Bulletin reported the current account swinging from a surplus of R181.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026 to a deficit of R205.5 billion in the second — from +2.3% of GDP to −2.6%. Bloomberg called it the widest current-account deficit in seven years.

The SARB attributed it to a surge in crude oil and refined petroleum import values linked to the Middle East war, a narrowing trade surplus, and a widening income-account deficit as dividend receipts fell and interest payments rose. The Bulletin records a R146 billion merchandise trade surplus for the quarter and a rand that appreciated 3.9% in nominal terms.

This followed the GDP contraction of 0.2% in the second quarter, reported on 8 September, after growth of 0.4% in the first.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: SARB Quarterly Bulletin · Business Day · Polity · Bloomberg · Stats SA — 8–10 September 2026Permalink

MINING OUTPUT DOWN 7.5% AS PLATINUM AND COAL SLUMP

Stats SA reported July mining production down 7.5% year on year against a consensus forecast of a 4.0% decline, accelerating from June's revised −4.3%. Ten of twelve mining sectors fell. Platinum group metals were the largest drag at −13.5%, coal −7.5% and iron ore −8.1%. Only chromium ore (+13.7%) and manganese ore (+4.9%) grew.

Manufacturing production for July rose 1.1% against an expected fall of about 2%.

Transnet separately reported a R4.6 billion profit for the year to 31 March 2026, against a R1.9 billion loss the year before — its first annual profit in four years, helped by an asset sale. Revenue rose 7.1% to R88.6 billion and rail volumes 4.9% to 167.9 million tonnes, though the EBITDA margin fell 2.2 percentage points to 34.8%. Reporting on its annual report puts debt at about R150.7 billion, exceeding annual revenue, with Transnet in breach of covenants with some lenders; that debt figure rests on one outlet's reading of the report.

Added later — this entry was written on 6 October 2026, not on the date above. The daily updater was down and this day was reconstructed from the archive afterwards.

Sources: IOL · Business Day · Engineering News · CNBC Africa · Moneyweb — 10 September 2026Permalink

ANC FILES ELECTORAL COURT PAPERS — SEEKS ORDER DECLARING 181 CANDIDATES VALIDLY SUBMITTED

The ANC has formally approached the Electoral Court to challenge the IEC's exclusion of approximately 181 ward and proportional representation candidates who were not formally submitted before the 28 August deadline.

The party's court papers ask the court to set aside the IEC's decision to exclude the nominees and to declare the candidate lists validly submitted, arguing the data was received by the IEC's electronic system on 28 August but did not complete the final electronic step.

Affected municipalities include Sundays River Valley and Walter Sisulu in the Eastern Cape, Ngquza Hill and Port St Johns (ward and party lists), uMshwathi in KwaZulu-Natal, and Mangaung Metro in the Free State.

Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula rejected claims the party was seeking preferential treatment. The IEC's final candidate list is scheduled for publication on 16 September, leaving the court limited time to decide. Opposition parties have warned against any accommodation of the ANC's "blunder."

SUPERSEDED — The Electoral Court dismissed the ANC's case on 16 September 2026. The ANC then appealed to the Constitutional Court, which heard arguments on 5 October. See 2026-10-06-anc-concourt-candidates.

Sources: EWN · TimesLIVE · The Citizen · IOL · News24 · Scrolla Africa — 8 September 2026Permalink

GDP CONTRACTS 0.2% IN Q2 2026 — GROWTH STREAK ENDS AT SIX QUARTERS

Stats SA confirmed that South Africa's economy contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter of 2026, ending six consecutive quarters of growth. Q1 had registered 0.4% expansion.

On the production side, mining fell 3.0% (platinum group metals, manganese ore, gold and iron ore all declined), trade fell 1.9% (wholesale, motor and food & beverages), and manufacturing fell 1.8%. Together these three sectors subtracted 0.5 percentage points from GDP.

On the expenditure side, household spending rose a modest 0.4%, but net exports knocked 1.1 percentage points off GDP as imports surged while exports stagnated. A net inventory build-up of R8.8 billion reflected lower demand rather than planned stocking.

Positive contributions came from finance, real estate and business services, transport, storage and communication, and government services. Analysts linked the contraction partly to the Iran war's dampening effect on domestic demand and commodity markets.

Sources: Stats SA · IOL · SABC News · eNCA · Yahoo Finance · Business Day · TimesLIVE — 8 September 2026Permalink

ANC FACES EXCLUSION FROM UP TO 181 COUNCIL SEATS — ELECTORAL COURT ACTION UNDER CONSIDERATION

The ANC failed to formally submit all its councillor candidate lists before the IEC deadline of 17h00 on 28 August 2026, leaving approximately 181 ward and proportional representation candidates at risk of disqualification ahead of the 4 November municipal elections.

The party blamed a technical glitch on the IEC's Online Candidate Nomination System, saying candidate data had been captured but not formally submitted before the cutoff. The IEC rejected this, stating the system operated without disruption and that no party would receive an extension.

Affected municipalities are in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State (including Mangaung). President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the party is considering an Electoral Court challenge, arguing that the data exists within the IEC system and that disqualification on procedural grounds would be unjust.

Opposition parties have warned against any special treatment for the ANC. Analysts attribute the failure to internal factional battles over candidate selection rather than a system fault.

Sources: News24 · TimesLIVE · EWN · The Citizen · IOL · eNCA · VOC FM — 1–7 September 2026Permalink

CORRECTION: Q2 GDP RELEASE IS TUESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER, NOT MONDAY

Yesterday's entry (2026-09-05-gdp-preview) stated that Stats SA would release Q2 2026 GDP data on Monday 8 September. This was wrong: 8 September 2026 is a Tuesday. The release is confirmed for 11h00 on Tuesday 8 September at a media briefing in Tshwane.

SUPERSEDED — Overtaken: GDP data released 8 September showing −0.2% Q2 contraction. See 2026-09-08-gdp-q2-contraction.

Sources: Stats SA media advisory — 6 September 2026Permalink

Q2 2026 GDP FIGURES DUE MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER

Stats SA will release South Africa's second-quarter 2026 GDP data at a media briefing in Tshwane on Monday 8 September. The data will show whether the economy expanded or contracted in the April–June period.

The release comes amid a strengthening rand — trading around R15.95 to the US dollar — but persistent inflation pressure from rising oil prices and the sharp fuel price increases that took effect on 3 September (up R1.34–R3.15 per litre across grades). The SARB's next Monetary Policy Committee meeting is 23 September.

SUPERSEDED — Overtaken: GDP data released 8 September showing −0.2% contraction. See 2026-09-08-gdp-q2-contraction. Also corrected: 8 September is a Tuesday, not Monday — see 2026-09-06-gdp-day-correction.

Sources: Stats SA · TradingEconomics — 4–5 September 2026Permalink

RESERVE BANK SIGNALS NATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEM BILL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the long-awaited National Payment System Bill will soon go out for public comment. Speaking at the MTN Group Fintech summit in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Kganyago said the reform would move regulation from an entity-based model — where oversight follows the type of institution — to an activity-based one.

“Similar payment activities should be subject to similar regulatory expectations, whether they are performed by a bank or a fintech,” Kganyago said. The Bill is intended to replace the 1998 NPS Act and would allow the Reserve Bank to licence and supervise payment activities including e-money, wallets, merchant acquiring, payment initiation and third-party payments — not just banks.

Sources: TechCentral · Business Tech Africa — 2 September 2026Permalink

FUEL PRICES: PETROL UP R1.34, DIESEL UP TO R3.15 PER LITRE FROM WEDNESDAY

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has confirmed fuel price increases effective Wednesday, 2 September 2026:

Petrol (both 93 and 95 ULP/LRP): +R1.34/litre. Inland 95 ULP rises to approximately R26.92/litre.

Diesel 0.05% sulphur (500 ppm): +R2.94/litre. Diesel 0.005% sulphur (50 ppm): +R3.15/litre, taking inland 50 ppm diesel to approximately R30.05/litre.

Illuminating paraffin: +R2.13/litre.

The increases are driven by elevated international refined-product prices during the review period (31 July to 27 August), geopolitical pressures including reduced Russian crude exports, and an increased government slate levy. A stronger rand partially offset the basic fuel price impact but was insufficient to absorb the full increase.

Sources: Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources · CarMag · AutoTrader · Briefly · IOL — 29 August–1 September 2026Permalink

IEC CANDIDATE NOMINATIONS CLOSE TODAY AT 5 PM — MK PARTY ANNOUNCES METRO MAYORAL CANDIDATES

The hard deadline for candidate nominations for the 4 November municipal elections falls today at 17h00. The IEC's online nomination system will shut and no further submissions or amendments will be accepted. Candidates have had 21 calendar days to submit lists and documentation.

The MK Party held a briefing in Umhlanga this afternoon to announce its mayoral candidates for the metros it will contest. Party president Jacob Zuma and other officials unveiled the names. The briefing was delayed from 14h00 to 16h00. The party reported that one of its mayoral candidates allegedly survived a suspected hijacking that afternoon, though no name or metro was disclosed.

The IEC has confirmed full operational readiness, with just under 24,000 registration stations across 4,488 wards prepared for voting day.

Sources: IEC · SABC News · EWN · SAnews · Business Day — 26–28 August 2026Permalink

IEC CANDIDATE NOMINATIONS CLOSE FRIDAY AT 5 PM — NO EXTENSIONS POSSIBLE

The Independent Electoral Commission has reminded all political parties and independent candidates that the hard deadline for submitting candidate nominations for the 4 November 2026 municipal elections is Friday 28 August at 17h00. The online candidate nomination system will close at that time and no further submissions or changes will be accepted.

Candidates have had 21 calendar days to submit their lists and nomination documents. The IEC has urged all parties to complete submissions well ahead of the deadline to enable post-nomination processes. The commission has confirmed full operational readiness for the elections, with just under 24,000 registration stations across 4,488 wards prepared.

Sources: IEC · SAnews · EWN · SABC News · Business Day — 26–27 August 2026Permalink

HOME AFFAIRS SPENT R341 MILLION ON DEPORTATIONS AGAINST A R57-MILLION BUDGET — AND IS ASKING TREASURY FOR MORE

The parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs heard on Tuesday that the department has incurred approximately R341 million in expenditure on the post-June repatriation operation — against an annual deportation allocation of just R57 million. The department has submitted a request to National Treasury for R292 million in unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure.

Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane called the situation “untenable.” The Border Management Authority reported that 72,906 people were repatriated through ports of entry between 7 June and 14 July. The Musina processing centre alone handled 48,948 foreign nationals, of whom 95.5% were classified as border jumpers. Most were Malawian nationals, followed by Zimbabweans and Mozambicans.

The department received R60 million from the criminal assets recovery account and is seeking reimbursement from the governments of Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia for repatriation costs. Whether those governments will pay is an open question this page will track.

Sources: TimesLIVE · Sowetan · News24 · allAfrica · Polity — 12–26 August 2026Permalink

INFLATION SLOWS TO 4.3%; FOOD INFLATION LOWEST IN OVER 16 YEARS — WITH ONE LARGE CAVEAT

Stats SA reports annual consumer inflation of 4.3% in July 2026, down from 5.0% in June. Month-on-month, CPI rose just 0.2%, against 0.7% in June. Stats SA attributes the slowdown to three things: softer food inflation, lower municipal tariff increases, and falling fuel prices.

The headline number is food. Food and non-alcoholic beverages recorded annual inflation of 0.9% — the lowest reading in more than sixteen years, since June 2010. Transport inflation cooled to 8.9% from 12.7%.

Here is the caveat, and it matters more than the number. Inflation measures the *rate at which prices are rising*, not what things cost. Food inflation at 0.9% means food prices have very nearly stopped climbing — after years in which they climbed hard. It does not mean food got cheaper. The 40.8 million South Africans below the upper-bound poverty line face the same prices as last month; they are simply no longer being asked for more each month. A near-zero rate on top of a high base is relief from further damage, not repair of the damage already done.

And the trajectory may not hold. This print covers July. Diesel rose R1.38/l on 5 August — the input cost behind freight, farming and food distribution. Transport inflation is still running at 8.9%. Whether August reverses the food and transport gains is the question, and this page will report the answer rather than predict it.

The rand traded at R16.03/USD on 25 August, firmer than the R17.02 recorded when the site last logged it in July.

Sources: Statistics South Africa — CPI July 2026 (P0141) · EWN · Trading Economics — 25 August 2026Permalink

Until today this site's headline statistics read 31.4% official unemployment, 42.4% expanded and 62.2% youth unemployment, sourced to Q4 2025 and presented as current — with the economy page describing the rate as “lowest since 2020.” Two quarters had passed and the trend had reversed: Q1 2026 was 32.7% and Q2 2026 is 33.6%. The 31.4% figure was also never the Q1 number it was captioned as in places. All unemployment figures across the home page, economy page, inequality page, refugees page and the site-wide statistics ticker have been updated to Q2 2026, and the youth figure now cites the Stats SA 15–34 measure (47.4%) rather than an unsourced 15–24 number.

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Q2 2026: UNEMPLOYMENT RISES TO 33.6%; 345,000 MORE PEOPLE OUT OF WORK

Stats SA released the Q2 2026 Quarterly Labour Force Survey today. Official unemployment rose to 33.6%, up 0.9 percentage points from 32.7% in Q1 2026. The number of unemployed people increased by 345,000 to 8.5 million, while the number employed *fell* by 16,000 to 16.7 million.

The broader measures. Unemployment plus time-related underemployment (LU2) rose 0.7 points to 36.6%. Unemployment plus the potential labour force (LU3) — which counts discouraged work-seekers who have given up looking — rose to 43.8%. The composite measure of labour underutilisation (LU4) was unchanged at 46.3%. Nearly half the potential workforce is not fully employed.

Youth. Unemployment among people aged 15–34 reached 47.4%, up 1.5 points in a single quarter. That is 5.0 million young people without work.

Where the jobs went. Losses: community and social services −57,000, mining −26,000, agriculture −15,000, manufacturing −15,000. Gains: trade +70,000, construction +39,000, finance +11,000. By province, the Western Cape shed 48,000 jobs while Mpumalanga added 41,000.

Why this matters beyond the number. Losing jobs in mining, agriculture and manufacturing while adding them in trade and construction is a shift from tradeable, higher-productivity work toward domestic services. It also lands in the same month diesel rose R1.38/l — the input cost for exactly the freight and farming sectors now shedding staff.

Sources: Statistics South Africa — Quarterly Labour Force Survey Q2 2026 (released 11 August 2026)Permalink

AUGUST FUEL PRICES IN EFFECT: PETROL DOWN 52c, DIESEL UP R1.38

The August adjustment took effect Wednesday, 5 August 2026 — and it splits the country in two.

Petrol falls: both 93 and 95 unleaded drop 52 cents per litre. Petrol 95 now costs R25.58/l.

Diesel jumps: diesel 0.05% (500ppm) rises R1.38 per litre to a wholesale price of R26.16/l. Diesel 0.005% (50ppm) rises R1.23/l. Illuminating paraffin also increases.

Why this matters more than the petrol relief: diesel is the input cost of the economy — freight, long-haul trucking, farming, mining, and the backup generators that municipalities and businesses still run. A R1.38/l increase feeds directly into food prices and transport costs within weeks, and lands on households that gained roughly R26 on a 50-litre petrol tank. Diesel is now more expensive per litre than petrol at wholesale — an inversion that squeezes exactly the sectors that move goods. It compounds pressures already in the system: SANTACO taxi fare increases from July 8 (R8–R25/trip), the 8.76% April electricity tariff hike, and municipal service charge increases from July 1.

Sources: DMRE · The Citizen · BusinessTech · Time Out — 4–5 August 2026Permalink

An earlier version of this page reported August fuel prices as effective 1 August, with Petrol 95 at R24.12/l (down 35c) and diesel and paraffin falling. That was wrong in both timing and direction. The adjustment took effect 5 August; Petrol 95 is R25.58/l after a 52c decrease; and diesel rose sharply (+R1.38/l on 500ppm), as did paraffin.

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MANUFACTURING CONTRACTS AGAIN; CONFIDENCE IN THE OUTLOOK COLLAPSES

The Absa Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 46.8 in July, from 47.3 in June. Any reading below 50 signals contraction. Absa cautioned the headline number likely overstates the weakness: both the business activity and new sales orders sub-indexes actually rose in July on firmer domestic demand.

The alarming figure is forward-looking. The index tracking expected business conditions six months out fell to 49.3 from 56.6 — a collapse of more than seven points in a single month, flipping manufacturers from net-optimistic to net-pessimistic about early 2027. Absa attributed the reversal to renewed Middle East tensions and oil prices rising off their June lows.

The counterweight: new vehicle sales rose 11.9% year-on-year in July, following June's 54,500 units — a 19-year high for that month. Lower interest rates are reaching consumers even as the factories that would employ them contract.

Sources: Absa/BER PMI · Engineering News · The Citizen · CNBC Africa · NAAMSA — 3 August 2026Permalink