The South African Revenue Service (SARS) will begin the 2026 Filing Season with an Auto Assessment period from 1 to 12 July, during which about six million taxpayers with less complex tax affairs are expected to be assessed automatically.

SARS said Auto Assessment would apply to taxpayers whose information has been fully supplied by employers and other third-party data providers, including financial institutions, medical schemes and retirement funds.

The broader filing period will open on 13 July. Non-provisional taxpayers who are required to submit returns have until 23 October 2026 to file, while provisional taxpayers and trusts have until 22 January 2027.

“While today’s launch marks the continuation of the Filing Season communication campaign, Filing Season does not open to everyone at the same time,” SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu said.

SARS described its Auto Assessment as “a world-class innovation that is unprecedented globally for tax administrations”, saying it was intended to simplify filing for compliant taxpayers whose information was already available to the revenue service.

“The phased approach manages taxpayer flows, reduces unnecessary pressure on service channels, and provides certainty about when each taxpayer should act,” SARS said.

Taxpayers selected for Auto Assessment will receive an SMS, email or other SARS notification. SARS said those who are satisfied that the information on their assessment is complete and correct do not need to take further action.

“Taxpayers who receive an SMS, email, or other SARS notification informing them that they have been auto-assessed must not be startled and visit SARS Service Centres. If they are satisfied that the information reflected is complete and correct, they do not need to do anything — tax just happens for them,” Makhubu said.

SARS said refunds would be paid within 72 hours where all details were in order. However, taxpayers who owe SARS will still be expected to pay, while those who need to correct information can do so through eFiling or the SARS MobiApp.

Makhubu urged taxpayers not to rush to SARS branches during the Auto Assessment period, saying the revenue service had upgraded its systems to manage high volumes.

“Robust systems and capacity upgrades have been implemented to handle high volumes, with a virtual ‘waiting room’ in place on eFiling and the SARS MobiApp to manage volume surges. If too many users log in simultaneously, some will be held briefly in a secure queue to keep systems running smoothly,” he said.

SARS encouraged taxpayers to use digital channels before visiting a branch. These include eFiling, the SARS MobiApp, the SARS Online Query System, the Contact Centre and SARS’s WhatsApp service.

Taxpayers who need to visit a Service Centre can book an appointment online through the SARS website, call 0800 00 7277 and select option 0, or SMS 47277 with the word “Booking” followed by their ID or passport number.

SARS said its Online Query System allows taxpayers to file queries, upload documents, request a tax number and access other services from home.

“These channels reduce the need for physical visits and provide taxpayers with more flexible ways to manage their tax affairs,” SARS said.

The revenue service said third-party data would be central to this year’s Filing Season. If employers, banks, medical schemes, retirement funds or other providers update or correct information after 1 July, a taxpayer’s initial assessment may change.

SARS said it would also roll out webinars, explainer videos and live question-and-answer sessions to help taxpayers understand who will be auto-assessed, how to review an ITA34 notice and how to file a return if required.

Makhubu said taxpayers should do a pre-Filing Season “health check” by ensuring that their personal information, banking details, contact details and tax affairs were up to date.

“A closed bank account, missing third-party data submission, or an outstanding return from a previous year can all delay an otherwise smooth outcome,” he said.

SARS also sought to reassure taxpayers about refund delays, saying delays did not automatically mean something had gone wrong. It said verification processes may be required where there are mismatches in banking details, recently changed bank accounts, outstanding tax obligations from previous years, or late corrections from third-party data providers.

Makhubu said SARS paid more than R35 billion in refunds during last year’s Filing Season.

“Tax compliance is both a legal obligation and a civic duty; it enables the building of a capable state that funds public services and infrastructure that we all rely on. We understand that Filing Season involves more than just deadlines and forms; it is about creating certainty, reducing unnecessary effort, and assisting taxpayers in complying in a manner that is easier, faster, and more seamless,” he said.

“I wish to urge taxpayers to be truthful in their declaration.”

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KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has warned of a possible factional “war” after Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and Major-General Nosipho Precious Madondo were allegedly told to report to the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria, only for no arrests to be carried out.

Speaking outside the station on Thursday, Mkhwanazi said intelligence received by his team suggested there were efforts to ensure that he and Khumalo were “behind bars” within 48 hours.

“I wanted to see for myself. We received intelligence that IDAC (Investigating Directorate Against Corruption) was given 24-hours to bring [me] and General Khumalo to the cells. Our intelligence says there was a panic that there were warrants of arrest for IDAC officials, and that’s not true. We are facing a war,” Mkhwanazi told NewzroomAfrika.

He reiterated that the reports that warrants had been obtained against officials from the IDAC were false, saying no such investigation existed from his side.

“If there was a rumour yesterday, I’m saying again, live on TV, there’s no warrant of arrest that we have ever applied for in IDAC. In actual fact, there’s not even an investigation for that matter,” he said.

“What the intelligence received yesterday was that they have given themselves 48 hours to make sure that myself and Khumalo are behind bars because they believe that we have secured a warrant of arrest for IDAC officials. I did not believe that story because there’s no warrant of arrest from where I am, there’s not even an investigation that involves anyone from IDAC,” added.

According to Mkhwanazi, the warning appeared to gain credibility when Khumalo informed him that he had received a call instructing him to report to Brooklyn police station.

“I thought, if indeed it’s true, that means perhaps they might also be looking for me, so I might as well be close by,” he said.

The confusion deepened when Khumalo and Madondo arrived at the station accompanied by their attorney, James Ndebele, only for no arrests to be carried out.

Ndebele said both officers had been contacted earlier in the day and instructed to surrender themselves.

“I represent Lt-Generals Khumalo and Madondo. They were called earlier this afternoon, around 13:00 and instructed to surrender themselves for arrest and detention at the Brooklyn Police Station. They were informed that a warrant of arrest had been issued for their arrest,” he said.

According to Ndebele, the situation changed after their arrival.

“When they arrived here at quarter past two, I was present, IDAC was not here. They were then informed by a man who called them and informed them that he was the chief investigator at IDAC and that they would not be arrested today, due to a decision or call that came through from senior management,” he said.

Ndebele said neither officer had been informed of the nature of the alleged charges.

“What is strange though, is the fact that they were not afforded any opportunity to provide a statement of sorts. This decision has been made. I don’t know how they arrived at the decision, but my clients have been prejudiced at IDAC repeatedly hurling them at police stations,” he said.

Speaking earlier to eNCA, Ndebele described the episode as embarrassing to have an attorney instructed to attend the police station with clients, at the request of IDAC, only for them not to pitch.

In response to the growing speculation, IDAC issued a brief statement earlier on Thursday afternoon, denying that any arrests had taken place.

“The NPA’s IDAC takes note of the media reports on the arrest of the Head of Crime Intelligence General Dumisani Khumalo. We wish to set the record straight that General Khumalo has not been arrested nor has anyone else from Crime Intelligence,” the directorate said.

However, both Ndebele and Mkhwanazi questioned the directorate’s statement, saying it was odd given their account that Khumalo and Madondo had been specifically instructed to present themselves at the police station.

In June last year, Khumalo, Madondo, Maj-Gen Philani Lushaba, Maj-Gen Josias Lekalakala, Maj-Gen Zwelithini Gabela, Brig Dineo Mokwele and Brig Phindile Ncube appeared in court on fraud and corruption charges linked to the alleged irregular appointment of Mokwele within Crime Intelligence.

Khumalo, Madondo, Lekalakala, Gabela, Ncube and Mokwele were granted bail, while Lushaba initially remained in custody because his matter was treated as a Schedule 6 offence.

Khumalo later challenged restrictions barring him from Crime Intelligence premises and was reinstated as Crime Intelligence head in November 2025.

Earlier this year, Khumalo told Parliament’s ad hoc committee that a coordinated “misinformation campaign” had been launched against him as he sought to reform what he described as a lawless and corrupt division.

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Former Crime Intelligence boss Mulangi Mphego has denied any involvement in the disappearance of documents — linked to the Phala Phala investigation — from the Pretoria home of since deceased Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi.  

The documents, linked to the investigation into the theft of foreign currency from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s private Phala Phala game farm, are alleged to have disappeared after Mfazi’s death in 2021, when his belongings were packed at his Pretoria home and delivered to his wife, Malindi, in the Eastern Cape.

Mphego has been at the centre of speculation in the Phala Phala investigation as former head of intelligence.

In a detailed statement issued this week, he said  he had chosen to remain silent and not publicly engage on the matter even though he “felt hamstrung and trapped in a complex emotional knot between personal loyalty and professional ethics”.

Mphego, who was former deputy president David Mabuza’s special advisor, said that he had chosen to remain quiet out of a desire to protect personal matters, but now that there were people who had sent “digital assassins” to hijack Mfazi’s memory, he would no longer remain silent.

He denied any political links to Ramaphosa, as has been widely claimed.

“The sensationalist claims suggesting I had political links to President Ramaphosa, or any role in the alleged disappearance of Phala Phala investigation files from Pitso’s (Mfazi) possession, are absolute fabrications.

“I hold absolutely no brief for President Ramaphosa or any individual associated with the Phala Phala debacle. I completely reject any sickening attempt to link my name to the alleged sordid actions,” he said in the statement.

He said when he served in The Presidency between 2018 and 2023, he was explicitly working as the since deceased Mabuza’s special advisor, and never worked with the president.

He also said he had no knowledge that Mfazi, whom he regarded as his best friend, was investigating the Phala Phala matter or that he had any documents linked to it.

Mphego further denied setting foot inside Mfazi’s Pretoria home during the period after his death, rejecting allegations that he had personally packed or removed any documents from the house.

He said his only involvement was responding to a distress call from Steve, one of the people he said had been involved in transporting Mfazi’s belongings.

According to Mphego, Malindi had instructed three people, whom he named as Felicia, Steve and Luyolo, to pack Mfazi’s belongings and deliver them to her in East London.

“Under Malindi’s direct orders, Felicia, Steve, and Luyolo loaded Pitso’s black Mercedes-Benz bus. Steve, accompanied by Luyolo, then drove that bus straight to Malindi in East London, handing over the vehicle and its entire contents directly to her.

“Any documents Pitso possessed would have been packed into that specific bus and delivered to Malindi. That is exactly where investigators must probe,” he said.

Mphego also revealed that he had initially thought that Mfazi’s death was related to COVID-19, but he has since been “utterly shocked to learn of allegations pointing to a far sinister possibility: that he was murdered”.

He called for a “rigorous, uncompromised, and formal criminal investigation” into Mfazi’s death and said he was prepared to assist investigators in any credible process aimed at establishing the truth.

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The Makhanda High Court has declared the ANC’s decision to appoint an interim Provincial Task Team (PTT) in the Eastern Cape unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid, marking the latest legal setback in the party’s protracted provincial leadership dispute.

In a judgment handed down by Judge Vuyokazi Noncembu on Thursday, the court suspended the operation of the 44-member task team and set aside its appointment, ruling that the ANC National Executive Committee’s (NEC) decision to replace the elected Provincial Executive Committee with the interim structure violated both the Constitution and the ANC’s own rules.

The ruling stems from a long-running battle over leadership in the Eastern Cape, where divisions emerged ahead of a provincial elective conference at which Premier Oscar Mabuyane was expected to seek re-election against then provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi.

That conference was successfully interdicted by disgruntled ANC members including Lwazi Rotya. Following the lapse of the provincial executive committee’s term, the ANC NEC appointed a Provincial Task Team led by Mabuyane. The decision was challenged in court by party members who argued that it was unlawful and contrary to the ANC constitution.

Judge Noncembu ruled that the announcement of the PTT’s appointment was unconstitutional in breach of Section 19 of the Constitution, unlawful and in violation of the applicants’ contractual rights as ANC members.

The court also found that the decision violated the ANC constitution and the party’s guidelines governing branch, regional, provincial and national conferences.

As part of the order, the court reviewed and set aside the appointment of the task team and declared any decision recognising or giving effect to it invalid.

The appointment of all 44 members of the Eastern Cape PTT was declared invalid, while all decisions taken by the structure were ruled unlawful, invalid and of no force or effect.

Members of the task team have also been interdicted from holding themselves out as members of the ANC Eastern Cape PTT or representing the province in any ANC structure, meeting, conference or activity pending the final determination of the matter.

In a strongly worded judgment, the court criticised the ANC’s conduct during the litigation and ordered the party to pay the applicants’ legal costs on an attorney-and-client scale.

Judge Noncembu said the ANC’s opposition to the matter suggested a lack of good faith and that the dispute could have been resolved without expensive litigation had the party been transparent with its members.

“The issues that arose in this matter could have been easily resolved between the parties without the costly litigation involved, had the ANC been upfront with its members,” the judge said.

The court further pointed to contradictory versions presented by the respondents and concluded that their conduct warranted a punitive costs order.

Following the judgment, ANC Eastern Cape spokesperson Yanga Zicina said the party would study the ruling and seek legal advice before deciding on its next move.

“The judge has granted an interim interdict, interdicting the PTT from operating as a structure pending the finalisation of the matter,” said Zicina.

He said the ANC would not simply accept the outcome and would consider all available legal options.

“This is an outcome that of course as the ANC we will not take lying down because if we do we believe that we could be on a path to be liquidated through the use of courts or the abuse of courts by those who fail to make their opinions heard in the formal structural processes.”

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South Africa kept their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign alive after battling back to secure a 1-1 draw against Czechia in their second Group A match at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday night.

Bafana Bafana entered the match under pressure following their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the tournament opener, but showed resilience to earn a valuable point and keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.

Czechia struck early when Michal Sadilek scored in the sixth minute, putting South Africa on the back foot from the outset.

Despite the setback, Hugo Broos’ men refused to give up and continued searching for an equaliser.

Their persistence paid off in the 83rd minute when midfielder Teboho Mokoena converted a penalty after Pavel Sulc was penalised for handball, rescuing a point for Bafana and sparking celebrations among South African supporters.

The result leaves South Africa with one point from two matches in Group A. While Bafana are not in control of their own destiny, the draw keeps their chances of progressing to the knockout stages mathematically alive.

However, there was a setback for South Africa as Mokoena picked up his second yellow card of the tournament in the 33rd minute, meaning he will be suspended for the team’s final group-stage clash.

Bafana will now turn their attention to a crucial encounter against Korea Republic, commonly known as South Korea, at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Wednesday, 24 June.

For South African viewers, the match will kick off at 03:00 SAST on Thursday, 25 June.

South Africa will likely need a strong result against South Korea and will also have to keep a close eye on goal difference and other results in the group as they chase a place in the next round.

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This evening, at 6pm SA time, Bafana Bafana play their 11th and arguably most important match at the World Cup finals when they face Czechia.

Anything less than a victory will leave their tournament hanging by a thread and could turn their remaining match against South Korea, in the early hours of next Thursday, into little more than an academic exercise.

The first and most obvious reason Bafana can and must win is that, in Czechia, they meet the weakest opponent in the group — and not only because Czechia are ranked 40th in the world to Bafana’s 60th.

Czechia needed two penalty shootout victories in the European playoffs to qualify. They remain lethargic and unconvincing, lacking players of technical ability and relying heavily on set-pieces, including long throw-ins in the final third, to create meaningful chances.

Their only goal so far came in their 2-1 loss to South Korea, after they had taken the lead.

Coach Hugo Broos has to resolve both formation and personnel issues for tonight’s game, starting with who replaces Sphephelo Sithole as the midfield anchor after he gave away the opening goal and was sent off against Mexico.

Captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams played the ball as he does every week at Mamelodi Sundowns, but Bafana forgot that he is not surrounded by technically accomplished club teammates who are comfortable playing from the back.

It looks like Sithole will be replaced by Thalente Mbatha, a defensive midfielder of limited abilities who can sometimes look lost in midfield for his club, Orlando Pirates, but recovers well enough to get the job done.

The two players Broos must start are Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng on the flanks, supporting Iqraam Rayners — not Lyle Foster — up front.

The Czechs will have studied Foster closely from his time in the English Premier League, and he looks drained by Burnley’s relegation campaign. Mofokeng will struggle against Czechia’s physicality, but he can still hurt them if protected by the referee and properly supported by his teammates.

Teboho Mokoena and Jayden Adams must be given another opportunity to drive the team creatively. Bafana’s defence will have to be at its best in aerial challenges, which will place a heavy responsibility on Williams and Ime Okon.

Bafana must play on the front foot in a more attacking formation, or Broos risks wiping out much of the goodwill earned by his achievements, including qualifying South Africa on merit for the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

The second and more compelling reason Bafana must win tonight is that they are unlikely to get anything from the game against South Korea. They will struggle to cope with South Korea’s pace and technical ability.

The best way to approach South Korea would be to play with a low block and a double pivot in midfield to shut the back door.

That would leave room for one creative player, who would then need to be assisted by the wingers — again, probably Appollis and Mofokeng. Tshepang Moremi could also help connect defence with attack, with the line led by Rayners or a reinstated and rested Foster, and later Evidence Makgopa.

When this World Cup concludes, South Africa must hold an inquest into how two Asian nations, South Korea and Japan, have grown into football powers over the 34 years since South Africa were readmitted to international football in 1992, and the 30 years since South Africa were crowned African champions in 1996.

Japan’s J.League was launched soon after South Africa’s readmission to FIFA, at a time when South Africa already had a strong established local league.

Both Japan and South Korea play in a confederation where they travel vast distances to face opposition of uneven quality, including smaller football nations such as the Maldives. Yet they have built systems that consistently produce technically accomplished, disciplined and tactically intelligent players.

Japan have beaten Brazil and England over the past year and have drawn with the Netherlands at this World Cup. Both Japan and South Korea are expected to qualify for the knockout stages, with South Korea likely to do so at South Africa’s expense — or possibly even as group winners ahead of co-hosts Mexico if they draw with or beat them at 3am tomorrow morning.

China, with a population of more than a billion and years of investment in its own Super League, has still not got it right in the way Japan and South Korea have.

Their secret is a willingness to admit their own limitations and invest in developing players — two things South African football has too often been unwilling to do.

Next week, those limitations may be exposed. But before then, Bafana have an opportunity to keep that match alive by beating Czechia tonight.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday used the launch of the Milestones of Freedom programme to warn that South Africa’s democratic journey remains unfinished, saying millions still face hunger, unemployment and crime despite the gains made since apartheid.

Ramaphosa launched the programme at the Union Buildings in Tshwane as the country marks four major anniversaries in its liberation and democratic history: 70 years since the 1956 Women’s March, 60 years since District Six was declared a whites-only area, 50 years since the 1976 Soweto uprising, and 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution.

“Over the course of the next year, our nation will together remember where we have come from. We will honour those who carried us here. And we will renew the promise we made to one another at the dawn of our democracy,” Ramaphosa said.

“In the span of a few short months, the calendar of our history brings together four anniversaries that, woven together, tell a story of who we are as a people.

“They speak of oppression and dispossession, of courage and resistance, and of restoration and rebuilding.”

He said the anniversaries were not only moments of remembrance, but a reminder of the work still required to fulfil the promise of freedom.

“There are still South Africans who go to bed hungry, still young people without work, still communities living in fear of criminals.

“There are still South Africans waiting for the dignity that freedom promised.

“We do not gather here to declare that our long walk to freedom is complete.”

The president said the Milestones of Freedom programme would honour the sacrifices of those who resisted apartheid while calling on South Africans to confront the country’s current challenges.

Seventy years after the 1956 Women’s March, Ramaphosa paid tribute to the women who gathered at the Union Buildings to protest against pass laws.

“Seventy years ago, on the 9th of August 1956, in the very place that we gather today, some 20,000 women of every colour and creed converged to demand an end to injustice and discrimination,” he said.

“They came to say to the apartheid state, in a single defiant voice, that they would not carry the hated dompas.

“They stood in silence for thirty minutes. And then they sang the words that have echoed through the decades: Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo. You strike the women, you strike a rock.”

Ramaphosa also spoke about the forced removals from District Six, saying the declaration of the Cape Town community as a whites-only area in 1966 remained one of the starkest examples of apartheid dispossession.

“Sixty years ago, in February 1966, the apartheid government declared District Six in Cape Town a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act.

“In the years that followed, more than 60,000 people were torn from their homes, their shops, their mosques and their churches, and scattered across the Cape Flats.”

He said District Six was part of a broader pattern of forced removals across the country, including Sophiatown and Cato Manor.

Turning to the 1976 uprising, Ramaphosa said the youth of Soweto had helped change the course of South African history.

“Fifty years ago, on the 16th of June 1976, the children of Soweto walked out of their classrooms and into history.

“They were schoolchildren who refused to be taught in the language of their oppressor. They refused to bend their knee to a system designed to keep them in servitude.

“Their peaceful protest was answered with teargas, bullets, arrest and torture.”

Ramaphosa said the Constitution, adopted on 8 May 1996, was the democratic inheritance of generations who had fought pass laws, forced removals and Bantu Education.

“The Constitution begins with the words: ‘We, the people of South Africa.’

“In doing so, the Constitution reaffirms the fundamental principle that this country belongs to all who live in it, black and white, united in our diversity.”

The president said South Africa had made significant progress since 1994, including expanding access to electricity, water, housing, clinics, schools, social grants and free basic services.

“Since the dawn of democracy, millions who lived in darkness now have electricity.

“Millions who carried water from distant rivers now have clean water flowing from a tap. Together, we have built millions of homes and thousands of clinics and schools.”

He said women had moved into leadership positions in government, the courts, universities, boardrooms and other areas of national life, but said the fight against gender-based violence and femicide remained central to the country’s unfinished freedom project.

“We have placed the fight against gender-based violence and femicide at the centre of our national agenda, because a country where women are not safe is a country that is not yet free.”

Ramaphosa said government would continue with land restitution and redistribution, while working to grow the economy, fix the energy supply crisis, rebuild ports and railways, and back small businesses and entrepreneurs.

“An economy that is inclusive and growing – that reaches every township and village – is the surest instrument we have against poverty.

“An economy that creates jobs, particularly for young people, is the greatest guarantor of a secure and prosperous future.”

He said government was also working to confront crime and corruption, rebuild law enforcement institutions and pursue those who stole public money.

“We are pursuing those who stole from the people, because money looted through corruption is money taken from a clinic, a classroom, a child.”

Ramaphosa ended his address by calling on South Africans to become active citizens, take part in the National Dialogue and register to vote during the voter registration weekend on 20 and 21 June.

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The MK Party has expelled former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, and former national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela from the party Zuma launched into national politics, accusing them of serious misconduct and undermining the organisation’s authority.

The announcement was made during a media briefing in Sandton on Thursday by the party’s Secretary-General, Sibonelo Nomvalo.

Nomvalo said national officials had considered a series of actions, public statements and activities by Zuma-Sambudla and Ndhlela, which were in conflict with members’ constitutional obligations and had undermined organisational unity, discipline and cohesion.

In Zuma-Sambudla’s case, the party said it had noted repeated public statements and social media publications that it said promoted factional narratives, discredited recognised party leadership structures, challenged the legitimacy of party decisions and brought internal organisational matters into the public domain.

Nomvalo said Ndhlela had acted without proper organisational authority, convened and addressed media briefings without approval from recognised party structures, misrepresented party positions and participated in unauthorised activities that created confusion about official party processes and leadership arrangements.

The party also raised concerns about the conduct of both members following the death of MK Party MP Muzi Ntshingila.

Nomvalo said both members had participated in an activity that resulted in the transfer of an ailing Ntshingila to another health facility without the knowledge of his family.

The party said neither Zuma-Sambudla nor Ndhlela had authority to involve themselves in matters relating to Ntshingila’s illness or to separate him from his family. It also said concerns had been raised about the removal of Ntshingila’s personal belongings from his parliamentary residence without the knowledge of his family.

Following complaints from Ntshingila’s family about public commentary and conduct surrounding the deceased, MK Party parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe instructed both members not to attend funeral proceedings and to refrain from making public statements, commentary or social media posts that could cause further distress to the family.

“Despite these clear instructions, both members failed to comply with the directive.”

The party specifically accused Zuma-Sambudla of participating in social media commentary relating to the deceased, describing her conduct as insensitive, disrespectful to a grieving family and inconsistent with the values, discipline and standards expected of party members.

“Their actions constituted a direct disregard of organisational authority and further aggravated divisions within the movement during a period of mourning.”

Nomvalo said the party’s national officials had considered the seriousness, extent and cumulative impact of the conduct, and concluded that Zuma-Sambudla and Ndhlela had acted in a manner fundamentally inconsistent with the party’s values, discipline, constitutional principles and organisational interests.

Invoking powers vested in Zuma under the MK Party constitution, the organisation announced the immediate expulsion of both members.

“Their membership of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party is hereby terminated, and they shall no longer enjoy any rights, privileges, responsibilities or authority associated with membership of the organisation,” Nomvalo said.

The expulsion marks another dramatic development in Zuma-Sambudla’s political career after she resigned as an MK Party MP in November 2025 amid allegations linked to the recruitment of 17 South African men who ended up in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The MK Party previously said her resignation was voluntary and was not an admission of guilt. Zuma-Sambudla has denied knowingly sending the men into the conflict.

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South Africans should check and update their voter registration details this weekend, with the Electoral Commission (IEC) reminding citizens that voters in the local government elections may only vote in the voting district where they are registered.

The IEC said all 23 706 voting stations, including 22 718 permanent stations, 960 temporary stations and 28 mobile stations for remote communities, will be open from 08h00 to 17h00 on Saturday and Sunday for the voter registration weekend.

Addressing the media on Thursday, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission was ready for the 4 November elections.

“The voters’ roll currently stands at 28 million registered voters, despite ongoing monthly reductions of approximately 34 000 due to mortality,” Mamabolo said.

He said the voters’ roll stood at 27.7 million during the 2024 general elections, with online registration helping to grow it.

“The online registration platform is proving to be a crucial element in the growth of the voters’ roll. In the context of a local government election, correct placement of voters in wards is a crucial element for the delivery of free and fair elections.”

The commission said there is no statutory mechanism for voters to vote outside the voting district in which they are registered during local government elections, making it critical for voters to verify or update their address and ward details.

It said a targeted communication and registration campaign had been conducted after the municipal boundary re-determination process, during which a number of voters were reassigned to different wards and voting districts.

The IEC said it visited 303 953 affected voters across the country, added 51 475 new voters and updated the registration details of 252 478 voters, representing 83% of the total records processed.

Mamabolo also said the IEC had successfully delivered all necessary voter registration materials across all provinces, including Voter Management Devices, stationery packs, directional signage and document storage boxes.

Mamabolo said 39 641 Voter Management Devices were available to service registration stations across the country.

“These devices have undergone necessary maintenance to ensure that they
are fit-for-purpose,” he said.

“These devices are central to modern voter registration operations, enabling real-time citizenship verification, accurate capture of voter details, and seamless integration with the voters’ roll.”

He said that if there is no bandwidth connectivity, the devices will operate by storing registration data locally, which will later be uploaded once they are connected to the network.

The commission said external reviews had also been conducted on the registration app used on the Voter Management Devices and on the registration portal, including code assessment, functional testing and load testing.

It said both the registration portal and the registration app had been found to be ready for the weekend under normal load volumes.

Mamabolo said the commission had appointed and trained 48 212 registration staff to ensure a smooth and efficient voter registration process across all registration stations.

“Significantly, 34 404 of the appointed staff members are unemployed, qualified persons,” he said.

“This highlights the important contribution electoral events make towards temporary employment opportunities and skills development.”

The IEC said 37 994 of the appointed staff members were women and 10 218 were men, while 22 599 were under the age of 35.

The registration weekend takes place during Youth Month, with the commission urging first-time voters to register.

While the commission said 18- and 19-year-olds have not had multiple opportunities to enlist on the voters’ roll because they have only recently become eligible, it said more than 70% of this age group were still to register.

It also said the commission’s Tertiary Institutions Campaign (TIC) continues to boost youth participation. By 31 March 2026, the campaign had reached 269 552 students nationwide, of whom 158 446, or 59%, were newly registered voters.

“Building on these positive results, the commission will soon roll out another TIC campaign to encourage eligible students to register to vote, verify their registration
details, and participate actively in the democratic process at all tertiary institutions
across the country.”

Mamabolo said the commission had significantly expanded its voter education and outreach programme, conducting 34 356 Civic and Democracy Education events that have reached more than 6.6 million people nationwide.

He added that to further strengthen community engagement ahead of the elections, the commission had recruited 834 Municipal Outreach Officers, including 52 from the disability sector, to reinforce the commitment to inclusive electoral participation.

“On 11 and 12 June 2026, the commission trained over 70 members of Blind SA on
the use of the Universal Ballot Template (UBT) as part of its efforts to promote inclusive electoral participation,” he said.

“The initiative aims to empower blind and visually impaired voters to confidently cast their ballots independently, and with dignity during the forthcoming elections.”

Following a “thorough” public consultation process, Mamabolo said the commission had determined and published the election deposits needed for the upcoming elections.

He stressed that these deposits must be paid by those intending to participate in the election.

“Those participants who secures at least one seat in the election have their deposits returned to them,” he said.

“Those who fail in this regard, their deposits are forfeited to the National Revenue Fund.”

He also said that with these deposits now set, the commission is ready to make the Online Candidate Nomination System available to registered political parties and prospective independent candidates to input candidate and supporter information.

He urged political parties and independent candidates to ensure their contact details are current and accurate to facilitate effective communication.

Mamabolo further encouraged all eligible South Africans to take full advantage of the voter registration weekend to register, verify, or update their details on the voters’ roll.

“Citizens must ensure they present a South African identity document, Smart ID card, green barcoded ID book, or valid Temporary Identity Certificate when registering or updating their details,” he said.

“Proof of address is not requirement for registration, but the provision of a place of ordinary residence is required.”

IEC Deputy CEO Masego Sheburi said possible disputes within voting stations can be reported through the administrative chain of command.

“Our staff at the voting stations – the second layer, is what we call an area manager, responsible for a cluster of municipalities. If they can resolve the issue, they will report to a local municipal office. The local municipal office can escalate to a provincial,” Sheburi said.

He said the commission has operational centres in all provinces and hopes all issues will be resolved efficiently.

Regarding proactive digital monitoring tools to combat fake news or voter intimidation tactics, Sheburi said the commission had increased its capacity on social media and through facility equipment to counter misinformation.

“I think the priority is to provide productivity, correct information, as we’ve done this morning, so that people have information from the IEC,” he said.

“We have a contact centre and that should be the source of information for people if they are confronted with information they need to identify as well as our website, which is available.”

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South Africa’s inflation rate is expected to peak at about 5% in June before easing in the second half of the year, potentially allowing the South African Reserve Bank to pause its rate-hiking cycle at its July meeting, according to Nedbank.

This is the view of Nedbank in the wake of the release of the latest inflation figures.

Stats SA reported on Wednesday that annual consumer price inflation rose to 4.5% in May, from 4.0% in April, reaching its highest level since July 2024, when inflation was 4.6%.

The increase is due to high fuel prices which have been driven by higher oil prices because of the war between Iran and the United Sates, with Israel no longer directly involved.

Stats SA noted that transport costs surged from 4.9% year on year to 9.4% due to higher fuel prices.

Nedbank noted that over the month, fuel prices increased by 14.3% as the Strait of Hormuz blockade kept global oil prices high.

Consequently, fuel inflation jumped from 11.4% to 28.7%, the highest since October 2022. Inflation for private transport operations also surged from 9.7% to 21.8%.

It now all hinges on a peace deal that threatens to unravel before it’s signed on Friday in Geneva, with United States President Donald Trump’s signature already attached.

Iran has sought to force through conditions to cover Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, even as Israel has said it is not bound by the deal, while United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the US will resume military operations if Iran does not comply.

Nedbank expects prices to remain high even when the Strait of Hormuz reopens as recovery lags by weeks, even months.

“We expect inflation to rise further to close to 5% in June, driven by higher fuel prices, before receding in the second half of the year. The moderation will reflect easing oil prices following the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and continued food disinflation,” said Nedbank.

“Given the improved inflation trajectory, we expect the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to pause its rate hiking cycle in July.” 

A piece of good news from inflation figures is that food inflation is moderating as the spread of foot-and-mouth disease is easing, even as the minister responsible, the DA’s John Steenhuisen, will possibly be removed for apparently bungling the crisis.

“Encouragingly, food inflation continued to moderate, easing from 2.8% to a 14-month low of 1.6%,” said Nedbank. 

The bank said moderation was broad-based among the food categories. Most of the downward pressure came from meat. “Meat prices slowed from 9.4% year on year to 7.3%, reflecting progress in foot-and-mouth disease vaccinations and the impact of increased imports,” the bank said. Cereals, fruit, and vegetables benefited from good weather.

Housing and utilities inflation rose from 5,2% to 5,3%, driven by electricity costs, as an 8,76% Eskom tariff increase came into effect in April.

Core inflation, which excludes food and fuel, rose from 3.6% to 3.8%

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