Members of South African Transport and Allied Workers Union during a meeting. Image Credits : FACEBOOK_SATAWU
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU), which represents members in the private security sector, has signed a three-year wage agreement with employers.
The agreement provides for a wage increase of 5.7 percent in the first year, followed by increases of 5.5 percent in both the second and third years.
According to the union, employers have also agreed to contribute 60 percent towards workers’ medical aid cover, among other benefits.
SATAWU spokesperson Amanda Tshemese-Lesabe says the agreement marks an important milestone for security officers.
Tshemese-Lesabe says, “We have been indeed fighting for the medical aid cover for the security officers; this is a victory for the workers. There will be no retrenchment during this period of the agreement. The private security industry plays a very important role in our economy as it contributes to our business.”
“Government has also approached us to assist on the 30th of June for the anticipated illegal immigration protest said to be coming. That alone explains that the private security industry is very important. All the security companies should comply with the collective bargaining; those who don’t comply should be prosecuted.”
Fuel prices dropped significantly on July 1, but remain somewhat higher than earlier in 2026. Image: AI / Gemini / Firefly
South African motorists can breathe a little easier this month after significant fuel price decreases came into effect on Wednesday, July 1.
Petrol prices came down by R1.96 for 95 Unleaded and R2.01 for 93 Unleaded, while diesel costs fell by between R3.14 for 500ppm diesel and R3.58 in the case of 50ppm.
Granted, petrol still costs R5.76 more than it did in March, while diesel commands a R6.21 premium, but it is a step in the right direction and will alleviate some of the pressure on motorists’ monthly budgets.
But how much will you save on every refuel?
Putting 30 litres of petrol into a small hatchback will save around R60 per tank, while a 50 or 60-litre refuel in a midsize SUV will see motorists saving around R100 to R120 per tank.
But it’s diesel customers that stand to save the most, with a 70-litre refuel – given that most bakkies and related SUVs have 80-litre tanks – saving up to R1,936 per refuel!
Calculations are based on 95 Unleaded petrol (coast), 93 Unleaded petrol (inland) and respective retail price estimations of R26.91 and R27.66 for 50ppm diesel. Image: ChatGPT
For the record, a litre of 95 Unleaded currently costs R25.23 at the coast and R26.11 in Gauteng, where 93 Unleaded retails for R25.94. The wholesale price of 500ppm diesel has declined to R23.91 at the coast and R24.78 inland, with the respective prices for 50ppm falling to R24.41 and R25.16.
Will South Africans see more savings in the coming months?
It has been a punishing few months for South African motorists, with fuel prices climbing sharply since April and adding significant pressure to household and transport budgets. While July is set to bring some welcome relief at the pumps, the forces behind the latest price adjustment are complex, and the outlook beyond this month remains uncertain.
A ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran earlier this month helped ease international oil prices after a period of heightened volatility. Although that truce appears fragile at times, oil prices continue to trade close to pre-war levels and, if these trends continue, there is a good chance that motorists could see more relief in August.
Conversely, any sustained rise in international oil prices, particularly if accompanied by a weaker rand, could quickly erode the recent gains and push South African fuel prices higher again in the coming months.
Either way, fuel taxes continue to take a toll on motorists.
According to month-end data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), petrol built up substantial over-recoveries of up to R3.07 during the past review period, while diesel pushed into the green by up to R5.12. These were the savings we could have seen at the pumps, had the government’s temporary fuel tax reprieve not come to an end. From this month, the General Fuel Levy returns to its full rate of R4.29 per litre for petrol and R4.16 per litre for diesel.
The Nigerian husband of a politician in the Free State has been granted bail after being arrested for housing undocumented immigrants. Image: SAPS
Nigerian husband of prominent politician, Lyndon Adentuji Odili, has been granted R10,000 bail after appearing in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on charges of allegedly harbouring undocumented foreign nationals at his guesthouse.
The 56-year-old appeared in court on Wednesday following his arrest for allegedly contravening the Immigration Act, 2002.
The case was postponed to July 31 to allow for further police investigations.
Odili faces 18 counts of allegedly harbouring, aiding, abetting, assisting or enabling undocumented foreign nationals to remain in the country in violation of the immigration laws.
His arrest followed a police operation launched after officers received a tip-off from a member of the public about suspected undocumented foreigners staying at a guesthouse on Raymond Mhlaba Street in Bloemfontein.
According to police, the information indicated that several undocumented individuals were allegedly being sheltered at the property amid a multidisciplinary law enforcement operation conducted during a planned national shutdown linked to anti-foreigner tensions.
Police searched the guesthouse and allegedly found 18 undocumented foreign nationals who were unable to produce legal documentation authorising them to live in South Africa.
Odili, identified as the owner of the guesthouse, was called to the scene and arrested after police consultations under Section 40(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977.
Separate criminal cases have also been opened against the 18 undocumented foreign nationals. They face charges relating to illegal entry into South Africa and unlawful residence under the Immigration Act.
Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen. Thabang Lesia praised officers for acting swiftly on information supplied by the public, saying the arrest demonstrated the importance of community cooperation in fighting crime.
“We reiterate that business and property owners who deliberately bypass the country’s immigration laws to harbour undocumented individuals will face the full might of the law,” said Lesia.
Police said investigations are continuing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged offences before the matter returns to court later this month.
South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO): SANCO Criticizes R600 Million Anti-Immigration March Funding, Calls For Border Security Investment. Image for illustration purposes only, generated with AI.
DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) has strongly condemned the reported R600 million allocation designated for managing anti-immigration marches, arguing that the funds should be redirected toward border security and strict immigration enforcement.
Sizwe Cele, the KwaZulu-Natal Secretary of SANCO, stated that the government’s failure to act on previous warnings has allowed public frustration over undocumented migration to spiral out of control. Cele described the R600 million expenditure as an unethical use of taxpayer money, emphasizing that the financial resources would be better utilized to secure the country’s borders and enforce immigration laws.
According to Cele, the current crisis was entirely preventable. He noted that on December 12, 2024, SANCO organized a massive march to the Union Buildings, where they submitted a memorandum of complaints directly to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The memorandum highlighted critical issues, including porous borders and criminal activities allegedly perpetrated by undocumented immigrants roaming the country without proper documentation.
“We warned that this situation was a ticking time bomb,” Cele explained. “If the government had taken our complaints seriously at that time and responded effectively, we would not be finding ourselves in the situation where we are now.”
The civic organization has been highly critical of the state’s handling of the recent June 30 anti-immigration demonstrations. Cele drew parallels to the devastating unrest of July 2021, arguing that the government had ample time—months before the June 30 dates were announced—to address the root causes of the public anger. Instead of “street talking,” Cele asserted that the government should have initiated deportations, shut down illegal establishments, and arrested individuals producing counterfeit goods or selling expired products.
Furthermore, SANCO accused the government of failing to hold corrupt officials accountable within the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Trade and Industry. Cele argued that this inaction has created a vacuum, leaving citizens to feel that millions of undocumented individuals are operating freely in townships and cities without facing the rule of law.
The political discourse surrounding the marches has been contentious. ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, alongside labor federation Cosatu, has suggested that the June 30 activities are being mobilized by external forces to divide the working class and redirect anger away from the government’s actual failures.
However, Cele dismissed these claims, arguing that politicians are disconnected from the daily struggles of the masses. “They live in beautiful houses with high-rise fences and have bodyguards. They are not affected by what the people on the ground are experiencing,” he said, adding that leaders must remember they govern at the behest of the citizens and need to listen to their grievances rather than dictating to them. He even revealed that SANCO had considered pushing for a referendum to force the government to acknowledge the will of the people.
Addressing concerns that criticism of illegal migration often fuels xenophobia, Cele firmly rejected the label. He clarified that South Africans do not hate fellow Africans from neighboring countries, but rather detest the criminal deeds that impact their communities.
“This is not about xenophobia; this is about the livelihood of the people of South Africa, the safety of our children, and our economy,” Cele stated. He cited specific grievances, including the alleged introduction of drugs into schools, the sale of expired goods, and the flooding of markets with counterfeit products that outcompete local businesses.
Cele framed the issue as an economic struggle rather than racial or national hostility. He described South Africa as being in the “second transition of the struggle,” which is focused on achieving economic freedom. He argued that undocumented immigrants are hijacking this struggle and depriving South African citizens of vital economic opportunities.
Despite the tensions, Cele maintained that the core issue remains the government’s responsibility to enforce the law, protect local livelihoods, and ensure the safety of all residents by properly managing the country’s immigration system.
Cosatu expressed deep concern over the Auditor General’s report revealing a dire state of South Africa’s municipalities, urging the government to take immediate action to address the alarming issues highlighted. Image: Supplied
Only 39 out of 257 municipalities or 15% achieved clean audits with all 8 metros failing and 5 municipalities not even bothering to submit their reports timeously.
Securing a clean audit should not be considered an achievement but doing what municipalities are legally required to do, accounting for how public funds are utilised to serve the public.
This is despite R1.6 billion spent on consultants to help prepare these reports!
62 municipalities are in severe financial trouble compared to 35% said to be financially healthy. Debt owed to municipalities is rising and municipal debt to Eskom, Water Boards similarly increasing.
The list goes on.
There are however some green shoots, with Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal having no disclaimers, the worst possible finding, and since 2020 the number of such municipalities falling from 29 to 8. R28 billion has been allocated in this year’s budget to capacitate metros to bill consumers correctly and to collect those municipal tariffs. Legislation is being reviewed to enable national and provincial governments to intervene timeously and faster when municipalities begin to stumble.
To be fair to local government, some of the challenges it is facing were inherited or imposed. During the apartheid era municipal services were not taken seriously for 90% of our communities; Black, Coloured and Indian.
They were underfunded and the bare minimum level of services were put in place.
Since 1994 under successive African National Congress led administrations, government did well to roll out basic services to all communities, ensuring that access to water, sanitation and electricity went from on average a third of society, to more than 90%.
During the decade of state capture, local government, did not emerge unscathed with some of the most ingrained forms of corruption and tenderpreneurship and even violence taking place. The consequences have been alarming.
Municipal workers have paid a heavy price with between one to three dozen municipalities at any time failing to pay our cleaners, refuse collectors and other municipal workers their salaries. More than a hundred municipal pension funds are in arrears. Amahlathi Municipality once resorted to paying its employees with Pick ‘n Pay vouchers. The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has fought valiantly for workers to tackle this crisis.
The collapse of municipal services in towns like Lichtenburg and Frankfort led to the closure of Clover dairy plants there, resulting in massive job losses for already deeply impoverished communities. Rural towns will not attract the investment needed to reduce unemployment if businesses cannot be guaranteed basic services. We are now seeing this same crisis repeating in some of our metros.
The impact on local communities, in particular townships, is shameful with dumping of rubbish, potholes and water leaks allowed to become the norm as municipalities neglect infrastructure maintenance and basic services.
Despite this depressing picture, the state can and must be fixed. We have seen it can be done with the remarkable turnaround in a relatively period of Eskom, Transnet, Metro Rail, South African Airways and the South African Revenue Service. What these success stories all have in common are the need to appoint competent management, remove corrupt and criminal elements, fill frontline vacancies and recruit critical skills, and invest in staff, institutional capacity and infrastructure. This is exactly what must be done to fix local government.
This requires a review of the 257 municipalities. How many are financially sustainable and which should be integrated? Some are too small to survive on their own. The challenge this creates is that they are not able to pay the salaries needed to attract the specialised skills to maintain critical infrastructure.
The White Paper on Local Government speaks to a new municipal funding. This is urgent and must be implemented if we are to turn local government around. This must be accompanied by a review of municipal mandates as we have continuously added to their tasks since 1994, but the necessary additional funding has not kept pace.
The legislative amendments to strengthen oversight over local government must be expedited and tabled at Parliament before the end of 2026. It can no longer be an option upon whether municipal managers have the necessary skills and qualifications to do their work. The rot in local government starts at the top and they must be kept on a tight leach.
The same goes for the quality of Councillors that political parties deploy. We cannot be shocked when municipalities fail to submit clean audits when Councillors cannot read their own municipalities’ financial statements.
There must be real consequences when municipalities fail to secure clean audits and when corruption is uncovered. The Hawks, SIU, SAPS and NPA’s capacity to tackle local government corruption must be drastically ramped up if we are to win this war.
Municipal debt to Eskom and the Water Boards threatens their very ability to deliver these essential services. Eskom, the Water Boards and the Department of Water and Sanitation and SANRAL must be enlisted to restore basic services and recapacitate municipalities.
Tough love is needed to ensure all services consumed are paid for. We cannot expect municipalities to maintain drains or electric cables if we deny them the monies to do so. SAPS must accompany municipal workers when they cut illegal connections. Ensuring that everyone pays for services consumed will not only stabilise municipal finances but enable them to provide greater relief to indigent households and end above inflation tariff hikes that suffocate the economy.
Local government is in the ICU.
The time to stabilise and turn it around is now but it requires bold and decisive leadership. It can and must be done.
Zingiswa Losi is the president of Cosatu.
Zingiswa Losi is the president of Cosatu. Image: Independent Newspapers
More than 2,000 Zimbabweans have been sheltering at a Cape Town processing centre as fears grew ahead of possible June 30 protests. Image: Bheki Radebe
Many businesses will likely keep their doors closed on June 30 due to the threat of public violence from anti-immigration protests, but business and labour organisations say foreigners are incorrectly being blamed for South Africa’s tottering economy.
A National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) coalition, comprising Cosatu, Fedusa, Saftu and Nactu, said their message from organised labour was clear: migrants are not to blame for the country’s economic malaise.
In a statement in response to growing tensions around migration and illegal immigration, and recognising the legitimate frustrations of millions of South Africans grappling with high unemployment, poverty, inequality, and crumbling public services, the organisations said “The economic crisis in South Africa is rooted in issues like economic stagnation, corruption, de-industrialisation, mass unemployment and weak governance,” rather than immigrants.
This concern was echoed by Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business chief executive Melanie Veness, who said foreigners in South Africa had become the scapegoats to anti-immigration protestors for the weak state of the economy.
“Removing foreign nationals from workplaces, communities, or public spaces will not reopen factories or create sustainable jobs,” the labour organisations asserted, calling for a more comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying economic problems.
They warned the rising tide of anti-migrant sentiment was often politically orchestrated to divide the working class and distract from genuine grievances relating to poverty and inequality.
“The enforcement of immigration and labour laws is the responsibility of the state, and no individual or organisation has the right to act outside the law,” the unions declared.
Both the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business did not advise their business owner members to close on June 30, or to allow their members’ staff to take the day off, but instead advised against unnecessary travel, and particularly to potential hotspots in city centres and near informal settlement borders where large numbers of people were congregating.
The government has said June 30 is not a national shutdown day, and that normal business should continue. Police and private security have identified Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape as potential hotspots.
A spokesperson for the JCCI said they were in constant contact with a range of different organisations in the Johannesburg area, including police and private security services, to monitor the situation. The spokesman said they did anticipate members would experience lower trade on the day.
Veness said the economic impact of the protests was vast. For instance, the chamber ran a programme to increase export sales into other African markets by black-owned companies, and these protests had the potential to be a “total disaster” for increased trade with other African countries.
She said also of concern, particularly for KwaZulu-Natal, was the potential loss of annual tourists from other African countries, which represent a significant proportion of the province’s annual overall tourism numbers.
Ruan Vermaak, communication manager at South African emergency‑assistance and communication service CrisisOnCall, said simple steps such as checking your route before travelling, avoiding protest hotspots where possible, keeping loved ones informed of your whereabouts, and ensuring you have access to emergency assistance can make a significant difference if circumstances changed unexpectedly.
Stay informed by monitoring credible news sources and traffic updates before travelling. Allow extra travelling time in case routes need to be changed. Keep your mobile phone fully charged and ensure important emergency contact numbers are readily available. Let a family member, friend or colleague know your expected route and estimated arrival time.
The government has said private individuals and groups have no authority to demand documentation from members of the public, block access to schools, clinics, hospitals or businesses, or determine who may live in particular communities.
“The enforcement of immigration and labour laws is the responsibility of the state, and no individual or organisation has the right to act outside the law,” the unions declared.
“A properly resourced and accountable state is essential for addressing these pressing issues, including stronger labour inspection and effective border management,” they added, reinforcing the need for adequate staffing and the digitisation of processes related to migration control.
Neil Roets, CEO of Debt Rescue, highlights that the current economic conditions pose significant strains on consumer behaviour and business operations alike.
“When consumers feel secure about their financial situation, they generally exhibit a greater willingness to spend, travel, shop, and support local businesses,” Roets noted. However, during periods of economic downturn, many households adopt a more conservative approach to discretionary spending, reflecting a cautious mindset amid uncertainty.
As South African households and enterprises navigate these tumultuous times, Roets emphasises the necessity for ongoing vigilance in financial planning. “In a challenging environment, the need for careful management of finances cannot be overstated,” he advised. With the focus firmly placed on addressing the existing pressures, the path toward a more stable economic future remains a shared responsibility for consumers and businesses alike.
