Category: MIL-OSI

The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has expressed deep concern and strongly condemns the violent service delivery protests that unfolded in Extension 4, Ratanda, in Lesedi Local Municipality on Friday. 

In a statement on Saturday, SALGA said the protests resulted in the tragic loss of life and the torching of the Executive Mayor’s property. 

“While communities have a constitutional right to protest and express their dissatisfaction with service delivery, violence, intimidation, arson and other criminal acts have no place in a democratic society. Such actions endanger lives, destroy public and private property, and ultimately undermine the very service delivery improvements that communities seek,” SALGA President Cllr Bheke Stofile cautioned. 

SALGA said it continues to advocate for constructive engagement between municipalities and communities. 

“Residents are encouraged to utilise established channels of communication and public participation to raise their concerns, while municipalities must prioritise transparent and regular communication on service delivery challenges, planned interventions, and progress in resolving these challenges,” SALGA said. 

The incident follows protests by community members over water outages in the area, reportedly linked to the throttling of bulk water supply to the municipality by the water utility, Rand Water, as part of its credit control measures. 

Various entities of government are called upon to work together to speedily resolve the grievances of communities. 

“Calm and restraint are needed from all parties to create an environment conducive to dialogue and sustainable solutions. Sadly, reports indicate that two lives have already been lost as a result of the violent protests. SALGA conveys its heartfelt condolences to their families. 

“Law enforcement agencies are urged to investigate the reported deaths and criminal acts committed during the protests and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” SALGA said. 

Data from SALGA’s Municipal Violence Incident Reporting System shows that between 2000 and 2026, there have been more than 400 incidents ranging from threats, property damage and assaults to deaths. 

SALGA said this underscores the urgent need to strengthen law enforcement capacity to prevent and respond to such incidents.    

“SALGA remains committed to promoting responsive, accountable and participatory local government, where community concerns are addressed through dialogue, mutual respect and lawful democratic processes,” the statement said. – SAnews.gov.za

The Western Cape Government has successfully concluded its coordinated humanitarian operation to assist foreign nationals who voluntarily elected to return to their countries of origin. 

In a statement issued on Sunday, the provincial government said the operation was undertaken in partnership with municipalities, national government departments, humanitarian organisations, faith-based partners and law enforcement agencies. 

According to the provincial government, all individuals who presented at municipal facilities and the Department of Home Affairs offices in Epping, Cape Town, have departed following extensive verification, registration and logistical planning undertaken by the department and supporting partners.

Dozens of buses were procured for this purpose.

Premier Alan Winde thanked all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the operation.

“This operation demonstrated what can be achieved when all spheres of government, humanitarian organisations, religious institutions, transport providers and local communities work together towards a common humanitarian objective. 

“We are deeply grateful to every individual and organisation that played a role in ensuring a safe, dignified and orderly process. I also want to thank our mediators who worked hard to defuse tensions. You played an important part in ensuring unrest did not erupt in our province. I am also deeply grateful for the engagements our International Relations Directorate initiated with affected foreign missions,” Winde said. 

The Premier also thanked municipalities that made facilities available, humanitarian organisations that provided food, water and essential relief items and operational teams that worked long hours to support the intervention.

The provincial government said temporary facilities established for the operation have now been demobilised and normal operations are resuming.

It also clarified that municipalities will not provide any further transport logistics for the repatriation of foreign nationals.

“The Western Cape Government wishes to make it clear that no further transport logistics will be undertaken by municipalities for the purposes of repatriating foreign nationals. Reports of free transport services after today are incorrect,” the provincial government said. 

The government encouraged foreign nationals requiring assistance to engage directly with their respective embassies or consulates and to follow normal immigration processes administered by the Department of Home Affairs.

It also acknowledged the inconvenience experienced by businesses and communities surrounding the temporary support facilities and thanked them for their patience and cooperation throughout the intervention.

While the transport phase has concluded, the provincial government said departments and municipalities will continue to monitor the situation and address any humanitarian, safety or operational concerns through normal service delivery channels. – SAnews.gov.za

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Northern Cape has warned members of the public against individuals and groups unlawfully demanding to inspect identity documents under the guise of addressing illegal immigration. 

In a statement issued on Friday, SAPS said it had noted with concern reports of people approaching members of the public and requesting to inspect their identity documents without legal authority.

The police stressed that only authorised law enforcement officials may request and verify identity documents while carrying out their official duties.

“The SAPS in the Northern Cape has noted with concern reports of individuals and groups who are unlawfully approaching members of the public and demanding to inspect their identity documents under the guise of addressing illegal immigration.

“The SAPS wishes to emphasise that only duly authorised law enforcement officials, acting within the confines of the law, may request and verify identity documents during the execution of their official duties,” the statement read. 

The police cautioned members of the public not to be intimidated by people who have no legal authority to conduct such inspections.

Communities have also been urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or unlawful conduct to their nearest police station or the SAPS Crime Stop number.

SAPS acknowledged the important role played by Community Policing Forums (CPFs) in promoting safer communities and encouraged them to continue working in partnership with the police.

According to the statement, CPFs should support community engagement initiatives, promote respect for the rule of law and help educate communities on lawful crime prevention measures.

While recognising concerns raised by communities regarding illegal immigration, SAPS reminded the public that the enforcement of immigration legislation rests with authorised government departments and law enforcement agencies.

“While SAPS recognises the concerns expressed by communities regarding illegal immigration, members of the public are reminded that the enforcement of immigration legislation is the responsibility of authorised government departments and law enforcement agencies.

“Acts of vigilantism, intimidation, discrimination, harassment, or the unlawful stopping and questioning of individuals will not be tolerated and may result in criminal prosecution,” the SAPS said. 

The police reiterated their commitment to maintaining law and order while protecting the rights of everyone in the country. 

“The public is encouraged to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspected criminal activities through the appropriate channels rather than taking the law into their own hands,” the SAPS said. – SAnews.gov.za 

The eThekwini Municipality has urged members of the public, employers and transport operators to stop dropping off undocumented foreign nationals at the former Durban Drive-In site, saying the facility is no longer operational.

In a statement issued on Friday, the municipality reiterated that the Drive-In site is no longer operating as a temporary repatriation facility. Despite previous communications confirming its closure, people continue to drop off displaced individuals at the site.

The municipality said it has noted with concern that some employers of undocumented foreign nationals continue to bring their employees to the site.

“The public, employers and transport operators are urged to refrain from bringing foreign nationals to the site, as no services are being provided there,” the municipality said. 

According to the municipality, the temporary repatriation processing centre for undocumented foreign nationals has been centralised in Musina, Limpopo, under the coordination of the Department of Home Affairs. 

It also clarified that matters relating to undocumented foreign nationals fall under the mandate of the Department of Home Affairs and not the municipality.

“As such, the Municipality is not in a position to comment further on the repatriation process. Members of the public and the media are requested to direct all enquiries relating to these matters to the Department of Home Affairs, which is the competent authority to provide information and comment,” the municipality said. 

Meanwhile, the municipality said the marches held on 30 June were peaceful and orderly, with no major incidents of violence, loss of life or significant damage to infrastructure reported across the city. 

“The Municipality also acknowledges the responsible conduct of residents, march organisers and law enforcement agencies in ensuring that the demonstrations proceeded without incident.

“The outcome reflects the importance of constructive civic engagement and public safety,” the statement read. 

According to the municipality, more than 20 000 Malawian nationals were processed and repatriated through the Sherwood and Drive-In sites.

To support the repatriation operation, government procured more than 300 buses, with eThekwini Municipality providing 150 buses on a cost-recovery basis.

The municipality said it has since commenced clean-up operations at the former Drive-In site to restore the area.

“The Municipality has commenced clean-up operations at the Drive-In site to restore the area and remains committed to maintaining a clean, safe and welcoming environment for residents, businesses and visitors,” the municipality said. – SAnews.gov.za

Eskom says it continues to maintain a stable and reliable electricity supply, with improved generation performance enabling the utility to meet rising winter demand while reducing reliance on diesel-fired generation.

In its latest power system update released on Friday, the power utility said the benefits of its Generation Recovery Plan continue to strengthen system performance through increased generation availability, reduced unplanned outages and improved operational reliability.

The utility also announced significant progress in its Load Reduction Eradication Programme, with about 1 099 430 customers removed from load reduction schedules.

“This represents 65% of the 1.69 million customers targeted under the programme. Originally established to address load reduction affecting 23.5% of Eskom’s 7.2 million customer base, the programme has reduced the proportion of customers affected by load reduction to approximately 8.3%.

“Load reduction has now been fully eliminated in five provinces, with Eskom remaining on track to achieve elimination in seven provinces by October 2026 and nationally by 2027,” Eskom said. 

Eskom said the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) increased to 64.29% for the financial year-to-date, from 1 April to 2 July 2026, compared to 58.54% during the same period last year.

“This reflects sustained progress under Eskom’s turnaround strategy, including a 9.64% improvement (4.9GW) compared to the corresponding period three years ago, driven by a continued reduction in unplanned outages and more consistent, reliable performance across the generation fleet,” the power utility said. 

According to the utility, average unplanned outages declined to 9 850MW between 26 June and 2 July 2026, compared to 14 981MW during the same period last year, representing a reduction of 5 131MW.

The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor also improved to 20.69% from 31.33% over the corresponding period last year.

Meanwhile, Eskom said no diesel was used during the reporting week, resulting in zero diesel expenditure.

For the financial year to date, diesel expenditure stands at R746.41 million, compared to R4.86 billion during the same period last year.

“This reflects an 84.65% reduction in diesel costs, underscoring stronger generation performance and significantly lower reliance on diesel-fired generation.

“This sustained reduction highlights both cost savings and the operational improvements achieved through Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan, contributing to greater efficiency in system operations,” Eskom said. 

The utility said South Africa has now recorded 413 consecutive days without loadshedding since 16 May 2025, with electricity demand continuing to be met comfortably.

Friday’s evening peak demand was forecast at 26 698MW against available generation capacity of 31 590MW, while 3 809MW is expected to return to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 06 July 2026.

Eskom said its Winter Outlook, published in April, continues to project no load-shedding throughout the winter period ending 31 August 2026.

The utility added that it has deployed 1 861 180 smart meters nationwide as part of efforts to eliminate load reduction, with nearly a quarter installed in high-priority load reduction areas.

Despite the stable power system, Eskom warned that illegal electricity connections and meter tampering continue to damage infrastructure and pose safety risks in some communities.

The utility urged customers to report illegal connections and infrastructure vandalism through its Crime Line or WhatsApp reporting platform, while reaffirming its commitment to eliminating load reduction nationally by 2027. – SAnews.gov.za