Migrants: 217 arrested; bread prices soar & more
Security operations and rising anti-migrant tensions are drawing international condemnation as safety concerns grow. Meanwhile, residents in Durban face higher food costs, and taxpayers are being urged to check their returns to avoid penalties.
Migrants face increasing safety risks in Johannesburg and police scrutiny as diplomatic relations with Nigeria and Ghana sour. Nigeria has warned of deteriorating safety for its citizens following two deaths, and Ghana has postponed a visit from President Cyril Ramaphosa due to anti-migrant protests. Meanwhile, police arrested 217 people, including over 100 undocumented migrants from Lesotho and Mozambique, during a crackdown on illegal mining.
Residents in Durban townships are paying significantly more for bread and essentials following a shift in ownership of local spaza shops. Prices spiked after South African-owned businesses took over these informal convenience stores, which were previously often run by foreign nationals.
Taxpayers who receive "auto-assessments" from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) must review their details immediately to avoid compliance issues. Experts warn that simply accepting the automated return without checking income and deductions could lead to errors. Separately, the US is threatening a 12.5% tariff on South African imports, alleging the country has failed to block goods made with forced labor.
School children across the country should no longer have to use pit toilets following the completion of a national sanitation program. The government announced it has cleared the backlog of unsafe pit latrines identified in 2018 under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) initiative.
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