Latest news in South Africa? September 18th, 2026

Key developments in South Africa for September 18th, 2026:

• Libode Police Officers Slain: The South African Police Service (SAPS) launched a 72-hour manhunt in the Eastern Cape after two police officers attached to the National Intervention Unit and Public Order Policing Unit were shot and killed while responding to an early-morning spaza shop robbery in Libode, near Mthatha. Both officers’ service pistols were stolen.

  SABC News

• Public Outcry Over Gauteng Femicides: Widespread protests and memorial runs took place across Johannesburg and Cape Town following the discovery of the bodies of nine murdered women in and around Kempton Park and Gauteng over recent weeks. Police are investigating whether a serial perpetrator is involved, while civil rights organizations and the public have escalated demands for direct government action on gender-based violence.

  WWNO

• Severe El Niño Warnings: The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) and the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued urgent advisories urging provinces to implement early contingency plans for the upcoming summer. Forecasts point to above-normal temperatures and dry conditions driven by a developing El Niño pattern, raising high risks for drought, heatwaves, and veld fires.

  South African Government News Agency+ 1

• Scheduled Digital Revenue Upgrades: The South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced maintenance windows scheduled for evening hours, bringing temporary intermittent disruptions to eFiling and digital customs systems as part of ongoing platform upgrades.

  SARS