The Bulletin News

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially announced the activation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) in 62 municipalities across South Africa, beginning this week.

In a series of gazettes released by the Presidency, through the Department of Transport, the commencement of both the AARTO Act and the AARTO Amendment Act has been proclaimed. The initial gazette outlines the activation of sections 17, 18, 19, 19A, 19B, 20, 23, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, and 35 of the AARTO Act in 60 municipalities, detailing the framework for issuing infringement notices, penalties, and other regulatory measures essential for the system’s operation. Notably, section 24, which pertains to the points demerit system, will be introduced at a later date.

This rollout encompasses major metropolitan areas such as Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung, City of Ekurhuleni, Durban and Govan Mbeki Municipality, while Johannesburg and Tshwane will not participate at this stage, as they have had the AARTO system operational for several years.

The second gazette announces the full implementation of the AARTO Amendment Act, excluding section 2(g), across all 62 municipalities, including the previously mentioned cities. The system will also roll out in Govan Mbeki Municipality

This launch signifies the beginning of phase 2 in the overhaul of national driving laws, originally slated for December 2025. The complete system is targeted for implementation by September 1, 2026, at which time the driving demerit system will operate nationwide.

The Transport Department had delayed the rollout in November 2025 due to readiness assessments revealing challenges with municipal integration, including the need for finalized law enforcement personnel and the alignment of various municipal law enforcement systems. This postponement effectively pushed back the rollout by six months.

A critical feature of the AARTO system is the new driving demerit system, for which a specific launch date has yet to be announced.

Phase 1 focused on establishing the necessary AARTO infrastructure and service centers. Phase 2 will commence on July 1, 2026, targeting 62 municipalities, down from the previously planned 69. Phase 3 is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of 2026, expanding the system to 151 municipalities, and Phase 4, which will introduce the demerit system, is expected to roll out sometime in 2027.

After years of starts, stops and revisions, South Africa is moving nearer to enacting far-reaching controls on tobacco and e‑cigarette products. On Thursday the Portfolio Committee on Health voted that the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill is “desirable,” clearing a major procedural hurdle and setting the stage for detailed amendment and debate.

What the bill would do The draft legislation proposes one of the most comprehensive overhauls of tobacco and vaping regulation in South Africa’s recent history. Key measures include:

• A ban on indoor smoking and vaping in public spaces.
• Mandatory plain packaging for tobacco products with large graphic health warnings.
• The removal of retail product displays.
• A blanket prohibition on advertising, sponsorships and promotion of tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery products.
• Tighter restrictions on sales — including limits on vending-machine sales and prohibitions in certain private venues where children or non‑smokers are present.
• Treating vaping and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) under the same regulatory framework as combustible cigarettes.

The bill also proposes criminal and civil penalties for non‑compliance, including fines and potential custodial sentences, though exact penalty scales remain subject to amendment.

Public consultation and committee process The committee’s endorsement follows an intensive public consultation process restarted after the 2024 national elections and concluded at the end of 2025. The committee held hearings in 27 municipalities across all nine provinces, attracting nearly 7,900 attendees, about 1,113 oral submissions and roughly 40,000 written submissions — making it one of the most widely consulted health bills in recent memory.

Committee members voted in favour of the bill’s desirability but were explicit that support is conditional on substantive amendments. A principal area of contention raised repeatedly during consultations is whether the law should continue to regulate combustible tobacco products and non‑combustible nicotine products (such as many vaping devices) identically.

“It has become unmistakable, through the scientific submission and through our own deliberations as a committee, that not all tobacco and nicotine products carry the same risk,” the committee said in its statement. The Department of Health, in responses to public comments published in March 2026, similarly accepted differentiating product risk as a guiding principle.

Next steps With the desirability motion passed, the bill will move into clause‑by‑clause deliberations in the Portfolio Committee on Health. During that stage, Members of Parliament will consider specific amendments — including provisions that seek to differentiate regulation by product risk and address other stakeholder concerns raised during consultations.

Once clause-by-clause scrutiny is completed and the committee finalises its report, the bill will be tabled for debate in the National Assembly. Only after parliamentary approval, and subsequent assent by the President, would the law come into force — a process that could still take many months.

Implications If adopted largely as currently drafted, the bill would significantly tighten the regulatory environment for tobacco retailers, manufacturers and the growing vaping market in South Africa, aligning the country with stricter global tobacco control trends. Public health advocates have welcomed the move as likely to reduce tobacco-related harm, while some industry and consumer groups have argued for differentiated treatment of lower‑risk products and for measured transitional arrangements.

The Bulletin News will continue to follow developments as the bill enters clause-by-clause scrutiny and moves toward National Assembly debate.

The steady progress reflected in the 2024/25 Municipal Audit Outcomes released by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) this morning (24 June 2026) provides a stable foundation upon which the incoming the 7th Administration of local government can build.

This is the view of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) following the release of the consolidated general report on local government audit outcomes by the AGSA.

Welcoming the report, the association commended the work of the AGSA in its ongoing efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance within local government.

“The sector is not yet where we want it to be in so far as municipal audit outcomes are concerned, however, we do take note of what the AGSA calls ‘positive shoots’ that are emerging and the tailored recommendations and insights the report provides on areas of intervention,” commented SALGA President Bheke Stofile.

Notable improvements

In reviewing the 6th administration’s term, SALGA observes several notable improvements attributable to sustained reforms and collaborative efforts by stakeholders. There has been a marked reduction in disclaimers of audit opinion – the most adverse audit outcome – from 29 municipalities in 2020/21 to just 8 in 2024/25. The next term of local government should strive towards the complete eradication of disclaimers.

Furthermore, compliance with financial reporting deadlines has improved dramatically: over 98% of municipalities submitted their annual financial statements on time in 2024/25 and for the first time ever, all 257 municipalities produced annual performance reports. This demonstrates that the sustained focus on improving sound financial management and governance over the term is yielding encouraging results.

SALGA’s Municipal Audit Support Programme (MASP) has been a key contributor to these gains.  Since 2021/22 SALGA financial year, the MASP has progressively expanded from supporting just 3 municipalities to 18 municipalities and 2 municipal entities by 2025/26 SALGA financial year.

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Participating municipalities in the MASP have shown measurable improvements, reducing their audit findings by up to 47% and achieving improved audit outcomes in at least five municipalities, with no MASP-supported municipality suffering a regression in its audit status over the five-year term. This tangible progress underscores how targeted support and capacity-building interventions are effectively strengthening municipal financial oversight.

Building on Success

SALGA celebrates the beacon municipalities that have sustained clean audits year after year since 2016/17, including Midvaal Local Municipality (Gauteng) and Cape Winelands, Overstrand, Witzenberg, and Cape Agulhas all in the Western Cape.

These consistently well-performing municipalities serve as benchmarks of excellence in governance and financial management, offering valuable lessons that should be replicated across the country.

Key drivers of positive audit outcomes SALGA agrees with AGSA’s findings that the key drivers of positive audit outcomes are stable and capable leadership, strong accountability, and adequate capacity in critical positions. All councillors and officials should take note that filling posts with skilled, ethical professionals and enforcing effective oversight (by mayors and speakers) are vital steps to sustain and expand these gains.

Addressing weaknesses

Despite the positive trends, SALGA remains deeply concerned that 39% of municipalities still received audit outcomes below the unqualified audit standard. This ongoing underperformance highlights persistent shortcomings in areas such as financial health, governance, and compliance with legislation.

It is particularly concerning that even some major metropolitan municipalities regressed in 2024/25, slipping from previously positive audit outcomes to lower ratings due to issues like supply chain management failures, financial sustainability challenges, and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

These setbacks reinforce the urgent need for strengthened accountability and rigorous consequence management. The poor quality of financial statements in struggling municipalities, along with repeated non-compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), must be decisively addressed without delay.

Zero tolerance to financial misconduct

SALGA reiterates its call for zero tolerance toward the persistent lack of consequences for financial misconduct. By the end of the 2025/26 financial year, all municipalities must take concrete action to recover mismanaged funds and ensure every instance of irregular, unauthorised, fruitless, or wasteful expenditure is met with appropriate sanctions in line with the law.

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Tackling Financial Health Risks and Structural Challenges SALGA is also acutely aware that underlying financial risks must be mitigated if the gains in audit outcomes are to be sustained. Municipal consumer debt has swelled to over R484 billion as of 31 March 2026, severely undermining municipalities’ ability to pay for essential services like electricity and water.

SALGA urges strict enforcement of credit control policies and implores residents, businesses, and government departments to settle outstanding municipal bills so that municipalities can remain financially viable. Moreover, the structural funding gap in local government remains a concern: municipalities are expected to deliver nearly 46% of government services but receive only 9.1% of national revenue.

Addressing this fiscal imbalance, along with unfunded mandates and payment arrears by other spheres of government, is essential to empower municipalities to fulfil their obligations to communities.

Reform agenda and Outlook for the 7th Administration

As we near the end of the current local government term, SALGA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to work with municipalities overcome challenges confronting the local government sector and build on recent progress.

In partnership with the AGSA and other stakeholders, SALGA will continue to strengthen leadership, governance, financial management and oversight through its programmes, such as MASP, thereby ensuring that the foundations laid in this term carry into the seventh administration.

SALGA will engage even more actively with municipalities to bolster institutional capacity – leveraging experienced former leaders to enhance council oversight – and to entrench a culture of accountability and consequence management across local government. By expanding and refining support initiatives SALGA aims to contribute significantly to increase the number of municipalities attaining clean audits in the coming term.

As a key pillar of its outlook for the 7th administration, SALGA is putting political leadership capacity-building front and centre. The Association working with the National School of Government and other institutions has put together an Integrated Councillor Induction Programme (ICIP).

The training intervention will be rolled out immediately after the 2026 local government elections to orient and upskill newly elected and returning councillors across the country, instilling sound governance practices, ethical leadership, effective oversight and financial accountability from the outset.

The ICIP features a blended learning approach and unified curriculum, combining interactive in-person orientation with digital learning tools, as well as targeted leadership development modules (including portfolio-based training and skills audits), to strengthen the governance and oversight capabilities of new council members.

Through this proactive investment in councillor development, SALGA aims to ensure that the seventh term of local government begins with a higher level of competency and institutional Confidential readiness than ever before, laying the groundwork for sustained improvements in clean governance and effective service delivery.

“By equipping the incoming cohort of councillors with essential knowledge and skills, SALGA aims to directly address the leadership and oversight gaps that have contributed to past governance shortcomings and ensure that municipalities begin the next term with a solid foundation for improved accountability and performance,” points out Stofile.

SALGA extends its appreciation to all municipalities that submitted their Annual Financial Statements on time and notes with encouragement the overall stability in the audit results, with 157 municipalities (62%) achieving unqualified or clean audits. These municipalities collectively manage around R361 billion, roughly 58% of the local government budget, indicating that the majority of public funds are handled with a commendable degree of accountability.

SALGA remains optimistic that the collective actions of all stakeholders have set a strong trajectory of improvement. With sustained political will and support, the forthcoming generation of local councils can deliver even stronger financial governance and better services for communities, cementing public trust in local government.

Sasol has completed critical repairs to key bulk water supply valves in Secunda, addressing persistent leakages that impacted reliable water delivery to residents and surrounding businesses.

Sasol had initiated an Emergency Water Relief Project in response to a request from the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM), to carry out repairs to the Graceland Casino and Golden Village water valves. The Graceland valve regulates the main water pipeline to Secunda, Trichardt households as well as Sasol Mining operations and Esperanza. To address the threat to water security, repairs were undertaken on three 600mm gate valves across two bulk water supply lines

Access to quality water supply is central to improved wellbeing and the quality of life for communities, and this latest intervention is a continuation of several water infrastructure projects which have been rolled out by Sasol across GMM over the years. In 2023, Sasol in partnership with Thungela, handed over an upgraded Leandra bulk sewerage infrastructure to GMM, in what was a significate collaboration between private entities and the municipality. In the same year, the community of Bethal benefitted from Sasol-led project of water pipes across the town, in an effort to curb water wastage due to
leaks.

Also in 2023, schools around GMM, including Mzinoni Secondary School and Laerskool
Marietjie van Niekerk in Bethal, have taken ownership of water tanks provided by Sasol.

Elsewhere in Mpumalanga province, Thfolinhlanhla Primary School in Hazyview benefitted from a refurbishment of its borehole by Sasol. In another initiative to support local communities, a study to assess water-related challenges across communities in Nkomazi and Chief Albert Luthuli municipality was conducted in 2023, with the aim of providing assistance to residents impacted by a drought. In this current financial year, Sasol has delivered 15 water tanks to schools in Dipaliseng Local Municipality as well as 15 more to schools in GMM.

By helping the municipality to address infrastructure challenges, Sasol reinforces its position as a trusted partner in community development projects

On a crisp Friday evening, June 5, Sasol Highveld Photography Club members gathered at the Sasol Recreation Club in Secunda for their June club meeting and monthly competition. The turnout was excellent—members entered their best work and the room buzzed with anticipation as entries were arranged and the guest judge prepared to begin.

Leon Drotsky presided as guest judge, bringing a rigorous eye and uncompromising standards to the judging table. His critiques were precise and frank: every merit and deduction came with clear reasoning, and it was obvious that any accolade had been hard won. Under his strict but constructive guidance, members left with a deeper appreciation of composition, exposure and storytelling.

The evening was also a night of recognition and advancement. Several members earned promotions to higher categories in acknowledgement of their sustained excellence: Yolandi Geyser moved up from 2-Star to 3-Star, Edmund Hattingh advanced from 3-Star to 4-Star (Senior), and Leon Pelser climbed from Senior Master Gold to Senior Master Platinum. The room erupted in applause as each name was announced—milestones that reflect dedication, growth, and consistent high-quality work.

Club members also celebrated successes beyond the meeting: congratulations were extended to those with recent wins at PSSA and for the acceptances their images received in various salons. It was an encouraging reminder that the club’s talent is being recognized regionally and nationally.

The June meeting closed on a high note—members energized by useful feedback, inspired by their peers’ achievements, and already planning their next projects. With steady mentorship, exacting critique, and rising standards, Sasol Highveld Photography Club continues to foster photographers who push their craft to new levels.

The Best Senior Photographer for June is Leon Pelser with “Nite time stock taking”

The Best Junior Photographer for June is Ina Annandale with “Basking in Gold”

The Best Set Subject Photographer for June is Sussa Pelser with “Time To Make A Move”

Here are a selection of the Gold and Certificate of Merit winners

Category: Set Subject

Category: Nature – Birds Only

Category: Scapes

Category: Monochrome

Category: Nature

Category: Pictorial

Category: Photojournalism

On Thursday, 8 June 2026, Sasol reinforced its commitment to improving education infrastructure by handing over desks and chairs to two schools in Bethal, namely Laerskool Marietjie van Niekerk and Mzinoni Secondary School. The initiative forms part of Sasol’s ongoing Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme, which continues to deliver meaningful and sustainable support aimed at enhancing teaching and learning environments in local communities. Laerskool Marietjie van Niekerk and Mzinoni Secondary School each received 150 combined desks and chairs. Both school had previously received two water tanks from Sasol.

During the current financial year, Sasol, in partnership with the Mpumalanga Department of Education, has committed to supporting 27 schools with 1,850 desks and chairs across the Govan Mbeki and Lekwa Local Municipalities. To minimise the impact of persistent water supply challenges that adversely affect the hygiene, health and wellbeing of learners and educators, 15 schools within targeted circuits of the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality and a further 15 schools in the Dipaleseng Local Municipality have been identified to receive water tanks. This initiative aims to support safe, healthy and conducive learning environments.

The handover of desks and chairs to the Bethal schools coincided with Youth Month, a period that underscores the importance of initiatives focused on youth development, empowerment and long-term growth.

Over the years, Sasol has supported schools in communities neighbouring its operations with critical learning resources and infrastructure improvements. To date, learners in various regions across Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal have received stationery, hygiene packs and school uniforms through Sasol’s education support programmes.

“At Sasol, we believe that access to quality education begins with creating a safe and enabling environment for learners and educators. This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering communities through sustainable development initiatives that support long-term educational outcomes,” said Dr Sarel Booyens, Head RSA CSI Programme Execution.

Sasol remains committed to empowering learners and contributing to sustainable community development.

Visit https://sasolfoundation.com to learn more about Sasol’s impactful interventions in education.

On Thursday, 11 June 2026, Sasol through the Bridge to Work (BtW) programme hosted a Farmers’ Day in Secunda.  The event was focused on equipping smallholder farmers with the latest trends, linkages to markets, buyers and financiers that are critical to transforming their business into sustainable operations.

Through knowledge sharing sessions, supplier demonstrations, and direct engagement operators across the farming value chain, Farmers’ Day provided a solution-oriented platform that is geared to supporting the next generation of commercial farmers.

Emerging farmers attending the event included former Bridge to Work trainees who have established enterprises in poultry, livestock and crop farming. Delivered through Iphepe programme, the Bridge to Work farming stream empowers local community members with the skills and training needed to establish sustainable, income-generating agricultural enterprises.

“Farmers’ Day reflects our commitment to the empowerment of our local communities. Empowering them with knowledge and linking them to strategic partnerships needed to transform their farming operations into viable and sustainable businesses. Our Bridge to Work programme has created a diverse pool of farmers who are well equipped with the necessary skills to make a meaningful impact in this strategic sector of the economy,” said Gao Mothoagae, Vice President: Corporate Social Investment and Sasol Foundation.

Hosted during Youth Month, Farmers’ Day is another demonstration of Sasol’s commitment to empowering communities, particularly the youth with skills that enable them to actively participate in the economy and contribute to job creation.

To date, the Iphepe programme has trained at least 311 farmers across Mpumalanga, the Free State, and Ekandustria, with Mpumalanga hosting the largest concentration of active farmers. The programme is targeted primarily at unemployed youth including women.

Some of the exhibiting partners that took part in the event included the Land Bank, Potatoes SA, TWK Agri, Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market, Agricultural Development Agency, Rainbow Chicken, Pannar, Farmers Weekly, Agrisure, and Epol. Visit https://society.sasol.com/bridge-to-work/ to learn more about the programme.

In a move to enable broader participation in the digital economy, Sasol on Thursday, 4 June 2026, hosted a Digital Futures Technology Immersion Experience in Secunda. The event convened enterprise development partners, technology leaders, innovators, funders, government representatives, and industry stakeholders to drive collaboration, innovation and create pathways for young people into the digital economy.

Hosted during Youth Month at the Sasol Recreation Club, the conference formed part of Sasol’s broader commitment to equipping young people with future-ready digital skills, while exposing them to industries and technologies shaping tomorrow’s economy.

Furthermore, the Digital Futures 2026 Technology Immersion Experience provided a platform for digitally skilled participants from Sasol’s Bridge to Work Programmes to connect with potential funders, employers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovation ecosystems within the rapidly evolving technology sector.

Leading technology and innovation partners within Sasol’s broader digital and innovation network participating in the conference included  Accenture South Africa, Microsoft Elevate, IOCO, COOi Studios, Ocule IT, Imizizi, HCLTech, ServiceNow, Intelliscient, JSE Enterprise & Supplier Development, Lubanzi ICT Consulting, Sencorp Digital, Palucode, and the JSE Enterprise and Supplier Development.  The strategic ecosystem partners shared market insights on various pathways to employment and entrepreneurship, innovation and participation within the digital economy, while also showcasing emerging technologies, platforms and digital capabilities shaping the future world of work.

The technology immersion experience represents Sasol’s latest strategic intervention to create an enabling environment for tech entrepreneurs, digitally skilled youth and emerging innovators to explore opportunities in the digital sector while promoting youth inclusion in this growing sector of the economy.

Over 100 digitally skilled participants attended the conference and were exposed to live technological demonstrations, immersive exhibitions, keynote addresses, structured panel discussion focused on enterprise development, employability, entrepreneurship and market access.

Speaking during the conference, Gao Mothoagae, Vice President: Corporate Social Investment and Sasol Foundation, said: “This initiative reflects Sasol’s enduring commitment to empowering young people from communities neighbouring our operations with future-ready skills that support pathways into employment and entrepreneurship in the digital economy.”

Digital Futures 2026 aligns with the Bridge to Work Business Digital Services programme, which is focused on equipping residents from Sasol’s local communities with skills in coding, robotics, drone piloting and data science. The event also included a graduation ceremony for 40 Bridge to Work beneficiaries, marking the completion of training in Digital Services.

Launched in 2022, Bridge to Work equips young people and unemployed women from communities neighbouring Sasol’s operations with critical, in-demand skills. As part of the programme, Sasol has made significant investments in the programme, supporting diverse training streams such as Iphepe farming, motor mechanics, solar installation, welding and handyman services to drive sustainable livelihoods. Several past beneficiaries have established successful small businesses, contributing to local economic activity, skills transfer and job creation.

Currently, a total of 1 128 beneficiaries across Secunda, Sasolburg and Ekandustria are actively participating in the Bridge to Work programme.

Visit https://society.sasol.com/bridge-to-work/ to learn more about the programme.

The President tonight unveiled a comprehensive package of measures to tackle illegal immigration, promising tougher enforcement, legal reforms and regional cooperation while warning against vigilantism and xenophobia.

Speaking to the nation, he acknowledged widespread public anxieties driven by high unemployment, strained public services and competition for jobs, but said illegal immigration is not the root cause of South Africa’s economic woes. “The answer must be faster economic growth, greater investment, industrial expansion, infrastructure development and the creation of millions of new jobs,” he said.

Key elements of the plan include stepped‑up identifications and deportations of undocumented migrants, the establishment of dedicated immigration courts to speed proceedings, and intensified inspections of employers who hire undocumented workers. Authorities named to lead the drive include the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority and the South African Police Service. The President said penalties for employers who exploit undocumented labour will be increased, including imprisonment.

Border security will be strengthened through investment in technology, infrastructure and personnel, and refugee reception centres will be relocated closer to border posts beginning with Tshwane to accelerate asylum processing. The government also announced plans to create an Intelligent Population Register with biometric data as a basis for a future Digital ID and to phase out the green ID book, which officials say has enabled identity fraud.

The administration pledged a crackdown on corruption inside Home Affairs, promising dismissals and criminal prosecutions for officials who sell documents or facilitate unlawful entry. On the policy front, Cabinet has finalised a National Labour Migration Policy proposing quotas for the employment of foreign nationals, and an Employment Services Amendment Bill empowering the Minister to set sectoral quotas is headed to Parliament. Small and informal South African businesses will be supported through registration drives and a Spaza Shop Fund, officials said.

The President stressed that only authorised state actors may enforce immigration laws and urged communities not to take the law into their own hands. He repeatedly condemned xenophobia, tribal slurs and violence, saying “we must not be tempted to turn against people who were not born in South Africa.” He warned against misinformation on social media and said the state will act against groups exploiting migration concerns to destabilise the country.

Regional diplomacy will form part of the response: envoys will be sent to sister African countries, and the government will work through SADC and the African Union to address the root causes of migration such as conflict and poverty.

Implementation will be coordinated by an Inter‑Ministerial Committee on Migration, with NATJOINTS and provincial structures directed to strengthen operational cooperation among law‑enforcement and intelligence agencies. The Department of Employment and Labour has begun recruiting 10,000 inspectors to bolster labour enforcement, the President said.

Analysts welcomed the focus on corruption and employer enforcement but warned of practical and human‑rights risks. “Effective, rights‑respecting implementation will be critical,” said an expert on migration policy, noting that rapid deportations or poorly resourced processing could generate humanitarian problems and inflame tensions.

The President framed the policy as balancing enforcement with compassion: “We can protect our borders while protecting human dignity. We can enforce our laws while upholding our Constitution.” He urged unity, lawfulness and a long‑term economic strategy to create opportunities for South Africans.

Cabinet will review progress regularly, the Presidency said, as the government moves to translate the announced measures into action.