National security threat, and more severe weather coming for South Africa

Here’s what is happening in and affecting South Africa today:

• New national security threat in South Africa: NATJOINTS is treating recent food poisoning cases as a national security threat. Six children in Naledi died after eating from a local spaza shop, and students in Mpumalanga and Limpopo were hospitalised. The Health Department suspects a chemical agent and is investigating, with teams starting in Soweto. There are growing calls for better food safety at spaza shops, and Gauteng MEC Lebogang Maile warned of action against attacks on foreign-owned stores. [eNCA]

• Severe weather warning for South Africa: The South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued an Orange Level 6 warning for heavy rain along coastal areas between Port Alfred and Richards Bay, which may lead to flooding and traffic disruptions. A Yellow Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms is also in place for parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State, and North West. Extremely high fire danger conditions are also expected in parts of the Northern Cape, North West, and Limpopo. The severe weather is expected to ease by Wednesday. [IOL]

• Joburg manhole accident kills two: Two contract workers trapped in a manhole in Johannesburg CBD have died. Three others were rescued and hospitalised. The workers may have been overcome by fumes from a generator. Authorities are investigating, and the public is urged to avoid the area while operations continue. [EWN]

• Ramaphosa wishes matrics well on exams: President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended his best wishes to the matric class of 2024 as they begin their final exams today. Over 880,000 full-time and part-time students across South Africa will take the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. Additionally, around 16,000 students from private schools will sit for the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) exams. [SABC]

• Markets: South Africa’s rand strengthened against a weaker dollar on Friday, ahead of next week’s domestic inflation data, which could offer insights into the central bank’s potential path for rate cuts. On Monday (21 October), the rand was trading at R17.61 to the dollar, R22.98 to the pound, and R19.13 to the euro. Oil is trading at $73.47 a barrel. [Reuters]