The headlines of the leading newspapers on 26 June 2026:
NATIONAL:
# Business Day:
Reports the Gauteng government has allocated 296-million-rand to support struggling municipalities in the province. The newspaper writes the move comes as concerns grow about weak financial controls and governance failures.
# Mail & Guardian:
Writes ActionSA leader and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba wants to establish a Trump-like police unit dedicated to arresting illegal immigrants.
# Die Papier:
Reports the ANC is apparently taking a new approach to supporting the police during the expected protests against illegal immigrants next week. The government has agreed with private security companies to help the police against possible violent disruption on June 30.
The paper also writes in detail about fears, traffic disruptions and March and March’s involvement.
And finally, there is also a complete timeline of the migrant issue.
# And the Netwerk24 website:
Leads with president Cyril Ramaphosa’s assurance that June 30 will be a normal working day and that the security forces are ready to deal with any incident. He says the migration issue will not be used to destabilise the country.
And secondly, the newspaper writes 14-year-old Thabso Lakaje and his nine-year-old brother Reanetswe were so seriously assaulted on the farm Toekoms outside Harrismith that they succumbed to their wounds. The suspect is known, and the police are currently searching for him.
GAUTENG:
# The Star:
Writes Johannesburg motorists have been warned to prepare for major traffic disruptions across the city centre and parts of Midrand on June 30, as three legally approved marches with thousands of participants will take place simultaneously. The paper reports according to the Johannesburg Metro Police, the largest gathering will be a March and March march through the Johannesburg city centre and Hillbrow district.
# And Sowetan:
Has a giant photo of the Bafana Bafana team on its front page with the headline: “SIYABANGENA” – we are going in.
WESTERN CAPE:
# Die Burger:
Leads with the Auditor-General’s latest report on the state of local government, which reveals shocking facts about the dire conditions at municipalities. The paper reports the ANC will not intervene to fix the councils. They are waiting for the voters to do so. The officials who are guilty of misappropriation may also receive public bonds.
And secondly, the paper writes about the positive outlook for fuel prices in July.
EASTERN CAPE:
# The Herald in Gqeberha:
Reports on the precautionary measures being taken and security plans in place to protect the people of Nelson Mandela Bay on 30 June.
KWAZULU-NATAL:
# The Witness in Pietermaritzburg:
Writes the eThekwini Municipality has refused permission for the planned protests on June 30 due to security concerns. The March and March movement is continuing despite the refusal.
And finally from NAMIBIA:
# Republikein in Windhoek:
Reports four years after allegations of irregularities over a food tender, three companies have now been banned from participating in the public procurement process for five years.
And secondly, the paper writes according to a land agreement between the City of Windhoek and the central government, the municipal area will be expanded by 423-hectares. This amounts to six-thousand new residential and business plots for Windhoek.