July 20, 2026 

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.  

Making headlines: National Water Access Acceleration Programme officially launched; Tebogo Seokolo appointed Vice-Chair of South African Non-Proliferation Council; And, Mashaba appeals to Treasury for strict oversight amid Joburg liquidity crisis 

South Africa has launched the National Water Access Acceleration Programme, through the decentralised water supply schemes, amid the need to expand access to safe and reliable water to underserved communities across South Africa. 

The National Water Access Acceleration Programme is designed to fast-track practical, sustainable and fit-for-purpose water solutions, with the aim of expanding access to safe and reliable water services for unserved and underserved communities across the country. 

The programme is intended to shorten the time between identifying a community’s need and delivering a working water supply. It will use solutions suited to local conditions rather than waiting in every instance for large, complex infrastructure projects, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his ‘From the desk of the President’ newsletter today. 

Deputy Director-General for the Africa branch at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo, has been appointed as the Vice-Chairperson of the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.  

The appointment, made by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, is effective from July 01 until March 31, 2030.  

Tau made the appointment in terms of Section 4(2)(a) of the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Act, following the Cabinet's appointment of a new 11-member Council last year to oversee the regulation and control of dual-use technologies and weapons proliferation.  

Seokolo’s leadership role was formally considered and noted by Cabinet during its executive meeting held on June 3. 

ActionSA leader and the party’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba has formally requested the intervention of Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to oversee and monitor National Treasury funds bound for the cash-strapped City of Johannesburg.  

In a letter sent on Monday, Mashaba recommended the immediate deployment of a technical support team to track the implementation and usage of any funds transferred to the municipality.   

The move comes as the city faces a liquidity crisis, reportedly operating with a mere nine days of cash reserves left in its coffers.  

The city is currently relying heavily on the reinstatement of its R3.6-billion equitable share allocation to remain operational.   

National Treasury withheld the allocation earlier this month, citing the city's persistent failure to adhere to fiscal discipline alongside escalating rates of unauthorised, wasteful, and irregular expenditure. 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today  

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