For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: DA urges public comment on draft bill to stop ‘unfair’ electricity price hikes; Ramaphosa says South Africa must prepare for potential loss of US trade benefits; And, South Africa needs to be ready to use climate forecasts effectively for water security

DA urges public comment on draft bill to stop ‘unfair’ electricity price hikes

The DA has invited the public to submit comments on its new draft Bill aimed at stopping what it says are unfair electricity price hikes, with the submission window open until November 15.

A formal notice to introduce the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill has been published in the Government Gazette.

The draft legislation seeks to amend the existing Electricity Regulation Act to close regulatory loopholes and protect South African consumers from skyrocketing, unverified tariff increases, the party said.

The party urged citizens to participate actively in the legislative process.

Currently, electricity prices have consistently outpaced inflation, trapping households and businesses in severe financial strain. According to the DA, consumers are routinely forced to absorb the financial fallout of calculation errors, the recovery of arrears, and arbitrary "guesstimates" regarding municipal supply costs.

The DA's Bill proposes that every tariff application must be backed by a demonstrable, scientific cost-of-supply study, which would force the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to verify these studies and publish them for public review.

Ramaphosa says South Africa must prepare for potential loss of US trade benefits

President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the country must prepare for its potential exclusion from the United States' duty-free trade initiative, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, as relations between Washington and Pretoria have soured.

AGOA gives eligible African countries duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products. South Africa has benefited from it for years.

US President Donald Trump's administration has cracked down on South Africa for what Trump claims is its persecution of white people. South Africa's government says this is a falsehood spread by fringe groups.

Ramaphosa said it remained to be seen whether South Africa would remain part of AGOA and his government was in discussions with US counterparts. Some US officials have suggested South Africa should be excluded.

And, South Africa needs to be ready to use climate forecasts effectively for water security

As South Africa enters the 2026/27 summer rainfall season with an increased risk of drier and hotter conditions, the Water Institute of Southern Africa posed the question: does the country have the professional capacity to turn climate warnings into timely decisions that protect its water security?

While South Africa’s weather forecasts are not a guarantee of drought in every region, they do indicate increased risk and reinforce the need to prepare before water shortages place additional pressure on communities, agriculture and businesses.

The South African Weather Service has identified below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures as the most likely outcome across most of the country from October to December, similar to that of the Southern African Development Community’s regional outlook across much of Southern Africa during the same period.

The effects of El Niño, a natural climate pattern that can influence rainfall and temperatures, are not the same in every season or place, so the forecast should be treated as an early warning to prepare, rather than a prediction that every area will experience drought.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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