September 23, 2026.

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

Making headlines:

South Africa's headline inflation rate inches higher in August

IEC demands parties restore public trust at 2026 electoral code signing

And, ActionSA says ‘hypocritical’ DA case against it must be treated with cynicism

South African inflation picked up slightly in August, but analysts said the smaller-than-expected uptick was unlikely to influence the central bank's interest-rate announcement later in the day.

Headline inflation was at 4.4% year-on-year, up from 4.3% in July but below the average forecast of 4.5% in a Reuters poll of economists, Statistics South Africa data showed today.

Most economists expect the South African Reserve Bank to increase its monetary policy rate by 25 basis points to 7.25%.

The central bank, which targets inflation of 3%, tends to focus on the outlook for upcoming inflation readings rather than looking backwards.

Statistics South Africa said the inflation increase was mainly driven by the housing and utilities, transport, and insurance and financial services categories.

In what is being described as the most challenging political environment in South Africa's democratic history, Independent Electoral Commission chairperson Mosotho Moepya declared that the signing of the electoral code of conduct is a "sacrosanct ingredient" to ensuring the integrity of the upcoming 2026 local government elections.

Speaking at the official Code of Conduct signing ceremony and ballot draw in Midrand, Moepya framed the signing as a “solemn, binding contract” signed directly with South Africans at a critical historical crossroads.

Moepya said recent findings from a voter participation survey conducted with the Human Sciences Research Council painted a stark picture of the national mood, revealing a significant decline in democratic trust, widespread institutional disillusionment, and growing public scepticisms.

The Code of Conduct substantively protects all 136 790 candidates contesting the municipal elections, ensuring equal opportunities to campaign without fear of violence, intimidation, or unfair distortion.

As the country heads toward the November polls, the IEC views compliance with this code as the primary mechanism to safeguard constitutional equality and address the potentially distorted playing field.

ActionSA stated today that it is unclear how the DA intends to take political parties to court over a practice he says they have not only used in previous elections themselves, but that they intend to also use in this election.

This after the DA launched an urgent application in the Electoral Court against ActionSA, the EFF, the MKP, and the GOOD party, accusing them of deliberately concealing their proportional representation candidates from the public by submitting lists containing just a single name.

The DA accused the parties of attempting to mislead voters.

However, ActionSA spokesperson Michael Beaumont has hit back at the DA's case, claiming it was instead trying to disenfranchise voters.

He accused the DA of using the provision in the Municipal Electoral Act to supplement its PR lists in previous elections and in these 2026 Local Government Elections.

Beaumont warned that the party would take legal action against the DA for what he says is the “flagrant abuse of the court’s time”.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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