The Wednesday Wrap | 20 May 2026
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What’s UP @ Tuks?:
UP’s Social Insects Research Group is visiting five Gauteng schools this May to teach learners about pollinators. Without bees and other pollinators, food systems could collapse - most crops depend on them. South Africa is a global centre of bee diversity, and the outreach aims to build ecological literacy early.
Di Polotiki tsa Mzansi (SA Politics):
Deputy Minister Buti Manamela dissolved the NSFAS board and placed it under an administrator, but then cancelled a parliamentary oversight meeting via WhatsApp, sparking outrage. The Chair of Chairs ordered an urgent hearing and involved parliamentary legal services. Meanwhile, Julius Malema argues NSFAS is beyond repair and wants student funding sent directly to universities, cutting out the “bloated middleman.”
Current Affairs:
Eskom has threatened to cut electricity to parts of Johannesburg from 8 July unless the City of Johannesburg and City Power pay over R5.2 billion in overdue debt. The cuts would be progressive, not all at once. Municipalities collectively owe Eskom R111 billion.
Madlanga Commission:
Hearings are paused until 1 June to draft a second interim report (due 29 May). Witness Brown Mogotsi was arrested after testifying - he allegedly staged his own assassination attempt. He’s now suing the state. Separately, a former police sniper is on trial for killing a key witness. The commission has led to 18 top police officials being suspended.
Crime and Courts:
An Eastern Cape High Court dismissed a stepson’s claim for R251,000 from his stepmother. The judge called it a case of greed, control, and lack of empathy in a blended family. The stepson had paid off her home loan in exchange for her caring for his dying father, but the court found the facts too disputed for a summary judgment.
International Scoop:
The US-Israeli ceasefire with Iran is fragile. President Trump said he was an hour away from ordering new strikes but pulled back after Gulf allies asked for a pause. Back-channel talks via Pakistan continue, but Iran rejected the latest US proposal. A drone strike hit near the UAE’s only nuclear plant. The Strait of Hormuz near-shutdown has cut the UN’s global growth forecast to 2.5%.
UP’s Social Insects Research Group is visiting five Gauteng schools this May to teach learners about pollinators. Without bees and other pollinators, food systems could collapse - most crops depend on them. South Africa is a global centre of bee diversity, and the outreach aims to build ecological literacy early.
Di Polotiki tsa Mzansi (SA Politics):
Deputy Minister Buti Manamela dissolved the NSFAS board and placed it under an administrator, but then cancelled a parliamentary oversight meeting via WhatsApp, sparking outrage. The Chair of Chairs ordered an urgent hearing and involved parliamentary legal services. Meanwhile, Julius Malema argues NSFAS is beyond repair and wants student funding sent directly to universities, cutting out the “bloated middleman.”
Current Affairs:
Eskom has threatened to cut electricity to parts of Johannesburg from 8 July unless the City of Johannesburg and City Power pay over R5.2 billion in overdue debt. The cuts would be progressive, not all at once. Municipalities collectively owe Eskom R111 billion.
Madlanga Commission:
Hearings are paused until 1 June to draft a second interim report (due 29 May). Witness Brown Mogotsi was arrested after testifying - he allegedly staged his own assassination attempt. He’s now suing the state. Separately, a former police sniper is on trial for killing a key witness. The commission has led to 18 top police officials being suspended.
Crime and Courts:
An Eastern Cape High Court dismissed a stepson’s claim for R251,000 from his stepmother. The judge called it a case of greed, control, and lack of empathy in a blended family. The stepson had paid off her home loan in exchange for her caring for his dying father, but the court found the facts too disputed for a summary judgment.
International Scoop:
The US-Israeli ceasefire with Iran is fragile. President Trump said he was an hour away from ordering new strikes but pulled back after Gulf allies asked for a pause. Back-channel talks via Pakistan continue, but Iran rejected the latest US proposal. A drone strike hit near the UAE’s only nuclear plant. The Strait of Hormuz near-shutdown has cut the UN’s global growth forecast to 2.5%.
