… What started as a small local action in one area in 2022 has spread, with activists from the avowedly anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, picketing some hospitals and clinics in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. …
… These issues are important, because what we have heard at the Madlanga Commission is that Mkhwanazi and Masemola did everything in their power to alert colleagues and political seniors to an alleged conspiracy to protect Gauteng crime cartels, warnings that went unheeded. …
… Detectives investigating a murder in Gauteng that was linked to dubious Transnet tender activities were threatened, and some of their senior police colleagues offered them bribes. …
… As a whistleblower, Gauteng Department of Health official Babita Deokaran, a single mother, was such a threat that she had to be eliminated, violently. …
The ground was officially broken on Suzuki Auto South Africa’s new head office and distribution centre to be located at the Longlake Logistics Park in the Gauteng province. …
ANC veteran Tokyo Sexwale has disputed President Cyril Ramaphosa's explanation of US dollars stolen from his Phala Phala farm, calling it a "cock-and-bull story" and demanding Ramaphosa appear before the impeachment committee. Ramaphosa has said the cash was proceeds from cattle and game sales to a Sudanese businessman and was left at the farm to secure future purchases before being stolen.
ANC veteran Tokyo Sexwale has disputed President Cyril Ramaphosa's explanation of US dollars stolen from his Phala Phala farm, calling it a "cock-and-bull story" and demanding Ramaphosa appear before the impeachment committee. Ramaphosa has said the cash was proceeds from cattle and game sales to a Sudanese businessman and was left at the farm to secure future purchases before being stolen.
African diplomats in South Africa have announced a boycott of the 63rd Africa Day celebrations scheduled for Moruleng in the North West province, citing security concerns over recent xenophobic marches and attacks targeting foreign nationals. The diplomatic corps said they could not assure attendees' safety amid anti-immigration protests in several provinces.
Petrol prices in South Africa are set to increase sharply in June as the government phases out its fuel tax relief, with 95 unleaded expected to reach all-time highs of R27.42 at the coast. Diesel prices are forecast to decrease slightly, but relief is constrained by the government's planned reduction of the fuel tax reprieve from 3 June.
Industrial water treatment company G-Chem Aquacare says different applications require different water quality standards; drinking-quality water, for example, may not be suitable for industrial systems like boilers and cooling towers without causing scaling or corrosion.
Two high-ranking South African Police Service generals, Feroz Khan and Ebrahim Kadwa, have been arrested for alleged illegal dealing and unlawful possession of precious metals. They are among 15 senior police officers scheduled to appear in Gauteng courts this week.
South Africa's Constitutional Court will deliver judgment on 8 May on an application by the EFF and ATM challenging Parliament's blocking of an impeachment inquiry against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal, involving the concealment of a farm theft of nearly $4 million in cash.
Geordin Hill-Lewis, 39, has become leader of South Africa's second-largest Democratic Alliance party, tasked with extending its support beyond its predominantly white and minority voter base to the black majority who make up about 80% of the population. Hill-Lewis has acknowledged a "trust deficit" and says winning the trust of more black South Africans will be his main focus, supported by a more diverse and younger senior leadership team than his predecessors.
South Africa's military has been deployed to five provinces to help police combat gang violence and illicit mining. Security experts warn that military deployment rarely delivers lasting results without addressing root causes of crime, and residents express mixed views on whether soldiers will improve safety.
South Africa's Auditor-General has found that the Department of Defence cannot locate portions of its R68.95-billion military asset base, raising concerns about resource management as the country deploys 2,200 troops to crime-affected areas at an estimated cost of R823 million. The department has received recurring qualified audit opinions for nine years and overspent its budget by R2.51 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
President Ramaphosa's comments suggesting retention of Johannesburg's current mayor signal possible ANC plans to impose a national candidate on the region, while the party's recent march focused on defending national sovereignty appears designed to shift campaign messaging away from local service delivery failures to broader anti-Trump and liberation movement themes.
Conservationist Fred Daniel won a R306-million damages award against South Africa's government in September 2025 for state-sponsored persecution, but the office of the state attorney delayed paying his R700,000 in taxed costs for six months until asset seizure was threatened. The government has announced an appeal against the judgment despite the defendant agency stating it cannot afford the legal fees.
According to The Namibian opinion analysis, South Africa's ANC faces upcoming local elections with little apparent focus on governance messaging or strategic preparation, while the party confronts internal disputes, municipal service delivery failures, and dwindling support from coalition partners that could further erode its electoral standing.
The race for Johannesburg's mayor is now dominated by DA candidate Helen Zille and ActionSA president Herman Mashaba, with the ANC yet to name a candidate and facing declining support in the city. Infrastructure failures and declining voter turnout in traditional ANC strongholds like Soweto have reshaped the political landscape ahead of local elections expected in late November 2026.
The ANC in Gauteng is weakened by service delivery failures, corruption, and entrenched factionalism among regional leaders, leaving the party unable to arrest its decline before local elections. With a minority government vulnerable to no-confidence votes, the party may resort to horse-trading with opposition parties to pass budgets, perpetuating extraction and undermining governance.
The 28-year-old youngest son of Zimbabwe's former ruler Robert Mugabe faces attempted murder charges in South Africa while out on bail in Zimbabwe on separate assault allegations. His arrest at a Johannesburg property follows a shooting incident, continuing a pattern of legal troubles for the Mugabe family in the region.
South Africa will deploy army units alongside police within 10 days to combat crime in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and Eastern Cape, where gang violence and illegal mining fuel some of the world's highest murder rates. The move has drawn criticism from security experts and opposition parties who question whether soldiers are trained for policing and whether the short-term measure will effectively reduce daily murders.
An opinion piece argues that President Ramaphosa's decision to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) against gangsterism on the Cape Flats is flawed because the underfunded military cannot address root causes of crime, the 2019 deployment strategy already failed, and the move diverts scarce resources from the military's core mandate.
John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa's Democratic Alliance and agriculture minister in the coalition government, announced he will step down at the party's April congress following multiple scandals including poor handling of foot-and-mouth disease, personal financial mismanagement, and controversy over the sacking of Environment Minister Dion George. His departure opens the way for successors including Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he will deploy the military to support police in fighting criminal gangs and illegal mining, with initial deployment focused on the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces where gang violence and illegal mining are rising problems.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's 2026 State of the Nation Address employed careful political calculations to address diverse constituencies—including populists demanding military intervention, ANC loyalists seeking preservation of state ownership, free-marketeers wanting private sector participation, and others—while deliberately omitting topics like the Expropriation Act and farm murders that might alienate coalition partners. The speech also downgraded previous priorities like the Fourth Industrial Revolution in favour of green economy rhetoric, and reduced the urgency around gender-based violence despite its earlier treatment as a national emergency.
The Ministry of Agriculture says Namibia's animal health systems are prepared to respond to foot-and-mouth disease risks from neighbouring countries experiencing outbreaks, and has implemented preventive measures including veterinary controls at ports of entry and a ban on meat and dairy imports from South Africa since September.
A Namibian assessment of President Cyril Ramaphosa's 2025 State of the Nation pledges finds significant progress on energy reform and infrastructure investment, but widespread failure in local government service delivery, water provision, jobs creation, and health insurance rollout. The analysis concludes the president is "fixing the system but failing the street," where citizens experience repeated failure in municipal services, water crises, and public health.
Namibia's N$8-billion annual red meat industry faces serious risk from foot-and-mouth disease spreading from South Africa, prompting authorities to implement biosecurity measures including vehicle disinfection at borders and a ban on South African meat, dairy, and live animals. Industry leaders warn that an outbreak would devastate exports to key markets including the EU, China, and the United States, causing farmer bankruptcies and widespread job losses.
A taxi carrying pupils from multiple schools collided with a truck at Vanderbijlpark in South Africa's Vaal region on Monday, killing at least 13 pupils. Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi called for stricter regulation of the private transport sector following the crash, which occurred when the taxi attempted to overtake several cars.
South Africa's Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo told Parliament that criminal cartels thrive through proximity to politicians, law enforcement, and business leaders, alleging that nearly all SAPS officers in Gauteng work for a cartel and that police have offered protection to syndicate members for a fee.
A Gauteng mother's 11-month-old daughter was hospitalized with severe diarrhoea and bloody stools in early December, suspected to be caused by contaminated Nestlé NAN infant formula; the department of health subsequently issued a nationwide recall of the affected batch over the possible presence of cereulide toxin. The mother describes months of trauma, guilt, and ongoing anxiety as her daughter continues to suffer digestive issues despite stabilization.