October 2026

Garth de Klerk, CEO of the South African Insurance Crime Bureau, said syndicates plan for months before they carry out deceased estate fraud. He said the fraudsters allegedly do nothing visible for six months.

De Klerk said recording a living person as dead "often involves compromised lawyers, possibly corrupt doctors, mortuary officials, insiders at a Master's Office and people paid to falsely identify a body". He also said syndicates target elderly people by becoming their caregivers or by identifying who their caregivers are.

The Master's Office said all institutions that manage deceased estates must do more to fight this fraud.Share

Musk wrote on X: "Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America". He has not yet given details on how the gift will work. Trump thanked him in a written post and linked the gift to Trump Accounts.

Trump said the gift is exactly what was envisioned when Trump Accounts were created. SpaceX listed on Nasdaq in June 2026, and its market value is now nearly $2-trillion.

SEC filings show Musk holds 6.42-billion SpaceX shares, a beneficial stake of 48.4%. The share price is reported at $146 to $148. About 72 to 73-million children under 18 live in the US.

One outlet estimated the total cost at $10.5bn to $10.7bn, based on the reported share price and the number of children.Share

Ramaphosa said coalition governments limit what mayors and municipal committees can do. He also defended the ANC's record and said the claim that there has been no delivery is not true. He pointed to the provision of houses.

Ramaphosa said: "I’m hoping that in these elections, we will be able to have an outcome that gives outright support to parties that will be able to run municipalities effectively". He also said challenges in local government should not be used to judge everyone in government alike.

Residents raised complaints. Slindo Mthembu, who rents in Daveyton for work, said street lights do not work, roads are in bad repair and safety is the main concern. Mosadi Khoza, 33, lives in a shack in Mayfield with three children. She said the settlement has no proper roads, ambulances struggle to enter and it floods when it rains.

Ramaphosa said faulty taps, door handles and missing electricity connections in new homes are being fixed. He said an electricity contractor would be in the area on Wednesday.Share

Hlabisa said no coalition negotiations have started. Coalitions are a reality, he said, and the IFP will discuss them after the election results. He said the IFP will contest the elections alone, not in a pact.

A single unnamed source said the IFP recently held preliminary talks with the MK Party about possible coalitions. Hlabisa rejected this, saying: "There are no negotiations that have started – none!"

On immigration, Hlabisa said foreign nationals without the required documents must leave the country. He said this would keep services for South Africans. He also said asylum seekers should only be people fleeing from neighbouring countries.

Hlabisa also defended KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, who called for the army to be deployed. Hlabisa said Ntuli was correctly responding to a situation and making sure there is no violence.Share

Creecy said government is committed to rehabilitating rail. She said this would cut carbon emissions and ease transport costs for households and businesses. She also said more rail use, with diesel prices high, can help freight rail compete with trucking.

Officials from two neighbouring countries described their own rail plans. Zimbabwe's Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Joshua Sacco, said Zimbabwe is slowly moving from road freight to rail because of a boom in its commodities.

Bright Kuwembe, Malawi's Secretary for Transport and Public Works, said rail is vital to Malawians because road transport costs a lot. He said a South African company has shown interest in helping rebuild and run the Malawi line. Malawi has rebuilt 49 kilometers of line so far, from Blantyre towards the Mozambique border.Share

Lt-Col Nathaniel Zechariah, an expert from the KwaZulu-Natal criminal records centre, gave the evidence. He said no one in the world has identical fingerprints. "I have no doubt that the fingerprints found in the Toyota Etios are those of accused No 3 in the dock," he said.

The Etios was used in the 2022 killing of taxi boss Gift Khanyile in Mayville. Zechariah also linked cartridges found at the murder scene of Kiernan "AKA" Forbes to Myeza.

Defence counsel Simphiwe Mlotshwa suggested the prints could come from a car wash where Myeza worked in 2022. He said this could explain why Myeza's prints were in many cars. Zechariah could not say how long fingerprints last.

Myeza is 23 and is one of seven men who pleaded not guilty in the trial over the murders of Forbes and Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane. The state says Myeza supplied one of the two guns used to kill either Forbes or Motsoane. The trial continues.Share

Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo said the bank's debt arose from poor financial management, which hurt its liquidity and led to defaults. He said government believes these challenges should be remitted so the bank can return to full operations soon. The briefing also covered an amendment to Section 45 of the Land Bank Act.

Treasury gave the bank fiscal support of R10 billion. R3 billion of that was transferred in 2020. The bank reported a profit of just under R12 million for the 2025/26 financial year.

The original target for completing the restructuring was 30 September 2026. Thabi Nkosi, the bank's former non-executive chairperson, said the turnaround strategy is starting to see green shoots and that the bank is in a healthy cash position. Asked by committee member Ashor Sarupen when the restructuring would finish, she said the bank had hit problems with some lenders.

Committee chairperson Joseph Maswanganyi said the talks on a solution should end this financial year. He also said the committee recommends that the bank review its policy of outsourcing work that its own employees could do.Share

ActionSA MP Alan Beesley said Treasury must make bold reforms to get the economy going and address unemployment. He also wants the minister to address record fuel prices. Rise Mzansi expects a tax windfall in excess of R50 billion as a temporary measure.

Rise Mzansi spokesperson Mabine Seabe said the Treasury must rethink its reliance on rigid fuel levies. The DA wants a hard numerical debt to GDP fiscal rule written into law, said DA MP Kingsley Wakelin. IFP Chief Whip Nhlanhla Hadebe said more spending to combat gender-based violence and femicide is of particular importance.

The ACDP expects the statement to pave the way for economic recovery. Some organisations urge Godongwana to avoid an austerity budget while fuel prices are high.

COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator Matthew Parks said the statement needs to inspire hope amid a challenging economic environment. He described stagnant growth, higher unemployment and service delivery failures. Analysts said the statement will likely test whether the gains of the February budget can be kept.Share

The new whips are Emerald Kwenzokuhle Madlala, Sanele Greegory Mwali, Pinky Pearlgene Mngadi, Sihle Ngubane and Wesley Douglas. Philasande Mkhize is the party's chief whip. The party has changed its parliamentary leadership several times since it entered Parliament after the 2024 elections.

Mkhize's predecessor as chief whip, Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi, was fired after her arrest on fraud, extortion and corruption charges. She allegedly took more than R200 000 from parliamentary researchers whom she compelled to make financial contributions, seemingly for Jacob Zuma's legal costs. These are allegations.

Asked to comment on the changes and the frequent shifts in leadership, Mkhize said: "No comment, ma'am." John Hlophe is the parliamentary leader of the party, and Zuma is its president.Share

The Commission gazetted an Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation on 4 September 2026. It also designated Real411 to support its work. Real411 handles complaints in eleven official languages.

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said the partnership gives the Commission direct access to the platforms and a real fighting chance against disinformation. He said it lets the Commission act quickly against people who spread false information.

Mamabolo said: "A technically flawless election can still lose public trust if citizens are overwhelmed by disinformation."Share

One report says the council found the dismissal procedurally unfair. Another says it was procedurally and substantively unfair. Arbitrator Suria van Wyk handed down the award, which another report dates to 17 October.

Van Wyk found that the department did not prove the charges on a balance of probabilities. The award covers 12 months of back pay, from 17 October 2025 to 17 October 2026. Oliphant returns on the same terms and conditions.

Oliphant denied bringing the department into disrepute. She also denied threatening to assault former minister Sisisi Tolashe. She says the dismissal was an abuse of power.

Oliphant now hopes the Public Service Commission will investigate her dismissal and that of 18 colleagues. She says someone must be held accountable.Share

The JSE All Share index closed at 110,399 points on Tuesday, up 1.3%. The Top 40 index rose to 102,554, up 1.3%.

The rand ended at R16.42 to the US dollar, stronger than R16.46 the day before. Gold was at $4,136 an ounce, down 0.6%. Brent crude was at $110.35 a barrel, up 0.7%.Share

The department said its main application is expected to be heard by February next year. It was to submit the application on Monday, 19 October, after six months of preparation, investigations and engagements.

Knoflokskraal is made up of six State-owned farms. The land was reportedly occupied unlawfully in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is said to have grown to over 4 000 structures that house an estimated 15 000 to 20 000 people.

Macpherson said: "We will not allow unlawful occupation and the breakdown of the rule of law to go unaddressed." He also said restoring the rule of law begins with respect for the law and proper legal processes.Share

Xaba made the order during an oversight visit on Monday to water infrastructure in the northern areas. Twelve ward councillors went with him. He said the municipality has bought replacement parts for the vandalised valves.

Tampering with pressure-reducing valves has disrupted water supply in Lindelani and Ntuzuma. Some communities have had no reliable supply for months. Vandalism and illegal connections are among the main causes of supply interruptions.

Xaba said repairing a single valve costs between R20 000 and R160 000. He said this money could otherwise pay to expand and improve water infrastructure. He appealed to residents to help stop the damage.

Xaba said: "We call on residents to work with the municipality to curb the vandalism of water infrastructure."Share

Mudau's children are aged 15, eight and two. She said they need nebuliser treatment four days a week, about an hour each time. She said her second child was found on the floor struggling to breathe, and she rushed him to hospital.

Mudau said two of the children have had breathing episodes and she waits for the third to have one. She said they do not have asthma but developed bronchitis after birth. She has ordered an inverter that costs R15,000.

David McMahon, acting general manager of the inner city service delivery centre at City Power, said at least 90% of power was restored by Monday night. He said the linked underground tunnels make it hard to control access, even when crews try to secure manholes.Share

Lamola said the investment relationship has yet to reach its full potential. He said both governments must address the challenges that affect investors. He also called for stronger cooperation across sectors and in multilateral forums.

Lamola said: "We should therefore use this JCC to identify practical measures that can make it easier for businesses from both countries to invest and operate in each other’s markets". A proposed Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment could help find chances for more two-way investment.

Lamola also said Uganda has brought its Ebola outbreak under control. President Cyril Ramaphosa, the African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, announced an initial South African contribution of US$5 million to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.Share

Police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala said officers are investigating the shooting. Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects.

Gwala said: "The circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation, and the motive is believed to be gang-related."Share

Andrew Faull, head of operational support at the City of Cape Town's safety and security directorate, spoke on the panel. He said people are generally unsatisfied with police the world over, because they call police when bad things happen to them. He also said community policing forum members judge police more favourably than the general public.

Sebastian Abrahams, deputy chairperson of the Western Cape Provincial Community Policing Forum Board, said communities lost a lot of trust in recent months. He blamed service delivery problems, slow response times and a lack of resources. He said trust would improve if police treated everyone fairly.

David Bruce of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) also sat on the panel. Diketso Mufamadi-Mathebula, an ISS project manager, moderated it.

Criminologist Irvin Kinnes spoke on the Madlanga Commission. He said it is in its final stretch and that its report, expected in January, will be a watershed moment. He also said elections, political killings and violence will strain police resources.Share

Lenacapavir is given twice a year, approximately six months apart. Capa said HIV-negative people will get the injection at public facilities. She said the province has enough doses and that donor support helped make the rollout possible, as the medicine is expensive.

Capa said the injection means people no longer have to take tablets every day. She said: "It is groundbreaking for us because now you are no longer going to take tablets every day." She said the province has a list of facilities that offer the service.

Thsonono Buyeye, the Nelson Mandela Bay MMC for Public Health, said lenacapavir is a prevention medicine. He said it is not a vaccine and not a treatment for people living with HIV.

The strategy also covers cervical cancer. The National Department of Health targets 2030 to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.Share

The families were forcibly removed from Protea Village in the 1960s. Of the claimants, 86 families chose restoration of land rights. Another 46 families chose financial compensation.

Chair of the Protea Village Communal Property Association Andre Maxwell said building plans reached the City only earlier this month. He said the budget could be confirmed only after all open-market stands were sold. He expects sales of the remaining properties to be finalised by next month.

The development sells 50 open-market plots to help pay for the project. The first 33 plots sold for an average of R4.5 million, and 33 stands have been transferred to buyers. Ten final stands are reserved. The development also includes a four-hectare public greenbelt along the Liesbeek River.

The land reform department granted R60.8 million in 2021, and the City of Cape Town invested R83 million in bulk infrastructure and other support. Victor Josephus, 85, was forcibly removed. At a site visit on Monday he said: "I would really like to come back".Share

Lamola is the International Relations and Cooperation Minister. He spoke at the crash site where Mozambican President Samora Machel died in 1986. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo and Graça Machel attended the commemoration.

Lamola said: "We reiterate that there is no justification for the violence, displacement and intimidation of fellow Africans," He also said the struggle for freedom remains incomplete because many people still live with poverty, inequality, unemployment and exclusion.

He said Mozambique is South Africa's largest trading partner on the African continent. Lamola said 2 500 commercial trucks travel along the Maputo Corridor daily. He said approximately 300 South African companies operate in Mozambique and support more than 40 000 jobs.

Machel died with 34 other people in the crash. Nelson Mandela unveiled the Samora Machel Memorial in 1999.Share

The woman was swimming with a group when the shark attacked her. She died after the attack.

Buffalo City municipality closed Orient Beach and Eastern Beach after the incident.Share

The Commission for Gender Equality presented research on women's land rights to the committee. It said women outnumber men as farmers and own more small and micro businesses. In Eastern Cape communities studied, the commission reported land costs from R100 to more than R100 000.

The committee welcomed the presentation. It said allocating land alone is not enough. Secure rights must be supported by access to finance, markets and infrastructure.

The National Assembly referred the reports to the committee for consideration and a report back. The committee proposed to invite the Ingonyama Trust Board and the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development to respond to the findings.Share

Lesetja Kganyago opened the conference, hosted by the South African Reserve Bank, with a keynote address. He said new fintechs and non-banks are positive for competition. He said they will drive innovation and reduce costs, although regulation has to keep up.

Kganyago said high payment costs or unreliable payment systems slow an economy as much as failures in electricity, rail and ports. He cited a recent study that put cash at about 56% of all consumer transactions by volume. The study put the economic cost of cash use at R88.5bn a year.

PayShap has handled over 1-billion transactions worth over R1-trillion since 2023. Last year its transactions equalled about 6% of card transaction volumes. They were also less than 40% of EFT credit volumes. Kganyago called the number of transactions "not really a big number".

He said a national instant-payment service cannot feel like a different product depending on where a customer banks. On the QR+ standard, he said merchant acceptance is critical to the adoption of digital payments.Share

The committee received a briefing from the department and the auditor general on the department's annual report. Members then questioned officials on why asbestos is still in school buildings.

Feni said the removal of asbestos roofs needs to be fast-tracked. He said learning conditions will get worse as summer approaches. He told the department: "It's worse now; it's going to be summer. We know in winter what asbestos does and also the health hazards that might be caused to those kids".

The department said officials from some provinces were not at the meeting. It said it will engage the Eastern Cape head of department.Share

Nscale is a UK start-up that builds infrastructure for artificial intelligence. It plans to list its shares in New York in an initial public offering of $35bn.

The claim that the deal is close comes from one report, and neither company has confirmed it in the facts available.Share

Police searched Mphego's Centurion home on 6 July, and he was arrested more than three months later. Reports said police found more than 100 rounds of ammunition marked with a "P". The case was postponed to 3 November.

Prosecutor Mxolisi Thusi told the court that the investigations are complete. His lawyer, Piet du Plessis, said Mphego has no previous convictions and no pending arrest warrants. Magistrate Tshifhiwa Ntoko told Mphego: "You must attend court every time the matter comes to court and you must not contact state witnesses directly or indirectly"

Reports linked the matter to the investigation into the 2021 death of Sindile Mfazi, a former deputy national police commissioner for crime detection. Police now say Mfazi was murdered, after first believing he died of suspected Covid-19 complications. Mphego headed Crime Intelligence from 2006 to 2008 and later advised the late David Mabuza.Share

Chancellor John Healey has also ruled out a rise in capital gains tax in his Budget next week. This follows warnings that such a rise would damage confidence in the economy.Share

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it will open a criminal case against municipal officials. It says they failed to meet national standards for water quality warnings.

Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya acknowledged negligence. She said disciplinary processes are under way against the administrative officials responsible.

The Department of Water and Sanitation is working with the city on the situation. Many residents blame local government for negligence.Share

Riots struck French cities at the weekend, and luxury retailers were among the targets. Louis Vuitton and Hermès were among the shops looted.

The talks with resale platforms aim to remove suspicious listings. They also aim to identify the people who sell the stolen goods.Share