October 2026

Johannesburg Water said a tree stump fell onto the pipeline during excavation work. A contractor was replacing a sewer pipe at the time.

The utility advised residents in the affected areas not to use the water until further notice. Residents with service queries can phone 0860-056-2874 or 010-061-4470.Share

Godongwana said a further R186 million was reprioritised to forensic services and investigative capacity. The social workers will work in the provinces to strengthen prevention. He said the money responds to rising murders and attacks on women.

Godongwana said the allocations match the growing numbers of sexual offences courts, care centres, victim support programmes and shelters for survivors. Sexual offences courts will grow from 55 to 101 by 2028/29. Thuthuzela Care Centres will increase from 72 to 80 in the same period.

Treasury also expects savings of R6.2 billion from a decline in social grant beneficiaries, which it links to stronger verification measures. Beneficiaries fall from 17.8 million to 17.1 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30.Share

The mill has an annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes. The company said it expects the new facility to employ about 300 people. It said its total workforce should grow from 750 to 900 over the next year, and that operations support more than 2,000 indirect jobs.

Company director Amit Saini said the mill will let Coega Steels supply the Eastern Cape market and the coastline directly from Nelson Mandela Bay. The company also put R500m into expanding its steelmaking operations. Shareholder Ku Tha Ilangovan, who represents India's Agni Steels, spoke about the company's 12 years of growth.

Ilangovan said: "As shareholders, we did not invest in a building or machinery. We have invested in people."

The company says it is investing in renewable energy to lower emissions. About 80% of its emissions come from electricity bought from the municipality. It has about 8MWp of solar capacity and plans 19.8MWp more by the end of 2027. A 50MWh battery storage system should be operating by the end of October 2026.Share

Mayor Nasiphi Moya said the Bronkhorstspruit plant supplied unchlorinated water for weeks. Speaking outside the Dark City clinic during an awareness drive, she said: "Only the Bronkhorstspruit plant did not have chlorine, the rest of the plants have been chlorinating." She said the city tests water at its other plants and has found no similar problems.

Moya said enough chlorine is now available to clean the plant and meet its ongoing treatment needs. The city and Rand Water are working to restore the plant. She said the coming days will bring intensive technical work that may need a temporary shutdown of the plant.

The city said new cases are falling. Daily new cases peaked at 72 on 13 October and dropped to 16 on 18 October. Gauteng Health said fewer people now arrive at facilities with symptoms, but updated case figures are still awaited.

Tshwane has 35 water tankers working in affected communities: seven from the municipality and 28 from service providers. The city plans to have 36 once one more arrives.Share

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile visited the school on Wednesday and placed the teacher on precautionary suspension. He said the pupil was temporarily removed from class to recover from trauma. Maile said she would get special academic support and private support at school.

Police said a rape case was reported at Jabulani police station on 11 October. One report gave 8 October as the date of the alleged incident. Maile said police were waiting for the child's statement before they made an arrest.

The school governing body chairperson, Nomvula Hlongwane, said the teacher worked at the school for four years. She described him as a dedicated employee who offered weekend classes to struggling pupils. She said the court would decide the case.

The Tshegofatso Pule Foundation, a non-profit organisation, questioned whether the teacher was vetted. It said the allegations were only taken seriously after a video circulated online. Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said rigorous background checks will be done going forward.Share

BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato said the system helps identify potentially fraudulent number plates and flags vehicles for inspection at border posts. He said the BMA has intercepted more than 450 vehicles since it started, allegedly being taken out of the country unlawfully.

Masiapato said criminals hijack vehicles to order for buyers elsewhere on the continent. He said they also use fraudulent documents to rent expensive vehicles, take them across the border and sell them before reporting them stolen. In an interview with 702, he said: "Sometimes people actually get to lose their lives and all of that".

He said system records could identify border guards who let a flagged vehicle proceed, and that they should face criminal consequences. The Hawks are helping with investigations. Masiapato said the BMA will report on its progress, including arrests and successful prosecutions.Share

Godongwana spoke in Parliament as he presented the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. After 1 December 2026, the cuts become smaller. The diesel levy will fall by R1.50 per litre and the petrol levy by R1 per litre until 5 January 2027.

The relief is funded by returning R10 billion from the Central Energy Fund to the National Revenue Fund. The money came from 2025/26 revenue overruns. Godongwana said the financing aims to ease cost of living pressures without harming the sustainability of the budget.Share

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the revised estimate in Parliament at the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on 21 October. SARS said the upward revision presents a challenge. It said the outlook excludes the fuel levy relief announced at the statement.

Gross collections in the year up to September were R1.231 trillion. Refund payments in that period were R239.1 billion. Net revenue collected in the 2025/26 financial year was R2.01 trillion.

SARS Commissioner Johnstone Makhubu said: "The year-to-date outcome demonstrates the resilience of South Africa’s revenue system." He said sustainable revenue growth depends on economic expansion, investment, job creation and broad-based compliance.

Compliance interventions have secured a preliminary R137.7 billion. SARS has 14 500 employees.Share

Police received a report of a shooting in progress at about 8:51am on Wednesday. Officers from Mangaung police station responded at 9:00am. The brothers were declared dead at the scene, at the gate of the premises in Ramatsoele Street.

Free State police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane said a witness heard gunshots from upstairs in the double-storey building. The witness rushed out and saw a man running towards a white Chevrolet Aveo hatchback. The car sped off.

Covane also said there may have been two other occupants already inside the vehicle. Police have not named any suspects.Share

Brian, a Zimbabwean asylum seeker in Gqeberha, asked that his surname not be published. He earned R8 000 a month as a bartender before he lost his job. His wife earns about R2 400 a month. Brian believes he qualifies for asylum.

João, a Mozambican asylum seeker in Motherwell, fled political violence. He said the recent harassment of asylum seekers is related to the local government elections on 4 November. Sharon Ekambaram, head of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme at Lawyers for Human Rights, said all three people spoken to have a case for refugee protection.

Nasir Mohamed Moalin leads the Somali Association of South Africa. He asked: "Do we have to throw them into the streets when we know they qualify for asylum under UN regulations, of which South Africa is a signatory?"

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said Home Affairs aims to launch an online application system on 10 November. She said an appointment receipt would protect asylum seekers from arrest. Home Affairs said online posts falsely claimed the 7 July Constitutional Court ruling gave asylum seekers citizenship or the vote.Share

The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) hosted the oversight visit. Majodina said: "These oversight visits are meant to ensure that the project is delivered on time and within budget". She said the project will continue to contribute to youth empowerment and the transfer of skills.

The project includes a raw water pipeline of approximately 140-kilometre between Thabazimbi and Lephalale. TCTA Board Chairperson Precious Sibiya said Eskom has applied to abstract water from the project. She said MCWAP-2 forms part of South Africa's long-term water security strategy.

Sibiya also said the inclusion of FGD systems is a key precondition set by the World Bank for financing of the power plant. Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and Limpopo CoGHSTA MEC Pule Shayi were also named among the officials involved. The project is expected to support economic and industrial development in the Waterberg District.Share

Tau said the zero-tariff treatment runs for two years and the government is not waiting for it to expire. Talks continue on a longer-term Early Harvest Agreement. Tau said it is meant to give exporters more certainty beyond 2028, with safeguards for South African industry and jobs.

Customs declarations rose 199% year on year. Some 47 tariff lines are excluded from duty-free access and are subject to tariff-rate quotas.

Total trade between South Africa and China reached R642 billion in 2025. South African exports to China were R222 billion, up from R198 billion in 2021. Imports from China were R420 billion, up from R284 billion in 2021. Tau said: "A relationship of this importance must rest on predictable rules and balanced trade."

Chery, a Chinese vehicle maker, acquired the Nissan South Africa plant in Rosslyn and kept 692 former Nissan employees. Tau said Chery plans to scale up to nearly 3 000 direct and indirect jobs.Share

Western Cape Police Commissioner Sizakhele Dyantyi withdrew the promotion of Manuel from lieutenant colonel to colonel. She also removed him as commander of Muizenberg Police Station. The outcry started because he was promoted while he faces criminal charges.

The charges come from a raid in November 2023. Manuel and two other officers are accused of assaulting and torturing a barber in Mowbray. The three remain on duty while they wait for their trial, which is set for May next year.

Dyantyi said people had not fully declared what was happening in relation to the promotion.Share

Sibeko, 46, is accused of opening fire on a crowd of ANC members last week as they returned from a memorial service. Four people died. He abandoned his bail application at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court, and the case was postponed to 19 November.

The league linked Sibeko to the Afrika Mayibuye Party. The party has denied any association with him. ANC Youth League representative Simphiwe Patose approached the commission.

The Political Killings Task Team continues to investigate the shooting.Share

The Residential Communities Council (NPC) and the Association of Residential Communities CC brought the application. The court ruled on 20 October 2026 that they had not established sufficient grounds for the relief they sought.

The Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) opposed the application. It argued that fees imposed on property practitioners may, depending on the circumstances, be an undesirable business practice under Regulation 35 of the Property Practitioners Regulations, 2022.

Simelane called the judgment historic and a significant development in the debate on estate fees. She said the outcome lets her department and the PPRA keep working towards a fair, transparent and inclusive property sector.

Simelane also said: "The judgment also reinforces the importance of examining practices in the property market against the objectives of the legislative framework".Share

The money is meant for the 2026/27 financial year. It will also pay to refresh the ICT infrastructure of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Makhubu said: "We are using this money to accelerate our modernisation."

Makhubu said SARS plans to introduce track-and-trace technology over the next two to three years. He said it will help identify leakages involving alcohol and tobacco.

SARS is negotiating with National Treasury to roll some of the money over into the following financial year. Makhubu said the investment forms part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of SARS to collect taxes and improve compliance.Share

Noluthando Grootboom, 41, has been on a housing list since 2008. She said: "I’ve watched younger people than me get houses," and she says residents always remain on the waiting list. Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane puts South Africa's housing backlog at 2.6 million units.

In The Crags, Plettenberg Bay, shack dweller Lusindiso Thiwane said the municipality failed to collect rubbish in the township. He said shared toilets are not clean and water goes out for a day or two without notice.

Zolani Rhuneli of KwaNokuthula said the municipality only appoints the same people to its employment programmes. He said they may be used as a political tool. He also said R100 of electricity buys very few units.

Narrow unemployment is 18.8% in the Garden Route District, 20.9% in the Western Cape and 32.6% nationally. Bitou's long-term financial plan says the true figure is far higher when discouraged workers are counted. Bitou's 2026/27 capital budget is R209.8 million.Share

About 13 million people now receive the grant. Treasury says the outcome of its appeal against a High Court ruling is a material expenditure risk. The ruling could add three million beneficiaries, and enforcing it would need R74 billion a year.

Treasury also warned that expanding the grant carries a price tag of nearly R100bn. It said beneficiaries will be linked to employment, training and business opportunities through MzansiXchange.

Treasury Director-General Duncan Pieterse said the application process is still open to fraud. He said applicants state lower incomes than banks verify.

The Department of Social Development is refining its earlier submission to Cabinet on a basic income grant. That grant would replace the SRD grant.Share

The Love Your Street campaign aims to improve cleanliness, community safety and awareness of gender-based violence and femicide. The Government Communication and Information System said the campaign strengthens service delivery. It said the campaign turns neglected, poorly lit and overgrown parks into safe, clean spaces.

Ntshavheni said the partnership with communities makes government confident of keeping Ekurhuleni and other cities and towns clean. She said, "If we all love our streets, our streets and communities [will] be clean,"

Ntshavheni said government will ask businesses to give seeds for community food gardens and wider clean-up projects. Three schools already take part in the Food Garden competition.Share

After 1 December, the cut falls to R1/l for petrol and R1.50/l for diesel. The reduction in the fuel levy for November and December is worth R10bn.

The EFF said the relief is an ANC strategy to win votes in the coming local government elections. It called the move a ploy for a dying liberation movement, not a plan. The party also said ending the relief in early December will send workers into the festive season with empty pockets.

Cosatu parliamentary co-ordinator Matthew Parks said the relief will ease the burden on commuters and lower inflation. He said it may also prevent a repo rate hike in November. Parks also said: "An overhaul of the fuel taxes and levy is needed, including fixing the Road Accident Fund."

The National Automobile Dealers' Association said the relief will give motorists much-needed breathing space. Other organisations said it is only a temporary fix.Share

Zikhona Matyila, a provincial executive member of the South African Youth Council in the Eastern Cape, also wants investment in water, electricity and roads. She says reliable services help businesses grow, build factories and open jobs for young people.

Matyila said: "If water, electricity and roads are being serviced, then it means more factories are open, and young people can get jobs from there."

Residents also hope the 2026 statement will bring measures to stimulate economic growth, attract investment and create jobs.Share

SAPS said 78,473 of those who registered completed profile verification. Another 53,716 applicants started an application. Applications close on 13 November.

Applicants must be 18 to 35 years old. SAPS said the training stipend is R5,000 a month. It said applicants may not have tattoos that show when they wear a uniform. They also may not have criminal convictions or pending criminal cases, or have been declared unfit to possess a firearm.

SAPS also said it may withdraw applicants who fail to disclose a health condition from the programme. It urged patience because of heavy traffic on the portal. SAPS said: "Given the high volume of traffic, prospective applicants are urged to exercise patience when accessing the portal and completing their applications."Share

Lamola attended the 40th anniversary commemoration of Machel's death at the Samora Machel Memorial in Mbuzini on Monday. Machel, a former Mozambican president, died in a plane crash in 1986. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo and Machel's widow, Graça Machel, also attended.

Mashaba posted his remarks in reply to a video of Machel's daughter, Josina Machel. She said her father was a hero who lost his last breath on South African soil. Mashaba wrote that Africa's sense of entitlement to South Africa is unbelievable. He also wrote that Machel was president of Mozambique, not South Africa.

Lamola said the comments reveal the type of politics that Mashaba and his party advance. He also said neighbouring front-line states such as Mozambique paid the ultimate price for South Africa's freedom.Share

Amadasun was based in Amsterdam and had been with Netflix for over seven years. Kaye Ann Williams, the company's head of scripted content, is not affected by the restructuring.

A well-placed source said the layoff should not be seen as Netflix pulling out of Africa. The source also said staff focused on Africa have not been hit harder than others.

Netflix now commissions around 15 to 20 South African scripted and non-fiction titles each year. That is up from around eight to 12 previously.Share

Thulani Dlomo and Patrick Mshotola face charges of fraud, forgery and theft. The charges relate to R12 million allegedly drawn from SSA funds. The media may attend subject to conditions, and some evidentiary documents will be handed over or disclosed in redacted form.

Earlier, the SSA filed a counter-application through acting Director-General James Ramabulana. It asked for proceedings and documents to be kept behind closed doors and sealed. In court papers, Ramabulana said trade secrets and operational matters could become public and may compromise national security.

Media24, Daily Maverick, amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Campaign for Free Expression had challenged the closed-door order. The order says the applicants reserve their rights to seek the remaining documents through any appropriate litigation process.Share

BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato leads the authority's team. Beyers Theron leads the SARS team. He is Director of Customs Border Operations, Ports of Entry and Customs Compliance at SARS.

The One-Stop Border Post talks cover Maseru and Ficksburg. The agenda also includes border infrastructure and the Border Operating Model.

In a joint statement, the two agencies said the meeting would "provide South Africa and Lesotho with an opportunity to advance bilateral discussions on shared border-management priorities".Share

The two focus groups were run by a newspaper and included swing voters. These are voters who do not back one party every time.

Participants were asked to describe Britain in a single word. According to the findings, not one person offered anything positive.Share

The UK government proposes that midsized companies would no longer need to have their accounts independently audited. The £1.2bn a year is the most that accounting firms risk losing under the plan.

The figure is a maximum, not a fixed estimate of the loss.Share

The convictions come from a February 2024 incident involving Khalipha's bodyguards. Odendaalsrus Magistrate Shaun Malander convicted him. In December 2024 he got a R5 000 fine or three months in prison for assault, and R1 000 or one month for each crimen injuria count.

Khalipha's legal team argues that the contact with his driver, Frank Moreroa, was a lawful attempt to stop a vehicle in danger. They say the words were swearing, not a deliberate attack on dignity. They also say the magistrate breached fair-trial rights and that the sentence was excessive. The State case is that Khalipha told Moreroa to stop and slapped him when he refused.

The ruling matters for the ANC before the local government elections on 4 November. Khalipha is number seven on the ANC list for Lejweleputswa District Municipality. Senior provincial committee members in the Free State said he needs the appeal to succeed or his name would be struck from the ballot.

Xolile Toki, the ANC Lejweleputswa regional chairperson, said keeping Khalipha in the party leadership group could damage the ANC at the ballot box. Critics and residents say the ANC undermines its own rules by keeping a convicted person on the list.Share

Tshuma, 45, is a British-Zimbabwean national. He was due to finalise a plea deal on charges of illegal entry and firearm possession. He is accused of entering South Africa illegally in July.

His lawyer told the court that Tshuma had forgotten what he was pleading guilty to and had not been sleeping well. The lawyer called for a sobriety check or a mental health evaluation. Tshuma told the court he maintains that he is innocent.

Prosecutors and police allege that he bludgeoned his wife and two daughters to death at their home in the United Kingdom. The immigration case returns to court on 29 October.Share