October 2026

A researcher from North West University, Farzanah Loonate, spoke about Bosman's unfinished novel Willemsdorp. She is doing research on the author. Loonate said the book criticises the racial laws of its time, namely the Immorality Act and the Group Areas Act.

Loonate said writing about characters whose lives these laws affected was a brave move. In her words: "In Willemsdorp, his critique is quite explicit of racial laws that were passed in South Africa during that time".

One resident said it was lovely to see local theatre, culture and talent still developed and celebrated. Another resident said that involving children in cultural activities helps keep them off the streets and away from drugs and alcohol.Share

Urobo Biotech was co-founded by Dominique Rocher and Dr Wessel Myburgh. The company wants to bring the technology to South Africa. Its core science is based at Stellenbosch University.

The company says European waste operators spend up to $7 million (more than R116m) a year burning bioplastic reject streams. Urobo says its process turns that waste into profit. Its own modelling suggests about two tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent could be avoided for every tonne of bioplastic treated.

The results come from a two-litre reactor, and they do not automatically translate to industrial performance. Rocher said he expects to see the technology working at full scale in waste facilities within five years.

Rocher said: "We recover that value in the existing infrastructure," He also said a South African technology licensed into European infrastructure brings value home and shows that local deep-tech can compete globally.Share

Opener Nathan Roux scored an unbeaten 52 from 49 balls for the linyathi. Jason Niemand added 44. For the Dafabet Warriors, JP King made 50 from 41 balls. Sithembile Langa took 3-22 and Jan Coetzer took 3-25 for the linyathi.

At the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, the Impalas scored 119-6. The Lions replied with 120-2 in 12.1 overs. Connor Esterhuizen hit an unbeaten 74 from 37 deliveries, and Zubayr Hamza made 26.

JJ Basson took 2-13 and Mo Manack took 2-23 for the Lions. The Lions have 25 points in Pool B after seven games. The Warriors have 22 points from four victories, and the linyathi have 14 points. The Impalas have lost all seven of their games.Share

Ukrainian officials said the restrictions capped Starshield speeds at 160 kph and forced the military to cancel some operations. Ukraine's defence ministry said the connection was stable at over 400 kph on Saturday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram: "The main thing for today is that Starlink and Starshield have resumed operations at their pre-restriction speeds."

Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, later posted on X that Ukraine's military had broken the company's terms. He said: "That loophole was closed last week." Musk also said Starshield is a different system, controlled by the US government.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said Ukraine's long-range drones fly at no more than 70-90 kph. He said Ukraine cannot use Starlink for long- and medium-range attack drone operations.

US senator Thom Tillis said he would seek a Pentagon inspector general probe. Senator Adam Schiff called for a Senate investigation and said Musk should testify under oath.Share

The beach closed on Saturday after a shark was sighted. Municipal spokesperson Luzuko Buku spoke for Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.

Nahoon Beach is in kuGompo City, in the Eastern Cape.Share

Kannaland has nearly 32,000 residents, and the fact that close to 50% of households are indigent shows how hard times are. Joslyn Johnson, a community activist from Zoar, represents residents who rely on Gift of the Givers for water deliveries.

George Laubscher, a business owner and estate agent in Ladismith, said unreliable services and a struggling economy could discourage new investment and put jobs at risk. He said water tariffs for businesses and municipal property taxes have risen tremendously. In his words: "As estate agents, we have seen a dramatic decline in property enquiries in Ladismith."

Lyndon September, a community member in Ladismith, said power and water outages and bad roads have drawn complaints for years with nothing done. He expects more jobs after the elections.

The Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa has controlled the municipality on and off since 2006. After the 2021 elections it held three of the seven council seats, the ANC held two, and the DA and the Kannaland Independent Party held one each.Share

Moya said Rand Water is working around the clock to restore clean and safe drinking water. She said tanker drivers are deviating from the delivery schedule for areas including Bronkhorstspruit. Reports said tanker deliveries have been delayed.

Residents of Bronkhorstspruit said they will refuse to cast their ballots unless the water problem is solved. Moya's remarks suggest the City of Tshwane did not chlorinate the water adequately.Share

The Stormers scored eight tries and the Scarlets scored six. The Stormers led 33-14 at halftime, but the Scarlets came back to level the scores at 40-all. Ahmed, a 20-year-old Junior Springbok, then settled the match.

Scarlets and Wales centre Joe Roberts scored a hat-trick of tries in the loss. The Stormers also used 19-year-old centre Markus Muller in the match.

The Stormers earned a full house of log points, according to the match report author. The same author said flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu made four handling errors, not all of them forced. The Stormers host Ulster next, and the author said they must be tighter and less sloppy.Share

Hlabisa said coalitions fail when the wrong people lead them. He said mature leadership sustains coalitions, ensures stability and takes decisions that speed up service delivery.

He said failing coalition governments across South Africa have weakened service delivery. He called uMhlathuze a typical example that the IFP will use as a model case. In his words: "If you deploy matured people in a coalition government they can sustain coalition".Share

Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa, the department's provincial head in the Western Cape, said the water resource model will be rerun on 2 November. She said the rerun will confirm whether water restrictions are needed and how strict they must be.

The department said an announcement on restrictions is expected early next month.Share

The National Sea Rescue Institute and IPSS Search and Rescue responded to the incident. Lifeguards from the KwaDukuza Municipality also responded.

IPSS Search and Rescue spokesperson Samantha Mayrick said the beach is unprotected and has claimed the lives of numerous swimmers. She urged the public to avoid swimming there.

Mayrick said: "Despite an extensive search and jet skis and a drone, they have been unable to locate the drowning victim at this time."Share

Ramaphosa spoke on Saturday after a door-to-door campaign in Batho location. He said growth is key to improving people's living conditions and that the ANC will improve the economy to create more jobs.

Later he visited ward 51, Phase 7 in Bloemfontein. He said conditions in Mangaung have improved since his previous visit and that work to clean up the metro continues. He said provincial and municipal leaders have addressed residents' concerns.

Ramaphosa dismissed suggestions that internal problems are derailing the campaign. He said the ANC has resolved its candidate registration challenges.

"We are united as an organisation. Like any other organisation, there will always be issues that arise." Ramaphosa said.Share

The Tunisian club beat the Libyan side Asswehly in the second leg of the final round qualifier in Rades. Esperance won the return leg 1-0, which levelled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate. Asswehly played in the competition for the first time.

Sundowns lost their place on away goals against Wiliete. Zamalek of Egypt advanced 2-0 on aggregate over APR. Pyramids, also from Egypt, beat El Merriekh Bentiu 4-0 in the second leg and won 5-0 on aggregate.

Horoya of Guinea beat Al Merrikh 5-3 on penalties to advance. Pyramids are coached by Rulani Mokwena.Share

More than 500 people have been treated for gastrointestinal illness after they drank the untreated water. Residents say the lack of safe drinking water has severely disrupted their daily lives.

Local resident Banele Motomane said he spent three weeks in hospital after he drank tap water. He said he thought the water would detox him while he was going through drug withdrawal.

Motomane said: "This water situation has really affected me in a way that I had to be admitted in a hospital."Share

Zungula spoke to residents and party supporters at the Orlando Community Hall. He accused the City of Johannesburg leadership of causing the metro's problems on purpose. He said the aim was to enrich corrupt officials and their associates.

Zungula claimed that around 10% of the city's R97 billion budget was lost to corruption. He also said water mafias are paid to vandalise water infrastructure so that tankers are needed. He criticised the board of Johannesburg Water and said the metro police lack fuel for patrol vehicles.

On spaza shops, he said: "Once we are in charge of Johannesburg, if you invite us in the morning at 10:00, by 17:00, all spazas that are not complying will be closed," He claimed most spaza shops break the rules. He said the city's leaders did nothing after children in Naledi died from eating snacks from unlicensed shops.

Zungula claimed the CBD's hijacked buildings hold forced prostitution rings. He said the factories closed because of imported products and a lack of political will. Local government elections take place on 4 November.Share

The Bulls led 21-0 early in the first half, but Ulster outscored them in the second half. The Bulls conceded five penalties either side of halftime. Ulster used them to score two tries and a penalty.

Marcel Coetzee, the Bulls captain, scored two tries. Chay Mullins scored two tries for Ulster. Stuart McCluskey and Dave McCann also scored a try each for the visitors.

A kick by Bulls player Luan Giliomee led to Ulster's first try. The Bulls have one game left before the November break.Share

Malema asked voters to remove the ANC and vote for the EFF. He said the party's Nkomazi mayoral candidate, Mafia Fane, would address service delivery challenges in the municipality.

Malema described Fane as young and energetic. He said the mayor is waiting and ready to take office.

Malema said: "We did not give you an old man. We gave you a young person."Share

Co-head coach Franzel September said the defeat was largely due to soft moments and unforced errors. He said the team had two mauls stopped five metres from the Irish line, and he said that was not the team's normal standard.

Co-head coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt said Ireland were a bit more clinical and street smart on the day. She also said the team can fix what went wrong.

Vice-captain Unam Tose said the team disappointed a lot of people by not getting a result it is capable of. September said the team can regroup and turn the tables in the return match.

The second test is on 31 October. Kick-off is at 3pm.Share

Moya said some tanker drivers do not follow the routes the municipality set. In her words: "We do have people that are doing their own thing." She spoke on Saturday.

Moya also criticised the use of 20-litre containers. She said a tanker stands at one point for about 30 minutes while it fills them. She said clean Jojo tanks would let people get water when they need it.

Complaints have come from communities that tankers do not reach them. Residents have waited in long queues for water. Cullinan is also named among the affected areas.Share

The visit was a joint oversight visit. The Home Affairs Portfolio Committee, the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Portfolio Committee and the Select Committee on Security and Justice took part.

COGTA Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane stressed the importance of recruiting electoral officials. He said the IEC will deliver free and fair elections and will deal with any problems that arise.

Chabane said: "We are confident that they will deliver free and fair elections, there may be issues that will arise but in the process the IEC will mitigate those issues"Share

The ANC will not let regional structures lead coalition negotiations, as happened in the past, sources said. The new approach follows a framework document drawn up after the 2024 national elections.

Polls and surveys suggest no party will win an overwhelming majority in eight metros. An NEC member said the party has not officially started talking about coalitions.

An ANC source said the Gauteng leadership leans towards keeping the current set-up, with minority parties including the EFF but not the DA. The source said the party prefers to keep its current partners in Johannesburg and Tshwane because those arrangements work well. Sources in the ANC and the DA said the DA wants to work with the ANC for stability in all three spheres of government.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the mayoral issue rests with the national officials, not the region. He said the region has submitted names and the process uses a shortlist.Share

Dr Isaac Nape and Professor Andrew Forbes of the Wits Structured Light Laboratory supervised the work. The system passes light through specially designed layers that direct it to detectors, so it needs no detailed image. After training on 15 examples, it recognised 81 different light structures, including ones it had not seen before. It also kept working when the team added noise to the detector. This is early laboratory work, and the researchers say they hope to test it in quantum technologies next.Share

The paper resolves two major clades and six early-diverging lineages in the order. It supports a classification with two families and finds that many genera are not monophyletic. The authors describe two new genera, Elongomenia and Mzanzia, and one new species. Only the abstract was available for this post, so details of the methods and the authors are not covered.Share

In an article on their own study, the authors used 551 records of where the bats have been found. They estimate that the area with suitable conditions could shrink by 36% to 64% by 2061-2080. Only about 5% of areas with suitable caves keep a suitable climate, and about 2% once landscape vulnerability is counted. This is a model projection, and the article does not name a journal or say whether the study was peer-reviewed.Share

Mashatile said the office will compile reports on problems such as crime, burst pipes and water challenges. Ministers, deputy ministers, the municipality and the provincial government will receive the reports and act on them. He said: "Communities must not raise problems and nothing is done."

In KwaMashu, residents raised poverty, unemployment, healthcare and infrastructure concerns. Thulile Linda shares a two-bedroom house with nine family members. She said asbestos in the area poses a potential health hazard.

Michael Mcineka said his home has been without a water meter since 2021. Mashatile said officials from the Department of Social Development would assess the circumstances of a child-headed household and give the support it needs.

Thanduxolo Sabelo, the ANC eThekwini regional coordinator, said the office could speed up work on water and sanitation. He said the Deputy President chairs several interministerial task teams, including the one on water and sanitation.Share

Police said men entered a shack in Shakaskraal and opened fire, killing three people. Detectives believe the two Mzimelas could help solve the case.

Police spokesperson Paul Magwaza made the appeal. He said: "Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Andile or Masandi Mzimela is urged to contact Colonel Ngcobo on 082 334 8123 or Warrant Officer Biyela on 072 512 6878."Share

Ramaphosa is due to attend community meetings across the Mangaung Metro after the door-to-door visits. The campaign stop is in Bloemfontein.

Reports said Ramaphosa was unhappy about the state of the area during a visit to Bloemfontein two weeks earlier. He asked that it be attended to.Share

Candice Bailey, spokesperson for the Rural Health Advocacy Project, said the focus on efficiencies is important. She said government must also meet its constitutional duty to improve the path to healthcare, and must do both at the same time.

Godongwana added more than R5 million to the district health programme grant. The money is meant to cushion the loss of PEPFAR support.

He also allocated another R1.6 billion to nutrition for mothers and babies in their first thousand days.Share

Most of the genomes differed enough from those in international databases to suggest largely new species. Carl Belger, who did the work for his Master's at Wits, is the lead author. The paper appears in the peer-reviewed journal Animal Microbiome. Adding the new genomes to the database cut unclassified DNA reads from 24.5% to 4.5%. The sample was small, from one park, and the study could not compare prides, sexes or life stages.Share

Hady George, a PhD student at Bristol, led the study, which appears in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology. The team used fossils from a 1963 British expedition that were kept at the Natural History Museum, London. They say the link suggests the Tanzanian rocks are younger than thought, so the oldest possible dinosaur fossils there may be younger too. Much of the Tanzanian material is still unstudied, so the picture may change.Share