October 2026

Shawn George said water problems persist four years after the end-2022 outage. He said he changed his vote to the DA. Ivan George, a former DA supporter, now backs the ACDP and said DA councillor Genevieve Sherman has never been an activist.

Shayelene Kruger, an unemployed mother of five, campaigns for the DA with a group of about eight people. She described shootings in the area and said: "There's so much blood here". A 20-year-old woman in her group said gangsterism stops young girls from showing peace signs.

A retired man who did not give his name described a high crime rate and said six men tried to rob an elderly neighbour earlier this month. He said the presence of the Defence Force has not brought relief. A 13-year-old boy, Ethen Sass, was run over by a taxi on Fuel Road while he collected water from a tanker.

Darren Jackson, a resident of 17 years, said Pikitup has at times not collected refuse for up to two weeks. Julie Fahmay of Chiswick Old Age Home said the elderly have been neglected.Share

The municipality invested R8 million in the road and bridge project. Xaba also handed over the Tafelkop Borehole Project, which is worth about R1 million. A wider programme plans 94 boreholes in water-scarce communities.

The handover said residents should gain better access to schools, healthcare facilities and public transport. It also said the concrete was chosen to withstand extreme weather and last long.

Xaba urged residents to protect the new infrastructure. He said: "Vandalising municipal property sets our communities back and drains resources that could be used to develop other needy areas". Mahlobo, the Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, praised the city's progress on water infrastructure.Share

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality asks the Department of Public Works to arrange the accredited testing. The department maintains the private pipeline and storage tanks that serve the facility. The municipality made the call after concerns were raised about the safety of drinking water there.

Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe called for cooperation among the relevant authorities. She said: "Protecting public health is a shared responsibility, and the priority must remain the safety and wellbeing of everyone who depends on this water supply".Share

Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA Federal Leader, seeks a second term as mayor. He says his government created 480,000 jobs in his first term. He pledges to replace 100km each of water and sewer pipe every year.

Roger Solomons, BOSA national spokesperson, proposes 10,000 units a year of affordable housing and a municipal land audit within 90 days. Brett Herron of GOOD/Rise Mzansi proposes a 10 year moratorium on selling public land or granting leases.

Dereleen James of ActionSA proposes a R100-a-night tourist levy to fund free weekday MyCiTi rides. She called an allegation about leaked Crime Intelligence documents a "blatant lie".

Nontando Nolutshungu stands for the EFF and Cheslyn Daniels for the Patriotic Alliance. The ANC shortlist includes Jeremiah Thuynsma and Ndithini Tyhido, the City of Cape Town Leader of the Opposition.Share

The seven emergencies on Saturday matched the highest number of incidents the organisation has handled in a single day. They included a 24-year-old hiker who fell about 4m above Union Ravine. Rescuers raised the hiker about 130m by rope, and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway team helped bring the hiker and rescuers down.

A 56-year-old American visitor collapsed while hiking Platteklip Gorge, and Air Mercy Service sent a rescue helicopter to help a visitor. A 32-year-old Tunisian visitor became lost on an unfamiliar route at nightfall. SANParks Table Mountain National Park rangers also assisted a hiker.

The organisation said it had 39 incidents by the same point in 2000, an increase of more than 500% over 26 years. It said simultaneous emergencies forced teams to make difficult decisions about people and equipment. The organisation warned of growing pressure ahead of the busy summer hiking season.

The organisation said the figures do not necessarily mean hikers are becoming more careless. It said they show rising demands on volunteers, specialist teams and partner agencies.Share

Mashatile chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Water and Sanitation, and the visit forms part of its work. Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Deputy Minister David Mahlobo are also named as part of the visit.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Jacob Mamabolo and Tshwane Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya are also named in the Presidency's statement. Bronkhorstspruit falls under the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.

The Presidency said residents drank water suspected of being contaminated and linked to the water treatment works. It said the incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of the water supply and the health risks to communities.Share

ActionSA's Nasiphi Moya is the incumbent Executive Mayor of Tshwane. She says the city has moved from strain to a fully funded budget, with growing cash reserves. She also says due process was followed when the City of Tshwane CFO, Gareth Mnisi, was reinstated in July 2026, and that Council made the decision.

Cilliers Brink, the DA Caucus Leader in Tshwane, blames poor budgeting and neglected infrastructure for costly emergency measures and chances for corruption. He cites six mayors in eight years in the city. He asks voters for five years and 50% to "finish what we started".

Omphile Maotwe, the EFF national Treasurer-General, pledges 40% of jobs and 50% of procurement for young people. She also pledges 50% women's representation. Willie Spies stands for the FF+.

Martha Moshiga, BOSA's Tshwane regional leader, uses the slogan "Stability first. Service always." She pledges to repair 1,000 potholes in her first 100 days. The ANC has not named its candidate, and Kgosi Maepa, a former ANC Tshwane Regional Chairperson, is on its shortlist.Share

Mokholo said unemployment is at 47% and that 47.4% of young people have no jobs. She estimated that around five million young people are without work. Statistics South Africa data puts the youth unemployment rate at approximately 50% when discouraged job seekers are counted, for the second quarter of 2026.

Mokholo said "the old ones have failed us, even the DA". She said young people should support structures and rally behind RISE Mzansi because the party is new and capable.

She also spoke about the kind of leaders she wants. "If we are able to have ethical leaders, that's what we need. We do need new leaders in our communities," Mokholo said.Share

Molefe is charged with murder over the shooting of Oupa "DJ Sumbody" Sefoka and his two bodyguards, Armand Swart and Hector Buthelezi. Swart was an engineer from Vereeniging. Buthelezi was known as DJ Vintos.

The delay is because co-accused Musa Kekana and Tiego Mabusela are already involved in another trial with Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala. Kekana and Mabusela are described as alleged hitmen. Police officer Pule Tau is also a co-accused.

Molefe, described as an alleged criminal kingpin, is out on bail of R400,000.Share

Police said the 31-year-old man was declared dead at the scene. The 43-year-old woman was wounded in the same attack.

Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said: "The motive for the attack is yet to be determined." No arrests have been made.Share

Sanders has told the court that accused number four, Mziwethhemba Gwabini, followed Kienan Forbes from the airport to his hotel. He also identified accused number five, Mhlaliseni Ndimande, on CCTV footage inside Wish restaurant.

State prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba said Ndimande had an affidavit in the bail record. In it, Ndimande agreed that he was at Wish restaurant and had a meal there on that day.

The defence is expected to challenge Sanders' evidence strongly during cross-examination.

Forbes and Motsoane were shot dead outside a restaurant on Florida Road in Durban on 10 February 2023.Share

The department plans to extend the service to passport applications, first-time Smart ID applications and home delivery of documents. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said these services will be available at more than 1,000 bank branches within a matter of months.

Schreiber said the milestone shows the public is willing to embrace digital public services. He said the reforms improve security, reduce queues and paperwork, and combat identity theft.

Home affairs spokesperson Carli van Wyk said the initiative cuts long queues and improves security and efficiency. She said it removes paperwork and manual steps that could create chances for corruption and manipulation.

The department said 14.7-million green bar-coded identity books are still in circulation. It will stop producing them on 31 March 2027 and will withdraw them as valid identification on 31 March 2028.Share

The operation ran over the weekend, and police said the arrests took place on 25 October. Besides arresting wanted suspects, officers acted against drug dealing and drunk driving. They also targeted crimes against women and children.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said police will continue their operations during the festive season. SAPS spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi relayed his words. Mthombeni said "the police will maintain pressure on criminals through sustained, intelligence-driven operations and visible policing throughout the festive season."Share

Eskom said the 525 days without load shedding started on 16 May 2025. It said available generation capacity is 4961MW above current demand requirements. Unplanned outages fell by 6.89% year on year, and 3115MW returned to service compared with the same period last year.

Eskom said it now relies less on diesel-fired open cycle gas turbines. It said diesel spending fell by R4.81 billion year on year. Average unplanned outages fell by 7064MW over three years, from 16 172MW to 9 108MW.

Customers affected by load reduction fell from 1.69 million to 193 556, a drop of 88.6%. Eskom said 1.5 million customers returned to normal supply. The remaining customers are about 2.7% of its customer base.

Eskom has installed 524 375 smart meters on load reduction feeders, about 91% of the 577 347 target. It said installations continue in the remaining areas ahead of a March 2027 target. Eskom said resistance, including safety incidents, intimidation and work stoppages, delays the rollout and affects 122 000 planned installations.Share

Ramaphosa informed Parliament in writing through a notice dated 21 October. The notice says the troops come from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The President said misinformation about a court judgment led to violence during the protests. One person was killed in Durban just over a week before the notice.

Ramaphosa said the soldiers will be "on standby for any eventualities".Share

Ramaphosa said sanctions place an additional burden on Zimbabweans amid growing global economic challenges. He also said the measures affect the wider region.

He said the time has come to give Zimbabwe a chance to improve the lives and livelihoods of its people. He called for "the complete and unconditional lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe".Share

Voters registered in a metropolitan municipality will get two ballot papers. Voters registered in a local municipality will get three ballot papers.

Voters can check their registration by sending their 13-digit ID number by SMS to 32810. The IEC also set out which forms of ID it accepts and how voting works.Share

De Kock is a former apartheid police commander who headed the Vlakplaas unit. He was convicted in 1996 of crimes that included six murders. The court gave him two life terms and an additional 212 years in prison.

One outlet described the inquiry as a Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases inquiry. Others call it the Khampepe commission of inquiry. The claims about attempts to block prosecutions are allegations that the commission is investigating.Share

Cooperative Governance spokesperson Siboniso Mngadi said communities, municipalities and government departments should prepare for the expected conditions. He said this includes promoting water conservation and sharing safety tips for extreme temperatures.

Mngadi also said the campaign will address the possible effect of the weather on agriculture.Share

Borsook said interest in the book picked up about a year and a half before her interview. She said used-copy prices rose, European academics got in touch and strangers posted about it on social media.

Borsook described the book's approach to a Bay Area tech subculture as "almost a travelogue". She said the outlook she saw in those circles was anti-regulation, even though the tech sector gained a great deal from government support.

She also said the Netscape IPO marked a shift, as finance figures entered Silicon Valley and a "flip and flee" business culture took hold. In her view, that attitude spread after the dot-com crash. She called Airbnb and Uber financial plays rather than technology innovations.Share

Reports citing unnamed sources said German Defence Ministry representatives are in talks with the US startup Covenant. The proposed deal covers thousands of Anthem ground-launched cruise missiles. Germany is also in talks with Ukraine on joint production and buying of Bars cruise missiles.

Ukrainian official Sybiha announced in July an agreement with Germany on joint production of the Bars winged drone missile.

The same reports said Germany wants missiles from several European makers to strengthen its arsenal and deter Russia. Plans to buy Tomahawk missiles and Typhon launchers from Raytheon face delays of up to five years. The idea is to overwhelm enemy air defences with mass attacks using relatively inexpensive missiles.Share

Maburna also faces charges of assault and malicious damage to property. The case relates to an incident in Ladanna, Limpopo, that led to his arrest.

His lawyer says he is being framed. The lawyer also says the case docket holds no video footage that proves Maburna was on the scene or that he committed the crime.

In his bail application in July, Maburna said he needs specialised surgery on his right leg. He injured the leg in a car crash.Share

Vucic spoke in a televised address after the vote on Sunday. He said: "It is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won." He resigned as president in September to lead his party's campaign.

A party needs 126 seats to form a government in the 250-seat parliament. About 6.5 million people could vote, and 18 lists competed. Reports put turnout at close to 70 per cent.

Vucic blamed independent media, unnamed European countries and an "American deep state" for the result. Election monitors said the campaign saw detentions and near-total government control over the media.

The student protests began after a railway station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad in November 2024. The collapse killed 16 people.Share

The funding extends support beyond March 2027. One source said it runs to the end of this Parliament, which is due in 2029. The first programme had £442 million in backing.

Burnham will host the first Rough Sleeping Summit at Downing Street. Private firms, charities and local leaders will attend. The National Housing Federation will work with housing associations to find at least 2,000 potential homes and bedspaces.

Chancellor John Healey said: "No one should ever have to sleep rough". Housing Secretary Angela Rayner called the goal "a big ambition". England had 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025.

Shadow housing secretary Katie Lam criticised the plan. She said Burnham is throwing another £432 million at a problem he failed to solve in Greater Manchester.Share

The charges relate to an incident at the Palm Springs security complex in Brooklyn in November 2022. Stanfield, described as an alleged underworld figure, and Johnson are on trial with 12 others in a racketeering case.

Under cross-examination, the sergeant was asked why he believed Stanfield owned a black BMW. The sergeant said Stanfield convinced him he was the owner because Stanfield said he had used the vehicle's tracker to trace the car to the complex.Share

Mantashe spoke at Meloding Community Hall in Virginia, Free State. He said the ANC acknowledges its mistakes, corrects them and stays on a consistent path.

He argued that breakaway parties lack the experience to deliver change. He said they will start at the beginning, as the ANC did.

Mantashe said delays in services do not mean the ANC has abandoned its commitments. On education, he said parents at no-fee schools do not pay school fees and the state covers the cost of meals.

He said: "The ANC doesn’t make promises. The ANC makes commitments."Share

The Vanderbijlpark Magistrates Court in the Vaal granted Van Reenen-Coetzee bail of R20 000 on 18 September 2026. The case relates to Emfuleni Municipality and its electricity reconnections.

Van Reenen-Coetzee also faces separate charges in a R16 million ghost fleet procurement case. The allegation that she ran the syndicate is part of the charges against her, and she has not been convicted.Share

Ramaphosa said the ANC would regain an outright majority in the City of Johannesburg. He said: "We are going to get an outright majority in the metro. That is a given. It’s going to happen." Asked whether the vote would reverse the party's falling support, he replied: "Wait and see".

The ANC won 62% of the vote in the city in 2006, its highest share there. It fell to 58% in 2011 and 44% in 2016, when it lost its outright majority for the first time. In 2021 it won 33%. A Social Research Foundation poll suggests support could fall to 18%.

Most residents complained that taps ran dry for days. ANC regional chairperson and deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku said Johannesburg Water was coming back at 2 pm. He said pressure on the reservoir caused water throttling.

The local councillor said Diepkloof now has more than 38,000 people. Its infrastructure was originally designed for 6,800.Share

Ramaphosa said many initiatives are underway and that, overall, the water challenge is being addressed. Several provinces and major municipalities face water shortages, low pressure or contamination.

He said the committee deals with bulk water availability and with reticulation of water. In his words: "now having set up that water crisis committee a lot of initiatives are underway both with dealing with bulk water availability as well as reticulation of water".Share

The global rules aim to limit how much tax multinational companies avoid. Many observers expected firms to leave offshore hubs once the rules applied.

That has not happened so far. Guernsey and Jersey are described as early winners from the new system.Share