November 2026

Professor Giovanni Traverso, a mechanical engineer at MIT and a gastroenterologist, led the work. A textured coating helps the robot grip the intestinal lining, and it can carry tools for imaging, biopsies, removing small polyps and delivering drugs. The team wants an easier and faster option than double balloon enteroscopy, which they call slow and laborious. The text shown does not report results in patients, so the clinical benefit is not yet shown.Share

Professor Li-Huei Tsai and Leyla Akay, a former graduate student, led the study in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Stem Cell. When the team restored Wnt signalling, myelination recovered in human cell cultures and in mice modelling Alzheimer's. They did this by inhibiting a protein called GSK3b. The work used cell cultures and mice only, so it has not been tested in people.Share

The team used a tool called PEtracer, which makes small DNA changes that pass to daughter cells, so scientists can work backward to find each cell's ancestors. They combined these trees with data on gene activity and cell position. The researchers say the map could help explain birth defects and cancer, and guide stem cell research. The work was done in mice, so any link to human health is still indirect.Share

The principal reportedly stepped in when a grade 6 learner was attacked near the school premises. The suspect, a former learner, allegedly carried out the attack. These details are allegations and have not been tested.

George Themba, the SADTU provincial secretary in the North-West, called on the Department of Education to make schools safe. He said: "We feel that our members are no longer safe in our schools".Share

Tau said the plan is designed to curb widespread infrastructure theft and vandalism. He said it will help the sector tackle core systemic threats.

The local steel industry faces heavy operational pressure. This includes cheap imports, damage to infrastructure and supply chain disruptions.

Tau also spoke about scrap metal. He said: "There’s work that we’re doing with regard to regulations around scrap exports."Share

Lesufi said the strike had undermined several government interventions and badly disrupted basic municipal services. He spoke at a media briefing on Sunday. Jacob Mamabolo, the Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, was appointed to engage the city and the union.

Samwu general-secretary Dumisani Magagula defended the strike. He said the City had failed to implement the Politically Facilitated Agreement and blamed poor leadership and mismanagement. Reports said the union also demanded that the city implement wage resolutions from 2016, which could set the city back by R10bn.

Joburg Water kept water restrictions in place for a 24-hour period that started on Saturday, so reservoir levels could recover. Residents in Hillbrow and Berea said they had gone without running water for up to three weeks.

Annette Deppe, the DA ward councillor in Midrand, said taps were dry and emergency water tankers were nowhere to be seen. She shared messages from the city's water chief operating officer that said Midrand water systems were critically low.Share

Hendrickse spoke ahead of the local government elections on Wednesday. He said teams are working hard to make sure voting stations are prepared and materials are in place.

He said the IEC took safety into account because of deadly gang conflict and taxi violence in parts of Cape Town. The South African Police Service is a security partner for the elections.

Hendrickse reminded voters to bring an accepted form of ID. He also told them to vote at the station where they are registered.Share

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa gave the keynote address at the ANC Siyanqoba rally in KuGompo City on Sunday. He said: "We only win by convincing voters that this election is important." He also said the ANC has a clear and credible plan to build better communities.

The EFF held its Tshela Thupa rally at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday. EFF leader Julius Malema said municipalities have been captured by service providers, contractors, corrupt officials and politicians. The DA held its final rally in Mamelodi, Tshwane, on Saturday, where federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis urged supporters to make the DA the biggest party in the country.

The MK party held its Sithatha Omasipala rally on Sunday. Party leader Jacob Zuma was expected to give the keynote address. The R54bn is meant mainly to fix water and electricity infrastructure.

Opposition parties said they expect the ANC to perform poorly. They said voters have grown disillusioned with poor service delivery.Share

The IEC is set to brief the media on its state of readiness for the two-day special voting period. The approved applications cover the whole country.

General election day is Wednesday 4 November. Special voting takes place on the two days before it.Share

Department spokesperson Howard Ndaba said the teacher acted swiftly to protect herself. The teacher has received psychosocial support. The matter was reported to the school governing body and its disciplinary committee on 29 October.

The disciplinary hearing will start at 9am on 5 November. Police are investigating the criminal case that the department says was opened.

Free State education MEC MJ Maboya condemned the incident in a statement. He said: "We will not tolerate the abuse of teachers in our schools." He added that teachers should be able to work without fearing for their safety.Share

Ramaphosa was due to be the keynote speaker at the dinner, held at the KuGompo International Convention Centre in the Eastern Cape. ANC chair Gwede Mantashe described the absence as a family crisis.

Mantashe said Ramaphosa led the campaign from the front. He also said: "This campaign was quite formidable. I think we should make that assessment before we deal with the results because results can make you reach different conclusions."

Eastern Cape ANC chairperson Oscar Mabuyane said the campaign was extensive despite financial challenges. He called the Constitutional Court judgment on councillor candidates a huge relief.

The court ordered the Independent Electoral Commission to reinstate 181 ANC candidates. Candidates from 44 parties, 2 093 in all, remain excluded from the November local elections.Share

Tau said unresolved disagreements remain a major concern for regional trade integration. He added that regional integration has still shown progress. Reports said South Africa is in trade disputes with Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Mozambique.

Tau said Pretoria takes a constructive, solution-driven approach to resolve the impasses. He said South Africa will also protect its national interests.

Tau said some countries want South Africa to invest in them, not only export to them. In his words: "We’d want to see South Africa as an investor in our countries and not just as an exporter into those countries."Share

Capell made 90 off 53 balls and Kaplan scored 55 off 44. Lehan Botha stayed not out on 26 and hit the winning runs for Boland, who are led by Glenton Stuurman.

Hanu Viljoen scored a maiden T20 century for the Dolphins, with 114 off 59 balls. Ntando Zuma added 42 not out off 41 balls.

Viljoen and Zuma shared a fourth wicket partnership of 162 off 96 balls, a Dolphins T20 record. The previous best cited was 93, by Van Jaarsveld and Bravo against the Warriors in 2014. Keshav Maharaj captains the Dolphins.Share

Committee chairperson Thebe Khumalo spoke in a statement ahead of the elections. He said: "no political contest is worth a single life lost and no political difference justifies violence, intimidation or the destruction of community relations."

The committee said law enforcement visibility should be a priority at the high-risk stations and areas. A related article refers to 331 high-risk voting stations that the South African Police Service (SAPS) identified for the municipal polls.Share

Kekana spoke at a media briefing hosted by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on gender-based violence and femicide. He said police plans work with local traffic police, private security companies and the SANDF soldiers deployed in the province. He said all high-risk stations get special planning, resources and guarding.

Johannesburg has 75 of the high-risk stations in Gauteng. Ekurhuleni has 23 and Tshwane has 14. The West Rand has three and Sedibeng has one.

Nationwide, police have named 331 voting stations as high-risk. The eThekwini metro in KwaZulu-Natal has 124 of them. National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the week before that the SAPS is ready to ensure safe, secure and peaceful elections.Share

The ANC is holding its final Siyanqoba rally in eThekwini. The MK Party is also holding its final rally there. The IFP is holding its final rally in Ulundi.

Reports said early voting opens on Monday morning. Zuma spent about a week in hospital before the rallies.

The ANC has governed eThekwini, the only metro in KwaZulu-Natal, for 26 years. Several polls predict that its support will fall further. Polls also predict that the MK Party will be the biggest party in the metro.Share

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa chairs the committee. He called on South Africans to protect democracy and take part peacefully. He said: "Your vote matters. Your voice matters. Your participation matters."

The Electoral Commission (IEC) says its results system is fit for purpose after independent testing and auditing. It says it addressed all findings. The National Results Operations Centre will coordinate results from 23 696 voting stations.

The committee said registration weekends in June and August led to almost 4.7 million interactions with voters. More than 750 000 new voters joined the roll. People under 29 made up 46% of new registrations in the final weekend.

The Department of Home Affairs is extending front-office hours for identity documents. The South African Weather Service said current forecasts do not point to significant adverse weather on election day. It said monitoring must continue.Share

McKenzie made the claims in a series of posts on X. He said other parties increasingly show willingness to work with the ANC. He said the EFF and the MK Party moved from refusing to join the Government of National Unity (GNU) to joining only if the DA and FF Plus stay out.

McKenzie accused the DA of alienating possible partners through its treatment of smaller parties during campaigns. He said the ANC was more accommodating. He named George, Saldanha Bay, Matzikama, Stellenbosch, the Cape Town metro and Swellendam as places where the DA will lose its majority.

He also said ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is irritated with the DA, and that Mbalula's criticism matches that of Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi. McKenzie wrote: "The DA will have no leverage left in a few days."Share

The briefing will take place at the National Results Operations Centre. The co-chairs of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) will also speak on the readiness of the security cluster. The special votes are set for 2 and 3 November.

The Electoral Commission approved 678 525 home visit applications for 2026. That is 171 118 (33.7%) more than the 507 407 approved in 2021. In 2021 the commission approved 1 147 759 special vote applications in all.

Online platforms received 2 426 066 of the applications. Staff captured another 171 214 manual applications at commission offices.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the South African Police Service is operationally ready to secure the elections. He said: "We have been planning for these elections for several months".Share

Lees said smartphones can help learners with their studies. He said they can ease problems such as a lack of resources and a lack of access to teachers, if control and use are deliberate.

He said parents and schools should guide learners on responsible cellphone use. Lees said: "We see the use of phones as quite a big opportunity if the control and usage are done very deliberately."Share

Rescue teams responded to a reported drowning at Silver Sands in Betty's Bay on the Cape South Coast on Sunday. One report said the man went missing in the surf at Kleinmond. The search has used a helicopter.

Police divers from Water Policing and Diving Services continue to search. Police have opened an investigation.

Lambinon also spoke about the man's relatives. He said: "Thoughts and care are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time."Share

The committee issued its statement on Sunday, ahead of the Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026. It said: "no political contest is worth a single life lost and no political difference justifies violence, intimidation or the destruction of community relations".

Approved special votes will be cast on 2 and 3 November 2026. The Electoral Commission approved 2 655 067 special vote applications for these elections. That is a 131% increase on the 1 147 759 approved for the 2021 elections.

The South African Local Government Association urged registered voters to make the election a priority. The statement also highlighted coordination between the Electoral Commission and law enforcement.Share

Eskom said the retirement was announced on SENS on 1 October 2025. The Eskom Board and Executive Management thanked Cassim for his service.

Eskom said its return to profitability as he concludes his tenure is a fitting milestone. It said this reflects his significant contribution to the company over more than two decades.

Eskom will give updates on the new appointment in due course.Share

The rally takes place in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, outside Ku-Gompo City. Reports give the venue as the Sisa Dukashe Stadium, though one spelling reads Siza Dukashe.

Ramaphosa, who is the ANC president, said the party's message has resonated with the voters.Share

The party also plans provincial mini rallies at four sites to close its campaign. Locations named include Knysna in the Western Cape and Bethlehem in the Free State.

Buffalo City is one of two metros where the ANC currently holds a clear majority. One report said the party faces a real prospect of losing the metro. It said Ramaphosa is expected to urge the party's faithful supporters to come out in their numbers.Share

The Phase 1/2a study, called BLUESTAR, reports the drug's safety and how well it worked in heavily pretreated patients. These patients had ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma. It is an early look at a drug that could matter for gynaecological and breast cancers. It is an early-phase trial with small samples, and the drug is not yet proven in larger studies. AstraZeneca, the drug's developer, ran the trial.Share

Glasgow Warriors lead the table on 23 points. The Bulls and the Stormers follow on 21 points each. The Sharks have 19 points, the same as Edinburgh.

The Lions have 9 points and sit in 13th place. In another round-five match, Benetton beat Edinburgh 31-12 in Treviso.

The competition resumes early next month after the Nations Championship break.Share

Reports said the bodies of the women were dumped across Ekurhuleni. Places named include Kempton Park, Tembisa, Springs and Kwa-Thema. The province's action plan includes tighter monitoring of police stations, audits and a crackdown on unlicensed liquor outlets.

The briefing follows a directive from President Cyril Ramaphosa to address attacks on women. Ramaphosa announced a four-point national intervention plan to tackle gender-based violence.

Provincial measures named include a 60-day audit of unresolved cases involving women and children. They also include 90-day recovery plans for priority cases and steps to process forensic backlogs.Share

The idea is that TikTok would grow past short video into other everyday services. Restaurant guides and payments are two areas named as possible additions.

A super app is a single app that combines many services, such as messaging, shopping and payments.Share