November 2026

Meintjies was 30 years old and worked as an attorney at Dane von Branden Attorneys. She was allegedly involved in several high-profile gang-related cases in Johannesburg. Police spokesperson Lt-Col Isaac Mudau is the named police contact on the case.

Arno Spangenberg of Spangenberg Attorneys knew Meintjies. He said her death is a painful reminder that no member of the legal profession should have to fear for their life while doing their work.Share

Some municipal workers are on a Grade 8 scale, while senior officials are on Grade 10. The newly signed agreement aims to fix this pay gap by moving affected employees onto the Grade 10 scale.

Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo said the move is critical. He said it would improve staff morale, governance and service delivery, and help grow the economy.

The provincial government said continuity would prevent instability in the City.Share

Provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said the car carried a party colours and logo. She said this sends a wrong message and that IEC staff must be impartial. One report said the car was driven by the officer's son.

The IEC said supporters of one contesting party forced their way into the precinct of a satellite storage facility at Dassenhoek Library. It said parties also tried to gain access or post private guards in Richmond, uMkhambathini and Pietermaritzburg. The IEC said no election material was tampered with. Another report said the incident happened at a facility in Marianhill, and that the IEC asked police to reinforce security at all its storage facilities in the province.

On the first day, 133,931 special votes were administered in KwaZulu-Natal, or 37% of the 362,878 approved applications. Of these, 68,114 were home visits and 65,817 were votes at voting stations. On Tuesday, 228,947 special votes remained, including 83,315 home visits. Masinga said the IEC worries most about the home visits, because they depend on its teams reaching every voter.Share

The video was posted by a Facebook account called TheDebster Jaars, which describes its owner as a digital creator, singer and comedian. When it was examined, the video had about 8,000 likes, 634 comments and 7,600 shares. The identity and motives of the creator remain unclear.

A related AI-generated image also tested positive on SynthID, the watermark detection tool built by Google DeepMind. The video spreads ahead of municipal elections, which are due on Wednesday. The Electoral Commission of South Africa reported a Mandela deepfake to Real411.

The fact check found that the new videos and images give Mandela a political position he never expressed in this form. It said he allegedly warned against unquestioning loyalty to the ANC in a 1993 speech to a Cosatu congress. At an ANC rally for his 90th birthday in 2008, he said he would be nothing without the ANC.Share

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission is taking legal steps to hold the identified people and political parties accountable. Deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said videos of special vote ballots being moved show standard procedure. He said the envelopes were already reconciled and voter details were removed.

The IEC said a candidate in Mpumalanga was arrested after allegedly storming a voting station and damaging materials. It also said MK Party supporters allegedly stormed a storage facility in KwaZulu-Natal and held officials hostage.

The 34 complaints on the Real411 platform covered misinformation, disinformation, incitement to violence, hate speech and harassment. Of these, 58.8% involved X and 23.5% involved TikTok.Share

NatJOINTS co-chairperson Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili briefed the media on Tuesday evening. She said police opened the case dockets over the two days of special voting, ahead of the local government elections on Wednesday, 4 November.

Police are investigating the death of an Electoral Commission presiding officer in the North West. They are also investigating the killing of a regional leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party in KwaZulu-Natal.

Other arrests include two suspects for impersonating an election official at Ingcobo in the Eastern Cape. One suspect was held for destroying election material in Mmametlake, and one for malicious damage to property in Pienaar, both in Mpumalanga.

Mosikili urged political parties, members and supporters to show tolerance and restraint. She said the investigating team will follow all leads to bring those responsible to justice. She also said contingency measures are in place for power interruptions in some municipalities.Share

Gauteng recorded the most special votes with 264,898, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 208,846 and Eastern Cape with 207,258. Limpopo had 180,627 and Mpumalanga 149,714. Western Cape had 148,493, North West 126,187, Free State 75,946 and Northern Cape 63,973.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya spoke at a media briefing at the Results Operation Centre in Midrand after voting stations closed at 5pm on Tuesday. He said the special votes are securely stored and the figures are preliminary. About 2.6 million approved voters could vote early.

Moepya said the commission is fully prepared for Election Day. He said logistical, security and operational arrangements are in place across all nine provinces. The commission said 29.2 million voters are registered, with 23,696 voting stations and 188,000 officials.

The commission condemned incidents of intimidation, disruption and damage to election materials. It said it is taking legal action against the people and political parties involved.Share

The Electoral Commission of South Africa hopes the second day of special voting goes more smoothly. Ballot deliveries ran late in Cape Town on the first day. Polling stations are expected to open at 8am.

Other stories on the day included the fraud case against Ekurhuleni municipal manager Kagiso Lerutla. His lawyers are considering an application to strike the case off the roll under Section 342A of the Criminal Procedure Act. They cite delays, including that representations made to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in September have no outcome yet.

Agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo said South Africa's removal from AGOA does not mean the country will lose access to the US market. He said the move is not entirely unexpected, as South Africa already faced pressure in 2014 to move on from the arrangement.

Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said Russian air defences downed nearly 500 drones headed for the capital. He said a flare-up in fighting with Ukraine dashed hopes of progress towards peace.Share

Special voting took place over two days, on Monday and Tuesday. Reports from Johannesburg, Sandton, Mogale City, Krugersdorp, Orlando West and Pretoria covered the second day.

In Bronkhorstspruit, residents still face problems with water quality. Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya urged residents not to drink tap water until the municipality confirms it is safe in an official communication.Share

The meeting took place at the IEC's National Results Operations Centre in Midrand, a day before the Local Government Elections on Wednesday. Cachalia and the commissioners discussed progress with special voting and operational arrangements. Deputy Police Minister Polly Boshielo and Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel are also named among those involved.

IEC spokesperson Mamabolo said at a media briefing that the commission had noted a sharp increase in prohibited conduct and clear criminal behaviour by some party supporters and candidates. The IEC said it is taking legal action against the people and parties involved in intimidation, disruption and damage to election materials.

Law enforcement said it will not tolerate lawlessness or any conduct that threatens the integrity of the electoral process. The Police Ministry said every effort is being made to support free, fair and peaceful elections. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) coordinates election security.Share

The Electoral Commission (IEC) said it has operational arrangements in place in all nine provinces. It has 23,696 voting stations nationwide and deployed 188,000 officials across them. Campaigning ends at midnight.

IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya spoke at a media briefing at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand. He said the secrecy of every vote is a basic principle of democracy and must be protected. The Commission also warned that false or misleading information can undermine public confidence in the election.

Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, co-chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS), said law enforcement readiness is at the highest operational level. He said planning took into account the security environment, past incidents, intelligence and possible threats.

Mosikili warned that protests on Election Day are prohibited. He said anyone who breaks the rules in Section 76 of the Municipal Electoral Act will face action. He and Moepya both urged voters to keep the day peaceful.Share

Moepya said canvassing, door-to-door campaigns, demonstrations and rallies are also not allowed after midnight. He said the limits aim to protect voters from intimidation and interference. Voters may still wear political party shirts or colours, he said.

Moepya said the IEC has secured all ballot papers and essential election materials and sent them to voting stations. He said logistical, security and operational plans are in place. Reports put the number of voting stations at nearly 24,000, with over 29 million registered voters.

He said the secrecy of every vote must always be protected. He said the IEC does not want people to stand in long queues without need. He called on parties and voters to show tolerance and peace, and urged registered voters to turn out.

The IEC warned that false or misleading information could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. Voters can send an SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1 to verify their registration details. The department of home affairs will keep its offices open on election day to help voters with identity documents.Share

The recall covers vehicles made available for sale between 2021 and 2025. One outlet reported that 1,881 of the 1,896 vehicles were sold locally.

Stellantis said a high-resistance electrical connection in the electric hydraulic power steering pump may flash a warning that power steering assistance is lost. It said that in some cases the fault could overheat combustible materials, which is a fire hazard.

NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba said the fault may lead to a fire. The commission said drivers may see a warning sign for loss of power steering assistance or for service power steering.Share

KwaZulu-Natal electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga explained the dismissal at a media briefing at the IEC operating centre in Durban. She said the IEC had no option but to end the officer's service, because he knew he would perform election duties.

The IEC said it would open a criminal case over the storm of the storage facility at a Mariannhill library once the party affiliations of those involved were confirmed. Masinga said party members had demanded that the IEC change its Dassenhoek Library storage facility, citing past break-ins and computer thefts. The facility serves four wards and 24 voting stations.

Masinga said fears about the safety of the materials in the facility were not justified. She also said political parties had shown a sudden interest in storage facilities since the 2024 general elections.

The IEC approved 362,878 special votes in KwaZulu-Natal. It administered 133,931 of them on Monday, which is 37% of the total. The IEC said 83,315 people were still to be processed on Tuesday. Voting stations open at 7:00am and close at 9:00pm on Wednesday.Share

The test train left Komatipoort on 1 November as an empty leg. It came back on 2 November with 2,991 metric tons. Grindrod holds two allocated slots on the North-East Corridor.

Grindrod is the first private Train Operating Company to run on the national freight network under the open-access framework. In its first year, it plans to move mainly coal from Mpumalanga to its Matola Terminal in Mozambique. Twelve Train Operating Companies have signed Rail Access Agreements.

Moshe Motlohi, Chief Executive of the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager, called the test a landmark for rail reform. He said open access is now an operational reality and not only a policy idea. Grindrod Group Chief Executive Officer Kwazi Mabaso said the milestone matters for the company and for the transformation of freight logistics.Share

The four accused face charges of attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault and firearm possession. They are Phindile Alex Nomngcayi, 30, Thomas Thabo Motlhangtlhong, 27, Mothoka Godfrey Mathipa, 56, and Mokhema Jan Maishoane, 53. The charge sheet says the men had 222 live rounds of ammunition.

Adams said the fifth man was not actively involved in the crime. He said the man knew something was happening, but what he knew was sketchy. Adams said that was not enough for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to build a strong case against him.

Farmer Donovan Marx, 50, was shot, stabbed and had his ears cut off in the attack at his Syferfontein farm on 28 October. Three firearms were stolen from a safe at his house. Police seized four firearms in an arrest on Sunday that they link to the attack.

The State says the attack was planned and premeditated. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel attended the hearing. He said farm attacks and brutal torture must not become a statistic, and he criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for staying quiet.Share

The team recorded 51 mounting attempts, 34 of which involved penetration. The donkey often initiated contact, and the pair showed affection afterwards. The authors suggest that sex may help maintain their bond. A primatologist, writing about the study, notes that same-sex behaviour has been reported in more than 1,500 animal species. The researchers watched the pair closely for only four days, so they cannot say how long the relationship lasted.Share

Mokonyane said the problem is not a lack of water. She said the system does not supply water reliably. She blamed the system and the entities that manage it, which she said South Africans wanted to be independent.

She compared the crisis to the earlier power shortages. She said it was Eskom a few years ago and is now water. She said it is not only a Johannesburg issue.

Mokonyane said she voted for the ANC on all three ballots. Rand Water issued a statement warning residents against overconsumption.Share

The level 2 warnings cover southern Limpopo, all of Gauteng, north-eastern Free State and southern KwaZulu-Natal. The Weather Service urged residents in the affected areas to take precautions.

The Weather Service said a tornado is also possible in some of the storms. Meteorologist Azwi Tuwani described the level 4 warning area in a weather bulletin on Tuesday.Share

The outage began at about 8.35pm on Monday. Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said an electricity failure at City of Ekurhuleni infrastructure cut power to the pumping station and halted pumping. Six municipalities were at risk of disruption: Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Lesedi, Govan Mbeki, Victor Khanye and Thembisile Hani.

Another report gave a different cause. It said lightning damaged the Mapleton Substation on Monday night, and that water supply to Ekurhuleni and parts of Gauteng was cut for most of Tuesday. Areas named included Langaville, Tsakane, Duduza, Etwatwa, Tarlton, Brakpan and Vlakfontein.

Power at the substation is at 100% capacity and has been back for about 5 hours. Rand Water pumping operations have recovered by more than 73%. Officials said reservoirs should fill overnight and supply should improve in the early hours of Wednesday.Share

The money allegedly went from Gcaba to accused Mziwethemba Gwabeni. Evidence said Gwabeni moved R803,000 to another of his accounts. Some accused allegedly received one tranche of R100,000.

Accused Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi allegedly sent R33,000 to his wife, Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi. Capitec forensic investigator Ashley Soomaroo gave evidence for the state.

The state's evidence is that the payments split money among the accused after rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and Tebello "Tibz" Motsoane were killed. Evidence in the bail application said Gcaba paid Gwabeni for business the two men conduct together.

The court stood the matter down to Thursday. The defence will then cross-examine FNB witness Ashley Wilson.Share

The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) is prosecuting the case. Its spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said all parties agreed to the postponement. The delay lets the Local Government Elections conclude and lets accused who live outside Gauteng vote.

The charges relate to two police software purchases from 2015 that the state calls irregular. Mamothame said the first software was meant for use during the #feesmustfall protests in October 2015. He said the second software was allegedly used to wipe cell phone records and messages while the Hawks were investigating Phahlane over the blue lights police tender.

Phahlane has said he is innocent.Share

Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi, an IEC assistant manager, said voters must show identification at the door controller. She said digital identification documents are not accepted. Voters are also marked with indelible ink, which she said takes a few days to remove and protects the integrity of the process.

Voters in metropolitan municipalities receive two ballot papers. Voters in local municipalities receive a third ballot, the district PR ballot. That ballot decides 40% of the seats in the district council.

Ramatlhodi said a ballot that is not stamped at the back will count as spoiled. She also said more than one mark on a ballot could lead to it being declared invalid.Share

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo spoke at a media briefing in Midrand. He reminded voters that they receive two or three ballot papers, depending on the municipality. He asked them to mark the correct paper and fold each completed ballot before they put it in the right box.

The Commission said it had registered 34 complaints on the Real411 platform. Twitter / X had 58.8% of the complaints and TikTok had 23.5%. Facebook and WhatsApp had 8.8% each.

Mamabolo said unproven claims of election fraud had led supporters to post videos of presiding officers and staff. The videos show staff moving special vote ballots from carrying boxes and bags into the main ballot box. He said they were shared without context, alongside claims that something wrong was happening.

The Commission said it had already acted quickly against election officials who failed to do their duties as required.Share

Michael Hendricks, the IEC electoral officer for the Western Cape, said the commission has a high level of confidence in its preparations. He said unexpected problems can still happen and the IEC will respond to them as they occur. The IEC said an unforeseen delay by its contracted printing company caused the late openings. The company was reprinting ballots after a Constitutional Court ruling.

Nationally, 2.6 million people registered for special votes. In the Western Cape, 292,000 people registered. The IEC said 28 million ballots already printed and distributed were no longer suitable because they did not include all contesting parties. It authorised the reprinting of 33 million ballots.

Separately, police arrested a wanted gang member after a shootout in Manenberg, about 150m from a voting station on Ruimte Road. Western Cape police said the suspect allegedly opened fire on officers when he saw them. Police found 32 rounds of ammunition on him, and the Anti-Gang Unit was deployed for security.Share

The people said Nvidia gave the instruction to cloud computing clients in recent months. The US chipmaker has not been named as confirming the order in the information available.

The claim comes from one exclusive report that cites unnamed sources. The report frames the order as a way to hold back China's technology progress against US competitors.Share

The researcher asked residents how often the water stopped, how they coped and who they held responsible. Many said officials "eat the money" meant for repairs, and some said tankers reached favoured areas first. The findings come from an essay in The Conversation, not a peer-reviewed paper. She says the residents' claims are not verified fact, and the work covers only three communities.Share

Mamabolo spoke at an IEC media briefing on the local government elections. He said some parties made fraud claims without proof. Supporters then posted videos of presiding officers moving special vote ballots, shared without context.

Of the Real411 complaints, 58.8% involved X and 23.5% involved TikTok. Facebook and WhatsApp together made up 8.8%.

Mamabolo alleged that a candidate in ward 30 in the Phake Rankahile voting district stormed a voting station and damaged election materials. He also alleged that MK Party supporters stormed the IEC satellite warehouse at Dassenhoek Library and held election officials hostage. Two people allegedly tried to reach election materials by posing as IEC officials.

The IEC recorded about 970,000 station-based special votes and 421,000 home visits for special votes. Special voting continues until 5 November. Mamabolo said the commission is taking legal steps to hold the people and parties involved to account.Share

Police in the Eastern Cape arrested two women. The commission said they allegedly tried to steal election material from the Ngcobo Police Station. In Mpumalanga, police arrested a candidate in Ward 30 after he allegedly stormed a voting station.

Sy Mamabolo, the IEC Chief Electoral Officer, spoke at a media briefing in Midrand. He said the candidate stormed the Phake Rankaile voting district station and damaged electoral materials.

Mamabolo also said supporters of a party stormed a satellite warehouse where election materials are kept. He said they held election officials hostage. He said such acts threaten the integrity of the electoral process.

He said the commission has seen a sharp rise in conduct that the law prohibits. He said some party supporters have acted in plainly unlawful ways.Share

Mokonyane heads the ANC's international relations desk. She said Agoa makes up 1% of the whole trade relationship between South Africa and the US. She also said the White House decision was an act of desperation meant to sway South African voters and push a regime-change agenda.

She said the US administration wants to appeal to right-wing and conservative groups through its stance on South Africa. She added that the US is a critical role player, but the world is not the US. She blamed those who oppose the country's transformation policies, especially on land reform and property rights, for its economic challenges.

VF Plus leader Corne Mulder wrote on X that the end of Agoa membership is a total disaster. He blamed incompetence among those in charge of international relations. Mokonyane criticised his comments.

Trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau said the decision does not define the wider relationship between the two countries. He said a solution would depend on both sides being willing to talk. The government said the loss of Agoa could harm South African investments in the US and disrupt supply chains in the car and boat-building industries.Share