The Weekend View

The IEC has extended an opportunity to submit candidate lists to 32 political parties it says were in a similar position to the ANC, ahead of the November fourth local government elections. The Commission says the decision is aimed at ensuring equal treatment of political parties following the Constitutional Court ruling in favour of the ANC. The IEC says the 32 parties had nominated compliant can...

The Green Connection calls on the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to reject Eskom's proposed 8.83% electricity tariff increase for the 2027/28 financial year. The eco-justice organisation, working closely with grassroots coastal communities and small-scale fishers, warns that another substantial increase will place an unacceptable burden on households already struggling with the...

The Gauteng government has confirmed that it intends to open a criminal case against the Stellenbosch student who discovered flaws in the e-Panic Button App, a tool residents rely on in moments of danger. The computer science student allegedly discovered that the app exposed the most sensitive personal information of the users of the app to report crimes. Spokesperson for the Gauteng Provincial Go...

South Africa's Finance Minister is expected to present the country's 2026 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday. The MTBPS is an important economic update from the government, and gives an indication of what it will do in future budgets. Ahead of the statement , the  Alternative Information & Development Centre (AIDC) argues that austerity, privatisation and monetary re...

With South African public-school learners back at school for Term 4, attention now is on the final assessments and exams. For many families, the instinct at this point is to increase study hours. But experts suggest more time spent studying does not necessarily tell a learner what they need to work on.  Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Siyabonga Manana, Principal of SPARK Midrand High...

North West businessman Suliman Carrim's bail application has been postponed to Monday in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. Carrim faces charges linked to his alleged failure to appear before the Madlanga Commission and provide requested documents. The State is opposing bail, citing concerns about his previous conduct and the accuracy of his residential address. The defence has accused the State of...

INTRO : Despite fears that tensions in the Tripartite Alliance could mark the beginning of the end of the historical pact, political analysts believe the alliance can still be saved. The ANC, COSATU and SACP pact will be tested at next month's municipal polls. Tension among the alliance partners surfaced at the COSATU national congress earlier this week. ANC National Chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, w...

The Madlanga Commission has been named South Africa's Word of the Year for 2026 by PanSALB and media research company Focal Points. It accounted for 47% of coverage among six shortlisted terms, followed by gender-based violence at 15% and illegal immigration at 12%. "Clock It" won the social media category, representing 85% of coverage among seven shortlisted expressions. The South African Sign La...

The South African Policing Union has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to lift National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola's precautionary suspension. Masemola will resume his duties on Monday following the formal withdrawal of charges against him. SAPU says his return presents an opportunity to restore stability and strengthen leadership within the police service. The union h...

South African municipalities are owed billions by consumers.  Municipalities are struggling to collect revenue while residents face mounting bills and the threat of having their electricity or water disconnected over disputed amounts. Monei Seleho, Nedbank's Head of Public Sector says that municipal debt can't be treated as a single problem. Household, business and government debt require dif...

How annoying are those unwanted calls? You know those ones that either try to sell you something, or check if they can pass on your number to potential service providers? If you are lucky your phone can automatically alert you that these are spam calls, but what about those unwanted SMS'? At times you ask yourself how did they get my number? According to Truecaller's 2026 South Africa Spam Report,...

The IEC has extended an opportunity to submit candidate lists to 32 political parties it says were in a similar position to the ANC, ahead of the November fourth local government elections. The Commission says the decision is aimed at ensuring equal treatment of political parties following the Constitutional Court ruling in favour of the ANC. The IEC says the 32 parties had nominated compliant can...

The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, NATJOINTS, says heightened police deployments will remain in place at hotspots in Durban and Johannesburg, where violent protests erupted over the last few days. Chaos broke out in the Durban CBD as well as Soweto and Johannesburg, earlier this week, following violent anti-undocumented immigration protests. Thirty people have been arrested...

14-year-old twin brothers, Bonolo and Bohlale Makena were laid to rest yesterday. Their funeral service took place at the Ethiopian Catholic Church in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria. The twins' lifeless bodies were reportedly found with multiple stab wounds at their home by their mother when she returned from work last week Friday. The motive for their killing remains unknown. Thabiso Radebe has the d...

This week, civil society organisations including HEALA ( Healthy Living Alliance) launched their  "90 Days to Protect Our Health" campaign. According to the group , this is an intense public accountability campaign demanding that the Government and Department of Health , Minister of Health, immediately finalise and ratify South Africa's stalled Front-of-Pack Warning Label regulations (Regulat...

South African households are in an affordability crisis according to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD). This as rising fuel prices and interest rates put further pressure on already stretched budgets. The group says the crisis is forcing households to make a trade-off between the cost of food and its nutritional value, and this can also be seen in the choices househo...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he hopes that there is no loss of life during the violent protests that have taken place in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Tensions once again escalated in Durban, where hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of the CBD destroying buildings and property. The demonstrators were marching against the Constitutional Court's ruling on asylum seekers. The same...

Most of us think of debt as a today problem: the instalment that leaves on the 25th, the card balance that never quite clears. Few of us think about what happens to it when we're no longer here. Debt doesn't disappear when you die but becomes an issue your family has to resolve, often at the worst possible time. To unpack what happens to your debt when you die Bongiwe Zwane spoke to  Cebile Z...

The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) condemns the fuel price increase that took effect on 7 October, which pushed petrol and diesel to the highest prices South Africans have ever paid. Early data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) signals a further rise of up to R4.58 a litre for petrol in November. Adding insult to injury is the Road Accident Fund (RAF), publishing its annual report fo...

The South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP), has expressed concern regarding the proposed Council for the Built Environment Bill. The Bill is aimed at giving the Council stronger investigative powers, consolidating regulatory functions, and establishing it as a single, more effective regulator for South Africa's built environment. The proposed bill was announced following th...

As the country marks Mental Health Awareness month, we are encouraged to talk more openly about mental illness, but what happens when someone actually tells you they have a diagnosis? For Mental health advocate, Yael Geffen this is a question she has taken up her strides by challenging the stigma that can follow disclosure. Drawing on her own experience of living openly with a mental health condit...

Public outcry continues to pour over reports that the e‑Panic Button App, a tool residents rely on in moments of danger, exposed their most sensitive personal information. University computer science students discovered the flaws while analysing the app's code last week. The Gauteng Legislature's Portfolio Committee on e‑Government, Research & Development has described the breach as larming an...

Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) says years of underfunding have undermined South Africa's fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). AIDC says government cannot keep acknowledging gender-based violence as a national crisis while treating its funding as optional. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Suraya Jawoodeen,  Economic Justice Programme Coordinator at Alt...

The CEO of the SABC, Nomsa Chabeli, has assured MPs that the public broadcaster will cover the November 4 local government election, to the extent its finances will allow. The SABC and ICASA appeared before the Porfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, to brief MPs on its state of readiness to cover the election. In previous meetings the SABC has made the committee aware of it...

Long before children can confidently explain their ideas, they find other ways to show us what they are thinking. A drawing, a sculpture made from clay, an imaginary game or a joyful dance can communicate things they may not yet have the words to express. For young children, creativity is not simply an enjoyable activity to fill the day. It is one of the most important ways they explore, understan...