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I was born in Johannesburg but grew up in Surrey, England. For our holidays, we would often go to the British coast (places like Folkestone, Camber Sands, the Isle of Wight) and freeze our asses off for a week during the blink-and-you-miss-it British summer, or we’d take the ferry to France to explore and eat our bodyweight in moules marinières.

The thing I remember most about my childhood holidays is how the strictly enforced “at home” rule of not being allowed to play with my older and much cooler brother Adam didn’t seem to apply when we were on holiday. Either I was less irritating or he was more tolerant of his little sister when we were away. Happy memories.

My first trip abroad was to Portugal. We (Mum, Dad and Adam) went with my mum’s parents, my Granny and Grandpa, whom I adored. Every morning my granny and I would walk along the beach just after the fishermen had come in with their morning catch. We would count the dead fish along the shoreline, those that had “slipped through the net”, as it were. Not so much the “ones that got away”, but the “ones who nearly made it”.

A funny travel memory: When I was 18, I travelled to upstate New York to work as a camp counsellor for the summer. Afterwards, a few of us girls went backpacking. In New York City, we ended up staying in a hotel just off Times Square. It almost felt like an abandoned building, save for a few dorm-style rooms. My fellow travellers and I used to barricade the door with a bunk bed at night. It was dodgy! Our fellow guests were several very friendly, very scantily clad women who seemed to sleep a lot in the day, since they were always in their rooms. The good thing about the hotel was it was really easy to find at night thanks to all the red lights it had in the windows.

A bizarre thing that’s happened on my holidays: my best friend Ben and I were staying with his parents at their condo in Sarasota, Florida. We were in our late teens. We went clubbing one night and were having a great time, dancing and enjoying the vibe, until, at midnight on the dot, all the main lights in the club were turned off, the DJ started playing some aggressive house and everyone started stripping – literally tearing off all their clothes. For two teens from Surrey, it was all a bit much, so with our clothes still very much on, we left and got a cab back to the condo.

A memorable restaurant I ate in overseas was the Skyview Lounge at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, where I lived for a while in my 20s. It was my birthday and my mum had come out from the UK to celebrate and suggested we go, since we’d never been. At the time, it was such an iconic hotel and boasted about being the only seven-star hotel in the world. What was it like? Like much of Dubai, garish and overrated. Funnily enough, my favourite place to eat when I lived there was a South African restaurant called The Meat Co. Best ribs I’ve ever eaten.

I can’t single out one favourite international city, but a place I really enjoyed and would love to go back to is Singapore. I visited when I was living in Joburg and the contrast was extraordinary. Don’t get me wrong, I love Johannesburg, but having the freedom to travel and walk around as a woman alone, even late at night was so freeing. It reminded me of living in Dubai – only, nicer. Also, the food is incredible. Getting around on public transport is super easy and inexpensive.

My three must-sees/dos in Singapore:

1. Cocktails (mocktails in my case) at Marina Bay Sands.
2. Put your takkies on, buy an MRT (rail) ticket and explore the city on foot and by train. It’s cheap, clean and reliable.
3. Night Safari, a nocturnal wildlife park next to Singapore Zoo, within Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

The best place in the world for a night out is Bangkok. I visited Thailand several times when I was younger. It was a halfway meeting point for me and an Australian girlfriend. I remember feeling intimidated by the city on my first visit. I grew up on a farm in England, so was not always a lover of big cities – the noise, the pace, the pollution. But every time I returned to Bangkok, I loved it more and more. And nights in Bangkok are something else. Wandering down Khao San Road, eating street food and buying knock-off Gucci sunglasses at 11pm cannot be beat.

When travelling, I am a sucker for a well-appointed gym in a hotel. At the beginning of 2025, I started a health journey, which has seen me lose 45kg and become a bit of a gym fanatic. I’m sure I’ve become a bit of a bore about it, but training has been an absolute game changer for my physical and mental health.

My perfect holiday involves something for me and for my two small, unemployed besties who live with me (I am a mom of two small children, aged 3 and 6). These days, while my adventurous spirit remains, the raging wanderlust is forced to take something of a back seat and I’m leaning more towards resort holidays. Last year, the three of us went on our first overseas family holiday to Club Med La Plantation d’Albion in Mauritius and it was absolutely perfect. The smallies had a blast in the kids’ club; I was able to work out in the gym and relax by the (adults only – hurrah!) zen pool in the morning, and we’d meet up for lunch and hit the beach or family pool in the afternoon.

One tourist attraction that surprised me was the Mona Lisa. A lot smaller than I thought she’d be.

Something surprising I do when I travel is go to a meeting. I celebrated 19 years clean and sober in August and a large part of my recovery has been thanks to anonymous 12-step fellowship groups. Luckily, there are hundreds of thousands of them all over the world, which is a godsend for recovering addicts like me who love to travel. In my 19 years of sobriety, I have been to meetings in the UK, the US, the UAE, Thailand, Colombia and Jamaica. I’ve even done meetings on a cruise ship and in an airport library. Recovery doesn’t stop just because you’re not at home.

My favourite hotel in South Africa is the InterContinental Table Bay at the V&A in Cape Town. I stayed there last month following the recent renovation, and it’s really an icon in the Mother City. The attention to detail is remarkable. I had the best lamb chops I’ve ever tasted at Flint & Fennel and enjoyed the best hotel buffet breakfast I’ve ever had. I even ordered something called “Tiramisu French Toast”. I mean, have you ever!? The spa was next level, and my room overlooking Table Mountain really made me feel like a tourist in my own city.

The last place I went to was Caledon in the Western Cape. I took the kids for a few days in the school holidays. I found a wonderful little gem there called the Caledon Grace Guesthouse. It’s beautiful and peaceful and about 90 minutes from Cape Town. I’m in talks with them to host some writing retreats there next year, which is really exciting, so watch this space.

Bucket-list? I was watching the movie City Slickers recently and thought that, one day, I’d love to take my kids to a ranch somewhere like Montana or Colorado. I grew up with horses and to me there’s nothing like being on horseback, in the great outdoors.

• Sara-Jayne Makwala King is a bestselling author and host of the Weekend Breakfast show and podcast on CapeTalk.

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The bail application of Akilesh Gupta, who is facing charges of murder, contravention of the Immigration Act, driving without a valid driver’s licence and malicious damage to property, has been postponed until December 8 for the continuation of his application.

He appeared in the Lichtenburg district court on Friday.

“The charges arise from an incident allegedly committed on 20 October 2026, during which Gupta was captured on video footage allegedly driving over an on-duty police officer. The officer sustained injuries and subsequently succumbed to them,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lindiwe Mabasa said.

It is further alleged that Gupta is an Indian national who does not possess valid documentation authorising him to remain in SA.

He allegedly entered the country in 2024 on a visitor’s visa, which has since expired.

TimesLIVE

The party, which made its electoral debut in the 2024 national and provincial elections, says it believes it stands a fighting chance in the economic capital because of their electoral showing in the city.

Mnguni dismissed the criticism that Rise Mzansi is a “small party” and said they won’t be distracted from their mission.

“In Joburg, Rise Mzansi was the seventh largest party in 2024 at 1.5%. If we got that percentage of votes today on both ballots in the local government election, we would have five seats out of 270 seats. In parliament we’ve got two seats out of 400.

“You do the math, our percentage weight in Joburg is far stronger. We are not just a small party; we are serious about giving people a preposition about building into the future. I would rather build. For context, the Democratic Alliance was once a 1.7% party in 1994, but they quickly forget and want to scare voters from considering proper alternatives like Rise Mzansi.”

He appealed to middle-class voters during a campaign interaction in Bryanston, saying their disengagement is the cause of the decline in governance.

The testimonies before the Madlanga commission tell us that especially in the police departments of cities, there are a lot of people who are not fit for purpose

Lukhona Mnguni, Rise Mzansi's Joburg mayoral candidate

“People like us have disengaged from politics for a very long time, much to the disservice of our country. We all know that something needs to change, but at the very same time we tend to bash those who are trying to do something about it. For some strange reason I don’t know who we think must effect the change. We’ve got to start somewhere.”

The Rise Mzansi mayoral hopeful said his first stop would be to root out corruption and the culture embedded in the city, if elected.

“We want to vote amasela out. The word, translated to thieves, represents an ecosystem of wrongdoing. It exists in the administration, the political leadership of the city, as well as those who call themselves businesspeople simply because they possess a CIPC registration number but are actually criminals masquerading as service providers.”

Mnguni said their starting point will be to get rid of that, starting at the top.

“We need to start with the executives, senior managers. In the Gauteng government a number of people have failed and they must go. Next will be skills audits because the testimonies before the c commission tell us that especially in the police departments of cities, there are a lot of people who are not fit for purpose.”

He vowed to fix procurement and make the process as transparent as possible.

“We bid evaluation and adjudication committees must be recorded. When a successful bidder is announced, those recordings must be published. You don’t want another Madlanga situation where a witness will claim to not remember how they interacted in a meeting and the minutes of the meeting are vague. We must hear the voice of the person, what they are saying and how they are justifying the choice that they have made.”

You have been stunted not to imagine and think about a more just, equitable and fair Johannesburg that caters for all its residents

Lukhona Mnguni

Mnguni said this move will crowd the accountability space and people will have a lot of information to work with, rather than having to go through PAIA applications.

Due to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s intervention in the City of Johannesburg through the presidential working group, Mnguni said the use of the presidency’s resources will come in handy.

“Fortunately, because the president has invited himself in the City of Joburg, there is one institution in his office called the state security agency. We need an intelligence-led process to clamp down on hijacked buildings.”

He referred to Rise Mzansi’s manifesto, which includes an infrastructure development fund, instilling meaningful public participation and addressing spatial inequality.

Mnguni said Rise Mzansi is a party of social democrats who are deeply embedded in social justice and urged voters in this election to consider the bigger picture.

“Elections are beyond the pothole. You have been made to believe that our greatest problem is water that doesn’t flow from our taps, potholes that damage your tyres and electricity that isn’t always reliable. You have been stunted not to imagine and think about a more just, equitable and fair Johannesburg that caters for all its residents.”

TimesLIVE

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Democratic Alliance Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille says her preferred coalition options in the city are ActionSA or the ANC, arguing that a two-party government would be easier to manage than a broad coalition involving several smaller parties.

In an interview with TimesLIVE, Zille said preliminary election results suggested the DA could form a two-party coalition with either ActionSA or the ANC, although she cautioned that the final outcome would depend on the results and negotiations.

“I have been looking at the numbers. Before the final results are in, we could do a coalition with two parties in a two-party coalition with ActionSA or ANC,” she said.

Zille said she favoured coalitions that were “as big as necessary but as small as possible”, arguing that governing with fewer partners would reduce the complications associated with managing competing political interests.

“When you put together a coalition, it is as big as necessary but as small as possible, because there is [a difference between] managing two parties in a coalition and seven parties in a coalition. I’ve been in a seven-party coalition. It wasn’t easy, but we managed to get through it,” she said.

She warned that smaller parties in coalition governments often prioritised positions for their associates and access to tenders over improving service delivery and governance.

“The trouble is when you have all sorts of smaller parties, they’re normally in it for how many jobs they can get for their mates in key positions, how many tenders they get to determine and whether or not government improves, they don’t mind,” Zille said.

She argued that the DA had a greater electoral incentive to improve governance because its performance in government directly affected its prospects at the ballot box.

However, Zille said she did not want to pre-empt the DA’s national coalition negotiators, who would ultimately determine which arrangement offered the party the best deal.

“I don’t want to start tying our national negotiators. They will see what best deal they can get and I don’t want to second-guess them. They will ask my advice in the end,” she said.

If asked for her recommendation, she would favour a two-party arrangement over a coalition involving as many as 10 parties, unless smaller parties collectively offered another viable route to a governing majority.

Zille said having multiple coalition options placed the DA in a stronger negotiating position, contrasting this with the party’s position during negotiations for the national government of national unity.

“The most important thing to do in coalition negotiations is to have options. That gives you your power. Our weakness when negotiating the GNU was that we had only one option to do a deal with the ANC,” she said.

She said the DA had entered the GNU to prevent an ANC-led coalition with the EFF and MK party.

Zille also expressed uncertainty about whether ActionSA and the ANC could secure a governing majority together, even with the support of smaller parties.

On concerns that a DA-led administration could withdraw social grants, Zille dismissed the suggestion as “lunatic, hard and cruel”, insisting that social assistance remained essential in a country grappling with high unemployment.

“I was the mayor of Cape Town and premier of the Western Cape and no one lost their social grants. Why would I take away social grants in Joburg,” she asked.

Zille said the DA wanted to create the conditions for more people to enter employment by attracting investment and stimulating economic growth, rather than removing support from those who depended on it.

“Social grants are essential in our country with so many people unemployed. It is crazy to think we would take away social grants,” she said.

She argued that the country’s long-term objective should be to move more people from dependence on social assistance into employment and a growing middle class.

“We would rather have 29-million registered taxpayers than 29-million people on social grants. That would make a completely different country. We would make a massive transition to a middle-class, prosperous society and that is our goal,” she said.

TimesLIVE

Zille favours ActionSA or ANC coalition in Joburg

Democratic Alliance Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille says her preferred coalition options in the city are ActionSA or the ANC, arguing that a two-party government would be easier to manage than a broad coalition involving several smaller parties.

In an interview with TimesLIVE, Zille said preliminary election results suggested the DA could form a two-party coalition with either ActionSA or the ANC, although she cautioned that the final outcome would depend on the results and negotiations.

“I have been looking at the numbers. Before the final results are in, we could do a coalition with two parties in a two-party coalition with ActionSA or ANC,” she said.

November 6 2026, 17:23

November 6 2026, 17:20

IEC worker describes ‘inhumane’ conditions endured to count your vote

As the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) reports that the 2026 local government election results are being captured and processed significantly faster than in 2021, the election staff working behind closed doors are revealing the human cost of ensuring that every vote is counted.

Luzuko Simani, who served as a deputy presiding officer (DPO) at the Jan van Riebeeck Primary School voting centre in Cape Town, unpacked the gruelling, long hours required during the counting process, conditions he described as “inhumane”.

IEC worker describes ‘inhumane’ conditions endured to count your vote

November 6 2026, 17:00

WATCH | The Political Arena team talks to political leaders about LGE results

November 6 2026, 16:13

WATCH | With around 75% of the votes counted, all eyes are on the major metros as the election picture begins to take shape. Senior industrial engineer at the CSIR, Carike Karsen, unpacks some of the key predictions for these metros and what the emerging results could mean for… pic.twitter.com/GPKRB4y6bW

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 6, 2026

November 6 2026, 16:05

UDM shakes up Eastern Cape politics in historic vote as ANC loses majority

For the first time since 1995, the ANC has lost majority power in the second-largest metro in the Eastern Cape, Buffalo City municipality, after the UDM made inroads in a historic local municipality election result.

The local government results from the metro show a threat to the ANC’s long-standing dominance in the province ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.

The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, held its last election campaign rally in the metro at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, two days before this week’s elections. As the party would have it — the rally was the last it had as the majority party in KuGompo City (formerly East London).

UDM shakes up Eastern Cape politics in historic vote as ANC loses majority

November 6 2026, 15:55

‘Fearmongering is not democracy,’ says FF Plus national chairperson Wouter Wessels

Freedom Front Plus national chairperson Wouter Wessels has criticised the level of fear mongering displayed in this current election campaign, saying it is a practice far removed from democracy.

Instead, he believes voters should be allowed to associate with and campaign for whomever, without being threatened to do so.

“It also comes back to the politics of fear, with some parties saying it is a two-party race and that the vote shouldn’t be divided, so people are confused. Then other parties say if you don’t vote for us, if you vote for someone different then you are going to lose your grant, you will lose your RDP house and all those things are fear mongering and it is not good for democracy.”

Stop the fearmongering, it’s not democracy: FF Plus chair

November 6 2026, 15:45

WATCH | ActionSA’s Tshwane Mayoral Candidate Nasiphi Moya says she is grateful to the residents of Tshwane for supporting her during her tenure as mayor pic.twitter.com/ih0lLerB6p

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 6, 2026

November 6 2026, 14:56

WATCH | ActionSA wants to end ‘revolving door’ of Tshwane mayors

ActionSA says it will push for Dr Nasiphi Moya to remain executive mayor of Tshwane for another five years as the party prepares for coalition negotiations after the local government elections.

The party’s secretary-general, Michael Beaumont, said ActionSA would negotiate with parties willing to commit to a shared programme of government focused on service delivery, stability and accountability.

ActionSA’s national chair Michael Beaumont lists the wards they’ve won in the City of Tshwane and explains what it means for the party.
Video: Koena Mashale pic.twitter.com/JAYCvWlmVS

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 6, 2026

Beaumont said the party wanted to end the revolving door of mayors in the capital and would not support candidates with a track record of corruption or failure.

WATCH | ActionSA wants to end ‘revolving door’ of Tshwane mayors

November 6 2026, 14:30

Ex-MP Ndlozi explains why he didn’t vote in local government elections

Former EFF member of parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has revealed that he did not vote in the recent 2026 local government elections, citing his dissatisfaction with the state of black political parties in South Africa.

South Africans headed to the polls this week to cast their ballots in the municipal elections. Out of 29.2-million registered voters across 23,696 voting stations nationwide, about 14.5-million citizens cast their votes.

Ex-MP Ndlozi explains why he didn’t vote in local government elections

November 6 2026, 14:28

ActionSA’s national chair Michael Beaumont lists the wards they’ve won in the City of Tshwane and explains what it means for the party.
Video: Koena Mashale pic.twitter.com/JAYCvWlmVS

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 6, 2026

WATCH | SACP and Afrika Mayibuye make inroads in municipal elections

The SACP and Afrika Mayibuye Movement (AMM) are emerging as new contenders in the local government elections, recording pockets of support in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

The two parties have attracted attention with their electoral performance, particularly the SACP, which broke away from its longstanding electoral alliance with the ANC to contest the elections independently.

WATCH | SACP national spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana reflects on the party’s performance and what led to them entering the electoral space to represent the working class. The party so far has 78 seats, 9wards and 69PR totaling to 2,53%.

Video: @MimieShana pic.twitter.com/vYHxw6D1is

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 6, 2026

Speaking to Sowetan on the sidelines of vote counting at the National Results Operation Centre in Midrand on Friday, SACP national spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana said the party was pleased with its performance.

WATCH | SACP and Afrika Mayibuye make inroads in municipal elections

November 6 2026, 13:14

DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille tells the Political Arena team that the ANC's failure to deliver services helped her party in the municipal elections. Watch the interview live: https://t.co/wBWk8cfSe3
Click here to join our WhatsApp channel: https://t.co/qyEp3yeHxK pic.twitter.com/paXPkB9Fkh

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 6, 2026

November 6 2026, 12:45

WATCH | DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille has weighed in on concerns about property affordability in Johannesburg, saying falling property prices would be a sign of a failing city. pic.twitter.com/ML8Qe4A6Sv

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 6, 2026

November 6 2026, 12:33

WATCH | Jacob Zuma says MK Party open to coalition talks

Former president Jacob Zuma says the MK Party is open to coalition talks.

Speaking at the Durban high court on Friday — where he came to support his daughter, former MK Party MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla — Zuma gave his trademark laugh as he answered questions about the party’s performance in Wednesday’s elections.

WATCH | Former president Jacob Zuma says the MK Party is open to coalitions and was happy to be proven right about the party’s performance in KwaZulu-Natal. pic.twitter.com/sNdgSdG2Gd

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 6, 2026

WATCH | Jacob Zuma says MK Party open to coalition talks

November 6 2026, 11:53

WATCH | On the sidelines at the National Results Operations Centre, where LGE vote-counting is taking place, Arena Holdings multimedia journalist Sinazo Kos caught up with DA leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, on what impact the elections have had on his sleeping patterns and eating… pic.twitter.com/VPvmTmS85K

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 6, 2026

November 6 2026, 12:00

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena speaks to Helen Zille and what the early results mean

November 6 2026, 11:11

WATCH | Arena Holdings multimedia journalist Sinazo Kos reporting at the Results Operations Centre, in Midrand, on day 2 of vote counting, giving a brief overview of how the numbers stand so far pic.twitter.com/4lDsbrvHHY

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 6, 2026

November 6 2026, 09:44

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team unpacks trends on the election results

November 6 2026, 09:40

DA gains in five metros — Hill-Lewis says talks must put residents first

DA federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has called on political parties to put aside their election differences and prioritise stable local government, as coalition negotiations loom across the country following Wednesday’s municipal elections.

Addressing the media at the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC’s) national results centre in Midrand on Friday, Hill-Lewis said political leaders had a responsibility to rise above the divisions of the election campaign and form governments capable of turning around struggling municipalities.

He said the emerging results suggested that about 150-160 councils, representing roughly two-thirds of the country’s local municipalities, would require coalition governments.

DA gains in five metros — Hill-Lewis says talks must put residents first

November 6 2026, 08:55

WATCH LIVE | DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis briefs media

November 6 2026, 08:50

20 suspects nabbed for election related offences in Limpopo

Limpopo police have arrested 20 suspects for election related offences since the commencement of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

According to police, a total of about 33 cases relating to election-related incidents have been registered across Limpopo.

The offences include contravention of the Electoral Act 73 of 1998, fraud, common assault, malicious damage to property and pointing of a firearm.

20 suspects nabbed for election related offences in Limpopo

November 6 2026, 08:43

Frustration and action shift power in KZN

KwaZulu-Natal has shifted.

In its first local government election, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has emerged as the province’s leading party in early counting.

The African National Congress (ANC) has fallen to second place in a province it once dominated.

By Thursday, with 30% counted, the IEC put the MK Party on 33%-34%, the ANC on 25%, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on 22% and the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 10%-12%.

Frustration and action shift power in KZN

November 6 2026, 08:30

Gauteng urban voters break with historical political loyalties as hung councils loom

With Gauteng’s metropolitan municipalities appearing unlikely to produce outright winners, an analyst has described voters in the country’s economic hub as increasingly different from those elsewhere.

With about half of the votes counted and declared by Thursday night, Johannesburg and Tshwane had three parties each polling more than 20% of the vote — a rarity in many municipalities across the country.

Wade Manning, executive director of Defend Our Democracy, said voters in Johannesburg were increasingly prioritising local issues over traditional political loyalties.

Gauteng urban voters break with historical political loyalties as hung councils loom

November 6 2026, 08:15

Ntuli casts doubt on ANC-DA deal for Johannesburg mayoralty, takes swipe at Zille

ANC head of elections Mdumiseni Ntuli has cast doubt on a possible deal between the ANC and the DA that could see Helen Zille elected as Johannesburg mayor, suggesting her campaign rhetoric had left a sour taste among ANC leaders.

In an interview with The Political Arena at the IEC Results Centre on Thursday, Ntuli, who is also the ANC’s chief whip in parliament, said some within the party would be uncomfortable working with the DA following what he described as Zille’s arrogance during the campaign.

“A number of us will be very uncomfortable with the display of arrogance of Helen Zille. I’m talking about Johannesburg. This thing that she is the messiah, she is going to travel all the way from Cape Town to fix Johannesburg.

Ntuli casts doubt on ANC-DA deal for Johannesburg mayoralty, takes swipe at Zille

November 5 2026, 21:54

WATCH | ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba outlines the conditions his party wants met before entering into a coalition with another party.

WATCH | ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba outlines the conditions his party wants met before entering into a coalition with another party. He was speaking on the sidelines of the national results centre in Johannesburg. https://t.co/6kSCAPEMYC

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 21:39

WATCH | ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane says the results show the party is being renewed and that voters still have confidence in the ANC.

WATCH | ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane says the results show the party is being renewed and that voters still have confidence in the ANC. https://t.co/6svA0qvl0c

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 20:45

Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed

The Northern Cape is leading the capturing of results in the 2026 local government elections with 87% of results captured as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues its counting, verification and auditing processes countrywide.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission was pleased with the steady progress being made with more than 60% of the results captured by 5pm.

Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed

November 5 2026, 21:00

WATCH | ATM national chairperson Mandisa Mashiya says the party will not consider entering into coalitions with parties it considers corrupt or those whose principles do not align with its own.

WATCH | ATM national chairperson Mandisa Mashiya says the party will not consider entering into coalitions with parties it considers corrupt or those whose principles do not align with its own. https://t.co/jyVXiRXXBp

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 20:42

DA leads Western Cape as coalitions loom in councils

The DA is maintaining its dominance across much of the Western Cape, but early results from the 2026 local government elections point to a number of closely contested municipal councils where no party has secured an outright majority.

With 50% of the province’s 1,623 voting districts counted, the DA had secured 53.4% of the provincial vote, followed by the ANC on 14%, the PA on 11.1% and the Freedom Front Plus on 5.4%.

DA leads Western Cape as coalitions loom in councils

WATCH | IEC anticipates results collation process will be completed by the weekend. https://t.co/kHjpX1mN8l

— Business Day (@BDliveSA) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 19.01

DA takes majority control of at least four councils in Western Cape, 13 hung still and counting

The DA has secured majority control of at least four out of 24 local municipalities in the Western Cape after the counting and declaration of votes was concluded in at least 17 local councils across the province by 6pm on Thursday.

Western Cape IEC Chief Micheal Hendrickse said that at that time, there were at least 13 hung councils in the province, which means they would have to be governed by coalition arrangements.

DA takes majority control of at least four councils in Western Cape, 13 hung still and counting

View Live Election Results 🗳️

November 5 2026, 17:40

WATCH | ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont joined the Political Arena applauding the party on the number of wards it has “captured” from the ANC. pic.twitter.com/lxTGwjBnjl

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 17:24

WATCH LIVE| The Political Arena team breaks down the LGE results as they trickle in

November 5 2026, 17:20

WATCH | MK Party deputy president Duduzane Zuma says potential coalition partners should not be concerned about the party’s frequent reshuffling of positions, arguing that they should be prepared to do the same for “people who are not performing”.
Asked whether President Cyril… pic.twitter.com/uyPuKngM0P

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 17:11

DA’s victory projection sparks backlash as rival parties urge patience

The Democratic Alliance’s projection of securing about 59% of the vote in the City of Cape Town has drawn mixed reactions from rival political parties, with some accusing the party of prematurely declaring victory before the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had completed its counting process.

On Thursday the DA held a mini celebration outside the IEC results centre in Century City, where Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that the party was claiming victory in the metro based on its election projections.

DA’s victory projection sparks backlash as rival parties urge patience

November 5 2026, 17:08

‘We won’t be in bed with corrupt people’: ATM draws hard line on coalition deals

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has set strict boundaries regarding potential coalition governments, stating it will not get into bed with corrupt individuals or parties.

This comes as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues counting and verifying votes after Wednesday’s local government elections. Final results are expected to be announced in the coming days.

With 43.3% of voting districts currently processed, the ATM sits outside the top 10 parties nationally, holding roughly 0.9% of the vote. The ANC and DA continue to lead the national tally.

‘We won’t be in bed with corrupt people’: ATM draws hard line on coalition deals

November 5 2026, 16:52

WATCH | Despite the Electoral Court dismissing the MK Party’s 2024 vote-rigging claims, deputy president Duduzane Zuma says the party remains suspicious of the electoral process. pic.twitter.com/qefdH3x3qB

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

NOVEMBER 5 2026, 14:55

WATCH | The DA celebrates a major milestone, claiming one million black votes as it overtakes the EFF. Ashor Saraupen weighs in on the party’s growing support, election gains, and coalition prospects.

WATCH | The DA celebrates a major milestone, claiming one million black votes as it overtakes the EFF. Ashra Sarapan weighs in on the party's growing support, election gains, and coalition prospects. pic.twitter.com/MEWN40xnnj

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 14:46

WATCH | ActionSA is gaining ground across Gauteng, with growing electoral wins putting the party in a potentially influential position in coalition negotiations. Michael Beaumont reflects on the party's performance and political ambitions. pic.twitter.com/5x3YjUf6eN

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026 14:02

ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains

ActionSA says it is encouraged by early local government election results in Gauteng, as it appears to be on course to strengthen its position in the City of Tshwane and increase its influence ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.

By lunchtime on Thursday, the DA led in Tshwane with 30.6% of the vote, while ActionSA was second at 22.8%.

ActionSA national spokesperson Michael Beaumont said the party was gaining momentum in several wards and had made significant inroads in areas previously dominated by the ANC, which is currently sitting at 21.9%.

ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains

November 5 2026, 13:20

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team breaks down the early election results

November 5 2026, 13:05

WATCH | The DA has moved swiftly to claim victory in the City of Cape Town. Party leader Geordin Hill-Lewis addressed supporters outside the IEC results centre in Century City. pic.twitter.com/li81bdC2d6

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026 12:40

WATCH | Arena Holdings reporter Koena Mashale gives an update on progress made in early vote-counting at the National Operations Centre in Midrand. pic.twitter.com/I5pbQLkQ0G

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 12:16

WATCH | Political Arena’s Thando Maeko and Sisanda Mbolekwa sat down with the DA’s Karabo Khakhau to discuss the DA’s campaign for the 2026 local government elections. Watch the full interaction here: https://t.co/4CaZ3l36JI pic.twitter.com/BMM4bNu20q

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 12:05

WATCH | Vote counting is underway, and DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille says she is feeling positive about the results so far.
The DA is currently leading in Johannesburg. pic.twitter.com/tdQSZ5NH4C

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026 11:47

VOTE COUNTING | ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe arrives at the results center in Midrand, Joburg, and says he’s glad the ANC is leading in [some] wards.
Video: @Koena_xM pic.twitter.com/tV4vcjwBXR

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026 11:40

IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed at a faster pace than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission had received 23,444 results slips, representing 35.5% of the 66,073 expected results from local municipalities, metros and district councils across the country’s 23,000 voting stations.

“Of these, 22,983 results slips, representing 34.8%, had been captured into the results system, while 16,791, or 25%, had undergone independent auditing.”

IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance

November 5 2026, 10:43

WATCH | The IEC has outlined the safeguards in place to ensure the accuracy and transparency of the election results, including double-blind capturing of results slips, scanning, and independent auditing of the entire population of results slips. pic.twitter.com/z0qFWmGtGN

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 10:00

WATCH LIVE | IEC updates media on early vote-counting

November 5 2026, 09:44

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team looks at the numbers trickling in

November 5 2026, 09:20

KZN voter turnout tops national average at 48.7 percent

KwaZulu-Natal’s preliminary voter turnout stood at 48.7%, above the national figure of 45.8% on Thursday morning.

Provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said the figures remained provisional, with only 18% of the province’s results captured and 12% audited.

The turnout figures put KZN 2.9 percentage points ahead of the national average, but Masinga said that outstanding results could change the picture.

KZN voter turnout tops national average at 48.7 percent

November 5 2026 09:14

21% of the votes have now been counted. The ANC is currently leading, having received 1.34 million votes, followed by the DA with 1.27 million and the MKP currently has 240,000 votes.

November 5 2026 09:00

10% of votes captured in Gauteng and the DA is leading with 39.26% followed by ANC with 18.55% and ActionSA at 15.17%.

November 5 2026 08:52

A lot of pink spots on the KZN map this morning, with Jacob Zuma’s MKP taking an early lead of 32.6%, followed by ANC with 23.99%. The IFP is closely behind with 21.95%. Only 11% of votes have been captured.

November 5 2026, 08:48

Woman arrested at Mugoboya voting station for disrupting voting

A 25-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly disrupting the voting process at Mugoboya voting station in the Mopani district on Wednesday.

The woman is expected to appear before the Lenyenye magistrate’s court on Friday.

She was arrested following an incident in which she allegedly attempted to take photographs and record a video while casting her vote. The presiding officer informed her that such conduct was prohibited by law and would not be permitted.

Woman arrested at Mugoboya voting station for disrupting voting

November 5 2026 08:42

In Ekurhuleni, with 9% of the votes counted, the DA is currently leading the race, followed by the ANC.

Counting continues….@Sowetan1981 pic.twitter.com/2uVZHJwbSd

— The Journalist (@Moloi_Herman1) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026 08:32

VOTE COUNTING - 08:28am | Here's a look at the metros across the country. The ANC has secured one of 51 seats in Mangaung, Free State. The results for other metros have not come in yet.
Report: @smashaba
Download our App, stay tuned to our WhatsApp channel and get the latest… pic.twitter.com/E2rpijoznv

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026 08:29

With only 2% of the votes counted and captured in Emfuleni, the DA is leading the race, followed by the VF Plus.

Counting continues…@Sowetan1981 pic.twitter.com/XrkrKdaX5J

— The Journalist (@Moloi_Herman1) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 07:21

Party	% Support	Seats	Votes
ANC	31.76%	120	862,877
DA	31.23%	81	848,677
MKP	5.13%	4	139,382

• Counting is at 15% complete
• For all your live results visit the IEC.

November 5 2026, 07:00

Youth unemployment tops concerns as Atteridgeville, Saulsville residents vote

The communities of Atteridgeville and Saulsville cast their votes in the local government elections on Wednesday, hoping their preferred candidates will address unemployment and create more job opportunities for young people.

When TimesLIVE visited several voting stations in the area, residents expressed concern about the high levels of youth unemployment, saying many young people remain without opportunities, with some turning to drugs as a coping mechanism.

Youth unemployment tops concerns as Atteridgeville, Saulsville residents vote

November 5 2026, 05:00

Youth stay away from polls as townships turn quiet while suburbs queue to vote

Thousands of young people appeared to have turned their back on the local government elections in townships such as Nyanga, Langa and Khayelitsha, with some opting to treat election day as a public holiday rather than exercise their right to vote.

While some voting stations in these communities were relatively quiet, with mostly elderly residents turning out, long queues could be seen at several polling stations in the suburbs, highlighting a stark contrast in voter participation across the city.

Youth stay away from polls as townships turn quiet while suburbs queue to vote

November 5 2026, 05:00

SOWETAN | Big day for democracy as millions cast votes

Yesterday, millions of South Africans descended on polling stations to vote for change in the local government elections, much as they did in the first democratic elections in 1994.

Although much of the public debate in the coming days will focus on voter turnout and the outcome, the significance of the voters who showed up at voting stations should not be minimised. Like those who turned up in 1994 to usher in the first democratic government, this year’s local government election is about more than platitudes and numbers.

Given the growing dissatisfaction with the state of municipalities and the delivery of basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation, yesterday’s voting was also about the maturity of our democracy. Voter registration has trended upward, even when turnout in some elections has been inconsistent.

SOWETAN | Big day for democracy as millions cast votes

November 5 2026, 05:00

Young and old come out for change

From first-time voters hoping to secure jobs and safer communities, to pensioners determined to see long-promised basic services delivered, young and old voters went to the polls on Wednesday with one common demand: change.

In Hammanskraal, Midrand, Johannesburg and the Vaal, voters said their ballots represented an opportunity to influence the future of communities struggling with unemployment, crime, poor roads, water shortages and failing municipal services.

For 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma, voting for the first time in Temba, Hammanskraal, was an emotional milestone that made her feel her voice finally mattered. “I feel relieved that finally, I get to choose which party rules. It feels like I have a say, you know. It feels like my voice is finally getting heard,” she said.

Young and old come out for change

November 5 2026, 04:45

EDITORIAL | Thank you, your vote made a difference

As South Africans flocked to churches, schools and community centres yesterday to make their mark in a quest for improved service delivery and a better life, another election played out on the other side of the world that has the potential to move the needle down at the bottom of Africa.

Despite being in another country thousands of kilometres away, the US midterm elections have had repercussions across the world. The landslide Democrat victory has shifted the balance of power and effectively made President Donald Trump a lame duck for his remaining two years in office.

EDITORIAL | Thank you, your vote made a difference

November 5 2026, 04:45

Change in the air as election fever sweeps eThekwini

ANC exile-era struggle songs replaced protest chants in Durban’s CBD on Wednesday where ironically a flash mob of singing MK Party supporters shimmied down Diakonia Avenue, in almost anticipatory celebration.

Minutes later, not to be outdone or written off, a group of ANC-clad supporters waved the party’s flag, singing and ululating to drum up support along the street where voting stations were set up at the Durban Music Centre and YMCA Park.

There snaking queues of voters waited patiently, determined to put an end to the rot, crime and water crisis in the volatile economic hub, which has courted xenophobic civil unrest in the past two month.

Change in the air as election fever sweeps eThekwini

November 5 2026, 04:30

EXPLAINER | How the IEC’s dispute resolution system works

South Africa’s electoral dispute resolution system gives political parties several avenues to challenge alleged irregularities, report administrative failures and seek action against breaches of election rules. But the processes are not interchangeable and parties must use the correct legal channel and meet the applicable deadlines if they want their complaints to be considered.

As South Africans voted in Wednesday’s local government elections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) must ensure that complaints are dealt with in accordance with the law.

EXPLAINER | How the IEC’s dispute resolution system works

November 5 2026, 04:30

WATCH | ‘What’s the point of voting?’ ask people who boycotted elections

While millions of South Africans made their way to voting stations to cast their votes on Wednesday, residents of Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane in Limpopo boycotted the elections over a dispute concerning municipal ward demarcation.

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

Only the police and IEC officials could be seen inside the school. There weren’t even party agents outside. The roads were empty as residents decided to stay home. This followed a community meeting where it was decided that no-one would vote.

WATCH | ‘What’s the point of voting?’ ask people who boycotted elections

November 5 2026, 04:30

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to further weaken the ANC and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in a briefing on Wednesday night. Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

November 4 2026, 21:58

ANC says two members attacked in KZN while on way to vote

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says two of its members were injured and taken to hospital after an alleged attack in Abaqulusi, while police say the incident was not politically motivated.

The party alleged on Wednesday that IFP supporters assaulted its voters on their way to vote in Siyaphambili voting district in ward 4 of Abaqulusi local municipality.

ANC says two members attacked in KZN while on way to vote

November 4 2026, 20:47

When voting closes: IEC explains next steps and results declaration

With voting in Wednesday’s election drawing to a close, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has outlined the processes that follows, from the counting of ballots at voting stations to the verification and eventual announcement of the results.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said all ballot papers would be counted at the voting stations.

When voting closes: IEC explains next steps and results declaration

November 4 2026, 20:20

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to further weaken the ANC and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in a briefing on Wednesday night. Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

November 4 2026, 19:51

WATCH | ‘No water, no vote’: East Rand residents skip polls over three-day outage

Several residents in eSindane, Tsakane, on the East Rand, stayed away from voting stations on Wednesday, saying they had gone three days without water and felt neglected by those seeking their votes.

Residents said the water outage, which began on Monday morning, had left them struggling with basic household needs, including cooking, bathing and doing laundry, while intermittent electricity supply added to their frustrations.

WATCH | ‘No water, no vote’: East Rand residents skip polls over three-day outage

November 4 2026, 19:16

MK supporters celebrate early in eThekwini

ANC exile-era struggle songs replaced protest chants in Durban’s CBD on Wednesday, where a flash mob of singing MK party supporters shimmied down Diakonia Avenue in almost anticipatory celebration.

MK supporters celebrate early in eThekwini

November 4 2026, 19:11

Water crisis takes centre stage in municipal election battle

Political leaders cast their votes countrywide on Wednesday as the battle for control of South Africa’s 257 municipalities intensified, with service delivery failures, particularly persistent water shortages, emerging as a big election battleground.

Water crisis takes centre stage in municipal election battle

November 4 2026, 18:59

WATCH | Old people standing in queues say they didn’t know about special votes

Some elderly voters who were approved for special votes turned up at polling stations in Kathorus (Katlehong, Thokoza, Vosloorus), Ekurhuleni, with election observers reporting confusion over the process and concerns about people trying to use their age to skip queues.

An observer said several senior citizens who were expected to vote on Monday or Tuesday had instead arrived on election day.

WATCH | Old people standing in queues say they didn’t know about special votes

November 4 2026, 18:52

IEC assures voters they will not be turned away if they arrive before 9pm

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured voters that they will be allowed to cast their ballots even if voting is extended beyond the official 9pm closing time, provided they arrive at their registered voting stations before the deadline.

This comes as voting enters its final hours in the 2026 local government elections, with preliminary figures showing that 12-million voters had cast their ballots across the country by 5pm on Wednesday.

IEC assures voters they will not be turned away if they arrive before 9pm

November 4 2026, 18:51

WATCH | The NPA head, Andy Mothibi, says they are prioritising cases relating to elections to ensure speedy prosecution in order to protect the integrity of the polls. Some of the cases being investigated and prioritised include that of a celebrity posting their ballot paper on… pic.twitter.com/ikfviR4981

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 18:39

WATCH | Siboniso Bhengu, a resident of Nomzamo informal settlement in Soweto, said he arrived at the voting station at 7am but found that IEC officials had not opened. After returning from work at 3pm, he went back to cast his vote but was still waiting in a long queue,… pic.twitter.com/2IJgX76tgK

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 18:23

‘Vote for dignity,’ urges EFF Joburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

EFF mayoral candidate for Johannesburg Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng has urged voters to exercise their democratic right despite the despondency.

“Voting is the single most fundamental civic duty and we are only asking for people to do it every four years,” she said before entering her allocated voting station in Parkmore, north of Johannesburg.

‘Vote for dignity,’ urges EFF Joburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

November 4 2026, 18:21

Tumisho Masha under fire for posting marked ballot paper

Tumisho Masha has found himself in legal hot water.

As celebrities flooded the timeline to share images of their inked thumbs to show their participation in the 2026 local government election on Wednesday, Tumisho took to his social media, not only posting his thumb but also the alleged ballot paper revealing he voted for ActionSA.

Tumisho Masha under fire for posting marked ballot paper

November 4 2026, 18:12

Zuma casts vote, satisfied with voting process

MK Party president Jacob Zuma is confident his party will win the local government elections, saying he believes South Africans have recognised it as a party capable of taking over the country and governing it well.

Zuma was speaking after casting his vote on Wednesday at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, where he arrived wearing an MK Party T-shirt bearing his image and sporting his trademark smile.

Zuma casts vote, satisfied with voting process

November 4 2026, 18:10

RECORDED| IEC briefs media on progress of local government elections

November 4 2026, 18:08

WATCH | DA Emfuleni mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala says coalitions are not part of the party’s plans, insisting it is campaigning for an outright majority. He says the ANC should start clearing its offices, as the DA is confident of taking over the municipality. pic.twitter.com/6U3Q2NOU2G

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:40

Bontle Mavuka, 22, cast her vote at The New Brethren Apostolic Church in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni. She spoke to our reporter Michelle Banda about why she made her voice heard. pic.twitter.com/cUuokPdT3s

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:38

WATCH | On coalitions, the IFP’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Mlungisi Mabaso addressing the media at Dube hostel said the party is sober and outcome-driven, able to work with everyone. He said the IFP is expanding beyond KwaZulu-Natal and is contesting to win Johannesburg, not… pic.twitter.com/BmkwB5CrXq

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:23

Kingsol Chabalala confident DA will unseat ANC in Emfuleni

The DA’s mayoral candidate in Emfuleni municipality, Kingsol Chabalala, said his vote signals the beginning of the end of what he describes as years of chaos, poor governance and failing service delivery in Emfuleni.

Speaking after casting his vote on Wednesday, Chabalala said residents deserved a municipality that worked for all communities.

Kingsol Chabalala confident DA will unseat ANC in Emfuleni

November 4 2026, 17:23

KwaLanga residents want action on toilets, housing and unemployment

Unemployment, stalled housing projects and poor basic services remain among the concerns residents hope will be addressed by those elected to power.

Young people in KwaLanga in the Western Cape have raised concerns about voter apathy among their peers, saying many are failing to recognise the power of their vote despite living with unemployment and poor service delivery.

KwaLanga residents want action on toilets, housing and unemployment

November 4 2026, 17:17

WATCH | Tensions flared between DA and ANC supporters outside Orange Grove Primary School, north of Johannesburg, where ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula voted. pic.twitter.com/BopEs3Q6Dz

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:17

Some elderly voters in Ekurhuleni say they were unaware of the special voting process as they join other residents to cast their ballots on Wednesday.
Video: @MimieShana pic.twitter.com/vdvm13xOMv

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:05

Nompumelelo Mosibudi had spent three hours waiting for her turn to vote when it was time for her to do so, she was told she has to go cast it at a polling station 15kms away. She spoke to our reporter Koena Mashale about her frustration. pic.twitter.com/iTw73vTzJv

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:04

No water, no vote: some Bronkhorstspruit residents skip election

A 32-year-old man from Zithobeni, in Bronkhorstspruit, chose to collect water from a borehole at Dan Kutumela Secondary School rather than cast his vote on Wednesday.

Bronkhorstspruit recently made headlines after more than 800 people fell ill following water contamination linked to the lack of chlorine at a water treatment plant.

No water, no vote: some Bronkhorstspruit residents skip election

November 4 2026, 16:57

WATCH | What voters want from their local leaders

Service delivery, reliable infrastructure and accountable local government are among the issues facing South African voters.

Sunday Times journalist Yoliswa Sobuwa joins Business Day TV to discuss voter sentiment, the issues emerging from the ground and what communities want from their municipalities.

WATCH | What voters want from their local leaders

November 4 2026, 16:55

WATCH | What coalition talks could mean for South Africa’s metros

With several of South Africa’s major municipalities facing the prospect of hung councils, the local elections could usher in another round of coalition governments.

Jonathan Moakes, director at the SABI Strategy Group, joins Business Day TV to examine the political dynamics shaping these potential alliances and the challenges parties may face in reaching agreement.

WATCH | What coalition talks could mean for South Africa’s metros

November 4 2026, 16:49

Electoral Court dismisses Bongani Cibi’s bid to contest municipal elections

The Electoral Court has dismissed Bongani Wellington Cibi’s application challenging his exclusion from the local government elections, finding that he missed mandatory deadlines and failed to identify a reviewable decision by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

In a judgment handed down on Tuesday, judge Lebogang Modiba ruled that Cibi’s inability to contest the elections resulted from the operation of the law rather than unlawful conduct by the commission.

Electoral Court dismisses Bongani Cibi’s bid to contest municipal elections

November 4 2026, 16:48

WATCH | Emfuleni residents from Bophelong, Sebokeng, Hostel and Everton have called for better service delivery as they voted in the local government elections. They want the incoming leadership to address sewage problems, potholed roads, unemployment and growing youth… pic.twitter.com/AAlda3G4Iu

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 16:34

WATCH | Limpopo voters boycott elections

While millions of South Africans made their way to different voting stations to cast their votes on Wednesday, residents of Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane in Limpopo boycotted the elections over a dispute concerning municipal ward demarcation.

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

WATCH | Limpopo voters boycott elections

November 4 2026, 16:30

WATCH | Young people sit outside a spaza shop in Evaton, Emfuleni, highlighting the unemployment crisis facing residents. Despite having gone to school, they say they remain without jobs and are forced to ask passers-by for as little as R2. pic.twitter.com/jsLzTVSUQz

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 16:29

Residents of Ga-Chokoe near Lephalale in Limpopo boycotted voting, apparently over a demarcation issue and complaints over candidates. They claim the candidates won't have their best interest at heart. Matlhora Primary School was empty as no one showed up to vote.
Video: Sontaga… pic.twitter.com/e1AIDW2EoY

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 16:26

‘Councillors must prioritise voters,’ says Mashatile

ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has called on councillors who are victorious in the election to put voters first.

Speaking on the sidelines of his voting station in Kelvin, Johannesburg, he said the pleas of residents must be heard and acted upon after the election.

‘Councillors must prioritise voters,’ says Mashatile

November 4 2026, 16:25

WATCH | South Africans head to the polls

South Africans are making their voices heard in a pivotal municipal election. Business Day’s Luyolo Mkentane joins Business Day TV with the latest developments, the mood on the ground and the key stories emerging from voting stations.

WATCH | South Africans head to the polls

November 4 2026, 16:24

WATCH | What South Africa’s local elections mean for the political landscape

South Africa’s local elections could have implications well beyond municipal government, with the results set to shape the balance of power between political parties and the prospects for coalition governments.

Political analyst Sipho Seepe joins Business Day TV to unpack the political dynamics and what the results could signal for the country’s future.

WATCH | What South Africa’s local elections mean for the political landscape

November 4 2026, 16:21

WATCH | The big issues shaping South Africa’s municipal elections

From service delivery and unemployment to political accountability and local economic development, South Africans are voting against a backdrop of deep public frustration and rising expectations.

Sowetan’s deputy editor Thabiso Thakali joins Business Day TV to discuss the issues shaping the elections and what voters are demanding from their local leaders.

WATCH | The big issues shaping South Africa’s municipal elections

November 4 2026, 16:17

WATCH | What’s at stake in South Africa’s municipal elections?

South Africa’s municipal elections are a critical test for the country’s political parties.

Political analyst Daniel Silke unpacks the key issues driving the vote, the changing political landscape and what the outcome could mean for local government.

WATCH | What’s at stake in South Africa’s municipal elections?

November 4 2026, 15:55

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team is at the IEC results centre

Polling stations open, opinions open wider.

The Political Arena is live as SA heads to the ballot box for the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Expect real-time conversations, sharp analysis and the latest scoops from our political journalists.

November 4 2026, 15:26

Taxi drivers divided as some skip voting to make money on the road

For some taxi drivers, election day was another working day, with earning money to support their families taking priority over standing in queues to vote.

Mandla Madonsela, 41, said he had decided not to vote because he could not afford to spend time in queues when he could be making money on the road.

Taxi drivers divided as some skip voting to make money on the road

November 4 2026, 15:24

WATCH | "We have done what we were supposed to do; now we wait for the results", MK Party leader Jacob Zuma tells journalists after casting his vote. pic.twitter.com/L2LqWPYokk

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 15:14

WATCH | Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane is urging communities to vote in large numbers. Speaking after casting his ballot at Deberha Multipurpose Centre, he emphasised that every vote has the power to shape the future of local communities. pic.twitter.com/Mwtn3d0IH5

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:50

Thumbs up! Langa Mavuso, Lady Du and other celebs cast their votes

From chart-topping singers to media personalities and comedians, Mzansi’s stars hit the polling stations on Wednesday to cast their votes in the 2026 local government elections.

Thumbs up! Langa Mavuso, Lady Du and other celebs cast their votes

November 4 2026, 14:48

Young and elderly voters queue at Wits amid water, electricity challenges

Young voters at a sports hall at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on Wednesday raised concerns about the irregular supply of water and electricity.

Siam Tanda Mashekila, 25, said she was proud to see young people coming out in numbers to vote, but remained unsure whether political parties would deliver on their promises.

Young and elderly voters queue at Wits amid water, electricity challenges

November 4 2026, 14:46

Songezo Zibi frustrated by voting station distance

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has raised concerns about his designated voting station and that of his son being located up to 5km away, despite a voting station situated right outside his home.

Millions of South Africans are heading to the polls on Wednesday for the 2026 local government elections. Voting stations opened at 7am and are set to close at 9pm.

Songezo Zibi frustrated by voting station distance

November 4 2026, 14:40

Universal ballot templates aid braille voters in 2026 election

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reiterated measures to ensure visually impaired voters can cast their ballots independently and privately during the 2026 local government elections.

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the commission uses universal ballot templates (UBTs) to assist braille-literate voters in marking their ballots.

Universal ballot templates aid braille voters in 2026 election

November 4 2026, 14:26

WATCH | ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the party will announce its mayoral candidates in two weeks after analysing the results. He added that any coalition negotiations will be led by the national officials, not regional structures. He was speaking after voting in… pic.twitter.com/NcEYPKkQyE

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:23

WATCH | ANC Secretary general Fikile Mbalula has cast his vote at the Orange Grove Primary School in the north of Johannesburg.

Video: Kgothatso Madisa pic.twitter.com/BazIL50aU6

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:14

IEC investigates theft of unused ballot papers at eThekwini voting station

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has opened a case of theft after unmarked and unused ballot papers were stolen from a voting station in KZN.

Speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the ballots were stolen from the Mnyameni Secondary School in Kwanyuswa, Botha’s Hill, outside Durban, where they were being kept for validation.

The commission said the station had sufficient materials to continue operating, apart from the voters’ roll.

IEC investigates theft of unused ballot papers at eThekwini voting station

November 4 2026, 14:13

Short queues, big demands: Kagiso voters want water, jobs and decent streets

Voters in Kagiso, ward 7, were in and out quickly today as voting started on time at the Mandisa Shiceka School of Specialisation.

For 18-year-old Keorapetse Thobani, it was his first time voting and he was nervous.

“But they helped me,” he said.

Short queues, big demands: Kagiso voters want water, jobs and decent streets

November 4 2026, 14:12

WATCH | Former President and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma casting his vote at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla during the 2026 local government elections. pic.twitter.com/FIj7OVhGMG

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:02

Thokoza voters doubt election will bring change

High crime levels, substance abuse and youth unemployment are among the many concerns weighing on Thokoza residents as they cast their votes.

Speaking to Sowetan, many said they hoped the next local government would deliver meaningful change rather than more promises.

Thokoza voters doubt election will bring change

November 4 2026, 13:54

3.5-million South Africans voted in first three hours, says IEC

More than 3.5-million South Africans had cast their ballots by 10am on Wednesday as voting got under way across the country for the 2026 local government elections.

Voting opened at 7am and is expected to close at 9pm with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reporting that 98% of the country’s 23,996 voting stations had opened by the regulated time.

3.5-million South Africans voted in first three hours, says IEC

November 4 2026, 13:50

WATCH | Correctional services minister and FF Plus co-founder Pieter Groenewald says the party is creating new hope for the future as South Africans vote on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/n934YgxctE

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 13:48

Older voters in Ekurhuleni urge youth to make their mark for SA’s future

Elderly voters making their way to the polls at Etshanini Public Space in ward 112, Ekurhuleni, urged the younger generation to take an active role in shaping the country’s future.

Older voters in Ekurhuleni urge youth to make their mark for SA’s future

November 4 2026, 13:36

Don’t let service delivery issues stop you from voting: Limpopo premier Ramathuba

Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba says the government does not have to wait for elections to be over before addressing challenges affecting communities, pointing to interventions in several municipalities across the province.

Speaking to Sowetan after casting her ballot on Wednesday morning at Mokopane Primary School in the Mogalakwena local municipality, Ramathuba acknowledged that residents continued to face challenges, including unemployment, water shortages and poor roads.

Don’t let service delivery issues stop you from voting: Limpopo premier Ramathuba

November 4 2026, 13:35

No water, no voter: taps as dry as early turnout in Orlando East, Soweto

No water. Almost no voters. A double crisis defined the early part of election day in Orlando East as residents went to the polls with dry taps and empty voting stations.

At voting stations in Orlando East on Wednesday morning, the halls were almost empty. For many, the message in the dry water pipes matched the mood at the ballot box.

No water, no voter: taps as dry as early turnout in Orlando East, Soweto

November 4 2026, 13:17

Khayelitsha voters voice dismay over crime and poor service

For a month, Pamela Bheshula, 64, says she has been without water because of a leak in her yard.

She arrived at Sivuyiseni Primary School, a voting station in Mandela Park, Khayelitsha, accompanied by two friends.

Khayelitsha voters voice dismay over crime and poor service

November 4 2026, 13:16

Election day glitches: a cop with political posters, a drunken voter and a collision with a cow

A police officer was removed from a KwaZulu-Natal voting station on Wednesday morning after she arrived in a vehicle branded with posters from a political party, according to police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda.

The sergeant was removed from her Mphithini-area voting station post, in Donnybrook, with the possibility of internal disciplinary processes being instituted following her alleged unprofessional conduct.

Election day glitches: a cop with political posters, a drunken voter and a collision with a cow

November 4 2026, 13:01

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on progress of local government elections

November 4 2026, 12:52

‘Voting changes situations’: Ekurhuleni voters seek jobs and better services

Unemployment was a key concern raised by Ekurhuleni residents as they cast their votes in Wednesday’s local government elections.

At Endulwini voting station in Thembisa, residents said they hoped their votes would bring better services, more job opportunities and improvements in their communities.

‘Voting changes situations’: Ekurhuleni voters seek jobs and better services

November 4 2026, 12:51

President Cyril Ramaphosa says more money will be allocated to deal with gender-based violence. He was speaking in Hyde Park, Joburg, after casting his vote. pic.twitter.com/ELdgENEc6M

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:45

WATCH | Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi voted at Maokeng voting station in Tembisa, saying he still votes in the community that raised him. He is confident in the ANC’s performance in the province. pic.twitter.com/8tSPlyN0KE

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:38

‘My voice is finally getting heard’: First-time voters share hopes

Young voters have called for more job opportunities and safer communities, saying casting their ballots gave them a sense of hope and a chance to shape the future of their city.

A relieved 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma said voting for the first time made her feel that her voice mattered.

‘My voice is finally getting heard’: First-time voters share hopes

November 4 2026, 12:32

WATCH | MK Party member Dali Mpofu says the aim should be to take government away from the "ANC of Ramaphosa". pic.twitter.com/7a7txm0ENV

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:26

Ramaphosa votes in DA stronghold of Hyde Park

President Cyril Ramaphosa voted in Hyde Park on Wednesday, casting his ballot in the Johannesburg suburb where he lives rather than in Soweto, where he grew up and usually voted.

Electoral Commission (IEC) rules require people to vote at the station where they are registered.

Ramaphosa votes in DA stronghold of Hyde Park

November 4 2026, 12:25

IN PICS | Political leaders cast their votes

Leaders from across the political spectrum joined millions of South Africans at polling stations on Wednesday as the country headed to the polls for the local government elections.

IN PICS | Political leaders cast their votes

November 4 2026, 12:23

WATCH | Ntyatyambo Zwelimangele Volsaka, deputy chairperson of the South African Students Congress (Sasco) in Johannesburg, said it was important for young people to exercise their democratic right to vote and choose leaders they believed could best represent them.

He said those… pic.twitter.com/xKzmREX7TD

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:11

Zille vows swift action on Joburg water crisis

Helen Zille said should she be elected mayor of Johannesburg, her immediate priority would be addressing the water challenges confronting South Africa’s economic and financial heartland.

Zille vows swift action on Joburg water crisis

November 4 2026, 12:08

WATCH | BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane speaking after voting in Dobsonville. pic.twitter.com/1LItCdtS5L

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:05

Buffalo City mayor joins queue after residents refuse to let her skip voting line

Buffalo City metropolitan municipality mayor Princess Faku was forced to join the queue like other voters after residents at a voting station in Gonubie refused to allow her to skip the line.

Buffalo City mayor joins queue after residents refuse to let her skip voting line

November 4 2026, 12:05

WATCH | Freedom Front plus leader Dr Corne Mulder speaking following his vote. pic.twitter.com/fr1voRn5eZ

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:00

Young and elderly voters are making their way to the polls at the Old Mutual Sports Hall at Wits University amid water and electricity challenges on campus. pic.twitter.com/eW7N7PmSMI

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:56

WATCH | ANC deputy President Paul Mashatile greets party volunteers at the gazebo outside the St Johannes Lutheran church in Kelvin and signs their register. pic.twitter.com/X0IFCrw53i

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:55

WATCH | Young people sit outside a spaza shop in Evaton, Emfuleni, highlighting the unemployment crisis facing residents. Despite having gone to school, they say they remain without jobs and are forced to ask passers-by for as little as R2. pic.twitter.com/cyW93mCR6X

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:53

ANC T-shirt, broken ID keep these Nyanga voters from casting ballots

“I would rather go home and drink because now I am being sent from pillar to post.”

These were the words of Zuko Jada, 42, who was turned away from Mvula Primary School, a voting station in Nyanga, after arriving to cast his ballot wearing an ANC T-shirt.

ANC T-shirt, broken ID keep these Nyanga voters from casting ballots

November 4 2026, 11:53

WATCH | City of Johannesburg resident Mr Masango from Emmarentia hopes his vote will bring morality but wonders what will be left for the next generation. pic.twitter.com/S4daeCNKq3

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:28

WATCH | Former president Kgalema Motlanthe says he understands South Africans’ frustrations with local government, adding that this is where the state ought to be most efficient. He was speaking after casting his vote at Killarney Country Club. pic.twitter.com/8BgsePXQy3

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:21

WATCH | ‘Fake’ ID disrupts voting at Rabie Ridge

Police had to be called at a Midrand voting station after a squabble broke out when a voter produced an alleged fake ID.

According to an eyewitness, the man walked in and produce the suspected ID. The security was called to ensure the voters are safe at Kanana Primary School in Midrand.

WATCH | ‘Fake’ ID disrupts voting at Rabie Ridge

November 4 2026, 11:21

Piet Kekana, 63, from Hammanskraal, Tshwane, says he voted for a party that will bring change and fight crime in the area.
Video: @Moloi_Herman1 pic.twitter.com/zAbDL6yxSd

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:14

Emfuleni residents jump over running sewage on way to polling station

Some residents of Emfuleni local municipality in the Vaal had to jump over sewage running down their streets as they made their way to polling stations on Wednesday.

The municipality has been plagued by service delivery challenges such as open sewage, pothole-riddled roads and uncollected rubbish.

Emfuleni residents jump over running sewage on way to polling station

November 4 2026, 11:11

WATCH | Former president Kgalema Motlanthe casts his ballot at Killarney Country Club pic.twitter.com/IIAhy2493n

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:02

WATCH | Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba arrives at Mokopane Primary School in Mogalakwena Local Municipality, where she is expected to cast her vote. pic.twitter.com/HhQUcS9Dlc

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 206, 10:51

WATCH | DA mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, arrives at Emmarentia Primary School. She says the DA hopes for an outright majority, but if they don’t achieve it, then they’ll look at the different coalition options and take the least bad option. pic.twitter.com/CjbhrG6bmK

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:44

WATCH | President Cyril Ramaphosa has cast his vote in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. pic.twitter.com/j6LpHZj5cH

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:42

WATCH | ActionSA mayoral candidate Xolani Khumalo, who voted in Thembisa on Wednesday, urges young people in Ekurhuleni to vote. pic.twitter.com/wdjZOtvFJ2

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:35

Pensioners turn out in numbers at Hammanskraal voting stations

Pensioners outnumbered younger voters at several polling stations in Hammanskraal, Tshwane, on Wednesday morning.

Many elderly residents went to voting stations very early to cast their ballots in the hope the next local government administration would address the area’s longstanding service delivery challenges.

Pensioners turn out in numbers at Hammanskraal voting stations

November 4 2026, 10:32

WATCH | IEC chair Mosotho Moepya has urged South Africans to be vigilant against misinformation and disinformation on voting day. pic.twitter.com/eAniDdA3Vi

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:29

WATCH | DA leader and Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis cast his ballot at his alma mater, Edgemead Primary School, in Milnerton. He’s called on DA supporters in Cape Town to come out and vote in large numbers. He says a high voter turnout among blue party supporters is the only… pic.twitter.com/yjiUVuikvs

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:17

WATCH | Action SA leader Herman Mashaba encourages South African’s to vote in their numbers. He was speaking at the Sandton Fire Station voting station pic.twitter.com/pNFh1HPvwa

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:05

IN PICS | South Africans head to the polls

Voters headed to the polls on Wednesday to elect municipal councillors across the country in a major test for the governing ANC after losing its national majority in 2024.

Water shortages, electricity failures, crime, unemployment and poor municipal services are central election issues.

The election could reshape local political alliances and influence the country’s political direction ahead of the 2029 national elections.

IN PICS | South Africans head to the polls

November 4 2026, 10:04

IEC outlines election day dos and don’ts

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reminded political parties and municipal councillors of the legal regulations surrounding campaigning as the country heads to the polls today.

Voting stations opened nationwide at 7am and are scheduled to close at 9pm.

According to the IEC, voting has commenced smoothly across the country, with all stations successfully opening and no major glitches reported.

IEC outlines election day dos and don’ts

November 4 2026, 10:00

WATCH | EFF’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng reflects on her campaign journey just moments before she voted in Parkmore, Johannesburg. She urged young voters to show up at the polls and make their mark in order to decide their own future. pic.twitter.com/5WyiIyWQtr

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 09:52

WATCH | Eighty-four-year-old Linah Kwinika from Hammanskraal, who voted for a government that will provide clean tap water. pic.twitter.com/xNKX5vSByS

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 09:50

ANC wants clear majority in Joburg, says mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku

The ANC in Johannesburg has set terms for its coalition negotiations, saying that as much as they want an outright majority, should the council be split, they would want to work with political parties that are obsessed with service delivery.

This is according to ANC regional chair and mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku, who said that her political party wanted Johannesburg residents to give them a clear majority.

ANC wants clear majority in Joburg, says mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku

November 4 2026, 09:06

City of Johannesburg deputy mayor and ANC regional chair Loyiso Masuku says she’s casting her vote for the ANC in order to defend the gains of democracy. Masuku, who is also the ANC’s mayoral candidate in Johannesburg, was casting her vote in Mulbarton Primary School.… pic.twitter.com/F7QqVKNE45

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 09:00

WATCH | Voting is underway at Mandisa Shiceka School of Specialisation in Kagiso, Ward 7, with voters arriving in numbers. First voter Benard Kunene says he doesn’t want to complain about service delivery without playing his part. He wants the streets repaired and the electricity… pic.twitter.com/rdU657lvit

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 8:42

JUST IN | The voting station at Kanana primary school in Midrand opened more than an hour late. Some residents said they had been queueing since 5am. Our reporter Koena Mashale has more details for you.
Download our App, follow our WhatsApp channel for the latest news. pic.twitter.com/G0zEn2qaXQ

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 08:11

Votes in local polls expected to further weaken ANC grip

South Africans vote in municipal elections on Wednesday, with anger over corruption, crime and failing public services threatening to deal another blow to the ANC.

The party dropped below 50% support for the first time in the 2021 municipal elections, and could plunge below 40% this time, according to polls.

With no other party large enough to take its place, many cities in South Africa are heading for unsteady coalition governments that have been partly blamed for failing to deliver basic services, including water and electricity.

Votes in local polls expected to further weaken ANC grip

November 4 2026 08:04

The DA and the ANC supporters have already set up heir stations at the Mulbarton Primary School voting centre in Johannesburg South. The City of Johannesburg deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku is expected to cast her vote at this station. #Elections2026 pic.twitter.com/ranmDJRoAu

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 08:02

Voters have already started queuing at Mulbarton Primary School in Johannesburg South. pic.twitter.com/dCaz8Cs3hS

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 07:58

Hostel voter calls for action against gun crimes

The Saulsville hostel voting station near Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, is a few metres away from the hostel block where there was a mass shooting in an illegal tavern late in 2025 in which 12 people were killed.

Long-time resident Pheyi Ngobese pleaded for action against crime in the area.

Hostel voter calls for action against gun crimes

November 4 2026 07:58

Cost of living is top concern for Saulsville voters

As local government elections kick off this morning, at the Motsweding combined school voting station in Saulsville, west of Pretoria, voters had begun lining up at 5am.

Madumetja Mothabele was eager to cast his vote.

“I woke up at 4am and arrived at 5am. I wanted to be here early and I became number one in line. We want service delivery and lights, and our rent is very expensive,” he said.

Cost of living is top concern for Saulsville voters

November 4 2026 07:51

Your X has a reason. Is it the pothole that rattled your car, the tap that ran dry, the uncollected waste, or the lights that went out? Let us know which municipal service guarantee or concern will carry the most weight when you cast your vote. The comment section belongs to you. pic.twitter.com/MUQEiTw7KV

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 07:08

ELECTION DAY: Sowetan wants to hear from you!

Send us a voice note, videos and images on 071-556-4784.

ELECTION DAY | Make your vote count. You could be voting because you want to reward council officials who have done a great job in your area or maybe you want change. Sowetan would like to hear from you. Cast your vote and send Sowetan a voice note, video or images sharing your… pic.twitter.com/1JUlzuqTYf

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 7:00

KZN parents urge voters to ‘behave’ at school stations

Vee Gani, head of the Parents Association of KwaZulu-Natal, has urged voters to “behave” peacefully at school voting stations and protect facilities children depend on.

Gani said voters should take disputes to Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials respectfully, warning violence could leave schools damaged and disrupt learning during matric exams.

KZN parents urge voters to ‘behave’ at school stations

November 4 2026 6:50

Today, the ballot box takes centre stage. Cast your vote, then join The Political Arena for live conversations, exclusive interviews and real-time answers on what this election means for you. Every cross counts, and we’re watching every count. Live on the Sunday Times, TimesLIVE,… pic.twitter.com/OHbHNh9Shp

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 6:46

‘Your vote, your voice’: South Africans urged to turn out for local government elections

The government has encouraged South Africans to exercise their right to vote in the local government elections on November 4.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) concluded its two-day special voting process on Tuesday, with a total of 1,425,942 special votes cast across Monday and Tuesday ahead of the main election day.

‘Your vote, your voice’: South Africans urged to turn out for local government elections

November 4 2026 6:00

Low turnout, coalition chaos looms as voters lose faith

The battle for control of SA’s municipalities is expected to end in another round of coalition horse-trading, with more hung councils projected and growing numbers of disillusioned voters potentially staying away from the polls.

There is a lot at stake as millions head to cast their ballots on Wednesday, experts say.

Political analyst Tessa Dooms warned that the elections were likely to produce more coalition governments than ever before, with smaller parties and independent candidates potentially holding the balance of power in municipalities across the country.

“In 2021, we ended up with about 70 hung municipalities where coalitions needed to be formed,” she said. “In 2026, it’s estimated that we will have many more hung municipalities that will have coalitions.”

Low turnout, coalition chaos looms as voters lose faith

November 4 2026 5:30

GHALEB CACHALIA | DA’s diversity faces test beyond the candidate bus

The DA has an appealing proposition for South Africa. It is the country’s most diverse political party with a substantial black following, united not by race but by shared values. The rainbow, it seems, has acquired a corporate colour scheme.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with political diversity. Nor is there anything inherently suspicious about a party organising transport to rallies, feeding its activists or training aspiring public representatives. Politics requires organisation and sandwiches do not, in themselves, constitute a constitutional crisis.

But there is a more interesting question than how many black faces a party can assemble for a photograph. That question is: does racial diversity in the ranks translate to diversity of thought, genuine participation in decision-making and an equitable distribution of political power?

GHALEB CACHALIA | DA’s diversity faces test beyond the candidate bus

November 4 2026 5:00

Agoa fallout exposes ANC-DA foreign policy rift

The US’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s Agoa benefits has exposed divisions between the ANC and DA over the country’s foreign policy, with the governing party alleging an attempt to influence voters as the ANC faces mounting electoral pressure.

The ANC, on the one hand, has questioned the timing of Washington’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s preferential trade benefits from January 2027, suggesting it could be an attempt to intimidate voters and pressure the government to abandon its transformation agenda.

Agoa fallout exposes ANC-DA foreign policy rift

November 3 2026 21:11

Tshwane residents hope their vote will bring clean water, electricity and roads

On Tuesday, it had been two weeks since Gritah Ntuli, 62, had seen a water tanker in the Maheights informal settlement in Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, where she lives.

Whenever she needed water to bath or do laundry, she would take her family’s clothes to the stream and wash them there, while also collecting bath water for the whole family.

For drinking and cooking water, she has to reach into her pocket and buy it.

Tshwane residents hope their vote will bring clean water, electricity and roads

November 3 2026 20:14

Political intolerance and protests among threats facing Western Cape elections

Political intolerance, intra- and inter-party conflict, criminal activity and protests have been identified as some of the threats facing voting stations in the Western Cape ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Sizakhele Dyantyi said 33 of the province’s 1,633 voting stations had been classified as high-risk, while the remainder were categorised as medium- and low-risk.

Political intolerance and protests among threats facing Western Cape elections

November 3 2026 20:06

IEC warns political parties to stop campaigning at midnight ahead of polling day

Political parties, independent candidates and their supporters have until midnight on Tuesday to campaign ahead of the 2026 local government elections, with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) warning that all campaigning must stop before voters head to the polls on Wednesday.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya reminded political parties and candidates that the electoral timetable prohibits campaigning after midnight, including door-to-door canvassing, demonstrations and rallies.

IEC warns political parties to stop campaigning at midnight ahead of polling day

November 3 2026 20:04

IN PICS | Special voting continues for millions in local elections

More than 2.5-million voters were approved to cast special votes ahead of the local government elections, with the two-day voting process taking place on Monday and Tuesday.

The second day of special voting got off to a slow start at some voting centres in Johannesburg, where elderly voters were among those expected to cast their ballots.

IN PICS | Special voting continues for millions in local elections

November 3 2026 19:07

IEC concludes special voting as 1.4-million South Africans cast ballots ahead of election day

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has concluded its two-day special voting process with more than 1.4-million voters having cast their ballots ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

The special voting process, which took place on November 2 and 3, provided an opportunity for approved voters who would otherwise be unable to visit voting stations on election day to cast their ballots in advance.

IEC concludes special voting as 1.4-million South Africans cast ballots ahead of election day

November 3 2026 18:55

IEC assures South Africans of credible elections amid attempts to ‘impugn’ the polls

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured South Africans that it has done everything possible within its powers to deliver credible local government elections.

This comes as the electoral body says it has picked up attempts from some quarters to malign the integrity of the elections a day before millions of South Africans head to the polls.

November 3 2026 18:13

Five things you need to know from IEC’s election briefing

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned against the spread of unsubstantiated election-fraud claims, saying they are fuelling misinformation on social media.

It also reported incidents of intimidation, disruptions and attempted tampering with election materials.

Five things you need to know from IEC’s election briefing

November 3 2026, 18:07

IEC assures South Africans of credible elections amid attempts to ‘impugn’ the polls

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it can assure South Africans that it has done everything possible within its powers to deliver credible local government elections.

This comes as the electoral body says it has picked up attempts from some quarters to malign the integrity of the elections a day before millions of South Africans head to the polls.

More than 29-million potential voters will have an opportunity to make their preferred choice among the 136,790 candidates, representing a total of 546 political parties across the country.

November 3 2026, 16:30

“Sibagadile, we are watching them closely,” says MKP’s Bongani Baloyi on IEC

Umkhonto weSizwe’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Bongani Baloyi has issued a stern warning, saying that his party is closely guarding the local elections.

“Sibagadile (We are watching them closely). Our position is to operate from a level of distrust and that’s why we’ve deployed all sorts of mechanisms to protect interest and to protect our vote.”

Baloyi’s party was among those that questioned the integrity of the electoral commission in the previous election, where MKP claimed to have been robbed of votes and their intended two thirds majority.

‘Sibagadile, we are watching them closely,’ says MKP’s Bongani Baloyi on IEC

November 3 2026, 16:25

KZN election officer fired for using party-branded car to carry ‘sensitive’ election material

A KwaZulu-Natal presiding officer was dismissed on Tuesday for transporting sensitive election material in a party political branded vehicle.

In an update on special votes on Tuesday, Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) provincial electoral officer Ntombfuthi Masinga said the presiding officer from Hammarsdale was seen boarding an e-hailing taxi branded in party colours.

“On investigation, it was established that the e-hailing taxi did belong to the presiding officer concerned and was driven by her son,” she said.

KZN election officer fired for using party-branded car to carry ‘sensitive’ election material

November 3 2026, 16:15

IEC cannot confirm reports of dress-code restrictions at KZN voting station

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it has no information to report on allegations of a strict dress code being enforced at the Dlamini Tribal Court voting station in eDumbe, northern KwaZulu-Natal, where women were reportedly turned away for wearing trousers.

The allegations emerged during the second day of special voting for the 2026 local government elections after reports by the SABC that women, including an SABC journalist, had been prevented from entering the voting station because they were wearing pants.

IEC cannot confirm reports of dress-code restrictions at KZN voting station

November 3 2026, 16:10

Mokonyane rejects ANC blame for Gauteng water crisis

ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane has rejected attempts to blame the party for the water crisis gripping parts of Gauteng, arguing that the problem lies with an unreliable water supply system and the various entities responsible for its management.

Mokonyane said the crisis should not be placed at the ANC’s doorstep as residents head to the polls in the local government elections, insisting it was a national problem requiring interventions beyond individual municipalities.

Mokonyane rejects ANC blame for Gauteng water crisis

November 3 2026, 16:05

34 election misinformation complaints as candidates, supporters face arrests: IEC

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned political parties and their supporters against spreading unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, saying misleading social media posts are threatening the integrity of the local government elections.

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission’s information integrity hub had identified increasing attempts to undermine confidence in the electoral process, particularly through social media platforms.

November 3 2026 16:03

EXPLAINER | What voters can expect at polling stations

As South Africans head to the polls on Wednesday for the 2026 local government elections, voters can expect a series of steps before casting their ballots.

From presenting the correct identification document to ensuring ballot papers are valid, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has outlined a process aimed at making voting easier while safeguarding the integrity and secrecy of the ballot.

IEC assistant manager Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi said voters will first encounter a queue walker who helps manage queues and direct voters at polling stations.

EXPLAINER | What voters can expect at polling stations

November 3 2026, 16:00

WATCH | MK Party’s Bongani Baloyi casting his vote in Sandton on Tuesday. https://t.co/C0rQjkUsGV

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 3, 2026

November 3 2026 15:25

Why Rustenburg is one of the most hotly contested municipalities

Rustenburg’s economic significance makes it one of the most important municipalities to watch in Wednesday’s local government elections, but attention is focused on major metros, says political analyst Prof André Duvenhage.

Duvenhage, from North-West University, warned that sluggish economic growth, poor service delivery and deteriorating infrastructure continue to undermine municipalities such as Rustenburg in the North West.

“We have major challenges. One of the biggest is the failure to create sustained economic growth and development. Statistics show that over the past decade growth has remained below 1%,” he said.

Why Rustenburg is one of the most hotly contested municipalities

November 3 2026 14:30

WATCH | Shortly after casting her vote in Mogale City, ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane addressed key issues, including the water crisis in Johannesburg and across the country, as well as the decision by US President Donald Trump’s administration to remove South Africa from AGOA beneficiary status.

WATCH | Shortly after casting her vote in Mogale City, ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane addressed key issues, including the water crisis in Johannesburg and across the country, as well as the decision by US President Donald Trump’s administration to remove South Africa from AGOA beneficiary status.

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 3, 2026

November 3 2026, 13:25

Police arrest Limpopo voter for taking photo of marked ballot

A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly photographing his marked ballot paper at a voting station in Limpopo, with police searching for a second suspect accused of the same offence.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba said the incidents occurred at Chuchekani Primary School voting station in the Humulani settlement in Lulekani on Monday.

Mashaba said the first incident was reported at about 10am when a 32-year-old voter allegedly photographed his ballot paper after voting. The presiding officer confronted him and informed him that photographing a marked ballot paper was against electoral rules.

Police arrest Limpopo voter for taking photo of marked ballot

November 3 2026, 12:30

‘People must vote or nothing will be done’

For some elderly voters at the Joubert Park Lapeng Child and Family Resource Centre in Johannesburg, voting is more than a right; it is a tradition and an opportunity to help secure a better future for the next generation.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Sowetan’s sister publication, John Masuku, who lives in Hillbrow, said he was voting because he wanted to see improvements in his community, particularly the condition of the roads.

He said the roads and robots where he stays don’t work, and he finds it hard to cross a busy road. “I’m voting because I need the roads to be fixed. I’m old now, and sometimes I can’t cross the road alone because they are always busy, so I ask my grandchildren to help me cross,” he said.

‘People must vote or nothing will be done’

November 3 2026 12:11

MALAIKA MAHLATSI | Years of Joburg rot is now rubbish on our pavements

On Tuesday morning, one day before millions of South Africans head to the polls to cast their votes in the 2026 local government elections, I walked through the streets of my neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.

Every street was lined with overflowing bins and half-open refuse bags. Flies and insects have congregated on driveways and entrances to complexes, estates and business premises.

The stench, including from the uncollected waste of numerous restaurants located in the neighbourhood, is paralysing. One day before elections, in the middle of a debilitating heatwave, the northern suburbs of Johannesburg resemble dystopian slums.

MALAIKA MAHLATSI | Years of Joburg rot is now rubbish on our pavements

November 3, 2026, 12:O8

Two arrested in Limpopo for allegedly removing election posters, burning political party T-shirt

Limpopo police have arrested two suspects in two separate cases involving election-related offences, including the alleged unlawful removal of election posters and intimidation.

Two arrested in Limpopo for allegedly removing election posters, burning political party T-shirt

November 3, 2026, 11:40

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

The Electoral Commission of South Africa is briefing the media on Tuesday about day two of special voting.

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

November 3 2026, 11:10

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS | It is a quiet morning at Lapeng child and family resource centre, a voting station in Joubert Park, Joburg. The voting centre is relatively empty, with very little activity as the special voting process gets under way for the second day. Download our App,… pic.twitter.com/JqGEzEBo0e

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 3, 2026

November 3 2026, 10:35

WATCH | The morning has been quiet at the Joubert Park, Lapeng child and family resource centre, where elderly voters are expected to cast their special votes, with no long queues.

View this post on Instagram

November 3 2026 08:00

GCINA MTENGWANE | When democracy multiplies parties but not purpose

On Wednesday South Africans will face the most crowded local election ballots in the country’s democratic history.

About 546 political parties are contesting. That is about 60% higher than the 325 parties that took part in 2021. Nearly 137,000 candidates are competing for just over 10,500 council seats. These numbers express a constitutional right to form and join political parties.

They also reflect a citizenry that has grown restless with the established order.

GCINA MTENGWANE | When democracy multiplies parties but not purpose

November 2 2026 16:10

THE POLITICAL ARENA | Voter anger or apathy: Will South Africans turn out to demand change?

With South Africa’s November 4 local government elections just days away, voters face a critical choice: how to hold political parties accountable for failing services, and whether changing their vote can reshape the country’s metros.

In this episode of The Political Arena, Business Day political editor Hajra Omarjee is joined by Sowetan editor Sibongakonke Shoba, TimesLIVE and Sunday Times digital politics editor Lizeka Tandwa, and Sunday Times senior political reporter Kgothatso Madisa to examine voter apathy, shifting political loyalties and the battle for control of local government.

November 2 2026 15:40

IEC has over 700 cases of election-related disinformation

The spread of misinformation and disinformation has emerged as a growing concern ahead of South Africa’s local government elections, The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has received more than 700 complaints about election-related disinformation as voters prepare to go to the polls on Wednesday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said some complaints involved content circulating on social media platform X, including photographs manipulated using AI. However, he said the incidents had not significantly disrupted the electoral environment.

IEC has over 700 cases of election-related disinformation

November 2 2026 15:19

Ballot boxes stolen as special voting begins in KZN

Ballot boxes and a training module were reported stolen from Amahlongwa Community Hall in Zambeni, the IEC said in its KwaZulu-Natal special voting update on Monday.

The IEC said replacement election material was delivered and the voting station was operational.

Ballot boxes stolen as special voting begins in KZN

November 2 2026 13:10

RECORDED | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

The Electoral Commission of South Africa is briefing the media on Monday about day one of special voting.

November 1 2026, 18:02

Surprise! You’re an EFF candidate

The EFF has been dealt an embarrassing court blow after the Electoral Court found that the party nominated a man as its ward councillor candidate without his consent.

The court ruled that Sivuyile Jacquin Tshikila was not an EFF candidate in Ward 03 in the Raymond Mhlaba local municipality in the Eastern Cape. It ordered the IEC to ensure voters could not cast their ballots for him during the local government elections on Wednesday.

The judgment comes a few weeks after the ANC won a court fight for the inclusion of its 181 candidates whose names were not submitted by the party to the IEC for elections.

Surprise! You’re an EFF candidate

November 1 2026 17:50

‘The ANC is still mighty’ | Ramaphosa vows party will defy critics at polls

President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed suggestions that the ANC is on a downward spiral, telling supporters in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape that the party is gaining momentum ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Addressing supporters at the party’s final push to win over voters at the Siyanqoba rally at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the ANC would use the November 4 elections to prove its critics wrong.

“We are three days away from a very important election. Many people are saying the ANC is on its downward spiral. What I am seeing here is that the ANC is going higher and higher, and on November 4 we are going to show those that say ANC is going to lose,” he said.

‘The ANC is still mighty’ | Ramaphosa vows party will defy critics at polls

November 1 2026, 17:45

‘We will take them out’ | Ramaphosa threatens to remove underperforming councillors and mayors

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that ANC councillors and mayors who fail to serve communities or misuse public funds will be removed from their positions, saying the party wants ethical, capable and accountable leaders in local government.

Addressing supporters at the ANC’s final rally ahead of elections at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, Ramaphosa said the party expects its elected representatives to prioritise service delivery, responsible spending, and economic development rather than treating political office as a personal entitlement.

“We want to place emphasis on making sure that we get accountable and capable and ethical people who are going to be elected because we want municipalities that are properly run municipalities that use public money responsibly and municipalities that will also maintain infrastructure and support economic development,” he said.

‘We will take them out’ | Ramaphosa threatens to remove underperforming councillors and mayors

November 1 2026, 17:40

Zuma returns to stage, promises MK Party will ‘take back our country’

MK Party president Jacob Zuma told thousands of supporters who braved extreme heat at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Sunday that the MK Party will soon take over the land and lead many municipalities.

“In a few days we will be taking back our country,” Zuma said.

“In a few days we will be taking over our land. We will be in charge of many municipalities. No matter what other people can say and do, we are ready.”

Zuma, 84, was addressing the MK Party’s final Sithatha Omasipala rally ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Zuma returns to stage, promises MK Party will ‘take back our country’

Norris, who dominated at Interlagos last year on his way to the 2025 championship, topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:11.717 seconds. Mercedes’ Antonelli was 0.082 slower, with Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen third, 0.236 off the pace.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest, ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, who is due to serve a grid penalty this weekend as the team chase the constructors’ championship.

Mercedes can secure the title at Interlagos if they outscore Ferrari by three points.

“We felt like this was a good place to take it,” Russell said in comments shared by Mercedes on social media, noting that his former teammate Hamilton had recovered strongly from a grid penalty at Interlagos in the past.

Antonelli, who clinched the championship last Sunday with third place in Mexico, headed back on track at a venue where he scored what was then his best Formula One finish with second place last year.

Brazilian Rafael Camara, replacing Esteban Ocon at Haas, took his first outing in a 2026 car ahead of his home race and finished 18th, with a lap of 1:13.696 seconds.

Local fans also had Gabriel Bortoleto to cheer on, marking the first time since 2016 that there were two Brazilian drivers on the grid. The Audi driver ended the session eighth fastest.

A red flag interrupted running early on when Audi stand-in Freddie Slater stopped on track after reporting a gearbox problem.

“The car has just switched off... I’ve lost the gears,” the Briton told the team over the radio. Slater, who endured limited running in Mexico last week, completed only seven laps and finished last.

Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic, driving in place of Charles Leclerc, also suffered a difficult session. The Swede ran off track early before mechanics repaired the floor of his car, leaving him 21st after completing only 11 laps.

Hamilton reported slippery conditions over the radio despite dry weather, with rain forecast later in the weekend at a circuit renowned for producing dramatic wet races.

Several drivers, including Hamilton, Antonelli and Camara, briefly ran wide at Turn One, while Verstappen complained about his car’s downshifts, describing them as “unacceptable” over team radio.

Alpine’s Gabriele Mini impressed with seventh place on the timesheets, ahead of Bortoleto and Argentine teammate Franco Colapinto.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

ActionSA has ended the ANC’s dominance in Atteridgeville’s Ward 63, with its councillor candidate, Phuti Johannes Maselela, emerging victorious in the ward ballot with 42.1% of the vote.

The result marks a significant turnaround for ActionSA, which increased its share of the vote by 30.3 percentage points from 11.8% in the 2021 local government elections.

In 2021, the ANC won the ward with 60.1% of the vote, followed by the EFF with 18.7%, while ActionSA received 11.8%.

By 4pm on Friday, in Tshwane, the DA was leading the municipal election race with 31.78% of the vote, followed by ActionSA with 23.23% and the ANC with 21.89%, according to preliminary results, with 78% of votes counted.

The DA had secured 428,388 votes, while ActionSA had received 313,181 votes and the ANC 295,038 votes.

ActionSA’s latest victory in Ward 63 forms part of the party’s gains in Atteridgeville. Maselela said the party had worked hard to secure the victory and was encouraged by the support it had received during its campaign.

“We worked very hard to win this ward. We just lost one voting station, which is our previous councillor’s voting station. I want to thank my team. People from the hostel made sure we won this ward. This is history for Atteridgeville.

“I am very happy, because when we did our door-to-door campaigns and public meetings, talking to our communities, they showed us support, and that is the result we see today,” he said.

Maselela added that the campaign had also allowed the party to identify residents’ concerns, which he pledged to prioritise.

He identified high municipal bills, nepotism and unemployment among the main challenges facing the ward. “We are going to open all opportunities for our residents. We have a big challenge with unemployment in this ward.”

He also promised to prioritise the development of hostels, describing the living conditions there as indecent.

“If you go around the hostel, even prisoners would not stay here. A lot of people are dying in hostels because of illegal connections, but we cannot cut off those connections because we are human beings. You cannot live without electricity. We are going to develop the hostel so that people can live with dignity,” he said.

He said ActionSA would also introduce an amnesty programme to address municipal debt, citing high municipal charges as a concern.

Crime is another challenge he highlighted, saying the party would work with law enforcement agencies to address it.

Maselela also raised concern about drug abuse among young people in Atteridgeville, saying the party intended to work with the party’s mayoral candidate in Ekurhuleni, Xolani Khumalo, who is associated with the television programme Sizok’thola, to tackle the problem.

“Atteridgeville’s youth is falling into the drug trap, but we have a plan. We have Xolani Khumalo and Sizok’thola, and he will assist us with drugs. We don’t want to see our youth on drugs,” he said.

Mmakgoko Veron Phasha, the ANC councillor candidate, retained Ward 71 after the party won with 44.8% of the vote.

In the 2021 local government elections, the ANC received the highest share of ward votes in the City of Tshwane, with 34.4%, but failed to secure an outright majority in the council. The ANC won 75 of the 214 council seats, falling short of the 108 seats needed for a majority.

While the ANC councillor retained Ward 71, he warned of a tight Tshwane election and said the party faced a wake-up call following ActionSA’s gains in several of the region’s wards.

Phasha said his own result showed that residents had recognised the work he and the ANC had committed to during their time in office.

“But,” he added, “it was not an easy election. It was a tight election. You could see that in the numbers. Even parties that were underestimated received significant numbers of votes, and support was spread across Tshwane.”

Phasha said the ANC would prioritise service delivery concerns raised by residents, particularly deteriorating roads and electricity supply.

He said residents had complained about dilapidated roads and recurring electricity interruptions caused by tripping substations, particularly during bad weather.

“We are going to make sure that we prioritise all submissions made to us about service delivery issues. The roads are in a very bad state, and we will make sure that we prioritise that area,” he said.

He added that the party would also push for policies that addressed the needs of people living in townships and informal settlements.

Reflecting on ActionSA’s gains, Phasha said the results should serve as a warning to the ANC.

He said the ANC had retained three wards in Atteridgeville, while also retaining Ward 107 by a narrow margin.

Phasha, however, attributed ActionSA’s performance in some wards to the popularity of Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya, arguing that residents were voting for her rather than the party’s ward candidates.

“I don’t think ActionSA has credible candidates in these wards. They are voting for Nasiphi Moya. If they remove Nasiphi Moya tomorrow, ActionSA won’t get the votes they got. In fact, it was Nasiphi Moya’s votes, not the candidates’ votes,” he said.

TimesLIVE

Russia has launched 32 Rassvet satellites into orbit so far this year, in two batches in March and July, according to the main intelligence directorate of Ukraine’s ministry of defence (GUR). The Russian government said last month that Russia had launched more than 30 satellites.

That is a tiny fraction of the more than 10,000 satellites in the Starlink network, run by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the military version of which - Starshield - operates in Ukraine but not in Russia. Access to SpaceX systems, which Moscow does not have, has greatly helped Kyiv in the war against invading Russian forces.

Moscow plans further Rassvet launches by the end of 2026 to increase the network’s geographic coverage, bringing it gradually closer to a full low-orbit satellite communications system, GUR said in a written statement.

“Russia is using the ‘Rassvet’ satellite system over the territory of Ukraine for military purposes,” GUR spokesperson Andrii Yusov said in the statement.

“The constellation is currently insufficient to provide uninterrupted coverage of Ukrainian territory: communication is available intermittently when the satellites pass over the relevant areas.”

Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia’s Scientific and Expert Council warned of the risks posed by Starlink on Friday and urged a quicker deployment of the Rassvet system.

Renewed uncertainty over US support

Starshield has given Kyiv a major advantage in drone operations and battlefield communications.

Russian forces had been using grey-market ​Starlink terminals in Ukraine until Kyiv successfully lobbied SpaceX to disable ​them earlier this year, one of several factors that shifted ⁠battlefield momentum in Ukraine’s favour this year.

However, last month Ukrainian battlefield commanders unexpectedly saw speed limitations imposed on Starshield, hampering the military’s ability to intercept Russian attack ​drones and forcing the cancellation of some strike operations.

No explanation has been given for the temporary restrictions on Starshield, which came amid tensions with President Donald Trump’s administration over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and have now been lifted.

While Russia’s territorial gains on the frontline have ground to a virtual halt this year, it has doubled down on strikes against Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure and cities, using a new generation of jet-powered drones that are harder to intercept.

In the longer term, this could increase the effectiveness of strike and reconnaissance UAVs and make it more difficult for electronic warfare and electronic intelligence systems to intercept them

Andrii Yusov, GUR spokesman

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly raised concerns about Russia’s attempts to build its own version of SpaceX’s network. President Volodymyr Zelensky last week imposed sanctions on 10 companies involved in developing Rassvet, including Bureau 1440 - the co-ordinator of the state-backed project.

Bureau 1440 has said it plans to create a constellation of more than 900 satellites by 2035.

Surveillance and strike drones

The GUR statement said that Rassvet may provide Russia with two-way data exchange with its unmanned aircraft over Ukraine, allowing surveillance drones to transmit data in real time and pilots to adjust the route of attack drones during flight, reducing dependence on a pre-programmed flight path.

That could allow drones to adjust to changes in target location, or evade air defences.

“In the longer term, this could increase the effectiveness of strike and reconnaissance UAVs and make it more difficult for electronic warfare and electronic intelligence systems to intercept them,” Yusov said.

Mykola Zientsev, a Kyiv-based security expert, said there were some signs that Rassvet was already having an impact on precision strikes by Russian jet-powered drones.

“In practical terms, Russia already possesses at least two high-quality satellite communications windows every day, each lasting more than an hour,” he wrote in a recent report. “That is enough to have operational consequences.”

GUR has published a list of 49 companies from Russia and Belarus that it says are involved in the project.

​​Maj-Gen Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of GUR, said in an interview with Ukrainian media in August that Russia was launching the Rassvet system much faster than originally planned and Ukraine was already discussing ways to counter it.

Ukraine said in August it had carried out a long-range missile attack against the Progress rocket and space centre in Russia’s Samara region, which produces rockets used to launch Rassvet satellites.

Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, has urged the US to impose its own sanctions on Rassvet companies.

The US Treasury Department had no comment on Ukraine’s push for further sanctions.

Reuters

With vote-counting in full swing, Arena Holdings’ senior political reporters are speaking to political leaders about what they think of the numbers they are seeing on the leaderboard.

TimesLIVE

Story audio is generated using AI

As the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) reports that the 2026 local government election results are being captured and processed significantly faster than in 2021, the election staff working behind closed doors are revealing the human cost of ensuring that every vote is counted.

Luzuko Simani, who served as a deputy presiding officer (DPO) at the Jan van Riebeeck Primary School voting centre in Cape Town, unpacked the gruelling, long hours required during the counting process, conditions he described as “inhumane”.

Simani worked at the centre over three days: two special voting days on Monday and Tuesday, followed by the main election day on Wednesday.

Each day, election staff arrived at 6am to perform due diligence, await the arrival of the police, set up ballot papers and voting booths, and prepare the station for opening at 7am. As a DPO, Simani was responsible for ensuring operations ran seamlessly.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Simani noted that while the voting days themselves proceeded smoothly and strictly by the book, the real ordeal began once the polls closed.

The vote-counting process started 15 to 30 minutes after voting concluded at 9pm. Simani explained that staff members were not overly fatigued during the polling hours, as his station was not too busy. However, the workload escalated dramatically during the vote-counting process.

“The problem is the procedure when it comes to counting the votes,” he said. “What an experience ... it felt like extreme lockdown. Some people had a much worse experience than mine. Mine was manageable only because the presiding officer was my cousin.”

Simani’s five-person team took roughly six straight hours to complete the count, working continuously without structured breaks. “It took about six hours straight to count the votes — no breaks, not even bathroom breaks,” he said.

He said staff could use the restroom only upon request, accompanied by a security escort. However, the IEC had, in his experience, scheduled no dedicated time for rest or meals.

Beyond the lack of breaks and food, Simani highlighted another critical issue: staff safety and transport. Work at their voting station concluded at about 3am, yet no official transport was provided for workers, forcing some to use public transport to go home.

“Someone who has been working from 6am until 3am, or 6am, the following morning, should have meals provided and be allowed proper breaks. At the end of the day, this is employment; we weren’t volunteering, and we signed a contract,” Simani explained.

“We had no transport to go home. One of our colleagues had to take a taxi at 2am or 3am. That goes against basic labour practices. Expecting people to find their way home at 3am is diabolical.”

As for the rumours that some staff members in other voting stations were issued meal allowances, Simani confirmed that his team received neither food nor vouchers.

Regarding compensation, he explained rates varied considerably despite staff carrying out the same responsibilities. Simani noted that while his own compensation was fair, others were severely underpaid. Over three days, he was paid R97 per hour for 39 hours, earning R3,800.

“My rate was decent; I wouldn’t take a job that wasn’t worth my time, and as a DPO, it paid off,” he said. “However, some colleagues worked the exact same hours and were paid as little as R700. As clear as the job responsibilities are, the HR processes desperately need a touch more humanity.”

He described the counting process as mentally and physically exhausting. Workers were required to vocally announce every ballot, verify its validity, record it, and recount all ballots to ensure full accuracy.

“Every vote counts, so we had to keep counting,” he said.

Simani urged the IEC to prioritise worker health and safety in future elections by providing proper meals, scheduled breaks, and safe transportation. He warned that failing to address these systemic issues would deter qualified candidates from taking on electoral roles in the future.

“The IEC needs to do better next time because a lot of people are complaining, and this deserves an internal investigation,” he said. “People can handle long hours, but the conditions must make sense from a human standpoint. At the very least, provide food and structured breaks.”

He added that he expected long hours and prepared himself mentally for that, but wasn’t prepared for the total lack of a roster or schedule for rest.

Reflecting on the experience, Simani said he took the job to gain firsthand insight into SA’s electoral system and not for financial gain.

“I wanted to experience the IEC’s process for carrying out elections, which structurally is quite impressive. The numbers are real, every vote was counted and carefully documented,” he conceded.

Despite appreciating the transparency of the process, he said he would not be returning for future elections.

“After this experience, I’m never doing it again. I’m not saying the entire IEC is flawed, and I’m sure higher-level roles are better managed, but as for the ground-level roles, I’ll pass. I’ve seen what I came to see, and I don’t need to repeat it.”

TimesLIVE has reached out to the IEC for comment. Their response will be added once received.

TimesLIVE

Arena Holdings’ journalists are coming to you live from the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg, to unpack the election results as they come in and discuss what they mean for municipalities.

TimesLIVE

Story audio is generated using AI

For the first time since 1995, the ANC has lost majority power in the second-largest metro in the Eastern Cape, Buffalo City municipality, after the UDM made inroads in a historic local municipality election result.

The local government results from the metro show a threat to the ANC’s long-standing dominance in the province ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.

The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, held its last election campaign rally in the metro at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, two days before this week’s elections. As the party would have it — the rally was the last it had as the majority party in KuGompo City (formerly East London).

With 100% of the votes counted by Friday midday, the ANC stands at 41%, a fall from grace from the 59% vote in the 2021 elections.

When considering the party’s power in the metro in 2006, which was a dominating 81%, the ANC support base has been on a downward trajectory but had always won the majority vote.

The 2026 election have proven to be different, the municipality, for the first time, has joined the list of hung municipalities with no party winning an outright majority.

The ANC’s GNU partner, the UDM, did the most damage to it, going from 3,466 votes in 2021 to garnering 90,121 votes in the 2026 local government elections.

The figures reflect a historic election result for the UDM because since 2000, the party, led by Bantu Holomisa, had never attained more than 1% of the vote in the metro.

The trajectory drastically changed in this election, led by MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa as mayoral candidate, getting 18% of the votes and beating the DA to the tag of a party with the second most votes.

One of the wards taken by the UDM was Scenery Park (ward 5), the township where the tragic Enyobeni Tavern incident in 2022 resulted in the devastating loss of 21 lives.

The UDM obtained 49.17% (4,794) there, with candidate Mbeko Nobatyi winning under the slogan “remove the ANC”. The ANC lagged with 32.56% (3,174).

Residents from the ward expressed discontent with the ANC’s candidate, Monica Goci, returning for another term as a councillor, and opted for Nobatyi, who had more favour with residents seeking change.

The township, situated metres away from the manufacturing zone, Wilsonia, has been experiencing power outages. Electricity troubles reached a boiling point in 2025, in which there were growing tensions over illegal electricity connections between RDP homeowners and informal shack dwellers.

As you enter the township, the roads are riddled with potholes — similar terrain to the drive into the city. Scenery Park, unlike some townships, has a police station and is only a few kilometres from eMpilweni clinic.

This is different from its neighbouring township, Reeston, which has no police station, struggles with water cuts and hardly has any tarred roads. Reeston remains under ANC control after the party obtained 52% of the vote there.

These elections have demonstrated that no political party can say it owns people

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa

Speaking to Business Day, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the party benefited from ANC voters’ “protest vote” in the metro and that such discontent will lead to the UDM treading carefully in coalition talks.

“The voters this time around have made it clear that they are fed up with the ANC. I cannot take those people back to the ANC unless there is something we cannot solve; there are other parties,” he said.

He said UDM deputy Kwankwa will lead any coalition talks if the UDM were to enter such arrangements.

Holomisa said selecting a ward candidate endorsed by the community helped the UDM take over former ANC wards.

“Those who wanted to contest elections, we said, ‘let us consult your communities’. And the communities said, ‘this is the person we want’. These elections have demonstrated that no political party can say it owns people.”

Holomisa gave credit to the youth in the party and his deputy, Kwankwa, who led the election campaign, for the results.

“Kwankwa was a choice of the BCM structures. It’s true our [ANC] comrades have messed up BCM. Deploying him there was to say, ‘go and save East London.’ East London is the economic hub of the Eastern Cape,” he said.

KuGompo is home to the Mercedes-Benz South Africa car manufacturer, which has been a focal employment point for the metro’s townships, including Pefferville near the city.

The Eastern Cape is known as an ANC stronghold and since the 1994 democratic elections had been a loyal support base for the party

Political commentator Dumisani Mthethwa, from Walter Sisulu University, said the Buffalo City metro results were a threat to the ANC’s provincial dominance for the 2029 national and provincial elections.

“The national government sets the baseline for the national government elections; whatever we see happening can actually hint how the 2029 election will go. We might see the Eastern Cape being a mixture of political parties,” he said.

“If the BCM, which is the second largest metro, is also gone from them [ANC], it is telling us exactly that the ANC is under threat leading to the national elections. I do not see them continuing to enjoy dominance.”

The Eastern Cape is known as an ANC stronghold and since the 1994 democratic elections had been a loyal support base for the party.

Mthethwa said the UDM in the metro has established itself as an alternative for people who did not want the ANC. “Kwankwa might be more appealing to the younger people; that could have worked for them.”

He said the main cause of the ANC’s fall in the metro was service delivery. “Poor service delivery is the main factor; people started questioning the capabilities of the ANC. That is the biggest issue. The ANC has forgotten to listen to what the people are saying on the ground.”

Earlier this year, KuGompo City witnessed protests on illegal migration, something that has not been a significant factor in the past. Mthethwa said the immigration protests and ANC “silence” on the debate could have had an influence in the local government elections.

Business Day

The Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) was conducted on election day for the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC). Fieldworkers interviewed 13,198 voters at 300 voting stations across all nine provinces.

“Based on the research team’s interviews with voters on election day, we can conclude that the voting public was positive about the electoral integrity of the 2026 LGE,” said Dr Benjamin Roberts, research director in the HSRC’s developmental, capable and ethical state division.

“The voting public had a very positive appraisal of the Electoral Commission’s management of the elections and the conduct of officials at voting stations.”

Roberts said the HSRC had therefore concluded that the elections were free and fair.

“These elections were free and fair and the commission performed exceedingly well in the implementation and management of the country’s seventh LGE,” he said.

The findings underscore the importance of sustaining public trust, strengthening perceptions of impartiality, improving electoral inclusivity and addressing information gaps

Dr Benjamin Roberts, HSRC research director

The survey found that 96% of voters were satisfied with the service provided by IEC officials, while 96% said voting procedures were easy to understand. Nearly all voters, 95%, were satisfied with signage and printed instructions at voting stations.

Queuing times also improved compared with the 2024 national and provincial elections (NPE). The survey found that 91% of voters waited no longer than 30 minutes to cast their ballots, while only 4% queued for more than an hour.

“Queuing performance improved substantially relative to the 2024 NPE,” the report stated.

Voters also expressed confidence in ballot secrecy and the counting process. Some 95% were satisfied that their vote remained secret, while 83% were completely or very confident that their votes would be counted accurately.

However, the survey flagged a gradual decline in trust in the IEC. While 81% of voters said they trusted or strongly trusted the commission, this was lower than the 91% recorded in 2016 and 85% in 2024.

Roberts said the findings highlighted the need to sustain public confidence. “The findings underscore the importance of sustaining public trust, strengthening perceptions of impartiality, improving electoral inclusivity and addressing information gaps.”

Despite these concerns, the survey found that 96% of voters who participated said they were likely to vote in future elections.

Sowetan

Story audio is generated using AI

Freedom Front Plus chair Wouter Wessels has criticised the fearmongering he says was used in the recent election campaign, saying it is anti-democratic.

He says voters should be allowed to associate with, and campaign for, whomever they wish without being intimidated.

“It comes back to the politics of fear, with some parties saying it is a two-party race and that the vote shouldn’t be divided, so people are confused. Then other parties say if you don’t vote for us, you are going to lose your grant, your RDP house. That’s fearmongering, and it’s not good for democracy.”

Wessels criticised the use of resources to discourage voters from exploring different political choices.

“Politics is a difficult game. This campaign was very difficult because there was a lot of money spent by bigger parties in terms of spreading a certain message, instilling fear in the electorate, and I don’t think it’s advancing democracy.

“Every person must have the choice to vote for the party he or she associates with. It shouldn’t be this bombardment ... if you vote for this party, the world is going to end. That’s not democracy.”

Speaking to the Political Arena, Wessels said power lay with the electorate to determine their lived experience.

“If you actively have a choice and vote if you’re not satisfied, governments change, and then we see service delivery. If I am in government and I don’t perform, then I must know that I am going to be voted out. For more than 30 years, service delivery went the wrong way but people stayed in government.”

Wessels believes there is no harm in a lengthy ballot paper, saying voters are entitled to choice. He suggested that voting decisively could change the service-delivery trajectory.

“There are a lot of parties but I think choice is important, especially at local level. You should vote for a representative you agree with.”

The FF Plus leader referred to the recent US midterm elections as an example of a country’s vastly different voting patterns.

“There’s one significant lesson and that is how the US electorate changes their vote midterm when they are not satisfied. South Africans unfortunately either stay away or continue voting for the same party while expecting different results.”

Wessells said the coalitions reality was here to stay but criticised the short time available for properly negotiating working arrangements between parties.

“If you look at the results, there are many municipalities where it’s definitely not a two-horse race. We’re going to end up in coalition governments. I agree that it brings a sense of instability, especially if parties are not mature in their negotiations.

“Unfortunately the constitution dictates that we have only 14 days to form a government. That makes it impossible to adequately negotiate a programme. It shouldn’t be about positions, for instance, where we decide who becomes mayor and who becomes speaker.”

TimesLIVE

TimesLIVE

Brand, the former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, is facing a lengthy jail term after being convicted in a London court on Thursday of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three more.

Mark Rowley, commissioner of London’s metropolitan police, told the BBC that in previous cases involving famous figures convicted of sex crimes, it was common for new victims to bring allegations to police after a conviction.

“I clearly wouldn’t be surprised if many more came forward,” he said, adding that the conviction gave victims confidence. “It does make a difference because people see it is possible, and you will be believed.”

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to the victims for their courage in exposing Brand.

Asked about a supportive post he addressed to Brand on X in 2014 — a time when Brand was being courted by some politicians on the left for his ability to reach young voters - the prime minister said he had no idea about the “full extent” of the former comedian’s behaviour back then.

“His crimes are horrific. He’s rightly been held to account,” Burnham said.

Brand is one of the most prominent celebrities in Britain convicted of sex offences in recent times, after BBC newsreader Huw Edwards admitted making indecent pictures of children two years ago, and entertainer Rolf Harris was found guilty of assaulting young girls in 2014.

Brand, 51, will be sentenced on Monday. He is under investigation for two other alleged rapes, one involving a then 16-year-old girl, police have said.

Reuters

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Blood cancer patients in SA risk longer waits for potentially life-saving stem cell transplants if registered donors become unreachable or withdraw from the process.

While the number of people registered as potential stem cell donors has grown significantly, their availability, when required, remained a challenge.

DKMS Africa, which manages a registry of potential stem cell donors, has more than 210,000 registered donors, up from 19,000 in 2021. However, the organisation says donor drop-off at the point when someone is identified as a potential match is a challenge for registries around the world.

Palesa Mokomele, the head of DKMS Africa community engagement and communication, told TimesLIVE that while they did not have enough data to establish a reliable drop-off trend in SA, international figures revealed the scale of the problem.

At DKMS Germany, 23% of potential donors dropped out when they were contacted to confirm a match. “Every donor who becomes unavailable means a patient’s search has to continue, which is why we put so much emphasis on donors staying reachable and ready.”

Mokomele said donors became unavailable for a variety of reasons, including changing phone numbers or email addresses without updating their details with the registry.

The survey found that 90% of donors knew they needed to keep their details updated, while 10% were unaware of this responsibility

Others, when contacted, chose not to continue, while some could not donate because of health reasons, pregnancy, work or travel commitments.

A survey of more than 3,000 registered South African donors conducted for DKMS Africa by research company GfK found that 98% said they would likely donate if contacted about a match. However, only about 4% said they had previously updated their contact details with the organisation.

The survey found that 90% of donors knew they needed to keep their details updated, while 10% were unaware of this responsibility.

Younger donors, particularly those aged between 18 and 25, were more likely to become unavailable. Mokomele said this was often because they could not be reached or were no longer interested in donating.

She said a lack of information also contributed to uncertainty among some donors. Among those who said they were unsure or would decline, 49% said they did not know enough about the donation process, while 32% were afraid of the pain involved.

The consequences can be serious for patients who need a transplant urgently.

When a potential match is found, the donor is contacted to confirm their willingness to proceed and undergo further testing. If the donor becomes unavailable, the search moves to the next suitable person, if one exists.

Mokomele said patients with less common tissue types could have very few suitable donors, and in some cases none. Doctors may then have to continue searching or consider a less closely matched donor.

Registration is the first step, but maintaining that commitment over time is equally important

Palesa Mokomele, DKMS Africa head of community engagement and communication

She said research had found that patients with fully matched donors had a two-year survival rate of 59%, compared with 38% among those who received mismatched transplants.

For patients with aggressive blood cancers, delays could also affect whether they remained suitable for a transplant.

Mokomele said transplantation was often most successful when the disease was under control. Longer waiting periods could increase the risk of the disease progressing or returning, or the patient’s health deteriorating to the point where a transplant was no longer possible.

The delays also placed pressure on families, some of whom would have to deal with lost income, travel costs and uncertainty about treatment.

Mokomele said more than half of the donors surveyed wanted monthly communication from the organisation, while 36% preferred quarterly updates.

The organisation is working with universities and colleges to educate young people about the responsibility that comes with registering. “Registration is the first step, but maintaining that commitment over time is equally important,” she said.

Mokomele said the aim was to build a diverse registry of informed donors who understood what donation involved and remained contactable when a patient needed them.

TimesLIVE

The party’s secretary-general, Michael Beaumont, said ActionSA would negotiate with parties willing to commit to a shared programme of government focused on service delivery, stability and accountability.

ActionSA’s national chair Michael Beaumont lists the wards they’ve won in the City of Tshwane and explains what it means for the party.
Video: Koena Mashale pic.twitter.com/JAYCvWlmVS

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 6, 2026

Beaumont said the party wanted to end the revolving door of mayors in the capital and would not support candidates with a track record of corruption or failure.

“We will be negotiating to ensure that Dr Nasiphi Moya gets five more years,” he said.

He said ActionSA’s coalition priorities included building institutions to investigate corruption, addressing illegal immigration at local government level and improving basic services such as roads, electricity, water and refuse collection.

“If a political party is unwilling to work with us on those priorities, we will show them the door. If they are willing to work with us, we will work with them,” Beaumont said.

He added that the party would work with credible leadership capable of delivering services to all communities.

By lunchtime, ActionSA reported that it had provisionally won 27 wards in Tshwane, including in Atteridgeville, Akasia, Centurion, Mamelodi, Ga-Rankuwa, Soshanguve and Mabopane.

The provisional gains mark a sizable shift from the 2021 local government elections, when the party did not win a single ward in Tshwane.

Moya thanked Tshwane residents and her party for entrusting her with the mayoral position over the past 24 months, saying she did not take the opportunity to serve for granted.

She credited the progress made during her tenure to the partnership between her administration, coalition partners and residents.

“Thank you to the people of Tshwane for trusting this girl with your households as the executive mayor,” she said.

Moya said she had committed to serving all communities and believed the election results reflected how residents felt about her leadership.

Sowetan

The friend-discovery feature helps users find and add new contacts.

Ofcom said the change would make it harder for strangers to contact children on the image-sharing social media platform, one it considers among the largest and most popular online services used by children in Britain.

The regulator said in May that Snapchat was used by 32% of children aged eight to 12 in Britain, despite the platform’s minimum age restriction of 13.

Oliver Griffiths, director of Ofcom’s Online Safety Group, said the change was “long overdue” and the regulator would monitor Snapchat’s rollout of the new protection this month.

Snapchat had committed to making such a change in May, and told the regulator more recently that effective age checks for under 18s should be in place by the end of the year.

The platform did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

There have long been concerns about online grooming on social media.

A 2025 analysis of British police data by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children showed that 40% of recorded offences involving sexual communication with a child where the platform was identified took place on Snapchat.

Ofcom has pressed major tech firms to introduce stronger anti-grooming measures. It has said that online grooming can have “devastating, lifelong consequences” for children.

The regulator also re-issued a warning to other tech companies failing to tackle grooming risks, saying they risked fines of up to 10% of their qualifying global revenue.

Reuters

The agencies said an estimated 15.4-million people across Sudan urgently need emergency shelter and basic household items, but funding constraints mean humanitarian agencies can prioritise assistance for only about 10% of those in need.

So far, 936,000 people have received assistance, leaving a large gap between needs and available resources, according to a joint statement.

Sudan remains the world’s largest displacement crisis more than three years after war broke out in 2023, when the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces clashed over issues including how to integrate their forces in a planned transition to civilian rule.

Just this year, IOM was able to distribute more than 40,000 tonnes, but our warehouses are completely empty now

Mohamed Refaat, IOM Sudan chief

Around 8.6-million people remain displaced within the country, while more than 4.6-million have fled across borders. More than 5.2-million people have also returned to their areas of origin, often finding homes, infrastructure and basic services destroyed.

Speaking from Khartoum during a UN briefing in Geneva, IOM Sudan chief Mohamed Refaat said the agency was struggling to maintain operations as resources dwindled.

“Just this year, IOM was able to distribute more than 40,000 tonnes, but our warehouses are completely empty now,” he said.

Refaat said the number of internally displaced people could rise again despite recent returns. He said agencies had already scaled back ambitions because of limited funding.

“We decided to serve only one out of ten. But even within the one out of 10, we could reach only 900,000 people with what we had,” he said.

The agencies called for urgent funding to replenish emergency stocks and prevent further deterioration in conditions for displaced Sudanese.

Reuters

Activist groups have announced actions in 16 countries on Friday and Saturday, according to the “Stop Dirty Data Centres” coalition, which is rallying environmental groups and digital rights campaigns behind calls to pause large-scale construction.

In Amsterdam on Friday, more than 100 activists gathered at the construction site of a Microsoft AI data centre, marching arm in arm before breaking into the site, climbing cranes, hanging balloons and dancing while police stood by. Some carried placards with messages reading: “Screw your data centre”.

Site owner Pure Data Centres, which plans to invest more than $1bn (R16.53bn) and is backed by Brookfield-owned Oaktree, said it was committed to engagement with local stakeholders.

“We respectfully ask those on site to leave safely and engage with us in dialogue about the development and any concerns they may have,” it said.

Other planned actions include:

• a march in Dublin;
• a protest outside the parliament building in Warsaw; and
• a demonstration against a different Microsoft data centre in Denmark.

Microsoft said it understood that people had strong feelings about the project and respected their right to express them peacefully but did not condone any unlawful actions.

Stock market rout

Pushback is growing from Spain to India and the US, where technology stocks have driven what became a second day of sharp losses in share prices on Friday over concern that Democratic control of Congress could mean tougher regulation curtails the AI boom.

Campaigners say data centres pressure electricity and water supplies, compete with housing and other businesses for scarce resources and threaten climate goals. They also point to job losses and potential risks to personal and national security from private and big tech concentrating power.

Technology companies say data centres are essential to meeting global demand for AI and cloud computing and provide critical infrastructure for businesses, governments and consumers.

Stop Dirty Data Centres says it is not anti-progress or calling for existing data centres to closed but says major construction should be halted until governments establish clearer rules.

Europe is divided between its ambition to catch up with the US and Asia on AI to boost productivity and to maintain what are generally more stringent controls and public protections.

On Thursday EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said Europe needed more data centres to power AI development, though she added it needed to be done with care.

“AI, of course, is a super important technology and we need to have our own capacity,” Virkkunen said, pointing to investments being made in chip-making capacity, AI startups and a plan to build out gigafactories around the region.

However, she added: “It’s very important for citizens that they can trust that their energy bills are not skyrocketing and there’s not electricity blackouts because of data centres, or they are not destroying the environment with these projects.”

A Google project in Finland faces a criminal probe over land clearances, Italy and Portugal are tightening environmental regulation for datacentres, and Microsoft pulled out of a UK data centre project that was hit by infrastructure delays.

The Netherlands has about 200 data centres either planned, under construction or in operation.

Reuters

The Boks have won everything there is to win after their second consecutive Rugby World Cup triumph in 2023.

The team has shown no signs of complacency or slowing down.

This week coach Rassie Erasmus and his men are in Turin to kick off the Northern Series European leg of the inaugural Nations Championship at Estadio Camilo Cano (1.40pm SA time), where victory will keep South Africa top of the Southern Hemisphere standings.

Archrivals the All Blacks, who also have three wins, are breathing down the necks of the Boks, who occupy the top spot on points difference. Both teams have three matches remaining, and only one will make the final.

Coach Rassie believes to make the #NationsChampionship final, the Springboks may need to win all there remaining matches and edge the All Blacks on points difference 🤏#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/RcnGmnQ8LE

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 3, 2026

Fullback Damian Willemse acknowledged the tightness of the permutations. However, the 28-year-old says the Springboks are fully focused on Italy.

“We are playing for the cup in three or four weeks, and I think the most important week is this week. If we lose this week, we’re out of the race to try and be in the final, but that’s not really in our heads now,” he said.

“I know we are [close on points] with New Zealand. If we are in a position to go for a bonus point, we’ll obviously look to do that.

“But the main thing for us is just to perform very well and win the game. What is in our heads is making sure we follow through on the plan and the stuff the coaches have put out for us.”

The Nations Championship being a new tournament and these matches not simply part of another end-of-year European tour adds motivation, Willemse said.

The noises that the Springboks make during a game of keepy-uppy 😂🗣️#SSRugby | #NationsChampionship pic.twitter.com/31uA0EgUpk

— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 5, 2026

“It’s exciting for us because there is something we’ll be playing towards. There’s a cup on the line. Our approach to any tournament or cup is to take it seriously, and we want to get the right result and make sure we go to the end.”

Willemse said South Africa expect Italy to give them a run for their money in front of their home fans despite having been struck by a few injuries.

“They are a strong side, very well-coached and come up with good plans. We’ve got to stay dialled in and make sure we don’t lose focus on what’s ahead.

“We saw last year when we played them in Turin how dangerous they are. And [while] they’ve got a few injuries, I know there are a couple of guys in the set-up who are key players for them.”

The Boks return to a happy hunting ground in Turin, having registered a sparkling 32-14 victory over Italy the last time they played there, with Willemse earning player of the match.

TimesLIVE

Speaking at the Durban high court on Friday — where he came to support his daughter, former MK Party MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla — Zuma gave his trademark laugh as he answered questions about the party’s performance in Wednesday’s elections.

WATCH | Former president Jacob Zuma says the MK Party is open to coalitions and was happy to be proven right about the party’s performance in KwaZulu-Natal. pic.twitter.com/sNdgSdG2Gd

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 6, 2026

He was in a jovial mood as he replied to reporters, “What is your problem?” when asked about interim results which show the MK Party tipped to take eThekwini at about 40%.

“We told you, we were going to take that place [KwaZulu-Natal], and we have taken it,” he said.

Asked whether the MK Party would be open to coalition talks if necessary, Zuma, 84, replied: “We are, we are. We are open.”

“That is what we do because we want to rule the country, and we want the country to be run properly by the citizens who feel that this country needs to be what we all want it to be.”

Zuma, however, wouldn’t disclose his preferred mayoral candidate when questioned about the party’s local government plans.

“I can’t disclose that.”

Zuma told thousands of supporters at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Sunday that the MK Party will soon take over the country and lead many municipalities.

He was addressing the MK Party’s final Sithatha Omasipala rally before Wednesday’s local government elections.

It was his first in-person appearance since he collapsed in Umsinga and was admitted to Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg on October 6, where he spent 11 days.

He was in court to support Zuma-Sambudla, whose application for terrorism charges linked to the July 2021 civil unrest under section 174 of the Criminal Procedures Act, to be dropped, was unsuccessful.

The case against Zuma-Sambudla will continue in May.

TimesLIVE

Police surrounded the courtroom in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam and crowds gathered nearby as authorities brought Lissu to the hearing in a heavily guarded convoy.

The chairperson of Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, was arrested in April last year and charged with treason in a case that helped fuel the worst political unrest in the country’s history during the October 2025 elections.

The charge related to a speech Lissu gave in which prosecutors said he told supporters that the opposition would “block the election” and “mobilise rebellion”.

He had pleaded not guilty, arguing during the trial that his speech did not violate any law and that the charges were politically motivated. The government has dismissed accusations of a crackdown on dissent and said protesters started the violence.

Footage posted on Chadema’s X account showed Lissu being escorted to the court by guards, some masked. He was seen waving his fist in the air briefly and shouting, “do not fear”, in Swahili.

More footage from Chadema showed Lissu in the dock, sporting dreadlocks and dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt with a blue rosary around his left arm, waving to people inside the packed courtroom and shouting, “we will arrive”, while they responded, “yes” in Swahili.

Lissu planned to appeal against the jail sentence, said his party’s spokesperson, Brenda Rupia.

Lissu’s arrest, along with Chadema’s disqualification from the vote and allegations by rights groups that government critics were abducted, was a key driver of protests that broke out during last year’s elections.

Hundreds died as police opened fire on protesters in multiple cities, undermining the country’s longstanding reputation for stability.

A commission appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan said in April that at least 518 people were killed in the violence, which it blamed on protesters. Her government denied allegations by human rights groups that the security services used excessive force. She was declared winner of the election with nearly 98% of the vote.

Earlier this week, the police commander in Dar es Salaam warned that legal action would be taken against anyone planning to break the law when the verdict was issued.

The US ambassador to Tanzania, William Trachman, wrote on X on Thursday that he was closely following the trial and its “broader implications for the rule of law”. The US government said last December it was reviewing its relationship with Tanzania due to violence against civilians and other concerns.

Lissu, 58, survived being shot 16 times in an assassination attempt in 2017. No one has ever been charged in the case. He went into exile and returned briefly in 2020 to stand in the presidential election against the incumbent, John Magufuli, finishing runner-up.

Lissu then returned permanently in 2023 after President Hassan eased political repression that had intensified under Magufuli, who died in office in 2021. But Hassan soon faced growing criticism from human rights activists for cracking down on opponents, accusations she denied.

Reuters

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Former deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has accused investigators attached to the Madlanga commission’s referral task team of abusing their powers, conducting unlawful searches, manipulating criminal proceedings and orchestrating what he describes as a prosecutorially driven operation against him.

In an appeal against the refusal of his bail, Sibiya lays out a series of allegations about the conduct of the team responsible for investigating criminal complaints arising from evidence before the Madlanga commission, arguing that its actions were characterised by procedural irregularities, abuse of authority and attempts to undermine his defence.

TimesLIVE has seen Sibiya’s notice of appeal, filed at the Johannesburg high court on November 5, which challenges the Randburg magistrate’s court’s October 20 decision to deny him bail.

But beyond seeking his release, the notice offers a detailed account of what Sibiya believes was an investigation tainted by unlawful conduct, raising questions about the methods used by the referral task team and the circumstances surrounding his arrest and detention.

Sibiya was arrested on September 21 following allegations that he raped an 18-year-old woman at the Sandton nightclub, The Grand, in May after she had allegedly consumed alcohol and lost consciousness. Sibiya has denied rape, maintaining that their sexual encounter was consensual.

He is also accused of sexually grooming a 16-year-old girl through electronic communications between July and August 2026, as well as human trafficking involving three individuals.

The arrest of the appellant was a prosecutorially driven operation during which the respondent acted ultra vires in a manner that does not emanate from the Madlanga commission

Shadrack Sibiya’s notice of appeal

The state opposed his release on bail, arguing that the seriousness of the charges and the risks of witness intimidation, interference with evidence and evading trial warranted his continued detention. The prosecution also relied on allegations that Sibiya had threatened the complainant’s father.

On October 20, Randburg magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe refused bail, finding that Sibiya had failed to establish the exceptional circumstances required for release under Schedule 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The court was also concerned about the potential risks associated with his release, including possible interference with witnesses and evidence. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

His lawyers argue that the magistrate failed to properly consider allegations of investigative misconduct when determining whether he should remain behind bars.

The defence specifically takes issue with the execution of an arrest warrant, alleging that investigators orchestrated an arrest at premises different from the address specified in the warrant.

The notice states: “The arrest of the appellant was a prosecutorially driven operation during which the respondent acted ultra vires in a manner that does not emanate from the Madlanga commission.”

Sibiya further alleges that investigators obtained an additional search and seizure warrant covering unrelated offences which had no bearing on the charges he was facing.

The defence argues that the search was unlawful and that investigators subsequently relied on allegations arising from the operation to strengthen the case against him.

It also claims that the state repeatedly sought to seize items on the same facts despite a pending high court application concerning the legality of the original search and seizure operation.

The appeal describes the conduct as part of a broader pattern of investigative overreach.

Another serious allegation concerns the handling of evidence and the state’s reliance on claims that Sibiya had interfered with exhibits.

The defence disputes the allegations of tampering and argues that the magistrate accepted the state’s version without adequately examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged interference.

Sibiya’s lawyers also take issue with the postponement of the proceedings, arguing that the state sought a further seven days without providing sufficient reasons or producing investigative results during the period.

They contend that the postponement effectively prolonged his detention without demonstrating meaningful progress in the investigation.

The defence further disputes the reliability of the alleged threat, arguing that it was not contained in the voice recording or its transcript

The appeal further raises concerns about where Sibiya was detained after his arrest, alleging that he was placed in a high-security section of Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre’s C-Max facility in an attempt to break him down.

The allegations extend to the involvement of other law enforcement structures.

Sibiya’s lawyers accuse the referral task team of failing to involve the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) in matters which they argue fell within its investigative jurisdiction.

They contend that the investigating officer, a sergeant Ndlovu, was incorrectly attributed powers that should have been exercised by Ipid members.

The appeal states that the magistrate failed to consider whether the failure to involve Ipid amounted to an offence under the Ipid Act.

It further argues that Ipid has exclusive jurisdiction to investigate rape allegations involving police officers, a point the defence says should have been considered when assessing the investigation.

Another contentious issue is the defence’s allegation that the state relied on evidence that was allegedly backdated.

The notice specifically identifies Exhibit L, which the defence says was presented as an affidavit dated September 18 2026 but was not in the state’s possession on that date.

The appeal states: “Exhibit L, presented as an affidavit dated September 18 2026 by the [state] and deposed to by Mr M, is a recent fabrication and not in possession of the state on September 18 2026.”

The defence argues that the magistrate failed to properly interrogate this discrepancy and its implications for the credibility of the state’s case.

Sibiya also challenges the magistrate’s treatment of allegations that he threatened the complainant’s father, identified in the proceedings as Mr M.

The appeal maintains that the evidence presented by Sibiya’s son, Ofentse Mgwenya, Sgt Matome Rasekgokgoba and Sizakele Dlamini supported his version that Mr M was not the victim of threats but had himself initiated threatening conduct.

The defence further disputes the reliability of the alleged threat, arguing that it was not contained in the voice recording or its transcript.

It accuses the magistrate of relying on evidence that was not properly established during the proceedings and of accepting allegations that the defence says were contradicted by other material before the court.

Sibiya’s lawyers argue that the magistrate failed to properly assess this evidence against the defence’s version.

The defence also accuses the magistrate of descending into the arena during the proceedings by questioning witnesses and introducing considerations which it says ultimately prejudiced Sibiya

The appeal also challenges the manner in which the charges were classified for purposes of the bail application.

The defence argues that the magistrate incorrectly treated the matter as falling under schedule 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act, thereby requiring Sibiya to establish exceptional circumstances justifying his release. It maintains that the state did not establish a sufficient evidentiary basis for that classification, particularly in relation to the human trafficking charge.

The notice argues that the facts relied on by the state did not satisfy the legal definition of human trafficking and that the magistrate failed to properly consider the applicable legal principles.

The defence also accuses the magistrate of descending into the arena during the proceedings by questioning witnesses and introducing considerations which it says ultimately prejudiced Sibiya.

It argues that the magistrate allowed inadmissible evidence and disregarded the provisions of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act.

The appeal further challenges the magistrate’s assessment of the risk that Sibiya would interfere with witnesses, evade trial or undermine the administration of justice if released.

His lawyers argue that the court failed to properly consider:

• his personal circumstances;
• his disclosure of his defence; and
• evidence they say remained uncontested at the conclusion of the bail hearing.

They maintain that the magistrate’s findings were based on an incomplete assessment of the evidence and that the court failed to distinguish between allegations made by investigators and facts established through admissible evidence.

The appeal also raises the question of whether the referral task team’s conduct should itself have formed part of the magistrate’s assessment of the interests of justice.

Sibiya’s lawyers contend that the alleged abuse of power was not peripheral to the bail proceedings but directly relevant to the credibility of the investigation and the fairness of the process.

TimesLIVE

“October 2026 was the warmest October on record globally, with an average global surface air temperature 1.75°C above the pre-industrial level,” Copernicus said in a statement.

The October data mark a third straight month above the 1.5°C threshold, Copernicus said, as El Niño conditions intensify in the tropical Pacific and the four-year average from 2023 to 2026 is also expected to break that mark.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries agreed to try to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, though the target refers to a long-term average, so a single year above the mark does not mean it has been breached.

Scientists say warming beyond 1.5°C sharply increases the risk of severe heatwaves, droughts, floods and other climate impacts.

Copernicus also said that 2026 was most likely to be the second-warmest year on record, with about a 20% chance of tying or exceeding 2024, currently the warmest year on record.

In October, the average sea surface temperature outside the polar regions reached 20.95°C, the highest on record for the month, surpassing the previous October record set in 2023.

In the tropical Pacific, where El Niño conditions continued to intensify, the monthly sea surface temperature anomaly in the Niño 3.4 region — the central-equatorial Pacific zone used to monitor El Niño — reached an all-time high of 3.21°C above average, exceeding the peaks recorded during previous very strong El Niño events.

Reuters

MotoGP officials told teams in Malaysia on Sunday they had received no information warranting a change to the Qatar Grand Prix, despite riders’ concerns about the war against Iran.

The race at the Lusail International Circuit, originally scheduled for April, was postponed to November 6 to 8 due to the conflict, with seven-time champion Marquez among those seeking further assurances.

“Not the best place to be but, in the end, we have a contract and we are ready to race here in Qatar,” said Marquez, who can equal Giacomo Agostini’s haul of eight world championships in the premier class.

“I tried to arrive as late as possible and I will leave as soon as possible ... You can see that some people are affected a bit more, some people a bit less. But in the end, we must be professional.”

Marquez’s remark contrasted with the stance taken by Aprilia, who have been vocal about wanting to race in Qatar as they look to salvage a campaign that seemed theirs to win months ago.

MotoGP has said independent risk assessments show it is safe to race, while Qatar has given official assurances and guarantees that teams and riders will not be stranded if the conflict escalates.

Aprilia dismiss safety debate

“If the organisers say it’s safe, we have to go. There’s not much to debate. Honestly, I don’t understand all this fuss that’s being made,” Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola told AS. “I want to go. If you don’t want to do this job, you stay home.”

But those assurances did not stop Yamaha from withdrawing after the Japanese manufacturer cited “company-wide travel restrictions”.

MotoGP said the team could face “sporting consequences” for not honouring its contract, a decision for governing body FIM, which did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

“I don’t want to go. Like everybody,” Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller had said in Sepang.

“They can attack us at any angle. Both financially and on the sporting side with our licences and also the team... Do I want to hurt the team? Not at all. But at the same time, I don’t feel like pushing the horse to race.”

Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez said it had been a “strange weekend” since arriving in Qatar. “The tension of there being a war going on and you being right in the thick of it ... for the people working there, it’s not exactly the ideal atmosphere,” he said.

Match point for Marquez

Marquez leads with 399 points — 44 ahead of Aprilia’s Jorge Martin, who led earlier in the season, and 67 clear of Marco Bezzecchi, once a clear favourite after winning four of the first seven races.

“I’m happy to be heading to Qatar. It’s a track I really like,” Bezzecchi said.

Martin, who was declared fit on Friday after withdrawing from Malaysia with a fractured wrist, is eager to return after he saw his title hopes slowly fade.

“I went back to Spain to continue the treatment I need to recover from the injury and to get to Qatar in the best shape possible. Now we’ll see how the body responds,” the 2024 champion said.

Reuters

Musk said in an X post the production wind-down would enable the carmaker to accommodate increased output of its newly launched Cybercab model, which the billionaire has made central to Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions.

While it was not immediately clear whether Cybertruck production would be moved to another facility or phased out entirely, the carmaker’s Austin plant is the only known Tesla facility equipped to manufacture the model’s specialised components.

In response to a user on X, Musk called the Cybertruck the “best vehicle Tesla has ever made” and the wind-down the “end of an era”.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

The US EV maker only began delivering the Cybertruck to customers in late 2023. According to Kelley Blue Book, the company only sold 20,237 Cybertrucks in the US last year, down 48% from 38,965 in 2024. Before the pickup truck launched, Musk had predicted annual sales of 250,000 units.

“It doesn’t make sense to keep it going when it’s not meeting its targets,” said former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. “Every rational car guy would say the same.”

“It will no doubt only be a rounding error on Tesla’s balance sheet, but the statistics speak for themselves.”

‘Cybertruck won’t go, can’t go’

Right from its unveiling in 2019, the Cybertruck was a controversial choice for Musk. Its angular design was mocked by pickup truck purists and safety experts predicted it would be hard to gain approval for sale in key markets like Europe.

The unveiling event itself was marred when Musk tried to prove with a sledgehammer that its windows were shatterproof — only to leave massive cracks in two of them.

During Cybertruck’s official launch in 2023, Musk touted it as a futuristic competitor to pickup trucks from General Motors and Ford, saying “finally, the future will look like the future”.

But the vehicle has struggled to meet those expectations.

Automotive analyst Felipe Munoz said that though the Cybertruck has been called a failure because of its poor sales, electric pickups from Ford and others have also flopped in the US market.

“All of them lost the competition because electric pickups aren’t popular in the US,” Munoz said.

But Cybertruck’s sharp-edged stainless-steel design limited its prospects in markets like Europe where EVs are more popular. Regulatory approval was impossible for Europe because of rules there concerning pedestrian impact.

“Anywhere where you have crash regulation that takes into account pedestrian impact, that Cybertruck won’t go, can’t go,” former Aston Martin CEO Palmer said.

Musk’s new bet

The Cybercab, which has butterfly doors and no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors, is one of Musk’s key bets in his push to turn Tesla into an AI and robotics company rather than just a carmaker.

Musk has said he sees it as Tesla’s main autonomous model supplying a global network of robotaxis.

After years of delays to Musk’s self-driving targets, Tesla began offering paid rides in a small fleet of Cybercabs in Austin in September. However, the carmaker still has to answer the US auto safety agency’s questions on whether it has properly self-certified Cybercab to demonstrate compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards.

“Cybertruck was an incredible technology development platform and lives on through Cybercab,” Cybertruck lead engineer Wes Morrill said on X.

Reuters

The sentence was comprised of 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years by direct homicide, justice Diana Kavedza said, reading out the judgment.

Prosecutors said Mackenzie, who led an apocalyptic Christian church in a forest near eastern Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, had told his followers to starve themselves to death, along with their children, to reach heaven before the end of the world.

His accomplices threatened and beat victims to ensure they followed his orders. The emaciated bodies were found scattered in shallow graves and dumped in latrines. Some had been buried alive.

Mackenzie, wearing a grey polo shirt and black trousers, smiled as he entered a tent set up outside the court where the hearing was held.

He had denied murder charges, saying he did not force the victims to starve. The court rejected his defence.

Father lost six children

The case shocked Kenya in April 2023 when police began uncovering bodies in Shakahola Forest near the coastal town of Malindi.

Though only the cases of 190 children and one adult victim were covered by the trial, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights says 448 bodies were ultimately found in the forest.

Mackenzie is also accused of ordering the deaths of 52 people found at a separate location in a village 30km away, bringing the suspected total toll to 500. He has pleaded not guilty in that case.

I lost friends too, and my younger brother. It’s justice to the people who we lost over there in Shakahola

Dan Mackenzie, one of Paul’s sons

The scale of the killing is comparable to that of a doomsday cult that killed more than 700 people in Uganda in 2000, and the 1978 Jonestown massacre in Guyana when an American cult leader killed more than 900 people by ordering them to drink poison.

Stephen Mwiti, 48, father of six of Mackenzie’s child victims and husband of one of his convicted accomplices, said his wife had taken the children to Shakahola, where they were starved to death.

Even if the adults had agreed to fast, “what about the children?” Mwiti told Reuters ahead of the sentencing.

“I lost children and I will not be able to get them back no matter what happens to Mackenzie and his accomplices,” Mwiti said. “I expect him to be sentenced to death or be jailed for life so that he never comes out to cause more deaths.”

Dan Mackenzie, one of Paul’s sons, said his father did not spare his own family.

“I didn’t end up in Shakahola, because I didn’t believe anymore about ... going to heaven. So I left the church and started doing my own thing,” he told Reuters. “I lost friends too, and my younger brother. It’s justice to the people who we lost over there in Shakahola.”

An important step, but more accountability needed

Mackenzie had been on the radar of the authorities since 2017 when his premises were searched by the police. In 2019, authorities shut down Mackenzie’s church in Malindi and he relocated to the nearby Shakahola Forest.

The discoveries prompted calls for tighter oversight of religious groups. President William Ruto appointed a task force in May 2023 to review the legal and regulatory framework, and separate government-backed and Senate proposals were published in 2024, though they have yet to be passed into law.

Ojiro Odhiambo, head of rapid response at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, said the conviction was an important step but accountability should go further as local administrators, police, intelligence officers and religious leaders bore responsibility for failing to act on repeated warning signs.

“All these people have failed the people,” he said.

In 2023, Ruto said he took responsibility as president for the government having failed to prevent the deaths.

Reuters

The finalists were selected through 10 regional events, after an application process that attracted more than 23,000 entries from around the world. They come from a range of backgrounds, including astronauts, filmmakers and firefighters.

The Global Final will cover 3,000km across three countries, with competitors tackling a series of off-road challenges while contributing to five conservation and community projects.

Working alongside conservation partner Tusk, participants will provide practical support to initiatives aimed at making a lasting positive impact in the areas they visit.

The Defender Trophy marks the brand’s return to international adventure challenges, 45 years after the original concept was introduced. It revives the famous Camel Trophy, the annual off-road competition held between 1980 and 2000, which became closely associated with Land Rover vehicles and their off-road capabilities.

The new event draws on that heritage, combining vehicle-based challenges with conservation and community work.

South Africa will be represented by Lance Kime and Isabelle Roux.

The other finalists come from Australia, China, Japan, Taiwan, North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

The full list of finalists is:

• APAC: Lily Hillary
• Australia: Glen Wimberley, Louise McNair
• China: Shi Zeyuan, Wang Xuanyi, Zhu Weiqiang
• Europe: Mathilde Vougny, Max Ferrer, Marc Offenbacher, Michele Nava, Henri Steyaert, Niels Vaandrager, Tobias Wernik, Pavel Paloncy, Mert Becce, Simon Kessler, Ozbe Steblaj, Patrik Sandell, Dimitrios Kleon Papadimitriou, Bartosz Kolaczkowski, Patrycja Woszczek
• Japan: Naoki Imamura
• Middle East and North Africa: Craig Saunders, Julie Millasseau, Khaled Ahmad Al Shaker
• North America: Nathaniel Biggs, Tirin Cameron, Adrian Kowryha, Andrew Leveille, Sarah Gillis
• South America: Emiliano Flores, Luis Eduardo Aceituno
• South Africa: Lance Kime, Isabelle Roux
• Taiwan: Antony Tsai, Louie Wu

TimesLIVE

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed faster than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

Click here to follow the results in real time.

Shares of Hims & Hers rose more than 7% in premarket trading.

The Lilly drugs were previously available to patients on Hims & Hers only if they left the site and went to Lilly’s own cash-pay platform, LillyDirect.

The move puts Lilly on equal footing with Danish rival Novo Nordisk, which has been selling its Wegovy and Ozempic through Hims & Hers since March, after previously suing the telehealth company for offering compounded versions of its medications.

Lilly leads the obesity drug market with its highly effective injectable Zepbound, even as Novo has sold millions more obesity pills in the US. Lilly launched its oral Foundayo in April, around three months after Novo’s Wegovy pill came to market.

“The ease and ability for someone on the Hims & Hers platform today to get Lilly medicine is not fully straightforward,” said Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly USA.

Last week Lilly raised its full-year revenue forecast by $5bn on booming demand for its injectable weight-loss drugs

He said any friction point for consumers increases the chance of abandonment.

As part of the deal, Yuffa said Hims & Hers has agreed to not sell any compounded versions or knockoffs of Lilly obesity medications.

Self-pay pricing starts at $149 (about R2,443) per month for Lilly’s obesity pill Foundayo and $299 per month for injectable GLP-1 Zepbound, matching the prices available through LillyDirect.

Novo’s drugs on the platform start at $149 per month for the Wegovy pill and $199 per month for the Wegovy injector pen.

Some 40% to 45% of Zepbound sales are through self-pay channels, according to Lilly.

Analysts have said that Hims & Hers may get a boost next ​year from employers dropping coverage of weight-loss drugs to rein in costs.

Last week Lilly raised its full-year revenue forecast by $5bn on booming demand for its injectable weight-loss drugs. The company’s lead in the enormous and expanding obesity drug market has propelled Lilly to a $1.2-trillion market valuation.

Reuters

It is the first case involving a British national linked to the current outbreak, although several other people from elsewhere in Europe have been infected. Imported cases are rare, with a handful of confirmed cases recorded in Britain since 1976.

Authorities have said they do not expect the case to have a serious public health impact in Britain and anticipate no disruption to international travel or trade.

The patient, whose identity was not disclosed, is being treated in a high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London, staffed by specialist clinical teams and designed to prevent contact between the patient and the public, the government said.

Renu Bindra, deputy director for All Hazards Public Health Response at the UK Health Security Agency, said the agency and the National Health Service had established infection-prevention and control protocols to limit the risk of onward transmission.

“The risk to the wider public remains low,” Bindra said.

Ebola is a severe viral disease spread through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. The World Health Organisation says the disease is fatal in about half of cases on average, though mortality rates vary between outbreaks.

The current outbreak in DRC is the second-largest on record, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases and more than 5,000 deaths reported.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

When he joined Mamelodi Sundowns from Golden Arrows in July, most football fans feared that exciting winger Siyanda Ndlovu might struggle to get game time at the star-studded side.

Fast forward about four months, and 23-year-old “Skhwishi” has earned his first Bafana Bafana call-up for their back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Kenya.

Bafana host Benni McCarthy’s “Harambee Stars” at Orlando Stadium on Friday (6pm) before traveling to Nairobi for the second leg on Tuesday, November 17.

Ndlovu was not in the preliminary squad, but his impressive performances have led coach Pitso Mosimane to pick him for the crucial qualifiers where Bafana are looking to extend their lead at the top of Group D.

In his last three matches, Ndlovu helped Sundowns to wins over Golden Arrows, Durban City and Marumo Gallants in all competitions.

I want to check him in the national team because this is not the same level as club level.

Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane

“If you look at his last few games, he came out with two man-of-the-match awards, he is scoring, assisting and he is a deliberate player.

“He is a little bit of a duplicate of Thapelo Maseko, and I like those types of wingers,” said Mosimane.

“Some people like wingers to turn around, but I like them going for one-on-ones and going behind the defence and bringing the ball into the box ... and let’s tap it in. Those are my kind of wingers.

“He is deliberate. But you must score also goals. You can’t just tell us about assists. He is that kind of player, who has intensity.”

Mosimane said while they were introducing Ndlovu into the national team set-up, there was no guarantee that he was going to get an opportunity to play.

“I want to check him in the national team, because this is not the same level as club level. We want to see how he is, how he will fit in, and we need to create a big pool of players.

Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane on why he selected Siyanda Ndlovu.

WATCH more on #PrimeSportsWithMahlatseTV ➡️➡️➡️https://t.co/mWqXKNdPQO pic.twitter.com/PM7LwUBiA7

— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) November 6, 2026

“We don’t have time and I am not like Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus‚ who says: ‘I am taking the England tour’. I have to follow what Fifa gives me. And at the moment there are friendly games until the Afcon final.

“How am I going to see the players who are doing well? I need to bring them into the camp and train with them. When we bring you in, it doesn’t mean you are going to play.

“We acknowledge that you are doing well. Now we want to see if you can fit into the set-up, we want you to come and learn how we do things here because we do things differently to your club.

“We have our own set-pieces and corner kicks, etc. Can these players adapt. Maybe not easily, but let him come to see how it’s done at the national team.

“This is international level and it is not only about talent, it is about fitting into the group. We are building a culture and we need to keep it in the national team.

“Look at the culture of the Springboks, the coaches play whatever player they want to play. And there is no player who is going to say ‘I am not playing’.

“We are not copying from the Boks, because all the programmes are different all the way from school level. Where is my Craven Week in football? We don’t have those kinds of programmes to build from.”

TimesLIVE

South Africans headed to the polls this week to cast their ballots in the municipal elections. Out of 29.2-million registered voters across 23,696 voting stations nationwide, about 14.5-million citizens cast their votes.

Speaking during an interview on SABC1’s Daily Thetha, Ndlozi was asked why his thumb lacked the ink mark indicating he had voted. He responded that he had chosen not to participate.

“I couldn’t,” Ndlozi said. “I’m very unhappy with the conduct of black people in South Africa. I don’t know why we’ve accepted being atomised, because we are not going to achieve anything this way.”

South Africa has 732 political parties registered with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), 546 of which contested these local government elections. Ndlozi expressed concern over the proliferation of black-led parties, arguing that it serves only to divide black voters.

“My difficulty is that there are nearly 600 political parties, whereas white voters effectively have two choices,” he said.

“For us, we are forced to choose among people who have already had their chance yet fail to address unemployment or poverty. I cannot participate in the further division of black people. I am part of the 51% of voters who are unmoved by this continuous atomisation of our people.”

Everyone wants to be a leader; nobody wants to serve. Everybody in the room demands to be served, yet we know that the greatest among us is the one who serves

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, former EFF MP

He emphasised that democratic rights should unite rather than divide.

“Throughout history, the mission of democracy was not to divide us. You cannot act effectively if you are divided.”

Ndlozi also criticised coalition governments, arguing they have failed to improve citizens’ daily lives.

“South Africa is only getting worse because they cannot work together. They are the product of an inability to cooperate and of pure egocentrism. Everyone wants to be a leader; nobody wants to serve. Everybody in the room demands to be served, yet we know that the greatest among us is the one who serves.”

Ndlozi asserted that political parties are not capable of solving South Africa’s systemic crises, accusing many political parties of turning their organisations into businesses.

“Our problems such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality are not going to be resolved by the political party entrepreneurship displayed [on voting day]. These individuals are businesspeople using politics for personal gain.”

Rather than relying on political parties to drive change, Ndlozi argued that civil society organisations, such as the Batho Pele Convention he recently launched, are better positioned to meet community needs.

“That’s why we started a civil society organisation: to propel the rise of a new black mindset that is community-driven and motivated by the desire to see this country thrive. If that is your desire, you will do everything in your power to work with your neighbour.”

He said his initiative has no future ambitions of contesting elections.

“I have no interest in forming a new political party.”

TimesLive

The plans would mark a sharp shift from the Republican-led Congress, where lawmakers largely focused on promoting AI development and declined to pass legislation restricting aspects of the technology at a time when voters turned against the rapid development of data centres and their extensive power needs.

Democrats plan on introducing bills aimed at shielding consumers from rising electricity costs tied to data centres, requiring independent testing of advanced AI systems and clarifying when AI companies can be held liable for harm caused by their products, they said.

Any legislation would face steep odds while President Donald Trump remains in the White House, as he has repeatedly dismissed calls to write mandatory rules for AI technology.

But Democratic lawmakers and outside advocates said control of congressional committees would give the party a platform to advance proposals, compel testimony from industry leaders and build support for action if AI systems cause real-world harm. Representative Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, already said this week that AI executives should be called to testify under oath.

Federal government restrictions on AI development could hurt the industry’s profits if they slow the release of new models or prompt the companies to change how their AI tools perform to address concerns that their products are harming people.

Technology shares sold off dramatically on Thursday on growing concerns that a new Congress will slow AI development, but also on fears that the massive capital expense on building out AI will not yield sufficient returns.

Multiple bills likely

Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat who is expected to become majority leader, said on Thursday at an event in Washington that protecting consumers from higher energy costs linked to the rapid expansion of data centres would be among his priorities next year.

Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, one of the Democratic Party’s leading voices on AI policy, plans to push legislation requiring independent experts to evaluate leading AI models against safety standards, said Francis Grubar, her deputy chief of staff. Trahan will also pursue legislation clarifying that companies can be held responsible when AI systems act in harmful ways, he said.

Representative Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California who is seeking to chair the House Science Committee, said Democrats would focus on developing “responsible regulations for AI while also fostering innovation.”

Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Democrat who won a Senate seat on Tuesday, called during his campaign for an independent agency to oversee AI regulation with the power to police tech companies developing the technology.

Public concern about AI is already high. Most US voters think Trump’s administration and Congress are not taking the risks of AI seriously enough and want the government to ​write new regulations for the technology, according to a Reuters poll published in October. A crisis could build enough support to overcome presidential opposition to AI regulation, said Ed Mills, who manages policy research at Raymond James.

“The probability of legislation is much higher than people anticipate,” he said.

Congress can override a presidential veto with the backing of two-thirds of lawmakers in both chambers. Democrats could also try to insert AI regulation into routine bills that must pass Congress each year, Mills said.

Democrats also plan to use their new authority to intensify scrutiny of the industry’s most powerful companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic. Lofgren and other Democratic House committee leaders in October asked OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Alphabet’s Google and SpaceX to detail their security practices and report instances of their AI tools taking actions that their designers did not intend.

Reuters

TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, risks a fine next year of up to 6% of its global annual turnover unless it can resolve the issue.

Social media companies are under pressure to modify their algorithms amid growing concerns worldwide that their platforms are contributing ​to a mental health crisis among children, prompting some governments to impose or consider bans for underage users.

The European commission, which acts as the EU tech regulator, said it issued charges known as preliminary findings to TikTok after the company failed to implement proportionate, reasonable and effective mitigation measures to address the risks.

It said endless and repeated exposure to content about sadness, isolation or body image can have a detrimental impact on users’ mental health.

“Every time a user scrolls or likes a video on TikTok, the algorithm serves more of the same, leading users down rabbit holes they cannot easily escape from,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said.

“Today’s [Friday] preliminary findings show again that TikTok needs to step up its efforts to protect users’ wellbeing, including those of minors,” she said.

The commission said TikTok needs to change the design of its “For You” feed algorithm and should rely more on users’ explicit preferences, increase the accessibility and usability of user controls and regularly test its algorithm, among other changes.

Broader investigation into TikTok

The charges are under the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires big online platforms to do more to tackle harmful and illegal content on their platforms.

The latest charges are part of a broader EU investigation into TikTok.

EU regulators charged TikTok in February over what regulators said were the platform’s addictive designs, inadequate efforts to protect children and making it difficult for researchers to request access to public data.

TikTok said at the time that those preliminary findings were “categorically false” and it would take steps to challenge them.

The commission is ⁠separately investigating so-called rabbit hole effects caused by Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram recommendation systems.

Reuters

Concerns about the organisation’s effectiveness have grown as conflicts persist, humanitarian crises deepen, and multilateral institutions struggle to respond decisively to complex global challenges. While the UN continues to play an important humanitarian and developmental role, its ability to maintain international peace and security is increasingly being called into question.

The UN was founded in the aftermath of World War 2, partly in response to the shortcomings of the League of Nations. Its founding vision was to promote collective security, international co-operation, accountability and peaceful resolution of disputes. Yet many observers argue that the international system today continues to face challenges remarkably similar to those that confronted the league decades ago.

The organisation increasingly finds itself constrained by geopolitical divisions among major powers

The organisation increasingly finds itself constrained by geopolitical divisions among major powers. As a result, consensus on matters of war, peace and security often proves elusive, raising concerns about the effectiveness of multilateral decision-making at a time when global co-operation is most needed.

For many developing nations, meetings of the General Assembly frequently highlight important global concerns but often fall short of producing decisive action on pressing international crises. Ongoing conflicts, violations of international law, insecurity in vulnerable regions and the marginalisation of smaller states continue to test the credibility of the multilateral system.

A recurrent criticism of the UN concerns the structure of the Security Council, particularly the veto power held by its permanent members. Critics contend that this arrangement often prevents the organisation from acting decisively in situations where urgent intervention or collective action may be required. Calls for Security Council reform have therefore become increasingly prominent, especially from developing countries seeking a more representative and equitable international order.

Questions have also been raised regarding the consistent application of international law. Perceptions of selective accountability have contributed to growing scepticism about the fairness of global governance institutions and their ability to uphold universal principles without favour or prejudice.

South Africa’s decision to approach the International Court of Justice regarding the conflict in Gaza highlighted the extent to which some member states feel compelled to seek accountability through international legal mechanisms when political processes appear unable to resolve disputes. More broadly, prolonged instability in regions such as the Middle East and the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to underscore the limitations of existing international responses to conflict.

The humanitarian consequences of war remain devastating. Civilians, particularly women and children, continue to bear the heaviest burden of armed conflict. In many instances, the international community appears unable to prevent suffering or secure timely and lasting solutions.

The central question is therefore not whether multilateralism remains necessary. Rather, it is whether the UN, in its current form, is adequately equipped to fulfil its mandate in a rapidly changing world

Similar concerns arise in relation to climate change. While the Conference of the Parties process remains an important platform for global engagement, progress is often shaped by competing national interests and differing development priorities. The gap between commitments and implementation continues to generate frustration among those seeking more urgent collective action.

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine further illustrates the difficulties facing the contemporary multilateral system. Despite sustained international engagement, a durable resolution remains elusive, reflecting the broader challenges confronting global governance institutions.

Taken together, these developments raise important questions about the future relevance, legitimacy and effectiveness of the UN. Increasingly, states are turning to smaller multilateral formations, regional alliances and issue-based partnerships to advance their interests and address common challenges.

The central question is therefore not whether multilateralism remains necessary. Rather, it is whether the UN, in its current form, is adequately equipped to fulfil its mandate in a rapidly changing world. If confidence in the institution is to be restored, meaningful reform will be required. Such reform should include renewed consideration of Security Council representation, decision-making processes and mechanisms that strengthen accountability and responsiveness.

Meaningful reform should also include the establishment of a world parliamentary forum to exercise oversight of the UN General Assembly, strengthening transparency and the accountability of heads of state participating in its proceedings. Such a forum should provide a platform for parliamentary scrutiny of commitments made by national leaders and the steps taken to implement them. Its composition, powers and relationship with the General Assembly would need to be clearly defined and agreed upon by member states so that parliamentary oversight strengthens rather than merely duplicates existing multilateral processes.

The UN remains an important symbol of international co-operation. However, unless it adapts to contemporary geopolitical realities and responds more effectively to the concerns of developed and developing nations, its credibility may continue to diminish. The case for reform is therefore not a case against the UN itself, but rather an argument for ensuring that it remains fit for purpose in the 21st century.

• Supra Mahumapelo is the chairperson of the portfolio committee on international relations and co-operation in the National Assembly.

TimesLIVE

Racing Bulls are heading for the team’s best finish to a season, in fifth place and 39 points clear of sixth-placed Alpine, with four races remaining, including Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.

Permane joined as racing director in January 2024 after 34 years at Enstone with the team that is now Renault-owned Alpine. He took the principal position in July 2025 after Laurent Mekies took over from Christian Horner at Red Bull.

The Italy-based team finished sixth overall last year.

Red Bull last month extended Mekies’ contract to the end of 2031.

Racing Bulls have yet to confirm their 2027 driver lineup. British rookie Arvid Lindblad and New Zealander Liam Lawson are the current pairing.

Reuters

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices for a basket of food commodities, averaged 133.9 points in October, down from a revised 135.6 in September.

The index was 5.9% higher than a year earlier, but remained 16.4% below its March 2022 peak.

FAO’s cereal price index fell 4.5% from September and was 12.6% lower than a year ago, as wheat and maize quotations declined. Wheat prices eased on weak import demand and improved production prospects, especially in Argentina.

“Expectations of easing constraints on Black Sea export flows added to the downward pressure on prices, although continued disruptions to Black Sea logistics limited the decline,” FAO said in a statement.

Maize prices also eased after reaching a three-year high in September, pressured by the US harvest, expectations of ample supplies in South America and renewed prospects of easing tensions in the Black Sea region.

Vegetable oil prices edged up 0.3%, as higher soybean and sunflower oil prices more than offset a fall in rapeseed oil prices.

Sugar prices rose 6.6%, their fourth straight monthly increase, to the highest level since December 2024, after rainfall disrupted harvesting in Brazil. They were now 28.8% higher than a year ago.

The dairy index fell 1.1%, as lower butter and cheese prices linked to ample supplies and subdued demand outweighed gains in milk powder.

The meat index declined 1.2%, while still slightly above its year-earlier level, as pig, ovine and bovine meat prices fell.

Reuters

Newstalk resumed programming at 10am GMT after staff were told they could return to the building in central Dublin, presenter Claire Byrne said on air. The Irish Independent newspaper group reported that its offices in the capital had also been evacuated.

A reporter for RTE radio said after news programming went back on air from an outside broadcasting unit that a threat was sent to the broadcaster by email shortly before 9am GMT that a bomb was going to go off within 45 minutes.

The presenter of RTE Radio One’s mid-morning news show said he understood that the email was purported to be from the same people behind hoax bomb threats that disrupted dozens of passenger flights across Europe on Thursday.

“It is worrying, and we take the threat seriously,” Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in a telephone interview with RTE shortly after the more than one-hour interruption to its programming ended.

“It just illustrates how relatively simple it can be to cause disruption and to undermine the normal operation of society through unconventional activities of this kind, which are designed to cause disruption, designed to cause fear and anxiety. We have to remain calm and very focused on this.”

RTE’s campus in south Dublin remained closed while police checked it building by building, the reporter said.

Reuters

The North African nation has become a major regional transit hub for synthetic drugs and other narcotics, the UN said in January. Captagon, or fenethylline, is known as the “poor man’s cocaine” and is popular in the Middle East.

The court in Qubbah, a small town in eastern Libya, sentenced the first defendant to 25 years in prison and imposed a fine of 22,000 dinars (R56,683), the Tripoli-based attorney-general office, which works for the whole country, said late on Thursday.

“The remaining defendants were convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a fine of 70,000 dinars (R180,356) imposed upon each,” the office said on Facebook.

The statement did not reveal the quantity of the drug but included pictures of round, light-coloured pharmaceutical tablets and some others in plastic bags alongside metal pill-pressing dies and measurement tools.

Drug gangs have exploited the tumultuous situation in the country since 2011, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime ⁠said in its January report.

Libya plunged into a prolonged period of internal conflict and division after former ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in a Nato-backed uprising that year.

In October, a military brigade operating under the Libyan National Army of military commander Khalifa Haftar seized more than 1.3-million narcotic pills after a firefight with smugglers in the southeastern town of Kufra that wounded three soldiers, according to the military.

Reuters

The girl, identified as “Emma”, began using Gemini on her Chromebook when she was 13.

Emma discussed different methods of suicide with Gemini and planned a funeral for herself while the bot helped her conceal her feelings from her family, the lawsuit claims.

Parents say they were alerted after school software flagged a document Emma wrote about her funeral plans, according to the lawsuit.

In a race to expand the audience for Gemini, Google wove the AI into all of its products without warning parents or schools, the lawsuit says.

Google knew Gemini 3 Flash, the version Emma used, was unsafe and mishandled mental health issues from users, the lawsuit says.

José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, said the company is reviewing the claims.

“We’ve worked extensively with medical professionals and academic experts to build features that help young people find critical support and trusted resources when they need it,” Castañeda said.

The lawsuit, which seeks monetary damages, was filed on Monday in California state court. Google moved it to a federal court on Wednesday.

Google said this week it will turn off Gemini by default for school student accounts, but schools that want students to retain access to Google Search will still have to accept AI features such as AI-generated summaries.

Reuters

Education minister Edouard Geffray said the crash involved a bus believed to be transporting school pupils, with the mayor of Lent, the small town where the crash took place, confirming that it was a school bus. The local prefecture said the collision involved an intercity bus.

The Lent mayor, Yves Cristin, said 70 people were affected by the crash, and the town had opened its community hall to provide care and shelter to the crash victims.

BFM TV showed a picture of a blue and white bus tilted in what appeared to be a ditch on the side of the road, while a crowd of people stood outside it.

The broadcaster reported two fatalities, but a spokesperson for the civil protection agency told the broadcaster he could not confirm the deaths. The prefecture also said it could not confirm any deaths.

The transport minister Philippe Tabarot said he was on his way to the scene.

Reuters

Available in Sedan and Avant body styles, it combines a twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine with an electric motor.

Now available at Audi RS dealerships across the country, here’s a closer look at what Ingolstadt’s latest offering brings to the table

A wider, more aggressive exterior

The new RS 5 has a broader appearance than the standard A5 on which it is based. Its body is 40mm wider on either side at both the front and rear, giving it a more substantial stance.

At the front, a distinctive Singleframe radiator grille is flanked by larger air intakes, while the rear features centrally positioned matte oval exhaust outlets. A vertically positioned red reflector in the rear diffuser provides a reference to the model’s motorsport heritage.

The sedan has a conventional three-box profile, while the avant combines the same styling with an estate body shape.

Standard exterior features include:

• gloss-black RS detailing;
• black mirror housings;
• a RS sport exhaust system; and
• 20-inch Audi Sport five-Y-spoke alloy wheels finished in platinum grey.

The lighting system comprises darkened Matrix LED headlamp clusters with dynamic light sequencing and RS-specific signatures, as well as LED Pro taillamps with dynamic turn signals.

Customers can opt for 21-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels in platinum grey matte, black metallic or neodymium gold matte finishes. Other options include gloss carbon and matte carbon camouflage styling packages. The latter uses individual carbon-fibre fragments embedded in a composite structure, giving each component a unique finish.

Available exterior colours include progressive red, ascari blue, daytona grey, plateau grey and mythos black. Bedford green is reserved for models fitted with the optional Audi Sport package, which also includes more aggressive bumper designs and raises the electronically limited top speed to 285km/h.

Chassis and suspension

One of the RS 5’s key engineering developments is its quattro drivetrain, which incorporates Dynamic Torque Control. The system actively distributes torque between the rear wheels, adjusting how much power each receives according to driving conditions and driver inputs. This is intended to improve traction, stability and agility when cornering.

The drivetrain is paired with an RS-specific sport suspension featuring twin-valve shock absorbers. These allow the suspension to adapt to different driving conditions in real time, balancing body control during more demanding driving with comfort during everyday use.

Audi drive select allows drivers to adjust the vehicle’s characteristics through different driving modes, including Balanced, Dynamic and RS Sport. An additional RS Torque Rear mode is also available. However, Audi specifies that this mode is intended exclusively for closed-course use, as it allows significant power oversteer.

Plug-in hybrid performance

The RS 5’s plug-in hybrid powertrain combines a 2.9l twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine with an electric motor to produce a combined system output of 470kW and 825Nm. Power is delivered to all four wheels through an eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission and Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Audi claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.6 seconds, while the top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h. This increases to 285km/h with the optional Audi Sport package.

The hybrid system uses a lithium-ion battery with a usable capacity of 22kWh, providing an electric driving range of between 78km and 84km. It can be charged using an AC supply at up to 11kW, while energy recuperation technology also allows the battery to recharge while driving.

The regenerative braking system recovers energy during deceleration and when the driver lifts off the accelerator. Drivers can adjust the level of regeneration in three stages using the steering-wheel paddles when travelling in electric mode. An automatic recuperation function can also be activated through the MMI infotainment system.

Two main operating modes are available: EV and Hybrid. The former uses electric power alone, while Hybrid mode manages the petrol engine and electric motor according to driving conditions. Drivers can also use a digital slider to select their preferred battery charge level.

A boost function provides access to maximum system output for up to 10 seconds at the push of a button mounted at the bottom of the left steering-wheel spoke. When activated, the transmission automatically selects the appropriate gear for acceleration, while a countdown in the driver’s display indicates how much boost time remains.

The function can be activated in any drive select mode, including EV mode, when the V6 engine starts to deliver the full system output. The exhaust valves also open to produce a more pronounced engine sound.

Interior and technology

The RS 5’s cabin combines performance-oriented design with a range of comfort and technology features.

Standard equipment includes RS sport seats plus, upholstered in perforated leather with honeycomb detailing, Nappa leather elements and contrasting stitching. Dinamica microfibre surfaces, Anthracite brushed aluminium inlays and illuminated RS accents complete the interior detailing.

The RS sport steering wheel is flattened at the top and bottom and incorporates multifunction controls and shift paddles. The front seats are electrically adjustable and include heating, ventilation and massage functions. Other standard comfort features include three-zone automatic climate control and the ambient lighting package pro.

The digital interface comprises Audi virtual cockpit plus and the MMI experience plus infotainment system. The driver’s display features RS-specific graphics, including engine revs, speed and a shift light. It can also display performance information such as G-forces, tyre temperatures and pressures, lap times and drivetrain data.

Audi’s driving experience function allows drivers to record and analyse their performance on a circuit. It monitors inputs such as accelerator and brake pedal use, oversteer and understeer, as well as lateral and longitudinal acceleration.

Lap and sector times can be recorded, saved and compared between sessions. The system can also automatically create track profiles, including for circuits that have not previously been recorded.

An optional dashcam integrated into the rear-view mirror can record driving footage, while a standard head-up display projects key information into the driver’s field of vision. The front passenger also gets a dedicated MMI display.

Audio is handled by a standard Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium sound system. Other standard features include:

• a digital key;
• Audi phone box;
• smartphone interface; and
• an electrically operated luggage compartment lid.

Driver assistance and safety equipment includes:

• adaptive cruise control;
• park assist plus;
• surround-view cameras; and
• various active safety systems.

An optional Technology package pro adds:

• digital OLED rear lights;
• a 3D and 360° camera system;
• remote parking assistance; and

A panoramic glass roof with switchable transparency is also available as a no-cost option. It comprises nine individually controlled segments, allowing occupants to adjust the amount of light entering the cabin.

Pricing

The new Audi RS 5 is available in South Africa in sedan and avant body styles, with pricing as follows:

• Audi RS 5 sedan: R2,430,000;
• Audi RS 5 avant: R2,470,000.

Both models come standard with a five-year/100,000km Audi Freeway Plan.

TimesLIVE

Like the US, China has been expanding its presence in Antarctica and the Arctic to explore polar resources.

The law aims to encourage Chinese scientific exploration and “safeguards the security of national activities, assets and other interests in Antarctica”.

It requires Chinese Antarctic activities to protect animals and plants, properly handle and dispose of waste, prevent marine pollution, and avoid or reduce adverse impacts on the Antarctic environment.

Permission for Chinese Antarctic research, tourism, shipping and other activities will be subject to a series of environmental, safety and other conditions.

China has had an atmospheric monitoring station in Antarctica for two years, observing changes and supporting the global response to climate change.

China is a party to the Antarctic Treaty, which designates the continent as a scientific preserve open to research and bans military activity, and to its 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection, which prohibited mining and oil exploration for 50 years.

Reuters

The shortages are affecting medicines used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, with psychiatrists reporting problems in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

Dr Mvuyiso Talatala, past president of Sasop, told TimesLIVE that the society had been receiving complaints from psychiatrists about medication shortages since June 2026.

He said the affected medicines include:

• antipsychotics such as risperidone, olanzapine, aripiprazole, quetiapine, amisulpride and chlorpromazine;
• antidepressants such as fluoxetine and amitriptyline;
• lorazepam injections used to calm agitated patients; and
• orphenadrine, which is used to treat some side effects of antipsychotic medication.

Talatala said the list might not cover all the affected medicines because Sasaop had not formally asked psychiatrists to submit a list of unavailable drugs.

“This list may not be comprehensive, as Sasop has not invited psychiatrists to submit a list of drugs that are not available. We are going by the uninvited complaints that we have received from psychiatrists,” he said.

This is increasing the utilisation of psychiatric hospital beds that are already under pressure from high demand

Dr Mvuyiso Talatala, former president of Sasop

He said while occasional shortages of psychiatric medication had happened over the years, reports suggesting a widespread problem began emerging around June. Sasop said it had not received an official explanation from the department of health about what was causing the shortages.

Talatala said psychiatrists had been given different explanations by health officials, including:

• facilities failing to order medicines on time;
• pharmaceutical factories being closed by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Saphra) for non-compliance; and
• disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

“Obviously, none of these explanations is sufficient to account for a shortage of multiple drugs made by many pharmaceutical companies, including South African companies,” he said.

The society warned that patients who could not access their usual medication were at risk of relapsing, which could lead to further complications and hospital admissions. “And this is increasing the utilisation of psychiatric hospital beds that are already under pressure from high demand,” said Talatala.

Sasop said the effect of shortages was devastating for patients, health-care facilities and communities. It warned that relapses could be harmful to patients’ overall health and become more difficult to treat.

Patients needing psychiatric admission could also be left waiting in hospital emergency departments for hours or even days because of a lack of available psychiatric beds.

Sasop said emergency departments were not designed to serve as psychiatric wards and that staff were not necessarily trained to nurse patients with mental illnesses. It warned that this situation could expose patients to human rights abuses while also compromising care for people arriving at emergency departments with other medical emergencies.

Sasop has called on health minister Aaron Motsoaledi to investigate the shortages and find an urgent solution

Talatala said switching patients to alternative medication was not always a straightforward solution. He said some patients had already tried other medicines without success before finding one that worked for them. As a result, returning to previously unsuccessful treatments could put their health at risk.

He also warned that different psychiatric medicines did not have exactly the same effects, even when they were used to treat the same condition. “For instance, while theoretically amisulpride can replace olanzapine, as the two drugs are both antipsychotics, the two drugs have different side effects and some patients will respond to one and not the other.”

Changing medication also requires careful medical supervision, as doctors have to determine the correct dosage and gradually adjust treatment where necessary. Talatala said switching patients too quickly or incorrectly could expose them to side effects or trigger a relapse. He added that changing treatment could mean some patients needed to be referred for specialist care, while the alternative medicines were also running out.

Sasop said some psychiatrists had also reported that hospital management prevented them from issuing private prescriptions to families willing to buy unavailable medicines from private pharmacies. The society said that although alternative treatments could sometimes be considered, the options were limited and were also facing supply problems.

Sasop has called on health minister Aaron Motsoaledi to investigate the shortages and find an urgent solution. The society said it was available to engage with the minister and assist in resolving the situation.

TimesLIVE has reached out to the department of health but has not received a response. The article will be updated once comment has been received.

TimesLIVE

It alleges extra ballot papers were discovered during the counting after the voting.

The call comes as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) processes vote tallies nationwide, with more than 60% of national votes already counted and captured.

According to ActionSA, party agents flagged the discrepancy after recording 1,315 votes, whereas the voters’ roll records indicate that only 1,100 ballot papers were issued.

The party’s provincial communications manager Kwena Molekwa said: “We demand that the commission provide a comprehensive explanation regarding the 215 disputed ballots, investigate the circumstances surrounding their discovery, and take appropriate action where electoral irregularities are established.”

The party has lodged a formal complaint with the IEC.

Should the investigation confirm the process was compromised, the party said an election re-run must be held at the affected voting station.

TimesLIVE

The airline on Friday unveiled new cabins in all four travel classes in the biggest and most comprehensive overhaul in its history, with the new seats due from the second half of 2027.

In first class, centre seats convert into what Singapore Airlines calls the largest double bed in commercial aviation. Business class gets sliding privacy doors for the first time on the airline, alongside a fully flat bed.

The launch comes as carriers globally such as Air France, British Airways and United Airlines pour billions into premium travel despite industry-wide delays in production and certification of new seats.

Surging fuel costs have squeezed margins and pushed up fares, deterring some more cost-conscious economy passengers, though premium travel has remained relatively resilient.

“We look closely at how our customers work, dine, relax, and rest while travelling, and what they value most,” Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said at the launch event.

“Their feedback was clear: greater comfort and privacy, intuitive functionality and spaces they can flexibly adapt to their needs, whether they are working, resting or connecting with loved ones from 30,000 feet.”

The Singapore Airlines programme covers 72 aircraft, a mix of Airbus A350-900s being retrofitted and Boeing 777-9 jets on order that together will comprise most of its long-haul fleet.

The cabins were originally designed for the 777-9, which is expected to become Singapore Airlines’ new long-haul flagship as the A380, which offers smaller double beds, eventually retires.

But the 777-9’s entry into service has slipped for years, which Singapore Airlines chief commercial officer Lee Lik Hsin said had led the carrier to widen the programme to its A350s.

He said the S$2bn-plus investment included a S$1.1bn (R14.19bn) A350 refurbishment plan announced in 2024 and was funded from the airline’s strong cash balance, which stood at S$9.1bn (R117.4bn) by end-June.

Most of the investment goes to premium cabins because business and first-class seats cost far more per unit than economy seats, Lee said, with the carrier setting no spending ceiling and planning to keep investing when appropriate to maintain its market leadership.

“Our competitive advantage doesn’t derive from aircraft cabin products alone,” he said. “It is the hard product, the soft service, and the operational excellence. And it is our people.”

David Flynn, editor-in-chief of industry publication Executive Traveller, said the new first class, with a unique curved cabin design that borrowed space from the aisles to add personal space to each suite, ranked among the world’s best.

“Business class represents a solid and much-needed catch-up to the competition, rather than a mighty leap ahead,” he said. “It’s hard to top Qatar’s business class Qsuite, let alone the next-gen version coming in 2027, but in features and usability, Singapore Airlines looks to have Emirates and arguably Cathay beat here.”

Delays and certification

The unveiling arrives against a backdrop of persistent delays. Boeing first targeted 777-9 deliveries about 2020, but repeated certification setbacks, engine issues, the pandemic and tighter oversight by the US Federal Aviation Administration have pushed that to 2027, with Lufthansa expected to be the launch operator.

Lee said slippage on its A350 refurbishment plan and the 777-9 seating were both driven by certification issues.

“The seats are certified on the 777-9, but the 777-9 aeroplane itself is not certified, and the seats have not yet been certified on the A350,” he said.

The A350 certification delay had pushed back their introduction by about half a year, he added.

As airlines design more premium offerings with bespoke features that regulators need to ensure meet stringent crash-safety standards, seat certification has become a bottleneck across the industry.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg last week told investors that deliveries of its 787 Dreamliners had been affected by seat certification challenges.

Reuters

According to a VDMA spokesperson, machinery companies already active in the security and defence industries expect to at least double their related revenue by 2030, while a further 46% expect moderate growth.

Nearly one in three of those already active in defence sees growth of at least 15% in the sector this year. About 43% expect to at least double security and defence revenue by 2030.

“It is foreseeable that we will gain significant market share,” VDMA deputy executive director Hartmut Rauen said. The association will support companies with matchmaking and market development, he added.

VDMA said 92% of machinery firms active in the sector see scope to expand deliveries within the next 12 months. However, they see regulation, lengthy procurement processes and weak customer contacts as barriers to growth.

Reuters

The obvious answer is convenience. Neither party wants to find itself in a 13-party coalition, negotiating with smaller parties making endless demands in exchange for support. They may invite other parties into the arrangement in the name of inclusion, much like the government of national unity (GNU), but make no mistake: the ANC and DA will call the shots. Everyone else will be there largely for show, with little meaningful influence over decisions.

What stands out to me most, though, is the electoral weakness that brought both parties to this point. In the 2024 election the ANC lost more than 3-million votes. The DA, despite being the official opposition and having spent years positioning itself as the alternative, failed to capitalise on that collapse. It did not win over ANC voters in any meaningful way. In fact, it lost more than 100,000 votes of its own.

What unites the ANC and the DA is a common enemy in the MK Party and EFF. It is convenient to frame this emerging alliance as an effort to prevent some supposed doomsday coalition between the two. But there is a more uncomfortable reality: neither party has managed to capture the electorate. Both are increasingly directionless, grasping for ways to remain relevant and retain power. Perhaps this is less about a shared vision for the country and more about political survival.

For the ANC, the DA offers a way to keep markets happy and reassure investors of political stability. There is also an apparent assumption that despite its electoral decline, it will never fall below the DA in national support. The DA is therefore a convenient partner: a party with which it can share power, but also whom it can blame when governance fails.

For the DA, the calculation is different. It is tired of being in opposition. It wants to govern and believes that being in government will demonstrate to voters that it can run the country better than the ANC. The GNU has in effect become the DA’s audition.

The problem is not simply that the DA is working with the ANC. It is that the party risks losing the credibility of its own political message

But the GNU has hardly been the resounding success it was made out to be in 2024. There is no coherent policy position on contentious issues such as BBBEE, land expropriation and National Health Insurance (NHI). Nor has the arrangement produced convincing responses to the country’s deeper challenges, from unemployment and sluggish economic growth to crime.

Two years into this political experiment we still lack a clear sense of where the country is going. This marriage of convenience is not necessarily serving the country.

I suspect it will hurt both parties in the long run. The ANC is using the DA as a crutch rather than confronting the governance failures that have driven voters away. Instead of doing the difficult work of rebuilding its support, it can share responsibility for difficult decisions and use the arrangement as a political get-out-of-jail-free card.

Meanwhile, the DA is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile with the party it spent 20 years campaigning against. It built its political identity on the argument that the ANC was the problem, that its time in government had brought the country to its knees, and that South Africa needed an alternative. Yet it is now seemingly comfortable governing alongside the very party it spent years telling voters was unfit to govern.

The problem is not simply that the DA is working with the ANC. It is that the party risks losing the credibility of its own political message. It can’t spend years blaming the ANC for the country’s failures and then expect to escape scrutiny when it helps keep the party in power. The DA is not merely sharing government with the ANC; it is taking responsibility for the decisions made under that government.

In trying to protect its place in the government, the DA risks alienating voters who supported it because they wanted an alternative. Those voters may increasingly turn to smaller parties offering a clearer political identity and fewer compromises.

As the vote counting continued on Friday, the real negotiations began, with parties stitching together coalitions across municipalities. It will be a game of political horse-trading as they negotiate their way into power.

The bigger question, though, is what this means for South African politics. If the ANC and the DA have to come together to remain in the government, perhaps it is time we stopped pretending either party has a convincing plan to win over the electorate on its own.

• Roos is Business Day parliamentary reporter.

Business Day

Last week, judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa heard argument from her defence counsel advocate Dali Mpofu, who claimed that the state is targeting her because she is the daughter of former president Jacob Zuma.

Zuma-Sambudla was accused of incitement to commit terrorism and public violence linked to the July unrest in 2021, which resulted in 354 deaths and an estimated R50bn in economic and infrastructure damage.

Former president Jacob Zuma was at the Durban High Court to support his daughter, Duduzile Zuma- Sambudla on Friday. Judgement is expected in her application for terrorism charges linked to the July 2021 civil unrest, to be dropped 📹: @sandysndlovu pic.twitter.com/z1skIT1fjP

— Yasantha Naidoo (@NaidooYasantha) November 6, 2026

The charges are related to her infamous “We See You” tweets she posted during the unrest.

On Friday Mathenjwa denied her application to have the charges dropped, and the case will proceed.

During his argument to discharge the case, Mpofu said many people had retweeted Zuma-Sambudla’s posts but were not charged.

He questioned why the state had only charged his client.

Mpofu argued that the tweets made by his client could not be proved to be incitement.

He described the state’s evidence on the “We See You” tweets as “laughable”.

Mpofu challenged the state to prove that someone broke the law because of Zuma-Sambudla’s social media posts.

Without that link, the state did not have a case, he said.

Senior prosecutor Mahendra Naidu said the state presented a strong case against Zuma-Sambudla, especially on count one.

The state had called witnesses who gave strong testimony against Zuma-Sambudla.

The former president, who was ill for several weeks and made a public appearance at the MK Party’s rally at the weekend, was in court to support his daughter.

TimesLIVE

The Kimberly regional court sentenced the 68-year-old to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of the same offence during the suspension period.

The couple were in a collision on April 3 2023 between Warrenton and Kimberley. Mmelesi was driving a vehicle in which Mokgoro was a passenger when the collision occurred. She sustained serious injuries and subsequently died in a Johannesburg hospital in May 2024.

Senior state prosecutor Tebogo Benjamin Namisa presented evidence, including testimony from the truck driver involved in the collision.

The witness testified that the vehicle driven by Mmelesi was stationary on the side of the road without its hazard lights activated.

Mmelesi failed to indicate before executing a U-turn, resulting in the collision that left justice Mokgoro with severe injuries.

During sentencing proceedings, her eldest son, Ithateng Mokgoro, spoke on behalf of the family about their loss.

The family described justice Mokgoro as a vibrant, compassionate and accommodating person who connected with people from all walks of life. They said her passing has left an irreplaceable void in the lives of her children, grandchildren and siblings, as well as in the broader community. Despite having retired from the ConCourt, she remained actively involved in matters of societal interest at the time of her death.

The family further outlined the emotional, medical and financial hardships experienced following the collision, including medical expenses amounting to about R3m and legal costs exceeding R600,000.

“They expressed the view that the accused had shown no genuine remorse for his conduct and appealed to the court to impose a direct custodial sentence.”

In considering an appropriate sentence, however, the court took into account the accused’s personal circumstances, including that he was a first-time offender and had an adult child dependent on him for support.

TimesLIVE

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Tucked away in the basement of Hallmark House in New Doornfontein, the jazz club built a loyal following for its combination of live music, good food and nights that had a habit of running rather longer than planned.

So, when it closed in May 2025, Johannesburg lost a much-loved part of its nightlife. Fortunately, that wasn’t the end of the story.

The Marabi Club is back, having officially reopened in October 2026 in the basement of Steyn City’s City Centre. It’s a change of scenery from its original Maboneng home, but the team behind the club has made a point of preserving much of the character, music and history that made the first venue so special.

The name itself has deep roots in Johannesburg’s musical past. Marabi was a style of dance music that emerged from the city’s shebeens in the 1920s and 1930s, built around repeating chord progressions that gave musicians room to improvise, sometimes for hours at a time. It was music made for dancing, and its influence would go on to shape much of South African jazz.

The original club took that idea and ran with it. Dinner might be the reason you booked a table, but there was always a good chance you’d end up on your feet before the evening was over.

Now, with the move to Steyn City, Marabi is closer to many of the regulars who previously made the trip from Johannesburg’s northern suburbs to Maboneng. And although the surroundings are certainly different, the new space has been designed to feel just as welcoming and full of character.

Architect Dean Simon, who also designed the first club, has once again put his love of salvaged materials and objects with a past to good use.

An old shopfront, complete with its door and stained glass, has found a new home in the private dining area. Wood panelling salvaged from Johannesburg’s old shoe-shine stands adds another little piece of the city’s history, while vintage radios line the walls. A few familiar pieces have made the journey from Maboneng, too, including old waskoms given a second life as pendant lights. Exposed brickwork and an eclectic assortment of wooden furniture complete the picture. It’s a little like stumbling upon a secret jazz club in your slightly eccentric relative’s living room.

There’s also a lovely nod to the musicians who helped shape Johannesburg’s jazz tradition. Photographs and prints of South African music greats are scattered throughout the space, including Peter Rezant of the Merry Blackbirds, while a large portrait of pianist Emily Motsieloa keeps watch over the bar.

One noticeable difference is the daylight. Large windows overlook a piazza and water feature, giving the restaurant a more open feel during the day and making a leisurely Sunday lunch, with live jazz included, a tempting prospect.

Come evening, though, the focus shifts back to the music.

The resident Marabi Jazz Band, affectionately known as Marabi Radio, performs alongside a rotating cast of musicians and vocalists throughout the week. Rather than publishing a fixed monthly line-up, the club encourages guests to turn up and enjoy whoever happens to be playing.

And there’s no need to rush off once dinner is finished. Some nights, a DJ takes over after midnight, while the cigar lounge offers somewhere to retreat for a quieter conversation when you’ve had your fill of dancing.

And then, of course, there’s the food.

The kitchen is now in the hands of chef Patricio Nzinga, previously of Mhondoro Safari Lodge, whose à la carte menu brings together Mediterranean flavours, Japanese techniques and classical French cooking.

There are smaller plates for those who like to order a few things for the table, alongside more substantial mains, with options for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. If you’re wondering where to start, Nzinga recommends the sea bass, served on a mussel velouté with a fricassee of leeks, peas and pickled mussels.

And do leave room for dessert. There’s a playfully named Not a Tiramisu, with coffee and liqueur folded through mascarpone, or a lychee pavlova that sounds deliciously appealing on a warm Johannesburg afternoon.

With a new chef in the kitchen and familiar faces behind the instruments, there’s plenty for Marabi’s old regulars to look forward to. And for those who never made it to the original, it’s a chance to find out why people were willing to drive across Johannesburg for dinner in a basement.

The Marabi Club

• Where: Basement level, City Centre, Steyn City, Riverglen, Midrand
• Opening hours: Thursday to Saturday, 6pm–2am; Sunday, 12pm–5pm
• Dress code: Smart casual
• Bookings: Essential, via marabiclub.com
• Additional information: Visitors must bring identification for everyone in their vehicle to enter the Steyn City estate.

Wanted

The trip, which included a meeting of the Commonwealth of Nations, which the king heads, was dominated by the issue of slavery, and specifically whether Britain and the king should apologise for the transatlantic slave trade and offer to pay reparations.

The king did neither in speeches he made, in line with British government policy, but his expression of personal sorrow about the horrors of slavery was broadly welcomed by leaders of the 56-nation Commonwealth as a positive step forward.

‘Statecraft by word and deed’

In unusually frank remarks, the senior aide described the tour as complex and challenging, but said the king “had demonstrated his statecraft both by word and deed”.

“It’s a great secret weapon to send the king,” the aide told reporters on condition of anonymity, adding the monarch was “able to reach the parts that, dare I say, politicians probably couldn’t have reached.”

The monarch is Britain’s symbolic head of state but is constitutionally required to stay out of politics.

The [royal] family serves when it’s wanted and if not, then a new arrangement can be found

A senior aide to the king

In recent times, as Britain’s influence over world affairs has diminished, the government has often turned to the monarch to lead its diplomatic strategies.

Amid tensions with US President Donald Trump, most recently over the Iran war, the government enlisted Charles — who became king in September 2022 on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth — to help smooth relations. The king hosted Trump on a state visit and then paid a reciprocal state visit to the US.

“We’re just in the fifth year of the reign and I think what we’re seeing is a clear pattern emerging of the government asking the king to head into politically charged situations, challenging situations,” the senior aide said.

Dealing with the tough part of the job was what he relished, the aide said, adding that “refreshing and reinvigorating relationships with nations where there have been some complex political issues at play, that is what he lives and breathes for”.

Difficult year for monarchy

The tour marks a high point in what has been another difficult year for the monarchy with the release of a biography of Charles’ first wife, Princess Diana, written by her brother, which featured criticisms of Charles’ reaction to her death.

Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continues to make negative headlines as he remains under police investigation — Andrew denies any wrongdoing — while the return to Britain of the king’s younger son, Prince Harry, has also brought complications.

We’re just in the fifth year of the reign and I think what we’re seeing is a very clear pattern emerging of the government asking the king to head into quite politically charged situations, quite challenging situations

A senior aide to the king

While Charles remains head of the Commonwealth and is still the head of state of 15 nations, including Canada and Australia, the aide acknowledged that situation could also change, with Barbados the latest nation to ditch the monarchy in 2021.

The aide said it was for nations and the Commonwealth to decide what to do in future.

“The [royal] family serves when it’s wanted and if not, then a new arrangement can be found,” the aide added.

The king, who turns 78 this month, is still recovering from cancer but the aide said concerns about his age and health were best answered by the sight of him waving cowbells as he danced down a street in the Bahamas in 40°C heat and the humour he showed after being caught in a tropical rainstorm.

“This is literally what he was born to do. He’s very good at it, and he enjoys the reaction he gets from people,” the aide said.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

ANC head of elections Mdumiseni Ntuli has cast doubt on a possible deal between the ANC and the DA that could see Helen Zille elected as Johannesburg mayor, suggesting her campaign rhetoric had left a sour taste among ANC leaders.

In an interview with The Political Arena at the IEC Results Centre on Thursday, Ntuli, who is also the ANC’s chief whip in parliament, said some within the party would be uncomfortable working with the DA following what he described as Zille’s arrogance during the campaign.

“A number of us will be very uncomfortable with the display of arrogance of Helen Zille. I’m talking about Johannesburg. This thing that she is the messiah, she is going to travel all the way from Cape Town to fix Johannesburg.

“I would imagine that quite a number of us in the ANC might take issue with that kind of position in the DA. Whether that influences whether we will work with them or work with anyone else, I’m not sure. Time will tell,” he said.

Ntuli suggested the ANC should consider taking up the opposition benches in some municipalities, rather than entering coalitions at all costs.

He pointed to the party’s working relationship with ActionSA in Tshwane, suggesting a similar arrangement could be considered elsewhere, including Johannesburg.

“We work very well with ActionSA in Tshwane. There were no major issues there. I don’t know whether the same kind of outfit will be explored anywhere else outside Tshwane. We will see what happens when discussions are taking place,” he said.

The assessment we are going to have to make is whether these coalitions, including the GNU, have actually provided any advantage to the ANC

Mdumiseni Ntuli, ANC head of elections

The ANC is facing a bruising electoral defeat, with results pointing to the party potentially failing to reclaim any of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities, as well as losing ground in several strategic municipalities.

ActionSA is poised to strengthen its position in Johannesburg and Tshwane, giving it greater leverage in coalition negotiations.

Ntuli said it would be “dishonest” to suggest the ANC was feeling anything other than unhappy with its electoral performance.

While counting was still under way on Thursday evening, he said the results already pointed to serious cause for concern.

“We are used to a situation where, even with a number of votes counted, the ANC would have been hovering around 50% and above. Given the fact that we are where we are today is a cause for concern for the ANC,” he said.

The ANC leader also acknowledged the difficulties of working with the DA in the national government of unity, though he stopped short of blaming the relationship for the party’s poor electoral showing.

“As a member of parliament, I can tell you that to manage that relationship has been very complex, difficult and dynamic. The extent to which it has impacted the ANC on the ground, I may not be in a position to confirm that.

“There are too many contradictions, and some of them are deliberately created, in my own view. I suppose that is part of their strategy when they entered the GNU, that they are going to create some landmines.”

Ntuli said the ANC would have to assess whether its participation in coalitions, including the GNU, had ultimately benefited the party.

“The assessment we are going to have to make is whether these coalitions, including the GNU, have actually provided any advantage to the ANC.

“It may very well be that it provided national stability, but to what extent has that stability allowed us to make necessary changes, whether in the economy or in other areas of life, in a manner that is going to make the ANC endear itself again to the population of South Africa?”

Eva Geller was among dozens of people wounded when two gunmen opened fire on a crowd at a Jewish holiday celebration at the Sydney beach on December 14 last year.

Geller, a Holocaust survivor, had since been “in and out of hospital” as a result of her injuries, public broadcaster ABC reported. She died in a Sydney hospital overnight.

Police said in a statement they were aware of the death. “Police are now awaiting further advice and are working with the office of the coroner,” New South Wales police said.

A total of 15 people were killed in the mass shooting, Australia’s deadliest in decades. Police say the alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, were inspired by Islamic State.

Police shot dead Sajid Akram at the scene, while Naveed Akram, who was also shot but survived, is facing charges including 15 counts of murder and a terror offence.

A government-backed inquiry into antisemitism called in the wake of the attack is also due to hand down its findings on December 18.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was saddened to hear of Geller’s death. “Almost a year on, the devastation of that awful day continues to cause pain for families, and today we recognise that more than ever,” he said.

“We are wrapping our arms around Eva’s family, friends and the Jewish community at this very sad time.”

Geller’s funeral was scheduled to take place next week, ABC reported.

Reuters

In its first local government election, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has emerged as the province’s leading party in early counting.

The ANC has fallen to second place in a province it once dominated.

By Thursday, with 30% counted, the IEC put the MK Party on 33%-34%, the ANC on 25%, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on 22% and the DA on 10%-12%.

No council had been formally declared except Richmond, where the MK Party took 56% and 10 of 17 seats.

The final outcome of who will control eThekwini will only emerge from Friday.

In 2024 the MK Party won KwaZulu-Natal with 45.35%, while in 2021 the ANC still won eThekwini with 42%. Those baselines have moved.

The party formed by former president Jacob Zuma was celebrating on Thursday, with one candidate doing a victory lap with supporters parading a make-shift ANC coffin in Durban.

Prof Zakhele Ndlovu, independent political analyst with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said what happened on Wednesday was not a surprise, but a reckoning.

“This election proves that the ANC has become unpopular in the province, especially in eThekwini,” he said. “In the township and peri-urban areas, people don’t have water, which is the biggest worry for many people. There are potholes. On rates, water and electricity, they are estimating. There is a lot of crime. And people are blaming the ANC for all these things.”

In the townships around Durban and Pietermaritzburg, that frustration turned into turnout.

Voters who had stayed home in 2021 queued early, many saying they wanted a council that fixed water and roads, not one that explained why it could not. That mood, more than any rally, carried the MK Party through wards it had never contested before.

While the election outcome is the responsibility of the IEC Results Centre, where every result must be audited before it is published, supporters have been posting ward lists and victory posts on social media long before the IEC has checked them.

The MK Party coordinators claimed 25 of Msunduzi’s 41 wards, a clean sweep in Impendle, 11 of 14 in uMshwathi, and in one unofficial graphic, 65% in eThekwini, all online.

MK Party provincial spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlengane said the party had performed well in eThekwini despite predictions it would struggle there. That claim had not been verified by the IEC.

Even the DA was claiming its own victories. It declared uMngeni won, and it claimed wards 16, 17, 20 and 26 in KwaDukuza, and wards 26, 30, 31, 33 and 34 in eThekwini.

Against that, what the IEC had confirmed was this: in uMngeni, the partial count put the DA on 62.5% with Chris Pappas retaining his hold, and the MK Party had conceded 11 wards there.

“Today we can confidently proclaim that we will lead the municipality with a majority of more than 60% from the 48% we attained five years ago and continue with our plans to deliver for all residents of uMngeni,” the party said.

“In the four, 100% black township wards in the municipality, the DA won every single one of them with a commanding majority. We will continue with our mission to deliver for all residents in townships, rural and suburban areas. uMngeni will continue to be a beacon of hope in KZN.”

ANC KwaZulu-Natal convenor Mike Mabuyakhulu said it was too early to draw conclusions and the party would accept the outcome. The IEC picture was giving him reason for that caution. The ANC lost wards in Msunduzi, KwaDukuza and Newcastle, and in Inkosi Langalibalele it won none of the 24 wards.

In Dundee, Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden told Sunday Times his party had won a proportional representation seat in the Endumeni municipality, its first entry there since 1994.

Don’t focus on the maths; this is a political exercise

Mawethu Mosery, IEC national strategic liaison officer

“It’s the first time that we entered the elections in that municipality since 1994. We got massive support from the local people who came to vote for us. And it’s not only whites who voted for us, many black people did,” Van Staden said.

The party is contesting 25 municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, compared with 10 to 11 previously.

Msunduzi, Pietermaritzburg, is where the ANC’s collapse may be most complete.

IEC uMgungundlovu district manager Khulekani Mdadane said Msunduzi might only be finished counting on Friday evening because of recounts demanded by parties. In Ward 35, Sobantu, historically an ANC stronghold, the MK Party was declared the winner, prompting the ANC to demand a recount.

In uMhlathuze, Richards Bay, the MK Party was leading on 45.1%, followed by the IFP on 34.5% and the ANC on 12.63%. On the later IEC board the MK Party was still ahead on around 40.2%, with only 34 of 145 voting districts in.

Newcastle is a three-way contest. With eight of its 36 wards declared, the MK Party had won five, the DA two and the ANC one. The MK Party won Ward 6 by just one vote over the IFP.

The IEC said outstanding objections in KZN could affect final municipal election results and council seat allocation, which is expected to proceed after the objections process is completed.

Summing up the process at the KZN results operation centre on Thursday IEC national strategic liaison officer Mawethu Mosery said: “Don’t focus on the maths; this is a political exercise.”

He said they had completed an almost two-hour long session with political party representatives to discuss seat allocation.

“We will wait until tomorrow. We have spent time with political parties explaining that process with them and we have a very good understanding,” Mosery said.

He said that municipal council seats are allocated in line with the country’s proportional representation electoral system, which ensures that political parties receive representation according to their share of the vote.

A party’s percentage of support in a municipality determines the number of seats it qualifies for, with both ward seats and proportional representation (PR) seats counting towards its overall entitlement.

“For example, as a party you got 10% voter support yesterday and the special vote days, therefore you qualify for 10% seats. That 10% includes both your PR seats and your ward seats.”

Mosery said the allocation process was difficult to explain without working through the actual figures.

Final results are expected on Sunday and then coalition talks will start before the final declaration.

Addressing the media at the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) national results centre in Midrand on Friday, Hill-Lewis said political leaders had a responsibility to rise above the divisions of the election campaign and form governments capable of turning around struggling municipalities.

He said the emerging results suggested that about 150-160 councils, representing roughly two-thirds of the country’s local municipalities, would require coalition governments.

“The voters will not forgive us if we do not take the opportunity to put together governments that improve service delivery and get municipalities working,” he said.

Hill-Lewis said the DA would approach negotiations with humility and respect for the mandates other political parties had received from voters, adding that the party had already begun informal discussions with several political formations.

The DA is on course to become the largest party in five metropolitan municipalities — Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay and the City of Cape Town. The party has secured an outright majority in Cape Town, making it the only metro it will govern without coalition partners. Hill-Lewis said the outcome in Mangaung remained too close to call.

The party was also on course to be the only political formation to govern a metropolitan municipality with an outright majority.

Hill-Lewis said the party’s performance represented a significant step towards its ambition of becoming South Africa’s largest political party ahead of the 2029 national elections.

He said the DA expected to gain between 104 and 105 additional ward seats and more than 230 councillors across the country.

The party was also projecting that more than 1-million black voters had supported it in the local government elections, a development Hill-Lewis described as evidence that the DA had become a mainstream political party across communities.

That projection potentially surpasses the EFF’s support among black voters. The figures remain projections pending the final results.

Hill-Lewis said the DA had recorded its strongest support to date in townships in Cape Town and other parts of the country, particularly in municipalities where the party had governed.

He pointed to the party’s performance in uMngeni in KwaZulu-Natal, where it had increased its majority from a margin of just 42 votes in the previous election to what he described as a decisive victory.

He attributed the party’s growing support to its record in government, saying voters were recognising efforts to improve living conditions, even where significant challenges remained.

Turning to coalition negotiations, Hill-Lewis said the DA would seek partners committed to integrity, accountability, sound financial management and merit-based appointments. He said coalition agreements would need to include a commitment to rooting out existing corruption, investing in infrastructure and improving basic services.

These would include ensuring reliable water supplies, fixing roads, restoring street lighting, improving safety and creating an environment conducive to economic growth and job creation.

“Those are not negotiable,” he said, referring to the principles that would guide the party’s negotiations.

Hill-Lewis said the DA would not negotiate through the media, arguing that doing so would undermine the process by exposing the negotiating positions of potential coalition partners.

However, he committed to publishing all coalition agreements once negotiations had been concluded, saying the documents would be comprehensive and available for public scrutiny. He said the party would engage with a wide range of political formations over the coming days, with formal negotiations expected to begin shortly.

The scale of coalition governments emerging from the elections marks a significant shift in South Africa’s local government landscape, with political parties facing the challenge of establishing administrations capable of delivering stability in municipalities where no single party has secured a majority.

Hill-Lewis said the DA was ready to begin the process, adding that the party’s preparations for the 2029 national elections would start immediately.

He said the party believed it had taken an important step towards becoming the largest political formation in the country and was confident it could continue building support across communities.

Business Day

The elections marked the first time Jacob Zuma’s party contested local government elections since its strong performance in the 2024 national and provincial elections, when it secured 45.3% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal, ahead of the IFP (18.07%), the ANC (16.99%) and the DA (13.36%).

Still, it was excluded from the provincial government after the IFP, ANC, DA and NFP joined forces to form a coalition administration, including IFP leader Thami Ntuli as premier.

By Thursday afternoon, MK Party was the leading party in Kwaulu-Natal with 33.2% of the vote, followed by the ANC with 24.8% and the IFP with 22.7%. In eThekwini metro, the MK Party led with 39.4%, followed by the ANC (23.5%) and the DA (23.2%).

With 40% of votes counted by 3.30pm on Thursday, the ANC was leading nationally with 32.1%. The DA followed with 27.1% and the MK Party with 7%.

Speaking to Business Day at the IEC’s results operations centre in Midrand on Thursday, MK Party national spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said, “The MK Party is leading in KwaZulu-Natal; we are very, very happy. We thought we would have taken over … by the end of today. By 5am this morning, the indicators were clear that we have taken KwaZulu-Natal … The results show that we have done very, very well.

“We are contesting elections in the local government sphere for the first time. It has never happened in the history of South Africa that a party that’s contesting elections, local government-wise, for the first time, takes wards, takes PR [proportional representation] councillors, takes municipalities.

“We want to say to the people of South Africa, thank you for entrusting us with this responsibility; all boots will hit the ground [running]. We will work to fulfil the promises we made.

“As soon as we get the mayoral chains, we will prepare for 2029 [national and provincial elections], where we will ultimately take power,” Mahlangu said.

Political analyst Tasneem Essop said it was not surprising that MK Party was performing well in KwaZulu-Natal because polls had suggested that would be the case. She said the 2024 national elections “gave us a good indication” of how strong the MK Party’s regional base was.

“It’s not surprising they are projected to do well in parts of KwaZulu-Natal. What this means is that voters are moving away from the ANC in large parts of [the province], and parties such as the EFF have struggled in KwaZulu-Natal since MK Party came up,” Essop said.

Business Day reported last week that a survey conducted by MarkData on behalf of media group eNCA, MK Party was just shy of capturing the eThekwini metro outright.

My Vote Counts advocacy lead Noxolo Mfocwa said the Zuma factor played a huge part in the municipal elections, as MK Party supporters viewed the former president as a “unifying figure”, just like he was in 2024.

With 43% of votes counted by 4.30pm on Thursday, the MK Party had secured 33.4% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal. In Mpumalanga, it had garnered 11.6%, compared with 41.5% for the ANC and 15% for the DA.

In Gauteng, the DA was leading with 36.7%, followed by the ANC (20.1%), ActionSA (16.1%), the EFF (6.2%) and MK Party (4.3%).

Asked about whether MK Party was a regional party struggling to make an impact outside KwaZulu-Natal, Mfocwa said, “We are now seeing them starting to perform and making some progress in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, but that [the data] is not enough for us to make a pronouncement on whether they are purely a regional party.”

Business Day

Leader Kim Jong Un has assembled an army of world-class hackers using such incentives in a programme more than a decade old that picks 200 of the smartest middle school students each year to study computer engineering, defectors and analysts say.

A fraction eventually become hackers in an investment that has paid off dramatically, as the group has evolved from the early days when it ran illegal gambling websites to pulling off the world’s biggest cyberheist last month.

“They are actually one of Kim Jong Un’s secret weapons,” said Kim Heung-kwang, a North Korean defector who trained hackers on behalf of the state before fleeing to South Korea in 2004.

“There is no other country grooming hackers like this, systematically searching for the smartest children, solely to turn them into operatives,” he added. “Whether they want to be a hacker or not does not matter.”

The North’s cyberwarfare operations employ about 8,400 people, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service estimated in 2024

The FBI and Binance have said North Korea was responsible for the Binance hack, but Pyongyang has denied that. Blockchain investigation firms have attributed it to a North Korean group known as “TraderTraitor”.

The denial is part of a pattern in which the North dismisses such blame over the years as fabricated political provocations.

Systemic selection

North Korea set up a cyber unit in 1998 but elevated its status after Kim came to power and declared in 2013 that cyberwarfare was, along with nuclear weapons and missiles, an “all purpose sword” crucial to the country’s strike capability.

Candidate selection begins in middle school as early as 11 or 12 years of age, with authorities picking about 150 to 200 children a year to study computer science, said Kim Heung-kwang, the former trainer, and two defectors who worked in IT.

At 17, the top performers are sent to North Korea’s best universities and undergo further screening before a chosen few finally enter the military’s cyber unit as hackers, they added.

They are trained in areas such as cryptocurrency protocols and reverse-engineering foreign hardware devices in addition to more conventional topics such as advanced mathematics and foreign languages, one of them said.

Those who do not become hackers are trained to turn out software or apps for Western firms via remote jobs.

“While South Korea’s best students may pursue medicine or other prestigious careers, North Korea channels top talent into nuclear and cyber programmes and essentially guarantees their future,” said Lim Jongin, professor emeritus at the school of cybersecurity at Korea University.

Other privileges on tap for the hackers are travelling abroad to allied countries, such as China, where they can more freely access the internet.

Successful exploits can earn as much as 30% of the heist’s profits in US dollars for the hackers’ military unit, and they can even receive a flat in the capital where their parents can also stay, Kim said.

Hackers’ formal designation in the North was “scientist” or “researcher”, said one of the defectors

“There are accounts that successful cyberpersonnel are given apartments in Pyongyang,” Lim said, adding that the flats could range to as much as 132m².

Such performers are also eligible for membership of the ruling party and high-status marriages into elite families, said one of the defectors.

But it is a small group. The North’s cyberwarfare operations employ about 8,400 people, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service estimated in 2024.

North Korean state media do not publicly celebrate such hackers’ achievements, but they regularly highlight students who show talent for programming.

In 2015 North Korea opened the Mirae Scientists Street in the capital, in the construction of which Kim Jong Un had been closely involved, state media said.

Hackers’ formal designation in the North was “scientist” or “researcher”, said one of the defectors.

State advantage

Other hacking groups associated with North Korea include the Lazarus Group, also known as APT38, which the US accused in 2022 of having stolen hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency from the Ronin blockchain network. The FBI has said TraderTraitor is affiliated with Lazarus.

State backing makes the North’s hackers more dangerous and harder to repulse, as they face no consequences for hack after hack, enabling them to perfect their strategies, analysts said.

“In the world of cybercrime, often, if you make a mistake... that is all law enforcement needs to get you,” said Alec Zebrick, senior manager for Asia-Pacific global services at Chainalysis.

But North Korea’s hackers “are doing this for the regime, so they’re going to continue, even after successes,” he added.

“Even after failures, they’ll continue, because it’s very hard for the international community to take action against them.”

Other groups that have engaged with North Korea IT workers who earn funds for the Kim regime by landing remote technology jobs at Western companies describe them as highly organised, polite in their interactions and avid users of AI.

“There clearly was a structure you would see in military. Strict times, cleaning boots, very orderly,” said YouTuber Deeveeaar, who has claimed to have hacked into cameras watching North Korean IT workers at their jobs.

“To say they ‘use a lot of AI’ is an understatement. AI is the very backbone of their operation,” he said, citing the use of paid ChatGPT accounts, Claude Code and Cursor, among many AI tools. They write code with it, alter their resumes and help make new ones. And even forge documents and identities.”

Binance said the hackers used a bogus job interview and software hidden in an advertisement to compromise staffers’ computers before using an internal AI tool to seize control of systems.

In 2025 a sanctions monitoring team drawn from 11 UN members said TraderTraitor had obtained both ChatGPT and DeepSeek accounts.

Tough working conditions

Yet the lifestyle of a hacker or elite technology worker for North Korea is gruelling, particularly when given a mission or sent abroad, say former IT workers and human rights groups.

Living in cramped spaces, often working stretches longer than 10 hours a day, constant surveillance and strict targets are among the downsides, said former IT workers interviewed for a report last year by advocacy group PSCORE.

“There is always pressure to keep earning money,” said the group’s executive director, Nam Bada. “The stress is extreme, and because of the psychological strain people develop health problems they didn’t have before.”

IT workers must meet a monthly target in dollars, or face humiliation and other punishments, he said.

Still, the hackers’ success is likely to embolden the North Korean leader as they get better and grow more ambitious, analysts say.

“We see more and more them leaning towards what we call ‘big game hunting’,” said Zebrick. “So they’re targeting some of these larger organisations, potentially have larger vaults of funds, that they could potentially get. These are harder targets.

“However, as we can see with the Binance case, the payout certainly can make it worth their time.”

Reuters

According to police, about 33 cases of election-related incidents have been registered in Limpopo.

The offences include contravention of the Electoral Act, fraud, common assault, malicious damage to property and pointing a firearm.

SAPS spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said some of the arrested suspects have already appeared in local magistrate’s courts.

Among the incidents reported were cases where individuals allegedly contravened the Electoral Act by taking photographs of marked ballot papers using their cellphones and subsequently circulating or publishing the images on various social media platforms.

“Such conduct is prohibited in terms of electoral legislation and undermines the secrecy and integrity of the voting process,” Ledwaba said.

Police also responded to other incidents involving alleged unlawful conduct during the election, resulting in the opening of criminal cases and the subsequent arrest of suspects.

Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Jan Scheepers has welcomed the arrests and commended SAPS members, other law enforcement agencies and all stakeholders who worked to ensure a safe and peaceful election.

Scheepers has also applauded the collective efforts, dedication and co-operation demonstrated by all role players, highlighting the importance of partnerships and co-ordinated efforts in safeguarding communities, voters and election officials.

He expressed appreciation to members who remained committed to their duties throughout the election, as well as stakeholders who provided unwavering support, co-operation and prayers towards ensuring that the electoral process proceeded in a safe and secure environment.

Scheepers reiterated that SAPS will not hesitate to take action against anyone who violates the law, irrespective of their position or affiliation, and that all reported cases will be attended to in accordance with the law.

TimesLIVE

The Bafana Bafana attacker is one of the form players in the league at the moment, where he has been terrorising defenders.

He has made a considerable return for coach Ouaddou with seven goals and one assist after 11 matches in all competitions.

Speaking as Pirates prepared to host Sekhukhune United in the quarterfinal of the Carling Knockout Cup at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, Ouaddou said Moremi’s biggest weapon is speed.

“To be a coach is not only planning about preparing training, doing team talks, and coming up with the game model. But it’s important to analyse the profile and quality of your players and deliver a game model that suits them,” said Ouaddou.

Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou on Tshepang Moremi.

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“Speaking about Moremi, there are a lot of people who are watching big teams like Manchester City, FC Barcelona and all the other teams, and everybody wants to have inverting players.”

Ouaddou said Moremi is not the same profile as Relebohile Mofokeng, who used to play as a No 10.

“Sometimes even though I want to have inverting players, the quality is sometimes to be simple and have an out-and-out winger.

“He is not a 10, and I cannot convert him to be a 10. I always tell him that you have a special quality that God gave you, which is speed, and you must use it with efficiency.

“I told him that when he realises his quality, he is going to be efficient. That’s what we did, but I cannot go into details as to how and where we use his speed because I will be giving you the plan.

“But he is using his quality in a wonderful way that is helping his teammates. He can’t be Mofokeng or Appollis; he will stay Moremi.

“He understands where I want to take him and how I want to play him, and it is working for him. The most important thing is when I see Moremi happy at the end of the game with a smile.

“He is able to score, and he is able to feed his teammates and he is not selfish and he is going to go far.”

TimesLIVE

In a trading update on Friday, the retailer posted a 7.1% increase in sales from its South African supermarket operations for the four months, compared with growth of 6.4% across the group’s continuing operations.

Shoprite’s South African supermarket operations include Shoprite, Usave, Checkers, Checkers Hyper and LiquorShop.

For the first three months to September, Shoprite’s South African supermarket grew 5.3 percentage points faster than the rest of the retail market at home, according to market researcher NielsenIQ.

The comparison includes retailers such as Pick n Pay and its discount offering Boxer, Spar, Woolworths, Pep, pharma giants Dis-Chem and Clicks, Food Lover’s Market, Makro and online retailers.

According to the statement, the group maintained sales growth across its two main supermarket divisions, despite rising pressure on consumer spending and low selling price inflation.

The group said internal selling price inflation was 0.7% for the four months, compared with 0.6% reported for July, boosted by continued deflation in its Shoprite brand.

Checkers and Checkers Hyper recorded the strongest sales growth.

The business remains well-positioned from a cost management perspective, including in respect of lease liability finance charge growth, while strong cash generation continues to support lower net borrowing costs

Shoprite

Its on-demand digital commerce platform Sixty60, which allows customers to order groceries and other products through a digital platform for delivery, increased sales by 33.4% for the four months.

Its growth comes as retailers continue to develop their online shopping and delivery services alongside their physical stores.

At group level, Shoprite said sales from continuing operations increased by 6.4% compared with the corresponding four months in 2025.

The South African supermarket division grew sales by 7.1%, while the non-South African supermarket business increased sales by 7% in rand terms. In constant currency, sales in the international division grew by 4.3%.

The international supermarket operations trade in seven countries outside home.

The group’s other operating segments recorded a 1.5% decline in sales, partly because of the closure of 51 stores following the previously announced mutual termination of a franchise agreement during the second half of its 2026 financial year.

Even with the decline in sales, Shoprite said trading profit growth in its OK Franchise division was positive following the store closures. The division ended the period with 578 stores after opening a net of five stores.

The group also continued expanding its South African store network, opening 71 stores and closing 10 across its operations during the four months.

Of these, 61 net new stores were added to the South African supermarket division. The openings included 12 Shoprite supermarkets, 11 Usave stores, eight Checkers supermarkets and one Checkers Hyper.

The group also opened 21 LiquorShops and 18 stores in adjacent retail formats, including 10 Uniq Clothing by Checkers stores and seven Petshop Science stores.

Its pharmacy business also grew, with sales across Medirite, Medirite Plus, and pharmaceutical distributor Transpharm up 17.6%.

Medirite and Medirite Plus sales grew 9.7%, while Transpharm rose 21.3%. The pharmacy operations ended the period with 112 in-store dispensaries and 25 standalone Medirite Plus pharmacies.

“The business remains well-positioned from a cost management perspective, including in respect of lease liability finance charge growth, while strong cash generation continues to support lower net borrowing costs,” Shoprite said.

Shoprite plans to release its 2027 interim sales update ahead of its first-half results at the end of February 2027.

Business Day

China cut its oil use by 4% during the quarter as the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz curbed energy shipments, said the CREA analysis, which was carried out for UK-based Carbon Brief. The analysis included emissions from fossil fuels and the cement industry.

Transport oil use declined even more sharply during the quarter, dropping by 9% year-on-year, the analysis found, as people relied more on electric cars and taxis to get around.

Coal use fell by 3.3% as wind and solar wastage improved, and power demand fell due to mild weather.

“The sharp decline in China’s CO₂ emissions extends a ‘flat or falling’ trend that began in March 2024 and has now lasted more than two years,” the report said, referring to the rolling 12-month total of China’s emissions, which is used to smooth out seasonal factors.

Growth in the coal-to-chemicals sector also slowed as higher coal prices led to a drop in demand for coal-chemical products after a boom earlier in the year, when low coal prices helped Chinese companies outcompete rivals using petroleum-based feedstocks.

China’s emissions have now fallen by 0.5% in the first three quarters of the year, the analysis found, indicating the trend of falling fossil fuel use and emissions could hold for the full year.

Reuters

The group said on Friday that earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) for the quarter to end-September was up 26.9% at Rwf42.2bn (about R470m), while profit after tax was up 81% at Rwf13.2bn.

For the nine-months to end-September ebitda is up 29.1% at Rwf112.7bn and profit is 130.3% higher at Rwf30.3bn.

The group said the ebitda margin expanded by 3.1 percentage points to 43.1%, reflecting robust service revenue growth and the benefit of the group’s expense efficiency programme, which offset inflationary cost pressures.

Service revenue grew by 20% year on year to Rwf259.4bn, led by the fintech business. MoMo revenue grew by 29.1%.

CEO Monzer Ali said the company delivered a strong topline performance, supported by sustained growth in its subscriber base.

Mobile subscribers increased by 7.5% year-on-year, reaching a total of 8.7-million. Active data subscribers increased by 15.9% to 2.9-million, supported by higher smartphone adoption and an improved network experience, while active mobile money (MoMo) users grew by 12% to 6.5-million.

“While we expect the regulated tariff to moderate revenue per interoperable transaction over time, we see eKash as a structural enabler for the broader digital-payments ecosystem,” he said.

Monzer Ali, MTN Rwanda CEO

“Our growth was diversified, with data, enterprise and fintech emerging as important contributors to overall performance. Data benefited from growing digital adoption and usage, enterprise maintained positive momentum, while fintech continued to scale through increased adoption of MoMo services and higher transaction volumes,” he said.

All this was achieved as Rwanda’s economy maintained strong momentum in the first half, when the country’s real GDP expanded by 9.7% year-on-year, supported by broad-based growth across all major sectors.

Ali said performance in the nine months benefited from robust economic growth, which supported subscriber and revenue growth and from a moderating franc depreciation that contained dollar denominated costs.

“This was achieved despite elevated inflation and tighter monetary conditions, which constrained household spending and added to cost pressures,” he said.

Her said the National Bank of Rwanda’s eKash system went live on July 14, routing domestic interoperable transfers between bank accounts and electronic-money wallets through a unified instant-payment rail, with customer fees capped at Rwf20 for transactions below Rwf10m.

“While the impact on our Q3 performance has not been material, it remains early in the adoption cycle and we continue to monitor customer behaviour, transaction volumes and pricing dynamics closely.

“While we expect the regulated tariff to moderate revenue per interoperable transaction over time, we see eKash as a structural enabler for the broader digital-payments ecosystem,” he said.

The group will provide a further update on its anticipated impact on both the connectivity and fintech businesses during its annual results.

Looking ahead, the company sees inflation easing, the depreciation of the franc moderating and GDP growth is forecast at 7.8% for the year. It expects to sustain growth in service revenue and profit after tax, supported by cost management.

It reaffirmed its medium-term guidance of ‘mid-teens’ service revenue growth and ebitda margins in the 40–42% range and a capex intensity range of 7–10%.

Business Day

Tomato prices surged on the domestic market due to lower productivity in the country’s main producing region of Souss Massa, as well as higher fertiliser and fuel costs.

Morocco is the second-largest tomato exporter to the EU, but its African market is relatively small.

Exporters serving African markets were informed of the decision, Fifel head Lahoucine Aderdour told Reuters by phone, without providing further details.

The halt is “temporary” and aims to help organise the market, said a government source, who requested anonymity, adding that exports “would resume soon.”

More expensive tomatoes shipped to European markets were exempt from the decision, the source said.

Morocco has in previous years restricted exports of some fresh produce to prioritise domestic consumption.

Government spokesperson Samir Belfquih did not directly answer a question on Thursday about the export halt but said the government gives priority to “food sovereignty”.

Last week finance minister Fouzi Lekjaa said the government would regulate food exports to help bring down prices.

The government has maintained transport subsidies to help keep food prices stable and plans to establish regional distribution companies to reduce intermediaries and lower food costs.

Agricultural exports rose 4.3% year-on-year to 33.1bn dirhams (about R56bn) in the first nine months of this year.

Reuters

The measure is part of a broader push by Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s right-leaning coalition to limit migration and increase expulsions of those who have been denied the right to stay in the country.

The legislation has drawn strong opposition from human rights groups and lawyers, who argue that allowing police to enter private homes for immigration enforcement risks undermining constitutional rights and privacy laws.

Around 3,000 people formed a human chain around Brussels’ Palace of Justice on Wednesday evening to protest the bill. More than 50 other demonstrations and gatherings were organised in towns and cities across the country, Belgian media reported.

The law was finally approved by a majority of lawmakers around 5am local time (4am GMT), following a lengthy debate that lasted throughout the night.

Searches will be limited to the homes of people who have been denied asylum in Belgium, have ignored orders to leave and are seen to be a threat to public security.

Home searches must be agreed to by an investigative judge and can only occur between 5am and 9am, with immigration officials present.

Ahead of the vote, Amnesty International urged lawmakers to reject the legislation, which it said could also affect people who help undocumented migrants.

The government has defended the measure as a tool to enforce deportation orders for people who are considered a danger to public order or national security.

Reuters

Arena Holdings’ journalists are coming to you live from the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg, to unpack the election results as they come in and discuss what they mean for municipalities.

Sowetan

Designed for commercial use, it features a cargo bed measuring 2,310mm in length and 1,595mm in width. The load bed is fitted with a factory spray-in bedliner designed to protect it when carrying abrasive or heavy materials.

According to JMC, the Vigus single cab has a payload capacity of 1,000kg and a braked towing capacity of 2,000kg (750kg unbraked). Power comes from a 2.5l four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine producing 123kW at 3,400rpm and 410Nm of torque between 1,400rpm and 2,400rpm. Drive is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

The bakkie rides on 16-inch steel wheels fitted with 245/70 profile tyres. Its suspension comprises a double-wishbone setup with coil springs at the front and leaf springs at the rear. Ground clearance is 210mm, while the approach and departure angles are 27º and 22º, respectively.

Standard equipment includes manual air conditioning, a radio with two speakers and Bluetooth connectivity, a USB charging port, a 12V power outlet, a multifunction steering wheel, electric windows, fabric seats and a 3.5-inch TFT multi-information display instrument cluster.

Safety features include ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), dual front airbags and rear parking sensors.

The JMC Vigus single cab is available in White, Black, Silver, Grey, Yellow and Green. It is priced at R329,900 and comes with a five-year/100,000km warranty.

Amakhosi recorded just one win from their last seven matches in all competitions and can’t afford to slip up at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Chiefs’ only win during that seven-match period came in the Carling Knockout last 32 round against TS Galaxy last week, where striker Wandile Duba scored a hat-trick.

That midweek clash preceded a 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in Saturday’s Betway Premiership clash. Now not only are Chiefs wallowing in fifth place, but Soweto derby defeats are notorious for ramping up strain on under-pressure coaches.

The PSL has moved the match between Chiefs and Siwelele FC to 6pm on Sunday to accommodate the Caf Super Cup match between Mamelodi Sundowns and USM Alger of Algeria at Loftus on Saturday at 3pm.

Da Cruz knows a win over Siwelele will buy him and his technical staff time going into the Fifa International break next week. A good cup run, or even a trophy in the Carling, would really take the heat off the 53-year-old Frenchman.

Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz explains the absence of Khanyisa Mayo and Nkosingphile Ngcobo.

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— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) November 5, 2026

“Our main target is to qualify for the semifinal stage of the Carling Knockout Cup. We respect Siwelele FC and we have prepared well for this important game,” said Da Cruz, adding Chiefs are not disadvantaged by taking the match from FNB Stadium to Polokwane.

“The game is in Polokwane and we must concentrate on winning it and qualifying for the next round. They have a new coach and they have a different structure and we must focus on how we are going to play our game.”

Siwelele coach Godfrey Mosoetsa said given the stakes, his players need no extra motivation playing the Soweto giants.

“If you look at the eight teams that are left in the competition, you wouldn’t want to play against any of them because they are very competitive. We are looking forward to this one against Chiefs, who have a lot of supporters everywhere. It is a game that our players are looking forward to.

“As a coach you don’t need to do much to motivate the players in a match like this. It would be a big thing if we proceed to the next round.”

Mosoetsa said it would also be huge on a personal note.

“I only had a couple of games with the team and the more games you get, the better you are able to give different players opportunities and seeing them at a different level.

Our main target is to qualify for the semifinal stage of the Carling Knockout Cup. We respect Siwelele FC and we have prepared well for this important game.

Fernando Da Cruz, Kaizer Chiefs coach

Da Cruz was also quizzed on new signing and attacker Elias Mokwana, who did not have a pre-season as he was without a club after the winger’s recent return from a two-year stint in North Africa and Saudi Arabia.

“He is a good and experienced player. He was with Bafana Bafana before and has a lot of quality. We know he is not fully fit, but we have the Fifa break and that will give us enough time to work with him. After the Fifa break, it will be time to integrate him.”

There will be another opportunity to sign more players in December, where he said Chiefs will be looking for experience.

“We don’t want to recruit for the sake of recruiting, we want players who will add value to the squad. We know in some positions, we have a lack of experience. We need experience to support our talented players in training and during the game.”

Da Cruz was also asked to clarify the continued absence of midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and striker Khanyisa Mayo.

“Mayo is not ready physically at this moment but he is working hard to come back. As for ‘Mshini’ [Ngcobo], he has a lot of competition in his position with Mduduzi Shabalala and Mfundo Vilakazi. He must keep his motivation because we need everyone during the season.”

On Chiefs’ glaring inconsistency, Da Cruz said committing basic errors in matches has not helped them in that regard.

“We have analysed our matches since the start of the season. Sometimes we drew matches because of our mistakes but we deserved to win those games. We deserved to win two to three games in a row at some stage because of our performances, but it was not be.”

For both, this is a test within a Test. It is about opportunity, credibility and making a statement that goes beyond beating Italy.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has picked his strongest available combination, with the core of his match-23 being the players who beat the All Blacks 3-1 in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series.

Erasmus knows what he will get from his established World Cup winners. What he needs is confirmation that Moerat and Wessels can be trusted to deliver consistently at Test level.

Wessels, 25, has been Erasmus’s hybrid impact project for three years. He can play loosehead prop and hooker, but Erasmus believes his greatest potential is at hooker. That belief has arguably been both Wessels’s blessing and his curse.

A generational schoolboy talent at Grey College, Wessels has spent much of his professional career being celebrated for his versatility without being allowed to settle exclusively in one position.

His numbers tell the story. Seventeen Tests, just three starts and an average of 28 minutes a Test. At the Bulls, he has played 71 matches but started only 27.

He is behind Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead and Johan Grobbelaar at hooker. It is hardly the ideal environment for a player desperately needing consistent minutes in one position.

Erasmus has invested heavily in Wessels, but investment eventually demands a return. Malcolm Marx is the world’s best hooker and among the game’s most influential players. He cannot be expected to play every meaningful minute between now and the 2027 World Cup.

Erasmus needs another hooker he can start without hesitation, or introduce after 40 minutes rather than 60.

Moerat’s challenge is different, and considerably more personal.

Wessels has the physicality, aggression and natural talent. What he needs is an extended opportunity and, more importantly, a performance that demands another. Turin could be the beginning of that transition.

Moerat’s challenge is different, and considerably more personal.

The 27-year-old has been part of Erasmus’s Springbok environment since 2022, but injuries and repeated concussions have restricted him to 12 Tests in five seasons, six starts and a handful of captaincy appearances.

He has won 10 of those 12 Tests, yet few Springboks divide public opinion quite like Moerat. Erasmus and Stormers coach John Dobson have consistently praised his leadership, physicality, work rate and willingness to do the ugly work that seldom features in highlights packages.

Moerat is an enforcer. He hits rucks, makes tackles and brings a physical presence that coaches value enormously.

He has captained South Africa at under-18 and Junior Springbok level, Western Province, the Stormers and the Springboks.Leadership has never been his weakness. But the social media condemnation of Moerat is often vicious, spiteful and disproportionate to anything he has produced on a rugby field. His selection to start against Italy, having not played a Test this season, predictably brought another avalanche of criticism.

Moerat, who made 73 appearances for the Stormers before joining La Rochelle, has at least returned to regular rugby. He made his French club debut with 40 minutes against the Lions in the Champions Cup last month and has since started successive Top 14 matches, playing 54 minutes and then the full 80.

Erasmus clearly believes Moerat is ready. The challenge is for Moerat to make the public see what Erasmus and Dobson have always seen. He doesn’t need to convince his coach. He needs to impose himself on Italy, dominate the collisions and deliver the kind of performance that makes his selection indisputable.

And if he does, he can deliver the most satisfying two-fingered salute to those keyboard warriors who have made a sport of belittling him.

After dominating the opening group stage, winning their first six matches, and setting batting records, the Proteas-laden Titans face a must-win Super 8 clash against the HollywoodBets Dolphins at Willowmoore Park in Benoni to keep alive their hopes in the Pro20 Cup.

Donovan Ferreira’s team haven’t won any of their last three matches. They tied against Boland in their last group stage fixture - eventually losing in a double super over in Paarl - and then got ambushed by the South Western Districts in their first Super Eight phase match in Oudtshoorn, followed by a 19-run defeat to their provincial neighbours the DP World Lions at the Wanderers last Sunday.

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It has left the Titans fifth on the Super Eights log, outside of the semifinal places with two matches to play. Where they and the Lions, who topped their first round group, may have expected to cruise to the semis, ahead the final week of the tournament, the Titans find themselves in a scrap with five other teams for two spots.

Their bowling has been inconsistent, but at a stage in the competition where the playoffs come into view, the lack of runs from star batter, Dewald Brevis, is concerning.

Brevis made a pair of half-centuries against the South Africa Emerging Squad and Easterns, but against the top tier teams, his returns have been limited. In four matches against Division 1 teams, he’s not reached double figures and in his last three innings, he’s scored 3,5 and 4.

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For a batter that is chasing a middle order spot in the Proteas squad for next year’s World Cup it’s a bad time to be experiencing a slump .

Brevis has batted at No 3 throughout the tournament as Titans coach Rivash Gobind seeks to give him as much time at the crease as possible allowing him time to control the innings. But he hasn’t grasped the opportunity yet. Brevis and Gobind will hope that the young tyro is saving his best when it matters most, like he did in last season’s SA20, where - in the last three matches for the Pretoria Capitals - he made two fifties followed by a century in the final.

The Dolphins, who the Titans host on Sunday, are among the group of five chasing those two semifinal spots. The KZN side lost their first Super Eight match to Boland, and their match on Tuesday against Western Province was rained out, leaving them on the brink of elimination.

The Lions appear to have clicked, scoring back-to-back totals of 200 or more in their last two matches, thanks to a century from Neil Timmers against Easterns followed by Conor Esterhuizen’s unbeaten 98 against the Titans.

The Lions can seal their semifinal spot by beating WP at Newlands on Saturday. While other teams have relied on one player for runs - like Lhuan-dre Pretorius for the Titans and Janneman Malan at SWD - the Lions have three players in the competition’s top 10 run-scorers, including Esterhuizen, Zubayr Hamza, who was recently called up to the Proteas Test squad and Rassie van der Dussen, who has made over 250 runs in six innings, but not once passed 50.

TimesLIVE

Story audio is generated using AI

USM Alger arrived in Pretoria ahead of the Caf Super Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday at 3pm, looking to avenge the two defeats they suffered against Masandawana in the Champions League six years ago and lift the title.

The 41-year-old has made 234 appearances and scored 146 goals, both men’s international records, after a journey that helped turn Portugal from contenders into European champions.

Yet the final chapter has become a confrontation over his place in the team. His retirement announcement followed a fallout with coach Jorge Jesus, whose decision not to use him against Norway brought the tension between Ronaldo’s enduring ambitions and Portugal’s changing needs into the open.

The ending has been awkward.

The achievements need no apology. Portugal won their first major title at the 2016 European Championship, adding Nations League trophies in 2019 and 2025. Ronaldo leaves with those three international honours alongside the individual milestones that made his country’s footballing identity inseparable from his own.

His international journey began against Kazakhstan in August 2003, when he was 18. Within a year, he was experiencing the bitter side of tournament football as hosts Portugal lost the European Championship final to Greece.

Redemption took another 12 years and arrived with an unusually cruel twist. It was Portugal’s greatest triumph but their captain had to watch much of the final from the sidelines.

Injured early against France in the 2016 showpiece, Ronaldo left the pitch in tears before Portugal secured the title. For a player accustomed to deciding matches himself, the defining team success of his international career came after his own participation had been cut short.

The World Cup, however, remained beyond his reach. Ronaldo became the first player to score at six editions and finished with 11 goals, but those personal landmarks never translated into the trophy he sought. His last attempt ended against Spain in the round of 16 this year, with the eventual champions closing another route to the one major international honour missing from his collection.

Even his World Cup scoring record contained an imbalance. Ten of his 11 goals came in the group stage, his only knockout-stage goal was a penalty against Croatia in the last 32 in 2026.

Reuters

Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, who quit the party after stepping down in September from her role as deputy chairperson, was accused by an opposition politician of making a large profit on shares just before the crisis triggered a major stock market selloff.

An Istanbul court arrested Kaya, who was minister of family and social services from 2016 to 2018, on charges of “violating the law on capital markets” and “membership of an organisation established for the purpose of committing a crime”, Anadolu said.

The move followed her questioning by the bureau that investigates money laundering crimes for the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office, it added.

Suspected share-price manipulation in thinly traded stocks triggered a liquidity crisis and sent share prices tumbling on September 16

Her husband, Ilyas Kaya, was released under judicial measures banning travel abroad in the same investigation. The prosecutor accused Kaya of possessing undisclosed information likely to influence the price or value of a capital market instrument.

The official added that she had contacts with Emre Tezmen, a former executive of one of the asset managers at the centre of the turmoil, according to Anadolu.

In September a spokesperson of the main opposition Yeni Party accused the couple of receiving about 2.17-billion lira (R709.7m) from sales of investments to the tune of a combined 163-million lira, mainly in shares of shipbuilder Ozata Denizcilik, made in April this year.

Ozata Denizcilik shares traded at around 220 lira at the start of April and rose to 4,980 lira on September 15, before the turmoil in the investment fund industry.

Suspected share-price manipulation in thinly traded stocks triggered a liquidity crisis and sent share prices tumbling on September 16.

Reuters

Nearly three-quarters of the world’s forcibly displaced people are living in countries such as Afghanistan and Bangladesh that are exposed to severe climate-related risks, according to the report by the agency, known as the UNHCR, published before the UN climate change conference in Antalya, Türkiye.

The findings show the overlap between conflict, displacement and climate change.

“Climate adaptation in fragile and displacement-affected areas is a matter of survival,” said Anton Leis Garcia, the UNHCR’s assistant high commissioner for operations. “We need climate financing to reach the communities where the needs are greatest.”

The report highlighted the experience of a Sudanese refugee who fled conflict in al-Fashir in June 2023 to the Farchana refugee settlement in eastern Chad. The refugee said she sometimes goes a week without finding safe water and must walk increasingly long distances for alternative sources as nearby seasonal riverbeds dry up amid intensifying heat.

Returns at risk

It also warned that climate change is making it harder for displaced people to return home sustainably.

In the first half of 2026, more than two-thirds of refugee returns were to countries highly exposed to climate hazards, placing them at risk of renewed displacement, the report said.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, one in three refugee settlements could experience at least 100 days of dangerous heat each year by 2050

In Syria, where nearly 4-million displaced people have recently returned, people face worsening water scarcity and erratic rainfall, while flooding along the Euphrates River in May damaged homes and displaced thousands of people.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, one in three refugee settlements could experience at least 100 days of dangerous heat each year by 2050, threatening health and livelihoods. In some settlements in Ethiopia, including Helaweyn, dangerous heat could persist for more than 200 days a year, increasing the risks of heatstroke and premature death.

“Refugees often have limited access to cooling, water and reliable energy, making it harder to escape dangerous temperatures.”

The UNHCR also warned that a forecast supersized El Niño could worsen climate-related risks in many refugee hosting countries and trigger further displacement.

In East Africa, severe flooding could displace up to 3-million people in Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda by the end of this year, the UNHCR said. In the Sahel, drought, flooding and conflict could intensify competition over scarce resources, while parts of Asia face heightened risks of droughts, floods and cyclones.

The UNHCR called on governments and climate finance institutions meeting at COP31 to increase funding for climate adaptation, highlighting that only about 10% of climate finance reaches fragile or conflict-affected countries.

On Wednesday a separate UN report found rich ​countries were falling well short of the $305bn (R5.04-trillion) needed each year ‌to help developing nations adapt to climate change, even as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.

Reuters

The case has piled more pressure on Prabowo, with public discontent growing over his costly populist policies and weakening investor confidence in Indonesia’s $1.5-trillion (about R24-trillion) economy.

At a press conference late on Thursday, police named a senior law enforcement official with the initials SU as the new suspect and said he served as monitoring chief at Indonesia’s Criminal Investigation Agency between 2010 and 2019. Local media later identified him as Slamet Uliandi.

Investigators alleged that SU, who was the head of the investigation agency’s information and technology unit from 2021 to 2026, gave the go-ahead for the wiretapping, said cybercrime unit director Suhermanto at the press conference.

“When the other two suspects were about to wiretap, they got approval from SU. They also asked for his approval before deleting interception records,” Suhermanto said, adding that SU had not yet been detained due to a health condition.

Three senior police officers had already been arrested on Tuesday, including the former national police chief and Prabowo’s chief of staff, Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who is widely known as a Widodo loyalist.

Police are still investigating the motives behind the attempts to intercept Prabowo’s communications and have so far questioned 13 police officers and five criminal and IT experts.

The national police chief has also formed a special team to investigate the case, spokesperson Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said. Jakarta remained calm on Thursday and Friday despite the deployment of thousands of troops in the wake of the wiretapping revelations.

Military tents and buses were seen in the capital, as well as a small number of soldiers. Lawmakers are also considering a probe into the eligibility of vice-president Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Widoko’s son, in what could be the first step toward removing him from office.

Reuters

The warning is valid from 1pm until midnight on Friday and covers most parts of Gauteng and the southwestern parts of the Mpumalanga Highveld. Affected district, local and metropolitan municipalities are:

• City of Johannesburg;
• City of Tshwane;
• Dipaleseng;
• Ekurhuleni;
• Emalahleni;
• Govan Mbeki;
• Lekwa;
• Lesedi;
• Midvaal;
• Pixley Ka Seme; and
• Victor Khanye.

Severe thunderstorms with strong winds, hail and heavy downpours are expected. These conditions may cause flooding and damage to settlements and property, as well as localised disruptions to power supply and communications.

Cogta said it has alerted provincial and municipal disaster management structures in the affected areas and calls on municipalities to activate their contingency plans and coordinate preparedness and response measures.

“Municipalities are urged to ensure that disaster management teams, emergency services and relevant role-players are on standby, and to communicate timely warnings to communities,” it said.

“Cogta, through the National Disaster Management Centre, will continue to monitor the situation and support coordinated response efforts where required.

Members of the public in affected areas are urged to take precautionary measures and follow safety advice:

• If possible, stay indoors and away from metal objects;
• Do not seek shelter under trees or tall objects;
• Do not go fishing or play golf, as golf clubs and fishing rods are good conductors of electricity;
• Be aware that any combination of hail, strong winds and/or heavy downpours can be dangerous; and
• Avoid crossing flooded roads, bridges and low-lying areas.

TimesLIVE

Motorists are beginning to realise there are ways to manage range, long charging times and the fear of being stranded with a dead battery.

Swedish brand Volvo offers some advice on living with an EV and says the gap between an electric car’s quoted range and the range it delivers in real conditions is influenced by speed, temperature and driver habits.

Speed is the largest single factor, says the company. Air resistance climbs steeply with velocity and an EV feels it more acutely than a petrol car because there is no engine efficiency curve working in the opposite direction. A petrol engine runs better the harder it works, which hides some of the cost of speed.

Regenerative braking is the second major factor. Volvo says lifting off early and letting the car slow itself recovers energy that friction braking throws away as heat. In stop-start traffic, where a combustion car is at its worst, an electrified vehicle is at its most efficient, provided the driver anticipates rather than reacts.

Pre-conditioning matters more than most owners realise. Heating or cooling the cabin while the car is still plugged in draws from the wall rather than the battery. On a cold Highveld morning that is several kilometres of range you keep.

The technology does most of the work. The remainder is habit, and habit is the part that compounds

“Most of this is just smoother driving,” says Vusi Machie, product and pricing manager at Volvo Car South Africa. “The car rewards someone who looks further ahead.”

In terms of charging, for daily use most manufacturers suggest keeping the battery at 20-80% full rather than routinely charging to full. Charging overnight at home on the lowest tariff available is also recommended. Rapid public charging is best kept only for journeys that need it.

Planning helps too. Setting a charging stop as a destination lets the car pre-condition the battery on approach, so it arrives at a temperature that can accept power quickly. Arriving with a cold pack is one of the more common reasons a charge takes longer than expected.

The technology does most of the work. The remainder is habit, and habit is the part that compounds.

According to Winstone Jordaan, director of charging network GridCars, 80% of all charging is done at home and the overall average cost of running an EV is around two-thirds of the price of fuel. The prices to charge EVs vary considerably depending on the energy source and the public location.

Improved public charging infrastructure is helping to overcome range anxiety, particularly for motorists wanting to use EVs beyond urban commuting. Charging facilities are reaching smaller towns as well as major cities, giving drivers greater flexibility on national routes.

Business Day

The Mercedes driver suffered another blow at the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend, finishing sixth after starting on the front row before his car suddenly slowed.

Italian 20-year-old teammate Kimi Antonelli finished third in the same race to become Formula One’s youngest champion.

“When you get kicked to the ground, you pick yourself back up. And you get kicked down again, you pick yourself back up. And I was hoping to do that maybe twice in the season, not every other weekend really,” Russell told reporters on Thursday ahead of a Sao Paulo Grand Prix that could secure the 2026 constructors’ title for Mercedes.

“When you’re away from home three weeks in a row and you have another race like what happened in Mexico where a chance of victory, a chance of the podium just disappears totally outside of your control, it’s tough to deal with.”

The Briton, who entered the season as the title favourite, pointed out technical issues had affected him at 14 races but added that it would be naive to blame bad luck alone for his failure to mount a sustained title challenge.

“I don’t think the team have let me down, honestly, because these things do happen. Nobody intends for it to happen. We’re all trying our best to deliver the best.

“And last year we had a car that was extremely reliable and we only finished fourth of the championship. This year we have a car that’s extremely fast but has been unreliable. So which one do you prefer?”

Russell, 28, took the first win of his F1 career at Interlagos with Mercedes in 2022.

Reuters

Attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP on military positions in northeastern Nigeria have surged in recent weeks despite years of military operations aimed at containing the 17-year-old insurgency in the region.

Speaking at an intelligence briefing in the capital, Abuja, military spokesperson Maj-Gen Samaila Uba said recent gains, including insurgents killed, suspects arrested and hostages rescued, showed security forces were sustaining pressure on armed groups.

“I want to make it clear that there is nothing like a ceasefire ... considering the successes recorded across our operations, it is clear that we are not relenting,” Uba said.

Nigeria is in talks with neighbouring Sahel states that left the West African bloc Ecowas on security and diplomatic cooperation, he added.

Reuters

Audi announced plans on October 25 to build its first US assembly plant near Macon, Georgia to open in the early 2030s that will produce ⁠200,000 SUVs annually and employ 4,500 workers. The carmaker is considering a second phase that would cost another $3bn (R49.58bn) and add 3,000 workers by 2033, according to documents released by the Mid-Georgia Gateway Development Authority.

Audi declined to comment.

The state is giving Audi the 600ha site, providing $458m (R7.57bn) in tax incentives and more than $120m (R1.98bn) in grants for infrastructure, rail improvements, environmental site remediation and construction and another $430m (R7.11bn) for water, road improvements, utility issues and workforce training and recruitment.

Last week it was reported that President Donald Trump’s administration has promised tariff relief to Audi to help secure the plant’s future. US officials told Audi executives the government plans to offer broad relief from tariffs for carmakers making significant investments in US production.

Two ​sources briefed on the matter said Audi has pushed the US to ⁠reduce the 15% tariffs it pays on imports from the EU to 7.5%, but that ​the US Commerce Department was expected to agree to around 10%.

The tariff relief programme aims to prod carmakers to add US production or other investments, the sources added.

Trump’s tariffs on cars, steel, aluminium and ​parts cost Audi ⁠about €1.2bn (R22.21bn) last year as it imports all its vehicles for the US market from Europe or Mexico.

Reuters

The seven-time world champion said he remains frustrated after the opening-lap incident, and more discussions are needed within Ferrari.

“I don’t really care how everyone feels about what I’ve said. I wear my heart on my sleeve when I say how I feel in the moment,” Hamilton told reporters on Thursday before this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

“I’m never going to apologise for being authentic and real. I’m not going to be silenced.”

Hamilton started from pole in Mexico but lost out after a battle with Leclerc through the opening corners forced both Ferraris off track, allowing race winner Max Verstappen to take the lead.

Hamilton said it is difficult when a “teammate works against you” and suggested Ferrari need to reconsider how their drivers race each other after throwing away what he felt should have been a dominant result.

No discussion yet

The Briton said he and Leclerc had yet to have an in-depth conversation about the incident, with the Monegasque spending time with his family after becoming a father this week.

Leclerc will arrive at the Brazilian race on Friday and miss first practice.

“Naturally, I was frustrated, and I’m still frustrated. And conversations need to be had,” Hamilton said, while agreeing when asked whether Leclerc raced him harder than other rivals on track.

“We could have easily had a one-two, and so we definitely have to work towards making sure that doesn’t happen again.”

The former Mercedes driver joined Ferrari last year, while Leclerc has been with the Maranello-based team since 2019.

“I’ve always tried to be respectful. Naturally it’s not so easy having someone like me come into a team because I’m very outspoken, and I push and push and push for so many changes,” the 41-year-old Briton said.

“I’m here to win, and to be able to win, you have to work with everyone around you. We all can always elevate and be better, and I truly believe that this team can be fighting for the championship next year.”

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

Electricity generation decreased by 5.2% year on year in September but ticked up 0.4% from August after declines of 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively, in the previous two months, Stats SA said on Thursday.

Seasonally adjusted power production was down 0.4% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the second quarter, the data shows.

For the year to September, generation was down 6.9% at 163,747 gigawatt-hours (GWh) compared with 175,941GWh produced in the same period last year.

Power consumption was up 1.5% year on year in September but dipped by 0.9% on a monthly basis.

Electricity inflows into the country jumped 78.4% year on year to 594GWh in September, while outflows fell 58.8% to 530GWh.

The volume of electricity delivered to the country’s nine provinces edged up 1.6% to 16,200GWh. The exceptions were the Northern Cape, where delivery was down 21.7%, and KwaZulu-Natal, where it dipped 1.3%.

Eskom produces about 86% of the country’s electricity, and independent power producers contribute about 10%-15% after the launch of the renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme in 2011.

The country also imports and exports electricity to and from neighbouring countries through the Southern African Power Pool.

At the weekend, electricity & energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said South Africa and Africa must expand electricity capacity and make power affordable to unlock industrialisation and benefit from growing demand for energy-intensive industries.

Ramokgopa told the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation’s Drakensberg Inclusive Growth Forum that the region had the mineral resources and renewable energy potential needed to support manufacturing but lacked sufficient electricity infrastructure to turn those advantages into economic growth.

Africa’s energy deficit remained a major obstacle, he said, noting that about 600-million people on the continent lacked access to electricity.

Growing demand from data centres and AI presented an opportunity for South Africa to attract investment, Ramokgopa added, pointing to the country’s undersea cable connections, electricity generation potential and renewable energy resources.

South Africa plans to add 102GW of new generation capacity, with 60% expected to come from renewable sources.

The country has also embarked on a R440bn programme to build 14,000km of new high-voltage transmission lines over the next decade to connect new wind, solar, battery storage and gas generation projects to the national grid while strengthening the network to support changing electricity flows.

The Integrated Resource Plan 2025 gazetted last year seeks to accelerate the diversification of the country’s energy mix, which is still dominated by coal, by expanding renewables, gas and nuclear capacity while managing the gradual decommissioning of coal plants.

Business Day

The big dwang bang

Thanks to a Newzroom Afrika interview, memes quickly took over local timelines after an unhappy resident shared her frustrations about dire water shortages. Posts also picked up on Fikile Mbalula’s response to questions about potholes being a result of climate change.

South Africans are so funny 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/8vaXJWHcKk

— Tomi Rikhotso (@TomiRikhotso) November 2, 2026

Mbalula Blames Climate Change For Potholes ayyy 😭😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/uk0HTi3oca

— Max (@MaxNomaNini) November 1, 2026

Please dont vote for DA... If you gonna be dizzy, don't be that dizzy...

Please... if you smart don't vote for any of the GNU partners. To hell with all of them... pic.twitter.com/5SpsiSRXce

— lowkey 𓃵 mood (@nta_mbele) November 2, 2026

Election day mayhem

Posts persuading voters not to vote for the DA continued right up to voting day, albeit with much talk from analysts about the differences in social media soapboxes not lining up with sentiments at the ballot box.

Viral figures behind the “Zuma must go” chant also resurfaced, while many were amused by top parties failing to secure their usual majority share.

You have to fight evil with evil. My aunt was going to vote for the DA so this morning I introduced her to The Polygamist on Netflix and told her it's playing live and won't play again.

She hasn't left the house yet. pic.twitter.com/BCh5sYpBJ5

— Sisa (@TheTitanBaddie) November 4, 2026

📍 pic.twitter.com/GHcQ7jnhpJ

— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) November 5, 2026

We Found The “Zuma Must Fall” Ladies BUT They Have Now Changed Their Tune And Dedicated Their New Song To Gogo Helen pic.twitter.com/FzeU7Twmml

— Dudu “Grenade” Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) November 4, 2026

.. Helen and Nomvula having a moment after the first numbers on the board…. pic.twitter.com/y63HAwZ78O

— Denzil Taylor (@DenzilTaylor) November 4, 2026

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I like Nomvula very much- they cant do this to her🥺worse Hellen is there crusing pic.twitter.com/moeEQcVnQb

— Madumetsa- TeffuJoy (@MadumetsaTeffu) November 5, 2026

This one speak Isizulu much better than Duduzane Zuma. pic.twitter.com/2YFmu385rR

— #NativeOfBelaBela (@tsheko2020) November 4, 2026

back to square one😭 pic.twitter.com/OD0jkRO3bP

— sula_cry_ptone (@THEEtrashboat1) November 5, 2026

The DA to us as soon as they win😭 pic.twitter.com/ZhGhYZMvFF

— KasiboySA (@KasiboySA) November 5, 2026

Fikile Mbalula right now#LocalGovernmentElections2026 pic.twitter.com/6zSUQ1qb6O

— Nolwazi Nkomo (@NolwaziNkomo5) November 5, 2026

Cutting edge producers: https://t.co/YzrswCBjG8 pic.twitter.com/xSHAL7S9Pi

— 🇵🇸 Lobo Solitario 🇿🇦 (@NAKEDI_NKD) November 5, 2026

You gotta love the energy of the youngins
😂🤌🏾#Elections2026 #eNCA pic.twitter.com/UGLKwstsPx

— Silindelo Sebata (@Sli_Masikane) November 4, 2026

Not Gogo Hellen Zille rubbing things into the faces of ANC and EFF. pic.twitter.com/ChGdkwVjdz

— Born Again (@Born_Again_Man) November 5, 2026

Others were mocked for “blonde moments”, including Mbalula, who posted a photo of two white boys in ANC T-shirts — previously seen in MK Party matching sets — and a voter who was admonished for not double-checking her voting station.

[WATCH] First time voters at Orange Grove Primary, Johannesburg are coming out saying they want to give the ANC a chance to continue and that voting is an amazing feeling that they’ve waited their entire lives to do. #VoteANC2026 pic.twitter.com/Jdyh0m6vT0

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) November 4, 2026

Lol don't fool people am with them as we speak pic.twitter.com/GHF9a587Dt

— Prince SA (@SAdaPrinceBut) November 4, 2026

Kwasuka lokho, and she is likely not the only individual experiencing this issue. These are local elections meant to address the needs of residents within their own municipalities. Requiring her to vote in a different city for a mayor who will not represent her interests raises… pic.twitter.com/TBLffd5pBG

— 𝕍⋓ ꗟ𝕚🌶 (@svukeve) November 4, 2026

Situation right now 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/imtfxnbopc

— L E S E D I (@_Hybreed_) November 5, 2026

For the politicians that have lost their jobs you can join us on Monday at 9:30 we watch the Madlanga commission and share our views and thoughts.

Welcome to the Shashalaza FC .#MadlangaCommission pic.twitter.com/bk0FwwqLeJ

— Sunflower (@Sunflowerreal) November 5, 2026

The blue wave

It did not take long for American-style memes and reaction videos to wash up on local shores. Especially after Garreth Cliff suggested a loss for the Democrats, and rapper Nicki Minaj’s support of Republicans would come back to bite her in her own lyrics. The creator of the Chucky character also admonished her for repeatedly using the character in her memes while holding political views that do not align with the character’s recent portrayal.

I can't wait to see mainstream media talking heads, pollsters, newspaper editors and out-of-touch academics make excuses and spin if things don't go the way they've so confidently said they would.

The Blue Wave, Obama on campaign, Abdul, Hillary, Kara Swisher, Hasan Piker, the…

— Gareth Cliff (@GarethCliff) November 3, 2026

Don Mancini, creator of Chucky, declares the horror doll would be backing Democrats, not Republicans:

“Chucky has a trans kid. Chucky protects the dolls. Chucky is anti-ICE. […] Too bad, Nicki! No AI, by the way! #bluewave” pic.twitter.com/R0d6n7s2jo

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 4, 2026

.@NICKIMINAJ pic.twitter.com/iPkG5nFzCh

— Moni (@yonces_plastic) November 5, 2026

netanyahu and trump both losing on the same day pic.twitter.com/1R6bN3FgRS https://t.co/snBsno8cP1

— ruli (@jjmileo) November 4, 2026

Nos Estados Unidos as mulheres estão indo votar vestidas com a roupa de Handmaid's Tale em protesto contra o Trump. pic.twitter.com/b7YAXUYujZ

— Julio Freiress (@JFreiress_) November 3, 2026

DEMOCRATS ARE WINNING EVERYWHERE, STAND UP AMERICA !!! pic.twitter.com/gLVct13VFA

— vids that go hard (@vidsthatgohard) November 4, 2026

State of the global markets: pic.twitter.com/Errgoa5u4g

— Sweep (@0xSweep) November 5, 2026

Democrats celebrating the new Texas pic.twitter.com/gxZ0oMfzIh

— Alix (@AlixG_2) November 5, 2026

Democrats after taking over the House #Midterms2026 pic.twitter.com/iagK04piQ3

— Dee Holt 🍎🍟🍎❄️ ➏ (@D_1andOnly_) November 4, 2026

VETO 🔨 pic.twitter.com/cOyJAF2kNP

— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) November 5, 2026

Doja Cat changes lyric of ‘Paint The Town Red’ at her show in Dallas, Texas following the Democratic victory:

“I don’t care I paint the town BLUE.” pic.twitter.com/0rT5gmlYRK

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 5, 2026

US senators first meeting pic.twitter.com/LP3aoP182U

— Lulu (@muixyui) November 5, 2026

TimesLIVE

The 41-year-old Briton, Formula One’s most successful driver with a record 106 race wins and 105 pole positions, reaches the milestone still competing at the front and showing little sign of slowing down.

“It’s kind of crazy. I never thought that I would be reaching numbers like that,” Hamilton told reporters on Thursday.

“I still feel young, and regardless of the things that people say, you saw my pole last week [in Mexico]. I still have the pace, I still have the speed, I still have the dedication, which is most important, and the focus.”

Hamilton is third in the drivers’ championship, two points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. He claimed his record-extending 105th pole position in Mexico last week, but finished second after a clash with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton made his Formula One debut with McLaren in 2007 and won his first championship a year later.

He secured six more titles with Mercedes between 2014 and 2020 before joining Ferrari last season. Only Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, 45, has made more grand prix starts, with the double world champion closing in on 450 races.

While Hamilton said the round number itself was not especially meaningful to him, he acknowledged the significance of reaching it in Brazil, a country where he enjoys enormous popularity and was made an honorary citizen in 2022.

“For me, that number is irrelevant. But it’s beautiful to be able to have that here in Brazil,” he said.

McLaren’s Lando Norris said Hamilton’s career remained a benchmark for younger drivers hoping to build similar longevity, while adding performances this season had dispelled any doubts about his competitiveness.

“I think it’s an incredible achievement for him to fight for this long. He’s a good inspiration for many of us,” said the 2025 world champion.

“When I look at Lewis, he makes me not very happy to have only won one championship.

“But that’s in a good way that I can look at him and see him and his age, his form, and it makes me believe more than ever that I could fight for many, many more years, and that’s something I look forward to doing.”

Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg also praised Hamilton’s determination to continue competing despite having already surpassed nearly every major record in the sport.

“He could have easily retired many times and said, ‘that’s enough’,” Hulkenberg, 39, said. “Fair play and respect to him that he still puts in the work, still wants this, and still does this.”

Reuters

This week the traffic wardens are undergoing training to serve as liquor inspectors under the Gauteng Liquor Board, strengthening the province’s capacity to monitor and enforce liquor legislation.

The head of the Gauteng economic development department, Motlatjo Moholwa, said the initiative reinforces the importance of balancing economic growth with public safety.

“While supporting legitimate businesses and creating economic opportunities, the government remains committed to protecting consumers, safeguarding communities and promoting a responsible liquor industry.”

He highlighted the need to combat underage drinking, illegal liquor trading and alcohol-related crime and violence, while ensuring that liquor outlets comply with licensing conditions and operate responsibly.

The community safety department said the programme also marks the start of the province’s festive season readiness campaign, “strengthening efforts to ensure that liquor traders operate within the law and that communities are protected from the risks associated with non-compliance and irresponsible liquor trading”.

TimesLIVE

The National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve the project after hearing from about 100 opponents, including Democratic legislators.

“It will snarl traffic for years, impact the nearby airport, and present even more serious threats to public safety that this commission has refused to acknowledge and grapple with,” said representative Don Beyer, who represents northern Virginia.

A judge considering several legal challenges could still block the start of construction. But if it gets the go-ahead, the justice department has said it expects an initial six to eight months of construction focused on excavation and foundation work could begin this week.

Above ground construction would start in May 2027 at the earliest, with the job expected to take 33-39 months in total.

The National Park Service may also issue a permit or other authorisation on Thursday and launch construction this week, the government said in a court filing.

The arch is among several costly projects Trump is pushing in Washington despite opposition from local officials and preservationists. They include rebuilding the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, constructing a massive White House ballroom and overhauling the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts.

The arch has faced significant opposition in the courts. The state of Virginia and the District of Columbia sued the National Park Service and the department of the interior on Saturday, seeking to halt the start of construction, calling it “legally indefensible” and arguing that Congress has not approved it.

It’s right smack in the middle of everything, so very important for our military. But from a beautification standpoint, it’ll be the most beautiful arch in the world

US President Donald Trump

The government contends Congress approved the arch more than 100 years ago when it also authorised construction of a bridge across the Potomac River.

At an event on Monday to highlight improvements to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump said the arch would also serve as a military asset and would be able to house drones and snipers.

“It’s right smack in the middle of everything, so very important for our military. But from a beautification standpoint, it’ll be the most beautiful arch in the world,” Trump said.

The arch, which would include an eternal flame and floodlights to make it visible to pilots, would be situated across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial on a highway roundabout near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.

It would resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but stand more than 24m taller. It would also be nearly as tall as the US Capitol, which at about 87m can be seen across much of Washington. The site is near aeroplanes’ final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

A rendering showed the flame would be held by an 18m-tall gold, winged female figure positioned atop the arch and flanked by gold flying eagles.

Reuters

Analysts and officials in Asia expect Trump to focus on foreign policy as he seeks to build his legacy in the final two years of his term. With efforts to resolve the wars in Ukraine and Iran yet to produce breakthroughs, he is likely to turn to Asia, where he believes he has room to manoeuvre.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with whom Trump has been eager to restart talks, is likely to be a key part of that effort, they say.

“Trump is likely to devote significant effort to achieving foreign policy successes, especially if he faces greater constraints on the domestic front,” said Ban Kil-joo, international relations professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul.

Given Trump would want a successor to win in 2028, there is a strong possibility that engagement with North Korea would be part of that agenda

Ban Kil-joo, international relations professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy

“Given Trump would want a successor to win in 2028, there is a strong possibility that engagement with North Korea would be part of that agenda,” he said.

But there is little incentive at the moment for Kim to respond, analysts say.

Asked about Trump’s plans for diplomacy with North Korea, the White House said Trump has restored American strength on the global stage and strengthened ties with world leaders. “His foreign policy decisions have never been motivated by politics,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in emailed comments to Reuters.

“The commander-in-chief will always act in the best interest of the American people and our national security.”

Trump met Kim three times during his first term after a war of words that raised fears of military conflict.

But their 2019 summit ended without agreement after they failed to reach a deal on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and sanctions relief.

Seven years later, the stakes are higher. North Korea has expanded its nuclear and missile arsenal, while Pyongyang’s ties with Russia and China are the best in years, giving Kim less incentive to negotiate and potentially increasing pressure on Trump to offer concessions.

Trump calls Kim a ‘great guy’

Trump has touted his relationship with Kim, calling him a “great guy” and saying that they “get along very well”.

Nonetheless, US and South Korean officials see fading chances of a meeting this year, with Washington receiving no response from Pyongyang before a regional summit in China this month where they might have met.

Kim’s influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, has said dialogue remains a path to peace, but Pyongyang sees no need for talks now. She denounced what she called Washington’s “hostile policy” while denying US accusations that North Korea stole more than $6bn (R99.12bn) in virtual assets from Binance last week.

Her brother has previously said he is open to talks if Washington stops insisting his country give up nuclear weapons. Regional allies South Korea and Japan are opposed to any such concession.

“A summit that shelves denuclearisation would undermine deterrence and create policy friction among Washington, Seoul and Tokyo,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Officials in Japan and South Korea are concerned they could be “cut out of the loop” if Trump deals directly with Kim, with the quiet blessing of Beijing and Moscow, a senior Japanese official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

“[Japanese officials] are concerned about the lengths he will go to get a summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, such as dropping the issue of denuclearisation.”

‘Biggest change since World War 2’

Trump has referred to North Korea as a nuclear power, a status that allies in the region and the West have refused to recognise despite the dozens of nuclear warheads Pyongyang is believed to have built and its stockpile of fissile material.

“If US-North Korea talks lead Washington to accept North Korea’s nuclear status, the security environment in Asia would change dramatically,” said Prof Kazuhiro Maeshima at Sophia University in Japan.

“The biggest change since World War 2 could occur in the remaining two years of the Trump administration. It is a serious situation.”

Kim now has a vastly more advanced arsenal than at the time of the 2018-2019 summits, including more weapons and missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, a growing fleet of modern warships and submarines, and improved drone capabilities.

The biggest change since World War 2 could occur in the remaining two years of the Trump administration. It is a serious situation

Kazuhiro Maeshima, professor at Sophia University

If Trump were to bring Kim back to the table, he might need to offer more than partial sanctions relief.

Such concessions could face hurdles at home from a Democratic-controlled Congress and Trump’s limited time in office, said Moon Chung-in, a Yonsei University professor in Seoul who served as a presidential adviser on national security.

“And what is important is North Korea’s perception and calculation; if North Korea thinks that Trump has entered a lame duck period and he cannot get the support from Congress ... there’s no reason for Kim Jong Un to come to dialogue,” he said.

Former US deputy secretary of state Stephen Biegun, who led US negotiations with North Korea during Trump’s first term, also said there were few incentives for Pyongyang currently.

“The North Koreans, I think, have very little upside to a meeting like this right now and potentially some downside.”

Reuters

Leo, who is 71 and underwent lung cancer surgery last month, will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru until November 17 on one of the most demanding overseas tours taken by a Catholic leader in decades.

The Vatican said this week that the pope had completely healed from his operation and no special precautions were being taken for the tour, on which Leo will travel about 31,000km across 10 cities and give 36 speeches.

The pope, who was born in Chicago but spent decades in Peru and became a Peruvian citizen, considers the tour a “homecoming to places where he spent a long time and to which he feels closely connected”, said Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.

Leo told pilgrims at his weekly audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday that during the trip he was hoping to “strengthen the faith, renew hope, [and] rekindle the fire of charity”.

Pope expected to address regional instability

The pope, departing Rome early on Friday morning, is due to arrive in Uruguay at 4.30pm (7.30pm GMT). He will stay in the country until Sunday, visiting three cities before continuing on for three days in Argentina and six days in Peru.

Leo, who has forcefully decried the direction of global leadership in recent months, will address the governments in each country in closely watched speeches. He will also lead outdoor masses at major local sites, visit a prison in Argentina and head to remote Andean communities in Peru by helicopter.

On Sunday, Leo will give an address to Argentine President Javier Milei, a ​right-wing libertarian seen as a close ally to US President Donald Trump, who lambasted Leo earlier this year after the pope criticised the Iran war.

Bruni said the pope’s speeches during the tour would address a range of issues facing the continent, including environmental destruction, arms trafficking and regional political instability.

“The pope brings a message of communion and unity, an invitation to recognise one another ... as members of one same family,” he said.

The pope brings a message of communion and unity, an invitation to recognise one another ... as members of one same family

Matteo Bruni, Vatican spokesperson

The late Pope Francis, who was Leo’s predecessor and from Argentina, visited Peru in 2018 but never returned home. A pope has not visited Argentina or Uruguay since the late 1980s.

Argentinian officials have said about 7-million people will attend events with Leo.

Vatican not taking additional medical precautions

Latin America has long been the world’s largest Catholic region in absolute numbers, but the church has been losing ground recently to fast-growing evangelical denominations and has struggled to respond to progressive social attitudes and individualised forms of worship.

Local Catholic leaders hope Leo’s visit can reenergise the faith across the region and also help repair the church’s standing after abuse scandals tarnished its reputation.

Leo will hold several meetings with survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy during the trip, the Vatican has said, without yet providing further details.

The pope was treated in October for lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. His doctors have said the disease was localised and he would not require any further treatments.

Bruni said Leo had recovered enough that no additional medical measures would be necessary during his trip.

Medical experts said the decision by Leo’s doctors to clear him to fly should indicate the risk of complications from his surgery was low, that his operated lung had fully expanded and any surgical wounds were healing without signs of infection.

They suggested, however, that Leo might need to take rest breaks to deal with the trip’s intense itinerary and consider using supplemental oxygen as needed, especially during his high-altitude visits in the Peruvian Andes.

Reuters

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A 37-year-old man who raped and sexually abused children to make and sell pornography has been sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment.

Christiaan Francisco Fortleza van der Linde, from Welkom in the Free State, was convicted on 119 charges involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of three minor children over several years.

He was sentenced by the Welkom regional court, sitting as a designated Sexual Offences Court, after pleading guilty to charges including rape, sexual grooming of children, creation and distribution of child pornography, kidnapping of a minor and attempted murder.

The offences, which occurred between 2015 and 2024, involved a disturbing pattern, NPA spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said.

He gained access to his first victim, from the age of 12, through a position of trust. “Between 2015 and 2020, he repeatedly groomed, sexually assaulted, exploited and raped the child. He further subjected the victim to sexually degrading acts and used her to create child sexual abuse material, which he subsequently sold and distributed through a pornographic website.”

Between 2022 and 2024, he targeted a second victim, from when she was 11 years old. “Once again, he exploited a relationship of trust to gain access to the child before subjecting the victim to repeated grooming, sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape. He also created child sexual abuse material involving the victim.

”When these offences came to light, the accused trafficked and kidnapped the second victim and attempted to murder the child in an incident involving an attempted murder-suicide.

“The accused also manipulated and instructed the child to create child sexual abuse material involving a third minor victim, without the third child’s knowledge. The material was subsequently found in the accused’s possession.”

Senokoatsane said Van der Linde had tried to damage electronic devices and destroy evidence.

During sentencing proceedings, prosecutor Elma van Niekerk said Van der Linde had demonstrated a sustained pattern of calculated and manipulative behaviour directed at children over an extended period. He deliberately exploited relationships of trust to gain access to his victims, subjecting them to repeated sexual abuse and exploitation.

Senokoatsane said the prosecution raised serious concerns about the whereabouts of the intimate photographs and videos created by Van der Linde. “This raises the possibility that the material could still be circulating, exposing the victims to further victimisation and prolonging their trauma.”

In aggravation of sentence, the state presented victim impact statements compiled by court preparation officer Rosie Dube. The statements detailed the profound emotional and psychological trauma suffered by the victims and their families. Two of the victims had become suicidal as a consequence of the abuse and continued to suffer severe trauma.

Senokoatsane said: “This successful prosecution demonstrates the NPA’s commitment to protecting children from sexual predators and ensuring that those who exploit their vulnerability and abuse positions of trust face the full consequences of the law.”

TimesLIVE

He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice

Paul Mashatile perfected the art of invisibility some time ago, so it’s hard to tell if he’s been naughty or nice. But we do know that he’s on track to get the world’s worst Christmas present next year, when he is elected leader of a party that has just unified South Africans around their desire to flush it down the toilet.

Imagine being groomed from childhood to take over as CEO of Porsche one day, and when you finally get there, the empire consists of two Checkers shopping trolleys with wobbly front wheels and an ageing Fiks asking you to tie his shoelaces.

A river in Egypt

As one catastrophic result after another rolled in from formerly secure ANC wards, journalist Clayson Manyathela asked our national monument to belligerent dysfunction, Gwede Mantashe, if the party was to blame for its own collapse. “No,” replied Mantashe, “it is because there are more parties contesting. It’s a maturing democracy.”

I look forward to Mantashe’s forthcoming lecture tour in which he will reveal that, when people drive their cars directly into walls, nobody is really to blame except a maturing universe in which many forces like momentum and gravity interact in complex ways.

Gogo a go or a goner?

It is now almost certain that Helen Zille will be sworn in as mayor of Johannesburg, and, given the DA’s dramatic gains in that city, it is now even possible that she will still be mayor five or even six hours after she is sworn in. Her critics will say nasty and hurtful things ― and that’ll just be her coalition partners ― but whatever you think of her, science tells us that if Zille spends her first day in office face-down on the floor, gently drooling into the carpet, she will have achieved considerably more than Dada Morero ever did.

RIP EFF

The EFF’s campaign slogan this year was “Victory or Death” and it clearly wasn’t kidding. At the time of writing the party had managed to win a mayorship of one municipality in North West, but this success would have been overshadowed by the fact that the EFF has lost ground in every province and, more importantly, in every metro. For an urban party so heavily dependent on ebullience and vibes, this is a death sentence, and we can now expect the stream of voters abandoning the party to turn into a flood. It was fun while it lasted though.

Dune 2

ActionSA has made impressive gains but one of the biggest winners of this election so far is the Patriotic Alliance, which, at the timing of writing, had tripled its share of the vote since the 2021 local government elections and was the third-largest party in both the Western and Northern Cape.

This will be very encouraging for Gayton McKenzie, who now has a number of arid landscapes at his disposal in which he can fail to recreate Dubai.

Better red than dead

I’ve been teasing the SACP for years, calling out the venerable old commies for their reluctance to detach from the largesse and safety of the ANC. But this year they’ve made me eat my words by finally putting their money where their mouth is (or at least putting their communal, shared bundle of IOUs where their mouth is) and getting into the game.

And fair play to them: so far their best showing has been in Eastern Cape, a very tough target. After all, to seize the means of production you first need the means of production to exist, and thanks to the ANC that province’s means shrink every year.

And with that, let the coalition chaos begin.

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With Gauteng’s metropolitan municipalities appearing unlikely to produce outright winners, an analyst has described voters in the country’s economic hub as increasingly different from those elsewhere.

With about half of the votes counted and declared by Thursday night, Johannesburg and Tshwane had three parties each polling more than 20% of the vote — a rarity in many municipalities across the country.

Wade Manning, executive director of Defend Our Democracy, said voters in Johannesburg were increasingly prioritising local issues over traditional political loyalties.

“There’s something different about a Johannesburg voter … issues are a lot more concentrated and receive a lot more precedence over what happens across the country,” Manning said.

He said despite voters coming from different political backgrounds, they were increasingly confronted by the same service delivery challenges. This had prompted many to seek alternative political solutions and reconsider their longstanding party loyalties.

On Thursday evening, the DA was leading the race, followed by the ANC and ActionSA. However, the DA appeared unlikely to secure an outright majority.

A similar picture was emerging in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, making coalition governments a likely outcome once the final results are declared over the weekend.

“The fact that water issues in Johannesburg have come to a climax, with the city facing huge issues around corruption … I do think that influenced a Joburg voter’s lived experience more than someone from the Eastern Cape or even Cape Town,” Manning said.

He said voters were being forced to become more politically engaged, creating greater divisions along party lines even as they increasingly shared concerns about poor service delivery.

“Even though from an identity politics perspective we may not agree, we do agree that the current dispensation has ensured that we have ended up with poor service delivery,” he said.

Manning said some voters were also experiencing uncertainty as they searched for new political homes.

“This has made the electorate do a little bit of homework to say, ‘if not the party I have been loyal to, who else do I consider?’” Manning said.

Across Gauteng’s three metropolitan municipalities — Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane — the DA, ANC and ActionSA were among the leading parties as vote counting continued.

With no clear outright winners emerging, political parties were already preparing for coalition negotiations. These discussions could involve significant compromises and political trade-offs, including arrangements in which parties exchange mayoral positions in one metro for political support in another.

The final results are expected to determine the balance of power and shape the coalition negotiations that will decide who governs Gauteng’s three metropolitan municipalities.

TimesLIVE

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For South Africans scammed out of their savings or blackmailed through their phones, the next move — knowing where to turn — can be the hardest.

A free, confidential service launched in South Africa this month, aims to help. UK charity The Cyber Helpline has started a 12-month South African pilot to guide victims of online fraud, hacking, harassment and other cyber threats.

The project grew from a conversation cybersecurity entrepreneur and cyberpsychology expert Anna Collard had with her husband two years ago about financial sextortion targeting children and teenagers. Criminals were reaching young people through phones and social media, coercing them into sharing explicit material, then using it to blackmail them.

“That conversation was the start of this project. And the more I looked, the clearer it became that the need does not stop with children. Everyone affected by a cyber incident deserves the same reassurance and someone to turn to, whatever their age.”

Collard and her team began collecting South African cases last December. They found that 74% of those victims had not reported their experiences to police.

“The data doesn’t tell us why, but it suggests the helpline is reaching people whose experiences are invisible to the authorities,” she said.

“Imagine losing your savings to a SIM-swap scam and not knowing who to call. Or being harassed online by someone who won’t stop and feeling too embarrassed to tell anyone. For many South Africans, that is where the story ends,” Collard said.

The pilot is housed by Collard’s MiDO Academy, in partnership with The Cyber Helpline UK and sponsored by Amazon Web Services. It draws on a volunteer-led model operating in the UK and US.

According to Collard, more than 2-million people have accessed the charity’s guidance since 2018, with over 100,000 receiving direct support.

“What its casework shows, and what we have built into the new, tailored South African playbooks is that victims suffer far more than financial loss. Shame, anxiety, depression and lasting distress are common, and recovery works best when support addresses both the technical and the emotional impact of an incident,” Collard said.

Early South African findings identified investment scams as the most common named attack, followed by online shopping and auction fraud. Harassment and sextortion cases were also emerging. The largest age groups targeted were 25 to 39 and 40 to 65.

“As a researcher, I’m interested in why people don’t report (shame, lack of trust in the institutions, not knowing where to turn?) and this sits at the heart of my work on human susceptibility to online manipulation. Every case logged sharpens the picture, shapes how we train responders and helps us reach the people who need support most.”

Users begin at the cyberhelpline.com, where a 24-hour chatbot asks a few anonymous questions and offers step-by-step guidance on securing accounts and devices, preserving evidence and knowing where to report. Cases needing more support go to a trained local responder, who follows up through the platform.

The helpline does not recover money or investigate crimes. It helps victims understand what happened, protect themselves from further harm and find the appropriate bank, police or specialist service.

The award on Tuesday addressed a complex intersection of workplace trauma, chronic absenteeism and institutional safety obligations within the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).

The educator referred her dismissal to the ELRC for the arbitrator to decide whether it was substantively and procedurally fair and thereafter determine the appropriate remedy.

The former teacher also sought retrospective reinstatement, alternatively substitution of her dismissal with a lesser sanction.

The former teacher, who was permanently employed by the WECD since October 2024, was dismissed on May 21 this year after being found guilty of misconduct and insubordination.

She had faced a similar charge a few months earlier and received a final written warning for insubordination.

She was absent from October to December 2025 and 66 days in 2026.

In January this year, she was charged for misconduct and her pattern of absenteeism.

She argued that the department should have followed an incapacity process because her absences were linked to the psychological effects of an attack in 2024.

According to the award, she testified that a pupil pushed her against a classroom door and grabbed her. The pupil was removed from the school and never returned, but she said she continued to feel unsafe there.

The teacher testified that she had not received a written safety assurance or participated in a safety meeting that resolved her concerns.

She maintained that she would have been willing to return if appropriate safety measures had been implemented. She argued that the employer should have pursued an incapacity processes, not a sanction.

However, the school principal and circuit manager testified that the school was safety compliant. Management also argued that despite offering health and wellness referrals and counseling options, the teacher repeatedly refused cooperation, failed to follow proper notification protocols for absences and outright defied direct instructions from district leadership to return to work.

Arbitrator Gert van der Berg concluded that despite the traumatic context raised by the teacher, her defiance of direct return-to-work instructions, rejection of cost-free wellness support and breach of an active final written warning rendered the employment relationship irretrievably broken.

“In analysing the evidence presented before me, I find on a balance of probability that the witnesses of the (WECD) were reliable and credible when they testified.

“Their evidence convinces the commissioner that the applicant was aware of the rules, policy and consequences of continued absenteeism and disobeying of a lawful instruction to return to work on 6 November 2025,” the arbitrator said.

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The ANC is on course for a bruising result in the country’s major cities, and if its poor electoral performance continues it will soon have to scramble to secure coalition deals to retain a role in governing the country’s councils.

Early returns and projections from the November 4 local government elections suggest the party will fall short of a majority in every metro and finish behind the DA in most of them.

That would be a marked deterioration from 2021, when the ANC suffered heavy losses but still held outright majorities in Buffalo City and Mangaung.

Counting is at an early stage though, and the trajectory could change. But the numbers so far point to a contraction of the ANC’s footprint in local government. The fragmented political landscape will soon result in coalition talks to decide who runs the cities.

“We do not see ourselves as a party that would disappear … this gives us an opportunity to repackage,” ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said at the IEC’s national results centre, where counting of votes is taking place.

Official results are expected to be released on Sunday.

After that, parties will have to negotiate coalitions, a process that has proved unstable in cities such as Johannesburg and Tshwane.

Business Day was told on Thursday by sources, who declined to be named, that the ANC’s top seven officials held a meeting on the way forward on Wednesday night — ahead of a planned meeting of the national coalitions task team led by its secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula.

“Early results suggest a chastening day for the ANC,” said Louw Nel, a senior political analyst at Oxford Economics. He said the party isn’t expected to win a majority in any of the eight metros, while the DA is projected to finish first in at least five.

South Africa’s major metros drive most economic activity, and losing outright control of these hubs deprives the ANC of big municipal budgets, procurement power and administrative influence.

The DA finds itself in a strong negotiating position in Gauteng.

Louw Nel, political analyst

The projected outcome makes clear that urban voters are through tolerating the ANC’s service delivery failures.

For decades, the DA was considered unable to challenge the ANC’s electoral support, largely due to deep generational loyalty to the revered liberation movement that defeated apartheid under leaders such as Nelson Mandela.

The DA’s origins, in part, in white liberal politics and the former New National Party also presented an obstacle. It struggled to break beyond minority voter bases in a country where black South Africans make up 80% of the electorate, allowing the ANC to portray it as an elite, minority-focused party.

The sharpest change is in the economic heartland of Gauteng province. In Ekurhuleni, the DA is leading with about 41% of counted votes, ahead of ActionSA on 18.1% and the ANC on 16.8%. The ANC took 38.2% there in 2021. It was also running third in Johannesburg among votes counted so far, according to partial results, having won 33.6% in the last election. In Tshwane it took 34.3% in 2021.

In Tshwane, ActionSA is currently second with almost 25%, according to Nel. Mayor Nasiphi Moya’s time in office has raised the party’s profile there. In 2021 it won 8.6% in the capital.

“The DA finds itself in a strong negotiating position in Gauteng,” Nel said, adding that ActionSA is emerging as a potential coalition partner in Tshwane. Herman Mashaba, the party’s founder and a former Johannesburg mayor, has built support in the province’s townships. That positions ActionSA as a potential kingmaker in all three Gauteng metros, Nel said, alongside an unpopular ANC.

While in Gauteng the DA is expected to emerge with the lion’s share of the vote, the ANC’s national tally is projected to register as a 10% loss of electoral support, from 40% to 30% since the 2024 general elections, due to the party’s last remaining strongholds such as Limpopo and the Eastern Cape also expected to decline.

A huge political shift is also unfolding across KwaZulu-Natal as Jacob Zuma’s MK Party is projected to redraw who governs strategic municipalities in that province.

By Thursday afternoon, MK Party was the leading party in KwaZulu-Natal with 33.2% of the vote, followed by the ANC with 24.8% and the IFP with 22.7%.

In eThekwini metro, MK Party led with 39.4%, followed by the ANC (23.5%) and the DA (23.2%). In eThekwini, MK Party surged into top place with nearly 39% of the vote, pushing the ANC and DA out of direct control.

In Msunduzi, the party secured more than 50%, sweeping the capital’s wards, and in Endumeni MK Party led the poll, relegating the ANC to fourth place.

With strong showings in key industrial hubs such as uMhlathuze and Alfred Duma, MK Party has established itself as KZN’s dominant force, triggering its entrance into high-stakes coalition talks to lead the government across the province.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) election prediction model estimates that Cape Town will be the only metro that will be governed by the DA without requiring a coalition. The CSIR estimates that the DA is set to garner above 58% of the votes.

In Nelson Mandela Bay, the CSIR projects the DA first with 39% against 27.3% for the ANC. The two parties were virtually tied in 2021, with the DA on 39.9% and the ANC on 39.4%, so the projection implies a drop of about 12 percentage points for the ANC.

In Mangaung, the CSIR has the ANC ahead on 37.3% against 30.2% for the DA, with the EFF at 8.4%. The ANC won 50.6% there in 2021, a slim outright majority then.

In Buffalo City, the ANC is projected to lead with 39.9%, more than double the DA’s 18.2%. That is still a steep fall from the 59.3% it won in 2021, its best metro result. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is projected third on 9.9%, ahead of the EFF on 7.2% and the South African Communist Party (SACP) on 5.1%.

“Voters are moving away from the ANC in large numbers … and we cannot ignore the regional dynamics of the votes,” said political analyst Tasneem Essop.

Business Day

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The dismissal of former South African Airways (SAA) acting CEO Matshela Seshibe from his substantive role as head of Air Chefs marks another critical milestone in the national carrier’s ongoing struggle for governance and accountability.

The Air Chefs board terminated Seshibe following the recommendations of retired judge Basheer Waglay after a detailed disciplinary inquiry into serious governance failures and unbudgeted salary adjustments. Yet, while establishing consequences for executive misconduct is a welcome step towards running a clean ship, focusing solely on individual accountability risks obscuring the deeper, systemic crises that continue to haunt South Africa’s flagship carrier.

To fully understand the airline’s precarious position today, one must trace its long history of turbulence. For decades before business rescue, SAA operated under severe structural deficiencies, chronic governance lapses and heavy political interference.

High operating overheads, erratic leadership turnarounds and costly strategic blunders meant that by late 2019, SAA, unable to service its mounting liabilities or operate as a going concern, was officially forced into business rescue to prevent total liquidation.

The legal restructuring process came at an immense cost to the South African public. Clearing the airline’s legacy debt and completing the business rescue process consumed a staggering R38bn in taxpayer funds.

Over R169m alone was paid out to external consulting firms and business rescue practitioners within the first five months of the process.

When SAA finally emerged from business rescue in September 2021, it was envisioned as a debt-free, right-sized carrier equipped with R2.5bn in fresh working capital. Crucially, at the time, the government recognised that it had no skills and expertise to operate an airline, and promised it would find a strategic partner who would inject cash and much-needed aviation expertise.

In fact every state cent spent on business rescue was prised from the fiscus under the guise that SAA 2.0 would be operated with a strategic equity partner, who would acquire and hold a 51% share of the company.

This talk of a partner has been a pipe dream for the last five years, as two groups of the airline’s state-appointed boards of directors — one appointed in August 2021 and another appointed last September — have presided over the effective squandering of goodwill, the R2.5bn it started off with, as well as the shattering of any hope of self-sustainability.

Despite claiming a controversial R155m profit for the 2024/25 financial year, subsequent oversight revealed that operating costs far outstripped actual revenue, with net gains heavily inflated by one-off asset disposals and a R1bn fictitious government share buyout.

The Auditor-General subsequently issued a disclaimed audit opinion over accounting discrepancies and severe internal control failures. Operating losses continue to mount, leading to cash shortages so severe that the airline has had to stagger employee salary payments.

Compounding these financial woes is continuous instability in key leadership roles. SAA has experienced perpetual senior staff turnover, including the unexpected resignation of group former chair turned CEO John Lamola, the early retirement of acting CFO Lindsay Olitzki, and multiple executive suspensions.

Some of these ongoing struggles highlight the harsh economic realities of operating state-owned airlines in the modern global aviation context. Commercial aviation is an unforgiving industry defined by razor-thin margins, volatile jet fuel prices, intense international competition and immense capital requirements.

While a national carrier can generate broader economic benefits such as retaining foreign currency, expanding regional trade routes and fostering high-skilled technical sectors, these benefits are easily wiped out by political meddling and operational inefficiencies. Without a hands-off, purely commercial governance structure, public airlines remain structurally ill-equipped to compete against nimble private rivals.

Enforcing accountability at subsidiaries like Air Chefs is a necessary starting point, but true recovery requires commitment to commercial discipline, skilled leadership and an end to shareholder interference. Without these structural shifts, SAA will remain a permanent drain on public coffers.

If SAA is ever to break out of this cycle of bailouts and administrative turbulence, the government must stop paying lip service to finding a strategic partner and actually do it. The important national carrier can simply no longer be left in the hands of the state.

1993 — The Springboks take on Argentina for the first time, but they are forced to hold on in Buenos Aires for their 29-26 victory. Winger James Small scored two of South Africa’s four tries in the first half as the visitors built up a 29-10 lead, but they were unable to add another point in the second half.

1996 — The Proteas, having gone unbeaten in the round robin phase of the three-nations tournament also including Australia, lose the final against India in Mumbai by 35 runs. Chasing 221 to win, South Africa were bowled out for 185, with Pat Symcox top-scoring with 46.

1997 — Lance Klusener scores 54 runs from 41 balls and then takes 6/49 as the Proteas, on 311/9, beat Sri Lanka by 66 runs in a four-nations tournament ODI in Lahore. Gary Kirsten and Hansie Cronje made 50 each.

2001 — Shaun Pollock finishes with 6/56 — and a match haul of 10/147 — as the Proteas bowl out India for 237 in the first Test in Bloemfontein. Gary Kirsten top-scored with an unbeaten 30 to help the Proteas win by nine wickets.

2004 — The Springboks score four tries as they edge Wales 38-36 in the opening match of their end-of-year tour. Substitute Jean de Villiers, fullback Percy Montgomery, flyhalf Jaco van der Westhuyzen and eighthman Joe van Niekerk dotted down for South Africa.

2005 — Captain Graeme Smith hits 66 off 65 balls as the Proteas chase down a revised target of 140 from 30 overs to beat New Zealand in the fifth and final ODI at Centurion to win the series 4-0.

2010 — Flyhalf Pat Lambie makes his international debut against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, helping the Springboks to a narrow 23-21 win. He came on as a substitute and minutes later delivered a crucial pass that led to a try by Gio Aplon. Lambie added the conversion to give South Africa a 23-9 lead. The Irish hit back with two late tries, but only one was converted.

2010 — James Cunnama wins his first full Ironman triathlon, crossing the line first in the Florida event at Panama Beach in 8hr 15min 59sec. He was 13th after completing the 3.8km swim in 51min 45sec and 11th after finishing the 180km cycle in 4:35:55. But his 2:43:09 run over the standard marathon distance was more than three minutes quicker than the next fastest competitor and he won by nearly three-and-a-half minutes ahead of Portugal’s Pedro Gomes.

2013 — JP Duminy scores 64 and Faf du Plessis 55 as the Proteas beat Pakistan by 68 runs in the third ODI in Abu Dhabi for a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Imran Tahir took four wickets as South Africa bowled out the home side for 191.

2021 — Rassie van der Dussen scores an unbeaten 94 from 60 balls and Aiden Markram 52 not out off 25 as the Proteas, on 189/2, beat England by 10 runs in a T20 World Cup match in Sharjah. Kagiso Rabada took 3/48, featuring a final-over hat-trick of Chris Woakes (7), Eoin Morgan (17) and Chris Jordan (0).

2022 — South Africa stun hosts New Zealand 38-37 and then beat Uganda 27-22 in their final round robin matches at the Fast5 Netball World Series in Christchurch to advance to the evening final, where they went down to Australia 34-20 to finish as runners-up. In the group games on the previous day, South Africa beat England 32-26 and Jamaica 28-27, but went down 19-25 in their only round robin defeat to Australia. South Africa’s previous best finish in the six-team tournament was a bronze medal in 2012.

2022 — Rilee Rossouw’s 25 is the highest score as the Proteas are limited to 145/8 to lose their T20 World Cup group 2 match against the Netherlands in Adelaide by 13 runs, eliminating them from the tournament.

2025 — Quinton de Kock hits an unbeaten 123 off 119 balls to help the Proteas reach the 270-run target for an eight-wicket win over Pakistan in the second ODI in Faisalabad to level the three-match series at 1-1. Tony de Zorzi contributed 76 and Nandre Burger took 4/46, including Pakistan’s first three wickets for 22 runs.

The nation that produced triple world champions Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet, as well as double champion Emerson Fittipaldi, had lacked a sustained presence in Formula One in recent years, but this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix offers a reminder of its deep connection with the sport.

The last time Brazil had two drivers on the grid was in 2016, with Felipe Massa and Felipe Nasr. Now Bortoleto, in his second season with Audi, will be joined by 21-year-old Camara, who makes his grand prix debut for Haas after replacing Esteban Ocon.

For Camara, racing at home still feels unfamiliar. The Formula Two championship leader has spent most of his career in Europe and will be competing at Interlagos for the first time.

“Very happy for the opportunity. Very grateful for the team to put trust in me this week,” Camara told reporters on Thursday.

“I think it will be very special to drive a Formula One car here for the first time and see all the fans. I saw last year with Gabi what it was like, so I think it will be cool to do my first race here in Brazil.”

Camara’s situation somewhat mirrors that of Bortoleto, who arrived at Interlagos in 2025 having raced there only once before in a stock car event years earlier.

That homecoming proved emotional but painful. Bortoleto crashed heavily in the sprint race, missed qualifying after his damaged Sauber could not be repaired in time, and spun out on the opening lap of the grand prix.

Home pressure

The Brazilian said the experience taught him valuable lessons about handling the pressure of a home race.

“I put a lot of expectations on myself and I think Brazil obviously ends up putting some expectations on me as well,” the 22-year-old said.

“It was a lesson in how to deal with my emotions and how to deal with a home weekend.

“It was the first time in many years that I made decisions based on emotion rather than reason when I was in a racing car at 300 km/h... I hope this year I can approach it in a better way.”

Some of Formula One’s more experienced drivers believe Camara is ready for the challenge.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, whose teammate is Argentine Franco Colapinto, said making a Formula One debut at home was a unique experience but one that came with additional pressure.

“To start your first F1 race in your home race, I think it’s a feeling which is unmatched for anyone,” the Frenchman said. “There will be expectations and even more work for him, but I hope he can enjoy every second of it.”

Camara’s arrival alongside Bortoleto also strengthens Latin America’s presence on the grid, a trend welcomed by Cadillac’s Sergio Perez.

“There is more momentum in our countries, in our continent,” said the Mexican. “But I’ve always said that for a Latin driver to make it to Formula One, it’s twice as hard than for a European driver.”

Reuters