RC 261001702Joanne Joseph
Thursday, 1 October 2026
Court developments involving suspended police commissioner Shadrach Sibiya and illegal-mining violence in Mpumalanga dominated, alongside scrutiny of public appointments and rooftop-solar fees.
- 17:22
Sibiya’s bail hearing continued after the prosecution presented explicit WhatsApp exchanges with a 16-year-old and evidence alleging a close associate sought to identify and approach another witness.
- 15:53
Rival illegal-mining groups armed with automatic rifles caused shootouts near Skumanskliff, closing part of the N4; Agri Mpumalanga called for specialised police units and warned the crisis could take years to contain.
- 15:06
The Public Protector found former Ekurhuleni city manager Imogen Mashazi acted improperly by appointing an unqualified deputy metro-police chief, recommending the appointment be taken on judicial review.
- 16:52
Eskom indefinitely extended its waiver of registration-related charges for qualifying small-scale generators supplied directly by Eskom; OUTA argued the registration requirement was irrational but urged safe, certified installations.
- 15:34
The Department of Water and Sanitation estimates R400 billion is needed to repair failing infrastructure across 107 of 144 municipalities, with R13.7 billion allocated this financial year.