RC 260917702Africa Melane
Thursday, 17 September 2026
The programme focused on South Africa’s fraught security, water and governance challenges ahead of highly contested local elections, alongside pressure from new US visa restrictions.
- 04:18
The IEC certified 136,790 candidates for 10,526 municipal seats, while 5,096 were disqualified; Johannesburg voters face 75 parties on the proportional-representation ballot.
- 04:00
Police are investigating the deaths of eight women in Ekurhuleni after the family of 38-year-old Dineo Motabani identified her body; authorities have not confirmed the cases are connected.
- 05:55
Cape Town’s dam levels are about 75.5%, versus roughly 90% a year ago; the city is consulting municipalities and agriculture before introducing coordinated water restrictions.
- 04:23
South Africa defended its sovereign right to address racial injustice after Washington announced visa restrictions targeting people linked to alleged race-based discrimination, land seizures or incitement.
- 05:24
An elections analyst said a proposed vote threshold could help larger metros manage fragmented councils, but warned it is not a single solution to deeper structural problems.