Thursday, 6 August 2026

Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said South Africans are living worse than in the early 2010s, with state capture and institutional collapse cited as the core reason rather than macroeconomic policy.

Cape Town’s transport strategy drew strong backing for pricier parking, congestion charges and fewer free bays, but listeners pushed back that buses, trains and taxis still aren’t safe or reliable enough for many commuters.

The Madlanga Commission heard allegations that senior IDAC officials wanted suspended police commissioner Fani Masemola and crime intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo removed, with testimony pointing to a concerted effort to secure arrests.

A digital safety expert warned that sextortion is now a major threat to teenagers: criminals use real or AI-altered intimate images to extort money or more material, and secrecy keeps victims trapped.

South African-born doctor Michael Balfour described a pioneering Texas surgery on a fetus with gastroschisis, using tiny instruments, Botox and a highly regulated trial process to repair the baby before birth.