Wednesday, 26 August 2026

Only 18% of 1,889 school kitchens across six provinces have legally required Certificates of Acceptability, raising concerns about hygiene, storage and temperature control for meals served to millions of learners.

Public health expert Asanda Getieza Nswam called the school-kitchen problem a governance failure requiring more environmental health officers, consistent oversight, training and funding for safety equipment.

Government is proposing tougher vehicle safety standards, while Change Cars founder Michael Pashett said some entry-level models lack airbags and South Africa’s legislation remains wholly inadequate amid 12,000 to 15,000 annual road deaths.

About 3,500 workers could be affected by Premier Foods’ proposed closure of its Tilbach canning plant, as the second phase of retrenchment consultations begins despite union calls to explore alternatives.

Dolly Parton died aged 80 after a brief battle with cancer; the country music icon sold more than 100 million records, wrote over 3,000 songs and worked across six decades.