Tuesday, 25 August 2026

A proposed merger of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni could create a 12.9-million-person municipality, but an academic warned it may be too large to manage and failure would have national consequences.

Steve Biko’s son said the reopened inquest must correct the historical record, expose apartheid’s methods and establish that his father was actively killed for opposing the state.

Mining-affected communities asked Parliament to investigate a century of social, labour, environmental and economic damage, including rehabilitation funds and abandoned communities left after mines restructure or relocate.

The US National Institutes of Health lifted its 18-month funding ban on South Africa, after researchers made the case that local work supports global health security; the freeze had cost jobs and infrastructure.

A Westbury community activist said 22 people were killed in July and August despite a SANDF deployment, arguing that sporadic patrols and poor coordination with local stakeholders have failed to curb gang violence.