Monday, 24 August 2026

Political analyst Sipo Masiko said the ANC faces a severe metro battle, with recent polls placing it between 18% and 25%, making outright victories unlikely and coalitions increasingly necessary.

Masiko identified weak consequence management, maladministration and wasteful expenditure as municipalities’ central problems, warning that 100-day turnaround promises cannot fix structural failures without money and competent administrators.

William Bird argued that an outright under-16 social-media ban would likely be unconstitutional and ineffective, urging stronger platform accountability, digital literacy and parental support instead.

Bird said children can bypass age restrictions easily, while flawed facial-recognition systems may discriminate against black children and push young users into less visible, riskier online spaces.

At 74, Sophie Nkadimeng is training for an October 2026 Everest Base Camp trek, raising R26,000 and preparing through hikes carrying her backpack and wearing trekking boots.