Thursday, 1 October 2026

At the Madlanga Commission, Joe Sibanyoni denied involvement in more than 350 Putco blockades and the burning of 51 buses, while defending demands for a 30% stake in routes.

A revised water-tariff framework will require municipalities to calculate demand and supply costs first; officials say nearly 47% of South Africa’s water is currently non-revenue water.

More than 120 suspected illegal miners were arrested in Fochville, with five firearms seized; residents called for sustained policing and convictions of organisers, not only low-level workers.

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said load reduction would be eliminated by March next year, with affected customers already falling from about 1.4 million.

Mbombela mayoral candidates proposed fixing water infrastructure, potholes and governance, while the municipality’s 2021 turnout was 40.93%, leaving nearly 188,000 registered voters absent from ward voting.