Swimming icon Tatjana Smith switches allegiance to the Netherlands ‘to thrive, not just survive’

Four-time Olympic medallist Tatjana Smith has announced that she will switch her sporting nationality to the Netherlands.

Losing councillors to share R300m in final round of gratuity payments

The government has set aside R300m to cushion unseated councillors in 2026 – a final round of golden handshakes reallocated from municipal infrastructure budgets amid sustainability concerns.

Cancer patient turns to crowdfunding after Gqeberha hospital’s scanners fail

Broken CT scanners at Livingstone Hospital left patients facing uncertainty over access to essential diagnostic services. For 70-year-old breast cancer patient Charmaine van den Berg, the breakdown meant turning to public crowdfunding to afford a private scan.

Judge Hartle’s future hangs in balance over alleged k-word and insults to clerk

A court clerk stood by his claims that a high court judge racially insulted him, breaking down in tears as he described how the incident left him depressed and affected both his work and personal life.

Tatjana Smith’s switch to the Netherlands: what do you think?

South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, Tatjana Smith, will swim for the Netherlands. Is it a loss, a betrayal or a wake-up call for Swimming South Africa? We want to hear from you.

The right stuff

Matlala demands investigator’s notes be struck from record

Organised crime-accused Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s appearance before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry was dominated by a tussle over whether evidence gathered by the commission’s investigator, Bongani Dlamini, could remain on the record.

How to check local election results for your municipality and ward

Find live 2026 local election results for your municipality, ward and the metros, see which councils are hung so far and find out when the IEC is expected to declare the final count.

Perlemoen poaching expected to surge before Chinese New Year

While the City has seen fewer major busts, perlemoen poaching in Gqeberha is still very much a booming industry, and is anticipated to spike as demand grows before the Chinese New Year.

Premier Group’s Tulbagh factory closure threatens its social licence to operate

Premier Group may avoid having its Rhodes merger undone, but the Tulbagh closure could leave lasting damage to its reputation and community trust.

Duduzane Zuma answers eight key questions as MK fights for a place in government

There will be no shenanigans, no political lifelines and no coalitions just for the sake of it, says Duduzane Zuma as he lays out the MK party’s approach to government and explains why its leadership reshuffles do not worry him.

Watch – How five ancient baobabs nearly left South Africa for a billionaire’s park

Watch – How five ancient baobabs nearly left South Africa for a billionaire’s park

DA emerges as largest party in five Gauteng hubs, but ActionSA holds the key

The DA emerged as the largest party in five key Gauteng municipalities, but governing them will require coalition deals – with ActionSA central to forming majorities across several councils.

Matlala turns tables on Idac investigator Perumal in explosive testimony

Cat Matlala’s explosive Madlanga Commission testimony challenges suspended Idac investigator Dylan Perumal’s investigation, revives claims of threats by Shadrack Sibiya and exposes conflicting accounts of tender-related payments.

SA’s triple adaptation finance fails to make COP31 agenda

COP31 kicks off with a sputter, not a bang, as talks fail to adopt triple adaptation finance into the climate talks’ agenda, one of South Africa’s and the African group’s key negotiating positions.

Day of reckoning — is the AI bubble finally about to burst?

Investors are questioning the AI bubble as falling tech stocks, costly infrastructure and industry financing expose the boom’s dependence on borrowed money.

Deep disparity in voter turnout still reflected between townships and suburbs

While overall national turnout of registered voters breached 52%, higher than the 2021 turnout of 45.86%, election data reveal a gap between high-turnout suburban strongholds and lower voter engagement across township wards.

Out the gate

From 47.5% to 32.5% — the ANC’s local government slide, in one chart

The ANC’s share of the local vote fell from 47.5% to 32.5%, while MK entered at 9.9% and the DA rose to 22.9%. Explore how every major party fared since 2021.

The Nobel peace prize has come home, says SA’s latest laureate, Navi Pillay

South African judge Navi Pillay, named 2026 Nobel peace laureate, says the prize has returned to its rightful home: the pursuit of justice.

SA youngsters match best-ever Youth Olympics medal haul

After eight years, the Youth Olympics are back and taking place on African soil for the first time. South Africa have matched their best-ever Youth Olympic medal tally, collecting nine medals.

Businesses pool funds for Gqeberha substation’s R1m security upgrades

In an effort to prevent power outages from crippling businesses in the industrial areas of Deal Party and Struandale, several Gqeberha firms have banded together to install security upgrades at the crucial Swartkops Substation, including a fence worth nearly R1-million.

From humble beginnings, an SA weapons programme takes advantage of a growing chemical industry

In the last of this series, a turn-of-the-century South African dynamite company would become the foundation for a national biological and chemical weapons programme.

In defence of political ambassadors: why SA needs trusted hands in a turbulent world

High-stakes international diplomacy requires envoys with political weight, direct executive access and deep alignment with South Africa’s foreign policy mandate.

Green hydrogen or corporate camouflage — who really decides SA’s energy future?

South Africa’s energy transition needs to undergo a meaningful restructuring that prioritises workers and communities, delivering genuine benefits rather than corporate camouflage.

Motlanthe urges cops to target the cartel Big Boys to overhaul Africa’s drug policies

The world’s illicit drug landscape has changed, and to continue the fight requires new policies. One of these, explained former president Kgalema Motlanthe, who chairs the Eastern and Southern Africa Commission on Drugs, is the need for law enforcers to go after top traffickers instead of users, who are often arrested and simply add to overcrowded prisons.

Baobab trees seized in Durban ship warehouse probe

Criminal charges have been laid after officials in Durban halted the shipping of several specially protected South African baobab trees, allegedly destined for a ‘landscaping project’ in the Black Sea nation of Georgia.

SACP’s strong showing signals end of the Tripartite Alliance

In its first showing, the SACP beat the Patriotic Alliance, winning 271 seats.

Business is betting on a post-ANC Joburg — unless ego gets in the way

From Redefine Properties’ Joburg vacancies to Attacq’s Waterfall strategy, property companies are adapting to municipal dysfunction while watching coalition negotiations.