Google says its Gemini AI model accessed three organisations’ systems during a cybersecurity evaluation after finding public information and guessing login credentials.

Two suspects have been arrested and three fatally wounded after two Eastern Cape police officers were killed while responding to a Libode spaza shop attack.

Coach Rassie Erasmus has labelled next Sunday’s one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth “massive”, and made it clear he and his charges are taking it very seriously. The Springboks will go into the match on the back of a 3-1 series win against the All Blacks. Erasmus said Australia was a great rugby country with a long history of rivalry with the Boks. But he made it clear Les Kiss and his outfit would pose a completely different challenge to what they faced in the All Blacks. “If you think about the rivalry with David Campese and Pieter Hendricks [in the 1995 World Cup opening game] … the fact I played against the likes of George Gregan and Stephen Larkham. They won the World Cup in 2003. “Australia is a great country, and they’re hosting the World Cup next year so for us it is massive to be able to play against the World Cup hosts.” He added: “They will be ready and fresh. I think they have won four of their last five Test matches, and we come from a tough series against New Zealand. “The matches have nothing to do with each other … this will be a totally different challenge.” Bok skipper Siya Kolisi said the team has taken a “long journey” to get to Australia from Baltimore in the USA where they faced the All Blacks in the fourth Test of their series last weekend. “Obviously the last few games have been successful for us, but we’ve always had tough battles against Australia and they’re different to New Zealand. “Our core values will stay the same going into this game, but we’ll have to change a few things.” Erasmus and his team are training in Sydney and will relocate to Perth at a later time. Next Sunday’s Test starts at 11am. The Bok team is expected to be named on Monday. Erasmus has given no indication of the makeup of the side, but he is likely to use several of the players who didn’t get much game time during the All Blacks series. Expect Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and Malcolm Marx to be rested, while Edwill van der Merwe, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Herschel Jantjies, Franco Mostert and Johan Grobbelaar could all be in the mix to play.

Jubilation was the order of the day as Limpopo welcomed three new mayors at Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality in Burgersfort, Greater Letaba Local Municipality in Modjadjiskloof, and Mopani District Municipality in Giyani this week. Councillor Rosina Ramalatso was appointed mayor for the Greater Letaba Local Municipality on Tuesday. Ramalatso previously served as the Council whip and as a former speaker of the municipality before being appointed as a member of the executive committee. New mayor for the Greater Letaba Local Municipality, Rosina Ramalatso. Picture: Supplied Councillor Dorah Mphethi is the new mayor for the Fetakgomo/Tubatse Local Municipality. Mphethi served as the chief whip of the municipality before she acted in the position of mayor – the position she was later elected into. New mayor for the Fetakgomo/Tubatse Local Municipality, Dorah Mphethi. Picture: Supplied Former Greater Letaba Local Municipality mayor Dagma Mamanyoha was also appointed the executive mayor of the Mopani District Municipality. Former Greater Letaba municipal mayor and now executive mayor for the Mopani district municipaity Dagma Mamanyoha. Picture: Supplied The appointment of the three follows former mayors Eddie Maila and Pule Shayi being elevated to provincial politics as MECs for health and cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs, while Ramalatso comes in after Mamanyoha’s resignation. Maila and Shayi were appointed during Premier Phophi Ramathuba’s Cabinet reshuffle earlier this month. The Citizen reported last week on a simmering tribal contestation in Norman Mashabane – the ANC’s biggest region in Limpopo, with 129 branches – over who should be appointed to lead Mopani District Municipality: a Tsonga or Sepedi-speaking comrade. It is understood that on the advice of ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and ANC Limpopo provincial secretary Vhamusanda Reuben Madadzhe, the party’s regional executive committee finally appointed Mamanyoha, beating his contender, member of the mayoral committee Basani Shivhambu. ‘Alive to the task before us’ In his acceptance speech, Mamanyoha pledged to live up to the expectations of the people of the region, the province and the country under President Cyril Ramaphosa. “I remain thankful to the ANC for its confidence in bestowing upon me the huge tasks and responsibilities of leading the district municipality, and to continue to make Mopani a tourist destination of choice and the food basket of the country. “We continue to serve at the privilege of this gigantic organisation of our forebears that always provided the political and analytical grounding that is very essential for effective public service delivery. “I stand here today alive to the task before us, grateful for the trust you have in me, and mindful of the sacrifices borne by those who served before me. “I therefore wish to record my sincere thanks and appreciation to the former Executive Mayor, comrade Pule Shayi, on whose shoulders I stand to complete the 49 days of his tenure as the Executive Mayor of the 5th Council of this district municipality,” said Mamanyoha. The to-do list Among the daunting tasks awaiting Mamanyoha are providing water, improving road infrastructure, fighting tribalism between Tsonga- and Sepedi-speaking communities, and completing Phase 2 of the Giyani Water Reticulation project. Mamanyoha is also expected to put the district municipality’s finances in order. The Mopani district is one of the five councils whose July 2026 Equity Share Grant was withheld amid maladministration. Others are Fetakgomo/Tubatse, Mookgophong/ Modimolle, Musina and Thabazimbi. Mamanyoha is also expected to address the protracted stench surrounding Giyani town, its entrances and the central business district (CBD). The stench, caused by unattended sewage spilling onto the streets, has affected tourism and economic investment in the town for months. He said the stench in the town was receiving urgent attention and that water problems were getting attention from all three spheres of government, including the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the Limpopo provincial government through Lepelle Northern Water, and Mopani District Municipality. Controversy But the appointment was not without controversy. After recognising everyone in the chamber, including former mayor Joshua Matlou, Mamanyoha failed to recognise ANC Norman Mashabane Regional Secretary Sonia Ngobeni Maswanganyi – a move that shocked many in the chamber. Another aspect is that the chamber was filled to the rafters, with the majority being Sepedi-speaking ANC card-carrying members, mostly from Mamanyoha’s sub-region of Greater Letaba and Greater Tzaneen. Many said it was an indication that tribalism was still rearing its ugly head in Mopani. “Had the new mayor been Tsonga, there would have been a lot of Xibelani [famous Tsonga traditional dance] inside and outside the chamber,” one attendee remarked.

Digital creator Thalitha shared chilling CCTV footage of her very-near kidnapping experience via Instagram on Friday 18 September, as South Africa continues to experience the “national disaster” of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the country. CHILLING CCTV FOOTAGE OF ALMOST KIDNAPPING Digital creator, who goes by the handle @thalitha_mat, shared a video of an attempted kidnapping that she experienced. There is very limited information about where and when this took place. According to the video, a man wear a reflective vest is seen carrying the woman and forcing her into a car that was waiting with another man in the back seat. As the car took off, the woman fell off and the people around began running to help. The man in the reflective vest then quickly jumps into the car as it takes off. A brave woman is also seen trying to assist. Take a look… “Please be safe guys💔🥺,” the post was captioned. This is a developing story. This comes after the news of the bodies of nine women being found in the area of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng. SOCIAL MEDIA USERS REACT Social media users were heartbroken over the attempted kidnapping. “Also, that lady running to assist even though she’s “prey” too🥹. Yoh askies sisi,” wrote @leah_makhalemele. “They even disguise themselves as patrollers or security guards, wearing those reflective vests. 🥲,” wrote @shantel_mantsoe. “Oh my god 😭this is terrifying. We thank God you’re ok,” wrote @linda_mtoba. “So proud of the brave people who rushed to come & help. So sorry you had to go through this my sister. We thank God for your life,” wrote @manyakum. “This was so painful to watch I’m so sorry my angel ❤️🥺 I’m sure you haven’t been the same since I’m so happy you made it out alive,” wrote @nicramzz. “Omg what did I just watch😭😭😭 so know bare utswa mos💔💔💔…also these security work with these people, they are too relaxed for my liking 😭😭😭,” wrote @_promisem.

Motorists in South Africa’s biggest cities face a warning over criminals who allegedly seize vehicles under the guise of “impounding” them before demanding money for their return. The practice has affected private staff and scholar transport operators in Cape Town, while reports of similar incidents have also emerged elsewhere in the country. According to a report, MasterDrive CEO Eugene Herbert warned motorists that private individuals have no authority to impound their vehicles. “When non-law enforcement individuals take your vehicle without your consent, it is a hijacking,” Herbert said. Criminals allegedly take some vehicles to taxi rank offices before demanding payment from owners to recover them. The tactic effectively combines hijacking with extortion and places drivers who rely on their vehicles for an income at particular risk. Cape Town drivers targeted Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith has previously raised concerns about what he described as “mafia-style” extortion and hijacking. Staff transport and scholar transport operators have faced intimidation and demands for money, while e-hailing drivers have also encountered threats in parts of South Africa. Herbert warned drivers against trying to recover seized vehicles themselves. Those behind the crimes may be armed, making any attempt to confront them potentially dangerous. He urged victims to contact police immediately rather than negotiate directly with those responsible. South Africa records thousands of hijackings The warning comes as hijackings remain a major threat to motorists across South Africa. The latest SAPS crime statistics recorded 3 811 carjackings between April and June 2026. That amounts to an average of about 41 vehicles hijacked every day. Gauteng recorded 2 207 carjackings during the three-month period, accounting for more than half of the national total. The Western Cape recorded 548 cases. Delft in Cape Town ranked as the country’s leading individual hijacking hotspot during the quarter, recording almost 100 cases. How motorists can reduce their hijacking risk Herbert urged motorists to stay alert when driving through unfamiliar areas and when travelling early in the morning or late at night. Drivers should watch for vehicles following them and people monitoring traffic from the roadside. Changing routes and travelling times where possible can also make a driver’s movements less predictable. Motorists should keep their doors locked and windows closed, especially at intersections and in slow-moving traffic. If hijackers confront them, drivers should avoid arguing or resisting. Herbert advised motorists to remain calm, follow instructions and avoid sudden movements that could escalate the situation. Victims should move to a safe location as soon as possible and report the crime to SAPS. Herbert also stressed the importance of opening a criminal case, even when victims manage to recover their vehicles. Without formal complaints, police have fewer opportunities to identify patterns, investigate organised networks and prosecute those responsible.

The ransomware group behind the MIP Holdings breach now appears to be extorting insurers directly.

Remgro’s results give the fullest look at Maziv’s performance with Vodacom’s fibre infrastructure inside it.