The ANC has asked the Western Cape legislature speaker to recall SACP provincial secretary and ANC MPL Benson Ngqentsu after the SACP decided to contest the 2026 local government elections independently.

Young South African fast bowler Kwena Maphaka said he is ready to step up and lead the national pace bowling attack in the upcoming Test series against Australia if injured spearhead Kagiso Rabada fails to recover in time.

South Africa’s new National Water Action Plan, released in July, has put greater infrastructure funding, including private sector investment, firmly on the country’s water agenda. The opportunity now is to ensure that this capital does more than meet individual commercial requirements by helping to build critical water infrastructure that also expands supply to surrounding communities. As a person who grew up in the arid Northern Cape, it is difficult to emphasise how important water access is to improved living standards and running a business – big and small. This is especially relevant when industrial users such as mines, farms, power stations and factories operate alongside growing towns and rural communities. Their needs are different, but they often depend on the same regional water systems. Where those requirements overlap, co-investment can make it possible to plan larger infrastructure from the outset, combining public funding with commercial and institutional capital to create capacity that both supports economic activity and wider access to water. In this way, one shared infrastructure programme can keep industry moving, create jobs and provide reliable water to communities in need. The National Water Action Plan provides an important policy foundation for this strategy. It sends a clear message that institutional reform, financing reform and immediate service delivery belong in the same national plan, where private and public sector, and societal interests all align. It explicitly identifies increased infrastructure investment, including through private-sector participation, as part of South Africa’s response to its water challenges. This opens the door to build on co-investment models that are already being implemented in major water projects and to consider where they could be applied more widely. For example, the Olifants Management Model Programme (OMMP) and the uMkhomazi Water Augmentation Project, scheduled for completion in 2030 and 2032 respectively, demonstrate two different approaches through distinct co-investment structures. The OMMP is funded on a 50:50 basis by government and commercial water users, predominantly mining companies. The programme is designed to expand bulk raw and potable water infrastructure in Limpopo, supplying both commercial users and communities. The uMkhomazi Water Project combines a 25% government grant and 25% interest-free government loan with the remaining 50% raised from financial markets. The project is expected to increase water availability through the uMngeni system and support municipalities across KwaZulu-Natal. What makes these models significant is that they bring different sources of capital together and that they demonstrate how substantial commercial water demand and public water requirements can be incorporated into the same infrastructure planning. And when the public sector aligns commercial demand with surrounding public needs, the number of lives changed at a human and community impact is significant, as more households and small businesses gain access to clean running water. Large industrial users have a clear interest in securing dependable long-term water supply. At the same time, new bulk capacity can create opportunities to improve water access across the surrounding region. The greatest value, therefore, comes when these requirements are considered together from the beginning. As a result, applying this model across the infrastructure development sector may become the decisive solution to meeting rural South Africa’s water goals and needs. The public sector can identify regions where these interests overlap and ask: “Instead of separately solving the industrial water and the community water requirements, can one enlarged system address both and are commercial stakeholders able and willing to help fund the project?” Where the answer is yes, commercial participation can strengthen the investment case, while government ensures that public needs remain central to how the infrastructure is planned and delivered. As a result, regions with major mines, agricultural operations, industrial developments, or other large water users should be assessed for opportunities where planned commercial demand could support broader infrastructure development. Likewise, industrial leaders must look beyond their own operational requirements and ask what the surrounding public need is. Where the two overlap, they should be willing to approach the public sector with a co-investment proposal that secures the capacity their operations depend on while helping solve a bigger regional challenge. Used in this way, private capital does not replace public investment. It complements it, helping South Africa build larger shared systems that support economic development while expanding reliable water access to the communities around them. South Africa’s shift towards co-investment in water infrastructure should therefore become a deliberate model for building shared regional capacity. No single establishment, public or private, can fund the country’s water needs alone. By bringing public funding, commercial users, and long-term institutional capital together, projects can serve both economic growth and communities, turning private demand for water security into wider public infrastructure that benefits all.

Eskom has posted its second consecutive profitable year, signalling a deepening turnaround built on stronger operations, tighter cost control and improved energy security, a shift executives say is transforming the utility from crisis management to long‑term sustainability. The utility announced its financial results on Monday, 31 August. Profit Eskom reported a R30.3 billion profit after tax, more than double the restated R14 billion recorded in 2025. The improved performance was supported by an Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) margin of 30.63%, reflecting more efficient generation, reduced reliance on diesel, and disciplined cost management. “This is the second consecutive year that Eskom has delivered a profit. That performance was earned through operational recovery and cost discipline,” said Eskom chair Mteto Nyati. Revenue Revenue grew 4.1% on the back of a 12.74% tariff increase, although sales volumes fell 6.2% due to weak industrial demand and rising self‑generation. Analysis notes that Eskom is now dealing with structural overcapacity of 2GW to 3GW for the first time in more than a decade, driven by improved generation performance and declining demand. This overcapacity, while positive for energy security, introduces new risks to revenue and asset utilisation. Municipal arrears Municipal arrears remain the biggest financial threat, climbing to R111.6 billion at year‑end. According to Moneyweb, several municipalities have still not signed debt‑relief agreements required under the national programme. These unsigned deals place multiple towns at risk of supply interruptions if they fail to comply with Eskom’s conditions. Analysts warn that enforcing these interruptions could become politically sensitive and may test Eskom’s turnaround momentum. Investment According to the results, Eskom’s core programme delivered R22.4 billion in savings and revenue contributions, exceeding its FY2026 target. Eskom said profits will be reinvested into a capital programme rising from R45 billion annually in FY2026 to over R70 billion by FY2029. Group CFO Calib Cassim said the financial turnaround is now firmly established. “Our operational recovery has been matched by a financial turnaround. We received our first credit‑rating upgrade in over a decade,” he said, adding that government’s debt‑relief support had been a “critical enabler”. Economic impact CEO Dan Marokane emphasised the broader economic impact of Eskom’s recovery. “We are rebuilding an economic asset for South Africa. Sustained profitability and improved efficiencies enable Eskom to continue to address electricity affordability,” he said. Load shedding Eskom said load shedding has dropped dramatically, with only 26 hours recorded in FY2026. Improved coal fleet performance, Koeberg’s return to service and a halving of open‑cycle gas turbine use cut primary energy costs significantly. Eskom’s results highlight that ending load shedding was a major contributor to the utility’s profit surge, with reduced diesel burn and improved plant reliability directly strengthening the balance sheet. Governance Eskom also reported progress in governance, Public Finance Management Act compliance and audit recovery, with four of five prior reportable irregularities closed. Crime‑related losses fell 18%, cyber‑security strengthened, and procurement integrity measures were expanded. Nyati said Eskom’s recovery must support sector reform while protecting financial stability. “We support treating electricity sector reforms as a carefully sequenced process with clear stage gates,” he said. Eskom’s next major test will be sustaining profitability amid declining sales, enforcing municipal debt compliance, and managing structural overcapacity – all while maintaining the operational gains that ended load shedding, according to Monyweb.

Kaizer Chiefs winger Faiz Abrahams has reflected on his debut for Amakhosi. The 21-year-old made a cameo last week against Richards Bay in a league match which ended 2-2. Abrahams is currently on loan from Stellenbosch FC, having joined the Soweto giants alongside Langelihle Phili. The young winger revealed what his coach Fernando Da Cruz told him before making his debut for the Glamour Boys. “The coach told me to go out there and create chances for us to get back into the game,” Abrahams was quoted on the club’s website. Kaizer Chiefs latest signing get game time “I think I made a few opportunities that we might have scored from, so I am quite happy with how I did,” the former Stellies star added. “We played well enough to win the game but we had a couple of misfortunes which we will definitely work on cutting out going forward. “It was my first time travelling with Kaizer Chiefs. It felt good to be included and I appreciate the coach’s belief in me. I have worked hard since I arrived and I am grateful for the support I have received and honoured to be playing for this great Club.” Kaizer Chiefs are third in the Betway Premiership standings after four matches. The have won two and drawn two, and are trailing log leaders Orlando Pirates by two points. Amakhosi are next in action against Siwelele in a Betway Premiership match. Do you think Chiefs will improve and challenge Sundowns and Pirates?

Minki van der Westhuizen has come a long way since her days as a swimsuit model on magazine covers like FHM and Sports Illustrated. Today, the blonde bombshell is a wife and mother of three with a prolific career in the media and lifestyle space. ‘SEXIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD’ Minki van der Westhuizen burst onto the scene as a model in her teens. During her Matric year, she landed a coveted spot in a Guess clothing photoshoot. The busty blonde succeeded supermodel Claudia Schiffer in the campaign. She quickly became a highly sought-after swimsuit model, appearing on the covers of magazines such as Sports Illustrated, GQ, and FHM, among others. In 2003, she earned a top spot on Maxim’s Hot 100 list of beautiful women. A year later, South African FHM readers voted her as the “Sexiest Woman in the World”. During that time, Minki was also voted the favourite pin-up girl by US troops serving in Iraq.  Minki van der Westhuizen#colonialism #colonist #colonists pic.twitter.com/Ew1ldLx8MW— Zephaniah Charles (@ZephCharles) December 6, 2022 Also that year, a 19-year-old Minki began dating then Proteas player Graeme Smith. Their relationship lasted until 2026. WHERE IS MINKI VAN DER WESTHIZEN NOW? Minki van der Westhuizen transitioned into television presenting and acting After a short-lived marriage to Stellenbosch businessman Constant Visser that ended in 2009, Minki began dating former rugby player Ernst Joubert. The couple wed in 2012, and are now parents to three daughters: Katerien, Elise and Elsa. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Minki van der Westhuizen (@minkivanderwesthuizen) The model continued work as a presenter and MC, even bagging her own kykNET TV show called Minki. In 2025, she started her own jewellery/lifestyle brand under her own name. She also founded her own charity, which is geared at female empowerment, and is a hands-on mother to her three daughters.

Eskom's profit more than doubled to R30.3-billion, but electricity sales fell 6.2% and municipal arrears passed R111-billion.

Electricity theft and unrecognised municipal revenue together exceed the utility’s entire annual profit.