Police used rubber rounds and stun grenades to disperse March and March protesters in Umbilo, Durban, after stones were allegedly thrown at officers, according to KwaZulu-Natal police.Read the full article

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Public Order Police (Pop) fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse a group of armed protesters in Durban’s Umbilo area after marchers allegedly ignored an interim court order and began pelting officers with stones during a confrontation. It is understood that members from March and March were marching on Che Guevara Road in Umbilo on Tuesday afternoon. Protest Movement leader Jacinta Ngobese Zuma was allegedly at the scene and appeared to intervene as tensions escalated between protesters and the South African Police Service (Saps) officers In a video circulating on social media, her husband, Xolani Zuma, was also seen engaging with police officers. The clash comes as the government prepares to launch a digital asylum system amid ongoing protests outside Home Affairs offices Court order The Saps spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said a group of people, most of them carrying dangerous weapons such as sticks, and some of them concealing their faces with masks and other items, moved away from the gazebos they camp under opposite the Home Affairs offices in Umbilo and embarked on a march just after 3pm. “Public Order Police officers stopped the marchers and reminded them about the interim court order which prohibited marches after 15h00, the carrying of dangerous weapons and wearing of masks and other items to hide faces during marches. “During the deliberations, the marchers, who did not have marshals controlling them as required by law, became violent and started throwing stones at the police,” Netshiunda said. Investigation Netshiunda added that to manage the crowd and restore public order, police used minimum force such as stun grenades and rubber bullets. “Police are continuing to manage the situation on the ground. No injuries were reported to the police. Netshiunda said that following the altercation, police have begun an investigation into the possible contravention of the interim court order and assault on police officers.

The MK Party and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) have drawn a line under their latest legal dispute after agreeing that the electoral body will withdraw its court application against the party, paving the way for both sides to move forward. The matter stemmed from remarks made during an MK party event in Umlazi on 25 October by Duduzane Zuma and MK party Youth League Qiniso Cibane, who alleged manipulation of the 2024 election results. Allegations The Commission rejected those allegations and subsequently launched legal action in response to statements attributed to the senior party leaders. MK party national spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said the party remains dissatisfied with certain aspects of the 2024 elections but accepted the outcomes of legal processes involving the Commission. “Although the MK party and its leadership remain aggrieved about certain aspects of the 2024 elections, the party respects the outcomes of the relevant court processes, which absolved the Commission. Any contrary impression is therefore regrettable.” Clarity Mahlangu said the party also sought to clarify comments made by Cibane, saying his remarks were never intended to undermine the credibility of the electoral authority. “As a youth leader, his engagements were particularly, and typically, robust, but it was never his intention to impugn the credibility of the Commission. The MK party does not in any way seek to suggest that the Commission has overreacted.” Mahlangu said the party had already taken internal steps to address the matter and had advised Cibane to exercise greater caution in future public engagements. “Internal measures have already been taken to counsel Comrade Cibane to be more circumspect in the future. He has readily accepted such counsel.” Settlement In a strong indication that both sides want to avoid a prolonged legal battle, Mahlangu said an amicable settlement had been reached and that the court proceedings would be abandoned. “The parties have amicably agreed to let bygones be bygones by withdrawing the court application and the opposition thereto, in the hope that the necessary lessons have been learnt and in the spirit of tolerance for robust debate.” The agreement ends a dispute that had put the MK party and the IEC on a collision course, with both parties now signalling a commitment to resolve differences through democratic engagement rather than the courts. Urgent application The MK party initially lodged an urgent application with the Electoral Court after the 2024 elections, seeking to set aside the results and direct President Cyril Ramaphosa to proclaim a new election date within 90 days. It later withdrew the case without giving reasons, but then threatened to continue the matter in the Constitutional Court (ConCourt). Case dismissed In June 2026, former president Jacob Zuma’s MK party hit back at accusations that its bid to overturn the 2024 election results was an act of a “grumpy loser”. The party insisted that a two‑hour blackout of the IEC’s live results dashboard may have compromised the integrity of the polls. In September 2026, the Electoral Court dismissed the MK party’s application to set aside the results of the 2024 national and provincial elections. The court dismissed the MK party’s case, saying its reasoning and evidence that vote capturing had interfered with the results were ‘not sound’.

On the Unscripted podcast, Obren Msuku, a former Married at First Sight Season 3 cast member, revealed that he never applied to be on the hit reality show. Instead, one of the content producers approached him with an opportunity to join the show. OBREN MSUKU WAS APPROACHED TO BE ON ‘MAFS’ Several participants from the show have been hopping from one podcast to another, where they have shared their side of the story, since viewers only see an edited version of who they truly are. During a recent episode, which drew over 900 comments on YouTube, it was now Obren’s turn to lift the veil after his ex-wife, Laurinda Mabunda, made unsavoury remarks about him. The former couple met and married on the show. The 38-year-old entrepreneur revealed that a content producer had approached him, explaining that the show was short of prospective husbands and asked if he would be keen to take part. The host, Peter Manjate, asked, “Why sign up for Married at First Sight? Obren responded: “I did not sign up. I did not write an email to Married at First Sight and say, ‘I want to get married.’ No,” he began. “So, because I’m in the media industry, there’s a lady who’s one of the content producers. She reached out. She said, Listen, we need husbands on the show,’ he continued. “At the time I’m single from a six-year relationship. I haven’t been dating for like a year. Yes, I was seeing people here and there, but nothing serious,” he added. “I was like, okay. It took time though for her to convince me because I was a bit sceptical. I’ve never been one to chase clout, especially with my background. I could have been famous any day over the past 15 years,” he said. He added, “I just gave myself a bit of grace. I was like, ‘Go for it. Why not?’ Maybe this could be an opportunity for you to meet the love of your life.” CORRECTING MISCONCEPTIONS Season 3 of Married at First Sight was filled with romance and drama, but for Obren, the experience leaned more towards the latter. According to him, the infamous “list” was a turning point in his journey because he felt betrayed after Laurinda spoke negatively about him during the girls’ pajama party. The drama started when Hlulani Ngobeni, one of the husbands on the show, jotted down the juicy gossip that his wife, Nompumelelo Sobhuza, had shared with him after returning from the party. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Unscripted Network (@unscriptednet) Hlulani then shared the list with the group, sparking the 3rd degree from fellow cast members especially Obren whose name topped the list. The allegations against him included money laundering, car theft, and the back-room situation at his childhood home. During the interview, Obren addressed several misconceptions and allegations that plagued him throughout the show.

The Mother City may have lost more than 5 000 hectares of potential wetland area in nearly a decade, according to the City’s latest spatial trends report. The 2025/26 Spatial Trends and Implementation Tracking report gives an overview of development and land use patterns in Cape Town from 2012 to 2026. According to estimates, wetland area in the metro fell from approximately 33 106 hectares in 2016 to 28 002 hectares in 2025. That represents a net decline of roughly 5 104 hectares, or 15%. Where Cape Town’s wetlands are under pressure The report identifies several areas affected by wetland loss and degradation. These include Driftsands Nature Reserve, where associated vleis have been affected by land invasions during the Covid-19 period. Noordhoek vlei has also been impacted by the expansion of informal settlements from Masiphumelele. Other affected areas include the Diep River and Kleine Stink River floodplains, seasonal vleis in the Slangetjiebos section of False Bay Nature Reserve, and vleis along the lower Kuils and Eerste rivers. “On-the-ground observations indicate significant wetland transformation and degradation associated with urban expansion, land invasion, pollution, and hydrological modification,” the report states. Cape Town’s Rondevlei Nature Reserve. Image: Wikimedia Drought and development The report says rainfall patterns also influenced the estimates. The severe 2015–2018 drought, followed by wetter years, coincided with fluctuations in potential wetland extent. It suggests reduced surface water availability and weaker hydrological connections contributed to lower estimates between 2017 and 2022. “Although modest recoveries were observed during wetter years, the overall declining trend suggests that longer-term pressures, including urban expansion, land transformation, hydrological modification, and climate change, could be contributing to persistent wetland loss across Cape Town,” the report concluded. Important note: The figures stated above are based on wetland probability mapping rather than a direct count of wetlands or vleis physically destroyed. The City used a machine-learning classification method to identify potential wetland areas across Cape Town. Meanwhile, over the same period, informal structures in Cape Town have increased by 67%. Read more on that story here.

Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub says AST SpaceMobile is the likely partner, and that the service won't work on 2G and 3G phones.

Vodacom Group CEO Joosub has put a price on the Egyptian venture and says South Africa and Kenya are likely to follow.