The head of organised crime at the South African Police Service (SAPS), Major General Richard Shibiri, has been dismissed after a scathing appearance at the Madlanga commission of inquiry and subsequently, an internal disciplinary hearing.  In a statement, the police said Shibiri was found guilty of misconduct that brought the organisation into disrepute, including associating with known criminal, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.  “The SAPS can confirm the dismissal of Major General Richard Shibiri, the former component head for organised crime, following the conclusion of internal disciplinary processes.” Shibiri was among numerous SAPS officials referred for investigation in the Madlanga commission’s interim report. Fourteen senior SAPS and Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality officials were referred for investigation after being implicated in the report. Shibiri was accused of receiving R70 000 from Matlala, a controversial businessperson and alleged leader of the Big Five Cartel. Shibiri said the money was a loan to repair his son’s car. However, bank statements and testimony before the commission suggested it was a bribe and that he had sufficient funds in his account.  He was also implicated in attempts to influence the investigation into the 2024 murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart. The investigation led to the involvement of the political killings task team and its subsequent disbandment.  Anonymous police witnesses alleged Shibiri tried to doctor the case docket implicating Matlala and hinted that three brown envelopes were floating in the office for investigators if they cooperated. The SAPS said his dismissal was in line with police prescripts and principles of procedural fairness. Ian Cameron, the chairperson of the parliamentary police committee, said he hoped Shibiri’s dismissal “marks the beginning of a new standard that will be consistently maintained”.  “The swift dismissal of Major-General Shibiri for misconduct relating to conduct that brought the organisation into disrepute is the type of consequence management required to rebuild trust in the SAPS and rid the organisation of rogue police officers who are more interested in personal gain than in ensuring the safety and security of the people of South Africa,” he said.  Action SA MP Dereleen James said revelations emerging from the ad hoc committee and the Madlanga commission had painted a concerning picture of the extent to which organised criminal interests had penetrated institutions tasked with upholding the rule of law. While the decision was a significant step towards restoring accountability in the SAPS, it could not be the end of the matter, she added.  “Shibiri must now face the full consequences of the law for his alleged involvement with criminal syndicates while occupying one of the most senior law enforcement positions in the country.”

I have spent enough years on degraded grazing land and beside shrinking wetlands to recognise a pattern in how we talk about climate change in South Africa. The conversation tends to arrive late and be pitched high. We debate 2050 emission targets and global temperature thresholds while a farmer in the eastern Free State watches a wetland that once held water deep into winter dry out by August. Both conversations matter. Only one of them is deciding whether people have water to drink next year. Climate change is not a forecast in this country. It is a condition we are living through. Cape Town came within weeks of shutting off its municipal supply. Towns across the Eastern Cape have rationed water for years at a stretch. In 2022, the floods in KwaZulu-Natal killed more than 400 people and destroyed homes, roads and water systems in a single night. Rainfall is becoming less predictable, heat more punishing and the gap between a good season and a ruinous one narrower. Farmers feel it first. So do the rural households whose food, income and water depend on the land around them. For two decades, most of our climate effort and most of our climate funding has gone towards cutting emissions. That work is necessary, and South Africa carries real responsibility for it. But reducing emissions does nothing for the community facing a failed harvest or a flooded settlement. Adaptation, the work of helping people and systems cope with changes that are locked in, has been treated as the lesser priority. We can no longer afford that imbalance. The task in front of South Africa is less about how we slow the climate down and more about how we keep our footing while it shifts beneath us. Here is where I think we have undervalued something we own. Roughly half of the country’s surface water comes from less than a tenth of its land: the high-rainfall grasslands and mountain catchments that feed our major rivers. These are not empty spaces waiting for development. They are working infrastructure. A healthy wetland slows floodwater, stores it and releases it through the dry months while filtering out sediment and pollution. Intact grassland lets rain soak into the soil instead of stripping it away. None of this appears on a municipal balance sheet, yet it does the work we would otherwise have to build, at enormous cost, in concrete and steel. The organisation I work for, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, spends much of its time on exactly this kind of ground and the lessons reach well beyond any single project. When our teams restore a wetland in a catchment that feeds a community downstream, the point is not the wetland alone. It is the water security of everyone who depends on that river. When we work with cattle farmers on communal and commercial land to manage grazing so that veld recovers instead of eroding, the gain shows up as soil that holds water, livestock that survive drought and families that keep their main asset. This is climate adaptation, even when nobody in the room uses the word often enough. The species we are known for protecting belong to the same story. People sometimes assume that conserving cranes or vultures is sentiment, a concern for the beautiful and the rare. It is something more practical than that. The Grey Crowned Crane, Blue Crane and Wattled Crane depend on healthy wetlands and grasslands, so their decline is an early warning that the systems supplying our water are failing. Vultures are the cleanup service of the veld. They strip carcasses before disease can spread. Where they have been wiped out elsewhere in the world, the result has been a surge in feral dogs and the illnesses they carry, paid for in human lives and public health budgets. Pollinators underpin much of our fruit and vegetable production, which makes their loss a food security problem before it is anything else. Protect the species and you are protecting the service they quietly perform for people. There is a matter of fairness in all this that we do not name often enough. The South Africans most exposed to drought, flood and crop failure are usually those who did the least to cause the warming and have the least to fall back on. Rural and poorer communities live closest to the natural systems I am describing and feel their breakdown most directly. Investing in those systems is one of the few climate responses that delivers protection and dignity to the people who need it most. It is also among the most efficient responses we have. Clearing thirsty invasive trees from a catchment returns water to rivers and creates rural work at the same time. Restoring rangeland keeps farming families on the land. Ecological work tends to put money and skills exactly where the formal economy struggles to reach. I am not arguing that nature can replace dams, pipes and flood defences. We need built infrastructure and we need to maintain what we have far better than we do. The argument is that the natural systems doing this work for free deserve the same standing in our planning, our budgets and our policy as anything we pour out of a cement mixer. That means managing landscapes at scale rather than in scattered fragments. It means decisions guided by science and long-term monitoring rather than the next election cycle. It means a real partnership with the communities that live in these places and understand them best. Where conservation has been done with people rather than to them, it has lasted. World Environment Day usually draws fine speeches and short attention. I would rather it prompted a clearer decision. South Africa cannot stop the climate from changing on its own but it can decide how much of that change it is willing to absorb and what it puts in place to soften the blow. Our wetlands, grasslands, rivers and the wildlife that hold them together are not a luxury to be funded once the urgent problems are solved. They are part of how we solve the urgent problems. The most sensible thing we can do for the people of this country, in a future none of us can predict with confidence, is to keep the living systems that have always sustained us strong enough to carry us through. The resilience of our nature and the resilience of our people are the same project. It is time we treated them that way. Kishaylin Chetty is the executive head of sustainability at the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

The SIU has confirmed it has not located the Bentley Continental GT linked to procurement irregularities at Tembisa Hospital, as investigations continue into alleged tender fraud by Hangwani Maumela.

The South African National Student Accommodation Association warns NSFAS to announce accommodation rates for 2026 by 30 June or risk a crisis in student housing.

The South African Weather Service (Saws)’s forecast shows a very cold north-eastern Eastern Cape, morning frost inland, and partly cloudy skies with coastal showers in KwaZulu-Natal. Meanwhile, the weather service has released its latest weather forecast for Saturday, 6 June 2026. Here’s what you need to know. Weather forecast for today & tomorrow, 05 – 06 June 2026.Partly cloudy & cold conditions are expected, with isolated rain & showers possible over the south-eastern parts of the RSA and along the coastal areas of KZN. #saws #weatheroutlook #southafricanweather pic.twitter.com/9kByYug0Mb— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) June 5, 2026 Weather warnings: Saturday, 6 June 2026 Advisories Very cold conditions are expected over the north-eastern high-lying areas of the Eastern Cape. Provincial weather forecast Here’s what to expect in your province on Saturday, 6 June 2026: Gauteng: Residents of Gauteng can expect fine and cool-to-cold weather but partly cloudy in the south-west. The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high”. Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure. Mpumalanga: Mpumalanga residents can expect morning fog in the Lowveld and morning frost in places over the Highveld; otherwise, the conditions will be fine and cool to cold. Limpopo: The day will start with morning fog in places in the west; otherwise, it will be fine and cool. North West: Partly cloudy and cool-to-cold weather awaits North West residents. Free State: Residents of the Free State can expect morning fog patches in places in the central and western parts and along the Lesotho border; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cold. Northern Cape: The day will be fine in the north-west; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cool to cold. Western Cape: Western Cape residents can expect morning fog patches in places along the south coast; otherwise, the weather will be fine to partly cloudy and cold to cool. Eastern Cape (western half): The day will start with morning frost in places over the interior; otherwise, it will be partly cloudy and cold but cool along the coast. It will become fine in the evening. Eastern Cape (eastern half): The day will start with morning frost in places over the interior; otherwise, it will be fine and cold to cool but very cold in places north of the escarpment. It will become partly cloudy from the afternoon. KwaZulu-Natal: Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can expect morning fog over the interior; otherwise, the conditions will be fine and cool but cold in the south-west. It will become partly cloudy in the afternoon with isolated showers and rain along the coast and adjacent interior.

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) High Court in Pietermaritzburg has sentenced two cousins to life imprisonment each in connection with a man they murdered based on mistaken identity. Mthokozisi Ngwane, 34, and Sanele Mqondisi Ngwane, 37, were convicted of one count of murder, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition. A case of mistaken identity The murder happened in Himeville on 2 February 2023, when the cousins travelled to the small town in search of the person they intended to kill. However, in a case of mistaken identity, they fatally shot Nduduzo Ndlovu instead before fleeing the scene. Thanks to alert witnesses who recorded the registration number of the vehicle they were travelling in, police were able to arrest the two men. During their arrest, police recovered two firearms. Ballistic testing linked one of the firearms to Ndlovu’s murder. ‘Profound loss’ National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said that during the trial, the state led the evidence of a witness who recorded the vehicle registration number on the day of the incident. Represented by advocate Nkosinathi Mhlambo, the state also submitted a victim impact statement compiled by a family member of the deceased. “The statement detailed the devastating impact of Ndlovu’s death on his family and highlighted the profound loss they continue to endure,” Ramkisson-Kara said on Friday. “It further described the significant role Ndlovu played within the family and the emotional trauma caused by his untimely death.” Ngwane cousins’ sentencing The Ngwane cousins were each handed down life imprisonment for murder, 15 years for each count of unlawful possession of a firearm, and seven years for the two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and declared both of them unfit to possess a firearm. “The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that perpetrators of violent crime are held accountable for their actions,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

Chevaan Abrahams, a 21-year-old petrol attendant assisted a woman deliver her baby as she went into labour before she could reach hospital. PETROL ATTENDANT HELPS DELIVER A BABY Chevaan Abrahams a petrol attendant at a Kuils River petrol station in Cape Town had quite an eventful shift when a mother went into labour before she could make it to the hospital. Abrahams assisted the mother deliver safely her baby boy as there was not enough time to get to the hospital. The story was also shared by content creator @coolstorybru_za on social media, who revealed that Abrahams has a dream of becoming a paramedic someday. Take a look… “This absolute champion stepped in, his name is Chevaan Abrahams and he helped the mom give birth safely right there at the garage,” he said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cool Story Bru! 🇿🇦 (@coolstorybru_za) Paramedics reportedly eventually arrived and transported both the mother and baby to hospital for further care. Both the mother and baby are belived to be doing well. SOUTH AFRICANS SHOW LOVE “Our petrol attendants are built differently ❤️,” wrote @shedreamedit_shedidit77. “Well done!! Hope he can find his way to becoming a medic! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽,” wrote @cola_vanheerden. “They always anything happens for a reason you definitely need to believe that you don’t need proof because we are praising a living God,” wrote @umapiwana_98. “Our Petrol attendants are the best , so respectful, deliver the best customer service, and have Ubuntu, truly I wish they can be taken to work as civil servants in all our Government departments, because they have the best attitude, and are always ready and keen to serve.❤️👏,” wrote @fikzozo1. A Backabuddy account has already been opened to help Abrahams reach his dream of becoming a paramedic. “At just 21 years old, Chevaan Abrahams did something extraordinary. While working a night shift as a petrol attendant at a Shell garage in Kuils River, Cape Town, a pregnant woman arrived at the station in active labour. In a moment that could have overwhelmed anyone, Chevaan stayed calm, stepped forward, and helped deliver a healthy baby boy before paramedics arrived,” read the details from his Backabuddy. “What makes this story even more powerful is that Chevaan has long dreamed of becoming a paramedic. That night, without hesitation, training, or expectation of reward, he showed exactly the kind of courage, compassion, and instinct that South Africa needs in emergency care,” read the details from his Backabuddy. South Africans also joked about the Backabuddy account created to purchase a coffee machine for Hawks policeman Karl Sander.

Bafana Fridays are in full swing with the FIFA World Cup just days away. South Africans are encouraged to wear their favourite football gear – in green, yellow and gold – in support of the national team. While official licensed kits are priced at a small fortune for many, showing off your patriotism shouldn’t have to break the bank WHAT IS BAFANA FRIDAYS? As was done during the Rugby World Cup, South Africans are encouraged to wear supporter gear in yellow, black and gold. The fan campaign is geared at fostering national pride and support for Bafana Bafana, who are playing at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010. All South Africans are encouraged to join the campaign, from school learners to corporate companies and everyone in between. The national team will play on the following dates: 11 June: SA vs Mexico 18 June: SA vs Czechia 24 June: SA vs South Korea AFFORDABLE WORLD CUP SUPPORTER GEAR FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Licensed Bafana Bafana kits, sponsored by Adidas, as well as collabs with sports brand, Old School, are priced at well over R1000 and are costly for many South Africans. Luckily, many retailers have launched more affordable alternatives for the whole family. From kids to adults, these Bafana soccer T-shirts cost under R500! Mr Price Sport Image: Mr Price Sports Pick n Pay Image: Pick n Pay Clothing Jet Image: Jet Ackermans Image: Ackermans Pep Image: Pep Edgars Image: Edgars SAFA Image: SAFA WHERE ARE YOU PURCHASING YOUR BAFANA FRIDAYS SUPPORTER GEAR?

New directors have been appointed to the board of an entity treasury won't fund and that nearly slid into liquidation.

Retailer The Foschini Group's e-commerce arm grew nearly 50% even as full-year headline earnings fell a third.