The Randburg Magistrates’ Court is expected to hear further arguments on Thursday in former deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya’s bail application, which has entered its third week amid allegations of rape and sexual grooming.

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has taken decisive action after his team's 214-run first Test defeat to Australia at Kingsmead earlier this week.

South African cricket fans have become used to celebrating triumphs in the Test format, but after the Proteas were outplayed in the first match against Australia this week, there’s no need to panic. In their last 16 Tests since August 2024 (which included a victory in the World Test Championship final last year), this was the SA team’s second defeat. The other was against Pakistan in Lahore in October last year. So it might seem concerning that they fell rather convincingly in the series opener against the Baggy Greens in Durban, but there are reasons that make it less alarming. Challenging match Firstly, this was the national side’s first Test in more than 10 months, and while the players have competed in other formats, the reality is that they were rusty in the five-day game which requires a tremendous amount of patience, persistence and concentration. Also, if Matt Renshaw hadn’t saved the Australians in their first innings with a massive 190-run contribution, the game could have gone either way. And it’s important to note that the home side were relying on a depleted bowling attack due to multiple injuries to seam bowlers, most notably speedster Kagiso Rabada. The decision to play two specialist spinners didn’t work out in the conditions, and Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer were not as effective as they would have hoped, but team selections are always a bit of a gamble and the way the wicket will play over five days can be difficult to predict. Looking to bounce back The Proteas have proved in recent years that they are one of the best Test teams in the world, as is evident by the fact that they are second behind Australia in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings. They will now have a few days to reassess, consider the conditions they will face in Gqeberha in the second match of the series starting on Sunday, and make crucial decisions in an attempt to stay in the hunt for the series victory. With a fire now lit under them, we can expect the Proteas to hit back with force, and the clash in the Eastern Cape should be a cracker.

South Africa’s migration policy has once again been thrown into turmoil, exposing the state’s inability to manage asylum procedures with coherence and foresight. The inter-ministerial committee on migration, led by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, met to address a July Constitutional Court ruling that invalidated parts of the Refugees Act. The ruling eliminated provisions that allowed the deportation of asylum seekers who entered without a transit visa, a requirement criticised as bureaucratic and exclusionary. But two judges from the same court gave contradictory rulings: one said undocumented applicants in repatriation detention should remain there until officials visit the centre to process their asylum claims. Another judge said access to the asylum process requires detained asylum seekers to be released immediately, rather than processed from inside a detention facility. The full bench must resolve this. Kubayi and her team’s decision to seek a supervisory order to oversee implementation is a remarkable admission that the executive cannot manage its own compliance without judicial babysitting. The government’s overreliance on judicial supervision illustrates a deeper malaise in our leadership. Migration has become a policy arena where government repeatedly abdicates responsibility, leaving judges to dictate the terms of enforcement. This has become a pattern of our political system. We have witnessed legislation drafted without adequate foresight, challenged in court, struck down, and then patched together under judicial supervision. While judicial vigilance is essential, the executive’s dependence on it betrays a lack of administrative competence. While the judiciary is constitutionally empowered to safeguard rights, its growing role in shaping administrative practice raises questions about overreach. Courts are not designed to manage refugee reception centres or dictate operational procedures. Their intervention, however necessary, reflects the vacuum created by executive paralysis. The first blunder is the government’s failure to anticipate the constitutional vulnerability of the transit visa requirement, despite years of warnings from civil society. Second, once the ruling was handed down, officials offered no clear plan to absorb the influx of asylum seekers who will now bypass the visa filter. Refugee reception centres already buckle under massive backlogs and removing this gatekeeping mechanism will only intensify the strain. Migration is a combustible issue in South Africa, fuelling community tensions and opposition attacks. By appearing indecisive, government risks reinforcing perceptions of incompetence. The judiciary’s assertiveness, meanwhile, emboldens critics who argue that judges are encroaching on executive prerogatives. The supervisory order, if granted, will symbolise not only constitutional vigilance, but also executive failure. The idea of letting everybody into the country is governance weakness itself. Without effective screening and resourcing, the asylum system may be overwhelmed by economic migrants seeking to exploit the loosened entry rules. The challenge now is not merely to comply with the July ruling, or to have a full court bench clarify it, but to restore credibility in migration management, the government’s Achilles’ heel since 1994. That requires more than court orders, it demands political will, legislative clarity and administrative capacity to address immigration once and for all.

The Kaizer Chiefs mentor was unavailable for the post-game interview and post conference. As confirmed by his assistant Dillan Shepperd, the Frenchman fell ill and vomited after the final whistle. The game ended had ended in a 1-1 draw after Sinoxolo Kwayiba’s opener was canceled out by Mduduzi Shabalala’s equaliser. UPDATE ON KAIZER CHIEFS COACH FERNANDO DA CRUZ Meanwhile, coach Da Cruz has offered an update on his health. Speaking from the Carling Knockout last 16 draw on Wednesday night, he said he has fully bounced back. “Thanks for the question. He is feeling very well. He was just vomiting after the game. But now he feels very well,” his interpreter and Fitness assistant Julien Le Heran said. In the meantime, Da Cruz remains unbeaten in the Betway Premiership after eight games. Kaizer Chiefs have won three and drawn five matches under his charge. The Soweto giants sit fourth on the log, nine points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, with a game in hand. CAF CONFEDERATION CUP AGAINST RED ARROWS Moving ahead, Kaizer Chiefs are preparing to kick off their CAF Confedearation Cup campaign. They travel to Zambia to face Red Arrows in a preliminary second round qualifier on Saturday. The first leg will take place at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium at 15:00, with the return leg scheduled for Moses Mabhida Stadium the following weekend. Last season saw Amakhosi narrowly miss out on the quarterfinals. Instead of finishing first or second, they ended the group stage in third place behind Zamalek and Al-Masry. KAIZER CHIEFS’ NEXT FIVE FIXTURES Sat, 17 Oct 2026: Red Arrows, CAF Confederation Cup, away (first leg), 15:00 Fri, 23 Oct 2026: Red Arrows, CAF Confederation Cup, home (second leg), 18:00 Sat, 31 Oct 2026: Orlando Pirates, Betway Premiership, away, 15:30 Sat, 28 Nov 2026: Chippa United, Betway Premiership, away, 15:30 Sat, 5 Dec 2026: Milford FC, Betway Premiership, away, 20:15. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT AMAKHOSI TO WIN THIS SEASON? Share your thoughts by clicking on the red comments block below.

The way SA prices, receipts and labels are displayed by retailers is set for a big change if the National Consumer Commission (NCC) gets its way. With less than 45 days to go, the draft guidelines have been gazetted, and could have widespread ramifications for non-compliant traders and spaza shop owners. SA PRICES, RECEIPTS AND LABELS You may recall there was a nationwide inspection between July 2024 and March 2026. And it was deemed, according to the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), that many retailers contravened Sections 22, 23, 24, 26 and 29 of the Act. These specifically related to SA prices, recipients, labels and sales records. Most inspected suppliers “failed to disclose prices of goods offered for sale.” Nor did they issue compliant sales records and receipts. Furthermore, the NCC said that many products had no labels or descriptions. And this limits consumers’ ability to make informed choices before buying. WHO IT AFFECTS Many informal traders don’t follow CPA guidelines for SA prices, receipts and labels because they’d prefer to keep transactions off the books. Image: File The draft guidelines are a practical write-up of the CPA’s legal complexities. They tell suppliers, importers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and service providers what they must do to comply. The NCC says they’re a general method to follow, and cases are still weighed on a case-by-case basis. A product description must, where applicable, include: Product name. Quantity, size, weight or volume. Composition or material content. Country of origin. Model or identification number. Expiry or best-before date. Care or storage instructions. Any other prescribed information. NEW GUIDELINES FOR SA PRICES Prices must be displayed in South African rand, clearly visible and legible. Displayed prices must include VAT and mandatory charges. The price shown must match the amount charged at the till. Suppliers can’t charge more than the displayed price. Hidden charges and undisclosed fees are not allowed. Online and in-store suppliers must disclose all extra charges before payment, including booking, service and administration fees. KEY RULES ON RECEIPTS AND SALES RECORDS A sales record must be issued for every transaction. It must include the supplier’s full name or registered business name and VAT registration number, among other prescribed details. The draft guidelines on SA prices, receipts and labels is open for public comment right now HERE. Informal traders, who face the biggest compliance gap, have the most to gain from understanding what’s expected of them going forward if and when approved. But what do you think? Do you think the rules for SA prices, receipts and labels is sufficient for informal traders? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below …

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