Between Youth Day and Women's Day lies a powerful narrative that unites generations of South Africans. This article explores the significance of June 16, 1976, and the dangers of a single story that overshadows the diverse experiences of youth across the nation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's establishment of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide represents a crucial move in South Africa's battle against gender-based violence, promising enhanced leadership and accountability in tackling this national crisis.

A former Mpumalanga school official has been dismissed and declared unfit to work with children following a ruling that he sexually harassed a pupil. Hendry Jabulani Makhubela, who worked at Valencia Combined School in Mbombela, faced disciplinary action brought by the Mpumalanga Department of Education before the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC). He was charged with two counts of misconduct linked to incidents that allegedly took place in June 2025. Mpumalanga school pupil details alleged sexual harassment The matter arose after a Grade 9 pupil’s cellphone was confiscated at the school for breaching rules. The pupil testified that on 2 June 2025 she had used her iPhone 13 Pro-Max during class, leading to its confiscation shortly before the first break. During break, while upset and speaking with friends, Makhubela approached her and instructed her to meet him later. The pupil, now in Grade 10, testified that she went to his office accompanied by two friends. According to her testimony, Makhubela indicated he would try to assist in retrieving the confiscated phone. As she was leaving the office, he hugged her despite acknowledging that he was not permitted to hug students. She stated that during this interaction he touched her inappropriately on her lower back and buttocks. Later, she returned to Makhubela’s office as instructed. This time, the former employee told her he could not get the phone back. As she tried to leave, the employee restrained her against shelves, forcefully kissed her, and attempted to search under her dress. She pushed him away and left his office. According to the student, she contacted Makhubela while at home seeking help to recover her phone and asked to borrow R400 towards the R750 fine imposed by the school, but he did not assist. Complaint reported to principal The school’s principal, Willie Kariel White, told the arbitration that on 4 June the pupil, accompanied by her mother and aunt, reported allegations of sexual harassment against Makhubela. White testified that he subsequently contacted the chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB) and the family provided an overview of the allegations. He confirmed that he had authorised the search operation that led to the confiscation of the cellphone. Under cross-examination, the principal acknowledged that he had not personally inspected the device or attempted to retrieve it. White also stated that the family intended to pursue a criminal case. While he did not investigate the precise details of the alleged touching, White maintained that any inappropriate contact would be serious. Employee rejects allegations Makhubela, held the roles of departmental head for the senior phase and data administrator, denied all accusations of misconduct. At the time, he held the roles of departmental head for the senior phase and acting data administrator. He disputed claims that he hugged, touched, or kissed the pupil, and denied that she had cried in his presence or that he made any inappropriate advances. He further argued that he did not invite her into his office, did not search her, and had no prior relationship with her. He confirmed that he recorded the cellphone confiscation on the school’s disciplinary system. ELRC’s findings ELRC arbitrator Victor Madula found that Makhubela did not dispute that the pupil visited his office twice on the day in question while attempting to recover her confiscated phone. “The inference one could make is that the employee took an advantage of the desperation of [the pupil] to get her cell phone back. “It is my belief that the employee created an impression to [the pupil] that he wanted to help her get her cell phone back. “The employee has barely denied the incident,” he said. Madula further highlighted if the victim was framing Makhubela, she would not have told her parents and friends about the incidents. The arbitrator concluded that Makhubela had sexually harassed the pupil and found him guilty on both charges of misconduct. He was fired with immediate effect. “I find that the sanction of dismissal would be appropriate, irrespective of the mitigating factors, which I have considered.” In addition, Makhubela was declared unsuitable to work with children.

A former Springbok flyhalf is in line to become the Bulls’ new kicking coach. According to Rapport, Vlok Cilliers is the frontrunner to join Johan Ackermann’s coaching staff. The 58-year-old recently returned to South Africa after his stint as France’s kicking coach came to an early end. While Cilliers is still finalising his severance package with the French Rugby Federation, Rapport says the talks are not expected to prevent a move to Loftus Versfeld. Cilliers, who earned one cap off the bench for the Boks in the first Test of the 1996 All Blacks series, became South Africa’s first full-time kicking coach during the Bulls’ most successful era under Heyneke Meyer. Working with the likes of Derick Hougaard and Morné Steyn, he helped the Bulls win three Super Rugby titles and three Currie Cup crowns between 2004 and 2014. After leaving Loftus, Cilliers joined the Stormers before linking up with Fabien Galthié’s France coaching team in 2019. Rapport also said that recently retired flyhalf Johan Goosen, who has been involved with Bulls’ U23 and Currie Cup teams this year, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.

The Springboks touched down in Argentina in the early hours of Sunday morning (South American time) following the journey from Cape Town on Saturday and will resume their on-field preparations on Monday for next week’s encounter against Los Pumas at Estadio José Amalfitani. Two travelling groups flew to Buenos Aires via São Paulo and arrived at their team hotel within an hour of one another after midnight. The players will have a day off to rest and recover from the long trip, allowing them sufficient time to acclimatise to the conditions and time zone. ‘Great to be back’ “It’s great to be back in Buenos Aires, and we are looking forward to the challenge of facing the Pumas here once again,” said Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus. “It was a long journey, and there is a fair time difference between the countries, so the players will have time to rest and acclimatise today, and then we’ll return to the training field tomorrow (Monday). “Fortunately, we did most of the ground work for the match at our training camp in Johannesburg earlier this week, so we have a good base to build on in the next few days.” Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry The players who remained in South Africa to focus on the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tests against New Zealand, will reassemble later on Sunday and also resume training on Monday. “We are on track in terms of our preparation for both this match and the New Zealand Tour,” said Erasmus. Erasmus will consult with his coaching team later on Sunday before deciding when to announce his matchday squad to face Argentina. The one-off clash on Saturday, 8 August kicks off at 21:00 (SA time). Springbok squad to face Argentina (in alphabetical order): Forwards: Lood de Jager, Ben-Jason Dixon, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Zachary Porthen, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese Backs: Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn, Herchel Jantjies, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie must provide a full account of the government’s estimated R31 million expenditure on its FIFA World Cup 2026 delegation when he appears before Parliament this week. McKenzie and officials from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture are scheduled to appear before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture on Tuesday, 4 August, where they are expected to answer questions about the 151-member delegation that travelled to the tournament. Lack of transparency The DA said it had already written to the committee chairperson, requesting that the Minister and the department arrive prepared to provide detailed information after what it described as a lack of transparency in previous responses. Among the information the party wants disclosed are the full names, qualifications and experience of each of the 151 delegation members, as well as the specific role and responsibilities assigned to each individual during the World Cup. The opposition party is also demanding a detailed account of the meetings and engagements attended by both the Minister and every member of the delegation. Measurable benefits In addition, the DA wants a comprehensive breakdown of the estimated R31 million expenditure, including the amount spent on each delegation member, details of any sponsorships received, and an explanation of the return on investment achieved from the trip. According to the party, the department should also outline any measurable benefits the expenditure delivered for South African sport, arts, culture, tourism or related industries. “The DA will hold Minister Gayton McKenzie to account for each rand spent at the World Cup,” the party said. The parliamentary appearance follows weeks of scrutiny over the size of South Africa’s delegation to the FIFA World Cup and the costs associated with the trip. What the DA wants: – The full names, relevant qualifications and experience of each of the 151 delegation members that warranted their inclusion– The specific role and responsibilities of each of the 151 delegation members– A clear account of what each of the 151 delegation members did during the World Cup– A detailed account of the meetings and engagements held by the Minister and each of the 151 delegation members– A detailed breakdown of the estimated R31 million expenditure, including the cost attributable to each of the 151 delegation members– A detailed breakdown of all sponsorships received– A detailed account of the return on investment achieved from the estimated R31 million expenditure, including the measurable benefits secured for South African sport, arts, culture, tourism, or related industries

Nedbank has appointed Nikos Angelopoulos, formerly MTN Group's CIO, to the same role at the bank.

Eskom recorded a daily energy availability factor of 80.24% on 20 July, its best single day since 20 September 2017.