Durban City are embracing change ahead of the new Betway Premiership season, with coach Khalil Ben Youssef confident his new tactical approach can help the club secure another Top 8 finish.

The rand remained resilient after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, although economists warned that escalating Middle East tensions continued to cloud the global economic outlook.

Attempted murder and kidnapping co-accused Johann Blokker, formerly of Tetelestai Recovery Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, will not say whether he is turning state witness against the four other men charged alongside him. And the National Prosecuting Authority did not respond to questions about the matter. Blokker, former enforcer arrested Blokker, the former non-executive director whom former patients described as the controversial rehabilitation centre’s enforcer, was arrested by Amanzimtoti detectives in Westbrook, Durban, on 26 February, and appeared in court the following morning. He is the fifth man charged over the death of Luke Edwards on 9 April last year after allegedly being beaten by fellow residents while trying to leave. It remains unclear what Blokker’s alleged role was. All the accused are out on bail with court appearances scheduled for September. The Citizen sent written questions to Blokker on WhatsApp at the beginning of July to establish his purported turn to state witness. Despite a reminder, he has not responded. Among the questions, he was asked to confirm or deny whether he intended acting as a state witness in the Edwards trial. He was also asked to confirm that he invested around R1.5 million in Tetelestai, what the money was used for, whether he had seen a return on the investment and what his relationship with centre owner Donovan de Klerk amounted to beyond the cash injection. NPA silent The NPA was also asked by The Citizen whether Blokker was being considered as a state witness. It had not responded by time of going to press, despite being given a week to comment. Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act allows a witness to testify about offences in which they were involved and, if the court is satisfied they answered frankly and honestly, they may be discharged from prosecution. The NPA decides who is offered this legal mechanism and it is generally reserved for witnesses whose evidence is considered crucial to the prosecution. Private investigator Brad Nathanson said such a move would fundamentally reshape the prosecution. Nathanson has spent more than a year investigating Edwards’ death on behalf of the deceased’s family and building a case to prosecute more people involved. “If Blokker testifies, this stops being a case about one night in a dormitory and becomes a case about how the operation was run and who paid for it. He was not a monitor taking instructions. He had money in it,” Nathanson said. Forced abductions and admissions “Someone on the inside with a financial stake, explaining how patients were brought in and what everyone knew, pivots the whole matter.” It’s the financial stake that separates Blokker from the other monitors charged alongside him. Former patients previously described forced abductions and admissions to the centre. One former resident said about 30 such incidents occurred during their stay, all allegedly without the necessary paperwork. Former patients also alleged that Blokker played a role in some removals. The Citizen’s requests for the Section 33 documentation authorising involuntary admissions yielded nothing. A magistrate identified as the presiding officer on purported legal documents allowing involuntary admission said he did not recall signing any orders linked to the centre.

The Free State Department of Health has confirmed a devastating bus accident on the N1 north in the province, leaving at least 11 people dead and dozens injured. The accident occurred north of Trompsburg late Thursday night, 30 July. According to the health department’s spokesperson Mondli Mvambi, the bus was carrying approximately 60 passengers when it overturned shortly after 9:30pm, about 24km north of Trompsburg in the direction of Edenburg. Accident The vehicle was lying across the N1, completely obstructing the roadway. Emergency medical services and law enforcement rushed to the scene, where a grim picture emerged. “Initial reports indicate 14 injured persons outside the bus, while one child’s hand remained trapped under the vehicle. “Tragically, 11 people – five children and six adults – have been declared deceased. Their identities cannot yet be confirmed,” Mvambi said. Warning Triage and extrication operations were ongoing as rescue teams worked through the wreckage. Law enforcement officers were managing traffic and assisting emergency crews. Motorists travelling between Trompsburg and Edenburg have been urged to exercise extreme caution, reduce speed, and expect significant delays. Traffic officials are diverting vehicles where possible, and road users are advised to seek alternative routes. Condolences Mvambi extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery. “We mourn with those who have lost loved ones and assure the public that updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” he said. Scholar transport accident Earlier this week, nineteen primary school pupils were injured when an overloaded scholar transport vehicle collided with a hatchback in Ekurhuleni. The accident occurred on the M7 in Tsietsi, just outside Katlehong, early Wednesday morning, prompting a major emergency response and temporary closure of the busy route. Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson William Ntladi said fire and rescue officers received a call at 6:55am about a scholar transporter involved in a crash and immediately responded to intervene. Ntladi added that all occupants from both vehicles were medically treated on scene by paramedics before transportation to the nearest medical facilities around Ekurhuleni.

How much is Saturday 1 August Lotto and Lotto Plus worth on 29 July 2026? Well, it breaks down like so. Straight Lotto is worth R5.5 million, Lotto Plus 1 sits at R4 million and for Lotto Plus Max 5 you can tag on another R1 million. All tallied up that put’s the total worth of the Saturday game at R10.5 million. That’s a R1.5-million increase over Wednesday’s last game, which suggests someone did win a portion of Lotto Max 5 on Wednesday … Nevertheless, success for Saturday 1 August Lotto and Lotto Plus comes from knowing how recently one of the three lottos has paid out big. A bit like the old days playing slot machines in the casino, the longer it goes on, the more likely a payout will be. However, looking at the above figures, we can see small amounts suggest regular winners recently. This has been one of the criticisms of new game mechanics – that payouts, while more frequent, rarely allow winnings to climb to big numbers anymore. SATURDAY 1 AUGUST LOTTO AND LOTTO PLUS As such, Saturday 1 August Lotto and Lotto Plus has always been the National Lottery’s kind of bread-and-butter game. Cheaper than PowerBall and PowerBall XTRA, easier to win, but less dramatic when it comes to jackpots. Nevertheless, Sizekhaya’s 1 June 2026 takeover reshaped it even further. The core mechanics require players to choose six numbers from a pool of 1 to 52, which is reduced from 1 to 58 previously. As ever, numbers can be chosen manually or auto generated through the popular Quick Pick. Pricing sits lower than PowerBall’s controversial increase. A standard Lotto board costs R5, with Lotto Plus 1 adding R2.50 and Lotto 5 Max adding a further R2.50 on top. Therefore, playing all three together costs R10 per board. What players are still wrapping their head around is the new MultiPlay (MP1) option. It lets players add a seventh number to their existing six in each of the three games. And it gets proportionally more expensive as you go. The total combination if you add MP1 across all boards is R70 – that’s R35 + R17.50 + R17.50. However, your odds are massively improved if you do go down this rabbit hole. HOW TO HANDLE MULTIPLAY Do you prefer to choose your own numbers old school, or use auto-generated Quick Pick? Image: File If you add MP1 to Saturday 1 August Lotto and Lotto Plus across all three games, your total ticket will cost R70.00. Plus, if you’re using your banking app, be sure to lookout for digital banking fee of roughly R2.95 added to the transaction. So, the question remains, is it worth spending the extra money? Jackpot odds have already improved substantially under the new number matrix. The chances of matching all six numbers now sits at 1 in 20 million. That’s twice as likely as the old 1 in 40 million under ITHUBA. However, dabble with the MP1 and all of a sudden, you’re playing with seven numbers instead of six. This means your odds now become just 1 in 2.9 million, which represents a straight sevenfold improvement. And don’t forget that’s across all three games since they share the board. DRAW TIMES AND CLAIMING POWERBALL WINNINGS Remember, if you’re someone like a SASSA beneficiary playing Saturday 1 August Lotto and Lotto Plus, decide on a budget before buying lotto tickets, and don’t chase a bad week by spending more. The National Responsible Gambling Programme runs a toll-free counselling line on 0800 006 008 for anyone who is struggling. Lotto and Lotto Plus draw every Saturday and Saturday at 21:00. Sizekhaya brought back live televised draws using physical draw machines. Ticket sales cut off half an hour before the draw typically at 20:30. All lottery prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the draw date. Anyone who misses that window forfeits their prize and the money is transferred to the National Lottery Distribution Trust for charitable causes. How and where to claim Saturday 1 August Lotto and Lotto Plus winnings depends on the amount won: Small prizes (up to R4 999) get paid out directly at licensed retailers. Mid-tier prizes (R5 000 to R49 999) can be claimed at selected partner banks. Anything above R50 000 requires an in-person visit to a Sizekhaya regional office, with the original ticket and a valid South African ID. Online and banking-app players have prizes up R249 999 are deposited automatically into their accounts. CONTACT SIZEKHAYA FOR HELP Sizekhaya’s head offices now reside in Sandton. Image: File Anyone unsure where to start can call the Sizekhaya helpline on 0861 026 000. Or you can visit one of the eight regional offices nationally: Head Office/Gauteng at 36 Homestead Road, Edenburg, Sandton KwaZulu-Natal at 10 Rydall Vale Crescent, Umhlanga Ridge Western Cape at 1st Floor, The Barracks, 50 Bree Street, Cape Town Eastern Cape at 153 Cape Road, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth Free State & Northern Cape at 3 Barnes Street, Arboretum, Bloemfontein Limpopo at Gateway Park, Polokwane Mpumalanga at 29@Marloth, Nelspruit And one final note, around R257 million in lottery prizes currently sits unclaimed across South Africa from the previous operator. Therefore, checking old ticket numbers against those drawn (up to one year ago) costs you nothing and might just turn up forgotten money. You can do so by clicking past results HERE.

A young boy who collected and sold scrap materials to financially support his family – as captured in videos filmed by philanthropist BI Phakathi – has received over R2 million in GoFundMe donations. The teen – identified as Wernand – touched the hearts of people around the world with his mission to keep his family fed and off the street. BI PHAKATHI TEEN BOY RECEIVES MILLIONS IN GOFUNDME Earlier this month, philanthropist BI Phakathi – who keeps his identity a secret – posted a video of a teenage boy named Wernand who had skipped school to collect and sell scrap materials. As with all his videos, Phakathi generously gifted money to the child to buy food and warm clothes and to help his family. However, a few days later, he posted a follow-up video in which he found Wernand back in a junkyard, collecting cans and scrap metal to sell.  Phakathi, along with fellow philanthropist Logan Mayberry, founder of the Reward the Kind charity, visited the boy’s home, where he discovered his mother and newborn sister living in squalor. Wernand revealed that he had spent years in an orphanage before being homeless and reuniting with his impoverished mother. Mayberry started a GoFundMe campaign to help the family secure safe and clean housing. The campaign, and BI Phakathi’s videos about Wernand has gone viral, raising over $124 000 (over R2 million) from close to 4 000 donors around the world. Mayberry shared: “He [Wernand] felt responsible for helping provide for his family. At just 14 years old, Wernand has become the man of the house…somehow, he continues to fight every day for his family. I truly believe we have a chance to change the trajectory of this family’s future. “The funds raised will help Wernand and his family with housing, school fees, food, and other general resources. This support will provide them with stability, safety, and hope for a brighter future” BROTHERS AND AN EMPTY PETROL TANK In another viral video posted by BI Phakathi, the content creator is seen coming to the rescue of two brothers whose car had run out of petrol. The siblings were spotted sitting in their car at a petrol station, waiting for a cash deposit from their employer to purchase fuel to go home. After learning that Phakathi would fill up their petrol tank for free, the brothers burst into tears. The brothers also received a wad of cash to purchase groceries and to help fund their trade course. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BI Phakathi (@biphakathi)

Chinese brands have gone from fringe players to a fifth of South Africa’s new-vehicle sales.

Why Pepkor's PlusB is the most credible challenge Capitec has ever faced, and what it will take to prove it.