The vessel will remain in the dock for the next 10 days while specialist teams carry out maintenance, repairs and statutory inspections required for its continued operation.

uspended Director-General Doctor Mashabane denies allegations of interference in TRC cases during an inquiry, shedding light on the complexities of South Africa's pursuit of justice for apartheid-era atrocities.

The Department of Home Affairs has published draft regulations proposing a R500 fee for South Africa’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a digital authorisation that allows prospective travellers from eligible visa-required countries to travel to South Africa for tourism or visitor purposes, without the need for a traditional visitor’s visa. The proposed fee was gazetted by minister Leon Schreiber for public comment until 11 August 2026. The ETA platform was launched in October 2025, and charges were waived for the first phase. “At the time of the implementation of the first phase of the ETA, visa fees for the onboarding countries were temporarily waived because the ETA platform did not yet include an integrated online payment capability,” said Schreiber in the document published on Monday. “Consequently, neither visa fees nor a dedicated ETA processing fee have been charged to date, despite the need to invest in operational maintenance of the system.” Second phase of the ETA The minister noted that the platform has been operating as a fully subsidised service, which is unsustainable. Therefore, Home Affairs will be rolling out additional functionality, including an integrated online payment capability to collect application fees. The department of Home Affairs is proposing a processing fee of R500 per ETA application. “In the next phase, the ETA will become compulsory for travellers from non-visa-exempt countries included on the platform. Initially, it will be optional for travellers from visa-exempt countries. “However, notwithstanding the optional nature of the platform for visa-exempt travellers, the Department anticipates fast uptake of this new system from visa-exempt travellers, given the significant improvements in efficiency and security it delivers.” How the R500 charge will work for ETA Schreiber said visa-exempt travellers who voluntarily elect to utilise the ETA platform for an enhanced, streamlined and more convenient travel experience will also be liable for the R500 processing fee. “This initial voluntary approach is intended to encourage uptake while preserving existing visa-free travel privileges.” Travellers from countries that need a South African visa but are currently exempt from paying the visa application fee will still have to use the ETA system and will pay only the R500 processing fee. It is understood that no visa fee will be imposed on this category, in line with existing policy provisions relating to visa fee exemptions. Dual fee structure Travellers from countries whose citizens require a visa and are not exempt from visa fees will have to apply through the ETA system and pay both the normal visa fee and the proposed R500 processing fee. “This dual fee structure ensures alignment with current cost-recovery principles, while supporting the maintenance, sustainability and operational funding of the ETA solution,” said the minister. “The introduction of the ETA platform and an associated processing fee of R500 per application will therefore deliver immediate cost savings for the category of travellers reliant on the current outsourced service provider, as such travellers will now be paying a total of R925 per application, instead of the R1 975 they are currently charged. “In effect, the Department is insourcing this critical function and enhancing state capacity, at a price for prospective tourists that is less than half the price they currently pay.” Why ETA? Schreiber noted that the ETA provides enhanced convenience to users, as travellers will be able to submit their applications from the comfort of their homes through a fully digital platform, eliminating the need to travel to South African missions or VFS application centres. “This reduces both direct and indirect costs, including travel expenses, time, and administrative burden. The introduction of the ETA platform also brings significant national security benefits.” The proposed R500 application fee forms part of draft amendments to South Africa’s immigration fee regulations, published under the Immigration Act, 2002.

The ANC will return to the border of Alexandra in the north of Johannesburg to launch its manifesto for the upcoming local government elections. This is despite the party facing criticism for making false promises in its 2019 campaign, where party president Cyril Ramaphosa claimed that he had been misunderstood when he spoke about the construction of one million houses. The apology He apologised in 2024, after being questioned about this matter by EFF leader Julius Malema. “It created this impression that I said a million houses for Alexandra, which objectively would not be possible anyway because we just do not have the land there to build a million houses, to the extent that it created that impression, yes, I will say I apologise for having made people believe that I meant for Alexandra. What I really meant is yes, we are going to build a million houses for the whole country, and as it turns out, of course, we never really reached that target,” said Ramaphosa. A dented image In a media briefing on Tuesday, Mbalula told reporters in Johannesburg that this time the ANC will go to River Park, a settlement a stone’s throw from Alexandra. The ward is also currently under the DA. He said the party will explain the “distortion” surrounding the one million houses at the event. “We are not going to a stadium. We are going to River Park…we are going to answer that question about one million houses,” he said. He said despite what people think of the ANC, his party is responsible for most of the development around Alexandra, including the creation of River Park. “The process of building houses and moving the people of Alexandra has long begun, and it created a place called River Park, and we moved the people of Alex,” he said. He said he is aware that the ANC has lost credibility in communities. “Even if your dog has disappeared, people say the ANC… I watched some programme this morning it was running on SABC, this person is talking about his personal problems but for some reason we found the ANC in the middle and then I realised, how are we going to resolve this problem,” he said. How did Joburg deteriorate? Mbalula spoke about the challenges that the City of Johannesburg faces and blamed most of them on coalition governments that began in 2016. “There was stability in Joburg when the ANC governed alone; we created magnificent roads in Soweto and built and fixed roads and streets in Soweto under our own mayors…this municipality started to collapse when it fell into the hands of coalitions,” he said. He said the ANC still believes that it can become a party that governs without the assistance of other parties. “We will still work for an overwhelming majority…we are going to work for an outright decisive victory in this local government election,” he said.

The debate over expiring mobile data has intensified after Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies questioned why South Africans should lose unused data they have already paid for. Committee chairperson Khusela Diko said there is no technical reason for mobile data to expire, following an oversight visit by Members of Parliament to MTN’s headquarters in Roodepoort. COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE VISITS MTN HEADQUARTERS Parliament, Sunday, 26 July 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies will tomorrow visit the @MTNza headquarters in Roodepoort, Gauteng, as part of its ongoing programme of engagement with key… pic.twitter.com/CrrF9ddO03— Khusela Diko🇿🇦 (@KhuselaS) July 27, 2026 The visit comes as MTN and Vodacom continue their legal challenge against the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) over the regulator’s updated End-User and Subscriber Service Charter regulations. The new rules govern issues including data rollover, bundle depletion and the transfer of unused data and airtime. ‘No technical reason’ for data expiry Diko said Parliament’s engagement with mobile network operators is intended to better understand the industry’s concerns rather than influence ICASA’s regulatory position. “When we are engaging MTN and the other mobile network operators, it is not to seek to get ICASA to change its view on certain things, but to understand what are the challenges that industry faces in this regard,” she said. She noted that the regulations were widely welcomed by consumers, many of whom have long questioned why purchased data should expire. “We’ve never understood why data must expire. We understand that there are infrastructure management challenges, there are financial management challenges. We don’t think that there’s a technical reason for the ‘use it or lose it’ principle, and that’s what we’re trying to engage them on here,” Diko added. Industry challenges ICASA regulations MTN and Vodacom are seeking relief from ICASA’s revised regulations, arguing that aspects of the rules governing data rollover and bundle management should be reconsidered. The case is expected to have significant implications for South Africa’s mobile telecommunications sector and could determine whether operators are required to allow customers to retain unused data for longer periods. For consumers, the dispute centres on a simple question: should mobile data that has already been paid for ever expire? The answer may ultimately be decided in court, but Parliament has made it clear it wants the industry to explain why the “use it or lose it” model should continue. Do you think it’s fair that mobile data expires? Let us know by clicking on the comment banner below …

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has admitted his side are not ready to compete with the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates. This comes after the team’s 1-0 win over Scotland FC in the Toyota Cup this past weekend. Having played several friendly matches in Spain during their pre-season, Amakhosi have only won one match. When asked if Kaizer Chiefs can compete for top the title, the new coach said his team were still behind their rivals. “For the moment no,” he told the media. “But we are looking for offensive options and when we have the entire squad then we can assess if we are able to challenge other teams to win the title, and to go well in the Confederation Cup.” Kaizer Chiefs coach looking to add more in attack In terms of new signings, Da Cruz admitted that there are still areas which need new additions. “A striker, new wingers and an offensive midfielder,” the French coach said. “We [already] have good profiles, but we asked management to get different profiles, so that we can play different football and be less predictable.” Kaizer Chiefs have signed four players so far this transfer window but are likely to sign more before September. The team could be without Bradley Cross in their first league match after the defender suffered an injury against Scotland FC on Sunday Chiefs will open their Betway Premiership campaign on Saturday away to Kruger United at Mbombela Stadium. Can Amakhosi start the season with a big win?

South African staff are among those affected, but the crypto exchange will not say how many.

An Aerospace Village, a drone corridor and satellite research anchor the multibillion-rand airport development's plans.