Newly elected IFP Durban Central constituency chairperson Sizwe " Mavava" Sikhakhane says he never sought a leadership position but accepted after being persuaded by party members. The businessman has pledged to strengthen the party's support in eThekwini ahead of the 2026 local government elections while advocating for the relocation of families living in Temporary Residential Units and Temporary Relocation Areas to abandoned buildings in the Durban CBD.

Chaos erupted at Berlin's Gay Pride celebrations as a car ploughed into crowds, leaving one dead and 16 injured. German police are on the hunt for a suspect linked to Islamist circles, as the joyous atmosphere of Christopher Street Day turned to fear and confusion.

Midfielder Linda Motlhalo says Banyana Banyana are ready for all-comers as they prepare to open their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign against Tanzania in Morocco on Monday evening. Banyana’s Motlhalo – ‘The first game is the most important’ “Every team that plays against us they go for 120%, but I think we are ready for any team that we’re going to face. The first game is the most important one because it sets the tone for the tournament,” Motlhalo told Safa.net. “The energy in camp is really good and obviously the main focus is the World Cup, but the biggest thing is we’re going for gold regardless of what happens.” The top four teams at the 2026 WAFCON will automatically qualify for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year. There are two other African places available in inter-confederation play-offs for the World Cup, but Banyana would surely rather avoid that. Desiree Ellis’ Banyana have been drawn in Group B alongside Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals. This is the third successive WAFCON to be hosted in Morocco. Banyana won the tournament for the first time in 2022, and in doing so qualified for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. The 2024 WAFCON was held last year after delays, and Banyana lost to eventual champions Nigeria in the semifinals, ultimately finishing fourth. ‘It’s such an honour’ Motlhalo, 28, has played for Banyana for over a decade, and will make her 100th appearance if she plays against Tanzania on Monday. “It’s such an honour that I know I’m going to be on 100 caps soon, an amazing feeling and it’s that thing of me remembering my first cap when coach Vera (Pauw) gave me the opportunity at the age of 17. Now you’re on number 100, it’s such an honour. It’s been a long journey, a lot of ups and downs, but it has been a beautiful one,” added Motlhalo.

The Stormers have decided not to make a formal offer to Springbok centre Damian de Allende. According to Rapport, they are instead looking to lure one of the country’s biggest prospects to the Cape. The Stormers had held lengthy discussions over a possible return for De Allende, who is contracted to Japanse club the Panasonic Wild Knights until June 2027. The Stormers’ need for midfield cover following Dan du Plessis’ move to Bordeaux Bègles, coupled with uncertainty surrounding Ruhan Nel’s future, had fuelled speculation about a homecoming for the 34-year-old. But a source told Rapport the Cape club had opted against it. “The Stormers’ strategy is not to make an offer to every Springbok or star player who wants to return to Cape Town. That would be unaffordable.” The arrivals of Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe and Wilco Louw have already placed pressure on the club’s salary budget. Meanwhile, the Stormers are reportedly eyeing Sharks centre Jurenzo Julius. The 22-year-old Paul Roos old boy, who is contracted in Durban until June next year, is understood to be weighing up his future. This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.

Bontebok National Park will welcome visitors again from Saturday, 1 August 2026, as South African National Parks (SANParks) begins a phased reopening following extensive flood damage sustained in May. Significant rehabilitation work has been completed over the past two months, allowing parts of the popular Swellendam reserve to safely reopen while repairs continue in other sections of the park. First phase of reopening The initial reopening will include: Six self-catering chalets The park’s camping site Aloe Hill Hiking Trail Acacia Hiking Trail Termite Hiking Trail Visitors will once again be able to enjoy overnight stays and selected outdoor activities as SANParks gradually restores normal operations. Some facilities remain closed Not all areas of the park are ready to reopen. The following facilities remain unavailable while rehabilitation work continues: Eight riverside chalets damaged during the floods Die Stroom Picnic Site Bushbuck Trail SANParks said these facilities will reopen once restoration work has been completed and it is safe to welcome visitors back. More facilities to reopen in phases The conservation authority said it will continue with a phased reopening, with additional accommodation and visitor experiences becoming available as rehabilitation progresses. Future updates on the reopening of the remaining facilities will be communicated as work is completed. SANParks thanks visitors SANParks thanked visitors, tourism partners and stakeholders for their patience and ongoing support during the recovery process. The organisation said it looks forward to welcoming guests back to Bontebok National Park while remaining committed to restoring the park’s facilities safely and responsibly. Visitors seeking accommodation bookings or the latest visitor information can do so through the official SANParks website. Have you ever visited the Bontebok National Park? Let us know by clicking on the comment banner below …

Here she is, the iCaur V23 iWD. We’ve already tested its cousin 03T, which we liked very much. Ultimately what we enjoyed most about that was how there were no identifiers on it whatsoever. Bizarrely, this drew so much attention to it … However, the iCaur V23 takes a different approach. It’s like the Chery Group went all-in on the styling of this alternative EV. Pricing wise, the R669 900 V23 iWD tops a two-model range. A rear-wheel-drive-only version is quite a bit cheaper at just R519 900. And while it’s not a comparison, purely for context, the top-of-the-range 03T costs a stitch more at R699 900. ICAUR V23 IWD The V23 appears to have a compact middle section wrapped in a sort of exterior exoskeleton of bumpers and wheel brows. Pretty cool design. Image: Ray Leathern Both cars sit on Chery’s i-MS platform. That’s the shared architecture behind the whole iCaur family. There’s no real difference in the architecture between them. What does differ is the tuning and capacity. The 03T is slightly bulkier and quite a lot more powerful, and you can feel that as you go along. 205 kW and 385 Nm of torque. A zero to 100 km/h sprint in 6.5 seconds. Meanwhile, the iCaur V23 has the following numbers in its spec column: 155 kW and 292 Nm, a zero to 100 km/h hustle in 7.5 seconds. An 81.8 kWh battery delivers a claimed NEDC range of 430 km (closer to 330 km in the real world). Interestingly, the baby in the range two-wheel drive only gets 100 kW and 180 Nm from its smaller 59.93 kWh battery, rendering it more of a typical city EV. With a DC fast charger, both will top-up to 80% battery in just 30 minutes. BADGE ROULETTE Wheels at each corner of the structure, with a pretty compact footprint. Image: Ray Leathern When Chery launched the project, our understanding is the iCaur V23 was always destined to wear that badge. While, allegedly, the iCaur 03T was destined to be badged a Chery in most markets. In China, however, the 03T actually sells as a Fulwin X3. And India will launch the same car soon, wearing a JSW badge, not iCaur at all. So, its genealogy is confusing enough to drop altogether. Nevertheless, the iCaur V23’s styling borrows heavily from an old military off-roader from the 1960s in China – the Beijing BJ212. It shows in the low, narrowly positions round headlights. Round rear lamps sit above a boxy rear cable housing. The retro-looking one-piece steel wheels and old-school wheel brows haven’t been copied by anyone else yet. It’s a smaller, tidier take on off-road cosplay. Known as ‘modular design’, there are more than twenty factory mounting points for roof racks, fender flares, side ladders and auxiliary lighting, too. INSIDE THE BOX In minimalist interior with maximum screen space. Note there is no display in front of the driver. Image: File Standard kit across the range includes a 15.4-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. Leather upholstery and electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated front seats come standard, too. A high-quality seven-speaker sound system is fitted throughout. Boot space is 372 litres, but the rear seats don’t fold forward beyond a few degrees, which makes loading bigger items tricky. Both iCaur V23 derivatives get six airbags, ISOFIX anchors, stability control and traction control. AWD adds automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection. It also gets adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, lane departure warning and blind spot detection. THE ICAUR V23 VERDICT Time will tell if the iCaur appeal strikes a cord with South African buyers. Image: Ray Leathern At its price tag of R669 900 there are no real rivals to the iCaur V23 for cutesy retro off-roader city-city EV appeal. Yes, we appreciate that’s quite a narrow niche, but we think it’s one worth exploring nonetheless. It’s kind of like the EV equivalent of a Suzuki Jimny. A car that is inherently capable, even if it might never leave the asphalt roads of the suburb it lives. It’s deliberately silly, fun and new. And for the money, there’s plenty of tech and quality on offer …

Researchers have decrypted what Tecno, Infinix and Itel smartphones quietly send home: location, apps and camera activity.

Vodacom, the University of Johannesburg and AWS want their new AI lab to become a blueprint for the continent.