A 56-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Zimbabwean businessman and his friend, whose bodies were discovered outside Polokwane almost a year ago.

'Cat' Matlala and two of his co-accused will be able to see friends and family on Saturdays, after their advocates told the Johannesburg High Court the men were in the dock every weekday and could not get visitors, or even fresh clothes for the week ahead.

Backstroke specialist Pieter Coetzé spearheaded the charge on Saturday, with the South African team securing another three podium places in the swimming pool, raising their tally to six medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Coetzé stormed to victory in the men’s 50m backstroke final, winning gold in a Games record of 24.18. Behind him, compatriot Ruard van Renen also earned a spot on the podium, snatching bronze in 24.51. “This is an amazing feeling,” said 22-year-old Coetzé, who had joined Van Renen in the 4x100m freestyle relay team that grabbed bronze the night before. “I have had to overcome challenges in training for these Games and have been through quite a tough time, so I didn’t know what was going to happen, and the way it’s worked out means a lot to me. I’ve never sung the national anthem on the podium with a teammate before.” In the women’s 50m butterfly final, Erin Gallagher secured her second medal of the Games. Gallagher, who had also earned a relay bronze on Friday night, bagged silver in the women’s 50m butterfly final on Saturday, with compatriots Jessica Thompson (25.92) and Caitlin de Lange (26.33) finishing fourth and sixth respectively to showcase the nation’s depth. Other results and highlights In the men’s 100m breaststroke final, Michael Houlie (1:00.35) and Chris Smith (1:00.79) took seventh and eighth positions. Looking ahead to the evening session in the pool on Sunday, multiple SA swimmers were set to target medals after qualifying for finals in their events. They included Calvyn Justus (men’s 50m freestyle), Chad le Clos (100m butterfly), Olivia Nel (women’s 100m backstroke), and Aimee Canny, Kaylene Corbett and Rebecca Meder (women’s 100m breaststroke). Coetzé could also line up in the men’s 200m backstroke final, provided he progresses through the morning heats. Among the highlights in other sports on Saturday, Caitlyn Rooskrantz, Naveen Daries, Zelme Daries, Karma Visagie and Buhle Nhleko finished fifth in the women’s gymnastics team final with a score of 142.50. The Proteas netball side beat Malawi 65-44 in their first pool match of the Games. After three days of competition, the SA team were lying fifth in the overall table with six medals (two gold, one silver and three bronze).

Heyneke Meyer says leading the SWD Eagles to the Currie Cup First Division title is one of the greatest achievements of his coaching career. The former Springbok coach guided the Eagles to a convincing 41-21 victory over the Valke in Friday night’s final in George, completing a remarkable turnaround after taking charge of the side last year. “I’m incredibly proud. I had no idea what to expect,” Meyer told Rapport. “Financially we were under enormous pressure then, and we still are. I expected us to struggle to compete.” The title carried far more significance than silverware, according to Meyer, who believes it represents the revival of rugby in the region. “We want to make the Southern Cape proud, and Friday night’s final was simply overwhelming,” he said. “The stadium was packed, little children were running around in Eagles jerseys; the atmosphere was incredible. People vote with their feet. “The region is starving for a rugby team competing at a higher level, and I’m convinced there’s room for more teams in the Premier Division.” Meyer has won major honours throughout his career, including the Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup and Super Rugby, but said this success was different. “Every one of those campaigns was important in its own right. But working here with players who don’t have contracts, players nobody else wanted, and winning the First Division is a fairy tale come true. “Without doubt, it’s one of the greatest moments of my career.” This story was first published on sarugbymag.co.za. It is republished here with permission.

TS Galaxy winger Seluleko Mahlambi has been heavily linked with Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. The 21-year-old had a great season with The Rockets, scoring six goals and making five assists. His performance has seen him nominated for PSL Young Player of the Season. During pre-season, he was part of TS Galaxy team, which won the Mpumalanga Premier Cup. Ahead of the 2026/27 season, the Chiefs target felt he was in great shape. “To win the match [Mpumalanga Premier’s Cup final] means a lot to me because from last season, my plan was to push myself and make sure I continue where I left off until things happen the way I wish them to, and helping the team go forward,” Mahlambi said as per KickOff. “I’m very happy with my performance. I thank the support from the coaches and the guys; this couldn’t have happened without them. I think everything is on track.” Mahlambi on Chiefs and Pirates’ radar Having had a great 2025/26 season, Mahlambi has been one of the most talked about players in the league. The winger felt he still failed to reach his target in terms of goals scored. “Last season, I was gunning for 10 goals but ended up with only seven, so my aim this season is 14 or 15 goals, which will enable me to at least to get to the elusive 10 goals I was looking for last season.” It remains to be seen if Mahlambi will join either Chiefs or Pirates or remain with Galaxy. Where will Mahlambi go?

Derrick Hougaard has sparked concern that he has hit rock bottom after a troubling social media post went viral. In it, the former Springbok made a public cry for help. Over the years, the retired rugby player – fondly known as the “Liefling van Loftus” – has made multiple headlines for his personal life. From substance abuse to messy break-ups to reportedly going through financial hardships. WHAT HAPPENED TO DERICK HOUGAARD? Derick Hougaard’s stint as a Springbok player was cut short due to multiple head injuries. He had just 8 test caps for the national team. However, the flyhalf had a decorated career as a Bulls player – where he was known as the “Liefling van Loftus” – playing over 100 total matches, including 43 Super Rugby caps and 68 Currie Cup appearances for the team between 2002 and 2008. In 2003, the star athlete suffered a significant blow to the head during the Rugby World Cup. This, after he was knocked out by Samoa’s Brian Lima in a brutal yet legal tackle, according to SA Rugby. Speaking to Jacaranda FM in 2015, after announcing his official retirement, Derick stated that years of concussions had left him with headaches and forgetfulness.  He said, “All the head injuries and knocks I took on the rugby field are now catching up with me.” He received a diagnosis of permanent post-concussion syndrome. Fast forward to 2023, Derick Hougaard was found unresponsive in his Pretoria home by his then-girlfriend, Nadine. He spent the next few weeks in a medically induced coma in the ICU after contracting respiratory pneumonia. According to the Citizen, Derick was later admitted to a Gauteng psychiatric hospital over his pain and sleeping pill addiction.  The former Bok had been living in the home of controversial diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg in an attempt to stay clean.  However, he reportedly relapsed, forcing his family to take drastic measures. DIFFICULT TRANSITION FROM RUGBY In the 2023 KykNET docuseries Hougaard: Liefling van Loftus, Derick admitted to heavy drinking and dependency on sleeping pills and pain medication. He also claimed he had spiralled into a deep depression after his rugby career was cut short. In the self-titled 2023 biography Derick Hougaard, author Brendan Nel wrote about the player’s long history of addiction. An excerpt from an interview in the book reflected on Derick’s struggle to adapt to life after rugby. He said, “This is one of the biggest gaps in my life. I always knew rugby was my passion, yes. But you don’t realise how big a role it plays in your life until you lose it. You don’t realise how big a void it will cause when you are no longer actively involved in it.” Derick then again admitted to his addiction struggles: “It takes a man to ask for help or to admit that you need help. There are ugly and difficult times behind me, especially when I mix the pills and booze.”  DERICK HOUGAARD HEADLINES OVER THE YEARS Since hanging up his boots, Derick Hougaard’s personal life has grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons… Divorce and break-ups Derick and Afrikaans singer, Karlien van Jaarsveld had a messy divorce in 2015. Despite being considered the darlings of South African celebrity couples, their two-year marriage was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, his former spouse later said. In a Facebook post in 2018, Karlien claimed that her ex-husband had a “pill and alcohol addiction” and had been “in and out of rehabilitation centres several times”. She added that Derick had not paid for the children’s upkeep. In 2024, Derick also split from his girlfriend Nadine, who is also a singer. According to Nuusflits, the break-up was over his alleged “dependency” on the entertainer. In 2019, their relationship made headlines when images of Derick in bed with a mystery blonde woman went viral, reported Jacaranda FM. ‘Missing children’ In 2018, Derick Hougaard courted controversy after his ex-wife Karlien reported their twin boys, Eliah and Daniel, missing. At the time, the boys were in their father’s custody during a night out. She shared on Instagram alongside a picture of them: “We can’t find my sons. Derick is drunk; we don’t know where the children are! This is how they look. Please help to search!” Karlien revealed that her children had been “found” an hour later. Derick took to X [formerly Twitter] to clear up the confusion, posting a picture of himself with his sleeping children at a restaurant. He later admitted that he had “too much to drink”, but that his children were “never in any danger”. The 100k wedding ring After their divorce, Derick Hougaard made headlines in 2016 for demanding his R100k  wedding ring back from Karlien. The singer’s brother Bobby van Jaarsveld also waded into the drama, telling Derick to stop “harassing” his sister. According to TimesLive, Derick responded by saying, “Imagine what R100 000 over 20 years could mean for the twins? The right thing to do would be to invest the money for the twins, instead of just laying in a drawer”.  Life with Louis Liebenberg In 2024, Derick Hougaard was last seen in the public eye after he claimed to be living with controversial diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg, who has since been arrested over charges of fraud, theft, racketeering, and money laundering. Louis sensationally claimed that Derick was broke and needed round-the-clock care to save him from his pill addiction.

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.