On the initiative of the Embassy of Tunisia in South Africa, under the leadership of HE Karima Bardaoui, a delegation of South African women took part in the ninth edition of the Financing Investment and Trade in Africa Conference 2026 (Fita), in Tunis from 28 to 30 April 2026.  The strategic engagement underscores Tunisia’s growing role as a gateway for African trade and investment, while highlighting the importance of women’s leadership in shaping the continent’s economic future. The delegation included Wendy Mpendulo, the president of the Africa Progressive Women Chamber for Trade and Industry, accompanied by two businesswomen from the chamber.  Their participation reflected a broader commitment to strengthening intra-African collaboration and empowering women entrepreneurs across value chains. A highlight of the conference was a dedicated workshop hosted by the chamber, where Mpendulo delivered a compelling address on “Women leadership and free initiative: Supporting women’s participation in African value chains.” Her presentation emphasised the importance of inclusivity in trade, advocating for increased access to markets, financing and leadership opportunities for women across the continent. Fita 2026, held under the theme “African Value Chains: Developing Strategic Levers for the Transformation of the Continent”, brought together more than 3 000 participants from more than 65 countries. Attendees included ministers, policymakers, business leaders, development institutions and private investors, creating a vibrant platform for dialogue and deal-making.  The conference reinforced its reputation as a pan-African hub for investment. This year’s edition focussed on sectors critical to Africa’s transformation, including digital innovation, clean technologies, infrastructure development and financial services. Through panels and networking platforms such as the “Deal Room”, participants explored practical pathways to unlock the continent’s economic potential. Wendy Mpendulo, the president of the African Progressive Women Chamber in SA and Anis Jaziri, the president of the Tunisian-African business council. A major outcome of the conference was the signing of 15 partnership agreements between the Tunisian African Business Council and various African chambers of commerce and employers’ organisations. The agreements span key sectors such as energy, water, telecommunications, engineering and infrastructure, reflecting a strong commitment to collaborative growth. Among the most notable initiatives discussed was a large-scale urban development project in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, covering about 43 000 hectares. Known as “Novation City Kinshasa,” the project includes plans for a technology park, textile manufacturing hubs and integrated urban infrastructure, with an estimated investment of €100 million (about R2 billion).  Additional projects in countries such as Guinea further illustrate the expanding footprint of Tunisian enterprises across Africa. The Tunisian African Business Council and the Africa Progressive Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a memorandum of understanding. The milestone agreement aims to strengthen cooperation, promote women-led enterprises and facilitate greater participation of women in African trade networks. Canada was featured as the guest non-African country, highlighting growing interest in sub-Saharan Africa’s trade opportunities and reinforcing the importance of international partnerships. Discussions encouraged the continent to leverage its financial resources and reduce reliance on external funding. Taking in the sites: (From left) The author on the steps of the Café des Nattes, established in 1894, alongside HE Ambassador Shakilla Umutoni of Rwanda to Tunisia and Hisham Ben Khamsa. Photos: Marion Smith Tunisia’s broader economic strategy was also brought into focus, with ambitions to increase foreign direct investment to four billion dinars (about R217bn) by the end of 2026.  Beyond the conference halls, Tunisia revealed itself as a destination rich in history, culture and natural beauty. Widely regarded as a safe and accessible country, Tunisia offers visa-free entry for South African citizens on short stays, making it an increasingly attractive travel option. One of the country’s iconic destinations is Sidi Bou Saïd, a breathtaking village perched above the Mediterranean Sea. Known for its striking blue-and-white architecture, it is often compared to the Greek island of Santorini. With its panoramic views, art galleries and charming cafés, the village offers a serene yet culturally vibrant experience.  It was here that I got to sit on the steps of the historic Café des Nattes, established in 1894, soaking in the atmosphere alongside HE Ambassador Shakilla Umutoni of Rwanda to Tunisia and Hisham Ben Khamsa, who kindly shared insights into the heritage and character of the remarkable town and other sites. Nearby, the ancient Carthage stands as a testament to Tunisia’s rich historical legacy. Founded in the 9th century BC by Phoenicians, this Unesco World Heritage Site features remarkable ruins, including the Antonine Baths, Punic ports, and Roman villas, offering visitors a journey through centuries of Mediterranean civilisation. Equally captivating is Dougga, one of the best-preserved Roman sites in North Africa. Set on a hilltop, Dougga combines ancient architecture with sweeping views of olive groves and wildflower fields, creating a striking contrast between history and nature. Blend of old and new: (From left) From intricately designed doors to bustling markets, the medina is a living museum of Tunisian culture and craftsmanship. The Harbour in Bizerte, Dougga, one of the best-preserved Roman sites in North Africa. Dougga combines ancient architecture with sweeping views of wildflower fields. The capital, Tunis, offers a cosmopolitan blend of old and new. At its heart lies the Medina of Tunis, a Unesco-listed site renowned for its labyrinthine streets, vibrant souks and more than 700 historic monuments. From intricately designed doors to bustling markets, the medina is a living museum of Tunisian culture and craftsmanship. Tunisia’s culinary landscape is rooted in Mediterranean traditions and enriched by Berber, Arab and French influences. Tunisian cuisine is both diverse and flavourful. Dishes such as couscous, lablabi and merguez sausages highlight the country’s love for bold spices, particularly harissa. A standout experience is enjoying brik, a delicate pastry filled with egg and tuna, requiring both skill and enthusiasm to savour. Coastal towns like Bizerte offer a more relaxed charm. Dining at establishments such as Le Sport Nautique provides an opportunity to enjoy fresh seafood against the backdrop of the Mediterranean, followed by leisurely walks through historic harbour districts. From its golden beaches and sun-drenched landscapes to its rich cultural heritage, Tunisia lives up to its reputation as the “balcony of the Mediterranean”.  In bringing together economic ambition and cultural richness, Tunisia offers more than just a destination, it presents an opportunity. Whether through high-level platforms like Fita or through its vibrant tourism offerings, the country positions itself as a key player in Africa’s future while inviting the world to discover its timeless charm.

Tembeka Ngcukaitobi has been appointed as an acting justice of the Constitutional Court, with his term scheduled to run from 1 June to 30 November 2026.  That appointment has produced a wave of celebration across social media and among commentators who read it as a victory for black excellence in the legal profession. In the same breath, Ngcukaitobi is representing the white conservative side fighting the Legal Sector Code, a Solidarity-backed challenge to one of the clearest black empowerment instruments in the legal profession. This means that, while commentators celebrate his rise to the CC, he is also carrying the legal argument against a code meant to shift ownership, briefs and institutional power to black practitioners. That fact changes the entire meaning of the applause. South Africa is asked to celebrate his rise to the apex court while looking away from the courtroom where he helps carry the argument against one of the most direct instruments of black empowerment in the legal profession.  Can symbolic black ascent really mean transformation when black legal labour serves an economy of law still commanded by white institutional power? Deneys Reitz, Webber Wentzel, Werksmans and Bowmans have entered the Gauteng high court in Pretoria to fight the Legal Sector Code. The code sets a 50% black ownership target for large firms within five years, including 25% black women ownership.  Reuters reports that white South Africans make up about 7% of the population while holding 72% of partnerships at top law firms. The case shows how the legal fraternity converts black legal labour into a weapon against black collective advancement.  White power no longer needs to enter court with an open apartheid face when a black advocate can carry the argument against black ownership.  White institutional power can speak through merit, neutrality and constitutional reason while making a black man the enforcer of its will against his own people’s material claim. The white system has long sent black bodies to carry out the defeat of black collective demands when open white force would reveal too much. It keeps the white face for victory, authority, civility, judgment and historical authorship. It sends black intermediaries to do the dirty work of discipline, fracture and retreat. The black figure absorbs the political heat while the white institution preserves its manners. Ngcukaitobi’s role in this case forces a harder question than the noise around his appointment allows. Can a black advocate of his stature stand against a movement for black transformation in a profession that still locks most black lawyers out of meaningful economic power and still be received as the uncomplicated face of transformation?  Can the celebration of his appointment survive the fact that his present legal skill serves those resisting the transfer of ownership, briefs, authority and institutional control to black practitioners? The Bar will invoke the cab-rank rule, which generally requires counsel to accept a brief in a field where they practise, even when they dislike the client or cause. Yet the rule allows refusal where conflicts, competence, availability, improper instructions, fee issues or other special circumstances arise.  The rule may explain why an advocate accepts an unpopular brief. It does not remove the political meaning of a black senior counsel carrying the argument for white conservative forces against a black empowerment code. Large white firms built capacity through apartheid exclusion, then called inherited capacity merit after 1994. They accumulated banking work, mining work, corporate retainers, state contracts, commercial litigation, procurement pipelines and conveyancing panels through a racial order that denied black lawyers access to the same accumulation.  Democracy arrived and these firms translated apartheid advantage into market dominance. They turned exclusion into “standards”, then asked black practitioners to compete in a marketplace already loaded against them. The Legal Sector Code strikes at this inheritance. The code confronts the ownership patterns, briefing routes, partnership structures and commercial networks through which white firms continue to command the profession.  It challenges the passage of work from one white partner to another, from one corporate boardroom to a familiar firm, from one briefing attorney to a chosen successor. It exposes the fiction that large white firms became large through neutral excellence rather than racial accumulation, protected markets and inherited access. The large firms now ask the court to protect them from transformation targets because they claim the code lacks rationality, practicality and lawfulness.  Their public statements speak the language of broad-based transformation, while their court action seeks to remove the most direct pressure on their ownership structures.  Reuters reports that the firms argue the five-year timeline will not work because equity partnership takes longer and must follow merit. That argument avoids the centre of power. Firms inside that small elite sit closest to capital, state work and corporate command. A small cluster of elite firms controls the high-value work that builds capacity, reputation and generational wealth, then uses the weakness produced by exclusion as evidence that black firms lack scale.  The fraternity turns black-on-black violence into a career pathway when it rewards black advocates who defend the structures that keep other black legal practitioners outside command.  Courtrooms can produce this violence through silk, heads of argument, commercial logic and constitutional diction. A black advocate can defend the commercial architecture that keeps thousands of black lawyers outside meaningful economic power.  A celebrated appointment can become the alibi for an economy that refuses black control. The acting appointment deepens the political problem because it places a black advocate inside the apex architecture of the same legal order that sorts black legal minds into acceptable and dangerous categories.  The acceptable black advocate receives applause, briefs, silk, appointments and proximity to power. The troublesome black advocate, the rebel who refuses to serve white continuity, receives suspicion, isolation, professional punishment and eventual purging. The fraternity understands the value of black authority administering this violence from inside the institution. White power no longer needs to perform exclusion with its own hands when a black figure can help decide which black legal practitioners become signs of progress and which ones must leave the room.  The fraternity turns representation into discipline through this mechanism. The black man becomes the enforcer of white institutional will while the institution presents the act as constitutional maturity. Liberal commentators then provide the chorus of respectability. Many who imagine themselves radical lack the acumen to understand the structural violence against the black majority they claim to champion. They love the black excellence trope because it gives them a clean story with a famous name, a prestigious appointment and a congratulatory post.  They have no appetite for ownership, briefs, partnership, institutional command and economic transfer. They peddle obfuscation through reductionist interpretations of black life and build small empires from slogan and spectacle. The Legal Sector Code case reaches far beyond a technical B-BBEE dispute. The case forces the country to confront the legal profession as an apartheid asset that never underwent full economic transfer.  Law helped structure dispossession. Law protected land theft. Law defended pass controls, labour discipline, forced removals, banning orders, mining capital, farm property and white commercial privilege. After 1994, the profession rebranded itself as guardian of constitutional democracy while its internal economy barely moved. Black lawyers know this in their bodies. They know who receives the brief, who gets introduced to the client, who enters partnership discussions, who receives patience, mentorship and second chances.  Reuters reports that current and former black employees at several of the firms described discrimination, barriers to advancement, alleged favouritism in case allocation and promotion disputes, while the firms denied discrimination and pointed to their internal processes. Those accounts show the flesh beneath the statistics. Ngcukaitobi faces the political meaning of this moment whether the legal fraternity admits it or not.  Can a black advocate stand with the white conservative side fighting black legal empowerment and still function as the uncomplicated face of transformation?  Can the profession use individual black ascent to cover the blocked transfer of ownership, briefs and command? Black legal labour deserves more than ceremonial applause from the order that fears black power. It belongs in the service of the majority, not in defence of white institutional property.  It must build a legal economy under black command, with ownership, briefs, institutions, authority and historical repair placed in the hands of those locked out for generations. Until that happens, every celebration of individual black ascent will carry the same bitter question: How does a black advocate become the sign of transformation while standing against the movement that seeks to make transformation real? Gillian Schutte is a South African writer, filmmaker and political analyst. She specialises in African politics, geopolitics, multipolarity, media power, Western imperialism and the unfinished question of African sovereignty in post-apartheid South Africa.

Chinese automakers are now re-engineering vehicles from the ground up for foreign buyers, with models in the pipeline from small hatchbacks for Europe to pickup trucks for Australia and Mexico.

Empowered by artificial intelligence, solo entrepreneurs can now build virtual teams capable of shepherding projects from conception to completion.

Get the Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus results as soon as they are drawn on The Citizen, so you can rest easy and check your tickets with confidence. Estimated Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus jackpots for Thursday, 7 May 2026: Daily Lotto: R450 000 Daily Lotto Plus: R150 000 Daily Lotto and Daily Lotto Plus results for 7 May 2026: The winning Daily Lotto numbers will appear below after the draw. Usually, within 10 minutes of the draw. You might need to refresh the page to see the updated results. Daily Lotto: 01, 06, 14, 18, 35. Daily Lotto Plus: 01, 08, 23, 27, 29. For more details and to verify the Daily Lotto results, visit the National Lottery website. How to play Daily Lotto in SA? If you are buying a ticket in-store: Pick up a betslip in any lottery store. Choose five numbers between 1 and 36 or ask for a Quick Pick. Entries cost R3 each. You can play a max of R150, but you are allowed to play multiple boards. Select how many consecutive draws you wish to enter, up to a maximum of 10. Leave blank for a single draw. Take your betslip to the teller to pay for your ticket. Write your details on the back of your ticket in case you need to claim a prize. If you do not sign your ticket and you lose it, anyone can use it to claim the prize. If you are playing online: Set up a lottery account here and make a deposit to pay for tickets. Choose five numbers from 1 to 36 or select ‘Quick Pick’ to generate a random set. Repeat this on as many boards as you want to play. Decide whether to enter a single draw or multiple draws. Confirm and pay for your entry. What time is the Daily Lotto draw? The Daily Lotto draws take place shortly after 8:30pm every evening, and tickets can be bought until 8:30pm. Is there a winner every day? Yes. The jackpot prize money is guaranteed to be given away even if no one matches all five numbers. When this happens, the jackpot is split between everyone who matches two or more numbers. Visit www.nationallottery.co.za and go to the How to Play Daily Lotto section to learn more.

In the news today, residents around the Kouga Dam in the Western Cape have been ordered to evacuate as flooding hits the area. Meanwhile, National Coloured Congress (NCC) party leader and MP Fadiel Adams will remain in custody until his bail application resumes next week. Furthermore, one lucky player has bagged over R100 million from last night’s Lotto draw. Weather tomorrow: 8 May 2026 The South African Weather Service (Saws) has warned of disruptive rain, flooding and damaging waves in the Eastern Cape as well as gale winds and snow over the Western parts of the country from Sunday until Tuesday. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. Western Cape storms: Residents ordered to evacuate as Kouga Dam overflows Flooding has hit areas around the Kouga Dam. Picture: Kouga Municipality Mayor Hattingh Bornman/ Facebook Kouga Municipality Executive Mayor Hattingh Bornman on Thursday issued an urgent call for residents in low-lying areas along the Gamtoos River to evacuate immediately, warning that the Kouga Dam has exceeded full capacity and is overflowing at an alarming rate. “The Kouga Dam is currently at 113% and overflowing extremely fast,” Bornman said. He added that the evacuation request is being made as a precautionary measure. The municipality says its teams are already on the ground to assist anyone who needs help during the evacuation. CONTINUE READING: Western Cape storms: Residents ordered to evacuate as Kouga Dam overflows Fadiel Adams will have to wait for bail National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams. Picture: X / @JustSecuCluster National Coloured Congress (NCC) party leader and MP Fadiel Adams will remain in custody after making his first appearance on charges of fraud and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. The Pinetown Magistrate’s Court ruled on Thursday that he will remain in custody at a secret location until his bail application resumes next week. According to police, Adams was arrested over allegations that he interfered with ongoing investigations into the murder of the late ANC Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa. Adams was apprehended in Cape Town on Tuesday after police called on him to hand himself over. CONTINUE READING: Fadiel Adams will have to wait for bail Lotto: Check your tickets! R100 million has been won Picture: iStock One lucky player has bagged R100 644 721.10 from last night’s Lotto draw. Ithuba is still waiting for the winner to come forward and claim their millions. If you placed a bet for Wednesday’s draw, check your tickets. In case you missed it, here are the winning numbers: Lotto Plus2: 05, 23, 24, 52, 55, 57. Bonus Ball: 28. Lotto: 06, 08, 23, 40, 42, 44. Bonus ball: 10. Lotto Plus1: 11, 22, 26, 31, 49, 53. Bonus Ball: 20. CONTINUE READING: Lotto: Check your tickets! R100 million has been won MK party and IEC hold talks over vote rigging claims MK party supporters outside the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg, 10 May 2024. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen After a period of tension over the 2024 election results, Jacob Zuma’s MK party and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) are attempting to resolve their differences, despite analysts believing the former president’s party has no case anyway. The MK party challenged the 2024 results in the Electoral Court, asking for it to declare them null and void. It alleged the results were compromised due to vote rigging, which the IEC denied. It later withdrew the case without giving reasons, but then decided to continue the matter in the Constitutional Court (ConCourt). This week, senior officials from the MK party held a meeting with the IEC’s senior officials, but the talks seemed to have deadlocked on the question of the court challenge, which the party wants to proceed with. CONTINUE READING: MK party and IEC hold talks over vote rigging claims Tyla addresses viral Met Gala clip amid speculation that Rihanna ignored her Pictures: Getty Images South African artist Tyla has addressed a viral video from the Met Gala that sparked online speculation about her interaction with Barbadian singer Rihanna. The clip shows the two artists in close proximity without engaging with each other, leading to claims that Rihanna had ignored Tyla. Tyla has since posted a video explaining what happened. She said she first met Rihanna the previous year but felt their interaction was cut short, which left her feeling awkward. CONTINUE READING: Tyla addresses viral Met Gala clip amid speculation that Rihanna ignored her Yesterday’s News recap READ HERE: In case you missed it: SA rats hantavirus-free | Joburg basically broke – Godongwana | Khawula must apologise or jail

National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader, Fadiel Adams, will spend the weekend behind bars after making his first appearance in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, 7 May 2026. Adams is facing three charges of fraud and two counts of defeating the ends of justice. Adams was arrested on Tuesday in Cape Town following allegations that he interfered with investigations into the murder of the late African National Congress (ANC) Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa, who was killed in 2017. CASE POSTPONED  The state has postponed the case to 13 May 2026 for the bail application. The state explained that it needed to gather more information relevant to the bail hearing.  The court further ordered that Adams be held at a secret location until his next court appearance due to safety concerns. Adams’ legal representative, Bruce Hendricks, argued that holding his client in custody was not in the interest of justice. Hendricks told the court that Adams had sought confirmation from police on the existence of an arrest warrant on multiple occasions, without success. ADAMS’ ALLEGED VISIT TO WESTVILLE PRISON It is alleged that Adams visited two inmates at Westville Correctional Centre between November 2024 and January 2025. One of the inmates was linked to the murder of Magaqa. Adams is alleged to have made it appear that his visit to the inmates was part of official parliamentary duties. The National Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe has welcomed the court proceedings. Mathe told SABC News that the authorities plan to verify Adams’new residential address. WATCH | SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says they welcome the court process, adding that one of the issues now under consideration is verifying the new address of NCC leader and MP Fadiel Adams. She says police have a strong case against Adams. pic.twitter.com/CrXp53I997— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 7, 2026 “We are quite happy with the outcome of the court and our argument is based on recent developments.” “Remember when we obtained the J50 warrant of arrest we visited multiple addresses that belong to or are attached to Mr Adams but in all those addresses we did not find him and we actually effected the arrest at an address that is not even attached to his name. So those are some of the issues that we need to verify,” said Mathe.  She added that they had called on Adams to surrender himself to authorities before his arrest on Tuesday, but he did not do so.Mathe explained that the authorities must go back to Cape Town and verify Adams’ new address to ensure that he is not a flight risk.

FlySafair is dishing out clapbacks amid backlash to its R12 ticket “birthday sale” this week. The South African airline has come under fire after being accused of “deceiving” the public about the real cost of tickets. FLYSAFAIR RESPONDS TO R12 TICKET BACKLASH On Wednesday, 6 May, FlySafair launched its 12th “Birthday Dash”, offering 50 000 one-way tickets priced at R12 each. Ticket allocation was handled through a virtual waiting room. Unlike previous years, the airline did state that the price would not include taxes and fuel surcharges. This was due to rising global tensions in the Middle East, which have spiked fuel costs. However, FlySafair was adamant that even with the additional costs, which were visible during the checkout process, the tickets were “significantly lower than normal prices”. On social media, South Africans bemoaned the “hidden” cost of the tickets, which far exceeded R12. One influencer revealed that two tickets in his basket had amounted to almost R4 000! Naaaaah @FlySafair why you thrilling us like this pic.twitter.com/dHUB98dHq5— Shiven Moodley (@ShivenMoodley) May 6, 2026 Responding to the backlash, FlySafair posted a TikTok mocking consumers who had not read the terms and conditions of its birthday sale. In the comments section, the flight company continued to clap back at critics. “We never said it was only R12”, the administrators of the page replied to one complaint. To others, FlySafair posted cheeky memes. @flysafair R12 base fare + fuel surcharge + taxes = still worth the dash! ✈️ #FlySafair12thBirthdayDash ♬ original sound – FlySafair THOUSANDS OF TIX UNSOLD Meanwhile, reports have indicated that thousands of FlySafair R12 tickets went unsold during the birthday sale on Wednesday. In previous years, tickets, which included taxes and fuel surcharges, had sold out within hours. MyBroadBand also reported that the airline had leaked private information of its users. This was done via the sale site’s bulletin chat API, which provided details of users participating in the sale, including names, IP addresses, and email addresses. It was later confirmed that the chat board had been removed and that the API data had been cleared.

Digital identity experts have welcomed new draft regulations as a good starting point but have flagged areas of concern.

Broadcaster-only election rules leave South Africa exposed to the AI-driven disinformation already shaping votes elsewhere.