Former world champion Kevin Lerena has announced his return to the cruiserweight division as he targets a third world title.

On this day in history

South Africa does not suffer from a shortage of strategies, frameworks or campaigns aimed at supporting small businesses. What we suffer from is a shortage of implementation. The department of small business development launched its Red Tape Reduction and Ease of Doing Business Campaign at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange at the end last month. I welcome the campaign’s objective because reducing unnecessary bureaucracy is essential if we are serious about growing our economy, creating jobs and enabling entrepreneurs to succeed. But we should also ask an uncomfortable question. Are we investing public money in removing red tape, or in talking about removing red tape? For too long, government has mistaken activity for progress. We have become exceptionally good at organising launches, hosting conferences and unveiling ambitious plans. Yet none of these events make it easier for an entrepreneur waiting months for municipal approval, a building plan, a trading permit or payment from government. A campaign does not approve an application. A launch does not process a licence. A summit does not pay an outstanding supplier invoice. Implementation does. South Africa’s entrepreneurs do not need more campaigns. They need government systems that work. If we truly want South Africa to become one of the easiest places in Africa to start and grow a business, then every available rand should be directed towards removing the barriers that entrepreneurs face every day. Imagine a single digital platform where an entrepreneur could register a business, apply for municipal approvals, submit supporting documents once, track applications in real time and receive automatic updates without visiting many government offices. Imagine municipalities publishing monthly turnaround times for permits, licences and inspections so investors know exactly where business can move quickly and where unnecessary delays persist. Imagine dedicated red tape reduction units empowered to intervene when bureaucratic obstacles threaten investment or job creation. Imagine every sphere of government complying with the legally required 30-day payment period so small businesses are no longer forced to finance government through unpaid invoices. These are not expensive ideas. They are practical reforms that improve productivity, reduce costs and stimulate investment. The greatest irony is that reducing red tape does not require government to invent complicated new programmes. It requires government to perform the functions it already has more efficiently, more consistently and with far greater transparency. That is why I have consistently called for the introduction of a municipal red tape scorecard. Municipal managers should have measurable targets for reducing regulatory delays built directly into their performance agreements. The speed at which municipalities process applications, resolve complaints, approve plans and pay suppliers should become public information. What gets measured gets managed. Businesses deserve to know which municipalities enable economic growth and which continue to stand in the way. South Africa also requires broader structural reform. We need a Red Tape Reduction Act that establishes binding service standards across all spheres of government. We need a national red tape portal where entrepreneurs can report unnecessary regulatory barriers and monitor whether they are resolved. We need an integrated digital business system that connects company registration, licensing, municipal approvals and regulatory compliance into one seamless process, instead of forcing entrepreneurs to navigate multiple departments. Most importantly, we need a change in how government defines success. Success is not measured by the number of campaigns launched. It is measured by how many unnecessary forms have been eliminated. How many days have been removed from approval processes. How many suppliers are paid on time. How many entrepreneurs are able to start, grow and employ others because government has become simpler, faster and more responsive. South Africa’s small businesses are carrying enormous burdens. They contend with unreliable infrastructure, rising costs, crime, weak economic growth and constrained consumer demand. They should not also have to battle avoidable bureaucracy created by the very institutions established to support them. The objective of reducing red tape is unquestionably the right one. Now, government must ensure implementation receives the same attention. The best red tape campaign will not be remembered for the size of its stage, the prestige of its venue or the number of speeches. It will be remembered because entrepreneurs no longer spend months waiting for approvals, chasing payments or navigating unnecessary bureaucracy. That is where public money delivers its greatest return. Not in ribbon-cutting ceremonies. In removing the red tape itself.

Judgment on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent application to halt the Impeachment Committee will be delivered this week. The Western Cape High Court in Cape Town will deliver its ruling at 10am on Friday, 24 July 2026. The urgent interdict, heard over two days, was heard by a full bench of the court. Urgent application Ramaphosa filed an urgent application to halt the Section 89 impeachment proceedings pending the review of the Section 89 Independent Panel report. This, after the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruled in May that the Section 89 panel’s report on the Phala Phala scandal be sent back to parliament, paving the way for an impeachment process against Ramaphosa to proceed. Independent panel In November 2022, an independent panel appointed by then-National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula found that there was “prima facie” evidence that Ramaphosa may have violated sections 96(2)(a) of the constitution and 34(1) of PRECCA, with the aim of keeping the investigation of the burglary private. The panel, led by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, was tasked with investigating whether the president committed an impeachable offence related to the burglary at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in February 2020. Ramaphosa has taken this report on review, and the hearing is set for 2 to 4 September. Impeachment committee Meanwhile, Parliament’s Impeachment Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, as it awaits the judgment from the Western Cape High Court on Ramaphosa’s bid to halt the work of the committee. Chairperson of the Impeachment Committee, Makashule Gana, explained that until a court orders otherwise, the committee will continue its work. “What’s also encouraging, at least for me as the chairperson, is the final inputs by the president’s council that indicate that the work of the committee so far is the preparatory work. “So, the appointment of the evidence leaders, the preparation of the witnesses, the finalisation of the terms of reference, and all the work they are not seeking to interdict. But in any case, we’re not going to stop until the court has made a determination,” Gana said. Rules Last month, the National Assembly adopted amended rules that will govern the work of the 31-member impeachment committee investigating allegations against Ramaphosa over the 2020 theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala game farm. The move paved the way for the committee to begin its work, despite Ramaphosa’s urgent court bid to halt the process pending a review of an independent Section 89 panel report that found he may have breached the constitution.

The funeral announcement of Seputla Sebogodi has been clouded in a family dispute about where he should be laid to rest. At the centre of the bitter burial disagreement is the veteran actor’s widow, Machuene Rosina Semenya. Seputla and Machuene, his fourth known wife, quietly wed less than six months ago. The TV and theatre star died last week of complications from diabetes. He was 63 years old. SEPUTLA SEBOGODI FUNERAL: DISPUTE OVER BURIAL Seputla Sebogodi will be remembered at two memorial services this week: the first on Thursday, 23 July, at the State Theatre in Pretoria, and the second on Friday at the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane. On Saturday, the funeral service will take place at the same hall, and thereafter, he will be laid to rest at the Silicon Cemetery. However, a dispute has arisen between Seputla’s family and his new wife, Machuene Rosina Semenya, who has arranged the services mentioned above.  Machuene – who wed the TV and theatre star in February – is a former politician who once served as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The actor’s siblings believe that Seputla should be buried at his ancestral home in Ga-Mothapo instead. Our Brother , Seputla Sebogodi 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/OVLrQatAnQ— Ally M (@allym_za) July 20, 2026 Seputla Sebogodi’s sister, Mary Kau, told Africa Daily: “I want him to be buried here in Ga-Mothapo and not in Silicon. That’s where his family members are buried. Those who say his memorial services should be at Jack Botes Hall and he should be laid to rest in Silicon, I don’t know them” WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS Over the years, Seputla Sebogodi has made headlines over his romantic relationships with multiple women. Seputla was married to three women, Deborah Futhi, Leonette Sebogodi and Shereen Maubane. According to the Sowetan, Seputla dumped his second wife via SMS, whilst his third reportedly left him due to infidelity. Seputla would go on to have two more high-profile relationships and engagements with younger women, radio station employee Makoena Francina Kganakga, and actress Mogau Sebaka. The actor broke off engagements with both women. It’s unclear when he began a relationship with his new wife.

A total of 16 areas in Johannesburg will be affected by a planned power outage. The outage will occur at different substations on Wednesday 22 July 2026 and Thursday, 23 July 2026. City Power Johannesburg implemented the power outage to do maintenance work on their electricity network. AREAS AFFECTED BY POWER OUTAGE The power utility added that the power outage occurs to check that ageing infrastructure is serviced and faulty equipment is identified and replaced. These are the nine areas that will have no power on Wednesday, 22 July 2026: Leeuwkop Prison Atholl Melrose Atholl Oaklands Johannesburg Zoo VW Melrose Toyota Melrose Nissan Melrose Blu Bird Shopping Centre Areas that will be affected on Thursday, 22 July 2026 are: Corporate Park North Parts of Roan Crescent (North side of gate) End Street Fox Street Main Street Phillips Street Anderson Street “These activities also help protect the network during periods of increased demand, particularly during the winter season when colder weather places additional pressure on electricity infrastructure,” read the statement.  CITY POWER URGES RESIDENTS TO UNPLUG APPLIANCES City Power has urged residents to unplug appliances during the outage to avoid possible damage when electricity supply is restored. “Customers are advised to treat their electricity points as live at all times during the interruption period, as power may be restored earlier than anticipated,” the statement read.

Pre-vetted employers get faster work visas – but the scoring shuts out smaller companies.

Higher education minister Buti Manamela has referred governance concerns at the MICT Seta for assessment.