In light of the Champions League final defeat, it is tempting for many pundits and critics to brand Arsenal’s campaign a disappointment. That would be unfair and profoundly misguided. As a lover of the beautiful game, I believe people should celebrate what the Gunners achieved this season rather than dwell solely on the final hurdle. Winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final represents a remarkable double that few clubs manage in a year. To dismiss it because of one night in Paris is to misunderstand the nature of elite football. Arsenal’s Premier League triumph was built on consistency, tactical discipline and sheer resilience. In a league as gruelling and competitive as England’s, claiming the title before traditional powerhouses is no fluke. It speaks volumes about the squad’s character, the manager’s vision and the collective hunger that drove them week after week. This was not a team that fluked its way to silverware. It was a side that earned every point through determination and quality. That domestic success should stand tall, undiminished by events in Europe. Reaching the Champions League final was an enormous achievement. How many clubs across the continent dream of that stage and fall short? Arsenal navigated a path filled with elite opposition and emerged as worthy finalists. Their journey showcased growth, tactical evolution and moments of genuine brilliance. It’s undeniable that the final loss to Paris Saint-Germain stings. PSG were outstanding on the night, displaying superior quality and clinical finishing worthy of a trophy of this magnitude. Credit where it is due. PSG’s victory was hard-earned and should be applauded without a speck of reservation. The most agonising moment on the field that night came with Gabriel Magalhães’ missed penalty. In an instant, the weight of expectation, the pressure of the occasion and a moment of human frailty combined to swing the match. It was heartbreaking for the player, the team and the supporters.  Yet football history is littered with such moments. Roberto Baggio’s infamous miss in the 1994 World Cup final for Italy remains one of the sport’s most poignant examples. Great players have missed great penalties in great matches before. He was not the first and certainly will not be the last. Gabriel should not be defined by this kick. His overall contribution to Arsenal’s success this season has been immense. What followed PSG’s victory, however, left a deeply sour taste that went far beyond the pitch. The streets of Paris, known as the City of Love, descended into fiery chaos, with violent clashes resulting in more than 780 arrests. The number continues to rise. Flares illuminated the night sky, electric bikes were set ablaze and storefronts were smashed by jubilant yet destructive crowds. Public transport was disrupted and authorities had to deploy thousands of officers to restore order.  While football celebrations can be passionate, there is no excuse for this level of violence, hooliganism and vandalism. It tarnishes the achievement of the winners and embarrasses the sport. Clubs and authorities must do more to separate genuine fans from those who use victories as an excuse for mayhem and criminality. Public safety should never be collateral damage in football’s triumphs. As the club seasons across the world draw to a close, attention now turns to the international stage and the upcoming Fifa World Cup. The global spectacle offers a fresh canvas for national teams to write new stories of glory, redemption and heartbreak. It reminds us why we love the game: the unpredictability, the shared emotion across borders and the chance for underdogs to shine. Arsenal fans have every right to feel proud. A Premier League title and a Champions League final appearance constitute a highly successful season by any reasonable measure. The experience gained will fuel future ambitions. Losses in finals hurt precisely because the journey to get there matters so much. Arsenal have shown they belong at the very top table of European football. Football, at its best, is about resilience and perspective. Arsenal embodied that this season. While PSG deserved their second European crown in a back-to-back campaign, the Gunners’ achievements deserve lasting recognition. As we shift focus to the World Cup, let us carry forward this balanced appreciation, celebrating winners without diminishing those who pushed them all the way. Lelo Mzaca is an award-winning multitalented journalist, copywriter and presenter of The Big Breakfast Show on Radio 2000. He has an overwhelming passion for sport, lifestyle, music, arts and culture.

The village of uMhlwazi, which sits among the rolling mountains of uMhlumayo in KwaZulu-Natal’s uThukela district, feels forgotten. With barely any services and almost entirely cut off from the rest of the predominantly rural district, daily life in the impoverished village is marked by isolation and hardship. The Mail & Guardian witnessed first-hand the struggles faced by residents trying simply to move in and out of the community. After more than three hours on a heavily potholed tar road that ends halfway, the journey continued along a punishing gravel route leading to the village. uMhlwazi lies roughly three hours from the seat of the Alfred Duma local municipality, headquartered in the town of Ladysmith, known to locals as eMnambithi. Running through the middle of the village is the Indaka River, both a lifeline and a danger to residents. With no water infrastructure, villagers rely on the river as their only source of water, sharing it with livestock. But locals say the river has also claimed six lives over the years, earning it the grim nickname: “the river of death”. Community leader Khanyisani Sibisi initially appeared reluctant to speak to the M&G. “Nizohlekisa ngosizi lwethu,” he said angrily. “You’re here to make a mockery of our struggles. People are perishing here.” Village elder Mboniseni Mazibuko later explained the source of Sibisi’s frustration. “Please pardon him. He lost his younger brother in these waters,” Mazibuko said, pointing at the river. “Government officials have come here and made a lot of promises. People are angry.” Pupils not only walk kilometres to reach Mandlakhe High School, the only secondary school serving several surrounding villages but must also risk crossing the Indaka River, which residents say is infested with crocodiles. The community has never had a bridge connecting it to the other side. Local councillor Bongani Nicholas Madondo said the provincial department of transport must take responsibility for the community’s ongoing suffering. “Government officials and the department of transport have visited this area several times and made many promises,” Madondo said. “The first was former KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Willies Mchunu, who presided over a sod-turning ceremony and promised a bridge would be built. Nothing came from that. The current education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, also conducted a sod-turning ceremony in 2023.” Madondo said residents remained traumatised by repeated drownings, including the death of 36-year-old Lungeleni Shabalala. Shabalala had travelled to Ladysmith, the nearest town serving the surrounding villages, to buy household items when she drowned while attempting to cross the river, he said. Her body was recovered the following afternoon. “Two learners have also died in similar incidents,” said Madondo. “Parents sometimes keep their children at home during rainy days because they fear for their safety. The situation is catastrophic.” He said the lack of a bridge also stripped grieving families of dignity during funerals. “During burials, families are forced to carry coffins across the river,” he said. “It completely takes away their dignity.” Mncedisi Maphisa, chairperson of the transport portfolio committee in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, described the situation as “a travesty of justice”. “We will seek answers about what happened to the funds meant for the construction of this much-needed bridge,” Maphisa said. “If there are people who must be held accountable, heads will roll.” In the nearby village of Mbondwane, about 15km away, residents described similar hardship. The only bridge serving the community was damaged during floods, forcing parents to carry children on their backs across dangerous sections so they can reach Mnyanda Primary School. Villagers also told the M&G that there are no nearby clinics and that poor cellphone reception leaves them isolated.  “We are shut off from the world because there’s no network in our village,” said resident Sphelele Gumede. “We have to climb the mountains just to make calls or receive important ones.” uMhlumayo falls under the traditional leadership of eMangweni. KwaZulu-Natal transport department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said he was uncertain about the status of the bridge project. “I will have to check with the engineers regarding the status of the bridge,” he said.

Suspended Hawks KwaZulu-Natal head Major General Lesetja Senona is expected back before the Madlanga Commission on Friday, where he will face further questioning over his alleged role in the disappearance of 541kg of cocaine from a Port Shepstone storage facility in 2021.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Pharmacy and healthcare group Dis-Chem missed some analysts’ projections of growth in earnings for the 12-months ended 28 February 2026, after earnings per share (EPS) and headline earnings per share (Heps) fell by double digits. This, together with a major decline in its dividend payout, saw its share price slide on Friday, closing almost 8% down to just below R35 a share. Releasing its annual results on Sens, the group reported a 17% plunge in Heps, down to 113.7 cents from 137.5 cents in the previous year. The company declared a final dividend of 15.92 cents, which plunged almost 43% from the prior period. Its total dividend per share for the year was over 17% lower. This is despite generating strong revenue performance in an environment where consumers continue to be financially constrained, as well as improving total income margin and gaining market share across all core retail categories. Group revenue increased by 9.3% to R42.8 billion, while retail revenue grew by 9% to R36.6 billion with comparable pharmacy store revenue growth at 5.3%. Dis-Chem says net store changes included the opening and acquisition of 31 retail pharmacy stores and three baby store closures, resulting in a footprint of 316 retail pharmacy stores and 42 retail baby stores at year end. Rewards For the 17-week period since the launch of its Better Rewards programme, the group says revenue increased by 9.6% compared to the corresponding period. Retail revenue growth of participating Better Rewards brands increased by 12% compared to the corresponding period. “The consistency of an always-on, health-relevant, lowest priced basket is driving increased shopping frequency,” Dis-Chem said. Expenses were up 13% during the period under review, with store expansion and innovation resulting in a 15.7% jump in retail expenses. Retail employment costs, when excluding the investment in X, bigly labs (Dis-Chem’s Centre of Excellence or ‘innovation engine’), increased by double digits. Outlook “The revenue growth, market share gains and improved total income margin, highlights the sustainability of the Better Rewards program [sic] and the importance of this program in driving positive operating leverage and strong future earnings growth,” the group said. But it again warned that it “expects that the consumer will remain constrained due to the current economic climate and increase in fuel prices”. This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has slammed Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane for suggesting that the ANC should not lead the impeachment committee investigating the facts surrounding the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala-Phala farm. The committee members are expected to meet on Monday to elect the chairperson of this committee. But Maimane believes that having an ANC MP lead this committee could compromise the integrity of the committee’s work. “Mmusi Maimane is just formulating his own rules. I know he wants to chair the committee; he has made overtures to us, a man with one seat. We have given him more than what he can chew in that parliament, the appropriations committee, with one seat. “He did not even sign a statement of intent in the government of national unity. We gave him a seat just on the basis of an understanding. We are not enslaved to Mmusi Maimane, we are a principled party… who is he today to tell us that we cannot chair a committee?” he told broadcaster eNCA. He said the ANC will not support Maimane if he does get nominated for the position of committee chairperson. The Citizen has reached out to Maimane for comment. This will be included once received. Can the ANC hold its president accountable? According to Mbalula, the ANC has proved it can hold its own members accountable, citing the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as an example. “We have acted impartially. We have acted with dignity and integrity. We have worked with all the MPs in parliament, and they are now about to deliver a report… who says the ANC is going to defend the president and that the ANC will not hold the president to account?” he asked. DA also rejects an ANC chairperson The ANC’s biggest partner in the government of national unity (GNU), the DA, toldbroadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Monday that the party does not believe that the ANC should chair the impeachment committee. “We do not think that it should be an ANC member, nor should it be a DA member. We hope that the chairperson will be someone who is more impartial,” said the party’s spokesperson, Jan de Villiers. De Villiers could not confirm if the party had been lobbied by any other political party in parliament for their vote to lead the committee. “This is really a test for parliament, a test for the country to see if we can hold the highest office in the land accountable… the committee must be objective, it must not pre-judge the outcome, and the outcome must be a result of a fair and transparent process,” he said. The impeachment committee comprises 31 members and includes the most notable political parties in the national assembly.

US singer Peabo Bryson is reportedly under medical care after suffering a stroke this weekend. In a statement to the media, a representative of the 75-year-old singer provided no details about his condition but asked for space and privacy for the family during this time. According to Essence.com, the statement read: “Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and balladeer, Peabo Bryson – the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney songs Beauty and the Beast and A Whole New World – has suffered a stroke and is currently under medical care.” “At this time, the family requests privacy as they navigate this deeply personal moment together. The thoughts, prayers, and love of friends and fans are welcomed and deeply appreciated.” No further details are available at this moment. In 2025, Bryson celebrated 50 years in the music industry with an international tour, which started in January through to November.

South Africa’s Connor Doig is through to the second round of the Roland Garros junior boys’ singles tournament. Doig was leading 6-1, 2-0 when American opponent Gavin Goode retired through injury, bringing an early end to the contest. Struggling physically While the scoreline suggested a comfortable victory, Doig said he quickly realised his opponent was struggling physically and adjusted his approach accordingly. “I think I knew from the warm-up on court he was kind of injured,” Doig said. “He was obviously walking funny. His neck was clearly really sore. I saw from the warm-up that it was not going to be about me playing my best, but rather playing smart and managing where my game was. I’m just happy to be in round two.” The match nevertheless gave the South African an opportunity to settle into the conditions in Paris. Having spent the past month competing on clay across Europe, including tournaments in Italy and Belgium, Doig believes he is becoming increasingly comfortable on the surface. “The conditions were quite bouncy,” he said. “The ball pops up quite a lot. It’s a little hard to tell where exactly I was today. I did what I needed to, and I didn’t really have to play very well. I guess it’s nice to kind of get a feel for the conditions.” Embraced the demands of life Away from the court, Doig has embraced the demands of life on the international junior circuit. “I enjoy the travel a lot,” he said. “I get to see a lot of the world, and it’s really nice to explore new places and try new things.” Among those destinations, Melbourne remains his favourite. The Australian city holds special memories after he and Bulgarian partner Dimitar Kisimov captured the Australian Open junior boys’ doubles title earlier this year. That partnership could now create one of the most intriguing storylines of the tournament. Doig’s next singles opponent will be ninth-seed Kisimov, who beat France’s Aaron Gabet 7-5, 6-1. The Australian Open-winning doubles team-mates will be forced to put their friendship aside for a place in the third round. “I guess we’ve got to put our friendship to the side,” Doig said. “We obviously know each other really well. There’ll be that element where we’ll have to think a bit outside the box.” Asked whether he would alter his tactics against his doubles partner, Doig smiled. “I’ll have to bring a couple of different things to the table. The base game will be the same.” Whatever happens in singles, the pair remain focused on another deep doubles run in Paris. “We gel great,” Doig said. “I definitely think we can make a good run here.” Dave Marshall is reporting exclusively from the 2026 French Open at Roland-Garros for The South African.

Rating agency Moody’s has warned that carving transmission out of Eskom could weaken its creditworthiness.

SprintHive tested every frontier AI model on real South African bank statements. This is what happened.