Police deployed stun grenades in Tafelsig after residents confronted a man they believed was linked to the discovery of a burnt body. Police have not confirmed his identity or whether he was arrested.

The Directors Guild of South Africa will host a two-day Film Directors Summit in Cape Town in May 2027, connecting filmmakers with commissioners, financiers and international buyers.

A friend of slain rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes told the Durban High Court on Tuesday that Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane repeatedly said he could not breathe after the shooting outside Wish restaurant on Florida Road. Musician and event organiser Lusaso Ngcobo was among the group that was with the rapper and his chef friend on the day they died. He testified that after the group heard a gunshot, they ran back into the restaurant; however, he went back to help Motsoane, who had fallen during the commotion. Police evidence was also heard on Tuesday. It tied accused three, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, to a separate shooting in Mayville, which the state used to link the two cases. The group includes Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi (accused one), Lindani Zenzele Ndimane (accused two), Siyanda Eddie Myeza (accused three), Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni (accused four), Lindokuhle Mhlaliseni Mkhwanazi (accused five), Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande (accused six), and Malusi Dave Ndimande (accused seven). Witnesses asked to stay off camera Ngcobo took the stand after state prosecutor Elvis Gcweka raised concerns about witnesses being shown on television. He said fears grew after one witness’s picture was shared on social media and the witness received texts. Gcweka said the witnesses were willing to testify. “They don’t have a problem with coming to testify; their only request is that their faces must not be shown on TV,” Gcweka said. He explained that the concerns were both personal and financial. “Some of them is because of fear and some because of their businesses,” Gcweka stated. Judge Nomfundo Sipunzi then ruled that Ngcobo’s face must not be broadcast for any reason. What happened outside Wish restaurant Ngcobo said he had known Forbes since about 2013. On the day of the shooting, he testified that he went to Bride and Groom for his usual Friday haircut between 6pm and 6.30pm. The court heard that Forbes and his team arrived about 15 minutes later, and the group later went to Wish for a meal. Ngcobo described the evening as a relaxed reunion. “We sat at Wish for maybe around 2 hours, conversing, eating, catching up, telling stories of the past and the future. He even told us of his plans for a new album. It was just a catch-up session between old friends and associates,” Ngcobo told the court. When it was time to leave, the group walked out through a passage meant for the restaurant exit and stood on the pavement to say goodbye. “At that moment we were saying we’re gonna see each other later,” he said, adding that Forbes had a gig that night. “Then I heard a sound like a firecracker at that moment. My first reaction to that was obviously to duck because I don’t know what it was, because I couldn’t see what it was. I just heard a loud bang. I saw everyone running; I think I then realised this is not a safe situation [judging] from the loud noises we were hearing,” he told the court. Ngcobo further added that he then realised the sound was a firearm and not fireworks, and then he ran back into the corridor entrance/exit of the Wish restaurant. Under cross-examination, Ngcobo said it was his first time seeing Forbes’ bodyguard that night, and that he did not recall seeing the guard before and after Forbes and Tibz were shot. Friend tried to help Tibz after the shooting Ngcobo told the court that after he ran into the corridor, he looked back and saw that Motsoane had tripped and fell. “When he fell, I looked back and checked if he was okay, and maybe a minute after we had run inside. As I looked back, I looked straight down the corridor, and I could see the body of Kiernan while I was approaching Tibz to see if he was okay,” Ngcobo said. “I proceeded to go to Tibz to check if he was okay because I could see blood, but I’m not sure if it was on him or on the floor,” Ngcobo said. He then tried to find out whether Motsoane was hurt. “As I went to him I asked him ‘are you okay?’ because he stayed on the floor, he didn’t get up,” Ngcobo explained, adding that Tibz responded repeatedly saying he couldn’t breathe. Motsoane stopped responding when pressed further. Ngcobo said the group found a wound on his chest, under his left arm, as he lay slightly against a wall. “We tried to get towels to try to block the blood from coming out, and then we tried calling an ambulance or paramedics to get further assistance on how we can help with this situation,” Ngcobo recalled. He added that when they finally got hold of someone on the phone, they were told not to use towels to stop the blood, but to use plastic instead. Fingerprint evidence links Myeza to Mayville shooting Investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Zakkariah also testified on Tuesday. He gave evidence on the Mayville case, in which Myeza is charged separately. Zakkariah said fingerprints were lifted on the scene of the Mayville case from the rear right passenger door of a Toyota Etios linked to the shooting. According to his testimony, he received a set of prints bearing Myeza’s name on 7 October 2026 from investigating officer Warrant Officer Kumarasan “Bob” Pillay. He said these matched the prints from the car, and photographs he took showed a dead person in the driver’s seat. He told the court that fingerprints are unique. “No two persons have the same finger, foot or palm prints,” Zakkariah said. He then drew his conclusion. “Therefore, I have no doubt that the prints that have been handed in belong to no other than Eddie Myeza,” Zakkariah affirmed. Airport footage and earlier evidence Surveillance analyst Siyanda Khuzwayo continued his testimony on Tuesday after first taking the stand on Monday. He showed footage of a man following Forbes at King Shaka International Airport on the day of the shooting. The man was seen following Forbes and his entourage into a car rental place before turning back to the arrivals entrance/exit point where the camera showed he’d emerged. Before going out of frame, he was seen talking to three men. Advocate William Nicholson, Gwabeni’s lawyer, alleged the three men were showing him directions, but Sipunzi dismissed this as an assumption rather than fact. Previous testimony has placed Gwabeni at the airport on the day of Forbes and Motsoane’s demise. The state also questioned the date stamp on the footage, which read 01-10-1970. State prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba said that because the date on the footage was old, it read 01-10-1970 Saturday 12:12, Khuzwayo was told that this suggested that the footage was tampered with. “You indicated that you have documents to show that this camera was not tampered with?” Gcaba asked, to which Khuzwayo confirmed. When asked by the defence why the date was so, Khuzwayo said he could not explain it. “That’s for a technician; I’m not a technician. I’m only a surveillance analyst,” Khuzwayo said. The trial continues on Wednesday in the KZN High Court in Durban.

Sharks lock Stephan Lewies added his voice to a growing international debate around artificial pitches, saying most rugby players don’t like them and wouldn’t play on them if they had their way. The Sharks come from a nail-biting win over Lyon on an artificial pitch at the Stade de Gerland in the Challenge Cup, and are preparing to face Cardiff on another synthetic surface at Arms Park, in the United Rugby Championship on Friday night. The concerns centre on turf burns and the perception that artificial pitches cause more injuries because of the grip they provide and how players’ feet and joints move during tackles, changes of direction and scrums. Recently, Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam left key players out of the team for their Premiership clash against Saracens due to major welfare concerns at StoneX Stadium after several injuries there. ‘Age limit for artificial pitches’ Lewies, 34, said players have joked that there should be an age limit for artificial pitches. With some Springboks potentially joining the Sharks for their Cardiff clash, the veteran lock’s opinion is poignant. He spent seven years playing in Europe with the Harlequins before returning to the club of his youth. He’s played on many surfaces in Europe and is in tune with the general sentiment among players there. Sharks forwards coach Warren Whiteley also said Tuesday the five Springboks who were left out of the Lyon clash have now joined the squad. Moreover, injured Springboks Eben Etzebeth, Vusi Moyo and Makazole Mapimpi are fit again. However, the Sharks may do well to protect these Springboks, especially as most are 30 or older. “The older you get, the harder it gets. I don’t think it’s a secret,” said Lewies, a one-Test Springbok. “I’m not a big fan [of artificial surfaces]. I love grass pitches. I think that’s how it should be in the pro game. “You’re going to go far to find a player who says it’s easier to play on 4G than on grass. Most players prefer grass, and I think a lot of boys have been vocal. I don’t know all the stats around it, but there are injuries.” However, Lewies said players knew it was out of their hands because maintaining artificial pitches was more cost-effective in some parts of Europe, where the weather was extreme. “If we could have our way, pro game, we want to play on grass. But we do understand. It’s one of those things you can’t change.”

Nkosinathi Nxumalo, a man from KwaZulu-Natal, believes SASSA could do more than just pay out grants. He wants the agency to help recipients build skills that could lift them out of poverty. Nxumalo holds a matric certificate and has received the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for more than five years. He shared his story through The South African’s SASSA grant survey. SRD grant stretched across a large household Nxumalo uses his grant for a mix of needs. He said it helps, but it is not enough, and he runs out before the month ends. Even so, he confirmed that no one in his household went without food in the past month. His biggest financial concern is the cost of living and rising food prices. Grant recipient faces a string of SASSA problems Nxumalo has faced several challenges with his grant. He listed payment delays, knowing when to renew or reapply, and understanding why his application was rejected. He has also had a declined or lapsed application. Despite this, he rated SASSA’s communication with recipients as very good. When asked what one thing he would change, he chose an increase in the grant amount. He has never applied for additional government support because he did not know what else was available. SRD recipient calls on SASSA to invest in skills His message to SASSA centres on giving recipients the tools to support themselves. “I would really like SASSA to help people like us, people who have knowledge,” Nxumalo said. “You know guys how hard it is when you don’t know where to start, where to go,” he added. He called on the government to invest in people like him with skills, saying “South Africa would gain something”. “Please SASSA help,” he said. “You know the say about giving a man a fish instead of teaching him to fish.” Win R2 000 in the South African SASSA grant survey If you receive a SASSA grant and want to share your story, we want to hear from you. Take part in our survey and stand a chance to win R2 000. Your responses help us tell the stories that matter.

Here is what the weather has in store for KZN, the Free State, and the North West on Wednesday 21 October 2026. Extremely high fire danger conditions will affect most parts of North West and the Mafube Local Municipality in the Free State. KWAZULU-NATAL Partly cloudy with morning fog patches over the northern interior, otherwise fine and warm to hot but very hot in places over the north-eastern parts. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly The UVB sunburn index will be extreme. DURBAN Durban is going to be fine. Moderate to fresh winds will blow from the south-west. Temperatures will range from 17°C to 26°C. The UVB sunburn index will be extreme. FREE STATE Free State is going to be fine, windy and warm to hot. BLOEMFONTEIN Bloemfontein is going to be fine and windy. Temperatures will range from a minimum of 09°C to a maximum of 26°C. NORTH WEST North West is going to be fine, windy and warm to hot MAHIKENG Mahikeng is going to be fine and windy. Temperatures will range from a minimum of 12°C. to a maximum of 32°C. Weather forecast data provided by the South African Weather Service.

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