Severe thunderstorms are expected over parts of the Eastern Cape, while extremely high fire danger conditions and uncomfortable heat are forecast in several parts of South Africa.

Residents are urged not to approach two impalas reportedly seen near Higginson Highway in Chatsworth.

The Bulls’ Springbok contingent announced their return to franchise rugby with a bang, by helping spearhead their side’s 57-15 demolition job over the Lions in their United Rugby Championship (URC) cross-Jukskei derby over the weekend. It was a clinical performance from the Bulls, who travelled back to Pretoria following a two-match tour of Europe to start their URC campaign. They arrived home in Pretoria only last Monday, and only had a few training sessions together as a full group ahead of their derby against the Lions. Slotted in seamlessly Bulls coach Johan Ackermann didn’t hesitate to bring in his Springbok players who didn’t travel with the side to Europe, as they completed their recent international duties in Australia. Though there were concerns of rustiness and a lack of cohesion ahead of the Lions game, the Bulls delivered a superb performance. “I’m very pleased (with how the team gelled). It shows the character and the quality of the players to buy into what we want to do,” explained Ackermann after the match. “The coaches put a lot of effort into sending them (the Bok players in SA) stuff on Monday, and then on Tuesday they had meetings with them separately to bring them up to speed. They learned everything quickly, and on Wednesday we had a day off, and on Thursday we trained. “It wasn’t perfect, there were mistakes, but you could see that they were buying into what we wanted to do, and quickly settled in. I think there are so many tries where there were players involved that created something, and then the Boks showed their class as well. “It’s good that those guys contributed, but what pleased me as well was the bench. The guys came on and made a difference, and kept the pressure on the Lions.” Disappointed Lions Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen said that his side firmly felt the impact of the Bulls’ returning star players, but also admitted his disappointment at his team’s poor display, especially after a strong start to their season with two home wins and good momentum on their side. “I don’t want to take anything away from the Bulls. I think they were exceptional. It felt like we played against 10 or 12 Springboks today and they were good,” said Van Rooyen. “But in saying that, with all the respect in the world, I thought we were really below par. A lot of the fixes will be on us.” The Bulls will be buoyed by their bounce-back win, after losing to Munster, and will head into their home Champions Cup opener against Stade Francais with plenty of confidence. The Lions head off to France where they face an extremely tough first ever Champions Cup clash against French giants, La Rochelle.

A scintillating start to the season by Stormers loose forward Hacjivah Dayimani has again led to questions about his readiness to turn out for the Springboks. A few years ago Dayimani was in great form for the Stormers and it was thought that he would break into the Bok mix, but when that didn’t materialise, he decided to move to France to continue his franchise career there. After a season and a half playing for Racing 92, Dayimani decided to return to South African and the Stormers earlier this year, largely due to family reasons, and he has slowly forced his way back into being a first-choice starter for the Cape side. Dayimani has started this season with a bang, putting in three massive performances; first in their win over Connacht in Galway, then a man-of-the-match performance in a losing cause against Edinburgh in Scotland, and finally, a brilliant two-try scoring performance in their win against the Sharks over the weekend. Convincing winner “We have a players’ man-of-the-match, which always differs from what SuperSport (fan vote) comes up with. In the first two games, Hacjivah was a convincing winner,” said Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson after the Sharks match. “What’s changed about Hacjivah (since his return from France) is his stopping power. I don’t know whether it’s because he’s decided what the gym is or because he’s got more determined. But in that All Blacks (Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry) game (in August), he was physical. “Against Connacht, physical. The other thing I’ve enjoyed about him is his leadership.” Dayimani is able to play across the back row and, if pushed, possibly at wing or centre. This season he has started all three games at eighthman, which should worry Evan Roos. Roos has been the Stormers’ go-to No 8 since the first URC season back in 2021/22, but was named at No 6 for their season opener before being injured on the 4G pitch in Galway, and was then named on the bench for this past weekend’s match against the Sharks, but again picked up a late injury. Hybrid player Speaking about Dayimani’s versatility which helps the Stormers back their usual 6-2 forwards to backs bench split, and also touching on his national prospects, Dobson claimed he should be a sought-after player. “He’s played a good number of Top 14 games on the wing. He moved onto the wing in the All Blacks game, and did really well. We’re always going to be a 6-2 (bench) team and you need one of the forwards to be able to play up there, so Hacjivah on the wing, that’s the plan,” said Dobson. “He’s metamorphosised. I can’t speak to his national (prospects), but at 29 years old and when you talk about hybrids, a guy who can run (the 100m sprint in) 10.80 and has stopping power, he has got to be in anybody’s (selection) frame eventually. “But look, he needs to do this (play consistently well) for a whole year because he hasn’t ever given much hope before, if you know what I mean. He’s had flashes of brilliance. He needs to build a proper innings. He’s just at the start of it. If he carries on like this, I’ve got no doubt about it (his Bok chances).” The Stormers now turn their attention to the Champions Cup, with the first round of action this weekend. They face Bristol at home this Saturday.

South Africa’s matric Class of 2026 has been urged to uphold honesty, discipline and integrity as learners prepare to begin their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations on Tuesday, 13 October. Pledge-signing ceremonies were held at schools across the country last Friday, giving matric candidates an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to academic excellence and ethical conduct ahead of their final school examinations. READ | Nearly 1 million matriculants to write NSC exams this week Don’t jeopardise years of hard work President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the message to Free State matriculants at a provincial ceremony at the Bluegumbosch Multipurpose Centre in Qwaqwa, encouraging learners to remain focused and avoid decisions that could jeopardise years of hard work. “Believe in yourselves, for we believe in you. The nation stands behind you. We are proud of you for having reached this milestone. And we wish you every success,” Ramaphosa said. The President acknowledged the sacrifices made by learners, their families, teachers and tutors in preparing for the examinations. He said the NSC examinations represented an opportunity for candidates to reap the rewards of their investment in education. “No worthwhile goal can be achieved without sacrifice. Without persistence. Without discipline,” he said. Ramaphosa also praised educators for their commitment to learners, noting that teachers often sacrifice time with their own families to support their students. He highlighted the achievements of learners from no-fee schools in townships and rural areas, saying their progress reflected both individual determination and efforts to build an education system that gives all learners an opportunity to succeed. READ | 268 inmates to write 2026 matric exams across South Africa Free State urged to reclaim matric crown Ramaphosa also challenged the Free State to reclaim its position as South Africa’s top-performing province in the matric examinations. The province recorded the country’s highest matric pass rate for three consecutive years, from 2022 to 2024, before KwaZulu-Natal ended its winning streak in 2025. “As the President of the Republic, I cannot favour any one province in the competition for first place, but we do expect the Free State to do everything it can to take its crown back,” he said. Gwarube warns matriculants against cheating Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, meanwhile, attended the Western Cape’s pledge-signing ceremony at Fezeka Secondary School, where she urged candidates to approach the examinations with integrity and discipline. Drawing on her own educational journey, Gwarube encouraged learners to take responsibility for their futures through diligent preparation and decisions that would open doors to opportunities beyond school. She also warned candidates against examination irregularities, including bringing cellphones or crib notes into examination rooms and using leaked question papers. “There are no shortcuts to success. A cellphone hidden in a pocket is not preparation. A leaked question paper is not intelligence. Copying another learner’s work is not achievement,” she said. Gwarube stressed that the NSC must remain a qualification that South Africans can trust because it is earned honestly. The pledge is intended to reinforce learners’ commitment to following examination rules, taking accountability for their actions and giving their best throughout the examination period. Matric pledge focuses on discipline and responsibility In Gauteng, Deputy Minister of Basic Education Reginah Mhaule joined provincial Education MEC Lebogang Maile at Riverside High School in Three Rivers, Vereeniging. Mhaule said the ceremony represented more than a commitment to comply with examination rules, emphasising the importance of academic excellence, integrity and personal responsibility. “Today, our learners are making a commitment not only to the examination system, but to themselves and the futures they are working to build,” she said. The ceremonies are intended to encourage candidates to approach their final school examinations with confidence and determination while reinforcing fairness and accountability across the examination system. When do the 2026 matric exams start? The 2026 NSC examinations begin on Tuesday, 13 October, with Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Paper 1 practical scheduled for the first session. The second session includes Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language Paper 1, as well as Hebrew Second Additional Language and German Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language Paper 1. The examination period will conclude on Thursday, 26 November. Learners have been urged to consult the official examination timetable to confirm the dates and times of their individual subjects. As the Class of 2026 prepares to write, the message from the country’s leadership is clear: preparation, discipline and honesty must go hand in hand if learners are to finish their school careers successfully.

Walmer police and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit are appealing to the public for help in locating a missing 14-year-old girl, Allegra Styles, in Gqeberha. Allegra was last seen on Thursday, 8 October at approximately 18:00. She was reportedly wearing a beige top and blue jeans. READ | NSRI: Mozambique man missing in St Francis Bay According to information provided to police, a family member reported her missing on Saturday, 10 October. The family member told police that Allegra had gone to Kamma Park to attend a party following an alleged altercation with her boyfriend. Police said both Allegra and her boyfriend have not been seen since. Police appeal for information Walmer SAPS members have reportedly visited several addresses and contacted people known to Allegra in an effort to establish her whereabouts. However, she has not yet been located. Police are urging anyone who may have information that could assist the investigation to come forward. Anyone with information can contact Lieutenant Colonel Plaatjies of Walmer SAPS on 071 352 4542. Information can also be reported to Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or shared anonymously through the MySAPS app.

Unbundling Eskom's transmission assets into an independent operator is the durable fix. It must happen fast.

Cybersecurity is Shoprite’s top-ranked risk, and the only one whose controls it rates as partially effective.