IPID has confirmed that investigators searched the home of KwaZulu-Natal Hawks officer Lieutenant-Colonel Deena Govender on Friday as part of an investigation linked to evidence at the Madlanga Commission.

Joe Public’s “Period Paper” campaign, created with Independent Media and the MENstruation Foundation, won the Grand Prix in Tactical Use of Print at the 2026 Loeries for using newspaper pages to highlight period poverty.

A 28-year-old Moqhaka municipality employee and local artist was denied bail after his third appearance before the Kroonstad Magistrate’s Court on 12 October 2026. He is accused of assaulting his girlfriend of almost four years on 28 September, leaving her with life-threatening injuries that required admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). The alleged attack reportedly stemmed from an altercation between the couple over matters relating to their romantic relationship. It is alleged to have taken place at the victim’s residence. The bail decision has brought relief to the victim and her family. Speaking to The Citizen, the victim’s mother said she was pleased with the outcome. “This is exactly what we wanted. We are happy because our daughter was scared,” she said. The accused is expected to appear in court again on 4 November 2026. He faces two counts of assault and a charge of attempted murder. His first court appearance drew a crowd of residents who opposed his release and stood against gender-based violence (GBV). Measures to tackle GBVF in SA Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on 29 September 2026,, concerns remain over gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). Ramaphosa announced immediate measures aimed at improving the response to GBVF and serious violent crime. The measures include: A national case recovery operation to audit unresolved murders and sexual offences within 60 days; A funded plan within 60 days to reduce forensic backlogs and set turnaround standards; Municipal women’s safety audits to identify hazards like broken streetlights and unsafe transport routes within 60 days; and A coordinated legislative package within 60 days to address alcohol-related violence. Brenda Madumise-Pajibo, director of feminist organisation Wise 4 Afrika, described the announcement as “nothing new”, pointing to previous government interventions that had failed to produce tangible results. “We have the national strategic plan on GBVF that was not institutionalised, let alone operationalised. If it was, the president would not have unveiled a four-point plan that must be implemented within 60 days, while the strategic plan has failed over the past seven years,” she said.

Tuesday is expected to be partly cloudy and warm to hot, with isolated to scattered thunderstorms possible over the central, western and eastern parts of South Africa by the afternoon. Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service (Saws) has warned of severe thunderstorms over the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal while heatwave conditions continue in KZN. Meanwhile, the weather service has released its latest weather forecast for Tuesday, 13 October 2026. Here’s what you need to know. Weather forecast for today & tomorrow: Partly cloudy & warm to hot conditions are expected, with isolated to scattered thunderstorms possible over the central, western & eastern parts of the RSA by the afternoon. Severe thunderstorms are possible over the Eastern Cape & KZN. pic.twitter.com/llOwN0Q7jt— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) October 12, 2026 Weather warnings: Tuesday, 13 October 2026 Impact-based warnings Saws has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms accompanied by heavy downpours, damaging winds, hail and lightning, resulting in localised flooding and localised damage to infrastructure and settlements, expected over southern KwaZulu-Natal and the extreme north-eastern parts of the Eastern Cape. Advisories A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over northwestern KwaZulu-Natal. Provincial weather forecast Here’s what to expect in your province on Tuesday, 13 October 2026: Gauteng: Residents of Gauteng can expect fine and warm weather, but it will be hot in the north. The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “very high”. Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure. Mpumalanga: Mpumalanga residents can expect fine and warm to hot conditions but very hot places over the Highveld. Limpopo: The day will be fine and hot, to very hot. North West: Partly cloudy and warm weather awaits North West residents with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers, except in the northeast. It will be cloudy in the west. Free State: Residents of the Free State can expect a partly cloudy and warm day with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east. It will be cloudy in the extreme east. Northern Cape: The day will start with morning fog patches along the coast, where it will be cool; otherwise, it will be fine to warm to hot. It will be partly cloudy in the northeast, where isolated showers and thundershowers are expected. Western Cape: Western Cape residents can expect partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions with isolated showers and rain over the south-western parts in the morning. Isolated showers and thundershowers are expected over the north-eastern parts in the afternoon. The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “very high”. Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure. Eastern Cape (western half): The day will be partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the southwest. Eastern Cape (eastern half): The day will be cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thundershowers. KwaZulu-Natal: Residents of KwaZulu-Natal can expect morning fog patches over the interior; otherwise, the weather will be partly cloudy and hot to very hot but warm in places in the south. Isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are expected, except in the northeast.

South Africans waiting until the last minute to book can still get a family holiday for under R450 per person per night. If you’re in this group and want to have fun with your family, this is the cheapest two-week beach holiday for a family of four. The price includes accommodation and flights from OR Tambo. The Cheapest Destination for 14 Nights If you want to enjoy a two-week break with your family, you can get 14 nights and flights for a family of four for R24 600 in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). That works out to R439 per person per night, including flights. Without flights, it’s only R245 per person per night. For flights, you can travel for as little as R10 859 for two adults and two children from OR Tambo International Airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ). The ticket prices include one checked bag per passenger. But the flight can be cheaper. If you only include checked bags for two passengers and share luggage, the flight drops to R9 939.52. Typically, the difference between checked luggage and no checked luggage is R230, R460 in total for return flights. You’ll save R920 if two passengers don’t have checked bags. Then, once in Gqeberha, travellers can get accommodation starting at R13 732 for 14 nights. This will be self-catering accommodation in a holiday home. Accommodation in Gqeberha is limited. Many affordable bookings have already been taken. However, if you can’t book the same accommodation for the full 14 nights, split your accommodation dates. Cheap Flight Dates The cheapest flight departing from OR Tambo to Gqeberha in December is R1026.44. This excludes a checked bag. For a checked bag, the price climbs to R1 256.44. Departure DatesWith Checked BagsWithout Checked Bags1 December 2026R1 256.44R1 026.442 – 4 December 2026R1 357.44R1 127.445 – 9 December 2026R1 430.44R1 660.4429 -31 December 2026R1 357.44R1 127.44 The most expensive return flights in December are between 23 and 27 December. In January, return flights are most expensive until the Sunday before the start of the school term. Once the school term starts, prices return to normal. If you return during peak periods, expect to spend up to R14 900 on flights. But if you travel after school starts, the cost of flights drops by 27%. Return DatesWith Checked BagsWithout Checked Bags14 – 16 December 2026R1 357.44R1 127.4417 -22 December 2026R1 559.45R1 329.4528 – 30 December 2026R1 733.44R1 963.4412 – 15 January 2027R1 357.44R1 127.44 Why is Port Elizabeth Cheapest? The distance between OR Tambo and Gqeberha is roughly double the distance from OR Tambo to King Shaka International. Despite this, flights to Gqeberha are 22% cheaper than Durban. That’s because demand to fly from OR Tambo to King Shaka International Airport is higher than demand to fly from OR Tambo to Gqeberha. The plane is scheduled to fly anyway. So, to guarantee the plane reaches capacity, airlines offer cheaper seats. It’s the same reason flights become cheaper when you book them closer to your travel date. Airlines need to fill up seats. The price also depends on the days you’re travelling. Flights to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport drop from their peak by 58% when you travel after Christmas. The cheapest dates to depart OR Tambo are at the beginning of or the end of December. Then, to depart Gqeberha, it’s cheapest on 14 January 2027. That’s one day after the first day of term. DestinationReturn Flights for 4 PassengersGqeberha (Port Elizabeth)R10 850.52KuGompo City (East London)R12 612.76DurbanR13 924.32Cape TownR20 245.52

The call for a R5 000 SASSA Older Persons Grant has opened a wider debate among South Africans about how government could afford it, and who might lose out. The discussion played out on The South African’s Facebook page, where pensioners, caregivers and critics weighed in. Pensioners say the time has come Frans Matsekela made the demand in just five words. “We need R5 000 this time,” Matsekela wrote. His use of “this time” suggests a growing impatience among older grant recipients, many of whom feel annual increases have failed to keep up with food, electricity and transport costs. Thuli Nzimande added that pensioners should not see deductions or reductions of any kind. “Elderly pensioners must get full amount no matter what,” Nzimande wrote. A R5,000 grant would be more than double the current Older Persons Grant, a major cost given the millions of pensioners SASSA supports each month. Calls to take from children’s grants Some commenters had a clear answer on funding. Wade Hendricks suggested limiting support for children to pay for older and disabled South Africans. “Limit grant to one child and cut the R370 and redirect funds to increase pensioners and disabilities pay,” Hendricks wrote. Jay Mtungwa went much further, rejecting grants altogether in favour of job creation. “Cancel the whole damn grant thingy, better to put it into employment,” Mtungwa wrote, arguing that adult children should support their elderly parents. Their views highlight a tension between generations, as pensioners and caregivers compete for limited social spending. Seniors outside the system Genover Govender warned that the debate should not ignore older South Africans who receive nothing at all. “Consider those seniors that are not getting Sassa at all as well,” Govender wrote. Her comment points to elderly people who fail the means test, are stuck in lengthy application processes, or have never applied. A higher grant would not help them unless they can access the system first. Economists have long warned that social grants already take up a significant share of the national budget, limiting room for large increases without new revenue or cuts elsewhere. SASSA has not announced any plan to raise the Older Persons Grant to R5 000. Grant amounts are set during the annual national budget, and pensioners should rely only on official SASSA channels for confirmed increases. 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

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