South Africans will receive a much-needed fuel price reprieve for the months of November and December.

In-form loose forwards Cameron Hanekom and Juarno " Trokkie" Augustus are primed for a titanic collision when the Bulls host Ulster in a crucial United Rugby Championship clash at Loftus Versfeld.

ActionSA’s mayoral candidate in the City of eThekwini, Zwakele Mncwango, says he is concerned that most councillors in KwaZulu-Natal cannot read council reports. Mncwango recently spoke to The Citizen in Durban to discuss the upcoming local government elections. “Most councillors, I will say this without fear of doubt, cannot read for meaning. It’s a fact they cannot read for meaning,” he said. Mncwango said that, in his experience, some councillors rely on officials’ knowledge to help them navigate council decisions and reports. He said the problem with this is that councillors are expected to hold municipal officials accountable. What about speeches? Mncwango said the situation is so serious that even the MMCs for finance have their speeches written by officials. “Most of these mayors don’t even read; someone writes a speech for them. The budget is done by officials, which is okay. I am not saying councillors must sit and do the numbers. All I am saying is that councillors must be part of the process.” No excuses after 1994 Mncwango said there is no reason for councillors not to be educated. “Maybe in the early 2000s there was an issue that we just came from apartheid, we were oppressed, we did not have an opportunity, that excuse you cannot say it now, 30 years of democracy. “Worst part of it, the South African Local Government Association (Salga) provides training; councillors have an advantage to go and study. “There is no reason why a councillor who has been a councillor for more than three terms can’t have a degree; there is no reason,” he said. He said some councillors do not pursue further studies because they do not see any reason to do so. “I can tell you right now, some councillors, the agenda comes sealed; it gets delivered to your home, so for you to read, you must open the cover and read. Some come with it to council sealed; some open it in council.” He said political parties must ensure they put up the best candidates. “There must be a means test, and parties must be able to improve the systems of nominations of councillors by ensuring that the right people are elected,” he said. Mncwango further said communities must also ensure that they elect the right people to public office. “I have seen that clean governance is not something that is accepted or understood well by the community… that is why you will find someone who is clouded by corruption being popular and the communities are the ones that are electing these people,” he said.

India’s film industry, where scenes featuring nudity or sex often rely on improvisation and mutual trust, is gradually welcoming professionals tasked with choreographing intimacy to protect actors and ensure consent. Once unheard of in Bollywood, intimacy coordinators are becoming an increasingly familiar presence on sets as filmmakers embrace stricter standards after the #MeToo movement put a spotlight on sexual exploitation in entertainment industries around the world. The shift comes as streaming platforms push storytelling into more nuanced territory, creating greater demand for realistic portrayals of sexuality. “Just like a stunt director handles a fight scene… for scenes of intimacy, we map out exactly where the hand goes and where the hair goes so nothing is left to awkward improvisation,” said Aastha Khanna, one of a small but growing group of intimacy coordinators in Bollywood. Most arrive on set with “modesty tools” that let performers simulate intimacy while minimising unnecessary physical contact. A typical kit includes crotch guards, nipple pasties and doughnut cushions, which ensure a safe distance between performers during sex scenes. The emergence of such coordinators reflects a broader transformation in an industry where intimate scenes traditionally relied on trust between actors and directors, often with few formal safeguards. Khanna said coordinators are usually hired before casting begins. “The idea is that actors know there are intimate scenes in the script and can decide whether they are comfortable with them before signing on,” she told AFP. No longer ‘taboo’ Bollywood, one of the most prolific movie-making machines in the world, largely sidestepped physical intimacy on screen for decades because of strict government guidelines and powerful censors. Kissing and sex were implied symbolically, with flowers brushing against each other, crashing waves, or a crackling fire standing in for overt desire and consummation. Even when filmmakers pushed the boundaries, the mechanics of filming intimate scenes remained largely unstructured. Among the first mainstream Hindi productions to formalise the practice of intimacy direction was “Gehraiyaan”, backed by filmmaker Karan Johar and released on Amazon Prime Video in 2022. Intimacy coordinator Khanna worked to establish personal boundaries and choreograph scenes, while intimacy coach Neha Vyaso conducted workshops focused on physical dynamics and consent. This model has gradually spread across productions meant for streaming services, which industry experts say have been the primary drivers of change. “There’s much less censorship and more openness to stories that explore taboo subjects,” Vyaso said. Crime drama franchise “Mirzapur”, known for its graphic content, started off without intimacy coordinators in its early seasons. But lead actor Rasika Dugal said such specialists fill a critical gap. “In the initial seasons, we had to navigate boundaries individually based on personal comfort,” she said. “It is very important to have intimacy coordinators so nobody is violated in any way and everyone’s concerns are properly taken care of.” Emotional scars Bollywood’s glamorous exterior long concealed a chaotic backstage culture where personal boundaries were routinely crossed. “There have been instances where the actor ended up kissing his co-star without her consent. We ensure that none of this happens in the flow,” Khanna said. But professionals like her remain far from universal, numbering just over a dozen across India’s film and television industries. In many commercial blockbusters, there is not much scope for their expertise because major actors often avoid explicit physical intimacy or even kissing on screen. Certain films feature intimate scenes without a dedicated coordinator, while some experienced directors continue to manage scenes themselves. With no formal guidelines or any requirement to hire an intimacy coordinator, some in the industry hope film associations will eventually introduce industry-wide standards. To Khanna, the role of a coordinator extends well beyond simulated sex. “A scene of intimacy is not necessarily just a spicy or a romance scene; it is a much larger umbrella that can encompass violence, dominance, harassment, and nudity, she said. “The work that I do mitigates a situation where a person may go through several years of therapy, and the scar may not heal.”

Veteran lock Hyron Andrews was pronounced dead in tragic circumstances while on tour with the Lions last week, and on the eve of the team’s Champions Cup opener. Initial reports suggested his death was thought to be due to cardiac arrest, while other statements linked it to an ‘accident’ or ‘fall’ at the hotel. However, the Lions have now released an official statement into the cause of death. Hyron ANDREWs’ death found to be caused by an aortic dissection According to the statement from the Lions, this “dissection most likely occurred on an aortic aneurysm”. “The French authorities, who conducted the autopsy and, in whose care Hyron’s body currently remains, described the cause of death as ‘a tear in the aorta (due to natural causes), which led to a significant accumulation of blood within the sac surrounding the heart’,” the statement continued. “The Andrews family asks for respect, privacy and patience during this difficult time as the repatriation process begins. “A timeline for the return of Hyron’s body to South Africa has not yet been determined. Further information will be communicated when it becomes available and under the guidance of the family.” Emotional tributes Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen has said the outpouring of support after Andrews’ death was a reflection of a man whose humility and gentle nature brought people together. “The responses from all over the world to the team’s decision to play speak to the man Hyron was,” he said. “He was a humble, gentle guy who people gravitated towards. He could pull people closer together. “The team’s decision to play also speaks to the character of the team, the deep care for each other. The willingness to sacrifice self for a greater good,” said Van Rooyen.“The continuous applause from arrival to departure is something to be proud of and speaks to the values and culture of the community and the team,” he added. “The rugby community showed the world what caring and support looks like and should be.”

South Africa’s motorists are set for temporary fuel price relief after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced cuts to the general fuel levy during his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament on Wednesday, 21 October. LIVE MTBPS 2026 | Fuel price relief, tax and spending in focus The measures will reduce the levy on diesel by R3 per litre and petrol by R1.50 per litre from 4 November to 1 December 2026, before a smaller reduction takes effect for the following period. The announcement comes as record-high fuel prices put mounting pressure on households and businesses, with rising international oil prices amid conflict in the Middle East contributing to the increases. BY How much will the fuel levy be reduced? Godongwana outlined a two-stage relief package designed to ease the cost of fuel for consumers. The first phase will run from 4 November to 1 December 2026, with the following reductions: Petrol: R1.50 per litre Diesel: R3 per litre From 2 December 2026 until 5 January 2027, the reductions will be smaller: Petrol: R1 per litre Diesel: R1.50 per litre The relief is temporary and is intended to cushion motorists and businesses during a period of elevated fuel costs. R10 billion allocated to fuel price relief The government expects the intervention to provide approximately R10 billion in support for households and businesses, at an equivalent cost to the public purse in foregone revenue. The funding will come from R10 billion in revenue overruns from the 2025/26 financial year that had been transferred to the Central Energy Fund (CEF). Godongwana said the money would be returned to the National Revenue Fund to finance the fuel levy reductions. “This intervention will help to ease cost of living pressures without compromising the sustainability of the budget,” the Minister said. The approach allows government to provide temporary relief without introducing an additional unfunded commitment to the budget. What does this mean for petrol prices? At present, 95-octane petrol costs R30.25 per litre inland and R29.38 at the coast. The general fuel levy reduction does not automatically mean motorists will see the full levy cut reflected in pump prices in precisely the same way, as regulated fuel prices also incorporate other components. However, all else being equal, the levy reductions should lower the fuel price motorists would otherwise pay during the relief periods. The actual November pump prices will depend on the applicable fuel price adjustments and other pricing components. Relief for households and businesses Fuel prices affect far more than motorists. Higher diesel costs can increase the cost of transporting goods, operating machinery and delivering services, with knock-on effects for food prices and other household expenses. The temporary levy reductions are therefore intended to provide relief to both consumers and businesses while the government continues to manage pressure on public finances. For motorists, the key dates to watch are 4 November, when the larger reductions begin, and 2 December, when the relief decreases. The measures are scheduled to end on 5 January 2027.

Treasury has allocated R150-million to the team building MyMzansi, the government's planned one-stop services app.

Enoch Godongwana says the draft cross-border rules need "a different approach" and a second version is coming.