AmaZulu secured a 2-1 KZN derby win over Durban City to continue their strong start.

Socialite alleges he was advised to leave the country after his name emerged at the Madlanga Commission.

The Compensation Fund’s Gauteng branch is allegedly battling massive backlogs in approving medical service providers, with internal sources saying doctors treating injured workers could be left unable to submit claims for payment. There is growing frustration among officials over what has been described as persistent maladministration and a failure by the office to respond to repeated requests for assistance. Concerns over doctor profile approval delays The problem centred around the approval of doctor profiles, which allows medical service providers to submit claims to the fund for treating workers injured on duty, senior officials told The Citizen. According to officials, only 109 Gauteng doctor profiles were approved over six months – a figure described as inadequate given the number of providers and the growing volume of outstanding claims. The fund disputes this. “The backlog could have serious consequences for injured workers if doctors become reluctant to treat Compensation Fund patients because their profiles had not been approved and medical bills could not be submitted,” a source said. “This maladministration will cause doctors to not help patients because the fund simply is not approving profiles, meaning no medical bills can be loaded.” Another official said smaller medical claims administration companies, which manage doctors’ claims on their behalf, could also suffer financially if the delays prevent them from processing claims and maintaining their business relationships with medical practitioners. Officials call for Gauteng office to be placed under administration The concerns have prompted calls for stronger intervention in the Gauteng office, with internal correspondence showing repeated attempts to secure a response from provincial officials had yielded little progress, the official said. “The province’s handling of its responsibilities had damaged the organisation’s reputation. Corrective action had been sought in at least two instances, but escalating concerns to the provincial office’s senior leadership had failed to change the situation,” the senior staffer said. The official called for placing the entire Gauteng provincial office under administration, with officials reporting directly to the head office to improve oversight and accountability. Correspondence, which The Citizen has seen, indicates the matter was escalated internally after Gauteng officials allegedly failed to respond to an e-mail seeking assistance. Compensation Fund blames system error for application delays Hlonitshwa Mpaka, the fund’s spokesperson, said there were system-related interruptions that affected the transmission of applications nationwide, not just in the Gauteng office. She said from 11 August to 6 September, applications were not successfully transmitted to provincial inboxes, due to this error. “By 7 September, the issue had been resolved. Applications have subsequently been received and processed. “The Compensation Fund categorically disputes the allegation that only 109 medical service provider profiles were approved in Gauteng during the six-month period. The 109 relates to a separate administrative process and has been incorrectly interpreted as representing MSP profile approvals,” Mpaka said. The fund has been rocked by allegations of procurement irregularities, governance failures and delays in paying claims. It has also been grappling alleged fraud losses of R71 million, questions around its chief financial officer, Monaheng Mokoena, and whistle-blower allegations involving a R142 million consultant contract.

South Africa is ranked seventh globally for aviation safety oversight by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, according to the SA Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa). South Africa scored 94.99% in the safety oversight assessment, placing it first in Africa. “This is indeed an achievement we can be proud of as a nation,” said Sacaa commissioner Poppy Khoza yesterday. General aviation deaths rise despite fewer accidents But dampening the achievement was the number of fatalities in general aviation, a sector that includes private flying, flight training, business aviation, aerial surveying and emergency medical operations. Despite the number of accidents declining, Khoza said fatal accidents increased from four to 17, a 325% increase, while fatalities rose by 243%. The figures showed that 24 people died in general aviation accidents during the 2025-26 financial year, compared with seven previously. “Behind these figures are lost lives, grieving families,” she said. This is in stark contrast to scheduled commercial aviation, where South Africa has maintained a record of no fatal aircraft accidents for nearly 40 years. Sacaa develops strategy to reduce general aviation accidents Khoza said every safety intervention mattered, even in a year when the overall number of recorded accidents had declined. Investigations continued to identify flight crew or human error, mechanical and engine failures, and structural problems among the causes of accidents. “The commitment to protecting life must be consistent across every part of aviation,” she said. Sacaa has partnered with industry to develop a general aviation safety strategy targeting human factors, decision-making and operational safety. It includes accident reduction seminars, risk management initiatives and safety publications aimed at improving awareness. Khoza also announced that amendments to the Civil Aviation Act were gazetted on Monday, providing for the separation of aircraft accident investigations from Sacaa to strengthen their independence. The legislative changes also expand the regulator’s environmental oversight responsibilities. Judicial inquest to examine fatal 2020 Sacaa aircraft crash Khoza also addressed the January 2020 crash of Sacaa aircraft ZS-CAR, which claimed the lives of three employees, saying the regulator continued to dispute aspects of the final investigation report published by the Ethiopian accident investigation authorities in January 2022. She confirmed that a judicial inquest would examine the circumstances of the deaths

The Cape Winelands has had an abysmal first quarter in crime statistics, breaking several records. But a small village near Robertson is turning the tide. Crime is down, and property investment is up. McGregor, the safest town on the Cape Winelands McGregor, about a 2-hour drive from Cape Town and nestled in the Riviersonderend mountains, is reversing a four-year crime spree that plagued the town. Crime in McGregor is down 15.5% in the first quarter, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics. For the year ending March 2026, crime is down 31%. Currently, the town has reported the fewest crimes of any Cape Winelands police precinct. Crime in McGregor, a town of 7 296 people, peaked in 2022. That year, the town’s crime rate was 6.27%. Today, it’s 4.27%. It could potentially improve to 3.89% after this year’s data. Crime decreasing in the Cape Winelands is rare. The latest data shows 16 of the 23 police precincts have deteriorated. The worst offender, with the largest jump in crime, is Touws River. In 3 months, crime increased by 71.4%. Franschhoek follows with a 56.3% increase in crime. McGregor, however, had the biggest improvement in its crime stats for the three months ending June 2026. Crime statistics haven’t always looked this good. Between 2022 and 2024, crime in the town was high. Property crime made up about one-third of the annual stats. But by 2025, crime had dropped 31.8% from the previous year, reaching levels last seen in 2017. If McGregor continues the positive trajectory, crime could drop to levels the town hasn’t experienced in the last 10 years. Yet, all of this progress could change in an instant if the mountainside town doesn’t get its drug problem under control. Nearly one third of the crimes recorded in three months are drug-related. These crimes also tend to fester beneath the surface. For every 1 drug-related crime that is recorded and reported in the system, any number go unreported. Some suggest the crime could be as underreported as drunk driving offences. Typically, a drunk driver will drive under the influence 80 times before being caught. Drugs also breed violence, as reported in the European Drug Report, because users develop dependencies and suppliers fight over territory. Property in McGregor McGregor’s property market remains resilient. Despite the average sale price dropping 25% since the start of the year, the small town is experiencing a boom in demand. So far this year, the Western Cape Deeds Office has recorded 50 property sales in the area. The average sale price among these is R2 million. Last year, when sale prices peaked at R2.7 million, the town only recorded 38 sales. With demand increasing, McGregor hasn’t been able to replenish its supply. About half as many homes are on the market today as there were this time last year.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder inspired Orlando Pirates in Tuesday night’s 3-0 win over TS Galaxy at the Orlando Amstel Arena. The Ermelo-born player scored his first goal for the Buccaneers in what was his sixth appearance since graduating from the DStv Diski Challenge reserve team. ORLANDO PIRATES COACH MAKES HUGE SIMPHIWE MASILELA CLAIM His goal capped an impressive performance that included nine progressive carries, 1/1 successful dribbles (100%), five progressive passes, two total shots (one inside the box and one outside the box), three key passes, 6/6 accurate layoffs (100%), 10 accurate passes in the final third, five ball recoveries and 2/3 tackles won (67%). Speaking after the game, Orlando Pirates coach Ouaddou described Masilela as one of the best talents he had ever seen. “What I can tell you is that he has all the attributes, he has all the potential,” Ouaddou told journalists. “All the qualities to express himself at a high level. I can tell you that I have worked for six, seven years in development [youth football] in France, at the Michel Platini Academy, so I have seen lots and lots of young players… “And he is one of the best that I have seen. That is why I try sometimes… with a bit more experience than him, I am older than him. I have seen lots and lots of players and I try to put these young players on the right path… WHAT ABDESLAM OUADDOU EXPECTS FROM HIM “In the requirement of the high-level football. To leave out certain things that are not going to help them. Some people are fighting the coach. But without any arrogance and with lots of humility… “I think we know what we are talking about and where we want to bring our players. And if you see this player from the Marumo Gallants match, what the coach expects from him. He started these kinds of actions against Marumo in Rustenburg. After that we saw him the final [MTN8]… “This is exactly what I am expecting from a 10. A modern 10. And it’s up to him. If he wants to continue on that path. He knows what the requirements are. If he wants to lose himself, he knows the other path,” Ouaddou added. Coming up next for Masilela and Orlando Pirates is a CAF Champions League second-round preliminary qualifier. They face Namibian champions African Stars on Saturday at 15:00 in Botswana. HOW IMPRESSIVE HAS THE YOUNGSTER BEEN? Share your thoughts by clicking on the red comments block below.

Most security teams can't see their full environment. Axonius explains why AI agents need asset data you can trust.

Icasa left R333.7-million unspent in 2025/2026 while telling parliament it lacks money for regulatory tools.