By Odwa Bafana Mkentane Spaza shops in Nyanga were forced to close for a week last week amid reported extortion threats against local traders. The closures have raised concerns about the safety of small business owners and the impact on residents who rely on these shops for their daily essentials.
Umalusi says adequate measures are in place to safeguard the integrity of South Africa’s 2026 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, as a record number of full-time candidates prepare to sit their matric exams. The Department of Basic Education has confirmed that 962,832 candidates are registered for the October/November examinations. This
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says conflicting court rulings on the detention and release of asylum seekers have complicated immigration enforcement, prompting the department to seek urgent clarity from the courts. One ruling requires asylum seekers to be released while their applications are processed, while another allows for their detention.
Quality assurance body Umalusi says South Africa is broadly ready for the start of the 2026 matric examinations on 13 October. Umalusi CEO Mafu Rakometsi says 964,201 candidates are registered to write the examinations at 7,057 centres across the country. The National Senior Certificate accounts for 92% of the registrations.
Farm workers and farm dwellers marched to Parliament on Thursday, calling on government to make unused public land available for housing and other social needs. The march followed the National Farm Worker Platform, which brought farm worker organisations, unions and movements together in Cape Town from 6 to 8 October
By Odwa Mkentane The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to managing migration in a lawful and orderly manner following the Constitutional Court’s July 2026 judgment on asylum applications. The court declared certain provisions of the Refugees Act unconstitutional because they prevented some asylum seekers from
By Odwa Mkentane Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has criticised the government for attempting to address the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) financial crisis by seeking additional funding rather than tackling years of alleged mismanagement, corruption and maladministration. This comes as the Department of Transport considers a new funding model for
There has been growing confusion following a recent Constitutional Court ruling on asylum applications, particularly over whether undocumented foreign nationals can now apply for asylum and what the judgment means for people who entered or remain in South Africa irregularly. Immigration lawyer Craig Smith said the ruling should not be
Civic space has played a crucial role in Africa’s democratic development, from anti-colonial movements and civil society organisations to youth activism and digital campaigns. However, growing restrictions, political pressure and threats to independent media are increasingly challenging civic participation across the continent. Dr Paul Kariuki, Executive Director of the Democracy
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
