Indholdsfortegnelse for 2026-01-07 i Daily News

Sinbad the Sailor Set in a fictional, sun-drenched Baghdad, this KickstArt festive pantomime is a swashbuckling adventure that follows the daring Sinbad on a quest for the legendary “Pearl of Power”. After losing his fleet, Sinbad joins forces with the shady Long John Slither, only to find himself entangled in the schemes of the wicked sorceress Morgiana. Accompanied by his flamboyant mother, Dame Donna Kebab, and his feisty love interest, Marina, Sinbad’s journey spans the Seven Seas. Written and directed by Steven Stead, expect a riotous, Bollywood-infused spectacle featuring giant mythical birds, moving pirate ships, and sharp local satire that keeps both children and adults laughing. Where: The Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. When: Runs until Sunday. Radha Dasya – The Spirit of Devotional Service This weekend, spiritual storytelling takes centre stage…

The divorce action between popular actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa and award-winning DJ Black Coffee is not yet over, as the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) will take another look at it. After more than six years of legal struggles, the couple’s customary marriage and antenuptial contract dispute will once again come under the judicial spotlight after Black Coffee obtained leave to appeal the matter. The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, said in light of the question of law of importance and general application, including the conflicting judgments on the subject matter, the SCA must now resolve the issues. Black Coffee is set on appealing part of the ruling issued in October last year, in which it was found that he and his wife had entered into a valid customary marriage in…

Hiking in Cape Town, or South Africa in general, is not for sissies, especially if you’re doing it alone. The views are elite, yes. The sunset is majestic, yes. But sometimes the mountain decides to humble you with a full-blown life lesson, delivered by a robber who clearly didn’t read the criminal handbook. Solo traveller @davidschmitz98 shared his experience on Instagram after heading up Signal Hill alone to catch the sunset. Normal plan. Bad timing. According to Schmitz, he was this close to the end of the trail when things went left. “I swear it was two minutes before I arrived at the end of the hiking trail, I was alone, there was a guy standing in my way. He grabbed my shirt and said, ‘Where are you from? Where…

A judge in the Bloemfontein High Court is in a legal battle to avoid prosecution after he allegedly misappropriated over R2 million meant for a client. The case is rooted in Mpina Mathebula’s previous work as an attorney practicing under the name Uys Mathebula Attorneys in Sasolburg. According to court documents, from July 2012 to May 2018, Mathebula was allegedly involved in the misappropriation of funds after helping a boy who was involved in a car accident. Mathebula’s services were requested by Dimakatso Makhethe, an elderly woman who wanted compensation from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) for her grandson. Following the claim, RAF paid out R2.2m into Mathebula’s law firm account in August 2013. In addition to the amount, RAF made another payment of more than R900 000 after the…

Former President Thabo Mbeki warned that we sometimes believe today is unchanging, forgetting that tomorrow brings difference. This gentle truth feels unsettling when reflected against South Africa’s present reality. South Africans are weary, yet increasingly hopeful. That is the layered truth as we enter 2026. Weary of unemployment figures that remain stubbornly high, hovering around 32%, with youth joblessness still exceeding 45%. Weary of crime that, despite recent declines in murders and some violent categories, continues to claim lives and erode our sense of security. Yet hopeful, because for much of 2025, loadshedding largely receded, a relief not seen in years, thanks to sustained improvements at Eskom and private energy investments. Hopeful, too, because the Government of National Unity (GNU), now in its second year, has delivered modest economic growth,…

BAFANA Bafana midfielder Relebohile Mofokeng says South Africa’s round-of-16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations has provided him with important lessons as his international journey continues. As the tournament enters its business end—where Africa’s top sides are battling for continental supremacy—Hugo Broos and his squad will be observing from afar, having missed out on a significant opportunity to further build on what has been a largely encouraging period for the national team. With their next competitive assignment only coming later this year at the Fifa World Cup, set to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Bafana Bafana now face a lengthy wait, relying solely on international friendlies to prepare for the global showpiece. There is optimism that the disappointment suffered at AFCON will serve as…

Eddie Howe said yesteday that he is "100 percent" committed to Newcastle as he dismissed speculation linking him with the vacant Manchester United manager's job. Ruben Amorim was sacked on Monday after 14 months in charge at Old Trafford after an explosive post-match interview following his team's 1-1 draw at Leeds. Newcastle boss Howe has been touted as a possible permanent replacement for the Portuguese boss. He was also linked to the Chelsea job after the departure last week of Enzo Maresca, who has since been replaced by Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior. The 48-year-old Howe was asked by reporters on Tuesday whether anything could tempt him away from St James' Park. "No, not at this current time," he said on the eve of his team's home match against Leeds. "The…

1996 Bafana Bafana AFCON-winning squad member Roger De Sa has weighed in on the team’s run at the ongoing continental showpiece, diverting from “popular opinion”. Bafana were eliminated from the event in the Last 16 on Sunday night after losing 2–1 to Cameroon at the Agdal Medina Stadium in Rabat. That result stung for the team and their supporters as they arrived at the event full of confidence that they would emulate the ’96 class and surpass their third-place finish from the last edition in Ivory Coast. After all, Hugo Broos and his men had done well in the past few months following the event in Ivory Coast, qualifying for AFCON without a loss and automatically securing their ticket to the World Cup finals in June for the first time…

The eThekwini Municipality said it had received “concerning” reports of individuals attempting to extort money from ratepayers by using a FNB account that was not linked to the municipality. The modus operandi of these criminals involves sending customers emails from Gmail accounts or WhatsApp messages, fraudulently requesting payment for municipal services into a fake FNB account. The latest warning follows an attempt in December, by a man posing as an eThekwini Municipality employee, to swindle a Durban business out of R61 000. The man had instilled fear in the businesswoman during a phone conversation, when he threatened to visit her premises and disconnect her water and electricity supply, unless she paid him to stop the process. The woman contacted the eThekwini Ratepayers Political Movement chairperson, Asad Gaffar, who said…

THE Venezuelan Ambassador to South Africa, Carlos Feo Acevedo, has commended South Africa for its principled stand against the recent unlawful capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This week, South Africa called on the UN Security Council to act swiftly against the US over its military operation in Venezuela, with the South African government saying the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) failure to act decisively against the US after it forcibly took Maduro and his wife, Cilla, out of Caracas was akin to inviting anarchy. Acevedo delivered an address at the South African Communist Party (SACP) Joe Slovo Lecture in Soweto yesterday, where leaders from the SACP, the ANC, and the Congress of the South African Trade Union gathered to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the passing of former SACP leader…

By late yesterday afternoon, residents across the iLembe District were still without water following a leak at the Lower Thukela Water Works that was discovered on Monday morning. According to uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW), the repair was expected to take 18 hours to complete. The leak led uMngeni-uThukela Water to initiate an emergency shutdown to carry out essential repairs. Spokesperson Siyabonga Maphumulo said on Monday that the shutdown would run from 6am until 11pm and affect the water supply in various areas across the district. He said the affected communities included Sakhamkhanya, San Souci, Shekembula, Ohlange, Mdlebeni, Lindelani, Shakaville, Zamani, Darnall, Zinkwazi, Blythedale, Stanger Manor, Warrenton, Doesburg, the KwaDukuza Central Business District, Glenhills, Nyoniyamanzi Lot 16, and Gledhow North. As residents prepared for the continued outage, UUW encouraged them to make…

Discovery Health Medical Scheme members are starting the new year with a financial shock, after being told they must repay thousands of rands following a claims processing error in 2025. This comes after the scheme discovered that certain prescription and over-the-counter medicine claims on five top plans – including Classic Comprehensive, Classic Priority, and Executive – were incorrectly paid at higher rates than allowed. The error meant members reached their annual Above Threshold Benefit (ATB) sooner than expected, with certain claims incorrectly funded from the ATB during 2025. These claims have since been reprocessed to be funded from the correct benefits, such as Medical Savings Accounts or the Self-Payment Gap. Some members of the scheme have taken to X, revealing that they were shocked to learn they now owe tens…

The call from Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi for mandatory lifestyle audits for all prosecutors comes at a pivotal moment for the country’s judiciary. The initiative is welcomed by numerous stakeholders as a crucial step towards restoring faith in a system weighed down by allegations of corruption and misconduct. This push for transparency follows a series of disconcerting events within the justice system, notably the recent legal troubles of Gauteng High Court Judge Portia Phahlane. Last November, Judge Phahlane was granted R50 000 bail by the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court, alongside her son, Kagiso, and businessman Vusi Ndala, who were both granted bail of R10 000 each. The court proceedings for Michael Sandlana, the primary accused and leader of the International Pentecost Holiness Church, were postponed for…

THIS season, Connor Esterhuizen has come into his own, scoring big runs across the formats and showing maturity while doing it. The 24-year-old has always been earmarked as one to watch for the future because of his explosive game in the shorter formats of the game. Last season, when he played a key role in MI Cape Town winning the third edition of the SA20, he lived up to those expectations, especially since he had the big shoes of Nicholas Pooran to fill as a first choice wicket-keeper batter. This season, the right-hander has taken his game up a notch, smashing big scores domestically for the Lions including a double century and a couple of centuries in the first-class cricket, showing his class and what he can achieve in the…

Australia stand-in skipper Steve Smith reflected on his 37th Test hundred after posting a score of 129 not out at the end of Day 3, and credited his home venue, Sydney Cricket Ground, for becoming the second batter on the all-time list of Ashes Test runs with 3663, only behind the legendary Don Bradman (5028). Smith brought up his 100 after running three off a shot to fine leg off the bowling of Jacob Bethell. This was Smith's 13th Ashes ton, with only Bradman (19) producing more. It also marked Smith's first ton of this series. "I just love batting here. Obviously, it's my home deck. I know the ground really well, (and) when I get in here, I really like batting here. The pace of the wicket sort of…

Chelsea confirmed on Tuesday the little-known Liam Rosenior will be their new head coach on a six-and-a-half-year deal, replacing Enzo Maresca. The 41-year-old Englishman told a press conference earlier in the day at Ligue 1 club Strasbourg he had "verbally agreed" on the move to Stamford Bridge. The Premier League club announced Rosenior had signed a deal until 2032. "I am extremely humbled and honoured to be appointed head coach of Chelsea Football Club," he said in a statement on Chelsea's website. "This is a club with a unique spirit and a proud history of winning trophies. "My job is to protect that identity and create a team that reflects these values in every game we play as we continue winning trophies." Rosenior has just three years' experience as a…

Award-winning artist Makhadzi has been discharged from hospital after a car accident that occured while she was travelling from Limpopo to Johannesburg late last month. The singer was involved in the accident on December 31, with her management company, Makhadzi Entertainment, confirming at the time that she had been admitted to hospital and was receiving medical care. In an emotional update shared with fans on social media, the artist confirmed that she has since been discharged and is now recovering at home under the care of her family. “I feel a need to update you about my health because of the love and support you have been showing me, not only in South Africa but across Africa globally,” she said. While grateful to be alive, the star revealed that her…

AfriForum, who is a party in the court battle against the Information Regulator (IR) in the fight regarding the publication of matric results in newspapers, said it will strongly consider turning to court to obtain an urgent order for the results to be published next week. Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube was expected to announce the national results on January 12, but as the IR filed a notice to appeal last month’s judgment, which gave the green light for the publication of the results, this was automatically suspended. Alana Bailey, head of cultural affairs at AfriForum, said that if it turns out that the results will not be published in newspapers early next week, AfriForum will most definitely consider turning to court. In its notice to the parties, including the…

The murder case of Warrick Robert Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, was postponed to next week when it appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The accused, 44-year-old Victor Mthethwa Majola, made a brief appearance in court, where the matter was postponed to 13 January for a formal bail application. During proceedings, the magistrate inquired about Majola’s well-being while in custody and asked whether he had received medical treatment at the Johannesburg prison. Majola confirmed that he had been attended to, in telling the court that he saw a doctor on Monday. Majola claimed to be injured and had requested medical attention during his previous appearance. Stock was shot and killed outside the Zambesi House building in Johannesburg’s CBD in December while working as a security contractor at the…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special advisor for investment promotion, Alistair Ruiters, still appears to be the preferred candidate to replace Ebrahim Rasool as Ambassador to the United States, 10 months after the latter was expelled and declared “persona non grata” by US President Donald Trump’s administration. Ruiters reportedly has a strong backing from the business community and the DA, who view him as a pragmatic, professional choice capable of navigating US markets and politics. Other candidates are ANC veteran and former Minister of Defence and Constitutional Development Roelf Meyer, Marthinus van Schalkwyk (former leader of the National Party who later joined the ANC and served as Minister of Tourism), Andries Nel (the current Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development), Gerhardus Koornhof (President’s parliamentary counsellor), Trevor Manuel (former Finance Minister) and…

IT still hurts, and will probably do so for some time. But such is the nature of Bafana Bafana’s early elimination from AFCON that it could very well be a silver lining for clubs. Bafana exited the continental showpiece after losing 2–1 to Cameroon in the last 16 at Agdal Medina Stadium in Rabat on Sunday night. That defeat all but signalled how disappointing the South Africans had been since the start of the tournament. They failed to punish the Indomitable Lions in the first 20 minutes on three occasions, before ultimately conceding on the stroke of half-time and immediately after the restart - the fact that Evidence Makgopa scored two minutes before regulation time notwithstanding. Indications that they might struggle as the tournament progressed didn’t start there. They were…

Australian Open tournament organisers announced a record AUD 111.5 million (R1.2 billion) prize money pool yesterday, the largest in the tournament’s history. The prize money pool saw a 16 per cent increase on last year prize money of 96.5 million Australian dollars (+R1 billion). The winners of the men’s and women’s singles at the season-opening Grand Slam will each receive AUD 2.79 million (R30.7 million), marking a 19 per cent rise from last year’s AUD 2.35 million (R25.9 million). The runner-up will earn AUD 2.15 million (R23.7 million) and the semi-finalists AUD 1.25 million (R13.8 million) each. Qualifying rounds are up by 16 per cent, and all singles and doubles players will receive a minimum of a 10 per cent increase. Players exiting in the first round of the main…

FORMER Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn described is as “weird” and “strange” that fast bowler Ottneil Baartman did not make the ICC T20 World Cup squad, despite being the leading wicket-taker in the SA20. Baartman was a key player for South Africa in the previous edition of the ICC T20 World Cup, as he bowled a total of 19 overs in the five games he played, meaning it was only in one game that he didn’t go through his allotted four overs in a match. The right-arm quick returned an economy rate of 4.94 runs per over, an almost unheard of rate in the shortest format of the game. In the SA20, he is one of two bowlers that have crossed the 50 wickets mark, alongside Marco Jansen who has…