Author: Silver Sibiya

City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has dismissed suggestions that the handover of 48 Breaking New Ground (BNG), formerly RDP, houses at Dube Hostel in Soweto is part of the ANC’s election campaign ahead of next week’s local government elections. Morero was speaking to the media alongside the MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, during the official handover of the housing units on Thursday. The mayor insisted that the allocation was taking place at the appropriate time, saying the City had been working towards restoring the properties for several years. “You see, that statement, I think the intention is to…

Motorists have been urged to avoid parts of Robertsham and Crown Gardens in Johannesburg South following public protests over persistent water outages. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has warned of severe traffic disruptions after residents barricaded roads with burning tyres and debris. JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said Xavier Street at Kimberly Miner Road was completely blocked in both directions. “Residents have barricaded roads with burning tyres and debris in protest over persistent water outages affecting the surrounding southern suburbs,” said Fihla. He said access to and from the M1 freeway via the Xavier Street on-ramps and off-ramps was…

Thousands of Festive Chicken workers, a subsidiary of Astral Foods, have embarked on an indefinite strike in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, demanding a monthly wage of R13,500. In a press statement dated 29 October 2026, the workers said some employees earn as little as R5,600 a month despite working 45-hour weeks and having several years of service with the company. The workers have also raised concerns about conditions on Festive Chicken farms, alleging that some employees work 48-hour weeks for R7,300 a month without overtime pay for Sunday and public holiday work. The strike affects workers at the company’s production facilities,…

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Treasurer-General Omphile Maotwe has dismissed recent local government election polls projecting the party to finish fourth in several metropolitan municipalities, questioning the credibility of surveys and the funding behind them. Maotwe was speaking to journalists in Marlboro, Johannesburg, ahead of a meeting of the party’s Central Elections Task Force. “Who did the polls and who are the funders?” she asked, challenging surveys suggesting that the EFF could struggle to secure stronger support in key metropolitan areas. She singled out Ipsos as a polling organisation whose projections she believes have accurately reflected the EFF’s electoral performance in…

Johannesburg Water has confirmed that water samples collected from affected properties in Bezuidenhout Valley, Johannesburg, showed no signs of contamination. In a statement, the utility said tests conducted on samples collected on 23 and 25 October 2026 from properties along 8th Avenue, at the intersections with 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets, found no contamination. “Johannesburg Water confirms that no contamination was detected in either set of water samples collected on 23 and 25 October 2026,” the entity said. The results confirmed that both sets of samples met the required water quality standards for microbiological and chemical parameters. Johannesburg Water…

England captain Harry Kane has won the 2026 Ballon d’Or after a remarkable 2025/26 season in which he scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich.The 32-year-old striker’s prolific campaign helped Bayern secure a domestic treble, further cementing his status as one of the world’s leading forwards. Kane scored 36 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances, earning his second European Golden Shoe. He also registered 10 goals in six DFB-Pokal appearances and 14 goals in 13 UEFA Champions League matches.His overall tally included 61 goals and seven assists in 51 appearances for the German giants, averaging a goal every 66…

The N12 freeway has been closed in both directions between Klipspruit Valley Road (K43) and Abubakar Asvat Drive near Lenasia following renewed protests and reports of vehicles being stoned. Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said protesters had resumed barricading roads with burning tyres and debris, despite earlier efforts to clear and reopen the affected routes. “Despite earlier efforts to clear and reopen the roads, rioting has flared up again,” Fihla said in a traffic advisory issued at 11.25pm on Monday. He warned that the unrest posed an immediate threat to motorists, with reports of passing vehicles…

Pick n Pay has abandoned its planned retrenchments affecting 22,000 workers following months of negotiations and interventions by trade unions, according to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). In a statement issued on Sunday, 25 October, COSATU praised its affiliate, the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), for securing the agreement, describing the outcome as a victory for workers and collective bargaining. The dispute involved potential job losses and concerns over existing employment benefits, including guaranteed working hours, 13th cheques, Sunday premiums and transport for employees working late shifts. COSATU said SACCAWU challenged Pick n…

Police fired rubber bullets and made arrests during a protest at Nana’s Farm informal settlement in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, on Monday morning. Residents blocked the N12 highway to demand access to basic services, including water and electricity. With nine days remaining before voting day in the local government elections, residents took to the streets to demand urgent intervention from authorities over what they described as years of inadequate service delivery. Protesters blocked roads using bricks, rocks, wood and burning tyres, disrupting traffic along the N12 and surrounding routes. Community leader Zweli Buthelezi said residents had been waiting for progress…

Kaizer Chiefs have been eliminated from the 2026/27 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup after suffering a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Zambia’s Red Arrows at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday night. Chiefs won the second-leg encounter 1-0, thanks to Bradley Cross’s second-half header, but the result was not enough to secure qualification for the group stage as the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate. Red Arrows had won the first leg 1-0 in Zambia, with Alassane Diarra scoring the decisive goal. The Zambian side held their nerve in the penalty shootout to book their place in the group stage, dealing…