The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) says it has successfully placed approximately 95% of Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners for the 2026 academic year. According to the department, as of 12 December 2025, a total of 721 schools had reached full capacity. These include 458 primary schools and 263 secondary schools. Despite this, the GDE has assured parents and guardians that it has intensified efforts to place the remaining 15 144 unique applicants, who represent 4.2% of total applications…

Residents of Finetown, Weilers Farm, and Vlakfontein accused Johannesburg Water of failing to provide water tankers during planned maintenance that began on Saturday. The utility had warned that several areas would be affected by water outages during the maintenance work and had promised that water tankers would be deployed to affected communities. Finetown resident Delight Bungeni said she had no alternative source of water after taps in her area ran dry. “When you cook ot wash you need water everything…

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, together with senior police top brass, is expected to convene a high-level meeting in Bapong, near Brits, on Monday to assess the extent of illegal mining activities in the area. The meeting will include officials from the Departments of Mineral Resources and Energy, as well as Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, as part of a coordinated government response. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to eradicate illegal…