Residents travelling to malaria-endemic areas, particularly in neighbouring countries and border regions, have been urged to take precautions following an increase in malaria cases in Gauteng, with 17 deaths recorded between January and September 2026. Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said the Department was particularly concerned that 15 of the 17 people who died this year had a travel history to countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Mabona warned that although Gauteng is considered a…

Twenty-four employees at Festive Chicken in Olifantsfontein, Ekurhuleni, have been hospitalised following an ammonia leak at the facility. In a statement, the Ekurhuleni Emergency Services said preliminary information indicated that routine maintenance work had been carried out at the facility from 6am on Wednesday. It is reported that one of the pressure-release valves experienced a technical failure later that afternoon, resulting in employees inhaling ammonia fumes. The incident was reported through the Life-Threatening Call Centre. Emergency officials said that, upon…

Former president Thabo Mbeki calls on Cyril Ramaphosa and senior ANC leaders to take responsibility for the party’s poor electoral performance. The ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is meeting on Thursday at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg to assess the party’s performance in the 2026 Local Government Elections, which saw its national electoral support fall to a historic low. The meeting comes amid mounting pressure on the party’s leadership, following former president Thabo Mbeki’s calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa…