A South African court postponed the kidnapping case against Sameemah Jacobs for the third time in three weeks on Tuesday. The Bellville Magistrate's Court delayed proceedings after her Legal Aid attorney requested time to review documents for a bail amendment application. Jacobs faces charges for allegedly taking nine-day-old Imaad Sharmar from Middestad Mall in Bellville in June 2025.
The defendant has changed lawyers three times since early October, when she first sought to modify her bail terms. She initially requested permission to attend a religious trip, then asked for visits to her son in Mitchells Plain. Magistrate Gcobani Ndaleni set the next hearing for November 6 to consider the bail changes. Police recovered the infant two...
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has called for City Power to transform into a leader in sustainable energy rather than remain a conventional utility. He spoke on Tuesday at the first City Power Energy Indaba 2025 and emphasized energy democracy, where communities, businesses, and government share power generation. The mayor supports South Africa's 132 billion rand Just Energy Transition plan and wants the city to pioneer clean energy through solar farms, waste conversion projects, and electric buses.
Morero framed the national energy crisis as an opportunity to fix a broken system dependent on coal monopolies. He wants City Power to become a public innovation hub using digital grids, artificial intelligence for load management, and...
Eskom plans to end load reduction across South Africa by March 2027 through a nationwide smart meter program. The state utility will install 6.2 million smart meters to monitor electricity use and detect illegal connections that cause annual revenue losses of 30 billion rand. Acting Group Executive for Distribution Agnes Mlambo said the technology will identify tampering attempts and overloaded transformers in real time.
The rollout targets 7.2 million customers, with 800,000 meters already installed as of late 2025. Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal receive priority status because overloads affect 1.69 million customers there. The Northern Cape and Western Cape should complete installations by mid-2026. Minister of...
South Africa's governing party congratulated its Tanzanian counterpart ahead of Wednesday's national vote. The African National Congress issued a statement on Tuesday praising Chama Cha Mapinduzi for decades of leadership in the East African nation since independence in 1961. Party officials cited historical cooperation between the movements that fought colonialism and white minority rule across the continent.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan seeks her first full term as the ruling party candidate. More than 29 million registered Tanzanians will select lawmakers and local representatives at polling stations that open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Opposition groups reported obstacles despite international monitors observing the process.
The...
A soccer competition in the Free State will award 100,000 rand to winning teams when matches begin on Friday, December 13, at Mandela Sports Ground in Tumahole. The Edgar Legoale Foundation accepts free registrations from clubs through Monday, November 25, before selecting 32 participants on Wednesday, November 27. Officials will conduct a tournament draw on Friday, December 6, to set brackets for games that continue through Sunday, December 21.
Foundation manager Nthabiseng Molejane urged squads to register before the deadlines expire. The event promotes youth development and addresses gender violence through sports programming in Parys. Teams can obtain application forms by contacting the tournament manager, DJ Pots, or foundation...
South African and Ugandan officials opened a weeklong research conference on Monday, October 27, at Makerere University to evaluate a program funding African scientists. The National Research Foundation and partners will assess 10 research chairs established across seven nations since December 2018 that have trained dozens of graduate students. Each position receives 170,000 dollars annually for five years to support doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows working on health challenges and climate adaptation.
Professor David Bisagaya Meya will lead a new Ugandan research chair focused on infectious and neurological diseases. The initiative honors educator Oliver Tambo and connects to continental development goals under the African...
South African authorities detained more than 16,000 people between Monday, October 20, and Sunday, October 26, as part of holiday crime prevention efforts. Officers recovered 158 illegal guns and seized contraband worth 29.6 million rand while arresting 2,713 fugitives wanted for murder and robbery. The nationwide sweep captured 227 rape suspects and 2,001 people possessing drugs.
Police killed three suspected kidnappers on Thursday, October 24, after a shootout near Johannesburg university grounds. Two other suspects died on Sunday, October 20, when officers raided a Durban hostel searching for a carjacking fugitive. Authorities confiscated counterfeit merchandise valued at 8 million rand on Wednesday, October 23, in Cape Town suburbs...
Zimbabwe's president completed his annual address by flashlight after electricity failed at the national assembly on Tuesday, October 28. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa read final remarks in darkness before leaving the chamber at Mount Hampden, where power returned minutes later. Parliamentary officials had requested backup generators and standby crews in a letter dated Monday, October 21, but equipment malfunctioned and technicians delayed restoring service.
Speaker Jacob Mudenda apologized and promised consequences for whoever caused the disruption. The 83-year-old leader appeared frustrated as an assistant held a torch over his notes. Zimbabwe experiences blackouts lasting 20 hours in some regions as drought reduces hydroelectric...
South Africa's justice ministry apologized after a sheriff delivered lawsuit documents to a United Nations human rights investigator following her speech in Johannesburg on Friday, October 25. Officials said the papers reached Francesca Albanese without ministerial approval despite a departmental letter dated Thursday, October 24, that appeared to authorize service at the Sandton Convention Centre. Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi ordered an inquiry into staff who bypassed required procedures under the Superior Courts Act.
American religious organizations sued Albanese in Colorado federal court over claims she defamed them in reports about Israeli settlements. The plaintiffs argue her statements falsely linked their charitable work to human...
