President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the youth to consider the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) as both a career and a calling.
Ramaphosa was speaking at Armed Forces Day, held in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, on Saturday.
The president emphasised the country's need for skills in engineering, medicine, technology, and strategy, urging young people to serve for the love of their country and help build a better nation.
Addressing soldiers, the president commended their role in protecting the borders and serving communities, encouraging them to continue flying the national flag high on all missions.
“To the young people present here today and watching across the country, by serving your people, you build your own future, and you contribute to a better nation. To our soldiers, you remind us that through our collective resolve as a nation, we are able to rise above any challenge we might face.” EYEWITNESS NEWS
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is set to deliver the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday.
It is an annual event where the premier looks back on government’s performance in the past year and outlines future objectives.
This year’s edition will take place at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, which the speech expected to start around 6pm.
One of the consistent calls in Lesufi's previous three addresses; is for the military to be deployed in the region to fight Zama Zamas.
That’s no longer an issue as the president has already signed off on it.
Lesufi also used the SOPA to announce the Gauteng government’s temporary work initiatives for unemployed young people.
However, Lesufi was left with egg on his face last year after the Gauteng crime prevention wardens programme unofficially known as Amapanyaza was deemed unlawfully constituted by the Public Protector.
The DA in Gauteng, which is the official opposition, has urged the premier to drop what it calls his "pie-in-the-sky" ideas and focus more on the basics of provincial government.
Meanwhile, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party is planning to march from Soweto to the Nasrec Expo Centre where it will demonstrate against the event, which it calls useless and a platform for empty promises. EYE WITNESS NEWS
By Bernell Simons
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proposed R54 billion performance-linked incentive to rescue failing municipal water, sanitation and electricity systems is already under scrutiny, with experts warning that money alone will not fix entrenched governance failures.
Announced during the 2026 State of the Nation Address, the six-year funding package is designed to pressure metros to reform struggling utilities and reinvest revenue into maintaining and upgrading critical infrastructure.
Ramaphosa also unveiled a National Water Crisis Committee — which he will personally chair — to coordinate interventions and deploy technical experts to distressed municipalities.
In a further sign of a tougher stance, criminal charges have been laid against 56 municipalities for failing to meet their water obligations. Municipal managers could also face prosecution in their personal capacities under the National Water Act.
But Professor William Gumede of the Wits School of Governance cautioned that without decisive leadership changes and strict consequence management, the incentive risks becoming “another bailout that disappears”.
He argued that municipal collapse is rooted less in a lack of funding and more in weak technical capacity, political patronage and corruption. Docking salaries, dismissing non-performing officials and clawing back funds from contractors who fail to deliver, he said, are critical steps to ensure reform.
Dr Ferrial Adam of WaterCAN described the allocation as inadequate given the scale of infrastructure decay and the high levels of non-revenue water — treated water lost through leaks, theft or billing failures. She stressed that municipalities must prioritise leak reduction, strengthen financial controls and enforce accountability if the funding is to translate into reliable service delivery.
While Ramaphosa’s intervention signals urgency at the highest level, analysts warn that without firm accountability and sustained oversight, billions more could be spent without restoring water security to struggling communities.
For residents facing dry taps and crumbling infrastructure, the success — or failure — of this plan may determine whether South Africa averts a full-scale municipal collapse or sinks deeper into its service delivery crisis.
By Bernell Simons
The Free State has recorded a notable drop in murder and several serious violent crimes, offering a measure of relief — but a troubling rise in sexual offences and domestic violence is casting a shadow over the gains.
Newly released third-quarter crime statistics for the 2025/26 financial year show a 7.2% decrease in murder cases, with 287 cases reported compared to the same period last year.
According to figures released on Friday by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, several key violent crime categories in the province showed encouraging declines between 1 October and 31 December 2025.
Assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) dropped by 4.8%, falling from 3,456 to 3,290 cases. Aggravated robbery declined by 10.3%, with notable improvements in specific subcategories. Carjackings fell by 12%, while business robberies decreased by 9%.
Stock theft, a persistent concern in the largely rural province, also recorded a 5.1% decrease, with 1,204 cases reported compared to 1,269 during the same quarter last year.
However, not all crime indicators moved in a positive direction.
Sexual offences, including rape, increased by 2.4%, with 1,112 cases reported — up from 1,086. Domestic violence cases also rose by 3.1%, reaching 2,345 incidents during the quarter.
The rise in gender-based violence remains a serious concern for authorities, particularly as much of the interpersonal violence occurs between individuals who know one another or share households.
Despite the mixed picture, provincial police have intensified crime-fighting operations. A key intervention has been Operation Shanela, a high-density policing initiative targeting violent crime hotspots.
Through Operation Shanela, 12,250 suspects were arrested in the Free State during the reporting period. The operation includes roadblocks, stop-and-search activities, tracing of wanted suspects and compliance inspections aimed at disrupting criminal networks and increasing police visibility.
While the latest statistics reflect measurable progress in certain serious crimes, authorities have cautioned that sustained and coordinated efforts are required to address persistent challenges — particularly sexual offences and domestic violence.
Provincial leadership maintains that crime reduction remains a priority, with ongoing collaboration between law enforcement, community structures and social services aimed at improving safety across both urban and rural communities.
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JOURNAL NEWS - LATEST EDITION - 20FEB2026
By Lerato Mutlanyane
North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, appeared before an ad hoc committee on Saturday, 14 February 2026, to address aallegationsof misconduct and corruption involving the Naledi Local Municipality.
As the final witness in the public hearings, the Premier’s testimony concluded a provincial investigation into Executive Mayor Clifton Groep.
The inquiry focused on claims that legislative processes were manipulated to target political rivals. Specifically, it was alleged that while serving as the African National Congress (ANC) chief whip in the legislature, Mokgosi pressured former employee, Thabo Appolus, to alter an audit report concerning the 2023 appointment of Modisenyane Segapo as municipal manager.
During the proceedings, Mokgosi challenged the affidavits submitted by municipal employee Thabo Sejake, as well as those from Appolus and Segapo. Despite evidence presented to verify the aallegationsagainst him, the Mokgosi dismissed the testimony and text messages as part of a coordinated political plot. He told the committee.
“Now listening to the discussion of people who made affidavits, I now realise that having not responded to that message was a correct instinct because it proved that Appolus, Segapo and Sejake had been communicating amongst themselves. They have been plotting the ‘Mokgosi Must Fall campaign’. Even the messages that are there are concocted,” Mokgosi alleged.
The hearing grew tense during a sharp exchange between the Premier and the evidence leader, Senior Advocate Pule Seleka, who accused Mokgosi of improperly interrogating witnesses who had not directly implicated him.
“If his explanation suits what I explained and the other witnesses, then I’m not sure if that to you is corroboration,” Mokgosi retorted.
In response to Mokgosi’s assertions, Sejake maintained that the committee simply sought clarity through his line of qquestioning stressing that his queries were also highlighting.
“It has nothing to do with me. The ad hoc committee wants to hear your version of events.”
Mokgosi remained on the offensive, nonetheless, accusing the committee of failing to provide specific proof of the alleged tampering. He argued that he deserved a clear explanation of the charges, as he is the individual placed at the centre of the claims.
“I’m at the centre of allegations. I must respond to the allegations, and my expectation was to be told how I tampered, when I tampered or attempted to tamper and also, on what I tampered with,” he stated.
The controversy is rooted in a November 14 Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling, which declared Segapo’s appointment constitutionally invalid due to procedural failures. Although eight people applied for the post, only Segapo and Appolus were shortlisted.
After Appolus withdrew, the council proceeded with Segapo’s appointment despite various irregularities. While Mayor Groep alleged that Mokgosi attempted to block the appointment, the court’s findings added a layer of complexity by revealing that Segapo was not legally qualified for the role.
The court noted that “any exercise of public power must be within the confines of the law,” concluding that the municipality’s recruitment process failed to meet this standard. The final phase of the inquiry included testimony from a wide range of witnesses, including current and former municipal officials, political office bearers, and provincial representatives.
Committee chairperson, Nathan Oliphant, concluded the hearings by asserting that the process remained independent, impartial, and fair. The ccommitteewill now analyse the evidence before susubmittingts final findings to the Speaker. Public attention remains fixed on the North West provincial government as the region awaits the outcome of the investigation.
