The Citizen (Gauteng)

Clash of the titans

It’s finally here… Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series between the world’s top two rugby teams, the number one-ranked Springboks and the second-ranked All Blacks, kicks off at Ellis Park in Joburg tomorrow with the first of four Tests. It will be the 111th...

Test build-up

All Blacks flanker Peter Lakai addresses the media during his team’s training session at St Stithians College in Johannesburg yesterday. New Zealand face the Springboks at Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday in the first of four Tests.

Bridges, not borders – Cyril

The words migrants, deportation or xenophobia didn’t cross his lips as President Cyril Ramaphosa urges SA’s neighbours to ‘turn borders into bridges’. ‘Remove non-tariff barriers and make it easier for goods, services, capital and skills to move across...

More gold for SA’s golden girl

Two-time Grammy Award-winning South African singer and songwriter Tyla receives the International Achievement Award at the 32nd annual South African Music Awards at the Sun City Superbowl on Saturday.

Booze: the dying vice?

South Africa’s Gen Zers – young people between 14 and 29 – are seemingly following a global trend: they are shunning alcohol. They’d sip on the odd cocktail but much prefer energy drinks, the gym and natural highs through meditation. In short, they...

Swans en pointe

Principal dancers Leanè Theunissen and Gabriel Ravenscroft perform in Cape Ballet Africa’s production of Swan Lake at The Teatro, at Montecasino, yesterday. The classic love story, set to Tchaikovsky’s soaring score, is choreographed and directed by...

Caravelle goes hybrid

Volkswagen’s first new energy vehicle, the hybrid is now for sale in SA. Anotable absentee at the launch of the new Transporter last year, Volkswagen was frank in its decision not to introduce a Caravelle derivative. While the Transporter was touted...

How did Eskom turn it around?

For a full 441 days, SA’s lights stayed on, zero diesel was used for a second consecutive week – slashing Eskom’s cost from R5.3 billion to a mere R807 million in a year – and combined with improved fleet performance, its Generation Recovery Plan saves...

Hot to the trot

A Hindu devotee takes part in the Theemithi fire-walking ceremony at the Shri Anantha Muthumariamman Temple in New Modder, Benoni, yesterday. The ceremony marks the end of the 10-day annual Aadi Muthumariamman fire-walking festival.

On point

The national athletics team ended their medal drought last night, with Masala Makatu claiming a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. While there were some near misses in a few events, visually impaired sprinter Makatu delivered, taking...

King of Scotland

Team South Africa’s Pieter Coetzé celebrates after winning the men’s 100m backstroke title at Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last night. Coetze finished the Games with three gold medals, one silver and...

Taking strain

Anneke Spies-Burger of Team South Africa completes a lift during the women’s 58kg weightlifting event on day four of the Commonwealth Games at SEC Armadillo in Glasgow. She finished 7th with a total of 178kg.

Fly like a butterfly...

Zelme Daries, 22, of Team South Africa, competes in the floor exercise during the women’s all-around final on day three at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games at The Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday. Daries finished 13th, with her older sister Naveen...

Illegal guns slaughter

With over 28 people murdered in the country every day, new statistics tell a shocking story: you are 100 times more likely to be killed by an illegal firearm as by a gun that is properly licensed. This financial year, 9 323 murders were committed with...

Degrees of theft

Fraud and mismanagement plague the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), with middle-class families exploiting funds meant for the poor. Experts call Nsfas ‘a complete mess’, while students face defunding, evictions and hunger. Corruption and...

Too old at 75?

Not on your life, says the DA about their Joburg mayoral candidate, Helen Zille. During her campaign she has scaled buildings, been snorkelling and even mowed grass. Besides, she took down two ANC administrations: in the Western Cape and in Cape Town....

‘No comment’

A reporter approaches Larry the Cat before Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first Cabinet meeting in London yesterday. Larry welcomed his seventh housemate at 10 Downing Street since he began patrolling the corridors of power more than 15 years ago....

Silver streakers

Netters carry a crate of sardines caught at Scottburgh beach, south of Durban, yesterday. The sardine run occurs from May through July, when the fish move northwards along the East Coast. Each year, massive shoals stretching hundreds of kilometres draw...

Spain reign supreme

New Bok on the block

Talented flyhalf Vusi Moyo will make his Springbok debut in their Nations Championship clash against Wales at Kings Park in Durban tomorrow. Kick-off is at 5.40pm. Rising star Moyo will miss the World Rugby Under-20 Championship final between SA and...

Grassroot gogo on the go

Questions are being raised if DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille will leave Johannesburg if her party fails to get a majority in the local government elections later this year. Zille, who has been a resident of Cape Town for many years, moved to...

Pay to drive in your city?

Woe are you if your car is old: you’ll have to fork out a tax because you foul up Joburg’s air – that’s if one city boss has her way. Lebo Molefe, in charge of air quality, is citing reports on pollution to implement European-style clean air zones and...

UK cops wait for this dad

Zimbabwean national Ndodana Tshuma will remain in custody while the state verifies his status in the country. The 45-year-old Tshuma was arrested in Kensington, Johannesburg on Friday following an operation involving the SA Police Service Interpol...

You call this a hospital?

Shortage of kit, infrastructure failing – rights body. Rob Ferreira Hospital, one of Mpumalanga’s two tertiary hospitals, has been rocked by complaints of deteriorating patient care, with severe linen shortages that have allegedly forced some patients...

The man SA loves

Springbok prop Wilco Louw said he expects a challenging scrum battle in their Nations Championship match against Scotland on Saturday, with the visitors improving in the set-piece over the years. That facet helped Scotland secure third-place finishes...

Beware the ‘tsotsis in suits’

The EFF urges parliament to investigate Nsfas administrator Hlengani Mathebula’s R10 million for advisors and R200 000 travel costs, warning R60 billion in student aid demands accountability. The party wants Treasury confirmation of approvals, itemised...

SAA’s new R1bn bailout

Standard Bank made a R1 billion credit facility available to the state-owned airline, sources claim, raising fresh questions about whether taxpayers will foot the bill again. Whether the credit line is backed by a government guarantee, secured against...

Deported kids suffer

They have spent their entire schooling in SA but now face being withdrawn because their parents are being deported or leaving the country – and what thousands of pupils face in their home country, Zimbabwe, are schools with no maths literacy or life...

Joy of winning

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was happy that his team were able to overcome the sudden loss of two senior players just before their opening Nations Championship match against England at Ellis Park on Saturday, and still go on to win 45-21. Word...

A Bok for games

Flyhalf Manie Libbok during a training session yesterday. With Cheslin Kolbe sharing goal-kicking duties, Libbok will marshal the Springboks against England in the Nations Championship opener tomorrow at Ellis Park. Kickoff is at 5.40pm.

‘We are the law’

More than 4 600 illegal foreigners have either been repatriated or deported from South Africa over the past two weeks, as the campaign by the March and March movement gained momentum. This was confirmed by the Government Communication Service (GCIS)...

‘It’s not over’

‘We will do this every Thursday for six months until they are gone,’ March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma tells thousands protesting undocumented foreigners in Durban. Despite pockets of unruliness, the marches countrywide were peaceful with a...

SA holds its breath

As South Africa holds its collective breath during today’s March and March national protest action, with many choosing to keep their doors locked, or work from home, in case of violence or looting. President Cyril Ramaphosa has said intimidation and...

Shattered dreams

Bafana’s Thalente Mbatha, left, and Tshepang Moremi look dejected after they were beaten by Canada in the last-32 of the Fifa World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium last night. Canada won 1-0.

Bafana’s new frontier

Head coach Hugo Broos should have a statue built in his honour after South Africa qualified for the knockout stages of a Fifa World Cup finals for the first time, Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams says Bafana’s 1-0 win over South Korea at...

Foreign affairs

Police and private enforcement agencies forge united front. Blocking roads, intimidation of communities, destruction of property, attacks on businesses, looting, violence and any attempts to undermine public order will not be tolerated in the planned...

Bafana mania

A Bafana Bafana fan brings rhythm and colour to Mexico City’s Fifa World Cup stage. In Cherry Data Signals’ Reputation Index survey of 5 200 US adults, South African supporters ranked fifth globally, praised for vibrant culture and vuvuzela-style...

Goodbye, Number 10

Wife of Britain’s prime minister Victoria Starmer gives her husband Keir Starmer a sympathetic hug after he makes a statement on his future outside 10 Downing Street yesterday in London. Starmer announced his resignation after fewer than two years in...

Migrants: churches now targets

The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has called on antiimmigration activists to stop threatening foreigner-led churches operating in the country. SACC was responding to The Citizen’s questions regarding a video clip circulating on social media...

Proud moment

Recalled by Carlo Ancelotti, Casemiro became an untouchable figure for Brazil – until a disappointing World Cup start made him a prime target for criticism at home. The former Real Madrid player, one of the leaders of the squad chasing a sixth world...

Big cat battle

Bafana face a must-win clash against Czechia in their penultimate Group A match at Atlanta Stadium this evening as they look to revive their World Cup campaign. Another defeat could leave Bafana staring at an early exit, while a positive result would...

Day etched in history

Some blame them for state of nation as they are in govt now. In the play, Rise ’76, currently running at the Market Theatre in Joburg, the audience is reminded that one of the most prominent victims of the 16 June, 1976 riots, Hector Pieterson would...

Record breaker

South Africa’s George Kusche celebrates with his family after winning the men’s race at the Comrades Marathon at Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg yesterday. His winning time of 5hr 15min 56sec was almost nine minutes better than the previous...

Seeing red

Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio shows a red card to Bafana midfielder Themba Zwane during the opening game of the 2026 World Cup against Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium last night. Mexico won 2-0. See back page

Kick-off at last

The World Cup kicks off this evening with Fifa betting that the enduring appeal of the greatest footballing show on earth can rise above mounting anger at ticket prices and a US immigration crackdown that has seen fans, a top referee and team officials...

E-toll R29bn write-off

Two years after the hated Gauteng e-toll gantries were switched off, government has approved that roads agency Sanral can write off the R29 billion debt owed on the project. Outa says it’s ‘a symptom of government’s inefficiencies and inability to make...

US gives us wings

A biplane at the 2026 South African Air Force Museum Airshow in Valhalla, Pretoria, on Saturday. The airshow is a platform for aviation enthusiasts to witness breathtaking aerial displays, meet skilled pilots and explore a wide array of aircraft that...

Tragedy of SA’s broke towns

Municipalities in South Africa have a combined debt of more than half a trillion rand and, unless efforts are made to recover what is owed and stop the bleeding, towns and cities will be unable to carry out their most basic functions. That grim...

Joburg’s money ‘horror show’

Parliament lambastes the City of Joburg over its finances, calling it ‘pathetic’ and ‘extremely alarming’ when presented with factual amounts: it wrote off R9 billion from residents who won’t pay, with City Power ‘losing’ R5.7 billion and Joburg Water...

Eskom nuclear plan anger

Proposals for a power station in Thyspunt on the Eastern Cape coast reignite a decades-long clash with activists. While supporters highlight reliable baseload as coal declines, analysts caution against ecological harm, tourism fallout and financial...

‘Unite behind our boys’

Bafana Bafana’s Samukelo Kabini, Thabang Matuludi, Evidence Makgopa and Tshepang Moremi as the national team left for Mexico yesterday, a day later than expected after all 26 players in squad at last secured their visas to travel to the Fifa World Cup....

Make us proud

Bafana Bafana’s post-season preparation for the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals is underway and it has not exactly got off to an auspicious start. First came a rather insipid goalless draw with Nicaragua in a friendly international on Friday at the Orlando...

Paint on a smile

Artist Melissa Haiden from August House adds finishing touches to her artwork yesterday at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, ahead of the Colours of Compassion art auction, which raises money for the Smile Foundation, supporting children with life-changing...

Joburg’s Cabinet of crooks

Faces questions from ANC’s integrity commission, cops over extortion allegations. Joburg mayor Dada Morero has another thorn in his “Cabinet” after a member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for group corporate and shared services, Sthembiso Zungu, found...

A Growing Threat to Water Infrastructure and Public Safety

Encroachment is the illegal use of Rand Water servitudes, including building structures, installing services, or conducting activities on land reserved for critical water infrastructure.

STATE OF THE NATION.

A pedestrian walks past a mural along Joubert Street at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg yesterday. The perimeter walls of Constitution Hill feature many colourful and insightful murals.

Wings on his soles

After dominating the race up front, Ethiopian athletes said they felt honoured to shine on their home continent at the Cape Town Marathon yesterday. With organisers hoping to receive top-flight World Marathon Majors status, elite athletes were given a...

Borehole control ‘ridiculous’

While some experts have welcomed proposals to monitor and regulate borehole drilling and groundwater extraction by the department of water and sanitation, others have said they are ill-thought out and could be damaging to the economy. John Weaver, a...

All smiles as Jozi suffers

Mayor Dada Morero denies Joburg is on the brink of collapse and plays the political card for the broken city he ‘inherited’ from the DA. Though citing some successes in his address, a frantic Morero was behind the scenes trying to resolve Eskom’s debt...

FINE FYNBOS.

South Africa’s Leon Kluge and Tristan Woudberg yesterday won gold and best exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show with their Life After Fire, highlighting the renewal of the fynbos ecosystem once wildfires have swept over the Cape.

‘Fixer’ in a fix

Businessman and political fixer Brown Mogotsi in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday. He allegedly staged an attempt to take his own life in November last year, and will remain in custody as the case was postponed to Monday for a bail...

SA’s deadly need for speed

➜ Known for their ‘delinquent behaviour’ on roads, there’s a new scourge contributing to the fatal data: social media and the hunt for likes of viral videos of speedsters racing in excess of 200km/h. The risks of illegal street racing amplify the stark...

The big price rip-off

You are paying near double for groceries than you did five years ago: a 2.5kg sugar cost R36.99 in 2021 and now R63, coffee jumped from R89.99 to R169.99 – and that’s despite food inflation data suggesting far milder hikes. And did you know your...

Speak no evil

Suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola appears in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court yesterday on charges linked to an irregular police tender. The case against the top cop and suspected organised crime kingpin Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala was...

Missing billions leave tots stranded

R10bn to subsidise each toddler with R24 a day for food, over R200m for early childhood development infrastructure and R236m for a nutrition pilot – but it’s all just on paper with centres not receiving the funds and children going hungry.

Top cops up for graft

Durban businessman Tariq Downes, left, senior Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan and Gauteng Hawks head Ebrahim Kadwa appear at Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court in Ekurhuleni for corruption and defeating the ends of justice. Each was granted R20 000...

Phala Phala: end of GNU?

Following the Constitutional Court’s ruling, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s looming impeachment inquiry threatens to fracture the fragile government of national unity. With the DA refusing blind loyalty and the MK party pushing a no-confidence motion, the...

Virus takes wing in SA

Eight days it took SA authorities to start contact-tracing the 82 passengers and 6 crew on an Airlink flight that carried a hantavirus-infected tourist who later died in Joburg. Eight days in which the passengers went home or elsewhere, instead of...

Will the virus affect you?

Although Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi confirms the hantavirus strain that entered SA is the Andes that causes human-to-human transmission, he and the head of WHO say there is a low risk the outbreak will turn into a health emergency. So where does...

Africa’s peacock

Turning the human body into a canvas; a sculpture. The steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art transformed once again into a living gallery this year as the Met Gala 2026 embraced its evocative theme, Costume Art. It was not just about dressing up,...

May the fourth be with you

Silver linings

South Africa’s men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams celebrate with their silver medals on the second and final day of the World Athletics Relays at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana, yesterday.

Full force

Protesters march through central Johannesburg yesterday in a demonstration against illegal migrants organised by the citizen-led ‘March and March’ movement, which calls for stronger immigration enforcement and the protection of job opportunities for...