Top Stories

One in three probation appointments missed due to staff workloads, figures show
Probation officers tell the BBC unattended appointments can encourage reoffending and put lives at risks.

WATCH | Patrice Motsepe unhappy with Caf appeal board ruling on Afcon final, say sources
Sources said Caf president had no say during the appeals process.
News24 | Zwane returns as Broos recasts Bafana squad for Panama with the FIFA World Cup in mind
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has named his 23-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies against Panama later this month.

Dark clouds gather over South Africa’s most important province
Gauteng, the South African province that’s home to Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria, is struggling to grow and its shift from manufacturing and mining to a services hub is deepening inequality.

Police investigating bailout email from Mandelson to Epstein
Met chief Sir Mark Rowley says police are looking at whether the email was a criminal offence.
BHEKISISA: Can South Africa fix its health system before the courts decide its fate?
The implementation of the National Health Insurance is effectively frozen in court and constitutional clashes, blocking South Africa’s most sweeping health overhaul since 1994. We talked to health economist Susan Cleary to find out whether the National Health Insurance is a wise way forward.
SPOTLIGHT: Delayed diagnosis of hearing loss undermining child development in SA
Despite the proven benefits of newborn hearing screening and early intervention, universal screening is not yet mandated in South Africa and is only available at a few public hospitals.

Lang to have surgery in Liverpool for ‘serious’ thumb injury
Galatasaray midfielder Noa Lang is set to have surgery in Liverpool after suffering a “serious cut” at Anfield.
BHEKISISA: Bringing it home: SA leads the charge to make anti-HIV jab for Africa
South Africa’s National Aids Council has launched a renewed effort to secure licences to make generic versions of lenacapavir in the country. This is how it is going about it.
WATCH | Messi scores 900th career goal, joins Ronaldo in elite club
Strike came 21 years after Argentinian great’s first in senior football for Barcelona as a 17-year-old in 2005.

Kevin Spacey and accusers settle before civil trial
The actor agrees an out-of-court settlement with three men who accused him of sexual assault.

Teacher ‘rapes pupil after confiscating her phone in class’
A 56-year-old Limpopo teacher allegedly raped a pupil on school premises after confiscating her cellphone and telling her she must pay to get it back.

GWM explores manufacturing plant options in South Africa
Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor (GWM) is weighing whether to share a manufacturing facility with another carmaker in South Africa or acquire an existing plant if available, and has held talks with Mercedes-Benz as it considers its options.

Death knell for Showmax in South Africa
Showmax has informed customers that 31 March is the last day they will be able to renew their subscriptions or redeem vouchers, as the streaming platform prepares to shut down for good at the end of April.
News24 | On The Record | Technical colleges, free bank payments – CEOs on how to create jobs
The first panel of News24’s On the Record summit has yielded a raft of proposals to jump-start job creation – including bringing back technical colleges and making bank payments free.
News24 | ANC to officially allow branches to pick councillor candidates
The ANC will, in the coming days, officially open its process to elect councillor candidates ahead of the 2026 municipal elections, with branches set to begin on 1 April.

South Africa’s most exclusive bank chugging along
Investec said it is set up for success in its upcoming results for the 2026 financial year.

House of Lords backs bid to decriminalise abortion
Abortion is a crime in England and Wales, unless under strict circumstances, under a 164-year-old law.
READER LETTER | US-Israel war on Iran must stop
The ongoing US-Israel vs Iran war is one of the scariest since World War II. The massive loss of economies, infrastructure and lives in this war has created untold human tragedy.