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News24 | Heavy rainfall, flooding in Overstrand as emergency teams respond to high call volumes
As relentless rain batters parts of the Western Cape, multiple homes in Hawston are flooded – and residents have been warned to brace for more.

Double tax hike on the cards for South Africa
The 2026 Budget could see hikes on two taxes in South Africa, presenting risks to the country’s inflation outlook for the rest of the year.

Major South African city’s name changed to the ‘gom-gom’ sound of waves breaking against a rock
East London’s name has been changed to KuGompo City, which is linked to the sound the waves make as they break against a rock formation near the metro.
Seahawks beat Patriots to win Super Bowl LX
SANTA CLARA, California, Feb 8 (Reuters) – The Seattle Seahawks relied on a relentless defense to beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, denying the Patriots an NFL record seventh championship and avenging a loss to the same opponent in the title game 11 years ago.
News24 | Mom and daughter pay off PEP lay-bys, triggering strangers to do the same nationwide
A Durban-based mother-and-daughter business has sparked a wave of small-scale giving across the country after paying off school-uniform lay-bys at a local clothing store and urging others to do the same.
Venezuelan opposition politician Guanipa freed as prisoner releases continue
Feb 8 (Reuters) – Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa has been freed from jail, his family said in a statement on Sunday, the latest high-profile release by the government in Caracas, which is under pressure from the U.S. to free political prisoners.
Building collapse in Lebanon kills at least six people, local official says
BEIRUT, Feb 8 (Reuters) – At least six people were killed and seven others were injured when two adjoining buildings collapsed in the Lebanese city of Tripoli on Sunday, with more trapped under the rubble, the head of the municipal council said.
LEARNING CURVEBALL: Overcrowded classes in Gqeberha school expose municipal failure in education
Walmer High School, a top-performing township school in Gqeberha, is struggling to cope with nearly 2,500 learners in classrooms built for half that number. Parents and pupils protested last week as municipal delays stall the construction of a second high school.
POWER GUZZLERS (PART ONE): Growth spurt of data centres could threaten SA’s electricity and water supply
Hype and hope are running high with the spread of artificial intelligence. But is South Africa paying sufficient attention to the risk of a potentially explosive demand for electricity and water by the multitude of data centres at the heart of the AI behemoth?
Police Ad Hoc Committee: General Khomotso Phahlane and the cost of false testimony
Daily Maverick has approached Parliament after former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane alleged that journalist Marianne Thamm attended a gathering at the home of controversial investigator Paul O’Sullivan, the purpose of which he implied was to plan a “smear campaign” against him.
CHILD OF THE STORM: Hero community health worker in Mbuala, Limpopo, delivers baby during flood disaster
Cut off by floodwaters and without access to a clinic, a Limpopo home-based carer was forced into an extraordinary role when a young woman went into labour during the January floods. In Mbaula village, amid destruction and isolation, an impromptu baby delivery became a symbol of hope and solidarity in a community left on the margins of healthcare.
MUNICIPAL DYSFUNCTION: Middelburg residents blockade national roads over long-running water crisis
Residents of Middelburg in the Eastern Cape brought road freight to a standstill to protest at the chronic shortage of water they face.
ON SAFARI: After the floods, Greater Kruger Park is opening up again. Should you go now?
The first white lion birth at Timbavati in a decade may signal a ‘bumper year’ for safari lovers in the water-soaked Lowveld. Flood-hit Kruger, despite infrastructure damage and some closed camps, holds its own promise.
News24 | Woman dies after suffering cardiac arrest during Midmar Mile
A 63-year-old woman has died after suffering cardiac arrest while participating in the aQuellé Midmar Mile on Sunday, event organisers confirmed.
GUARDIANS UNDER FIRE: Plea to support Africa’s game rangers as conflict spreads to more parks
The Game Rangers Association of Africa is calling on governments, funders and conservation groups to lend more support to wildlife rangers across the continent following an increasing number of attacks involving armed militia groups.
POWER UP: Nelson Mandela Bay proposes 9% electricity tariff hike for 2026/27 amid R840m losses
Ratepayers in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro face higher bills as council seeks a 9% electricity tariff increase, citing past averages and awaiting Eskom’s bulk-tariff confirmation. Councillors are concerned that once Eskom has announced the bulk tariff, the increase is likely to be even higher when incorporated into the metro’s proposed figure.
SAPS IN CRISIS ANALYSIS: Dirty politics, ‘rogue unit’ suspicions — the case of convicted ex-Crime Intelligence officer Paul Scheepers
The recent conviction of former Crime Intelligence officer Paul Scheepers for fraud, money laundering and contravening surveillance and private security legislation now brings into question the motives and veracity behind his previous work. The case also edges close to other ‘rogue unit’ accusations.
Watch – What Epstein file emails reveal about Jacob Zuma’s London dinner
When newly released documents related to Jeffrey Epstein were published in January, journalists around the world began searching for any local connections hidden in the records. At Daily Maverick, we did the same — and came across a name we did not expect: Jacob Zuma.

Key South African city in crisis
A governance crisis in Matlosana has erupted as civil society challenges the council’s allegedly unlawful reinstatement of the dismissed CFO, while the provincial ANC and CoGTA move to intervene.