Category: South Africa Government

Bafana Bafana have bowed out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament following a defeat by Cameroon.

“Bafana Bafana are out of the Africa Cup of Nations after a defeat by Cameroon at the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, in the Last 16 stage of the tournament on Sunday,” the South African Football Association (SAFA) said on Monday.

Goals from defender Junior Tchamadeu in the 34th minute and Christian Kofane two minutes after the restart in the second half gave Cameroon the advantage before Evidence Makgopa pulled one back for the South African senior men’s national team two minutes from regulation time.

“With a bit of luck, the game could have seen a different outcome had the opportunities that Bafana Bafana created during the match managed to find the back of the net,” said SAFA.

“We are very disappointed and sad that we have been eliminated. I think we had the right plan, and everybody saw that, especially in the first half. We had three good chances in the first half, and the game could have been (over) then,” coach Hugo Broos said.

In a post on social media platform, X, government acknowledged the efforts of the team in Sunday night’s match.

“Bafana Bafana bow out of AFCON after a hard-fought match against Cameroon. We salute the team for their effort and commitment, and thank South Africans for the unwavering support,” said government.

Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana will return to their base in Marrakech on Monday, 5 January 2025 before finally heading back home to South Africa.

The South African senior men’s team were knocked out of AFCON after qualifying for the knockout stages in December 2025. At the time, government congratulated the team for the feat.

READ | Bafana Bafana qualifies for AFCON knockout stages 

The final of the tournament is expected to be held on 18 January 2026. – SAnews.gov.za

With just several days into the new year, consumers will breathe a sigh of relief as the price of all grades of petrol is set to come down by between 62 and 66 cents this week.

As of Wednesday, 7 January 2026, a litre of Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP) will decrease by 62 cents a litre and Petrol 95 (ULP &LRP) will decrease by 66 cents a litre.

The decrease in price means that a litre of 95, which currently costs R21.41 cents a litre, will now cost R20.75 in Gauteng. In the coast, a litre of 95 will cost R19.92 cents a litre.

The price of Diesel (0.05% sulphur) is set to decrease by R1.37 cents a litre, while the price of Diesel (0.005 % sulphur) will come down by R1.50 cents a litre.

The price of Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale) is set to come down by R1.10 cents a litre and the price of Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale) will fall by R1.48 cents a litre.

The Maximum Retail Price of LPGas will increase by 21 cents per kilogram and 23 cents per kilogram in the Western Cape.

According to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the average Brent Crude oil price decreased from 63.55 US Dollars (USD) to 61.47 USD during the period under review.

“The main contributing factor is the oversupply of oil in the market due to increased production by OPEC+ and non-OPEC [Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries] producers,” the department said in a statement on Sunday.

It further added that the average international product prices of Petrol followed the decreasing trend of crude oil.

“The prices of middle distillates, such as diesel and illuminating paraffin, decreased more significantly because of higher inventories for the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. These factors led to lower contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of Petrol, Diesel and Illuminating Paraffin by 45.03 c/l, 126.97 c/l and 87.96 c/l, respectively. The prices of Propane and Butane increased during the period under review due to tighter global supply.”

The drop in fuel prices in January 2026 follow fuel price increases in December 2025. – SAnews.gov.za

Over 300 babies were born across Gauteng public health facilities on New Year’s Day.  

Over 396 babies were born to mothers across the province on 1 January 2025. A total of 198 males and 198 females were born at public institutions.

Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, joined postpartum mothers in welcoming their newly born bundles of joy at the Leratong Hospital in the West Rand on Thursday.

READ | Gauteng Health MEC to welcome New Year’s Day babies

The MEC handed over gift hampers for their babies. Across the province’s four academic hospitals, (Steve Biko, Dr George Mukhari, Chris Hani Baragwanath and Charlotte Maxeke), 79 babies were born, said the provincial Health Department on Friday.

The Tembisa and Kalafong tertiary hospitals saw the births of 42. Across regional and district hospitals including the Jubilee, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, 204 babies were born.

At community healthcare centres (CHCs), which include the Hillbrow CHC, Mofolo CHC and the Laudium CHC, 71 babies were born.

On Christmas Day, MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko welcomed babies born at Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital where she presented mothers with gift hampers.

On Christmas Day, the public health facilities in the province saw the births of 428 babies (206 males and 222 females). – SAnews.gov.za

Gauteng police, working together with other law enforcement agencies, on New Year’s Eve arrested more than 1 160 people for various criminal offences, with about 900 of them being wanted suspects for serious and violent crimes.

The arrests were made during operations that were conducted in all the five districts – Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Sedibeng and West Rand.

“The integrated multidisciplinary operations resulted in over 1 160 people being arrested, including illegal immigrants and for crimes such as possession of unlicensed firearms, drunk driving, dealing in drugs, and possession of suspected stolen property, amongst others.

“The detectives arrested approximately 900 of the suspects during the overnight tracing of wanted suspects for serious and violent crimes,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said on Thursday.

Inspections were also conducted at liquor outlets to ensure compliance with the Gauteng Liquor Act, as liquor is one of the influences behind contact crimes like murder, rape and assault.

“More boots were on the ground, as the police applied a zero tolerance approach to liquor outlets that do not comply with the law and this resulted in the closure of nine liquor outlets for non-compliance. Several seizures were also made during the operations varying from dangerous weapons, drugs, liquor, firearms and ammunition.

“The operation also saw a peaceful and jubilant crossover celebration in Hillbrow, which is infamous for recklessness and lawlessness during New Years’ eve celebrations,” SAPS said.

All the arrested suspects are expected to appear before various Magistrate’s Court from Friday, 2 January. – SAnews.gov.za

With the festive season holidays drawing to a close, road users are encouraged to act responsibly and remain vigilant as heavy traffic is anticipated on all major routes nationwide this weekend.

Law enforcement officers will maintain high levels of visibility during this period.

“Motorists are advised to plan their trips carefully. They are advised to avoid travelling at night as evidence shows that most deadly crashes happen after sunset and in the early hours of the morning.

“Travel data analysed since the start of the festive season road safety campaign on 01 December shows that 21% of fatal crashes happen between 7pm and 10pm and 6% between midnight and 1am.

“These are the times when most head-on collisions have taken place claiming many lives,” Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said on Friday.

Drivers are urged to take sufficient breaks to avoid fatigue.

The RTMC said speeding, drunken driving and reckless conduct will not be tolerated.

“Public transport operators are called upon to avoid overloading and to ensure that their permits are valid for the routes they operate on. Public transport operators are further called upon to desist from loading and off-loading passengers at unsafe spots as this increases the risk of pedestrian crashes,” RTMC said.

More than 4 700 public transport vehicles have been impounded for contravention of operator permits, while 12 600 vehicles have been discontinued for roadworthy related infringements.

“Motorists are also advised to check the weather forecast and ensure that they don’t drive through storms and are not crossing over flooded bridges.

“Motorists are reminded to reduce speed when driving in rainy conditions, increase the following distance between vehicles and have their lights on. Speed must also be reduced when driving past residential areas or pedestrian dense locations,” RTMC said. – SAnews.gov.za

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has successfully apprehended a 55-year-old man who is allegedly linked to a string of rapes and robberies spanning over two decades across Welkom, Thabong, and Bloemfontein.

The suspect’s run from the law ended recently after he allegedly attacked a 21-year-old female victim.

“The victim was walking home from town through the Magengenene graveyard when she was attacked and raped. Alert community members responded to the incident, chased the suspect, and successfully handed him over to the Mangaung police,” SAPS said on Thursday.

Preliminary investigations have revealed a “disturbing pattern of deception”.

The suspect reportedly posed as a “prophet” claiming that his ancestors required the victims to perform rituals in the graveyard.

Once at the Magangenene graveyard, he would persuade victims to undress for “cleansing”. He would then cut the victim’s hair and burn it on a nearby grave and proceed to rape the victims. The man would also rob the victims of their cellphones, claiming “witches” would use the devices to track them.

Detective work and DNA profiling have since linked the 55-year-old to seven additional cases of rape and robbery with five of them taking place in Mangaung, while two other cases happened in Welkom.

“The forensic evidence links him to crimes dating back as far as 1999. Records indicate the suspect was out on parole when he allegedly resumed his criminal activities in 2022. The recent graveyard attack marks the eighth case now officially tied to his name.

“The suspect is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate Court shortly to face multiple charges of rape and robbery,” SAPS said.

The investigation is being spearheaded by Detective Sergeant Bessie Nthoba of the Mangaung Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, Cold Case and Serial Rapist Division.

The SAPS believes there may be more victims who have not yet come forward.

Anyone who was victimised in a similar manner is urged to contact Detective Sergeant Nthoba on 082 886 8979, call the Crime Stop Tip-off line on 08600 10111, or report to their nearest police station. – SAnews.gov.za

The City of Cape Town has appealed to residents be more water-wise and minimise non-essential consumption due to excessive water usage over the past few weeks.

The City has set a collective water-wise daily usage target of less than 975 million litres per day (MLD) for the summer season. 

This allocation was determined to mitigate the risk associated with below average or unpredictable rainfall during 2026, and to maintain a reliable water supply. 

 As of Wednesday, 31 December 2025, the average water usage stood at 1 025MLD, with the city’s dam levels at 70.5%.

“Currently, the City’s main supply dams are 19.2% lower than last year at this time and as a city, we have collectively and consistently been using over 1 000 million litres of water daily. 

“While there is no immediate reason for concern, all Capetonians, visitors and businesses are encouraged to carefully manage their water use over the coming months,” the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said.

Badroodien said early and sustained reductions in water use help protect water security, reduce the risk of sudden restrictions, and ensure that sufficient reserves are available should rainfall in 2026 be below average. 

“Adjusting water-use habits now across households, businesses and the tourism sector will help build resilience against climate-related shocks and safeguard water supplies,” he said.

The City reminds the public of some key tips to keep water usage down:

• Take short, stop-start showers or small baths. The maximum flow rate of new and replaced showerheads may not exceed seven litres.
• Wash more with less, for laundry and dishes. Only wash clothes and dishes (pots, cups etc) when really needed. Washing and spot-cleaning can use less water.
• Turn off taps and hoses when not using the water.
• Only water gardens before 09:00 or after 18:00 to avoid evaporation losses.
• Keep summer fun water-wise. Use water mindfully for children’s play and cooling. Use a wet cloth to cool down hot skin and avoid wasteful spraying of water. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has confirmed large numbers of dead white mussel, whelks and other shellfish being washed out at St Helena Bay and Elandsbaai on the West Coast.  

Members of the public have been cautioned to refrain from eating the washed-out marine animals, as they carry significant health risks, rendering them unsuitable for consumption. 

The dead shellfish, which washed up on Monday and Tuesday, indicates that they died after being paralysed, unable to burrow and then washed up. 

“This is most likely due to the presence of a harmful algal bloom (HAB) or red tide. Red tides are algal blooms, that is, accumulations of large amounts of phytoplankton (single-cell algae) that are common during summer and autumn along the West Coast. 

“This particular red tide is colourless and therefore not visible to the human eye, but paralytic shellfish poisoning neurotoxins are extremely toxic to humans.  All shellfish, irrespective of being washed out or collected from shore or subtidal, should not be eaten,” the department said on Wednesday.

The department will continue to monitor the situation with respect to the extent of the red tide and resultant mass mortalities on the West Coast. – SAnews.gov.za