🇿🇦Week of October 26

The High Court has ruled that residential estates may not impose a "marketing" fee on estate agents, rejecting a broad exemption for estate accreditation fees. The ruling puts residential estate agent fees under fresh scrutiny and may reshape who sells property in South Africa, with the property regulator saying its transformation agenda remains on track despite the Sakeliga court defeat.12345

The case turned on estate accreditation fees charged to agents working inside residential estates. The court declined to grant the wide exemption sought, leaving estates without the broad cover they had argued for.21

The property regulator said its transformation agenda is on track despite the Sakeliga court defeat, signalling that the ruling does not halt its programme. The regulator's statement places the judgment alongside its broader drive over who may sell property in the country.54

Flash floods in the OR Tambo District Municipality have killed one person, SABC News reported. Heavy downpours and strong winds also plunged parts of the Eastern Cape into darkness. The rains hit the province on Wednesday.12

Four pupils were stranded when rising flood waters trapped them in the Eastern Cape. The four boys were rescued after being trapped by the flood waters, TimesLIVE reported. The Citizen described the rescue as following a river ordeal.345

The Mail & Guardian reported that the heavy rains threaten lives in the Eastern Cape, with downpours and strong winds cutting power across parts of the province.62

Johannesburg residents have taken to the streets for four consecutive days over water cuts, with protests spreading as the city also battles electricity and refuse-collection failures. In Melville, residents demonstrated against supply interruptions they say have lasted eight months, with some carrying the demand that heads must roll. At a home for disabled residents, dirty linen and nappies piled up during a five-day water outage, and elsewhere residents have illegally broken open fire hydrants while private water sales prompted a warning.1234

The mayor of Johannesburg says the situation is not a crisis, even as Robertsham has gone a week without water. Joburg Water says the city may only experience relief from dry taps in three months.135

The unrest follows Rand Water's announcement that it will restrict supply to Johannesburg and Tshwane, warning municipalities over excessive water consumption. Residents in affected areas have pushed back on calls to cut usage, complaining that they cannot reduce consumption if they have none.124

Eugene de Kock testified this week before the inquiry into Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases, appearing at what the Mail & Guardian identified as the Khampepe Commission. Coverage of his appearance ran from Monday through Thursday, with EWN reporting he was expected to testify and Sowetan carrying the session as recorded.1234

De Kock told the inquiry he knows everything, and he blamed the National Prosecuting Authority for the failure to prosecute apartheid-era crimes. He also accused a former prosecutor of protecting apartheid-era generals.1567

In his account of apartheid-era operations, De Kock described thallium poisonings and where bombing instructions came from, The Citizen reported.8

The inquiry follows earlier testimony from former president Thabo Mbeki, who denied that his government held secret meetings with apartheid-era generals and rejected assertions that the state interfered in apartheid-era prosecutions. Mbeki called any account of secret meetings with F.W. de Klerk and South African Defence Force generals aimed at securing amnesty a complete fabrication.12

President Cyril Ramaphosa has received the report of investigators examining why Iranian warships took part in naval drills off South Africa, including an exercise at Simon's Town. He is studying the findings, and the panel's report on the controversial drill will remain confidential.12345

The probe was ordered after the Iranian navy's participation was described as unauthorized, and The Citizen reported that a presidential order on the matter was ignored. EWN reported that Ramaphosa is considering the report into Iran's unauthorized naval participation.673

The drill took place in Simon's Town, the naval base near Cape Town where the exercise drew attention. The panel's findings on the Iranian warships' role will not be made public, according to Algoa FM.53

Tshwane has secured sufficient chlorine supply following the Bronkhorstspruit water contamination crisis. The city also lifted its boil-water advisory for the Pretoria CBD and surrounding areas.12

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is to visit Bronkhorstspruit after the outbreak. Parliament has called for wider accountability over the Tshwane water crisis.345

Residents in the affected areas describe bearing the cost of the city's water failures, with one quoted saying, "This thing is killing us." The Mail & Guardian reports the Bronkhorstspruit crisis highlights South Africa's wider water service failures.67

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana wants to scrap fuel levies, a plan set against an R80 billion problem in the fiscus. The proposal follows his medium-term budget, in which he announced a R3 fuel levy cut as relief at the pumps.12

The social grants bill is the other weight on the budget: Sassa will spend R290 billion on social grants this year. Treasury has also collected more than expected, with SARS revenue cited at R239 billion ahead of the medium-term budget statement.34

Attributed claim: The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement drew criticism from the SACP, which said it fails to confront the unemployment crisis. The Rural Health Advocacy Project said Treasury's savings must translate into better healthcare access.56

President Cyril Ramaphosa has framed the fiscal position as a recovery from state capture to a surplus. Treasury's work was credited by business leader Busisiwe Mavuso with pulling South Africa back from the brink of bankruptcy.78

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla returned to court in Durban this week as her trial over posts linked to the July 2021 unrest resumed. The case concerns her alleged role in the unrest, and she is ready to take the stand in her own defence.1234

A retired isiZulu practitioner was set to testify at the trial, SABC News reported as proceedings continued. The court sessions were carried live by broadcasters, with eNCA and SABC News streaming the resumed hearings.567

The trial resumed on Monday and continued into Thursday, when coverage reported her expected testimony. Sowetan carried the Thursday session live.184

Numsa's central committee has stripped national leaders, including Irvin Jim, of the powers to run South Africa's largest trade union. The decision removes the office bearers' authority over the union's operations.12

Irvin Jim faces suspension over the cancellation of a Numsa Central Committee meeting, the Johannesburg Sunday World reported. The suspension threat and the removal of powers were reported the same day.34

The Numsa National Congress has been delayed because of unresolved issues, SABC News reported. The congress delay and the central committee's action against the national leaders were reported together.5

Rand Water will restrict water supply to Johannesburg and Tshwane, the utility said, as it warned municipalities over excessive water consumption. Mogale City is among the municipalities facing the restrictions.123

Water supply disruptions are expected to continue in Soshanguve, in northern Tshwane, as the restrictions take effect.4

Residents pushed back on calls to cut usage, with the complaint that "we can't reduce water consumption if we have none."5