Update@Noon

The Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs in Mpumalanga says that, since the start of the summer rainfall season in November, the province has kept all disaster management teams and emergency personnel fully activated across provincial, district, and local municipality levels. The department says it has recorded 19 fatalities related to the heavy rains and flooding. This includes one confirmed drowning of a woman reported last night, bringing the total to 19.Most deaths have been due to drowning. The department says more than a thousand homes have been damaged, with roofs blown off, structures collapsed, and many mud houses completely demolished. Public infrastructure has also been affected. Around 28 schools have reported damage, with some currently inaccessible. The department’s head of communication, Freddy Ngobe, gives a report on the recent rains in Mpumalanga.

The South African Human Rights Commission reports receiving numerous complaints about learner placements, especially in Gauteng. The commission says it has been monitoring school admissions programmes over the years and has noted a systemic problem of learners not being placed or not being placed on time. The Commission says this amounts to a direct threat to the constitutional right of every child to basic education. The commissions spokesperson , Mr Wisani Baloyi explains 

Former Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane is appearing before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of criminal infiltration, corruption and political interference in the South African justice system. . He has told parliament that the order for him to step aside in 2017 by former Minister Fikile Mbalula was unlawful. He is the first witness to face the committee in the new year.. 

Minister John Steenhuisen, further says  several provinces have been affected, including Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. He says the department will roll out immediate mass vaccination in hotspot areas, with repeat campaigns within three months. Feedlots and dairy herds will be fully vaccinated. SteenHuisen explains

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen says a foot and mouth vaccination programme has to go hand in hand with enhanced surveillance and movement control. Steenhuisen was briefing the media on the current status of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in South Africa. He says government has vaccinated 2 million animals. He says early detection and reporting are essential to limit the spread of Foot-and-mouth disease in the country.

Tensions continue to simmer between Washington in the US and the South African government. This as the Will for Peace 2026 maritime exercise officially launched over the past weekend. This year's week long naval exercises are led by the People's Republic of China, with South Africa acting as host nation. The collaborative action by BRICS countries has however hit a snag with Iran and India both pulling out of naval activities. This follows recent geopolitical tensions where the US threatened 'serious military action against Iran. For an in-depth analysis and chat on this Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Steven Gruzd, Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs..

The Competition Commission says its is looking at developing a new national digital monitoring tool in order to track and monitor exorbitant school uniform prices. This as the commission seeks to curb the exclusive supply agreement that force parents to buy school uniforms from single and often high priced outlets. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to senior analyst at the Competition Commission, Sithabiso Buthelezi

As South Africa's schools prepare to reopen tomorrow, thousands of learners in Gauteng still remain without school placement for the upcoming academic year.  This is despite government assurances that the crisis is under control. Last week, the  Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) reported that 4,858  Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners are unplaced. These are learners whose school applications were done through the 2026 online admission process.  Earlier our reporter Calvin Dludla caught up with a parent whose child has not yet been placed.

The rights group SECTION27 has gone to the Limpopo High Court on behalf of 50 former matric pupils accused of group copying. The group from Baphutheng Senior Secondary School, are accused of copying Business Studies Paper 1 and Economics Paper 2 in the 2024 NSC exams. According to SECTION 27 the learners' results have been withheld for over a year, despite no evidence of cheating. SECTION 27 argues similarities in answers stem from shared teaching methods at an under-resourced school. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SECTION27 attorney Thato Gaffane