The official figure of the mentally-ill patients who died in the Life Esidimeni tragedy now stands at 118. Health Ombudsman Prof Malegapuru Makgoba revealed this during his testimony in the Life Esidimeni Arbitration which got underway in Parktown, Johannesburg on Monday. When he released his report in February this year, Makgoba said 94 patients had died, and that he was still counting. He was the state's first witness in the three-week long hearings chaired by retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke. Wisani Makhubele has more.

The Executive Director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, Vasu Gounden, says South Africa is moving rapidly in the direction of civil war. He says failure to improve the lives of the majority of the country's people as well as the current political rhetoric threaten to plunge the country into the instability experienced by other countries, like Syria, South Sudan, Somalia and Rwanda. Gounden was delivering the seventh annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture in Cape Town. Joseph Mosia reports.

The Lady Frere woman who had charges of murder and attempted murder against her withdrawn by the local magistrate's court in the Eastern Cape, says she is delighted. The NPA announced on Monday that it had declined to prosecute. The women rescued her daughter from three rapists, fatally stabbing a man and wounding two others . There was jubilation inside and outside court when the decision to drop the charges was announced. Lubabalo Dada reports

On today's trending topics:

Personal care brand Dove has found itself in the midst of a social media storm after it released a series of images that showed a black woman turning white after using its soap.

A video of a woman assaulted and handcuffed after her three-year-old daughter apparently relieved herself outside the Usave Shoprite in Cosmo City goes viral.

The Annual DstvFestival and Bafana Bafana win against Burkina Faso.

The EFF yesterday announced the expulsion of six councillors who voted with the ANC in Mogale City municipality. The party said the councillors contravened the EFF decision not to attend the Mogale City budget vote council meeting in which the ANC needed its budget to be passed. We speak to EFF National spokesperson, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi..

Investment Analyst, Lungile Malinga looks at how are Asian Markets doing after Chinese markets were closed all of last week and what we should look out for in terms of data points this week.

27Four Investments' Nadir Thokan looks at US jobs numbers that came out on Friday, the contrasting foreign influence into our bond market vs equity market this year and outlook for listed property in a weak economic environment.

SACP General Secretary Dr Blade Nzimande has urged members of his party to stop lamenting but to act decisively against gender based violence. He was speaking at the SACP's Red October Campaign launch in Johannesburg on Sunday. The 2017 Red October Campaign focussed on the abuse of women and children and attack on members of the LGBTG community.

The process of arbitration between the families of the victims of Life Esidimeni together with government is starting today. This follows recommendations by the Health Ombud that an alternative dispute resolution process must be implemented as part of helping families of the Esidimeni victims to find closure. More than 100 Life Esidimeni mental patients died after they were transfered to unlicenced NGO's by government. We speak to Retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke

KwaZulu-Natal ANC Chairperson, Sihle Zikalala, has criticised party members who discredit presidential hopefuls who are not their preferred candidates. Zikalala was addressing the ANCYL's 73rd anniversary celebrations in uMlazi, south of Durban. He also called on those leaders jockeying for the ANC's top position to come and assure party members that they will remain in the organisation, regardless of who will be elected during the party's National conference in December. Vusi Makhosini reports