April 16, 2026 – eRadio SA – Live from the Garden Route

SAPS urges public to verify requests for money sent via “cash send” services

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) cautions members of the public to remain vigilant when receiving requests from friends or family members asking for financial assistance, particularly when they are instructed to send money through cash send or similar services.

It has come to the attention of SAPS that criminals are increasingly gaining unauthorised access to individuals’ cell phone numbers and messaging platforms. Once access is obtained, these perpetrators impersonate the victim and contact people on their contact list, often claiming to be in an emergency and urgently requesting money.

In many cases, victims are persuaded to transfer funds through cash send services, which are difficult to trace or reverse once the transaction has been completed.

Members of the community are strongly advised not to act on such requests without first verifying their authenticity. It is recommended that individuals contact the person directly by making a voice call or using an alternative, trusted method of communication to confirm whether the request is legitimate.

The public is further encouraged to:

• Be cautious of urgent or emotional messages requesting money.
• Avoid sending money to unknown or unverified recipients.

SAPS reiterates the importance of awareness and vigilance in preventing these types of scams. Working together, communities can reduce the risk of falling victim to such criminal activities.

SAWS warns of two cold fronts

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The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of two cold fronts, with good rainfall amounts expected to affect the Western Cape and Northern Cape from Friday until Monday.

The cold fronts will result in a significant drop in the daytime temperatures.

“Maximum temperatures may be between 10-12°C in places over the southern high-lying areas of the Namakwa (Northern Cape) as well as over the Central Karoo and western part of the Cape Winelands Districts (Western Cape).

“General windy conditions will accompany the cold and wet conditions. Additionally, wave heights are expected to be between 4.0 and 5.0m along the coast from Sunday into Monday,” the weather service advised.

The combination of cold, wet and windy conditions may result in a wind chill factor; thus, temperatures may feel colder than the measured values.

They may be localised disruptions to beachfront activities.

Julius Malema jailed for 5 years

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Julius Malema was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment today.

The case stems from an incident in 2018, when the Economic Freedom Fighters leader was filmed discharging a rifle into the air during a rally. The footage, which circulated widely at the time, led to charges being brought against him under South Africa’s firearms legislation.

Prosecutors have argued that the act amounted to the unlawful discharge of a firearm, while the defence has maintained that Malema did not act illegally.

The matter has been repeatedly delayed over the years due to various legal challenges and procedural issues, contributing to its lengthy timeline.

Julius Malema set to learn his fate today

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Julius Malema is expected to learn his fate today, bringing to a head an eight-year legal battle that has drawn significant public and political attention.

The case stems from an incident in 2018, when the Economic Freedom Fighters leader was filmed discharging a rifle into the air during a rally. The footage, which circulated widely at the time, led to charges being brought against him under South Africa’s firearms legislation.

Prosecutors have argued that the act amounted to the unlawful discharge of a firearm, while the defence has maintained that Malema did not act illegally.

The matter has been repeatedly delayed over the years due to various legal challenges and procedural issues, contributing to its lengthy timeline.

Today’s expected judgment is likely to have broader implications, not only for Malema personally, but also in terms of how public figures are held accountable under firearm laws.

Meanwhile, Malema’s former bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman, is pursuing a separate legal battle against the state. Snyman is suing for R20 million in damages after he was acquitted of charges linked to the same incident.

He claims the prosecution was unjustified and has had lasting personal and professional consequences.

Both developments mark a significant moment in a case that has remained in the spotlight for nearly a decade, with today’s outcome expected to clarify the legal standing of those involved.

Failing municipalities are choking local economic growth, says President

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for urgent reforms to unlock local economies, warning that poor governance at municipal level is undermining service delivery and stifling economic growth.

Delivering the keynote address at the 2026 National Local Economic Development (LED) Summit at the Birchwood Conference Centre on Wednesday, President Ramaphosa said persistent failures in local government are directly affecting economic opportunity.

“The Auditor-General’s report on local government highlights persistent weaknesses that directly undermine service delivery and constrain local economic development,” he said.

He listed key shortcomings, including “weak financial management and revenue collection, failure to maintain infrastructure, ineffective supply chain management, irregular and wasteful expenditure, and weak consequence management”.

These failures, he said, are felt daily by citizens and businesses.

“These challenges translate into unreliable electricity, water insecurity, poor roads, poor service delivery and unsafe trading environments.”

President Ramaphosa stressed that governance reform is non-negotiable if municipalities are to play their role in economic development.

“Without fixing governance, we cannot fix service delivery and without fixing service delivery, we cannot unlock local economic development. The task of this summit is to shift the discussion from the problems to the solutions,” the President said.

He raised concern over the chronic underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance, noting that municipalities are falling far below required benchmarks.

“National Treasury Guidelines require municipalities to budget 8% of the carrying value of property, plant and equipment. Many municipalities are budgeting less than 1%,” he said.

The President called for improved revenue collection and greater use of private investment to address infrastructure backlogs, saying municipalities must take the lead in resolving service delivery constraints.
“As my contribution to the deliberations of the summit, there are four sets of actions that I would like to put forward. The first of these is to unblock service delivery constraints at local government level, especially with regards to basic infrastructure,” he said.

He emphasised that reliable energy, water and transport systems are essential to economic growth.
“Energy security, water provision, roads and rail lines are the foundation of growth. We have made much progress in tackling load shedding and improving the efficiency of our logistics sector. This summit must now translate national progress into local success,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa added that municipalities must ensure conducive conditions for businesses to operate.

“Municipalities must be the frontline in unblocking infrastructure constraints, ensuring that the local industrial park has the power it needs… and that township businesses have streetlighting to trade safely beyond daylight hours,” the President said.