Category: News

Good news for petrol and diesel users

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All grades of petrol and diesel will be cheaper from tomorrow (Wednesday 3 September 2025), with the wholesale price of diesel dropping by 56c or 57c per litre, depending on sulphur content.

The drop does not undo the combined increases of July and August, but diesel remains cheaper than a year ago, contributing to the country’s current low inflation levels.

The wholesale price of diesel will be R18.61 per litre at the coast and R19.44 in Gauteng.

Petrol prices will fall by 4c per litre, with 95-octane petrol at R20.72 at the coast and R21.55 in Gauteng.

The retail price of paraffin decreases by 49c per litre, and LP gas drops by R1.32 per kilogram.

Lower international fuel prices drove the changes, with the slightly stronger rand adding 2c per litre.

SANParks reopens hiking trail on Table Mountain

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The South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced the second phase of the reopening of Silvermine Gate 1 and most of the trails in the Silvermine area on Table Mountain today.

This follows the successful reopening of Silvermine Gate 2 and areas of Tokai on 1 July after the fire in late April 2025 that affected approximately 2 800 hectares in the area.

Located in the central section of the Table Mountain National Park, Silvermine offers some of the best hikes in the park with beautiful fynbos landscapes.

“Upper Tokai will also reopen on 1 September 2025, including Levels 4 and 5, which were previously closed in July due to unstable terrain during the rainy season. However, a section of the road from the Silvermine boom gate to the junction of Level 4 and 5 will remain inaccessible to cyclists, as rehabilitation efforts are still ongoing,” SANParks said.

The Donkey Trail from Silvermine to Upper Tokai and the Level 1 and 2 Jeep tracks for horseback riders will remain closed until further notice due to severe rain damage.

Silvermine Gate 1, located on the western side of Ou Kaapse Weg, which includes the Silvermine Dam, the Elephant’s Eye trail and the Silvermine Riverwalk, will be officially open to the public. 

“Maintenance work will continue in certain areas, including the construction of new ablution facilities.
Visitors will be able to make use of the ablution facilities located at the entrance gate and near the western side of the dam until the burnt facilities near the dam parking can be reconstructed. The uThango braai area will remain closed and is expected to reopen in December 2025, pending ongoing restoration of the infrastructure.

“Although some trails may seem visually unaffected, access is being restricted in specific areas to ensure user safety and support ecological restoration efforts. Public safety is our top priority,” SANParks said.
Therefore, all trail users are urged to strictly adhere to signage, area closures, and instructions from rangers. 

Visitors must remain vigilant and stick to designated paths at all times.

“To ensure the safe reopening of these areas, SANParks is conducting Safety Awareness Campaigns as it welcomes visitors back. SANParks appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation as we work towards safely restoring access to these important areas.”

eRadio Turns 5 and Celebrates with Exciting Birthday Competition

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eRadio is proudly celebrating its 5th birthday, marking five years of being on air and online since its launch on 1 September 2020 by media entrepreneur, Eon Engelbrecht.

To mark the milestone, the station boasts a brand new website and has refreshed its line-up with more of what listeners love – including a bigger dose of 80s hits, a sprinkle of Afrikaans music, the addition of Afrikaans news, and an even wider variety of music to keep audiences entertained.

As part of the celebrations, eRadio is giving fans the chance to win exciting prizes through a special birthday competition. Staying true to the theme of “five,” prizes will range from R555 to a grand prize of R5 555.

“Reaching five years is a huge milestone for us, and we’re grateful to every listener and advertiser who has been part of the journey,” says Engelbrecht. “This competition is our way of giving back and celebrating together.”

For more information about the competition and how to enter, visit the eRadio Facebook Page.
Competition Rules

eRadio SA competitions are open to all South Africans, unless otherwise stated. Competitions are not open to employees, agencies, prize sponsors or contractors of eRadio SA or any person directly or indirectly involved in the radio station or running of the competition, or their immediate family members.

By entering eRadio SA competitions, entrants agree to adhere to competition rules and regulations, details of which entrants declare themselves conversant with.

Entrants must be at least 18 years old, unless they have consent from their legal guardian.

Entrants may not enter on behalf of any other person.

Business entities (i.e companies) may not enter the competition. Only valid PERSONAL Facebook profiles may enter the competition.

Only ONE entry per person will be allowed. Multiple comments in the competition's comment section will NOT give you more entries.

No person may enter the same or any other competition hosted partly or in whole by eRadio within six months of winning the same or any other competition hosted by eRadio SA.

Winners use and accept prizes at their own risk. eRadio SA and prize sponsors cannot be held responsible for ANY accident, injury, or loss of property experienced as a result of winning, accepting and/or utilizing prizes won.

Prizes not collected/claimed within 3 months of being won will be disposed of at eRadio's discretion.

Entries after the competition closing time (30 September 2025) at 23:59 (SAST) will NOT be considered.

eRadio SA will not be held responsible for any late or missing entries as a result of network problems or any other technical problems that may arise on the Facebook (META) social media platform before or after closing time.

eRadio SA will not be held responsible for any loss or damage that may occur if a participant falls victim to an online scam where a fraudster is impersonating the radio station or competition. The ONLY way to enter this competition is via the official eRadio Facebook Page and original post. Please do not click on any other links as these may be scams.

eRadio SA will NEVER ask you for financial information or other personal details to enter.

eRadio SA may disqualify a transgressor for entry into any eRadio SA competitions, for a period deemed appropriate by Management.

eRadio SA reserves the right to verify your identity by requesting your South African Identification Document (ID).

eRadio SA and the prize sponsors reserve the right to cancel the competition at any time, if deemed necessary in their opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of their control and shall not be liable in anyway whatsoever to entrants in such event for any cause or action whatsoever.

Winners may be required to have their details (name, surname and location) disclosed and appear online.

eRadio SA reserves the right to alter rules or prizes at their own discretion. Such altered rules and prizes shall become effective immediately after being altered or on such date as may be determined by eRadio SA. No entrant shall have any recourse against eRadio SA as a result of the alterations of the rules or prizes.

eRadio SA will make every reasonable effort to deliver the prize described in the promotion's publicity, but cannot accept responsibility if the prize differs in whole or part from that advertised. Similarly, prize values quoted may differ from the actual value of the prize.

eRadio SA and the prize sponsors and establishments cannot guarantee certain dates for bookings. All bookings are subject to availability.

Winners are responsible for collecting their prizes and use their own transport to do so.

Prizes other than cash are not transferable, cannot be deferred or exchanged for cash and are not negotiable.

The announcement of a winner on air or social media does not constitute a ruling by station management that the winner has complied with the rules above.

eRadio SA may disqualify the entrant after the announcement should any rule transgressions be discovered.

Any violation or attempt to violate any of the above rules will result in the immediate disqualification of the entrant.

The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery/ arranging of prizes.*

Eskom marks over 105 days without loadshedding

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Eskom’s power system remains stable, with the power utility reached 105 consecutive days without loadshedding to South Africa.

In a statement on Friday, Eskom said this milestone, driven by consistently low level of unplanned outages, underscores the sustained improvements in the performance of the generation fleet.

“This milestone builds on the momentum of Financial Year (FY) 2025, which recorded 352 loadshedding-free days, and reflects a significant improvement from the 36 days achieved in FY2024. As the winter season concludes, the national grid remains stable and reliable, reinforcing Eskom’s commitment to ending loadshedding,” Eskom said.

Eskom’s sustained technical improvements have ensured a reliable power system, meeting more than 97% of electricity demand this winter and financial year to date. 

South Africa has experienced no loadshedding since 15 May 2025, with only 26 hours recorded between 1 April and 28 August 2025.

“The resilience of our generation fleet continues to improve, with unplanned losses due to breakdowns now at 8 948MW, well below the 10 000MW threshold, highlighting the structural progress in plant performance as a result of the ongoing implementation of the Generation Recovery Plan,” Eskom said.

Between 15 and 28 August 2025, planned maintenance increased, averaging 6 968MW. 

During this period, the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) fluctuated between 64% and 75%, with the month-to-date average rising to 66.15%. 

“This upward trend reflects growing stability and improved reliability across the generation fleet. These figures exclude Kusile Unit 6, which has been contributing 720MW to the national grid since 23 March 2025. Although not yet in commercial operation, the unit is expected to reach that milestone by September 2025.

“To further strengthen grid stability, Eskom is planning to return a total of 4 830MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 01 September 2025, and throughout the coming week," Eskom said.

Between 1 April and 28 August 2025, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which reflects the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, further decreased to 27.3%.

This represents a week-on-week improvement of approximately 0.55%, although it remains about 1.6% higher than the 25.67% recorded during the same period last year.

The open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) load factor further decreased to 0.16% this week from 0.78% the previous week (21–28 August 2025), with OCGTs utilised strategically to address occasional system constraints during morning and evening peak periods.

From 1 April to 28 August 2025, diesel spend remains well under the allocated budget. 

“The Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. It indicates that loadshedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, loadshedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2.

“With just two days remaining in Eskom’s Winter Outlook period, the power system remains well-positioned to maintain stability and reliably meet demand,” the utility said.

The available generation capacity currently stands at 29 132MW, while Friday’s electricity demand was expected to reach 25 797MW. 

The current capacity is sufficient to meet both Friday’s demand and anticipated requirements over the weekend.

Eskom is scheduled to announce its Summer Outlook in September 2025.

Teaching posts will not be reduced for 2026 in Western Cape

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The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has confirmed that teaching posts in the province will not be reduced for the 2026 academic year.

Head of Department Brent Walters announced in a circular to schools this week that the “Basket of Posts” allocation for 2025 will remain unchanged next year, meaning 35 934 posts will be provided. Schools are set to receive their individual staff establishments on Friday, 29 August 2025.

The decision follows consultations with teachers’ unions and School Governing Body associations.

In 2024, the WCED cut back on teaching posts in an effort to stay fiscally sustainable, while protecting learner support services such as school nutrition and transport, Norms and Standards funding, and support for learners with special education needs. However, the department acknowledged that the reduction put pressure on schools.

While the allocation will remain the same for 2026, officials noted that enrolment in the province’s schools continues to rise. The WCED said its ability to expand posts depends on greater budget certainty and national funding allocations.

The department is working with other provinces to support Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube in discussions with the National Treasury about securing additional funding for the sector.

Education MEC David Maynier thanked teachers, principals and officials for their continued support, saying their efforts have helped keep the province’s education system stable despite financial challenges.

Urgent measures to address recent taxi violence

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The ongoing violence between CATA and CODETA, and the collapse of talks between the two taxi groupings, has put commuters and the public at risk. The Western Cape Mobility Department, together with other provincial authorities, is now taking urgent steps to restore order and protect lives.

The Somerset West taxi rank has been closed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for 24 hours to prevent further violence.

An urgent court order will be filed against these organisations as a measure to quell the violence, intimidation, and unlawful operations. This will allow law-abiding operators to continue serving commuters.

The Provincial Taxi Registrar will issue a Section 7A(20) enquiry notice, requiring the associations to explain why they have failed to comply with the industry’s Code of Conduct. Should they be unable to provide satisfactory reasons, the registrar may impose sanctions, including suspending operating licences.

A Section 91 notice will also be issued. These notices document specific route infringements and serve as formal warnings that continued violations may result in the temporary or permanent closure of affected routes and/or ranks.

A contingency plan has been implemented to ensure safe and uninterrupted transport along all affected corridors. Alternative transport options will be provided to minimise service disruptions and protect commuters. Security will be overseen by Provincial Traffic, the SAPS, and the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement. This joint, targeted approach ensures that compliant operators can continue serving commuters safely, while those in violation face strict consequences.

The recent Western Cape Taxi Peace Summit was a step in the right direction, creating a shared platform for dialogue. Unfortunately, despite this effort and the mechanisms put in place to facilitate ongoing dialogue, the disregard for these processes has undermined the collective outcomes previously agreed upon. As a result, decisive action is now necessary to restore stability. We will not tolerate lawlessness, but we will continue our peace efforts and not let a few unlawful acts derail our commitment to helping all sides work towards lasting peace.

Premier Alan Winde has strongly condemned the violence. “Violence will never be condoned in our province. If these taxi associations are unable to negotiate peacefully, we are left with no alternative but to take the necessary steps to hold them accountable. Residents and commuters are our first priority.

Their safety is of utmost importance and ensuring this is a non-negotiable. The loss of life is completely unacceptable, and we will work closely with all law enforcement to bring justice to those responsible for this heinous violence,” said Premier Winde. He has called for calm and a return to negotiations that will bring about lasting stability. The Premier concluded, “Nothing can justify bloodshed. It is only through dialogue that differences and challenges can be overcome.”

Over 18,000 arrested in police operations

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested 18 634 suspects over the past week - signaling reaffirmation of public safety and the rule of law.

Among those arrested were 3 087 wanted individuals linked to serious and violent crimes, including murder, rape, hijacking and armed robbery. According to the police, 131 suspects were arrested for murder 140 for attempted murder and 157 for rape.

Meanwhile, 722 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, while 1714 suspects were nabbed for illegal migration offences.

A total of 106 suspects were arrested for illegal possession of firearms.  KwaZulu-Natal led with 32 arrests; Eastern Cape followed with 21 arrests and Gauteng secured 19 arrests. 

Police also arrested 232 suspects for drug trafficking.

The week’s operations also led to the seizure of high-value contraband and dangerous goods,  including 18,882 units of abalone, 180 firearms, and 2 921 rounds of ammunition.  

Meanwhile, SAPS National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, led a drug destruction process worth more than R 400 million in Gauteng.

In a separate enforcement operation, on Friday, 22 August 2025, the National Tracking and Tracing Task Team, under Operation Buyisa, seized 226 firearms from a registered private security company after uncovering serious contraventions of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act 60 of 2000).

Additionally, a coordinated Inter-Provincial Operation led to the arrests of 116 suspects across Frances Baard, Namakwa, and Pixley Ka Seme in the Northern Cape. Major seizures in Colesberg included illicit cigarettes and a truck worth R7.5 million, plus stolen goods and a maroon VW Polo linked to criminal activity. 

Recovered items spanned firearms, ammunition, counterfeit goods, drugs, alcohol, weapons, and cash.

New Rules for E-Hailing Drivers

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Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has confirmed that new legislation will soon regulate the e-hailing sector, following ongoing tensions and violent incidents in Soweto involving drivers.

Creecy told the Sunday Times that the National Land Transport Amendment (NLTA) Act will set out clear rules for services such as Uber and Bolt. The aim is to ease friction with the taxi industry, especially after a recent attack at Maponya Mall where an e-hailing driver was killed. Although the law has been in development for more than a decade, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed it into effect in 2024.

The new system will issue official e-hailing operating licenses, replacing the current use of charter permits and metered taxi licenses. Vehicles will need visible signs identifying them as e-hailing cars, and licenses will specify the areas in which they are allowed to operate.

Drivers will undergo vetting, criminal record checks, and will be required to hold professional driving permits. To improve safety, vehicles must also be fitted with panic buttons, and drivers’ profile photos must remain updated for accurate passenger verification.

Non-compliance could lead to penalties of up to R100,000 or prison terms of as much as two years. Authorities will also have the power to suspend or revoke licenses if operators break the rules. The Act, approved by Creecy in March, is expected to be gazetted in October once translated into a second official language.

Tensions between the taxi industry and e-hailing platforms have been ongoing for years. Groups like the Soweto Taxi Association and Santaco have argued that unlicensed operators pretending to be e-hailing drivers undercut legitimate services, fueling conflict. The NLTA is intended to close these gaps and bring more fairness to the industry.

Creecy emphasized that while the Act should reduce violence, it will not halt the broader evolution of transport. She noted that taxi operators need to adapt to changing realities or risk being left behind. Research has shown that minibus taxis remain best suited for short-distance travel in areas like the Western Cape, while rail is more efficient for longer trips.

Her department is also working with Gauteng and the Western Cape on better integration between transport modes, with Gauteng developing a single ticket system that could be used across buses, taxis, and trains.

StatsSA releases latest Crime Survey

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The latest Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2024/25 report, released by Statistics South Africa, reveals that housebreaking is the most common crime experienced by households in the country. While the household experience of housebreaking has decreased slightly, home robbery has increased slightly in 2024/25 compared to the 2023/24 period.

The report shows that in 2024/25, an estimated 1.5 million incidences of housebreaking occurred, affecting about 1.1 million households in South Africa. This represents 5.7% of all households in the country. Around 43.4% of households that experienced housebreaking reported some or all incidences to the police.

An estimated 259,000 incidences of home robbery occurred in 2024/25, affecting 213,000 households (about 1.1% of all households). Of these, 51.3% reported some or all incidences to the police.

Theft of personal property remains the most common crime experienced by individuals aged 16 years and older. In 2024/25, there were about 1.3 million incidences of theft, affecting 1.2 million individuals - 2.6% of those 16 years and older. Only 31% of victims reported some or all incidences to the police.

The second most common crime experienced by individuals was consumer fraud. In 2024/25, about 566,000 individuals experienced consumer fraud, with an estimated 811,000 incidences. This represents a sharp increase from 367,000 cases in 2023/24. About 34.9% of affected individuals reported some or all incidences to the police.

The survey further reveals that 81% of individuals aged 16 years and older felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods during the day, while only 36.1% felt safe walking alone after dark. Females reported feeling significantly more unsafe at night compared to males.

The proportion of individuals who took measures to protect themselves against crime increased from 39.9% in 2023/24 to 43.3% in 2024/25. Among these, 29.9% indicated that restricting themselves to walking only during safer hours was the main precaution they adopted.

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Gqeberha woman home safe – three arrested

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Three people have been taken into custody after the safe recovery of 62-year-old Tracey Fourie, who was allegedly kidnapped last week while returning home from work.

Although her family had not laid a formal complaint at the time, the Hawks’ kidnapping unit was immediately mobilised.

Authorities have not disclosed details of where Fourie was located, but she was medically assessed and found to be unharmed. It is not known whether a ransom was paid for her release.

The three suspects linked to the case are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

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