Court Order Opens Door for Private Foot-and-Mouth Vaccination in South Africa

The Pretoria High Court has made a settlement allowing livestock owners and managers to vaccinate their animals against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) an order of court, marking a significant development in the fight against the highly contagious animal disease.

The order, dated October 5, 2026, gives legal force to an agreement reached in July between business organisation Sakeliga, the Suid-Afrika Agri Inisiatief (SAAI), Free State Agriculture and several state respondents.

The settlement provides a framework for authorised livestock owners and managersREAD MORE

The water crisis in Bronkhorstspruit has intensified political pressure on the City of Tshwane, with the EFF opening a criminal case against Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya and City Manager Johann Mettler over the failure to ensure proper water chlorination, as authorities work to restore a safe supply to affected communities.

The crisis has left residents facing serious concerns about their health, with the City urging households not to drink, cook with, wash or bathe in water supplied by the affectedREAD MORE

The prosecution has raised concerns about alleged threats against the investigating team in the extortion and money laundering case involving taxi industry figure Johannes “Joe Ferrari” Sibanyoni, as his defence team questioned why investigators needed more time to complete their work.

The concerns emerged on Tuesday when Sibanyoni and his three co-accused appeared before the Delmas Magistrate’s Court, where their lawyers successfully applied to have their bail conditions relaxed.

The State did not oppose the application, and the court orderedREAD MORE

After years of relying on a residential house for policing services, the Villa Nora community in Limpopo now has a dedicated police station, with national police leadership promising improved service delivery, stronger crime prevention and greater accountability to residents.

The new facility, officially opened on Tuesday by Deputy Minister of Police Dr Polly Boshielo and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, is expected to strengthen access to policing services in Villa Nora and surrounding rural communities in the Waterberg District.READ MORE

Former Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya will remain behind bars after the Randburg Magistrate’s Court rejected his bail application on Tuesday, ruling that releasing him would not be in the interests of justice given concerns about witness safety and alleged interference with evidence.

Magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe found that Sibiya, who faces five charges, including rape, sexual grooming and human trafficking, had failed to demonstrate the exceptional circumstances required for his release in a Schedule 6 matter.

The ruling followedREAD MORE

A 56-year-old former police general has been arrested for allegedly possessing more than 100 rounds of South African Police Service (SAPS)-issued ammunition, including R5 and 9mm ammunition.

The arrest was announced by the SAPS on Tuesday, following an investigation by its National Cold Case Unit into the murder of Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi.

The former senior police officer is expected to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to face a charge of unlawful possession of ammunition in contraventionREAD MORE

Fear is spreading through communities in Tshwane’s Region 7 after 408 people reported gastrointestinal illnesses amid revelations that residents were supplied with unchlorinated water for three weeks without being warned that it could be unsafe for domestic use.

The crisis has raised serious questions about municipal accountability, the protection of vulnerable children and why residents were not alerted when the City of Tshwane’s Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works stopped chlorinating water supplied to surrounding communities.

Among those bearing the brunt areREAD MORE

Four decades after Mozambique’s first president died in a plane crash at Mbuzini, nobody has been held accountable for the tragedy, and the questions surrounding the circumstances of his death remain unanswered. President Daniel Chapo says the victims’ families deserve the truth.

MBUZINI, South Africa, October 19

Forty years on, the mystery surrounding the assassination of Samora Machel lingers, with no definitive closure, no universally accepted explanation of what happened, and nobody held accountable for the tragedy that claimed theREAD MORE

Beleaguered former Mogalakwena Local Municipality manager Montengo Morris Maluleke will know his bail fate on 27 October 2026 when the Mokopane Magistrates’ Court delivers its ruling on his formal bail application.

His case involves alleged irregular payments of R24 million, a disputed fleet management contract and suspected kickbacks of R230,000.

Maluleke, 43, who appeared in court today, Monday, October 19, remains in custody after his bail proceedings were postponed for judgment. The case forms part of a broader Hawks investigationREAD MORE

For one woman, the man she once loved raped her in front of their three children. For another, a relationship that had ended turned into a nightmare when her former boyfriend arranged a shooting that left her with a bullet fragment permanently lodged in her body.

A third woman spent two weeks in hospital after her ex-boyfriend stabbed her in the back because he accused her of cheating.

Their experiences, although different, reveal the devastating consequences of gender-based violence andREAD MORE