Latest news with #KwaZuluNatal


News24
4 hours ago
- Climate
- News24
Friday's weather: Damaging waves south of Durban, cloudy, cool with some showers across SA
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of damaging waves expected south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal from Friday until Saturday night that could cause disruptions and navigational difficulties, while the rest of the country can expect cloudy and cool conditions with scattered showers. Impact-based warnings Damaging waves are expected south of Durban from Friday afternoon, posing risks such as difficulty in navigation, localised disruption of harbours/ports, and interruptions to beachfront activities. These conditions are expected to subside by Saturday midnight. Weather forecast for today and tomorrow, 24-25 July 2025: Partly cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. #saweatheroutlook #saws — SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 24, 2025 The weather in your province Gauteng: Partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. Mpumalanga: Partly cloudy and cool but warm in the Lowveld. Isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers are expected over the Highveld. Mbombela: 09°C – 24°C Ermelo: 03°C – 18°C Emalahleni: 03°C – 19°C Standerton: -1°C – 18°C Skukuza: 09°C – 30°C Limpopo: Partly cloudy and cool to warm with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south-west. Polokwane: 05°C – 21°C Phalaborwa: 12°C – 28°C Tzaneen: 10°C – 26°C Musina: 13°C – 27°C Lephalale: 08°C – 25°C Mokopane: 08°C – 23°C North West: Partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. Expect windy conditions in places in the east during the afternoon. Klerksdorp: 06°C – 20°C Potchefstroom: 06°C – 20°C Mahikeng: 06°C – 22°C Rustenburg: 06°C – 21°C Vryburg: 06°C – 23°C Free State: Partly cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. Windy conditions will occur in places in the east. Bloemfontein: 05°C – 19°C Welkom: 07°C – 19°C Bethlehem: 02°C – 16°C Northern Cape: Morning fog patches over the south-western interior, otherwise partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers in the east. It will be cold in the south. The wind along the coast will be moderate south-easterly. Upington: 08°C – 20°C Kimberley: 08°C – 19°C De Aar: 07°C – 15°C Alexander Bay: 11°C – 20°C Springbok: 06°C – 17°C Calvinia: 05°C – 15°C Sutherland: -2°C – 11°C Western Cape: Cloudy and cold along the coast and nearby interior with light rain in the south-west during the morning, spreading along the south coast. Elsewhere, conditions will be partly cloudy and cool. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south to south-westerly, becoming strong along the south coast. Cape Town: 12°C – 15°C Vredendal: 10°C – 18°C Riversdale: 10°C – 14°C George: 10°C – 13°C Worcester: 07°C – 14°C Beaufort West: 08°C – 14°C Oudtshoorn: 07°C – 14°C Western half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cold with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south. The wind along the coast will be strong south-westerly. Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-westerly. Gqeberha: 14°C – 17°C Makhanda: 11°C – 15°C Cradock: 07°C – 15°C Graaff-Reinet: 05°C – 14°C East London: 15°C – 18°C Port St Johns: 13°C – 20°C Mthatha: 10°C – 18°C Komani: 07°C – 15°C Qonce: 12°C – 15°C KwaZulu-Natal: Partly cloudy and cool with isolated showers and thundershowers. It will be warm in the extreme northeast. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh south-westerly, but north-westerly in the north. Durban: 14°C – 22°C Richard's Bay: 13°C – 24°C Pietermaritzburg: 07°C – 21°C Ladysmith: 06°C – 22°C * This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.

The Herald
4 hours ago
- The Herald
Further delays in pretrial proceedings for AKA murder accused
Pretrial conference proceedings for five men allegedly linked to the murder of popular rapper Kiernan 'AKA' Forbes did not go ahead in the Durban high court on Thursday. Judge Jacqueline Henriques chastised prosecutor advocate Elvis Gcweka and called for the state to get its house in order as all the documents were not collected. Forbes and his friend Tebello 'Tibz' Motsoane were shot dead outside the now-defunct Wish restaurant in Florida Road in February 2023. Thabani Mkhwanazi, 30, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, 35, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, 21, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, 36, and Lindokuhle Mhlaliseni Ndimande, 29, were arrested in February last year in connection with the murders. Their family members were present in court. According to Gcweka, at least 45 witnesses are expected to testify in the trial which is expected to run into two sessions, starting in July, and later in October 2026. However, these dates were yet to be confirmed by KwaZulu-Natal judge president Thoba Poyo-Dlwati. Gcweka said the state would lead evidence from CCTV footage, vehicle tracking and cellphone footage. In June, Poyo-Dlwati asked the state and defence to iron out issues at what was expected to be a pretrial conference when senior prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba asked for a postponement to July 24. Sibusiso Dlamini, standing in for advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa who is handing another matter in the Newcastle magisterial district, said Mkhwanazi and [Lindokuhle] Ndimande have certain admissions which they do not agree upon. Henriques said she would not certify the trial ready until the additional statements are obtained. Advocate Jimmy Howse, who represents Ndimande, said he wanted additional statements from the witnesses and wanted to avoid an 'ambush' in court. The matter was adjourned to August 13. TimesLIVE

The Herald
7 hours ago
- The Herald
Why Kenny Kunene's 'young journalist' couldn't run with 'KT' Molefe arrest story
Another reason the story couldn't be published was because the website hasn't been functional, he added. 'We were going to relaunch it with this exclusive. That was the opportunity he identified to resuscitate the publication because its strong point was publishing exclusive stories.' According to Motale, Kunene and the journalist were at Molefe's home to get an exclusive interview regarding KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's allegations, which claimed Molefe contacted the Hawks head when officers from the police political killings task team tried to arrest him for murder. 'We thought this was a big story. He identified Molefe, who agreed to an interview. When the allegations by Mkhwanazi were made, the mainstream media went with allegations and people implicated were never given an opportunity to give their side of the story.' Motale refused to reveal the identity of the young journalist, citing concerns for his reputation and career. 'This is a sensitive matter, I need his permission. He's a young guy and we don't want his reputation to be tarnished. He's a fresh journalist from university and [recently] introduced to the game.' Kunene has been placed on special leave for 30 days pending investigations. TimesLIVE

The Herald
13 hours ago
- The Herald
AKA murder accused back in court for pretrial hearing
Five men linked to the murders of well-known rapper Kiernan AKA Forbes and his celebrity chef friend Tebello Tibz Motsoane will appear in the Durban high court for pretrial proceedings on Thursday. In June, KwaZulu-Natal judge president Thoba Poyo-Dlwati asked the state and defence to iron out issues at what was expected to be a pretrial conference when senior prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba asked for a postponement to July 24. 'On previous occasions we were not able to finalise the pretrial proceedings due to issues of legal representations of the accused. We request the pretrial to be set down for July,' said Gcaba. Forbes and Motsoane were gunned down at the now defunct Wish restaurant in Florida Road in February 2023. Thabani Mkhwanazi, 30 Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, 35, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, 21, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, 36, and Lindokuhle Mhlaliseni Ndimande, 29, were arrested in February last year in connection with the murders. The five face a raft of charges including conspiracy to commit murder, murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. Advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, former acting KwaZulu-Natal director of public prosecutions who represents Mkhwanazi and Ndimande, told the court he would not be available in July as he had another matter at the Madadeni court in Newcastle. Poyo-Dlwati said they planned to set down the trial for three months and expected it to commence next year. 'Some of my colleagues are retiring so the trial needs to be finalised ... I will give [Mlotshwa] grace for the 24th but he must not take [further] briefs [from clients],' said Poyo-Dlwati. She said if they were not available they should ensure someone would stand in for them. Advocate Mkhululi Nkomo represents Myeza while advocate Paul Jorgensen represents Lindani Ndimande and Gwabeni. Meanwhile a further two accused — brothers Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande and Malusi Dave Ndimande — continue to oppose their extradition to South Africa. NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said appeal proceedings in the Eswatini court were under way. 'The respondents have to file their heads of arguments and then the state will file their head of arguments. After that, the matter will be set down for the hearing in Eswatini,' said Ramkisson-Kara. TimesLIVE


Mail & Guardian
14 hours ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Agri-tech may be South Africa's new frontier
Agri-tech entrepreneurs are the Uber of agriculture, offering small and emerging farmers access to markets. South Africa's agriculture sector plays a critical role in the country's food security and economy. It contributes about 2.5% to the country's GDP, and it provides employment to roughly 5% of the country's population, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The sector provides the country with a diverse range of food products, including grains, fruits, vegetables, and animal products such as dairy, eggs and meat. Furthermore, agriculture also plays a significant role in supporting other industries such as food processing, packaging and distribution. But, like much of the rest of South Africa's industries, agriculture and in particular the fresh produce industry, is characterised by a high level of concentration. In terms of income and production a small percentage of farms account for a large portion of total income. Just 6.5% of all farms in South Africa account for about 67% of total income in 2017-18. The Competition Commission has since released information showing a sustained decrease in the number of farming units in all provinces, with KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo experiencing the largest declines. These trends are consistent with other high and worsening levels of concentration, which have been identified even in key food sources such as potato seeds. The pricing of fresh produce in South Africa has also been rising above inflation for a sustained period, having a disproportionate effect on low-income earners who must spend a greater portion of their income to purchase essential products. One of the main challenges facing small and emerging farmers in South Africa is limited access to markets, with many farmers unable to sell their products at sustainable prices to recurring clients. Nationally, fresh produce markets account for roughly 22% of all fresh produce trading in South Africa and have been identified as a key level of the fresh produce value chain but they are not always easy to get to, nor do they all offer the same value. Enter agri-tech start-ups such as AgriKool and Khula. These young black-owned start-ups are solving an overlooked problem for farmers, and it sounds something like this: You grow and nurture the food, and I will sell it. They are the Uber of agriculture, and they are offering small-scale farmers an avenue to market. These start-ups are operating in what is known as the shared economy. One of the major costs in agriculture is transport. The transportation of fresh produce is charged based on distance, refrigeration needs and weight. These factors are typically combined to provide a quote, with additional fees for special handling. Careful consideration of these factors is essential to maintain profitability while ensuring fresh, high-quality products are delivered to consumers. The sharing economy is based on the principle of sharing assets instead of owning them. It allows individuals, in this case farmers, to benefit from the assets of others, in this case, it is the refrigeration, transportation, storage and basic technological infrastructure of these new-age agents. Farmers do not have to worry about the client; these new-age agents source the client, who (depending on the agreement and price) shares the transportation fees with the farmer. These start-ups are the new wave of agricultural agents, creating and facilitating online marketplaces for retail and wholesale buyers to purchase directly from producers. The benefits are clear on both sides of the trade; price discovery on a nation-wide scale for the purchaser and reduced transportation costs for the farmer. The sharing economy is based on three core principles: access, sharing and collaboration. It is still early days, but the agricultural sharing economy offers a new way of thinking about ownership, consumption and scaling small-scale farmers. By sharing assets, users of these platforms can create a more sustainable and efficient system that comes with lower cost of transacting, benefiting the environment and the economy. The sharing economy is already affecting areas such as transport and hospitality, and it is likely to continue to grow in the coming years. Zanele Mabasois the head of policy development at .