Author name: Scott Balson

South African households and businesses are set to face significantly higher electricity price increases in 2026 and 2027 than initially announced, following a major regulatory error and a subsequent court settlement between the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and Eskom. The new increases will see tariffs jump to 8.76% in 2026 and 8.83% […]

Protests erupted in two informal settlements in KwaDwesi, Gqeberha on Tuesday. A bus was torched in Westville and a truck stoned in Bayland, as protesters demanded electricity and a plan for their settlements. Traffic was disrupted as tyres were burnt on the busy Uitenhage (R75) and Mission Roads. Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg

Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe has assured Parliament that social grants will continue without disruption when SASSA’s service agreement with Postbank ends on 30 September. MPs raised concerns about communication, oversight and a potential panic among Postbank clients. Postbank serves about three million SASSA grant beneficiaries. SASSA says Postbank remains a licensed financial institution and

While almost all people who live in formal housing have access to water supply infrastructure, for many, the supply is not reliable. According to the Department of Water and Sanitation, about 88% of people in South Africa who live in formal housing (at least RDP level or above) have access to water infrastructure, but only

Ten years after the construction contract was signed, with over R30-million spent, a sports centre in Giyani in Limpopo is still incomplete. The grandstand is complete, and there is a fence and gates, but there are no changing rooms or toilets, and no football pitch. Windows have been broken and a stream of water runs

About 150 farm workers marched to Parliament on Thursday demanding a meeting with the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development. They said they wanted land to be made available to farm workers and farm dwellers, especially women. The march was organised by the Women on Farms Project. A memorandum was handed to Minister Mzwanele

Tonight, 28 August 2025, the residents of Waldrif aka Drifters, situated in Emfuleni Local Municipality convened for an important follow-up meeting to address the persistent lack of service delivery within the ward. The gathering, held at the local community shops, aimed at finding sustainable solutions to the persistent infrastructure challenges, service delivery, illegal electricity cuts,

For a third consecutive day, residents of Magogeni in the Nkomazi Local Municipality have barricaded major roads in a desperate protest over a crippling water shortage that has plagued the community since the start of the year. The ongoing service delivery protest, which has turned volatile, stems from the complete failure of water supply to

The family of a 16-year-old Grade 10 learner from Tswelelopele High School in Itsoseng has opened a criminal case of assault against her teacher, alleging she was repeatedly hit on the head with a cell phone during a physical science lesson last month. The incident, which allegedly occurred on July 31, 2025, has left the

Widespread water shortages plaguing major South African metros have escalated from a chronic inconvenience to a severe national concern, with experts pointing to decades of infrastructure neglect and poor planning as the core of the crisis. The issue was thrust into the spotlight recently by protests in communities like Westbury and Coronationville, where residents, fed