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February 25, 2026 Elisma van der Watt How would you like to share the article? (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media) A state veterinarian was called to a farm in the Swartland district this week to take blood samples from animals suspected of being infected with foot-and-mouth disease. The Swartland municipality confirmed this news on Wednesday. The farm in question is close to the Cape Town metro border and is apparently already under surveillance. “All relevant stakeholders have been notified and the situation is being monitored by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture,” reads the statement from the Swartland municipality. According…

The veteran leader of the IFP, Mr. Blessed Gwala, condemns the competition for positions in the party.Gwala said the power struggle is against the teachings of the founder of the IFP, King Mangosuthu of Mathole Buthelezi.He said this while speaking at the memorial service for King Mhloleni Mthiyane. The commemoration of King KwaSokhulu was held in Mfolozi, on Sunday.Gwala has been in the senior leadership of the IFP for many years.He said that he has never once campaigned for positions in the IFP, and that when he was appointed to the Legislative Assembly for the first time, he was nominated…

Archive photo. (Photo: Pexels/ Pixabay) Enoch Godongwana, the finance minister,’s budget speech contained several DA policy positions and is proof that the ANC no longer rules alone. So says Dr. Mark Burke, the DA’s spokesperson on finances, after Godongwana introduced this year’s budget on Wednesday. In addition, the DA welcomed the fact that there were no tax increases and no block creep for the first time in three years. Burke says the budget shows a large-scale rethinking of tax policy by the national treasury under a coalition government. For the first time in 18 years, the VAT registration threshold for…

Photo for illustration. (Photo: iStock) The South African Sugar Cane Growers’ Association breathed a sigh of relief when Enoch Godongwana, the finance minister, announced on Wednesday that sugar tax will not be increased this year. Higgins Mdluli, the chairman of the association, says that although no further increase in the sugar tax has been introduced, the tax still puts considerable pressure on South Africa’s sugar cane producers. A serious structural crisis is facing the South African sugar industry. This is driven by the potential liquidation of Tongaat Hulett and an unprecedented increase in imported sugar, caused by outdated tariff protections…

Beirut, Lebanon – The government has moved forward with plans to reopen Rene Mouawad International Airport in Qlayaat in northern Lebanon, and officials say it may begin operations this summer.The airport has been a highly politicised topic for years as economic and social concerns at times have taken a backseat to sectarian arguments for and against it.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listBut officials and experts told Al Jazeera that political opposition has largely dimmed in recent months. The project is being heavily backed by the government with Lebanon’s transportation minister set to take part in a demonstration flight…

WE HAVE DISCLOSED that the Durban And Coastal and Mental Health center that cares for the mentally disabled is losing about R2 million every month.This was disclosed by the Chairman of the board of this institution, Mr. Sthandiwe Mkhize, when the institution had an event to re-introduce itself to the people. The event was held in Sherwood recently.Speaking here, Mkhize said that it takes a lot of money to keep this type of institution working properly and all things happening properly.He said that is why they are persuading other businessmen who may be interested in working with them to come…

‘n Reservoir in Johannesburg (Photo: joburg.org.za)The DA welcomed the High Court ruling in which Johannesburg’s water tank contracts were declared invalid.Amabhungane reported earlier that the contracts, amounting to around R263 million, were awarded in 2024 to two companies, Builtpro Construction and Nutinox, to supply a total of 70 tankers to the city over three years.However, the court found in December 2025 that the tender process was irregular and that the contracts were not lawfully awarded. According to the DA, the ruling confirms his long-standing concerns about the handling of the tender.”These contracts worth millions of rands were entered into despite…

More than 400 chiefs of Mzimkhulu are planning to march, complaining of being beaten up by a mob because of the salary issue.Earlier, it was revealed that the non-paying chiefs under King Ntobeko Msimethiru and King Velile Jozana.The spokesperson for Mzimkhulu chiefs, Mr Bheki Dzanibe, said It is a country that at the beginning of the month they plan to have a march that will be held in Pietermaritzburg.He stated that they finally reached this decision because they clearly saw that they were not being heard at all when they spoke about this issue.He said they believed that their standing…

A case has been opened for raping and impregnating a 13-year-old child, the son of a famous taxi driver from Hammarsdale.It is a country found out that the son was in love with this little girl without his mother’s knowledge. The victim’s mother spoke toOf this country furiously accusing the taxi driver’s son of being a ruthless and cruel man.”I don’t know what kind of man this is who has the courage to do something so painful. Where have you ever heard that a person who is more than 30 years old can be said to be in love with…

The National Treasury’s offices in Pretoria. (Photo: PSAM)The national treasury has pledged its support to Eskom’s plan to temporarily take over as agent struggling municipalities that collectively owe it billions for bulk purchases’ power distribution. However, the treasury believes that the first two agreements favor Eskom at the expense of these municipalities.Treasury officials told Maroela Media that the contracts, known as distribution agency agreements, should be more balanced and standardized. The officials say the treasury is in discussion with Eskom, the municipal association Salga, and the departments of energy and electricity and cooperative government.They also point to strict legal requirements…