The Witness

Will you be casting your vote on Wednesday?

After almost five years at the helm of uMngeni Local Municipality, Chris Pappas has closed the door on his mayoral office for now, with the hope of returning after the local government elections. brnw.ch/21x6MTt

March and March must suspend its protests until November 6, after the local government elections, and will then face strict limits on marching hours and a ban on weapons until the matter returns to court on January 18. brnw.ch/21x6MJl

Former head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), advocate Andrea Johnson, and former deputy head of Crime Intelligence, Major-General Feroz Khan, have been granted bail of R10 000 each. brnw.ch/21x6Myl

Bradley Cole (50) made his first appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly ran over Mountain Rise Community Policing Forum chairperson Sham Govender on Thursday morning. brnw.ch/21x6MwO

KwaZulu-Natal has been named the country’s biggest election security hotspot, with police identifying 165 high-risk voting stations ahead of the local government elections. Of these, 124 are in eThekwini, with the remaining stations spread across uThukela, Amajuba, Zululand and Ugu. Police say deployments will be increased from Monday, when special voting begins, with officers stationed at voting stations to maintain law and order. Video: Moeketsi Mamane #durban #kzn #elections #police #deploymentautomation

KwaZulu-Natal has been identified as the country’s biggest election security hotspot, with police flagging 165 voting stations across the province as high-risk ahead of local government elections. brnw.ch/21x6Mrr

Scottish police are in the “very early stage” of probing the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s reported stay at the royal Balmoral estate at the invitation of ex-prince Andrew, UK media reported Friday. brnw.ch/21x6Mo0

South Africa’s iconic Rooibos plant is preparing for a historic journey into space, with more than 17 000 seeds expected to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) between December and January. brnw.ch/21x6Mn7

Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development has reiterated that no one is above the law following the arrest of former IDAC head Andrea Johnson and former Crime Intelligence major-general Feroz Khan. brnw.ch/21x6Mjx

Axed MK Party secretary general Sibonelo Nomvalo has hit back at former president Jacob Zuma, accusing him of making far-reaching decisions based on hearsay, fabricated intelligence reports and unverified allegations. brnw.ch/21x6Mj3

A University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) professor has contributed to a major international study revealing how climate, particularly temperature and rainfall, shapes relationships between flowering plants and their pollinators around the world. brnw.ch/21x6MhF

The excitement surrounding the Soweto derby will reach fever pitch on Saturday when South African football giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs meet in one of the country’s most eagerly anticipated fixtures. witness.co.za/news/2026/10/3…

The Durban High Court on Friday morning briefly adjourned proceedings in the matter involving March and March to allow the applicant to add further information in its interdiction, including videos allegedly recorded by the organisation during a recent march and said to contain incitement to violence. witness.co.za/news/2026/10/3…

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Treasury has reduced the provincial government’s projected year-end over-expenditure, which at one point stood at about R9,7 billion, by R7,2 billion. brnw.ch/21x6Md7

The safety and wellbeing of a six-month-old baby has become a key consideration in the bail application of a Pietermaritzburg mother accused of repeatedly physically and sexually abusing her nine-year-old daughter. brnw.ch/21x6Mbs

Former head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), advocate Andrea Johnson and former deputy head of Crime Intelligence, Feroz Khan, have been arrested on charges relating to defeating the ends of justice. witness.co.za/news/2026/10/3…

March and March’s legal representative, Xolani Zuma, has accused the government of attempting to silence South Africans by seeking to prevent the organisation from marching against illegal immigration. brnw.ch/21x6M6z

Msunduzi Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla has officially handed over the Madiba Community Hall to residents of Ward 34 in Cinderella Park, Pietermaritzburg, providing a new venue for community meetings, municipal programmes and social activities. witness.co.za/news/2026/10/3…

A Pietermaritzburg crime fighter was knocked down and dragged by a vehicle outside his home in the Northern Areas, while trying to protect a woman who had received death threats from her ex-husband. witness.co.za/news/2026/10/3…

The murder trial of Keith Chetty, accused of killing Pietermaritzburg nurse and mother Aleyka Shaik (34), is set to begin at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in January next year. witness.co.za/news/2026/10/3…