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News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day.
Graphic: Sharlene Rood/News24
News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Committee ejects reporters, public to ‘fix inaccuracies’ after dramatic start to hearings
- The ad hoc committee investigating KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations faced significant delays and controversy at its start, beginning six hours late.
- The committee chair controversially excluded journalists and the public to address issues with Mkhwanazi’s affidavit, leading to criticism from opposition MPs and the press.
- MPs raised concerns about the affidavit’s references to the Madlanga Commission and the need for an original statement specifically for Parliament.
The six South African activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, who were detained by Israel, have safely arrived in Jordan and were welcomed by South African Ambassador to Jordan, Tselane Mokuena.
‘I’m coming home’: Mandla Mandela and other activists on their way back from Israel via Jordan
- South Africans detained by Israeli forces while delivering aid to Gaza have safely arrived in Jordan and are expected to return home on Wednesday.
- Mandla Mandela confirmed the group’s safety and return, while Minister Ronald Lamola emphasised their noble cause and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- The South African government facilitated the delegation’s return through diplomatic engagement, while families and solidarity groups provided financial support.
A Russian Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft, blacklisted by the United States, landed in South Africa carrying general cargo, civilian helicopters, and acrobatic planes.
Russian plane on US blacklist landed in SA with helicopters and acrobatic planes, govt says
- A US-blacklisted Russian Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft landed in South Africa with general cargo, civilian helicopters and acrobatic planes.
- The Department of Transport authorised the landing, stating that South Africa has not blacklisted the operator despite US concerns.
- The aircraft’s flight path included a stop in Iran and Dar es Salaam, raising concerns from a London-based aviation watchdog.
MK Party leader Jacob Zuma and his lawyers will try next week to dissuade the High Court from granting an application by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the State Attorney and the Solicitor-General to have him repay his corruption-trial legal costs.
Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo
Zuma’s lawyers say he could never repay his R28.9m state-funded legal bill – even with pension
- Jacob Zuma is fighting to avoid repaying R28.9 million in taxpayer funds spent on his corruption trial legal costs, arguing he’s a victim of the state’s “financial misconduct”.
- Zuma’s lawyers claim he cannot afford to repay the money, even if his presidential pension is forfeited, and that forcing him to do so would be unconstitutional.
- The State Attorney and President Ramaphosa are seeking a High Court order for Zuma to repay the funds, while the DA wants Zuma’s assets, including his pension, to be seized if he fails to pay.
FlySafair has been granted an urgent interdict that scraps the January 2026 deadline that it was given to fix its foreign ownership structure. This means there is more time for a court to hear its challenge to the decision.
Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Court scraps FlySafair’s deadline to fix its foreign ownership
- FlySafair was granted an urgent interdict, scrapping the January 2026 deadline to rectify its ownership structure.
- The interdict allows time for a court to hear FlySafair’s legal challenge against the Air Services Licensing Council’s (ASLC) decision.
- The ASLC ruled that FlySafair’s ownership structure was noncompliant with local rules requiring 75% South African resident voting rights.
The Springboks celebrate their Rugby Championship triumph at Twickenham on 4 October 2025.
David Rogers/Getty Images
Is the Rugby Championship over? Doubt lingers over future of historic tournament
- South Africa won the 2025 Rugby Championship, defeating Argentina in a close final match at Twickenham.
- The tournament was exciting and unpredictable, with upsets and close games, but its future is uncertain due to scheduling conflicts and the proposed Nations Championship.
- Coaches struggled to keep players from club duties, and the tournament’s commercial pressures led to matches in unusual locations.
Popular slang in 2025 continues to be heavily influenced by TikTok, Instagram, gaming, streaming, Gen Z and Alpha online communities.
Getty Images/ mihailomilovanovic
‘Sybau’, ‘bop’ – The not-so-innocent meanings behind SA’s most Googled slang words in 2025
- Social media spreads slang quickly, driving rapid evolution in daily speech.
- Google search data reveals the most popular slang terms in South Africa during January to September 2025, reflecting cultural trends. The most searched for slang words in South Africa include “Gaslighting”, “Sigma”, and “Sybau”.
- Understanding new slang is essential for communication, especially across age groups. Language is evolving so rapidly that it makes sense for some people to turn to Google after watching a video on TikTok or after engaging in a conversation with Gen Z and Gen Alphas.
*These summaries were written with the support of Gemini Pro AI.
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