The Citizen SA

American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart apologized late Sunday for an “insensitive and not funny” Halloween costume after she appeared to dress up as a homeless person. “It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up,” the billionaire, 85, wrote on Instagram after she deleted a photo of herself in ripped jeans, a torn sweater and a dirtied face. Stewart also held a clipboard that read “I Am Hungry Help Me!!” Social media users quickly slamme

For many South Africans, the best meals are served in generous dishes placed in the middle of the table, surrounded by conversation, second helpings and the people we love. Whether it is a Sunday lunch that stretches well into the afternoon, meat shared around the braai or a family recipe made whenever everyone comes home, food has always given us a reason to gather. Pork belly feels entirely at home on these occasions. The cut is celebrated in cuisines across the world. It is cured to ma

The ANC has emerged victorious in a legal challenge brought by two of its Eastern Cape members who wanted the party’s candidate lists for the 2026 local government elections declared invalid. Freedom Nkululeko Jojiyasi and Masande Mambulu took the party to the Electoral Court, alleging that its internal candidate-selection procedures had not been properly followed before the provincial lists and ward candidate nomination lists were submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (

As of 1 January 2027, South Africa will be excluded from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) following an annual review of the country’s eligibility. The United States (US) announced this on Monday, 2 November, citing concerns over trade and investment barriers, corruption and US national security and foreign policy interests. Like South Africa, Rwanda will also lose its preferential access two years earlier than the trade agreement was supposed to end. Economists noted tha

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is content with the way the special voting period is progressing, despite several security incidents. IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo said all voting stations had opened on time on Tuesday and that a full complement of home visit teams had been deployed. Voting stations will remain open for special voters until 5pm on Tuesday, before reopening at 7am on Wednesday. Mamabolo asked those who had registered for special vote to get to the polls, but stresse

Americans voted on Tuesday in pivotal midterm elections with Democrats hoping to seize control of Congress and impose the first significant checks on Donald Trump’s chaotic second term in the White House. Republicans losing the House would give Democrats the power to stall Trump’s legislative agenda and launch sweeping investigations of his administration. A Senate defeat would also threaten his ability to appoint Supreme Court justices and senior officials. The election amount

Italy’s government held emergency talks with intelligence chiefs on Tuesday following cyberattacks on supermarket freezer systems in at least 11 European countries. The attacks in recent days, for which no one has claimed responsibility, have prompted the EU to warn of a deliberate attempt to disrupt its food supply chain. EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said EU agencies were also holding meetings on Tuesday with national authorities on “how to best respond to this collectively&#82

Police have arrested two women after they allegedly impersonated Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials and collected voting materials. Officers from the Ngcobo Police Station handcuffed the duo on Monday morning, prompting a warning that interference with the electoral process would not be tolerated. Impersonation It is alleged that at about 4.30am on 2 November 2026, the two women arrived at Ngcobo Police Station and collected voting material, claiming that the presiding

Police have arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly photographing his marked ballot papers at a voting station in Humulani, Limpopo, in contravention of the Electoral Act. The incident occurred at Chuchekani Primary School on Monday, while a second voter allegedly committed a similar offence before becoming aggressive and verbally insulting the presiding officer when confronted. Photo of ballot Police said one of the suspects later posted an image of his marked ballot paper on social m

As the 2026 local government elections near, dangerously tense campaigns have taken their toll, with blood being spilt in KwaZulu-Natal. The South African Police Service (Saps) has launched urgent murder investigations after assailants killed an ActionSA councillor candidate and a member of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in separate incidents across the province over the past two days. Police commissioner urges tolerance for elections Detectives are working to establish the exact motiv

The EFF says South Africa must not let the United States use the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) as leverage in its foreign and trade policy, insisting that the country pursue global trade partnerships on its own terms. This follows the Trump administration’s announcement that SA will be excluded from the Agoa trade agreement effective 1 January 2027 for several official and diplomatic reasons, including “barriers that undermine American trade and investment and practice

Coalitions are again expected to be the order of business once the dust settles around polling stations after 4 November. Only the Cape Town and Buffalo City metro municipalities had majority leadership going into election week, with the other six having hung or coalition-run councils. Voters cast their votes in 257 municipalities and 4 488 ward across South Africa, with an Ipsos poll releasing predictive data for five of the largest municipalities. In Johannesburg, Ipsos place the DA n

The Electoral Court ordered the removal of a former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member from the party’s candidate list for the 2026 local government elections, finding that he could not be forced to contest the polls without his approval. The case was brought by Sivuyile Jacquin Tshikila, who turned to the courts after failing to persuade the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to remove his name from the EFF’s list of candidates. Ex-EFF member nominated for 2026 loc

An Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) presiding officer in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, has been officially relieved of her duties. This came after she was found to have transported party agents in an IEC vehicle. It was further alleged that the members had been “dishing out party t-shirts on the way to the home visits.” The decision follows growing social media outrage and formal complaints from political parties over serious procedural breaches during the special voting p

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has provided an update on efforts to rehabilitate the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works following water contamination. As the city works to restore a safe water supply to affected communities following weeks of water disruptions, Moya said the water remains unsafe for consumption. Slow progress Moya said the city is making progress through its collaborative efforts with Rand Water. “We have engaged the city manager and his team to ensure that the

As the world modernises, so does the way people choose to grow their money. Some South Africans are choosing to carry their investments on their arms as they step out into Sandton traffic. People are increasingly moving away from traditional investments and into designer items. One example from Luxity is two designer handbags bought a year ago for the same amount of money; however, only one has gained value. This comes as Luxity co-founder Michael Zahariev says there are signs the luxury s

“Mogging”, a word meaning to outshine someone, often in appearance, was crowned word of the year by Collins English Dictionary on Tuesday, beating “firewave” and “ghost jobs”. According to the dictionary, mogging is a compliment meaning “the act of outshining or outperforming someone or something”, with the word spreading on social media in the past year. It is believed to be rooted in the slang acronym AMOG (alpha male of the group), which w

Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners is expecting a difficult challenge when they take on Golden Arrows in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals on Tuesday night. Sundowns welcome Abafana Bes’thende to Loftus Versfeld as they look to book their place in the last four and move a step closer to another piece of domestic silverware. The Tshwane giants head into the encounter in good form, having recorded back-to-back victories across all competitions. However, Rayners is well aware th

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus firmly stood behind the much-maligned Salmaan Moerat, with the big lock set to make his Bok return in their Nations Championship match against Italy in Turin on Saturday. Moerat has been a polarising player over the years, with many Bok fans and pundits questioning his credentials, but he has always had the full backing of the coaching staff at the Boks and his former franchise the Stormers. Much like Willie le Roux before him, who also had a heavily criticis

With just hours before South Africans head to the polls, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi issued a blunt warning to officers deployed across the province, ordering them to remain politically neutral, protect every voter and act “uncompromisingly” against anyone who threatens the integrity of the 2026 local government elections. Mkhwanazi, who has been nominated to be the next Hawks head, addressed several law enforcement agencies ahead