South Africa is facing a growing crisis of missing persons, with organizations like Missing Children South Africa and ACT Africa reporting a significant increase in disappearances. Families across the country are using social media to search for loved ones, from children vanishing on their way to school to adults disappearing without explanation. This situation highlights the country's vulnerability to organized crime, human trafficking, online grooming, and violent crime. The large number of cases has also raised concerns about the South African Police Service's Saps ability to respond quickly during the critical initial hours after a disappearance. While many missing persons are eventually found, a substantial number of families endure prolonged uncertainty. Missing Children South Africa estimates that about 77% of missing children are located, but nearly one in four are not immediately reunited with their families. Criminologist Bianca van Aswegen, national co-ordinator for Missing Children South Africa, noted that official statistics do not capture the full extent of the problem as many cases go unreported, and she observed an increase in child disappearances due to escalating kidnappings and human trafficking. Van Aswegen also highlighted social media as a major danger for children, especially teenagers vulnerable to grooming. Poor supervision and a lack of basic safety precautions also contribute to children disappearing. ACT Africa co-founder and chief executive Hilary
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Citizen.
The City of Johannesburg has paid R4.3 billion towards its electricity debt to Eskom, following a court order and previous threats of power supply reduction. In June 2024, the High Court in Johannesburg ordered the City of Joburg and City Power to pay R1.073 billion, including interest, for an unpaid electricity account. This legal action came after the regional utility began defaulting on payments from October 2023 for bulk electricity supplied by Eskom. The City of Joburg had initially withheld payments, alleging Eskom owed it over R3.4 billion for over-billing, but the court dismissed this counterclaim. Despite the court order, the City of Joburg continued to struggle with its financial obligations, leading Eskom to threaten to cut power in May 2026 over a R5.2 billion debt and repeated defaults. Eskom confirmed on Friday that the R4.3 billion payment was made against an accumulated overdue debt of R5,255,421,994.16. As of July 24, 2026, the overdue balance stands at R3,801,864,153.45, which includes an overdue current account and the outstanding balance from the court-ordered settlement. The city has committed to making further payments totaling R5,117,736,000 by August 21, 2026. Eskom acknowledged the progress but noted that the overdue debt is not yet fully settled, emphasizing the city's obligation to honor the court-ordered arrangement and pay all current electricity accounts on time.
Build One South Africa BOSA has terminated the membership of founding member Ayanda Allie, who served as the party's representative in the Gauteng legislature. The decision followed an internal disciplinary process, though BOSA did not disclose the reasons. BOSA board chairperson Stevens Mokgalapa stated that Allie was offered an opportunity to appeal but declined, making the board's decision final. Political analysts have weighed in on the implications for BOSA and its leader, Mmusi Maimane. Theo Neethling suggested that Maimane's political career highlights the difference between personal popularity and building a sustainable political organization, noting that BOSA's performance in the 2024 elections was disappointing. Neethling added that BOSA operates in a crowded opposition landscape, lacks a clearly differentiated political identity, and remains heavily reliant on Maimane's personal appeal. Andre Duvenhage, another political analyst, believes Maimane's prospects were stronger when he was with the DA, describing him now as a "lonely voice." Meanwhile, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba confirmed meeting with Allie two weeks prior and indicated he would not refuse her if she wished to join his party.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has successfully obtained an interim interdict to pause parliamentary impeachment proceedings related to the Phala Phala scandal. The Western Cape High Court in Cape Town delivered its ruling on Friday, 24 July 2026. Ramaphosa sought to prevent the impeachment inquiry from starting until his separate review challenge against the Section 89 independent panel’s report is finalized. The president is seeking to overturn the panel’s findings, which concluded he has questions to answer regarding the theft of approximately $580,000 from his Phala Phala game farm in February 2020. His legal team argued that without the interdict, the impeachment committee could begin its work before a ruling on the panel's findings, causing "irrefutable harm." While one judgment initially found Ramaphosa failed to establish a case, the second and third judgments granted an interim interdict for a limited duration. As a result, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and the chairperson of the impeachment committee have been instructed to halt proceedings pending the outcome of the review challenge. The issue of legal costs was deferred. Ramaphosa welcomed the outcome, reaffirming his respect for judicial independence. This legal battle follows a Constitutional Court ruling in May that found Parliament acted unlawfully in blocking impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa in December 2022, compelling the National Assembly to establish a formal impeachment committee. Ramaphosa’