The headlines of the leading newspapers on 04 August 2026:
NATIONAL:
# Business Day:
Reports the head of the Hawks, Ebrahim Kadwa, has lost his battle to prevent the police from accessing his phone. The paper writes Kadwa says the phone was taken by the police without a seizure order.
# And the Netwerk24 website:
Reports the High Court in Johannesburg heard yesterday that one of the co-accused in the Matlala trial, Musa Kekana, allegedly coughed up blood when he was arrested. The court heard evidence on the admissibility of the evidence found during Kekana’s arrest.
And secondly, the website writes grave robbers have again attacked the grave of PAC founding member Robert Sobukwe in Robert Sobukwe Town and this time tried to steal the coffin. There is division in the community over the name change of the town formerly known as Graaff-Reinet.
GAUTENG:
# The Star:
Writes Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber has launched a new online service aimed at making it easier for South Africans to locate participating bank branches where they can apply for Smart ID cards. The paper reports the service, available on the department’s online platform, allows citizens to instantly find their nearest participating bank branch.
# Sowetan:
Reports a sports complex for the Emfuleni community is now just a vacant lot for drug dealing and attacks on residents. The municipality says 24-million-rand has been spent on sewerage and electricity infrastructure, but another 160-million-rand is needed to complete the project.
# And The Citizen:
Writes experts believe solar power played a huge role in the success of Eskom’s turnaround plan. The power supplier last applied load shedding 441 days ago and drastically reduced its diesel costs.
WESTERN CAPE:
# Die Burger:
Reports the minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, says sports federations should not constantly appeal to the government for funds while lazy federation bosses do nothing to raise money.
And secondly, the paper writes the Malawian citizen who refused to flee South Africa without his dog was reunited with the dog in his homeland by well-wishers.
EASTERN CAPE:
# The Herald in Gqeberha:
Reports that a growing number of schools in the Eastern Cape are being targeted by criminals. The Hankey Secondary School was vandalised and the paper publishes photos of the serious damage that was caused.
The paper also writes about teaching staff who were robbed by armed men in KwaZakhele.
And there is also news about a pothole repair project that has been launched in Nelson Mandela Bay.
KWAZULU-NATAL:
# The Witness in Pietermaritzburg:
Writes the DA wants the Public Investment Corporation to be dissolved due to the many management problems.
And secondly, the paper conducted a candid interview with Siya Kolisi.
And finally from NAMIBIA:
# Republikein in Windhoek:
Reports an 84-year-old man and his 82-year-old wife were attacked, assaulted and robbed in their home in Windhoek for the second time. Five men were involved. The paper writes this is the latest incident in a wave of violent housebreakings targeting the elderly in the city.
And secondly, the paper writes the CEO of Leonardville in the Omaheke region, Willie Swartz, is allegedly absent for a large part of the working week. Swartz receives a salary and has an official residence in the town, but he apparently spends most of his time in Rehoboth.