The headlines of the leading newspapers on 17 April 2025:
NATIONAL:
# Business Day:
Reports universities and research institutes have made an urgent appeal to the National Treasury for 150-million-rand in emergency funding in preparation for the prospect of the Trump administration withdrawing all support for South African scientists. The paper writes that the Treasury can use the provisions in the Public Finance Management Act to make emergency funds available.
# Mail & Guardian:
Leads with the headline: “GOD EDITION”. The newspaper writes about various events related to or influenced by religion.
# And the Netwerk24 website:
Reports the Presidency is confident that the statements about president Donald Trump by South African envoy Mcebisi Jonas will not have a negative impact. However, the DA and Freedom Front Plus say that he must address the fact that he called Trump a homophobe and a racist before he leaves.
Then the paper writes the man who was shot dead on the campus of Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape was indeed a student. The university says they previously neglected to check the facts.
And finally, there is a report about a man who was deliberately run over by an unknown person in a Ford Ranger bakkie. The incident happened in Rivonia and the bakkie repeatedly ran over the man and he died.
GAUTENG:
# The Star & Pretoria News:
Also writes about Jonas’s statements about Trump and says there are fears that this will sour relations from the start.
And secondly, the paper reports the World Trade Organization has warned that world trade could fall by 1.5-percent this year as a result of Trump’s tariffs.
# Sowetan:
Reports parents of children in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, are living in fear after gangs took over local schools. Three learners have already been shot dead and some schools have been closed. The Gauteng government has asked the police to urgently intervene.
# And The Citizen:
Writes about the dire conditions at Nigel High School where teachers have to pay three-thousand-rand a month to rent it from the government. There is no water, electricity or toilets.
WESTERN CAPE:
# Die Burger:
Reports according to the minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, there are currently approximately 31-thousand teaching posts vacant in South Africa.
And secondly, the paper writes a woman was assaulted and almost raped at Devil’s Peak in the Table Mountain National Park.
EASTERN CAPE:
# The Herald in Gqeberha:
Reports the Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, received a worrying message from the CEO of Mercedes-Benz SA during a meeting about the impending US tariffs.
And secondly, the paper writes about the dramatic events during the rescue of kidnapped American pastor Josh Sullivan.
KWAZULU-NATAL:
# The Witness in Pietermaritzburg:
Writes one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most wanted suspects has been arrested. Linda Hlongwa, also known as “Mjinja” or “Putin”, was a fugitive for five years after failing to appear in court in July 2020 on charges of possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.
And secondly, there is a report about Pietermaritzburg’s Easter weekend tourism plan.
And finally from NAMIBIA:
# Republikein in Windhoek:
Reports the Katutura Health Centre is the only primary health care facility in Katutura that is open 24 hours a day. The residential area has about 140-thousand residents and the centre serves about one-thousand-three-hundred patients daily.
And secondly, the paper writes there are questions about conflicts of interest after the Namibian Institute of Pathology began doing business with a housing development company in which its board chairman has shares.
The newspaper report will be posted again on Tuesday 22 April.