The headlines of the leading newspapers on 29 May 2026:
NATIONAL:
# Business Day:
Reports the Reserve Bank has raised the key interest rate to seven-percent as inflation risks continue to mount. The paper writes the Monetary Policy Committee was divided on the impact of rising oil and food costs threatening inflation targets.
# Mail & Guardian:
Writes how the ANC has caught Sisisi Tolashe. The ANC Women’s League leadership will seal the fate of its beleaguered president this weekend.
# Die Papier:
Does a thorough analysis of the latest crime statistics and draws shocking conclusions. Namely, that the rape of young children has tripled and most incidents occur at nursery schools and day care centres. From January to March this year, 93 children were raped nationwide.
The paper also reports that the police’s assumption that crime is decreasing is not correct. In some cases, only 43-percent of crimes are reported.
# And the Netwerk24 website:
Reports that the secretary-general of the SACP, Solly Mapaila, says the planned Congress of the Left does not aim to establish a party against the ANC. They want to develop a strategy that puts workers first.
And secondly, the website writes the controversial midwife, Yolandé Maritz-Fouchee, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison after being found guilty on 14 charges.
GAUTENG:
# The Star:
Writes the controversial Afrikaans activist Dan Roodt’s Pro-Afrikaans Action Group will lose almost 4.2-million-rand in local and foreign currency due to the breach of exchange control regulations.
Then it is reported that officials at the Msunduzi Municipality are facing death threats, leading to unresolved disciplinary proceedings and wasteful expenditure.
And finally, there is news about the mining entrepreneur who won the 100-million-rand Lotto jackpot.
# Sowetan:
Reports on the looting of the Tembisa Hospital. The paper writes a young woman had to learn from the Special Investigation Unit that her identity had been stolen to set up a shell company through which a luxury mansion worth six-million-rand was purchased.
# And The Citizen:
Writes Wayne Duvenage of Outa says there is currently a rush underway among cadre councillors to obtain as many tenders as possible in case they are voted out in November. They allegedly refer to it as “padkos”.
WESTERN CAPE:
# Die Burger:
Leads with an extensive interview with the socialite, Mel Viljoen, about her and her husband Peet’s experiences in the USA. He is still in detention there.
And secondly, there is news about an exam for prison commanders to improve standards.
EASTERN CAPE:
# The Herald in Gqeberha:
Asks the question: How much will it cost to repair the broken Bay?
And secondly, it is reported that a well-known businessman from Nelson Mandela Bay, John Mowbray, has died at the age of 79.
KWAZULU-NATAL:
# The Witness in Pietermaritzburg:
Writes the SABC is reportedly in hot pursuit of its TV licence fees.
And secondly, it is reported that the chief whip of the MK Party, Mmabatho Mokoena Zondi, is accused of demanding payments from employees under false pretences.
And finally from NAMIBIA:
# Republikein in Windhoek:
Reports that a company linked to the son of president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has been granted a 612-million-rand solar power licence, amid questions about political interference in the country’s oil, gas, and energy sector.
And secondly, the paper writes a private detective company is encouraging all Namibian employers, business owners, and recruitment managers to conduct proper screening when hiring new employees.