Morning Newspaper Report

The headlines of the leading newspapers on 19 August 2026:

NATIONAL:

# Business Day:

Reports the Public Protector, Kholeka Gcaleka, has ordered the minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela, to submit a plan for corrective action to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme by November 1st. The paper writes her investigation found that approximately 40-thousand students at 76 higher education institutions were improperly funded at an estimated cost of 5.1-billion-rand.

# And the Netwerk24 website:

Reports the minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanele Nyhontso, says the Expropriation Act aims to ensure land access for black South Africans in proportion to their population share. He says black people were disrupted by colonial and apartheid governments.

And secondly, the website writes the body of a missing skydiver has been found in the mountains north of Porterville. He has been missing since Monday when he failed to arrive at his landing site.

GAUTENG:

# The Star:

Writes the National Prosecuting Authority is expected to drop all charges against crime intelligence chief, Dumisani Khumalo, brigadier Dineo Mokwele and other co-accused this week. The paper reports there are serious questions about the investigation that began as allegations of fraud and corruption surrounding Mokwele’s appointment as brigadier.

# Sowetan:

Reports a Tshwane metro police officer, Peter Nonyane, also known as “Lamasweet”, was arrested after a car dealer brought the purchase of a Mercedes G63 worth 1.93-million-rand to the metro’s attention. His lawyer wife is alleged to have embezzled three-million-rand from deceased estates.

# And The Citizen:

Leads with: “THE BIG ESKOM RIP-OFF”. The paper writes household electricity bills have increased by 907-percent in the past 20 years. The minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has however promised a new fair tariff structure.

WESTERN CAPE:

# Die Burger:

Firstly also reports on the investigation of the Pubic Protector into the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

And secondly, the paper writes a 16-year-old teenager from Malmesbury appeared in court yesterday after an investigation by the American FBI allegedly linked him to violent online child exploitation networks. He was arrested by the SAPS on Monday.

EASTERN CAPE:

# The Herald in Gqeberha:

Leads with: ”FRAIL AND ELDERLY STRIPPED OF DIGNITY”. The paper reports on the dire conditions at a Nelson Mandela Bay old age home.

And secondly, the paper writes the Treasury and Auditor-General have been asked to intervene and stop the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro from writing off 23-billion-rand.

KWAZULU-NATAL:

# The Witness in Pietermaritzburg:

Writes the Sobantu community is suffering from a terrible stench from the Darvill Wastewater Treatment Plant, causing health problems and discomfort for residents.

And secondly, the paper also reports that there have been irregular payments worth 5.1-billion-rand through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

And finally from NAMIBIA:

# Republikein in Windhoek:

Reports the office of the Ombud, Basilius Dyakugha, has confirmed that his investigation report on the proposed Baynes Hydropower Project was never sent to the project unit.

And secondly, the paper writes after 54 years, Namibia’s largest goat exporter to South Africa, the André Rossouw Trust of Maltahöhe, has thrown in the towel due to the huge costs of exporting goats.