Morning Newspaper Report

The headlines of the leading newspapers on 15 January 2026:

NATIONAL:

# Business Day:

Reports retail group Pepkor has expressed concern about the progress of acquisitions. This follows the Lewis Group’s victory in the Constitutional Court, which allows them to participate in the review of Pepkor’s planned purchase of Shoprite’s furniture division for 3.2-billion-rand.

# And the Netwerk24 website:

Reports despite an alleged order by president Cyril Ramaphosa to the minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, that Iran should withdraw from the BRICS naval exercise, it appears that the country is still involved.

And secondly, the website writes many guests are trapped in the Kruger National Park due to flooding in the area that is making roads impassable.

GAUTENG:

# The Star:

Writes about City Power’s project to collect more than 10-billion-rand in arrears.

And reports on the first school day of 2026.

# Sowetan:

Reports everything did not go smoothly on the first day of school of 2026. In Mpumalanga and Limpopo, access to schools was hampered by flooding and in Gauteng and the Western Cape, there are many learners who have not yet been placed.

# And The Citizen:

Writes former acting National Police Commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane, told the parliamentary ad hoc committee that he heard on television that he had been removed from the post. He says he was simply a guinea pig for the step aside policy.

WESTERN CAPE:

# Die Burger:

Reports Christoff Bekker who gained notoriety as a member of the Waterkloof Four has been sentenced for assaulting a police officer during an incident at his father’s house on December 26. Bekker told the newspaper that it was not his “proudest moment”.

And secondly, the paper writes about the drought and water shortage in the Bitou Municipality where level 4 water restrictions have been imposed. Mossel Bay has also announced water restrictions.

EASTERN CAPE:

# The Herald in Gqeberha:

Reports many of the problems experienced last year at schools in Nelson Mandela Bay still exist at the start of the new school year, and no attempt has been made to solve them.

And secondly, the paper has a special photo page about the first day of school.

KWAZULU-NATAL:

# The Witness in Pietermaritzburg:

Writes the National Freedom Party has made a U-turn and decided to rejoin the government of provincial unity.

And secondly, it reports about the tears and joy during the first school day of the year.

And finally from NAMIBIA:

# Republikein in Windhoek:

Reports the minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, says she looks forward to the visits of her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, as well as deputy prime minister Yury Trutnev in February.

Then the paper writes the residents of Okahandja are concerned about the alleged slow response of the emergency services after the death of a 21-year-old man earlier this week.

And finally, it is reported that a new completion date for the Windhoek District Hospital has been set.