Morning Newspaper Report

The headlines of the leading newspapers on 26 March 2026:

NATIONAL:

# Business Day:

Reports the possibility that the Presidency may appoint an interim national police commissioner after general Fannie Masemola was summoned to appear in court over alleged tender fraud.

# And the Netwerk24 website:

Leads with the court appearance of the 12 police officers and the warrant served on Masemola yesterday afternoon to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on April 21 in connection with the Mediacare24 Tshwane District tender fraud case. The website writes president Cyril Ramaphosa has not yet considered Masemola’s future.

And secondly, it is reported that a Kishugu Aviation helicopter, which was participating in firefighting in Hout Bay, crashed yesterday afternoon. The pilot only suffered minor injuries and was admitted to the hospital. The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating.

GAUTENG:

# The Star:

Also writes about the court appearance of the 12 police officers. The paper reports one of the officers who appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court yesterday, brigadier Rachel Matjeng, had earlier claimed that she and Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala were in a romantic relationship and that he showered her with gifts.

# Sowetan:

Leads with: “STATE OF DISORDER”. The paper reports with the national police commissioner due to appear in court for alleged tender fraud, the country’s security cluster has been plunged into a national crisis.

# And The Citizen:

Writes AfriForum has called on the USA to use the Magnitsky Act to impose sanctions on the ANC’s secretary general, Fikile Mbalula.

WESTERN CAPE:

# Die Burger:

Has the same story as Netwerk24 on the court appearance of the police officers and the future of Masemola and also writes about the helicopter that crashed.

EASTERN CAPE:

# The Herald in Gqeberha:

Has a special report under the title: “WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE”. The paper looks in depth at the devastating effect of prolonged power outages on businesses, residents, and society in Nelson Mandela Bay.

KWAZULU-NATAL:

# The Witness in Pietermaritzburg:

Also writes about the court appearance of the senior police officers and reports on former minister Dion George’s confirmation of the controversial DA compensation report.

And finally from NAMIBIA:

# Republikein in Windhoek:

Reports the government is apparently ignoring a shadow economy that has taken hold in the northern parts of the country. These are informal employment agencies for illegal immigrants who are seeping into the country.

And secondly, the paper writes the family of a man who was allegedly shot dead by the police at a roadblock last year is demanding millions in damages.