There’s been a double murder on a farm in the Southern Cape. Garden Route Police have confirmed the deaths of an elderly couple, who were fatally attacked on a farm in Glen Loerie, The Crags.

There’s been a double murder on a farm in the Southern Cape

Warrant Officer Christopher Spies says they were made aware of the crime when a license plate recognition (LPR) camera detected a Mercedes-Benz motor vehicle travelling at high speed. Upon arrival at the address where the car was registered, the officers found the bodies of a 71-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man. They had sustained multiple injuries.

An elderly couple was murdered

Spies says a search for the vehicle commenced, which was later found overturned near Uniondale. He says, shortly afterwards, a 34-year-old suspect from the Crags was arrested. Spies says the suspect is currently being detained in Uniondale.

Information sought

He’s expected to appear in court once formally charged. At this stage, the motive is unclear. Spies says the motive will be further investigated. He has asked anyone with additional information that could assist the investigation to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the mobile application MySAPS.

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued a recall for certain Ford Transit and Transit / Tourneo Custom passenger vehicles, warning consumers of a potential safety risk linked to faulty batteries.

The recall, announced by Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (Manufacturing) (Pty) Ltd, affects 582 vehicles from the 2022 to 2026 model range, which were sold across the country between 2021 and 2025.

NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba says the affected vehicles may be fitted with a defective H7 AGM battery, which could pose a risk to occupants.

“The vehicles may emit an acidic smell similar to rotten eggs, produce a hissing sound, or show visible gas venting from the battery. In some cases, occupants may also notice unusual warmth in the seat area.”

The Commission further warned that under increased temperatures, the battery may trigger a chemical reaction that releases hydrogen sulphide gas, a substance that could be harmful if inhaled over an extended period.

“Prolonged exposure to this gas may pose potential health risks to vehicle occupants,” the NCC cautioned.

Consumers who own affected vehicles are urged to take their vehicles to an authorised dealership as soon as possible.

“All necessary repairs will be carried out at no cost to the consumer.”

 

The fight against tuberculosis (TB) in the Western Cape has gained new momentum, with the province recording its highest-ever TB testing figures. This is a clear sign that efforts to end the disease are intensifying.

The fight against tuberculosis (TB) in the Western Cape has gained new momentum

Ahead of World TB Day earlier this month, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirmed that nearly 40,000 people were tested for TB in February 2026 alone. This milestone reflects a sustained and strategic scale-up of testing across the province. Between 2023 and 2025, annual TB testing increased dramatically, from just over 207,000 to more than 356,000.

This is an additional 150,000 people screened in only two years. Health authorities say this expansion is critical to finding TB early, starting treatment sooner and preventing further transmission.

Fight Against TB Grows Stronger

Western Cape Health and Wellness MEC, Mireille Wenger, said the province is strengthening its response by prioritising vulnerable communities and taking services closer to where people live and work. She stressed that TB is both preventable and curable, and that no one should miss out on care because of their circumstances.

World TB Day was marked with a flagship event in Caledon, drawing more than 3,000 people. Outreach activities also took place across the province. These included walkathons, community screenings, school education sessions and mobile services at taxi ranks, farms and places of worship. This reinforced the message that TB care is accessible and free.

Western Cape Records Highest-Ever Testing Levels

From April 2025 to February 2026, more than 48,000 people were diagnosed with TB in the Western Cape, nearly half of them aged between 25 and 44. Integrated TB and HIV services, along with campaigns such as Close the Gap and End TB, are helping improve access to treatment and patient support. Health officials say the message is clear: the Western Cape’s fight against TB is stronger than ever — and communities are at the centre of the solution.

Some fuel retailers have hiked their diesel prices pre-emptively ahead of the official announcement, which is now expected on Friday, 27 March.

On 24 March, in an internal communication by Total Energies, the company recommended, at retailers’ own discretion, that the price of diesel should be gradually increased to the anticipated price increase on 1 April.

The company says this is to negate any abnormal demand in respect of service stations.

Total Energies says the global crisis has resulted in an overall increase of R6 per litre in its wholesale prices, in addition to “extraordinary logistic costs.”

As a guideline to retailers, the company therefore said the daily diesel pump price adjustment could be as follows:

• Wednesday, 25 March 2026: increase by an additional R6.00 per litre;
• Thursday, 26 March 2026: increase by an additional R1.00 per litre; and
• Friday, 27 March 2026: increase by an additional R1.00 per litre.

This amounts to an overall increase of up to R8 by Friday, 27 March, compared to the retail pump price of diesel as at 28 February.

According to reports, numerous fuel retailers operating under the Total Energies name have already made these adjustments.

The price of diesel is not regulated at the retail level, making it possible for retailers to set their own selling prices, resulting in differing prices between sites.

The latest data of the Central Energy Fund places diesel on track for increases of between R9.67 and R9.81 per litre from 1 April, which will mean that retailers that already hiked their prices by R8 on Friday would only need to hike prices by the shortfall, come 1 April.

(Petrol is on track to increase by over R5)

Meanwhile, there have been numerous reports of localised diesel “shortages”, which may be a combination of consumers’ panic buying or retailers rationing their own supply to prevent their stations from completely running dry.

Premier Alan Winde has stressed that these are supply Issues, and not shortages, noting that it has particularly affected the Garden Route and West Coast districts.

Winde has warned suppliers against holding back fuel in anticipation of a sharp price increase expected in April, stating that some farmers reported that they were only receiving about 20% of their usual monthly diesel allocations.

The government has been at pains to stress that the country and the province has enough fuel supply, calling on consumers to purchase at their normal levels, while encouraging fair practices at the retail level.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said a Cabinet committee has been established to determine what should be done about rising fuel costs due to the Middle East crisis.

It comes after the DA proposed to cut fuel levies by 50%, which will provide short-term relief to motorists.