The parliamentary committee tasked with conducting the Section 89 impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa has resolved to oppose the President’s urgent court application seeking to stop its work.
The committee announced on Thursday that it will also ask National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to join it in opposing the interdict application.
Ramaphosa launched the urgent application on 12 June, asking the Western Cape High Court to prevent the committee from proceeding with the impeachment inquiry. The matter is scheduled to be heard on 15 and 16 July. This is separate from Ramaphosa’s bid to have the Section 89 panel report set aside.
The committee said the Constitutional Court order remains binding unless it is set aside or amended by a competent court. It noted that a key legal issue before the courts is whether the Western Cape High Court can suspend obligations arising from a Constitutional Court order.
Committee chairperson Makashule Gana said the body remains bound by the Constitutional Court ruling and will continue carrying out its responsibilities unless directed otherwise by a court.
The committee is due to meet again on 24 June to consider its draft terms of reference and the appointment of evidence leaders. A notice to oppose the President’s application must be filed by 19 June.
South Africa’s annual consumer inflation rate climbed to 4.5% in May from 4.0% in April, reaching its highest level since July 2024 and placing renewed pressure on already strained household budgets.
According to Statistics South Africa, the surge was driven largely by fuel costs, with the fuel index rising by 14.3% in May and recording an annual increase of 28.7%. Petrol prices were up 24.8% year-on-year, while diesel costs soared by 53.8%.
#SAInflation || The inflation surge was largely driven by increases in fuel prices.
The fuel index recorded a second large monthly increase, leaping by 14,3% to reach an annual rise of 28,7%.
— Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke (@SGMaluleke) June 17, 2026
The increase has sparked concern among the labour federation COSATU, which warned that workers are bearing the brunt of rising living costs.
“Workers cannot afford to see a rise in inflation, especially over such a short period of time, given that most workers are paid a pittance and not a living wage by their employers,” read the COSATU’s statement.
COSATU added that the inflation spike is “bleeding workers who are already drowning in debt, borrowing at unsustainable levels, simply to buy food and electricity and service other debt”.
While food inflation continued to ease, falling to 1.9% from 2.9% in April, consumers still faced higher prices in several categories, including dairy products, tea and household staples. Electricity and municipal charges also remained significant contributors to inflationary pressure.
The South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is scheduled to meet on 23 July, following a 25-basis-point increase in the repo rate to 7% last month.
COSATU urged policymakers to avoid further rate hikes, arguing that the current inflation surge is fuel-driven and not caused by domestic demand. It also called for fuel levy relief and measures to shield workers and grant recipients from rising costs.
“Similarly, Eskom must be assisted to reduce the increasingly unaffordable price of electricity… If inflation continues to increase, government must table a supplementary budget amendment bill to cushion Social and SRD Grant recipients from inflation.”
The City’s Energy Directorate has completed a R1.6 million electrification project that connected 159 households to the electricity grid in Langa’s Special Quarters informal settlement, marking a major step in formalising services and replacing unsafe, informal arrangements with structured, legal access to power.
For many families, the change means more than just lights turning on. It signals an end to uncertainty and a shift into full recognition as formal electricity customers of the City.
The project included the installation of electricity poles, overhead and underground cabling, and all required distribution equipment needed to ensure a stable supply.
Existing infrastructure in the area was also upgraded to handle increased demand, reflecting the growing need for reliable energy in rapidly expanding communities.
As part of the rollout, each household has been fitted with standard connection infrastructure, including distribution boards and prepaid electricity meters.
This formalisation means residents are now recognised as official customers of the City of Cape Town, allowing them access to subsidised services, including Free Basic Electricity.
Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Xanthea Limberg, said several other improvements were made in the area, with the benefits already visible on the ground.
“As a caring City, we have also prioritised safety and visibility in the area with the installation of advanced LED retrofitted streetlights. These infrastructure upgrades and investments have immediately improved the quality of life for residents.”
According to Limberg, the project forms part of a wider rollout across the metro.
“Impressively, with about 1 528 connections completed by April 2026 across the metro, the City has surpassed the total connections from the previous financial year, and we are on track to surpass the 1 576 connections achieved two years ago, underscoring our commitment to doing more to powering up all Capetonians.”
Many skateboarders are expected to descend on Cape Town this weekend. This is, as Go Skateboarding Day Cape Town 2026, will then be held. This free event brings together communities, families and anything connected to skate culture. It takes place on Sunday, 21 June 2026, in the CBD in Cape Town.
“We want people to see skateboarders as athletes, creatives, mentors and active contributors to the city,” says Crispine Githinji Nderitu from Clued Skateboarding.
Skateboarders to descend on Cape Town this weekend
Expect a free celebration of sport, culture, creativity and responsible city living on Sunday, 21 June 2026. The Cape Town CBD will then come alive as Go Skateboarding Day Cape Town 2026 will aim to bring together skateboarders, families, residents, tourists, businesses and community organisations for this lively event.
Shuaib Nollie
The event is presented by Clued Skateboarding, in partnership with Grand Skate Tour, Red Bull and Mission for Inner City Cape Town.
Go Skateboarding Day is almost here!
People can start to assemble from midday. The registration will take place at Thibault Square. It’s also the gathering point for participants before they make their way through the CBD to the Company’s Garden. This is where the main skateboarding, youth development, food and community activations will take place.
“The initiative reinforces one of the event’s central messages: that skateboarding can offer young people a positive support system built around belonging, discipline, mentorship and purpose.”
According to Crispine Githinji Nderitu from Clued Skateboarding, Go Skateboarding Day is about bringing people together and showing the positive role skateboarding can play in the city. The organisers say the event is designed to showcase skateboarding as more than a sport. According to a media statement, it is a platform for youth engagement, healthy lifestyles, creative expression and positive interaction with Cape Town’s public spaces.
Cape Town has an incredible skateboarding culture
Nderitu added that Cape Town has an incredible skateboarding culture. The weekend’s event gives people an opportunity to celebrate that culture with families, businesses, visitors and the broader community. According to the statement, visitors can expect a vibrant festival atmosphere with skateboarding demonstrations, open skate sessions, beginner lessons and competitions. There will also be cash-for-tricks sessions, live music, youth entertainment, food vendors, giveaways, sponsor activations and family-friendly activities.
Look out for the Skate Don’t Fade initiative
The organisers say an important part of the event is the Skate Don’t Fade initiative. This was established in memory of beloved Cape Town skateboarder Sebastian Dos Santos. He died following struggles with addiction. Nderitu says through Skate Don’t Fade, the skateboarding community seeks to honour Sebastian’s legacy by creating awareness around addiction, mental well-being and personal support. At the same time, it’s aimed at encouraging young people to pursue positive pathways through sport, creativity and community.
Details about the event
Find the details of the event here:
Event: Go Skateboarding Day Cape Town 2026
Date: Sunday, 21 June 2026
Time: From 12 pm
Registration & Partner Activations: Thibault Square, Cape Town CBD
Main Event Venue: Company’s Garden, Cape Town CBD
Mystery surrounds a missing persons investigation first flagged by the South African Police Service on Sunday, 14 June, of a UK citizen, Naomi Gaynor Bernes, who, it turns out, passed away in Cape Town in January this year.
On Sunday, the Western Cape police issued an alert, seeking assistance to locate Bernes, who had been reported missing in the United Kingdom.
It was further stated that Bernes checked in at the Cape Town International Airport on 20 April to fly back to the United Kingdom, but she never boarded the aircraft, and UK authorities failed to contact her.
A missing persons report for Bernes was filed in the UK three weeks later, on 12 May.
On Wednesday, 17 June, police released a follow-up statement, revealing that Bernes had passed away on 29 January due to natural causes.
This followed enquiries conducted by the Bureau for Missing Persons, which obtained the information through the attorney responsible for the administration of her estate.
With the missing persons investigation concluded, the question now turns to who used Bernes’ identity at the Cape Town International Airport on 20 April, since she has been deceased since January.
According to News24, Bernes passed away at a Cape Town hospital from cancer, after having moved to South Africa last year, and she was not in touch with any of her family. She reportedly lived in Melkbosstrand.
The report quotes unnamed police sources who have confirmed that the investigation is now centred on possible identity theft and fraud.
The office of the Provincial Police Commissioner has also extended its condolences to the family and loved ones of Bernes.
