Adriaan Wildschutt winning the NYC Half Marathon. IMAGE: Facebook
A South African long-distance runner from Ceres, Adriaan Wildschutt, has made history after becoming the first South African to win the New York City Half Marathon.
The Team SA Olympian crossed the finish line in 59 minutes and 30 seconds during his first attempt at the 21km distance.
Wildschutt previously competed in the 10,000m at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The race saw more than 30,000 athletes take to the streets of New York City on Sunday morning for the 21.1km park-to-park course.
Team South Africa detailed Wildschutt’s run, describing it as “smart conservative race”.
“He kept himself within the pack for the first 10km before making a decisive move after halfway and taking the sole lead at 15km, eventually opening up an 11-second advantage at 20km over the USA’s Zouhair Talbi and maintaining that lead all the way to the finish,” said Team South Africa.
In a truly world-class performance, Adriaan Wildschutt made history as the first South African to win this iconic race. Making his 21 km debut, Wildschutt clocked an incredible 59:30, pulling away from the pack after the 15 km mark to finish 11 seconds clear of the field.
After securing the historic victory, Wildschutt told Team South Africa that he could tell that he was doing well and just kept going.
“I was like ‘at some point I’m going to get up the bridge and make a big surge down the hill.’ After the downhill, you get a hill again, so I wanted to keep pushing.”
He also took to social media to describe the race as an unforgettable experience on the streets of New York City.
Wildschutt, who hails from the Western Cape town of Ceres, is currently based in Arizona in the United States after studying at Florida State University.
He’s also the subject of a short film, Change of Pace, which shares more about Wildschutt and his journey. He’s described by his peers as “inspiring”.
Cape Town Carnival 2026 is almost here! Saturday is the big day that Capetonians and visitors can expect a colourful extravaganza in the streets of Green Point, on the Fan Walk. During the week, over 1 500 local dancers will be busy with last-minute changes to their routines (if needed) as well as the all-important dress rehearsals.
AlDerman JP Smith says, “The street parade will be led by 12 creative champions who will share stories of following their passion while highlighting Cape Town’s role in shaping their careers and artistic voices.”
Alderman JP Smith has also reminded residents and motorists that several roads in the Green Point area will be affected. He says Somerset Road will be closed from 12:00 until 02:00 on the day of the event. Smith says this will impact all traffic movement from the side streets on Somerset Road. Green Point Main Road from P14 will also be closed from 14:00.
Cape Town Carnival 2026 is almost here!
The Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says Cape Town Carnival is the Mother City’s colourful celebration of creativity, culture and the performing arts. It takes over Green Point on Saturday, 21 March 2026. He further elaborated that this year’s theme is Follow Your HEART. Smith says those taking part will deliver a spectacular show. The dancers represent diverse groups from areas across the province.
“During the parade, the carnival will celebrate hip hop artists and Khayelitsha’s own Bravo le Roux, who passed away in January. He contributed to the creative and served as an inspiration for one of the floats on the parade,” Smith added.
Carnival: Expect a colourful extravaganza in the streets of Green Point
You can expect a three-hour street parade. There will be carnival villages with food and bars, entertainment stages, spectator stands and an after-party. Smith says the Carnival has been taking place for the past 16 years. He says it has attracted around 36 000 people to its footprint and contributes millions of rand to the economy annually. You are also reminded that it is free to watch the carnival. Members of the public who would like a premium viewing experience can reserve seats in the seated stands (R480) or purchase VIP tickets via Quicket. There are also limited viewing options available on the Red Bus.
The Mother City’s colourful extravaganza
The City is encouraging Carnivalgoers to make use of parking areas in the vicinity. Some of these parking areas are paid parking facilities:
Heritage Square – Buitengracht Street
Cape Quarter – Hudson Street
Battery Park and Breakwater Parking – V&A Waterfront
P14 – Green Point Main Road (Sea Point approach)
Green Point Park – Helen Suzman Boulevard
Smith says the MyCiTi service along Somerset Road will be impacted by the carnival road closure. He says you can visit the MyCiTi website for more information on the route impact and deviations. Also, make sure to find the comprehensive list of road closures. At the same time, you can find more information about this and other events to be hosted in the Mother City at the following link – www.eventsincapetown.com
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services, as well as Law Enforcement officers, will be part of the pre-parade activities, which have become one of the highlights of the carnival.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services, as well as Law Enforcement officers, will be part of the pre-parade activities. this has become one of the highlights of the carnival.
There is also an entertainment village
In addition to the traditional parade along Somerset Road and Green Point Main Road, carnivalgoers can also enjoy an entertainment village near the parade starting point. The village will feature performances from some of the city’s entertainers. There is also a variety of food trucks. The entertainment village will run from 15:00 until midnight. This includes an afterparty headlined by DJ Ready D, YoungstaCPT and DJ Summer Heynes. The carnival pre-parade will start at 6 pm. The main street parade will kick off at 7 pm. It will move from the intersection of York Road and Green Point Main Road to the endpoint at Chiappini Street. (According to a City statement.)
‘We’re looking forward to seeing all the work the carnival teams have been preparing over the last few months come to life and, of course, the friendly rivalry between our Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers as they bring their own energy and creativity to the parade. We encourage residents and visitors to line Somerset Road and experience this spectacular extravaganza,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
The City has welcomed the amended District Development Model Regulations, which the Metro argued amounted to a constitutional overreach into the powers of local governments.
The regulations, which came into effect in May 2024, mandated each municipality to draw up a ‘One Plan’ for ultimate ‘approval’ by the COGTA Minister and ‘adoption’ by the National Cabinet.
The City immediately declared a formal intergovernmental dispute, deeming the original regulations unlawful.
A process of engagement between COGTA and the City followed, with the matter now resolved, following the publication of amended DDM regulations for public comment.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the changes substantially overhaul the original regulations, and the problematic clauses have now been removed entirely.
‘Local governments are independently elected, imbued with extensive original powers by the Constitution, and they may pursue their own policies and objectives. They are not mere sub-branches of the national government. The successful resolution of this dispute has underscored this important principle in our constitutional framework.’
The City’s dispute pointed out that these powers would infringe on local government’s constitutional autonomy and responsibility to regulate municipal planning under section 155 (6)(a) and (7) of the Constitution.
The City’s dispute further stated that the ‘One Plan’ is a wasteful duplication of the existing five-year strategic planning processes in municipalities, and could not lawfully replace or conflict with municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), which are already consulted with all spheres of government, residents, and stakeholders.
Hill-Lewis argued the regulations would have further added a major red tape and bureaucracy that would’ve diverted municipal resources.
Instead, the amended regulations propose collaborative support to municipalities for long-term strategic planning in line with the constitution.
The Mayor lauded the engagement process between the parties to get it resolved:
‘While Cape Town had formally declared an intergovernmental dispute, there was no need to appoint a mediator thanks to the constructive engagement process with both the COGTA Minister and his Department, which has now resulted in these amended regulations. This is cooperative governance in action, and we look forward to the proclamation of the new regs in the near future.’
Librarians from across the city took to the streets.
Librarians have taken to the streets to celebrate reading. This was done in the form of a road march, which was recently held in the streets of central Cape Town. The event has been described as a vibrant celebration of reading. By attending, City librarians signalled their commitment to literacy. It also kicked off the annual South African Library Week (SALW), taking place from 15 to 22 March 2026.
“In 2014, Central Library launched an annual road march through the streets of Cape Town. At the time, they marched as a solo team, but the spirit of the event was too infectious to stay small.”
Librarians have taken to the streets to celebrate reading
According to the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, the road march through the streets of the Mother City has become a fixture on the City libraries calendar and marks the official start of South African Library Week. She says South African Library Week purposefully includes Human Rights Day on 21 March.
“By 2017, the Library & Information Services Department officially joined the movement, transforming the march into a full-scale departmental event.”
This is not only to highlight the role of libraries in a democracy, but also to champion the constitutional right to freedom of access to information. Higham says libraries are community spaces that promote social cohesion and provide safe havens. It is also an opportunity for all the citizens of the City, especially young people.
Councillor Higham and Portfolio Chairperson, Councillor Ronel Viljoen, joined the road march.
South African Library Week kicks off with a road march
She has reminded library lovers that it’s also Fine-Free Week. This means that patrons can return any overdue items to the library and not pay any fine. Additionally, if you have lost your library card, this week provides the perfect opportunity to receive a replacement card free of charge. She has encouraged people to visit libraries in the northern and southern suburbs. A diverse range of programmes designed to inspire and connect will be hosted at libraries to become a part of.
More information about the road march by Librarians
This year was the ninth march to be held. The theme for this year is Reclaiming Knowledge and Empowering Futures. It also focuses on digital inclusion, preserving indigenous knowledge, and fostering community innovation. Higham says City Librarians from across the Mother City joined the public demonstration of their facilities’ relevance and promoted their services.
“What began as a single library’s passion project has blossomed into a city-wide celebration.”
What is on offer at libraries:
-> Digital access: showcasing their diverse range of digital resources and modern applications, such as PressReader and Libby.
-> Access to information: libraries provide books, free internet access and learning resources for residents.
-> Social cohesion: building on the momentum of recent city-wide activations to spark curiosity and shared experiences.
“The week was initiated by the Library and Information Association of South Africa to promote literacy and library services.”
Librarians from across the city took to the streets.
South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice has seen several developments over the past few days, as more countries have filed declarations of intervention, notably the United States.
Since then, the court has issued three sets of binding provisional measures, ordering Israel to, amongst other things, prevent the commission of genocidal acts and “ensure, without delay,…the unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance”.
At the weekend, Israel filed its Counter-Memorial to South Africa’s Memorial dated 28 October 2024, after twice requesting an extension to the time limits set by the Court, which the Court granted.
“In the intervening period, Palestinians in Gaza continue to face ongoing bombardment from Israeli strikes, with unabated loss of life, damage to critical infrastructure and precarious living conditions for people in Gaza.”
The Presidency says the situation in Gaza has been compounded by the escalating crisis in the Gulf and the ongoing attacks by Israel on Lebanon, arguing these developments risk widening the conflict with grave implications for regional and international peace and security.
“Israel’s violations of international law that maintain the unlawful occupation of Palestine and deny Palestinians the most basic of human rights – including the right to self-determination – have been documented by multiple United Nations bodies and NGOs, and confirmed by the ICJ – as the UN’s principal judicial organ – as well as the resolutions of the UN’s political organs.”
Israel, in its Counter-Memorial to the ICJ, rejected South Africa’s “fabricated and politicised blood libel.”
“South Africa, Hamas’s legal mouthpiece, is weaponizing international law as a propaganda spectacle.”
“Following Hamas’s invasion and massacre on 7 October 2023, Israel exercised its right and duty to defend its citizens. Contrary to South Africa’s baseless claims, Israel has affirmed, through words and deeds, that it was targeting Hamas and its accomplices, not Gaza’s civilian population.”
In its filing, the United States has affirmed, “in the strongest terms possible”, that the allegations of genocide against Israel are false.
Other countries that have recently filed declarations of interventions include Namibia, Hungary, Fiji, the Netherlands and Iceland. 22 countries in total have now filed declarations to intervene.
