National Coloured Congress leader and MP Fadiel Adams was arrested on Tuesday afternoon at his house at the Parliamentary Village in Cape Town, hours after the Police’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) called on him to present himself at his nearest police station in connection with a case of fraud and defeating and or obstructing the course of justice.

Police had issued a J50 warrant of arrest for Adams.

Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says the warrant relates to serious allegations that he interfered with ongoing investigations into the murder of the late ANC Youth League Leader, Sindiso Magaqa.

“Through investigations, the task team discovered that Mr Adams interfered with the now convicted and sentenced hitman at a very sensitive and advanced stage of the police’s investigation.”

Mathe says police had gone through extensive efforts to locate Adams, including visiting multiple addresses associated with him.

Adams has previously said that he is willing to cooperate with authorities, but raised concerns about the legality of a police operation in which his former home in Mitchells Plain was raided over the weekend.

On Sunday, Adams accused police of intimidation and unlawful conduct, claiming that no warrant was produced during the raid. He says he intends to take legal action against those involved.

Mathe says arrangements were made with his attorney to hand himself over on Monday, 4 May 2026, at the Cape Town Central Police Station, but he has not cooperated.

She says Adams was scheduled to appear before a KwaZulu-Natal court, but failed to do so.

Adams allegedly used to visit the hitman involved in the Sindiso Magaqa case in prison, which the police say he needs to account for.

The hitman, Sibusiso Ncengwa, was convicted after confessing to the murder of Magaqa and was sentenced to a 25-year prison term last July.

Later that same month, the PKTT arrested the former municipal manager of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, whom Ncengwa had identified as the mastermind behind Magaqa’s killing. That case is still ongoing.

A humanitarian organisation has distributed aid to those affected by floods in the Northern Cape. At the same time, staff at Gift of the Givers have also been placed on standby as inclement weather is bound for the Southern Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State provinces, over the next few days.

A humanitarian organisation has distributed aid to those affected by floods

According to Dr Imtiaz Sooliman from Gift of the Givers, they’ve distributed aid to hundreds of families affected by the recent heavy downpour. He added, though, that many others have not yet been reached. Sooliman says this is due to inaccessible roads and impassable terrain. They have, however, secured the help of the SANDF. The Defence Force will provide a helicopter and air support, in order for them to reach areas where communities have been completely cut off from civilisation.

Gift of the Givers – Aid delivered to Northern Cape

Following a weather Level 6-10 warning for the Southern and Eastern Cape from the SA Weather Service, Gift of the Givers has put teams on standby in the region. Personnel are in place in Buffalo City, Amathole District Municipality, Amahlathi District Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Koukamma and Kouga Municipality. They are working in association with the Local Municipality, Disaster Management, COGTA, SAPS, SANDF and donors. The organisation has also arranged warehouses and supplies, with additional aid en route from their Logistics Centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Gift of the Givers Teams on standby for Southern Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State

Sooliman says municipalities are preparing community halls, buses and other vehicles to move families to safety rapidly in the event the expected torrential rain increases the risk of severe destruction, flooding and displacement of vulnerable communities, including drownings. He says their Gift of the Givers Search and Rescue Teams have been put on high alert. The SAPS have offered us a helicopter, their vehicles, trucks and warehouse space for an effective, rapid intervention.

In the Northern Cape

According to a media statement, localised flooding in the Kuruman area in the Northern Cape has cut off 1980 families across 82 islands. GOTG says its teams are currently on site delivering aid to areas accessible by 4×4 vehicles. Dr Sooliman has added that many roads remain inaccessible. He says this is significantly hindering humanitarian operations. He says in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality, 400 families have been assisted in the areas of Karos and Leerkrantz near Upington. At the same time, their staff are coordinating response efforts with the Northern Cape Department of COGTA, Kuruman Disaster Management and the South African Police Service.

Regarding the situation in the Free State

Dr Sooliman says in the Free State, flash floods have inundated 3405 homes in Thabong, within Matjhabeng Local Municipality in Welkom. He says close to 12,000 people have been affected. Their teams will also assist them. He says there are collection points, which will be set up (if necessary) at Vincent Park Mall (East London), NMB Business Chamber and the Boardwalk Mall (Gqeberha), Gateway Mall (Durban), Cavendish Square (Cape Town) and The Zone Rosebank (Johannesburg). This will aid a national effort to assist fellow South Africans in dire need.

The Department of Health has moved to reassure South Africans that there is no need for panic following the deaths of tourists linked to the hantavirus aboard a cruise ship.

Authorities confirmed that three passengers from the MV Hondius, which was travelling from southern Argentina to the Canary Islands, have died after falling ill with what was initially described as a severe acute respiratory infection.

One patient, currently receiving treatment in South Africa, has tested positive for hantavirus, a rare but potentially serious disease.

According to the Department, the ship, carrying around 150 passengers and crew from multiple countries, passed South African waters during its journey. Of the cases reported, only two individuals have been within South Africa’s borders.

The first case involved a 70-year-old man who became ill during the voyage and later died after arriving on St Helena Island. His spouse, a 69-year-old woman, later collapsed at OR Tambo International Airport while in transit to the Netherlands and died shortly after being admitted to a hospital in Kempton Park.

A third patient, a British national, became seriously ill while at sea and was medically evacuated to a private hospital in Sandton. He remains in critical condition in isolation after testing positive for hantavirus.

Health authorities, working alongside the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), have initiated contact tracing to identify and monitor anyone who may have been exposed.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says a total of seven cases have been identified among passengers and crew since early April, including three deaths, one critical case and three mild infections. The WHO has assessed the risk to the global population as low.

Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, and human-to-human transmission is considered rare.

The Department of Health emphasised that the situation is being closely monitored through a coordinated international response, and that current evidence does not suggest a broader public health threat.

Meanwhile, the ship is currently anchored off Praia, Cape Verde, awaiting permission to disembark.

More about the Hantavirus: What is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)?

The disease claimed the lives of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy, in March last year.

Local taxi associations in the Western Cape are still weighing up whether to increase fares, as a fuel price hike takes effect on Wednesday. 

ALSO READ: Fuel prices to surge from 6 May as global tensions push costs higher – Smile 90.4FM

The taxi associations, CATA and CODETA, met at the Nyanga taxi rank this week, where their primary focus was resolving long-standing conflict within the industry. The two bodies signed a peace agreement, committing themselves to ending violence between their members. 

However, the upcoming fuel increase also featured in discussions. Both associations indicated that no final decision has been taken on adjusting taxi fares, noting the need to balance rising operational costs with the affordability challenges faced by commuters. 

SANTACO in the Western Cape echoed these concerns, with spokesperson Makhosandile Tumana noting that the organisation is very concerned about the fuel price hike.  

Tumana advised that the associations have not yet held discussions over the impact of the price hike but noted that they expect it to have a “very bad” impact. 

“We hear noise from our regions that our operators are struggling even to pay their instalment in the month of March and April. So [it] definitely is affecting our operators,” said Tumana.  

Tumana noted that the potential impact on commuters is being considered, adding that they will try to find a solution.  

“We will discuss the matter and come up with an amicable solution. Although we know it’s not going to suit all of us, but we will try to work on it.” 

Meanwhile, Golden Arrow Bus Service has not responded to queries on the upcoming price hike, but previously indicated it would absorb increased fuel costs where possible and keep fares unchanged. 

READ MORE: Anticipated fuel prices hikes threaten public transport costs – Smile 90.4FM

For the month of May, Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) has introduced a new product to benefit commuters travelling on different routes daily.

Cape Town commuters, especially job seekers, stand to benefit from GABS’ new multi-ride product, Go Easy, which aims to make public transport more affordable and flexible.

GABS says the system allows passengers to load 5, 10, or 48 trips onto their existing Gold Card, offering a lower cost per journey compared to cash fares.

“It can be used across nearly all Golden Arrow routes, making it easier for commuters to travel between different areas such as Bellville, Blue Downs, and Claremont using a single product.”

GABS says that, while it is uncertain whether the product will be extended beyond May, it can confirm that it does not apply to buses operating to and from the following areas: Atlantis, Darling, Dassenberg, Mamre/Pella, Malmesbury, Koeberg Power Station, Melkbosstrand, Fisantekraal, Wellington, Paarl, or Stellenbosch.

For job seekers, the initiative is expected to ease the burden of frequent travel required for interviews, job placements, and training opportunities. The built-in transfer system allows seamless connections between routes without additional payments, improving access to employment hubs across the City.

“The offer only runs until the end of May, and we are not sure if it will be extended, but we will communicate any changes via the official channels,” GABS added.