A Johannesburg businessman who was kidnapped at his business premises in Cleveland has been rescued unharmed following a multidisciplinary South African Police Service (SAPS) operation that resulted in the arrest of four suspects. The businessman was allegedly abducted on Saturday, 15 August 2026, before suspects reportedly accessed his bank account and demanded a ransom for his release. Police arranged a controlled ransom drop that led to the arrests, the recovery of two vehicles and four cellphones believed to have been used in the crime. The suspects are expected to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.
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South African motorists are paying new fuel prices from Wednesday, 5 August 2026, after the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources confirmed a 52 cent per litre decrease for both grades of petrol and sharp increases for diesel. Gauteng drivers now pay R25.42 per litre for inland 93 petrol and R26.17 for inland 95 petrol, while diesel wholesale prices have risen by more than R1 per litre. The adjustment matters for households and businesses because diesel costs feed directly into transport, logistics and operating expenses across the province.
City Power has announced planned electricity outages that will affect parts of Johannesburg this week and next as maintenance teams work to improve the reliability of the city’s electricity network. Residents and businesses in sections of Midrand and Roodepoort will experience temporary power interruptions on 12 August and 18 August 2026 while essential work is carried out on switching stations. The utility says the scheduled maintenance is necessary to service ageing infrastructure, reduce the risk of unplanned outages and strengthen the network during the high electricity demand experienced in winter.
City Power is working to restore electricity to thousands of Johannesburg residents after more than 2 400 outage calls were recorded during one of Gauteng’s coldest weather events in recent years. The utility said freezing temperatures, wet weather and increased electricity demand have placed severe pressure on the network, resulting in widespread outages across the city. Residents and businesses have been urged to reduce electricity usage during peak periods while technical teams continue restoration efforts under difficult weather conditions.
More than 60 minibus taxis have been taken off Gauteng roads after transport authorities uncovered widespread licensing violations and serious vehicle defects during a week of stop and search operations across the province. The operations took place between 27 July and 2 August 2026 and targeted major public transport corridors in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has officially opened a new Smart Driver Licence Testing Centre at Gautrain Sandton Station in Johannesburg, introducing a fully cashless and appointment based licensing service aimed at reducing corruption and improving access for motorists.
Service delivery protests over ongoing electricity outages shut down several major roads in Pimville and Dlamini, Soweto, on Monday morning,…
Rand Water’s 20% reduction in bulk water supply to Lesedi Local Municipality has been suspended while Gauteng government departments and the municipality develop a recovery plan for its outstanding water debt. The decision follows a high-level meeting involving the Gauteng Provincial Government, Rand Water, the Department of Water and Sanitation and Lesedi Local Municipality.
South Africa is seeking to strengthen its position as a cloud-computing and artificial-intelligence hub, with new technology investments announced in Johannesburg and planned digital-skills support for Gauteng. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country’s digital growth strategy must combine infrastructure investment, job creation and support for small businesses with safeguards for privacy, data security and national sovereignty.
Three people have been arrested after gunfire erupted during Johannesburg’s 30 June anti-illegal immigration protest, bringing a tense end to what had largely been a peaceful day of demonstrations. Police confirmed that two people, including a 17-year-old, were injured after shots were allegedly fired at protesters in Hillbrow following the official conclusion of the march.