Catch up on the biggest stories this Wednesday, 15 April 2026, in our simple daily news update.
News today includes EFF leader Julius Malema’s legal team has argued that the politician would be harshly punished if he were jailed, while the state contended that he was quick to blame others for his actions.
Meanwhile, in a country plagued by domestic violence, which in some cases leads to femicide, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has highlighted the extent of the problem and how women in these situations can be assisted.
Furthermore, controversial celebrity blogger Musa Khawula wasted no time responding to the EFF’s announcement of Julius Malema’s court victory, doing so in his signature style by attaching a clip from a Beyoncé music video declaring “I ain’t sorry”.
Weather tomorrow: 16 April, 2026
Cloudy skies and isolated thundershowers are expected across the country on Thursday, 16 April, while heavy downpours and hail have been forecast over parts of the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Full weather forecast here.
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‘I am too old to be shaken by young Afrikaner boys’: Malema dismisses panic as sentencing looms
EFF leader Julius Malema maintained a defiant tone as he addressed supporters ahead of a crucial court ruling that could determine his political future.
Magistrate Twanet Olivier is expected to deliver her judgment on Thursday, 16 April 2026, following the conclusion of sentencing proceedings in Malema’s firearm discharge trial.
The EFF leader stands to lose his seat in Parliament and be disqualified from serving in public office for five years if he receives a prison sentence exceeding 12 months without the option of a fine.
CONTINUE READING: ‘I am too old to be shaken by young Afrikaner boys’: Malema dismisses panic as sentencing looms
South Africa’s water crisis needs R400bn to fix: Here’s what government is doing about it
Despite water access rising from 55% in 1994 to 90% in 2026, millions of South Africans still face unreliable and unsafe water supplies.
The Department of Water and Sanitation has outlined a multi-pronged response but admits that the gap between available funding and what is actually needed remains wide.
South Africa’s water story is a tale of two realities.
CONTINUE READING: South Africa’s water crisis needs R400bn to fix: Here’s what government is doing about it
‘I love him… he promised marriage’: NPA on why women return to abusive relationships
In a country plagued by domestic violence, which in some cases leads to femicide, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has highlighted the extent of the problem and how women in these situations can be assisted.
On Wednesday, the NPA hosted a webinar on domestic violence in collaboration with the department of justice and constitutional development, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial government, the Medical Research Council of South Africa and Lifeline.
Samantha Willan, GBV research manager at the Medical Research Council, shared some findings from the organisation’s study, painting a complex picture of domestic violence in South Africa.
CONTINUE READING: ‘I love him… he promised marriage’: NPA on why women return to abusive relationships
Ramaphosa appoints Roelf Meyer as SA’s new ambassador to US
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States.
The Presidency made the announcement on Tuesday.
“I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mr Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the US,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told Reuters.
CONTINUE READING: Ramaphosa appoints Roelf Meyer as SA’s new ambassador to US
‘I ain’t sorry’: Musa Khawula defiantly claps back at EFF with a Beyoncé hit after Malema’s court victory
Controversial celebrity blogger Musa Khawula wasted no time responding to the EFF’s announcement of Julius Malema’s court victory, doing so in his signature style by attaching a clip from a Beyoncé music video declaring “I ain’t sorry”.
Just hours after the Gauteng High Court ordered Khawula to retract his defamatory claims about Malema’s marriage and issue a public apology within 24 hours, the gossip personality posted a cheeky message on X addressed directly to the EFF leader.
“Hi @Julius_S_Malema baby, please find the attached statement for your earliest convenience, xo xo, gossip girl,” Khawula wrote, attaching a video clip from Beyoncé’s hit song Sorry off her 2016 album Lemonade, the track famously repeats around the refrain “I ain’t sorry.”
CONTINUE READING: ‘I ain’t sorry’: Musa Khawula defiantly claps back at EFF with a Beyoncé hit after Malema’s court victory
Yesterday’s News recap
READ HERE: Food price hike | Khawula ordered to apologise to Malema | Standard Bank data breach extent
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