eNCA News Bite | Madlanga report, rate hike and Bafana’s Orlando farewell | 29 May 2026

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:02]It's the 29th [music] of May and this is your news bite brought to you by enca.com.

[00:00:08]I'm As Al Gordon and in your news today, the Mdlanga Commission's second interim report expected to highlight major failings in the fight against drug cartels. Private on 10 communities demand arrests after hundreds of school kids target foreign nationals. And it's a last pre-World Cup hurrah for Bafana Bafana in Orlando.

[00:00:33]Drug cartels and the illicit movement of narcotics were expected to form the major focus of the Mdlanga Commission's second interim report scheduled to be handed over to the president on Friday.

[00:00:44]Now, you'll remember the commission heard key testimonies detailing the theft of 541 kg of cocaine from the Hawks offices in Port Shepstone and the failures of due process during major drug busts in Gauteng.

[00:00:59]Mothe Mushi is a forensic investigations expert.

[00:01:03]>> The second report I believe will deal with issues such as the handling of evidence by the SAPS. As we've seen, there's been a captain within the forensic science laboratory that's been arrested as a result of him defeating the ends of justice and not doing what he's supposed to do in terms of tampering with evidence. And then also there'll be issues around the accountability within municipalities.

[00:01:26]In the report they'll mention issues I'm sure for recommendation of further investigation within the city of Tshwane and the city of Ekurhuleni.

[00:01:35]And I believe also they will also still touch on issues in relation to the SAPS's management in terms of how they handle the investigation units as well. So, I think the second report will be quite informative and it's quite comforting to know that there's now been a team that has been established to be investigating the recommendations that will be coming from this interim report.

[00:01:58]So, that is comforting to South Africans. I'm sure.

[00:02:00]>> The commission is expected to hand over its final comprehensive report at the end of August. Meanwhile, the SAPS's ad hoc committee, which ran parallel with the Mdhluli Commission, received their evidentiary report. Here's evidence leader, Advocate Norman Arendse, running through some of the top line findings.

[00:02:17]>> Systemic governance failures across SAPS, crime intelligence, the NPA, and the executive are documented, including the politicization of senior appointments, the misuse of the secret service fund, the absence of vetting for senior officials, and inadequate external oversight of IIDAC prior to October 2025. The evidence reveals a pattern of passive executive [snorts] oversight in the policing portfolio that the committee may wish to address in its recommendations.

[00:02:50]>> Tougher times lie ahead for consumers.

[00:02:52]The Reserve Bank has increased interest rates for the first time in 3 years.

[00:02:56]Governor Lesetja Kganyago announced a 25 basis point hike, making South Africa's central bank one of only a few who have opted for an increase. It comes at a time when fuel prices are soaring due to the war in the Gulf, while a significant municipal hikes are being rolled out as well.

[00:03:14]The bank has also warned of a potential food shock in terms of pricing, as farmers face higher input costs and the growing impact of the El Niño weather pattern that has led to major droughts in the past.

[00:03:27]>> The committee decided to increase the policy rate by 25 basis points to 7% effective from the 29th of May.

[00:03:36]Four members preferred this action, while two favored no change.

[00:03:41]The committee agreed that inflation risks had intensified, and that the challenge of large and overlapping lapping shocks would likely trigger second round effects, requiring a monetary policy response.

[00:03:56]Our decision was aimed at managing risks and ensuring that inflation returns to target.

[00:04:03]The forecast from our quarterly projection model shows one hike this quarter.

[00:04:08]As inflation falls later in the forecast, our model then has rates increasing again towards neutral levels.

[00:04:18]Real rates are lower this year given higher inflation. So, the policy stance is now less restrictive than it was in March.

[00:04:28]>> Economist Tandy Pie says the Reserve Bank was in a tough position.

[00:04:33]>> It's sort of a compromise for now uh given that they're looking at something that really has scared them because they really must think that uh we are facing serious challenges going ahead. Because it's part about because he also suggests uh and not just suggests actually he you know he speaks about disposable income.

[00:04:49]So, he's aware that the consumer is also under a lot of pressure at this moment.

[00:04:53]So, to increase our interest rate is something that's clearly uh quite scary to them that they recognize is going to be a problem for the same person that they're trying to obviously um uh you know decide these interest rates on. So, these are very difficult discussions.

[00:05:06]So, if they were thinking about 50 basis points, so 0.5 was on the cards, I think um landing at 0.25 at this stage is something we can be happy >> Klipfontein community leaders are demanding the arrest of those involved in a riot by some 700 school pupils.

[00:05:21]They claim that individuals posing as march and march leaders incited local high school pupils who went on a rampage attacking foreign-owned businesses. As eNCA's Nqobile Tutu Hadabe reports that while calm has returned to Klipfontein, there's talk that a criminal element and groups advocating for the eviction of foreign businesses from the area are believed to have incited the protests.

[00:05:46]Pupils attacked Spaza shops and street vendors and stoned vehicles.

[00:05:51]>> We do not know why the police they did not arrest anyone. Simply because uh there were there were a lot of hooligans who were roving around. We've arranged that the police must be visible. Arrest those who continuously destabilizing our area.

[00:06:14]>> [laughter] >> Shops that were forced to close reopened on Thursday morning. Local business owners caught in the crossfire are calling for South Africans to run Spaza outlets.

[00:06:52]>> The Western Cape Education Department says schools will take action against pupils involved in the looting.

[00:06:59]>> The incident appears to have originated at Masiphumelele Secondary School and subsequently spread to neighboring schools. The circumstances that led to the initial disruption is being investigated.

[00:07:12]All three schools are operating as normal. Schools will follow due process and institute disciplinary proceedings where learners are identified.

[00:07:20]>> Public order policing will continue to monitor the situation.

[00:07:25]>> All of this while we watched as 300 Ghanaian nationals took a repatriation flight to Accra because they did not feel welcome in South Africa.

[00:07:34]Against the backdrop, of course, of those protests which have been billed as being anti-illegal migration but has led to intimidation experienced even by those who are in the country legally.

[00:07:45]Here's Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.

[00:07:48]>> Let's not try to dance around the reality that there are many undocumented people in the country. And when we look at some of those flights who that left the country, again, the BMA Home Affairs on the ground doing our work, doing our component of of of what is required. And then we found many people there who did not have legal status to be in South Africa. That's a fact. And so I think we must be guided by the facts on this. I think we mustn't try to sort of divert away from the reality that over many years there are many people who came into this country illegally and it would not be correct to sort of try and and deviate or divert away from the fact that this is an issue that we have to deal with. Of course, we have to deal with it within the confines of the law. The World Health Organization is warning it's running out of resources to fight the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC and parts of Uganda.

[00:08:46]It says it's only received a third of the funding requested. Uganda has closed land and water borders with the DRC while there have been entry bans for those traveling from the DRC put in place by Canada, the Bahamas and Bahrain. WHO Chief Tedros Ghebreyesus says travel bans are not necessarily the best way forward.

[00:09:07]>> The kind of support we're asking, the amount of support we're asking is still not received. It's a third of what we asked we're getting in terms of funding.

[00:09:19]And I use this opportunity actually to ask the international community to increase their support so the health workers get the supplies, the protective measures they need and and they are they are protected.

[00:09:36]Because you know, without health workers, it will be very difficult then to help help help patients. So, the health workers should help themselves before helping others. Actually, when you when countries are transparently reporting their cases, when you ban travel, it doesn't encourage them because other countries then will say, "Okay, if I'm going to be sanctioned or if there will be a ban imposed on me, travel ban, then they may they might ask, "Why why do I even report early?"

[00:10:13]>> By now, we all know that Donald Trump loves seeing his name and face on everything. It's already on the Kennedy Center. A more than 10-m picture of him hangs outside the Justice Department offices in the capital. And there's another at Florida Airport. He even recently unveiled a golden statue of himself at his Palm Beach residence, Mar-a-Lago.

[00:10:35]He loves his own image almost as much as he loves money. And now there's a move that may bring his two greatest loves together, his face on a $250 banknote.

[00:10:45]Treasury in the US has already made mock-ups and the mint is ready. But a law prohibiting using living people on currency has the presses on hold. Here is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

[00:10:58]>> Well, the again, as Treasury Secretary, I I have two mandates for US currency.

[00:11:04]At present, the no living person can be on US currency and the currency must say, "In God We Trust."

[00:11:12]So, right now there is proposed legislation that in front of the house, in front of the Senate to change the first requirement so that a living person, Donald J. Trump, could be on a $250 bill. So, it it's all in the hands of the it's it's all in up on Capitol Hill.

[00:11:31]>> In other news, we're keeping an eye on news from Kenya is that at least 16 students are dead and 79 injured after a devastating fire ripped through a girls boarding school in the middle of the night. The fire broke out at Utumishi Girls School where more than 800 students are enrolled.

[00:11:48]And Joe Bogwaaters says contingency measures are in place for the Rand water maintenance coming our way this weekend.

[00:11:55]Residents are expected to experience water supply problems for the next 5 days. Areas including Sandton, Midrand, Soweto, and Randburg could experience low pressure to no water.

[00:12:09]And onto the world of sports now, Bafana Bafana will be desperate to end their three-match winless streak when they take on Nicaragua at Orlando Stadium on Friday night. It's the last home ground hurrah before jetting off to Mexico for the FIFA World Cup. The South American visitors are ranked 131st in the world and their coach Juan Real says facing Bafana will provide >> provide his young side with valuable experience.

[00:12:32]>> And for us is try to develop our team moving forward, right?

[00:12:36]So, we need to take advantage of these kind of games.

[00:12:40]We need to try to compete as as much as we can.

[00:12:43]Knowing that we are going to play against a a World Cup team but however, we need to try to represent of course the country in the best manner possible and we are going to try to do that.

[00:12:57]>> Arsenal fans will be hoping that second time's the charm as they prepare to watch their team play in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday night. The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in their only previous appearance in the final and that was back in 2006.

[00:13:14]Kick-off on Saturday night is at 6:00 p.m. And after that, you can watch the Lions face a tough URC quarterfinal clash against Leinster in Dublin. The Joburg side facing the defending champions who be smarting after their recent Champions Cup final loss to Bordeaux. Here is Lions forwards coach Julian Redelinghuys.

[00:13:34]>> You won't get a million opportunities against quality teams. So, finishing opportunities that you do create is really important. Bordeaux actually managed to to get opportunities and then to use those opportunities and they ended up scoring, I think it was 41 points.

[00:13:48]Um whereas we could only score seven points in our last outing against them.

[00:13:52]Big focus point for us is when we do manage to create opportunities, which we can do, and which we did 2 weeks ago, is just executing that and the converting those opportunities into points.

[00:14:03]>> And in tennis, world number one Jannik Sinner crashed out of the French Open.

[00:14:06]And with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz being a non-starter at Roland Garros, it has thrown the men's draw wide open. Juan Manuel Cerundolo beating the Italian 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1. A massive shock as the top seed had made a clean sweep of titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome. And that's how we wrap today's News Bite. For developments in these and more, keep an eye on eNCA.com and DStv channel 403.