Daily Voice 2026-02-19

IT WAS a Friday morning, half the world was still asleep, but I was armed with coffee in hand and on my way to pick up a relative for our South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) mission. We got there before sunrise -– about three hours before they opened and the queue was already beginning to worm. We were met by a friendly figure who told everyone exactly where to line up – she didn’t wear official “Sassa” clothes, so I’m guessing she wasn’t really an employee. Nonetheless, the experience up to that point was fairly pleasant – I had prepared for utter chaos. Next up, we had a neatly-dressed foreigner with his impressively-pressed white denim shorts, clean-as-a-whistle white takkies, socks you could see just came out of the washing…

A BABY of only seven months old has tragically died after falling ill while accompanying his mother to the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) office in Bellville on Tuesday. Sassa in the Western Cape confirmed that the incident occurred buite its Bellville office, where the mother had been waiting in line for social grant services. According to Sassa, while standing in the queue, the mother alerted officials that her infant child was critically ill. Staff immediately contacted emergency medical services for assistance. Swiftly However, when it became apparent that there would be a delay in the arrival of paramedics, officials acted swiftly and assisted the mother by transporting her and the baby to the nearest clinic on Reeds Street, approximately 500 metres from the Sassa Bellville office. Upon arrival…

Vision He added that Ramaphosa outlined a clear vision for the coming decades, accompanied by detailed action steps to achieve these objectives. Cachalia praised the deployment of the SANDF to Gauteng and the Western Cape to assist in combating organised crime and illegal mining. He confirmed that the deployment will also extend to the Eastern Cape. He added: “I can confirm that the National Commissioner of SAPS (General Fannie Masemola), and the Chief of the SANDF, (General Rudzani Maphwanya), met yesterday to finalise the deployment plan, which will begin within the next 10 days, and include the Eastern Cape.” He emphasised that the deployment strategy would draw on lessons from both South African and international experience, respecting the mandates of the SAPS and SANDF, as well as the Constitution, with…

A BONTEHEUWEL family has been left deeply divided after a man accused of stabbing his wife to death abandoned his bail bid, with his relatives rallying behind him while the slain woman’s family insists that he should remain behind bars. Riedewaan Birch returned to the dock at the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court yesterday for his bail application. The hof heard that the State was opposing his release on bail as the accused faces a Schedule 5 offence after allegedly stabbing his wife, Shireena Birch, to death. She died on 3 February at their home in Assegaai Avenue, Bonteheuwel. The accused was called to the witness stand to testify in his bid for bail, however things took a dramatic turn after he called his Legal Aid representative and told the court…

Infested According to evidence presented in court, the dogs were severely underweight, with visible skeletal frames, and were infested with fleas and ticks. One of the dogs had developed pressure sores. No water was available at the time of inspection, and no veterinary treatment had been sought. The dogs were subsequently removed and criminal charges were laid. Hoosain initially pleaded not guilty. After evidence was presented, he was convicted on charges relating to ill-treatment, failure to provide adequate food and water, and failure to obtain veterinary care. The ruling comes amid heightened public concern about animal welfare after a fatal dog attack in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain, earlier this month. Authorities have not released identifying details, and the circumstances surrounding that incident remain under investigation.…

Compliance ​Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the arrest highlighted ongoing concerns around public transport compliance. ​Smith said: “Reliable public transport is essential for the City’s economic development, and while there are many challenges, incompetent, unfit, and unlicensed drivers should not be one of those challenges. “Our officers will continue to patrol, check, and arrest drivers who put the lives of hundreds at risk.” ​The arrest comes with an intense media spotlight on the ride-hailing industry. This is after 22-year-old Nigerian national Isaac Satlat was murdered in Pretoria West last week. Four suspects have appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court after he was attacked in the vehicle he was driving. E-hailing platform Bolt has since confirmed Satlat was not a registered driver on their system. According…