eNCA News Bite | Mugabe’s son deported, Joburg CBD under pressure & fuel pain not over | 29 April…
It’s Wednesday, 29 April 2026, and this is News Bite, (https://www.enca.com/news-bite-podcast) your fast, reliable update on South Africa and the world, with Marcelle Gordon.
The neglected state of the Joburg CBD is back under sharp scrutiny, as councillors and business owners meet over rising crime in the inner city. (https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories-videos/joburg-councillors-business-owners-meet-over-crime) A series of kidnappings and killings has heightened concern, including a Freedom Day shootout in which three business owners believed to be Ethiopian nationals were killed. eNCA’s Heidi Giokos speaks to operators in the area as the city faces fresh questions over safety, enforcement and urban decay.
The CBD meeting comes after the March and March movements protested in Gauteng over crime, joblessness and undocumented immigration. (https://www.enca.com/news/protest-against-undocumented-immigration-takes-over-jhb-cbd-streets) Organisers argue that these issues are linked, while JoburgCAN Managing Director Julia Fish says weak by-law enforcement is helping drive a damaging mix of poor service delivery, infrastructure collapse and criminality. Local government expert Paul Berkowitz warns that Johannesburg is in serious trouble, but also cautions that some political actors are using xenophobia as a political tool, putting lives and businesses at risk.
South African consumers are under growing financial strain, with the latest Household Affordability Index pointing to rising pressure from fuel and food prices. Higher transport costs, driven by global oil prices, are feeding into everyday expenses, while the basic cost of goods is expected to keep climbing. The Fuel Industry Association of South Africa has welcomed government’s decision to extend fuel levy relief for another month, (https://www.enca.com/business-top-stories-videos/fuel-levy-relief-extended-pain-pumps-not-over) but petrol is still expected to rise by about R2 a litre and diesel by more than R4, keeping pressure on the pumps.
At OR Tambo International Airport, two more suspected drug mules have been arrested (https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories-videos/two-more-suspected-drug-mules-arrested-or-tambo-airport) as authorities continue to intercept trafficking attempts. A South African woman was arrested on Saturday with drugs worth half a million rand, while a 66-year-old Somali national travelling on a Netherlands passport was caught carrying 55 kilograms of Kat valued at more than R100,000. Police also discovered an abandoned bag containing 45 kilograms of Kat, bringing the number of traffickers arrested at the airport to four in three days.
Abroad, US President Donald Trump has hosted King Charles at a White House state dinner, (https://www.enca.com/opinion/king-charles-urges-us-uk-reset-speech-trump) where Iran, NATO and the US-UK alliance were all in focus. Trump claimed Iran had been militarily defeated and criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his opposition to the Iran war, while King Charles used his remarks to emphasise renewed alliances and the importance of NATO.
Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s son, Bellarmine Mugabe, has been ordered back home as part of his sentence for violating the Firearms Control Act and contravening the Immigration Act. (https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories/mugabes-son-hit-r600000-fine-or-two-years-prison) The 29-year-old pleaded guilty after a shooting incident at his Hyde Park house, while his cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, will spend three years behind bars.
IN SPORT…
· Paris Saint-Germain edged Bayern Munich 5-4 in a record-breaking Champions League semi-final first leg (https://www.enca.com/news/was-psg-against-bayern-champions-leagues-greatest-ever-game) at the Parc des Princes, in what is being hailed as one of the competition’s greatest games.
· It is now Arsenal and Atletico Madrid’s turn to follow (https://www.enca.com/sport/champions-league-semi-final-first-date-atleticos-koke) that nine-goal thriller, with Mikel Arteta upbeat as the Gunners prepare for their first-leg semi-final in Madrid.
· Back home, Mamelodi Sundowns are away to Polokwane City as they try to close the gap in the Betway Premiership title race, with just one point separating them from leaders Orlando Pirates.
That’s your News Bite (https://www.enca.com/news-bite-podcast) for 29 April 2026.
For developments on these stories and more, visit enca.com or watch eNCA on DStv Channel 403.
