As the 2026 school year gets underway, South African parents are facing a familiar and deeply frustrating burden — paying premium prices for branded school uniforms and even basic pens and stationery, just to get their children ready for class. According to the Competition Commission, restrictive supply deals and price disparities have pushed up costs, turning simple items like branded shirts and basic pens into expensive necessities many families struggle to afford.

As the 2026 school year gets underway, South African parents are facing a familiar and deeply frustrating burden &mdash; paying premium prices for branded school uniforms and even basic pens and stationery, just to get their children ready for class. According to the&nbsp;Competition Commission, restrictive supply deals and&nbsp;price disparities have pushed up costs, turning simple&nbsp;items like branded shirts and basic pens into&nbsp;expensive necessities many families struggle to&nbsp;afford.

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Back to School, Back to the Bill: Why Parents Are Paying More for Less

Roads Under Siege: Can Trust Be Rebuilt Between Taxi Associations, Motorists and Commuters?
This evening, we’re opening a difficult but necessary conversation about safety, trust and the growing
tension on our roads. Recent incidents, including a widely shared video from Vanderbijlpark, have reignited public outrage after taxi patrollers were seen assaulting a motorist accused of ‘piracy’. Police are investigating, and SANTACO has condemned the attack — but the incident has once again exposed a deepening rift between taxi operators, motorists and even commuters. SANTACO says these clashes are linked to a growing trend, especially around the holidays, of private motorists using their vehicles to transport people who would ordinarily use minibus taxis. But for many South Africans, that explanation raises more questions than answers — about where enforcement ends and vigilantism begins, about who has the right to police our roads, and about why ordinary people
increasingly feel unsafe behind the wheel.

Roads Under Siege: Can Trust Be Rebuilt Between&nbsp;Taxi Associations, Motorists and Commuters? This evening, we&rsquo;re opening a difficult but necessary&nbsp;conversation about safety, trust and the growing tension on our roads. Recent incidents, including a widely shared video from Vanderbijlpark, have reignited public outrage after taxi patrollers were seen assaulting a motorist accused of &lsquo;piracy&rsquo;. Police are investigating, and SANTACO has condemned the attack &mdash; but the incident has once again exposed a deepening rift between taxi operators, motorists and even commuters. SANTACO says these clashes are linked to a growing&nbsp;trend, especially around the holidays, of private&nbsp;motorists using their vehicles to transport people who&nbsp;would ordinarily use minibus taxis. But for many&nbsp;South Africans, that explanation raises more&nbsp;questions than answers &mdash; about where enforcement&nbsp;ends and vigilantism begins, about who has the right&nbsp;to police our roads, and about why ordinary people increasingly feel unsafe behind the wheel.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: SANTACO SPOKESPERON - REBECCA PHALA

At the School Gate: Education, Migration and the Battle Over Who Belongs This morning in Durban, scenes of tension and solidarity played out outside Addington Primary School, where a group of South African mothers arrived not to protest—but to protect. The women stood guard to ensure that children of foreign nationals were able to enter the school and attend classes, saying education should not be denied to any child, regardless of their documentation status. Their presence followed an attempt by members of the March and March Movement to block the children of foreign nationals from entering the school. The group argues that overcrowding at Addington Primary disadvantages South African pupils and says it will continue visiting schools where it claims foreign national enrolment is high. School gates were locked as a precaution, keeping protestors outside, while police monitored the situation.

At the School Gate: Education, Migration and the Battle Over Who Belongs This morning in Durban, scenes of tension and solidarity played out outside Addington Primary School, where a group of South African mothers arrived not to protest&mdash;but to protect. The women stood guard to ensure that children of foreign nationals were able to enter the school and attend classes, saying education should not be denied to any child, regardless of their documentation status. Their presence followed an attempt by members of the March and March Movement to block the children of foreign nationals from entering the school. The group&nbsp;argues that overcrowding at Addington Primary&nbsp;disadvantages South African pupils and says it will&nbsp;continue visiting schools where it claims foreign&nbsp;national enrolment is high. School gates were locked&nbsp;as a precaution, keeping protestors outside, while&nbsp;police monitored the situation.

ZANDILE DABULA - OPERATION DUDULA LEADER - SAYS THE SAME ISSUE IS BREWING IN GAUTENG

Children on the Move: Alarm as 33 Undocumented Minors Intercepted at Beitbridge Authorities have once again raised the alarm over the safety of children at South Africa’s borders. Thirty-three undocumented minor children, aged between four and fifteen, were intercepted at the Beitbridge Port of Entry, after border officials stopped a minibus taxi transporting them from South Africa to
Zimbabwe. Two adult men have been arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of the
children, with criminal cases now opened under the Immigration Act. The children have since been handed over to the Department of Social Development, as investigations continue into how and why they were travelling undocumented across the border. Border Management Authority Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato has praised officials for their vigilance, while urging parents to stop sending undocumented children across ports of entry. This case once again raises serious questions about child protection, cross-border exploitation and the risks faced by vulnerable minors.

Children on the Move: Alarm as 33 Undocumented Minors Intercepted at Beitbridge Authorities have once again raised the alarm over the&nbsp;safety of children at South Africa&rsquo;s borders.&nbsp;Thirty-three undocumented minor children, aged&nbsp;between four and fifteen, were intercepted at the&nbsp;Beitbridge Port of Entry, after border officials stopped&nbsp;a minibus taxi transporting them from South Africa to Zimbabwe. Two adult men have been arrested for&nbsp;allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of the children, with criminal cases now opened under the&nbsp;Immigration Act.&nbsp;The children have since been handed over to the&nbsp;Department of Social Development, as investigations&nbsp;continue into how and why they were travelling&nbsp;undocumented across the border. Border Management&nbsp;Authority Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato has&nbsp;praised officials for their vigilance, while urging&nbsp;parents to stop sending undocumented children&nbsp;across ports of entry. This case once again raises&nbsp;serious questions about child protection, cross-border&nbsp;exploitation and the risks faced by vulnerable minors.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Back to School, Back to the Bill: Why Parents Are Paying More for Less

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

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