News Bulletin of 29 December 2025, 7am

Iman Sekoto from Crawford International Sandton has reached a major milestone in her pageant journey after being crowned Teen Universe Petite South Africa 2026.

The 18-year-old will represent the country at the Teen Universe International competition in the United States early next year, an opportunity she approaches with humility and pride.

Sekto says the title represents growth, faith, and using her voice with intention to empower others and marks a powerful new chapter in her mission to inspire, empower and lead with purpose.

The recently opened R13,3m Maithufi Road bridge in Phokeng in the North West is a powerful example of how partnerships between communities, indigenous people and mining companies can drive real change.

The initiative involved upgrading 660m of road and building a bridge to improve access for 9,286 households in the district, creating 20 jobs.

The bridge formed part of a roadshow for the forthcoming Investing In African Mining Indaba 2026, which shows how partnerships between mining companies, government and communities can ensure equitable growth and long-term prosperity for all stakeholders.

Rand Water has confirmed a comprehensive, three phase maintenance schedule with the final two phases scheduled for January 2026.

The third phase of the maintenance will start on the 6th of January and will include valve and meter replacements on the f18 pipeline.

This phase will run until the 8th of January and will affect parts of Mogale City, Rand West and other parts of Johannesburg including Kagiso, Roodepoort and Meadowlands.

The final phase of the maintenance will run from the 16th to the 17th of January.
The Water and Sanitation Ministry spokesperson Cornelius Monama says water supply from Vereniging will be reduced by 200 megalitres per day, impacting parts of Emfuleni.