This is the year when the game of two halves became the game of four quarters. And the greatest sport and event was damaged for fistfuls of dollars. Hydration breaks ruin the game’s flow and frustrates fans and viewers. If hydration breaks were solely about player welfare then they would be linked to the temperature in the stadia. It’s a nonsense having a three-minute break in an air-conditioned arena. Fifa should long ago have established a working party of coaches, sports scientists, national team doctors and Fifpro to agree a set temperature at kickoff, say 25C, which triggers the breaks. That would prove the breaks were for player welfare. At the moment, and to nobody’s surprise, it is widely accepted that these breaks are for US TV to accommodate commercials. Big bucks for the small screen. Fifa should have thought more about the effect on games and to fan (and viewer) experience when negotiating. Coaches’ desire for a mid-half tactical time-out masquerading as a drinks stop should be resisted anyway. Games have been played for 150 years without needing such intervention. Coaches can shout instructions. And who says that 22 mins and 67 mins is when a coach needs to intervene anyway. It’s nonsense. It’s about money. Respected and sane footballing voices from Virgil van Dijk to Mauricio Pochettino have spoken out against the breaks. Fifa should listen to them not appear only to listen to the rustle of dollar bills. It’s important that there is resistance to this from all over. Because if we tolerate this, our TV games could be next. BBC can’t do ads, ITV says it won’t follow its US counterparts. But it has been discussed by TV people. It’ll come one day. #FIFAWorldCup.

The anomaly in South Africa is not just high taxes - it’s paying nearly 50% of your income to the state and still having to fund your own healthcare, education, transport, housing, and security. Citizens are paying twice: once through taxes, and again for the services those taxes should provide.

Japanese fans cleaning up their section of the stadium after Japan's opening World Cup group game. The people of Japan continue to set a global benchmark for respect, kindness and decency. Such a wonderful country with incredible people!

How on earth can there be no effects mics out on the course, you cannot hear any of the vibe out on the course!! @ComradesRace This coverage has been beyond poor!! #comrades #comradesmarathon2026 @AthleticsSA_

The winner of the Comrades Marathon, George couldn't even be interviewed the sound is so bad. This is an absolute disgrace. Whoever got awarded the contract for the feed has embarrassed the entire country. Absolutely unacceptable.

This Comrades coverage is some of the worst of all time.

This @ComradesRace coverage is very hard to watch and even harder to listen to!! Feel like they missing the essence of what the race is all about. The negotiations and relationship mending with Supersport need to start yesterday already!! #comrades

Cannot even log into your banking app @Discovery @Discovery_SA sort your shit out!! Village service from a bank claiming to be the best in the country!! GTO!!! #Standardbank #FNB #ABSA

And then there is South Africa.

Trying to make a a payment with my @discovery bank card keeps declining!! WTF is going on!

This corruption is not an isolated incident -it has become deeply entrenched in certain policing and law enforcement environments, particularly in parts of Johannesburg. Allegations of officers extorting money from foreign nationals, undocumented migrants, street traders and vulnerable communities continue to surface with alarming regularity. Areas such as Diepsloot, Johannesburg CBD, and Hillbrow are repeatedly mentioned in complaints involving bribery, intimidation and unlawful confiscation of goods or cash. Many victims are often too afraid to open cases because they fear deportation, harassment or retaliation. That silence allows corrupt officials and criminal syndicates to continue operating unchecked. The reality is that corruption at street level destroys public trust in the police and undermines legitimate crime-fighting efforts. Communities already battling violent crime, drugs, hijackings and illegal firearms are left vulnerable when some officers abuse their authority for personal gain instead of protecting residents. The key question is: why do the same hotspots keep appearing in corruption allegations year after year without visible long-term intervention? How many honest officers are being undermined by corrupt colleagues? And how many victims -particularly foreigners and undocumented individuals are suffering in silence because they believe nobody will protect them if they speak out? @pule_jones @eNCA @SAPoliceService WATCH: this took place near Diepsloot, JHB.

South Africa is moving in the wrong direction. The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows the official unemployment rate has climbed to 32.7%, with 345 000 jobs lost in just three months. Nearly half of working-age South Africans are now without work if discouraged job seekers are included. This is what happens when government makes it harder to hire, harder to invest, and harder to do business. Instead of removing barriers to growth, politicians continue doubling down on more regulation, more control, and more policies that scare off investment and destroy opportunity. South Africans do not need more promises. They need an economy that works. An economy where businesses can open easily, expand confidently, and employ freely. Because without growth, there are no jobs.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but government does not create jobs. The private sector does. Government just needs to stop making it harder for businesses to function, grow and employ people. But they refuse.

South Africa’s anti-growth policies are costing people their livelihoods. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa today, the official unemployment rate has risen to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026. In just three months, 345,000 jobs were lost. This is not just a statistic. It represents hundreds of thousands of South Africans who have lost income, stability, dignity, and opportunity. South Africans do not need more bureaucracy, more race laws, or more barriers to employment and entrepreneurship. We need economic freedom, policy certainty, lower barriers to doing business, and a government that enables growth instead of obstructing it. A growing economy creates jobs. State interference destroys them. Read FMF Policy Officer Zakhele Mthembu’s paper on tackling South Africa’s unemployment crisis: freemarketfoundation.com/def…

Has the Con Court seen a con caught? #PhalaPhala

What has South Africa's president been accused of? trib.al/G54NBay

Please remember to pay your rates and taxes to avoid being cut off. ❤️❤️

It’s illegal to feed wildlife at national parks because they get dependent on handouts and forget how to survive. Kinda sounds familiar doesn’t it?

Petrol R3.27/litre. Diesel R6.19/litre. Sasol’s share price? Absolutely mooning on the “global oil crisis.” They literally make the fuel from South African coal in Secunda… yet they still price it like it’s imported from the Middle East. Best part? The ANC government owns ~26% of Sasol through PIC (18%) IDC (8%). So while your taxi fare and groceries go through the roof, the State is quietly cashing massive dividends from your pain. They could keep it affordable. They choose not to. Welcome to South Africa where even the fuel price is a tax on the poor. #SasolProfits #FuelTheft #StateInYourPocket #SARipOff

Crude oil price 2008 around $140 per barrel - SA Petrol around R11 per litre Crude oil price 2026 around $115 per barrel - SA Petrol around R25 per litre.