Catch up on the biggest stories this Monday, 15 June 2026, in our simple daily news update.
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News today includes international jazz icon, pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim has died peacefully in Germany, after a more than seven-decade legacy that transcended borders, cultures, and generations.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has condemned the latest wave of xenophobic threats in South Africa, describing it as a “tragic betrayal of the country’s historic struggle for freedom and justice”.
Furthermore, ‘The Polygamist’ opens with a funeral. Jonasi Gomora is dead, and the women who loved him (or endured him, or both) are assembled in their mourning blacks.
Weather tomorrow: 16 June, 2026
The South African Weather Service (Saws) hasn’t issued any severe warnings for Tuesday, but Gauteng, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal will wake to fog. At the same time, the Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape expect isolated showers and thundershowers. Full weather forecast here.
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International jazz legend Abdullah Ibrahim dies at 91, leaving a timeless musical legacy
International jazz icon, pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim has died peacefully in Germany, after a more than seven-decade legacy that transcended borders, cultures, and generations.
The family confirmed in a statement on Monday, 15 June, that Ibrahim died peacefully, surrounded by his family at 91, following a short illness.
The icon had an incredible life and career in jazz, travelling across continents. He made a big impact on the global jazz scene as one of the most influential and celebrated artists.
CONTINUE READING: International jazz legend Abdullah Ibrahim dies at 91, leaving a timeless musical legacy
Court hears Cat Matlala’s ex hasn’t withdrawn affidavit amid fingerprint dispute
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Monday, 15 June 2026, resumed pre-trial proceedings in the high-profile case involving tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
The matter is in the final stages of pre-trial preparation ahead of a trial scheduled to start on 20 July.
Matlala appeared alongside his wife, Tsakane Matlala, as well as alleged hitmen Musa Kekana and Tiego Floyd Mabusela as well as Nthabiseng Nzama, who was excused from Monday’s proceedings.
CONTINUE READING: Court hears Cat Matlala’s ex hasn’t withdrawn affidavit amid fingerprint dispute
WHO chief slams xenophobia in South Africa as ‘tragic betrayal’
The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has condemned the latest wave of xenophobic threats in South Africa, describing it as a “tragic betrayal of the country’s historic struggle for freedom and justice”.
In recent weeks, anti-illegal immigrant protests across several provinces in South Africa have escalated to the point of requiring police intervention, after demonstrators began openly threatening the safety of foreign nationals and their property.
One of the organisations at the forefront, March and March, has set a deadline of 30 June for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.
CONTINUE READING: WHO chief slams xenophobia in South Africa as ‘tragic betrayal’
Jub Jub arrested after alleged kidnap and shooting in Edenvale
TV presenter and rapper Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye has been arrested on the East Rand, after allegedly kidnapping and firing shots at an e‑hailing driver during a dispute linked to his girlfriend.
It is understood that Maarohanye was handcuffed in Edenvale on Sunday morning, 14 June 2026.
Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko said Maarohanye was arrested after he allegedly confronted an e-hailing driver about a romantic relationship with his girlfriend.
CONTINUE READING: Jub Jub arrested after alleged kidnap and shooting in Edenvale
Review: You don’t need to understand Jonasi Gomora from ‘The Polygamist’, you just need to survive him
The Polygamist opens with a funeral. Jonasi Gomora is dead, and the women who loved him (or endured him, or both) are assembled in their mourning blacks.
I thought this was a masterful cold open because it immediately reframes the question the viewer will spend 22 episodes asking. Not: “Who killed him?” Rather: “How did it come to this?”
Netflix’s first South African supernovela, adapted from Sue Nyathi’s 2012 debut novel by showrunner Akin Omotoso and head writer Busisiwe Zwane, earns its distinction. The production values are unmistakably premium. It does not look and feel like the telenovelas of yesteryear, shot on a tight turnaround. This supernovela is definitely more elevated and expensive-looking.
CONTINUE READING: Review: You don’t need to understand Jonasi Gomora from ‘The Polygamist’, you just need to survive him
