It’s Friday, 13 March 2026, and this is News Bite, your fast, reliable update on South Africa and the world, with Marcelle Gordon.
Questions are mounting over the SANDF deployment to crime hot spots, after military vehicles and soldiers were seen in parts of Gauteng this week, only for them to disappear again. The Defence Force says troops will officially march into crime-ridden areas in two weeks, while affected communities in Cape Town are still waiting for the boots on the ground promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The uncertainty has also raised tensions in Parliament, where some members of the defence committee were unhappy that Defence Minister Angie Motshekga did not appear as expected to discuss the SANDF rollout. Meanwhile, residents in Reiger Park say they hope the deployment, when it eventually happens, will bring relief to communities grappling with illegal mining and the daily insecurity that comes with it.
Concern is also mounting in the United States over the cost of war in the Middle East, after the Pentagon confirmed that the first six days of conflict cost 11.3 billion US dollars, or around 1.8 billion dollars a day. At the same time, oil prices continue to climb as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz squeezes global trade and drives fears of wider economic fallout.
Here in South Africa, the fuel outlook for April is worsening, with petrol and diesel both expected to rise sharply. Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala says there is concern about the inflationary impact of the war, even as the bank maintains confidence in improved domestic economic conditions this year.
Family, friends and political comrades have honoured COPE founder Mosiuoa Lekota at a memorial service in Bloemfontein ahead of his official funeral on Saturday. Struggle stalwarts and those imprisoned alongside him on Robben Island have remembered Lekota as a principled and steadfast leader.
There is more evidence that South African consumers remain under pressure, with Sanlam reporting 60 thousand two-pot withdrawal applications on the first day of the new financial year. In personal finance news, FNB has also announced a range of upgrades to its eWallet service, including longer fund storage, small cash advances and WhatsApp-based access.
IN OTHER NEWS…
- The Netherlands and Iceland have applied to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice.
At the Madlanga Commission, suspended national head of organised crime Richard Shibiri has declined to name a specific individual linked to the so-called Group of Five, saying he would only do so in camera because his life could be in serious danger.
SPORT
- The Bulls and Stormers meet in a URC derby at Loftus on Saturday, with no shortage of Springbok firepower on display.
George Russell is feeling confident ahead of the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix after leading a Mercedes one-two with teammate Kimi Antonelli on the front row.
- And 20 years after South Africa’s iconic 438-run chase against Australia at the Wanderers, Proteas legends Makhaya Ntini and Alan Donald believe a limited-overs world title may finally be within reach.
That’s your News Bite for Friday, 13 March 2026.
For developments on these stories and more, visit enca.com or watch eNCA on DStv Channel 403.