Illegal Mining Safety: Gauteng police and SANDF said they are “not trained to go underground” after two SANDF soldiers died when they fell into an abandoned mine shaft during an anti-illegal mining operation; 20 suspects were arrested, including a Lesotho national. Police Ministry Condolences: The police ministry paid tribute to the fallen troops and said circumstances are under investigation. Cross-Border Logistics: South Africa’s Road Freight Association and SAFLA signed an MoU to cut customs delays and border inefficiencies, pushing for customs modernisation and trade facilitation. SACU Leadership: Botswana took over the SACU chairmanship for 12 months, with changes across the Summit, Council of Ministers and Commission. Lesotho SDGs: Lesotho reaffirmed its SDG commitments at the UN High-Level Political Forum, highlighting progress on water, energy, industry, cities and partnerships. Climate Support for MSMEs: Government launched a M68m climate resilience facility to help MSMEs invest in drought and flood protection, covering up to 80% of approved costs. Electricity Reliability: LEC said short alternating outages are linked to Eskom transmission maintenance and should be temporary, affecting areas for up to an hour each. Rangeland Livelihoods: Botha-Bothe pastoralists’ celebrations stressed proper rangeland management to boost livestock and meat supply, including community calls to protect fodder. Nutrition Messaging: LRCS and district teams trained Nutrition Club volunteers to strengthen child nutrition communication under UNICEF-funded risk communication work. Ford Recall (Regional Impact): The National Consumer Commission issued a recall for certain 2026 Ford Transit and Tourneo models sold in South Africa and exported to Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and eSwatini due to a transmission defect that can cause loss of first gear or reverse. Basotho Jobs Pressure: A report flags Lesotho’s urgent job crisis as returning nationals from South Africa strain the labour market, with LNDC targeting 50,000 new jobs by 2031. Migration Friction: A Basotho migrant workers group alleged unlawful entry refusals at South African border posts, raising concerns for access to work, healthcare and education. AI Cooperation (Regional): WAICO founding membership lists Lesotho among 29 countries backing a new global AI cooperation platform.