In case you missed it: Home Affairs withdraws asylum directive | Pillay wins Nobel Prize | World record for swimmer Coetzé

Catch up on the biggest stories this Friday, 9 October 2026, in our simple daily news update. News today includes the Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn the directive his office issued on 28 September regarding the intake of asylum seeker applications. Meanwhile, South African jurist, human rights lawyer and former United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Furthermore, backstroke specialist Pieter Coetzé took a big step forward in his career on Friday, breaking his first world record at the second leg of the Swimming World Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Weather tomorrow: 10 October, 2026 Heavy downpours, damaging winds, hail and lightning are expected in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga on Saturday, 10 October, while warm to hot conditions have been forecast for most parts of SA. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. Home Affairs withdraws directive on asylum seeker applications Picture: Carlos Muchave / The Citizen The Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn the directive his office issued on 28 September regarding the intake of asylum seeker applications. In July, the Constitutional Court ruled that refugees and asylum seekers must be given the opportunity to access processing centres, regardless of whether they entered South Africa illegally. The case between the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and the Minister of Home Affairs concerned the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Refugees Act relating to the asylum application process. CONTINUE READING: Home Affairs withdraws directive on asylum seeker applications ‘Women enter marriages poorer’: ConCourt strikes down Divorce Act provision over unfair pension rules A legal representative speaks during the hearing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) case at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) in Johannesburg on 5 May 2026. Picture: Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has ruled that excluding pension interests from the redistribution of assets in certain divorce cases violates the constitutional right to equality, finding that the law unfairly disadvantages women. In a judgment delivered on Friday, 9 October 2026, the apex court upheld a declaration that Section 7(7)(c) of the Divorce Act is unconstitutional and invalid. The ruling follows a February 2025 judgment by the Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha, which found that the exclusion of pension interests under the provision amounted to unfair gender discrimination. CONTINUE READING: ‘Women enter marriages poorer’: ConCourt strikes down Divorce Act provision over unfair pension rules SA jurist and human rights lawyer Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Former UN rights chief Navi Pillay poses during a photo session in Johannesburg on 20 January 2023. Picture: Wikus de Wet / AFP South African jurist, human rights lawyer and former United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee made the announcement on Friday, 9 October 2026. “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the committee said. CONTINUE READING: SA jurist and human rights lawyer Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Zuma’s possible absence could reshape SA’s political landscape Jacob Zuma. Picture: Gallo Concerns over the health of former president Jacob Zuma have intensified after sources close to the MK party leader reportedly described his condition as “very critical”, raising fresh uncertainty over the future of a party that has built much of its political identity around him. The 84-year-old Zuma is reportedly receiving treatment at the Netcare St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, with sources claiming his health has deteriorated significantly and remains at a “very concerning stage”. The developments have sent shockwaves through political circles less than a month before local government elections, triggering questions about the MK party’s ability to sustain its electoral momentum should its most influential figure be sidelined. CONTINUE READING: Zuma’s possible absence could reshape SA’s political landscape Local swimming star Pieter Coetzé breaks 50m backstroke world record Pieter Coetzé celebrates his world record at the second leg of the World Cup series on Friday. Picture: Tolib Kosimov/Getty Images Backstroke specialist Pieter Coetzé took a big step forward in his career on Friday, breaking his first world record at the second leg of the Swimming World Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 22-year-old swimmer won gold in the men’s 50m backstroke final in 22.09, slicing 0.02 off the previous global short-course mark (set in a 25-metre pool) of 22.11 set by Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov in Kazan in November 2022. In the process, Coetzé also broke his own South African (and African) record of 22.51 which he achieved at the World Cup gala held in Baku, Azerbaijan last week. CONTINUE READING: Local swimming star Pieter Coetzé breaks 50m backstroke world record Yesterday’s News recap READ HERE: Cars burn in Soweto | No taxi fare hike… yet | ‘Apartheid is not coming back’