{
  "id": 16084959,
  "title": "In case you missed it: Mbalula mum on Joburg mayoral candidate | Carrim’s legal woes | SA’s gambling-suicide crisis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/in-case-you-missed-it-mbalula-mum-on-joburg-mayoral-candidate-carrims",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/in-case-you-missed-it-22-october-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent development, the ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has declined to reveal to Johannesburg residents the identity of the party's preferred mayoral candidate. This has sparked a rift within the ANC, as regional leadership in Johannesburg has questioned the decision by national leaders to have multiple mayoral candidates instead of a single one. Mbalula stated that the final decision would be made by the party's national office bearers after the elections, which are set to occur within the next two weeks.\n\nMeanwhile, police in North West have re-opened their investigation into businessman Suliman Carrim, adding him as an accused in connection with two cases involving attempted theft of motor vehicles, fraud, and uttering. The incidents occurred on July 22nd, 2026, when border patrol officers intercepted two vehicles at the Beitbridge border post in Musina, which they suspected were headed for Malawi. Carrim appeared in Pretoria Magistrates Court the following day to continue his bail application.\n\nThe South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) has reported that more than 1,300 South Africans who sought help for gambling-related harm during the 2025-26 financial year were identified as being at high risk of suicide. The foundation's clinical data revealed that out of 5,199 individuals screened for treatment onboarding, 1,345 had high suicide ideation risk profiles. This highlights the serious link between gambling-related harm and mental health issues, debt, substance use, and severe psychological distress.",
  "summary": "Catch up on the biggest stories of Thursday, 22 October 2026, that you may have missed, in our simple daily news update.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Maverick",
        "title": "SUPPLY CRISIS: Foul water scares hit Joburg suburbs — councillors blame ‘cowboy’ contractors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/supply-crisis-foul-water-scares-hit-joburg-suburbs-councillors-blame",
        "published": "2026-10-22T20:06:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}