Tuesday 3 November 2026 · Updated 13:49

Editorial policy

Last reviewed 3 November 2026

Accuracy and verification

  • We check facts against primary sources before publishing.
  • We attribute numbers to their source.
  • Every weather value shows where it came from and when it was updated.

Sourcing

  • We go to primary sources first: SAWS, Eskom and NTCSA, the courts, SAPS statements, municipalities and Parliament.
  • We prefer named sources. We grant anonymity only when a source faces real risk and the information cannot be obtained another way, and the editor must approve it.

How we report SAWS warnings

  • Official severe-weather warnings in South Africa are issued only by the South African Weather Service. We report them as issued, with the time and area, and link to SAWS.
  • We acknowledge SAWS's contribution on every page that uses SAWS material, as section 26(3) of the South African Weather Service Act requires.
  • We never change, upgrade, downgrade or predict a SAWS warning level, and we never issue warnings of our own.
  • Warnings are removed from our warnings hub 36 hours after issue. In written reports we say plainly when a warning has expired.
  • We do not copy SAWS maps, graphics or branding.

Forecast data

Our forecast pages present and explain model data from MET Norway, refreshed every morning and through the day. Model forecasts can be wrong. See how our forecast pages work.

Energy and load-shedding

  • Grid status, load-shedding stages and electricity-demand outlooks come only from Eskom and the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), attributed and time-stamped, with a link to the official statement.
  • We do not forecast load-shedding, and we never claim that the weather will cause it. Weather facts and grid facts are attributed separately.

How our content is produced

  • Forecast pages, the daily weather briefing and the warnings hub are compiled automatically by software from the sources named on each page. They carry no byline.
  • News reports, warning reports and explainers are reported, written and edited by people, and carry a named byline. Where software assists with research, transcription or writing, the editor checks every fact and approves the final text before publication.
  • We never present computer-generated images as real photographs, and we never invent authors or sources.

Independence and conflicts of interest

  • Editorial decisions are independent of advertisers, sponsors and funders.
  • Staff declare conflicts of interest to the editor.
  • Sponsored or partner content is always labelled and kept separate from news.
  • Nation Watch SA is not affiliated with any political party, government body or the South African Weather Service.

Fairness and right of reply

People and organisations we report on adversely get a reasonable chance to respond before publication.

Privacy, children, victims and graphic content

We are guided by the principles of the South African Press Code. We do not publish community photos or videos without the owner's permission and credit, and we verify them first.

Headlines and social media

No clickbait. Headlines and share images reflect the story, and weather headlines name the hazard, the area and the source.

Complaints

We will acknowledge every complaint and respond. See also our corrections policy.