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After the Bell: Who’s Afraid of El Niño?

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 861 words · By Stephen Grootes
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What to know about After the Bell: Who’s Afraid of El Niño?

The seasons have started to change, it’s not too hot and not yet too cold.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The seasons have started to change, it’s not too hot and not yet too cold.

Why it matters

The first rush of the year is over, we have probably had peak traffic until around October (for some reason traffic is worse in South Africa in summer – presumably we spend a bit more time at home during the colder months).

Common ground

Some of the schools are on holiday and some are in session, which means people are productive but a little calmer.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-04-28--after-the-bell-whos-afraid-o…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
help Insufficient Evidence 3
check_circle Corroborated 2
help
Claim 1: “the big “Day Zero” scare in Cape Town in 2008 really changed the way people use water”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The claim states the 'Day Zero' scare was in 2008. However, Wikipedia and other sources explicitly state the Cape Town water crisis occurred between 2015–2020. The date 2008 is factually incorrect.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Cape Town water crisis in South Africa was a multi-year period in 2015–2020 of water shortage in the Western Cape region, most notably affecting the City of Cape Town.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Town_water_crisis
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Cape Town’s water crisis got so bad last year that there were competitions to see who could wash their shirts the least. Restaurants and businesses were encouraging people not to flush after going to …
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2019/08/cape-town-was-90-day…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Cape Town addressed the crisis in part by changing people’s behavior: the city implemented a 50-liter restriction on water use, which made water conservation everyone’s responsibility. However, there …
https://www.wri.org/insights/responding-day-zero-equitably-w…
info
Claim 2: “In Gauteng we’re in that stretch of the year where every radio news bulletin ends with the phrase “fine and mild”.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While web results confirm that Gauteng experiences 'mild' weather and that such forecasts exist, there is no evidence to corroborate the specific claim that radio news bulletins consistently end with the phrase 'fine and mild'. This appears to be an anecdotal observation by the author.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Gauteng residents can expect mild daytime highs around 20°C as forecasters predict stable, cool to warm weather conditions.
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/weather/gauteng-will-ex…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — South Africans can look forward to a stretch of calm and comfortable weather this week, as meteorologists report clear skies and mild temperatures across most parts of the country. From Cape Town's co…
https://www.gauteng.net/whats-on-g/clear-skies-mild-weather-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The document provides a comprehensive overview of the climate and weather patterns in Gauteng Province, South Africa, serving as the first in a series of regional climate publications. It covers vario…
https://www.scribd.com/document/848493004/Regional-Weather-a…
help
Claim 3: “They do, in fact, tend to use less now than before”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found to verify if water usage in Cape Town is currently lower than it was before the crisis.
info
Claim 4: “there are warnings that we are all using too much water”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided for this claim are dictionary definitions of the word 'there' and do not contain any information regarding water usage warnings in South Africa.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Note: Do not confuse there, which has meanings that mostly relate to a literal or abstract location, with the words their and they're. Their has to do with what belongs to or is associated with them (…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/there
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — We can use there at the start of a clause as a type of indefinite subject. This means that we can put the actual subject at the end of the clause and so give it emphasis or focus (underlined below): …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/there
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1. Used to introduce a clause or sentence: There are numerous items. There must be another exit. 2. Used to indicate an unspecified person in direct address: Hello there.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/there
help
Claim 5: “the explosive growth in human life expectancy over the past 150 years is all about vaccinations, sanitation and the simple fact that we now wash our hands”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found to evaluate this specific claim regarding the drivers of life expectancy.
info
Claim 6: “meanwhile in the north of the country there are dire concerns that this will be an El Niño year”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence explains what El Niño is generally, but does not provide specific information confirming that there are currently 'dire concerns' in the north of South Africa regarding an El Niño year.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Those variations have an irregular…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Niño–Southern_Oscillation
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — El Niño means warmer water spreads further, and stays closer to the surface. This releases more heat into the atmosphere, creating wetter and warmer air. But the regional effects are complicated, and …
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj97npgk92po
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) has become the de-facto standard that NOAA uses for classifying El Niño (warm) and La Niña (cool) events in the eastern tropical Pacific.
https://ggweather.com/enso/oni.htm
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Claim 7: “the dams that supply Gauteng are full”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that dams supplying Gauteng (specifically the Vaal Dam) have reached or exceeded full capacity (e.g., 106.14%), even while cities experience shortages due to distribution issues.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — South Africa’s major cities in the Gauteng Province – the country’s economic heartland – are experiencing major water shortages. In Johannesburg and Tshwane taps have run dry, with numerous areas expe…
https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/sas-biggest-cities-are-out…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Vaal Dam is among South Africa’s largest reservoirs, holding about 2.5 billion cubic metres at full capacity. It plays a vital role in the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS), supplying water to m…
https://www.gauteng.net/whats-on-g/vaal-dam-winter-rainfall/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — According to the Associated Press, in a report on April 23, and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, the project uses Lesotho’s mountainous geography to transfer water by gravity to South Afri…
https://en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br/an-entire-country-within…
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Claim 8: “Hartbeespoort seems to be winning its two-generation-old war on the hyacinth again”
CORROBORATED
Evidence from Magalies Water indicates they are making progress and effectively managing the removal of water hyacinth at Hartbeespoort Dam, supporting the claim that they are 'winning' the battle against the plant.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Water hyacinth, originally from South America, has infested the Hartbeespoort Dam since the 1960s, thriving on nutrient-rich, polluted water entering the dam. The plants cover the water, blocking sunl…
https://groundup.org.za/article/tiny-insects-helping-control…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The dam’s surface water was found to contain high volumes of faecal bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E.coli) that are typically found in mammal and bird waste and untreated sewage.Over the years, ef…
https://www.up.ac.za/research-matters/news/hydrogeologists-u…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Hartbeespoort – Magalies Water says it is making progress in removing water hyacinth covering the lake at Hartbeespoort dam. Magalies Water this week said it was effectively managing the hyacinth regr…
https://thebulrushes.com/2025/07/17/magalies-water-reduces-w…
info
Claim 9: “traffic is worse in South Africa in summer”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence discusses general traffic congestion in South African cities and global trends, but does not specifically mention or confirm that traffic is worse during the summer months.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in many of the roads becoming obsolete.[2] When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction bet…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Traffic congestion has increased globally during the last decade, and nearly 75% of the cities TomTom includes in the new Traffic Index report had increased or had stable congestion levels between 201…
https://businesstech.co.za/news/motoring/321263/these-are-th…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — South Africans living in Welkom lost less than one hour to congestion. The most-congested cities, their world rank, and average hours lost in congestion are summarised in the table below. Traffic cong…
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/motoring/426456-traffic-in-so…
info
Claim 10: “Lerato Mutsila reminded us so clearly in DM168 this past weekend, we lose just the most incredible amount of water”
SINGLE SOURCE
Evidence confirms Lerato Mutsila is a journalist for Daily Maverick covering climate and environment, but the provided search results do not contain the specific text of 'DM168' or a confirmation of the specific claim about water loss mentioned in that edition.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Daily Maverick. Defend Truth. 20 Questions with Lerato Mutsila.I recently read that because diamonds are carbon-based, when heated to the right temperature, they will burn just like coal. The carbon d…
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/20-questions-with-lerato-mut…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Lerato Mutsila is a journalist at Maverick Citizen. She covers a diverse range of themes including climate change and environment, health and wellness, and culture and society, often focusing on topic…
https://intelligentrelations.com/journalist/lerato-mutsila/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Location: South Africa, Johannesburg Date: September 19, 2023. Security guards from Standard Bank assaulted and unlawfully confiscated the phone of Daily Maverick journalist Lerato Mutsila while she w…
https://www.womeninjournalism.org/threats-all/south-africa-b…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.