On Friday 28 February 2020, Capetonian marathon swimmer, musician and mother-of-three Carina Bruwer became the first woman to swim across Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth, in support of Muzukidz, an organisation that offers underprivileged children the opportunity to learn the violin. Bruwer completed the gruelling crossing from Pollock Beach in Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, to […]

As coronavirus hit South Africa today with the first confirmed case, and continues to spread around the world, anxiety is rising. Shoppers fearful of quarantine measures have been stocking up on supplies to last out a week or two of isolation. Recent days have seen reports of shortages of hand sanitiser in shops around the […]

Aaron Lipschitz (5) from Sea Point, Cape Town, is the first child in South Africa to be diagnosed with Interleukin-12 Receptor Defect, a rare genetic condition that affects the immune system. Of the few known cases worldwide, Aaron is the only child who is unable to tolerate any food without becoming very ill. The only […]

Humans and four-legged friends are invited to strut their stuff along the fifth annual Paws on the Promenade – a dog walk fundraiser by the Mdzananda Animal Clinic, Khayelitsha, in partnership with Vondi’s Holistic Pet Nutrition. The dog walk will take place on Sunday the 15th of March at 9am. Starting at the Mouille Point […]

While the South African economy has over the last couple of years taken a beating with a recession in SA announced today, the country’s people continue to rise above often difficult circumstances, says the SA government news site. Fourth-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures this week showed a decline of 1.4 % in the final […]

They’ve fought them from the air, with specialised camouflage reconnaissance teams and tactical boots on the ground, but the latest weapon in the fight against rhino poaching might not be as high-tech as you would expect… Fast, four-legged and furious – free-tracking hounds could prove to be the game-changer in the fight against poachers as […]

Thirty-two elephants in South Africa face being shot dead after two rogue bull elephants killed a conservationist trying to shepherd the herd back to a KwaZulu-Natal reserve from which they had strayed. Sources close to the KZN authorities say that a cull of the entire herd has been proposed, but no decision has yet been […]

This is a question I have asked myself many times… writes Dr Louise de Waal, Campaign Manager of Blood Lions. Petting a predator is incongruous and unnatural, so why this obsession with petting wild animals in captivity? Why do we believe it is acceptable to put our own needs well above the animal’s requirements? Is […]

Eskom has announced that no load shedding is expected on Monday and the possibility of power cuts during the week is also low. “We are utilising emergency generation reserves to supplement power, as we had more unplanned breakdowns [on Saturday],” Eskom said on Sunday. Eskom said additional generation units would return to service on Sunday. […]

The petrol price will again come down by between 19 and 54 cents a litre this week. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has announced a 19 cent decrease in the price of 93 (ULP and LRP) and 95 (ULP and LRP) as of Wednesday. Meanwhile, both grades of diesel (0.05% Sulphur) and diesel (0.005% […]

World record holder and Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk continued his comeback from an injury-enforced layoff when winning the 400m title at the Free State Championships under difficult conditions in Bloemfontein on Saturday. In cold, wet and windy conditions, Van Niekerk floated out the blocks and coasted around the track to secure a convincing victory […]

The Dusi Canoe Marathon pre-race favourites, Andy Birkett and Khumbulani Nzimande, took the men’s honours while Cana Peek and Christie Mackenzie won the ladies stage despite a few incidents on Thursday. Euro Steel’s Birkett and Nzimande played their cards close to their chests during the first half of the stage and while the Cape crew […]

For two months late last year, the deadly antibiotic resistant CRE (Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae), ravaged the maternity ward of Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng killing 10 babies. But this wasn’t the first time that a number of infants have died in the same period inside a public health facility in South Africa. Carte Blanche investigates the hospitals […]

Five men stood in court today accused of the brutal execution of Heila Kilian in April 2018 on a homestead just outside Stilbaai (Still Bay) in the Western Cape, South Africa. Witness Shaun Vorster described the terror and torture of the night’s events. The crime – almost two years ago – was so horrific it […]

The prohibition of waste pickers from accessing the Coastal Park Landfill Site near Muizenberg saw an initial confrontation with security guards on Tuesday 18 February escalate to a group of about 100 people fighting to get in at about 7pm – sunset – last Wednesday 19 February. Reinforcements were called in the next day and […]

The Basic Education Department (DBE) has suspended with immediate effect the serving of canned pilchards as part of the national school nutrition menu across all schools in the country. The decision follows a recent order by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications that all formal wholesalers, retailers and informal traders remove and stop selling the […]

On Friday 28 February 2020, Capetonian marathon swimmer, musician and mother-of-three Carina Bruwer will attempt to swim approximately 20km to cross Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth, in support of Muzukidz, an organisation that offers underprivileged children the opportunity to learn the violin. If successful, Carina will be the first woman and the second person […]

A Spar franchisee in South Africa has been ordered to pay millions of rands to workers for unlawful deductions on earnings, as well as non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage (NMW), said the Department of Employment and Labour.   On Monday, the department welcomed the outcome of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) […]

A raft of tax increases and curtailing the public sector wage bill are just some of the interventions anticipated to be announced by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni when he delivers the 2020 Budget. Amid South Africa’s precarious economic state, economists, in anticipation of the Budget, say Mboweni has the unenviable task of extricating the country […]

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has handed over 249 Shova Kalula bicycles to learners from six schools in De Aar in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The bicycles were distributed on Monday through the Department of Transport’s initiative, Shova Kalula bicycle programme, aimed at assisting learners who walk more than three kilometres — but less than […]

The Department of Employment and Labour says the new rate for the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for each ordinary hour worked will now be R20.76. In terms of a notice published in the Government Gazette and signed by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi, the new rate will be applicable on 1 March 2020. The […]

About 150 protesters marched to Parliament on Monday to mark the first day of the two-day Real Jobs Summit, part of the Cry of the Xcluded campaign over unemployment. On Sunday participants in the campaign staged a performance of a play at the V&A Waterfront amphitheatre about unemployment, climate change and domestic violence. The play was […]

Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement (ABM) marched in support of land expropriation without compensation and amending the Constitution on Monday. Protesters handed over a submission, in the form of a memorandum, on the Amendment to Section 25 of the Constitution. Deadline for public comment is Friday. About 1,000 supporters marched from King Bhekuzulu Park to Durban City […]

While there has been no case of Coronavirus reported in South Africa, people who develop symptoms of respiratory illness during or after travel to countries where the outbreak is known to be circulating, have been advised to seek early medical care. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Monday said it continues to monitor […]

A happy hippo cruising in to a garage on Sunday evening in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has put a smile on locals’ faces. On Monday a video of the hippo’s casual stroll through a busy Engen Garage in St Lucia was shared on social media amongst South Africans everywhere. The OK Express at Engen St Lucia […]