Following a controversial tweet yesterday, in which the South African government announced that the ban on the sale of alcohol and cigarettes would remain in place until the end of Lockdown, the government has clarified that it was “incorrect”. The SA Government said: “This account posted a tweet earlier (yesterday) which said that the ban […]

NSRI rescue swimmers, more accustomed to saving humans, yesterday saved a frightened dog that had become trapped on a rock about 30 metres off-shore at Harmony Park Resort, between Strand and Gordon’s Bay in South Africa. Thanks to the dog whisperer skills of Kyle Burns, the dog made it safely to shore. Vincent Landman, NSRI […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it rejects with contempt the SA Government’s “disgraceful tweet” which has advised South Africa that the ban on alcohol and tobacco will remain in place “throughout the lockdown”. This indefinite ban could last weeks or even into 2021, says the DA. “What the government has done today is pull the […]

South Africans have been shocked by a tweet, posted by the South African Government, casually announcing that the sale of cigarettes and alcohol are to remain banned until the end of lockdown. The tweet, posted at lunchtime, says: “The ban on the sale of alcohol and cigarette will remain in place throughout the lockdown period.The […]

The last surviving Rivonia trialist, Andrew Mlangeni, has passed away at the age of 95. Mlangeni, who celebrated his birthday last month, was admitted at 1 Military Hospital following an abdominal complaint on Tuesday. He passed away overnight. President Ramaphosa has since paid tribute to the fallen hero and offered his sincere condolences to the Mlangeni […]

Cape wine producers are warning of a “job massacre” because of the renewed ban on alcohol sales. Wine producers already reeling from previous bans on alcohol warn that the new total ban is the nail in the coffin for them. They doubt that table wine sales contribute much to medical emergencies from alcohol abuse. Workers […]

Residents of the Western Cape, South Africa, have been saddened to hear of two water-related tragedies yesterday. In the first, a surfer collapsed and died in Kommetjie, and in the second a man was fatally run over by a boat trailer in Hout Bay. Dave Smith, NSRI Kommetjie duty coxswain, said the NSRI crew had […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has put global emergency preparedness under sharp scrutiny. It’s also placed national health systems’ capacity to predict and respond to major emergencies under the microscope. Much of the response to the pandemic is focused on testing, case management and control measures such as personal hygiene, quarantine and social distancing. But in most […]

Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Boitumelo Booi says the COVID-19 Temporary Employers/ Employee Relief Fund, set up to help those who found themselves out of work due to lockdown, will be extended to August. This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the national state of disaster to August as the COVID-19 pandemic spurs national efforts […]

The City of Cape Town’s newly built facility – meant for Covid-19 patients in Makhaza, Khayelitsha – was torched allegedly by people protesting over land on Saturday. Protesters torched the Desmond Tutu Community Hall and a new facility for Covid-19 patients in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, on Saturday. The new facility opened a week ago and damage […]

South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has paid tribute to legendary Agent and Casting Director Moonyeenn Lee, remembering her for fearlessly defending the rights of actors. “Over the years, she would travel around the world introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She consistently did everything in her power to […]

South Africa’s Eskom confirmed in a statement on Saturday that a man was fatally electrocuted in Ekurhuleni Region on Thursday night while allegedly operating an Eskom pole-mounted transformer, which is illegal. It appears the tragedy occurred in a community that was desperate for their power to be fixed. A shocking video of the incident went […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone the spotlight on injustice in the world while also exposing risks that have been ignored for decades, says United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. He said the 26 richest people hold the same wealth as half the global population; and 100 million more people could be pushed into extreme poverty and […]

People returning to South Africa from abroad may now apply to self-isolate for a fixed period rather than staying in quarantine facilities provided by the state, according to new regulations published in the Government Gazette. AfriForum, which has campaigned for four months against compulsory quarantine in state facilities, welcomed the announcement but cautioned that the […]

The two men accused of the brutal murder of Fanie and Colleen Engelbrecht were today handed two life sentences and 25 years for the murder of the elderly couple, as well as robbery with aggravating circumstances and for the possession of illegal firearms. Fanie (78) and Colleen (74) were killed on Mother’s Day in 2018 […]

An attempt by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini’s Ingonyama Trust to take control of thousands of hectares of land worth almost R1 billion, which was awarded to several communities in the greater Mthonjaneni (Melmoth) area as land restitution, has been thwarted by the courts. A claim for about 9,000 hectares of farmland in KwaZulu-Natal was first […]

Loadshedding, which hit most of South Africa during the coldest week in winter, has been suspended from 10 p.m. tonight, Eskom announced, saying it had successfully returned four generation units to service. “These generation units returned more than 1500MW capacity to the system, taking the total returned to the system since 10 July to 3500MW. […]

Primedia is the latest South African media group to be impacted by the current situation in South Africa, today announcing that retrenchments at the company will be taking place. Primedia Broadcasting includes 947, 702, KFM and CapeTalk; national news brand EWN; and Lead SA. Primedia confirmed in a statement on Thursday that employees were today […]

The Democratic Alliance has served Finance Minister Tito Mboweni with legal notice of its intention to challenge any disbursement of public funds to SAA using his “emergency” powers under the Public Finance Management Act. Geordin Hill-Lewis MP – DA Shadow Minister of Finance – said in a statement on Thursday, that “if Mboweni does not […]

A BBC documentary about the state of hospitals in the Eastern Cape, particularly Port Elizabeth, has shocked viewers in the UK and back home in South Africa. On Thursday morning, the Democratic Alliance tweeted a clip from the documentary’s “hospitals of horrors” and said: “?| The BBC has shown the country and the world what […]

She was the first to step out of the limousine, onto the red carpet, and into the mansion in The Bachelor SA Season 2. She was the first to wow the #BachelorNation with her larger-than-life, what-you-see-is-what-you-get personality and big smile; and the first to kiss hunk Marc Buckner. Now she’s getting another chance to find […]

Zindzi Mandela’s son Zondwa confirmed on Wednesday evening that his mother tested positive for COVID-19 on the day of her passing, but added that other tests have also been done and that the family is still waiting for the autopsy report to clarify her exact cause of death. Zindzi – the daughter of ‘giants’, Nelson and […]

Following the reinstatement of the alcohol ban and curfew, South African police will do random stop and search operations to ensure citizens adhere to the imposed regulations, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced today. “Throughout all of this, law enforcement officials will be dependent upon the cooperation of community members to ensure these operations are handled […]

Medical intern Danielle Moulton takes just three things into the hospital with her in the morning: her car key, a pen, and her phone in a plastic zipper bag. The rest of her belongings stay in the car, as her day in the Covid-19 wards of Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town starts. At work […]

CAPE TOWN – Good news for rugby fans as SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions confirmed on Wednesday that the 2021 tour to South Africa will go ahead as scheduled. The eagerly awaited series visits some of the most impressive stadiums in world sport and culminates in three Test matches against the newly […]