The back and forth of the South African Airways Saga continues, as the business rescue practitioners in charge of the airline’s future or demise have suspended all operations with immediate effect until they have a clearer picture of whence (and if) the money is coming to save the beleaguered carrier. “The BRPs have made a […]

“One tap in 26 years.” That was one of the comments on social media after the Alfred Nzo Municipality in the Eastern Cape posted a video on this week showing a ceremony to announce the installation of a single tap for a village. The views (61,000 so far) and comments haven’t stopped running since then. […]

After stunning rains across Cape Town this winter, the largest dam serving the region, Theewaterskloof, started overflowing today, for the first time since 2014 and barely two-and-a-half years after Day Zero loomed. (Update 28/09/20: Theewaterskloof dam has not yet officially overflowed. It turns out it only appeared to do so because of the wind blowing […]

A former pro rugby player, Zane Kilian, appeared in a Cape Town court in South Africa today under heavy security charged with the murder on 18 September  of Anti-Gang Unit cop Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear (52). Kilian (spelt Killian by some media outlets), 39, was charged at the Bishop Lavis magistrate’s court with murder, conspiracy […]

After the former minister Mosebenzi Zwane made some startling admissions at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture today, admitting to not knowing the laws of his department while he was MEC, the Democratic Alliance said the noose of justice was closing in on Free State politicians like himself and former premier Ace Magashule. […]

Independent solar and wind power generators, among others, will in future be allowed to sell electricity to Eskom, which will hopefully break the cycle of loadshedding that has afflicted the country and its potential for progress. Rules were gazetted today allowing the procurement of 11,813 MW of electricity and storage from independent power producers (IPPs). […]

The Competition Tribunal has approved The Foschini Group to acquire Jet stores subject to conditions, while seller Edcon has said that it would maintain its big branch of Edgars in downtown Johannesburg, which has been there for 90 years and is being renovated, a major impetus to the central business district. It was reported earlier […]

After months of talk, they are finally here, the bumped-up security detail being put in place to protect the infrastructure and trains of South Africa’s railways. There will be at least 3,100 of them in identified hotspots, and some of them were out marching in Rhodesfield, Johannesburg, today (see video). Introducing a new security plan […]

The Western Cape government today launched a R3 billion housing project in Cape Town to redress historical imbalances in spacial planning as a result of apartheid, with a safe Live-Work-Play-Learn environment for people and families close to public transport and sustainable work opportunities. Construction at the Conradie Better Living Model Project officially commences this month, […]

A private security firm that often has to deal with illegal mining operations says there are more than 16,000 illegal operators in the country, some of whom get caught up in gang warfare, and are costing the country R21 billion a year. “In South Africa illegal mining is often linked to human smuggling and trafficking, […]

Less than a week after an ANC delegation of 10 people hitched a ride on a Defence Force aircraft flying to Zimbabwe to hold unofficial talks with government officials there, and later said they would pay for its use, the Democratic Alliance is to lay criminal charges against them for abusing a state aircraft and […]

Thirty international artists and photographers today launched a campaign to raise awareness and funds for the endangered African Painted Dog, also known as the African Wild Dog and the Painted Wolf, whose numbers have in the last century gone from half a million to under 7,000. The artwork at ‘LYCAON – Artists for Painted Dogs’ […]

After 18 months of construction, the Nelson Mandela Square, a park in the southern German city of  Nuremberg, was officially opened today. The park was planted with 70 new trees, and has a spacious lawn, bicycle paths, parking lots and Nuremberg’s first bicycle parking garage. The mayor Marcus König and the South African consul general, […]

Singing on the Last Night of the Proms, aka the BBC Proms, the summer festival of orchestral highlights, two days ago, South Africa’s fantastic opera singer Golda Schultz gave a moving rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical “Carousel.” Watch (and listen to) Golda Schultz sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” […]

The United Kingdom today became the first international partner to contribute to South Africa’s Solidarity Fund, with a donation of R50 million. “Proud to become the first international partner to contribute to S Africa’s Solidarity Fund; a transparent, accountable, public-private collaboration, directing support to those hardest hit by coronavirus, especially women,” tweeted the UK’s High […]

“His name was Zwelenkosi Zulu. He was axed and burnt in Eshowe … for being a part of the (LGBTQ community). How many more homophobic murders?” These were words on Twitter about #Zwe, who was, according to the Democratic Alliance’s Sakhile Mngadi, “allegedly hacked in his own house, left unconscious and the house was then […]

The statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa today praising the work of the media is a sea change from the days of his predecessor Jacob Zuma and his support of the Gupta ANN7 network and New Age newspaper and the vilification of Jacques Pauw, author of “The President’s Keepers,” among other low points. Countries with strong […]

South Africa recorded its lowest single-day death toll on Sunday in over four months, while the number of COVID-19 cases rose by 1 579. The recovery rate is almost 90 percent. The 20 deaths recorded on Sunday is the lowest number since 23 May, when 10 people succumbed to the disease. According to the latest […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to furnish him – within 48 hours – with a detailed report on the circumstances that led to her sharing a flight to Harare with a senior delegation of African National Congress leadership. A public outcry quickly grew on Wednesday after ANC […]

For all those people who hate the way taxi drivers behave on the road, the way they disobey traffic lights, go the wrong way down one-way streets, overcrowd, drive abysmally and disrespect even their own passengers, now is the time to have your say. Today saw the launch of a public platform, the National Taxi […]

South Africa is making its best wines ever, according to British journalist and wine master Tim Atkin, who managed to put together his latest report during the pandemic and gave two wines a perfect score of 100 points. “Rather than just a few individuals, what we have now is a constellation shining bright above us […]

The District Six Museum in Cape Town, which recalls the painful and yet colourful past of the famous neighbourhood whose residents were forcefully evicted and the area demolished during apartheid, faces closure after 25 years, and have asked for donations from the public to help them get back on their feet after the lockdown. The […]

In one of the worst year’s on record for loadshedding in South Africa, more of the same is possible as one of the conveyor belts at Medupi power station broke down, Eskom said today. “This means the four generation units in service are not able to take in the requisite amount of coal to generate […]

The Supreme Court of South Africa today dismissed the appeal of Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor Andile Lungisa over his sentence to two years in jail over an incident in 2016 where he hit a Democratic Alliance councillor over the head with a water jug (see video below).   Lungisa was found guilty in April […]

The Zimbabwean government has banned mining inside national parks, after reports surfaced that two Chinese companies had been granted rights to mine for coal in Hwange National Park and conservationists and lawyers kicked into gear to stop it. “Mining on areas held by National Parks is banned with immediate effect. Steps are being undertaken to […]