SOUTH AFRICA (Reuters) – A South African high court, in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, on Friday struck down an urgent application brought by environmentalists to stop oil major Royal Dutch Shell starting seismic surveys to explore for petroleum systems off the eastern seaboard’s popular Wild Coast. The applicants, which included Greenpeace Africa and fishermen, […]

South Africans will be paying more at the pumps from Wednesday when fuel prices are expected to increase. According to the Mineral Resources and Energy Department, the price of petrol (both 93 and 95) will go up by 81c per litre, while the price of diesel 0.05% will increase by 72c and diesel 0.005% sulphur […]

The strange story of the house Fikile Mbalula offered to buy… By Raymond Joseph and Masego Mafata Upbrand Properties, linked to suspended National Lotteries Commission chief operating officer Phillemon Letwaba, bought a house in an upmarket Johannesburg suburb, days after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and his wife made an identical offer on the same house. […]

The South African government says it has noted the announcement by the United Kingdom (UK) to temporarily ban all flights from the Southern parts of Africa, including South Africa, from entering the UK due to the detection of a new Coronavirus variant, B.1.1.529. South Africa confirmed on Thursday that it has detected the new Coronavirus […]

Eskom chief executive Andre de Ruyter has announced that the power utility will implement Stage 2 load shedding from 2pm this afternoon, Wed 17 November… until Saturday. The announcement about the power cuts came during a media briefing in which de Ruyter had begun by assuring the nation that the power utility was doing all […]

South African Airways (SAA) says there are no “reasonable prospects” of Mango Airlines succeeding if it takes to the skies again this December. Mango, which is a subsidiary of SAA and is government-owned, is currently undergoing business rescue after it was grounded in July following years of financial instability. “[T]here are no reasonable prospects of […]

With the extension of the State of Disaster to 15 December 2021, FEDHASA has called on the South African government to use all other mechanisms at its disposal to control the spread of COVID and avoid instituting regulations which hamper the hospitality sector’s operations and ability to secure jobs. “As an industry, we are not […]

The promotion of trade between African countries is critical if the continent is to change the distorted trade relationship that exists between African countries and the rest of the world, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. This distorted relationship has been particularly blatant during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimating that Africa […]

In the opening days of the COP26 international climate conference, a financing partnership was announced between South Africa and a consortium consisting of France, Germany, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). The partnership aims to support South Africa’s just transition to a low carbon and climate-resilient economy and society. Essentially a just […]

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has this morning commenced the National Investigative Hearing into the July civil unrest. At least 300 people were left dead with at least R25 billon in damages done to businesses and public infrastructure when the unrest rocked the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. “The unrest has indeed deepened unemployment, […]

The South African Government is accelerating its efforts to clear bureaucratic red tape that continues to hamper investment prospects, in its bid to attract more economic development to bolster the country’s growth. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement on Friday during a visit to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). “If we really want economic development, we must cut […]

Barbie, yesterday, announced a collaboration with celebrated SA fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, who has created a new ready to wear South African-inspired collection, and couture dress made specifically to fit the number one fashion doll in the world. The Barbie Loves Gert collection, comprised of 31 looks, celebrates the uniqueness of South Africans. This is […]

There’s light at the end of the tunnel! Eskom has announced it will REDUCE loadshedding to Stage 3 from 05:00 on Wednesday until Friday 05:00. Thereafter Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented as previously communicated until 05:00 on Saturday. In a media briefing on Tuesday (watch below) Eskom Group Chief Executive, André de Ruyter, announced […]

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has commenced payments to the Workers Affected By Unrest (WABU) Relief Scheme and has so far disbursed R6.4-million to 1 402 workers that were affected by the July 2021 unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. In a statement on Monday, the department said the payments were made from applications received from […]

Dozens of climate justice activists gathered outside Parliament as part of a global day of action on Saturday. Climate activists picketed outside Parliament on Saturday demanding government take drastic action over climate change. The Rural Women’s Assembly criticised the COP26 talks in Scotland for excluding the voices of small-scale African farmers and others most affected […]

Athol Williams is a South African hero. The speaker, author and advocate – who hails from Mitchell’s Plain – was the first person to earn Masters degrees from five of the top universities in the world. He’s also an award-winning author and poet; and a passionate South African who couldn’t keep quiet when he saw […]

With the relaunch of a double-daily service between Cape Town and Durban, kulula.com says it has fully restored its pre-COVID route network. In the case of the Cape Town and Durban service, capacity has actually increased, says Desmond O’Connor, kulula.com Chief Commercial Officer. Pre-COVID, the airline operated one flight per day on the route. Daily […]

Eskom has unfortunately started implementing load shedding Stage 4 in South Africa from 13:00 Monday afternoon… and Stage 4 is set to last until 05:00 on Friday, after which it will be downgraded to Stage 2 until 05:00 on Saturday. This comes after the power utility announced on Sunday that it expected to continue with […]

Energy investments will help overcome the debilitating load shedding (power cuts) that South Africa is currently experiencing, as new electricity generation capacity comes online, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. In his weekly newsletter to the country, the President said that energy continues to be an area of growth in South Africa as the 25 preferred bidders […]

South Africa’s famous and ultra-luxurious Blue Train has derailed. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning at Union Station in Elandsfontein, near Germiston, Gauteng. Fortunately there were no passengers on board. Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) confirmed that 19 empty coaches of one of the Blue Trains derailed at the Union Station Loop […]

Eskom has announced that “regretfully” Stage 2 loadshedding – which is just a pretty word for rolling power cuts – will continue throughout the week ahead from 05:00 on Monday until 05:00 on Saturday. Since the power system remains “volatile and unpredictable”, Eskom cautioned that “higher stages of loadshedding may be required” (as happened last […]

This Sunday Ina Bonnette speaks openly about her horrific ordeal – in which her then husband and his three accomplices raped and tortured her, and murdered her son in the room next door. Known as the Modimolle Monster, her ex Johan Kotze – who is now in jail – violently attacked her just over eight […]

For South Africans who groaned when Stage Two load shedding was implemented on Friday morning, things got a little worse this afternoon as Eskom implemented Stage Four power cuts from 2pm. The loadshedding has been caused by “numerous issues” and further shutdowns at power stations. Total breakdowns have cost the grid at least 17 000MW […]

South Africans are facing another round of power cuts despite promises from South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, that it would keep the lights on. Unexpected breakdowns and scheduled maintenance at various generation plants have been blamed for reduced generation capacity. These have compromised the stability of the national power grid. Since this affects everyone in […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will later today attend the announcement of the final results of the 2021 Municipal Elections, which are likely to show the ANC with less than 50% of the vote for the first time since 1994. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) will make the announcement after South Africans headed to the […]