For 32 years, there’s never been a dream that the Reach for A Dream Foundation has not tried to fulfil for children with life-threatening illnesses… until COVID-19 struck. Reach for Virtual Dreams Believing in the power of a dream and the imagination to fight disease and hopelessness, the foundation has brought joy to children from […]

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has named VELDSKOEN as the official off-field shoe of South African Olympians, for this year’s games in Tokyo… which is a wonderful full-circle moment for the founders of the company. Veldskoen Shoes was started because of a conversation between Nick Dreyer and Ross Zondagh about the […]

A fire broke out at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital in Gauteng, South Africa, on Friday morning at around 11h15, according to the hospital management. Fortunately there were no casualties, but the incident has raised questions about the hospital’s maintenance and safety measures. Firefighters were called and staff were told to remove their cars. Surgery was […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has this week welcomed new Ambassadors and High Commissioners-Designate from nine countries, at a ceremony held at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Tshwane. The Ambassadors and High Commissioners-Designate were nominated by their respective governments to serve in diplomatic missions in South Africa. The Ambassadors are to advance diplomatic relations between their […]

There’s finally hope on the horizon for many thousands of South Africans around the world who inadvertently lost their SA citizenship when they applied for another country’s passport… without knowing they had to request permission from the SA government first and receive a Letter of Retention (which at the moment is not even possible due […]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged a halt on the sale of live wild mammals in food markets, to prevent new diseases like COVID-19. The WHO said the banning could protect the health of both market workers and customers. In a guidance issued by WHO, together with the World Organisation for Animal Health and […]

South Africa’s National State of Disaster has been extended until 15 May 2021. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister – has gazetted the extension after consultations and Cabinet approval. The extension takes into account the need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements to mitigate against the impact […]

South Africa’s Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has announced the temporary and voluntary pause of the COVID-19 Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine rollout in SA following reports of rare blood clots abroad. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Dr Mkhize has made the announcement following a recommendation from the FDA in the USA, […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the continent needs to build a vibrant and innovative African medical supplies manufacturing capability that meets the health needs of the Africa’s people. Addressing a conference on Africa’s Vaccine Manufacturing on Monday, the President said throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa has demonstrated that it has substantial capabilities, resources and skills to […]

Three years ago South Africa introduced Africa’s first major tax on sugar-sweetened beverages based on grams of sugar. The tax now stands at about 11% of the price per litre… by Karen Hofman, University of the Witwatersrand. We assessed the impact in recently published research. We found that the health promotion levy coincided with large […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says demands the immediate retraction of the racist statement issued by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) on its twitter handle @DPE_ZA. “We also call for the immediate suspension of the DPE Director General, Mr Kgathatso Tlhakudi, in whose name the statement was issued,” said Ghaleb Cachalia MP – DA Shadow […]

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s Presidential Employment Stimulus has assisted to create 8 000 new jobs. Launched in October last year in response to the economic impact of the pandemic, the Presidential Employment Stimulus is designed to support a spectrum of opportunities, focusing on job creation through public employment; job retention in vulnerable […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has met in Maputo with other high-level leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to assess the growing Islamic State-linked threat in the region. Carte Blanche delves deeper this week, speaking to South Africans who survived the most recent horrific attack in Palma. This follows as eyewitness accounts and disturbing video […]

The South African government has welcomed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) revised upward growth outlook of South Africa from 2.8% to 3.1% for 2021. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry in the Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, said the upgrade affirmed the robustness of the country’s economy and positive economic interventions despite tough […]

There’s one day left for potential employees at the new Radisson RED hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, to apply for a casting call to fill 40 positions there. The hotel, set to open in June and the second in the specialty brand after the first one in Africa opened in Cape Town, is having what it […]

Africa should be able to have the capacity to manufacture and distribute its own biotechnology to develop vaccines as COVID-19 continues to sweep the globe, says South African Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize. Speaking during the webinar on World Health Day on Wednesday, Dr Mkhize said depending on other continents should be the thing of […]

Housing activists demand answers eight months after Sisulu’s budget vote announcement… By Liezl Human In July 2020 Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu announced during her budget vote speech that R600 million would be allocated towards rent relief for tenants facing “financial distress” due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Eight months later, no money or information about […]

South Africa has signed a deal for the procurement of 20 million doses of Pfizer vaccines. According to the announcement made by Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, payment processes are also underway to close the deal in the next few days. In addition, with the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) agreement also fully concluded, Mkhize believes […]

Tony Leon is the most prolific of all former leaders of the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s main opposition party, as befits the chair of a communications company. In his latest and fifth book, Future Tense: Reflections on my Troubled Land, he comes across as articulate and persuasive. The Democratic Alliance has, ever since its […]

Norwegian Cruise Line today announced its highly-anticipated return to service, with new itineraries sailing Europe and The Caribbean beginning July 25, 2021. The Cruise Line will restart operations at a reduced capacity with Norwegian Jade, Joy and Gem as the first of its 17-ship fleet to welcome guests back on board. Travellers long-awaiting a return […]

The price of petrol in South Africa is set to increase by between R1 and 95 cents a litre as of tomorrow, Wednesday 7 April, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has announced. The department attributed the increase to various global events, including the Ever Given vessel which blocked the Suez Canal. “The […]

About 7,000 families are living on the railways in Langa, Cape Town. The Siyahlala informal settlement calls the tracks their home, and they blame the City of Cape Town municipality for not providing services. Meanwhile their shacks are blocking the trains. The South African government wants them to leave, but they have nowhere to go. […]

Here, once a month, the scent of milk tarts, cupcakes, or doughnuts can be discovered. Located about 30km from Cape Town city centre, Wolwerivier is a low-cost housing development for people who have been evicted, mostly from informal settlements, and have nowhere else to go. But within these dust-ridden streets, the home of Magdalene Minnaar […]

Much to the relief of many South Africans, SA is to remain on Alert Level 1 with just a few minor adjustments, including that alcohol may not be purchased off-site during the Easter Weekend. But South Africans can purchase and consume alcohol at restaurants, shebeens and bars. Given the relatively low transmission levels, President Cyril […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation on developments in South Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic at 7.30pm this evening, Tuesday 30 March 2021. The address follows meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) and Cabinet. “As South Africa rolls out its national COVID-19 vaccination […]