A mountain biker has uploaded a video on YouTube which shows an armed gunman in South Africa brazenly hijacking his bicycle…all caught on camera because the guman and his two accomplices didn’t realise what the GoPro camera on the biker’s helmut was (which shows how important it is to keep up with technology, no matter […]

I peer through a yellowed lace curtain onto a township street with the unease of an obvious newcomer. Children are hurried indoors and women hasten their pace to get home before all light is lost. The last of the sun disappears behind a sea of silver shacks, thin dogs and rusted clothes lines. Darkness once […]

An urgent petition to halt mining plans that could threaten the rhinos in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park has been set up on Avaaz, the online global campaigning community…and they need your signature. According to the petition, plans are underway to build an open-cast coal mine only 40 metres away from the game park. Conservationists, scientists and […]

It is with extreme sadness that we share the news that beloved member of Johnny Clegg’s band, Bongani Masuku, passed away last night. The following message was posted on Johnny Clegg’s facebook page a couple of hours ago: “It is with shock, anger and deep felt sadness that we mourn the violent killing last night […]

Mango Groove has been forced to cancel their forthcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand, leaving band members John Leyden “gutted” and Claire Johnston “disappointed beyond words”. Leyden, guitarist and founder of the South African band, said: “What can I say? We are gutted. We have been looking forward to this tour for many months now, […]

The South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced the tragic news of the first confirmed elephant poaching incident in the Kruger National Park (KNP) during the past decade. The Park has been a renowned target for rhino poachers, but elephants have remained safe in the Kruger for over ten years. Until now. According to SANParks’ Acting […]

Judge Thokozile Masipa today ruled that Oscar Pistorius must be referred for 30-day psychiatric evaluation following Monday’s evidence from forensic psychiatrist Dr Merryll Vorster that he may suffer from General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Called by the defence, Dr Vorster testified that GAD might have played a role in Oscar’s actions when he shot and killed […]

Advocate Gerrie Nel told the court he would tomorrow apply for Oscar to be referred for 30-days’ mental observation. This twist came after defence advocate Barry Roux called forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster to testify in Oscar’s murder trial. Roux’s intention was to bring to the court’s attention psychiatric factors that might be of relevance during […]

For everyone’s sake, let’s hope the trial winds down soon. What started off as a showcase of our legal expertise has turned into Comedy Central. In a nutshell, this was the week that: • The father and daughter who were first on the scene said Oscar was screaming, crying and praying; • Reeva’s ‘best friend’ […]

Unfortunately the votes from four overseas cities have not been counted as they did not reach South Africa before the IEC’s deadline of 9 pm tonight. The four cities are: Toronto, Havanna, Madrid and Lubumbashi. According to a message on Vote Home SA’s Facebook page: “Please note that this was due to the votes being […]

As news comes this afternoon that the Nigerian Government apparently knew of Boko Haram’s planned kidnapping of over 240 schoolgirls from a school in Chibok…but failed to act, we publish (with permission) South African businessman and commentator Tshepo Motsitsi’s take on the lack of response from foreign governments  to try to rescue these girls. Two hours ago Amnesty International announced that: […]

While we await the final voting results, and in the light of Julius Malema’s EFF party coming third in the South African Elections after gaining over 6 % of the total votes so far, here’s a poem: An ode to F! (musings on a possible South African pop opera…) To the tune of “Yesterday” by the Beatles. […]

UPDATE (9.15 pm, 08 May 2014): Helen Zille from the DA has just tweeted: “Re the ballots that were found: auditing has established that they WERE counted before they were “dumped”. No fraud suspected” – pls see further updates below. Helen Zille, Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), has responded to reports of ballot papers […]

Highveld 94.7 is at it again. This week radio presenter Darren Simpson phoned SANRAL to complain about a genuine e-tolls bill that demanded almost half-a-million rand to be paid. Darren phoned the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) call center and, as you can hear, the operator was not very impressed. (To be fair, Darren barely […]

It’s most likely been a very long and lonely weekend for Oscar Pistorius without his defence team to reassure him and coach him. Legal process forbids him from consulting with his legal counsel about the trial for the duration of his swearing in for cross-examination. Likewise, it’s out of bounds even with his family. I […]

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel is proving as tenacious as a “pit-bull” in his cross-questioning of Oscar Pistorius in the trial in which Oscar is accused of murdering his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013. Pistorius broken down in tears many times this morning as Gerrie took him through the […]

It’s high time someone in South Africa spoke up about something that we’ve all been too timid to raise for far too long, either out of politeness or a misguided sense of political correctness.  Let me be the first to speak out about this abomination and consequences be damned! To the tune of “Love Me […]

Oh no! Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. The long-awaited release of yesterday’s recalculated report on Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) data shows that their economy is around double that of previous estimates. In fact the West African country overtook South Africa a while ago, but it has taken a while to […]

As the prosecution winds down its case, we can expect some bombshell revelations, and today – Monday March 24, 2014 – was just the beginning. Hawks’ cellphone expert Captain Francois Moller read out transcripts of WhatsApp messages between Oscar and Reeva, which have been downloaded from Reeva’s cellphone. Below is a sample. Oscar has denied witness testimony […]

I’m back on the beat of the Oscar trial after time away from the action. Like a voyeur, I’ve been playing catch-up, tracking the replays of the Oscar Pistorius trial on Channel 199 as his uncertain fate nears. I’ve missed writing about Oscar. Like anyone with a habit, I had withdrawal symptoms and couldn’t wean […]

My dear Oscar, Your freedom of access to newspaper articles and the internet doubtless leaves you somewhat bemused by your precipitous fall from grace in the eyes of an erstwhile adoring public. The reasons for this may at first blush appear obvious, but I would venture to suggest that these are as multi-faceted and as […]

When the going gets tough, South Africans helpmekaar. With the recent heavy rains causing road closures in and around Lephalale (formerly Ellisras), the town has been supplying food and petrol to farmers who have been cut off. UPDATE: The area is now on a flood warning as 4 dam walls have allegedly broken. Local Lephalale […]

Even before Oscar Pistorius’ trial began for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, South Africans were in a tizz over the world media being allowed to broadcast proceedings. A week later, the armchair judiciary was up in arms over Judge Thokozile Masipa’s perceived lenience towards the defence. In their sights was Advocate Barry Roux who raised […]

This is incredibly sad. A video has been uploaded to YouTube showing a young rhino – with its horn cut off – staggering helplessly in the Kruger National Park, before disappearing into the undergrowth. The video was filmed by tourists last week, on the 28th of February, near Phabeni Gate. They alerted the South African […]

Eish. A video posted by South African motorist Symon Scott after witnessing rather unsavoury cyclist aggression has gone viral. In the video – which Simon recorded on his cellphone on Sunday – a group of cyclists, angry with a parked vehicle, violently attack the driver. The driver, who luckily only suffered bruises, was Tyberberg student […]