Space-X has announced that it is standing down from today’s launch “due to unfavourable weather in the flight path”. The next launch opportunity is Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. EDT, or 19:22 UTC, says Space-X. Space-X founder and South African expat Elon Musk’s mission got very close to lift-off, with the crew settled in, […]

Watch the video below for the live television coverage of the launch of Crew Dragon from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 10.33pm South African time, the first time a private company – SA expat Elon Musk’s Space-X – will travel to the International Space Station. The two astronauts on board are best friends and seasoned […]

Dudu Myeni, who was chairman of the board of South African Airways for five years from 2012 and “made headline news for the wrong reasons,” has been declared a delinquent director and will not be allowed to hold directorships of other companies. Judgment was handed down in the Pretoria High Court today in favour of […]

South African expat Elon Musk is poised to make American history tonight, 27 May 2020, when his company Space-X sends two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. And his proud mother, model Maye Musk, has posted a photo of her and Elon when he was just a baby in […]

Only a week after saying that there would be just three days of loadshedding this winter, Eskom has asked South Africans to turn off all unnecessary electrical items because the system is under severe pressure. In a tweet on Wednesday afternoon, it said, “Our power system is under severe pressure. Please switch off all unnecessary […]

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs, has been served a lawyer’s letter on Wednesday by AfriForum, informing her that the organisation plans to take further legal action if the smoking ban is not lifted. This ban refers to the sale of tobacco products that are currently illegal, AfriForum said in a […]

The dust seems to have settled around the matter of Professor Glenda Gray, who was critical of the unscientific nature of some of the lockdown measures, drawing the ire of a Department of Health official who said she should be investigated by the South African Medical Research Council. The council on Tuesday said that after […]

With the weather service predicting more snow tomorrow, some roads in the Eastern Cape, especially near Graaff-Reinet, were temporarily closed. The N9 from Graaff-Reine to Middelburg and the R61 from Cradock towards the N9 were closed as the result of dangerous driving conditions due to snowfall, but according to news reports have been opened again […]

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rises to 24 264, South Africa is working around the clock to ramp up its testing capacity. However, South Africa is now faced with the challenge of a shortage of test kits – a problem not unique to the country. “As a country, we are now facing a […]

Low-income families have increased their spending on food by more than 30% since March when the national Covid-19 lockdown began. This is according to a report published by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PEJDG) on Tuesday. The Group collected its food price data from five supermarkets and four butcheries that serve poor households […]

Churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship in South Africa may resume their services under level 3 of lockdown… with strict conditions in place, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Tuesday evening. In March, places of worship were forced to close their doors to congregants, as government implemented a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread […]

The family of a South African Airways (SAA) crew member, who sadly passed away on Sunday, have been left dismayed by rumours circulating in SA that she died from Covid-19. Through the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), the family has issued a statement laying claim to the facts surrounding the tragic death of the 39-year-old […]

Following on from yesterday’s revelation that over 1,000 South Africans are stranded just on the other side of SA’s borders – in neighbouring states from Namibia to Mozambique – the father of one such SA citizen has shared this heartbreaking letter with SAPeople readers. Letter from Raymond Cloete: “My son Richard went to visit his […]

The well-known Cape Town International Conference Centre is in the process of being converted into an 850-bed intermediate hospital for COVID-19 patients. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde conducted a visit today to see the progress at the site, and visited one of the completed wards. The facility will eventually provide at least 850 intermediate care […]

Schools across the country are in the process of finalising preparations to receive Grade 7 and 12 learners when schools reopen on 1 June. Some teacher unions, however, have threatened their members might not return yet because the schools are not COVID-prepared. There are over 400,000 teachers in the country’s 25,000 public schools, teaching 12.9 […]

After an 18-year battle with the South African government to honor an agreement it made in 2002, Limpopo farmer David Rakgase, who is 80, finally owns his Nooitgedacht farm for the original price he offered. After the High Court ruled against the government and in favour of Rakgase in September 2019, the government has honoured […]

As predicted by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) a monster cold front has gripped parts of SA, sending locked-down residents back under the blankets and duvets this morning! SAWS said today’s satellite image shows the cold front moving east, resulting in cold to very cold temperatures across the southern and central parts of SA. […]

South African fans of award-winning actor Menzi Ngubane have taken to social media to send well wishes and prayers for his speedy recovery after reports that the legendary actor is allegedly “battling for his life” at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. Ngubane, who underwent a kidney transplant a decade ago, was apparently admitted with suspected […]

Rhino poaching in South Africa has (fortunately) suffered a significant decline during lockdown… although sadly it has not ground to an absolute halt, and could spike after the pandemic as poachers make up for their losses. But for now, the good news is that in April 2020 the Kruger National Park recorded the fewest rhinos […]

The fight for the rights of South African citizens who work, live or study abroad to be allowed to leave the country is looking positive. Locked in South Africa (#LISA), which represents around 3,500 South Africans stuck in SA, confirmed today (Monday) that “this morning, the State Attorney made contact with our legal representative and […]

At least 14 people have now died and ten more are reportedly fighting for their lives in hospital after drinking home-brew beer, with lethal sources of alcohol added to it, made to get round South Africa’s lockdown alcohol ban. Police have revealed that three people died in each of three different villages close to each […]

South Africa’s The Kiffness – aka David Scott – has posted another hilarious video to his incredibly popular playlist of Lockdown Parodies. This time it’s called “Nkosazan’ Dlamini Trafficker (SA’s New National Anthem)” and pokes fun at Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the ban on cigarettes in South Africa. Scott […]

A group of caring family doctors in Cape Town, South Africa, have initiated a Masks for Medics crowdfunding campaign to raise crucial funds to provide PPE to healthcare workers caring for positive Covid-19 patients. While there have been campaigns to support frontline healthcare workers, this campaign is “focusing on the forgotten; the home-based carers, the […]

The weather service has predicted a monster of a cold front and storm conditions approaching South Africa. “It’s a monster! Check the sheer size of this MASSIVE COLD FRONT as captured by EUMETSAT (the European Union’s meteorological satellites),” tweeted Gauteng Weather. “It spans from just below SA & over parts of the Cape, through the […]

As the continent marks the 57th Africa Day, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa – as African Union Chair – will lead the continent’s celebrations, which include a special virtual broadcast and the Africa Day Solidarity Concert for the COVID-19 Response Fund. Africa Day is celebrated on 25 May 2020 and marks the establishment of […]