The frustration in South Africa with ministers and police appearing to be more focussed on minor crimes – based on rules created during Lockdown – than on helping guide the public on social distancing measures that are safe and that prevent the spread of the coronavirus, has been highlighted by a meme which went viral […]

After numerous complaints that members of the South African government are preventing businesses from getting COVID-19 financial relief because of racial criteria, especially the minister of tourism, the Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni today said he could not support a policy position that excluded some people based on the colour of their skin. Mboweni’s statement […]

PRETORIA – A Tanzanian illegal masquerading as an employee of the United Nations appeared in court on Monday for fraud after allegedly posing as, among other things, the representative of a programme giving young South Africans opportunities abroad and the distributor of personal protective equipment. The SA Police said in a statement that Dr Mort […]

Chaos erupted at the Department of Labour offices across South Africa on Monday as people who had been queuing since as early as 04h00 were told that there was a problem and they would be returning home empty handed. Kierran Allen captured the photos on this page of the mood in Pinetown, KwaZulu Natal. Large […]

Scores of social grant beneficiaries in Pietermaritzburg returned home on Monday without receiving their old age pension grant at the post office and from bank ATMs. Beneficiaries who collect their pension from the Pietermaritzburg Post Office in Langalibalele Street went home empty handed after spending most of the morning and afternoon in snaking queues outside […]

The publishers of Rooi Rose and numerous other once popular magazines today announced they would no longer be publishing those titles, barely a week after the publishers of Cosmopolitan and House & Leisure also said they were closing. Caxton Magazines will no longer be publishing Bona, Country Life, Essentials, Food & Home, Garden & Home, […]

As the pandemic continues to plague the entire nation, the Electoral Court has since been forced to postpone the by-elections that were set for June due to COVID-19. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Electoral Commission said it welcomed the decision and that it will revise the by-elections timetable accordingly. “The Electoral Court today […]

Over 250 South Africans found themselves stranded at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg last night after alleged confusion between ministers as to where the repatriated South Africans should be taken for their mandatory quarantine. South African surfing champion Jordy Smith and his wife were on the plane, which had flown in from Washington DC. Late […]

South Africa has once again come joint first with New Zealand in the 2019 Open Budget Index (OBI), conducted by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) through an Open Budget Survey. SA ranked first out of 117 countries. The global results reflect a modest improvement in budget transparency, reversing the decline seen in 2017 results and […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa today participated in a virtual COVID-19 Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The summit was convened by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in his capacity as Chairperson of the NAM. South Africa, as Chairperson of the African Union, was invited as one of the selected countries for the Africa region, said […]

The South African Post Office (SAPO) has commenced with the process of rolling out cashless ATMs that will serve as additional payment points for the payment of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grants. On Monday, the Post Office unveiled the first cashless ATM to pay SASSA social grants within the premises of Kagiso […]

Tobacco companies want access to minutes of behind-closed-door meetings where ministers voted on Covid-19-busting regulations. In its urgent application lodged in the Pretoria High Court on Monday, Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association, which represents eight tobacco manufacturers, are challenging the further ban on the sale of cigarettes in the second phase of the lockdown which began […]

With winter fast approaching and confirmed COVID-19 cases now at 7 220, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has urged South Africans to continue to stay home to ease the burden on the country’s healthcare system. “Stay home if you do not have to venture out,” said the Minister on Monday. Seven more fatalities have been […]

“People emerge from their homes as the big military machines roll by. It’s more of a parade than a patrol. It’s something to look at and they’re bored. Loudspeakers blare words of warning: ‘Wash your hands, stay one meter apart…,’ as kids climb over each other to get a better view.’ Tom Brown goes on […]

An ANC councillor in Limpopo was caught red-handed selling fake travel permits to people for as much as R800, according to the National Prosecuting Authority. Less than two weeks ago, another ANC councillor in Limpopo was arrested for breaking the lockdown regulations by having a birthday party, videos of which were posted online. In the […]

An earlier decision by government to allow the sale of cigarettes during the COVID-19 lockdown was rescinded after the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) consulted medical experts and various role-players. President Cyril Ramaphosa said this on Monday after sections of society implied that Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma had arbitrarily gazetted the […]

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is now 6 783, with a further eight COVID-19 related deaths. This is an increase of 447 cases from Saturday’s 6 336 COVID-19 cases. The eight reported deaths are from: Western Cape 2, Eastern Cape 4 and Gauteng 2. This brings the total deaths related to […]

With a number of workers set to return to work from Monday under level 4 of lockdown, the Labour Department has drafted the minimum guidelines for employers to ensure the workplace is safe for returning employees. These guidelines come as government gradually reopens the economy under level 4 of lockdown while ensuring that the spread […]

A Spar supermarket in Cape Town, South Africa, has made the ultimate sacrifice to support small business owners in its area. The Palm Grove Spar announced on Friday that it would be closing its stationery section the following day (Saturday), and asking customers to instead support “Hein and his team at PenCafe Stationers. The thoughtful […]

South Africa has a total of 6 336 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with seven new deaths and 2 549 recoveries. “The total number of tests conducted to date is 230 686, of which 13 164 were done in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of tests done in a 24-hour cycle to date,” […]

The Western Cape has a higher incidence of Coronavirus cases than other provinces because it has been rigorously targeting and tracing potential cases and identifying clusters, rather than testing randomly, according to Premier Alan Winde. The province has recently been identified in the media as the “epicentre” of the pandemic in South Africa because of […]

Enter the Durban covid-19 lockdown, a cinematic display of city scenes which will forever be etched in our history… writes Kierran Allen. In this outworldly moment in history let’s appreciate the time we have to adapt and develop new ways in which we go about our everyday lives. We can only beat this as a […]

Mourners in the UK have gathered to pay tribute to a South African expat nurse – Josephine Manini Peter (55) – who passed away on 18 April from COVID-19 which she contracted in the line of duty. A video, posted by political analyst and community development activist @somadodafikeni, shows the sad situation of a funeral […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah is reportedly personally paying the salaries of 25 of his crew from The Daily Show. Variety magazine has reported that the South African expat told the furloughed staff members in New York that he’ll cover their salaries until normal production resumes. While Trevor is still producing a remote show from […]

Watching this video about South Africans celebrating New Year’s Eve 2020 in Paris is a stark reminder of how different life is right now, just a few months later… but is also a reminder of how essential it is to cherish every moment. Even the one right now! South African traveller and filmmaker Michael Odendaal […]