JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s rand was weaker early on Monday following reports in the Business Day that Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to sack him, after he admitted to visiting the home of the Gupta brothers, friends of scandal-plagued former leader Jacob Zuma. Nene has become a divisive figure in SA […]

An analysis of the 2017/18 Annual Reports of government departments and selected entities, as tabled in Parliament, has revealed a “shocking level of financial mismanagement and wasted funds”, according to the Democratic Alliance (DA). According to DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen and DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, Natasha Mazzone, the ANC has racked up […]

South Africa was leading by a whopping 12 points – with four minutes to play – in their match against world champions New Zealand at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday… but in the very last minute the All Blacks staged a stunning comeback to secure a heartbreaking 32-30 victory over the Springboks. Sadly for […]

South African expat Bradley Steyn has posted a video pleading with the international community to help do something about murders in South Africa. (Watch below.) Bradley – who tragically lost his brother-in-law this week, after he was murdered on his Nelspruit strawberry farm – says in a video message and statement: “The murders across South […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene apologised on Friday for visiting the home of the Gupta brothers – friends of scandal-plagued former leader Jacob Zuma – as pressure mounts on one of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s key allies. Nene has become an increasingly divisive figure after testimony he gave at an inquiry into […]

South Africa’s opposition party – the Democratic Alliance (DA) – says the murder of Free State farmer Mandeni Johannes Moloi highlights the need for a South African Police Service (SAPS) rural safety unit to keep farmworkers and farmers safe. Moloi was attacked on his farm outside Senekal in the early hours of Thursday morning, and […]

An old video has emerged on Twitter that seems to reveal just how much former South African President Jacob Zuma had his ministers singing for their supper! It’s very interesting also spotting (near the end) who did not sing along… Pravin Gordhan, who is now helping to clean up the legacy of corruption that Zuma […]

The South African Police Services (SAPS) in Dobsonville, west of Soweto, is investigating the discovery of two decomposed bodies of children that were found buried in a shallow grave on Monday. The grim discovery, according to police, was made by a passer-by in a veld behind the Slovoville cemetery. “The decomposed bodies of the unidentified […]

The South African Government has welcomed the harsh sentence handed down to the so-called “Springs Monster” and his estranged wife, in the North Gauteng High Court, on Wednesday. The father was today sentenced to 35 years imprisonment after being found guilty – in August – of the attempted murder of his son, child abuse and […]

Hot 91.9 DJ Sasha Martinengo has been dismissed, with immediate effect, after referring to Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) leader Julius Malema as a monkey. The EFF said, in a media statement on Tuesday afternoon, that it welcomes Martinengo’s dismissal after his racist remarks. “Unlike many who accept apologies of the racists, this station refused to […]

NAIROBI – More African ivory is being smuggled into China from Myanmar and Beijing’s ban on trade in ivory has failed to dampen imports, a report by conservation group Save the Elephants said on Tuesday. Wildlife activists said they welcomed China’s ban this year on the ivory trade, arguing the step by a country that […]

Consumers are in for a shock at the pumps as the petrol price in South Africa is set to rise by between 99 cents and a rand as of Wednesday. Turning to social media, South Africans have been horrified by the news. One said: “F**k me! When will this ever end??? Fill up before midnight […]

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Tesla Inc and Elon Musk have agreed to pay a $20 million fine each to financial regulators, and the South African born and raised billionaire will step down as the company’s chairman… but remain as chief executive, under a settlement that caps a tumultuous two months for the carmaker. The securities […]

GoPro footage has captured a crazy rescue last week during a massive swell off Sunset Reef in South Africa… revealing the bravery of the guys on the personal water-crafts (PWC) who shoot into the dangerous waters to rescue surfers in distress. Murray Willcocks (a Cape Town lifeguard who works at The Shweet Life, according to […]

PALU, Indonesia – The toll from an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia soared on Sunday to 832 confirmed dead, with authorities fearing it will only climb as rescuers struggle to reach outlying communities cut off from communications and help. Dozens of people were reported to be trapped in the rubble of two hotels and a […]

JAKARTA – The death toll from the earthquake and tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi jumped to 384 on Saturday, authorities said, with many of those killed swept away by giant waves as they played on the beach. Strong aftershocks continued to rock the coastal city on Saturday morning after waves up to six […]

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused the South African expat – and Tesla Inc Chief Executive – Elon Musk on Thursday of fraud, and sought to remove him from his role in charge of the electric car company, saying he made a series of “false and misleading” tweets about […]

South Africans are reeling after the shocking news that a six-year-old girl was raped on Saturday in the toilets at a restaurant in Pretoria. The horrific attack occurred at a Dros restaurant in Silverton. The child had been in the play area when she went to the ladies’ toilets. The suspect allegedly grabbed her and […]

This week Carte Blanche investigates South Africa’s shocking crime statistics which were announced last week. Murder, rape, bank robberies and sexual offences have all increased… and with 57 South Africans now being killed daily, the SA Minister of Police admitted “it borders close to the war zone”. But, the statistics could herald a silver lining… […]

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has been admitted to a Cape Town hospital for a series of tests. In a statement issued by Tutu’s office, they said: “The Archbishop was in good spirits after settling into his ward. He hopes to be back home in a few days. “The Archbishop turns 87-years-old in 10 days time.” […]

The South African government has encouraged all SA travellers to be alert and sensitive to possible security challenges in areas they are working in or visiting outside of South Africa. The announcement came following the confirmation by the government that a South African national has been kidnapped in Burkina Faso. “Government, through the South African […]

A male lion that went wandering out of the Kruger National Park this morning has been captured and returned safely to the Kruger. Linda from Our Life in Kruger facebook page said: “Excitement in our area when a lion was spotted on the N4 highway between Komatipoort and Hectorspruit early this morning. “The lion was […]

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced, with profound sadness, the passing of Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa. Minister Molewa passed away at a Pretoria hospital today, after a short illness. “I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Minister Edna Molewa as well as to her colleagues in Cabinet and across all […]

This week’s episode of Carte Blanche, screened on Sunday in South Africa, is available to South Africans abroad from Tuesday 25th September 2018 – if you subscribe to Showmax.This week’s topics include: Hangberg on Edge Missing and presumed dead, small-scale fisherman Durick van Blerk disappeared overboard after a confrontation with anti-poaching police patrol in August. […]

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – More than 100 bodies have been retrieved after a ferry sank on Lake Victoria, Tanzanian state radio reported on Friday, and hundreds more were still feared missing as rescuers searched for survivors from daybreak on the morning after the disaster. Radio TBC Taifa reported the latest toll from the sinking […]