DA leader John Steenhuisen declared today in the South African National Assembly that “an innocent man should never be afraid of the truth. And an innocent President should never be afraid of Parliament.” Speaking ahead of a vote to establish an ad-hoc committee to investigate allegations of misconduct against SA President Cyril Ramaphosa around the […]

Eskom has completed a major milestone in the maintenance plan of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1. The unit – which holds a capacity of some 920MW – is on a planned maintenance outage in order to allow for the replacement of its steam generators. This is in line with government’s Energy Action Plan Intervention […]

Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, believes that Eskom employees are the heart of resolving South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis. “My view has always been the biggest asset for any organisation is its workers and the reason we’re starting from the bottom up is to appreciate and understand the efforts being […]

Residents in a rural South African town initially thought the spirits of the dead were amongst them when they found a rare two-headed snake in the bush. The Wolf Snake, which is harmless, was about 5 inches long and was only a few days old… but it apparently brought superstitious terror to the community. Snake […]

Nontsikelelo Zwedala, an activist at the forefront of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) protests in the early 2000s, died this month at the age of 52. We asked Zackie Achmat, TAC leader at the time that Nontsikelelo was active in the organisation, to write an obituary for her. Our soft Ntsiki, with a will of […]

As part of disaster relief efforts, MultiChoice Africa today donated R1-million towards disaster management in the countries affected by the devastating tropical Cyclone Freddy. The aid which is facilitated by South Africa’s phenomenal Gift of the Givers – an organization with a firm presence in both countries – will be channeled towards food security and […]

South Africans have been left shocked – and yet not shocked – by the brutal assassinations this weekend of criminal investigators Cloete Murray and his son Thomas (28), with the words ‘mafia state’ being bandied about since the two men were shot on the N1 at New Road, Midrand in Gauteng on Saturday. Thomas died […]

The immediate public reaction to the death of Gloria Bosman from a short respiratory illness on 14 March 2023 was shock and disbelief. The multiple award-winning South African jazz vocalist, composer and teacher was only 50. She had just launched a new album, Live, her first in a dozen years, and was on the eve […]

Police Minister Bheki Cele has confirmed that it is business as usual with people commuting to work despite the planned national shutdown taking place on Monday. “There has been a few incidents few but I saw nothing indicating a shutdown because a shutdown is when life stops, that is how it is organized. The situation […]

In an interview on eNCA on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Singabakho Nxumalo said that his department did not have the autopsy report on the body found in the prison cell of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester.   Almost a year ago, on 3 May 2022, DCS announced that […]

It was meant to be an orphanage for vulnerable children in an impoverished community. So, why are more than one hundred children now being fed from a shack next to the multi-million rand property in Limpopo? Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche this week. You can watch the show on Sunday 19 March in […]

Countries abroad are warning their citizens living in, or travelling to, South Africa about the protest action planned for Monday, 20 March 2023. South Africa’s Police Service (SAPS) has reassured the public that it will be out “in full force”. Police Ministry Spokesperson, Lirandzu Themba, tweeted photos of police operations being inspected on Friday morning […]

GroundUp has seen photographs of a man who closely resembles “Facebook rapist” Thabo Bester shopping in Woolworths in Sandton City nearly two months after his reported death in prison. The photograph shows him with long hair, wearing a tracksuit and sunglasses. Photos from June 2022 show a man who looks like convicted rapist and murderer […]

Hit musician Giboh Pearson survived the devastating floods in southern Malawi by climbing a mango tree. (Watch videos at bottom of the page of the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy.) Like many others, Watson Kapalamula and his children and Malawian musician Giboh Pearson survived the floods this week by taking refuge in trees. “By the […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says although the government respects the right to protest and the expression of dissatisfaction, lawlessness will not be tolerated in any protest. Protest action is expected to be held by the Economic Freedom Fighters, SAFTU and other groups on Monday, 20 March. “South Africa is governed by the rule of […]

JOHANNESBURG – Think before you throw, is the urgent message for South Africans this year as the world marks Global Recycling Day on Saturday 18 March. According to available statistics, South Africans generate roughly 122 million tonnes of waste a year, with a mere 10% recycled or recovered for other uses. Ninety percent is landfilled, […]

Once one of Cape Town’s foremost social movements, the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) is battling to stay afloat in the midst of investigations into financial mismanagement by a top employee. Former SJC general manager Xolani Klaas made a brief appearance at the Khayelitsha Magistrates Court on Tuesday. He faces charges related to fraud in excess […]

GroundUp has uncovered new evidence that reveals suspicious circumstances in the prison fire thought to have killed “Facebook rapist” Thabo Bester. Minutes before a fire broke out in Thabo Bester’s prison cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre, CCTV cameras observed people hastily leaving the prison. After the fire, a body was found in the cell, […]

When two bulls fight, it is the grass that suffers most. That’s why there is still no success in developing the township economy in the Eastern Cape… writes Godfrey Sigwela Opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has not stopped firing missiles at the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC). And out of that tussle, any […]

The Eastern Cape’s first Anti-Poaching Tracking and Apprehension Dog, Sammy, has tragically passed away after being attacked by a swarm of bees. The 10-year-old German Shepherd, who played such an important role in protecting rhino, had retired in May 2021. Chipembere Rhino Foundation said they had received word of their K9 Sammy’s passing from her […]

Expectant mothers sleeping on chairs and hospital floors, crumbling infrastructure, management deficiencies, and a paediatric and child health facility with no blood bank, laboratory facility or intensive care unit (ICU). These are some of the damning findings contained in the report of the Health Ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, who was tasked with investigating allegations against […]

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) today confirmed that Stellenbosch University (SU) violated the human rights of Afrikaans-speaking students when it implemented an English-only policy in certain residences during the 2021 welcoming period. These violations were repeated again during the 2023 welcoming period. The DA lodged the original complaint with the SAHRC on 17 […]

A lion stranded on a rock in the Crocodile River this morning got the fright of his life when angry hippos surrounded him and one aggressively attacked him. Safari guide Steyn Jacobsohn (30) said it was one of the most unique sightings he’s ever had. The incident took place at Mjejane Reserve. The trapped lion […]

The EFF has responded to what it calls the DA’s “frivolous legal action” against the planned national shutdown on Monday 20 March, defining it as an anti-democratic publicity stunt that proves the DA “still seeks to salvage the Cyril Ramaphosa Presidency as a proxy of its neo-liberal policy outlook”. The DA today launched legal action […]

The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) awarded a grant of more than R10-million to a non-profit entity to stage a South African Youth Awards ceremony – but the company had nothing to do with the event and not a cent of the grant was spent on it. A non-profit company which was paid more than R10-million to host […]