The bodies of murdered retired farmers Daniel (Danie) Brand, 82, and wife Hybrecht (Breggie), 73, have been found by police searchers about 10km away from the body of their daughter Elizabeth (Elzabie), 53. All three are believed to have been attacked and kidnapped on Sunday at the smallholding where Elzabie’s parents lived in Hartswater in […]

The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Khehla John Sitole has welcomed the arrest of four suspects following their alleged involvement in the robbery, kidnapping and murder of three members of the Brand family on a farm in Magogong just outside Hartswater in the Northern Cape, South Africa. UPDATE: The bodies of […]

After an intensive search for an elderly couple and their daughter, who were attacked and abducted from their farm in the Northern Cape of South Africa, one body has been found, and it is believed that police know where the other two are but were unable to find them last night in the dark and […]

In the latest development in a conflict that has been going on for many years between residents of Marievale outside Nigel, Gauteng, and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the City of Ekurhuleni, a community representative says he is now under military imposed house arrest.   Residents of Happiness Village informal settlement at […]

The illegal trade in cigarettes in South Africa has been booming for decades but when lockdown regulations banned the sale of smokes, it increased demand in the black market like never before. Overnight, furious smokers became blue-collar criminals illegally purchasing cigarettes from their neighbourhood dealers. But small-time dealers lead to high-stakes criminal syndicates. Now in […]

The brother of the late legendary South African scrum half Joost van der Westhuizen is making headlines himself, after shooting dead two armed robbers who had stormed a church in Centurion and held up the terrified congregation. Former police officer Pieter van der Westhuizen, 51, who was amongst the church goers pulled out his own […]

A possible R125 million deal for Protective Personal Equipment by the husband of Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson and a Johannesburg councillor – coming only days after the president said severe steps would be taken against people who questionably benefit off the government’s R500 billion budget to deal with COVID-19 – has raised the ire of opposition […]

South Africa’s Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has tested positive for COVID-19. The Minister received his results on Saturday, 25 July 2020. This was the Minister’s second test since the outbreak of this virus. “Minister Patel is in good spirits and is in self-quarantine, and will continue to work from home. Those that […]

Two men have been arrested over the sale of cigarettes in the Northern Cape of South Africa, in contravention of the Disaster Management Act regulations. Meanwhile in Gauteng over 600 people were arrested over the weekend in a blitz on those breaking the #Covid19 regulations. Members of Springbok Public Order Police arrested the first male […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it condemns the third farm attack in a week in the South African province of Limpopo, an area usually more famous for being home to the Kruger National Park. The fatal attack – which took place on Friday 24 July 2020 at JJ Bekker Boerdery at Toitskraal outside Marble Hall […]

The town of Hoedspruit is “on its knees”, say lodge owners, fearing that the enduring Lockdown regulations in South Africa could cripple not only the nation’s famous safari industry… but lead to rampant poaching of the country’s precious wildlife. Yesterday morning between 10am and noon, desperate residents – from private game reserve owners to restaurant […]

Wayne Morgan, a plumber and electrician from Roodepoort, is a recent arrival at Angel Wings, a shelter in Benoni on Gauteng’s East Rand. He has lived at the shelter for two months. He lost his job when the company he worked for shut its doors at the start of lockdown. He stayed with family and […]

The DA says it condemns a vicious attack on Betrus Kotze – the second in months – on his farm at Tinmyne in the Mokgalakwena municipality in Limpopo, yesterday late afternoon. Kotze was ambushed at his cattle kraal, tied up and “viciously attacked”, according to Jacques Smalle, DA Provincial Leader. The farmer suffered serious injuries, […]

While President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year said the government was committed to putting properly qualified people in the right jobs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma today defended her earlier remarks that municipalities have to appoint the ‘”right cadres,” or supporters of the ANC. In June the minister of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs made the statement about […]

While safari and tourism operators hold their own protests, restaurants beg clients to return to empty spaces, and hundreds of thousands of people continue to lose their jobs, the Minister for Tourism says she will send her proposals for recovery of the sector to cabinet …. next month. The multibillion-rand tourism sector, which President Cyril […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it rejects with contempt the SA Government’s “disgraceful tweet” which has advised South Africa that the ban on alcohol and tobacco will remain in place “throughout the lockdown”. This indefinite ban could last weeks or even into 2021, says the DA. “What the government has done today is pull the […]

South Africans have been shocked by a tweet, posted by the South African Government, casually announcing that the sale of cigarettes and alcohol are to remain banned until the end of lockdown. The tweet, posted at lunchtime, says: “The ban on the sale of alcohol and cigarette will remain in place throughout the lockdown period.The […]

The last surviving Rivonia trialist, Andrew Mlangeni, has passed away at the age of 95. Mlangeni, who celebrated his birthday last month, was admitted at 1 Military Hospital following an abdominal complaint on Tuesday. He passed away overnight. President Ramaphosa has since paid tribute to the fallen hero and offered his sincere condolences to the Mlangeni […]

Cape wine producers are warning of a “job massacre” because of the renewed ban on alcohol sales. Wine producers already reeling from previous bans on alcohol warn that the new total ban is the nail in the coffin for them. They doubt that table wine sales contribute much to medical emergencies from alcohol abuse. Workers […]

Residents of the Western Cape, South Africa, have been saddened to hear of two water-related tragedies yesterday. In the first, a surfer collapsed and died in Kommetjie, and in the second a man was fatally run over by a boat trailer in Hout Bay. Dave Smith, NSRI Kommetjie duty coxswain, said the NSRI crew had […]

Three people have declined to serve on a government panel. That’s not exactly news. But, given who they are and the panel on to which they were invited, their refusal has exposed major fault lines in South Africa’s treatment of wild animals.   The high-level panel was set up by the Minister of Environmental Affairs, […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it has noted with grave concern the illegal protest that is currently underway at Tshwane House by members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). The protest has led to the destruction of public property in and around Tshwane House. The DA says the protest is as a result […]

While the number of new COVID-19 cases is stabilising in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal is expected to join Gauteng as the country’s epicentre, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has warned.   “In the country, Gauteng is still at the top of the rate of infections. KwaZulu-Natal is taking over now,” Mkhize […]

The City of Cape Town’s newly built facility – meant for Covid-19 patients in Makhaza, Khayelitsha – was torched allegedly by people protesting over land on Saturday. Protesters torched the Desmond Tutu Community Hall and a new facility for Covid-19 patients in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, on Saturday. The new facility opened a week ago and damage […]

Denel, the largest manufacturer of defence equipment in South Africa, has announced the resignation of its Group Chief Executive Officer Danie du Toit. Du Toit will continue to render his services until 15 August, while an interim Group CEO will be appointed shortly. Denel said on Monday its board has taken far-reaching steps to stabilise […]