On the 6th of July I started a fundraiser for a desperately poor community in Allemansdrift B in Mpumalanga, South Africa, after engaging in a long messenger chat with a former charity worker called Kelly about this community and the work she and Lydia (a community resident and village elder) were trying to do… writes […]

This weekend Herman Mashaba launched his new party, Action South Africa. He has drawn several disaffected ANC and DA members like Makhozi Khosa and Funzi Ngobeni. (One probably shouldn’t mention Vytjie Mentor, who gave shaky testimony at the Zondo Commission and has lots of question marks about her past, which she brings with her into […]

Former elite athlete Nick Bester has been hospitalised after being badly beaten up by attackers, while he was training on Sunday. Update: Nick Bester thanks police for arresting suspects who attacked him in Magaliesberg area. Bester – a former Comrades champion (who won in 1991) – is one of South Africa’s top sportsman. He was […]

Famous for his photographs during the apartheid era, especially at the legendary Drum magazine, and then travelling around the world, Jürgen Schadeberg passed away yesterday. “Jurgen Schadeberg 18th March 1931 – 29th August 2020 R.I.P. A full life filled with photos and memories,” his wife Claudia posted on LinkedIn. He was reportedly living in Spain. […]

A KwaZulu-Natal couple, Glen and Vida Rafferty, were tragically shot dead on Saturday night on their Normandien farm, near Newcastle, as they entered their home after visiting friends. Speaking from the scene of the crime on Sunday, Glen’s nephew Roland Collyer told the SABC that it did not appear to be a robbery. Firearms were […]

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway was due to open on Tuesday 1 September, but thanks to the surprise snowfall on South Africa’s iconic mountain yesterday and this morning, the cableway opened earlier to allow excited residents a chance to view the winter wonderland for themselves. The Cableway company said on Facebook: “Understandably due to the excitement […]

While signs of spring are appearing visibly in the West Coast National Park and Franschhoek (see the photos below of flowers and snow), the mountains above the town and in Stellenbosch are even snowier than the freak snowy conditions on Table Mountain today. Everyone is being told to bundle up. Temperatures in Sutherland are reported […]

Capetonians awoke to an extremely chilly day today… although nobody quite expected it to snow, what with the start of Spring being just days away for South Africa. UPDATE: Photos of snow on Table Mountain, Sunday 30 Aug. But Table Mountain Aerial Cableway has confirmed it truly snowed this morning on Cape Town’s famous mountain. […]

A North West woman and her children have survived a “traumatic attack” on a farm in Broederstroom. This is the fourth farm attack in just two days  in the Hartbeespoort area in the North West. The news comes today – Saturday 29 August – as protests are being held at the Union Buildings to raise […]

“I had over 200 children coming to me saying they are orphans and are hungry. I couldn’t turn them away so I started cooking for them,” says 71-year-old Sylvia Mvumvu from Alexandra, Johannesburg. Mvumvu was born in Johannesburg and has always lived in Alexandra. She has been running a non-profit organisation (NPO) called Siyondla Umphakathi […]

This Sunday Carte Blanche investigates the situation in Standerton, South Africa, that has shocked the nation. Video footage this week of the streets of Standerton in the Lekwa municipal district in Mpumalanga, showed how the residents and municipal workers are burning fires late into the night and dumping their rubbish right outside the municipal buildings. […]

In March three unemployed men from KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage, decided to start growing their own food. As it turned out, a week later the Covid-19 national lockdown started. Siyabulela Booysen, Sakhumzi Mbaduli and Mendo Vece had no experience. They started by collecting empty bottles from friends and family and selling them to get the money they […]

Nine people and nine companies have appeared in the Bloemfontein Regional Court in connection with 286 charges that include fraud, money laundering, and corruption by both a public officer and private persons. The money stolen amounted to over R7 million, which the suspects allegedly divided among themselves. The National Prosecuting Authority today named the accused […]

The Zandile Gumede story seems to go from disaster to disaster … for the African National Congress. Today the disgraced former eThekwini mayor was told to take a leave of absence from the KwaZulu-Natal legislature – a job she only got last week – but with her full R1.1 million salary. “Life, it seems, is […]

A childhood memory wherein a friend was attacked by dogs led Zandile Mbonxa to make a pinkie promise to herself that she would never have anything to do with animals. While nobody has a one-way ticket to peek into his or her future, Mbonxa would have probably laughed at the thought that she would one […]

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has said there will be an investigation into the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old disabled boy in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, during a clash between police and suspected gang members. Rioting broke out in the area today over the shooting. Nathaniel Julius, the victim, reportedly had Down’s Syndrome. Makhura said in a […]

Six men were arrested west of Johannesburg today, after a combined force of PRASA and the police caught them with railway assets worth R5.5 million, as well as equipment used in illegal mining. “This is fuelling suspicion that elements involved in illegal mining, known as the zama-zamas, are now targeting rail infrastructure,” PRASA said in […]

As communities, dance groups, hospitals, schools and many other people around the world continue to dance the #JerusalemaChallenge – which has lifted spirits globally during COVID – the original video of South African Master Kg’s brilliant song, sung by Nomcebo Zikode, has now been viewed 100 million times on YouTube. From Ghana to Italy to […]

A ruling by the Durban High Court that a Madrassah in Isipingo has to ensure its calls to prayer, or Athans, are not audible in a neighbour’s house across the street has been called bizarre by a legal expert. “The judgment is badly argued and clearly wrong in law as the law requires neighbours to […]

After the government has come under repeated criticism for corruption in the awarding of tenders dealing with the fight against COVID-19, and investigations have been launched to uncover illicit dealings, the National Treasury has released a detailed list of the companies to whom government has given contracts. The Treasury said the register will be regularly […]

West Mathewson, the owner of a lodge in Hoedspruit that was known for his interactions, and conservation work, with lions, died after being mauled by his two white lions today. “Confirmed reports that lodge owner West Mathewson was killed by his two white lions at Treetop Lodge near Hoedspruit this morning,” according to a tweet […]

Tragically, at least four, if not 17, dolphins washed up dead on the shores of Mauritius this morning, and another four ailing dolphins were found stranded. This comes one month after Japanese vessel MV Wakashio ran aground, causing an oil spill although local authorities claim there is no link. Greenpeace has called for an urgent […]

A large black mamba has been rescued from the surf at Addington Beach on Durban’s famous beachfront, a destination which is usually more popular with bathing tourists than venomous snakes! According to SAAMBR, the snake was 2.47 metres long! Metro Search and Rescue reached out to SAAMBR (the South African Association for Marine Biological Research) […]

Joseph Dhafana, a proud ‘Zimbo’ as he refers to himself, moved to South Africa in 2009 with his wife Amelia… writes Swartland Style. Despite many challenges including refugee camps and living in a Methodist Church in Johannesburg whilst awaiting asylum, they finally boarded a train from Johannesburg to Cape Town, and found themselves in Riebeek […]

Four more airports have been given the green light to resume operations, bringing the total to 18 airports which are permitted to operate in South Africa, says Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. International air travel remains prohibited. The four airports are: Mthatha Airport, Hoedspruit Airport, Phalaborwa Airport and Margate Airport as the new additions. “Air travel is […]