As cold weather persists through many parts of South Africa, Eskom has said it would move loadshedding from Stage 2 to Stage 4 today – the first time since March – because of high demand and multiple unit breakdowns. “Eskom regrets to announce that loadshedding will move from Stage 2 to stage 4 at 15:00 […]

The ANC Parliamentary Caucus says it condemns the brutal assault of former Comrades champion, Nick Bester, who was attacked while training and is currently fighting for his life in ICU. This comes as Bester’s son has announced a R50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the three men who attacked his father. In […]

Saying he no longer felt at home in the Democratic Alliance after 22 years, the Gauteng leader John Moodey resigned today. “I am aware of many more DA members who feel the same way I do,” he said in his statement. “If the DA is pleased with being a 20 percent party I’m not.” The […]

On the same day that a Democratic Alliance-requested debate in Parliament took place to discuss #FarmAttacks in South Africa, several African National Congress leaders have broken the usual party silence about the issue, with the KwaZulu-Natal Premier saying that everything should be done to catch the perpetrators of the most recent attack, this weekend in […]

Over the past two weeks, several incidents have occurred at the Kruger National Park that have caused visitors and potential visitors (who can’t get in) to wonder what exactly is going on at one of the world’s most famous game parks. In the middle of June, SANParks said it was recalling staff to prepare the […]

The discovery on Saturday of the charred remains of a woman in Mthwalume, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), has raised concerns that a third suspect may be involved in the spate of murders in the area. The latest body brings the number of women killed in the area to six, in just four months. According to the Area […]

A killer of beautiful honeymoon bride Anni Dewani who was due to walk free on 28 July was instead ordered to stay behind bars, just hours before he was due to be released. Taxi driver Zola Tongo, 39, was given 18 years for his part in organising the brutal murder of Anni. The murder in […]

Bafana Ndhlovu (43), better known as the ‘child whisperer’, has worked with horses for the last 36 years… and after a freak accident that destroyed his vehicle (see photo below), the horse-riding community has come together to help him get back on his feet. Born to the stables Bafana’s love for horses started at the […]

South Africa now has 627 041 cumulative cases of COVID-19 after 1 985 new infections were identified on Monday. This comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that while people are experiencing pandemic fatigue, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. “WHO fully supports efforts to re-open economies and societies. We want to see […]

At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in the Western Cape, a project was implemented that saved lives, and has the potential to save many more. As the epidemic escalated, it became clear that the disease was hitting people with diabetes especially hard. A study looking at over 15,000 Covid-19 infections showed that of every […]

Members of the ANC who are formally charged with corruption or other crimes must immediately step down from their positions, the ANC said today in a statement summing up the decisions of its highest body over the weekend. The meeting also drew attention to “what seemed like an choreographed campaign” against President Cyril Ramaphosa, and […]

Only days after the most recent brutal farm murder, a debate on farm killings is scheduled to take place in Parliament tomorrow, according to the Democratic Alliance. The most recent farm murder took place over the weekend, when Glen and Vida Rafferty were shot and killed on their farm near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. Large motorbike rallies […]

After announcing four other original productions in July, Showmax has said it will be involved in another two new international co-productions: an epic African mythology series “Blood Psalms,” with Canal+ International, and the Megan Fox action movie “Rogue.”   “This continues a move towards co-productions from Showmax’s parent company, MultiChoice, which partnered with HBO on […]

To commemorate the legacy of phenomenal Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman, who sadly passed away on Friday (28 August), M-Net Movies has acquired the rights from The Walt Disney Company Africa for a special screening of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, the film that engraved his name in movie history – and in the hearts of millions […]

Ministers, MECs and mayors should stay out of the administration of public services and let public servants do their work, and appointments should be made on qualifications not political considerations, according to a letter by President Cyril Ramaphosa to mark the start tomorrow of Public Service Month. “The civil service must be seen as a […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday expressed his condolences to the family and friends of retired South African National Defence Force Surgeon-General, Lieutenant-General Vejay Ramlakan, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 62. The former Surgeon-General contributed to the liberation of all South Africans as one of the founding members of the United Democratic Front […]

When South Africans express shock at corruption, few seem to know that it is perhaps the country’s oldest tradition. Citizen anger about corruption, a constant theme in South African political debate, reacts to a very real problem. This was underlined recently by news that well-connected people had enriched themselves at the expense of efforts to […]

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. […]