Unaccompanied minors travelling from France will be obliged to travel with written authorisation from 15 January 2017, in a move similar to that introduced by South Africa last year. The decree stipulates that all unaccompanied minors (under 18) travelling from France must have written permission to leave the country signed by one of their parents, or by […]

Andrew Sachs of Fawlty Towers fame passed away last week at the age of 86, in a care home, after suffering from a secret four-year battle with dementia, it has been announced. His wife Melody, whom he married 56 years ago, made the announcement Thursday saying: “My heart has been broken every day for a long […]

World Aids Day has been commemorated around the world, with Prince Harry and pop star Rihanna taking HIV tests in Barbados (see below); Bill Gates commending South Africa on its leadership in HIV prevention; and SA’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for an urgent focus on slashing the HIV infection rate. American philanthropist Gates tweeted […]

Tomi Lahren has risen to fame and notoriety in America and around the world for her outspoken comments on everything from liberalism and feminism to the Black Lives Matter movement. The Daily Beast calls her a “right wing ranter” and yesterday the BBC profiled the 24-year-old under the heading “The young Republican who’s bigger than Trump […]

The Springboks returned to South Africa this week after an overseas tour in which they drew against the Barbarians and then lost to England, Italy and Wales. Both coach Allister Coetzee and skipper Adriaan Strauss expressed their deep disappointment at the outcome of the tour – but it is the words of Bok wing Bryan Habana […]

Nine copper thieves were arrested in one week as part of Eskom’s fight against electricity theft. In a statement on Wednesday, the power utility said the fight against electricity theft, particularly cable or copper theft, continues to show progress. The arrests took place in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and in Mpumalanga. The equipment that was […]

South Africans have taken to Twitter today to tease (and taunt) President Jacob Zuma, who – after a year in which he’s ducked and dived controversy and allegations of corruption (from his Nkandla house to his ties with the Gupta’s) – still “whinges” that it’s all a plot from outsiders to oust him. The hashtag […]

South Africans have always loved their Rooibos tea, and now there’s even more reason to do so. According to research, Rooibos – which is unique to SA – offers untold health benefits including the potential to delay and prevent the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The T2D findings were announced during November’s World […]

Opposition parties – the EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) and Democratic Alliance (DA) – are laughing after yesterday’s decision by the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to continue to support Jacob Zuma and his leadership of the country, thereby potentially weakening the ANC’s chance of re-election in 2019. The DA said the unconventional attempt to table a “motion […]

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has travelled to Havana, Cuba to attend the funeral of the late former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro Ruz, who passed away on Friday at age 90. Zuma joins several leaders from around the world… although neither America’s President Obama nor Russian President Vladimir Putin will be present. President Zuma ordered that the National […]

PRETORIA – President Jacob Zuma has conveyed a message of condolence to the government and people of Brazil after a chartered plane crashed over a mountainous region in Colombia on Tuesday morning. In a statement, President Zuma sent his condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of all the victims of the crash. The chartered plane, […]

As expected, the ANC (African National Congress) NEC has announced that President Jacob Zuma remains. They decided, they said, to rather focus their energy on “unity of the movement” than on the motion on whether the South African President should step down. However, at the end of the press Q&A, Secretary General Gwede Mantashe did reveal the […]

The African National Congress (ANC) has announced that it will present a Post NEC (National Executive Committee) media briefing Tuesday afternoon at its headquarters in Johannesburg. South Africans have been waiting all day with bated breath to find out whether a motion for President Jacob Zuma to step down would be passed. The motion of […]

Public Protector (PP) Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane has “noted with sadness” a report carried in the Sunday Times newspaper yesterday, 27 November 2016, alleging that she has pressed charges against her predecessor, Adv Thuli Madonsela. The PP says “it is not true” and that it is not clear how the newspaper interpreted the information that was shared […]

South Africa’s legendary mainly-female anti-poaching team – the Black Mambas – are set to be immortalised on screen in a new Hollywood movie produced by actress Jessica Chastain. The IndieWire has reported that two-time Oscar nominee Jessica, more famous for her acting than producing, has teamed up with ‘The Walking Dead’ star Danai Gurira who will […]

PRETORIA (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma was expected to survive a no confidence vote at a meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (ANC) extended into Monday night, despite media reports of at least three cabinet ministers turning against him. Zuma’s presidency has been plagued by accusations of corruption and the nation’s anti-graft […]

South Africa’s Olympic gold medallists Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya were the big winners at the South African Sports Awards Sunday night, with Wayde winning yet another car and a million rand (half of which will be given to charity). The two sports stars were praised for taking South African sports’ excellence to another level […]

Australia may have clinched a seven-wicket win over the Proteas in the third Test match at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday, but South Africa leaves victorious, having won the Series 2-1. South Africa’s Vernon Philander was named Player of the Series. Usman Khawaja was named Man of the Match for his first innings century. Philander restored […]

PRETORIA – Things are clearly going down at the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Tshwane. The ANC announced Sunday evening that the meeting will be extended to tomorrow, Monday 28 November 2016. (See Update below.) As reported earlier today, City Press newspaper revealed that Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, had […]

PRETORIA – Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) announced that is has left South Africa’s government bond long and short term ratings of ‘Baa2/P-2’ unchanged with a negative outlook, two notches above sub-investment grade. There had been concern that Moody’s would downgrade South Africa to junk status which would increase borrowing costs and put foreign investors off. The South […]

TSHWANE – It has been reported by City Press in South Africa that a motion for President Jacob Zuma to step down was tabled at a meeting of the ANC NEC (National Executive Committee) yesterday, and will be voted on today. The results from the vote will reportedly be announced late Sunday evening or Monday morning. […]

Former Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Student Representative Council (SRC) president Hlomela Bucwa has once again broken ground, this time being recently sworn in as South Africa’s youngest member of parliament. (Update: Watch video of Hlomela Bucwa’s maiden parliamentary speech.) Congratulatory messages have been pouring in for Hlomela – who was inaugurated as the University’s […]

According to reports in South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, new Public Protector (PP) Busisiwe Mkhwebane has laid criminal charges against former PP Adv Thuli Madonsela, for releasing the audio recordings of her ‘State of Capture’ interview with President Jacob Zuma. Madonsela released the recordings following the President’s denial that any meeting ever took place during […]

20th-century political icons don’t get much bigger than Fidel Castro. His death will reignite many important and still-unresolved debates about his particular place in history, and about the revolutionary ideas he seemed to epitomise. For many of my generation, he retained a special place in our collective imagination, however undeserved it may have been in […]

The president of SA Rugby outlined plans on Saturday night for an overhaul of SA Rugby administration as well as for a Springbok review process following what he admitted had been a “profoundly disappointing” season for South African rugby. South Africa lost to Wales this evening 13-27, the first time apparently that the Boks have […]