CAPE TOWN – Four minutes is probably nothing in parliamentary debates, but last week saw a memorable 240-second interlude during the university fees debate when a member of the Democratic Alliance called a member of the Economic Freedom Front a Teletubby. DA chief whip John Steenhuisen stood up on a point of order just after DA leader […]

President Jacob Zuma made a public visit to the Kruger National Park on Sunday, not long after news had broken of four lions, 46 vultures and an elephant being killed with poison in the park. Zuma visited Kruger to lead an anti-rhino poaching awareness day and officially launch the Joint Operation Centre in Skukuza to coordinate efforts against poaching, […]

A statue by Anton van Wouw that was originally won with a 10 cent raffle ticket could fetch half a million rand in a Johannesburg auction next week of major South African artworks. Paintings and sculptures by luminaries such as Maggie Laubser, Jan Hendrik Pierneef, Irma Stern, Ephraim Mojalefa Ngatane, Lucas Sithole and William Kentridge are […]

CAPE TOWN – The Democratic Alliance has terminated the membership of parliamentarian Diane Kohler Barnard after finding her guilty of misconduct, the party announced on Friday. In September, Kohler Barnard shared a Facebook post by freelance journalist Paul Kirk which said education, health and the police service were better during the apartheid-era rule of former president […]

ABUJA – Shares in telecommunications giant MTN reportedly fell to a three-year low on Tuesday after the Nigerian Communications Commission on Monday fined the company $5.2 billion for failing to disconnect users with unregistered SIM cards. Nigeria is apparently MTN’s biggest market by subscribers. The penalty could wipe out more than two years of MTN’s profits, one news report said. The NCC […]

JOHANNESBURG – In contrast to the mostly peaceful student protests that took place last week over student fees being raised on South African campuses, fires broke out on one Wits University campus overnight, already generating the hashtag #WitsOnFire. One news report said that a bookstore and two vehicles were set alight and access control mechanisms on turnstiles ripped […]

Now that the government has approved changes to its controversial and financially disastrous visa regulations, it is time to catch up on how a few sectors are preparing for the end-of-year holiday season. Several airlines like Turkish and Lufthansa have scheduled new flights to South Africa and are increasing existing flights per week, while cities are […]

It’s a bit like going from the sublime to the ridiculous. Last week zealous students nationwide protested against a hike in university fees on campuses and then marched on the Union Buildings. Today the EFF marched on Sandton. And this Friday, the ANC Women’s League has said it will march to protest the way the president is […]

NEW YORK – After more than 128,000 travelers took part in the US Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s 28th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, the most in its history, the South Africa-owned lodge Singita Grumeti in Tanzania was chosen the world’s top hotel. Coming in at No. 3 was Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve in the Cedarberg. Cape Town came sixteenth […]

TORONTO – In two roundups of the world’s best MBA programs, the University of Cape Town came out in the Top 50 of one, and was ranked best in Africa in the other. The highly regarded Canadian magazine Corporate Knights, which is a supplement to the Washington Post and subtitles itself The Magazine for Clean Capitalism, […]

OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, has confirmed it is currently experiencing delays following an “aircraft incident” in which a plane from Port Elizabeth crash landed. A press release issued by the airport stated that: “British Airways’ (operated by Comair) BA6234 a 10:35 departure from Port Elizabeth, with 6 Crew and 94 Passengers on board, […]

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India hosts its biggest-ever Africa summit this week as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to challenge China’s dominance on a continent that is blessed with vast natural resources and has the world’s fastest-growing population. New Delhi wants to project its soft power and historical ties to Africa, in contrast to China’s […]

STELLENBOSCH – The South African mobile social network Mxit, once dubbed the largest social network in Africa, has closed down commercial operations after a decade in business, according to news reports. All of Mxit’s intellectual property and technology assets will be donated to independent public benefit organisation The Reach Trust. Reports said that Mxit, which was launched in 2005, […]

South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale has said he is going to run for the post of chief of the world football-governing body FIFA, according to news reports. The 62-year-old Sexwale is the firth person to declare his candidacy for the post to soon be vacated by Sepp Blatter. The election for the post will take place on 26 […]

In preparation for Shabbat, or the Sabbath in Hebrew, no less than 1,700 women gathered in Cape Town on Wednesday to knead dough for the Great Big Challah Bake, part of a worldwide event started in South Africa only three years ago. One of the prime movers behind the project has been South Africa’s chief rabbi […]

Tragically, South Africa’s elephants appear to have become the latest target of poachers, with the Kruger National Park announcing on Friday that at least 19 elephant have been killed there this year after a decade where only two were poached, both only last year. Kruger spokesman William Mabasa said the majority of the elephants were poached in the northern part of the […]

While President Jacob Zuma is currently in a meeting with student leaders and university management at the Union Building in Pretoria, thousands are gathered outside…where they are protesting…and tweeting about their #FeesMustFall #NationalShutDown revolution. The President arrived an hour ago. The crowd of protesters (some chanting “Zuma must fall”) are demonstrating against the 10.5 percent […]

As students get ready to march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday, a comment by the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, has become a video sensation and made students think his words show the government does not care about their demands. In this video, the news report that caused all the trouble: President Jacob Zuma, who has […]

HONG KONG – A Chinese group has awarded President Robert Mugabe what is called China’s equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize, with the chairman of the committee saying the Zimbabwean president was “injecting fresh energy” into the global quest for harmony, according to news reports on Thursday. The Confucius Prize, first awarded in 2010, comes with an award of […]

In an unprecedented move, the University of Cape Town has decided to postpone exams in light of the current student protests over a proposed hike in student fees in 2016. In a statement on UCT’s website, Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price announced: “The situation at UCT and on all the country’s campuses is critical and without […]

University of Cape Town (UCT) student ALASTAIR DURING was amongst the crowd of students who clashed with police yesterday. Here he shares his lessons learnt… What I learnt at Parliament yesterday…by Alastair During Parliament has shitty security. It’s harder to break into my parents’ house. The police were more violent than the protesters. Stun grenades […]

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma will meet with the management and leadership of universities – as well as student leaders – on Friday, 23 October 2015, to discuss what the Presidency calls “the stalemate with regards to university fee increases”. In a statement this morning, the Presidency announced that Zuma will hold consultative meetings with the […]

Following the clash between student protesters and police outside parliament Wednesday, the widespread protests at universities in South Africa are making headlines around the world. The protests have rapidly evolved in less than a week from #WitsFeesMustFall (where it all began) through various universities’ #FeesMustFall to today’s #NationalShutDown…and #ANCMustFall. Several universities – from Wits to UCT, Fort Hare, Nelson […]

In an address to a group of schoolchildren this morning Reeva Steenkamp’s mother said she harbours no feelings of revenge towards the man who killed her daughter on Valentine’s Day 2013. Speaking at Reeva’s old high school – St Dominics in Port Elizabeth – June Steenkamp made her first public comments since Oscar Pistorius was released […]

Springbok wing Bryan Habana on Tuesday paid tribute to Zukisa Kela, a teacher from Johannesburg who died in tragic circumstances over the weekend following a gang attack. The 25-year-old Kela was a teacher at Westbury Secondary School. According to media reports, his last words to his principal before he left school at the weekend were […]