In another amazing act by the Bloemfontein SPCA, it was able to save a serval that had been hit by a car, apparently while escaping a pack of hunting dogs and was then, critically injured, transported 300 kilometres on the back of a truck. The SPCA said in its newsletter today that it had received […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Sydney Mufamadi and Baleka Mbete as Special Envoys to Zimbabwe following recent reports of “difficulties that the landlocked country is experiencing”, the Presidency said. The “difficulties” referred to include reports from those in Zimbabwe of security forces unleashing a brutal and sometimes physically violent clampdown on citizens across the […]

Two brothers have been denied bail and remanded in custody following the recovery of 19 firearms, 10 of which are illegal, and the discovery of a severed human head in Putfontein, Gauteng. Gauteng Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela says he welcomed the recovery of the 19 firearms by police during the investigation of a murder […]

CEO Jurie Roux welcomed the news from the South African Government that rugby has been given the green light to return to the playing field, under certain conditions. The news was gazetted by Nathi Mthethwa, Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture, on Thursday. It allows for a return to competitive action subject to compliance with […]

The Gauteng Health Department says it will be instituting a disciplinary action against a staff member involved in the swapping of newly born babies at Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg, South Africa, last month. The department said the two babies, a boy and a girl, were born on 24 July 2020. According to the department, […]

A big push is being made by South African chef Jan Hendrik at his Michelin-starred restaurant in the south of France (in Nice, on the Cote d’Azur) to serve as much South African wine as possible to help the local industry during its crisis as the ban on local alcohol sales continues. And he has […]

In the midst of an ongoing avalanche of negative press  questioning his seriousness in dealing with corruption, President Cyril Ramaphosa today announced a committee of six cabinet ministers to deal with allegations of corruption surrounding the country’s response to the COVID pandemic. The public response has been less than positive – more cynical than anything […]

A beautiful BnB in Spain – Almijara Residence – which is owned by South African expats Paul Tilly and Maurice Jonker, has been voted the fifth best Bnb in the whole of the European country. A delighted Paul, who grew up in Zimbabwe, announced the news on social media today, saying: “As years go, 2020 […]

As they say – The Show Must Go On… or in this case, Online! Queen of Afro-Jazz Judith Sephuma will be presenting her brilliant show as ‘Virtual Queen’, streaming this week in harmony for lockdown fans. The multi-award-winning songstress, aka The Queen of Afro-Jazz, has recorded a 66-minute “on-demand” live studio show that will enable […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will this afternoon receive the report of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The President will chair the online meeting of the Commission where Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and Deputy Chair of the Commission, Professor Marwala Tshilidzi, will present the report. “The landmark report is a […]

National Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane says an instruction will be issued to government departments across all spheres to halt the emergency procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) as the State tightens the lid against corruption. At a joint virtual meeting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces Finance Committees on Wednesday, Mogajane said […]

The number of new COVID-19 cases identified on Wednesday is 8 686, bringing the number of infections since the outbreak to 529 877. With 414 new fatalities reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll now stands at 9 298. Of the additional deaths, 135 were recorded in the Eastern Cape, 122 from Free State, 62 from […]

COVID-19 has wrought havoc on poor households in countries across the world. In South Africa, more and more people are facing hunger resulting from mass job losses and small, poorly implemented supplementary cash grants. On top of this the pandemic has put in stark relief the country’s poorly understood food system, in which powerful firms […]

South African cyclist Daryl Impey will join four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome at Israel Start-Up Nation next season after signing a two-year deal with the team. The 35-year-old Impey, the first African cyclist to wear the Tour’s yellow jersey in 2013, has ridden for Mitchelton-Scott since 2012. ‘It’s not often you get to […]

The events industry lit up South Africa tonight in a sea of red to raise awareness for the artists, musicians, concert promoters and others who have not been able to work or receive any financial benefits for months, because of the strict lockdown regulations. Western Cape photographer Andrew Gorman was in Cape Town to capture […]

Tributes have poured in for a couple who were murdered in their home yesterday morning just before 6am, in a gated estate in Elandsfontein, Gauteng; and well wishes have been sent to their daughter who was badly injured and is recovering in hospital. South Africans have been left reeling by the tragic ‘home invasion’, as […]

More than double the number of containers are being moved daily in the port of Cape Town compared to the end of May, and vessels at anchor are berthed in one day rather than 20, according to Western Cape Minister of Finance David Maynier. At the end of June, Maynier urgently requested the government deal […]

The rights of tobacco farmers were today represented in court by Saai (Southern African Agri Initiative) in the matter of British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) and nine others against the Minister of COGTA, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and two others in the Western Cape High Court. Saai explained in a statement that the ban […]

South Africa’s world famous Drakensberg Boys Choir has joined the #LightSAred campaign which is taking place tonight, Wednesday 5 August… when all those involved from the events industry will simultaneously light buildings and structures across the country. The aim of the #LightSAred campaign is to draw attention to the current crisis in the event industry […]

Rescue workers in Beirut, Lebanon, are frantically searching for at least 100 people who are still missing following a huge explosion which ripped through the port area of the capital city on Tuesday. The intensity of the blast was so massive that it was heard in Jordan and Cyprus. According to the Red Cross, at […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has been commended for its swift reaction in apprehending three armed suspects following a brutal farm attack last night outside Mogwadi (formerly Dendron). The suspects were found in Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) early Wednesday morning during an altercation in which two were arrested and one was fatally shot. Jacques Smalle […]

KWAZULU-NATAL – Seven suspects, including two women who dressed as nurses, have been arrested following a farm attack in Kingsley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The suspects apparently pretended to be from the Department of Health in order to gain access to the property. The incident took place yesterday, Monday 3 August. Swift reaction by police officers […]

It’s been an incredible month for local author Lauren Beukes, whose 2013 novel “The Shining Girls” is to be made into a TV series by Leonardo di Caprio’s production company and whose latest novel has just been reviewed in The New York Times by no less than the thriller maestro Stephen King. “The Shining Girls,” […]

Keeping a promise to maintain a clean administration, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said today that a lifestyle audit showed that all members of his cabinet and their spouses live a lifestyle in line with their income and that there were no conflicts of interest. “When I became Premier last year, I committed to clean […]

Dear Mr President The Covid-19 pandemic caught the entire globe by surprise, and despite this, South Africans willingly joined the fightback in March. The pandemic has had severe effects on the populations of the world – economic collapse, hunger, and poverty have been exacerbated in countries already struggling with internal issues such as inequality, high […]