Could Australia’s Flake ‘n Chips be causing the demise of South Africa’s Great White Shark? In an investigative exposé on Sunday evening, Carte Blanche reveals that when the popularity of the Australian fast food “flake” – which is in fact shark – decimated that country’s local shark population, suppliers turned their sights on the fishing […]

Parliament has resumed its business with immediate effect, starting virtual meetings and cancelling the upcoming leave period for MPs, the presiding officers have announced. Parliament was suspended last month as a precautionary measure to curb COVID-19. Briefing the media on Thursday, National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo said […]

There have been 403 incidents of vandalism, burglary and destruction of schools across several South African provinces since the start of the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, according to the Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, who has condemned the criminal activity. The damage of school property includes torching of schools, the theft of learning as well as […]

Despite South Africa being on standstill and citizens urged to stay at home during the lockdown, 26 crashes were recorded in the country over the Easter Long Weekend… resulting in 28 people losing their lives on the roads during this period, according to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. Usually South Africa experiences fatalities in the hundreds […]

Some townships and informal settlements are quiet, the streets empty as people observe the rules of the lockdown. In others, life goes on just as it always did. GroundUp’s reporters describe the areas they know. Hanover Park, Cape Town In areas like Hanover Park, where people live in cramped spaces and there is nothing but […]

Following reports alleging that black African nationals, in particular, are being discriminated against in China as an anti-foreigner sentiment sweeps parts of the country, blaming them for causing the second outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, South Africa’s DIRCO Minister Naledi Pandor has said she believes Chinese authorities will attend to this “awful” […]

Sasol has donated a million litres of jet fuel to support the SA Government’s efforts to repatriate hundreds of South Africans stranded worldwide, unable to get home, as a result of the global COVID19 pandemic. “This is for government to use in the repatriation of citizens and the transportation of urgent medical supplies,” said the […]

South Africa has 2 605 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with Limpopo and the Eastern Cape recording their first deaths, according to the SA Department of Health. “It is with regret that we inform the public that the COVID-19 related deaths is now 48. “We note that two provinces, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, have also recorded […]

If you are stuck at home in South Africa with a burst pipe, you can now call your plumber to come fix it. This is just one of the changes made to regulations governing the extended COVID-19 lockdown. The announcement was made by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who […]

With this week’s arrest of the Gupta brothers in Dubai, it’s worth watching ‘How to Steal A Country’ – a fascinating and shocking documentary, by an Emmy award-winning filmmaker, on the rise and fall of the Gupta family and how they managed to ‘steal’ South Africa. (Updated 8 June 2022) As hard as it is […]

Any person or small business in the tourism sector, regardless of their skin colour, can apply for financial relief from the Tourism Relief Fund, says Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane. The minister said this following Afriforum’s announcement that it had served the department with court papers calling for the review of the Tourism Relief Fund. There […]

Cape Town has become the biggest city in South Africa to offer commercial and private property owners rates relief if they can prove that their income has been negatively affected by the Coronavirus crisis. In a statement today the leader of the Democratic Alliance John Steenhuisen congratulated Cape Town “for offering much needed property rates […]

A British war veteran in the UK, Tom Moore – known as Captain Tom – has raised over £14-million (at the time of publishing) with his inspiring and unique fundraiser! The 99-year-old today completed 100 laps of walking the length of his back garden (25 metres) – with his zimmer frame! – having walked ten […]

Here’s a powerful video message, edited by South African filmmaker Michael Odendaal… to Coronavirus. Michael, who owns Mode Productions 17, told SAPeople he created the video after feeling “incredibly inspired by President Ramaphosa’s address to the nation just before Easter”. He added: “I am overall just inspired by the people in our country and I […]

The city of Zhuhai – known as the ‘Chinese Riviera’ – has become the second city in mainland China to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat, and of wildlife, in what campaigners at animal charity Humane Society International (HSI) hope will be the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China […]

The South African Government says it is “very concerned and alarmed” at the announcement by President Donald Trump to cut funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) with immediate effect. This comes as the global number of people with coronavirus surpasses 2 million. “South Africa is particularly alarmed that the decision is made amid a […]

A domestic worker in Johannesburg has donated R3,000 of her R7,500-a-month salary to families in distress because of the Covid-19 lockdown. Zimbabwean national Judy Murambinda used the money to assist other Zimbabweans in trouble. She said immigrants should help each other when living away from home. Murambinda, who came to South Africa in 2009, was […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Kimberley is being commended for going above and beyond in the call of duty… and for bringing a good news cop story to social media. According to the SAPS, the local police in the Northern Cape town assisted residents to drain their homes which were flooded over the […]

Hundreds of residents from Govan Mbeki and Nkandla townships in Port Elizabeth took a stand against criminals to protect some immigrant-owned spaza shops from looters on Tuesday morning… writes Mkhuseli Sizani. In Govan Mbeki GroundUp spoke to Mule Wanaro, the owner of Mubarak Spaza shop in Area 20, who recounted a narrow escape from armed […]

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in South Africa has risen to 34, with infections now at 2,506. This comes after Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Wednesday confirmed seven more deaths. Mkhize confirmed the increase during a press briefing in which government received much-needed personal protective equipment from Multichoice, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. Confirmed […]

A captain and the crew of his ship have been arrested in South Africa for attempted murder after throwing two stowaways overboard (with a makeshift life raft) in the middle of the Indian Ocean, over fears they had the coronavirus. The desperate stowaways had climbed up the anchor chain while the 600-foot long bulk carrier […]

A non-profit feeding scheme today said it would no longer hand out food parcels in a Pretoria township after chaos erupted and looters stole thousands of food parcels and damaged vehicles. The incident happened at Itireleng township in the west of Pretoria, at a feeding scheme run by a number of community groups from Laudium. […]

Many South Africans have been surprised, even outraged, by the ‘raw egg challenge’ that has swept South Africa during lockdown – but the latest twist it has taken has shocked and “disgusted” authorities and animal lovers nationwide. Three South African men have been filmed consuming live animals. The Raw Egg Challenge – brought on by […]

At least three factories in the Western Cape have turned their focus away from their normal production of clothing and liquor to turn out much-needed face masks and hand sanitiser. The companies are KWay, Reliance Clothing and Distell in Paarl. Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer said in a statement yesterday that he had visited two places […]

The Surgeon General of the South African National Defence Force says the SANDF has recorded its first four positive cases of the COVID-19. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Surgeon General said three of the cases were in the Western Cape, while the fourth was recorded in Gauteng. “None of these members are uniformed […]