According to the South African Airlines (SAA) website, repatriation tickets from Washington, USA to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg have increased in price by 133.3% from roughly R15 000 to R35 000 in under a week! A shocked volunteer, helping South Africans stranded in the US to get back home, contacted SAPeople on Wednesday […]

South African Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has condemned the killing of eight people by an alleged drunk driver in Jozini, KwaZulu Natal. Eight people lost their lives and 27 others were injured, after the driver of a truck carrying a load of sugarcane, lost control of the vehicle. The truck hit two buses, one minibus […]

Cecil Afrika has ended his celebrated 12-year Sevens career and unless called upon, South Africa’s highest point-scorer will not wear the national colours again after a mutual agreement between the player and Sevens management. The 32-year-old’s national contract will run its course at the end of July and with no international matches or tournaments scheduled […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) reiterates its call for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and other government regulatory authorities to facilitate flights in and out of the country… writes Ghaleb Cachalia – DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises. South Africans grappling with the challenges of repatriation back home from abroad and the need […]

It is a sunny Tuesday afternoon. Farida Ryklief stands in front of a huge big pot of soup and a crate of bread on a table outside a kitchen in Delft, Cape Town. She is serving beetroot soup blended with soya, macaroni and mixed vegetables. She moves her hands in and out of the soup […]

Swedish investigators today announced they are closing the investigation into the 1986 assassination of the country’s late Prime Minister Olof Palme (59)… whose death some had suspected was linked to South Africa. Palme was an outspoken critic of South Africa’s then apartheid system – he advocated sanctions against SA and funded the then banned African […]

British comedian Michael McIntyre (the same guy who said South Africans have the funniest accent!) has produced a video that’s pure gold… and that most people around the world will relate to, whether you’re a comedian or not. In the video he visits a fortune teller in 2019 who predicts what he’ll be up to […]

As the number of COVID-19 infection cases in South Africa continues to rise, with the national death toll now at 1080, President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the families of COVID-19 victims, who have succumbed to the virus. “Each one of these deaths is a tragedy. Each one represents a unique life: a […]

The lifting of the ban on the sale of alcohol since the beginning of lockdown level 3 in June has ushered in a surge in crime and murders after a lull between March and May. During lockdown there were between 20 and 30 murders a day, which by Sunday had spiked to 69. This was […]

Thirty general practitioners from Gauteng, South Africa, have come together during lockdown, put aside their stethoscopes for a few minutes, and sung a ballad to show encouragement to others during this particularly tough time. The Gauteng General Practitioners Collaboration celebrating the camaraderie of medical professionals as “Voices that Care” was posted by on the GGPC […]

In celebration of World Oceans Day yesterday, Shark Attack reached out to members of the public to get their views on the “bather safety nets” – aka shark nets – in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. There are currently 37 beaches along the KZN coastline that have “shark safety” gear installed. This shark safety gear is […]

Monday 7 June 2020 was the first day of school for Grade 7 and 12 learners across South Africa, under the COVID-19 learning environment – complete with face masks, screening and social distancing protocols. On the first day of the reopening of schools, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga visited various schools across Gauteng to oversee […]

On Monday (7 June), members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria (as well as at consulates in Johannesburg and Cape Town), in condemnation of the killing of George Floyd… whose death in the US has kindled global protest and debate about justice, prejudice and police brutality. Demonstrators branded […]

The mayor of Johannesburg, Geoff Makhubo, has gone into self-isolation after a member of his staff tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a funeral in the Western Cape. Makhubo earlier today visited a school in Johannesburg to see the safety preparations made for returning learners. Makhubo said that even though he had tested negative recently, […]

After years of South African train stations being subjected to unsolved arson attacks and hundreds of trains being burned, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA has dismissed four senior officials over their awarding of security-related tenders. Prasa said in a statement today that this followed a disciplinary enquiry of the executives, who were in its […]

About 30 South Africans who have been stranded in Panama for the past few months, under stringent lockdown rules, are desperate to catch a flight out of Panama to Brazil where they could board the final SAA repatriation flight back home to SA. They say it’s their last hope. UPDATE: Most South Africans stuck in […]

Every year, the world produces about 300 million tonnes of plastic. Somewhere between 5 million and 12 million tonnes of it finds its way into the oceans, according to a 2015 study by Jenna Jambeck and colleagues. But only a tiny fraction of that is estimated to be floating at sea – around 200,000 to […]

Government’s lack of transparency means analysts cannot evaluate whether a strategy is working… writes Alex van den Heever on GroundUp. The response required to address the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa could reasonably be argued to necessitate the extraordinary step to invoke the Disaster Management Act. After all, in times of crisis, even the old Roman […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he has one simple but fundamental message for his fellow South Africans: “Don’t be alarmed. Be prepared.” He says he, like most people, has noticed the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in SA rising fast. “More than a half of all cases since the start of the outbreak were recorded in […]

A very large Squid – believed to be a Giant Squid – washed up on a beach in St Helena Bay on the West Coast of South Africa on Sunday morning. Adele MomNdele Grosse captured the following photos and video of the rare sighting. Adele told SAPeople it is likely the Squid – which measured […]

South African music legend Johnny Clegg would have turned 67 today, 7 June 2020. In memory of his father, Jesse Clegg has shared the below video: “I’ve Been Looking”. It’s a song that meant a lot to Jesse and his dad. It was their first collaboration, and it pays tribute to the importance of family. […]

Crises bring out the the best and worst of politicians and populations. Folly, fear and fortitude are on display everywhere. In the main, democracies have fared better than non-democracies in handling the coronavirus pandemic… writes Lawrence Hamilton from the  University of the Witwatersrand. But the record is very varied indeed. What explains this? What can […]

Many Cape Town residents have been left reeling after the suicide death of a reported dog-walker who has been unable to work during Lockdown in South Africa. The man was found tragically hanging with a dog leash in Sea Point, outside the home of Rev. Natalie Angela Barnard, from St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. On Thursday […]

There are calls again for the KZN government in South Africa to prioritise the safety of rural communities following the murder this morning of the owner of an eatery in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands community. UPDATE 9 June: Despite earlier reports that the attack happened at well known eatery Gunther’s, a close friend of the former […]

After a decade of South Africa’s embassies around the world becoming a laughing stock and a dumping ground for Jacob Zuma’s cronies, former cabinet ministers or people who allegedly had something on him, there might be some cause for celebration. On Friday President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Foreign Service Act, which “provides for […]