Heilbron, the small farming community in the Free State, was hit by a mega hail storm on Monday afternoon. The Heilbron Herald declared: “Woeste Haelbiu deur Heilbron dorp!” The paper said the hail was golfball-sized, and the rain so heavy that streets like Raubenheimer St turned to rivers. They’ll have more on the story in […]

Despite hectic winds and cold conditions, the Noordhoek community had a strong turn-out for their Peace Walk on Sunday evening. Residents gathered to walk for a safer beach environment, following attacks on the beach… including the brutal attack on Austrian tourists – Klaus (63) and Johanna (68) Michl – who were hospitalised a couple of weeks […]

National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Shaun Abrahams, has granted President Jacob Zuma an extension to submit representations on why he should not be charged for the 783 counts of fraud, corruption, money-laundering and racketeering that stand against him. The DA’s Federal Council Chairperson James Selfe said while the DA is disappointed, it’s not at […]

A South African spear fisherman apparently got the surprise of his life when he had an extremely close encounter with a Great White shark during a diving salvage expedition. The video – which was reportedly first posted by SA Spearfishing’s facebook page yesterday – has gone viral and already been viewed over two million times […]

One of the world’s largest collaborative science projects is about to enter its most exciting year yet. This will see researchers in a remote stretch of South Africa’s Karoo testing Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity; imaging neutral hydrogen – the building blocks for stars – in the distant universe; and examining galaxies that were formed […]

South African opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has laid charges Monday morning at the East London SAPS concerning the Mandela Funeral Report. The DA alleges that the ANC government stole R330-million from the poor in former President Nelson Mandela’s name to buy T-shirts. Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA National Spokesperson and Deputy Chairperson, said: “Having studied […]

The Tanzanian mainland is marking the 56th anniversary of independence from British rule. The mainland unified with Zanzibar in 1964 to create the current nation-state under Mwalimu Julius Nyerere who is often invoked as “the father of the nation”. The new nation-state’s economic, social and political path was paved in 1967, when Nyerere proclaimed the […]

A fire that started mid-morning on Saturday in the Bainskloof Valley quickly spread due to high velocity winds and challenging undulating terrain. I spent the night with NCC hotshot crews as they tackled the right flank up the mountain… writes Western Cape photographer Justin Sullivan. Teams from Cape Winelands DM, Cape Nature, WOF (Working on Fire), […]

The ANC Women’s League President, Bathabile Dlamini, has criticised Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for his support of the late Fezekile ‘Khwezi’ Khuzwayo (who alleged she was raped by Jacob Zuma), and hinted that Ramaphosa has his own history of abuse. In a move seen by many as strange for someone who is meant to represent […]

Noordhoek residents will be staging a walk for peace on Noordhoek Beach Sunday evening, following the brutal attack on Austrian holidaymakers – Klaus (63) and Johanna (68) Michl – who had been enjoying a wonderful holiday in South Africa up to that point. The couple was taking a walk on Noordhoek Beach in the Western […]

Fabulous new restaurant venue Fifty-One-Oh-One (5101) was launched last night at Johannesburg’s iconic Ponte City, with insane views and mopani worms – amongst other things – on offer. Ted Botha was there… “The only thing they lack at Ponte is a balcony to check this view! Not that I’d venture out onto it!” he admits. […]

Some families of the victims of the Life Esidimeni tragedy in South Africa were overcome by emotions and had to receive emergency medical care today. Others experienced breathing problems, according to the SABC. The entire hearings have been emotional, but today they were heightened as suspended head of Gauteng Health Barney Selebano apologised to the […]

A Durban-born company has come up with an amazing concept. Perhaps a cure for the ails of entrepreneurship and a way to kick-start some amazing businesses into South Africa’s economy. Big Box has only been around for just over a year. But this team is taking no prisoners in their goal of igniting an entrepreneurial […]

Heartbreaking footage of a starving polar bear, captured by National Geographic (NG) photographer Paul Nicklen and filmmakers from a conservation group called Sea Legacy, provides proof of climate change, says NG. The team was on Baffin Island, Canada, when they saw the bear which probably had just hours to live. It is illegal to feed […]

President Jacob Zuma is set to appeal the North Gauteng High Court judgement which set aside the appointment of Shaun Abrahams as the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). Meanwhile opposition parties in South Africa welcomed the judge’s decision. The Presidency announced Friday: “Whilst the President awaits a full briefing on the judgement, he has […]

Professor of Science, Tebello Nyokong, is a legend. This week she became the first recipient of the Black Science, Technology & Engineering Professionals (BSTEP) Excellence Award. She was identified as a legend and honoured in the first ever Black Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) awards at the CSIR International Convention Centre. Prof Nyokong’s many accomplishments […]

South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has revealed that whilst he respects the court process, he does believe the late Fezeka Kuzwayo’s claim that she was raped by President Jacob Zuma. Zuma was charged with the rape of Fezeka – known as Khwezi – in 2005, and acquitted in 2006, three years before he was […]

New Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has reportedly ordered that a white Zimbabwean farmer – who was evicted in June – be allowed to return to his land, according to media reports. According to Bloomberg, the new President has also ordered “an end to the intimidation and eviction of farmers, regardless of race, with immediate effect”. […]

The ANC Study Group on Basic Education says it “welcomes” the findings of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 report… which reflects the VERY low levels of reading skills of South Africa’s Grade 4 learners. South Africa scored the lowest mark out of the 50 countries whose literacy levels were measured and […]

The bail application by #CoffinAssault duo Theo Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen has been denied. Judge Segopotje Mphahlele said that granting bail would be delaying the inevitable. She said the argument by the Defence had repeated issues which were raised when their first leave to appeal application was dismissed. Advocate Wayne Gibbs had argued that the […]

A desperate Cape Town has announced that Level 6 water restrictions will kick in from 1 January 2018. The City is on a mission to avoid Day Zero when they will turn off most taps and residents will have to queue for water. Usage levels will remain at 87 litres per person per day, unless […]

Rhodes University has voted to keep its name at this point, despite complaints – and protests including the 2015 #FeesMustFall campaign – about the name’s association with colonialism and inequality. In a statement, issued Wednesday, the Rhodes University Council said the reasons were largely financial – rebranding the university around the world would cost a lot […]

Little Foot, the world’s oldest complete Australopithecus skeleton, was unveiled at the University of Wits in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday 6 December 2017, and has made headlines around the world. The fossil – believed to be of a 30-year-old female – was discovered by South African palaeoanthropologist Ron Clarke, who took part in the […]

While roads have been flooded in Pretoria this evening, it’s been heating up on the Western coast of South Africa. One facebook user, Erreip Sumsare, wrote on Storm Report SA: “I just finished my braai in 40 degrees in the Kalahari Desert – lekka doppie an tjoppie [nice drink and chop]! No heat – nor […]

It’s the video that everyone’s seen on their facebook timeline at some point – a chimpanzee set free that returns to its cage and embraces wildlife conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, in a moment she calls one of the most extraordinary of her life. At that point Dr Goodall had never met the chimpanzee, which was […]