CAPE TOWN – DHL Express has announced that its local cross-business-unit disaster response team – which was deployed last week to assist in relief efforts for residents who have been displaced by the recent Knysna fire – has transported over 284 tons of emergency supplies to date, with thousands of kilograms still being processed. DHL has […]

DA Leader Mmusi Maimane said in a press briefing on Tuesday that he was “personally angered” by Western Cape Premier, and former DA leader, Helen Zille’s tweet about colonialism. With Maimane sitting at her side in  the briefing, Zille apologised unreservedly “to the South African public who were offended by this tweet and my subsequent […]

Dr Ben Ngubane has resigned with immediate effect as Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of the Board of Eskom. Public Enterprises Minister, Lynne Brown, made the announcement at 23h04 Monday night. Brown said: “Dr Ngubane formally tendered his resignation, which I accepted” and thanked him “for his contribution to turning Eskom around since the load shedding days, and […]

On behalf of the Western Cape government and all residents, Premier Helen Zille extended her deepest gratitude to all who have responded to the calls for assistance in areas severely affected by the recent cape storm and raging fires along the garden route. In a statement Monday evening, Zille said: For much of last week, Knysna, […]

Angry commuters set a train on fire at Cape Town Train Station on Monday evening. The commuters were allegedly angry at delays, reportedly caused by service problems. According to Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service, the train which was torched was on platform 15. Several tweets claim the rampaging crowd has also been looting shops in […]

JOHANNESBURG – Moody’s Investors Service today downgraded the ratings of 10 South African regional and local governments (RLGs) and three government-related entities (GRIs) and changed the outlooks to negative. At the same time, Moody’s affirmed their national scale ratings. The rating actions conclude the review for downgrade that commenced on 4 April 2017, Moody’s said in a […]

Uber says it is devastated to confirm the brutal attack of a driver-partner this past weekend, whose car was set alight while he was in the vehicle. Uber stressed “this sort of violence is completely unacceptable, unlawful and needs to stop”, and called on Government and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to prevent these crimes and […]

Democratic Leader Mmusi Maimane has met with broken father and husband, Blessing Nyirenda, in Knysna today, and contributed R10,000 towards the fund that neighbour Scott Edkins set up for Blessing. (Please note: Mmusi did not share this photo and news – we at SAPeople did, as we thought many of our readers who have been […]

The Australian Minister of Immigration, Peter Dutton, has told a local radio station that he will review a South African grandmother’s deportation, after he read about her plight in ‘The Australian’ newspaper… in which she described her deportation, scheduled for 23 June, as a “death sentence”. Linda Oppel (58), who sold all her belongings when […]

Knysna local ESTER BEUKES wrote the following messages to SAPeople early this morning, while most of us were sleeping… Photos on this page are by DIRK ERASMUS and show the 7 June fires around PE (Draaifontein/Crossways). 03h48 Note 1 Unfortunately it’s not over yet. I woke up with a terrible headache… a sure sign of […]

The latest updates on the Knysna Fires are starting to look more positive… and there is hope on the horizon. In an official update on Sunday the Western Cape Government said weather Conditions are improving along the Garden route “Fire-fighters hit the ground running this morning as Day 5 of the Knysna Fire dawned. As cooler weather prevailed […]

We are so sad to confirm that the mother of three-year-old Catherine, who died in the Knysna Fires, has now also succumbed to her injuries, and passed away in Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, last night. She had suffered 70 percent burns to her body. Enala and her daughter had been trying to outrun the fire in […]

The Eden Fires, including Knysna, have claimed at least one other life and left more people critically injured, according to an official statement by the Western Cape Government Saturday evening. Early this evening the Western Cape Government said a 63-year-old man, John Blaauw, lost his life near Concordia, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities in the area to six. […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has refuted  messages circulating on social media andWhatsApp… which are spreading fake news and misinformation on the #CapeFires. In a statement Saturday late afternoon, SAPS said: “Various fake news reports are being spread on social media and WhatsApp and are posing a huge threat on efforts to relieve and successfully counter the […]

Knysna resident Scott Edkins, has launched a heartbreaking campaign to help rebuild the life of one of his neighbours… the father of the little 3-year-old girl, Catherine Nyirenda, who was tragically killed in the Knysna fires this week. Her mother, Blessing Nyirenda’s wife, is currently fighting for her life in Tygerberg Hospital. Scott wrote this heartfelt […]

With fires out of control in parts in the Southern Cape, the NSPCA Disaster Teams are now also assisting people to evacuate. NSPCA announced Saturday afternoon that another NSPCA Disaster Team will be dispatched to the Eastern Cape first thing tomorrow morning from Gauteng and Kulula.com has once again donated the flights for free. Earlier today the […]

The heart of the action in Knsyna today is at the Knysna High School Sports Ground where firefighting and rescue crews wait to be deployed, and where –  on Saturday afternoon, just after 13h00 – residents from Brenton have also been instructed by the Knysna Municipality to evacuate to immediately. SAPeople contributor ESTER BEUKES captured photos […]

Knysna Municipality has just issued the following instruction: “RESIDENTS AT FLENTER LOCATION, RHOBOLOLO, GREENFIELDS AND JOODSEKAMP NEED TO GET READY FOR EVACUATION. PLEASE MOVE TO AREA OF KHAYALETHU HALL, DAMSEBOS SPORTS GROUNDS, HORNLEE SPORTS GROUNDS!” UPDATE: Brenton has been added to this list at 13h15. Knysna Municipality says: “Brenton residents please evacuate to the Knysna High […]

Residents in Sedgefield have been asked to prepare to evacuate, but to not panic. At this stage (10h30) there is no need to evacuate and the fires are being monitored, according to Knysna Municipality. A special page set up for ‘Knysna Fires 7th June’ issued a message this morning, saying: “*Attention all Sedgefielders* : _Please do […]

PRETORIA – The Presidency has dismissed false reports which claim that President Jacob Zuma said Knysna in the Western Cape was not his concern. The Presidency on Friday said the disturbing claims are contained in an online “fake news” report. It warned the public to be vigilant against online fake news reports. “The online report […]

MiWay has launched a disaster relief fund that is sure to be incredibly useful in South Africa where extreme weather – and weather-related disasters – have detrimentally impacted on so many people. The amazing Gift of the Givers will manage the fund… which MiWay – an insurance company owned by Santam – will kick-start with a generous donation of R300,000!! […]

It’s hard not to shed the odd tear looking at Facebook lately… the fires that have been ravaging the southern Cape may have brought devastation, but they’ve fired up the hearts of South Africans and corporations around the country. Engen is the latest company to lend its support to Knynsa and Plettenberg Bay fire-fighters. The South African […]

South African artist Beezy Bailey has posted a beautifully moving and poignant response to the loss of his home, and incredible works of art, in the devastating fires which ravaged the southern Cape this week. Posting the photo above on Friday morning, Beezy wrote: “I believe that Armageddon is the end of the beginning and not the […]

Western Cape Cabinet Ministers have launched an urgent humanitarian effort in the wake of the devastating fires and storms in the Eden District of the Southern Cape, which left at least nine people dead, including a 3-year-old child. Almost 10 000 residents were displaced in the Eden district as fires swept through approximately 20 suburbs of Knysna and […]

While the Western and Eastern Cape have been experiencing gale force winds and stormy weather, and the southern Cape has been ravaged by huge fires… the cold front has brought gentle snowfall to some parts of the Western and Northern Cape… SNOW REPORT posted these photos, taken today: By Esti Le Roux‎ : Roggeveld Beautiful view of […]