Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was admitted to a New Delhi hospital on Tuesday with chest infection, an aide said, adding that the 83-year-old Buddhist monk was stable.   The Dalai Lama, who shares a close friendship with South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and with whom he co-wrote ‘The Book of Joy’, was flown […]

A Cape Town mother whose heart is overflowing with gratitude has penned a poignant thank you message to the family who gave a lifesaving gift to her 25-year-old daughter last night, during their darkest hour. Christine Jonker wrote: “To the family who lost a loved one yesterday and during their time of grieving acted selflessly […]

Tanzania plans to ban the production, importation, sale and use of all single-use plastic bags by July, to help tackle pollution from non-biodegradable waste… which will be a relief to South African expats in the country who have long voiced concern over the mounting plastic bag crisis, with winds blowing thousands of discarded plastic bags […]

Parents of children at a school in the Western Cape, South Africa, have been shocked to discover that an illegal land grab is apparently taking place across the road from their children’s school. The land grab is happening on the N2, in Somerset West, next to Gordon’s Bay. A mother, whose son is a learner […]

Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, a youth training scheme in South Africa, will be presented with a fantastic $1.5-million award in Oxford this week at Britain’s leading event for social enterprise, the Skoll World Forum. Harambee is one of five social businesses around the world to each receive the $1.5 million prize from the Skoll Foundation, […]

Sandton’s skyline in Johannesburg, South Africa, is rapidly changing, with one particular new building standing proud as it’s set to soon become Africa’s tallest building when it’s completed later this year. All photos on this page captured by CHARLES JOHNSTONE – Johannesburg based professional photographer. The Leonardo, which is located in downtown Sandton (known for being […]

Newspaper reports in South Africa over the weekend claim that there is evidence that former President Jacob Zuma has been hiding millions of missing dollars -belonging to the late Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi – at his residence at Nkandla; and that he has now moved the money to the Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland). Reports […]

A South African court has ruled that Mozambique’s former finance minister Manuel Chang can be extradited to the United States, where he is wanted on charges related to a $2 billion debt scandal, one of Chang’s lawyers said on Monday. The ruling will effectively serve as a recommendation for South Africa’s justice minister, who has […]

HARARE – Zimbabwe is to start paying compensation this year to thousands of white farmers who lost land under former president Robert Mugabe’s land reform nearly two decades ago, the government said, as it seeks to bring closure to a highly divisive issue. Two decades ago Mugabe’s government carried out at times violent evictions of […]

A group of Alexandra protesters has marched to the municipality regional offices in Sandton, in South Africa, where they are demanding to submit their memorandum to Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba. #AlexShutdown leader Sandile Mavundla says if the Mayor doesn’t come out to take their memorandum, they will sleep at the regional offices until he does. […]

An American tourist and her driver have been rescued unharmed after being kidnapped in a national park in southwestern Uganda last week, the Ugandan authorities said on Sunday. Kimberley Sue Endecott, 35, was abducted by gunmen in Queen Elizabeth National Park, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, on April 4. The kidnappers […]

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron wants to declare April 7 as a national day of commemoration of the Rwandan genocide, his Elysee office said in a statement on Sunday. The presidency made the announcement as the Rwandan government started commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of the genocide against Tutsi and moderate Hutus, raising the […]

There’s good news for South Africans living in the Vaal Triangle, as the government says it has set aside R341 million for the rehabilitation of all wastewater treatment infrastructure in the region. In an expose by Carte Blanche last year,  the current affairs show found that the situation at the Vaal River – which provides […]

Condolences have poured in for the family and friends of two competitors in the Ironman African Championships who lost their lives after the swim portion of today’s race in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Ironman South Africa announced on their Facebook page on Sunday afternoon: It is with great sadness that we confirm the death of […]

An American woman and her driver are still missing after having been kidnapped at Uganda’s most popular wildlife park by four gunmen demanding a ransom of $500,000, according to local police. (UPDATE: American tourist and driver, kidnapped in Uganda, rescued!) Businesswoman and beautician Kimberley Sue Endecott, 35, and Ugandan driver Jean Paul were on a […]

Kruger National Park (KNP) rangers have helped a family reach  closure in South Africa by recovering the remains of their relative, a suspected poacher who was killed by an elephant and then allegedly eaten by a pride of lions. With the help of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Komatipoort and Skukuza, the rangers […]

DA Gauteng Premier Candidate Solly Msimanga has issued an invitation for President Cyril Ramaphosa, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and former Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau to join him and current Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba at a townhall meeting to address the residents of Alexandra on Thursday 18 April 2019. Following the burning and riots in Alex […]

A foetus’ head is decapitated during childbirth at a hospital in Boksburg in South Africa. A woman’s uterus is removed without her consent during a routine procedure. Negligence in obstetrics and gynaecology wards at Gauteng state hospitals has the Department of Health crippled by claims for damages. With new cases still emerging, this week Carte Blanche […]

HONG KONG – Hong Kong authorities said they seized 82.5 kilograms of rhino horn and cut pieces worth $2.10 million, the biggest haul in five years, as the Chinese controlled territory tries to tackle growing trafficking in endangered species. The move comes after seizures by Hong Kong earlier this year of 40 kilograms of rhino […]

At the Home Affairs offices in Pietermaritzburg, you can get to the front of the queue if you pay R300. “We stand for you in the queue and you have to pay us R300,” GroundUp was told by a woman who was part of a group sitting on the side of the road outside the […]

It was flying musical chairs at an SABC-hosted elections debate in Hout Bay, South Africa, on Friday morning as supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Land Party and Black First Land First (BLF) got into a heated debate, apparently over proposed land reforms. Referring to the “horrific scenes” of chairs and other objects being […]

JOHANNESBURG – Woolworths Holdings launched a limited edition makeup line in collaboration with Beyonce’s make-up artist Sir John on Thursday, seeking to strengthen its private label brand in its first international collaboration. The South African department chain has invested heavily, like its peers, in its beauty business by partnering luxury international brands such as House […]

Eskom national spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe has resigned from possibly one of the country’s most nightmarish jobs – speaking on behalf of South Africa’s beleaguered power utility. In a tweet confirming his resignation on Friday, Phasiwe posted a picture saying “It is Finished”. He said: “I’d like to thank Eskom for entrusting me with the huge […]

Legendary KwaZulu-Natal rugby player, Beast Mtawarira, will reach an incredible milestone tonight when he sets the record for being the most capped South African rugby player in Super Rugby history. The Sharks said in a statement on their website that Beast has become a “firm crowd favourite” with his never-say-die attitude over the course of […]

HOEDSPRUIT, South Africa – Riff Raff, the South African elephant who had faced a possible death sentence for knocking down fences and trampling on farmland, has secured a reprieve after activists intervened, arguing he’s a victim of a human-elephant conflict. Landowners in Hoedspruit near the Kruger National Park had sought a court ruling to have […]