The Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) has announced in the last hour that “it’s going to be another long night on the fire line as fresh firefighting crews move in to relieve tired, sore and thirsty brothers and sisters.” The NSRI has appealed to the public to please keep away from the fire regions. Access roads for […]

Initial reports that China had banned ivory imports for a year got a severe dousing later today after it was clarified that this ban only referred to ivory carvings. The ban, effective immediately from today (Thursday 26 February 2015), was reported by various media around the world. The New York Times quoted international conservation organizations […]

Accounting Students at Stellenbosch University (SU) have left a colourful tribute for their lecturers outside the Van der Sterr Building which was ravaged by fire over the weekend (see video below). The fire, which broke out on Sunday morning 22 February 2015, destroyed the third floor and roof of the northern and eastern wings of the […]

The South African Budget Speech today has predictably given rise to several humorous headings and tweets, with the alcohol and cigarette price hikes fuelling the best, particularly an acerbic quip from ‘Outside Journalist’ – @andiMakinana – observing that “the government drives you to drink, and then heavily taxes the drinks.” (See more from Twitter below.) The 2015 national […]

Today is ‪#‎WorldPangolinDay‬ – an important day to raise awareness for the Pangolin, which is not only one of the world’s weirdest animals (with a tongue longer than its body) but also one of the most heavily trafficked wild mammals in the world. Like the rhino and elephant before it, the Pangolin is threatened by […]

South Africa’s Leader of the Opposition, Mmusi Maimane, did not hold back in his verbal attack on President Jacob Zuma in Parliament today, saying what has been said around candlelit dinner tables, braais and in the media around the country since Thursday’s (somewhat failed) State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town. The DA […]

The proposed new Land Holdings Bill is set to make sweeping land reform changes to South Africa including foreigners being forbidden to own land and a restriction on current land ownership that will allow Government to redistribute the excess. The new Bill aims to redress the problem of “land injustice of more than 300 years of […]

For those who missed it, here is the full State of the Nation Address by President Jacob G Zuma in Parliament on 12 February 2015, in Cape Town. (To see the EFF scuffle which made the biggest news of the night, click here.) Good evening, sanibonani, molweni, riperile, dumelang, lotshani, goeie naand, ndimadekwana, !gai//goes. I would […]

Miss World Rolene Strauss has sent a message of support to her Miss South Africa replacement – Ziphozakhe Zokufa – tweeting “May today be an amazing day! Your personality and beauty are like stars in the dark. Go on that Miss Universe stage and shine your South African light!” Ziphozakhe will represent South Africa tonight at the […]

South Africa has deployed its first batch of trained healthcare professionals to work in Sierra Leone, in an effort to help contain the spread of the Ebola Disease Virus in the country and other parts of West Africa. A team of healthcare professionals comprising one medical doctor and about 10 professional nurses were recruited and […]

When the World Economic Forum (WEF) kicks off tomorrow in Switzerland,  South Africa will once again be represented in Davos by a high level and multi-stakeholder team. Team South Africa. Their message to the 2,500 participants at the annual summit will be: South Africa is open for business and remains an attractive and reliable investment destination. […]

A Gauteng teenager was rescued at Camps Bay in South Africa yesterday evening by an incredibly brave and selfless NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute) crew, after he became entangled in his kite and was swept out to sea in extremely rough and dangerous conditions. Eighteen-year-old Shane Keenan, from Fourways in Johannesburg, had been flying a large kite […]

Showing just how much he must have loved his wedding to Namibian supermodel Behati Prinsloo, rock star Adam Levine has become a bit of a ‘wedding crasher’ in his band’s latest music video. The band of course is Maroon 5, and the song is ‘Sugar’.  It begins with Levine addressing the camera: “December 6th, 2014 – […]

This morning began with a message from renowned South African writer Max du Preez on his Facebook page declaring he has “ended my association with the Independent Media Group and will no longer write a weekly column for its newspapers.” (Read the full transcription below.) In response to this and other recent media events, Gauteng businessman […]

There is happy news from the Bush today. Thandi, the female rhino that survived a horrific poaching attack almost three years ago, gave birth to a calf this morning at 08h50. The birth took place at Kariega Game Reserve where two rangers witnessed the joyous event. Shortly afterwards wildlife veterinarian Dr William Fowlds observed the mother and her calf from […]

The African Union (AU) has strongly condemned what it has labelled the despicable attacks that the Boko Haram terrorist group continues to commit in various parts of Nigeria. AU Commission Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma slammed the attack in Maiduguri, also in Borno state, during which a 10-year-old girl was used to detonate a bomb at […]

The SanWild sanctuary is on the brink of closure unless urgent funding can be secured. As South Africa’s only dedicated rhino and elephant sanctuary under the control of an animal welfare organisation, this closure would be tragic. The sanctuary has provided a protected refuge for injured, orphaned and traumatised wild animals for the past 14 years, where […]

Ncome, near the scene of the Battle of Blood River, presented a moving and meaningful setting for today’s official National Day of Reconciliation celebrations. And in a speech aimed at encouraging reconciliation between all races, South African President Jacob Zuma included a history of how today, 16 December, has been transformed as a public holiday […]

For those of us who weren’t able to watch the Miss World Pageant live on television last night, and witness the magical moment when South Africa’s Rolene Strauss was crowned Miss World – the lovely people at the Official Miss World Organisation have uploaded a couple of videos to YouTube…please watch below. To read more about […]

It’s been an exciting past 24 hours for Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss…and in the last few minutes she has made her countrymen around the nation and the world so proud. Forty years after Anneline Kriel was crowned Miss World, and 56 years after Penny Rey (nee Coelen) won the title, Rolene has taken the […]

Twenty-year-old Jenna Lowe, who launched a nationwide campaign to draw attention to organ donation, has received the operation she desperately needed. The Western Cape youngster, who was diagnosed with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension at the age of 17, and told it was unlikely she would make it to her 21st without a new set of lungs, […]

Is it the same for everyone now when they hear a sentence with the word ‘ivory’ in it? Does everyone get that feeling? The slightly panicked feeling that we are at the end of yet another year and still the numbers of poached elephants grows. I suspect not everyone feels exactly the same when they […]

Prince Albert II of Monaco, has made an announcement via video following the births last night of the new royal twins. His South African wife, Princess Charlene, delivered son Jacques and daughter Gabriella on Wednesday evening in Monaco. In the video  the Prince says: “My Dear Fellow Citizens and Residents of the Principality, “It is with […]

Both locals and South Africans abroad will be pleased to know the South African Post Office (SAPO) is back to full operation! But please do exercise a little caution as they catch up on the backlog… SAPO made the announcement a few hours ago, revealing that they have appointed a special team to implement ground-breaking initiatives […]

The Palace of Monaco was lit up last night to celebrate the birth of twins to the Principality’s royal couple – South African Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco. The birth took place yesterday evening at the Princess Grace Hospital on the hill overlooking Monaco. The palace has announced that the former Olympic athlete […]