This Sunday’s episode of Carte Blanche is packed with all the latest hot topics in South Africa – De Lille vs The DA, Protea Glen Land Grabs, Murder By Appointment and Being Transgender. South Africans abroad can watch this show (and many more) by subscribing to Showmax International, where this episode will be available to stream from Tuesday 15 […]

On Friday two political leaders from different parties were assassinated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and a third was assassinated in front of his family on Monday… sparking fears that political killings which previously plagued the province are “rearing their ugly head” again, as the country prepares for the National Election next year. The African National […]

The South African government says it will fast-track land reform while waiting for the Parliamentary process to unfold (whereby the Constitution is due to be amended to pave the way for land expropriation without compensation). Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says the department will use the existing legal framework to fast track […]

A new study on second language learning has recently taken the media by storm. A range of headlines – from the BBC to the Daily Mail and The Guardian – all trumpeted the depressing message that it’s impossible to become fluent in a foreign language after around age ten. All of these reports dramatically misrepresented […]

An elephant calf that has been in the care of the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) in South Africa for the past 16 months, has been successfully introduced to the resident Jabulani herd. The introduction took place in early April 2018, and the great news is that the calf will remain with the herd going forward! In November […]

Mogalakwena Municipality’s Council has agreed to purchase a brand new vehicle for its Mayor, Andrina Matsemela, that will apparently cost R1 million… despite the poverty-stricken municipality’s huge service delivery shortcomings, claim the DA. Korny Dekker, DA Councillor in Mogalakwena, said the DA has unambiguously opposed this decision, which was taken during a special council meeting yesterday. The Mayor’s existing […]

South African Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel says the department has made a proposal to global clothing retailer H&M to consider buying goods from local suppliers. “Last year, H&M, the world’s second largest clothing retailer, marketed a sweatshirt with offensive language. “When we engaged H&M in the weeks that followed, we noted that they imported […]

The South African Cabinet has extended well wishes to the Muslim community as they begin fasting for the holy month of Ramadan next week. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, as they spend time deepening their spirituality. Ramadan in 2018 will begin on the evening of May 15 and will end on the […]

Former South African Western Cape Police Commissioner Arno Lamoer has been sentenced to six years in prison for corruption. Lamoer appeared in the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town on Thursday where he was handed an eight year sentence, two of which were suspended. The police commissioner was found guilty of corruption in February […]

The deadline for written submissions on the proposed review of Section 25 of the Constitution – in order to allow for land expropriation without compensation – has been extended by two weeks until 15 June 2018. This extension will make the period for written submissions a total of 60 days given to the public to make […]

The DA has declared that “we have not and will not offer to keep Patricia de Lille on as Mayor of the City of Cape Town”. In a media statement on Thursday, Natasha Mazzone – Deputy Chairperson of Federal Council – clarified: “We have offered to agree, in order to prevent any further unnecessary legal delays, […]

Following public outrage over the murder of Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) student Zolile Khumalo,  the South African Minister in the Presidency for Women and Children, Bathabile Dlamini said that there are many women who are being abused by their boyfriends, and urged them to speak up. Dlamini was addressing a large crowd of young […]

One person has died, and two have been hospitalised, after a horrific attack at the Imam Hussain Mosque in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa, on Thursday afternoon. Three balaclava-clad men, believed to be Egyptian nationals, allegedly stormed the mosque  this afternoon, 10 May 2018, wielding knives. They slit the throats of the two people who […]

Blood Lions, the explosive documentary that’s attracted global attention since it premiered in 2015, is now available to South Africans worldwide, by subscribing to Showmax. The film blows the lid on what many consider a shameful industry in South Africa, with SA’s own Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson urging everyone to see the film for themselves. […]

South Africa’s founding President Nelson Mandela was on this day, 24 years ago, inaugurated as Head of State. (Watch Madiba’s speech below.) Mandela took the Oath of Office as the first President of a democratic dispensation at a ceremony held at the Union Buildings. The day followed the historic 27 April 1994 elections, which saw […]

A video which is being shared in South Africa this week, showing a distressed woman crying in her car was NOT filmed in South Africa. The mother – Kogee Sinniah – who had just picked up her son from training, says after she inadvertently went into the wrong lane, she had been followed by a […]

South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu released a statement on Wednesday addressing the Democratic Alliance (DA) matter of terminating Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille’s membership. Tutu and his family expressed sadness at the exit of De Lille. He described De Lille as a “unifier” and also acknowledged the role the mayor played in Cape […]

LEPHALALE – Wealthy Limpopo game farmer and illegal rhino poacher – Freitas Antonio Xavier (57) – has been sentenced by the Lephalale Regional Court to a R1-million fine or 10 years imprisonment. The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, said he is “elated” by the sentence […]

A group of 180 South African – Angolan war veterans have embarked on a trip of a lifetime… back to the battlefields of Angola, a place that has shaped their lives, and left many with post-traumatic stress disorder and memories that will never die. Many of them were just young teenagers at the time, but […]

Checkers in South Africa has apologised for a photo which has gone viral appearing to show a Mother’s Day Promotion consisting of cleaning products for Mom! (See below.) Checkers told SAPeople they are “sorry that this photo offended. It was taken while the merchandisers at Checkers Van Der Lingen in Paarl were in the process […]

With Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday 13 May 2018, South African mothers have been looking forward to being pampered and spoilt… but one local supermarket chain appears to have other plans for Mom! (UPDATE: Checkers apologises for inaccurate promo photo taken while moving merchandise.) A photo allegedly taken in a Checkers’ store, shows a […]

Kyla Mills’ beautiful post, which has been going viral since Saturday, is the most eloquently written request to South Africans to rethink the amount they pay their domestic staff, and to rethink the manner in which they treat these people who clean their homes. Kyla’s post, accompanied by a magical photo of her and Ma […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa couldn’t stand the “incessant chirping” (in the words of the SABC) anymore… and broke in Parliament yesterday, telling the opposition party’s Chief Whip John Steenhuisen: “I want you to shut up!” It was two hours into the Question and Answer session in the National Assembly and Ramaphosa just wanted to […]

Despite the ANC welcoming the ‘voluntary’ resignation of South African North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, it appears he has NOT yet resigned. He was expected to make his resignation official today. In an interview with eNCA on Wednesday morning, Mahumapelo said he is waiting for his PEC, who are meeting, to tell him their decision […]

The celebrities on stage at the Comedy Central Roast of Somizi roast panel had over 5.5 million followers on Twitter, so it’s no surprise the Roast trended there. And South Africans have been talking about it all day today – with comedic surprises like Kurt Darren and some roasting from and to former Police Minister […]