The South African Police Services (SAPS) paid tribute this week to Warrant Officer Rudolph Johannes Pretorius as he bids farewell to the SAPS after 43 years of excellent service as dog handler and effecting 35,000 arrests! Warrant Officer Pretorious joined the SAPS family shortly after he completed his matric in 1973. He always had a passion […]

The Royal Palace of Monaco has released two videos showcasing Princess Charlene‘s trip back home to South Africa. Watch below. Charlene (nee Wittstock) visited the South African branch of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. Speaking at a cocktail party organised in aid of water safety and drowning prevention, Charlene pointed out that “here in […]

Ndileka Mandela, granddaughter of former South African President Nelson Mandela, says she supports nationwide calls for the current president – Jacob Zuma – to resign and step down. “If the people are calling for that, yes, he should listen to the people and then step down,” she says in an interview with Al Jazeera English’s current […]

Heineken beer’s “World’s Apart” experiment – and advert – is going viral… and even though it’s not South African, it applies as much to people in SA as around the world, to people who have opposing views. The ad asks whether two strangers with opposing views can prove there’s more that unites than divides us… […]

South Africa’s Gift Ngoepe made a dashing debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday evening… with all eyes on him as he made history, becoming the first athlete born in Africa to record a hit in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game. And for the 27-year-old from Randburg, it was about more than just his own incredible personal […]

PRETORIA – The Hawks have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly plotting to assassinate top government officials. The man, who is the founder of the Anti-State Capture Death Squad Alliance, was arrested in Midrand on Wednesday by undercover coup plot snipers, as he was in the process of explaining to alliance donors how the assassination of […]

Now here’s a view of South Africa we don’t often see… sideways! European Space Station (ESA) pilot Thomas Pesquet tweeted this photo Thursday morning, 27 April 2017, to say Happy Freedom Day to South Africa. Along with the SA flag, Thomas said: “Side view! This is us flying around South Africa, on our way from […]

Johnny Clegg is embarking on his final world tour – The Final Journey… after nearly 40 years enjoying one of music’s most remarkable careers. Below one of his biggest fans – whose life has been shaped by his music and anthropological background – pays tribute… In a statement Wednesday, it was revealed Johnny was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 […]

PRETORIA – The Minister of Energy has reacted to the Western Cape High Court’s ruling on South Africa’s controversial nuclear agreements today. The Court has set aside the agreements – signed by government with vendor countries – declaring them “unlawful and unconstitutional”. These deals were with Russia, the United States and South Korea. The Minister of Energy, Mmamoloko Kubayi, […]

There’s been an “intense storm” over Cape Town today… with lightning, hail and “LOTS” of very welcome rain, according to locals. Radio station KFM captured a brilliant flash of lightning – watch below. Capetonian Johanna Adams said: “Thank you Lord. Our prayers. The hail was as big as marbles, if not bigger. This was on my lawn:” […]

South Africans will gather together again tomorrow in several cities around the country to stand and march in solidarity, imploring President Jacob Zuma to step down… or for the ANC to recall the controversial president. Below are some of the planned Freedom Day Rallies (for 27 April 2017): CAPE TOWN Cape Town City Hall, Grand […]

Congratulations to South African expat Gift Ngoepe who has just become the first South African baseball player to be called to the Major League! His friend, University of Ghana baseball player, Daniel Yaw Atiemo posted the exciting news on Facebook Wednesday morning, saying: “CONGRATULATIONS. My friend Gift Ngoepe got called up to the major league […]

South African Airways cabin crew have gone ahead with a peaceful strike, demanding better food. As one of the placards says: “Keep the Chicken, This is Serious Beef.” Passengers due to fly today are advised to contact SAA on 011 978 1111 or 0861 606 606 or your nearest ‘Town Office’ for flight updates, rescheduling or […]

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Like many guys using the Tinder dating app, Sudan loves the outdoors and travels widely. The catch: he’s the world’s last male white northern rhino and desperately needs to mate. “I don’t mean to be too forward, but the fate of my species literally depends on me,” reads his profile. “I perform […]

A beach jogger who was mauled by two pit bulls on Tinley Manor Beach on Monday morning is still in hospital in a serious condition, according to local media reports. The dog attack was first tweeted by IPSS Medical Rescue just after 08h30am Monday. It appears the 33-year-old man was jogging when the dogs attacked him. […]

The “Office des Timbres” (Office of Stamps) of Monaco has celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation by releasing two special stamps for sale. The two stamps are copies of photos of former South African Olympic swimmer, H.S.H. Princess Charlene, in action for Her Foundation. The photo on the 0,71€ face value […]

When young African penguins leave their nests for the first time they do so alone, without any guidance from their parents. They need to use their instinct to follow cues in their environment to find food and stay alive in their first months at sea. Hard as that may have been in the past, today […]

PRETORIA – To commemorate  World Penguin Day, here’s a collection on this page of fantastic photos from Southern African John Dickens… who is currently working as a zoological field assistant (with leopard seals and fur seals) on Bird Island, South Georgia. John was born in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa in 2004 where he studied at […]

As dam levels continue to decline and unseasonably hot weather has pushed up consumption, the City of Cape Town has lowered the target for collective water use per day by 100 million litres, to 600 million litres. Dam levels are now at 23,3% (storage levels), which is 0,9% down from a week ago. With the […]

BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE & JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – The safari fraternity is mourning the loss of Scott van Zyl (44) after the Heritage Protection Group (HPG) confirmed the positive results of the DNA tests conducted by Authorities on the identity of the remains found in the stomachs of three Nile crocodiles. Van Zyl went missing on […]

PRETORIA – Government’s priority is to ensure that there is certainty and continuity in the trade and investment relationship between South Africa and the United Kingdom as a result of Brexit, says Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies. Speaking at the British Chamber of Business dialogue on the UK-South Africa bilateral relationship post-Brexit on Friday, Minister Davies […]

It’s been a fantastic day of running for over 135 South Africans – as well as 40,000 other participants! – in the London Marathon today, Sunday 23 April 2017. Here’s a collection of photos from a beautiful, sunny day in the UK… as well as the unofficial results for South African competitors (scroll down). The 25.2 mile marathon […]

The Presidency says it has “noted with concern a report in the Sunday Times newspaper about alleged plans by the Department of Public Works to renovate certain aspects of the President’s Nkandla residence”. The report claimed that the property, which was controversially upgraded for just under R250-million, is due to be refurbished “to repair shoddy […]

South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a powerful speech at the Chris Hani memorial lecture in Uitenhage, in the Eastern Cape, on Sunday… saying it was time for the ANC to correct itself. “As we start preparing for the 54th conference, let’s go and correct the African National Congress,” he concluded, after pointing out […]

PRETORIA – Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown has rejected Eskom’s proposal to pay its former Group Chief Executive Brian Molefe (he of the Saxonwold Shebeen saga), a R30-million pension pay-out. In a statement on Sunday, the minister said the Eskom board’s reasoning in formulating the proposed pension pay-out was conceived lacking in legal rationale. She said it […]