The national celebrations of Freedom Day will be held in Middleburg in Mpumalanga on Wednesday where President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation. The public holiday is a commemoration of the day South Africa held its first democratic elections in 1994. According to the Presidency, the celebrations will be observed under the theme “Consolidate our […]

The Western Cape has welcomed the news that Delta Air Lines’ application to fly a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg and Cape Town has finally been approved by the SA national government. The approval, which had previously been denied, means that tourists and South Africans living in the US will soon be able to enjoy […]

As Eskom today escalated load shedding in South Africa from Stage 2 to Stage 4 – due to a trip at the Majuba and Tutuka power stations – there are calls for Eskom to be declared a State of Disaster. (Last night a national state of disaster was announced to handle the catastrophic floods in […]

Rapid urbanisation and government failure to deliver adequate housing are among the driving forces behind the proliferation of informal settlements across South African cities and towns. These informal settlements are notorious for their perilous and unhealthy conditions. This has been sharply illustrated in recent flooding in Ethekwini (Durban), the port city in KwaZulu-Natal province, and […]

A good wine is a complex marriage of body, bouquet, and flavour, often only fully appreciated by those with an equally complex palate. So how did two non-drinking former refugees become award-winning connoisseurs and admired winemakers in their own right? Don’t miss this feel good story on Carte Blanche this Sunday in SA on DStv […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Diplomatic Heads of Mission that they are tasked with leading the drive to promote South Africa abroad and champion the message that the country is open for business. Speaking at the SA Heads of Mission Conference in Pretoria on Thursday, the South African president also criticised the United Nations Security […]

DA Leader John Steenhuisen is calling for South Africans to urgently voice their objections to proposed new health regulations. The South African Cabinet confirmed in a statement on Thursday the pandemic will from now be managed in terms of the National Health Act, 2003 (Act 61 of 2003). “The draft health regulations that will inform […]

Most parts of South Africa, specifically its summer rainfall areas, have received above-average rainfall since October 2021. This has led to an increase in the country’s national average water levels. The total percentage of water stored in reservoirs nationally rose from 84.6% in mid-December 2021 to 88.7% at the end of the year. By mid-March […]

South Africa’s hospitality association has welcomed last night’s lifting of the State of Disaster – after 750 days – BUT has re-issued its call for the urgent removal of the PCR test requirement for unvaccinated children between the age of five and 12-years-old… which FEDHASA says is damaging tourism. Fedhasa said it’s “delighted” by the […]

Operating hours at Home Affairs offices will extend to 18:30 this evening, after the department’s systems went offline nationwide on Friday. “The Department of Home Affairs wishes to inform members of the public that services at the department have been restored. The department and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) have been able to fix […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa “stared into the heart of darkness” during the height of the July 2021 unrest. The President was giving his opening statement at the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) National Investigative Hearing into the July 2021 unrest that unfolded in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces (after protests, sparked by the […]

World renowned healthcare technology scientist, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, says South Africa can be the continent’s hub for innovation in health technology. Addressing the South African Investment Conference held in Johannesburg, the famous South African expat and businessman, who is based in the USA, said: « It is a very interesting time in humanity. For the first […]

Taxi drivers and owners brought Cape Town’s city centre to a standstill on Thursday as a large convoy of minibus taxis from Khayelitsha, along the N2, to the Western Cape Legislature. Hundreds of taxi drivers and owners marched and drove in convoy along the N2, to the Western Cape Legislature on Thursday. They were mainly […]

Yet another traditional leader, Nkosi Maxwell Mandlakayise Nxumalo (71), was shot and killed yesterday in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) by unknown gunmen, outside the local tribal court in Nazareth, Mnambithi. Since 2012, a total of 42 murder cases relating to Amakhosi and Izinduna have been opened in KZN. KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), […]

A court in South Africa has confirmed the constitutional right of the country’s citizens to an environment that isn’t harmful to their health. This includes the right to clean air, as exposure to air pollution affects human health. Air pollution also affects land and water systems and decreases agricultural yields. The case, referred to as […]

An urgent interdict has been granted preventing South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) from making a R50 million donation to Cuba. AfriForum, which obtained the interdict, said it is pleased that the court ruled in its favour against the “ludicrous donation amid a serious economic crisis”. The organisation said the successful interdict […]

A stand-off took place on the banks of the Liesbeek and Black rivers in Observatory on Monday between First Nations groups with opposing views on the future of this land. This followed the Western Cape High Court interim interdict halting the R4.5 billion development by Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust, which includes new regional headquarters for […]

China stands ready to work with South Africa to move their ties forward toward a deeper level, with higher quality and broader scope, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday afternoon during a phone call with SA President Cyril Ramaphosa. Noting that China and South Africa share a “special friendly relationship of comrades and brothers”, […]

As calls mount to do away with the National State of Disaster, President Cyril Ramaphosa says new health regulations that are meant to replace the lockdown regulations have been published. Responding to oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, the South African President said public consultations with leaders from different sectors of society are […]

A new documentary film, Open Borders, produced by AfriForum, exposes the complete lack of border control on South Africa’s border with Zimbabwe and looks at the wave of crime this has caused. The documentary – directed by Jacques Broodryk – also shows the extreme lengths that AfriForum’s neighbourhood- and farm watch volunteers must go to, […]

“I am tired of appealing. I am tired of trying to ask nicely. What does it take to get action????” asks an extremely frustrated and concerned KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) resident and tourism business owner, Megan Bedingham, who discovered today that one of the main roads connecting the Free State and KZN is likely to close, due […]

Many South Africans have joined the world in falling in love with a new kind of leader – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (also spelt Zelenskyy or Zelenskiy). In this video the BBC explores how 44-year-old Zelensky has risen from a comedian with no political experience (apart from studying law and acting as a President in […]

South Africa abstained in a vote in the United Nations General Assembly on the resolution condemning the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, and demanding their withdrawal. By Keith Gottschalk, University of the Western Cape The South African government has explained that it enjoys good relations with both Russia and the Ukraine; hence it abstained in […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has had a private discussion with Russia’s President Putin concerning the Russian attack of Ukraine. In a tweet, Ramaphosa said: “Thanking His Excellency President Vladimir Putin for taking my call today, so I could gain an understanding of the situation that was unfolding between Russia and Ukraine.” President Ramaphosa says […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed experienced prosecutor Advocate Andrea Johnson as the head of the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate (NPA ID). Johnson’s appointment was announced on Monday following the resignation of former head Advocate Hermione Cronje in December last year. The President said Johnson will lead the ID into a new phase – building […]