As the situation in Sudan continues to be volatile, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, says the latest number of verified South African nationals stuck in the country is 77. “They’re all in a WhatsApp group with embassy staff who are also still stuck there,” Monyela said on Sunday. This comes […]

Across the globe, many recent severe wildfires have moved from wildlands into the urban periphery (the “wildland urban interface”). In their wake, they’ve left death, destruction and disruption. This has led to questions about the extent to which climate change is to blame. A field of study called extreme event attribution has developed to answer […]

A group of young dancers from Uganda, Triplets Ghetto Kids, went viral across the world when they earned the “golden buzzer” mid-performance on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. The golden buzzer sends a shower of gold confetti onto the stage – sending the contestants straight through to the show’s final rounds – and it […]

Annual performance plan presentations to the parliamentary portfolio committee on health this week have illustrated the dire straits of the country’s public health sector – and inadvertently shined a light on the devastation the introduction of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill will cause. Doctors are struggling to cope with the patient loads, have little […]

Is our food becoming less nutritious? If we use the most useful definition of “nutritious” – “having a macronutrient profile that is conducive to health, and a high ratio of micronutrients to calories” – the short answer is yes, and quite severely. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, protein, fat and fibre, and the distribution of these nutrients, […]

Donkey carts, vehicles and scores of people with young children from Makhanda, Eastern Cape have been queuing to fill their containers at a water tanker provided by the Gift of the Givers on Thursday. Donkey carts, vehicles and scores of people with young children from Makhanda queued to fill their containers at a water tanker […]

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says South Africa has made significant progress by addressing 52 of the 67 recommended actions to get off the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. “We are now focusing on the remaining 15 actions to meet the January 2025 deadline,” the Deputy President said on Thursday at the National Council […]

Cape Town will this week play host to the IIHF 2023 Senior Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship Division III Group A, with 10 action-packed round-robin games. Having been cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the IIHF Men’s Ice Hockey World Championships returned in 2022, with the national men’s team winning […]

South Africa’s health ombudsman recently published the findings of an investigation into Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. The investigation followed the publication of a video showing pregnant women lying on the hospital floor, as well as complaints by patients’ family members. The ombudsman’s investigation produced shocking findings, including severe overcrowding and staff shortages at […]

A group of homeless people, represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI), have delayed the hearing of an application by the City of Cape Town to have them evicted from several public sites. The City of Cape Town’s application to evict people living on several sites in the city centre has been […]

After StatsSA’s news that food prices have risen by an average of 14% over the past year DA leader John Steenhuisen has implored President Ramaphosa and his cabinet to do the right thing for the millions of children and adults in South Africa who are going hungry. Even though they have consistently proposed a workable response to […]

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, will host a gala dinner on Thursday to pay homage to renowned Grammy Award winners within the cultural and creative industry. The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture said Thursday’s event is intended to recognize South African Grammy Award winners since 1965. The department will pay tribute […]

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) has expressed deep sadness at the death of three South African journalists. Within a short time frame, South Africa lost News Free State editor, Teboho Letshaba, veteran South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News Sepedi Radio Current Affairs Producer and Presenter, Matome Maupi, in Limpopo, and former EWN reporter […]

Days of violence in Sudan have resulted in the deaths of at least 180 people, with many more left wounded. The fighting represents the latest crisis in the North African nation, which has contended with numerous coups and periods of civil strife since becoming independent in 1956. The Conversation asked Christopher Tounsel, a Sudan specialist […]

Over the past 15 years South Africa has been experiencing a gradually worsening number of electricity cuts. This state of affairs has prompted frustration among citizens, negative international economic sentiment and financial hardship for many businesses. Public pressure has grown more intense, leading to the extraordinary presidential decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to proclaim a […]

About 25 refugees who had accepted reintegration into Cape Town communities have changed their minds and returned to the Wingfield campsite where they were housed. There are now about 168 people in the camp, and no sign of an answer to their demands. About 25 refugees who had returned to communities in Cape Town from […]

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has expressed South Africa’s concern about the conflict that broke out in Sudan over the weekend between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “We are particularly concerned about the rising numbers of civilian loss of life, the destruction of private and public infrastructure, and the humanitarian […]

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) have officially bowed out of managing a Khoisan settlement named Knoflokskraal in Grabouw, Western Cape. The DFFE had managed activity at Knoflokskraal since late 2020. GroundUp first reported on the occupation of the 1,800 hectares piece of land in June 2022. The original occupiers, who moved onto the […]

Hundreds of social grant beneficiaries and Expanded Public Works Programme workers have to travel far to get their money because the Post Office in Paterson in Sunday’s River Valley, Eastern Cape has been closed for over a year now. The Post Office in Paterson in Sunday’s River Valley, Eastern Cape, has been closed for over […]

A Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation has found that at least 40 000 students were possibly funded inappropriately by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), at a cost of some R5 billion. The SIU on Tuesday said these students are from households that earn more than the cut off of R350 000 and “therefore would […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to address the 2023 National Freedom Day event, which will be held at Manzilpark Stadium in the City of Matlosana, North West. South Africa will celebrate the attainment of freedom and transition to democracy on Thursday, 27 April 2023. President Ramaphosa will lead the national celebrations observed under the theme, […]

Stellenbosch University (SU) has apologised to students at some residences after it was found that their rights were violated in 2021 over the ban that had been imposed on the use of Afrikaans when they were instructed to speak only English during their welcoming period. The effect of this policy was that some newcomer students […]

South Australia’s royal commission into early childhood education led by Julia Gillard has released an interim report. The key recommendation is preschool for all three-year-olds (in a move similar to other states). But the report notes one of the critical considerations around this change will be the early education workforce. SA’s report comes as the […]

The Electoral Commission has welcomed the signing into law of the Electoral Amendment Bill. The Commission says the assent by the President provides the necessary legal certainty required to prepare for the National and Provincial Elections which will be held in 2024. “Such certainty in the legal framework can only augur well for the Electoral […]

World Travel Awards Africa 2023 is back and Capetonians are once again urged to show some love and pride by voting for their city. The World Travel Awards are the gold standard for the industry, bringing global attention to local destinations, attractions and operators. ‘We’re asking Capetonians and everyone who loves Cape Town to please […]