The City of Cape Town is considering treating up to 39-million litres of essentially raw sewage pumped out to sea daily via three marine outfalls, the first of which was built 122 years ago. The City of Cape Town’s permits to discharge sewage at three marine outfalls, two of them in Marine Protected Areas, have […]

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has declared a measles outbreak in Cape Town after four cases were recorded from 24 January to 17 February 2023. “Even though all the lab-confirmed measles were investigated, no epidemiological link could be established,” the national public health institute said. However, according to the NICD, the cases meet […]

Local businesses are currently participating in high-profile exhibitions in the UAE, flying the South African flag high. In Dubai, a South African business delegation comprising 16 agro-processing firms is showcasing products in the Gulfood exhibition, whilst in Abu Dhabi, there are 11 SA companies operating in the defence sector that are participating in the International […]

Pregnant mothers living in air pollution hotspots in South Africa risk bearing a child with a congenital birth anomaly; specifically orofacial cleft lip and palate (CLP). This is according to research done by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in partnership with surgeons, researchers and Operation Smile. The research was presented this month at […]

What makes you happy? Maybe it’s getting up early to see the sunrise, hanging out with family and friends on a weekend, or going for a dip in the sea. But what does science say about the things happy people do? We know that happy people tend to have strong relationships, and good physical health […]

North West Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC, Nono Maloyi, has urged communities throughout the province, especially those in low-lying areas, to exercise caution as the province continues to experience above-normal rains. “The North West province, like many other parts of the country, has been receiving heavy rains in the past days, causing flooding […]

Everyone is vulnerable in some way, whether it’s to natural disasters, chronic diseases or hunger. But some are more at risk than others because of what they are exposed to socially, economically and environmentally. This phenomenon is known as social vulnerability. It refers to the attributes of society that make people and places susceptible to […]

Earlier this month, Cape Town’s average water usage exceeded one billion litres a day for the first time since 2014. The City of Cape Town’s current water usage target is 850-million litres a day. Last week, usage averaged 950-million litres a day. More needs to be done to reduce Cape Town’s water usage, an expert […]

South Africa is set to have a new deputy president in Paul Shipokosa Mashatile, the deputy president of the governing African National Congress (ANC). He’ll replace the incumbent, David Mabuza, who announced he would step down. Who is Mashatile and what does he bring to the position? Mashatile (61) is a veteran politician from the […]

South Africa’s electricity utility Eskom has made it clear that “load shedding” – rolling scheduled power cuts – isn’t going to end any time soon. This reality, and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement during his annual state of the nation speech on 9 February 2023 that tax incentives for solar power use are imminent, means that […]

The Cape Town E-Prix is a culmination of more than five years of work between local Formula E promoters E-Movement, its partners and the City of Cape Town.  Cape Town joins 11 other global cities for Season 9 of the Formula E World Championship, which opened in Mexico City last month.  Formula E cars run […]

Eskom has announced that Stage 6 load shedding will be implemented until further notice. This as the power utility has buckled under the pressure of the breakdown of some eight power generation units at power stations and coal supply challenges. “Since Sunday afternoon, a generating unit each at Arnot, Hendrina, Lethabo and Majuba [power stations] […]

The Inanda heritage route, north of Durban, has a number of sites of significant historical importance, including the home and grave of John Dube, the first president of the ANC, who established a school here, where Nelson Mandela chose to cast his first vote in the new democracy in 1994. The sadly neglected Inanda heritage route has […]

Eskom will ramp up load shedding to Stage 6, on Sunday evening from 8 pm the power utility confirmed. This was after Eskom on Saturday warned of the possibility. In a statement, the power utility said: “Stage 4 load shedding will continue to be implemented until further notice while Stage 6 will be implemented at […]

Here’s what’s coming up on Carte Blanche this week. You can watch the show on Sunday 19 February in South Africa on DStv Now OR stream it overseas in most countries on Showmax from Tuesday 21 February if you’re abroad. Ella’s Triumph In 1943, at the height of Germany’s occupation of Poland during the Second World War, […]

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town has won a significant victory against the Minister of Home Affairs in the Western Cape High Court, which has declared sections of the Refugees Act unconstitutional. Western Cape High Court Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath has declared sections of the Refugees Act unconstitutional. Asylum seekers who do not renew […]

Members of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Environmental Management Inspectors, more commonly known as the Green Scorpions, have confiscated a number of reptiles that were allegedly being smuggled from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal using PostNet. “The parcel confiscated on 8 February 2023 contained Sungazer lizards and a venomous cobra as well as another […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the proposed Minister of Electricity will assume “full responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the electricity crisis response” and will drive the action of the National Energy Crisis Committee to end load shedding “as a matter of urgency”. The President was replying to the debate on the State of the Nation […]

Kruger National Park (KNP) Disaster Management Teams remain on alert as the park continues to receive more rain this morning. “We appeal for patience and cooperation from tour operators, tourists, and drivers within the KNP during this period to minimise any risk to human life and infrastructure. We are trying our level best to open […]

80% of South African travellers choose to exercise while on holiday, according to new research from the travel-loyalty programme Marriott Bonvoy. The results also show that almost a third of those (32%) don’t normally work out, even when they’re at home. For many people, looking after their mental health is the biggest motivation behind working […]

An amendment to the Companies Act — when it is finally passed into law — should provide welcome information on differences between the highest and the lowest paid employees in a company, in a country which is one of the most unequal in the world. Three-quarters of employed people in the country earn less than […]

Cybercrime, problems verifying bank details, interrupted connections: on Wednesday Parliament heard a litany of reasons why payments of the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant are erratic. Between 7.4 and 7.8 million people are approved for the R350 grant. However, only 85% of them are being paid. During a parliamentary briefing on Wednesday, SASSA said […]

Government will soon deploy about 250 new traffic officers nationally on the roads to bolster the number of traffic officers who will enforce the rules of the road, as well as protect and serve the nation. “These are physically fit officers and we think they will play a critical role in ensuring safety on our […]

South Africa’s annual consumer price inflation (CPI) dropped to 6.9% in January 2023, down from 7.2% in December 2022, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke has revealed. This was the third consecutive month in which the CPI recorded a decrease. In a note on the statistical release published on Wednesday, Maluleke said the CPI decreased by 0.1% month-on-month […]

Over the next two years, the most severe risk plaguing South Africa is the cost-of-living crisis. Perpetuated by load shedding, deep unemployment and infrastructure vandalism, the rising price of food is proving insurmountable. “While middle-income households are feeling the pressure, the poor have already been priced out,” says Andy Du Plessis, managing director of FoodForward […]