Hollywood filmmakers and movie stars have joined forces with Humane Society International (HSI) to produce a powerful short film, #SaveRalph, to end cosmetic testing on animals around the world, including South Africa. Although banned in 40 countries, the practice of testing on animals is still legal in most of the world, and is even making […]

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s Presidential Employment Stimulus has assisted to create 8 000 new jobs. Launched in October last year in response to the economic impact of the pandemic, the Presidential Employment Stimulus is designed to support a spectrum of opportunities, focusing on job creation through public employment; job retention in vulnerable […]

With long queues at clinics in South Africa and Covid-19 restrictions, women struggling to access health services are turning to an illicit market for birth control pills. The pills are widely used and freely distributed in Zimbabwe, but smuggled into and sold in South Africa. Birth control pills freely distributed in Zimbabwe are being smuggled […]

A total of 23 013 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, with 931 new cases, representing a 4% positivity rate, the Health Department said on Sunday. Meanwhile, a further 66 people died due to Coronavirus on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 53 322 to date. According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has met in Maputo with other high-level leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to assess the growing Islamic State-linked threat in the region. Carte Blanche delves deeper this week, speaking to South Africans who survived the most recent horrific attack in Palma. This follows as eyewitness accounts and disturbing video […]

SADC Heads of State have reiterated commitment to contribute towards the efforts of bringing about lasting peace and security, as well as reconciliation and development in the Republic of Mozambique. This comes amid a spate of attacks in the country’s Cabo Delgado Province in the last two weeks. The leaders condemned the violence during this […]

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has announced that the second phase of South Africa’s vaccination rollout will begin on 17 May. This, he said, is thanks to the millions of vaccine doses that are expected to land in South Africa in the next coming weeks. Dr Mkhize said the country has secured a combined 51 […]

South African Police Minister General Bheki Cele has welcomed the deployment of 200 police officers to violent hotspots across Cape Town. Cele said the Western Cape province continues to experience stubbornly high levels of violent crime, necessitating the reinforcements. “The Western Cape’s high murder rate is simply unacceptable. In the past week and during the […]

South Africa has achieved a proud milestone after over 10 million people have been tested for COVID-19 to date, the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced. According to the Minister, 24 594 people were tested on Wednesday, which pushes the total number to 10 020 025 since the outbreak. Meanwhile, the country logged 756 new […]

The South African government has welcomed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) revised upward growth outlook of South Africa from 2.8% to 3.1% for 2021. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry in the Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, said the upgrade affirmed the robustness of the country’s economy and positive economic interventions despite tough […]

Norwegian Cruise Line today announced its highly-anticipated return to service, with new itineraries sailing Europe and The Caribbean beginning July 25, 2021. The Cruise Line will restart operations at a reduced capacity with Norwegian Jade, Joy and Gem as the first of its 17-ship fleet to welcome guests back on board. Travellers long-awaiting a return […]

Appealing for public support to feel at home in their body, Siv Greyson (23) – who is an artist, activist and academic from Gardens, Cape Town – has penned an emotional open letter on their BackaBuddy campaign, detailing the trials and tribulations of growing up queer in South Africa. “Growing up queer wasn’t easy” “Growing […]

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says it has registered the COVID-19 Johnson & Johnson vaccine, known as Janssen, with conditions. “This registration signals a significant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said SAHPRA CEO, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela. According to Dr Semete-Makokotlela, the authorisation is based on acceptable safety, quality and […]

When a young Groblersdal farmer was murdered in October last year, it was labelled a farm attack. But everything changed when the widow’s friend was arrested a month later. Carte Blanche investigates the full story this Sunday. You can watch the show on Sunday 04 April in SA on DStv Now or stream it overseas […]

South Africa’s first chef to ever receive a Michelin Star (in 2016) today officially opens his much-anticipated new restaurant in the Kalahari, South Africa. It’s called Klein JAN… because of Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s grandmother who helped inspire  to become the world-class chef he is today, with a Michelin-star restaurant in Nice, in the […]

A year ago, JP Engelbrecht bought a ticket in SA Rugby’s #StrongerTogether for R32-12 raffle, a response from SA Rugby to assist those hit the hardest when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through South Africa in 2020. Due to various factors out of our control, Engelbrecht could only “receive” his prize this week – the delivery to his […]

A life-size pencil drawing of an African elephant is bringing its viewers to tears, so magnificent and realistic is the artwork… an homage in fact to a real-life elephant named Makavuzi, affectionately known as Mak. The stunning picture, which captures Mak’s soul, was created by talented Zimbabwean artist David Filer with an all-Zimbabwean team taking […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation on developments in South Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic at 7.30pm this evening, Tuesday 30 March 2021. The address follows meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) and Cabinet. “As South Africa rolls out its national COVID-19 vaccination […]

It’s no secret that South Africans are wild about our wild flowers… and this video helps show why. It features the incandescent Candelabra Lily ‘secretly’ in full flower around Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape. It also features well known South African – and international – landscape artist and designer – Leon Kluge (also known as […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) Provincial Organised Crime Detectives have arrested the 30-year-old wife of the late Leon Brits, following an investigation into his murder which took place on 7 October 2020. Brits’ wife was arrested this morning at their house in Marchand, Kakamas in the Northern Cape. The SAPS said that she will […]

In a partnership that can best be described as aiming for the stars, South African Tourism (SA Tourism) and Netflix, have agreed to explore joint opportunities that will benefit both organizations to showcase stories made in South Africa, and watched by the world. The agreement will allow for exploration and collaboration on projects both in […]

A total of 24 256 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, with 965 new cases identified, representing a 4% positivity rate. Meanwhile, a further 15 COVID-19 related deaths were reported on Sunday, bringing the tally to 52 663 to date. Of the latest fatalities, six are from KwaZulu-Natal, four from Mpumalanga, three […]

Nine years after Cape Town’s Labia Theatre refused to lease its premises for the showing of what it termed a “highly controversial, pure propaganda, Israel bashing” documentary, the independent cinema has been directed by the Equality Court to screen it. Western Cape Judge Andre Le Grange has ruled that the Labia had not wanted to […]

The DA will write to President Cyril Ramaphosa to request an urgent Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into alleged Covid-19 corruption at the National Arts Council (NAC) regarding the distribution of aid for individuals and companies during the pandemic. There have been numerous complaints and allegations regarding the NAC’s conduct during the past year, which […]

As travel restrictions remain in place globally for anyone who tests COVID-19 positive, a black market in fake negative test results is flourishing, including in South Africa where criminals are seeking to profit from people’s desperation to resume normal life amid the pandemic. Tonight on Carte Blanche, the current affairs show investigates a local supplier […]