South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled a new plan for the country’s beleaguered state-owned power utility, Eskom. During his State of the Nation Address on 7 February, Ramaphosa announced that Eskom would be unbundled into “three separate entities – generation, transmission and distribution”. These would all be established “under Eskom Holdings”. This announcement has […]

Organisations are concerned the number of adoptions will decline. A debate is raging over a proposed amendment to the Child Care Act that would outlaw charging fees for adoption services. The amendment is expected to be passed by the end of the year, as part of a number of changes to the Act. Adoption is […]

Coming Up on Carte Blanche this week on Sunday 10 Feb in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 12 Feb for South Africans abroad. (14-day Free Trial). Art Theft Art theft is not a common crime, but when the thieves hit, they hit big – taking expensive paintings and drawings and selling them on the black […]

A new safety video for an airline stars Cape Town as the host of a Super Hero match. The stunning footage – including 20 million LEGO bricks – was created for Turkish Airlines by the LEGO® movie team… as it coincides with the release of The LEGO Movie 2. Around 24,000 LEGO mini-figures were used to […]

The countdown to International Rare Disease Day 2019 has officially begun. Taking place on 28 February, the 12th edition of the annual event will see Rare Diseases South Africa (RDSA) increasing the visibility of rare diseases among the general public. This year’s theme, ‘Bridging the Gap’ is dedicated to living beyond diagnoses, calling attention to […]

An investigative directorate – tasked specifically with probing corruption and associated offences – is on the cards for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). President Cyril Ramaphosa made this announcement during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the last of the fifth administration on Thursday evening. The President said the idea of the […]

Student leaders call off protests. Activities at Wits University were brought to a halt as student protests entered a fourth day on Thursday. About 200 students, led by the Wits Student Representative Council (SRC), went door-to-door across campuses, stopping lectures along the way. In its letter of demands sent to Wits management last week, the […]

State capture’s most visible effect is the breakdown of Metrorail. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) offered South Africa much hope. He spoke of plans to grow the economy, create new jobs and improve health-care. Particularly exciting was the mention of reading programmes for young learners, which we hope will make […]

U.S. shared workspace provider WeWork plans to launch in South Africa later this year, it said on Thursday, a move that would mark the first African expansion for the $47 billion New York-based company. The firm, backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp, will team up with Redefine Properties, one of South Africa’s biggest real estate […]

South African President Ramaphosa has finally signed into law a new bill aimed at regulating the funding of political parties. It was approved by Parliament in June 2018. The Political Party Funding Bill, when it eventually becomes law on April 1, will enable South Africans to know who funds their political parties. The new law […]

Merlin Mosoko has trained dozens of children to play basketball. “Here we don’t only play basketball. We are also taught about the dangers of substance abuse and other life skills,” says Allen Chisvo, a grade 12 learner at Leiden High School in Delft, Cape Town. “My dream is to become a software developer and play […]

Dispute over admitting students with debt. Wits University students said they were starting a hunger strike on Tuesday morning. About 150 people set up blankets and pillows on the floor of Solomon Mahlangu House. The sit-in followed protests on Monday, where students assisted by the SRC shut down lectures. The students are protesting against a […]

It will be lights, camera, and action this evening as President Cyril Ramaphosa takes to the podium in the National Assembly in Parliament to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (SONA). Considered to be one of the most important events on the Parliamentary calendar, the SONA will see scores of South Africans tune […]

Valentine’s Day is only a week away when the world focuses on LOVE. One of the country’s foremost professional matchmakers warns that modern living with all its stresses and technological advances can rob South Africans of the necessary skills to create and maintain healthy relationships. Kas Naidoo believes that SA’s alarming divorce rate could be lowered if […]

The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) says three security officers have been suspended for an incident in December 2018, where people were reportedly escorted from Clifton 4th Beach in Cape Town. PSIRA on Monday appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs inquiry into the incident in December, where people were allegedly escorted from […]

Okay, I feel it is my citizen’s duty to inform you as a member of the public, that somewhere in your lifetime, you WILL have to go to a government department writes South African photographer Gabriel Sithole. I just picked up my new licence card… after a long and frustrating wait! I have compiled just 10 […]

The Voice SA got off to an amazing start this weekend when the first contestant of South Africa’s third season – Ross Charles – nabbed all four chair turns during the Blind Auditions, and gave the entire panel – and those watching at home – goosebumps with his emotional cover of Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change […]

It was in the late 1980’s that apartheid negotiations reached a sensitive stage. Former President Nelson Mandela had been diagnosed with Tuberculosis and was transferred to a house at Victor Verster Prison near Paarl. Just two years later at the SONA of 1990 the then President F W de Klerk announced that he was to […]

On the way to school on Tuesday, 29 January, Dylan Harris saved a fellow pupil from harm while walking to school. The attacker tried to steal Christine’s mobile. On Tuesday, January 29, Dylan Harris was riding his bicycle to school when he saw fellow student of Secunda High School, Christine Gazi being attacked while walking […]

South Africa says it is actively playing its part to combat transnational organised maritime crime, while remaining committed to combating lawlessness at sea. Ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi, the Deputy Director-General of Global Governance and Continental Agenda at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), on Tuesday addressed a United Nations Security Council debate on transnational […]

The Hawks have arrested seven suspects – including a former correctional services commissioner and Bosasa officials – on allegations of corruption, money laundering and fraud. Wednesday’s high-profile arrests follow a marathon investigation wherein almost R1.6 billion is said to have been misappropriated in the tender processes for the procurement of various services by the Department of […]

Losing her beloved grandmother during her final matric exams forced Thabiso Ndlovu to suppress the pain and soldier on in pursuit of the results she knew would make the women who helped raise her proud. Hailing from Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal and an attendee of the Engen Maths and Science School (EMSS) hosted weekly at the […]

The first language has always been thought to hold a privileged status in the mind, but the question of how well it really holds up under the pressure of an ever-increasing dominant second language is of great interest to linguists and bilinguals alike. The process whereby a bilingual forgets their first language is a normal […]

Over 10 000 cattle affected by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) have been vaccinated to eliminate the spread of the outbreak. This follows confirmed FMD in cattle in the Vhembe District of Limpopo early this year. Updating the media on the status of FMD in Pretoria on Monday, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana said […]

What would you pack in a suitcase if you suddenly had to abandon your home because of fire? Pat had chosen a blue suitcase with wheels. She packed 3 sets of clothes for her husband, a pair of knickers and a top for herself; 2 books from her Book Club; their passports and ID documents; […]