In a predawn raid, the SA Police Service arrested eight senior officers, including a former lieutenant-general, as well as six company executives on charges of corruption and fraud. In a statement today the police said the arrests by the Anti-Corruption Task Team – backed by a prosecution team of the National Prosecuting Authority under Hermione […]

The rand strengthened to below R17 to the US dollar today, for the first time in almost 11 weeks, after suffering record lows in April, when it went over R19. It was trading at about R16.91 late in the day. The currency was close to R14 to the dollar in late December, and was in […]

The lockdown in South Africa has been extended by another month, which means it will run its full 90 days, until 15 July, according to a statement by government today. After a meeting of the cabinet today, the extension was announced by the Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, as was a decision to appeal […]

Two South African airlines, Airlink and FlySafair, will start flying again over the next two weeks, with Mango also possibly joining them. Airlink said it would launch a limited scheduled domestic air service from 8 June, with flights on the Johannesburg-Cape Town and Johannesburg-Durban trunk routes, using 98-seat Embraer E190 regional jets. According to the […]

The Zondo commission of enquiry into state capture will resume hearings later this month or early in July, according to Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. The commission itself would resume work next week. During a virtual briefing today, after the commission suspended work during the lockdown, Zondo said, “With the cooperation of the executive there […]

The regulations promulgated by the South African government relating to the lockdown Levels 3 and 4 under the Disaster Management Act have been declared unconstitutional and invalid, and the government has been given 14 days to rectify them. In the Gauteng High Court, Justice N Davis said the invalidity was suspended for 14 days, and […]

Comair is unlikely to start operating again before November this year, with a downsized fleet, despite the easing of restrictions on air travel as the airline requires a substantial cash injection, the company’s business rescue practitioners said today. Comair, which controls kulula and the local flights of British Airways, said it was in discussions with […]

The body of a man who apparently fell while climbing Table Mountain above Kirstenbosch on the first day of Level 3 of the lockdown has been found, according to a spokesman for Wilderness Search and Rescue. WSAR’s Johan Marais was quoted on News24 saying that WSAR had responded to a call on Monday from someone […]

A business rescue plan for South Africa Airways was leaked to the media before it could be commented on by stakeholders, such as the government and the airline’s creditors, according to the business rescue practitioners Siviwe Dongwana and Les Matuson. Reports in the media earlier today said the “leaked” report put forward a plan that […]

Hiking and self-drives in some of the country’s private and public national parks will be allowed from 1 June, the Minister of Tourism has announced. Hotels and guest houses will also be open, but not for leisure guests. Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said that as an integral part of the economy, the tourism sector needed to open […]

A 41-year-old woman has been arrested and charged for stock theft of more than 400 cattle, as well as fraud, that has gone on for 10 years, the SA Police have said. The woman was arrested on 27 May in Pietermaritzburg, and is suspected of being the mastermind behind a “ruthless stock theft syndicate” that […]

Four airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban will open from Monday under Level 3 of the lockdown. The latest regulations specify who will not be allowed to travel, but not who will be. Earlier the government said that only business travel will be allowed, but there have been no further details. Regulations published today […]

The Democratic Alliance says Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma apparently lied to South Africans when she justified the continued ban on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products, and if she did she deserves to be fired. The DA said in a statement today that in court papers responding to a […]

After several years without permanent CEOs, the much suffering Passenger Railway Association of South Africa today saw the appointment of several strong candidates to fill the CEO positions in the rail and bus divisions. The announcement of Nosipho Damasane, previously chief of the Bombela Operating Company that runs the Gautrain, as head of Prasa’s rail […]

The government has released regulations about what is and isn’t allowed under Level 3 of lockdown, starting on 1 June, saying that exercise can take place between 6am and 6pm, and liquor can be sold Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm. The changes were announced today by ministers Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Ebrahim Patel. What still […]

Dudu Myeni, who was chairman of the board of South African Airways for five years from 2012 and “made headline news for the wrong reasons,” has been declared a delinquent director and will not be allowed to hold directorships of other companies. Judgment was handed down in the Pretoria High Court today in favour of […]

Only a week after saying that there would be just three days of loadshedding this winter, Eskom has asked South Africans to turn off all unnecessary electrical items because the system is under severe pressure. In a tweet on Wednesday afternoon, it said, “Our power system is under severe pressure. Please switch off all unnecessary […]

The dust seems to have settled around the matter of Professor Glenda Gray, who was critical of the unscientific nature of some of the lockdown measures, drawing the ire of a Department of Health official who said she should be investigated by the South African Medical Research Council. The council on Tuesday said that after […]

With the weather service predicting more snow tomorrow, some roads in the Eastern Cape, especially near Graaff-Reinet, were temporarily closed. The N9 from Graaff-Reine to Middelburg and the R61 from Cradock towards the N9 were closed as the result of dangerous driving conditions due to snowfall, but according to news reports have been opened again […]

The weather service has predicted a monster of a cold front and storm conditions approaching South Africa. “It’s a monster! Check the sheer size of this MASSIVE COLD FRONT as captured by EUMETSAT (the European Union’s meteorological satellites),” tweeted Gauteng Weather. “It spans from just below SA & over parts of the Cape, through the […]

South Africa will ease lockdown restrictions to level 3 from 1 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a speech tonight. The sale of cigarettes is still banned. Under level 3, all business and retail activity is permitted, except where risk levels are high. Alcohol will be sold, but under restrictions and on specific days. Exercise […]

The South African Weather Service has advised Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre that an intense cold front is expected on Sunday night into Monday, resulting in cold weather, gale force winds and significant sea swells between Cape Columbine and Plettenberg Bay.   Heavy downpours are expected in places during the same period, which might […]

Five categories of South Africans who wish to leave the country can once again do so, including for work, study, family reunions, permanent residence or medical attention. Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi today said in a statement that the government had approved “essential travel for South Africans who want to return to countries where […]

A total of 230,000 people have been charged with contravening the lockdown, according to the Minister of Police Bheki Cele, a figure that has been labelled “outrageous” by the Democratic Alliance, especially given that not one person has has gone to jail yet for state capture. “State Capture cost our country ONE TRILLION RAND,” tweeted […]

The distribution and receiving of food by NGOs and other relief agencies cannot be interfered with by the government, at least not for the next month, according to a high court ruling handed down today. The Democratic Alliance challenged Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu and three other ministers over regulations that started being enforced three […]