The 200-year-old SA Astronomical Observatory, with its headquarters in the Cape Town suburb of Observatory, has been unveiled as a national heritage site. The facility was the first in the Southern Hemisphere. With a history dating back to 1820, this is a “living site”, with more than 200 years of prominence in the international astronomical […]

In a bid to integrate public transport across the three main cities and other areas of Gauteng, a new transport body has been launched that will aim to make it possible to move easily between various modes of transport – bus, train, Gautrain, taxi – in the near future. The cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane and […]

The inclusion of Germany on the latest “red list” of high-risk countries not allowed into South Africa – except business travellers and those staying longer than three months – has caught many by surprise. “Attention, attention! South Africa put Germany this afternoon on the list of COVID-19 high risk countries, most probably with immediate effect,” […]

The new blue commuter train that will hopefully be standard on local commuter tracks made its first appearance in Cape Town today. “The Future is Here,” the Passenger Railway Agency of South African tweeted. “For the next 6 months the team will be hard at work to ensure that PRASA-WC receive RSR’s approval to operate […]

The government today revised the list of high-risk countries still forbidden from entering South Africa, and even though there are only 22 on the list they include (with the exception of business people and people travelling to South Africa for over three months) the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Netherlands. UPDATE 11 November […]

Five suspects in the brutal murders in August of Glen and Vida Rafferty on their KwaZulu-Natal farm have been arrested. The SA Police Service said in a brief statement today, “Last night detectives from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit arrested 5 suspects who were detained for questioning in connection with the murder of the Raffertys […]

South African municipalities in good financial standing – Cape Town, Ekurhuleni and many in the Western Cape – will be able to develop their own generation plants and procure power from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), according to new legislation gazetted today. Until now, municipalities have had to buy power from Eskom and have suffered from […]

With the potentially lucrative summer travel season about to begin, the government will soon update the list of nationalities allowed into South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said today. The list of countries banned from entering South Africa announced on 1 October was extensive, including the UK and USA. “Although international tourist travel is likely only […]

After a fire at an unoccupied student residence at the Westville campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande has called for swift action against the perpetrators. “The destruction of university property is a criminal offence and all those engaging in such acts must be arrested […]

A South African living in New Zealand and running for public office lists himself as an “apartheid survivor” and being in favour of reducing immigration into the country. Martin Frauenstein is standing for the New Conservative Party (NCP) in the town of Ōtaki outside Wellington. He promotes himself as an “apartheid survivor” and “valuing life […]

The wife of a senior general in the SANDF, Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, was arrested today and released on R80,000 bail following her appearance on charges of fraud, involving about R100m. The charges by the National Prosecuting Authority allege that the SANDF awarded a R24 million tender to her company “Ukhumba Marine” to transport SANDF equipment back […]

One of the most publicised whistleblowers in the state capture enquiry, Angelo Agrizzi, has been denied bail because he is considered a flight risk after allegedly moving millions of rand out of the country. The state had filed an affidavit declaring Agrizzi, formerly COO of Bosasa, a flight risk. Palm Ridge Magistrate Philip Venter agreed: “I […]

The Democratic Alliance today announced the names of candidates nominated to stand for election to party leadership roles at the DA elective federal congress on 31 October and 1 November. Only two candidates each will be standing for the the posts of federal chairperson (Helen Zille and Mike Moriarty, chief whip of the DA in […]

Fires seemed to be under control on Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro, after they broke out three days ago, with hundreds of parks personnel and locals joining the fight to keep it under control. Tanzanian National Parks said today that about 400 people had been deployed to counter the outbreak. Reuters reported that the fire, […]

Within the media and popular culture of the global north, cities like Johannesburg are often presented as a site of trouble. They’re the source of the immigrants, drugs, violence, poverty, disease and environmental crisis that worry nervous citizens of more “developed” cities. Even when they take centre stage in international media production, global south cities […]

A 22-year-old from Pretoria, Juandré Nortje, has turned into a sensation on TikTok after he posted numerous videos of himself dancing, his most recent where he is dressed in a khaki outfit, with extremely tight shorts, which has been viewed 1.7 million times in several days. Clearly one of his favourite songs to dance to, […]

The commuter train from Cape Town to Kraaifontein reopened today, although it is already suffering from delays of up to an hour because of operational problems and faulty signalling equipment. “The service will operate Monday to Friday from 05h50 and end at 19h00 from Kraaifontein – Monte-Vista via Bellville to Cape Town. We look forward […]

The top-ranking South African Police Service officer arrested during a predawn raid in connection with a 2017 SAPS multi-million rand tender has appeared in court, where she was identified as Lieutenant General Bonang Mgwenya, the highest-ranking female police officer in the country. Bonang, deputy national commissioner, who is responsible for human resource management, is the […]

In his weekly letter, President Cyril Ramaphosa has addressed the issue of farm attacks and crime in South Africa, saying that the brutal murder of young farm manager Brendin Horner less than two weeks ago, and many other deaths in South Africa, should anger everyone. Ramaphosa has often been criticised for avoiding the farm murder […]

Astor Mansions, one of the most iconic Art Deco buildings of central Johannesburg, has been down on its luck lately. And even more so today, when fire broke out on the ground floor. The cause of the fire in the residential building hasn’t been made known yet, and it apparently only damaged the ground floor, […]

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has dismissed Health MEC Bandile Masuku for his failure to execute his duties over the procurement of personal protective equipment in the department. Masuku was one of the first government people fingered for PPE contract irregularities. The demotion comes after the Special Investigations Unit found that Masuku had failed to carry […]

The Western Cape Division of the High Court has dismissed Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s application to stop a parliamentary inquiry into her fitness to hold office. After the Democratic Alliance was granted a request by the Speaker, Thandi Modise, for an investigation into the public protector’s fitness to hold office, Mkhwebane launched a court case […]

After repeatedly excusing himself from appearing before the Zondo Commission investigation state capture, and demanding that the commission chief recuse himself, former president Jacob Zuma will be issued a summons to appear at 10 am on the 16 to 20 November, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo ordered today. “Failure to comply with the instructions of […]

Eight officials from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries were placed on suspension following a forensic investigation into R2.1 billion worth of contracts allegedly irregularly awarded by the Waste Management Bureau. The bureau’s mandate includes promoting and facilitating minimisation, re-use, recycling and recovery of waste, and disbursing of revenue collected from waste management charges. […]

At least 55,000 people have since July signed a petition to be sent by the Democratic Alliance to President Cyril Ramaphosa  asking him to take urgent action against farm attacks and to apologise for a public statement in which he denied farm killings were taking place in South Africa. In the same week that two […]