The Durban Chamber of Commerce has condemned the ongoing protests and violence in Durban and across the KwaZulu-Natal province, and called for “urgent intervention” as supporters of former President Jacob Zuma attempt to shutdown KZN in a demand for Zuma’s release from prison. Zuma was sentenced to 15-months imprisonment for contempt of court (failing to […]

Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, this week reiterated his call for 10 percent of people in all countries to be vaccinated by September and for that figure to rise to 40 percent by the end of the year. This would position the world on the path to vaccinating 70 percent of […]

A fire at one of the biggest public hospitals in Johannesburg, the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, and the delay in reopening the facility has brought infrastructural issues into sharp focus. The fire broke out in mid-April. Only now is a phased re-opening of the hospital being undertaken… writes Professor Daynia Ballot, University of the […]

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) efforts to repatriate corrupt-Gupta family members have received a major shot in the arm after Interpol issued red notices against two implicated brothers, their wives and other associates. The brothers – Atul and Rajesh Gupta– and their respective wives, Chetali and Arti are among those accused of fleecing the Free […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has called on provincial Legislature Speaker, Nontembeko Boyce, to allow a debate on a Matter of Urgent Public Importance in terms of Rule 103. The move follows recent events at former president Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home following the order that he be incarcerated as a result of contempt […]

The City of Cape Town’s Alderman James Vos has welcomed Belgium’s decision to upgrade its post in Cape Town, saying this “shows their commitment to our city and provides a clear path towards stronger relations with a key European partner”. Alderman Vos was recently joined by the newly-appointed Belgian Consul General Mathias Bogaert at an […]

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has announced that the price of both grades of petrol will increase on Wednesday. The price of petrol 93 (ULP and LRP) will increase by 29 cents per litre and the price of 95 (ULP and LRP) will increase by 26 cents per litre, while the price […]

Government’s controversial alcohol bans are strongly associated with a large drop in unnatural deaths. This is a finding by University of Cape Town (UCT) and Medical Research Council (MRC) researchers, in a study published on Friday in the South African Medical Journal. Tom Moultrie and his colleagues compared weekly unnatural deaths (murders, vehicle collisions, suicides and accidents) […]

At the start of the Covid-19 lockdown last year, 27-year-old Lindokuhle Msomi was among millions of people who lost their income due to the imposed restrictions. Lindokuhle Msomi from Durban was able to use the R350 Covid-19 grant he received for nine months to support his family and start a fast food stall. Due to […]

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has urged taxpayers to carefully consider working from home expenses before submitting claims to the revenue collector. SARS recently published an update on its website in relation to home office expenses. In a statement on Thursday, the revenue collector provided additional clarity for individual taxpayers who may be considering […]

Comair announced Friday that it is temporarily suspending all scheduled kulula.com and British Airways (operated by Comair) flights for three weeks. This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of a move in South Africa to an adjusted Level 4 lockdown and the prohibition on all non-essential travel in and out of Gauteng. Flights will be suspended […]

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South Africa’s top court on Thursday re-affirmed an earlier ruling that President Cyril Ramaphosa did not deliberately mislead lawmakers about donations to his 2017 campaign to lead the ruling party. The Public Protector, an anti-corruption watchdog, had been unhappy with last year’s ruling by the high court, which found that Ramaphosa […]

The construction of the SKA telescopes – the world’s largest radio telescope arrays – in South Africa and Australia has been given the go-ahead at a historic meeting, it was today announced by the SKA Observatory (SKAO) Global Headquarters in the UK. The approval was given by SKAO’s members states at a meeting of its […]

Talk of a so-called “pensions crisis” is prevalent across the globe, with Schroders Global Investor Study (GIS) suggesting that 41% of investors were concerned that they wouldn’t have sufficient savings to fund their retirement in 2020. The situation is even worse in developing economies throughout the world, with as many as 50% of South Africans […]

The South African Revenue Service’s (SARS) destroyed over 2,000 master boxes of illicit cigarettes, valued at R17.4 million on Tuesday, it announced in a statement. SARS director for customs border operations, Beyers Theron, said the cigarettes were either illicitly imported or illicitly manufactured in the country. They were seized and destroyed by a government inter-agency […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa today announced the establishment of the Transnet National Ports Authority as an independent subsidiary of Transnet. Following his visit to the Port of Cape Town, the South African President said: “This is an important part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan… The weak performance of our ports is the result of […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its COVAX partners are working with a South African consortium to establish its first COVID mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub. The SA consortium comprises Biovac, Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, a network of universities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The move follows WHO’s global call […]

For the first time in history, the entire country of South Africa may soon be lit up. Eskom has never been able to provide power to 100% of the population. And while the state-owned enterprise has battled to keep existing lights on, it has been unable to spend the time and energy needed to resurrect […]

The City of Cape Town has been selected from 630 applications, from 99 countries, as one of 50 Champion Cities to Advance in the Global Innovation Competition. The Comp is aimed at identifying the Most Transformative Urban Solutions during the Covid-19 Pandemic.  Cape Town was named as one of the 50 finalists in the 2021 Global […]

Botswana has announced the discovery of a diamond which they say is the third largest in the world. The whopping 1,098.3 carat diamond, was found on 1 June 2021. Holding the precious stone, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi commended Debswana Diamond Company’s discovery, their largest to date. The largest diamond ever was discovered in South Africa […]

South Africa’s Deputy President David Mabuza says negotiations with the manufacturers of Sputnik V and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines are at an advanced stage. The Deputy President said this when he responded to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday. “Further interventions being implemented to save lives are ongoing. Negotiations with vaccine […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is addressing the nation Tuesday evening, 15 June 2021, with an update on SA’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The address comes after a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council, the President’s Coordinating Council and Cabinet. EFF Leader Julius Malema has tweeted a prediction that Ramaphosa will be introducing […]

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has decided not to release the long-awaited Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines for use in South Africa. However, SAHPRA said about 300 000 doses from batches that have been cleared by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) meet the requirements and will subsequently be released and […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the leaders, gathered at the G7 Summit in the UK, to provide substantial support to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, and to support a temporary TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Waiver of Covid-19 vaccines. Ramaphosa said: “If the world is to emerge from this grave […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has posted what look like fabulous holiday snaps from a faraway island location… but which are actually photos from British seaside county, Cornwall, where he is bumping shoulders – and elbows – with leaders from some of the wealthier nations in the world, who are gathered this weekend to get down to […]