South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement recently (29 January 2021) arguing that the hunting industry is key to South Africa’s economic growth, and accusing conservation pressure groups of “cultural imperialism”. The statement appeared on the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa’s website. Here is the full transcript: HUNTING INDUSTRY KEY TO ECONOMIC GROWTH […]

In line with several countries around the world, South Africa’s National State of Disaster has been extended to mid-April. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has gazetted the extension. In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of CoGTA said this means that the current measures contained in the regulations to save […]

The contracts of more than 5,000 Community Healthcare Workers (CHW) in the Eastern Cape will be terminated at the end of March… writes Mkhuseli Sizani. The contracts of over 5,000 community health workers in the Eastern Cape will be terminated at the end of March. The provincial health department says it has run out of […]

The Gauteng Social Development Department has distanced itself from fake social media messages about the distribution of food parcels in the province. The department’s Deputy Director-General for Social Welfare Services, Onkemetse Kabasia noted that a special food relief programme was implemented by the department since March 2020, as part of the COVID-19 response when the […]

The South African economy contracted by 7% in 2020, Statistician-General, Risenga Maluleke, revealed in a media briefing on Tuesday. Announcing the results of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the fourth quarter of 2020, Maluleke said the decrease was despite the economy growing by 1.5% in the last three months of the year, giving an […]

The Eskom Board announced on Tuesday that it will appoint an independent Senior Counsel to probe racism allegations against its Group Chief Executive André de Ruyter. According to the statement, this follows racism allegations made in the public domain against De Ruyter. Suspended Chief Procurement Officer Solly Tshitangano has accused the Group Chief Executive (GCE) […]

The Bela-Bela Communal Property Association (CPA) situated in Limpopo is regarded as one of the most successful land claim stories and stands as a beacon of success in South Africa. It all started after a successful land claim was lodged in 1998. The claim was accepted by the Land Claims Commission and subsequently published in […]

The first substantial peer-reviewed clinical trial of the drug against Covid-19 finds no evidence that it is a wonder medicine. By Elsabé Brits. A study in Columbia of 398 people with mild Covid-19 symptoms found that ivermectin offered no statistically significant benefit over placebo. This is the first peer-reviewed large clinical trial of the drug […]

The Carter Center, founded by former US president, Jimmy Carter in 1982, has selected 13 cities from around the world, including Cape Town, to participate in its first global Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign. This initiative, which runs until October, aims to enhance awareness of women’s rights to information. Each city was tasked with selecting […]

For those desperate South Africans in the UK who have been unable to get hold of the High Commission in London during the past few months, we got in touch on their behalf and the SAHC has kindly responded to some of the many questions. 1. SAHC in the UK is still closed with staff […]

The rail agency’s policy dictates that employees should retire at 63. Zolani Matthews is 64… By James Stent PRASA’s new Group CEO is too old to take up the post. This is according to the rail agency’s own policy which states employees should retire at 63. PRASA’s lack of permanent leadership was identified by the […]

The DA has today launched a national online petition to object against the gazetted name changes of Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha, and Uitenhage to Kariega. “There is a distinct lack of transparency on how the ANC government and the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, arrived at approving these names,” said MP Andrew […]

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has been directed by the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) to apologise unconditionally for “becoming involved in political controversy” through statements he made during an online webinar hosted by The Jerusalem Post in June 2020 and later at a prayer meeting. The ruling came after three organisations, Africa 4 Palestine, SA Boycott Disinvestments and […]

Police in South Africa have pounced on hundreds of fake COVID-19 vaccines this week, following a global alert issued by INTERPOL warning vaccines would be a prime target for criminal networks. South African authorities seized 400 ampoules during an operation – equivalent to around 2 400 doses – containing the fake vaccine at a warehouse […]

Millions of rands from a Lottery grant to build an old age home in Mpumalanga were used to pay for a luxury home on a sprawling estate in North West Province, which was purchased by a company belonging to a board member of the NLC. R5 million was paid towards a house for William Huma, […]

Qatar Airways has been voted Best Airline in the World, acknowledged for its performance during the pandemic,  by tens of thousands of airline travellers on eDreams, one of Europe’s largest online travel agents. The accolade drew on feedback from over 61,000 customers across 667 airlines who rated every aspect of an airline trip from the […]

The Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo has reiterated Gauteng’s standpoint to reject e-tolls. According to Mamabolo, the province reaffirms its long-standing position of the provincial government and its opposition to the implementation of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), known as the e-tolls system. E-tolls were implemented in 2013 as a method […]

The price of petrol is set to increase by 65 cents a litre as of Wednesday, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) said. In a statement on Tuesday, the DMRE said the prices of 93 (ULP and LRP) and 95 (ULP and LRP) will rise by 65 cents a litre. A litre of […]

AfriForum and Solidarity are due to hold a media conference this morning, Tuesday 2 March, to announce a major legal breakthrough in their fight against the South African government’s exclusive purchasing of vaccines. This follows after the two organisations have already continued with legal action against the government’s planned monopolisation of the purchasing and distribution […]

Investigations into the source of the sulphur stench that was experienced in parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga last month are ongoing. The update on the investigations comes after a visit by officials from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) and the Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga to the Sasol Secunda Plant on […]

On 22 February it was announced that Western Cape minister for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADPA) Anton Bredell had decided to dismiss appeals lodged against the Environmental Authorisation (EA) issued by his department in August 2020 for a proposed R4.5 billion development in Observatory. The Western Cape MEC for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning […]

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and the Western Cape Agriculture Department, have jointly confirmed an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Western Cape. The outbreak has been reported in the Western Cape for the first time. Two small-holding farms in Mfuleni, North of Khayelitsha, were found to be […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it welcomes the announcement that South Africa will move to lockdown Alert Level One, along with the easing of restrictions on alcohol sales and gatherings as well as the shortening of the curfew. But DA Leader John Steenhuisen adds: “Our sole focus, as a country, should be on rolling out […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa is moving from Alert Level 3 into Level 1, effective from later this evening – Sunday 28 February 2021 – as soon as the regulations are gazetted. This Friday it will be exactly a year since the coronavirus pandemic hit SA shores, with the first Covid-19 patient […]

What led outraged community members, from a wildlife reserve bordering the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, to launch an arson attack on the R60-million luxury Bongani Mountain Lodge on their trust land? Amidst rumours, this is one of the key questions asked by Carte Blanche in this week’s broadcast. Combustible Conditions at Bongani Mountain Lodge […]