For the first time, most South Africans – and Christians around the world – have celebrated Easter at home with their family in lockdown… writes filmmaker and photographer Kierran Allen, who has captured these photos of Easter Sunday, in Durban, South Africa. As we head into our second phase of trying to ‘flatten the curve’, […]

South Africa has 2028 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19), with 25 deaths, the country’s health minister has announced in the latest update. “The total number of COVID-19 tests conducted to date is 75 053,” Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said in a statement on Saturday. The Minister said he was sad to reveal another […]

Three members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have tested positive for COVID-19. “Thus far, from a total number of 184 suspected cases, 125 tests have been conducted,105 came back negative and only 3 positive,” said SANDF Surgeon General Lieutenant General Zola Dabula. In a statement on Saturday, Dabula said 15 more SANDF […]

DA Leader John Steenhuisen says the Democratic Alliance would prefer a “gradual phasing out of the current lockdown over the coming weeks, as opposed to a continuation of the severe and economically-crippling regulations we currently see.” Steenhuisen’s statement follows President Ramaphosa’s announcement that South Africa’s lockdown will be extended to the end of April. The […]

A Durban organisation has made sure that a group of homeless people do not go hungry… at a time when  their suffering has been intensified by lockdown conditions in South Africa, reports filmmaker and photographer Kierran Allen. The Umbilo Business Forum (UBF), a voluntary membership and non-profit organization, delivered the first load of food – […]

Never a dull moment during lockdown, says the Bloemfontein SPCA, who bravely rescued a monkey during dangerous windy conditions from the top of a 50-metre high tower in an informal settlement where the wind was blowing, and the angry crowd was throwing rocks at the animal… and later at the SPCA rescuers. When the SPCA […]

Mduduzi Manana, whose lunch-during-lockdown Instagram post led to the temporary removal of a cabinet minister yesterday, is again in the spotlight after a video surfaced showing him wandering around a luxurious house, sometimes in a Versace robe, posing with perfumes and racks of shoes as he is attended to by a butler and a maid. […]

The Bambazi High School in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal went up in flames on Wednesday late afternoon, before 17h00; sadly not the first South African school that’s been torched during SA’s 21-day lockdown. Elijah Mhlanga, Spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education, tweeted on Wednesday evening that “so many schools (have been) destroyed during this lockdown. It’s […]

Environment minister Barbara Creecy’s decision to allow vastly expanded West Coast beach mining in South Africa has prompted sharp criticism from environmentalists, reports John Yeld for GroundUp. Appointed at the end of May last year, Creecy, minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, was seen as a new broom, particularly after making a number of […]

Homeless people at the Strandfontein Sports Grounds, Cape Town, were shot at with rubber bullets by police after they began to protest about conditions at the tent camp set up as part of the national lockdown to disrupt the spread of Covid-19. The protest possibly broke out after some people who were moved to the […]

South Africa’s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says as of Tuesday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 1 749. The Minister also expressed concern about the high number of positive cases of coronavirus at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban, KZN, where staff and patients have been infected. “There is also another death, bringing the […]

On 26 March 2020, Cyril Ramaphosa ordered that a 21-day lockdown be implemented until 16 April 2020. As part of these measures, the SANDF was deployed to assist police in ensuring residents stay indoors during this lockdown, except to buy food and medication or to get medical attention… writes Durban photographer Kierran Allen who is […]

Three men in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, had a miracle escape – missing death by inches – when a speeding car ploughed straight through the front of a busy petrol station. As the shocking video below shows, just 10 seconds earlier the two customers had been walking in the exact spot where the VW Golf smashed […]

On Monday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa rose to 1 686 – an increase of 31 from the previously reported cases, with one new death reported. Gauteng still leads the pack with the highest number of cases at 713, followed by the Western Cape at 462 and KwaZulu-Natal with 257. […]

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved Monday evening into the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in London. A spokesperson for No. 10 Downing Street said: “Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of […]

South African media outlet News24 has apologised for publishing a false news story that claimed American philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates wants to test a vaccine in Africa. News24 admitted in a tweet on Sunday evening: “On Saturday, we published a story about philanthropist Bill Gates’ support for SA with Covid-19. We wrongly reported […]

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced that as of Sunday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 1 655, with 11 confirmed deaths. The Minister said this is an increase of 70 cases from the previous update issued on Saturday. Gauteng remains the province with the highest number of cases with 704, followed by […]

Western Cape amateur film maker Gershwin Williams has captured haunting footage of Cape Town under lockdown, during South Africa’s 21-day Lockdown. Gershwin says: “A dose of my experiences in and around Cape Town, South Africa.” Gershwin was able to capture the scenes of desolation because “I have an essential services permit, so I took my […]

As of today, Saturday 4 April 2020, South Africa has recorded 1,585 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and has nine confirmed fatalities. A public announcement has also been issued for former patients at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban to get in touch with authorities. The Department of Health said: “We have received a report from KZN […]

IPID is also investigating 13 complaints related to shootings and 14 assault cases… writes Daneel Knoetze. Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has registered six cases of “death as a result of police action” during the first week of the national Covid-19 lockdown, between midnight on 26 March and 2 April. Added to the tally of […]

Dear Family and Friends, On an early morning emergency dash to collect supplies I was anxious about venturing out and what I would see. It was Day 5 of Zimbabwe’s 21-day Coronavirus lockdown and I knew that by now people who live hand to mouth and eke out a living selling fruit and vegetables from […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences at the passing of Freedom Front Plus founding leader and former Chief of the then South African Defence Force, General Constand Viljoen. Aged 86, Viljoen passed away peacefully on Friday afternoon at his farm in Ohrigstad, Mpumalanga. The President offered his sincere condolences to Risti Viljoen and the […]

As rating agency Fitch announced its decision to downgrade South Africa from ‘BB+’ to ‘BB’, placing the country further into non-investment grade, the SA government has emphasised its commitment to implement structural economic reforms. In a statement on Friday, government said it has noted the decision by the agency. In its decision, Fitch cited the […]

Former Stellenbosch Mayor Conrad Sidego has sadly passed away at the age of 73. DA Leader John Steenhuisen said: “Saddened to hear of the passing of the DA former mayor of Stellenbosch, Conrad Sidego, a man who lived life to the fullest and who had a passion for service. Condolences to his family and friends […]

The Duduza Clinic near Nigel in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, has been shut indefinitely today – Thursday 2 April – following a resident nurse testing positive for Covid-19.  The infected nurse was reportedly among the 859 churchgoers whom attended a prayer meeting – the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast – at the Divine Restoration Ministries in Bloemfontein, earlier […]