JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan on Wednesday challenged in court a ‘Rogue Unit’ report by the Public Protector (SA’s anti-corruption watchdog) that instructed President Cyril Ramaphosa to take unspecified disciplinary action against Gordhan. Gordhan launched an urgent application to set aside the Public Protector’s report, calling it “dishonest” and “reckless”. Last […]

Former Springbok rugby player James Small has tragically died today – Wednesday 10 July 2019 – from a sudden heart attack. The South African sports legend was 50. The Springboks broke the news on Twitter, saying: “We have some very sad news – former Springbok wing James Small has passed away. #RIPJamesSmall.” According to a […]

Provincial roads in Middelburg in the Eastern Cape are posing a threat to residents and the economy, according to a DA Councillor with the Inxuba Yethemba municipality, Handri Vorster. Vorster claims that Church Street, in particular, is in such a bad shape that “some motorists are forced to drive on the pavement” resulting in several […]

In South Africa we like to go BIG… and here’s the proof. Watch this footage of a garden in Reservoir Hills, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) where they were visited not by one extremely venomous Black Mamba snake… but by FIVE in a week! Nick Evans – superman Snake Rescuer at KZN Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Centre […]

A woman giving birth at an infamous KwaZulu-Natal hospital was asked for her cell phone to use its torch during the procedure because the facility’s lighting did not work, the Democratic Alliance has alleged in a complaint to the KZN government. “The patient, who wishes to remain anonymous, had to have a surgical procedure known […]

The South African Police Service in the Western Cape has initiated a 72 hour Action Plan following several shooting incidents in the Philippi East, Cape Flats area since Friday (5 July), which have led to multiple deaths. It began on Friday evening when  police were alerted to the discovery of six female bodies in Marcus […]

South Africans were left a little surprised by a Twitter war – aka Twar – that went down on Friday between none other than Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Gauteng Premier David Makhura. Following comments made by Makhura regarding e-Tolls (the user-pay system on Gauteng’s freeways), Mboweni lambasted him about long-term returns, the similarity to […]

LONDON – Argentine Guido Pella pulled off a major upset at Wimbledon on Friday, beating fourth seed and 2018 finalist South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in straight sets to reach the last-16 of a Grand Slam for the first time. The 29-year-old, who beat the big-serving SA expat 6-4 6-3 7-6(4), will play Canada’s Milos Raonic […]

ROME – A volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupted unexpectedly on Wednesday, releasing hot trapped magma in a powerful explosion, killing one person – believed to be a tourist – and enveloping the popular tourist destination in ash, witnesses and local officials said. (Watch video below.) The person, believed to be a tourist, […]

Social media users were left confused – and frustrated – on Wednesday when their images on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram wouldn’t load… with rumours abounding in South Africa that it was caused by “Facebook cables stolen in the Midrand”. But this was untrue. As reported by SAPeople members around the world – from Germany and […]

The South African government has said it learnt with “deep regret” about the tragic loss of life following an airstrike on a migrant detention centre in Tripoli, Libya, that killed at least 44 people, mainly migrants. Over 130 more were left wounded according to the UN (United Nations) mission to Libya. For migrants who are […]

A 34-year-old British woman, on a mission to clean up the ocean’s plastic pollution, has tragically drowned off the coast of Durban, South Africa, after the catamaran she was travelling on suffered massive damage during a “severe storm” on Monday. The eco researcher, named as Sara King in UK reports, was travelling with her dog […]

LONDON – The body of a suspected stowaway from Africa fell hundreds of meters from a plane flying over southwest London, landing in the garden of a man’s home, just missing him – by only a metre! – as he sunbathed, according to neighbours. Police believe the man fell into the property in Clapham from […]

The heatwave which gripped parts of Europe in the past few days was felt not just by millions of humans, but by the many wild animals held captive in zoos across the continent. As temperatures rose to record-breaking figures – 45.9 degrees in southern France – Reuters photographers captured photos of some of the zoo […]

The proposal to transfer Gauteng Academic Hospitals to South Africa’s national government would dangerously fragment the health system in Gauteng and jeopardise academic training for student doctors, claims DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom. Reacting to Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s State of the Province speech in Soweto yesterday, Bloom said in a media statement […]

Billions in mining royalties intended to uplift poor communities are potentially being squandered, stolen or diverted due to in-fighting and maladministration of these funds. That’s the conclusion of Mmashudu Masutha and Deborah Mutemwa-Tumbo, authors of Corruption Watch’s Mining Royalties Research Report 2018, which examined communities in Limpopo and North West provinces and found that the payment […]

An iconic desert-dwelling elephant named Voortrekker, beloved by many in southern Africa, has been killed by a trophy hunter in Namibia, it was confirmed by Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) on Sunday evening. There has been an outpouring of absolute heartbreak and outrage at the news by conservationists. Johannes Haasbroek who worked at EHRA for […]

The people in Zimbabwe are hurting right now because we love this place so much and we can’t bear to see it like this… writes entrepreneur Anton Bhana. People are tempted to leave and some are leaving, but to be honest nobody really wants to leave. We love this place. Even those who have left […]

Here’s the line-up of hot topics that the Carte Blanche team tackle this Sunday 30 June in an extended 90-minute episode – watch here if you’re in SA, and don’t miss out if you’re abroad: the current affairs programme is available to stream from Tues 2 July on Showmax International in many countries: South Africa […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has responded to a notice issued by the Public Protector regarding an investigation into his alleged violations of the Executive Ethics Code. The investigation relates to a payment of R500 000 from Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson to the President’s election campaign for the ANC presidency. At the end of May 2019 the […]

CHESTER-LE-STREET, England – A swarm of bees forced the players of South Africa and Sri Lanka to dive onto the ground during their Cricket World Cup clash at the Riverside Stadium on Friday — but for many on the pitch there was a sense of deja vu. Bees halting international cricket matches is not common, […]

Europe’s record-breaking heat wave – which has seen temperatures soar to over 45 degrees in some parts – is putting South Africans in the shade, literally. A large reservoir of hot air from the Sahara has engulfed Europe, with France registering its hottest day ever on record today, the first time the country has raised […]

One of the scariest elephant charges in Africa ever is going viral on social media at the moment. Watch below. The video was uploaded by Kuiseb Delta Adventures, which offers quad bike and 4×4 tours in Namibia… but it’s not sure who actually filmed the video or where. What is certain is that is was […]

Twenty-six police officers in South Africa have been killed since the beginning of 2019, and the government has pledged to take action to find the guilty parties and bring them to justice. Nine people have already been given life sentences for these crimes. Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Minister in the […]

Multi-coloured balloons, knitting wool and the sound of children chattering filled the Manenberg Library, Cape Town, on Wednesday morning. The suburb has been plagued by gang violence and deadly shootings. In the midst of this the public library has been a safe haven for children living nearby. The library hosts programmes and fun activities to […]