An operation by the Hawks and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has led to the seizure of 1.6 tonnes of abalone valued at R2.37 million! According to a recent investigative programme by Carte Blanche, abalone poaching is so rampant in South Africa it is driving the shellfish to extinction. The revenue service said in […]

For weeks two opposing conspiracy theories about Cape Town’s drought have been circulating. One appears to have traction in the Muslim community, and the other in the Jewish community. In the past few days they’ve entered the mainstream, one receiving support from an ANC politician and the other from the Wall Street Journal. News24 reported […]

Acting National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata, says the crime busting unit is still on the hunt for five other suspects in relation to corruption on the Estina Dairy Farm project in Vrede, Free State. “Eight suspects were arrested and appeared in court. Five suspects are outstanding. We […]

A cut in funding from the Lottery has forced the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), to reduce its free services, including the work it does in poor communities. Since its launch 62 years ago, one of the services it has offered is the care and treatment of beasts of burden, like […]

Following a complaint by the DA, the Public Protector has found Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown guilty of misleading Parliament, when she failed to disclose if there had been any contracts of engagement between Eskom and Gupta-linked, Trillian. The report has now given President Cyril Ramaphosa 14 days to take action against the Minister after it found […]

Famous KwaZulu-Natal landmark, Nottingham Road Rail Station, burnt to the ground on Wednesday. Watch video below. Nottingham Road Hotel posted the video on Facebook and said it had been “such a sad day”. The Hotel thanks Nottingham Road South African Police Service (SAPS) for its “swift action” and said “we are blessed that Notties Hotel […]

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba joked about his Candy Crush ‘addiction’ during his 2018 Budget Speech in Parliament on Wednesday… laying to rest any suspicions (or hopes) that the Candy Crush picture last week had been photoshopped! The Minister was photographed playing Candy Crush on Friday evening, during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s maiden State of the Nation […]

Police top brass have condemned the “cold-blooded attack” of the police officers stationed at the Ngcobo Police Station in Umtata, Eastern Cape, in South Africa. An unknown group of armed suspects entered the police station in the early hours of this morning and without warning, randomly opened fire on the members on duty. Three members […]

South African National Parks (SANParks) rangers and South African Police Service (SAPS) are on high alert following the mugging of a Dutch couple in Wilderness yesterday. ‘We received the news with shock at about 14:30 yesterday and immediately responded by increasing the number of rangers patrolling the Brown Hooded trail’ says Paddy Gordon, Park Manager […]

Operations are back to normal at OR Tambo International Airport in Ekurhuleni, following the discovery of an unattended bag earlier in the day… which sparked fears of a planted bomb. Speaking to SAnews, Senior Manager Corporate Affairs at the airport Leigh Gunkel-Keuler, said the bag was found near the international arrivals airport terminal. “Upon the discovery of […]

A Bellville family of three – husband, wife and daughter – were attacked during an early morning stroll on Noordhoek Beach in Kommetjie on Saturday morning… but thanks to a ‘miracle’ they survived. Despite reports by NSRI and local media outlets that only the wife was attacked, the husband was too… but thanks to fate […]

Eish, SABC news anchor Peter Ndoro mistakenly reported this morning that South Africa’s brand new President, Cyril Ramaphosa, had passed away. The South African Broadcasting Corporation reporter muddled Ramaphosa’s name with that of former Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who died on Wednesday from colon cancer. Just last month Ndoro mistakenly said that IFP leader Prince […]

A South African television reporter was a little surprised by the responses he received from people in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, last night… after President Jacob Zuma’s resignation. “Gee Whizz,” said a shocked Nickolaus Bauer, after revellers in the city called Zuma a “mother f***er” and said “f *** him” during his live interviews with them on […]

The owner of Fairview Wine and Cheese farm in the Paarl region of the Western Cape, South Africa – Charles Back – has posted an inspiring message that conveys such hope for SA, despite having suffered a brutal attack on his popular farm… where he was left for dead. Charles, who also owns The Goats […]

Capetonians are celebrating the news that Day Zero has been pushed back to 4 June 2018, as a result of the lowest daily consumption average yet of 529 million litres a day for the past week. Well done Cape Town!!! But as these photos – taken by Byron Martin on Sunday – show, more needs to be […]

Good-hearted South Africans raised over half a million rand for Cape Town ‘superhero’ Darryn August, after he was allegedly stabbed and thrown off a train by attackers in April 2016, while he was trying  to protect passengers including a pregnant woman. But Carte Blanche has revealed another side to the story, in an episode that […]

The Hawks have welcomed the sentencing of the thirteen accused who are implicated in one of the biggest cash heists ever carried out in South Africa. The accused include three former police officers, amongst them a former commander of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime unit in Mpumalanga, Bhekane Welcome Gcabashe, and two other ex-officers, Lekele […]

On Monday at around 2am, the third fire in less than a year blazed through the informal settlement of Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay. Around 350 people have been displaced, according to City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson Theo Layne. On Monday, residents were busy registering their names with officials. Rescued belongings were […]

A man, suspected of being a lion poacher, was reportedly eaten by lions at a private game park near the Kruger National Park in South Africa, on Friday night. Lieutenant Colonel Moatshe’ Ngoepe, from the South African Police Service (SAPS), said in a statement on Saturday that police were investigating after a man was killed […]

It’s been blistering hot in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and it appears even one of the world’s most dangerous snakes needed to cool off on Thursday evening! According to a statement by Crocworld Conservation Centre, a male teenager almost tripped over the 2.8 metre Black Mamba as he was jogging past the Cutty Sark Hotel, just […]

A powerful photo from Sullivan Photography of the Southern Cross / Donkerhoek Fire, taken Thursday night at 18h20, captures the intensity of the multitude of fires which have blazed across the Simonsberg and Overberg areas in the Western Cape of South Africa in the past couple of weeks… wreaking havoc and causing untold tragedy as […]

While Capetonians awoke to a slightly overcast day, there is the promise that the latest Cold Front is going to start showering the region with much-welcomed rain later today, filling some of the Western Cape’s parched dams which have been drying up during its worst drought in recorded history. “Here comes thaaat Cape Town front […]

Former acting National Police Commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane, appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes court Thursday morning, to face alleged corruption and money-laundering charges. Phahlane and his wife, Beauty, handed themselves over to the authorities. Phahlane has been facing allegations of corruption and has been under investigation by the police watchdog, Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). […]

I first met Julia Albu, one of the Grand Dames of the PR industry, some 25 years ago… writes Melanie Walker. Larger than life with a voice to match, Jooooolia was definitely one person who I would always say yes to whenever she asked me to get involved in the ‘Hat Day at the Races’ […]

The South African Police Service (SAPS) and concerned friends and family have called on fellow South Africans to please help in finding missing Eastern Cape grandmother Denise Bartlett, who was abducted from her home in Sterkstroom on Monday evening. (UPDATE 9 February 2018: Awesome news as E. Cape granny Denise Bartlett has been found alive!) […]