Five suspects in the brutal murders in August of Glen and Vida Rafferty on their KwaZulu-Natal farm have been arrested. The SA Police Service said in a brief statement today, “Last night detectives from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit arrested 5 suspects who were detained for questioning in connection with the murder of the Raffertys […]

South African municipalities in good financial standing – Cape Town, Ekurhuleni and many in the Western Cape – will be able to develop their own generation plants and procure power from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), according to new legislation gazetted today. Until now, municipalities have had to buy power from Eskom and have suffered from […]

Rail operations could change dramatically for the better, at least in the Western Cape, where a strategic nerve centre was opened today to digitally control a network that was until now manually controlled, if controlled at all. Opening the Bellville Rail Management & Traffic Control Centre, the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula also spoke about […]

Two suspects appeared in the Senekal Magistrate’s Court in the Free State Friday, charged with the murder of 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner. The suspects have been named as Sekwetje Isaiah Mahlamba, 32 and Sekola Piet Matlaletsa, 44. Mahlamba was the first to take to the stand, where he said he would be applying for […]

Protesters have been gathering on Friday morning in Senekal, South Africa, for the appearance of two suspects in the recent murder of 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner. (See videos below.) After a violent protest last Tuesday when the suspects first appeared, today there is a far stronger police presence. All entrances to Senekal have checkpoints, […]

About 150 farm workers marched from Hanover Street to Parliament in Cape Town on Thursday in response to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development’s latest land reform strategy. Women on Farms supported by numerous organisations led a march to Parliament to demand land. The march marked International Rural Women’s Day and and […]

The nation’s eyes are fixed on the Senekal Magistrate’s Court for the Brendin Horner farm murder suspects’ second appearance on Friday (16 October) – both suspects of whom Police Minister Bheki Cele described as serial offenders and stock thieves. Last week violent scenes erupted when the suspects appeared for the first time. An angry crowd […]

CoGTA Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has once again extended the national state of disaster, which was set to expire today, justifying it with “the need to continue augmenting the existing legislation and contingency arrangements undertaken by organs of state to address the impact of the disaster”… writes John Steenhuisen – Leader of the Democratic Alliance – […]

The following is a full transcript of President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s address to Parliament on Thursday, 15 October 2020: I have requested this sitting of the Joint Houses of Parliament to present the plan for the reconstruction and recovery of our economy and our country. In contrast to the State of the Nation Address, where we […]

When Phumeza Booi Welisa from New Crossroads in Cape Town could not find a school suitable for her son with autism, she had no choice but to start her own. Phumeza Booi Welisa couldn’t find a school for her son with autism so she started a school. Her school has children with and without autism. […]

With the potentially lucrative summer travel season about to begin, the government will soon update the list of nationalities allowed into South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said today. The list of countries banned from entering South Africa announced on 1 October was extensive, including the UK and USA. “Although international tourist travel is likely only […]

After a fire at an unoccupied student residence at the Westville campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Monday, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande has called for swift action against the perpetrators. “The destruction of university property is a criminal offence and all those engaging in such acts must be arrested […]

The South African Government has committed R100 billion to create 800,000 employment opportunities over the next three years, to help build a ‘new economy’. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this at a joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament in a hybrid session on the Reconstruction and Recovery Plan aimed at steering the country back to […]

A South African living in New Zealand and running for public office lists himself as an “apartheid survivor” and being in favour of reducing immigration into the country. Martin Frauenstein is standing for the New Conservative Party (NCP) in the town of Ōtaki outside Wellington. He promotes himself as an “apartheid survivor” and “valuing life […]

Three robbery suspects were fatally wounded in Marlboro on Wednesday in a shootout with members of the Hawks’ Tactical Operational Management Section and Gauteng Traffic Police’s Saturation unit, assisted by security companies. According to police, the joint team received intelligence about a suspicious vehicle which was going to be used in an armed robbery. Police […]

The South African police in the province of Mpumalanga have launched a manhunt following the discovery of an 80-year-old woman’s body at Pankop near Mmamethlake on Monday, 12 October 2020. According to the South African Police Service, their preliminary investigation suggests the woman was living with her 10-year-old grandson and a caregiver who is believed […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to appear before Parliament this afternoon to outline the country’s much-anticipated economic recovery plan. The President last week wrote to National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson Amos Masondo about his intention to call a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. […]

At the start of October, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Chinese government lauded South Africa’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Yet data concerning both the spread of the virus and the indirect consequences of the lockdown suggest that the severe restrictions imposed in South Africa – some of the strictest in the […]

The wife of a senior general in the SANDF, Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu, was arrested today and released on R80,000 bail following her appearance on charges of fraud, involving about R100m. The charges by the National Prosecuting Authority allege that the SANDF awarded a R24 million tender to her company “Ukhumba Marine” to transport SANDF equipment back […]

Members of Parliament have heard how R44.4 million was channelled from Eskom’s contractors, through sub-contracted companies, to four Eskom officials in a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe, which has led to four arrests. Briefing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday, the SIU told MPs that suspicious payments by four contractors were […]

One of the most publicised whistleblowers in the state capture enquiry, Angelo Agrizzi, has been denied bail because he is considered a flight risk after allegedly moving millions of rand out of the country. The state had filed an affidavit declaring Agrizzi, formerly COO of Bosasa, a flight risk. Palm Ridge Magistrate Philip Venter agreed: “I […]

The South African Cabinet has announced its decision to further extend the National State of Disaster by one month. Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of COGTA (Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs), explained in a tweet on Wednesday afternoon: “This period will allow government a progressive and responsible return to normal. It will help us put […]

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) will investigate allegations that members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) are involved in the stock theft syndicate operating in the Senekal-area in the Free State. Rumours surfaced on social media following the arrest of two alleged stock thieves, charged with the murder of young farm manager Brendin […]

Environmental activists of the Umbilo River Community are calling on the eThekwini Municipality to take urgent action to improve the water quality of the Umbilo River. They say recent tests have shown very high amounts of E. coli bacteria, some strains of which can be harmful to people relying on the river. The group is […]

“COVID-19”, “Jerusalema” and “lockdown” have been shortlisted by the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), in association with media research company, Focal Points as candidates for SA Word of the Year 2020. The SA Word of the Year is a word, term or expression preferred to reflect the passing year in language. To qualify for […]