At the start of lockdown South Africans rallied to support President Ramaphosa, grateful for his leadership in steering the nation away from disaster and tragedy. But now, it appears, many are starting to get impatient… perhaps disappointed by the rewardless transition to Level Four, which – apart from a three-hour jogging window early in the […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared days of national mourning for the struggle stalwart Denis Goldberg who passed away in the early hours of Thursday. In terms of this declaration, the National Flag is to fly at half-mast at every station in the country from Friday, 1 May 2020 to Monday, 4 May 2020, as a […]

Alcohol consumers in South Africa are getting plastered on pineapples after the nationwide alcohol ban in lockdown sparked a craze of turning the tropical fruit into powerful home-brew. Supermarket bosses have revealed that TEN times as many pineapples are being sold at TWICE the price since off-licences and bars were closed down 5 weeks ago […]

Depending on where you were today during the first hours of freedom for walkers, joggers and bikers since lockdown began 35 days ago, it was chaos or total quiet. Much attention on social media focused on the Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town, where a larger than usual crowd came out. Bloubergstrand was almost as […]

In a salute to the frontline workers in the fight against the Coronavirus the members of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra have created an incredible video of Cape Town seen from a drone while they play the “Intermezzo” from the opera “Cavalleria Rusticana.” It is part of a series of lockdown concerts by the […]

Police were accused of killing five people during the enforcement of the first three weeks of Covid-19 lockdown… writes Daneel Knoetze for Viewfinder. Police were accused of killing five people during the enforcement of the first three weeks of Covid-19 lockdown, recently published statistics have confirmed. The details of two of those alleged killings have not […]

Video footage of thousands of people queuing for food parcels near Centurion, South Africa, on Wednesday has gone viral around the world, raising concerns that humanitarian aid is needed. (Watch video below.) The aerial footage captures the desperate situation for many people in South Africa who have found themselves without an income or food during […]

Denis Theodore Goldberg, one of the stalwarts in the fight against apartheid in South Africa, has passed on at the age of 87. He was one of the two last remaining activists who were tried for sabotage in 1963-1964 along with Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada. Goldberg was born into a family of […]

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has conveyed his condolences following the passing of Rivonia trialist and Esteemed Member of the Order of Luthuli, Denis Theodore Goldberg. “My thoughts are with Denis Goldberg’s family and his comrades around the country and around the world. This is a sad moment for our nation and a moment for […]

The South African wildlife crime documentary STROOP – journey into the rhino horn war, by director Susan Scott and television presenter Bonné de Bod, scooped the award for Best Natural History and Environmental Programme at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) on Wednesday night. This is the 28th award for the film which […]

The South African government has expressed disappointment at rating agency S&P’s decision to downgrade South Africa’s sovereign rating amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement on Wednesday night, government said it noted the decision by the rating agency to lower South Africa’s long term foreign and local currency debt ratings further into non-investment grade to […]

Julia Raphaely, CEO at Associated Media Publishing (AMP), issued a statement on Thursday announcing the closure of AMP. Her announcement was met with shock and sadness by readers, as well as by fellow colleagues in the publishing industry which has been hit hard by advertisers reducing their budgets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Writing on LinkedIn, […]

An orphaned baby zebra spent the night in its rescuer’s childhood bedroom last night, as lockdown regulations and other challenges in Zimbabwe meant it was too late to get the newborn to the Free to be Wild Sanctuary where it is headed. Baye Pigors, who founded the sanctuary in 2014, said at 9pm last night […]

If you’re confused about what is and is not allowed as South Africa transitions tomorrow – Friday 1 May 2020 – from Level 5 to Level 4 Regulations, here’s a handy description of the new restrictions, compiled by award-winning journalist and author Mandy Wiener. Between 8pm and 5am you have to be at home unless […]

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 5 350, with 103 deaths reported. This is an increase of 354 from Tuesday. “This is the highest number of cases in a 24-hour cycle recorded to date and represents a 73% increase relative to the day before,” said Minister of Health, Dr Zweli […]

The Drakensberg Boys Choir in KwaZulu-Natal has produced a wonderfully fun and light-hearted parody of Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’… starring not only the boys, but their teachers too. Deidre Alcock, from the famous South African school, told SAPeople: “Our school campus is a bleak and miserable place when there are no boys around and when […]

Several of the beaches most loved by Capetonians for surfing, swimming and sunset picnics are polluted enough to fail the minimum water quality guidelines over the last two years, according to a report released by the City of Cape Town. Muizenberg, Fish Hoek, Monwabisi and Beta Beach are among 31 polluted sites along Cape Town’s […]

ANC stalwart Denis Goldberg has passed away at the age of 87. A statement on Thursday morning said: “His family and the Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust are very sad to announce that Denis Goldberg passed away just before midnight on Wednesday 29 April 2020. “His was a life well lived in the struggle for […]

The Kiffness has given us so many fantastic songs during Lockdown, but this heartwarming video will be remembered as one of the most special – a duet with his father. Watch below as the father and son team sing (via Skype) a Cat Stevens (Yusuf) Lockdown Parody – based on, of course, ‘Father and Son’… […]

A beautiful heartfelt initiative by a teacher in Johannesburg, South Africa, who wanted to help her learners not miss out during Lockdown, has gone viral around the world. (Watch video below.) Pamela Kantor, who teaches at a government school attended by many kids from Alex (Alexandra township), was devastated that during lockdown (because of coronavirus) […]

What started as a dream holiday in the Maldives turned into a mega repatriation mission as South Africa and the world began to lock down borders… writes Jenna Berndt. A Flight Centre customer and his travel agent started a rescue mission that involved three weeks of sleepless nights, a US$104 000 charter flight, government approval […]

The South African government has outlined the process for the application of the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant for individuals who are currently unemployed. Addressing a media briefing on Wednesday in Pretoria, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said the qualifying applicants will be paid R350 per month from May – October 2020. The grant […]

A conservation biologist from South Africa has won a prestigious Whitley Award worth £40,000 to support her quest to save threatened amphibians… in a “giant leap for amphibian conservation”. Jeanne Tarrant, known locally as the “Frog Lady”, works for the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), where she manages the Threatened Amphibian Programme. EWT is the only […]

South African futurist and strategy consultant Graeme Codrington has issued a sobering reality check – there will be no overseas holidays this year, he says in the video message below. The SA author and founding director of strategic insights firm, TomorrowToday, says too many people think life will just rapidly return to normal when lockdown ends. […]

Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi is making international headlines again, although this time the man who helped feed the spirit and soul of SA when he led his team to victory in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, is literally helping to feed the stomachs of fellow South Africans during the coronavirus pandemic. Siya told CNN: […]