Crowned “a new kind of global pop star” by The New York Times, award-winning South African rap disruptor Sho Madjozi has officially signed to Epic Records, it was announced today. She joins the label’s esteemed roster as the only South African act in North America. Epic Records’ Chairman and CEO Sylvia Rhone said, “African artists are enjoying an unprecedented […]

The South African Government says it remains “gravely concerned” at the intention of Israel to proceed with its unilateral action to annex strategic areas of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) in the West Bank and Jordan Valley, from 1 July 2020. Israel’s annexation plans represent a unilateral negation of the two-state solution, and are opposed […]

The Kiffness has produced yet another parody offering insight into the world we are currently living in – The Gallows… a parody of Lady Gaga’s mega-hit ‘Shallow’. This time he’s joined by his wife (who usually plays an entertaining background role). The Kiffness – aka Dave Scott – says that the “views expressed in this […]

At least 132 civilian claims have been made against the members of the Gauteng SAPS since the inception of the national lockdown period, according to Gauteng Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko. According to Mazibuko, of these 132 claims, 79 claims are being processed, 44 claims are under investigation and only nine claims have been finalised. […]

The supplementary budget tabled last week by South Africa’s finance minister, Tito Mboweni, whose primary objective was to make more money available for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, sheds no light on the relative prioritisation of prevention over treatment for COVID-19. Alex van den Heever reports. The required health system response to COVID 19 […]

As many as two dozen ships at a time could be seen lying anchored in Table Bay the last few weeks, while berths in the harbour were almost empty. The Western Cape government said it has requested a meeting with Minister Pravin Gordhan to deal with the challenges facing Cape Town harbour that are losing […]

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, and the number of diseases associated with it, seems to be increasing worldwide. Africa is known to have a huge burden of disease, but little is known about the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. In our recent paper, we reviewed and analysed all published studies that assessed the vitamin […]

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has called on the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) leadership to reconsider their decision to incite lawlessness, and place their drivers and passengers on a collision course with law enforcement authorities. This comes after Santaco announced that it has taken a decision to revert to 100% loading capacity in its […]

Government has welcomed two high court judgments dismissing challenges related to the Disaster Management Act and its regulations. On 26 June, the Western Cape High Court dismissed an application that sought to challenge the constitutionality of the National Coronavirus Command Council as a subcommittee of Cabinet. In a separate case, the Gauteng High Court dismissed […]

South Africa’s President – and Chairperson of the Africa Union – Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated Dr Lazarus Chakwera on his historic election as the President of the Republic of Malawi. Dr Chakwera posted a short message on Twitter on Sunday evening, saying: “It’s an honour.” President Ramaphosa has also congratulated all stakeholders for the success […]

Nature intended rhino to have horns… but thanks to an insatiable and totally misguided belief that that horn can cure illnesses, the rhino in Pilanesberg reserve have just been dehorned in the world’s largest rhino dehorning operation ever. It took nine days, two helicopters and 30 ground support staff per team (there were two teams) […]

Former Miss World, Anneline Kriel, has posted a message about ageing that has touched thousands of South Africans across the country, with over 5,000 liking her post since it was published yesterday. Anneline, who was once married to the late South African hotel magnate Sol Kerzner, posted two photos of herself – one from ‘then’ […]

As predicted by the South African Weather Service (SAWS), a cold front made landfall this morning in the South West Cape, bringing with it sheets of hard rain and gale force winds… reminding locals why it’s known as the Cape of Storms. SAWS cautioned residents to keep checking for alerts and “stay safe”. “Rain is […]

The South African cabinet has said it supports the establishment of a new airline out of South African Airways and has backed the concerted efforts to mobilise funding from various sources that could see the proposed carrier take off. The mobilising of funding would include potential equity partners, government said in a post-Cabinet meeting statement. […]

It’s been a long week… so here, simply for your viewing pleasure, are some fabulous photos from Western Cape photographer Robyn Gwilt. Robyn says: “My niece has been asking for pix of proteas and yesterday I ran into my favourite Protea farmer Lindsay Madden, from the farm Heilfontein in Tesselaarsdal in the Hemel en Aarde […]

Whether you pour one litre of water into a bucket riddled with holes, or a thousand litres, the outcome will be the same: There will be no water left. So writes Theo de Jager, head of the SA Agri Initiative (SAAi) and president of the World Agricultural Organisation. The bottom line of Finance Minister Tito […]

It’s one of the most controversial poaching prevention measures, but dehorning rhinos to reduce their value for poachers, is a method that some conservationists believe simply must be employed. So when South Africa went into lockdown, two small expert teams in the Pilanesberg National Park in the North West, which has suffered several rhino poaching […]

All across South Africa there are amazing people stepping up to help each other though Lockdown. Many motorists are now travelling with extra food to give to the increasing number of homeless people begging at traffic lights. Strangers across the land are cooking or donating to help starving families in townships. But it’s not only […]

Saai, an organisation that represents the interests of family farmers, will be in the Western Cape High Court in early August 2020 on behalf of farmers and farmworkers to have the government’s regulations on the banning of legal tobacco sales declared unconstitutional and invalid. The case will be heard together with nine other applicants, headed […]

Cinemas, restaurants, theatres and casinos can start operating again, albeit under strict conditions, after having closed for three months in the COVID-19 enforced lockdown. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, on Thursday signed and gazetted an amendment to the regulations for the advanced COVID-19 alert level 3 lockdown. Restaurants have […]

It’s happened again. In spite of holding all necessary legal documentation from the South African Embassy in China, 23 South Africans have been refused permission to board a connecting flight on Air Asia from Guangzhou in China to Kuala Lumpur, after which they would be repatriated home to SA. Some, who had spent their last […]

Zeblon Vilakazi, a professor who is “globally recognised for his scientific work,” has been selected to replace Professor Adam Habib as the next vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Witwatersrand. He will take over his role on 1 January. Professor Vilakazi’s appointment was announced today by the Council of the University of the Witwatersrand […]

The government has promised that the calamitous journey of its Medupi power plant, said to be the fourth-biggest in the world and first started in 2007, will be over this year and its sister plant Kusile completed in 2023. This was stated when Deputy President David Mabuza answered a question in Parliament today. He said […]

Two nurses at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, yesterday shared the heartbreaking reality of their working lives right now, during these Covid-19 times… when a coronavirus cure is still but a dream, and being admitted to ICU is a nightmare for the patients, their family who can’t visit and the medical staff […]

After the arrest of eight of the top officials of VBS Mutual Bank last week for their alleged involvement in the plundering of R2 billion from the bank, the first member of a municipality has been arrested. The acting CFO of the Merafong Municipality west of Johannesburg, Thys Wienekus, was arrested earlier today for his […]