President Cyril Ramaphosa will this evening, Monday, 18 April 2022, address the nation on the South African government’s response to catastrophic floods which have devastated parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape. The address follows a special Cabinet meeting yesterday where the SA government assessed the social and economic aftermath of flooding in the […]

The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism says it has begun an investigation into allegations made by a tourist, Zainab Oladehinde, of sexual assault and robbery she suffered in a hotel on the Tanzanian island last April. Nigerian national Zainab Oladehinde, who turns 24 today, had visited the island as a solo traveller last year to celebrate […]

The Monaco Royal family has wished everyone a Happy Easter, and blessed royal fans with photos of the family which include Princess Charlene for the first time in months. The Princess herself also posted a loving family photo on her Instagram account, saying simply: “Happy Easter ❤️” The Princess has been shielded from the public […]

A police rescuer in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and a police dog, have tragically died during a search and rescue operation, following the KZN floods which devastated parts of the province last week and left 443 people dead, according to COGTA. Dean Macpherson, DA Shadow Minister of Trade, tweeted yesterday: “More sadness and broken hearts for us […]

A fire destroyed about 300 shacks in Langa, Cape Town on Saturday night, affecting about 1,200 people according to Mayco Member JP Smith. The cause of the fire is unknown. By Vincent Lali. It was one of three fires in Langa on Saturday, according to Smith. The two earlier ones occurred in the early morning […]

My heart aches for each and everyone of you out there who has been affected by the flood… writes Kierran Allen, from Kierran Allen Photography. (Kierran captured these images today between Westville and Hillcrest, following the devastating KZN floods which have left at least 400 dead.) Words cannot express the feelings I felt today walking through people’s […]

Tokyo marathon Olympian Gerda Steyn showed why she is queen of the South African roads when winning a third consecutive Two Oceans Marathon title in record time on an idyllic Easter Sunday morning in Cape Town. The 32-year-old became the first athlete in 22 years to claim a hat-trick of victories in the 56km race […]

Eskom has ‘regretfully’ implemented Stage 2 load shedding – ie. power cuts – in South Africa from 16:00 this afternoon (Easter Sunday) until 05:00 on Wednesday, 20 April, as a result of additional generation unit losses and delayed return to service of generators. The power utility cautioned that higher stages of loadshedding may be required. […]

A young woman who travelled alone to a hotel in Zanzibar last year, to celebrate her 23rd birthday, has posted a string of tweets today alleging that the hotel, and the police on the Tanzanian island, covered up a traumatic attack she suffered in her room in the dead of night. Zainab Oladehinde claims that […]

It reads like a Hollywood blockbuster – pets go missing in South Africa, and a well-intentioned stranger ostensibly picks them up. But the plot unravels as he turns nasty and demands a ransom for their safe return. You can watch Carte Blanche on Sunday 17 April in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it […]

DURBAN (Reuters) – South Africans were searching for survivors on Friday of floods that killed almost 400 people, according to the latest tally, washing away homes and roads and leaving thousands without shelter, water and power. By Rogan Ward. The floods in Kwazulu-Natal Province have knocked out power lines, shut down water services and disrupted […]

Rapid urbanisation and government failure to deliver adequate housing are among the driving forces behind the proliferation of informal settlements across South African cities and towns. These informal settlements are notorious for their perilous and unhealthy conditions. This has been sharply illustrated in recent flooding in Ethekwini (Durban), the port city in KwaZulu-Natal province, and […]

I first saw Nkosinathi Maphumulo aka Black Coffee perform at Amaros Night Club in Pretoria, South Africa during the late 2000s. Dressed in a casual T-shirt, no one would have guessed he was destined for global glory. Beneath strobe lights, bathed in throbbing house music, clashing voices and perspiration, he could have been just like […]

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk – of Tesla and SpaceX fame – has offered to buy Twitter for about $41- to $43-billion in cash. The South African expat says he believes the social media company, which he has often criticised (with comments like “Is Twitter dead?”), needs to go private to see effective changes. UPDATE 25 […]

On Friday afternoon, hundreds of strangers with only their South African roots in common – met up at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville, USA, for a meet and greet, some line dancing… and a whole lot more. The fabulous weekend gathering was organised by SAWITU, a support group for South African women in the […]

The South African government has declared this week’s KwaZulu-Natal floods as a provincial disaster. National Disaster Management Centre head, Dr Mmaphaka Tau, said the classification came after deliberations with sector departments and the KZN Provincial Disaster Management Centre. The devastating floods had claimed over 300 lives by Thursday. Dr Tau said the disaster management centre […]

A once trusted gardener is appearing in court this week charged with the horrific murder and rape of a safari lodge owner after six years of detective work… largely by her niece, and almost eight years after the murder. Retired teacher Christine Robinson, 59, was allegedly brutally attacked at the 125 acre Rra-Ditau lodge which […]

To put the devastation KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has experienced over the last few days into words is impossible, writes Kierran Allen, from Kierran Allen Photography. The loss of property, lives and livelihoods is really unfathomable. My heart goes out to each and everyone of you that is going through this! We are here to help! In […]

As the South African government counts the cost of the KwaZulu-Natal floods which have wreaked havoc and devastation, and claimed at least 259 lives, it has been revealed that there are five crocodiles on the loose near Tongaat, north of Durban. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife announced in a News Alert on Wednesday afternoon: “Ezemvelo has been […]

An emotional President Ramaphosa has told the people of KwaZulu-Natal that the SA government will intervene to help families affected by the floods. The coastal province has been lashed by heavy rain, floods and mudslides which have left a trail of destruction amongst homes and businesses, and tragically claimed at least 259 lives. During a […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit flood-stricken parts of KwaZulu-Natal today, Wednesday 13 April 2022, to offer support to affected communities and assess the response of government and civil society to this critical situation. At least 59 people have died so far due to the devastating KZN floods. The President’s programme started at approximately 09h30 with […]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – At least 45 people were killed, with some reports saying 59, after Monday’s intensely heavy rainfall in South Africa’s province of KwaZulu-Natal flooded settlements, ravaged homes, swept away roads and displaced dozens, officials said. (Videos at bottom of page.) UPDATE WED 13 APRIL: the KZN Floods Death Toll has tragically reached 306. […]

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Multiple people were shot and at least 13 were injured on Tuesday in a New York City subway station, the fire department said, in the latest spasm of violence in the city’s sprawling transit system. By Maria Caspani. The shootings occurred during the morning commute at the 36th Street subway station […]

South African learners have contributed to breaking a Guinness World Record™ title through their participation in a global award-winning initiative, FAST Heroes, that is aimed at creatively helping their grandparents become more aware and better prepared if a stroke occurs. The record was broken by 150 000 learners globally. FAST Heroes, a health educational campaign, […]

Watch below as an extremely frustrated woman tries to get a trucker – who is stuck in the snow – to move his truck back a little so she can get to work, but as he tries to explain – it would be too dangerous. The incident occurred yesterday in Lesotho. He explains: “If it’s […]