The Namibian government will put 170 wild elephants up for sale today, 29 January, justified by false population statistics and disputed claims of human-elephant conflict. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition condemning the action… writes Don Pinnock, Daily Maverick. See petition here. The Namibian government says it has too many elephants and that […]

The obsessive pressure being put on the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to approve ivermectin is extraordinary and dangerous… writes GroundUp editor Nathan Geffen. There are circumstances when early – or even illegal – access to drugs is justified. In the early 2000s I worked with the TAC to import fluconazole, a life-saving […]

Prince Albert resident Yolande Singery yesterday rescued a Spotted Eagle Owl from the side of the road. While many motorists may not have noticed the owl needed help, animal lover Yolande picked up on its distress. Here’s her story: “Yesterday morning I had the absolute privilege of having an up close and personal account with […]

On Wednesday and Thursday, a heroes’ farewell was given to the five exceptional human beings who died last week, in a Netcare helicopter crash, on their way to save a life. On Wednesday the families of the fallen heroes, as well as colleagues, were transported in a convoy to the scene of the tragedy near […]

The Department of Health has discouraged the use of Ivermectin vaccine for management of COVID-19, until the study on its efficacy and safety is concluded. In a statement on Thursday, department spokesperson Popo Maja said that the National Essential Medicines List Committee (NEMLC) COVID-19 Sub-Committee has carefully considered all available evidence on the treatment or […]

COVID-19 has now killed more than 43 000 people in South Africa after 555 more patients succumbed to the respiratory disease on Thursday. According to the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, 249 fatalities were recorded in KwaZulu-Natal, 150 in the Eastern Cape, 70 in Gauteng, 45 in the Western Cape, 21 in Mpumalanga and 10 in […]

World renowned South African singer Sibongile Khumalo sadly passed away earlier today, at the age of 63. A family spokesperson said Dr Khumalo died from stroke-related complications following a “lengthy period of illness”. Tributes have poured in, led by South African music legend Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse who tweeted: “Gutted my dear dear friend Sibongile – […]

The construction of a multimillion-rand Lottery-funded old age home in a rural Limpopo village has been abandoned. Now thieves are stripping the buildings and stealing material from the site. R26 million was given to a mystery non-profit organisation by the National Lotteries Commission to construct an old-age home in rural Limpopo. The home is half-built […]

Many South Africans have taken to social media, using the hashtags #SArejectsXiaomeiHavard and #NoChineseInSAPaliarment (deliberately spelt incorrectly) to express their outrage and resistance to the deployment of Xiaomei Zhang Havard, in Parliament to replace Minister Jackson Mthembu, who passed away last week from Covid-19. Popular SA Twitter user Tumelo Warona said in a tweet that […]

The DA has called for an urgent probe into “shocking allegations” before the Zondo Commission this week that the State Security Agency (SSA) colluded with Africa News Agency (ANA) to skew news reporting in favour of former President Jacob Zuma and the ANC government. Zakhele Mbhele MP – DA Shadow Minister of Communications & Digital […]

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been compelled, this morning by the Constitutional Court, to appear and testify before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. The Court has also ordered Zuma to pay the full costs of the Commission in the matter. Adv Glynnis Breytenbach – DA Shadow Minister of Justice and […]

In June 2020, the first Ivermectin news that received public attention was a report that Ivermectin inhibited the replication of SARS-COV-2 in monkey kidney cells (1)… writes Justin Ward. This sparked considerable interest in the drug and over the next six months, many studies were completed including randomized controlled trials (RCT) as well as prospective […]

The City of Johannesburg Libraries has won an international award for its brilliant Facebook Lockdown Video Series which was an innovative way to reach residents, from children to the elderly, who could no longer physically visit the city’s 89 public libraries. The 2020 Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) 14th Public Innovation Award recognises the City […]

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has confirmed the long-awaited news that the first consignment of one million COVID-19 vaccines is expected to land on South African shores on Monday. The first batch is scheduled to leave India on Sunday, 31 January, and arrive at OR Tambo International Airport on 1 February 2021. The Minister broke […]

For the first time since November, the number of weekly excess deaths estimated by Medical Research Council (MRC) has declined. The latest MRC report, published on Wednesday, shows that the total number of deaths dropped from about 23,900 for the week ending 16 January to about 21,800 for the week ending 23 January. The excess […]

AfriForum says SAHPRA’s announcement that it will allow, for humanitarian reasons, a controlled access programme for the use of ivermectin in humans to treat COVID-19 is a step in the right direction BUT still “extremely restrictive”. Therefore AfriForum’s case against SAHPRA, which will be heard on 2 February 2021, will continue, said the organisation. AfriForum […]

Shonisani Lethole was young, had no co-morbidities, and a fair chance to live. However, due to negligence at the Tembisa Tertiary Hospital – including not being fed for 100 hours – the Gauteng businessman who called himself Shoni did not make it. These are some of the chilling findings contained in the 202-page report of […]

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has resolved to facilitate a controlled access programme of Ivermectin, it announced in a press briefing this morning (watch below). There has been growing pressure abroad, and in South Africa, for Ivermectin to be used in the treatment of patients with Covid-19. In SA, AfriForum brought an […]

FREE STATE – The South African Police Service (SAPS) are searching for a missing couple and their 5-year-old son, from Odendaalsrus in the Free State, who have not been heard from since Friday, 22 January 2021 when they made desperate calls for help to buy food. The missing family of three include Victor Bosman (55), […]

From now until 31 March 2021, customers who take up the Showmax 3 for 1 deal will pay for a one-month subscription and receive an additional two months. The offer is available across all packages including Showmax, Showmax Mobile, Showmax Pro and Showmax Pro Mobile. Showmax Pro subscribers have access to everything on Showmax as […]

The South African Government yesterday (Tuesday 26 Jan) launched the Tourism Equity Fund (TEF) which is aimed at creating an inclusive and growing tourism sector by supporting entrepreneurship and investment on the supply side of the tourism sector. Speaking at the virtual launch, President Ramaphosa said what most already know – that unfortunately many jobs […]

Listen below to the amazing sounds of a killer whale visiting Fish Hoek in the Western Cape yesterday morning, 26 January 2021… in an extremely rare capture of a killer whale’s vocalizations in South Africa. Search Research & Conservation, which posted a video with the acoustics on YouTube, said this is the “first confirmed Killer […]

Eastern Cape photographer Mike Geyer – aka Nature’s Whisperer – shot these stunning storm cloud photos this afternoon (Tuesday, 26 Jan) outside Mthata in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. They capture not only an amazing cloud formation, but also the African spirit of the beautiful rural area that serves as a gateway to the Wild […]

“Emotionally, we are not coping. Seeing death at this rate every day is not normal,” says Mosima Doreen Mabeba, a nurse working in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a provincial hospital in Limpopo. Many health professionals are battling to cope emotionally with the surge in Covid-19 cases. Some feel they are not getting adequate […]

Qatar Airways has signed an interline agreement with Fly Mango, further expanding its presence in South Africa as the largest international carrier to operate from the region, it has announced. The agreement provides Qatar Airways’ passengers with eight additional connections via Johannesburg and Cape Town; and will see Qatar Airways operating 26 weekly flights from […]