Despite the stunning pictures of the storm over Cape Town on Monday night, the clouds brought only enough rainfall to fuel hope that winter rains are on their way, but not enough to soak the soil and fill the dams. With today – Wednesday 22 March 2017 – being World Water Day, photographer JON KERRIN […]

A baby girl from the Ivory Coast has been successfully separated from her parasitic twin in what her surgeons are calling a ‘medical miracle’. Ten-month-old baby Dominique was born with an undeveloped parasitic conjoined twin that caused her to be born with four legs and two spines. Doctors say it is an exceedingly rare condition. A press […]

Britain has today announced that certain electronic goods – including phones, laptops and tablets larger than a set size – will no longer be allowed in the cabin on flights to the UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Tunisia. This announcement comes hours after the United States made a similar statement. A notice on the UK […]

South African National Parks (SANParks) today announced the death of a Field Ranger in what appears to have been an accidental shooting. The incident happened at Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park (KNP), where the Field Ranger was based and details are still sketchy at this stage, but the South African Police Service (SAPS) […]

In honour of Human Rights Day today 21 March 2017, Constitution Hill will be opening its doors to everyone for FREE! “Please come and take a tour for free, and learn about this historical prison site, as well as the Constitutional Court!” says ConHill marketing assistant Sibongile Ndhlovu. 21 March is recognised as Human Rights Day in […]

PRETORIA – The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed it has made another breakthrough and arrested five men in the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) heist / armed robbery – including one of its own.  SAPS said five men were arrested over the past weekend by members of the multi-disciplinary team investigating the armed robbery, which occurred at ORTIA […]

A new wildlife organisation has launched with the ambitious aim of saving every single surviving rhino or elephant victim of poaching. It’s called The Now or Never African Wildlife Trust (NNAWT)… and it has search giant Google on its side! NNAWT brings together key players – with extensive experience and contacts – in the war on poaching, […]

A fire ignited between Rooi Els and Pringle Bay on Sunday morning 19 March 2017, prompting the immediate deployment of aerial and ground crews… as well as photographer JUSTIN SULLIVAN who captured the photos on this page. Read Justin’s eye witness account below… Fighting the Dragon at #RooiElsFire… by Justin Sullivan Strong winds were fuelling the fire and posed threat to […]

After the arrest last week of four people in connection with the OR Tambo International Airport heist in South Africa, it is reported that another five have been arrested… with one making social media headlines as he posted selfies of himself with his brand new Lamborghini! The arrests have not yet been confirmed as – according […]

A cheetah has tragically mauled and killed a three-year-old boy this weekend on John Varty’s farm, near Philippolis in the Free State, South Africa. East Coast Radio (ECR) reports that police spokesperson Motantsi Makhele said the boy was attacked by the by the cheetah on Saturday. He was airlifted to hospital in Bloemfontein but sadly […]

South African President Jacob Zuma has expressed his sadness and extended heartfelt condolences on the sad passing of “Legendary Actor and Filmmaker Joe “Sdumo” Mafela” who died in a car accident late Saturday night. “We have learned with sadness of the passing of one of the pioneers of the television comedy loved by all South […]

An orphaned little rhino in South Africa – named J’aime, in tribute to the poached rhino in a French zoo near Paris – is happily thriving, according to The Rhino Orphanage founder, Jamie Traynor. J’aime was herself the survivor of the horrific mutilation and killing of 16 rhino across South Africa, in the space of two days, just […]

The New York Times held a live Facebook session with Pretty Yende on Friday, as the star from Piet Retief in Mpumulanga performs in Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera. Apart from a delightful performance that had both her, and pianist Valeriya Polunina, smiling joyfully; Pretty answered questions from NYT reporter Josh Barone that had […]

This dramatic video of Theewaterskloof Dam in the Western Cape shows how dire the water situation is in Cape Town… where strict water restrictions have been implemented, a naming and shaming policy introduced for water ‘abusers’, and freeway signs flash warnings of how little drinking water is left. The drone footage, filmed by helicopter pilot Stephan […]

A New Zealand family are still reeling after their teenage son was attacked by a cheetah whilst on holiday in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, this week. Well, it appears it’s more Mom who’s reeling… while her 14-year-old son, Isaac, has recovered well and is kind of excited to show off his “cool” cheetah scars to his mates back […]

It has been announced Saturday that there has been a robbery at the Office of Chief Justice (OCJ) Mogoeng Mogoeng in South Africa. The incident, in which 15 computers were allegedly stolen, took place in the administration wing of the Midrand offices on Saturday, in the early hours of the morning. A media spokesperson for […]

A fund has been set up to help repatriate the body of talented boxer and former bank manager Bhekitshe Moyo, who tragically died by suicide in London, as he faced deportation by immigration officials. Bhekitshe’s body was found in a park in South London in the early hours of 7 March 2017; and his mother is desperate to retrieve […]

COSAS leads protest against Johannesburg mayor… writes Ihsaan Haffejee. Thousands of school students poured out of trains at Johannesburg’s Park Station on Friday and made their way up Rissik Street to Metro Centre in Braamfontein where the office of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba is located. The protesters were led by the Congress of South African […]

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Airbnb expects to maintain its rapid growth in Africa this year and double its customer numbers to 1.5 million, its Chief Executive Brian Chesky and regional head told Reuters on Friday. The number of people using the online room rental service on the continent rose by 143 percent to about 765,000 […]

It’s just become a little harder for South Africans – and other nationalities – to emigrate to popular expat destination Perth, Australia! As promised in his election campaign, new Western Australian (WA) premier Mark McGowan MP has made the first move to make it easier for Australian locals to find work in Perth, by removing […]

NEW YORK/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec) is nearing an agreement to buy a majority stake in Chevron Corp’s South African assets, which are estimated to be worth $1 billion, two people familiar with the transaction said. The sources said Sinopec, Asia’s largest oil refiner, was the last bidder remaining, and close […]

After years as a virtual prisoner in her home, 72-year-old Beauty Qamata can breathe fresh air again Two weeks ago, GroundUp told the story of 72-year-old Beauty Qamata who lost her legs to diabetes and for years has spent her days alone and trapped in her shack in Bacawa informal settlement near Mdantsane, East London. She has no […]

After last week’s alarming poaching onslaught around South Africa that resulted in the death of 13 rhino in a 24-hour time period (of which the South African Department of Environment has still made no comment!), here are some fantastic photos this week celebrating an unsuccessful poaching attack. Pilanesberg National Park and Wildlife Trust posted the photos […]

DA Leader Mmusi Maimane has referred Western Cape Premier and former DA leader Helen Zille to the Federal Legal Commission for investigation, following a series of tweets this morning, which may have violated the DA’s social media policy for public representatives, according to a statement from the Democratic Alliance (DA). Zille has already issued an […]

FREETOWN (Reuters) – A Christian pastor has found one of the world’s largest uncut diamonds – weighing 706 carats — in Sierra Leone’s eastern Kono region. The stone, a photograph of which was posted on the president’s official website, is being stored in the country’s central bank, government sources said. A local chief from Kono […]