Over 200 people marched from Empire Road in Parktown to picket outside the Constitutional Court on Thursday, where a landmark case is being heard that will determine whether blind people in South Africa get better access to versions of published works in, for example, braille. Blind SA, represented by SECTION27 is arguing in support of […]

The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is reportedly on a mission to install a 100-meter giant flag to the tune of R22 million. With some joking that this is Arts Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s version of a ‘Fire Pole’ (similar to former President Jacob Zuma’s ‘fire pool’), the DA goes a little further to say […]

The Northern Gauteng High Court in Pretoria today rejected a leave to appeal application lodged by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) against an interdict obtained by AfriForum preventing the South African foreign affairs department from donating R50 million to Cuba. AfriForum defended Judge Neukircher’s original ruling and opposed the application on the grounds that […]

Now back in sunny South Africa after spending the past six days in Ukraine, DA Leader John Steenhuisen has compiled this report on the situation in Ukraine and what it means for SA: I’m speaking to you from Cape Town on a beautiful autumn morning in the Mother City, and on a day like this […]

A New York Times article has caused fury amongst many South Africans calling it a “BS hack piece with no facts”. Sadly, many of those pointing out the errors, are actually proving the journalist right – that many white South Africans were “shrouded in misinformation” and oblivious to what was happening right in front of […]

Former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe, one of the saner voices in the ruling African National Congress (ANC), has recently given voice to heresy. He has said that the time of the ANC in power is coming to an end. By Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand. The party that has dominated South African politics […]

What is the ultimate song to celebrate Workers’ Day? Many will suggest “The Internationale” which had its roots as a poem written in the aftermath of the Paris Commune in 1871 by Eugène Pottier, a transport worker. Set to music a few years later, it became the anthem for the wider progressive movement. It served […]

Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader John Steenhuisen has arrived in Lviv, in western Ukraine, on a six-day fact-finding mission. The South African politician is not the only one visiting Lviv this weekend, as film actress Angelina Jolie – who is special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – surprised locals when she was […]

In less than 40 days, two of the most critical dams that supply Nelson Mandela Bay with water will be empty, leaving a third of the Metro without water… facing a Day Zero situation similar to that which Cape Town experienced a couple of years ago. The Churchill and Impofu dams, currently at a combined […]

Immigrant truck drivers say they live and work in fear of being attacked by people claiming to be part of xenophobic groups. By Kimberly Mutandiro. Immigrant truck drivers say they work in fear of being attacked by anti-immigrant groups. The drivers we spoke to say they had previously been attacked by groups of men accusing them […]

The national celebrations of Freedom Day will be held in Middleburg in Mpumalanga on Wednesday where President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation. The public holiday is a commemoration of the day South Africa held its first democratic elections in 1994. According to the Presidency, the celebrations will be observed under the theme “Consolidate our […]

The Western Cape has welcomed the news that Delta Air Lines’ application to fly a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg and Cape Town has finally been approved by the SA national government. The approval, which had previously been denied, means that tourists and South Africans living in the US will soon be able to enjoy […]

As Eskom today escalated load shedding in South Africa from Stage 2 to Stage 4 – due to a trip at the Majuba and Tutuka power stations – there are calls for Eskom to be declared a State of Disaster. (Last night a national state of disaster was announced to handle the catastrophic floods in […]

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 […]

A good wine is a complex marriage of body, bouquet, and flavour, often only fully appreciated by those with an equally complex palate. So how did two non-drinking former refugees become award-winning connoisseurs and admired winemakers in their own right? Don’t miss this feel good story on Carte Blanche this Sunday in SA on DStv […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Diplomatic Heads of Mission that they are tasked with leading the drive to promote South Africa abroad and champion the message that the country is open for business. Speaking at the SA Heads of Mission Conference in Pretoria on Thursday, the South African president also criticised the United Nations Security […]

DA Leader John Steenhuisen is calling for South Africans to urgently voice their objections to proposed new health regulations. The South African Cabinet confirmed in a statement on Thursday the pandemic will from now be managed in terms of the National Health Act, 2003 (Act 61 of 2003). “The draft health regulations that will inform […]

Most parts of South Africa, specifically its summer rainfall areas, have received above-average rainfall since October 2021. This has led to an increase in the country’s national average water levels. The total percentage of water stored in reservoirs nationally rose from 84.6% in mid-December 2021 to 88.7% at the end of the year. By mid-March […]

South Africa’s hospitality association has welcomed last night’s lifting of the State of Disaster – after 750 days – BUT has re-issued its call for the urgent removal of the PCR test requirement for unvaccinated children between the age of five and 12-years-old… which FEDHASA says is damaging tourism. Fedhasa said it’s “delighted” by the […]

Operating hours at Home Affairs offices will extend to 18:30 this evening, after the department’s systems went offline nationwide on Friday. “The Department of Home Affairs wishes to inform members of the public that services at the department have been restored. The department and the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) have been able to fix […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa “stared into the heart of darkness” during the height of the July 2021 unrest. The President was giving his opening statement at the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) National Investigative Hearing into the July 2021 unrest that unfolded in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces (after protests, sparked by the […]

World renowned healthcare technology scientist, Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, says South Africa can be the continent’s hub for innovation in health technology. Addressing the South African Investment Conference held in Johannesburg, the famous South African expat and businessman, who is based in the USA, said: « It is a very interesting time in humanity. For the first […]

Taxi drivers and owners brought Cape Town’s city centre to a standstill on Thursday as a large convoy of minibus taxis from Khayelitsha, along the N2, to the Western Cape Legislature. Hundreds of taxi drivers and owners marched and drove in convoy along the N2, to the Western Cape Legislature on Thursday. They were mainly […]

Yet another traditional leader, Nkosi Maxwell Mandlakayise Nxumalo (71), was shot and killed yesterday in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) by unknown gunmen, outside the local tribal court in Nazareth, Mnambithi. Since 2012, a total of 42 murder cases relating to Amakhosi and Izinduna have been opened in KZN. KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), […]

A court in South Africa has confirmed the constitutional right of the country’s citizens to an environment that isn’t harmful to their health. This includes the right to clean air, as exposure to air pollution affects human health. Air pollution also affects land and water systems and decreases agricultural yields. The case, referred to as […]