The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng says it is deeply concerned about the rise of farm attacks in Onderstepoort, North of Tshwane in South Africa. This follows seven incidents of farm attacks in 24 hours within a 15-kilometre radius at the Onderstepoort smallholding farms. Cases of house robbery, attempted house robbery and attempted murder have been opened […]

The South African government has emphasised its support for the national carrier, South African Airways (SAA). This comes following the publication of the carrier’s business rescue plan on 16 June 2020. “Government, as the sole shareholder of SAA, supports the business rescue plan where it results in a viable, sustainable, competitive airline that provides integrated […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa is addressing the nation this evening, Wednesday 17 June 2020, on developments in South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19. The President’s address follows a number of meetings of the Cabinet, the National Coronavirus Command Council and the Presidential Coordinating Council, the Presidency said in a brief statement on […]

Ultimately, it took Chantal Revell, a descendant of the Khoi and San royalty, to initiate a change in South Africa’s electoral system. This has been a contentious subject for almost 20 years. An official task team was set up to resolve it and it has gripped the attention of opposition parties, elevating the subject to […]

The Independent Electoral Commission has welcomed today’s judgment by the Constitutional Court declaring parts of the Electoral Act unconstitutional, notably regarding the law that only candidates of political parties can contest national and provincial elections. The court ruled, “The Electoral Act is unconstitutional to the extent that it requires adult citizens to be elected to […]

The lifting of the ban on the sale of alcohol since the beginning of lockdown level 3 in June has ushered in a surge in crime and murders after a lull between March and May. During lockdown there were between 20 and 30 murders a day, which by Sunday had spiked to 69. This was […]

On Monday (7 June), members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria (as well as at consulates in Johannesburg and Cape Town), in condemnation of the killing of George Floyd… whose death in the US has kindled global protest and debate about justice, prejudice and police brutality. Demonstrators branded […]

This is one of the most iconic images in sporting history. It was shot by John Dominis, for Life magazine, during the medal ceremony for the men’s 200-metre sprint, at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City in October 1968… writes South African journalist and scriptwriter Gus Silber. In the middle, wearing the gold, is Tommie […]

Government’s lack of transparency means analysts cannot evaluate whether a strategy is working… writes Alex van den Heever on GroundUp. The response required to address the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa could reasonably be argued to necessitate the extraordinary step to invoke the Disaster Management Act. After all, in times of crisis, even the old Roman […]

Crises bring out the the best and worst of politicians and populations. Folly, fear and fortitude are on display everywhere. In the main, democracies have fared better than non-democracies in handling the coronavirus pandemic… writes Lawrence Hamilton from the  University of the Witwatersrand. But the record is very varied indeed. What explains this? What can […]

Former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has lashed out at the ANC for “looting the public purse” since the party came into leadership. Mashaba said in a Facebook post on Friday afternoon: “Since 1994 your focus has been looting the public purse, not serving society.” Mashaba’s comments came following the declaration by the ANC’s Jessie Duarte […]

An urgent intervention and investigation of a Durban quarantine facility is being sought by both the DA and AfriForum to resolve what the opposition party calls an “untenable situation”. About 160 to 200 South Africans are currently being quarantined in Durban hotel, Coastlands… which they claim is dirty and unsafe, and where they are allegedly […]

South Africa’s government is proud that its response to Covid-19 relies on science. It might be prouder if it was also guided by knowledge of how society works. When South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown began on 27 March, opposition from some quarters was inevitable. What was not expected was that the most vehement resistance would be […]

“We want to love the police, but they don’t want to love or respect us”, “Black Lives Matter” and ”Refugee Lives Matter” read some of the placards laid on the ground outside Parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday. Small groups of people trickled past to place flowers and banners in a show of solidarity against […]

The South African History Archive Trust has won an important victory for the constitutional right of access to information in the Supreme Court of Appeal. In a unanimous judgment, the court found that the Reserve Bank had unlawfully refused to provide SAHA with records in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). […]

20 organisations ask state capture commission to issue interim report… Dear Judge Zondo, We write to you as concerned members of the Civil Society Working Group on State Capture, which comprises more than 20 civil society organisations. In February 2020, we presented an Agenda for Action to the Commission, which is based on detailed submissions […]

The South African government says it has observed the protests in the USA following the tragic death of George Floyd, and calls on all in America – especially the security forces – to exercise maximum restraint in responding to the anger and frustration felt by many of its citizens, friends and international partners. DIRCO Minister […]

Social media users are currently posting blank black images in solidarity with those protesting the death of George Floyd in the U.S. writes Tom Brown. But many of those well-wishers supporting the Blackout Tuesday movement are unintentionally obscuring vital information streams used by protesters… by including the #BlackLivesMatter and #BLM hashtag. The #BlackLivesMatter and #BLM […]

In six months’ time the world’s gaze will be trained on what is gearing up to be a contentious and hotly contested presidential election in the US. Irrespective of who emerges victorious between the incumbent President Donald Trump and the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, South Africa needs to start thinking about what it stands to […]

The Democratic Alliance says its lawyers have written to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, over the continuous ban on personal care services, such as hairdressers. In a press statement on Tuesday, Dean Macpherson – DA Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry, said: “The continued criminalisation of the personal […]

The ANC Caucus says that “unwarranted racist and misogynistic attacks” on COGTA Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma have continued unabated despite several condemnations by the ANC leadership and progressive sectors of society. This comes after a Western Cape social media user posted a morphed photo depicting Dr Dlamini-Zuma as an ape. The ANC says: “We will […]

There is intense pressure on the South African government to lift the lockdown and open the economy. Sustainably lifting out of the lockdown is critical. But there is no roadmap. The stakes are high and there are no right answers, just ones that juggle uncertain probabilities. Diminishing growth over the past decade has weakened industry […]

COGTA Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s Level 3 regulations for South Africa, released today, have been met with frustration and widespread shock and horror. The keyword in response seemed to be “irrational” with the DA adding that the regulations “lack scientific basis” and AfriForum demanding  the Minister recall them. The DA said it will use all […]

The Democratic Alliance has rejected as a sham the South African National Defence Force’s decision to exonerate the soldiers allegedly involved in the death of an Alexandra resident, Collins Khosa. It was reported yesterday that an internal SANDF probe exonerated the soldiers, although a police investigation is continuing. In papers before the North Gauteng High […]

The whole country will move to level 3 lockdown from 1 June, including areas identified as hotspots, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. Mkhize clarified this after confusion was created when an old slide was presented stating hotspots would remain at level 4 and was also making rounds on social media. However, if these areas […]