Former South African president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane will stand trial for culpable homicide over a fatal car accident in 2014, a Johannesburg judge said on Friday, rejecting a request to dismiss the case for lack of evidence. Driving a Porsche sports car, Duduzane Zuma, 35, crashed into a minivan taxi on a highway near Sandton in […]

Top executives in at least 24 government-funded agencies were paid more than R3-million in the 2017/18 financial year — more than the salary allocated to Jacob Zuma in his final year as state president. Five of the 24 executives were paid more than R5-million each. Three received packages worth over R7-million. GroundUp used official reports to analyse […]

South Africa’s central bank kept its benchmark repo rate unchanged at 6.75 percent on Thursday in a unanimous decision, saying it assessed the risks to the inflation outlook to be more or less balanced. All economists surveyed by Reuters predicted the repo rate would remain on hold. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana, Tiisetso Motsoeneng and Naledi […]

Former SA Revenue Service (SARS) deputy commissioner Edward Kieswetter has been appointed as the new Commissioner for South African Revenue Service (SARS). President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that Kieswetter will lead the revenue service for the next five years starting on 1 May. The National Treasury was confident that the selection process that was […]

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane has written to the Zondo Commission requesting President Ramaphosa be subpoenaed to testify before 8 May when South Africans vote. Maimane said in a statement on Wednesday: “The revelations emanating from testimony before the Zondo Commission into State Capture yesterday confirm that President Ramaphosa and his family are deeply […]

JOHANNESBURG – Former South African president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane has pleaded not guilty in a Johannesburg court to culpable homicide and negligent driving relating to a fatal car accident in 2014. Duduzane appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Driving a Porsche sports car, Duduzane crashed into a minivan taxi on a highway […]

South African comedian Trevor Noah just explained reparation in one of the most powerful, yet simple and quick ways ever. It’s a little like golf. Watch below. Trevor posted the video to social media (“for anyone confused about reparations”) just over an hour ago, and it’s already received over 2,5 million views with many applauding […]

In its efforts to ramp up the fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination, the South African government has launched a tool to assist in combating these intolerances. The tool comes in the form of a 67-page document known as the National Action Plan (NAP). The plan, which takes its cue from the Declaration Programme of […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa officiated the historic handover of title deeds for 3,900 hectares of land to more than 50 households of Ebenhaeser, Beeswater in the Western Cape on Saturday. At an event attended by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, Rampahosa said the handover restores the dignity of local communities on the West Coast, South Africa. […]

Raw excrement, condoms and sanitary products regularly spill into homes and parks for many South Africans… who  are just some of about 4.5 billion people globally without safe sanitation, promised for all by 2030. Residents are lobbying for urgent rehabilitation of sewage works by South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation, widely criticised for lack […]

This year marks the 59th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa. On 21 March 1960 the apartheid police opened fire on unarmed marchers protesting against a law that forced black people to carry identity documents. Over 200 were injured and 69 killed. The following edited excerpt is from a new book featuring the […]

South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Tuesday he cannot say yet when rolling blackouts will end, as power utility Eskom struggles with capacity shortages that threaten to thwart efforts to boost economic growth. Eskom supplies more than 90 percent of the power in South Africa but has suffered repeated faults at its […]

South Africans often complain that SA hardly ever makes international news, but yesterday the country featured prominently in news around the globe for three main reasons: load shedding, Ramaphosa stuck on a train, and a high profile politician arrested for killing a whistle blower. “Chaos across South Africa as blackouts roll into third day” This […]

South Africa’s state utility Eskom will make more power cuts this week as it struggles with capacity shortages that threaten to stymie President Cyril Ramaphosa’s efforts to boost investments and economic growth. Eskom supplies more than 90 percent of the power in South Africa but has suffered repeated faults at its coal-fired power stations, along […]

JOHANNESBURG – South African state utility Eskom stepped up rolling blackouts (aka the dreaded load-shedding!) over the weekend as it lost 900 megawatts of electricity imports from neighbouring Mozambique, which was hit this week by a cyclone. Eskom, which generates nearly all of the power for South Africa, said that it had cut 4,000 megawatts, […]

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) has included two prominent politicians – who were linked to corruption under former President Jacob Zuma – in its list of candidates for parliament ahead of May’s election… but a senior source allied to President Cyril Ramaphosa said tainted former officials are unlikely to make it […]

South African learners joined an estimated 1 million school students – from over 100 countries around the world – who walked out of classes on Friday in a global strike, to protest against government inaction on climate change. (Watch video below.) Signs in South Africa included “Eskom we don’t want your dirty coal” and “The […]

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane is one of several well known South African figures who has joined the Woolies Water Challenge! Watch below… In a post on Facebook on Thursday evening, Maimane said: “44/10 or 4/10? It’s actually 4 out 10 South Africans who can not find a JOB. Let’s bring a job in […]

The Ad Hoc Committee – set up to amend Section 25 of the Constitution — has adopted a report on its work into a possible amendment to the Constitution in order for the State to expropriate land without compensation, in the public interest. Committee chairperson Thoko Didiza said in the report, the committee recommended to […]

Voting times for South Africans living abroad have been extended to accommodate Jewish voters after a meeting between the SAJBD (SA Jewish Board) and the IEC, the SAJBD said in a statement Wednesday. The voting day for South Africans living or travelling abroad is 27 April, which falls on a Saturday. The SAJBD said: Earlier […]

Thousands of South Africans around the world will not be taking part in the SA National Elections this year, despite having the privilege to do so… because of an unfounded rumour. They’re afraid their details will be passed on to the SA government for the future ‘expat tax’ that is due to be introduced in […]

South Africans abroad, who are registered to vote, have to submit the VEC10 form before the deadline of midnight (UTC +2:00) on Wednesday 13 March 2019… but so far tens of thousands who could vote, have not submitted the form! This is why…. 1. They don’t know about the VEC 10 Form! In order for […]

South Africans – like millions of people across the world – are seriously susceptible to religious abuse. The local media has once again been abuzz with a litany of shocking stories about manipulation, abuse and fraud by pastors. The latest one, a fake “resurrection” made headlines around the world. A video of Pastor Alph Lukau […]

On Carte Blanche this evening (Sunday 10 March) in South Africa, and available to stream from Tues 12 March for South Africans abroad. Please note this is a 90-minute extended broadcast. (14-day Free Trial): The Future From the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the human brain connecting directly to machines and the Cloud with instant access to […]

WASHINGTON – The government of Zimbabwe under President Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed to bring about political and economic changes needed to improve the country’s reputation, the US State Department said on Thursday. The comments relate to President Donald Trump’s decision this week to extend by one year U.S. sanctions that target more than 100 entities […]