Alerts

South African officials worked with speed to detect, contain and respond to the case of Hantavirus detected in the country. This according to Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, who briefed Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health on Wednesday morning. The Minister’s update followed the confirmation of Hantavirus in a critically ill British national in South Africa, …

The industrial town of Rosslyn is a critical player in South Africa’s automotive industry, with large motor manufacturing plants located there. Located on the northern outskirts of Pretoria, Rosslyn was founded as a commercial zone for the city’s growing manufacturing industry in the 1960s. At the time, the government was in the process of decentralising …

Adulterated diesel is becoming more popular in South Africa amid growing concerns about the skyrocketing cost of fuel and possible shortages. Often referred to as “dirty diesel,” adulteration occurs when fuel sellers mix diesel with cheaper substances, such as paraffin, kerosene, or lubricating oil. This allows unscrupulous retailers to dilute their diesel while charging the …

Malcolm Libera  ·6 May 2026 Severe weather conditions have forced the temporary closure of dozens of schools in the Western Cape, as authorities respond to warnings of heavy rainfall and potential flooding. Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier confirmed that schools in parts of the Eden and Central Karoo Education District will be closed. The …

President Cyril Ramaphosa did not know that he would be meeting a businessman wanted by the law in South Africa when he visited Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on his private farm on Sunday, his spokesperson said. Controversy has erupted in Zimbabwe over the visit, especially about Ramaphosa associating with Mnangagwa’s rich cronies, particularly Wicknell Chivayo, …

Regional Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Africa, Professor Mohamed Janabi, says although the “risk remains low at this time” for Africa regarding the current Hantavirus case flagged in South Africa, vigilance remains high. A case of the rare but deadly disease was confirmed by the South African Department of Health after the …

Late yesterday afternoon, the Presidency requested a 30-day extension to my PAIA request, filed on 25 March 2026. My application seeks to uncover meeting minutes from the President’s National Crisis Committee, terms of reference and resolutions adopted, and importantly, the President’s promised National Water Crisis Plan, first announced in his SONA in February. In the …

Parliament, Tuesday, 5 May 2026 – The chairpersons of the National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) governance cluster oversight committees will, on Thursday 7 May 2026, address the media and stakeholders as part of the 7th Parliament’s Committee Cluster Media Engagement programme. The briefing will be held under the theme: Promoting values …

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has ordered MP Fadiel Adams, the leader of the National Coloured Congress (NCC), to hand himself over to the nearest police station after a J50 warrant of arrest was issued. “The SAPS is calling on Mr Fadiel Adams to present himself at his nearest police station in connection with …

South Africa’s utility scale renewables and battery storage market is poised for a record year of installations, a new research note produced by the Power Futures Lab at the UCT Graduate School of Business shows. Authors Dr Olakunle Alao and Dr Wikus Kruger state that eight projects with a combined capacity of 1 932 MW had …

Staff Writer  ·5 May 2026 The Department of Home Affairs has gazetted draft regulations to pave the way for a digital ID in the country. As part of the proposed laws, the department has outlined the process for obtaining a digital ID and its validity period, which is set for renewal every five years, at …

Home affairs minister Leon Schreiber has gazetted draft regulations that pave the way for a smartphone-based digital identity system in South Africa, with banks and other private-sector “trusted entities” potentially able to operate enrolment points and receive automatic updates from the national population register. The draft amendments (PDF) to the identification regulations of 1998, gazetted …

South African companies are being pushed to rethink how they hire, retain and futureproof talent as artificial intelligence moves from a background consideration to a boardroom priority, according to Cathy Machingaidze, partner at REDi Holbourne. Speaking to CNBC Africa about the future of work, Machingaidze said the labor market is undergoing a fundamental shift as …

The official diesel price increase announced earlier this week was incorrect, and motorists can expect a lower fuel price adjustment tomorrow. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) has corrected an error in its fuel price calculation for May 2026, showing that consumers will pay almost R1 less than previously anticipated. The Central Energy …

The rising tide of xenophobia is embarrassing South Africa as African countries are formally complaining about the treatment of their citizens. Nigerian foreign minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwe called her South African counterpart Ronald Lamola on Monday to discuss her government’s accusations of xenophobic violence against Nigerians in South Africa, including the death of two. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, …

The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality has been lambasted by the High Court in Pretoria for lodging a frivolous application, with its conduct described as “egregious and contemptible” – as evidenced by many court orders including a contempt of court order. The city lodged an application for the rescission of a default judgment against it …

He added that there is no need for public panic, as hantavirus is not easily transmitted between humans. “It is normally in close proximity, like husband and wife or people in proximity. That is one of the reasons we are not concerned that the two individuals who came to South Africa will cause a large …

South African motorists have under 10 hours left to head to the pumps before a wave of fuel price hikes hits the country at midnight. With the Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announcing severe adjustments effective Wednesday, the clock is ticking to avoid paying more at the till. From midnight, both 93 and 95 …

Malcolm Libera  ·5 May 2026 The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued multiple severe weather warnings for several parts of South Africa.   The weather service said South Africans can expect widespread disruptive rainfall, flooding, and dangerous conditions, with storm warnings at levels 2 to 8 in effect from 5 to 7 May 2026. The …

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 As South Africa observes Child Protection Month this May, the Border Management Authority (BMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding children, particularly in relation to their movement across the country’s borders. Child Protection Month is commemorated annually to raise awareness about children’s rights and the urgent need to shield them from …

Staff Writer  ·5 May 2026 A Constitutional Court battle over the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme will start on Tuesday (5 May), bringing the first wave of legal challenges to a head. The case is being brought by the Western Cape Provincial Government and the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), challenging the drafting of the …

The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Athletics Club’s student-athletes and club members played a pivotal role in Team South Africa’s stellar performance at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana, securing two silver medals and shattering continental and national records. UJ Athletes and Coach in Botswana The University was one of the primary contributors to the national …

An outbreak of suspected hantavirus on board a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean has led to three deaths out of six cases. One passenger is in intensive care in South Africa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. Hantavirus infections are typically linked to exposure to infected rodent urine or faeces. While rare, hantavirus …

A team at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) language model trained specifically on South Africa’s 11 official written languages – helping close a gap that has left millions underserved by mainstream AI tools. The research, which will be presented at the Language Resources and Evaluation Conference (LREC) in Mallorca, …