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Taxi driver: 'Chances of protecting myself against the virus are slim'

Thousands of commuters interacted as usual with taxi drivers at the Wanderers and Bree Street ranks in Johannesburg on Monday, despite calls for heightened hygiene practices to counter the coronavirus pandemic. SA has recorded at least 62 cases of Covid-19, and on Sunday evening President Cyril Ramaphosa announced drastic measures…

16 Mar 2020 9AM 1 min

Behind the quarantine curtain: the trip back to SA

The South Africans evacuated from Wuhan — the coronavirus global epicentre — arrived back in the country after a 14-hour flight. SAA flight ZS-SND touched down at Polokwane International Airport on Saturday morning. Member of the evacuated party, Amy Pittaway, describes the journey for us.

14 Mar 2020 6PM 4 min

Plane with 146 South Africans returning from Wuhan arrives in SA

The South Africans evacuated from Wuhan — the coronavirus global epicentre — have arrived back in the country after a 14-hour flight. SAA flight ZS-SND touched down at Polokwane International Airport on Saturday morning. The Airbus A340-600, which was part of a military led evacuation of the South Africans from…

14 Mar 2020 5AM 1 min

'High-risk' Gautrain sets out sanitisers to keep commuters safe

With thousands of people commuting daily between Johannesburg and Pretoria amid the coronavirus outbreak, public transport modes such as the Gautrain are high risk places for contracting the infectious disease. Universities and corporates in Gauteng are in the process of disabling their biometric access systems in the wake of the…

13 Mar 2020 8AM 1 min

South African campuses affected by rampant crime

Institutions of higher learning are facing the same rampant crime that is  synonymous with the rest of the country. This is according to Mandisa Makhaye, a lecturer at the University of Zululand in the faculty of criminal justice. She said this issue is one that needs serious attention." Many would…

13 Mar 2020 7AM 4 min

HIV cure won't materialise in SA any time soon

Finding an HIV cure in SA is still an ongoing cause which might take years. According to the World Health Organisation, SA has the largest HIV epidemic in the world, with 19% of the globe's HIV sufferers, 15% of new infections, and 11% of Aids-related deaths.Dr Moeketsi Mathe, a HIV…

13 Mar 2020 7AM 4 min

'Critical' Gauteng coronavirus patient is 57-year-old with renal disease

The Gauteng health department is “worried” about the health of one of the province's coronavirus patients, who was confirmed to be in a critical condition.

11 Mar 2020 2AM 1 min

Covid-19 | Roughly 18 months before we can expect a vaccine

During a press briefing called by national health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize on Monday, Dr Kerrigan McCarthy from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) estimated that it would take 18 months for a vaccine for Covid-19 to be safely developed and administered. In this brief podcast, we outline everything…

10 Mar 2020 10AM 5 min

Dros rapist loses bid to appeal against conviction and life sentence

The high court in Pretoria on Tuesday dismissed Dros rapist Nicholas Ninow's application for leave to appeal against the conviction and life sentence imposed on him. Ninow was convicted in September 2019 of raping a seven-year-old girl at a Dros restaurant in Silverton, Pretoria. The application for leave to appeal…

10 Mar 2020 4AM 1 min

#Notinmyname slams Ninow’s decision to launch appeal

Advocacy group #Notinmyname has slammed convicted child rapist Nicholas Ninow’s decision to launch an appeal. Secretary General, Themba Masango says that they are angered by Ninow's leave to appeal. "We must remember that the child is now subjected to secondary victimization through this appeal process" said Masango. "His constitutional right…

6 Mar 2020 4AM 3 min

UFS documentary: ‘Rugby is more important than the lives of students and workers’

A short documentary titled Shimla Park: A Campus Race Struggle was released on February 22 2020. It describes the events of February 22 2016, at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), when black students and workers disrupted a university rugby match and later called for…

5 Mar 2020 9AM 4 min

What happened when Enock Mpianzi died?

NOT FOR SENSITIVE AUDIENCES. A forensic report into the drowning of Parktown Boys' High School pupil Enock Mpianzi, which was released on March 4 2020, made damning findings against the school, its staff and the lodge where the school orientation trip took place. It outlined the details and facts about…

5 Mar 2020 8AM 4 min

'A storm is coming' promises WITS SRC

A video clip of students sleeping in the library at Wits University was shared by the student representative council (SRC) on Wednesday, as it staged a demonstration demanding immediate action. While the university reiterated that free accommodation excludes students who have failed repeatedly, the SRC tweeted: “When we resort to…

4 Mar 2020 9AM 3 min

'I would be going home leaving everything behind' – South Africans stuck in Wuhan

Financial concerns, limited food supplies, intensified lockdowns and conflicting emotions: two South Africans caught up in the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in China have shared their thoughts as they prepare to be evacuated. “I am very excited to go home and have mixed feelings because I will be leaving my Ukrainian…

4 Mar 2020 7AM 4 min

Dros rapist Nicholas Ninow has ‘no grounds’ to launch an appeal, says #Notinmyname

“Nicholas Ninow has no grounds to apply for anything concerning his conviction, sentence or both.” Advocacy group #Notinmyname has slammed convicted child rapist Nicholas Ninow’s decision to launch an appeal in the high court in Pretoria on Friday. This after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Tuesday that Ninow…

4 Mar 2020 3AM 1 min

South Africans express concern about Coronavirus repatriation plan

Some South African citizens have expressed concern about health minister Zweli Mkhize’s plan to bring back 151 South Africans living in Wuhan, China. In a media briefing held in Johannesburg on Sunday, Mkhize reassured citizens that the government is ready to deal with the disease should it come to SA…

3 Mar 2020 9AM 2 min

How fuel price decreases will affect your pocket

Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday announced that the price of petrol and diesel will decrease 19c/l and 54c/l respectively, effective from Wednesday. Mantashe cited lower oil prices for the price drop induced by the continuous spread of the coronavirus, known as Covid-19, which has disrupted global…

3 Mar 2020 8AM 1 min

Wayde van Niekerk to focus only on the 400m at Tokyo Olympics

Wayde van Niekerk says his focus this year is the 400m and he’s unlikely to be tempted to throw his hat into the mix for SA’s 4x100m relay team. At full fitness Van Niekerk would be an obvious choice for the outfit which‚ even without him‚ is a medal contender…

2 Mar 2020 1AM 1 min

Wayde van Niekerk is back in the groove

The only lightning visible at Bloemfontein's athletics stadium yesterday shot down from the thick clouds, but the way Wayde van Niekerk cantered around the track suggested he really is over his right-knee injury. The Olympic 400m champion hasn't competed internationally since the 2017 world championships after collapsing during a game…

29 Feb 2020 5PM 2 min

We're on your side, Lesufi tells protesting Wits students

“I share your frustration, I share your pain. I know the difficulties of being a student without accommodation.” This is what Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi told protesting University of the Witwatersrand students on Thursday. The students, represented by the student representative council, marched to the Gauteng legislature ahead of…

27 Feb 2020 9AM 3 min