Cape Times
Bafana Bafana fight back to secure a vital draw
INSPIRED by the spirit of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, Bafana Bafana seized the opportunity to etch their names into history, delivering a performance that honoured the weight of the occasion. Supported by a dedicated contingent of fans and dignitaries...
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HILL-LEWIS WIELDS AXE ON STEENHUISEN
THE timing of the humiliating demotion of former DA leader John Steenhuisen to a deputy ministerial post suggests serious concern from the DA leadership about his ministerial performance and the mounting criticism from farmers over his handling of the...
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PRESIDENT SLAMS MIGRANT ‘BLAME GAME’
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday urged South Africans not to blame migrants for the country’s problems, after a recent wave of anti-immigrant unrest and violence. South Africa has long attracted migrant workers from across the continent, both...
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RAMAPHOSA SEEKS IMPEACHMENT DELAY
PARLIAMENT has until this week to respond to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s court bid to interdict the impeachment committee from beginning its work. Ramaphosa filed papers in the Western Cape High Court on Friday, seeking an interdict against National...
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Eight MPs, including Mashatile, face reprimands for breaching ethical conduct
NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza yesterday administered a reprimand to several MPs, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile, after they were found to have violated the Ethical Code of Conduct for parliamentarians. This came after the plenary...
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MEXICO AND BAFANA OPEN 2026 WORLD CUP
MEXICO’S final preparations for their FIFA World Cup opener against Bafana Bafana have carried a mix of anticipation, pressure, and an uneasy backdrop off the pitch, as the country counts down to hosting football’s biggest tournament today. Across...
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Ramaphosa unveils key actions to address illegal immigrants
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has announced key actions the government will implement to tackle growing frustrations around immigration and illegal migrants, including a concerted crackdown on violations of existing immigration, labour and other laws. The...
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South Africa and Kenya strengthen ties as visa-free travel boosts business and tourism
ONE of South Africa’s most successful policy initiatives, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, is allowing Kenyan citizens to travel without a visa. He claims that this has increased business travel, tourism, and cross-cultural interactions between...
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‘TENDER FOR A PRIVATE FLIGHT’ SCANDAL
CRIMINAL charges have been laid against former Ekurhuleni City manager, Dr Imogen Mashazi, following revelations that an IT firm, XET Solutions, allegedly bankrolled her R3.35 million trip on a private jet to London. This luxury junket, booked during...
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SCA rectifies Sactwu judgment, caps award at R300m in ongoing legal battle with IMC Consortium
THE SCA in a rectification letter has informed Sactwu and the Independent Media Consortium (IMC) that it has rectified its initial judgment where the SCA awarded an amount of R458 million to Sactwu plus interest from 2023 onwards. This has now been...
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Hugo Broos relieved as Bafana Bafana overcome visa drama for 2026 Fifa World Cup trip
BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos admits the visa delays ahead of the team's departure to Mexico have been “a little bit stressing,” but they are now fully focused on the upcoming Fifa World Cup 2026. Broos's team was left stranded at OR Tambo...
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FBI DRAWN INTO RAMAPHOSA’S IMPEACHMENT STORM
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa faces mounting pressure on multiple fronts as Parliament’s newly formed 31-member Impeachment Committee begins a Section 89 inquiry into his conduct over the Phala Phala farm scandal, following a Constitutional Court ruling...
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RAMAPHOSA IMPEACHMENT COMMITTEE PRESSES ON
THE Impeachment Committee, which was established to look into the allegations of misconduct by President Cyril Ramaphosa, will hold its first meeting to elect its chairperson on Monday. The planned meeting will be convened as Parliament is seeking...
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Brace for interest rate hike, but fuel cost could drop
SOUTH Africans are being squeezed from almost every direction at once as economists expect the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to raise interest rates today. This comes as consumers are already battling shrinking salaries, rising living costs and...
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Feroz Khan files bid to block SAPS access to data from seized devices
CRIME Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan has filed an urgent court bid to stop police from downloading data from his seized gadgets, warning this could expose undercover operatives and trigger assassinations. In papers filed before the...
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GOVERNMENT HOLDS URGENT IMMIGRATION TALKS
AN urgent closed-door meeting convened by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Ministers was held last night at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to address rising protests over illegal immigration. The meeting focused on growing...
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South African activists share harrowing tales from Gaza flotilla mission
A WAvE of emotion, determination, and raw testimony swept through O.R. Tambo International Airport on Saturday, as the six South African delegates from the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived home after a harrowing detention in an Israeli prison. Kidnapped...
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Ghana prepares to evacuate citizens as SA anti-immigrant tensions escalate
MORE than 800 Ghanaians have formally registered for evacuation from South Africa, prompting the Government of Ghana to delay the planned repatriation exercise as authorities finalise logistical and legal arrangements. The development was confirmed by...
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Video shows detained flotilla activists bound, forced to kneel
ISRAEL'S far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and foreheads on the ground. The footage, published on...
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Jooste’s R475m fine still unpaid as FSCA pursues estate
THE R475 million administrative fine imposed on the former Steinhoff CEO remains unpaid more than two years after it was issued, with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority now pursuing recovery through the courts. In a written response to IOL, the...
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‘Cachalia’s job to make sure that there is no chaos if Ramaphosa is removed’
ACTING Police Minister Firoz Cachalia's objectivity has been questioned after he pleaded with the ANC and the parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) to protect President Cyril Ramaphosa against his possible removal from office. Cachalia,...
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RAMAPHOSA ‘MOVES TO BLOCK IMPEACHMENT’
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa looks set to interdict the Phala Phala impeachment process, in a move aimed at stalling the Section 89 committee following a Constitutional Court ruling. ANC sources revealed that Ramaphosa has decided to stall the...
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TOLASHE SACKED, BUT WHAT ABOUT MCHUNU?
IN A significant shake-up of his Cabinet, President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed Sisisi Tolashe from her position as Social Development Minister, hinting that further restructuring may be on the horizon, including potential action against suspended...
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MPS SLAM ALLEGED PHALA PHALA COVER-UP
PARLIAMENTARIANS expressed outrage yesterday that two Presidential Protection Services (PPS) officers were cleared by SAPS internal disciplinary proceedings despite the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) making adverse findings against...
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Madlanga Commission shakes up SAPS
THE madlanga Commission of Inquiry into corruption has triggered the suspension of 18 top SAPS officials, including National Police Commission General Fannie masemola and Deputy National Commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya. Police minister Senzo...
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‘I WILL NOT RESIGN’ – RAMAPHOSA
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa says he will challenge the “flawed” Section 89 independent panel Report, which found there is prima facie evidence that he had violated his oath of office. Ramaphosa addressed the country last night after intense public and...
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PHALA PHALA FALLOUT DEEPENS ANC CRISIS
A DRAWN-out and highly public impeachment inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal could prove deeply damaging to the ANC if President Cyril Ramaphosa refuses to step down. This is the view of political analysts as the landmark Constitutional Court ruling...
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CONCOURT COULD SHAKE GNU TO CORE
SHOuLD the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) rule against Parliament today, it could push the Government of National unity (GNu) to the brink. That is the view of a number of analysts as the ConCourt is expected to deliver judgment today on whether...
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D-DAY FOR RAMAPHOSA
THE Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling could go a long way to repairing the extensive reputational damage to government institutions that found themselves “scrambling to protect” President Cyril Ramaphosa after the Phala Phala scandal broke into...
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‘HAWKS COCAINE HEIST PLANNED’
THE sequence of events after the seizure of 541 bricks of cocaine valued at R200 million from a Durban depot in 2021 – culminating in the theft of drugs from the Hawks’ storage facility in Port Shepstone – was “by design”. This was according to the...
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NSFAS under administration again
MINISTER of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela has placed the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) under administration due to governance instability, audit failures and operational breakdowns affecting student funding. Speaking...
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City urged not to ‘waste taxpayer money’ on tariffs ruling
THE South African Property Owners' Association (SAPOA) has urged the City not to waste further taxpayer money and accept the Western Cape High Court judgement that found certain fixed charges should not be linked to property value. This comes as the...
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MPs question SANDF effectiveness on Cape Flats
THE deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been slammed as a complete failure in Parliament as killings continue unabated on the Cape Flats. Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia appeared before the police portfolio...
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SADTC set to oppose court bid by universities in escalating Dental Technology Accreditation dispute
THE South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC) confirmed it is preparing to oppose legal action brought by three universities, signaling an escalating battle over the accreditation of dental technology programmes that has left students across the...
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STRUGGLE FOR ECONOMIC FREEDOM CONTINUES
THIRTY-two years into South Africa's democracy, the promise of constitutional equality continues to clash with lived experience, as millions remain shut out of the economic freedom that was meant to follow political liberation, a gap that, in many...
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OPPOSITION FLAGS SAPS LEADERSHIP INSTABILITY
OPPOSITION parties have raised concerns about the growing trend of key positions in the security cluster being filled on an acting basis. This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday announced the precautionary suspension of National Police...
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SAHRC cannot issue binding directives, ConCourt rules
IF the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) recommendations are ignored, it, or affected parties, must approach a court for relief on the merits of the matter, the Constitutional Court has ruled, finding the Commission does not have the...
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SACP REJECTS ANC DUAL MEMBERSHIP DIRECTIVE
THE South African Communist Party (SACP) has ordered its members to disregard the ANC's instruction for those with dual membership to state in writing which party they will campaign for in the upcoming local government elections. The party said it...
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STATE ATTORNEY CLAIMS CHALLENGED
A REPORT claiming the State Attorney is meeting transformation targets in the allocation of briefs has been met with sharp scepticism, with black legal practitioners instead launching a scathing critique of the Department of Justice, accusing it of...
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JULIUS MKHWANAZI HAS HIS DAY IN COURT
EKuRHuLENI Metro Police Department (EMPD) suspended deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi is expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court today on charges of fraud, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice. Mkhwanazi’s arrest on Saturday...
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Cape Town job seekers injured in stadium ‘stampede’
THERE was chaos at Athlone Stadium yesterday when some 25 000 job seekers showed up at the City’s ‘A Day of 1 000 Opportunities’ event, and a number of people were injured in a reported stampede. SAPS Public Order Policing made use of a stun grenade...
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Malema awaits sentence as State seeks 15-year jail term
EFF leader Julius Malema will learn his fate in the Magistrate’s Court in KuGompo City today as the State pushes for a prison term of up to 15 years. Magistrate Twanet Olivier heard final arguments from the defence and the State before postponing the...
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Fraudulent marriage certificates, permits sold for R500
FRAUDULENT marriages and life partnerships were primary mechanisms for immigration fraud, often involving foreign “pastors and prophets” who would enter on visitor visas before entering into sham unions to secure Permanent Residence Permits...
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MEYER’S DA FUTURE HANGS IN BALANCE
AFTER more than a decade in the DA’s top leadership structures, Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Ivan Meyer has been left in the cold following a bruising defeat to Solly Msimanga in the race for federal chairperson at the party’s...
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HILL-LEWIS SETS SIGHTS ON NATIONAL POWER
NEWLY elected DA leader Geordin HillLewis says his leadership will be defined by a singular mission: expanding the DA’s electoral base and positioning it to take control of national government in the coming years. Speaking shortly after his election...
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DA MEC REDUCES COUNCILLOR’S SANCTION
LOCAL Government MEC Anton Bredell has declined to explain why he reduced a recommended 12-month suspension for Cederberg councillor John Hayes to one month. Hayes now faces action in the Equality Court by the SAHRC over a 2023 social media post...
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HAYES FACES EQUALITY COURT OVER ‘HATE SPEECH’
THE South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has hauled DA councillor Dr John Hayes to the Equality Court over a social media post in which he compared a political protest to monkeys and baboons looting. The 2023 post targeted Economic Freedom...
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CPUT ACCREDITATION CRISIS DEEPENS
CAPE Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) students are demanding answers on the status of the accreditation of the institution’s dental programme after the South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC) said it was currently suspended, citing...
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Drunk driving spikes over Easter long weekend
DRuNK driving arrests increased by a staggering 39% over the Easter long weekend. The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said 934 motorists were arrested nationwide from last week Thursday to Saturday. RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane yesterday...
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SA’S COST OF LIVING CRISIS DEEPENS – REPORT
ELECTRICITY prices surged by a staggering 85% between 2020 and early 2026. Water prices followed a similar upward trajectory, rising by 68%. This was significantly above overall inflation, which increased by 30% over the same period. The Competition...
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Fuel price surge prompts panic at petrol stations
DOzENS of filling stations across the country ran dry yesterday as motorists scrambled to fill up with petrol and diesel ahead of the drastic fuel price hike at midnight. And though the government cushioned the blow at the last minute, announcing a R3...
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SA BRACES FOR FUEL, ELECTRICITY HIKE
SOUTH Africans are bracing for a double blow to their pockets tomorrow, when record-high petrol and diesel price increases are expected to come into effect, along with increased Eskom tariffs. Petrol prices are expected to increase by R5.31 a litre...
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LPC SEEKS SUSPENSION OF LAWYER DOUGLAS SHAW
THE Gauteng arm of the Legal Practice Council (LPC) is of the opinion that lawyer Douglas Shaw not only brought the legal profession into disrepute but also committed a criminal offence when he appeared in the High Court without a Fidelity Fund...
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US pressure forces France to disinvite SA from G7 Summit, Pretoria says
THE United States put pressure on France to disinvite President Cyril Ramaphosa from the G7 summit in the French town of Évian in June, the presidency says. It marks the latest episode after months of fractured ties over a range of issues, from South...
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MASEMOLA SUMMONED IN R360M TENDER CASE
POLIcE commissioner-General Fannie Masemola has welcomed any investigation or due process that seeks to address allegations of wrongdoing after authorities confirmed that he was issued with a notice to appear in court over the R360 million SAPS tender...
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MINISTER CONDEMNS MURDER OF LAWYER
JUSTICE and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has condemned the fatal shooting of a 35-year-old lawyer in Johannesburg’s CBD as a direct threat to South Africa’s constitutional order. Chinette Gallichan was killed on Monday morning...
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MASHATILE SLAMS ‘FALSE MEETING’ WITH MATLALA
DEPUTY President Paul Mashatile has rejected claims that he met or planned to meet with alleged cartel leader Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala as categorically ‘untrue.’ The claims, raised by Gauteng Organised Crime Unit officer Sergeant Fannie Nkosi during...
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Crime rates rival war zones with 26 000 annual deaths
PORTFOLIO Committee on Defence and Military Veterans chairperson, Dakota Legoete, has likened South Africa’s crime crisis to active conflict zones, with more than 26 000 people killed in a single year. Legoete made the stark assessment during a Peace...
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MKHWANAZI: VETTING UNIT IS ‘DIRTY’
KWAZULU-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, whose security clearance expired in 2018, said if he had the power to, he would dismiss the entire vetting unit, starting with head Major-General Feroz Khan. Mkhwanazi made the...
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ELITE POLICE OFFICERS DRAWN INTO CRIME
THE growing trend of highly skilled police officers being lured away by private security companies and criminal syndicates has come under scrutiny following the shocking revelation of Matipandile Sotheni’s alleged involvement in organised...
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WITNESS DISCLOSED CONFIDENTIAL SAPS DOCUMENTS TO MATLALA
GAUTENG Organised Crime Unit officer Sergeant Fannie Nkosi testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry yesterday that he shared confidential internal SAPS communications regarding the termination of a R360 million contract awarded to Vusimuzi...
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MCHUNU MAKES U-TURN ON STEP-ASIDE DECISION
NOW that preparations for his presentations before the Ad Hoc Committee and Madlanga Commission are over, suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu believes he is ready to resume his political responsibilities. Mchunu's spokesperson Sithembiso Mshengu...
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HOW MATLALA’S MONEY BANKROLLED TOP COP’S LIFESTYLE
THE Madlanga Commission has challenged suspended head of the SAPS Organised Crime Unit, Richard Shibiri’s claim that he borrowed money from Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to cover expenses, after bank records showed he spent nearly R20 000 at Gucci and Louis...
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Shibiri denies discussing police matters with Matlala
SUSPENDED organised crime head, Maj-Gen. Richard Shibiri, has denied ever discussing police operations with alleged tycoon, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, despite records showing the two were in contact around the time police raided Matlala's home. Shibiri...
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Court mandates review of school placement for twins
THE Western Cape Education Department (WCED) says it is exploring the option to appeal a Western Cape High Court order to review the placement of Grade 1 twins. The six-year-old boys were supposed to start their Grade 1 schooling this year, but three...
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‘Mogotsi and Matlala played me’ – Carrim
NORTH West businessman and ANC member, Suliman Carrim, said he was “played” by long-time associate Brown Mogotsi and alleged underworld tycoon, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, a saga that left him R8.2 million out of pocket. Carrim told the Madlanga...
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SOUTH AFRICANS RETURN AMID IRAN CONFLICT
MANY South Africans have begun returning home as limited flight operations resume following regional airspace closures caused by the escalating conflict in the Middle East. This follows the Department of International Relations and Cooperation's...
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Abdullah Ibrahim to grace the Cape Town International Jazz Festival stage for historic performance
FEW musicians have shaped the sound and soul of South African jazz quite like Abdullah Ibrahim. The 91-year-old pianist and composer will return to the stage at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF), performing on March 27 to 28, as part...
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WINDE FACES BACKLASH OVER ETHICS
PREmIER Alan Winde has indicated his intent to appeal the Provincial Parliament's Conduct Committee findings that he breached the Code of Conduct by failing to disclose sponsored foreign travel to the United States. This comes as opposition parties in...
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SANDF DEPLOYMENT SIGNALS CRIME INTEL COLLAPSE
THE deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng has been described as an admission that crime intelligence and police services have collapsed. Experts say the deployment of the defence...
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TRUMP WON’T RULE OUT SENDING TROOPS INTO IRAN
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has refused to rule out sending ground troops into Iran as he warned that the spreading Middle East war, unleashed by US-Israeli strikes, could last longer than a month. Israel yesterday traded fire with Iran-backed group...
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‘NO LIMIT’ TO IRAN’S SELF-DEFENCE AMID US-ISRAEL BOMBARDMENTS
A TOP Iranian official on Sunday rejected President Donald Trump's warning not to retaliate against massive US-Israel bombardments, saying there would be “no limit” to the country's self-defense. “Nobody can tell us that you don't have any right to...
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South Africans recruited for Russia war have died
THE two South African men who died after being lured to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war were not linked to the 17 allegedly recruited via the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), but another group, says International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald...
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TAX INCREASES OFF THE TABLE FOR NOW
THE government intends withdrawing the R20 billion in tax increases previously proposed in the May 2025 Budget, following a positive revision of tax revenue by R21.3bn. “The improving fiscal position allows us enough room to withdraw the proposed tax...
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