News South Africa

England coach Eddie Jones tried to make his frustration clear while refusing to criticise referee Pascal Gauzere following the reigning Six Nations champions’ loss to Wales.

Two on-duty police officers in Cape Town were shot and killed on Sunday morning, in what SAPS described as an “apparent ambush”.

Two police officers have been shot dead in Bloekombos in Kraaifontein, Cape Town, in the early hours of this morning.

The Executive Mayor of John Taolo Gaetsewe Municipality, Sofia Mosikatsi, says repairs are progressing slowly and she’s concerned about learners who cannot attend school.

The Gauteng Health Ministry says it will await confirmation from the National Department of Health and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) regarding the availability of new slots.

Newly appointed Prasa group CEO Zolani Matthews said he would work hard to ensure the agency fulfills its mandate.

The 380km barrier will curb the flow of illegal migrants, drugs and stolen vehicles, the president says.

President Xi says China has achieved his poverty reduction pledge – but has it?

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler return to host the year’s first major film and TV awards ceremony on Sunday.

Was he a joke, an oaf, a hero, or the evil dictator the West loved to hate? Decades after his death, his legacy is still a puzzle.

In early December, a gang abducted 344 boys from a boarding school in Kankara, in northern Katsina state, but released them a week later.

South Sudan captain Amy Lasu says women’s football in the country is “on the right track” following the start of its first women’s league.

Three gay Ugandans in fear of being deported from the UK tell their stories of torture and terror.

The Msunduzi municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, which manages Pietermaritzburg and is the seat of the KZN legislature, has uncovered over one hundred ‘ghost workers’ on its payroll.

A preliminary forensic report claims that over R2 billion has been stolen from state power firm Eskom through a network of ghost service suppliers and well-placed officials, according to City Press.

Bondholders of South Africa’s state-owned electricity company are watching the latest round of rescue talks from a distance.

The serious administrative shortcomings in the entire North West province have prompted some to call for a Commission of Inquiry into its affairs.

The African National Congress (ANC) Parliamentary Caucus welcomes the judgment by the Western Cape High Court that has found ANC MP Adv Bongani Bongo not guilty of bribery accusations levelled against him. 

The party is accusing Dentlinger of practising anti-Black racism against Members of Parliament on national TV, within the Parliamentary precinct.

The ad hoc committee amending Section 25 of the Constitution resolved on Friday not to allow oral submissions from stakeholders who have already made written submissions.

Waratahs coach Rob Penney said his team are “shattered” and he is prepared to stand down if it is decided he is not the right man to lead the side.

Coach Franco Smith predicted it could take eight years for the young Italy side he is building to be able to compete at the highest level in rugby.

The Sharks’ recruitment drive on the field as extended to off of it as well with the announcement of a new “athletic performance manager”.

Kaizer Chiefs are currently in Burkina Faso for their CAF Champions League group stage clash against Wydad Athletic on Sunday.

The latest educational trends for the under-sixes, 50 years ago

‘Can you make your child brighter?’ asked the Observer Magazine of 13 September 1970, tapping into the anxieties of middle-class parents. Joy Scully charted the ‘often neglected first five years’ and described ‘some of the ways parents can help their children to realise their inborn potentialities’.

You can’t make your baby walk,...

Gavin Williamson, once again, has passed schools a poisoned chalice to avoid any political risk to himself

A pandemic that has seen schools shut for months, exams cancelled for two years running and has consigned the majority of university students to a distance-learning model, was always going to wreak havoc with children and young people’s lives. However, time and again the government has,...

Surge in cases expected as schools reopen and charities report 70% rise in demand for services

A surge in child mental health cases is expected to emerge as schools reopen next week, amid warnings of a “crisis on top of a crisis” hitting vulnerable children during the pandemic.

Paediatricians, psychologists and charitable groups providing mental health support all told the Observer they were...

Taylor Swift, Cher, and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook joined a growing list of celebrities and corporations by Friday calling on the US Senate to pass legislation that would expand federal legal protection from discrimination to LGBT+ Americans.

Wondering what romance has in store for your star sign? Here’s a quick glance at your love horoscopes for today – completely free!

Wondering what the day has in store for your star sign? Here’s a quick glance at horoscopes and more for today – completely free!

What do the stars hold in store for you?

In the 30 years Melissa Trueblood has worked in production, she’s seen it all — even if she claims she doesn’t have the coolest stories. But 2021 has dealt her one of her tallest orders yet: to help the Golden Globes put on, essentially, three shows in one night.

The two French bulldogs violently stolen from Lady Gaga’s dog walker have been returned safely, the Los Angeles Police Department said Friday.

A preliminary forensic report has claimed that over R2 billion was stolen from Eskom through a network of ghost service suppliers and well-placed officials, according to City Press. 

A devaluing currency and hard economic conditions make cryptocurrencies attractive despite the risks.

No V8 diesel or V6 petrol but rather the stalwart normally aspirated 1HZ 4.2-litre straight-six normally aspirated oil-burner.

A higher centre of gravity means SUVs are often much more unstable than sedans and small cars.

Tea might be the perfect drink for the pandemic winter malaise. Here’s how to start your own ritual.

Online tutorials for TikTok and music-video routines can help prove you wrong. The “WAP” dance is within your reach.

Concerned about a friend or a loved one who may be feeling the winter doldrums? Try writing them a gratitude letter.

The authorization of a third Covid-19 vaccine will bring millions more doses within days. But health officials worry that some people will see the vaccine as the inferior choice.

On the weekend of 19-21 five 2020 Matric learners were hosted by CapeNature and world-renowned adventurer Riaan Manser at the De Hoop Nature Reserve. These five matriculants; Jama Paliso, Hannah Chetty, Abdullah Seedat, Silondukhule Nquma and Lucy can der Meulen were the runners up in a campaign that saw five other students join Manser on […]

Fishing community leaders say Greenpeace’s action is dangerous and illegal.

Planned UK first hopes to be looking for extraterrestrial life within five years.

Climate change could destroy “entire cities” in a matter of decades, says Sir David Attenborough.