Former Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen died on Monday after losing his battle with motor neuron disease. He was 45. Van der Westhuizen was rushed to hospital in a critical condition on Saturday, his J9 Foundation confirmed. Despite stabilising and showing signs of acknowledging those around him, Van der Westhuizen passed away on Monday afternoon. Blue Bulls CEO Barend van Graan confirmed Van der Westhuizen's passing and expressed his […]
By Thakira Desai The Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) and its industry stakeholders have called on the European Union (EU) to intervene in the job loss crisis that has hit the South Africa’s poultry industry. This follows a recent march by FAWU and its members to the European Union (EU) Embassy in Pretoria earlier this week. Speaking to VOC’s Breakfast Beat, MD of RCL Foods, Scott Pitman explains that […]
According to scientists, as a result of patients not finishing their treatments for tuberculosis (TB), several strains of the disease have become not just drug-resistant, but incurable! A study from the University of Cape Town says that “while various strains of TB, with varying degrees of resistance to drugs, have wreaked havoc on South Africans, a new strain of TB has been found to be simply incurable”. The research was […]
Myanmar's security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya Muslims and burned down villages since October in a campaign that likely amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing, according to the United Nations. "The 'area clearance operations' have likely resulted in hundreds of deaths," a report from the UN's human rights office said, referring to a military crackdown launched in the wake of an attack […]
The past week has been distressingly sad, following the outrageous news coming from the United States featuring Muslims who are affected by President Donald Trump's racist Muslim ban. Reading about the heartbreaking stories of the ban's victims, among them separated families, anxious students, and banned scientists, I was struck by the similarities between their plight and that of millions of Palestinians around the world. From the seven million refugees and […]
The local Somali community says there is a sense of fear within the business fraternity, after three Somali shopkeepers were killed on Thursday night. Just before 10pm, a 27 year old man and a 22 year old man was shot and killed outside their shops in Site C. At around the same time, a 28 year old man was shot and killed at a shop in the same area. Western […]
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has contacted numerous claimants‚ service providers and the caregivers to inform them that the fund’s bank account has officially been attached by the Sheriff of the Court and is now frozen. The RAF’s CEO Eugene Watson cited steep attorney’s fees for bleeding the account dry. “Payments have ground to a halt due to the RAF’s bank account being attached by the Sheriff of the Court‚” […]
With no real progress in the search for South African photo-journalist Shiraaz Mohamed in Syria, Gift of the Givers says investigations into his disappearance have been intensified. The 38 year old journalist from Lenasia was abducted on 10 January on the way to the Turkish border and no group has claimed responsibility or placed demands for his return. Following a nationwide ceasefire on Saturday 28 January between various Syrian factions, […]
VOC will soon launch a new programme called Madrassa-On-Air, a first for the radio station. The programme will take the format of a daily afternoon madrassa class aimed at adults and will be taught by the esteemed Shaykh Ebrahim Abrahams from 2pm to 4pm. The programme is a response to a need for programming that focuses on spiritual development and character-building. While Muslims in South Africa have one of the […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
