Oyisa George

Golden Arrow Bus Services will operate as normal on Thursday after a court interdict prevented a planned strike by the National Union for All Sectors (NUFAS). The strike was linked to a dispute over disciplinary processes at the company, with the court ordering employees to report for duty according to their normal rosters. Speaking to VOC News, United Commuters Voice Provincial Secretary Patrick Lugogwana says commuters would have faced serious […]

Golden Arrow Bus Services is facing the possibility of a strike from Thursday, 10 September, after the National Union for All Sectors (NUFAS) and the company failed to resolve a dispute over disciplinary processes. NUFAS Deputy General Secretary Vuyo Lufele says the union is opposing Golden Arrow’s urgent court application to interdict the planned strike. “We are opposing that urgent application and we believe that it stands to fail because […]

The growing use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss is raising questions about their potential impact on mental health, with a specialist psychiatrist warning that patients need to be closely monitored. Speaking to VOC News, Dr Gagu Matsebula, a specialist psychiatrist, says GLP-1 medicines have been used for around 20 years to treat type 2 diabetes, but their weight-loss benefits have increasingly brought them into the spotlight. He says the […]

South African households, particularly low-income families, are expected to come under further financial pressure as the latest fuel price increases take effect on Wednesday, with higher transport and food costs adding to the strain. Speaking to VOC News, Advocacy Coordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, Sibusiso Mboto, says the impact will extend beyond motorists to households relying on paraffin for cooking and other basic needs. “This is […]

Security and policing expert Eldred De Klerk says the City of Cape Town needs to clearly demonstrate how granting municipal police investigative powers would strengthen its existing mandate and improve public safety. Speaking to VOC News, De Klerk says the debate should focus less on political disagreements and more on whether the proposed powers would address the gaps in policing and law enforcement. “The city needs to make its case. […]

The Western Cape E-Hailing Association (WCEA) and Operation Ubuntu are calling for urgent intervention at Cape Town International Airport, amid reports of intimidation and violence involving e-hailing drivers at the airport’s staging area. Operation Ubuntu spokesperson Indiphile Matini says the situation has deteriorated because of what the organisations describe as failures by Uber, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the Western Cape Department of Mobility and SAPS. Matini says legitimate drivers […]

The Mowbray Muslim Cemetery Board election has moved into the counting and verification phase after the online voting process closed on Tuesday afternoon. The election, which is being overseen by an independent panel appointed by the court, saw 53 candidates contesting 11 positions following a lengthy legal dispute over the governance of the cemetery. Speaking to VOC News, chairperson of the independent election panel, Attorney Ighsaan Higgins, says the physical […]

The Supreme Court of Appeal is considering government’s appeal against a High Court judgment that declared several regulations governing the R370 Social Relief of Distress grant unconstitutional and invalid. The case focuses on issues including the online-only application system, the exclusion of potential beneficiaries and whether the grant should be expanded. Speaking to VOC News, Siyanda Baduza, Junior Basic Income Researcher at the Institute for Economic Justice, says the outcome […]

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is urging voters in the Western Cape to familiarise themselves with key election deadlines and special voting arrangements ahead of the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections. Speaking to VOC News, IEC Western Cape Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse says the commission is currently finalising the voters’ roll after the recent objection period. Political parties have until 5pm on Friday to submit their candidate nominations, […]