The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to assist the police in gang violence hotspots in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and now the Eastern Cape, acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed on Tuesday during a debate on the President’s State of the Nation Address. “I can confirm
The Cape Crime Crisis Coalition has denounced the President’s recent announcement that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to the Cape Flats. The group argues that previous army deployments failed to deliver long-term results and that declaring a state of emergency would instead direct government resources
South Africa’s official unemployment rate fell to 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa. Employment increased by 44,000 to 17.1 million, while the number of unemployed people declined by 172,000. Stats SA Director for the QLFS,
The pro-Palestine civil society group Mothers for Gaza is organising an event titled “Women Rising in the Face of Genocide” to commemorate International Women’s Day on 8 March 2026. Pro-Palestine activist Megan Chortiz told VOC News that the event will feature poetry and speakers from conflict-affected regions, including Congo, Sudan
The City of Cape Town is set to auction around 50 municipal properties across the metro on Thursday, 26 February, including residential, commercial and industrial sites, as well as the Good Hope Centre. The Good Hope Centre will be offered for redevelopment, with heritage elements such as the dome retained.
President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that although substantial advancements have been achieved in education over the past thirty years, significant challenges still exist. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa highlighted the unequal access to resources and quality education as significant issues, particularly in rural and township schools Speaking to VOC News, education
More than 450 cattle were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on Sunday in Fisantekraal as the Western Cape Government intensified efforts to protect the provincial herd. The drive was overseen by Premier Alan Winde, alongside Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and provincial ministers Ivan Meyer and Anton Bredell. “This vaccination drive
Cape Town’s Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs) have introduced a digital system for learner’s licence tests, replacing the manual, booklet-based format. The move, implemented in partnership with the Road Traffic Management Corporation and the Western Cape Government, was rolled out in 2025. The system allows applicants to complete a randomly
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that he will deploy the military to assist the police in combating criminal gangs and unlawful mining activities across the country. Gang-related violence remains a significant challenge in South Africa, which has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. “Organised crime
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.
