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
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
Three South African students are celebrating a major international achievement after their team won a global space design competition at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Zayaan Abdurahman, Benjamin Honigwachs and Dean Weich were part of Team ZA, which competed against students from around the world to design a spacecraft
South Africa’s food inflation has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, but rising fuel costs and global tensions could threaten the relief for households. Statistics South Africa says food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation slowed to 0.9% last month, with lower prices for meat and cereal products
South Africa has recorded 26 politically motivated killings this year, raising concerns about political violence and the safety of candidates and voters ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. Speaking to VOC News, University of the Western Cape School of Government professor Lisa Thompson says political killings have become a
The R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund is facing renewed scrutiny over slow disbursements and concerns about the state’s ability to properly verify businesses applying for financial support. Speaking to VOC News, analyst Sandile Swana says only R83.9 million in applications had been approved, with R57 million actually disbursed to
Allegations that some police officers are working with or receiving payments from criminal gangs are raising serious concerns about the ability of law enforcement to tackle organised crime and protect communities. Speaking to VOC News, security strategist and retired Interpol Ambassador Andy Mashaile says there are police officers who abuse
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has gazetted the first two sets of regulations under the BELA Act, with the public given until 5 September to submit written comments. The regulations deal with school admissions and capacity and are aimed at guiding the implementation of changes introduced by the Basic Education
Former Eskom contractor Michael Lomas has been convicted on 34 counts of corruption after entering into a plea and sentence agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) over his role in the R1.4 billion Kusile Power Station corruption case. IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame said 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.
