The South African Trade Union Congress (COSATU) has urged Parliament to use its legislative power and remove the Value-Added Tax (VAT) increase from the 2025–2026 budget. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana suggested a 0.5%-point VAT increase in 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 in his budget statement earlier this month. In his presentation of
By Kouthar Sambo Used as a grassroots mobilization tool to demonstrate global support for Palestinians, this year’s Israeli Apartheid Week comes at a critical time, as South Africa faces mounting international pressure—particularly from the U.S., a key ally of Israel known to be fueling the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza.
The Department of Social Development, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, will host the Bi-Annual Africa Children’s Summit (ACS) in Johannesburg from April 4 to 7. The event will bring together 1,300 children from across the continent, with 300 attending in person and 1,000 participating virtually. According
By Rachel Mohamed Recent figures from the Department of Health reveal that more than 100 people die from tuberculosis (TB) daily in South Africa. Despite being a preventable and curable disease, TB remains a major public health crisis, often overlooked in everyday discourse. The Department of Health has committed to
By Daanyaal Matthews Anti-immigration protests have erupted in the KwaZulu-Natal province, with demonstrators linking illegal immigration to broader socio-economic concerns, including housing shortages and crime, particularly in relation to the drug trade. While the protests have been labeled as ‘xenophobic’ by detractors, participants insist that illegal immigration is a pressing
Eskom has warned that the risk of load shedding remains high after six generation units went offline within 12 hours. Although the power utility had cautioned about a possible Stage 2 load shedding on Monday, 24 March, no power cuts were ultimately implemented. This comes just a week after load
Parliament will hold public hearings on the proposed budget on Tuesday, 25 March, with trade union federation COSATU set to make its submission on behalf of workers. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced an additional R23 billion to cover a 5.5% public sector wage increase over the next
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has reported a decline in total employment between 2023 and December 2024, with 91,000 jobs lost during this period. Full-time employment fell by 26,000, while part-time employment saw a sharper decline of 65%. However, Matlapane Masupye, Director of Quarterly Employment Statistics at Stats SA, noted
Cape Town saw a significant rise in road-related incidents this past weekend, with 57 crashes recorded in just two days. According to the City’s Safety and Security Directorate, these included both vehicle collisions and pedestrian accidents—an increase compared to previous weekends. One of the more serious accidents occurred on Sunday,
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.
