The Belgian government has deployed two military companies to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to assist in the fight against M23 rebels. While the official stance is that the mission involves combat training, there is growing speculation that Belgian troops may participate directly in the conflict. Speaking on VOC’s
The Electoral Commission has received over 40 objections from political parties in response to its notice of cancellation for 192 inactive parties. These parties failed to renew their registration by the deadline of January 31st, and they are not represented in any legislative body. According to the commission’s David Mandaha,
The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) stated that it is deeply concerned about the latest quarterly employment figures. Giwusa president Mametlwe Sebei said the figures reveal an economy that continues to fail the working class, with key productive sectors collapsing. He added that Giwusa is calling for
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has announced that it will investigate all accommodation providers who have submitted incorrect information in an attempt to unlawfully benefit from funds intended for legitimate NSFAS-funded students. This comes as the scheme has identified ghost students, who are neither funded by NSFAS nor
Despite South Africa’s growing shortage of healthcare workers, President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern over the increasing number of nurses and doctors leaving the country to work abroad. Medical expert Dr Angelique Coetzee shed light on some of the key reasons behind this trend, citing systemic challenges in the public
The public is being urged to dismiss a misleading social media post claiming that the moonsighting to mark the start of Eid-ul-Fitr will take place this Saturday (29 March). The crescent sighting remains a significant moment for the Muslim community, determining the beginning of the new Islamic month. Authorities have
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi will withdraw the gazetted regulations prohibiting the sale of cannabis and hemp products to facilitate a public participation process. The regulations, issued earlier this month, banned any food products containing cannabis ingredients, hemp seed oil, or hemp seed flour, which sparked a public outcry. President Cyril
The Eastern Cape (EC) police’s strategy for combating extortion has drawn criticism from the Portfolio Committee on Police. Ian Cameron, the chairperson of the committee, said that reported cases would be formally followed up to ensure responsibility during an oversight visit to Mthatha. Cameron further stressed the committee’s concern about
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
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.
