Everyone experiences fear, whether it’s a fear of heights, spiders, or public speaking. But for some, these fears intensify to the point where they interfere with daily life. Such extreme fears are known as phobias and can have a significant impact on a person’s well-being. Clinical Psychologist Rafiq Lockhat explains
The grassroots movement, We The 99, is uniting activists, civil society members, workers, youth, and changemakers across South Africa and beyond to tackle global economic inequalities. From 20–22 November, the movement will host the People’s Summit for Global Economic Justice at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg. The summit aims to give communities
The General Industrial Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) has expressed cautious optimism following the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, which showed that South Africa’s unemployment rate fell to 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025, down from 33.2% in the previous quarter. While the union welcomed the decline, it
The 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams are now well past the halfway mark, with learners set to complete their final paper at the end of November. The Department of Basic Education said that despite a few technical hiccups and minor disruptions, the exams have proceeded largely smoothly across the
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to provide clarity on the future of medical tax credits ahead of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) to be delivered today. The organisation has cautioned that scrapping medical tax credits before the National Health Insurance (NHI)
By Rachel Mohamed The abrupt postponement of the investigations and prosecutions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) until the week of the 26th of November has raised queries on the logistics of the commission as well as the future of the historic cases under its purview. Speaking to VOC
National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi has confirmed that she received confidential intelligence about attempts to infiltrate the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Testifying before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on police corruption, Batohi revealed that she was alerted by an intelligence agency and subsequently briefed Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and
South Africa’s official unemployment rate fell slightly in the third quarter of 2025, declining to 31.9% from 33.2% in the second quarter, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported. The number of unemployed people decreased to eight million between July and September, down from 8.3 million in the April-to-June period. The
As Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to deliver the much-anticipated Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday afternoon, uncertainty looms over what South Africans can expect. After Budget 2025 was postponed twice, many sectors are anxious for clarity, particularly education, where persistent funding shortfalls continue to impact learners and schools
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.
