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Dros rapist loses bid to appeal against conviction and life sentence

The high court in Pretoria on Tuesday dismissed Dros rapist Nicholas Ninow's application for leave to appeal against the conviction and life sentence imposed on him. Ninow was convicted in September 2019 of raping a seven-year-old girl at a Dros restaurant in Silverton, Pretoria. The application for leave to appeal…

10 Mar 2020 4AM 1 min

#Notinmyname slams Ninow’s decision to launch appeal

Advocacy group #Notinmyname has slammed convicted child rapist Nicholas Ninow’s decision to launch an appeal. Secretary General, Themba Masango says that they are angered by Ninow's leave to appeal. "We must remember that the child is now subjected to secondary victimization through this appeal process" said Masango. "His constitutional right…

6 Mar 2020 4AM 3 min

UFS documentary: ‘Rugby is more important than the lives of students and workers’

A short documentary titled Shimla Park: A Campus Race Struggle was released on February 22 2020. It describes the events of February 22 2016, at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), when black students and workers disrupted a university rugby match and later called for…

5 Mar 2020 9AM 4 min

What happened when Enock Mpianzi died?

NOT FOR SENSITIVE AUDIENCES. A forensic report into the drowning of Parktown Boys' High School pupil Enock Mpianzi, which was released on March 4 2020, made damning findings against the school, its staff and the lodge where the school orientation trip took place. It outlined the details and facts about…

5 Mar 2020 8AM 4 min

'A storm is coming' promises WITS SRC

A video clip of students sleeping in the library at Wits University was shared by the student representative council (SRC) on Wednesday, as it staged a demonstration demanding immediate action. While the university reiterated that free accommodation excludes students who have failed repeatedly, the SRC tweeted: “When we resort to…

4 Mar 2020 9AM 3 min

'I would be going home leaving everything behind' – South Africans stuck in Wuhan

Financial concerns, limited food supplies, intensified lockdowns and conflicting emotions: two South Africans caught up in the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in China have shared their thoughts as they prepare to be evacuated. “I am very excited to go home and have mixed feelings because I will be leaving my Ukrainian…

4 Mar 2020 7AM 4 min

Dros rapist Nicholas Ninow has ‘no grounds’ to launch an appeal, says #Notinmyname

“Nicholas Ninow has no grounds to apply for anything concerning his conviction, sentence or both.” Advocacy group #Notinmyname has slammed convicted child rapist Nicholas Ninow’s decision to launch an appeal in the high court in Pretoria on Friday. This after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Tuesday that Ninow…

4 Mar 2020 3AM 1 min

South Africans express concern about Coronavirus repatriation plan

Some South African citizens have expressed concern about health minister Zweli Mkhize’s plan to bring back 151 South Africans living in Wuhan, China. In a media briefing held in Johannesburg on Sunday, Mkhize reassured citizens that the government is ready to deal with the disease should it come to SA…

3 Mar 2020 9AM 2 min

How fuel price decreases will affect your pocket

Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday announced that the price of petrol and diesel will decrease 19c/l and 54c/l respectively, effective from Wednesday. Mantashe cited lower oil prices for the price drop induced by the continuous spread of the coronavirus, known as Covid-19, which has disrupted global…

3 Mar 2020 8AM 1 min

Wayde van Niekerk to focus only on the 400m at Tokyo Olympics

Wayde van Niekerk says his focus this year is the 400m and he’s unlikely to be tempted to throw his hat into the mix for SA’s 4x100m relay team. At full fitness Van Niekerk would be an obvious choice for the outfit which‚ even without him‚ is a medal contender…

2 Mar 2020 1AM 1 min

Wayde van Niekerk is back in the groove

The only lightning visible at Bloemfontein's athletics stadium yesterday shot down from the thick clouds, but the way Wayde van Niekerk cantered around the track suggested he really is over his right-knee injury. The Olympic 400m champion hasn't competed internationally since the 2017 world championships after collapsing during a game…

29 Feb 2020 5PM 2 min

We're on your side, Lesufi tells protesting Wits students

“I share your frustration, I share your pain. I know the difficulties of being a student without accommodation.” This is what Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi told protesting University of the Witwatersrand students on Thursday. The students, represented by the student representative council, marched to the Gauteng legislature ahead of…

27 Feb 2020 9AM 3 min

BUDGET 2020 | "It is a slap in the face" - Cosatu

President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration is headed for a bitter battle with public sector unions after finance minister Tito Mboweni announced plans to reduce the civil service wage bill by R160bn in the next three years. Tabling his budget for the 2020/2021 financial year in parliament on Wednesday, Mboweni stunned the…

26 Feb 2020 9AM 3 min

Budget in a nutshell: will government stick to its guns?

A huge cut in the public-sector wage bill, setting the ANC government up for a mighty fight with its union allies, is the standout item in finance minister Tito Mboweni’s budget. Ratings agencies might be less impressed with the budget deficit and deficit numbers. In what it described as “a…

26 Feb 2020 9AM 2 min

Tax increases will make transport even more expensive

Tax increases and higher costs of living — what we can expect from the budget speech 2020. According the Stats SA the annual consumer price inflation was 4.5% for the month of January 2020, up from 4.0% in December 2019.Of that 4.5%, transport contributed 0.9% with an overall increase of…

26 Feb 2020 5AM 3 min

BUDGET ANALYSIS: Where will we get the money?

Taxing independent churches and calling for a referendum to let the public decide on whether our perennially cash-strapped state-owned companies should be bailed out. Judging by the ideas posted on his Twitter feed, one could hardly be blamed for saying finance minister Tito Mboweni is willing to try just about…

24 Feb 2020 5AM 11 min

Wits education students disrupt work at aid office over NSFAS allowances

Students from the University of the Witwatersrand disrupted work at the financial aid and scholarships office on Friday, wanting to know why their allowances from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) had not been paid. The group of about 80 students gathered at the education campus bus stop about…

21 Feb 2020 10AM 2 min

Pain medicine with codeine could soon be available only on prescription

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is reviewing the status of pain medication, after concerns regarding the growing non-medical use of codeine-containing medication. The outcome of the review could result in specific pain medication containing codeine being available only to consumers who have a health professional's prescription. Popular…

21 Feb 2020 3AM 5 min

Formerly hijacked building turned into student accommodation : a 'beacon of hope'

What was once a crime ridden, hijacked building has now been refurbished and turned into a luxurious student accommodation. Focus 1 student accommodation located at the heart of the Johannesburg inner city was launched on Thursday.  The building formerly known as ‘Cape York’ has in the past made headlines for…

20 Feb 2020 10PM 1 min

Blind, brain damaged: this is SA’s malpractice nightmare

Tebogo Machete waited nearly 12 hours at Mamelodi Hospital in Pretoria for help when she was giving birth to her son. She ended up in ICU after being told the baby was battling to breathe. Today her son, who suffered brain damage when he was born, is 11 years old…

20 Feb 2020 10PM 5 min