Author: Tshegofatso Letsie
Love was in the air across social media as Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and his long-term partner, Spanish-Argentine model and entrepreneur Georgina Rodríguez, announced that they are officially married. The couple confirmed the news with a photograph of their hands adorned with wedding rings, simply captioned with their initials, following what is believed to have been a private ceremony. The announcement quickly sparked celebrations online, with fans and followers congratulating the couple and adding them to the list of high-profile romances of 2026. Reports indicate that the intimate ceremony took place in Cascais, Portugal, and was attended by their…
The murder trial of US rapper Tupac Shakur has commenced nearly 30 years after his death. The trial concerning the late rapper began nearly three decades after he was fatally shot in 1996 near Las Vegas, Nevada. Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the alleged mastermind behind Shakur’s drive-by shooting, appeared at the Clark County District Court on Monday in what is considered one of the most high-profile cold cases in American history. Investigations into the case were revived following the publication of Davis’s 2019 memoir, in which he recounted events surrounding the night when four bullets struck the Dear Mama hitmaker.…
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has urged schools to review their tax status and deregister as VAT vendors where applicable, following legislative changes that exempt all school supplies from VAT. The changes, which came into effect on 1 January 2026, mean schools registered under the South African Schools Act can no longer charge VAT or claim input tax on qualifying supplies unless they have approval to remain registered for specific welfare activities. SARS said affected schools should submit a VAT123e – Application for Cancellation of Registration form by emailing contactus@sars.gov.za with the subject line “VAT deregistration – Schools.” Schools…
The South African Police Service (SAPS), in partnership with the Department of Higher Education, has launched a Campus Community Safety Forum at Taletso TVET College in Mahikeng to strengthen safety and combat crime on campus. The initiative aims to create a safer learning environment by addressing crime, violence, substance abuse, bullying and other threats affecting students and staff. Delivering the keynote address, North West Deputy Police Commissioner Ryno Naidoo stressed the importance of safeguarding institutions of higher learning. “A college campus is much more than a place of learning. It is where future leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals and public servants are…
Calls to end gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) are intensifying as Women’s Month gets under way. Gender-based violence and femicide remain widespread in many communities, despite being declared a national disaster in November 2025. The Ministry of Police has urged and reminded citizens to play an active role in efforts to combat the scourge. This emerged during a GBVF march in Ivory Park, Tembisa, where Deputy Police Minister Polly Boshielo condemned the persistent violence. “The alarming rates of violence against women, children and vulnerable people are unacceptable, and it is our collective responsibility to confront and dismantle the systems that…
American pop and R&B star Ariana Grande has reassured fans that her decision to take a break from the spotlight was not influenced by recent criticism surrounding her physical appearance. The Grammy-winning singer announced through her team that she would step away from public appearances after completing her tour, prompting speculation among some fans that the decision was linked to renewed online scrutiny about her appearance and health. The speculation intensified following the release of a promotional video for her latest album, Petal, in which Grande portrays a performer who repeatedly faces rejection during auditions and is told she is…
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has defended the department’s funding model for local and international sporting events following public criticism. The response comes amid growing calls for the department’s spending to be investigated over allegations of the improper use of public funds. McKenzie dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated, providing further clarity on the department’s funding framework in a statement released on Monday. “It is important to remember that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture provides financial support to more than 60 national federations. The allocation available to meet those demands, however, is fixed, voted…
Growing societal pressures and expectations surrounding men’s mental health continue to make it more difficult for men to speak openly about the challenges they face. Behavioural Health Practitioner and Neuro-Life Coach Mpumelelo Phakathi warned that this could contribute significantly to gender-based violence, particularly where there are no safe spaces for men to express their emotions. “Society has placed us in situations where we need to be strong. Men have been labelled as people who do not have emotions and should not shed tears. We forget that we are human beings and that we feel just like everyone else. We have…
The Gauteng Department of Education has committed to preserving and advancing the legacy of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG). The department will take ownership of the school following the announcement that it will close after the 2027 academic year. Since opening its doors in 2007, the school, founded by US media mogul and author Oprah Winfrey, has empowered more than 1,000 young girls from disadvantaged communities by providing access to quality education. Winfrey said OWLAG had achieved the vision for which it was established more than two decades ago – to empower and uplift young women through…
The four-day, multi-stakeholder National Workshop on Weather Forecasting will get underway on Tuesday, 28 July, in Pretoria. It will be jointly led by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, and his counterpart from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts. The workshop will bring together more than 100 stakeholders from disaster management, government departments, civil society and the media to review the current Impact-Based Forecasting (IBF) system and explore mechanisms to transform it into an Action-Based Forecasting (ABF) system. In a statement released by the South African Weather Service (SAWS), the…