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The pervasive drought in South Africa is believed to be the worst of its kind since 1982. And while most people have gotten the memo about turning off the tap when they brush their teeth, there's still a whole lot of wastage going on.…

KEALEBOGA GODFREY MOHIBIDU dropped out of the electrical engineering programme at the University of Pretoria after losing his scholarship. He told Firdaus Khan about how he had to break the news to his mother, a single parent. I…

SEABELO MOEPI (21) was a chemistry and biochemistry major at UCT. But he couldn't keep up with the fees and found himself excluded before he could graduate. Technically, the highest qualification he's achieved is matric. Today he…

A picture may say a thousand words and a well-worded placard tells a million woes. FIRDAUS KHAN rounds up some of the most evocative placards of the protest. 1. This one stands in honour of Wits's incoming and outgoing SRC presidents,…

This week, students brought the University of the Witwatersrand to a standstill in protest against a 10,5% fee increase tabled for next year. But what exactly does the proposed increase mean to the average student? FIRDAUS KHAN breaks…

Students at the University of the Witwatersrand have been protesting over a 10,5% increase to fees set for next year and academic activities on campus have been brought to a standstill. FIRDAUS KHAN asked students how they feel about the…

KAMROONISSA NANOOMIA-KHAN (73) traces her heritage back to India but her roots are right here in South Africa. She told her granddaughter, Firdaus Khan, about her family history. My mother and her mother were born in South Africa but…

In the past six months, over 4,500 Yemenis have been killed and over 80% of Yemen’s population are now in need of humanitarian help. South African NGO Gift of the Givers has been providing food, water and medical supplies to people…

ANN7 is set to host the second annual South African of the Year awards, or #SATY, this October. The event seeks to commemorate South Africa's biggest achievers, and its main drawcard is performances by international stars, Christina…

Over the past week, residents of Ga-Mapela in the Limpopo province took to the streets and to social media to voice their grievances with Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena Mine. Protestors say the mine offers little to benefit the…

Last week, hardly anyone even knew his name, but on Wednesday South African sprinter Wayde van Niekerk had the rainbow nation beaming with pride when he earned his first world championship title and became the fourth fastest man in…

Questions of transformation in higher education are again in the spotlight, this time at Rhodes University, where the Black Student Movement (BSM) camped out at the university’s management offices, including the Council Chambers and the…

One in six South African women is abused regularly by her partner, whether verbally, physically, or emotionally. Many cases go unreported, and the effects are long-lasting. Firdaus Khan spoke to SIBONGILE DUMA about how she escaped her…

South Africa is considered a 'food secure' nation, yet 12 million South Africans go to bed hungry each night. One survey found that 77% of all households were either moderately or severely food insecure. Organisations like FoodBank SA  …

The last thing anyone wants to come home to is loadshedding - no hot shower, no warm dinner, and worst of all, no Uzalo. But while most of us spend our loadshedding hours next to gas heaters, using up the last of our cellphone batteries to…

Johannesburg’s northern suburbs are expanding rapidly but the number of schools in the region hasn’t grown apace, leaving parents battling to find schools for their kids. Sunninghill mother of three FATIMA EBRAHIM* told Firdaus Khan…

In recent years social media platforms like Instagram have become a playground for young people perpetuating stereotypes about the ideal body and shaming those who don't conform to these ideals. FIRDAUS KHAN rounds up five damaging…

Model Nykhor Paul recently lashed out at professional makeup artists in the fashion industry who refuse to cater to dark-skinned models. The global fashion industry is known for excluding people of colour, but even here in South Africa,…

The department of correctional services is back in the spotlight after The Times revealed that six prisoners at a Pretoria jail were held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, for weeks on end. It's not the first time that the…

It’s official: US coffee house Starbucks will be opening in South Africa next year. FIRDAUS KHAN rounds up what South Africans think about arrival of the venti chocolate chai caramel white mocha cookie crumble frappuccino. The American…