The youth in SA face many challenges, some of which are unprecedented. Though youth activism is not a new phenomena, considering the country’s history, we have recently seen growing involvement of the youth in fighting for change within society through different forms of activism. Two change-makers are intersectional activists Irfan Mangera and Faeeza Lok, who both lead activism at a grassroots, community level.

Health minister Dr Joe Phaahla on Thursday said SA had reached a "historic day" and "major turning point" since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This comes after the decision to scrap the regulations governing the use of face masks, limits on gatherings and testing and vaccination rules for those entering the country. Some South Africans also weighed in on the matter.

A 30-year-old man from Gauteng has been identified with the first confirmed case of monkeypox in SA.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Thursday confirmed the case of monkeypox was identified through laboratory testing on Wednesday.

The fifth and final instalment of the state capture report was released by inquiry chairperson and chief justice Raymond Zondo today.

University of Cape Town constitutional law professor Pierre De Vos details the processes necessary if citizens could elect the president.

SA citizens do not have the direct voting power to hold the president accountable.

Eskom has announced that Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented between 10:00 and midnight on Wednesday due to breakdowns of four generation units this morning that contributed to the capacity constraints.

The power utility said from Thursday until Sunday, Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from 05:00 until midnight.

It says there is a likelihood that the stages might need to be increased during the evening peaks.

Representative from the Social Cohesion Group Ravigesen Pillay says the labelling of the deaths of 34 people in Phoenix during the July 2021 unrest as a massacre is wrong and perpetrates racial divisions.

In its final sitting, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) heard from Pillay.

He told the commission “... the labelling of the entire Phoenix community and through the characterisation of the events in Phoenix as a ‘massacre’ has demonised the entire Indian community because of the actions of a few.”

Hundreds of Soweto residents, including children and the elderly, marched under the banner #SowetoShutdown and took to the streets of the Johannesburg CBD on Tuesday to hand a memorandum of demands to the office of mayor Mpho Phalatse. Residents are calling for the city to resolve the many issues plaguing the township, among them the ongoing power crisis in the area.

The DA has written to the FBI Pretoria field office to request the US intelligence and security service to investigate allegations of money laundering by President Cyril Ramaphosa after a 2020 robbery at his Limpopo farm, Phala Phala. 

This comes as pressure from within the ANC and opposition parties mounts for Ramaphosa to be held accountable after allegations that he was involved in a cover-up of the theft of US dollars hidden in farmhouse furniture.

Addressing members of the media at the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg on Tuesday, DA leader John Steenhuisen said they had approached the FBI because they did not trust local law enforcement officials with the investigation.

“I am not going to stop, I am going to continue,” says minister of tourism Lindiwe Sisulu on her sustained offensive against the country’s constitution and judiciary. Sisulu was addressing a virtual Youth Month event organised by the Unisa Law School on Tuesday. In her speech she resuscitated her controversial letter that launched an unprovoked attack on the country’s constitutional order. Her letter was an expression of observations made over time about what she holds as problematic aspects of the country’s constitution and judiciary. Sisulu said she is still puzzled by the backlash that followed the open letter but remained firm that her views were correct.