INDEPENDENT MEDIA Carel Boshoff jr says his grandfather, Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid, was no racist despot. File picture: Gareth Smit Racism has no place in the Afrikaner enclave, Hendrik Verwoerd’s grandson, Carel Boshoff jr, tells Johnny Masilela. Johannesburg – Carel Boshoff jr has a beard trimmed perfectly. To a perceptive mind, the beard […]

The current model for biodiversity collapse states that both marine and terrestrial animals were impacted simultaneously, as a consequence of global climate change. On land, South African vertebrate fossils, and the stratigraphic record in which they are preserved, are reported to document the extinction and recovery associated with the crisis. The pattern — reported as […]

Since the Cambrian Explosion, ecosystems have suffered repeated mass extinctions, with the “Big 5” crises being the most prominent. Twenty years ago, a sixth major extinction was recognized in the Middle Permian (262 million … Click here to Book Accommodation in Cradock, Graaf Reinett, Hofmeyer or surrounds. Article source: http://phys.org/news/2015-09-karoo-basin-permian-mass-extinction.html

IS THE key to unlocking SA’s future prosperity being pioneered in Graaff-Reinet? The Karoo town is home to a coalition of municipal, government and civil society partners planning a possible 100% renewable energy future for this remote region, showing the way forward for the rest of the country. There are several vital and interlinked reasons […]

Cape Town – Some South Africans are in the bad habit of complaining about everything in the country by default. If they’re having a bad day, it’s easy for them to blame it on the government or on the ‘state of the nation’.  Yes, it’s no secret that we live in developing, third-world country and […]

“Over the years a plant census was taken by Acocks, and according to his findings, he established that the Karoo is expanding at a rate of 1,6km per year eastwards. Today the Karoo covers just over one-third of the total surface area of the country as can be seen on map number two. With the […]

Rest in Peace, Sibella . @samarakaroo #cheetah #SouthAfrica http://t.co/WW1CxNXHLC — Marcy Mendelson (@MendelsonImages) Septemb er 11, 2015 Click here to Book Accommodation in Cradock, Graaf Reinett, Hofmeyer or surrounds. Article source: http://www.southafrica.info/about/animals/sibella-cheetah-dies-150915.htm

Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation Driven hunters dive for cover when the cameras are trained on them. Picture: Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation Durban – Thirteen European hunters who went on a controversial five-day hunt this week have exposed a glaring flaw in the country’s legislation governing the practice, according to animal rights activists and advocacy groups. […]

A new influx of money has saved the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) from collapse, but what does the future hold for our quest to discover intelligent life in the Universe? In July 2015 Russian billionaire philanthropist Yuri Milner announced that his Breakthrough Prize Foundation would donate $100 million over the course of 10 years […]

Cape Town –  Mention luxury rail travel in South Africa and ultimately the Blue Train springs to mind. As the only passenger rail service run by Transnet, with all other rail services operated by Prasa, the iconic ‘five-star hotel on wheels’ is an exclusive, world-renown offering that sees passengers fork out an estimate R20 000 […]

Over the last three years the Ultimate Braai Master has taken viewers on an unprecedented armchair road trip to some of the most epic outdoor locations in Southern Africa and has tipped the scale on what can be cooked on the open fire. Produced by Cooked in Africa Films, the fourth Season of South Africa’s […]

SALUTATIONS ewes and rams. Have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. We choose to eat red meat simply because it is delicious as well as being good for us. It is rich in nutrients and the protein is crucial for the regulation and maintenance of the body, the magnesium is important […]

BY 2050 the Karoo may be as close as the town of Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal if current conditions prevail, so says local ecologist, Pieter du Plessis. “The first inhabitants of the Karoo started a hail of destruction and killing of wildlife. Wildlife has been replaced by farmers who introduced sheep in the regions of the […]

Karoo Disclosure, a collaborative art installation that investigates the contentious issue of fracking, is on at the Iziko South African Museum. The exhibition explores notions of heritage, culture, ownership and legitimacy in the context of external economic and political drivers that threaten to change the landscape and the lives of communities in unforeseen ways, says […]

Related: The crazy world of Burning Man – festival survival guide Nearly 70,000 participants are gathering in Nevada’s Black Rock desert for alternative arts festival Burning Man, which begins today (Sunday). Visitors can expect 5.7 square miles of giant flaming art, surreal costumes, a collection of esoteric workshops, wild parties and a spirit of freedom. […]

FACEBOOK Caleb Swanepoel lost his right leg after a shark attack at Buffels Bay near Sedgefield. He is determined to remain active. Cape Town – It has only been two months since a shark bit off his right leg, but Caleb Swanepoel has already been back in the ocean, continued with his drama studies at […]

South Africa has some of the best lamb in the world. It’s great on the braai and  just as good as a roast, but this recipe is the ultimate in comfort food. This recipe requires very little effort once you’ve done the prep and is perfect for the cooler nights as we head into summer. […]

INDEPENDENT MEDIA File picture Cape Town – Nine pedestrians and three other road users died on Western Cape roads over the weekend, said the province’s Transport and Public Works department on Monday. “Provincial Traffic Services stopped a total of 3 039 vehicles in 26 alcohol blitz roadblocks across the Western Cape. Twelve road users, including […]

21 August, 04:40 PM Pecan farmer Bob Roux speaks to Jennifer Sanasie. Watch him tell us about how technology and the internet has drastically changed the way farmers operate in the Karoo. Bob’s dad used to have to drive 45 kms to the nearest town to receive a fax to do business, Bob tells us […]

“It is this government’s hope that we, together with your respective governments, will find practical opportunities to enhance the economic opportunities the shale gas sector has to present,” Zuma said. Zuma said South Africa is open for business and is part of a growing continent, which has nine of the world’s fastest growing economies. Since […]