July 07, 2022
South Africa: Spiritual Traditions Fuel South African Jazz Artist Tumi Mogorosi's New Album
Blues ... Black ... Darker than grey/ Creation sounds Gold Reef Mine rockfall crush-sounds/ Guitar-string gun-spit tear flesh/ Black sonic science/ Darkest Acoustics ... (from… Read more »
July 06, 2022
Kenya: Why U.S.-Kenya Cooperation On Wildlife and Drug Trafficking Matters
Kenya and the United States have worked very closely against terrorism since the targeting of the American embassy in Nairobi in 1998 by Al-Qaeda. But much less debated is US-Kenya… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Ndabaningi Sithole - A Forgotten Intellectual and Leader
Ndabaningi Sithole was one of the founding fathers of the modern state of Zimbabwe in southern Africa. In August 1963, he became the first president of the Zimbabwe African… Read more »
July 05, 2022
South Africa: Justice Maya's Support for African Languages in South Africa's Courts Is a Positive Sign
The only nominee for the position of South Africa's Deputy Chief Justice, Justice Mandisa Maya, has once again put the spotlight on indigenous languages and the justice system. She… Read more »
South Africa: Sandfish Are On the Brink of Extinction - How Farmers Are Helping Rescue Them
Sandfish are migratory freshwater fish found only in South Africa that can grow to over half a metre in length. They sport a pronounced downturned mouth which is used to graze… Read more »
July 04, 2022
South Africa: The Case of the Acclaimed South African Novel That 'Borrows' From Samuel Beckett
Pereant qui ante nos nostra dixerunt: may those who utter our words before us perish. This lighthearted Latin curse speaks a truth many readers and writers have felt: to have our… Read more »
Lesotho: Elections Due in October Despite Lack of Progress On Key Political Reforms
Lesotho is due to hold national elections in mid-October. The polls were expected to be held under a new constitutional regime resulting from a reform process that started in 2012.… Read more »
July 03, 2022
South Africa: How Beetles Trick Bees Into Feeding Them Food Rich in Nutrients
Honey bees are useful not only to humans but to other "free riders" attracted to their stored resources. The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is one of the species that rely on… Read more »
South Africa: Plasma Gangs - How South Africans' Fears About Crime Created an Urban Legend
Around the middle of 2013 a series of stories appeared in the South African press about a new phenomenon called 'plasma gangs', presented as the latest iteration of the country's… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Book On Zimbabwe Strongman Robert Mugabe's Legacy Has Many Flaws
Development studies professor David Moore's new book, Mugabe's Legacy: Coups, Conspiracies and the Conceits of Power in Zimbabwe, attempts to understand the legacy of Robert… Read more »
South Africa: Why the South African State Should Not Subsidise Minibus Taxi Owners
Millions of South Africans rely on minibus taxis to get around. Without these vehicles, people wouldn't be able to get to work, school or simply visit friends and family. Data from… Read more »
June 30, 2022
South Africa: Following a Fungus From Genes to Tree Disease - a Journey in Science
Anyone who reads even a little about science and technology will be familiar by now with the idea of genome sequencing. This process involves breaking an organism's DNA into… Read more »
South Africa: Digital Migration - Court Delay Upholds Information Rights of Poor South Africans
South Africa's Constitutional Court has decided to strike down the government's plans to end old-style analogue television broadcasting at the end of June. The decision upholds the… Read more »
June 29, 2022
South Africa: Media Literacy Education Can Help Combat Fake News - Here's What's Needed
Online platforms are replete with examples of false information - from WhatsApp messages punting some miraculous cure for COVID, to social media posts claiming a politician said… Read more »
South Africa: The Right to Die - Unpacking an Ethical Dilemma
Sean Davison, the euthanasia activist and co-founder of DignitySA, recently completed a sentence of house arrest in South Africa for his role in the deaths of three people. He said… Read more »
June 27, 2022
South Africa: Kenya and South Africa Offer Insights into Digital Economy Challenges and Alternatives
The World Bank is warning of the real danger of a massive economic downturn across the world. In a recent analysis it warned that many countries - including those in sub-Saharan… Read more »
June 26, 2022
South Africa: Male Voices Dominated South African Covid Reporting - That Has to Change
The onset of the COVID pandemic and the many months of uncertainty, anxiety and push for scientific breakthroughs sent journalists all over the world on the hunt for expert voices.… Read more »
June 24, 2022
South Africa: Ramaphosa Scandal Likely to Intensify Ruling Party's Slide
The African National Congress (ANC) faces an increasingly uncertain future as the dominant political party in South Africa following the recent scandal engulfing its leader,… Read more »
June 23, 2022
South Africa: Gardeners in South Africa May Hesitate to Use Greywater - but It Can Be a Crop Saver
After three consecutive dry winters from 2015 to 2017, "Day Zero" - when the taps would run dry - loomed large for the South African city of Cape Town and its surrounds in 2018. Read more »
June 21, 2022
South Africa: Vigilantism in South Africa Carries Historical Imprints of Past Violence Against Black People
South Africa's history of discrimination, racial segregation and extralegal violence has influenced patterns of violence today. Colonial and apartheid governments ruled through… Read more »
South Africa: What It'll Take for the Guptas to Face Corruption Charges in South Africa
Now that Rajesh and Atul Gupta have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is a great deal of speculation as to when the brothers may ultimately set foot on South… Read more »
June 20, 2022
South Africa: Supporting Women With Mental Ill-Health in Pregnancy and After Birth - Lessons From South Africa
Women in low- and middle-income countries experience high levels of common mental disorders - anxiety and depression - during pregnancy and the first year after birth. The… Read more »
June 19, 2022
South Africa: What's Driving the Surge in South Africa's Fuel Price
Increases in the domestic price of fuel are big news in South Africa, with the price of petrol, diesel and paraffin reaching new highs. The underlying reason for the price… Read more »
South Africa: The Air in South African Highveld Cities Smells Foul in the Winter - Here's Why
People living in South Africa's biggest city Johannesburg have been subject to pungent smells in the air similar to rotten eggs. It's not the first time citizens have complained… Read more »
June 14, 2022
South Africa: Electric Vehicles in South Africa - How to Avoid Making Them the Privilege of the Few
In the early 1900s, automobiles took the streets of industrialised cities by storm, rapidly displacing horse-drawn vehicles. Fiercely contested at first, the internal combustion… Read more »