November 13, 2023
South Africa: Deadly Pollsmoor Prison Diphtheria Outbreak 'Under Control' Claims Correction Services Minister
Following the death of a 19-year-old inmate at the prison who had contracted the infection, National Commissioner of Correctional Services Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale has said that… Read more »
Ghana: The 300-Year-Old Ghanaian Tree That Was So Threatening It Had to Die
Evangelical Christian church leaders saw the tree as a fetish, a totem of traditional religions. The desecration was met with outrage in Ghanaian media, indicating that respect for… Read more »
South Africa: 'Most-Wanted Drug Trafficker' Accused of Peddling FBI Hacked Phones Linked to South Africa, Arrested in Turkey
More South African ties to global drug cartels emerge following the recent arrest of a trafficking 'influencer' in Turkey, in a crackdown linked to FBI 'hacked' devices. Read more »
South Africa: When It Comes to Immigration, Honestly, We Can Do This
It's difficult to distinguish between a political refugee and an economic refugee and, in the modern era, this distinction is critical. Read more »
South Africa: Gauteng Premier Attacks Unnamed Minister
Addressing a meeting of the South African National Civic Organisation in Johannesburg on Sunday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi told an unnamed Cabinet minister, presumably… Read more »
November 12, 2023
South Africa: 'Devastating' Death of Dozens of Migrating Birds Points to Coming Climate Change Havoc - Experts
After a drastic change in weather last week, birds were found dead across the country, highlighting the ecological cascade climate change will bring. Read more »
South Africa: Top Universities UCT and UWC in Turmoil Over Vice-Chancellors
The troubles have sparked a debate over whether councils or their statutes rule the roost. Read more »
South Africa: Motsoaledi Proposes Temporary Exit From UN Refugee Convention and Overhaul of Immigration Regimen
South Africa should withdraw from the United Nations refugee protection regimen -- and re-enter with exceptions on refugee rights. That's because courts have established… Read more »
South Africa: Tertius Simmers Secures Leadership Role in Western Cape Democratic Alliance
The DA in the Western Cape has elected Tertuis Simmers as leader while the party consolidates its plans to remain in power in the province. Read more »
November 11, 2023
South Africa: Political Contract Killings Escalate in KwaZulu-Natal as Hitmen Offered 'Job After Job'
Contract killings are escalating in South Africa, especially in the volatile province of KwaZulu-Natal, where trained assassins have been making their presence felt in the taxi… Read more »
November 09, 2023
South Africa: Child Malnutrition in the Eastern Cape 'Qualifies As a Disaster' - Rights Commission Report
Child malnutrition in the Eastern Cape should be declared a disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act and compel the government to intervene immediately and decisively. This… Read more »
South Africa: Levels of Corruption Have Reached Completely Unacceptable Proportions - Chief Justice Zondo
While President Cyril Ramaphosa told a dialogue on building a corruption-free SA that the fight against corruption "is gaining momentum', this sentiment was not shared by Chief… Read more »
South Africa: 114 Children Have Died of Malnutrition in the Eastern Cape - Report
According to statistics kept by the Eastern Cape Department of Health, 1,722 children under the age of five in the province were newly diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition… Read more »
South Africa: Confirmed Diphtheria Outbreak At Pollsmoor Prison As Inmate Dies
A diphtheria outbreak has been declared at the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in Cape Town following the death of a 19-year-old inmate. Read more »
South Africa: Dismal September Mining and Manufacturing Data Bode Ill for Third-Quarter GDP
Diamonds led the fall in mining production, with a plunge in output of 61.4% year on year in September. This comes against the backdrop of a global slump in prices and demand. Read more »
South Africa: 'Pressure Is a Mental Construct,' Says Mental Coach Paddy Upton On Proteas' Struggles When Chasing a Score
South Africa's next chase in the Cricket World Cup will go a long way in determining their success at the tournament. But they must first overcome the pressure of batting second… Read more »
South Africa: Mashatile's VIP Officers Show Their Faces for First Time, As Court Postpones Case for Trial to May 2024
The assault trial of Deputy President Paul Mashatile's eight VIP protection members has been rescheduled for May 2024. They stand accused of assaulting motorists on the N1 highway… Read more »
November 08, 2023
Africa: Plastic, Plastic Everywhere - Decades of Talking Move Closer to Global Action
Governments are meeting in Nairobi next week to craft a new global treaty on plastic pollution before the end of 2024. It aims to have an emphasis on reducing plastic pollution of… Read more »
Africa: Prosper Africa Coordinates 17 US Agencies to Help Boost Africa's Low Participation in AGOA
The root of the problem is that Africa is simply not producing enough goods that the US wants to buy. Read more »
South Africa: Parliament Weighs in On Independent Report into UCT Governance
Some committee members said Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande should consider appointing an independent assessor to look into the Mpati Report on governance at UCT after the… Read more »
South Africa: Former UCT Council Chair Resigns From Hollard Board After Independent Panel Report
Former University of Cape Town Council chair, Babalwa Ngonyama, who was implicated in the independent panel report into the governance crisis at the university - along with former… Read more »
South Africa: Closure of Baby Savers in Gauteng Will Lead to More Unsafe Abandonments and Deaths - Experts
Baby savers in Gauteng will remain operational despite a directive from the Gauteng Department of Social Development declaring them illegal and ordering their immediate closure. Read more »
South Africa: Shameful Silence About Probes Into Judge's Findings of Gangster and Police Collusion
In October 2022, a judge warned that 28s gangsters may have infiltrated the Western Cape's police and its management. While gang violence rages in the province, it is still not… Read more »
South Africa: Golden Arrow Set to Become Country's First Public Bus Service With an Electric Vehicle Fleet
The bus service has been testing electric vehicle buses since 2021. By 2025, it hopes to have at least 60 of these buses on Cape Town's roads. Its chief engineer says electric… Read more »
South Africa: Impeachment of Judges Hlophe and Motata Will Strengthen Constitutional Democracy
The record of the Judicial Service Commission (sitting without the political representatives who are its members) is notoriously defective. The circumstances surrounding Cape Judge… Read more »