According to analysts, by handing over a militia leader to the International Criminal Court, CAR’s president, Faustin-Archange Touadera, has sent a clear signal to the rebels that they cannot expect impunity. Central African Republic on Sunday handed over an suspected militia commander to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face accusations of war crimes and…
Why most people who get COVID have mild symptoms or none at all while some become severely ill is still a mystery - a mystery that scientists are urgently trying to solve. Being obese or having existing health problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are known to increase the risk of severe COVID.…
London — The 10 richest men, including Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Tesla founder Elon Musk, Microsoft's Bill Gates and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saw their net worth increase by $540 billion Billionaires including Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Tesla founder Elon Musk have seen their wealth soar during the COVID-19 pandemic while the world's poor face years…
Measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Uganda - such as restrictions on movement - apparently have not deterred the illegal international wildlife trade. The demand for both traditional wildlife products (such as pangolin scales) and newer ones (such as elephant penises) has continued, with numerous arrests made last year. There was an…
We have asked some of Africa’s leading academics and thinkers to reflect on what the inauguration of a new US president means for Africa. This series is produced In collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand’s African Center for the Study of the United States. Although dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the year 2020 was…
Paris — New comprehensive economic modelling shows advanced economies stand to lose trillions of dollars through vaccine nationalism – more than previously thoughtEconomic benefits of funding multilateral efforts to ensure equitable access to vaccines dwarf the costsAdvanced economies with international linkages have the most to gain from global collaboration on vaccine access and distribution A…
Johannesburg — Africa is a few months away from receiving the much-anticipated Covid-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization, according to officials working towards getting doses for the continent. "Africa is facing a second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, with more than 3.3 million cases and 81,000 lives... sadly lost," according to Dr Matshidiso Moeti,…
Zimbabwe has been a net importer of food for the past 2 decades and the country's import bill has increasingly featured grain imports with maize imports averaging 1.1 million Metric Tonnes (MT) per year in the last 10 years, while wheat and soya beans account for 300 000MT and 150 000MT in import quantities respectively.…
The Government has reacted angrily to recent media reports that suggested the country's leadership had been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social and mainstream media platforms was last week awash with reports that government operations had been paralyzed due to ill health of the two vice Presidents with Constantino Chiwenga reported to have gone…
Outspoken Independent legislator for Norton constituency Temba Mliswa has questioned the conferment of national hero status to the late Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Joel Biggie Matiza. Matiza (60) was declared a national hero together with the late former Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Commissioner General, Paradzai Zimondi (74). Both succumbed to COVID-19. In a…
Information Secretary Ndabaningi Mangwana has withdrawn reckless remarks he made on Twitter yesterday where he insinuated that 'medical assassins' hiding behind medical qualifications were working to eliminate Zanu PF aligned politicians. Posting on Twitter, Mangwana said "This is what's leading to the unfortunate conspiracy theory that there are certain political players being eliminated in hospitals…
A PROPOSAL to introduce a policy to prevent Namibians from owning more than one farm is unlawful and will not be implemented. This is according to an update report on the implementation of the second national land conference issued by the office of prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila at the end of last year. The land…
LAWYER Sisa Namandje has confirmed to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) that his law firm handled millions of dollars that now form part of the Fishrot investigation. In a sworn statement submitted to the ACC in October last year, Namandje revealed that between 2012 and 2017, his law firm - Sisa Namandje & Co Inc. -…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of award winning jazz musician, Jonas Gwangwa, on Saturday. Aged 83, the esteemed Member of the Order of Ikhamanga was a globally recognised and awarded composer, arranger, producer and jazz trombonist. In a statement, President Ramaphosa said his thoughts and prayers are with Gwangwa's…
Zimbabwe is mobilising resources to take adequate preventive measures following sightings of locusts that swept through parts of Namibia, hitting grasslands, trees and 50 000 hectares of crops recently. Mr Shingirai Nyamutukwa, head of the Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Research Services Institute, said recently that his department was mobilising resources to carry out effective…
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) says plans are in place for the imminent impact of Tropical Cyclone Eloise. "Tropical Cyclone Eloise has been in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region for a while and has mainly been over the island States, with the possibility of hitting Mozambique, with initial indications being that…
Editor’s Note: Below is a Viewpoint from Chapter 6 of the Foresight Africa 2021 report, which explores top priorities for the region in the coming year. This year’s issue focuses on strategies for Africa to confront the twin health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic and emerge stronger than ever. Read the full…
Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan has become Africa’s first head of state to receive the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine. Ramkalawan rolled up his sleeve for the injection in front of the local press last week, kicking off a national immunisation campaign that was initially aimed at healthcare workers. The move comes after the United Arab Emirates donated…
A new report from global think-tank ODI sheds light on the need to strengthen sustainable climate services across Africa if ambitions for effective climate adaptation are to be realised. African countries are expected to be hit hard by climate change, and unpredictable and extreme weather is already having a significant impact on people’s lives across…
Likuangole — Located in Jonglei state, one of the most underdeveloped regions of South Sudan, Likuangole is a town badly hit by floods and often battered by conflict. Despite the lack of secondary schools and industry, its residents aspire to transform their lives. But real investment is needed to spur development. The constant threat of…
Social partners involved in SA’s social dialogue have not been diverse enough, and so decisions often do not have broad societal buy-in. Social pacts between all levels of government, business and civil society could be a means for SA to quickly overcome the financial, social and political crises causes by Covid-19. But they will have…
The French anti-terror mission Barkhane is losing support in Mali, as reflected in recent protests in the capital, Bamako. Attitudes to the former colonial power are ambivalent amid deteriorating security. Moussa Dicko is angry. Wearing a green T-shirt and sunglasses, he is standing a short distance from Independence Square, a roundabout in the center of…
The blockchain-based technology helps struggling families afford the essentials and avoid becoming victims of loan sharks NAIROBI – Sitting on a low bench at her shop in a Nairobi slum, Grace Wangari sifted through a handful of grains that a waiting customer had just ordered. As she poured them into a shopping bag, the customer…
Bulawayo — A long-running gag says “in Zimbabwe there is freedom of speech, but no freedom after the speech”. But for journalists and activists who have been forced to endure nights in the country’s overcrowded and filthy holding cells, this is no laughing matter as prison inmates have no personal protective equipment to guard against…
Tropical Cyclone Eloise has hit Mozambique, bringing rain and powerful winds of around 130 kilometers per hour. Forecasters believe it will now move toward Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. At least nine people died on Saturday after Tropical Cyclone Eloise hit Mozambique in Africa’s southeast, bringing rain and powerful winds of around 130 kilometers (80…
The Chadian army, while essential to counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel, is also a source of potential instability for the country. Chadian authorities, supported by their international partners, should build a more representative and professional army, and establish safeguards to discourage violence in the event of a succession crisis. What’s new? The Chadian army is…
Two years after removing Bashir from power, Sudan’s revolution is going through a tough transition. Economy, peace, and foreign policy are among the top challenges of the transitional government. However, all three files were a major topic of contestation contributing to an intensification of hostilities between the civilian and military components of Sudan’s transitional government.…
Burkina Faso has a thriving theater tradition. But terrorism and the coronavirus are curtailing the activities of its only permanent theater. Soldiers start shooting in the middle of Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou. People scream. They take cover, waiting in fear to see what will happen next. Will the soldiers keep firing their weapons? Are innocent…
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