From The Desk of the President
The COVID-19 pandemic tends to conceal other important health issues. One of these is the global target for reducing HIV infections and increasing access to treatment. Progress is well under way. In 2019, 67% of those living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 85% of pregnant women with HIV were receiving medication to prevent transmission to their babies.
Paul Rusesabagina, who saved hundreds of Rwandans during the genocide by sheltering them in the hotel he managed - and saw his story made into the Hollywood film, ‘Hotel Rwanda’ - has been arrested by Rwandan authorities who allege “terror related offences”.
A difference between English and Arabic versions of a trilateral statement after an historic flight from Israel to the UAE has been seized upon by Palestinians to suggest the Gulf state has overstated Israeli readiness to drop West Bank annexation plans.
Previous studies have established land resource struggles and weather among the factors fuelling clashes between farming and herding communities in Nigeria. While these factors remain relevant to understanding the relationship between these two communities, contemporary triggers show the dynamic nature of the conflict and the unique nature of the crisis in different locations.
The evidence is ubiquitous: We live in a constant and continuously jittery world order. It is visibly imbalanced and in typical Orwellian fashion – some nation-states are more equal than others.
Political Analyst Sanusha Naidu says the African National Congress' (ANC) real test to seriously fight corruption will be in the implementation of the resolutions of resolutions of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) special meeting that took place at the weekend.
Informal urban water markets – as opposed to piped water – have long supported many of Kenya’s urban areas. Those that use them are either unserved or inadequately served, by public utilities.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on 23 July 2020 a variety of measures to deal with Covid-related corruption. Mere days later the media exposed that Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko – the husband of presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko – had received contracts worth R125-million for Covid-19 personal protection equipment (PPE) from the Gauteng Department of Health.
The political crisis in Ethiopia is not showing sings of abating. Ongoing riots in Oromia and Wolayta; state fragmentation in the Amhara region, and the standoff between the federal government and the Tigray region have put the survival of the government in question.
The poliovirus, which once killed or maimed hundreds of thousands of children every year and led to summer time lockdowns for children, is a step closer to being consigned to the history books, writes Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the governing party and its leaders who are in government must intensify efforts to root out corruption. In a letter to all party members, Ramaphosa called for an immediate end to corruption in the party ranks, government and society as a whole.
After relative peace, violence has returned to Darfur. In July alone, more than 60 people were killed, according to the United Nations.
All-powerful presidents are an essential part of a stereotypical representation of African politics controlled by a few individuals, rather than by institutions. This view has been reinforced by a literary tradition sanctifying the biographies of “great men” while demonising more troubled political figures.
The stranding of the MV Wakashio is one of the biggest environmental disasters in the history of the western Indian Ocean.
Political Analyst Professor Somadoda Fikeni says it is not surprising that some political parties continue to have different views about the developments surrounding COVID-19 in South Africa.
As part of PanSALB’s new language awareness campaign, the month of August has been chosen for the celebration of English. It’s a time to reflect on its fascinating history as well as on the ways in which the language touches and enriches our lives.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders must urgently take concrete measures to fix the human rights crisis in the region when they meet at their annual summit next week, Amnesty International said on Friday.
Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate provides a brand-new target for President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign that has struggled to find an effective line of attack against his Democratic rival.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has announced that his country has manufactured the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine, which Moscow has named “Sputnik V”.
The COVID-19 pandemic is complicated. It is not merely a biomedical problem to be dealt with through medicine and public health. It also has major social implications.
On 01 August 2020, the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) celebrated its 84th year anniversary of broadcasting, a commendable feat that the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) could not let pass without due regard to the public broadcaster’s immense contribution to the development of indigenous language in South Africa.
Following the political developments that took place in the past week, analyst Aubrey Matshiqi over the weekend wrote an article called, "The ANC and corruption: straightening the shadow of a bent tree".
With SA’s COVID-19 infection rate rising sharply, it’s now more important than ever for everyone to take preventative measures to curb the spread. Our political and business leaders need to set an example.
In his weekly letter to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that those found to have broken the law to enrich themselves through the COVID-19 pandemic will not enjoy their spoils, regardless of who they are or to whom they may be connected.
Political analyst Somadoda Fikeni says the Hawks should focus on their mandate and not allow the unit to be used at the discretion of prominent politicians.
Households in countries across the world. In South Africa, more and more people are facing hunger resulting from mass job losses and small, poorly implemented supplementary cash grants.
At the height of apartheid in South Africa there was one Dr Wouter Basson who headed the State’s biological weapons programme aimed particularly at the majority and oppressed African people. So horrendous were stories around this programme that claims were made that it sought to sterilise African women so their child-birth capability would cease.
A pressing question is whether a “platform for expression” such as TikTok deserves to be regulated.
In countries like South Africa that face severe resource shortages, the burden of fighting COVID-19 falls heavily on citizens to change their behaviour and follow preventative measures. These include avoiding mass gatherings, physical distancing and wearing masks.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put global emergency preparedness under sharp scrutiny. It’s also placed national health systems’ capacity to predict and respond to major emergencies under the microscope.
