Pilgrimage in a pandemic: Lessons from Mecca on containing COVID-19

South Africans will be listening critically to today’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), and President Ramaphosa must know that his credibility, whatever might be left of it, is at stake, writes Hermann Pretorius.

The backdrop for SONA 2021 is therefore one in which a battered economy is weaker, the job market even more constrained and fiscal conditions have tightened considerably.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga says Parliament is completely failing to effectively play its oversight role.

This year’s SONA will be delivered in the face of the greatest suffering we have seen since the end of apartheid, writes Herman Mashaba.

The President must send a clear, crisp, concise and precise strategic message that South Africa is not only open for business but, alas, have now put system and processes in place to execute writes Bonang Mohale, Chancellor of the University of the Free State.

Economist Ntombana Mbele says the biggest industry that was created during COVID-19 in South Africa is the digital economy.

President Ramaphosa is no doubt grappling with the huge task of rebuilding an economy ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic writes Dino Zuccollo, chairperson of the 12J Association of South Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as "disturbing" the SIU report into the extent of PPE tender corruption in the country.

The Nigerian government recently released N10 billion (about US$26 million) in support of the local production of COVID-19 vaccines. Wale Fatade, from The Conversation Africa, asked Daniel Oladimeji Oluwayelu, a professor of virology, for his views on this and how the country can get full benefits from the money.

The 34th summit of the African Union (AU) which is currently under way has a particularly significant job to do: it will be electing six commissioners to the AU’s secretariat, which is a vital cog in the organisation.

If people who work for the government tell us our safety depends on us not knowing what they do, we might suspect that they wanted to cover up wrong-doing, writes Steven Friedman, Professor of Political Studies at the University of Johannesburg.

Despite a well-documented business acumen, winning the bid to become the CAF President is not going to be a walk in the park for South Africa's Patrice Motsepe, argues Mpho Tsedu, CEO of the Institute of Foreign Affairs.

Experts say South Africans are more interested in what happened during former President Jacob Zuma's administration and care less about his defiance and questioning the credibility of the State Capture Commission.

About 40 countries representing more than half of the world’s population had reportedly raised their hand for access to Sputnik V.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa assuming Chairship of the African Union (AU) was a baptism of fire as it was the same month the first COVID-19 case was recorded on the continent.

Some investors are growing concerned that wild swings in GameStop and other stocks driven by small-time traders could be fresh signs of overexuberance that foreshadow volatility for the broader stock market.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the policy measures to combat it, are having profound effects on the economic and social lives of citizens. They are threatening employment as well as the long-term livelihoods and well-being of millions around the world.

Political analyst Sanusha Naidu says it would be difficult for government to convince South Africans to pay the wealth tax during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the corruption that's being committed during this time.

When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently sent good wishes to hospitalised trombonist/composer Jonas Gwangwa, it represented far more than a routine official courtesy.

The ink has hardly dried on the paper newly-elected US President Joe Biden has signed and the similarities – instead of differences – with his predecessor Donald Trump are as clear as day-light. 

In his weekly letter to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine will be the most ambitious and extensive in the country's history.

The death of Jackson Mphikwa Mthembu, Minister in the Office of the President of South Africa, has been met with sorrow across the country. Tributes have come from across the political spectrum for the country’s first government minister to succumb to COVID-19.

Late last year the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA) led by the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) identified a rapidly spreading new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The new variant, called 501Y.V2, raises critical questions – including whether current vaccines and treatments will still be effective.

The issue of vaccine production has become a topic of hot debate following the approval of treatments for COVID-19. In South Africa, angry exchanges have been spurred by the country’s lagging access to COVID-19 vaccines.

SABC News' Abbey Makoe looks at the situation of two nations, Russian-speaking Crimea and Western Sahara, seeking self-determination.

On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa released his first letter of 2021 to the nation, detailing the challenges that face the country as a result of the COVID -19  pandemic and the hopes he has for the country in the year ahead.

As countries across the world begin to purchase and roll out COVID-19 vaccines, a key question is how far the vaccine is from reaching Africa and how accessible it will be for the continent. Moina Spooner, Commissioning Editor with The Conversation Africa, asked Mosoka Fallah, an expert on infectious diseases, to provide his insights.

For months, Ugandans have witnessed a vicious presidential election campaign without precedent. While the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni, has enjoyed free rein on the campaign trail, his youthful main opponent Robert Kyagulanyi and his supporters have faced numerous obstacles – and physical assault.

Political analyst Sanusha Naidu says South Africans must come to terms with avoiding funerals during the coronavirus pandemic.

The introduction of antiretroviral drugs has resulted in a remarkable decline in mother-to-child transmission of HIV. New infections among children declined by 52% worldwide and 55% in sub-Saharan Africa between 2010 and 2019.