South Africa is set to have a new deputy president in Paul Shipokosa Mashatile, the deputy president of the governing African National Congress (ANC). He’ll replace the incumbent, David Mabuza, who announced he would step down. Who is Mashatile and what does he bring to the position? Mashatile (61) is a veteran politician from the […]
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Namibia: Army Recruitment Marches On
The Namibian Defence Force is expected to recruit a batch of trainees for the second year in a row later this year as it moves to beef up its personnel, New Era has established. This recruitment, however, is subject to approval by the army’s top brass, and will largely depend on the availability of adequate […]
As the nation commemorates three decades of democracy this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the accomplishments of the class of 2023 matriculants, saying their success bears testament to the strides taken to enhance accessibility and equality in education. “This year marks 30 years since South Africa became a democracy with equal rights, dignity and […]
State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the United States is committed to growing its partnerships across the African continent and increasingly sees African countries “leading on issues of global consequence.” Speaking to reporters alongside Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara after talks in Abidjan, Blinken said the discussion included growing commercial […]
In its 10-day weather and agrometeorological bulletin, the Department of Climate Change & Meteorological Services reports that during the period of February 11-20, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), oscillated over Malawi — “resulting in scattered rainfall activities which were heavy at times, particularly over southern areas with generally warm to hot temperature conditions experienced across […]
“Toxic” levels of E. coli will require national government intervention, say water activists Two organisations monitoring E. coli levels in Durban’s rivers have raised the alarm and are calling for a national intervention to fix eThekwini’s sewage infrastructure crisis. Water activists say the polluted rivers and beaches pose a serious risk to businesses and to […]
The first ever meeting of the international members of the Plastics Pact Network  convened in South Africa this week, with delegates from around the world meeting in Cape Town. The inaugural three-day intensive programme is a chance for all to share experiences and knowledge to accelerate critical work reducing the global impact of plastic waste, […]
Climate change and environmental policy measures have become a central part of planning for sustainable development and avoiding crises such as food and water insecurity. Because “going green” is such an urgent issue now, some people may think it’s a newcomer to policy agendas. This may seem especially likely in developing countries, where other challenges […]
Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, struggles to generate and supply a stable flow of electricity to meet demand. In 2023, there were times when households and businesses had no power for up to 11 hours a day. Eskom has warned that load shedding will be worse in 2024. The result is that many South […]
South African agricultural exports were up for the third consecutive year in 2022, reflecting favourable production conditions and higher commodity prices. The export numbers for the full year have not yet been published. I have calculated the annual data for 2022 using quarterly trade export statistics published by Trade Map, a trade statistics portal developed […]
The construction of a third bridge across the Limpopo at Beitbridge between Zimbabwe and South Africa has been approved by Cabinet, as the Government moves a gear up to ensure required infrastructure is always in place for the rapidly growing regional and international trade in line with its ease of doing business policy. Transport and […]
Two penalty goals sent this encounter into penalties, where South Africa-based Nigerian goalkeeper Nwabali made two saves to send Nigeria into Sunday’s final. A cagey encounter between two past AFCON champions, Nigeria and South Africa, was settled on penalties after 90 minutes and extra time ended 1-1. William Troost Ekong scored for Nigeria in the […]
The Russian Government has invested 20,000 metric tons of fertilizer to Malawi which is part of the Russian Federation commitment made in 2022 to help least developed countries with agriproducts and agricultural expertise to boost food security. Russian ambassador to Zimbabwe and Malawi, Nikolai Krasilnikov said: “There is a global crisis of rising food costs […]
A patient-centred health system will remain an illusion under the NHI unless the public health system is ramped up to better serve users and a clear path is outlined for public-private partnerships, argue Bernard Mutsago and Haseena Majid. National Health Insurance (NHI) is South Africa’s chosen financing vehicle for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The plan […]
Tobacco farmers owed by merchants for the crop delivered last season will receive their balances by end of this week, with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) vowing to ensure a similar situation does not occur this year. Failure to pay the farmers on time, TIMB chairman Mr Patrick Devenish warned, tobacco merchants risked […]
Minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta says president Hage Geingob told him he had six months to live. Shifeta on Thursday told The Namibian the statesman repeatedly over the years said he did not want to be buried at Heroes’ Acre. Widely considered as close to Geingob, Shifeta said the former president revealed […]
While the outcry over Harare City Parking’s fines continues to grow and a Government investigation has opened, a motorist is trying to get the High Court to rule that Harare City Council has no legal right to charge US$132 clamping fees for non-payment of parking fees. However, Harare Mayor Cllr Jacob Mafume yesterday stuck to […]
National Youth Day tomorrow is an important occasion that allows a lot of attention to be centred on the youth, their accomplishments and their needs, which is why under the Second Republic from 2018, it has been a public holiday and national event, rather than just a party political event. The national nature of the […]