Southern Africa

A South African court has dismissed an urgent application to halt a seismic survey by multinational oil giant Shell in an area called the Wild Coast. Four environmental groups petitioned the court to stop exploration off the east coast of the country claiming it would damage marine life. However Shell …

The health authorities of Zimbabwe confirmed the presence of the Omicron coronavirus variant and the country is experiencing a high increase in COVID cases. “We are now in a particularly dangerous period once again, where the fourth wave is slowly visiting us with the identification of the B.1.1.529 or the …

The African Union and United Nations have jointly condemned travel bans imposed on southern African countries following the discovery of the Omicron variant. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the restrictions could lead to “travel apartheid”, describing them as “deeply unfair, punitive and ineffective” in stopping the spread of …

South Africa has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus infections across the country since Monday, as the Omicron variant is wreaking havoc, health officials said. Some 8,500 Covid infections have been registered in the last 24 hours. South Africa was the first country to detect the new variant, Omicron which …

The South African Head of State, Cyril Ramaphosa has said he was disappointed by African leaders who have followed western countries in suspending flights to and from southern African states after the discovery of a new coronavirus variant. He said it was unfortunate, and that he would have preferred if …

Government in Zimbabwe has reimposed a lockdown and mandatory quarantines for all travellers amid rising Covid cases in order to curb the spread of the Omicron variant. President Emmerson Mnangagwa reimposed a curfew from 21:00 to 06:00 local time and said international travellers will be required to be tested on …

Authorities in Eswatini have launched vaccination campaign to administer third dose of the coronavirus vaccine as the country heightens alert after a new variant was discovered. According to the authorities, those aged 18 and over, who have been fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna, within the last six months …

The South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned travel bans enacted against his country and its neighbours over the new coronavirus variant Omicron and called for their lifting. The president said he was “deeply disappointed” by the action, which he described as unjustified, and called for the bans to be …

Authorities in Rwanda have announced new measures including the suspension of flights to and from southern African countries in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. All those attending gatherings like weddings and funerals must be fully vaccinated, the government says. Following the government directives on travel, the …

Zambian authorities have announced that they have taken decisions to prevent all citizens who have not been vaccinated against the coronavirus pandemic from accessing administrative buildings. All civil servants should be able to show a proof of vaccination before being admitted to work, although this will be done in consultation …