Eswatini’s King Mswati III and the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa have agreed to work together to set up a national dialogue forum to resolve the intensifying protests in Eswatini. The agreement comes after the king met President Cyril Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the security organ of the Southern African …
Read More »South Africans hold local elections amid apathy
South Africans are voting in the sixth round of local government elections since the 1994 elections that ended white-minority rule. People are electing local decision makers for their communities and not the political party to lead the country at large. They will vote for district councillors and mayors who will …
Read More »South Africa: 10,000 troops to be deployed for local elections
At least 10,000 South African soldiers will be deployed to the country to participate in security operations during the next local elections scheduled for next week. The South African parliament on Wednesday noted that President Cyril Ramaphosa had authorised the military deployment to help the police ensure “a safe and …
Read More »South Africa: court rejects Zuma’s push to dismiss prosecutor
South Africa High Court Judge Piet Koen has rejected a request by former President Jacob Zuma to remove a senior prosecutor from this trial for corruption and racketeering. In his application Mr Zuma had accused Billy Downer of being biased against him and leaking his private medical records to the …
Read More »SADC delegation expected in Eswatini after violent protests
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) delegation, led by a former South African minister, is due to meet with King Mswati III there, after violent protests in recent days in Eswatini. According to civil society, at least seven people were killed this Wednesday, October 20, 2021 during a demonstration against …
Read More »Fearing HIV infections, South Africa expressed doubts over Sputnik vaccine
South Africa’s health products regulator, Sahpra, has withheld approval for Russia’s Sputnik V Covid vaccine over concerns that it could increase the risk of HIV infection among men. The decision was based on two earlier studies that tested the safety of a modified form of adenovirus contained in the Russian …
Read More »Nigerian mafia gang members arrested in South Africa
South African and US law enforcement agencies have arrested at least six members of the Nigerian Black Axe mafia syndicate in Cape Town, TimesLive news website reports. Six members of the mafia group, believed to be behind hundreds of thousands of “romance scams”, were reportedly arrested in a raid in …
Read More »South Africa: ANC veterans hold 3 ministers hostage
A special unit of the South African army rescued two ministers and a deputy, after they were taken hostage by war veterans demanding reparations for their role in the fight against the apartheid government. The Liberation Struggle War Veterans, from the disbanded ANC military wing, are demanding a one-off payment …
Read More »South Africa: police investigate community tensions in Gqeberha
Police in the South African city of Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, are investigating the setting alight of three shops run by foreign nationals on Wednesday night, the local Herald Live news site reports. This comes amid heightened tension in the area after eight taxis and two cars were …
Read More »South Africa: marijuana and traditional medicines found during prison raid
Marijuana worth 12,000 rand ($600), has been uncovered during a dawn raid at a prison in Empangeni city in South Africa’s Kwa-Zulu Natal province, state broadcaster SABC reports. The acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services Makgothi Thobakgale led the raid at the Qalakabusha correctional centre. The prison has seen several …
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