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Tag: South Africa

  • Cyril Ramaphosa to face vote from parliament over cash-in-sofa scandal

    South Africa’s parliament will vote on whether to start impeachment procedures against President Cyril Ramaphosa during a special session.

    The president is accused of covering up the theft of a large sum of foreign currency from his farm in 2020, some of which had been hidden in a sofa.

    The debate will focus on an independent report which concluded he may have violated the constitution.

    Mr Ramaphosa, who is up for re-election as ANC leader, denies any wrongdoing.

    The African National Congress has told its MPs to block a possible impeachment – although some could break ranks and side with opposition parties to vote for proceedings to get under way.

    But some last-minute legal questions could halt the sitting altogether.

    If Mr Ramaphosa survives, he is thought likely to win re-election at his party’s conference, which starts on Friday. He will then be in pole position to become the ANC’s presidential candidate at the next election in 2024.

    The report, which was commissioned from a panel of legal experts by the speaker, is due to be debated in parliament from 12:00 GMT (14:00 local time) on Tuesday.

    The 70-year-old leader has denied any wrongdoing calling the report, which he has challenged in the Constitutional Court, “flawed”.

    Mr Ramaphosa became president in 2018 pledging to tackle corruption. He replaced Jacob Zuma, whose time in office had been weighed down by many such allegations.

    This scandal erupted in June, when a former South African spy boss, Zuma-ally Arthur Fraser, filed a complaint with police accusing the president of hiding a theft of $4m (£3.25m) in cash from his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.

    Mr Ramaphosa admitted that some money, which had been hidden in a sofa, had been stolen, but said it was $580,000 not $4m.

    The president said the $580,000 had come from the sale of buffalo, but the panel, headed by a former chief justice, said it had “substantial doubt” about whether a sale took place.

    South Africa has strict rules on holding foreign currency, which say that it must be deposited with an authorised dealer such as a bank with 30 days. It appears as though the president may have broken those rules, according to the panel’s report.

    Furthermore, if the money was from selling buffalo as he said, this money should have been declared, rather than kept in cash.

    In his submission to the Constitutional Court, Mr Ramaphosa wants the country’s top judges to rule that the findings of the panel are unlawful and set aside.

    The president argues that the panel went beyond its scope when looking at whether he had a case to answer related to the robbery at the farm.

    He is also asking the court to declare that any steps taken by parliament on the back of the release of the report to be declared unlawful and invalid.

    Source: BBC

     

  • South Africa’s president faces parliament vote on corruption report

    South Africa’s parliament is expected to hold a special sitting on Tuesday to debate a report by a panel of legal experts which found that President Cyril Ramaphosa may have broken his oath of office.

    This is in connection with the Phala Phala farm scandal hanging over the president, in which Mr Ramaphosa has been accused of a cover-up following the theft of foreign currency at his private game farm back in 2020.

    President Ramaphosa’s fate will be in the hands of MPs as they vote on whether he should be impeached.

    Evidence of potential misconduct after allegations that he concealed the theft of foreign currency from his game farm has fuelled calls for him to step down.

    Mr Ramaphosa has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

    The governing ANC party has instructed its 230 lawmakers, including those known to be against the president, to reject the report because its findings have been challenged in court.

    But some could break ranks and side with opposition parties for impeachment proceedings to get under way.

    If Mr Ramaphosa survives the encounter in parliament, he is likely to be re-elected as ANC president at the party’s elective conference which starts on Friday.

    Source: BBC

  • Ramaphosa to face parliament vote on corruption scandal report

    Tuesday’s special session of the South African parliament is scheduled to discuss a legal experts’ panel report that suggested President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated his oath of office.

    This has to do with the Phala Phala farm scandal that the president is currently dealing with, in which Mr. Ramaphosa has been charged with covering up the theft of foreign currency from his own game farm back in 2020.

    The outcome of the vote on President Ramaphosa’s impeachment by MPs will determine the future of the president.

    Calls for his resignation have been fueled by evidence of possible misconduct following accusations that he covered up the theft of foreign currency from his game farm.

    Mr Ramaphosa has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

    The governing ANC party has instructed its 230 lawmakers, including those known to be against the president, to reject the report because its findings have been challenged in court.

    But some could break ranks and side with opposition parties for impeachment proceedings to get under way.

    If Mr Ramaphosa survives the encounter in parliament, he is likely to be re-elected as ANC president at the party’s elective conference which starts on Friday.

  • Flash flooding hits Gauteng province in South Africa

    Heavy rains during Thursday and Friday morning have provoked flash floods in parts of Gauteng province in South Africa.

    In Lenasia, a suburb south of Soweto, residents quickly mobilised to respond to cries for help.

    The rise in water levels left some residents with no choice but to abandon their homes.

    Many residents, mostly elderly, had to be rescued from the rising waters by members of the community.

    Paramedics were on site to help any victims.

    Some local inhabitants criticised the local authorities saying their absence showed lack of leadership.

    Source: African News

  • Vodacom offices in the DR Congo are closed due to a tax dispute

    In a statement, Vodacom of South Africa reported that DRC authorities had closed the offices and seized the local branch’s accounts as a result of a tax dispute.

    In a statement dated Dec. 8, Vodacom stated: “On December 6 and 7, 2022, agents of the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) presented themselves at our technical, commercial, and administrative offices and proceeded with the installation of seals.”

    According to the statement, the disagreement relates to a tax audit that the DGI conducted for the years 2016 through 2019 that resulted in a $243 million adjustment in July 2021. The amount was subsequently reduced.

    Vodacom claimed last month that it had challenged the ruling and appealed it, but the DGI had already begun taking action to forcibly

    CEO of VodacomShameel Joosub

    It was impossible to immediately reach Congolese authorities for comment. All of Congo’s phone providers have been at odds with the country’s attempts to collect additional taxes without enabling them to raise consumer pricing.

    In March, the government enacted a new levy that assesses fees for each megabyte of data, text message, and phone call.

    The tax took the place of another levy that had been eliminated a month earlier following protests from the public and a legislative inquiry into the use of the money.

    According to Vodacom, steps had been taken to assure the community of it’s services , and every available legal option was being used.

     

     

  • Authorities in South Africa prohibit preaching on new trains

    South Africa’s passenger rail agency (Prasa) has prohibited preaching, gambling, and unauthorized trade in its new trains.

    The local media reported that the new development is among measures meant to ensure that “one particular behavioural system of any other group cannot be imposed on other commuters on board”, the agency’s spokesperson Lilian Mofokeng is quoted as saying.

    It will also enhance passenger safety and onboard cleanliness.

    “We are doing this in an effort to ensure that there is the free passage of movement for our commuters, so that they are kept clean and safe,” she said.

    Informal traders and preachers have opposed the new measure.

  • South Africa working to decriminalize sex work

    South Africa  has sent a proposal to the Justice Minister, to push for the amendment of decriminalizing sex work

    The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill was approved by cabinet late last month.

    It seeks to decriminalise the sale and purchase of adult sexual services, the ministry said. It was published on Friday for public comment and will then have to be passed by parliament.

    “It is hoped that decriminalisation will minimise human rights violations against sex workers,” Mr. Ronald Lamola said

    He added: “It would also mean better access to health care and reproductive health services for sex workers.”

    The AFP news agency quotes sex worker rights’ group SWEAT as saying: “With sex workers no longer labelled as criminals, they can work much better with the police to tackle violence”.

    SWEAT welcomed the bill as “incredible news”.

    Laws prohibiting children from selling sex and trafficking for sexual purposes will remain in force.

    Source: BBC

  • No more preaching in South Africa’s new trains

    According to local media, South Africa’s passenger rail agency (Prasa) has prohibited preaching, gambling, and unauthorized trade in its new trains.

    The move is among measures meant to ensure that “one particular behavioural system of any other group cannot be imposed on other commuters on board”, the agency’s spokesperson is quoted as saying.

    Additionally, it will improve cleaning and passenger safety onboard.

    “We are doing this in an effort to ensure that there is the free passage of movement for our commuters, so that they are kept clean and safe,” she said.

    Preachers and shady dealers have criticized the new law.

  • SA minister calls on president to resign over scandal 

    South Africa’s Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has called on the president to resign.

    Cyril Ramaphosa is facing allegations that he covered up the theft of a huge sum of money from his farm.

    The controversy comes ahead of next month’s ANC conference with the president seeking a second term in office.

    Ms Sisulu – who says she wants the top job herself – told the BBC’s Newshour programme that Mr Ramaphosa should step down, as he was holding the whole party to ransom.

    Next week parliament is due to discuss the issue and the president, who denies any wrongdoing, could potentially face impeachment.

    Source: BBC

  • SA minister calls on president to resign over scandal

    South Africa’s Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has called on the president to resign.

    Cyril Ramaphosa is facing allegations that he covered up the theft of a huge sum of money from his farm.

    The controversy comes ahead of next month’s ANC conference with the president seeking a second term in office.

    Ms Sisulu – who says she wants the top job herself – told the BBC’s Newshour programme that Mr Ramaphosa should step down, as he was holding the whole party to ransom.

    Next week parliament is due to discuss the issue and the president, who denies any wrongdoing, could potentially face impeachment.

    Source: BBC

  • Parliament hold-up vote on President Ramaphosa scandal report

    A parliamentary debate on a damning report that suggested South African President Cyril Ramaphosa may have breached the constitution was scheduled for Tuesday but has been pushed back by a week.

    Ramaphosa allegedly concealed a theft from his farm, according to the report. His spokesperson called the story “flawed,” and he denied any wrongdoing.

    According to a decision made by the House of Representatives programming committee on Monday night, the discussion will take place on December 13 to allow lawmakers to travel to Cape Town, where parliament is located.

    Although the ruling ANC party has stated it would vote against any attempt to impeach President Ramaphosa, the debate over the report may determine whether or not to do so.

    A court ruling stating that any actions made by parliament in response to the publishing of the report are unconstitutional and unlawful was requested by the president on Monday.

    If approved, the order would be applicable to the parliamentary vote on whether to begin impeachment proceedings.

    This is coming days after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman said he will not resign over allegations that he kept large sums of cash on his property then covered up its theft.

    “President Ramaphosa is not resigning based on a flawed report, neither is he stepping aside,” Vincent Magwenya said.

     

     

  • Cyril Ramaphosa: How Arthur Fraser got South Africa’s president in hot waters

    South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is fighting back after being politically harmed by allegations that he hid a large sum of foreign currency in a sofa on his game farm and then covered it up.

    He has rallied his governing African National Congress (ANC) to back him in parliament, while his high-powered legal team is attempting to overturn a panel of legal experts’ damning findings against him in the biggest scandal to rock his presidency.

    Former spy chief Arthur Fraser is Mr Ramaphosa’s accuser, and his allegations against the president appear to be straight out of a John le Carré novel – except that they are contained in statements he made to law-enforcement agencies and have been included in the panel’s report, which parliament will consider.

    Mr Fraser alleged that a close aide of Mr Ramaphosa, Bejani Chauke, brought “large sums” of US dollars from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and Equatorial Guinea, and, adding to the intrigue, he alleged that the aide hid the money in a couch at his home in a plush suburb in South Africa’s main city Johannesburg, before taking the cash to Mr Ramaphosa’s game farm with his “full knowledge and acquiescence”.

    But in a nightmare for the president, robbers, allegedly working in cahoots with one of his employees, stole what is “speculated” to be somewhere between $4m (£3.3m) and $8m.

    That is small change compared to the spymaster’s other allegation – that a whopping $20m was “moved” to a South African citizen, whom he named, after he asked police to investigate the president.

    While some would dismiss Mr Fraser’s claims as nothing more than a good bed-time read, they have given Mr Ramaphosa a huge political and legal headache, as about eight bodies – including the central bank – became involved in investigations.

    Mr Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing, and the panel – led by a former chief justice – said it could not “verify” the allegations, while “the President has rightly criticised the evidence contained in Mr Fraser’s statements as full of hearsay”.

    Mr Chauke had also denied the allegations.

    What Mr Ramaphosa did admit was that $580,000 had been stolen from his farm in February 2020.

    While Mr Fraser alleged that this was part of the cash previously stashed in Johannesburg, the president gave a completely different version of events – that his lodge manager had sold 20 buffaloes to a Sudanese businessman on Christmas Day 2019, and this was the money stolen.

    But in a blow to Mr Ramaphosa, the panel said there was “substantial doubt” that this sale took place, noting that neither the lodge manager nor the Sudanese national had confirmed this is what happened.

    “We think that the President has a case to answer on the origin of the foreign currency that was stolen, as well as the underlying transaction for it,” the panel added.

    It also questioned whether only $580,000 was stolen, saying the information at its disposal suggested that an apprehended suspect had confessed to stealing $800,000, while an investigator, in an audio clip, mentioned an amount of “20 million”.

    “Whether the investigator was referring to US$ or ZAR [South African rand] this amount is far more than $580,000 that was alleged to have been hidden inside the sofa [at the president’s farm],” the panel said.

    Supporters of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa gestures against Carl Niehaus (not framed), veteran member of the African National Congress (ANC) outside the NASREC Centre in Johannesburg, on December 05, 2022 before the start of a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Africa National Congress (ANC) to discuss the fate of the Presiden
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, South Africa’s president is seeking re-election as the governing ANC’s leader later this month

    The panel said that in another “troubling feature”, the theft was neither reported to local police as an “ordinary crime” nor to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the police unit responsible for stamping out money-laundering and organised crime in South Africa.

    The panel said this was despite the fact that, in its view, the president, as the farm’s owner, was required by the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act to report it to the DPCI.

    It believed there were grounds for an impeachment committee of parliament to investigate whether or not Mr Ramaphosa had committed a “serious” violation of the Act, which, the panel noted, imposes a fine or a prison sentence on anyone who fails to report a theft of more than 100,000 rand that they become aware of.

    “A person who keeps huge sums of illicit money concealed at his or her house is unlikely to report the theft of such money for fear of being discovered that he or she is involved in money laundering,” the panel said.

    “For this reason, the legislature considered it prudent to require any person who has knowledge of the commission of the offence of theft to report it,” the panel added.

    The panel also concluded that the head of Mr Ramaphosa’s bodyguard unit, Gen Wally Rhoode, put together a team that “surreptitiously” investigated the theft, tracking down suspects in Cape Town and across the border in Namibia.

    Despite this, no-one has been prosecuted or convicted of the theft, the panel’s report said, adding: “All of this occurs amid accusations of torture and bribery of the suspects to buy their silence.”

    The panel also said that the information before it suggested that Mr Ramaphosa had sought the help of his Namibian counterpart, Hage Geingob to apprehend a suspect, and Gen Rhoode had travelled to Namibia as part of the investigation.

    The panel said it had noted that Mr Geingob’s office issued a press statement earlier this year denying any wrongdoing on the Namibian leader’s part, but “significantly” it did not deny that President Ramaphosa had approached him.

    “Nor does it deny that the request was acceded to,” the panel added.

    South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during a press conference in central London on November 24, 2022
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Mr Ramaphosa, 70, became president in 2018 on a promise to fight corruption

    In another damaging blow to Mr Ramaphosa, the panel went on to say that the South African leader “abused his position as Head of State to have the matter investigated and seeking the assistance of the Namibian President to apprehend a suspect”.

    As if that was not enough, the panel said it appeared that Mr Ramaphosa had “thrust himself into a situation where there was a conflict of interest between his official responsibilities as the Head of State and as businessperson involved in cattle and game farming” and he had “acted in a manner that was inconsistent with his office”.

    As a result, the panel felt there were sufficient grounds for parliament to establish an impeachment committee – which would have the power to subpoena witnesses, and documents – to carry out further investigations, before deciding whether or not the president should be removed from office for endangering “our constitution and the rule of law”.

    “The authority to impeach is deeply rooted in the principle of accountability,” it said.

    However, Mr Ramaphosa has challenged the panel’s report in South Africa’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, with his lawyers describing it as “unlawful” and saying it should be annulled.

    And in a sign of his strong position in the ANC as he seeks a second term as party leader later this month, its top leadership body has ordered its MPs, who form a majority in parliament, to vote against the report’s adoption because of the court case.

    The law states that a president can be impeached only if his alleged violations of the constitution and law are “serious”.

    Mr Ramaphosa’s many supporters will be hoping that South Africa’s most senior judges rule in his favour, and, at most, he is accused of minor transgressions.

    As for the stolen money, its current whereabouts are unclear.

    Namibian police reported – according to the panel – that they had identified bank accounts, lodges, houses and vehicles suspected to have been purchased with the proceeds of the crime, while Mr Fraser alleged that Gen Rhoode had “seized” cash in Namibia, although the president’s main bodyguard has “emphatically denied that he investigated the theft of money”.

    The plot thickens.

  • South African worshippers washed away in the Jukskei River flash flood

    An eyewitness to the flood said that some of the 30-plus congregants were standing on rocks in the river on Saturday when a torrent of water surged through.

    In South Africa, nine people were killed and eight others were missing after a flash flood in a river swept away worshippers attending a church ceremony.

    An eyewitness said that some of the more than 30 congregants were standing on rocks in the river on Saturday when a torrent of water rushed through.

    According to the witness, the pastor was saved after clinging to an overhanging tree branch while being carried away.

    On Sunday, rescuers resumed their search in Johannesburg’s Jukskei River. During South Africa’s rainy season, it is notorious for flooding.

    The search operation involves the police and fire service as well as specialist aquatic rescue teams.

     

    After recovering two bodies on Saturday they have so far found seven more on Sunday, Robert Mulaudzi, spokesman for the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, told reporters.

    Victor Ncube, who had been taking part in the church service, told the local news station eNCA that he managed to pull five people out of the river who had been swept 100 metres downstream.

    Others had been carried too far down the river for him to try to save them, he said.

    Of the 33 who had been at the service, eight are still unaccounted for, officials say.

     

     

  • South Africa: Ramaphosa arrives at ANC emergency meeting that could seal his fate

    Despite Cyril Ramaphosa’s weekend declaration that he would not step down, the South African president still has to face a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, December 5, 2022 that might result in his impeachment.

    The ruling African National Congress (ANC) will meet Monday to discuss Ramaphosa’s fate after a parliamentary panel’s report last week said he might have acted illegally in covering up a burglary at his farm.

    Despite deep divisions inside the party, there appears to be a majority backing the president.

    There was pressure last week from some quarters for Ramaphosa to quit or be forced from office over what has become known as the Phala Phala affair, after the farm at the centre of the controversy.

    But Ramaphosa looked relaxed and cheerful Sunday as he spoke to journalists outside a conference centre where some ANC delegates were already discussing the case against him.

    With a smile, he explained he had been excluded from the meeting, agreeing that, in the circumstances, it was best for him not to take part.

    He has been accused of having covered up the burglary of more than half a million dollars in cash from his farm in northeastern South Africa.

    Last week’s report said the president “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct.

    – Parliamentary scrutiny –

    The president has been under fire since June, when a former spy boss filed a complaint with the police alleging that Ramaphosa had hidden the February 2020 burglary from the authorities.

    He accused the president of having organised for the robbers to be kidnapped and bribed into silence.

    Ramaphosa said a vast sum of cash stashed at the farm was payment for buffaloes bought by a Sudanese businessman. A police inquiry is ongoing, but he has not so far been charged with any crime.

    And while Ramaphosa insists he is innocent of any wrongdoing his explanations did not convince the parliamentary panel, which consists of three lawyers who were appointed by parliament.

    On Monday, the ANC’s highest body — the National Executive Committee (NEC) — meets to discuss the matter.

    On Tuesday the report will go before parliament to be examined and there will be a vote on whether to launch an impeachment process against the president.

    In South Africa, impeachment means removal from office.

    The scandal, with its colourful details of more than half a million dollars in cash being hidden under sofa cushions, comes at the worst possible time for Ramaphosa.

    On December 16, he will contest elections for the ANC presidency — a position that also holds the key to staying on as the nation’s president.

    – ‘Flawed’ report –

    On Saturday Ramaphosa’s spokesman said the president would challenge the parliamentary report in court.

    “President Ramaphosa is not resigning based on a flawed report, neither is he stepping aside,” said Vincent Magwenya.

    “It is in the long-term interest… of our constitutional democracy, well beyond the Ramaphosa presidency, that such a clearly flawed report is challenged, especially when it’s being used as a point of reference to remove a sitting head of state,” he added.

    A majority is needed to trigger the impeachment procedure — and if it is launched, it would take a two-thirds majority to remove the president from office.

    Despite its divisions, the ANC has a comfortable majority in parliament.

    “Ultimately the decision on impeachment would be a political one in parliament,” said a judicial source who requested anonymity.

    US Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump had “survived their impeachment processes because the necessary majorities couldn’t be found by their challengers”, the source pointed out.

    Nor is it even certain that parliament will vote to launch the procedure.

    As well as Ramaphosa, some legal experts have outlined flaws in the report.

    They argue that without recourse to the ongoing criminal investigation it is based largely on hearsay, Ramaphosa’s statements, and the initial complaint lodged by an opponent of the president.

     

    Source African News

  • Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa president’s fate in hands of the ANC

    Leaders of South Africa’s governing party are meeting to discuss President Cyril Ramaphosa’s future amid a corruption scandal that has led to calls for him to resign.

    A panel of legal experts said last week that Mr Ramaphosa may have broken the law by allegedly covering up the theft of a large sum of cash at his farm.

    The president’s spokesman described the report as “flawed”.

    Speaking on Sunday, Mr Ramaphosa said his fate was in his party’s hands.

    The meeting of the African National Congress’ executive committee – its top decision-making body – comes a day after a smaller group of leaders met to discuss the issue, but failed to reach a conclusion.

    Mr Ramaphosa’s legal team is also expected to lodge papers with the country’s Constitutional Court on Monday to undertake a legal review of the report by the panel that was appointed by the speaker of parliament.

    The scandal erupted in June, when a former South African spy boss, Arthur Fraser, filed a complaint with police accusing the president of hiding a theft of $4m (£3.25m) in cash from his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.

    Mr Ramaphosa admitted that some money, which had been hidden in a sofa, had been stolen, but said it was $580,000 not $4m.

    The president said the $580,000 had come from the sale of buffalo, but the panel, headed by a former chief justice, said it had “substantial doubt” about whether a sale took place.

    The panel’s findings have been handed to parliament, which is set to examine them and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings against the president.

    The president is also under pressure from the opposition, as well as rivals within the ANC, to resign.

    But the ANC leaders could instruct its MPs to back Mr Ramaphosa, when the issue is due to be discussed by parliament on Tuesday.

    The scandal is especially damaging for the president because he came to power vowing to clear up the corruption which had dogged the country under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.

    The ANC remains deeply divided between supporters of Mr Zuma and those who back Mr Ramaphosa.

    Source: myjoyonline.com

  • SKA: Construction of the world’s largest telescope to start soon

    On Monday, the construction phase of one of the great scientific projects of the twenty-first century begins.

    When completed in 2028, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the world’s largest radio telescope.

    The facility, which will be located in South Africa and Australia and will have its headquarters in the United Kingdom, will address the most pressing questions in astrophysics.

    It will conduct the most exact tests of Einstein’s theories and even look for extraterrestrials.

    Delegations from the project’s eight countries are attending ceremonies in Western Australia’s remote Murchison shire and South Africa’s Northern Cape’s Karoo.

    When the celebrations are over, the bulldozers will arrive.

    “This is the moment it becomes real,” said Prof Phil Diamond, director general of the Square Kilometre Array Organisation.

    “It’s been a 30-year journey. The first 10 years were about developing the concepts and ideas. The second 10 was spent doing the technology development. And then the last decade was about detailed design, securing the sites, getting governments to agree to set up a treaty organisation (SKAO) and provide the funds to start,” he told BBC News.

    The Murchison radio quiet zone
    IMAGE SOURCE,SKA Image caption, The telescope is being built in areas already used for radio astronomy

    The initial architecture of the telescope will incorporate just under 200 parabolic antennas, or “dishes”, as well as 131,000 dipole antennas, which look a little like Christmas trees.

    The aim is to construct an effective collecting area measuring hundreds of thousands of square metres.

    This will give the SKA unparalleled sensitivity and resolutions as it probes targets on the sky.

    The system will operate across a frequency range from roughly 50 megahertz to, ultimately, 25 gigahertz. In wavelength terms, this is in the centimetres to metres range.

    This should enable the telescope to detect very faint radio signals coming from cosmic sources billions of light-years from Earth, including those signals emitted in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

    One of the SKA’s great quests will be to trace the full history of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the Universe.

    The telescope should be able to detect hydrogen’s presence even before great clouds of it collapsed to form the first stars.

    “The SKA is going to contribute to so many areas of astronomy,” said Dr Shari Breen, the observatory’s head of science operations.

    “One would be these ‘fast radio bursts’ that have been detected. These things output the equivalent of an entire year’s worth of energy from our Sun in just a fraction of a second. And we have no idea what they are. How is that possible? Hopefully the SKA will have an answer.”

    The telescope is being built in areas already used for radio astronomy on a smaller scale.

    To expand these sites, however, has required various land agreements, with farmers in the Karoo; and with the Wajarri Yamaji, the Aboriginal title holders in the Murchison.

    The Wajarri community have organised Monday’s celebration to inaugurate the SKA.

    Various procurement contracts will be announced around the ceremonies.

    These will take the total financial outlay to date to just under €500m (£430m) – out of an expected final construction budget of €2bn.

    Prototype low-frequency antennas for Australia
    IMAGE SOURCE,SKA Image caption, The low-frequency antennas for Australia look like Christmas trees

    The first major milestone should come in 2024, when four dishes in Australia and six antenna stations in South Africa are made to work seamlessly together as a basic telescope. This proof-of-principle moment will then trigger the array’s full roll-out.

    By 2028, the SKA will have an effective collecting area of just under 500,000 square metres. But the set-up is such that it can continue growing, perhaps up to the much desired one million square metres, or one square kilometre.

    One way this could happen is if more and more countries join the organisation and provide the necessary funds.

    The current members are: South Africa, Australia, the UK, China, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland. These countries have ratified the treaty.

    France, Spain, and most recently Germany, have got themselves on to the accession path.

    Canada, India, Sweden, South Korea and Japan have indicated their intention to join at some point.

    “And we’re actually in the process of talking to other countries as well, to see what interest they might have in joining the observatory,” said Prof Diamond.

  • South Africa rugby player Nkosi reported as missing by club

    South Africa Rugby World Cup winner Sbu Nkosi has been reported to police as a missing person, his club said on Saturday.

    Nkosi has been “absent without leave” for three weeks and hasn’t responded to calls and messages, the Blue Bulls said in a statement.

    The Blue Bulls said they were now concerned for Nkosi’s safety. He last had contact with anyone at the Blue Bulls on Nov. 11 and the team opened a missing person case with police on Nov. 17, it said.

    “This resulted from the grave worry and concern of everyone (at the Blue Bulls),” the team said.

    The Pretoria-based team has sent officials to check for Nkosi at his home four times over the past three weeks and haven’t found him. They are relying on “the expert assistance of the South African Police Services” to locate him.

    The 26-year-old Nkosi played 16 tests for the Springboks and was part of the squad that won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

    Source: Africa News

  • South African worshippers swept away in Jukskei river flash flood

    Two people have died in South Africa and 15 others are missing after a flash flood in a river swept away worshippers taking part in a church ceremony.

    Some of the more than 30 congregants were standing on rocks in the river on Saturday when a torrent of water surged through, an eyewitness said.

    The pastor was saved after he clung on to an overhanging tree branch, he added.

    Rescuers resumed the search of Johannesburg’s Jukskei river on Sunday.

    It is notorious for flooding during South Africa’s rainy season.

    The search operation involves the police and fire service as well as specialist aquatic rescue teams, Robert Mulaudzi spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services said.

    Victor Ncube, who had been taking part in the church service, told local news station eNCA that he managed to pull out five people from the river who had been swept 100 metres downstream.

    Others had been carried too far down the river for him to try to save them, he said.

    Of the 33 who had been at the service, 15 are still unaccounted for, the authorities say.

     

    Source: BBC

  •  South Africa leader won’t resign -Spokesman to Ramaphosa

     

    South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will not resign despite a scandal over money stolen from his farm, his spokesman says.

    The row centres on claims he kept large sums of cash on his property then covered up its theft.

    A panel of legal experts concluded that he has a case to answer.

    But Mr Ramaphosa’s spokesman suggested he would fight on, and rather than quit would seek a second term as leader of his African National Congress party.

    “President Ramaphosa is not resigning based on a flawed report, neither is he stepping aside,” Vincent Magwenya said.

    “It may be in the long-term interest and sustainability of our constitutional democracy, well beyond the Ramaphosa presidency, that such a clearly flawed report is challenged,” he added.

    The scandal erupted in June, when a former South African spy boss, Arthur Fraser, filed a complaint with police accusing the president of hiding a theft of $4m (£3.25m) in cash from his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.

    Mr Ramaphosa admitted that money had been stolen, but said it was $580,000, not $4m.

    The president said the $580,000 had come from the sale of buffalo, but the panel, headed by a former chief justice, said it had “substantial doubt” about whether a sale took place.

    The panel’s findings have been handed to parliament, which is set to examine them and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings against the president.

    Mr Ramaphosa is also under pressure from the opposition, as well as rivals from his governing ANC, to resign.

    He is due to meet the ANC’s top leadership bodies on Sunday and Monday after failing to turn up at an earlier meeting.

    The scandal is especially damaging for Mr Ramaphosa because he came to power vowing to clear up the corruption which had dogged the country under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.

    The ANC remains deeply divided between supporters of Mr Zuma and those who back Mr Ramaphosa.

    Mr Ramaphosa will be challenged for the ANC’s leadership by his former health minister Zweli Mkhize, who has also been accused of corruption. He denies the allegations.

     

    Source: BBC

     

  • Anxious wait as ANC meet to decide Ramaphosa’s future

    South Africa is on tenterhooks as the top leadership of the governing ANC party meets behind closed doors, to debate the scandal engulfing President Cyril Ramaphosa over his response to a robbery two years ago.

    There has been intense speculation that he would resign. But ahead of Friday’s meeting, ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe said he didn’t think President Ramaphosa should resign, that he wasn’t a liability to the party, and that the full process must be allowed to unfold at the meeting.

    This comes after a damning report into a burglary at Mr Ramaphosa’s private game farm in 2020 in which at least $580,000 (£470,000), and maybe much more, in foreign currency was stolen.

    The findings of the report suggest that the president may have committed serious misconduct, but he denies any wrongdoing.

    Some in the ANC have been calling for the president’s resignation while those close to him have said he will take a decision that is in the best interest of the country.

    Source: BBC

  • Opposition demand snap polls over Ramaphosa scandal

    As President Cyril Ramaphosa deals with a controversy that could cost him his job, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party in South Africa plans to introduce a motion in parliament calling for an early election.

    The president has been accused of covering up a $4m (£3.3m) theft from his farm in 2020, including kidnapping and bribing the burglars into silence. He denies any wrongdoing.

    The country’s parliament is set to examine a report on the scandal and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings next week.

    DA leader John Steenhuisen said the country cannot leave it up to the ruling party to “choose the future of our country” – referring to the upcoming ANC conference where Mr Ramaphosa will seek a second term as the leader of the ruling party.

    “The party of Nelson Mandela has become a cess pit of corruption, greed and dishonesty from top to bottom,” said Mr Steenhuisen.

    The motion for an early election would need a simple majority of 50% plus one of the national assembly to vote for the dissolution of government, which would then trigger an early election, he added.

    Source: BBC

  • Farmgate: South Africa president faces threat of impeachment

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa may face impeachment over the “Farmgate” scandal.

    The president is accused of covering up a $4 million (£3.3 million) theft from his farm in 2020, including kidnapping and bribing the burglars.

    According to a leaked report from an independent panel, Mr Ramaphosa abused his position and may have violated an anti-corruption law.

    He has denied wrongdoing and stated that the money was earned by selling buffalo.

    The panel’s findings have been delivered to parliament, which will review them and decide whether to initiate impeachment proceedings next week.

    Mr Ramaphosa is less than a month away from a conference which will decide if he can run for a second term with his party, the African National Congress (ANC), in 2024. The incident could be particularly damaging as Mr Ramaphosa ran for office on an anti-corruption ticket.

    The ANC will hold a meeting with its executive on Thursday, where it is expected that the issue will be discussed.

     

    The Farmgate scandal erupted in June, when a former South African spy boss, Arthur Fraser, filed a complaint with police accusing the president of hiding a theft of $4m from his Phala Phala farm in the north-east of the country in 2020.

    Mr Fraser, who is a close ally of former President Jacob Zuma, alleged that the money could have been the proceeds of money-laundering and corruption, and accused the president of kidnapping and bribing the burglars.

    Holding such a large amount of money in dollars could violate foreign exchange control laws.

    Mr Ramaphosa has confirmed a robbery, but said the amount stolen was less than that alleged, and denied attempting to cover it up.

    Some $580,000 which had been paid in cash for buffalo was stolen from under sofa cushions in the farmhouse, he said.

    “I did not ‘hunt’ for the perpetrators of the theft, as alleged, nor did I give any instructions for this to take place,” he wrote in a submission to the panel’s report, according to AFP news agency.

    The panel concluded that there were many unanswered questions, calling it a “very serious matter”.

    Little information was kept about the man who supposedly paid the money for buffalo, it said, adding that he had still not collected the animals two and a half years later.

    The panel also said it was strange that the money had been kept hidden in a sofa, rather than in a safe until it could be lodged in a bank account.

    “We think that the president has a case to answer on the origin of the foreign currency that was stolen, as well as the underlying transaction for it,” the report said. It added: “The president abused his position as head of state to have the matter investigated and seeking the assistance of the Namibian president to apprehend a suspect.”

    Namibian president Hage Geingob has previously denied any involvement in the incident.

    Seven things about Cyril Ramaphosa:

    A cloth being held by African National Congress (ANC) supporters showing the face of South African President and ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa t
    IMAGE SOURCE,AFP
    • Born in Soweto, Johannesburg, in 1952
    • Detained in 1974 and 1976 for anti-apartheid activities and launched the National Union of Mineworkers in 1982
    • Chairman of the National Reception Committee which prepared for Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990
    • Became an MP and chairman of constitutional assembly in 1994
    • Moved full-time into business in 1997, becoming one of South Africa’s richest businessmen
    • On Lonmin board during 2012 Marikana massacre
    • Elected ANC leader in 2017 and on 15 February 2018 became president after the resignation of Jacob Zuma

  • South Africa: Hoodlums hijack an eight-ton truck carrying exam papers

    As a result of the hijacking of an eight-ton truck carrying exam papers at the R21 in Gauteng, some students will have to write replacement papers for two subjects.

    The delivery was intended for Limpopo technical vocational education and training colleges.

    An education official confirmed that engineering question papers were in the vehicle, which was later discovered abandoned in Delmas, Mpumalanga.

    The affected subjects are part of engineering studies. Students sitting their N6 are due to write the technical subject “power machine” on Thursday while those doing their N5 will write “strength of materials and structures” on Friday.

    The truck had left a depot in Kempton Park and was en route to Limpopo through the R21 when it was hijacked at around 2am on Tuesday. Students across the country would have to write replacement papers for the two subjects as a result of the hijacking.

    Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala said they were verifying with the courier company the consignment that was being carried in the vehicle.

    “I cannot confirm whether the parcels were exam papers. The hijacked truck was recovered with some items and we were told some items were missing. We were told the cargo was destined for Limpopo.”

    DA spokesperson for education in Mpumalanga Jane Sithole said after discovering the suspected hijacked truck, police found it contained exam papers.

    “The police called DA councillors in the area to request contact numbers for the Mpumalanga education department and their counterparts in Gauteng.”

    Sithole said Diana Bath, a councillor in the Victor Khanye local municipality, called the Gauteng education department.

    “She found the truck was from Gauteng and was on its way to deliver exam papers in Limpopo. The DA is concerned that in this technological era, exam papers continue to be transported in trucks, exposing them to hijacking.”

    A spokesperson from higher education department, Ishmael Mnisi confirmed the incident on Tuesday morning. The truck was “carrying some freight, however not only TVET question papers”.

    “The vehicle and some freight was recovered and the matter is with law enforcement agencies.”

    Mnisi who confirmed that the exam papers were destined for Limpopo, said the TVET exams would not be affected by the incident “as alternative measures are in place for Thursday and Friday’s exams”. Mnisi did not indicate what the alternative measures are.

     

  • South African anti-apartheid hero’s killer stabbed in prison

    Authorities announced on Tuesday that Janusz Walus, the man responsible for the death of South African anti-apartheid leader Chris Hani over three decades ago, was stabbed in prison and is currently being treated.

    This week, the South African Constitutional Court granted parole to Walus, a 69-year-old Polish national who was about to be released. Protests and harsh condemnation of the decision could be heard across the country.

    “Inmate Walus is stable and DCS healthcare officials are providing the necessary care,” the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said in a statement.

    The agency said that another prisoner from the same housing unit was responsible for stabbing him, but it gave no more information about the incident or the person who did it.

    In 1993, Walus shot Hani outside the home of the anti-apartheid activist, who was a senior member of the then-ruling African National Congress and the head of the South African Communist Party at the time.

    After decades of white minority rule under apartheid, his death sparked widespread unrest that put South Africa’s transition to multiracial democracy in jeopardy.

    In 1981, he left the then-communist Poland and settled in South Africa, where he got involved in far-right activities.

    Aaron Motsoaledi, the minister of home affairs of South Africa, gave Walus permission to live there on Monday so that he may complete his parole there.

  • South African delegation to understudy Ghana’s small-scale mining sector

    Grace Mason, the High Commissioner of South Africa to Ghana, has stated that her nation is willing and interested in researching Ghana’s small-scale mining industry, particularly with regard to the regularization of their small-scale mining operations.

    She called Ghana’s small-scale mining infrastructure “one of the best on the continent” and announced that a group from South Africa’s mining sector would be officially visiting from December 4 to December 9, 2022.

    The group was welcomed by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, who said that South Africa is a significant partner in Ghana and that it is in the interests of both nations to promote positive relations.

    He said the cordial relations that exist between the President of the Republic H. E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his South African counterpart President H.E Cyril  Ramaphosa must be maintained and should also propel the two countries to boost trade and investment.

    Abu Jinapor on his part indicated that “South Africa is a major partner for our country and they have a lot of investments here, it is in our interest as well that of South African companies are treated well” he concluded.

    The meeting was also attended by the  South African Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Thando Dalmba, the CEO of Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Ayisi and the Technical Director, Mines at the Ministry, Mr. Peter Awuah.

  • South African court sentenced a Kruger Park poacher to 11 years in prison

    Isaac Sithlangu, 42, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Skukuza regional court on Thursday for poaching-related offences.

    Sithlangu was sentenced for unlawful entry into the Kruger National Park, conspiracy to commit an offence, ammunition possession, firearm possession, and dangerous weapon possession.

    According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa, he was initially charged with co-conspirator Abel Manyike, who previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in October this year.

    She claimed Sithlangu escaped after being granted bail in 2019 but was later apprehended.

    South African Court Sentences Kruger Park Poacher to 11 Years (News Central TV)

    In August 2019, park rangers spotted the accused while doing their daily routine in Stolznek section using a helicopter.

    They were found in possession of a firearm, ammunition and hunting weapons and were arrested.

    In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Lot Mgiba handed in a ballistics report which revealed the firearm that was found in his possession was meant to poach rhinos.

    Though Sithlangu was sentenced to 14 years for these offences, the court ordered that the terms run concurrently, resulting in an effective 11-year jail term.

  • South Africa pit bull attacks: ‘We can’t live in a world where dogs eat children’

    Residents of Phomolong township in South Africa woke up to horrific screams last Sunday morning.

    They came from a three-year-old boy as he was attacked and then mauled to death by two American pit bull terriers.

    The toddler had been outside with friends in a neighbour’s gated front yard, where the two pit bulls were usually tied up in a cage. But that morning they were loose and roaming around.

    It was as the children were playing that the dogs pounced on Keketso Saule.

    His devastated family say the savage attack lasted for several minutes.

    “Had someone not pulled him away the dogs would have finished [eating] him,” his distraught aunt, Nthabeleng Saule, told the BBC.

    “One side his face was gone and you could see his brain.”

    A video taken during the attack shows horrified relatives and neighbours shouting in shock and looking on at the vicious dogs unsure of what to do and how to intervene.

    It was only when someone poured hot water on the dogs that people were able to drag Keketso’s lifeless body away from them.

    Nthabeleng Saule

    BBC
    Even the child’s mother, grandmother and grandfather witnessed what happened. It’s going to take time for them to understand why they [the dogs] ate the child”
    Nthabeleng Saule, Keketso’s aunt
    1px transparent line

    In a groundswell of anger, the crowd, who had rushed to the scene, turned on the dogs and began throwing things at them.

    They managed to stun and catch one, setting it alight.

    The police then arrived as the community bayed for revenge, and the 21-year-old owner of the dogs, Lebohang Pali, was arrested and charged with keeping dangerous dogs and could face a fine or a jail term of up to two years or both.

    The second dog was taken away and euthanised by the animal welfare group SPCA.

    Mr Pali has since been granted bail – set at 300 rand ($18, £15). It is unclear if he will return to the house that he was renting.

    When we visited the neighbourhood in Free State province, about 250km (155 miles) south-west of Johannesburg, the charred remains on the street outside the Saule family home told of the grisly weekend scenes.

    Rocks, sticks and a burnt-out tyre littered the area where the dog had been burnt. Residents came out to speak of their shock and anger about what they witnessed on Sunday.

    “This incident has broken our hearts,” said Emily Moerane, a young mother carrying her toddler.

    “We don’t want pit bulls any more,” she said, adding that if the owner of the dog did not face justice they would “take the law into our hands”.

    Inside the Saule home, Kekesto’s aunt showed us a photo of the smiling bright-eyed little boy on her phone.

    Battling to hold back the tears, she spoke of the family’s trauma.

    “Things are just not right, not right at all. Even the child’s mother, grandmother and grandfather witnessed what happened,” she said.

    “It’s going to take time for them to understand why they [the dogs] ate the child.”

    Surrendering pit bulls

    One of the onlookers outside told me that there was another pit bull on the street, pointing to a house directly opposite the Saule home.

    The dog’s owner, Mokete Selebano, welcomed me and took me out to his back yard, his brown pit bull playfully jumping on him and his wife.

    Mokete Selebano, his wife and dog in Phomolong, South Africa
    Image caption, Mokete Selebano, who lives in Phomolong, has decided to give up his pit bull Junior

    “This is Junior – he’s like my son,” he said.

    But fearful of the community’s animosity towards pit bulls, Mr Selebano said he was going to give up his pet.

    “We can’t live like this in a world where dogs eat children. If the community is angry then there’s nothing that I can do. But seeing him go is very painful to me and my wife.”

    Following a recent spate of deadly pit bull attacks, many people like Mr Selebano have been voluntarily surrendering their dogs.

    Three days after Kekesto’s death, a 15-month-old toddler died in hospital after being attacked by a pit bull in the Eastern Cape province.

    In Bloemfontein, 49 pit pulls were handed over to the SPCA after eight-year-old boy Olebogeng Mosime was killed by one the week before.

    On the same day Kekesto died, a girl was attacked by three pit bulls in Cape Town. She was injured and rushed to hospital, and the community turned on the animals, stoning them and setting them alight.

    The dogs handed over to the SPCA will all be individually assessed and the organisation has appealed to the government for help in dealing with the influx.

    The non-profit group Animals 24-7 has a log of fatal dog attacks reported in the South African media since 2004. With the two deaths this week, which are yet to be included in its list, it will bring its total number of deaths by pit bulls to 37 over the last 18 years.

    Eighteen of the victims were children – five of whom have been killed this year, making it the worst on record for child deaths.

    Four child deaths were reported in 2017, the worst recorded year since 2004 with eight fatalities in total – and since 2016 at least one death by a pit bull has been reported every year.

    According to law firm DSC Attorneys, which handles personal injury cases, incidents involving dogs are on the rise.

    “We have had over 70 dog bite-related queries this year to date – so an average of six per month – and in October alone we had 50% more enquiries than the preceding month,” the firm’s director Kirstie Halsam told the BBC.

    The killing of 10-year-old Storm Nuku by his family’s two pet pit bulls in September prompted the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation to start an online petition calling for the dogs to be banned as pets in South Africa.

    “The defence by pit bull lovers that it is how you raise the dog does not hold water. So many people, including joggers have been attacked and killed by pit bulls,” says the petition, which has more than 129,000 signatures so far.

    “It is time that the South African government takes decisive steps and impose a complete ban on the ownership of pit bulls as domestic animals.”

    Dog-fighting rings

    Fear of crime is felt to be a major factor in training animals like pit bulls to be guard dogs. Mr Selebano, who got Junior as protection for his wife when she was alone at home, says there are many pit bulls in Phomolong township.

    Pit bull owners walking their dogs on a street in Soweto, South Africa - 2009
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Pit bulls are popular as guard dogs in South Africa – and can often be seen in townships

    The increase in pit bull ownership, particularly in townships, is not only for protection, but for illegal dog fighting.

    The animals are trained to be aggressive, kept in tight enclosures on chains for the sole purpose of fighting and killing each other. Often organised by syndicates, people pay to watch and gamble on the fights.

    In July, the SPCA busted a dog-fighting ring in Cape Town’s Grassy Park, rescuing seven dogs, including three pit bull puppies, after authorities became aware of a video of dogs being encouraged to fight.

    Dog fighting carries a penalty of a $4,700-fine or imprisonment of up to two years or both.

    “Backyard breeding” has also become a problem – with owners cross breeding pit bulls with other breeds like Boerboels for illegal dog fights.

    Lins Rautenbach and her American pit bull terrier
    Image caption, Lins Rautenbach, Pitbull Federation of South Africa, says a dog’s behaviour comes down to its owners

    This means the dogs may look like American pit bull terriers but are more aggressive and more prone to bite people, particularly children.

    Critics of an outright ban on pit bulls say it will not solve the problem of irresponsible ownership.

    “These maulings are nothing short of tragic,” Lins Rautenbach, spokesperson for the Pitbull Federation of South Africa, told the BBC.

    But she put the blame squarely with the dogs’ owners – saying laws need to be put in place to deal with them.

    “Banning the breed means people in South Africa who want to feel safe will move from this to another breed.

    “So we’ll maybe see a drop in pit bull maulings, but we’ll see an increase in say Rottweiler or German Shepherd maulings,” she said.

    Source: BBC.com 

  • England 13-27 South Africa: Eddie Jones says defeat was ‘entirely my fault’

    Eddie Jones said England’s defeat by South Africa was “entirely my fault” but believes they can have a “really good go” at next year’s World Cup.

    The hosts were beaten 27-13 at Twickenham as the world champions dominated the set-piece.

    Head coach Jones apologised for the performance but said his players were still heading in the right direction, 10 months out from the World Cup.

    “We are disappointed we didn’t play how we wanted to,” Jones told Amazon Prime.

    “South Africa do things to you that are some times difficult to deal with.

    “We didn’t land a shot like we wanted to. You have to win contests and we didn’t win in the air or the set-piece, so it’s hard to get in the game.

    “We lost two of the key contests but we will improve in those areas. Results tell you everything and that is what we are judged by but I feel like there is growth in the team, which we have seen, but wasn’t evident today.”

    Jones’ side have lost six of 12 Tests in the calendar year, England’s worst run since 2008.

    Defeat by the Springboks followed a comeback draw against New Zealand, a victory over Japan and a defeat by Argentina in a disappointing autumn schedule.

    Asked if he was still confident in his ability to lead the side into next year’s World Cup in France, Jones said: “I think about where we are going towards a World Cup.

    “Obviously we want to win games and be successful but are we moving in the right direction? Yes we are.

    “I have coached for a number of years and I believe I can coach well. People will say what they say, and there are ups and downs in sport but we didn’t play well today and I apologise for that, it’s entirely my fault.”

    He added: “Obviously on results, we are not happy but I feel like we are building a really good base to have a really good go at the World Cup, a really good go.

    “A number of young players got great experience today and they’ll come back better players for that. We’ve got other players coming back to form, some of our more senior players and we’re not far away.

    “We need to develop consistently. Test match rugby is all about consistency.”

    ‘The plan was clear’

    Manu Tuilagi
    Manu Tuilagi’s 50th cap brought pride but frustration as South Africa thwarted England

    England centre Manu Tuilagi, who won his 50th cap, acknowledged that South Africa forced England into errors.

    “It was a tough game,” Tuilagi told Amazon Prime. “We wanted to come out and attack, which I thought we did at the start but the Springboks were tough and physical and they put a lot of pressure on us. They forced us to make mistakes and they capitalised on it.

    “The plan was clear but South Africa are a quality side and they put us under a lot of pressure. We weren’t good enough today and we have to take it on the chin.

    “We are building nicely. Sometimes it’s hard for people to see that but we definitely believe in that.”

    England captain Owen Farrell, Tuliagi’s midfield partner, said the side would come back stronger.

    “It has not worked out for ourselves today and we were not able to show the best of ourselves but we have put in some good work over the past five weeks and we have to make sure that is not for nothing,” said Farrell.

    “We lacked a bit of accuracy and bite at times. The game was really slow to start which they are very good at. We didn’t get our teeth stuck in much like that Argentina game, we must learn to do better.”

    South Africa ended the year on a high after narrowly losing in Ireland and France before beating Italy last weekend.

    Captain Siya Kolisi, who lifted the World Cup in 2019, said: “It is a big relief for us. We have been working really hard over the past few months.

    “I know some results haven’t gone our way but we are still grateful to get the kind of support we are getting from back home.

    “England were tough at the beginning but we just stuck to our guns and tweaked a few things.”

    Source: BBC 

  • SA prison service opposes Jacob Zuma’s return to jail

    South Africa’s prison service has said it will challenge a court decision that sent former president Jacob Zuma back to jail.

    “Having carefully studied the judgement, Correctional Services is convinced that another court may arrive at a different conclusion,” the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said in a statement

    The Supreme Court of Appeal had on Monday ordered Mr Zuma to return to prison after upholding an earlier ruling that his medical parole had been unlawful.

    The 80-year-old was given a 15-month sentence last year for contempt of court over his refusal to testify during an investigation into corruption.

    But he was released after two months in jail, after his lawyers argued that he had an undisclosed terminal illness and needed medical care that could not be provided in prison.

    Source: BBC

  • South Africa’s crime stats reveal rape at day care centres

    Eighty-three rape incidents were recorded at South Africa’s educational institutions, including day care centres, in the last three months, according to the latest crime records.

    The youngest victim was only six weeks old, the Minister of Police, Gen Bheki Cele said during a live broadcast.

    “As a ministry, we remain extremely concerned about rapes at educational premises”, he said, adding that the location of the reported rapes, “should not be interpreted to imply that all perpetrators and all victims were pupils or students.”

    He said 68 rapists had been sentenced to life in prison in the last six months, proving that the authorities were “sending a strong message of zero tolerance on rape through steep sentences”.

    The newly-released figures also show an increase in contact crimes – categorised as murder, attempted murder and assault – against women and children, rose by 16.9% and 13%, respectively.

    The murder rate also increased by 10.8% in the same period, marking an average of 76 killings per day.

    • Kidnapping went up all 10 provinces with the rate of incident rocketing in Gauteng by 164.3%
    • Carjacking went down in two provinces but was up overall in the country by 23.6%
    • Robberies at residential premises increased by 8.4%

     

    Source: BBC

  • A mob in South Africa kills a patient inside an ambulance

    Gauteng province health department has indicated that , a South African mob attacked and killed a patient in an ambulance on suspicion of committing a crime.

    The mob also assaulted paramedics who were treating the patient in the Atteridgeville area, causing damage to the ambulance.

    After the man was injured in a mob attack, paramedics responded to calls for help. They began treatment on the scene and prepared to transport the patient to the nearest hospital.

    “As the ambulance was getting ready to leave the scene, community members started throwing stones and barricaded the road to prevent the ambulance leaving… they demanded justice on the spot,” the health department said in a statement.

    It added: “Unfortunately the patient was further fatally assaulted while on an ambulance stretcher. The ambulance was extensively damaged and medical equipment was stolen.”

  • A South African woman commits suicide after a breakup

    A South African woman has taken her life following a breakup.

    According to a Kanengo Police report shared on social media, 24-year-old Mary Fulu died by suicide after her boyfriend dumped her.

    Fulu had slipped into depression post-breakup and was going to Bwaila Hospital for treatment and counseling.

    However, the breakup took such a heavy toll on her mental health that she decided to give up.

    The police report read, “She silently went into the boy’s quarter where she hanged herself.”

    Source: Bonobology

  • South Africa will to free man who wished to incite racial conflict

    The South African Constitutional Court has ordered that a convicted murderer serving a life sentence for the murder of anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani in 1993 be released on parole in 10 days.

    Janusz Walus, a Polish immigrant who had gained South African citizenship, hoped the assassination would spark a racial war during the final days of the apartheid regime.

    He has been imprisoned for the past 28 years, and parole requests have been strongly opposed.

    On Monday, widow Limpho Hani said the decision to release her husband’s killer was “diabolical”.

    Walus together with his co-defendant Clive Derby-Lewis, who died in 2016, were sentenced to death shortly after Hani’s killing, but the sentence was commuted to life after South Africa abolished the death penalty.

    They both appealed for amnesty during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1997, with Walus saying that he was driven by political, anti-communist motives to kill Hani, who was then the secretary-general of the South African Communist Party (SACP), and also a leading figure in the armed wing of the African National Congress.

    Walus’ imprisonment won sympathy and support from far-right groups in Poland.

    Huge banners bearing his portraits and chants calling for his release have been a common feature at some football stadiums in Poland.

    Merchandise like scarves and stickers celebrating Walus have also been sold online.

    In 2016, Walus met Hani’s daughter, Lindiwe, in prison.

    “He told her [that] when he lost his father [in 1997] then he understood that Chris Hani was not only a communist, but he was also a father and husband,” Polish journalist Cezary Lazarewicz told me in 2020.

    “Walus told me that he was very sorry for killing Lindiwe’s father. But he never regretted [killing a] communist leader. He told me, in 1993, there was a war in South Africa and he felt like a soldier… he still believes in the system of racial segregation and that whites and blacks should live apart,” Mr Lazarewicz added.

    In court on Monday Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said “the principle of equality before the law was not just written for those who fought apartheid – but those who actively supported it”, South African journalist Karyn Maughan reports.

    But Limpho Hani, speaking minutes after the judgement was made, reacted angrily, “this judgment is diabolical, totally diabolical”.

  • All about African greeting positions and how they are used

    “What’s for breakfast this morning, I just woke up and I’m hungry.” One may get away with this statement early in the morning after waking up from bed in just about any home, but not African. Greetings are an important aspect of African culture and apart from opening doors to cordial relationships, their meaning goes deeper and beyond being a gateway to cordial relationships.

    In a traditional African home, such a comment might be met with a “Wham!” If you were lucky, you might receive a slap, but even worse, you might endure a tirade and torrent of insults all day long because you failed to extend a hand of greeting.

    Generally, a salute, fist bump, bow and curtsy and others are the way men and women greet each other. Among the French, there’s the exchange of pecks, but in Africa, greetings vary from tribe to tribe and from community to community. In different countries and among different tribes in Africa, prostrating and kneeling are the ways men and women greet respectively and they all have different meanings.

    South Africa

    The most common greeting form in South Africa is a handshake, followed by eye contact and a smile. This is acceptable among the majority of South Africans. Handshakes may be light or firm dependent on the individual you are making small talk with and your relationship with them. Many people in rural villages greet with two hands.

    When shaking hands with people of the opposite gender, it is customary for women to extend their hands first. Usually, men hesitate for women to extend their hands first. If people know each other well, they may greet with a hug. It is polite to engage with people by their titles and last name until they indicate otherwise.

    Baganda tribe

    Kneeling is practiced in a wide variety of contexts in Uganda. It is primarily practiced by the Baganda tribe, the country’s largest. When greeting and serving her husband, a Muganda woman must kneel. Women also get down on their knees to say hello to other men and the elderly. In most cases, this occurs wherever there is an encounter at home, in the garden, on the way to work, and in the bank.

    However, this practice is extremely frowned upon because it is perceived as forced humility and a form of discrimination against women. Women are culturally compelled to kneel during traditional wedding ceremonies in order to place a special identifier (flower) on the lapel of the groom-to-be jacket.

    Yoruba

    Prostrating as a way of greeting is termed Idobale, which means to meet the earth. It is seen as a symbol of planting and fertility. Yoruba men prostate as a way of greeting and it is done before an older person. The custom denotes honoring or giving respect to a higher authority. A young person who bows to an elderly person is regarded as having received good training. Prostrating helps tame the societal ego’s irrational tendency and promotes social humility.

    Idobale is performed in different aspects of culture. A fundamental feature of a Yoruba traditional wedding is Idobale. The groom and his buddies are required to bow before the bride’s family and in-laws at the traditional wedding. This demonstrates the groom’s regard for his future in-laws. Additionally, it shows how much he adores and cherishes his future bride.

    When someone is submitting to a monarch or other authority figure, another aspect of idolatry is revealed. According to the cultural convention, you cannot bow or stand while addressing a crowned monarch. No matter your age or social standing, you must kneel to welcome the king because it is improper to shake his hand or just bend. King’s respect is demonstrated by bowing down to greet him. It is thought that doing so will incur the King’s blessings.

    But all of this is for men, for women, when greeting, kneeling is the right way and it is termed as Ikunle, which means to fill the earth and like Idobale, it is also a symbol of fertility. It signifies harvest too. Women kneel to greet when speaking to their husbands and older people. Again, during traditional Yoruba weddings, women kneel when greeting their in-laws and parents and before they sit with their husbands.

    There is another aspect of Ikunle known as Ikunle Abiyamo. Ikunle Abiyamo is either just the traditional Yoruba act of giving birth while the pregnant mother is on her knees or a combination of acts in the latter stages of labor. Abiyamo means “mother” in the Yoruba language and during childbirth, Ikunle is mostly the preferred position. So for women, the greeting position is not just for greeting, but for childbirth too.

     

    Source: Face2faceafrica

  • Pit bulls in South Africa burnt to death after attacking a child

    Three pit bull dogs who had attacked a young girl were stoned to death and then burned by members of a community in Cape Town, South Africa.

    The incident occurs as calls to outlaw the breed grow in South Africa.

    A local animal welfare charity reported that the child was mauled in a field in the Gatesville neighbourhood of Cape Town. She “sustained severe injuries and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment”, the SPCA has said.

    The dogs were then attacked, with people stoning, stabbing and hitting them “before burning them to death”.

    Video of the burning shows people standing around the fire shouting approval, IOL news site reports.

    “We are tired of these people wanting to parade with their pit bulls knowing they are a danger to society. It’s not enough our children are being slaughtered by vicious criminals, and brazen gangsters,” a resident is quoted by IOL as saying.

    Sunday’s attack followed reports of a three-year-old boy dying after being targeted by two dogs in Free State province, IOL reports.

    Source: BBC.com 

  • Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been ordered to return to prison

    South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ordered former President Jacob Zuma to return to prison after upholding an earlier ruling that his medical parole had been unlawful.

    But it is not clear if he will spend any more time in jail.

    The 80-year-old was given a 15-month sentence last year for contempt of court over his refusal to testify during an investigation into corruption.

    His imprisonment prompted violent protests in KwaZulu Natal province and other parts of South Africa that left more than 300 people dead.

    Zuma was released after two months in jail, after his lawyers argued that he had an undisclosed terminal illness.

    In their unanimous judgement on Monday, the judges said that prison authorities should decide if the time the former president has unlawfully spent out of prison should count towards his sentence or not.

    The former president’s lawyers had argued that Zuma needed medical care that could not be provided in prison and now may take the matter to the Constitutional Court.

    It’s a legal matter but one that has had political implications in the past. There are some concerns that his return to prison may lead to a repeat of the unrest see

  • Ramaphosa’s alleged corruption report to be examined on December 6

    A long-awaited report on an alleged corruption scandal targeted at South African President Cyril Ramaphosa a month before a crucial deadline for his political future, will be examined on December 6, the parliament announced Thursday.

    An independent parliamentary committee was tasked in September with examining President Ramaphosa‘s accountability in the 2020 case and issuing findings that could lead to a possible vote for his impeachment.

    “The parliamentary committee met this morning. The date for the submission of the report was extended to November 30. It was decided that the National Assembly would examine this report on December 6,” ten days before the congress of the historic ruling party, the ANC, parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo told AFP.

    The parliamentary recess that was supposed to start on December 1 has been postponed to consider the report, which was originally due by Thursday.

    The African National Congress (ANC) must meet from December 16 to choose whether or not to invest Mr. Ramaphosa’s candidate for a second term in the presidential election of 2024, re-electing him president of the party.

    The successor to Jacob Zuma, who was forced to resign in 2018 after a series of scandals, the current president is expected to tackle the corruption front that he has vowed to eradicate.

    According to a complaint filed in June by former South African intelligence chief Arthur Fraser, burglars broke into a farm owned by the president in Phala Phala, in the country’s northeast, in February 2020. They found large sums of money in cash.

    Cyril Ramaphosa is accused of concealing the robbery from the police and the money from the tax authorities, organizing the kidnapping and interrogation of the robbers, and then bribing them to keep quiet.

    The President, who was repeatedly attacked on the subject during heated sessions in the Assembly, denied the accusations, questioning the amounts mentioned and maintaining that the money found was in fact from the sale of livestock. He also denounced the political aims of his opponents.

    In South Africa, the impeachment of the head of state is subject to a two-thirds majority vote in the National Assembly. The ANC led by Cyril Ramaphosa holds more than two-thirds of the seats.

     

    Source: African News

  • Media kicked out of Senzo Meyiwa murder trial after State witness’ face shown on camera

    Claims that a media house broadcasted footage of a State witness in the high-profile Senzo Meyiwa murder trial prompted the judge to clear the courtroom of all members of the media on Wednesday.

    The witness, Tumelo Madlala, was a childhood friend of the slain Bafana Bafana captain.

    He was one of the people who were inside the Vosloorus house where Meyiwa was shot dead eight years ago.

    The court had earlier ruled his face should not be shown on camera or in photos while he is testifying in the murder trial.

    On Wednesday afternoon, Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela refused to let proceedings continue while the person responsible for broadcasting Madlala’s face was still present.

    “That person, whatever the effect and the extent of the footage, that person should leave this courtroom now. If we don’t know who it is, all media are going out now.”

    An outraged Maumela suggested that media houses should “sort it out through the night” and return on Thursday to reveal who revealed Madlala’s face on camera.

    “We are not to sacrifice time for trial because of people who want to go sensational at the expense of the lives of other people. We can’t do that.”

    Initially, prosecutor advocate George Baloyi told the court they had a meeting with various media houses and camera people, then looked at the live feed and found the footage did not appear on the live feed.

    “A possibility has been mentioned that perhaps it is some manipulation or photoshopping,” Baloyi told the court.

    However, footage of Maumela leaving his bench showed Madlala’s face was in fact broadcast briefly.

    The court was supposed to proceed with advocate Zandile Mshololo’s cross-examination of Madlala.

    In September, Maumela reprimanded journalists and issued them with written warnings after they allegedly harassed Madlala at court, chasing him and asking him questions before proceedings.

    News24 reported at the time that Madlala, who was with a woman, repeatedly gestured he did not want to speak to them.

    Source: News24.com 

  • PitBull Federation calls for stricter regulations around breeding of the dog

    The PitBull Federation of South Africa is calling for stricter regulations around the breeding of the dog in the country.

    This comes as calls intensify to ban the breed from being a domestic pet after the latest mauling claimed the life of an 8-year-old boy in Bloemfontein.

    Spokesperson for the Federation Lehanda Rheeder says while they do sympathise with the family, the entire breed cannot be stereotyped and punished.

    She says the influx of dog fighting rings and improper breeding, coupled with bad ownership all contribute to the recent aggressive attacks.

    “At the moment we only have the laws that govern in the instances of pitbull bites or if there is a mauling or a death. Then we have laws that govern that situation which make criminal case. But in terms of owning a power breed and breeding such dogs, there is no legislation and that is one of the things that the Pitbull Dederation is trying to push at government level,” adds Rheeder.

    Calls for castration and sterilisation of all pitbull dogs

    The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation is calling for the castration and sterilisation of all pitbull dogs in the country.

    This is to prevent the future existence of what it calls the vicious breed.

    Source: SABC news

  • Internet in SA could soon be 20% cheaper – thanks to Google’s new undersea cable

    The Equiano subsea internet cable that landed ashore in Melkbosstrand outside Cape Town earlier this year could cut South Africa’s internet costs by around 20%, according to Google.

    Equiano arrived in South Africa in early August, its final destination after already having landed in Togo, Nigeria, and Namibia.

    The submarine internet cable, stretching 15,000km from Portugal to South Africa along the west coast of the continent, features 12 fibre pairs and a design capacity of 150Tbps. Equiano has 20 times more network capacity than the last cable built to serve this region, according to Nitin Gajria, the managing director of Google in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    “There’s a huge positive knock-on effect, in terms of digital economies, job generation… but, at the end of the day, for the end-user, the knock-on effect of this [Equiano] is faster internet and lower cost internet,” said Gajria on Wednesday at the AfricaTech festival held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

    “So, depending on which country you’re in, what geography you’re in, and the various partnerships along the way, this would be somewhere in the range of 20% cheaper internet locally.”

    Equiano will start feeding more network capacity through the west coast of Africa – and South Africa – in a phased approach, said Gajria, with the first phase expected to begin in December.

    “What the cable does is it brings in a lot more network capacity to the continent. What we’re now doing is working with partners to bring this capacity further afield. This involves us working with ISPs, telcos, other infrastructure players in the ecosystem to bring this capacity further afield,” said Gajria.

    “One of the objectives for us is to start driving more connectivity and getting more people online and getting faster, cheaper internet into more parts of Africa, including the rural areas.”

    Of the approximately 1.1 billion people living in Sub-Saharan Africa, only 300 million are online, added Gajria. “And even those 300 million people, they don’t really have the full internet experience that many of us do.”

    The problem in getting more people in Africa connected to the internet involves network availability, which is becoming less of an issue as telecommunication providers expand, said Gajria, access to an internet-enabled device, and access to fast, affordable data.

    “So, think of it [Equiano] as bringing in a lot more supply of network capacity into the continent. What that will do is make [internet] speeds faster and make data cheaper, so it works on both sides of the equation,” said Gajria.

    The landing of Equiano in South Africa coincides with the laying of the 2Africa cable, the longest subsea cable in the world, which recently touched down in Marseille, France. The 2Africa cable will connect 33 countries and the continents of Africa, Europe and Asia once live in 2023, further improving capacity in the regions it touches.

    Source: Business insider

     

  • Ramaphosa ‘to step aside’ if charged over scandal

    South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will “step aside” if charged over an alleged cover-up of a robbery at his private farm, according to his spokesman.

    “Should the president be charged he would gladly step aside – should it be the case,” presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told journalists.

    He added: “But as things stand there are no criminal charges against the president. What you have is a series of investigations that he’s fully co-operating with and he will continue to do so.”

    Dubbed “farmgate”, the controversy surrounds the robbery at Phala Phala farm back in February 2020 and the alleged aftermath.

    The theft was allegedly committed by Namibian nationals who conspired with a domestic worker at the farm.

    The president is accused of kidnapping, bribery and acting unlawfully by allegedly authorising the pursuit of the suspects who stole an estimated $4m (£3.2m) from his farm. He denies any wrongdoing.

    Source: BBC

  • Eight-year-old boy killed by pit bull in South Africa

    There are growing calls in South Africa for pit bull dogs to be banned as domestic pets.

    It comes after an eight-year-old child was reportedly mauled to death last Saturday by a pit bull.

    South Africa has one of the highest incidents of deaths related to dog attacks in the world relative to its population, according to reports.

    In October, a 10-year-old boy was mauled to death by two pit bulls owned by the family.

    More than 50,000 people have signed an online petition to ban pit bulls as domestic pets in South Africa.

    The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation, who are behind the petition, said the push for a ban was “necessitated by the attacks which seem to continue unabated”.

    Source: BBC.com 

  • Ramaphosa ‘to step aside’ if charged over scandal

    Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, has stated that he will “step aside” if accused of covering up a robbery that occurred on his private farm.

    “Should the president be charged he would gladly step aside – should it be the case,” presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told journalists.

    He added: “But as things stand there are no criminal charges against the president. What you have is a series of investigations that he’s fully co-operating with and he will continue to do so.”

    Source: Afican News

  • Aid deliveries to start in Tigray ‘by end of the week’

    Humanitarian aid will start reaching people who face hunger and disease in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray by the end of the week, according to the national security adviser to the prime minister of Ethiopia.

    Millions of people in the region are in urgent need of food, medicine, and other basic supplies.

    Redwan Hussien is quoted as saying by the US State Department that “aid would flow unhindered” as was agreed in the peace talks.

    The final round of talks between representatives of Tigray and the government in Addis Ababa are expected to end on Friday in Kenya.

    Both parties have been meeting to discuss the implementation of the peace deal signed last week in South Africa.

    Ethiopia’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front have committed to ending two years of fighting.

    The deal calls for aid deliveries to restart in Tigray and for essential services to be restored. Millions of people there urgently need food and medicine.

     

    Source: BBC

  • South Africa public sector workers strike over wage demands

    Thousands of public servants began a one-day strike in South Africa on Thursday over wage demands, professional organizations said.

    The work stoppage is being led by one of South Africa’s largest public service unions, the Public Servants Association (PSA), which has some 235,000 members.

    The dispute over public servants’ salaries flared up after Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi announced last week that he would increase salaries by 3 percent, while the unions were demanding 6.5 percent.

    Picket lines were observed during the day around central government offices in Pretoria by strikers in the health, immigration, and police sectors.

    According to the PSA, the strike was expected to have a “serious impact” on the Department of Home Affairs, transport and customs services.

    According to the union, “the minister’s irresponsible attitude has degraded already fragile social relations and deepened the lack of trust” with the social partners.

    South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said in an October budget presentation that the government could only afford a 3.3 percent wage increase, well below the 7.8 percent inflation rate in July.

    South Africa’s economy has already been hit hard by several weeks of strikes in the railways and port services, which have affected mineral and fresh fruit exports.

     

    Source: African News

  • South Africa civil servants go on strike over wages

    Hundreds of thousands of civil servants in South Africa have embarked on a nationwide strike over wages and working conditions.

    Local media have described it as the first major strike by public servants in the decade.

    It is expected to cause disruptions in some government departments and airports.

    Members of the Public Servants’ Association (PSA) had for weeks staged lunchtime pickets, but have now decided on a full-scale shutdown in major cities across South Africa.

    It follows a breakdown in negotiations between the union and the government.

    The union is holding firm on its demand for a 6% increase in wages, rejecting the government’s final offer of 3%.

    Services such as the issuing of passports, death certificates and driver’s licenses will be affected.

    Meanwhile airport authorities have warned that the industrial action may cause delays at passport control and have warned travellers to arrive for their flights at least four hours before departure time.

    Source: BBC

  • Kenyans to enter South Africa visa-free from January

    The presidents of South Africa and Kenya said Wednesday they have resolved a long-standing visa dispute and Kenyans will be able to visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days in a calendar year.

    South Africans already get free visas on arrival in Kenya, while Kenyans were charged and required to provide proof of sufficient funds and return flight tickets.

    The new agreement is set to take effect on Jan. 1.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Kenya on his first official trip to the country.

    He and Kenyan President William Ruto praised the Ethiopia peace agreement signed last week in South Africa and brokered by the African Union.

    They appealed to the parties to “ensure full implementation of the agreement to reach a lasting political settlement.”

    The Kenyan and South African leaders also directed their trade ministers to address barriers that limit trade between the two countries.

    The two nations are among the strongest economies on the African continent.

     

    Source: apnews.com

  • Last apartheid leader De Klerk’s Nobel Prize stolen in South Africa

    The Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded to South Africa’s last apartheid president, Frederik Willem de Klerk, was stolen from his Cape Town home six months ago, his foundation revealed on Wednesday.

    He received the prize in 1993 alongside anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, for his role in ushering South Africa into democracy.

    The 18-carat medal made of recycled gold was stolen from his home in a burglary in April.

    “I can confirm that the Nobel Peace Prize belonging to FW de Klerk was stolen from his home earlier this year,” Brenda Steyn, the foundation’s legacy manager told AFP.

    Source: The East African

  • Climate: 600 million euros released for the transition in South Africa

    France and Germany have released 600 million euros to help the energy transition in South Africa as part of an investment plan approved at COP27 in Egypt for a total of 98 billion dollars.

    “South Africa, France, and Germany have signed loan agreements for the two European nations to provide 300 million euros each in concessional financing to South Africa in support of the country’s efforts to reduce its dependence on coal,” the three countries announced Wednesday in a joint statement.

    South Africa gets 80% of its electricity from coal, a pillar of the economy that employs nearly 100,000 people. Several power plants are to be shut down by the end of 2030. The state-owned company Eskom, which is in debt, is unable to produce enough electricity with its aging installations and is imposing continuous power cuts.

    A $98 billion investment plan for the energy transition of Africa’s leading industrial power was approved earlier this week at the UN climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, which opened on Sunday, following an agreement in principle reached last year at COP26 in Glasgow.

    France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union had pledged the support of 8.5 billion dollars with the ambition of making South Africa an example of cooperation in the fight against emissions in developing countries.

    The sum released by France and Germany, in the form of loans from the German public investment bank (KfW) and the French development agency (AFD), is the first tranche of this aid. The two countries have pledged one billion euros each to South Africa, which will need at least $500 billion to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, according to the World Bank.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly criticized rich countries for providing aid to the poorest mainly in the form of loans that risk adding to their debt.

    Southern countries will need more than $2 trillion a year by 2030 to finance their climate action, nearly half of it from outside investors, according to a report commissioned by the COP presidency.

     

    Source: Africa News

  • COP27: Why South Africa will find it difficult to transition away from coal

    South Africa is heavily dependent on coal for energy, but frequent power outages are one of the nation’s largest issues. How then can it increase its electricity supply while using fewer fossil fuels and switching to greener sources?

    The precariousness of South Africa’s national electricity grid was highlighted in a single tweet by the state-owned power company Eskom one morning last month.

    Before many people had even had a chance to eat breakfast, the newsflash read: “Stage four loadshedding was implemented at 05:30 due to breakdowns of five generators at five power stations overnight.”

    Despite being Africa’s most developed economy, the country has been experiencing load-shedding – or an organised series of rolling blackouts – for the past 15 years. But this outage felt like something new.

    Five units at five different power stations simultaneously suffering breakdowns is an indication of the fragility of the electricity infrastructure and shocked many.

    “This is scary because you cannot have five units at five power stations failing overnight. What was happening?” asks energy expert Lungile Mashele.

    “Your units are a reflection of how they are maintained… They tell a story that Eskom is not resilient, that Eskom has not been doing the necessary maintenance and that all interventions that they have been putting in place over the last couple of years have come to nought,” she tells the BBC.

    Eskom has 14 coal-fired power stations, which produce around 80% of the country’s power. Most of them are old, inefficient and prone to breakdowns.

    The two newer coal-fired power stations, whose construction started in 2007, are plagued by cost overruns and design flaws and are still not operating at capacity.

    As a result of all these problems, South Africa has a shortfall of around 4,000-6,000MW of power every day – about 10% of current use.

    The resulting blackouts are a source of deep anger and resentment for many South Africans.

    The power-cuts are a huge problem for businesses, big and small. Roads become gridlocked when traffic lights stop working, people can’t cook when they get home from work and food rots when the fridge has no power.

    And things could get worse as most of the old coal plants are being decommissioned as part of plans to move away from fossil fuels.

    In October, the 1,000MW Komati power station in Mpumalanga province became the first to shut down. On the positive side, Komati will be repurposed into a renewable energy generation site using solar and wind power, and it has already secured funding of nearly $500m (£440m) from the World Bank to finance the project.

    However, much more funding will be needed as more coal-fired power stations are going to be closed down in the coming years. Overall, Eskom plans to decommission half of its 45,000MW installed capacity by 2035.

    The need to find replacement energy sources is urgent.

    Luckily, South Africa is blessed with abundant wind and sunshine but it will require time, and lots of money, to harness their power.

    In 2010, the government established the Independent Power Producer’s Procurement Programme (IPP), which looks for private sector investment into the country’s energy market from renewable sources such as onshore wind, solar power, biomass and small hydroelectric plants.

    Some progress has been made. Speaking at a recent wind energy conference in Cape Town, Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said that IPP projects had created more than 6,000MW of electricity capacity.

    But that is not nearly enough.

    In 2020, just 7% of the country’s energy came from renewable sources, according to the International Energy Agency.

    South Africa’s energy woes and how to solve them are a global problem.

    The country is among the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, such as the carbon dioxide produced by coal-fired power stations.

    This is why there is a concerted effort from wealthier countries to help finance the country’s move away from coal.

    The proposed $8.5bn deal announced at the last COP meeting in Glasgow was seen as an important first step in supporting South Africa.

    But a year on, the deal is still subject to negotiations between South Africa and Germany, France, the UK, the US and the European Union, and what exactly happens could have far-reaching ramifications.

    Its success or failure could influence whether or not other developing nations decide to decarbonise their economies.

    But whatever happens, the development of renewable sources is not going to be a quick fix for South Africa’s massive energy shortfall.

    Ahead of this year’s meeting in Egypt, President Cyril Ramaphosa mapped out a five-year plan to move from coal to greener sources of energy, but said it would cost $84bn – an astronomical sum.

    Unveiling the plan, the president highlighted the need to decarbonise, create jobs and generate power at the same time. The aim is that the money will come from private investors as well as grants from donor nations.

    In the meantime, the country is looking at another fossil fuel to answer the immediate problem of not having enough power.

    Located 250km (155 miles) south-west of the buzzing commercial hub of Johannesburg is the quiet old mining town of Virginia. Where miners used to dig up gold, engineers are now sucking up precious helium and methane, even though that is also a greenhouse gas.

    The Virginia Gas Project, owned by Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company Renergen, oversees vast gas fields covering some 190,000 hectares.

    “There is gas in pretty much every direction that you look,” Renergen head Stefano Marani says as he walks around the plant, which used to be farmland.

    Methane and helium are plentiful.

    Gas was discovered in the 1950s, but is only now being produced on a commercial scale.

    Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion hold placards outside the Africa Energy Week Conference

    The gas extracted has a number of uses but most crucially for South Africa right now is that it can be used for power generation. Mr Marani believes that it can be added to the energy mix very quickly.

    But it will not be a magic solution for the country’s chronic power problem and goes against moves to decarbonise power production.

    And there is no speedy solution to Eskom’s infrastructure problems.

    “The country is going to go through a tough time,” admitted the public utility’s Jan Oberholzer at a recent conference. “We need another year or year-and-a-half to get out of this.”

    South Africa’s path to a cleaner and more secure energy is not straightforward and requires commitment and money – the success of which will be closely watched around the world.

     

    Source: BBC