Kayishema was accused of orchestrating the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi refugees during the 1994 Rwanda genocide. One of the world’s most wanted genocide fugitives Fulgence Kayishema has been arrested in South Africa after being on the run for decades, authorities said on Thursday. Kayishema, who is accused of orchestrating …
Read More »South Africans call for UK to return 530 carat Great Star of Africa diamond
South Africans are calling for Britain to return the world’s largest clear-cut diamond, known as the Great Star of Africa, as many South Africans view Britain’s acquisition of the jewels as illegitimate. As King Charles III prepares for his coronation on Saturday, demands for the return of the Great Star …
Read More »Financial crime watchdog adds South Africa, Nigeria to ‘grey list’
International financial crime watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said on Friday it was adding South Africa and Nigeria to its so-called “grey list” of countries under special scrutiny to implement standards to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing. The FATF is an inter-governmental organisation that underpins the fight …
Read More »Ethiopia Peace Talks Begin In South Africa
African Union-mediated talks have started in South Africa between delegations from the Ethiopian government and Tigray rebel forces in an attempt to establish peace after two years of war in that country. Thousands have died with millions displaced during the conflict – as the Ethiopia’s worst drought in 40 years …
Read More »Ethiopia peace talks to start Oct. 24 in S.Africa – African Union
The African Union said on Friday that peace talks it is leading that is aimed at ending the conflict in Ethiopia would start on Oct. 24 in South Africa. The Ethiopian government and its allies, which include Eritrea’s military, have been fighting Tigray forces in the north of the country …
Read More »South Africa records on average 70 murders a day in first half of 2022
South Africa recorded almost 70 murders a day in the first half of 2022, police said Friday, up 16 percent from last year and which authorities called “high and worrisome.” “Arguments and misunderstandings” as well as “retaliations and revenge” were the leading motives for the murders, with vigilantism taking third …
Read More »South Africa says it may be on brink of fifth COVID wave
The warning comes after the UN’s health agency flags surging caseload as the main driver of rising cases throughout Africa. South Africa may be entering a fifth COVID-19 wave earlier than expected after a sustained rise in infections over the past 14 days seemingly driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 …
Read More »Rescuers look for missing after South African floods kill more than 400
Floods have killed more than 400 and caused at least 10 billion rand ($684.58 million) in damage in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), a senior provincial official said on Sunday, as rescuers hunted for the missing and more rain was expected. The floods have left thousands homeless, knocked out power and water services …
Read More »Death toll from South Africa floods rises to 395 – SABC
The death toll from days of flooding on South Africa’s east coast rose to 395 on Friday, up from an earlier estimate of 341. This week’s floods in Kwazulu-Natal Province have knocked out power lines, shut down water services, disrupted operations at one of Africa’s busiest ports, and strewn highways …
Read More »South Africa: Death toll reaches 259 in KwaZulu-Natal floods
The floods are expected to continue in the coming days and possibly cause more destruction across KwaZulu-Natal province. The death toll resulting from intense rainfall in the eastern coastal South African province of KwaZulu-Natal has risen to 259, officials have said. The rains which began on Monday night flooded settlements, …
Read More »Overnight floods kill 20 in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal
At least 20 people are thought to have died in South Africa’s eastern coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal due to unusually heavy rainfall, according to media reports. There are fears that numerous people have been injured while damage to property was extensive in the overnight rains. The military has been put …
Read More »South Africa study suggests Omicron could displace Delta
Research by South African scientists suggests that Omicron could displace the Delta variant of the coronavirus because infection with the new variant boosts immunity to the older one. The study only covered a small group of people and has not been peer-reviewed, but it found that people who were infected …
Read More »Omicron cases surge by up to 400% in South Africa – but vaccine effectiveness ‘encouraging’
Omicron coronavirus cases have surged by as much as 400% in some parts of South Africa – although the country’s health ministry has said there is mounting evidence the variant causes milder infection. South Africa reported more than 22,000 new infections on Thursday, a record during the fourth wave but …
Read More »S.Africans protest against Shell oil exploration in pristine coastal area
South Africans took to their beaches on Sunday to protest against plans by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) to do seismic oil exploration they say will threaten marine wildlife such as whales, dolphins, seals, and penguins on a pristine coastal stretch. A South African court on Friday struck down an application …
Read More »South African official says number of children sick with COVID not cause for panic
Higher hospital admissions among children during the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in South Africa that is driven by the Omicron variant should prompt vigilance but not panic as infections have been mild, a health official said on Saturday. A large number of infants admitted with COVID-19 last month in …
Read More »G7 health ministers praise South Africa for alerts on Omicron
G7 health ministers praised South Africa on Monday for the work it has done in detecting the new Omicron variant and alerting others and said they would work together to monitor the strain. “Ministers praised the exemplary work of South Africa in both detecting the variant and alerting others to …
Read More »Omicron variant spreads to Europe as UK announces countermeasures
Britain and Germany each detected two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant on Saturday and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new steps to contain the virus, while more nations imposed restrictions on travel from southern Africa. The discovery of the variant has sparked global concern, a wave of …
Read More »New COVID-19 variant triggers global alarm as WHO urges caution
Global authorities reacted with alarm on Friday to a new coronavirus variant detected in South Africa, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as researchers sought to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant. Hours after Britain banned flights from South Africa and neighbouring countries and asked …
Read More »South Africa detects new COVID-19 variant, implications not yet clear
South African scientists have detected a new COVID-19 variant in small numbers and are working to understand its potential implications, they said on Thursday. The variant – called B.1.1.529 – has a “very unusual constellation” of mutations, which are concerning because they could help it evade the body’s immune response …
Read More »World reacts to death of FW De Klerk, South Africa’s ex-president
The legacy of De Klerk’s role in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy remains highly contested. The death of South Africa’s last white president Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk has drawn mixed reactions. De Klerk, who negotiated the end of white minority rule and a peaceful transfer of power …
Read More »