Tag Archives: SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will be prosecuted for fraud, officials said Tuesday, in a move that sent the rand tumbling over concerns about political rivalry and the country’s fragile economy. Gordhan, 67, was appointed only late last year to calm panicked investors …

George, South Africa | AFP | At first glance there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the regional airport in George, a town of just 150,000 residents on South Africa’s south coast. In fact though, the small site is Africa’s first “green” airport to be powered by the sun. The …

Le Cap, South Africa | AFP | South African retired Anglican archbishop and anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu celebrated his 85th birthday on Friday saying he would like to be allowed the option of dignified assisted death. “Today, I myself am even closer to the departures hall than arrivals, so to …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The number of African elephants has dropped by around 111,000 in the past decade, a new report released Sunday at the Johannesburg conference on the wildlife trade said, blaming the plummeting figures on poaching. The revelation, the worst drop in 25 years, came amid …

Pretoria, South Africa | AFP |  Denis Onyango’s South African club Mamelodi Sundowns reached the CAF Champions League final on Saturday — five months after being eliminated from the competition. The Pretoria side popularly known as the ‘Brazilians’ defeated ZESCO United of Zambia 2-0 at home to qualify 3-2 on …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  Global conservationists and policymakers meet in South Africa from Saturday to chart a way forward in the fight against escalating wildlife trafficking that could drive some species to extinction. The plight of Africa’s rhino and elephants, targeted for their horns and tusks, is expected …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African police fired stun grenades in Johannesburg on Tuesday as protesting students blockaded campus entrances and disrupted classes to demand free education after the government announced fee increases. Campus unrest has hit many universities over the past year, with demonstrations and outbreaks of …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South African President Jacob Zuma has paid back $542,000 of public money spent refurbishing his private home, his office said Monday, in a controversy that has dominated his second term in office. The country’s highest court found earlier this year that Zuma had violated …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s murder rate increased by 4.9 percent in the last year, official statistics showed Friday, with the police minister admitting the country was struggling with “a prevalent culture of violence”. A total of 18,673 people were killed in the 12 months to March …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s ruling ANC lost control of the capital Pretoria for the first time since the end of apartheid two decades ago, as an opposition councillor was elected mayor on Friday. Solly Msimanga, 36, of the liberal centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), was elected unopposed …