Tag Archives: SAfrica

Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | South African Fredie Blom celebrated his 116th birthday on Friday unfazed by the coronavirus crisis, over 100 years since the Spanish flu pandemic killed his sister. “I have lived this long because of God’s grace,” said Blom, possibly one of the oldest men …

  Pretoria, South Africa | AFP |  South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced a three-week national lock-down to contain the spread of the deadly new coronavirus which has affected more than 400 people. He said government “has decided to enforce a nationwide lockdown for 21 days with effect …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | When Cyril Ramaphosa took office as South African president two years ago, the media coined the term “Ramaphoria” to describe the giddy expectations he had stoked. Those heady days now seem firmly in the past. Ramaphosa, 67, has been praised for turning the page …

Greta Thunberg puts Africa’s climate activists in media spotlight Stockholm, Sweden | AFP |  After a racism debate in Davos on the invisibility of African climate activists, Greta Thunberg held a press conference Friday with eco warriors from Kenya, Uganda and South Africa to stress the importance of their voices. …

Pretoria, South Africa | AFP |  Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday asked South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in a long-running dispute with Egypt over a massive dam being built on the Blue Nile River. Ethiopia’s ties to Egypt have soured since the east African country launched …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday said the country’s debt-laden power utility Eskom would not be privatised and pledged to restore it to full capacity. Rolling blackouts were implemented several times last year to prevent the grid collapsing and resumed last weekend despite …

  Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s electricity utility Eskom at the weekend resumed power outages, citing a “vulnerable” generating system, just weeks after implementing the severest rationing in recent times. The debt-laden company which generates around 95 percent of the country’s electricity, on Sunday said the cuts …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s debt-laden state power company Eskom on Monday announced it was implementing a more intense electricity rationing schedule, five days after continued rolling power cuts have plunged businesses, schools and homes into darkness. The power cuts, known as “load shedding” are implemented to …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s competition regulatory authority on Monday revealed that mobile operators have been overcharging for internet connectivity, ordering top operators to drop prices within two months or face prosecution. The high cost of data has in the past stirred public outrage prompting protests under …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |   South African unions on Sunday called on all aviation workers to join striking South African Airways (SAA) staff after the cash-strapped airline failed to meet their demands. The country’s embattled flag carrier has been losing 52 million rand ($3.5 million) per day since more …