Tag Archives: SOUTH AFRICA

Before anything, he was a politician; skilled at building coalitions and charming political opponents | MARK SUZMAN | Twenty-five years ago, South Africa held its first free elections after the end of apartheid. The African National Congress won overwhelmingly, and its leader, Nelson Mandela, began to knit the country back …

Pretoria, South Africa | AFP | Cyril Ramaphosa vowed a “new era” Saturday after he was sworn in as president of South Africa at a colourful ceremony in the capital, as he looks to revitalise his push to revive the economy and fight corruption. Foreign heads of state from more than …

  Pretoria, South Africa | AFP |  Newly-elected South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faces herculean tasks after he gets down to work after Saturday’s inauguration. They include: – Fixing the economy – South Africa has the most advanced infrastructure in the continent, but its commodities-dependent economy has been in a …

Pretoria, South Africa | AFP |  Cyril Ramaphosa takes the oath of office today Saturday as president of South Africa, facing a brew of expectations and scepticism after vowing to reform the country and revive its economy. Foreign heads of state will be among 36,000 people expected to witness the ceremony …

The Caster Semenya case South Africa | DANIEL KELLY | The South African athlete, Caster Semenya, has lost her case against the athletic governing body, IAAF, which means that she will have to take medication to lower her testosterone levels if she wishes to continue competing internationally in running events. …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN CEO Wim Vanhelleputte was Thursday night deported, weeks after three of the  company’s expatriate staff were expelled. His deportation documents were signed by Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Jeje Odongo, hours after he had been held and grilled by security. He was later taken to …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa on Monday introduced its most severe electricity rationing in nearly five years, presenting President Cyril Ramaphosa with a major political challenge just months ahead of a May general election. The debt-laden state power utility Eskom is at the centre of the country’s …

Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | French energy giant Total unveiled Thursday a “significant” gas discovery off the coast of South Africa, an event that President Cyril Ramaphosa called a game-changer. The find could boost the nation’s struggling economy and reduce reliance on imports. “Total has made a significant …

Washington, United States | AFP | Smartphone use has become the norm in most developed nations, while many emerging economies are showing sharp gains, a global survey showed Tuesday. The Pew Research Center report found strong majorities of adults using smartphones in the world’s wealthier countries, led by 95 percent …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa has rejected reported criticism of its record on corruption by five Western countries, including the US and Britain, who insisted they were only drawing the government’s attention to a serious issue. The Sunday Times reported on its front page that the five countries — the US, Britain, …