President Jacob Zuma reiterated the call for reforms that would include an African presence on the United Nations Security Council during his Africa Day speech at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria. Zuma, speaking on themes of African unity and progress, noted that the continent has produced outstanding political leaders who…
Muslims across Africa and around the globe begin the holy month of Ramadan this weekend, with some variations among countries based on how their religious authorities interpret the visibility of the moon that signals the start of the fast. In Saudi Arabia, the High Judicial Court said that the moon…
General Motors announced Thursday that it will pull out of its South African manufacturing operations at Struandale -Port Elizabeth by the end of 2017 and phase out the Chevrolet brand, while Isuzu acquires its light commercial vehicle lines. “After a thorough assessment of our South African operations, we believe it…
The water crisis and unrelenting drought in Cape Town, South Africa, have become so dire that city officials on Tuesday recommended the highest level of water restrictions for its nearly 4 million people. “This is not a drill,” the city said, in a public message clearly marked as a drought…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Attacks on South African journalists covering violent clashes this week – along with police interference with their work – have met with condemnation from the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef). On Monday, protests in Coligny followed a court decision to grant bail to two farmers accused of killing a…
In South Africa, the suspect arrested this week in alleged assassination plots targeting nearly 20 people tied to the state capture corruption case is expected to appear in court on Friday. The 23-year-old African male will face conspiracy to commit murder and other charges, the South African Police Service said…
It was 2:49 a.m. in South Africa on Thursday morning when Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Gift Ngoepe hit a single back up the middle off Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester. With that, Ngoepe had his first Major League Baseball hit – even as he became the first African-born player to…
Jonathan Demme, the co-producer of a 1996 documentary with Nelson Mandela, has died in New York City following a chronic illness. He was 73 years old. Demme’s production company worked with Angus Gibson and Jo Menell on the Oscar-nominated “Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation,” which was the…
Saturday’s March for Science is based in Washington DC, but people all over the globe will be joining in some 610 satellite marches registered across the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. That includes a march in Malawi, sponsored by the Blantyre Malaria Project. The event in Blantyre is spearheaded…
Economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is showing signs of recovery, the World Bank said Wednesday, but regional growth in 2017 is still projected to reach a comparatively weak 2.6 percent. Seven countries show the greatest economic resilience, with annual growth rates above 5.4 percent in the 2015-2017 period. They include…
South African authorities confirmed Friday that Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former chairperson of the African Union, is currently under police protection and has been the target of threats made against her safety. “Dlamini-Zuma continues to receive protection from the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU) of the South African Police Service,” the agency…
South Africa’s parliament will postpone a no-confidence vote on President Jacob Zuma’s government after all, the Speaker of the National Assembly announced on Wednesday. The debate and vote were scheduled for April 18 at the request of the Democratic Alliance opposition party and its leadership, in the latest round of…
Protests against South African President Jacob Zuma continue with a National Day of Action planned for Wednesday. Opposition parties and civil society groups say they are joining forces on what will be Zuma’s 75th birthday, to march in what they say will be the first of many mass action protests…
An aftershock earthquake that measured 5.0 magnitude on the Richter scale hit Botswana shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also measured the quake at a 5.0 magnitude, with an epicenter in the same location as Monday night’s…
The strong earthquake that hit Botswana on Monday night registered at a 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake struck shortly before 8 p.m. near Moiyabana in the rural east-central Ghanzi region of the country. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC)…