South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address on Sunday as the African National Congress marked its 111th year, prioritizing the country’s energy crisis and economic challenges in his speech at Mangaung, Free State. Ramaphosa, re-elected as ANC leader in December despite being the subject of recent corruption investigations,…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Namibian President Hage Geingob was among African leaders who paid tribute to the life and legacy of Pelé, the 82-year-old Brazilian soccer star who died Thursday night in São Paulo following a battle with cancer. “I met the legend Pelé and Eusébio in 1967 in New York during an exhibition…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
In his first address to the nation since Queen Elizabeth’s death, King Charles III paid tribute to his mother’s 70 years of service and promised to continue her commitment in his new role. “As the queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself, throughout the…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an inquiry, while expressing his condolences over the mysterious death of at least 21 teenagers at a South African tavern early Sunday. “His thoughts are with the families who have lost children as well as families who are awaiting confirmation of how their children…
Catastrophic flooding that followed heavy rains in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal has claimed at least 259 lives, according to the disaster management agency leading the emergency response. The rains that began late Monday swamped roadways, stressed dams, and brought towering walls of mud and water down on the…
South Africa will lead the way in the effort to begin manufacturing COVID vaccines on the African continent, beginning with an mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub supported by the World Health Organization. WHO said it will work with its COVAX partners, a South African consortium of biotech firms, a network…
A group of global development banks announced an $80 billion commitment to invest in African economies on Monday, following on the closely watched weekend G7 Summit in the United Kingdom. The funding will come from the development banks of the G7 nations, along with the private-sector branch of the African…
As with so many other facets of global wealth (and health) inequality, the rollout of the four Covid-19 vaccines produced by Western pharmaceutical companies and approved by American and European health officials – the “Big Four” of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson – has quickly became yet another…
South Africa must prioritize both the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s economic recovery, especially with an eye toward climate change and the energy sector, the president said during the annual State of the Nation address. President Cyril Ramaphosa compared his nation to the fynbos, a South African…
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa joined China’s Xi Jinping in calling for cooperation and unity in the fight against COVID as leaders of the five developing BRICS economies met Tuesday in a virtual meeting hosted by Russia. Ramaphosa’s focus on trade disruptions, supply chain challenges and African debt follows…
South Africa has instituted a mandatory face mask policy, nighttime curfew and a return to a ban on liquor sales as the country faces an upsurge in coronavirus cases – the equivalent of 500 new cases each hour. “Like the massive cold fronts that sweep into our country from the…
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria was among African leaders who welcomed the holy month of Ramadan late Thursday, while cautioning that this year’s observance must be held with precautions because of the global coronavirus pandemic. Buhari’s remarks followed the sighting of the moon that marks the beginning of the 30-day…
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a State of the Nation Address Thursday to South Africans weary of the faltering economy and anxious about the prospects for the future. “Our history tells us that when we are united in peace and faith, we can conquer all obstacles and turn our country into…
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stepped into his new leadership role as African Union president on Sunday, taking the helm from outgoing President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt as the AU Summit got under way. Ramaphosa kept security issues top of mind in keeping with the AU Summit theme – South…
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he’s invited South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to help mediate talks in the stalemate over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project. Abiy made the announcement during an official visit to South Africa at the weekend, where he and Ramaphosa discussed how the latter might…