South Africa
AKA: I’m not a suspect in my fiancée’s murder investigation
Superstar South African rapper, Kiernan Forbes, has stated that he is not a suspect in the ongoing investigation into the death of his fiancée, Nellie Tembe, by the South African Police. Fondly referred to as Anele, it was reported that the rapper’s fiancée fell from one of the upper floors of the hotel to the intersection of Loop and Bloom streets in the Cape Town central business districts. AKA and Anele had gotten engaged in February this year. In March, he paid ‘lobola’ to her family, describing her as ‘the love of his life’ when he announced their engagement on social media. The rap artiste revealed that some people whom he and his late fiancée trusted with their deepest troubles now use them as weapons against him. He said, “It is a sad day when I find myself having to speak to the n...
Hugo Broos takes over as Bafana Bafana manager
Pool Photo On Wednesday, the South African Football Association (SAFA) appointed Hugo Broos as the new Bafana Bafana coach. Broos, a Belgian football coach, had previously managed the Cameroonian senior men’s national football team and is expected in the Rainbow Nation next week. Upon his arrival, Broos is scheduled to meet all football stakeholders including members of the media and address the Press. In his initial remarks about his appointment, the 69-year-old Belgian said he was excited to take charge of one of the biggest teams in Africa: “South Africa has a rich football history and is among the powerhouse on the continent. The country has full of quality and I am coming to coach a truly football nation with massive potential.” One of the top objectives for the new manager would be t...
Cape Town fire ‘contained’ as firefighters battle windy conditions
A blaze advanced along South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain toward central Cape Town on Monday after ravaging university buildings, while firefighters battled strong winds in their efforts to control it and officials evacuated residential areas. The fire broke out Sunday morning in the foothills of the mountain and spread to the University of Cape Town (UCT), destroying buildings and part of a library housing a unique collection of African archives, while causing students to flee. The blaze had been largely contained on Monday, but firefighters were still battling to control it. Cape Town mayor Dan Plato said efforts were currently focused on the mountain above the Vredehoek suburb, with residents being evacuated “as a precautionary measure”. “Strong winds are placing pressure on firefight...
Israeli study: South African coronavirus variant may evade protection from Pfizer vaccine
The coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa may evade the protection provided by Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine to some extent, a real-world data study in Israel found, though its prevalence in the country is very low and the research has not been peer reviewed. The study, released on Saturday, compared almost 400 people who had tested positive for COVID-19, 14 days or more after they received one or two doses of the vaccine, against the same number of unvaccinated patients with the disease. It matched age and gender, among other characteristics. The South African variant, B.1.351, was found to make up about 1% of all the COVID-19 cases across all the people studied, according to the study by Tel Aviv University and Israel’s largest healthcare provider, Clalit. But among patient...
President Buhari appoints new DTCA, NIIA chiefs
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Ambassador Rabiu Dagari as Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA). The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, in a letter dated April 8, 2021, addressed to Dagari, said the appointment was for an initial period of four years with effect from March 16, 2021. Letter read: “The terms and condition of your appointment is as provided in the appointment of Chief Executives of Government Parastatals and Agencies in the Federal Public Services. “It Is hoped that your performance at the Interview/screening exercise as well as your experiences as a seasoned Diplomat/Administrator will be brought to bear in the discharge of your duties as the Director-General of the Directorate,” Aduda...
African’s Reluctant to Leave WhatsApp Despite Increase in Cybersecurity Concerns
Africa’s mobile users are increasingly concerned about the mobile risks and the potential for digital identity theft; however, this is not stopping them from using their favourite messaging platforms and applications. This emerged in new research carried out by KnowBe4 among smartphone users in Nigeria, Mauritius, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco and Botswana. The survey gauged the opinions of Africa’s mobile users on the recent decision by WhatsApp to update their terms and conditions, sharing metadata with the rest of the Facebook group of companies. The survey found that not only did the majority of the respondents across Africa intend to continue using WhatsApp; but also, that their favourite alternative to WhatsApp was Facebook Messenger. Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy &...
Edinson Cavani: I almost joined Manchester United ahead of Napoli
Edinson Cavani has revealed he almost joined Manchester United 11 years ago. Cavani revealed he almost joined Manchester United in 2010. The Uruguayan was with Palermo at the time but ended up joining Napoli and then Paris Saint-Germain – before signing for United a decade later. Discussing it with Inside United, Cavani said: “Just imagine it! I can’t remember exactly what happened. “I do remember there was talk about one or two different teams, but hey, if I’d had that opportunity [to join United], I would have taken it, of course I would, without giving it a second thought. “I don’t remember definitively if that was the case. “But what I do remember is that I was due to travel to the World Cup in South Africa, and during that tournament, I had a conversation with Napoli, and well, told t...
FIFA exco: Delta sports commission boss congratulates NFF supremo
Chief Tonobok Okowa, Chairman, Delta State Sports Commission, has congratulated Amaju Pinnick, his predecessor and current President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over his victory as a member of the FIFA Council in the just concluded Confederation of African Football (CAF) Elections. Chief Tonobok who expressed joy over the victory said it’s a win for all. Chief Tonobok said, “A warm congratulations to my brother my friend, a son of the soil. He is a goal getter.” He added, “Amaju Pinnick victory is a victory for all in Delta State, Nigeria and Africa. The victory will bring a new height to the development of our Football, we now have a strong voice in the Apex body of football.” Meanwhile, South Africa’s business mogul, Dr Patrice Motsepe, was elected the new CAF president. Dr. Motse...
Microsoft Joins Forces with Tech4Dev to Teach Women Coding Skills in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt
Microsoft and Tech4Dev have partnered to launch the Women Techsters Initiative in 54 countries. This programme aims to train girls and women across Africa in coding and deep tech skills, bridging the digital and technology divide and ensure equal access to opportunities across the continent. Ghada Khalifa, Regional Director of Microsoft Philanthropies MEA, was excited about the initiative being scaled to other countries on the African continent from Nigeria where the program was piloted. She says “when we empower girls and women in the ICT industry, through greater access to skills and training, we not only unlock innovation but also economic opportunities”. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_2ad.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_2ad.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } A recent report&...
South Africa signs J&J vaccine deal, eases restrictions
South Africa has signed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson to secure 11 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and will ease restrictions due to a decline in new cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday. South Africa has been the hardest-hit on the continent by the pandemic, recording almost half of the COVID-19 deaths and more than a third of reported infections. But daily cases have fallen below 2,000, from a peak above 20,000 last month during a second wave of infections. Ramaphosa said in a televised address that 2.8 million of the J&J doses would be delivered in the second quarter, with the rest spread throughout the year. South Africa started administering the single-dose J&J vaccine this month in a research study targeting healthcare workers but has not yet rolled out sh...
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets group for U-17 AFCON revealed by CAF
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been drawn in Group B of the 2021 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Morocco. Five-time world champions are one of three top seeds for today’s draw along with host nations Morocco and defending champions Cameroon. CAF revealed the draw via their Twitter handle as Golden Eaglets avoided the Group of Death after pitted alongside Tanzania, Algeria and Congo. Hosts Morocco head Group A along with Uganda, Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire, while defending champions Cameroon will battle it out with Senegal, Mali and South Africa in Group C. The overall winners of the three groups, as well as the best runners-up from all three groups, will advance to the semifinals of the competition. The competition will start in Morocco on March 13. Nigeria may have conquered the wo...
FIFA favours Patrice Motsepe for CAF presidency
FIFA have asked three candidates to back South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe in the upcoming Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential election, a source close to one of the candidates told AFP. The previous incumbent Ahmad Ahmad was banned for breaches of FIFA’s ethical code, but has had the ban suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. World body FIFA are keen for a fresh start in Africa, the source said. Motsepe is a South African mining billionaire and owner of reigning domestic champions Mamelodi Sundowns. According to the source, Augustin Senghor of Senegal and Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania are open to the idea of backing Motsepe and becoming vice-presidents themselves. Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast would be offered a roll as advisor to Motsepe. “Motsepe is FIFA’s preferred ...