South Africa is celebrating a momentous 28-year democracy this year - a period that has been characterised by steady economic, political and social freedom, having first marked it in April 27, 1994. The theme for the occasion: ‘Consolidate our Democratic Gains’, is a charge to the country’s people to seriously...
Every year, on April 27, South Africa celebrates Freedom Day to remember a momentous date, April 27, 1994, in its history, when its nationals of all races - black, white, Asian and colored - participated in the first democratic election that ended the reign of the racially repressive apartheid...
At a time when many democracies are under threat, it is important to highlight the success stories. South Africa may not be the first country that comes to mind as a model democracy, but it should be. In the 28 years since apartheid ended in 1994, South Africa has...
A passenger train has caught fire in South Africa after colliding with a truck, killing at least 14 people and injuring 268, rescue workers say. Some of the bodies are "burnt beyond recognition", Free State Health Department spokesman Mondli Mvambi told South African news site Times Live. Video footage showed a...
Southern Africa’s economic output will shrink by as much as 6.6% this year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has said. The bank’s best-case scenario sees output growth at -4.9% with a 6.6% contraction forecast under its worst-case scenario. That is against its...
On the occasion of Namibia's Independence Day, the Ghana-Namibia Friendship Association has released a statement to commemorate the day and foster partnership between both countries in areas of tourism and business. A statement signed by former High Commissioner of Ghana to Namibia and Chairman of the association, Harruna Attah, welcomed the "resumption...
Long before globalisation became a modern buzzword, more than 200 years ago British economists Adam Smith and David Ricardo acknowledged the potential of free trade to transform poor countries into wealthy states. In explaining the benefits of free trade, Smith eloquently used the metaphor of ‘The Invisible Hand’ in his...
At first blush, it may seem like good news that the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group will expand to include Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Egypt and Argentina. An 11-strong BRICS+ could be more representative of the world’s emerging economies, providing a...
“It is expected to be granted in the second quarter of 2018,” Lindiwe Mekwe, acting CEO of the Petroleum Agency of SA, told Reuters. France’s Total stopped drilling off South Africa’s southern coast in 2014 after experiencing mechanical problems with its rig in rough sea conditions. It operates Block 11B/12B, where...