Facebook is launching a new campaign in partnership with the World Health Organisation, WHO, called 'Together Against Covid-19 Misinformation' across a number of African countries. The campaign will show up on Facebook through a series of graphics with tips on how to spot false news. Aïda Ndiaye, Public Policy Manager at Facebook, said that ensuring users are getting authoritative information about Covid-19 vaccines is just some of the vital work they are doing at Facebook. More from Aïda Ndiaye in the United Kingdom...

"Bringing more female commercial drivers into the transport industry makes business, economic and social sense. The industry is willing and eager to transform. To do this successfully however, requires a concerted drive: with proper planning and a sustained approach". This is one of the key messages that emerged from the inaugural online dialogue titled "Women in Transport: Unlocking Opportunities for Female Truck Drivers and Couriers", that took place in March 2021. Hosted by South Africa's Commercial Transport Academy, CTA, the event was supported by a number of industry organisations and attended by representatives from operators, government departments, state owned enterprises and industry service providers. More from Nicci Scott, founder of the CTA.

On Thursday, 18 March 2021, the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority, EWSETA, and Wits Business School in South Africa have launched an executive leadership programme which aims to empower women in the energy and water sectors in South Africa. In funding this programme, EWSETA seeks to capacitate women operating in mid to senior-level management positions with the skills they require to gain their rightful place in what for too long has been a male-dominated environment. To further discuss this, Zikhona Miso spoke to Tsholofelo Mokotedi; Planning, Reporting and Monitoring Executive at EWSETA…

In commemoration of World Water Day today, 22nd March 2021, the Water Institute of Southern Africa, WISA, recognizes the importance of a highly competent and professional water sector. In response to a request from the National School of Government, NSG, for submissions, WISA has proposed the development of a set of professional designations that should be made mandatory for senior local and national government officials. WISA Chief Executive Officer, Lester Goldman explains....

Today we’re commemorating World Sleep Day, an annual event intended to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, social aspects and driving. Under the theme 'Regular Sleep, Healthy Future', World Sleep Day aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders. To further discuss this, Zikhona Miso spoke to Joni Peddie, who’s a Professional Speaker, Executive Coach and Strategic Facilitator…

To mark National Water Week this week, 15th to 22nd March, the Water Research Commission, WRC, in South Africa is hosting a conference titled “Conference on Women in Water and Science and the Impact of COVID 19”. This gathering will be treated as a reflection point on the role of women in water research science. Central to the WRC’s corporate strategy is ensuring that women play a leading role in water research science alongside their male counterparts. More from Dr Chantal Ramcharan- Kotze, Business Development Manager in the Water Research Commission…

On the 07th to the 13th of March 2021, the nation commemorated Women in Construction Week. A week that is not only dedicated to highlighting women in construction, but also raising awareness of the opportunities available to women in the industry and emphasizing their growing role in it. Studies have shown that women have lower levels of involvement in the construction industry than men. Nontu Chiluvane, a Director and Shareholder of Motheo Construction Group in South Africa, shares with us her experience as a female in the construction industry…

Today is E-commerce Day, an annual initiative to support and help grow South Africa's online shopping sector. E-commerce industry players including PayFast, bidorbuy, PriceCheck, uAfrica, and Lulalend have banded together to establish the networking platform to help local entrepreneurs start or expand their e-commerce businesses. The launch comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed online shopping in South Africa's retail sector, fuelling a dramatic increase in the number of local e-shoppers. To discuss this further, Samora mangesi spoke to Yaron Assabi, founder and CEO of a digital department store, Digitalmall.com

Given the hazards inherent to the on-site construction industry, ensuring companies comply with Occupational Health and Safety requirements is crucial to reducing the chances of injuries and saving lives. This is according to Deon Bester, OHS Manager at the Master Builders' Association Western Cape. As such, Master Builders' South Africa, MBSA, has announced the return of its annual Regional Health and Safety Competition which will run from April until June 2021. Bester further explains...

In the 2021 budget speech delivered by South Africa’s Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni, it was announced that the revenue services are projected to collect about eighty-billion US Dollars in taxes during 2020/21, which is about fourteen-billion US Dollars less than estimates contained in the 2020 Budget. This is officially the largest tax shortfall on record. To further discuss this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Louis Botha, Senior Associate at Tax & Exchange Control practice at commercial law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr...

2020 was clouded by, not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but cyber-criminal activities that took advantage organisations’ vulnerability amid the pandemic. As more organisations adopted and accelerated digital strategies, cybercriminals were presented with a huge range of new opportunities to exploit. This is according to Alain Tshal, District Manager at an application services and delivery networking company, F5 in Sub-Saharan Africa, who says that 2021 will be no different. Tshal discusses this further...

The alcohol industry in South Africa have suffered incredible losses due to the three alcohol bans over the last year. To raise awareness about the effects these decisions have had on the sector, South Africans have established movements like #supportlocal, to help profile the consequences experienced by the industry which has gained International attention. South Africa's online daily deals site, OneDayOnly, have made the decision to help promote the sales of locally produced liquor, that can hopefully support local farms and distilleries cover some of their overheads until the industry is able to fully resume trading. More from Laurian Venter, Director at OneDayOnly...

New analysis from UN Women show that despite women's increased engagement in public life, equality remains far off. For example, women serve as Heads of State or Government in only 21 countries and 119 countries have never had a woman leader. The United Nations entity working for the entity working for the empowerment of women says at the current rate, parity will not be reached for another 130 years. The data, prepared for a UN Secretary-General's report in advance of the upcoming UN Commission on the Status of Women, demonstrate global trends, persistent barriers and opportunities for women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life. More from UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka…..

The first two alcohol bans in South Africa saw more than 165-thousand jobs lost across the entire industry value chain resulting in a possible additional 100-thousand people slipping into poverty; according to Hellen Ndlovu, Director of Regulatory & Public Policy at South African Breweries. An extended third ban is currently underway, and the South African alcohol industry says that this serves only to exacerbate the situation...

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation, has been crowned South Africa’s top employer. The 2021 Top Employers have been announced and the CSIR was recognised as a Top Employer in the country. The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their Human Resources Best Practices Survey. For more on this, Zikhona Miso spoke to CSIR Group Executive for Human Capital and Strategic Communication, Andile Mabindisa…

South African Airline FlySafair will launch a Telegram customer support channel amid rising concerns about privacy thanks to new terms of service announced by WhatsApp last week. New updates to the WhatsApp terms of services will see users having to agree to allow the platform to share user data with parent company Facebook from 8 February or lose access to their accounts. The proposed change has sparked worldwide controversy with several companies and influential individuals announcing moves to rival messaging platforms like Telegram and Signal. Zikhona Miso spoke to FlySafair's Chief Marketing Officer, Kirby Gordon...

The Kearney Executive Mergers and Acquisitions report on the chemicals industry in South Africa shows that there was a significant slow-down in the Chemical sector, which began well before the Covid-19 pandemic, and will probably continue in 2021. Even though back in 2019, South Africa enjoyed involvement in megadeals, albeit indirect, no massive moves are now anticipated, with the past year's trend towards internal consolidation is set to continue. More from Prashaen Reddy, Principal at a global management consultancy, Kearney..

Running a business in what we assumed would be a post-COVID world this year has turned out to be a continuous challenge, taking on various strains from last year's pandemic. This is according to Viresh Harduth, Vice President for Small Business at Sage Africa & Middle East, who says that a common denominator for many small business owners is steady cashflow throughout the year. Zikhona Miso spoke to Harduth on ways in which businesses can make the most of 2021 and increase their cashflow and profits...

As South Africa prepares for schools to reopen on January 27th, the Independent Community Pharmacists Association, ICPA has issued some tips to help both parents and children prepare for this period and minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection. The Department of Basic Education has made assurances that plans are on track for the reopening of schools when the academic year commences. More from Jackie Maimin, CEO of ICPA..

South Africa has officially entered the second wave of Covid-19 which has already wreaked havoc in the job market. Because of this, many people have gone into unavoidable debt, according to Ramona Singh, Administration Director and registered debt counsellor at Infinite Life, registered debt counsellors in South Africa. To get ahead of the curve and see a brighter 2021, Singh joins Samora Mangesi on the line to discuss tips to help steer you from bad debt in a post-Covid world…

Every year more than six-hundred youngsters from South Africa are recognised at the Eskom Expo for young Scientists International Science Fair. This year they were honoured at a virtual awards ceremony on 15 December – virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The assessments for the awards were done online, and could thus include some 80 international learners. To tell us more about the event, Parthy Chetty, Executive Director at Eskom Expo, joins Zikhona Miso on the line…

South African rental company of compressors and generators, Rand-Air, has made a contribution to the South African community by providing disadvantaged schools, particularly in outlying rural areas, with handwashing facilities to enable them to meet the vital hygiene criterion. This was done in an effort not only to counter the spread of the Coronavirus, but to instil a mind-set of cleanliness and good hygiene among the children. Mpho Ngamlane, Industrial Plant Rental Account and Communications Manager at Rand-Air, has more on this initiative…

Sustainable energy has seen exponential growth in South Africa, primarily led by the rise of solar energy and power purchase agreements. The solar photovoltaic industry currently accounts for around six percent of the country's total energy generation. Key to enabling further growth in renewable energy for the country's public and private sector, is unlocking the widespread use of battery energy storage systems. This is according to Manie de Waal, Chief Executive Oficer of Energy Partners Solar. To further discuss this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Henri van Eetveldt, Senior Solar and Storage Consultant at Energy Partners..

The education system in Africa buckled under the demands of hard lock-downs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move to online teaching left parents and students reeling amid concerns that the quality of education may suffer and that students may drop out. These are some of the issues that will be discussed at the Future of Education Summit on the 26th of November 2020, hosted by a television channel, CNBC Africa… More from Jill De Villiers, Executive Producer for CNBC Africa and Head of Content Studio for the ABN Group…

The 23rd BASA Awards took place virtually on Wednesday night. The Annual BASA Awards recognise business support of and partnerships with the arts. It is BASA's flagship event and assists in promoting mutually beneficial, equitable and sustainable business partnerships with the arts. Chief Marketing Officer at Hollard, Heidi Brauer spoke to Samora Mangesi..

The World Bank predicted a very widely covered massive reduction of twenty percent in remittance flows by 2021 at the start of the pandemic, but six months on and the projected decline has now been revised, defying expectations. The financial institution now estimates that the amount of money migrant workers send home will shrink by 14 percent. Michael Kent, co founder and Chairman of global digital money transfer firm Azimo, elaborates...

Forge Academy has designed a programme for South African youth that is modelled on Finnish education principles and equipped with cutting-edge Nokia smart technology. Powered by Nokia, Forge Academy is launching this first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence lab with the Minister of Communications & Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. More from Arthur Wade Anderson, founder and CEO of Forge Academy…

The 2020 edition of the Manufacturing Indaba, a manufacturing event in Sub-Saharan Africa, will be hosted on the 9th and 10th December 2020. The event, hosted virtually in 2020, given the impact of COVID-19 on the event industry, will provide information to support, revitalise and aid manufacturing growth. For more on this event, Samora Mangesi spoke to Liz Hart, Managing Director for Manufacturing Indaba..

On 5 November 2020, South Africa's Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, gazetted regulations for a mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for the lighting, electrical and electronic equipment, and paper and packaging sectors.These regulations extend the producer's responsibility for their products and packaging to the end-of-life stage of their life cycle. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) welcomes the publication of these new regulations. Lorren de Kock, Project Manager for Circular Plastics Economy with WWF South Africa, spoke to Samora Mangesi to discuss the company's reaction...

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has revised the standards that will govern the insurance segment. All insurers and re-insurers have been given a deadline of First January 2023 to meet the changing International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) legislation. More on this from Nishen Bikhani, Partner for Financial Services at KPMG South Africa, a global network of firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services...

According to a report by the International Energy Agency, renewable energy will make up almost half of sub-Saharan Africa's power generation growth by 2040. The uptake is largely because of improved technology, greater regulations promoting access and massive reductions in cost. Improving access to reliable and sustainable energy will be critical for economic and social development on the continent. This is the view of Daniel Goldstuck, Head of Energy Storage Services at a renewable energy company, SOLA Group. Goldstuck spoke to Samora Mangesi on this issue..

The 6th Annual Water Stewardship Event in South Africa will take place virtually on Tuesday, 17th November 2020. The event will explore how investments in South Africa's water sector can be leveraged to generate sustained economic growth, employment, and wellbeing. Alex McNamara, Programme Manager for Climate & Water at the National Business Initiative, which is one of the event partners explains...

The workplace environment has seen much disruption this year. Many companies are relooking their structures to ensure continuity, while enabling remote working for the most part. Workplace security has, and continues to be, one of the most important segments of the workplace environment, and not enough is being said about what this should look like in a work from home or hybrid environment. This is according to Duran Vieira, Chief Executive Officer at a security solutions company in South Africa, Amecor, who spoke to Samora Mangesi..

The Beirut Port explosion on 4 August caused widespread damage and casualties. The education sector was heavily impacted, as the explosion partially or completely destroyed some schools in Beirut and neighboring areas. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a global education foundation, Education Above All (EAA), have established a partnership for quality education in Lebanon to rebuild and restore damaged schools and get education back on track. More on this partnership from Dr. Mary Joy Pigozzi, Executive Director of the EAA Foundation's Educate A Child programme, in Doha, Qatar...

World Cities Day is commemorated annually on the 31st of October. This day seeks to promote global interest in urbanization and engender international cooperation to address the challenges of urbanization, thereby contributing to sustainable urban development. The theme for World Cities Day 2020 is ‘Valuing our Communities and Cities’. More from Riaan Graham, Director Enterprise for telecommunications company in sub-Saharan Africa, CommScope…

The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the move to digital, as more businesses make the transition to service automation, especially in the communication field to increase customer satisfaction. According to George Fraser, Vice President and Customer Business Executive for Africa at a software and services provider company, Amdocs, if all companies were to focus on automating their businesses, Africa could improve engagement, build customer loyalty and promote the adoption of unassisted channels. Fraser has more...

South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has announced his economic reconstruction and recovery plan. Central to this was job creation and the reindustrialisation of the economy through small business development. This, coupled with reports that e-commerce saved many small businesses in South Africa, growing by almost forty-percent during lockdown, means there is a budding opportunity for small businesses in the e-commerce space, backed by government and business. This according to Yaron Assabi, CEO for relationship marketing solutions company, Digital Solutions Group...

One of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization's projects in South Africa has won the International Energy Project of the Year at the Association of Energy Engineers International Awards ceremony. The award, for what is called the Industrial Energy Efficiency Project, was accepted by project manager Alf Hartzenburg of the National Cleaner Production Centre, who says it is really an acknowledgement of TEAM WORK..

Friday 16 October is World Food Day, a day which aims to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In response, South African based NGO, Friday 16 October is World Food Day, a day which aims to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In response, South African based NGO, Meals on Wheels, will be preparing thousands of meals and food parcels to feed underprivileged people in various communities tomorrow. More from Yanela Takawira, Training and Development Manager at Meals on Wheels……

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to tackle global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss and inequality. Many experts advocate for strengthening health-care systems and economies and to make ecosystems more resilient. (Ewald Rametsteiner, Forestry Deputy Director at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization talking to FAO Radio's Charlotta Lomas)

South Africa's health minister, Dr. Zweli Mkhize, has yet again cautioned against people relaxing attitudes towards COVID-19, arguing that a second wave of the virus remains real threat despite a decline in the number of new infections in the country since September. (Our reporter Jane Rabothata, speaking to Benjamin Moshatama)

Research into the nature of gender-based violence faced by domestic workers in their workplaces in three South African provinces has uncovered shocking levels of abuse and sexual harassment by employers. The incidences documented in this report, published on 26 September 2020, reveal high levels of impunity by both employers and law enforcement agencies. Zikhona Miso spoke to Siyamthanda Dude, a domestic worker who was physically beaten by her male employer two years ago, about her experience...

Every year on 11 October, the International Day of the Girl Child is commemorated. The main aims of the day are to promote girl's empowerment and fulfilment of their human rights while also highlighting the challenges that girls all over the world face. The theme for this year, "My voice, our equal future", reimagines a better world inspired and led by adolescent girls, as part of the global Generation Equality movement. More from Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Director for East and Southern Africa...

South Africa's Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) is hosting its third annual TETA Women Empowerment Summit on 21st, 23rd, and 26th of this month. The 2020 instalment promises to highlight disruptions and challenges in the transport sector, expose women entrepreneurs to opportunities created by these disruptions, and provide relevant business advice. More Kgatile Nkala, Head of HR and Administration at TETA...

To celebrate the 60th year of Nigerian independence, Apple Music is launching Oshe Naija (meaning Thanks Nigeria in Yoruba), a month-long campaign to honour Nigeria's rich musical history. The Oshe Naija collection will feature the hottest new Nigerian releases, classic Nigerian albums, Artist Essentials playlists and music videos, as well as some of the biggest names in Nigerian music taking over Apple Music's hottest Nigerian playlists - Afrobeats Hits, Naija Hits, Alte Cruise and Afrobeats Workout. Apple Music will also feature exclusive guest playlists curated by some of Nigeria's most exciting celebrities and influencers. Musician Del B is among the musicians who has curated his playlist for the rest of the month..

The South African Breweries (SAB) in partnership with South Africa's Gauteng Provincial Government, unveiled a series of outdoor murals as part of its ongoing hashtag responsible together campaign. The campaign is aimed at creating awareness and education on the impact of the irresponsible use of alcohol and the effects of harmful behaviour. More from Kgosi Mogotsi, Senior Corporate Affairs Manager at SAB...

Fragile gains made over the past decade to advance women and children's health are threatened by conflict, the climate crisis and COVID-19. This is according to a new report released recently by the global movement Every Women Every Child or EWEC. The report examines the deep-rooted inequities which continue to deprive women, children and adolescents of their rights - noting birthplace as a significant determinant of survival. For more on its findings here's the UN child agency's Jennifer Requejo, who is behind the data analysis

A new case study published by global tobacco industry watchdog, STOP, explains how South Africa's decades long efforts to tackle illicit trade have been undermined by interference by the tobacco industry. In May 2020, South Africa suffered its biggest set-back in this process when the South Africa Revenue Service canceled its tender for a national track and trace system. This decision came after extensive engagement tobacco industry. To further discuss this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Michael Eads, Managing Director at Sovereign Border Solutions and former Executive for Customs Modernisation at SARS..

Youth unemployment remains a problem in South Africa, ranking as one of the highest in the world. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the youth aged 15-24 years are the most vulnerable in the South African labor market. The unemployment rate among this age was 59-percent in the first quarter of 2020. More from Mabel Mnensa, Marketing Manager at an online crowdfunding platform, Feenix...

Certain sectors of business in South Africa have been affected more than others by the pandemic and ensuing lockdown. However, pockets of investment opportunities still exist for those sectors that were and continue to be more resistive to the impact of COVID-19. This is according to Gasant Orrie, Cape Managing Partner and Director of the Corporate and Commercial Practice at a law firm, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. Orrie spoke to Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi on the line to further discuss investment opportunities available in South Africa…

The month of September is known as Tourism and Heritage month in South Africa. As part of activities to raise awareness, Johannesburg Tourism this week hosted a Three Day State of Readiness Tours as part of the city's Welcome2Joburg - A City Reimagined campaign. This included exploring Soweto on bicycle rides, Joburg City underground migrant cuisine and Open Top Red Bus tour. Part of the tour included a stop at the recently opened Africa Rise Concept store in Marshalltown, Johannesburg owned by Prominent South African designer, Thula Sindi. Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu caught up with him.

A member of the World Bank Group,IFC, has announced a partnership with South African-listed Imperial to jointly develop a modular screening and treatment healthcare infrastructure program in sub-Saharan Africa. The modular treatment facilities will contribute to primary healthcare infrastructure options beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for underserved communities. Adamou Labara, IFC's Country Manager for South Africa, spoke to Zikhona Miso on the issue..

The Gambian lawmakers allied to President Adama Barrow have rejected a draft constitution bill after fierce debate over a clause that would prevent him from running for a third term. Officials in the West African state have for months discussed the new constitution, which is intended to strengthen the country after years of abuses under former dictator Yahya Jammeh. The rejection came after the diplomatic representations of European Union, Britain, United States and Germany had on Monday urged the assembly to pass the bill.For more on what the rejection of the bill means for the country, Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Bamba Maas, former diplomat and an expert on the Gambian politics.

The World Health Organization says it is encouraged by South Africa's declining COVID-19 trend. The UN health body has commended the country's government for what it describes as "determined efforts" to bend the COVID-19 pandemic curve. To discuss this further, Samora Mangesi spoke WHO's Dr Ambrose Talisuna.

According to the 2020 Economic Freedom of the World report, South Africa climbed up from number one-hundred-and-one in 2017 to ninety in 2018, out of 162 countries. The study bases economic freedom on personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to enter markets and compete, and security of person and privately-owned property. To tell us more about this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Hayley Parry, Money Coach and Facilitator of 1Life's Truth About Money initiative..

The 15th of September marked International Day of Democracy. The day is observed around the world annually to promote and uphold democratic principles, including respect for human rights. This year the day is celebrated amidst concerns around the Covid -19 pandemic laws adopted by many countries which some Human rights organisations call undemocratic. For more on the day and its significance Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Professor Adebayo Olukoshi, Director for Africa and West Asia at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

The 2020 Stress Index results are in. Every year, medical aid Profmed seeks to understand and benchmark stress among South African professionals. According to Craig Comrie, CEO of Profmed, this ‘new normal’ has caused a surge of anxiety and stress that is changing the way people live their lives. More from Comrie...

The national organisation of hospices in South Africa, the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa (HPCA), has just released an app called WeCare. This app was created to virtually bring the services provided by hospices into the homes of all South Africans during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Dr Ewa Skowronska, CEO of the HPCA, speaks to Samora Mangesi on the line...

World Cup-winning Springbok legend Tendai Mtawarira has started a foundation, 'The Beast Foundation', to support and grow communities and uplift underprivileged youth in Africa. In starting The Beast Foundation, Mtawarira wants to inspire, unite and build communities by empowering young people through sport, education and life skills development. Mtawarira spoek to Samora mangesi about his foundation...

In May 2020, the UN General Assembly established the International Day to Protect Education from Attack to take place on 9 September, a resolution spearheaded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, former first lady of Qatar and Chairperson of 'Education Above All' Foundation. The Day draws attention to the plight of more than 75-million pupils living in thirty-five crisis-affected countries and to their urgent need of educational support. More from Dr Mary Joy Pigozzi, Executive Director of Educate A Child, a global initiative aiming to reduce the number of out-of-school children worldwide…

The introduction of the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill in South Africa made its debut into the public sphere and was recently tabled in Parliament on 1 September 2020. However, the bill in its current form is said to be incredibly narrow in its scope and notably fails to address any commercial aspects and opportunities of cannabis. To help us unpack this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Andrew MacPherson, Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution practice at a Commercial law firm, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr...

According to UNESCO's Institute for Statistics, literacy rates for adults and youth continue to rise around the world - but despite these gains, millions of people fifteen years and older still cannot read or write. In South Africa, the country ranked last out of fifty countries in the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy study, which found that seventy-eight percent of South African Grade 4 pupils could not read for meaning. In light of International Literacy Day today, Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange spoke to Anglo American's Global Education lead, Zaheera Soomar, on the line from Canada...

The South African electricity utility, Eskom, has reported a severely constrained power system resulting in continued load shedding. This latest round of load shedding comes as ten generation units at seven power stations have suffered breakdowns. The South African National Energy Development Institute, SANEDI, believes that energy efficiency is vital for improved electricity provision and economic recovery in light of this latest round of load shedding. To elaborate more on this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Barry Bredenkamp, General Manager for Energy Efficiency & Corporate Communications at SANEDI.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement to move the country to level 2 of the lockdown saw the travel and hospitality sectors going back to business, with strict safety measures. Following the announcement, South Africa’s Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane launched the tourism month plan to encourage domestic travellers to take advantage of the activities set out in the sector as of the 1st of September 2020, the Tourism Month. More from Glenn Gillis, CEO of Sea Monster, a South African gaming and animation company...

The 2020 edition of the Manufacturing Indaba, a manufacturing event in Sub-Saharan Africa, will be hosted as a virtual conference on the 9th and 10th December 2020. This is as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the safety of the participating manufacturing companies. More from Liz Hart, Managing Director for Manufacturing Indaba…

The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, has launched a report titled: "The Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of Covid 19 in South Africa". The online event took place on Wednesday when the UNDP presented findings of the study and had panellists from the South African government, the Human Sciences Research Council, HSRC, the Solidarity fund as well as South Africa's Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. For more on this, Teddy Sibiya spoke to Fatou Leigh, Senior Economist at the UNDP South Africa..

Since being declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization earlier this year, Covid-19 cases around the world have continued to increase at an alarming rate with over 14 million people reported to have contracted the virus to date. In an article published by the World Diabetes Federation recently, it is reported that people with poorly controlled diabetes are relatively more vulnerable to infections and have worse outcomes once infected. Dr. Adri Kok a specialist physician in South Africa explains the impact caused by the virus on those living with diabetes..

Following a long seven years since the enactment of Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that POPIA will finally come into force on first of July 2020, with the exception of some provisions coming into force on 30 June 2021. The Act concerns the processing of personal information by companies and other agents, and introduces a number of new laws that clamp down on user and employee data processing. More from Savanna Stephens, Senior Associate at DLA Piper, a global law firm...

The International Publishers Association calls for project proposals to address the damaging impacts of Covid-19 on education in Africa, with grants from the 200-thousand US Dollars Africa Publishing Innovation Fund available to the best ideas. Applicants can pitch their ideas via the APIF website, after which the APIF will provide a detailed application form to be filled and returned. More from Brian Wafawarowa, Chairperson of the Inclusive Publishing and Literacy Committee of International Publishers Association..

South Africa has had a huge break from domestic crime during the nationwide lockdown, but commercial businesses have faced a different fortune where majority of crime has been seen in this space. This is according to Duran Vieira, CEO of Amecor, who says what is more concerning is that with South Africa unlocking more movement each month, it creates the perfect storm for crime and the increase in crime, both residential and commercial, will start being heavily felt similar to, if not more than, before. More from Vieira...

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) can collect outstanding tax debts using several methods, but each has specific procedures that must be followed to ensure due process, especially when a third party is involved. A recent High Court judgment confirmed this, and in doing so, also confirmed the administrative justice principle of providing sufficient notice to the taxpayer prior to appointing an agent for the collecting of outstanding debt. More on this by Althea Soobyah, Tax Consulting Director at Mazars, an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting, tax and advisory services...

South Africa will further relax restrictions under Level 3 lockdown, as the battle against covid 19 continues. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that sit-in restaurants, hotels, cinemas, theatres, casinos, personal care services and non-contact sports including cricket, golf and tennis, are to be reopened. The return of hotels will not include AirBnB services. More from Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa…

Southern African governments must ensure the protection and well-being of persons with albinism who are increasingly vulnerable amid the COVID-19 crisis. This is the view of the nongovernmental organization, Amnesty International. Tigere Chagutah, who is the organization's Deputy Director for Southern Africa has more…..

World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual initiative managed and run by the International Continence Society (ICS), which takes place annually in June. Its primary aim is to raise awareness of incontinence related issues. According to Medtronic, an international medical device company, millions of people worldwide suffer from bowel or urinary incontinence, yet fewer than 50-percent of sufferers realise that there are effective treatments available to treat these debilitating disorders. Today marks the first day of the 2020 World Continence Week, and Medtronic is calling on health professionals to assist in further spreading awareness of the meaningful therapies that enhance the quality of life of patients suffering from incontinence. One such patient is Tylo Sargeant, a 19-year-old who only heard about the treatment after three years of extreme discomfort and painful embarrassment. Sargeant speaks on her lived experiences with the disease...

We are entering a "new normal" where the airport experience is being transformed to ensure the safety of passengers in a post-COVID-19 world. From the ability to manage your journey from your mobile phone to ensuring social distancing and automating health checks. According to SITA, the technology provider for the air transport industry, technology is a fundamental component in the industry's recovery. To shed some light on how technology is helping airports and airlines safely resume operations, Zikhona Miso spoke to Andrew O'Connor, Vice President of Airline and Airport Solutions at SITA….

Since South Africa's national lockdown started in March, the number of babies being abandoned has increased significantly. As a result, many childcare agencies and places of safety have been stretched to capacity. Just like many other childcare agencies in South Africa, the Door of Hope has taken significant strain during the national lockdown. Door of Hope, situated in Hilbrow Johannesburg, started 20 years ago for mothers to safely hand over their babies, babies they are not in a position to take care off due to a number of reasons. Door of Hope's Operations Manager, Nadene Grabham, spoke to Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso about the challenges they have been facing during the COVID -19 pandemic...

A senior member of the Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee in South Africa has accused the country's health leadership of refusing to change its mass testing strategy in the face of serious resource constraints and a large testing backlog, even though scientists have repeatedly advised that an urgent rethink is needed. For more on this, Zikhona Miso spoke to Professor Francois Venter, Head of the Ezintsha health unit at Wits University, and a member of the Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee….

Philafrica Foods, a food processing company in South Africa, is donating Gold Power Yellow Maize Meal to 12-thousand families across the country. The distribution is being carried out with the help of the internationally renowned humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers, and other Community based NGO's. In addition, the communities based near the companies' production facilities will also benefit from the donation. Roland Decorvet, Chief Executive Officer of Philafrica, spoke to Samora Mangesi on what the donation is intended for...

The food manufacturing sector in South Africa continues to fight valiantly in the face of mounting economic pressure compounded by immense cost implications that increased COVID-19 infection rates might have on productivity. Now is the time for these businesses to radically rethink one of their biggest operational costs, which is energy consumption. This is according to Cala van der Westhuizen, Head of Sales at Energy Partners Refrigeration, who says that as an essential part of the country's economy, food producers have been doing everything in their power to combat the losses and possible closures that loom in the wake of the global pandemic. Cala van der Westhuizen elaborates.....

Teenage pregnancy is on the rise in South Africa and poses a serious health and social challenge in this country, which, according to reports, already has a healthcare system under immense strain. As a result, a non-profit company in South Africa, the 'Mother and Child Academic Hospital (MACAH) Foundation, together with the University of the Free State, have partnered with the aim of providing for the well-being of teenage mothers and babies through the ‘Make the first 1-thousand days Count’ initiative. More from Professor Andre Venter, founder member and Director of the MACAH Foundation…

The International Atomic Energy Agency -IAEA, says it has so far delivered more than 250 consignments to 80 countries with supplies to help fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with many more to be shipped in the coming days and weeks. The assistance includes equipment and expertise to help laboratories around the world step up testing as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease. This is the biggest operation of assistance in the history of the agency, which was created in 1957 in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the diverse uses of nuclear technology. For more on this Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to the IAEA's Director General Rafael Mariano -Grossi. He says he is grateful for the generous contributions from member States and for their confidence in the IAEA's ability to deliver emergency support around the world.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), almost 1 in 10 people fall ill every year from eating contaminated food, and nearly a third of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in children under the age of five years. In commemorating the second World Food Safety Day on 7 June marked this past Sunday - the WHO together with the UN Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) - seek to inspire everybody to help prevent foodborne risks. For more on this year's campaign and what can be done to promote food safety, here is Head of the Food safety and Quality Unit at FAO, Markus Lipp ...

In a country with a chronic shortage of healthcare professionals and a significant disease burden, it may come as no surprise to hear that doctors are two point five times more likely than anyone else to take their own lives. As South Africa grapples with an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections, the challenges faced by healthcare workers are more significant than ever. This is what prompted Cipla, in partnership with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group to become involved in the #Socks4Docs campaign in South Africa. More from Dr Dhiveja Smith, Associate Director for Medical Affairs at Cipla South Africa…

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has called for raised ambitions and intensified climate action as countries mark World Environmental day today. The day is the most renowned day for environmental action and Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on June 5, engaging over 190 governments and citizens to focus their efforts on pressing environmental issues. This year the day is observed when the World is grappling with the Covid -19 pandemic. More from Baroness Patricia Scotland, Secretary- General of Commonwealth.

South Africa's political landscape is in for a shake-up, after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law legislation that will require political parties to record the names and details of their donors and make financial records available on a quarterly basis. More from Sheilan Clarke from My Vote Counts, a Non-profit organisation in South Africa...

Fears are growing about the impact the coronavirus disease - or COVID-19 - global pandemic could have on food supplies. South Africa's Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has made it clear that the agriculture and food sector value chain, which is responsible for food security, has been declared as essential as the country continues its nationwide lockdown under level 3. More on this fom Mbali Nwoko, an award winning farmer,founder and CEO of of the agribusiness Green Terrace, based in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, where high value vegetable crops are farmed, and supplied to retailers, food processors and fresh produce markets across South Africa

Stigma attached to certain diseases in the African culture have a huge effect on the diagnosis, management and treatment of the disease. Multiple Sclerosis or MS is one of those diseases we are not familiar with or aware of that could easily be stigmatized. World MS Day was commemorated recently to raise awareness and bring together those who are living with the condition to share their stories. To shed more light on MS, Zikhona Miso spoke to Racey Muchilwa, Africa Cluster Head of Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical company...

With South Africa's mines returning to full staffing levels under level 3 of the nationwide lockdown, some of the country's largest employers now have the responsibility to ensure the safety of employees and actively manage the risk of COVID-19 infections from bringing operations to a standstill. The report of 30-percent of workers testing positive for coronavirus at one of the mines in the Gauteng province highlights the very real danger of COVID-19 spreading like wildfire through the workforce. According to Gys Kappers, Chief Executive Officer of Wyzetalk, managing these risks means daily employee screenings for possible symptoms and ensuring that ongoing risk management processes, in line with government regulation, are put in place. More from Kappers...

South Africa and the world's tourism industry is facing its biggest crisis in history as local and international travel bans as well as trade restrictions have forced hotels, airlines, tourist attractions, and numerous other hospitality businesses to close in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. As lockdown measures are now slowly being eased in South Africa, the sector is lobbying government for more tourism-related businesses to be allowed to operate in the nationwide lockdown Level 3. More from David Frost, Chief Executive Officer of the Inbound Tourism Association SATSA...

A recent survey has shown that many South African households are facing significant financial hardship as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown of the economy, with three quarters of respondents saying their family earnings have been severely affected. Benay Sager, Chief Operating Officer at Debt-Busters, says consumers that are struggling to make ends meet are often reluctant to seek help, either because they don’t know where to turn or feel embarrassed. He says that people in this situation should consider debt counselling. More from Sager…

While it is necessary to celebrate Africa day governments-all over the world, must start working together with people of African descent in order for the plight of Africans in the diaspora to change . This is according to South Africa's anti-apartheid activist Reverend Franck Chikane. Chikane is the convener of the African Diaspora conference, which aims to assess how far the objectives of the liberation of Africans and Africans in the Diaspora have been achieved.For more on the conference, Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Reverend Chikane. He says the spirit of working together with people of African descent globally is the only way that will make a difference.

South African Jazz muso, Nduduzo Makhathini will *today take centre stage on the Home Studio Live. Organised by Standard bank, the programme which has been running since last month, aims to keep the nation entertained and offer solace during the time of social distancing. The line up, is a series of immersive artistic experiences direct to the homes of South Africans which features some of its renowned Standard Bank Young Artists from over the years.The Young Artist Awards were established in 1981 by the National Arts Festival Committee to recognise and encourage exceptional talent amongst younger artists. Since then, over 160 artists have been recognized with Standard Bank at the helm of the sponsorship of these awards for the last 36 years. Makhathini shares with us what to expect..

As South Africans gear down to embrace the further easing of lockdown restrictions to level 3, the number of people infected with the virus is still growing. According to Devan Moonsamy, Chief Executive Officer of the ‘I Can Help Africa Foundation’ (ICHAF) Training Institute in South Africa, the added concern for South Africans is their work status. As much as many companies have begun to open their doors again as the lockdown levels ease, there are many who are either closing their doors permanently or letting go of employees. Moonsamy has more…

The landscape of running looks considerably different than it did only a decade ago, due to the wonders of technology in the modern age. In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, those changes may now offer runners the opportunity to stay on their competitive edge for future racing events. Reports state that with the arrival of virtual racing on the running and cycling scenes, it has not only become easier for organizers to gain more entries on their dockets, but it gives participants the chance to do a race they may not have otherwise been able to attend. Kyle Buckingham, South Africa’s professional triathlete, has more on what he thinks about virtual racing…

The COVID-19 outbreak saw many countries around the world going into a lockdown to combat the spread of the virus. South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced early closure of schools even before the announcement that the country will be going into a complete lockdown. This was done to protect the interests of children who are, by their nature and youthfulness, vulnerable. The restrictions which were originally imposed have since been eased a bit, to allow for economic activity. Intensifying debate has been around the re-opening of schools; with some opting for a phased-in re-opening, and some totally opposed to the idea of the re-opening of schools. Mthokozisi Maphumulo, Litigation Attorney at Adams and Adams, has more on what the government need to take into consideration on the decision making regarding the re-opening of schools…

More than one-hundred-and-forty world leaders and experts have signed an open letter spearheaded by UNAIDS and OXFAM, which calls on all governments to unite behind a people's vaccine against COVID-19. Among those who have signed includes the President of South Africa and Chairperson of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan and the Senegalese President, Macky Sall. The call comes as health ministers meet virtually for the two-day World Health Assembly which opened *today. More from Aeneas Chuma, Director for UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa…

Restrictions on movement globally has meant that tourism sectors come to a grinding halt, as the world battles to contain the COVID - 19 pandemic. eSwatini is one of many countries whose tourism sector immensely contributes to the nation's GDP. The sector is also the country's most successful industry. Most of the tourists who visit Eswatini arrive by road from South Africa. More fro the country's Minister of Tourism, Moses Vilakati.....

Most businesses experience peaks and troughs, be it peak buying periods in the retail sector or greater demands on accounting firms during the tax season. This is according to Bridget du Toit, Head of Sales and Services EasyBiz Technologies, an online Accounting Software company, who explains that while seasonal fluctuations are commonplace, it is businesses' ability to adapt to the ever-changing landscape that ultimately determines their success. In light of this, Bridget du Toit suggests several measures businesses can adopt during a nation lockdown to ensure greater business longevity and sustainability...

If you're allowing your staff to work from home as a preventative measure against the Coronavirus pandemic, make sure you're prepared for the increased cybersecurity risks associated with the move. This is according to Wynand van Vuuren, head of customer experience at King Price, an insurance company in South Africa, who states that this includes taking steps to not only ensure the physical security of company devices that may contain sensitive data, but also to secure all access to company networks. Wynand van Vuuren speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

It is no secret that the South African economy is struggling; earlier this month, the country officially entered a recession, after two quarters of negative growth. And now, the Coronavirus pandemic has added to the complexity, sending the stock market and currency plunging. Businesses are closing their doors and sending their workers home. This is according to Keri-Leigh Paschal, executive trustee of Nation Builder, which inspires and equips businesses to lead in social change, who says that this is not good news for South Africa's non-profit organisations (NPOs), who provide critical services to millions of people in areas like health, education and poverty alleviation. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Keri-Leigh Paschal...

Today we are celebrating World Meteorological Day, which commemorates the coming into force of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization on twenty-third of March 1950. It showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society and is celebrated with activities around the world. For more on this, Pieter Kotze, Senior Research Fellow at South African National Space Agency, joined us on the line..

Upon declaring a national state of disaster, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that the measures aimed at containing the COVID-19 outbreak would have a lasting impact on the economy. Considering that many local businesses are already experiencing some level of distress, business owners should take proactive measures to cut overheads, take control of financial management, and keep cash flow in check. This is according to Justine Hoppe, Director at Mazars Recovery and Restructuring, an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting, tax and advisory services, who notes there has already been an increase in queries around business rescue. Justine Hoppe joined us on the line...

The Covid-19 outbreak has left the entire world on edge with the ease of contraction changing the way people work, live and interact. According to Joe Moyo the managing director of Afri Ride, a ridesharing platform in South Africa, "people are being forced to minimize human contact as much as possible but this is not always feasible especially for sectors like transportation. The scary part about daily commune is that often, you are forced to travel with random strangers." Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Joe Moyo.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa's address on the 15th of this month sent shockwaves throughout the country. Every industry sector without fail has been affected by the government's measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. And for a host of learners throughout South Africa, school closures mean far more than just skipping classes as some of them rely heavily on the one meal they receive at school. Brad Stern, Chief Marketing Officer at Superiate, a boutique marketing consultancy and project management agency, decided that the only course of action to stop thousands of children from going hungry was to make a plan of his own. He tells us more about his initiative on the line talking to Lebogang Mabange...

All post school institutions have closed for early recess in line with the South African government's plans to prevent further spread of the coronavirus in South Africa. Several universities had already suspended contact lectures following the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic as a state of disaster in South Africa. Ari Katz, Chief Executive Officer of Boston City Campus, one of South Africa's private tertiary institutions, has more on how COVID-19 is impacting academic institutions in South Africa...

With several new Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases reported in South Africa, Facebook has reinforced its commitment in helping to keep people safe and informed locally through local partnerships, and updates to its platform. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director of Facebook Africa...

While financial inclusion has resulted in an unprecedented shift in global banking and redefined relationships people have with money, COVID-19 has unintentionally encouraged cashless spending. As a result of the World Health Organisation (WHO) announcement, people are being advised to use contactless technology instead of cash, as banknotes may be spreading coronavirus. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange chats with Clayton Hayward, co-founder and managing director of Ukheshe, a micro transaction platform in South Africa...

Following the announcement of the closure of certain port of entries between South African and neighbouring countries by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa to mitigate the impact of COVID 19 spread, South African National Parks (SANParks) has released a statement to assure the public that their national parks will remain open due this time, and will be taking necessary precaution to ensure visitor and staff safety. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Isaac Phaahla, General Manager for Marketing and Communications at Kruger National Park...

March is human rights month. However, the awareness on the month has been shadowed by the coronavirus which has been dominating the news front. Regardless of the pandemic, we should take time to acknowledge this extremely important day on the South African calendar. This is according to Devan Moonsamy, Chief Executive Officer of the "I Can Help Africa Foundation" Training Institute in South Africa. Human Rights Day is observed annually on the 21st of March. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange chats with Devan Moonsamy...

South Africa's Department of Water and Sanitation marks its National Water Week from the 16th to the twenty-second of this month. This annual event focuses public attention on the importance of water, one of South Africa's most limited resources. Here's Department spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau

The South African Society of Anaesthesiologists, SASA says education is key in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in the country's hospitals. SASA says as South Africa deals with the coronavirus pandemic, anaesthetists are equipped on how to deal with it in clinical, surgical settings. The organization has issued a Covid-19 update to all its members to give anaesthetists guidelines on how to deal with the pandemic. More from SASA's President, Dr. Lance Lasersohn..

Distance Educator in South Africa, Brainline, has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement that all schools in South Africa will close from Wednesday, eighteenth of March, until after the Easter holidays. This is part of government's measures to clamp down on the spread of the coronavirus. Sixty-one cases of the coronavirus have been recorded in South Africa. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Coleen Cronje...

In line with its mission to give people the power to build community around the world and its commitment to supporting the community leaders who drive change, Facebook is announcing the Community Accelerator programme for South Africa. An evolution of the Facebook Community Leadership Programme, this six-month accelerator programme provides training, mentorship and funding to help community leaders grow their communities. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Kiran Yoliswa, Facebook's Strategic Partner Manager, Community Partnerships SSA...

The third annual DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards will bring together South Africa's biggest hit makers in the entertainment industry tomorrow in Johannesburg, South Africa. The award show celebrates home-grown talent and honours the biggest achievers across eleven entertainment categories. Channel Africa's Nombuyiselo Tango chats with Grant Stroud, Senior Media Manager of 1Life, a life insurance company in South Africa..

Outbreaks of infectious diseases such the Coronavirus (COVID-19) can scupper the best laid travel plans. While saving for a dream holiday, you don't envisage that world-famous museums may be closed due to an epidemic, or that you could be confined to a ship's cabin, or a tiny apartment in a foreign country. This is according to Sarah Nicholson, Commercial Manager of Justmoney insurance company in Sout Africa, who shares with us tips for travellers in the wake of the Coronavirus...

South Africa reported its first case of the Coronavirus last week sending the nation into a panic. Hand sanitisers have flown of the shelf and masks are becoming impossible to find. The announcement has not just caused panic but has also seen employers under pressure with the effect the scare of the virus will have on its employees. This is according to Devan Moonsamy, Chief Executive Officer of the "I Can Help Africa Foundation" Training Institute in South Africa, who says that even before the Coronavirus, we are familiar with poor office hygiene that is practised when someone has a cold or flu. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange chats with Devan Moonsamy...

The coronavirus is creating huge havoc around the world over: airlines cutting flights and facing enormous numbers of cancellations; exports from countries like China have dwindled; and many other industries are being affected. In this sort of climate, how does the asset management industry continue with its work? Do the usual rules and practices for investment still apply? Milton Osborn, corporate funds lawyer at CMS RM Partners, a commercial law firm in South Africa, explains on the line with Lebogang Mabange...

The state of South African Airways' (SAA) finances continues to impact various stakeholders negatively, and this is likely to continue until its business rescue practitioners present a turnaround plan for the company at the end of March. This is according to Justine Hoppe, Director at Mazars Recovery and Restructuring, an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting, tax and advisory services, who points to the recent judgement by the Gauteng High Court in South Africa, which dismissed South African Airlink's application to compel SAA to pay funds it alleges were held by SAA on Airlink's behalf. Justine Hoppe chats with Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

South Africa has a plantation area of more than one-point-five million hectares, representing only one-point-two percent of the land area. This percentage compares poorly to the thirty percent of the United States of America and the sixty-seven percent of Japan. This is according to South Africa's Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, which states that the Forestry Industry contribute eight-point-seven percent of the gross value of the country's agricultural output. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Mike Peter, Executive Director of Forestry South Africa...

The 22nd session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission is currently underway in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The sessions is convened under the theme, "Forests and Wildlife: Africa's diversity for shared prosperity and security". Lebogang Mabange attended the first day of the commission and filed the following report..

South Africa is hosting the 22nd session of the African Forestry and wildlife commission, taking place at the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The session was officially opened by South Africa's Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Makhotso Sotyu. And to discuss further on the commission, Channel Africa spoke to Deputy Minister Sotyu

South African employers need to understand the risk that Coronavirus poses to employees and the impact thereof on their employee benefits, in particular their group insurance benefits. This statement by Rudi van Rooyen, Head of Specialised Pricing in Group Insurance at Momentum Corporate, who says that the majority of group insurance policies would not have exclusions for viral infections and illnesses as exclusions mostly focus on scenarios like active participation in riots, terrorism or wars. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Rudi van Rooyen...

On the eighth of March the spotlight will be on International Woman's Day. This day was first celebrated more than a century ago in 1911. According to the UN Women website, the aim of 2020 is to advance gender equality worldwide, and it is also a time for the global community to take stock of the steps and progress made in addressing concerns around rights for women. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Devan Moonsamy, Chief Executive Officer of the "I Can Help Africa Foundation" Training Institute in South Africa...

Ahead of International Women's Day 2020 on March 8, Sasol, an integrated energy and chemical company in South Africa, is encouraging young women to harness their potential by entering Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields thereby contributing to the development of much-needed critical skills in the country and to help grow the economy. Londi Zulu, Sasol's Graduate Centre Lead Consultant, chats with Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

Well-rounded graduates displaying the aforementioned traits are hugely attractive to any company seeking to appoint those who can boost the strategic competitiveness of their teams, rather than employing those who tick off tasks without demonstrating their commitment to growth. This is according to Wonga Ntshinga, Senior Head of Programme for Faculty of Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, who advices students to start developing the right skills in order to gain a competitive advantage in the job market. Wonga Ntshinga chats to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

The 8th edition of the Africa CEO Forum will take place on the nineth and tenth of this month at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Founded in 2012, the Africa CEO Forum is an annual gathering of decision-makers from the largest African companies, as well as international investors, multinational executives, heads of state, ministers, and representatives of the main financial institutions operating on the continent. Olaedo Osoka, Head of Daystar Power, a pan-African electricity company specializing in the generation of solar energy in Accra, Ghana, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

The twelfth edition of the Africa Energy Indaba is one of the most sought after business and trade events addressing energy issues around the continent. The prestigious event, which is currently underway in Cape Town, South Africa, serves as the ideal platform for achieving Africa's energy vision for a sustainable energy future and keeping abreast of global energy competitors in this dynamic landscape. To discuss the latest on the event, Zikhona Miso spoke to Seydou Kane, Managing Director for Eaton Electricin Africa, a power management company..

Professor Yusuf Karodia, the founder of distance learning institutions in South Africa; MANCOSA and REGENT Business School, have recieved an award for being voted Africa's greatest visionary in the development of higher education. The function took place in Sandton, South Africa, and was hosted by African Leadership Magazine which presents the annual African Leadership Persons of the Year Award under various categories. Lebogang Mabange speaks to Professor Karodia...

In December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 3 March, the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's wild animals and plants. Ike Phaahla is General Manager for Marketing and Communications at South African National Parks and he joined us on the line...

Supermarket and pharmacy shelves across China are left bare as people scramble to lay their hands on basic necessities, medicines and foodstuff as fears mount that the Coronavirus could drag on. Panic buying has also set in among Americans, where pharmacies are selling out of face masks. But according to Nicole Jennings, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics, distributor of the nasal spray called Nexa Shield in South Africa, there is no need for panic buying at this stage. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Nicole Jennings.

The 2020 South Africa's Budget Speech, delivered on Wednesday by Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, contained several pieces of good news for taxpayers. At the same time, the Minister has taken a bold step in committing government to curtailing spending, which may have far-reaching consequences if it fails. This is according to Mike Teuchert, National Head of Taxation at Mazars, an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting, tax and advisory services, who says that this year's Budget signals a fundamental shift in Governments approach. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange chats with Mike Teuchert.

Analysts had predicted that South Africa's Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, would announce a Valued Added Tax (VAT) increase in the budget, but he announced personal income tax relief instead. Many are relieved that they may see some tax reductions in their income. Katherine Liese, Marketing Lead for 1Life's Truth About Money,an initiative to drive financial literacy in South Africa, chats with Channel Africa's Zikhona Miso

Africa's most dynamic thought-leaders, industry game-changers and icons of social activism will feature at the exclusive FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit. The summit is presented by Mastercard and hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial government in South Africa. It will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC centre in Durban, South Africa, next month. 'The Ceiling Crashers 2-point-0: Power with Purpose' is the fifth edition of this globally-renowned event. One of the panelists, Elisabeth Moreno, Vice President and Managing Director at Hulett Packard Africa spoke to Samora Mangesi about the summit....

Load shedding has been a literal on and off game for South Africans. Whether you use the time to catch up with the family playing board games or visiting the mall to beat the hours of no power, load shedding has definitely forced us out of the ordinary. This is according to Devan Moonsamy, Chief Executive Officer of the "I Can Help Africa Foundation" Training Institute in South Africa, who says that load shedding has not just hit us as consumers hard, businesses have also been crippled as a result of the power struggle. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange chats to Devan Moonsamy...

While South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa made some good commitments in the State of the Nation Address, the small and medium enterprise sector is hoping to get more clarity in the upcoming 2020 National Budget Speech. This is according to David Morobe, Executive General Manager of Impact Investment at Business Partners Limited, a specialist risk finance company for formal small and medium owner-managed businesses in South Africa, who says that a key area for Government to focus on is increasing the competitiveness of the country. For a perspective on the budget, Samora Mangesi spoke to David Morobe....

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a keynote address at the annual Armed Forces Day Celebrations in Polokwane, South Africa, which is held annually in commemoration of the sinking of the SS Mendi steamship on 21 February 1917. The event, which is meant to expand public understanding of the role of the South African National Defense Force, forms part of the 25th anniversary of South Africa's democratic force. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange attended the event and filed the following report...

South Africa is in critical need of a concrete plan from Treasury for the 2020/21 financial year if it is to overcome its existing economic challenges. Unfortunately, the 2020 Budget Speech, set to be presented by South Africa's Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni on Wednesday, 26 February, is more likely to be an exercise of balancing Treasury's books, rather than presenting real solutions to the country. This is according to Bernard Sacks, Tax Partner at Mazars, an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting, tax and advisory services, who says that Minister Mboweni's priority this year will likely be to find more ways of cutting expenditure and squeezing more out of the taxpayer base... To further discuss this, David French, Tax Consulting Director at Mazars spoke to Channel Africa's Teddy Sibiya...

The government in Malawi says it plans to appeal the landmark court order that annulled last year's re-election of President Peter Mutharika. The southern African nation made history recently when the top court ruled in favour of an opposition bid to cancel May's presidential election because of fraud allegations. The court ordered fresh election within 150 days. Government spokesperson and Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani is in Johannesburg, South Africa. He spoke to Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu..

One of the Commissioners for the Malawi Electoral Commission, Clifford Baloyi, told the Public Appointments Committee that the 21 May Presidential Elections were free and fair and the use of tippex did not favour any political party. The Commissioner appeared before the committee on Monday where he disagreed with the ruling that the elections were marred with irregularities. The southern African nation made history recently when the Constitutional court ruled in favour of an opposition bid to cancel May's presidential election because of fraud allegations. The court ordered a fresh election within 150 days. Meanwhile the government in Malawi says the annulment of the results did not affect its functions. More from Government spokesperson and Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani..

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier delivered the keynote address at the annual Armed Forces Day Celebrations, held annually on 21 February in commemoration of the sinking of the SS Mendi steamship on 21 February 1917. It was one of South Africa's worst tragedies during the First World War. A total of 616 black South African troops died when the SS Mendi sank on its way to France. The annual Armed Forces Day event, which is meant to expand public understanding of the role of the South African National Defence Force, this year forms part of the 25th anniversary of South Africa's democratic force. Our reporter Lebogang Mabange is in Polakwane and sent us this update on events...

Companies are increasingly appointing Hospitality Management graduates to senior positions outside of their 'traditional' roles, because of the tremendous breadth of transferable skills gained during their studies and practical training - particularly their ability to interface effectively with the public and handle diverse crises. Susina Jooste, Director of The Private Hotel School, one of South Africa's largest private higher education provider, who says a fairly fixed perception and expectation of the role and responsibility comes to mind when we refer to a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer or a teacher. But what do we know about the careers of professional hospitality management graduates? Candice Adams, Academic Head of The Private Hotel School and Capsicum Culinary Studio, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

The World Day of Social Justice, under the theme: "Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice", is the day to raise voice against social injustice and to remove barriers regarding gender, race, inequality, and religious discrimination. It also highlights the social injustice done throughout the world and to look into the solutions and improvements. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Leza Soldaat, a specialist in gender equality...

The latest survey results on What Worries the World for January 2020 finds the majority of people across the twenty-eight participating nations feel their country is on the wrong track, with Italy, South Africa, France, and Spain expressing the highest levels of anxiety about the future. This survey found that the top worries globally are Poverty/Social Inequality, Unemployment, Crime and Violence and Financial/Political corruption. Mari Harris, spokesperson at Ipsos South Africa, an innovative, entrepreneurial, client-focused organization, providing research services to clients on a global basis, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

Cybercrime is on the rise in Africa, and more companies are losing more money because of it. Lukas van der Merwe, Specialist Sales Executive for Security at T-Systems, a global Information Technology services and consulting company, delivered a presentation today in Sandton, South Africa, on the increasing sophistication and frequency of cyber threats, and how resourceful, persistent and well-funded cyber criminals actually are. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange attended the presentation and filed the following report...

Exposure to cybercrime is one of the most rapidly evolving threats that modern businesses face and the potential damage that any given cyber breach can cause for an organisation, is significant. This is according to Kirsten Cronin, Manager of Financial Lines Underwriting at Stalker Hutchison Admiral (SHA) Risk Specialists, who warns that businesses face the possibility of suffering catastrophic material losses in equipment and valuable company information if they are not prepared. Gobusamang Motaung, Financial Lines Underwriter at SHA Risk Specialist speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

It is no secret that cyber-crime is increasing at an alarming rate across the world and has become one of the biggest threats faced by companies, governments and individuals as the spread of digital technology and connectivity makes every form of human activity vulnerable to attack. This statement by Digital Solutions Group, a company that focuses on relationship marketing solutions using multi channel commerce, which states that they believe that government is particularly facing the most pressure here, not only for establishing the right governance to best manage the information age challenges from a policy perspective, but also given their vulnerability for and target of cyber-attacks. Yaron Assabi, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Digital Solutions Group chats to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

The new year may have kicked off on a discouraging note, with the International Monetary Fund's downward revision of South Africa's economic growth prospects, but 2020 could still hold significant opportunities for business owners who know where to look. This is according to David Morobe, Executive General Manager for Impact Investment at Business Partners Limited, one of Africa's leading business loan and equity providers, who highlights energy, tourism and technology as three of the sectors that could offer growth for business owners in the year ahead. David Morobe speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

South African Revenue Service (SARS) 2019 Tax Statistics Report highlights the fragility of the South African revenue collection ecosystem, which states that South Africa is heavily reliant on a relatively small base of taxpayers to generate the majority of the country's revenue collections. The report shows that in South Africa, personal income taxes, value-added tax (VAT) and corporate income taxes collectively account for approximately eighty-percent of the total tax revenues of the country. Of the revenue collected during the 2018/19 fiscal year, personal income taxes continue to be the main contributor to our country's tax coffers, contributing a total of thirty-eight-point-three-percent of the total tax revenues. Alex Gwala, Director in the Global Business Tax Services, and Innovation Leader for Africa Tax & Legal and Mining Tax Specialist, Deloitte, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

"The paltry child support grant of just twenty-eight-point-eighty-nine US Dollar a month is insufficient to significantly impact malnutrition rates among South Africa's children, and it is time for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to step in and do something about it." That is the message to the President ahead of his State of the Nation Address (SONA) this evening from the national Centre of Excellence in Food Security. To further discuss their expectations from the President's address, Professor Julian May from the Centre of Excellence In Food Security at the University of Western Cape in South Africa, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

Distance Education Provider, Brainline, has expressed the hope that South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will use his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to showcase government's commitment to tackle pressing challenges within the country's educational sphere. Brainline Chief Executive, Coleen Cronje, says it is essential that the President convince the public that South Africa's education is in good hands. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Coleen Cronje...

As tough economic times get tougher, the retail industry will need to think carefully about how to reduce their risk in order to protect their shoppers, stock and their bottom line. This is according to Laurence Smith, Executive at Graphic Image Technologies, a specialist in broadcast video compression and technology in South Africa, who says that the benefits of a tailored video surveillance (CCTV) and intelligent video management service make it possible for retailers, large or small, to reduce shoplifting and employee theft, while simultaneously creating a safer workplace and ensuring more efficient merchandising and store management processes. Laurence Smith chats to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, under the theme: 'Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth', focuses on the reality that science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of internationally agreed development goals. This day was implemented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to address diversity and inclusion in the science sector. To discuss further, Samora Mangesi spoke to Naadia van der Bergh, secretary at the Association of South African Women in Science and Engineering..

After a cyber attack, it can be difficult, if not impossible, for a business to recover without the correct solutions in place. this is according to Wynand van Vuuren, client experience partner at King Price, an insurance company in South Africa, who states that combining a proactive security approach with a strong cyber insurance policy is essential for any business to guard against the potential cost of restoring productivity and reputation. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange chats to Wynand van Vuuren...

Over the past twelve months, South African public and private sector organisations have fallen victim to a range of sophisticated cyberattacks that have disrupted business operations and resulted in reputational damage and loss of productivity and finances. This is according to Mikey Molfessis, cyber security expert at Mimecast, an international company specializing in cloud-based email management for Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office, who says that most organisations have to protect against a growing list of attacks including phishing, ransomware, impersonation fraud and insider threats. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Mikey Molfessis...

South African Breweries, SAB, is determined to stop drinking and driving on South African roads and help further reduce the number of drink-driving related injuries and deaths in the country. This follows the announcement by the South African Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, that road accident related deaths had decreased by ten-percent from the previous year during the holiday period. To discuss further on the SAB Road Safety campaign, Samora Mangesi spoke to Zoleka Lisa, Vice President for Corporate Affairs at SAB..

The first South African conference on death and dying as a life affirming transition was held in Cape Town, South Africa, on the seventh and eighth of this month. One of the aims of this conference was to demystify death and dying, and to help South Africans talk and prepare for death the same way as one would do for a wedding or a birth for example, thereby lessening the suffering that one experiences at the passing of a loved one. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Leigh Meinert from Soulfull Collective, a for-abundance company that organised the conference...

South African National Parks, SANParks, and the National Administration of Conservation Areas in Mozambique are determined to fight poaching in the Great Limpopo Trans Frontier Park, one of the first formally established peace parks in Southern Africa. The safety measures implemented on the border lines are showing results, despite the broken-down fence on the eastern side of the Kruger National Park. The South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries have released a report which states a decline in rhino poaching in South Africa. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange reports...

South African National Parks, SANParks, the body responsible for managing South Africa's national parks, is currently doing a surveillance to monitor the presence or absence of the Polyphagous Slot Hole Borer, also known as the beetle borer, in the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa. To get an understanding on what this bettle is all about, Channel Africa's Samora Mangesi spoke to Navashni Govender, Senior Manager for Conservation Management at Kruger National Park..

The South African National Parks (SANParks) have reported that two Rhinos have been poached at the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, South Africa, in January 2020. Channel Africa’s Lebogang Mabange spoke to Ike Phaahla, General Manager for Communications and Marketing at Kruger National Park…

South Africa's State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have been making endless headlines, with the narrative of corruption, looting and incompetence remaining prevalent. With that said, SOEs have a long history in South Africa, and are likely to continue playing an important role in the country's economy in the years to come. This is according to Sandile Tshabalala, Corporate Governance Consultant at Mazars South Africa, an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accounting, tax and advisory services. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Sandile Tshabalala...

The South African Police Service (SAPS), in partnership with Facebook, have launched an "Amber Alert" tool for South Africa to combat child kidnappings and find missing children. The launch took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange attended the launch and filed this report...

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa, in partnership with the South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), has launched the UNDP Accelerator Lab in the country to tackle the multifaceted development challenges in South Africa… Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange attended the launch and filed this report...

Deloitte Africa, one of the largest financial consulting firms in Africa, is hosting an annual Deloitte Alchemy Africa Outlook Executive Conference, where leading business figures and thought-leaders will discuss trends and prospects facing companies and countries in 2020. The conference will take place on the 30th of this month, at the Deloitte Offices in Johannesburg, South Africa. Dr Martyn Davies, Managing Director for Emerging Markets & Africa at Deloitte South Africa, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

Lawmakers in Burundi have adopted legislation offering President Pierre Nkurunziza an amount of money equivalent to more than half a million dollars and provide him with a luxury villa when he leaves office -as well as awarding him with a lifetime salary. The lawmakers also voted to elevate Nkurunziza to the title of "supreme leader" and Champion of Patriotism when he steps down in May. Nkurunziza is set to leave the presidency after the May elections this year, and his ruling CNDD-FDD party will select its candidate for the polls this weekend.For some reaction to this , Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Emery Igiraneza, President of Burundi's Patriotic Action Movement.

On this day, the 24th of January, the annual International Day of Education is observed, which sees all players such as government, the private sector and civil society organisations participate in dialogue on issues related to learning. With the new school year officially in full swing, the focus falls on learners being able to make the most of the resources at their disposal to reach academic success in 2020. In light of this, Steve Thobela, an executive at Novus Holdings, one of Southern Africa's largest print production and manufacturing operations, urges local schools who may be contemplating switching to digital education at the expense of book-based learning this year, to be cautious. Thobela says that electronic means should be introduced to complement learning via textbooks, rather than replace books altogether. Steve Thobela speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

A university degree is a valuable commodity to have when entering the job market, particularly if the economy is sluggish and fewer companies are hiring new employees. This is according to Leana de Beer, Chief Operations Officer for the crowdfunding platform in South Africa, Feenix, who says it's unfortuante that a growing number of people in South Africa are getting caught for faking their credentials. Figures released by the South African Ministry of Higher Education showed a spike in reported cases from forty-seven incidents in the 2010/2011 financial year to nine-hundred-and-eighty-two in 2017/2018. Leana de Beer speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

In 2018, the South African Constitutional Court ruled that it is not a criminal offence for an adult citizen to use, possess or grow cannabis in private for personal consumption. This has sparked a significant amount of confusion with regard to drug testing as well as the use of cannabis in the workplace. Rhys Evans, Managing Director at ALCO-Safe, the leading supplier of electronic Breath Alcohol Detectors and accessories in South Africa, says that the recommendations of the constitutional court ruling are that only two acts should be amended, The Drug trafficking act and The Medicines control act. Therefore, a zero-tolerance approach should be maintained, although testing policies and practices may need to be updated to reflect the most current legislation. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Rhys Evans...

Digital Lab Africa (DLA) is calling on creatives and cultural entrepreneurs from Sub-Saharan African countries to apply for the fourth edition of its acceleration programme. DLA is an initiative of the French embassy and French Institute in South Africa (IFAS) and has been managed by the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, an innovation hub in South Africa, since 2018. Its objective is to provide a springboard for African talent in multimedia creation and to make their project happen with the support of French leading companies. Siviwe Ngani, Marketing Coordinator at Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, chats to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

The South Africa in the Digital Age (SADA), an urgent multi-stakeholder initiative to develop a forward-looking digital economy strategy for South Africa, has released a report which assessed where digital and other technologies could create work for South Africans. One of the key findings was that South Africa can create five-hundred-thousand new jobs over ten years through globally traded services. Mark Schoeman, Manager for youth and technology at Genesis Analytics, one of the first economics-based consulting firms in Africa, and SADA strategy primer convenor speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

While the law provides some leeway for employers to record the conversations and activities of employees, whilst they are engaged in business related activities, and use such recordings against them, as long as it is "in the interests of justice to do so", employees have a lot less space to manoeuvre when recording the activities of their employers. This is according to Aadil Patel, national head of Employment practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyrs, a commercial law firm in South Africa, who explains that every employer has a right to privacy and confidentiality, and this right is often clearly set out in an employee's employment contract. Anli Bezuidenhout, Senior Associate in the Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Employment practice, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange.

While education may be the most powerful weapon, reading aloud and storytelling are integral building blocks of learning. This is according to Nal'ibali, a South African national reading-for-enjoyment campaign designed to spark children's potential through storytelling and reading. For the last seven years, Nal'ibali has been bringing a special story to children to celebrate World Read Aloud Day (WRAD). This year the WRAD will take place on the fifth of February. Katie Huston, Chief Operating Officer at Nal'iBali, speaks to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

With South Africa's Matric pass rate at an historical high, many thousands of learners are in the unexpectedly happy position of having received a Bachelor's pass, and therefore qualifying for further study. South African Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, has warned prospective students not to fall for bogus colleges, which can cost precious time and money with no return at the end, but to ensure that they sign up at a registered and accredited institution. He says ensuring that an institution and qualification is above board, by doing the relevant checks, is indeed a crucial step before one even considers enrolling. Nola Payne, Head of Faculty for Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, South Africa's private higher education institution, spoke to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange on the line...

As thousands of First-Year students head off to varsity in coming weeks, Dr Gillian Mooney, Dean for Academic Development and Support at The Independent Institute of Education, South Africa's private higher education provider, says that they should embrace the excitement and opportunity, but also ensure they start off on the right track to ensure they make a success of their studies right from the get-go. More from Dr Gillian Mooney...

South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has agreed to assist in facilitating talks to resolve an impasse between Ethiopia and Egypt over the massive Nile dam project. Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, who was on a two-day State visit in the country, said that Ramaphosa as the incoming chair of the African Union could play an important role in ensuring a peaceful resolution is found. Egypt is blaming Ethiopia for the failure of the latest round of talks on the construction of the dam, which is a critical issue for Cairo as it wants to protect its main freshwater source for its large and growing population. The two countries also signed one agreement and two memorandums of understanding. Nomalizo Mandela reports...

Nigerian presidential aide has assured Nigerians that there is no cause for concern over the withdrawal of 1,200 Chadian troops from North-east Nigeria. A spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu- says the withdrawal is a result of a change in the mandate of the Multi-National Joint Task Force. The Force is a multinational formation, comprising troops, from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria and was mandated to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency. News of the Chad troops pull-out, coupled with local reports of Nigerian troops also leaving the vicinity, sparked concern among residents, hundreds of whom promptly fled the area citing their fear of further attacks.For more on what the Chadian troops withdrawal means , Channel Africa spoke to Tanwa Ashiru - Founder of the 'Bulwark Intelligence Consultancy' group in Nigeria.

Currently, there is much excitement around the use of Cannabidiol oil in the management of conditions associated with chronic pain. This is according to Dr Alison Richardson, neurologist and spokesperson for Oil Science, a company that specialises in the supply of premium CBD products, who says that it is good to know that there is an extra tool in the toolbox, especially one that's been used for thousands of years, and that people know to be relatively safe. However, she adds that safe and effective are two different things. More on the CBD oil from Dr. Alison Richardson..

The South African Department of Basic Education has published the matric results for the 2019 cohort with the group achieving a pass rate of eighty-one-point-three percent. Over 787 000 candidates entered for the November 2019 National Senior Certificate examination. This number was made up of 616,554 full time and 179, 963 part-time candidates. To discuss further on the results, we were joined on the line by Dr Felicity Coughlan, the Director of the Independent Institute of Education, a private higher education institution in South Africa.

The South African Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, had a meet-and-greet breakfast with the thirty-three Matric 2019 top achievers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange attended the event and filed this report…

With less than twenty-four hours before the South African Matric Class of 2019 get the verdict about their finals results, tension is starting to build. this is according to Nola Payne, Head of Faculty for Information and Communications Technology at The Independent Institute of Education, South Africa's private higher education institution, who says that it is important at this stage to reflect on the fact that Matric results do not define a person forever, and that many people who did not do well went on to recover from the situation and reach success down the line, while others, who performed fantastically but never leveraged and built on their great results, not so much. More from Nola Payne...

Africa has consistently experienced more displacement associated with conflict and violence than any other region in the world over the past decade, and annual average figures have increased sharply. This is according to The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the world's authoritative source of data and analysis on internal displacement, which recorded more than seven-point-five million new displacements triggered by conflict and violence in 2018 alone. The IDMC report that was launched early this month shows that the scale of displacement is likely to continue unabated. For more on this, Lebogang Mabange speaks to Vicente Anzellini, Coordinator of the Global Report on Internal Displacement.

The Trans Africa Water Alliance (TAWA) consortium has announced a far reaching plan - three years in the making - to solve the looming water crisis in parts of South Africa, starting in the Western Cape. Under the leadership of Dr. Konstant Bruinette, a member of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, and former Chairman of the consulting team behind the acclaimed Lesotho Highlands Water Project, the consortium's plan uses the principle of gravity-driven pipelines to bring water to drought stricken areas. To discuss this further, Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange speaks to Dr. Konstant Bruinette.

The 2019 BIC Art Master Africa Competition provides a platform for African artists to showcase their work and demonstrate the continent's rich culture, heritage and love of art to rest of the world. With six-thousands US Dollars up for grabs, the 2019 BIC® Art Master Africa, a talent search competition which was launched in 2017, has become a highly anticipated competition for artists across the African continent. The main requirement of the competition is that participants use BIC ballpoint pens to create their artworks. Lillian Henderson, Marketing Director at BIC South Africa, a world leader in stationery, chats to Channel Africa's Lebogang Mabange...

Despite pressure to return to classes, Iraqi students say they will not stop protesting until their demands are met. For two months, protesters have taken to the streets in Baghdad and towns and cities across the mostly Shia south to demand jobs, basic services and an end to corruption. Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has since resigned and now leads a caretaker government with limited powers. Humanitarian organisations have meanwhile expressed concerns about the use of violence and loss of life during the on-going protests.For more on this , Channel Africa spoke to James Matthews , Communication Manager at The International Committee of the Red Cross in Iraq.

World leaders have gathered at the 25th Conference of the Parties - Otherwise known as COP25, in Madrid - Spain, - to discuss climate change, a summit that could make or break the world's climate commitments. The gathering was supposed to take place in Chile but was moved due to civil unrest in the country. Under the Paris 2015 agreement, more than 200 nations committed to keep global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels but the agreement has faced many challenges which include United States’ intention to withdraw from it. For more on the Madrid summit and its significance , Channel Africa’s Zikhona Miso spoke to Christian Wessels, founder and Managing Director of the solar energy solution provider -Daystar Power , in Lagos, Nigeria.

Namibian President Hage Geingob has won a second term in the presidential election despite the worst-performance for his South West Africa People's Organization -SWAPO, as socio-economic challenges curbed support for the party. The SWAPO party received 56.3 percent of the votes , significantly less than during the last elections when the party, which has been in power since independence in 1990, won 80 percent of the vote.For more on the vote results, Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Panduleni Nghipandulwa, Project Coordinator for The Namibia Institute for Democracy.

One in five people in the world on HIV medication will now be able to switch to a simpler, more affordable and more effective treatment. This follows an announcement yesterday that the South African government will roll-out a new treatment regime introduced with the support of the global health initiative, UNITAID. South Africa, with the largest HIV epidemic in the world, accounts for around twenty percent of the people on antiretroviral therapy, the biggest proportion globally. For more on this, Samora Mangesi spoke to Carmen Pérez Casas - HIV Strategy Technical Manager at UNITAID..

Ethiopia’s Sidama people have voted overwhelmingly to form their own self-governing region as many of the country’s ethnic groups demand greater autonomy under sweeping reforms led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The vote results show 98.5% of voters have backed the change , with turnout reaching 99.7%. The result grants the Sidama, who represent about 4% of Ethiopia’s 105 million population, their own self-governing region - the country’s 10th, control over local taxes, education, security and certain legislation.For more on the significance of the vote, Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to William Davison, Senior researcher on Ethiopia at the International Crisis Group.

Leaders of malaria-endemic countries across Africa and the Asia-Pacific have pledged to accelerate malaria elimination through domestic funding and by creating an enabling policy environment for the introduction of new tools to boost innovation and access to medicines. The pledge came as public health experts, scientists and researchers joined the Medicines for Malaria Venture in marking 20 years of innovation in malaria medicines and also looking ahead to the next generation of interventions for what remains one of the world's deadliest diseases.For more on this , Channel Africa’s Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to George Jagoe, Executive Vice President, Access & Product Management at the Medicines for Malaria Venture.

A team of scientists has discovered a new strain of HIV for the first time in nineteen years. The findings show the role next-generation genome sequencing is playing in helping researchers stay one step ahead of mutating viruses and avoiding new pandemics. Abbott Laboratories says it's making this new strain accessible to the research community to evaluate its impact to diagnostic testing, treatments and potential vaccines. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS - UNAIDS - there were approximately thirty-seven-point -nine-million people across the globe with HIV/AIDS in 2018. More from Dr Kuku Appiah - the Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs - Abbot Rapid Diagnostics, a branch of Abbott Laboratories. Dr Kuku Appiah - the Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Abbot Rapid Diagnostics, a branch of Abbott Laboratories. She was on the line talking to Elizabeth Lediga.

The Charter Cities Institute will host the inaugural Charter Cities conference in Johannesburg South Africa in March next year. The conference seeks to help alleviate global poverty by playing a critical role in the establishment of dozens of charter cities, new cities with special jurisdiction that allows them to adopt more competitive business practices, worldwide. Various stakeholders including entrepreneurs, policy experts, investors and real estate developers are expected to attend the conference. More from Dr Lutter, the Founder and Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute................

South Africa is marking Wills Week from today until Friday the 20th to emphasise the importance of drafting a will as part of a comprehensive estate planning process. During this week, citizens can have their wills drawn up by law and financial institutions participating in this awareness week. Death is a certainty for everyone and usually a devastating time for families left behind. During this time, and possibly for years after, it is possible to ease families' burden through effective estate planning. More from Director of Ecsponent Financial Services, Floris Slabert..

Channel Africa’s Sports Editor Thabiso Ntema reviews match day one of the South African ABSA Premiership season 2019-20 which kicked off over the weekend .

Efforts to fight wildlife crime and poaching in South Africa's national park have received a boost with the donation of jet fuel. Total South Africa has donated 100-thousand litres of jet fuel per year for the SANParks Parks Air-wing project, this as the country yesterday joined in celebrations to mark World Ranger Day in Skukuza at the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga. 318 rhinos had been poached countrywide in the first six months of 2019. Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu was in Skukuza and has filed this report..

Getty Images, a world leader in visual communications, and APO Group, a leading media relations consultancy and press release distribution service, have announced a wide-reaching collaboration to promote integrated text, photo and video solutions to organizations operating across Africa and the Middle East. Serving nearly One Million customers in almost every country in the world, Getty Images is the most trusted and esteemed source of visual content in the world, servicing the media, corporate and advertising sectors. Its digital asset management and distribution services optimize efficiency and content syndication for hundreds of partners globally. Senior Vice President for Global Strategic Development at Getty Images, Lee Martin explains...

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS together with the LGBT Foundation have launched a global online survey to evaluate the happiness, sex and quality of life for LGBTI people. The survey, the first of its kind, is part of a campaign to gain more information and insight into the challenges faced by LGBTI people. The data gathered will help to voice the concerns and advocate for improving the conditions and treatment of LGBTI community, including ensuring access to inclusive health and social services. More from Erik Lamontagne, Senior Economics Adviser for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, UNAIDS.....

A hundred of Africa's top brands have been acknowledged at the 7th Brand Africa 100 Awards which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. Brand Africa 100 was conceptualized to research, rank and recognise the best brands admired by African consumers. The rankings are based on a comprehensive pan-African survey across the 25 countries that collectively account for 85% of Africa's population and 85% of the continent's GDP. More from Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa and Patricia Ginthua she is the Vice President for Geopoll.

South African Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she's not stressed about what's happening around her. Mkhwebane spoke to Channel Africa at President Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration on Saturday at the Loftus Versveld Stadium, in Pretoria. Mkhwebane has been accused of trying to distract Ramaphosa in appointing his cabinet. The public protector released a report on Friday that found Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, guilty of improper conduct. The report is related to Gordhan granting then SARS Deputy Commissioner, Ivan Pillay early retirement during his time as Finance Minister. Mkhwebane says she's here to serve the people, especially in the fight to eradicate poverty...

Multi-award winning Mozambican saxophonist Moreira Chonguiça and Nigerias Etuk Ubong are some of the artists billed to perform at this years Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. The 22nd edition of Africa's premier jazz festival takes place on 26-28 September in Sandton, north of Johannesburg in South Africa. Channel Africa's Nhlanhla Mahlangu attended the launch and filed this report..

South Africa's post-election government must put human rights at the centre of its policies or risk shackling people to the chains of unemployment, poverty and inequality for decades to come. This is according to Amnesty International report published 25 Years On: A Human Rights Manifesto for South Africa today. Amnesty International South Africa's manifesto puts forward eight issues, with recommendations, that it considers important for the government-elect and political parties to commit to in order to build a rights-respecting society. More from General Secretary of the Right's Group, Kumi Naidoo...

Today is World Book Day. Each year, on the 23rd of April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the magical power of books - a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this UNESCO-declared occasion, international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry that is: publishers, booksellers, libraries and the community at large gather to engage on matters of literature. To weigh in the world activities, the Miriam Tlali Reading and Book Club this past Saturday, hosted a discussion entitled "Parents involvement is the number one predictor of early literacy success and future academic achievement". More from Convener of the Book Club, Sindiswa Seakhoa..

The commemoration of Human rights Month concludes in South Africa this coming Sunday. Dr. Ina Gouws, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Studies and Governance at the University of Free State, speaks about human rights, which many people say are being trampled upon by the likes of corruption, racism and femicide here in South Africa....

South Africa is this week hosting the Southern African Development Community Multi-Stakeholder Water Dialogue in Johannesburg. The meeting seeks to promote the involvement and empowerment of youth in enhancing water, energy and food security in the SADC region. For more on this meeting, her's the Director of Infrastructure at the SADC Secretariat, Mapolao Mokoena...

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is urging rich nations to renew their support for over a million refugees in Uganda. Living conditions in some of Uganda´s largest refugee settlements are deteriorating while refugees are taking drastic measures to survive due to a lack of funding. Adam Bouloukos, Uganda´s Country Director for the NRC, says the country is in some ways, a victim of the international community´s perception that it could cope with the influx of refugees. But nothing could be further from the truth...

O secretário de Estado adjunto norte-americano, John Sullivan, reafirmou, nesta segunda-feira, em Luanda, a disponibilidade dos Estados Unidos da América (EUA) ajudar Angola no processo de repatriamento de capitais ilicitamente fora do país.Afonso Pina especialista em Relações Internacionais fez a seguinte analise

O presidente Abdelaziz Bouteflika decidiu adiar as eleições presidenciais e anunciou que não vai ser candidato. A decisão do presidente argelino surge depois de vários dias de protesto contra a sua recandidatura. Foram mais de duas semanas com protestos inéditos em 20 anos de poder de Bouteflika. Egna Sidumo, pesquisadora junto do Instituto Superior de Relacções Internacionais de Moçambique adianta...

The Healthy Living Alliance, HEALA in South Africa has launched what is called the WhatsInMyFood Campaign, to educate the public about their rights to know what's in their food as well as the negative health implications of eating unhealthy food. HEALA's campaign comprises of advertisements to be flighted on different TV and radio stations, warning people about high levels of salt, sugar and fat in different food products. Poor diet continues to drive obesity in South Africa. The country has one of the highest overweight and obesity levels in the world, which is a contributing factor for heart disease. More from Thando Lamula, Communications and Advocacy Coordinator at HEALA....

A Organização das Nações Unidas para Agricultura e Alimentação (FAO) anunciou nesta terça-feira que dois milhões de moçambicanos venham a sofrer de insegurança alimentar severa no país, até final de Março, um agravamento em relação ao último ano.Olman Serrano representante da FAO em Moçambique deu mais pormenores A ficar para traz Olman Serrano representante da FAO em Moçambique falando ao canal Africa.

The HIV field is grappling with a prevention crisis exacerbated by decreased financing for the overall epidemic response. If this lack of political will to adequately fund response efforts continues, experts warn that the world will fail to meet the ambitious prevention targets to end HIV. Participants of the HIV for Research Prevention conference gathered in Madrid in Spain this week, to reflect on ways to build on the great progress that has been made in fighting the epidemic since it hit human beings in the 1980s. Jane Rabothata attended the global scientific meeting on HIV and filed the following report....

The HIV field is grappling with a prevention crisis exacerbated by decreased financing for the overall epidemic response. If this lack of political will to adequately fund response efforts, experts warn that the world will fail to meet the ambitious prevention targets to end HIV. Participants of the HIV for Research Prevention conference gathered in Madrid in Spain this week, to reflect on ways to build on the great progress that has been made in fighting the epidemic since it hit human beings in the 1980s. Jane Rabothata attended the global scientific conference and filed the following report....

Stigma, as well as lack of awareness and knowledge is resulted in poor uptake of the HIV prevention drug - the pre-exposure prophylaxis. Commonly known as PrEP, the drug has so far been initiated to about 300-thousand people globally. Most users are in North America, accounting for 71 per cent. Meanwhile, Sub-Saharan Africa, a region heavily burdened by the HIV epidemic holds 15 per cent of the total global PrEP initiation. These results were revealed at the HIV Research for Prevention Conference underway in the Spanish Capital, Madrid. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata spoke to Laura Fitch of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition…..

There has been dramatic shifts in the race and gender composition of media houses since 2006 in South Africa. This is according to the recent Glass Ceiling survey, a research project into how women fare in South Africa's media industry. Undertaken by the South African National Editors Forum and Gender Links, the survey also reveals new threats to women in media, particularly underlying sexism. Associate Professor in Media Studies at the University of Witwatersrand and member of the Sanef sub-committee on diversity, Glenda Daniels, elaborates..

South African leaders have been called on to rid society off corruption. This as the country celebrated the 100th centenary birthday of struggle icon Albertina Sisulu, under the theme: ''A woman of fortitude'' yesterday in Johannesburg. Archbishop of the Anglican Church Reverend Thabo Makgoba has urged leaders to follow the discipline, value and integrity of Mma-Sisulu. Kgomotso Mophulane attended the celebrations and filed this report..

The 2nd International Conference for Food Safety & Security is underway this week in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting seeks to develop local solutions required to address all the sustainable development goals, particularly those relating to food safety and security. The University of Johannesburg's Professor Lise Korsten, tells us more..

October marks transport month in South Africa and one of the country's civil rights groups Sonke Gender Justice, is calling on the ministry of Transport to uphold its obligation to provide safe and secure transport, especially for women and children. Nohlanhla Skosana, is the Community Education and Mobilisation Manager at Sonke Gender Justice...

South Africa has today kick-started National Nutrition Week, which seeks to educated the public on the importance of a nutritious diet. With more than 61 per cent of the country's population overweight, it has never been more important for South Africans to make healthy eating part of a healthy lifestyle. A well balanced diet is also an important part of preventing and managing chronic diseases such as strokes, heart conditions and diabetes. For more on this issue, here's dietician Abigail Courtenay with the global healthcare company Abott...

South Africa's ruling African National Congress stalwart Andrew Mlangeni, has been admitted to hospital in Cape Town. Mlangeni at age 93, is one of the only two surviving Rivonia trialists. The other surviving political activist is 85-year-old Denis Goldberg, with whom he stood trial along with Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and Govan Mbeki among others. Mlangeni was also among 11 anti-apartheid activists who were arrested on 1963 and was sentenced to life in prison at Robben Island. The stalwart's son, Sello Mlangeni says he's in a stable condition...

A full bench in the High Court in Pretoria has granted former President Jacob Zuma the right to intervene in the leave to appeal the state capture report case.Zuma wants leave to appeal the December 13th court judgement that ordered him to personally pay legal costs of reviewing Thuli Madonsela’s remedial action for the institution of the State Capture inquiry.

Economists say South Africa urgently needs to resolve and change its current policy environment to avoid further downgrades.The country is currently facing multiple crises from unemployment, unrest and low growth while government’s three growth plans disagree with each other.

South Africa’s Chief Diplomat says the country has received unprecedented support ahead of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, and that they will carry Madiba’s example into their work in the Security Council in 2019.

The troubled Horn of Africa country, Somalia, is still vulnerable but is making progress towards a more stable future.That's according to Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General.

The newly elected president of Cosatu, Zingiswa Losi says she’s confident that the Federation will move forward and intensify its efforts of making sure all workers are protected in the workplace, especially women.

The South African Film and Publication Board hosted a dialogue on culture and classification guidelines of films earlier this week. The dialogue follows this year's controversy that surrounded the film Inxeba, The Wound. The movie was hit with the 18 years age restriction amid uproar from groups that accused the film producers of defaming the Xhosa nation and their culture. Abongile Mashele, Acting Chief Operating Officer for the Film & Publications Board in South Africa explains...

Burundi National Independent Human Rights Commission has rejected the recent United Nations Commission of Inquiry report on Burundi, which accuses Burundian officials of committing serious human rights violations. The commission of inquiry alleges lack of criminal procedure against people who commit serious violations of human rights.Burundi Human Rights Commission says the report aims to tarnish the image of the country. Bernard Bankukira reports from Bujumbura…

As September marks national clean-up month in South Africa, and this week focuses on recycling, experts say business has a role to play in proactively reducing waste in the country. Each year, over hundred thousand volunteers participate in clean-up activities as part of the #CleanUpMonth initiative. Catherine Constantinides is an International Climate Activist and Eco-preneur...

People do not realise that globally, suicide is quiet a big problem. Although there are no accurate statistics in South Africa, some of the research shows that someone commits suicide roughly every two to three hours. With suicide prevention under the spotlight this week, Professor Lourense Schleubusch, a suicidologist in South Africa warns against stigmatising people who are suicidal, arguing that no one is immune to it....

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced his new cabinet comprising of technocrats and new faces from his ruling Zanu-PF. It's a lean cabinet of 20 ministers but the focus is on the Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, and Dr Obadiah Moyo as Health Minister. While some citizens feel these technocrats would help revamp the economy, others believe the Zanu-PF policies remains the same and no major changes would take place. Simon Muchemwa reports from Bulawayo…

As this week marks book week in South Africa -a part of literacy month- Nal'ibali - the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign, together with the United Nations, will be using its annual multilingual storytelling contest, Story Bosso, to nurture a new generation of courageous and literate children. This year's contest has 'South African Heroes' as its theme. Ben Rycroft is Head of Communications at Nal'ibali...

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

In the Energy committee, Radebe and his department will brief the committee about government's plans to ease the burden of high fuel prices on consumers. Radebe has been forced to appear before the Energy committee after the Ministry and the department failed to turn up for a scheduled meeting on the fuel crisis last week. The past year has been a roller-coaster ride for South African motorists with drastic fuel price fluctuations making it difficult for consumers to keep track of monthly budgets. Channel Africa speaks to Chief Economist at Econometrix, Dr. Azar Jammine to give insight:

The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania says there is a lot the youth of today can learn from the likes of struggle stalwart and anti-apartheid activist, Zondeni Veronica Sobukwe. The 90 year old died overnight after a long illness. Sobukwe was awarded the Order of Luthuli honour for her meaningful contribution to the struggle for democracy earlier this year. PAC's president Narius Moloto....

Experts says post the recent elections, Zimbabwe must now focus on how to move the country forward. This, it can do by exploring the multiple opportunities available, one of them the tourism sector. Zimbabwe is currently ranked 117th in most likely travel destinations in the world. Experts believe the new government has the responsibility of building up the economy, which they say will not be an instant fix. More than 3 million Zimbabweans are estimated to be living outside their country, having left the country for better economic prospects during the last two decades. Rishabh Thapar is the Associate Director at global hospitality consultancy, HVS Africa.......

National Science Week begins this Saturday in South Africa. The week will see a countrywide celebration of science and its role in society. This year, the celebration is under the theme 'Deepening our Democracy Through Science'. The country's National Development Programme seeks to increase access to maths and science to learners, especially those in underprivileged communities across the country. We spoke to Tasniem Patel, Head of Communications of Bayer Southern Africa about a programme which provides such lessons..

In an effort to curb the high rate of graduate unemployment in South Africa, the Minister of Public Service and Administration Ayanda Dlodlo has launched the Public Service Graduate Recruitment Scheme. The initiative is said to offer new graduates opportunities and training in government departments. Currently South Africa's unemployment rate at its highest since 2003. Mava Scott, is the Department's Ministerial Spokesperson

South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs has almost doubled its controversial annual quota for skeletons from captive bred lions. The announcement was made public just days before the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - CITES -, whose technical committee met in Geneva to discuss the implications of a major report on the impact of lion bone trade on beleaguered wild lion populations. Doctor Mark Jones, Associate Director at Born Free Foundation says his organisation published a report entitled Cash Before Conservation, exposing the cynical breeding of lions in South Africa for hunting and bone trade.

The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg South Africa is hosting an art exhibition of the icons Palaeolithic Lascaux Cave paintings from France, and the Southern African companion exhibit offering an insight into rock art .Doctor More Chakane, chief executive officer for Sci-Bono Discovery Centre says the prehistoric visuals have contributed to humankind's earliest masterpieces. The art pieces have been hidden below the Earth's surface for a period of about 17000 years and the Southern African rock art is said to be 100 000 years old.

Experts say former US president Barack Obama is fitting to deliver an address at the 6th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture currently taking place in Johannesburg. Obama is expected to deliver a lecture themed: "Renewing the Mandela Legacy and Promoting Active Citizenship in a Changing World". Among the many events marking the Mandela centenary is the recent printing of commemorative banknotes. Proffesor Amanda Gouws, distinguished Professor in Political Science at Stellenbosch University....

Tomorrow* South Africa commemorates 42 years since the 1976 Soweto uprising. The June 16 uprising was a series of protests by black pupils in response to the Afrikaans-medium decree of 1974. We take stock of how history changed since then and ask if - given the challenges the country face today of social and economic inequality among others - the aims of June 16 been achieved. Seth Mazibuko was the youngest member of the Student Action Committee that planned and led the Soweto uprising. He says the memories of that day are still fresh...

The Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids, Michel Sidibe, has just concluded a four-day visit to South Sudan. He disclosed that 5% of the 200 000 soldiers in South Sudan army have spread the virus that causes HIV/Aids.

Over seventy percent of over 16 year olds in South Africa are not interested in reading while 58 % of homes do not have a single leisure book. Experts say the declining rate of reading and low literacy levels in the country is alarming and calls for a serious intervention. Besides the high cost of books, other reasons that have been sourced is the lack of time to read. Elitha van de Sandt, CEO at the South African Book Development Council says this problem is historical....

Welcome to this week's African Arty Beats, exclusive to Channel Africa, the African Perspective. In this week's segment, Nhlanhla Mahlangu brings us the latest entertainment news: United States actress and singer, Tichina Arnold, is currently in South Africa filming scenes for the local drama, Lockdown. The annual Soweto fashion week is underway and 90's R&B groups TLC, SWV and Dru Hill are heading to South Africa.

This saturday marks World Book Exchange Day. South Africa's Nongovernmental organisation -The Nal'ibali Trust- is inviting avid book readers to join its inaugural nation book exchange project to mark the day. A recent ''Progress in International Reading Literacy Study'' has revealed that 78% of Grade 4's in South Africa are illiterate. Research also shows that only 35% of adults read regularly to their children and very few are readers themselves. Petunia Thulo, Public Relations and Events Manager for Nal'ibali is encouraging everyone to be involved in this campaign, even beyond the commemorative day..

Today marks World Bedwetting Day, which aims to raise awareness among the public and health care professionals around this common condition. Over the years bedwetting has been an issue in many homes globally. Research has shown that over 18% of children aged five and over still wet the bed. Bedwetting is known as the involuntary discharge of urine after the age at which a child's bladder control should have been established. Dr Michael Mol, Brand Ambassador for DryNites® Pyjama Pants in South Africa sheds light on how bedwetting children can be supported...

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

There's growing concern for the safety of a Sudanese girl who has been sentenced to hang for fatally stabbing the man she was forced to marry, after allegedly being raped by him and suffering other gender-based violence.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says international companies operating in the country must increase their local supplier and content quota.

Environmental ministers from South Africa, Brazil, China and India, have recommitted themselves to the Paris Agreement that was signed at the 21st Conference of the Parties or COP 21 in 2015.

On Africa News Round-Up, Channel Africa brings you a weekly dose of stories making headlines on the continent:Israel faces a growing backlash after its troops kill more than 50 Palestinians at a mass protest in Gaza this week; Burundians head to the polls to vote on proposed changes to the constitution.And, the highly-anticipated South Sudan peace talks get underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Welcome to this week's African Arty Beats, exclusive to Channel Africa, the African African Perspective.As always, Thuto Ngobeni brings you African art headlines from all parts of the world. In this week's segment: The 21st Standard Bank Joy of Jazz celebrates Hugh Masekela; The Banned Kenyan Film 'RAFIKI' Makes History at the Cannes Film Festival And, American rapper, Cildish Gambino, gets the world talking with his latest single, This is America...

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Welcome to this week's African Arty Beats, exclusive to Channel Africa, the African Perspective. As always, we give you the latest African art headlines from all parts of the world. In this week's segment, the University of Johannesburg confers South African world-renowned painter, Esther Mahlangu, with an honorary doctorate; the Brooklyn Museum responds to the outrage prompted by its hiring of a white curator for African art; Burundian singer and musician, Khadja Nin, pays tribute to the late Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela.

Welcome to this week's African Arty Beats. In this week's edition we look at Google honouring American author, poet, memoirist and activist, Dr Maya Angelou on what could have been her 90th birthday on the 4th of April, with a Doodle. We speak to South African journalist, Zubeida Jaffer, on the passing of activist, Winnie Madikizela Mandela.

Welcome to this week's edition of of the African Arty Bits, exclusive to Channel Africa, the African Perspective. This week we look at the South African Film and Television Awards which took place last weekend, along with the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. South African Director, Liesl Tommy, has been signed to direct the big screen adaptation of Trevor Noah's autobiography, Born A Crime.

The African Arty Bits is a weekly wrap up African arts and entertainment news exclusive to Channel Africa current Affairs, Africa Midday on Fridays at 19:00. This segment previews and reviews African arts news, from all corners of the African Diaspora whether fine art, music, craft and film.

From now on, Art Beats will be previewing and shining the spotlight on African Arts and Entertainment News.In this week's slot, the show looks at the African Mona Lisa portrait by the late Nigerian artist, Ben Onwonwu. The piece went under the hammer for $168 million at the Bonhams Auction House in London. We also have news on the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon, France, that removed a video by the controversial Algerian artist, Adel Abdessemed.The video shows a row of flaming chickens hanging by their feet following social media outrage over the "cruel" work. Our reporter Thuto Ngobeni has more...

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Dan Roebuck and Paul Eales speak exclusively to Eddie Pepperell following the Englishman's maiden European Tour triumph at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

The late Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will be buried in his home village of Buhera this morning. His death comes months before Zimbabwe holds its first election without his long-time rival, former president Robert Mugabe being in power. Known as a champion of democracy, Tsvangirai fought to unseat Mugabe for over two decades. But just who is Morgan Tsvangirai…….to get a clearer picture, Morning Live's Palesa Chubisi spoke to David Moore who is a Professor of Development Studies and a political analyst at the University of Johannesburg..........

To commemorate Black History Month, the American Embassy has partnered with the South Africa's Market Theatre to show a thought-provoking stage play to the country's audiences. ''One Night in Miami'' is a narrative of the actual meeting between American Human rights activist Malcolm X, Boxer Muhammad Ali and Football Player Jim Brown, following Ali's victory at the boxing's World Heavyweight Championship in 1964. Black History Month is an annual observance in the US and UK, for the remembrance of people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Past productions the theatre have shown include the Tribute to Maya Angelou. Artistic Director at the Market Theatre James Ngcobo says it has been received well..

As South Africa's newly sworn in president Cyril Ramaphosa is to deliver the State of the Nation Adress tonight*, the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation says government should not turn a blind eye to gender based violence. The centre is calling on the setting of a bold agenda and putting aside adequate resources to tackle the scourge. Aluwani Mauda, ‎Senior Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Centre explains...

Talks aimed at reviving South Sudan peace agreement which collapsed in 2015, have officially resumed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, after representatives of the Juba authorities refused to sign a document that empowers the African Union and the regional trade bloc, IGAD, to punish the government or rebels if they violate a ceasefire. James Shimanyula has been closely following the talks for us and he sent us this report...

South Africans could finally find out today whether or not President Jacob Zuma will step down. This, as the ruling African National Congress' National Executive Committee is set to meet this afternoon to decide on Zuma's fate. The waiting game gained momentum following the postponement of the State of the Nation Address last week. Confusion and disbelief of the unfolding of events within the ANC has been the order of the day. ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the meeting is expected to bring finality on the matter. Reports have said the NEC will decide on implementing a reported decision by the party's National Working Committee to recall Zuma. There's been expectations that Zuma would vacate his office following Ramaphosa's victory at the party's December elective conference. More from Political Analyst, Dr. Somadoda Fikeni..

South Africa's opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters says the ruling African National Congress' President Cyril Ramaphosa is an indecisive leader and this is not what the country needs right now. This comes as the country's president Jacob Zuma refused to resign when the ANC top six officials‚ including Ramaphosa asked him to step down earlier this week. The opposition party is adamant that Zuma has to leave office. National Chairperson of the EFF Advocate Dali Mpofu explains...

More than 20 years of having no national airline, Zambia is getting ready to have its flag flying high with the re-launch of the liquidated Zambia Airways. Not every one in Zambia is however amused by the move. Many say while it is a good idea, it is ill timed. Channel Africa's Hilda Akekelwa has more..

The South African government will soon launch one of the largest cancer awareness campaigns on the continent - following a spike in the number of cancer patients in the country. The cost and access to oncology treatment is one of the major challenges that cancer patients are facing in South Africa. To commemorate World Cancer Day yesterday - government has urged South Africans to focus on the prevention rather than the treatment of the disease. Thabile Mbhele reports...

Born Free Foundation says it welcomes Hong Kong's commitment to ivory trade ban. Mark Jones, director multilateral environmental agreements and United Kingdom Wildlife at Born Free Foundation says we have to remember that elephants are being killed and continue to be killed at an unprecedented rates to supply illegal ivory into the global market.

Zimbabwean media houses have received 1 million US Dollar election reporting support from the International Media Support, EU and Norway Foreign Ministry ahead of the 2018 polls. Through the support, a grouping of various media rights organisations falling under The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe launched an election program under the theme, "Support to Media on Governance and Electoral Matters in Zimbabwe. During the launch in the capital Harare, the EU urged President Emerson Mnangagwa's government to respect media freedoms during this year's polls. Simon Muchemwa reports from Harare.........

Anti-corruption needs to be included in the schooling curriculum so that children are taught good ethics from an early age. That was the consensus reached by youth activists representing the Africa region at this year's annual Youth Forum hosted by the UN's Economic and Social Council in New York. Delegates were allowed a breakaway session according to their geographical regions and then presented their finding to the entire forum where the Africa Group, led by a delegate from Botswana, presented a frank assessment of challenges, particularly corruption, facing the region. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

CEO of South Africa's Capitec Bank, Gerrie Fourie, has accused Viceroy Research Group of being driven by profit motives in what the bank calls a one-sided and factually incorrect report. Viceroy released a report yesterday labelling Capitec a loan shark that must be placed under curatorship. Fourie has questioned the motive and timing of the Viceroy report. Capitec Bank has about nine milion active clients. Thandiswa Mawu reports ...

United Nations humanitarian and development chiefs, Mark Lowcock and Achim Steiner are currently visiting Ethiopia, where they are highlighting the immense challenge of persistent food insecurity and the new approach to addressing it. Despite making remarkable strides in development and fighting food insecurity over the past three decades, Ethiopia's susceptibility to drought has resulted in recurring food insecurity. In recent months, hundreds of thousands of people on the border between the Somali and Oromo regions have been displaced, requiring additional humanitarian response. For more on this issue here's the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ahunna Eziakonwa Onochie..

As the African union summit continues the civil society organisations are hopeful that heads of state will consider a continuity of projects regardless of the change in the annual themes. This years theme is : Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation. Colleta Wanjohi reports from Addis Ababa..

Botswana vice president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, says the late Bophuthatswana homeland leader, Lucas Mangope will be remembered as a leader, whose decisive leadership didn't go unrecognised, even by those who didn't support him. Masisi is visiting Mangope's family to convey his condolences and those of Batswana. Patrick Dintwa reports..

Laboratory tests have confirmed 21 cases of listeriosis in South Africa's North West province. Two people have so far died in the province. The first case was reported in the Bojanala district municipality sometime last year. Listeriosis is transmitted through contaminated food. It has caused the death of 81 people countrywide since the beginning of 2017. Sisi Segalo reports..

Are you big on New years resolutions? South Africa's nongovernmental organisation Afrika Tikkun is calling on citizens to join a fundraising campaign to raise funds for the organisation by fulfilling their resolutions. Whether it is quitting smoking, losing weight or climbing Kilimanjaro, Afrika Tikkun through its #adventurefundraising platform says it will partner with people to encourage them to fulfill their plans while this also benefits the institution. Catherine Van Schoor, Public Relations Officer at Africa Tikkun explains how this works

Peacekeepers at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been trained in how to be more aware of incidents of gender-based violence. They took part in a recent workshop organized to remind contingents of their role to fully protect civilians in a country where rape has been used as a weapon of war. UNMISS Gender Affairs Officer Gladys Jambi explained that because women generally know what is going on in their communities, including when crimes have occurred, it is important for blue helmets to engage with them. Regina Kwaje asked her about the workshop objectives.

United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF has accused South Sudan military and rebels led by former deputy president Riek Machar, of recruiting more than 19,000 children. But the authorities in Juba and the rebels have denied the accusation and challenged UNICEF to produce evidence to prove that indeed recruitment of children is taking place. James Shimanyula reports..

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has warned against those who are using the courts to resolve leadership disputes within the governing African National Congress Party. Zuma delivered his last political address after his ten year stint at the helm of the party. The ANC is holding its 54th Elective Congress at Nasrec in Johannesbug. SABC specialist researcher Ronesh Dhawraj has more on the legacy that Zuma is leaving behind as the leader of Africa's oldest liberation movement....

Tanzania has set a world record in national immunisation coverage, thanks to the government-backed national Immunisation and Vaccine Programme currently under implementation. A new report by the World Health Organisation, WHO, says the country has attained 97 percent, surpassing the target by the Global Vaccine Action Plan. Jane Rabothata reports..

A landmark agreement between the South African Social Security Agency, SASSA and the South African Post Office, SAPO, has been signed. This follows the order by the constitutional court that SASSA and the social development department must find alternative service provider to Cash Paymaster Services. SAPO and SASSA will now work together to ensure that 17 million social grants recipients receive their grants in April next year. The implementation plan of the agreement commences immediately. Phumzile Mlangeni reports

There are concerns that what is happening at furniture chain Steinhoff International will negatively affect South Africa's assets. Portfolio manager at Old Mutual Investment Group, Peter Brooke says the situation has also raised serious questions about South African corporate governance. Steinhoff International's shares crashed on Wednesday after it revealed accounting irregularities and its CEO quit. This has shocked investors who had backed the rapid reinvention of Steinhoff to an international retail empire. Financial strategist Nerina Visser says the situation at Steinhoff International is unprecedented and is likely to affect other companies...

Democratic Republic of Congo's Independent National Electoral Commission, has received a lot of computer related equipment from South Korea's National Electoral Commission. The donation aims to help the DRC electoral commission manage its operations properly and deliver results, in order to consolidate peace and democracy in the country. Jean Noel Ba-Mweze reports......

''We ran away from Burundi because my uncle wants to kill my family'', this is an account of an 18 year old Burundian refugee Loy Hatisngimana, currently staying in Nduta camp in Tanzania. Her family fled their country of origin due to the Hutu and Tutsis ethnic groups' rivalry. According to United Nations Children's Fund children are the most affected in conflict. During her trip to Arusha, Tanzania earlier this year, Channel Africa's Kgomotso Mophulane sat down with Hatisngimana and filed this report....

There have been diverse reactions across Africa since Robert Mugabe was forced out of power in Zimbabwe. Some politicians in countries with long-time leaders say the situation in Zimbabwe should be an eye opener for leaders who want to die in power. In Cameroon, 85-year old president Paul Biya is now the oldest African president and the second longest serving in Sub Saharan Africa, after his neighbour Obiang Nguema of Eqiatorial Guinea. Moki Kindzeka has more from Yaounde.

Egypt is reeling from the horrific militant attack on a Mosque in the country's northern Sinai that killed at least 309 people. It is the deadliest attack by Islamic extremists in the country's modern history. President Abdel Alsisi has declared three days of mourning following the attack. Channel Africa spoke to the Head of the Religious Studies at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Fareed Esack about the attack and what it means for Egypt's war on terror.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

While South Africa is moving to ensure the safety of boys and young men who undergo circumcisions at traditional initiation schools, a new report has shown that some of them die of hunger at illegal initiation schools, while others have lost their limbs. According to the report, in some areas, illegal initiation schools are used as breeding grounds for crime and gangsterism. Aimed at establishing the causes and the nature of deaths at initiation schools, the report was put together by the South African religious watchdog, the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities. The commission has now called on different stakeholders to crack down on dangerous, illegal initiation schools. More from Professor David Masoma, Deputy Chairperson of the commission..

Informal traders and convenience stores also known as Spaza Shops in South Africa will get to use their phones to pay for transactions. Through a partneship of Mastercard's payment service Masterpass and Techological company Spazapp, shops can now get to digitally pay for stock and accept cashless payments from their customers using their mobile phones. Gabriel Swanepoel,Vice President of Product Innovation at Mastercard South Africa explains..

Former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, has lambasted the ruling ANC national executive committee for choosing not to attend the ANC Stalwarts and Veterans Consultative Conference. Mbeki was speaking at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, on the final day of the conference yesterday. The gathering was called to address problems within the ruling party. Mbali Sibanyoni reports…..

The SADC Troika on Politics, Defence and Security has called for an urgent meeting of all SADC regional leaders to discuss the deepening political crisis in Zimbabwe. This follows the seemingly bloodless coup after the army announced that it is targeting what it calls criminals around President Robert Mugabe. South African President Jacob Zuma who is also the SADC chair arrived in Botswana last night for a Bi-National Commission with his Botswana counterpart, Ian Khama. But the BNC is expected to dwell much into the Zimbabwean situation. Ntebo Mokobo reports.

Human rights activist and Hollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie has told a UN Conference of military chiefs and defence ministers that peace agreements often don't go far enough to ensure justice for victims of sexual violence during conflict. She was speaking at a pledging conference of peacekeeping in Vancouver, Canada. The Special Envoy for the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees lamented the lack of implementation of existing international laws to counter sexual violence as a weapon of war and specifically pointed to abuse by peacekeepers in theatres where they've been sent to keep the peace and protect the most vulnerable. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

South Africa's foreign policy objectives are often highly dependent on the country's military security objectives. That's the view of the military advisor to the country's mission to the United Nations speaking on the sidelines of a Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference currently underway in Vancouver, Canada. The conference is focused specifically on closing the existing gaps in the UN's 15 peacekeeping missions around the world, among them concerns around sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers, the recruitment of children in conflict zones and the expanded role of women as blue helmets. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Private and public sector partnerships are vital in preparing Africa for the 4th Industrial Revolution. This is according to Dr Amany Asfour, Chair of The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Business Council. Dr. Asfour spoke to Channel Africa on the sidelines of the ninth African Union Private Sector Forum, a biennial event of the AU Commission and the Nepad Business Foundation, taking place in Pretoria, South Africa. The three-day forum is aimed at taking full advantage of digitisation and tech-prenuership, and brings together the private sector and small to medium enterprises to discuss how entrepreneurship and technology trends can drive development in Africa. Dr. Asfour says Innovation is key to supporting Africa's transformation..

The World Tourism Organization has expressed confidence on tourism in Madagascar following the recent plague outbreak. The organisation is echoing the advice by the World Health Organisation to governments not to rush to issue inaccurate travel advisories. The WHO says the risk of international spread appears unlikely. Sandra Carvão, Communications Director of UNWTO elaborates...

South Sudanese civilians will only "feel ownership" of their country when fundamental freedoms and rights are respected by all, and for all. That's the essence of a new campaign aimed at internally-displaced people sheltering in Protection-of-Civilian, or PoC, sites around the country, run by the UN Mission, UNMISS. Much of the violence which has wracked the world's youngest nation since civil war erupted in 2013 has occurred along ethnic lines, but UNMISS says it is time now to stand up in solidarity for the rights of all citizens, especially in PoC sites. Just under 215 thousand civilians are under UN protection across South Sudan. Anthony Nwampa of the mission's Human Rights Division spoke to Radio Miraya reporter Sworo Charles at the main PoC camp in the capital, Juba.

Four of the eight former South African police officers who were involved in the killing a Mozambican immigrant - Mido Macia - will be appealing their conviction in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein today. Eight police officers were sentenced to fifteen years in prison after they dragged Macia for about five-hundred metres behind a police van in 2013. Thabiso Radebe reports.

As October month focuses on food security and the eradication of poverty. We talk to agricultural experts about smart alternative ways of farming in addressing food security. There's an alternative agricultural method called Aquaponics which uses farming space intelligently and uses fish farming as well as soilless crop production. Unathi Sihlahla, Programme Director for Health in Action South Africa at the INMED Partnerships for Children is confident that it is a sustainable method...

A galaxy of footballing stars descend on London Palladium , a venue renowned for mixing British royalty with the bright lights of the entertainment industry . This time the spotlight fell on the new kings and queens of football who were crowned at The Best FIFA Football Awards on Monday night. Channel Africa’s Sports Editor Thabiso NTEMA watched the awards and complied this report.

South Africa and Iran have committed to further strengthen political, economic and trade relations. This emerged during the 13th Joint Commission between the two countries in Pretoria. The meeting was aimed at consolidating and tracking progress as well as implementing the agreements between Pretoria and Tehran. Since the last Joint Commission meeting in Iran in May 2015, a number of high-level interactions between the two countries have occurred, the most recent being the State Visit by President Jacob Zuma in April last year. Amos Phago reports..

The UN Refugees Agency, UNHRC, says the number of people forcibly displaced worldwide stands at 65 point 5 million, the highest it has ever been. According to their 2016 annual report, South Africa hosted over 300 000 refugees and asylum seekers. This was revealed at the Reporting Race & Migration Conference, in Johannesburg last week, hosted by The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism in partnership with United Nations Information Centre and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. Pearl Magubane reports....

The number of prisoners awaiting trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is very high. As the country's magistrate higher council opened its forum in Kinshasa on Wednesday, the minister of Justice Alexis Tambwe Mwamba said 5,800 people are currently detained in the DRC central prison of Makala, but only less than 2,000 of them have been sentenced. Jean Noel Ba-Mweze reports from Kinshasa..

A new strain of fungus is threatening one of the world's most favourite fruits. The warning comes from the Food and Agriculture Organization which is working with partners to protect the world's banana crops from the disease, known as Fusarium Wilt TR4, which can last for years in the soil.Dianne Penn spoke to Fazil Dusunceli, an agricultural officer at FAO headquarters in Rome...

DRC's election to the UN's Human Rights Council has been criticized because of the country's human rights record. Human rights organisations have decribed the election as a slap in the face to the many victims of the human rights abuses across the country. Violence in eastern and central Congo has displaced 1 point 5 million in the last year and reopened fears of civil war. Jean Noel Ba-Mweze reports has more from Kinshasa

The American fast food restaurant chain, KFC says it is aiming to raise more than 370-thousand US dollars in customer donations this month alone to feed hungry children through its Add Hope campaign. KFC has joined thousands around the globe this month in marking World Hunger Month, an initiative that aims to celebrate sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty. Hunger and poor nutrition continue to pose a major risk to the physical, cognitive and social development of millions of children in many parts of the world. More from Thabisa Mkhwanazi, KFC's Public Affairs Director and Add Hope champion

A senior Burundian government official says Belgium and Rwanda are closely collaborating with people who attempted to stage a coup in 2015, and are arming refugees to disrupt Burundi's security. Therence Ntahiraja, assistant home affairs minister, was speaking after a demonstration staged by thousands of ruling party supporters in the streets of the country's capital Bujumbura. The aim of the demonstration was to denounce the role of Rwanda and Belgium in backing "coup plotters" and arming refugees living in Tanzania and Rwanda. Bernard Bankukira reports from Bujumbura…

UN health experts say efforts are under way to eradicate a neglected form of tuberculosis that has a particularly damaging impact on poor rural communities in Africa and South-East Asia. Animal - or zoonotic - TB can be passed to humans through contaminated meat or dairy products. According to new data from the World Health Organidsation (WHO), animal TB kills at least twelve-thousand people a year. Its economic consequences are also serious, but the hope is that the first Roadmap for Zoonotic TB - launched at the 48th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Mexico - will help change that, as WHO's Dr Anna Dean explains.

States which practice the death penalty often fail to release basic details of executions, even concealing them from prisoners' family members.That was one of the details discussed at the event, Transparency and the Death Penalty, held at UN Headquarters this week to mark World Day Against the Death Penalty. James Connell is a lawyer from the United States who represents one of the six men facing the death penalty in the US, who are being held at the Guantánamo Bay detention centre in Cuba. He explained to UN radio's Matt Wells what had happened to his client...

The unaffordability of tuition fees for university students is a common challenge around the world. This is what a public lecture on ''the Student Fees crisis in Britain'' held in Johannesburg yesterday has heard. The South African student's #FeesMustFall conundrum is said to not be a unique case, as Britain's student finance system is also in a crisis. Lord Peter Hain, British politician, Author and Anti-Apartheid activist has been addressing a public lecture regarding this...

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation has released a report showing that rural areas have potential for economic growth. The state of food and agriculture 2017 report has revealed that sweeping transformations are needed in developing countries to unlock their potential to help feed and employ a younger, more crowded planet. For more on this, Wandile Kallipa spoke to Doctor Andrea Cattaneo, senior economist at the UN Food and Agricultural Organization........

The Zimbabwean embassy has withdrawn its participation in matter brought by South African model Gabriela Engels and civil rights group Afri-Forum to review the diplomatic immunity granted to first lady Grace Mugabe by the South African government. The applicants approached the high court in the capital Pretoria to sought permission to serve Mugabe with papers through the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa. Mugabe allegedly assaulted 20 year old Engels with an electrical cord after she found her with her two sons at an upmarket Sandton hotel in August. Phumzile Mlangeni reports…

As violence escalates in the Central African Republic, women and girls in particular continue to bear the brunt with armed groups across the country using rape and sexual slavery as a tactic of war. This is according to a new report released by Human Rights Watch. The report titled 'They Said We Are Their Slaves, Sexual Violence by Armed Groups in the Central African Republic" documents over 300 cases of rape and sexual slavery carried out against women and girls between early 2013 and mid-2017. Lewis Mudge, Central african Republic researcher at Human Rights Watch has more on the report, and its key findings..

Violence forced more people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to flee their homes last year than from anywhere else on earth. And that includes Syria. Since last October, the Kasai region in Southern DRC has been wracked by violence, leading to the deaths of many civilians. The violence began as a result of clashes between the army and a government-backed militia. Many villages were burned down and it is estimated that more than a million people have been displaced in the region in the past year, more than half of them children. Several other armed factions are now involved and lingering tensions continue to force families to flee. The BBC's Mike Thomson went to Southern DRC and spoke to some of those forced to take flight -

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Governments must allocate more resources towards stamping out online child pornography and child sexual exploitation, issues that affect all countries worldwide. That's the opinion expressed by Camille Cooper of the US-based National Association to Protect Children, which trains wounded war veterans to work with law enforcement to combat these crimes. Cooper has been at UN Headquarters this week for a meeting on children and the slave trade in the digital age, which brings together representatives from more than 20 countries as well as civil society. She spoke to Agnese Pastorino ahead of the event.

Research group - Afrobarometer, says Ugandans overwhelmingly favor an age limit for the president. According to the survey, three-fourths of Ugandans favor maintaining an age limit of 75 years for presidential candidates. For more on this findings, Channel Africa's Khumbelo Munzhelele spoke to Francis Kibirige, Afrobarometer's National Coordinator in Uganda.........

COSATU has welcomed with caution Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba's assurance that state pension funds will not be used recklessly to support ailing state companies such as the SAA. Gigaba addressed the media in Pretoria yesterday, amid concerns that the Public Investment Corporation was under attack from those who wished to use its funds to bail out struggling state firms. COSATU general-secretary, Bheki Ntshalintshali...

South Africa has joined with the UN Programme on HIV and Aids to announce a new breakthrough pricing agreement that could revolutionize the treatment and management of HIV in low to middle income countries. The agreement will accelerate the availability of the first affordable, generic single-pill HIV treatment regimen to public sector purchases to around 75 dollars per person, per year - or around 1000 Rand annually. The new regimen containing DOLUTEGRAVIR or DTG is recommended by the World Health Organisation as an alternative first line HIV regimen. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

A major vaccination campaign to halt the spread of a Cholera outbreak is underway in Nigeria's Borno state. The campaign is spear-headed by the World Health Organisation, the Gavi Alliance and other partners and is targeting nearly one million people. Some ten million US dollars in funding is needed to stop the spread the water bourne disease according to the United Nations. For more on this, Elizabeth Lediga spoke to James Fulker, Media Manager at the Gavi Alliance..

A recent research conducted in collaboration with the Center for International Forestry Research suggests that forests and cyclones share a fundamental link in atmospheric dynamics, and that changes in one can trigger changes in the other. Doctor Anastassia Makarieva, senior researcher theoretical physics division at Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute explains....

Three Angolan opposition parties have lodged an appeal at the Constitutional court in the country against the outcome of last month's election that asserted the 42-year grip of the ruling MPLA party. The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, UNITA, and two smaller parties, the FNLA and PNS, are arguing that the electoral process has failed to comply with the law, and want the results to be declared invalid. The move comes after the National Electoral Commission published final results last week which gave MPLA 61% of the vote, and UNITA 27%. More from Alcides Sakala, Spokesperson of UNITA..

The African Union High Level Committee has welcomed the interest shown by the Libyan people to resolve the current political conflict in their country. The meeting of the six-member panel that includes South African President Jacob Zuma, ended in Congo-Brazzavile on Saturday night. The one-day meeting was called to find lasting solutions to the Libyan crisis. War has been raging in that country since the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi six years ago. But the AU Panel says parties to the conflict are now committed to find peace. Ntebo Mokobo reports.

The ongoing psycho-social support forum taking place in Arusha, Tanzania has urged African governments to work closely with traditional leaders to fight traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and sexual cleansing among others. The three-day forum has attracted over 400 participants from 13 countries across the globe. Kgomotso Mophulane is attending the forum…

The United Nations World Food Programme, WFP, needs urgent funding to reverse food ration cuts for refugees in Tanzania. The agency says it needs about 23 million US dollars to be able to continue meeting the food and nutritional needs of 320-thousand refugees in Mtendeli, Nduta and Nyarugusu Camps in northwest Tanzania. Without an immediate response from donors, further ration cuts will be necessary as food stocks are simply running out. For more on this, we spoke to Michael Dunford - World Food Programme Tanzania Country Representative..

During the biannual 9th International Aids Society Conference on HIV Science, which was held in Paris recently, Doctors Without Borders, MSF, voiced its concerns over what it says is a worrying trend in sub-Saharan Africa where high numbers of severely ill people are presenting late and dying of advanced HIV disease at numerous MSF-supported hospitals and districts. For more on this, Siphumelele Zondi spoke to Dr. Emilie Venables, MSF's Southern Africa anthropologist and researcher.......

Angolans head to the polls today to elect their new president. Long term incumbent, President dos Santos, will not be running for re-election after 37 years in power. Dos Santos, who is now 74, is Africa's second-longest-serving president. On the streets, one of the main election issues is the economy. The oil-rich country has been feeling the pinch two years after the global price of oil fell. The BBC's Mayeni Jones went to a market in the capital Luanda to speak to some of the voters..

The Zimbabwean government has warned prophets, pastors, traditionalists and faith healers that they will soon be banned from working without a practicing certificate from the Traditional Medical Practitioners Council. Some Zimbabwean church leaders are known to perform miracles advising followers with HIV, TB and Cancer to stop taking medication claiming total spiritual healing. Simon Muchemwa reports from Harare..

Some political parties in South Africa's Parliament have condemned the government's decision of granting diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe's First Lady Grace Mugabe for assult charges. Lulama Matya has more..

South African Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula says police need to be careful not to botch investigations in the matter involving Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe. Mugabe is facing an assault charge after she allegedly hit a Johannesburg model, Gabriella Engels with an extension cord on Sunday. Mbalula was speaking at the side lines of the Indaba against gender based violence and protection of vulnerable groups. Phumzile Mlangeni reports..

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki says school going children have the responsibility to learn and to have confidence in themselves as Africans capable of succeeding in life. Mbeki was speaking to hundreds of learners at the Ivory Park Secondary School, east of Johannesburg. The former president interacted with learners on a wide range of issues from local politics to the essence of the African Renaissance and just being proud to be African. Ntebo Mokobo has more.

South Africa today remembers the death of 34 miners who were killed during a labour unrest 5 years ago at a flagship of one of the world's largest platinum mine, Lonmin. Seventy others were injured when police opened fire on them. International rights group Amnesty International has called for the wheels of justice to be fast-tracked for the victims and their families. On August 23, the country's president Jacob Zuma appointed a commission of enquiry to investigate the tragic incident and events leading to it. The commission subsequently recommended a full investigation under the Director of Public Prosecutions‚ with a view to ascertaining the criminal liability of members of the South African Police Servive who were involved in the events at Marikana. To date‚ however‚ no police officers involved have been prosecuted. Amnesty International's Executive Director, Shenilla Mohamed, tells us more..

Half a dozen suspected fighters and a man suspected to be the leader of the military wing of groups pressing for independence of the English from the French speaking regions of Cameroon have been arrested and their bomb factory dismantled. Burning has however continued in schools and markets as English speaking pressure groups ask for the unconditional release of their leaders arrested and locked up in the French speaking regions of the central African state. Moki Kindzeka reports from Yaounde..

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga urged supporters to stay away from work today and accused the government of having planned to rig elections and murder his supporters. Odinga said it would be a "day of mourning for the fallen patriots" after a rally in Kibera. The international community has urged calm following the election, which Odinga alleges was fixed. He has appealed to workers to wait for a major announcement tomorrow. James Shimanyula reports..

South Africa through its high commission in the Cameroonian capital Yaoundé, has been giving humanitarian assistance to Nigerian and central African refugees especially through blood donations. The central African state has a shortage of 400 thousand pints of blood every year but the situation has been aggravated by an influx of refugees from Nigeria as a result Boko Haram attacks. Channel Africa's Moki Kindzeka caught up with Zanele Makina, South Africa's High Commissioner to Cameroon and she starts by telling us about Mandela Month activities in Cameroon....DURATION:5'31"]

The decriminalisation of sex work remains a contentious issue in South Africa with very strong views from both those who are against the move and those for it. The South African National Aids Council and one of the country's news publications -the Mail & Guardian - today held a Sex Work debate in Johannesburg to reflect on the challenges faced within the industry and the consequences of sex work for the nation. An estimated 153-thousand people are reported to be sex workers. As Jane Rabothata reports, different views arose from the the workshop with no clear indication of the best way to deal with sex trade in the country.......

Government leaders and stakeholders in ICT have called on African youth to lead the way in the continent's development efforts. The call was made in the Rwandan capital Kigali, at the wrap of continental gathering that had brought together more than two thousand youth from Africa and abroad Sylivanus Karemera reports from Kigali

Growing up in a multilingual home has taught a young woman from Zimbabwe to value all cultures. Gugulethu Nyathi is one of 60 winners of the UN-backed Many Languages, One World multilingual essay competition. Nyathi says having parents who speak different languages has served her well as she pursues an engineering degree at Jiangsu University in China. For the competition, participants submitted entries in one of the six official languages of the UN which are not their mother tongue or the principal language of instruction at school. She explains...

While institutions exist in South Africa to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, they are not yet working in a coherent manner to ensure success by the 2030 deadline. That's the view of the country's Auditor General who was speaking exclusively to SABCNEWS on the sidelines of a workshop of Supreme Audit Institutions at the UN in New York. The gathering forms part of a collaboration between the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions or INTOSAI and the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs to develop a framework through which Auditors General can play a central role in the evaluation of financial management of the SDGs from conception through to completion. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports..

Over two million voters cast their ballots in the first round of polling yesterday in Congo-Brazzaville, to elect parliamentarians and local councils, the first since violence-marred presidential polls last year which returned President Denis Sassou Nguesso to power. In total over 700 candidates are vying for the seats in the national assembly a majority of whom are considered close to the Nguesso's ruling Congolese Labour Party. The election took place amid complex political and economic challenges, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Pool region in the south-east of the country.The second round is expected to take place on July the 30th More from Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, Fonteh Akum..

Nearly two million people displaced by the conflict between Boko Haram and the Nigerian armed forces in Borno State, in Nigeria's northeast are now trying to rebuild their lives from scratch.

Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, NUMSA, have submitted a memorandum of demands to the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria on Tuesday

Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa,NUMSA, have submitted a memorandum of demands to the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria. They say the violation of basic human rights have occurred under President Lungu's leadership and they are denouncing his regime. They say they want to see all workers on the continent liberated from fear and repressive regimes. Zambian High Commissioner to South Africa Emmaunel Mwamba received the memorandum. He elaborates..

The 45th International Forestry Students' Symposium is underway in the South African town of George. The event is hosted by the George Campus of the Nelson Mandela University. Students from around the world are discussing issues that are critical to the forestry industry. Sagree Chetty reports...

The United Nations has refused to comments on the specifics of the International Criminal Court ruling against South Africa but has rather reaffirmed the Court as a centerpiece of international justice. The Court early ruled that Pretoria failed to comply with the ICC's request for arrest and surrender of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and thus prevented the Court from exercising its functions and powers. That was the judgment handed down by the Court's pre-trial chamber after Pretoria failed to arrest President Al-Bashir when he visited Johannesburg during an African Union Heads of State Summit in 2015. The Court also rejected South Africa's arguments that al-Bashir enjoyed immunity while in the country as a visiting head of state. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports from the United Nations in New York.....

South Africa's ruling ANC President Jacob Zuma has branded the monopoly capital as a major adversary for black socio-economic advancement. This is despite the decision by the majority of delegates at the ANC's National Policy conference to reject calls to adopt a phrase "White Monopoly Capital" to denounce white dominance of the country's economy. Over 3-thousand 500 members of the ANC attended the five-day conference which ended in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg yesterday. Tshepo Ikaneng reports....

The African Union has raised fresh hope for war torn countries on the continent. This is in the wake of continuing loss of life in conflict ridden countries such as South Sudan, Libya and Somalia amongst others. There are plans envisaged to end conflicts which include joint co-operation with the United Nations. The AU's 29th ordinary session ended on a high note in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday, with the continental body committing to claiming its space in the global aren. Amos Phago reports.

The city of Ekurhuleni has recently launched the emerging entrepreneur’s boot camp competition in Johannesburg South Africa. The boot camp competition will be at its final stages on the 4th of July. For more on the subject,Channel Africa’s Nastassia Arendse spoke to the member of the mayoral committee of Human Settlement in the Ekurhuleni City, Lesiba Mpya.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

A Zimbabwean High Court judge has overturned University of Zimbabwe's decision to evict more than 500 medical students from their hostels, early this week, following protests over a 100% fees hike. On Monday hundreds of students demonstrated in the capital Harare resulting in the arrest of a number of students and Pastor Evan Mawarire who had gone there to offer solidarity. Simon Muchemwa has more from Harare…

Now more than ever, Africa needs the help of the African Union, AU and its partners in tackling security threats and other ongoing crises - particularly in the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa. The Institute for Security studies says it's these and other issues that are going to keep Africa's leaders busy at the 29th AU summit in Addis Ababa and more specifically the AU Assembly meeting of heads of state next Monday and Tuesday. Dr. Ndubuisi Christian Ani is a researcher in the Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis division at the Institute for security studies in the Addis Ababa office..

Campaigners on Monday criticized Tanzania's ban on pregnant girls and teenage mothers in state schools, saying the measure fuels stigma against girls and victims of sexual violence.Addressing a rally in Tanzania's coast region last week, President John Magufuli said female students who become mothers would "never" be allowed back in school - reaffirming a ban dating back to the 1960s. Gabriel Zakaria reports from Dar es Salaam..

United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR says the number of people who have fled their homes due to conflict, persecution and instability hit a record high of 65.6 million in 2016. Nowhere is the refugee crisis growing faster than in Uganda which has taken in more than one million refugees: double the number from last year. Dianne Penn reports on the story of one Congolese woman who is trying to build a new life in the country.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warns that nearly one million people in Sri Lanka are at risk of going hungry due to severe drought followed by heavy rainfall. Extreme drought conditions in 2016 and earlier this year led to widespread crop failures, particularly for the main staple food, rice.The situation was worsened by heavy rains in May which caused floods and landslides in the south-west of the country, resulting in death, destruction and displacement. FAO economist Cristina Coslet.

African and Chinese experts are meeting in Ethiopia for two days to discuss ways to lleviate poverty. This is under the China-Africa high-level dialogue and Think Forum happening in Ethiopia. The dialogue is being held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa and has been opened by Wang Yi , the foreign affairs minister of China and Moussa Faki Mahamat the chairperson of the African Union Commission. Colleta Wanjohi reports..

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says drought - an overlooked phenomenon- is affecting people living in arid and semi-regions of the world and can have an impact on food security and even fuel unrest. In a meeting in Rome on Monday, experts and policy makers from across the globe examined how they can be more proactive in combating drought. Sandra Ferrari spoke to Patricia Mejias Moreno, a Water Resources Officer with FAO, who provided an overview of the damage droughts cause each year.

One in five children in rich countries lives in poverty and one in eight is food-insecure, the UN said on Thursday.The findings appear in a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) report, which shows that even the world's strongest economies are struggling to achieve commitments to youngsters contained in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which more than 190 countries are striving to meet by 2030.The report also confirms massive inequalities within the 41 countries featured in the report, as Jose Cuesta, chief of UNICEF's Innocenti Office of Economic and Social Research, explained to Daniel Johnson.

Rights group Amnesty International says a new wave of killings and attacks targeting people with albinism in Malawi over the past six months is being fueled by systemic failures in the country's criminal justice system, which leave members of this vulnerable group at the mercy of criminal gangs. This comes as yesterday marked International Albinism Awareness Day. Amnesty International says police are under resourced and receive little training to prosecute the crimes. Lloyd Kuveya is Amnesty International's researcher..

Former ANC Treasurer Matthews Phosa says it is time for South Africa's governing party to be led by people who are prepared to follow in the footsteps of leaders like Oliver Tambo who selflessly led the organisation during tough times. He has also accused the current leaders of the ANC of not acting against President Jacob Zuma because they are also benefiting from corruption. He was addressing close to 300 party members in Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats where he was endorsed by seven branches to run for the ANC Presidency. Joseph Mosia reports..

South Africa's Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo has admitted that she failed to declare to Parliament that she she undertook a trip to Dubai in 2015 that was allegedly arranged by a Gupta-owned company. She was responding to questions from journalists in Parliament during a post cabinet media briefing. She also extended Cabinet's condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the massive storm around Cape Town and the wildfires in Knysna. Mercedes Besent reports..

Acclaimed novelist and scholar NGUGI WA THIONGO says Africans have a moral obligation to lift the continent out of the current challenges that continues to constrain its economic progress. The Kenyan born literary giant is on a visit to South Africa to deliver several public lectures in commemoration of the Africa Month. NGUGI is currently based in the United States of America where he is a distinguished Professor of English at the University of California. Senior Political Correspondent Tshepo Ikaneng has caught up with the man revered for his literary works in Johannesburg.

The Industrial Development Corporation, IDC, says it hopes South Africa's young entrepreneurs will take an opportunity to access funding allocated to them. The corporation, which is a development funding institution, is holding its two-day Youth Entrepreneur Conference and Expo in Johannesburg. The aim of the gathering is to expose their small businesses and youths from across the country are attending the conference. Thabiso Radebe reports..

United States President Donald Trump will announce in the next few days his country's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement, in a move set to infuriate countries around the world, particularly small island states and those in Africa. The move by Trump keeps to a campaign promise to pull the world's second largest carbon emitter out of the global accord, isolating Washington from the almost 200 countries that have committed to the Agreement. As Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports - if confirmed - this would be a victory for the hardliners in the administration that see the Paris Accord as an instrument that will restrict the US economy and the President's energy agenda .....

Zimbabwean health system is on the verge of collapse following a decision by health professional to down tools over salary discrepancies. Following a salary agreement for health workers earlier this year, it was implemented discriminately leaving out some, especially nurses. Every Tuesday health workers in the country would be marching in the streets until their salary grievances are heard and rectified. Simon Muchemwa reports from Harare..

South Africa's Department of Science and Technology together with Novartis and the South African Medical Research Council, have signed a memorandum of understanding which will seek to promote investment into medical research and development on the African continent. This comes as the continent marks Africa Month, which concludes this week. For more on this, Siphumelele Zondi spoke to Dr Thomas Kowallik - Novartis South Africa Country President..

South Africa's Minister for Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, says they are finding it increasingly difficult to fulfil their mandate because of continuous budget cuts. She says her department's budget has been decreasing by five percent a year over the past 20 years. She says for them to achieve the goals set out in the Defence Review, they need the budget to increase to at least two percent of GDP. Opposition parties have criticised the department's failure to plan according to available resources. Joseph Mosia reports..

South Africa's Department of Health says it's on high alert following the reported outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A fourth person is suspected to have died after succumbing to Ebola in the central African nation. The World Health Organisation says the person died in a remote part of north-eastern DRC, bringing the total number of cases to 37 since the outbreak was declared on May 12th. More from Dr. Kerrigan Mccarthy, who is the head of the Outbreak response unit at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases..

The two-year timeline set by Somalia’s government to rid the country of the Islamist militant group, al Shabaab is unrealistic, according to expert and Policy Fellow at the Institute of Race Relations in South Africa, Sara Gon.

There's another big election coming up which will have an impact on hundreds of millions of people all around world - that you probably haven't heard anything about. Countries are getting ready to vote for the new Director General of the World Health Organisation in Geneva next week. While the UN health body's mission is to make everyone on the planet as healthy as possible, it was widely criticised over its handling of the Ebola outbreak that swept through west Africa in 2014. The BBC's global health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar has been examining the agency and speaking to the three candidates who are competing to become the world's top doctor..

Malawi has expressed concern over sudden cancellation of the mediation talks on the Lake Malawi boundary dispute with Tanzania which were scheduled to take place in South Africa. According to a statement released by government, the postponement further protracts the conclusion of the matter on the resumption of the mediation process which emanated from the meeting President Peter Mutharika had with his counterpart President John Pombe Magufuli in January. George Mhango reports from Blantyre

When the Nigerian President, Mohammadu Buhari left the country for a fresh medical trip to the United Kingdom last week, little did he envisage the controversy that his simple worded hand over note would generate after saying that his Vice would coordinate government activities. Much as he had quoted the relevant potions of the constitution, Channel Africa's correspondent in Lagos, Collins Atohengbe says the issue was debated on the floor of the Senate while the presidency continues to keep Nigerians in the dark over what is causing Buhari's failing health..

More than fifty foreign nationals who fled Tlhabologang township in South Africa during the start of violence near Coligny say they are starting to feel the brunt. Their shops were vandalised and looted by angry residents three weeks ago loosing tens of thousand of rands worth of stock. Their wishes and prayers is to see a resolve of the matter and peace returning to the small farming town situated in the North-West province. Zebilon Maine reports. . .

Scientists say there's a strong possibility that Homo-Naledi met and even interacted with the ancestors of modern humans. They've based this on the latest fossil discovery from the Rising Star Cave near the Cradle of Human Kind in South Africa. It's been described as the second biggest breakthrough following the Homo Naledi announcement in 2015. A group of over 50 scientists has also managed to determine the age of the fossils. They say this is the first time there's some indication that another species of hominin survived alongside the first humans in Africa. Wisani Makhubele reports........

SADC Facilitator and South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, is expected to visit Lesotho today ahead of the mountain kingdom's June 3 election. Ramaphosa and the SADC Oversight Committee were mandated by Double Troika to convene a multi stakeholder national dialogue before elections. Nthankoana Ngatane has more from Maseru...

Zambia's opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema, was in court on Friday as his lawyers claim treason charges levelled against him violate his constitutional rights. Hichilema says he's not a criminal and worries that Zambia, one of the most stable countries in southern Africa, is straying away from the rule of law. The BBC's Karen Allen reports from Lusaka..

Advocacy Officer from the Food and Agriculture Organization,FAO, says indigenous women and girls suffer from "triple discrimination" when it comes to their rights and well-being. Yon Fernandez de Larrinoa has been at UN Headquarters in New York, taking part in an event on empowering indigenous women, as part of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. He said women's work in farming and food production was often under-valued, or even invisible, when it comes to official statistics and national government efforts towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. UN Radio's Matthew Wells asked Fernandez de Larrinoa to outline the unique challenges indigenous women face.

South African Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, says the judiciary is always careful not to encroach on other arms of state. Mogoeng reacted to remarks made by some politicians that the country runs the risk of being a "juristocracy". He spoke to the media on the sidelines of the fourth Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa which is taking place in Cape Town. Justice Mogoeng also addressed perceptions that the Executive was not respecting court orders. Zalene Merrington reports...

Women continue to be "more vulnerable" to the impacts of disaster, but in some countries its men who are more of a concern. That was one of the surprising perspectives to emerge from a discussion on the empowerment of women and girls, which took place at the recent Fifth Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas, in Canada. Virginia Clerveaux, Director of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies for the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, said that her government's been trying to empower more men, following years of successfully encouraging women into disaster preparedness. Matthew Wells caught up with her after the session, along with Jacinda Fairholm, Regional Adviser in Disaster Risk Reduction for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), based in Panama.

South Africa's Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has come out strongly in support of governments Radical Economic Transformation. The Black Business Council,BBC, has also rallied behind government. BBC president Danisa Baloyi says apartheid economic systems should change radically and immediately to empower the majority black people. Both the deputy president and Baloyi were speaking at the Black Business Council's Economy recovery dinner last night. Cyril Ramaphosa warned those opposing the term radical economic transformation to wake up and smell the coffee. Amina Accram reports

It's time for the international community to come together to "more responsibly and humanely manage the movement of people". That's the view of the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), William Lacy Swing. The agency has documented over 65,000 deaths of refugees and migrations attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea or the Sahara desert into Europe. An international dialogue on migration opened at UN headquarters on Tuesday. Speaking to Jocelyne Sambira, Mr Swing said that the 2016 Global Compact on Migration provided the "best chance" of achieving progress on protecting and supporting people on the move.

Political leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are being urged to implement an agreement signed last December which paves the way for elections before the end of this year. The appeal has been made by the UN envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit, who says the holding of peaceful democratic elections is "pivotal" to stability in the country. The 31 December accord facilitated by the Congolese Catholic Church, known as CENCO, also sees President Joseph Kabila stepping down after the vote. Cristina Silveiro asked Djinnit about the challenges in the region, including ongoing insecurity in the eastern DRC.

Migrants are being sold as a commodity in Libya by smugglers.The findings by the International Organization for Migration - IOM - follow testimonies from victims who have described being traded in garages and squares in a town in the war-torn country's south-west. IOM Chief of Mission in Libya, Othman Belbeisi, say the abuse is likely being perpetrated elsewhere in the country by other human traffickers..

Suicide bombers from Nigeria have attacked the locality of Mora on Cameroons northern border with Nigeria wounding 5 people. Officials say many more people would have died if the three suicide bombers had access to the Mora market where thousands of people from Cameroon and Nigeria buy and sell every day. Moki Kindzeka reports..

The United Nations Secretary General has designated Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousafzai as the youngest UN Messenger for Peace. At just 19 years old, the world's youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate was appointed to help promote girls education. The youth activist became an international symbol in the fight for girl's education when she survived being shot in 2012 for expressing views in opposition to Taliban restrictions on female education. Sherwin Bryce Pearse has more

Women leaders from Sub Saharan Africa say allowing them access to landed property and funding are sure ways of increasing their participation in Africa's development and their emancipation. The women who met in Cameroon over the weekend say they contribute more than 90 percent of food consumed in Sub Saharan Africa, yet have limited access to land. Moki Kindzeka reports from Yaounde

Recent attacks on commercial vessels off Somalia indicate that the issue of piracy has never gone away despite a five-year lull in activity. The warning comes from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) after three ships were hijacked or ambushed over the past month. Alan Cole heads UNODC's Maritime Crime Programme which is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Dianne Penn asked him what was behind the recent hijackings on the high seas.

The new head of the African Union-United Nations Joint Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan's Darfur region says it's a very different place to when an armed conflict broke out in 2003. The former South African diplomat and the newly minted Joint Special Representative for Darfur KINGSLEY MAMABOLO was addressing the UN Security Council is his new capacity where he pointed to a considerable decrease in fighting between the Government of Sudan and the three main non-signatory armed movements. He also said efforts were underway under the auspices of former President Thabo Mbeki's AU High Level Panel to get all parties to sign a cessation of hostilities agreement that could lay the foundation for the start of direct peace negotiations. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

There has been a "dramatic increase" in food insecurity around the world the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Friday. FAO was one of the UN agencies contributing to a new report on food crises, along with the European Union (EU), the United States development agency USAID, and others. Around 108 million people were categorized as "severely food insecure" during 2016, compared with 80 million the previous year. The increase is largely due to the difficulties of producing and accessing food in conflict zones and the knock-on effect of higher food prices. Luca Russo, FAO's Senior Strategic Advisor on resilience, told Sandra Ferrari that of the 13 most serious food crises around the world, 10 were due to conflict.

The Nuclear Africa Conference concludes today at the Ntshonalanga Valley Resort, in Centurion here in South Africa. To find out more on thi, Wandile Kallipa spoke to Doctor Kelvin Kemm, ,Chief Executive Officer for Nuclear Africa....

Yesterday marked World Bipolar Day. The day aims to educate the masses about the disorder and thus improve sensitivity towards the illness. The stigma of bipolar disorder is a reality and can hinder one's ability to stay on track to living a full, healthy life. Experts say a strong support system is essential to anyone suffering from this illness. Marthe Viljoen is the Programme Manager for Information and Awareness at the South African Federation for Mental Health..

With atrocity crimes on the rise around the world, countries have an increasing responsibility to protect their citizens, according to the UN Special Adviser on the issue. Ivan Šimonovic reports to the UN Secretary-General on what's known as the Responsibility to Protect - R2P for short - which the General Assembly adopted in 2005, outlining the need for each Member State to shield its people from genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The General Assembly highlighted that the international community has the responsibility also to intervene through peaceful means, to protect populations from such atrocity crimes. Vibhu Mishra asked Mr Šimonovic how necessary the doctrine still is today.

Leader of South Africa's ruling ANC in the Western Cape Province legislature, Khaya Magaxa, has once again called on Premier Helen Zille to resign. Emotions ran high during a debate on her controversial tweets on colonialism. Zille asked during her tweets last week whether we could we have had a transition into specialised health care and medication without colonial influence. Magaxa called for the debate saying such utterances are opposed to democracy. Chris Mabuya reports....

The only way of stemming the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is through political negotiation between government and opposition groups. This is according to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General Maman Sidikou. Sidikou, who is also the head of the UN Mission in the country has urged both parties to implement the "Accord de la Saint-Sylvestre."The agreement, signed at the end of December last year, calls for President Joseph Kabila to stand down following elections, which are expected to be held before the end of 2017. He explains...

Namibia's President Hage Geingob says the government of Namibia is considering radical land expropriation to spur the transfer of property to the country's black majority. Speaking at Namibia's 27th independence celebrations, President Geingob said the government should evoke part of the Southern african country's constitution, which allows for land expropriation with fair compensation since the redistribution process has been slow. Channel Africa's reporter Khumbelo Munzhelele reports..

Ghana's Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, says the decision by President Nana Akufo Addo to appoint more than a hundred cabinet ministers is geared towards the country's push for economic growth and development. The minister who spoke to the SABC, said Ghana's new administration is determined to deliver on its electoral promises hence the huge cabinet. He was speaking yesterday on the sidelines of the Africa Economic Platform in Mauritius which focused on skills development in Africa. Sarah Kimani reports..

During 2016, more than 117 thousand refugees arrived in war-stricken Yemen, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), despite the escalating conflict there. Many were lured by smugglers to take a perilous boat journey from Africa, across the Gulf of Aden, or the Red Sea, in search of a better future. UN figures released last week show that an estimated 17 million people in Yemen are going hungry and more than 2 million have been displaced. UNHCR recently launched a major campaign called "Dangerous Crossings" to highlight the horrendous conditions and rising risks on trying to reach Yemen. The campaign's enlisted the support of musicians from across the region, led by the renowned singer and former refugee herself, Maryam Mursal. Ana Carmo has more.

More than a century after a long-hushed genocide took place in Namibia while under German colonial rule, descendants of the victims had their day in court in New York for the first time yesterday. In one of the darkest chapters of African colonial history, tens of thousands of Herero and Nama people were killed from 1904 to 1908. Germany and Namibia have been in talks for the past two years about a joint declaration on the massacres. The tribes filed their class-action lawsuit in January seeking compensation for incalculable damages and demanding that they be included in the negotiations between the two countries. Sherwin Bryce Pease ahs more from New York

The Fourth Industrial Revolution - and its potential to narrow the industry gender gap - is a frightening prospect. That was the message delivered by South Africa's Women's Minister, Susan Shabangu, during the Commission on the Status of Women currently underway in New York. The Commission is focused on the economic empowerment of women in the changing workplace and South Africa has drawn particular attention to the urgent need to re-skill women in the informal economy so as to prevent their continued exclusion from the increasingly hi-tech and advanced workplace. Our Correspondent Sherwin Bryce-Pease caught up with Minister Shabangu and began by asking her about the process currently underway at the UN in New York.

The Women4Climate Conference will be taking place today at the Columbia University, Lower Library in New York City. Emmanuelle, Pinault, head of diplomacy, political engagement for C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group says the meeting will be providing a critical platform for a unique cross section of powerful women to advance a shared agenda that spans education, innovation, and economic equality and will highlight the critical role women and women leaders in the fight against climate change and air pollution.

A commission that reviews implementation of a peace agreement for Darfur wrapped up its latest meeting in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, last week. Members of the Implementation Follow-up Commission,IFC, of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur,DDPD, discussed progress and challenges experienced since they last met in May 2016. Darfur has been on the international agenda since 2003, following the eruption of fighting between Government forces and their allied militia and other rebel groups, which have now splintered. The DDPD addresses root causes of the conflict and its consequences, including power sharing, wealth sharing, human rights, and justice and reconciliation. It was finalized in Doha, Qatar, in 2011 and is the framework for the comprehensive peace process in Darfur. Jumbe Omari Jumbe reports from Darfur.

South Africa is hopeful that ongoing talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo between government and opposition leaders will lead to general elections some time this year. In 2016, President Joseph Kabila postponed the polls indefinitely citing financial and logistical constraints. This sparked violence in various parts of the country. However in December last year - government and the opposition agreed to continued dialogue that would lead to a new peaceful transition. Noma Bolani spoke to South Africa's Deputy Ambassador to the DRC, Luvuyo Ndimeni and South Africa's Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula, over stability and peacekeeping concerns leading up to the vote. She filed this report from Goma in the DRC..

South Africa will use its chairmanship of the India Ocean Rim Association to unlock and upscale the economic potential of its vast ocean. That's according President Jacob Zuma while speaking to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) at the end of his two day visit to Indonesia last night. He undertook a State Visit to the south-east Asian country and also attended the leaders’ summit of 21 countries bordering the Indian Ocean which include Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Kenya and Tanzania among others. Ntebo Mokobo has more.

The Zimbabwean government has been urged to drop charges against two newspaper journalists who were arrested last Friday for writing a story about President Robert Mugabe's health. Local newspaper,NewsDay, published a story alleging that President Mugabe had flown to Singapore for a prostate cancer medical review. Simon Muchemwa reports from Harare..

Renowned author and theorist on decolonisation, Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, says African universities must invest seriously in the introduction and promotion of indigenous languages. The Kenyan writer is in South Africa to contribute to debates regarding the challenges at institutions of higher learning. This follows recent protests by student demanding free, decolonised education. Delivering his lecture at Wits University in Braamfontein in Johannesburg last night , Professor Ngugi emphasized the importance of Africans taking their languages seriously. Wisani Makhubele has more....

Former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe says the land issue remains a contentious one in the country. Motlanthe is leading a high level panel assessing the effectiveness of key legislation introduced in 1994. The panel is holding public hearings in Rustenburg in the North West Province. It heard from most participants that there's still a large number of people who have had their ancestral land returned to them, while others say that only a section of the community benefits from the riches of their land. Itumeleng Kgajane reports..

South African anti apartheid struggle stalwart, Denis Golberg is calling for the acknowledgement and restitution of families of Black South African soldiers who were involved in the Second World War. The Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation opened a photographic exhibition last night in Cape Town recognising about 300-thousand Africans who took part in the War. About 80-thousand of the number were South Africans. Goldberg referred to the soldiers as outstanding South Africans who must be granted their role in history. Thandiswa Mawu reports..

War museums will "continue to predominate" but peace museums can "give daylight" to stories that are often hidden, an expert on genocide says. Dr Joyce Apsel is the President of the Institute for the Study of Genocide as well as a Clinical Professor at New York University and the International Network of Museums for Peace representative to the United Nations. She was at UN Headquarters for a panel discussion on the role of art, music and museums in creating cultures of peace. Following the discussion, Dr Apsel spoke with UN Radio's Lucy Dean about the importance of peace in the world today.

Unless people stop dumping plastic items such as bottles, bags and cups after just using them once, there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050. That's according to estimates cited by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) which has launched the #CleanSeas campaign to combat marine litter by reducing plastic production and use. Dianne Penn spoke to Alejandro Laguna, Information Officer with UNEP's office in New York. He outlined the magnitude of the problem but also used a few props to demonstrate how the average person can be a part of the solution.

Conflicts and the frequency of droughts exacerbated by climate change are driving severe food shortages and famine conditions in parts of Africa and the Middle East. So says the United Nations Secretary General at an emergency press conference to announce that more than 20 million people in North East Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen are facing famine or a credible risk of famine in the next 6 months. The UN and its humanitarian agencies are appealing for 4.4 billion dollars by the end of March while some 5.6 billion dollars is required for just these four countries in 2017. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports from New York.

The South African Weather Services have warned residents in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal province to brace themselves for heavy rains as tropical storm Dineo impacts the province in the next twenty four hours. The storm is over the Mozambican Channel and is likely to intensify to Intense Tropical Cyclone Status before it makes landfall in southern Mozambique. Meanwhile, Kwazulu Natal Provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube says there is no need to panic but people must be aware of the possible impact of the weather condition. Nhlanhla Nxele reports.........

Three members of Cameroon's English-speaking opposition, which protests that the country's linguistic minority is being treated as second-class citizens, pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges at a military court. The three activists were arrested in January and charged with conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, secession, revolution, insurrection and inciting civil war. All charges are punishable by death and more than 160 lawyers have lined up in support of the defendants. Channel Africa's Moki Kindzeka reports from Yaounde.

Forensic investigator, Paul O'Sullivan says South African courts must deal with the police who arrested him despite a court order saying the police must give him 48 hours' notice to report to a police station. O'Sullivan was arrested yesterday afternoon in Centurion on charges of impersonating an Independent Police Investigative Directorate officer, after leaving his attorneys office. The arrest allegedly relates to his investigations into acting police commissioner, Kgomotso Phahlane's 6 hundred thousand dollar house. O Sullivan was released just after midnight after his legal team brought an urgent application for his release based on the court order of November 2016. Liela Magnus reports ....

The United Nations Security Council has welcomed the conclusion of the Somalia electoral process that ended with the election of President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo". A dual U.S. - Somali citizen the new President was elected last week by lawmakers, ousting incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. But the Security Council welcomed the swift and gracious transfer of power in a region prone to instability. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

The Kenyan government has intensified its war on drug trafficking and drug barons at the port city of Mombasa. The 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released by the US State department, indicates that traffickers exploit Kenya's long Indian Ocean coastline and the lack of adequate security controls at the port of Mombasa. Southwest Asian heroin is for instance transported in multi-hundred kilogram quantities by small ocean going vessels or dhows across the Indian Ocean to the Kenyan coastline. Diana Wanyonyi reports from Mombasa..

United Nations' Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, says the Boko Haram insurgency group is currently plagued by financial difficulties. Feltman briefed the Security Council on the UN Secretary-General's Fourth Report on the threat the group poses to international peace and security efforts to "check and roll it back". He says Boko Haram is under intense military pressure, but has warned against undermining its capacity to launch fatal attacks. Nhlanhla Mahlangu reports..

There is "a huge sense of anticipation" in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, ahead of presidential elections today, according to UN Special Representative in the country, Michael Keating. Twenty-three men, including incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, are vying to lead the Horn of Africa country which has not had a central government for decades. The UN and the international community, including forces serving with the African Union mission, AMISOM, have been supporting the electoral cycle which began with parliamentary elections last year. The 329 members of parliament will gather at Mogadishu airport for three rounds of voting that will determine who will be president. Dianne Penn spoke to Keating on the eve of the vote.

Encouraging the African diaspora to advocate for the rights of women and girls on the continent is among the goals of this year's commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), being observed today. FGM is practiced in nearly 30 African countries but can also be found in places such as Colombia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan and Russia. Nafissatou Diop is Coordinator of a joint programme by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on accelerating the abandonment of the practice, which is recognized as a human rights violation. She said African communities abroad have a huge influence on what is going on back home and getting them to promote gender equality as a means to address poverty and development can help stamp out FGM. Ms Diop has been speaking to Cristina Silveiro.

During a youth forum held in the Zimbabwean capital on Thursday, to review development cooperation, youths have been urged to embrace new funding models. Stakeholders present at the National Association of Youth Organisations, NAYO, meeting funded by JM BUSHA 54 RACES - youths were told to come up with new innovative ideas that would attract funding amid global donor fatigue. Simon Muchemwa reports from Harare..

The UN Security Council has received a closed-door briefing from the Secretary General's envoy to West Africa, just days after passing a resolution to ensure the peaceful handover of power in The Gambia. Diplomats have heaped praise on the collective international effort that eventually saw the departure from the country of former President Yayha Jammeh and the swearing in of incumbent President Adama Barrow at his country's embassy in Senegal. He remains in Senegal over continued safety concerns. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Political parties serving on South African Parliament's Communications Committee will each submit five names of candidates to be considered for the South African Broadcasting Corporation Interim Board. The communications committee is racing against time to come up with the names of candidates who will serve on the SABC Interim Board. The SABC has no board after the resignation of non-executive members of the board including its chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe. Zalene Merrington report

The South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, will dominate parliament today as two committees deal with public broadcaster's matters. The Ad Hoc Committee probing the affairs of the SABC and the Communications Committee will sit at the same time. One will continue with its deliberations on the inquiry and the other will start looking for an interim board. The SABC is currently without a permanent board. Mercedes Besent reports..

The South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance says it's pushing ahead with its global campaign to stop people from coming too close to wild animals at the zoo and in the wild. The #HandsOffOurWildlife campaign has reached many countries. Several European tour operators are also boycotting some animal sanctuaries in the country in solidarity with the alliance. Tanya Krause reports..

The stage is set for Donald Trump to ascend to the highest office in the United States. After a "Make American Great Again" welcome concert at the Lincoln Memorial last night, Trump swearing in will be the culmination of almost two years of grueling campaigning that sees him ending a Republican absence from the White House since George W. Bush made way for President Barack Obama in 2008. And while Trump's supporters are enthusiastic about the beginning of a new era in American politics, skeptics remain weary of the many unknowns that come with the former businessman who has never held political office before. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

South African laws governing land ownership are a major concern to some South Africans. This was revealed by former state President Kgalema Motlanthe in his capacity as the Chairperson of the High Level Panel on the assessment of key legislations of the country. Motlanthe and his delegation are visiting Mbombela, in Mpumalanga province on a two-day public hearings which seek to investigate the effectiveness of key laws enacted since 1994. Vusi Twala reports..

The Burundian government has instructed its Foreign and Defence Ministries to start the withdrawal of its troops from the African Union force fighting militants in Somalia. The move comes after the government repeatedly threatened to quit its mission in Somalia following non payment of its troops. The Defence Minister, Emmanuel Ntaho-mvukiye, told parliament last November that the soldiers had not received their monthly allowance which is supposed to be paid by the European Union. Bernard Bankukira reports.

A voluntary safety recall for the Ford Kuga 1.6 SUV has been announced at a media briefing held in Pretoria. President and CEO of Ford South Africa, Jeff Nemeth, says their investigation has enabled them to reduce the number from the initially stated 6-thousand-300 hundred cars affected to four-thousand five-hundred and fifty-six vehicles. Over 40 cars have caught alight. But only 39 cars have been reported to Ford. Nemeth says the safety recall is limited to one-point-six litre Kuga's built between December 2012 and February 2014, and that other Kuga models are not affected. Amina Accram reports

Reports have emerged from Syria's Aleppo city that dozens of civilians - including women and children - have been executed by pro-government forces as they close in on the last remaining neighbourhoods still held by opposition groups. The United Nations Human Rights Office says civilians have paid a "brutal price" as the Syrian military and its allies take back the city. The situation has been described as a "complete meltdown of humanity" by United Nations Humanitarian Coordinating Agency. Here's Jocelyne Sambira's report...

Concern has only deepened" over "appalling" human rights violations carried out by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, against its own people, the UN Security Council heard on Friday. That was the message from Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, briefing the Council, which was divided over whether the issue should even be debated. Matthew Wells has more.

Grade 12 learners in South Africa have finished writing their final exams. The last papers written yesterday were Agricultural Management Practices and Design. Despite yet another exam paper leak in the country's Limpopo Province this year, the Department of Basic Education is pleased that the overall exams went well. Quality assurance body Umalusi is also satisfied that the incident only implicated a few learners, and therefore does not affect the credibility of the exams. More than 800-thousand learners sat for this year's exams. Wisani Makhubele reports..

The World Health Organisation says young people are more prone to fall victim to road accidents than adults. Last week the world observed the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, marked on the 20th of November. UN figures show that nearly 1 point 3 million people are killed on the world's roads each year, a number which the WHO aims to reduce by promoting improved road safety. More from the parents of a young girl who was knocked down and killed in New York, in the United States of America as the UN radio's Andita Listyarini reports...

Heads of state and ministers from several countries are expected in Morocco this week for the high-level segment of the United Nations Climate Change conference underway in Marrakech. The climate talks are expected to come up with a rule book on how to implement the Paris Agreement, but delegates feel negotiations will fall short of expectations. Chairperson of the Least Developed Nations, Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, from the Democratic Republic of Congo says the meeting needs to move away from procedural issues and begin dealing with the issues of concern, including financing for poor countries to deal with the effects of climate change. At least 20,000 delegates from 196 countries are gathering at this year's summit also known as COP22. Sarah Kimani reports.

Political parties in the South African Parliament say the outcome of the US elections should be accepted as the will of the American people.While some have expressed shock at Republican Donald Trump's victory, they maintain it is the outcome of a democratic process. Joseph Mosia reports...

Human rights groups in the Kenyan Coastal city of Mombasa have expressed concern and disappointment at the worsening state of corruption in the country. Recent cases that shook the country include allegations against some government officials for the abuse of funds in the Ministry of Health and the National Youth Service scandal involving at least 11 cases of money laundering. Civil society organisations are now urging President Uhuru Kenyatta to take appropriate action against corrupt individuals in his government, or step down. Diana Wanyonyi reports from Mombassa..

Relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe should translate into economic benefits for ordinary people from both countries. That's the message from the Ministerial meeting ahead of the SA-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission scheduled for Harare today (thursday 3 November). President Jacob Zuma and his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe will co-chair the inaugural SA-Zimbabwe BNC later this morning. Ntebo Mokobo has more...

Twenty-five people have been killed in two days of violence in the Central African Republic. The Central African Republic has been wracked by conflict along religious and ethnic lines since 2013. The United Nations Peace keeping mission in CAR, MINUSCA, said clashes between elements of the anti-Balaka and ex-Seleka caused 15 deaths and a number of wounded in the town of Bambari, about 250km north-east of the capital Bangui. Dr. Check Achu, Research Specialist at the Africa Institute of South Africa programme of the Human Sciences Research Council says ther will continue to be flare-ups of violence in CAR until certain issues are resolved..

Four years ago, there were only 10 qualified midwives in South Sudan, which has a population of more than 12 million. Today, more than 300 of these skilled workers are deployed across the country, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The agency's Dr Wilfred Ochang described the rise in midwives as one of the "exciting stories" coming out of the world's youngest nation. South Sudan attained independence in July 2011, but has seen more than two years of brutal conflict. He told Sebit William that UNFPA dreams of a South Sudan at peace, where every baby is born in safe conditions.

South Africa's re-election to the United Nations Human Right's Council is an indication of the world's continued confidence in the country's commitment to human rights. So says South Africa's UN envoy speaking moments after the country was re-elected for a successive three year team to the Geneva-based human rights body. Running on a clean slate, four African countries including Rwanda, Tunisia and Egypt were elected while Russia received the fewest number of votes in the East Europeans slate, losing out to both Croatia and Hungary. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

South Africa's department of Water and Sanitation has dismissed reports that the current water challenges facing the country is caused by the delay in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 2. The department says this is misleading as the project was never meant to be operational in the year 2016. Being the largest water project of its kind due for implementation in the world currently, the phase 2 project is set to guarantee benefit the national, regional and international interests of South Africa and Lesotho. Sputnik Ratau, Media Liaison Director at the Department of Water and Sanitation explains..

A "forgotten crisis" is taking place in north-eastern Nigeria which the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) warns could be the worst on the African continent.Seven years of insecurity sparked by the terrorist group Boko Haram has affected up to 15 million people in four states, leading to mass displacement. It has also caused a major food shortage as agricultural production has stalled. As a result, some 400-thousand children face starvation. Dianne Penn asked OCHA Public Information Officer Órla Fagan about the extent of the crisis.

Al shabab militants have killed at least twelve people in Kenya's border town of Mandera on Tuesday. The attack targeted members of a travelling theatre group who were in Mandera to stage plays for secondary schools in the area. Sarah Kimani has more

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Some women in Africa have been beaten by their intimate partners for protecting themselves against HIV infection. They also believe that physical abuse by their partners is normal. These are some of the findings of a study conducted by the Microbicides Trial Network announced at the HIV Research for Prevention Conference underway in the US city of Chicago. The study named ASPIRE looked at whether a vaginal ring containing an antiretroviral, dapivirine, is safe and effective in protecting women against HIV infection, when used for a month. Thabile Mbhele reports from Chicago…

More than a thousand people on Kenya's South Coast embarked on a 500 kilometre walk to State House in Kenya's capital Nairobi - to seek an audience with President Uhuru Kenyatta. The four-day walk, dubbed "trekking against statelessness," is meant to tell president Kenyatta about their plight of not being recognised by the Kenyan government as citizens after independence in 1964. Our reporter in Mombasa, Diana Wanyonyi attended the start of the walk and filed this report..

Jacob Zuma and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya told a joint news conference that discussions are underway to allow Kenyan citizens to receive visas on arrival to South African nations. The two nations have also signed agreements on security and defence cooperating including cyber security and intelligence sharing in a bid to enhance the fight against terrorism and radicalisation. Sarah Kimani has more.

Two competing UN Security Council resolutions on Aleppo, Syria have failed to pass after the first was vetoed by Russia and a second failed to receive the minimum number of votes required for passage. While both resolutions called for the implementation of a U.S.-Russia cessation of hostilities agreement and for unhindered humanitarian access starting with the besieged city Aleppo, the French drafted text demanded also an immediate end to the aerial bombardment and all military flights over the city, which Russia rejected. Russia's draft, which called for urgent action to separate moderate forces from terrorist elements in the city, only received four votes of support. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Very serious challenges remain "on the ground" in South Sudan which are preventing the United Nations from carrying out its work effectively. That's the assessment of El Ghassim Wane, a senior UN peacekeeping official who is currently in the African country. South Sudan is recovering from almost three years of internal conflict which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people and forced some 2 point 6 million to flee their homes. The UN Security Council has called for the free movement of personnel working for the mission there, UNMISS, and for the establishment of a regional protection force. Sebit William asked Wane what he had achieved during his visit.

South Africa's Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, has reminded protesting university students that there is free higher education for the poor in South Africa. Nzimande was addressing teachers and matriculants at Georgetown High school in Pietermaritzburg during the launch of a book on the school's history. Nzimande's confirmation of what he terms "widely available free education in South Africa", comes as university students nationwide are engaged in protests calling for free education. Nhlanhla Nxele reports.......

Delegates at the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora, have voted against a proposal to allow some of the countries in Southern Africa to sell their Ivory to buying nations. The meeting is currently taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre north of Johannesburg in South Africa. Tom Milliken, Traffick expert on rhino and elephant says the continued ban on legal trade in ivory is rather problematic for the range states as the reality of the issues is on conservation finance which CITES has failed address.

South African President Jacob Zuma is meeting with justice crime prevention and security cluster to discuss ongoing violent students protests at several universities in the country. Students at these institutions have been protesting for two weeks over the 2017 fee increment, as announced by Higher education minister Blade Nzimande last week. President Zuma instructed the JCPS to deal with the mayhem at tertiary institutions due to violent nature of the protests which have already claimed the life of a Wits university staff member. Minister in the presidency Jeff Radebe announced the urgent meeting during a post cabinet media briefing which also communicated some key decisions by the executive. Amos Phago reports...

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, says the world's newest nation, South Sudan is struggling for survival. Almost three years of internal conflict, born out of a political row between two leaders serving in the same government, has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people and forced some 2 point 6 million to flee their homes. On Thursday, world leaders and humanitarians got together at the UN to discuss what next for South Sudan. Daniel Dickinson's report begins with the words of the UN chief, Ban Ki-moon.

Famous South African kwaito musician Mduduzi Tshabalala, popularly known as Mandoza had died. The 38-year-old lost his battle against cancer yesterday while he was being transported to hospital. Despite being ill, the defiant multi-award winning Nkalakhatha hitmaker recently performed at the SABC's Thank You concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto. He was one of the 100 local musicians who performed in celebration of 90-percent local music content on the public broadcaster's radio stations. Wisani Makhubele compiled this report....

Zimbabwe says no one will be forced to trade in the new local bank notes. The country's central bank is forging ahead with plans to introduce the US dollar pegged currency by October the 31st. This is despite public protests against it. The notes will be introduced into the economy as an export incentive targeting mainly gold miners and tobacco farmers. Shingai Nyoka has more from Harare

In order to attract greater investment, South Africa needs to counter the negative headlines and perceptions with more positive news that promotes the nation's promising emerging economy. That's according to Grant Thornton, one of the world's leading organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms. While no economic growth is expected for 2016, the country's biggest investment deal in 40 years, an investment deal with the Beijing Automobile International Corporation from China for the establishment of a vehicle manufacturing plant in the Coega Industrial Development Zone confirmed that the southern African nation remains a solid investment destination. For more on this, Thuto Ngobeni spoke to Chief Executive Officer at Grant Thornton, Ian Scott.

The outgoing President of the United Nations General Assembly believes there will be no reform of the Security Council until two-thirds of the organisation's membership can agree on a particular model of reconfiguration. Mogens Lykketoft - whose term as President of the Assembly's historic 70th session ends today - expressed his impatience at the decades long debate that has seen the emergence of different groupings among member states with different visions of what a reform Council would look like. Heads of State and Government converge on New York next week for the High Level segment of the 71st session of the General Assembly which got underway yesterday. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

South Sudan government has detained dozens of people suspected to have held secret talks with fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council when they visited the country last week to investigate the killing of more than 300 civilians in July when fighting erupted between forces loyal to former Vice-President Riek Machar and troops supporting President Salva Kiir. James Shimanyula reports..

The reconciliation of former foes in Liberia following years of civil war and conflict is an "unfinished business" according to a senior UN peacekeeping official. Two months ago, the West African country assumed full security responsibilities from the UN Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, a process which has been described as a "huge achievement. El-Ghassim Wane, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations, has just spent two weeks in Liberia. Russel Geekie asked him for his impressions.

Zimbabwe's opposition will resume street protests after a high court overturned a police ban on demonstrations yesterday. The court ruled that the two week prohibition order on marches in the city centre was issued unprocedurally and that it was also unconstitutional and unprocedural. Shingai Nyoka has more

African countries are losing out on significant tax revenues from multinational companies despite the "huge profits" those companies are making. That's according to Klaus Rudischhauser, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's International Cooperation and Development directorate. He was recently at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, and explains that many of the countries whose raw materials are being exploited by multinationals are powerless to do anything about it.

It was ANC versus ANC in downtown Johannesburg with the battle ground being the South African ruling party's headquarters Luthuli house. Police had to separate Occupy Luthuli house members calling for the ANC leadership to resign and ANC youth league and MKMVA members who vowed to defend the party's headquarters. Busi Chimombe has more..

Around one-thousand South Sudanese are fleeing across the border into Uganda each day in what the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is describing as a "children's emergency." Since fighting between rival factions loyal to the President and former first Vice President erupted in early July, around 100-thousand civilians have sought safety in Uganda. The UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi has been visiting refugee camps this week to see conditions there for himself. UNHCR communications officer Charles Yaxley, told Sani Martin that they had been hearing "horrific stories" of sexual violence and young boys being forcibly recruited into armed groups.

An ambitious project was announced at the opening of the 36th SADC Summit of Heads of State Yesterday** in Swaziland. This announcement is about the establishment of a SADC University of Transformation which will assist youth and women of the Region. Speaking as part of the meeting and the hand- over of the baton of chairmanship from President Seretse Ian Khama of Botswana to King Mswati III of Swaziland, King Mswati reiterated the need of conceited efforts from all the member countries. The King also commended Tanzania and Zambia for the recent elections. Channel Africa's Sydney Katunga Phiri is in Swaziland and filed this report.

Channel Africa's sports reporter Mosibudi Makhura became g-sport's first triple-Award winner - in one night - when she won Style Star of the Year and both Woman in Media - Social Media and Radio awards at the Spar G-sport for Girls Awards this past Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa. The win confirms her position as one of the leading women in sports media in the the country. The awards saw Rio Olympic gold medallist, Caster Semenya, been crowned Athlete of the Year. The awards were attended by Sports minister, Fikile Mbalula and Home Affairs minister, Malusi Gigaba, among others. Mosibudi explains..

Rebel leader and former first vice president of South Sudan Riek Machar remains in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite reports he was heading to Addis Ababa. The government of the DRC says he is receiving much needed treatment. Machar fled South Sudan because of safety concerns after President Salva Kiir gave his vice presidency seat to another opposition member, Taban Ndeng. Coletta Wanjohi reports from Addis Ababa...

The ANC and its alliance partners Cosatu and the SACP have slammed the EFF's decision to work with the DA and other opposition parties in hung municipalities including key metros. The EFF's decision could see the ANC for the first time since democracy in opposition benches in the country's economic hub Johannesburg, capital city Tshwane and the hugely symbolic Nelson Mandela Bay metro. The EFF rejected the ANC's coalition proposal after the party refused to accede to its long list of demands including that President Jacob Zuma steps down. Ntebo Mokobo has more.

The UN World Food Programme emergency operations in Southern Africa, have received a 5-million dollar donation from the government of Japan. The donation will help hundreds of thousands of people who are currently facing food shortages due to drought, resulting in an increase of food insecurity and malnutrition. The agency says the contribution comes when they urgently need to move huge amounts of relief assistance into areas worst affected by El Nino, especially those which will be cut off when the rainy season starts. More from WFP's Regional Director for Southern Africa, Chris Nikoi..

India will mark its 70th anniversary of independence from British rule with celebrations across every state today. But the festivities are marred by right-wing groups claiming a copyright on patriotism, horrific atrocities against the poor, and a toxic debate over the cow sacred to Hindus. Rana Sen reports....

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, ICGLR, says the coming summit of the East African Community to be held in Dares Salaam Tanzania next week will tackle the current tension between Burundi and Rwanda. Zachariah Mwita Mubiri, new Executive Secretary of the ICGLR, says the great lakes organization will continue to support the East African Community to solve all hitching issues prevailing in Burundi, particularly the political turmoil underway since April 2015, and the growing tension between that country and Rwanda its neighbor. From Bujumbura our correspondent Bernard Bankukira sent us this report.

Zimbabwean journalists have petitioned President Robert Mugabe over the harassment of media practitioners in the country. In a letter sent to his office - The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe urged Mugabe to help stop police from harassing journalists during the course of their duties. On Wednesday last week five reporters were severely injured, a lot more were assaulted and cameras destroyed, when Zimbabwean police broke up a protest against bond notes and unemployment. Simon Muchemwa reports from Harare......

People travelling to the Rio Olympics are being advised by the World Health Organization to make sure their routine vaccinations are up to date. WHO reports that Brazil has made strides in tackling diseases such as measles, but the influx of thousands of international athletes and sports fans could potentially put gains at risk.The organisation's Spokesperson Nyka Alexander, has been deployed to the country for the Games which start this Friday. She says although the South American giant has been battling the Zika virus, spread by infected mosquitoes, travellers should educate themselves about more mundane concerns such as preventing dehydration and staying safe in the sun. She elaborates..

South African President Jacob Zuma has assured the nation that tight security measures have been put in place to ensure that no criminal or violent incidents will mar tomorrow's local government elections. There are about 26 million voters who have registered for what has been termed the most competitive and closely contested municipal polls since the advent of democracy in 1994. Tshepo Ikaneng has more...

Elections officially get underway today in South Africa - with almost 8-hundred-thousand people voting in the next two days. The Independent Electoral Commission says this is the highest number of special votes ever recorded. Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo says however only the voting stations where special votes have been registered will be open. Angela Bolowana has more..

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, together with other stake holders have launched emergency programmes to address the effects of the El Nino phenomenon in Southern Africa. The announcement was made at a press briefing in Johannesburg, South Africa. Doctor Lewis Hove, Food and Agricultural Organisation regional conservation agriculture co-ordinator explains..

The Global Food Security Index for 2016 which was released yesterday, shows that while food security has improved on a global level, more still needs to be done to ensure that poverty levels are reduced, particularly in Africa. When compared to other countries, the index indicates that South Africa's food supply fared below average. The index also shows that one of the factors impacting food security negatively is corruption. MorafeTabane reports…. African Farmers' Association of South Africa secretary-general, Aggrey Mahanjana, ending that report by MorafeTabane in Johannesburg.

The wife of late race car, Gugu Zulu - Letshego has thanked South Africa for the support and condolence messages. She unexpectedly took to the podium to express her gratitude yesterday, during Zulu's memorial service at the Kyalami Race Track in Midrand. The "Fastest Brother in Africa" died last week while attempting to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania as part of the Trek4Mandela initiative. Noma Bolani attended the memorial service and filed this report...

To the US Now.....where - hundreds of fervent Bernie Sanders supporters have camped in downtown Philadelphia, adamant that they will never vote for the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton. As the Democratic Party National Committee begins the build up towards officially naming Clinton as their Presidential candidate this week, Sanders supporters are fired up after leaked emails revealed that officials from the Democratic National Committee favoured Clinton's candidacy over the democratic socialist Senator from Vermont. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

The Ugandan army says it had evacuated thousands of civilians caught up in fighting in South Sudan's capital Juba. Most of those taken across the border were Ugandans but they were joined by hundreds of Kenyans, Rwandans among other nationalities who wanted to leave South Sudan for their safety. The Ugandan army joined the conflict in South Sudan soon after it began in December 2013, fighting on President Salva Kiir's side against a rebel force led by arch-rival Riek Machar, now the country's vice president. The combat troops only pulled out late last year. Julius Mugambwa reports from Kampala.

The floor of the Republican Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in the US, descended in chaos on its first day when a minority grouping tried to force a roll-call vote to change the rules of the four-day event. An anti-Trump grouping of delegates wanted to force a rule change that among others would have allowed delegates to vote their conscience and not be bound by the results of the primaries in which presumptive nominee, Donald Trump received the required number of delegates to win the nomination. But their motion from the floor failed. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

South Africa's Health Minister, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, launched a national coalition against TB yesterday as part of global efforts to end this disease by 2030. It comes on the eve of the Aids 2016 conference in Durban - since TB accounts for the largest part of HIV/Aids related deaths in South Africa. Motsoaledi has asked religious leaders to encourage everyone in their flock to get tested for TB, even if they don't feel sick. Worldwide 9 million people suffer from TB per year. However, a third of these cases go undetected. Dries Liebenberg reports..

Amnesty International has launched a report on human rights violations committed by Cameroon authorities and security forces in their fight against Boko Haram. The report states that while seeking to protect civilians from Brutal Boko Haram's attacks, Cameroon's security forces have themselves committed human rights violations. But Cameroon has described the report as having evil intentions. Moki Kindzeka reports from Yaounde.

Theresa May has become the UK's second female Prime Minister - after taking over from David Cameron YESTERDAY. Cameron resigned following the UK's decision to leave the European Union. Tributes were paid to the out-going Prime Minister during his final Prime Minister's Questions - as our UK correspondent Dan Whitehead reports...

Theresa May will become the UK's new Prime Minister today. Her appointment comes after a dramatic few weeks in British politics, which has seen the UK vote to leave the European Union and out-going leader David Cameron resign. Theresa May now has the task of negotiating Britain's exit from the Union as well as appointing her new Cabinet. Dan Whitehead explains how the handover between Prime Ministers will work...

The British Home Secretary Theresa May will become the UK's new Prime Minister on Wednesday - saying she is "honoured and humbled. It comes after her only rival for the job of Conservative Party leader Andrea Leadsom stood down, ending a race which had been expected to last for weeks. Our UK correspondent Dan Whitehead has more...

India has extended its full support to Tanzania to meet its development needs by signing five agreements, including one for providing a Line of Credit of 92 million US Dollars in the water resources sector. Describing India as a trusted partner in meeting Tanzania's development priorities, India's Prime Minister Modi said he along with President John Magufuli agreed to deepen overall defence and security partnership, especially in the maritime domain. Gabriel Zakaria has more from Da es Salaam....

President of the International Traders Cross Border Association, Dennis Juru, says they are happy with the shutdown of commercial activities at the Beitbridge border post between Zimbabwe and South Africa. The association organised a stay-away of Zimbabwean business owners in South Africa. The normally busy town of Musina in South Africa's Limpopo Province has been experiencing little commercial activities. Police and soldiers have been deployed and there is a roadblock in Musina towards the border post Rudzani Tshivhase has more.....

'The plane must land, you cannot keep on flying all the time!' So says South Africa's new Permanent Representative to the United Nations on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in his first remarks just moments after presenting his credentials to the Secretary General in New York. Seasoned diplomat and most recently, the Director General in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Ambassador Jerry Matjila replaced former Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo who resigned earlier this year to take up a senior position with the United Nations in Darfur. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Zimbabweans say the number of people subjected to forms of torture in the country is shockingly high, 36 years after independence. Although the country signed the United Nations Convention against Torture it is yet to be ratified. During the belated commemorations held in Harare against torture, faith based organisations called on Zimbabwean authorities to immediately ratify the convention and stop torture in the country. Our Harare Correspondent Simon Muchemwa has more....

Electricity is taken for granted by many around the world, yet there are still people who do not have access to this basic need in some rural parts of Africa. Only 88 percent of South African homes have access to electricity. A US renewable energy investment initiative is powering an estimated two-hundred-thousand South African households through solar energy. US-based SolarReserve runs at least three solar plant projects in South Africa's Northern Cape and the Free State provinces. Channel Africa's Kgomotso Mophulane reports from one of the power plants in Postmasburg in the Northern Cape…

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Tanzania is preparing to host the International Forum For Investments, which is scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam from 12th to 14th of July. With confirmed funding commitments amounting to 1 billion US Dollars and confirmed participation from global investors and funding institutions in control of more than 200 billion dollars, the forum will be the largest gathering of international investors in Tanzania. Gabriel Zakaria reports..

Uganda has officially presented its candidate for the African Union chair position.Former Vice president Dr Specioza Wandera Kazibwe has launched her campaign to the diplomatic community in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The current Chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma will officially end her term next month.Coletta Wanjohi reports…

In a powerful address to the UN General Assembly, Ndaba Mandela has invoked the legacy of his late grandfather, former South African President Nelson Mandela, as he appealed to the global community to ensure that all 37 million people living with HIV today can immediately access ant-iretroviral treatment. The younger Mandela - who is also Founder and Chairman of Africa Rising - was addressing the opening segment of a High Level Meeting on the subject to rally the globe to increase investment in the next five years, to set the course for ending the epidemic by 2030. The Assembly immediately adopted a political declaration to accelerate global action. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

A groundbreaking new study into the Ebola virus by the Centre for International Forestry Research and partners has revealed that hotspots for the disease may be more widespread, and carried by a greater number of animals species, than previously suspected. Professor John Fa, division of biology and conservation ecology, school of science and the environment, at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, and Centre for International Forestry Research says his team were the first to apply biogeographical techniques to map favourable conditions for a virus, resulting in a map of hotspots where Ebola may spread in the wild on the African continent.

Rape and other sexual violations committed during war today represent a return to the slave trade of centuries ago, the Security Council heard on Thursday. Zeinab Hawa Bangura, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, presented her latest report to Council members. It lists nearly 50 groups worldwide that systemically commit these crimes. Dianne Penn reports on the Security Council open debate.

Kenyans came out in large numbers yesterday to celebrate Madaraka Day, marking 53 years since the East African country attained internal self-rule from the British. Madaraka Day is one of Kenya's most important celebrated public holidays, and this year's official celebrations for the first time ever were held outside the Kenyan capital in the town of Nakuru in the Rift Valley region. Celebrations this year were also unique as members of the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, decided to hold a parallel rally. James Shimanyula reports..

A United Nations NGO Committee, which includes South Africa, has rejected a press freedom watchdog's request for consultative status within the world body, drawing a firm rebuke from the United States. The Committee to Protect Journalists - or CPJ - is an independent New York-based nonprofit organisation that promotes the rights of journalists around the world, while highlighting corrupt practices by states that could be harmful to the profession. The United States Ambassador called the move to deny CPJ's accreditation "outrageous" but South Africa responded by pointing to procedural matters that the NGO had failed to meet. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki says Africans need to document and teach their own history in schools. Mbeki was speaking at a event to mark Africa Day in Pretoria YESTERDAY. The former head of state blames Africa's social and political ills on a lack leadership. Amos Phago was there and he compiled this reports.

A South African company awarded a contract to administer the dot-Africa domain name, has appealed for political intervention amid a US court battle over who should operate the domain name. An American-based company DotConnectAfrica, has secured a US court interdict against the Johannesburg-based ZA Central Registry citing unfair handing of its application process. The African Union and the Bureau of ICT Ministers in Africa have raised concerns over issues of African interest being decided in a US Court. Tshepo Mongoai reports….

The much anticipated World Humanitarian Summit is set to kick-off in Istanbul, Turkey today. This first-of-a-kind gathering expecting six thousand participants comes with grand ambitions to revolutionise the international aid system. However, the big questions remains as to how much of results will this event yield, to a very challenged gloabal humanitarian structure. Channel Africa's Jane Rabothata Reports..

The decision by Kenya to repatriate Somali refugees from the Dadaab refugee camp is under scrutiny at the African Union. A technical assessment of the situation by the African Union suggests that Kenya's closure of the worlds' largest refugee camps should go ahead... despite calls from the UN's refugee agency for the decision to be reconsidered. The AU is demanding that it be done according to legally accepted international standards. Colleta Wanjohi has more

U.S. Authorities say they are aware of the reports that a former American official is claiming in a new documentary that he gave information which led to the arrest of former South African President, Nelson Mandela in 1962. With South Africa's ruling ANC spokesperson calling this a serious indictment, our U.S. correspondent Priscilla Huff has the reaction from Washington.......

There is already strong support from the local motor industry for the first South African Festival of Motoring, to be held at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, from August 31 to the 4th of September. Among the major companies confirmed as participants are Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Porsche. While the Festival will remain sub Saharan Africa's premier auto show, it will now also feature halls with attractions like food, fashion, kid's entertainment, educational opportunities and celebrity moments. But the President of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa, Mike Whitfield, says the new look Festival will be a worthy successor to the previously held Johannesburg International Motor Show, or JIMS, which was Africa's largest auto industry event

The first round of informal dialogues with declared candidates for the UN's top job concluded with submissions from two former Presidents of the General Assembly and the current Administrator of the UN Development Programme. The interaction, which for the first time in the history of the UN, allowed member states to ask questions of candidates seeking to be the next Secretary General before the matter goes behind closed doors in the Security Council. That process is only expected to begin by the end of July. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

South African oposition party, the Congress of the People has vowed not to return to parliament until there is clarity on the constitutional court findings against president Jacob Zuma in relation to the Nkandla matter. The party announced it's withdrawal from national assembly activities following its top six leadership meeting yesterday. Last month the court ruled that Zuma failure to adhere to the Public Protector's remedial action on Nkandla was in violation of the constitution. Amos Phago reports

Police chiefs from six central African states have taken commitments to bring all people suspected of recruiting women and Children in Boko Haram camps to justice. This is one of the resolutions taken at the end of a meeting of six police chiefs of the region. Channel Africa's Moki Kindzeka has more

The UN's top official on the prevention of genocide says the question of identity and diversity continues to be of serious concern, even 22 years after the Genocide in Rwanda. In an exclusive interview with SABC News, the UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on the subject slammed what he pointed to as unacceptable rhetoric from nationalist leaders particularly in Europe and the United States seeking to exclude people from their countries on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity. He also took a swipe at the current Republican Presidential front-runner in the United States. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

The UN has confirmed fresh allegations of rape against its peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The organisation has been in the spotlight for months following allegations of sexual abuse by its blue helmets, mainly in the Central Africa Republic that now total more than 100. Tanzanian troops that are part of MONUSCO's Force Intervention Brigade alongside SANDF and Malawian troops, are thus far the only contingent to be implicated in the sexual abuse claims in the DRC. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

More than eight hundred people have been vaccinated in Guinea using an experimental Ebola jab to deal with the first flare-up of the deadly disease there since the original outbreak was declared over in December last year. The World Health Organization says the disease has returned to Liberia for the third time, after lab tests confirmed that a 30-year-old woman had died from Ebola. More from the organisations' Tarik Jasarevic...

SABC News is partnering with UNWOMEN to galvanize attention and concrete action towards achieving the goals of women's empowerment and gender equality by 2030. The United Nations entity for women has brought together a broad coalition of media outlets from every region of the world to ensure as wide a reach as possible in the awareness drive towards greater gender balance in the world. By signing the Media Compact, outlets have committed to a range of concrete actions that include championing the cause of women's equality through editorials, greater inclusion of women as sources and ensuring that women journalists are provided mentors and guidance for career advancement among others. Aaron Berger reports.

The United Nations Secretary General has urged the Security Council to support his efforts in warning Morocco against its current course of action regarding the UN Mission in Western Sahara. This as the organisation confirmed that 73 international civilian personnel were withdrawn over the weekend after Morocco ordered the withdrawal of 84 staffers over the UN Chief's use of the word 'occupation' to describe the annexed region during a recent visit there. The UN has warned that with the mission increasingly unable to perform its mandated tasks, the consequences could result in heightened tensions and the possible renewal of hostilities by the Polisario Front. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Russia has offered to co-operate with Africa to combat the multi-billion dollar drug trafficking scourge that has taken hold on the continent. Africa has become a major drug smuggling route to ship cocaine from Latin America and heroin from Afghanistan to other parts of the world like Europe and Asia. Russian and African delegations have discussed the problem at a conference in the South African city of Durban, with the aim of opposing a proposal at the United Nations to legalise dagga. Dries Liebenberg reports . . .

Libya is governed by chaos and anarchy and it's going to take time for it to become a functioning state again.That's the view of Martin Kobler, head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), speaking after he updated the Security Council on conditions inside the North African country.Rival political groups and factions have been fighting for control of Libya and a majority signed a statement last month in which they approved a proposed Government of National Accord.Kobler explains why political paralysis is continuing.

An outbreak of inter-communal violence inside a large United Nations camp in South Sudan that left five dead, may constitute a war crime. This is according to the UN spokesperson for the UN mission in the country, UNMISS. Ariane Quentier condemned the violence that erupted on Wednesday night inside the Malakal camp, which is sheltering nearly 50 - thousand people, made homeless during the on-going civil war. The clashes involved Shilluk and Dinka youths. The two-year long conflict between rival forces loyal to the president on one side, and his former deputy on the other, has left tens of thousands dead. Quentier explains..

The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa has prepared its own assessment of the state of the nation status of the environment as the country prepares to hear President Jacob Zuma deliver his address to the nation. Christine Colvin, World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa senior manager freshwater programme says most pertinent for many communities in the Southern African Nation on the state of the nation address is the deepening water crisis, exacerbated by the drought conditions. And the drought resilient and sustainable future will rely on presidential level attention on keystone elements of the water sector, skills, infrastructure and new job opportunities.

Today's complex challenges cross borders and surpass the capacity of any single country or institution to cope. That was the message from the UN Secretary General to member states when he presented his new 'Agenda for Humanity' ahead of the first ever UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey in May this year. Ban Ki Moon, while launching his 'One Humanity: Shared Responsibility' report, urged heads of state and government to attend the summit, ready to commit solutions as the world grapples with the largest humanitarian crisis in a generation. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

As Syrian peace talks in Geneva falter over continued fighting in the country, the focus now shifts to a donor conference in London Today. The United Nations and its agencies are asking for as much as nine billion dollars, to meet the needs on the ground. 11 million people are in need of aid while the conflict has forced 4 point 6 million to seek refugee outside of the country in what is now the largest humanitarian emergency anywhere in the world. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Round 14 of the South African ABSA Premiers Soccer League kicked off last Wednesday and saw Bidvest Wits losing their top spot on the log after losing to Mpumalanga Black Aces who’s short stay at the summit of the log table lasted 24 hours before Sundown’s took over . Pirates move to 11th spot after a trilling 3 all draw at Maritzburg United while Jomo Cosmos slumped to their second defeat in a row and another Premier soccer league player dies in a car crash in the early hours of the morning after producing a steller performance for his club a night before his sudden shocking passing …. Channel Africa’s Sports Editor Thabiso Ntema reviews round 14 which produced 30 goals , the highest tally in a round since the league kicked off in August last year .

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

The South African ABSA Premier Soccer League kicked off on Friday last weekend after the Christmas break with a bang . 20 GOALS were scored in in 8 fixtures which saw Bidvest Wits returning to the top of the log for the fourth time this season .University of Pretoria won the key relegation tie against Jomo Cosmos.Pirates woes on the home front continued after being held to draw at home while Chiefs and Sundowns shared the spoils in the much anticipated clash of round 13 .Channel Africa’s Sports Editor Thabiso Ntema reviews round 13 which left pressure mounting for the top and bottom sides on the log .

Greenpeace Southeast Asia, together with 14 other organisations and 20 individuals, have filed a petition with the Philippines Commission on Human Rights to investigate 50 fossil fuel companies that includes Exxon Mobile, BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Conoco Phillips for environmental crimes against human rights responsible for the impacts of climate change such as extreme weather events. Anna Abad, Greenpeace Southeast Asia lead climate justice campaigner says this should hopefully inspire other human rights commissions around the world to take similar action.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Cameroon's army, backed up by a regional task force, has killed at least 100 members of the militant Islamist Boko Haram group and freed 900 people it had held hostage. Cameroon is part of an 8,700-strong regional task force also comprising troops from Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin that aims to destroy Boko Haram, which though based mainly in Nigeria has become a major threat to wider regional security. Moki Kindzeka reports from Yaounde.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Week 11 of the South Africa ABSA Premier Soccer League saw Bidvest Wits remaining top of the log while Jomo Cosmos registered its second win of the season in a weekend that produced 23 goals and had another coach biting the dust . Channel Africa’s Sports Editor reviews round 11 action which Orlando Pirates missed due to the CAF Confederations Cup first leg semi-finals at home against Etoile du Sahel.

Reports from Burundi say four people have been shot dead in the capital Bujumbura on Saturday night. Violence was also reported in the north of the country as unknown gunmen attacked a nightclub, killing one person. Bernard Bankukira has more from Bujumbura.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Burundi has been put on notice by the UN Security Council to reject violence, return to international led mediation efforts or face additional measures against those who impede efforts towards a peaceful solution to the country's deteriorating situation. In a unanimous decision, the Council adopted a French sponsored draft resolution that fully endorses the mediation efforts of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni while calling in the UN Secretary General to deploy a team to the country to develop options to address political and security concerns. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports from New York.

The Conference of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of African Eurasian migratory water birds is taking place in Bonn, Germany. Evelyn Moloko, coordinator for the Africa Intitiative of AEWA says a number of issues are being discussed by the delegates with regards to the conservation of the migratory waterbirds.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

This is an interview with deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration Ayanda Dlodlo on the Open Government Global Summit held in Mexico last week. She was talking to Pule Phalatse on the first day of the summit.

FIFA's member associations have proposed seven candidates for the presidential election to take place at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich on 26 February 2016. The candidates proposed are HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Mr Musa Hassan Bility, Mr Jérôme Champagne, Mr Gianni Infantino, Mr Michel Platini, H.E. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and Mr Tokyo Sexwale of South Africa. Sexwale earlier in the week met with the CAF and acting FIFA President, Issa Hayatou, in Cairo in Egypt to table his manifesto and what sort of changes he will bring in the already tainted FIFA Image

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Podcast featuring interviews, reports, analysis and statements.

Round 7 of the South African ABSA Premier Soccer League kicked off last Saturday amid drama and confusion caused the Bafana Bafana travelling schedule from Central America where they played Costa Rica and Hunduras. PSL was forced to cancel five scheduled matches which involved teams that had players in the Bafana travelling party which only jetted home on Friday night . Channel Africa's Sports Editor Thabiso Ntema reviews the controversial round seven that also claimed the scalp of another coach .

Six played games , six different log leaders and two fired coaches . That’s the story of the 2015 -16 South Africa ABSA Premier Soccer league to date . Channel Africa Sports Editor Thabiso Ntema brings you a review of round six played last weekend with Orlando Pirates not taking part due to their 1st leg semi-final of the CAF Confederations Cup against Al Ahly at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto .

South Sudan's military commanders and rebels are meeting in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to discuss how to implement a permanent military ceasefire. This is the first step towards implementation of the peace agreement that was signed by the warring parties in August this year. Colleta Wanjohi reports..

Victims of the 1981 Matola raid in Maputo say the unveiling of the monument in their honour signifies that their quest for freedom was not in vain. President Jacob Zuma and his Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi will unveil the Matola Monument and Interpretative Centre in remembrance of MK soldiers who were killed by the apartheid defence force during the raid. 13 ANC cadres and one Mozambican national were killed in three MK safe houses in the raid where the apartheid defence force members disguised as Mozambican soldiers. Ntebo Mokobo has more.

Zimbabwe's former Vice President Joice Mujuru yesterday* unveiled a manifesto, seen widely as a precursor to launching a political party. Mujuru, a liberation war hero and the country's first vice president had been widely tipped to succeed veteran ruler Robert Mugabe. She was fired from government in December last year and later expelled from the party for allegedly plotting to oust President Robert Mugabe. Shingai Nyoka reports....

Ahead of an upcoming World Forestry Congress in Durban, South Africa, land grabbing, large scale palm oil plantations and illegal logging are taking down Africa's forests, sending desperate poor people who depend on forests for their income to city slums or the countryside. Jeffrey Campbell, manager of the Forest and Farm Facility of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation says most of these issues will be discussed at the World Forestry Congress 2015 by various stakeholders..

Round three of the South Africa Premier Soccer League which kicked off on 25th to the 26th of August produced 15 goals a drop of 11 goals from round two. Despite the drop in goals , it produced drama and shock for the traditional big teams including defending league champions Kaizer Chiefs as they were send tumbling from the top of the log following a 1 all draw away to Polokwane City on Tuesday.Black Aces shot to the top of the log while Free State Stars early free fall saw them occupying the bottom spot. Channel Africa’s Sport Editor Thabiso Ntema reviews the extraordinary round three that was .

Next month, women at the heart of South Africa's arts and culture will be honoured in an awards ceremony in Johannesburg. This year's edition of the Mbokodo Awards will celebrate and acknowledge women who have not only articulated the aspirations of the South African people, but have also fortified their democracy by empowering communities and individuals through their art. The awards celebrate women in 20 different categories including promotion of arts in the media, creative writting, poetry and a lifetime achievement award. More from Carol Bouwer, Founder of the Awards.

As the United Nations Security Council marks its 70th anniversary calls for its reform continue to mount. The University of Johannesburg African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy department hosted a panel discussion under the theme: the UN@ 70, perspective from Africa. The discussion heard that the sovereign equality of states and respect for peoples' right to self-determination are as important today as never before. Nhlanhla Mahlangu reports..

Lesotho says it has seen an incredible difference in the quality of life of its poor population, especially children, since the launch of the Child Grants Programme in 2013. Commonly know as the CGP, the programme is an unconditional cash transfer targeted at poor and vulnerable households. With the assistance of the United Nations children's Fund, UNICEF, providing technical support, and financial support from the European Commission, Lesotho's government now extends this benefit to about twenty-five-thousand households from the initial ten-thousand when it was first piloted. In this week's look at health issues, we focus on Lesotho's cash transfer programme, which is said to be changing the lives of many children in that country, including those affected by HIV/AIDS. Selinah Ntobong sent this report from Maseru, Lesotho

The UN has confirmed almost 60 allegations of possible misconduct have been reported against its personnel in the Central African Republic since the mission began operations in April last year. This emerged after the Secretary General announced the resignation of the head of the UN mission to that country after Amnesty International revealed allegations of rape and indiscriminate shooting of civilians by UN Peacekeepers a day earlier. The UN Chief has also appealed to UN member states that contribute troops to peacekeeping missions to hold their national's to account. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

The South African National Parks is now relocating rhinos out of the country's Kruger National Park, following a successful internal translocation in which 30 rhinos were moved from high risk areas to safer zones withhin the park last year. The eastern part of the park, which borders Mozambique, continues to experience a high number of poaching incidents every day. The translocations is part of a cabinet approved rhino management strategy, which aims to reduce the threat to rhinos and the biological management of the species. Selinah Ntobong reports..OUTRO