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<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/199502/Zim_icon.GIF" align=left>Tsholotsho has become a symbolic battleground in the Zimbabwean elections with the ruling Zanu-PF, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and independent candidate Jonathan Moyo, former information minister, vying for the parliamentary seat in the March poll. This otherwise sleepy town has impacted like no other on the country’s political landscape.
Enforcing a human rights culture among South Africans remains the government’s main challenge, Deputy President Jacob Zuma said on Monday at an African National Congress human rights book launch. Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus on Monday accused the ANC of destroying minority rights under the guise of correcting the past.
The Department of Health has directed its provincial counterparts and local authorities to remove various chilli powders and chilli-powder products from shop shelves and detain them for further analysis for the Sudan Red colourant. The colourant could increase the risk of cancer if consumed over a long period in large quantities.
At least 46 people died in violence in Iraq on the second anniversary of the United States-led invasion of the country as a diplomatic row erupted between Baghdad and Amman. Iraq was plunged into diplomatic crisis with Jordan, with both countries recalling their envoys following accusations of a Jordanian being involved in a suicide bombing.
Nigeria’s main oil unions backed down from calling an immediate strike to protest the use of casual labour on Monday but launched a new 21-day ultimatum to international energy giants and the government. A disruption to Nigeria’s exports will send a shockwave through markets at a time when oil prices are already near their all-time high.
Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who was sworn in on Monday as the Southern African country’s second head of state since independence, is known for his close ties to Sam Nujoma, whose legacy he has vowed to pursue.
Two graves, believed to contain the remains of the ”Mamelodi 10”, were exhumed at the Winterveldt cemetery, north-west of Pretoria, on Monday by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to commemorate national Human Rights Day. The ”Mamelodi 10” were 10 youngsters abducted in June 1986 by the apartheid government’s security police.
Using seven countries in Southern Africa, local scientists have found a new way to assess rapidly how human actions are affecting the natural world, according to the Science and Development Network. The index discards the traditional approach of compiling lists of species and estimating the rate at which they are going extinct.
United States military helicopters airlifted stranded families to safety and aid agencies distributed vital food after devastating floods in Afghanistan left nearly 200 people dead, officials said on Monday. Torrents of melting snow and fierce rains caused rivers to burst their banks in many parts of the poverty-stricken country.