Lawyer, author and political activist Dumisa Ntsebeza talks to Nicolene de Wee about his appointment as judge of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights. He also discusses his work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, how meditation helps him cope with trauma and his love of James Bond movies. How would you describe...Read More
COMMENT It may not have been a leading headline, but one notable aspect of the 34th summit of the African Union (AU) assembly, held from 6-7 February, was its focus on the response to Covid-19. Although the election of the leadership of the AU Commission attracted much of the media attention, the gravity of the...Read More
Virtual racing has breathed new life into the cycling career of South Africa’s top woman professional road-racing cyclist, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, who became the first-ever UCI Cycling eSports world champion when she raced to victory in her workout space in December. The Spain-based cycling champion, who was forced to train indoors because of the Covid-19 lockdown,...Read More
Refiloe Seiboko, Mail & Guardian (South Africa): West: Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) and Stephen Curry. East: Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Jaylen Brown and Fred Van Vleet (Toronto Raptors). There just aren’t enough spots to fully credit deserving players. Honorable mentions...Read More
COMMENT As the sun set on 2020, a year primarily defined by the Covid-19 pandemic, all segments of society in Africa have been affected. Some areas suffered more than others, but none have been spared. In the democracy and good governance space, analysts, civil society groups, donors, and implementers worried that the onset of the...Read More
Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin Archange Touadéra has won an outright election victory after a tense first round of voting in the country, the electoral commission announced this week. The December 27 presidential election, which coincided with legislative polls, took place as a coalition of armed rebel groups renewed an offensive that left thousands...Read More
What would it take for LeBron James and the Lakers to go back-to-back and raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy in July? What Christmas Day matchup are you looking forward to the most? Refiloe Seiboko, Mail & Guardian (South Africa): The Lakers were already such a strong team and their offseason moves have not only maintained...Read More
COMMENT The year 2020 will, of course, be remembered for the Covid-19 pandemic. Many African countries have handled the public health effects of coronavirus well compared with neighbouring continents, with some 55 000 related deaths and 2 million recovered out of a population of just over a billion. This can be credited to quick action...Read More
COMMENT In his 2020 International Women’s Day address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that, through South Africa’s chairship of the African Union, he will be advocating for the adoption of an African Union Convention on Violence Against Women. To this end, the South African department of women, youth and persons with disabilities has put together a...Read More
The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers air pollution to be the greatest environmental risk to people’s health. In South Africa, where everyone has the constitutional right to an environment not harmful to their health, the residents of the Mpumalanga highveld are enveloped by a deadly concoction of air pollutants on a daily basis. This is...Read More
